Applications for Opioid Advisory Committee close Oct. 19

Orange County residents interested in serving on the county's recently created Opioid Advisory Committee must apply by Oct. 19. The committee will advise the Board of Commissioners on how to utilize the county’s share of national opioid settlement funds. Orange County is expected to receive $6,799,780 over the next 18 years.

The committee will discuss opioid-related health concerns and issues impacting Orange County residents, advise the BOCC on options to expend funds to prevent opioid use and remedy opioid impacts, and plan and host an annual meeting to receive input on proposed uses of settlement funds.

The BOCC approved a 19-member advisory committee at its Sept. 6 meeting. The committee includes representatives from the Orange County Sheriff, the Hillsborough, Carrboro and Chapel Hill police departments, Orange County schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools, UNC Hospital, Alliance Health and representatives from the following county departments: Social Services, Emergency Services, Criminal Justice Resource Department and Health.

In addition, several spots are open for county residents through an application process. Two spots will be for individuals with lived experience, along with a substance abuse treatment provider, a community group working on opioid-related concerns, an employment provider and two flex spots.

Applications are now being taken for the non-designated spots on the committee. The Board of Commissioners will review the applications at its Oct. 25 Work Session and will make appointments to the committee at its Nov. 1 Business Meeting.

For more information, contact Tara May at tmay@orangecountync.gov or (919) 245-2125.

Click here for the link to the application.

Orange County Nickels for Know-How Referendum

The Orange County Nickels for Know-How Referendum will be held on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.

One polling location will be established in Orange County. The polling location will be at the County Extension Office at Bonnie B. Davis Building, 1020 US 70 West, Hillsborough.

Mart Bumgarner, the Crops and Horticulture Extension Agent explained that the referendum is being held to let users and producers of feed or fertilizer decide if they wish to continue the self-assessment program. This program has been in place since 1948, and the law requires that a new referendum be held every six years.

A 2/3 favorable vote will mean that growers are willing to continue to assess themselves to support agricultural research and education. The assessment is fifteen cents per hundred pounds on feed and fertilizer produced in North Carolina.

The funds, about $1.4 million annually, are collected by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and then allocated by the NC Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.'s 148 volunteer Board of Directors to support agricultural research and extension projects at North Carolina State University benefitting agriculture in North Carolina.

For more information on the referendum, please call your County Extension Office at 919-245-2062 and speak with Mart.

South Greensboro Parking Lot closed beginning Oct. 17

Beginning Monday, Oct. 17, the parking lot located at 203 S. Greensboro St. will be closed to the public as crews prepare for construction of The 203 Project.

Alternative public parking lots are located around Carrboro, and a parking map can be viewed here: townofcarrboro.org/parking.

Signs are posted onsite with the closure notification and a QR code link to a parking map. Additionally, wayfinding signs are coming soon to direct people to alternative parking options.

If you would like to learn more about The 203 Project, please visit the Town of Carrboro website here: townofcarrboro.org/1151/The-203-Project.

Aging to host Day of the Dead Carnival on Oct. 27

The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE Intergenerational and End of Life Choices Senior Resource Teams invite the public to attend our community event, Day of the Dead Carnival, on October 27.

Bring your family, friends, and the kiddos to celebrate the memories of our loved ones. Enjoy fun, food, arts and crafts as we decorate sugar skulls and picture frames for those we want to honor and remember. We will offer a viewing of the Disney-Pixar film Coco and provide child friendly end-of-life educational materials. Join us in costume, as we celebrate and create memories and take home a Halloween goodie bag! Program sponsored in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Jerry M. Passmore Center in Hillsborough.

Please register by Monday, Oct. 21 with the Passmore Center front desk by calling 919-245-2015.

Orange County Arts Commission fall classes graphic

The Orange County Arts Commission offers many classes for youth and adults. Fall classes are accepting registrations now. Financial assistance is available.

NC Clayworks Fall Pottery Sale from Oct. 15-16

Join us for the North Carolina Clayworks Potters Guild Fall Pottery Sale, featuring the work of more than fifteen local potters. The sale will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

NC ClayWorks is a pottery guild for potters and pottery lovers in and around the Triangle of North Carolina. The event will be held at the Eno Mill Gallery at the Eno Arts Mill, 437 Dimmocks Mill Road, Suite 17, Hillsborough.

Participating Artists

Jan Bouterse
Glenda Dinyari
Belinda Gabryl
Amy Gelber
Lynne Griffin
Belinda Hardin
Perdita Holtz
Cathy Kiffney
Russell Knop
Michelle Kuerbitz
Nikki Morris
Holly Quesada
Lex Rose
Kitty Sherwin
Jennifer Sherwin

Medicare Open Enrollment begins Saturday, Oct. 15

The Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) provides free, unbiased education and assistance with Medicare. We can help you understand when and how to enroll, how to choose between the different Medicare options, and how to read your Medicare statements. We offer classes and one-on-one counseling appointments.

www.orangecountync.gov