Sanford Block Party Spruces Up Hawkins Avenue

Volunteers from across the community came out to Hawkins Avenue today to paint, landscape, and otherwise add a fresh face to one of Sanford's most traveled streets at the Sanford Block Party.

Though the block party didn't officially start until 8am, volunteers and City staffers worked through the week to prepare for the big day.

Then, this morning, volunteers converged on the section of Hawkins Avenue from Weatherspoon Street to Hill Avenue to give the street a face lift while also enjoying each other's company.

To see all photos from the day, check out our Facebook album. Feel free to tag yourself and your friends!

NNO Kicks Off With Free Bike Rodeo For Kids

The City of Sanford is planning another fun summer of National Night Out activities to promote safety and fellowship in Sanford -- and the first one is this Sunday.

Bring children out to the Sanford Fitness Fest in downtown Sanford to participate in our National Night Out Bike Rodeo for Kids. They'll be able to ride an agility course, play games, and learn how to ride their bikes safely.

The Sanford Police Department will also have the Mobile Unit available for tours.

This year, we're also giving out free helmets while supplies last. The helmets were donated by the N.C. Dept. of Transportation's bicycle and pedestrian division.

Get more details and share the event with your friends on our Facebook page. Here's a flyer to post in your workplace.

Stay tuned for a full schedule of events for the summer.

National Day of Prayer in Sanford

In honor of the National Day of Prayer on May 1, the City of Sanford and Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce invites the community for a morning of fellowship and inspiration at the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.

Table sponsorships are full; however, individuals may attend for free. You must pre-register by April 29 on the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce's website.

There are three community events following the breakfast to extend prayer throughout the day. They are:

• Noon Prayer Service at City Hall (12pm)
  Rev. Bruce MacInnes of Turner’s Chapel Church will lead a community prayer ceremony at the flags next to the War Memorial on the lawn of the Sanford Municipal Center. Mayor Chet Mann and others will also make remarks. This service is open to all.

• Evening Prayer Service at Depot Park (5:30pm)
  Join together at Depot Park in downtown Sanford for Vespers, an evening service that includes liturgical music, readings, and prayer. Rev. Timothy Martin of Trinity Lutheran Church, Father Craig Lister of St. Thomas Episcopalian Church, and Mr. Bob Bridwell of St. Stephen Catholic Church will perform the service with the help of local vocalist Jessica Traversino.

• Evening Prayer Service at New Hope Baptist Church (6:30pm)
  Senior Pastor Brian Parker will lead a prayer service for adults and students. The service will also include a community choir that has been assembled by Kenny Lamb. The service is open to all.

For more questions about any of these National Day of Prayer events, contact Kelly Quinones Miller in the public information office at 919-777-1133.

NNO 2014: Sanford's Night Out Against Crime

The City is gearing up for yet another fun National Night Out (NNO) -- and we want your neighborhood to join in the festivities.

NNO, called "American's Night Out Against Crime," is a joint effort of local police and communities to organize neighborhoods to fight back against crime. It happens every year on the first Tuesday of August in cities across the country. This year, that's Tuesday, August 5.

In Sanford, NNO was first championed by late Council member Walter McNeil, Jr. in 1993, making this our 21st year of participation.

[Click here for a list of frequently asked questions and answers about NNO.]

A Summer of Safety

We had so much fun with our National Night Out precursor events that we're planning to continue them this year. At each event, you can sign up to coordinate an NNO event, win prizes, and donate items to the CUOC. We have lots of bike helmets to give away this year!

Plan to join us at one -- or all -- of these pre-events:

• Bike Rodeo for Kids, April 29 from 1pm to 3pm
  Bring children out to the Sanford Fitness Fest in downtown Sanford to participate in our National Night Out Bike Rodeo for Kids. They'll be able to ride an agility course, play games, and learn how to ride their bikes safely.

• Community Tour of the Sanford Police Department, June 12 at 6:30pm
  Bring the whole family for a guided tour of the Sanford Police Department. You'll get to meet many of the officers who keep Sanford safe each day. The tour will begin promptly at 6:30pm, rain or shine. Make sure to enter at the Police Department.

• Community Tour of the Sanford Fire Department, July 10 at 6:30pm
  Bring your family for a guided tour of the Sanford Fire Department’s Central Station. You’ll get to meet many of the firefighters who keep Sanford safe, learn more about fire prevention, and ask any questions you have about the department. The tour will begin promptly at 6:30pm, rain or shine.

• Personal Safety For Families at Black Belt Leadership Academy, July 19 at 1pm
  Come get practical, hands-on advice for protecting yourself. This self-defense event is geared toward families, so children will get invaluable advice for fending off an attacker and being safe in any situation.

Can't make it any of those nights? You can download a form here to mail in or drop off. Click here to download an NNO flyer to share with your friends and co-workers.

Project 365

While NNO happens only one night each year, the City also participates in Project 365, a program that encourages us to designate a problem in the community that we can tackle as a group over the course of a year to create safer neighborhoods.

As with last year, we are partnering with the Christians' United Outreach Center to reduce hunger in Sanford and Lee County. For us, a more food-secure community is a safer one, and by working together, we can make that goal a reality.

How it will work: At every event, coordinators will be asked to collect non-perishable food items to donate to the Center. Donations will also be collected at each NNO activity hosted by the City. In return, the CUOC will help keep track of our donations so that we can see what we've accomplished at the end of 365 days.

You can expect to hear more about this as the summer wears on.

August 5 National Night Out Events

We will publish a list of National Night Out sites closer to August. We'll also create an interactive Google Map to help you find the site nearest you.

Questions?

You can direct questions, suggestions, or concerns to Kelly Quinones Miller, the City's public information officer and this year's program manager, at 919-777-1133 or kelly.miller@sanfordnc.net.

City Opens 2014 GovDeals Auction

Need a new vehicle? How about office equipment, radios, or a backhoe? The City of Sanford has you covered.

Starting today, the City has nearly 30 items available for auction on GovDeals.com, a site that allows government agencies to sell surplus items to the public. Items range from big ticket (a utility van and retired police cars) to next-to-nothing (a $10 lamp).

Each auction will end 2 weeks from its start date.

See What We're Selling

You can get item photos and descriptions, as well as place your bid, by going to GovDeals.com and entering "Sanford" in the search box.

Quick link: To go directly to the City of Sanford's listings, click here.

Get Registered

Anyone can bid on auction hosted at GovDeals. But before you can place a bid, you'll need to register to use the service. You'll have to enter a phone number where the site can call or text you to validate your registration.

After the validation, you'll receive an email from GovDeals' customer service department. Click the link in the email and then enter the username and password you set up during registration.

From start to finish, the registration process lasts no longer than five minutes.

Start Bidding

Once you've registered, run your search for "Sanford." When you click on any of the items, you'll see a bidding form on the left of the description screen. Enter your bid and you're officially part of the auction.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions for all items before you place your bid. Everything you need to know is right on the description screen.

Payment & Pick Up

If you place the winning bid, GovDeals will issue you a buyer's certificate and you'll have five business days to make your payment. For items less than $5,000, you can pay by credit card or Paypal. You may pay by wire transfer for items that cost more than $5,000.

Note that a 5% buyer's premium is added to the final selling price of each item, in addition to any taxes imposed.

Once you make your payment, you can schedule a time to pick up your item(s). You must remove the item from City property within 10 days of the date on your certificate.

Questions?

For more information about our items or to arrange an inspection of what's for sale, contact Randy Paschal at 919-777-1250 or send an email to randy.paschal@sanfordnc.net.