ECA 4-18 by Elizabeth Community

ECA Officers Paul Shipley President 704 651 5897 Kenmore Avenue paul.d.shipley@gmail.com Vice President ? position vacant Secretary ? position vacant Kelly Jaworski Treasurer 828 446 0243 Clarice Avenue kellyruthanne92@gmail.com

ECA Board Members West Bryant Communications Chair 704 898 5044 East Fifth Street west.bryant@gmail.com Cassandra D’Alessio Social Media 704 604 9301 Dotger Avenue cassandra@turnthenextpage.com Paul Freeman Beautification & Trees 704 491 5656 East Fifth Street paul@ freemanlandscapearchitecture.com Max Gilland Social Chair 704 458 9684 East Fifth Street maxgilland@gmail.com Beth Haenni Past president 704 562 5152 Greenway Avenue beth.haenni@gmail.com Home Tour ? position vacant Salim Kafiti Zoning & Real Estate 216 346 3598 East Fifth Street skafiti@gmail.com Membership ? position vacant 2 THE PEOPLE PAGES

Kathy Kennedy-Miller Historian 704 614 1314 Clement Avenue kathykennedymiller77@gmail.com John F. McBride Newsletter 980 254 7367 East Eighth Street john.f.mcb@gmail.com Claire M. Short Children’s Social 813 326 3223 Greenway Avenue claire.m.short@gmail.com Robert Zabel Elizabeth 8K Road Race Chair 917 873 8028 Pecan Avenue nycrcz@yahoo.com

The ECA Newsletter The ECA newsletter is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) and delivered to homes and businesses in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte. The production team: John McBride editor Advertising Czar position vacant Susan Green editorial assistant and proofreader Little Shiva designer Sir Speedy printer A. Carter Arey and Raj Natarajan distribution czars Story or photo idea? Email newsletter@ elizabethcommunity.com. Want to buy an ad? Email rob@pridemoremail.com. ECA BOARD MEETINGS

When and where?

6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at Studio K Gallery, 2024 E. 7th St. – all are welcome.

On the cover Elizabeth is a neighborhood that takes Halloween seriously. Among the events in the neighborhood this year was the 14th edition of the Great Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall. Look for an article from John Short on the wall elsewhere in this issue. Elizabeth was also home to the Rosemont Manor Haunt on East Fifth Street on Halloween night and the Trunk or Treat and “Bloodfest” blood drive at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church on Oct. 28. Cover photo by John McBride. Among the folks who helped fill the Great Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall with jack-o-lanterns were Mark and Claire Herrmann of East Fifth Street. Photo by Kris Solow.

On the back cover One of the features of the Elizabeth Home and Garden Tour this year was an outdoor mosaic created by artist Betsy Birkner of Kenmore Avenue. The installation, called “I should be safe,” uses found and hand-made objects along a 30foot alleyway wall. The mosaic is Birkner’s first large scale work. Also featured at the home tour was music by Elizabethan Lucinda Lucas (below left) and Marie Calabro. Look for Laina Kafiti’s article on the return of the home tour elsewhere in this issue. Photos by Kris Solow.

contributors West Bryant East Fifth Street west.bryant@ gmail.com

Tommy Franklin Pecan Avenue tfranklin@ harristeeter.com

Paul Freeman East Fifth Street paul@freeman landscape architecture.com

Tammy Herrmann East Fifth Street tammy.herrmann @icloud.com

Laina Kafiti East Fifth Street lkafiti@ cottinghamchalk.com

Sal Kafiti East Fifth Street skafiti@gmail.com

Officer David Padgett (CMPD) is the new Response Area Coordinator for CMPD.

Paul Shipley Kenmore Avenue paul.d.shipley@ gmail.com

John Short East Fifth Street jwesleyshort@ gmail.com

Kris Solow East Fifth Street kjsolow@gmail.com

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From the president: Introducing the new ECA board by Paul Shipley

the future. Please welcome our newest members:

Sal Kafiti joined the board in January and was elected to a full term in September. Sal will Fall feels like it has finally be chairing our all-important arrived, and with the change in real estate and zoning commitweather, a new year for the Eliza- tee after working as a committee beth Community Association member since January. Sal is begins. Thanks to all of you who an attorney by trade, and his joined us at our annual meeting expertise is invaluable to the on Sept. 25, and thanks to you work of this committee. all who participated in the ECA West Bryant also joined over the past year. the board in early 2018 and The ECA is here to serve our was elected to a full term at the neighbors by continuing to annual meeting. West is our protect and preserve our comcommunications chair and has munity so that it continues to be been the point person on the the neighborhood you were at- redesign of our website, entracted to when you moved here. hanced data security and all the We also provide opportunities ECA emails that keep you up to for our neighbors to interact date. West works for Google and with each other and share what knows more about this stuff than we all have in common and to any of us – whew! celebrate our differences. Cassandra D’Allesio is One of the most important our new social media chair, activities at our annual meeting handling our Facebook and is electing your ECA board for Instagram accounts. Cassandra the upcoming year. It’s also is a marketing and branding time for you to renew your strategist and owns Next Page membership in the association – Brand Strategies. She brings an we aren’t an association without expertise and an important skill our members! set to our board that we will all benefit from and we are grateful This year we have some new she agreed to join us. faces on the board as well as a few who continue to serve. The Max Gilland is our new social mix of leaders provides us with chair and has jumped in with new perspectives, new ideas both feet coordinating a great and abundant energy while also annual meeting dinner. providing the continuity and Please also welcome our history required to recognize returning board members: and honor our past and Elizabeth’s history as we move into Kelly Jaworski has been 4

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our treasurer the past two years and she does much more than handle the checking account. As a young homeowner in Elizabeth, her perspective on the issues impacting us all is just what we need as we look to the future. Rob Zabel continues to

run our most high profile and primary fund-raising event, the Elizabeth 8K Road Race. Rob and his committee strive to improve the event every year and have consistently produced a wonderful race experience for hundreds of runners from all over. We owe him a big debt of gratitude as the proceeds from this event cover much of the ECA’s operating expenses. John McBride continues to serve as our newsletter editor. With very limited support, John has taken on this labor of love for the neighborhood for several years now, and he continues to produce a high quality, informative newsletter for our enjoyment. He can use some help in several areas including marketing, accounts receivables and advertiser engagement/service. Contact John with your interest and for more information. Paul Freeman, who heads up our beautification committee, is currently working on a cooperative tree planting program with the city to identify suitable locations along the planting strips throughout our neighborhood. We will look forward to your participation

in this project later this fall as we work to replenish our rapidly depleting tree canopy. See his article elsewhere in this newsletter.

hood while learning what the challenges are that we face each year. If you can spare a little time each month to produce our agenda, take meeting minutes and attendance, please reach out to me directly for more information. Call me!

community meeting to provide Elizabeth the chance to tell the designers and county what we want in our park. This is the oldest park in Charlotte, and we hope we can assist in preserving Kathy Kennedy-Miller this historic property for anis an at-large member of the other hundred years. Your input board and is currently serving will be important, so keep an eye as Elizabeth’s historian. Look on our website for other on your emails from the ECA as This important role seeks to opportunities to assist, whether this meeting gets scheduled. collect and archive Elizabeth’s at the board level, a committee history so that future boards spot, or as a volunteer for the After 117 years, have a reference to our past many neighborhood functions King’s College closing as we navigate the many that we host each year. You its doors for good challenges we expect to face can reach out directly to the by Sal Kafiti in the coming years. For those committee chairs for your area residents who were active in the of interest. After years of dwindling neighborhood in our formative Now on to current events! enrollment, King’s College – years – 1980-2000 – please I hope you all enjoyed our first the first independent college of check your attic or old files for Elizabeth home tour in several business established in North any documents concerning years. Many thanks to Laina Carolina 117 years ago – will Independence Park or Kafiti and her incredible home close in December. Elizabeth’s historic designation tour committee. Additional and contact Kathy directly. The closure adds to a growing thanks to those who participated number of for-profit colleges Last but not least, the irreas a volunteer and of course to closing across the country and placeable Beth Haenni is our our homeowners who generously here in Charlotte, including Art past president and a member of offered their homes and gardens Institute of Charlotte, ITT Techour executive committee. Beth for all to see. You represented nical Institute, the Charlotte brings all of the attributes you the eclectic and creative vibe of would want in a board member, Elizabeth, and we are grateful for School of Law and Charlotte Regency Beauty Institute. knowledge, judgement and a your generosity. passion for Elizabeth. We would John Hunt King founded the The newsletter has updates on not be where we are today as college in 1901 – the same year several real estate issues involva neighborhood without her the American League joined ing the neighborhood, Please be generous spirit and willingness Major League Baseball and J.P. on the lookout for a community to give to her community. Morgan incorporated U.S. Steel. meeting concerning the $6 We still have some very impor- million capital investment plan King’s College moved its tant board openings, including for Independence Park. A small campus to Lamar Avenue in the two officer spots, with secretary working committee has had one 1950s, establishing two resibeing the most critical. This is a meeting with the county parks dence halls for women, a library great role if you are concerned department concerning the and laboratories, classrooms about the time commitment but engagement of the landscape and administrative offices. Since want to help your neighbordesign firm. We expect this next then, the college has taught THE PEOPLE PAGES

King’s College rests on seven parcels nestled between East Fifth Street and Independence Park. The campus is bisected by Lamar Avenue and bounded by St. John’s Baptist Church to the west and south (partially), apartments to the east, and office space at 1801 E. Fifth St. to the Elizabeth resident and King’s south (partially). The lots are College graduate Jessica Grier zoned O-2 for office space. moved to Charlotte to study All seven parcels are owned in the school’s Hospitality and by Pittsburgh-based Bradford Travel and Tourism program. Schools, Inc., which has operKing’s College offered her the ated King’s College for decades. program and environment The company owns and operates she was looking for as an more than a dozen career educaalternative to a big-city school. tion colleges across the country, “I met lifelong friends living including international business on campus,” Jessica said and colleges in the Midwest, Vet reminisced about making the Tech Institutes in six U.S. cities short walk to Jackalope Jacks for and a Culinary Institute in Ohio. karaoke night. After graduating in 2004, Jessica moved to A representative of Bradford Hawaii, where she worked on Schools confirmed the coma cruise ship for three years, pany’s intent to sell all seven lots but she eventually returned when King’s College closes. The to Elizabeth. “I always felt like representative said the entire campus is already under conElizabeth was home,” she said. “thousands of graduates… serving in administrative, accounting, computer programming, graphic design, medical assisting, paralegal, travel and other positions throughout the country,” according to the school’s most recent academic catalog.

tract, with a land sale agreement signed and expected to close in early 2019. When pressed for details, the representative said he is not at liberty to disclose the name of the purchaser and has no knowledge of the purchaser’s plans for the site. The ECA is making further inquiries and will provide additional updates as more information becomes available. From the zoning chair: Updates on Faison and Pulte projects by Sal Kafiti If you’re like me, a few properties around town make you scratch your head and ask “what’s up with that?” No, I’m not talking about your neighbor’s paint color choice or that Porta-Potty parked on your tree lawn. I’m talking about prime commercial real estate sitting in limbo. Like that corner lot in Dilworth at East Boulevard and

photo: Sal Kafiti

Map: seven parcels of land split by Lamar Avenue form the King’s College campus.

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Scott. Is there no more lucrative use for that property than to sell pumpkins and Christmas trees? Or what about that corner lot at Hawthorne and Randolph that looks like a parking lot sometimes? What’s up with that?

But at least for now, we have a limbo property in the heart of Elizabeth.

Rumors are circulating that other developers have a strong interest in the site, so hopefully a plan comes together soon. And let it be a plan befitting the geoYou may be asking yourself graphical center of the Elizabeth the same thing about 7th and Caswell, where the site formerly community. A gathering place that is interesting and unique. home to Jackalope Jacks and Let’s stay active as a community Philosopher’s Stone sits vacant in shaping the explosive develbehind a construction fence. After much input from Elizabeth opment within our boundaries. What would you like to see on residents and the ECA, Faison that site? received conditional rezoning approval to develop a mixed use Elizabeth Glen: Pulte’s project on that site to be complans for Elizabeth Glen, its pleted in 2019. According to the townhome project on the former plan, the project should be more Martha Washington site, are than half completed by now. So also running behind schedule. what happened? Some of the delay is due to ECA’s The short answer: groundlawsuit seeking enforcement of breaking has been suspended deed restrictions affecting the due to prohibitive cost projecproperty. The lawsuit, filed in late tions, and Faison has gone back July, garnered heavy publicity to the drawing board. Since from the Charlotte Observer and May, several nascent concepts Charlotte Business Journal over have been floated to the ECA, the summer. but none has yet developed into Representatives of the ECA feasible project proposals. met with Pulte’s executive So where are we? Will there and legal team in August to be pumpkin sales and Christmas discuss the lawsuit. At the trees on 7th Street in 2019? meeting, ECA provided Pulte These are not simple questions. with input received from Any materially different project Elizabeth residents during a plan will require new approvJuly 10 community meeting at als, because the rezoning was St. John’s Baptist Church. Paul conditionally granted based Shipley, ECA president, also on the original project specs. expressed the community’s That is good news for Elizabeth input in a letter to Pulte, asking residents. A towering eyesore for consideration of a number cannot be built without a fight. of changes to the project

including but not limited to: —Reducing the project’s overall density, especially along Dotger and Kenmore where the project interacts with existing homes. —Replacing contiguous row homes with duplexes and triplexes on the project perimeter. —Incorporating styles and materials that blend better into the adjoining neighborhood. —Creating a variety of price points to offer more affordable housing options. —Increasing the percentage of land allocated to green space. For their part, Pulte representatives stated that they would consider the community’s input. In the weeks since the meeting, little has happened in the official court proceedings, but there has been some ongoing dialogue about possible concessions to address the community’s concerns. Meanwhile, the project remains very much an active site. As you no doubt have noticed, with trucks hauling off material and the increased land-grading activity, Elizabeth Glen is still scheduled to arrive, in some shape or form.

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They went above and beyond to present Elizabeth as the most welcoming neighborhood in Charlotte. Some stayed on-site during the entire home tour to interact with guests and answer questions about their property. The Elizabeth Home and In addition to their own tireless Garden Tour made a triumphant efforts to prepare, they hired return Oct. 19 and 20, and it interior designers and landscape took a village to pull it off. With experts to get everything showthe help of more than 100 ready. Each property on the volunteers (recruited by the tour was unique. If you haven’t irresistibly persuasive and witty read the details about them, e-mails of volunteer coordinator you can still do so at https:// Melissa Bryant), the event was a elizabethcommunity.com/ big success. hometour. The homeowners are: One of the Elizabeth ComCarter and Raj Natarajan munity Association’s largest 701 Oakland Ave. (home) fundraisers, the home tour added more than $7,500 to the coffers Jessica and Steven Grier 610 Mattie Rose Ln. (home) after a donation was made to Children’s Home Society of North Kathy and Rod Spence 407 Louise Ave. (home) Carolina for $1,000. What a shining example of Elizabeth’s Greg Godley and Kai Griffin warmth and creative spirit it 701 Clement Ave. (home) turned out to be. Thanks to all who made the return of the Elizabeth home tour a huge success by Laina Kafiti

The local businesses that stepped up to sponsor the event were not only generous but played a vital role in elevating the whole experience. These partnerships allowed the committee to execute its vision for the event. The entire marketing package was updated and advertising purchased to get the word out across the city and beyond. Grandfather Homes, builder of the new community the Towers at Mattie Rose (off Beaumont Avenue), was the title sponsor for the home tour. Their team was a delight and supported the committee every step of the way. The sponsor list is filled with the small businesses of Elizabeth residents and those who just love our little gem of a neighborhood. Imagine the surprise at the Spence home when guests were greeted at the end by Greg Zanitsch, owner Lucinda Lucas of The Fig Tree Restaurant, Approximately 400 tour 704 Clement Ave. (garden) handing out a delicious sample guests visited 10 private spaces: Danielle Kleinrichert straight from their kitchen. Or Six homes, two gardens and two and Guillermo Villar the joy of meandering through art installations. Five public the enchanted garden of Mary 515 Pecan Ave. (home) spaces were also included as and Tommy Franklin and then Mary and Tommy Franklin stops along the way, including being handed a hot slice of pizza 512 Pecan Ave. St. Martin’s Episcopal Church from the outdoor oven made and Charlotte Council of Garden (garden and “Chateau D’ough”) from ingredients supplied by Maebeth Hill Clubs. The remaining three Victoria Zabel’s Zia Pia Imports 2226 Greenway Ave. public stops were components and Italian Kitchen. There was (private art studio) of Elizabeth’s public art project hard cider from Good Road “Now Is Fireworks” by Amy Betsy Birkner Ciderworks at Lucinda Lucas’ Bagwell and Graham Carew, 2131 Kenmore Ave. garden and bourbon tasting by completed in 2015. (exterior wall mosaic of chards, local distillery Doc Porter’s at found and handmade objects) the custom bourbon bar in Vicki The homeowners who opened their doors to the community Vicki Morton and Dwight Bailey Morton and Dwight Bailey’s basement. deserve our deep gratitude. 2215 Vail Ave. (home) 8

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photo: Kris Solow

Thank you to the Royal Gardens team and especially Lara Barnett, who spent a weekend cleaning out and replanting the traffic circle at East 8th Street and Lamar Avenue so the “Now Is Fireworks” sculpture looked its best. Floral arrangements were donated by Nectar, Bloom Wild and The Blossom Shop, adding a layer of natural beauty to the interiors. Tim Freer, managing partner of Cajun Queen, graciously sponsored the post-tour celebration dinner and provided a hearty meal for 40 people. Republic National Distributing provided specialty cocktails for the event. From start to finish, the home tour was a success because of people who care about Elizabeth. Behind the scenes, Ken Magas redesigned all the marketing materials and website. Writers Nancy Albert, Cassandra D’Alessio, Beth Haenni, Ashley Nurkin and Diana Watson made sure to capture the spirit of each property for the program. Our house captains Jessica Grier, Brent Johnson, Dawn Milam, Becca Smoot, Janet Miller, Brittany Norman and Anne Warren oversaw the logistics and safety of each home during the tour. The home tour committee members Melissa Bryant, West Bryant, Heather Szews, Brian Szews and Max Gilland all pitched in to get the details just right. About 100 Elizabeth residents volunteered at the homes throughout the weekend.

Among the featured sites of the Elizabeth home and garden tour was Betsy Birkner’s exterior wall mosaic.

In addition, thank you to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church and Charlotte Council of Garden Clubs who also had teams of volunteers cover the event. On a personal note, my goal to bring the tour back to life exceeded my expectations in so many ways. My heart is full of love and pride for this

place. I’ve gained so many new friends and made connections with businesses I will certainly support in the future. It is clear to me that Elizabeth is filled with the best humans around. As I wrap up final duties as the committee chair, I think about all the new residents who may not know just how special this THE PEOPLE PAGES

M VOLUNTEER M elizabethcommunityassociation @gmail.com

place is yet. For 2019 we will need a new chair person for the home tour. Who is ready to raise a hand? I know you’re out there and I’ll be right by your side to guide you. Please reach out if you would like to discuss the requirements. Email me at lkafiti@cottinghamchalk.com or call my cell: 216-577-7232. Over the past 10 years, the ECA has donated more than $50,000 by Tammy Herrmann Small gestures like purchasing an Elizabeth Home and Garden Tour ticket or registering for the Elizabeth 8K Road Race can yield some big results. More than $50,000 has been donated to Charlotte-area non-profits by the ECA over the last 10 years. Small gestures add up. Ten percent of the profits reaped from the home tour and the 8K go toward several local non-profits. Some of the largest donations have gone to preserve and replenish trees not just in Elizabeth, but other neighborhoods. “It’s quite an accomplishment for such a small neighborhood,” says Beth Haenni, past board president. The idea was suggested at a board meeting some 10 years ago. “It just seemed 10

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like the right thing to do and is indicative of the empathic and caring people who live here.”

since 2009 throughout the neighborhood,” notes Paul Shipley, current ECA president.

Those efforts for the trees and for local non-profits keep extending the giving far beyond Elizabeth. Your support of the Each year ECA board members home tour and the 8K with time, suggest organizations that funds treasure and talent give back in should be given to. Initially, so many ways. the board gave to non-profit Did you know: In 2016, organization that were located in the neighborhood, like Veterans working with TreesCharlotte and Bridge Home (formerly Charlotte the Chantilly and Grier Heights neighborhood associations, Bridge Home) and Thompson NeighborWoods TreeStore was Family Services, but later born. It’s part of the Neighborbranched out to include other Woods Tree Canopy program, local non-profits. a community tree planting Additional organizations initiative. “We also host minireceiving funds over the years tree stores at the Elizabeth 8K have included Historic Charlotte race, which, combined with (merged with Charlotte Museum the NeighborWoods event, has of History), public funding to given away 300-plus free trees the “Now Is Fireworks” public art over the last five years,” says exhibit, 8th Street roundabout Rob Zabel, chairperson for the and water tower display, CMPD, Elizabeth 8K. Second Harvest Foodbank of After 14 years, the Great Metrolina and TreesCharlotte. Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall is Trees have been at the still a smash hit community’s heart. Elizabeth’s by John Short 8K has always had the mission to help preserve, protect and The Great Elizabeth Pumpkin replenish the tree canopy in Wall once again brought neighElizabeth. bors together to carve pumpkins What started out as a small and see the lighting of the wall experiment on Greenway to at the home of Hardin and Linda help restore the canopy after Minor, 721 Clement Avenue. Hurricane Hugo all but wiped The wall stood tall at 20 feet it out continues to evolve high and 50 feet long, secured and now extends into other with seven support beams and neighborhoods. “The ECA has eight layers of shelves. This was invested about $20,000 just the 14th edition of the pumpkin in tree replanting initiatives wall and it kept with the political So, like a church, the ECA set out to “tithe” 10% of profits made from the two events.

Pumpkin wall photo: Tommy Franklin

roots of the wall with this year’s Pumpkin Wall Word: VOTE!

Meet ECA board volunteer Cassandra D’Alessio

The carving party was held on Oct. 27 and featured more than 140 pumpkins – generously donated by Harris Teeter – for Elizabeth neighborhood residents to carve and put on the wall. The wall was featured in local news, with Fox Channel 46 coming out to take pictures and write an article. Once the fun of Halloween had passed, the pumpkins were donated to Morgan Farms in Monroe. Pigs enjoy dining on pumpkin –it was quite a treat for them.

Editor’s note: Cassandra D’Alessio recently became social chair for the Elizabeth Community Association. We asked her to tell us a little about herself.

Finally, bringing the wall to life requires a number of volunteers, so thank you to everyone who came out to construct the wall, transport pumpkins and string up lights. And a very special thank you to Hardin and Linda Minor for generously hosting the pumpkin wall once again! And as always thanks to all the Elizabeth residents who came out to carve a pumpkin and watch the lighting.

A: My parents are moving to Mint Hill early next year from Kentucky. My sister and brotherin-law live in Texas.

Q: What do you do for a living? A: I own a boutique marketing agency called Next Page Brand Strategies. Q: What do you do in your spare time? A: Walk my dog, yoga, cook. Q: Tell us about your family.

Q: How long have you lived in Elizabeth? A: Two years. Q: From where did you move? A: Louisville, KY. Q: Why Elizabeth? A: It’s a beautiful, quiet and still

social neighborhood so close to everything. I feel safe here while still getting a “big city” feel. Q: How did you come to volunteer for the ECA? A: I wanted to be more involved in the neighborhood I call home. Q: What do you think are the three most important issues facing Elizabeth today? A: (I could only think of two!) 1. Keeping the integrity of the neighborhood while still welcoming newcomers. 2. Integrating Elizabeth shops and non-profits within the neighborhood. Q: Favorite Elizabeth moment? A: Taking my dad to Rosemont Manor last Halloween while he was visiting. He loved it. Q: One thing you wish everyone knew about you. A: I have a master’s degree in English and used to be a college instructor. THE PEOPLE PAGES

It is winter already and that means it’s time to join the Elizabeth Community Association or renew your annual membership if you have not done so already. It easier than ever to join:

someone a membership as a gift, or if you would prefer to pay the membership fee by check, please email communications@ elizabethcommunity.com.

ECA Membership is still affordably priced at $20 per household ($10 for seniors 65+), and proceeds fund all the work that the ECA does for our community. Examples include: this quarterly newsletter, the 1-Go to www. Elizabeth 8K Road Race, the elizabethcommunity.com. Easter Egg Hunt, Recycling Day, the Home and Garden Tour, the 2-Scroll down to the Great Pumpkin Wall and Carving Membership section. Party, real estate and zoning 3-Click the “Join” button and committee activities, Elizabeth follow the instructions. social events, the ECA’s newly refreshed website and social You will receive a receipt via email and you will automatically media presence, and many more be added to the ECA notification critical activities in Elizabeth. For example, did you know that the list. If you would like to buy 12

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ECA literally keeps the lights on along the Trolley Walk? All of this work is made possible by ECA members, donors, and volunteers. All Elizabeth residents are invited to support the ECA by becoming a member. Join today! ECA board approves tree planting program with city by Paul Freeman At its November meeting, the Elizabeth Community Association board approved moving ahead with a cooperative street tree planting program with the city of Charlotte. This is envisioned as an annual event to replenish our aging street tree canopy in Elizabeth.

Lamar Avenue garden art photo: John McBride

Now it’s easier than ever to join the ECA or renew your membership by West Bryant

This year the ECA will plant five trees and the city will match the effort with an additional five. If you would like to sponsor a tree the cost is $500. Or if you would like to contribute to our tree fund, please email me at paul@freemanlandscapearchitecture.com or contact any ECA board member. Any amount of money is helpful. Additionally, if you would like a tree planted in the right of way by your home, please let me know. Also, if you don’t want a tree planted in your right-ofway, please let me know. We can cross reference with the city’s approved locations to see if space is available. We can also add a “do not plant” note on spots if so desired. In general, large trees need a minimum eight feet of space, with a minimum of four feet for smaller trees.

Police to do a “zone check” on their residences while they are away. Please make sure that you use the format below when requesting zone checks. It makes it easier on me when inputting them into our system. Also, the information for the zone check needs to be emailed to me by 5 p.m. on a Thursday so I can ensure that they are put into our system. Due to the number of hours that I work during the week, I often leave early on Friday. For a zone check request, please provide the following information in an email to dpadgett@cmpd. org: 1. Name of the property owner.

Utility locations and modern day vehicular sight lines can further complicate things, but I’m happy to help facilitate finding room for trees.

2. Address for the residence.

As the program proceeds, be on the lookout for freshly planted trees in the ‘hood!

4. Date that you will be leaving.

3. Cell phone number of the property owner.

5. Date that you will be returning.

Away for the holidays? Ask CMPD to keep an eye 6. Names of any persons on things that will have access to the by Officer David Padgett house. With the holiday season upon us, a lot of home owners will be asking Charlotte Mecklenburg

7. Information on any pets inside that may set off alarm. THE PEOPLE PAGES

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Longtime Elizabeth resident Hardin Minor’s one-man show last month offered first-hand insights into life during World War I, marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the “war to end all wars” and paid homage to our country’s veterans. Reading from letters written by his grandfather, Capt. N. Hardin Massie, to his grandmother, Kathreen McConnell Tucker, during Massie’s service in the Marines, Minor’s show also told a compelling love story. “Letters From The Trenches: Dear Kit” was performed Nov. 1-4 in Broach Hall at St. John’s Baptist Church. Minor was inspired to create the multimedia show after discovering 183 of Massie’s letters in a footlocker in his basement. Photo by John McBride

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