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Cary is turning to a new way of disposing of sludge, a byproduct of wastewater treatment. The Town will be the first in the region to build equipment that dries sludge to BB-sized fertilizer pellets. This will provide a convenient and innovative alternative to the increasingly impractical method of trucking sludge long distances and spraying it on farmland. The Town plans to accept sludge from other towns, providing a regional solution for an important waste management issue. The sludge dryer will be operating by 2005 at the South Cary treatment plant. Congressman David Price helped the Town obtain $1 million toward the $13.3 million project. The method includes a centrifuge to draw much of the water from the soupy sludge, much like the spin cycle on a washing machine. Then the dryer will turn sludge into the fertilizer pellets, reducing the volume to a fraction of the original amount. The waste generated by a typical family will produce about 100 pounds of high quality fertilizer a year. Read more about the sludge dryer
in the Current Projects section of townofcary.org. The Town Council is getting the jump on new development pressures in the northwest with a master plan for the area. This will manage development that occurs there while ensuring preservation of open spaces and protection of Jordan Lake. The plan would limit sprawl with places to live, work and play in close proximity to Research Triangle Park. Find details in the Current Projects section of townofcary.org
color rendering - a signal for safety Traffic signals will change color at 11 intersections when red and blue emergency lights approach. That’s good news for those who need help in a hurry. Cary is joining the ranks of large cities throughout the country by installing traffic signal preemption devices. Police and fire vehicles on emergency calls saturate the intersection with an encoded infrared signal to give the patrol car or fire truck a green light. Other signal lights turn to red to allow safe passage. After the emergency vehicle passes, the traffic signal returns to standard operation. The preemption devices may speed response to emergency calls by 20 percent. Fire Chief Wayne House said the Town has spent years evaluating systems that could improve safety for emergency crews, pedestrians and other drivers. The intersections are near Cary Towne Center mall and along Kildaire Farm Road. For more details, check Traffic Signals in the Current Projects section of townofcary.org.
a note to vote …Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 5 the trick to safe treating A few precautions will protect the little monsters on Halloween. Buy costumes, wigs and props labeled flame-resistant or flame-retardant. Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are highly flammable. Avoid billowing or long-trailing features. Small, inexpensive flashlights are safe alternatives to candles for Jack-O-Lanterns. Make sure children know to stay away from flames or other heat sources while in costume. Teach them to stop immediately, drop to the ground and roll to smother the flames if their clothing catches fire. Give children lightweight flashlights so they can see their way and so that motorists can see them more easily.
In cooperation with Wake County Environmental Services, the Town sells rain barrels as a community service at Bond Park, Herbert C. Young and Middle Creek community centers. Checks, cash and credit cards are accepted. Hours are 9-6 Monday-Saturday and between Labor Day and Memorial Day on Sundays from 1-6 p.m. The 65 gallon barrels cost $65. Watch BUD-TV on Cary TV, cable channel 11, beginning the 10th of each month. See the Cable TV Government Access Schedule in the News section of townofcary.org. Dispose of household hazardous chemicals safely the third Saturday of each month from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the South Wake Transfer Station at 6000 Old Smithfield Road off N.C. 55 south of Apex. Call Ivan Dickey at (919) 856-6191 for details.
stroll roll - paring the sidewalk list Walking is good for you. The Town has a new list of places you’ll be able to hoof it without dodging traffic. The Town Council has approved its sidewalk priorities for this budget year. These reflect citizens’ desires for sidewalks. Last year, the Town received 19 new requests for the sidewalk list. This year, there were 20 more. The estimate for all current requests is $1.9 million. The latest list has 16 projects with a budget of $750,000. When the sidewalks will be installed has not been determined. At the top is Southeast Cary Parkway from Coorsdale Drive to Seabrook Avenue. For details, see Sidewalks in the Current Projects section of townofcary.org. This is the eighth year the Town has rated citizens’ requests. Criteria include safety, use, need, and feasibility and proximity to schools, parks and shopping.
an advisory advisory for the civic — mindedThe Town is gathering applications from volunteers for boards and commissions that advise the Town Council. Terms are 3 years except those for seats that currently are unfilled. The deadline to apply is Dec. 2. For more information, call the Town Clerk’s office at (919) 469-4011 or e-mail Deputy Clerk Karen Gray at kgray@ci.cary.nc.us. The Town Council has these panels because it wants to know what Cary’s citizens think on issues of importance to everyone in town.Advisory panels include Economic Policy; Information
Services; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources; Planning and Zoning; Sister
Cities; and Utility and Zoning adjustment boards. For a map and more details, see Leaf Collection in the Current Projects section of townofcary.org. Please get your leaves to the curb by 7 a.m. on the day that collection begins in your part of town. Nov. 4 & Dec. 2
Nov. 25 and Dec. 16 political speech that doesn’t scream With elections season in full swing, now is a good time to review Cary’s political sign rules. The purpose is to protect property owners’ rights and preserve community standards on signs. No more than one sign per candidate is allowed on any single parcel. No signs are allowed without the property owner’s OK. Signs cannot be anywhere in the public right-of-way, including on trees and utility poles there. This means no signs at street corners, along the side of the road or in the median. Campaign signs must be removed within 10 days after the election. For more on sign rules, see Political Signs in the Site Index of townofcary.org. Yard waste will not be collected on Monday, Nov. 11. It is Veteran’s Day. The schedule for the rest of that week is unchanged.During Thanksgiving week, yard waste will not be collected. The Thanksgiving schedule for household garbage, recyclable materials and curbside trash is — Tuesday routes run on Monday, Nov. 25, Wednesday routes on Tuesday, Nov. 26, Thursday routes on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and Friday routes also on Nov. 27.
Recycle Sculpture It’s open to students in second grade through eighth grade who live in Cary or attend school here. Create a sculpture from any material that the Town recycles. This includes #1, 2, 5 and 7 plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, aluminum foil, corrugated cardboard, milk cartons, etc. This will help drive home the lesson that much of what we discard can be used again. Entries must be turned in Nov. 8 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Page-Walker center. See sculptures Saturday, Nov. 9 at the America Recycles Day reception from 10 a.m. until noon. Entries can’t be more than 2 feet wide or tall or more than 10 pounds. They must be clean, dry. More details and an entry form are on townofcary.org. See the
Recycling section under Services. Applause! Cary Youth Theatre presents "The Hobbit", Nov. 22-24. Tickets at (919) 469-4061. ONSERVATION CORNERRecycling Tip: Did you know that North Carolina has banned aluminum cans from landfills? Recycle your aluminum cans wherever you are. Storm Water Tip: When raking your leaves to the curb for loose leaf collection, be sure to keep them out of the road and away from storm drains. Leaves and other debris can block the storm drains, causing water to flood the roads. Never rake or blow leaves, grass clippings or other debris down any storm drain. They can clog the drains and cause water pollution. Town ordinances allow only rainwater in storm drains. Water Conservation Tip: If you have an automatic irrigation system, now is the time to winterize it. Drain water from your system to prevent frozen water from cracking the lines and heads. Then remove or insulate the backflow prevention device and other exposed pipes. |
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