I recently reported to Council and Public Works that there is a stop sign down at the Intersection of Downing Glen and Town Hall Drive.  If you see any signs down or matters that need to be addressed, please call the Public Works Line at (919) 463-7090. 

We thank our Public Works Department for their hard work during our last snow event.  

We look forward to our Virtual Winter Meeting (retreat) this weekend.  Fri. ( 2pm to 6 pm) and Sat. (8 am to 3:30 pm) will be live streamed at http://www.townofmorrisville.org/

Built from public feedback, peer analysis, and industry best practices, the Master Sustainability Plan will contain the goals, strategies, and actions the Town will take to make Morrisville even more sustainable. Join the Town of Morrisville on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. for a virtual town hall presentation on the development of the Master Sustainability Plan. For details and to join the meeting, click here.

The Town of Morrisville is partnering with Wake County to distribute N95 Masks!  Masks will be distributed on the following days and times at Morrisville Town Hall (100 Town Hall Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560) One mask will be distributed to each family member with a maximum of 6 masks and addresses will be given voluntarily so we can track which areas of the Town masks are being distributed.   

Check Testing Section in Newsletter to find other Wake County Sites.  

Dates for N95 Mask Distribution are as follows:  

At our Council Meeting last evening, we were reminded that Phase 3 of Morrisville Carpenter Road will be completed by late Summer/Early Fall 2022.  In my next newsletter, I will be providing an update on the Morrisville Carpenter Project.  

 

For more Morrisville Carpenter Project updates, please visit https://www.townofmorrisville.org/residents/projects/morrisville-carpenter-road-improvements-project# and visit https://www.facebook.com/TownOfMorrisville for any updates.  

Kamala Harris will be Biden running mate if he decides to run again.  

Supreme Court to Hear Affirmative Action Cases for Harvard and the University of North Carolina. 

Wake County Public Testing Sites Change Hours Today. 

Join me and other national leaders for a Town Hall on National Redistricting Reform in Georgia and NC.    8 pm  RSVP: bit.ly/SAFARedistricting. 

Today, Jan 26th is India’s 73rd Republic Day, which is celebrated in India and around the world.  We are very grateful for all of the contributions our Indian American community makes to Morrisville, the Triangle Region and the entire state of North Carolina.  

Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic.

The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country's transition towards becoming an independent republic. 26 January was chosen as the date for Republic day because it was on this day in 1929 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by the British Regime.

While India's Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution. A draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of two years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on 24 January 1950. Two days later which was on 26 January 1950, it came into effect throughout the whole nation.

As we celebrate India Republic Day, let us also be mindful that we cannot take Democracy for granted in our own Republic, the United States of America. On this day let us make a promise to strive for justice, voting rights, honoring the outcomes of free and fair elections and for peace and unity among all who are fortunate enough to live in freedom.  

Liberty will never die if we always fight for it.  

The father of India, Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in this world." and those words are relevant even today, no matter where you are. Be a Leader. Make the Difference. 

Wishing you a very Happy Republic Day 2021!

Adding a renewable energy system is one of the best ways to demonstrate the Town’s commitment to sustainability because it directly offsets or replaces electricity generated and provided by our utility, Duke Energy. Solar is a powerful visual for progressive, future-thinking renewable energy technology that offsets Morrisville’s environmental impact. The dashboard monitor for the solar panel array will be another example of transparency and accountability through our Smart Cities initiative. The dashboard provides a way to engage with our residents and demonstrate, in real-time, what our solar array is producing or conversely, what it’s saving in emissions; the equivalent of trees planted or maybe even something specific such as fire trucks charged or first responders’ oxygen tanks refilled as a portion of the electricity we harness from the sun.

Optimize building HVAC, air quality and energy consumption based on the use of the building / occupancy. Sensors will help us monitor systems and make decisions in real time. RFP for a Study will be issued and Implementation of Study will begin in third quarter of 2021.

Assess Town of Morrisville as a corridor for EV charging stations considering location, access to highways and airport. Comprehensive study to assess strategic placement of charging stations on growth and EV adoption throughout the Town, including public / private partnerships that support Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.  A vendor will be selected for this study, and the town will be looking at implementing this initiative during the next few months.

Work with Dedicated to Our Community NC (DOC NC) to provide opportunities for student leaders to engage in a real-world recycling campaign including a mailing and social media support. The Town received a grant for 10K for this program and will be implementing the community program in 2021- 2022.

In 2020 Morrisville’s Fleet Division converted their police vehicle purchasing plan from gasoline powered vehicles to pursuit-rated hybrid police SUVs. The conversion started in the summer of 2020 with the purchase of Ford Police Interceptor SUVs that are a combination of gas engines and on-board electrical motors powered by lithium-ion hybrid batteries. Each SUV has factory default law enforcement specific options. The Town further upfits them to fit our local needs. Once they arrive from the factory, the Town installs all the lights, radios, radars, computers, cameras, and markings in the vehicles prior to their use. To date, the Town has nine Ford Police Interceptor Hybrid SUVs in the Fleet Division. The advantage of a hybrid vehicle over a standard vehicle comes from the savings while idling. Police vehicles sit idle for long periods of time. The hybrids use battery power to reduce the engine running time, saving both fuel and emissions.

Based on information from Ford’s Hybrid SUV savings calculator, the advantages of using hybrids versus nonhybrids in the fleet include the following annual savings and reductions per vehicle:

The Town will continue working toward reducing our carbon footprint by exploring new technologies in our fleet.

On an individual level, we can be mindful of the decisions we make daily. Those decisions include proper recycling, minimizing food waste, walking or biking, considering solar for your home, or buying an electric car. Additional opportunities include supporting the local vendors at the Western Wake Farmer’s Market, volunteering in the Community Garden, and taking part in the Morrisville Stewardship Program.

We are also currently participating in the Morrisville Stewardship Program, hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department. We are participating in the program by bringing together 25 community members which helps support our local parks, greenways, and water resources. We look forward to helping plant trees and flowers, pick up litter, and do other activities to beautify and protect these Morrisville resources in 2022! 

The Town’s Open Data Portal provides an opportunity to engage and learn about how we’re striving as a community to create a smarter and more sustainable Morrisville every day. The sustainability-focused projects will largely live under the “Environmental” tab being built, allowing residents to see insightful and actionable information. As an example, we plan on showing information on our electric vehicle (EV) charging stations so that EV owners can make decisions on where to charge based on their travel plans. Another example is the addition of sensors at Cedar Fork District Park, which has a history of flooding. Park sensors will feed data to a portal that residents can check before visiting the park. Those same sensors will automatically close the park gates so that a Public Works employee doesn’t have to jump in a truck (generating emissions) to close the gate.

In his book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, 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.  

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.

Jan. 26 - 6 p.m. Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Committee (Virtual)

Jan. 27 - 6:30 p.m. Morrisville Smart City Steering Committee (Virtual)

Jan. 28 - 2 p.m. - Jan. 30 - 12 p.m. Town Council Annual Winter Meeting (Virtual)

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

Based upon current data and trends in COVID-19 cases in our region, the Morrisville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resource Department has current COVID-19 safety measures and protocols in place for the Morrisville Aquatic & Fitness Center, Cedar Fork Community Center, and Morrisville Senior Center. For those facility’s COVID-19 guidelines and for updates from the Town of Morrisville on COVID-19, visit TownOfMorrisville.org/COVID19.

Town leaders are continuously monitoring the situation in coordination with Wake County Public Health Division, the lead agency for guidance as it relates to the coronavirus and its variants. If you have specific questions related to your health and COVID-19, COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccinations, or other assistance, please call (919) 250-1500, email at covid19.questions@wakegov.com, or visit their webpage at Wakegov.com/covid-19.

As concerns surrounding COVID-19 and the Omicron variant continue to grow in our area, we have made some important updates to our facility's current protocols and procedures to help stop the spread and keep you safe. The changes you need to be aware of and abide by are listed below:

The Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center is offering swim classes for children and adults (with some experience in the water) who are looking to refine their abilities. 

Classes are offered throughout the month of February. 

Class times, levels, and registration information is available here: https://bit.ly/3HC2ei9

#LiveConnectedLiveWell

Built from public feedback, peer analysis, and industry best practices, the Master Sustainability Plan will contain the goals, strategies, and actions the Town will take to make Morrisville even more sustainable. Join the Town of Morrisville on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. for a virtual town hall presentation on the development of the Master Sustainability Plan. For details and to join the meeting, click here.

Registration will start soon for the Women on Weights, Teen Fit, and swim classes at Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center. To learn more about these programs, get registration information and sign up, click here.

Spring Little League Baseball registration is open! Ages 5-12 can register for league play with practices beginning tentatively in late February.

Additionally, we will take information for participants that are interested in participating in softball from ages 9-12. We are looking to begin softball league development this spring and hope to form teams in the coming months. Volunteers for T-ball, baseball, and softball can reach out to Bryan Rhea at brhea@townofmorrisville.org for more information.

The winter basketball league is currently pausing its league games until the week of Jan. 31 as a safety measure for its volunteers and participants. Practices will continue to take place as information is reviewed.

Nervous to jump into one of our group fitness classes? Build a strong foundation first by taking one of the “how-to” group fitness classes on Saturday mornings in January and February at the Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center. The 30-minute instructional sessions are followed by the full one-hour version of the class, allowing participants to sign up for both and apply their skills. Reserve your spot now via SignUp Genius (Fitness Class Sign-Up tab).

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!

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. 

Today, Jan 26th, Wake County Public Health will reduce the hours of appointments at its five testing locations from 12 hours to 8 hours a day (Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays).

This shift will still allow for more than 8,000 daily testing appointments

Baptist on Mission ( 3901 Capital Hills Drive, Raleigh )will be moving its testing site from Southbridge Fellowship Church in Raleigh, to Summit Church – Capital Hills Campus in Raleigh. It will operate Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. No appointments necessary, no out-of-pocket costs and insurance accepted but not required. 

This site joins these other NCDHHS and community testing sites: 

WakeMed Soccer Park (101 Soccer Park Drive, Cary NC 27519): Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

This site will be open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. until the end of January. Results in 24-28 hours. Preregistration will be required. There are no out-of-pocket costs for testing at this site. They will ask for insurance information if you have it, but insurance is not necessary.

PNC Arena (home to the Carolina Hurricanes): Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. (hours are 7 a.m.–noon on game days or event days) 

Five County Stadium (1501 NC-39, Zebulon, NC 27597) home to the Carolina Mudcats):Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. 

Highland Baptist Church in Garner at 8524 Crowder Road. It will operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Results are received within 24–48 hours. Pre-registration is required. There are no out-of-pocket costs for testing at these sites. While staff will ask for insurance information if you have it, insurance is not necessary.   

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.

Wake County Public Health is expanding locations offering free N95 masks to include the Western Health and Human Services Center in Cary (111 James Jackson Avenue, Cary, NC 27513) and Wake County Human Services Center (Departure Drive) in Raleigh.

In addition to these two new sites, the two sites that ran out last week - Public Health Center (Sunnybrook Road) and the Southern Regional Center in Fuquay Varina - now have a new supply for the public.

The Wake County Health and Human Services building on Swinburne/Kidd Road will no longer be a distribution site.

Wake County Public Health will distribute masks at the following locations Monday through Friday while supplies last:

Chary Chamber State of Cary Event!  It was great to attend the State of Cary event today and hear from Mayor Weinbrecht!

The Kremlin appears to be developing plans to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin weighs whether to invade, the British government said.

The highly unusual disclosure by British intelligence officials comes at a pivotal moment in negotiations between the West and Russia, which has deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders that could, according to American officials, attack anytime.

According to a British intelligence assessment, Russian planners are considering installing Yevgeniy Murayev, a former member of Ukraine’s Parliament, as leader of a pro-Kremlin puppet government in Kyiv. Officials disclosed few details about how Russia might impose a new government on a sovereign Ukraine and did not say whether such plans were contingent on an invasion by Russian troops.

British officials said the intent of sharing the information was both to head off the activation of such plans and to put Putin on notice: This plot had been exposed.

More and more states have passed a peak in new coronavirus cases in recent days, as glimmers of progress have spread from a handful of eastern cities to much of the country. By the end of last week, the country was averaging about 720,000 new cases a day, down from about 807,000 last week. New coronavirus hospital admissions have also leveled off.

The U.S. is not in the clear yet. It continues to identify far more infections a day than during any prior surge, creating havoc for hospitals and businesses in small towns. Deaths continue to mount, with more than 2,100 announced most days. Still, the decline in new cases offered a sense of relief to virus-weary Americans. Here’s what scientists know about Omicron.

Did you get a breakthrough infection? Vaccinated people may now have “hybrid” immunity, but experts still encourage precautions.

The White House is emphasizing that price surges are worldwide. Economists say that’s true, but point to government policies as a big reason that U.S. inflation is at a 40-year high. They say that America’s decision to flood the economy with stimulus money helped to send consumer spending into overdrive, exacerbating the global trends.

In sectors as diverse as housing and fast food, the pandemic is sending prices soaring across industries..

When China hosted the Olympics in 2008, it sought to mollify critics. Now, President Xi Jinping is defying them, delivering the Games on his own terms.

China has plowed through the obstacles that once made Beijing’s bid for the Winter Games seem a long shot — limited experience with winter sports, little snowfall and dense pollution — and faced down new ones, including an unending pandemic and mounting international concern over its authoritarian behavior.

But unlike in 2008, “they don’t need this to legitimize their rule,” one historian said. “And they don’t need to please the whole world to make the event a big success.”

A spate of violence in New York City is increasing pressure on Mayor Eric Adams to deliver on his promise of bolstering public safety.

On Friday, one police officer was killed and another critically wounded when a gunman opened fire on them inside a Harlem apartment. They were the third and fourth officers to be shot in the line of duty this week. Last weekend, an Asian-American woman was shoved in front of a moving train in Times Square. On Wednesday, an 11-month-old baby was shot in the face in the Bronx.

“This was just not an attack on three brave officers,” Adams said of Friday’s shooting. “This was an attack on the city of New York.”

Adams used the shooting to call for a unified, citywide response to gun violence and to attack Congress for doing too little, in his view, to control guns. He also offered an implicit rebuke of the call from his party’s left wing to shift funding away from the police.

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

Thank you for joining me for the Black Issues Forum today 4 pm to talk Voter Rights Legislation, the Filibuster and Maya Angelou on Coin.

https://www.pbsnc.org/watch/black-issues-forum/.

January 26 Virtual Sustainability Town Hall Meeting 6:00 pm

Jan 27th Blood Connection Blood Drive at Kitts Creek Neighborhood!  1pm to 6 pm. 6333 Kitts Creek Road, Morrisville, NC 27560.  Scan the QR Code!

Brian Hamilton Farm, a 32-acre private farm in Apex, is opening up for visitors for one day only. On Saturday, February 5th, 2022, from 12 to 4 p.m., you can come out and enjoy the farm.

This is a free event.

Register on Eventbrite and you’ll be sent the exact address.

Feb. 8th- Feb. 10th: Emerging Issues Forum: Advancing Together; North Carolina’s Workforce Through Educational Attainment!  Register at https://iei.ncsu.edu/advancing-together/.

March 4th NC Tech Association Outlook for Tech.

Register at

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

Award Applications are open!

Thanks for joining me Sirius XM Urban View 126, for my appearance on Inside the Issues with Dr. Wilmer Leon!

Join us on Wed, Jan 26th at 10 am for India Republic Day POD TV WORLD EDITION with special Sanjay Puri, Chair of USINPAC

Watch at

or watch at

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.