The Police Department asks that you double-check your child’s safety seat to ensure that it will protect your child.

Make sure the seat fits the manufacturer’s instructions for your child’s age and weight.

Never seat a child under 12 in front of an airbag. The best place usually is the center rear seat.

There should be no more than 1 inch of play in the seat when checked at the belt path. You should generally be able to rock your car from side to side by pushing and pulling the seat.

Harness straps should fit snugly with no twisting. The retainer clip should be high on the chest, near armpit level.

Avoid accessories that have not passed federal safety tests. Never reuse a safety seat after a collision.

Our police officers offer free safety seat checks Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Fire Station 2 on Southeast Maynard Road near Cary Towne Boulevard.

To learn more, call our traffic safety hotline at (919) 319-4521 or visit the national highway safety Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

Eighty percent of child safety seats in Cary are installed improperly, say Cary police.

We’re starting next month on a new effort to remove junked vehicles. The purpose is to improve the appearance of properties in a way that does not create expense for the vehicle owners.

To have a junked vehicle removed from your property at no cost, contact Mark Tutor, zoning compliance supervisor, at (919) 462-3885 or (919) 469-4082.

It’s a junked vehicle if it doesn’t have a current license plate and at least one of the following is true:

· It is partially dismantled or wrecked

· It cannot propel itself or move in the manner in which it was originally intended

· It’s over 5 years old and looks to be worth less than $100

Please report unsightly vehicles that may qualify. Owners of these vehicles can contact the Planning Department for details on how to get rid of them at no cost.

In the past, we’ve sent a pre-towing notice requiring that the property owner remove the vehicle or pay for towing and storage. That can cost as much as $500. State law allows civil penalties.

We think the new way is better for everyone. If you have questions or concerns, e-mail them to mark.tutor@townofcary.org

Bring a picnic and chair to Cary’s Bandstand for free Friday concerts Sept. 3, Sept. 10, Sept. 17, Sept. 24 and Oct. 8.

The Cary Town Band performs light classical music as well as marches, rags, and waltzes.

The bandstand is at the corner of Tanglewood Drive and Walnut Street, near Cary High School. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call Jim Hammerle at (919) 467-7336.

Cary EMS is offering a free Citizen’s Academy on Thursday evenings in October.

It’s a series of interactive and practical sessions about emergency medical services.

Sessions will be 7-10 p.m. at the station on Medcon Court.

For more information, call (919) 380-6909 or visit www.caryems.com.

Red light cameras operating—

6 intersections (through August)

Citations issued—

3,438 (Feb. 15 - Aug. 23)

The SafeLight Cary program is an effort to reduce crashes at intersections. Proceeds go to public schools. To learn more, see Red Light Camera Program in Site Index at www.townofcary.org.

The Town Council adopted the Southwest Area Plan in August. The plan emphasizes environmental protection and preservation of rural land patterns. Get details in the Agendas, Plans & Publications section of www.townofcary.org.

Candidates for office no longer register and pay a fee for political signs in Cary. Rules remain on the size and location of signs. For example, they’re prohibited in street rights-of-way and other public property. For more, see Political Sign Regulations under Site Index on our Web.

Tune to Cary TV on cable channel 11 for Town Council meetings, BUD-TV, and much more. For the schedule, click the icon on our Web site home page.

Water and sewer lines go in easements when crossing private property. That’s so we can get access to the lines if necessary.

Easements typically are 20 feet wide. You maintain them like the rest of the yard. Small and medium shrubs and similar plantings are OK, but subject to removal when necessary.

Small trees (under 30 feet tall at maturity) are allowed if they’re at least 10 feet from the centerline of the closest pipe or 10 feet from the center of the easement, whichever is greater. Larger trees are prohibited because their roots can damage the lines.

If we remove landscaping to work on the line, we’ll do our best to avoid damage. The Town is not liable for damage to plants. Fences and retaining walls typically are prohibited in easements.

For more information, call Engineering at (919) 469-4037.

Singer and Broadway actress Sandra ReAves Phillips kicks off the 2004-2005 Marvelous Music Series at Herbert C. Young Community Center. See the Helen Hayes award and NAACP Image Award nominee Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

For more on series performances, call (919) 469-4061 or see Concerts & Events under Shortcuts on our Web.

We’re working to keep grease from clogging sewer lines and causing sewage spills that harm the environment.

We send letters alerting folks to grease accumulation in sewer lines nearby. We dispense pamphlets on holiday cooking tips.

We’ve trained police to spot illegal liquid waste disposal. And we’ve taught wastewater professionals here and at national grease control workshops.

You can help by never pouring fat, oil or grease down the drain. Create a compost pile for food scraps. Remove grease from kitchen utensils with a scraper or paper towel before washing.

For more details, see our annual Wastewater Report in Site Index at www.townofcary.org.

If you’re reseeding with fescue this fall, you may apply for a three-week exception to the alternate day watering rule.

For more information, call (919) 469-4090 or see Alternate Day Watering in our Water Conservation section online.

Utility charges have gone up, and we want you to know why.

Net operating costs and debt payments for capital investment are up by 6.5 percent. Meanwhile, you’re buying less water because of wet weather. The forecast is for a 9.3 percent reduction in consumption.

Base charges, the monthly administrative fee, went up to cover the actual cost of handling accounts.

Utility rates are set to enable the Town to break even. We must fully recoup net expenses through water rates rather than subsidizing rates with the general fund. This is a requirement of the revenue bonds that were issued to pay for improvements to the utility system.

For a report on how we’re managing utility rates, see Utility Rates under Site Index on the Web. It gives more numbers and context.

Also, late payment charges now carry a $5 minimum. Ninety percent of you pay on time. But collecting on overdue accounts costs us in staff time and postage. Other utilities have such charges as well.

Leagues: Girls Pixie (10 year olds); Midget (11-12); Bantam (13-14); Junior (15-18);

Boys Midget (10-11 year olds); Bantam (12-13); Junior (14-15); Senior (16-18)

Fees: Girls Pixie & Midget, Boys Midget—($30 for residents, $50 for non-residents) Boys & Girls

Bantam, Boys & Girls Junior, Boys Senior ($44 for residents, $64 for non-residents)

Season: December - mid-March

Registration: Sept. 27-Oct. 17

Ages as of Oct. 15. Forms mailed automatically to last year’s players. Forms also online and at community and arts centers after Sept. 20. Call (919) 469-4062 to be added to mailing list. For more information, please visit www.townofcary.org.

Landscaping workshops at the Page-Walker center help you use water efficiently and conserve a precious natural resource.

Workshops are free, but registration is required.

Amending Clay Soil and Proper Planting Techniques - Thursday, Sept., 23, 7-9 p.m.

Suggestions for Fall Planting - Thursday, Sept. 30, 7-9 p.m.

Designing a Water-Wise and Attractive Landscape - Thursday, Oct. 7 & Oct. 14, 7:30-9 p.m.

Winterizing Irrigation Systems - Wednesday, Oct. 13, 7- 8:30 p.m.

Workshops are hands-on except for fall planting suggestions. For more information, call

(919)469-4090 or see our Water Conservation section online.

The Friends of Hemlock Bluffs will hold its annual "Recycle Sale" to benefit the nature preserve Saturday, Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Drop off unwanted clothes, toys, furniture and household goods (no large appliances or tires) at the Stevens Nature Center Oct. 28-29 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sorry, no early drop off is available.

For more information, call (919) 387-5980.  

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