Orange County Board of Commissioners to sponsor Listening Session on Racial Justice and Equity

The Orange County Board of Commissioners in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Human Relations Commission will host a listening session on Issues of Policing and Racial Justice and Equity in Orange County.

The virtual session will be held on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 from 7-10 p.m. with the end time flexible depending on the number of speakers.

Individuals who wish to attend and those who wish to speak may register at the following link.

The agenda/program for the session can be found here.

The session will include a short introduction by the Chair of the Orange County Human Relations Commission. The session will then open up for public questions and comments from attendees. Questions and comments will be recorded by the BOCC for future discussion and action.

North Carolina COVID-19 Cases

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 68,142 COVID-19 cases, 1,391 deaths, and 912 hospitalizations, in the state as of July 2, 2020. For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every day at noon), please visit the NCDHHS website.

Orange County Health Department also has a COVID-19 dashboard webpage, with information on COVID-19 data in the county. The dashboard will be updated every Tuesday and Thursday.

There are currently 715 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Orange County, and 41 deaths.

By Order of Orange County: Face Coverings Required

Any person age 11 or older must wear a face covering at all times while in public settings.
Orange County has mandated the use of face coverings for most:

Customers, employees and other users of restaurants, grocery and retail stores while they are indoors.
Occupants of public transportation vehicles.
People in any other indoor or any outdoor situation where they cannot maintain a 6-foot physical distance from others.

A face covering is not required:

For those who can’t wear a face covering due to a medical or behavioral condition.
For children under 11 years old.
For restaurant customers while they are dining.
In private offices.
When complying with directions of law enforcement officers.
In settings where it is not practical or feasible to wear a face covering when obtaining or rendering goods or services.
While with family or household members.

What is a face covering?
A face covering includes anything that covers your nose and mouth, such as a mask, scarf or bandana. Make sure your cloth face covering:

Fits snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
Completely covers the nose and mouth

Join Orange County Public Library as we host a virtual conversation with acclaimed poets, Dee Stribling, Laurie Wilcox-Meyer, Sue Weaver Dunlap, and Kimberlyn Blum-Hyclak via Zoom! Each writer will be reading several of their poems and engaging in creative discussion following. This event is free, but registration is required. Click the graphic to register. New to Zoom? Information will be provided when you receive your registration confirmation.

OCAC Announces “Love Hillsborough” Community Art Project

The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) is excited to announce the Love Hillsborough Community Art Project in collaboration with Hillsborough artist Carlos González García. This public art project will feature small heart-shaped mosaics made by community members installed together to form a large mural. The mural will be installed on the westward facing wall on the ground floor of the Eno River Public Parking Deck in Downtown Hillsborough, directly behind Weaver Street Market.

Through a YouTube video, Carlos will instruct the public on how to make a small mosaic in the comfort of their own homes using items found at home or purchased from a local hardware store. This family-friendly summer project will be due to the OCAC office during the week of August 3. Drop off times will be coordinated to accommodate social distancing and proper cleaning. Carlos will then install the mosaics onto the wall, creating a largescale mosaic mural.

Carlos recently relocated to Hillsborough from Cuernavaca, Mexico. He holds a master’s degree in mosaics from Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli (The Mosaic School of Friuli) in Spilimbergo, Italy, the only program in the world to offer such a degree. He plans to open NC MOSAIC, a mosaic school for the community, in the Eno Mill later this year.

Registration for Love Hillsborough is free but required. Please register at www.artsorange.org/lovehillsborough

To learn more about Carlos Gonzales Garcia, see his featured story as June’s Artist of the Month.

County announces changes for Independence Day

Orange County announced several schedule modifications for Independence Day, which is being observed Friday, July 3.

All Solid Waste and Recycling Centers and the Landfill and Related Services will be closed.
Curbside recycling will be collected as normal on July 3. Please have carts out by 7 a.m.
Orange County Public Transportatoin will operate limited service serving the in-county dialysis route only (Carolina Dialysis). All other routes will not run.

Upcoming activities from Department on Aging

The Orange County Department on Aging has come up with many activities to keep clients engaged and active during the pandemic.

Line Dance Class
This class is a fun way to exercise both your body and your mind. Join with others and learn and basic steps to the most popular line dances.

Instructor: Bruce Gillooly.
Date: Thursdays
Time: 11:30 am
Join Zoom Meeting

Prime Time Players Online Readers’ Theater Series
Orange County Department on Aging’s in-house theatrical group, Prime Time Players (PTP), present their first-ever, online Reader’s Theater Production series. As a new way of connecting with their audience, PTP will bring a virtual production every other Tuesday at 2 p.m. for you to enjoy. Join them on the dates and times below or watch at your leisure by clicking on the available links:

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant. (18 min): https://youtu.be/k_Mxt-6i7no
The Beggar and the King by Winthrop Parkhurst. (20 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rM7bMsPGvY&feature=youtu.be
The Boor by Anton Chekhov. (20 min Comedy) https://youtu.be/wYwyKwb1jzY

Subscribe to the Prime Time Players of Chapel Hill YouTube Channel to access all of their performances.

Strengthen Your Core – with Dianne Martin (Live). Join fitness instructor, Dianne Martin, every Wednesday and Friday for a core strength workout designed for older adults. Live classes offered via Zoom. Email Dianne at dmartin@gwu.edu to receive the password for the Zoom meetings below:

Wednesday Exercise Class - Time: 12 PM, Every Wednesday through July
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/179967239 / Meeting ID: 179 967 239

Friday Exercise Class - Time: 12 PM, Every Friday through July
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/497324203 / Meeting ID: 497 324 203.

www.orangecountync.gov