Teens cash in on hot summer job market (free version)
Plus: Myers Park Country Club turns over accounting records in lawsuit; Assistant city managers debate 2040 Plan; New public park for Ballantyne; CMS moves toward lawsuit; 2nd Topgolf opens Friday
Good morning! Today is Wednesday, June 2, 2021. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
Editor’s note: This is a shorter, free version of The Charlotte Ledger sent to people on our free sign-up list. The complete version for paying members went out 15 minutes ago. It included:
The complete article on the encouraging summer job market in Charlotte for teens — including an analysis of economic data that shows just how much local teens are making. (Hint: It’s probably more than you made at that age.)
The latest on the ongoing legal dispute at Myers Park Country Club — where a member has sued to obtain financial records from the club’s leadership — including new comments from the club and the plaintiff. A group of club members opposes plans for a $27M renovation that would expand the men’s-only area into what’s now a coed dining room called “The Tavern.”
An examination of a rare public dispute between the city’s planning director and its economic development director over the 2040 Comprehensive Plan — with links to their dueling memos.
Full access to May’s Charlotte rezoning filings, in which developers disclosed plans for apartment, townhouses and other projects all around the city.
And yesterday, our paying members received our new Ways of Life obituaries newsletter, which examined the life of a longtime educator at Eastover Elementary whose love for children knew no bounds. It also included links to more than 20 Charlotte-area obituaries.
If you’ve read The Ledger before, you know we’re working to do things differently. You’re not bombarded with repeated servings of clickbait. You don’t struggle to make it through articles that are overrun with ads. You don’t have to wonder if something you read is an honest take or marketing material.
We believe we are delivering something Charlotte needs: relevant news and information from experienced writers who respect your intelligence and appreciate your point-of-view.
If you like that approach, join the thousands of people who are Ledger members. You receive full access to all three of our Charlotte-focused newsletters — including our complete Wednesday and Friday issues. Memberships are $9/month or $99/year. The yearly plan comes with a second email address (collected by email after sign-up). Cancel anytime. You’re never locked in. Details here.
With employers scrambling to fill jobs, the demand for teen workers ‘has skyrocketed’; young workers are finding higher wages and lots of options
Avery Hothersall, 17, is on her second week of work at Philly Pretzel Factory near Ballantyne. Teen workers like her are in high demand, as businesses crank back up after the pandemic. But many are unable to find enough adult workers to fill shifts.
by Cristina Bolling
When Terry Devone bought a Philly Pretzel Factory franchise near Ballantyne this spring, he went into hiring overdrive to find five new employees to complete his roster.
He offered $50 bonuses for workers to recruit friends, started most employees at a higher-than-minimum-wage rate of $9 per hour, and is finally fully staffed, mainly with teenagers who are fresh-faced and eager to work.
“I’m fortunate, because people think it’s fun to work here,” Devone told The Ledger. “I’ll ask them, ‘Why do you want to work here? And they say, ‘It seems like fun.’”
Devone will lose six of his nine workers when they head off to college in August, but he knows he’s lucky this summer — experts say the teen job market is as competitive as its been in recent history, as companies struggle to hire adult workers and teenagers are ready to step in to fill the gaps.
Related Ledger article:
“Tales from Charlotte’s tight job market” (May 19)
Update: Country club hands over financial records as part of lawsuit
Myers Park County Club has turned over more than 1,000 pages of financial records to a club member who is suing it related to the club’s controversial renovation plans.
According to a court filing last week,
Related Ledger article:
“Teed off: A lawsuit at the country club,” (🔒) (April 14)
The red moon a-risin’
SUPER, MOON: Charlotte photographer Myles Gelbach captured last week’s “super flower blood moon,” a rare combination of several celestial events: It was a lunar eclipse that produced a reddish color (“blood moon”), coinciding with the moon’s closest approach in its orbit around the Earth (“super moon”). A full moon in May is also known as a “flower moon.” The last super blood moon was in 2018, and the next one is in May 2022.
City’s economic development director raises concerns about 2040 Plan
It’s unusual for two of the city’s top officials to debate by sending memos to each other — but that seems to be exactly what happened last week in a disagreement over Charlotte’s proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
May’s rezonings 🔥: Yep, more apartments and townhouses
It’s time again to look back over the last month to see what developers in Charlotte are up to based on their rezoning filings with the city.
You might not be shocked to learn that more apartments and townhomes are on the way, including:
525 new homes in University City — a mix of townhouses and single family homes
66 townhouses in west Charlotte
264 apartments off Woodlawn Road in south Charlotte
115 townhouses near Camp Greene Park in west Charlotte
340 apartments near NoDa
We round up rezoning filings every month — not because we love the intricacies of setbacks and obscure land-use regulations — but because they provide information that neighborhoods and real-estate industry professionals often like to know. If there’s an apartment complex heading near your neighborhood, you probably want to know about that.
Our monthly list of rezoning filings is available to paying Charlotte Ledger members (🔒).
Once a golf course, now ‘Ballantyne’s backyard’ public park
Some 100 acres that were formerly the Golf Club at Ballantyne are now a public park open dawn to dusk, called “Ballantyne’s Backyard.” Northwood Office, which is developing the massive Ballantyne Reimagined mixed-use project, announced Tuesday that the community is invited to use “miles of running/walking trails, rolling hills, fishing ponds and more.” (Note to parents: there’s plenty of space for kids to run, but no playground equipment.) The park hosts an open-air market and food truck event there every second Saturday. Want to go? Park at 11611 N. Community House Road.
In brief
School board to contest county budget: Mecklenburg County commissioners passed a budget Tuesday that withholds $54M in funding for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools because of what the board believes is inaction by CMS to address racial disparities. Then, the CMS board fought back by initiating a dispute resolution process under state law that could be a first step toward suing the county to provide more money for schools. Under that process, the two boards are required to meet in the next seven days under the supervision of a mediator. The $54M represents about 11% of the county’s $532M allocation to CMS. (Observer)
City elections delayed until spring 2022? A bill making its way through the General Assembly would allow Charlotte and other cities to hold municipal elections in March and April 2022 instead of this November because of delays in census data needed to redraw electoral districts.
You can sit at the library: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library says it has reopened seating and browsing at library branches and expanded by-appointment computer time.
Cash cards for vaccinations: Starting this week, the county health department is offering $25 “summer cash cards” for people aged 18+ who receive their first vaccine or drive somebody to their first vaccine at certain county-affiliated vaccination centers. Details here.
UCity Topgolf opens Friday: Topgolf plans to open its second Charlotte location, off I-85 and University City Boulevard, on Friday. It will have 102 “climate-controlled hitting bays.”
Police interview DaBaby: Miami Beach police interviewed Grammy-nominated Charlotte rapper DaBaby in connection with a shooting outside a posh restaurant on Monday night. In a statement Tuesday evening, police said the rapper was released and that two suspects were in custody. (NBC News)
Chlorine shortage hits local pools: A nationwide shortage of chlorine tablets could leave local pool and hot tub owners struggling to sanitize their pools. The owner of supply store Pool Xperts says smaller containers of tablets have been out of stock for weeks or months, though larger sizes are available. More people have built pools during the pandemic. If chlorine runs out, “we’re gonna have a lot of green pools,” he said. (WFAE)
Concord goes retro: Downtown Concord went back decades in time last weekend, as film crews transformed it into a movie set in the 1970s for the film adaptation of the Judy Blume book “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” “It is awesome to see an older look to Concord,” one resident said. “That’s something we’ve really loved about old towns. It is cool to see this here with all of the old cars and old storefronts.” The movie stars Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates. (WBTV)
Foul smell lawsuit: Four people who live near the New Indy containerboard plant in South Carolina have filed a class-action lawsuit saying the plant’s odors have caused health problems. Residents in Upstate South Carolina, as well as Ballantyne and Waxhaw, have been complaining about the on-and-off stench for weeks, and authorities have identified New Indy as the source. (WBTV)
County to drop Cardinal: Mecklenburg County is expected to sever its ties with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, which delivers mental and behavioral health services to county residents. The county is expected to align with Alliance Health, a managed care company already serving urban communities in Durham, Wake, Cumberland and Johnston counties. Top Mecklenburg administrators and community providers have long accused Cardinal of denying or delaying access to care for some of Mecklenburg’s neediest residents. (Observer)
Mental health in N.C.: North Carolina residents have experienced similar rises in mental health challenges and substance abuse during the pandemic as what’s been reported nationwide, according to a data analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. For example, 16.7% of adolescents and 7.6% of adults in North Carolina reported having a major depressive episode in the past year, which was similar to the U.S. figures of 15.1% and 7.5%, respectively. (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Drone video awards: Congratulations are in order for our video partner, The 5 and 2 Project, which won six Telly awards for its videos over the last year. It won in categories including branded content, documentaries and aerial cinematography. The Ledger announced last week that we and The 5 and 2 Project are a go for Season 2 of Flyover Friday later this year.
Good boy, Max: The most popular dog name in Charlotte is Max, according to licenses on file with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police’s Animal Care & Control division. The next four most popular names are Buddy, Bella, Lucy and Maggie. The most popular breed is Labrador Retriever. (Axios Charlotte)
Programming note: Ledger editor Tony Mecia appears as a guest on 90.7 WFAE at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on Thursdays for a discussion of the week’s local business news in the station’s “BizWorthy” segment. Audio and transcripts are also available online.
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 3 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Change newsletter preferences: Go to ‘My Account’ page
Social media: On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sponsorship information: email editor@cltledger.com.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Reporting intern: Lindsey Banks