Community Watch & Emergency Services 7/17/14

A special thank you to Sgt. Butch Clarke, County Sheriff’s Department,  and Chief Mike Tapp, New Hope Volunteer Fire Department, for speaking at the NHIA Community Center about community safety and the return of an ambulance squad in the New Hope community.

Chief Mike Tapp gave an update on the NHVFD and emergency services:

  1. A new fire truck was added to the New Hope Fire Station. The department applied for grants and negotiated a 0% loan which saved the taxpayers $27K off the initial cost estimate.
  2. An Orange County Emergency Services ambulance will soon be physically located at New Hope Fire Station 2 on NC Highway 86 during peak hours (1pm-1am) to reduce emergency response time for the New Hope area.  This area last housed an EMS unit (Orange County Rescue Services) in 1977.  The Orange County ambulances have been expanded since then from 4 to 7 as the county grew.  We are excited that EMS will soon have a home base to our area.
  3. Possible emergency shelter designation is being investigated for the NHIA Community Center.  There is currently a generator hook-up, portable generator and a full kitchen that could be utilized in event of power outages usually associated with area ice storms.  Proposal is under discussion with the Emergency Service Director.

Sgt. Butch Clarke spoke about several safety services that the Orange County Sherriff’s Office provides.  Among these were:

  1. Neighborhood Community Watch and the importance of citizen’s watching out for their neighbors.  He encouraged people to call  911 for ANY suspicious activity  and let the Sheriff’s Department decide if it is an emergency.  Break-in rates are trending down on an annual basis for the past 3 years.  Thieves are targeting electronics, jewelry and guns.  Citizens  are encouraged to record serial numbers and mark or photograph their valuables of easier identification in case of theft.   Simple steps to deter thieves include:
  • Make your house look occupied by  leaving lights/radio on,
  • Lock house and car doors
  • Use deadbolt locks
  • Don’t hide a key outside
  • Brace sliding glass doors
  • Install good exterior lighting
  • Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed
  • Stop mail and paper deliveries or get a neighbor to collect
  • Get a dog
  • Install an alarm

New Community Watch signs are blue and white and are available for purchase.  Old green signs can be replaced by contacting Sgt. Clarke (bclarke@orangecountync.gov) or bring it to the Sheriff’s department to swap it out for a new sign.

  1. Daily Crime Report is available to anyone by signing up on the Orange County Sheriff’s website
  2. House Check is a service for when people leave their homes for one reason or another….vacations, business trips, etc..  Make your request 2-3 days prior to your departure by calling call 644-3050 or 942-6300 to speak with a Deputy on duty.
  3. Orange County Life Track is a proactive response system to identifying citizens within our community who have been known to become confused, have a tendency to wander and may not be able to return safely on their own. Individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, Down’s syndrome and other such disorders can now be located through state of the art technology. The program is run by members who are specially trained, not only in the use of the electronic tracking equipment but also in ways to communicate with those that may be confused and disoriented.
  4. Seniors And Law enforcement Together (SALT) is a cooperative program to reduce both criminal victimization and provides a secure home feeling for older adults .  Deputies provide a sense of security by routinely checking on older county residents who are signed up in the program to see if they need assistance, information for other needed services, or just a friend to talk.  During past ice storms, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office along with the American Red Cross have provided hot meals and water to seniors without food or power.

Contact  http://orangecountync.gov/sheriff/ to sign up for these programs or learn about other services.

Orange County Sheriff Candidate Meet and Greet

A new sheriff will be elected on July 15th! 

Please join us for a meet and greet with each of our candidates:
Charles Blackwood
Tuesday, July 1, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm
4012 Whitfield Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
David Caldwell, Jr.
Tuesday, July 8, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
4012 Whitfield Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514


We hope to see you there!


Format is casual with no presentations
Purpose is to encourage voter turnout and priority time with voters
Drop-in and visit as long as you like
Dress is comfortable or convenient
Light fare refreshments
Table and chairs available for visiting and eating


2014 2nd Primary Voting Information

Early voting will be held at the Orange County Board of Elections Office (208 S Cameron Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278), starting July 3rd through July 12th, with the following schedule:   
• Thurs, July 3 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Closed Friday, July 4 for Holiday
• Mon – Fri, July 7- July 11, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Sat, July 12, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Precincts will be open for voting on Tuesday, July 15 (6:30 am to 7:30 pm). Please contact the Orange County Board of Elections with any questions about voting at 919-245-2350 or via their website.

Community Watch Meeting

NHIA Community Watch and EMS Meeting
Thursday, July 17
7PM to 8PM

 New Hope Improvement Association Building
4012 Whitfield Road
Chapel Hill, NC  27514

Community Watch Logo    EMS-logo

Join Us in Supporting the Efforts of our
Law Enforcement & Critical Life Response Teams

 

 AGENDA
Sergeant Butch Clark – O.C. Crime Prevention Officer:
    ·        Community Watch
    ·        Crime Statistics
    ·        911 Calls for Suspicious Activity
NHVFD Chief – Mike Tapp:
    ·        Return of the New Hope Rescue Squad?



Proposed Solar Array off Mt. Sinai Road

Did you know that there is proposal on the table for the construction of a Solar Array off of Mt. Sinai Road with access via Cascade Drive?  

There is a public hearing TONIGHT:

Tuesday May 27, 2014 at 7:00 p.m
Department of Social Services
Hillsborough Commons Shopping Center
113 Mayo St.,  Hillsborough  NC

The meeting agenda is available here and includes the details of the project, maps, and a variety of support materials.

PSNC Natural Gas Q&A Event Summary

Thanks to PSNC Energy for presenting a Q & A session on bringing natural gas into area neighborhoods.

Shane Currin is the new dedicated Chapel Hill PSNC Sales Representative who spoke to the 26 people who came to learn how they can get natural gas into their homes.  Shane encouraged folks to get their neighborhood to document their interest by filling out a questionnaire.  If enough people in a neighborhood are interested then he will come out to individuals’ homes and start the several-months’ process to extend natural gas “main” lines to service the area.  Questionnaires can be filled out online at psncenergy.com/form or postage-free postcards can be picked up from the folder on the NHIA Community Room covered porch.

To be cost effective for PSNC to run natural gas into a neighborhood, there needs to be 75%-85% of the people on the street willing to sign-up for heat and hot water within a year of running the lines. Other appliances like stoves, grills, fireplace logs, dryer, gas lights, etc. are considered enhancements as they do not supply steady revenue.  If a “main” is installed in front or beside your home then PSNC will include up to 200 feet of line from their “main” to the customer’s home (there is an up to $10.80 / foot fee if farther than 200 feet).  If you are on a side street with no “main” then PSNC would include 100 feet of line towards your lot and 100 feet to  the house with the customer paying up to the $10.80 / foot difference.

Most propane appliances are convertible to natural gas.  Appliances that are not convertible are (1) old hot water heaters with tanks (some made in the past 5 years have adapters), (2) most fireplace logs, and (3) space heaters.

Heating and hot water for a 2000-sqft house averages $50 per month when using natural gas.

People went away from the meeting learning that they have a dedicated contact at PSNC and that neighborhoods need to be proactive in getting their neighbors to complete a questionnaire to request bringing service to their area.  (Diane and Mike Doub will be canvassing our Mimosa neighbors to try the “grass roots” approach.)

Deer-Resistant Gardening Workshop

The Unique Plant, Inc. offered the New Hope Improvement Association (NHIA) community a special workshop on Deer-Resistant Gardening. Owner Joann Currier showed us many varieties of plants for both sun and shade garden locations. (Her recommendations are included below.)

The plants all shared general characteristics such as (1) fuzzy or thorny, (2) odorous, or (3) not palatable / poisonous to deer.

We also were treated with a scenic stroll on winding paths through the picture perfect grounds and nursery located at 4207 Oak Hill Road in Chapel Hill.

Many thanks to Joann and The Unique Plant!

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Click to view recommended plants