Mayor Roberts Wants To Rename Charlotte’s Stonewall Street Due To Confederate Origin

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Mayor Roberts Wants To Rename Charlotte’s Stonewall Street Due To Confederate Origin

Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts stated this past week that she is in favor of changing one of Uptown Charlotte’s busiest streets due to its Confederate-rooted history.

At an NAACP forum this past Tuesday, Mayor Roberts commented:

“I absolutely support renaming Stonewall Street. As I’ve said for years, Confederate monuments belong in museums, not in places of public prominence. We should evaluate the names we are making prominent in our public square, and this issue is worthy of council discussion.”

Uptown Charlotte’s Stonewall Street is named after Confederate Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson. The family formed an especially strong historical connection to Charlotte when the General’s wife, Mary Stonewall, moved to Charlotte in 1873.

stonewall-street-renamedMayor Robert’s closest competitor in the upcoming mayoral race, Democrat State Sen. Joel Ford, also thinks that the street name should be changed.

“I don’t want to forget our history, but I don’t think we should celebrate our Confederacy that was treasonous and un-American at best,” Ford noted.

Republican city council candidate, Parker Cains, spoke out against the possible name change, saying that he thinks Mayor Roberts cares more about national issues than local ones.

“I think Charlotte has much bigger issues than renaming streets,” commented Cains.

Within the Charlotte city limits, a street name change either requires 75% approval of the people living on that street, or a majority vote by the City Council. Given the Democratic majority on our city council, the name change would likely be approved if our mayor decides to move forward with it.

Do you think the name of Stonewall St. should be changed? 

Lake Norman Musician Releasing Groundbreaking New Album – Travels To Iceland To Film Music Video

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Lake Norman Musician Releasing Groundbreaking New Album – Travels To Iceland To Film Music Video

seth-snider-new-albumLake Norman singer/songwriter Seth Snider is about to release his groundbreaking new “Pitch Black Pines” album.

Seth was born and raised in the Lake Norman area and is a true representation of our local culture – he’s passionate about the outdoors, photography, music, and living out the true southern hospitality that North Carolina is known for.

His first music video is a true representation of Seth – it’s epic in nature, while at the same time warm and welcoming – “Radiomind” was filmed while driving down a country road in the middle of Iceland:

Music by Seth Snider ft. Jacob Early – Filmed by Joel Clark

From 2011-2013, while experiencing the most difficult time in his life, the time came where his heart settled on the dream of writing brand new songs and creating a true and honest piece of art, which immediately brought him back to his hometown of Charlotte, resulting in the making of this album.

“After 3 years of crafting, creating, and honing in on this dream, its done-its real, and it’s tangible. The album was born out of my heart, my vulnerability, and the revealing of our struggles and victories together as humans. While tying in my own experiences of anxiety, depression and hopelessness,” Seth commented.

He hopes his music takes people somewhere new, somewhere free, and somewhere beautiful.

His new album “Pitch Black Pines” will stir you up and cause you to celebrate difficulty in new ways, but will also lift your head up through adversity as an overcomer. Through his experiences, he has been convinced that that truth of your story being told will set you free, and also invite the freedom to set others free as well. Vulnerability is the key, he believes.

You can support Seth directly by downloading on Noisetrade: https://goo.gl/GXEdSP

or check him out on;

iTunes: https://goo.gl/hHC4Wx

Spotify: https://goo.gl/4vKcbO

Google Play: https://goo.gl/b3o6yA

Amazon: https://goo.gl/n0QlY4

Seth will be hosting an Album Release Celebration tomorrow evening in Cornelius;

York County Is About To Host The ‘Underexposed Film Festival’ – Now Taking Submissions

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York County Is About To Host The ‘Underexposed Film Festival’ – Now Taking Submissions
underexposed_film_festival_yc-84Since its inception in 2012, the Underexposed Film Festival yc (UFFyc) has showcased the best in independent filmmaking from across the world, screening 313 films from 6 continents over the past 6 seasons. Never wavering in its mission, the UFFyc continues to focus on strength in storytelling, screening films that feature characters who come to life, breaking down the fourth wall, and enveloping the audience in each story.
The Festival seeks diversity in storytelling and provides an opportunity for both emerging and seasoned filmmakers to screen in the same forum while encouraging dialogue between the two. Independent filmmakers around the world are invited to submit professionally presented short films, with a runtime of 45 minutes or less to participate in this juried competition in one of the following categories:
• Narrative | Fictional filmmaking that includes comedy, drama, action, thriller, adventure, fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, western, horror, film-noir, romance, sports, family-friendly, and more.
• Animation | Animated filmmaking – including but not limited to traditional, hand drawn animation, flip book animation, stop motion animation, computer animation, mechanical animation, puppetry, mixed media, and special effects animation.
• Experimental | Experimental films may be avant-garde, non-linear, and non-narrative. They may include the utilization of abstracting techniques, asynchronous sound, and are not limited by the constraints of traditional filmmaking. But, don’t let us define it for you…
• Documentary | Non-fictional filmmaking that includes cultural, topical and historical subjects.
Awards totaling $2,250 will be presented at the Festival. Awards given to the best of show, as well as the best of each category, with special awards given to the following:
• Cinema Carolina | Best independent film made in North or South Carolina, regardless of category, content, or subject. 75% of the principal photography must take place in North or South Carolina to be eligible for this award. Only one award will be given.
• Woman to Watch | Best Female Director Award. All female directed films in each category are eligible for this award. Only one award will be given.
• Best Student Film (High School) | Student films are eligible when created by a student filmmaker enrolled in a high school program, grades 9 – 12, while in production. All student films from each category are eligible for this award. Only one award will be given.
• Best Student Film (Collegiate) | Student films are eligible when created by a student filmmaker enrolled in a collegiate program while in production. All student films from each category are eligible for this award. Only one award will be given.
• Terry Roueche Audience Choice | All films submitted for competition are eligible for the Terry Roueche Audience Choice. The audience at each of the blocks that feature juried films is invited to vote for their favorite juried film. Director’s Choice films are not eligible for this award. Only one award will be given.
Entry deadlines and entry fees for the 2018 Underexposed Film Festival yc are as follows:
Earlybird: Sunday, October 8, 2017 – Standard  |  $20 – Student  |  $15
Regular: Sunday, November 12, 2017 – Standard  |  $30 – Student  |  $25
Late: Sunday, December 17, 2017 – Standard  |  $35 – Student  |  $30
Last Chance: Sunday, January 28, 2018 – Standard  |  $45 – Student  |  $40
For festival guidelines and entry information, visit the Underexposed Film Festival yc’s site at Film Freeway here. The films selected for screening will be screened at the Underexposed Film Festival yc, to be held in Rock Hill, SC, May 9 – 12, 2018. Visit underexposedfilmfestivalyc.org for more information on all UFFyc events and screenings.

Charlotte Home Prices Grew At One Of The Highest Rates Last Quarter

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Charlotte Home Prices Grew At One Of The Highest Rates Last Quarter

Concord housing boomAccording to the National Association of Realtors, Charlotte home prices saw some of the highest appreciation numbers in the nation during the second quarter of 2017.

Between April 1st and June 30th, median home sale prices in Charlotte grew by 7.4%, compared to a national median home sale price gain of 6.2% for the second quarter of 2017. Most of the Southeast saw gains this past quarter, but few areas were as high as Charlotte. We topped both Atlanta (6.7%) and Charleston (6%), and tied Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (7.4%).

A total of 154 out of the 178 metros areas across the country saw price gains, according to the NAR. Low housing supplies were cited as the primary factor in the record appreciation so far this year.

According to the latest S&P Home Index Report, Charlotte home prices also saw the highest 2016 growth in the nation.

This increasing price trend is causing some homes to sit on the market longer since many sellers won’t settle for anything less than top dollar.

Charlotte area Realtors are now getting creative, finding new ways to sell homes for increasingly higher prices, such as Lake Norman’s new ‘Home of The Day’ trend.

Elior Moving Corporate Headquarters, Bistro, and Coffee Shop To Uptown, Adding 100 New Jobs

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Elior Moving Corporate Headquarters, Bistro, and Coffee Shop To Uptown, Adding 100 New Jobs

Elior North America, one of the top six food service companies in North America, recently signed a lease for 13,000 square feet at the new 25-story 300 South Tryon.

They will be moving their 50-employee corporate headquarters from West Charlotte to Uptown, effectively doubling their office space and giving them room open a new french bistro and coffee shop. Over the next year, they plan on growing to over 150 employees in Charlotte, including both new hires and relocations.

elior-uptown-charlotte-headquarters

via Spectrum Properties
via Spectrum Properties

“Since opening here in 2008 with fewer than 10 team members working in the airport area, we have watched the city of Charlotte grow and thrive,” said Brian Poplin, President and CEO of Elior North America. “We have grown as well with 16 regional food service management organizations to create the Elior North America family of companies – and now we’re expanding our presence in Charlotte, demonstrating our commitment to helping make a great city even greater. Our team members look forward to moving Uptown and becoming part of this vibrant urban landscape.”

The company now employs over 15,000 people across the country – they’ve even recently been ranked as the #2 fastest growing food service company in America.

Their 6,800 square foot bistro will be a brasserie-style French restaurant facing Tryon Street and is scheduled to open next Spring. Their 2,000 square foot coffee shop, facing Romare Bearden Park along Third Street, is scheduled to open this coming Fall.

CMPD Asking For Charlotte’s Help In Finding Missing Teenager

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CMPD Asking For Charlotte’s Help In Finding Missing Teenager

archiana-flemming-missing-in-charlotteCMPD has just released a statement asking for help from the public in finding 19-year-old Archiana Flemming.

According to police, Archiana was last seen around 8 p.m. last night in North Charlotte. Her mother reported her missing to police late last night and informed them that Archiana has been diagnosed with cognitive issues and that she requires constant supervision.

Here is the surveillance footage of her last known location, coming out of a Dollar Store on North Graham Street with an unknown man;

Archiana Flemming surveillance video with man.
Archiana Flemming surveillance video with man.

Police did note that the man in the picture is not yet suspected of committing any crime, but detectives trying to find out who he is in order to help in finding Archiana.

If you have any information about Archaian’s whereabouts, or who the man in surveillance photos with her might be, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or 911.

Yesterday Afternoon Millions Around The Charlotte Region Witnessed The Great American Eclipse

Steve
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Yesterday Afternoon Millions Around The Charlotte Region Witnessed The Great American Eclipse

Yesterday afternoon, the majority of the Charlotte Region’s 2.4 million residents stepped outside their homes or offices to witness the first ‘American eclipse’ in 99 years (first total solar eclipse to travel across the entire US continent since 1918).

Here in Charlotte, there was a 98% coverage of the sun by the moon, meaning the eclipse never reached full ‘totality’.

This was what the eclipse looked like at its maximum coverage point in Charlotte at 2:41pm;

Clouds around the eclipse

A post shared by Lewis Norman (@normthestorm5) on

That 2% sliver of sun was so bright that it could still blind your naked eyes – at no point during the eclipse in Charlotte could you take your glasses off.

#itshappening #solareclipse #solareclipse2017 #charlotte #northcarolina #endoftheworld #nofilter

A post shared by •IIIIIII• (@pittjku) on

#PiedmontIB #clteclipse17

A post shared by Lisa Gurthie (@earthiegurthie) on

But the sky was certainly darkened and nature did freak out a little;

And the sun’s bokeh still made these incredible ‘banana sun‘ shapes all over the ground;

Who else noticed the tree shadows change during the #clteclipse17 today?! Love this from @6ft_wing_span! #exploreclt

A post shared by Explore Charlotte (@exploreclt) on

Although we never reached ‘totality’ here in Charlotte, that didn’t stop people from crowding rooftops, balconies, and backyards to catch a glimpse of the ‘banana sun‘.

– eclipsing – charlotte, nc

A post shared by Tempt The Arrow (@temptthearrow) on

Many other Charlotteeans traveled down to the Greenville, Columbia, Charleston areas to witness the eclipse ‘in totality’ (myself included).

Because of the historic nature of yesterdays ‘American eclipse’, millions from outside of Charlotte also traveled down to South Carolina from the Northeast and South to witness the event, emergency crews prepped weeks in advance and began warning drivers of coming delays on the road.

I decided to brave the traffic yesterday morning. I left at about 10am and was actually surprised at how light the traffic was – I made it down to Lexington, SC in just over 2 hours.

I met my family in a small park that sat in the middle of the path of totality;

charlotte-eclipse-line

Here are a few of the shots I was able to capture with my Sony a6300;

My favorite lens flare shot #greatamericaneclipse #cresentsun #eclipse2017

A post shared by Scott Jensen (@scottdjensen) on

A better shot of today’s diamond ring #greatamericaneclipse #diamondring #eclipse2017

A post shared by Scott Jensen (@scottdjensen) on

A few solar flares shooting out from behind the moon #greatamericaneclipse #solarflares #eclipse2017

A post shared by Scott Jensen (@scottdjensen) on

A ghost image of the ring with a possible shot of Jupiter #greatamericaneclipse #lensflare #eclipse2017

A post shared by Scott Jensen (@scottdjensen) on

I left at about 4:50pm and somehow make it through Columbia without hitting any rush-hour traffic…but just when I thought I was home-free about 10 miles north of Columbia in Blythwood…the traffic nightmare started.

I took a couple detours down some backroads, but they were all bumper-to-bumper as well. I quickly realized that driving 20mph up I-77 was my best option.

50 miles away from Charlotte on I77 North… it’s gonna be a long night #greatamericaneclipse #i77 #isfull

A post shared by Scott Jensen (@scottdjensen) on

I ended up making it back to Charlotte at about 9pm.

It was a long day – but it was worth it!

What was your ‘Great American Eclipse’ experience like?

Here’s What You Need To Know About Charlotte’s ‘Parklet’ Trend

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Here’s What You Need To Know About Charlotte’s ‘Parklet’ Trend

Charlotte parklet on tryonHave you noticed those small patio-looking structures and arrangements around uptown (especially near Romare Bearden Park and The Latta Arcade)? They’re called ‘Parklets’, and they have been officially sanctioned by the city as a way to increase pedestrian engagement.

A Parklet is basically just a small public park. It’s an extension of the sidewalk over an on-street parking space. Parklets help reclaim a small amount of public space, contributing to an active, accessible, and vibrant urban environment. Typically, Parklets are no more than two parking spaces long, extending out from the sidewalk to the width of the adjacent parking space.

Charlotte’s first Parklet was built on Church Street, right next to Brevard Court, and was part of the city’s pilot program to determine if it will become a permanent program this year.

More Parklets have been built throughout uptown in high pedestrian traffic areas. They must all be built within marked, on-street, parallel parking spaces on streets where the speed limit is 35 mph or less.

If you’d like to have your own personal parklet funded by the city, check out the Pilot Parklet Program manual here.

North Carolina Amber Alert Issued For Kidnapped 8-Year-Old Girl

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North Carolina Amber Alert Issued For Kidnapped 8-Year-Old Girl

North Carolina Authorities have just sent out an emergency Amber Alert across the state for 8-year-old Trinity McGraw, who was taken by Patrick Ryan McGraw. The two are reported to be traveling in a Gray Ford Focus – Georgia license plate # RDG2198.

The two were last seen in the Surry County town of Westfield, North Carolina.

north-carolina-amber-alert

Trinity is a 4′ tall, 53-pound white female, with long brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a long dress with a watermelon design.

Patrick Ryan McGraw is a 6 foot, 220 pounds, white male with a bald head, blue eyes, and several tattoos. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.

If you have any Information about Trinities kidnapping or current whereabouts, please call the Stokes County Sheriff’s Department immediately at (336) 593-8787 or call 911.

Update 8/21/2017: Trinity Lakin McGraw was found in Louisville, Ky., and her biological father, Patrick Ryan McGraw, was taken into custody, according to the Facebook page of the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office.

Panthers Fall 27-34 To The Tennessee Titans In Their Second Pre-Season Game

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Panthers Fall 27-34 To The Tennessee Titans In Their Second Pre-Season Game

titans vs panthersThe Tennessee Titans, now 1-1, scored on their first three possessions against Carolina, with help from one long drive and two Panthers turnovers.

After a fairly dismal first half, the Pathers were able to pull within 24-17 in the third quarter on Cameron Artis-Payne’s 1-yard score. After the Titans scored another field goal, Fullback Alex Armah then scored his first pro touchdown on a 20-yard play action pass from Joe Webb to make it 27-24.

With about 4 minutes left in the game, fourth-string quarterback Garrett Gilbert led a brief nine-play drive that ended with a 37-yard field goal from Graham Gano, tying the score at 27-27.

Near the 2 minute warning, all hope was lost after Gilbert was hit from behind, fumbled the ball near the Panthers’ goal line, and gave the Titans their winning touchdown.

Our first loss of the season did give us some incredible looks from our new star running back/receiver Christian McCaffrey:

as well as an incredible career-first touchdown for Alex Armah:

How are you feeling about this year’s Panthers team?

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