Meeting July 28th

At 7:00p on Tuesday, July 28th, the Third Ward Neighborhood Association will host mayoral candidates and at-large city council members Anthony Foxx and John Lassiter! The Gateway Village YMCA (map) will be our generous host. As always, free parking will be available in the paved lot at 950 West Trade Street (The entry code is 950#). Stay tuned to third-ward.org for more details as they become available.

Because of the significance of the event, First Ward and Fourth Ward residents also will be invited to join us. Third Ward residents will want to arrive early, not only to secure a seat but to participate in another democratic process. Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation has authorized the creation of three design options for the northwest corner of Romare Bearden Park – the entrance that will serve most Third Ward residents – with the final selection to be chosen by neighborhood residents’ votes. Romare Bearden was a Third Ward native, making this a unique opportunity to honor his provenance. Review the three design options here.

See you on the 28th!

Clarkson Green

Please be aware of two recent break-ins occurring in the vicinity of Clarkson Green off of West First Street. This is a constant message, but please continue to be on the outlook for anything suspicious or out-of-place, and dial 911 immediately if you see something notable. Thanks!

CMPD Report

Please see this CMPD report on Response Area 2 for the month of June. Thank you Sergeant Pellicone!

Independence Day

Don't forget Red, White, and Boom! 2009 at the CPCC campus this Saturday, July 4th. Events will start at 6:30p with live music, with fireworks at approximately 9:30p. Admission is free.

For more information, see this link. Happy Independence Day!

Criterium

Excerpted from the press release: "On Saturday, August 8, 2009, approximately 200 professional cyclists from around the world will compete on the streets of uptown Charlotte to compete in the 6th Annual Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium. The Women’s 25-mile event starts at 5:30pm followed by the Men’s 50-mile twilight race at 7:00pm.
The Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium will promote community awareness of the Brain Tumor Fund for the Carolinas in an effort to increase regional brain tumor patient access to the best treatment, technology, research, and support.
100 women riders from 8 countries will participate. The purse for the women’s competition is $25,000. 125 men from 17 countries will be on the course battling for the $75,000 purse.
A complete schedule and roster of athletes set to participate is available online at www.charlottecriterium.org. For more information go to www.btfcnc.org or call 704.821.0110."
Please note the Tryon Street closure for the event.

Neighborhood and Business Services Summer Series

The City of Charlotte Neighborhood and Business Services Department will be hosting its Community University summer series starting July 9th. Topics are focused on neighborhood improvement projects residents can do while on their “staycations” this summer. Workshops are free and open to all Charlotte residents. Participants may register by calling (704) 336-2061 or emailing neighservs@ci.charlotte.nc.us.
See this flyer for more information!

The High Line

Last week's Wall Street Journal celebrates the opening of the High Line, a 1.45-mile long section of elevated railway in Manhattan that was recently converted to a park. Realizing this dynamic project took the efforts of a broad coalition of stakeholders who founded a nonprofit, built a team of advocates, and secured an almost unbelievable budget of $171 million.
An audacious project like this reminds me of the opportunities we have to combine "private initiative, [governmental] support, creative legislation, brilliant design and a willingness to risk the unpredictable" to improve our neighborhood. The branding campaign currently underway will be a test of nearly all of these, albeit on a smaller scale. I hope to see future projects enhancing our own network of parks, and more.
For more on the High Line, see the official web site.

The Bechtler

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, in the emerging Wells Fargo Cultural Campus, will open to the public on Saturday, January 2, 2010. Construction of the 36,500sf building, designed by Mario Botta, will complete this summer. The collection of more than 1,400 pieces will be donated to the public trust. It includes works by twentieth century masters such as Picasso, Degas, Miro, and Warhol.
Click here for the official press release, and stay tuned for more updates on how we will interact with this important new institutional neighbor in Third Ward!

Meeting Tonight

Tonight's meeting will be at 7:00p at the Gateway YMCA. We'll welcome Gina Nickerson from Code Enforcement, our award-winning CMPD officers, and discuss the branding/identity project. See you there!

Tailgate Recycling

The Carolina Panthers are teaming up with Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful, Bojangles, City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services/Special Services and Charlotte Center City Partners to provide recycling for tailgaters. The pilot program will launch on August 29th at the Carolina Panthers' first preseason game in a selected four block area near Bank of America Stadium.

Tailgaters will receive two bags as they enter into their usual parking lot. One is designated for trash. The other, a bright yellow bag with the Carolina Panthers and Bojangles’ logos, is for all recyclable bottles and cans. Before heading into the stadium, tailgaters are instructed to leave both bags at the curb to be picked up by Charlotte’s Special Services teams.

With success, the footprint of the recycling area will be expanded. Thanks for keeping Third Ward beautiful!

At-large Town Hall Meeting

Next Thursday, June 25th, Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess will host a town hall meeting to discuss how federal stimulus funding will provide more resources to CMPD. Speakers will include Chief Monroe and other CMPD resources. For more information, click the image at right.

Farmers Markets

Eat well and support local farming by checking out two easily accessible farmer's markets. Gateway Village hosts its market Thursdays from 11:00a to 2:00p, throughout the summer. Enjoy live music also, starting at 11:30a! And, 10% of June sales will be donated to the Carolina Raptor Center.

The Center City Green Market, at the Square, runs Tuesdays through Saturdays beginning at 10:00a.

Happy eating!

Blessing of the Pets

This Saturday, June 20th, Reverend Dr. George Busby from First United Presbyterian Church will bless all pets and their owners. Reverend Busby will also bless individual pets at the request of owners. Any pets are welcome, from dogs or cats, to ferrets or birds…even lizards. The Canine Café located in South End will be on hand with special pet treats. The event starts at 10:00a in Polk Park at the Square.

Meeting June 23rd

This coming Tuesday, June 23rd, we will have our monthly meeting. We will welcome Gina Nickerson of Code Enforcement, Officers Stillman and Irby of CMPD, and also receive an update on the neighborhood branding and identity efforts underway with Little Red Bird.

The meeting begins at 7:00p at the Gateway YMCA. See you there!

Beach Reading

Have you read the Third Ward Vision Plan? Created by the Planning Department in 2003, the plan projects development throughout our neighborhood. After six years, it is interesting to see what was "on the mark" and what has changed (for one, baseball was not anticipated at that time).

Community Garden

With the beautiful weather and ample rain, the Third Ward Community Garden is off to a good start again this year. All fifteen plots are full, and there is a waiting list for garden plots.

To make a reservation, contact John Chaney (Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation) at (704) 200-7370 or via e-mail at John.Chaney@mecklenburgcountync.gov. Happy gardening!

Red, White, and Boom! 2009

"Red, White, and Boom! 2009 will bring wholesome family fun to Uptown Charlotte for our nation’s birthday. Sponsors include Lance, CPCC, 96.9 The Kat, and Charlotte Center City Partners.

The fireworks are being staged from the Central Piedmont Community College campus. Some streets around the campus will close at 8:00pm to accommodate the fallout zone, so expect traffic delays in that area. Streets will reopen immediately following the show.

Red, White and Boom! 2009 will be approximately 20 minutes long. The show begins at 9:30pm (weather and fire department clearance permitting). The show will be synced to a music track that will be heard exclusively on 96.9 FM and played live at all viewing venues.

The show can be viewed from a variety of locations around the city. If you are in the eastern part of the city and you can see the skyline, chances are, you can see the fireworks display.

There is ample parking in Uptown Charlotte, but on-street parking will be not be allowed to avoid restricting traffic lanes as fireworks viewers drive in and out of the city."

NC Music Factory Press Release (excerpt)

"Live Nation to Open Fillmore Music Venue in the North Carolina Music Factory, Expanding Its Venue Platform in one of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Concert Markets

Live Nation announced today a long term agreement with The Ark Group to operate, manage and exclusively book a new 5,000 capacity outdoor amphitheatre, Uptown Amphitheatre at the Music Factory, and a new 2,000 capacity Fillmore music venue at the North Carolina Music Factory.

Live Nation expects to book approximately 25 shows annually at the Uptown Amphitheatre and approximately 80 shows annually at the Fillmore. Multi-platinum band The Fray will play the first concert at Uptown Amphitheatre on June 13th. Tickets are available at www.livenation.com.

The Uptown Amphitheatre is situated with soaring views of the Charlotte skyline, elevated lawn seating, traditional outdoor seating, premium box seats with food and beverage service, and an indoor VIP area with private restrooms, private bar and views of the stage.

The Fillmore Charlotte, which will be housed in a historic textile mill, will be themed in the tradition of the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco. The new Fillmore will feature the iconic music venue’s trademark décor, including red oak hardwood floors, red painted interior, vintage posters of legendary live music performances, magnificent chandeliers throughout, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, as well as, stadium style tiers that create great sight lines from anywhere in the venue, a VIP area and more. The venue is also set to open in June.

For additional information on the NC Music Factory, visit www.ncmusicfactory.com."

CMPD Awards & Update

Please join me in congratulating Officers Carrie Stillman and William Irby, our own community officers, who recently won Community Relations Awards for their dedication and service! We are excited and proud.

Please see this month's District 2 report which includes helpful information on preparing your home for summer vacations.

Streetcars & Pygmy Goats

Charlotte's City Council is considering resolutions to fund preliminary engineering for a Streetcar system, and whether to lift the ban on pygmy goats as pets. In very different ways, these affect our quality of life as Third Ward residents.

Today's Observer reports upon the challenges to funding Streetcar engineering. Chief among them is the fact that a funding scheme for the line, which was once promised to be operational less than a decade from now, has disappeared. Proponents of the Streetcar are now considering a Municipal Services District that would tax property owners near the Streetcar to fund a portion of costs. It has yet to be demonstrated why the Streetcar - one part of a countywide transit system - should be funded through different means than the remainder of the system.

See this article from WBTV to better understand what is at stake with pygmy goats. This has become a contentious issue in Fourth Ward as residents have resisted the reclassification of livestock as pets.

Your thoughts are always welcome. Please send me your opinions on either of these subjects. For information on contacting District 2 Councilman James Mitchell and the other City Council members, see Third Ward's Living Here page.

Cheap & Green

Today's Charlotte Business Journal reports of a new program from Lowe's and Duke Energy to provide compact fluorescent light bulbs at a 40% discount. See this link for the coupon!

New CATS Service Changes

See this link for CATS service changes being implemented June 1st.  Only bus routes are affected; the LYNX and Gold Rush services are not.

Councilman James Mitchell

Charlotte City Councilman James Mitchell is hosting a District 2 "Friendraiser" tonight from 5:30p to 7:30p at The Grape. See the flyer at right for more details.

Crime Profiles

Two recent incidents worth reporting... First, on North Clarkson Street early last Friday morning, two women were used as "bait" to lure six men into a pickup truck.  The six men were driven into east Charlotte and robbed at gunpoint.  There is a pretty obvious lesson here.

Second, there was a burglary late Monday night at Clarkson Place.  The burglars entered through an unlocked rear entrance and stole items throughout the residence.  There was no outside lighting illuminated at the time of the incident, and several tree limbs obscured the area.  Please be sure to use exterior lighting at night, and cut back overgrown limbs.  And always remember to lock your doors.

Speed Street Feedback

Do you have feedback from this year's Speed Street?  Let me know.

Weather

Weather is threatening the Dog Social!  Please attend at your discretion, and rest assured that the Pie Town social for non-dogs will continue as planned.  If not at the Dog Park, I hope to see you at Pie Town around 8:00p.

Tonight

Tonight's Dog Social will begin at 6:00p at the Dog Park; everyone is welcome.  At 8:00p, join neighbors and friends at Pie Town - see you there!

Kurt Busch Chopper

NASCAR bad boy Kurt Busch will be arriving Uptown via helicopter this evening, presumably for Speed Street events.  The chopper will land on the Panthers practice fields at approximately 5:30p and depart at approximately 8:15p.

Five for Five

Yesterday's Charlotte Business Journal reports that the fifth of five lawsuits filed by Jerry Reese in opposition to the Knights Stadium land swap has been dismissed.

Happy Meck Dec Day

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a document purportedly signed on May 20, 1775 - more than a year before the United States Declaration of Independence. Though no copies remain of the original - leading to speculation that it didn't exist - the image at left suggests how it would have appeared in print.
Though its legitimacy may never be proven, the "Meck Dec" illustrates the independent spirit of Charlotte that certainly lives today. The date is celebrated still on the North Carolina State Seal and Flag, and was once a state holiday.

Streetcars

At last month's Third Ward meeting we discussed the current status of Charlotte's proposed Streetcar system.  The Infrastructurist blog offers an interesting graphic of streetcar systems across the US.  Charlotte undoubtedly will be competing for federal dollars with many of the other systems listed.

DonorsChoose, Continued

The second DonorsChoose gift was to Irwin Avenue Elementary, a school in Third Ward. The association funded a project entitled Learning About Our Neighborhood, described as follows: "The second grade is going to start a new social studies unit. We are requesting construction paper and card stock to for projects that will share what the children learned. The children will be learning about how things changed over time and the impact of these changes. We would like the children to create graphic organizers and field trip journals. Our classes will be going on a walking field trip through the historical neighborhood where is school is located. Students will be able to see turn of the century homes and building in contrast to the skyscrapers above the tree line in the park."
Mrs. E, the instructor who set up the project, sends her thanks: "Dear Third Ward Neighborhood Association, thank you for your generous donation to my class. It was wonderful the way you responded to this need so quickly. My students learn best when they can do hands-on activities. The supplies will make learning more fun and interesting. These materials are so appreciated. We are so lucky that there are people like you who want to give to our class. Thank you for your donation and kindness."

Taste of Charlotte 2009

Taste of Charlotte will be on Tryon Street (map forthcoming) June 5th through 7th beginning at 11:00a each day. Admission is free with coins for food/drink available here.

April CMPD Report

Please see this report from Sergeant Pellicone summarizing crime and safety throughout District 2 (which includes most of Third Ward and some other neighborhoods) in April.  Please note the increase in commercial burglaries and the pointers from CMPD.

O.A.R. Tonight

With local band Simplified as the opening act, tonight's headliner at NASCAR Rev'd Up is O.A.R.  The free event begins at 4:00 at Third & Mint Streets and also features driver appearances, show cars, and interactive displays.  Watch for increased automotive and pedestrian traffic, and enjoy the event!

DonorsChoose Gifts

Thanks to gift cards provided by CMS and DonorsChoose, the neighborhood association was able to make contributions to specific projects at three area schools.
Our largest gift was to West Charlotte High School, which had requested a donation that will make full-color, take-home worksheets available to students for their study of human anatomy.
Mrs. F., the instructor who will utilize this donation, writes: "Thank you for giving my students the opportunity to gain the most knowledge they can in Medical Science, by seeing things in different colors ... This will really aid in my teaching and their understanding of structures of the human body ... I am so excited that you have helped to make our dreams come true ... We all are so excited and ready to get started. I am planning lessons already to utilize our new technology. Thank you once again for your generous donation."
The project was eligible for a matching grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which allowed the project to be fully funded with our seed donation.
If you are interested in providing donations or volunteer labor to local schools, contact me.

Stream Cleanup Postponed

The Irwin Creek stream cleanup planned for this weekend has been postponed due to weather.  Stay tuned for an updated date.

Baseball

The Charlotte Business Journal reports that two appeals filed by baseball opponent Jerry Reese have been dismissed.  Three additional cases are being appealed, awaiting review.

Under the original plan, the stadium would have opened last month.

Don't Drive Day

This Thursday, May 7th, Mecklenburg County Air Quality, NC Air Awareness, Clean Air Works!, and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) are encouraging commuters to park their vehicles and participate in the Second Annual “Don’t Drive Day,” to promote alternatives to driving to work alone that help clean our air.
Commuters who take transit, ride LYNX, carpool, vanpool, bike, walk or telecommute to work on May 7th can visit www.dontdriveday.org and enter to win an iPod Touch, programmable thermostat, solar phone charger or a digital camera. Entries are due by noon on May 8, and winners must live or work in the Charlotte ozone non-attainment area, which includes Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Rowan, Iredell, Lincoln, Gaston and York (SC) counties.

Speed Street 2009

NASCAR Speed Street will celebrate its fifteenth year beginning on Thursday, May 21st and running through Saturday, May 23rd. Details are forthcoming on the events and attractions, but road closures and congestion are expected around the event site (along North Tryon) from the 20th through the 24th. For more information, see 600festival.com and stay tuned to third-ward.org.

O.A.R. is Rev'd Up

NASCAR's free Rev'd Up concert will begin the All Star Race Weekend on Wednesday, May 13th. O.A.R. will headline the event, starting at 4:00p at Third & Mint, the future site of Romare Bearden Park.

UrbanPlanet

Thanks to our visitors from UrbanPlanet, who have diverted record-smashing traffic to the website seeking photos from the top of the Duke Energy Center. And to remind me there is no excuse for forgetting my camera... it won't happen again.

Meeting Update

Thanks to all who attended Tuesday night's meeting.  I would like to congratulate Matt Hunoval on his elevation to Vice President.  Matt brings a great amount skill that will be put to good use enhancing and advancing Third Ward.

I would also like to thank board member Robyn Riordan for the first quarterly edition of the Third Ward Real Estate Report, and Darlene Heater and Sergeant Pellicone for the information they shared on the Urban Living Showcase and crime/safety, respectively.

Center City Green Market

"Fresh" from Center City Partners, the Center City Green Market is moving the The Square! Open now, vendors include produce, sauces and relishes, bread and baked goods, pasture-raised meats and free-range eggs, flowers, and fish - all locally grown and sourced.

The market will run Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00a to 4:00p. Beginning May 9th, Saturday hours will be added as well.

Tonight's Agenda

Urban Living Showcase / Darlene Heater
Third Ward Real Estate / Robyn Riordan
Safety / CMPD
Vice President Election
Streetcar Discussion

See you at 7:00p!

Tuesday Night Meeting

We will have our monthly meeting Tuesday night. Charlotte Center City Partners will give a limited presentation on the Urban Living Showcase, and will hold back its information on the Find Your Center website for a future meeting. We'll follow that up with a report from CMPD, election of a new neighborhood Vice President, and a recap of the Streetcar Advisory Committee.
The meeting will be at the Gateway YMCA at 7:00p. See you there!

Oak Park Break-ins

Please be aware that two units at Oak Park (West First Street) have had daytime break-ins in the past several weeks. At least one home was accessed through an open bedroom window.
Thanks for watching out for friends and neighbors. If you see anything suspicious, call 911.

Irwin Creek Stream Cleanup

STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates has organized another stream cleanup for Irwin Creek. The date has been set as Saturday, May 9th, with a rain make-up date of Saturday, May 16th.
Participants will meet in the parking lot at 1000 West Morehead Street at 9:00a. Trash bags, boots, gloves and grabbers will also be provided for the clean-up. Please contact Tony Nardo at STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates for more information.
Many thanks to STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates, and all Third Ward businesses who are active in our community!

Irwin Avenue Elementary

I know several neighbors who volunteer at Irwin Avenue Elementary in the Lunch Buddies program. Volunteer Chuck Sawicki has provided this updated list of needs at Irwin Elementary for 2009. Thanks to all who support the school!

Latta Arcade at 95

Third Ward's historic Latta Arcade turns 95 years old this May! In celebration, the tenants are offering "prices of yesteryear" including 25c soft drinks and 5c cookies. On Fridays throughout the month of May, live entertainment will be provided over the lunch hour. Enjoy the fun, and see this flyer for more information.

Center City Wayfinding

A public meeting will be held on April 23rd to present the Vehicular Wayfinding Sign System. The meeting will take place at 5:00p in Room 267 of the Government Center. The presentation will include signage concepts, locations for the static and dynamic information signs, and the systems engineering approach for dynamic signs.
Final design is underway for the Parking and Vehicular Wayfinding Sign System, with implementation scheduled to begin in late 2009 with completion by the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in spring 2010. City Council will be asked to authorize a contract for production and installation of the Vehicular Wayfinding Sign System in fall 2009.
This project is funded with federal funds through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, and will require the installation of both freeway and on-street signs.

GMAC Lands in Third Ward

Today's Charlotte Business Journal reports that GMAC Financial Services has selected 440 South Church for the home of its Charlotte corporate center. It happens that the runner-up choice was Carillon, also a Third Ward structure. Welcome GMAC!

Memorial Walkway & Garden

On Saturday, April 25th, at 1:00p, the Our Children's Memorial Walkway in Frazier Park will have its Spring Memorial Service. Saundra Adams will be the guest speaker, with music by Debra Chandler and Paul Whitsett. New bricks will be placed, and a butterfly release ceremony will follow. In case of rain, service will be held at the Phillip O. Berry Center.

For those unfamiliar with the Memorial Walkway, see this link for more information.

Please also be aware that the park bench dedicated in memory of former Third Ward President Rick West has been installed in the Memorial Garden.

View From the Top

A friend who is part of the development team for the new Wachovia/Wells Fargo office tower recently gave me a construction tour. It was simply awesome, but somehow I forgot my camera and didn't record the amazing views. Fortunately he was kind enough to send some pictures today. Here are photos one and two of Third Ward and one looking North on Tryon Street.

CATS Public Meeting - North Davidson Bus Facility

CATS will host a community-wide meeting to discuss the North Davidson Bus Operations Division Facility Renovation and Special Transportation Service Expansion. Interested? The meeting will take place at the Belmont Center Library, 700 Parkwood Avenue, from 6:00p to 7:30p on Thursday, May 7th.

Streetcar MSD

Interested in commenting on a new proposed Municipal Services District (MSD) tax affecting property owners near the future Streetcar line? Subscribe to Third Ward's distribution list.

Little Red Bird, Flying

Our Platinum Sponsor Little Red Bird has been honored for its pro bono work on behalf of the Boats for Goats organization! The firm was awarded Best of Show - Print honors and a Gold ADDY from the American Advertising Federation, 3rd District competition held March 28.
Held annually in Charlotte, Boats for Goats sponsors a regatta fundraiser that provides goats to needy families in third world villages around the world. District Addy Awards are highly competitive and prestigious for agencies, as the competition includes every Gold award winner from local Addy competitions throughout Virginia, North and South Carolina.
Here is the official press release. For the award-winning work itself, see this, this, and this. And stay tuned for the unveiling of Little Red Bird's work for Third Ward to be unveiled later this year!

CMPD Report

CMPD's March report for District 2, which includes most of Third Ward as well as other parts of Uptown, is available here. Thanks to our dedicated CMPD officers for their work!

March for Babies

The March of Dimes March for Babies (formerly Walk America) will begin at 10:00a on April 25th with over 4,000 participants expected. The route will traverse westward from Trade & Tryon, through Third Ward, into Wesley Heights, and back again. For more information, contact the March of Dimes at (704) 377-2009.

Earth Day Event

Gateway Village will host an Earth Day Event on Wednesday, April 22nd from 11:00a to 2:00p. The event will offer live acoustic entertainment, giveaways, and a photography contest.
To enter, submit your photograph and a brief description of how the photo is connected to the environment. Must be your original work and submitted in 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 format.
Entries are due by April 15th and should be sent to:

Gateway Village
Cousins Properties
c/o Caydea Coobs
800 West Trade Street
Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28202

Google Transit

The CATS system has been integrated into Google Transit! Users can input their origin, destination, and time of travel and have the route planned for them. The system includes bus and rail modes. Try for yourself at http://www.google.com/transit.

Earth Hour

Paraphrased from Charlotte Center City Partners: "The City of Charlotte will join more than 1,800 other cities and towns in 80 countries who will observe Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday, March 28, by asking residents to switch off lights between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.Sponsored by the global World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour invites individuals, businesses, governments and communities to turn out their lights for one hour on one day of the year.The City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte Center City Partners and Duke Energy are showing their support by participating in an effort to educate individuals and businesses about the small changes that can be made to significantly reduce energy consumption.The event began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. This year, Earth Hour aims to reach out to 1 billion people in 1,000 cities.The last weekend of March is selected as the date because it’s around the time of the spring and autumn equinoxes in the northern and southern hemispheres respectively. This allows for near coincidental sunset times in both hemispheres, ensuring the greatest visual impact for a global lights-out campaign."

Irwin Avenue Elementary Needs List

Interested in making a donation to Irwin Avenue Elementary School? See this list of needs!

Frazier Park Parking

With the success of the new Dog Park and the improving weather, ongoing parking coordination is needed for patrons and residents. The neighborhood has proposed "two hour" limits on Sycamore to ensure patrons have access to the park while keeping neighborhood streets open for resident parking. The response is, without a safety issue or a request from Park & Recreation, CDOT doesn't intend to limit parking on Sycamore.
Parks & Recreation is open to feedback from residents. Whether you are a Third Ward resident or not, if you have had difficulty parking at Frazier Park, please contact Central District II Park Planner Gregory Clemmer. If you wish to add or extend permitted parking on your street, please contact Chip Gallup at CDOT. Alternatively, contact me and a neighborhood volunteer experienced in securing permitted parking will assist you.

Clarkson Place Break-in

From the Clarkson Place listserv, dated 3/24: "This afternoon a residence was broken into and a plasma television was taken off the wall. The residents were not home at the time of the break-in. A witness reported a license plate to police who have sent out a crime alert. The door frame and door were both destroyed during the break-in.
This is the second break-in in as many months and serves as another sad reminder to please keep an eye out for your neighbors.
Remember: if someone or something in the neighborhood seems suspicious please call 911 and report ANY suspicious activity to the police."

DRINKS + DINNER TONIGHT

Tonight will be our March meeting, drinks & dinner at neighborhood sponsor Pie Town. Pie Town is located at 710 West Trade Street. Families and friends - really everyone - is welcome. The dinner special will be Buy One Get One pizzas, with 2-for-$5 pints of Guinness, an IPA, or Blue Moon. See you at 7:00p.

Cool Water

It has been a big week for water! From CMU:
"Crews successfully connected a new 36-inch water pipe to the existing 54-inch water main under Morehead Street (near Dowd YMCA). This important connection will enhance water service in the center city.
This morning crews will reopen the valves near South Boulevard, South Tryon, Caldwell Street, and Clarkson Street. Some customers may briefly experience slightly discolored water. This is temporary – the water will clear up shortly. Crews will be flushing hydrants. To help with this process, customers may want to run their cold water tap for a few minutes, until the water clears up.
Also – Traffic on 6th Street is being detoured onto Graham Street until Tuesday as crews finish roadwork near 5th street / Elmwood Cemetery area."

ImaginOn + The Mint Museum

Co-developed by The Mint Museum and the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, Art Under Construction is a display of interactive art tailored for families. The exhibit encourages children to play freely with the objects on display. It runs from March 2nd through May 10th at ImaginOn.
Engaging families with art museums has become a national trend. This article from Tuesday's New York Times highlights efforts at The Mint Museum along with museums at Yale University and in Fort Worth, Texas.
With more families living Uptown, we can expect the emerging Mint Museum campus on South Tryon Street to be a regular neighborhood destination. Thanks to Andrea Collins at The Mint Museum for the information!

CMU Water Main Update

"This morning’s scattered reports of low pressure and discolored water from the immediate vicinity of the 5th/6th Street water main break have subsided. The broken section of the water main has been isolated (valved off) right at 6th street, in front of the entrance to Elmwood Cemetery.We currently are not aware of any discolored water or low pressure problems due to this 20-inch water main break. Lab techs have been monitoring water quality as needed to ensure the drinking water is safe. It will take some time to pump out the standing water at the break site, pinpoint the precise problem and necessary repair, then fix the pipe and the street but in the meantime there is no major traffic impact nor water service interruption. In fact this repair at 6th will likely be delayed until after we complete another scheduled pipe tie-in project that began near downtown yesterday (the connection of the new 36 inch water main to the 54 inch water main, in front of the YMCA on Morehead). Work on Morehead Street is making significant progress.For now, sixth street (a 1-way) remains closed at Graham and motorists are being detoured right or left onto Graham Street.We do not expect further water quality or pressure issues, but if they occur customers should immediately report them to 311 and we will respond."

Broken Water Main

From Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities:
"A 20-inch water pipe broke this morning near 5th Street and Cedar Street. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities is shutting down water service around this broken section of pipe and repairs are under way.
This pipe is a significant provider of drinking water to the uptown area. Some customers uptown are reporting low water pressure and/or discolored water.
While the pipe repair is under way, Utilities is making operational adjustments to the water distribution system to move more water into the affected area to stabilize pressure. We are also testing water quality to ensure safety. Customers with low water pressure or discolored water are asked to contact 311.
More updates will be provided and posted on http://www.cmutilities.com/ (News & Updates) as information becomes available."

Pie Town Specials for March 24th

Pie Town is generously offering Buy One Get One pizzas and two pints for $5 this coming Tuesday! Bring friends and family to enjoy a night with the neighborhood.