Review the recommendations from Arnett Muldrow's presentation at the March Town Board Meeting Arnett Muldrow March 9 Presentation

The Census is Coming to Davidson
For Immediate Release

March 9, 2010, Davidson, N.C. - Starting next week, copies of the 2010 census will be popping up around town, in mailboxes and at your home. 2010 Census forms will arrive March 15 - 17. We urge heads of households to complete the 10-question census form when it arrives and to return it in the accompanying prepaid envelope as soon as possible.

In Davidson, a mail carrier will attempt to deliver a census form at every home. If a home does not have a letter slot or mail box, a door hanger will be left notifying the household they have something at the post office. Once the person goes to the post office with the notice, they will receive their census form. If they don’t, a census taker will visit their home up to six times between May 1 and July 10, 2010 to be sure their information is collected.

In addition, there are Be Counted sites in town where people can pick up a census form. These sites include the Davidson Public Library, Davidson Housing Coalition office, Town Hall and the Ada Jenkins Center. Similarly, Questionnaire Assistance Centers in Mecklenburg County will have census forms available and have a paid census staff person on-site 15 hours a week to answer questions and help those who need assistance completing their forms.

The following Questionnaire Assistance Centers are located in Davidson and Cornelius:
• North Mecklenburg Senior Center, 18731 West Catawba Ave., Cornelius, NC 28031
• Salvation Army Thrift Store, 19706 One Norman Blvd., Cornelius, NC 28031
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library -- Cornelius Branch, 21105 Catawba Ave., Cornelius, NC 28031
• Town of Cornelius, 21445 Catawba Ave., Cornelius, NC 28031
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library -- Davidson Branch, 119 South Main St., Davidson, NC 28036
• Davidson Housing Coalition, 220 Sloan St., Davidson, NC 28036
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form will be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.
For more information:

www.2010.census.gov
704 936-5300
census@charlottenc.gov

Beginning March 15, 2010, parking in the horseshoe at town hall will change from all-day parking to two-hour parking. This will be strictly enforced.
The two hour parking will allow more parking spaces for those looking to do business downtown, shop or dine at local restaurants. Additional parking will be available on South Street, on Lorimer Road and in the side lot next to town hall. Town employees will begin parking elsewhere to free up additional spots.
We appreciate you taking notice of this change.
For more information please contact Sandy Lemons at 704 940-96-22 or slemons@ci.davidson.nc.us.

The newly created Davidson Natural Assets and Tree Advisory Board and other groups in town will be hosting a week of activities around Arbor Day. The Natural Assets Board assists the Board of Commissioners on matters regarding open space, landscaping, and tree protection. Members include Bruce Henderson, John Shryock, Jennifer Fielder, Mary Jane Leach, Pamela Kykstra, Doug Shoemaker, Robert Phocas, John Kennedy, and Rebecca May. Please join us for one or more of the following upcoming events.

March 2 – Composting Class, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. free, St. Alban’s Church, (in the downstairs of the church building) 301 Caldwell Lane
Local and county experts will teach participants how to turn leaves, yard clippings & kitchen scraps into rich compost that is a cost saving & valuable soil amendment for plants in the yard and garden. http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Solid+Waste/PLANT+Program/PLANT+4+hr+Class.htm

March 9 – Landscape Management Class, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. free, St. Alban’s Church, Davidson
Local and county experts will teach sustainable, easy and low-cost methods for mulching and landscaping your property.

March 13 – PLANT Class 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (sponsored by Meck County, held at St. Alban’s) P.L.A.N.T. is an acronym for Piedmont Landscape and Naturescape training. P.L.A.N.T. teaches participants a complete yard care system that is aesthetically pleasing, low maintenance, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. A $10 donation is requested to support the St. Alban’s Community Garden.
For more info email Olivia Bearden at oliviadavies@netscape.com or George Massad gmassad63@yahoo.com. To register visit:
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Solid+Waste/PLANT+Program/PLANT+4+hr+Class.htm.

March 16 – Davidson College Arboretum tour 2:00 p.m.
Paul Pergiel (Davidson College) will lead participants in a walking tour of the nationally recognized campus arboretum. Location: Meet on the steps of the west side of the Chambers Building on the Davidson College campus. Go to http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x14840.xml for an online map of the campus.

March 17 – Tour of the Kincaid Greenway Trail with Pat Peroni 9:00 a.m.
Davidson College biologist Pat Peroni will guide participants in a walking tour of the vegetation and wildlife along the Kincaid Trail. Location: Meet at the trailhead parking area just off South Street in Davidson between Davidson Elementary School and the Antiquity Development.

March 18 –You Don't Eat Grass—Grow What You Eat!, discussion led by Davidson Farmers Market and Know Your Farms 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.
Christy Shi (founder of Know Your Farms) and Mary Jane Leach (director of the Davidson Farmers Market) will lead a discussion on growing food in the home landscape. (Brown Bag Lunch)
Location: Davidson Town Hall Board Room

March 19 – Arbor Day Celebration 2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Village Green. Join local students, town staff and elected officials as we hold our first annual Davidson Arbor Day celebration. Participants will receive free tree seedlings and information about all the important services trees provide.

Information: - Lauren Blackburn, 704 892-7592 or lblackburn@ci.davidson.nc.us

In March, the U.S. Census Bureau will mail 2010 Census questionnaires to households throughout the nation, including the Town of Davidson. The census is a count of everyone living in the United States and, since 1790, has been conducted every 10 years.
The 2010 Census forms are the shortest in history and only have 10 easy questions. The census form asks general questions about each household, including whether you own or rent your home and the type of house you live in. The form also asks about each individual living in the household, including name, sex, age, date of birth and race.
Where you reside on April 1, 2010 is where you need to be counted. You can view the census form online at 2010.census.gov or at charmeck.org/census. Your responses are protected by law (Title 13, U.S. Code) and the Census Bureau cannot share answers with anyone or any other government agency including the IRS, FBI, ICE or CIA. All Census Bureau employees take an oath to protect your responses and any violation is subject to legal action if he or she discloses information that could identify you or your household.
Filling out and mailing back your census form is one of the easiest ways you can help improve the quality of life here in Davidson. In fact, as a result of the 2000 Census, North Carolina gained a seat in the House of Representatives. An accurate census response rate not only increases the chances of better representation in Raleigh, and Washington, D.C. but it also affects how more than $400 billion each year in federal and state funding will be allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That adds up to more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period.
In the 2000 Census, Mecklenburg County had a return rate of only 68 percent. In 2010, we’re hoping that every resident fills out and returns their census forms, because if you live here, you count! All the things we learn about ourselves from the 2010 Census will help our community succeed in the future.
In the coming months, be on the lookout for community leaders from throughout Mecklenburg County who will be working with the U.S. Census Bureau and volunteers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Complete Count Committee to spread the word throughout our communities about the importance of the 2010 Census.
You can visit the web site charmeck.org/census for more information about the 2010 Census, including resources outlining what is at stake for our community and how you can get involved with local efforts.
If the 2010 Census questionnaires are not mailed back by April 1, a census taker will follow-up in person. Don’t be alarmed if you see a census taker in your neighborhood. Census takers are people from your community who have been hired by the Census Bureau to make sure your neighborhood is represented as accurately as possible. A census taker’s primary responsibility is to collect census information from residences that didn’t mail back the 2010 Census questionnaire. They will be visiting households and neighborhoods from April – July 2010.
A census taker:
• Will only ask questions that appear on the census form
• Will have an official government ID badge marked with just their name
• May carry a binder containing all of the addresses that didn’t mail back a completed census form
• Visits all of those addresses and records the answers to the census form
• Will leave a door hanger for residents if they are not at home when he or she visits.
A census taker will not:
• Ask for your social security number
• Ask to enter your home
• Visit your home before April or after July 2010.
If a census taker visits you, here’s what you should do:
• Ask to see their ID. All census workers carry official government badges marked with just their name.
• Remember that a census taker will never ask to enter your home
• Call the Charlotte Region Census Center to confirm they are employed by the Census Bureau
• Answer the census form questions for your entire household.

Census phone numbers to remember:
Charlotte Region Census Center: 704 936-5300
Census Bureau Call Center (General Phone Line): 1-800-923-8282

At the December merchant's meeting and January Town Board meeting, Arnett Muldrow presented the results from their zip code study as the first part of their marketing and branding efforts. Check out their presentation here. Presentation