Fireplace Editions has come home to Carrboro, where it was founded 20 years ago. It opened earlier this month in the building at 311 E. Main St., which most recently housed Nomadic Traders and Rigsbee Hinson Furniture before that.

"We've been away seven and a half years, down Mt. Carmel Church Road just across the line in Chatham County," said Dann Carnes, who runs the business with his wife, Rebecca. "Since we got back here we realized just how isolated we were."

Their new 9,000 sq. ft. space has not yet been transformed into a showroom. Various sleek contemporary stoves and fireplace accessories sit waiting to be arranged. Eventually, the back of the store will feature gas stoves and working fireplaces. The front will have woodstoves, fireplaces, fire spaces and accessories.

"It has our warehouse and a wonderful loading dock," said Carnes. "Everything is here."

The couple started Fireplace Editions in 1988, well past the woodstove boom of the '70s. "We came in right when EPA was starting to regulate with clean burning standards," he said. "We started selling stoves that met EPA emissions standards. At that point, a lot of the new technology started to be used."

The technology has improved, and new wood stoves burn more cleanly than ever.

"We just installed a Renaissance Rumford," said Carnes. "That is the first EPA-certified fireplace meeting clean burn standards not only with the door closed but also open."

In addition to woodstoves burning efficiently, Carnes likes to point out that the fuel is renewable. He said even the EPA has embraced contemporary woodstoves; he has installed them in some EPA staffers' homes.

Online shopping to benefit UNC cancer research

UNC's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has launched a new online shopping mall to raise money for cancer research. Just in time for holiday shopping, consumers can now visit www.ShopForCancerCures.org and make purchases from more than 600 online merchants. A portion of each purchase will benefit cancer research at UNC.

Emerson Waldorf opens toy shop at Carr Mill Mall

Emerson Waldorf School has opened a new branch of its campus Woodland Shop in Carr Mill Mall for the holiday season. Store hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with anticipated extended hours after Thanksgiving. The shop sells simple handmade wooden toys and other crafts that let children create imaginative, magical realms in their play. The store also plans to host puppet shows and musical performances. For information, call 883-7478.

Yarns etc... spins into new location

Yarns etc... has moved from Carrboro to Elliott Road, in same shopping center as Whole Foods. The space was formally occupied by Knit-a-Bit. Alice Kimball was the owner, and she retired in July. Mary Stowe, owner of Yarns etc..., said she feels lucky to have been able to move in and renovate the space.