The North Carolina Federation of Republican Women will hold its winter Board of Directors meeting at The Carolina in Pinehurst this weekend.

Joan Thurman, a member of the Moore Republican Women, is state federation secretary.

Highlights will be visits from 8th District Congressman Robin Hayes and author Nancy French. Board members will convene for a closed meeting of the executive committee at 4 p.m. Friday. A jazz concert is planned that night.

Hayes will meet with the board during the 9:30 a.m.-12 noon session Saturday. Now serving his fourth term in Congress, Hayes is a member of three committees important to North Carolina: Armed Services, Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastructure.

French, also known as a "red state ambassador," will join the board at lunch Saturday and will be available to autograph her books later.

Workshops for treasurers, on parliamentary procedure and the GOP Plan of Organization, are scheduled Saturday afternoon. Martha Jenkins will lead the training session on the GOP Plan. More jazz is on tap that night, which will be a free period.

DEMOCRATS -- Moore County Democrats will hold their monthly executive committee meeting Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. at county headquarters on North McNeill Street in Carthage.

The Democrats will hold their county convention Saturday, April 14, at the Moore County Agriculture Center on Pinehurst Avenue in Carthage. Registration opens at 9 a.m., and the convention will begin at 10. Delegates will elect county officers, delegates to the state convention and five members of the State Executive Committee.

Third Vice President Mike Cox said that in lieu of a nominating committee, the party is accepting resumes from Democrats interested in serving as officers or as members of the State Executive Committee. These resumes should be sent to Moore County Democratic Headquarters, 104-A North McNeill St., Carthage.

Candidates' names will appear on paper ballots to be distributed during the convention. Cox says resumes must be received by March 15.

DEM WOMEN -- Wilma Jones, assistant treasurer, Democratic Women of Moore County, will be the speaker for the Saturday, Feb. 10, meeting, to be held at the party headquarters, 104-A North McNeill St., Carthage.

She will speak on recent travel and experiences in Ethiopia.

Members are asked to bring a Valentine and a phone card for Iraq veterans. The phone cards may be in any amount.

The meeting, which will begin at 10 a.m., is open to all interested people, and reservations are not required. Additional information is available by calling Bobbie Burrell at 692-9052.

TARPO -- The Rural Technical Coordinating Committee of the Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization is meeting today (Wednesday) at the Sanford Municipal Building in Sanford.

Committee members are considering the TARPO fiscal year 2007-2008 Planning Work Program and Budget, the 2009-15 State Transportation Improvement Program Process of the N.C. Department of Transportation, the Comprehensive North Carolina Geographic Information System Program Initiative, the Transportation, Community and Systems Preservation Program Initiative, and the N.C. Transportation Corridor Official Map Act. They are also receiving updated NCDOT staff construction reports.

TARPO conducts rural transportation planning for Chatham, Lee, Moore and Orange counties and advises NCDOT on rural transportation policies and programs. It operates under the umbrella of the Triangle J Council of Governments.

Florence Gilkeson can be reached at 947-4962 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.