OWASA approves rate increase
The OWASA Board of Directors last week approved water and sewer rate increases and rate structure changes.
Monthly water charges will increase about 6.25 percent, while monthly sewer charges will increase about 13.75 percent. The percentage increase will depend on a customer’s pattern and volume of water use.
The revised rates will go into effect on October 1, except for lake recreation fees, which will increase in March 2008.
According to OWASA, the rate increases are needed to fund the replacement of old water and sewer pipes, improvements at the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant and increased wastewater treatment and energy costs.
School board candidates
Four of the seven seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education will be available on the November 6 ballot.
The district will conduct an orientation for potential candidates on June 26 from 12-1:30 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Conference Room at the Lincoln Center on Merritt Mill Road. Those who wish to attend should contact Stephanie Knott at sknott@chccs.k12.nc.us or at 967-8211, ext. 227.
Seats held by Jamezetta Bedford, Liz Carter, Mike Kelley and Annetta Streater will be open. Candidates must file paperwork with the Orange County Board of Elections and pay a $5 filing fee July 6-20.
County appointments
The Board of County Commissioners recently made appointments and reappointments to several county boards and commissions. Appointments include:
• Board of Social Services – Patricia Garavaglia;
• Durham Technical Community College Board of Directors – Moses Carey and Aaron Nelson;
• Economic Development Commission – Bill Strom; and
• Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee – Sharon Karnash.
Reappointments include:
• Board of Health – Jessica Lee;
• Chapel Hill Board of Adjustment – Peter Strongoli;
• Economic Development Commission – Robert Ward and Bryant Colson;
• Human Relations Commission – Vivette Jeffries-Logan; and
• Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee – Mary Ann Peter and Patricia Koch.
Guide to town services
The Town of Chapel Hill has released its 2007 Guide to Services.
The guide includes information about town services and programs and is available at the following locations:
• Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department Administrative Offices, 200 Plant Road;
• Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive;
• Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.;
• Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce, 104 S. Estes Drive;
• Chapel Hill Housing Department, 317 Caldwell St.; and
• Chapel Hill Visitors Bureau, 501 W. Franklin St.
For more information, contact the town information officer at 969-5055 or tio@townofchapelhill.org.
Weight program for kids
The UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont will offer two sessions of a one-week weight management program for children.
The first session runs July 16-20 and the second session runs July 30-August 3. The program’s daily classes will be held from 1-4 p.m. and will be run by a group fitness instructor, dietician and personal trainer. The classes will feature physical activity, nutrition lessons and interactive activities.
The program, called Youth in Action, is designed for children 7-to-10 years old with a body mass index greater than 85 percent of the norms for their age and gender.
Parents or guardians must complete a pre-screening application for each child.
The program also offers classes for parents or guardians.
The one-week program costs $250 for members and $350 for non-members.
Pre-registration is required. For more information, call 966-5500 or visit the Wellness Center.
New director hired
Women’s Voices Chorus has hired Carrboro resident Allan Friedman as their new director.
Friedman serves as assistant conductor of the Duke Chapel Choir and directs the Duke Vespers Ensemble and the Duke Divinity School Choir. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Duke University and a master’s degree in musicology from UNC.
The Women’s Voice Chorus is a community-based classical chorus for sopranos and altos. Friedman replaces Mary Lycan, who founded the group in 1993 and retired in January.
New coach hired
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board recently appointed John Alcox as men’s head basketball coach at Carrboro High School.
Alcox comes to Carrboro High from J.W. Neal Middle School in Durham where he was a basketball coach and a health and physical education teacher. Alcox also served as a basketball coach and health and physical education teacher at West Lee Middle School in Sanford. He holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Lander University in Greenwood, S.C.
Alcox replaces Alvin Thompson who accepted the position earlier this year but resigned after receiving an offer to become an athletic director with another district.
Carrboro High is scheduled to open in August.
Student wins peace award
East Chapel Hill High School student Aaron Strom has been honored as the winner of the Dispute Settlement Center’s 2007 Generation Peace Art Award.
Strom’s submission, “Imagine Peace,†is a metal sculpture that judges described as “exceptionally well-executed.†He received a $500 cash prize as part of the award.
Students who received honorable mentions include: Zach Chamberlain of East Chapel Hill High for “Peace is Fragileâ€; Natalie Murrow of Chapel Hill High for “Peace Collageâ€; Kegan Tawney of Chapel Hill High for “Peace Will Flyâ€; and Annie Spuria of Chapel Hill High for “One Love, One Heart.â€
The Generation Peace Art Award was established in 2006 by an anonymous donor to the Dispute Settlement Center who wanted to encourage high school students to think creatively about peace and conflict resolution.