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A National
Night Out
Communities
plan celebrations to reduce local criminal activity
By John
Hunter
In the
inaugural year for National Night Out (NNO) in Siler City, Police
Chief Gary Tyson sought out leaders who would be interested in
coordinating events in each neighborhood.
Now in its
third year, the event – which will be conducted in Siler City on
August 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. — has grown to include 11 sites across
Siler City. Community leaders are now seeking out Tyson for a chance
to host a NNO event.
As the event
grows each year, Tyson calls on the experience of the veteran
coordinators.
"I perceive
(NNO) getting better and better with the experience of the people
who have done this in the past," Tyson said.
On Monday,
the coordinators for each site met with Tyson to hand in their
agenda and ask for any special traffic requests. As a token of
gratitude, they were also treated to full meal.
"It takes a
lot of work to put this on. This is a way to show our appreciation
to the coordinators that are willing to do this. We want to show
them that we aren’t asking them to do anything that we aren’t
willing to do ourselves," Tyson said.
The goal is
to have an officer at each of the 11 sites, Tyson said.
"Every
available officer that is not on patrol will be helping out," Tyson
said.
The presence
of the officers at each site is important for community relations,
Tyson said.
"This is the
only time an officer can hang out in a community and get to know the
people for 2 or 3 hours. It really sets the tone for the rest of the
year," Tyson said.
"That’s the
crown jewel of what the payback of NNO is. It gives the community to
mingle with themselves and the police on a positive note," Tyson
said.
NNO not only
impacts the relations between police and communities – it also sends
a message to criminals, Tyson said.
"When you have close to
1,000 people coming together to take a stand against crime, it’s
pretty powerful," Tyson said.
more- See Thursday,
July 29, 2010
edition
Furniture
maker to close doors
Jennifer
Convertibles, the nationwide retailer of specialty sofa beds which
operates a distribution center in Siler City, announced last week
that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to
reorganize.
The
furniture manufacturer announced it will close stores in several
states, including its three stores in North Carolina. A company
spokesman said the company’s Siler City distribution center remains
open now but will likely close at the end of August.
At one time,
the Siler City center employed approximately 50 people, but that
number of employees has decreased gradually.
Dianne Reid,
president of the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation,
said the company’s Siler City operation in recent weeks had employed
fewer than 10 people.
"Their
intent is to reorganize and come out of bankruptcy," Reid said.
Jack
Meadows, Siler City’s director of Planning and Community
Development, said the majority of employees were laid off from the
local operation in 2008 when the number of workers was cut from 75
to 26.
"Any time we
lose a business it’s a big deal," Meadows said.
more- See Thursday,
July 29, 2010
edition
Pittsboro actress has role in ABC’s series ‘The
Gates’
By Bill
Willcox
Andrea
Powell, an actress from Pittsboro, has a significant role in the new
ABC Series "The Gates."
She has been
taped to appear in seven episodes of the series that airs Sunday
evenings at 10 p.m.
She plays
Karen Crezski, single mom to troubled teen werewolf Brett. She is,
at least by appearance, a Martha Stewart type.
"But there’s
a lot about Karen that is very un-Martha Stewart," said Powell.
"Appearances don’t always tell the whole story, especially in The
Gates. I can’t give away too much, so you’ll have to watch to find
out. I will say my son is a werewolf, and I’m definitely not a
vampire."
So far the
ratings have been good, considering the show was released during a
slow time of year.
"It’s always
difficult to premiere a scripted drama in the summer," she said,
"when most people are in the mindset of reality shows and reruns, or
aren’t watching TV at all. We’ve suffered in the same-day ratings as
have other shows, although we were #1 in online viewers last month.
I think our show is proving the theory that nowadays many people
watch TV shows (especially those that run at a late hour) either
online or via DVR.
"The show
has incredibly devoted fans, though. We hear from them every day,
and they’re so engaged in all the details and stories, and they want
to know more."
She said the
story idea probably grew out of the excitement for teen werewolves
generated by the Twilight movie series, "although the idea for the
series was around for a while before it was picked up by ABC
(According to the creators, it actually started out as a movie pitch
about a community built on the gates of hell). The whole vampire
thing has definitely been hot in recent years, and it doesn’t seem
like interest is waning. I think our show is the first to put this
twist on it, though—a group of supernatural beings who just want to
be left alone, to be safe and raise their families, and to somehow
learn to all get along. But of course that’s not easy, and then you
drop a too-curious cop and his family into the mix…and things are
bound to go wrong."
Powell and her husband Paul
Ferguson, a playwright and director, are originally from Florida,
although they’ve lived in many other places and still have a
residence in New York City, where they go for work from time to
time. Ferguson teaches at UNC-Chapel Hill.
more- See Thursday,
July 29, 2010
edition
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Jeff Davis
photo
Down the river . . .
Paddlers celebrated 25 years of the Triangle
Land Conservancy last week, padding down Deep River. The group
started at the historical Cumnock Bridge, stopping at the Endor
Furnace before stopping after 5.2 miles. In the top photo, the
shadow of the Cumnock Bridge can be seen in the water as two of the
eighteen paddlers begin their trip. A trio of boats glide down the
Deep River last Thursday while in the bottom photo Senator Bob
Atwater talks before the canoeists started downriver.
Paddlers celebrate
Deep River protection
By Alyssa
Marcus
In the past
25 years, the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), a six-county
nonprofit local land trust, has protected more than 3,000 acres of
land along the Deep River, which the organization’s president and
CEO calls a "hidden gem."
Last
Thursday, the TLC and supporters held a breakfast and canoe trip to
celebrate the accomplishments of the last quarter century.
To date,
more than 3,000 acres of land have been protected along the Deep
River. It has also been designated by North Carolina State Parks as
an official state trail. This work is helping to keep water clean,
creating recreational opportunities and protecting unique natural
communities.
Popular with
paddlers and fishermen, the Deep River offers a corridor with
tremendous potential for linking conservation lands, cultural
resources and recreation opportunities, and it presents an
opportunity to build destination tourism in a five-county region.
The Deep
River is also home to the nationally significant endangered Cape
Fear shiner as well as the historically significant Endor Iron
Furnace.
As
envisioned by the state parks system, the Deep River State Trail
would emerge primarily as a paddle trail with land-based access
sites and recreation facilities along the river and its tributaries.
Triangle Land Conservancy, North Carolina Division of Parks and
Recreation as well as local government entities and other
non-profits are working to improve access and increase conservation
efforts along the Deep.
Joked Kevin Brice, TLC’s
president and CEO, the celebration of accomplishments was also
"pretty much an excuse to go paddling."
more- See Thursday,
July 29, 2010
edition
County tax bills on the way soon
Chatham
County residents can expect to receive their 2010 county tax bills
in early August, according to Chatham County Tax Administrator Tina
Stone. The county’s current tax rate is 62.19 cents per $100
valuation.
Stone said
that it is important for taxpayers to carefully review their tax
bills after receiving them. If they identify problems, contact the
Tax Office as soon as possible by calling 919-542-8250 or
919-542-8260.
In some
cases, taxpayers will receive one bill covering both real estate
property and personal property (such as a boat or mobile home),
while some will receive separate bills for different properties.
For residents living outside
incorporated towns that offer municipal waste collection, the county
property tax bill includes the county’s annual Solid Waste Fee. The
county allows an exemption from the fee when a residence is not
habitable or it has been vacant for more than two years.
To be
eligible for the solid waste fee exemption, taxpayers must file an
application with Chatham County Waste Management by January 5, 2011.
Waste fees will not be waived if applications are received after
this date. An insert in the tax bills explains the services provided
for the fee.
The deadline to appeal real
estate property tax values has already passed, but taxpayers may
appeal the value, location or taxability of personal property within
30 days of the posted date on the tax bill. Personal property
includes mobile homes, boats and motors, airplanes, unlicensed
vehicles, or business personal property.
more- See Thursday,
July 29, 2010
edition |
