May 20th 1775 - Independence Day in Charlotte

The May 20th Society celebrated their tenth year of honoring the signing of the Mecklenburg’s Declaration of Independence from the British with an event at the Levine Museum of the New South and a lecture by author Isabel Wilkerson, author of the Pulitzer-prize winning book, “The Warmth of Other Suns.”

Last year Dilworthnow.com covered the May 20th Society’s events uptown which included the unveiling of our Historic Liberty Walk and the reenactment ceremony with a reading of Mecklenburg’s Declaration of Independence.

At this year’s event, held appropriately at the Levine Museum of the South, we spoke with the reenactors and members of the society, all dedicated to preserving our history and telling the stories of what “Charlottetown” was really like in that day and time.

Being a Charlottean myself, I was visualizing what it must have been like to be in uptown in 1775. I was told the people that lived here were mostly backcountry folks and uptown was more of a crossroads than a real town. Our original citizens were mostly Scot-Irish, tenacious, strong willed and full of vim and vinegar. Thank goodness for that, otherwise what would our city be like today?

At the reception, we shared yummy appetizers, wine and cocktails with locals and visitors alike. We had a lovely conversation with Paula Vincent representing Novant Health, as Presbyterian Medical Center is now called. It is a big supporter of the Society as are many of our most prominent citizens, corporations and financial institutions.

Lauri Eberhart of the
May 20th Society

This was the eighth year that the Society has sponsored a speaker series on May 20th and this year Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, spoke to a full house at Spirit Square. She shared stories with us about her book of narrative nonfiction, “The Warmth of Other Suns,” an epic account of three people who made the decision of their lives in what came to be known as the Great Migration.

Growing up here in Charlotte in the 50s, before leaving to find work (or should I say just leaving), I remember that Charlotte still seemed pretty primitive as if not a whole lot had changed since 1775. Like a lot of other young folks, I headed to Washington D.C. During the 60s, I stayed close to family and friends and heard about developments in Charlotte. 

As in 1775, the city’s response to the 1964 Civil Rights Act once more declared Charlotte free from tyranny in a more up close and personal way. I remember being so proud of Charlotte and the mostly peaceful way the people here were reacting to segregation. After hundreds of years of oppression and living a certain way, change is not easy but we know it is possible.

Charlotte’s history is rich and it truly has evolved into the most desirable city for living, working, and worshiping.

To find out more about the May 20th Society, visit its website.

Animal Grossology Brings Disgusting Fun to Discovery Place

New exhibit at Discovery Place

Dung beetles keeping things clean

Get ready to get totally grossed out at Discovery Place in Charlotte. It seems pretty much all children from the ages of 4 to 14 love the subject of barf, slime and other gross stuff. So between June and September 2, 2013 Discovery Place has it all. 

Different animal smells

Animal Grossology engages kids in real life science topics presented in a fun exhibition that oozes with icky science.

Getting rid of hairballs

At first we thought “what is this?” But as we toured the exhibit we realized how much we did not know about animals poop and vomit and how the insides of all of us work. Actually by the end of the tour we were pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. A must see for everyone.

Logan Stewart...

And the toothless owl

Logan Stewart, our lovely hostess and Manager of Marketing and Public Relations at Discovery Place, shared her experience of jogging in Dilworth early one morning and having an owl swoop down and try to grab her pony tail thinking it was breakfast. This happened on two occasions. It seems the owl has no teeth and swallows its food whole, small rodents etc., then what it doesn’t digest spits out in large pellets. The Grossology exhibit has several on display so you can see feathers bone and claws. Logan said it was quite frightening and she was sure the owl thought her pony tail was something good to eat.

What really happens inside the body when we eat

Cow disgestion complete with sound effects - from Burp! to Toot!

Cindy Greeter

Malcolm narrating Grossology series
of childrens books

Submarine full of gross stuff

Kudos to Discovery Place for a really fun and innovative exhibit. For more information, visit discoveryplace.org 

CITY COUNCIL PRESS CONFERENCE: SOUTH END BUSINESS DISTRICT

  

Patsy Kinsey Dilworth's city council woman (now Mayor Kinsey!)

Patsy Kinsey, our city council woman here in Dilworth, along with Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon and other council members invited us to lunch and a ride around South End and beyond.

Our morning started out with a press conference at the corner of Camden Road and West Blvd. under the shade trees next to our new solar powered recycling bins, with a talk about how South End will soon be the center of the city with a population of 55,000 stretching from the furniture district running along South Tryon over to South Blvd on one end and from Wesley Heights along West Trade Street up to Wilmore at West Blvd.

Ted Boyd
Director of Historic South End

“Everybody wants high density, and they want proximity to employers, attractions, and transportation,” said Beau McIntosh, Capstone Apartment Partners.

These state-of-the-art BigBelly recycling bins operate on solar power
and contact the city when they are full and ready for pick up.

Our Light Rail running from uptown out to Pineville, a ten mile ride, has given Charlotte the ability to have just that.

Lawana Mayfield
City Council

Member Distinct 3 

The idea is to create business up and down South Blvd. along the rail line with front entrances facing the tracks. A 55,000 square foot Publix Supermarket, set on four acres across from our fairly new Lowes store on South Blvd, will open towards the train for shoppers to have easy access. There will be sidewalks, bike paths and jogging trails covering the entire area.

Apartments being built just about everywhere you look, Camden Centro on West Blvd., Camden South line on South Blvd., Colonial Grand South Blvd. and the list goes on. I count twelve in all including Phase II along South Church Street.

Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon

At the press conference, our Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon said he was standing on the same corner with Larry Pressley, both true visionaries, in 1993, and described their dream of South End being everything it is becoming. I remember Larry Pressley in the 80s being a driving force in uptown Charlotte and its transformation.

Michael Smith, CEO of
Center City Partners

Moira Quinn, COO of
Center City Partners

Moira Quinn of Center City Partners, our hostess, and Michael Smith spoke to us on the bus as we rode through South End painting pictures of how it will be in the near future to live and work as urbanites in Charlotte and how Charlotte will be the dream place to live if it’s not already.

The most recent version of this report and current information about Center City  and South End is always available at charlottecentercity.org.

CHARLOTTE FIRE DEPARTMENT FUNDRAISER PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Charlotte Heroes

Chief Firehouse Dog

What a beautiful day for pancakes, music, great coffee and an up close and personal look at our first responders.

Making friends with Chief

Flipping pancakes

Proceeds from the pancake breakfast went to help Mike Gross whose wife was one of the wounded at the Boston Marathon, and the families in the Texas fertilizer blast. Also there was an opportunity to donate items being sent overseas to our troops.

Simpler Times Bluegrass

Atherton Market opened its doors for the event and had its vendors present with all the wonderful things to buy inside.

Firemen are in a class all by themselves.

Firemen are so handsome

First Responders 
Charlotte Fire Department Fundraiser

Park Road: To change or not to change?

A Dilworthian since 1979, David Mills, has proposed that the name of our street Park Road, from the turnaround at Tremont to Latta Park, be changed to Latta Park Lane.

This has created some controversy among some of the residents on Park Road that have lived here on Park Road for many years and do not agree to a name change.

Below I have posted Mr. Mills emails to us and our response. I invite all comments on our comment page on our site dilworthnow.com or you may join our blog and post your comments there.

We look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Yours Truly

Dilworth Now News

My first email was in response to a flyer Mr. Mills left on all the porches on Park Rd from Latta Park to Tremont, the strip of Park Road where he wants to change the name to Latta Park Lane.

On Apr 23, 2013, at 7:28 PM
Sent from my iPhone
Linda George wrote:

I would never agree to change the name of Park Road here in Dilworth. The whole idea of a historical neighborhood is to preserve the history and integrity of the area, changing street names is a bad idea. Most of us have lived on Park Road as long as we can remember and the way it winds around is confusing enough for folks to find without changing the name.

The vision you have for the new name is creative but not something most of us would want to do as we have always lived on Park Road as long as we have lived in Dilworth.


From: David Mills
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 7:12 AM
To: Linda George
Re: Park Road

Dear Linda, Thanks for replying. I don't want to start an argument but I would like to continue the discussion.

I've lived here since 1979 and support historical preservation. But the street itself has changed, as if all of an animal evolved except the very beginning. The differences are so stark. Time has stolen Park Rd from us. And it's not like the name change is something unrelated to our history, like Piccadilly or Green St. The new name is in fact more historic.

You are right that Park Rd is confusing. My proposal would quickly end confusion for the 1600, 1700, 1800 and 1900 blocks.

I am 62 and don't like change much. But this I believe is a reaching back to what was and honoring it AND acknowledging the present realities of "Park Rd". I want to live in Dilworth, want to live in this house where we raised our children. But I think , well by now you know what I think. Always and neighborly yours, David

On Apr 25, 2013, at 8:15 AM
Linda George wrote:
Thank you for your response but as I said I would never agree to the change. I have a website dilworthnow.com and a blog on the homepage dilworthnownews. Would you agree to allow me to post our emails on the blog? I steer away from controversy on the site but I think this would be an unbiased conversation for readers and give our neighbors a chance to voice an opinion. You are welcome to write all your thoughts on the matter and post them on the blog if you wish. Please let me know.
Regards, Linda George


From: David Mills
Thursday, April 25, 2013 8:38 AM
Re: Park Road
Good morning. I think the blog is a fine idea. Thanks for including me.

Neighbor Dave

PS how do you feel about the bus?
Would you like to keep it on our street or see it moved to say Kenilworth and Scott as some propose?

From: David Mills
Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 10:07 AM,
So to further our discussion, I was listening to Mike Collins this morning. The phrase "sense of place" was prominent. Park Road of all streets in Dilworth has NO sense of place. Pick any other address and it can be identified as in Dilworth. Where the hell is 1817 Park Rd.? Please reconsider. I will mow your yard.

From: Linda George
Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 10:41 AM
You're funny. I appreciate you. But no, no, no.


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