Most City of Durham Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Most City of Durham offices will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, 2007, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Durham residents are asked to take note of the following changes in City services:

Recycling, Yard Waste and Solid Waste Curbside Collections
The City’s Department of Solid Waste Management will have no curbside collection on Thursday, November 22. Collection for regular Thursday customers will instead occur on Wednesday, November 21. Collection for regular Friday customers will occur as normal on Friday, November 23.

For more information regarding the City’s holiday schedule, citizens may visit the City’s Department of Solid Waste Management Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/solid or contact Durham One Call at (919) 560-1200.

Preparing Your Home for Winter

The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.

Here are some tips to help you prepare your home for winter:

1) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows
*Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
*Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
*Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.

2) Service Weather-Specific Equipment
*Drain gas from lawnmowers.
*Service or tune-up snow blowers.
*Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
*Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
*Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.

3) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
*Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
*Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
*Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
*Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.

4) Prevent Plumbing Freezes
*Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
*Drain all garden hoses.
*Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
*Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
*If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

5) Prepare an Emergency Kit
*Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
*Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
*Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
*Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
*Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.

Take time to vote

Tuesday Nov. 6 is Election Day!

Durham's mayor and three City Council seats are up for election, along with Durham County bond issues for school construction and the Museum of Life and Science and a city bond issue for street and sidewalk improvements.

You must vote at your registered Polling Place, which for most of us in Grande Park is

#44
Carrington Middle School
227 Milton Rd

For more information and confirmation of your registered polling place

call 560-0700 or visit www.co.durham.nc.us/elec.

November 4 - 2am

"Fall Back" - Nov 4: Time to Change your Clocks and Batteries in Smoke Detectors!

Residents are reminded that Sunday November 4 at 2:00am marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, the time when they should move clocks back one hour.

It's also the perfect time to make sure your smoke detector has a fresh battery and that it is in good working order.
"We encourage our citizens to perform a monthly check of their smoke detectors and have family fire drills to ensure that all members know what to do if the smoke detector is activated". Batten adds, "It is better to know what to do before an emergency takes place and you should have an evacuation plan and practice it monthly".
The Durham County Fire Marshal's Office has a program to provide smoke detectors to citizens of Durham County who need them. They can be installed free of charge. In addition the office stocks batteries for those who need them as well.
For more information, contact the Office of the Durham County Fire Marshal at 919 560-0660.