News Briefs
Celebrate Halloween with Chatham County Parks
and Recreation
PITTSBORO — Ghouls and goblins across the community are invited to celebrate Halloween with the Chatham County Parks and Recreation Department. There are fun opportunities for families to get into the spooky spirit while being in a safe environment.
Pumpkin Carving Party
On Sunday, October 25, 2020, from 2 to 4 p.m., Chatham County families can transform pumpkins into the jazziest of jack-o’-lanterns. The Pumpkin Carving Party will take place at the Northwest District Park picnic shelter located at 2413 Woody Store Road, Siler City.
For $15, families will receive two pumpkins, and carving utensils will be provided. Participants must wear face coverings and will be required to maintain physical distance from those not in their household families. Pumpkin carving participants must register in advance at recreation.chathamnc.org. Registration is open from September 21 at 8:00 a.m. to October 19 at 5:00 p.m.
Those who would like to carve a pumpkin but cannot attend the carving party may carve their own pumpkin and drop it off on Wednesday, October 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation office located at 964 East Street, Suite 100, Pittsboro, or on Thursday, October 29 from noon to 4 p.m. at Northwest District Park.
All carved pumpkins will then be judged at the Trunk or Treat Pumpkin Carving Contest the following Thursday.
Trunk or Treat Boo-Thru
The 11th annual Trunk or Treat event will be modified this year due to COVID-19 still being present in the community. The Trunk or Treat Boo-Thru, a drive-thru event, will be held Thursday, October 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Northwest District Park.
The Trunk or Treat Boo-Thru will offer families the opportunity to wear their best costume and enjoy lots of fun decorations and yummy candy. Jack-o’-lanterns carved at the October 25 Pumpkin Carving Party and those entered ahead of time will be judged in a contest.
“We are excited to provide recreational activities and special events to allow Chatham County families the opportunity to enjoy fun times while also maintaining safety during the pandemic,” Chatham County Parks and Recreation Director Tracy Burnett said.
For more information, contact Mallory Peterson at 919-545-8553 or mallory.peterson@chathamnc.org.
— CN + Staff Reports
CCCC 8-week classes begin Oct. 15
SANFORD — Whether you are looking for flexible course choices to meet your personal schedule or starting a new program of study, Central Carolina Community College’s eight-week term allows you to find courses that fit your academic and career goals.
The next eight-week classes begin Oct. 15.
To register for courses, contact your advisor or the admissions office at (919) 718-7300 (Lee Main Campus); (919) 545-8025 (Chatham Main Campus); and (910) 814-8827 or (910) 814-8867 (Harnett Main Campus).
See cccc.edu/12and8 for a list of classes.
New, accelerated Fast Track options are now available to prepare you for faster entry into the workforce or for transfer to a four-year college. See cccc.edu/fast/ for more information.
For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit cccc.edu.
N.C. DMV surpasses 2 million REAL IDs issued
RALEIGH — The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles reached a milestone with the issuance of its two millionth REAL ID license or ID enhancement late last week, more than a year before the REAL ID Act will go into effect.
Starting Oct. 1, 2021, federal agencies will require a REAL ID, U.S. passport or another form of federally approved identification to board commercial airlines and to enter many federal buildings or facilities. The original date was Oct. 1 of this year, but it was delayed a year last spring due to COVID-19.
A REAL ID is optional and not a requirement, but depending on one’s situation, it could make flying domestically or entering federal facilities easier by not requiring you to carry multiple identification documents.
Obtaining the REAL ID enhancement is easy. If you need to renew your license or ID card, are getting either one for the first time, or just want to upgrade what you already have, it just requires you to provide additional documentation beyond the normal license and ID process requirements. The details on what is required can be found on the REAL ID section of the DMV website. The current process requires making an appointment at a license office, which can be done online on the DMV website.
Once someone has a REAL ID, noted by a gold star in a corner of your license or ID, it remains in effect even when it is time to renew your identification, so you will not have to show the additional documentation again.
Chatham mulch sales event
Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling’s mulch sales will take place on Saturdays and Wednesdays in October. Saturday events (7:30 a.m. to noon) are scheduled for Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31; Wednesday events (7 a.m. to noon) are set for Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Mulch sales take place during the same times on Saturdays and Wednesdays at 28 County Services Rd., Pittsboro. Sales in October will continue as long as supplies last.
Mulch is $5 per scoop; each scoop is about one cubic yard. For large trailers and dump trucks, large scoops are $10 each. Saturday sales are cash or check only.
All loads of mulch must be secured.
Chatham County is not responsible for damage caused by the mulch or for any damage that you or your property may suffer from loading of mulch.
If you have any questions please contact the main office between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at (919) 542-5516 or by email at recycle@chathamnc.org.
— CN + Staff Reports
State Elections Board sends judicial voter guide to N.C. households
RALEIGH — All North Carolina households, about 4.7 million in all, will soon receive the Judicial Voter Guide 2020.
The 2020 guide contains information about all candidates for N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals. It also includes important election dates and deadlines, tips for voters, information about the three options for voting, and a removable North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form.
The guide also features a letter from State Board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell, which details safety precautions that will be in place at all early voting sites and Election Day polling places to minimize the opportunity for COVID-19 transmission.
“We are excited for voters to receive this year’s edition of the Judicial Voter Guide,” Brinson Bell said. “Along with judicial candidate profiles, we’ve included a wealth of information to ensure North Carolinians are ready to vote in the upcoming election.”
All three voting methods are still available for North Carolina voters: (1) by mail (2) in-person during one-stop early voting, October 15-31; or (3) on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Voters who have already requested an absentee ballot – either on paper or through the State Board’s Absentee Ballot Request Portal – should not submit another request.
To track the status of their absentee ballot, voters can create an account on BallotTrax. BallotTrax allows voters to receive text, email, or phone messages as their ballot moves through the process.
For more information about the Absentee Ballot Request Portal and BallotTrax, please visit ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail/absentee-ballot-tools.
Any North Carolina registered voter may request and receive a mail-in absentee ballot for the 2020 general election.
Although the request deadline is 5 p.m. Oct. 27, the State Board encourages voters who wish to vote by mail to request a ballot as soon as possible.
The Judicial Voter Guide 2020, which is required by state law, is also available electronically on the State Board’s website.
— CN + Staff Reports
Election campaigns means it’s sign season
RALEIGH — Drivers traveling on North Carolina roadways are likely seeing what has become an election year tradition: a lot of campaign signs.
A state law passed in 2011 allows campaign signs to be placed in the state road right of way as early as 30 days before the start of early voting, which starts on Oct. 15. That means signs legally started going into place this week.
There are restrictions regarding the signs. They include:
• Whoever places a sign is required to get the permission of any property owner of a residence, business or religious institution fronting the right of way where a sign would be placed;
• No sign is permitted in the right of way of a limited-access highway such as an interstate;
• No sign can be closer than three feet from the edge of the pavement of the road;
• No sign can obscure motorist visibility at an intersection;
• No sign can be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement;
• No sign can be larger than 864 square inches; and
• No sign can obscure or replace another sign.
The N.C. Dept. of Transportation has the authority to remove any signs that violate these rules. If anyone else removes or vandalizes a sign, they could be subject to a Class 3 misdemeanor citation from law enforcement.
Campaign signs can remain in place for 10 days after the Nov. 3 election. Signs still in the right of way after the deadline are in violation of state law, and the NCDOT is authorized to remove and dispose of them.
— CN + Staff Reports