Archive for the ‘Mecklenburg County’ Category
September 3rd, 2010
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The Carolina Raptor Center has been a favorite destination for students, teachers, Charlotteans, and volunteers alike for nearly 30 years! It is a great place nestled in Latta Plantation off Beaties Ford Road and you have not been, do yourself a favor and go see what it is all about.
Their mission is to promote environmental stewardship through education and the role raptors play in our ecosystem. The Raptor Center is all about promoting sustainable habits that support animals and humans alike.
That’s why when given the opportunity to do an energy audit at the center we jumped at the chance to volunteer.
Jim Warren, the CRC’s Cheif Operating Offiicer, invited us along with CPCC’s 3D Modeling class to come uncover ways to help their facilities save energy. The plan is to come up with the most effective measures to help save energy and utility costs so those funds can be used to help fulfill the CRC’s mission.
Once the work scope and materials needed are complete a small army of volunteers will go to work making the buildings more energy efficient, comfortable, and healthy (That’s Energy Tight’s Mission).
Owly, a 26 year old tenant at the Carolina Raptor Center gets the thermal treatment
5 Things Volunteers Can Do at the Carolina Raptor Center?
- You can work in the raptor “ER” helping injured raptors become healthy enough to be released back into the wild.
- You can be a part of the transport or raptor ambulance team and respond to calls by the public regarding injured raptors that need to be picked up and taken to CRC.
- You can educate the public about birds of prey and how they play a role in conservation as a docent volunteer or an exhibit volunteer.
- Help us take care of our many resident birds by cleaning cages, feeding them and performing health checks.
- Are you handy and enjoy working outside? We can always use help repairing aviaries and performing other general maintenance around the property.
Join the volunteer program and help make energy efficiency at the Raptor Center
5 Energy Tight Tips to help you save like the CRC
- Ceiling fans require far less energy than air conditioners, and help you feel cooler at higher temperatures. You can feel as cool at 82ºF under a fan as you would at 77ºF in still air.
- Close window coverings during the day to block solar heat.
- During the hottest times of day, don’t use your stove, oven, dishwasher, or clothes dryer. Your air conditioning will use too much energy trying to cool your home.
- Let food cool before you set it in the refrigerator, so the fridge doesn’t have to work harder to maintain cold interior temperatures.
- In most homes, heating water is the third-highest energy cost. Lower your water heater temperature setting as low as possible to save money each month.
Posted in "Carolina Raptor Center", "Energy Audit", "Energy Tight", "Thermal Imaging", City, Environment, Mecklenburg County, Outreach, energy
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A bunch of folks in Charlotte, including me, are starting a challenge today. We’re trying to drink more water. A lot more water! It’s called 60 in 60. It starts today and you can get all the info here at NoFizzCLT (@NoFizzCLT). In a nut shell, they’re asking us to drink 60 ounces of water every day for the next 60 days.
This started in May when personal trainer Bobby DeMuro (@bodemuro) asked people around here to give up soda for 30 days. I spoke to him for Health Headlines: The Show and he said the response was so good that he’d do more. So here’s the latest challenge.
A bunch of folks in Charlotte, including me, are starting a challenge today. We’re trying to drink more water. A lot more water! It’s called 60 in 60. It starts today and you can get all the info here at NoFizzCLT (@NoFizzCLT). In a nut shell, they’re asking us to drink 60 ounces of water every day for the next 60 days.
This started in May when personal trainer Bobby DeMuro (@bodemuro) asked people around here to give up soda for 30 days. I spoke to him for Health Headlines: The Show and he said the response was so good that he’d do more. So here’s the latest challenge.
On July 20, 2010, The Arts & Science Council presented its next vision for a for Mecklenburg County. You can read all the details on their website.
Present were community leaders like Mayor Anthony Foxx, Mary Lou Babb, ASC Immediate Past Present Board Chair, and Marc Manly from Duke Energy, ASC Board Chair. Each spoke of the need for a vibrant and diverse community, engaged in arts and culture.
This year’s priorities
ASC laid out three priorities for the upcoming years:
- Restore education funding
- Develop a new cultural action plan
- Address the future of funding through innovation
Future Initiatives
ASC President Scott Provancher laid out ASC’s vision for the future — the Cultural Action Plan. Provancher highlighted previous plans that included public art, cultural facilitates, educational programs, and tourism efforts. He also gave us a peek into the future by announcing the silent launch of the planning process for the upcoming Cultural Action Plan that will tackle the “new normal” of the economy and new, innovative giving models eluding to a possible “cultural marketplace” or a Match.com of sorts; matching donors to specific projects.
2010-2011 Cultural & Community Investments
ASC’s first round of investments total $8,213,100, with museums, science centers, and historic sites receiving over $4M, performing arts receiving $3.3M, and education and community & diversity projects receiving the remainder.
- 4700 full time jobs in the arts, cultural, science, and history sector
- $157.96 million in local economic activity
- 93.3% of respondents think arts, science and history organizations make a positive contribution to the quality of life in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
- 79.8% of Mecklenburg residents support county funding for programs (UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Report)
- young people who are invoked in cultural programs are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievements
- Charlotte Culture Guide included over 60,000 cultural events in 2009.
Posted in Art, Charity, Economy, Fundraising, Mecklenburg County, Music, Outreach, Performance, Theater, UNC Charlotte, education, photography
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watch this video in HD on YouTube
We’re wrapping up our series on the Mecklenburg County budget with County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts. Questions indexed below for easy reference.
- Just last week, you and the Board of Commissioners approved the final Mecklenburg County budget for the 2011 fiscal year. How do you feel now? (0:19)
- How do you deal with the pressure? (0:57)
- These are important decisions, but a lot of people aren’t engaged. That is, unless they’re part of an organization receiving big cuts. What’s wrong with the process? Why aren’t more people involved in the public debate? (3:26)
- You just got back from Boston on this year’s Inner City Visit. How was that? (6:07)
- Boston Mayor Tom Menino made a point to offer his assistance in bringing the 2012 Democratic National Convention to Charlotte. Are you involved in this process? What are city and county doing to bring this to Charlotte (9:56)
- The Board of County Commissioners managed to to lessen the blow of cuts by almost
$11.5 million$14 million compared to the recommendations given by County Manager Harry Jones. How is this possible? Where does this money come from? (10:55) - The libraries alone received $3.5 million less in cuts than recommended. But even that still leaves a $10 million dollar cut. A lot of people are asking how the county can justify taking so much money away from libraries, but I want to play dumb for a second: why are libraries important? (14:48)
- Some people might be surprised to find that it’s not all cuts across the board. Why are any programs at all seeing increases in funding from last year? (16:52)
- Let’s talk about city and county consolidation. I know this is a topic you and Mayor Foxx are particularly interested in. What are your feelings about this idea? (21:38)
- How does the board get along? Can politics get in the way of effective decision making? How do you manage this? (28:19)
- What role has media coverage of the budget played in your decision making? Do you feel coverage has been fair or too sensational? (32:08)
- Who can people talk to with questions about county operations? (34:50)
- What are we looking at next year? Do we have more cuts in store? (36:47)
Posted in City, Development, Economy, Feature, Government, Infrastructure, Mecklenburg County
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We’ll be interviewing Jennifer Roberts, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, today at 5:30pm, about the county budget.
You can follow our live-tweets of the interview with the hashtag #meckbudget.
Last Tuesday, the board approved a budget of $1.35 billion for 2011. Their $71 million in cuts, is actually $9 million less than County Manager Harry Jones put forth in his recommendation.
“This budget is the most difficult one I have faced in my 3 terms as a County Commissioner. (…)
It is a budget that has been very painful to discuss, when we feel that most of our choices are not really choices but rather attempts to do the least harm.”
Jennifer Roberts, at DavidsonNews.net
What should we talk about with Jennifer Roberts today? What questions should we ask?
Leave your thoughts in the comments, or over on Google Moderator.
We’ll be interviewing Jennifer Roberts, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, today at 5:30pm, about the county budget.
You can follow our live-tweets of the interview with the hashtag #meckbudget.
Last Tuesday, the board approved a budget of $1.35 billion for 2011. Their $71 million in cuts, is actually $9 million less than County Manager Harry Jones put forth in his recommendation.
“This budget is the most difficult one I have faced in my 3 terms as a County Commissioner. (…)
It is a budget that has been very painful to discuss, when we feel that most of our choices are not really choices but rather attempts to do the least harm.”
Jennifer Roberts, at DavidsonNews.net
What should we talk about with Jennifer Roberts today? What questions should we ask?
Leave your thoughts in the comments, or over on Google Moderator.
As a veteran and an animal lover, nothing warms my heart like seeing my two passions combined. That’s why I’m so excited about the new non-profit in Charlotte that helps match pets in need of homes with veterans in need of companionship. Called Hounds4Heroes, founders Jennifer Bennett and Hilary Walls started the nonprofit in 2010 after reading an article about how companion animals help veterans recently returned from combat.
“My dad served in Vietnam as a medic and returned with PTSD,” said Bennett. “I sympathize with his suffering because I have General Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. My dogs help me when I’m having a very hard time, by just allowing me to snuggle up to them or taking them for a walk. Hounds4Heroes gives me an opportunity to help both veterans like my dad and animals in need. I believe it is my life’s purpose.”
Hounds4Heroes made their first match on May 28, 2010 – right before the start of the Memorial Day weekend. Partnering with the Charlotte Vet Center, an outpatient counseling center, Hounds4Heroes identified Dewey Friday as a good candidate for a companion animal. An Army Vietnam Veteran, Friday attends the Vet Center weekly for individual and group therapy. Friday was matched with Sissy, a six-year-old Feist from Project Halo, one of Charlotte’s largest pet rescue organizations.
Loretta Deaton, a team leader with the Charlotte Vet Center believes the work Hounds4Heroes does will help veterans better adjust to civilian life and deal with their experiences from active duty. “I have witnessed first-hand the effect that dogs have on the mental health of our veterans,” said Deaton. “By permanently placing companion animals, I believe Hounds4Heroes is positively contributing to our veterans’ on-going readjustment.”
Hounds4Heroes hopes to be a resource for veterans in Charlotte who are dealing with the emotional effects of serving our country. They are also working on programs for the VA hospitals in Salisbury and Fayetteville. They are currently looking for another veteran to place an animal with. Hounds4Heroes would especially like to help someone who has served in either Iraq or Afghanistan. According to Bennett, “We have lots of dogs, funding and programs in place, but we need more veterans who wants animals.”
If you’d like to find out more about Hounds4Heroes and what they do, you can meet them at the Red, White and Boom event in Uptown on July 4th and at the God Bless America Day celebration at Parkwood Baptist Church in Concord.
Why yes!
The Charlotte Geeks (@cltgeeks) have produced a few PSAs to help support Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (@cmlibrary) in their time of reduced funding. Why ‘Zombies for Libraries’? Because “libraries feed brains and brains feed zombies – so zombies love libraries!”
Check out this post on SaveLibraries.org for more Zombies for Libraries videos. Then when you are done, visit cmlibrary.org to learn more about how you can assist and feed the zombies!
Posted in Charity, City, Feature, Fundraising, Government, Mecklenburg County, Outreach, education
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Why yes!
The Charlotte Geeks (@cltgeeks) have produced a few PSAs to help support Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (@cmlibrary) in their time of reduced funding. Why ‘Zombies for Libraries’? Because “libraries feed brains and brains feed zombies – so zombies love libraries!”
Check out this post on SaveLibraries.org for more Zombies for Libraries videos. Then when you are done, visit cmlibrary.org to learn more about how you can assist and feed the zombies!
Posted in Charity, City, Feature, Fundraising, Government, Mecklenburg County, Outreach, education
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Comments Closed