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
Locally Owned & Operated www.matthewsminthillweekly.com
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