Charlotte.com: Eye
News, sports and entertainment from Charlotte.com

• Plaza Central crawl hits all the right notes
  The 'hood never sounded so good.That's what I was thinking Dec. 8 as my pals and I cruised the Plaza Central Art Crawl.Besides the hey's and hi's, you could hear a great mix of music:• Latin-flavored House coming from a party near BeadLush.• "Funkytown" blaring from speakers outside Zada Jane's as kids played shuffleboard.• A dude playing "You Can Call Me Al" on a guitar on the street near Georgetown Day Spa as a cutie pie busted some moves.• Alternative tunes wafting from Lunchbox Records.• Reggae Central providing a Bob Marley fix.Kudos to the Plaza Central folks for such a great night.Mystery BeardStephen Roberts, a writer for Amps 11, correctly guessed that the bearded guy in the Dec. 5 issue was indie/folk singer Devendra Banhart.We're sending Steve an Eye T-shirt and making a donation to Beards BeCAUSE. From the Editor Crystal Dempsey
• NEIGHBORHOOD BRIEFS
  Tailgate coming to South EndThe Tailgate Market is holding a Christmas Tree Market and Village in South End from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15.The market will be at the corner of Camden Road and West Park Avenue, near the Bland Street light-rail station.Christmas trees and wreaths are from Horse Creek Tree Farms. The market also features art, baked goods and gifts from local vendors, such as handmade soaps, jewelry and candles.Family Christmas benefitMecklenburg County Park and Recreation will host "It's a Wonderful Christmas" for needy families from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at First Ward Recreation Center, 610 E. Seventh St.The event will provide free presents for about 200 children from low-income neighborhoods served by Uptown recreation centers and by the Charlotte Housing Authority. The event will include singing, entertainment, food and more. It's sponsored by the Wadsworth House Foundation. Details: Stephanie (Carter) Tyson, scarter008@carolina.rr.com.Marines collect toys for totsThe U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program collects new unwrapped toys and games for needy children in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.Center City Partners and the Marines will host "Holiday Party on the Bricks" from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Trade and Tryon streets. The Charlotte Checkers, the Checkmates and mascot Chubby will be on hand.Toys for Tots and the moving company Two Men and a Truck will also collect donations from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks game at Bank of America Stadium.Details: http://toysfortotsnc.com.Planning an event?Send information about neighborhood news and events to arainey@eyecharlotte.com.Neighborhood Briefs
• Lesbian and gay center seeks new home
  Growth along Central Avenue is pumping new life into old buildings and creating more places to live, eat and shop in Plaza Midwood. But folks who have lived there for years worry that development could force out places and people that make the neighborhood near Uptown unique.After four years at 1401 Central Ave., the Lesbian and Gay Community Center is searching for a new home after the Providence Group announced it will refurbish the building and double the rent.The center, which nearly closed for financial reasons this year, can't afford to stay. "If it was up to us, we would like to be able to let them stay," said Wes Thurmond, a leasing agent for the Providence Group. "But they could only afford about half as much as we'll be leasing the spaces for."Construction of the 20,000-square-foot office and retail building -- including a new facade, windows and roof -- will begin in about two months. Meanwhile, developers are recruiting a coffee shop or deli and other tenants such as boutiques, Thurmond said.The area is among several east Charlotte corridors the city will focus on revitalizing in the next few years. The city has budgeted money for a streetcar to run on Central Avenue. Meanwhile, the city is planning wider sidewalks and new lighting along the stretch where more than 2,500 condos and apartments are being developed, Thurmond said.While much of the city's revitalization plans are years down the road, Central Avenue is taking off on its own. This year, developers erected 12 condos and a McDonald's at Chatham and Central avenues. On Central near The Plaza, there's a new organic restaurant and another condo project.Jackalope Jack's, a restaurant and bar, is moving from Elizabeth to an old church on Pecan Avenue. And a few blocks down Central, the Intermezzo restaurant is now open.John Rudolph, an owner of Rudolph Moore Properties, said Plaza Midwood will continue to improve because of its personality and proximity to downtown. But keeping the charm and same tenants around is always a developer's challenge.Rudolph's company owns the Lesbian and Gay Community Center building and had worked with its board to keep it there, he said.When the center opened, it was seen as an example of local gays coming out in the more conservative South. It quickly became a cornerstone of the gay community, serving as a meeting place for various support groups, social activities and speakers.The center's financial problems have been resolved, a spokesman said, but the center still can't afford the refurbished space.The White Rabbit, a gift shop that was in the same building as the center, recently moved to a space in the 900 block of Central.
• CRIME NEWS
  In possibly the first fight at a light-rail stop, a "public affray" took place as two people were exiting the train at the New Bern station Dec. 3. Neither wished to prosecute and they were sent in opposite directions.More central Charlotte crime:• A car parked on Thomas Avenue in Plaza Midwood was broken into during the night of Dec. 2. A gym bag containing clothes and tennis shoes and a 40-gig iPod were stolen. The next night, someone broke the lock on another vehicle parked on Thomas Avenue.• Two people ate and ran from Fortune Cookie on Charlottetowne Avenue. They racked up a $52 bill and left without paying.• Three guns and a box of ammunition were stolen from a home in northwest Charlotte on Dec. 3. The thieves also made off with a Fossil watch, Toshiba laptop, DVDs, CDs, and a PlayStation II console, controllers and games.• A tote bag full of prescription drugs, totaling $900, was stolen when someone broke into a car parked on Queen City Drive. A Gateway laptop, digital camera and CDs were also taken.• Perhaps planning his getaway, a thief stole a pair of Jordan Rising Stars shoes from the Athlete's Foot on Eastway Drive.• Someone used a wine bottle to smash three windows at a home on Morningside Drive.• A person was apprehended after trying to steal two N.Y. strip steaks, a package of bologna and a package of ham from a Food Lion on Wendover Road.• A $4,000 Samsung plasma TV was stolen from a home in Eastover.How to protect your identityBefore you head out on your next venture, take a moment to do the following:• Reduce the amount of personal information you carry. You do not need to carry your Social Security cards or those of your children. Ever.• Check all insurance cards, etc., to make sure they don't have your SSN.• Make copies of the fronts and backs of every credit/debit card in your purse. Store those in an accessible place at home in case you need to notify companies of a theft.• Don't carry prescription bottles; they reveal too much personal information. If necessary, place a few pills in a small envelope and label the contents. (If you must carry the container, cross out your name and the prescription number.)• Separate your car key from the house key and do not keep a remote security access fob attached to either. This gives a thief immediate access to your home.
• Mackey win