Hello Monday.
My wife went to the Southern Women’s Show at the convention center this weekend (check out the Instagram). Very cool annual event to have in the city. People get super into it. Erin’s friend she went with had a plan of attack and a budget all set up days in advance.
Only one hiccup: She had planned to take the light rail uptown only to find out that track work to expand the Blue Line’s capacity to three train cars had knocked out service everywhere south of South End. I’m a news guy and hadn’t heard anything about it. Whoops. CATS is going to be working on this for awhile, so make sure you look at RideTransit.org before you make your weekend plans.
So there it is, my first newsletter intro. Thanks so much to all of you who have so warmly welcomed me aboard Team Agenda.
VITALS
Today’s Weather: 85. Overcast in the morning. 40% chance of rain in the afternoon.
Today’s Stat: $1.2 million. Amount of money the Charlotte airport estimates it saves in cleaning costs each year by employing restroom attendants even though some people find it awkward [Kelley/Observer].
Today’s Job: Financial Forecasting Analyst at Premier Inc. Apply.
Today’s Charlottean: Council for Children’s Rights attorney Stephanie R. Klitsch, whose work representing children in welfare, mental health, justice and education issues earned her the honor of Outstanding Young Attorney of the Year.
ORIGINALS
RuRu’s Tacos & Tequila: 5 pros and 2 cons [Levans]
If you haven’t been to this place yet, apparently you’re way behind. A 90-minute wait?? Mad props to Katie on her literary acumen as she identified the art on the walls.
6 Agenda pro tips for riding the streetcar [@thetrolleywalk]
I’ll admit that I have yet to ride the Gold Line down Elizabeth Avenue, but this makes me want to if only to soak in the ice-cold air conditioning. The aptly named Trolley Walk also gives key words of wisdom on where to stand.
What would you do if you were mayor of Charlotte? [Chiou]
I am super excited for the mayoral forum that WTF We Vote is hosting in conjunction with the Agenda tomorrow. Each candidate is going to be asked what their vision for the future of Charlotte is. They’d do well to read this thoughtful piece from Amy first. Is it too late to write her in on the ballot?
5 common sense ideas for better Charlotte governing [Sanford]
I agree with Phil that the way partisan primaries are set up is broken, especially on the local level. My gut tells me that it would be bad to do away with runoff elections, but he’s probably right on this, too.
My son started kindergarten and somehow everything turned out fine [Dunn]
I had a pretty significant freak-out last week when I had to drop my 5-year-old off in the carpool line for the first time. But he made it home OK. Bonus tips on how to make this transition smoother.
McDowell Nature Preserve: Hike along the banks of Lake Wylie [Levans]
One of the cool things about Charlotte is its proximity to all kind of outdoorsy things, and Katie explored a spot that’s less driving time than a trip to Chipotle during rush hour.
Why the City of Raleigh has a Charlotte address [Dunn]
One of my favorite parts of being a reporter is being able to spend time running down the answer to a question. Let me do this for you. This one was fun.
Advice on how to find a Charlotte nanny from a nanny placement professional [Huff]
When I first moved to Charlotte, my wife and I toured about a half-dozen day cares before finding the right one. Picking who your child will be with all day is serious business. Some good tips here.
44 Charlotte ad agency jobs, open right now [Williams]
Awesome to have so many creative organizations in Charlotte growing right now. Jump on it.
TALKING POINTS
N.C. attorney general won’t retry the Kerrick case [Garloch, Fadden, Wester/Observer]. The decision to dismiss charges against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer who shot and killed unarmed Jonathan Ferrell came very quickly after the hung jury.
Roberts, Peacock out front in mayoral race [Morrill/Observer]. Public Policy Polling asked likely voters, and they were pretty clear about their preferences. I had figured Peacock would have a lead on the Republican side, but was much more hazy on what was going on among Democratic voters. Roberts was dominating the money game already.
Pastor killed while cleaning pistol [Funk, Garloch, Sullivan/Observer]. Huge loss for the Nations Ford Community Church, a predominantly African-American congregation with multiple campuses.
QT station going up quickly [Agenda/Instagram]. I used to go home down South Boulevard every afternoon and was dismayed by the lack of gas stations on the crucial right-hand side of the street. This will also make it easy to grab a snack on the way to the light rail station after a night at the cider place.
Have a good start to the week. I know all of you have super strong opinions about pumpkin beer while the pools are still open, but get over it and go get a Mecktoberfest after work.
– Andrew
