2500 block of 7th

Anonymous reports:

I'm following up on the question about what's going on on the 2500 block of 7th street where it's been bulldozed.

For whatever reason, even though there's a "financed by Wachovia" sign in the middle of the land, most of the people I've called have tried to say as little as possible. I was told the "official release" will be in a couple of months. I called around and was able to get this info:

-The plans are for 45 townhomes
-3 stories
-They will be 1700 to 1800 sq/ft
-The avg townhome will have 3 bedrooms and if I understood correctly, 3.5 baths.
-They will have a 1.5 car garage
-The pre-construction prices will be "in the low 2's". I asked what they meant and was told "215-220".
-They are being built by gateway homes

There are several condemed and nearly condemed properties on that block and right next to the soon-to-be-built townhomes, but the demolition for this project is complete. I was told they woul "probably look similar to the homes ate www.PrestonTownHomes.com", although they don't know if they'll be brick or not.

one more thing: completion of the project will be 14 months from now.

Conformity on Seventh

The secret is out. Plans are underway to develop the Roy White property on Seventh. Monte Ritchey may have been playing coy with the Business Journal, but he made a presentation to the ECA meeting Tuesday night. Let's hope he can do something good for the neighborhood with that property and end the long-running saga.

Relive the PD

Download the Progressive Dinner recipes here. Enjoy.

Progressively fuller

At our Progressive Dinner house on Greenway, hosts Beth and Scott Haenni went beyond the call by also preparing warm goat cheese salsa and fresh guacamole. (That's Scott in the back in black t-shirt; Beth at far left, also in black.) So I ate some. It was really good. Just before that, at the appetizers house, I nibbled on various things while never straying far from the two frozen margarita machines. So when it came time to actually eat dinner, I was already fat. That I did not join the clean plate club was no reflection on the meal. Maya and company, you did a great job choosing the menu -- again. Afterward, the desert house on Bay Street made up for the dearth of sweets last year with an overload this year. All in all, an excellent Progressive Dinner -- again. If you didn't make it -- and we know who you are 9th Street -- rest assured we talked about you.

Seis de Mayo

When you attend the Progressive Dinner Saturday night, I encourage you to eat too much, drink too much and misbehave. I don't want to be the only one. One warning, like last year, I'll have my camera. If you act up, I'll snap your picture. If you've never been to the Elizabeth PD, you ought to go. It's one of the best things our neighborhood does. Maya says she has space for five more people if you forgot to sign up. And the correct starting time is 6:30 p.m., even if you see a flyer that says 6.

Whole year wait

Bummer. Looks like Whole Foods won't open on Elizabeth Avenue until 2008, not next year as originally planned. I'm looking forward to the gluten-free bakery.

Bulls eye

I'm not a huge Target shopper. But when I heard they were building one on the site of the old Charlottetown Cinemas I thought, "Sure would be nice to have a movie theater there." And then I thought, "But a Target and Home Depot won't be bad" -- especially since we're supposed to get up to eight screens at the Elizabeth Avenue redevelopment project. I resent the heck out of having to drive out to the suburbs for shopping and entertainment. I'm glad our fair city is getting the density needed to bring these businesses back into town.

Table turnover

So long Ethan's. So long Schlotzsky's. Seems like we hardly knew you. Hello Pearl of Elizabeth and the Corner Place. We are to expect American cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood at Pearl of Elizabeth. I'm not sure what to expect from the Corner Place, but it's open, so stop in. Apparently the Pearl is open too, as they get ready for a grand opening on May 5.

Help wanted

The Elizabeth Community Association needs a secretary. The pay is lousy and the hours are bad. But you get to hang out with some really cool people who care deeply about their favorite neighborhood.

Reading benches

As promised, here's some pictures from the new reading garden at Independence Park. I still can't get over how the benches are not bolted down. How long until they walk away? Wouldn't it be nice if they stayed there forever, unmolested and useful? Also, did you see the beautiful mallard who has been swimming in Lake Arheleger?

Sex offender update

That's Kevin Clark Shikany on the left and Charles Edward Hinton on the right, a pair of sex offenders who live in our area. Shikany lives at 2029 E. 7th Street and Hinton at 1023 Central Ave. You can search for known sex offenders within a mile of your home here.

Independence improvement

If you haven't seen the amazing improvements to Independence park near 7th and Hawthorne, you need to go take a look. New shrubs, trees, flowers, benches, mulch -- it doesn't look like the old Indy. It's called a Reading Garden, sponsored by Troy-Bilt, and it's supposed to be an "oasis of calm and beauty, where people can sit back with a good book and take in the outdoors." Charlotte was one of nine cities to get a Reading Garden. I've got to get a picture soon. I'm afraid it won't last. The benches look especially susceptible. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all keep an eye on the Reading Garden and make it last?

Signs could be better

Get in your car, and proceed toward Commonwealth Avenue from The Plaza. Turn right at the stop sign, toward Pecan. A few yards after you do you’ll see a speed limit sign: 30 mph. Now between The Plaza and Pecan on Commonwealth is about one-tenth of a mile. You certainly can reach 30 mph on that stretch, but why would you?
Now turn left from Commonwealth onto Pecan, toward our fair neighborhood. You’ll go almost three-tenths of a mile before you see the first speed limit sign: 25 mph sign.
I am glad Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are targeting speeders on this street. People drive way too fast on Pecan -- you know who you are. But I do think another sign is in order for the people coming off Commonwealth who might think the speed limit is 30, as it is on Commonwealth, or 35, which I believe is the city-wide speed limit (unless otherwise posted). I assume police aren’t stopping folks doing 30 mph. I assume they have enough business nabbing the leadfoots. But the proper speed limits here could be better displayed.
And no, I haven't been stopped.

Map of the future

Don't you just love these stylized mass transit maps? As if the Government Center, CPCC, Pecan Avenue and Briar Creek were on a straight line. I guess since they don't know exactly where things are going on the Silver Line everything is just an approximation anyway. If you've been down South Boulevard lately, you've seen the reality of the Blue Line construction. We're next.

Common sense for master keys

This question was in the latest Elizabeth Crime Notification email (the work of Brad Miller). It was asked by an Elizabethan at a recent ECA board meeting:

I heard there is a master key available on the Internet for The Club. Is this true?
Officer Laura Nelson (the Elizabeth community police liaison): I have spoken with several officers in the district about a master key for The Club. We all agreed that if it’s possible to purchase a master key for a car, it’s probably possible to buy a master key for The Club.

Ok, it makes no sense to buy The Club if there is a readily-available master key that makes it useless. But how many of the clowns stealing cars are smart enough to get the key -- let alone use it? The jerks stealing our cars aren't shopping for master keys on the Internet. They're helping themselves to the low-hanging fruit we're leaving for them. If they want to get around The Club, they'll cut the steering wheel and remove it that way. The Club won't stop the serious thief. But if two cars are otherwise similar and one has The Club and the other doesn't -- which car gets taken?

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police there were 52 crime calls in Elizabeth in February. Exactly half, 26, involved automobiles:

Larceny from auto	10
Hit and run	7
Auto theft	5
Vandalism-vehicle	4

Last Wednesday night there were four reports of someone rummaging through cars on Laurel, Greenway, Fifth and Clement streets. At least three of those incidents apparently happened to unlocked cars.

Help the tour

The neighborhood's largest fundraiser is still the Homes Tour. Show off your home or volunteer to help make the 2006 tour as good or better than last year's. Email Terry Lett, Elizabeth Homes Tour coordinator, if you'd like to help.

Hunt eggs, parade hats

The ECA Mad Hatter Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 8 at 10:30 a.m. at upper Independence Park between the gazebos. Wear your most outrageous hat for the mad hat parade. Just remember there'll be people there with cameras. And if any of them send me a picture I'll post it right here so everyone can have a good laugh. In fact, I think I'll go and take my camera. So wear a funny hat and smile. See you at the petting zoo.  

Junior National Young Leaders Conference

Does anyone know anything about the Junior National Young Leaders Conference? By that I mean, does anyone know a kid who went? Looking for recommendations.

Big E road race

The 20th annual Big E road race and neighborhood celebration is Saturday, March 25 at 8 a.m. There'll be activities for kids after the 8K race and the 3K health walk/run. It was a bunch of fun last year, and the money goes toward planting trees in Elizabeth. If you have questions about the tree plan for our neighborhood, this is your chance to get some answeers.

Get on board

Three years from now you'll jump on a trolley in Elizabeth and ride downtown to the Blumenthal for a show. As you're tooling past CPCC, you may wish you'd had an opportunity to shape the streetcar route. You do. Attend the meeting Thursday and learn all about the proposed Center City Streetcar. On our side of downtown, the trolle will run up Elizabeth Avenue and down Hawthorne to Central. At least that's the plan now. It's in the Elizabeth's best interest to attend.

Have a tent?

Not just any tent. The Elizabeth Road Race (PDF) folks are looking to borrow three or four tents "10 by 10 size in the pop-up or sun shade style" for the race March 25 from 8 to noon. They can pick up the tents the Wednesday or Thursday before and return them the Tuesday after. If you can help call Rachel Eldridge, 704-258-6033.

Ads for trees

Careful Under the Water Tower readers will notice two new additions to your Elizabeth neighborhood blog: Ads by Google at the top and an ad placed by Altmedia101.com in the sidebar. Looking to supplement my income? Not really. If I get any money for these ads -- and I haven't yet -- I will give it directly to the Elizabeth Tree Plan (I wish I had something to link to for the tree plan. The best I can do is direct you to the ECA site, but there's not much there on it. If anybody has information to share on the tree plan for newcomers, let me know.) I doubt UtWT will generate enough traffic to hit the big time or even the tiny time, but if we get one tree out of the deal it will be worth it. You can help, of course. Maybe if we talk about local restaurants like Ethan's or Carpe Diem Google will place ads for places like AOL City Guide or Hello Metro. Or maybe if you click on the links the ads provide we'll earn a penny to put toward a sapling. Or maybe not. We'll have to learn how it works. One note: I have no control over the ads. I don't endorse them nor does the ECA. If you see an offensive ad, let me know.

Gone, soon forgotten

I'm not a fan of tearing down all the old buildings, even if it is what we do in Charlotte. But this building at the corner of Hawthorne and Fifth has always been an eyesore. I remember taking pregnancy classes with my wife in that building in 1994. The rooms were always either too cold or too hot. The elevators were slow and creaky. There was a total lack of charm throughout. I know it's not nice to speak ill of the dead. But this one probably shouldn't have lived as long as it did. Will its replacement last?

Big E for big tree

Help save our trees and get a little exercise at the same time. Proceeds from the 20th annual Big E Elizabeth Road Race on March 25 will go toward helping our leafy friends. Register now. After the race, hang out at Independence Park and learn more about our trees and eat food and play games. Register now and save: $20 if registered by March 17; $25 if registered between March 17 and 24 and $30 on race day.

Best movies of 2005

I've bumped into enough Elizabethans at Visart Video to know we're all looking for a good movie. But we don't want to work too hard at keeping up with all the releases. With that in mind, here's a list of the best movies of 2005, compiled from an assortment of professional film critic's Top 10 lists. Each of these movies made at least one film critic's Top 10 list for 2005. Does that mean they're good? How should I know? I've never even heard of half of them. Check 'em out at your own risk.

2046
40 Shades Of Blue
A History Of Violence
An Unfinished Life
Batman Begins
Born Into Brothels.
Brokeback Mountain
Broken Flowers
Cache (Hidden)
Capote
Casanova
Cinderella Man
Crash
Darwin’s Nightmare
Downfall
Duma
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
Funny Ha Ha
George A. Romero’s Land Of The Dead
Good Morning Night
Good Night And Good Luck
Grizzly Man
Gunner Palace
Head-On
Hotel Rwanda
House Of Flying Daggers.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Hustle & Flow
In Her Shoes
In The Realms Of The Unreal
Junebug
Keane
King Kong
Kings And Queen
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Look At Me
Mad Hot Ballroom
March Of The Penguins
Match Point
Me And You And Everyone We Know
Millions
Mondovino
Munich
Murderball
My Summer Of Love
Mysterious Skin
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
Nobody Knows
Off The Map
Police Beat
Pride & Prejudice
Pulse
Red Eye
Rent
Rize
Saraband
Shake Hands With The Devil
Shopgirl
Sin City
Star Wars: Episode Three – Revenge Of The Sith
Syriana
Tell Them Who You Are
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The Aristocrats
The Beat That My Heart Skipped
The Best Of Youth
The Constant Gardener
The Devil’s Rejects
The Great Raid
The Holy Girl
The Intruder
The Sea Inside
The Squid And The Whale
The Sun
The Talent Given Us
The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada
The World.
Three Times
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
Tony Takitani
Tropical Malady
Waiting For The Clouds
Walk The Line
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit
Wedding Crashers
Who’s Camus Anyway?
Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill

Registered sex offender

Jerry Brent Porter (left) was convicted Dec. 5, 2005 of taking indecint liberties with a child, and as such registered as a sex offender on Dec. 15, 2005. He lives at 1805 E. 8th St. Porter was sentenced to 16-20 months in jail and 36 months of probation. He is listed as 6-1, 175 pounds with black hair and hazel eyes. He has at least eight tatoos, including one of Mikey Mouse on his left arm, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. He was born May 27, 1969. The crime was reported May 19, 2004, and involved a 15-year-old girl.

Porter is no stranger to the police. He was arrested Aug. 27, 2003 and charged with possession of cocaine. At the time of that arrest, he looked like this: By the way, the address he gave for the 2003 arrest was also 1805 E. 8th St.

Blatant promotion

Don't you want the winner of the WCNC touchdown dance contest to be a native Elizabethan? Of course you do. That's why you'll rush over to the WCNC site and vote for my son Alan -- born at our own Presbyterian Hospital -- and his friend Riley (of Dilworth). Look for the "Web Poll" box. (Warning: Registration required.)

More neighbors

What is the biggest threat to home values in Elizabeth? Could it be this? Or this? Or this? Or this?

More than 3,000 new downtown condos have been announced in the last year, according to The Charlotte Observer. People who buy high-rise condos and people who buy old homes in Elizabeth are likely two different markets. But there's bound to be overlap. I'd love to live downtown. And I know of at least one couple who sold their Elizabethan house and bought downtown.

Part of what keeps housing prices high in Elizabeth -- and Dilworth and Plaza-Midwood and others -- is the proximity to downtown. The supply of housing close to downtown is limited. What will the affect of thousands of new homes downtown be on our neighborhood ?

Bring dessert

When I tell non-Elizabethans about my neighborhood I'm quick to mention recurring events like the progressive dinner, the July 4 parade, the road race, the pot luck dinner and of course the annual Elizabeth Neighborhood Holiday Party. It might be the time of year or it might be the free wine and beer, but the holiday party is always a blast. And Jane and Roxie's house is the perfect spot for holiday cheer. See you there, Dec. 10. Bring a dessert.

Historic Elizabeth

What do Dilworth, Plaza-Midwood, Fourth Ward and Wesley Heights have that Elizabeth doesn't have? Historic District Designation. Should that change?

John Rogers of the Charlotte Historic District Commission talked to the ECA board at the October meeting. I think there's interest on the board in persuing historic designation. I also think there's a lot of opposition in the neighborhood. Last time the ECA pushed for Historic District Designation there was a lawsuit. Can we avoid that this time?

What do you think? What's good about historic designation? What's bad about it? Post a comment, or better yet join Under the Water Tower and tell us what you think.

Honda owners read this

If you drive a Honda, live in Elizabeth and don't use The Club, you are asking for your car to be stolen. Car thefts increased from 26 to 61 this year over last year according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. Many were Hondas. I speak from experience, having my former Honda stolen not once but twice. A neighbor two doors down had hers stolen. A local mechanic showed me how easy it is to break into and start a Honda with an ordinary screwdriver. You've been warned!

Tree hacking

These trees on Bay Street were recently pruned by a Duke Power subcontractor, setting off a flurry of emails from concerned Elizabethans to Duke. Duke and the city of Charlotte agree: The trees are planted in the wrong place, badly decayed, unsightly and need to be removed. Well they're certainly unsightly now. Why is it that other cities can bury their power lines?

Neighborhood pictures

Maya Packard writes: "Ken Magas has set up a neighborhood account at www.kodakgallery.com for pictures from neighborhood events. Anyone with the password can view, add to, or create albums, so we can all share our photos from community events (like the Halloween party on Monday; Ken's album from that is already posted)."

If you'd like to know more about it, add a comment to this post and I'll give you the username and password. Of course if you'd like to post a picture or two you can do it right here at Under the Water Tower. It's easy and free and open to everyone. Add a comment to this post and I'll tell you how.

Eliza-bats

Weird people in costumes were strolling the neighborhood Monday night, and none of them were Hardin Minor. Here young McClain (Winn, please correct me if I spelled that wrong) proudly shows off his bat wings. Turnout seemed a little lighter than usual this year, perhaps because Monday night isn't the best night for trick-or-treating.

Wall coverage

This year the local paper decided not to get scooped by the New York Times. The Associated Press has more.

Pumpkin update

The official lighting of the Pumpkin Wall 2005 has been delayed until Saturday night, so there's still time to come by the Clodfelter's and carve a few. The pictures surrounding this post were all taken today. There's quite a collection of pumpkin pulchritude, so come by Saturday and let's carve.

Pumpkin wall

The wall is back, this time on Clement Avenue. The official lighting is tomorrow night. Come by, bring a pumpkin and start carving. The photo above is from last year's pumpkin wall on Lamar. Hope to have photos of this year's wall tomorrow night.

Welcome Lower Scotland

I'd like to welcome Lower Scotland Neighborhood News to the blogsphere. Looks like a great place for Eastover folks to congregate. Those of you with kids in Eastover Elementary may want to read Lower Scotland's post on this. Nice work.

Crime and history

Can you live in Elizabeth and not care about the crime here or the historic district designation? Of course not. Both are on the agenda for the next ECA board meeting, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at what used to be our neighborhood park and rec center and is now a kind of ping pong private club or something. Officer Laura Nelson and Captain Mike Campagna will talk about crime prevention and there will be a discussion of the historic district designation. All are invited, even non-ping pong players.

Elizabeth Traditional School

Peter Tart writes:

Louise Woods, our District 4 School Board representative has notified us about a rapidly approaching opportunity to expand the "Priority Zone" for Elizabeth Traditional School. She needs comments from concerned parents concerning how to "structure" the expansion to benefit as much of the Elizabeth Community as possible. I would like to get this request out to the Community as fast as possible and need to hear from any and all those who have a stake in this change. She needs to sit with some of us to plot the potential new zone as soon as tomorrow and certainly no later than Monday afternoon, and would like a representative to attend the School Board meeting with her on Tuesday.

Lousie Woods can be reached at 704.536.0335 and Peter Tart ( ECA president) can be reached at 704.372.4147 or petart@carolina.rr.com.

Hats off to Hardin

You really have to hand it to Hardin Minor for challenging an established incumbent in a primary. That's an uphill battle no matter what the office, and he got no help from the so-called liberal media. Meanwhile the rarity of Hardin's candidacy gives me another opportunity to lambaste our political setup.

Every office holder who ever voted for carving districts into safe havens for one party or the other ought to hang their heads in shame. Why was voter turnout 5% for Tuesday's primary? What's to turn out for? If you're a Republican living in a Democratic district, your vote doesn't count. You may as well stay home. Or not leave work, since election day is held on a day most people work.

Open a can of peas

During the last ECA meeting there was much talk about a can of peas. People can eat what they like, but I prefer them fresh. If not available, frozen are better than canned, in my opinion. In any event, I'm still not sure what all the fuss was about.

What's that? It wasn't "can of peas"? It was "canopy," like in tree? And the fuss was that we're rapidly losing our distinctive Elizabeth tree canopy and we should all look for places to plant large, mature trees to rebuild that canopy? Oh. Never mind then.

New comment policy

Due to comment spam I've had to turn on what Blogger.com calls "word verification" for anyone who leaves a comment. This keeps the machines from posting some of the comments you may have seen on this site (although I think I've deleted most of them). Sorry to make commenters go through that extra step.

CATS in Elizabeth

They really will put in a street car that runs up Elizabeth Avenue. Where will the stops be? What route will the trolley take to get to Central Avenue? Funny you should ask. The Charlotte Area Transit System people are meeting Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the Center City Corridor. That's us. Now is your chance to review the draft plan and let them know what you think. Don't wait until they start laying track.

Lawbreakers beware

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Captain Mike Campagna had good news and bad news last night at the annual ECA covered dish dinner and meeting. Bad news: crime is up. Good news: Elizabeth will get more police resources as a result. We're apparently a "hot spot" on the police chief's list, which means he wants to know what's going on here. Let's make sure we tell him. See something unusual? Call 911. Not sure whether to call 911? Call 911. See an officer on a bicycle? Stop and talk to him and tell him what you know about the neighborhood. We can't expect them to do it alone.

Cajun Question

I understand that there is a meeting next week with Cajun Queen and their architect. What do people understand about their request for rezoning?

The fig is up

Helen Schwab, the Observer's restaurant critic, gives three stars to our own Fig Tree restaurant. That would be the same Fig Tree restaurant that won the 2005 Historic Landmark Award from the Charlotte Historic District Commission. Not only did they do a superb job renovating the Lucas House, they can cook too.

Lemonade for New Orleans

Some Elizabeth children, concerned about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, set up a lemonade stand Saturday, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. They raised $176.16.

Looking for Mr. Good Contractor

Great question: Can anyone recommend good contractors that are not over-priced?" Housing values are up in part because of all the renovating people are doing. I invite all Elizabethans who have dealt with a contractor lately to make recommendations -- or warnings -- about contractors and handypersons.

Covered dish smack-down

As if you needed another reason to attend the annual Elizabeth covered dish dinner meeting Sept. 13: Both candidates for Charlotte City Council District 1 have told Under the Water Tower they'll be there. What could be more exciting than democracy in action? Come hear Patsy Kinsey and Hardin Minor explain why they should be our city representative.

Stealing Volare

One of Myers Park's better restaurants is moving to Elizabeth. The Observer's Jeff Elder reports that Volare will move from Providence Road to Grubb Property's place on Elizabeth Avenue, just down the street from another killer spot, Carpe Diem. I like the intimate, cozy feel of the old Volare. The new will be twice as big, Elder reports. Can it maintain the feel? Also coming: Vinoteca and Loft 1523.

Neighborhood dishes

Come see our dishes. The Elizabeth Community Annual Dinner and Meeting will be held Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at Broach Hall at St. John's Baptist Church. The food is secondary, although always quite good. The really meaty stuff is the reports we get from ECA committees, the speeches by the candidates and, of course, catching up with our neighbors. You can sign up to be an ECA member and to volunteer, elect officers and hear from local police. Bring yourself and your favorite dish. Questions? Call Rachel Eldridge at 704-258-6033.

Housing values up 18%

The average price of homes in the Elizabeth ZIP code of 28204 went up 18% last year, the Charlote Observer reports. That's one of the highest rates of increase in the county, although far short of the 35% of 28206, north of downtown. The numbers are for June 2004 to June 2005, and include only those homes sold through the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service. I understand that not too long ago homes in Elizabeth would sell without listing. Any real estate experts know if this is true? If so, what does it mean for the data?

True crime news

Crime is a serious issue in this neighborhood. That doesn't mean I want to turn this blog into all-crime-all-the-time. That would make it too much like prime time network TV. But I would like to mention this: Police recommend that you engrave your drivers license number on valuables. (I'm going to engrave mine on my kids.) And they have an engraving pen that they will let you borrow so you have no excuse. Contact our CMPD community liaison officer, Laura Nelson, at 704-943-2433 to borrow it. And hey, be careful out there.

Suspects

EricHouston
Originally uploaded by johnfmcbride.

Police have seen a rash of break-ins lately. Officer Rick Greene says: "People in the area have seen 2 B/Ms driving in the area in a U-haul truck over the past two days circling the block and stopping at people’s homes. Police that work in this area have advised me of three subjects that they are looking at as possible suspects. The mens names are: Daryl Walker (below), Eric Bernard Houston (above) and Timothy Houston." Call 911 if you see them on your street.

Trolleys, trains and buses

The Charlotte Observer had an interesting two-page spread on mass transit in the Sunday paper. (I'd link to it here, except I can't find it on their &*%#@ site. Guess they want you to buy the paper.) As is typical, the coverage hits the high notes for downtown and points farther away, leaving those of us near downtown wondering about things like: Will the street car route really have only one stop between Independence Park and The Plaza as the Observer map indicated?

Some people think mass transit is a waste. I don't. I see it as a key to preserving the livability of our neighborhood. As traffic continues to worsen, those stuck in it will complain bitterly and elected officials will rush to add and widen roads. We weren't able to stop Independence Boulevard from bisecting Elizabeth. How long can we block the state from widening 7th Street? Once drivers have a choice we can tell them: No more roads. Don't like the traffic? Take the train.

We're noticed

Charlotte magazine's Buzz took a quick look at local blogs and "came up a little short." "Charlotte is missing out" the headline says. Well, some of Charlotte maybe. One blog that was noticed: our own Under the Water Tower, although you'll have to look at the hard copy to find it.

About last break-in

The last time my house was broken into the police arrested a suspect who was subsequently convicted and sent to jail (albeit for a very short time). What broke the case? I had photographs of the stolen items with serial numbers written on the back. The dim bulb burglar used his ID to pawn the stuff at a nearby pawn shop. A neighbor picked him out of a lineup. Open and shut case.

Without the serial numbers, however, this guy walks. As Sgt. Rich Stahnke of CMPD noted in a recent email to ECA members: "Pawn shops are required to keep a record of who pawned/sold them merchandise and our burglary detectives routinely search through pawn records looking for merchandise that has been reported stolen. The biggest hindrance to this system is the fact that many homeowners cannot provide us with the serial numbers for their merchandise."

Is a Minor old enough to vote?

Leave it to an Elizabethan to breathe life into the local elections scene. Hardin Minor is running for city council. He'll face fellow Democrat Patsy Kinsey, giving us two strong candidates in District 1.

At least two incumbent city council members face no opposition. "An election without opportunity for serious opposition is a hoax." Politicians gerrymander districts to create safe havens for the party in power. They have the nerve to call this democracy and wonder why people turn away. Thank you Hardin for taking a stand for real democracy.

Eliza-grants

ECA board president Peter Tart says Elizabeth is eligible for matching grants from the city for: neighborhood improvements; crime and public safety; neighborhood organizational development; and neighborhood educational, recreational and cultural initiatives. The grants are for as much as $25,000. Personally, I think a blog qualifies for "neighborhood organizational development," don't you? I am ready for the city to cut me a check. However if you have better ideas on how Elizabeth could use grant money, bring them to the ECA meeting Aug. 9, 6:30 p.m. at the Hawthorne rec center.

One-a-day

Twenty-eight reported incidents in Elizabeth for the month of June. That's nearly one a day. Most of them are people taking what doesn't belong to them: 7 burglaries, 9 larcenies, 3 auto thefts. These are our homes being robbed and our cars being taken. What does it take for this to stop?

Eliza-verse neighborhood

You may have already seen them. I just noticed them a couple of days ago: Poems pasted to trees and telephone poles around the neighborhod. In April I wrote about the poetry tree at the end of Lamar. But now poems are appearing elsewhere. Is it the work of the same person?

Read all about it

The new Elizabeth Community Association Newsletter is available, and you've probably already read the whole thing while I was out of town. If you haven't, check it out.

Sadly this is Babak Emadi's last issue as editor, as he explains on Page 2. He did a killer job and made it look easy. We all owe him and his family a big thank you for the work they and others did on the newsletter. If anyone can fill Babak's newsletter shoes, it's Hardin Minor. Make it easy on Hardin by emailing your newsletter contribution to him today: himinor AT carolina DOT rr DOT com. He'll be glad you did.

Property tax hike

Elizabethan Jennifer Roberts voted with the majority on the Mecklenburg County commision to raise property taxes 10.6%. The centerpiece of the budget is an additional $8 million for our schools, bringing the county's share to $291 million. If you spend time at any of our schools it's clear the need is there. According to charlotte.com's calculator, I'll pay less than $25 extra a month in property taxes. I'm willing to do that. What do you think?

One board after another

As if the end of school and the start of vacation time weren't enough to keep me busy, I started building a tree house in my back yard. Both my wife and my neighbor Dan have had great fun skewering me for proceeding without plans. Like everything else I do I'm making it up as I go. I can't see where the last board will go. But I know where the next one belongs, and I'll put it there eventually. Will I ever finish? Do any of us?

ConvergeSouth 2005

ConvergeSouth 2005

Mark this on your calendar! October 7-8, 2005, Greensboro.
Huge event for bloggers, with great music, speakers, art, networking opportunities, education, ribaldry...the works.

Among the speakers already slated to appear are:
Amanda Congdon - Rocketboom
Michael Bowen - Cobb
Dave Winer - Scripting News
Ed Cone - EdCone.com
Jimmy Wales - Wikipedia
Tiffany Brown - BlackFeminism.Org
Sandy Carmany - Political Blogging

...and numerous others will be in attendance, most of whom you will find to be delightful and informative...at least that has been my experience.

Charlotte is supposed to have a blogger conference this fall, or even late summer, but that may, alas, be folded into the Greensboro event, since there are so few Charlotteans who seem to give much of a damn, I mean, durn. We shall see.

You can go ahead and register, and also get booked at hotels, get transportation and such from the Converge South website.

Feel free to volunteer with help, services, food, refreshments, money or what-have-you. OR...just show up! That is fine too, and you're guaranteed to have a good time.

Rails for Elizabeth?

CATS may buy the rails for our streetcars -- even though construction isn't scheduled to start for another two years. The Charlotte Observer reports CATS wants to be ready when Elizabeth Avenue gets rebuilt. Read the story here.

New neighbor

If you have to cut down one of Elizabeth's prize trees, at least you can do something clever with it. That's what they did at the Cajun Queen restaurant on East 7th Street. The gator -- named Elizabeth, naturally -- was carved out of the stump with a chainsaw.

The new pavement is here! The new pavement is here!

It's as smooth as glass on East 8th Street. Get out the rollerblades. Other streets are green with envy. Now if only we could have our curbs back...

1 of 38 in April

Deborah Hirsch just moved to Elizabeth when a stranger stuck a gun in her face outside her apartment. Read her account in the Observer.

According to police there were 38 "incidents" in Elizabeth in April, including two armed robberies, two auto thefts, three commercial burlgaries, one residential burglary and one rape. I've lived in Elizabeth for 20 years. My home has been broken into three times. My car has been stolen twice.

What does it say about us that this is normal?

Subcontractor at Hawthorne Rec

ECA president Peter Tart reports on the situation at Hawthorne Rec Center:

"Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is subcontracting the operation of the Hawthorne Rec Center to a sports club (badminton and table tennis). The current hours of operation are not expected to be reduced but some activities are likely to be relocated to the First Ward Recreation Center while some from other locations will be moved to the Hawthorne Center.

"Lola Massad, branch manager for wellness and recreation center services for the county (704.336.8460) said the changes are due to budget cutbacks. The board expressed disappointment that someone else was going to operate the facility and was assured that the changes likely would not be noticed. According to Massad an alternative is closing the center so this choice might be preferable. The sports club is expected to sign a 9-year contract to operate the facility."

What do you think about this? The rec center just got an update and now it's being turned over to a sports club? Will they put a fence around everything like they did with the baseball field at the other end of Independence Park? Should we just subcontract the entire park out to Dick's Sporting Goods and be done with it?

What's up with Hawthorne Rec?

Find out Tuesday night at the Elizabeth Community Association's monthly board meeting. Lola Massad of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation should be there Tuesday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the rec center.

Delicious recipes

Maya shared the recipes from the progressive dinner. Find them here. Greek salad, Greek-style potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes, the grilled chicken recipe I told you about before and a yummy citrus-mint punch. Enjoy.

Progressive dinner

As always, the annual Elizabeth progressive dinner was huge. The food and conversation at our host house, Rick Kreitlow's on East Fifth, was wonderful.


Lynne and Katherine share a laugh at the Kreitlow residence.


If you eat desserts standing up, as most of us did at the desert house on Bay Street (above), the calories don't count.

Did you take photos at the progressive dinner? Email them to me and I'll post them here. Or better yet, join the blog and post them yourself! Email me and I'll tell you how. Like the progressive dinner, it's free and easy -- and completely sugar-free.

Philosopher's stone

The Bayou Kitchen location is too prime to stand vacant long. Charlotte Magazine reports the brothers that started the great Thomas Street Tavern will reopen the BK as Philosopher's Stone. The sign out front says it will open in May. Well it's May. Let's see what kind of alchemy arises at the intersection of Caswell and Seventh.

Confirmed

Also in Charlotte Magazine, guess which 'hood nabbed the Best Of The Best award? Do you even have to ask? Of course we know it's the best. But it's nice to see independent verification.

Home tour and centennial celebration

Make plans now for the annual Elizabeth Community Association Homes Tour Oct. 8-9 and the centennial celebration of Independence Park. The ECA and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation are planning an arts festival with music and activities to go along with the home tour. Should be a blast. As usual, helping hands -- and houses -- are needed. Contact Terry Lett at 704.377.0052 or email him.

May Day rally

At 2 p.m. today at Independence Park, part of the Bring The Troops Home Now Project. From the flyer: "Bring back May Day -- May Day grew out of the struggle of working people in this country more than a hundred years ago for an 8-hour work day with full day's pay. All over the world, working and poor people march on May Day to send the message that workers are united. Let's bring that unity and fighting spirit back."

Getting saucy on Seventh

Just got back from a class at Cooking Uptown, and I'm still buzzing. Maybe the wine contributed. But when the executive chef of the Meeting House (I know, it's in another neighborhood) is telling me that the cure for excess tannins in a red wine reduction is carrots, I'm paying attention. Or when Christopher Zion says if your Bearnaise sauce tastes eggy add a little butter, I'm all ears. Or when he says a leak helps keep your vegetable stock clear, this is stuff I have to know. The class was called "Sauces, Sauces, Sauces..." and lasted a little over two hours. Afterward the class of about 23 ate halibut, chicken breast and culotte (or tri-tip) steak with about six different sauces. And some wine. Did I mention the wine? The best part: Every last penny of the $50 registration fee goes to the Council For Children.

Kotopoulo stin skara me skordalia

The scent you'll be smelling wafting from Elizabethan backyards this Saturday will be grilled chicken with almond garlic sauce, the main course for the annual progressive dinner. Or, as we say in Greece, Kotopoulo stin skara me skordalia. They say the sauce was one of the first the Greeks made and can be traced back 2,500 years. That may be. But I'm making a fresh batch. See you at the appetizer house at 6.

What grows in Elizabeth?

One of the nation's leading health-care technology consulting businesses. Ok, so Healthlink no longer has an Elizabeth presence. But it was born here. It grew up and moved to Houston, where it was bought by IBM. Know of another Healthlink in the making in Elizabeth? Email me.

He's everywhere

At the risk of this becoming all Winn all the time, there he is again on the Observer's Business front, touting his favorite restaurant (our very own Ethan's, natch). And again on Page 2D. Welcome to Under the Water Tower, Winn. We embrace celebrity. Now on to more important issues.

Wow.

And I thought I lived on John McBride's street? Seriously, Elizabeth and I love living here in the Elizabeth neighborhood and appreciate the neighborhood, its walkability, wonderful people and the general ethos. While I am flattered by John McBride's comments, aka Justin McBride (see http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/9133806.htm), I am more honored to see him and family here on our little piece of Charlotte, just north of the roundabout. We have been fortunate to both discover and inhabit a great area and we plan to reseide here for some time.

In actuality, cool is not something that describes me. Yet, about a year ago a group of us got together and thought that this effort - the Hot Jobs/Cool Communities project - might provide a good, solid foundation for Charlotte, especially with the upcoming Boomer retirement challenge. Projections are for a four-year trend of two workers exiting the workforce for every one entering. Charlotte needs at least its fair shake of the thinkers, the artists, the creatives, the innovators to have a thriving, exciting environment to continue to make this such a great place to live.

Cheers.

Winn's cool community

If you're involved with something called "Hot Jobs/Cool Communities" you better live in coolsville. So where does Winn Maddrey live? On my street in Elizabeth -- where else? Now that we're officially cool, I'm hoping some of it will rub off on me. (I'm also figuring I don't have to fix the front porch. Why mess with success?) Winn has been all over the place with the HJ/CC thing. His latest apperance was today on The Charlotte Observer's editorial page sort of taking issue with this article by Tonya Jameson. Maybe Winn can take some time out from all his work and join Under the Water Tower!

UGO NOFO

Maya Packard writes:
"I visited the temporary location of Nofo several times, and liked it a lot. It is an eclectic, Paper Skyscraper-type store, with lots of different little areas: kitchen & home, bath products, gourmet foods and cookbooks, jewelry & accessories, baby & kid stuff, bedding, pet treats and accessories, etc. There was no cafe in that location, but I'm really looking forward to the opening of the new store. The manager told me that they will do "shopping parties," for which they'll keep the store open just for a group of friends or coworkers or whatever, serving wine and nibbles, and giving the whole group a discount on purchases. Eating, drinking, and shopping? Sounds good to me."

Sounds good to me too, Maya. Thanks. Paper Skyscraper is one of my all-time favorites, so I'm looking forward to Nofo At The Liz opening, all the while feeling chagrined I never stopped into the temporary spot on Hawthorne. I have no excuse.

"At the Liz"?

"NOFO at the Liz" is the name of the new restaurant -- no, deli -- no, bar -- no, gift shop -- rising next to the Visulite on Elizabeth Avenue. Charlotte magazine says it's also a "doggie deli" and is kid-friendly.

"NOFO?" "The Liz?" "Doggie deli"? What's with the name and what kind of store are you?

I'm all for serendipity, but focus won't hurt a business. Especially on a pass-through street. Just ask the dearly departed Great Stuff and Seed on 7th. Wonderful place. No focus. No walk-up business.

But hey, the NOFO people know what they're doing. They've got an online store, a Raleigh shop and a Wilmington shop.

I'll bet there's an Elizabethan out there who's visited one of the NOFO shops. Tell me about it.

Party. Meet neighbors. Party more.

Look, if it's one thing we know how to do in this neighborhood, it's party. Maybe we're not so good getting people to join the Elizabeth Community Association. So let's throw a party and change that.

All Elizabeth residents are invited to a block party on June 26th from 3 to 6 p.m. As the ECA board points out: It's the perfect time of year to come out and meet your neighbors. And party.

The Elizabeth Community Association will divide up the neighborhood and assign everyone a specific location. To party. More on that later. At the block party, a signup table will be available for anyone who would like to become a member of the Elizabeth Community Association, renew a membership or volunteer for any of the fun committees.

Bring an appetizer and your own beverage.

If you have a yard ideal for a gathering and wouldn't mind your neighbors dropping by, please call Dianna Desaulniers at 704-236-4286 or email print_itATbellsouthDOTnet.

Big fat Greek Progressive Dinner

The deadline to sign up for the annual Elizabeth Progressive Dinner is April 20. You don't want to miss this because if you do we'll talk about you during dinner and laugh.
From the official flyer: "Anyone who lives or has a business in the neighborhood is welcome. ECA membership is not required. Single folks are welcome solo, or can bring a guest (from Elizabeth or not)."

"Over 200 Elizabethans had a fantastic time last year. It’s a great way to meet neighbors, see some beautiful homes in our community, and enjoy delicious home-cooked food." To sign up, email mpackardATcarolinaDOTrrDOTcom.

Fig Tree review

The Charlotte Observer's Helen Schwab tries the Fig Tree and loves the marrow fork, among others. Check out the mini-review here.

Poetry tree

Since last July Elizabethan Kevin Keck has been posting poems on a tree in his front yard, in the shadow of The Water Tower. This is really cool. But I hate that I'm just finding out about it now -- after some 50 poems have been posted and removed. Not only that, I had to read about it in The Charlotte Observer (registration required). Hardin, Babak -- you guys live right next to this guy! When somebody does something cool like this -- you HAVE to let me know. Kudos to columnist Dannye Romine Powell for breaking the story. I'm going to have to go over there and take a picture at least.

Stealing from porches

Someone has been stealing FedEx and UPS packages off people's porches in Elizabeth. According to Brad Miller, the ECA's crime committe chairman, "The police caught him late last week (3/31 or 4/1) trying to grab a package off a porch. They predicted he'd be out of jail in a jiffy and back to his old tricks, despite his arrest." Brad recommends telling the FedEx/UPS people to leave packages out-of-sight.

Meet Eric Salley

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Eric Salley likes our neighborhood almost as much as we do. Police have charged him with eight felonies, mostly breaking and entering. Officer Laura Nelson said in a recent ECA board meeting that if you see Mr. Salley in the neighborhood, call 911. That sounds extreme to me since it's a free country. But Mr. Salley has demonstrated his untrustworthiness repeatedly. Be aware.

Wouldn't YOU like to post?

Today I invited a number of Elizabeth neighbors to join this blog, which I've named "Under the Water Tower" for no good reason. You need to be a member to write posts to the blog. As a member, you can also invite others to join. It doesn't cost anything and it's easy to join. Everyone can play, from the comfort of your own home. Or Starbucks. Whatever.

I'm told the directions Blooger.com sends in the invitation are fairly simple to follow. But if you have problems or questions, send me a mail.

For those of you I've invited, I'm posting the approximate wording of my invitation so you won't dismiss it as normal spam. Apparently I can only invite three people at a time, so some of you may have gotten different wording. Otherwise, it should look something like this:

"This is an invitation to become a member of "Under the Water Tower," a web log dedicated to the Elizabeth neighborhood. There is no cost and no obligation. By becoming a member you can post news, thoughts, ideas -- whatever -- and share them with the rest of the neighborhood. If you don't want to join, that's fine. You can read what your neighbors are thinking at Eliza-blog. Bookmark it today!
Thanks,
John McBride"

Rezoning denied

Word from the Charlotte City Council meeting tonight is that council voted unanimously to deny the petition to rezone the property at Laurel and Randolph. This has been a fascinating example of how things work in our neighborhood and our city. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Progressive dinner moves

In case you haven't heard, the progressive dinner -- one of the best neighborhood events in Elizabeth -- has been moved from the fall to the spring. April 30 to be exact. According to Maya Packard, this year's dinner will have "an as-yet-unamed Greek theme." If you want to go, just email her at mpackard@carolina.rr.com. She's always looking for host houses too.

The Big E

Elvis gets ready to drop the flag at the start of the 19th annual Big E 8K race on Mar. 12. Who won? Check out the results here.



The annual Easter egg hunt got under way just before 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. It didn't take long for the cleverly-hidden eggs to get snatched up.

Real estate rumors

Rumor has it that the vacant lots on East 7th Street -- the Roy White property -- are for sale. It will be interesting to see who buys the property and what they plan to do with it. Some of you will remember that the last time the Whites tried to develop the property,they were taken to court. For more on that, look here and here..

Link of the week

Einstein the parrot: Superstar!

ECA Meetings

Monthly Elizabeth Community Association meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at the Hawthorne Recreation Center on Hawthorne Lane. The meeting time is 6:30 prompt. Everyone is welcome.