Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s Nature Preserves and Natural Resources Division will soon begin wildlife management projects that will focus on the reduction and removal of the beaver populations at Beatty Park and Park Road Park. The purpose of these projects is to prevent further damage to the numerous trees that surround the lakes, to protect the trees surrounding Lake Pointe Hall (Beatty), and to improve public safety. The projects will begin as early as March 2012. Staff will address the issue by laying wire fencing around shoreline trees to prevent further damage caused by beavers. In Beatty Park, more

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Since the days of George Washington, political candidates have connected with constituents at community barbecues, including the well-known Mallard Creek Barbecue, which began in 1929. The Duke Mansion and Levine Museum of the New South explore that tasty tradition in Mecklenburg County with a free showing of the CPCC Television show, “Trail of History: BBQ & Politics,” followed by conversation with CPCC Professor Gary Ritter and interviewees from the show. The program takes place on Sunday, March 4 at 3 pm at The Duke Mansion, 400 Hermitage Road in Charlotte. Reservations are required. To reserve a spot, email ec********@**wf.org or

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State Representative Ric Killian has completed the filing requirements to become a candidate for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District.  Killian is currently serving on active duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and will return home in a few weeks to campaign in the Republican primary on May 8th.  “The challenges facing our nation, both at home and abroad, are extraordinary”, said Killian, “Our nation needs leaders with the ability to develop solutions to our problems that will improve the lives of all citizens”.  “My experience in business, the military, and the state house of representatives uniquely qualify me to

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The Charlotte area community is invited to Dove’s Nest’s 20th Anniversary Open House Sunday, February 26, 2012 from Noon-2pm. See how Dove’s Nest helps recovering addicted women, 1814 Euclid Avenue (off East Blvd. in Dilworth). Dove’s Nest is a free 120-day Christian residential recovery program for homeless and at risk women who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. Dove’s Nest is committed to helping women break the destructive cycle of addiction and poverty for themselves and their families. Charlotte Rescue Mission main phone number: 704.333.HOPE

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To cap off National Pet Dental Month, a local Charlotte vet practice – The Carolinas Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic on York Center Drive in Charlotte – will be hosting a free community wide, one-day pet dental health clinic Thursday, March 1. The founder of the clinic and a nationally acclaimed veterinarian, Dr. Katerine Queck, will be using a new product called OraStrip QuickCheck Canine. The strip is rubbed along a dog’s gums and instantly tells you whether your dog has periodontal disease. Periodontal disease within dogs is a big issue lately as it’s been discovered it can start as

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“The Paintings of Scott Avett: Exploring Story and Spirituality,” an exhibit of the paintings of Scott Avett, artist, musician and founding member of The Avett Brothers, opens to the public Feb. 25, 10 am – 4 pm, at The Morrison condominiums, 532 Governor Morrison St. in Charlotte’s SouthPark neighborhood. In 2003, a young painter named Scott Avett walked into artist Tom Schulz’s Empathinc. gallery in Charlotte, NC. The two quickly realized they shared many of the same ideas about art. They both valued the collaborative and spiritual aspects of the creative process; and they both saw their work as open-ended

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Mayor Anthony Foxx and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Coalition for Housing are hosting an Interfaith Summit on affordable housing and homelessness on Friday, March 9, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at The Park Expo and Conference Center (800 Briar Creek Road). The summit is designed to further engage faith communities in the effort to end and prevent homelessness in Charlotte and to share what actions can and need to be done today to work toward this goal. Congregations are invited to register up to three people. The event is geared toward the faith community but is open to the

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If you’ve been meaning to head over to Mint Museum Randolph to see two of the acclaimed exhibitions on display, “Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman” and “Aesthetic Ambitions: Edward Lycett and Brooklyn’s Faience Manufacturing Company,” you’d better hurry. After this Sunday, February 26, they’ll both be gone. The museum’s Chanel exhibition, drawn from its own Historic Costume & Fashionable Dress collection, has earned praise in national and international publications, including Marie Claire (www.marieclaire.com/blog/fashion-museum-exhibitions), which declared it one of “10 fashion-focused museum exhibitions you can’t miss”; MTV’s fashion blog (http://fora.mtv.ca/2012/01/12-fashion-exhibits-we-want-to-see-in-2012/); and EcoSalon (http://ecosalon.com/from-azzedine-alaia-to-yves-saint-laurent-the-fashion-exh…. The exhibition presents the iconic haute couture

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Thompson Child & Family Focus, a nonprofit provider of treatment, care and education for at‑risk children and families, will hold its 16th annual March Madness for Reading March 1 – 30 at the agency’s Child Development Center at 1646 Clanton Road. This year’s theme, “Hooked on Books,” will engage families, Thompson staff, and the community-at-large, in numerous activities to inspire a passion for reading that fosters lifelong learning habits. Thompson is seeking volunteers to read to the children for 15-30 minute time slots on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. or 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. To volunteer, contact

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Primrose School at Afton Village will host a Princes & Princesses Dance Party to encourage families to get moving for healthy lifestyles and enter the Primrose Schools® Family Dance-off to win as much as $30,000 for Levine Children’s Hospital. In each classroom, students will dance for healthy bodies and happy hearts during their individual music classes. Teachers, parents and special guests, including Emily Bootcheck of Levine Children’s Hospital, will be encouraged to jump in and dance along with the children. The event is part of the Primrose Schools® Family Dance-off campaign to fight childhood obesity. In partnership with Children’s Miracle

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