Make a difference in your neighborhood!

Great idea directly from BikeWalk NC following.   In this time of social distancing, do you find yourself spending even more time outside?  Join #brightsigns, BikeWalkNC’s Community Engagement event.  Safety Signs need to be seen if they are going to work.  Let’s all make #brightsigns and give our neighbors an even safer place to bike and walk.  Just post a photo of you or your family biking, walking or making #brightsigns.  Tag 5 of your friends and ask them to do the same.  Join in #brightsigns and see what a difference we can make together. Watch the #BrightSigns video here! Tag and share with 5 friends!

The Town of Chapel Hill is reminding the community to wear masks in situations where social distancing is difficult.

Because it is still possible for people who have no symptoms of coronavirus infection to transmit the virus to others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends everyone wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as in grocery stores and pharmacies.

The Orange County Health Department has advised that face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing and that efforts to stay at least six feet from others should continue to be made when wearing a face covering. The department notes that both measures to slow transmission of the virus will especially help people in vulnerable groups. According to the CDC, these include people who:

• Are 65 years or older.
• Live in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
• Are immunocompromised due to cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, or prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications.
• Have chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or liver disease.

Face covering reminders

If using a face covering, exercise care when removing the mask. Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth when removing the covering. Wash hands immediately after.

Cloth coverings should be washed regularly, after each use if possible. Using a washing machine with hot water and regular laundry detergent should be sufficient, the Health Department has advised.

Surgical masks and N-95 respirators should be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders. For safety, cloth face coverings should not be placed on children under age two or anyone who has trouble breathing or is unable to remove the mask without assistance. See guidance from the CDC.

Need a face covering?

Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items such as scarves and t-shirts for personal use. The CDC has produced a video showing how a mask can be created using a t-shirt and rubber bands. Learn more about making sewn and non-sewn masks.

Cloth or handmade masks should:

• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face, covering the mouth and nose.
• Be secured with ties, rubber bands or ear loops.
• Include multiple layers of fabric.
• Allow for breathing without restriction.
• Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape.

Chapel Hill and Carrboro Bicycle Stores are open during the Stay-at-Home time period.  Bicycles are essential for many, in order to get to essential jobs as well as for getting in daily exercise.  Shop owners are offering curbside service while reminding everyone to stay at least 6 – 10 feet apart during interactions and while cycling.

For hours and service contact the stores.  Services could be limited during this time.  Information can be found at each store’s website following.

The Bicycle Chain – Chapel Hill

Back Alley Bikes – Carrboro

The Clean Machine – Carrboro

PARcycles – Carrboro

Bolin Creek Trail between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Bolinwood Drive will be temporarily closed while soil and vegetation that contain coal ash deposits are removed.

In January 2020, construction resumed for completing the missing 500-foot section of the Bolin Creek trail connector east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The trail construction has advanced to one of the final elements to be completed. This step includes the removal of soil and low-lying vegetation which contains coal ash deposits. The Town and environmental engineer Hart & Hickman anticipated this as part of this project.

In order to maintain safety for trail users, the Town is temporarily closing a portion of the Bolin Creek trail, located between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Bolinwood Drive (see image below). We will ask trail users to take an alternate route to safely detour the work site, using Bolinwood Drive and Hillsborough Street to walk around the closure.

In an effort to protect trees and their roots, we asked our contractor to use a piece of equipment called a vacuum excavator to carefully remove the soil with coal ash deposits. Our goal was to try and save as many large trees as possible. Upon removing the soil, we have discovered a significant amount of coal ash that is deeply embedded within the shallow roots of a number of trees. In order to take away the coal ash deposits from these areas, we will be removing 12 trees and replacing them in the fall when planting conditions are better.

We ask for the community’s help in staying out of the construction area until the remediation is complete. Assuming good weather and no unforeseen delays, we anticipate reopening this segment of the trail in May.

Town of Chapel Hill                                  April 9, 2020