Union County Weekly

Union County

Serving Indian Trail, Marvin, Stallings, Waxhaw, Weddington and Wesley Chapel

INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Honor Roll, 14; A&E, 16; Calendar, 18; Sports, 20; Classifieds, 23

page 20

Volleyball Player of the Year:Makenzie

kuchManer

Volume 10, Number 2 • Jan. 8 to 14, 2015 Locally Owned & Operatedwww.unioncountyweekly.com

At Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group, we have decided to move away from the structure we have implemented during the last three years, in which one man-aging editor watched over the three papers we put out of our office.

In order to bring read-ers the most effective,

local coverage possible, I will be taking over as managing editor of the Union County Weekly, and I am honored to use this opportunity to make our paper the best it can be.

Some of you may have met me in my seven months at the paper, and I very much look for-ward to continuing to meet those of you who live in the communities I have familiarized myself with during that time.

In years previous to my arrival in Union County, I was a freelance journalist in Charlotte; a regu-lar contributor to publications such as Creative

Indian Trail rescue organization swoops in to help in suspected animal abuse case

Getting back behind the wheelUnion County board of education passes resolution for driver’s ed funding

by Courtney [email protected]

At a turning pointby Ryan Pitkin

[email protected]

(see Turning point on page 8)

The Union County Board of Educa-tion passed a resolution regarding the

fate of driver’s education in the county at their Tuesday, Jan. 6, meeting, but funding for the program is still sched-uled for a standstill this summer.

The North Carolina General Assem-bly removed driver’s education as a recurring item in the North Carolina Highway Trust Fund, where the fund-ing previous originated and, as of

July 2015, the school systems will be required to pay the programs’ costs.

On Tuesday, the Union County board unanimously passed a resolution that the board “strongly objects to an unfunded driver education mandate” and “respectfully requests that the General Assembly revisit its decision to sunset driver education program

funding on July 1, 2015, and either restore the full Highway Trust Fund allocation or establish another fund-ing source that does not cut into other education allotments,” according to the resolution.

Previously, the state’s driver’s edu-cation allocation was $191 per ninth-

Ryan Pitkin

A victim of an oil dump gets cleaned up at an Indian Trail rescue. Read the full story on page 11. Ryan Pitkin/UCW photo

(see Driver’s Ed on page 4)

kids learn art, dance and theater through YMca

page 17

• Jan. 8 to 14, 2015 • Union County Weekly www.unioncountyweekly.com

Call (704) 849-2261 or e-mail [email protected]

Jan. 30April 24July 24Oct. 2

Health&Wellness2015

CONTENT FOCUSED ISSUES

Circulation: 25,000Readership: 54,675



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Union County Weekly • Jan. 8 to 14, 2015 • www.unioncountyweekly.com

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News

Consultant report on PVFD draws criticism from officialsby Ryan Pitkin

[email protected]

Last week’s article on an “audit and assess-ment” of the Providence Volunteer Fire Depart-ment (PVFD) by McGrath Consulting Group (MCG) has drawn criticism from some officials in the town who disagree strongly with the con-tents of that report.

According to Weddington town councilmem-ber Pamela Hadley, the report was inaccurate in claiming that there was a tax rate increase for the town in 2012, which the consultants found inadequate to supply funding for the PVFD.

Prior to the formation of a municipal fire dis-trict, a majority of Weddington residents lived in the Wesley Chapel Volunteer Fire Depart-ment (WCVFD) district and paid the depart-ment a 2.2-cent fire tax per $100 property valu-ation. The remaining residents, who lived in the PVFD and Stallings Volunteer Fire Department service areas, paid Union County a yearly $100 fire fee, Hadley said.

In 2012, the Weddington Town Council with-drew the town from the county’s fire taxing authority, meaning residents were no longer faced with any fire tax or fee from the county. The town then added a 2.2-cent tax to the exist-ing 3-cent tax and used that money to contract the services of all three departments.

“This was not a tax increase but the same amount for the majority of citizens that had previously been in the WCVFD district,” Had-ley said in an email. “The ones that had been

paying the $100 fire fee, (in the) PVFD and SVFD districts, paid less if their house was val-ued at $483,000 or less. There were a few that paid more, those with homes over $483,000, but I might mention there was not a single complaint.”

Kenny Schott, chief of PVFD, also disagrees with much of the report. He said that he was told over the research period that a report was being done on the effectiveness of the PVFD, as well as the other two departments that ser-vice Weddington.

The report was released, however, with the title “Assessment/Audit of the Operating Bud-get of the Providence Volunteer Fire Depart-ment.”

“This was not the report that town council told me it was going to be,” Schott said.

According to the report, the consultants did primarily focus on the PVFD, and made just a cursory review of WCVFD and SVFD.

“We wrote the exact report we were contracted to write,” Dr. Tim McGrath, project manager with MCG, said. “I don’t know that everyone knew that, or that everyone was on the same page.”

Schott said he felt “attacked” by the report, which singles out the PVFD as being the most “guarded” among the three departments serv-ing Weddington. He said that members of his department were cooperative with consultants during the research. He also said he believes his department should be commended as opposed

to investigated. “Providence is providing the highest level of

service in the most cost-effective manner there is,” Schott said. “We haven’t gotten everything we’ve requested that we feel we need to operate very effectively, yet we’re still doing just that.”

McGrath said he stands by all the contents of the report and that, although he believes the PVFD operates at an effective level, the report was created simply to suggest improvements.

“We spoke to a copious amount of folks. We brought in a lot more folks than we thought we would have to, but we think we did it right,” McGrath said. “When we write reports, a town asks for a neutral party, so we stood on a balcony and looked down as we do for these reports in 23 other states. If people disagree, that is fine. That certainly happens in reports if we don’t write exactly what some people want us to say.”

One of the suggestions that the McGrath report strongly pushes is an idea, discussed in Weddington for many years, to merge the PVFD with the WCVFD.

Schott disagreed with the report’s claims that previous negotiations regarding a consolidation “broke down due to a commitment to preserve PVFD and honor its history.”

There were many factors that brought consol-idation talks to a halt, and historical preserva-tion was not one of them, according to Schott.

(see PVFD on page 5)


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News

grade student, Dr. John Jones, Jr., assistant superintendent of instruc-tional programs for UCPS, said at the meeting.

In October 2013, the board approved an increase in driver’s education fees from $45 to $55, but Jones said the fees did not completely cover the cost.

North Carolina school districts are legally required to provide driver edu-cation course. The unfunded driver education mandate would force school districts to either take drastic cuts to instructional services, such as class-room materials, or cut back access to the driver’s education program.

The NCGA also increased the cap a district can charge students from $55 to $65, which the board also approved at Tuesday’s meeting.

“This will not cover the total cost to provide each student with driver’s edu-cation,” Jones said.

The estimated operational cost per student is estimated to be between $170 and $350, according to resolu-tion, so the district may need to find alternative resources.

The department of instructional pro-grams has conducted research into the district’s options to help save costs and still provide the service to students.

“We’re already developing an online class (to accommodate the required 30 hours of instructional time) that one teacher can oversee to lower costs,” Union County Public Schools Super-intendent Mary Ellis said at the meet-ing. “I don’t think it’s optimal, but we’re working toward the best option.”

The department also has researched private vendors, which could require

at least a $200 fee per student for the service. Ellis said the district has not solicited any bids from private ven-dors, but is still determining the top option.

“There’s no way we cannot do any-thing and then come July, we’re at a scramble,” Ellis said.

The district’s curriculum commit-tee will continue to determine final details regarding the fate of UCPS driver’s education and then will bring the option to the board of education.

Jones also voiced concerns at the meeting that some students may opt out of driver’s education due to increased costs and wait until they turn 18 years old.

When an individual waits until they’re 18 to obtain their license, they also forgo the required, adult-super-vised road driving hours and North Carolina’s graduated license process.

“(D)river education is a key compo-nent of the graduated driver’s license program, which has effectively helped reduce teen motor vehicle accidents and fatalities,” read the resolution.

The board plans to meet with mem-bers of the NCGA to discuss the dis-trict’s concerns regarding driver’s edu-cation funding, among other issues, with the hope of the state reversing their decision to forgo funding com-pletely.

Vice-chairman Leslie Boyd said she plans to meet with North Carolina state representative Craig Horne, who represents part of Union County and is a lead education budget writer.

“This is a state function and I think it’s important to turn up the heat on the legislature to address this,” board member Kevin Stewart said at the meeting.

Driver’s Ed(continued from page 1)

Call (704) 849-2261 or e-mail [email protected]

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News

Hadley, who served on coun-cil at the time of previous talks, agrees with Schott.

“The merger was discounted for several reasons, none of which were to ‘preserve the history of PVFD,’” Hadley wrote. “A munici-pal district was decided on after realizing it was financially viable and could be done without a tax increase.”

McGrath refused to say from whom specific ideas in the report came, but said he stands by the report in its entirety, including the recommendation for a merger.

“It’s a good town, and all three fire departments are good depart-ments. There are great opportuni-ties for them to work even closer,” McGrath said. “That’s the town’s decision. There is great diversity and difference of opinion (on the council). We respect all of their opinions, but we stand by the report. Anyone making a blanket statement that (a merger) won’t work; if you go in with that atti-tude, perhaps it wont, but it works all over the country.”

Hadley said a merger would

immediately raise taxes for resi-dents in the WCVFD district to the $2.81 per $100 property valu-ation that non-Weddington resi-dents in the department’s district currently pays.

In the report, the McGrath Con-sulting Group, which operates out of Illinois, acknowledged the report would be divisive and offi-cials had already voiced displea-sure with it before its release.

“During the review of the draft report by town officials, it was obvious that not all parties will agree with our observations or the recommendations,” the report read. “The consultants appreciate different perspectives and encour-age the reader to look at this doc-ument as a book of opportunities written by four nonbiased consul-tants.”

The Weddington Town Council has called a special meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 6 p.m. to dis-cuss the McGrath report. Mem-bers also will discuss the report at a regularly planned meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m.

Union County Weekly will con-tinue to follow this story as it pro-gresses.

PVFD(continued from page 3)


Union County Weekly

News Briefs10100 Park Cedar Drive, Suite 154Charlotte, NC 28210

Phone: 704-849-2261 • Fax: 704-849-2504www.unioncountyweekly.com

Union County Weekly is published by the Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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Associate Publisher

Randi Trojan

Founder

Alain Lillie

PUBLISHER

Cane Creek announces free day-use through February

WAXHAW – Cane Creek Park has announced that boat access, fishing and trail access will be free for visitors in January and Feb-ruary. The new fee schedule, which will go into effect on March 1, was approved by the Union County Board of Commissioners in October 2014. The schedule is as follows:

News

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EDITORIAL

Managing EditorRyan Pitkin

Features Editor

Josh Whitener

Sports Editor

Hannah Chronis

Education Editor

Courtney Schultz

Layout Editor

Liz Lanier

Art Director

Maria Hernandez

A&E Editor

Dee Grano

EntranceVehicleTrailer (Boat or Horse)Bus

PermitsAnnual Entrance for Vehicle OnlyAnnual Entrance for Vehicle w/ TrailerSenior Permit (65 and older)Replacement Permit

Activities (When Available)Fishing and BikingSwimming (2 years old and older)Miniature GolfPedal Boats (Per person – 30-min. ride)Jon Boat/Canoe/Kayak Rental (Deposit required)Pontoon Boat Ride By Reservation Only (Holds 12 passengers)Day Pass (2 years old and older) Unlimited Swimming, Golf, Pedal Boats

Miscellaneous FeesLate Departure FeeAdministrative/Reservation FeeCopies (Black and White/Color)

Shelter/Field Rentals Small – Canopies and Gazebo (Holds up to 30 people)

$4$4$20

$40/$60$60/$120$5$5

Free$2$2$2$4/hour

$25

$5

$40$4$0.25/$0.50

$30

res./non-res.

Shelter/Field Rentals (cont.)Medium – Shelter No. 5 and 6 (Holds up to 75 people)Large – Shelter No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Holds up to 150 people)Softball/Baseball Field Rental – Half Day Reservation w/ Shelter OnlySoccer Field Rental – Half Day Reservation w/ Shelter Only

$50

$100

$15

$15

Discount of 50 percent given to veterans with honorable status on all day use area activities, not to include field rentals, with proper iden-tification. Accepted documentation is Military I.D. card, DD-214. Office Veterans Card, or letter from Office of Veteran’s Affairs.

Water/Electric/Sewer SitesDaily/Weekly

Water/Electric Sites Daily/Weekly

Wilderness (Daily Rate)

Horse Camping (Daily Rate)

Group CampingSmallLarge

Cabins (Up to 6 people)Friday to SundayMonday to ThursdayWeeklyDecember to February

Key Deposit (Cash/Check Only)

Annual Waterfront

Annual Non-Waterfront

Key Deposit

Year-Round Campground FeesResident Non-Resident$30/$180

$25/$150

$20

$20

$30$40

$65$50$345$30

$40

$2,500

$2,250

$200

$22.50/$135

$18.75/$112.50

$15

$15

$22$30

$48.75$37.50$258.75$30

$40

$2,000

$1,750

$200

Union County residents will receive a 25 percent discount with state issued I.D. or current car registration.


Union County Weekly

Crime Blotter

News

$50

$100

$15

$15

$22.50/$135

$18.75/$112.50

$15

$15

$22$30

$48.75$37.50$258.75$30

$40

$2,000

$1,750

$200

The following people were arrested in western Union County between Dec. 31 and Nov. 7, according to the Union County Sheriff ’s Office.

Hemby Bridge

• Amber Medlin, 6100 block of Indian Trail Fairview Road: Possession of marijuana. Dec. 31

• David Pressley, 6100 block of Indian Trail Fairview Road: Possession with intent to sell or distribute a sched-ule I controlled substance. Dec. 31

Indian Trail

• Jeremy Caruso, 3000 block of Thorndale Road: Felony breaking and entering. Dec. 31

• Jodi Shmidt, 14000 block of East Independence Boulevard: Possession of a schedule IV controlled sub-stance. Dec. 31

• Shannon Ennis, 3800 block of Hayes Road: Simple assault. Jan. 1

• David Privette, 1000 block of Waxhaw Indian Trail Road: Driving while impaired. Jan. 1

• Jacob Helms, 3900 block of Old Charlotte Highway: Driving while impaired. Jan. 3

• Polk Gyles, 8300 block of Wynnview Road: Assault on a female. Jan. 3

• Bruce Weekly, 6700 block of Old Monroe Road: Driving while impaired. Jan. 4

• Lori Brace, 6100 block of Stoney Ridge Road: Mis-demeanor child abuse. Jan. 4

• Ralph Thomas, 1000 block of Emerson Lane: Assault inflicting serious injury. Jan. 4

• Gordon Cox, 6100 block of Rockwell Drive: Order for criminal arrest. Jan. 6

• George Woolever, 2000 block of Brook Valley Run: Probation violation. Jan. 6

• Renita Marsh, 2100 block of Younts Road: Misde-meanor larceny. Jan. 6

• Miranda Powell, 2100 block of Younts Road: Misde-meanor larceny. Jan. 6

• Saeed Anwar, 2100 block of Younts Road: Obtaining property by false pretenses. Jan. 7

Lake Park

• James Miller, 3500 block of Alden Street: Failure to appear. Jan. 2

Stallings

• Veola Jackson, 14100 block of East Independence Boulevard: Manufacturing marijuana. Jan. 3

• Thomas Baker, 12700 block of East Independence Boulevard: Possession of methamphetamine. Jan. 4

• Elexis Schwab, 15000 block of Idlewild Road: Fail-ure to appear. Jan. 6

Waxhaw

• Taylor Starnes, 8000 block of Lynwood Square: Mis-demeanor larceny. Dec. 31

• Imari Athurton, 4800 block of St. Simons Terrace: Assault and battery. Jan. 1

• Gabor Massey, 1600 block of Millbridge Parkway: Failure to appear. Jan. 2

• Amanda Small, 200 block of McLeod Court: Simple assault. Jan. 2

• Derek Patterson, 8000 block of Waxhaw Highway: Driving while impaired. Jan. 3

• Jonathan Naundorff, 7100 block of McCain Boule-vard: Communicating threats. Jan. 4

• David Naundorff, 7100 block of McCain Boulevard: Communicating threats. Jan. 4

• Robert Naundorff, 7100 block of McCain Boule-vard: Simple assault. Jan. 4

• Alan Vanhoose, 4500 block of Helms Road: Felony breaking and entering, theft from motor vehicle. Jan. 7

Weddington

• Todd Cahill, 2200 block of Greenbrook Parkway: Driving while impaired. Jan. 1

• Alexander Patterson, 2200 block of Greenbrook Parkway: Driving while impaired. Jan. 1

Wesley Chapel

• Kevin Ball, 9700 block of Potter Road: Driving while impaired. Dec. 31

• Hannah McCoy, 500 block of Circle Trace Road: Probation violation. Jan. 2

• Jeanette Strickland, 1200 block of Waynewood Drive: Aiding and abetting a DWI. Jan. 5

The following crimes were committed in western Union County between Dec. 31 and Nov. 7, according to the Union County Sheriff ’s Office.

Hemby Bridge

Miscellaneous

• 6200 block of Indian Trail Fairview Road: Possession with intent to sell or distribute schedule II controlled sub-stance. Dec. 31

Indian Trail

Home/Business Break-ins

• Crossroads Ford, 88 Dale Jarrett Boulevard: Cash, building materials and tools, worth $735 total, stolen from business during break-in. Dec. 31

• 7900 block of Teakwood Drive: $10 audio cord stolen from home during break-in. Jan. 4

• Ride Now Motors, 5104 West Highway 74: $2,500 worth of catalytic converters stolen from business during break-in. Jan. 5

• 2600 block of Waxhaw Indian Trail Road: $50 safe holding official paperwork stolen from home during break-in. Jan. 6

Vehicle Break-ins

• 6700 block of Old Monroe Road: $250 cellphone sto-len from vehicle during break-in. Jan. 2

• 1000 block of Glen Hollow Drive: $50 purse holding $30 cash, credit cards, identification and gift cards. Jan. 5

Property Theft

• Advance Auto, 13912 E. Independence Blvd.: $1,750 car battery stolen from business. Dec. 31

• 3200 block of Suburban Lane: $2,000 GMC Sierra stolen from driveway. Dec. 31

• 5800 block of West Highway 74: Car keys, wallet and iPhone, worth $320, stolen. Jan. 1

• Walmart, 2101 Younts Road: $134 worth of cosmetics

and clothing stolen from business. Jan. 1• Walmart, 2101 Younts Road: Soda, cellphone case and

fishing reel, worth $200 total, stolen from business. Jan. 3• 1000 block of Matilda Lane: $1 stolen during armed

robbery. Jan. 5• Walmart, 2101 Younts Road: $170 worth of cosmetics

and clothing stolen from business. Jan. 6

Vandalism/Hit-and-run

• 4800 block of Mossy Cup Lane: $1,000 damage to window in vandalism incident. Jan. 1

• 1000 block of Canopy Drive: Hit-and-run incident. Jan. 5

• 4100 block of Hunters Trail Drive: $200 damage to window and screen in vandalism incident. Jan. 6

• 4100 block of Hunters Trail Drive: $200 damage to window in vandalism incident. Jan. 6

Miscellaneous

• 14000 block of East Independence Boulevard: Felony possession of marijuana. Dec. 31

• 6800 block of Indian Trail Fairview Road: Possession of alcohol under the age of 21. Jan. 1

• 6000 block of West Highway 74: Possession of mari-juana. Jan. 3

Waxhaw

Property Theft

• 4700 block of Red Tail Hawk Lane: $20 temporary license plate stolen. Jan. 4

• 2100 block of Porter Drive: $30 worth of hydrocodone stolen form home. Jan. 5

Financial Crimes/Fraud

• 6800 block of Live Oaks Lane: Identity theft. Jan. 1• 9900 block of Lancaster Highway: Credit card fraud.

Jan. 3

Miscellaneous

• 8800 block of Tintinhull Lane: Consuming alcohol under 19 years old. Jan. 1

Weddington

Property Theft

• 1000 block of Lake Forest Drive: $4,000 worth of building materials stolen from construction site. Jan. 1

• 300 block of Weddington Road: $3,000 landscaping trailer stolen from parking lot. Jan. 5

Hit-and-runs/Vandalism

• 3300 block of Ironwood Drive: $100 damage to Kia Optima in vandalism incident. Jan. 4

• 6100 block of Greystone Drive: $300 damage to BMW 328i in vandalism incident. Jan. 4

Wesley Chapel

Miscellaneous

• 1500 block of Beulah Church Road: Possession of marijuana. Jan. 3


Loafing and Charlotte Viewpoint. It has been an interesting transition for me to move from covering news in the 16th larg-est city in the United States to covering mul-tiple, smaller municipalities, all with their own personalities and complexities.

It is clear that the residents of Union County are in the midst of a defining moment in the county’s history. As towns in the western part of the county continue to grow at an amazing rate, the residents deal with the resulting growing pains on a daily basis. Last year’s school redistricting strug-gle highlights the way an entire county can be affected by such rapid growth.

Other key factors I’ve watched residents get passionate about as a result of this growth include road infrastructure, subur-ban sprawl and tax bases that shrink and grow as developments pop up and towns annex property.

It is my goal to continue to objectively cover these issues extensively as they hap-pen and look into how they affect residents of each town differently.

Some residents may proudly wish to hold on to their respective community’s “small-town feel,” others welcome the opportuni-ties that come with the influx of people that will surely continue for decades to come. It has been my experience that most residents

hold their own balance between these two viewpoints, and it is my goal to report on the nuances of each separate issue objectively.

While controversial issues will continue to create new talking points among community members, I also look forward to continuing a tradition of great feature writing that Union County Weekly has always offered in a way that no other outlet does.

The people of Union County do great things every day; things that go unnoticed by a huge populace. In my short time here, I’ve met and written about war heroes, teenagers who have faced cancer and won, business owners who work for the greater good of the community and countless other brave and humble folks who all have one thing in com-mon: they call Union County home.

I look forward to continuing to tell these stories and learning more about this amaz-ing community, and I hope you will con-tinue to pick our paper up and read along as Union County continues to adapt and define itself.

I hope every one of you feels comfortable in contacting me at [email protected] to let me know about some of the interesting people or events in your community or just to tell me how we’re doing.

Thanks, Ryan Pitkin

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(Monthly section)2nd Issue of the Month

Whether it’s branding, listings, open houses, or mortgage rates and offers, our monthly Home Sales section is a perfect fit. In the second issue of every month, each newspaper publishes home sales for its coverage area. Space is very limited, so don’t miss out and call to reserve your space today for this monthly section dedicated to your industry … home sales.

(Monthly section)1st Issue of the Month

South Charlotte Weekly’s popular Culinary Corner is published the first issue of every month and written by Charles Jenkin, a South Charlotte resident and host of WBT’s This Show is Cookin’. Culinary Corner is one of the best-read sections in South Charlotte Weekly and generates a plethora of reader feedback each month.

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Issue dates: January 30 April 24 July 31 October 2 (Content-focused sections)

Eager to find just the right happy campers? The Weekly’s Summer Camp Guides are the perfect fit. These special sections offer a cost-effective advertising vehicle, coupled with helpful camp editorial content, to reach your target market during this peak camp registration period.

Issue date: February 6 and 20 March 6 and 20 April 3 and 17

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It’s back to the books and basics with advertisements in our must-have back-to-school issues. Featuring the latest college guidance tips, school system updates and education trends, our two back-to-school issues are resources you won’t want to miss.

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INDIAN TRAIL - Residents of Indian Trail who live near Poplin Elementary School have begun signing a petition to call for road improvements in front of the school, where they say congestion has caused safety concerns for children and parents.

Town and state officials, however, have looked into the matter and decided that improvements are unnecessary, and that a traffic director during peak hours in the morning and afternoon would only create a more dangerous environ-ment.

Mark Wireman, a resident of the Annandale subdivision, which sits across Poplin Road from the school, has called on the town to take ownership of the road, which is mostly owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and look into placing a traffic light or extended turn lanes at the entrance to the school.

Since creating the petition on Dec. 30, 2014, Wireman has acquired 51 signatures in support of his cause.

Officials with Indian Trail, NCDOT and Union County Public Schools, however, say the situation has been reviewed and does not call for any further safety measures.

Presently, the entrance to Poplin Elementary, which cre-ates a four-way stop with Poplin Road and the entrance to the Bonterra subdivision, has multiple neon signs, cross-walks and a button to light up “warning lights” on the signs to warn approaching traffic that people intend to cross.

Some residents, however, do not feel this is enough. “The intersection in front of Poplin Elementary has

become increasingly congested and more dangerous for

everyone who travels on the road,” Indian Trail resident Van-essa Gentry wrote in the petition’s comment section. “Some-thing needs to be done before someone is seriously injured or killed.”

David Cohn, an Indian Trail councilmember and Bonterra resident, said he began looking into this issue about two years ago. He said that although he believes it “is a huge issue,” it is only congested for an hour a day: 30 minutes before classes begin and 30 minutes after students are released.

Cohn said he has spoken with Lt. Chase Coble of the Union County Sherriff ’s Office’s Indian Trail contract divi-sion, who has in turn spoken with Jarrod McCraw, safety and security director of Union County Public Schools. Each has observed the intersection at peak times and McCraw said he has taken measures to minimize congestion due to school traffic.

While the entire front parking lot of Poplin Elementary has always been open for parents to drop off students, the school recently began opening the bus lot as soon as the buses leave in the morning, to act as a second drop-off spot.

“That has maximized our space in the morning,” McCraw said. “Now, what I plan to do with Lt. Coble is to continue to observe during peak times in the afternoon and try to get as many cars as we can off of Poplin Road.”

Some residents have suggested that a traffic director, or crossing guard, would be helpful in keeping students and parents safe during the times when parents are dropping off or picking up their children.

Pate Butler, NCDOT regional traffic engineer, has observed the intersection during morning hours and advised McCraw that it would not be a good idea to put a traffic director at the intersection.

“I significantly recommend not doing that,” Butler said. “That introduces a whole new danger to the officer and to

the motorist. The intersection functions very well as it is. The only traffic parents contend with is other parents going into the school. There would be no (through traffic) to stop.”

Wireman disagrees, however, and worries that a new devel-opment going up further down Poplin Road will only add to the traffic that has grown since the Bonterra, Annandale and the Fieldstone Farms subdivisions have grown.

“I’m anticipating that the problem is not only going to get worse, but drastically worse from what we are seeing today,” Wireman said.

Indian Trail Town Manager Joe Fivas said much of Poplin Road in that area is owned on one side by Indian Trail and on the other by NCDOT, and that NCDOT would need to suggest changes before being considered by Indian Trail. He said there are no current plans for Indian Trail to take full ownership of the road.

Wireman said he plans to continue acquiring signatures to the petition and present it to town council at a public hear-ing in the future.

“This petition is a drive to have the voices of residents heard, because this is an issue that is above and beyond parks and new townhomes that are just nice to have,” Wire-man said.

Petition calls for safety measures on Poplin RoadOfficials say the issue has been considered, but further action currently unnecessary

by Ryan [email protected]

Ryan Pitkin/UCW photo


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News

INDIAN TRAIL – Volunteers with Indian Trail-based Carolina Waterfowl Rescue (CWR) spent New Year’s week-end searching the McAlpine Creek area in south Charlotte for geese that were harmed in a suspected dumping of cooking oil.

The group pulled nearly 30 geese from the area surrounding McAlpine Creek Park after a resident emailed the rescue group with concerns about a bird that didn’t seem well.

A volunteer sent to find the goose came across a much larger problem: 10 geese soaked in oil and evidence that there were more who had been affected. A group of volunteers set out on Friday, Jan. 2, and captured the 10 that were in trouble, some of which were badly inundated with cooking oil.

Geese who come in contact with large amounts of cooking oil can lose their buoyancy and drown. Two geese were found drowned in the area during searches over New Year’s weekend.

Geese also lose the ability to regulate their body temperature when soaked in grease, and can easily freeze to death. This fact brought a sense of urgency to the rescue efforts over the week-end, as volunteers were aware that the night of Monday, Jan. 5, would bring the first freeze of the season.

Jennifer Gordon, director of CWR, said that in her 10 years doing rescue work in the area, she has come across only two other situations similar to this one. One incident involved the illegal dumping of motor oil and another involved unknown people specifically targeting geese with cooking oil.

She suspects that the New Year inci-dent also involved people specifically targeting geese, due to the fact that no other wildlife in the area has been affected by the oil.

Altogether, volunteers brought nearly 30 birds to the rescue and will be washing 23 of them. Others were brought because their mates needed washing, and geese stay calm when kept with their mate.

The volunteers ranked the birds they will wash on a one to five scale to distinguish which ones were most affected by the oil. Two of the birds were ranked at five, meaning they were in the worst shape. Eight others were ranked at four, which means they, too, will have to stay at the rescue for at least a month, going through clean-ings about once every other day.

Volunteers have been working full-time at the rescue due to the New Year’s oil incident, and some, like Gor-don, have been working what would

be considered overtime at a normal job. Gordon suspects the incident will set her organization back by at least $5,000 due to the activities over the past week alone.

“That’s just for the feed and the water we are using,” Gordon said. “We’ll have to start the year behind again and that makes things hard.”

CWR usually uses this time to do maintenance around the rescue house, located on Poplin Road in Indian Trail, but won’t be able to do the necessary work before spring and summer, which is when they receive 80 percent of the animals they bring in, Gordon said.

Volunteer Susan Jordan has worked throughout the weekend to capture and wash some of the geese, and said the situation is “heartbreaking,” but there is nowhere she would rather have spent her holiday weekend.

“I love spending time with the crit-ters. I love helping the voiceless,” Jordan said. “I just wish more people would step up to help, I’ve definitely seen a strain put on the rescue.”

Once the incident was brought to her attention, Gordon took to the CWR Facebook page to ask for dona-tions of time and supplies. Many peo-ple have brought in the original, blue Dawn dish soap needed along with rubber gloves, towels and other sup-plies.

Melissa Reynard, a Ballantyne resi-dent who volunteers with CWR, said it has been great to watch people step up in the rescue effort on behalf of geese who can’t help themselves.

“I think it’s great because you always see the cat and dog rescues, but I like to work with these types of animals to get them in the public eye,” Reynard said, with a large turkey at her feet in the rescue kitchen, watching the geese receive baths. “They’re usually seen just as nuisance animals, but then you get to see that each bird has their own personality and they’re all different.”

CWR is still seeking supplies and volunteers to help wash the geese in the coming weeks. Visit www.facebook.com/cwrescue or email [email protected] for more information.

Indian Trail rescue organization swoops in to help in suspected animal abuse case

by Ryan [email protected]

Desy Hoatland helps clean cooking oil off a goose. Ryan Pitkin/UCW photo


SPORTS WRITER WANTEDCarolina Weekly Newspaper Group is looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic community journalist to cover high school sports in Mecklenburg and Union counties.

The right candidate should:

high school sports

Mint Hill or Union County.

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, list of references and a portfolio showing their recent work to Alain Lillie at [email protected].

Union County Public Schools admin-istration has developed more ways to carry out one of the district’s strategic priorities.

Dr. Shelton Jefferies, assistant superintendent of auxiliary services for UCPS, and Dr. Mike Webb, assistant superintendent of instructional tech-nology and operations, presented infor-mation at the Union County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6, regarding how the district will carry out UCPS’s Strategic Priority #3: “Safe, orderly and caring schools producing healthy and responsible students.”

The duo presented four key strate-gies “to ensure a safe and secure school climate which promotes learning and positive character development for suc-cess in the global community,” which included tactical site surveys, safety and security modifications, alignment of human, financial and community resources to address positive character development and healthy body and life-style practices.

The Union County Sheriff ’s Office recently lost funding for its D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)

program, which led the district to implement alternative anti-drug edu-cation programs.

The county implemented a fifth grade alcohol awareness program, a fifth-grade health course, drug and alcohol insight classes in middle and high schools, a 10-hour program for high school drug or alcohol violations and a one-on-one 10-hour program for middle school drug and alcohol viola-tions.

Over 98.8 percent of the students with infractions completed the program in the 2013-14 school year, according to Webb.

The board also increased its instruc-tion policy regarding drug and alco-hol education with instruction by a substance abuse specialist and guest speakers. They also plan to recommend and provide age-appropriate drug, alco-hol, sexual harassment, violence and bullying prevention curriculum materi-als, equipment and support, according to the presentation.

Monroe and Waxhaw police depart-ments also will still conduct D.A.R.E. programs in their jurisdictions.

UCPS also plans to reapply for a new Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant for $2.2 million,

Jefferies said. The district’s last PEP Grant, which was for $1.5 million, expired in 2013, but Jefferies said the programs had been put in place in a way that the district could sustain the programs during the funding gap.

UCPS used the previous grant to cre-ate fitness integrating technology and exercise science labs as well as group fitness classes and to purchase new physical education equipment, disc golf courses and Xcel Fitness, accord-ing to the presentation.

Jefferies said the district plans to use the funds to expand health and fitness offerings.

The district also has entered into a partnership with Novant Health for seven years, starting in the 2013-14 school year, for full-time athletic train-ers to be at every high school in the county.

UCPS Superintendent Mary Ellis said that the district tried to establish partnerships with other health service providers, but Novant Health was the only provider to do so.

The district also improved its safety and security provisions for students and staff, including implementing intercom system Informacast System, closed-circuit camera access, upgrading the

number of cameras around schools and adding armed security officers to a few locations.

Seven additional school resource officers have been placed in middle schools, the district expanded the host interface device badges and strategic fencing for campuses and updated gang prevention training and bullying prevention information, according to the presentation.

UCPS now also provides camera access to the Union County Sheriff ’s Office, Monroe Police Department and local emergency services and agencies.

The UCPS safety and security depart-ment plans to continue improvements through providing more safety training, functioning as the depository for the processes, proposals and ideas, which drives its course of action, serving as a sounding board for all entities, schools and departments and anticipating the needs of stakeholders and developing innovative procedures, services and measures, according to the presenta-tion.

Visit boe.ucps.k12.nc.us/boe_m a n a g e r / m e e t i n g _ d o c s / 1 3 2 9 _Item_13_Strategic_Priority_3.pdf for more information about the district’s plans for Strategic Priority #3.

UCPS takes on health, security and safetyby Courtney Schultz

[email protected]

Education

STAFF WRITERS WANTED

Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group has open positions in the newsroom. The group publishes the South Charlotte Weekly, Union County Weekly, Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly, and The Pineville Pilot from our south Charlotte newsroom.

These positions will be responsible for writing content for three weekly papers and one monthly paper in the Charlotte region. The right candidates should be prepared to write eight to 10 arti-cles a week, take photos, copyedit and participate in weekly bud-get meetings to give input on story ideas from our editors. These positions will cover a variety of topics, ranging from government coverage to feature writing. The candidates should be versed in AP style; comfortable working mornings, evenings and week-ends; and have experience covering community news. Candidates should submit their resume, cover letter, references and three to five published articles.

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Union County Weekly

Education News & Notes

Preschoolers at Chesterbrook give backWEDDINGTON – Students at Chester-

brook Academy Preschool recently reached out to people in need for the winter.

The school presented a donation of non-perishable food items to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina on Dec. 23. The food will help feed children and families living in pov-erty in the Metrolina area, according to a news release from the school.

Children at the Weddington preschool col-lected donations throughout December and focused on the importance of giving back to the community and helping others, the release said.

Second Harvest is the largest hunger relief charity in the greater Charlotte area, work-ing to supply food to a network of nearly 650 agencies in 19 counties in North and South Carolina, according to the release. Find more information at www.secondharvestmetrolina.org.

Find more information about Chesterbrook Academy at the preschool’s website, www.chesterbrookacademy.com. The preschool is located at 509 Weddington Road.

UCPS teachers receive free school supplies

Nearly 100 teachers with Union County Public Schools received a special gift during the holiday season through Classroom Cen-tral’s Mobile Free Store.

Classroom Central, a Charlotte-based busi-ness that’s been in operation for more than 12 years, recently spent a morning distribut-ing free classroom supplies to UCPS teach-ers from nine schools, including South Provi-dence School in Waxhaw.

Schools are chosen based on their percent-age of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to a news release. If 50 per-cent or more of the students at a school qualify for free or reduced lunch, all educators in the school are eligible to visit Classroom Central’s store in Charlotte once a month to receive free school supplies, Mike Daley, warehouse coordinator for the company, said in a news release.

In addition to inviting the teachers to visit the 2216 Wilkinson Blvd. store, Charlotte-based Classroom Central also takes supplies

out into the field once a quarter, as it did through the recent mobile distribution day in Union County.

“Our main mission is to give free school supplies to teachers of children who live in poverty,” Daley said in the release. “… We started the Mobile Free Store to be able to get out to the outlying districts. There is just as much of a need out here as there is in Char-lotte.”

Classroom Central donated $5.4 million worth of school supplies during the 2013-14 school year to schools in Union, Gaston, Iredell and Mecklenburg counties; towns of Statesville and Kannapolis, North Carolina; and Lancaster, South Carolina. Find more information about the business at www.class-roomcentral.org.

UCPS Joint Working Group to meet Thursday

INDIAN TRAIL – The Joint Working Group, which addresses capital needs for Union County Public Schools, will meet on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Porter Ridge High School in the school’s media center.

The group was formed in response to the passing of House Bill 292 by the North Caro-lina General Assembly. The bill, which even-tually became Session Law 2014-9, outlined required funding for UCPS current expense and capital funding through fiscal year 2016, according to a news release from UCPS.

Session Law 2014-9 requires the Joint Working Group to complete its task and report to the Union County Board of Commissioners and UCPS on or before June 30, 2015. Find more information at www.ucps.k12.nc.us.

Porter Ridge High is located at 2839 Ridge Road.

Preschoolers at Chesterbrook Academy in Weddington recently learned the importance of giving back through a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank. Photo courtesy of Chesterbrook Academy

Classroom Central warehouse coordinator Mike Daley and MyLetta Williams, a former Monroe High School teacher who now works with Classroom Central, recently distributed boxes of school supplies to Union County teachers. Photo courtesy of UCPS

Union County Weekly

Education News & Notes


Education

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Fourth grade:norah Baja, Troy Blackmer, haley campbell, Gianna canale, king carter, christopher cooper, aidan Danowski, Olivia Falin, Madalyn Finn, alair Gao, abigail Gilfillan, Marinah Gowder, emily holland, Vijay Lemon, kaia harding, Gabrielle kaduson, Grayson Maffei,

ryan Manuel, aiden Mccown, Jaedan Mead, Jackson Moore, charly Morrissey, Jordan Murray, Michael Palombella, Dharm Patel, Shiven rao, Jade richardson, nathan rink, reed rudick, Jack Schappi, William Scheppers, Madison Sinacori, aaron Slep, Mikayla Smith, Brooklyn Sobel, emma Sperber, alexa Stablein, Lana Thompson, Jeremy Voigt, isabella Ward, Philip Wu, Jarrett Wuerslin, cali Wyrick and Lindley Wyrick.

Fifth grade:ayden anderson, Sota asano, John austen, ryan Banash, Macy Baresich, Owen Baxter, Samuel Berman, caitlyn Birkner, William Boston, Summer Boyd, evan Brennan-Smith, Sarah Brown, Madison Brueilly, Sophie cannon, Will celio, charles christian, Michael Dandona, Meghan Dixon, kevin easley, Sebastian Febles, chloe Foley, Dante Giocondi, Jackson Greer, zachary haines, Matthew hamilton, kirsi harding, anna harrison, kyle haun, Donovan hieronymus, Maria holevas, rain Jacob, Meredith Jacobs, christian kee, Gralin keefe, caitlin kosse, niko Lavin, anna Lehtela, Shane MacDonald, Dylan Macleod, Luke Marszalek, Logan Montello, robert Papaleo, camryn Pfister, Shannon Plascyk, avery Sager, Marissa Santaniello, ryan Sullivan, andrew Svonovec, Brianna Ward, Meredith Warren, abigail Wheaton and Madison Wilson.

a honoR Roll:

Third grade:Pablo ashi, riley charrette, Jackson Gibbs, ava haarstick, Finley habenicht, Jenna hampton, Jacob hedlund, charles Lipscomb, Madison Marco, kevin Mcconnell, anna McGowan, audrey rains, nathaniel Stoner and Josie zettlemoyer.

Fourth grade:Maddox Brewer, Jack Butkovich, Sara cole, Danielle colling, kalli Desai, Quinn Duleba, cole Garrety, hannah Green, emily Griset, Maxwell haun, kylie iagnemma, Olivia Jacobsen, Danielle keller, carson king, Liam kirby, Devyn Mattson, Patrick Mazzocca, ava Mckee, ian Mckinney, Meredith Meek, Dhairya Patel, riya Patel, Mia reinhart, ethan rink,

Gwendolyn Saleh, analysa Sperduto, Sai Vetcha and rebecca West.

Fifth grade:Brooke adams, Stephen cannon, cassandra castaldi, emily crandall, zoee Davis, cole Delissio, arnav Gangiredla, Mary Gravelle, courtney Greene, Joseph haarstick, Teagan Jones, charlotte kaduson, Jordan knight, Michael Leshaw, kathryne Little, kristen Lombard, connor Mack, Maia Manaligod, chloe Mattson, Owen Mccown, neve Mcelhaney, Tess Mcnally, katherine More, avery Murray, Jarett nadeau, Garrett Perry, april Phillips, catherine repke, Jack romano, Mason rosado, nicole Smith, kinsey Spear, Jack Speicher, campbell Warren, isaiah Wegh, Stephon Wright and ava Yardley.


For advertising please call 704-849-2261 or e-mail [email protected].

SPORTSCALENDAR2015

(Special pullout section)The absolute must-read section of the year, our unrivaled football preview sets

the standard with highlights of high school football teams in southern Meck-lenburg and Union County, covering more than 40 private and public schools. These special pullout issues provide an in-depth resource for readers all season long, including feature stories, schedules and team rundowns before the sea-son’s first touchdowns.

Issue dates: August 21 Southern Mecklenburg 38,000 circulation August 28 Union County 17,000 circulation

(Seasonal)The best of the best high school athletes are recognized for their season’s

achievements. In addition to the rankings, the player of the year is highlighted with a feature story.

(Special pullout section)As the leader in high school sports coverage, our boys high school

basketball preview is highly anticipated each year. The special pullout issue provides an in-depth resource for readers all season long, including feature stories, schedules and team rundowns before the season’s first tipoff.

Issue dates: November 13 Southern Mecklenburg 38,000 circulation

Football Previews 2015

Basketball Preview 2015

Super Teams

FootballSwimming (Girls & Boys)Basketball (Girls & Boys)Golf (Boys)Track & Field (Boys)Track & Field (Girls)Tennis (Boys)Lacrosse (Boys)Lacrosse (Girls)Soccer (Girls)SoftballBaseballGolf (Girls)Cross-Country (Girls)Cross-Country (Boys)Tennis (Girls)Volleyball (Girls)

January 9March 13March 20June 5June 12June 19June 26July 3July 10July 17July 24July 31November 20November 27December 4December 11December 18

Issue dates:

*Dates subject to change.


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by Liz [email protected]

NewsiesChild labor and striking have never looked this fun

Dan DeLuca (Jack Kelly) (center) and the origi-nal North American Tour company of “News-ies.” Photo by Deen van Meer/ ©Disney

“Newsies” is based on the real-life newsboy strikes against Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. The opening number, “Sante Fe (Prologue),” is a bit of a mis-step, as performers try too quickly to make the audience empathize with the lead, Jack Kelly (played by Dan DeLuca), and his wish to leave the streets of New York and head West.

The succeeding rendition of “Carrying the Banner” by the ensemble is a far more rousing and appropriate show-opener, and quickly amps up the energy in the theater.

Though the newsies live on the streets and have to hustle to sell all their papers, they’re a plucky bunch that enjoys the freedom that comes with making their own way. Since most are orphans or runaways with no home, the arrival of newcomer Davey (played by Jacob Kemp) and his little brother, Les (played by the scene-steal-ing Anthony Rosenthal, in the performance reviewed), rustles the other boys when they find out the brothers are earning money to bring home to their unemployed father. The two are quickly taken under the charismatic wing of Jack, who shows them how to art-fully make up exciting headlines and turn a profit even on slow news days.

But when the cost of a bundle of

newspapers increases by a dime, the news-boys quickly realize they won’t be able to maintain even the meager living they have. Rather than accept the price hike, Jack and Davey convince the newsies to strike, in arguably the best number in the show, “The World Will Know.”

The choreography is worth the price of admission alone, and the ensemble is at its best when performing together. Unfor-tunately, many of the solos fall flat in spite of the talent of the actors. The exception is

Angela Grovey’s crowd-pleasing performance, “That’s Rich,” as Medda, an actress and entrepre-neur who has a fond-ness for the antics of the newsies and allows them refuge in her theater. Grovey has the rare abil-ity to maintain audience interest through a solo performance in a largely ensemble-focused musi-cal.

The low point of the show is the addition of female lead Katherine. The character is adapted from Bill Pullman’s role in the film version, in which Pullman portrayed a respected newspaper reporter. Katherine (played by Stephanie Styles) is a fledgling journalist who takes interest in the boys’ strike and an even greater interest in Jack. Though the effort to make a strong female lead is appreciated, the execution is a little

insulting when she is relegated to the love interest of the lead. What starts off as a promising and independent female character is wasted when she allows a romantic pros-pect to supersede her professional goals.

Thankfully, the slow moments in which underwhelming solos and too much dia-logue fill the scenes are forgotten once the ensemble takes over in expertly crafted dance sequences. The acrobatic moves are not only impressive, they fuel the show through to the end and make “Newsies” more than just a pleasant underdog story.

While the subject matter behind the song and dance numbers is slightly too complex for young children and much too abridged for adults who know the realities of negotiat-ing union agreements and the atrocities of child labor, it’s enjoyable if for nothing else than the sheer energy the performers bring to the stage. Just check your mind at the door.

Content advisory: A Disney production, “Newsies” is appropriate for children. There are a few instances of modest innuendo (a young character is wowed by the skimpy cos-tumes of vaudeville performers, for example) but the musical was largely written with younger audiences in mind. Comic mischief abounds, and fights are more playful than violent. The subject matter may be a bit con-fusing for very young children, and the longer dialogue sequences may make them fidget in their seats, but the high-energy dances are sure to regain interest quickly.

Based on the 1992 box-office flop that had a gradual rise to cult following after, “Newsies” the musical is charming its way into audiences’ hearts in its Broadway tour across North America.

Set in Manhattan in the summer of 1899,

“Newsies”

Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing arts center

Pnc Broadway Lights Series

runs through Jan. 11, 2015



Tucked away in the second floor of the Bal-lantyne Corners shopping center is the Bal-lantyne Arts Center, a jam-packed hub of art activity for children and young people inter-ested in visual and performing arts. The space is large, with classroom space, dance studios, music rehearsal space and a fully functional theater, and the entire program is run by the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.

Children 2 to 5 years old keep the space busy in the Preschool of the Arts on weekday mornings. During the afternoons and on Sat-urdays, kids of all ages can practice painting and drawing in workshops or participate in more advanced classes in the School of Visual Art.

In the evenings, dancers fill the studios while thespians practice on the stage and spill into the hallways to rehearse lines and block-ing at the School of Theatre. (The Ballant-yne School of Music is not connected to the YMCA; learn more in Union County Weekly’s next A & E issue in two weeks.)

“The alignment of the Y’s mission is focused on youth, and pairs with art so well,” Andrea St. Clair, the senior program director of art, said. “They have made a big commitment to make a strong arts program that gives quality opportunities to youth.”

Every educator at the Ballantyne Arts Cen-ter is a professional artist or trained art teacher. Shana Templin coordinates the Ballantyne Preschool of the Arts and teaches “Art Explor-ers” and “Mini Masters” at the visual art pro-gram. A native Charlottean, Templin grew up being involved at the YMCA, eventually serv-ing as a camp counselor in high school around the time she discovered photography. She and the team she organizes bring their artistic pas-sions to work to share with the children.

Program leaders play jazz for the children during downtime. The dance studios replace outdoor play space where preschoolers develop gross motor skills. Even the fish in the 4-year-old room is named Kandinsky.

The children learn comprehensively through creating, exploring, discovering and experienc-ing learning hands on. Children use shapes to create artwork, and pre-academic skills like counting and handwriting are practiced as

movement. As the children age out of preschool, they

move to other classes in a “scaffolded” curricu-lum where one set of skills builds upon another. Children who advance through the visual art curriculum can participate in workshops in nature art, found art and mixed media. Chil-dren interested in theater can study modern musicals, mask making and Broadway revue. Children interested in ceramics or dance can take advantage of kilns and other specialized facilities at the Morrison YMCA.

“They really come out of their shell,” said Templin, who has enjoyed watching children grow with the program, literally and figura-tively. “There is no ‘right’ way to do art; nothing is ‘cookie cutter.’”

St. Clair said the YMCA is committed to providing what each individual community needs and wants, and she’s found the organi-zation to be an enthusiastic partner in helping her build a high-quality art program.

“The heart of the organization has driven me the most,” said St. Clair, referring to the YMCA’s mission of building healthy children (mind, body and spirit) by teaching valuable character traits. “Being a team player, learn-ing to respect other actors and artists, being responsible, confidence … it’s more than act-ing, dance or art that children take away from a class or a show; it is the life skills mastered through the art.”

St. Clair fell in love with theater years ago as a student at Piedmont Middle School. She liked the technical aspects of play production and character development, but loved having a creative outlet for self-expression. She also found community in a tight-knit group of fel-low theater lovers.

St. Clair is working to recreate that expe-rience at the Ballantyne School of Theatre, with classes, workshops and stage shows like “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The per-formance space is fully dedicated to youth programming and designed so the children can be easily heard. Auditions are open to children and young people of all ages, not just YMCA members.

St. Clair also is creating more opportunities for teens wishing to serve as camp counselors and mentors to the younger children.

Auditions for “James and the Giant Peach” and “Jungalbook” will be held Saturday, Jan. 10, and auditions for “Disney’s Peter Pan Jr.” are slated for April 18. Find more information at www.ymcacharlotte.org/morrison under “Arts, Education & Leadership.”

Y Not?Educating Ballantyne in Art, Dance, Theater

by Dee [email protected]

Photos courtesy of Shana Templin

Make your special o�er

FRONT PAGENEWS

Inside ...

Letters ..............................

...6

News Briefs .........................6

Crossword/Calendar ..........14

Movies ..............................1

5

Sports .............................

..17

Service Directory ................20

Union County

Serving Waxhaw, Weddington, Indian Trail, Wesley Chapel, Stallings and Monroe USA WEEKEND inside!

Admi�ions O en HouseTuesday, Jan. 10, 9:30 a.m.

RSVP [email protected] or 704.366.5994

& Montessori Pre-K program Core Knowledge K-8 curriculum

Stallings town officials tested the water system at their new splash pad Wednesday, Dec. 28.

The pad is part of a major renovation to Stallings Municipal Park, 322 Stallings Road, set to be

unveiled this spring.

Anna S

outh

ern/U

CW

phot

o

Three Mecklenburg County towns

could be allowed to become part of

Union County, if a current proposal

gets approved.

With Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx

pushing for the consolidation of gov-

Matthews,

Mint Hill to

join Union County?Commissioner makes

suggestion as part of

consolidation study fight

by and

[email protected]

(see on page 11)

The fight over the Monroe Bypass

will go back to court in 2012. Argu-

ing that the U.S. District Court judge

didn’t look at all the facts, the Southern

Environmental Law Center filed a brief

Dec. 19 in their appeal of the ruling.

“This is the ‘from scratch’ review,

with a fresh set of eyes looking at the

case,” SELC attorney Chandra Taylor

said. “We hope to achieve a decision

that takes into consideration the facts

in the case.”

In Nov. 2010, the SELC filed suit,

arguing that building the bypass would

endanger the environment. The center

alleged only information collected from

the western end of the road was sub-

mitted to the state, giving a skewed pic-

ture of the project’s potential impact.

Additionally, SELC alleged inconsistent

data was used in assessing the impact

on streams in the Yadkin River water

basin.The U.S. District Court rejected those

claims, saying the Turnpike Authority

followed procedure, with data to back

up each step in the process. The SELC

disagreed, filing an appeal Oct. 31.

“The history of this toll highway is one

of the defendants’ consistent failure to

take that hard look and to consider a

reasonable range of alternatives,” the

brief reads. “The defendants used the

wrong data, yielding misleading analy-

sis. They have compared ‘building the

toll road’ to ‘building the toll road’ and

have illogically concluded that building

this expressway adjoining one of the

nation’s fastest growing metropolitan

areas will have virtually no impact on

growth.”

Originally projected at 21.1 miles,

stretching from Matthews in Meck-

lenburg County to Interstate 85 on

Brief filed in Monroe Bypass appeal

Law Center challenges

earlier court’s rulingby

[email protected]

(see on page 7)

LOCAL OFFICER TO BE FIRED

PAGE 3

PAGE 3

PAGE 6

STUDENTS LOOK

TO TEST ARSENIC

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN

UNION COUNTY

PAGE 17

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Calendar

1.08.15Thursday

5:45 p.m.Book Club

Attendees will discuss “The Honk and Holler Opening Soon” by Billie Letts. A wheelchair-bound Vietnam

veteran opens a restaurant after returning from war. When a vibrant young woman enters the cafe, she

changes the lives of the regulars forever.

Waxhaw Library, 509 S. Providence Road, Waxhaw

1.08.15Thursday

7 to 9 p.m.Speak Up Spoken Word Open

Mic

Hosted by Faye Fulton and Linda Goodman, Speak Up Spoken Word Open Mic welcomes storytellers, poets,

comedians, singers, writers and musicians who wish to have a 10-minute slot at the microphone. Call 704-421-3220 or email [email protected] for more

information.

UCCAC building, 120 N. Main St., Monroe

1.09.15Friday3 p.m.

Free Movie Screening

There will be a showing of the action film “Guardians of the Galaxy” in the Griffin Room of the Monroe Library. A group of interstellar outlaws team up to save the galaxy from a villain who seeks ultimate power in this comic book space adventure from Marvel Studios. The movie is rated PG-13.

All ages are welcome and registration is not required.

Monroe Library, 316 E. Windsor St., Monroe

1.09.15Friday

9:30 p.m.Too Much Toni

A band of six musicians from Salisbury, North Carolina, with a passion for a wide variety of music will play live for patrons of the Bonfire Bar & Grill in Indian Trail. Too Much Toni plays a wide variety of music covering music from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and new hits. Genres will include

rock, pop, beach, oldies and more.

Bonfire Bar & Grill, 6751 Old Monroe Road, Indian Trail

1.10.15Saturday

‘James and the Giant Peach’ Auditions

The Ballantyne Performance Company, for children in second through 12th grades, will rehearse a touring production and then take that production on the road in the local community. Young performers gain training and discover the challenge of touring a production. Program tuition is $325. Auditions are held through appointment only. Call 704-341-4281 for more information.

Morrison YMCA, 9405 Bryant Farms Road, Charlotte

1.10.15Saturday

6:30 p.m.Open Mic Nights

Indian Trail community development specialist Susan Didier and poet Kym Gordon Moore began the monthly Open Mic

Nights at the Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center in 2013 and the event has grown since. The poetry nights have had as many as 65 attendees and often feature a diverse range of artistic expressions, such as poetry reading, musical performances, Shakespeare readings and personal reflections by published

authors.

The Cultural Arts Center, 100 Navajo Trail, Indian Trail

Missed Paper?


1.10.15Every other Saturday10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Winter Farmer’s Market

The Waxhaw Farmers’ Market is meeting its goal to be a year-round market by providing its customers nutritious, fresh, seasonal produce, meats, eggs, cheese, and more. As an added

benefit, the market’s artisan vendors offer healthful products for the winter cold and flu

season and unique specialty food and gift items.

Intersection of Price St. and N. Church St., Waxhaw

1.13.15Tuesday6 p.m.

Square Dancing Open House

Waxhaw-based square dancing club the Cane Creek Cruisers will hold an open house event during the second week of 2015 to gauge

interest from outsiders. Weekly classes will begin on the following Tuesday. Call Harvey Hess at

704-516-6503 for more information.

Walkersville Presbyterian Church, 6204 Brady Road, Waxhaw

1.13.15Tuesday

10 to 11 a.m.YogaTales

Children of all ages will enjoy a story, followed by a related art project and ending with yoga

stretches and music inspired by the story. YogaTales encourages a love for reading by

helping children connect with stories on three major learning levels: auditory, visual, and

kinesthetic.

Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center, 100 Navajo Trail, Indian Trail

1.16.15Friday

11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.Crime Stoppers Barbecue

Ray, Rusty, Ronnie and Aaron Cook will prepare meals for the 22nd annual Union County

Crime Stoppers barbecue. Miss North Carolina Beth Stovall will help present the 2014 Law

Enforcement Officer of the Year Award at noon. Village Greene will provide entertainment. Cost is $9 a plate. Take-out is available and delivery is

free for groups of 10 or more.

Union County Agricultural Center, 3230 Presson Road, Monroe

1.17.15Saturday

3 to 7 p.m.Community Blood Drive

As part of the Carolina Blood Center of the Carolinas’ 6th annual Pints for Pounds

campaign, the organization will donate seven pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank for every blood donation made in January and

February. Call 704-972-4700 or visit www.carolinadonor.org to make an appointment at any location. Please note the Community Blood Center of

the Carolinas’ minimum weight requirement for blood donors is 120 pounds.

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 725 Deese St., Monroe

1.18.15Sunday3 p.m.

An Afternoon of Local Poetry, Stories, and Song

Join local storytellers Gladys Kerr, Dora Lee Brown, musician Beth Brown Al Rawi, and poet Lee Ann Brown for a round robin afternoon of songs, stories, and poems at Museum of the Waxhaws. Prices range

from $2 for children to $5 for adults. Visit www.museumofthewaxhaws.com for more

information.

Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy., Waxhaw

1.25.15Sunday3 p.m.

Winter Author Event

Listen to author Kevin Winchester speak about his book “Everybody’s Gotta Eat.” Kevin Winchester is the Director of the

Writing Center at Wingate University. A book signing and refreshments will follow his talk.

Monroe Library, 316 E. Windsor St., Monroe

Send us your events! Want to see your event covered in our

community calendar? Send an email to [email protected] with all pertinent

information. Be sure to include the date, time, cost to attend and a description of the event. Please send

events at least two weeks in advance for the best chance of being included in the calendar. Items are not guaranteed publication, as we consider factors like relevance to the community and how close the

event is to our coverage area.

Calendar

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Sports

Kuchmaner, playing volleyball at Marvin Ridge is something bigger – it’s about being a part of one of the best programs in the state. Her own accomplishments and stats take a back seat to the performance of the team.

“Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with the last four years,” Kuchmaner said. “This

season, we didn’t know what was going to happen because we lost some talent and had a really young team. But going into our first tournament, we showed what we could do and never stopped playing at the highest level. We showed that we could beat anyone, even with our youth.

“That’s what volleyball here is about. It starts with the foundation. You have to have team chemistry, a good work ethic and a pos-itive mindset. If you do, no one can stop you. I was really fortunate to have coach (Brook) Hammers and my teammates. I couldn’t have done anything without them.”

Her team-first attitude is evident in the Mavs record the last four years, as they’ve gone 93-16 overall and haven’t dropped a conference match.

With a wildly successful high school career behind her, Kuchmaner now has her eyes set on N.C. State where she’ll suit up on the Wolfpack volleyball team in the fall.

“For a while, I wasn’t sure if I was going to play at the next level,” she said. “…but when I went to State and watched a game, I knew I couldn’t stop playing. It teaches you so much a bout life and who you are.

“I love the game. It’s my passion. It’s what I was meant to do.”

Makenzie kuchManer

Volleyball Player of the Year:

Growing up as the only girl in a house of four boys had its challenges at points, but for Marvin Ridge senior Makenzie Kuchmaner, the good outweighed the bad.

Her two older brothers, Vic Jr. and Zach, starred on the Marvin Ridge baseball team and Zach now plays at North Carolina. Her younger brother, Jacob, currently plays on the Mav baseball team where he suited up on varsity as a freshman.

But the list of Kuchmaner athletes doesn’t end there; their father, Vic, played baseball at the University of Akron while their mother, Susan, ran track at Kent State.

It seemed only natural that Kuchmaner would grow up to play a variety of sports under the influence of her three athletic brothers.

“It was tough at times, being the only girl,” she said. “Zach knocked my two front teeth out one time when I was little. They toughened me up.”

That toughness is most evident on the volleyball court.

Kuchmaner played several sports at a young age but dropped them all by the time she was 11 to focus on volleyball. The star libero played on the varsity team each of her four years at Marvin Ridge and her prowess for the game is evident in her stats. She fin-ished her career with a whopping 1,574 digs and 137 aces, making her one of the best liberos in the state.

This season, the three-time all-conference selection received all-state honors.

Now, she’s the 2014 Union County Weekly Volleyball Player of the Year.

She’s a star in her own right, but for

by Hannah [email protected]

MAkENziE kUCHMANEr, MArviN riDGE

Kuchmaner went out in style, record-ing a county-high 456 digs, and fin-ishing her high school career with 1,574 digs playing

all four years at the varsity level. The Mavs star libero was named an all-state selection will continue her vol-leyball career at N.C. State.

kATriNA HArTLEY, MArviN riDGE

The Mavs’ 6-foot outside hitter missed a few games mid-season due to sinus surgery, but she didn’t let that stop her from mak-

ing a huge impact on the acclaimed Mav court. The all-conference selec-tion led the team with 266 kills and added 197 digs and 28 aces to her impressive resume.

BriE SAUr, WEDDiNGTON

Saur, a 5-foot-8 setter, will leave Weddington as one of the school’s best. She finished her senior season with a team-high 41 aces, 583 assists

and 267 digs. The all-conference selection is also a key cog on her CJV Infinity team.

NATALiE HArriS, PiEDMONT

Harris was a key factor in the Pan-thers 7-3 confer-ence run this sea-son, as she recorded a team-high 289 kills from her spot at outside hitter.

The Carson-Newman University com-mit and Panther team captain also led the team in aces (57) and blocks (65) on her way to becoming an all-confer-ence selection.

PAiDA MUSHONGA, PiEDMONT

Mushonga, the Panthers middle hitter, led the team in digs this season (168) and was second in kills (141). Adding 478

attacks, 34 aces and 21 blocks to her impressive resume, it’s easy to see what Mushonga was an all-confer-ence selection and team captain.

CArENA MEADOWS, WEDDiNGTON

Meadows racked up 165 kills for her senior season and added 84 blocks and 17 aces on her way to becoming an all-conference

selection for the Warrior team. She did it all while maintaining a 4.2 GPA.

MAkAYLA HAiGLEr, METrOLiNA CHriSTiAN

Haigler, a junior libero, recorded an astounding 1,115 digs this season to average 34.4 per game and lead

the greater Charlotte area. The all-conference selection helped lead the Warriors to their first win over Hick-ory Grove Christian in seven years.

ALLY MACWHirTEr, MArviN riDGE

The Mavs star set-ter had a big junior season, recording a team-high 848 assists and leading the team with 43 aces. She’s in line

for a big senior season after help-ing lead the Mavs to a 25-2 record and their seventh straight conference championship.

player of the Year: MAkENziE kUCHMANEr, MArviN riDGE

Coach of the Year: BrOOk HAMMErS, MArviN riDGE

Union County Weekly’sVolleyball Super Team

SECOND TEAM:

JESSiE PriCE, PiEDMONT

MEGAN JONES, CUTHBErTSONMEGAN HAiGLEr, METrOLiNA CHriSTiAN

MCkENziE HirD, WEDDiNGTON

COUrTNEY PAULUS, MArviN riDGEMADDiE SPUrGEON, MArviN riDGEAMANDA WAGONEr, POrTEr riDGE

Photo cou

rtesy of Maken

zie Kuch

maner


Sports

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in the state.

Weddington’s Watts breaks 2,000 points

Weddington senior point guard and North Carolina commit Stephanie Watts joined the elusive 2,000-point club to finish out 2014.

Watts scored 103 points over three games in the 2014 PDQ Holiday Classic to break the 2,000-point barrier. The 5-foot-11 guard is averaging 30 points per game, 8.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 4.5 steals and 2.6 blocked shots this season. She currently

has 2,082 career points.

Former Park-wood point guard Tiffany Brown (2001-04) holds the Union County career scoring record with 2,161 points. She con-tinued her basket-

ball career at Georgia Southern.The Warriors are 13-1 on the season.

They travel to Marvin Ridge on Jan. 9.

sports shortsby Hannah Chronis

[email protected]

Girls Basketball Player of the Week: Jehniya Smith, Monroe

The 5-foot-7, speedy guard had a breakthrough performance in a 63-37 win over

Central academy. Smith scored a team-high 10 points and added seven rebounds

and three assists.

Boys Basketball Player of the Week: Ryan Schweiger, Weddington

The 6-foot-4 forward shot 91 percent from the floor and scored a career-high 27

points in a win over Cuthbertson on Jan. 6. Schweiger also grabbed nine rebounds.

Providence Day hosts Inaugural Queen City Relay Invitational swim meet

Providence Day swim coach Kristina Bond and Butler swim coach Amanda von Thron joined forces to launch an inaugural Queen City Relay Invitational on Jan. 10 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center from 4 to 8 p.m, presented by BSN Sports.

Public and private schools from Union and Mecklenburg counties will be partici-pating in the meet. The Invitational will be a championship scored meet with all teams competing against each other.

Immediately following the meet, teams will compete in a relay. The format will include relays with boys and girls swimming together, while others will feature events not typically seen in high school competition. Relay events will include 4x50 breaststroke, 4x50 butterfly, 4x100 individual medley, a decrescendo freestyle relay and four mixed relays. Each swimmer can compete in a maximum of three relays.

Butler, Providence Day, Independence, Marvin Ridge, Myers Park and Sun Valley will be competing in the event.

Wrestlers compete at Holy Angels Invitational

Several Union County wrestlers competed at the 22nd annual Holy Angels Invitational on Jan. 2 and 3 at Bojangles Coliseum, a tournament fielding 60 teams with wres-tlers from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Proceeds from the event are donated to Holy Angels, a nonprofit serving debilitated adults and children. Charlotte Catholic hosted the invitational.

From the 106-pound division, Wedding-ton junior Parker Walton downed Mallard Creek’s Derrick Davis to win the champi-onship round for the second year in a row. Walton is undefeated on the season and currently ranked the No. 1 wrestler in the state in the 106-pound division.

Marvin Ridge’s Ryan More finished in fifth in the 106-pound division after a 6-3 decision over Robinson’s Zavier Shipp.

At 132 pounds, Porter Ridge’s Bryan Newsome finished in 8th place. In the 152-pound division, Parkwood’s Josh Coble placed fifth and Cuthbertson’s Chris Koenke finished 8th. Metrolina Christian’s Daymond Turner took an 8th-place finish in the 182-pound division and Wedding-ton’s Ethan Kanagy finished in 5th at 220 pounds. Kanagy is 31-3 on the season and the No. 3 wrestler in the 220-pound class

Stephanie Watts


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VETERANOWNED


ACROSS 1 Lawyer’s charge 4 Shopaholic’s

indulgence 9 Cursor

controller14 Lenient15 Was nosy16 Deceive17 Turkish title18 Items for

flattening dough

20 Bad reputation22 Blackens, as a

reputation23 Unleash24 Alpha, ___,

gamma …25 Choose28 Secretly31 901, in old

Rome34 Dropped a bit,

as the stock market

35 Doing nothing

36 Texter’s expression spelled out by the starts of 18-, 28-, 46- and 59-Across

38 Affirmatives41 Toll road42 Bang-up43 Boat in “Jaws”45 “Dig in!”46 Some

dressing room conveniences

51 Tit for ___52 Longest river

wholly in Switzerland

53 Mess up, as hair

57 Norway’s capital

58 College reunion attendee

59 Nitrous oxide63 Columbus Day

mo.64 Shake hands

(on)65 Absurd

66 Beaver State: Abbr.

67 Dog treats68 Whey’s partner

in a nursery rhyme

69 The “p” in m.p.g.

DOWN 1 Thrash 2 Two under par 3 Glorify 4 Ankle woes 5 Right away 6 Agitate 7 Conger, e.g. 8 Not raw, as text 9 Country singer

Tim10 “My bad!”11 Arm of Israel12 Schumer or

Shaheen: Abbr.13 U.S.N.A. grad19 What 26

countries in Eur. belong to

21 To and ___24 Long-term

hospital patient’s problem

25 Blast from the past

26 ___ dot27 Message that

might include an “@” and a “#”

29 Get a move on30 Frostiness31 Beermaking or

knitting32 Cold hard cash33 Otherwise

37 Only three-letter zodiac sign

39 “To ___ is human …”

40 Site of a 2014 vote for independence

44 Shakes from a slumber

47 Symptoms of poison ivy

48 French Sudan, today

49 Like a firehouse burning down?

50 2 + 2 = 4, e.g.54 Buttinsky55 “Filthy” riches56 Banana oil, e.g.

57 Arch type

58 Culture medium in a 59-Down

59 See 58-Down

60 “Give it ___!”

61 Ashes holder

62 African antelope

PUZZLE BY ROBERT SEMINARA

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS.AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

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C E C E E E R O M U T ER R R R E P L A C E D

F R A C A S D E I M O SB R E Z H N E V S T EA I D E C R A N H T T PR E D R I O L O B O A F BS N I P E D E S L T R I OE D W I N D R O I D R A Z RA L I K E M I A M I A R E AT Y P E E Z E P P O M A R X

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Monday, December 29, 2014

Edited by Will Shortz No. 1124Crossword

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1-800-761-9396 SAPA

MOVING SALE january 10-11. 3055 wyntree court, Matthews, tools, furniture, books, linens, household goods and miscellaneous. items won\’t last. grab them while you can. 010915

Moving Sale: 5627 Gristmill Lane on Saturday, January 17th from 8 am to 3pm.Held inside garage rain or shine. Antiques, moving boxes, packing materials, toys, games, decorations, furniture, books, picture frames. 011615

SHOP AVON 24/7 at your convenience. Go to www.youravon.com/meabel or www.AllBeautyNow.com for direct delivery. Log in and use discount coupon code: WELCOME on 1st order for 20% OFF. For a current Avon Book or to place an order by phone Contact Mary Abel at 704-497-7722. 013015

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GET PAID WEEKLY!FT and PT mail work from home. For full details visit: www.750weekly.comor call 512-827-0060 (24/7). SAPA

Diesel Truck MechanicSalem Leasing is growing! We are seeking qualified Diesel Truck Mechanics to perform customer vehicle maintenance and repairs in our Pineville, NC shop. Hours: 2nd shiftWe Offer: Great Benefit Package, 401K, Paid Holidays, Vacation & Bonuses: Job Requirements· Minimum three years diesel maintenance experience.· High School Diploma or higher.· Strong customer orientation.· Proven ability to lead work teams.· Basic computer skills.· Good driving record and proven work history.· CDL-A driver license is preferred, but not required.· Must have own tools. Apply online, www.salemleasing.comor visit Salem NationaLease at 900 Crafters Lane. Pineville, NC 28134. 011615

Looking for great pay, local schedule, and excellent benefits? Salem currently seeking local A & B CDL A & B Drivers to join our Charlotte area team. Drop and Hook only. Home EverydayWe Offer: Great Benefit Package, 401K, Paid Holidays, Vacation & Bonuses: Job Requirements: CDL-A or B License Minimum 1 year driving experience. Ask about our New Driver Apprenticeship Program. Walk in applicants welcome weekdays. 4810 Justin Court, Charlotte. 28216 Please APPLY BELOW, or call 800-709-2536 for more information! www.salemleasing.com. 011615

Curves Part Time. Must be Energetic, self motivated and love working with people.. Morning and evening hours a must. Send resume to [email protected]. 102414

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BYTESIZE COMPUTER SERVICES LLC FREE onsite service & FREE consultations. Virus Removal, Computer Hardware and Software repair, Speed up slow Desktop or Laptop Computers, one hour In-Home personalized Computer Training sessions, Repair & Purchasing and Upgrading available. We offer Personable engagements and VERY competitive pricing. 25 Years of Computer Experience. Call Mark at 704-287- 8827 or visit our website: www. bytes izecomputer s e r v i c e s . c o m . References are available. 041714FREE ESTIMATE

NU VISIONS PAINTING By Al Baskins on FB. Let us color your world one room at a time

! Interior / Exterior Painting Commercial / Residential Cabinets / Kitchens / Baths Specializing In Repaints Deck Restorations Pressure Washing Spring Special 10% off with this add Over 30 years experience painting Charlotte Al Baskins , Owner Pineville N.C. 704- 605- 7897 / 704-889- 7479. 122914

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LOST DOG! Lawyers Road & Mill Grove Road, Union County or Meck County. Rat Terrier. 4 years old. Male. 15 pounds. Mostly white with some black patches and some brown on face. Long skinny legs and short stubby tail. Sweet, but shy, timid and a bit nervous. Will NOT bite. His name is Buzz. He gets cold easily, quivers and shakes a lot. When lost, had collar with outside cable attached, but may have fallen off. He

has seizure. Call Cindy – 704-614-5600.

HELP: LOST DOG, \”Dotty\”, Australian Cattle mix, 7yrs, 35lbs. Lost 8/1/14, Rea Rd. Black/White, black patch right eye. pink/grey collar. Contact Kim 704-763-3661. Her loving family misses her very much!

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To advertise, visit www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.comCarolina Weekly Classifieds Network

ACROSS 1 ___-retentive 5 Plane, on a radar

screen 9 Sarcasm14 “Swans

Reflecting Elephants” painter

15 ___ Club (pilot’s group)

16 Kind of butter17 Luminary among

luminaries19 Like many rural

roads20 Cigarette residue21 Whom “unto us”

is given, in Isaiah22 What dogs’ tails

do23 Hear about25 Competent29 Stand an artist

might take30 Flat out32 Champagne

opening sound34 Novelist Anaïs35 Half of an umlaut

36 Beyoncé and Jay Z, e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 44- and 61-Across

40 Partner of shock

42 Hawaii’s Mauna ___

43 Link

44 Snooty attitude

48 Low pair?

52 “Piece of cake!”

53 Accidentally say

55 CBS forensic series

56 There’s one in this cleu

57 ___ Khan

58 Wackos

61 Bodybuilder, for one

63 Pastoral composition

64 ___ cheesecake (black-and-white dessert)

65 Show petulance

66 Brawl

67 PBS station behind “Live From Lincoln Center”

68 Certain Protestant: Abbr.

DOWN 1 Magazine agent’s

success 2 Feeling after a

roller coaster ride 3 Top dogs 4 Perjurious

statement 5 Voice in the role

of Mefistofele, e.g.

6 Excuse from responsibility

7 Country bordering three “-stans”

8 “___ favor” (Spanish “please”)

9 Leftovers10 Candy bar filling11 One may be hard

to follow12 “Hogwash!”13 ___ Jewelers18 Became depleted22 Waldorf salad

morsel24 Seized car, for

short25 Muse sometimes

pictured with a book or scroll

26 “Venerable” scholar of old England

27 Vientiane native28 First responder,

for short31 Last of the

Mohicans in “The Last of the Mohicans”

33 First female speaker of the House

36 Cribbage score keepers

37 Actor Calhoun

38 Energetic sort

39 Many August births

40 Yellowfin tuna

41 Tina Fey display

45 Shout “Ref, are you blind?!,” e.g.

46 Pain in the neck

47 Parisian palace

49 Stop talking

50 Capital of Rwanda

51 Hits bottom?

54 Florida tourist attraction

56 Spin of the dial or roll of the dice

58 Most common Korean surname

59 Poet’s dedication

60 Olive of the comics

61 Cut (down)

62 Ending for Nepal

PUZZLE BY JACOB MCDERMOTT

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS.AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

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R I S K I S T OP A C M A N S A U N T E RA S H T O N K U T C H E RT H I G H I V A N S O P ST E C S P L U M E I S L EI R K E A R L E P R I A M

M A R I O A N D R E T T II M A G E R Y Y E S Y E SR A G E S P E CV I N D I E S E L E M P T YI Z E C R O N E P O S E RN E T Y A L T A T W I N S

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Edited by Will Shortz No. 1118Crossword

GaraGe Sale

VehicleS for Sale

financial

MiScellaneouS

help wanted

SerViceS

petS

buSineSS opportunitieS

MerchandiSe


Peripheral Neuropathy WARNING!Pain, Numbness, & Tingling In The Hands/Feet

Call 704-284-7408

Charlotte, NC -- �e most common method your doctor will recommend to treat your neuropathy is with prescription drugs that may temporarily reduce your symptoms. �ese drugs have generic names such as Gabapentin, Amitriptyline, or Pregbalin and are primarily antidepressant or antiseizure drugs. �ese drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful side e�ects.

Figure 1: Notice the very small blood vessels surrounding each

nerve.

Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves o�en causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling, and the most debilitating balance problems. �is damage is commonly caused by a lack of blood �ow to the nerves in the hands and feet which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate due to lack of nutrient �ow.

As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels that surround the nerves become diseased they shrivel up which causes the nerves to not get the nutrients to continue to survive. When these nerves begin to “die” they cause you to have balance problems., pain, numbness,

Figure 2: When these very small blood vessels become diseased they begin to shrivel up and the nerves

begin to degenerate.

tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms.

�e main problem is that your doctor has told you to just live with the problem or try the drugs which you don’t like taking because they make you feel uncomfortable. �ere is now a facility right here in Charlotte, NC that o�ers you hope without taking those endless drugs with serious side e�ects (see the special neuropathy severity examination at the end of this article).

In order to e�ectively treat your neuropathy three factors must be determined.

1) What is the underlying cause?

2) How Much Nerve Damage Has Been Sustained.

NOTE: Once you have sustained 85% nerve loss, there is nothing that we can do for you.

3) How much treatment will your condition require?

�e treatment that is provided at the Charlotte Spine and Pain Relief Center in Charlotte has three main goals:

1) Increase blood �ow2) Stimulate small �ber nerves3) Decrease brain-based pain

�e treatment to increase blood �ow utilizes a specialized low level light therapy (not to be confused with laser therapy) using light emitting diode technology. �is technology was originally developed by NASA to assist in increasing blood �ow.

�e low level light therapy is like watering a plant. �e light therapy will allow the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerves and provide them with the proper nutrients to heal and repair. It’s like adding water to a plant and seeing the roots grow deeper and deeper.

Figure 3: �e blood vessels will grow back around the nerves much

like a plant’s roots grow when watered.

�e amount of treatment needed to allow the nerves

to fully recover varies from person to person and can only be determined a�er a detailed neurological land vascular evaluation. As long as you have not sustained at least 85% nerve damage then your condition can be treated.

Dr. Keith Helmendach, D.C. at the Charlotte Spine and Pain Relief Center will do a neuropathy severity examination to determine the extent of the nerve damage for $49 (normally $70). �is neuropathy severity examination will consist of a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and a detailed analysis of the �ndings of your neuropathy.

Dr. Helmendach will be o�ering this neuropathy severity examination from now until Friday, January 23rd, 2015.

Call 704-284-7408 to make an appointment with Dr. Keith Helmendach, to determine if your peripheral neuropathy can be treated.

NOTE: Our o�ce is located in Charlotte, NC at 7215 Lebanon Road.

MOST MAJOR HEALTH INSURANCE PATIENTS ARE

ACCEPTED.

FEDERAL BENEFICIARY RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY.

IF YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL TREATMENT, YOU HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND WITHIN THREE DAYS AND RECEIVE A REFUND.

Union County Weekly

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