The Mint Hill Times

Spring cleaning leads to rise in illegal dumping

May 272011

Trash dumped on Castleford Drive in the Chace Water Subdivision 4-19-11

Mint Hill Police reported last week that there is an uptick in illegal dumping of trash and debris in the town. With at least two dozen neighborhoods that have empty lots in town, and many residents cleaning homes and yards for spring, the police are asking residents to call the department dispatch to report suspicious activity.
In 2010, Mint Hill saw more than a dozen illegal dumping issues. The illegal dumping occurred mostly in undeveloped subdivisions and their streets, on vacant
lots and on properties with vacant homes. In addition, police report that there have been several issues with vandalism of vacant homes mainly at undeveloped subdivisions.
Lieutenant J.K. Rowell with Mint Hill Police said a “handful” of Mint Hill residents have noticed suspicious vehicles approaching vacant lots and vacant properties and have contacted authorities. Continue reading »

May 27, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 7:11 am Around Town, Environment, Police No Responses »

Take the 2011 Mint Hill Future Land Use plan survey

May 242011

Want to add input in how Mint Hill will look decades from now? Go to the Mint Hill town hall website and take the 2011 Mint Hill Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

The Mint Hill Times

Click the town seal for the link to the survey.

May 24, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:32 am Development No Responses »

New bus service will connect Mint Hill and Matthews

May 242011

Here are the stop for the new bus service in Mint Hill and Matthews.

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) announced last week it has a two year grant to operate a shuttle two days per week in the Matthews and Mint Hill area. The shuttle will operated Tuesday and Thursdays, 9 am to 11 am and 2 pm to 4:30 pm. CATS is flexible in terms of time adjustments, but must know relatively quickly to get the service up and running by June. The current stops are: Lawyer’s Glen Living Center, Mint Hill Festival Shopping Center (stop at Lawyers/Hwy.51), Blessed Assurance Adult Day Care Center, Levine Senior Center (on Northwest Parkway unless inside complex lot is better), Windsor Square Shopping Center/Sycamore Commons Shopping Center (on Windsor Square Dr.) and the Park and Ride near Sam Newell Road/Independence Pt. Parkway to allow connections to other transit bus services throughout Mecklenburg County.
The CATS Transit Planner, Ramond Robinson, 704-353-0018, has some flexibility with adding more stops, but needs to get some idea of the ridership interest in this community. The cost to ride this shuttle is $0.70 one way ($0.35 for seniors and disabled). The Mint Hill – Matthews Shuttle is scheduled to begin the week of June 6, 2011. Interested parties should call 704-353-0018 for more information.

May 24, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 9:58 am Around Town, Transportation No Responses »

Korean Appreciation Day in Mint Hill draws more than 300

May 162011

The organizers of the new North Carolina Korean War Veterans Memorial in Mint Hill held a Korean Appreciation Day at the Park on Fairview Sunday. More than 300 tuned out for the event which was an appreciation for the Korean communities in Charlotte and the South for helping to finance the new memorial. Don Putnam, president of the Korean War veterans association chapter which spearheaded the effort to build the memorial, received at check for $56,244 from the Consul General of The Republic of Korean based in Atlanta, GA on behalf of the Republic of Korea government.
The crowd heard speeches from Mint Hill Mayor Ted Biggers, North Carolina Representative Bill Brawley, Putnam and Bill Reid of the NCKWVA. Speeches were also made by several prominent Koreans from the Southeast including Hae Jin Chun, Consul General of The Republic of Korea; Sang Kun Park, President of Korean Associations, Southeast; and Jin Chul Yu of The Federation of Korean Associations, U.S.
“I am Korean by birth,” Yu told the audience, “but I am also a flag waving American.”
Attendees enjoyed a Korean traditional dancing, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Korean cuisine, and hot dogs. Korean American women, dressed in traditional clothes, laid a wreath at the memorial.

May 16, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 8:33 pm Around Town, NC Korean War Memorial, Non-profit 1 Response »

Mint Hill and Charlotte: Extreme Makeover wants you!

May 142011

Remember the house on Sudbury Road in 2008 that was completely remodeled by the crew on Extreme Makeover: Home? The King family had their average home turned into a dream home, and it was all filmed for TV.
Here’s amateur video of the project:

Now the producers of Extreme Makeover want to come back to the Charlotte area. They are looking for a family whose home deserves an Extreme Makeover, or a family who simply deserves a home.

Ty Pennington and his crew have been all across the map and now they want to drive that famous bus to North Carolina.
“We are looking for the deserving people and inspiring families that America can really root for,” says Supervising Casting Director Adam Drucker.
What does it take to be picked for an Extreme Makeover?

“We’re looking for those special people who have amazing strength of character and never give up,” Drucker said. “Whether it’s keeping their chin up in really tough circumstances or going out of their way to help others. We want to help people whose stories have really affected their community or made a big difference in other people’s lives. There are a lot of people who are heroes to those around them because of the way they inspire others and quietly serve their communities on a daily basis.” Continue reading »

May 14, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 11:48 am Around Town, Development, Good deeds No Responses »

Tucker: ‘We have the resources to become energy independent’

May 092011

Tommy Tucker (R-35), who represents the Mint Hill area in the North Carolina Senate, released this video about an energy bill he is co-sponsoring with Bob Rucho and Harry Brown.

The bill, predictably called the Energy Jobs Act, will make off shore drilling for natural gas possible in the state, as well as other energy exploration.

May 9, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 12:54 pm Environment, Raleigh No Responses »

Gas prices up 7 cents in the past week

May 042011

Photo By AgentAkit via Flickr

It’s news that we don’t want to hear—not before the summer driving season begins when gas prices traditionally rise. Because of disturbances in the Middle East, oil speculators, and high demand, average retail gasoline prices in the Charlotte area have risen 7.0 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.83 per gallon as of Monday. This compares with the national average that has increased 7.1 cents per gallon in the last week according to gasoline price website CharlotteGasPrices.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Charlotte during the past week, prices yesterday were $1.04 per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 20.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 29.2 cents per gallon during the last month.

May 4, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 9:45 am Transportation No Responses »

Oakboro Cruise-In and Burnout this weekend

Apr 192011

The Oakboro Cruise-In & Burnout will be held on Friday, April 22. If the weather is nice, volunteer organizers expect up to 6,000 people to attend. The event offers cars and music in an historic downtown setting and a friendly atmosphere.

The Oakboro Cruise-In & Burnout is in its eighth season.

If weather is holds up, cars start arriving after lunch. However, the official hours are 5-9:30 pm. The burnout will starts at 9 pm.

Food vendors and souvenir concessions will be set up. Restaurants and retail stores will be open. The public is encouraged to purchase 50/50 tickets. Proceeds go towards the operation and promotion of the event and help provide scholarships for local high school students.

The Cruise-In is held in downtown Oakboro on NC Hwy. 205 between Albemarle and Charlotte. It is one of the largest cruise-ins held in a small North Carolina downtown.

For information, visit the Oakboro Cruise-In on Facebook, email info@oakborocruisein.com, log onto www.OakboroCruiseIn.com or call Jerry Crayton at 704-467-4992.

April 19, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:11 am Oakboro, Transportation No Responses »

Gas prices up nearly 6 cents in the past week

Apr 042011

Photo by Daryl Mitchell

Will gas prices ever stop going up or is this the new norm? Unrest in the middle east seems to be fueling the recent surge in gas prices. The price for gas has already reached a 30-year high for March, and if they continue to rise as the busy summer season approaches, we could be looking at $4 per gallon that we had just after Hurricane Katrina in 2008. The average retail gasoline prices in Charlotte have risen 5.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.64/g Sunday according to CharlotteGasPrices.com. This compares with the national average that has increased 7.4 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.64/g.

Including the change in gas prices in Charlotte during the past week, prices Sunday were 89.6 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 15.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 17.6 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 79.3 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

April 4, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:59 am Transportation No Responses »

600 trees will line greenway in Matthews

Mar 292011

Work is underway to plant more than 600 trees on the Four Mile Creek Greenway in Matthews. The trees will be planted along Four Mile Creek and will deter erosion of the stream bank. The trees will be of various sizes and species and will be planted over the next couple of weeks. They should be in place for the official opening ceremony of the greenway on Saturday, April 9 from 10 am to 1 pm. Continue reading »

March 29, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:12 am Development, Matthews No Responses »

Gas prices in Charlotte area are above the national average

Mar 212011

Average retail gasoline prices in Charlotte have risen 0.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.55 per gallon Sunday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.53 per gallon, according to gasoline price website CharlotteGasPrices.com.

Gas prices were around $2.60 per gallon last September and have risen steadily since—almost $1 in most places. Mint Hill’s average is about the same as the rest of Charlotte. One station offered gas for $3.50—the lowest in Mint Hill, while the highest price per gallon was $3.54. The lowest gas prices in Charlotte are on the south and west sides closest to the South Carolina border.

March 21, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:20 am Around Town, Transportation No Responses »

Discover Mint Hill ramping up for this year’s festivities

Mar 212011

The folks who are putting together Discover Mint Hill this year have just about finalized plans. The event explores the culture and history in the town and will be held April 16 from 9 am to 3 pm at “Discovery Square,” which is at the intersection of Bain School Road and Matthews-Mint Hill Road.

Monarch Mortgage of Mint Hill is sponsoring a Treasure Hunt for cash prizes. “Explorers” can follow their treasure map to the booths at “Discovery Square.” Collect a sticker from each booth to enter the drawings.

So what can you expect this year? Continue reading »

March 21, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 10:10 am Around Town, Non-profit No Responses »

Commissioners break ground for new town hall

Mar 172011

Mayor Ted Biggers (left) and Commissioners Mickey Ellington, Tina Ross, Brenda McRae and Lloyd Austin.

The town of Mint Hill held an informal groundbreaking ceremony for the new town hall last Friday. The event was to coincide with the 40th year that the town was incorporated. Mayor Ted Biggers, commissioners Lloyd Austin, Mickey Ellington, Brenda McRae and Tina Ross as well as town staff, members of the planning board, architects from Creech and Associates and representatives from Edifice Inc. all attended the ceremony. Biggers said in addition to commemorating the town’s 40th birthday, the board also wanted to make people aware that they will see construction on this site for the next year.

After the groundbreaking, those in attendance enjoyed refreshments courtesy of the town.

Work on the town hall won’t officially begin for several more weeks. The $6 million building will be located at the apex of the traffic circle in Mint Hill Village. The development is located on Matthews-Mint Hill Road at the intersection of Cresthill Drive.

“As I was driving here today I thought about how beautiful this building will be and how proud the citizens of Mint Hill will be,” Biggers told those in attendance.

It will take about a year for the completion of the building. Once finished, work will begin on the current town hall to up-fit it for

a police station. The Mint Hill commissioners weren’t the only ones breaking ground for the new town hall. Three people who were a part of the opening of the current town hall in the 1980s helped to kick off construction for the new town hall. Mint Hill’s first mayor,

Bob Long, former commissioner Don Blackburn and longtime town clerk Beth Hamrick were asked to help with the ceremony.

March 17, 2011 Posted by Tim Long at 12:20 pm Around Town, Development, Town Hall 1 Response »

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