City of Charlotte offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2008.

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will operate on a Sunday service schedule.

• Bus Route 42 Carowinds Boulevard will not operate express service.

For more information please contact CATS Customer Service at 704-336-RIDE or visit their web site www.ridetransit.org.

Solid Waste Services will operate on a normal schedule.

Come out Saturday, July 12 to the Run For Your Life 4 Miler to benefit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Animal Care & Control.

The race begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by a Fun Run beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, July 12
7:30 a.m. Race Starts
8:30 a.m. Fun Run
Run For Your Life, Dilworth Store
2242 Park Road

For more information and to register online, visit the Run For Your Life web site. Volunteers are needed to make this event possible, if you are interested e-mail Animal Care & Control's Thomas Adair at tadair@cmpd.org.

In addition to providing the regulatory control services, Animal Care & Control offers many programs that focus on education, prevention, pet management, and animal health concerns.  Animal Care & Control is dedicated to helping the citizens and pets of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County by providing free clinics for rabies shots, spay/neuter surgeries and low-cost microchips.

Due to the continuing drought, outdoor water use restrictions remain in effect during weekdays for all Utilities customers.The current mandatory water restrictions are as follows:

Lawn watering and/or sprinkler use, residential car-washing, and refilling of empty swimming pools and fountains are prohibited six (6) days per week.

The following are permitted (OK) water uses:

• Customers with odd-numbered addresses may irrigate lawns, wash cars and fill swimming pools and fountains on Saturdays.
• Those with even-numbered addresses may irrigate lawns, wash cars and fill pools and fountains on Sundays.
• Customers may use drip irrigation, hand-held hoses with nozzles or containers at any time to water trees, shrubs and flower beds.
• Pressure washing and fountain operation are permitted at any time.

Lake levels are normal for this time of year; however, we can expect those to dip once summer heat increases evaporation. Stream flow and groundwater still lag below normal, and our region continues to be listed in "extreme" drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

For more information or water conservation tips, please visit www.cmutilities.com or www.saveyourwater.org.

The Keep Charlotte Beautiful Committee is looking to fill seven vacancies. The board contains 20 appointees—13 by the City Council and seven by the Mayor's office. The Committee was founded more than 30 years ago and is one of the nation's first Keep America Beautiful affiliates.

Members coordinate and participate in neighborhood community improvement projects, Adopt-A-City Street, neighborhood recognition, the Great American Cleanup, and litter prevention programs. They also promote partnerships between citizens, businesses, and government to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

If you are interested in joining the Keep Charlotte Beautiful Committee, contact the City Clerk at 704-336-7494.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department wants to remind you to never leave any child alone in a vehicle, especially during the summer. If it is hot outside, it is potentially deadly inside a car. If you do see a child in a car and cannot locate the caregiver, call 911 immediately.

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will host two public workshops in July to get your input on station locations as well as the Sugar Creek Road and North Carolina Railroad light rail alignment alternatives.

Thursday, July 10
6 – 8 p.m.
Oasis Shriners Center,
604 Doug Mayes Place

Tuesday, July 15
6 – 8 p.m.
Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church,
101 West Sugar Creek Road

CATS will present the same information at both meetings. For more information about the meetings or for bus routes nearest the meeting locations, contact 704-336-RIDE or visit www.ridetransit.org.

During the summer, breathing can become a little difficult because of ground level ozone. Ground level ozone is a highly reactive form of oxygen that is unhealthy to breathe and can damage trees and crops. It is formed when nitrogen oxides react with volatile organic compounds in the air during very hot weather. Ground level ozone can come from a variety of sources. But, the main culprit is the automobile, especially in North Carolina, where nearly 50 percent of ozone-forming emissions come from automobiles.

Pollution from motor vehicles not only causes smog – it causes a wide range of health problems, especially among children and the elderly. That's why CATS is encouraging you to get out of your car and on board a bus, train, vanpool or a carpool this summer.

CATS can help you develop your personal ozone action plan. Visit the Clean the Air Campaign web site or www.ridetransit.org for more information.

Tune in to The Government Channel—Cable 16 for an update on the CATS fare increase and to hear about how local creek habitats are being restored. This will be the last episode of City Source until Thursday, August 7. You can always check out previous episodes on The Government Channel—Cable 16 web site.