September 2014

JOIN US!
 

Orange County residents and those who work in Orange County are invited to join Orange County Cooperative Extension Service, Orange County Health Department, the UNC Chapel Hill Center for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems for a local food meeting on September 29, 2014. The meeting will begin at 5:30 pm and run until 7:00 pm at the Southern Human Services Building at 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.

The agenda includes examining our mutual interests in food and agriculture and how we might work together to support vibrant farms, healthy people, thriving local economies, strong communities, and resilient ecosystems in Orange County.

The purpose of the meeting is to examine the relevance of a food council for Orange County and to take initial steps towards developing a council as a formal entity.

A food council is a group made up of representatives from the different parts of the local foods system, including consumers, producers, processors, retailers, local decision-makers, and other stakeholders including those working on environmental sustainability, health, food access, social equity, and animal welfare. Every food council organizes in its own unique way, but most focus on assessing the local food system, identifying and bridging gaps in the system, and developing key linkages in the region and across the state.

For more information or to RSVP for the local food meeting, visit http://orangecountyfoodcouncil.wordpress.com.

All persons interested in the proposed Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project will get an update this fall on the 17-mile project.

"The upcoming meetings will give residents information on the environmental work that's underway," said David King, Triangle Transit General Manager. "Hearing concerns from the public will assist us as we complete the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that will be published and available for public comment next spring."

Four workshops will be held in November:

• Tuesday, November 18, 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. - Durham Station Transportation Center, 517 W. Pettigrew Street, Durham, 27701
• Tuesday, November 18, 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. - UNC Friday Center, Chapel Hill, 27517
• Wednesday, November 19, 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. - Marriott/Spring Hill Suites, 5301 McFarland Road at Patterson Place, Durham, 27709
• Thursday, November 20, 4 P.M. to 7 P.M, Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham, 27701

The proposed light rail line will run from Chapel Hill to East Durham serving UNC Hospitals and UNC, Mason Farm Road, Friday Center, Leigh Village, Patterson Place, South Square, Duke University, Duke University Medical Center, the VA Medical Center, downtown Durham and Alston Avenue/NC Central University.

In February, the Federal Transit Administration gave Triangle Transit the go-ahead to enter Project Development. The proposed Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project is one of two light rail projects nationwide approved by the US Department of Transportation this year.

The project cost is estimated at $1.34 billion dollars (in 2012 dollars). Voters in Durham and Orange counties approved a one-half cent sales tax to fund the local share of the light rail project along with new and expanded bus service.

More information about the project is available at ourtransitfuture.com.

For more information, contact Brad Schulz at 919.485.7434.