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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department" style='position:absolute;margin-left:2.15pt;margin-top:-32.4pt;width:243.75pt;height:54.75pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:margin;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin'>
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<b><span style="color:#00467E">News Media Contact<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:right;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle">
<span style="color:#00467E">Amy Blalock, Assistant Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#00467F">919.560.4123 x11253 | 919.475.7735 (mobile</span><span style="color:#00467E">)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#00467E">Amy.Blalock@DurhamNC.gov</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#00467E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:50.0pt;color:#00467F">News Release</span><span style="color:#00467F;text-transform:uppercase">
</span><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#EF3D42">For Immediate Release: March 4, 2022</span><span style="color:#D3372A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt">Durham Creek Week Offers Volunteer Opportunities to Care for Local Waterways</span></b><i><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<i><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt">Visit </span></i><a href="http://www.durhamcreekweek.org/"><i><span lang="EN">DurhamCreekWeek.org</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
<span lang="EN">for Opportunities to Serve, Learn & Explore<span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p>
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<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN" style="color:black">DURHAM, N.C. </span><span lang="EN">– Many of Durham’s local waterways are in need of some tender, loving care. Residents interested in providing some much-needed TLC for those waterways are now invited to participate in
the 14<sup>th</sup> annual </span><a href="http://www.durhamcreekweek.org/"><span lang="EN">Creek Week</span></a><span lang="EN">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<a href="http://www.durhamcreekweek.org/"><span lang="EN">Creek Week</span></a><span lang="EN">, set for March 12-19, offers volunteer opportunities and activities to help people of all ages and abilities learn more about creeks, rivers, and lakes as well as
how to keep them healthy. Throughout the week, residents will have a chance to join litter cleanups, explore nature, or go on a paddling or creek-trek adventure. Residents may also join in from home by playing Creek Week Bingo or reading books listed on the
educational resource guide. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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“Our local waterways are our most important natural resource. Waterways full of trash and debris jeopardize the health and safety of drinking water for our entire community,” said City of Durham Mayor Elaine O’Neal. “I am grateful for the work of the City,
County, and our community partners and volunteers for spearheading this important work during Creek Week and throughout the year.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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<span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Creek Week has been celebrated in the third week of March each year in Durham since 2009, with 3,409 volunteers collecting 163,783 pounds of litter to date. In a show of inter-agency cooperation, the Impact Team from the City of Durham Neighborhood
Improvement Services and the Durham County General Services Department make sure all litter is collected and properly disposed of and/or recycled.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN">“Each year, Creek Week brings together our community partners to focus attention on discovering and cleaning up our local waterways,” said Public Information and Communication Analyst Laura Smith with the City of Durham Public Works Department.
“It’s inspiring when we all come together to tackle the combined impact of litter and pollution in the Bull City.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN">To join litter cleanup events and find out more details about other activities in store, visit
</span><a href="http://www.durhamcreekweek.org/"><span lang="EN">http://www.durhamcreekweek.org</span></a><span lang="EN">. For additional information, contact Smith at (919) 560-4326, ext. 30235 or by
</span><a href="mailto:Laura.Smith@DurhamNC.gov"><span lang="EN">email</span></a><span lang="EN">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span lang="EN">About the Public Works Department Stormwater and GIS Services Division<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span lang="EN">The </span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/692/Stormwater-GIS-Services"><span lang="EN">Stormwater</span></a><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/692/Stormwater-GIS-Services"><span lang="EN"> and GIS Services Division</span></a><span lang="EN"> with
the City of Durham Public Works Department is guided by the City’s </span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-Plan"><span lang="EN">Strategic Plan</span></a><span lang="EN"> goals of sustainable natural, and built environment and innovative and high-performing
organization. Activities include storm drainage design and plans review; inspecting and maintaining City-owned drainage systems; enforcing stormwater ordinances and regulations; education and outreach; stream monitoring, restoration, and watershed master planning;
maintaining multiple layers of the City’s geographic information; and stormwater billing. To learn more, visit the division’s
</span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/692/Stormwater-GIS-Services"><span lang="EN">webpage</span></a><span lang="EN"> and follow on
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DurhamNCStormwater"><span lang="EN">Facebook</span></a><span lang="EN"> and
</span><a href="https://twitter.com/DurhamStormH2O"><span lang="EN">Twitter</span></a><span lang="EN">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">About Keep Durham Beautiful</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><br>
</span><a href="http://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">Keep Durham Beautiful</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white"> is a nonprofit, volunteer organization
working in partnership with the </span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/733/General-Services"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">City of Durham General Services Department</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">
and </span><a href="http://dconc.gov/"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">Durham County</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white"> to encourage residents, businesses, and community organizations
to protect the environment and enhance the appearance of Durham through cleanup events, beautification projects, waste reduction, and educational activities. To learn more, visit the
</span><a href="http://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">website</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white"> and follow on
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">Facebook</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">,
</span><a href="https://instagram.com/keepdurhambeautiful/"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">Instagram</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">,
</span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keepdurhambeautiful/"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">flickr</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">, and
</span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful"><span lang="EN" style="background:white;mso-highlight:white">Twitter</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color:black;background:white;mso-highlight:white">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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