UNC plans to test sirens

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will test its emergency sirens on Tuesday between noon and 1 p.m. as part of Alert Carolina, a safety awareness campaign.

Anyone on or near campus, including downtown Chapel Hill, is likely to hear the sirens during the test, which reminds students, faculty and staff what to do in an emergency. No action is needed. The sirens will sound an alert tone along with a brief pre-recorded public address message. When testing is complete, a different siren tone and voice message will signal "All clear. Resume normal activities." Samples of the alert and "all clear" tones are available at alertcarolina.unc.edu

The sirens will only sound for a life-threatening emergency, such as a tornado, an armed and dangerous person on or near campus or a chemical spill.

If the sirens sound, go inside or take cover immediately. Close windows and doors. Stay until further notice.

During next week's test, the university also will send a test text message to about 33,000 cell phone numbers registered by students, faculty and staff in the online campus directory. Some 23,000 of those numbers are registered to students.

Study to focus on work sites

CHAPEL HILL -- NC Prevention Partners is launching the next phase of an innovative comprehensive work site wellness study with the N.C. Department of Transportation that integrates the assessment of policies and environments with individually targeted wellness campaigns.

The initiative, headed by NC Prevention Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to statewide chronic disease prevention, is funded by a charitable donation from AstraZeneca and focuses on tobacco cessation, healthy eating, increased physical activity and stress management.

"The next phase of this work brings in academic partners well known in applied research," said NCPP President and CEO Meg Molloy. "We are excited to have Dr. Laura Linnan, a national expert on worksite wellness, and Dr. Michael Bowling, an expert in public health statistics and evaluation design, from the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health join the study. They bring a level of scientific rigor that will benefit NCDOT and its employees, and will allow us to think about implications for employers throughout the state."

The research study expands DOT's existing Highway to Health wellness program and offers DOT employees more and better opportunities to be healthy and prevent chronic disease.

Dog park closes until Sept. 25

HILLSBOROUGH -- Hillsborough's dog park is temporarily closed to allow for removal of debris and the installation of mulch.

The park, in Gold Park, will reopen by Sept. 25, weather permitting. When it reopens, users will be asked to help prioritize suggested improvements to the dog park as well as to offer other suggestions. Cards with the suggested improvements, pencils and a collection box will be available for three weeks at the park.

Town staff will use the comments to prioritize improvements to the dog park for this year and next. Suggested improvements include water in or near the dog park, shade and the relocation of the fence that creates the two sections of the dog park.

A water fountain near the large picnic shelter includes a fountain at the bottom for dogs. Gold Park visitors are reminded to pick up after their dogs with the bags provided at the park.

Gold Park is at 415 Dimmocks Mill Road, just east of Nash Street. It is in the sharp curve of Dimmocks Mill Road, just south of the railroad trestle.

Town will sweep curbed streets

HILLSBOROUGH -- Hillsborough will begin sweeping curb and gutter streets on the last Friday of each month, starting Sept. 25.

The street sweeping is part of the town's stormwater management program. Cleaning streets with curbing will help prevent clogging of storm drains, saving taxpayer dollars.

Street sweeping in residential areas will begin at 7 a.m. and should be completed by noon. Nonresidential areas will be swept earlier. Residents are asked to maintain a safe distance from the street-sweeping truck during operation. To enable the operator to do the best job possible, vehicles should not be parked on curb and gutter streets the last Friday morning of each month. Please also do not place brush, leaves or other vegetation on streets with curbing.

A list of streets to be cleaned is posted on the town's Web site, www.ci.hillsborough.nc.us.