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.

45th Festival in the Park

September 24-27, 2009
THURSDAY September 24 - 6 pm – 9 pm
FRIDAY September 25 Kid's Day 10 am- 1 pm
FRIDAY September 25 - 1 pm- 9:30 pm
SATURDAY September 26 - 10 am – 9:30 pm
SUNDAY September 27- 11 am – 6 pm

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.

New Teen Environmental Club in Dilworth

Recently there has been a Teen Environmental Club started in Dilworth. We meet at the Sykes Center. As one of our first events, we are organizing a clean up of Little Sugar Creek at Freedom Park, where the water quality is currently "degraded." It will be 4:30 -6:30 on April 30---meet at the tennis courts at Freedom Park and we will provide trashbags. We could really use all the help we can get! Great for community service hours. To register to help, email craig.colistra@mecklenburgcountync.gov.
If you have any questions or want a flyer to pass around, email me at henryandeliot@yahoo.com or call me at 704-335-9996.
Thank you!
Henry Schoenhoff