Post office, news outlets prepare for DNC in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— As the Republican National Convention wrapped up in Tampa, officials here were complying with security protocols for the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to take place here Sept. 4-6.
 
According to the Charlotte Observer, mailboxes, newspaper racks and concrete trash were being removed from the uptown streets here.

“The U.S. Postal Service sent out a memo this week saying it intends to move or seal shut mailboxes and chutes at nearly 40 locations,” the report said.

The Charlotte Observer and several other local and national media outlets were alerted by the Charlotte Dept. of Transportation to “remove all stand-alone newspaper boxes within the Interstate 277-Interstate 77 loop.”

Robyn Ashley, retail sales manager for the Charlotte Observer, was quoted as saying the security measures will prevent newspapers from being sold at 42 uptown locations.

“We will primarily serve the uptown area through the hotels all week long. Everything outside the loop will be business as usual, but uptown will be locked down,” she said.

In addition, postal changes were scheduled to begin this week with the removal of some blue mail-collection boxes and sealing of mail chutes. All will be restored on Sept. 10, officials said.

The report said, “there was no plan for large-scale removal of metal trash bins or benches in uptown, as long as they were bolted down. However, a little more than 100 removable trash bins (made of pebble stone and concrete) will be hauled away from uptown sidewalks during the DNC.