Aging Department to honor Veterans with appreciation breakfast

The Orange County Department on Aging invites veterans and their families to a Veterans Day Celebration Breakfast on Thursday, Nov. 11.

Join us for a FREE tailgate/drive-thru breakfast and patriotic music in honor of your contribution and service to the United States of America. Park your car and listen to patriotic music while you enjoy a delicious breakfast from Chick-fil-A, or drive by to receive your breakfast and our appreciation on the go. Participants will also receive a Veteran’s Day discount booklet.

The event will take place at the Passmore Center (back parking lot) located at 103 Meadowlands Drive, Hillsborough, on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Space is limited. Please register on or before Tuesday, Nov. 9 to reserve your breakfast. To register, please call 919.245.2015.

Co-sponsored by Chick-fil-A, Orange County Department of Social Services and the Friends of the Jerry M. Passmore Center.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the library is hosting a Social Distanced Film Festival. Check out films that explore the lives of and the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples from across the Americas. Visit OrangeCountyLibrary.org to see the list.

Open Houses to discuss future of Greene Tract

Please join us for a Community Open House on the future of the Greene Tract. Two opportunities to participate are scheduled:

First meeting: In-Person Sunday, Nov. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the RENA Community Center located at 101 Edgar Street. (rain date of Sunday, November 14th)
Second meeting: Virtual meeting online Monday, Nov. 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Participants must register for the session in advance. For those individuals who may not have internet access, there are phone options available to join. Participants may register at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2mqpi9kjSMyEfHJ-rVZbyQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Topics will include:

Background and history of the Greene Tract
Environmental Assessment
Connectivity
Future development and land uses
Next steps

Click here for more information about the Greene Tract.

Youth winter basketball registration graphic

The Orange County Youth Basketball League is a developmental program for area youth ages 5 to 12. Volunteer coaches will work with the children to improve individual skills in dribbling, passing, and shooting while instilling values in teamwork and sportsmanship. Players ages 7 and above will be placed on teams through a mandatory skills assessment process. Click the graphic to register.

Orange County, Carrboro and Chapel Hill outside agencies funding process opens

Each year, Orange County, the Town of Carrboro and the Town of Chapel Hill invite program funding requests from nonprofit providers (outside agencies) to support delivery of vital community services. The County and Towns administer a common application with separate evaluation processes.

"Outside agencies play a crucial role in providing services to county residents," said Renee Price, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. "We rely on non-profit organizations to help fill the gaps and deliver life-enhancing programs for our families and communities to assure safe, healthy and nurturing living environments."

The total Outside Agency budget for FY2021-22 is $1.72 million, which is consistent with the goal established by the Board of County Commissioners to allocate 1.2% of general fund expenses, not including education, to outside agencies.

Each quarter, agencies must report their performance objectives and provide financial receipts in order to receive funding disbursements, as outlined in funding applications and Scope of Services Performance Agreement.

For more detailed information, please visit the Funding Process page. The application deadline is Jan. 13, 2022.

Click the graphic to register for the virtual presentation.

Boosters for All Vaccines Available Now

To strengthen and extend protections against severe illness, North Carolinians who have been fully vaccinated with the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines may now be eligible to receive a booster dose.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have authorized and recommended booster vaccine shots to provide continued protection.

Moderna: If you were vaccinated more than 6 months ago with the Moderna COVID-19 shot, boosters are now available for people 65 years or older or people 18 years or older who:

live or work in a nursing home or long-term care facility
have underlying medical conditions; or
who work in high-risk settings like healthcare workers, teachers and childcare providers or food workers.
live or work in a place where many people live together (for example, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, migrant farm housing, dormitories or other group living settings in colleges or universities).

The Moderna booster is a smaller dose than what is given in the first two shots. Be sure to let your provider know you want the booster.

Johnson & Johnson: It is recommended that anyone 18 or older who was vaccinated more than two months ago with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster dose.

Pfizer: Pfizer-BioNTech (COMIRNATY) booster shots continue to be available to anyone at high risk for serious illness or exposure and who received their second dose at least six months ago.

To find a COVID-19 booster visit MySpot.nc.gov to search vaccine locations near you.

Animal Services needs homes for working barn cats

Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) needs to find homes for cats that are part of their Working Barn Cat initiative. These cats are currently housed at the Animal Services Center in Chapel Hill, NC, and they are not quite social enough to be adopted through the regular adoption program. However, these cats would likely make great working cats if you have a barn, stable, or other structure that could use hard-working felines.

Adopting a working cat may be an effective way of controlling the rodent population in a structure or area while providing a safe home for a cat that is not social enough to be adopted to an indoor household. Working cats will be sterilized and fully vaccinated before going to their new homes. They will also come with general care instructions and recommendations for helping them to adapt to their new space on an adopter’s property. For more information on what adopters need to provide for these cats, please review this document.

"This is a way to offer these cats a second chance for a natural life," said Orange County Animal Services Director, Dr. Sandra Strong. "We want to do everything we can to ensure the best possible outcome for any animal that enters our shelter. This life-saving program is a major step towards achieving that goal."

If anyone is interested in adopting a working cat, please call the OCAS adoption desk at 919-942-7387, menu option 3.

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all children 5–11 get the vaccine to protect against serious illness and help keep them healthy.

Weigh in on the region's transportation future

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization is updating the region's long-range plan, the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The agency will use the public input received on the draft plan, called the Preferred Option, to identify where roadway, public transportation, bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation investments will be needed in the coming decades.

The Preferred Option for the 2050 MTP deemphasizes highway widenings and provides greater support for public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian, and highway modernization investments to meet the region’s climate and equity goals.

Residents and other stakeholders are asked to review the Preferred Option on the DCHC MPO website and provide comments by email no later than Tuesday, Dec. 7. Residents can also speak directly to the DCHC MPO Board at an online public hearing on November 10 at 9 a.m.

How to find the Orange County library graphic

Medicare's Open Enrollment Period ends Dec. 7

Medicare plans change each calendar year. Your medication costs can increase significantly if your plan changes its drug list and pricing as of Jan 1. Many people save hundreds and even thousands of dollars by switching plans, but most can only change during Medicare's Open Enrollment Period. The Orange County Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) provides free and unbiased assistance.

Meet with a certified counselor for an Annual Medicare Review. We will be offering in-person appointments at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill and the Passmore Center in Hillsborough as well as online using Zoom Video Chat. We begin scheduling appointments for Open Enrollment on Oct. 5. Schedule online at www.orangecountync.gov/Medicare or call 919-245-4274.

www.orangecountync.gov