The Average Charlottean Is Now Expected To Spend $700 For Christmas This Year

Steve
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The Average Charlottean Is Now Expected To Spend $700 For Christmas This Year

The financial data site WalletHub recently compared 570 cities across America to see what the average consumer is likely to spend on Christmas shopping this year.

The site noted, “our analysts used five key metrics to estimate and compare the maximum holiday budgets for each of 570 U.S. cities, giving consumers a better sense of their spending range relative to where they live.”

The five key metrics they used were; 1) Income, 2) Age, 3) Debt-to-Income Ratio, 4) Monthly Income-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio and 5) Savings-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio.

According to the site, here is the “Average Consumer Profile of a Charlottean”:

Monthly Income: $4,493
Monthly Expenses: $3,536
Savings: $6,104
Age: 34.3
Debt-to-Income Ratio: 46.4%
Monthly Income-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio: 1.27
Savings-to-Monthly Expenses Ratio: 1.73
Charlotte’s Average Holiday Budget for 2018: $700 (up from $629 in 2017)

Santa is here! Santa is here! 🎅#ConcordMills #happyholidays

A photo posted by Concord Mills Mall (@concordmillsnc) on

Charlotte now ranks number 224rd in America (up from 263rd last year) for estimated holiday spending – pretty much right in the middle.

How much do you plan on spending this holiday season?

Why Charlotte Students Need Custom Writing Help Once in a While

Charlotte Stories
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Why Charlotte Students Need Custom Writing Help Once in a While

Using online custom writing service might never have occurred in your academic life before. Who knows, maybe you believe that it’s not right to buy essay cheap – but all of a sudden, you find yourself in the middle of the kingdom of writing assignments each set with a tight deadline. Or you simply have not the slightest idea of how to deal with the given topic or the kind of paper you’ve been assigned. Then one of your college mates tells you about online writing services and how the experts working there can help you. And you start thinking if using custom writing help makes sense. The reality is that student life is much harder than you may think, and sometimes you feel overburdened.  

Buy Quality Instead of Wasting Money

When you order custom written pieces on the web, you’re guaranteed a range of benefits. Your essay, term paper or dissertation will be of the finest quality, even if you purchase the cheaper packages. Each custom writing specialist is extremely capable and will work in accordance with the requirements that your tutor provides. To add more, custom writers produce unique papers (many less honest companies tend to sell pre-written pieces and recommend passing it off as your own, be careful). Should you be dissatisfied in any way with the product you have bought, online helpers will be there to revise your book report, essay or term paper to ensure it is free from errors of any sort until you’re 100% happy with it.

Who Creates Your Custom Papers?  

Probably, the first question that comes to your mind – “What kind of writing virtuoso are going to create a paper for me?” The point is that they have something that students cannot boast of – PhD or Master’s degree. With that level of professionalism in the custom writing industry, they know how to accomplish an essay, a research paper or a book review in strict accordance with your instructions. They have already accomplished dozens of college assignments for the students like you, so it comes naturally to them, no matter how tough the assignment is. If you happen to be lost at some point of the writing process and wondering where to go with your prose, ensure to approach our writers, who know where to conduct the relevant research and how to structure the paper.

Ordering Papers from Custom Writing Services Is Easy

It really couldn’t be easier to purchase an essay or two from online writing agency. College students approaching writing sources are already stressed. For that reason, they don’t want to waste their precious time trying to figure out how to fill in a complicated order form. In other words, the essay writing service order form is designed to provide you with an opportunity to get and comprehend all the necessary information easily and quickly. Then online managers will choose the most suitable writer ready to work on your assignment, provide him/her with the paper instructions, and the selected person will get to work immediately. Thus, you have plenty of time to work on the other projects or sleep. When the job is done, you will be notified by email and can download the piece directly to your computer.

Writing Services in Your Budget Range

When you’re on the lookout for quality custom writing, you prefer the websites that you can afford. You will find that online writing companies are pleasantly affordable for the student with a typically limited budget. The rule is simple: the earlier you post your order, the better, as custom written pieces are even cheaper if you set extended deadline. What is more, you may also take advantage of generous online discounts that online services provide for their customers, whether it’s the first time they use the services or place regular orders. More students than ever consider custom writing companies a worthwhile investment since such cooperation saves them a lot of time and stress – and they also learn a lot from custom written works about how to write a great paper.

How Students Use Online Essay Writing Services

The reasons that college and university students use custom writing options online can vary greatly. It is possible that you simply have too many home assignments and need to outsource some of the work. Students who don’t produce high-quality prose approach these services on a regular basis. Many ESL students whose English level leaves a lot to be desired may also be on the lookout for this kind of services.

If you’re searching for possible ways that will help you manage and cope with academic stress, hiring a competent freelance writer may save the day when you feel helpless and just don’t feel like writing.

Custom writing companies are also very popular among the students who represent the STEM field of study. Just imagine that you are a math, physics or engineering undergrad who is required to produce a 6 000-word research paper on Jane Austen’s early works for an English Literature class. How seriously would he/she take this kind of academic assignment? If you fail to submit the essay or term paper, chances are you’re going to destroy your GPA. On the other hand, you simply don’t care enough about Jane Austen to write a huge paper about this woman. In other words, there are specific groups of high school, college and university students that are more likely to co-work with online helpers to do their writing assignments for them. Usually, they include students who aren’t interested in writing and do not associate their future career with it in any way. So, what’s wrong with college students hiring an essay author for a complex assignment?

Without a doubt, learning how to write a good essay or research paper for college is important if you wish to succeed academically. Students shouldn’t be in a predicament when they happen to need online essay writing assistance. College tutors should first address the problems that make their students co-work with custom writing companies. When that happens, these services may no longer be used by students.

 

Charlotte’s Joedance Film Festival Announces Two Major Expansions

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Charlotte’s Joedance Film Festival Announces Two Major Expansions

Joedance Film Festival, which is riding a wave of expansion in Year 10, will add a third night of film showings and has expanded the film submission territory beyond Charlotte’s borders to include both North Carolina and South Carolina.

The 10th annual Joedance Film Festival will run Thursday-Saturday nights, August 1-3, 2019 at Charlotte Ballet, which will host the event for the second consecutive year. Joedance has been traditionally held Friday and Saturday nights. The expansion positions Joedance to participate in the North Tryon Street renaissance and contribute to Uptown Charlotte’s continued growth.

Thursday night will be the Cultural Arts Evening Showcasing Arts+, a non-profit organization that serves 4,500 students in the region, half of whom receive free or reduced programs.

The territory expansion is designed as a first step to position Joedance as a major film festival in the Mid-Atlantic region, and to mirror the service footprint of the organization it benefits, Atrium Health and Levine Children’s Hosptial.

Diane Restaino, Joedance Film Festival Founder and President, looks forward to the double expansion.

“We believe that using a multicultural festival incorporating the power of cinema and performing arts to raise funds for pediatric cancer research at Atrium Health Levine Children’s not only supports our mission, but also the artistic talents of communities throughout North and South Carolina,” Restaino said.

Joedance Film Festival, including related events year-round, honors the late Joe Restaino by raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research at Atrium Health Levine Children’s through an annual film festival featuring directors, producers, writers and actors who share a North Carolina or South Carolina connection. Joedance supports research and clinical trials for pediatric sarcomas, blastomas and brain tumors.

Joedance is also committed to raising awareness of the regional film industry by showcasing films from North and South Carolina. The family chose a film festival to honor their son because of his love of movies.

To date, Joedance has donated more than $170,000 for Atrium Health Levine Children’s in nine years, including $20,000 in 2018.

Joedance ushered in a new era in 2018 with a larger venue and new event management consultant, giving Joedance an opportunity to double attendance and ensure the organization’s future and legacy.

In addition, Joedance contracted with Third Rock Events to manage the Film Festival and move beyond a mostly volunteer Festival operation. One of Third Rock’s specialties is non-profit event turnkey management.

Said Shawn Cosner, Founder and President of Third Rock Events: “2018 was an exciting year for Joedance as they were welcomed into their new home at the Charlotte Ballet. We here at Third Rock Events were moved by the talent of the filmmakers and by the passion of those who support the mission of Joedance. 2019 will be another exciting year for the festival with the addition of a third festival evening along with an expanded film submission footprint.”

Joedance Film Festival Submissions

Joedance Film Festival annually showcases short and feature-length films. Eligible filmmakers have to:

*reside in North Carolina or South Carolina;

*be originally from North or South Carolina

or

*be connected to North or South Carolina (films, cast or crew)

To submit a film, follow the link, https://joedance.org/film-submissions/.

Panthers Lose To Saints During Monday Night Football, Leaving Narrow Hope For Playoffs

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Panthers Lose To Saints During Monday Night Football, Leaving Narrow Hope For Playoffs

Last night the Panthers took on the Saints in what was most likely their last chance at making it to the playoffs this season.

Although they were ahead by a score of 7-6 through the 3rd quarter, the Saints rushed the ball into the end zone and went for a 2 point conversion attempt. Cornerback Donte Jackson intercepted Brees’ throw and ran the entire length of the field into the Panthers’ end zone, giving Carolina the 2 points.

With under a minute to go, the Panthers forced a fumble in the red zone on the Saint’s 4th down, resulting in a touchback. The cardiac cats then had 1 last attempt from the 20-yard line with less than a minute left on the clock.

Our struggling offense failed to deliver a miracle drive and the Saints ended the game on top with a 12-9 victory.

Here is a quick recap of some of last night’s highlights;

All hope is still, not technically, lost…

The Panthers are now 6-8 and are still in 9th place in the NFC.

After this weekend, the top 8 teams are (only 6 NFC teams go to the playoffs);

Saints @ 12-2
Rams @ 11-3
Bears @ 10-4
Cowboys @ 8-6
Seahawks @ 8-6
Vikings @ 7-6-1
Redskins @ 7-7
Eagles @ 7-7

If the Vikings lose their next 2 games (to the Lions (5-9) and Bears (10-4)), and the Panthers win their next 2 games (to the Saints (12-2) and Falcons (5-9)), and the Eagles and Redskins both lose next week’s game and the Eagles beat the Redskins in their final game, it would give both the Panthers and Eagles an 8-8 record, tied for 6th, and since we beat the Eagles on 10/21, we would end up making to the playoffs.

Keep Pounding Panthers – we believe in you!

Girls in North Carolina at Risk for Female Genital Mutilation

Charlotte Stories
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Girls in North Carolina at Risk for Female Genital Mutilation

The perception is that female genital mutilation (FGM) occurs only in other countries, but this barbaric practice shockingly happens right here in the U.S. as well.

Just 27 states have laws in place to protect women and girls from this cruel and unnecessary practice that is often carried out on girls as young as the age of 3, says Elizabeth Yore, international child advocate and head of the national #EndFGMToday initiative. North Carolina is one of 23 states that still has no laws on the books to criminalize FGM. While FGM has been a federal crime since 1996, local prosecutors need state laws to bring perpetrators to justice.

“With important midterm elections just weeks away, legislators in these states should stand up and say they are committed to protecting women and girls from FGM by sponsoring a bill criminalizing this procedure,” Yore said. “This can and should be a bipartisan issue, as evidenced by the 27 states with laws already in place. While some developments have been positive, 23 states do not have laws protecting females from this ghastly practice—and that is unacceptable. We will advocate in the new legislative sessions to further protect these girls so they are safe from FGM in all 50 states.”

Yore noted that the Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 500,000 girls and women are at risk of FGM in the United States. Female genital mutilation is also recognized by both the World Health Organization and the United Nations as a human rights violation perpetrated upon little girls and women. Over 200 million women worldwide have been subjected to this cruel and barbaric practice.

View a state-by-state map of those who do have anti-FGM laws at EndFGMToday.com. Anti-FGM efforts are underway in several states that do not yet have laws on the books.

Learn more about FGM on social media at #EndFGMToday, as well as efforts in the U.S. to stop it.

Duke Opening Public Applications For Over $10 Million In Solar System Rebates

Steve
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Duke Opening Public Applications For Over $10 Million In Solar System Rebates

Another wave of solar energy is expected Jan. 2 when the window will open for customers to apply for Duke Energy’s solar rebate program, set to give away at least $10 million in rebates to customers who install a solar system on their home or business in 2019. 

The Duke Energy solar rebate program is a part of the Competitive Energy Solutions for North Carolina law passed in 2017. Millions of dollars in rebates have already helped thousands of customers take the solar leap.

“We are proud to make Birdsong the first Charlotte brewery to go solar,” said Chris Goulet, president of Birdsong Brewery. “The company’s solar installation is a big step toward making our organization more sustainable.”

North Carolina is No. 2 in the nation for solar power, including more than 8,000 residents in the state owning private solar systems. The rebate program first launched this summer and attracted so much interest that capacity for residential and non-residential customers was fully subscribed within weeks. 

The program will run through 2022, with an estimated 7,500 residents expected to receive rebates for solar systems.

Duke will soon begin accepting new applications from customers who want to participate:

  • On Jan. 2, the company will open the window for an additional 20 megawatts of new rooftop solar installations for residential, non-residential and nonprofit customers.
  • Per the N.C. Utilities Commission order earlier in the year, the company will also reallocate any 2018 capacity for projects that have not been installed. That means customers who were waitlisted in 2018 with already-installed projects will be allowed to collect any available rebates. Any unconnected customers, or those that connected projects Oct. 3, 2018, or later, are eligible to apply in 2019.

Under the program, residential customers are eligible for a rebate of 60 cents per watt for solar energy systems 10 kilowatts (kW) or less. For example, a typical rooftop array of 8 kW is eligible for a $4,800 rebate. Installed systems 10 kW or greater are eligible for a maximum rebate of $6,000.

Nonresidential customers are eligible for 50 cents per watt. Nonprofit customers (such as churches and schools) are eligible for an enhanced rebate of 75 cents per watt for systems 100 kW or less.

New solar systems can be purchased for between $1-$1.50 per watt here.

North Carolina Preparing For Possible Marijuana Legalization

Steve
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North Carolina Preparing For Possible Marijuana Legalization

The Ashville City Council has just approved a measure to make room for future marijuana sales by ordering the construction of additional space in it’s ABC warehouse for legal marijuana storage.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, ABC Board Chairman Lewis Isaac told the city council they needed to anticipate the likely future of legalized weed in our state.

“There is a national trend to legalize cannabis. And we will probably oversee the sales and distribution because we are already a part of that control structure,” Isaac told the council.

The council has now approved the construction of Asheville’s ABC system’s new $3 million 40,000-square-foot warehouse, which will now be built with additional capacity to hold legal cannabis products at some point in the future.

This past February, the NC House introduced a bill that would have legalized the medical use of the plant, and in May, the NC House introduced another bill that would radically decriminalize the sale, possession, and use of the plant. Both bills were ultimately voted down.

33 states along with Washington DC have now passed legislation legalizing marijuana for either medicinal or recreational use;

What are your thoughts about marijuana legalization? 

Charlotte Oral Surgeons to Give a Free $50,000 Smile Makeover

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte Oral Surgeons to Give a Free $50,000 Smile Makeover

North Carolina is ranked below average in the nation for many health measures, including oral health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 15 percent of low-income adults in the state say their mouth and teeth are in poor condition, and 20 percent of adults say they are not satisfied with the quality of their life because of their oral health. To offer their help in the community, Dr. Amir Marashi of Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery designed the Second Chance program two years ago, offering the community a life-changing opportunity to apply to receive a smile makeover. The program offers one final recipient a full-arch restoration treatment, a procedure typically costing $50,000, completely free of charge. With the recent addition of Dr. Arman Haghighi, both doctors are excited to be running the program again to transform another local individual’s smile and life.

Tiffany Terrell was only 38 and missing more than half of her teeth before she became the last Second Chance final recipient. One in five adults avoid smiling due to the condition of their mouth and teeth, and Tiffany was one of them, until she was selected out of nearly 200 applicants to receive a brand-new smile in 2016. Her outgoing and infectious personality was masked by the embarrassment of her smile. She became severely depressed and would withdraw herself from any social situation. With no dental insurance, the cost for treatment out-of-pocket was out of the question for her. Transitional fixed bridges were affixed to permanent dental implants to give her a perfect smile while helping preserve her facial structure and preventing bone deterioration that occurs with missing teeth. Since her treatment, her whole life has changed for the better.

“As oral surgeons, we are lucky because we get to change lives every day,” Dr. Marashi said. “The Second Chance program not only gives a deserving person in need another chance to reclaim their oral health, but it also helps improve their confidence and creates an opportunity for someone who may have been holding themselves back because of their smile.”

Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery has partnered with restorative dentist Dr. Kavi Sagunarthy of Gold Hill Dentistry, Pittman Dental Laboratory out of Georgia, and Straumann Dental Implant Company to complete the procedure.

The application period for Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery’s Second Chance program opened Monday, December 17, and will run until Thursday, December 17. The program is offered to residents in the Charlotte, Fort Mill, and Gastonia areas. To learn more about the program, and for individuals interested in applying, visit: https://greatercharlotteoralsurgery.com/secondchance

Local Artist Donates His Talent To Help Spread Recovery and Hope

Charlotte Stories
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Local Artist Donates His Talent To Help Spread Recovery and Hope

When graffiti artist Shane Pierce was asked if he would help with a mural at Nazareth Child & Family Connection’s outpatient facility in Salisbury, he never thought twice.

He has a great understanding of recovery and when he can use his art to help on the road to recovery, he’s all in.

The result is a powerful 24 feet by 8 feet mural on a rear wall at the Mahaley Avenue facility that Pierce hopes will help ease the fears of those taking the first step into recovery.

“What I wanted to capture with this piece was the person showing up for the first time and being scared, being lonely, not sure if they wanted to give this a try or not,” said Pierce. “Trying to welcome them is what I wanted to capture … this place, this here is the road to recovery.

“That’s why I did the woman, the one who can’t decide if she wants to go in or not and her friend helping, her friend trying to help her out, to get a ride to recovery. Recovery is based on one person helping another.”

Art plays a large part in the substance abuse groups at Nazareth Child & Family Connection and clients actually advocated for the mural.

“My substance use groups began wanting more art projects to help through their trauma and past issues,” said Charla Williams, substance abuse intensive outpatient program manager for Nazareth. “We began the recovery garden and painting rocks and pictures. One client in particular said she knew an artist (Pierce) and thought he would do the mural for us because he believes in recovery.”

Pierce believes in recovery because he is living proof that it works. The Cleveland native, who now lives in Charlotte, has been clean and sober for a dozen years.

“The passion for this comes from being an alcoholic and addict and having my struggles with trying to get sober,” said Pierce, who is in the air-duct cleaning business, but also has an art business, Abstract Dissent.

The mural at the rear of Nazareth’s building on Mahaley Ave. was created entirely in graffiti style with Pierce using a special type of canned spray paint.

“I think I had a total of maybe seven hours in doing it,” said Pierce. “It was all done with graffiti spray paint, out of a can … it’s an art form.

“I’ve done … I don’t even know how many, but dozens of pieces of public art pieces. This is the first one that is recovery-based though.”

Pierce’s mural will be a powerful reminder to Nazareth clients every day that there is hope.

“When folks arrive for their appointments and when they leave, they will see the painting and know there is hope and there are those that care,” said Vernon Walters, president and CEO of Nazareth Child & Family Connection. “We are so thankful that Shane shared his time, energy and passion to help others with this mural.”

About Nazareth Child & Family Connection: Founded in 1906, Nazareth Child & Family Connection is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for every child, individual and families. In addition to the residential services for children and foster care program, Nazareth Child & Family Connection has outpatient facilities in Salisbury, Lexington and Concord serving individuals with mental health, substance abuse and developmental disability needs.  behavioral health needs.

NC Governor Cooper Vetoes New Voter ID Bill

Steve
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NC Governor Cooper Vetoes New Voter ID Bill

The Governor of North Carolina has just vetoed Senate Bill 824 (‘the Voter ID law’).

The bill was recently approved in our state’s mid-term elections but faced widespread criticism much in line with the similar measure the Supreme Court struck down last year.

In Governor Cooper’s official veto, he states:

“Requiring photo IDs for in-person voting is a solution in search of a problem. Instead, the real election problem is votes harvested illegally through absentee ballots, which this proposal fails to fix.

In addition, the proposed law puts up barriers to voting that will trap honest voters in confusion and discourage them with new rules, some of which haven’t even been written yet.

Finally, the fundamental flaw in the bill is its sinister and cynical origins: It was designed to suppress the rights of minority, poor, and elderly voters. The cost of disenfranchising those voters or any citizens is too high, and tl1e risk of taking away the fundamental right to vote is too great, for this law to take effect.”

 

Republicans in the North Carolina legislature may be able to override the veto if they all vote together.

Republican State Senator Phil Berger released a statement saying, “The voters made their preference clear on Election Day that they want voter ID in their constitution and we plan to override Governor Cooper’s veto #ncga #ncpol”

What are your thoughts on the recent Voter ID law and our governor’s veto? 

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