Mayor makes second annual address to Cary

  Continuing the tradition begun in 2006, Cary Mayor Ernie McAlister’s second annual State of the Town address speaks to and reflects upon both the general and the specific issues, matters, trends, and plans in key areas of interest to you, the citizens of Cary. These include transportation, infrastructure, economic development, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. 

  “In the Town of Cary we enter 2007 with great optimism…. The state of our town is strong, vibrant, growing and successful…Our continuing challenge is to be good stewards of what we have inherited and do our best to make it even better for future generations … Fiscal responsibility is the key to putting our local financial house on a solid and sustainable footing while ensuring we have the resources to maintain and enhance our community's quality of life…Our commitment is to stay focused on the fundamentals that will ensure our success is sustained for the long-term…”

  Read the complete text of the 2007 State of the Town by visiting http://www.townofcary.org/ or watch the address airing regularly throughout February on Cary TV 11.

Keeping our water safe

  From Mar. 1 through Mar. 31, the Town will temporarily stop adding ammonia to its water treatment disinfection process and switch to using free chlorine to clean the system. 

  Customers who use kidney dialysis machines should be aware that water may contain chlorine, ammonia, or a mixture of the two at the beginning and end of March.  Also, customers are encouraged to check their water before washing white clothes to ensure that the water is not discolored. 

  Each year, Cary joins other towns and cities in performing the state-mandated practice.

…Checking for leaks

  While many homes in Cary are heated by natural gas or by electric heat pump, some are still heated by fuel stored in underground residential tanks. A leaking tank can lead to problems such as contamination to area soil and groundwaters.

  To determine if your tank is leaking, check to see if the furnace is using more fuel than usual or if there are several inches of water in the tank, which could indicate a hole.

  For more, contact the Engineering Department at 469-4038.

Wanted: Old Telephone Books

  Recycle your old telephone books during Wake County's Annual Telephone Book Recycling program at the following Cary locations Feb. 5 - May 4:

§         Cary Elementary School, 400 Kildaire Farm Road

§         Davis Drive Park, 1610 Davis Dr .

§         Ritter Park, 301 W. Lochmere Dr .

  Telephone books can also be recycled year round at the North Wake and South Wake Multi-Material Recycling Facilities.

Talk about your walk

  Walk or drive over to review and comment on the draft Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan at an Open House to be held Feb. 27 from 6-8 p.m. at the Cary Senior Center.  The plan will be used to enhance the walkability of Cary and provide a safer and more efficient pedestrian network.

Bud Bits

•  The newest wave in temporary storage – portable pods – should not be parked on Town streets.  The Town does not permit any gate, substance or object that will obstruct the movement of persons and vehicles on Town streets, walkways or bicycle paths.

• Share your input on the FY08 Budget priorities. E-mail budgetinput@townofcary.org or leave a voicemail at 462-3858 by Feb. 28, or share your input at the February council meetings.

Cary PD Steals the Show

  Three Cary School Resource Officers (SRO) – Jann Champ, Robert Parker and Brian Smith– recently received high marks for their dedication to serving area students:

  Jann Champ, an SRO at Davis Drive Middle School , received the Col. Charles A. Speed Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award from Operation Lifesaver, an organization that promotes safety related to railroad crossings and tracks. 

  Robert Parker, an SRO at Cary High School , was recognized with the Jan Parker Award at the annual NC SafeKids Coalition awards luncheon for his volunteer work as a member of the SafeKids Advisory Board.

  There’s a new holiday at Green Hope High School –“Brian Smith Day”.  Students and staff joined Principal Dr. James Hedrick in naming the school’s SRO Brian Smith the “Officer of the Decade” and officially proclaiming Dec. 18 a day in his honor. 

PRCR Director Receives Highest Honor

  Congratulations to Mary Henderson, Director of Cary’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources department, who was awarded the 2006 NCRPA Fellow Award at the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association Annual Conference. The Fellow Award is the highest award the Association can bestow on one of its members for outstanding service and leadership. Way to Go, Mary!

Up in Smoke

  Smoking materials such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes are the leading cause of fire deaths in the US . If you choose to smoke, remember these safety tips:

§         - If you smoke, smoke outside.

§         - Use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.

§         - Before you throw out butts and ashes, make sure they are out, and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.

§         - Check under furniture cushions and in other places people smoke for cigarette butts that may have fallen out of sight.

§         - Never smoke in a home where oxygen is being used.

§         - If you smoke, choose fire-safe cigarettes.

§         - To prevent a deadly cigarette fire, be alert. You won’t be if you are sleepy, intoxicated, or medicated.

§         - Keep matches and lighters out of children's sight and reach. 

Making it easy for easement clearing

  To protect your health and our environment, we routinely clear utility easements of trees and regrowth to prevent tree root penetration into sewer lines, which causes blockages and overflows.

  Before we begin any work in an easement, we’ll mail a letter to notify bordering property owners.  We’ll also schedule an on-site meeting to inform property owners of any items in the easement that must be removed or relocated. 

  If items are in the easement when we begin our work, we’ll remove them and set them aside.  However, we aren’t responsible for damaged items, so keep easements clear all the time.

  For more details, call 469-4090.

Celebrate African-American heritage

  Come out to the Herb Young Community Center on Mar. 3 at 4 p.m. for the 9th Annual African-American Celebration entitled “Music as Medicinal”. For more about this free event, call 460-4963.

Cultural Connection

• Applause! Cary Youth Theatre: Battle with the Bard,  Feb. 17,  7 p.m. at Cary Senior Center . Free. Details at 469-4061.

• Ski Sugar, (Middle School and High School), February 19, 5 a.m.-9:30 p.m. at Sugar Mountain .  Details at 460-4965.

• Cary Town Band Concert, Mar. 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Cary Senior Center Ballroom.  Details at 467-7336.

• Design Team Interviews for Applause!  Cary Youth Theatre’s Legend of Pocahontas, Mar. 12-13, 5-9 p.m. at Old Cary Elementary School .  Details at 469-4061.

• Applause! Cary Youth Theatre Studio Series II, Mar. 17, 7 p.m. at Cary Senior Center .  Free admission.  Details at 465-4792.

• Cary Ballet Company’s 10th Annual Spring Gala, Mar. 17, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. & Mar. 18, 2 p.m. at the Cary Academy Performing Theater. Tickets on sale Mar. 1. Details at 481-6509.

• Concert Singers of Cary present "J.S. Bach's Easter Oratorio and other works", Mar. 31, 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.  Details at 678-1009.

Exhibits

  ART55: 55 Works of Art by Artists over 55. Cary Senior Center .  Mar. 5-Apr. 4.  Artists' Reception Mar. 30, 4-6 p.m.

  Jean Oline "Mixed Media/Collage". Page-Walker Arts & History Center Main Gallery. Mar. 2 - Apr. 25. Artist's Reception Mar. 4, 2- 4 p.m.

  Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. Page-Walker Arts & History Center Second Floor Gallery. Mar. 2 - Apr. 25. Artists' Reception Mar. 4, 2-4 p.m.

  Fine Arts League of Cary . Jordan Hall Art Center .  Mar. 2 - 31.  Artist's Reception Mar. 30, 6-8 p.m.

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