Wednesday, Feb. 03, 2010

News briefs

Morrisville seeks park grant

Town leaders in Morrisville are seeking a state grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. It's part of an effort to complete the future Morrisville Athletic Ballfield Complex.

The complex has been in the works since at least 2007, when Morrisville bought 25 acres at McCrimmon Parkway and Church Street. The tract comprised most of the land needed to build the ball park.

But five adjoining parcels remained in the hands of private owners.

Should Morrisville receive the grant funds, the town would use those dollars to purchase three acres at McCrimmon and Church, adding to the town's total land holdings for the future park facility.

An appraisal of the parcel, conducted in April 2008, assessed the property value at $632,000.

The parks grant would pay for up to half of that sum.

Morrisville would then need to match the grant in order to purchase the property.

If all goes as planned, town leaders say they hope to begin designing the parks complex later this year.

Construction might begin as early as the summer of 2011.

Grease causes sewer overflow

CARY Excess grease led to a 1,723-gallon sanitary sewer overflow from a manhole Monday, Cary officials said.

The waste from the manhole, near the 900 block of Hamshire Court, reached an unnamed tributary of Walnut Creek.

No fish were believed to be killed, officials said.

A citizen alerted town staff of the spill around 9 a.m. Monday.

To decrease such incidents, the town launched a full-time, safe disposal option for residential waste cooking oils.

Cary residents can collect their cooking oils, fats and greases in a sealable container and contact the town to schedule a pickup when at least half gallon has been saved.

The program is aimed to reduce sewer blockage and overflows, accidental spills and disposals in landfills.

Since 2006, fats, oils and greases contributed to more than 20,000 gallons of untreated wastewater discharged into Cary area streams, creeks and lakes.

RailHawks send $25,000 to Haiti

CARY The Capital Area Soccer League's effort to raise money for victims of the Haitian earthquake kicked up a notch Tuesday with a $25,000 donation from the Carolina RailHawks "Spread Your Wings" Foundation.

The RailHawks hope to encourage soccer families across the Triangle to match and exceed the donation, said Zana Sugg, who helps coordinate CASL's charitable efforts.

CASL was moved to join the aid effort after learning that survivors gathered on soccer fields amid the devastation.

In addition to money donations, 100 percent of which goes directly to the American Red Cross, CASL is also collecting soccer gear to be shipped to Haiti once immediate human needs are met.

Sugg said the organization has been overwhelmed by offers of money and equipment - from a middle school class in Wakefield to a death row prisoner at Central Prison.

For more information or to donate online, go to www.caslnc.com and click on the Haiti project. Equipment will be gathered at CASL's annual coaches meeting at the Crabtree Marriott on Feb. 15, or at the CASL office on Woman's Club Drive in Raleigh.

Town and bank collect for Haiti

HOLLY SPRINGS The Town of Holly Springs and Crescent State Bank are collecting money for the American Red Cross to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.

To make a money donation in person, you may either visit Crescent State Bank at 700 Holly Springs Road (across from Lowes Food Shopping Center), or Holly Springs Town Hall at 128 S. Main St.

Checks, made payable to Holly Springs to Haiti Relief , can be mailed to: Holly Springs to Haiti Relief Fund, c/o Town of Holly Springs, P.O. Box 8, Holly Springs, N.C. 27540

To give money directly to the Red Cross, visit american.redcross.org, or call 919-231-1602 or 1-800-733-2767.

Donations will be accepted until Feb. 15.

By staff writers Jordan Cooke, Sadia Latifi, Ruth Sheehan and Ted Richardson.