The 6th edition of Charlotte Pecha Kucha Night went down this past Friday. Pecha Kucha Night continues to evolve and always showcases some of the best and brightest in the QC. Earlier this year, Charlotte Pecha Kucha was selected the city’s “Best Creative Gathering” in the Charlotte Magazine “Best of the Best” awards. PKN CLT is presented by Point8 Forum and, for the second time in a row, a packed Dharma Lounge hosted. Douglas Welton again served as MC for the event. Below is the list of presenters.

Natalie Bork
Crista Cammaroto
Ana Jofre
Jason Kierce
Robert Kosara
Jack Ossa
Carlos Salum
Cathy Sheafor
Wolly Vinyl
Mike Wirth

From PC Mag:

There’s more mobile data competition than ever before, and more people are surfing the Internet on the move. So PCMag.com decided to take a snapshot of America’s mobile networks and see who’s doing the best in 18 cities. Using more than a dozen staffers and freelancers with software of our own design, we cruised streets from Boise to Miami checking AT&T, Cricket, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint 3G, and Sprint 4G against each other.

See the test results for Charlotte on PC Magazine’s website.

Street scenes outside the NRA convention.

Charlotte hosted the 2010 National Rifle Association Annual Meeting (NRAAM) over this past weekend. The NRA reports that up to 70,000 people visited the convention.

On Friday afternoon, crowds slowly began to file out of the arena after Sarah Palin’s speech. There were no guns to be seen; the only hostlers were those for cell phones. Several tour buses were parked along Trade Street, their diesel engines idling. In front of the coaches stood women holding signs reading, “To Charlotte Convention Center.” The buses slowly filled and departed on their three block trek from the arena to the convention center.

Have you been wondering what those things are on South Tryon Street at the I-277 bridge? Those are the latest monuments donated to the city by the Queens Table foundation – anonymous donors who also gave us the Queen Charlotte statue at the airport, among other monuments. Read the Queens Table monuments presentation to city council.

Uptown’s streets are the heart of Charlotte’s political voice. Anybody who has anything to say, to celebrate, or to protest, can do so publicly here. I love to photograph the honesty seen on the streets. Rallies for an against everything from taxes, to war, to human rights, to religion – every side of every issue seems to be represented by Sharpie on poster board at some point. Sometimes it is best to let the images speak for themselves without trying to offer commentary.

Los Angeles transit website MetroRiderLA recently created a bracket of NBA playoff teams based on their home city transit systems. The first round matches Charlotte against Orlando. Will CATS fare better than the Bobcats have so far?

The most interesting angle to this first-round contest is that it is between two cities with feline-themed transit systems. Orlando, home of the NBA’s second-bets team of the 2009-2010 season, has its transit service operated by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The public refers to it as the Lynx.

Charlotte, home of the Bobcats, its second NBA team, is also home to Charlotte Area Transit System — CATS. The centerpiece of its system is a light rail line known as LYNX. So, we have two teams that both can lay claim to the Lynx name. So, there’s some measure of pride on the line in this game, too. It’s probably a more interesting rivalry than the one Atlanta and Milwaukee had over their diagonally striped buses. The winner of this contest goes on to face Atlanta in the semi-finals.

Read the full post at MetroRiderLA.

A packed Dharma Lounge hosted the fifth installment of Pecha Kucha Night in Charlotte on Thursday, April 8th.

The set up for the event was simple – each presenter gets 20 slides, with 20 seconds per slide. The night started off with a poetry slam and ended with a musical performance, with the presentations in between ranging from photography, to comedy, a visual performance, artistic dance, and eco-design.

The event was sponsored by Point 8 Forum and Dugg Dugg, and the MC’s for the evening were Carrie Gault and Mitchell Kearney.

Below is an alphabetical list of all the presenters at Charlotte Pecha Kucha Night Volume 5:

1. Austin Ballard and Paige Cochran

2. Jeff Cravotta

3. “El Negrito”

4. Valaida Fullwood

5. Paul Gibson

6. Jack Kirven & Annie Vereen

7. Kym Motley

8. Nikki Mueller

9. Bradley Kirk Turnage

10. D. I. von Briesen

Barcamp Charlotte 3 took place on Saturday, bringing together technology, design and creativity at Area Fifteen. Around 150 attendees pitched ideas for sessions and then voted on their favorites.

Sessions ranged from freelancing, to civics 101, budget film making, Google, social media, mobile development, tips on marketing, and an intro to massage therapy.

One session even included a field trip, lead by D.I. von Briesen, to tour the Ecobox sustainable building project at CPCC. One of the last sessions of the day included a discussion on how to standardize Twitter hastags within the Charlotte community.

Check out Eric Frazier’s barcamp recap in the Observer, Eric Orozco’s thoughts on what was missing from barcamp, photos of the event by Tom Bonner and Andy Ciordia, and see what others are saying  about Barcamp Charlotte 3 on Twitter.

Thousands of rabid fans packed Uptown Charlotte on Wednesday for the Mexico versus Iceland soccer “friendly.” While the game ended in a zero – zero draw, Mexico dominated most of the game, getting several close scoring opportunities.

The festivities start early in the day for fans of Mexico, and by 5PM tailgate parties are in full swing with drinks, face painting, barbecue, mariachi bands, and blasting sound systems. Closer to the stadium, Mint Street is closed off and stages and tents offer games, entertainment, and prizes.

The main entertainment, however, is the non-stop parade of fans. Horns, drums, whistles, and cowbells and chants are lead lead by a man in a Mayan headdress. Honk, honk, honk, May-He-Coe! Olé, olé olé olé! Flags and banners of all sizes fill the street. Smoky fireworks create a haze in the late afternoon sun. “Hey! Hey, take my picture!” shouts a group of young men as they strike a playful pose behind their barbecue grill. “Can I offer you a beer? Shot of tequila, amigo?!”

Inside the stadium, the crowd reaches fever pitch as Mexico takes the field. It doesn’t matter that this exhibition game is more like  a preseason or spring training game, or that only a few of these players will make the World Cup squad. This is their team. Giant banners stretch across several sections of seats. Huge flags cover large areas of stadium, the fans underneath bouncing with relentless energy. Everyone has a sign or flag or foam finger to wave. More fireworks fill the lower section of the stadium with smoke. How did they get those past security? I wonder.

Yet security never seemed to be an issue. Though wildly energetic, the massive crowd seems well behaved and even polite. Everyone seems willing to share what they have. No drunken fistfights or puking over the railing like I’ve seen an Panthers games. The US national anthem is meet with loud cheers and waving of American flags. The Icelandic national anthem is met with the same respect.

A scoreless game doesn’t seem to dampen the spirits of the Mexican fans. The constant drumming and horns continue as fans spill out of the stadium and down the streets. I start to wonder if  Bank of America stadium has ever seen an event like this, and I then I start to hope I’ll  be there see it again.

Dugg Dugg, an upstart art gallery in NoDa, created a buzz upon opening last April. It was closed by June – a victim of costs and code enforcement. The historic NoDa factory building was returned to the stewardship of insects and dust, but this would only be the beginning of Dugg Dugg’s evolving life.

Co-founders Iris Williamson and Andrea Brown didn’t give up on their dream. The two, along with supportive friends, held a new show titled “American’s Children’s Home” on Oct. 23rd at a new location in historic South End. The former auto repair shop and warehouse at 130 West Bland Street provided a fitting setting for the gallery.

Dugg Dugg had evolved into a nomadic gallery, always seeking to try something new. In January, Dugg Dugg presented Platonic Voyage at Story Slam, a performance installation that took participants on a 24 hour voyage across the seas.

The latest incarnation of Dugg Dugg is at NC Music Factory in Uptown. On Friday, March 19th, Brown and Williamson held the opening of “1/1000 sq/ft.” Later in the evening, Maury Gortemiller gave a biographical presentation on competitive apnea.

Included in the artworks are two towers by Steven Abadie. Standing ten feet tall, they occasionally beep Morse code between themselves.

The largest piece of the exhibit is a life-sized “Ohka” aircraft created by Taro Hattori, an artist-in-residence at the McColl Center for Visual Art. Williamson reports the installation took two days to set up.

Viewing of the “1/1000 sq/ft” exhibit is still available by appointment, and be on the lookout for the next incarnation of Dugg Dugg in another part of the city.

Several local blogs are campaigning to name the Carolina Raptor Center’s newest baby eaglet “Noah,” after Charlotte’s Lance Corporal Noah M. Pier, a Marine who was recently killed in Afghanistan.

Cedar Posts first posted a story about the naming of the eaglet Tuesday, saying:

More than 800 names were submitted in WCNC’s “Name the Eaglet contest” and the Carolina Raptor Center has narrowed the list down to five names including “Noah”.

Cedar Posts can’t imagine a tribute to a fallen Marine more fitting than the naming an Eagle in his memory. What a wonderful day it will be, when we all can watch “Noah” take flight, to soar over the country that Lance Corporal Noah M. Pier gave his life to defend.

This morning, Bill Fehr also posted the story of the eaglet naming on his blog. Fehr, a local bicycle messenger, blogger, and Gulf War veteran, recently blogged about his experience meeting Lance Corporal Pier’s family at the visitation.

Vote here for one of the five finalists for the name of the new baby eagle. According to the website, the deadline to submit your favorite name is Monday, March 8 at 12 p.m. EST.  The winning name will be announced Monday, March 8 on WCNC.com and NewsChannel 36.

photos: James Willamor; view this video on Vimeo

One hundred, twenty-six photos of Charlotte taken in 2009, more or less in chronological order. The majority of the photos were taken for CLT Blog and Crossroads Charlotte. The song is Brand New, released in 2009 by Charlotte area artists One Big Love. A list of events and people featured in the slideshow is after the break.

First Night Charlotte, Uptown

Tailgating at Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, Uptown

Pecha Kucha Night Vol. 2, Alive in NoDa

Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, Uptown

Barcamp Charlotte Pre-party, Uptown

Barcamp Charlotte, Area 15

March 2nd snow, Uptown, Southend

Blake Edwards and Chris Crutchfield work on the short film “Fait”, Uptown

Amazing Race Bar Crawl, Uptown

Art Social night, Area 15

Saturday on Sunday, Saturday Skateboards

St. Patrick’s Day parade, Uptown

Trips for Kids/The Recyclery. Area 15

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

Dugg Dugg gallery opening, NoDa

Jonathan Reed filming “Guys Night Out,” Eastway

Sharazad Improv, Wine Up, NoDa

Streetwise Drift, Metrolina Expo, Derita

Postgig Charlotte, Green Rice Gallery, NoDa

Art and Soul, Southend

CLT Blog town hall with Anthony Foxx

CLT Blog Sky News Team, Uptown & Southpark

Duke Energy Center construction, Uptown

Richard Thurmond, Charlotte Magazine BOB Awards party, Southpark Mall

June 5th flooding, Mallard Creek Greenway, University City

Taste of Charlotte, Uptown

“Southern Holiday” at Dugg Dugg, NoDa

Uptown Amphitheater opens at NC Music Factory, Uptown

Plaza-Midwood Gallery Crawl, Plaza-Midwood

Wheelie Man, Uptown

NASCAR Hall of Fame construction tour, Uptown

Culture Initiative Show and Tell, Neighborhood Theater, NoDa

Heroes Convention, Charlotte Convention Center, Uptown

CLTblog town hall with John Lassiter

Bill Fehr, Charlotte bike messenger

William Puckett and mural at 3213 N. Davidson, NoDa

Sharazad Improv, Dugg Dugg, NoDa

Cobbler at Latta Arcade, Uptown

Wedding photos, NoDa

24 Hours of Booty, Myers Park

NoDa Gallery Crawl

Carlos Espin, Parkwood Green, Villa Heights

Pride Charlotte, Gateway Village

Charlotte Caribbean Festival, Independence Park

Nationwide Kiss-in, Freedom Park

Battle Slam Jam, Grayson Skate Park

Pat McCrory, Charlotte Transportation Summit, Convention Center

Sprinter Enhanced Bus unveiling, Wilkinson Rd. service center

Mario artist, NoDa

Emerging Artists tent, Festival in the Park, Freedom Park

Charlotte Greek Festival, Dilworth

Ghandi Park dedication, Uptown

Charlotte OUT Parade, Uptown

Charlotte Zombie Walk, Uptown

Dr. Richard Dawkins, Queens University

Barcamp Charlotte 2 pre-party, roofless building, Villa Heights

Barcamp Charlotte 2, Area 15

August 22nd thunderstorm, NoDa & Derita

Dios de Los Muertos, Levine Museum, Uptown

“American Children’s’ Home,” Dugg Dugg, Southend

John Lassiter campaign election night, Blackfinn, Uptown

Puerto Rican Festival, Plaza Fiesta, Carowinds

Firebird Statue (Disco Chicken) unveiling, Uptown

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art prepares to open, Uptown

Charlotte Checkers at Time Warner Cable Arena. Photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Reports out of Raleigh indicate the Carolina Hurricane’s AHL farm club, the Albany River Rats, ”have been sold and will move to Charlotte.” The Albany Times-Union names the buyer as Michael Kahn, who currently owns the Charlotte Checkers.

Charlotte is currently home to the ECHL Checkers, what is considered a second-tier (AA) minor league team. The AHL is the highest level (AAA) of minor league hockey in the U.S. and Canada, with NHL teams often sending player up or down from the majors. The River Rats are currently the AHL affiliate of Raleigh’s Carolina Hurricanes.

According to Canes Country,

There are several benefits to having an in-state affiliate: speedier call-ups to the Triangle; easier access for Raleigh-based team management — and Canes fans — to the team and players; and further growth of hockey in the South.

It is unclear whether the Charlotte’s ECHL franchise will fold, or be sold or moved. It is also unclear if the River Rats will be renamed to the Checkers or something else.

This news comes after an October Charlotte Business Journal article indicating that the Charlotte Checkers were interested in a possible new arena tied to a sports complex in Matthews.

The Checkers currently play in Time Warner Cable arena along with the Charlotte Bobcats.

video: James Willamor; watch this video on Vimeo

Now that you have seen the first CLT Blog video podcast, get a view behind the scenes at the taping.

This stillmotion was created from around 1,200 frames at Area Fifteen. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that my 50mm f/1.8 lens does not autofocus with the Nikon D40, so I’m always having to turn the lens back and forth to focus it while trying to shoot many frames. This stillmotion is set to five frames per second. A camera such as the Nikon D3s can shoot at 10 or 11 frames per second.

John Lassiter’s concession speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Hope turned to heartbreak on election night at Republican John Lassiter’s mayoral campaign party.

Photos and essay after the jump:

A large crowd had already filled BlackFinn American Saloon at EpiCenter by the time Lassiter made his way through the crowd, just before 8 P.M. He addressed supporters by name as he shook hands with a smile.

John Lassiter greets supporters. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

A band played 70′s and 80′s Top 40 as men in tweed sport coats and women in pencil skirts sipped Sweetwater 420 and chardonnay. The crowd was lively and in high spirits. Large screens displayed early voting results throughout the bar. Supporters erupted in cheers as Lassiter passed Democrat Anthony Foxx by several hundred votes as the first precincts reported their tally.

Lassiter supporters watch early returns. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Throughout the evening, prominent Charlotte Republicans arrived at BlackFinn, including Andy Dulin and Warren Cooksey. Both won their City Council reelection bids by wide margins. When current Mayor Pat McCrory finally arrived close to 9:30 P.M., he was immediately surrounded by the press.

Mayor Pat McCrory arrives. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Lassiter supporters grew more concerned as the majority of the crowd became fixated on the large screens as Foxx retook the lead. Some checked their phones at the bar while others gathered around laptops at the back of the room, jotting down numbers and percentages on sticky notes. “There are still a few precincts left that could swing us,” commented one supporter.

Lassiter supporters look on as Foxx takes the lead. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

With only a handful of precincts left to report, frustration appeared to sweep over the once smiling and joking crowd. “It is a ghetto world after all,” quipped one devastated supporter as the reality of the defeat became apparent — the only loss of civility I witnessed all night. “Maybe next time, huh?” said one young man as he lifted his glass.

Supporters gather for Lassiter’s speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Lassiter emerged to give his concession speech to the heartbroken crowd. He was a gracious looser, showing strength and class as he congratulated Anthony Foxx via phone and thanked his supporters. He asked the band to continue playing, and stepped back into the crowd. Lassiter spent the rest of the night offering long embraces and firm handshakes to family, friends and supporters who had volunteered with his campaign the better part of nine months.

Lassiter beings concession speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

By 11 P.M. the crowd had thinned out, and the several dozen remaining gathered around the bar, or in half circles around Pat McCrory or John Lassiter. A hint of cigar smoke was in the air.

Family and friends embrace after the concession speech. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

City Council candidate Tariq Scott Bokhari, who learned of his defeat earlier in the night, took the stage as the band wrapped up. Strumming a blues rhythm on an electric guitar, Bokhari performed a song that gave the remaining supporters a little something to smile about. “I got them old-fashioned Republican blues. I guess-everyone’s-gonna-get-a-four-and-a-half-million-streetcar-study blues,” quipped a grinning Bokhari.

Tariq Scott Bokhari plays Republican Blues. photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Slideshow of all the photos below:

slideshow: James Willamor; view this slideshow on Flickr

Left: Anthony Foxx (D), right: John Lassiter (R). photos: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Regardless who wins Tuesday’s election, Charlotte will have a new mayor. That’s because Pat McCrory, Charlotte’s mayor of 14 years, is not seeking reelection. Voters will also decide races for Charlotte City Council, city leadership in other Mecklenburg towns, and the CMS School Board.

What you need to know to vote after the jump.

Electing a new mayor

Both candidates for mayor, Republican John Lassiter and Democrat Anthony Foxx, have served as at-large members of Charlotte City Council.  A poll released on Oct. 27th by Public Policy Polling shows both candidates tied. We hosted online town hall meetings featuring reader submitted questions for the candidates earlier this year. You can watch our online town hall with Anthony Foxx and with John Lassiter.

Charlotte City Council will see changes

Candidates are vying for the seats left vacant by Foxx and Lassiter, while others try to hold onto their seats. There are four at-large seats on City Council that are voted on by the entire city, in addition to the City Council representative from each district of the city. Many of the district races were decided in the Sept. 15th primary, and only Districts 6 and 7 are contested in Tuesday’s election.

What you need to know to vote

Early voting ended Saturday with about 24,000 ballots already cast. Voting will take place tomorrow (Tues. Nov. 3rd) from 6:30AM until 7:30PM.

Need to find your polling location? You can find out by entering your name on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.

Want to see a sample ballot for your district? Click on View My Sample Ballot on the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website.

Need to find out more about the candidates? Check out CharMeckVotes.org

CLTblog will be covering the election results live. You can join the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #cltvote

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

How to make money online, zero budget film making, iPhone app development, organizing social media, and how to make balloon animals were some of the sessions at Saturday’s BarCamp Charlotte 2. The un-conference allowed any attendee to pitch an idea for a session. Attendees then voted on the sessions they would like to see. The event was held again at Area Fifteen, located between Uptown and NoDa, where Charlotte’s first BarCamp was held in January.

Photo slideshow below, with more photos on the way.

photos: James Willamor; view this slideshow on Flickr

Drummers, singers, fire dancers, and a comedy troupe entertained a large crowd of BarCamp 2 pre-party attendees at Parkwood Green. Counter Culture Coffee was on hand to provide free coffee drinks. The location hopes to be the future home of Not Just Coffee coffeehouse, and plans were on display as well. Photography by Bryan and Jennifer Shields was on display next door at the roofless building. The pre-party took place Friday evening, and BarCamp 2 took place at Area Fifteen on Saturday. Photos from BarCamp 2 will be posted soon.

View the photos on Flickr.

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Brains. Braaaaains! A zombie hoard of nearly 130 staggered through Uptown Charlotte Sunday afternoon. They sought to feast on brains at Epicenter, but left hungry. They sought brains from visiting Redskins fans, but again left hungry. There was much blood to be found, however – about thirty pints donated to the American Red Cross.

The 3rd Annual Charlotte Zombie Walk asked participants to donate blood at a Red Cross Blood Drive Uptown. Two other charities benefiting from the Walk this year were Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Costumes For Kids which provides Halloween costumes for disabled and underprivileged children.

Photo slideshow of the zombie walk below:

photos: James Willamor; view this slideshow on Flickr

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

Dozens paraded on the sidewalks through Uptown on Sunday afternoon to show support for gay rights and equality. The first annual Charlotte Out Parade took place on October 11th – a date that is celebrated across the country as National Coming Out Day.

According to Mitchell Killman, one of the local organizers of the parade:

National Coming Out Day is a civil awareness day for discussion about issues that affect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

As the parade moved about Uptown, the group paused several times to share stories, experiences, and words of encouragement. Speakers included Shelley DeLux of PFLAG Charlotte, Rev. Catherine Houchins of Metropolitan Community Church, Macy Williams of Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice, and representatives of Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, UNC Charlotte Pride, and Pride Charlotte. The need for community building, support, and mutual respect were major topics discussed by the speakers.

Photo slideshow below:

photos: James Willamor; view this slideshow on Flickr