USA Baseball has chosen Cary for national training facilities that it plans to move from Tucson, Ariz.

The Town Council tentatively agreed in June to spend $5 million—$8 million on a future phase of Thomas Brooks Park, which opened this year.

As part of the arrangement, the Town will change the design of that phase to accommodate USA Baseball.

It will move executive offices to Durham Bulls Athletic Park and hold some events there.

Four fields and some offices are planned for Cary, making it even more of a player in economic development. USA Baseball would like to have fields ready by 2004.

"We feel like this is the perfect place for USA Baseball to grow the game at the amateur level for many years to come," said Paul Seiler, executive director and CEO of USA Baseball.

In addition to Olympians, the organization chooses the national collegiate team and national junior teams.

Meanwhile, the PONY Girls Fast-Pitch East Zone National Tournament returns to Cary and Raleigh July 28—Aug. 3.

It’s an opportunity to watch the best girl's softball teams on the East Coast and see future Olympic stars.

rabid
response

So shy away from animals that are behaving strangely. Avoid wild animals altogether.

Ensure that pets, including dogs, cats and horses, are up-to-date with their rabies shots.

Wear gloves and other protective clothing when helping a pet that you suspect might have come in contact with a rabid animal. Avoid bodily fluids, especially saliva.

Seek help immediately if you or your pet is bitten. Notify officials as soon as possible. Call Animal Control at (919) 319-4517 for more information. Help us take care of our pets.

no-fright night

The annual crime prevention effort brings police officers and citizens together for neighborhood gatherings.

For details, call Officer Darryll DeCotis at (919) 469-4324.

If our supply of water is going to last through this severe and extended drought, every one of us must do our part this summer.

Please consider watering only top priority plants, trees, and shrubs—always only according to the Alternate Day Watering schedule.

Please fight the temptation to drown the drought by remembering that you only need one inch of water a week, including rainfall.

The Town Council has only one scheduled meeting in July—July 11. Regularly-scheduled meetings in August are Aug. 8 and Aug. 22. Now teen-agers can enjoy free movies that are picked by people their own age. The next teen movie night is July 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Bond Park’s Sertoma Amphitheatre. Bring money for concessions. These movies are for those in middle school or high school.

All pets deserve to be cared for properly with food and water. Their shelter must have at least three solid sides, a roof, floor, ventilation and room to move about. Report abuse or neglect to Animal Control.

The Highlands, Picardy Pointe, Wellington Place, Lochmere, Franklin Chase, Lochmere Village, Coventry Glen, Camden Forest, Waverly Place, Lochmere Birkhaven, Whisperwood

Don’t put an extension cord to a test it wasn’t meant to pass. You could lose your home, even your life.

Electrical fires are the most common fires in the state. Extension cords are a prime culprit. Nationwide, 350 people die in electrical fires each year.

• Never plug air conditioners, heaters and other major appliances into extension cords. Make sure small appliances don’t exceed labeled wattage.
• Replace cords that become cracked or frayed.
• Never pinch extension cords against walls or furniture.
• Don’t run cords under carpets or across doorways.

To learn more, call Cary firefighters at (919) 469-4056

If you know someone who could use a lift, here’s news you’ll want to share with them.

C-Tran, the door-to-door transportation program that Cary began last summer for seniors and the disabled, is now open to all.

C-Tran offers rides to and from anywhere in Town, generally for $2 one way, $4 roundtrip. It operates Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.

The Town Council approved the expansion since there is room on the blue and white buses. But the Town will monitor usage to ensure that citizens who are at least 55 or who are disabled continue to have the same level of service.

C-Tran is fun, safe and convenient. It’s good for the environment. Those under 13 must ride with someone who is at least 16.

Reservations and tickets are required. Subscription service is available for trips made on a regular basis. Call (919) 481-2020.

For more information on the program, see C-Tran under Site Index at townofcary.org.

Amphitheatre at
Regency Park

Tickets on sale
www.ticketmaster.com

The time commitment is minimal—you attend an annual one-hour orientation and distribute information and promotional materials to neighbors on your block. As a grassroots resource, you help neighbors understand water and recycling ordinances and issues as well as related Town services.

Call the water conservation education specialist at (919) 469-4387 for more details.

The Town Council has approved measures to further protect trees.

In most cases, the rules do not limit what homeowners can do. Homeowners in subdivisions are completely exempted from the ordinance if there are no landscape buffers on their lot.

Instead the rules cover, among other things, timbering land in preparation for development.

There are allowances for bona fide farms, for emergencies, and for removing safety hazards.

Before clear-cutting on vacant sites, landowners should check with the Planning Department to find out if they need a tree clearing certificate.

The rules also prohibit removing or excessively pruning trees and other plants that were required as part of a development plan.

"Required" vegetation includes streetscape plantings, landscaping buffers and parking lot landscaping. Typically, these requirements apply to non-residential and multi-family properties.

Those with questions about land clearing or substantial pruning should call the Planning Department beforehand at (919) 469-4082 to avoid penalties.