Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement reminds its customers that the North Carolina 2012 Residential Building Code went into effect March 1 in accordance with state law. The North Carolina Department of Insurance (DOI), Office of the State Fire Marshal, has not yet posted the final online version of the 2012 Residential Building Code, but has given the green light for the draft version to be used starting March 1 until the final version is posted. Due to unexpected delays in the final adoption of the code at the state level, printed versions of the 2012 Residential Building Code will not be

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SEED20, the nonprofit social entrepreneur competition launched by Social Venture Partners Charlotte, has just announced the ten finalists from the inaugural SEED20 Class of 2012 to pitch their innovative ideas for building social value in our community live atSEED20Unleashed! on March 6 at 5:30 p.m. at UNC Charlotte’s new Center City Building. The finalists include: · Charlotte Community ToolBank · Charlotte Teachers Institute · Circle de Luz · Friendship Gardens · Inspire the Fire · Grub to Grub · The Relatives · Second Helping of Charlotte · Silent Images · Sow Much Good The ten finalists will make three-minute “pitches”

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BigMarker.com (www.bigmarker.com), the social network for Communities, is having a giveaway of lifetime proportions.Anyone who creates a Private Community on BigMarker before March 1st, 2012 will retain that Community for life, free of charge. Whether members wish to use a Private Community now or later, anyone who upgrades before March 1st will keep the Private Community, free of charge, forever. “[BigMarker’s] real secret is not in its affordability or its video-conferencing platform, but in its uncanny ability to help us manage our team’s progress in between Conferences,” said Tracey Patterson, President and COO of Powered by Action (www.poweredbyaction.org), “BigMarker has

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Doing Some Spring Cleaning? Donate New and Gently Used Items to American Cancer Society Scarf, Hat and Wig Drive. Donated items will benefit women experiencing side effects of cancer treatment. The American Cancer Society has launched a scarf, hat and wig drive just in time for spring cleaning. New and gently used items can be dropped off at the following locations: · Fusions Salon, 455 W. John St., Matthews · NAKAO International Salon, 411 S. Sharon Amity, Charlotte · New Creations, 2 Bank of America Plaza, Charlotte · Parasol Salon, 5126 Park Rd. #2A, Charlotte · Retro Junque (booth on

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INTECH Fire & Security, a growing commercial and residential security systems provider serving greater Charlotte and the Southeast from its base in Concord, N.C., has changed its name to Vialarm Security as it expands it services and markets. “The name change is due to the significant expansion of our product offerings, which include Managed Services, Private Data Portals and the anticipated growth of IP (Internet Protocol) related services,” said Mark Jones, CEO. “The new name and Vialarm.com website will offer us the ability to deliver more information to all of our customers, while improving our marketing ability. There will be

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Local Charlotte fashionistas will have another option for trendy and affordable styles with the grand opening of the newest Dots store. The popular retailer, known to offer affordable women’s apparel and accessories, is now open at University Pointe Shopping Center, 5700 University Pointe Boulevard. The University Pointe location is the fifth Dots store in the expanding Charlotte market. The new store is a direct result of a growing demand for fast-fashion at an affordable price. In total, the nearly 5,000 sq. ft. store will employ 23 full- and part-time positions in the community. Shoppers can expect to find a premiere

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The New York Butcher Shoppe, located at 2904 Selwyn Avenue, will close its doors this weekend, as owner Jed Kampe prepares to open a new concept in a larger location in May. The yet-to-be-named restaurant will include a butcher counter, prepared foods and a dine-in menu featuring hamburgers where all the beef will be ground on-site throughout the day. Kampe says, “There will be a lot of changes mostly in the dine-in aspect, but nothing will change with regards to only using the highest quality beef, chicken, pork and lamb. Once our ground beef became so popular, I knew we

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Of the countless businesses slowed or crippled by the recent recession, the commercial cleaning segment is one of the few to emerge mostly unharmed, says Adam Povlitz, Vice President of Operations for Anago Cleaning Systems. Facilities always need cleaning regardless of the economy, and he says many veteran white-collar workers downsized throughout North Carolina during the period are now viewing the industry for its franchising and profit potential, as opposed to the “less than glamorous” work perceived as involved. Anago Master Franchise Owners are not in the cleaning business – they are in the sales and marketing business. The Anago

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Taylor Burke Home has announced that their rare and vintage-inspired furniture and home accessories will be sold at Post & Gray, located in Historic South End, beginning March 6th. Owned by Interior Designer and Charlotte native Julianne Taylor, Taylor Burke Home is the culmination of years of travel, cultural experiences and a passion for all things beautiful. Taylor’s exposure to materials and architectural details used around the globe gives her insight into picking the right furniture and accessories for your space. Inspired by Taylor’s extensive travels in Asia and Europe, the collection includes Asian hand-painted furniture and accessories, vintage industrial

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The Charlotte Progressive International Motorcycle Show – February 24th-26th, is the largest of its kind, and has been hosted in 10 different locations for the 2011-2012 season. Each year since 1982, the events have provided hundreds of thousands of people with new motorcycle products and technology ranging from Custom Bikes and Cruisers to ATV’s, Scooter, Racing Bikes, and Concept Bikes. The International Motorcycle Shows are back for 2012 in Charlotte to give motorcyclists, enthusiasts and families the perfect weekend getaway. All ages are welcome, and special show features like the Kawasaki Design-A-Bike provide a great experience and kids. The available

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