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.

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!

Pet Palooza

PetPalooza is the Humane Society of Charlotte’s annual dog walk and pet festival.

Participants sign up to walk with their friends, family and co-workers, two-legged or four, to raise funds and awareness for the Society. PetPalooza is a fun-filled day for the entire family and includes refreshments, entertainment, a vendor fair as well as a fido fashion show, featuring the fabulous dogs from the Humane Society.

Who: You and everyone you know! Register to walk as an individual, as part of a team or sign up to be a vendor or volunteer.

What: The Humane Society of Charlotte’s largest fundraiser!

When: Saturday, May 30, 2009– 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. & Walk starts at 9:00 a.m. Rain date is June 6, 2009

Where: Independence Park - 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC, 28204

Why: Because it is fun and every cent helps the Humane Society of Charlotte's animals find their forver homes

How: Register today at http://humanecharlotte.donorpages.com/PetPalooza2009


For more information, please call 704-377-0534, ext. 229 or email dcanzano@humanesocietyofcharlotte.org

Midwood Mania - THIS WEEKEND - May 1 & 2

Midwood Mania returns for its annual home tour and celebration May 1-2 in the Charlotte Plaza Midwood neighborhood.

Find inspiration in Plaza Midwood’s finest homes and gardens! The home and garden tour begins the evening of Friday, May 1 with a candlelight home tour beginning at 6 p.m. The tour continues on Satruday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See the lineup of homes and gardens for 2009.
The fun continues Saturday with the Midwood Miles 5K Race, a pet parade, live music, fun activities for kids, and more. All Charlotte neighbors are invited to come out and enjoy this yearly treat.
For more information, visit plazamidwood.org.

Home Maintenance Tips

Repair the Ravages of Winter

As Spring approaches, keep these tips to freshen the outside of your home.
1. Prune your trees and shrubs.
2. Head to the shed and do a “tool inventory” to make sure you have all the items you'll need in the months ahead. Inspect the tools you already have. For example, test your hoses for leaks.
3. Spring is a good time to paint fences and the exterior of your home, especially wood surfaces, to protect them from summer heat and sun. Wood decks should also be sealed once a year.
4. Now that the heating season is over, have a chimney sweep clean fireplaces and flues.
5. Inspect door and window screens for tears. You can often repair small tears using a kit from your local hardware store. This will prevent insects from getting into your home, and keep you comfortable on the screened porch.
6. Have your gutters cleaned.

Community University is for everyone!

Feeling lost in your own neighborhood? Maybe you need Community University! This is a series of classes put on by Charlotte Mecklenburg Neighborhood Development Department. They want neighborhood leaders and leaders-in-waiting to know that there are services available to them to help with your community organization. The classes are FREE!
CU is a neighborhood capacity building program dedicated to providing high-quality training to Charlotte residents to improve the strength and vitality of neighborhood organizations and the overall quality of community life. The courses are intended to engage, inform and equip participants with the training and assistance needed to help them improve and maintain their communities.

March workshops will be held at the Methodist Home Recreation Center, located at 3200 Shamrock Drive from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. and include:
Tuesday, March 10, How Are We Doing: Neighborhood Checkup
Thursday, March 19, 501(c)(3) Status and Neighborhoods: What it Means for You

All workshops are free and open to Charlotte residents. To register, visit neighborhoods.charmeck.org and click on the CU icon or email neighservs@ci.charlotte.nc.us.
Customized training
If your neighborhood has a specific need, email neighservs@ci.charlotte.nc.us to arrange for a customized training workshop. To see a list of topics, visit neighborhoods.charmeck.org. Please note that a minimum of 10 participants is needed for a customized training.