Mecklenburg County government offices and agencies will be closed on Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. This includes all units of the Department of Social Services, the Tax Office, Elections Office, the Register of Deeds Office and Land Use and Environmental Services. Mecklenburg County Substance Abuse Center (Detox) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Department of Social Services Care Line (704-336-CARE or 704-336-2273) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to receive reports of suspected abuse or neglect of children, the elderly or disabled adults. The

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Though the notion of springtime might be only a distant hope right now, it’s the perfect time to start thinking ahead about getting some new trees and shrubs in the ground. Early spring is an ideal time to plant dormant seedlings. The Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding its 40th annual Tree Seedling Sale on Saturday, Jan. 22, from 9 a.m. – noon at the Hal Marshall County Services Center, 700 N. Tryon St. in Charlotte. A special “early bird” presale will be held on Friday, Jan. 21 in the same location from noon-2 p.m., with a

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On Monday, Jan. 17, Rabbi Murray Ezring of Temple Israel, Rev. Robert Henderson of Covenant Presbyterian Church and Dr. Clifford Jones of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church will be leading members of their houses of worship to Turning Point Academy (2300 W. Sugar Creek Road Charlotte, NC 28262) for a day of service to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students shared their input about what they wanted from this project and members of these religious institutions will gather to turn an unused green space into an outdoor garden, basketball court and

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The two-hour delay is a transportation option that will affect students. Schools will open two hours late; the ending school times do not change. All employees will report to work at the usual time. Bus drivers should report to work in enough time to prepare the buses properly in order to start the bus route on a two-hour delay. Before-school programs will operate on a regular schedule. Each principal has developed a modified bell schedule that begins two hours later than normal and ends at the regularly-scheduled time and will work with the cafeteria manager to develop a modified lunch

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Colony Development Partners, LLC, recently represented The Barker Lounge in a five year lease transaction at 1719 Montford Drive in the Madison Park Neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. Marshall Williamson and Kara Schroer of Colony Development Partners Office Division represented tenant owners Mindy and Chris Evans. Adam Williams and David Tschirhart with Legacy Real Estate Advisors represented the Landlord, SIMMCO, LLC. “As first time business owners, working with such accommodating and experienced professionals as Colony Development Partners has made this such a positive experience and we’re thrilled to be able to bring our dream to fruition,” said tenant owner Mindy

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter C. Gorman unveiled recommendations to cut $100 million from the district’s 2011-2012 operating budget at the Jan. 11 meeting of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. The cuts include reducing by more than half the number of Bright Beginnings pre-kindergarten classes, eliminating teacher assistants in first and second grades, and increasing class sizes by two students in grades four through 12. The proposed cuts include transportation changes that could also affect some schools’ start times. The changes would shrink the district’s work force by 1,516 positions. Together, the proposed cuts add up to just over $100 million.

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools magnet student-assignment lottery application will open, Friday, Jan. 7. CMS families can go online to apply for magnet programs. The online lottery will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day through Feb. 6. On Feb. 7, the last day of the lottery-application period, the application will close at 10 p.m. CMS has been sending personalized instruction sheets home with all current students this week. Some students may receive their packets early next week. Students who will be new to CMS, and students who are assigned to Title I Choice schools, received the information in

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“Homeland” looking for 20-30-year-old white, red-headed, 6’1″ male with light eyes – and others – for extras and stand ins They say it takes all kinds, and the casting call for “Homeland” proves there’s a place for just about everyone in the new Showtime pilot that begins shooting soon in the Charlotte region. Preppie adults ages 25-55? Check. Fit military men ages 18-45? Check, check. Males of Middle Eastern, Greek, Lebanese, Persian, Hispanic, Columbian, Indian and/or Turkish descent between the ages of 20 and 40? Triple check. And if you are an adult of any age with an American-made 2000-2011

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Kids Heart Felt Health is a new non-profit organization being launched in Charlotte to teach children how to prepare their own favorite meals and snacks in a healthy manner. Organizers have already attracted interest from other cities. “Our program is called HEART Felt Health because we not only give kids hands-on activities to help protect their physical hearts – curbing obesity and malnutrition – but also the word ‘HEART’ stands for character traits we intend to instill through our program,” said founding president Claudine Lovitt. “Those character traits are Humility, Empathy, Appreciation, Respect and Tenacity. We share inspirational stories of

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A group of community organizations have come together to rally public support for our schools at a time when the need has never been greater. On January 11, a special leader program called “The Power of One” will be hosted by Mecklenburg Ministries, Temple Beth El, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Communities in Schools, and is intended to encourage individual citizens and organizations that their time, resources and advocacy can make a difference in our high poverty schools in Charlotte. “Quality public education is in the best interest of every citizen in this community,” said Dr. Maria Hanlin, Executive Director of Mecklenburg

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