Sewer Update

The large white trucks parked near the Park Picnic Shelter for the last couple of days are gone.  Earlier in the week a sewer line broke and released sewage into the Third Fork Creek.  The Durham Water and Sewer Department contracted with an Atlanta firm to repair the pipe and the repairs were completed yesterday.  The pipe being repaired runs south from a point near the Park Picnic Shelter between two concrete man holes.  The existing pipe is made of clay and is brittle.  It was repaired/reinforced by adding a new internal liner.  The process is essentially one of inflating a large long balloon like liner and then adhering it to the walls of the pipe.  According to a Durham Sewer and Water representative, this should give the pipe a 'new life' without breaks for the next ten to fifteen years. Sewer pipe running from Lyon Park south through the west side of the park was repaired/replaced earlier this summer.

 

Durham Parks and Rec will coordinate with Durham General Services to repair the park area rutted by the heavy vehicles/machinery.  Some work by Durham Water and Sewer also remains to be completed.  Much of this finishing work will not be able to be accomplished until the area dries out.

Sewer Work at the Park

You may have seen the large white trucks parked near the Park Picnic Shelter today.  Earlier in the week a sewer line broke and released sewage into the Third Fork Creek.  Durham Sewer and Water has contracted with an Atlanta firm to repair the pipe and repairs are currently underway.  The pipe being repaired runs south from a point near the Park Picnic Shelter to the next concrete stand pipe.  The existing pipe is made of clay and is brittle….(older than most of the residents of Forest Hills).  It will be reinforced and sealed from the inside for the length of the pipe.  According to a Durham Sewer and Water representative, this should give the pipe a 'new life' without breaks for the next ten to fifteen years. Sewer pipe running from Lyon Park south through the west side of the park was repaired/replaced earlier this summer.

The BIG Sweep, Saturday Oct. 3rd!

Its that time again when Forest Hills neighbors put on their gloves and work pants and help clean up the East Fork Creek and Forest Hills Park. In junction with the City of Durham's annual BIG SWEEP, FHNA is coordinating volunteers to help cleanup the Park on October 3rd. This year we will be concentrating not only on the East Fork Creek but also the Park grounds so we need lots of volunteers.

Doughnuts and coffee will be served beginning at 8:30 AM at the Park Shelter on Saturday, October the 3rd. This is a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and spend part of your Saturday helping beautify the Park. Gloves and pickup tools will be provided.

Please talk to your friends and neighbors about this important event and mark your calendars. We need a good showing of volunteers this year.   

Goats vs. Kudzu: Round 1

Keep Durham Beautiful (KDB) recently sponsored a test of goat versus Kudzu at "Kudzu Corner" on East Forest Hills Boulevard.  In the short term, the goats won....in the longer term, the Kudzu returns.  Looking for an environmentally sensitive way to address the encroachment of invasive plants in the Forest Hills area, the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association coordinated with KDB to test the use of goats in reducing Kudzu.  The test was successful, and plans are currently being studied for additional use of goats at the corner.  This link to photos from Keep Durham Beautiful's web site shows step-by-step progress over a four-hour period.

http://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/secondary/picture-pages/goats.html

Captain Peter to Speak at FHNA Picnic Sunday at 5:30

Captain Peter, District 3 Commander, Durham Police Department will attend the FHNA Fall Picnic from 5:30 pm until 6:15 pm.  He will address the recent spat of break-ins we have been experiencing in our neighborhood and will provide suggestions as to what we as individuals and as a neighborhood can do to reduce these intrusions.

Mindy Solie, our neighbor and Co-Coordinator for PAC3, will accompany Captain Peter and will explain the importance of the PAC3 organization to our community.

Captain Peter and Mindy are responding to a last minute request from FHNA and several of our neighbors to address crime prevention.  In particular Captain Peter is taking time away from his family to visit with us……so, please attend…..please arrive by 5:30 pm…..and please encourage your neighbors who may not be on the list serve to both attend Captain Peter's presentation and the picnic.

Fall Picnic Sunday Sept. 13th 5pm

Come one, come all the annual Forest Hills Fall Picnic!

Sunday September 13, 2009
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Park Picnic Shelter

The FHNA will have plenty of Dillard's BBQ and soft drinks on hand. Please bring a dessert (odd numbered households) or side dish (even numbered households) to share. 

Event will occur RAIN OR SHINE.

Thanks to Park Clean-up Volunteers!

On Saturday, August 15, eight students/parents/coaches from the DSA and North Carolina School of Science and Math cross country teams showed up to work alongside eight Forest Hills residents for a total of 16 volunteers. We removed 17 bags of garbage, styrofoam, and a wheel/tire that would have eventually made their way into Lake Jordan and our drinking water supply.

We also made significant progress on removing/eradicating the invasive ragweed that had been overtaking the no-mow zone of the park. The effort has significantly reduced the infestation.

Thanks go out to all of the volunteers who participated in our Forest Hills Stream/Park clean up. We are thrilled that the cross country team and their supporters asked to be invited back to the next clean-up day.

Interested in participating next time? Look for emails from the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association announcing opportunities to help keep our park clean, safe, and pleasant.

Photos from top: 1. Volunteers collected 17 bags of garbage; 2. and 3. Cross country team volunteers use "grabbers" from Keep Durham Beautiful to pick up trash; 4. Neighbor Brian Murray uses a machete to whack some ragweed; 5. Neighbor Sioux Watson's dog Izzie finds a new friend to toss tennis balls while Sioux does park clean-up.