Where to get runoff election results for North Carolina and Charlotte

For Tuesday evening runoff election results in North Carolina and Charlotte, see the Mecklenburg Board of Elections site. This link takes you directly to the results page.

Runoff election is Tuesday in Charlotte: U.S. Senate, Eighth District Congressional races

Tuesday's election runoff in Charlotte gives voters the chance to be heard, loudly, because turnout is expected to be very low. Your vote will count.

Democrats and Republicans each have one race on the runoff ballot, and unaffiliated voters can vote in one of those races as well.

Your options:

Democrats
For U.S. Senate:
Cal Cunningham
Elaine Marshall

Republicans
For U.S. House, District 8, candidates are:
Tim D'Annunzio
Harold Johnson

Unaffiliated voters who voted Democratic in the first primary can vote in the Democratic runoff.
Unaffiliated voters who voted Republican in the first primary can vote in the Republican runoff.
Unaffiliated voters who did not vote in the first primary can choose whether to vote in the Democratic runoff or Republican runoff.

Republican voters in the nearby 12th Congressional district have a runoff choice as well:
Scott Cumbie
Greg Dority

For all results, see the Mecklenburg Board of Elections site on Tuesday night.

Polling place for Merry Oaks is Precinct 29, at Merry Oaks Elementary School. Voting hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to board of elections documents.

Power outage in Plaza Midwood area reminds residents to plan ahead

(Edited: 10:50 a.m. Wednesday)

Power went out for thousands of residents in east and central Charlotte about 5 p.m. Tuesday and was restored for most people by 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.

The outage is a good reminder of the need to plan ahead and make sure you have supplies and backup plans for outages.

Wednesday morning, about six bucket trucks were working the lines along Briar Creek just south of Central Avenue at 7:45 a.m. For updates, check Duke Energy's outage information site. It also has useful tips.

Two points:
1. Make plans to deal with frozen food: If the power remains off, perhaps folks should make plans for a neighborhood cookout this evening or next, to avoid wasting defrosted meat. If you have extra food that has defrosted and is still good, but too much for your family or neighbors, remember Loaves and Fishes at St. Andrews Church on Central Avenue. The organization, which is also likely without power, provides food for the need on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Donations are welcome.

2. Coordinate infrastructure upgrades? Perhaps as work proceeds in the next year or so on sewer capacity along Briar Creek, somehow work could be coordinated on upgrading and even burying the power lines along the same route. If trees and green spaces are going to be disrupted for sewer work, it makes sense to use that disruption to upgrade all infrastructure along or near the same right of way. Duke has said in the past that burying lines is too expensive in older neighborhoods; it even seems like finding a way to use federal stimulus money to help with the work would be wise. Much productive work has been redistributed to people's homes these days with the increased use of home computers and the changes to a wider freelance and contract economy; using stimulus money to strengthen that capacity seems wise. While I'm playing pie in the sky, broadband capacity could be examined and strengthened at the same time.

Just wishful thinking. Stay cool. Support your neighbors.

Don't look away: Charlotte development on Central Avenue decimates trees

When a site is too painful to see, we often turn away.

I know many people who can't bear to look at the photos coming out of Gulf Coast states.

I know many neighbors closer to home who can't bear to look at this once-treed space at 3223 Central Avenue, at the intersection of Briar Creek Road.

Sometimes, it's important to look.

Background and earlier photos of the tumbling trees on Under Oak.

Trees tumble at former Duo property on Central Avenue at Briar Creek Road

Here's a quick slideshow of some of the construction at 3223 Central Avenue, at the intersection of Briar Creek Road. The wooded property, once owned by the Renfrow family, will become a nursing home. No rezoning was required. The photos are from June 1.

It's important to take a good look as the Charlotte City Council considers a new tree ordinance. The property across the street, once heavily wooded with an old farm house, was redeveloped recently for The Vyne, which cleared land for three condo buildings. Only one building was built before construction halted.

Background:
February, 2010, news of the Duo property sale, including a Google aerial map of the property at 3223 Central Avenue.
History of the Duo and Vyne properties, including photos at maps of the topography.
A Charlotte tree study, from the Charlotte Business Journal.
Charlotte's tree loss, from The Naked City.
Pushback from developers, in response to tree ordinance discussions.