Municipal Makeover – Office Building Opens in Town Hall Expansion

We’ve reached a milestone in the expansion of Town Hall campus.

A new office building has opened, another has closed for renovations, and the addition to a third should be finished this summer.

This will support growth in services for at least a decade while pulling together offices that had moved away  because of crowding.

The new building at 120 Wilkinson Ave. across from the parking deck is the permanent home to Police and Technology Services and the temporary home of a few other offices.

The old Town Hall is being renovated. Those of us who were there will be in the new building for at least a year. You can pay utility bills and taxes there or get other help from our Finance staff. The Town Manager, Town Clerk, Town Attorney, Budget and Public Information offices are in the new building for now, too.

Planning, Engineering, and Inspections and Permits remain in their building on Academy Street as expansion nears completion.

The Town Council currently meets in the community center nearby. A new council chambers is scheduled to open in mid-2005.

For details on parking and office locations, see Town Hall Expansion under Current Projects on www.townofcary.org.

Scooter Router – When not to keep it Between the Ditches

The law treats gasoline and electric scooters the same as go-carts, dirt bikes, and other recreational vehicles. 

Ride them in Cary only on private property with the property owner’s OK. Town ordinances prohibit motor scooters and similar vehicles on sidewalks, greenways, and other public areas.

State law prohibits them on public streets with one exception. Gasoline scooters that meet the legal definition of “moped” are allowed on the road if the operator is at least 16 years old, wears a state-approved motorcycle helmet, and obeys traffic laws. 

For more details, call the Cary police traffic safety hotline at (919) 319-4521.

For specifics on mopeds, call the traffic safety hotline or visit the

N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles at www.dmv.dot.state.nc.us. Scroll down to “mopeds” in the box in the center of the Web page.

Lazy Daze – Saturday, Aug. 28
Arts, crafts, food, music and more. Call (919) 469-4061 or visit townofcary.org.

Koka’s Dream Home

Koka Booth dreamed of a permanent summer home for the N.C. Symphony while watching it under a tent  by the lake in Regency Park .

Booth, who was mayor from 1987 to 1999, inspired others with his vision for Regency. Before he left office, ground broke on a $14 million state-of-the-art amphitheatre that plays host to the symphony and to Grammy-award winning performers.

In May, the Town Council voted to honor Booth by adding his name to the facility. Click the Regency icon on our home page to see what’s happening in the Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park .  

Bud Bits

Check the Cary Connections ad on our Web site and on page 5A of The Cary News for meeting notices, the Cary TV schedule, workshops, etc. Get the online version by clicking our THIS WEEK home page icon.

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Get a behind-the-scenes look at Town government. Register by July 30 for the fall 2004 session of the Town of Cary School of Government.  For more details, call (919) 469-4007 or see School of Government in the Town Organization section of townofcary.org

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A free workshop and tour on designing rain gardens will be held Saturday, Aug. 14 from 9 - 11 a.m. at Page-Walker Arts & History Center . Call (919) 469-4076 to register.  

Gas Price – The High Cost of Using Propane Unsafely 

LP-gas fires kill dozens of people and injure hundreds across the country every year.

Cary firefighters remind you to handle propane-powered equipment carefully and to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when lighting a pilot or otherwise handling propane equipment. Here are some more tips for propane safety.

Cylinder tanks for equipment such as stoves and ovens must be kept outside the home.

Never use or store propane gas cylinders larger than 1 pound inside the home. Never use a gas grill indoors.

Have a professional check propane gas equipment periodically for leaks or malfunctioning parts.

If you smell a strong odor of gas, leave the area immediately and call the Fire Department from a safe location.

For more information about fire safety, call our Fire Department at (919) 469-4056 or visit the National Fire Protection Association Web site at www.nfpa.org.  

Tennis Tourney

The Cary Tennis Center hosts the N.C. Junior State Closed Tennis Tournament again July 30 - Aug. 5 on Town courts. It features the state’s best male and female players 10 - 18 plus many local juniors.   

For more information, call Cary Tennis Center at (919) 462-2061. 

Getting the Best Out of Bad Situations

Apex Emergency Medical Services has joined Cary EMS in being among the half dozen accredited ambulance services in the state.

Accreditation signifies the ambulance industry’s “gold standard” for a modern emergency medical services provider.

Cary EMS serves most Cary citizens. Apex EMS serves parts of Cary , generally south and west of Davis Drive and south of 1010 Road.

Cary and Apex EMS are non-profit organizations operating under contract with Wake County , which carves out ambulance districts. As towns grow, municipal and ambulance district boundaries become less similar.

You don’t have to know which ambulance service answers calls where you live. In an emergency, dial 911 and the communications center will know which one to send.  

Safe Passage

C-Tran, our door-to-door transit service, has earned a safety award from N.C. Public Transportation Association.

No passenger injuries were reported during the July 2002 - June 2003 fiscal year.

First Transit operates C-Tran for the Town under supervision from our Planning Department.

C-Tran provides service Monday through Saturday to and from anywhere in Cary . Reservations are required.

For details, click the C-Tran bus logo on our home page.

Senior Center Cookout
Free covered-dish cookout for 55 & up Aug. 20 at Cary Senior Center . Register by Aug. 13 at 
(919) 469-4081.

FYI

The state Department of Transportation is under way with its annual roadway repaving. Cary streets include Northeast Maynard (Chapel Hill Road-North Harrison);  Old Apex Road ( Davis Drive- West Chatham ): West  Chatham Street (Old Apex-Old Apex): Chapel Hill Road (NC 54-NC 54): and Southeast Maynard ( Walnut  Street - Chapel Hill Road ).

A Night for a Bite out of Crime

Cary police and citizens will gather Tuesday evening Aug. 3 for the annual National Night Out against crime.

The event will include a min-festival at Bond Park Community Center . Last year’s festival  included rides for kids, a mobile aquarium and a 32-foot high inflatable McGruff the Crime Dog.

Police will also visit neighborhood block parties. For details, call Cary police Community Services at (919) 469-4324.  

Conservation Corner  

Recycling Tip: Do the recycling stomp before placing your plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, etc., in the recycling bin. It saves room in your recycling bin and cuts disposal costs.  

Storm Water Tip: Reduce mosquito breeding grounds by removing any containers that can hold water, keeping gutters clean and in good repair, repairing leaky outdoor faucets, and changing the water in birdbaths and pet bowls at least twice a week. Standing water in clogged gutters is a prime breeding ground. For more on controlling mosquitoes, contact Wake County Environmental Services at (919) 856-7400. For drainage-related problems, contact our Storm Water Services staff at (919) 469-4076.  

Water Conservation Tip:  Beautify your landscape, save water, and save money by practicing basic water-wise landscaping techniques.  Group vegetation based on water needs.  Create a zone for native shrubs or drought tolerant wildflowers on southern exposures. Reduce the lawn to what is needed for recreation or beautification.  Spread mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation of moisture and discourage weed growth.  Use a drip irrigation system, soaker hose, or hose timer for the right amount of water to roots. Call (919) 469-4090 for more ideas.  

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