Orange County HOME Consortium seeking public input on community development and housing needs

The Orange County HOME Consortium is hosting public input sessions to gather citizen input, comments and views on community development and housing needs in Orange County. Public participation will play an important role in the development of the 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan, which identifies the priorities for the use of federal HOME funds to expand affordable housing for low-income residents.

The Consortium has scheduled three public meetings (schedule below) and two webinars. The first webinar was held Friday, Feb. 14. Another webinar will be held Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 1-2 p.m. Link: https://zoom.us/j/692893469. To participate via telephone, dial (646) 558-8656. The webinar ID is: 692 893 469.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Erika Brandt, Community Development Manager, Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development at ebrandt@orangecountync.gov or 919-245-4331. Up-to-date information on the HOME Consolidated Planning process is available at http://orangecountync.gov/2337/HOME-Consolidated-Plan.

Click here for more information, including the schedule of meetings.

Early voting hours extended to Sunday due to snow

After Thursday's snowfall caused voting sites to close early, the Orange County Board of Elections voted to add additional hours for Sunday, Feb. 23. All six early voting sites will be open Sunday from noon-4 p.m.

Pauli Murray Award presentation set for Sunday, Feb. 23

The Orange County Human Relations Commission is holding the 30^th Annual Pauli Murray Awards on Sunday, February 23, 2020 from 3-5 p.m. at the Whitted Building (300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough). The award is presented annually to an Orange County adult, business and/or youth that embody the attributes and spirit of Dr. Pauli Murray by serving the community with distinction in the pursuit of equality, justice and human rights for all citizens. The public is invited.

This year’s ceremony will honor Mae McLendon as the adult awardee and Thea Barrett as the youth awardee. Ms. McLendon is a long-time resident of Orange County and has served the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area for over 40 years through elected positions, civic volunteerism and the ministry. Ms. Barrett is a senior at East Chapel Hill High School, and is an advocate for sensible gun control, ending mental health stigma, and bettering the world for all through her service.

The keynote address will be given by Ed Pavlic, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Georgia. In addition to his many published works in publications like The New York Times, Boston Review, Harvard Review, and Callaloo, Pavlic has written 11 books of poetry, scholarship, fiction and non-fiction. Pavlic’s awards include the Albert Christ-Janer Creative Research Award (2015), the National Poetry Series Open Competition (2012, 2014), the The American Poetry Review / Honickman First Book Prize (2001), the Writer of the Year Award from the Georgia Writer’s Association (2009), and the Darwin Turner Memorial Award from African American Review (1997).

Come out to honor the legacy of Dr. Pauli Murray and show appreciation for this year’s winners and the quality contributions they make to Orange County. A reception will follow the ceremony.

Open House for Boomerang Youth, joint project to improve outcomes for at-risk children

Boomerang Youth, a joint project between Orange County Government, Orange County Schools and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, will host an Open House on Feb. 25, from 5:30-7 p.m. at its new location (113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough). Boomerang provides youth development services to middle and high school students attending Orange County Schools. We invite you to tour our new space, learn about our programs, and meet our team.
Did you know:

In Orange County, 1 in 20 youth is disconnected from the typical pathways of education, college and career
Students suspended even once in 9th grade drop out of school twice as often as their peers
60% of students who drop out begin to disengage by 6th grade

For these vulnerable youth, disconnection is not an inevitable part of their story. Boomerang invests in them to change their trajectory, turning challenges into opportunities.

Please join us to learn more about how Boomerang and our community are working together to help all students stay engaged and connected to school! Please RSVP through our online form. Light refreshments will be provided.

Census offers three ways to respond

By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate. For the first time, you will have three options for responding:

Online (my2020census.gov)
By phone
By mail

In mid-March, households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census.

Responding to the census helps your community get its fair share of more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs.

Animal Services to host next low-cost rabies vaccination clinic Feb. 22

Orange County Animal Services will host its next low-cost rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, February 22, 2020.
These clinics ensure that cats and dogs are current on their vaccinations, while providing pet owners with substantial savings on rabies vaccinations.
The clinic will offer 1-year and 3-year vaccinations for $10. Pet owners will need to have a previous rabies certificate in hand to receive the 3-year vaccine. A tag alone is not sufficient. This upcoming clinic will take place on the following date:

Saturday, February 22^nd, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Animal Services Center, 1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC.

Microchips will also be offered at this clinic for $35 each, including registration fees. Owners can choose to have a pet receive only a microchip, only a rabies vaccine, or both. Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a carrier.
For more information about Orange County Animal Services, including additional clinic dates and rabies vaccination clinic requirements, please visit www.orangecountync.gov/155/Animal-Services or call 919-942-PETS (7387).

www.orangecountync.gov