Riverfront Park Stakeholder Meeting and Public Input Session

The city is looking for your input regarding the redevelopment of Riverfront Park. Two meetings will be held on February 23. You are encouraged to attend one or both if you would like to have a voice in the future of Riverfront Park. The stakeholder meeting will be from 10 am to noon and the public input workshop will be from 5 – 7 pm. Both meetings will be held in the City Council Chambers in City Hall.

New Hanover County Schools Announces 2012 Science Fair Winners

The New Hanover County Science Fair was held on Thursday, January 26, 2012 on the campus of Murray Middle School. Nearly two hundred students in grades 3-12 participated. Among the event judges were representatives from Old River Farms, Cape Fear Museum, Airlie Gardens, the Cape Fear River Watch, the New Hanover County Soil and Water Conservation District, University of North Carolina-Wilmington (UNCW), and the City of Wilmington Storm Water Services.

Several projects in each category will represent New Hanover County Schools at the Southeast Regional Science Fair to be held on February 11, 2012 on the campus of UNCW.

(*indicates selected for regional competition)

Elementary School Winners
Nina Hahn, Murrayville*
Elizabeth Kinsey, Anderson*
Layth Mansour, Sunset Park*
Caleb Marshall, Castle Hayne*
Caitlin Parrish, Blair*
Gavin Sokolinsky, Pine Valley*
Aeris Tinkler and Khalia Murray, Freeman School of Engineering*
Elyssa Hall, Codington*
Kendall Shaw, Wrightsboro*
Holland Baynard, Bradley Creek
Summer Marshburn-Teneyck, Gregory School of Math and Science
Maeson Morgan, Bellamy
Colby Styers, Codington
Daton West, Pine Valley
Nicholas Hildreth, College Park
Eric Powers, Pine Valley
Andrew Wise and William Caglarcan, Eaton
John Gizdic and Shaun Gizdic, Parsley
Scott Hightower, Pine Valley
Sandro Pantano, Ogden

Middle School Winners
Biological Science
1st- Dane Scull, Roland-Grise *
2nd- Savannah Clary, Noble*
3rd- Macy Austin, Trask

Physical Science
1st- Noelle Hoehn, Trask*
2nd- Mackenzie Williams and Emma Nelson, Murray*
3rd- Finn Sweetz, Murray

Earth Science
1st- Nathan Kinsey, Murray*
2nd- Lindsey Williams, Myrtle Grove*
3rd- Sam Scarborough and Jacob Harris, Holly Shelter

Technology
1st- Drew Cummings, Holly Shelter*
2nd- Eli Wilson and Scott Perry, Noble
3rd- Ryan Dunwoody, Holly Shelter

High School Winners
Biological Science
1st- Re’Onna Crawford and Talpha Everette, Isaac Bear Early College*
2nd- Garrett Leatherwood, Isaac Bear Early College*
3rd- Eli Myer, Isaac Bear Early College

Physical Science
1st- Brittany Williams, Laney*
2nd- Kevin Frink, Isaac Bear Early College*
3rd- Marissa Morrison and Erika Brigantti, Isaac Bear Early College

Earth Science
1st- Matthew Stanbury and Christine Chow, Isaac Bear Early College*
2nd- Casey Wenner- Isaac Bear Early College
3rd- Brooke Hoehn- Isaac Bear Early College

Technology/Engineering
1st- Richard Everhart, Isaac Bear Early College*
2nd- Anna Dyches, Isaac Bear Early College

In addition to the winners, Chloe O’Briant, Parsley Elementary, and Emma Bingham and Quinton Juliano, Isaac Bear, were also chosen to represent NHCS at the regional level.

Several students received special awards by local businesses for their outstanding projects. The award recipients include:

· Nathan Kinsey, Murray Elementary School, Airlie Gardens Award
· Taylor McMillon, Parsley Elementary, Cape Fear Museum Award
· Elizabeth Kinsey, Anderson Elementary, Cape Fear Museum Award
· Lindsey Williams, Myrtle Grove Middle, New Hanover County Soil & Water Conservation District Award

Verizon Call Center Hosts Electronic Recycling Rally March 8

Verizon Wireless is hosting its second public recycling rally at the company’s Wilmington call center on March 8, 2012, at which electronics, as well as glass, plastics and aluminum will be collected. Everything Verizon collects is then shared with a recycler who disposes of the items in strict adherence to Verizon’s zero-tolerance landfill objective. The zero-tolerance policy requires that all materials are reused or recycled with some components stripped down to their essential materials and metals which are then distributed for re-use. “Verizon’s objective with our Recycling Rallies is to provide an easy and convenient way for our employees and the communities we serve to dispose of electronics in an environmentally friendly way. In 2011, Verizon was able to offset the equivalent of 562 tons of Co2 last year through multiple recycling events. This will be our third event in 2012 and we are looking forward to achievement more amazing results for the environment this year,” said Verizon’s Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer James Gowen.

Verizon’s sustainability office has travelled the country hosting e-recycling collection events in at least ten cities a year since 2009. They hosted a rally in Wilmington last July, collecting more here than at any other stop in their three year program. “We expected to fill two tractor trailers in Wilmington by the end of our collection event. We filled them in three hours,” commented John Dorn, of Verizon’s Sustainability Group, adding “By the end of the day, we had called three additional trucks to the site to pick up everything Wilmington’s citizenry recycled that day. It was amazing!”

Items that will be accepted include laptop and desktop computers including all monitors, televisions, computer cables, mice and keyboards, gaming consoles, telephones and answering machines, stereo and audio equipment, paper shredders, alarm clocks, printers, cameras, conferencing equipment, remote controls, earphones, small electronic appliances (such as coffee makers, toasters, toaster ovens and can openers), and electronic toys, without batteries. Standard glass, plastic and aluminum materials will also be accepted. Hard drives will not be wiped.

• Verizon’s collections guarantee a zero-tolerance landfill


• Businesses encouraged to drop off computers, monitors, office equipment televisions and all e-waste


• Drop off on Converse Drive at Call Center, 3/8/11, from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM

Contact: Margee Herring at 910-233-2466

Dropout Prevention Coalition Issues First Newsletter

The Dropout Prevention Coalition (DPC) was initiated in 2011 by the Watson School of Education with the goal of bringing together a broad audience, representing schools and various community organizations to help students stay and succeed in school across Southeastern NC.

Follow the link below to view the DPC's Newsletter:
http://www.uncw.edu/ed/dropout/documents/newsletter/Newsletter_Jan2012.pdf

Cape Fear Future releases new tri-county education brochure

In the spring of 2011, representatives from Cape Fear Future and the Chamber Foundation (both initiatives of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce) joined forces to assist the improvement of K-12 schools by raising awareness and support through marketing.

To our knowledge, no entities in the tri-county region (New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender Counties) have produced a comprehensive regional annual report on our schools. The team felt strongly we should have documentation for distribution for both prospective and community residents/businesses. Therefore, the team connected with several school representatives and combed through local, state, and national data in an effort to consolidate school performance, statistics, and special programs.

The result of this effort is an up-to-date profile with relevant statistical information to be provided to corporate prospects, commercial and residential realtors and anyone looking at our school systems. Our first goal was to create a printed brochure, and the second is to create and expand educational materials on the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce website.

We are excited to announce the regional education brochure is complete! The team is currently seeking feedback on the content of the brochure and also entities that should receive the mailing for mass distribution in early 2012. Additional resources and statistics not included in the printed brochure will be provided on the new Wilmington Chamber of Commerce website when it is launched in February of 2012.

Please click on the link below to check out our new brochure:
http://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/customers/103102118203091/filemanager/Education_brochure_SF_for_website.pdf

Supporters launch Wilmington-area arts council

"It's so nice," said painter Virginia Wright-Frierson, "to finally have something to celebrate."

She, along with more than 100 other artists, musicians, local officials and others, were on hand Wednesday night at the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the launch of the Wilmington area's new arts council.



Link to full StarNews article below:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20111207/ENT/111209765?Title=Supporters-launch-Wilmington-area-arts-council

NC Science Festival

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of meeting Jonathan Frederick, Director of the NC Science Festival, an initiative of the UNC Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. This celebration, from April 13th-29th, is the first statewide science festival in the nation. Jonathan and his team are engaging participants across the state to create, host, sponsor, etc. events.

Their goal is to make April be known as the “science month” in North Carolina. The Festival includes both traditional and funky events, from an open house to a kitchen chemistry event in a local restaurant. Companies and organizations can submit programs that are already going on, or they can create a new program for the week of the Festival. Their long-term vision for the Festival is to have 1 million people participating each year at events all over the state.

Based on the feedback from 2010 Event hosts, there are a number of improvements from last year. For example:

• Individual webpage url for your event.
• Improved calendar functionality allows people to find your event that much easier.
• Option to upload your own event photo or logo.
• Customizable event flyer available.
• News media release template available to promote your individual event.

For the 2010 Final Report, future goals, and additional details on the festival, please visit: www.ncsciencefestival.org

Not only is this a wonderful opportunity to showcase our region’s (among other municipalities across the state) many science related activities, but it also gives our area great exposure in terms of economic development as the activities take place right here at home, while still connecting us to the state at large.

If you have any resources/programs/contacts in mind, I urge you to pass them on to myself or the NC Science Festival organizers. I look forward to your participation!