The Chatham County Economic Development Corporation has scheduled two more public forums to seek input from county residents on economic development.

More than 80 people attended the first forum held May 24 in Siler City.

The second forum is set for Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at North Chatham School, 3380 Lystra Road, in the northeastern part of the county. County Commissioner Patrick Barnes will greet attendees.

The third forum is slated for Thursday in the auditorium of Chatham Central High School on N.C. 902 in Bear Creek. Carl Thompson, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, will greet participants.

These are part of a series of five planned community forums around the county. They will be led by staff from the UNC Center for Competitive Economics, an economic development research center at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. Chatham County has contracted with the center to develop an economic development strategic plan.

Each meeting will offer a brief overview of Chatham County's local economy, including its strengths and weaknesses, as well an overview of the steps involved in developing a long-term strategic plan. The most important aspect of the public forum is to allow residents to provide their own perspective on economic development.

Updates on the strategic planning process and future meeting dates and locations will be posted on the Chatham County EDC Web site, www.chathamedc.org.

Local video game company sold

Vicious Cycle Software, a Chapel Hill company that creates software used to develop video games, will be bought by a U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese game company.

D3Publisher of America has collaborated with Vicious Cycle on games such as "Puzzle Quest" and "Flushed Away," based on a recent animated movie. Another game the companies developed together, "Dead Head Fred," will be released this year.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Vicious Cycle, which was founded in 2000, will become a division of D3Publisher. The company's 50-person development team will remain in Chapel Hill. Eric Peterson will remain president of the division.

"Vicious Cycle's creative spirit and technical leadership are second to none," said Yoji Takenaka, chief operations officer with D3Publisher, in a statement.

Reception set to welcome Reid

The board of directors of the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation will hold a reception to welcome the new president of the EDC, Dianne Reid, on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Central Carolina Community College multipurpose room in Pittsboro. Light refreshments will be served.

Reid came to the position on June 11. Most recently, Reid supervised the Orange County Economic Development Department.

Reid is active on the boards of civic and business organizations, including the N.C. Economic Developers Association, the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, Leadership Triangle, and both Orange County Chambers of Commerce.

For information, call 542-8274 or see www.chathamedc.org.

Chamber offices move to new space

The Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce is moving. Beginning on July 2, the chamber will operate out of its new home at 102 N. Churton St. between Cheshire-Parker Law Firm and Dallas Pridgen Jewelry. The new space is larger than the current location and will provide more room for meetings and classes.

The Chamber will be closed from Thursday until July 2 for the move.

Foundation holds bocce tournament

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce's Foundation for a Sustainable Community will hold a charity bocce tournament on July 12 at the Southern Village recreation field.

Bocce is a popular game that originated in Italy and involves tossing wooden balls toward a small target ball on a long, narrow court. All ages and abilities are welcome. The round-robin and elimination tournament will be played by teams of two. The foundation will supply equipment, food, beverages, prizes and, of course, bocce.

Proceeds will support the foundation's community sustainability programs. Tickets to play are $45, and spectator tickets are $20. Call 967-7075 for information.

New series for business women

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce will launch the Women's Executive Series, a new program designed to empower business women, with a breakfast event presented by UNC Executive Development on July 24 at the Governor's Club in Chapel Hill.

The gathering will give Chapel Hill and Carrboro business women an opportunity to connect and learn from each other about effective leadership in the workplace and the community.

The inaugural event begins at 7:30 a.m. and will feature breakfast, networking opportunities and a speech from Sylvia Hatchell, coach of the UNC women's basketball team.

The Women's Executive Series inaugural event also will offer the opportunity to learn about local businesses that support the advancement of women leaders who sponsored and helped make the event possible. Participants can get more information and meet with representatives from these sponsors at their tables throughout the morning.

The morning's events will conclude at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $25 per person, or a table of 8 can be reserved for a business or group of women executives for $250.

For information or reservations, call 967-7075 or register online at http://www.carolinachamber.org by July 19.

CALENDAR

• Chapel Hill Leads Group: The Chapel Hill Leads Group, a business networking group for Chapel Hill, Durham and surrounding areas, meets from 8 to 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday at The Weathervane restaurant in A Southern Season.
• SCORE: Volunteers from SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, are available for free consultations with businesses in Orange and Chatham counties from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. Call 968-6894 or 967-7075 to schedule an appointment.
• Hillsborough Leads Group: The group meets from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at Occoneechee Steak House, 378 S. Churton St.
• Pittsboro Business Women's Group: The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 8 to 9 a.m. at Chatham Mortgage, 76 Hillsboro St. Meetings include a 10-minute presentation on a member's business and offer the chance for each attendee to introduce her business.