Contact: Orange Community Recycling Program, 968-2778

The biggest change in years for curbside recycling customers takes place July 1, 1998 in the unincorporated and rural areas of Orange County. The program will soon have a different contractor, new routes and more efficient service. After four years of service from SunShares, Orange Community Recycling choose Waste Industries Inc. to collect recyclables for the rural curbside collection program.

Waste Industries will operate the rural recycling program on an every other week schedule as SunShares did, but with a few changes. The number of routes will increase from five to ten, which means a Waste Industries collection truck will be in Orange County full-time. Previously, SunShares split their time between Orange County and Durham. This increase will allow Waste Industries to service the rural areas in a manner that we believe to be much more efficient.

The new routes will probably affect every participating resident in Orange County, due to the fact that Waste Industries has created routes that adjoin each other, to foster better coordination and problem resolution. With this routing scheme, the driver will always be in close proximity to the previous day's route. This will reduce the time required if the driver needs to return to the previous day's route to rectify a missed collection or other problem.

Residents within the existing rural curbside program boundaries should already have received a postcard that explains the changes and identifies their new route and collection day. Waste Industries will continue to collect the same materials in the bins as the previous contractor, including: glossy magazines and catalogs, aluminum and steel cans, #1 & #2 plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars, and newspapers. All recycling bins must be at the curb no later than 7:00 am the day of collection. Due to extensive re-routing, some problems and misses may occur, please call Orange Community Recycling at 968-2788 to report them.

If currently not participating but would like to, citizens are advised to first call 968-2788 and find out if they are in the current service area. Due to budget constraints, we are unable to provide service to all households in Orange County. If it is confirmed that the individual is in the service area, information can then be obtained regarding when and where to pick up an orange recycling bin.

June 9, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Link 732-8181, ext. 2300

Orange County Manager John Link has announced the resignation of Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Director Shelly Green effective June 30. Green is leaving Orange County to become Executive Director of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Green has served as Visitors Bureau Director since 1992.

Visitor Bureau Board Chair Lee Pavao, who has served on the Board for five years, said that Green will be greatly missed. Pavao noted: "I've watched the Visitors Bureau flourish under her direction. She is the type of executive director that you could place total confidence in. Anything you discussed you could be sure would be accomplished and in a professional manner."

Orange County Economic Development Director Greg Payne said: "Green has built the Bureau into a highly respected, professional organization. Over one million visitors now visit the County each year. Visitor spending has increased from an estimated $64.5 million in 1992 to over $90 million in 1997."

Green said: "I've enjoyed my tenure here immensely and thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to help the Bureau grow from its infancy in 1992 to where it is today." As Executive Director of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Green will be managing a staff of 17 and a budget of $2.7 million.

Prepared by Sharron Hinton Siler, Management Analyst, County Manager's Office

June 1, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Greg Payne Orange County Economic Development Commission 919-732-8181 ext. 2325; fax: 919-644-3008

MEBANE, NORTH CAROLINA - The Orange County Economic Development Commission reported today that German-based manufacturer AKG has begun another expansion of their Mebane facility. The firm, which makes aluminum heat exchangers for a variety of industrial uses, will complete a 15,000 square foot addition to its manufacturing space by September, bringing AKG's total square footage on Oakwood Road Extension in Mebane to 62,000 square feet.

AKG's Rick White stated that the expansion was needed to help with anticipated business growth. The company's further investment in Mebane demonstrates that AKG is pleased with its location, White said, "particularly happy with the work ethic and the quality workforce that we find in this area." White and Heinrich Kuehne manage the Mebane facility as co-Vice Presidents.

"We are extremely pleased by AKG of America's continued investment in Orange County and the Mebane community," said Orange County EDC Director Greg Payne. "Since 198 1, they have been a growing part of our manufacturing base, providing the stable, mid-level jobs that are crucial to our economy." Payne noted that AKG now employs 82 people at the Mebane site.

Michael Hining Architects of Chapel Hill designed the addition for AKG. Over the past ten years, Hining's firm has designed a wide variety of projects for commercial, institutional, manufacturing, and non-profit clients in the Triangle area.

Additional Business Note:

On Wednesday, June 17, Orange Community Recycling will sponsor a satellite forum for businesses entitled Waste Prevention Pays: Businesses Cut Costs By Cutting Waste. The EPA-organized national forum will run from 10: 15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on June 17th, and will be held at UNC's School of Public Health in Chapel Hill. This teleconference will highlight companies which have cut costs through a variety of waste-reduction strategies. For more information, for directions, and to register for the event, please contact Lisa Beavers at Orange Community Recycling, 968-2800, ext. 167. (e-mail: lbeavers@town.ci.chapel-hill.nc.us).

June 1, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Orange Community Recycling Program (919) 968-2788

(Chapel Hill, NC) - The Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (HHWCC) and the Latex Paint Exchange be open this Saturday, June 6th from 9am to 3pm at the orange Regional Landfill. The shelves of the paint exchange shed are overflowing, and anyone considering a painting project should check our shelves first. The HHWCC and the Latex Paint Exchange are both located at orange Regional Landfill, which is on Eubanks Rd., 1.5 miles west of Highway 86 (Airport Rd).

The household hazardous waste collection service is available for county residents to dispose of old paint, pesticides, cleaners, and solvents. We also collect used automotive fluids, household batteries, and staining products. If you need to dispose of unusable, i.e. frozen or moldy, latex paint, try drying it out first. Latex paint is not considered a hazardous waste, and if mixed with sawdust or kitty litter and left to dry, can then be disposed of in the regular trash if the paint can lid is removed.

At our last household hazardous waste collection on May 2nd, we also inaugurated our ReUse Shelf. The ReUse shelf allows Orange Community Recycling to place on a shelf unopened, or in otherwise excellent condition, household products that can then be taken free of charge by the public. Last month we gave away over 25 different types of products, from auto wax to brand new containers of antifreeze.

Just a reminder that we will be open on July 4th. Use the holiday weekend to clean and dispose of properly, all of your accumulated household hazardous wastes.

If unable to get to the collections the first Saturdays of the month held at Orange Regional Landfill, county residents can also take their material to either Chatham County, Durham County or Wake County through our cooperative agreement with them. Residents of those counties can also access our collection center. The schedule for the other facilities is as follows: Chatham County: open the 3rd Saturday of each month from 9am to 3pm; Durham County: open the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 9am to 3pm; and Wake County: open the lst and 4th Saturdays from 7am to 4pm. For further information about household hazardous waste or the locations of the various sites, please call the News and Observer CITYLINE 549-5100 (Category 2735 ) or Orange Community Recycling at 968-2788.

Prepared by Lisa Beavers lbeavers@town.ci.chapel-hill.nc.us phone: 919-968-2788 fax: 919-932-2900