Street closures during the DNC have many Uptown businesses planning to close or operate on limited hours. But the EpiCentre will be open and it's shaping into one of the best spots for celebrity watching and a taste of convention excitement.
The EpiCentre is kitty-corner from Time Warner Cable Arena and inside the DNC security zone. So basically it's the convention's "front porch," says EpiCentre business development manager Ed Camp.
It's an obvious choice for delegates, reporters and celebrities looking for a quick bite or a drink outside the arena.
If you're planning to get married during the DNC, don't plan on a courthouse wedding. Mecklenburg County magistrates will not be performing marriage ceremonies or oversee small claims cases from September 2 through September 7. There are about 25 weddings per week at the Mecklenburg County courthouse. But no one will be able to tie the knot there during the DNC.
The United States Postal Service is removing 38 of its blue collection boxes and sealing up mail chutes within a three-block radius of Time Warner Cable Arena because of the Democratic National Convention.
The decision affects between 1,500 and 2,000 customers in uptown Charlotte. Those customers will have to go to the office on 201 North McDowell Street or the Charlotte Processing Facility at 2901 Scott Futrell Drive to pick up and send mail.
Everyone remembers the now famous phrase "it's the economy, stupid" that came out of Bill Clinton's first campaign for President. That phrase could be in full effect during the current Presidential campaign as well but the two candidates certainly see the issue from two different perspectives. Add to that the recent addition of congressman Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential candidate. Ryan is the Chairman of the House Budget Committee and has what some call "radical" views to reform the federal budget and revive the economy.
The group that represents hundreds of private bus companies wants to prevent the Charlotte Area Transit System from leasing out its buses during the DNC.
Thousands of delegates and media will be hopping on buses to get from their hotels to the main convention area. DNC organizers expect it will take about 250 450 buses to get people around. But they found they don't have enough buses to accommodate wheelchairs.
Police officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District are going door-to-door Uptown giving parents the run-down on bus changes and security restrictions during the Democratic National Convention.
CMS Police Chief Bud Cesena says the first week of September will pose some challenges for the 372 students and their families who live inside the I-277 loop.
"Some bus stops - because they're in the hot zone - won't exist any more," says Cesena. "So we're making sure the children and their parents know exactly where to go."
Young voters came out in record numbers in 2008 to elect Barack Obama as President. Four years later, a poll from Pew Research Center this summer says Americans under the age of 30 are less engaged in the upcoming election and in politics in general than they were in 2008. Are the parties and politicians listening to this particular voter group? Do young people feel like they are being heard?
