Orange County to host job fair

Orange County will host a Job and Resource Fair benefiting local employers and job seekers on Wednesday, April 13, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The job fair will be held at the Social Services Department, located at 113 Mayo St., and is open to the public.

More than 30 local businesses with a variety of staffing needs are attending the fair. Participating local businesses include Duke University, Duke Medical Center, Durham Technical Community College, Lowes Home Improvement, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Time Warner Cable, UNC Hospital, Weaver Street Market and Sports Endeavors.

The Job and Resource Fair is an excellent opportunity for qualified employees to meet potential employers. All job seekers are welcome. Positions are available for individuals with a variety of skill sets, from entry-level to experienced professionals.

Job seekers are encouraged to bring resumes and dress professionally.

For a full list of participating businesses or to see how businesses can get involved, contact Randy Haynes at (919) 245-2821.

Take a behind-the-scenes peak at 911 operations!

National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week will be observed the week of April 10 to 16. During this week each year, the nation recognizes the dedication and outstanding efforts of the individuals who make the 911 system work every day.
Telecommunicators in the Orange County 911 center are public servants who answer more than 600 calls for service per day, handling 21 phone lines and 35 radio channels. They give up family times, holidays and weekends to staff the center 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Telecommunicators deal with stress levels that are second only to the stress levels endured by air traffic controllers.
To properly honor and recognize the outstanding work and dedication of local 911 telecommunicators, Orange County Communications will open its doors to the public to provide a behind the scenes look at what happens during a 911 call.
The tour is a rare opportunity to meet 911 telecommunicators face-to-face and to see the vital service they offer to the public as the first line of defense against crime, sickness and disaster when they answer your calls for help.
The Open House will be held on Tuesday, April 12, and Thursday, April 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. The 911 center is located in the Orange County Emergency Services building, 510 Meadowlands Drive.
When you spot a fire truck, ambulance or a law enforcement vehicle responding to an emergency with lights and siren, know that a telecommunicator is working behind the scenes to get help to the crisis at hand.
For additional information, contact Instructor/Telecommunicator, Rodney Cates at rcates@co.orange.nc.us or call 245-6100.

Singles dinners at Saratoga Grill

Saratoga Grill will hold singles dinners every third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the bar. The next night is April 19. Come out and have dinner and a drink with other singles in the area! The idea of the night is to talk, have a good time and get to know other people. There is no fee other than the cost of food and drink, and participants aren't required to order anything.
For more information, see the April 6 edition of the News of Orange.

In the picture: (from left) Pam Shaffer, Ellie Shaffer, 10, Max Shaffer, 12, Jake Harris, 11 and Luke Harris, 7, celebrate the birthday of Pat Amey (back right) at Saratoga Grill. The two families have a long history of friendship, stretching back 50 years.

Sculpture tour—"Anhinga at Burwell School"

Harry McDaniel's "Anhinga," an abstract piece constructed of aluminum, sits at the Burwell School Historic Site, 319 N. Churton St., as part of Hillsborough Sculpture Tour 2011. Though the tour officially opens Saturday, April 16, McDaniel set up his piece a few weeks early. The tour runs through Sept. 30, and includes five other sculptures within walking distance of downtown Hillsborough.
McDaniel has been sculpting for more than 30 years, beginning with a few teenage dabbles in wood. He has since moved to outdoor art, preferring the more natural setting as opposed to a gallery.
For more information on "Anhinga," McDaniel and the art tour, see the Wednesday, April 13, edition of the News of Orange.

April declared Public Health Month

While local health departments work diligently year round to protect the community from health threats, many people are unaware of this resource and how it benefits their quality of life. To raise awareness of the value of public health, the Orange County Health Department will celebrate North Carolina Public Health Month throughout April.
“The Orange County Health Department has many reasons to celebrate Public Health Month this year,” said Dr. Rosemary Summers, Orange County Health Director.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released its 2011 County Health Rankings report on March 30, naming Orange County as the second healthiest county in the state. In February, Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the bid award for renovating the lower level of Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough to expand clinical facilities. Renovations will serve health and dental clinic needs and provide additional space for support staff. Construction began in late February with a completion date set for June.
“We are excited about the renovated facility and anticipate that our clients will receive more efficient services with updated equipment in more pleasant surroundings,” Summers said.
The Health Department will use Public Health Month to promote its motto “Prevent, Promote, Protect… Partnering for the Public’s Health” and the services offered to carry out these functions. The health director will release the department’s fiscal year 2009-2010 annual report, Highlighting Health, which presents financial and program outcomes. Staff will participate in a variety of events, including the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day on April 16, which will include Healthy Carolinians of Orange County’s Real Men Rock educational display to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health began sponsoring NC Public Health Month in 1978. Local health departments are encouraged to implement activities that build off the national Public Health Week observance (April 4 through 10) and raise awareness of local public health efforts.
The Orange County Health Department has served residents’ public health needs for more than 30 years by offering affordable programs and services through its Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough offices. For more information about Public Health Month in Orange County, visit the health department’s Public Health Month website.

Hagan supports paying soldiers during a government shutdown

U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) cosponsored the bipartisan Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011, S. 724, on April 6 to ensure that military personnel continue to be paid in the event of a federal government shutdown.
“I am working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to prevent an irresponsible government shutdown,” said Hagan, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. “The American people elected us to solve problems—not to shut down the government. No matter what happens, partisan bickering cannot be allowed to jeopardize the financial stability of our service members and their families."
Any government shutdown would affect military personnel. There are currently 90,000 troops in Afghanistan and more than 45,000 in Iraq. North Carolina has more than 120,000 active duty troops, thousands of whom are currently deployed abroad.
The Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011, sponsored by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), would prevent an interruption in pay for members of the military if there is a funding gap resulting from a government shutdown.
View the legislation here.

Living history—coins from the town's past

Alex Armstrong, local photographer and coin enthusiast, donated seven half-pennies and one penny from the 1700s to the Town of Hillsborough. The pennies all date from the time surrounding Orange County's and Hillsborough's origin and actually circulated in the area. Mayor Tom Stevens said many of the coins will probably wind up in the Orange County Historical Museum, but he also said he hopes to bring some with him on school visits to allow students to hold a piece of the town's history.
For more information, see the April 6 edition of the News of Orange.

Hillsborough to hold first ever sculpture tour

Hillsborough Arts Council will host the town's first ever outdoor sculpture tour opening April 16 and spanning until September 30. Six pieces were chosen and will be placed at different sites, all within walking distance of downtown. Visitors will be able to vote for a people's choice, to be announced at the end of the tour, via ballots on the maps available at the Visitors Center, 150 E. King St.
For more information, see the April 13 edition of the News of Orange.

Agricultural Summit comes to Orange County

The 25th annual North Carolina A&T Small Farms Week came to Orange County for its 2011 anniversary from Monday, March 21, to Wednesday, March 23, combining with the agriculture celebration the county has held for the past 13 years. The collaborated event not only commemorated farmers across the state and region through informative workshops and lectures but also honored the 2010 Small Farmer of the Year: Cedar Grove prawn farmer, Joe Thompson.

The summit included a tour of the prawn farm and Tiny Farm in Hillsborough, which grows greens year-round in solar-heated greenhouses.

The summit originally began as a way to pool ideas on agricultural tips, practices and options when tobacco was rapidly falling out of governmental favor. Now, farmers still use the event as a way to keep up with the latest trends, such as organic and local farming.