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July 2017


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    Past Issues

Hurricane Season is Here - Stay Safe with CERT, ReadyWake

Thank You Very Mulch

Have S’more Fun with Mom

Talk With Ted Returns

BUD Bits

Beer, Bourbon and BBQ

Dog Day Afternoon

Cary Tennis Center Heats Up

Simple Ways to Avoid Heat Exhaustion

Mixing to Improve Our Water

Conservation Corner

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Cultural Connection

     

Hurricane Season is Here - Stay Safe with CERT, ReadyWake

Summer’s arrival brings plenty of joy, but it also brings the potential for hurricanes. Hurricane season officially began in June and continues well into November. And while historically most storms that reach North Carolina come in late summer, it’s never too early to plan ahead – and stay safe!

First, be sure you are registered with ReadyWake, our real-time reverse 911 system that notifies you when there is an imminent threat to life, health, or property. To register, visit www.readywake.com; enter the address you’d like to be notified about – home, work, school, etc. – along with your contact information and message preferences. Those without an email address can visit www.townofcary.org and download a registration form to be hand delivered to Cary Town Hall.

These basic preparedness tips can help ensure you and your family remain safe in the event of a hurricane:

  • Know where to go: If you must evacuate, know your local hurricane evacuation route(s) to take and have a plan for where you can stay. Practice your plan, and be sure to have fuel.
  • Have a communication plan: Your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so plan how you will contact each other and where to meet.
  • Put together a disaster supply kit: Include a flashlight, batteries, cash, first aid supplies, copies of your critical information, a three-day supply of food and water (1 gallon per person and pet, per day), matches and waterproof container, hand sanitizer or wipes, and clothing.

To help you better prepare for weather emergencies, our Fire Department offers free training for a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT training is a Citizens Corps program designed to enable citizens to care for themselves and their neighbors during the first three days following a disaster.  Participants are educated about disaster preparedness, CERT organization, light search and rescue, medical care, fire extinguisher use and disaster psychology. Class size is limited to 25 participants and is held on a consecutive three-day schedule, which is Friday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and then 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Participants must attend all three days to receive the class certificate.

“Ready Cary” at www.townofcary.org

Thank You Very Mulch

Does the summer heat find you cooling in the shade of a tree? Together with your love and care for trees, we enjoy nearly 50-percent canopy cover and are proud to be a Tree City USA Community for 34 consecutive years.

As we all plant, protect and prune trees, join us in following industry best management practices, one of which is proper mulching. With the right touch, mulch retains soil moisture, acts as a buffer from extreme temperatures and suppresses weeds.

When it’s time to mulch, know what’s needed: check the depth of existing mulch, and if sufficient, use a rake to break it up and refresh the look.

Think 3x3x3: Up to three inches of mulch, at least three inches away from the trunk, in a circle three feet wide or to the edge of the canopy.

While mounding mulch up high around the base of a tree, “volcano mulching,” may be aesthetically pleasing to some, it is always bad news for our tree growth and development. It makes tree bark prone to disease, attracts insects and rodents, and affects root development.

Talk to our certified Town arborist with your direct questions at (919) 469-4090, and thank you for helping maintain the health of our greenery and preserve our urban forest.

“Tree Care” at www.townofcary.org

Have S’more Fun with Mom

Join us for S’more Fun with Mom, Bond Park’s mother/son adventure on Aug. 11 from 7-8:30 p.m. This fun evening will include a scavenger hunt hike, music, games, and of course – s’mores! Fee of $23 includes one child/mom pair, with a $12 fee for each additional child. Youth must be 4-10 years old. Preregistration is required.

“S’more Fun” at www.townofcary.org

Talk With Ted Returns

Join us for the latest in a series of free talks with Ted Boyd, our Downtown Development Manager, as he gives an update on all things downtown Cary. The session will be at 6 p.m. on July 19 at The Cary Theater. A question and answer forum follows. Seating is free, but limited. If you can’t attend, catch it on YouTube at www.youtube.com/townofcarychannel.

“Downtown Revitalization” at www.townofcary.org

BUD Bits

There’s a new towing ordinance in Cary that may impact you as a driver and/or business owner. “Towing” at www.townofcary.org

Be sure to get your kicks with four NC Football Club (7:30 p.m. on July 29, Aug. 12, Aug. 15, Aug. 26) and two NC Courage (4 p.m. on Aug. 5 and Aug. 19) matches on the pitch at WakeMed Soccer Park. www.northcarolinafc.com

Eat, Drink and be Cary! The next Downtown Chowdown is July 30 from 12:30-5 p.m. along Academy Street and Downtown Park. Enjoy some of the best food trucks in the Triangle or have a drink from craft beer and wine vendors while enjoying music from local performers. “Chowdown” at www.townofcary.org

Save the dates! Join us for the 41st Annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival on Aug. 26-27. The festival will remain at Cary’s Town Hall Campus for two days of celebration of the arts, music, and food! “Lazy Daze” at www.townofcary.org

July is National Park and Recreation Month, and we’ve teamed up with the National Parks and Recreation Association to challenge you to get your play on. “Programs-Classes” at www.townofcary.org

For a mere $5 (kids under 12 free), we welcome you to Movies By Moonlight at the Booth Amphitheatre for Finding Dory (Aug. 4) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Aug. 10). A portion of proceeds will benefit the WakeMed Children’s Hospital. Movies begin at dusk. www.boothamphitheatre.com

Beer, Bourbon and BBQ

Join us at this year’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival on July 28-29 at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre. You’ll enjoy two days of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbecue eatin’. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so that you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon as we’ve brought together 60 beers and 40 bourbons.

And if you get hungry, dig in with some of the best barbecue vendors from around the state – all while sitting in on great seminars in the tasting theater and live music all day. Items allowed at the event: lawn chairs (any height), blankets, rain coats or ponchos, cameras, and bottled water.

www.boothamphitheatre.com or (919) 462-2025

Dog Day Afternoon

C’mon over to the Cary Senior Center for the annual Hog Dog Hoedown on Friday, Aug. 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. We’re hosting a summer cookout with hot dogs and all the fixins! Your admission is a covered dish to share. We grill the dogs and serve the basic toppings. You’ll find great food and new friends at our event, open to those 55 and older. Register by Aug. 8 to reserve your spot.

“Senior Center” at www.townofcary.org

Cary Tennis Center Heats Up

Come out and watch high-level junior tennis players compete in the USTA Zone Team 14s Tennis Championships on July 27-30 daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cary Tennis Park. From Aug. 2-6, join us for the NC Tennis Summer State Closed Junior Tennis – NC L1/STA L4 tournament. Registration is only open to North Carolina residents. And, for the younger tennis players, the 8 & Under Tennis at the Summer State Closed championships take place Aug. 5 from noon to 5 p.m.

“Cary Tennis Park” at www.townofcary.org

Simple Ways to Avoid Heat Exhaustion

Mother Nature is already working hard preparing a summer soup with her signature ingredients, heat and humidity. Don’t fall victim to her concoction for heat exhaustion this year. Consider making small changes to your daily routine:

  • Stay hydrated. Water is always a good choice. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
  • Plan strenuous activity for the morning or evening when the heat index is lower.
  • If you have to work outside, rest often and find shade from the sun whenever possible.
  • Keep informed of local weather forecasts for excessive heat warnings, air quality warnings, and high UV indices.
  • Remember your pets. Bring them indoors if possible and make sure outside pets have access to fresh water and shade.

“Public Education” at www.townofcary.org

Mixing to Improve Our Water

High quality utility services and infrastructure are two of the hallmarks of our great town. In May, we completed installation of a new reservoir-aeration system at Jordan Lake in our ongoing efforts to deliver superior and affordable drinking water to you.

Before water is treated at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility, it is now being “mixed” in the lake by the ResMix system, manufactured by WEARS Australia. It vertically “mixes” water from the surface and water from the lower depths by gently moving the oxygen-rich surface water down to the lower level.

This is especially important in the summer months, as Jordan Lake stratifies and causes warm oxygen-rich water to exist near the lake surface, and cooler, oxygen depleted water to sink to lower depths where naturally occurring taste- and odor-causing minerals become dissolved in the lake water. When lake levels are lower, typically from drought, we have to use the lower of our two intakes. The “mixing” will result in better circulation in the lake for overall improved water quality. It is located on the lake between the U.S. Highway 64 and Farrington Road bridges.

The benefits include:

  • Reducing abnormal drinking water taste and odor problems;
  • Lowering operating costs by providing more consistent and better water quality;
  • Improving water treatment plant reliability during maximum production; and
  • Improving aquatic habitat.

The total budget for the project is $4.87 million, which is funded by utility capital revenue sources. The system is a more cost-effective alternative for addressing our water quality issues, versus adding new processes at the plant costing between $6.9 and $15.3 million.

“Water Projects” at www.townofcary.org

Conservation Corner

Watering Wisely on Your Day: Time it right by irrigating early morning or evening to reduce the chance of evaporation.  And keep it on your yard by directing sprinklers and spray heads to your landscape and not your hardscape. “Water Efficiency” at www.townofcary.org

Yard Waste: Do you have a landscaper who tends to your lawn and garden? If you do, remember that contractors can’t use our Citizen’s Convenience Center for yard waste disposal. They’ll need to prepare properly any yard waste for weekly curbside pickup or take it to a facility that accepts contractor waste. “Yard Waste” at www.townofcary.org

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

We invite you to come out and see the future of USA Baseball as there is plenty of youth baseball action scheduled at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The inaugural USA Baseball 13U American Elite Baseball Championship takes place Aug. 9-13. Then on Aug. 17-20 and Aug. 24-27 the USA Baseball 15U/16U and 11U/14U/17U NTIS brings together the most talented players in the country who will compete for spots on the 2018 National Teams.

“USA Baseball” at www.townofcary.org or (919) 387-5844

Cultural Connection

Bands, Bites & Boats presents Kaylin Roberson, food by The Humble Pie, July 28, 6 p.m., Bond Park Boathouse, “Bands, Bites & Boats” at www.townofcary.org or (919) 469-4100

Starlight Concert Series presents Jamrock, Aug. 4, 7 p.m., Page-Walker Arts & History Center, “Starlight Concert Series” at www.townofcary.org or (919) 460-4963

The Women by Claire Booth Luce presented by Cary Performs, Aug. 4-5 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 6 at 3 p.m., Cary Arts Center, (919) 462-2055

Starlight Concert Series presents Jamrock, Aug. 5, 7 p.m., Page-Walker Arts & History Center, “Starlight Concert Series” at www.townofcary.org or (919) 460-4963

Philharmonic Association: Summer Session Concerts, Aug. 8, 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., Cary Arts Center, (919) 462-2055

Summer Sertoma Series: Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup Cowboy, Aug. 12, 7 p.m., Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park, (919) 469-4061

Eddie Money’s “Rock Your World” tour, Aug. 12, 6 p.m., Koka Booth Amphitheatre, www.boothamphitheatre.com, (919) 462-2052

Bands, Bites & Boats presents Garth Robertson, food by Oak City Fish and Chips, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., Bond Park Boathouse, (919) 469-4100