We will miss you Coach K!  Long Live the Legend!

Effective Monday, masks will no longer be required within the Wake County Public School System, and Durham and Orange counties will rescind their indoor mask orders.

Accelerate is WakeEd Partnership’s new workforce development initiative that partners businesses with teachers and students to bring authentic, real-world learning experiences to Wake County classrooms and to connect students with employers to explore career pathways.

To learn more or to partner with WakeEd Partnership, contact: 

Douglas Price, Director of Programs 

(919) 780-5235 | dprice@wakeed.org

If you are a disabled Veteran in Wake County and need assistance in paying your property taxes, please visit www.wakegov.com/taxrelief or call (919) 856-5400 for more information on programs which can help you. 

Biden delivers State of Union and says State of the Union is Strong.

Putin Threatens Russian Statehood, Likens Sanctions to Declaration of War.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/05/russia-ukraine-war-news-live-updates/

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the many residents of Morrisville and Cary, who encouraged me to run for NC House District 21, which does include the entire Town of Morrisville.

It would have been an honor to represent us well in this newly drawn legislative district as I would have brought over 12 years of local government experience to the State House. The Town of Morrisville, does not currently have one of our own residents, serving in the General Assembly.

However, after meeting with my family and colleagues at work, the timing of this election does not work well for me at this time.

In addition, having just won a fourth term in November 2021 and being sworn in last December, I want to continue to serve the residents of the All America City of Morrisville, continuing my efforts to transform our Town into the Smartest City in North Carolina.  You sent me back for a fourth term and I plan to keep doing the job you sent me to do.

I have plenty to do and am very proud of serving on our Championship Team in Morrisville!

All the best to my friend, Cary Council Member Ya Liu, and my neighbor and friend, Gerard Falzon who have filed for the seat.

Let's Get the Job Done in Morrisville!

Panther Creek High Mens Basketball Advances to State Championship Next Week!  It was great to be there with School Board Member Chris Heagarty.

As we celebrate Women's History Month 2022, we reflect upon advances women have made over the last decade. We celebrate the women who make (and made!) Morrisville a great place to live, work, and play.

Did you know? You have women to thank for the invention of circular saws, aquariums, dishwashers, globes, life rafts, fire escapes, car heaters, medical syringes, windshield wipers, coffee filters, and the first Monopoly game – just to name a few. Take some time this month to learn about the remarkable women of history and go blaze a trail of your own.

Learn more about Women’s History Month, including online exhibits, collections, audio, and videos, at https://womenshistorymonth.gov

Women's History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with International Women's Day on March 8, and during October in Canada, corresponding with the celebration of Persons Day on October 18.

The commemoration began in 1978 as "Women's History day" in Sonoma County, California, and was championed by Gerda Lerner and the National Women's History Alliance to be recognized as a national week (1980) and then month (1987) in the United States, spreading internationally after that.

During this Women’s History Month, we want to celebrate Women Trailblazers in our Nation and Around the World.  Women have had such a remarkable impact on the political, economic, and social/cultural fabric of society.   I also commend them for balancing career, and family, to successfully launch their careers.  My mom, my wife, and mother in law have all inspired me as some of the smartest women I have ever known!

This month, please share with me on Social Media, your ideas on Women we should be talking about!  I will try to share some of my favorite Female Trailblazers this week!

Here are a few to get us started and we will do this throughout the month!

The Small Business Technology & Development Center (SBTDC) at NC State University is collaborating with the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce to provide confidential, no-cost business counseling at the Chamber office.

SBTDC advisors help businesses:

Could your business benefit from an expert advisor? Those who wish to participate in this free opportunity should choose a time slot for your mentor session here: https://bit.ly/3BQiqL8

You must register with SBTDC to complete the confidentiality agreement by completing this form prior to your appointment on March 30: https://bit.ly/3hnt3eQ

In continued alignment with Wake County, the Town of Morrisville will be lifting its mask mandate at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25. As a result, face coverings will no longer be required in Town facilities or anywhere else within the town. Smart Shuttle riders will still be required to wear a mask, based on a federal mandate for masks on public transportation.

While the mandate is ending, masking as a mitigation tool has proven effective in helping minimize transmission.

Use of masks should be supported by all who want to use them and are recommended for:

Employers are free to maintain mask mandates on their premises and are encouraged to make the choices they believe best fit their circumstances. Employers should post any specific mask-related rules at their facilities.

Town leaders will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with the Wake County Public Health Division and the State of North Carolina.

For the most up-to-date information about the local COVID-19 response, please visit WakeGov.com. You can also email questions to covid19.questions@wakegov.com, or call the NC Vaccine help desk at 1-888-675-4567.

Masks will be optional at MAFC effective, Friday, February 25th at 5pm.

All guests should respect personal masking decisions and provide proper 6-foot social distancing whenever possible. To safeguard our staff and participants, all guests should avoid MAFC after possible exposure and when not feeling well or experiencing symptoms of COVID19.

MAFC will be closed March 18th from 10am-2:30pm to honor the life of Pat Rower, an eleven-year veteran of the MAFC desk staff. The death of Pat on February 15th has hit the MAFC community and her family hard.

We appreciate your understanding in allowing MAFC staff to take time to reflect on Pat and her legacy.

For the most up to date programming and event news remember to check the MAFC webpage www.townofmorrisville.org/MAFC and SignUp Genius http://tinyurl.com/signupmafc.

It has come to my attention that Parkside Elementary could be capped this upcoming school year, and the closest school would be Adams Elementary in Cary, which is located on Cary Town Boulevard.  I am working with my colleagues on the Council, and the Wake County School Board on what other options could be and I am going to make this a high priority for this year, along with our Council.

We do plan to discuss this topic at the next during our brainstorming work session tomorrow and next week as well.

Please visit https://www.wcpss.net/student-assignment for more information on School Assignment.

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.

March 8 – 6:00 p.m. Town Council Meeting (Hybrid)

March 9 – 6:00 p.m. Performance Measures Advisory Committee (Hybrid)

March 10 – 6:00 p.m. Senior Advisory Committee (In Person)

March 10 – 6:30 p.m. Planning & Zoning Board (In Person)

The Spring White Goods Collection is Thursday, March 10. Items to be collected include washing machines, dryers, freezers, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, stoves/ovens, and dehumidifiers. Microwaves should be dropped off at the South Wake Landfill, 6130 Old Smithfield Road, Apex.

Registration is required and must be received by Monday, March 7. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/MSVWhiteGoods.

What do you see as budget priorities for our fiscal year 2023? The Town has opened a Budget Portal Gateway to collect community insight that serves to inform the development of Town Council’s priorities and goals for the next budget year. Input will be collected through Tuesday, March 15, at midnight.

View the portal and share your input here.

The Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center is hosting a free Pickleball Clinic on Sunday, March 13, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., at the MAFC Tennis Courts.

This free clinic, hosted by Cary Pickleball Ambassadors, will teach you the foundations of the game and concludes with match play alongside other participants. Attendees must be over the age of 14.

Registration opens on Sunday, March 6, at 11 a.m. 

Shotokan Karate classes, made for both kids and adults, emphasize the development of power, smoothness, and balance in punching, kicking, blocking/parrying and body shifting.

Participants can expect to increase flexibility, coordination, and body awareness by learning combative techniques of this traditional Japanese martial art. Registration for March 9 – April 28 classes opens on Tuesday, March 8, at 6 a.m.: https://bit.ly/3HxQzBj

The Town of Morrisville is adding new amenities to Morrisville Community Park. We will be constructing new tennis courts, pickleball courts, a restroom building, picnic shelter, and walking trails through the park.

Read more at https://bit.ly/MSVCPIII.

Get them answered on EngageMorrisville.com during a live Q&A chat session with Town representatives on Monday, March 21, from 1-2 p.m.

#LiveConnectedLiveWell

Phase 2 of the Morrisville Carpenter Road Improvements Project will begin on March 7. As a result, there will be changes to traffic flow patterns on Morrisville Carpenter Road and on Town Hall Drive. Town Engineer and Director of Engineering Mark Spanioli talks about the updates in this video.

The traffic pattern changes on Morrisville Carpenter Road (Church Street to Morrisville Square) and on Town Hall Drive (Morrisville Carpenter Road to Fire Station 1) will now happen on Friday, March 11.

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

Registration will start soon for Cedar Fork Community Center summer camp. Residents and Town staff in-person or online registration will open at 7 a.m. on Feb. 21. Non-resident registration will open at 7 a.m. on March 7. For more information, contact the center’s supervisor by calling (919) 463-7101.

Join us at the Cedar Fork Community Center on Saturday, March 12, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., as we celebrate Holi, the ancient Hindu festival marking the end of winter and welcoming the spring season.

The Festival is free to attend, and will feature dancing, Holi powders, and food for purchase from Nukaad Indian Street Food and Curry in a Hurry. Music will be provided by DJ Chirag.

Overflow parking will be available at Iron Mountain, 826 Church Street. The Morrisville Smart Shuttle has a node on Town Hall Drive next to CFCC, accessible from 15 other nodes around Town. Service is free and can be booked through the app.

The Small Business Technology & Development Center (SBTDC) at NC State University is collaborating with the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce to provide confidential, no-cost business counseling at the Chamber office.

SBTDC advisors help businesses:

Could your business benefit from an expert advisor? Those who wish to participate in this free opportunity should choose a time slot for your mentor session here: https://bit.ly/3BQiqL8

You must register with SBTDC to complete the confidentiality agreement by completing this form prior to your appointment on March 30: https://bit.ly/3hnt3eQ

Morrisville Creek Week will be held March 12-19 in conjunction with NC Clean Water Education Partnership’s (NC CWEP) Regional Creek week. Celebrating Creek Week serves the purpose of educating the public about issues related to stormwater pollution and keeping our waterways clean.

Businesses are invited to register their business as in-kind supporters for Creek Week. Businesses will receive a number of benefits in exchange for their support. Interested businesses should reach out to tvictor@townofmorrisville.org to receive additional information about this opportunity.

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.

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

Starting Dec. 4, the WWFM is shifting to winter market hours, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Visit http://wwfm.ag/ to see a complete list of local vendors and shop local!

Get Free Covid Tests at https://www.covidtests.gov/

This information is provided for COVID-19 testing sites in Wake County and please visit https://www.wakegov.com/covid-19-information/no-cost-covid-19-testing.

New sites continue to be added in Wake County through partnerships with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and other community testing providers.

All Mako Medical/NCDHHS sites will remain open through March 1. WakeMed Soccer Park hours are changing - they're now 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Monday.

Radeas Labs has partnered with Baptist on Mission to offer drive-thru testing in Wake County AND Radeas has opened back up its Wake Forest drive thru-site. No appointments, no pre-registration, and no out-of-pocket costs. Insurance accepted, but not required.

All Mako Wake County Testing Sites Open Until March 1:

Hindu Society of NC: Drive thru testing in HSNC parking lot. Do not step out of your car . You will be provided with instructions for registration. No prior appointment is required. Testing is being performed by: Ottendorf Laboratories, LLC. Monday thru Friday - 8 to 5 pm Address: 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560

Registration can be done with the QR code:

Note that you can get Pfizer and Moderna First, Second and Booster Shots at Morrisville Pharmacy and Compounding (3500 Davis Drive Market Place Shopping Center, Morrisville, NC 27560) (919) 463-7990.

Had a wonderful time at Indian Idol with Senator Chaudhuri and Council Member Satish Garimella! Thanks to all of the Sponsors and the Team who made it happen!  World Class Concert in Raleigh!  Feels Great to be out again!

https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/3202027446706685 

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON PBS CAROLINAS BLACK ISSUES FORUM FOR OUR RUSSIA/UKRAINE DISCUSSION!

Where the US fits in the Ukraine-Russia Puzzle?

Thanks to the Morrisville Chamber for hosting a wonderful C Suite Conversation at the new Wake Tech Building.  We had an engaging panel, moderated by Wake Tech President, Dr. Scott Ralls.

Panel included Christine Vannais, COO, FUJIFILM Diosynth Technologies, Ed White, Chairman/CEO, Field2Base and Carly Okerfelt, WW Director, Future Computing Business, Lenovo.

I enjoyed attending the NC Tech Association Outlook for Tech event at UNC Charlotte on Friday.  It was so great to attend an in person conference and to meet and engage with so many Tech Leaders around the state.  Highlights for me was to hear the North Carolina Technology Briefing by Ted Abernathy and of course, proud of Wake Tech CIO Ryan Schweibert sharing key insights on Cyberecurity on a panel.

At the NC Tech Event, it was an honor to meet our future engineers of tomorrow.  A special thanks to Marie Hopper and the First Robotics Teams for all of their hard work!

Great to drop by the Read Across America Event at the Morrisville Community Library!  We did crafts with the kids (Thing Pencils) and heard a wonderful

It was an honor to attend the Shiva Ratri event at HSNC and light the lamp with Council Member Garimella and Wake County Sheriff Candidate James Coley.

It was great to spend some time with Canes CEO Don Waddell at the game on Friday!  Great win against Pittsburgh!

Ukrainian officials said they would meet with Russian diplomats for more discussions early this week.

The Biden administration is urging Congress to pass a spending package before government funding expires on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that sanctions imposed by the West were “akin to a declaration of war.”

Russian forces continued shelling near the first routes protected for Ukrainians to flee, apparently violating an hours-old cease-fire.

U.S. military veterans are traveling to Ukraine to join the fight.

South Korea will hold a tightly contested presidential election on Wednesday. Officials set aside a window for people infected with Covid to vote.

Wake County's indoor mask mandate to slow the spread of COVID-19 will end at 5 p.m. Friday. Several cities and towns within the county, including Raleigh, Garner, Morrisville, Knightdale, Zebulon and Rolesville will also end their mandates.

Many of the county's towns have already lifted the mask mandate, including Cary, Fuquay Varina, Apex, Holly Springs and Wake Forest.

The mandate applies to indoor, public buildings, but individual businesses will be allowed to make their own decisions about requiring masks.

Cumberland County lifted its mask mandates last weekend.

Durham County is expected to keep its guidelines in place until at least the end of March.

Wake County Public School System plans to make masks optional for students and staff in the "coming days."

The district made that announcement Friday morning on the heels of recommendations from Gov. Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Cooper and NCDHHS said improving COVID-19 metrics across the state meant it was safe to make masking optional in low-risk settings. The Governor encourages all school districts to consider optional mask requirements.

The decision also comes a day after the North Carolina House passed the Free the Smiles Act in a veto-proof, bipartisan vote.

Durham City & County to End Mask Mandate Effective March 7; City Employees will Continue to Wear Masks through March 21. The decision is based on current COVID-19 data and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance. Officials will continue to monitor the critical metrics in the coming weeks.

Durham County officials announced the termination of the Declaration of Emergency which was implemented and remained in effect as the COVID -19 pandemic continued to surge.

County Commissioners first issued a "Declaration of State of Emergency in Durham County" on March 14, 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Updates to the Declaration were subsequently added. The most recent update to the declaration came in August 2021, as the especially contagious Omicron variant pushed coronavirus cases to unprecedented levels over the following months

Starting March 14, masks will be optional in most Cumberland County Government facilities for visitors and employees.

Masks will continue to be required at the Department of Public Health and the Detention Center in accordance with OSHA and other regulations.

The UNC System announced that all system schools should be mask-optional starting March 7 unless their local guidelines require masks.

For UNC-Chapel Hill, for example, since the Orange County Health Department announced last week that the county's indoor mask requirement would remain in place, the university will continue to follow that guidance and require masks indoors on campus.

That policy will remain in effect for UNC-CH until Orange County drops the mask mandate.

UNC-Chapel Hill said the number of COVID-19 cases and positivity rates for the campus community continue to decrease.

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!

March 4, 2022

It was great to participate in today’s Black Issues Forum show!

Links To Show:

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

Program Airdates:

PBS NC

NC Channel

March 12th Town of Morrisville Holi Festival at Cedar Fork Community Center from 10 am to 2 pm!  Come out and douse yourself with colors!

Doors open at 3 PM; Program starts at 3:30 PM

Venue: Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Avenue, Cary NC 27511

Please Read: All attendees are required to sign a waiver, else provide proof of vaccination per CDC guidelines or a negative RT-PCR test at least 48 hours prior to entering Cary Arts Center. More information about the event and the requirements can be found at https://humsub.org/basant-bahar-2022/.

 MARCH 14th IT Serve Alliance Raleigh Chapter Launch from 4pm to 10 pm!

Raleigh Crabtree Marriott at 4500 Marriot Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612.

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

Award Applications are open!

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.