Legendary big band singer Marlene VerPlanck and the Charlotte-based Rick Bean Trio will join the Davidson College Jazz Ensemble for a public performance on Friday evening, April 29. There is no charge to attend the show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Duke Family Performance Hall. The concert will be a must-see for fans of vocal jazz and big band music. It will open with numbers featuring the Jazz Ensemble, followed by several intimate pieces featuring VerPlanck and the Rick Bean Trio. The highlight of the evening will be a collaboration between VerPlanck and the Jazz Ensemble, playing a

Read more

In honor of Earth Day 2011, Ivy’s Diaper Service is announcing its new compostable diaper service. Compostable single- use diapers are delivered monthly and the soiled diapers are picked up weekly and composted. Compostable single-use diapers look and behave just like standard disposable diapers, but are made of 100% compostable materials, such as corn and wood pulp. It is important to note the difference between landfills and compost piles. A compostable diaper will not biodegrade in a landfill. Compostable diapers need very specific conditions to decompose, conditions only found in industrial composting facilities. Many parents buy all natural and compostable

Read more

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department is sponsoring the 11th Annual Tots Olympics on Friday, May 13, 2011, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Irwin Belk Track and Football Complex on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University, 500 Summit Avenue. This event is for boys and girls ages 3 – 5 years old. Children will be able to participate in events such as ball throw, ball kick, long jump, hurdles jump, and the 50-meter run. Each child will receive an award, and lunch will be provided for all participants. To register, visit www.parkandrec.com, click on the E-Parks

Read more

To wrap up the 17-year-old, three-day festival, Food Lion Speed Street will showcase Eddie Money and Starship featuring Mickey Thomas on the Coca-Cola stage May 28 beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET; while country favorite Clay Walker will take the Miller Lite stage at 9:30 p.m. ET. “Food Lion Speed Street works hard every year to identify and secure top-level talent, especially for the Saturday night performance,” said Jay Howard, president of JHE Production Group Inc. and promoter and producer of Food Lion Speed Street.”The trio we have lined up for May 28 should please a wide variety of Food Lion

Read more

Reviewed by Jessica Stafford Charlotte author Amy Clipston takes a break from her best selling “Kauffman Amish Bakery” novels to portray adolescent car fanatic Emily Curtis in her first young adult novel. Emily is having a crisis of faith and could use a little “roadside assistance” to help her on her Christian journey. Tackling the issue of losing a parent, Clipston hopes the book will appeal to teens and adults and leave them with a sense of hope. Just when Emily needs her mother the most she dies, leaving Emily and her dad overwhelmed with medical bills and forced to

Read more

As another magnitude 6.6 earthquake rattled northeast Japan this week, it is yet another reminder of how much Japan needs relief. To that end, ad agency BooneOakley and digital agency Studiobanks recently partnered for the launch of JapanSaver.com, a site designed to sustain awareness and encourage donations to the earthquake victims in Japan. JapanSaver features a free, downloadable screensaver that displays simple, yet powerful imagery to help maintain awareness about the ongoing need for aid in Japan. The screensaver features a sheet of graph paper scrolling by as a seismograph needle jumps around as though it’s tracking an earthquake. The

Read more

There’s a lot going on in the Charlotte region’s film industry. This weekend, two feature films will have casting calls. The first is for “Artemis,” which literally is looking for thousands of extras. Although all ages and all types are needed, there’s a particular need for children between the ages of 12 and 18. Those interested should bring a non-returnable current snapshot to either the casting call at Cleveland Mall in Shelby on Saturday, April 16, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. or to Carolina Mall in Concord on Sunday, April 17, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Details are on the Charlotte Regional

Read more

Included below is a link to the Superintendent’s budget recommendation for the Board of Education meeting tonight at 6 p.m. http://goo.gl/u0a1I To access the presentation, scroll to the bottom of the agenda and it is item D under reports/information items.

Read more

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Missing Person Unit is conducting an investigation into the disappearance of an 42 year old male subject. The incident took place at 1408 West Sugar Creek Road in the North Tryon Division. The call for service came in at 01:00 P.M., on Monday, April 4, 2011. Patrol officers responded to a call for service placed by Crystal Collier, in reference to a missing family member. Ms Collier stated that Martin Bryant, a family member, has not been seen or heard from him since March 30, 2011. Martin Bryant’s local and out of state family and friends

Read more

Whether you’re wondering how to safely get rid of that old bucket of varnish, how you can start your own compost pile, or what can or can’t go in the recycling bin, Mecklenburg County has the answers for you all in one place. The 2011/2012 Wipe Out Waste (WOW) Guide Book is out now, and is available in both print and online versions. For Mecklenburg County residents, it’s the must-read resource on recycling; household hazardous waste, waste reduction, litter prevention and much more. The WOW Guide is available at all local libraries and other locations, and online at wipeoutwaste.com. The

Read more