Mid-Carolina Quarterly, Page 1

Mid-Carolina Council of Governments

Serving Cumberland, Harnett and Sampson Counties

MID-CAROLINA QUARTERLY

Greetings to everyone.

We would like to welcome you to this first edition of our quarterly Mid-Carolina email update. We will be publishing it each quarter to give you information about activities at Mid-Carolina and a calendar

of upcoming events.

We would welcome your suggestions for content.

Best regards,

Jim Caldwell

Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2009

MCCOG is the state-designed lead regional organization for Cumberland,

Harnett, and Sampson Counties. Mid-Carolina is one of the seventeen

North Carolina Regional Councils formed to provide a wide variety of

programs and services to their local governments and citizens.

The MCCOG provides technical assistance services to it’s member

governments including land use planning, zoning administration,

subdivision and zoning ordinances, water and sewer studies, annexation reviews, and community

development workshops on timely issues.

MCCOG also maintains the regional data center and business and industry date affiliation for the N.C.

State Data Center and Office of State Planning. In this capacity, Mid-Carolina provides population,

housing and economic data resources through census material and other sources to member

governments, area businesses, private non-profit organizations, academic users and other

who work for the development of communities within the region.

Further services are provided through Mid-Carolina’s Area Agency on Aging, Rural Transportation

Planning Organization and the Workforce Development Program. Mid-Carolina provides administrative

and financial support to the Cape Fear River Assembly and Middle Cape Fear River Basin Association

which are organized to protect the Cape Fear River Basin through proper management of the river, its

tributaries and adjacent land uses.

Mid-Carolina is also the fiscal agent, providing services to the following organizations which provide

services to counties surrounding Region M: BRAC Regional Task Force, Sustainable Sandhills,

Fort Bragg/Pope AFB Regional Land Use Advisory Commission.

To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here. Questions or comments? E-mail us at admin@mccog.org or call at 910-323-9141.

Area Agency on Aging

Workforce Development

RPO

Community News & Updates

Newsletter Spotlight

Mid-Carolina COG : What We Do & Who We Are

From The Desk of The Executive Director

Mid-Carolina Quarterly, Page 2

Aging Administrator

Carolyn Tracy

Aging Contracts Manager

Glenda Dye

Regional LTC Ombudsman

(Sampson County)

Senior Games Coordinator

Tracy Davis, CIRS-A/CPRP

Family Caregiver Specialist

Sherri Dees

Care Manager

Deborah Nunnery, RN

Regional LTC Ombudsman

(Cumberland & Harnett Counties)

Andrea Valdez, MS

Area Agency on Aging : Aging Well Through Advocacy & Purpose

The mission of Mid-Carolina Area Agency on Aging is to provide

advocacy, planning, and information-promoting healthier lives, caring

communities, and a sense of independence in our region’s older adults.

We provide advocacy for older adults, purpose and service provision.

What Is A Long-Term Care Ombudsman?

An Ombudsman is an advocate for resident’s rights and is responsible

for investigating complaints or concerns that are made by, or on behalf

of, nursing and adult care home residents.

What Is The Family Caregiver Support Program?

The National Family Caregiver Support Program was established in

November 2000 under the Older Americans Act to help support families

caring for an aging loved one.

What Are The Mid-Carolina Senior Games?

Mid-Carolina Senior Games, held annually in the spring, is part of a

network of 53 local games that provide statewide health promotion and

wellness programs for adults age 55 years of age or better.

Mid-Carolina Senior Games March 23—April 7, 2009

Entry forms are now available. Early Bird Registration Deadline : February 11 Final Registration Deadline : March 2 Sponsorship opportunities available. For more information on registration, sponsorship or to volunteer contact Local Coordinator Tracy Davis

• tdavis@mccog.or

• (910) 323-4191 x27

SilverArts Casting Call Sunday, January 25 North Regional Branch Library 2:00 pm—4:00 pm Enjoy an afternoon of fun and entertainment. The SilverArts Casting Call will introduce you to the Mid-Carolina Senior Games and showcase winners in the literary, performing, heritage, and visual arts categories. This is your chance to register for the upcoming competition. Door prizes will be awarded. Refreshments served courtesy of SYSTEL®. This event is co-sponsored by the Mid-Carolina Senior Games and the Cumberland County Library.

COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT SESSION—Topic TBA March 9, 2009 9:00 am—12 noon Sampson County Health Department, Suite 200, Room 274 Free workshop, Continuing Education Certificates will be available. Register by March 4; Contact Lesia Henderson (910) 592-4653. Training is in conjunction with: Sampson County Department on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program and Mid-Carolina Area Agency on Aging Ombudsman Program.

Mid-Carolina Area Agency on Aging and Tokay Senior Fitness Center (part of Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation Department) have teamed up to provide information to the community about services and important issues. Beginning in January 2009 there will be an hour long presentation every other Wednesday at Tokay Fitness Center starting at 10:00 am. For more information contact Kaye Dee at 488-6120.

Feb. 11, 2009 Medicare Fraud Debbie Nunnery Feb. 25, 2009 Advance Directives Sherri Dees Mar. 11, 2009 Elder Abuse Andrea Valdez Mar. 25, 2009 Family Caregivers & Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Sherri Dees

Mid-Carolina Quarterly, Page 3

Director

Denise Day

Program Manager

Yvette German

Accountability Specialist

Jennifer Jones

Workforce Development

Addressing the needs of employers and jobseekers

in Chatham, Harnett and Lee Counties

The vision of Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board is to enhance

the quality of life for citizens of our region by insuring (1) there is an

adequate employment base, (2) employers’ needs are met,

(3) employees are well-trained and ready to work, and (4) employers

and employees have ready access to all required and/or desired

workforce information, data and services.

NC Career Readiness Certification Awards Ceremony

On August 14, 2008, the first Career Readiness Certification Awards

Ceremony was held for Harnett County recipients at the Central Carolina

Community College Campus in Lillington. Twenty-one awardees received

either a bronze, silver, or gold level award.

Career Readiness Certifications provide existing employees and potential

job candidates with a credential that validates their skill level to enhance

employability. Also, employers use the certification, along with education, experience and background

Information to make employment, training, and promotional decisions. The certification rates the skill

levels in the following areas: reading comprehension, applied mathematics, and locating information

(using diagrams, floor plans, graphs, etc.).

Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board, JobLink Career Centers, and Central Carolina Community

College along with JobLink Partners are working collaboratively to provide this assessment to the citizens

of the Mid-Carolina Region.

Share Youth Vision Summit

The Mid-Carolina Workforce

Development Board planned

Shared Youth Vision Summit

held on September 25, 2008.

The event took place at the Doubletree Hotel in

Fayetteville. The purpose of the summit was to

bring together agencies and associations in

Chatham, Harnett, Lee, and Sampson counties to

partner with the Workforce Development Board in

strategic planning to help shape and move the

region’s youth services agenda forward.

The meeting was facilitated by the School & Maine

Institute, a contractor through the U.S. Department

of Labor.

Customer Service Week

The Mid-Carolina Local Investment

Area is gearing up for Customer

Service Week, October 6-10, 2008.

This celebration is a national event devoted to

recognizing the importance of customer service

and honoring the people on the front lines of the

service revolution. The celebration takes place

annually.

The Workforce Investment Act service providers

and JobLink Career Centers in the Mid-Carolina

region will participate in an exciting, fun-filled week

of activities.

Mid-Carolina Quarterly, Page 4

Rural Planning Organization

Plans Moving Along; More To Come

In the world of planning, it is often hard to stay ahead of the ever-changing world that we live in.

However, the Mid-Carolina Rural Planning Organization is doing it’s best to do so.

Starting with transportation, the Harnett County Comprehensive Transportation Plan is moving along well.

The Goals and Objectives Survey has been completed to discover what the businesses and residents of

Harnett County feel are their biggest transportation needs. The steering committee is currently meeting

on a monthly basis with hopes of having the plan completed by the middle of 2009. Meanwhile, the

Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is updating its Long Range Transportation Plan for

Cumberland County and portions of Harnett and Hoke Counties. The RPO has and is participating in their

efforts as well. And not to be left out, a new Comprehensive Transportation Plan for Sampson County is

in the works. Hopefully that plan will start later this year.

The 2009-2015 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) was released in the spring and is

available for view on the Mid-Carolina website (www.mccog.org) under Planning and then Documents.

Projects for the 2011-2017 STIP will be submitted later this year.

Planning staff also is continuing to work on gathering and mapping parking inventory for the region.

Sampson County has been completed and work is beginning in Bladen County. Work is also beginning

on an Air Travel plan for the region. That plan will be completed by the end of the fiscal year.

On the land use side of things, Land Use Plans continue for the Towns of Roseboro, Newton Grove, and

Turkey. The Division of Community Assistance is completing these plans in cooperation with the towns of

the RPO. Land use plans no older than five years are now requirements for an area to receive a

transportation plan. Once the land use plan in Roseboro is completed, their Comprehensive

Transportation Plan will be available to resume.

Transportation Director

Joel Strickland

Technician

Faye Lewis

The Mid-Carolina Rural Planning Organization provides transportation planning for the counties of Bladen and Sampson and portions of Cumberland and Harnett Counties. Mid-Carolina also provides land-use planning for the towns of Harrells, Newton Grove, Roseboro, Salemburg and Turkey in Sampson County.

Mid-Carolina Quarterly, Page 5

Community News & Updates

Congratulations Are In Order…

Congratulations to the Town of Roseboro in being selected to participate in the North Carolina Small Town

Main Street Program form 2008-2009. Roseboro was one of only six towns chosen out of twenty

applicants. Information as provided by : Small Town Development News, Vol. VI No. 1 September 2008