Halloween Safety

Halloween is just around the corner, and this year it will fall on the best of days: Saturday! What a great year to go all out with your Halloween decorations and host a Halloween party!

Here are some tips from the Fire Department to keep you, your guests, and all your little goblins safe as you create your own “Monster Ball” or get ready for a night of trick-or-treating:

1. Keep candles and jack-o-lanterns away from curtains, decorations, and other combustibles.
2. Never leave candles unattended.
3. Make sure indoor or outdoor lights have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check wiring and extension cords for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections.
4. Don't overload extension cords or electrical sockets.
5. Keep candles and jack-o-lanterns away from high traffic areas to avoid being knocked over.

Other safety tips include:
• Look for “Flame Resistant” labels on costumes.
• Make sure masks do not hamper the visibility of the wearer.
• Choose costumes made with bright colors to make them visible to motorists.
• Give Trick-or-Treaters flashlights to help them see better at night.
• Costumes should be well fitting to prevent tripping or falling.
• Children should use crosswalks and not run into the street from between parked cars.
• Parents or other responsible adults should accompany children.
• Parents should closely examine the treats collected by the children to ensure that they are safe to eat.

Charlotte Restaurant Week Continues

Queen’s Feast - Charlotte Restaurant Week! July 10-19, you can get a three course meal at nearly 100 of Charlotte’s best local restaurants for just $30 per person (tax and gratuity not included).

This 10-day feast is a great opportunity to try some of Charlotte’s most remarkable chefs and trendy hot spots. If you are working on a budget you can’t beat these deals. See the menus of all the participating restaurants.

Almost all my favorites are on the list. In the Elizabeth neighborhood, Carpe Diem, Customshop and Cajun Queen all offer a great New American menus. In Dilworth you can do a “Taste of the World” tour with the scrumptious Italian of Dolce, Indian at Copper, Spanish at Sole and fine Asian at Zen.

You may want to walk to your choice restaurant so that you don't gain too much weight.

Charlotte Could Benefit from New Tax Credit Options

Home Buyer Tax Credit Could Expand:

A first time home buyer tax credit of up to $8000 has helped to move housing inventory during an otherwise sluggish real estate cycle. Now both legislators and the business community are hoping to build on the incentive's success by expanding it.
A number of bills have been introduced in the House and Senate that lobby for an expansion of the measure. Among the proposed changes:

+ Setting a new cap of $15,000
+ Extending the tax break into mid-2010
+ Making the benefit available to all home buyers, not just first-timers.
+ offering a separate tax credit to $3,000 for borrowers who refinance.

Brown Bag Wednesdays Summer Drop In at Freedom Park

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department sponsors the “Brown Bag Wednesdays Summer Drop-In” series on Wednesdays, June 17 - August 5, 2009, 10am–12pm at Freedom Park shelter #3 (just below the Mahlon Adams Pavilion near the lake). Youngsters should bring their own bag lunch and share a picnic in the park!

These sessions are for boys and girls, ages 6-12. All sessions are FREE! Participants engage in a variety of fun activities including crafts, African drumming, wacky science, sports, wellness and fitness activities.

The following is a list of scheduled activities:
· June 17: Super Olympics
· June 24: Sports
· July1: Fitness with Ms. Brooke
· July 8: African Drumming
· July 15: Wacky Science
· July 22: Do it yourself crafts
· July 29: Do it yourself crafts II
· August 5: Party Time (Lunch provided this day!)


Participants must register by June 10, 2009. Space is limited. To register visit www.parkandrec.com, click on Eparks, and use Course Barcode #45427 or call 311 or Linda Ramseur Williams at 704 336-7644.

Pet Palooza Raises $90,000 for Animals

Pet Palooza Raises $90K for Animals
Where do you go to enroll your beloved pooch into Camp Bow Wow or commission an oil portrait of your diva-dog? Why Pet Palooza, of course! What is a Pet Palooza? It is an event to raise much-needed money for the Humane Society whose goal is stop the euthanizing of any animal. Pet Palooza raised $90,000 to save the lives of wonderful companions and loving pets! Congratulations!
And you can indulge your perky pet from gourmet pet food to couture clothing to sending them to swanky doggie-day care! Oh, to be a dog!
Click here for more pictures from Pet Palooza!

Art and Soul is this Weekend!

Art and Soul of South End is back and better than ever! This weekend, April 25-26, the Charlotte community festival returns with some of the finest artists and craftsmen in the nation. This two-day arts fest also includes: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools‘ Art Activities and Dancing in the Streets. Come along and enjoy the excitement while supporting your community.For more information, visit the Art & Soul Website.

Market is Improving!!!

Inventory is down from 6 months ago, and more importantly, "under contract" listings (as a percentage of overall) are up! Over the past 6 months, the average percentage of listings (houses + condos) under contract has been 12.87%. Today, it's over 14%!
It will get better for everyone in Charlotte. We have to maintain the course and keep our outlooks up and positive.

6 Resons Why It's Still a Good Time to Buy!!!

The housing market is looking healthier. Here are six reasons why now is the time to jump into the market.
1. Uncle Sam is willing to help. First-time buyers (defined as anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years) are entitled to a maximum $8,000 tax credit; interest rates are at record lows; and the Federal Reserve is doing its best to make mortgage loans available.
2. People have to live somewhere. About 800,000 new households are formed each year in this country, ensuring that the housing market will tighten, even if the economy doesn’t soar.
3. Borrowers leverage their investment. If you put $10,000 into the stock market and it earns 10 percent, you’ve earned $1,000. If you put $10,000 down on a home and its values increases 10 percent, you’ve made $10,000.
4. When prices come back up, you’ll have instant equity. In parts of the country where foreclosures have driven down prices, better times will mean the price of the home you buy will rise rapidly.
5. Mortgage costs stay the same. If you get a fixed-rate mortgage, the monthly payment stays the same – while everything else, including rent, goes upward.
6. You own it. There is something comforting in the notion that your home is your own. You can paint it any color you want, let the dog run in the back yard and hang a swing for the kids in the front.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, June Fletcher (03/27/2009)

BWWC organizing an Easter Egg Hunt in Beverly Woods

Hi everyone! The BWWC Easter Egg Hunt is just around the corner and we are looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday, March 28th at 11 a.m. We will have the Easter Bunny there, hot dogs and drinks, and plenty of eggs to find (and even a few Golden ones!) The hunt is located in the same spot as the last few years, at the corner of Meadston Road and Severn Avenue. Check out the attached flyer for full information. There are a few outstanding things that we need and if you can provide or volunteer, please email Marie McDaniel at mmcdaniel@mindspring.com1. Folding tables (we need two more)2. We need 8 more people to help hide the eggs at 9:30 am - this is a great activity for Dads!3. We have some juice boxes but could use more. Two people bringing 24 boxes each should do it. If it rains, we will postpone the hunt to the next day, Sunday, March 29 at 4 pm. This is a great event and wonderful way to see all your neighbors. All ages are welcome.