Join the City of Charlotte Engineering & Property Management and Charlotte Department of Transportation in celebrating the triumphant return of the Hugh McManaway statue after being damaged by a truck and removed for repair almost a year ago.

The event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 13th at 2pm in the parking lot across the street from Myers Park United Methodist Church, at the southwest corner of Queens and Providence Roads near the historic streetcar shelter. Parking is available on-site.

This event is free and open to the public as part of the CLT250 yearlong celebration of Charlotte’s 250th birthday.

For more information or to RSVP click here.

The gold statue was originally erected in 2000 to commemorate Hugh Pharr McManaway, a local eccentric who grew up in Myers Park and often stood by the intersection in the 60s and 70s.

He would mimic as though he was directing traffic — never mind the signals. He was also remembered for passing out small Bibles to drivers and entertaining locals by speaking in rhyme.

On December 3, 1768, Charlotte was officially incorporated. “Charlotte-Towne” was named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, and to celebrate its 250th birthday, the city will host a celebration on Dec. 3 at the Square on Trade and Tryon as part of #CLT250’s “Charlotte Takes the Cake” Day. Learn more about this event and #CLT250, including “On this Day in History” and “CLT250 Trivia” at clt250.com.

As part of the celebration, the City will be hosting:

• 2018 Resident Survey
  The City of Charlotte is conducting a survey to better understand our residents, what they value, and how we are delivering on expectations for city services. They want to hear from you! Please tell them what you care about and how we can make this an even better community for all residents to live, work, play and visit. Give your feedback here.
• Beautification Grant Letters of Intent Due 11/8
  Did you know that Keep Charlotte Beautiful awards up to $5,000 for community beautification projects each year? This competitive Beautification Grant is open to neighborhoods, businesses, nonprofits, schools, and individuals citywide. Projects should focus on litter prevention, waste reduction and recycling, beautification, and/or community greening. Letters of intent must be submitted to kcb@charlottenc.gov by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 18. For additional details on eligible projects, please visit charlottenc.gov/kcb or call (704) 432-4802.
• Out of School Time Request for Proposals
  Housing & Neighborhood Services is now seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide high-quality, out of school time enrichment programs to students in low-income families. Proposals are due December 7 at 2 p.m. For more information, click here.
• Charlotte Career Discovery Day: Call for Volunteers
  Our Youth Programs team is looking for volunteers to help with the Charlotte Career Discovery Day, where 2,000+ high school students have the chance to explore different career paths through hands-on activities! Approximately 60 volunteers are needed for this event. Learn more and register to volunteer here.
• Emergency Home Repair
  It’s starting to get colder outside, and many of our neighbors can’t afford to fix the housing conditions that are an immediate health or safety threat in their homes. The City operates a Safe Home Emergency Repair Program that provides grants to low-income homeowners who are either elderly, disabled or have a custodial child under the age of six living there and face an immediate threat due to a home system failure. Conditions could include a heating system failure, plumbing repairs, electrical repairs, roof repairs, urgent accessibility, and others. Click here to learn more about the Emergency Home Repair program.

Happy birthday Charlotte!

Winter is coming to the Queen City next week as a powerful cold front sweeps through our area.

According to Meteorologist Iisha Smith, the expected lows in Charlotte next Wednesday will be chilling 25 degrees, freezing many plants and small bodies of water;

The freezing weather will start this weekend and continue to through next Thursday before we start to see lower fall temperatures again.

There is even a chance we could see some snow on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as rain is likely late Tuesday and temperatures are expected to dip below freezing at night;

If you moved here from Ohio or New York (like myself), you may be rolling your eyes, but if you’re from Florida or California, you might need to make some changes to prepare for the coming winter temperatures.

To prepare your car, top off all your fluids, especially your oil, power steering fluid, and antifreeze. You’ll also want to check your tires and make sure your air pressure is over 32 PSI.

To prepare your home, make sure to drain all fountains and exterior water fixtures. Always let at least one of your faucets drip to avoid freezing pipes. Consider buying a humidifier if you’re sensitive to dry air. If you have an older home with older windows, investing in some shrink film insulation will save you a ton on your heating bill.

To prepare yourself, buy some thermal gloves, a warm hat, and a winter jacket. If you’re going to spend any length of time outside, you may even want to consider buying an electric heating jacket.

If you have a pet – make sure to read our article about how to keep your furry friend warm!