Ballantyne, NC – Ballantyne Hotel was the site of a flurry of activity. An over flow crowd was in attendance for the January 27th property revaluation meeting. Ballantyne Breakfast Club was the host for the discussion and drew the largest attendance thus far for this series of public sessions taking place [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – Ballantyne Hotel was the site of a flurry of activity. An over flow crowd was in attendance for the January 27th property revaluation meeting. Ballantyne Breakfast Club was the host for the discussion and drew the largest attendance thus far for this series of public sessions taking place county wide. District 7 City Council Member Warren Cooksey helped organize the meeting for Ballantyne residents. Mecklenburg County Vice-Chair Jim Pendergraft apologized on behalf of District 6 Board Member Bill James who was under the weather and unable to attend. Mr. Pendergraft went on to explain that the county website for the property revaluation is up and running at http://reval.charmeck.org and all of the meeting information is available there. The county expects to mail the private property revaluations by February 7th and hopes the county will remain revenue neutral, however this does not mean taxes will not increase. The county will decide the new tax rate sometime in June.

Mecklenburg County Tax Assessor Garrett Alexander was present to talk about the appeals process. The state statute gives each property owner 30 days from the date the property revaluation is received in the mail.There are approximately 319,000 privately owned properties in this county. The county hopes to mail the commercial revaluations on March 1st, 2011.The county is still analyzing the 2010 fourth quarter tax data and expects to be done analyzing all of the data shortly.

The lead appraiser For The ReValuation Team is Chuck Hicks. Mr. Hicks did a power point presentation explaining the process (available on the website).The last time the property revaluation was done in this county was 2003. The 2003 process was partly based on 2002 property values. Two major factors influence the current process. One is market value. This is defined as the most probable price in an open market in a typical sale in the absence of undo stimulus. The second factor is equity. This is defined as the reflection of the current value applied fairly. Every county in North Carolina is bound by the state appraisal standards when doing revaluations.

In the past, foreclosures were not included in the revaluations. This years revaluation will include foreclosures. Appraisers can use a cost approval approach or a sales approach. The state has mandated that all counties do a property revaluation a maximum of every eight years.

Between the years of 2002 – 2006, the federal government lowered the interest rates several times. This temporarily increased property sales and prices. Some time after this there was a ‘market correction’. The ‘top’ of the housing bubble was in 2007. In 2009, the county was scheduled to do a revaluation but the commissioners decided they wanted to postpone this revaluation.

The ratio used by the county is the assessed value divided by the actual sale price which equals the assessment/sales ratio. If your property has increased in value since the 2003 revaluation, your ratio is below 100% (meaning your taxes will likely increase). If the price of your home has fallen, then your ratio is above 100%. If the value of your house is approximately the same as it was in 2003, then your ratio will be at or near 100%. The county board of commissioners will decide the new tax rate in June.

All property owners should receive a new property revaluation form. This is a perforated piece of paper and all appeals should be filled out on the lower portion of this same form. After filing an appeal, the owner should receive a post card from the county. Owners have 30 days from the date they receive the new property revaluation form to appeal the value. An example of a reason to appeal: if you have several unsold properties in your neighborhood and you feel the county has not taken this into account. Another example of a reason to appeal would be if there are a large number of rental units in the neighborhood that you feel the county did not take into account. A third example of appeal would be if the county has the square footage wrong or if it has changed since 2002. This would be time to fill out the lower portion of the form and mail it to the county with the number of unsold properties in your neighborhood. Please included a reason of why the county’s value is not the actual value.

The ‘Board of Equalization’ will be handling the appeals (click here for appeals info). This board is required by law to handle these appeals starting the first Monday in April and be finished by the first Monday in May. Each owner will need evidence to show why the value should be changed. Right now this board has nine members. This board member size was decided in 1981. The current board of county commissioners would like to control the size of the ‘Board of Equalization’. The county commissioners would like to increase the size to 15 members in a revaluation year. This is due to the number of appeals that are expected. There is a bill in Raleigh right now to allow the Mecklenburg County Commission to establish an ordinance to control the membership size of the ‘board of equalization’ locally. The other idea is to have two concurrent or successive panels in order to speed up the appeals process. All of the appeals forms will be scanned and put into a ‘queue.’ Property owners have 15 days after receiving a decision from the ‘Board of Equalization’ to file a second appeal. The reason for this board is a system of ‘checks and balances’.

The county now has seven appraisers on the revaluation team and seventeen appraisers who handle new construction.The county appraisers are using the median and not the mean. Here the reason the mean was not chosen. For example, if a neighborhood has an average sales price of $400,000 but one house sells for $1 million. This $1 million dollar sale would skew the mean for that particular neighborhood. The median takes this kind of anomaly into consideration. Using the median, all the rest of the neighborhood would not have unusually high property values due to one house that sold for $1 million. This will help the county arrive at the fair market value for properties.

A question was asked about why the county is choosing ‘30 days’ for appeals rather than giving property owners until May 15th. Mr. Alexander stated that there are statutes and case law to support the idea of a ‘30 day window of time’ to appeal. Another question was asked about lack of data. What happens if there are no sales of properties in a neighborhood for 2009 or 2010? Mr. Hicks explained that trend sales from 2007 and line of best fit are used to best estimate the fair market value. The appraisers use the best data available to arrive at the fair market value.

The county suggests that property owners go to the revaluation web site before the revaluation form arrives. Type in the address of your property and check to see what value is listed.The county is using a median analysis system of doing the revaluation. The date on the revaluation is January 1, 2011. The county expects to mail the private property revaluations by February 7th.

Susan J. Spaulding
Public Policy Writer

http://ballantynescoop.com

Follow Susan on Twitter @susanjspaulding

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Ballantyne, NC - The Ballantyne Breakfast Club is holding a special meeting on Thursday, January 27th. This is the next property revaluation meeting. It will be held at the Ballantyne Hotel in the Fairway Ball Room at 7:00 pm. Councilman Warren Cooksey will have a presentation to explain and clarify the revaluation [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC - The Ballantyne Breakfast Club is holding a special meeting on Thursday, January 27th. This is the next property revaluation meeting. It will be held at the Ballantyne Hotel in the Fairway Ball Room at 7:00 pm. Councilman Warren Cooksey will have a presentation to explain and clarify the revaluation process. County representatives will be present. On February 12th, The Ballantyne Breakfast Club will meet in the Ballantyne Hotel. This is the ‘Priorities 2011 Meeting’. ‘On hand’ will be elected officials from the state, county, city, CMPD, CMS, the district attorney’s office and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. All will speak about their top three priorities for their respective areas. All are encouraged to attend both meetings.

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CHARLOTTE, NC – 24 Hours of Booty, Inc., which runs the Official 24-Hour Cycling Event of LIVESTRONG and the only national 24-hour road cycling charity event in the country, announced today that it will be kicking off registration for its three events, including the 10th Annual 24 Hours of Booty presented [...]]]>

CHARLOTTE, NC – 24 Hours of Booty, Inc., which runs the Official 24-Hour Cycling Event of LIVESTRONG and the only national 24-hour road cycling charity event in the country, announced today that it will be kicking off registration for its three events, including the 10th Annual 24 Hours of Booty presented by Blumenthal Cancer Center in Charlotte, on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 at 9 a.m.

The annual charity cycling event in Charlotte – geared for teams and individuals and open to participants of all ages and skill levels – is scheduled to roll on the “Booty Loop” in Myers Park from 7 p.m. Friday, July 29 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 30, 2011. Event registration will be capped at the first 1,200 registrants. Carolinas Medical Center’s Blumenthal Cancer Center is the presenting sponsor of this year’s event where participants gather at the Queens University of Charlotte athletic fields for camping, food and fun. For more information about fundraising commitments and to register for the event, visit www.24hoursofbooty.org.

In addition to the Charlotte event, 24 Hours of Booty will also host the Third Annual 24 Hours of Booty of Columbia, Md. at the Gateway Business Park “Booty Loop” on August 27-28, 2011 and the Second Annual 24 Hours of Booty of Atlanta at the Stone Mountain “Booty Loop” in Fall 2011.

24 Hours of Booty will also offer its reboot program again for the Charlotte event, whereby reboot riders can ride between 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. A $25 registration fee and $100 fundraising commitment is required to participate in the program. All reboot participants will have full access to drinks and snacks, receive an event t-shirt, and be eligible for fund-raising prizes. For more information, contact info@24hoursofbooty.org.

“This coming year will be a banner one for us as we celebrate our tenth anniversary of the Charlotte event and continue to grow the events in Atlanta and Columbia,” said Basil Lyberg, executive director of 24 Hours of Booty. “The 2010 Charlotte registration drive closed out in just ten days so we are anticipating the 2011 registration drive to fill up even faster. Our goal is to break the 10,000-rider mark for all years and events combined in commemoration of our tenth-year event. We look forward to another fantastic event this July and appreciate the community’s support in our fight against cancer.”

About 24 Hours of Booty
24 Hours of Booty, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charity located in Charlotte that provides extraordinary cycling events that are safe, fun, and open to all levels of cycling ability. Its mission is to conduct 24-hour cycling events that increase public awareness, funds, and support for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and local cancer organizations. Local organizations include The Keep Pounding Fund at Carolinas Medical Center and the Brain Tumor Fund for the Carolinas in Charlotte, the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults in Columbia, Md., and Children’s HealthCare of Atlanta.

In 24 Hours of Booty’s nine-year history, more than 7,500 riders have raised more than $5 million. Last year’s events included the Ninth Annual 24 Hours of Booty presented by Blumenthal Cancer Center in Charlotte and the Second Annual 24 Hours of Booty of Columbia, Md., and the inaugural 24 Hours of Booty of Atlanta, which collectively raised more than $1.5 million. For more information, call 704-365-4417 or visit www.24hoursofbooty.org.

Get updates and the inside scoop about 24 Hours of Booty! Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.

# # #
Contact:
Basil Lyberg – 24 Hours of Booty, Inc. – 704-365-4417

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Wingate, NC – On Thursday, December 9, 2010 Anthony Dean Griffey will appear at Carmel Country Club for a special concert of holiday music and Opera favorites. The concert will benefit the Wingate University Friends of Music. For information and tickets, call 704-233-8828.

2010 Ballantyne, NC

To get the most out of Trick or Treating, be safe and use Good Common Sense. Listed below are some general safety tips.

Tips for Parents

Before children start out on their “trick or treat” rounds, parents should: 1. Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be [...]]]>

To get the most out of Trick or Treating, be safe and use Good Common Sense. Listed below are some general safety tips.

Tips for Parents

Before children start out on their “trick or treat” rounds, parents should:
1. Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
2. Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children’s companions. 3. Set a time limit.
4. Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
5. Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a stranger’s home.
6. Feed the kids before they go so they will be less likely to eat the treats before they get home. Warn them not to eat anything before you inspect it.
7. Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.
8. Pin a slip of paper with the child’s name; address and phone number inside a pocket in case the child gets separated from the group.
9. Welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights and any exterior lights on.
10. Patrol your street occasionally to discourage speeding motorists, acts of malicious mischief and crimes against children.
11. Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your police department immediately; you can dial 9-1-1.
12. Candlelit jack-o-lanterns should be kept clear of doorsteps and landings.
13. Consider using flashlights instead of candles to light jack-o-lanterns.
14. Keep pets away from doors so children will not become frightened.

Tips for Trick or Treaters
1. Be sure your parents know where you are going.
2. Go with a group or 3 or more people.
3. If you feel unsafe, take along an adult.
4. Do NOT ride a bicycle. Your costume could get hung up in it.
5. Carry a Flash Light.
6. Walk on a sidewalk.
7. If a sidewalk is not available, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic.
8. Cross busy streets at an intersection or cross walk.
9. Be sure to look both ways (2 times) before crossing the street.
10. Walk, don’t run.
11. Take off your mask while walking from house to house.
12. It is a good idea to wear clothing with reflective tape.
13. If you wear a mask, be sure you can see out of it clearly.
14. Be very cautious of STRANGERS.
15. Only stop by houses that have their front porch light on.
16. Accept treats only in the doorway. NEVER go into the house.
17. Let your parents check your treats before you eat them.
18. NEVER eat unwrapped candy, opened candy or fruit given to you on Halloween.

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Ballantyne, NC – CHARLOTTE, NC. The Morrison Family YMCA in Ballantyne will host Inspire! Ballantyne, an art and culinary festival highlighting area artists, performers and restaurants, Saturday, October 23rd through Sunday, October 24th.

This is the 3rd year for this annual event. The YMCA hopes to make this festival a [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – CHARLOTTE, NC. The Morrison Family YMCA in Ballantyne will host Inspire! Ballantyne, an art and culinary festival highlighting area artists, performers and restaurants, Saturday, October 23rd through Sunday, October 24th.

This is the 3rd year for this annual event. The YMCA hopes to make this festival a South Charlotte tradition that builds community and celebrates creativity.

Local artists and performers are asked to submit their art by September 3rd, 2010. Email morrisonevents@ymcacharlotte.org for application details. Selected artists will be notified by September 18th. Over $1500 in awards and prizes. There are also several sponsorship opportunities available ranging from $500 to $5,000. For sponsorship information, contact Brooke Beddow at (704) 716-4657.

Inspire! Ballantyne will include live entertainment, artist booths including photography, sculpture, painting, jewelry and ceramics, and samples from local restaurants. Sunday, October 24th is also Kid’s Day and will also feature youth artists from 8-17 years old and performances from local schools.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Morrison YMCA Annual Giving Campaign, which helps provide children’s literacy programs, teen programming and scholarships for youth who could otherwise not afford programs such as afterschool and day camp.

About the YMCA of Greater Charlotte
The YMCA of Greater Charlotte, a United Way member agency, is comprised of 15 branches and many more program sites in Charlotte, Lake Norman, Lincoln County, Matthews and Mooresville, as well as Camp Thunderbird, the Hemby Activity Center, and Camp Harrison at Herring Ridge. The 132-year-old non-profit organization serves one in every six individuals in its service area with a continuum of educational and recreational programs that foster growth in spirit, mind and body. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte’s mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Program and membership financial assistance is available. www.ymcacharlotte.org.

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Ballantyne, NC – The Ballantyne Breakfast Club is hosting the Second Annual Ballantyne Area Candidates Forum & Chili Cook Off, a free, family-friendly event that will provide this year’s political candidates the opportunity to address the public in a casual setting.

WHO: The Ballantyne Breakfast Club in partnership with Ballantyne Corporate [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – The Ballantyne Breakfast Club is hosting the Second Annual Ballantyne Area Candidates Forum & Chili Cook Off, a free, family-friendly event that will provide this year’s political candidates the opportunity to address the public in a casual setting.

WHO: The Ballantyne Breakfast Club in partnership with Ballantyne Corporate Park and numerous sponsors

WHAT: The Ballantyne Breakfast Club encourages the public to come out and meet candidates running for office in the November 2 general election. The event will also feature a chili cook off with 15 to 20 community groups and restaurants serving free chili samples. The Charlotte Fire Department, Ballantyne Rotary Club, Gallery Restaurant, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Newk’s Café, Creole’s, RE/MAX, Charlotte Chamber Ballantyne Chapter, Golden Properties, Steve Moore Chevrolet, Mecklenburg County’s Sheriff Office and Morrison YMCA are some of the participating organizations this year. A representative from Johnson & Wales University will judge the cook off with winners announced during the event. While admission is free, attendees are encouraged to support the community by bringing a canned food donation for Second Harvest Food Bank.

WHEN: Saturday, October 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE: Ballantyne Corporate Park at North Community House Field (located on the corner of Ballantyne Commons Parkway and North Community House Road)

The event will be held rain or shine at North Community House Field, located on the corner of North Community House Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway. Sponsors for this year’s event include RE/MAX, The UPS Store in Ballantyne Commons East, Steve Moore Chevrolet, PLTECH, AAA Car Care Center, Bob Rucho and Buffalo’s Southwest Café. In-Kind sponsors include Chick-fil-A, Ballantyne Business Center, Monkey Joes, Aramark, Matthews Costco, Morrison YMCA, Bissell Companies and Newk’s Café.

The Ballantyne Breakfast Club was formed in 2001 by Ray Eschert with the goal to provide Ballantyne area residents, business leaders, developers, elected officials and service providers an open forum for the exchange of information. The Ballantyne Breakfast Club meets six times a year at The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Complimentary coffee and light refreshment are served. The meetings are open to all and free to attend. For more information on the Ballantyne Breakfast Club, please visit its website at www.ballantynebreakfastclub.com.

Check out last years successful kick-off….

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Ballantyne, NC – Will the new tree ordinance impact the carbon footprint of the city? The September 24th breakfast meeting opened with talk of the upcoming Monday night dinner meeting for the city council. First on the agenda is the design/build concept for the ‘McAlpine Water Treatment Plant Filter Upgrade Project’. This [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – Will the new tree ordinance impact the carbon footprint of the city? The September 24th breakfast meeting opened with talk of the upcoming Monday night dinner meeting for the city council. First on the agenda is the design/build concept for the ‘McAlpine Water Treatment Plant Filter Upgrade Project’. This is a ‘standard pattern’ upgrade. The running ‘gag’ among council members is that members can spend huge amounts of money with just a short amount of ‘publicly’ heard discussion. This is accomplished with a large amount of discussion among council ahead of time in closed door meetings.

A few years ago, Councilman Warren Cooksey wanted to re-name a small section of South Brevard Street as ‘Victory Lane’ but this measure did not get the votes needed to pass. Another ‘Victory Lane’ does already exist in Charlotte. The Duke Energy Fund is receiving a large gift from the Levine Foundation in the amount of $15 million. Ironically, the new housing bond is another item that is $15 million. This housing bond will be on the ballot this November. The new idea is to re-name the small section of First Street between Church Street and South Tryon Street. The proposed street name is the ‘Levine Avenue of the Arts’. On September 27th, the council will vote on the new Levine Arts Center.

Will the new tree ordinance change the design and the cost of renovating local schools? The tree ordinance can have a big impact on the city’s carbon footprint. The new ‘tree save’ calls for all business properties to have 15% trees on each lot. The mitigation provisions of zoning for the industrial tree ordinance is part of what will be talked about at the city council meeting this coming Monday. Tim Morgan, C.M.S. board member for District 6, stated that once C.M.S. re-activates its capitol program the new tree ordinance will impact the cost of future school construction and renovation projects. No new construction is planned for C.M.S. due to the county not selling bonds for capitol projects. Some properties will not be impacted by this new ordinance.

Here is a partial list of those not affected: single family homes, anything inside the 277 loop, T.O.D.D., M.U.D., U.M.U.D., mixed use in the uptown and the transit station. If businesses have a ‘green’ roof this is ‘in’ lieu’ of the 15% ‘tree save’. The old tree ordinance calls for parking lots to have all parking spots 60 feet from a tree, the new ‘tree save’ calls for each parking spot to be 40 feet from a tree. Parking lots with tractor trailers and/or buses are exempt from this change. Trees and lighting compete for the priority in parking lots. As the trees grow, it is increasingly unsafe to light the parking lots. If any property has a ‘green trail’ this also is ‘in lieu’ of the 15% ‘tree save’.

Industrial properties have other options when it comes to the ‘tree save’ as do those who plant small trees to avoid power lines. The utility easement also counts towards the 15% ‘tree save’. The most recent committee vote was unanimously in favor of moving forward with the entire tree ordinance. The ‘Johnson and Mills Property’ continues to be a ‘white elephant’ for the city. The new owners will be required to only repair the property for ten years. This mill property is in the area of ‘NoDa’. In 1990, a $1 million dollar loan was given for the mill, followed by $2.5 million and later another $2.4 million. Then in 2004, the city gave another $800,000 for the mortgage. In 2008, the city tried to sell this property for $475,000. Will the city be able to sell this ‘troublesome’ property?

The ‘Box Man Studio’s’ Project is on hold again. This has been deferred for another three months. It is a now a code enforcement issue. This is a state matter at this point. Currently, the city spends $198,000 for federal lobby service. More than half of this money is spent on transit issues. Holland and Knight will continue to be the federal lobbyist group for the city. The ‘Paw Creek Water Main Repair Project’ will cost $6.4 million. This project is near Charlotte-Douglas Airport. New 36” pipes will be put in the ground for sewer water. The small business goal (S.B.E. Goal) is 6% but for this project the bid was only 2.45%. Councilmen Cannon and Mitchell both wanted to give extra time for more small business opportunities on this project. Some wanted a Minority/ Women’s Business Group to bid on this project. The Economic Development Committee has two choices at this point: 1. A Disparity Study- this can be done by the ‘M.G.T’ Group. 2. A Disparity Study Committee-a group of citizens was suggested, like an Asian Group, an African-American Group and/or a Latino Group. The city has chosen to have the study done by the ‘M.G.T.’ Group.

The ‘Penguin’ Restaurant has gone through a serious of changes since it’s origin in 1954 in Charlotte. Jim Ballantine was the original owner. His ‘Ballantine Family Trust‘ still owns the property and the ‘intellectual property’ rights. In 1999, Greg Autton, Jim King and Brian Row opened the ‘Penguin’ again and twice obtained five year leases from the ‘Ballantine Family Trust’. Recently, the ‘lease terms’ were deemed unacceptable for the current ‘Penguin’ Restaurant. Soon Brian Row and Jim King will be opening the ‘Diamond’ restaurant again. Greg Autton will be opening a ‘Penguin West’ Restaurant and also owns ‘Pinkies’ Restaurant. Will there be a ‘Penguin Char-Grill’ in Raleigh soon?

Will there be crossing guards or School Resource Officers (S.R.O.’s)? C.M.P.D.‘s Chief Monroe is in favor of using money from the ‘Resource Recovery Act’ for his officers but not C.M.S. The City of Charlotte recently sent a letter to Dr. Gorman about S.R.O.’s and crossing guards. The city plans to phase out both S.R.O.’s and crossing guards over a three year period. The city is managing their money well but has made a clear choice for the street car and NOT for the children. Tim Morgan, C.M.S. District 6, is concerned about the impact this decision will have on ‘community policing’ efforts. Some of the options for the schools are: outsourcing, contracting with C.M.P.D., or hiring retired police officers.

Lately, no one values the connections between the city, county and the schools. All governmental decisions have a ‘ripple’ effect. By 2013, C.M.S. probably will take $3 million in ‘hits’ due to this choice. C.M.S. Officials anticipate that Davidson, Matthews and Mint Hill are just a few towns that will ask for same deal as the city is requesting. Over the next three years the city will not pay for any crossing guards or S.R.O’s in the schools. In the short term, C.M.S. is trying to find another $1 million to pay for these safety features for the children. This week, C.M.S. Board Member Trent Merchant sent a letter to the city. He wants to begin a dialog about the consequences of these safety choices. The county cut employees, the schools cut employees but the city is giving all of it’s employees raises.

City officials viewed these cuts as ‘low hanging fruit’ when it removed these projects. It sounds like a simple shift in dollars for the city. A recent study revealed that the biggest partnership in the recent past between the city and the schools was the S.R.O.’s. All of the other current partnerships are small. Does the city value partnerships? Is education a priority?
Saturday, October 9th will be a chili cookoff held by the Ballantyne Breakfast Club. This will be at the corner of Ballantyne Commons Parkway and North Community House Road. Candidates running for office from the Charlotte Area will be in attendance. Also representatives from: the S.W.A.T. Team, the K9 Unit, the Y.M.C.A., police, sheriff and fire fighters will be present. There will be face painting and a multitude of fun games for children. This family event will start at 11:00 am and end at 2:00 pm.

Susan J. Spaulding
Public Policy Writer
Ballantyne Scoop

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Ballantyne, NC – The Bissell Companies held its 7th Annual Knotts Cup putting contest on Knotts Green in Ballantyne Corporate Park on Wednesday, September 22. Nearly 30 contestants from the tenants in the Chandler, Simmons and Hixon office buildings competed in the nine hole putting contest hosted by The Bissell Companies. [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – The Bissell Companies held its 7th Annual Knotts Cup putting contest on Knotts Green in Ballantyne Corporate Park on Wednesday, September 22. Nearly 30 contestants from the tenants in the Chandler, Simmons and Hixon office buildings competed in the nine hole putting contest hosted by The Bissell Companies. More than 1,000 tenants enjoyed lunch and cheering on their company representative, just outside of their office building. Knotts Green is located between the three office buildings in the heart of Ballantyne Corporate Park and is a popular amenity for many tenants. The winner of the Knotts Cup was Denny Ward with State Farm. David Colson from the Better Business Bureau won the contest the past three years in a row so it was fun to have a new contestant win. David Bradford with The Hanover Insurance Group took second place and Brian Parrish with Merrill Lynch came in third place.

Photos courtesy of The Bissell Companies

This year’s participants in the 7th Annual Knotts Cup putting contest

Winner Denny Ward, State Farm Insurance, poses with his trophy.

L to R: Judie Kellett, Director of Retail & Golf Operations, The Golf Club at Ballantyne; Ryan Newell, Bissell Land Management; Winner Denny Ward, State Farm Insurance; Blair Prentice, Property Manager, The Bissell Companies; Linda Lemmons, Tenant Liaison, The Golf Club at Ballantyne

Winner Denny Ward with his colleagues at State Farm Insurance.

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Ballantyne, NC – 20 seconds for 20 days: A $20,000 win for homeless children (Charlotte, N.C., September 8, 2010) – Birthday Blessings, a local all-volunteer nonprofit organization that celebrates and supports the lives of homeless children, is one of 13 charities selected nationwide to participate in the Samsung Helmet of Hope [...]]]>

Ballantyne, NC – 20 seconds for 20 days: A $20,000 win for homeless children
(Charlotte, N.C., September 8, 2010) – Birthday Blessings, a local all-volunteer nonprofit organization that celebrates and supports the lives of homeless children, is one of 13 charities selected nationwide to participate in the Samsung Helmet of Hope for More online voting contest. Voting begins at 3 p.m. on September 8, and ends at 5 p.m. on September 29. Individuals can cast one vote per day. The winning charity will receive $20,000 from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Samsung Helmet of Hope Program.

Birthday Blessings is asking the public to rally for their “20 for 20: Race for the Cup” effort: Vote every day at www.helmetofhope.org for the next 20 days. Voting takes just 20 seconds, and could mean a $20,000 win for the homeless children and families served by Birthday Blessings.

Birthday Blessings, recently named a Helmet of Hope grant recipient, will have its logo appear on Johnson’s helmet, along with the 12 other selected charities at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, C.A., in October during the Pepsi 400.
On September 8, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation sweetened the deal, and announced the Samsung Helmet of Hope for More online contest. The winning charity will be announced October 1, 2010.

Said Birthday Blessings volunteer executive director/co-founder, Amy Cervantes: “We couldn’t be more grateful to Samsung and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation for such generous support. It’s fitting that they’ve named this latest initiative “Hope for More” because it’s definitely renewing a sense of energy around the causes we champion every day. Our entire volunteer team at Birthday Blessings is buzzing with excitement; it’s all hands on the wheel to help us win this race. The $20,000 prize would make an enormous impact for the homeless children we serve.”
Birthday Blessings began in 2005 as a family service project created by Mint Hill couple Amy and John Cervantes. In 2008, they incorporated their service venture as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, quickly expanding the organization’s programs and services. To date, Birthday Blessings has celebrated more than 1,300 birthdays for homeless children and their families. The all-volunteer nonprofit currently serves 14 homeless facilities and programs across a four-county region, as well as transient homeless elementary and middle school students throughout Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.The organization also provides Blessing Baskets filled with care essentials to help welcome and support the arrival of homeless babies.

Birthday Blessings began developing a national expansion program in 2009, with pilot affiliate chapters now getting under way in northeast Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; north central Kentucky; and Atlanta, Georgia.
For more information, go to www.birthdayblessings.org and www.helmetofhope.org. ###

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