Town Press Release

The Tourism Board, on behalf of the Town of Hillsborough, is requesting proposals from nonprofit agencies and civic groups to establish programs to promote and support tourism and visitor services within Hillsborough. Funds are to be allocated from monies collected by the 1 percent prepared food tax.

Completed applications are due by 3 p.m. April 2, 2012.

The Tourism Board will review applications and make recommendations for grant awards to the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners based on availability of funds and other criteria.

The Town of Hillsborough has started smoke testing of sewer mains in West Hillsborough.

The testing, which is performed periodically throughout the town, is being conducted from Hassell Street west to Nash Street and from Calvin Street north to Queen Street. The testing will continue the week of Feb. 6.

Loose leaf collection has ended in Hillsborough. Citizens are asked to bag leaves for collection until the loose leaf season begins again in November.

Also beginning Feb. 1, brush will be collected once every two weeks until November when the loose leaf season starts again.

The Town of Hillsborough is asking citizens to be on the lookout for anyone who may be stealing manhole covers, storm grates or meter box lids.

Two manhole covers were stolen in separate incidents in January from behind Heritage Apartments in southern Hillsborough. The covers weigh about 100 to 120 pounds and are valued at an estimated $100 each. Their removal poses a safety risk because of the danger of someone falling into the holes and being injured or killed.

The Town of Hillsborough is seeking bid proposals through 2 p.m. Feb. 23 for the construction of the Elizabeth Brady Pump Station replacement.

The work will include constructing a duplex submersible wastewater pumping station with standby power as well as a gravity sewer and forcemain.

A pre-bid conference will take place at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Town Barn. Attendees will have the opportunity to present questions, obtain clarifications and inspect the project site. Attendance is recommended.

The Town of Hillsborough asks citizens to please remove all holiday decorations, including poinsettias, by Feb. 10 from gravesites in the Town Cemetery.

Items left beyond this time will be removed.

Other decorative items placed on the ground should be removed by March 1 due to grounds maintenance between March 1 and Nov. 1. These items include artificial flowers, plastic flower vases and wreaths.

Citizens are permitted to place small flags in the ground around gravesites during the weeks of Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Loose leaf collection of leaves in Hillsborough will end Jan. 31.

Beginning Feb. 1, residents should place leaves in biodegradable bags for collection at the curb. A maximum of 10 bags per property will be removed each collection day.

Also beginning the first week in February, brush will be collected once every two weeks until the loose leaf collection season starts again in November.

Free tutoring sessions offered by the Hillsborough Police Department and UNC Habitat for Humanity will restart Jan. 23.

The sessions — available to youths in Orange County Schools — will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. every Monday and Tuesday at the Community Policing Substation, 501 Rainey Ave. UNC students will offer tutoring in all subjects except computers.

The Police Department and UNC Habitat began offering the free tutoring in 2008.

The Hillsborough Police Department — in a partnership with the Orange County ABC Board and the Northern Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth — has started an Alcohol Law Enforcement Response Team to focus on alcohol-related crimes enforcement.

The eight officers currently on the team have received additional training, including training on ABC laws and procedures; constitutional law and search and seizure; party dispersal; campus law enforcement options; and documentation and report writing. The ALERT officers will focus on:

A new K9 officer is joining the Hillsborough Police Department in January, filling a vacancy that will be created by the retirement of one of the department’s current K9s.