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Fall wildflowers
   October 7, 2010
Crystal Cockman

This last week in September finally saw a break in the heat from our hotter than average summer this year. Bringing us out of near-drought conditions, rain finally came and with it the 60s and 70s temps we’d all been waiting for so longingly. Unfortunately for some areas this sudden rush of rainfall also resulted in flash flooding. In the Uwharries, many rivers that had been almost...

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Employment and Wages in Charlotte: Financial Industry and Beyond
   October 7, 2010

Charlotte, like much of the nation, has been affected by the economic recession that began in December 2007.  Job losses and unemployment extend across nearly all economic sectors, leaving virtually no region or industry immune from the downturn.  Due to the tenuous situation of banking and finance industries during the recession, Charlotte’s unique position as a national...

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Mapping de facto segregation in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
   September 23, 2010

After boasting one of the nation’s most successful mandatory busing plans to desegregate the district’s schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) has once again become increasingly segregated.   This shift has been documented meticulously through numerous recent studies and disseminated to the public through coverage in the local media.  In partnership with...

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NC School Transportation by the Numbers
   September 23, 2010

How do you define good school bus service?  If you ask parents or students, you may hear about pickup times, long rides and time spent waiting at school for class to start or the evening bus to arrive.  With tightening budgets, school officials are more focused than ever on efficiency, but everyone wants the best level of service possible.   

Staff at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute...

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Native Fall Fruits
   September 17, 2010
Ruth Ann Grissom

In fall, native plants in the Uwharries offer up a bounty of fruits for wildlife and humans alike.  

Muscadines seemed to ripen a little early this year.  My mom and I picked dozens of deep purple berries in mid-August.  Their musky scent helped us locate several vines.  Their flavor is just as intense.  There’s nothing quite like picking a warm...

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Mecklenburg County Community Food Assessment 2010
   September 17, 2010

Elizabeth Racine, Qingfang Wang & Christina Wilson

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No fear: on becoming a locavore
   September 17, 2010

Christy Shi
This is the first in a series of articles by Christy Shi. She lives, grows, and eats in Davidson NC. She speaks on a range of topics, mostly focused on sustainability and local food systems. She grows food in her edible landscape and teaches people about the connection between food and farm. Shi founded Know Your Farms, LLC in 2008, an organization focused on rebuilding the local food system in... Read more
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Building an oasis in the desert
   September 17, 2010

Robin Emmons

Is it possible to build an oasis in the desert?  Not the desert that brings to mind scorched earth and stretches of hot sand miles away from water and civilization.  No. The question speaks to deserts that exist in urban centers across our country. Neighborhoods in the very heart of our otherwise thriving cities where the USDA’s daily recommendation of 3-5 servings of fruits...

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New Book - Charlotte, NC: The Global Evolution of a New South City
   September 8, 2010
Jeff Michael
For both serious and casual observers of Charlotte’s economic and cultural history, a new book released in July provides a fascinating look at the effects of globalization on the city’s recent development. Published by the University of Georgia Press and edited by UNC Charlotte geography professors Bill Graves and Heather Smith, the book Charlotte, NC: The Global Evolution of a New South City is... Read more
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Learning Lesson on Infrastructure
   September 8, 2010

I'm writing this essay because I'm worried. I've grown attached to America in the 27 years I've lived and worked here but I'm forced to look elsewhere for useful examples of government action, corporate innovation and citizen activism to meet the fast approaching crises of climate change, future declining oil supplies and sustainable energy production. At this crucial time I look back to...

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