From the Board The Board is trying out starting a new meeting time: 8:30 am. We’d like to try the new time to see if others can join us and then get to work. Please pay your dues. Go to the shoppittsboro.com website ‘About’ page -> Join or Renew page. Scroll to the bottom and pay via PayPal. Your dues make the events possible! Or send your dues to PBA, PO Box 107, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or bring your check to the next membership meeting, April 12th at 8:30 am at The Sycamore. If you need an invoice, please email PBA at downtown.pittsboro@gmail.com with your email or USPS address and we’ll get you one! THANK YOU to those who have paid!! From the Speaker – Theresa Thompson – Pittsboro Downtown Advisory Committee (PDAB) staff Theresa talked about the Town of Pittsboro Utility Capacity (sewer and water) and handed out a fact sheet from Kent Jackson, from town’s Utility Dept. Monday evening at 7 pm at the Ag Center the Town Commissioners regular meeting has the Force Main on the agenda and will have a public hearing on the Systems Development Fee (~$20K/water + ~$19K/sewer per house). A public hearing is to hear from the public. Theresa also talked about the progress Pittsboro Downtown Advisory Board is having with events and activities in downtown Pittsboro. She brought the current workplan and asked for feedback and suggestions for the next FY workplan! We all appreciate that Theresa came to help businesses downtown understand what’s going on downtown! Who was there…. The wonderful coffee service at the meeting is from the folks at 39 West Catering who get up early to help us get up early! The coffee is VERY welcome! Thanks! Greg Lewis, The Sycamore at Chatham Mills, Forrest Hall, & 39 […]

Meeting Notes: From the Board Cindy Schmidt, Membership, requested your ideas for speakers for the coming year. Tiana Thurber suggested a speaker on how to make use of social media for your small business. If you have ideas, email Cindy at Schmidt.cindy@gmail.com. To keep your business on the ShopPittsboro website, please pay your annual dues. Either via the website, the PO Box (PO Box 107, Pittsboro, NC 27312), or hand it to one of the Board members at a meeting. The next meeting will be the second Wednesday, February 8th at 9 am at the Sycamore in Chatham Mills, Pittsboro. Bring a friend! Meeting Notes: From the Speaker Shannon Culpepper, the Recycling and Education Specialist from Chatham County’s Department of Environmental Quality spoke to us about what/how/why and why not to recycle in Chatham County. The Collection Centers collect your recycling, a truck comes and takes it to a MRF (materials recovery facility) where it’s loaded on conveyers, sorted (by people and automation) and then sent/sold to recyclers. To see a short video (2.5 min) about how MRFs work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CFE5tD1CCI Cans: aluminum and steel, just empty and rinse, don’t crush, no worries about labels Cardboard: no food/grease, just empty and flatten Paper: nothing smaller than a 3×3 post it (the conveyer machines loose it!!), envelopes with windows are fine, paperboard (heavier than paper, lighter than cardboard) is fine, envelopes with the super-sticky stuff is fine, NO shredded paper (too small for the conveyers) Glass: empty, rinse, put in glass recycling (no lids!!) Recyclable Plastic Bottles, Jugs, and Jars: (rule is they have a neck smaller than the base), empty, rinse, leave the cap/lid on, remove the pump. This includes water bottles. Don’t crush, leave them large for the conveyers. Recyclable Plastic Tubs: (rule is they have a lid you can […]

Brunch began at 8:30 am at Forest Hall and was catered by 39 West Catering (THANK YOU Greg!). We had morning fruit, wonderful scrambled eggs, biscuits, potatoes, bacon, sausage and all the fixings. A wonderful way to start the morning with friends. As we sat chatting and talking about holiday plans, Pam asked everyone to share their Christmas/Holiday story. If you weren’t there, you missed wonderful vicarious holiday memories! A couple of stories had everyone in tears. One for the tenderness and compassion strangers can show each other (ask about pay it forward) and one for the hilarity some white elephant gifts can bring to a family gathering (ask about ‘stockings’). PBA membership meetings are a wonderful way to continue creating and then living in a small town. Please keep coming to the meetings, we all want that small town holiday world every day of the year. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, a Wonderful Holiday Season! See you next year at the January Membership meeting, January 11th, 9 am at The Sycamore at Chatham Mills.

OCTOBER FIRST SUNDAY was CANCELLED by the Events Committee and the Board due to anticipated weather. (Hurricane Ian) From the board: BOARD Candidates: If you’d like to be a candidate for PBA Board membership, please email Pam Fulk and let her know by Friday, Oct. 7th. Pam has the names of those who have already let her know they’re interested. Candidates, Pam will be emailing you a couple of questions to respond to about why you’d like to be on the Board. The information you provide will be provided to the membership at election time. THANKS SO MUCH FOR WANTING TO ADVANCE PITTSBORO BUSINESSES and joint the Board! Membership dues for 2023 will be coming up! Information can be found here: https://www.shoppittsboro.com/join-us/. Holly Days There will be multiple opportunities for you and your business to take advantage of the holiday season events downtown. Tree Lighting will be Sunday, Nov. 20 (Sunday before Thanksgiving.) Small Business Saturday, November 26. If you have time to staff the gift wrapping station, stay tuned for the sign up. December First Sunday, December 4th Christmas Parade, Sunday, December 11 at 3 pm. If you’d like to participate in the Parade, please contact Carrie Bailey at Pittsboro Town Hall. Make your business plans now to take advantage of the events! If you’re store isn’t open, you can’t take advantage of the foot traffic. Member Updates Greg Lewis from The Sycamore at Chatham Mills has Jazz Night Wednesdays from 6-9 pm, OctoBEER Oct. 20th beer class at 6 pm, sign up on the website, and Thursdays $10 Lounge Menu every Thursday! Jennie Knowlton of the Quiltmakers Cafe will have their first dinner at The Plant Sunday, Oct. 16, at 5 pm for a Pay-What-You-Can Community Feast! Visit the Chatham Historic Museum on Sunday, October 9th at 2 […]

Summer Fest is downtown Pittsboro, July 3rd from 4:30-9 pm. There will be vendors, food trucks, the laser show and more. We’re looking for sponsors! Contact Maria Parker-Lewis if you’d like to advertise at the event! We also need volunteers to pull off the event. The Board and membership decided to survey the members about how the PBA is doing. Please take the survey and send/forward the link to other businesses who may not be on the PBA email list but you know would want us to know their opinion. The survey link will be posted on the PBA Shoppittsboro.com website and will be put on Chatlist, and will be on the Pittsboro Town website. Please take it. It should take only about 3 minutes according to Survey Monkey. THE SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DZW39SD Membership dues were due in January. Please go to the website Shoppittsboro.com to join for the 2022 calendar year. If you need an invoice contact, Cindy Schmidt. March Notes from the Members Caroline from Cackalacky said they are in their 22nd year of business! They have a Cheerwine partnership and a partnership with Tobacco Wood Brewing for a new American Pale Ale! She’s excited to be coming to PBA! Carol from Mark Hewitt Pottery is happy to be coming back to meetings in person. She’d like people to view an arts program on WRAL Thursday, March 10th from 7-8 featuring some local artists, including Mark!, to raise money for other artists. The Pottery will have a kiln opening June 11-12 and 18-19 stay tuned for more info! Cindy from the Chatham County Historical Association told us the Association would have a program on the Geology of Chatham County May 15th, at 2 pm at the Historic Courthouse at 9 Hillsboro Street. As always the program is free. Gloria […]

The March MEMBERSHIP MEETING will be Wednesday, March 9th at 9 am – at Forrest Hall in Chatham Mills. The Board and membership decided to survey the members about how the PBA is doing. Please take the survey and send/forward the link to other businesses who may not be on the PBA email list but you know would want us to know their opinion. The survey link will be posted on the PBA Shoppittsboro.com website and will be put on Chatlist, and will be on the Pittsboro Town website. Please take it. It should take only about 3 minutes according to Survey Monkey. THE SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DZW39SD Membership dues were due in January. Please go to the website Shoppittsboro.com to join for the 2022 calendar year. If you need an invoice contact, Cindy Schmidt. February Membership Meeting Notes Cindy from the Chatham County Historical Association told us the Association would have a program on the NC Revolutionary Regulators on Sunday, Feb 20th at 2 pm at the Historic Courthouse at 9 Hillsboro Street. As always the program is free. Melissa from Chatham Magazine said the April/May edition will feature downtown Pittsboro, Women of Achievement, and Home and Garden. They’re also starting a new annual magazine, The Triangle Weekender in May…get your copy in NOW! Scott Dunham from Tarheel Getaways says travel is opening up!! Karen Tiede reminded us to get our events to her for the ShopPittsboro website. She also reminded all the members PBA would be having First Sunday in March and to think about what do in their stores for the day. Mary from New Horizons and New Horizons West said her winter clearance sale at both stores will happen Feb 26 thru March 6. We were happy to see Jaques from French Connections and Cathy from Great Clips! […]

The November MEMBERSHIP MEETING will be Wednesday, November 10th at 9 am – at Forrest Hall in Chatham Mills. PBA will participate in Small Business Saturday, November 28th by hosting the gift wrap and a passport for the day. Pick up your passport at the Welcome Center. PBA members need to volunteer for the gift wrap – please email Pam Fulk (PamFulk@gmail.com) to pick a time. Membership dues will be due in January of 2022. Please go to the website Shoppittsboro.com to join for the 2022 calendar year. You’ll also be receiving a reminder email with an invoice attached. October was The Annual Meeting: Nominations and Election to the Board: There were 11 people nominated for 5 available seats: Cindy Schmidt, Stephanie Olness, Jamie Hitmar, Maria Parker-Lewis, Debbie Andleton, Lorie Barker, Tiana Thurber, Kathie Russell, Janeth Moran, Megan Ribbing, and Heather Johnson. An email was sent to all members of PBA and votes tallied from those that returned their votes either via email or in-person at the membership meeting. Cindy, Jamie, Stephanie, and Maria were reelected for another two-year term and Debbie Andleton from Chatham Park was elected for a two-year term. That means your Board for 2022 will be: Pam Fulk, Maria Parker-Lewis, Stephanie Olness, Jamie Hitmer, Cindy Schmidt, Scott Dunham, Jacques Dufour and Debbie Andleton Congratulations!! Thanks to all the members for being willing to support the Pittsboro Business Association with your time and your talents. With the enthusiasm for PBA Board positions this election generated, the upcoming year should be fantastic! From the Speaker Jim Nass, mayor of Pittsboro, was our speaker. Mayor Nass spoke to the members about the mayor’s responsibility of working closely with the town staff to understand issues and then with the town commissioners to ensure town commissioner meetings agenda’s address those issues. […]

We will have a Summerfest on July 4! It will look a bit different than past years but the Town of Pittsboro, PBA, and Mainstreet Pittsboro, are dedicated to put it on and get people out! Make your business plans now to take advantage of the event! Salisbury and the town lot are being looked at as the probable location. But if you’re store isn’t open, you can’t take advantage of the foot traffic. Mike Dasher, Chatham County Commissioner, spoke to the members on May 12. Most County department will be open in person in the next couple of weeks. The Commissioner meetings will be with the public by July. County Budget process is going on now! By law the County must have a budget in place by June 30th. There was a public input session this last Monday and there will be another in-person on May 17th at 6 pm at the new Ag Building on West Street. Or you can give your comments to the County Managers office or to Mike. The new budget is staff heavy, adding staff in the planning department (permitting, inspection, water shed protection). For sustainability, funds are going to solarizing existing buildings EV charging stations, and transitioning the county vehicle fleet to hybrids. Chatham County schools has the new Seaforth High School opening this fall so there will be additional operational funds allocated there and there will be funding for a supplement to teachers salaries. As the County is growing in population a unified development ordnance is starting to be developed. It was originally going to be a 4-year effort but will be shorter now. Plan Chatham will be integrated into the UDO. The county property out on Renaissance Drive will see more county building in the next few years with the Chatham […]