SECONDFRONT
The
SALISBURY POST
Cancer hits close to home for Carillon
3A
FRIDAY May 13, 2011
www.salisburypost.com
Hood Seminary celebrates 10 years of independence BY SARAH CAMPBELL scampbell@salisburypost.com
Jon c. lakey/SALISBURY POST
Hulene Woody and Suzanne Rose work with other Carillon Assisted Living staff in preparing for their annual Duck Days Race for a Cure event to be held at their Mooresville Road location on Saturday. All of the funds raised will go to benefit the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life. BY JOANIE MORRIS For the Salisbury Post
Suzanne Rose is a survivor. Hulene Woody, Traci Sparks, Enga Shaver and Virginia Basinger are too. They aren’t the only ones. Over the last 18 months, Carillon Assisted Living in Salisbury has seen its share of employees, residents and friends of the center hit hard with cancer. Rose estimates there are currently two residents with cancer, 20 who are survivors and at least eight who moved in shortly after losing a spouse to cancer. In addition, at least 10 have lost children to cancer and five that she knows of who have immediate family members currently undergoing treatment for cancer. The numbers are just as high among the staff. Four have been diagnosed – including Rose – and two have had cancer “scares,” going through months of testing to rule out a cancer diagnosis. “At a recent staff meeting, those present (there were close to 60) were asked if they had lost an immediate family member to cancer or if they were survivors,” said Rose. “Every
SALISBURY — In the decade since Hood Theological Seminary became independent of Livingstone College, the student population has flourished, prompting both academic and physical growth. Enrollment has nearly tripled since the seminary became a separate entity in 2001. Ned Storey, trustee emeritus, said breaking away from Livingstone has allowed the seminary to progress. “It was just a great move for Hood,” he said. Hood President Dr. Albert Aymer attributes much of the growth to the school’s ability to offer the Doctor of Ministry degree, which has attracted students from a variety of backgrounds. “We now have diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, denomiAYMER nation and race,” he said. Dr. Dora Mbuwayesango, associate professor of Old Testament, said since coming to the seminary in 1995 she’s seen the number of denominations represented grow to at least 16. “When I came, most of the students were A.M.E. Zion, and there were a few Baptists; now we have representations from all denominations,” she said. Aymer said in order to offer the doctoral degree that fueled Hood’s success, the seminary had to break away from Livingstone because the school’s accreditation level didn’t allow for advanced degrees. “I realized that waiting for Livingstone to get promoted would keep the seminary back,” he said. “We would probably still be there now not being able to offer a doctoral degree.” Aymer said being able to offer that degree was vital to the seminary’s progression. “It enables us to be even more widely ecumenical,” he said. The program also allows the seminary to serve pastors who are mid-career. “That’s an important thing to do because you are impacting congregations through the students who participate in it,” Aymer said. Aymer said the program also prevents pastoral burnout. “It infuses them with new vision, new understanding of what the ministry is about,” he said. “It’s a very vital program for the effectiveness in the ministry of the church.” Dr. Dick Martin, trustee emeritus, said since adding the doctoral degree the United Methodist Church has approved the seminary as a school for training its ministers. “That has made it possible to attract students that we might not otherwise attract,” he said.
See HOOD, 5A
Movin’ and groovin’ during Thursdays on Main B Y J OANIE M ORRIS
Staff members look through the hundreds of little rubber ducks that will be used in the race. single person in the room raised their ly member of an employee or resident hand, and nearly half of those had ex- who has undergone or is currently unperienced a loss in the past two years.” dergoing treatment. And so the stories go. Rose can pinSee CARILLON, 4A point an employee, resident or fami-
Woman airlifted to hospital after I-85 crash BY SHELLEY SMITH ssmith@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — A China Grove woman was flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte after she lost control of her car and drove under an 18-wheeler. The rear tandems of the trailer ran over the driver’s side door, and then completely detached from the trailer. Robin Michelle Hayes, 34, of China Grove, was airlifted and her condition was unavailable Thursday night. The accident happened shortly after 3 p.m. N.C. State Trooper C.J. Doty has been unable to speak to Hayes, but did talk to several witnesses on scene. According to Doty and the witnesses,
See CRASH, 4A
Shelley Smith/SALISBURY POST
The roof of the car had to be cut off to get the driver out and airlifted to the hospital.
For the Salisbury Post
KANNAPOLIS — As the band Déjà Vu warmed up in the gazebo at Veterans Park, people old and young gathered, laying out blankets and setting up lawn chairs. Soon, the band started their set, including covers from the ’60s, ’70s and beyond. This is the third year that the city of Kannapolis has sponsored the Thursdays on Main concert series in Veterans Park, a lunchtime concert for anyone who wants to come. “We needed something for the community to come together,” said Becky Tolle, the city’s special events coordinator. “We decided to offer a lunch time music series. There was a niche we could fill and we did.” The series will run through June, with bands playing from approximately 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the park next to First Baptist Church on the corner of Main Street and First Avenue. All of the concerts are free. Performances will feature everything from jazz to classical and big band, as well as cover bands like Deja Vu, under the trees in Veterans Park. Concert goers are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch or buy food from vendors showcased each week. Parking is available on-street in downtown Kannapolis. James and Katherine Carter have lived in Kannapolis their whole lives. They come to the concerts to get out of the house. “It’s a break in the week,” said Katherine. “Something to do.” If she wasn’t at the concert, she said, “I’d probably just clean the house.” “It’s a good community activity,” said Freddie Lewis, a Lifeskills teacher at A.L. Brown High School. He brings his students to the concerts every week to help learn social skills and have a little fun. The students, part of the moderate to severe intellectual disabilities class at the school, have a blast. Most dance with others at the concerts, or simply shake their groove thing alone. With smiles on their faces and a bounce in their steps, it’s not hard to see they have a good time at the concerts.
See MOVIN’, 4A