Quizzing
the Candidates: Community forum lets citizens ask the questions
On Oct. 9, Cary voters will be asked to choose representatives for
Council seats in districts B and D, one At-Large seat, the office of mayor, as
well as seats on the Wake County Board of Education.
Before you head to the polls, take the
opportunity to ask the candidates some questions. The 2007 Cary Community
Candidate Forum will be held on Sept. 12 at Town Hall in council chambers and
will feature discussion on a wide variety of topics, based on the questions you
provide. New this year, citizens can submit more than one question for the
forum.
Only Cary citizens can participate,
and you must provide your name and address for your question to be considered.
Submit all questions to our forum
manager, the North Carolina Center for Voter Education, by Aug. 31 by phone,
fax, e-mail or postal mail:
> Call: 839-1200
> Fax: 839-1231
> E-mail: caryforum@nccve.org
> Mail to: ATTN – Cary Forum,
N.C. Center for Voter Education, 19 W. Hargett Street, Suite 310, Raleigh, NC
27601.
For more information, visit Cary
Community Candidate Forum at www.townofcary.org.
On Saturday, Sept. 22, leave
your car at home and ride C-Tran’s fixed route buses for free.
With
three public routes – North/South, East/West and the Maynard Loop – you’ll
find C-Tran makes getting around Cary convenient and easy.
We’re
offering everyone the chance to ride our fixed route buses free of charge as we
join communities around the world in celebrating International Car Free Day, an
event that promotes alternatives to driving such as public transportation.
For
details, call 462-2080 or visit C-Tran
Fixed Route Service at www.townofcary.org.
Cary’s FY 2008 budget took effect July 1, keeping the tax rate at 42
cents per $100 of assessed value. It is the second lowest tax rate among Wake
County’s 12 municipalities.
We’ve also maintained a solid waste
fee of $11.75 per month while continuing to provide new efficiencies such as
dual stream recycling.
A necessary increase in utility rates
was kept below 5 percent. Cary customers using 7,000 gallons will pay about
$2.73 more a month, or 4.3 percent.
For more on the FY
2008 budget, visit www.townofcary.org.
Our Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival is rated the best one-day festival
in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine in the Classic and Contemporary
Crafts category. We also have the honor of being the only one-day festival in
the magazine’s Top 25 Best Festivals rankings, coming in 23rd in
2006.
If you’ve never attended the
festival before, come out this year to see why we’re one of the South’s
premier festivals.
The celebration kicks off Aug. 25 at 8:45 a.m. and features live
entertainment on three stages, art, food and fun for the entire family.
To get a full schedule of the day’s
events, visit the Lazy
Daze section at www.townofcary.org.
Each year, we test for leaks in the sewer system by forcing non-toxic smoke into
the lines. This year, we’re focusing on areas in Morrisville.
Testing is scheduled to begin in
mid-August, weather permitting. Most people will never see or smell the smoke.
Notices will be issued at least 24 hours in advance before testing is scheduled
in an area.
Call 469-4090 with questions or visit Smoke
Testing at www.townofcary.org.
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Town offices will close on Monday, Sept. 3 for Labor Day. Solid waste, yard waste and recycling schedules will not change.
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Each fall, the Town offers free workshops on using water wisely. Topics range from composting to rainwater harvesting. For a list of upcoming workshops, visit Water Conservation at www.townofcary.org.
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Get important news from the Town as it happens. Sign up for the Electronic Mailing List at www.townofcary.org.
Sertoma Amphitheatre is one of Cary’s best kept secrets. Nestled away in Bond
Park, this intimate venue is the perfect place to enjoy a concert, and best of
all, every show in our fall series is free.
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Transit, Sept. 8, 3 p.m.
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Cary Town Band, Sept. 14, 7:30 pm.
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Africa and the Blues featuring Eric Bibb and BalanKora, Sept. 16, 2 p.m.
Emergency
plan for four-legged friends
When disasters strike, it is sometimes the smallest members of our family
– our pets – that are the most affected.
During an evacuation, most public
shelters for people will not accept pets. You may be forced to leave pets behind
if you have not made other plans. Frightened animals can slip out open doors or
parts of your home damaged by the storm and become lost or injured.
To prepare for possible emergencies,
it is important to have an emergency plan in place that includes your pets. To
start, make sure your emergency kit contains pet food, water/food bowls, pet
medications, special care instructions, supplies for handling waste,
immunization records with photos, toys and other comfort items.
Determine safe locations where you and
your pets can stay during an emergency, such as with a friend or family member.
If they are unable to house both you and your pets, arrange shelter for your
pets at a veterinarian or kennel close to where you will be staying.
All animals should have secure
carriers or collapsible cages, as well as collars, leashes, and rabies and owner
ID tags. You may also want to consider having your pet “chipped,” or
implanted with a small microchip containing your information in case it is ever
lost.
For more information on pet emergency
plans, visit www.wakegov.com/pets/safety.pets.htm.
Cary has been recognized for having some of the best tasting water in the
state, but it’s equally important to us that our water is safe.
During the past year, we tested
thousands of water samples in order to determine the presence of any
contaminants. We’re happy to report that the quality of our water remains
high. In fact, we’ve received the Partnership for Safe Water Director’s
Award for the fourth consecutive year - an honor less than 5 percent of
utilities nationwide share.
To view the 2006
Drinking Water Quality Report, visit www.townofcary.org.
Are you taking care of an older family member?
The Cary Senior Center is hosting a
free seminar series, “You and Your Aging Loved One,” beginning Sept. 6.
Registration is required. For details, call 469-4081.
Acting,
design stars needed for fall show
Applause! Cary Youth Theatre announces
auditions for its fall show, The Time Machine.
Young
actors ages 8-18 are invited to audition from Sept. 24-26 by appointment only.
You will be asked to read from a script and do creative movement.
For
those who prefer to work behind the scenes, design team interviews will be held
by appointment only for youth ages 10-18 on Sept. 27-28.
To schedule an audition or interview,
call 469-4061 between Sept 4-21.
For more about the show, visit the Applause!
section at www.townofcary.org.
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G. Love and Special Sauce, Aug. 31, 6:30 p.m. at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Details at www.boothamphitheatre.com.
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Walking Tours: Heart of Cary, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. and Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. Meet at Page-Walker. Details at 460-4963.
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North Carolina Symphony with Elvis Costello, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Tickets and details at www.boothamphitheatre.com.
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St. Francis Brass Band and Triangle Brass Band, Sept. 15, 4 p.m. at Herb Young Community Center. Details at 462-3969.
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Cary Players presents Twain by the Tracks, Sept. 21-22, 8 p.m. and Sept. 23, 6 p.m. at Page-Walker Arts and History Center. Details at www.caryplayers.org.
Exhibits
AIA
Triangle Design Awards, Aug. 28-Sept. 24, Town Hall. Reception: Aug. 31, 6-9 pm.
Helen Tsui: An Art of Praise.
Aug. 28-Sept. 4, Herb Young Community Center. Artist’s reception: Aug. 31, 6-9
p.m.
Fifth Annual Fine Arts League of Cary
Senior Art Exhibition, Sept. 4-29, Cary Senior Center. Reception: Sept. 28, 4
p.m.
Ruth Ogle and Triangle Black &
White Group. Through Sept. 26 at Page-Walker.