tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198322002024-03-14T04:19:39.974-04:00underoakMerry Oaks neighborhood informationAndriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-79282718466730224482015-12-01T12:28:00.002-05:002015-12-01T13:17:44.032-05:00Letter to Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners about the old Villa Heights Elementary School building
Dear Dumont Clarke,
I’m a homeowner in a neighborhood 2.5 miles from the old Villa Heights Elementary School and 2.5 miles from Garinger High School. I’ve paid property taxes supporting CMS, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County since 1986. I prefer Villa Heights remaining in CMS control as a short-term spot for a special academy connected with Garinger High, with a long-term goal of returning Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-15891991412133145692015-11-09T13:14:00.000-05:002015-11-09T14:05:16.040-05:00Supporting Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board's decision to retain use of the Villa Heights Elementary building
Dear Tom Tate and other school board members:
I'm concerned about efforts by Veritas Community Charter School to paint the school board as breaking a commitment with its decision to terminate the lease for the Villa Heights school building. I'm also concerned about an apparent lack of awareness by Veritas supporters about the needs of all students in my area of Charlotte.
I've seen the Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-91831520532679209972015-10-24T23:42:00.000-04:002015-10-24T23:43:22.121-04:00From 2009, some context for 2015's Charlotte mayoral race
Charlotte's mayor holds a part-time position with little power, and candidates historically have aimed to appeal to voters outside of parties. This year is no different.
Also this year, much has been made of candidate Jennifer Roberts' record on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Her opponent, Edwin Peacock, also has a record worth examining from his time on the Charlotte City Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-75193291098989743692015-10-10T19:21:00.000-04:002015-10-24T13:51:15.619-04:00Get ready to vote for Charlotte mayor, city council and school board elections on Nov. 3
Charlotte has an election for mayor, city council, and school board on Nov. 3, with early voting beginning Oct. 22.
Turnout in small local elections is usually abysmal, but these elections often have direct impact on our daily lives because they influence schools, noise ordinances, local property taxes, and transportation options like the Central Avenue trolley. And a ballot isn't like Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-38543868468187399332014-03-23T17:18:00.000-04:002014-03-23T17:18:29.070-04:00Salty-sweet economics: comparing Second Helping and a certain 24-hour bohemian coffee shop
In a tiny storefront in a small strip shopping cluster on Central Avenue, workers at
Second Helping Charlotte hustled all day Friday to serve a crush of customers.
A volunteer from the nearby Merry Oaks neighborhood took phone orders. One employee struggled to increase her speed at the register.
A bit of media coverage and a boost from social media bumped up business at the carryout Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-79465346888955240672012-05-07T17:21:00.001-04:002012-05-07T17:21:08.507-04:00North Carolina primary election results 2012
Here are live election results for Mecklenburg County from the Mecklenburg Board of Elections, with results Tuesday night. These numbers include primary results for tthe Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, at large and district races.
Beware: Results listed there for congressional races may be only partial results, for Mecklenburg County only (I'm unsure). Check the full North Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-40395908336765244172011-11-08T11:30:00.007-05:002011-11-08T11:39:14.081-05:00Charlotte mayor, council and school board elections for 2011: results and researchYou can get direct election results from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections from today's mayor, council and school board races later tonight. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. and results will start showing up almost immediately. Figuring out who to vote for in the 2011 elections is a little harder. You can check endorsements at The Charlotte Observer. The League of Women Voters has an extensive Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-67660111749907434182011-10-29T10:45:00.008-04:002011-10-29T11:22:19.352-04:002011 Charlotte early voting for city council and school boardEarly voting is open in Mecklenburg County.You can vote in downtown Charlotte at the Hal Marshall Annex or at various libraries around Charlotte. Merry Oaks voters have choices for Charlotte City Council at large and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board.HoursHal Marshall is open today, Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 30, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Final early voting day at that location is Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-45211318961167025642011-09-28T11:07:00.004-04:002011-09-28T11:12:56.877-04:00Charlotte election 2011: Charlotte mayor and city council candidates' forumFrom an email from our friends in Coventry Woods, here are the details about Thursday night's candidate forum at Amity Presbyterian Church:WHAT: Charlotte’s mayoral and at-large City Council candidates in the general election will field questions before the leaders of 17 or more East Charlotte neighborhood and civic organizations.WHEN: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-83132349812320798122011-07-02T12:55:00.013-04:002011-07-02T13:34:54.247-04:00Visual ties to the past for the new Harris Teeter store in Plaza MidwoodThe cropped photo at the top by the legendary Jeep Hunter shows the old Plaza movie theater on Central Avenue. It stood next to the First Union bank, now Wachovia, and in its place is a parking lot.The next image is part of an architect’s rendering of the primary sign at the new Harris Teeter at Central Avenue and the Plaza.The old photo is likely from about 1986. By that time, the theater was Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-74801726889297787492011-06-29T00:51:00.004-04:002011-06-29T00:59:29.269-04:00Harris Teeter Store No. 1 in Plaza Midwood: Details of the makeoverArchitects for the makeover of the Harris Teeter at 1704 Central Avenue met Tuesday with a small group of neighbors at Green Memorial Baptist Church The meeting was one of several community outreach efforts by Harris Teeter as the grocery chain seeks a rezoning of the store property at The Plaza and Central Avenue. The area has a pedestrian overlay zoning classification, and Harris Teeter seeks Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-59260327315958525162011-06-26T22:02:00.002-04:002011-06-26T22:09:09.568-04:00Harris Teeter plans community meeting Tuesday for new Plaza Midwood storeA community meeting about the proposed new Harris Teeter at The Plaza and Central Avenue is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at Green Memorial Baptist Church, 1324 The Plaza.Harris Teeter has filed a rezoning request for the property to rebuild the existing store as a two-story building with a green roof and parking behind the building.The public hearing on the rezoning is scheduled for Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-2987130126586098452011-06-26T15:01:00.004-04:002011-06-26T15:10:26.138-04:00Rating Charlotte neighborhoods: Measurements are changingThe city of Charlotte and partners at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte are changing the way they rate neighborhoods.They're drawing new lines, including all of Mecklenburg County and adding more data that can help neighborhoods determine how environmentally sensitive they are, among other things.The new survey is scheduled to be published in December 2012. In the mean time, researchers Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-15732882201849896502011-06-21T11:52:00.007-04:002011-06-21T12:07:54.454-04:00Harris Teeter files rezoning application for Central Avenue grocery storeThe rezoning application for the Harris Teeter grocery store at The Plaza and Central Avenue has been filed.Public hearing date is July 18.The revised site plan (PDF) includes a bike rack near the building, specific space dedicated to a CATS bus pad and specific trees to be preserved.Oh, and the rooftop seating area faces west, with a likely view of the skyline.Here's the background.Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-14400324242687058752011-05-07T12:59:00.008-04:002011-05-07T15:14:40.795-04:00Streetcars vs. bicycles: Some Central Avenue neighborhoods lose out (opinion)Comments on an environmental assessment of Charlotte streetcar plans are due to planners on May 9.The full environmental assessment, available at a city of Charlotte planning site, is 58 megabytes in a PDF and rather dense. Karen Sullivan of The Charlotte Observer has written a summary of the streetcar environmental findings.The assessment concludes there are no significant negative effects on Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-80876570055648332872011-04-30T18:26:00.001-04:002011-04-30T18:27:39.896-04:00Update: Eastway police station in Merry Oaks in CharlotteFrom neighborhood advocate Nancy Pierce, through the Merry Oaks Google group:"As most of you may already know, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department has definitely decide to pursue the Merry Oaks sites for their new Eastway Division facility. At the urging of many neighbors, they reconsidered other sites for redevelopment, including Little Saigon (formerly Kate's Skating Rink). According toAndriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-7266982824712222032011-04-29T22:38:00.006-04:002011-04-29T22:59:31.992-04:00Saving Charlotte’s trees: A Civic By Design forumCharlotte’s Civic By Design forum plans a meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10 at the Levine Museum of the New South to talk about how people can work with government and developers to preserve trees.The event is free, with free parking at the Seventh Street parking garage.The meeting planners list a series of events that have focused attention on Charlotte’s tree canopy, including Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-80780914912484129912011-04-29T18:01:00.003-04:002011-04-29T18:14:31.712-04:00Lush life: Last-minute plant sale in Merry Oaks Late notice, but what an opportunity.Merry Oaks gardener Meredith Hebden is divesting herself from some of her plants, with a plant sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30.She has accumulated 350 plants for sale and is charging $5 to $30. Come early for best selection; come late for best prices. Location: 1911 Graybark Avenue.She's also selling garden junque (yes, with a "que.") Here's aAndriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-59015312783454429352011-04-26T23:34:00.005-04:002011-04-26T23:47:09.524-04:00New Plaza Midwood Harris Teeter plannedPlans for a new Harris Teeter store in the heart of Plaza Midwood have been released, with sketches released Tuesday night on the Facebook page of the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association.From the Facebook page:The proposed new Harris Teeter will replace the current Harris Teeter at 1704 Central Avenue, with a required rezoning and expected decision on the rezoning by September. Demolition is Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-21208470308513261662011-04-24T14:37:00.004-04:002011-04-24T14:44:54.402-04:00Appalachian photo contest: A chance to break some stereotypesDo you have great photos from visits to the mountains? Do they reach beyond the usual stereotypes of the mountain area? Check out a photo contest to broaden the images of the Appalachian region, from the Appalachian Regional Commission.You're responsible for photo release forms of people. Top prize: $500. Deadline: May 2. Photos must have been taken after May 1, 2008.Photo: Street troubadour in Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-84628839125141859532011-04-13T21:08:00.004-04:002011-04-13T21:16:30.003-04:00Talks continue on plans for future of Independence BoulevardUpdates from a couple of other sources on discussions about transit and development along Independence Boulevard in East Charlotte:Background by Karen Sullivan of The Charlotte Observer before a Monday hearing in front of City Council:And a post from Larry Shaheen at CLTBlog after the hearing.If you have further updates, feel free to share in comments.Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-25654089414367318442011-04-06T23:10:00.003-04:002011-04-06T23:24:37.939-04:00By the numbers: A brief comparison of Alcohol Beverage Control Board numbersThe town of Mooresville allocates 12.5 percent of its revenues from its Alcohol Beverage Control Board to Iredell County for school purposes, 25 percent to the Mooresville General Fund for public parks and recreation and 27.5 directly to the Mooresville School Board.After giving the state-mandated 7 percent to substance abuse education and 5 percent to law enforcement, Mecklenburg County Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-75161979876970059142011-04-03T00:05:00.004-04:002011-04-03T00:21:43.391-04:00Charlotte’s expanding Hispanic population: It’s about more than taco trucksAbout 25 people gathered in a circle in a meeting room Saturday at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on Central Avenue in Charlotte.Some wore cowboy boots and hats; others wore purple tights and hair. All cheered icons from the past, like César Chávez and Martin Luther King Jr.They passed out papers that outlined 18 bills in the N.C. General Assembly that affect undocumented people and the businessesAndriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-439030776637379772011-03-05T17:53:00.000-05:002011-03-05T18:00:34.494-05:00An alternative site for the Eastway police division?At least one person has suggested the site of the old Kate's Skating Rink as an alternative for a police station for the Charlotte Eastway division. The site already has an existing building and a large, cleared parking lot with no trees.In some ways, it fits the definition of "greyfields." Some neighbors have also suggested using cleared land at the site of the old Morningside Apartments along Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19832200.post-68885950858204020082011-02-27T17:07:00.008-05:002011-02-28T21:39:52.166-05:00Update on the proposed Eastway division police station in Merry Oaks in CharlotteProperty on Central Avenue at Merry Oaks Road is being considered as a site for a police station for the Eastway division of the Charlotte Mecklenburg police department.The department is aiming to build visible new stations and parking lots for divisions. Work has begun on a new building for the Providence division, on Wendover Road next to the Grier Heights community, and city council member Andriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com3