RALEIGH - The conservation group American Rivers says the city of Raleigh could cut water use up to 40 percent and save millions of dollars by improving water efficiency.
But a city environmental coordinator says Raleigh has already adopted many of the policies the organization recommends.
American Rivers issued a report Wednesday in which it analyzed how four cities in the Southeast could benefit from water efficiency, as opposed to building new dams and reservoirs. It concluded that Raleigh could save $30 million to $60 million by pursuing efficiency as compared with building dams and reservoirs.
“I don’t know how they developed the numbers,” said Ed Buchan, the city Utilities Department’s environmental coordinator. “We think that a lot of the things we’ve already done have saved us some money.”
Buchan noted, however, that cutting consumption also reduces the city’s revenue from water and sewer charges. And Buchan said that even with efficient use of water, growing communities such as Raleigh must still plan new reservoirs.
Read More:News & Observer
The brisk pace reflects predictions that general election turnout will set records this year
Louise Renner, 79, voted Thursday for the first time since 1976. Using a walker, she inched down Fayetteville Street from the Sir Walter Apartments to be one of the first to cast her ballot at the Wake Board of Elections office in downtown Raleigh.
Renner declined to reveal whom she was voting for but said that she wanted to make a statement by voting early.
“I’m so burned up with the way this country is being run,” she said. “It’s not just one thing, but everything.”
Val Simpson, 66, used to think that she would not live to see a black candidate with a real chance of becoming president.
“I’ve seen it all — the dogs, the marches — I’ve come full circle,” said Simpson as she stood in line outside the elections office near downtown Durham. “Thank you, Jesus, that I’m here to see it. Thank you.”
Civic duty, the sense they were making history or just the desire to get voting over with sent thousands to the polls for the first day of early voting in an election season expected to set turnout records.
Statewide vote totals were not available, and efforts to reach Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections, were unsuccessful. But in Durham, voters arrived at the election headquarters before 6 a.m., knowing they wouldn’t be able to get in until 9 a.m., said local elections director Mike Ashe. More than 6,250 people had voted in Durham by the end of the day.
“This is huge,” Ashe said. “It doesn’t take a genius to know this is a big election. There’s no incumbent president, no incumbent governor. Commissioners, taxes, we’ve got everything on this ballot. Obviously, the presidential election is driving this train.”
More than 6,000 Wake voters had cast ballots by 5 p.m., said Cherie Poucher, the county’s elections director. She said she was startled when she got to work and saw the line outside the building. “This election is of more interest than any other general election in the 18 years that I’ve been here,” she said.
N.C. a swing state
The presidential campaigns are paying unusual attention to North Carolina this year, with polls showing a tie between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. No Democratic presidential candidate has won the state since Jimmy Carter did in 1976.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin visited the state Thursday. McCain is coming to the state Saturday, and Obama is returning Sunday.
The atmosphere was electric Thursday as voters crowded polling places around the state.
Kenny McLawhorn, 18, a UNC-Chapel Hill freshman from Kinston, participated in his first election Thursday. He voted a straight Republican ticket, even though he said he was not happy with the way President Bush has conducted the war in Iraq.
“McCain I see as not as far right as Bush is,” McLawhorn said. “He’s more moderate, and Obama’s too far left.”
McLawhorn said early voting was convenient and exciting because North Carolina has become a swing state this election.
Both parties have emphasized early voting this year, but the feeling that Obama could win here appeared to energize his supporters.
When poll workers at Wake’s election headquarters unlocked the doors at 8:30 a.m., there were more than 50 early birds in a line that wrapped around a corner of the building. The Obama vibe was strong, with a handful wearing his name on buttons, T-shirts and, in one case, a baseball cap. As the line moved forward, at least two people loudly exclaimed to each other that he was why they were there.
At N.C. Central University in Durham, hundreds of students marched across campus to a polling place set up in a former church.
Carolyn Edgerton, 63, had been there hours earlier, waiting in a line that had grown to at least 40 by the time the doors opened.
Read More:News & Observer
Chicken lovers push to lift town’s ban on backyard coops
CARY - Why did the chicken cross the road?
Because Cary told it to scram.
That’s a growing joke in urban poultry circles. Long stereotyped for its rule-happy sameness, Cary refuses to allow backyard chicken coops. Too noisy. Too smelly. Too … well, un-Cary.
But the town’s defiance has stirred a grass-roots chicken push; its supporters hope to bust Cary’s reputation as a snooty killjoy.
Check out the new Web site carychickens.com, or the poultry fans flocking on Facebook, the popular Internet social hub.
They point to Raleigh, where chicken coops are common enough that in some neighborhoods you can pass three on a single block, and where the annual Tour d’Coop draws a curious crowd.
Wake Forest just relaxed its poultry rules — letting homeowners keep up to 10 hens — and Durham is pondering the fresh-egg benefits of city chickens.
Cary, like the farmer in the dell’s cheese, stands alone.
“They don’t want to be seen as rednecks,” coop hopeful Michael Manfre said. “I don’t see how that association works, because cities like New York, they also allow chickens.”
In July, Manfre and his wife, Alissa, laid out their chicken plan for the council.
The rules: No roosters. No slaughtering. Permits required.
The perks: Tastier eggs. Locally grown food. Pets that eat bugs.
But the idea died when the council voted down a motion to study the possibility. Cary does allow poultry in its scarce agricultural zones, but council members backed firmly away from putting birds in neighborhood yards.
“Everywhere I went, I had people begging me not to let this happen,” council member Don Frantz said. “Noise, smell, disease, property values. It’s not an urban thing. It’s best left to the country.”
As to Cary’s image, and whether the chicken ban adds to its renown for regulation, Frantz shrugged.
“I guess that’s part of the reason we win so many national awards,” he said.
Chicken supporters in the Triangle and nationwide say most of the fears are misguided.
Having a few chickens in the backyard isn’t any noisier or messier than keeping a pet dog, fans say. Roosters are a different story, but they aren’t asking Cary for anything that crows.
“I’m not a morning person,” Manfre said. “I don’t want to hear them, either.”
Most towns require coops that keep hens from wandering, and any owner will tell you that a coop needs constant cleaning.
Cary leaders warned that for every law-abiding chicken keeper, you’d see two scofflaws. But in Raleigh, longtime chicken owners say they are vigilant.
“All of us are sensible, so they don’t crack down,” said Bev Norwood in the Five Points neighborhood. “We had our chickens for months, and the people whose bedroom window is 20 feet away didn’t even know we had chickens.”
Manfre said it is ironic that Cary would hold up its award-winning status when defending the no-chicken stance.
The town recently ranked 16th on Money magazine’s list of best small cities. Nearly every place that ranked higher — including Fort Collins, Colo., and Round Rock, Texas — permits poultry.
Cary’s council might not fret about how that looks to outsiders, but some residents do.
Read More:News & Observer
Statewide series of marches to end in Raleigh as NAACP conference begins
Marchers took to the street this week, calling for the state to make reparations for the 1898 Wilmington riots.
About a dozen people marched to the courthouse in Durham on Sunday. It was one of 13 such marches held across the state leading up to the 65th annual conference of the state NAACP, which starts Thursday.
The marchers are asking state legislators to make payments to the descendants of those harmed in an insurrection that led to the deaths of at least 14 black people and perhaps many more.
The riots were brought to the forefront when the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission report was released in 2006 after six years of study by a state-appointed panel.
The panel found that the riots that led to a government overthrow in Wilmington were started by white supremacist leaders in a conspiracy to strip political power from black people and their allies.
State legislators have apologized for the conspiracy, but the state NAACP and other groups in a statewide coalition are calling for the state to make reparations to the families of those who died or lost their livelihoods as a result of the riots.
“You want to apologize, but you don’t want to share the wealth with these people,” said Fred Foster, head of the Durham branch of the state NAACP. “The only way to bring closure is to set things right.”
The group also seeks reparations for forced sterilizations under a state program aimed at preventing the mentally ill and those with low IQs from having children. North Carolina’s State Eugenics Board presided over a eugenic sterilization program from 1929 until 1974 that sterilized at least 7,600 people, almost all of them women and about 60 percent of them black.
Read More:News & Observer
NEW PERMITS, BUSINESS OPENINGS
Strayer University: 1812 Garner Station Road
is open for business
T.G.I Friday’s: 1100 Timber Drive East has
received a construction permit.
Compare Foods: old Winn Dixie in North Station
has a permit to renovate.
Auto Zone: 7735 Fayetteville Road received a
construction permit in December.
Swift Creek Coffee House: Fifth Avenue,
Forrest Hills Shopping Center has received a
permit to renovate.
TOWN OF GARNER WINS SPACE WARDS
On January 31, 2008,
Mayor Ronnie Williams
of the Town of Garner
and Alice Johnson, Vice
President of Government
and Public Affairs for
Butterball, accepted the SPACE Award from a Triangle
Business Journal. The SPACE Award was presented
to the Town of Garner in the category of
Economic Development for New Industry for the
location of Butterball, LLC to Greenfield North Industrial
Park near the intersection of I?40 and
Highway 70.
“We are excited about the opportunity for the Butterball
project to be a springboard to help recruit
our next corporate headquarters and this award
helps generate positive views of Garner,” said Hardin
Watkins, Garner Town Manager.
All new economic development projects in the
Triangle were evaluated by a panel of six judges
from the Triangle Business Journal in consideration
for this award. The winning project had to be new
to the area and committed to in 2007. Once the
projects met those two characteristics they were
judged on creation of new jobs, new investments,
and cooperation between state and local governments
with site selection.
Butterball, LLC has committed to build a $12 million
corporate headquarters developed by Craig
Davis Properties that will bring 100 to 150 management
level jobs to Garner by mid?2008. In return
for this investment, the Town Board of Aldermen
committed $100,750 in economic development
incentives. Butterball, LLC broke ground on
the headquarters in August 2007.
“Butterball brings new jobs, new taxes, and the
promise of plans to re?invest in the community by
supporting our area clubs, churches, and Town
organized events. They have already demonstrated
their support for several events,” said Garner
Mayor Ronnie Williams.
Read More: Town Of Garner Website
Phase Two Water Restrictions
At the February 5,
2008 Raleigh City
Council Meeting, the
Council decided to enact
Phase Two water
restrictions on February
15. Previously, the Council voted to go into
Phase Two once Falls Lake fell below 90 days
supply. The Town of Garner is a member of the
Raleigh Water System and must adhere to all
water restrictions from the Raleigh Council.
Phase Two is the first action that directly effects
businesses in the area. Power washing, irrigation,
and car washes are banned without a special
permit from the City of Raleigh. A list of approved
car washes can be found at
www.raleighnc.gov.
The Council did make one exception. Builders
will be able to flush water lines. Flushing the
lines is a requirement for all new construction
before occupancy. Flushed water must be recaptured
in order to comply with this requirement
The Town of Garner is developing plans for reducing
water year round. The Planning Department
is recommending changes to the landscape
ordinance that will require developers to use a
particular plant bed preparation method. Also,
the Planning Department is recommending an
“Official” Plant List with plants that are drought
tolerant and native to the area.
Water-Wise
Garden Tips
Water-wise gardening is a collective way we
can all conserve natural resources for the community
at large. Due to our lack of rain, now is
a good time to plan ahead and to get on board
the water-wise gardening train. Follow these
few tips to start conserving water today:
• Mulch to conserve water in flower beds,
around trees, even in container gardens.
Mulch adds organic matter to the soil,
slows down moisture loss and assists in
weed control.
• Do not fertilize stressed plants until water
restrictions are lifted or the drought
breaks.
• Forgo fertilizing fescue lawns and allow
the grass to go dormant early by withholding
irrigation.
• Skip heavy pruning on shrubs and trees.
Pruning prompts new growth that stressed
root systems are unable to support. But do
prune damaged, diseased, dying or dead
branches and twigs, which can help combat
pests and diseases.
• Devote 25% of your property to native
tree and shrub gardens to save both money
and maintenance time.
Always know you can visit the Wake County
Master Gardener Waterwise Demonstration
Garden at Lake Crabtree County Park for plant
suggestions!
Garner NC Website
Garner NC Business Directory
The Town of Garner will be selling
discounted Rain Barrels to community
members as a part of our
water conservation
efforts. A 60 gallon
barrel has a regular price
of $149.95, but when
purchased at Town Hall it
is $75 plus tax. 80 Gallon
barrels are available for
$85 plus tax. A retro fit
kit, to make your own
rain barrel, is $15.95 plus
tax. If you live in theTown Limits, the
Rain
Barrel can be delivered
to your house. Any Rain
Barrels purchased by
people outside the Town
Limits must be picked up at the Public
Works Department.
Add your business to Garner NC City Guide
Garner City Guide is a local privately owned for profit business that offers free business listings and classifieds to local businesses, and provide information about our local area. To get more info. call:919-821-7003
Add your link:City5nc.com
CARY, N.C. — The following comments are from entertainer Randy Parton regarding recent developments in the Roanoke Rapids Theatre project (formerly known as the Randy Parton Theatre). These comments are in response to reports that the City of Roanoke Rapids has terminated its relationship with the latest theater management company (UGL-Unicco).
“I think the real problems are starting to be revealed. After three years of sharing with City leaders that financial success would not happen overnight and that there would need to be other businesses open nearby to help the theater become profitable, I believe the light has come on. These realizations were finally confirmed by Mayor Drewery Beale in his comments to the Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald yesterday when he said, ‘…This hasn’t been a mistake… It just takes time.’
“I have never claimed to be a business manager. I am an entertainer. The financial papers released Wednesday clearly show that the success of this theater will be a long term proposition that requires patience and a lot of dedicated partners.
“I hope the City will soon realize that I was an ally and not an enemy in trying to make the theatre a success. That was my intent when I agreed to sign the PMA (Performance and Management Agreement). I know this project can be a success.
“I am hopeful that the City finds the right solution to help the theatre grow and truly become an entertainment destination. This theatre should be about the people in Roanoke Rapids and what’s best for them; not the politics of North Carolina.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
RALEIGH - People served by Raleigh’s water system are about to come under strict new conservation rules, including bans on using drinking water to irrigate yards, fill empty swimming pools and water golf courses.The Stage 2 restrictions, effective Friday, will apply to water customers in Raleigh as well as those in Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon. The smaller towns buy water from Raleigh.
A letter signed by all the towns’ mayors is going to water customers this week. It lists the Stage 2 restrictions. And it asks businesses and residents to install low-flow shower heads and faucet restrictors by March 1 and to use rain barrels for watering shrubs, flowers or vegetables.
Builders also are being asked to install low-flow devices and discontinue exterior irrigation with drinking water in new development projects.
The city’s water supply pool stood this week at 107 days. That’s enough to last to May 31, assuming a worst case scenario of no rain and usage remaining at the current level.
The statewide drought has not improved in the past week, according to a report out this morning from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Of the state’s 100 counties, 67 counties — including all of the Triangle — are in exceptional drought, the worst category. Conditions are extreme or severe in the other counties.
Raleigh’s Stage 2 rules prohibit use of public water for:
* All irrigation.
* Filling new swimming or wading pools. Water may be added to pools to maintain sanitary conditions. Filling of pools drained for repair is prohibited.
* Washing vehicles at any location except at car-washing facilities that have been certified by the city to be in compliance with a conservation certification program. A total of 45 car washes have been certified under the program.
* Washing of areas such as sidewalks, patios, decks, driveways, parking lots, streets and exterior building surfaces, except for soiled areas for the maintenance of public health and sanitary conditions.
* Serving of drinking water in restaurants except upon request.
* All non-essential use of water for commercial or public use
Read More:News & Observer
Raleigh, NC – Raleigh city employees who work with Spanish speaking citizens have an opportunity to assess their foreign language skill level and get paid for it.
Through a unique language skills-building partnership with The Raleigh-based World Company, the city offers comprehensive Spanish language testing to employees—within all departments—who routinely deal with Spanish speakers.
To date, over 60 eligible workers have participated in this innovative program designed to better connect non-English speaking citizens with the services they need and to improve communications with those who provide them.
The program, now in its fourth year, also gives city workers an opportunity to earn a bonus. Those who pass Level 7 (verbal) or Level 6 (written) on a proficiency scale of 1 through 9 receive a $500 incentive payment. The written and verbal language proficiency test includes speaking, reading, writing, translating and listening comprehension skills.
“I commend the city of Raleigh for implementing this leading edge program to encourage city workers to learn and use Spanish for the greater good,” said Clodagh Lyons-Bastian, director of The World Company. “Good communication between the city and its citizens is vital to the area’s well-being.”
This year’s testing took place on Wednesday, January 23rd.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire:
