Charlotte’s 10 Worst Restaurant Health Scores In January 2019

Steve
-
0
Charlotte’s 10 Worst Restaurant Health Scores In January 2019

Even though the Charlotte region’s restaurant selection continues to grow, so does our population, and some restaurants are taking advantage of this growing customer base by letting their health standards slide.

Some of the most common reasons for low scores were food handlers not washing their hands properly, contaminated food containers, and improper food temperatures (many restaurants are starting to use infrared thermometers to avoid this). You can see exactly what the inspectors look for on this blank copy of an inspection report.

These were the top 10 worst inspection scores in Mecklenburg County for the month of January:

#10 American Deli

7309 E INDEPENDENCE BLVD., CHARLOTTE NC 28227
Scored 88.5 (B) on 1/30/2019

They had the following violations;

  • Observed one food employee rinsing hands without using soap and another food employee washing hands and touching faucet handle without using a barrier.
  • Observed food employees placing raw meats on grill to cook and then attempt to place new gloves on hands to handle RTE foods.
  • Observed par cooked wings hot holding at 92F in fryer basket.
  • Observed thousand island dressing, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, and other package condiments stating KEEP REFRIGERATED stored on prep table and dry storage shelf at room temperature at 50F.
  • Observed fries at room temperature at 47F.
  • Observed sanitizer in use that is more than 200 ppm chlorine concentration.

#9 Tupelo Honey Cafe

1820 SOUTH BLVD., CHARLOTTE NC 28203
Scored 88 (B) on 1/28/2019

They had the following violations;

  • Observed soiled utensils stored as clean – blender, shredder, several metal pans and china dinnerware, tray of washed silverware.
  • Observed sweet potato batter made today not dropping in temperature over a period of 34 minutes.
  • Observed some of the foods in the hot box not holding at or above 135F.
  • Observed several items measuring above 41F and hard boiled eggs measuring 57F.
  • Observed many pans of TCS food undated – cheeses, vegetables, cooked meats and poultry.
  • Observed two small slow cookers labeled “for household use only.”

#8 Be Em Asian Kitchen

1848 GALLERIA BLVD., CHARLOTTE NC 28270
Scored 87.5 (B) on 1/22/2019 (rescored a 95.5 (A) on 1/29)

They had the following critical violations;

  • Small container of raw beef placed above tub of cooked brown rice in walk in cooler.
  • Observed dark build up from inside ice machine.
  • Observed fried rice holding below 135F in steamer by cook line.
  • Observed tofu on ice bath holding above 41F; sliced beef, chicken, fish balls holding above 41F in poke station flip top; lettuce holding above 41F in low prep cooler.
  • Observed spray bottle of glass cleaner stored on top of flip top at cook line.

#7 Trade Street Taco

710 W TRADE ST., CHARLOTTE NC 28202
Scored 87.5 (B) on 1/2/2019

They had the following violations;

  • Observed overall lack of control in the kitchen as evidenced by handwashing, cold holding, cooling, and hot holding issues.
  • Observed employee don gloves with no handwash several times.
  • Observed employee wash hands for less than 15 seconds, and then turn off faucet with bare hands, therefore recontaminating hands.
  • Observed several dented cans in dry storage area.
  • Observed ice machine with black build up on sides.
  • Observed salsa verde cooling at a rate of 0F/min in reach in cooler.
  • Observed salsa prepared yesterday at 44F.
  • Observed chili sauce cooling in reach in. At 3 hours and 55 min it was 55F.
  • Observed queso in hot well below 135F.
  • Observed salsa above 45F in reach in cooler. Cooler was turned off and salsa was stored in it.
  • Observed lettuce and tomatoes in prep top below 45F, above 41F. Several pans were missing from the prep unit, not allowing it to cold hold effectively.
  • Observed guacamole date 12-18-18 in the refrigerator.

#6 Dunkin Donuts/ Baskin Robbins

16131 LANCASTER HWY., CHARLOTTE NC 28277
Scored 86.5 (B) on 1/17/2019 (rescored a 95.5 (A) on 1/31)

They had the following violations;

  • Observed no certified food protection manager during inspection.
  • Observed employee who had been working on cash register and performing several other task begin to don gloves with no hand wash.
  • Observed no soap at front handsink. Ensure soap in available at all handsinks at all times.
  •  Observed pink build up beginning to form in the ice machine. Ice cambro in the front area behind ice cream display has an accumulation of debris inside.
  • Observed soiled utensils stored as clean on the racks by 3 compartment sink.

#5 Basil Thai Cuisine

210 N CHURCH ST., CHARLOTTE NC 28208
Scored 86 (B) on 1/9/2019 (rescored a 91 (A) on 1/16)

They had the following violations;

  • Through discussion employee did not know what illnesses and symptoms are food related.
  • Observed dishes in 3-comp sink being sanitized in 0ppm quat sanitizer.
  • Observed dish machine pulling 0ppm chlorine sanitizer at bar.
  • Observed duck curry from yesterday cooling in walk in and still above 41F.
  • Observed stewed tomatoes prepared this morning above 41F in prep top cooling at a rate of 0F/min.
  • Observed several TCS sauces hot holding below 135F including green curry, red curry, and duck curry.
  • Observed eggplant double panned in prep top cooler holding above 45F.
  • Observed some items above 41F in coolers but below 46F veggie roll, ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, and sprouts.
  • Observed ground chicken, ground beef, and ground pork above 41F (below 45F) and more than 4 days from prep (1/3 and 1/4).

#4 La Romero Taqueria and Juice Bar

6301 SOUTH BLVD., CHARLOTTE NC 28217
Scored 85.5 (B) on 1/8/2019

They had the following violations;

  • Observed no control over handwashing, utensil cleaning, and cooling.
  • Observed employee wash hands for 4 seconds.
  • Observed employee come from behind counter and begin handling food without washing hands.
  • Observed raw beef over papusa mix and raw beef over sauce in walk in.
  • Observed employee use gloves for multiple tasks then continue food prep.
  • Observed head of lettuce, shredded lettuce, and cooked meat that was uncovered.
  • Observed sticker debris stacked on plastic and metal containers, onion slicer, bowls with food debris, pan, and two bins of utensils that was stored soiled.
  • Observed chemical dish machine that was inoperable and taken from facility.
  • Observed spicy salsa and salsa verde in an ice bath at 47F and asada in reach in at 48F.
  • Observed sliced tomatoes, lettuce, mozzerella, cabesa, chicharron, salsa verde, milk and sliced meat not dated.

#3 Mellow Mushroom #169 (Uptown)

255 W MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BV, CHARLOTTE NC 28202
Scored 85.5 (B) on 1/3/2019 (rescored a 93 (A) on 1/16)

They had the following critical violations;

  • Observed overall lack of control throughout kitchen as evidenced by improper glove usage, improper cooling, poor cold holding, and date marking issues.
  • Observed ice machine with black and pink build up on interior chute and ice shield.
  • Observed no handwash sign in family bathroom.
  • Observed employee wearing gloves rinse and load dirty dishes into dish machine and then put away clean dishes.
  • Observed several stacked containers stored as clean with sticker residue and food debris on them.
  • Observed pizza sauce still cooling and prepared today at 11:30am above 41F in walk in, prep top cooler, and cooler drawers.
  • Observed several food items holding above 45F including steak, cooked mushrooms, and meatballs.
  • Observed no date marking on pizza sauce, steak, cooked mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, hummus, or cooked potatoes throughout restaurant.

#2 Dakshin Indian Grill

16640 HAWFIELD WAY, CHARLOTTE NC 28277
Scored 84.5 (B) on 1/31/2019

They had the following violations;

  • Observed dishwasher handle soiled equipment at soiled drain board then handle clean without washing their hands in between.
  • Observed power cord from rice warmer and equipment stored in front of handwashing sink in front prep area.
  • Observed low shelving with onions stored in front of handwashing sink in rear of kitchen.
  • Observed no means to dry hands provided at bar handwashing sink.
  • Observed unwashed produce such as cauliflower stored over ready to eat food in walk in cooler.
  • Observed raw chicken stored over cooked rice and ready to eat foods in flip top prep refrigerator.
  • Observed raw chicken stored over raw fish and raw chicken stored over ready to eat cooked carrot in walk in cooler.
  • Observed no chlorine sanitizer available and registering 0ppm on test kit while staff was washing equipment.
  • Observed dishwasher washing equipment in detergent vat in soapy water at 95 degrees F.
  • Observed microwaves accumulating dried soil / food residues.
  • Observed masala with prep date of 1/22 and cooked vegetable with no date.
  • Observed 2 spray bottles of chemicals not labeled.
  • Observed chemical bottles stored over prep area.

#1 Ink N Ivy 

222 S CHURCH ST., CHARLOTTE NC 28202
Scored 78 (C) on 1/9/2019 (rescored a 94.5 (A) on 1/22)

They had the following violations;

  • Observed overall lack of control in the kitchen and bar areas as evidenced by barehand contact of ready to eat foods, cold holding issues, dish issues, date marking issues, and food and utensil storage.
  • Observed many dead cockroaches in liquor room.
  • Observed bartenders repeatedly bus eating areas/cups/plates/utensils and then load and unload dishwashers with no handwash.
  • Observed employee handle money and bus customer eating area and then directly move to barehanding fruit into a drink.
  • Observed bar tenders bare hand fruit into customer drinks.
  • Observed no soap at bar hand sink.
  • Observed paper towel dispenser battery go dead partway through inspection.
  • Observed raw shrimp out of commercial packaging stored over ready to eat foods in reach in freezer.
  • Observed raw bacon over ready to eat foods in walk-in cooler.
  • Observed raw shell eggs, and raw pooled eggs stored over butter in walk-in cooler.
  • Observed no dish machine in facility to be pulling sanitizer during inspection (all 3).
  • Observed many dishes stored as clean with heavy food debris, pooled water with food debris in it on food contact surfaces, dishes with greasy films on them, and dishes with plastic remaining on them from being wrapped and baked with a cover.
  • Observed 2 pans raw burgers cooling in reach in, and then moved to walk in, at a rate of 0F/min.
  • Observed several items on line above 45F including but not limited to pastas, romaine, and lobster meat.
  • Observed all but 3 items in walk in cooler above 41F.
  • Observed all units except grill finishing prep top, grill drawers, and dairy reach in holding some or all foods above 41F.
  • Observed same scallion pesto date marked for 1/9 in the reach in.
  • Observed many items in walk in above 41F and more than 4 days old including but not limited to tomatoes, various sauces with cooked vegetables, cooked chorizo, cooked potatoes, and other TCS items.
  • Observed some items such as Lobseter dip with no date mark in prep top, but two batches in the walk in, making it unclear which batch product is from.

 

If you’d like to monitor health scores, or do a quick search for a restaurant you’re about to eat at, check out North Carolina’s health inspection database here.

Walgreens to Pay NC and 38 States $60 Million Largest-Ever Settlement By Pharmacy Chain

Charlotte Stories
-
0
Walgreens to Pay NC and 38 States $60 Million Largest-Ever Settlement By Pharmacy Chain

Walgreen Co. (“Walgreens”), the nation’s largest retail pharmacy, has agreed to pay $60 million to settle allegations that it knowingly overcharged government healthcare plans such as Medicaid for prescription drugs based on an announcement today by Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP. With this unprecedented settlement, Walgreens resolved allegations that the company defrauded the U.S. government, North Carolina and 38 other States by submitting false and inflated prices for prescription drugs to increase its government reimbursements. The groundbreaking settlement is the largest of its kind against a retail pharmacy under the qui tam whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA).

“This unprecedented case exemplifies the importance of whistleblowers in the public-private partnership to prevent government fraud,” said Andrew M. Beato, the Chair of Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP’s Whistleblower Practice Group. “It illustrates the power of one individual to expose and stop fraud against the government – and, ultimately, U.S. taxpayers who foot the bill.”

The Lawsuit

Today’s settlement was due to the efforts of whistleblower Marc D. Baker and his legal counsel Andrew M. Beato and Jed Wulfekotte of Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP. Under federal and state laws, the amount charged by a pharmacy for a prescription drug cannot exceed the drug’s usual and customary price. Baker alleged that Walgreens made false claims for payment of prescription drugs by submitting inflated usual and customary prices to government healthcare plans, including Medicaid, that fraudulently increased its reimbursements.

Baker’s lawsuit, which was filed in 2012, disclosed that Walgreens offered discounted prices on prescription drugs to the general public through the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club called PSC, including government healthcare program beneficiaries, while charging significantly higher prices for the same drugs when paid by government programs.

Walgreens admitted as part of the settlement that the government “paid Walgreens more money in reimbursements than they would have paid if Walgreens had identified its PSC prices as its [usual and customary] prices.”

Importantly, a successful case entitles the whistleblower to a percentage of the amount recovered. Baker will receive 21 percent of the amount recovered by the government.

“Never think that a single voice can’t make a difference in holding corporate goliaths responsible for illegal and unethical behavior,” added Jonathan Missner, Managing Partner of Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP. “This is especially true when represented by well-established and creative counsel like Andrew Beato and Jed Wulfekotte, who specialize in whistleblower cases.”

Additional Background 

This $60 million Walgreens settlement resolves a multi-prong investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and numerous State Attorneys General Offices into Walgreens’ pharmacy and drug pricing practices. It is a capstone to numerous claims against Walgreens stemming from the six-year investigation started by Baker’s lawsuit. This includes a partial settlement on January 19, 2018, in which Walgreens paid $50 million to the government related to unlawful kickbacks intended to induce government beneficiaries to fill prescriptions at Walgreens’ pharmacies.

The FCA’s qui tam provisions incentivize whistleblowers to report fraud on a government program with the protection of a court-ordered seal, confidentiality, and without company retaliation. More than $40 billion in government fraud has been recovered in FCA qui tam matters during the past 30 years.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York detailing the violations by Walgreens. The case is United States ex rel. Marc D. Baker v. Walgreen Co., 12 Civ. 0300 (JPO) (S.D.N.Y.).

Special recognition is owed to Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner’s Chief Investigator Rory Kelly for his substantial contribution to this investigation.

Stein Mitchell Beato & Missner LLP specializes in whistleblower cases and combines the skills of seasoned trial lawyers with the flexibility and personal touch of a dynamic law firm to achieve extraordinary client results. The firm has represented whistleblowers in cases that have recovered more than $3.5 billion for federal, state and local governments.  They are recognized as “the small firm that takes on big cases and wins.” The firm’s well-earned reputation as a top-tier litigation firm with a national and international practice rests not only on its 50-year history of success, but also on the ongoing confidence of its clients who entrust the firm with their most complex and challenging legal matters.

New England-New South Concept Restaurant Opening in the Former Penguin Drive-In

Charlotte Stories
-
0
New England-New South Concept Restaurant Opening in the Former Penguin Drive-In

Charlotte-based Chef Bruce Moffett, owner of Moffett Restaurant Group, has released details about the opening of his fourth restaurant, N.C. Red. The restaurant will open in the former Penguin Drive-In space in Plaza Midwood this March, with an official date to be released soon.

Stemming from Moffett’s upbringing along the New England seashore, the restaurant is a nod to both his past and present. The name N.C Red combines his love for his adopted home of North Carolina with Rhode Island’s state bird, the Rhode Island Red Rooster, and will feature a menu that perfectly blends classic Southern cuisine with Northeastern style seafood. Signature dishes will include fried chicken, lobster rolls, clams and more.

“Growing up on the shores of Rhode Island shaped the way I view food,” said Moffett. “Now, living in the South, I have a unique perspective of how those two different food types blend together to create delicious entrees. N.C. Red is a physical embodiment of my history, from the building materials, to the décor, to the menu. I’m excited to share these meals with guests and family, and I’m looking forward to my continuing growth in the city of Charlotte and hopefully beyond.”

All three of Moffett’s current restaurants – Barrington’s, Good Food on Montford, and Stagioni – have a unique style and menu, with world-class cuisine and chefs, and N.C. Red will be no exception. Currently the Executive Chef of Stagioni, Andrew Dodd, will transition to Executive Chef of N.C. Red. Dodd, a Nashville native, has been working in the industry since he was 15 years old and moved to Charlotte in 2007 to attend Johnson & Wales University.

“Moving to N.C. Red is an opportunity that I’m thrilled about,” said Dodd. “Working with Bruce has exceeded all of my expectations and he’s shaped me into a better Chef. The menu at N.C. Red is phenomenal and we look forward to the people of Charlotte experiencing it.”

Moffett plans to continue expanding in Charlotte with the opening of a fifth restaurant, Bao + Broth, later this spring. The restaurant will be located within the forthcoming Optimist Hall with executive Chef Larry Schreiber at the helm.

Charlotte’s 2019 Revaluation Increased The Value and Taxes By 300% For Some Homes

Steve
-
0
Charlotte’s 2019 Revaluation Increased The Value and Taxes By 300% For Some Homes

The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have just completed their most recent property revaluation. It was the first city-wide revaluation since 2011.

Most properties in Charlotte saw a dramatic increase in their appraised value, increasing the property taxes most Charlotte residents will likely pay going forward. The median increase for appraised values of residential properties around Charlotte was 43%.

One of the highest adjusted areas was along the North Davidson corridor, including the Belmont, Villa Heights, and NoDa neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods saw a combined average valuation change of just over 125% between 2011 and 2019.

One of the more extreme examples is 839 Drummon Ave. in Villa Heights. The property was last appraised in 2014 (in a special revaluation review) for $65,300. Taxes on the home have been about $860 per year since 2014. The home has not been sold or significantly renovated since 1978. Last month, the home was reappraised for $303,400 (a 365% increase in 5 years). Taxes on the home could now be around $3,980 per year*.

Some properties, however, went down in value, and will likely see a corresponding drop in their taxes going forward.

One such property is 4217 Grove St., a 2.35-acre piece of land that border’s Charlotte’s Ribbon Walk Nature Preserve. The property was last appraised for $49,700 back in 2013 and the tax bill on the property was $652.01 per year. In 2017 the property sold for $35,000, and largely due to that recent sale, it was just reappraised at $36,600, meaning the tax bill could be around $480 per year* going forward.

You can find out your new appraised price by searching by your name, property address, or parcel number here;

You can find out what your new taxes might be going forward using this form*;

(*estimates based on 2018 tax rate – the city and county will likely adjust the rate this coming Spring – Charlotte rates have fluctuated between 1.15 – 1.50 per $100 since 2003)

If you do not agree with your new revaluation and you would like to submit an appeal, you can fill out and submit an appeal form on the city’s website here. The appeal form deadline is May 20th, 2019.

What are your thoughts on our city’s latest property revaluation?

It’s Official: Queen Charlotte Declares Six More Weeks of Winter

Charlotte Stories
-
0
It’s Official: Queen Charlotte Declares Six More Weeks of Winter

It’s naturally brisk on Saturday mornings in February, but area residents were hoping Discovery Place Nature’s groundhog was up and at ‘em early this weekend to declare spring would soon be upon us.

Queen Charlotte, however, had other plans. At a special media event held at 7 a.m. on Groundhog Day, her Royal Highness instead predicted winter is (still) coming – for another six weeks.

To make her prediction, Queen Charlotte selects from two different bowls of treats, each representing a different weather fate. This year, Queen Charlotte made a beeline to her chosen bowl, leaving no question of whether she is sure of her prediction.

Following the prediction, from 9 a.m. to noon, the Museum holds a special Groundhog Day celebration focused on how Queen Charlotte and other North Carolina critters cope with the cold.

Check out the Discovery Place Nature blog to learn more about how Queen Charlotte gears up for her big day each year.

FBI and CMPD Offering $15,000 Reward For Help In Finding Charlotte Murder Suspect

Steve
-
0
FBI and CMPD Offering $15,000 Reward For Help In Finding Charlotte Murder Suspect

The FBI and CMPD are now offering up to a $15,000 reward for any information that might lead to the arrest of Elchin Khalilov’s murder suspect.

Khalilov was shot and killed during an armed robbery in Charlotte’s FixER Electonic Repair on January 14th.

CMPD released a video and several pictures of the suspect, who was wearing a hoodie with the word “LOVE” written on the sleeve;

If you have any information about this case, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Legendary Panthers DE Julius Peppers Just Announced His Retirement (Video)

Steve
-
0
Legendary Panthers DE Julius Peppers Just Announced His Retirement (Video)

After 17 dominating seasons in the NFL, legendary Panthers Defensive End Julius Peppers has just announced his retirement.

In Pepper’s tear-jerking video posted on Twitter, he soulfully considers all the reasons he is thankful and what might come next.

“No regrets, no looking back. It’s not goodbye, it’s kind of like I’ll see you later. But until then…I’m grateful, I’m satisfied, and at peace with all that comes next….thank you.”

In another video he posted along with a full-length article on The Player’s Tribune he says, “It’s a little weird to say it…I’m retiring…”

Peppers was first drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the second pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. After spending 8 seasons with the Panthers, he went to the Bears for 2 years, then returned to the Panthers for the final 2 seasons of his legendary career.

His legacy is now littered with records – Peppers currently ranks 4th for all-time sacks (at 159.5) and is the only player in NFL history with 150 sacks and 10 interceptions. He holds a ton of Panthers franchise records, has the 3rd most defensive touchdowns among all NFL linemen and linebackers, and he was voted into the Pro Bowl 9 times and to All-Pro teams 6 times.

Thank you for your passion, your heart, and your character. Thank you for inspiring us and giving us hope. Thank you for all you’ve done for our team, our city, and our states.

Thank you.

Charlotte’s Premier Inc. Named Best Healthcare Consulting Firm for 2nd Year In A Row

Charlotte Stories
-
0
Charlotte’s Premier Inc. Named Best Healthcare Consulting Firm for 2nd Year In A Row

Premier Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC), a leading healthcare improvement company, has been named 2019’s best Overall Healthcare Management Consulting Firm by KLAS, an industry-trusted research and insights firm. Premier is the only company to be recognized by KLAS twice for Overall Healthcare Management Consulting.

In the 2019 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report, Premier was also ranked the top performer in the Strategy, Growth and Consolidation category for the third consecutive year. KLAS ranks organizations and their solutions according to input from the professionals who use them.

“This continued recognition is a testament to the value our performance improvement solutions and services are bringing to healthcare organizations nationwide,” said Leigh Anderson, President of Performance Services at Premier. “We take great pride in the fact that our members view Premier as their trusted partner in achieving success now and in the future.”

As the leader in strategy, growth and consolidation consulting, Premier helps healthcare organizations navigate through complex mergers, acquisitions and growth of their enterprises. This work enables effective decision-making, addresses network effectiveness and operational redundancies, aligns the physician enterprise within the health system, enhances integration between providers and payers, and improves the ability to leverage growth strategies.

With nine Best in KLAS awards in just four years, Premier has consistently been referenced as a leader in KLAS’s healthcare consulting and technology reports.

“Healthcare-specific firms provide a more consistent experience across clients. Premier is a top-performing firm known for consistent track records, quality resources and specific areas of expertise,” according to KLAS’s 2018 Healthcare Management Consulting Report, published in December, which named Premier the Mindshare Leader for Value-Based Care Transformation.

The Healthcare Management Consulting Report also rated value-based care transformation as the top business challenge for healthcare leaders. Mindshare refers to the level of awareness among healthcare leaders about Premier’s expertise and ability to address their needs.

“It’s not surprising that value-based care is rated as a top business challenge for healthcare executives,” said Joe Damore, Service Line Vice President of Population Health Management at Premier. “Moving from fee-for-service to value-based payment models is a major evolution requiring a deliberate strategy and investments in core capabilities to ensure a successful transition, and financial and competitive sustainability. To realize a return on these critical investments, health systems need seasoned experts and the data to drive the right decision-making and implementation processes.”

KLAS’s 2018 Healthcare Management Consulting report also stated that Premier is known for strategy development, physician alignment and structuring, implementing bundled payment and episode of care models, and building and implementing successful clinically integrated networks (CINs) and accountable care organizations (ACOs).

“We get ten times more value from Premier than from other consulting firms,” said an executive respondent in the 2018 Healthcare Management Consulting report. “Premier can research and provide real case studies; they know what has and hasn’t worked.”

Insightful Tips For Charlotte Students on How to Edit Your Essay Effectively

Steve
-
0
Insightful Tips For Charlotte Students on How to Edit Your Essay Effectively

Make Your Editing Effective

People aren’t born essayists; they improve their writing skills through constant practice. However, it should be said that an essay doesn’t imply mere writing. The composing process includes a number of steps that must be taken before turning the paper in with confidence. Every essay starts with a plan and research. Then, the outline should be created and transformed into a draft. Lastly, the latter must be polished and revised thoroughly. As you can see, writing is just one of the crucial steps of the entire venture that ends with proofreading and editing (see “How to Write an Essay in Five Easy Steps” by Scribendi).

For many students, editing itself might be a more formidable obstacle than writing. Even experienced authors find self-correction challenging. The earlier you get better at essay writing, the better it is for your career and future perspectives. But, you live and learn. Perfection is a blurry construct, and you use and improve your writing skills throughout life. Certainly, there’s computer software that offers grammar and spelling check, but self-editing is still a priceless skill. To get better at it, we suggest you follow some of the essay editing tips we provide in this article.

Brief editing guide

First of all, editing presupposes attentive reading to highlight and correct mechanical, grammar, and stylistic mistakes. Wrong paper formatting and citation style both refer to the form of your writing, whereas logical fallacies — to its content. “Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students” by Stephen Bailey recommends a summarized three-step approach to essay editing.

  1.      Pre-reading

You have to go through the whole essay just to get the general idea and impression without making any comments. This might be a little bit difficult, but try to focus on what you want to tell and make sure those points are easy to spot during the reading. The main checklist questions are:

  • Does the essay meet the requirements of the assignment?
  • Is the main point of the essay laid out clearly enough?
  • Is the thesis statement reflected in the body of the essay?
  • Are there any off-topic, missing, or contradictory parts?
  • Is the conclusion convincing and definitive?
  1.      Re-reading + editing

You should go through the essay once again from the very start, being ready to make notes. The task might become more complicated as you have to highlight any types of errors mentioned above and “weak” parts that demand reworking. The checklist of objectives goes as follows:

  • Eliminate redundancy wherever you can
  • Change passive voice to active voice if possible
  • Remember to note the strongest and the most interesting parts along with the weakest ones
  • Take care of transitions and connections both between sentences and paragraphs.
  1.      Post-reading

By reading everything one more time, you will complete the editing process and organize all your thoughts. This part should be done with a clear head because your task here is to find any missing elements and check all crucial parts of the writing once more. The questions you should ask yourself are:

  • Is the essay structure logical and coherent?
  • Is the style of your writing consistent throughout the paper?
  • Does the essay evoke interest and make you want to read it?
  • Are the references and footnotes properly integrated into the text?
  • Is the essay formatted properly?

Also, it should be noted that proofreading and editing are not the same. Being focused on “visible” errors, proofreading is an essential but smaller part of the overall editing process, which deals with the flow and tone of the text, its content, and structure. The best essays emerge from the melting pot of editing. By the way, an online essay editing service is able to offer the kind of support that won’t disappoint you and will light up the way to better scores and greater academic results. Using advanced editing tools along with vast experience, competent editors can proofread and edit your essay to perfection. We firmly believe that you deserve only the best.

If traditional techniques don’t really work in your case, you should try to use some of the  non-trivial editing life hacks:

  • Change the editing format. Print your essay if it’s written on a laptop, and your tired brain might catch the mistakes you couldn’t spot before. Furthermore, it can be more pleasant to proofread a hard copy because you can use various highlighters to note the problematic spots, which can give we the feel of being a professional editor.
  • Start reading from the end. It may seem strange, but it can let you climb up sentence by sentence, catching the subtle mistakes that you may have missed upon normal reading.
  • Explore the range of available resources. Spend some time on familiarizing yourself with the all accessible sources of information such as special programs, workshops, mutual tutoring, etc. and never hesitate to use them for essay writing and editing.
  • Read the paper aloud. It is one of the common ways to proofread your writing from a different angle. While doing so, you can spot some of the mistakes that you missed during the silent reading stage. Don’t be afraid to be awkward because the results won’t keep you waiting. You can read your essay out loud in front of a mirror, in an empty room, to your family members or close friend, or even to your pet. During that, you’ll definitely notice some of the problems hard to spot otherwise.
  • Try to weed out the mistakes one by one. If it’s too complicated to find multiple error types in one go, read your essay once for each error type. It might take longer but is better for the revision accuracy.
  • Assess each essay paragraph as an individual piece of writing. Each one of those must have a key sentence and supporting argumentation. If they’re not fully elaborated, keep on polishing them. Don’t forget to check the logical links between the paragraphs as well.
  • Look at the requirements once more. It may sound boring, but rereading the essay guidelines given by your instructor can work a miracle. Students often follow their train of thought with such a passion that some of the initial directions might be neglected. Glancing through the requirements checklist one more time wouldn’t hurt.
  • No inspiration whatsoever? When it happens, feel free to flip through a few voluminous compilations of essay masterpieces, such as “The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present” (by Phillip Lopate). Those are usually more creative and free-spirited than bare academic writing.
  • Forget about your essay for a day or two (if possible)! There must be a break between the writing and editing steps. After spending lots of time on writing, some of the mistakes might look natural to you and be easily neglected upon revision. A few days away from your task can help you refresh yourself and edit the paper clear-headed.

Your mistakes are what make you human (errare humanum est). An essay is a cornerstone of writing as a lifelong learning process where struggling is inevitable, so be generous to give yourself a little credit. It’s known that experience is the result of errors, and one learns from one’s mistakes. Once you get into reading, writing, and mutual peer editing with pleasure, you’ll be one step closer to becoming a better writer.

CMPD Investigating Yesterday’s Shootout At South End McDonalds

Charlotte Stories
-
0
CMPD Investigating Yesterday’s Shootout At South End McDonalds

Last night a shootout took place in front of the McDonalds in South End.

According to CMPD detectives, two men approached a group already gathered in front of the restaurant. A suspect in the group then shot at one of two men. The victim then shot back toward the suspect and the group dispersed from the scene.

The victim who was shot then called Medic and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police now believe the incident was caused by an attempted robbery

If you have any additional information about this shooting, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

1...1,0331,0341,035...1,313Page 1,034 of 1,313