IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            Contact: Jean Leier (704) 432-0496  
       
LYNX BLUE LINE EXTENSION HISTORY UNCOVERED

Charlotte, N.C., April 30, 2008 - Did you know that the building that now houses Cabo Fish Taco at 3201 North Davidson Street was once Hand's Pharmacy, an important institution in this former mill village community? The pharmacy was a gathering place for mill workers and "Doc Hand" dispensed not only medicine but hospitality to help people feel a sense of belonging to the community..  This is just one of the interesting pieces of history along the LYNX Blue Line Extension discovered by University of North Carolina (UNC) Charlotte public history graduate students. 

Come learn more about their discoveries on May 1 at 6:00 p.m. at the "History of Light Speed: Discovering Charlotte's Northeast Corridor"  exhibit at the The Art House, located at 3103 Cullman Avenue in the NoDa arts district.  Storyboards for five neighborhoods along the LYNX Blue Line Extension-First Ward, Optimist Park, NoDa, Eastway, and UNC Charlotte-copies of the written materials and station models incorporating the historical research will be on display. 
 
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Art-In-Transit Program teamed up with UNC Charlotte's Public History Department on this project. "The partnership between the University's public history program and CATS is an example of service learning at its best," said Dr. Karen Cox, Associate Professor and director of the Public History Program.  "The students learn that history has currency and at the same time they build their professional experience and network."  
 
Through its Art-In-Transit program, CATS commissions local, regional and national artists to integrate public art into new transit facilities.  The students' research material will serve as a resource to artists.  "Artists look at a community's past, present and future when approaching public art projects," said Lyndsay Richter, CATS Art-In-Transit program administrator.  "We want ways to provide artists with the cultural history of the neighborhoods along a rapid transit line."

For more information on this project, contact Richter at 704-432-3017 or Dr. Cox at 704-687-6231.  To learn more about CATS and its Art-In-Transit Program,log on to the web www.ridetransit.org.