New Route for Sanford Christmas Parade

Sanford City Council approved a resolution at its November 17 meeting that amends the traditional route of the Sanford Christmas Parade for 2015.

The parade will be on Monday, December 7 starting at 7:00 p.m. in downtown Sanford. Subscribers to The Sanford Herald can read an article about parade changes here.

Route for 2015

Due to the City of Sanford’s ongoing Streetscape & Pedestrian Improvement Bonds project – which includes construction at the intersections of Wicker, Steele, and Carthage streets – City staff and the Central Carolina Jaycees have changed the 2015 route as follows:

• The parade will begin at the corner of Wicker and Carthage streets and travel east to Horner Blvd.
• The parade will then turn left onto Horner Blvd and travel north one block to Carthage Street.
• The parade will turn left onto Carthage Street and travel west back to Wicker Street.

Click to view a larger map.

Note: The amended route is only for 2015. 

“This is the right decision for where we stand with construction in downtown Sanford,” says Jennifer St. Clair, executive director of Downtown Sanford, Inc. “I’m certain the Central Carolina Jaycees are putting together another stellar event for our community and I applaud their commitment to the safety of all those involved.”

“The Central Carolina Jaycees are excited about the changes coming to downtown and know that next year’s parade will benefit from this year’s hurdles,” says Jaycees' parade co-coordinator Gina Guerrero. “Though the route will be different, we expect the parade to be as joyous and entertaining as it has been for more than 50 years.”

“The Sanford Christmas Parade is a well-loved and highly attended institution in Sanford and we know Sanford will come out to support it,” notes Jaycees' parade co-coordinator Amy Davis.

Street Closures

Staging for parade entries will be along Wicker Street as usual. The following streets will begin closing at 6:00 p.m. where they intersect with Wicker and Carthage streets: Arbor Lane, Tryon Street, King Street, Park Avenue, Circle Avenue, Diffie Street, Hillcrest Drive, Pershing Street, S. Vance Street, and S. Gulf Street.

Detours and barricades will be set up at 6:00 p.m. along the staging route. Traffic will be limited to parade participants and residents of the area. Those locations are along Wicker Street at Legion Road and the U.S. Hwy 1 off ramps.

Traffic on Horner Blvd will not be interrupted until 6:30 p.m.

Contact

The parade committee is still accepting entries, Davis says. The deadline to enter is November 24. For more information or to enter the parade, visit the Central Carolina Jaycees’ website or call 919-353-2108.

Roundabout Lighting Scheduled for Early December

The City of Sanford has contracted Duke Energy Progress to install 24 LED light poles along Hawkins Avenue to better illuminate Sanford’s new roundabouts.

Lights will be positioned both along the roadway and outside of the traffic circles, which were added by the North Carolina Department of Transportation earlier this year. No lights will be located inside the traffic circles.

Note: Click on the thumbnails above to view a larger photo of each roundabout.

Though NCDOT had no plans to install lighting, the City of Sanford recognized that the area needed more illumination. The City contracted Duke Energy to add the 24 poles in early November; however, inclement weather pushed the work to December.

Duke Energy anticipates that lights will be in place by the second week of December – barring unforeseen complications, such as inclement weather. Most importantly, lighting the roundabouts is in the works and will happen as soon as possible.

Despite the roundabouts being a state project, the City of Sanford has also added astroturf, bricks, colored concrete, and 48 redbud trees to beautify the area, which serves as an important entryway into Sanford.

For more information about the roundabouts or lighting, contact the Public Works department at 919-777-1122.

Traffic Flow Changes Coming to Downtown Sanford

Pedestrians and drivers will soon find a new traffic flow in downtown Sanford. Beginning Monday, November 16, the intersection of Wicker Street and Steele Street will become a 4-way stop.

Rendering of the intersection of Steele Street and Wicker Street
after the streetscape project is finished.

For the first week, the existing signals will flash red in all directions to help the public adjust to the change. Fred Smith Company will place barrels and stop signs at the intersection, though the signs will be bagged until the signals are removed.

On Sunday, November 22, the signals will be removed and the bagged stop signs will be uncovered. Once that takes place, Fred Smith Company will be able to focus on finishing the street corners at that intersection. The barrels will remain in place until work is complete.

For more information about the change in traffic flow or the streetscape project, contact the City's Public Works department at 919-777-1122.

City Opens 2015 GovDeals.com 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 freightliner) to next-to-nothing (a $10 lot).

Auction end dates vary, but the last item will end on November 30, 2015.

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.

Public Strategy Session / Sesión Pública de Estrategia

--En español abajo.--

Help the Sanford Building Integrated Communities (BIC) committee create an action plan for immigrant integration in Sanford.

Earlier this year, Sanford BIC asked residents to identify the major issues affecting local immigrants in Sanford and Lee County. Now, they are holding a public strategy session on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:00 p.m. for residents to share their suggestions and solutions for improving three of these issues:

• Immigrant and police relationships,
• Public transportation, and
• Communications with Hispanic/Latino community.

Childcare and drinks will be provided. The meeting will be held in both English and Spanish; all Lee County residents welcome.

You do not need to register for this meeting. Please call Jessicalee with any questions at (919) 962-2414. (Habla español.)

RSVP for this event here. Download a flyer in English or Spanish here.

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¡Ayúdenos a crear un plan de  acción para la integración de los inmigrantes de Sanford!

Este año, “BIC en Sanford” pidió a residentes que identificaran los mayores asuntos afectando a los inmigrantes locales en Sanford y el Condado de Lee. Ahora, ofrecemos una sesión pública de estrategia para que los residentes pueden compartir sus sugerencias y soluciones para mejorar estos 3 asuntos:

• Relaciones entra la policia inmigrantes
• Transporte publico
• Comunicaciones con la comunidad hispana/latina

Esta reunión será en ambos inglés y español; todos los residentes del Condado de Lee bienvenidos. Se proveerán cuidado de niños y bebidas. No se requiere registro para esta reunión. Por favor llame a Jessicalee con cualquieras preguntas: 919-962-2414. (Habla español.)

City Council Meeting Schedule

Sanford City Council has adjusted its schedule for the next two months.

Mark your calendars with these dates:

• Cancelled: November 3 — City Council meeting
• Cancelled: November 10 — Law and Finance meeting
• November 17 — City Council meeting
• No meetings the week of Thanksgiving
• December 1 — Oath of Office Ceremony

All meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. To add an agenda item for any of the above meetings, contact City Clerk Bonnie Davis at 919-777-1111 or via email.

Note: City Hall will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day and on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 in celebration of Thanksgiving.