Enlarge Enderly Park Neighborhood Association Darryle Williams serves up the chow Saturday

Posted: December 22nd, 2011 Lee Howard

Deanna McCain said she wants to start a photo album of events her neighborhood association puts together. Jaquisha Fisher was just having fun hanging out with her cousins and giggling over a plate of chicken and rice.

And all 9-year-old Lindrina Ray wanted was to have her picture taken.

They were among the 50 or so folks, old and young, who attended the first Enderly Park Neighborhood Association Holiday Ball on Saturday, Dec. 17. The two-hour event was at the Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center at 2921 Tuckaseegee Road.

The goal of the event was to bring younger and older people together for food and fellowship, said Darryle Williams, neighborhood association president. The center provides programs for the elderly and for youngsters, but rarely do the two come together, he said. “The Holiday Ball is intended to bridge that gap between older and younger people in our community,” Williams said.

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Posted: December 21st, 2011 Lee Howard

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Harold Cogdell is drawing fire from fellow Dems in the wake of usurping former commission chair and fellow Democrat Jennifer Roberts. Former Commissioner Norman Mitchell suggests Cogdell, often described as a political rogue, cut to the chase and go Independent. Cogdell defends his record, saying he’s more interested in leading than politicking.

Cogdell’s move is leading some political watchers to posit that the local Democratic Party is imploding even as Charlotte is poised to host the Democratic National Convention next year. Josh Putnam, visiting assistant professor of political science at Davidson College, however, says one Democrat and four Republicans collaborated to consolidate power. And the fallout may land on Cogdell’s shoulders in the next election cycle.

Two historically black local church organizations have merged to expand their shared goals. The Mecklenburg General Baptist Association and the Mount Peace Missionary Baptist Association have joined to create the United Missionary Baptist Association. The Mount Peace Missionary Baptist Association was formed in 1868 by freed slaves. The Mecklenburg General Baptist Association, founded in 1921, engages its member churches in Christian education, mission work and support of the General Baptist Convention of North Carolina.

North Carolina’s former “eugenics” policy, an effort to cleanse the population via the sterilization of “undesirables,” was a quiet pogrom that lingered for decades, and is still haunting its victims. Mecklenburg County sterilized 485 people between 1946 and 1968, more than any other county in the state. Most of those sterilized were black women, people deemed “promiscuous” and mental patients.

More than 700 people Saturday attended the annual "Spirit of Christmas" party for homeless children at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. The event brought some Christmas spirit - along with new coats, shoes, school supplies and gifts - to homeless children.

Posted: December 14th, 2011 Lee Howard

Stories from the last week that caught our eye:

Santa came to a Lincolnton family in the form a TV crew. James and Devona Friday have fostered more than 30 children over the years. They were out shopping for a Christmas tree recently when the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” folks spotted them. The next thing they knew, the Fridays were being told their home would be getting a complete remodeling job all for free. Ho, ho, ho.

And still more giving, just in time for the holidays. HomeAid Charlotte, the charitable arm of the Charlotte HomeBuilders Association, recently remodeled the kitchen at The Relatives crisis center in Dilworth. The kitchen had seen little improvement since the home was built in the 1920s. It now has new appliances, countertops and floors, fresh paint, two computer desks and a big dining table.

While this is a season meant to be filled with joy, many find it a particularly tough time of year. That’s especially true for people dealing with grief. The Respite: A Centre for Grief & Hope is a new healing center for people dealing with all types of grief. The center, at 4919 Monroe Road, offers individual counseling, support groups, workshops, yoga, massage, personal training, nutrition counseling and art therapy.

Two African-American women were sworn in to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools board, bringing diversity to the board for the first time since 2003. The arrival of Ericka Ellis-Stewart, who was elected chairwoman, and Mary McCray, vice chairwoman, also means the number of Democrats on the board has increased to five from four. While it’s too early to say what the implications might be, both women have been harsh critics of the school system and promise to shake things up.

And organizers of the Democratic National Convention announced plans to seek “ambassadors” from all 100 N.C. counties They will be asked to spread the word about the convention in their respective communities in an effort to ensure the convention is indeed a statewide event.

Posted: December 12th, 2011 Tonya Jameson

CORRECTION:  FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS ART GALLERIES ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 10:00am-5pm MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.  We originally stated in this article that the galleries were also open on weekends, which is INCORRECT.  Crossroads Charlotte apologizes for the mistake.

The New South. A world-class city. A progressive city. Those are the phrases we use to describe Charlotte. Those are the adjectives to which we aspire.

On Saturday, visitors at the Foundation For the Carolinas grand opening got a chance to see a physical manifestation of our collective aspirations. The FFTC opened the doors of its new headquarters to the public and gave us a glimpse of class – world class.

The 80,000 square foot building is gorgeous. It’s not just the 360 pieces of colorful art that adorn the walls and display cases of the building; it’s also the attitude. The headquarters isn’t just for the people who work at the foundation – it’s for the people.
 
The facility will be open and accessible for the public to visit the gallery on weekdays and it will also be available for the non-profits to use as meeting space.

“This is a place that is free of charge,” said Michael Marsicano, FFTC president. “We hope people will come often and use the spaces to collaborate with different non-profits, donors and elected officials. It’s kind of going to be a hub for creative thought.”

Visitors Bill and Lisi Szymczyk were amazed by the artwork, but they were stunned to hear that FFTC will be open to non-profits. The Szymczyks were two of the more than 500 people who drifted through the building on Saturday.

The newly remodeled building, formerly the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, reopened as the FFTC’s headquarters earlier this year but it was unveiled to the public on Saturday. The 80,000 square foot building has a classroom, event space and two rooftop terraces.

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