Cary, NC – As reported earlier, a team of Triangle producers hoped to “Crash the Superbowl” with their spots for Doritos. Well, they did. In a big way.
ON THE GAME AND ON TOP OF THE METER
Filmmakers Nick Dimondi, Wes Phillips and Josh Svoboda produced a series of spec commercials for the giant snack maker. We featured “Kids These Days” a couple of weeks ago, shot on location in the Waverly Shopping Center.
But it was another of the trio’s spots, “Underdog,” that went the distance to glory.
Not only did the spot make the big game, but it scored #2 on the USA Today Ad Meter. That ranking came with a $600,000 prize. The team also collected $50,000 from Doritos.
“There is nothing that can really describe the feeling,” said Phillips, who watched the ad on television during a Super Bowl party at the Corner Stone Apartments in Cary according to WRAL.
Cary, NC – CaryCitizen is pleased to announce the debut of a new column: The Cary Business Report.
Written by Brenda Larson, the column will cover news and information about Cary businesses of all sizes and types. From the Cary Chamber to the neighborhood restaurant, we’ll report on new openings, significant developments and special events.
“Cary is one of the most vibrant business communities in America,” said Larson. “With CaryCitizen, there’s a unique opportunity for telling that story.”
Brenda Larson is former publisher of The Cary News. She now runs her own independent communications business.
“We’re thrilled to have a reporter of Brenda’s experience and talent as a contributor to our paper,” said CaryCitizen publisher Hal Goodtree. “This column will further strengthen the business community in town.”
The Cary Business Report will launch Tuesday, February 16th. Email Brenda if you have information you’d like to share.
Cary, NC – From now until February 28, Cary residents, business owners and visitors have the opportunity to review and give feedback on the draft Historic Preservation Plan and its approach to historic preservation.
The Plan in its entirety and a feedback survey are available for review at the Historic Preservation Master Plan section of the Town of Cary Web site. A hard copy of the proposed plan and the survey are also available in the reception area of the Town of Cary Planning Department, 316 N. Academy Street, 3rd Floor.
“We are excited to work with citizens to develop a plan that reflects our community’s values,” said Anna Readling, Senior Planner for the Town of Cary. “Capturing the historic integrity of Cary for future citizens is pivotal as we continue to move into the future.”
In 2007, the Cary Town Council directed staff to develop a comprehensive plan for historic preservation. The draft Historic Preservation Master Plan is the result of a year’s worth of public input from community meetings, workshops and citizens’ advisory committee meetings.
The 10-year draft plan features a series of goals, objectives and recommended implementation actions for historic preservation in Cary, including the Downtown District, Carpenter District and Green Level District. The Town has selected Historic Preservation Planning Consultant Thomason and Associates, Inc., based in Nashville, Tennessee, to help prepare a town-wide Historic Preservation Master Plan for Cary.
Citizen feedback is scheduled to be presented to the Town Council at a public hearing on March 23. A second public hearing will be held at the following Planning and Zoning Board meeting, scheduled for April 19. Once the Planning and Zoning Board forwards the plan to Town Council, Council will vote on whether to adopt it at the next available Town Council meeting.
Gail Lewis (center), Camreon Moore (blue jacket) and staff and students at Lochmere Swim & Tennis Club last week. Photo by Hal Goodtree.
Cary, NC – Last week, we wrote about the difficult situation for Lochmere Swim and Tennis (LSTC). In this follow-up, we’ve talked to many of the principals involved and detail the short-term remedy to get LTSC open this summer. (more…)
Cary, NC – In a story that could have been ripped from The Onion, David Bowden, the man who painted his own house, has a Facebook page. And over 5,500 fans.
But it gets even better. The page was started on January 28. That’s some fan growth a multinational could love.
From comments on the page, it does not appear as if the Facebook effort was created by Mr. Bowden. After a careful investigation, CaryCitizen is prepared to venture an opinion that it is the work of a high school student.
It’s too early to tell if the page, aptly named “Screwed by Town of Cary Guy,” will prove a success. Is the author a one-note prankster or does he have more to say? Will fans abandon the page as quickly as they signed up or will the author end up with a show on the Discovery Channel?
Cary, NC – It was an epic weekend in Cary. The kids went sleigh riding, the parents cooked massive amounts of comfort food (see the comment thread on Facebook) and school was closed for a couple of days. It’s the kind of spontaneous holiday everyone can enjoy about once every five or ten years.
Being a tech-savvy town, the cameras were out in full force. The Cary Group on Flickr has 93 photos tagged “snow cary nc.” It’s a great slideshow of winter scenes from around town.
Do you have photos of Cary to share? The Cary NC Flickr group has 120 members with almost a thousand pictures of town over the last 2 1/2 years. Free to join.
Thanks to all the photographers who have posted pictures to the group!
Cary, N.C. – On Friday, January 29, I attended the Wake County Commissioners retreat, both to learn more about our County Government and to have an opportunity to observe our elected officials in an informal setting. Although the retreat was open to all, by my count I was one of two citizens present. Also present were the Commissioners and County staff.
The Retreat
The Wake County Commissioners spent the day Friday at the Walnut Creek Wetlands Center, an educational facility located on 59 acres of undeveloped flood plain near downtown Raleigh. What had been planned as a day and a half retreat was compressed into one day as a result of the impending snow storm.
The Commissioners – Chair Tony Gurley, Joe Brian, Harold Webb, Betty Ward, Paul Coble, Lindy Brown, and Cary resident Stan Norwalk – spent most of the day digesting and discussing revenue and expense projections interjected with a presentation by David King of Triangle Transit. The retreat was a low key affair.
The day kicked off with the mandatory update on growth, demographics, and a dose of statistical information. A review of the Commissioner’s goals for 2009 set the stage for a later discussion of goals for 2010.
Budget
Commissioners face a significant challenge later this year when they adopt a budget for FY 2011. The present FY 2010 budget totals $965.2 million and included belt-tightening steps to balance expense and revenue. Staff’s preliminary pass at the FY 2011 budget shows an $8 million gap between expense and revenue, but looming outside this gap is another $9.77 million in needed expenses making the true gap more like $17.8 million. This rough cut at the numbers makes some assumptions regarding a schools budget that likely will not stick and thus the prospect of an even larger gap.
An Example, Libraries
One expense trimming possibility that has already made the news is the staff suggestion that the Garner branch library be closed. Commissioners are apparently already receiving emails from upset patrons of that branch. County staff shared extensive data regarding each branch library in order to make this suggestion, including: circulation, branch operating cost, patron usage (real time data on the number of people walking in the door), computer usage, number of library card holders living within a 10 minute drive of the library, and number of people living within a 10 minute drive of the library. Guess which branch library comes out on top of the evaluation? The downtown Cary branch!
A Transit Tax Vote in Our Future
A presentation by David King of Triangle Transit brought a focus on transit and the Commissioners role in the process of advancing transit in the region. House Bill 148, passed in the 2009 session of the General Assembly, provided enabling legislation that empowers the County Commissioners of Wake, Durham, and Orange counties to conduct a referendum on the enactment of a ½ cent incremental sales tax that will benefit transit. Triangle Transit and the Wake Commissioners are understandably reluctant to schedule a referendum before the economy turns up. King and the County Manager suggested that the Commissioners consider scheduling the referendum for Fall 2011.
The Commissioners will increasingly be on the “hot seat” as they move toward the creation of a budget for 2011 and face some difficult program cuts in order to balance the budget.
Cary, NC – CaryCitizen has learned that Lochmere Swim and Tennis Club (LSTC), a private entity that runs the pools and courts in the Kildare Farm Road development, has hit financial difficulties and will not open for the 2010 season.
The trouble began in the autumn when the Club notified the Lochmere Board of Directors that it would be unable to continue operation. Residents told this publication that nearby Life Time Fitness and the new Southwestern YMCA had eroded membership.
The Lochmere homeowners Board has been steadily evaluating and pursuing action in order to bring the issue of potential acquisition of the facilities of the Lochmere Swim and Tennis Club to a vote by the homeowners as soon as possible.
It turns out the HOA can’t purchase the Club outright because of outstanding responsibilities to “lifetime” members.
Based on legal counsel, it was immediately established that we would not choose to purchase the facilities directly from the LSTC because of their significant outstanding financial liabilities for ‘Member Certificates’ that had been sold to permanent members of the LSTC. We do not want to risk assuming those liabilities.
The preferred course of action is to let Wachovia, which holds the underlying lien on the property, assume ownership. The LBOD hopes to then obtain a “clean title” to the facility. Stronger Lochmere explains:
We will not be buying the LSTC, but rather we will be buying the facilities.
In an update to residents, the community website confessed that potential buyers showed little interest in the facilities:
Despite efforts by the Club to sell its property, no other entity has expressed interest. Developers, swim/tennis organizations, and even the Town of Cary have turned down their offers.
Attorney’s for Lochmere Swim & Tennis, the homeowners association and Wachovia “have already begun discussions.” But the daffodils are already working their way up from the soil beneath the recent patina of snow. And if some resolution is not reached quickly, there will be no pool parties or tennis lessons at Lochmere this summer.
Cary, N.C. - My guess is that you probably looked out your window before you went to the computer to check the CaryCitizen for the weather. That’s what I did – and it’s nasty. I’d say about half a foot. My wife, Chris actually carried our old dog Daisy outside for you-know-what. We have bread rising in the kitchen. My 16-year had a sleepover so she wasn’t stuck with just her lame parents all day. There’s a late afternoon party planned in the neighborhood. My next-door-neighbor has a generator. We’re all set. You should be too. Stay put unless it’s an emergency. It is still snowing. Message from the Town:
Since the first signs of wintry weather last evening, there have been 18 storm-related traffic accidents, two with non-life threatening injuries, reported thus far in Cary.
“As we continue to see steady snow accumulation, we remind citizens to stay off the roads as much as possible, both for their own safety as well as to let our crews be the most efficient in their plowing efforts,” said Town of Cary Public Works Director Scott Hecht. “If you must venture outside, be sure to check the road conditions using the traffic cameras and plan accordingly.”
The Town of Cary offers real-time streaming video information of 23 major intersections in Cary through its wink program. Wink is available 24-hours a day at the Town of Cary Web site, Cary TV 11 on Time Warner Cable channel 11 and AT&T Uverse Channel 8. Images on the Web site are refreshed every three minutes, and no specific software is needed to access wink.
The A-Team plows thoroughfares, primary roads in subdivisions, followed by through-streets in subdivisions and then cul-de-sacs. The Town does not clear private parking lots, including those in apartment and condominium complexes or at businesses.
On Thursday and Friday of this week, Town crews applied brine throughout Cary. The town has 56 pieces of snow fighting equipment available to clear Cary’s 470 miles of roads, of which about 118 miles are state-maintained roads.
OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS
The Town of Cary Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources programs, classes, and sports activities are canceled for today. The Winter Wonderland events scheduled for Bond Park today, January 30 and Sunday, January 31 have also been cancelled. For more information, call (919) 469-4061 or any Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources facility. For a listing of facility information, visit the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources on the Town’s Web site, www.townofcary.org.
C-Tran has canceled all services today and will not be operational. A decision on Monday’s operations schedule will be announced on tomorrow.
The Citizens Convenience Center will be closed today. A decision on Sunday’s operations schedule will be announced later this afternoon.
Citizens are reminded of the following tips during inclement weather:
Do not park on streets so that plows and other Town equipment can service the area.
Be mindful of slick roadways. As temperatures continue to remain at or below freezing, roads may be more hazardous than they appear.
Take precaution when going outside to enjoy the winter weather. Stay off the streets when sledding and make sure to only go sledding in open areas away from dense trees or waterways.
Do not attempt to deal with downed limbs or trees on streets or sidewalks as they may be tangled in live power lines. Instead, call the Town at (919) 469-4090.
Do not call 911 unless there is an immediate threat to life, health or property. All non-emergency snow calls should be placed to (919) 469-4090. Complete wintry weather information is also available on the Town’s Web site, www.townofcary.org.
Be neighborly. Check on neighbors to make sure that everyone is OK.
Stay indoors during severe winter weather. If you do decide to venture out—whether walking or driving—let folks know when and where you are going so that they can contact emergency officials should you fail to reach your destination. Take a cell phone just in case.
Weather reports are calling for temps in the mid-20’s Saturday. And precipitation is expected to continue all day. It’s not going to “get better” until Sunday, when the snowy mix will stop but we will still being enduring icy blasts of cold weather. Stay put. But let us know what you are doing today! Send us your pictures!
Cary, NC – Once again, the chance we might get some actual winter weather has Cary abuzz.
LATEST NOAA FORECAST
As of 8 AM, Cary was projected to be on the line between snow and freezing rain. Could go either way – it’s heavy snow to the north and stinging shards of ice to the south.
TIPS FROM A YANKEE
If it does snow, here are some tips you may not have heard elsewhere:
Borrow a snow shovel from your Yankee neighbors. You know they have one.
Clear off your car when the sun is shining on it. Don’t bother while it’s still snowing.
Fill the bed of your truck with snow. It weights down the back wheels and melts away when you don’t need it anymore.
Lift with your legs. Snow can be heavy and plenty of guys are sure to blow out their backs if the white stuff falls.
THE TRUTH ABOUT DE-ICING YOUR SIDEWALK
I followed a discussion between some native friends last night on Facebook. Kitty litter was suggested as useful substance to sprinkle on the sidewalk for traction.
First of all, it confuses the cats leading to an unsightly mess we cannot name in a family newspaper. Secondly, when the snow melts, your yard is full of kitty litter, further confusing the cats.
Salt was also mentioned as a possible sidewalk clearing agent. It’s true that salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, melting the ice. But I can’t recommend it because it runs off into the garden and makes the soil salty. Not good for the plants.
My favorite sidewalk emollient is sand. It adds traction and washes off harmlessly into the garden. It doesn’t confuse the cats.
THE TOWN A-TEAM
The town of Cary’s A-Team has already swung into action:
With weather forecasters calling for the possibility of a snowy weekend, the Town of Cary’s A-Team is fully prepared should wintry weather affect the Cary community. Roads and bridges are being brined today through Friday; plows and spreaders are fully equipped and loaded; and Snow Command will be fully operational at 5 p.m. on Friday unless changing conditions warrant different action.
“We are continuously monitoring the weather to respond as conditions change,” said Town of Cary Public Works Director Scott Hecht. “Our focus is to do everything we can to help ensure that our citizens can enjoy the snow if it falls, not be negatively impacted by it.”
The Town’s 180 A-Team Snow Fighters have over 2,000 tons of sand/salt mix on hand along with an additional 600 tons of pure salt. Also, the Town has 56 pieces of snow-fighting equipment available to clear Cary’s 470 miles of roads, about 118 miles of which are state-maintained roads.
So there you have it. Best advice: stay home, build a snow man, drink hot chocolate. Temperatures will rise into the upper 40s by Tuesday. Schools couldn’t be closed for more than a week.
