Hesitate
before you irrigate: Consider your options for taking care of your landscape
Did
you know that over-watering causes 75 percent of turf problems? It may sound
strange, but far more plants die from over-watering than under-watering.
This summer we’re encouraging
everyone to “hesitate before you irrigate.” Don’t fall into your usual
irrigation routine. Instead, consider your options to minimize water use and
achieve a healthier landscape.
Amending your soil with organic matter
is a great way to start. Not only will it improve the structure of your soil,
but it enables plants to develop deep root systems.
Don’t
water unless you need to. Get in the habit of checking your soil’s moisture
level with a soil moisture probe or other instrument and water only when the
root zone is dry.
Once you irrigate your landscape, make
sure that you retain as much water as possible. You can do this by watering in
the cool hours of the evening or the early morning, and adding a layer of mulch
to bedded areas.
Don’t forget, mandatory alternate-day watering rules are in effect
year-round. To help you examine options
for watering wisely, we’re giving away handy information slide-guides.
Block Leaders will distribute them but you can also get one by calling the
Public Works and Utilities Department at 469-4090.
Get an innovative, hands-on,
behind-the-scenes look at Town government, decision-making and the people and
facilities that provide the services you use every day.
Applications for the School
of Government class of 2007 will be accepted through July 31.
Sessions are scheduled from September 12 through October 24 on Wednesday
evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. plus one session on Saturday morning, September 22
from 9 a.m. to noon.
For more information or to download an
application, go to the Town’s Web site at www.townofcary.org
or call (919) 469-4006.
We’re gearing up for Cary’s annual
Independence Day celebration by planning events we know your whole family will
love.
Our Independence Eve Celebration kicks
off at 6:30 p.m. on July 3 at the Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park and includes
free performances by Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and the Cary Town Band.
The next morning, head back to Bond
Park for our Independence Day Olde Time Celebration. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
we’re serving up a free, fun-filled day of games and competitions, including a
parent-child fishing tournament. There will also be a “Parade in the Park”
at 10 a.m.
Our July 4 festivities will end at
Booth Amphitheatre with fireworks and a concert by the North Carolina Symphony.
Gates open at 3 p.m. and the show will start at 7 p.m.
For more, call 469-4061 or visit www.townofcary.org.
Trash
collection schedule changes
Town
offices will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day. Solid waste,
yard waste and recycling schedules will change for Tuesday and Wednesday
customers as follows:
Tuesday
customers will be picked up on Monday, July 2.
Wednesday
customers will be collected on Tuesday, July 3.
Thursday
and Friday schedules will not change.
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Cary was ranked the fifth best place to live in the country by Relocation America on its 2007 Top 10 Best Cities list. In the new Cities Ranked and Rated guide, Cary was named the seventh best place in the country for families with children.
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June 1 marks the start of hurricane season. Learn how to prepare for potential storms with tips at www.townofcary.org.
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New
streetscapes for downtown Cary
In March, we kicked off the design
phase of the Downtown Cary Streetscape Project, an initiative that is setting
the stage for a more unique and vibrant downtown destination for our citizens,
businesses, and guests.
We want your input. A public meeting will be held this summer to provide
you with an opportunity to learn more about the project, review preliminary
design plans, talk individually with the project team and offer your comments.
To get details on the project and find out when public meetings will be
held, visit our project Web site at www.carystreetscape.org.
You can also call our project information hotline, 233-DWTN (3986).
This project is the first stage in
realizing the vision of the Town Center Area Plan. New streetscape elements -
such as widened sidewalks, gathering places like a Town Square and public art -
will help us create a signature downtown where our heritage is honored, commerce
and creativity thrive and community pride is fostered. Future downtown
initiatives will build upon the foundation set by the streetscape project.
We’re
happy to announce that residential mixed paper can now be recycled at our
Citizen’s Convenience Center, 313 North Dixon Ave.
Residential mixed paper includes:
- White and color paper (copy/printer
paper, letterhead, notebook and fax paper)
- Junk mail and paper envelopes,
including manila and plastic windows
- Brochures, card stock and manila
folders
Residential mixed paper does not
include food wrappers, napkins, tissue, wax or carbon paper, parchment paper,
synthetic fiber envelopes or books.
Please do not place residential mixed
paper in your curbside recycling bin.
For more recycling information, call
469–4090 or visit www.townofcary.org.
Finding
safe shelter when lightning strikes
Each year, lightning kills about 100
people and injures 1,000 others. It is the second leading cause of storm-related
deaths in the United States.
Teaching everyone to identify risks and find safe shelter when lightning
is present is the goal of Lightning Safety Awareness Week, set for June 24-30.
Here are a few tips to remember if you
are outside during a lightning storm:
- Use the 30/30 rule to know when to
seek shelter. When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If
the time is 30 seconds or less, go immediately to a safer location.
- Seek shelter in a sturdy building.
If that is not possible, get in a car with a hard top and keep the windows up.
- If you are in an open space, squat
low to the ground on the balls of your feet.
Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Do not lay
flat on the ground.
Indoors, don’t use a corded
telephone. Unplug all unnecessary appliances and stay away from open windows,
doors or patios during a storm.
Registration for fall youth basketball
will be held July 9 through July 28. Leagues include Co-ed, ages 6-7; Boys Pee
Wee, ages 8-9; and Girls Pee Wee, ages 8-9.
Registration forms will be available
after June 25. For details, call Cary Parks and Recreation at 469-4062.
Preserving
our natural resources
In
our continuing effort to protect and preserve our finite natural resources, the
Town of Cary has partnered with North Carolina State University, Wessex
Homeowners Association, and Beechtree Homeowners Association to assess water
quality conditions in the Black Creek watershed.
In April, 18 volunteers -including
Cary citizens - surveyed 32 segments of Black Creek and its tributaries. The
information gathered will be used to monitor the health of Black Creek.
For more information, call 469-4038.
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Cary Art Loop, June 29, 6-9 p.m. at various downtown Cary locations. Free. Details at www.caryartloop.org.
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Starlight Concert Series: SaJaso, July 13, 7:30 p.m. at Page-Walker Arts and History Center. Free. Details at 460-4963.
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Triangle Sacred Harp Singers. July 22, 2-4 p.m. at Page-Walker Arts and History Center. Free. Details at 460-4963.
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Chicago, July 29, 8 p.m. at Booth Amphitheatre. Details at www.boothamphitheatre.com.
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Movie by Moonlight every Thursday through Aug. 16, including Click, Talladega Nights and Dreamgirls at Booth Amphitheatre. Details at 462-2052.
Exhibits
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Triangle Artists: Watercolors, Ink, Oil, Pastels. Displayed through Aug. 1 at Page-Walker Arts and History Center. Artist’s reception: June 29, 6-9 p.m.
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Constance Belton: Reigning Cats and Dogs. July 3-31 at Jordan Hall Arts Center. Artist’s reception: July 27, 6-8 p.m.
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Eric Cecka: Symphonic Muse/Theme and Variation. Displayed through July 23 at Town Hall.