Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) customers will see several changes to their daily commute beginning Monday, March 2nd. Using customer feedback to shape some of these changes, CATS has streamlined lower performing routes into other existing services to achieve greater efficiencies.

Changes will affect bus routes, the Gold Rush and the LYNX Blue Line. For a complete list of scheduled changes, visit www.ridetransit.org or call 704-336-RIDE.

Animal Care & Control is hosting a pet adoption Saturday, February 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fintastic Fish (2135 Ayrsley Town Boulevard – the intersection of I-485 S. Tryon Street).

Register today for Community University. CU is a neighborhood capacity building program dedicated to providing high quality training to Charlotte residents to improve the strength and vitality of neighborhood organizations and the overall quality of community life. Courses are intended to engage, inform and equip participants with the training and assistance needed to help them improve and maintain their communities.

Methodist Home Recreation Center
3200 Shamrock Drive
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 4 – ABCs of Zoning and Development
Tuesday, March 10 – How Are We Doing?: Neighborhood Checkup
Thursday, March 19 – 501(c)(3) Status and Neighborhoods: What it Means for You

All workshops are free and open to Charlotte residents.  

To register, visit neighborhoods.charmeck.org and click on the CU icon or e-mail neighservs@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

Customized Training
If your neighborhood has a specific need, e-mail neighservs@ci.charlotte.nc.us to arrange for a customized training workshop. To see a list of topics, visit neighborhoods.charmeck.org. Please note that a minimum of 10 participants is needed for a customized training.

Recently, there has been a rise in fires attributed to candles left burning unattended. The Charlotte Fire Department urges you to exercise extreme caution when using candles and remember these safety tips:

• Never leave candles burning unattended.
• Do not allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms.
• Do not use candles in places they could be knocked over by children or pets.
• Place candles in sturdy, non-combustible holders that will not tip over and can collect dripping wax.

For a complete list of fire safety tips visit charlotte.fire.org or call Fire and Life Safety Education at 704-336-3970.

The transition to digital television may mean you're getting a new TV. If so, what should you do with your old TV? Getting rid of it is simple and you have several options:

• Call 311 and schedule a bulky item collection. Be sure to tell the operator you have a TV to be collected. The operator will provide you with a collection date. Place the TV at the curb no earlier than 24 hours prior to the scheduled collection. Placing the TV at the curb any earlier could result in a minimum $50 fine.
• Schedule a collection online at http://curbit.charmeck.org. Click the schedule bulky items online link from the homepage and follow the scheduling directions.
• Bring your TV to any of the four full-service recycling centers in Mecklenburg County – to find the center closest to you, visit www.wipeoutwaste.com.

You may also donate it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Thank you for properly disposing of your TV. You are helping keep Charlotte green!

For more information about the digital transition, visit www.dtv.gov. Learn more about how to dispose of your unwanted TV in an environmentally-friendly way at http://curbit.charmeck.org.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Fraud Unit investigates several different fraud-related crimes including counterfeit and forged checks, credit card fraud and financial identity fraud. These crimes cost victims' time and money. Here are some tips to help you avoid fraud:

• Rather than signing the back of your credit cards, put "photo id required".
• Keep a list of your credit card account numbers and credit card toll-free numbers in the event you have to cancel your credit cards immediately.
• Immediately file a police report in the jurisdiction where your credit cards were stolen.

The only way to avoid the cost and inconvenience of being a victim of these crimes is to strive to prevent them from happening. For a complete list of safety tips visit the CMPD Crime Prevention Unit web site at www.cmpd.org.

The Government Channel brings you the latest City Source episode on Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m. which will bring you highlights from the annual City Council retreat. You'll also learn about the volunteer program at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and about the City's new partnership with Coca-Cola. This will be the first episode to air after the DTV conversion and you'll learn how to recycle your old TV.

For your convenience, you can view episodes of City Source online at www.charmeck.org by clicking on The Government Channel logo.