"Save East Side" Facebook Page Launches

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by Fox Charlotte

Story Created: Aug 2, 2011 at 11:03 PM EDT

Story Updated: Aug 2, 2011 at 11:03 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - "Save the East Side: Giving a Voice to Charlotte's Lost Vision."  The Facebook page went up on Friday and already has 345 members.  Emilie Nelson is one of them.  "We need any kind of help we can get around this area because we seem to be forgotten," she says.

Seven years ago, Nelson bought a home near the now rundown Amity Garden Shopping Center.  Next door, a Wal-Mart is set to open this fall.

But she, like many residents, is still worried about home values, business and crime.  Nelson is hoping the page captures the attention of elected leaders.  She says, "No one seems to care about this area."

Tracy Thomas tells FOX Charlotte she created the page, "To put some actual effort into getting businesses back.  As it is now, we are the dumping grounds for illegal immigrants and gangs, empty office buildings & ramped (sic) crime."  

"Talking about crime stats, Eastway Division is number 2 in the city for having crime reduction.  This is just outstanding, this is what we're all about," says Nancy Carter.  Carter has repped the east side for 12 years on city council.  She'll step down this fall.  She disputes the idea "no one cares" about east Charlotte, citing consideration of a $200 million investment into Independence Boulevard,  street car consideration and a $5 million investment in the transit center at the old Eastland Mall.  Carter says, "The city has invested a lot in the east side."

Carter is pleased that residents are using Facebook to band together and so is Ed Garber of Eastside PAC.  He says, "I definitely think there's a benefit to having Facebook, it's live stream it reaches a lot of people quickly so it's instant updates."

Garber, whose group works to formulate policy that benefits east Charlotte, offers the creator of the Facebook page this advice: "Once you get attention and city staff and city leaders know that, they start knowing that people listen to you so they start listening to you."

Carter says there are plans to bring members of the Democratic National Convention into east Charlotte for what she calls an "eclectic religious experience."  Nelson says she doesn't want the members to see the east side as it is now.
 

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