Community Turns Out For Second Safety Day

The 'Play It Safe' Family Safety Day was a huge hit with families in the Sanford area this Saturday. Children loved riding around the Safe City and many families asked that we do it again next year.

Children gather at a "crosswalk" to learn about safety from the Community Policing division.

In even better news, several community members learned about National Night Out and found a site in their neighborhoods. 

Next up: Our next NNO pre-event will be Personal Safety for Families on August 3 at First Baptist Church. Come out and learn basic self defense in the air conditioning!

We're so pleased to have the Sanford Police Department, Sanford Fire Department, and many other community agencies and businesses working together to help make Sanford a safer city for everyone!

Click here to see photos from this event on Facebook.

Sanford Police Take Citizens On Department Tour

Nearly 40 citizens came out to the Sanford Police Department on Friday night for a special community tour meant to help spread awareness about National Night Out.

Sgt Tony Hancox led the tour, which was free and open to the public. He and other officers in the Community Policing division gave attendees the inside scoop on what the police department does and how it operates. They also discussed how citizens can help the police make our community safer.

The next National Night Out sponsored event will be the 'Play It Safe' Family Safety Day on Saturday, July 20 at Spring Lane Cinemas (9-11am). Bring the kids and their wheels for a morning of fun!

See more photos from the tour on Facebook.

Benjamin Moore Agrees: Sanford's Main Street Matters

Sanford's dedicated voters pulled out a huge win last week when Benjamin Moore announced that Sanford is among the top 20 winners in the Main Street Matters competition.

Downtown Sanford, Inc and the City of Sanford relied mainly on social media like Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about the contest and to remind users to vote daily.

The win means that Benjamin Moore will supply paint and paint services for three blocks in downtown Sanford. Learn more about the contest here.

Timeline: "We’ll be working with each town over the next year with the help of local Benjamin Moore retailers and local painting contractors," Benjamin Moore stated on its website. For Sanford, that means the company will work closely with McNeill Paint & Decorating Store on Woodland Avenue.

"We're proud to be part of the concept, and that our business could have a hand in this," said Jody McNeill, who runs the family business with his brother Marty.

Edward Giunco, Benjamin Moore rep for the region, was the force behind Sanford's nomination. Giunco works closely with the McNeills and was happy to have the chance to help revitalize Sanford. "They asked us to nominate real towns full of hard working, average people," Giunco explained. "Sanford fit the bill -- and I can't wait to see what happens next."

Sanford beat out 110 other cities and communities and was one of only two cities in the Southeastern U.S. to win. Other winners include Macon, Ga., Joplin, Mo., Flint, Mich., Sheboygan, Wis., and Hilo, Hawaii.

[Read local coverage in The Sanford Herald, Raleigh News & Observer, and Triangle Business Journal.]

See Sanford's National Night Out Sites

Wondering if there's a National Night Out site near you? Here's our map of registered sites. We'll add new sites as they are registered.

View National Night Out Sites in a larger map

Key: Green signifies a community gathering site, blue indicates a home, and yellow indicates a church.

Reminder: National Night Out is Tuesday, August 6. The City is also planning several events throughout the summer to provide information, advice, and registration.

Want to host an NNO gathering? Here are some helpful FAQs to help you get started. You can also call the City's coordinator Kelly Quinones Miller at 919-777-1133 or shoot her an email.

If you already know you want to register a site, click here to do so online or download a form.

City Earns Gold & Silver For Safety

The City of Sanford brought home several awards from this year's Safety Awards Banquet, sponsored by the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce and the NC Department of Labor.

Public Works Safety Officer Donna
Matthews with DOL Commissioner
Cherie Berry

About The Awards

The awards program is designed to stimulate interest in accident prevention and to promote workplace safety. Private and public firms from across the state are recognized with Annual Safety and Million-Hour awards.

To qualify for an annual safety award, an entity must have:

• had no fatalities during the calendar year at the site or location for which the award was given; and

• maintained an incidence rate at least 50 percent below the average for its particular industry group.

There are two categories for the annual awards: Gold and Silver. Gold is based on the Department of Labor's DART rate, which includes cases of days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer. The Silver Award is based only on cases with days away from work.

City of Sanford's Awards

Following are the awards won by the City of Sanford:

• Gold Award, Eighteenth Consecutive Year - Beautification & Golf
• Gold Award, Seventeenth Consecutive Year - Water Treatment Plant
• Gold Award, Sixteenth Consecutive Year - Financial Services
• Gold Award, Ninth Consecutive Year - Administration
• Gold Award, Ninth Consecutive Year - Engineering 
• Gold Award, Sixth Consecutive Year - Fire Department
• Gold Award, Fourth Consecutive Year - Community Development
• Gold Award, Third Consecutive Year - Big Buffalo Waster Water Treatment Plant
• Silver Award, Second Consecutive Year - Public Works

Congratulations to these departments and all award winners for their hard work and dedication to safety.