News Briefs

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Churches unite for fish fry to help Union/Taylors center

BEAR CREEK — Three Chatham County churches — Mays Chapel and two African-American congregations, Union Grove and Taylors Chapel — are working to revitalize the Union/Taylors Community Action Center in Bear Creek.

Mays Chapel Pastor Greg Lamb said the vision for the work was spurred by Union Grove’s Michael Cotten and a desire by members of the church communities to see the center restored not just to its former state, but to be a flourishing center for learning, after school tutoring and activities, fellowship and more.

“We have ideas for using the property to serve free meals to the community, a possible food bank, etc.,” Lamb said. “Essentially, the vision is for the center to be a hub of service to the community for all who would desire to participate.”

The effort, Lamb said, “stands in stark contradiction to the cultural unrest and racial tension we currently see in our country.”

The group’s first collaborative effort for the project is a free “Grab and Go Fish Plate” fish fry for the community. It’ll take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at the Community Action Center at 530 Mays Chapel Road in Bear Creek. Face coverings and social distancing are required. Plates are limited to one per person, and donations will be accepted.

Chatham seeks applicants for Agriculture Advisory Board vacancies

PITTSBORO — Chatham County seeks applicants for two vacancies on the Chatham County Agriculture Advisory Board. Applicants must be a Chatham County resident actively engaged in farming, agribusiness or a representative of agricultural interests.

The Agriculture Advisory Board advises the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on agricultural and related land-use issues. The advisory board also reviews applications for farm properties to be designated as a Voluntary Agriculture District to make sure they meet state requirements.

The Agriculture Advisory Board especially needs a member from the southeast and northeast quadrants of the county. The board typically meets eight to ten times a year at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro.

One member’s term will expire June 30, 2022, and the other will expire June 30, 2023. To complete an online application, visit https://chathamnc.seamlessdocs.com/f/AgBoardApplication. Applicants may also contact Lindsay Ray at 919-545-8302 or lindsay.ray@chathamnc.org to obtain a printed or emailed copy. The deadline to apply is at 5 p.m. on July 13.

Bray Park pool now open

The Town of Siler City has announced that the Bray Park Aquatic Facility officially opened for the 2020 season last week.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Siler City Parks and Recreation staff, along with Carolina Pool Management, have modified the operations of the Bray Park pool and amenities to ensure compliance with State and Federal guidelines. Guests will notice several changes to the operation of the Bray Park Aquatic Facility. Changes include the following:

• 50-participant capacity.

• Masks and face coverings are required while inside the bathhouse and on the pool deck when social distancing is not possible.

• Pool furniture has been removed and will not be available at this time. Outside chairs are not permitted.

• Waiver/sign-in: Guests must sign a waiver at the front desk acknowledging that they are not symptomatic of COVID-19.

• Time blocks: Time blocks for open swim hours include the following: Block #1: 12-2:30 p.m.; Block #2: 3-5:30 p.m.

• The facility will be closed for deep cleaning from 2:30 to 3 p.m. (All guests must exit facility.)

• Reduced entry fee: $2.50 per time block.

Staff has increased disinfecting and cleaning procedures for the Bray Park Pool to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Staff will deep clean the facility twice daily and will frequently be disinfecting highly touched surfaces.

Day Cares and Summer Camp programs are encouraged to contact Carolina Pool Management to scheduled swim times due to limited capacity at 336-854-8884 as well as all pool rental information and scheduling. At this time, programs to include swim lessons and the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Exercise Program are postponed until further notice.

Please contact Siler City Parks and Recreation with any questions or comments at 919-742-2699 or email recreation@silercity.org.

Pittsboro Community Lunch reopens on carryout basis

PITTSBORO — St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church’s free community lunch will resume Thursday, July 9, but only on a takeout basis. Unlike the traditional community lunch, which was held in the church’s parish hall, everyone who participates will have to register in advance — by calling the church or signing up while waiting for lunch. The main dish for Thursday’s lunch will be Maple Sausage Grits Puff, a grits-egg casserole with Swiss chard on the side. To sign up, call 919-542-5679 and leave a voicemail with the church including your name, phone number and how many people your lunch(s) will feed. Meals will be handed out from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Carolina Tiger Rescue to host virtual Tiger Day 5K fun run

Carolina Tiger Rescue is hosting its first virtual Tiger Day 5K in celebration of International Tiger Day on July 29, with all proceeds benefiting the animals who call the sanctuary home.

Interested parties can register individually or create a team, then walk, run or ride a 5k any time between July 24 and July 29. The sanctuary will wrap up the event with a virtual celebration on July 29 for International Tiger Day.

Registration is $35, and all participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt from Big Frog Custom T-Shirts of Durham. Those who register before July 24 will also receive their very own “pawcasso,” created by one of the cats at the sanctuary. Participants may also create teams, and teams with five or more members will be entered to win a private tour of the sanctuary valued at $500.

To register for the Tiger Day 5k, please visit: https://one.bidpal.net/tigerday5k/welcome.

Ceremony for support and call for action

PITTSBORO — The Community Remembrance Coalition Chatham will be hosting “a ceremony for support and call to action” at the Chatham County Justice Center from 4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. Social distancing and masks are required.

Chatham County Schools summer meals

Chatham County Schools will not be operating the week of July 6 due to scheduled maintenance required at the five food sites. Summer meals will resume July 13 at the five curbside locations and along three bus routes throughout the county.

Bill to support livestock and poultry producers affected by COVID-19

The Responding to Epidemic Losses and Investing in the Economic Future (RELIEF) for Producers Act was recently introduced. This piece of legislation would provide relief to livestock and poultry producers amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The bill would support producers that are faced with euthanizing their animals due to COVID-19, provide resources for animal health laboratories as they develop solutions to defend against emerging animal disease spread and give additional authority to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary through the existing Commodity Credit Corporation Charter to deal with removal and disposal of livestock for any public health emergency moving forward.