Issue No. 10 | Summer 2009

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

{ No.

10 }

PRICELESS

Summer 2009

In this issue

Magazine

a

Legen d in his

Time honoring :

• • DON GIBSON Details Inside...

a natural selection but...

Slightly Different see page 32

C W N Celebrates

Plus:

Innovative Education

New! Sports Section - pg 61 Backyard Treasure Awaits You

www.foothillsspotlight.com

a year of women growing and sharing page 49

Victorian Rose a tribute to Elwin Stilwell see pages 51-53

ly e pool, ve hi gh illiant cle an a h e asil y. W t he most br ol our po

Free Water Testing For all your water needs

SHELBY POOLS, Inc. See our new location 826 South Post Road, Shelby, NC 704-481-8400 www.ShelbyPools.com 4 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

www.foothillsspotlight.com

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 5

LIFE HAS ITS MOMENTS...

Summer vacation

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contents Summer 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 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 Dr. Anita Ware Angela Bolinger Bill Cameron Edgar Lopez Tarayjah Hoey Sam Morgan Mark Alan Hudson

22

51

{ features }

{ be sure to see }

22 a legend in his time

8 welcome

Don Gibson, one of Shelby’s brightest stars, is honored by his hometown.

32 a natural selection but... slightly different Learn more about this interesting local company

42 backyard treasures

A vacation that is not very far from your own backdoor

Summer is here

10 letters & viewpoint See what our readers say

12 life coaching

Looking good this summer

14 amazing mind

Persist without exception

16 kid speak

Summer time fun

photographers Robin King The Victorian Rose Studio

44 innovative education How to get prepared for this new journey

20 therapy Rx

finance Jeff Weathers

49 cwn celebrates

35 shelby’s theaters

sales staff Kim Davis, Sales Manager Sam Brackett Sam Davis, Sports Director 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

Learn more about this local networking group dedicated to professional women

51 elwin stilwell

Remembering Elwin Stilwell’s life and his work as the owner of The Victorian Rose

Experience with therapy Photos of Shelby’s theaters

40 champion comm.

Champion celebrates anniversary

46 life, love & skin care

71

be

gin

so

np

g.

61

64 challenged: what challenge

Four young people rise above their challenges

68 it’s all in the family

Five family members coaching in the college ranks

71 the passion of the lions

Shelby Golden Lions boys basketball team bring home the city’s first state championship in basketball

72 the owls of the forest (city, that is) Learn more about this local baseball team from the Woodbat Leauge

75 fab 5

Learn about five exceptional atheletes from the Foothills

All it takes is 10 minutes

56 foothills business “Change Management”

78 reflections

Four-legged Friends

ON THE COVER Painting by artist Warren Sattler honoring Don Gibson.

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

Spring 2009 Foothills Spotlight 7

{ welcome } Summer is here! The kids are out of school and are alreay bored and need entertaining.

“Stay-cation”, Cleveland County’s Travel & Tourism’s motto, suggests finding day trips for little or no money. In this issue we highlight two such places in our Foothills community – South Mountains and A Slightly Different Nursery. The Foothills regions offer a variety of destinations that are entertaining, educational and fun! Check out the Calendar of Events on pages 36-39 or visit www.TourClevelandCounty.com for more information.

We are truly saddened by the sudden passing of Elwin Stilwell. His talents and creativity played a great part in the look of Foothills Spotlight.

His legacy hangs on many families’ walls and the memories he created for us will never let us forget him. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Tracy, Brian and Chip and The Victorian Rose Studio.

Thanks to all of our advertisers because without you we would not be possible.

...we continue to highlight amazing people and local businesses...

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

Remember – SHOP LOCAL!!!

Until next time...

info@foothillsspotlight.com Full year subscriptions (4 issues) $24

Ebbie Champion PUBLISHER

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 9

{ letters } I ENJOY THE MAGAZINE

SATISFIED PARTNER

I thoroughly enjoy the magazine. I pick mine up at Ken & Mary’s Restaurant. I simply can’t throw it away, so I pass it on and let my friends read it.

I think your magazine is an asset to the community and we will make great partners.

- D. McCURRY, SHELBY

Cleveland County Family YMCA

- SHANNON M. HOVIS Director of Development and Communications

HIGH PRAISE The Foothills Spotlight that Champion Communications has created is like a breath of fresh air for Cleveland County! The high quality and visually stunning graphics help to draw readers in, and with meaningful and interesting articles, it becomes a publication that is hard to put down. The Foothills Spotlight is playing a tremendous role in the ‘rebranding’ of Cleveland County, as it sincerely reflects of all the things that make this county so great.

Join the co

nversation

email us

info@foot

?

at

hillsspotl

igh

t.com or mail le tters to PO Box 1726, Sh elby, NC 28151

- KRISTIN H. FLETCHER Assistant Vice President, Economic Development Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce

We reserve the right to limit and edit letters.

foothillsviewpoint WORDS SAM MORGAN

Shelby Never Seems To Change – Or Does It? I GREW UP IN SHELBY. Or rather, I continue to grow up in Shelby, though not as much as I used to. Up until I moved to college at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, I spent my entire life in Shelby. And I have to admit, it wasn’t half bad.

Of course, most of my friends hated it. They called it small. Boring. They didn’t like all the people and the gossip. I figured it would be like that anywhere. You can’t really escape people. But the one thing that I found most interesting about Shelby was how it never seemed to change. And we had BBQ! At least I never noticed it changing. Looking back over the years, I can see that Shelby changed just as

much as I did during all those years. I just couldn’t see it because I was right in the middle of it. Now that I’m away for months at a time, spending the “best years of my life” in a Carolina Blue heaven, I notice the changes in Shelby more readily than I did before. A building will be torn down. A new one will be built down the street before I can even realize it. Streets will be paved, signs torn down and erected. The little freshmen from high school are now big bad seniors, and do I dare say, they look somewhat, it can’t be, maybe, a little bit, in the right light with the right angle, mature?

Even though I never thought it could happen, Shelby seems to be doing just fine without me. I’m still grow-

ing (I can even grow a beard!) though I refuse to call myself a grownup, and Shelby is growing right along with me. By taking a step back away from home, I’m able to see it in a new fashion. Sure, all the things we used to complain about as a kid are still here (I mean, is it too much to ask for a restaurant to be open at 1:30 in the morning on a Tuesday? It is? OK, never mind.) but all the good things that keep people coming back are present more than ever. While Shelby and Cleveland County may not be my place of residence in the immediate future, it will always be my past and my home. I can’t wait to come back and see what’s new.

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 S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 11

lifecoaching

{be well, healthy & happy}

WORDS KATHERINE PANTHER-POTEMKIN

Looking Good This Summer: LOSING THAT UNWANTED WEIGHT SUMMER IS HERE WITH WARM

...Emotional eating, or “comfort eating”, is common...

Katherine Panther-Potemkin, Owner, Learning for Life, is a personal and professional life coach and a leader in business seminar design and facilitation.

For more info call Katherine 704.477.4370

12 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

days, bright sun, more skin showing as we don those shorts and sundresses, and that ever present yearly diet. Maybe you’ve already started your summer diet. Maybe you’ve looked in the mirror and decided to forego swimsuit shopping yet another year because of those extra winter pounds. Or maybe you’ve joined the ranks of those sporting shorts and tee shirts as the “in” swimwear. Throw away that fad diet and start planning that shopping trip because it’s not too late to shed that weight!

Fad diets don’t really work. If they did you wouldn’t be on one every summer. Sure, you might lose weight, but as soon as you go off the diet the weight comes back. Wouldn’t it be great to maintain your desired weight? Doing so requires changing your eating habits, which requires recognizing the link between weight and your emotions, attitude and stress.

What part do emotions play? Emotional eating, or “comfort eating”, is common. Basically it means that your feelings rather than your hunger dictate what, when and how much you eat.

If you could eat for comfort by reaching into the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator things would be OK. But honestly, how many of you turn to carrot sticks when you feel stressed, disappointed or lonely? I don’t know many people who name carrot sticks as their comfort food of choice. It’s usually the high fat, high carbohydrate, high calorie foods that we associate with comfort. The more fattening, sweeter or saltier the food the better it seems to make us feel. But that’s just a perception often stemming from childhood.

To see if you’re an emotional eater, answer either “yes” or “no” to these questions.

1. Do you ever eat without realizing you’re doing so?

2. Do you ever feel guilty or ashamed after eating?

3. Do you eat after an unpleasant experi ence, even if you aren’t hungry?

4. Do you crave specific foods when you’re upset?

5. Do you eat in odd places, like standing in front of the refrigerator?

6. Do you feel the urge to eat in response to outside cues, like seeing food advertised on television?

7. Do you ever eat because there is nothing else to do?

8. Does eating seem to make you feel better when things are tough or bring temporary relief when worried?

9. Does your social life revolve around eating?

If you answered “yes” to even one question, you’re an emotional eater.

We believe that food can bring comfort, at least in the short term. As a result we turn to food to ease emotional issues. But emotional eating becomes habit, sabotages weight management efforts and actually causes additional problems such as weight gain, guilt, lowered self-image and compromised health.

So, how can you break the habit?

• Identify your eating triggers by keeping a daily journal of what you eat and how you felt before and after eating. You’ll discover your own patterns and triggers and realize that eating really doesn’t comfort you.

• Plan alternative activities to eating and use them when trigger emotions arise.

• Limit access to traditional comfort foods by not stocking them. Buy healthy foods.

• Learn to recognize true hunger. Have you ever noticed that we eat when we’re

continued on next page >>

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“supposed to”? It’s like having supper every night at 6:00pm…regardless.

Listen to your body and eat only when hungry. True hunger actually feels like a mild gnawing sensation in your gut.

When you feel a craving to eat, give the urge a 10-minute waiting period, and get involved in something else. If you suddenly realize you’re not hungry then it was a craving. If the urge is still there and you feel that true hunger sensation, eat.

• Don’t skip meals because you think it will help you lose weight. It actually leads to fat retention and overeating at the next meal. Eat when hungry.

• Eat smaller amounts slowly and stop when physically satisfied.

Attitude affects weight management efforts. Make sure the things you think and say about yourself and your abilities paint a positive picture. Avoid “I’m so fat” or “I’ll never lose weight”.

Instead verbally affirm in present tense your ideal body – “I love weighing 130 pounds” or “I enjoy being slim and fit”.

In addition, engage in “what-if” planning to maintain healthy eating. For example, “What-if” I go out with friends? I can order a la carte to create my own healthy menu. Instead of dessert I can have a cup of coffee or tea”. Make the evening about socializing, not eating.

What about the stress link?

Management of everyday stress affects your waistline! When stressed your body produces cortisol which encourages fat storage, especially in the abdominal area. And ladies, unfortunately cortisol makes us accumulate more fat around

the waist when stressed than men. So learn and practice stress management techniques! There are a multitude of easy ones to reduce that cortisol production, calm your mind and relax your body. Try deep breathing, meditation, relaxation response, stretching, yoga.

Additional Tips: Build a strong support system to help you stay on track.

Eat lots of raw vegetables and fruits.

Drink plenty of water. Prepare healthy recipes. Exercise regularly. Reward yourself in wholesome ways after every success.

Remember, your ideal weight may be only a carrot stick, a positive attitude and a deep breath away. So here’s to looking good this summer…and next fall…and next winter….

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For specific information about weight management and stress management, contact: Katherine Panther-Potemkin Learning for Life 704.477.4370 Katherine@LearningForLifeConsulting.com

300 West Pine Street, Blacksburg, SC

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

864-839-5090

theamazingmind

{dream maker}

WORDS LYNN ZOOK

Persist Without Exception IN TODAY’S DAY AND AGE

...Do we believe that our lives will get better...

Lynn, is Director of Sales for Champion Communications, lives in Waxsaw, 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 S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

with the crumbling economy, failing banks and lost jobs, it occurs to me that most of us are living our lives in fear, the fear of what could happen to us. We are living, reacting , rather than taking control of our lives and living for our dreams, desires and what we believe in. Then it hit me. What do we really believe in these days?

Let’s first define what belief is. A belief is: confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof.

What do we really believe in? How many things do you believe in? I mean things that you cannot see proof of? Do we really believe in anything?

One belief may be that you believe in God. eighty-five percent of Americans polled said they did, but do they really believe and put their faith and life in God’s hands?

What about your life? What are we confident truly exists in our life? Do we believe our lives will get better or do we believe that we are stuck with the cards we were dealt? This is what I have and this is what I will always have?

We are at the mercy of others? Do we believe that we can rise up and have anything we want in life? How strong are our convictions?

If you invented a product that you knew was something most everyone could use, and you could make millions of dollars, would you be willing to mortgage your house to fund your belief? Or would you give up before you started because you didn’t want to take the risk of losing your home? Would you be willing to invest your 401k or life savings in your idea, risk your safe future to have a better one. One that you have always dreamed of?

Most of us are too afraid of losing what little we have, rather than having the conviction to get what we really want. How many “middle class to riches” stories do you hear or read about? “Rags to riches” stories are much more common because to quote a popular country song. “When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. If you have nothing to risk, it allows

you to go for it all.” When you have a little, which most of us have compared to what we could have, our fear of losing is stronger than our desire to have. We let fear dictate our lives.

I am here to tell you that you can have anything you believe in. The problem is that most people give up before they realize their dreams.

Most people don’t have strong enough convictions to stay with their desires until they come true. Columbus believed the world was round.

Our founding fathers believed that we could have a better country. Martin Luther King Jr. believed all men were equal, John F. Kennedy believed we could have a man walk on the moon. Many soldiers all over the world gave their lives because they believed in the freedom of our future generations.

These people allowed their desires to overcome their fears. How did they do it? They had the confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. They believed! They didn’t let their fears stop them. They persisted without exception. Some gave their lives for their beliefs. By allowing our fears to control our lives, are we not doing the same thing? Aren’t we foregoing the life we could have because we let fear decide our fate! We have to live our lives for something, why not for what we believe rather than what we fear?

So in order to beat our fears we must understand them. The definition of fear is: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.

The last word is the key: Imagined. So fear and belief are very similar. The existence of something not susceptible to proof or imagined.

The difference is all in your head. You have the ability to live for your beliefs or live in your fears.

You have the ability to control your thoughts.

You can decide to persist without exception for what you believe in and not let fear derail you. You can have the life you have always desired. Your amazing mind makes it possible, and you are in control.

www.foothillsspotlight.com

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711 N. Dekalb Street Shelby, North Carolina 16 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

Why Why go go outside outside for for fresh fresh air? air?

Only TRANE CleanEffects™ removes up to 99.98% of allergens from all the air it heats or cools.

Expect more from your independent Trane dealer.

Did you know the air in your home contains two to five times more allergens than the air outside? The good news is Trane has introduced the single most effective filtration system available today: Trane CleanEffects™ eliminates up to 99.98% of dust, pet dander, bacteria, mold and more from all the air it heats or cools.

Astoundingly, that’s 8 times more effective than the best HEPA room air cleaners and 100 times more effective than a typical 1" filter or ionic-type room appliance. It makes you wish all air could be that clean.

You don’t have to wait for installation to experience the Trane difference. You’ll experience it right from the start at Bill Shuford Heating and Air Conditioning. Our staff is experienced and skilled in every area of customer service. We also know Trane systems inside out and are committed to helping you find the best system for your home and budget. When you expect more you get more. It’s that simple.

Expect more from your independent Trane dealer.

Bill Shuford Heating and Air Conditioning 213 Campbell Street 704-484-0025 Finance Charges accrue from the date of sale unless the Same As Cash plan balance is paid in full prior to the Same As Cash expiration date, in which case they are waived. Regular credit terms apply after the Same As Cash period expires. Annual Percentage Rate 17.90%. Minimum Finance Charge: $2.00. (APR and Minimum Finance Charge may be lower in some states.) Terms subject to change without notice. Subject to credit approval. See Account Agreement for complete information and important disclosures.

Other open-end and closed-end credit plans may be available. Ask seller for details. All credit plans subject to normal credit policies.

www.foothillsspotlight.com

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 17

kidspeak

{happy journeys}

WORDS KIMBERLY P. JOHNSON

Summertime Fun AS WE RAPIDLY APPROACH

...The key is that parents have to be persistent and consistent...

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 S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

the summer months and children are out of school for that much awaited “break” parents may have to prepare themselves for that familiar phrase: “I’m bored!” It seems like children need more entertainment now than they have in the years past. I remember, as a child that a kickball, a book and a jump rope could occupy most of my summer days. Nevertheless, we are excited about the energy and enthusiasm our youth have for learning and exploring. It just means we “old folks” have to get creative and clever in our techniques of entertaining!!

The summer months typically allow us to take the vacation that we have saved for all year.

However, the economy has rained on many of our summer parades. The good news is, we don’t have to take a fancy or expensive vacation to enjoy quality time with the family. Your “vacation” may be right in your own backyard.

Get outside and really begin enjoying our beautiful world. Most importantly, create a different way of thinking and hopefully “living” this summer. Also, try to make it a point to exercise each day. From taking a long walk with your children to kicking a ball in the yard, play and exercise provide opportunities to bond and talk.

It may, at times, prove to be a challenge to get your children engaged in this new “summertime fun.” The key is that parents have to be persistent and consistent in their quest. You can’t engage in fun one week and then disengage the next week. Now this doesn’t mean that every day you need to go outside and jump rope or shoot hoops, but take the time to do things that you normally wouldn’t do with your children. For example, when is the last time you ran though a sprinkler or played in the dirt? As messy as some of these activities sound, they not only get your children outside and thinking creatively; but they also foster exercise. The Center for Disease Control informs us that obesity may be the most important public health problem of the 21st century. With a lot of emphasis being placed on the prevention of childhood obesity and the promotion of exercise, the summertime can be a great time to focus on a family routine.

An article published in USA Today earlier in the year, suggested a prevention strategy, “send the kids outdoors and GO WITH THEM.”

Here are a few tips to make the summer days more interesting and engaging for both parents and children: • Get into a FUN TIME routine: In other words, designate certain days as the “fun days”. For example, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, designate a certain time to be activity time. You can spend this time outside sitting under a tree, reading a book, having a picnic or doing an arts and crafts activity.

• Volunteer to help someone: As role models, we want to make sure we encourage our children to become involved with building a strong community. Volunteerism can make children aware of the importance of helping others. You can designate a few days during your summer months to plant a garden for an older person, coordinate a community clothes drive, or collect food for a local food bank.

• Show children how to be entrepreneurs: Organize a yard sale or teach them a trade that can generate a little extra summer cash. (car washes, dog walking service, etc.)

• Develop a scavenger hunt: Remember how much fun it was as a kid to “discover” something. Plan a creative outdoor scavenger hunt.

Look for certain kinds of trees, flowers or insects. You can even do a scavenger hunt within the local library. Find a book on butterflies, find a book that would help you plan a vacation; find a book that talks about your favorite animal. BE CREATIVE in your scavenger hunt clues.

• Get dirty: Plan a day to go outside and “get dirty”. From cleaning the yard to replanting flowers - there is fun to be found. I talked to a friend who ordered a mound of dirt to use in his yard, but allowed his kids to “play” in it before he used it. What a great idea!!

A great website that may help you plan a productive and FUN summer is the Children and Nature Network, www.childrenandnature.org.

Their vision and mission is, “to give every child in every community a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, reconnecting our children with nature’s joys and lessons, its profound physical and mental bounty.”

Whatever you choose to do this summer, make sure it creates quality and engaging moments for your family and perhaps you WON’T hear that familiar phrase, “I’m bored.”

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therapyRx WORDS DON MILLER

My Experience With Therapy HOW CPTA CAN HELP YOU PERFORM BETTER EARLIER THIS YEAR I HAD THE

...The key is that parents have to be persistent and consistent...

Dr. Don Miller, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS, Owner, Cleveland Physical Therapy Associates & Prescription Fitness, has clinics in Shelby, Kings Mountain and Boiling Springs,NC. He has practiced as a Physical Therapist and a Nationally Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist for over 21 years.

20 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

misfortune of injuring my left shoulder. The rotator cuff is composed of four different muscles, and I tore one of them (the supraspinatus). Rotator cuff tears can be debilitating and lead to significant dysfunction and impairment. Surgical repair is usually necessary. The goal of rotator cuff repair surgery is to decrease pain and restore function with increase shoulder range of motion and strength. Clinical outcomes vary depending upon the method used to repair the damaged tendons as well as several other factors. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of repair. In the past, it was necessary to “open” the shoulder to perform repairs and for a long time the open rotator cuff repair was considered the gold standard. Today, fortunately, many surgeons are skilled in decreasing patient morbidity through less surgical trauma from an arthroscopic procedure. In addition to the surgery required to repair the rotator cuff there are specific rehabilitation programs.

As a physical therapist I was aware of the need for effective communication and coordination of care by the therapist and surgeon in order to achieve the best outcome. In the best situations an educated therapist who has great communication with the surgeon can get the shoulder moving earlier and minimize the risk of stiffness or re-tear while regaining function and restoring normal movement.

Treatment options vary according to the surgical approach, fixation method and age of patient, as well as the size and chronicity of the tear. One of the benefits of the all arthroscopic repair is that you are able to undergo an accelerated postoperative rehabilitation program.

The primary goal of rehabilitation is to promote healing while protecting the repair, gradually restoring movement and strength, and ultimately

function. This approach, which involves early safe motion to allow tendon healing while maintaining joint mobility with minimal stress, is key to recovery.

As a physical therapist for the past 22 years, I thought I knew what to expect. I am knowledgeable, at least from an academic and clinical application standpoint. While I am not yet fully recovered, I have improved significantly. I continue to rehabilitate my left shoulder under the guidance of some of the therapists at CPTA. I must admit that being a patient on the receiving end of therapy has given me a new appreciation for the process. I more fully comprehend what our patients mean when they complain about pain and not being able to sleep for more than two hours at a time. I also better understand the dedication required of patients and the amount time it takes to recover following surgery.

While I wish I had not injured my shoulder, this experience has increased my ability to empathize with my patients. It has also enhanced my appreciation for my health, specifically for the use of my left shoulder. I am grateful for my surgeon’s concern and skill as well as the expertise and kindness of the therapists at CPTA. I am also thankful for the care extended to me by the staff of the surgical unit at Kings Mountain Hospital.

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 21

a

Legen d in his

Time WORDS JUDY GAULTNEY

When it comes to musical contributions, Don Gibson’s are almost too numerous to name. He composed three of the most famous songs in country music: “Sweet Dreams,” “Oh Lonesome Me,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” More than 700 artists have recorded “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and the song has sold more than 30 million records worldwide. The most famous recording, the 1962 version by Ray Charles, spent five weeks at No. 1 on the pop charts.

22 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

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

• • DON GIBSON honored by hometown

3 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2008

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on Gibson recorded more than 500 titles during his career and claimed Top 100 hits in four consecutive decades. With the encouragement of legendary guitarist and music producer Chet Atkins, he was a leader in the creation of the “Nashville Sound” – less fiddle and steel guitar and more piano, drums and guitar – a smooth, sweet sound perfect for Don’s voice and his simple lyrics that portrayed strong emotions. Some even say that Don’s 1972 recording of Gary S. Paxton’s “Woman (Sensuous Woman)” – Don’s last No. 1 hit – opened the door for country musicians to explore sexual themes.

Donald Eugene Gibson, born April 3, 1928, in Shelby, died at age 75 on Nov. 17, 2003, in Baptist Hospital in Nashville. He is buried in Sunset Cemetery in Shelby.

This fall his hometown is honoring him by renaming the remodeled and redesigned State Theatre, an art deco movie house on South Washington Street, The Don Gibson Theatre.

The 420-seat venue will host musicians and comedians and serve as an independent movie house.

Trip Boinest, co-chairman with John Shweppe III of The Don Gibson Theatre Committee for Destination Cleveland County (DCC), says the non-profit DCC hopes the theater “will bring 20,000 to 30,000 people to Cleveland Country the first year that have never set foot here before.”

The 1939 structure, which at one time since its life as a theater had been an antique furniture store, was in dusty disrepair when the city agreed to lease it to DCC with an option to purchase. The renovation, undertaken by local entities MBAJ Architects and Morrison Construction Company, includes a new entrance, reception space and interior and state-ofthe-art acoustics and lighting systems, plus loading docks, dressing rooms, expanded bathroom facilities, a catering kitchen and administrative offices. The target for the grand opening is September.

Accounts of Don Gibson’s life are numerous, and the majority of career details jibe. For the most complete story of both his career and his personal life, Foothills Spotlight went to Don’s greatest fan, his widow Bobbi Patterson Gibson, also a Shelby native and a current resident.

“I’ve known him all my life,” Bobbi says. “He was older than I was, but Don and my mother’s younger brother, Howard Sisk, started in music together.”

That start was as the Sons of the Soil, and the trio, which also included fiddle-player Ned Costner, sometimes practiced at Bobbi’s grandmother’s place, a boarding house that had previously been the Southern Hotel, situated where the downtown recycling center is now. After her grandmother and other family members moved to the Weathers Apartments

24 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

(the site is now Shelby Music Center), the Sons of the Soil came there for grandmother Sisk’s good cooking after their radio show on local station WOHS. A shy child by nature, Bobbi says, “I was somewhere around hiding.”

Don made his first recordings, “Automatic Mama,” with Sons of the Soil (Don, Howard, Jim Barber and Milton Scarborough) while still in Shelby. He moved to Knoxville, Tenn., in 1950, where he and a new group called King Cotton Kinfolk (Don, Bill Kirby, Seth Addis, Howard White and Blackie Lunsford performed on two shows for radio station WNOX – Tennessee Barn Dance and Mid-day Merry-Go-Round. Don decided he wanted to get serious about writing songs. His first effort, “I’m Glad I Got to See You Once Again,” was sent as a demo to Nashville where Hank Snow heard it. Hank recorded the song in 1955, and it climbed to No. 7 on the country charts. It was also 1955 when Don wrote “Sweet Dreams,” which made it to No. 9 when Don sang it and to No. 2 when the more established Faron Young released it. It was Don’s performance of “Sweet Dreams” at a Mule Day Festival in Knoxville that got the attention of Wesley Rose of music publisher Acuff-Rose Music. Wesley got Don a songwriting contract with Acuff-Rose and a recording contract with MGM Records. It was also Wesley who took the song to Faron Young. Other notable artists who have recorded “Sweet Dreams” are Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Emmylou Harris and Reba McEntire. Don himself recorded it a second time in 1961.

In 1956 Don wrote “Too Soon to Know,” one of Bobbi’s favorites and a hit for Roy Orbison in England, and “Blue Blue Day.” It was in 1957 that Don composed “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Oh Lonesome Me.” They were released on the same record and both became major hits. “Oh Lonesome Me” reached No. 1 and swept every major award in country music.

It was “Oh Lonesome Me” that helped initiate the “Nashville Sound.” Chet Atkins, Don’s producer for about 13 years, was the producer for the record.

Some reports cite as rumor or fable that Don wrote “Oh Lonesome Me” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” the same day while living in a house trailer north of Knoxville. “It’s not a rumor,” Bobbi says. “It’s true.

Don told me that himself.”

“Oh Lonesome Me” brought immediate fame – and a problem. “It was kind of an overnight thing,” Bobbi says. “It kind of knocked him off his feet. People who wouldn’t talk to him before now accepted him. That’s kind of hard to take. He got flung into money and had to do one-nighters. They would have to drive 500 miles here and then 500 miles there. It just wore him out.”

The upshot was that Don asked a doctor for help

The Happiest Man in N.C. Money talks, yes, it does, but sometimes it gets drowned out by other voices. David Jenkins was offered two jobs on the same day. One was in downtown Boston; the other was in Shelby. The one in Boston “was a much more lucrative position, shall we say,” Jenkins told Foothills Spotlight. “I made the decision to come to Shelby because I felt the project was more interesting and the team involved more accomplished and professional and dedicated. I decided I wanted a better quality of life.”

The position Jenkins accepted in Shelby is as executive director of The Don Gibson Theatre, the former State Theatre on South Washington Street currently undergoing a major redesign and renovation. During our mid-May interview, Jenkins was preparing for the opening planned for the fall of this year. “I’m working with the architects, contractors, subcontractors, trying to determine what the opening date will be,” he said.

“I am starting to look for opening shows,” to which he quickly added, “wild horses couldn’t drag it out of me.”

Jenkins, a native of Boston and most recently a resident of Independence, Mo., said The Don Gibson Theatre is the fifth theater project for which he’s been executive director. “I’ve been a paid consultant on 33 historic theater projects,” he said.

During his three decades of theater experience, Jenkins has managed start-up theaters in Fort Pierce, Fla; Salina, Kan.; Savannah, Ga., and Concord, NH. He was the founding president of the Kansas Historic Theatres Association and has served on the national board of the League of Historic American Theatres.

Marlene Peeler is chairwoman of the executive director search committee for Destination Cleveland County, the non-profit organization that has spearheaded the theater reclamation. “We are so pleased with David as our director,” she said in a press release.

“We knew we needed experience in the theater field and we had advertised on a national level. David has all the skills and experience we need to help us make the Don Gibson Theatre a premier performance place.”

Jenkins began work April 27. “I plan to be here for a long time,” he said. “I’m the happiest man in North Carolina!”

www.foothillsspotlight.com

with his weight problem and was prescribed a drug that also helped prevent fatigue; then Don needed something to help him rest. He ended up hooked on uppers and downers and began abusing alcohol. He acknowledged in an Associated Press interview later that, “I wouldn’t have known if I had been crowned king of England.”

In January 1967 Don broke his leg in a fall at his home in Knoxville. Separated from his third wife, he came to Shelby to recuperate physically and emotionally and escape the world of entertainment that had disillusioned him. Ironically, that was also the month that Roy Orbison paid tribute to Don with the release of a 12-song album titled Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson.

On his return to Shelby, Don’s mother asked Bobbi’s mother and Bobbi’s Aunt Shirley, to take Don back and forth to therapy in Charlotte. Bobbi’s older brother Charlie was married to Don’s niece, so the two families were close. Don was 38 and Bobbi had just turned 24; the two became reacquainted when Bobbi accompanied her mother and sometimes kept Don company. As Don recuperated and moved from

crutches to a cane, he began to honor some show dates. Bobbi and Syble went with him to shows in Columbia, Charleston and Atlanta, and he even flew to California with his attorneys as companions.

The performance trips and time spent in restaurants or bringing in pizza allowed Don and Bobbi to get to know each other. “We fell in love,” Bobbi says. The first time Don asked her to marry him, she said no.

When she did say yes, he asked her to quit her job so she could travel with him. “I thought, ‘I can’t do that.’

I was afraid, not knowing.” But she honored Don’s request and resigned from Lily Mill, where she had worked for about eight months after four years as a bookkeeper at First National Bank. They were married June 4, 1967.

The first five years were challenging, Bobbi says, because there were so many debts to pay. After living in Charlotte for six months, the couple moved to Gatlinburg then to Nashville where Don began to rebuild his career. “It took five years before we could get the IRS settled,” she says. “We had to pay off so many bills. We worked together. I would write all these companies and say, ‘We’ll pay you $50 a month until

we get this paid off.’ That was hard road.”

Don’s career progressed with several duets with Dottie West, the solo hits “Woman (Sensuous Woman)” and “Country Green” and a series of duets with Sue Thompson. In 1974, Don had two Top Ten hits with “One Day at a Time” and “Bring Back Your Love to Me,” and in 1975 Ronnie Milsap recorded Don’s “A Legend in My Time.” Don also made Grand Ole Opry appearances, and his 1980’s “Love Fires” was a modest success. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.

Don became ill with a stomach problem in 2000 and went through exploratory surgery. After months in the hospital, he came home and Bobbi learned how to hook up his feeding tube and how to flush it, plus how to administer his medication. At one point during his illness, an ailing Syble and Bobbi’s younger brother Ronnie, whose liver was failing, moved in with the Gibsons. “I had my mother, my brother and my husband,” Bobbi says. “I thought die I would.”

She lost Don first, with him passing away in 2003.

Ronnie and Syble had moved back to Shelby before

The Theatre’s Transformation MBAJ Architecture & Morrison Constuction Co. turn the 1930s art deco State Theatre into The Don Gibson Theatre

T

his transformation required the design and creation of a new entrance, reception space and interior, plus acoustics and lighting systems, loading docks, dressing rooms, expanded bathroom facilities, a catering kitchen and administrative offices. MBAJ Architecture is responsible for the theater’s design.

Stan Anthony, managing principal of the Shelby office of MBAJ, 215 East Warren Street, says the firm completed the total restoration and renovation of the Mac Gray Auditorium in Statesville in 2008, a project similar to The Don Gibson Theatre, since the auditorium was built in the 1930s. Anthony says more than 60 percent of the company’s projects involve preservation and renovation of existing buildings.

MBAJ Architecture was founded in Shelby in 1981 and has since opened offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. Fifteen of the firm’s 51-member staff work in the Shelby office. Anthony says the cornerstones of MBAJ Architecture’s practice are in the design and delivery of educational, governmental, religious and commercial facilities, and the firm has vast experience with prefunding planning, facility assessments, programming, masterplanning, phased construction and post-occupancy services.

The company serves clients throughout the Carolinas and West Virginia. Recent projects include the Rock Hill Aquatics Center, the Surry County Judicial Center and the Cape Hatteras Elementary School.

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

S

ince 1892 Morrison Construction Co., Inc., has been building banks, schools, churches and commercial facilities in North and South Carolina. “We just run the gamut of basically all industrial construction,” says current company president Charlie Morrison. “We do everything from schools to churches, banks, YMCAs, hospice facilities.” And now, the renovation that will become The Don Gibson Theatre, a project that requires turning the design by MBAJ Architecture into reality.

Charles A. Morrison founded Morrison Construction in the late 19th century; leadership passed to his son Clarence, then to his grandson Carl, who owns the company now. Carl’s sons Charlie and Ace serve currently as president and vice president, respectively. The company, at 1424 South Morgan Street, Shelby, has about 20 full-time employees and subcontracts specialized items for its projects.

Morrison Construction is a member of the Carolinas branch of the Associated General Contractors of America. The company’s structures include the Dover YMCA, the Boiling Springs YMCA, First National Bank in downtown Shelby, the George Blanton Center and The Shelby Star building.

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 25

THE FUTURE

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n 2006 a group of concerned citizens began to discuss the need to revitalize downtown Shelby. Five of those concerned citizens visited Newberry, S.C., a town of 10,000 residents whose revitalization efforts include the award-winning Newberry Opera House and the Newberry Firehouse Conference Center. Inspired by what they saw, the group led the creation in May 2006 of Destination Cleveland County, Inc. (DCC), a non-profit entity that states as its goal “to unite our county’s history, heritage, culture and arts to create a vibrant economy while embracing the future and preserving the past.” The organization’s first two projects are The Don Gibson Theatre and The Earl Scruggs Center, both named for native sons who gave the world beautiful music.

“We wanted to build this town back up to what it once was,” says Trip Boinest, co-chairman with John Schweppe III of The Don Gibson Theatre Committee. “As people got involved (in DCC), we needed to find a way to make it make sense. Being that Don Gibson and Earl Scruggs are from here, that was just a natural fit. It gives you an identity you can sell to the public; it gets people’s attention.

“It’s not about music as much as it is economic impact,” he says. “Our hope is that (the theater) will bring 20,000 to 30,000 people to Cleveland County the first year that have never set foot here before. We’re trying to put people in our restaurants; we’re trying to put people in our motels; we’re trying to develop tourism to some degree. Our hope is to draw an audience from a 50-mile radius. We’re not trying to entertain just the people in this small locale; the whole idea of Destination Cleveland County is to develop an influx of people into the area that will provide significant income to the people here.

“There are so many things that can come from this, like future employers relocating here because we’ve got the right kind of opportunities for entertainment and the right environment to keep our young people from moving away.”

that, but Ronnie died in 2004 and Syble passed away on Bobbi and Don’s anniversary in 2008. “My sister said, ‘Look at it like this: You were having a party 41 years ago, and they’re all having one now.’” Bobbi’s father and older brother Charlie had preceded the others in death.

On Dec. 3 after Don’s death, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a public memorial. Eddy Arnold, whom Don cited as one of his inspirations, was among the performers. Brenda Lee, Connie Smith, Harold Bradley, Mandy Barnett, Dick Frank, Bob Whittaker, music critic and historian Robert K. Oermann and Ray Walker of the Jordanaires also offered spoken or musical tributes.

Dick Frank, Don’s entertainment attorney for many years, told Bobbi, “I never heard Don say a harsh word about anybody,” to which Bobbi notes, “That’s a good memory.”

When Bobbi talks about her husband, the good memories pile of top of each other.

“Don and I were both shy. We were a lot alike. Don said we were soul mates. We finished each other’s sentences.”

“He was a genius is what he was.”

“He was good hearted; he would give you the shirt off his back. He bought my mother a townhouse where she lived for more than 20 years. She never had to worry about having a roof over her head.”

“An oncology nurse told me that she plays Don’s songs for cancer patients and it calms them. That made me feel good.”

The man whose musical legacy is being preserved in The Don Gibson Theatre was the youngest of

The Don Gibson Memorial A creation by River Hill Monument Company to remember the life and legacy of Don Gibson

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he Don Gibson memorial at Sunset Cemetery is the creation of Riverhill Monument Company, 1113 Polkville Road, Shelby. Company President Ron Ledbetter learned the monument business from his father Roy, who began selling monuments in 1957.

After his father’s death, Roy ran the family concern for four years, then another family member took over leadership. In 1994, Ron and his wife Cathy assumed principal positions, gave the company its current name and made changes that have grown the company into the area’s largest full-service manufacturer of memorials and one of the largest family-owned monument builders in the state. Riverhill Monument Company, whose

26 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

drafing department has won numerous awards, serves the Foothills of North Carolina, plus the South Carolina counties of Cherokee, York and Chester. The company has more than 300 monuments in stock, and its beautiful and affordable memorials have changed the landscape of cemeteries in the area. Riverhill Monument Company is a member of the Monument Builders of the Carolinas and the Monument Builders of North America.

“Riverhill Monument Company doesn’t sell monuments. They create and sell beautiful artwork, and they do it better than anyone else I know.” -- The late Bill Wiley, Wiley Brothers Marble & Granite Co.

five children born to Solon D. and Mary Magdalene Gibson. His father died when Don was young and Don’s mother remarried. Don left school during his elementary years to help his sharecropping family with farm chores. It was a way of life he did not cherish, and he wanted to get away from it as soon as possible. “He prayed for rain a lot,” says Bobbi with a laugh.

Interested in music at an early age, Don learned to play the guitar with the help of older pickers who taught him chords while hanging out on somebody’s back porch. By the time he was 14, Don was a professional entertainer performing at venues such as outdoor fairs and schoolhouses, as well as on the radio soon after. His other jobs as a youth included cloth hauler at a textile mill, curb hop at Willis’ Grill and jukebox maintenance man for J&K Records. He was also known as a superb pool player by those who frequented the two pool halls at the corner of Lafayette Street and Graham Street.

A songwriter, singer and musician, Don earned accolades in all three areas, but he is on record as saying, “I consider myself a songwriter who sings rather than a singer who writes songs.” His biography at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum states that as late as 1986 he estimated he had as many as 150 to 175 “working songs” – songs that were still performed enough to earn him regular royalties.

At the time of Don’s death, country and bluegrass artist Earl Scruggs, also a Shelby native, told The Tennessean newspaper, “You know, he played one of the best rhythm guitars I believe I’ve ever heard.

He could hit a lick or two on the guitar, and you could tell right away it was him.”

“Queen of Country Music” Kitty Wells, who recorded “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” told The Tennessean: “He was a great writer, and no one could sing those songs he wrote like he could. I think he was one of the best singers in the business.”

That’s saying a lot for a songwriter/singer/musician who could not read or write music. “Boudleaux Bryant and Don were signed as writers with AcuffRose,” Bobbi says. “Boudleaux tried to show him how to put the notes down, and Don said, ‘I can’t do that. I just have to do it my way.’ He would hum the tune into a tape recorder and write the words.”

Obviously, his way worked just fine.

To the theater bearing her husband’s name Bobbi is donating an oil portrait of Don and loaning one of his guitars, a suit and a pair of boots. She’s hoping the theater succeeds on two fronts: recognition for the husband she loved, respected and admired as a man and an artist and as a magnet for the city he called home.

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 27

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fun this Get ready for a whole lotta FREE summer WITH

ALIVE AFTER FIVE!

WORDS WADE NICHOLS

Caribbean Cowboys

ptown has been a tuneful place lately, and there’s a good reason that Shelby is getting a renewed reputation for good things to see and hear.

This season has greater variety of music styles and there’s something to please everyone here. Stroll around Uptown, do a bit of shopping, and enjoy dinner out after the concert.

The summer Alive After Five series for 2009 has already featured a very rousing Contagious Blues show and a wildly energetic evening with Steep Canyon Rangers.

Now we’re going to slow down just a little bit with the island-inspired tunes from the Caribbean Cowboys who will roll downhill from Asheville on July 16th.

Frontman and vocalist Steve Weams is known for getting the crowd out of their seats with a mixture of original songs, along with classic Jimmy Buffet numbers and even a whirlwind Elvis Tribute. The band plays in Asheville on a regular basis, so much that they have been voted Best Local Band by both Mountain Xpress and The Asheville Citizen Times.

Carribean Cowboys has also been a regular at Jimmy Buffett-inspired events in the Florida Keys, so their outfits are for real. And any band that puts up pictures of their black labs with captions like “Support Staff” has to have a good sense of humor.

When the third Thursday, August 20th, melts into place we’re all going to feel very southern and it will be perfect time for a big night of classic and new southern rock and blues with CottonMouth. These guys are from South Gastonia, so there’s a little bit of country in there with other big influences from the 70’s and 80’s.

Carribean Cowboys JULY 16

COTTONMOUTH

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CottonMouth AUGUST 20

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BIG SAM SEPTEMBER 17

CottonMouth’s original South Gastonia Blues is just one of the tunes on their CD Rusty Monte Carlo that lots of local folks are enjoying. So be prepared for a lively time that makes you feel right at home.

School’s back for fall in September, but before we forget about the living being easy there’s an evening of musical variety and originality with Big Sam. Some call them a Carolina super group, with musicians drawn from Greenville, SC, Locust, East Bend, Concord and Advance NC. Torch songs and ballads give way to old favorites from the past 30 years of popular music.

If you haven’t been taking advantage of great free concerts at Alive After Five, it’ time to start. There’s a dedicated Kid Zone with supervised games and activities, and we have local food vendors providing everything from snacks and drinks to a meal to enjoy at the party. This year’s Beer Garden also features a wine station with our local Owl’s Eye Vineyards.

Come join in the fun and excitement of Uptown Shelby.

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 31

BIG SAM

A natural selection

but slightly different.

WORDS MARK ALAN HUDSON

hen I arrive at Paul Owen’s “Slightly Different Nursery,” a 106 acre former horse farm off Hollis Road near Polkville, he greets me barefooted and wearing shorts, a tee shirt and ball cap. His golden retriever “Ben” keeps nudging me until I give him some attention.

After Ben decides I can stay, Owen invites me into his office in the former barn.

I gaze out the window and see a majestic view of the South Mountains. “Nice view,” I say.

This opens the door to a great story: though Owen, at 43 looks and acts like a “laid back” guy, I’ve caught him at the peak of his busiest part of the year. Yet he also takes a moment to enjoy the view and notes that from spots around his farm, you can see six counties.

“From here, I can be in the mountains in about 5 miles and the piedmont in about 7 miles,” he says.

You can tell he’s proud of the location so I ask how he found this particular spot for his nursery, which currently specializes in hybridized daylilies.

“I used to be a travel writer and I was living in New York City at that time,” he explains, “and for two years, I traveled around the US and Europe covering national

W

32 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

parks and other travel locations. Eventually, I realized the type of place I wanted to live.”

That place was an area with a mountain view, yet with good access to transportation and shipping locations so critical for his business. Owen started a nursery in the Pocono’s of Pennsylvania that centered on perennials but over time, his interest was drawn to daylilies because of their hardiness and ability to be shipped.

Owen tells me that “there are 26 species of daylily that most people call the ‘ditch lily’ and none of them are native plants-they all came from China.” He also explains that they were a food source and their roots, which look like yams, are very edible.”

He says that as he began to look for another location for his home and nursery, he centered on North Carolina. He’d spent some time living in Franklin prior to going to college in Florida. He knew he liked the culture, the fact we have four distinct seasons and also because three of his five siblings live nearby.

How he found the spot for his nursery was the result of a methodical search. He used a three dimensional map that showed him where mountain views and access would be. He then looked for the nearest airports

and then at nearby cities and towns. Very quickly, the Foothills area came into focus.

The selection of locales became easier when he happened to drive through Shelby one day. “I was on my way between two spots during my search and accidentally went through the uptown area of Shelby,” he says. “I was very impressed with what I saw and felt there was great potential for the town.” He was very impressed by what he learned from government census data. “The area had all the things I was looking for,” he recalls.

Not long after that, the property outside Polkville became available. That was four years ago. Today, Owen’s nursery boasts more than 48,000 seedlings and some 1500 varieties of daylily, some 85 of which he has developed himself. Each year, he names one of his new varieties to honor a person or place; two he has named since moving here are the ‘Uptown Shelby Girl’ and the ‘Shelby Socialite.’ The bulk of his business is via internet during the late winter and early spring months when collectors and gardener’s order online. Some days, he prepares and ships more than 150 orders that go out across the country.

Owen says that while the daylily is a hardy plant, it takes a lot of effort to develop a variety that is unique enough to be prized by collectors. He says that while plants can produce different varieties on their own, specific varieties require hybridization, a process where the grower takes plants with specific traits and grafts them to others.

This “asexual” reproduction process is requires concentration, a great deal of record keeping and can take up to five years.

Owen pauses a moment and looks out over his nursery. “I love it here,” he says. “I wanted land that I could contour and fit the nursery into.” He has clearly found his niche.

When I ask him what he’s proudest of about the nursery, he surprises me by not talking about his personal successes. Instead, he says, “I’m proud that I have been able to integrate my creativity with God’s creation.”

A slightly different approach for a businessman, perhaps, but a good one.

Slightly Different Nursery is certified by the American Daylily Society.

It is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM from now through August, with peak season running through July 15. Located at 2812 Hollis Road, the phone is 704-477-9939 and the comprehensive web site is www.slightlydifferentnursery.com .

34 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

2.

1.

4.

5.

3.

6.

7.

1. Rogerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre - Shelby 2. Webb Theatre - Shelby 3. Carolina Theatre - Shelby 4. Interior of the State Theatre - Shelby www.f o o t h i l l s s p o t l i g h t . c o m

5. State Theatre - Shelby 6. Washington Theatre - Shelby 7. Joy Theater - Kings Mountain

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 35

cooking Add fun to yourur home! and value to yo

Outdoor rooms and kitchens designed and built by

Future Energy Company 103 W. Graham St. Shelby, NC 704-480-1899

We have the fire you desire!

CLEVELAND COUNTY’S

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FAIRS • FESTIVALS • EVENTS

July - October For more info call: 704.482.7882 or call toll free 1.866.305.9973

GREG RANDALL CUSTOM WOODWORKING Custom cabinets for the entire home. Kitchen, baths, home theaters, furniture design services available.

905 Stoney Point Road, Kings Mtn, NC

704-484-2033 www.grcw.com

JULY 2009

Kings Mountain, 704-937-2940, www.TheInnOfThePatriots.com

Thru 8/22 Toys and Games That We Loved. Tues-Sat 10 am-

7/4 Kings Mountain Fabulous 4th 6-10 pm. YMCA Walking Track, 211 Cleveland Avenue, Highway 161, Kings Mountain, NC. 704-734-0333, www.CityofKM.com

4 pm. Kings Mountain Historical Museum, 100 East Mountain Street, Kings Mountain, 704-739-1019, www.kingsmountainmuseum.org Thru 11/14 Kings Mountain Weapons of War - “Live the Actual

Road, Kingstown. 704-484-9776

Life of a Colonial Militiaman” Every Sat. 1 pm. The Inn of the Patriots, 301 Cleveland Avenue, Grover, NC. 704-937-2940, www.theinnofthepatriots.com

7/16 Alive After Five Free Outdoor Concert Series 5:30 pm.

Thru 12/10 Servants & Service in the Age Antebellum - An underground discovery: Sat 1 pm or by apt. The Presidential Culinary Museum, 301 Cleveland Avenue, Grover, NC. 704-937-2940, www.theinnofthepatriots.com

7/17 Darin Aldridge, Gospel & Bluegrass music; 7:30 pm - 9:30

7/4 Western North Carolina Militia in Kings Mountain. YMCA

Gazebo, Downtown Kings Mountain. 704-734-0333, www.

CityofKM.com

Walking Track, 211 North Cleveland Avenue, Highway 161,

CARRIBBEAN COWBOYS - Cleveland County Court Square; 704-484-3100, UptownShelby.org pm, $10. WoodMill Winery, 1350 WoodMill Winery Lane, Vale, NC. 704-276-9911, www.woodmillwinery.com 7/18 Kings Mountain Beach Blast 10 am- 10 pm. Patriots Park

Telephone Equipment For Business

Compassionate, Excellent and Reliable Home Health Care.

Our 26th Year

320 E Third Ave Gastonia, NC

704-867-4507

www.bayada.com

7/12 Kingstown Founders Day Celebration. 2014 Kingston

704-669-4000

☎ Digital & IP Phone Systems ☎ Troubleshooting & Repair ☎ Voice Mail ☎ Paging Systems ☎ Camera Systems ☎ Cabling Of All Types

www.dteltel.com

Authorized Dealer

Fidelity Bank 5 Star Superior Rating by BauerFinancial Fidelity Bank did not accept federal assistance through the TARP program. We’re still lending!

Locations in Shelby, Polkville and Kings Mountain! www.fidelitybanknc.com Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

Peace

Kings Mountain Dentistry 704-739-4473

. Does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

107 East Mountain Street Kings Mountain, NC

Visit our Website at www.hospicecares.cc 7/22 – 7/25 10th Annual “Real to Reel International Film Fes-

tival” 7pm Nightly, 1pm Sat Matinee, 202 S. Railroad Ave. Kings Mountain, NC, 704-484-2787, www.realtoreelfest.com 7/24 Movies a la Mode Presents High School Musical 3, 8-10

pm. Parking lot behind the Chamber of Commerce on Warren Street in Uptown Shelby, 484-3100, www.UptownShelby.org

Accepting: Medicaid & NC Health Choice

AUGUST 2009 8/4 National Night Out in Kings Mountain 6-10 pm. Patriots

Park Gazebo. 704-734-0333, www.CityofKM.com 8/8 Moon Rise Hike 8 pm. Meet at Phifer Cabin, Broad River

Greenway, Boiling Springs, 704-434-2357, www.BroadRiverGreenway.com

Crawl Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm; Sat. Sept. 5th, 10am-2pm. Opening Reception Sept. 3, 5:30-8:30pm. 111 S. Washington St., Shelby, 704-484-2787, www.ccartscouncil.org 9/5 2nd Annual Redbone Willy’s Blue Grass & Peddler’s Festival

12 noon-till. Tickets are $10.00 and children under 12 FREE. 6533 Fallston Rd., 704-538-3670, www.Redbonewilly.com

7/24-Aug 2 The Taffetas Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2:30 pm.

Greater Shelby Community Theatre. Cleveland Community College, 137 S. Post Road, Shelby, 704-480-8495, www.gsct.org

8/15 Backcountry Militia Encampment, Kings Mountain National

7/28-8/1 Bethware Community Fair 6 -10:30 pm. Bethware School, 115 Bethware Drive, Kings Mountain, 704-734-1947

8/20 Alive After Five Free Outdoor Concert Series 5:30 pm.

Classic Rock with COTTON MOUTH. Cleveland County Court Square; 704-484-3100, UptownShelby.org

9/10-12 19th Annual Belwood Antique Tractor & Engine

SEPTEMBER 2009

9/11 Kings Mountain Patriot Day Observance, 12 noon.

City Hall Plaza, Kings Mountain, NC. 704-734-0333, www.CityofKM.com

7/30 Face Jug Exhibit Mon.-Fri., 9am-6pm; Sat. Aug. 1, 10am-2pm. Opening Reception July 30th, 5:30-7:30pm, Free to Attend Cleveland County Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Shelby, NC 28150, 704-484-2787, www.ccartscouncil.org

Military Park. 864-936-7921

9/3-10/1 Sister City Art Exchange & Art ‘Round Town Gallery

9/8-11/14 Honor Our Veterans Tues-Sat 10am-4pm. Kings

Mountain Historical Museum, 100 E Mountain St., Kings Mountain. 704-739-1019, www.kingsmountainmuseum.org Festival. 133 Carpenters Grove Church Road, Shelby.

704-538-3451 or 704-538-8468

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

9/12 TNT Concert Featuring the best in contemporary Christian music. Shelby City Park, 850 W. Sumter St., Shelby, 704-484-6476, www.CityOfShelby.com/Parks

FAIRS • FESTIVALS • EVENTS

CLEVELAND COUNTY’S

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Michael Clary

Mobile 704-472-4368 Office 704-481-2181 x135 Fax 704-481-9008 213 S. DeKalb Street Shelby, NC 28150 michael.clary@coldwellbanker.com

Celebrating 50 years of serving families!

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

127 East Dixon Blvd., Shelby

Buffet ALL DAY, EVERY DAY 10:30am - 10pm New Owner: Bill Simmons

704-482-2441

www.PizzaInn.com

9/26 Performance, Musical Instrument and Production Show 10 am-7pm. $3 advance/$5 at door. Presented by Star Stage & Sound at the Shelby City Park, 850 W. Sumter St., Shelby, 704-480-0709, www.StarsStageandSound.com

10/9-11 Foothills Quilters Guild Quilt Show, Admission $3.

This show only happens once every two years. Cleveland County Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Uptown Shelby.

704-484-7486, www.foothillsquiltersguild.org

Hwy 150 (look for signs). 704-434-2866, www.BarHevents. com

9/26 Cleveland/Lincoln County Rose Society hosts the Carolina Distric Rose Show, Cleveland Mall, 1:00-5:00 pm

9/12 Gospel Fest Block Party Noon. Kingston Park, 2014

OCTOBER 2009

10/10 Kings Mountain Gateway Festival 10 am-5 pm. Kings Mountain Historical Museum, 100 E Mountain St., Kings Mountain. 704-739-1019. Event occurs at Patriots Park in downtown Kings Mountain. www.kingsmountainmuseum.org

9/12 Bar H International Demolition Derby. Bar H Arena,

Kingston Road, Kingstown. 704-484-9776 9/17 Alive After Five Free Outdoor Concert Series 5:30 pm.

End the summer with a band that plays it all…BIG SAM. Cleveland County Court Square, Shelby 704-484-3100, www.UptownShelby.org 9/20 Annual Birthday Party and Bluegrass Bash 3 pm.

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

10/1-10 Cleveland County Fair Times vary per day.

1751 East Marion Street, Shelby, NC, 704-487-0651, www.clevelandcountyfair.com

10/11 Fall Color Walk 2 pm. Meet at Phifer Cabin, Broad

10/2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30-31 Haunted Pyramids, A Hollywood special effects artist sets up the most haunted attraction in the state. 2725 Toney Road, Lawndale, NC. 704-538-3961, www.hauntedpyramids.com

10/12-13, 19-20, 26-27 Terror By The Tracks 8 pmmidnight. Joy Performance Center, 202 S. Railroad Ave, Kings Mountain. 704-730-9408, www.kmlt.org

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

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

Ditto Consignment Home Accessories

Furniture

Fun

"Because some things are better the second time around"

226 S. Lafayette St. Shelby, NC Phone: 704-487-0785 Cell 704-473-1704 ditto226@bellsouth.net Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Saturday 9am-4pm

Providing Insurance & Financial Services Auto-Life-Health-Home and Business Robin Brackett 941 E. Marion St., Shelby, NC 28150 (704) 482-0531 Office (704) 538-3288 Residence robin.brackett.bwuw@ statefarm.com

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Spring 2009 Foothills Spotlight 13

PE R S ONA L I Z E D S U PPORT

Mobile 704-692-8845 Office 704-481-2181 x22 Fax 704-481-9008 Toll Free 800-211-1144 Susan Hull Snyder, GRI, ABR 213 S. DeKalb Street Multi-Million Dollar Producer Shelby, NC 28150 Top Lister susan.snyder@coldwellbanker.com 6pm; Sat. Nov. 7, 10am-2pm. Opening Reception Oct. 22nd, 5:30-7:30pm. Free to Attend. Cleveland County Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Shelby, NC 28150, 704-484-2787, www.ccartscouncil.org 10/23-25 3rd Annual Chitty Memorial Junior Futures Tennis

Tournament. Cleveland County Tennis Association, 1360 E. Marion Street, Shelby, NC 704-484-3332, www.clevelandcountytennis.com 10/24 Shelby Fall Festival and Livermush Expo 11 am-5 pm.

Uptown Shelby Historic Court Square, Washington Street. 704484-3100, www.uptownshelby.org 10/24-25 Art of Sound Music Festival. Cleveland County Arts

Council, 111 S. Washington St., Uptown Shelby. 704-484-2787, www.ccartscouncil.org

STERLING HOUSE® SHELBY PERSONALized Assisted Living Respect for Individual PreferencesSM 1425 East Marion Street Shelby, North Carolina 28150

(704) 481-0150 W W W. B R OOK D A L E L I V I NG. COM

Downtown Kings Mountain. 704-734-0333, www.CityofKM.com 10/3, 10, 17 & 24 Trolley Ghost Tour Get on board the trolley

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

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. Cleveland County’s oldest and one of the best haunted attractions. 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. 704-4808924, www.jclshelby.com

10/30 Kings Mountain Great Pumpkin Halloween Parade 10 am.

Cleveland County attraction brochures are available at the Visitor Information Center located at the Cleveland Mall on East Dixon Boulevard, Shelby.

For more information on these events contact Cleveland County Travel & Tourism at 704.482.7882 or call toll free 1.866.305.9973 or www.TourClevelandCounty.com.

Shelby Surgical Associates, PA Robert G. Laney, MD H. Douglas Hobson, MD Andrew J. Taylor, MD

200 W. Grover St, Shelby, NC

Michael L. Barringer, MD Bryan Young, MD Douglas A. Blackman, MD

704-487-8591

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Spring 2009 Foothills Spotlight 13

814 S. DeKalb St. Shelby, NC

704-482-6681 www.dqshelby.com

www.wrightsjewelrystore.com

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the great companies we have worked with over the past 5 years. Without you we could not be where we are today.

T H A N K YO U !

Affordable Painters Agape, LLC All Seasons Lawn & Garden American Legion World Series American Restoration Arc Pharma Arnold’s Jewelry Art On The Square Balance Yoga Center Bayada Nurses Bear Mountain Café Bedazzled Bridal & Formal Boiling Springs Family Dentistry Best Deal Motorsports Boiling Springs Florists Bootstrap Computer Services, Inc. Brackett Insurance Bradley Athletics Brenda McClain Broad River Highlands Buffalo Creek Gallery Business Consulting Group Buyer’s Choice Realty Campbell Automotive Carmike Cinemas Carolina Artisans Construction Carolina Constructors Carolina Curbscape Carolina Energies Carolina Federal Credit Union Carolina Portrait Studio Carolina Wallcrete Carter Chevrolet Century 21 Champion Properties Chen’s Restaurant Child Care Connections City of Shelby City View Capital Cleveland Community College Cleveland County Community Development Cleveland County Economic Development Cleveland County Fair Cleveland County Travel & Tourism Cleveland Headline News Cleveland Home Health Cleveland Lumber Cleveland Physical Therapy Rx Cleveland Regional Memorial Center Commercial Data Systems Committee To Elect Debbie Clary Computer Connections, Inc Concrete Speciality Contractors Country Heart Covenant Painters

Crest High School Crestview Church D-Tel Communications Dedmon Electric Dairy Queen Destination Cleveland County Diane Ledbetter Ditto Consignment Don’s Italian DrugForce Screening DTaxes Etc. E-Z Erase Edward Jones Fatz Fidelity Bank 5 East Restaurant Fogle Studios First National Bank Forest City Owls Fox Distributing Frame Masters Gallery Furniture Solutions Future Energy G. Stephen Bell. D.D.S., M.S., P.A. Gaston Gazette Georgios Glenn Williams Construction Company Global Operation Resource Group Gorman Hopkins Publishing LLC Got To Be Green, LLC Got You Covered Gragg & Gragg Green River Plantation Greene Boat and Motor Greg Randall Custom Woodworking, LLC GT McSwain’s Guardian Fidelity Mortgage Inc H&H Pest Control Hallelujah Acres Hannon Orthodontist Heavenly Scent Cleaning Hendrick Appliance Higher Learning Childcare Academy Hog Happenin’ Hoke Enterprises, Inc. Holiday Inn Express Holbrook Election Committee Holly’s Flowers Home Builders Association of Cleveland Co Hospice of Cleveland County HPM Truck & Heavy Equipment Huitt & Borders Humana - Matthew Clark Image Marketing Group Inn of The Patriots

International Media Services International Pharma Packaging & Distribution J&D Furniture Joe’s Place Jolley Electric Joy’s Unlimited Bridal Josh Ferree Scholarship JP Tomascak Development Katie Bradley Keeter Ford Keith’s Carpet & Floor Covering Kelly McMurray Ken & Mary’s Kids Senses Kings Mountain Dentistry La Noticia Lake Shore Media Laughlin Furniture Learning For Life Lloyd Williams III Loopy Lu’s Manelines Boutique Max D Jones & Associates McNeeley Girls Mercedes Homes Millennium Marketing Medi-Fare Drug Milligan Construction Morrison Custom Cabinets National Assoc of Safety Professionals NaviSite New Vision Sales Norris Merchandise North Carolina Locksmith Associaton Ola & Deborah’s Ora Supermarket Palmetto Motorsports Pizza Inn Planet Suzuki Playground Safety Services, Inc. Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille Power 8 Workshop Prudential Realty Personnel Services Unlimited Puppy Luv Quality Electronic Manufacturing Services Ray’s Homes Raymond Timber Homes Real Estate Diversified Red Bone Willy’s Remax Select River Hill Monument Company, INC Robin Hendrick Real Estate Consulting Room To Grow RST Technologies, LLC

S&M Sports Salon 206 Sandy’s Country Christmas Schweppe Law Firm Settle Heating & Air Sharonview Shelby Eye Center Shelby Hardware Shelby Music Center Shelby Pools Shelby Surgical Associates Shope Shoes Shuford Heating and Air Sims Homes LLC Sleep Center Southeastern Financial Southeastern Plastic Surgery Stamey Funeral Home Starmount Marketing Group Sterling House Stitzel Construction, Inc. Summit Place Susan Scruggs Susan Synder T.C. Strictland Construction, Inc. Thanks Company The Flying Pig The Great Outdoors The Rowdy Rib Til-Mar Textiles Timms Furniture Totally Fit 4 Life Towery Consulting & Engineering, PLLC Travel Lynx Charter and Tours Truliant Federal Credit Union Ultra United Way of Cleveland County Upstate Title Loans Uptown Shelby Association Victorian Rose Victorian Stephen Walker’s Carpet Walker Woodworking Webb’s Orchard Welcome Home Wendi Starnes Gragg WGWG Winter House Deli WorkForce Staffing, Inc. Wright’s Jewelry WW Contractors Xcellence Media YMCA/Cleveland Family YMCA Young & Associates

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Back Yard

Treasur e Awaits You WORDS MARK ALAN HUDSON

f you and the family are looking for a beautiful place to visit, but close by, South Mountains State Park may be just the ticket for you. Enjoyable for all ages, it offers a wide range of activities and diversions. Best of all, most of the things you can do here are free.

Comprising more than 100,000 acres across Burke, Cleveland and Rutherford Counties, the South Mountains have long been prized by area residents. It was not until the 1940’s however, that efforts to preserve parts of the mountain chain gained much support. It was the National Park Service that first recommended the State of North Carolina set aside land as a protected State Park.

Years of effort culminated in some 6,000 acres being purchased for South Mountains State Park in 1974.

For Foothills folks, the park is literally a backyard treasure. Easy to reach and having activities for almost any interests, in some respects, it is one of the most diverse of the many parks in our area.

Over the last thirty-five years, the park has tripled in size to over 18,000 acres and has over 200,000 visitors a year.

While land acquisition for preservation is still a goal, the park today expends a considerable amount of effort on recreation and educational opportunities for

Details

visitors. Programs are offered for all ages throughout the year. Park Superintendent Jonathan Griffith is very proud of the park’s programming, noting, “we’ve been actively working on our programs for the last three years and we try to have at least two per weekend.”

Most people who visit the park do so as part of a day trip, usually with the goal of catching a glimpse of the breathtaking 80 foot High Shoal Falls, which cascades into the Jacob Fork River. Two trails, of different difficulty, will get you to the top but the river and its inviting pools at the bottom are completely satisfying in their own right. The river and streams within the park boundaries are also designated trout streams.

While the falls are special, they are by no means the only attraction; this is a perfect spot for both day hikers and campers with more than 42 miles of existing trails ranging from a delightful .3 mile handicapped accessible trial along the Jacob Fork River to those classed as moderate to strenuous in difficulty.

Elevations within the park range from 1,200 feet to 3,000 feet and the longest trail is over 5 miles but combinations give you options for longer treks. On National Trails Day during June, the park will open 3 additional miles of trail.

One of the most strenuous, the

(828)433-4772 www.ncparks.gov email: south.mountains@ncmail.net

42 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

Chestnut Knob Trail, offers outstanding views of the falls during the winter months and other vantage points provide views (on clear days) of Kings Mountain, Crowders Mountain and downtown Charlotte to the east and Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell to the west.

South Mountains is one of the few state parks in either North Carolina or South Carolina that have a designated mountain bike trail; the 18 mile route here is extremely difficult but covers beautiful terrain.

What’s a park without camping?

South Mountains offers you both primitive and car camping; the family oriented campground has 11 spots and while there are no hook-ups, the sites can accommodate RV’s up to 26’ in length. There are another 20 primitive sites in six different locations; each requires a healthy hike to reach but are worth the effort. Rates for camping currently run $9 per night for both remote and car camping sites.

For equestrians, the park has a nice network of trails covering more than 29 miles. A 33 stall horse barn and equestrian camping boasting 15 sites is a big draw. South Mountains is the only NC state park with such capabilities.

Camping and facilities are first come, first served and can be reserved by linking through the Park System’s web site or by calling 1-877-7-CAMP-NC. The park can be accessed by either Rt.226 at Polkville or from Rt. 18 just northwest of Touluca. Their GPS coordinates are 35° 35’ 47.35” N, 81° 00.91” W. Open daily except Christmas.

For the picnicker, there are several pleasant areas with numerous shaded tables and grills; the largest has a rest room with running water. There is also a large shelter that is available on a first come first serve basis or which can be reserved. It can handle up to 50 people.

With a wide variety of active recreational pursuits, it might be easy to forget that one of the major attractions of this park is its natural splendor.

There is a wide range of plant and animal life here; there are 175 wildflower species and more than 60 species of nesting birds. Several animal species await the patient observer. You won’t see any lions and tigers but black bears are infrequent visitors.

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864-839-6384 300 W. Pine St., Blacksburg, SC www.foothillsspotlight.com

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 43

O

IE

E V I T A V O NN N O I T A C DU ollege steps

munity C Cleveland Com ol of high scho

E . ANITA WAR WORDS DR

44 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

..

up the game.

n August 11, 2008 fifty Cleveland County ninth graders became the inaugural class of the Cleveland Early College High School (CECHS).

CECHS is located on the campus of Cleveland Community College in Shelby, North Carolina.

CECHS students have the opportunity to complete a five year program of study to earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree, two years of transferable college credit. This innovative high school program offers a rigorous honors level academic program combined with intensive student support. Students benefit from a personalized education that is designed to meet their academic needs through project based instruction, community service and work experiences prior to graduation. CECHS graduates are being prepared for additional academic work at a four year institution of higher education and will receive an education that will make them marketable in today’s workforce.

This initiative has tremendous support from both state and local legislators and the governor’s office. This new type of high school is one of several solutions to combat the drop out problem. Smaller schools offer students opportunities to excel socially, academically, and as leaders in their school and community. While we have made considerable progress in the number of students who attend college in North Carolina, too many students drop out between the ninth and twelfth grade.

The early college model offers students another option to attend high school when they are looking for something different than a regular, four year high school setting. CECHS students are both high school students and college students at the same time.

The development of the CECHS has been a true partnership between Cleveland Community College, Cleveland County Schools and the Cleveland County Commissioners. Our student cohort mirrors the demographics of our county and all students were chosen from one hundred and eleven applicants across Cleveland County. The school staff in the first year included three teachers, a guidance counselor, career development coordinator, principal and school secretary.

In August we will welcome four additional teachers, and fifty ninth graders. For more information about the CECHS please visit our website at www.clevelandechs.org or contact Anita Ware, Principal, at 704/476-8200 or afware@clevelandcountyschools.org.

www.foothillsspotlight.com

www.foothillsspotlight.com

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 45

...Just 10 minutes a day could make all the difference...

I

f I could count the number of ladies that have no skin care routine, no idea of what their skin needs, and have low standards for caring for themselves, I’d be a very rich woman. I meet women every day who don’t take time for themselves because life gets in their way. They, too, during that day, notice the smallest lines forming around their eyes and the slight sag where tight skin once was. These same beautiful women will take time to stare in the mirror long enough to feel just a little sad, but don’t know they have the power to fight the war! The war isn’t against their face, but against all other things that would tell them that they aren’t worth the time.

Just 10 minutes a day could make all the difference. Five minutes to wash (no, not with soap, ladies!) exfoliate, moisturize, and 5 minutes to add a touch of color, can make the remainder of the day so much brighter. To look in the mirror and know that she took a few minutes to take care of the same face that will take care of so many others that day is worth those 10 minutes. To get one compliment from anyone on how great her skin looks is worth the “extra” time it took. Her little girl that might be watching

46 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

will know that it is OK for her to take some time for herself.

Then the cost! How could she think that she could be worth say, $1 a day, to take care of her skin! It’s easy…she is. Every woman is worth it. Every woman is beautiful and has something to offer. Yet, those same beautiful women are hesitant to offer themselves the same care and consideration they offer to everyone else.

How, you say? First, and most importantly, make a promise to yourself that you will start a skin care regimen now. Not tomorrow or when you have time, now. All time is the same; it is how you use it that makes the difference. Every day you must clean your face – again, not with soap! Every day you must apply a moisturizer with sunscreen. Skin cancer is real and if you haven’t been protecting yourself against it – start now. Then, when you have conquered the three minutes it takes for these steps, you can add in specialized skin care. Whether you have wrinkles, dark spots, or puffiness, there are great products to help with all of these issues. Find a product line that is best for your skin and your personal needs. I say

“line” because it is very important to stick with one line of skin care products. They really are formulated to work with one another. If you don’t, it could be like chemical warfare on your skin!

Of course, color. I don’t personally feel that everyone should wear make-up. That is a personal choice for each woman. Cosmetics should enhance your best features and make you feel great when you look in the mirror. They should also be good for your skin or at least non-damaging. It is important to look at yourself in the sunlight to see how your make-up really looks. Find shades that suit your skin’s color. If you have no idea about make-up but want to wear it, there is help out there. There are books, DVD’s, and professionals that will help you look great every day.

Don’t be afraid to experiment – you can wipe it off.

And the time! Just take it! Take the time to care for yourself so you won’t regret not doing it later. Find what works for you, your skin, and your life! There are so many different products out there – but there is only one of you. You are worth it.

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 47

foothillsbusiness

{business tips}

WORDS SCOTT DARNELL, PMP, MBA

Understanding “Change Management” AWARENESS, DESIRE, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY AND REINFORCEMENT FOR THE PAST FEW DECADES,

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.

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.

48 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

many businesses have embraced one or more continuous improvement methodologies. Six Sigma, Lean, & Kaizen are some examples of methodologies businesses have been using to reduce cost, improve quality, and increase competitive position in their industries. Another methodology that has been gaining popularity is “Change Management”.

During the recession, many business leaders have been faced with the challenge or opportunity of initiating change in their businesses.

Change, for many, can either be welcomed or feared, depending on the circumstances.

We tend to many times embrace change when things are bad, and fear change when things are good. The discipline of Change Management over the years has become one that continues to be studied and adopted by many businesses of all sizes. Change Management is a process that follows a framework or model in a controlled manner to reach a defined objective.

A popular model and one adopted by many Fortune 500 Companies is the ADKAR Model by Prosci. ADKAR is an acronym for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.

To be successful with “Change”, whether as a business, individual, or community, each of the five steps in the ADKAR will address the following: A (Awareness) What are the business, customer or competitor issues that created the need to change?

D (Desire) What are the motivating factors or consequences (good or bad) related to the change? What are the compelling reasons or objections to change?

K (Knowledge) What are the skills and knowledge you need to support this change

during and after the transition?

A (Ability) Understanding the skills and knowledge needed for the change what is your ability to implement this change? What challenges do you see?

R (Reinforcement) What reinforcements are in your organization that will help sustain the change? Are incentives in place to help sustain change, or can incentives be put in place?

The ADKAR model addresses two key areas of change management that many models overlook. The model addresses change at the individual and organizational levels. Six Sigma, Lean, and other continuous improvement methodologies are most successful when organizational goals, objectives and rewards are all supported by a culture promoting continuous improvement by all stakeholders.

The ADKAR model helps manage change from the employee’s perspective, which is individual change management. The model also will manage change from the manager’s perspective, which is the organizational part of Change Management. Since most companies have employees, both areas are important in the process of change.

In most organizations, resistance to change is the norm, not the exception. When implementing change in your organization, communication and teamwork are a crucial part of the process. Change Management is continuous improvement; if done properly, it will allow an organization and individuals to embrace change, not fear it.

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” ~W. Edwards Deming

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A Year of Women Growing and Sharing

}

Celebrates }

CWN

For information or to receive CWN e-mails contact: Katherine Panther-Potemkin CWN Chairperson Executive Director, Learning for Life Phone: 704-477-4370 | Katherine@learningforlifeconsulting.com

A

s the Cleveland Women’s Network (CWN) celebrates its one year anniversary, many of Cleveland County’s professional women are expressing their appreciation for the organization. As one local business woman says, “CWN has provided a way for me to meet other local women and grow my business.” And that is one of the purposes of CWN. It’s a professional networking organization for women in all stages of their careers, CWN is dedicated to fostering personal and professional growth and encouraging participation and recognition in the Cleveland County Chamber.

CWN had its official birth in May, 2008. As with every birth its actual conception took place months earlier when two local professional women, Stephanie Trogdon, former Chamber VP of Membership Services, and myself, (Katherine Panther-Potemkin, owner of Learning for Life), had a conversation. Unbeknownst to me, Stephanie and I both had the same dream – an organization for Cleveland County’s professional women. I’ve always believed in the necessity and power of a place where women can come together to share, listen and build on one another’s knowledge and insight. As I heard local women voice their desire for an organized women’s professional “community”, I decided it was time to act. In December, 2007 I shared my dream with Stephanie. Her eyes lit up and she responded with “Definitely YES!” The Cleveland

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

Vickie Tessener VP of Membership Services Cleveland County Chamber Phone: 704-487-8521 | Vickie@clevelandchamber.org

Chamber agreed to place the organization under their auspices, and with that our research and planning began with the help of a small group of women who volunteered their time and ideas to help birth CWN. By the way, that group of women has grown to 13 in number and now comprises the CWN Planning Committee. I greatly appreciate their dedication! Six months later on May 21, 2008 CWN held its kick-off luncheon. More than 50 excited women attended, and when it was over they all wanted to know the date of the next event. It has been that way ever since.

Why all the excitement? As one woman puts it, “It is a wonderful networking group that not only helps prosper my business but actually helps me learn about other women and their work.” Many women feel the same way; thus CWN has grown in just one year from holding quarterly educational events to also holding dedicated networking events in the months in between. Women love the networking, and participant numbers prove it. After the first Networking Breakfast, which drew a full house in spite of icy roads, one woman said, “I’ve been in another professional organization for years with another attendee and just today I found out what she does.” Just a week after the event another woman reported, “I’ve already gotten referrals from ladies I met at the Networking Breakfast!”

As women we sometimes struggle to bring forth our sense of self personally, professionally and socially,

and certainly there are unique concerns and issues that women have. A passage from one of my favorite books, Circle of Stones by Judith Duerk, reads: “How might your life have been different, if, through the years there had been a place where you could go?...A place of women, away from the ordinary busyness of life…a place of women who understood.” We now have that place right here in Cleveland County! CWN provides a relaxed and fun environment in which women can meet other women, exchange ideas and resources, receive education, and give and receive support and recognition. It’s a place where professional women can form and nourish bonds and a forum where common themes can emerge. It acts as a catalyst to help professional women move forward.

This first year has been dynamic and the future will be beyond imagination as CWN, under the leadership of myself and Vickie Tessener, current Chamber VP, continues to not only promote women’s personal and professional growth through educational presentations, networking, roundtable discussion and social events but also works to add yearly conferences, a mentoring program and association with a national women’s organization. So Happy Birthday CWN, and a huge thank you to all of the CWN women.

If you are a professional woman working in Cleveland County, CWN invites you to join in upcoming events.

We want to meet you, and we know you’ll love CWN!

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 49

* Choose From Over 50 Fabrics * Many Finishes Available * Custom Orders Welcome * Specials on In-Stock Pieces

Free Local y Deliver

2011 S. Lafayette St., Shelby, NC 704-482-8464 Mon-Sat 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Websites Completed This Quarter Drug Force Screening www.drugforcescreening.com Towery Consulting www.toweryconsulting.com Hospice www.hospicecares.cc Drs. Stroud, Wilson, Thompson shelbydentist.net Got You Covered www.gotyoucovered.biz Honeycutt Painting www.honeycuttpainting.com Cleveland County Travel & Tourism tourclevelandcounty.com

704-466-3847 50 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

On-Line Directory Robin Hendrick www.robinhendrick.com Green Genie www.greengenieproducts.com Hog Happnin’ www.hoghappnin.com

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Honoring Elwin Stilwell How lucky we were! Not only did we benefit from his amazing talent and commitment to excellence, but we also had the privilege to enjoy his friendship. Elwin’s passing has created a tremendous void that will take many of us to fill. I’m not aware of any individual that can come close to matching his kindness, generosity and loving spirit.

The following story was planned and written prior to Elwin’s death. We decided to publish the story as it was written by Mary to pay tribute and remember our dear friend. Thank you, Brian and Tracy for sharing Elwin. We will always treasure our memories and be eternally grateful. We hope the knowledge of how he was loved by so many continues to give you comfort and peace with the loss of your Dad. When I asked Elwin would it be okay if we did a story on him and Victorian Rose, he said “it would be his honor.” No Elwin, it is ours.

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

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 51

Memory KEEPER WORDS MARY LOPEZ

M

any of us want to feel that we make a difference in the lives of others, but few of us have the proof of caring that surrounds Elwin Stilwell at the Victorian Rose Studio of Photography.

There is no doubt that he has that feeling; it smiles at you from the walls when you walk into his shop at 108 West Warren St. in uptown Shelby. They are the faces and the people that make up the world of this talented and diligent keeper of memories.

Photography has been a lifetime career for Stilwell.

He has been in the portrait business for thirty-eight years. Born in Salisbury, his family moved to Hickory when he was small. He attended primary grades and high school there. After attending Brevard College, he was drafted and served a year in Vietnam with the Army.

His first job when he got out of the military was with a company in Atlanta that traveled to major department stores making photographs of children. From there, he went to work for Delmar Studios making school pictures.

That is how Stilwell landed in Shelby. He moved here to manage a thirteen-county territory for the company.

After a couple of years, he decided to set up his own studio in Shelby. He started teaching photography at

52 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

Cleveland Community College, a part of his career that lasted fourteen years. “Our goal at CCC was to help amateurs to become better photographers and teaching made me into a better photographer.” He credits two local professionals with mentoring him in the early days, Hubert Carlisle and Steve Martin. At the same time, he established a close relationship with his students. Several of them still maintain close contact and help with some of the big jobs, like the Debutante Ball.

One of those former students is Chip Nuhrah, who, along with Stilwell’s daughter Tracy and son Brian, has become a close associate in the business. He credits Tracy and Chip with bringing him into the digital age.

“It took them a long time to convince this old man to let go because I truly loved working with film.” Since he converted over though, about five years ago, he admits it has opened up some amazing doors of creative possibilities. Also, digital photography is extremely more efficient both in time and materials. A big job before might involve as many as 200 rolls of film. That would mean hours and hours of processing time. The process is almost instantaneous now, allowing more time and energy for creative work. “It makes me happy

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...I feel my role in life is to record special memories in a quality way... ~ ELWIN STILWELL

because now we give our customers even better service and offer more creative options.”

Giving the customers what they want is an important business axiom for Stilwell. He develops a close rapport with them. “I tell my brides that they will become as important to me as if they were my own daughter. It’s true. I feel it has to be that personal.” Perhaps this is the reason his portraiture reveals much more than a simple visual representation; the faces that line the walls are filled with personality and emotion.

Victorian Rose Studio specializes in studio portraits, weddings, family portraits, high school senior and graduation photos, and child photos. He has a policy not to force his customers to take a certain package or minimum number of pictures (except with some sports, dance, and school pictures which are prearranged packages). Even his high school seniors are not pushed into pre-set packages. “I want to give the customer what they want.” He keeps all his proofs and negatives on file, so a customer can return later and get more copies made. In addition to the photography studio, Victorian Rose offers beautifully

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

restored antique furniture, a frame shop, and art by local artist Philip Philbeck.

Stilwell is pretty clear about his motivations. “I feel my role in life is to record special memories in a quality way.” He recognizes that today’s digital point and shoot cameras give the general public access to creating better quality in their snapshots. “That’s a good thing,” he believes, “because I’m not always there to capture those birthday parties and first dates. I’m really happy people can get good shots of those candid moments.

They still come to me when they want that keepsake family portrait. They know that’s when quality and experience make a difference.”

When he isn’t working to preserve the precious memories of others, Stilwell is busy making some of his own. Family is extremely important to him. He remains close with his children and his grandchildren, Noah and Jude. He also claims close family ties to his Dad, his sisters and his dog.

We asked Elwin to tell us a funny photography story. He related a time a few years ago, when he was shooting a wedding at a local church. It so happened

the couple planned to travel from the church to the reception via horse and buggy. During the ceremony, one of the horses had an “accident” in front of the church. Driver Cline Hamrick graciously moved the buggy so the crowd would not be offended and subsequently informed Stilwell of the potential hazard.

Of course, Elwin got all wrapped up in his work. As he stepped back and called out for a wave on the parting shot, it slipped – his mind and, apparently his foot, too. The scenario was played out in front of about two hundred people, so the degree of embarrassment was great. The minister looked at him and said blandly, “Welcome to the Episcopal Church.”

Stilwell is an active participant in civic projects and charities, such as Hospice of Cleveland County.

He says he is happy to give back to the community that he loves. “I just want people to know that in thirty-eight years of working here, the people of Cleveland County have been so good to me.

I want them to know how much I appreciate their friendship and their support. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing what I do.”

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 53

Special Advertising Section

Shelby Eye Center: The Eyes Have It! WE CARE ABOUT YOUR EYE CARE

T

ired of glasses? Tired of losing them, cleaning them, breaking them? Or do you wear contacts, and you’re weary of caring for them? Does your eyewear limit your freedom to participate in life as fully as you would like?

Are you ready for laser vision correction? Is laser vision correction right for you? It may surprise you to learn that the majority of people who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism are candidates for successful laser vision correction, either LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) or PRK (photorefractive keratectomy).

“People generally want laser vision correction because they are unhappy with glasses or they want to decrease their dependence on glasses,” says Dr. Thomas D. Bailey, one of three doctors at Shelby Eye Center certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. “Everybody gets screened and tested thoroughly evaluated to make sure there’s no reason they shouldn’t have LASIK.” Simply stated, LASIK is a procedure performed by an ophthalmologist using a laser to reshape the cornea (the clear covering of the eye) to improve the way the eye focuses light rays onto the retina. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that 70 percent of LASIK patients achieve 20/20 vision. But 20/20 doesn’t always mean perfect vision at every distance and some patients may still need glasses or contacts.

“LASIK doesn’t cure the need for bifocals unless you do a special procedure,” says Dr. Bailey, who has been with Shelby Eye Center since 1990.

If a patient has many irregularities or subtle variations in his or her eyes, wavefront-guided LASIK is an enhanced version of LASIK that uses a special device

to measure precisely irregularities and variations and there can be corrected to further improve the quality of vision.

But don’t assume you need LASIK to enhance your vision, says Dr. Bailey. “Sometimes when people have problems with vision, they don’t realize it, but they may have another problem such as a cataract,” he says.”Cataracts kind of sneak up on you. Many people come in seeking for LASIK surgery when what they may really need is cataract surgery.

“Cataract surgery is much more effective than it used to be. Our techniques are greatly improved, and they’re fast. Often we can take somebody who’s been nearsighted or farsighted their whole life and give them good distance vision with cataract surgery.

“We also can combine cataract surgery with lasers.

People who have had cataract surgery and have too much astigmatism, or are too farsighted or too nearsighted can have their vision made better.”

Shelby Eye Center is a comprehensive eye care facility that has served the community for more than 20 years, comprehensive eye care and exams for patients of all age groups.

Dr. Bailey and his associates, Dr. Stephen J. Bogan and Dr. Nancy E. Cline, perform minor surgeries and laser vision corrections at the Shelby Eye Center, 1170 Wyke Road, Shelby. They perform major surgeries at Cleveland Ambulatory Services, 1100 North Lafayette Street, Shelby. This multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center is “a very high quality place,” says Dr. Bailey.

“It’s a very safe, very pleasant environment for patients, and it’s generally much faster (scheduling) than going to the hospital. Outpatient surgery cost is much less than at a hospital’s outpatient center, at least 30 percent less and in many cases, saves even more.

1170 Wyke Road, Shelby, NC 28150 54 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

|

704-482-6767

|

Whether you have commercial insurance or Medicare or whatever, every kind of patient can save a lot of money having outpatient surgery of all types done at Cleveland Ambulatory Services.”

Dr. Thomas D. Bailey is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and Georgetown University School of Medicine. He did his training in ophthalmology at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. He served in the Air Force as a consultant to the Surgeon General, and Chief of Ophthalmology Services at Clark Air Base in the Philippines and Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Stephen J. Bogan graduated from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He completed his internship and residency in ophthalmology at the Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY, and completed a two-year fellowship in corneal and external disease at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. He spent three years on active duty in the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Dr. Nancy E. Cline is a graduate of the University of Florida and received her medical degree from the University of South Florida, College of Medicine in Tampa. She completed her internship at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL, before doing her training in ophthalmology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

If your quality of life is in jeopardy because of vision problems, contact Shelby Eye Center because “We care about your eyes”. SEC

www.ShelbyEyeCenter.com www.foothillsspotlight.com

NO BOW THIS LIGHT HAS EVER BEEN THIS TOUGH.

™ AlphaMax : The premier bow for 2009.

Our engineers had a bold goal for 2009: Make a bow that weighs less than 4 pounds that still survives our 1,500 minimum dry-fire standard. Our 80 lbs., 30-inch draw dryfire test is one of the most destructive and brutal tests you can perform on a bow. No other bow that we’ve tested has ever come close to surviving our testing standards.

ALPHAMAX 32 BOW SPECIFICATIONS:

321 FPS (I.B.O.)

32”

7”

Axle-to-Axle

Brace Height

3.9

lbs.

Mass Weight

Speed +/– 2 FPS. See your dealer for complete specs and color options.

ALSO AVAILABE IN A LONGER 35” MODEL: ALPHAMAX 35

Also available with our Black Out riser and Realtree APG HD limbs.

2011 S. Lafayette St. Shelby, NC www.hoyt.com

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AlphaMax 32 in Hunting Black Out

AlphaMax 32 in Realtree APG HD

8:00am-5:00pm Norris Merchandise Mon.-Sat.

where is this?

Would you believe in a modular home?

Come see for yourself the affordable luxury of modular home living at Ray’s Homes in Shelby.

641 South Post Road • Shelby, NC • 704.482.0806 • www.rayshomes.net • Since 1973

www.foothillsspotlight.com

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 55

Special Advertising Section

SPOTLIGHT

ON

Cathy Poston, RN

“

Clinical Manager, Bayada Nurses

Thanks to the Bayada Way,

As a clinical manager for Bayada Nurses, a national home health agency serving Cleveland and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina and Cherokee County in South Carolina, Cathy Poston, RN, understands the challenges facing families when a loved one is no longer able to live on their own.

we become more than just caregivers for our clients,

“I personally meet with our clients in the comfort of their own home,” explained Poston.

“I help them understand our nurses and home health aides are not there to take away their independence, but rather, to help them maintain their independence. I make sure they know that all of our staff have comprehensive training, and we perform extensive background checks.”

we become people they trust,

Poston’s commitment to caring comes from 25 years of nursing experience. After graduating from Gardner Webb University, she worked on a hospital inpatient unit, the ER and the OR. For the past 10 years, she has been dedicated to home care nursing.

people they consider as part of their family.

”

“Bayada Nurses has a philosophy they call e Bayada Way, which emphasizes a dedication to compassion, excellence and reliability said Poston. e organization puts their clients first, and considers their employees their greatest asset.”

For Poston and all of her staff, the Bayada Way is a philosophy they put into action every day. “anks to the Bayada Way, we become more than just caregivers for our clients, we become people they trust, people they consider as part of their family,” said Poston, who recently went out of her way to comfort a grieving client upon learning of the death of his dog. “He called me crying, and we spoke for a long time. I found a poem that I thought would be comforting to him, had it framed and gave it to him to help him cope.”

Poston also goes out of her way to demonstrate e Bayada Way to the nurses and home health aides. “Our staff can take advantage of educational opportunities, and free in-service seminars that support career growth,” she said. “I create an environment where they feel appreciated. I throw theme parties, send thank you notes and give gifts to field staff for providing exceptional care to our clients.”

Poston’s goal as clinical manager is to deliver the quality of care that exceeds her clients’ expectations. “It is an honor and a privilege to be invited into a client’s home,” she said. “I am so grateful to be with Bayada Nurses; a company that truly understands the needs of their clients, and helps so many people remain independent in the comfort of home.”

For more information about home care services,

call Bayada Nurses at 704-669-4000.

Compassionate, Excellent, and Reliable Home Care For over 30 years, Bayada Nurses has helped people of all ages at home to live safely with comfort, independence, and dignity.

• Nurses, aides, and companions • Medical and non-medical care • Available up to 24 hours, 7 days • RN supervision on all care • Accreditated and state licensed • Screened, fully insured, and specially trained staff • Private pay, Medicaid, and most insurances accepted

Call 704-669-4000 | 1105-3 E. Dixon Blvd., Shelby, NC 28152

10 questions to ask before you hire an agent Not all real estate agents are the same. If you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you sign a contract. Ask the following questions: 1. What makes you different? Why should I list my home with you?

2. What is your company’s track record and reputation in the market place?

3. What is the marketing plan for my home?

4. What has the company sold in the area?

Selling Cleveland County One Yard at a Time!

5. What is the internet marketing plan for my home?

6. On average, when your listings sell, how close is the selling price to the asking price?

7. On average, how long does it take for listings to sell?

8. How many buyers are your currently working with?

Benita Porter

B.J. Silver

Cindy Jurich

Danny Clay

Debra Gardner

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Eric Gay

Heidi Marburger

Janie Ross

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9. Do you have a reference list of clients that can be contacted?

10. What happens if I’m not happy with the job you are doing to get my home sold?

CALL COLDWELL BANKER TODAY and let us answer these questions for you.

JoAnn Cabaniss Susan Snyder

BUY A HOME WITH ZERO DOWN If you are renting, why pay your landlord’s mortgage? Why not build your own equity?

BUY THROUGH US, LOOSE YOUR JOB AND WE PAY YOUR MORTGAGE Call about the Job Loss Mortgage Payment Program

$8,000 DOWN PAYMENT FOR NEW BUYERS $8,000 for down payment or cash back at closing

To find out more about ZERO down and the $8,000 tax credit, contact us today.

213 S. Dekalb Street, Shelby NC 28150

704-482-7316 To search over 50,000 homes, go to www.ColdwellBankerHorn.com www.foothillsspotlight.com

Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 57

Special Advertising Section

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Traveling Dentist?

WORDS YOUNG & ASSOCIATES Ever heard of a traveling dentist for the elderly? Well, Cleveland County has one! When Dr. Eugene Young of Young & Associates packs up the dental gear and heads to local adult care homes, he becomes their hero! Many residents of adult care homes have not had the benefit of receiving professional dental care until now.

Young & Associates, a group of Shelby dentist are offering this unique service to area adult care homes.

Dr. Young and dental hygienist Julie Humphries are providing in-house examinations for residents of the homes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are eager to provide this service because it will allow residents to have routine dental examines, and annual oral cancer screenings. Plus the preliminary steps of dentures and partials can be done on site,â&#x20AC;? said Young.

Dr. Young opened the practice in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s and is known for being the leader in technology advancements and innovative methods of patient care. He is joined in the practice today by Dr. Pauline Cahill and Dr. Brenton Young. While all of the dentists in the practice are known for being outstanding family dentist, Dr. Cahill is also proficient in cosmetic dentistry, and Dr. Brenton Young offers the Mini-Implant System that can improve fit and comfort for denture wearers.

The combined scientific knowledge of Dr. Pauline Cahill, Dr. Eugene Young and Dr. Brenton Young allows them to perform general dentistry from an aesthetic point of view. The Young & Associates practice welcomes families and children who are on the NC Health Choice or Medicaid plans.

Young & Associates made a commitment to its patients 30 years ago to provide quality care using the latest available technology. Offering in-home services at adult care homes, to elderly is simply one more way to better serve the health needs of the community. For more information about Young & Associates family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry or the adult care home traveling dentist program, call Julie Humphries at 704-482-7986. YA

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL IN THE FAMILY Five family members coaching in the college ranks.

by Bob Mori

THE

PASSION

OF THE

LIONS

by Edgar Lopez

LS EST OWOR s) E F ti n TH HE tha mero T ty, Ca i l F O (C y Bil b

72 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

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Student Athletes

y v v a S & k n u p S t, Spiri

by GILDA PRUITT

Mallory Weggemann (above left) is a swimming teammate of Tucker’s at GWU. Mallory, 20 also, is from Eden, Minnesota, where her family lives.

She followed in the footsteps of two older sisters who were swimmers. An epidural injection rendered her a paraplegic in her late teens.

Mallory says that she was a “brat” after her accident. She didn’t intend to do anything until she was up and walking, wasn’t going to school, wasn’t going to swim, etc.

She went to some of the Paralympics trials and heard other people’s stories and declared to change her attitude. She got back into the pool and has been swimming ever since. She keeps photos of Tucker at the Water Cube in Bejing to help motivate her.

ejing—summer of 2008—at the Water Cube; Tucker Dupree, GWU swimmer and Paralympian! World Rankings: 4th in 400 meter freestyle, 5th in 100 meter

B

freestyle, 5th in 100 meter backstroke, 5th in 100 meter butterfly, 6th in 50 meter freestyle, 7th in 200 individual medley!

Tucker Dupree (above right), 20, is a student at GWU. His parents and sister live in Raleigh, NC where he will be this summer, training for the Paralympics.

He is considered legally blind from a disease called Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). But as a result of

the Paralympics wins, he has been to the White House; he has “seen” the President of the United States and been a part of the Olympic and Paralympics celebration in Washington, DC. When his eyesight failed, Tucker’s father told him that this was only a speed bump, a mere bump in the road. Tucker took that philosophy to heart and the statistics shown above reflect the magic that ensued.

Tucker’s triumphs have led him to be a highly sought-after motivational speaker. When speaking at a middle school in Raleigh, a teacher brought a little girl to meet him. She was in 7th grade

64 Foothills Sports | Summer 2009

and losing her vision. Tucker asked her if she was okay. She said she wanted to go outside and play, but couldn’t, she once played soccer, but now couldn’t.

Tucker replied to her, “Sweetheart, yes, you can. There are other things that you can try. You just listen to my speech and you will see.”

This seventh grade girl listened, now she is swimming too!

Tucker’s motivational speaking engagements earned enough money for him to bring his entire family to the Paralympics in Bejing. You may learn more about him at tuckerdupree.com.

DeAnna Ramsey (above) is a quiet, charming 15 year old 9th grader at Crest High School. She lives with her family, Mr. and Mrs. Don Ramsey in the Number 3 Township area of Cleveland County. She has a brother, Derek. She has played softball for her church, New Hope Baptist, and has sung at the church

for most of her 15 years. DeAnna has a rare form of spondyloepishyeal dysplasis or drawfism.

Deana is a cheerleader for the Crest High School basketball teams. When asked what obstacles she had overcome to cheer at the high school level, she quipped, “It is difficult to get off the bleachers.”

That spunk and that spirit have assisted her through years of doctor’s visits and surgery, mostly at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. Her physician, Doctor Michael Ain, also a little person, has her scheduled for scoliosis surgery this summer.

DeAnna’s future includes recovering from this surgery, getting back home to finish school at Crest High School, then on to college. She is a brave young lady, ready to live life to its fullest.

Jay Royster (right), son of Mr. and Mrs. David Royster, III, graduated in June 2008

from Shelby High School. When he was four years old he was diagnosed with juvenile onset diabetes. He states, “It has taught me responsibility, I had to mature a lot quicker, to manage my health, learn to eat right and take care of myself and be organized. It has been a challenge but I think it is a blessing in disguise as it has made me work harder. I have learned to make it work. I made All Conference in basketball this year and I was point guard on the team from Shelby High School that won the state 2A Championship this year.”

Jay continues, “This team worked really hard through middle and high school, put in countless hours and so did our parents. There are nine seniors on our team and we won the first ever state championship in basketball in Cleveland County. .

My coach, Mr. Aubrey Hollifield put in a lot of effort for the team. We had a lot of fan support.”

Jay is headed for NCSU this fall, con-

sidering communications as a major. He knows that on some level he wants to be a basketball coach someday to help young people enjoy the game.

From the Bejing Paralympics to the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, NC, to places in between, these student athletes continue to make us proud. The life lessons they share are priceless!

Summer 2009 | Foothills Sports 65

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Spring 2009 Foothills Spotlight 29

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 67

It’s All in the Family

“T

he family that prays together and coaches together stays together.”

This twist on the familiar aphorism could be coined a living motto for a Boiling Springs area family that makes it real!

That family started with patriarch Rick Reeves, now head coach of women’s basketball at Gardner-Webb University. Then daughters Kim and Crystal met and married their coaching husbands to complete the picture. And the unique unifying aspect of this family? They’re all now or have been athletic coaches, minus two, at the same school…..Gardner-Webb!

The “minus two” are former Buffalo Bills pro player Jerton Evans, married to coach Reeves younger daughter, Krystal. Jerton is an assistant football coach at Crest High in Shelby. Matt Clark, married to Kim, is a former head women’s soccer coach at Elon College in Burlington, NC. This family saga started when the senior Reeves wanted to move back to the Shelby area and searched for a Christian school work environment.

The southern Indiana native, who has an impressive his-

68 Foothills Sports | Summer 2009

by BOB MORI

tory of rebuilding Division I programs during his 25 years of collegiate coaching, spent five years as head women’s basketball coach at Southern Mississippi University before coming to Gardner-Webb. His list of coaching successes, longer than your arm, started when he landed his first collegiate head coaching position at Brescia College in Kentucky. There he started the program from scratch with 15 freshmen on his roster. From there Reeves moved to Cumberland University in Tennessee where he led the team to three top-20 finishes at the NAIA level before moving on to an assistant’s position at the University of Florida.

Coach Reeves positive influence on his collegiate team members is born out by the fact that 48 of his former players have gone into the coaching ranks after graduation with such organizations as the SEC, Big South Conference UAS, Missouri Valley, MAC and Southern Conference to name a few. But one crowning achievement he’s proud of reflects his family values. “I’m the only coach in at least Division I history to coach with both daughters!” he beams, “ and I even coached both girls in basketball on their way up.” Reeves’ wife, Ramona, is a Columbia,

Kentucky native Eldest daughter Kim, now married to Matt Clark a Division I soccer coach, is going into her fifth year as assistant Lady Bulldogs basketball coach. She also boasts an impressive list of coaching highlights including training standouts Brittany Harmon and Shameka Smith. The former was named the A-Sun’s Defensive Player of the Year – the first time a Gardner-Webb student-athlete has won the award. The latter left the school as all-time career leader in rebounds, grabbing 992 during her four years.

Before coming to Gardner-Webb, Kim served two years as color analyst for the University of Southern Mississippi ISP Sports Network. While working on her master’s degree at Southern Miss, Kim also served as her dad’s administrative assistant.

Kim’s husband, Matt, who currently sales insurance for the Clark Agency, has coached college-level men’s and women’s soccer since the late ‘80’s and has played semi-pro soccer for several major indoor leagues and for the Montgomery Capitals United Soccer League. The couple has two daughters, Grace Ann and Kalyn Lydia.

Younger daughter Krystal Evans has started her sixth season assistant coaching the Lady Bulldogs. Under her tutelage, former rookie Monique Hudson was named the Atlantic Sun Conference “Freshman of the Year,” who, together with her twin Dominique, was also named to the A-Sun All-Freshman team.

Krystal came to Gardner-Webb from the University of Southern Mississippi after serving as administrative assistant. Like her older sister, the younger Reeves also played under her dad at Southern Miss where she haled the Golden Eagles to a National Invitation Tournament berth.

Krystal’s husband, Jerton, is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he was named Freshman AllAmerican and co-defensive MVP among other honors.

Jerton has also played for the Cologne Centurions in Germany after leaving the Buffalo Bills.

The couple has a five-month old daughter, Braylee.

What do the Reeves-Clark-Evans families talk about at dinner? Sports, of course. Kim and Krystal agree that…”we’re all very opinionated as a family…we have intense conversations about sports all the time, mainly about recruiting and how teams are doing, but we’re all very supportive of each other as a family,” they emphasize. Adds Kim, “Our basic coaching philosophies are much the same, but we bring different personalities to the sport.” Coach Reeves is, of course, equally enthusiastic about his family’s involvement. “Having a family work for Gardner-Webb has been a very positive experience for the school. When we’re recruiting we emphasize the

‘family’ atmosphere on campus and we’re not kidding!” he jokes. “We’re all Christians where faith, family and sports are powerful influences in our lives.” To round out the complete family picture, Reeves’ wife, Mona, travels to all the games and has become kind of the team ‘mother.’

With the extended Reeves family as examples, one might also add that the family that prays and coaches together also succeeds together.

From left to right: Coach Reeves-Evans, Coach Reeves, Coach Clark

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70 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

70

photographs by DAVID GROSE

THE

PASSION

OF THE

LIONS

by Edgar Lopez

T

he Shelby High School Men’s Varsity Basketball team embodies the classic story of the underdog. After two consecutive attempts to reach the finals, the team finally went on to triumph at the 2009 NCHSAA 2A Basketball Championship.

This year’s seniors knew it was their last chance to win, their only chance to do what no other Shelby basketball team had ever done - win the state championship. Cooperation and determination carried the team through the battle; every game was a last game, a decisive factor in the journey to triumph. Every pass, every play, and every game showed their passion to win; the players always brought the fans to their feet, fueling their own thirst for the game. “They made awesome shots all the time and made good choices when they played,” Junior Matthew McCarter said, “It was just amazing to see how they were always coordinated and working as a team.”

The change in the team’s personality from last year proved indisputable.

This was a new team, a team with a conviction to win at all costs. “Focused, that was our team this season; they were constantly focused and ready to play,” Coach, Aubrey Hollifield commented. “These guys knew what they wanted to do this year and they went for it.”

Yet the team never allowed ego to settle in; they placed a poster in the locker room with an article regarding their last two seasons and the defeats that ended their previous dreams of becoming champions; along with this they wrote their motto, “It’s Our turn, Our time.“ This became the team’s memento of the past and the catalyst for their future; these words pushed the team to play to their greatest level; these words inspired a team to unite for one goal. Their memories of the championship will live with them forever, and their legacy at home will remain as the young men who turned the zeal of ambition into the driving force of victory.

I f y o u w o u l d l i k e t o s e e Foothills Sports become an independent m a g a z i n e p l e a s e l e t u s k now: sports@foothillsspotlight.com

One-on-One with Coach of the Year

by Tarayjah Hoey This year Shelby high school coach Aubrey Hollifield led the varsity Shelby Golden Lions to win the 2A NCHSAA State Championship, the first state championship win for the team. Hollifield became head coach three years ago following the retirement of Ken Napier. Since his first coaching experience 14 years ago at his alma mater, Kings Mountain High, Hollifield has been southwestern Coach of the Year twice. Hollifield is not only a basketball coach; he is also a Health and Physical Education teacher.

Hollifield gives the boys five tips before every game: 1. Work hard 2. Respect your opponent 3. Know your own limitations 4. Trust your coaches and teammates 5. Have fun. Hollifield said he was shocked and happy when he won the coach of the year award.

EYES ON THE PRIZE Coach Aubrey Hollifield of the Shelby Golden Lions leads his team to Shelby’s first State Basketball Championship.

Summer 2009 | Foothills Sports 71

THE OWLS OF THE

FOREST

(City, that is)

by Bill Cameron

“If

you build it, they will come.” That’s the phrase we all remember from the 1989 hit movie Field of Dreams. The lead character played by Kevin Costner heard a voice telling him to plow up his cash crop of corn and build a ballfield instead. His dream turned into a reality as “Shoeless” Joe Jackson walked into the outfield. Dreams can still come true even today, as witnessed by baseball fans in Forest City. The “IT” is a magnificent stadium and the “THEY” would be the players and fans who have come to call this Rutherford County town their baseball dream.

“IT” rose from the same spot of ground where American Legion players and minor leaguers played games in old Legion Field. The old field had a certain charm, but it pales beside the new ballpark. McNair Stadium is a $4 million beauty named for Robert McNair who made a $1 million gift to spur its construction. McNair, a Rutherford County native, is now a millionaire and the principal owner of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

The ballpark is now the home for the Forest City Owls summer college baseball team. It has seating for 1500 fans and can accommodate 3500 people as the Owls had in attendance for their final game in 2008. East Rutherford High hosted an Easter baseball tournament there this spring also and the Rutherford County American Legion team plays there as well. The field is in beautiful condition as I can attest from a recent visit there with Owls GM James Wolfe. The green of the field’s grass would be the envy of any homeowner. McNair Stadium is just a stone’s (or baseball’s) throw from downtown Forest City.

“THEY” have come to Forest City. The Owls flocked to Forest City last year for their first year there. Before, they had been the Spartanburg Stingers for two seasons. But owner Ken Silver saw the potential in the new stadium and moved the team for the 2008 season. The Owls play in the 14 team Coastal Plain League, a league for college baseball players. The league’s teams are scattered from Virginia to the Carolinas. The level of play is roughly equal to that of a Class A minor league.

7 2 F o o t h i l l s S p o r t s | S u m m e r 2009

2009 REMAINING HOME SCHEDULE June 19 vs. Gastonia June 22 vs. Asheboro June 25 vs. Thomasville June 27 vs. Martinsville June 29 vs. Catawba Valley July 1 vs. Thomasville July 2 vs. Martinsville – FIREWORKS AFTER GAME July 6 vs. Petersburg July 8 vs. Asheboro July 9 vs. Thomasville July 11 vs. Florence July 14 vs. Martinsville July 15 vs. Asheboro July 17 vs. Gastonia July 18 vs. Martinsville July 25 vs. Thomasville July 27 vs. Catawba Valley July 30 vs. Asheboro August 1 vs. Gastonia – FIREWORKS AFTER GAME August 3 vs. Gastonia Ticket Information $7 Reserved General Admission $6 General Admission $4 Child / Senior General Admission

If you’re like me, you may be wondering where the Owls name came from. The team name was decided by fan voting from a pool of five names.

The Owls name was used by former minor league teams in Forest City. The story I heard from GM Wolfe was that the old local team was the first team around to have lights for night games, thus the name Owls was born and the fans decided to revive it.

The Owls will have a 27-member roster of college players who have at least one year of eligibility left. Head Coach Matt Hayes, from Indiana University, is responsible for the recruitment of the players. Having a home field like McNair

May to August. On top of that, they earn no money playing and live with a host family. The host family is responsible for providing the student a bedroom and kitchen and laundry room privileges. One such player is Will Skinner from Walters State College in Morristown, Tennessee.

He played right field for the Owls in ’08 and is returning this summer for a repeat performance.

Will hails from a suburb of Nashville and living in a small town like Forest City took some adjustments. His e-mail reply to my questions stated, “It(Forest City) was a very small town, but everyone that you met was super nice.” His living arrangements last season was “a camp-

“If you build it, they will come.” Well IT has been built and they are coming again”

Stadium and a loyal fan base has to make this tough job a little easier. The players come from all over the eastern coast from Alabama even into Canada with Coach Hayes networking with his fellow coaches to find players. The Owls have multiple players committed from N.C. State, Notre Dame and the U. of Maine.

These college students have to be following their own dreams as they make the commitment to come to a new town for the summer from

ground. I stayed in a camper that had a shower, stove, fridge, a couch, direct tv and a queen size bed.” He said his host family “are the nicest people that I have ever met in my life. They always made sure I had stuff to eat and drink,” which was no small feat keeping a college athlete well-fed. On a typical day, he would wake up around “12 o’clock, grab a bite to eat, do some homework for a summer class, and go to the field at 3 for batting practice. After that we would sit

in the locker room and just chill until it was time for the game at 7:05. Sometimes after the games the team would go out.” Oh, to be young again.

Overall, Will said, “I loved it last summer. It was probably the best summer of my life.”

A similar report came from Spencer Patton, a native of Kinmundy, Ill., just east of St. Louis.

“My summer in Forest City was one that I’ll never forget. The team, the fans and support in that town were just unbelieveable. I never expected anything like I experienced my first summer in Forest City, and I can’t wait to come back.”

A student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Spencer spent the stummer with his maternal grandfather and step-grandmother, Jim and Joann Maxey, in their home in Rutherfordton. “I loved Forest City,” he says.

“The people there were so nice and would do anything for any one of us. The area is beautiful, it is so much different than Illinois.”

Spencer says his typical day was much like Will’s, with a noon wake-up, practice, the game, signing autographs and hanging out with the team. “The Owls’ Nest was just opening toward the end of the summer, so I’m excited to see the new improvements that they have made to that place.”

“If you build it, they will come.” Well, IT (McNair Stadium) has been built and they (the college players) are coming again. Now, the secret is out and you and your family can sit by a “field of dreams” this summer. Just go to www.forestcitybaseball.com for a look at the Owls’ 58-game schedule and ticket options. The tickets are a steal—just $4 for youth and seniors and $6 for adults. See you at the ballpark.

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74 Foothills Spotlight Summer 2009

FAB

Morgan Childers Kings Mtn. - Softball

5

Childers, a sophomore pitcher at USC Upstate set her third school record in just her second season with the Spartans. She earned her second all-conference nod after going 239 with a 1.64 ERA. She led the A-Sun in wins, strikeouts, opponent batting average, appearances and starts. She set two milestones on the year, finishing the season with 277 strikeouts to break her own school record of 258 set last year during her freshman season. She now owns all three key strikeout records in program history - 535 in a career, 277 in a season and 18 in a game.

Cody Matheney Shelby - Wrestling Cody, a senior at Shelby High School finished his career with a 126 and 21 record. A four time all conference wrestler and a two time regional champion he was a three time qualifier for the state tournament, he placed 4th, 3rd and 5th in the 2A state championships in his weight class.

Cameron Barbee Fallston – Basketball Cameron, a 4th grader at Fallston Elementary recently scored 37 points in a Yes I Can basketball league game in Charlotte. He scored 33 points in the championship game which his team won 44-42.

Bailey Smith Boiling Springs – Softball Smith, a junior pitcher at Crest High School threw a no hitter against cross town rival Shelby High. She struck out 13, walked two batters and had three hits in the five inning game. She has led the Chargers to a 21-1 record and the Big South conference regular season and tournament titles in 2009.

Crest Middle Dragons Boiling Springs – Baseball The Crest Middle School baseball team won the Tri-County Middle School Conference championship for the fourth consecutive year. What makes this a rarity is the fact that the 4 championships were won under the leadership of four different head coaches. The streak started under longtime coach Curt Simmons in 2006, Chance Witherspoon in 2007, David Wise in 2008 and this years team was coached by Brandon Kale. The TriCounty Middle School Conference is made up of teams from Rutherford, Cleveland and Lincoln Counties

EDITORIAL

by SAM DAVIS Recently two things had turned my positive outlook on life a little sour. As I arrived to work, I was informed that my friend Elwin Stilwell had taken a serious fall and had died. Later that evening the Little League baseball team I coach at the Shelby City Park had their 23 game winning streak snapped after losing 4-3 in the bottom of the 7th inning. My wife, who has supported me and the team through winless seasons and championship seasons alike, told me the next day that I took the loss much better than she thought I would. I told her how proud I was of the boys and the way they played. That we could have won the game just as easily as we had lost it. That the team we lost to was coached by a good friend who had always shown nothing but class win or lose and that if I had to lose the winning streak, I did not mind losing it to him and his

team. With the loss still on my mind, I went over to Crest High on Thursday to watch my first girls fast pitch softball game. And what a game it was. Crest beat Freedom 1-0 in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Both teams played great defense, had top notch pitching and it didn’t hurt my feelings that the local team had pulled out the win to advance in the state 4A playoffs. On Friday night, my wife and I decided to travel to Charlotte to watch the Kings Mountains women’s soccer team play Catholic High in the third round of the state playoffs. Having coached in the Greater Cleveland County Soccer Association for 7 or 8 years, I still had some friends with kids playing for Kings Mountain. We were treated to the best high school soccer match I have ever witnessed. Both Kings Mountain and Catholic had very talented players but the Lady Mounties were just a tad better on that night as they won the match 2-1. On the way home from Charlotte, still excited, we decided to make the trip to East Bend, NC to watch the Shelby women’s soccer team take on Forbush in the 2A state playoffs. East Bend is just northwest of WinstonSalem and about a 2 hour drive from Shelby. As the Shelby faithful arrived, several of them looked up on the visitor side to see a Crest hat and had that puzzled look on their face. Much like the Kings Mountain game, my wife and I both had friends with daughters on the Shelby team and my wife had even coached a couple of them during her stint coaching in the GCCSA. Shelby led the match 1-0 with less than 2 minutes to play but Forbush snuck a goal in to force overtime and eventually won the match 2-1. Much like my little league game, the Shelby girls played their hearts out and the game could have gone their way with just one little break. The next morning I awoke and while laying in bed couldn’t help but think back to Elwin and my teams winning streak ending, and as bad as I felt on Wednesday evening, I felt a lot better on Sunday morning. So next time you get to feeling a little low, go watch a game. The power of those kids on the field giving their all to win for nothing more than the love of the game cannot help but put a smile on your face too.

Summer 2009 | Foothills Sports 75

Cleveland Headline News 1 # r You ws Ne rce Sou

Marcella Young Nicholas Bissett David Allen

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Advertiser’s Index American Restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Arnold’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bayada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 & 56 Bethware Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Bill Shuford Heating and Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Bootstrap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Bradleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Brenda McClain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 carolina artisans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Carolina Federal Credit Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Carolina Wall-Crete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Champion Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 & 41 Child Care Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Cleveland Headline News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Cleveland County Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-39 Cleveland Lumber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 & 73 Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Commercial Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Country Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 CPTrx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Ditto Consignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 DQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 D-Tel Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Forest City Owls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Foothills Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 & 15 Fidelity Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Fox Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Future Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Gragg and Gragg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Green Boat and Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Greg Randall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 GT McSwain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Hendrick’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Higher Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Holly’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Hospice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 & 60 Kings Mountain Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Little Debbie 2 the Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Max Jones and Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 & 60 Medifare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 & 76 Medifare Gift Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Michael Clary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Morris Business9 Norris Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 & 55 Pharr Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Pizza Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Playground Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Pleasant City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Personnel Services Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Radon Reduction Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Ray’s Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Real to Reel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Red Bone Willy’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Robin Brackett State Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Rose Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Salon 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Southeast Plastic Surgery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Settle Heating and Air. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 & 79 Shelby Eye Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 54 & 65 Shelby Hardware and Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Shelby Pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Shelby Surgical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 & 70 Sleep Center of Shelby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sterling House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Summit Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 & 47 Susan Synder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Too Cute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Towery Consulting and Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 United Way of Cleveland County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Uptown Shelby Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Victoria Stephens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Walker Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Walker Woodworking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 & 3 WGWG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Who Can I Get. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Wrights Jewelry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 YMCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 & 69 Young & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 77

reflections

{from the well}

WORDS REV. CRYSTAL CHAMPION

R

Our Four-Legged Friends

ecently there was sad news that a young man lost his life attempting to save the family dog during a house fire. While some may think the effort ridiculous, I, for one think it an act of love and courage.

For the past sixteen years I have enjoyed the companionship and shared the love of a seventeen pound mixed breed dog named Whitefoot. He is as black as tar and has only a bit of white fur on one paw, justifying his name. Whitefoot was a gift from dear friends who thought the gift might help while I was grieving my beloved dad’s death.

Our first night together was one to remember. To begin with I knew nothing of how to care for a puppy.

Oh and have I mentioned that I had just built a new home on Lake Greenwood with off white carpet? (Live and learn; die and forget it all.) Whitefoot from the beginning saw the great room as “the great outdoors.”

I was amused by his eating habits; taking one morsel at a time to another place in the house and eating it.

He cried for me as I left for work every morning. He would stand on his back paws wanting to be picked up. And so our love story began.

There were so many things Whitefoot needed protection from: larger animals, pets of the feline persuasion and not choking on bones. I searched for a reputable veterinarian with a clean office and a professional approach. But most of all I needed a Vet who could understand a neurotic, obsessive and emotional middle age woman who had never had the opportunity to deal with a husband or children. The first office visit in Greenwood was to the office where Whitefoot was born. I took him in with a 2 inch wide leash that was over 25 feet long. He weighed in at 3pounds. The Vet had to help me choose a small thin leash. And just like any doting “mother”, I said, “Is he not the cutest thing you have ever seen?”

Soon to follow would be a return to Shelby where I discovered college mates in business at Cottonwood Hospital. An accident involving Whitefoot attempting to chew through a chain link fence left his mouth in

78 F o o t h i l l s S po t l i g h t S u m m e r 2 0 0 9

serious condition. He lost teeth and wore the equivalent to “doggie” braces for months in order to heal.

I have never cried so much in my life. His little teeth were scattered all over the ground where I had left him for only a few hours at an outdoor kennel one afternoon. I was visiting a sick friend out of town. While I was away there was a severe thunderstorm. My “son” attempted to break free and find me, I’m sure. To this day he has not been left with anyone except trained personal and family friends.

We have been through so much together. Between us there have been several surgeries with overnight stays. There were the years that I had to be on call at the hospital and was away for long hours. There were the times that the groomer was bitten causing some psychologically damaging haircuts for Whitefoot.

There have been upset stomach accidents for both of us. Once beloved area rugs have been tossed.

Adjustments have been made to accommodate my wonderful friend.

During my lifetime I have not been welcomed by anyone with as much enthusiasm as Whitefoot delivers. When I am sick he does not leave my side. If I want a grilled cheese for dinner, so does he. We love to travel to visit friends. He does not like the beach but tolerates me as I do. He is forgiving when I fail to let him outdoors on time or forget about fresh water.

He sleeps on top of the covers next to me and up until a few months ago, he protected me with a loud response to every move from the outdoors.

Whitefoot is the best listener I know.

He is empathic. If I am sad, so is he and stays close by to support me. He appears to understand many of my human emotions. I love him with all my heart.

As much as I love this four legged friend and “son”, there is nothing that compares with what I experience from family and friends. The hugs from siblings, nieces and

nephews and dear friends go far in contributing to my good sense of belonging and love. To dine with friends with so much laughter we can hardly eat provides inexpensive therapy and divine fellowship. Holding someone’s hand during a sad movie helps keep me stay connected to others’ pain and suffering. Having friends to call upon in times of need is often my sanity.

There are no replacements for human love and companionship.

My life has been one of both ministry to others and being ministered to by others. In my journey I continue to be surprised by people who have seemingly never felt love from anyone. We are all surrounded by them.

I believe we often close our eyes and hearts to them.

It is painful and it takes energy to respond to their needs. As long as I can remember I have experienced and known love. Our parents are our first references to love. We build upon that love as we experience others and for some a higher being. And as we grow emotionally and spiritually we invest in our psychological future of health and well being. If we are exposed to healthy people we are more likely to follow that light.

So while it is sad that a young man and his dog lost their lives in a house fire, a much sadder state of affair is the person who never experienced love from anyone…not even a dog.

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Summer 2009 Foothills Spotlight 79