Fire destroys apartment building - Carolina Weekly Newspapers

1421-C Orchard Lake DriveCharlotte, NC 28270Phone: 704-849-2261 • Fax: 704-849-2504www.thecharlotteweekly.comEDITORIALManaging EditorFrank DeLoacheEditorMike ParksSports EditorC. Jemal HortonAssistant Sports EditorAaron GarciaSports WritersChris HuntDenny SeitzBook Club EditorAlison WooEducation ReporterSarah GilbertContributing WritersHugh FisherRyan HillRev. Tony MarcianoErica OglesbyLayout DirectorMichael KerrProduction ManagerDebbie ArcherFin d us on Fa c e b o o kMember of theN.C. Press AssociationSouth Charlotte Weekly is published by theCarolina Weekly Newspaper Group, 1421-COrchard Lake Drive, Charlotte, NC 28270.All rights reserved. Reproduction withoutpermission is strictly prohibited.Advertising:adsales@carolinaweeklynewspapers.comCEOAlain LillieADVERTISINGAccount ExecutivesCathy KowalskiFranchesca LamkinSuzanne WaltersAccountingKelly WrightClassified and Service DirectoryMonica GoldstonGRAPHICSGraphics DirectorSteve PiggGraphics ArtistJulie AustinDISTRIBUTIONManagerGary BonenoAssistant ManagerChristopher GrahamNewsBriefsWastewater spills intoMcMullen CreekAbout 1,500 gallons of wastewaterspilled Dec. 9 from a sewer in the 3700block of Sharon View Road and intoMcMullen Creek, according to the Charlotte-MecklenburgUtilities Department.A grease blockage caused the spill,according to utility officials. Workersfound no dead fish in the creek. qFirebirds supportsemployees out of workfor fireFirebirds restaurant at the Stonecrestshopping center is helping its employeesget through the holidays even as the restaurantworks to repair damages caused byan electrical fire.Officials hope to reopen the restaurantshortly after Christmas, but in the meantime,its hourly employees are losing thetips and wages they depend on.“We are a people-based company, andwe always want to do what is right,” ChiefExecutive Officer Mark Eason said in anews release. “We decided the best thingwe could do was continue to pay ourhourly employees their usual wage as wellas compensate for lost tips.”Salaried managers will continue toreceive their salary and benefits in full.Some hourly and salaried employees arealso lending a hand at Firebirds’ two otherCharlotte-area locations – in SouthPark,at Sharon and Colony roads, and NorthlakeMall.“Even a fire can’t stop us,” Owner DennisThompson said in the same release.“We have set up a drive-through outsideof Stonecrest to sell holiday gift cards andsales are up at our other two Charlottelocations. We’ve had great support fromthe community, and we look forward togetting our flagship store back open assoon as possible.”The local Firebirds’ group observedits 10th anniversary Dec. 6. Renovationcrews continue working around the clock.Find more information at the company’swebsite, www.firebirdsrestaurants.com. qLillie acquires soleownership of CarolinaWeekly NewspapersAlain Lillie, CEO of the Carolina WeeklyNewspaper Group, which publishes theSouth Charlotte Weekly, has acquired soleownership of the group’s six weekly newspapers.Lillie founded the company in 2002 andhad shared ownership with two other investors.He recently bought their shares of thecompany, which also publishes the Matthews-MintHill Weekly and Union CountyWeekly, Herald Weekly, Mooresville Weekly,Mountain Island Weekly. Combined, thosenewspapers have an audited circulation of106,000 in the Charlotte region.Lillie, who launched South CharlotteGirls gather around Mrs. Claus Dec. 5 for a special reading at the Perfectly Pink Tea withMrs. Claus at the Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge. The event helped raise money for the Lift UpFoundation that helps families dealing with pediatric cancer.Perfectly Pink Tea draws big crowdIt was a big turnout Dec. 5 for thePerfectly Pink Tea with Mrs. Claus inBallantyne.The celebration honored Ellie Potvin,who died in June after battling pediatriccancer for two years. Ellie’s mother, Amy,started the Lift Up Foundation after the8-year-old’s death and now works to helpcomfort families dealing with pediatriccancer.Weekly first, said, “Our newspaper grouphas always been locally focused on thecommunities each paper serves, and nowI’m proud to say that our newspaper companyis entirely locally owned.”Lillie, 46, and his wife and their twodaughters live in south Charlotte. MikeParks continues as editor of South CharlotteWeekly. Find more information abouteach newspaper online at www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com.Local investment firmannounces promotionMark Thompson has been promotedto senior vice president of investments atAnderson Strudwick Inc., 13860 BallantyneCorporate Place.“Mark has consistently performed in thetop tier of our firm over the last severalyears,” J. Todd Newton, chief executiveofficer and president of Anderson Strudwick,said in a news release. “His contributionsto our Charlotte branch have beensubstantial, and this promotion recognizeshim as being among the most accomplishedfinancial consultants at our firm.”Thompson joined Anderson Strudwickin 2004. qRealtors group formsin south CharlotteThe recently formed Carolina’s RealtorPhoto courtesy of kristinvining.comThe Perfectly Pink Tea broughttogether two of Ellie’s favorite things:tea parties and pink. She enjoyed hostingtea parties with her twin sister,Grace, who participated in the PerfectlyPink Tea.Roughly 200 people attended, raisingabout $500. Organizers hope to raiseeven more next year once more peoplelearn about the event. qResource Alliance is gearing up for anothermeeting in south Charlotte.The group, formed by Chris Reshetar,Carol Schulenberg, Gail Matre Alloco andMarianne Linker, hosts educational andsocial events for south Charlotte Realtors.They held a Thanksgiving luncheon in thearea last month, and a recent DecemberHoliday Appreciation Celebration at theBlack Lion on Park Road.Rick Ruby, president of Summit Funding,will speak at the group’s Jan. 11 meeting.For more information on Carolina’sRealtor Resource Alliance, search for thegroup on Facebook.com. q8 the Salon opens atVillage at SouthPark8 the Salon is now open at The Villageat SouthPark.The salon, owned by Rodger Azadganian,offers cut and color services. Fashionmagazines have featured Azadganian’swork. 8 the Salon is open from 10 a.m.to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Formore information or to book an appointment,call 704-366-0858. qNew businesses comingto local shopping centersTwo south Charlotte shopping centers(see News Briefs on page 8)Page 6 • Dec. 17-23, 2010 • South Charlotte Weeklywww.thecharlotteweekly.com