November 2012
Town Hall is Hub for Holiday Fun
Next month, join us for some major merriment.
Our Heart of the Holidays Celebration returns December 1, and we have holiday cheer planned from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Children can mail letters to Santa and make crafts at Santa’s Workshop. Page-Walker Arts & History Center will host an old-fashioned Victorian Christmas complete with carolers and carriage rides. The Ole Time Winter Festival hits the streets of downtown Cary, where in addition to food and entertainment, you can vote on your favorite Gingerbread House.
The popular Cary Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and the unveiling of Cary’s indoor Community Christmas Tree at Town Hall will be at 6 p.m.
Return downtown to the Cary Arts Center on December 9 for our second Jewish Cultural Festival. We’ll celebrate Jewish culture in Cary on the second night of Hanukkah with traditional foods, crafts and hands-on activities for children, plus entertainment and educational displays. The evening culminates when we light our very own nine-foot menorah.
For more on both of these events, search the event name on our website or call (919) 469-4061.
Searching for a specific downtown destination? The Downtown Wayfinding Project begins installation this month and includes about 100 signs through Cary’s downtown, the northern area inside the Maynard Loop from High House Road to Walnut Street.
The new wayfinding signs will help to establish an identity for downtown Cary as it undergoes a revitalization fueled by the public and private sectors.
The project was initiated as a follow-up to the Town’s Downtown Streetscape Plan recommendations. The signage design was the result of a citizen-based stakeholder committee and significant public feedback through a series of public meetings.
Learn more about the signs. Search “Downtown Wayfinding” at our website.
While we no longer visit your water meter monthly to collect readings, from time to time we’ll need to access your water meter onsite for maintenance or to swiftly handle a water emergency.
Please periodically trim trees, bushes, plants, grass and remove obstructions like mulch that may be covering your water meter.
Tackling a List Before the Holidays?
If you’re trying to squeeze in a final home project before the holiday season, remember that most common home improvement projects require a permit to ensure the safety of you and your neighbors.
North Carolina law states a permit is required anytime work is done on a building or structure, or the systems serving the structure.
Household improvements like a porch or sunroom addition, finishing an attic or basement, adding a swimming pool or replacing a furnace or air conditioner require permitting.
A permit is not required to replace non-structural cosmetic building elements, install low-voltage exterior landscape lighting, or replace plumbing fixtures when work does not go beyond the trap seal.
A more comprehensive listing of projects with permit requirements can be found at www.townofcary.org or by calling (919) 469-4043.
Cary Comprehensive Plan: Steer Our Future
Are you a champion of Cary? Plan to live here for the long haul? We’re embarking on a major update to our long-range Comprehensive Plan, a plan that sets the Town’s official vision for its 20-30 year future. So that it truly reflects our community, we’re turning to you to help us create it.
During the entire month of November, we’ll be accepting applications to form our steering committee of 25-30 citizens from all parts of Cary to help us through the plan creation.
Official responsibilities of the steering committee include: representing citizens in the planning process; providing guidance and direction to the staff at crucial steps in the process; disseminating information during the planning process through personal networks; volunteering to help facilitate community meetings; serving as champions of the plan once it’s adopted.
In addition to having a passion for Cary, steering committee members must commit to meeting monthly for the next 24 months starting in January 2013.
For an application, search “Cary Community Plan,” and consider attending our informational meeting on November 26 at the Page-Walker Arts and History Center at noon, 4 p.m., or 6 p.m. Specific questions can be directed to (919) 469-4082.
Book a Home Safety Survey
Interested in protecting your home without relying solely on alarm systems? Our Crime Prevention Team is available to conduct complementary residential assessments at your home or business.
Once scheduled, a police officer will go on location to identify physical weaknesses in and around your home or business and offer low-cost suggestions to improve safety and security. These surveys are best conducted during the daylight hours and last about an hour.
Schedule your evaluation by calling (919) 469-4324.
Turn to Town Hall for a special someone on your holiday shopping list.
For the environmentalist, consider a rain barrel, available at any Cary community center. Collecting rain to water landscapes increases the amount of treated water that is available for drinking, cooking and bathing. Rainwater harvesting is not subject to Cary's year-round outdoor watering restrictions.
For the animal lover, purchase an annual membership or day pass to Cary’s Dog Park, available at any Cary community center.
In lieu of a present, make a donation to Cary’s Oasis or Relief for Recreation programs. Oasis helps utility customers going through financial hardship with one-time assistance to pay their Cary utility bill. Relief for Recreation offers scholarships for Cary citizens to subsidize or entirely pay for fees associated with a parks, recreation or cultural resources’ program. Donating is easy, and contributions are tax-deductible. For more, search “Oasis” or “Relief for Recreation” at www.townofcary.org.
And for the one who has it all, purchase a gift card at Town Hall; gift cards are redeemable toward any parks, recreation and cultural resources class, camp, membership, rental, or lesson.
Your toilet is not a trash can. Sanitary wet wipes, paper towels and personal hygiene products do not belong in the sewer system. These types of debris can collect and accumulate in pipes leading to blockages and overflows. Keep trash out of the sewer system and help prevent costly sewer blockages and environmentally damaging overflows. Call (919) 469-4090 with questions.
As temperatures drop, consider turning off all outdoor faucets and removing attached hoses to help prevent water from freezing and bursting a pipe. Should a pipe burst, the water can be turned off using the master water shut off valve, typically located near the water heater.
To avoid water loss and repairs, make sure everyone in your home is familiar with the valve’s location. You can call (919) 469-4090 to have your meter turned off at the street as needed.
Looking for that perfect spot for your wedding, rehearsal, birthday or reunion? Now is the time to secure a rental at one of our Town venues. With spaces to host over 250 people, we have unique indoor and outdoor options. Rental options include park shelters, the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, and the Cary Arts Center. Read a complete list of options in our Program Brochure or by searching “facilities” at www.townofcary.org.
At some of our busiest intersections, you’ll encounter Flashing Yellow Arrow Turn Signals. These signal lights help drivers to safely make left turns. When the yellow arrow is flashing, know that left turns are allowed once first yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians; when the yellow arrow is solid, prepare to stop as the light will soon be changing to red.
To achieve smart connectivity, we’ve recently installed four Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at points where our most popular greenways intersect with some of our busiest roads. When a pedestrian activates the pushbutton at these crosswalks, solar-powered LED lights will flash to alert vehicles to yield to pedestrians. Drivers are reminded that it’s the law to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. The Federal Highway Administration has found that RRFBs improve yield rates from 10-20% to 70-85%.
For more on these devices, search “Yellow Light” and “Beacon” at www.townofcary.org.
In prepping for the holidays, don’t forget your adjusted trash/recycling collection schedule.
The week of December 23, all garbage, yard waste and recycling will be collected one day later than normally scheduled. Tuesday’s collection will be December 26; Wednesday’s collection will be December 27; Thursday’s collection will be December 28; and Friday’s collection will be December 29.
During the week of December 30, all garbage, yard waste and recycling will also be collected one day later than normally scheduled: Tuesday’s collection will be January 2; Wednesday’s collection will be January 3; Thursday’s collection will be January 4; and Friday’s collection will be January 5.
Our Holiday Collection Schedule is at www.townofcary.org.
All public hearings, meetings and notices are posted in the Classifieds Section of Wednesday’s Cary News. You can view these same items 24/7 on our website under “This Week.” Questions? Call (919) 469-4011.
Cultural Connection
Applause! presents “Battle with the Bard” (Dec. 8, 6 p.m., Cary Arts Center). For more, (919) 469-4069.
Cary Players presents “A Christmas Story” (Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Cary Arts Center). For tickets and times, www.caryplayers.org.
Search our Calendar at www.townofcary.org for more!
Fire Prevention: Fire-Free Holidays
The holidays bring family and friends together to celebrate the season. When hosting, provide guests with large ashtrays and empty them when the ashes are cool. Remind overnight guests that smoking when drowsy or in bed is not allowed in your home. Remember to put candles in candlesticks before you light them, and never put lit candles near flammable decorations and curtains.
During September’s Try Transit Week, over 3,100 citizens took advantage of our public transportation. Go green to get around Cary – search “C-Tran” at www.townofcary.org for a map of our routes.
Planning to pay your property tax at Town Hall? Avoid long lines and pay online at www.wakegov.com or by phone to (919) 856-5400.
Over 200 citizens weighed in on BUD’s layout, design and content. Thanks for your feedback, and expect to see changes over the next few months as we implement some of your ideas.
