Joining Our Team  

Ernie McAlister becomes Cary ’s new mayor, and Michael A. Joyce takes office as one of two at-large representatives on the Town Council on Dec. 11.  

McAlister, a retired banker, is a former chairman of the Cary Chamber of Commerce.  

It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve,” he said, “and I look forward to working with the incoming council.”  

Joyce, a textbook author and plumbing consultant, has lived in Cary for a decade. He has served on the Town’s Athletic Advisory Committee and coached youth sports.  

“I look forward to continuing my dedication to Cary by serving as your at-large representative,” Joyce said.  

McAlister and Joyce join At-large representative Julie Robison, District A representative Jennifer Robinson, District B representative Nels Roseland, District C representative Jack Smith, and District D representative Marla Dorrel on the Town Council.  

The council meets the second and fourth Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.

Home Improvement

We’re having meetings in January for public input on spending federal money in low and moderate income neighborhoods.  

The meetings, which will be from 4-7 p.m. , will be on Community Development Block Grant funds that the Town of Cary is receiving. The meetings are at Kirk of Kildaire Church on Jan. 5 and Herbert C. Young Community Center on Jan. 6.  

Additional comments can be delivered to us between Jan. 7 and Feb. 20, 2004 .  

We’ll review comments and present a plan for addressing housing needs on March 16.  

See Affordable Housing in Current Projects on townofcary.org for meeting directions and other information.  

Contact planner Shawn McNamara with comments or questions at (919) 469-4086 (fax 919-388-1103) or shawn.mcnamara@townofcary.org.

Cheer without Fear

Here are tips to ensure that your holiday decorations put you in the spirit of the season, not take you out of it.  

Whenever possible, choose decorations made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.  

Keep candles away from decorations and other things that can catch fire. Never use candles on Christmas trees.  

Buy only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab.  

Inspect new and used light strings. Replace damaged parts before plugging in lights, and do not overload extension cords.  

Don’t mount lights in ways that could damage cord insulation. For example, use clips, not nails.  

Keep kids and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations. Unplug everything before leaving or going to sleep.  

For more advice, call Cary firefighters at (919) 469-4056.  

A Midwinter Night’s Dream

Honor the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during Cary ’s annual Dreamfest celebration.  

Highlights are a musical presentation Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. in Greenwood Forest Baptist Church and a unity rally at the church Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. An ecumenical service will be Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. in Good Shepherd United Church of Christ.  

Other Dreamfest activities include an art exhibit at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center and an art reception on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 7 – 9 p.m. , along with a history lecture Feb. 7 at Barnes & Noble Bookstore.  

For more details on Dreamfest events, call (919) 460-4963.

Bud Bits

The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board has won top honors among such panels in cities with more than 75,000 people.  

The National Recreation and Parks Association cited commission involvement in projects such as accreditation, the master plan, and the bond referendum.  

Mary Henderson, director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, has been elected president of the N.C. Recreation & Parks Society.  

The American Water Works Association has presented our water treatment plant staff with a 2003 Award of Excellence. The award cites safety.  

Giving Tail-Gaiters a Heads-Up

Next time you see flashing high beams in your review mirror, there’s a good chance that rude driver will see blue lights in his.  

Cary police are stepping up efforts to curb aggressive driving such as weaving in and out of traffic, flashing headlights, following too closely, and running stop signs and red lights.  

Aggressive drivers in Cary can expect more police stops, more unmarked vehicles, and more frequent ticketing.  

“It’s not just rude, it’s dangerous – even deadly,” said Sgt. Joe Clifton, traffic safety unit supervisor.  

If you’re endangered by such drivers, call 911 immediately. If you witness such driving, we urge you to call the Police Department’s traffic hotline at (919) 319-4521.  

Nationally, more than 13,000 people have been killed or injured since 1990 in crashes caused by aggressive driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.  

“ North Carolina is known for being police and hospitable,” Clifton said. “And we need that kind of behavior to make its way back to our roads.”

Checking up on Ourselves

BKL Research will call folks during the first half of January for our biennial survey of citizen satisfaction.  

The survey will take about 15 minutes. We hope those who get the call will take time to let us know how we’re doing. Some will be invited to participate in focus groups.  

The biennial survey report will come out the first quarter of 2004.

Decoration Discard

Big celebrations can mean big cleanups. We’ll make it as easy for you as possible, though.  

Take Christmas trees to a drop-off site between Dec. 15 and Jan. 16 or leave them curbside for us to get starting in January.  

Drop-off sites include our convenience center on North Dixon Avenue and Oak Grove and Green Hope elementary schools.  

We’ll start collecting trees at the curb on Monday, Jan. 12. Have them there by 7 a.m. that day.  

Trees not collected in the first sweep will be taken with Monday yard waste starting Jan. 26.  

Trees go through a chipper, so no tinsel, lights, ornaments, etc., please. Call (919) 469-4090 for more information.  

Wake County will accept wrapping paper, catalogues, trees, etc., at some drop-off sites Dec. 26 – Jan. 11.  

Locations include 10505 Old Stage Road, 6000 Old Smithfield Road and 3600 Yates Mill Pond Road .  

See wakegov.com for details.

Reminders

Town Hall offices will close Dec. 24-26 for Christmas.  

They will also close New Year’s Day and on Jan. 19 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  

Yard waste is not collected during holiday weeks. Call (919) 469-4090 for more information. Here is the schedule for household garbage and recycling during those weeks:  

Christmas (No yard waste)

• Tuesday customers on Monday, Dec. 22
• Wednesday customers on Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Thursday and Friday customers on Wednesday, Dec. 24

New Year’s (No yard waste)

• Tuesday customers on Monday, Dec. 29
• Wednesday customers on Tuesday, Dec. 30
• Thursday customers on Wednesday, Dec. 31
• Friday customers on the regular collection schedule

King Holiday (No yard waste)

Household garbage, curbside trash and recyclables will be picked up on the regular days.

Remember to bring garbage cans to the curb during bad weather to help keep our folks from slipping and falling or tracking up your yard. If you’re unable to haul garbage cans to the curb, call (919) 469-4090 ahead of time.

20 Percent off Bicycle Helmets    

As part its campaign to promote bicycle safety, the Town announces these savings.

• All-Star Bike Shop – 740 E. Chatham St .
• Cycling Spoken Here – 1237 N.W. Maynard Road
• Inside-Out Sports – 2002 Grisdale Lane
• The Spin Cycle – 1241 Kildaire Farm Road
• REI – 255 Crossroads Blvd.

One coupon per customer. Offer expires Jan. 31, 2004 . Coupon cannot be used on sale items or combined with any other discount.

Conservation Corner

Recycling Tip: Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any other time of year. Please, reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging, select products made from recycled materials, teach others about source reduction and recycling practices, and choose reusable bags and containers. Call (919) 459-4090 for more information.

Water Conservation Tip: Winterize your automatic irrigation system by draining water from it and insulating the back flow prevention device and exposed pipes, To learn more, call (919) 469-4090.

Storm Water Tip: Storm drains are designed to handle a 10-year storm – 2.4 inches of rain within an hour. Culverts, which carry streams under streets, are designed for 2.8 inches of rain in an hour. Intense storms can overwhelm drainage systems. Report flooding from blocked culverts or drains at (919) 469-4090.

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