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Charlotte hires former Raleigh police chief CHARLOTTE – Estella Patterson is returning to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to serve as the first female police chief in city history.
Patterson, who started her career in law enforcement with CMPD in 1996, went on to become the chief of the Raleigh Police Department from August 2021 to March 2025. “The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has a long history of incredible leaders who have collectively led CMPD to be one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the country and Chief Patterson
will continue that tradition,” City Manager Marcus Jones said. “Chief Patterson’s deep experience with CMPD, in addition to her recent experience leading the Raleigh Police Department, made her an ideal candidate to continue CMPD’s successes but also bring new ideas to further the agency’s growth.” Patterson joined CMPD as a recruit in 1996, where she was the president of her recruiting class. In her 25 years with CMPD, she served in numerous roles, including deputy chief over administrative services and deputy chief over patrol services. She left
CMPD to become the police chief of Raleigh Police Department. Patterson oversaw significant changes at the Raleigh Police Department, including instituting a recruitment and hiring plan that reduced the vacancy rate from 150 to 40 in three years, as well as the creation of the Raleigh Police Foundation, which raised $4 million in two years to fund special projects to bolster employee morale. Patterson also led her team in reducing violent crime, achieving Story continues, see POLICE page 3A
CMPD Police Chief Estella Patterson
‘Scrooge! The Musical’ returns with new lead and director
Nonprofit finds new ways to track economic mobility CHARLOTTE – CharlotteMecklenburg’s Opportunity Compass just got an upgrade. The data tool from Leading on Opportunity now provides a more detailed view of what drives opportunity in Charlotte.
The Matthews Playhouse production of “Scrooge! The Musical” has become a Christmas tradition. This scene is from last year’s production.
Photos courtesy of Matthews Playhouse
MATTHEWS – Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts is bringing back “Scrooge! The Musical” for its fourth year, from Dec. 12 to 21.
holiday show to life, supported by the music direction of Lauren Smith and choreography by Anna Eve.
Set in 19th-century London, “Scrooge! The Musical” brings Charles Dickens's “A Christmas Carol” to life with an award-winning score by Leslie Bricusse and songs like “Father Christmas,” “December the 25th” and “Thank You Very Much.” This musical adaptation (directed by Mary Lynn Bain) tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Korey Risley), an old man who despises Christmas and lives a life of isolation, treating his underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit (Bradley Wolke), with cold indifference. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Silas Fincher), along with three spirits: the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Mary Elizabeth Johnson), Present (Mike Carroll) and Future (Leighton Stall and Charlotte Thomson). The spirits reveal the consequences of Scrooge's selfishness, including the struggles of the Cratchit family, led by Mrs. Cratchit (Hannah Marks) and her ailing young son, Tiny Tim (Tobey Fincher). Additional ensemble members bring the
Want to go?
Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts presents “Scrooge! The Musical” from Dec. 12 to 21 at 100 McDowell St., Matthews. Matthews Playhouse will offer a “pay what you can” performance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, benefiting the Women's Health and Resilience Foundation Inc. Buy tickets at matthewsplayhouse.com or by calling 704-846-8343. Remaining cast
Mr. Fezziwig: Ben Shelton Mrs. Fezziwig: Kristina Blake Isabel/Helen: Emily Calder Moore Young Scrooge/Nephew: Liam Escalante Tom Jenkins: Julia Vanella Kathy Cratchit: Netéyah Boyle Martha Cratchit: Margot Meyers Belinda Cratchit: Bella Rodriguez Hunter Peter Cratchit: Titus Wong Young Marley/Topper: Ben Allen Young Ebby/Phantom/Ensemble: Tristan Tully
Jen/Phantom/Ensemble: Alice Fincher Punch and Judy Woman/Ensemble: Tracy Stinson Teacher/Pringle/Ensemble: Matt Diem Mrs. Dilber/Ensemble: Robin Canchola Mary Dilber/Ensemble: Sam Zierler Turkey Girl/Ensemble: Lilly Crowgey Bess/Ensemble: Samantha Davidman Ensemble: Tre Canchola Ensemble: Janine D’Andrea Ensemble: Jordan Hartley Ensemble: Elle Hutton Ensemble: Aisley Rushing Ensemble: Audrey Schlieper Ensemble: Kiara Sepulveda Ensemble: Milana Serova Ensemble: Lizzy Shelton Ensemble: Camden Stinson Ensemble: Lina Zierler
My Breast Friend’s Wedding supports breast cancer community CHARLOTTE – My Breast Friend’s Wedding raised more than $128,000 to support The Go Jen Go Foundation and the local breast cancer community.
About 300 women dressed in wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and wedding-inspired attire gathered Oct. 23 at Hyatt Centric Charlotte SouthPark to make a difference during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Attendees enjoyed wedding cake,
hors d’oeuvres, champagne, music, prizes and wedding favors. Longtime Go Jen Go Foundation supporter Molly Grantham emceed the festivities. “My Breast Friend’s Wedding was an incredible and powerful night,” said Shawna Dye Culik, event chair and board chair for The Go Jen Go Foundation. “The brides, the love, the support, the friendships, the energy Story continues, see SUPPORT page 3A
The Go Jen Go Foundation provides support to the breast cancer community through programming and events like My Breast Friend’s Wedding.
Photo courtesy of The Go Jen Go Foundation
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The tool tracks 82 indicators of economic mobility (up from 33), linking data, dollars and community impact to show how funders and nonprofits align their efforts. “Over three years of piloting, workshopping, designing and building, we’ve learned about the kind of information our community needs, where to gather it and how best to position it so that Charlotte can effectively address economic mobility at a systems level,” said Sherri Chisholm, executive director of Leading on Opportunity. “We also wanted to package this information in a more visually appealing way to open up new uses, such as community goal setting.” A.J. Calhoun, research and impact director for Leading on Opportunity, said the tool was designed to help the community identify the key drivers of economic mobility, track them over time and align programs and investments to those common metrics. The Opportunity Compass aims to show the many organizations working together to advance economic mobility in the county. The tool continues to track three key determinants (early care and education, child and family stability, college and career readiness) along with cross-cutting factors, such as Segregation and social capital. The new version of the Opportunity Compass is one of the only data tools in the nation to include metrics on social capital and its four drivers (access to opportunity, collective flourishing, strong communities and supportive neighbors). “The inclusion of Social Capital in the Opportunity Compass allows us to measure what truly matters – how people support Story continues, see OPPORTUNITY page 3A