Foothills Spotlight Magazine - Fall 2009

HELPING YOU EXPERIENCE, EXPLORE, LEARN & LIVE IN THE FOOTHILLS

{ No.

11 }

Fall 2009

Nature In this issue

TOUCHING

featuring:

DAVID CALDWELL Details Inside...

Plus: A Blessed Life

Big Festival Weekend Where There’s Something For Everyone

www.foothillsspotlight.com

!

# © # ! " #

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contents Fall 2009

EXPERIENCE EXPLORE LEARN LIVE

president Jeff Champion

THE FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA

publisher Ebbie Champion graphics Hal Alexander Mike Bencivengo Ebbie Champion Nikki Cook JD Ledford - 18 STONE DESIGN Frank Olszewski Stuart Thompson Wendy Cobb writers Rev. Crystal Champion Bob Mori Gilda Pruitt Scott Darnell Kimberly P. Johnson Wade Nichols Judy Gaultney Katherine Panther-Potemkin Dr. Don Miller Lynn Zook Bill Cameron Mark Alan Hudson Mary Lopez Tommy Forney Jackie Sibley sports director Sam Davis photographers Robin King The Victorian Rose Studio finance Jeff Weathers sales staff Kim Davis Sam Davis website design Frank Olszewski JD Ledford

Foothills Spothlight is a publication of CHAMPION COMMUNICATIONS PO Box 1726 Shelby, NC 28150 704.466.3847 info@foothillsspotlight.com foothillsspotlight.com

www.f o o t h i l l s s p o t l i g h t . c o m

22 { features } 22 touching nature

Woodcarver David Caldwell enjoys life on his on terms the natural way

28 big festival weekend

Shelby’s Fall Festival, Art of Sound and the Livermush Expo

30 art of sound returns

Explore a variety of music at this annual festival

33 down home

How Rick Bowles became a hit maker in the music industry

38 something for everyone

Learn more about this general store-type, “one-stop shopping” arena that continues to serve long-time customers and newcomers alike

43 helping in catastrophic times

American Restoration, there when disaster strikes

47 alws economic impact

54

64

be

gin

so

np

{ be sure to see } 8 welcome

Autumn, a time of thanksgiving

10 letters & viewpoint See what our readers say

12 life coaching

Be a catalyst for success

14 amazing mind Crazy or Conformity

18 kid speak

For the love of learning...

20 therapy Rx

Managing low back pain

44 foothills business Building your network

g.

57

58 the good life

Jim Washburn, Shelby native and the Tennessee Titans defensive coach, is right where he wants to be

61 they still got game

A group that’s been playing basketball together for over 30 years

64 the lady driver

For the last 18 months this young female driver - Brayden Pruitt has been driving and winning on local tracks

67 fab 5

Learn about five exceptional atheletes from the Foothills

70 fair history

Photos and a brief history of the Cleveland County Fair

52 holiday gift galleria ‘Tis the season

78 reflections

What happened to my hair?

ON THE COVER Woodcarver David Caldwell with his hand carved canoe.

How the American Legion World Series would impact Cleveland County

54 pottery festival

From lumps of clay to works of art

MEMBERS OF: Cleveland Women’s Network

72

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 7

{ welcome } Is there anything any better than experiencing the Foothills in autumn?.

We are so blessed to live in an area that creates such a lovely landscape when the leaves explode with color and the cool breezes provide relief from the summer’s heat. The season also includes our favorite holiday of Thanksgiving. We are so thankful for our readers and advertisers that have allowed our little magazine to continue to grow. It is with this expression of appreciation that we are excited to announce that beginning in 2010, we will be increasing our publications from 4 to 6 times a year! Beginning January 2010 we will be a bi-monthly publication. Keep your suggestions coming. Again, thank you for your continued support in making Foothills Spotlight Magazine the fastest growing publication of the Foothills!

...We are so thankful for our readers and advertisers...

Until next time...

If you would like to subscribe to this publication please email us your contact information at

info@foothillsspotlight.com Full year subscriptions (6 issues) $24

Ebbie Champion PUBLISHER

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Shelby, NC 824 S. DeKalb Street Phone: 704-484-0344 Forest City, NC 144 E. Main Street Phone: 828-287-7778 Gastonia, NC 998 S. New Hope Rd. Phone: 704-867-4557 www.PSUhasJOBS.com UĂŠ/iÂ“ÂŤÂœĂ€>ÀÞÊUĂŠ ÂˆĂ€iVĂŒĂŠ ÂˆĂ€i UĂŠ/iÂ“ÂŤĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠ ÂˆĂ€i

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At Hospice We Provide s ! TEAM APPROACH TO CARE n HOSPICE doctor, nurse, social worker, chaplain, aide, counselor and volunteer. s 0AIN CONTROL AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT s #ARE TO FAMILY MEMBERS AFTER THE DEATH of their loved one.

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Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 9

{ letters } THE JOURNEY TO BRING THE American Legion World Series Baseball to Shelby began in 2000. A core group of about 25 volunteers willing to share their time and talents gathered to organize the 2002 American Legion Southeastern Regional tournament held in Shelby. Hosting the North Carolina State Tournament followed in 2004. Immediately following the State Tournament the same group of volunteers gathered once again, this time to consider a bid to host the 2008 World Series. The question was asked “what about hosting the Regionals as well?”

Four years of planning and countless hours from 300 volunteers later Shelby and Cleveland County made American Legion Baseball history, the first site to host both events back-to-back at the same venue.

By all accounts the 2008 American Legion World Series was a huge success, bringing nearly 50,000 baseball fans through the gates at Keeter Stadium and $4 million to our local economy. Over 8,000 fans have returned to their homes filled with glowing remarks about Shelby and Cleveland County and our Southern Hospitality. Fans from across the seven southeastern

states, fans from; Bristol, CT, Richmond, VA, Midland, MI, Jonesboro, AK, Las Vegas, NV, Pasco, WA, Omaha, NE and Sumter, SC have all returned home with comments like “that is how a tournament should be run.” You can’t put a price on publicity like that, you earn it.

For me the desire to support American Legion Baseball began during the most recent Major League Baseball players’ strike. Players making a league minimum salary of $300,000 average salary in excess of $3 million, crying they are not valued as humans, that their self worth was not being recognized. Give me a break. American Legion baseball is the last stop for America’s youth to play baseball for the love of the game. Yes, some players go on to play college baseball and the rare talent will sign a minor league contract, but for the rest, it is for the love of the game.

- RUSTY PATTERSON

I JUST WANTED TO SEND A NOTE thanking Foothills Spotlight for the Don Gibson Theatre coverage. It is helping us spread the word and build excitment and we appreciate that. All of us going forward together will surely help create some economic vitality.

- BROWNIE PLASTER

Join the co

nversation

email us

info@foot

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at

hillsspotl

igh

t.com or mail le tt e rs to PO Box 1726, Sh elby, NC 28151

foothillsviewpoint WORDS JEFF CHAMPION

American Legion World Series - Back to Shelby?

“Once in a lifetime opportunity”, that’s the best description I have heard concerning Shelby’s attempt to become the permanent host of the American Legion World Series. When the national office of American Legion Baseball announces in 2010 where the World Series will be held annually beginning in 2011, I can’t imagine any community in the United States that this could mean more to than Shelby and Cleveland County! I am not aware of any opportunity that has been available to us ever to rival this in potential of impact. Considering the doldrums we have all experienced dealing with this sluggish economy, what a shot in the arm this announcement could mean.

Shelby and Cleveland County will not only be in the spotlight locally, but regionally and nationally as well. Can you spell ESPN? I can hear and see it now, “Live from Shelby NC, it’s the American Legion World Series….” Is this a pipe dream? I don’t think so. Ask the folks in Williamsport, PA or Omaha, NB where the Little League and College Baseball World Series are held. Better yet, try taking those series away from those communities. The opportunity for Shelby to join this illustrious list is at our doorstep and the time to get involved is now.

Eddie Holbrook and Jim Horn are the co-chairs of the Shelby ALWS Committee that is organizing

our bid. They need your help. Shelby will likely be the smallest city that will submit a bid and the competition will be fierce as we aren’t the only people to realize this opportunity. A primary objective of the committee is to compile a list of supporters. This list will be an extremely important aspect of our bid. We feel that a list of hundreds or even thousands of local citizens that want this to happen will go a long way to making our bid successful. Your name can be added to the list with a donation for as little as $10. Help us make history and help us win the bid.

Go to www.clevelandcountybaseball.com or call 704-692-6943.

The expressed opinions do not necessarily represent the opinions of our advertisers. We welcome your comments and opinions. Send them to: Viewpoint, c/o Foothills Spotlight, PO Box 1726, Shelby NC 28151. Or viewpoint@foothillsspotlight.com

10 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

www.foothillsspotlight.com

David Allen Sports Director

Cleveland County High School Football highlights all season long every Saturday on Cleveland Headline News on Time Warner Cable Channel 33.

Also on-line at www.cable33.com Up-to-the-minute local news, weather & sports information in Cleveland County since 1991 www.foothillsspotlight.com

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 11

lifecoaching

{be well, healthy & happy}

WORDS KATHERINE PANTHER-POTEMKIN

Be A Catalyst For Success: HELP YOUR CHILDREN GET THE MOST OUT OF SCHOOL THE SCHOOL HUSTLE AND

...stay involved and connected in practical ways...

Katherine Panther-Potemkin, Owner, Learning for Life, is a Life Coach, a leader in wellness and business seminar design and facilitation, a Usui Reiki Master and Certified Instructor and a Reflexology Practitioner. For more info call Katherine at 704.477.4370

bustle is here again with early mornings of getting children up and out the door, full schedules of extracurricular activities, the push to get homework done before bedtime, and your resulting fatigue at the end of the day. I’m sure you care deeply for your children and want them to succeed in school. Yet, helping them at home and maintaining a connection with the school takes time and energy – two things that may be in short supply.

There is much evidence that strong connections between parents and children and parents and schools make a difference in how well or even if children succeed in class. So with hectic schedules, how can you stay involved and connected in practical ways that enhance your children’s educational experiences and successes?

Try some of these surefire tips.

Since educational success typically has its roots at home, build a supportive foundation there.

• Model a positive attitude toward school and teachers. Avoid criticism and negative comments.

• Talk casually about school with your children each day. Ask questions concerning activities, classes, teachers, assignments, and school environment. Listen to them!

• Regularly ask to see schoolwork.

• Have your children use a planner to write down assignments, due dates and events.

Review it together nightly to help them organize and plan in advance.

• Keep a folder for each child for notes, grades and special projects.

• Display a family calendar marked with important school-related events. Help your children update the calendar monthly.

• Establish morning, evening and homework routines to allow for structure and needed rest.

• Create a quiet, well-lit space for homework.

• Make sure your children learn good study, organizational and time management skills.

• Limit television until homework has been completed, and have consequences for incomplete assignments.

Establish a workable parent-teacher connection by devising a system for collaboration and ongoing communication.

• Start this communication at the beginning of the year by attending the open house or know-your-school-night or by contacting teachers.

• Tell teachers that you are interested and want to be involved. If you work outside the home, explain that you have limited time. Then discuss ways to connect, such as leaving phone messages, using e-mail, communicating through children’s planners or sending notes on graded homework and test papers.

• Request early morning, lunchtime or evening calls and conferences. Most teachers are flexible.

• Ask questions, seek advice and share information about your children’s needs, feelings, strengths and weaknesses.

If a child is having problems, be proactive.

• Contact teachers immediately.

• Work with teachers as allies, not as enemies. You are both on the same side wanting to help your child succeed.

• Listen and evaluate what teachers have to say before drawing any conclusions.

• Inform teachers of things happening in the child’s life that might negatively affect school performance or behavior.

continued on next page >> 12 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

www.foothillsspotlight.com

Bayada Nurses:Compassionate, Excellent, and Reliable Home Care

Bayada Nurses: Care in the Comfort of Home • Involve school administration when necessary.

Get involved in school activities as studies show that student grades, test scores and behaviors improve with even minimal parent involvement.

• If time is limited attend only events involving your children.

• Inquire about occasional flextime at work so you can attend school functions.

• When you can’t attend PTA meetings, check with the school to review meeting minutes.

• When time allows, volunteer for special evening or weekend activities.

• Discuss with your employer sponsoring a school event, donating to a school fundraiser or arranging a field trip to your worksite. Volunteer to coordinate the activity.

Even a little involvement demonstrates your interest and caring, so focus on what you can realistically do. Be creative in finding ways for involvement and communication with your children and their school. You do influence your children’s success, so build a strong foundation with them and their school, talk to them every day, and have fun supporting and celebrating them in their educational journey!

Diane Singleton feels so blessed to still have her parents in her life, however, she admits, making sure they have the care they need can be quite a challenge.

Thanks to Bayada Nurses, Dora and Clayton

“Mom and dad are both 92,” Singleton, 92, are able to remain in the comfort of their own home. They are pictured here with their said Singleton. “Even with mom’s Bayada Nurses home health aide Linda Gail Hamrick Alzheimer’s disease and dad’s poor vision, they insist that they do not want to go into a nursing home. They want to stay in their home, where they are comfortable and everything is familiar.”

Honoring her parents’ desire to remain at home became Singleton’s top priority, but she couldn’t care for them alone. She researched home care companies and chose Bayada Nurses because of their flexibility.

“We have a home health aide who comes over every morning for an hour and a half,” explained Singleton. “She gets mom out of bed, bathed and dressed, and makes breakfast for her. Then, we have another aide who gets mom ready for bed. Mom and dad are thrilled with them and it makes life so much easier for me.”

Indeed, Singleton’s experience is typical of the sandwich generation. “These are sons and daughters who are juggling their own family obligations while trying to care for elderly parents,” said Joe Seidel, director of Bayada Nurses’ Shelby office. “Our comprehensive personal care services are designed to help elderly people like Diane’s parents remain in the comfort of their own homes.”

Bayada’s ‘Rise and Shine’ and ‘Evening Care’ programs work out great for me,” said Singleton. “I still go over during the day, but knowing there is help in the morning and the evening has been such a relief.”

According to Seidel, all of Bayada Nurses’ employees are fully bonded and insured, receive hands-on training prior to being allowed in home settings, and are true to Bayada’s philosophy of providing compassionate, excellent, and reliable home care.

Bayada Nurses caregivers are available during various times throughout the day and evening hours.

Call 704-669-4000 to learn more about homemaker, companion, and live-in services.

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theamazingmind

{dream maker}

WORDS LYNN ZOOK

Crazy or Conformity WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING

...What’s wrong with being different?...

Lynn lives in Waxhaw, is married to Jill and has two daughters.

14 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

different these days? It seems like in today’s age our biggest problem is conformity. Everyone wants to be like everyone else. Everyone dresses and acts like everyone else, does the same things, wants the same things. We move into neighborhoods where all of the houses are the same, We all want to work at the same type of jobs, have 2.5 kids, drive cars that are similar (if my neighbor buys a Mercedes, then I need to have one). In the old days, you didn’t see many Mercedes Benz vehicles and when you did see one, you knew that person or family was very wealthy. Now you see twentysomethings driving them around like they were Chevettes.

What’s wrong with being different? Is it that society looks so harshly on people that are different, that no one dares to be outside the norm or they are ridiculed back into conformity?

Kids that are different are picked on and treated badly. As parents we pray that our kids are normal and fit in so as not to be teased and made fun of.

Fact is, we don’t want our kids to be different; we want them to be just like the others. We are worried that their self esteem will be hurt and they will be ruined for life. Or we are worried that our pride and image will be hurt because our kids aren’t “normal”?

I am sure our parents were the same way. So is that why we grow up and conform and do the same things as everyone else? How do we let ourselves and our kids (or help our kids) become crazy. You know crazy like Thomas Edison who experimented with thousands of different filaments to find just the right materials for the light bulb to glow well and be long lasting.

Crazy like Walt Disney who created an enchanted land of fairies and magical characters that every child dreams about seeing. Or how about Martin Luther King who led that crazy fight to gain equality for all people. How did these kids grow up to see things so differently? Why didn’t’ they grow up to be laborers, or mechanics, or farmers or just like everyone else? What happened to these individuals that allowed them to

grow up and change the world? Why did they think they could push the human race forward?

The fact is, I am sure all three of these men were called crazy; they were ridiculed, chastised, told to get real jobs and thought of as abnormal. While they may have been seen as crazy ones, they were geniuses! People that are crazy enough to think they can change the world...are the ones that do.

How do we overcome the need for our kids (and ourselves) to be “normal” by societal standards? How do we escape conformity and let ourselves and our children look at things differently and want to be different? How do we go outside of what is “normal” and use our imagination and intelligence to change the world?

Our incredible brain is no different than Walt Disney’s, Edison’s or King’s. We need to start encouraging thinking, not conformity. We need to be true to ourselves, our thoughts and dreams and not care what people think of us.

Let our children be different and encourage them to think and dream and follow their own paths. Not just be like all of the other kids. What are we afraid of? If our neighbors think we are different, who cares? Did Elvis care when he started shaking his hips? Did Bill Gates care when people laughed at him for dropping out of school to pursue his dream?

We can be and do whatever we want and think we can be. We need to think more and care less. We need to choose “crazy” over conformity. We all have the ability to change the world. We have our own amazing minds and we are in control.

www.foothillsspotlight.com

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Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 15

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16 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

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Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 17

kidspeak

{happy journeys}

WORDS KIMBERLY P. JOHNSON

For The Love of Learning...

YES!! YOU HAVE MADE IT

...Remember to start each school day by telling them the perks of school...

Kimberly is an accomplished children’s book author, speaker, motivator and educator. She has written 12 children books and has even been an invited guest to the White House to read her works at the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

To view more of Kimberly’s work visit her website

SimplyCreativeWorks.com

18 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

through about a month of school. Your kids are just starting to settle in and they love their new teacher. New friends are being made and homework load is tolerable. Unfortunately, for some of you, it may not be this smooth. I’m sure someone has already heard, “I don’t want to go - I don’t like my class this year”. For any parent, these words can be heart wrenching.

The one thing that you want is for your children to go to school and enjoy their day. When that happens, they bring that excitement and energy home. However, if the day at school was terrible…well you know the rest. Instead of waiting for your children to come inside with a gloomy look, or homework woes – greet them at the door with a great big smile or call them right after school with a cheerful voice. Remind them that all the interesting friends they will make in the new class and all the great information they will be learning for the year are waiting for them.

Nonetheless, if they are not excited or motivated about their class, teachers or friends, the school year can prove to be challenging.

Remember to start each school day by telling them the perks of school. “I know you are going to learn something great today – I can’t wait to hear what it is!!” “You know you’re going to be one of the smartest kids in the world because you are learning so much!” Questions can also generate a different outlook on school.

Ask your child what he or she wants to be when they grow up. Find follow up information on that topic. Magazines, library books or even toys can reinforce the idea. For example, if they want to be an architect, use drafting magazines or Legos® as great incentives. The more your children hear you talk positive about the school experience and the teachers, the easier it will be to convince them that they really need to enjoy school. A family tone can make or break a school year. If the tone at home is one that suggests school is no big deal and the child just needs to do enough to get by – then that is what the year will bring. On the other hand, if the tone is one that suggests that excellence is

the desired standard and that trying is mandatory – the child will know what boundaries will and won’t be accepted.

If you have the space for it, another technique you can use is to create a classroom setting in your home just for your child. Incorporate siblings, cousins, and close friends and let the space serve as a Homework Haven or Book Nook. If you don’t have a whole room to dedicate to a mock classroom, then find a quiet, well lit space and transform that into a small classroom or study area. Having this special area can keep your children into the swing of things even when they aren’t in school. This space is a way of teaching them that expanding their minds can also be done at home.

Another way to ease a few of the stresses of adjusting to school is to share stories about some of the fears that you faced as a youngster. Children love hearing that you were not the best math student or reader in your class. This helps make their challenges not seem so isolated. Sharing strategies that you used to get on track may indeed encourage them to look for ways to improve their outlook on school. Think to yourself – what was your favorite thing about school? What influenced you to jump out of the bed and get ready for school? Share these memories with your children, maybe hearing your favorite moments will make them want to go to school to experience similar moments.

If after all of your efforts, you still get a comment like, “I hate school” make sure that you prove them wrong. School can be a great place to foster creativity, sharing and fun. Reinforce and reiterate the idea daily – that school can be a place that helps make them smarter than they already are. All the stars in the universe can be accessed from a classroom and in order to reach those stars you must be in that classroom every day – ready to learn!!

Happy Journeys...

Special thanks to aspiring writer and publicist, Martika Gidney who contributed to this article.

Martika is a sophomore at UNC-G.

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therapyRx WORDS DON MILLER

Managing Low Back Pain A

...Physical therapists can help patients develop a safe and effective exercise program...

Dr. Don Miller, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS, OCS Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, CEO/Founder Cleveland Physical Therapy.

20 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

NEW

REVIEW

ARTICLE

published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons should help convince many patients with low back pain to consider physical therapy as a first line of treatment for their condition, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The review, published in February 2009, recommends that in most cases of symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease, a common cause of low back pain, the most effective treatment is physical therapy combined with anti-inflammatory medications.

Approximately 75 to 85 percent of adults will be affected by low back pain during their lifetimes.1 Symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease develops when a disc weakens (often due to repetitive strain), is injured, or deteriorates from aging. As a result, the disc is unable to hold the vertebrae as it should and the lack of stability can cause back pain.

The review details the different treatment methods for symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease, including physical therapy with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and concludes that, in most patients with low back pain, symptoms resolve without surgical intervention. The review also concludes that physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the “cornerstones” of non-surgical treatment.

Physical therapist intervention includes strengthening of core muscle groups, including the abdominal wall and lumbar musculature, which can have positive effects in patients with this condition.

According to APTA spokesperson Julie Fritz, PT, PhD, ATC, clinical outcomes research scientist at Salt Lake City’s Intermountain Healthcare and associate professor at the University of Utah, physical therapists have several treatment options that can help patients with LBP whether due to degenerative disc disease or a variety of other causes.

Exercise and manual therapy including spinal manipulation, have been shown to benefit many patients.2, 3 In addition, patient education to remain active and use appropriate body mechanics is beneficial. Physical therapists are trained to identify which of these treatment strategies will be most effective for an individual patient, which further improves the effectiveness of care.

In previous systematic reviews of the literature, it was found that exercise has been shown to improve function and decrease pain in adult patients with chronic low back pain and that physical therapy was beneficial for the treatment of acute lower back pain.2, 3 In another systematic review,

NSAIDs were found to provide short-term symptomatic relief.4 “Receiving care from a licensed physical therapist can further improve the odds that a patient can maintain their quality of life and avoid surgery,” said Fritz. In addition to building the core muscle groups, hands-on therapy to mobilize the spine has been shown to be particularly effective.5, 6 “Spinal manipulation can be an important component of physical therapist treatment for low back pain. Supplementing exercise with spinal manipulation is also beneficial for many patients.”

Physical therapists can help patients develop a safe and effective exercise program that is tailored to an individual’s specific needs and goals. “Surgery should be the last option, but too often patients think of surgery as a cure all and are eager to embark on it,” said Luke Madigan, MD, an attending physician at Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic, Knoxville, TN, and the lead author of the literature review.

Physical therapists are highly-educated, licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility - in many cases without expensive surgery or the side effects of prescription medications.

APTA represents more than 70,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy nationwide. It’s purpose is to improve the health and quality of life of individuals through the advancement of physical therapist practice. In North Carolina, patients can make an appointment directly with a physical therapist, without a physician referral. To learn more about conditions physical therapists can treat visit our web site cpta-rx.com.

1 Andersson GB: Epidemiological features of chronic low back pain. Lancet 1999; 354:581-585.

2 Hayden JA, van Tulder MW, Malmivaara A, Koes BW: Exercise therapy for the treatment of non-specific low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;(3):CD000335.

3 Assendelft WJ, Morton SC, Yu EI, Suttorp MJ, Shekelle PG: Spinal manipulative therapy for low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(1):CD000447.

4 vanTulder MW, Scholten RJ, Koes BW, Deyo RA: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs for low back pain: a systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane collaboration back review group Cochrane review. Spine 2000:25:2501-2513.

5 Childs JD, Fritz JM, Flynn TW, Irrgang JJ, Johnson KK, Maikowski GR, Delitto A: A clinical prediction rule to identify patients with low back pain most likely to benefit from spinal manipulation: a validation study.

Ann Intern Med. 2004; 141(12):920-928.

6 Chou R, Huffman LH: Nonpharmacologic therapies for acute and chronic low back pain: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians clinical practice guideline.; American Pain Society; American College of Physicians; Ann Intern Med. 2007; 147(7):492-504.

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22 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

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Nature TOUCHING

WORDS MARY LOPEZ

Woodcarver David Caldwell enjoys life on his own terms – the natural way.

You might call David Caldwell a nature lover, but that would be an understatement. Sure, he lives far away in the rural rolling hills of northern Cleveland County, grows his own food, and cuts his own wood for heat in the winter. He is also quite active in several outdoor sports – hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking. But Caldwell’s natural passion extends even into his life’s work – in a word, it’s wood.

You might say he has a special relationship with one of nature’s most abundant resources.

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Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 23

24 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

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step into his new workshop, which he built himself, tells a lot about the man. A hand carved canoe is one of the biggest objects to catch the eye. Caldwell actually uses the canoe on local rivers. The back of the studio is a porch with a fabulous view of the Cleveland County hill country. The studio design incorporates natural sunlight, making light bulbs unnecessary on most days. Around the sides of the studio is a large assortment of power tools and various saws; Caldwell uses these in the preliminary stages of his work.

Perhaps the most intriguing objects are the hand carving tools and the different projects in stages of completion. One can visualize those tools in the hands of the master, creating fabulous designs. The day we visited, he brought out some of his finished pieces. They are absolutely breathtaking – bowls in the shape of leaves, a child’s face cradled in its father’s hands, delicate dogwood blooms and rough-hewn pieces that highlight the wood’s own beauty.

Too often, we think of art as something visually appealing that can be viewed in a museum from a safe distance. Caldwell’s carvings have that appeal; in fact he has pieces exhibited in museums. But this work has another dimension; it begs to be touched. The impulse to actually feel the pieces is overwhelming and it is no accident. The tactile dimension is evidence of the master carver’s love for his medium.

This is the way Caldwell wants us to be engaged with his art.

Caldwell’s status as a carver has gained him national recognition. The commission work he does shows the refined skill of his mastery. In 2000, he was commissioned by Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders, www.zimmerorgans.com, to carve façade décor for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Since then he has created similar work for St. Luke’s in Atlanta, St. Paul’s in D.C., Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and St. Thomas in New York. His ecclesiastical work can be seen locally at Boiling Springs Baptist Church (a shepherd’s cross) and Shelby’s Central United Methodist Church (a funerary urn).

For his own work, Caldwell prefers a more textural surface treatment. On some of his pieces, he allows the wood’s natural features to come through. Much of this work leaves the tool marks intact, as opposed to the finely sanded and polished patina of his commission work. It is part of the wood “experience” he is giving to the person enjoying his work.

Caldwell’s love for nature and woodwork began early in his life. He spent his formative years in Aiken County, South Carolina. He had a love for trees even then; always running through the woods, climbing, building. He reports a favorite sport of picking out just the right size sapling, climbing to the top, and riding the tree down as his weight bent it gently to the ground. He built go-carts and rolled them down the hills. As a scout, he once won the Pinewood Derby and he loved to camp. He learned to whittle wood with his pocketknife.

In high school, Caldwell excelled in math and science, so engineering was a good career choice when he went to college. He attended Clemson University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ceramic Engineering. His engineering career led him to Shelby to work for the Kemet Corporation. He immediately loved

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the Cleveland County outdoors and knew he had found a home.

Trying to follow the corporate lifestyle, he moved to Myrtle Beach for three years.

While there, he got his first set of carving tools; his childhood passion was rekindled and he was hooked on wood again. He also missed Cleveland County, so he returned in 1994.

Upon his return to the county, Caldwell jumped headlong into the Shelby Carrousel Restoration project with Tommy Forney. After some volunteer work, he was hired to assist in the completion of the reconstruction. The machine and 29 original horses were restored and Caldwell carved three new horses from scratch.

He received the Regional Artist Project Grant through the Arts and Science Council, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc. (www.artsandscience.org) and the Cleveland County Arts Council (www.ccartscouncil.org) in 1998 and again in 2008.

In 2001, he left the corporate world behind to seek his full time career as a woodcarver. Of course, that doesn’t mean less work. In fact, he now works between 50 – 70 hours per week. “But the benefits are good,” he says. “If I want a day off, it’s pretty easy to convince the boss to let me take it.”

In the summers of 2006 and 2007, Caldwell was accepted to study at the prestigious Penland School of Crafts (www.penland.org). He studied with master woodcraft instructors and developed an interest in human figure carving.

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 25

In 2007 and 2008, he formed a working partnership with sculptor Bob Trotman. Caldwell assisted Trotman with his “Business as Usual” installation, which is currently touring the museum circuit. Caldwell is now working with Trotman again on a large scale sculpture to be unveiled at The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh next fall.

The future looks bright for this man of nature, who gave up the corporate world to follow his lifelong passion.

That doesn’t mean that his training as an engineer was wasted, though. He uses that training constantly in every piece he designs and creates. Currently, Caldwell is interested in pieces that feature the human hands motif. He reports that the human hands symbolize the physicality of the carving process to him. He also teaches classes at The Cleveland County Arts Council and next summer he will be an instructor at The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts www.arrowmont.org.

While the art of woodcarving was once a popular skill, the machine age has reduced the demand for his type of functional and decorative work. Even as close as the furniture industry is in Hickory, North Carolina, master carvers were once in great demand. These industries still depend on the artisanship of the carvers to make original patterns, but most often the machines take over the duplication process.

Caldwell hopes that his work and his teaching will help to keep the art alive. You can see his art in a solo exhibition this November at Beet Gallery, North Davidson, Charlotte, www.beetonline.com. To learn more about David Caldwell and his work go to his website at www.caldwellcarvings.com.

26 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

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Up c Fe omi sti n va g ls

Big Festival Weekend welcomes everyone to

Uptown Shelby WORDS wade nichols

L

ate October is certainly fall in the Carolinas. Leaf color has about peaked, and the weather has a more aggressive attitude about it. But it’s not time to stay home. It’s time to get out and enjoy a last blast in Uptown Shelby before visions of turkey, Mom’s egg nog and holiday gift wrap take over.

The weekend of 22-24th of October promises to give most folks a great reason to get out and enjoy one of the three different festival clusters that have entertained Shelby for the past few years. The Art of Sound will return with over two dozen musical acts to enliven the ears again with everything from Bluegrass to Blues, Rock to Jazz and some adventuresome playing that moves around between all the classic anchors. This year the Art of Sound concerts will begin on Thursday evening, continue Friday night, and then go all day on Saturday.

Then on Saturday morning on the 24th, it is time for area children, pets and parents to enjoy Uptown Shelby’s own Fall Festival. It’s a day to enjoy children’s crafts and games, as well as the parade featuring our youngest citizens with their pets.

A new feature this year will be the chance to see a Bald Eagle from the Carolina Raptor Center. Come by from 10 a.m. to Noon for a morning packed with a load of excitement.

Fall Festival is co-sponsored by Wachovia and Wells Fargo in Shelby, and has become a fall centerpiece for children, parents and grandparents alike. It’s all about

28 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

the kids, but everyone has a share of the fun. Last year the Mayor led the parade, and we hope to have even more folks join in this time.

Starting just before noon, when adult appetites are beginning to build, it’s time for the 2009 Livermush Expo on Washington Street at Court Square. Cleveland County Tourism will be sponsoring the latest Expo to celebrate the traditional foods, especially the livermush that is so loved by locals and now visitors from all over. Enjoy getting mushed again this year with a livermush sandwich, washed down with the local favorite of Sundrop cola.

The Livermush Expo will also be presenting a number of other traditional crafts and presentations to complement our local delicacies. After the great coverage on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods show on Travel Chanel this past year, we anticipate even more flocking to court square for their helping of “Piedmont pate.” The Livermush Expo will run from 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And the Art of Sound performers will be knitting it all together with a great tapestry of music in different styles. With a free outdoor stage on Washington Street during the afternoon, there’s every reason to hear something different! And the Art of Sound wristbands will get you into all of the indoor events. Liven up your ears, your tastebuds, and your child-like wonder in Shelby’s great seasonal explosion of fun.

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Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 29

Art of Sound

WORDS TOMMY FORNEY WITH WADE NICHOLS

Returns to Shelby October 22-24

30 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

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The 7 th Annual Art of Sound festival

arrives on October 22nd this year, with a long weekend of top-notch music from many styles and traditions. The Art of Sound 2009 is presented by the Cleveland County Arts Council, with support from individual and corporate sponsors. The festival offers a field of local talent, as well as new voices from around the region and nation.

A

new feature this year will be the Thursday night opening concerts showcasing Al Dunkelman, Flint Hill and the Brooke & Darin Aldridge Quintet for a Folk Bluegrass-inflected evening in the Arts Center. Cecil P & White Street Band featuring Bunny Clyde, Calvin Edwards, and The Barefoot Assassins for Jazz, R&B & Bluegrass combinations at First National Bank’s Hamilton Hall. Concerts are set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Frank Love Orchestra will work their Big Band magic at First National Bank on Friday evening. Shelby native Rick Bowles along with Nashville’s Phoenix Mendoza, will follow, and The Old Ceremony returns with original songs and interpretation of rock’n’roll to close the first evening. Across the Square Moses Cherry & the Topless Gospel Choir, the Scoot Pitman Trio, and the Shane Pruitt Band will fill the Arts Center on Friday night with their varied sounds.

Saturday’s lineup runs from 1:00 p.m. until about 11:00 p.m. The site will continue to be the Uptown Shelby area with the outdoor (free) stage, the Arts Center, and First National Bank. The day begins with student choirs from around the region performing on Court Square, from 10:00 a.m.until 1:00 p.m.

The Outdoor Stage on Washington Street presents Raven’s Lodge, Moonshine Jenny and Big Daddy Love for one of the more eclectic presentations you might find. Native American flute, Blues, and original Americana sounds will ring out from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

On Saturday in First National Bank’s Hamilton Hall festival goers can listen to Fayssoux McLean, Roger Bellow and Vollie McKenzie, Harris Brothers, Tori Sparks, Malcolm Holcombe, Miss Tess & The Bon Ton Parade, and Justin Jones and the Driving Rain.

The music begins at 1:30 and continues until about 10:00 p.m.

Across Court Square The Arts Center will feature sets beginning at 1:00 with Balsam Range, Unspoken Tradition, Brooke & Darin Aldridge Quintet, Carol

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Elizabeth Jones & James Leva, the Slate Mountain Ramblers, Bill Noonan, the Kari Sickenberger Band, and Elizabeth Cook until nearly 11:00 p.m. If you can sit still for a bit, you will hear great Bluegrass, Gospel, Americana, Old-time string band, acoustic and more, all in one afternoon.

The popular “songwriter in the round” segment will be part of the festival early in the day, so plan accordingly for the Early Bird Café in Hamilton Hall.

The best way to plan your Art of Sound weekend is to get a schedule from the web site, come early so you get the most value, and make a point to try something completely new. It’s not likely you’ll be disappointed.

Please check the schedule on-line or in local listings as changes can occur.

Tickets/wristbands are available at the Arts Center and online. Tickets will range from $15 for one evening and $25 for Saturday only, or $40 for a full weekend pass. Advance purchases will be discounted $5 to give music fans an even greater value. For more information and complete schedule please call 704-484-2787 or visit www.artofsoundcc.com.

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 31

Down Home

WORDS GILDA PRUITT

”Just off of the beaten path A little dot on a state road map That’s where I was born and where I’ll die Things move at a slower pace Nobody’s in the rat race And these days that’s a special way of life…”

V

erse one of a number one hit song, “Down Home” written by Rick Bowles for the musical group, Alabama—written about his growing up in Shelby, NC.

Rick shared some memories: “As a songwriter you don’t meet the stars that often. They have their own circle. You get together with other songwriters, you write the song, go into the studio and record it; then turn it in to the publishing company that you write for. They go out and pitch the song to record companies and artists.”

“One interesting story, though, is that another songwriter and I wrote a song with Kenny Rogers and we stayed in his house in Athens, Georgia.

When we were finished working for the day, he loaded all of us up in a minivan with he and his former wife and son. He drove and took us to one of his restaurants—Kenny Rogers Rotisseries in Athens. Afterwards we went to the mall and enjoyed a movie. Kenny Rogers was very nice and easy to work with.”

32 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

Another time, I went into the office where I worked (for the group Alabama).

The phone rings and the receptionist answered it and said that it is for me—says it is Garth Brooks.

I get on the phone and say, “Hello.”

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

I Can’t Win for Losin’ You (Earl Thomas Conley) #1 I Know How He Feels (Reba) #1 Down Home (Alabama) #1 Then Again (Alabama) #1 I Didn’t Know My Own Strength (Lorrie Morgan) #1 Long As I Live (John Michael Montgomery) #1 Sittin’On Go (Bryan White) #1 A Girl’s Gotta Do…(Mindy McCready) #3 Meant To Be (Sammy Kershaw) #4 Wrong Night (Reba ) #5 Love Is Stronger Than Pride (Ricochet) #7 She’s A Natural (Rob Crosby) #7 Emotional Girl (Terri Clark) #8 Nothing New Under the Moon (Leann Rimes) #9 He Left A Lot To Be Desired (Ricochet) #10

“In the corner of the hardware store Gathered ‘round a checkerboard Old men telling lies and crowning kings Kids driving ‘round the old town square Tops rolled down in the cool night air Go and see what’s shaking at the Dairy Queen…”

He answers, “Rick?”

I say, “Yeah.”

“It is Garth,” he says.

I said, “Excuse me.”

The conversation goes on this way for the next four or five minutes, and I don’t believe it is he.

Finally I say, “Garth, or whoever you are—it is April fool’s Day!” “Ah,” he says, “So that’s what it is, I’ve been calling people all day and nobody believes it is me.”

“He still didn’t record my song!”

Rick gives this advice to those who want to be in the business: “Don’t quit your day job. The music business as I have known it is becoming obsolete. It is replaced with a new, brutal business.”

“Be as diversified as you can. The future of the music business is to be self-contained—write your own songs, perform them yourself and do your own marketing. I believe the days of the big giant record companies doing all that for you are numbered. You need to go out and perform songs live, build up your following, advance your career, by having web presence for example on My Space. It is very difficult to get your song played on radio right now and probably will continue to be.”

“The biggest issue facing songwriters and artists today is illegal downloading. We have a whole generation of folks who do not understand the importance of respecting copyrights and intellectual property. People are starting to steal movies and books now. People who create must make a living so when people don’t respect that, fewer and fewer will be able to sustain their livelihood!

There are fewer slots available than there were.”

Rick recognizes people to thank: “I took guitar lessons from Ray Ledford and he was an amazing musician. I sang in clubs for years in Charlotte in the ‘80’s—thanks to all those who came to hear me sing.”

“I want to acknowledge Richard Putnam, who played piano with me in the l980’s. He also played on both my albums and was a frequent co-writer. He is currently a Shelby resident.”

“Thanks to my family for listening to all the bad songs that I have written.”

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 33

Rick continues, “To become a country songwriter never occurred to me but growing up in a small town like Shelby, exposed me to the core values that make up themes of country music—love of country, family, God, honesty, hard work. This I learned growing up in this town.”

“My nephews, Dennis and Morgan Beam, are taking lessons at Shelby Music Center and they are already good on the guitar at 16 and 13. They will become really good. That is exciting for me—I’ll go to my sister’s house and sometimes I’ll get out my guitar and play with them. That is fun!” *Rick Bowles, who has written 15 songs that became “Top Ten Songs”, was inducted into the NC Hall of Fame’s Music and Entertainment Division in 1997. He will be playing at the Art of Sound in Shelby with Nashville friend, Phoenix Mendoza in October of this year.

“Down home, where they know you by name And treat you like family Down home, a man’s good word and handshake are all you need Folks know if they’re falling on hard times They can fall back on Those of us raised up down home.”

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WHERE THERE’S SOMETHING FOR

WORDS BOB MORI

38 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

www.foothillsspotlight.com

When you first enter

the nondescript-exterior building, furniture greets you on both sides. As you walk farther, you can see clothing displayed straight ahead. But before you get up to the work wear and outerwear garment racks and look left, there’s a hardware section. Beyond that in the same direction, if you strain your distance vision, you can see an outdoor sporting goods/archery section. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s an outdoor area displaying road pipe for sale.

No, it’s not some giant outlet in Charlotte. It’s Norris Merchandise just outside Shelby, NC, on Hwy. 18 South where this general store-type, “one-stop shopping” arena continues to serve long-time customers and newcomers alike.

The facility’s history, much like it’s inventory, is as colorful as they come. In 1947, Alvin “Doc” Bridges and two partners built the original 3,000 square foot “core” building which was known initially as K&W Packing Company, later renamed as Morris Packing Company after one of the partners. When Alvin decided to buy out his partners in 1950, he found that he couldn’t legally continue using the same company name. Being the master of thrift, Alvin realized that the cheapest thing to do was to keep the same letterhead replacing the “M” with an “N,” resulting in the Norris Packing Company.

Here, Alvin and over 100 employees at peak operation prepared and processed meat products to the tune of four million pounds each year. The operation was so successful that a second building was added behind the first, increasing the workplace to 15,000 square feet, to process the inedible by-products including bone meal sold to feed mills and grease sold to

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cosmetic companies…nothing went to waste! Alvin’s youngest son, David, worked hands-on at the business during these years in the summers even after he went off to college at UNC-Chapel Hill.

In 1973, Alvin decided to take a hiatus after suffering a work stress-related heart attack. He closed the packing company and began to work as a part-time cattle buyer while his son David took up farming. The packing plant was rented out during those years. But Alvin had inherited the entrepreneurial gene from both his parents and could not stay away from running a business very long. His mother Mittie, now 100 years old, ran Bridges Grocery in Swainsville (near Shelby) for years after the death of his father Clyde. In 1983, Alvin, with wife Peggy, and son David decided to reopen the store but this time as a “general merchandise” type of operation. “Norris” had been reborn!

Throughout the 1980’s the family expanded into different areas of merchandise. General hardware became the main product and Carhartt clothing soon entered the lineup as the main source of menswear. “We were one of the first businesses in the area to carry the Carhartt line. We had it before most people knew what it was.” David explains. “Then we decided to dedicate some floor space to furniture. We started carrying Lexington, Lane, American Drew, Broyhill and Hooker furniture lines among others which proved to be very popular.”

While most of us try to keep our work life and family life separate from one another, family-run businesses do just the opposite. David’s oldest child, Sara, would get off the school bus at the store and help work in the afternoons and on weekends learning many aspects of the business over the course of her adolescence.

“I decided to attend school at UNC Charlotte so that I could be closer not necessarily to home but to the store,” jokes Sara. “I remember my mother telling me one day they were thinking of closing the store and at that moment I realized that I could not let this business just vanish. I knew what I wanted to do with my life from that point on.” Sara continued her education at Gardner-Webb, earning an MBA, getting married, and having her now 19-month old daughter, Taylor Beth.

If infant Taylor later also goes into the family business, she’ll be the sixth generation storekeeper!

In keeping with the ”family” theme, Sara’s husband, Todd came aboard in 2003 and currently oversees the largest archery range and shop of its kind in Cleveland County. Todd brings a high level of skill and knowledge to the business having been professionally trained by big-name archery suppliers such as PSE, Parker and BowTech at their corporate facilities as well as being an avid bow hunter himself. He is also a Level I certified archery coach. “A number of our archery customers come from a wide area to have Todd help them tune their bows and make recommendations for optimizing the performance of their equipment,” Sara adds. “His knowledge and expertise is really in demand!” Todd’s associate in the shop, Alex Ballenger, competes in both indoor and outdoor archery events and is an avid bow hunter as well. He won the 2009 South Carolina State “Pop-Up Target” Tournament and holds the current NC State Indoor Traditional Record. Norris’ archery department works closely with Quail Hollow Archery Club that is part of the Western North Carolina Archery Circuit.

The club holds several “3D Shoots” per year in which archers shoot at various big game targets at unknown distances. Archers feel these shoots are both a good

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 39

way to get ready for hunting season and provide leisure activity with the family.

Not all the Bridges have had an active part in the family’s now-20,000 square-feet operation. David’s son, Andrew, works for Bank of America in Charlotte.

David’s wife, Martha, who retired from the US Army Reserve after 22 years of service and recently retired from Casar Elementary after 33 years of teaching, now spends much of her leisure time with her granddaughter and in her garden. A long time family friend, Ben Newsome, runs the hardware section of the operation and oversees daily activities along with David and Sara. All together, Norris Merchandise employs 10 people including family. All live in the Shelby area.

“We pride ourselves in being a family-run, one-stop store for everything,” explains David. “I don’t know of any other store like it in Cleveland County. We give people good service at a fair price being either right on or lower than big-name stores.” And contributing to the community is another aspect of Norris’ that lots of people don’t know about, too. The business sponsors a Shelby City Park Baseball Team, and contributes to United Way, the Kidney Association, both the Lions and Kiwanis Clubs and the Homebuilders Association of Cleveland County. Norris Merchandise also contributes to various churches, schools, and other area non-profit organizations. Alvin Bridges was even one of the founding members of the Cleveland County Volunteer Fire Department.

Neither David nor Sara could think of interesting stories associated with the business. But one funny tail from the old days of the meat packing operation came from an older former worker who swears he could hear and see “ghost cows” mooing late at night after that operation had shut down!

“Our biggest problem is folks knowing we’re here,” laments David. “We’ve even had people tell us they’ve driven past the store for 30 years and just recently were curious enough to stop in.”

Even though Norris Merchandise isn’t on busy Rt. 74 Shelby Bypass, word of mouth can pass quickly about the nondescript building housing the store that has “something for everyone!”

40 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

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Help in

Catastrophic Times I

magine a fire rips through your home, blackening the interior with smoke, showering soot over furniture and belongings, and gutting walls and floors. The very thought of where to start can be overwhelming.

That’s where American Restoration comes in.

The business, located on Wendover Height’s Road in Shelby and lined with crepe myrtle trees, specializes in assisting when disaster strikes.

“We specialize in working with insurance companies and emergency damages,” said owner Mason Venable.

Venable, along with his wife and two children have been living in Cleveland County since mid 90s when he bought the company, which originally specialized in insurance restoration work. He said they had moved from Charlotte because they thought it was not only a good place for a business, but a great place to raise children. “And we were right,” Venable said. Part of the reason he is in the restoration business is the opportunity to make a difference.

“The business is basically about helping people in catastrophic times so they can continue on with their life while we deal with the damage,” he said. “We know that life has to go on.

This isn’t something you can plan ahead for.”

He said they are often able to save items after water or fire damage that other companies would not be able to.

Venable said they have four managers, 10 full time production employees and numerous subs and part time workers.

www.f o o t h i l l s s p o t l i g h t . c o m

WORDS REBECCA CLARK

After a disaster, such as a lightening strike, a dishwasher hose break, or a kitchen fire, they start the clean up process, create an inventory of damages, and works with the insurance companies, allowing people to continue on with their daily life as best as they can.

Venable said they deal with 200 to 300 calls a year.

He said they have already done restoration work on about 40 homes this year due to hail damage from the violent storms that have passed through the area.

The ice storm of 2002 also provided them with plenty of business. “There were several trees that cut houses in half. At least five houses were sheared off by trees,” he said. Once the ice melted on the roof, it also caused damage.

The catastrophes they deal with also vary greatly but he said the majority of restoration they do involves water damage. He said they set up drying equipment to stop the growth of mold and begin the cleaning process.

Venable said he enjoys the transformation that occurs in the homes from beginning to end. “I enjoy seeing the finished product,” he said. “They [homeowners or business owners] look back and say ‘wow you really did a great job. Thanks for making the repair process so easy’”.

Venable said they like to keep everything local from hiring local employees to buying local materials and enrolling their children in local schools. “We are a firm believer in local people.”

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 43

foothillsbusiness

{business tips}

WORDS SCOTT DARNELL, PMP, MBA

Today, your network can be an invaluable part of your business or even personal lives. I have always relied on my network for professional and personal growth. A great friend of mine is an expert in the area of networking, so I asked her to contribute her thoughts on the importance of networking.

Building Your Network

BY GINA HERALD

HOW

...In these challenging economic times it’s more important than ever...

Scott Darnell, PMP, MBA serves as a silent adviser to a number of organizations and small businesses in the areas of sales, marketing, strategy, change management, talent acquisition, customer service and networking.

44 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

STRONG

IS

YOUR

network? Webster’s defines a network as: an association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information, or the like; and networking as cultivating people who can be helpful to one professionally.

The relationships in your life are a key to your success. Cultivating them takes an investment of time. Dr. Ivan Misner in his book, The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret, says that we need to build networks for 3 reasons: Information, support and referrals/business.

Do you have the resources you need in these three areas within your current network? Think about who you turn to when you need information, support or business? Do you have at least a few strong relationships within each area to rely on when needed? In these challenging economic times it’s more important than ever to have strong relationships with key people who can provide the information and resources you need.

You may find yourself in an unplanned job transition in which case you’ll need people in all 3 of these areas. Close to 80% of jobs are found through networking. Even if you’re not in a job transition the competition for business is as fierce as ever. People do business with people they know, like and trust. Have you built those types of relationships with your internal and

external customers? Are you aware of what’s happening in your industry and what your competition is up to? Are you confident that your relationships are mutually beneficial? Are you working at building them with key people at all times and not just when you need those people? Time is the key to building relationships. If you invest time in getting to know others and helping them succeed chances are that when you need information, support or business you’ll have plenty of people in your network that you can count on to provide those things.

Take some time to analyze your current relationships. Create a plan to seek out those people who can fill a void in your network. There is a time investment required, however the return on that investment is exponential. Cultivating strong relationships is a process and it should be one that you devote yourself to so that you’ll never lack information, support or business.

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Why Shelby needs the

A M E R I C A N L E G I O N WO R L D S E R I E S WORDS JACKIE SIBLEY

I

n February of 2010 the American Legion Baseball committee will submit a bid for the most important sporting event Cleveland County will ever see. The winner of this bid will host the American Legion World Series for 4 years beginning in August of 2011. There is a chance that the winner of this bid will become the permanent home of the American Legion World Series.

How does this affect you? It means an unbelievable amount of recognition of our county. The more awareness Cleveland County receives across the United States, the more tourism increases for our county. The more tourism increases the more money our county receives. Tourism dollars are the most perfect dollars because it comes from outside our area not the residents of our county. Guests spend their money in our hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions then share their wonderful experience with friends in their own hometowns. Cleveland County is not burdened with expanding utility services, educating their children, losing valuable farm land to housing developments or any responsibility otherwise associated with expanding populations. This income is then circulated in our economy for about 4 cycles and sales tax is collected on purchases made by these people. The ripple effect of this income is astounding!

The income produced from such a large scale sporting event can be huge. For the first time in American Legion baseball history one location hosted the 2008 American Legion World Series, plus the Southeastern Regional Tournament that leads into the series. This was the first time the state of North Carolina has hosted the national championships since Shelby won the title at old Griffith Park in Charlotte in 1945. The economic impact from these two events resulted in about $11 million dollars in revenues from visitor spending. This report comes from a formula devised by tourism ex-

www.f o o t h i l l s s p o t l i g h t . c o m

perts like Randall Travel Marketing. In a series of twelve days, Cleveland County merchants and local government made a total of $11 million dollars because of two sporting events!

According to the American Legion Baseball Committee there are approximately 4,925 teams working towards the World Series. Assuming a conservative number of 30 players and coaches per team, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a total of 147,750 people who will be familiar with Cleveland County and the city of Shelby. Now, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say that each team has a fan base of 1,000. That would be another 4,925,000 people across the United States who will learn about Cleveland County and Shelby, North Carolina.

Besides the money made from this event, Cleveland County made friends from all over the country. Friends that have come back to visit and some that plan to come in the future. People reported that the hospitality of our town was the greatest they had ever experienced. They loved our historic downtowns, our friendly atmosphere and our charm. People went away with a memory of Shelby and Cleveland County that they will never forget. Hopefully, a memory they shared with friends who will come visit us too.

How can you get involved in making history?

Shelby and Cleveland County must prepare and submit a first-class presentation to the National Office of the American Legion. The budget for professional development of this presentation required by the National Office is $60,000. A contribution in any amount is appreciated, but there are perks to contributing $10 or more. For more information call 704-692-6943 or www.ClevelandCountyBaseball.com.

Questions regarding the economic impact of the 2008 event or about tourism should be directed to Jackie Sibley, Executive Director of Tourism, Jackie@ ClevelandChamber.org or 704-482-7882.

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 47

Author of “The Shack” William Paul Young Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center Gardner-Webb University Greater Shelby Community Theatre 2009-2010 Season “I Ought to Be in Pictures” by Neil Simon directed by Allan Nichols October 23-25, 30-31 and Nov. 1

Saturday, October 31 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Open to the public

“A Christmas Story” adapted by Phillip Grecian directed by Chris Huffstetler Dec. 11-13 and 18-20 Boys Nextfor Door”

by Tom Griffin Volunteers “The are needed all aspects of production including directed

by Rebecca Reger costume design, set design and construction, stage management, Junesound 18-20 and 25-27. light and design and operation.

To volunteer email chuffstetler@hotmail.com For additional information call Greater Shelby Community Theater at 704 480-8495

For more information, including tickets for this event call 704-406-3862 or go online at supportgwu.com.

We care about

Ethan’s eyecare.

When it comes to your child’s ’ vision it’s ’ important to understand that many sight-threatening diseases, if detected early enough can be cured or treated to prevent and slow the progression of vision loss. Children like Ethan, should YLJLP]L [OLPY ÄYZ[ L`L L_HT ILMVYL [OL HNL VM MV\Y \USLZZ

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today they will thank you for it later.

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CLEVELAND COUNTY’S

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FAIRS • FESTIVALS • EVENTS

September - December For more info call: 704.482.7882 or call toll free 1.866.305.9973

SEPTEMBER 2009

10/24 Shelby Fall Festival 10 am-12 pm. Dress up and be

9/20 Annual Birthday Party and Blue Grass Bash and Rubber

Ducky Regatta. 3-5 pm. Broad River Greenway, 126 Broad River Road, Boiling Springs, 704-434-2357 9/26 Performance, Musical Instrument and Production Show 10 am-7 pm. $3 advance/ $5 at the door. Open to the public.

Presented by Star Stage & Sound at the Shelby City Park, 850 W. Sumter St., Shelby, 704-480-0709, www.StarsStageandSound.com

OCTOBER 2009 10/1-10 Cleveland County Fair Times vary per day. The largest county fair in North Carolina. Agricultural exhibits, rides and live entertainment as well as fair food you would expect.

1751 East Marion Street, Shelby, 704-487-0651 www.clevelandcountyfair.com 10/2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30-31 Haunted Pyramids A true Hollywood special effects artist sets up the most frightening haunted attraction in the state. 2725 Toney Road, Lawndale, NC 28090.704-538-3961. www.hauntedpyramids.com 10/9-11 Foothills Quilters Guild Quilt Show and Sale Fri. & Sat. 10 am -5 pm, Sun.1-4 pm. Admission $3. Cleveland County Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Uptown Shelby. 704-4847486 www.foothillsquiltersguild.org 10/10 Equestrian Ride at the Broad River Greenway Co-hosted

by Bar H Ranch. Broad River Greenway, 126 Broad River Road, Boiling Springs, 704-434-2357 www.BroadRiverGreenway.com 10/10-11 Backcountry Militia Anniversary Encampment Experience the days of the revolutionary war. Kings Mountain National Military Park. 864-936-7921

10/1-10 Cleveland County Fair

10/10 Kings Mountain Gateway Festival 10 am-5 pm. Revolutionary war encampment and battle reenactment. Live cannon fire! Barber and Cornwell Houses Open for tours. Live music, early crafts and demonstrations of domestic skills. Event occurs at Patriots Park in downtown Kings Mountain. www.kingsmountainmuseum.org

a part of the children’s costume parade in Uptown Shelby on the Court Square. Friendly dog and cat PET PARADE, face painting, pumpkin painting and photos with your pet or just you. CAROLINA RAPTOR CENTER will be there with birds of prey. (rain date Oct. 31) Uptown Shelby Historic Court Square, Washington Street. 704-484-3100. Brought to you by Uptown Shelby Association www.uptownshelby.org 10/24 Livermush Expo 10 am-5 pm. FEATURED ON THE

TRAVEL CHANNEL. Taste Shelby’s famed Livermush and learn new recipes. First ever, LIVERMUSH POKER RUN! Bike show and line up at 10 am, first bike out at noon. Uptown Shelby Historic Court Square, Washington Street. 704-482-7882 www.TourClevelandCounty.com 10/22-24 Art of Sound Music Festival Fri. 8-11 pm./Sat. 11

am-11 pm. Cleveland County Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Uptown Shelby. 704-484-2787 www.ccartscouncil.org 10/3, 10, 17 & 24 Trolley Ghost Tour Get on board the trol-

ley and listen to the “untold” ghost stories of Cleveland County.

Sit back and learn some history as the stories unfold. Trolley Tours are 1 hour in length - available at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Reservations required. 704-482-9077 www.travellynxtours.com 10/16-31 Bar H Haunted Hayrides Fri, Sat & Sun only. Open

at dark. Bar H Arena, Hwy 150 (look for signs). 704-434-2866, www.BarHevents.com 10/30-11/1 Holiday Gift Galleria Sponsored by the Junior Charity League of Shelby to benefit its children’s clothing closet.

Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 1751 E. Marion St, Shelby.

704-480-8924 www.jclshelby.com

NOVEMBER 2009 11/6-7 Hog Happnin’ 18th annual Tar Heel BBQ Championship

cook-off. Open to the public. Music on the entertainment stage from noon-1:30pm. BBQ serving lines are open from 11:00am3:00pm. Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 1751 E Marion Street, Shelby. 704-476-2747, www.hoghappnin.com

PUPPY LUV

10/11 Fall Color Walk at Broad River Greenway 2 pm. Meet at

11/6-7 2nd Annual Broad River Greenway Enchanted Forest

7-9 pm. Meet at the Station, Broad River Greenway, Dog Grooming &Ranger Boarding

Phifer Cabin, Broad River Greenway, 126 Broad River Road, Boiling Springs, 704-434-2357 www.BroadRiverGreenway.com 10/12-13, 19-20, 26-27 Terror By The Tracks 8 pmClimate midnight. Joy Performance Center, 202 S. Railroad Ave, Kings Mountain. 704-730-9408. www.kmlt.org Control

Boarding

10/22-11/19 Traveling Postcard Exhibit Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm;

Sat. Nov. 7th, 10am-2pm. Opening Reception Oct. 22nd, 5:307:30pm. FREE. Cleveland County Arts Council, Shelby, NC 28150, 704-484-2787, www.ccartscouncil.org

Hours: Mon - Fri under 12 free. One of only two pottery festivals in the Carolinas.

Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 1751 E. Marion Street, Shelby.

By Appt.

11/14 8th Annual Carolina Pottery Festival 10am-4pm. $2/

704-824-9928. www.carolinapotteryfestival.org

11/27 Holiday Carriage Rides 5:30-8:30 pm $8 for adults and

$4 for children. Uptown ShelbyBlanton Association. 704-484-3100 Certified Groomer Ashley www.uptownshelby.org 1623 S. Post Rd. * Shelby, NC * 704-482-3417

10/10-11 10/10-11 Backcountry Backcountry Militia Militia

Boarding Facilities Available

126 Broad River Road, Boiling Springs, 704-434-2357 www.BroadRiverGreenway.com

PUPPY LUV Hours: Mon - Fri

By Appt.

Certified Groomer Ashley Blanton 1623 S. Post Rd. * Shelby, NC * 704-482-3417

u All yo at can e asta, ,p pizzad bar & sala zerts” “piz

Celebrating 50 years of serving families!

Call today to learn of Pizza Inn’s availability for meetings.

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PUPPY LUV Dog Grooming & Boarding

11/27 Santa House 5:30-8:30 pm. Sponsored by First National

CHRISTMAS PARADES

Bank. Bring the children for photos on Santa’s lap in his house.

Located on the historic court house lawn in Uptown Shelby, 704-484-3100 www.uptownshelby.orgClimate

Hours:

Control 11/28 Backcountry Militia at Howser House Kings Mountain Historical Museum, 100 E Mountain St., Kings Mountain. 704Boarding

11/29

739-1019. www.kingsmountainmuseum.org

11/29

DECEMBER 2009

Grover Christmas Parade 1 pm,- Fri Mon 980-721-6343

By Appt.

Boiling Springs Christmas Parade 3 pm, 704-434-9419

Certified Groomer Ashley Blanton 12/5 Polkville Christmas Parade 2 pm 1623miniature S. Post Coast ‘S’ Gauges running through a magical, land. Rd. * Shelby, NC * 704-482-3417 12/1-1/9 Trains, Trains, Trains Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. The Atlantic

Kings Mountain Historical Museum, 100 E Mountain St., Kings Mountain. 704-739-1019. www.kingsmountainmuseum.org

12/5

Kings Mountain Christmas Parade 3 pm, 704-734-0333

Celebrating 50 years Earl Christmas Parade 3 pm of serving families!

Fallston Christmas Parade 2 pm, u Barber Christmas Traditions of the 19th Century 12ll- y3opm.

12/4, 11 &18 Holiday Carriage Rides 5:30-8:30 pm $8 for

12/6

adults and $4 for children. Uptown Shelby Association.

704-484-3100 www.uptownshelby.org

PUPPY LUV

10/24 Livermush Expo

12/5

Dog Grooming &

12/12

A t an ea sstarts and Cornwell Houses open for tours. Christmas cparade at a ta, p , a z 3 pm. Kings Mountain Historical Museum, 100pEizMountain St., & Boarding r ba saladzerts” Kings Mountain. 704-739-1019. “piz

704-538-3111

www.kingsmountainmuseum.org

Hours: Mon town. So take-aFri break from the shopping and join us at Phifer Cabin for Santa and fun! Meet at Phifer Cabin. Bring your camera By Appt.

Climate Control Boarding

12/13

Kingstown Christmas Parade 2 pm

TBA

Casar Christmas Parade, 3 pm, 704-538-3366

12/6 Santa at Phifer Cabin 2-4 pm Santa Claus is coming to

12/20 Shelby Christmas Parade 3 pm, Buffet ALL DAY, EVERY

704-484-3100 10:30am - 10pm

for a great photo with Santa. BroadCall River Greenway, 126 learn Broad of today to Pizza Inn’s availability River Drive, Boiling Springs, NC. 704-434-2357. for meetings. www.Broadrivergreenway.com

Certified Groomer Ashley Blanton 127 East Dixon Blvd., 12/11 Kings Mountain Mountaineer Christmas 5:30-9 pm.

Join Shelby 1623 S. Post Rd. * Shelby, NC * 704-482-3417 us in downtown Kings Mountain for some late night shopping,

DAY

New Owner: Bill Simmons

704-482-2441

www.PizzaInn.com

carriage rides and costumed carolers. Store windows will “come alive” with characters from favorite Christmas stories. Mountaineer Partnership Inc., Downtown Kings Mountain, NC. 704-730-0283, www.mtnpartnership.com

50 years 11/6-7 HogCelebrating Happnin’ 12/11 to 1/15 “White House Gingerbread Tasting with Wassail” u All yo at e n ca asta, ,p pizzad bar & a l a s erts” “pizz

of serving families!

Come see our newest gingerbread house designed like the White House and, “All of the Presidents Men, butlers and Chefs! A chance to see Actual White House Historical Association ornaments, Camp David trinkets and a few stories with First Family Christmas Cards. Tours for buses, groups and families anytime otherwise tours are Saturdays at 1 p.m. The Presidential Culinary Museum, 301 Cleveland Avenue, The historic Hambright House, Grover, Located at NC exit 2 or SC exit 106 on I-85. 704-937Buffet ALL DAY, EVERY DAY 2940, www.theinnofthepatriots.com

Cleveland County attraction brochures are available at the Visitor Information Center located at the Cleveland Mall on East 107Dixon EastBoulevard, MountainShelby.

Street Mountain, For more information on Kings these events contactNC Cleveland County Travel & Tourism at 704.482.7882 or call free 1.866.305.9973 Accepting: Medicaid & toll NC Health Choice or www.TourClevelandCounty.com.

10:30am - 10pm

Call today to learn of Pizza Inn’s availability for meetings.

New Owner: Bill Simmons

127 East Dixon Blvd., Shelby

704-482-2441

www.PizzaInn.com

12/1-1/9 Trains, Trains, Trains

Kings Mountain Dentistry 704-739-4473

Kings Mountain Dentistry 704-739-4473

oin

J

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y da

107 East Mountain Street Kings Mountain, NC

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y!

Dover Foundation YMCA – 704-484-9622 Ruby C. Hunt YMCA - 704-434-0441

KM Family YMCA – 704-739-9631 River Bend YMCA Golf Course – 704-482-4286

October 30th from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm

October 31st from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm

November 1st from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm

Holiday Gift Galleria 0 2009 0 (Sponsored by Junior Charity League of Shelby, NC)

Wanted:

Shoppers—exploring the endless possibilities of gifts at Holiday Gift Galleria at Dorton Hall, Cleveland County Fairgrounds, Shelby, NC

WORDS GILDA PRUITT Holiday Gift Galleria will once again come to Dorton Hall, enabling shoppers from the Foothills area to participate in one of the most satisfying shopping experiences to be imagined! Many have likened this to a small Southern Christmas Show right here in Shelby.

Jennifer Rose Cook, chairperson for this year’s Holiday Gift Galleria is excited to predict that there will be something for everyone at this event. Last year’s Galleria hosted approximately 41 merchants and things are shaping up to be about the same this year. The League is thrilled at the return of our local merchants but also buoyed by the fact that merchants are coming from Maryland, Texas, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

There will be children’s toys, children’s clothing and diverse gift items.

Many of these gift items are very reasonably priced in the $5-$30 range.

There will also be more expensive items for sale.

To make the event even more special, the Candy Cane Cafe will be open each day. League members will be serving lunch to the shoppers, utilizing recipes from their most recent cookbook, The River’s Course. Delicious!

Money derived from this Junior Charity League project will be utilized to help clothe children in the Cleveland County area. The League spends $100 per child on new clothing. The children “shop” themselves in the Clothing Room and may select items from Aeropostale, Gap, Justice or many other stores that handle what the children would consider to be stylish.

The Junior Charity League of Shelby clothes 980 children per year and expects to clothe more than that this coming year.

This galleria is a much anticipated event by area shoppers and the League is hoping that even more will attend this year when needs are great. Please keep the dates of October 30, 31 and November 1 in mind as the holidays approach and know that your support of this endeavor will help this charity continue to give to the children in the community.

52 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

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From lumps of clay

Art

to works of

54 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t F a l l 2 0 0 9

www.foothillsspotlight.com

F

rom our country’s earliest days, every community needed a potter. Potters took clay from the earth and molded it into utilitarian objects for eating, drinking and storing.

Sometimes, they added intricate decorations to their creations that would be used for special occasions.

Over the years, this useful trade survived the coming of mass produced ceramics and glassware and evolved into its own art form. While many potters still produce items that will be used by their owners, it is just as likely the items they make will become treasured keepsakes to be displayed as art.

When it comes to North Carolina Pottery, many people first think of Seagrove. But over the years, the Foothills region has been gaining ground in terms of numbers of artisans, the quality of their work and venues to enjoy and obtain it.

For the ninth consecutive year, potters in our area and from beyond will showcase their works in the Carolina Pottery Festival, to be held Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds in Shelby. Denver resident Bobbi Black, one of the founding board members of the event, says there will be 100 potters on hand and many of them live, work and create in the area we call home.

www.f o o t h i l l s s p o t l i g h t . c o m

She says it is one of the largest and most interesting festivals of its type. The one-day event generally draws more then 3,000 people.

In recalling how the festival began, she noted that the inability to display her work at a festival led her husband Dean to suggest she start her own. “I then talked to some potters I knew and we started planning our festival.” These included Kaye Lowery, Ron Philbeck and Vickie Hallaran of Shelby as well as Allen Griffin and Vickie Gill of Gastonia.

Black says the original board chose the Shelby area, with its spacious fairgrounds and large exhibit buildings, due to its centralized location. She says it’s been a great decision since day one.

With free parking and an admission price of $3, with under age 12 free, it’s a bargain any way you look at it.

There will even be a food vendor on site. Another nice thing about the festival is that a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Cleveland County Arts Council, which provides volunteers for the event.

Kaye Lowery, a Shelby potter and festival board member is proud of this gift as the Arts Council supports the pottery community in many ways. She says the types of pottery you’ll see at the show are impressive. “If you’ve seen it, we’ll have it here,” she says. “It’s

a very diverse show with everything from household items to the whimsical to beautiful art.”

Ron Philbeck, one of the original board members, has participated in the show each year. “It’s a great place for a potter to get some wide exposure to his work and for us to see what others in the field are doing,” he says.

Hal Dedmon is a Cleveland County potter now serving on the board. He’s been a serious potter for over 15 years and specializes in face jugs. He says this is a great festival “because it is put on by the potters themselves. This makes it a unique event in its own right.”

Everyone agrees the timing of the festival is also good.

The weather is usually mild and with the holidays not too far away, many visitors are looking for that one of a kind gift for that special someone. Even if it later turns out to be for themselves.

Details: For festival information & directions, go to

www.carolinapotteryfestival.org or call Vicki Gill at (704) 824-9928.

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 55

Websites Completed This Quarter

Carolina Artisans www.carolinaartisans.net American Legion WS Co. www.clevelandcountybaseball.com United Way of Cleveland County www.uwclevco.org G. Stephen Bell DDS www.gstephenbell.com Ohmstead Plumbing www.ohmsteadplumbing.com Charlotte Sewing Center www.charlottesew.com Closeouts With Class www.closeoutswithclass.com H&H Pest Control www.hhpci.com

ZHE GHVLJQ SXEOLVKLQJ PDUNHWLQJ ZZZ FFDJHQF\ QHW www.ccagency.net 704-466-3847 56 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

Tennessee Titans Defensive Coach Jim Washburn is living

THE GOOD LIFE

By Judy Gaultney

A group thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been playing together for over 30 years and

THEY STILL GOT GAME

By Mark Alan Hudson

Fall 2009

THE

LADY

DRIVER

by Bill Cameron

Tennessee Titans Defensive Line Coach, Jim Washburn

theGoodLife

Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Physical Education from Gardner-Webb College

1973

Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Physical Education from North Carolina A&T

Coach at Randleman High School in Randleman, N.C.

Graduate Assistant, Southern Methodist University

Defensive Coordinator, Lee-McRae Junior College

Defensive Coordinator, Livingston University (now West Alabama)

1976

1977-78

1979

Defensive Line, University of New Mexico

1980-82

Defensive Line, University of South Carolina

1983-88

1975

58 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

www.foothillsspotlight.com

WORDS JUDY GAULTNEY

F

rom his first position out of college as a coach at Randleman High School to his current 10year tenure with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, Jim Washburn says his life’s work “has never been a job. It’s been a love for the game. I love football. It’s been a good life for me. I wouldn’t trade it.”

Just days before heading for training camp, the Titans’ Defensive Line Coach talked with Foothills Spotlight about his career, his family and his hometown of Shelby. Now in his 11th year with the Titans, Washburn sees his life and career as a series of blessings.

He was adopted out of an orphanage by Vinson and Katherine Washburn and had a “wonderful upbringing” with them and their four other children. In 10th grade, his cousin Gene Kirkpatrick, a coach at Shelby High School, invited him out for football.

“I fell in love with the game because of the enthusiasm and brilliant character and leadership of my high school coaches. Pearlie Allen (Gerald Allen, a 1998 inductee into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame), Jim Horn, Gene Kirkpatrick and Bobby Reynolds were responsible for me still being in football. I’m blessed to have lived in a place where four men influenced so, so many lives. I’ve said it before a million times: Every time I go on the field, I carry some of those guys with me.”

A four-year letterman at Gardner-Webb College (now University), Washburgn was coached by Cole

have a lot of affection for their high school coaches, sometimes college coaches, but it think the further you get away from high school, the less they feel that way. You hope (in pro football), not so much that you help build character like our high school coaches

helped build ours, but you want to make them successful so they can make money for their families..”

In the 2009 NFL season opener, the Titans visited returning Super Bown champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, at Heinz Field. During our interview in late July, Washburn put the game into perspective. “It’s a tough place to play, but it is a good opportunity to mark your progress and see where you are. It’s just an awful long season in the NFL. You just have to take them one at a time and just go play your best every week.”

When asked to name the highlights of his career, Washburn says he’s been in the game so long, it’s

Head Coach, Charlotte Barons

Defensive Line London Monarchs

Defensive Coordinator, London Monarchs

Assistant Coach, Charlotte Rage

Defensive Line, University of Arkansas

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994-97

Proctor. “He made a hugh difference in my life, too. A really good Christian man. Now he works for the Titans as a scout, so that’s sort of ironic.”

Washburn, 59, is recognized for developing the talents of players that include Kyle Vanden Bosch, Jevon Kearse, John Thornton, Robaire Smith, Antwan Odom, Kevin Carter, Albert Haynesworth and Tony Brown. In 2008, when the Titans went 13-3 for the season, the team led the NFL in defensive line sacks.

Washburn says he hopes his players carry some of him with them when to go onto the field, but he knows coaching in the NFL is way different than coaching in high school. “I think a lot of our players

www.foothillsspotlight.com

hard to pin down a few major events. Obviously, the Super Bowl in 2000 was the “biggest game,” but not necessarily the most meaningful, he says. “In Arkansas (University of Arkansas), we were at the SEC Championship Game; we’ve been to Gator Bowls and all those things. None of them meant any more than the playoff game at Randleman High School or when I was with the Charlotte Barons (a minor league team in the now defunct World Football League). Nobody really cared or knew much about it.

We played in the championship game (and won).

We’ve coached the Pro Bowl, the Senior Bowl, all those things, but some of the games I had at Lees-

McRae (then a junior college; now a four-year college) were just as important as those.

“Or the games at Shelby High. The last game I ever played at Shelby High, we played against East Rutherfordton and got beat in the championship game. Putting everything in perspective, it didn’t matter if it was at Blanton Memorial Stadium; it didn’t matter if it was in the Super Bowl or the SEC championship game, the Pro Bowl, whatever. They all had different meanings for me.”

The official biography posted on the Titans’ Web site notes that Washburn is “known for his fiery demeanor.”

“Oh, I’m just loud,” Washburn says. “I used to be a redhead before I lost my hair. That’s just the way I express myself. One of our other coaches is quiet and I’m loud.

It really doesn’t matter. The whole thing is that you need to be yourself. Players at this level certainly know if you’re trying to be a phony. That’s what I tell my kids: Just do the right thing; be yourself; try to be sincere about everything you’re doing.”

Washburn and his wife Sandy have two sons and a daughter and six grandchildren. Both sons played football in college, and the elder son, Jeremiah, is an assistant offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions.

Jeremiah, who played football at Shelby High until the family moved to Arkansas as he was entering his senior year, has told his father about the influence of his coaches at Shelby High. “He was crazy about Coach

Defensive Line, University of Houston

1998

Defensive Line, Tennessee Titans

1999-09

Jim Taylor and his staff, Coach Chris Norman, Coach Jeff Jones, and Bernie Drake especially. Bernie Drake meant a lot of Jeremiah. They’re all very, very important.”

Of all the people he respects and admires, Washburn saves the highest praise for Sandy. “My wife Sandy is the finest person I know,” he says. Recently retired abut 30 years as an elementary school teacher, Sandy, he says, “is a wonderful, wonderful teacher and a wonderful Christian person.” It was Sandy who organized their lives after every career move, whether to Banner Elk for the job at LeesMcRae, to Charlotte to be assistant coach for the

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Arena Football League’s Charlotte Rage, or to London to coach for the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football. “She’s the one who had to find the new schools or find the new banks, do all the new things when we moved,” he says. “She was left to raise the children a lot on her own because of my hours. It was hard, but that’s the price you end up paying to get to this level.”

The Washburns are very involved in their church, including a Coach’s Bible Study. “It’s just a good bunch of people here,” Washburn says. “I’ve had chances to leave for more money in other places, but I like it here because we’re in the South, No. 1, and we’re surrounded by good people with good values. It’s a lot like Shelby; it’s a big deal to us.”

“Here” is about 20 miles south of Nashville in Franklin, Tenn., a city of about 42,000 residents, among them the Titans’ head coach Jeff Fisher, singer-actress Miley Cyrus, professional figure skater Scott Hamilton, noted financial adviser Dave Ramsey and a host of country music and Christian music stars.

“I think the biggest deal about me it that I had good parents and grew up in a great family,” Washburn says. “I was a normal kid. I just went to school and went home. We were like everybody else. We didn’t have a lot growing up. It was a pretty average small town Southern kid’s life. To be able to stay involved and make a living out of a game you love is just a real blessing. Living in a place like Shelby and growing up in a place like Shelby used to be is a wondeful deal. It was sort of a blessed life to have had the opportunities I’ve had in my life.”

Washburn says he has friends still in Shelby and he occasionally visits his only relative left in town, his aunt, Hazel Blanton. Yet it could have been quite different and you wouldn’t hear any regrets from Jim Washburn. “If Pearlie Allen would have picked me to succeed him at Shelby High, to be the coach there, I would have stayed there forever. I would have lived in Shelby the rest of my life.”

www.foothillsspotlight.com

l l i t S They’ve me Got Ga hey roll out of bed before the sun rises. They come from all walks of life and from all across the community; their ages range from young adult to upper middle age.

Before they begin, they stand together in a quiet circle and offer a prayer, share a story about a part of their lives or offer up support for friends in need.

Then they get down to business, keeping three rules foremost in their minds. First, you can come and be a part of the group three times before you need to make your commitment to stay. Second, you call your own fouls. Third, you play hard and you play clean, and that includes the language.

From 5:30 until 7:00 a.m., they are invincible, playing the game of their passion for….basketball. There are no fans, no million dollar salaries and no endorsement deals. There is just the satisfaction of exercise, camaraderie and ball.

That’s the common message from everyone in the group that meets every Monday Wednesday and Friday morning year round. Billy Greene, who at 66 years is one of the longest tenured in this group that calls themselves the “Early Birds,” says that he’s been coming for close to 40 years.

In the early days, folks like Buck Archer, Bill LeGrande, J.L. Suttle, Bill Henshaw, Carl Spangler and Bill Campbell were members and used the Shelby City Park gym. More recently, the group has used the Shelby Middle School gym, making financial donations to the athletic fund and cleaning the floors and picking up trash as thanks for a place to play.

And play they do. Some days, the group is small, with fewer than 10 showing up.

Other days, enough for two games are on hand. Watching, you can see some clearly played in high school or beyond or have that natural talent so many would love to have. With others, you know it is simply a love for the game and the competitive spirit that makes pure sport so special.

That’s one of the things that has drawn Michael Gullatte, minister of the Christ for the Nations Church. At 39, he is more the average age of the group but he’s been playing 13 years now. “It feels like a big family to me,” he says of the men he plays

T

www.foothillsspotlight.com

WORDS MARK ALAN HUDSON

with. His son, Michael Gullatte II, has been playing with the group this summer. At 13, he’s the youngest on the court but you can tell he’s accepted by the more experienced players. It doesn’t hurt that he has a sweet outside shot. While he says he’s not sold on the rising before dawn routine, he loves the exercise.

Dave Misenheimer, 57, has been playing for 27 years now and still loves the friendships and exercise. “It’s a great group of guys,” he says, “and I really enjoy being with them.”

Travis Mangum, at 55, has played for over 28 years. Like others in the group, he values the friendships and camaraderie as much as the exercise. “It’s a very special thing that we have,” he observes while reflecting over the years he’s been involved and the people he’s known.

While the group has a core that has been around for a long time, new people find their way in. Joe Seidel relocated here recently from Kokomo, Ind. for business. A former college player, he was looking for a group of guys to play with. It took him a while to find the guys but he’s fit in perfectly with them. For him, it’s been a great way to meet new people, get the exercise he needs and best of all, play the game he loves.

That’s also the story for Stephen Schmoutz as well, who used to live in Charlotte and who works and goes to school. “I’ve been playing six years and just love it. It’s a time that’s special for me,” he adds while noting that he never found a group so accepting in the big city.

As the day’s game winds down, the guys get ready for a day at work or school.

They cut the lights and toss gym bags in their cars.

There will be no stats in the paper, no hot tips to scouts searching for new talent. There won’t even be a mention of who won.

There doesn’t have to be. Each man present knows the score that counts.

Friendships for life. Love of a game. Understanding which is more important. That is what makes them all winners.

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 61

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1241 East Dixon Boulevard, Shelby, NC 704-487-7846

FOX DISTRIBUTING

THE

LADY

DRIVER

by Bill Cameron

L

et’s play the “remember” game. Remember when you were a teen-ager (that’s a real stretch for me)? Remember your first car? I sure do. Now let’s switch to an “imagine” game.

Imagine that you could start driving your first car when you were only 14 years old and you could drive it as fast as it would go. Impossible to even imagine, you might say. But that is the reality for a local teen race car driver and she(yes, she) has pictures to prove it—check them out.

Brayden Pruitt is 151⁄2 years old and doesn’t have a driver’s license yet. But she has been driving a car much faster than 55 mph for the past 18 months. The Shelby native and Crest High School sophomore has been driving and winning on local tracks since the spring of 2008. But her racing history started years before that.

Brayden’s racing heritage could be called, in TV terms, “All in the Family” or “Family Matters.” Her family on both her mom and dad’s sides has racing pedigrees. Her grandpas, Dicky Pruitt and Roger Bradley, both raced on local tracks, let’s say, back in the day. They both support Brayden’s racing career now with Dicky being her present day racing “supervisor,” for lack of a better term. Both Grandmas,

64 Foothills Sports | Fall 2009

Faye Pruitt and Louise Kelley, lead her cheering sections as she races locally. Her parents are Brayden’s biggest supporters of course. Dad Mike Pruitt is the main wrench turner and mom Tonya is the biggest fan, reserving whole rows in the stands before each race for cousins and friends. They both worry about her every race with Mike even getting physically sick before Brayden rolls out for each race. But they both agreed that they “ are proud of her” and enjoy seeing “her run up front with those men.” Tonya even says that Brayden “really gets her driving skills from her and not the grandpas.” Mom used to drive go-karts and “powder-puff” race cars herself.

Brayden has quite a long racing history of her own. She has been hanging around go-kart tracks most of her life and got her first kart at the age of 5. Brayden remembers her “ first year of competitive racing at the age of 7” at Riverside Speedway in Cliffside. She ran in several series as she raced from Ohio to Daytona. During

those years she won two points championships in North Carolina State go-karting.

Somehow along the way, Brayden has developed other athletic skills. This past year, as a freshman, she played two varsity sports at Crest, basketball and soccer. She even earned AllConference honors in soccer this past spring. She did all this while making straight A’s this year as she adjusted to high school life.

But it is driving a race car as a young girl in a male-dominated environment that sets Brayden apart from the crowd. The kids mobbed the fence at Cherokee Speedway when I watched her race on August 1st. As she lined up for a restart in front of the home stretch, the kids lined up to yell their encouragement. I saw T-shirts with the moniker, “The Lady Driver,” on them along with Brayden’s name and number. Even her car number sets her apart—it’s No. 13.

But it was her driving skill and aggressive wheeling of her Toyota in the Stock Four division that really jumped out at me. She mixed it up with men twice her age and many more years of driving experience. The night I saw her run was a frustrating night, from the crew getting to the track late due to working the bugs out of a new car, to an overheating problem, to getting put at the back of the pack due to spinning out another driver.

She started out in the spring of 2008 racing cars in the Young Guns division. Her highlight in racing came that spring as she won her first Young Guns race in the Grassy Smith Memorial Race at Cherokee. She recalls the cheering of thousands of fans. “I got out of my car on the

has moved up to the Street Stock 4 division. She has already won some heat races in this grouping and on August 15 notched her main event win. Running every Saturday night at Cherokee, more wins can’t be far away. She says, “my main goal is to earn their (her fellow drivers’) respect

front stretch and climbed the fence like Tony Stewart.” She won the same race this past spring as her last race in the Young Guns series. In fact, she won six of seven races at one stretch this year. So in the progression of racing, she

on the track and get as many wins as possible.”

She even sees herself “driving a Late Model car within a year or two.”

Brayden and her family have invested a lot of time, energy and money in her racing career

“My main goal is to earn their respect on the track and get as many wins as possible”

so far. But as with any racer, they are quick to acknowledge the help they have had from their many sponsors, including W and B Trucking, Shelby Alarm Company, Leagon Racing, Keith Pearson Racing, Bradley Farm, Phil’s Starters and Cleveland Transmission. Also, they would like to thank their “everyday” guys—crew chief Leon Burnett, Ron Kirby, Robby Gilliam and Sherill and Trevor Dover.

So, the next Saturday night that you are looking for something to do, head south to Gaffney’s Cherokee Speedway. There you can see “The (teen-age) Lady Driver” in action who may become the next Danica Patrick. Help cheer Brayden on to the finish line.

Fall 2009 | Foothills Sports 65

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Zach McKelvey – Rutherfordton - Golf

Zach, 17, won the 2009 Pete Webb Memorial Tournament at the Cleveland Country Club in May. After defeating club pro Clay Champion 1 up on Saturday, McKelvey easily defeated his opponent 6 and 5 for the match play tournament championship.

Drew Johnson – Earl – Baseball Drew, a 6th grader at Crest Middle School recently pitched a perfect game for the Boiling Springs Little League all-stars. Facing Rutherford County in the District 1 tournament, Johnson struck out 14 of the 15 batters he faced in the five inning game.

Trever Austin – Boiling Springs – Football Trever, a junior at Crest High School did all he could to help his team defeat county rival Burns 30-27. He kicked 3 extra points, boomed several kickoffs into the end zone, had a punt go 47 yards and made 3 field goals, the last from 47 yards with under 2 minutes to play to give his team the lead for good.

• Hired on to the Atlantic Coast Line Rail Road ( Nov. 1956) which evolved into the CSX Corporation • Retiring from Intermodal Operations in January 1999 (42 years) • Played in the Central Florida Amateur Baseball League – won State Championship in 1958 and played in Kellogg’s Little World Series in Battle Creek Michigan in 1958 • Spent 1960 -62 in the Army at Ft. Riley, Kansas played on Division Trans Baseball Team – won two Ft. Riley Championships • Married Vickie Sue Herald in 1964, two Sons, Gary (1966) David (1975) • Coached Conway Little League four years and won 4 Championships (the last year Assistant to Sam Davis coaching Rieg’s Guns winning the Championship) (Sam Davis was the Senior All-Star Coach)

Brittany Thornburg – Kings Mountain – Softball Brittany, a sophomore at Catawba College batted .294, was second on the team in doubles (12), triples (2) and was third with 26 rbi’s. A first baseman, Thornburg finished second on the team with a .979 fielding percentage while helping the Indians to a 25-19 record.

Adam Benfield – Lawndale – Baseball Adam, a senior at Burns High threw 8 1/3 innings to help the Cherryville Post 100 American Legion team end Shelby Post 82’s 24 game winning streak.

Benfield struck out 10 while giving up only 5 hits. In the previous series against Caldwell County, he either won or saved each of the 3 wins.

Bailous Cecil Bailey • Born 3/11/37 Duncan’s Creek Township, Rutherfordton County to Steve and Buena Bailey • Entered Lattimore High School in 1952 to 1956 • Played 3 years of HighSchool Basketball and Baseball …and two years of American Legion Baseball (1953-54) under the Legendary Coach B.E. (Pop) Simmons where he made the American Legion AllState Baseball Team • Moved to Orlando Florida in 1956 (age 19)

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• Assistant Golf Coach at Boone High School 1992-93 • Took up Golf in 1965 played in the Orlando Amateur Golf Assn. winning the Championship a total of 15 times (Open and Senior) • Played in Rail Road System Wide Golf Assn. several years winning the Over-all Tournament at Grenelefe Golf Resort in Haines City, Fl. In the 1980’s • Shot his age 3 times after turning 70!!! (once in the month of his 70th Birthday)

Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 67

LUCK IS WHEN PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY. ARE YOU PREPARED?

Consider us your comfort concierge.

Settle Heating and Air have service agreements available. These agreements provide you a system check at the beginning of the spring and fall each year. What you may not know is that Settle's Service Agreement Customers are never charged overtime rates for weekends or holidays. As a Service Agreement Customer you are given a 15% discount on parts and receive same day service. Call Settle today to take advantage of this great service.

704-481-1788 www.SettleInWithComfort.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 40 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

68 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

5

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231 Oakland Road Spindale, NC 28160 (828) 286-2290 www.greeneboats.com

EXTRA

Forest City Owls – Forest Forect City City - Baseball Crowned national champions among all wooden-bat collegiate summer baseball teams by Perfect Game Crosschecker. The Owls finished 51-9 over the course of the regular season and postseason, including going a perfect 5-0 in the Petitt Cup Playoffs. Forest City’s 51 wins were the most among all summer baseball teams in the country. The Owls became the first Coastal Plain League team to win a national title.

Roger Hamrick – Shelby – Racing

Roger was recently inducted into the Cherokee Super Speedway Hall of Fame in Gaffney, SC. Hamrick began his racing career in 1974 at the Cherokee Speedway and won track championships in 1996 at Lancaster, 1999 at Cherokee, and 2002 at Thunder Valley. Hamrick retired from racing in 2006 after an illustrious 32 year career.

Chris Norman – Shelby – Football

ALUMINUM BOATS - PERFECT FOR ANY OCCASION

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Norman, Shelby High Football Coach and Athletic Director has been selected for the Homer Thompson Memorial Eight Who Make a Difference award. Norman, the Region 7 winner, was one of eight “coaches who make a difference” by virtue of their exemplary sportsmanship. The winners will be honored by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association at their upcoming regional meetings across the state.

www.foothillsspotlight.com www.foothillsspotlight.com

Foothills Spotlight Spotlight 69 Fall 2009 2009 Foothills Fall 69

In the fall of 1923,

members of the Shelby Kiwanis Club began developing a plan to create a county-wide fair combining the Boiling Springs Community Fair Association, and Union Community Fair into one event. The civic club initiated a fund-raising effort with “Cleveland County Fair Night” on January 24, 1924. Through the sale of $20 shares of stock, they raised $15,000 in the first week.

The first Cleveland County Fair was held October 14-18, 1924 with 70,000 in attendance. Attractions included agricultural and craft exhibits, a livestock barn, harness horse racing, and the Millers Brothers carnival rides and stage show revues.

The pictures to the left depict the Cleveland County Fair through the years. Do you remember; strolling the sawdust covered midway, exploring the bomb shelter by the water-wheel, the Lucky Teter Daredevils, stock car races featuring Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner and “Fireball” Roberts? In 1961, a mobile chair lift, “The Skyliner,” was an attraction into itself. Fair goers could view all the excitement riding the chair lift from the exhibit halls to the rear gate.vv

www.f o o t h i l l s s p o t l i g h t . c o m

3 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2008

An

PLAYGROUND PLAYGROUN D Safety Servi Services, ces, Inc

In 1995 R Roger oger and D Donnis onnis D Davis avis b began egan p performing er forming playground pla yground audits and insp inspections ections ffor or man manyy of the C hild C are C enters lo cated in C leveland C ounty Child Care Centers located Cleveland County through thr ough a gr grant ant provided provided b byy the C Cleveland leveland C County ounty P artnership ffor or C hildren funded b mart Partnership Children byy the NC SSmart Start Initiative. The he goal of these audits and insp inspecec tions was to provide safe outdoor learning environments for all Child Care Centers in Cleveland County.

The “Play It Safe” motto was adopted thus laying the tion of P foundation Playground Safety Services, Inc. Today the business has grown into a true family affair as Roger and Donnis have been joined by one of their daughters Mischia Taylor and her husband Greg and son Hal Alexander. The goal of providing SAFE playgrounds is still the company’s main focus today!

Products include commercial and residential play systems, certified playground surfacing, fencing, site amenities, shade structures, shelters and more.

Services include electronic playground ound safety saf audits and inspections with document storage, job analysis, playground consulting/design, playground safety training, project management and risk management training.

72 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

niversary

Playground Safety Services, Inc.’s goal still remains focused on providing fun, safe play for all children.

The company mission is to provide customers with the best products and customer services available.

The business values their customers and their employees as their greatest assets. Additionally, they will strive to better the communities in which they are involved with by encouraging and supporting all employees to do their very best to exceed the customer’s expectations.

Playground Safety Services, Inc. would like to invite you to join them in celebrating their 10th year of being incorporated. Please stop by to check out the products and see what they have to offer! The Grand pr Opening and 10 year celebration tion is Thursdayy October 29th from 3– 6 pm.

ySpectio la CPSI

P.S.S.I

Certified Cer tified

n

Roger Davis, the founder and owner of Playground Safety Services, Inc. has been maintaining public and private playgrounds for over thirty years and to celebrate ten years of the ccompanyy is preparing pr incorporation in October. The Company’ss succ success is due to an established network of customer service representatives and installers throughout the South with products and services being offered in North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Recently they have been selling products as far away as Arizona, Maryland, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. The business is proud to lay claim as the Carolina’s only true “turnkey” playground company are and ar e cconfident onfident you you will find they they offer offer you y the greatest selection innovative gr eatest selec tion of inno vative playground playground design affordable prices options aatt the most aff ordable pr ices in ttoday’s oday ’s market mar ket.

1An 0 yr.

Playground Inc.’s newest adventure P layground SSafety afety SServices, ervices, Inc .’s new est ad venture Kids Kids is TThe he K ids Warehouse.

Warehouse. TThe he K ids Warehouse Warehouse is a great great place plac e to to celebrate celebrate your your child’s child’s birthday birthday or special special event! e vent! The The idea for for the Kid’s Kid’s Warehouse Warehouse evolved evolved from indoor fr om the need tto o have have indo or place place to to ccelebrate elebrate children’s birthdays special childr en’s bir thdays and sp ecial events. events. Since Since the Company alreadyy had an indoor indoor playground pla ound in their showroom which also includes a warehouse, the two were a perfect fit for a birthday party. The Kids Warehouse now offers not only an indoor playground to keep eep yyou cool in the summer and warm in the winter but also provides a Jumperoo Bouncer and a Jumperoo Slide! It’s all indoors and offers a fun time for all!

P

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kids

warehouse

DIRTY CARPETS? 3 Room Special $99 5 Room Special $149 Whole House Special $189

Hello, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Tracy Walker.

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Medi-Fare has a Gift Shop

Unique & Hard-to-Find Items

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BRENDA S. MCLAIN

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Social Security Disability DW I & Traffic Offenses Wills

Representing people at this location for 25 years!

Free Initial Consultation 310-3 E. Graham St. Shelby, NC 28150

704-484-1994 300 West Pine Street, Blacksburg, SC

864-839-5090 74 Foothills Spotlight Fall 2009

They come in all shapes and sizes but when you get right down to it, the South’s best decks all start with quality lumber. DuraPine® Outdoor Wood® by Cox®. Ordinary treated lumber is usually shipped wet. As it dries, it can shrink, crack and twist. DuraPine is redried after treatment in a controlled environment before it’s shipped. So it’s more uniform in size, has less shrinkage and reduced twisting and cupping. And DuraPine is ready to stain, coat or finish as soon as you are. It’s lighter and easier to handle, too.

It’s no wonder the South’s best decks are built with the South’s best lumber. DuraPine Outdoor Wood. To learn more about DuraPine Outdoor Wood by Cox, give us a call.

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217 Arrowood St. Shelby, NC 704-487-5263 ClevelandLumberCompany.com

Advertiserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Index American Legion World Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 American Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Arnoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewelry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Art of Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard & Winery . . . . . . . 16 Bayada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 berry business machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Business Networking International (BNI) . . . . . . . . 9 Bootstrap Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Bradleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Brenda McClain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Cleveland Headline News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Carolina Wall Crete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Champion Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Cleveland Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 75 Cleveland Urological . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 CPTrx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Dermatology Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ditto Consignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Don Gibson Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 First Class Janitorial Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 First National Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Fox Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Gondola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Got You Covered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Gragg & Gragg, LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Greater Shelby Community Theater. . . . . . . . . . . 48 Greene Boat and Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Greg Randall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Hendrick's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Higher Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Holly's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Kitchen & Bath Design of Shelby . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Kings Mountain Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Little Debbie To The Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Max Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Medifare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 42, 74 Norris Merchanise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 68 Papa's Pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Phyllis' Cakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Pizza Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Playground Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Personnel Services Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Puppy Luv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Ray's Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Robin Brackett State Farm Insurance . . . . . . . . . 17 Rose Hill Memorial Park Cenetary . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Salon 206 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Settle Heating and Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68, 79 Shelby Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,60 Shelby Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Shelby Savings Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Shelby Surgical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Southeastern Plastic Surgery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Sterling House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Summit Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Teddy and Meekins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Uptown Shelby Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Victorian Rose Studio / Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 73 Walker Carpet Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Walker Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3 WGWG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Wright's Jewerly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,51 Young & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.foothillsspotlight.com

Welcome!

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Our ur doct doctors ors and sstaff taff welcome you tto o vis it our new facility, facility, which visit highest offers tthe he hig hest ttechnological echnological advances in urology! urology!

Certified Urologists Board Cert ified Urolog ists sspecializing pecializing in the adultss & children, the treatment treatment of adult both bot h male & female.

www.clevelandurologic.com (704) 482-2011 Fall 2009 Foothills Spotlight 77

reflections

{from the well}

WORDS REV. CRYSTAL CHAMPION

What happened to my hair?

I have had three haircuts in the past two weeks. One could assume that 1) I have lots of money, 2) I become bored easily and need to be entertained or 3) I have nothing else to do. “NOT” to all three assumptions.

It started with a trim and color. The color was not exactly what I wanted but the gray was covered… temporarily. The next week while lunching with friends in Columbia, SC, I saw the hairstyle that was RIGHT for me. Staring at our server’s adorable haircut, I had dreams of how I would look at 57 rollerblading, mountain climbing, skiing or walking down the marital aisle.

None of which are likely to happen.

Our server thanked me for compliments and informed me her stylist was located in the building right next door. She shared her stylist’s name.

Following a quick walk after lunch, I was pleased to find said stylist was available (only because of a cancellation). That did it. It was fate. I was only minutes away from a life-changing event. I shared my vision and the stylist began making my dream come true. I

thought how wonderful it was to have someone who really understood my vision. Snip, snip, thin, thin, oohs and ahs from friends as they encouraged the stylist.

The back was revealed first. Yes, it was gorgeous.

And then a twirl of the chair brought my mirrored reflection, full face.

What had happened to my hair? As you know, there really is no fixing a bad haircut. I left so disappointed, went home and began to repair the damage. Big mistake. So a few days later haircut number three. It was hopeless. I was reduced to the likes of a frightened animal caught in a thunder storm. My vision was lost.

I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to look like.

In our spiritual journeys we are often brought together by our visions. We consciously and subconsciously seek out those of like mind, like heart and like spirit.

Couples share visions of family and homes of harmony.

We vacation and spend our time with those who have interests in common with us. We choose to spend time with people who have simi-

lar values. So much of what we experience in church is about shared visions, both corporate and personal. We yearn for shared visions in our careers, our churches, our families, and every part of our lives. It is a necessary, healthy part of personhood.

I am saddened for people who never make those connections. The process of visionaries becoming such probably has to do with learned behavior as children and the experiences of life.

As long as I can remember my mother had a vision before her. It usually involved a mission to improve someone’s quality of life. Recently, a dear friend brought me a cancelled check dated 1982. It was made payable to my mother with “Mission Project” written on the memo line. Looking at that check I see the reflection of my mother, full faith. She had a vision of her life making a difference in other lives. She put that vision into practice over and over again.

As you seek healthy connections in your life, look outward. You know, there are very few bad haircut days when your vision is focused on someone other than the person in the mirror.

www.foothillsspotlight.com

Easy on the Eyes, Easy on the Wallet!

Hubba, hubba! When’s the last time you heard that about a heat pump? Introducing the beautiful new Affinity units from York. True high quality appliance grade look and finish with an ultra-quiet and ultra-efficient operation. They’re also available in 7 designer colors to help match your home or landscaping. Now, super-high efficiency is super-affordable! The Federal government is offering tax credits on high-efficiency heat pumps that can save you up to 60 percent on your utility bill. Combine that with our instant rebate and we’re talking huge savings.

That’s why York is “easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet.” But, you need to hurry and take advantage of these attractive offers before they’re history!