Spring 2013 Issue 2
Stallings Sentinel Town of Stallings, Gateway to Union County
Hippity, Hoppity… Easter’s on its way! Stallings Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 30, 2013 11:00 a.m.— 1:00 p.m. Stallings Elem. School Ball Fields 3501 Stallings Road
Spring Fun Fact: If you stand at the equator on the first day of spring, you will see the sun pass directly over head. This is only true two times a year; the first day of spring and the first day of Autumn.
Get ready to hop down the bunny trail! The event is free for Stallings residents and $1 for non-residents. All participants will need a Stallings Egg Hunt Pass in order to participate. Proof of residency will be required. Limit five (5) passes per household. Stallings Easter Egg Hunt Passes can be obtained between the hours of 9 a.m.—5 p.m. at the Stallings Town Hall on the following days: Thursday, March 21 Friday, March 22 Monday, March 25 Tuesday, March 26 Wednesday, March 27 Thursday, March 28 The Stallings Park & Recreation Committee is starting a Park Ambassador Volunteer Program. We are seeking town citizens interested in supporting the two beautiful parks and park events for the Town of Stallings. If you are interested, please contact dsabinske@admin.stallingsnc.org.
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A Note from the Mayor... Spring brings daylight savings time, daffodils, and the start of town budget talks. We had our first budget meeting March 11 and will continue to work through April and May to finalize the 2013-14 budget. The council has tentatively agreed on a short list of projects to be included on the Long Range Financial Plan for funding and completion through 2018. That plan has been in development for nearly two years and we hope to adopt a final version in this year’s budget process along with the operating budget. The short list includes: Downtown streetscape project at Potters and Pleasant Plains Completion of phase 2 of the Lawyers Road sidewalk project Completion of the Safe Routes to School sidewalk project along Stevens Mill from Fairhaven Resurfacing of “D” condition streets Aesthetic improvements to Stallings Road intersection in conjunction with the Old Monroe Widening project by NCDOT Completion of the nature trails and outdoor education components for Stallings Municipal park Feasibility study/master plan for the Blair Mill Park Feasibility study of town hall or civic building expansion Projects are slated for funding through existing revenues with no current plans to take on debt or increase taxes to pay for these projects. However, some consideration is being given to creation of a special tax district for those areas benefiting from the sewer upgrades and improvements in the downtown area. While no decision has been made, the rationale is that the benefactors of those tax funded improvements should bear a greater share of the cost than other citizens. With improvements in the economy, we are seeing an uptick in new permit and rezoning requests. Council will hear a request for a multifamily complex in the satellite area on Chestnut later this month and Fairhaven has started work on the final phase of that development. Lennar is building 40 new homes in the Stallings portion of Franklin Meadows on Matthews-
Weddington Road and after a series of unavoidable delays, Epcon is set to start construction on our first 55 and older age restricted community this Spring. Senior housing continues to be a high priority need in Union County. Commercial development appears to be in a slower recovery, but we continue to collaborate with the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill and Indian Trail toward development of a multijurisdictional economic development plan. In that process, we’ve consulted with representatives from the towns of Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville who have a successful model for such shared development, gathered input from our property owners and people from our business community, and continue to work with Chris Plate from the Union County Economic Development Commission. Hopefully we can finalize details of a plan by the end of the calendar year. I’m pleased to see more citizen involvement and communication on town related issues. This is our big election year with 4 council seats and the mayor seat open this fall. Thus, I encourage you to follow council actions and decisions closely. As we work through budget, I will publish my Budget Fast Facts as I’ve done in previous years to keep citizens informed about our progress. I’m also planning to invite citizens to a participatory session on budget making in May as part of my new format for citizen involvement. In lieu of weekly coffees, I’m holding topic related discussion groups in a monthly Forum. There was good participation in the first one on the Problem with Stallings Voting Districts and John Petoskey’s session this month on Stallings Tax Base, the process for the upcoming revaluation, and how we will avoid the problems that occurred in Mecklenburg. April’s session will help residents know how to use the new Public Stuff program to make requests for services and to report and monitor code violations or concerns. I hope to see you at the Forum meetings and at the upcoming Easter and Earth Day events. We have a full calendar of activities for the Spring and Summer, so come out and celebrate Stallings!
Lynda Paxton
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Have a Request? Use What is PublicStuff? A new, simple service request tool that makes it much easier for you to connect with the Town via the web, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android. What can PublicStuff do for me? PublicStuff allows residents, businesses and members of community to submit nonemergency public requests directly to the Town in real time, from any location. Residents are encouraged to use the system to report potholes, abandoned vehicles, illegal dumping, tall grass and much more so we can resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. You can also submit pictures and add comments to further describe the issue. Once a request is submitted, you can easily track the request, support other requests and receive updates from the town. How do I use PublicStuff? Simply go to www.publicstuff.com and enter “Stallings, NC” in the search box. Click on “New Request” button and enter the address of the request, any details about the request, and upload a photo if you like. Last, create an account so you can track the progress of your submittal on the Publicstuff website and be provided with updates from the Town. We encourage you to utilize
so we can work together to improve our Town.
Shred Days You asked for it! You got it! Shred Days are back! CINTAS will be providing Shred Days in the Town Hall parking lot from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the following dates: Saturday, April 20, 2013 Saturday, October 19, 2013 Please note these few guidelines when bringing your items to shred: You will need to dispose of any boxes, cartons, etc. used to transport your items to be shredded. These items will not be shredded or disposed of by the Town. If you have 12 or more boxes of material to shred, please allow adequate time to shred all items. If you have "unusual" paper items to shred (i.e., rolls of paper like blueprints, etc.) please contact CINTAS (704-651-6410) before the event as some things have to be cut down or taken to another facility for offsite shredding since they cannot be handled by onsite trucks. NO MAGAZINES, GLOSSY paper, or NEWSPAPER. NO METAL (i.e., Pendaflex files as they have metal bars in them, or binders as they are plastic and have metal in them, etc.) Staples and paperclips are allowed.
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Upcoming Events Stallings Parks and Recreation
Earth & Arbor Day Saturday, April 20, 2013 10:00 a.m.— 1:00 p.m. Indian Trail Town Hall and Crossing Paths Park, 120 Blythe Drive, Indian Trail Celebrate Earth & Arbor Day with our community partner Indian Trail and learn fun and different ways to become better citizens of the Earth.
Parks Hours Blair Mill Service Day Saturday, May 18, 2013 8:00 — 10:00 a.m. Blair Mill Park, 1025 Fair Oaks Drive Bring non-perishable food for the food drive and stay for a morning of stream clean-up. All food donations will benefit the Matthews Help Center.
Blair Mill Disc Golf Course Grand Opening PLUS Children’s Health and Safety Fair & Movie Night Saturday, May 18, 2013 5:00 — 7:00 p.m.; Movie begins at dusk Blair Mill Park, 1025 Fair Oaks Drive Help us celebrate the grand opening of the new Blair Mill Disc Golf Course designed by Master World Disc Golf Champion and Stallings Resident Stan McDaniel. And, kids, bring your bikes and helmets for the Children’s Heath and Safety Fair. Then stay for Movie Night as we enjoy Charlotte’s Web!
Stallings Municipal Park September-April: 8 a.m. to Dusk May-August: 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. *CLOSED on Thursdays from 810 a.m. for maintenance. *
Stallings Fountain Weekends only beginning May 10: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; & 3-6 p.m.
Blair Mill Park September-April: 8 a.m. to Dusk May-August: 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. *CLOSED on Wednesdays from 8-10 a.m. for maintenance. *
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Upcoming Events Stallings Parks and Recreation
Welcome To Summer Beach Party & Movie Night Saturday, June 1, 2013 6:30 p.m.; Movie begins at dusk Stallings Municipal Park Family fun activities begin at 6:30 p.m. Then at dusk, we’ll settle in to enjoy the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth. Don’t forget your lawn chairs and blankets!
“Like” Us! Have you “liked” us on Facebook yet? Keep up with all the Town’s latest events, news and information in one easy location. We hope you “like” it!
SRNO—Stallings Restaurant Night Out Thursday, June 6, 2013 4:00-8:00 p.m. Location: TBA Take a break from cooking and come out to support Stallings Parks and Recreation when 10% of all the proceeds come back to Stallings for programming and events!
Other 2013 Dates September 21: Stallings Fest December 6: Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade of Trees
Get Involved! Are you ready to get involved in your community? Home is a great place to start! The Town of Stallings often as openings on its various boards and committees. For a complete list of vacancies and to obtain an application, please visit the Town’s website at www.stallingsnc.org.
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Thomas Reed, sophomore at Porter Ridge High School, will be designing and building a Human Sun Dial at Blair Mill Park for his Eagle Scout Project this spring. Visitors will be able to use their own shadow as the gnomon on the Human Sun Dial to tell time. Mr. Reed is a Life Scout with Troop 198 at St. Luke Catholic Church.
Porter Ridge High School Senior Michael Hendrick is the Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 98. He will be installing a Kiosk Sign at Blair Mill Park early this summer for this Eagle Scout Project. Mr. Hendrick plans to attend NC State University or UNC-Charlotte for Aerospace Engineering.
Austin Price of Stallings, student at CPCCHarper Campus in the AAS Degree of Welding Technology program, is fabricating two ADA compliant park benches for Blair Mill Park nature trail/disc golf course. Mr. Price is looking forward to delivering the two benches in the next few weeks.
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April Showers bring‌. Rain Barrels? Rain barrels provide a great way to collect and store the rainwater run-off from rooftops. A rain barrel provides many advantages and is a good method of resource conservation. There are many types of decorative rain barrels which allow us to harvest the abundant rain supply which normally escapes into the ground or storm drains. Rain barrel manufacturers offer a vast array of shapes, styles, and colors to suit most water storage needs. Below are listed the main types, as well as some advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind. Decorative Plastic Rain Barrels - Plastic and polyethylene rain barrels are the most popular because of their light weight, affordability, and wide assortment of shapes and colors. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that the container has adequate UV protection and suitable thickness. The sun and elements have a deteriorating effect on these materials, especially in areas that are subject to extreme seasonal weather. Another disadvantage for vegetable gardeners is the possible presence of B.P.A (bisphenol-A) which is used in plastic manufacturing and is considered an environmental contaminant. B.P.A. also interferes with the nitrogen fixation of leguminous roots. Wooden Rain Barrels - Wooden rain barrels make great catchments and add a real rustic feel to homes and gardens. If you use your water for vegetable gardening, wooden barrels eliminate the possibility of B.P.A contamination. Wooden catchment systems are heavier and generally more expensive than plastic, especially hardwoods such as oak, beechwood, and hickory, as well as long-lasting woods like cedar.
Galvanized Metal Rain Barrels - These systems usually incorporate flexible membrane liners and are great for people who need a larger rainwater storage system. Metal rain barrels are intended as more permanent fixtures and tend to be too unsightly for normal residential settings. Ceramic Clay or Stone Rain Barrels - A great way to catch and store small amounts of rain water, they can be highly decorative and make attractive additions to flower and small vegetable gardens. Setting in place or rearrangement can sometimes be difficult due to the unwieldy nature of natural or ceramic stone. Conservation comes in all sizes. Residential rain barrels range from small 15-gallon models to larger commercial sizes designed to hold up to 1,000 gallons. Some modular cistern designs have greater storage capacities for larger agricultural and industrial operations. Ready-to-use rain barrels can be purchased at many lawn-and-garden centers, as well as home improvement locations. For the do-it-yourselfer, kits used to retrofit recycled rain barrels are also available.