Things To Do in Lee County This Weekend

Morning All! Since many of you headed out of town for memorial day, most likely you'll want to spend this weekend at home; why shouldn't you? There are tons of things to do in the Lee County area.

• 2012 San-Lee Car Show, Sat. June 2nd, Chatham Street, 10-4
• Screen on the Green Spring Movie Series, at Twilight, every Friday through June 1
• Sanford Farmers Market every Saturday, 9-12 through October
• Mideastern Team Roping Association tour Sat, June 2, 9:30am – 9:30am
  PAWS for a Cause Event Sat. June 2, http://www.haveninleecounty.org/News___Current_Events.html

Other links to check out:

http://www.sanfordherald.com/
http://www.downtownsanford.com/
http://www.discoversanford.com/plan.htm

Its raining cats and dogs outside!

If you plan on going anywhere today in Sanford, bring a raincoat and umbrella. According to http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/graph/Sanford+NC+27331:4:US, there will be scattered showers throughout the day. Your best bet at staying dry, while paying a bill or applying for a job is between 11am-1pm. Which is great because the weekly Law and Finance meeting conducted by City Council starts at 1pm. The event is open to the public, but remember most likely it will be raining when you leave, so prepared!

Today is Tuesday!

Welcome back citizens of Sanford! We at the City of Sanford hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend! In case you forgot, today is Tuesday. It is so easy to forget that yesterday was Monday and not Sunday, since we're starting the week later than usual. City Hall is open today in case you need to pay a bill, head on down. Also we want to remind you that there is a Special Budget workshop tomorrow within the Council Chambers at City Hall starting at 1:00pm.

Fore!! We're Under Construction.

If you've  been to the city's municipal golf course lately you probably noticed the construction surrounding the cart paths. City engineers are in the process of improving the narrow roads on the front nine. Watch the video below to learn more on the project.

The City's Excellent Adventure!

Hello Citizen's of Sanford/ Lee County. Well it's memorial day again, any plans? How about taking a load off tonight at Depot Park http://www.downtownsanford.com/pdfs/2012-Spring-Poster.pdf. The Screen On The Green series continues with tonight's presentation of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". Don't stay out too late though, cause the Farmer's market kicks off tomorrow morning at 9am- 12pm at Depot Park as well http://www.downtownsanford.com/pdfs/2012-Farmers-Poster.pdf.

The City hopes you have a great Memorial Weekend honoring the brave men and women who defend our beloved country!

Public Works Employee Appreciation Luncheon

Public Works Employees enjoyed a delicious meal courtesy of Ron's Barn today at the annual Public Works Employee Appreciation luncheon. Items like Barbeque, fried chicken, hushpuppies and the restaurant's famous chocolate chip cookies lined plates all across the banquet room. The primary reason of the get together was to honor city workers for their hard service throughout the year. Also Public Works selected an Employee of the Year, a Perfect Attendance Recipient and a Safety honoree.

This year's winners are Chase Dodson (Employee of the Year), Mike Webster (Attendance) and William Sadler (Safety). See more of the event below:

Public Works Employee of the Year

The City of Sanford would like to congratulate its 2012 Employee of the Year Mr. Chase Dodson! Dodson has worked for the Public Works Department for six years. He says it is a real honor to receive the award and credits an outgoing personality as his key to success. Chase absolutely loves being around his co-workers and obviously the feeling is mutual as Dodson is the fourteenth recipient of the employee nominated award. 

In his spare time Dodson likes to ride horses, help around the house, and play with his beloved dog. He's also a big basketball player, so if you see him around Sanford challenge him to a game. As a thank you for his service, he'll be eligible for a paid day off and have his name commemorated on a plaque.

Race to Read Results

Many of you rushed to Spring Lane Cinemas, Saturday for our first ever Race to Read! Thirty-six participants signed up to help generate revenue for books used within the Lee County School system. Out of the 36, there were seven individuals who rose to the top:

Top 3 Overall- Male

Dalton Cox- 1^st Place

Max Hogan- 2^nd Place

Preston Faulk- 3^rd Place

Top 3 Overall- Female

Samantha Frady- 1^st Place

Samantha Sillaman- 2^nd Place

Karen Hamel and Tammy Gaddy- Tied for 3^rd Place

At this time there are plans to hold a second Race to Read next year. This event was sponsored in connection with the City of Sanford Lee County Youth Council. For more information on how you can lace up for next year or get involved with the Youth Council visit www.sanfordnc.net 

Sanford's Unsung Heroes

Unless you work at the City of Sanford, most likely you have no idea that May 20-26 is National Public Works Week. During these dates men and women who help keep the streets clean, the water running, dangerous debris at bay, and the roads drivable are being honored all over the country! In Sanford, employees are celebrating by educating local children about the importance of recycling, and what all goes into making Lee County a beautiful place. Plus later in the week, Public Works employees will enjoy a delicious appreciation luncheon, where they'll select the 2012 Public Works Employee of the Year, in addition to the Safety and Perfect Attendance recipients.

So if you're out and about this week, and you see a public works employee, be sure and tell them "Thank You."
Public Works Service Center General Services Director, Tim Shaw, has more on these unsung heroes.

Small Business Expo Today!

What you need to know:

VIP Ticketholders get in at 8 AM for the

Advance Behavioral Center Business to Business Breakfast

Doors open at 10 AM at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center for the general public

$2 or 3 cans of food to get in the door, proceeds to benefit CUOC!

The City of Sanford will be there, will you?

For more Information call: 919-775-7341 or visit www.leesbc.com/expo

$200 Cash Prize Up for Grabs!!

 

SHOP SANFORD KICKS OFF “GOLOCAL SPENDING RAFFLE”

Citizens And Businesses Get Chance To Win Up To $200 “GoLocal” Bucks

Sanford, NC, May 15, 2012 –Citizens and businesses now have the chance to win up to 200-dollars in “GoLocal” spending bucks through Shop Sanford’s exciting upcoming raffle.

To be a part of the drawing, residents have to opt in to receive the latest coupons and jobs through Shop Sanford by visiting the city website, clicking on the Shop Local icon, and choosing “Sign Up For Email Notifications”.  From there, they can type in their email address and opt in to receive emails containing coupons and jobs, every third Thursday of the month, starting in June.  The residents will then be placed into a drawing to win up to 200-dollars to spend at a Shop Sanford business.  Once the winner determines where to spend the bucks, WebQA will award that business a bonus cash prize.

The drawing will take place June 14^th,

Visit http://www.sanfordnc.net/ to enter.

 About ShopsQA

ShopsQA is a service product from WebQA, the leader in citizen service systems. WebQA’s GovQA service products lead the country by servicing over 80 million citizens worldwide.

WebQA, GovQA, BizQA and EdQA are trademarks of WebQA, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both.

****Hear Mayor Olive's take on why Shops QA is beneficial to the people of Sanford. Click on the video below.****

Don't forget about "Third Thursday"!

Don't forget this Thursday May 17th you need to bring a date, family or friends to downtown Sanford for "Third Thursday." There will be live music, food and beverages plus special deals! All the action is going down on Charlie Watson Lane near the mid block of Steele Street. Bring a picnic or check out one of the city's tasty restaurants! They're all staying open late to accommodate you!

For more information, please check out www.downtownsanford.com or e-mail at downtown@sanfordnc.net

City Council to Hold Special Meeting

On Wednesday May 23rd City Council will hold a special meeting at 10AM in the Council Chambers at the Sanford City Hall. The group will discuss Law and Finance.This gathering will trump the previously scheduled May 30th meeting. However a budget workshop will be held in its place inside the Council Chambers at 1 PM. If you have any questions please call  city clerk, Bonnie White at (919) 775-8364.

The Green Street Project!

Contractor Matt Sakurada and his wife Sudi are in the process of turning an idea into a reality on

Green Street

in Sanford, NC. Together the couple owns four properties in the historic district: 309, 310, 311, and 312. Currently all of the seasoned homes are in the process of an extreme home makeover. Matt and Sudi are repairing and updating parts that need it. The couple is also adding an extra bathroom to each home, as most of them were only built with one. The bathrooms are just the start. The kitchen, light fixtures, floors, and porches are getting extra love and care as well. The couple hopes to sell the homes, and continue revitalizing the neighborhood.

The Sakurada’s aren’t the only ones known for fixing up houses on

Green Street

. James Tart, Jeff Cashion, and Lawrence Curtis have also contributed with exterior and interior modifications.

If you’re interested in buying or fixing up one of the homes in the

Green Street

area contact Liz Whitmore, Historic Preservation Planner II at liz.whitmore@sanfordnc.net or at (919) 775-8207. She’ll be able to answer questions you might have or direct you to someone who can.

Free Movie Night!!

Need somewhere FREE to take a date or perhaps your mom for an early Mother's day? Look no further, you need to be in downtown Sanford's Depot Park this Friday night May 11th. At twilight, the city will be showing "Time Bandits" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd4DBq8a2y0 , the 1981 John Cleese classic!
Bring a blanket, or chair and while you're at it grab dinner downtown. There are lots of tasty places to try:

Local Joe's Tap & Grill http://www.yelp.com/biz/local-joes-tap-and-grill-sanford

Cafe' 121 http://www.chefhamm.com/cafe121/cafe121.html

The Steele Pig http://www.thesteelepig.com/

Mrs. Wenger's Restaurant http://www.menupix.com/northcarolina/restaurants/3310557/Mrs-Wengers-Restaurant-Sanford-NC

The Java Express http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/the-java-express-sanford-15543#Reviews

Mrs. Lacy's Magnolia House http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/mrs-lacys-magnolia-house-sanford-219708?cgpl=lprof_clk_via_rl-profile

La Dolce Vita http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Dolce-Vita-Pizzeria/119002211566

Bella Bistro http://national.citysearch.com/profile/37706449/sanford_nc/bella_bistro.html

If you can't make it this week, pencil "Screen on the Green" in for next Friday May 18th. The city will be showing "Jumanji" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4W5MU_K4fI

Why Should You Join The City of Sanford/ Lee County Youth Council?

For more information on joining the City of Sanford/ Lee County Youth Council contact Karen Kennedy at (919) 775-8238 or at Karen.Kennedy@sanfordnc.net.

Race to Read!

Ever race to read? If you haven't yet there's an opportunity Saturday May 19th at Spring Lane Cinemas in Sanford. The City of Sanford and the Lee County Youth Council want you to participate in their first ever 5k Fun Run/ Walk! Proceeds will be used to buy reading materials for the elementary schools in Lee County. Awards will be given to the top three male and female winners overall in each category. You'll find more about those divisions and details on registration at http://www.sportoften.com or on http://www.sanfordnc.net/. 
 

In the meantime, check out Lee County Youth Council Chairman Marquis Hackett's message to those of you on the fence about coming.

Ceremony to Honor Fallen Sanford Officer

Citizens of Sanford, you have an opportunity to honor one of the city's fallen police officers.
Tomorrow between 12 P.M. and 2 P.M., a group of cyclists will pedal from Wilmington to city hall, in remembrance of Officer Elieser Colonroche.Colonroche served on the Sanford Police Force from August 2002 until July of 2011. He was killed during a training exercise, last summer.

The movement is to raise money for the Officer Down Memorial Page and Concerns of Police Survivors, in addition to keeping the memory alive of fallen officers all across America. Outside City Hall there will be a short ceremony and a luncheon. Afterwards the group will bike to Washington DC for a national ceremony happening May 13.

Check out the links for a look at similar ceremonies across the southeast.

http://www.huntersvilleherald.com/news/2012/05/03/police-officers-ride-for-fallen-comrades 

http://www2.wsav.com/news/2012/may/01/ride-fallen-officers-ar-3711571/

Look at all the new trees!

Have you noticed all the new trees in East Sanford? The North Carolina Urban Forestry Council awarded the city a grant to plant 14 Trident Maples on

Maple Avenue

along with 21 Lacebark Elms, and one bald cypress at Temple Ball Field on

McIver Street.

Mayor Cornelia Olive broke ground on the project last month.

The whole community seems to be behind the project. Initially Liz Whitmore a Planner II of Historic Preservation and Code Enforcement Supervisor Carl Anglin were watering all of the trees, now four local residents are helping them take care of the recent green additions.

You'll find more information on the departments of Historic Preservation and Code Enforcement on http://www.sanfordnc.net/ and on TV11.

Are you ready to hit the links?

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, keep the Sanford Municipal Golf Course in mind.
Course Manager and Golf Pro David VonCanon says you won't find a better Donald Ross design. Its affordable plus you can walk or ride. Even if you're not up to 18 holes, the Sanford Municipal Golf Course still is the place for you. On site, there is a driving range and personal lessons with VonCanon. Check out the attached video and website for more information on the course.

http://www.sanfordnc.net/golf/golf.htm