 |
|
First-In-State
System Returns Treated Wastewater for Irrigation to Make Cary has become the first town in the state to pump treated wastewater to homes and businesses for irrigation. The project lessens the amount of drinking water that winds up on lawns and other landscaping instead. And it cuts the amount of wastewater that is piped from the Town’s two treatment plants into creeks. The reclaimed water systems use pipes separate from those that carry water for drinking and use indoors. "The result of the Town’s reclaimed water project will be a cleaner environment and more efficient use of our drinking water supply," Town Manager Bill Coleman said at a ribbon-cutting June 22. Money for the completed phases, nearly $11 million, comes from the utility fund. On a typical day, Cary’s northern wastewater treatment—AKA water reclamation—plant discharges 6 million gallons of wastewater into Crabtree Creek, which flows to the Neuse River. The State says Cary may divert up to 4.28 million gallons a day from Crabtree Creek. The first phase of the North Cary portion of Cary’s Reclaimed Water Project, serves 354 residential/multifamily customers and 20 commercial customers, including Worldcom, John Deere, and the NC. Bar Association. Reclaimed water customers won’t have to obey outdoor watering restrictions. They will pay $2.74 per 1,000 gallons for the water—a savings of $1.66 per 1,000 gallons.
For those who live here, it’s a chance to see top-flight softball while showing players and their families champion hospitality. Cary’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is a sponsor of the event. Games will be on athletic fields in Cary and Raleigh. The tourney draws hundreds of teams, mostly from the East Coast. Spectators are welcome. For more information or to learn how to be a sponsor or a volunteer, call 469-4061. The quality and proximity of facilities helped lure the event from Northern Virginia.
Dance Feel the drum beat and allow your senses to explore the riches of Bolivian culture with through dance and percussion at Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park at 10 a.m. on July 28 and Aug. 4. You’ll be ready to take part. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Get them at the Community Center, Senior Center or the Parks and Recreation office.
Come to the Cary Recycles workshop on August 16 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in the Dogwood Room at Bond Park Community Center. Find out where you can recycle different products in and around Cary. Call Public Works and Utilities at 469-4090 to sign up. … There’s still time for many readers to attend the musical theater performance of Durham Savoyards, Ltd. on Saturday, July 21 from 3-5 p.m. at the Cary Senior Center. … Get information on all sorts of topics anytime by calling 24-Hour Town Hall at 319-4500.
Dryer Ed. – Learning not to burn They sure are convenient. Toss in those wet clothes, turn the knob, push start and walk away. But heat from clothes dryers can build to dangerous levels under some circumstances and set the whole house on fire. These are fires that can be prevented by following a few safety tips and maintenance procedures:
For household appliance information and other safety tips, call the Cary Fire Department at 469-4056. With Town and County assistance, four new houses will replace ramshackle buildings that were demolished in a heart of Cary neighborhood. Construction crews are clearing and grading for four new affordable homes in downtown Cary through a partnership between the Town and Wake County. When they’re finished around the fall of 2001, the four single-family houses will be made available to government workers, teachers, and others struggling to find homes they can afford to buy near work. The initiative moved forward with demolition of two vacant and condemned apartment buildings on Hunter Street in January 2000. That launched an 18-month partnership to replace the duplex and triplex with new, moderately priced homes. Wake County spent $120,000 in federal community development money to buy the land and demolish the dilapidated buildings. The Town of Cary met with neighbors to learn what kind of housing they would prefer. A request for development proposals followed. Six proposals were received. DHIC, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Raleigh, was selected to develop the property. Wake County then sold the property to DHIC with the restriction that the organization sell the homes to moderate-income families who are first time buyers. "This work fits in with Town Council goals as stated in both the Town Center Area Plan and the Affordable Housing Plan," said Town of Cary Housing Planner Shawn McNamara. The Town is helping with sewer realignment costs, development fee deferrals, and second mortgage loans.
Signal Light Work Gets the Green Help is coming for those who hate to drive (N.C.) 55 Bookmark that paperback and hang up the cell phone. Rush hour recess on Highway 55 could shorten a bit next year with traffic light changes at High House Road and with widening between Carraway and Wellesley Trade lanes. The Town has given ST Wooten Corporation the go-ahead for work at the intersection. Completion is set for next February. The Town Council approved the improvements in November 1999 as part of the West Park Shopping Center plan. Shell Oil Co. owns the shopping center parcel, which is at the southeast corner of 55 and High House. Development fees and contributions comprise more than $1.1 million of the $1.35 million road work project. The remaining $186,500 comes from the Town’s general fund. We’re excited about moving forward with the construction and about the other projects that will help the area," said Susan Parker, a Town of Cary engineer and the project director. The State Department of Transportation is currently working on a project to widen NC 55 from US 64 in Apex to Cornwallis Road in Durham County. Cary has agreed to provide $14.4 million for widening from US 64 to Petty Farm Road. Construction is to begin in early 2003. Just when you’d gotten over dimpled ballots and hanging chads, another campaign season is getting under way. This one, however, is here in Cary. And unlike in Florida last fall, Wake County ballots don’t have any chads to hang. Candidate filing is July 23 until noon on Aug. 10 for three seats on the Town Council—District A, District C and one of two At-large seats. Election Day is Oct. 9. For the first time, runoffs are possible. Voters may apply for absentee ballots beginning Sept. 10. The last day to register or change address is Sept. 14.
Be a watchdog for your neighborhood. Get off the porch and into the cul-de-sac on Tuesday, Aug. 7 to join your neighbors for the annual National Night Out against crime. Cary is an unusually safe place to live. But Cary police don’t want residents to let their guard down. Lock your doors, turn on outdoor lights and visit outside with neighbors and police. "Night Out is one of many ways we reach out to and stay in touch with the neighborhoods we serve," Police Chief Windy Hunter said.
Outdoor Water Conservation Tip: Stop by the conservation booth at the Lazy Daze festival and pick up free water conservation devices including hose repair kits, efficient showerheads, shower timers, faucet aerators, rain gauges, toilet flapper coupons, and toilet dye tablets. Recycling Tip: Help prevent friends, family, and collectors from being stung by bees by rinsing soda cans, steel cans, and plastic bottles with a small amount of water before recycling them. Also, be sure to remove all lids and flatten metals and plastics by doing the "Recycling Stomp!" This helps improve our efficiency by maximizing space on the trucks and reducing the number of trips to the transfer station. Stormwater Tip: A commercial
car wash is the best place to wash your car. The water is collected, recycled
and treated by the Town. . If you wash your car on a driveway or parking lot,
try to do so where the water can flow to grass or a landscaping. Protect
streams and lakes by keeping wash water out of storm drains and conserve water
by using the water twice - for the car and yard.
|
|