About 54,000 Mecklenburg County property owners who have not yet paid their 2009 real and personal property tax bills will soon have their names and the amount they owe published, as required by state law, in The Charlotte Observer if payment is not received by Friday, Feb. 19, 2010. Each tax bill published will be charged an additional fee for the cost of the advertisement. That fee is in addition to interest charged for late payment. Taxpayers are urged to pay their delinquent taxes as soon as possible. Delinquent taxpayers run the risk of having their North Carolina state income

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Corder Philips, a creative public relations and marketing firm, is pleased to announce the hire of Shruti Chandra as account coordinator. Before her hire, Chandra interned with Corder Philips in the account services department. (Note to editor: for a photo of Chandra, please visit http://corderphilips.com/pr/shrutichandra.jpg.) “Shruti flourished and exceeded our expectations during her internship,” said Burt Philips, managing director at Corder Philips. “Her project management skills and high energy made her an exceptional asset to our team. We are excited to see her take her development to the next level.” In her new role, Chandra will assist in website development

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More than 200,000 tons, and counting. That’s how much paper, plastics and other waste the U.S. Postal Service recycled in 2009, representing a decrease in its greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 1.67 million barrels of oil. An integral part of that undertaking is the Post Office Box Lobby Recycling program which is expanding to include an additional 2,435 Post Offices, including those in a number of U.S. national parks. That brings the total number of participating sites to more than 8,064, an increase of 150 percent from 2005, when the Post Office Lobby recycling effort started. This program is based

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will operate on a normal schedule on Friday, Feb. 12, 2010. After-school events and activities are not expected to be affected by the winter weather forecasts, with the exception of high school basketball games. Both girls’ and boys’ junior varsity basketball games are canceled tonight and will not be rescheduled. · Girls’ varsity basketball games will begin at 4:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. · Boys’ varsity basketball games will be played immediately after the girls’ games. · The Union Academy games scheduled at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology have been canceled. High school athletic directors

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The Charlotte Department of Transportation weather services provider is predicting snow flurries to begin in Charlotte around 2 p.m. today (Friday) with a total of 1 to 3 inches predicted by Saturday morning. CDOT Street Maintenance is currently loading 31 salt spreaders and the salt brine trucks. The brining of primary routes and bridges will this morning and continue throughout the day and night until complete. The 31 salt trucks will be ready to mobilize once the snow begins. The 31 trucks will run throughout the day today and through the night and Saturday morning if necessary. The Charlotte Department

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Artist Peter Max’s latest retrospective features over 100 pieces of Max’s art, including original paintings, drawings, and limited-edition prints. The subject matter of the work ranges from the well known “Cosmic” images, to his famous iconic paintings, such as the “Statue of Liberty,” and “Flag with Heart” and the newest edition, the portraits of Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci. See it at Wentworth Gallery, SouthPark Mall, Charlotte, Saturday Feb. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. Peter Max and his vibrant colors have become part of the fabric of contemporary culture. Max has been referred to as a Pop

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Throughout the month of February the Humane Society of Charlotte will feature several “sweetheart” animals available for adoption through the third annual Adopt-A-Sweetheart Month. Our sweethearts will be available to approved adopters at a discount off the regular adoption price throughout February and for free on Sunday, February 14. Specific animals will have a red heart displayed on their cage cards, denoting that the animal can be adopted at the discounted price. “This event allows us to feature some of our wonderful animals at the shelter and helps encourage those looking to adopt,” said Kristi Perman, Assistant Executive Director. The

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In celebration of National Pancake Day, IHOP restaurants nationwide will offer each guest a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. This year, IHOP is hoping to stack up more donations than ever before, with a goal to raise $1.75 million, for a total of $5 million five years with its National Pancake Day fundraising effort. To find a local IHOP or to donate online, visitwww.ihoppancakeday.com. For every delicious short stack of buttermilk pancakes served on National Pancake Day, IHOP guests are invited to make a donation to

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NewPoint Learning Center (www.newpointlearning.com) is pleased to announce the opening of its newest franchise location in Denver, NC, at 3130 North Highway 16. The Owner and Center Director, Ginny Wirzbicki, is looking forward to being able to serve the needs of students in the Lincoln-Catawba area, as well as portions of North Mecklenburg and Iredell County. The opening of this new center will make it possible for NewPoint Learning Center to serve all of the areas around Lake Norman with centers already established in Davidson and Mooresville. “We’re very excited about Ginny, who was a former tutor for our Davidson

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SouthWood Corporation (www.southwoodcorp.com), which provides image-conscious signage and graphics for clients nationwide, has awarded a $5000 “Identifying Our Community” Grant to Charlotte Rescue Mission. The grant includes the design, fabrication and installation of signage at their location at 907 West First Street. Charlotte Rescue Mission provides residential programs for homeless, jobless men and women with alcohol and drug addiction issues. “This signage grant from SouthWood will allow us greater exposure and clearer identity within the community and with the men and women we serve,” says Rev. Anthony Marciano II, executive director of Charlotte Rescue Mission. The award to Charlotte Rescue

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