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Well, not quite! With a couple of sidewalks in the downtown Siler City area built for Paul Bunyun. the town recently improved them.  The height between the road and the top of the sidewalk was more than a step.  So the town tore up the two areas, one on Chatham Avenue and the other on East second and made the step a little easier.

Siler City OKs $150,500 bid to improve quality of water

By Joseph Pardington

Siler City’s town board on Monday voted unanimously to accept the $150,500 bid to install an ammonia-feed system at the Siler City Water Plant. This system, coupled with an ongoing study of the use of chlorine dioxide, should improve Siler City’s water to acceptable levels, said Joe McGougan of Hobbs, Upchurch and Associates.

On the front end of the water operation, chlorine dioxide will be added to the water to reduce the elevated levels of manganese and alum, McGougan said.

On the finishing end, ammonia will be mixed with the chlorine, McGougan added.

“The two (chemicals) together are going to get you in compliance with THM and HAAs,” McGougan said.

McGougan showed the results of a pilot study that examined the use of chlorine dioxide.

“When we are feeding the chemicals,” we are seeing noticeable effects,” McGougan said.

Terry Green, Siler City’s public works manager, briefly spoke about the difficulty treating the water.

“I’ve been here 18 years. I’ve never seen water this tough to treat,” Green said.

McGougan pointed to several reasons for poor water quality.

“You have a small watershed and limited storage,” McGougan said.

The drought just makes things worse. The levels of alum and manganese are concentrated, he said. McGougan pointed to Jordan Lake, which has similar concerns but a bigger water supply. Thus the concentration of alum and manganese is not as high for Jordan Lake.

 more- See Thursday, Oct 20 paper: Vol 85, No. 47

Company's problems imperil Goldston sewer

By Randall Rigsbee

A plan to use a $750,000 grant to extend a sanitary sewer system to revive a once-vacant 200,000 square-foot industrial site in Goldston has hit a snag, Chatham County officials said Monday.

American Molding & Millwork – the company that earlier this year began operations in the former site of Kayser Roth Hosiery – filed for bankruptcy last week, which jeopardizes the $750,000 Community Development Block Grant.

The grant money cannot be used for the sewer line extension project, which ultimately was planned to also serve other Goldston businesses and residents, until the company is stable.

Chatham County Board of Commissioners chairman Bunkey Morgan, who said he has been in contact with officials from the California-based industry, still plans to operate from the site and to expand the operation.

American Molding has already had a positive affect on the Goldston area, Morgan said.

The company may employ as many as 200 people.

Chatham County already was to supply a local match of $473,000 to be used with the $750,000 Community Development Block Grant.

Commissioners on Monday discussed, but took no action, on the possibility of adding the $750,000 portion to the county’s existing debt, with the possibility, but no the assurance, of later obtaining the grant.

But commissioners agreed to proceed slowly.

“You’ve got to really have caution,” said Morgan.

“What we do has got to be financially feasible,” agreed commissioner Tommy Emerson.

Commissioners agreed the line is needed in the area. Commissioner Patrick Barnes noted that water and sewer are essential to economic development.

“I’d figure out some way to run that line,” he said.

 more- See Thursday, Oct 20 paper: Vol 85, No. 47

Pet attacks demonstrate rabies threat

By Randall Rigsbee

Chatham County Animal Control supervisor John Sauls said two cases he handled last week underscore the importance of having pets vaccinated against rabies.

Sauls handled two rabies exposure cases in which unvaccinated dogs were bitten by unknown animals.

“In both cases, the dogs were not vaccinated, meaning they either had to be put down or quarantined for six months,” Sauls said.

In both cases, Sauls said, the wounds to the dogs could have been delivered by rabies suspects such as raccoons, foxes or bobcats.

Neither dog had a history of rabies vaccination, Sauls said.

State public health law requires that any unvaccinated dog or cat bitten by an animal suspected of having rabies that is unavailable for testing must either be destroyed or be quarantined in a facility approved by the local health director for six months.

 Sauls said such cases are relatively rare.

“Fortunately, it’s not too common,” he said. “It’s never a happy situation. It’s very hard on everybody.”

The first case involved a stray Great Dane which been taken in by a couple, who had not had the dog vaccinated.

The dog lived primarily on a chain in the backyard. Sauls said.

Last week, the dog’s the owner noticed several bites and abrasion on the pet’s legs and backside.

“In this case,” Sauls said, “it is reasonable to suspect that the wounds were delivered by a rabid raccoon or fox who are well known to attack larger domestic animals near homes when in the ‘furious state’ of rabies.”

The second case involved a 14 pound poodle who was let out on a deck in the evening after dark. The owner saw her dog come to the glass door and lean against it for awhile before it screamed, Sauls said.

 The owners went outside and noticed the dog was bleeding, with wounds on its sides and thigh.

“Again, while it is unknown what attacked this dog,” Sauls said, “it’s reasonable to assume that the dog was attacked by a rabies suspect. In this case, bobcats have been reported in the area.

 more- See Thursday, Oct 20 paper: Vol 85, No. 47

The Chatham News

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303 West Raleigh Street, Siler City, NC 27344, (919)663-3232

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