Independence tennis reaches new heights page 25
Catch our Football Midseason Report page 26 Volume 7, Number 41 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014
shred-it
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to prevent
Three Women of identity Achievement to be honored by YWCA theft by Ryan Pitkin ryan@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Officer Casey Zapudka (right) helps area residents drop off their personal documents to be shredded to protect against identity theft. See Courtney Schultz’s story on page 14. Courtney Schultz/MMHW photo
The YWCA Central Carolinas has announced the winners of its yearly Women of Achievement awards, which honor women who have worked as leaders for social justice in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. The three winners will be honored at a donor’s appreciation dinner on Thursday, Oct. 9, at YWCA Central Carolinas. The winners are separated in categories based on how long they have been working in the community. Marian Yates will be honored in the “Pioneer” category,
the most prestigious of the awards, similar to a lifetime achievement award. Yates has worked in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for over four decades. She was a teacher at Myers Park High School during the 1970s while the school was going through desegregation. More recently, she was named North Carolina Principal of the Year in 2006 while serving at South Mecklenburg High School. Yates currently works as vice president of programming for Communities in Schools, a nationwide dropout prevention program. Yates oversees 70 Charlotte-area employees (see Women of Achievement on page 15)
Butler grad ready to earn the crown by Courtney Schultz courtney@matthewsminthillweekly.com
HIGH POINT – Lindsey Baker knows how to work the stage, and she hopes her talent will earn her a new crown this weekend. Baker holds the title of “Miss Matthews USA 2015” and will compete at the Miss North Carolina USA pageant this weekend in High Point.
“I am really looking to take it this year,” Baker said. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte student first became interested in pageants during her junior year at Butler High School. She had received an email from RPM Productions, Inc., the production company that runs the Miss North Carolina USA and Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageants, and decided to enter the pageant on
a whim. She ended up in the Top 15 in her first pageant. From there, Baker earned more top spots at the pageant, including second runner-up at the Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2011 pageant, first runner-up at the Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2012 pageant and Top 10 in the Miss North Carolina USA 2014. Paula Miles, executive director of the pageant, considers the
competition as the “Super Bowl for women.” The winners consistently have been “extraordinary women” who are goal-oriented, have timemanagement skills and “the desire to be the best they can be.” “They have to have a good heart, be approachable and relevant in today’s society,” Miles said. Baker finds pageants a rewarding experience that has given her (see Miss Matthews on page 10)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Scores, 8; Education, 17; Calendar, 22; Arts, 24; Sports, 25; Classifieds, 31
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News
Radio show celebrates three years of reaching out to senior citizens Radio 4 the Ages founder reflects on program’s mission, talks future goals by Josh Whitener josh@matthewsminthillweekly.com
MATTHEWS – It’s been three years since Matthews resident David Gwilt launched a talk radio show for senior citizens, and his passion to reach out to the community through an informative and entertaining program has never been stronger. Gwilt’s AM/FM show, Radio 4 the Ages, celebrated its third anniversary on Sept. 25. The show was created out of a desire to provide informative and interesting talk radio programming to senior citizens in the Charlotte area, particularly those who are homebound and don’t have access to a computer. “It was started as an over-the-airwaves show as opposed to an Internet show,” Gwilt said. “We wanted to reach folks (who were) homebound … I get calls frequently from people who don’t have a computer but listen to the show every week.” Radio 4 the Ages began airing on Sunday mornings on a Charlotte-based AM radio station, but switched in 2012 to Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon on WRHI, 94.3-FM and 1340-AM, out
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of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Gwilt also is reaching out to people outside of the broadcast radius, as the show is streamed live onto its website, www.radio4theages.com. A multitude of retirement communities outside of the broadcast radius have hooked laptops up to speakers and streamed the show to a room full of residents, Gwilt said. Shows also are stored on the website and available for listening after they air. Radio 4 the Ages has aired more than 150 shows and has become a resource for people locally and around the world who want to learn more about issues on aging, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, retirement care and more. “Because we stream it live, we’ve been able to reach people around the world,” Gwilt said, adding many of the listeners he’s connected with have never come across a program like Radio 4 the Ages. “A lot of folks are astounded to hear of a show like mine – they’ve never heard of anything like this before.” Radio 4 the Ages has featured a variety of guests since its inception, including a woman diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease who shared about her experience, as well as experts who have discussed in-home care, financial assistance, elderly abuse and more. Gwilt recently began expanding his
show to include a broader range of topics, aiming to increase listenership and attract people of various ages and backgrounds. Though Radio 4 the Ages will first and foremost keep its original target audience in mind, Gwilt hopes to provide a greater variety of content to listeners. “We still talk about older-adult issues, but not (exclusively),” he said. “We’re trying to reach a broader base while keeping in mind the purpose of the show is to reach that (elderly) individual at home.” Radio 4 the Ages more recently has featured shows focusing on topics such as dating after 50, healthy eating, gerontology and more. The show’s Oct. 25 program will focus on Project 2 Heal, a Waxhaw-based nonprofit that breeds Labrador retrievers to be used as service dogs for children with disabilities and military veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Gwilt’s goals are to continue offering programming on a variety of subjects and pursue syndicating the show to areas in North and South Carolina that have high senior citizen population. “What I want to do is take this and make it available to more folks,” Gwilt said. “Yes, it’s on the Internet, but how do I take it to other places (via the airwaves)? I want to make it available … because I think (we’ve provided) a lot of
David Gwilt good, solid information with the people we’ve had on.” Gwilt also travels to churches, health fairs, retirement homes and other places, giving a presentation called P.L.E.A.S.E., focusing on six areas he believes senior citizens can benefit from – prayer, laughter, exercise, attitude, service and every day. Email him at radio4theages@gmail. com or call 704-614-1200 for more information about the P.L.E.A.S.E. presentation or to learn more about becoming involved in Radio 4 the Ages. Find more information about the program at www.radio4theages.com.
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News
Matthews resident celebrates milestone birthday by Andrew Stark editor@matthewsminthillweekly.com
MATTHEWS– Lifelong Matthews resident Margaret Phillips celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 1 Along with her sister, Mary Louise, parents and grandparents, Margaret grew up when Matthews was a fledgling community with fewer than 500 residents. Going Margaret Phillips to church was a part of every Sunday for the Phillips family, who are lifetime members of the Matthews First Baptist Church. Margaret has been involved with many of the church’s activities, including teaching Sunday school, where she was also a member of the Dorcas Sunday school class and was responsible for all Sunday school study material as the Sunday school general officer. Education has always been important
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to the Phillips household. Margaret graduated from Matthews High School in 1931 and received a degree from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina. In 1954 she received a masters degree in education from Columbia University in New York City. During her 41 years in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system, she taught third grade for 19 years, including 12 years in Matthews, and was the supervisor of Mecklenburg elementary teachers. In 1954 she became personnel director until her retirement in 1976. Margaret also taught summer craft classes for 17 years at Penland School of Crafts in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. During her 100 years she has made hundreds of friends, belonged to many organizations and has been recognized for her many years of service and contributions to local churches, libraries, educational systems, charities, and a variety of social organizations. If you would like to wish Margaret Phillips a happy 100th birthday, please send a card or note to P.O. Box 265, Matthews, NC 28106.
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 5
News Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
10100 Park Cedar Drive, Suite 154 Charlotte, NC 28210 Phone: 704-849-2261 • Fax: 704-849-2504 www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
EDITORIAL Managing Editor & Sports Editor Andrew Stark Features Editor Josh Whitener
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Asst. Sports Editor Hannah Dockery
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News Writer Courtney Schultz
News Writer Ryan Pitkin
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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly is published by the Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.
News Briefs
Correction to the Oct. 1 to 7 issue of the Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly on page 6: In the news brief, “Matthews moves forward with South Trade Street,” Sealand Contractors Corporation had a bid of $4,223,641.93, not $4,223,641,930.
Matthews’ website wins award
MATTHEWS – The town of Matthews’ website won the Interactive Media Award for Outstanding Achievement in the government category. The Interactive Media Council, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the accuracy and integrity of websites, presented the award. The website, www.matthewsnc.gov, was judged on design, feature functionality, usability, content, standards compliance and cross browser compatibility.
Matthews Library to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
MATTHEWS – The Matthews Library will give area residents a lively look at Hispanic culture in the arts on Oct. 17, a Friday, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Residents will see how the culture has added a new dynamic to today’s way of life. They will watch a presentation about Hispanic literature, followed by the movie, “Bless Me, Ultima.” Refreshments will be served, and registration is required at www.cmlibrary.org. Contact Rosanne Losee at 704-416-5000 for more information or to ask questions. The Matthews Library is located 230 Matthews Station St.
Residents walk to eliminate drunk driving
CHARLOTTE – Area residents can do something to prevent drunk driving in the community by participating in Charlotte Walk Like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) on
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Oct. 25, a Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Freedom Park, located at 1900 East Blvd. Over 60 cities across the nation will participate in 5K events to eliminate drunk driving from roadways. Drunk driving is still the primary cause of death on our roadways. Signing up for the event helps raise funds for MADD, a national nonprofit that seeks to stop drunk driving, supports those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking and overall push for stricter alcohol policy. The event goal is $40,000 and over half of the funds have already been raised. Go to www.support.madd.org/site/TR?fr_ id=3644&pg=entry to sign up and to find more information.
Dogs get the spotlight in upcoming event
MATTHEWS – Furry friends and their owners can come out to an event in Stumptown Park that is especially for them. Matthews will host Pawsitively Matthews on Nov. 15, a Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Stumptown Park, located at 120 S. Trade St. The event will feature over 50 pet-friendly vendors and exhibitors, an interactive obstacle course, “Mutt Strut” best trick contest, adoptable dog parades, a demonstration by the Matthews Police Department’s K9 unit and more. DJ Darryl Elkins will spin tunes throughout the event and a food truck court and beer and wine pavilion will be available. Call 704-321-7275 or go to www. matthewsfun.com for more information.
Matthews to host Halloween events for October
MATTHEWS – The town of Matthews will host two Halloween-related events for area children during the month of October. The Matthews Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources will host a Haunted Trail on Oct. 24, 25, 30 and 31 from 6 to 10 p.m. each night at Squirrel Lake Park. The event is recommended for children who are 10 and older.
The cost is $3 per person and $5 for a fast pass. Squirrel Lake Park is located at 1621 Pleasant Plain Road in Matthews. For the faint-hearted, the department will host “Not-So-Spooky” Halloween on Oct. 25, a Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stumptown Park. The event is intended for children 10 and younger. Children will enjoy games, candy prizes, crafts, a bounce house, a DJ, carriage rides, a costume parade and more. Go to matthewsfun.org, or call 704-3217275 for more information.
Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Barnes hosts conversation for area residents
CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Michael Barnes is inviting the public to join him for a community conversation about police, poverty and education on Oct. 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, located at 600 E. 4th St. This conversation will give attendees, who live and/or work in Charlotte, a chance to express their concerns about public safety and economic mobility in light of recent events across the United States and within Charlotte. Climbing out of poverty is a bigger challenge in Charlotte than in many other large cities, according to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Barnes wants to leave the meeting with at least two action items the council can focus on as a community to improve both police services and economic mobility. Speakers will include Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe, a representative from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Dr. Patrick Graham, president and CEO of the Urban League of the Central Carolinas. Email aburney@charlottenc.gov or call 704336-4947 for more information.
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News Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Crime Blotter The following people were arrested in Matthews between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5 , according to the Matthews Police Department: • Stanislav Vsevolo Soloyvyev, 1600 block of Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Possession of drug paraphernalia. Sept. 29 • Nathaniel Tyler Goodman, 1600 block of Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Possession of Schedule I drug (heroin); possession of drug paraphernalia. Sept. 29 • Whitney Nicole Kuester, 1600 block of Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Possession of heroin; possession of drug paraphernalia. Sept. 29 • Timothy L. Carpenter, 1000 block of Crestdale Crossing Drive: Possession of marijuana. Sept. 29 • Wesley Earl Beaudry, 1600 block of Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Simple possession. Sept. 30 • Terry Ray Hinson, 9100 block of Lawyers Road: Parole violation. Sept. 30 • April Michelle McCrae, 100 block of E. John St.: Two outstanding warrants. Oct. 2 • Juan Camilo Henao Espnosa, 9200 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Possession of Schedule I drug (heroin); possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of suboxone strip. Oct. 2 • Jose Cruz Ibarra, 9200 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Possession of drug paraphernalia. Oct. 2 • Michael Andrew Stewart, 9200 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Possession of Schedule I drug (heroin); possession of drug paraphernalia. Oct. 2 • Deborah Lynne Williamson, 12500 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Driving while impaired. Oct. 3 • Jonathan Jessie Brown, 11400 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Simple possession of marijuana. Oct. 4 • Ross Wallace Quicksall IV, 13000 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Driving while impaired. Oct. 4 • Matt Brian Velasco, 100 block of E. John St.: Driving while impaired; no operator’s license. Oct. 4 • Jermareus Lamar Thompson, 600 block of E. John St.: Assault inflicting serious bodily injury; possession of drug paraphernalia; simple possession of marijuana. Oct. 5
Larceny • Inntown Suites, 9211 E. Independence Blvd.: $60 Timex watch stolen. Sept. 29 • 700 block of Stradfordshire Drive: License plate stolen. Sept. 29 • Royal Park Rehab and Nursing, 2700 Royal Commons Lane: $1,100 diamond ring stolen. Sept. 30 • 700 block of Matthews Township Pkwy.: Larceny. Oct. 3 • 1600 block of Windsor Square: $200 cash stolen. Oct. 5
Vandalism • 4500 block of Morningwood Drive: $250
damage to front porch railing. Oct. 2 • 2500 block of Lion Heart Lane: $100 damage to stop sign. Oct. 2 • Public Storage, 10833 Monroe Road: $300 damage to chain link fence. Oct. 5 • 13600 block of Tynescastle Lane: $25 damage to window screen. Oct. 5
Fraud • Marshall’s, 2530 Matthews Township Pkwy.: Credit card fraud. Sept. 29 • 14300 block of Springwater Drive: Fraud by check. Oct. 2 • 1300 block of Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Obtaining money by false pretense. Oct. 4
• 1200 block of Ilsemont Place: $51.50 in unauthorized charges made. Oct. 4
Drugs • Picadelis, 1600 Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia. Sept. 30 • 9200 block of E. Independence Blvd.: Possession of Schedule I drug (heroin); possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of suboxone strip. Oct. 2
Assault • 1500 block of Crescent Lane: Simple physical (see Crime Blotter on page 8)
The following crimes occurred in Matthews between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, according to the Matthews Police Department:
Home/Business Break-Ins • 12700 block of Vinings Creek Drive: Nothing reported stolen. Sept. 29
Vehicle Break-Ins • 500 block of W. John St,: $600 in power and hand tools stolen. Sept. 29 • 2200 block of Annabel Court: Drawstring bag stolen. Oct. 2 • 2200 block of Annabel Court: $275 in bowling equipment including a ball and shoes stolen. Oct. 2 • 13900 block of Double Girth Court: $40 pair of gloves and $1 in change stolen. Oct. 2
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News
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Restaurant Scores The Mecklenburg County Health Department reported the following sanitation scores at the following dining locations in the Matthews and Mint Hill are from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6:
All Scores: 28105 • Boston Market, 9550 E. Independence Blvd. – 95 • Chen Fu Restaurant, 9623 N. E. Independence Blvd.
– 97.5 • Chipotle Mexican Grill, 1909-A Matthews Township Pkwy. – 99 • Grapes Wine Bar, 2233 Matthews Township Pkwy. – 100 • Gro Restaurant, 3335 Siskey Pkwy., suite 400 – 97 • Holiday Inn Express, 9420 E. Independence Blvd. – 95.5 • Publix Café, 3110 Fincher Farm Road – 98.5 • Savour/The Red Radish Catering, 1031 MatthewsMint Hill Road – 96 • Tropical Bakery of Charlotte, 11100 Monroe Road – 96.5 28227
No restaurants inspected this week. About the grades… Restaurants are given grades of A for scoring at least 90, B for 80 to 89 and C for 70 to 79. The state revokes permits for restaurants that score below 70.
Crime Blotter (continued from page 7)
assault. Oct. 4
Other • 200 block of S. Freemont St.: Harassing phone calls. Sept. 29 • 11200 block of Gladewater Drive: Possession of a firearm by a felon. Sept. 30. • Sams Mart, 12518 E. Independence Blvd.: Driving while impaired. Oct. 3 • 1100 block of Kale Wood Drive: Communicating threats. Oct. 3 The following people were arrested in Mint Hill between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5 , according to the Mint Hill Police Department:
block of Kersfield Place: Kidnapping, felony restraint, assault on a female. Oct. 2 • Diego Fernando Orozco, intersection of Hidden Hills Lane and Lebanon Road: Possession of Schedule VI drug (marijuana); possession of drug paraphernalia (rolling papers and a digital scale); carrying a concealed weapon (brass knuckles). Oct. 5 • Michael Duran Thomas Sr., 5500 block of Barnsdale Lane: Affray. Oct. 5 • Kathryn Suellen Thomas, 5500 block of Barnsdale Lane: Affray. Oct. 5 • Michael Duran Thomas Jr., 5500 block of Barnsdale Lane: Affray. Oct. 5 The following crimes occurred in Mint Hill between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, according to the Mint Hill Police Department:
Vandalism • Stephen James Soutier, 7900 block of Lailwood Circle: Driving while impaired. Sept. 29 • Brandon Neil Oxendine, 9700 block of Markus Drive: Breaking and entering; larceny from buildings. Oct. 30 • Michael Patrick Shortt, 9600 block of Wilson Grove Road: Breaking and entering. Sept. 30 • James Carl Bowden, 6800 block of Oak Hill Road: Assault on a female; interfering with emergency services. Oct. 1 • Ian Peter Dominics, 3800 block of Well Road: Breaking and entering; larceny from buildings; damage to real property. Oct. 1 • Richard Michael Murray, 6900
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• Bi-Lo, 9108 Lawyers Road: $150 damage done to wall, electrical box and trash compactor when they were spray painted. Sept. 29 • 5400 block of Lebanon Road: $100 damage to mailbox. Oct. 5
Home/Business Break-Ins • Pizza Hut, 9229 Lawyers Road: $427.36 stolen during an armed robbery; suspect also stole $200 Samsung cellphone. Sept.30
Vehicle Break-Ins • 10000 block of Markus Drive: $75 stolen when suspect took men’s and woman’s wallet from unlocked car. Oct. 1 • 6700 block of Oakdale Meadows Court:
$400 Gucci sunglasses stolen. Oct. 1 • 9900 block of Markus Drive: $100 men’s Fossil watch stolen. Oct. 1 • 9800 block of Markus Drive: $10 in coins and $20 in CDs stolen. Oct. 1 • 9800 block of Markus Drive: $10 in coins stolen. Oct. 1 • 9400 block of Burmester Lane: $4 in coins stolen. Oct. 1
Assault • 6800 block of Oak Hill Road: Assault on a female; interference with emergency services. Oct. 1
Fraud • State Employee Credit Union, 7422 Timber Ridge Drive: $100 check forged. Sept. 29
Drugs • Intersection of Hidden Hills Lane and Lebanon Road: Possession of Schedule VI drug (marijuana); possession of drug paraphernalia (rolling papers and a digital scale); carrying a concealed weapon (brass knuckles). Oct. 5
Other • 7300 block of Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Hit and run. Oct. 2 • 8300 block of Carly Lane W.: Communicating threats. Oct. 2 • 10300 block of Connell Road: Communicating threats; cyberstalking. Oct. 4 • 8100 block of Blair Road: Hit and run. Oct. 5
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Miss Matthews (continued from page 1)
opportunities to make new friends as well as modeling and business opportunities. She was a showroom model for Maggie Sottero Bridal Gowns, acted in a commercial for Smoothie King earlier this year and community outreach opportunities. Baker enjoys all the opportunities she’s received through the pageant, but said she’s in them for the love of competition. “I love being able to make friends, but I love the confidence you get with it – you get this adrenaline rush when you’re on stage competing,” Baker said. Some speculate transition from the teen to the Miss division can be difficult, but Baker said she loves the
older division more and didn’t have trouble transitioning. She enjoys wearing more mature clothing and getting a chance to show her personality. “It’s something that I’ve always loved doing,” she said. “It’s always been natural for me.” Baker said she’s feels anxious – rather than nervous – for this weekend’s competition and cannot wait to be on stage competition. To prepare, she sticks to a low carb and high protein diet and daily workouts to maintain her fitness. She also has practiced potential interview questions with her family, and has found her wardrobe for the weekend. The contestants will be judged on three categories: personal interview,
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swimsuit and evening gown. Going into next week’s competition, Baker feels she has a leg up on her competition based on her contestant profile. “I think I have honed in on what I want to do career-wise,” Baker said. “I think that is what will set me apart from the other contestants.” Baker currently serves as a fieldmarketing intern for Oakley, the sunglasses company, and hopes to continue working for the company when she graduates college. Even though Baker is hoping to beat out other competitors, she still considers the pageant like a sorority. The contestants participate in various activities through the weekend, and the pageant provides various business prospects for contestants, such as a modeling career. “You can get anything from this experience,” Baker said. “You get out of it what you put into it. You can make into what you want, so I think that’s what’s so special about it.” The UNCC student encourages others to participate in the competition and reap the positive prospects. “I would tell them that it’s definitely always worth a try. Even if you don’t win – something I have had to deal with being second and first runner up – it’s still such a rewarding experience. You get so many opportunities just from competing that weekend,” she said. Miles feels the competition provides benefits not only for the community, but also for the contestants through various opportunities and self-discovery. “When they decide to compete, it is a time for reflection. Some young people have not learned about
Photo courtesy of Lindsey Baker themselves,” the executive director said. “They must really dig deep and figure out why they want to do this and show that to the judges.” Even though she often dons a crown, Baker is like the typical 20-year-old. When the competition is over, she desires simple pleasures. “I really cannot wait to get a really big cheeseburger when it’s over,” Baker said. When she’s not competing, Baker enjoys running, wakeboarding, wake surfing, hiking, kayaking and being outside. Baker will compete against over 40 contestants from across the state on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11, at the High Point Theatre in High Point, North Carolina. Find more information about the pageant at www. missnorthcarolinausa.com and about Miss Matthews USA at www. facebook.com/MissMatthewsUSA.
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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 11
News
Serving the community above self by Courtney Schultz courtney@matthewsminthillweekly.com
MATTHEWS – Three area nonprofits received funding from the Matthews Rotary Club (MRC) during the club’s annual luncheon meeting on Sept. 29. Matthews Rotary Club President David Raye presented checks totaling $9,580 to the Matthews Free Medical Clinic, Levine Senior Center and Christ Our Shepherd (COS) Kids Child Care Center. The area Rotarians nominated and confirmed the funding from the proceeds collected at the club’s fifth annual spaghetti dinner and TV raffle fundraiser, conducted last May. “The idea is to have an evening of entertainment and to raise some money,” Ed Dement, a five-year member of the MRC, who believes that the MCR is “the best kept secret in Matthews.” The dinner included food donations from Morrison Food Services, Costco and Texas Roadhouse, and patrons had the opportunity to bid on various items – including a 60-inch television. The MRC is a non-profit organization, in its 34th year, which seeks to serve organizations in the greater Matthews area, such as Matthews, Mint Hill, Indian Trail, Stallings and Lake Park. “The promise that we make to the community is that 100 percent of the funds raised go back to the community,” Dement said. When Rotarians selected the three organizations to receive the funds, they sought to provide
funds for tangible items, so members could see the physical results from the money raised. The COS Kids Child Care Center provides “professional, top-quality day care at a nominal price for mothers and working women,” Dement said. The club gave $3,650 to the center for acquisition and installation of a new commercialgrade stainless steel dishwasher to meet the heavy requirements of a child development facility. They serve about 150 children and employ 40 staff members on a daily basis, according to a news release. Sue Sproat, administrative coordinator for the center, said during the luncheon the ongoing partnership with MRC have been “like gold” for enabling her agency to purchase new equipment that will benefit so many children and adults on a daily basis, the release said. The Matthews Free Medical Clinic is a partnership between the town of Matthews and Novant Health. The clinic provides free medical services to those who cannot afford it, “so they don’t go begging or sick because of a lack of care,” Dement said. The clinic operates with a low budget, and volunteers and “do quite a service in the town,” he added. The club gave $1,530 to the clinic for the acquisition of two computer workstations to help staff and volunteers manage an increasing volume of highly confidential personal, medical diagnostic and patient treatment information,
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Matthews Rotary President David K. Raye stands with representatives from three charitable beneficiaries of the club’s 2014 fundraiser held in May: Dahn Jenkins of Levine Senior Center (left), Sue Sproat of COS Kids (center) and Amy Carr of Matthews Free Medical Clinic (right). The recipient organizations were awarded a total of $9,580 for equipment acquisition and replacement needs. Photo courtesy of Ed Dement
according to the release. Amy Carr, director of the Matthews Free Medical Clinic, said at the luncheon despite the passage of the Affordable Care Act, “demand for the primary and special care medical services we provide is now greater than ever,” and has substantially increased the clinic’s need for additional data-handling capacity. The Levine Senior Center has a close connection to the MRC. The club meets at the center regularly for luncheons for the last seven years. The center serves over 900 members and other patrons on a weekly basis. “Sometimes you take organizations for granted,” Dement said, adding that he believes the funding given this year was the first time the group has helped the center. The MRC allocated $4,400 to Levine to purchase a new commercial-grade stainless steel kitchen stove with six gas burners, 24-inch
griddle and two conventional ovens, the release said. Dement hopes the stove will provide two services – accommodate weddings and banquets that lease the space and provide food for individuals at the center. Executive Director of Levine Senior Center Dahn Jenkins expressed the agency’s gratitude during the luncheon “for addressing an unexpected operational need for which no other funds were available during the 2014-15 fiscal year,” the release read. The MRC plans to continue the club’s spaghetti dinner and raffle next spring to continue its hyperlocal efforts to serve the Matthews community. The club invites area residents to join the group for lunch on Mondays at 12:30 p.m. at the Levine Senior Center, located at 1050 DeVore Lane in Matthews.
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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 13
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Mint Hill finds way to protect identities by Courtney Schultz courtney@matthewsminthillweekly.com
MINT HILL – One in five Americans identified themselves as a victim of identity theft, according to a studied released by public policy think tank Privacy and American Business. The Mint Hill Police Department and the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce worked on Saturday, Oct. 4, to ensure area residents were not a statistic. The two organizations hosted the Mint Hill Shred-It event, a biannual event where residents bring personal documents – such as bank statements and credit card applications – to be shredded for free. The departments have held the event in both April and October for five years. “The event helps people shred things of a personal matter to protect people from identity theft,” said Sandy Barnett, of the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce. “You’re handing the documents and they are being handed to the police and make sure that the documents are getting shredded right on site.” Cintas shreds all documents on site and recycles the shredded paper. The Mint Hill chamber partnered with the police department providing the typically expensive service for free to protect the community and make sure the documents do not fall into the hands of criminals. Mint Hill Lt. John Rowell said people steal identities as easily as going through someone’s trash to find documents with personal information.
Rowell added when a person writes a personal check, the routing and account numbers for their bank account are an easy target of identity thieves. Rowell suggests not using checks for that reason unless the person knows the recipient will protect the information properly. Rowell also suggests never carrying a Social Security card, and instead keep it in a security box. If a person obtains someone’s Social Security card, they can “become that person,” Rowell warns. Neese Alexander, a south Charlotte resident, knows how important it is to secure personal information. A few years ago, she discovered someone had obtained the routing and account number to her checking account and spent her money. “Thankfully, I check my (bank) account every day, so I noticed the money had been taken out and contacted my bank,” she said. Rowell said sometimes people don’t notice the effects of identity theft until months after their identity has been compromised. A person may attempt to obtain a loan and have poor credit because someone has taken out a credit card in his or her name. The police department hopes events like the Shred-It help area residents protect themselves from identity theft. Rowell’s other suggestions include purchasing a personal shredder, getting a P.O. Box and never sending mail with checks in it. Contact the Mint Hill Police Department at 704545-1085 for more information about identity theft and about the next Shred-It event.
Page 14 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Officer Casey Zapudka empties documents for shredding. Courtney Schultz/MMHW photo
The United States Department of Justice has determined some guidance on what to do if you become a victim of identity theft: • Act immediately to minimize the damage of personal funds and financial accounts as well as your reputation. • Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the situation at www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft or by calling 1-877-438-4338. • Contact your bank about any improper charges to your accounts. • Contact the Postal Inspection Service www.ehome.uspis.gov/ mailtheft/idtheft.aspx, if you suspect the thief has submitted a change-of-address in your name. • Contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, if you suspect your Social Security number is being fraudulently used.
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News Women of Achievement (continued from page 1)
in her present position, and works to help far more children. “I just think it’s marvelous that someone is willing to recognize me just for what I love to do,” Yates said. “Seeing kids accomplishing life goals, it’s just a calling for me.” Yates, 67, is a Charlotte native and attended segregated s c h o o l s throughout her childhood. Being a biology teacher at Myers Park through the struggle to desegregate Marian Yates CharlotteMecklenburg Schools was an amazing change to witness, she said, but it has been just as interesting for her to watch how technology has changed schools for the better over the past two decades. “Technology has given people a world view,” Yates said. “You have to think about things globally when discussing what areas a child should focus on. They’re more intuned with what’s happening in the world, and that makes them more marketable.” Deronda Metz, director of social services at the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, will be honored with the “Community Champion” award, aimed at recognizing an established woman currently working at the forefront of social change. Since becoming an intern at Salvation Army 25 years ago because the hours were “convenient,” Metz has cultivated a passion for helping those in need, especially women and children suffering from homelessness. In 2012, she spearheaded a new program called Rapid ReHousing that aims to get families out of shelters and into apartments or homes within 30 days. Metz laughed about receiving the award, saying when she first received the call she thought they were talking about someone else. “I didn’t know where the conversation was going,” Metz said. “We don’t get up to do the work because we want to win an award. I’m just down in the trenches most of the time.” Although she laughs and remains humble, Metz admits that the award has a lot of meaning because it recognizes not only her work, but www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
also the work of the organization she represents. “It’s a reflection of me, that I work for the Salvation Army, but my work is much more far-reaching than that,” Metz said. “Just the impact that my job here has, it has a broader reach from Charlotte to the larger community.” The third award winner, in the “Emerging Leader” category, is Dr. Amy Hawn Nelson, director of the Institute for Social Capital and director of research for University of North Carolina Charlotte’s Urban Institute. Nelson has been with the Urban Institute for two years, after spending 11 years teaching around the globe. She has worked with Teach for America in the past, teaching in the Bronx, Baltimore and Venezuela. Nelson now oversees a small team that uses applied research to evaluate nonprofits and government agencies to help them become more efficient. They have helped five agencies with program evaluations this year alone and also have compiled large amounts of key data into one database. “We tend to make decisions in all aspects of our community based on what feels good and what we think is good,” Nelson said. “Very rarely are we able to put real numbers around our decisions.” During the week preceding the donor’s appreciation dinner, Nelson, Yates and Metz ate lunch with YWCA Central Carolinas CEO Kirsten Sikkelee, and got to know each other. While some were familiar with each other from past work, it was a good time for them to discuss what they were working on and had accomplished in the past. “I had heard Ms. Yates’ names for years and I was very honored to meet her,” Metz said. “She knows so much of Charlotte’s history. I want to stay connected with her because I want to hear more of those stories.” Yates said she was aware of the work Metz has been doing in the community, but was not aware of Nelson. After the lunch, Nelson, who at 35 is more than 30 years Yates’ junior, gained the attention of a woman who has already seen so much. “The work Amy is doing is amazing, it reminds me that there is still so much more to learn,” Yates said. “It makes a lot of sense to bridge all of these ages together to show that the battle is never over. We will always need someone to take the mantle and move forward.”
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 15
News
Nuns on a Bus for voter rights by Ryan Pitkin ryan@matthewsminthillweekly.com
A group of nuns are busing through North Carolina and visiting some of the state’s biggest cities to speak out against big money in politics during the lead up to November’s elections. The third annual Nuns on the Bus Tour, a brainchild of Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK, has been on the road since Sept. 17. The bus stopped in south Charlotte on Tuesday and the traveling nuns shared their thoughts on the importance of registering to vote and the need to take big money out of politics. North Carolina is the seventh of 10 battleground states Campbell and her group of nuns will visit before November’s elections. They left Charleston, West Virginia, on Friday afternoon and made their way to North Carolina, where they made stops in Raleigh, Durham, Greenville and Asheville before visiting the YWCA Central Carolinas in Charlotte on Tuesday. While previous tours have focused on encouraging constituents to call their representatives and urge them to make change, Nuns on the Bus focuses on letting people affect change themselves by bringing them
to the polls. “We chose states where there are tight elections because even in these states people often don’t feel like they can make a difference,” Campbell said. “So we’re here to let them know that they can. North Carolina is ground zero for a bunch of tight elections.” During one stop in Louisville, Kentucky, State Representative Joni Jenkins told the crowd she won her first election by only 10 votes. Another legislator in Charleston told Campbell she won her most recent election by only four votes. While the tour’s website can read like a list of liberal talking points, from focusing on securing healthcare for all to protecting immigrants’ rights, Campbell insists that the tour’s goal is to get people involved on either side of politics. She uses the example that her brother’s vote almost always cancels her vote out, but if she let that be an excuse, he would win. “That’s just not a part of this,” Campbell said. “Our get-out-the-vote effort applies to everyone.” One of the main goals for the bus tour is to encourage those struggling with poverty to become more active in politics. Many of those who are homeless or living with low income do not vote because it can be hard
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to travel to the polls, Campbell said. Lack of transportation or working two to three jobs can make voting less of a priority for some, and once someone gets in a habit of not voting there’s less of a chance they will start in the future, she said. Campbell was inspired by a trip she made to St. Paul, Minnesota in September, during which she met a group of students who had created practice voting booths and were inviting people to take part in the process now so they would be familiar with how to do it in November when showing up at true polling locations. “People are scared and get a little nervous if it’s a new thing. That’s a reason why we’re going to YWCA,” Campbell said during a phone interview as she and her colleagues left West Virginia. “These people are doing fabulous work with housing and empowerment. But often some of these women feel like voting is too much or too complicated.” Campbell was awarded the YWCA USA’s Female’s Empowerment Award at their “Women of Distinction” awards gala in Washington, D.C., in June. She remembers visiting the YWCA Central Carolinas nearly two years ago and looked forward to arriving in Charlotte on Tuesday morning to continue her work.
Kirstin Sikkelee, CEO of YWCA Central Carolinas, said it is a pleasure to have Campbell at her location twice in two years. She said many of the YWCA’s values run parallel to those of the Nuns on the Bus. “So much of what we do aligns with what they are talking about,” Sikkelee said. “From voter registration to the impact of marginalization to people in poverty not having access.” The marginalization of the less fortunate also relates to another focus of Campbell’s, which is the use of large amounts of money by super-PACs to influence elections. Throughout the tour, Campbell and the other nuns have been holding “Town Hall for the 100%” meetings, which are aimed at gathering feedback from all members of the community. After leaving YWCA Central Carolinas on Oct. 7, the group held a town hall meeting at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. “Folks who have a lot of money aren’t bad, they’re not evil,” Campbell said. “But they are buying all of the ads. What we are saying is that everyone should be welcome to the voting table. But those with big money should leave their money bags at the door because if you buy the table that isn’t democracy.”
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Education
Charlotte Catholic’s “The Fell” takes a step into a future world where humanity lives underground in a fight for survival. Courtney Schultz/MMHW photo
Fall of the future: Charlotte Catholic’s fall play by Courtney Schultz courtney@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Imagine a world in the distant future where the surface world is so polluted that society has to live underground. Humanity has altered the environment, weather and seasons so drastically that “Mother Nature” no longer exists. The underground world is barely surviving, and the single source of protein is rats. That is the setting for Charlotte Catholic High School’s upcoming play, “The Fell,” written and directed by Charlotte Catholic Theatre Director Marcus Riter. “It was just the idea of a ‘steampunk’ spark of creativity. I read that one morning and by the end of the day I had all of the characters, all their names and how they all would intertwine. I actually wrote about 20 pages of it and then we cast…I finished the rest with them in mind,” Riter said. He gave the example of Roku, played by junior Marissa Mansfield, being a snarky character, who he feels resembles qualities of her personality. “The way things have worked out (with the play) are serendipitous. It all just fit together,” Riter said. Group leader Kingston, played by senior Robert Ross, teams up with Portia, played by sophomore Kayleigh Ruller, to dictate over one of the last boroughs of underground dwellers in a subway tunnel. The group fights for survival, feeding a furnace to stay alive through generators, while searching for food. Clinging for existence leaves tension running high, especially among various intertwining relationships. The cast says the production is an atypical play that pushes the mind and requires close attention. The story is a matter of do or die, Riter said. “As they feed the furnace, pollution goes back out into the world. So, in order to survive, they have to pollute the world they want to go back to,” he said. The characters take on the concept of power and how power and survival come together in a damaged futuristic world. “There is a lot of symbolism in the play. It’s www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
more that (the story) is a cycle. We have all talked about that if there were ‘The Fell II’ Boris (played by senior Brian Hady) and Sandrean (played by sophomore Izë Weaver) would be as Kingston and Portia’s positions…it’s this idea that it’s going to repeat itself,” Riler said. The production’s title came from an uncustomary source. “The fell is that nasty membrane if you skin an animal, it’s that skin between the fleshy part and the fur. (The characters) are really what’s left. They are holding things together – they are holding that fur in,” the director said. The “chain gang” cast has prepared for the play since the first week of school and feels they have been able to explore their characters throughout the process. Ross said “The Fell” is his first production. He studied villainous roles similar to Kingston in other movies and plays to absorb their attributes. Despite being his first production, Robert feels connected to his role. “When we do the first intro song, you think, ‘OK, I got to get into character.’ But when the intro song comes on in the beginning, it pulls everything out of me and I think, ‘Alright, now it’s time for me to be evil,’” he said. Senior Kalie Brandt, who plays a mother, Madia, said she had to learn to be in touch with her emotional side to prepare for her role. “I’m still trying to tap in with the whole emotional thing. It’s sometimes difficult to do it right on cue, but I’ve been working on that,” Kalie said. The senior may struggle to connect with “raw emotion,” but she said she’s found her motherly side. “I’m a very protective person when it comes to my friends and my siblings…those protective elements I can see in myself,” she said. Riter, who is no stranger to playwriting, plans to bring steampunk to the stage on Oct. 8, 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased at the door. Call the school, which is located at 7702 Pineville Matthews Road, at 704-543-1127 with any questions. Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 17
Education
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Education
News & Notes
Butler senior selected as leader of tomorrow MATTHEWS – Butler High School senior Mackenzie Lewis was selected by the International Leadership Network (ILN) as one of six students in the United States to receive recognition as a 2014 Leader of Tomorrow Award Winner. ILN is a nonMackenzie Lewis. Photo profit founded courtesy of Amy Lewis in 1990 by Lisle Ramsey to develop and implement programs to empower young people to succeed. Leaders of Tomorrow are leaders who are appointed and/or elected as successful achievers in a variety of areas including positive role models and good citizens in their schools and communities, according to a news release.
Mackenzie currently serves as president of Butler’s student body, a captain of the school’s women’s tennis team and as coach for the Mecklenburg County Special Olympics bocce ball team. Last year, she received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Congressional Gold Award and was a Prudential Spirit of Community Award Local Honoree for outstanding volunteer service. Find more information about ILN at ilnleadnet.com. Independence High School is calling all alumni CHARLOTTE – Independence High School is inviting all the school’s alumni to attend its Homecoming football game on Oct. 24, a Friday, for free. The game is against Myers Park High School and will begin at 7 p.m. Alumni are asked to email Noel Hamrick at noel.hamrick@cms.k12.nc.us with their name and the year they graduated. Only alumni on the list are able to attend the game for free.
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The yearbook staff also will sell yearbooks at Homecoming for $10 each for years 1967 to 2010. Pre-order a yearbook by emailing Lisa Denstaedt at lisan.denstaedt@cms. k12.nc.us so the order can be ready for pick up. Only cash will be accepted. Contact the high school at 980-343-6900 with any questions. The school is located at 1967 Patriot Drive in Charlotte. CMS offers advice for flu season October marks the beginning of flu and virus season, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Deputy Superintendent Ann Clark sent a letter to CMS parents on how to prepare. Enterovirus infections are common – estimated as many as 10 to 15 million infections occur each year. “There are no specific medical treatments for viruses, so prevention is the best strategy. Symptoms can mimic those of colds or the flu, including runny nose, coughing, fever and aches,” Clark wrote in the letter. Clark offered the following suggestions for preventing the spread of flus and viruses: • Wash hands frequently with soap and water, especially before eating. • Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. • Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, not hands. • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces. • Keep your child home when he or she is feeling sick. Establish a contingency plan
for keeping a sick child at home or picking him or her up from school so you are prepared if illness strikes. • Keep your child at home for at least 24 hours after he or she is free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. • Talk with your health care provider about annual seasonal flu vaccines. Storyland Celebrations hosts kids lit club night MATTHEWS – Area children can celebrate Halloween with stories and activities at the Matthews Community Center on Oct. 18, a Saturday, at 6:30 p.m. Children will act out “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything,” dress in costumes, take a swing at a piñata, do a Halloween craft and more Halloween literary fun. The cost is $20 per child and includes a snack. Visit www.storylandcelebrations. com, or call 704-321-7275 for more information. The Matthews Community Center is located at 100 McDowell St. Carmel Christian to host open houses MATTHEWS – Carmel Christian School, located at 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road, is inviting interested parents to attend the school’s admission open houses. Parents can visit the school on Oct. 24, a Friday, at 9:15 a.m. or Nov. 6, a Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. The first session will be (see Education Notes on page 20)
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Education
Driver’s education funding could create trouble behind the wheel for young drivers by Courtney Schultz courtney@matthewsminthillweekly.com
School systems are expected to provide opportunities for the community to take driver’s education, but funding is ending in July 2015 after the North Carolina General Assembly removed driver’s education as a recurring item in the North Carolina Highway Trust Fund, where the funding previously originated. The state will no longer fund driver’s education, instead leaving it to the districts or parents to determine whether they will fund it. The entire cost of driver’s education could be passed to parents, and the lowest estimated fee is $300, according to Janice Williams, director of Carolina Center for Injury Prevention. Some families may not be able to afford driver’s education, so many students could opt to obtain their licenses when they turn 18. Lack of funding leaves driver’s education for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students in a tight spot. CMS’ driver’s education department cannot sign students up for summer classes, the department’s busiest time, next year until they see what’s happening with funding “to have a clean cut-off on June 30,” said Connie Sessoms, director of driver’s education for CMS. “We are going to have to shut it down until we have funding in place,” she said. Sessoms suspects that the department will see a decrease of about 60 percent of students who sign up for driver’s education because of the burden of funding. Williams said when students don’t take driver’s education, they are more likely to crash. “When you first start to drive, it’s like learning any other skill…it requires practice in order to become proficient at it,” he said. Williams feels the Graduated Drivers License (GDL) requirements, prerequisites drivers would opt out of if they receive their licenses at 18, control and reduce the risks associated with new drivers gradually to diminish crash risks. Driver’s education is an integral part of GDL, said Sessoms. With the GDL, students will obtain 60 hours of supervised driving and will have the chance to ease into the new experience, Williams added. Williams feels peer pressure and distractions can impede the early driving process by creating a culture that believes safety precautions, such as wearing a seat belt, are not necessary. “As their brains are maturing, the laws and education are in place to help contain some of those influences,” she said, adding the laws create a parenting structure, so students have a reason to follow the safety precautions. Sessoms worries that parent-taught drivers would increase crash rates. Parents often pass their own driving habits, some negative, to their children, he added. “Parents (also) are the major culprits in that students are pervasively talking and texting on cellphones,” Sessoms said. “A large amount of the phone calls that students receive, parents are calling them to ask them if they’re OK.” www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
Sessoms stressed that students need professional driving lessons. He compared the differences between a math class and driving to emphasize the course’s importance. When a student gets a problem wrong, they can erase the mistake and start over. Unlike math class, when a driver doesn’t fasten his seat belt and gets in an accident, he can’t start over. Their life or their families’ lives are changed forever, Sessoms said. “I hope that message resonates with our legislature.” Sessoms hopes to encourage the General Assembly to reinstate funding and urges parents to also contact their area representatives. However, some area high schools are taking action to encourage safe driving and create a positive driving culture. Both Butler and Rocky River high schools are participating in State Farm’s Celebrate My Drive, a contest to obtain $25,000 for schools by acquiring the most safe driving pledges – from the school and community – as well as implementing various events to raise awareness. Butler High School is hosting various events and campaigns to increase safe driving awareness, such as the Street Safe Life Saving Driving Experience on Oct. 18, seatbelt checks, daily announcements and signs. “It’s basically to save lives,” said Michelle Archer, resource officer at Butler. “Students obtain their license in high school, some of the habits they adapt in their high school years carry through to their adult lives.” She and the Butler High School D.R.E.A.M. (Daring to Role-model Excellence as Athletic Mentors) Team work to make proper driving techniques, such as using a seatbelt, a habit and “second-nature” for students. Butler won $25,000 from Celebrate My Drive last year, and Archer hopes the school can win the $100,000 prize from the contest. Rocky River High School’s D.R.E.A.M Team is hoping to make a safe driving culture a school-wide effort. “It has to be a whole-school initiative, with the PTSA and the Booster Club, to make sure that we’re at least almost successful, but we definitely want to be successful,” said Cassie Nall, social studies teacher and advisor of the D.R.E.A.M. Team at Rocky River. The team will host a tailgating event to encourage students not to text and drive and a “Click’n for Chicken” event, where students will receive a Chick-fil-A sandwich for wearing their seatbelts. Rocky River Principal Brandy Nelson has been announcing safe driving facts through October from the D.R.E.A.M. Team. The school has experienced a few student losses due to unsafe driving, so it hopes to encourage safety and healthy lifestyles, said Nall. She also hopes the community can come together to encourage safe driving and win State Farm’s contest. People can go to www.celebratemydrive. com to take the safe driving pledge for their preferred school. Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 19
Education
Education notes (continued from page 18)
for kindergarten through 12th grade, and the second session will be for ninth- to 12thgraders. “The Admission Open House gives parents an opportunity to learn more about the educational experience at Carmel Christian, visit the campus and ask questions that are important to them as they make the decision about their child’s education,” Director of Admission Gwen Bennett said in a news release. The school is accredited by AdvancEd and is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. “Carmel Christian School was founded to partner with Christian families seeking a traditional academic approach to education, as well as to promote Biblical principles through a Christian worldview,” CCS Head of School Van Wade said in the news release. “More than 500 families from Mecklenburg and surrounding counties have chosen Carmel Christian as their choice for their children's education.” Visit the school’s website, www. carmelchristian.org, or contact Gwen Bennett at bennettg@carmelchristian.org or 704-849-9723, ext. 2 for more information. High school students to take the PSAT/ NMSQT Area 10th-graders and 11th-graders will take the PSAT/NMSQT in their respective
schools on either Oct. 15, a Wednesday, or Oct. 18, a Saturday. The test, which is cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Cooperation, helps educators at every level provide early feedback on student skills and to promote college readiness. The PSAT will assess reading, math and writing skills; provide practice for the SAT; connect students to scholarships and personalized online tools; identify students in the 11th grade who may be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program and other programs that use PSAT scores; and identify students who are likely to succeed in AP courses and on AP exams. Visit www.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt for more information on the PSAT, the benefits for completing the PSAT and to determine whether students’ high schools will offer the PSAT. Socrates Academy to learn about natural resources for Duke Energy MATTHEWS – Duke Power will sponsor “The Treasure Trove of Conservation Cove” at Socrates Academy on Friday, Oct. 10. The program will teach students about natural resources, how to use those resources, how resources are wasted and what students can do to help conserve our resources. Teachers will have workbooks, digital guides and other resources at the program. Socrates Academy is located at 3909 Weddington Road in Matthews.
Page 20 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
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Education
Concrete Roses faculty still waiting for paychecks by Courtney Schultz courtney@matthewsminthillweekly.com
CHARLOTTE – Faculty of Concrete Roses STEM Academy are still waiting for promised paychecks for their time at the school nearly two weeks after its abrupt closing on Sept. 19. The staff was promised to receive pay for the last two weeks they worked on Sept. 30, but received nothing but an email from school CEO Dr. Cedric Stone. The email from Stone described three options “in order to administer final pay,” but many say the options are not plausible. The charter school closed down after being placed on financial disciplinary status by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Department of School Business for overestimating the school enrollment and not submitting expenditure reports to the department for the months of July and August. Lynda Fuller, public information officer for the Department of Public Instruction, said the NCDPI Department of School Business is still conducting an analysis review of the school’s funds and assets.
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Stone wrote in his email that one option would be to work with the Director of School Business Alexis Schauss to use some of the unused funds. “It takes over two weeks for the state to release funds, and the state has said they will not be releasing any additional funds,” former teacher Beth Berg said. Schauss said if there are unused funds for the charter school, they would be returned to the state, since the school closed. The second option Stone wrote was to sell off existing assets, but faculty of the school said there are no assets to sell because they were taken away when the school closed. The one school bus the school had no longer sits outside the building. The third option proposed by Stone was to submit a Principal Management Report for September and the school’s 20-day roster to the local education agency, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. As of Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly’s press deadline, CMS has made no plans to provide any funding to the school, representatives said. “At this time the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg School district is investigating to determine what, if any, funding is due to Concrete Rose STEM Charter from county appropriations,” read a statement from CMS. WBTV reported on Sept. 30 that some of the used state funding, which totaled $285,170, possibly went toward two car payments of $629 each for a company car. Fuller said the department, at this point, has not determined whether funds were used for a car payment. The state is still looking into whether funds were spent properly. If the state were to find improper use of funds, the culpability would fall on the school. “If it is determined that the funds were not spent properly, the auditor would recommend that the state recoup those funds,” Fuller said. While the school’s financial circumstances remain in limbo, former teachers and staff worry over whether they will be able to support themselves financially. “Several former staff members are having utilities cut off today and one may lose their apartment,”
Berg said. Tamika Frye, the school’s former cafeteria manager, has still not been paid for her work since she left the school in August. She said she talked to Stone on Sept. 25, when he told her he would pay her “something,” but funding has always been “scarce” at the school. "The school is shut down," Frye said Stone told her during their phone call. "I don't have any money to pay you, so I don't know what to tell you." Any nonpayment of salaries to faculty is the responsibility of the nonprofit’s board, Fuller said, in this case, Concrete Roses STEM Academy’s Board of Directors. But Stone has told all employees he has no funds to give out for salaries. The Department of School Business is still looking into the school’s finances, and Fuller said the NCDPI would report of the school’s financial standing when the analysis is completed. While Concrete Roses faculty waits, some have considered retaining an attorney to obtain their salaries.
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 21
Around Town
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Calendar 10.9.14 Thursday
Matthews Sister City Meeting, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Matthews residents Ralph and Brenda Messera recently returned from a vacation to Matthews’ Sister City, SainteMaxime in France. The couple will share their travel experiences at the next Sister City Meeting. Town hall, Jordan Room, 232 Matthews Station St., Matthews
10.12.14 Sunday
Habitat Global Tasting Night & Silent Auction, 4 to 7 p.m. Habitat for Humanity of Matthews is inviting people to a Global Tasting Night & Silent Auction at Savour to celebrate the organization's 25th anniversary. People will have the chance to taste appetizers from some of the area's "finest international restaurants," try 15 distinctive wines from across the globe and 10 American craft beers, bid on unique silent auction items and support Habitat Matthews's mission to serve 25 families over the next five years. Tickets cost $100 per person are available at www.habitatmatthews.org and at the Habitat Matthews ReStore, at 136 E. Charles St. Call 704-847-4266, ext. 228, for more information. Savour, 1031 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Matthews
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
faith & Religion
News & Notes Seminary’s annual apologetics conference to return this weekend MATTHEWS – Southern Evangelical Seminary will host its 21st annual National Conference on Christian Apologetics Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11 at Calvary Church. Conference workshops help on Friday will take place between 9 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. and include: God & Science; Christianity & Culture; and Historical Apologetics. The main conference will take place Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and continue on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Key speakers will include David Limbaugh, who will sign his newest book; Josh and Sean McDowell; Norman Geisler; Warren Wallace, who also will sign his newest book; Hugh Ross; Michael Behe, author of “Darwin’s Black Box;” Walt Kaiser; and Gary Habermas, among other top scholars in their fields, according to a news release. Registration costs $85 per person and $55 for students. Find more information at www.ses.edu, or call the Matthews-based seminary at 704-847-5600, ext. 201. Calvary Church is located at 5801 Pineville-Matthews Road. Hot meals program for senior citizens MINT HILL – People 60 years old and older who live in Mecklenburg County are invited to the county’s hot
10.14.14 Tuesday
Charlotte Saltwater Fishing Club meeting, 7 p.m. The Charlotte Saltwater Fishing Club’s meeting will present a special guest speaker, George Beckwith, from Down East Guide Service in Morehead City. Beckwith will discuss the in and outs of Red Drum fishing in North Carolina, the predicted future of Red Drum, how conservation efforts are paying off and more. All ages and skill levels are encouraged to attend. Visit www.cosfc.com for more information. The Charlotte Saltwater Fishing Club meets the second Tuesday of each month. Captain Galley Restaurant, 11032 E. Independence Blvd., Matthews
10.18.14 Saturday
Mint Hill Tractor Show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Mint Hill Tractor Show returns with its hit-and-miss engine show. This year’s show features vintage tractors and farm equipment, music, cow pie Bingo, gold panning, a pancake breakfast and hot dog lunch. There is no entry fee. Call Dale at 704-506-7773, contact www.minthillhistory. com or email info@minthill history.com for more information. Carl J. McEwen Historic Village, 7601 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill
11.7.14 to 11.16.14 Friday to Sunday
‘Seussical the Musical’ Based on the works of children’s author Dr. Seuss, this high-energy, colorful musical transports audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus as the narrator (the Cat in the Hat) tells the story of an elephant named Horton, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called The Whos. Horton must protect The Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, while facing ridicule, danger, kidnapping, and a trial. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant. Matthews Playhouse, 100 McDowell St. E., Matthews
meals program at Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. The program takes place weekdays beginning at 11 a.m. in the church’s Bigham Hall. Lunch is served at noon. The church has an ongoing need for volunteers to work in the kitchen or deliver meals to the homebound. Find more information at the church’s website, www.philadelphiachurch.org, or call 704-573-2490 to register or volunteer. Philadelphia Presbyterian is located at 11501 Bain School Road. Matthews UMC to host family worship service MATTHEWS – People are invited to a special worship service at Matthews United Methodist Church this weekend. The church will host The Deep Family Worship Service on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 9:30 to 10:40 a.m. in the church gym. Find more information at www.matthewsumc.org. Matthews UMC is located at 801 S. Trade St. Judgment House coming to First Baptist Indian Trail INDIAN TRAIL – First Baptist Church of Indian Trail will host Judgment House “59 Minutes” Oct. 22 to 25, Wednesday to Saturday. The event takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday and 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Walk-in visits are welcome, but reservations are recommended, according to a news release. Cost to attend is a $3 suggested donation at the door, and the event is not for children younger than 10 years old, the release said. Call Julie at 704-893-2640 to place a reservation. Find more information at www.fbcit.org.
Page 22 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Ongoing
Technology Learning Day , 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Community Center is offering assistance for anyone who has questions about computers or needs help with a project, on the second Saturday of every month. Help will be given in a variety of areas including Mac OS and Windows users including Microsoft Office, Internet usage, digital photography and movies, Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, software for backing up files, Quicken, networking and general how-to advice. Call 704-321-7275 or email Colten Marble, cultural recreation specialist, at cmarble@matthewsnc.gov for more information. Matthews Community Center, 100 McDowell St., Matthews
Ongoing
Reid House Cleanup The Reid House Gardeners and the Matthews Historical Foundation are looking for volunteers to help maintain and enhance the historic 1890 Reid House gardens and landscaped areas, which serve as the site of numerous weddings and outdoor events. Volunteer opportunities include care of flower beds and shrubbery, pruning, planting, mulching and weeding. The Reid House gardens are an oasis in the middle of downtown Matthews. If you like to garden, join the Reid House Gardeners and help keep the flower beds blooming. For more information, please email martha@803elizabeth.com or call 704-847-4637.
Send us your stuff! Have an event going on in Matthews and Mint Hill people should know about? Well, let us know! Send us an email listing about your event, including when and where it is, any cost involved and how people can learn more or get involved. Email us at news@ matthewsminthillweekly.com. First Baptist Indian Trail is located at 732 Indian Trail Fairview Road. Annual barbecue at Stallings UMC STALLINGS – People are invited to the annual barbecue at Stallings United Methodist Church on Oct. 17, a Friday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Barbecue plates of pork or chicken will be available for $9 and also include beans, a roll, slaw, dessert and a drink. Three pork barbecue sandwiches, along with a drink and dessert, or one pound of bulk barbecue also will be available for $9 each. The church is offering dine-in and takeout options. Call the church office at 704-821-8820 for more information. Stallings UMC is located at 1115 Stallings Road. Concert to feature Denver and the Mile High Orchestra CHARLOTTE – Christ Lutheran Church will host a concert featuring Denver and the Mile High Orchestra on Oct. 26, a Sunday, at 6:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The event will be preceded by a potluck dinner and 60th anniversary party at 4:45 p.m. People are encouraged to bring a side dish, and bratwurst, hot dogs and ice cream will be provided. Advance ticket prices for the event range from $10 to $20. Call 704-366-1595 to purchase tickets. Find more information at www.christelca.org. Christ Lutheran is located at 4519 Providence Road. Send us your faith notes! Send faith notes to josh@matthewsminthillweekly. com. Announcements should be sent two weeks in advance. www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
Around Town
Home Sales
in Matthews and Mint Hill
Date sold
Address
sale price
28105 Alexander Ridge 13239 Salvo Drive Sept. 18 $192,000 Castle Cliff 8822 Castle Cliff Drive Sept. 18 $189,000 Chestnut Hill 11225 Chestnut Hill Sept. 22 $320,000 Drive Eastwood Forest 13908 Stillwood Place Sept. 24 $37,000 Fairfax Woods 2208 Candlelight Woods Sept. 15 $225,000 Drive Glenwood Manor 3813 Hunters Run Lane Sept. 15 $120,000 3828 Hunters Run Lane Sept. 12 $107,000 3412 Fortis Lane Sept. 5 $117,000 Habersham 4428 Hounds Run Drive Sept. 18 $140,000 Matthews 404 Sadie Drive Sept. 19 $163,000 Pheasant Knoll 2909 Rural Hill Court Sept. 16 $116,000 2927 Old House Circle Sept. 4 $114,900 Providence Hills 3007 Providence Hills Sept. 16 $395,900 Drive Roxbury 4317 Olde Roxbury Drive Sept. 11 $242,000
Address
Date sold
sale price
Sardis Grove 432 Bubbling Well Road Sept. 29 $215,000 625 Bubbling Well Road Sept. 23 $220,000 Sardis Plantation 138 Sardis Plantation Sept. 17 $286,000 Drive Somersby 1119 Thornsby Lane Sept. 8 $210,000 South Windsor 2910 Windsor Meadow Sept. 26 $250,000 Lane Southwoods 3012 Firewood Drive Sept. 23 $198,000 1317 Forest Wood Drive Sept. 10 $188,900 Springwater 14132 Springwater Drive Sept. 17 $137,000 St. Clair 2604 Hunters Moon Lane Sept. 12 $189,000 Suburban Woods 11212 Gladewater Drive Sept. 25 $125,000 The Forest 1320 Wyndmere Hills Sept. 25 $829,000 Lane The Heathers 2624 Kirkholm Drive Sept. 18 $227,500 2522 Kirkholm Drive Sept. 9 $175,000 Wickerby 1538 Wickerby Court Sept. 26 $207,209 Windrow Estates 2637 Connemara Drive Sept. 16 $230,000
www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
A breakdown of recent home sales Sept. 2014 Sept. 2013 Homes Sold Average Sales Price
76 $224,946
80 $202,731
Sept. 2012 33 $191,514
Editor’s note: Information provided by the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and www.sales.carolinahome.com Date sold
Address
sale price
Windsor Chase 2857 Windsor Chase Sept. 19 $187,000 Drive Winterbrooke 2427 Honey Creek Lane Sept. 23 $382,000 Wood Hollow 1000 Winter Wood Drive Sept. 17 $163,000
28227
Berkshire on Lawyer 8416 Mayerling Drive Sept. 15 $80,000 Butterfield 8705 Lochinvar Drive Sept. 13 $64,299 Casabella 4936 Magglucci Place Sept. 8 $575,000 Cheval 13511 Castleford Drive Sept. 26 $631,322 4231 Piaffe Ave. Sept. 25 $789,900 Cheverton 5241 Cressingham Court Sept. 29 $158,000 Clear Meadow 10606 Wood Meadow Sept. 23 $145,000 Drive Covington Commons 6411 Covington Commons Sept. 26 $166,190 Drive Danbrooke Park 6611 Barry Whitaker Sept. 26 $175,000 Place Dogwood Ridge 9103 Leah Meadow Lane Sept. 15 $174,900
Address
Date sold
sale price
Eastside Estates 10805 Williams Road Sept. 4 $80,000 Ellington Farm 7111 Apple Creek Drive Sept. 29 $467,000 Fairfield Park 8333 Barncliff Road Sept. 25 $115,000 Fairington Oaks 5515 Turkey Oak Drive Sept. 9 $347,500 Farmwood 6001 Lebanon Road Sept. 30 $189,231 7138 Pitchfork Lane Sept. 30 $135,000 5820 Gold Wagon Lane Sept. 22 $210,000 7300 Apple Creek Drive Sept. 18 $225,000 7524 Timber Ridge Drive Sept. 9 $196,000 Forestbrook 3831 Cherrybrook Drive Sept. 15 $258,000 3820 Cherrybrook Drive Sept. 6 $215,000 Green Meadows 4024 Hay Meadow Drive Sept. 5 $275,000 Hickory Ridge 6417 Woodthrush Drive Sept. 25 $98,000 6345 Lake Forest Drive Sept. 5 $98,000 6712 Heatherwood Lane Sept. 3 $90,000 Hillandale Acres 10220 Beckley Place Sept. 26 $170,000 Lake Forest 7544 Glencannon Drive Sept. 8 $149,000 Martin Lakes 6019 Martin Lake Road Sept. 24 $109,000 7404 Prindle Lake Drive Sept. 12 $118,000
Address
Date sold
sale price
Morris Farms 9028 Blue Willow Lane Sept. 11 $105,000 Olde Sycamore 10311 Club Field Court Sept. 11 $310,000 Plantation Falls Estates 8215 Rolling Fields Road Sept. 23 $495,000 Ravenscroft 4922 Sela Court Sept. 10 $275,000 Robinhood Station 7916 Littlejohn Court Sept. 12 $107,000 Spicewood Acres 5000 Spicewood Drive Sept. 25 $194,000 St. Ives 7524 Hannah Alexander Sept. 2 $284,000 Lane Stonebridge 8143 Castlestone Drive Sept. 24 $324,000 Summerwood 10314 Lemington Drive Sept. 12 $438,027 Telfair 11517 Brangus Lane Sept. 19 $389,500 Waverly 5821 Mallard Drive S. Sept. 22 $110,000 Woodbury 8839 Balsam Bay Road Sept. 25 $206,644 9928 Paper Tree Road Sept. 10 $180,000 11731 Downy Birch Road Sept. 2 $175,000 Wyndemere Crossing 6924 Ravenglass Lane Sept. 3 $100,000
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 23
Arts
Wells Fargo representatives present a $1,000 Community Connections grant to Mint Hill Arts. Photo courtesy of Josh Dunn
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
Arts & Culture
News & Notes
Mint Hill Arts receives Wells Fargo grant MINT HILL – Wells Fargo’s Community Connections program recently donated 89 grants, worth $1,000 each, to nonprofits in the Charlotte area, including Mint Hill Arts. “The goal of the Community Connections program is to take Wells Fargo’s community support to a local level,” the company said in a news release. Team members at bank stores chose the receiving groups based on “which groups they knew were helping out in their local neighborhood,” the release said. Checks were presented to leaders of the nonprofits in ceremonies across the Charlotte region in September. Attic sale to support Historic Bain Academy MINT HILL – Friends of Bain Restoration will host a two-day attic sale on Friday and Saturday, Oct 10 and 11, at the Kerr Building of Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. The sale, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, will include attic treasures, garden plants, books, clothing and food items, according to a news release. Sausage biscuits, muffins, orange juice, coffee and iced tea also will be available both mornings. Proceeds from the event will benefit the restoration of Historic Bain Academy, a 125year-old school building previously slated for demolition. Call Lynnette Pritchard at 704545-4928 for more information about the sale. Philadelphia Presbyterian is located at 11501 Bain School Road. Watercolor exhibit at McDowell Arts Center MATTHEWS – The Watercolor Artists Club of Charlotte is hosting an exhibit and sale of member paintings at the McDowell Arts Center through the end of the month. People can view and purchase artwork during the center’s normal gallery hours through Oct. 30, a Thursday. The center is open Monday to Friday from 1 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. Call 704-321-7275 for more information. The McDowell Arts Center is located at
123 McDowell St. Banquet to benefit Matthews Free Medical Clinic MATTHEWS – The sixth annual Hearts & Hands event will take place in south Charlotte next month to benefit the Matthews Free Medical Clinic. The event is scheduled for Nov. 1, a Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Maggiano’s Little Italy in SouthPark and will include live and silent auctions, a “wall of wine,” a raffle and guest emcees Bob Lacey and Sheri Lynch, of the nationally-syndicated “Bob and Sheri Show.” Tickets cost $125 per person, and tables for eight people are available for $1,000. Contact Amy Carr at acarr@matthewsfmc. org or 704-841-8882, ext. 25, for more information. Maggiano’s is located at 4400 Sharon Road in Charlotte. Book club to focus on colonial era CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte Museum of History is offering a book club opportunity for museum visitors. Historian Dr. Hugh Dussek will lead the History Reads Book Club over the next month. Dussek is originally from London, England, and serves as the division director for the Behavioral & Social Sciences Division at Central Piedmont Community College. His area of academic interest is the colonial era and the American Revolution, according to a news release, and he has contributed to CPCC’s “Trail of History” television series and “American History TV” on C-SPAN 3. The book discussed will be “The Road to Black Ned’s Forge: A Story of Race, Sex, and Trade on the Colonial American Frontier” by Dr. Turk McCleskey. The book focuses on the lives of settlers in the colonial backcountry during the 18th century. The book club schedule is: • Oct. 18, a Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon, with light refreshments served • Nov. 1, a Saturday, from 1 to 2 p.m., with an author talk. Registration fees are $25 for museum members and $30 for nonmembers and include a hardback edition of the book, refreshments and admission to the author talk. Find more information at www.charlottemuseum.org. The museum is located at 3500 Shamrock Drive.
Page 24 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
Sports
dream catchers Seniors (from left) Jannell Oakley, Ali Kinard, Griffin Basden and Valeria Beltran have joined with Coach James Starns (center) to lead Independence to a historical season. Andrew Stark/MMHW photo by Andrew Stark editor@matthewsminthillweekly.com
The fortunes of the Independence tennis program began to turn last season when the doubles’ tandem of Ali Kinard and Griffin Basden did something no Patriot girls tennis players had accomplished this century. Last year Kinard and Basden finished third in the Southwestern 4A conference and became the first Independence duo to qualify for the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s Class 4A Western Regional during the 2000’s. Perhaps as a foreshadowing to this season, they did more than qualify, and advanced to the second round of the regional tournament. Together they helped raise awareness in a conference that had previously only viewed Independence tennis as an afterthought in the league’s hierarchy that they could be a legit contender. But this season the once down program has taken a huge step and find themselves knocking on the door of a conference title and are joining the conversation of the best teams in the region. As practice began and Kinard and Basden stepped on the court this season with fellow four-year senior Jannell Oakley, they didn’t know what to expect. To make matters more uncertain, they had a new coach in James Starnes, but soon they realized that combination – and the addition of a key newcomer – was the exact formula to change the fortunes and culture of Patriot tennis. “During the first couple of weeks we realized how much potential we had and realized we all could play with each www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
other,” Kinard said. “Nobody was getting killed by any one player, and we all had talent.” As Starnes saw his team for the first time this summer, he, too, realized this team could make some noise. “I knew this summer that we had talent,” Starnes said. “You only have to play six people, – you play the same people in singles as you do in doubles – and this summer, even before Valeria got here, I knew that we had six people and said, ‘We have talent, we’re not going to get embarrassed by everyone and we can run six people out there that can play pretty well.’” And then Valeria Beltran, a Bolivian exchange student, showed up to practice during the summer unsure whether she’d find a spot on her new school’s tennis team or whether her teammates would want her in the first place. “I remember the first day she got here I was thinking she probably wasn’t very good,” Kinard said. “But the first time I saw her play I said, ‘Never mind, she’s really good and she belongs on the top level.’” And, as a foursome leading the way, the top level is exactly where the Independence tennis program has ascended to. They have a 7-3 overall mark and are 4-1 and the No. 2 seed in the Southwestern 4A – both school records – and aren’t showing any signs they’re ready to wake up from their dream season any time soon. In addition to their impressive regular season, they’ve clinched a spot in the regionals for the second consecutive year and are a state playoff team for the first time in the 2000’s.
“This is amazing,” Beltran said. “When I came here I didn’t even know I was going to be on the tennis team, but everyone showed me they were my friends. To get this far and have this season is amazing.” And everyone’s chipping in to lead to the program’s turnaround. Beltran is 5-4 as the Patriots’ No. 1 singles’ player; Kinard is 7-3 playing Lines 2 through 5; Basden is 5-5 playing Lines 2,4 and 5; and Oakley is 6-4 playing spots 2-5. While each girl has had an impact in singles, they’ve shined in doubles as well. Kinard and Basden are 6-2 together this season, Oakley has gone 4-3 –and 4-2 teamed with her freshman sister, Aleena. “Obviously we came in under a new coach, but most of our top six has been here before, so we have a different arrangement and a different way of doing things this year that let us win more,” Basden said. And Starnes gets some of the credit, too. “If you would’ve said we’d be where we are now as freshmen, I would’ve thought you were talking about some school other than Independence,” Oakley said. “Our other coaches would always try to fix our form and make us exactly the same. Everyone hits differently, and that made us fall back a little, but Coach Starnes embraced how we played and has let us be ourselves.” And together, this team has made itself conference contenders and given the seniors a great final sendoff. “It’s the first time we’re going to states this century,” Kinard said. “It’s pretty cool that the seniors are going to conference
again, will hopefully go to regionals again and will play in the states this year. It makes us know we’re doing something.” While the seniors are finishing their careers with the best season to date for any girls tennis team at Independence, the Patriots may be just beginning the program’s transformation. Junior Katie Exum went 5-4 in singles and 6-3 in doubles’ play this year. Junior Tori Exum was 2-3 in singles’ matches, but teamed with her sister to go 4-1 in doubles. Oakley’s younger sister, Aleena, was 5-2 in doubles, and there’s more talent on the horizon. “I think it’s cool,” Starnes said. “And the best thing about it is, I didn’t know the tennis vibe and the general attitude toward tennis was here. Hopefully things like going to states and having an impact will make tennis the cool thing to do, raise awareness and get more people to come out.” As the seniors enter this week’s Southwestern 4A conference tournament and send their Patriot careers into the sunset, they can be proud of all they accomplished. “Hopefully it makes people stop and say, ‘Tennis at Independence is a good sport,’ and hopefully the underclassmen will take it seriously and people will come in and follow our legacy,” Basden said. “We’re setting a precedent, and this is the year we’re going to try to go all the way, and it’s cool to be a part of. I’ve been dreaming about this since my freshman year and I know we all wanted this and it was a big dream, but I think we were scared to say it because if you say it, it may not happen. I think this is a great way for us to round out our senior year.”
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 25
Sports
football midseason report by Andrew Stark editor@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Matthews-Mint Hill football always produces state title contenders, and this year that holds especially true with Butler, Independence and Rocky River all in the midst of outstanding seasons. At the halfway point, MatthewsMint Hill Weekly checks in with each team.
Butler (6-1) Super 7 rank: No. 2
Maxpreps.com’s N.C. ranking: 6 This week: at Myers Park Remaining schedule: Oct. 17, Rocky River; Oct. 24, at Porter Ridge; Oct. 31, off; Nov. 7, Independence
Butler coach Brian Hales finally got to catch his team’s collective breath during a recent two-game stretch against Southwestern 4A conference cellar dwellers Garinger and East Meck. The Bulldogs, per Hales’ wishes, opened the season with traditional powers Mount Tabor, Page, Richmond Country and Mallard Creek, the defending Class 4-AA state champions. During that stretch the Bulldogs snapped Mallard Creek’s 17-game win streak, dislodging them from a national ranking, and went 3-1 in the gauntlet of games. “We didn’t have much time to consider what day it was hardly during that four-game stretch we went through,” Hales said. “It was just one big game after another.” Even though Butler let a late lead slip away before falling to Richmond, 55-54, to close the daunting stretch of games, Hales said his team learned a lot from the onepoint loss. “There was disappointment of course,” Hales said. “The game was there for us to win, but I think we lost our focus and a couple of huge mistakes really cost us at the end. “Anytime you lose a game, especially in that manner, it forces you to take a good, hard look at yourself. Are there changes to be made? Was it a fluke thing? At the end it wasn’t a fluke and there were changes that needed to take place, but that’s why we go out and schedule games like that so we can get a realistic look before it’s too late. That loss got the kids’ and the coaches’ attention.” The Bulldogs made consecutive statements following the loss, hammering East Meck and Garinger by a combined 128-7 score despite many of the starters resting for multiple quarters. The offense, behind quarterback Anthony Ratliff-Williams (1,734 total yards, 24 touchdowns), running back Benny LeMay (935 total yards, 17 touchdowns) and receiver Alex Barrow (630 total yards, 10 touchdowns), has averaged 48.7 points per game. “The offense has been good, but the group I’m most pleased with is the offensive line,” Hales said. “That’s the group that always gets lost when things are going well, but they’re leaps and bounds better that they were last year, and for the most part it’s the same group of guys.” Seniors Cody Kluttz, Jerome Simpson, Darryl Scoggins and Michael Andryc have teamed with sophomore Devin Smith to form the line, a strong point. With the offense clicking, the defensive front led by space eater Jalen Cousar has spearheaded a unit that’s allowed just 19 points per game despite the tough earlyseason schedule. The secondary is young, but getting tested and gaining experience on a weekly basis with guys like Tyrell Robinson and Aramis Algood leaning on the job. The linebackers have been a bit shaken up with Creighton Howard being lost with an ACL injury, Nathan Pilsey
Butler defense
missing time and Jaylen Lesane missing a couple of games with a suspension. That’s forced Hales to move Jarrett Norman inside and give Jay Gibbs and Christian Dixon, among others, larger roles. “As much as it’s hurt us, there will be a great benefit to us down the road,” Hales said. And down the road is where the Bulldogs’ focus lies. They have Myers Park this week and will surely be amped for a game against Rocky River after the Ravens beat them last year, and they always get up for Independence, so the stretch run should be fun. “We needed those two games (against East Meck and Garinger) after that stretch of tough games,” Hales said. “We’re getting healthy and getting guys back to make a good run.”
Independence (7-0) Super 7 rank: No. 1
Maxpreps.com’s N.C. ranking: 4 This week: Off Remaining schedule: Oct. 17, at Garinger; Oct. 24, Myers Park; Oct. 31, Rocky River; Nov. 7, at Butler
The Patriots haven’t started a season 7-0 since 2009, but that’s where they find themselves as they head into this week’s bye. The dominating Independence teams of the past were not one-dimensional by any means, but they had so much offensive firepower that defense was nearly an afterthought. The 2009 Patriots, for example, scored less than 24 points on two occasions – both losses – and averaged 43 points per game during their 7-0 start. This year the Patriots have still scored 27 or more
points each game, but the defense has allowed just 24– and that’s through seven games. “The defense should get a lot of the press,” coach Joe Evans said. “At the end of the day the goal is to win that week’s game and with five shutouts in seven games, they’re a big part of what we’re doing so far. “A lot of these guys were here last year (when Independence went an uncharacteristic 8-5) and that’s all the motivation they need. I tell them, ‘Hey, remember how you felt last year? Remember how it felt?’ The guys that are our leaders who played last year are holding everyone accountable and not letting them have any let downs.” The defense is led by a number of guys including senior linebacker Chris Mangum (48 tackles, two forced fumbles), junior linebacker Jerome Cochran (45 tackles, interception and forced fumble), senior defensive end Caleb Walker (six sacks) and big-play defensive back Adonis Alexander (35 tackles, interception), a Virginia Tech commit who hounds opposing receivers. While the defense has started great, Evans knows their toughest tests await against the likes of Butler, Rocky River and whoever they meet in what figures to be a deep playoff run. “With the games we have coming up, nothing’s going to be easy and we’re going to have to fight for every single one. You have to go take it – nobody’s going to give it to you and I tell them that all the time,” Evans said. “What are you going to do when it does happen and we give up some points and find ourselves down late? Are you going to point the finger at each other, or are you going to close rank and rely on each other to make yourself better and not let it happen again? That’s where the playing for each other comes in. In times of adversity that’s when your true character and true emotions will show and that’s why we keep on them and keep them grounded.” It also helps that the Patriots host a talented offense. Army commit Kelvin Hopkins is a consummate leader in the locker room and has accounted for 1,290 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has a pair of running backs in AJ Peal and Quantavious McGill (832 combined rushing yards, 11 touchdowns) and receivers Jamar Jenkins and Will Walton (49 receptions, 895 yards, eight touchdowns between them) to rely on. Even with a great start, Evans isn’t convinced it’s the best his team can play. “The offense is coming along,” Evans said. “They’re not at a championship level where we want them to be, but we’re working to try to get better every week. “We try to keep them humble, don’t let them celebrate much and make it a business-like approach like it’s their (see Football on page 27)
Independence Patriots
Page 26 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
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Sports (continued from page 26)
job and what they’re supposed to do. I don’t think we’ve played our best yet, and I know we can be much better.”
Rocky River (5-2) Super 7 rank: No. 7
Maxpreps.com’s N.C. ranking: 39 This week: vs. East Meck Remaining schedule: Oct. 17, at Butler; Oct. 24, off; Oct. 31, at Independence; Nov. 7, Porter Ridge
If people discounted Rocky River after its 0-2 start to begin the season, they made a big mistake. The Ravens won the Southwestern 4A title last season, a huge step in the seemingly everlasting ascension of a team that’s been on the rise for each of its four years after a winless 2010, the first year the school opened its doors. But coach Jason Fowler knew what 2014 would bring. The Ravens lost 22 seniors – including four captains and at least 14 impact, starting players – and were faced with a daunting schedule. They opened with a mistake-filled 21-14 loss to Richmond Senior, the same team that beat the then Associated Press No. 1 team Butler “The guys had a feeling they weren’t used to having,” Fowler said. “We had pretty good JV teams and we’ve had some good seasons the last few years, so those guys are used to wining. Everyone else told them how good they were, but they got shot down a little. Now, it’s you’re either going to take the right path or the wrong one, so hopefully we’ve jumped on the right one.” The Ravens appear to be on a similar track to last season when they dropped their opener to Richmond, but
Jaire Alexander
reeled off eight consecutive victories. After the Ravens were upset by upstart South Meck in Week 2, they’ve now won five consecutive games. “They didn’t play terrible against Richmond in the first game and I think that’s the closest anyone played them all year (as far as points allowed),” Fowler said. “Since then we’ve been getting after it, and that’s how we like to play defense. I’m pretty happy where they are, but it’s the same thing with penalties. “We’re kind of where we were last year. We’ll peel off a 60-70 yard touchdown pass, but it’s coming back because we didn’t line up right at wideout or break a run, but that comes back for holding. That just makes you want to pull your hair out, but we have some playmakers.” The Ravens certainly have playmakers, and they span both sides of the ball. Quarterback Naiil Ramadan missed two games with an illness, but has amassed 1,214 total yards and 14 touchdowns, and he’s not alone. Senior tailback Elijah Jett ran for 100-plus yards in each of his first six games this year and has surpassed 800 total yards and has six touchdowns this year.
The biggest breakout player on offense has been South Carolina defensive back commit Jaire Alexander, who’s accounted for 42 catches, 733 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, all numbers which dwarf his teammates production. Even with a five-game win streak, a star at each offensive position, and a surging team in the midst of a fivegame win streak, Fowler is far from satisfied. “We’re just trying to get better every day,” Fowler said. “We’re still not real consistent and I’m not real happy with that. We had six penalties in the first six minutes of the game (against Myers Park), and it’s stuff like that we have to eliminate that in the back half of the season. That’s the stuff that will kill us in those big games.” Fowler knows the recipe for success is a timely, well-executed offense and a sound defense. “That’s the way that we do it and that’s what we need to keep doing,” Fowler said. “We need to focus better and be playing the best Rocky River can play and that’s week in and week out, and then everything will take care of itself.”
Naiil Ramadan
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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 27
Sports
W e e kly gam e stats Pas sing
Name Team Games Comp. Att. Yards Daniel Jones Charlotte Latin 6 87 159 1662 Naiil Ramadan Rocky River 5 75 119 1151 Kelvin Hopkins Independence 7 73 135 1081 Anthony Ratliff-Williams Butler 7 66 126 1079 Bruce Dixon Carolina Pride 5 56 148 1076 Caleb York Providence 6 58 111 995 John Turley Charlotte Christian 5 48 96 854 Clay Norris Myers Park 5 81 124 817 John Schweitzer Providence Day 7 63 153 796 Bryce Maginley Ardrey Kell 6 49 88 675 Cole Bloomer Country Day 5 31 60 459 John Walton Charlotte Catholic 6 23 41 419 Christian McPhail Independence 6 16 31 308 Khalil Gilliam East Meck 7 25 68 302
r us hin g
Name Team Benny LeMay Butler Jaret Anderson Charlotte Catholic Gabe Montgomery Providence Day Elijah Jett Rocky River Brian Mattar Providence Elijah Deveaux Charlotte Christian Anthony Ratliff-Williams Butler Bonte Freeman Ardrey Kell Bryon Collins East Meck DeMarkes Stradford Charlotte Latin Quantavious McGill Independence Bryce Maginley Ardrey Kell Bruce Dixon Carolina Pride Khamel Howard East Meck Dominique Summerville Myers Park Daniel Jones Charlotte Latin AJ Peal Independence Caleb York Providence Cole Perry Charlotte Catholic Jaquavion Alexander Myers Park Raymel Addison Carolina Pride
Games 7 6 7 7 6 5 7 6 7 6 7 6 5 7 5 6 7 6 6 5 2
r e ceiv in g
s a cks
Name Hunter Sheridan Alec Hanff Dru Seabrook Connor Miller Twazanga Mugala Connor Maitland Lawrence Harris Caleb Walker Michael Wilson Matthew Weigel Rhett Huddleston Matthew Gray Kima Bell Tim Thompson Will Sapyta Richard Coker Michael Jones
Team Games Receptions Yards TD Rocky River 7 42 733 9 Independence 7 27 542 4 Charlotte Latin 6 22 460 8 Butler 7 20 449 6 Providence 6 23 365 3 Independence 7 22 353 4 Ardrey Kell 6 18 332 2 Charlotte Latin 6 16 327 5 Butler 7 13 324 4 Charlotte Catholic 6 14 319 2 Charlotte Latin 6 18 319 6 Carolina Pride 5 12 292 6 Providence 6 16 281 4 Myers Park 5 21 267 4 Providence Day 7 16 257 3 Charlotte Latin 5 12 228 2 Rocky River 7 9 214 2
Team Games Sacks Charlotte Latin 6 8 Charlotte Latin 6 8 Providence 5 8 Charlotte Catholic 6 7 Ardrey Kell 6 6.5 Charlotte Christian 5 6.5 Carolina Pride 4 6.5 Independence 6 6 Charlotte Catholic 4 5.5 Charlotte Christian 5 5.5 Ardrey Kell 6 5 Carolina Pride 5 4 Independence 6 4 Rocky River 7 4 Ardrey Kell 6 3.5 Country Day 6 3.5 Rocky River 7 3.5
i nte rc ep ti ons
Name Jaire Alexander Will Walton Kanyon Tuttle Alex Barrow John Biasucci Jamar Jenkins Ryan Jones Jonathan Jennings Clifton Duck Ryan Miller Carson Song Jaylen Erwin Drake Deluliis Tadarin McNeil Ryan Connor Melvin Rouse Kendall Lewis
Page 28 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
SEND US YOUR STATS! Attention coaches and team statisticians: As we do each football season, this fall we will publish weekly statistical leaders. To have players from your team included, please send the information by Monday morning following each game to andrew@ carolinaweekly newspapers.com.
Rushes 96 84 110 130 93 108 65 70 92 69 57 48 50 99 58 42 67 71 44 67 17
ta ck l e s
Yards TD 813 16 756 11 692 6 678 4 676 6 658 6 655 9 578 7 552 4 534 7 490 7 480 5 383 4 372 0 366 1 344 3 342 4 334 7 276 2 252 2 238 1
Name Will Sapyta Matt Messler Christian Dixon Ricky Smith Jalen Cousar Solomon Key Ryan Gilmartin Addison DeBord Sheppard Wilson Jacari Major Chris Mangum Twazanga Mugala Jay Gibbs John DiGiovanna Jackson Monnin Jerome Cochran
1) Independence (7-0) Previous ranking: No. 1
The Patriots demolished Porter Ridge last week and enter their bye week healthy and with a ton of confidence. The offense is finding its groove and the defense has been light’s out having allowed just 24 points on the season. They’ll return next week against Garinger, but then the real fireworks begin. 2) Butler (6-1) Previous ranking: No. 2 As expected, the Bulldogs annihilated East Meck last week, coasting to a 62-7 win with many of their starters sitting out at least the first half. They’ve scored 128 points during the last two weeks combined. They travel to Myers Park this week and will be tested, but the Bulldogs shouldn’t have much of a problem as they’re getting ready for a stretch run. 3) Charlotte Christian (4-1) Previous ranking: No. 3 The Knights made believers last week in their big showdown with Charlotte Latin. We knew the defense would be stout and Elijah Deveaux would have a big day running the ball, but didn’t count on three John Turley passing touchdowns and an offensive output that could’ve easily exceeded 50 points. 4) Charlotte Latin (5-1) Previous ranking: No. 4
Team Games Tackles Ardrey Kell 6 73 Ardrey Kell 6 69 Butler 7 65 Providence Day 7 61 Butler 7 59 Providence Day 7 58 Charlotte Christian 5 57 Charlotte Latin 6 55 Country Day 6 49 Rocky River 7 48 Independence 6 48 Ardrey Kell 6 48 Butler 7 48 Carolina Pride 5 47 Charlotte Latin 6 46 Independence 6 45
Team Games Name Butler 7 Clifton Duck Providence Day 7 Elliott Beiser 7 Cameron Goldean Providence Day Charlotte Latin 3 Melvin Rouse Providence Day 7 Alex Cantrell Country Day 4 John Donohue Rocky River 4 Jaire Alexander Alexander Gagnon Charlotte Catholic 6 Providence 5 Tyler Pistorio Independence 6 Tim Marshall Butler 7 Aramis Algood 7 Deonte Henderson Providence Day Myers Park 4 Tommy Wayne Rocky River 4 Aubrey Alexander Providence 3 Devon Kent South Meck 3 Chance Kennedy South Meck 3 John Brannon Country Day 4 Peter Pitroff Charlotte Christian 5 Beau Snuggs
s upe r 7
INT 5 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
The Hawks suffered their first loss of the season to two-time defending state champion Charlotte Christian, but they’re not intimidated in the least. Daniel Jones is among the state’s best quarterbacks and may be the city’s best pure passer – but he can run, too. Carson Song and the receivers are good and if they cut down on penalties, the Hawks can potentially run the table. 5) Providence (5-1) Previous ranking: No. 5 We knew the offense was good, but a 30-0 win over West Meck makes the streaking Panthers a team nobody wants to face. They’ve got Berry this week before a huge game with Ardrey Kell which will have the winner in line for a conference title shot. 6) Charlotte Catholic (5-1) Previous ranking: No. 6 The Cougars shut down Harding in a 42-0 manhandling of the Rams last week. They’re showing balance on offense, but still love to run it with their stable of productive backs. They travel to Olympic this week, but a tough test with South Meck awaits as conference play heats up on Oct. 17. 7) Rocky River (5-2) Previous ranking: No. 7 The Ravens have won five straight and had it not been for consecutive losses would be considerably higher in the rankings. The Big 3 on offense of Naiil Ramadan, Elijah Jett and Jaire Alexander rivals any trio in the state and the defense refuses to allow more than two touchdowns. Last year’s Southwestern 4A crown was certainly no fluke. Also receiving votes: Ardrey Kell (5-1), South Meck (5-1) www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
Sports
W e ekly g a m e P i c ks by Andrew Stark editor@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Here we go. This week’s games are starting to heat up in intensity, but next week is when the real fun begins with some super-heated conference games. Still, there are some intriguing matchups with Davidson Day and Charlotte Country Day, a team that’s always competitive and always is a tough out at the very least. Providence Day has a chance to make a big statement this week, and Myers Park is much better than its record indicates and could stay with Butler for a half or so, but the Bulldogs seem to be putting it all together. It’s another fun week and time for me to make up some ground on our guest pickers and, more importantly, Hannah. This week’s guest picker knows how to win as Providence Day’s Ben Hovis has won nine boys and girls cross-country titles, two track and field titles and was a state champion himself at Providence Day as a senior in 1996. Hovis knows what makes a good team, and has advice for this year’s state title hopefuls. “A common trait that I’ve seen among my state championship teams is the ability to step up when the pressure is really on them,” Hovis said. “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching some very talented and competitive athletes, but it takes a special athlete or team to win the state title. My latest state championship teams have really risen to the occasion in such impressive fashion, it becomes very emotional as a coach.”
Weekly Game Schedule: Davidson Day at Charlotte Country Day Berry at Providence Butler at Myers Park
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andrew stark
hannah dockery
Ben hovis
Davidson Day Providence Butler Charlotte Christian Rocky River Charlotte Catholic Charlotte Latin Ardrey Kell South Meck
Davidson Day Providence Butler Charlotte Christian Rocky River Charlotte Catholic Charlotte Latin Ardrey Kell South Meck
Charlotte Country Day Providence Butler Charlotte Christian Rocky River Charlotte Catholic Providence Day Ardrey Kell South Meck
Last week Overall
(8-2) (57-18)
Last week Overall
Carolina Pride at Charlotte Christian East Meck at Rocky River Charlotte Catholic at Olympic
(9-1) (60-15)
Last week Overall
(10-0) (58-17)
Providence Day at Charlotte Latin Harding at Ardrey Kell West Meck at South Meck
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Page 29
Page 30 • Oct. 8 to 14, 2014 • Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly
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Crossword Crossword
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HOUSE CLEANING Your Home Will be Thoroughly
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