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Goldston seeks funds for
badly-needed infrastructure
By Randall Rigsbee
Chatham
County commissioners agreed Monday to help Goldston in the town’s
efforts to establish a badly-needed wastewater system, but much more
work remains to be done before the project becomes a reality.
Under
consideration is a wastewater treatment system for Goldston and
nearby areas which would connect with Sanford’s wastewater treatment
plant.
The
estimated cost of the project is $6.4 million.
"It’s a
considerable project," said David Hughes, Chatham County’s public
works director.
But,
commissioners agreed, it’s a project that is much-needed in Goldston,
where a number of septic systems are failing and the town’s
residential and economic growth has long been stymied as a result.
Goldston
Mayor Tim Cunnup is leading the town’s efforts to secure funding,
seeking grants through a variety of sources and trying to secure
federal funding as well.
"Right now
the process is getting the funding in order to implement it,’ Cunnup
said in a Tuesday morning interview. "It’s got to be something
that’s feasible for the residents. As for the need, it’s one of the
greatest needs, in my opinion, in the county. Certainly from an
economic standpoint, because we’re at a standstill until a
wastewater system is in place."
Even more
important, Cunnup said, are the health and environmental concerns.
"Septic
tanks and septic fields, obviously, have a life and many of our
houses here are over 60 years old," Cunnup said. "The earth can only
absorb so much effluent."
In several
cases, septic systems have failed in Goldston.
The goal of
the project under consideration is to provide municipal sewer to the
area, including J.S. Waters School and the corridor from Goldston
south to Lee County.
County
commissioners vice chair George Lucier said he is a "strong
supporter of the project" and has been for several years, citing
multiple reasons, top among them public health needs.
In addition,
Lucier agreed that the region needs a wastewater system to help
stimulate economic development and strengthen property values.
Goldston is
working now with several potential sources of grant funding,
including the United States Department of Agriculture.
"We feel
pretty confident that we’re going to get some grant money," Cunnup
said. "We also realize it’s not realistic to think it’s all going to
be funded by grants."
Before the
project can be initiated, Goldston must conduct a referendum and, if
approved by voters, would issue general obligation bonds to finance
the project.
Cunnup has
been mayor of Goldston for 14 years and in that time he said he has
had innumerable conversations with residents who cite the matter as
a priority need.
more- See Thursday,
March 4, 2010
edition
County
honors dispatchers for role in handling incident
By
Randall Rigsbee
Three
Chatham County emergency dispatchers were honored Monday for their
calm and professional handling of a dangerous incident of domestic
violence earlier this year.
For their
cool-headed work on January 22 when a Raleigh woman being chased on
US 1 and threatened by an ex-boyfriend called 911, telecommunicators
Lisa Braxton, Wendy Pulliam and Tracy Baldwin were honored as the
county’s employees of the month.
All are
certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD) with the
Communications Division of Chatham County’s Emergency Operations
Department.
The dramatic
incident began that Friday at approximately 10:45 a.m.
Heather Lee of Raleigh was
in a car driving north on US 1 at approximately 90 miles per hour
with a former boyfriend, Jeremy Jones, pursuing her through a
stretch of Chatham County when she called 911.
more- See Thursday,
March 4 ,
2010
edition |
Jeff Davis photo
Well, it did snow . . .
When the weatherman was calling for a trace
to two inches Tuesday night . . . he not only was right, but he was
making sure we got fooled too. Up to eight inches of snow fell in
parts of Chatham, closing school down for the day. Above, a walker
braves the snow to get in an early morning walk Wednesday morning.
Snow slows down the rushy pace
It wasn’t a trace or two . .
. more like four to eight inches of the snow that fell Tuesday night
into Wednesday morning.
In the Siler City area, the
ground was blanketed by a snow that was good enough to make snow
cream with, the fluffy kind that the kids could also venture out and
make a snowman, a big snowman.
The wintery precipitation
began to fall Tuesday afternoon, smaller flakes turning into
monsters from time to time. Then by nightfall, it kept falling, and
falling, and falling. By Wednesday morning up to eight inches had
covered the local area.
After calling for a two-hour
delay, Chatham County Schools called the day off after checking on
the road conditions.
Now if we can just get some
warm weather.
Candidates in place to run for offices in upcoming
election
By
Bill Willcox
The candidate filing period
ended Friday with a flurry of activity and one more challenger to an
incumbent county commissioner throwing his hat into the ring.
Kim Beal, a Republican from
Siler City, joined Republican Walter Petty in challenging Democrat
Carl Thompson for his District 5 seat.
Also on Friday, the School
Board race got a little tighter. Ilana Dubester filed for District
4; and Tina Ford for District 3.
The Primary on May 4 will
feature two local races on the Republican ballot, but no local ones
on the Democratic side.
In the county commissioner
race, the primary will decide whether Republican Brian Bock or Cadle
Cooper will face Democrat George Lucier for his District 3 seat.
And it will decide whether
Beal or Petty face Thompson in November for his District 5 seat.
The primary will also be
important for Republicans at the Congressional level in the mid-term
elections. Many see an opportunity to unseat Democrats because of a
shift in political sentiment in the country.
But many of the local races
hinge on the November general election.
At that time, Commissioner,
Tom Vanderbeck will face a challenge from Republican Pamela Stewart
of Pittsboro for his District 4 seat.
Also, incumbent Sheriff
Richard Webster, a Democrat, will face off against Republican Larry
Meadows, a 14-year veteran of the Siler City Police Department.
The general election will be
on November 2.
In a contested race at the
state level, Republican Roger Gerber is challenging Democratic
incumbent Bob Atwater for his NC Senate District 8 seat.
Cathy Wright, a registered
Republican, is challenging Democrat Joe Hackney for his NC State
House District 54 seat. Hackney serves as NC House speaker.
more- See Thursday,
March 4, 2010
edition
Chatham
adopts plan for farms
The Chatham
County Board of Commissioners has adopted a new Farmland
Preservation Plan that includes several components to help retain
farmland and boost the county’s agricultural economy.
The plan,
adopted by commissioners Monday, is voluntary and does not require
farmers or other residents to participate.
"Agriculture, horticulture
and forestry are not only historically important to Chatham County,
these industries remain vital to our economy today and we want them
to remain strong," said Sally Kost, chair of the Board of
Commissioners.
more- See Thursday,
March 4, 2010
edition
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