VOLUME 146 ISSUE 31 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
C HATHAM NEWS & R ECORD THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
Chatham Library to host ‘Music of the Circle’ workshop this October Chatham Community Library will host a “Music of the Circle” workshop with Eric Bannan on Saturday, October 14. This workshop is for anyone interested in being more confident and connected, as well as opening new creative pathways in their lives. Participants will playfully blend voices, body percussion, and simple movement in a way that builds community and teaches cooperation. Bannan is a vocal explorer, storyteller and songwriter with over 40 years of performing experience. According to Bannan, his mission is to bring joy, heal and build community through the use of story and song. He has traveled and studied with folks like Bobby McFerrin, Rhiannon, and Brazil’s Música do Circulo collective. This program is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Registration can be accessed online at tinyurl. com/MusicOfTheCircle. Funding for this program has been made possible with the support of the Friends of the Chatham Community Library. For more information, please contact the library at (919) 545-8084 or email rita.vanduinen@ chathamlibraries.org.
Solar Power in Chatham County and the Triangle now costs less The regionwide groupbuying program Solarize the Triangle has entered another tier of lower prices based on additional property owners in the area purchasing new renewable energy systems. Last week, the communitybased campaign entered Tier 8 of the progressively lower-priced tier levels. The program enables residents and businesses to save on the ordinary cost of solar energy and battery power through combined buying with others within 12 communities in the Triangle. The more residents and business owners who contact for solar installations through the program, the more savings accrue for all participants. Interested property owners can visit solarizethetriangle.com to find out more about the program. The deadline to sign up at no cost is September 30, 2023. All residential solar and battery contracts must be completed by December 31, 2023. A separate deadline for commercial/non-profit contract completions is February 28, 2024.
PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
A car manufactured by Vinfast is pictured during the VinFast Groundbreaking Ceremony in Moncure, in July.
PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
The Haw River is shown in this photo taken on Sept. 26, 2023. Chatham officials addressed concerns about another release of 1,4 dioxane over the weekend but subsequent testing revealed the levels were below an advisory level.
Dioxane detected in Haw River, drinking water within safe limits North State Journal Staff PITTSBORO — Alerts were issued over the weekend related to a chemical found in the Haw River, but preliminary testing of Pittsboro›s drinking water does not show dangerous levels of the compound. Routine sampling in Alamance County detected the presence of the chemical 1,4-dioxane in the Haw River last week, prompting testing of drinking water supplies downstream of Burlington. On Friday, the City of Burlington’s wastewater treatment plant detected the presence of dioxane in the effluent discharged into the Haw Riv-
er, which had passed through Burlington’s plant, raising questions about the safety of Pittsboro’s water supply. Samples collected in Burlington on Thursday, September 14, showed dioxane concentrations exceeding 1200 parts per billion entering the plant, significantly higher than recommended safety levels. After treatment, the water leaving the plant contained 459 ppb of dioxane. After being alerted, the Pittsboro’s water plant staff sought ways to expedite further testing. Due to the unavailability of testing facilities See WATER page A10
Chatham economic development officials focused on what’s next By Cooper Metts For Chatham News & Record MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR manufacturing projects headline the bright future ahead for economic development in Chatham County, but local officials are also focused on the necessary next steps, including infrastructural upgrades, sufficient labor supply and attracting supporting businesses. Electric car manufacturer VinFast and semiconductor producer Wolfspeed both recently broke ground on manufacturing plants in Chatham County costing a combined $9 billion. There are approximately 1,800 acres still available for use in the areas adjacent to VinFast and Wolfspeed, according to Chatham County Economic Development Corporation President Michael Smith. He expressed that filling those empty acres with businesses to support Wolfspeed and VinFast is a priority for the Chatham County EDC. The Chatham County EDC is in communications with several companies interested in occupying some of those empty acres, with most of the companies be-
ing related to the electric vehicle and semiconductor market, according to Smith. While attracting Wolfspeed and VinFast to Chatham County was a huge win for the Chatham County EDC, it won’t mean as much if they can’t also help attract the necessary labor supply. “We’ve got 80,000 people that live in Chatham County,” Smith said. “And if we ever used that number as one [of the attractions] of the big companies that looked at coming here, they would have kept looking.” Despite that current population total, a significant amount of the needed labor supply may already be in the county; it’s just about finding ways to keep them here. About 25,000 Chatham County citizens leave the county for work every day, according to Smith. Jobs at Wolfspeed and VinFast could help keep those commuters here and supply labor at the two manufacturers. “One of the things [the Chatham County EDC] is trying to do is create jobs here in Chatham County so those 25,000 people don’t have to leave,” Smith said. See PROJECTS page A10
Fourth annual Chatham County Challenge announced North State Journal PITTSBORO — October will again be designated as a month for local residents to take part in distance exercises as part of an ongoing campaign by the Chatham County Parks and Recreation. The fourth annual Chatham County Challenge, a virtual walk, run, or bike challenge, will take place from October 1-31. The event invites participants to embrace the challenge of covering significant distances through their preferred mode of exercise. According to a release from the county, bikers are encouraged to complete a 100k (62 miles) journey, while runners and walkers are tasked
with achieving a 50k (31 miles) target. There is no cost to participate. Much like the previous year’s competition, participants will be required to track their miles using a free mobile app, Map My Fitness. Enrollment through Chatham County Parks and Recreation’s registration website must be completed by September 29 to participate. Every individual successfully completing the challenge will receive a t-shirt from the parks and recreation department. In addition to this year’s event, aligned with the theme of the Year of the Trail, participants are encouraged to explore various trails and greenways within Chatham County.
To incentivize this exploration, those who visit at least 10 different trails in Chatham County throughout the challenge duration will be entered to win a gift card from New Horizon’s West in Pittsboro. Participants have the flexibility to visit the trails and greenways suggested by Parks and Recreation or nominate their personal favorites. To kickstart the Challenge, the parks and recreation department will host an event on Sunday, October 1, at 2 pm. The gathering will take place at Northeast District Park, where participants will collectively embark on a one-mile walk. Attendees will receive a complimentary “North Carolina Year of the Trail” sticker.
“What started as a way to keep people connected during the pandemic has turned into one of our most loved programs,” said Tracy Burnett, Director of Chatham County Parks and Recreation. “We are excited to continue to host this challenge and give community members an opportunity to stay active, visit new trails, and bring out their competitive side.”