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General News

Cape Fear Community College creates blueberry for New Year’s Eve event

BURGAW –  When Al Meadowcroft was asked to craft a blueberry, he must of thought Pender County’s tourism and parks departments were a bit crazy.

However, when Meadowcroft, the instructor of the welding program at the Cape Fear Community College Burgaw campus, learned of the purpose of the task, he and his classes were “all in.”

Cape Fear Community College welding classes designed and crafted the frame of the blueberry that will be lowered in the first New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop.

“This program offers day and night welding classes,” said Meadowcroft. “We involved both our day and night classes.”

The class welded aluminum straps and gently formed the straps into the shape of a blueberry. The six-foot frame is light-weight at approximately 20-lbs.

“We have about 15 hours of work involved,” said Meadowcroft.

The CFCC program offers instruction on all types of welding, including stick, TIG, and MIG. It is a program that offers a full educational experience with hands-on instruction that provides students with workforce ready skills. Meadowcroft said his students find local jobs quickly.

The classes even had suggestions on how to lower the blueberry in the New Year’s countdown.

“This is a perfect example of the community working together for a family-friendly event,” said Pete Cowan, Burgaw mayor.

“We were happy to contribute to the Blueberry Drop,” said Meadowcroft.

The Blueberry Drop is sponsored by the NC Blueberry Festival, the Town of Burgaw, and Pender County. The drop will begin Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. Eaglewing, an Eagles tribute band, will perform. The countdown will take place just before 7 p.m., which is midnight on Greenwich Mean Time.

“This will be a fun event for the entire family,” said Tammy Proctor, Pender County Tourism director.

“We are excited to begin such a unique tradition here in Burgaw,” said Zachary White, Pender County Parks and Recreation Supervisor. “With this celebration we are offering our residents and visitors a unique way to ring in the new year and celebrate the local Blueberry industry.”

Al Meadowcroft, CFCC instructor
Al Meadowcroft, CFCC instructor

Pender County Parks and Rec Supervisor Zach White, welding instructor Al Meadowcroft, Welding student Joshua Roberts, and Pender County Tourism assistant Olivia Dawson.

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Pender Education Partnership offers HOPE to Pender Educators

BURGAW – Pender Education Partnership (PEP), a non-profit foundation established to enhance educational opportunities and assist public school educators, presented $10,800 to 27 Pender County staff and teachers who were impacted by Hurricane Florence.

“PEP agreed we needed to help our educators,” said Tammie Parris, interim treasurer of PEP. “We established a fund online and Dave Stipe, our president, spread the word about the great need in our school system.”

“Hurricane Florence left more than 80 Pender County staff displaced,” said Dr. Steven Hill, superintendent of Pender County Schools. “This community came together for a worthy cause to assist our staff and students.”

PEP’s fundraiser was named HOPE, Help Our Pender Educators. PEP’s goal of raising $10,000 was exceeded, thanks to the generosity of residents, businesses, and organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island and the Wilmington Kiwanis Club.

“Several directors on the PEP board were impacted by Hurricane Florence,” said Parris. “We understand the recovery process is hard. Our goal with this gift is to show our support and appreciation for our Pender County School educators and staff and to make their holiday a little brighter.”

PEP hosts the annual April Spelling Bee at Heide Trask High School, a fun-filled evening that pits good-natured competition between local businesses, teachers, and civic organizations. This year PEP will sponsor the first State of Education and Economy program on Jan. 31, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Mojo Tone in Burgaw.

Pender Education Partnership is a 501 (c) 3 foundation with a mission of providing educator mini-grants and senior scholarships. For more information visit their webpage or Facebook page or contact a board member.

Tammie Parris presents HOPE funds to Dr. Steven Hill to assist Pender County School staff who were impacted by Hurricane Florence.
Tammie Parris presents HOPE funds to Dr. Steven Hill to assist Pender County School staff who were impacted by Hurricane Florence.

Pender Education Partnership presented 27 Pender County School educators and staff with checks for $400 each

 

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New High-rise Bridge in Surf City Opens Ahead of Schedule

New High-rise Bridge in Surf City Opens Ahead of Schedule 
Bridge means quicker trips to Topsail Island SURF CITY – People heading to Surf City will be able to arrive more quickly, thanks to a new high-rise bridge that opened Tuesday nine months ahead of schedule.

The new 65-foot-high Surf City Bridge represents an improvement over the old swing bridge it replaces, as the swing bridge forced motorists to wait numerous times each day so the bridge could be opened to allow boats to pass. Traffic now can move continuously over the bridge as boats pass underneath.

“After nearly 60 years of service, the bridge reached a point where it needed to be replaced,” Bobby Lewis, chief operating officer for the N.C. Department of Transportation, told a crowd gathered for the reopening ceremony Tuesday. “With local input, NCDOT decided to build a fixed-span, high-rise bridge to better meet the needs of the community now and into the future.”

The bridge was originally scheduled to open in September 2019. But crews with NCDOT and Balfour Beatty Construction worked with the local community to accelerate the construction of the much-anticipated bridge so it could serve the community sooner.

After Tuesday’s ceremony, officials led a vehicle procession across the new bridge to officially open the 3,773-foot span between Topsail Island and the mainland. The new bridge also boasts 7.5-foot bike lanes and a 10-foot wide multi-use path.

Tuesday’s other speakers included Mike Alford, the local representative with the state Board of Transportation, Surf City Mayor Doug Medlin and Surf City Councilwoman Teresa Batson Batts.

The swing bridge, which was opened in 1955 after Hurricane Hazel, will be dismantled next year.

Request for Qualifications For Consulting Services For Pender County Courthouse Restoration and Renovations

Project Description

Pender County is soliciting responses from qualified firms licensed in North Carolina to provide architectural, engineering and construction management and observation services for the following work:

Task 1:  Assessment and planning for construction and repair of building systems impacted within the Pender County Courthouse due to Hurricane Florence in September 2018.  Within 2 weeks of award of contract, successful firm will provide County with a comprehensive plan outlining the major tasks required to remediate and repair the affected areas of the courthouse.  The project work plan will include, at a minimum, a project narrative, an organization chart, an estimated schedule of itemized project cost(s), and a project schedule.  The project schedule should include the start and completion date(s) of all applicable work activities, identification of any major milestones, and anticipated date facility will be available for use by Courthouse personnel and the public.

Task 2:  Provide architectural and engineering services as needed during the construction and repair of facilities impacted by Hurricane Florence.  This will include oversight of a large lead paint abatement project.

Task 3:  Coordinate all necessary contractor and applicable service providers required to remediate and repair the facility, including but not limited to, subcontractors, professional services, industrial hygienist, PME&S, etc.

The following is an example of what the plan may entail.  Please note this is not an exhaustive list.

The area of the building affected is the interior plaster walls on one complete side of the building in its entirety.  The scope of work will include:  1) initial structural review of how lead paint abatement method will affect the integrity/strength of the plaster walls, 2) careful removal of wooden trim in order to perform lead paint abatement, 3) complete the process of drying the plaster walls, 4) perform the lead paint abatement, 5) plaster walls repaired and prepped for painting as a result of any damages from the lead paint abatement, 6) replacement of wooden trim (if any is damaged, attention to detail to ensure the building’s integrity is kept), 7) painting of affected walls, and 8) final air quality testing from Industrial Hygienist acknowledging the building is clear to occupy.      

Task 4: Coordinate and obtain prior approval for all work with Pender County and its insurance provider.

Task 5: Coordinate and obtain prior approval for all applicable work for the NC State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

Task 6: Upon completion of all work successful firm will be responsible for providing county with a report outlining the environmental conditions of the Courthouse as well as certification that the facility is safe for use by Courthouse personnel and the public.

Task 7:  Successful firm will be responsible for attending at least two Pender County Commissioners meetings to present the report required in Task 1 and Task 6.

The County will contract directly with the architectural firm leading the work.  The architectural firm will provide consultants as needed to complete the work.  Consultants include PME&S, structural, cost consultants; and environmental engineers.

Qualification Package Evaluation Criteria

Qualifications packages will be evaluated on the firm’s ability to meet the requirements of this RFQ.  Pender County reserves the right to select the team it deems best qualified for the work.

Evaluation criteria are as follows:

  • Experience with similar renovation work to include buildings listed with SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office)
  • Experience working with state, regional and local permitting authorities
  • Experience coordinating similar types of work through insurance providers
  • Proposed schedule and planning process
  • Qualifications of individual team members and subconsultant anticipated to be used on project
  • Geographic proximity and availability of project team
  • References and previous project relevance
  • Qualifications package responsiveness, appearance, and presentation

SOQ Requirements

Interested firms are invited to submit 3 copies of their team’s Statement of Qualifications to:

Allen Vann
Director of Facilities & Fleet Services
210 South Bennett Street
Burgaw, NC  28425

Email is the preferred method.  Each firm is solely responsible for the timely delivery of its SOQ.  All SOQs must be delivered by 10:00 a.m. local time November 19, 2018.  No qualification packages will be accepted after this deadline.  Email:  avann@pendercountync.gov

Respondents should limit their SOQ package to 25 pages in length.

Provide contact information for the person responding to questions about the team’s RFQ, including:

Name
Email
Phone number
Mailing address

Any responding firms that may have questions in regard to this RFQ should email Allen Vann, Director of Facilities at avann@pendercountync.gov .

Industrial Hygienist Report(s):  The Lead Paint Abatement and Asbestos reports pertinent to this project are available upon request by emailing Allen Vann, Director of Facilities as listed above.

Federal Funds: If the source of funds for this contract is federal funds, the following federal provisions apply pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.326 and 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II (as applicable):

Equal Employment Opportunity (41 C.F.R. Part 60); Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148);

Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (40 U.S.C. 3145); Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 3701-3708); Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387); Debarment and Suspension (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689); Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352); Procurement of Recovered Materials (2 C.F.R. § 200.322); and Record Retention Requirements (2 CFR § 200.324).

CONTRACTING WITH SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES, WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, AND LABOR SURPLUS AREA FIRMS

Pender County encourages all businesses, including minority, women owned businesses to respond to all Request for Proposals.  In addition, if subcontracts are let, the awarded contractor must ensure that the necessary affirmative steps are taken:

  1. Place qualified small, minority, and woman-owned businesses on solicitations lists;
  2. Assure that such businesses are solicited when they are potential sources;
  3. Divide total requirement, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by such businesses;
  4. Establish delivery schedules, where requirements permits, which encourage such businesses to respond;
  5. Use service and assistance from such organization as SBA, minority business development agency of the Dept. of Commerce;

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Meeting – November 15, 2018

Staff from the Pender County Planning and Community Development department will be available next week, Thursday November 15, from 2 – 7 p.m. at the Pender County Public Library conference room at 103 S Cowan St, Burgaw, NC 28425.  Staff will work with citizens on a one on one basis to assist in completing intake documents for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for those that have not already turned in their application or want additional information.

Following a federally declared disaster such as Hurricane Florence, local governments are eligible to apply for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds (HMGP) that will reduce or eliminate the losses from future disasters. Projects must provide a long-term solution to a problem, for example, elevation of a home to reduce the risk of flood damage as opposed to buying sandbags and pumps to fight the flood. In addition, a project’s potential savings must be more than the cost of implementing the project. These activities may include elevating structures in the regulatory floodplain, acquiring property to prevent future losses, or retrofitting structures to minimize future damages. Preference is given to homes that are in the regulated flood plain but is not limited to this area.

“Through advance communication and outreach, we’re wanting to communicate with as many individuals as we can that were affected by Hurricane Florence.  This will be another opportunity to work with our citizens one on one to help answer questions and to be ahead of the curve when this opportunity becomes available”.  “It’s important to understand that these activities have not been activated by FEMA or the State of North Carolina and therefore, Pender County cannot tell how much funding will be available, the timing of the program activation, or how many properties may be addressed, but we’re here to help navigate the process to obtain as much funding as possible” said Kyle Breuer, Planning and Community Development Director. “Projects such as this have taken years to receive funding and are not designed to provide immediate relief from the devastating effects of natural disasters our area is known to see.”

The County has created a webpage to host additional information for residents to review and can be found at: https://pendercountync.gov/pcd/planning-community-development/flood/hurricane-florence-hazard-mitigation-grant-program-hmgp/

 

Pender County ensures temporary electric service meets state code

BURGAW –  As FEMA temporary housing arrives, Pender County’s inspection department is ensuring the safety of its residents by complying with the state building code regarding electrical transmission lines.

“We have spoken with FEMA and they are going to instruct their contractors to comply with the state code by installing electrical lines in conduit 18 inches underground,” said Randell Woodruff, Pender County manager. “If conduit is not used, the electrical line must be buried 24 inches.”

Counties do not have the authority to waive state code, according to Trey Thurman, Pender County’s attorney.

“Our inspection department adhered to the state code,” said Woodruff. “We simply can’t permit unsafe conditions for our families who were severely impacted by Hurricane Florence.”

Pender County has waived permitting fees for residents impacted by the storm.

“Safety is our utmost concern,” said Woodruff.

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Workshop for businesses impacted by Hurricane Florence

SURF CITY – The Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce and Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center are teaming up to host an informative meeting for businesses impacted by Hurricane Florence.

The free workshop is set for Nov. 8, 8 a.m. at the Surf City Campus of Cape Fear Community College.

The Small Business Administration and various other agencies will be present to answer questions and provide information regarding assistance to businesses that were damaged by Hurricane Florence.

This free workshop is open to all businesses. Chamber membership is not required to attend.

To RSVP for the workshop, call 910-329-4446.

Safe Halloween at Pender’s EMS and fire departments, Oct. 31

BURGAW –  Safety forces and Pender County are teaming up for a safe Halloween for local children.

Pender County EMS & Fire, Pender County Firefighters Association, Pender County Emergency Management, Pender County Tourism, and Pender County will host Safe Halloween Treats and Fire Trucks Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.

“Local fire and EMS stations will be open to our families with their little goblins for a safe trick or treat event,” said Woody Sullivan, Pender County EMS and Fire director.

Children will have the opportunity to explore a fire truck as well as get Halloween treats from our firefighters and emergency personnel.

The following locations will host Safe Halloween Treats and Fire Trucks:

  • Rocky Point VFD, 1425 Porters Lane Rd.
  • Station 21, 227 Scott Rd., Rocky Point
  • Station 16, 15840 US Hwy 17, Hampstead
  • Station 14, 19470 US Hwy 17, Hampstead
  • Topsail Beach Fire Department, 820 S. Anderson Blvd.
  • Station 23, 200 Wilmington Ave., Surf City
  • Surf City VFD, 100 Deer Run Rd., Surf City
  • Maple Hill VFD, 118 Old Maple Hill Rd. N, Maple Hill
  • Station 6, 89 Veach St., Willard
  • Penderlea VFD, 4005 NC Hwy 11, Willard
  • Shiloh VFD, 19170 US Hwy 421, Watha
  • Atkinson VFD, 110 N. First Ave., Atkinson
  • Station 29, 4849 US Hwy 421, Currie
  • Station 18, 11401 US Hwy 17, Scotts Hill

For more information call 910-789-0292.

-END-

Notice to: All #MH07-Middle Holly Precinct Voters

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute § 163A-1 045 the Pender County Board of Elections unanimously, adopted a resolution to emergency transfer, due to Hurricane Florence, for the purpose of voting in the

November 6, 2018 General Election

All registered voters in #MH07, Middle Holly, will go to the

 

Maple Hill Volunteer Fire Department

115 N Old Maple Hill Rd.

Maple Hill NC 28454

 

Other options for voting:

  1. Request Absentee-by-mail ballot on State Absentee Request form by Oct. 30
    Displaced voters may request that an absentee ballot be sent to the place they are staying, even if that is not their residence or mailing address.
  2.           One-Stop Early Voting (Oct. 17 -Nov. 3)
    Weekdays 7-7pm; 12noon- 5pm on Sunday, Oct 28; and 8-1pm Saturday, Nov. 3

During the early voting period, October 17 to November 3, voters may vote in person at any early voting site in their county of residence. Voters may not vote at a site located outside the county of their residence.

Sites are: Board of Elections; Pender County Annex Building; Long Creek Volunteer Fire Department; Shiloh Volunteer Fire Department; and Cape Fear Community College (621 NC Hwy 210E Hampstead location)

Polls are open Election Day, Nov. 6 at 6:30AM and close at 7:30PM

On Election Day, November 6, voters can only vote at their temporary polling site named above.

Questions can be directed to the Pender County Board of Elections office at (910)259-1220.

Effective 10/10/2018 Expires 11/16/ 2018 Notice 10/17/2018

 

Pender County Board of Elections
807 S. Walker Street • PO Box 1232
Burgaw, North Carolina 28425-1232
910-259-1220 • 910-259-1269 Fax
pender.boe@ncsbe.gov

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