🌱 Popular French Bakery Re-Opens + Homelessness Affecting Veterans

Hi all. It's me, Alexis Goring, your host of the Charlotte Patch newsletter — here to explain everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town these days. Including updates on...

• The pandemic, a housing crisis, and ongoing economic uncertainty are leaving veterans either experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness.
• Amélie’s French Bakery and Café announces the re-opening of its largest bakery, located in Uptown Charlotte.
• A former Charlotte CEO and longtime philanthropist has passed away.

But first, today's weather:

Warmer with clouds and sun. High: 78 Low: 58.

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Here are the top five stories today in Charlotte:

1. "On Feb. 27, Congressman Jeff Jackson of North Carolina's 14th district announced that Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) would receive $32 million in funding for its Concourse E Improvement Project. Concourse E is one of five concourses at CLT, serving mainly American Airlines' regional routes. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Terminals Program through the Federal Aviation Administration. Through this program, $5 billion has become available to award competitive grants to airport terminal development initiatives," Niner Times reports. (Niner Times)
2. "The pandemic, a housing crisis and ongoing economic uncertainty are leaving veterans either experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness and hundreds of them can’t rely on a federal housing program for help. In response, an area nonprofit is getting creative to meet their needs," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
3. "The Charlotte hot spot formerly known as the Epicentre is getting a new name, new tenants and for good measure, a new paint job. According to WCNC-TV, real estate investment firm CBRE has taken over the property and hopes to bring some business and fun back to the corner of Trade and College. Once a hub for uptown nightlife, the Epicentre went into decline due to multiple violent crimes on the site. The pandemic didn’t help either. The property eventually went onto foreclosure but is now reborn as Queen City Quarter," K104.7 reports. (K104.7)
4. "A former Charlotte CEO and longtime philanthropist has passed away. The death of Barksdale "Dale" Fowler Halton was announced by the Kenneth W. Poe Funeral and Cremation Service on Tuesday, March 21. She was 85. As of this writing, arrangements are still pending. Business North Carolina's profile of Halton in June 2022 dove into her time as Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Charlotte's leader in 1981. At the time, female CEOs were rare and she worked to pull the family business out of insolvency," WCNC reports. (WCNC.com)
5. "Amélie’s French Bakery and Café announces the re-opening of their largest bakery, located in Uptown Charlotte. Amélie’s Uptown (380 S. College St.) is set to open at the end of May. The Uptown café is receiving a full interior makeover that includes new flooring, a large catering/event space that can be reserved, a revamped dining room and so much more. The Uptown space is being redesigned with speed of service in mind— with a dedicated ‘Pick-Up Only’ section for the lunch timers short on time and a brand new ordering system. One thing that will remain the same is the Amélie’s whimsical decor and notable taste that Charlotte has grown to love," WCCB Charlotte reports. (WCCB Charlotte)

Today in Charlotte:

• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Write Like You Mean It hosted by Charlotte Mecklenburg Virtual Programming (10:00 a.m.)
• Love & Hiking Date For Couples at McDowell Nature Preserve (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
• Steven Curtis Chapman performance at Knight Theater (5:00 p.m.)
• She Flew the Coop LIVE! Women's History Month Talk Show hosted by Cone University Center (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
• Shuler King show at The Comedy Zone (7:00 p.m.)
• BJ Barham performance at The Evening Muse (7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
• Music Bingo at Pilot Brewing (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Allison Larkin as we discuss The People We Keep. Discover April's musical journey as she yearns to belong and learns that finding home happens with the people you choose to keep along the way. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• CATS Invites Public to Attend Silver Line Rail Trail Open House (charlottenc.gov)
• Thank you to everyone who came to the North Division Coffee with a Cop event at the Starbucks on Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road this past week. Our officers love to hear from the community members they serve! (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• Happy Music in Our Schools Month! We're thrilled to celebrate with Ardrey Kell High School Chamber Orchestra's amazing accomplishment: receiving straight superior ratings at the state level. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Registration for Camp Ignite is now open to all high school girls in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. Applications are available thru April 2. CAMP IGNITE is a FREE camp that educates and inspires. (Charlotte Fire Department, Charlotte NC via Facebook)
• Exciting news for job seekers! We are hosting a hiring fair on March 29. Join our team. Visit www.cmsk12.org/careers to learn more about available positions. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• All it takes is faith, trust and a little bit of pixie dust. In one month, we'll be soaring off to Neverland for Peter Pan! The last time we performed Peter Pan was during the 2018/2019 Season. (Charlotte Ballet via Facebook)
• #WomensHistoryMonth Spotlight: CSO violinists Jane Hart Brendle and Martha Geissler and violist Ellen Ferdon. In addition to performing with your CSO, you may see Jane and Ellen performing with Carolina Strings. (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Our team behind-the-scenes is flapping along to bring to life "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical." Our resident designer and craft specialist, Magda Guichard, has been constructing Pigeon while Tim Parati. (Children's Theatre of Charlotte via Facebook)
• April is National Poetry Month. If you haven’t experienced any poetry since “Roses are red, violets are blue…” we encourage you to expand your poetry experience next month. The Myers Park Library has invited artist Justin Klaus. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)
• We are excited to announce a partnership from our friends at Britax and Atrium Health to offer soon to be parents a car seat class every other month! (Safe Kids Charlotte Mecklenburg via Facebook)
• Tennessee and NC State are coming to Queen City in 2024! Duke's Mayo Classic https://charlottesports.org/te... (Charlotte Sports Foundation via Facebook)
• Thanks to police crime dramas, one of the field’s most well-known specialized divisions is the Homicide Unit. CMPD’s Homicide Unit is responsible for investigating any type of death in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.(Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via Facebook)
• Join South County Regional Library on April 19 for an evening with Patrick Diamond, a local collector of African-American art, as he discusses his collection including works by one of the greatest American artists of the 20th century. (Charlotte Mecklenburg Library via Facebook)

• Join the CSO and Charlotte Master Chorale for a colorful and triumphant performance of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, “Hymn of Praise,” THIS WEEKEND at Belk Theater. Save 50% with code SING today! >> bit.ly/mendelssohn2 (Charlotte Symphony via Facebook)
• Let’s discuss the future of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools! Your feedback is needed on the 2023-2024 Operating Budget priorities that support academic success for all students. We appreciate your input. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• Join the Charlotte Conversationalists! Gain leadership experience, build interpersonal communication skills, and develop group facilitation skills. To sign up ➡️ https://bit.ly/3JGyfcP (UNC Charlotte Atkins Library via Facebook)
• Our students and staff share their inspirations during #WomensHistoryMonth. Join us in honoring the remarkable women who have paved the way for future generations! What woman inspires YOU? (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools via Facebook)
• We are so grateful to everyone who helped direct Target’s giving to benefit Sustain Charlotte and our community! We were humbled to be chosen as a beneficiary of the Target Circle giving program last year. (Sustain Charlotte via Facebook)
• I have a Frenchie puppy who is almost 6 month old. Sadly I can’t keep her because I’m moving. If you or anyone you know could give her a good home, please let me know. (Nextdoor)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Alexis Goring

About me: My name is Alexis A. Goring. I'm an East Coast Girl with a pulse for people, news and feature stories! I've worked as a freelance writer/editor/proofreader in the media industry for 15 years. I'm also a published author, experienced blogger, and founder of Writer at Heart Editorial Services. Visit my website for more details about me and my work. Here's the link: https://alexisagoring.jimdofree.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Charlotte Patch newsletter? Contact me at charlotte@patch.com