Please join us on May 5th at 4 pm for my Tech Talks and Tacos event with North Carolina Secretary of Technology James Weaver at Wake Tech RTP, Building 1!

Secretary Weaver will update us on Broadband efforts in North Carolina, and his vision for technology service for our state.  I will also be updating us on the Morrisville Smart City Initiatives and sharing my vision for Making NC, A Smart State!

Light appetizers and beverages will be served at a networking reception to follow.   Space is limited to 50 so sign up soon!.

RSVP to sr@steverao.com.

Supreme Court votes to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Wake County Manager presents $1.7 billion budget to County Commissioners and 1.5% property tax increase!

Wake Competition Center is now Invisalign Center!  Coach Ron Brind Amour and GM Don Waddell visit Morrisville to host Press Conference! Go Canes!

Teacher Appreciation Week is a national holiday celebrated in United States of America which takes place in the first full week of May.  We cannot thank our teachers enough for providing the educational foundation for our kids so they can pursue their dreams!  

Find Teacher Appreciation Deals at: https://www.wral.com/teacher-appreciation-week/19082216/!

10 Ways to thank a Teacher! https://www.boosterthon.com/blog/10-ways-thank-teachers

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (as of 2009, officially changed from Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month) is a period for the duration of the month of May for recognizing the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success.

In North Carolina, we are so very grateful for the remarkable economic, cultural, and political contributions Asian Americans made to NC, as they continue to transform our state.  During this month, we will feature Asian American trailblazers, in the country and North Carolina.

I enjoyed attending the NCLM conference in Wilmington and spend time with a great Mayor, Bill Saffo, who was such a gracious host for the event!   

Highlight for me was to participate on the Race and Equity Task Force, where we unveiled the recommendations and discussed how we move forward.  

Thanks to Fuquay Commissioner Bill Harris, Winston Salem Council Member Jeff Macintosh, and Durham Mayor Pro Tem Mark Anthony Middleton for participating! 

During this past week, I visited and spoke to a number of Black Restaurants and thanked them for their hard work and for their contributions to our local economy.  My last stop was at the Farmers Market this past weekend, where I met with the Royal Cheesecake Variety Chef Kenny J!   

Congrats to them for their new Food Truck!  

Their cakes and pies are amazing! 

Thanks for joining the Town of Morrisville in celebrating Earth Day & Green Day this past Saturday, Our Public Works Department hosted "Fill the Truck" for Dorcas Ministries and those in need.

Kids activities including seed paper demonstration and upcycling. Trader Joe’s shared about food waste solutions and volunteering Information on pro-pollinator efforts through native plant education and awareness as part of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge commitment.

Demonstrations by the Town of Morrisville Stormwater Department, Town of Cary water resources team, and volunteers at the education garden.  Thanks to everyone who brought documents to shred, batteries, recyclables, and medication and to all those who volunteered at the stations!

Thanks to everyone who brought their recycling, shredding, and medications and to the volunteers who helped us make it happen!

As we enjoyed our Earth Day Celebrations in Morrisville this past Saturday, I continue to be excited about Sustainable Innovation and how local governments, engaged citizens, entrepreneurs and start ups can accelerate our path to reducing carbon emissions by bringing innovative solutions to the renewable energy market.

My concerns on climate change heightened and eyes really opened after reading Bill Gates’ book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster and a recent visit to a local start up in Cary, Susteon, where I kicked off my Triangle Listening Tour at Small Businesses and Start ups last week.

In his book, Bill Gates discusses the roles that philanthropists, investors, and governments can play in accelerating the innovation pipeline, from early stage research to the mass deployment of affordable, green, and reliable technologies. Gates, along with Mike Bloomberg is a principal investor in a $2 billion green innovation fund, which invests aggressively in green innovation. The portfolio companies of the fund range from Injecting Carbon from cement, plant based meats, protein based yogurts, and air filtration systems. Keep in mind that manufacturing results in about 80% of all Carbon Emissions.

Gates reminds us in his book that government policies and Executive Orders are not enough, but that we need to develop a pipeline of startups, all focused on assisting us in reducing the 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases that people add to the atmosphere each year. By 2050, if we don’t get to zero, the temperature rise will be so damaging that life will actually get worse for humans and most of the natural ecosystems.

Gates convinced me we must challenge more start ups and investors to focus on sustainability issues and pitch their ideas!

Well, one start up company in Cary has risen to the challenge.

Last week, I was invited to Cary Based Susteon, a start up, focused on Carbon Sequestration technology and an investee of the Gates Fund, Breakaway Energy Ventures.  I had actually heard Bill Gates talk about this technology, on Fareed Zakaria so I was amazed to see such a game changing sustainability innovation taking place in the Triangle.   The company has developed “a novel Direct Air Capture technology which uses renewable energy that will allow us to remove, replace, and reuse carbon,”

The company calls its technology “the missing link to restore the Earth’s carbon balance” on its website.

“Our carbon-negative, cost-effective, and modular direct air capture system works around the clock in locations ranging from open grasslands to arid deserts to tropical savannas, serving as the cornerstone of a rapidly expanding carbon ecosystem that will include capture, credits, sequestration, and utilization,” the website reads.

During my visit and tour of the facility, CEO, Shantan Agarwal indicated the company’s intent to run a pilot in RTP.  I am also interested in introducing his solution to other local governments in the region.   In addition, he revealed to me that they are also working on technology to convert natural gas to hydrogen.

Susteon’s sustainable innovation and the Gates investment in a North Carolina company, should be an inspiration to more entrepreneurs and start ups to develop game changing technologies, which can help us achieve the goal of zero Carbon Emissions.  I think it is time four our region to have a Green Innovation Playbook, a set of plays that our cities, counties, and start up/investors ecosystem can turn to in an effort to address climate change.

The first green innovation play for Morrisville and the Triangle is to encourage and develop social entrepreneurs to participate in the Sustainable Innovation programs.  The idea would be for startups, focused on sustainability, to partner and offer pilot programs for different Town Departments. We could begin to grow our own green innovation ecosystem, and become a destination in North Carolina for not only the data science and Technologists, but also for entrepreneurs, focused on reducing the carbon foot print in our Town and Region.  We also can have market leading companies in the region pilot renewable energy technologies, based on Smart City and IOT Technologies.  For example, Local company, GreenStream, has had success working with Morrisville and other cities in the area to offer real time flood monitoring and real time environmental conditions.

We need to encourage Town Environmental and Sustainability Task Forces (these should be established) to solicit presentations from Start Up Companies focused on Green and Sustainability. These committees need to shift their focus on more innovative approaches to reducing the Carbon Footprint so that our Region and State can be a destination for investment and jobs in these areas.

Towns must also establish Master Sustainability Plans, which can serve as a roadmap for the Town's sustainability program and will draw from both qualitative and quantitative data to define initiatives and projects that balance the environmental, social, and economic impacts of Town programs, policies and operations.  I am very proud of the great work Kimberly Conley, and our team in Morrisville, have done in establishing a Master Sustainability Plan, which has led to momentum in our initiatives across all Departments.  These plans can also help start ups and companies, focus their solutions on specific goals and identify places and areas where there are opportunities for pilots.

Finally, the most important part of any Innovative Sustainability Plan is for us to have engaged citizens who are willing to lead by example.  One needs to not look further for inspiring leadership sustainability than the youth led organization, DOC NC.

Dedicated to Our Community of NC (DOC NC), is a leadership and advocacy student group that runs and supports different campaigns by planning, organizing, and executing different events.

In 2021-22, DOC NC focused on education and awareness in our community on Sustainable Living. Their team collaborated with the Town of Morrisville and Town of Apex on various sustainability projects and events to engage the community and were active in Sustainability demos at both the Town of Apex and Town of Morrisville Earth Day Events.  DOC NC is engaging young adults in the development and execution of a sustainability initiative at the local, grassroots level. Some initiatives currently being worked on are social media marketing, grant writing, solar energy use in local government buildings, conducting educational sessions on sustainability topics for after school elementary school children, library, etc. Clearly, these young leaders have made it a priority to lead by example and we are grateful.

At the end of the day, Gates has convinced me that our efforts to reduce carbon emissions go much further than recycling, solar, wind, and the traditional topics we cover and learn about in our communities.  Our transportation systems, the foods we eat (plant based meats), how we grow crops, manufacturing (reducing carbon in cement), and the design of our buildings and planning/layout of our cities will have to look very different over the next few decades if we are to accelerate our sustainability efforts.

It is time for the Triangle and North Carolina to execute key plays in the Sustainability Playbook:

As Gates reminds us at the end of his book, the time has come for all of us to take action now to keep our government, our employers and ourselves accountable to our efforts to reduce carbon emissions for a cleaner and healthier planet not only for our time, but for all time.

In North Carolina, the statewide primary is Tuesday, May 17, 2022. During this election, voters can choose which candidates they prefer to be on the general election ballot in November. The purpose of a primary is to narrow the field of candidates for the general election.

Races on the ballot include:

Additionally, many voters will find municipal contests on their ballot due to rescheduled municipal elections. This applies to voters in municipalities that delayed their 2021 elections to finalize new electoral districts. This also applies to voters who live in cities and towns that conduct their elections during even-numbered years.

Registered voters across the state can vote in the primary. However, voters affiliated with any political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party. Unaffiliated voters may choose the ballot of candidates for any party primary.

Note: In 2022, the Libertarian Party does not have any primary elections because there are no contested Libertarian nominations for any office. Any Libertarian candidate who properly filed for office will therefore appear as the party’s nominee on the general election ballot in November.

Therefore, unaffiliated voters in the May 17 primary may choose the Democratic or Republican ballot, or, if available, a nonpartisan ballot. Registered Libertarians may only vote a nonpartisan ballot, if available in their jurisdiction since there are no primary contests for that party.

Each candidate that wins in each contest on their party’s ballot will become a nominee. The nominee will appear on the ballot in the general election contest. To become the party’s nominee, the candidate must win by at least 30% of the vote plus one.

If no candidate reaches the total necessary to become the nominee in a contest on the ballot, a second primary may be held on July 26. Voters can revisit this page after the primary to confirm a second primary.

Early Voting starts on April 28th. You can register and vote at the same time.

Find your Early Voting Site at https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/board-elections/election-information/early-voting.

Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot is Tuesday, May 10: https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/board-elections/election-information/absentee-mail-voting

Register at: https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx?ref=voteusa_en

Learn more about Voter Registration at: https://vote.gov/register/nc/.

Voter registration deadlines in North Carolina

Thanks for listening to our Radio Nyra Interview with Secretary of State Elaine Marshall! We look forward to our interview with her on POD TV on ROKU tomorrow at 10 am, live on Facebook.

Get with the Program with Gary Jones!

Mar. 25th Black Issues Forum Discussion!

Steverao app can be downloaded at Apple App store by searching for "Steverao" app in Apple store and Google Play store.

Other Way to download the app is by below scan for Apple store scan code and Google Play store link.

Below are two links to download app from Apple App store and Google Playstore.

May 2- 5:00 p.m.  Wake County Commissioners Meeting and Budget Presentation. 

May 3 – 6:00 p.m. Public Safety Advisory Committee

May 3 – 6:30 p.m. Public Education Advisory Committee

May 4 – 6:30 p.m. Environment & Stormwater Committee

MAFC continues to work through our staffing shortages. Staffing is a national issue for many businesses but especially for the aquatics industry. So I am reaching out to you for referrals for our upcoming lifeguard certification class. If you know of a strong swimmer who is interested in working for the Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center, please have them contact PJ Nettesheim at pj@townofmorrisville.org. Thanks for spreading the word. The course information and prerequisites are below:

The class will run from May 11-May 25 on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30-8:30 pm and Sundays from 9 am-5 pm.

Please note the following prerequisites for participating in the class:

To achieve your lifeguard certification participants must: Attend all class sessions, successfully perform all required skills, successfully complete three final skill scenarios; and pass the written exam with a minimum grade of 80 percent or better on each section.

Participants will need the American Red Cross Lifeguarding manual which can be found here. You can view it online, download or print it. Alternatively, a hard copy of the Lifeguarding manual can be purchased here.

Successful completion of the course does not guarantee a job with the Town of Morrisville. Candidates will need to apply, interview, and pass a drug screening and background check to be considered. Candidates who are hired and work for the Town of Morrisville will receive their certification for free. Those who do not work for the Town will be given an opportunity to purchase their certificate for $250.

Remember, to register for the course or for additional questions, individuals should email pj@townofmorrisville.org. MAFC is a great place to work, and we appreciate you getting the word out!

Join the Fire/Rescue Department at an Open House on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., at Fire Station No. 1, 200 Town Hall Drive.

Don’t forget your camera! Read more here.

The Triangle Gujarati Association, in partnership with the Town of Morrisville, invites you to the 2022 Kite Festival on Saturday, May 7. The festival starts at 11 a.m. at Cedar Fork District Park.

 Morrisville Police Chief Pete Acosta recently sat down with us and shared his background, leadership philosophy and his goals as chief of police in Morrisville. Check out the video here.

Do you have questions for him? Join us for a live Q&A chat with Morrisville Police Chief Acosta on Monday, May 16, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. on EngageMorrisville.com.

Chief Acosta leads and directs all police department operations and continues the Town’s strong commitment to maintaining a safe community. Residents are invited to ask Chief Acosta any questions that they may have regarding the Chief’s role in relation to the Town of Morrisville during this one-hour chat.

The Town of Morrisville has entered into a partnership with the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) and Wake Technical Community College that will lead to a new high school and 17 acres of parkland and open space in Morrisville.

The land purchase by WCPSS from Wake Tech was approved during the April 19 Wake County Board of Education meeting. The future Morrisville high school could be open by the fall of 2027. The Morrisville Town Council will consider two memorandums of understanding to initiate comprehensive review of plans and concepts for the projects during its April 25 council meeting.

The Town of Morrisville and the Morrisville Police Department advise pedestrians not to walk on either side of Morrisville Carpenter Road between Town Hall Drive and Misty Groves Circle. This section of the road is an active construction zone area and does not have a sidewalk and is not safe for pedestrians. Please observe the posted sidewalk closed signs.

For Morrisville Carpenter Road Project updates Visit https://bit.ly/mcrcp1

• Clearing and grubbing is underway for walking trails and prefabricated picnic shelter behind the baseball fields.

• The contractor will be closing a small segment of the Hatcher Creek Greenway for the month of May. The closure will be to lay stormwater pipes and additional site utilities. The contractor will be working to perform the work and reopen the greenway section as soon as possible for public use.

Click here to read more on MCP Phase III.

The Town of Morrisville is ranked 11th out of more than 1,300 towns and cities across the United States for its business climate for new entrepreneurs and business owners. Morrisville was the only town or city in North Carolina to rank in the top 45 cities.

Read the full article here.

The Town of Morrisville joined Wake County, Campbell University School of Law, City of Raleigh, and Town of Knightdale to celebrate the expansion of an anti-discrimination resource for the community. The county, law school and these cities and towns are partnering to allow residents who believe a business or organization has discriminated against them to file a complaint and receive assistance resolving the claim.

Residents can file a complaint at WakeGov.com/StopDiscrimination. If the complaint falls within the county’s jurisdiction and is factually validated, the county will offer a conciliation process to help resolve the dispute.

Registration is now open for the Morrisville Police Department’s Teen Citizen Police Academy.

The academy is a five-week program, held June 15-July 23, and is designed to give participants a working knowledge of the department. It is intended to increase transparency and enhance understanding between the community and the police. Learn more and register here.

Puttin’ Around Town is a placement of one temporary disc golf basket on a rotating basis. Spring 2022 locations are: Morrisville Community Park, April 11-May 2; Shiloh Park, May 2-16; and Church Street Park, May 16-31. Read more about Puttin’ Around Town here.

The Morrisville Pop-up Dog Park is back! Bring your dogs out to enjoy the sunshine at Morrisville Community Park. The dog park will be open May 8 - September 18 on select days. Click here for more information and to register.

Beginning the week of April 11, the MAFC program pool will be unavailable for public use on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open rec swim and water aerobics participants will be accommodated in lanes 5 and 6 of the lap pool. Additionally, the Friday morning water aerobics class has been cancelled.

The Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center is hiring for part-time lifeguards. Applicants must be 16+, and scheduling hours include morning, mid-day, after school, evenings and weekends. Not certified? The MAFC will train you free of charge. Learn more and apply here.

The Town of Morrisville's SpringFest turns Town Hall Drive into fun for the whole family! In keeping with the spirit of SpringFest's past, the Town will shut down a portion of Town Hall Drive (near Fire Station No. 1) and offer food trucks, games, inflatables, a mechanical bull, and entertainment.

The event is free but be sure to bring money for the food, rides and games. Check out food trucks, entertainment and more here.

May 14: SpringFest

The Town of Morrisville has opened vendor applications for the Morrisville Juneteenth event on Saturday, June 11. We are looking for vendors to sell their products at the event. Spaces are 10’x10’. Learn more and apply here.

The Town of Morrisville has launched the Sustainability Dashboard on Morrisville's Open Data Portal. The dashboard provides residents with tracking data showing the Town's progress in implementing sustainability practices. Data for the solar panel array on Morrisville Fire Station No. 1 and recycling participation rates for each of Morrisville's five GFL Environmental service routes are currently available. For details, click here.

What could rapid transit be between Garner-Clayton or Cary-RTP? How could if affect us in Morrisville? Provide input on alternatives for NC Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's Wake BRT: Rapid Bus Extensions Study.

Learn about findings to date, take the survey, and visit virtual open house now through April 30 here.

The Morrisville Smart Shuttle, the Town’s newest public transit service, allows riders to request a pick-up or drop-off from one of 15 nodes, or stops, located around the Town using the Smart Shuttle application on their smartphone.

Watch this short video on how to use the Morrisville Smart Shuttle App by clicking here!

The service runs seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Additional details on the Morrisville Smart Shuttle visit TownofMorrisville.org/SmartShuttle

The Western Wake Farmers' Market (WWFM) offers healthy and fresh food, goods, and live music from small and local businesses from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (winter hours) every Saturday.

Visit http://wwfm.ag/ to see a complete list of local vendors and shop local!

Wake Competition Center is now Invisalign Center!  Coach Ron Brind Amour and GM Don Waddell visit Morrisville to host Press Conference! Go Canes!

Working to support Jobs of the New Economy with Apprenticeships!  

Wonderful Earth Day in Morrisville with DOC NC !  

Great to meet with Senator Chaudhuri at Fusion Nine Restaurant

Great to see Town Manager Martha Paige, Deputy Manager Brandon Zuidema, Police Chief Pete Acosta and Fire Chief Scott Criddle.  

Visited Trio Labs on my Start Up and Small Business Listening Tour

Leandro Case Judge says NC Schools are due $785 million but nixes plans to pay for it!  

Wake County School Board is asking Commissioners for $56 million budget increase.  

Russia is doubling down on its costly invasion, shifting troops from its far eastern regions to bolster its faltering offensive in Ukraine’s east.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for attacks inside Russia, but an official declared a policy of intentional ambiguity: “We don’t confirm, and we don’t deny.”

Ukraine could get more warplanes. Slovakia reached a deal for neighboring Poland to patrol its skies, freeing up Slovak fighter jets for Ukraine.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, as U.S. support for Ukraine grows.

The European Union will most likely give member countries until the end of this year to ban Russian oil imports.

For one Ukrainian woman looking for her missing brother, the war was reduced to a body bag and slow acceptance — and then grief.

Primaries are Tuesday in Indiana and Ohio. A Senate seat is up for grabs in each state.

President Biden asks Congress for $33 billion for aid to Ukraine!

The Federal Reserve is expected to increase interest rates by more than usual on Wednesday to try to tame inflation. And the U.S. employment report for April comes out Friday.

The N.H.L. playoffs begin tomorrow, and the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday.

Watch Sunday at 4pm for a new Forum.

Please watch for the Black Issues Forum on UNC-TV!  Fridays at 7 pm and Sundays at 4 pm!

Website: https://video.pbsnc.org/search/?q=black+issues+forum

Thanks for joining us on Sunday for our Radio Nyra Asian American Leadership Interview Cary Council Member Ya Liu! 

May 5 Morrisville Chamber Annual Meeting at Prestonwood Country Club from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Award Applications are open!

May 12th NC Tech Association Outlook for Tech!    9 am- 3 pm.

https://business.morrisvillechamber.org/events/details/chamber-day-of-service-april-2022-2464

Save the Date: May 16th Spring Fest from 4 pm to 7 pm at Town Hall Drive!

Join us this Sunday at 4 pm for our Radio Nyra Asian American Leadership Interview Cary Council Member Ya Liu!

99.9FMHD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!  Listen at www.radionyrausa.com!

Join us every Friday on World Edition at 10 am for the Great America Project Panel where we discuss how we rebuild Americas' image with leaders from around the country and world.

Public Open Dialogue TV is a worldwide multilingual, multi-demographic network focused on inspiring, educating and entertaining the global community. We provide unique programming in areas not covered by traditional media, and provide a platform for the audience to engage with those shows. Formerly IBMTV.