December 2011 newsletter
Cary Businessman Honored for Hometown Spirit
Cary businessman Keith Bliss was named our third Hometown Spirit Award winner. He has lived in Cary for more than 16 years with his wife and three children. He has served on three Town Council-appointed committees and with many other organizations.
The Hometown Spirit Award is designed to recognize community-minded citizens who enhance the quality of life in Cary by preserving, promoting and carrying out positive small town community values and traits. There were four nominees this year.
Bliss received a plaque at the Nov. 17 Town Council meeting. His name will also be on a plaque inside Town Hall.
Aquastar
New Water Meter Installations Near Completion
The Town of Cary and our contractors continue to upgrade water meters as part of the advanced metering infrastructure system for our water utility. The innovative wireless meter reading system upgrade of all residential and commercial water meters in Cary and Morrisville remains on schedule with anticipated completion spring of 2012.
Installation of the new meter typically takes no more than 30 minutes, with customers’ water service being unavailable for about 15 minutes of that time. Before temporarily interrupting individual water services, crews will make every effort to ensure that doing so won’t impose a hardship. We’ll look at your existing meter to see if water is being used and knock on the doors to contact those who may be inside. In addition, we’ll send a letter to you 1-2 weeks prior to installation in your area and leave a door hanger 1-2 days prior to the work. For more, search “Aquastar” on our website, or call 469-4090.
Voters Return 3, Elect New Council Member
In October, Town of Cary voters reelected three Council members and elected a new representative to an at-large seat. Mayor Harold Weinbrecht begins his second mayoral term and Council members Gale Adcock and Don Frantz begin their second terms. This is a first term for Lori Bush, who is a 17-year resident of Cary. All Council members serve for four years.
Bush (pictured right) served our Town as Planning and Zoning Board chairperson and as a member of several community boards.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering and is married with two children.
The Towns of Cary and Apex co-own a water treatment facility that withdraws water from Jordan Lake and provides high quality drinking water to residents and businesses in Cary, Apex, Morrisville, RDU, and RTP South. The Towns are currently designing a facility expansion that will allow us to meet future water demands of our growing communities and continue to provide high level of service and reliability.
The Towns of Cary and Apex will hold a public meeting on 4-7 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop, to present the project’s Environmental Assessment. For details, call Sydney Miller at 462-2066.
Don't miss the 17th Annual Cary Kwanzaa at 3 p.m. Dec. 29 at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. Cary Kwanzaa is a communal, cultural celebration that honors African-American people and their heritage. This year's theme is "The Golden Years: Paying Tribute and Honoring Our Elders."
During Kwanzaa, you will be invited to ponder the Nguzu Saba, or seven powerful principles. Cary Kwanzaa is co-sponsored by The Ujima Group, Inc. and the Town of Cary. For more, visit townofcary.org or call 460-4963.
Forbes Magazine named Cary one of the Top 25 Suburbs for Retirement based on the number of opportunities for citizens to stay active.
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center designated Cary as a Walk Friendly Community, an honor given to only 10 others nationwide.
Thank you for making our first annual Reuse Rodeo a success! More than a hundred citizens donated almost 4,000 pounds of reusable items to benefit our community.
Check out GoLive at gotriangle.org to get real-time arrival estimations for transit services as part of the GoTriangle transit family.
To report a street outage or malfunction, typically call the Progress Energy customer service center at 508-5400 with the location or number on the light pole.
Real-time Cary traffic information through our 23 closed-circuit TV cameras is available 24/7 at wink.townofcary.org. Wink is also broadcasted weekdays on Cary TV (TWC 11 or ATT Uverse 99) from 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.
Limited edition ticket packages for the 2012 U.S. and North American Table Tennis Olympic Trials are on sale at the Cary Arts Center Box Office. The US Olympic Table Tennis Trials will be held Feb 9-12 and the North American Table Tennis Olympic Trials on April 20-22 at Bond Park Community Center. Winners will represent their country at the 2012 Olympic Games. For to apply or volunteer, visit cary2012.com.
Stormwater Master Plan Public Meeting
Residents are invited to hear about preparations for and offer their feedback on the Stormwater Master Plan from 4-7 p.m. Jan. 17 at Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop.
Booths will be setup to provide information and answer questions regarding the various components of the Master Plan. The components include water quality, water quantity, infrastructure, floodplains, and public assistance programs. For information, call 380-2773.
Jewish Cultural Festival 3-9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20 at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. Information: 469-4061.
Creative Fire: An African-American Celebration of the Arts 9 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave. 460-4963.
See more at www.townofcary.org
Join Dreamfest to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. beginning with the Dreamfest Women of Action Gathering 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop. They will explore opportunities for cooperation. Other activities include:
· A Memorial Concert, “A Tribute to Martin.” 4 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Cary Arts Center.
· The 31st Annual MLK Jr. Commemorative March in downtown Raleigh. 10 a.m. Jan. 16. Transportation will be provided from Cary Town Hall, 316 N. Academy St. RSVP required.
· The MLK Day of Service. 2 p.m. Jan. 16. For location call telephone number listed below.
· A Dream of Expression Exhibition. Jan. 12 at the Cary Arts Center. The free exhibit closes Feb. 19 with an artist’s reception set for 6-8 p.m. Jan. 27.
· Dream of History, a free art exhibit. Opens 2 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center.
For details or to RSVP, call 460-4963 or visit townofcary.org.
The Elks Hoops Shoot —a free throw contest for children ages 8 to13—is set for 3-6 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Bond Park Community Center. It is co-sponsored with the Cary-Apex Elks Lodge #2798. Winners qualify for later competitions leading to a National Championship. All participants must be registered by Jan. 7. A birth certificate copy is required on event day. For details, visit townofcary.org.
Receive a $100 rebate when you replace an older toilet that uses 3.5 gallons or more per flush with a WaterSense-certified high efficiency toilet that uses 1.28 gallons per flush. Rebates are issued on a first come, first served basis from July 1 to June 30, 2012 or until funds are expended. Cary is a partner in EPA's WaterSense program. For details search “water conservation” at townofcary.org or call 469-4090.
Wake Med Soccer Park Expanding
We began expansion of the stadium at the WakeMed Soccer Park in November. The project will be completed in about 10 months. The project will add:
· 3,000 seats;
· two more locker rooms;
· a multi-purpose room that can be subdivided into smaller suites; and
· more restrooms and expanded concessions.
The expansion will help us secure new events and retain existing ones, with potential economic impact of an additional million dollars per year for Cary and Wake County businesses. For details, visit townofcary.org.
Town Offices Closed, Holiday Collection Reminder
While Town offices will close Dec. 26-27 and Jan. 2, garbage and recycling collection schedules remain unchanged. However, yard waste will not be collected the week of Dec. 26 so that we can collect excess bagged garbage placed next to your cart. We’ll also collect excess recycling for customers who follow a yellow week recycling calendar on your collection day. Simply place extra recyclables in a labeled and open container next to your recycle cart/bin. If you follow a blue week recycling calendar, we’ll collect your excess recycling on your regular collection day during the week of Jan. 2.
The Citizen’s Convenience Center, 313 N. Dixon Ave., will close on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Questions? Call 469-4090.
Long Lines Predicted for End of Year
The winter holidays may bring larger crowds to Cary Town Hall. Many choose to make their Wake County and Cary property tax payments in person at the Finance Customer Service Window just prior to the Jan. 5 due date. If you’re one of them, plan to use the Town Hall’s south side parking and entrance, which are the most convenient.
You may also pay your property taxes online at wakegov.com using your checking account without any service fees. Credit card payments with Mastercard or Visa are only accepted through Wake County’s automated telephone system at 856-5400 and will incur a service charge. The system will give the total charge prior to your authorization.
