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Temperatures soar, water supplies stable
Joseph Pardington
You don’t have to be a weatherman to know that it is scorching
outside. The grass is drier and the ground is harder. The good news
is that recent rains have helped in certain parts of the county.
National temperatures continue to rise toward triple digits. Water
levels continue to drop, especially in western Chatham County. Siler
City’s reservoir was down one foot as of July 31. “We’re down 12
inches, which is not unusual,” said Joel Brower, town manager of
Siler City. “We fluctuate in that area (in the summer),” Brower
said.
Meanwhile in eastern Chatham, conditions at Jordan Lake are good,
said R.C. “Duck Duckson,” acting operations manager with the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. We have been in real good shape here
throughout this situation,” Duckson said of the impending drought.
On August 1, Jordan Lake was at 216.58 feet, or about “one-half foot
above normal pool,” Duckson said. The lake was as high as 219.38 in
June, or about three-and-a-half feet above normal. “We have not been
below normal pool all summer long.”
Duckson quickly added that during the recent drownings Jordan Lake
was no more than a foot above normal pool, or sea level.
It is not unusual for Chatham County and Siler City to face drought
conditions during the summer.
Last fall, Chatham County and Siler City both saw voluntary and then
mandatory water restrictions. By December, the mandatory
restrictions were lifted. The voluntary restrictions went into
effect in September (in Siler City), when the water was five feet
down. Mandatory restrictions went into effect when the water was
nine feet down.
When restrictions are in place, business and residential customers
are often asked to reduce their consumption of water. Some
conservation measures include less frequent car washing or use of a
bucket instead of a running hose to wash your car. Customers are
also asked to take showers instead of baths during voluntary
conservation periods.
During mandatory
restrictions, consumers are supposed to discontinue all unnecessary
water use, such as of ornamental fountains, swimming pools the
washing of sidewalks and driveways. Some forms of plant watering are
also reduced or restricted during the most severe droughts.
more- See Thursday,
August 3
paper:
Vol 85, No. 36
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Jeff Davis photo
A long, distinguished career
in the classroom . . . .
Virginia Cross spent her
entire teaching career in Chatham County, working in the classroom
from the fall of 1943 to her retirement 50 years later. "It's been
good," she said of her career. "I've never regretted it and I've
missed teaching since I've been out of it."
United Way to fund Liaison
By Joseph Pardington
The United Way has reconsidered and agreed to fund the Hispanic
Liaison.
This reversal follows an initial denial to fund the Liaison of more
than $20,000 that the Latino advocacy group requested this year.
The appeal was discussed July 14 at a meeting between The United
Way’s executive committee and Ilana Dubester, executive director of
the Hispanic Liaison as well as the president and accountant for the
Liaison.
At issue was the administrative cost of the Liaison from fiscal year
2004-2005.
The Liaison had exceeded the 25 percent level for that year and, as
a result, the United Way refused to fund the Liaison for 2006-2007.
But Dubester maintained that the denial was more about political
activities of the Liaison than about the administrative costs.
The Liaison participated in national days of protest in April and
May. Workers were encouraged to miss work and students to miss
school to participate in the protest of legislation passed by the
U.S. House of Representatives.
The legislation would make it a felony to be in the country
illegally. At least 3,000 people marched for immigrants rights and
then listened to speakers at Siler City’s town hall in April.
The subsequent protest in May saw participation by a few Chatham
businesses. A few other businesses protested the protest by
withdrawing sponsorship for a Latino festival in Siler City.
Whatever the reason for the denial, the United Way appears to have
had a change of heart.
more- See Thursday,
August 3
paper:
Vol 85, No. 36 |
