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Commissioner Jacobs said that DOT has discouraged using crosswalks since it <br />encourages people to cross the street. He would like to try and put "Senior Crossing" signs in <br />The Meadowlands and also at the Southern Senior Center. <br />b. Youth Voices Summer Leadership Training Institute <br />The Board received an update on the third annual Youth Voices Summer Leadership <br />Training Institute. <br />Director of Community Services Sharron Hinton said that she was here to highlight this <br />program. This is the third year that the County has sponsored this program. It is a partnership <br />between the County Manager's Office, Cooperative Extension, Human Rights and Relations, <br />and Triangle United Way. The Cooperative Extension office administers it. Each year, <br />approximately 15 students from bath school systems have participated in this program for five or <br />six weeks and have graduated with honors. The program is designed to build leadership and <br />provide students the opportunity to demonstrate community service and to develop a tangible <br />project for the Orange County community. She introduced four graduates from the program. <br />The graduates reviewed the packet of information, which is incorporated by reference. <br />The community service project was to help to provide a place for teens, similar to the senior <br />centers. They made this along-term goal. The short-term goal was to have a teen advisory <br />committee to work towards getting a teen center. <br />The County Commissioners commended the group of graduates and the staff who <br />worked on this program. <br />c. Mill Creek Road Area Community Health Study Proposal <br />The Board received a proposed community health assessment plan for the Mill Creek <br />Road area, provided direction to staff, and considered funding from the Social Safety <br />NetlCritical Needs Reserve to address water sampling costs. <br />Health Director Rosemary Summers said that this proposal is in response to citizens' <br />request to have some assistance in their area. The citizens came to the Health Department in <br />the spring and talked with Ran Holdway about having their water tested because there was a <br />concern that the water was not of the highest quality. Another citizen came to the Board saying <br />that there was a high number of cancer cases in this community. The Board, Planning staff, <br />and Health Department staff met with the citizens and talked with them about the concerns. <br />The plan to address the concerns is two-fold -health and environmental. The proposal is to <br />first find out the incidence of cancer in the community. They will draft a questionnaire to <br />discover whether the incidence of cancer in the community is higher than to be expected. The <br />second part is to do water sampling for the community and the cost is about $215 per <br />household. The study area is about 110 homes and they would like to get as close to 100°~ <br />sampling of this area as possible. The residents will need to fill out the sampling forms first or <br />the OCHD will not ga onto their property. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the Healthy Carolinians report and that <br />Orange County has a higher incidence of breast cancer than the State average. Rosemary <br />Summers said that Orange County has a higher incidence of cancer overall than the State <br />average. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he would like for her to bring back these statistics. <br />Rosemary Summers said that they would have to look at cancer rates and compare <br />whether they are higher or lower in this area than in the County. She and Ron Holdway met <br />with the community last night to encourage mare people to participate in this study. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that it is important far the County to respond to this. He <br />asked for a map of the area with the households. He would also like to take this opportunity to <br />educate citizens about septic tank maintenance. Rosemary Summers said that it is also a <br />chance to do some education on the other causes of cancer. <br />