Public Notices

The state provided this informational video regarding voting.

What are Pender County departments achieving and working upon? Click here for the updated report.

PENDER COUNTY – On Nov. 5 at 4 p.m., Pender County Library, celebrated author Sandra Cisneros will join us via Zoom for a hybrid in-person/virtual discussion of The House on Mango Street and her most recent book Martita, I Remember You.

Event attendees can choose to participate in person at either Pender County Library location or online via Zoom. This event is made possible through a partnership with UNCW’s Office of the Arts and William Madison Randall Library as part of the NEA Big Read: Cape Fear initiative. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The aim of the NEA Big Read is to broaden our understanding of the world we live in, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.

Sandra Cisneros is an internationally acclaimed poet, short story writer, novelist, and artist. Cisneros has been awarded the American Book Award, NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas medal of the Arts, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, the National Medal of the Arts award presented to her by President Obama in 2016, as well as many other prestigious awards. Her most well-known novel, The House on Mango Street, is a modern classic and has sold over six million copies.

NEA Big Read is a Cape Fear collaborative, yearlong initiative promoting literacy in the Cape Fear Region through the exploration of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and other companion titles. Participation in this initiative includes Pender County, New Hanover County, and Brunswick County with programming to include book readings, discussions, family-friendly events, book clubs, teacher trainings, performances, story times, and more.

Register online at bit.ly/pclhouseonmango, or go to the library’s website, penderpubliclibrary.org and follow the links under “Events.” You can also call the library and staff will take your registration by phone. Registration is required for the in-person events at both library locations as well as the online version, which will be hosted on Zoom. There is no need to have a Zoom account; just click the link provided in the confirmation email and follow the prompts to download Zoom. The talk can be viewed on smartphone, tablet, or computer.

For more information or assistance, call Pender County Library at 910-259-1234 (Burgaw) or 910-270-4603 (Hampstead) during regular business hours.

Photo credit: Keith Dannemiller

Pender County Board of Elections will offer One Stop Voting for the Nov. 2, 2021 elections process.

One Stop Voting is available at the Pender County NC Cooperative Extension Building, 801 S. Walker St. in Burgaw.

Dates and times of open voting appears below:

On Oct. 4, NC Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson presented Pender County departments with awards for safety.

Receiving first-year awards were Animal Control, Animal Shelter, Emergency Management, Facilities and Fleet Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, and Planning and Community Development.

Receiving Third Consecutive Year honors were Social Services and Tourism.

Seventh Consecutive Year awards were presented to the Register of Deeds and the Tax Assessors Office.

Ninth Consecutive Year honors were presented to the Library.

Tenth Consecutive Year honors went to Elections and Housing.

Eleven Consecutive Years without a major safety violation or injury were presented to the County Manager’s Office, Mosquito Control, Parks and Recreation, Vehicle Maintenance, and Veterans Services.

Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties to benefit from the service

WILMINGTON – Starting today, residents of three southeastern North Carolina counties will have more flexible transportation options, thanks to an on-demand micro-transit pilot service that is being funded by a grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation.

RideMICRO is a new public transportation service provided by Wave Transit in partnership with Brunswick and Pender County transit agencies. This is one of the first on-demand ridesharing public transit services in North Carolina.

“Our new service is not only for our community but for neighboring communities as well, providing regional transit coverage in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties,” said Marie Parker, executive director for Wave Transit. “Microtransit is designed to be responsive, economical, and accessible. It is very similar to a private app-based rideshare but will be an extension of our current transit network.”

Microtransit refers to demand-responsive transportation that does not require pre-booking and does not rely on fixed routes and stops, like a traditional bus system. Riders looking to take advantage of the new service can schedule a trip through Wave Transit’s website or by calling 844-764-1223. A mobile app, which will allow for hassle-free booking, will begin implementation by Feb. 2022.

“NCDOT is committed to public transportation innovation,” said Ryan Brumfield, director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division. “Pilot programs like RideMICRO are key to improving public transportation’s quality and ensuring that all North Carolinians have access to opportunities and services.”

RideMICRO is funded by a $600,000 grant from the NCDOT. Service delivery is provided by Bus.com and Moovit.

Last year, NCDOT supported the creation of Wilson’s RIDE program, the first rural micro-transit program in the state, which recently won accolades during the 2021 Southern Association of State Highway Transportation Officials conference.

For more information on RideMICRO, including stop and fare information, and how to book a ride, visit wavetransit.com.