Union Lifestyle Nov Dec 2014

Waxhaw FlyersBOUNCE

with special kids

Daily bus ride toCharlotte ‘great’

CMC-Union ‘births’ a new

specialty center

November / December 2014www.UnionLifestyle.com

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EditorNancy E. Stephen

Contributing WritersDeb Coates BledsoeSusan Radford

PhotographersDeb Coates Bledsoe

Rick CriderNancy E. Stephen

Ron Vilas

Union LifestyleA publication of

Cameo Communications, LLCPO Box 1064

Monroe, NC 28111-1064(704) 753- 9288

www.UnionLifestyle.com

Union Lifestyle l November / December 2014 3

ContentsNovember / December 2014 t Vol. 4, No. 1

26Entertainmentabounds in Unionthis season.

6Special needs

children find homeon cheer team.

10Coppersmith findsniche with customlight fixtures.

12Riding the bus toCharlotte is whatthese adults want.

14American Arkshowcases

exotic animals.

22Life lesson:

A humorous but truelook at the facts.

24Russian coach findsgymnastics gloryin Union County.

26Chefs give new twistson holiday meal and

its leftovers.

28You can find BBQ heavenin Stallings.

LifestyleUNION

On the coverAddison Moore, a member of theWaxhaw Flyers’ Bounce team, isassisted by teen volunteers.

Photo by Rick Crider

5Santa tells his ever-so-private

secrets.

Like us on Facebook!www.facebook.com/UnionLifestyle

CMC-Union ‘birthing’ a new women’s center14 $57 million facility adds modern space and services.

16 Obstetrician calls new center ‘the best I’ve seen’

17 Pediatrics center cares for 400 children in first 9 months

21 Hospital president not through with CMC-Union progress.

Life is full of change. But then, you knew that.Union Lifestyle enters its fourth year with this edition, which isamazing to me. Has it really been that long?We’ve published 18 editions with more than 300 articleson interesting people in the county. That’s a lot ofinteresting people, but it doesn’t begin to touch uponthe potential. We’ve got a long way to go if we featureevery person! You might think that’s realistic, but I’m a traditionaljournalist – I believe everybody has a story. Some havetwo, three or four. As an example, Susan Radford who wrote this edition’s LifeLessons, has appeared in Union Lifestyle twice before – once in astory about her role as a TV extra in Homeland and oncecontributing comments to a story about junior cotillion. I’m often asked, “Where do you get the story ideas?” Anywhereand everywhere would be the answer.My husband used to call me – affectionately, I hope – a 2-year-old.Everything interests me, and I’m always asking who, what, when,where and why. A Facebook post on Land of the Waxhaws netted the story onWaxhaw Flyers’ Bounce cheer team, which is a heart-warmingstory about children with special needs and their own cheer team.

4 Union Lifestyle l November / December 2014

300-plus stories later, Union Lifestyle starts its fourth yearA visit to Downtown Monroe’s Art walk prompted the interviewwith coppersmith Mick Aderholt. A brief story in a newspaperabout Southeastern Gymnastics prompted the story on Russiancoach turned American coach Ludmilla Shobe. How did she get toWeddington from Russia, I wondered.

And I was simply curious about who rides the bus to Charlotteevery day. The only way to learn the answer was to show upat 6:30 a.m. to meet the riders. Oh, and I went to the NorthPole to interview Santa.There will never be a time when there are no more interesting

people to write about, at least not for me. What’s your story?As we ease into 2015, you’ll see a change to UnionLifestyle. We’ve published six times a year for the first three

years, but our schedule will go to four times a year with the nextedition.Why the change? It’s a combination of two reasons. One, themagazine takes a lot of time from a small staff, and we want tospend more time on our stories. The second reason is personal. I’dlike to travel more than I can with the current publication schedule.If you have an existing mail subscription to Union Lifestyle, don’tworry; you will receive your full six editions, even extending into2016 if necessary. I hope you continue to enjoy the magazineand email me story ideas on our county’sfascinating people. Cheers! [email protected]

Did you know . . .

you Did

knowyou

you Did

. ..knowyou

Whether it’s helping a family recover after a home fire, providing lifesaving trainingor preparing the next generation to cope during an emergency – you are the onewho makes it all possible.

Because of your donations, our local chapter and volunteers are able to workaround the clock to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Please help us bring food, shelter, comfort and hope to people who need it!

You can send a check or visit us at redcross.org/monroe to use your credit card.

We simply can’t do it without you.

Volunteers deliver the Red Cross mission. Please consider volunteering to help.

Union County Chapter608 E. Franklin StreetMonroe , NC 28112

704-283-7402redcross.org/monroe

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Santa Claus is a philanthropist of the highest degree. He secretly delivers toys and goodies once a year to good little boys and girls around the worldwithout asking for anything other than a smile in return. And he always hits his deadline!

Santa and his favorite reindeer, Rudolph, have the delivery process down pat. He currently is in negotiations with international mail and package carriers as well as shipping companies to present broad-based best practices seminars for top management.

Santa doesn’t like to toot his own horn, but stresses that most companies are doing delivery services totally wrong. He currently has a contract with U.S. Airways to provide more efficient flight patterns around the world, and Mrs. Claus is working with other airlines to secure more contracts. It costs a lot, you know, to buy supplies for all the toys Santa givesaway, even when he shops sales with coupons, so he’s in a money-making plan.

Childhood ambition: I wanted to fly any way that I could. At first, I took a plane. But since Pan Am stopped its route to the North Pole, I had to find my own flying machine. It’s my handy, dandy, super-dooper, environmentally safe green machine, except I painted my sleigh red. That’s my favorite color.

Guilty pleasure: Late night cookies, preferably chocolate chip, accompanied by a glass of milk.

Guilty splurge: A gazillion cookies at Christmas. But knowing that my health must be extraordinary since I don’t have any backup Santas to take my place in the case of, say, an intestinal issue, I go on a diet on January 1, just like the rest of you. I’ve been asked to join the Biggest Loser on TV, but I don’t think anyone wants to see me in my skivvies. Even Mrs. Claus doesn’t like that look!

Inspiration: Asteroids! They move through the sky so fast! If I could channel their energy through the reindeer, I could move faster on my rounds and spend more time at each house, maybe meet a few children.

Challenge: Squabbling among the reindeer! You think “The Real Housewives”are rough? You should hear these guys snipe at each other 364 days of the year – “My antlers are bigger than yours and they’re real,” “Your haunches are too big,” “You told Santa a lie about me!” But they do pull together on Christmas Eve, when it counts.

Lemons to lemonade story: I discovered Rudolph centuries ago when he was just a tyke. Even then his nose glowed, much to his consternation. People used to laugh and call him names. I knew instantly that his physical – I won’t call it a defect – attribute would be hugely beneficial to me on those foggynights so common to Christmas Eve. I offered him a job, and after a bit of negotiation, he joined the reindeer team as the leader of the pack. It’s what you call a win-win situation.

Greatest joy in life: Mrs. Claus. Ha! You thought I’d say the kids. But you know, behind every successful man is a great woman. And behind every 364-day stay-at-home man is a wife who can get on his nerves, so I want to bepolitically correct. But really, the kiddy-poos are a great joy, too.

Most overused expression: Ho, ho ho! Big surprise, right?

Away from public view

The ‘real’ Santa Claus

When you walk in the door ofWaxhaw Flyers on Sunday afternoonabout 5 p.m., your first impressionmight be of a five-ring circus. But then you quickly see that it’sorganized chaos with excitement andenergy bubbling over at five separateactivity stations around the floor.It’s the weekly session for the WaxhawFlyers All-Star Cheerleading specialneeds team, which is called Bounce.And bounce the kids do. Theirexcitement is almost palpable.With parents primarily on the sidelines,children who have physical, emotional


BOUNCE!Waxhaw Flyers forms cheer team for special needs kids

Text byNancy E. Stephen

Photos byRick Crider

Sam Beard

Nicholas Boccio

Addison Moore

The Bounce team

or intellectual disabilities do what otherchildren do while enjoying special one-on-one attention.“It warms my heart; it’s a dream since Ifirst opened the gym,” says Rori Burke,co-owner with Susan Gower. “We wouldgo to a competition and see special needschildren competing, and we knew that’swhat we wanted to do. It’s been a visionthat we’ve had for quite some time.”Sam Beard saw his older sister’scompetitive cheerleading, so when momBeth offered Sam the opportunity to cheer,he was all for it. “It was his choice.“With some other sports, I have to dosome pushing,” Beth says, “but not here.He has a lot of independence. This is aphysical activity that he enjoys.”Sam, a fourth-grade student at New TownElementary who plays football in theChallenger league, was caught in adilemma recently at a game, his momsays. “He was torn about where he wantedto be,” she explains, on the field with theplayers or on the sidelines with thecheerleaders.

Cheerleading has been BrittneyCasteel’s dream, says mom Kim. “Ididn’t know this even existed until herphysical therapist (Kelly Helms) toldme about it. And now we can’t miss it.“It lets her fit in with her peers. Shethinks she’s accomplishing something,which she is. It means the world tome; it’s awesome to have. “She can get out of the wheelchair anddo things, not be confined to thewheelchair all day.”Brittney is paralyzed from the waistdown due to spina bifida, but she stillenjoys tumbling. When doing aforward rollover on the floor, threeassistants do the rolling for her – onetucks her head under while the othersroll her over. She also does ahandstand against the wall with aid.

“It gives her mobility that she usuallydoesn’t have,” her mom says. “Shegets to be just a kid, and that’s reallyimportant to her. “Aidan Harbold, a 13-year-old atCuthbertson Middle School, “talksabout cheer all week long,” says hismother Tracy. “I think he likes theenvironment with teenage girls” –students at the center who volunteereach week with the Bounce students. “He wants to feel a part of something,part of a team.” Because of hisautism, she says Aidan has “so fewopportunities to participate in anysport. On a regular team, thingshappen too quickly and he can’t keepup. Here, he feels successful. It’s anactivity that he can do.”Jordan Todd, a 17-year-old at PorterRidge, cheered off and on for three


years in Matthews beforecoming to Waxhaw Flyers.“She absolutely loves it,”says mom Heather. “She likes that she cancome and be herself, beindependent.” Jordanperforms cartwheels, rolls,and backbends andcurrently is working on

headstands against the wall.In addition to the skills, flexibility andbalance that she’s learning, “it’s theexperience for our kids; they don’t get todo this all the time,” her mom adds. “Thekids and coaches are awesome. Thevolunteers are incredible, coming outhere and sacrificing their time,encouraging our kids.”Chris Boccio, mother of Nicholas Boccio,12, drives to Waxhaw from Mint Hilleach week, but says the drive “isabsolutely worth it. Cheering “has givenhim a lot of self-confidence. It’s worth it.”Meghan Weir, 10, was just diagnosedwith ponto cerebellar hypoplasia, aterminal illness with a life expectancy of20 to 25 years. For 10 years, her momMissie and physicians knew only that shewas severely afflicted with a geneticdisease, but the diagnosis was elusive.

Jordan Todd

Meghan Weir

Aidan Harbold

Every day, we are creating a life like yoursfor people with developmental disabilities.

The Arc provides advocacy, education and support to people withintellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

You can help. A tax-deductible donation to

The Arc helps us provide services to approximately 350

individuals each year.

Contributions can be mailed to:1653-C Campus Park Dr, Monroe, NC 28112

Donate online at www.thearcisthere.orgCall us at 704.261.1550


Missie is determined that Meghan experience life to its fullest. “Iwant her to have as normal a childhood as she can have.“In a lot of ways, she’s a typical 10-year-old. She likes makeup andjewelry and being around other kids. This is one of the few placesshe gets to go where she can be with other kids,” Missie explains.Being confined to a wheelchair without verbal skills doesn’t limitMeghan’s enjoyment of cheering. When Bounce is making aformation with their arms overhead in a V for victory position,volunteers are right beside Meghan, moving her arms in the sameposition. “Every thing she does is assisted,” her mom says.The weekly sessions are important to Meghan. “When I put her outfiton her, she knows we’re going to cheer. She loves it. “But her favorite part is competition with lights and music and beingin front of everybody.”Bounce participates in a special needs division of cheerleadingcompetitions. Assistants are fully involved in the minute and a halfprogram, assisting children into positions and maneuvers. At the endof the performance, “everybody stands up and cheers – for everysingle team,” says founder and co-owner Rori Burke. “It’s one of themost incredible things I’ve seen.” Each special needs participant alsotakes home a trophy.Waxhaw Flyers opened its Bounce class just this year with fourstudents. “The next weekend, two more came, then more and more,”says owner Rori, who hopes for even more participants.“Nothing would make me happier than to have 20 more students.”

Parents pay $25 a month in Bounce, which includes uniformand instructional time. On a typical Sunday, the room isfilled with participants with a wide range of conditions andtwice as many volunteers to assist. Most volunteers are theFlyers senior level girls, all teenagers in high school. ButBrad Powell, a former Clemson cheerleader, and physicaltherapist Kelly Helms also volunteer.

Brittney Casteel

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It’s never the same thing.’Coppersmith’s custom work keeps him busy.

Text and photos by Nancy E. Stephen

I’m not an artist or designer, but if someone shows me apicture, I can make it.” Mick Aderholt’s statement might suggest that his hand-craftedcopper lanterns are not art, but one glimpse at his product beliesthat thought.The Monroe native is relatively new to copper craft, having cometo the specialty after college, bank and sales jobs for a couple ofyears, then 24 years in surveying.“I had intended to stay in the business worldsomewhere,” Mick says, but in 1989, he “up andmoved” to South Carolina’s low countrywhere he built a house and met an oldgentleman by the name of John Gant.Gant is a well-known for his copperlanterns.“I ran in to him, and we startedtalking. When I went by his shop,I was amazed that people coulddo that with their hands.”And Mick was off and runningwith a new business. Althoughhe didn’t have a mortgage onhis new house, thanks to thesale of his “huge” collection ofconfederate buttons, “I was flatbroke.”His apprenticeship, if you will,was building simple box framesfor Gant part time out of a shop athis house. As his business and skillgrew, so did his reputation foroutstanding custom work. A few years back, he returned to UnionCounty and brought his handcraft businesswith him.“First thing, I had to come up with designs of myown, which took me about a year,” he says. Within the year, hehad created 12 different styles of lighting fixtures to offer, bothinterior and exterior designs.“I do mainly custom work,” Mick says, “but I have a basicinventory here,” he says of his workshop which no longer is inhis home, “some lower and medium priced lights that people cancome in and see.”

His lights aren’t inexpensive, not like those you might find in abig box store. But they are gorgeous and some are massive. Andthey’re primarily one of a kind, often for what he calls “megahouses” in Charlotte.

One house project was for 31 outdoor lights, each 34

inches tall and with 165soldered pieces. “Istayed on this jobpretty much for eightmonths.”Immediately after,he created 26lights for a16,000-square-foot house inGeorgia. One fixture cantake six days tomake and cost upto $1,825. Copper isexpensive, currently

about $7 a pound, andfixtures can weigh

upwards of 30 pounds. In between the large custom

jobs, “I do sell single lanterns. Ifit’s in stock and I have the patterns, that’sno big deal. But if it’s custom, it takes alot of time.”Even the custom projects have a largerange of complexity. “I might do one lightfor a post in the front job, or a entirelandscaping project.”

The variety of work is interesting, Mick says,“it’s never the same thing.”

His copper product is raw copper, which means itwill start to change color overnight. “It goes dark

brown, depending on moisture and sunlight. Iteventually will acquire a greenish patina, but that takes a

long period of time.”Mick’s lights are pristine; nary a visible connection of material.Although each light has more than 100 solders, you don’t see anyof it because he solders on the inside. “That’s what takes the time: that’s the true craftsmanship of it.”Lights can be wired for electricity or for gas and are as safe asany light you might find in any store. His lights are ETL tested,


similarto a ULlabel, whichwas an extensive andexpensive process – approximately $11,000– and requires a costly quarterly review, too. Mick sent a model of each light to the testingfacility, where the wiring and sockets werechecked for UL standards and a heat testdetermined maximum wattage for each size. Each ofhis lights carries an interior label of certification, whichMick says the inspectors look for in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg

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market. Not so when he was in South Carolina, he says.Mick’s reputation keeps him busy with work, but in the beginning,he spent hours “riding around Charlotte, talking to contractors.” In

four or five hours, he could make about nine goodcontacts.

Although he typically works directlywith homeowners – “They make thecall on the lights” – contractorsand interior designers refer a lotof business to him. Evenlighting stores makereferrals.Working on large projectswith 10 or 12 identicalfixtures can becometedious, but overall, Mickenjoys his work.“Sometimes I getfrustrated, but when I getthe finished product, I canstand back and feel good.”

Call Mick at (704) 221-1470 torequest a brochure or discuss a

project, or email him [email protected].



It’s not easy to get a teen driver toride the bus to school, but for somebusiness people, riding the bus is theirchoice.In the dark of early morning, startingat about 6 a.m., business people waitin their cars in two county shoppingcenter parking lots with coffee mugs intheir hands, waiting for the 74X(Union County Express) bus to takethem downtown Charlotte.They love the bus ride for varyingreasons.“There’s no wear and tear on the car;my insurance went down because I’mnot commuting; there’s no need forparking uptown. And I don’t have tosit in traffic; I can do whatever Iwant,” says Jodie Anton, who worksfor a law firm in Charlotte.She rides the 7:10 a.m. bus every day

from the Kmart center in Monroe and returns on the4:43 p.m. bus. “My company offered to pay 100 percent of the cost on

public transportation,” which anyonewho pays to park in uptown knows isa good deal.Donna Whitmore-Sexton moved fromdriving to riding about seven yearsago because of the cost of parking. “I used to drive in every day and parkin a pay-per-day lot. When the CIAAtournament came to town, the parkingwent from $6 a day to $15 a day. So Ithought, ‘I’m just going to buy a one-week pass and just see if I like it.’And I never went back to driving. Ilove it, love it.”Saying she may have driven in fivetimes in the last seven years, Donnaadds, “It’s super easy for me.“I either play games, read a book ortalk to my friends. I’ve made a lot offriends on the bus that we socialize withoutside of riding the bus.”

Adult bus riders find friendships along with low cost and stress-free travel

Jodie Anton and her husband, who ride the bus together to Charlotte each day, say theone-hour bus ride is very convenient.

Donna Whitmore-Sexton boards the bus atKmart while it’s still dark.


Jodie agrees that friendship is a perk of riding the bus. “You kindof become a family because you spend that much time withthem. We used to play Trivial Pursuit or cards before we all gotsmart phones.“When one of our busriders died suddenly, we allwent to the funeral – we’dgotten that close.”Barbara Stephans says thebus “is more economical –the cost of gasoline andparking and stop and gotraffic, which is really hardon your nerves. It’s nice torelax.”She has the optimumsituation for a bus rider.“The bus drops me off infront of my office. It’s justterrific.”Saying she drives maybefive percent of the time,Barbara gets a lot donewhen bus riding. “I do somany things. I read, I writeold-fashioned handwrittenletters, plan my day, planmenus, make shopping lists . . . sometimes I play a game on mycell phone. I try not to talk on my cell phone. Most people don’ttalk on their phone, especially in the morning. People are prettyquiet.”Jeremy John, who catches the bus at Union Towne Center in

Indian Trail, says bus riding helps the stress factor as well as thebudget. “It’s easier and cheaper; you don’t have to pay forparking or gas. Bus fare is probably what gas would cost but youdon’t have to pay for parking.”He spends his time reading, listening to music and occasionallysleeping. The return ride is therapeutic, says Barbara. “You haveyour downtime to transition from work, which is very nice. Andit allows you time to read all those magazine subscriptions thatyou have.” Jodie says some riders experience anxiety at first, wonderinghow they will survive without their car. “You get so you don’twant to drive your car,” she says. If you need to move aroundwithin Charlotte, “you can take a local bus or the light rail to getaround town.” Jodie and her husband, who also rides the bus, grocery shoponce a week after work, so on that day, they drive to Indian Trailand leave the car there. “It’s really nice to go up and down the bus lane, when others arestopped because of an accident. With Charlotte’s stop and gotraffic, it takes the stress out of it. It’s very convenient. Iwouldn’t go back to driving for anything,” Jodie says.The best part, says Donna, is “I’m not driving on IndependenceBoulevard. That’s the absolute best!”“Once you start riding, you don’t want to give it up,” Jodie adds.

Tickets on the 74X are $4.40 one way, with those 62and up paying $2.20. A monthly-unlimited pass is$176, and a 10-ride pass is $25.75. Buses depart andreturn from Kmart in Monroe and Union TowneCenter in Indian Trail for the one-hour trip.

Visit charmeck.org/city/charlotte/CATS.

Adult bus riders find friendships along with low cost and stress-free travel

Jodie Anton and her husband, who ride the bus together to Charlotte each day, say theone-hour bus ride is very convenient.

Barbara Stephans often reads abook while riding the bus, whileDana Walker, right, listens to musicand sometimes naps.



On November 17, Union County will have a new Womenand Children’s Center with bells and whistles to complementextraordinary care. The opening on the Carolinas MedicalCenter-Union campus marks the end of a two-year project and$57.2 million investment by Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS)into Union County healthcare.While the size of the project is impressive – 87,000 new squarefeet and 22,550 square feet renovated – the project is much morethan construction, according to Mike Lutes, president of CMC-Union. “It’s much more than bricks andmortar. With each improvement oraddition, we’re moving from acommunity hospital to a tertiary levelhospital. Keeping patients close tohome in Union County makes it betterfor them and easier on their family.”The current project was completed insegments, with the last portion – theWomen and Children’s Center –opening November 17. A newly removated pediatric unitopened last fall, offering specializedpediatric care in a renovated sectionof the existing facility.

The women’s portion of construction is new construction andoffers a fresh approach to labor, delivery and recovery. Itpromotes a family-centered care environment with the security ofa hospital and the comforts of home. From pediatric andadolescent care to obstetrics and gynecologic surgery, the centerwill offer a full continuum of women’s and children’s healthcareservices that will meet the needs of women and children throughevery stage of their lives.Mike says the added services and capacity were designed to notjust grow services in Union County, but to serve as the easternhub of CHS. “We’re drawing patients from as far away asRichmond County.” The hospital in Anson County, which sitsbetween Union and Richmond counties and opened as CarolinasHealthCare System Anson in July, does not have as extensive

capabilities that CMC-Union offers.

Why a new Women andChildren’s Center?If you look at the six counties aroundMecklenburg, Union County has the highestpercentage of women in childbearing ages, Mikeexplains. “With the county growing again, it’snatural that we focus on these services. We have atremendous number of pediatric patients in thecounty who shouldn’t have to go into Charlotte tohave specialized services. “This is just one step as we grow towards CMC-Union transforming from a community hospitalto a tertiary hospital.” The Women’s and Children’s Center is important

CMC-Union opening $57 million expansion


for another reason. “Women are the decision-makers inhealthcare,” Mike says. “If they come to CMC-Union andexperience great care, they will maintain the medicalrelationship for the rest of the family.”And he’s certain that they will experience great care.“Our new level of labor, delivery and recovery services –they’re not matched by anyone else, and there are finetouches in the new facility.”Prior to the new center, women about to give birth started in aprivate room, but transferred to a different bed for the actualbirth. A few hours after delivery, the mom then moved to arecovery room. And the family trailed behind.In the new facility, families will experience a birthing suite. Eachroom will support the patient and infant through every step fromadmission until both go home. No moving from bed to bed orroom to room.The baby, if healthy, will remain in the mother’s room, in adedicated area with warming lights and any medical equipmentneeded for his care.A second section of the room is termed the support zone, wherenurses will keep their supplies and equipment. Previously, suchequipment and supplies could be lying on the same counter as thehusband’s cell phone or snacks.A third area is called the family zone. Following very detailedconversations with nursing staff, who are most frequently in theroom, the family area now features a loveseat that converts into asleeper for a family member, charging zone for multipleelectronic devices, small refrigerator for snacks and a very largewindow that stretches the length of the room.

“We’ve created large rooms to make it really special; we wantedto give the room a home feel, and I think that’s exactly whatwe’ve done,” Mike says.In the common area, a family lounge complete with bistro andelectric fire logs gives family another room to stay in when momneeds some alone time. A play area features electronic games toentertain the kids, while another area tucked around a cornerprovides a quiet area for adult calls and computer time.“Our family lounge area is probably not offered in the market,including Charlotte,” Mike says.The women’s center itself is very different from the existingmodel that placed individual rooms around one nursing station.The new center features three nurses’ stations, each monitoringeight private rooms. “This places the nurses much closer to theirpatients, which automatically improves the level of care,”commented Denise White, chief nursing officer.Medical supplies and equipment are housed at each station,keeping nurses from running up and down the hall to gathersupplies as need. “The level of care that we currently provide is excellent,” Mikesays, “but the care team model is really going to improve patientexperience.

CMC-Union opening $57 million expansion

Artist renderings of the new addition, above, and thebistro/family lounge in the new women’s center.


Women who deliver their babies at the new Women andChildren’s Center at CMC-Union may think they’ve gone to ahotel. But rest assured, not only is the facility outstanding inaesthetics, it’s also outstanding in quality of care. To physicians and nurses, quality of care relates to not only themother and baby, but extends to the family.In the current unit, moms labor in one bed, transfer to another fordelivery and transfer again after abouttwo hours to a regular hospital room. In the new facility of 24 suites, theprocess is much different. The patientwill enter through a separate entrance,avoiding navigation through the mainfacility, then be admitted andevaluated, plus go through labor anddelivery in the same private hospitalroom. In addition, she’ll remain in thesame room throughout her hospitalstay with her baby in the room asmuch as she wants.“It’s like a high-end hotel,”explains Dr. Ben Horton, an ob-gyn at Union Obstetrics andGynecology who worked withCMC-Union in designing acenter that provides the bestphysical and emotional carepossible.“It’s a very homey environment,a much different environment forthe entire family to experience. I think you’re going to see thatfamilies enjoy that type of environment to deliver.”The all-inclusive concept has been around for 10 to 15 years, heexplains, but not locally. Families had to go outside the county tohave these amenities, which brought an inherent concern.“The biggest worry that patients express is ‘will I deliver on theway to the hospital?’” the obstetrician says. “A 50- or 60-minutedrive to a hospital (in downtown Charlotte) can be harrowingexperience for the mom.” Now expectant moms don’t have tohave that concern.Design of the unit required “a lot of brainstorming sessions, walkthrough (of the existing center) and recognition of potentiallogistic issues. Once we started the process, we recognizedaspects that wouldn’t work as effectively as we wanted.“It’s been 20 years since I delivered my first baby,” Dr. Hortonsays, “and I’ve seen a lot of changes. This is the best I’ve seen.We have amenities that weren’t even thought about five years agoand a lot of technical improvements that will make it easier for usto deliver care.“The approach of having evaluation, labor and delivery, surgeryand gynecology, pediatrics and post-partum care in onedepartment is amazing.”

Moms who delivered their first child in the old center will besurprised when they deliver again in the new. “They won’t thinkthey’re in the same hospital,” Dr. Horton exclaims. “It’s acompletely new experience – separate entrance and a feel that’sless of a hospital, more of a hotel.”Private rooms are “three times the size of my office,” he says.“They’re massive” – a size needed to accommodate the patient’sbed, flat screen TV, seating near a window, mini-fridge, clothesvalet, private bathroom, electronics charging station and

overnightaccommodations forfamilies. “This is a reallydifferent way ofdeliveringhealthcare,” Dr.Horton says proudly.Patients choose whois in the room duringdelivery. “Some wanttheir children there tosee the sibling born,and sometimes that’sdoable. The old ‘12and under can’t visit’rules aren’t in play.”

“It’s about having the experience that the patient wants to have. Ifthat’s what will make their experience better and we canaccommodate, we’re happy to do so.”For deliveries requiring special care, specialized C-sectionoperating rooms are nearby as well as a special care nursery forbabies who need medical monitoring and specialized service,such as premature or low-weight babies. The special care nurseryis staffed 24 hours a day by board-certified neonatalists, nursesand respiratory therapists. For premature infants who require an even higher level of care,CMC-Union’s affiliation with Levine Children’s Hospital atCarolinas Medical Center ensures prompt access to the mostadvanced medical care. Helicopter and ground transportation toCMC are available around the clock.Even with babies in the special care nursery, families will enjoyprivate family-bonding rooms during the baby’s stay and anesting room for the last night.Denise White, chief nursing officer, describes the nesting room. “It’s a great concept because we have babies in our special carenursery for multiple weeks, being monitored by staff all the time.Now it’s time for mom to take the baby home, and that’s veryscary for parents. “The nesting room gives parents a room to spend the last nighttaking care of the baby themselves, while knowing that there’s aresource nearby if they need it. We educate them and supportthem through their baby’s hospital stay, but staying that last nightbuilds their confidence. And it allows us to see their level ofcomfort.

Obstetrician calls new center ‘the best I’ve seen’

Dr. Ben Horton, left, calls the center’s suites“like a high-end hotel.”


Proud to be a part of

CMC-Union’s

Women’s and Children’s Center project.

Improving the Carolinas one project at a time. 704-289-8482

In the first nine months of 2014, CMC-Union’s pediatrichospitalist team in the new pediatrics unit saw more than 400children.The number is confirmation of what hospital executives andmedical staff already knew – Union County needed a pediatrichospital team and unit.The unit was the first step in the Women and Children’s Center,which will be fully open on November 17. Housed in arenovated wing of the existing hospital, the pediatric unitprovides advanced care for children in an area designed just forthem, away from the adult acute care and surgical floors.Dr. Allyson Boodram, medical director of the pediatrichospitalist program at CMC-Union,is proud of the care she and otherhospitalists from Levine Children’sHospital provide locally in the unit. “I’m very impressed with the visionthat CHS had to help elevatepediatric care for kids across NorthCarolina. They had a simple missionstatement – keep children closer tohome. There was a need for a goodpediatric unit here.”Prior to the CMC-Union unit openingin fall 2013, children were transferredto Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center indowntown Charlotte for conditions that could be treated locally– if there had been a pediatrics unit.When children were transferred to Charlotte, families werepulled in two directions – at home with other siblings and at thehospital with the sick child. “We now can keep kids in schooland provide a greater quality of life for our patients, parents andsiblings,” she said.“Our duty as professionals is to provide for our patients. Butwe’re thinking about the whole family’s quality of life. Drivingto Charlotte can result easily in a two- or three-day absence fromschool and from work.” With the local unit, parents can easilytake turns at home, at the hospital and at work.

Pediatric patients not only need specialized physicians, they need anentire realm of specialized care, which the new unit provides. “As a pediatrician, I know that kids aren’t little adults,” Dr. Boodramsays. From the entire process of being sick, being admitted, treatedand discharged, children are now treated differently from adults. “It’s a scary situation for both parents and the child (to be admittedto a hospital.) Both have fears, although they’re different, and ourdedicated staff can anticipate and calm those anxieties – that’s reallyimportant.”When children were interspersed among adult patients in the generalhospital, “it would be pretty overwhelming,” Dr. Boodram says. The new pediatric unit has 13 private rooms with special furnitureand artwork to make children feel more comfortable plus otheramenities that cater to young patients and their families, such as aplayroom equipped with games, toys and a TV/DVD, child-approved color scheme, kid-friendly menu that includes pizza,hamburgers, chicken nuggets and fries. And, of course, parents can stay with the child the entire time.The dedicated unit is not just a boon to the family and patient; it hasgiven pediatricians and nurses a higher efficiency of care and abilityto deliver care.Vanessa Shaller, assistant vice president of operations, says care isautomatically elevated with a pediatric team. “It’s not just our board-certified pediatricians and PALS certified (Pediatric Advanced LifeSupport) nurses who provide specialized care in the unit. It’s alsoour lab, respiratory and pharmacy teams.”Vanessa says the pediatrics team worked with all hospitaldepartments to develop protocols that work best with children.“When we’re caring for kids, it’s quite different.”“There’s a pediatric champion in each department who advocates forpediatrics,” adds Dr. Boodram. “We created a protocol for all theservices that we need.”For example, prescription doses are weight based for children, anddifferent medicines frequently are used. When a child is seen in anadult hospital, pharmacists may not be fully aware of thosedifferences and may not have the specific medicines readilyavailable. Quality of care could be at risk.“We thought through typical diagnoses and medicines that wefrequently use, discussed different delivery systems such as oralsuspension versus pills that we crush,” Dr. Boodram says.

Pediatrics center cares for 400 children in first 9 months

Dr. Allyson Boodram


Denise White, chiefnursing officer at CMC-Union, saw her job growdramatically when the newWomen and Children’sCenter was first imagined.And she wouldn’t have it anyother way.Her role as administratoroverseeing the project beganin pre-design meetings withthe architects who wanted anidea of what the hospitalwanted and has carriedthrough to its plannedopening. “We needed key staff at thetable during those meetings,talking about what would be nice, what did we need? We startedpulling the people to the table from the very beginning,” she says. The obstetrics unit overall and its 24 individual rooms weredesigned with exhaustive input by the nursing staff, some of

‘I always wanted to be involved with a project designed by the providers.I’m proud that we have this in Union County.’

Denise White, left, chief nursing officer, chats with Donna Dawkins, director foradult inpatient care.

Coordination with the lab has prompted quicker results. “Now wedon’t have to send some tests out,” she says, which speeds up theresults and recovery – the ultimate goal.“The beauty of the pediatric hospitalist program is that theexpertise is here. It’s definitely changed. Families that have comethrough our doors are grateful for the ease of life and care with usthere.”The CMC-Union unit can care for children with illnesses thataffect most of the population. Pediatric illnesses often vary withthe season. For example, respiratory issues, such as bronchiolitis,asthma and viral illnesses, are common in fall and winter. The hospitalists also frequently see GI issues, such as reflux, and ageneral diagnosis called apparent life-threatening events,situations that the caregiver witnesses, but have resolved by thetime the child sees a pediatrician or hospitalist.The hospitalists also frequently see GI issues, such as reflux, and ageneral diagnosis called apparent life-threatening events,situations that the caregiver witnesses, but have resolved by thetime the child sees a pediatrician or hospitalist. When parentsreport episodes of their child turning blue or not breathing, forexample, the child may be admitted to the pediatric unit forobservation in a hospital setting with monitors. The average lengthof stay for children is 24 to 36 hours. The pediatric unit is a step between primary care physicians andthe tertiary care that Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte canprovide. Levine provides “pediatric care for anything you canimagine,” she says. CMC-Union’s connection with the Levine facility and rotation ofhospitalists between the twofacilities translates intoconstant connection with the30 areas of pediatric medicineLevine provides. “If a kid is sick and needssome subspecialtyconsultation, we can facilitatethat care with our contacts atLevine. As long as they don’thave to be physically atLevine, we can offer the samelevel care in Union County asin downtown.”

Birthing suites have a wallof mirrors, sleeping spacefor dad, as well aselectronics chargingstation, flat-screen TV withDVD and other hotel-likeamenities. Announcingevery new baby are ceilinglights in the lobby thatchange from pink to blue.


whom visited the hospitalfurniture company in Indianato sleep in birthing beds andto select room furniture thatwould work most efficiently.Each private room wasdesigned with separate family,patient, clinical and infantspaces to keep medical “stuff”in one area and amenitieseasily available for visitors.The unit itself also wasdesigned by nurses, whichDenise calls “far moreefficient.” As opposed to one nursingstation for all 24 rooms, thenew unit is divided into three

teams caring for eight rooms each. Each care team has a nursingstation with equipment, medication and nourishment rooms,instead of one big unit.“We did a step study during the design process,” Denise says,which showed that nurses were walking up and down the hall to

gather equipment, medications and snacks for the patient, whichtook away from patient care time. “Even though the square footage of the center is much bigger, thefootprint for nurses is about half.“If we can keep our nursing closer to the patients, that’s what weneed to do, make them a lot more accessible to patients.Everything was designed to make the staff more efficient, becloser to the bedside.”That includes a new technology support system. “Where patients typically pressed the call button to talk tosomeone at the nurses station, who located the assigned nurse,who went to the patient room to determine need and finallywalked back down the hall to obtain whatever supply and returnwith it to the patient, for example, that system is gone.“We now have a really cool call system that sends messages tothe nurses’ cell phones; that’s much more efficient.”The center has its own gift shop called the Lullabye Shop, whichfeatures gifts for moms and babies and incorporates a lactationcenter, with assistance available and equipment for sale or rent.Denise is proud of the new facility. “I’ve been in healthcare for along time, always in obstetrics, that’s where I grew up in nursing.I always wanted to be involved with a project designed by theproviders. I’m proud that we have this in Union County.“When we say world-class, it really is. I can’t see anything thatwe could have done differently. I’m proud that our staff could seeit from an idea to reality. That’s huge to me.”

‘I always wanted to be involved with a project designed by the providers.I’m proud that we have this in Union County.’

Denise White, left, chief nursing officer, chats with Donna Dawkins, director foradult inpatient care.

Obstetric nurses at CMC-Union are excited about thenew Women and Children’s Center. And they should be. Many ofthem helped determine what was needed in the new unit andwhere, even down to the location of toilet paper and shelves inthe private bathrooms.Lynda Junghans, a 43-year registered nurse, explains. “The toiletpaper should be higher up so that new mothers don’t have to bendover.” That may seem obvious, but “standards” typically place allpaper in the same location in every bathroom. “It’s the littlethings.”Tammy Abel, nurse manager for women’s services, is happy thatthe individual patient rooms are bigger and separated into patient,family, clinical and baby spaces. “It’s a bigger space, andeverything has its own place,” she says. “We’re providing family-centered care, with the baby staying with its mom most of thetime. When the babies are stable enough, we have room for baby,dad and mom to stay in the same room.”“Having the baby stay with the mom as much as possibleoptimizes the bonding,” says Valerie Smith, a labor and deliveryregistered nurse.The nurses emphatically endorse mommy-baby contact. “Skin toskin contact after delivery is immediate,” Tammy says. “Studieshave shown how beneficial that is, how it regulates the baby’svital signs and helps hormonal levels.”

Lynda remembers when babieswere “brought in just four times aday for their mother to feed them.Then it was back to the nursery.No one was allowed to be in theroom when the mother had thebaby.”Women weren’t given epidurals,but medicine “that made them verydrowsy so they didn’t know whatwas going on. They didn’tremember the birth.” Only in the1980s were dads allowed in thebirthing room.A few years later, “we used to doskin to skin bonding for an hour,then take the baby for measuringand weighing,” remembers CindyWalden, special care nursery nurse.“Babies tended to go to the nursery to warm up for stabilization.You’d see cribs lined in the nursery. Now you see the nurseryempty if they’re stable enough to be with mom. It’s an amazingthing.”As a new mom, Valerie says, “I can’t imagine it any other way. Thechanges will be wonderful with that extra bonding. I think thepatients are really going to enjoy it.”

James Michael & Co.Stafford Place Executive Offices Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.1201 Stafford St, Suite A-2 Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Monroe, NC 28110 704.296.5531

Make every day sparkle!


Obstetric nurses can’t wait to see their ‘baby’ open

From left, nurses Lynda Junghans, Tammy Abel, Valerie Smith andCindy Walden look forward to the new center and its ease of carefor patients.


When babies are premature or needspecial care, they stay in thespecial care nursery, sometimes foras long as nine weeks. Even then,space was created for parents tohave bonding time alone with theirinfant.Most moms with an easy birthleave the hospital within 36 to 48hours, but if the baby is not able toleave, the hospital lets the momstay with the baby and take care ofit.With the maternity unit dividedinto three care teams, each caringfor eight rooms, nurses won’t haveto walk far to gather equipment ormedicines. “That keeps the nursecloser to the patient, giving patient-

centered care,” explains Tammy. “That’s a big thing. The layoutwill make us efficient in our operation and enhance the patientexperience dramatically.“As the years go by, each of us has learned skills from othernurses and is able to assist in almost any situation. We want tohave as much continuity as we can have; we want to keep thefamily and nurse together throughout the stay.”

Hospital president not resting on laurels

My vision, when Icame here six years ago, wasto build around hearts,women and cancer,” saysMike Lutes, hospitalpresident.“When you look at theWomen and Children’sCenter, this is theculmination of that vision. Ifyou serve those three areas, itnaturally snowballs intoother areas.”The Edwards Cancer Center,an affiliate of Levine CancerInstitute, received a three-year accreditation with commendationfrom the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer,which only 25 percent of U.S. cancer treatment programs earn. Inrecent years, the hospital also partnered with the Sanger Heart &Vascular Institute to develop a interventional cardiology program. “For us to create a pediatric unit or cardiology advanced care orcancer center on our own wouldn’t have been possible withoutthese partnerships,” Mike says. “For us to be integrated into theLevine cancer program means county residents can participate inclinical trials and research previously only offered in Charlotte.”The hospital also hired a spine surgeon and began providinginpatient dialysis. “What we’re doing as far as adding higher levels of service iswhat everyone wanted. The fact that we’ve done it in less thanthree years is remarkable, but we couldn’t do without CHS.”“Healthcare is changing at a rapid pace. We’ve positioned CMC-Union to be part of the solution.”

James Michael & Co.Stafford Place Executive Offices Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.1201 Stafford St, Suite A-2 Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Monroe, NC 28110 704.296.5531

Make every day sparkle!


Obstetric nurses can’t wait to see their ‘baby’ open

From left, nurses Lynda Junghans, Tammy Abel, Valerie Smith andCindy Walden look forward to the new center and its ease of carefor patients.

What’s in the center?t 24 suites for labor, delivery and after the baby is born, withflat-screen TV, mini fridge, private bathroom and overnightaccommodations for families t Separate entrance for moms-to-be and their families,allowing them to go directly to the point of care withouthaving to navigate through the main facilityt Special care nursery staffed by board-certifiedneonatologists with private family-bonding rooms for babiesneeding extra care t Specialty retail shop with gifts for new mothers and babiest Comfy family-style waiting lounge, complete with afireplace, bistro, Internet café and children's play areat Lactation center with breastfeeding support and guidanceduring and after the hospital stay, in-room consultations andan area located inside the specialty gift shop

Changes at the existing facilityIn addition to the new Women and Children’s Center,additional areas of CMC-Union’s north side of campus sawrenovations and expansions to better serve patients.tA new main entrance and expanded lobbyt 25 new medical/surgical beds tAdditional patient and visitor parkingt New, modern glass façade that is now the new exterior faceof the hospital

Mike Lutes in the family lounge.

use thebestskincareproductsyou canafford.Every time youwalk in yourdentist’s office andloudly proclaim that you"hate coming to the dentist," atooth fairy dies.If you threaten your child with a whuppin’, then whup him.Same goes for grounding or taking away privileges. If you don'tfollow through, you lose all credibility. Relationships are never 50/50 all the time. Sometimes they're60/40, sometimes 100/0, but they need to average out to50/50ish. And that includes friendships.If your criteria for friends includes "being perfect," you're eithergoing to have very few or very fake friends. If you don't loveyour friends when they screw up, you didn't really love them tostart with.Have fun, lots of fun. When you are happy, you are nicer to bearound. One thing is for sure, my obituary will not say "mommasacrificed everything for her family; she was always cooking andcleaning and gave up having any kind of life so that we couldhave homemade Rice Krispy treats." No martyrs live here.If you are a woman and you have no women friends or a manwith no men friends, that's a red flag.If you only hear one side of any story, you need to understandthat there are usually at least two more.


By Susan Radford

Flesh colored leggings look terrible on everyone,especially if they are tucked in UGG-lys.You are either the kind of person who cracks up watchingtoddlers have tantrums or you're not. I think we know which oneI am.Throwing a cigarette on the ground is indeed littering.Someone who will verbally abuse people in the service industryis not someone you want in your life. Along those same lines, think twice before going on a seconddate with a bad tipper. They generally can't be rehabilitated andit will get on your nerves eventually."Cheap," when used to describe a person, is never a good thing.If you marry someone who is out of their twenties, you'd betterlike them exactly how they are because they are no longertrainable.Repairs cost more than maintenance, floss, wear sunscreen and

A list of one-line life lessons that should really be no-brainers

{ }lifelesso

ns

If you let your children hear you say mean things,they will think it's OK to say mean things.Take any opportunity you have to travel.Take your kids some of the time. Peoplewho say "I've never spent a night awayfrom my kids" get a raised eyebrowfrom me, which I shouldn't dobecause, you know, wrinkles. I feelthe same way when sick/ headachyfolks WON'T TAKE A PILL.I think everyone should periodicallylook back over their old Facebookposts and calculate how many of themare negative. If everyone is out to getyou/ harm you/ screw you over everysingle day, the problem might be you. No matter how good someone's life looks, they areprobably dealing with some crap so don't be envious.

Take your kids to some brick and mortar spiritual place on a regular basis. It will shape them more than sports or jobs or sleeping in.If you constantly belittle your partner, it just

makes you look bad. After all, you picked them.


{ }lifelesso

nsSusan Radford is a 50-something with an obviously snarkysense of humor. She’s a part-time aesthetician and model plusTV extra in Homeland, above. But she’s a full-time mom who’ssuffered from empty nest syndrome since her only child,Grace, went off to college in the fall.


By Deb Coates Bledsoe

Not everyone can be an Olympic competitor, butgymnastic coach Ludmilla Shobe’s passion is centered on muchmore than just Olympic hopefuls.“No all may be Olympic champions, but it makes me happywhen a student does the best she can do. That’s my Olympics.”Ludmilla, a Russian who is the head coach of the competitivegymnastic teams at Southeastern Gymnastics in Weddington,loves her job, one she has held for more than a decade.“I love to work with every child. I just love kids. I love to open ineach child something that the child doesn’t know she has. I wouldlove to help every child be a better citizen, a better person.”Ludmilla says students can learn life lessons through gymnastics.“It helps kids better prepare for real life. Life is not easy. It’s notalways going to be smooth. You’ve got to be prepared.“You have to work hard to get what you want in life,” she adds.“You teach the child that you will do that cartwheel or that roll amillion times and finally you will be rewarded, finally you’ll getthat medal. That’s what it took to get that medal. “There is a lot of repetition, a lot of following directions,listening to the coach. If you fall down, you do it again; you falldown, you do it again. Finally you get it and what a specialfeeling that is.”It’s not all just about winning, either. “I’m teaching them we’reall human. I’m trying to teach my kids to be happy for anyonewho is better than you. You need to feel sorry for someone whodidn’t do as well. If you work hard, you deserve to win. If youdidn’t work hard, I don’t expect them to do as well.”Ludmilla is no stranger to winning, however. She was veryexcited this year to find out that her gym, SoutheasternGymnasium in Weddington, was named the 2014 USAGNational Club of the Year. “The best gym in America! I say‘Wow.’”Her experiences in the winning circle started early in her career.In 1988 and 1989, she coached three-time Olympian SvetlanaBoguinskaia in the USSR. In 1991, at the age of 26, she took a job as a gymnastic coach inthe U.S. In 1995, she opened th e Southeastern Gymnastics, butlater sold it to friends, continuing to work as the head coach.She was named the N.C. Coach of the Year in 2007, Region EightCoach of the Year in 2010, Region Eight Club of the Year in 2012and inducted into the Region Eight Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Even though her career began in Russia, most of her career hasbeen in the United States. Teaching gymnastics in Russia has onemajor difference. The gymnastic training is free, but there is aselection process and only the very best make the cut.“In Russia, everything belongs to the government. They pay yoursalary and you have to show results. That’s why you select the

Ludmilla Shobe, left, works with astudent at Southeastern Gymnastics.

Deb Coates Bledsoe photo

Russian gymnastics coach loves teaching in America

continued until she was 14. “My coachasked me to stop being a gymnast and tocoach.”That’s when she coached three-timeOlympian Svetlana Boguinskaia in theUSSR. They continue to be closefriends. “I’ve known her since she was 5years old,” she says.“Her name is still recognized in thegymnastics world. She now lives inHouston. We’re now best friends.”“It doesn’t matter what nationality youare, what language you speak, what ageyou are, what religion you are, we’re allthe same deep inside. If you love whatyou do, and you put in hard work andpassion, you will be a success.” Ludmilla says an essential part of hersuccess is her husband, David, and hertwo children, Victoria and Alexander.“They always support me in my work,and what I do. It makes my life so muchhappier.

“Without them it would not to be same.”Deb Coates Bledsoe, a former newspaper editor, is afreelance writer and photographer.

best kids, the most talented. That’s whythe Soviet Union has been so successfulfor so many years. Gymnastics inSoviet Union was unbeatable for manyyears.“I love teaching in America because itdoes give the opportunity to everychild. I’m happy America gives thisopportunity to all kids.”As for the difference in children fromRussia and America, it’s simple. Thereis no difference.“A kid is a kid, everywhere in theworld. A 7-year-old is a 7-year-oldanywhere in the world. An 18-year-oldis an 18-year-old. I don’t see it anydifferent. “There are kids who love to work hardand there are kids who need to betaught how to work hard. There are kidswho are strong and there are kids whohave problems and we have to take careof them.”More than 160 students are oncompetitive teams at the gym, and more than 1,000 inrecreational classes.Ludmilla became a gymnast when she was 8-years-old and


Love doesn’t have to hurt. ‘‘TTuurrnniinngg PPooiinntt iiss lliiffeessaavviinngg AANNDD

lliiffee--cchhaannggiinngg!!’’At Turning Point, we’re committed to turning our communityaway from domestic violence and to providing victims and theirdependent children with safe shelter while they learn how tobreak free from their abuser.

We teach clients how to live an independent and violencefree life through counseling, case management, victims’ advocacyand a variety of services tailored to meet the needs of each client.

Please consider a taxdeductible gift to our mission.Checks can be mailed to

Turning Point, P.O. Box 952, Monroe, NC 28111.

Online donations can be made at www.TurnToday.net. 24/7 Crisis Hotline 704-283-7233Office Phone 704-283-9150

Shop our Second Chance upscale thriftstores to support Turning Point

Boutique, 2447 Old Charlotte Hwy, Monroe

Home Décor, 2409 Old Charlotte Hwy, Monroe

Boutique, 1201B N Broome St, Waxhaw

2012-2013Statistics

Ludmilla Shobe, right, coached world-famousOlympic gymnast Svetlana Boguinskaia early inher career.

Russian gymnastics coach loves teaching in America

Chef Paul Verica, owner and

chef of Heritage Food &

Drink, is known for his bent

on embracing the farm to

table movement.

The Waxhaw restaurant’s

menu changes at least once

a week based what is

available locally.

Chef Paul created these two

sides to accompany your

Thanksgiving turkey. He says

the Brussels sprouts are on

his holiday table every year.

Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Thyme 4 servings

8 ounces of Brussels sprouts

3 ounces bacon or uncured pork belly

16 fluid ounces of chicken stock

4 fluid ounces of white wine

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons of butter

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Clean the Brussels sprouts, remove any damaged leaves,

trim the bottom and then cut in half from top to bottom.

Dice up the bacon or pork belly into a small dice.

Heat a sauce pan, add the bacon and let it cook until crispy,

strain and remove excess fat. Add 1 tablespoon of the fat

back to the pan and then add the Brussels sprouts, flat side

down and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Let the sprouts sear and get a little color on them. Then add

the white wine and the fresh thyme and let the wine reduce

to a glaze, then add the chicken stock and let the sprouts

simmer for about 10 minutes or until almost all of the liquid

is gone…you want about 2 ounces of liquid left in the pan.

Add the butter, mix well, adjust seasoning, remove

the thyme sprigs and serve

Orange, Ginger, Pecan Glazed Sweet Potatoes

4 servings

12 ounces sweet potatoes

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1½ teaspoons of freshly grated ginger root

2 ounces dry white wine

4 ounces of chicken stock

2 tablespoons of butter

1 ounce olive oil

Pinch of sugar

2 ounces pecan halves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Clean the sweet potatoes, peel and slice into ½ inch thick

round pieces

Bring a pot of water to boil and then add the sweet

potatoes, cook for about 5 minutes depending on thickness,

you want to cook them until they are just soft to the touch.

Be careful not to overcook them as they will become mushy

and soft. Once they are cooked, remove them from the pan

and shock them in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Zest and juice the orange and reserve.

Grate the ginger root and add to the orange juice and zest.

Heat a sauté pan, add ½ of the butter and the oil. Once it

starts to brown add the sweet potatoes and lightly season

with salt, pepper and pinch of sugar.

Add the wine, orange juice, zest and ginger root and reduce

by ½ then add the chicken stock and reduce to a glaze

Add the remaining butter and pecans and toss lightly and

then season with salt and pepper.

Visit Paul’s restaurant, Heritage Food & Drink, at

201 W. South Main Street, Waxhaw, NC.

Call for reservations (not required but advised) at

(704) 843-5236 and visit him online at

HeritageFoodAndDrink.com.

dinner and leftovers

Sylvia Anton is Union County’s Eclectic Personal Chef

who prepares meals for you in your own home, ready

to eat or ready to freeze.

She prides herself on preparing variety dishes that use

all of your fresh produce. No more waste from spoiled

produce, freezer burn or outdated dairy products.

Chef Sylvia created this lighter version of the leftover

turkey sandwich for the day ofter Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!

Turkey Salad Lettuce WrapsIf you feel that your turkey has been seasoned to your

liking, then omit the below spices with the exception of

orange marmalade.

2 cups of finely diced turkey

1 stalk of diced celery

1½ tsp celery salt (great with poultry)

½ teaspoon ground sage

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup dried cranberries(re-hydrated in cranberry

or orange juice) or fresh whole cranberries(if you

have those leftover)

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoons orange marmalade

Toasted pecans(optional)

Butter lettuce or bibb lettuce

Place cranberries in a pot and cover with either orange or

cranberry juice. Turn on the heat and simmer until the

cranberries plump up. This may take about 15 minutes.

Drain cranberries and set aside.

In the meantime, prepare the turkey:

To make your life easier, if you have a food processor add

the turkey into it and pulse until your desired texture.

Don’t over process or the

meat will become mealy and

won’t blend well with the

other ingredients.

Place turkey in a mixing

bowl, toss in celery.

In another bowl add yogurt

and blend in marmalade.

Add in celery salt and sage

and blend.

Add cranberries and toss

then dress with the yogurt

marmalade mixture.

Serve in lettuce cups. This

is very healthy and

refreshing.

You can make this ahead of time. With the exception of the

celery and yogurt, it can be frozen. If you have a lot of

turkey left over, dice it, season it and freeze it. Then when

you’re ready, thaw it out and add celery and yogurt mixture.

These can be prepped in advance, unlike sandwiches made

with bread, lettuce will not become soggy. So if you are

packing lunch for your children, this is perfect to make in

the morning.

To learn more about Eclectic Personal Chef

Sylvia’s in-home culinary service, visit

eclecticpersonalchef.com at (704) 650-5767.

Services offered include customized meal planning,

grocery shopping, meal preparation, packaging and

freezing individual meals, clean up,

cooking classes and wine tastings.

dinner and leftovers

When you open the front door at Stallings Rock StoreBar-B-Q, you know you’re in for a treat. The aroma ofbarbecue simply wafts through theair. If you’re there after 7 p.m., youalso experience the smell of the nextday’s barbecue being smoked. This little restaurant, which seatsabout 30, is housed in a 1930 rockbuilding. Most of their traffic, however, is takeout. The eveningwe visited, a steady stream of customers picked up orders togo, and they were in and out the door within minutes.


Here’s the skinnyAmbiance: It’s nice to sit and eat inside or out, if theweather is agreeable, but the restaurant’s forte obviously is intakeout. In nice weather, picnic tables are covered with brightumbrellas.Menu: It’s what a BBQ menu should be. Plenty of choices,including ’cue in bulk, and enough BBQ-appropriate sides tokeep anyone happy. Catering is available.Quality: The meats are prepared every day at Stallings andthe Marshville, Locust, Waxhaw and Mint Hill locations.

Everything is ready to go; nowaiting needed.Despite historic regulations,founders Jay Mondock and

Bubba Chavis havefound the way tosmoke some of thebest pork, beef andchicken around. Andthe sides are not to

be ignored, either.The a la carte menu is broken

into sandwiches,plates, family special,rib, sides, bulk andsauces. (An odditythat we like is that themenu prices includetax and are evennumbers, such as $4 –just a quirk of ours.)Not only is the ’cuegood, the prices arealso. Chopped pork,beef brisket or pulledchicken sandwichesare $4 to $4.50, and a$6 sandwich combofeatures the pork, oneside and a drink.Chicken or beefcombos are just $6.50.Plates come with asandwich bun andyour choice of twosides for $8 or $8.75,

Eating Out

in Union

Editor Nancy Stephen digs into ribs,leaving sauce on her fingers, face

and, yes, even her arms.Ron Vilas photo.

Service: Very quick. Easily within two minutes!Value: Great value. Dine in or take out. Will we return? Oh, yes.

Stallings Rock Store Bar-B-Q3116 Old Monroe Road, StallingsMonday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Call after 7p.m. to ensure there’s still barbecue left. www.RockStoreBarBQ.com

BBQ ribs with Brunswick stew, plus mac and cheese.

Rock Store Bar-B-Q: It’s a multi-napkin kind of place.

slaw was a little heavy on the dressing. Interesting, though, thewhite slaw is “store bought” because the owners don’t think theycould make it better while the red is homemade. The cucumber and onion salad was deemed very good as was themac and cheese. We highly recommend ordering the cornbread toaccompany any plate. It’s slightly sweet, very smooth and notgritty, warmed and has no need for butter or jam. It’s great alone.The Rock Store’s dessert menu consists of one – homemadebanana pudding ($1.75/ $4.50) which should not be missed. It’sGrandma’s recipe and what we call “a keeper.” One diner called it“awesome.”It’s a little different from what you experience in many southernrestaurants. The vanilla wafers don’t overwhelm the pudding, andthe banana flavoring is throughout. It’s not just vanilla puddingwith cookies and fruit.The restaurant is obviously a local favorite – lots of peoplestopped by to pick up dinner on their way home. Definitely a place to return to!

and half rack rib platesare $14. We triedeverything but thechicken. The beef brisket andpulled port with bothvery tender and moist,and our diners sampledtwo of the restaurant’sfour sauces. Bothsauces were sweet andtangy and a greatcomplement to theBBQ.One frequent dinertypically orders thepork sandwich, whichshe says is “alwaysperfectly cooked with aslightly smoky flavor. It'smoist and tender and sowell flavored that I preferit without sauce.”

Our half-rack of ribs felloff both sides of the plate, so a full rack must be huge. Thepork ribs were slathered in a rich slightly sweet thick sauceand were tender and filling – yummy, to be exact.The menu features traditional “fixins” – baked beans, bothred and white cole slaw, cornbread and Brunswick stew,plus less frequently seen mac & cheese and cucumber &onion salad.Perceptions differed on the Brunswick stew, which istomatoey and full of veggies. One diner loved it; the otherdidn’t as much.The red slaw was a hit, while one diner thought the white


Rock Store Bar-B-Q: It’s a multi-napkin kind of place.


November8: Pottery Sale and Exhibit10 a.m. – 4 p.m.Ceramics and pottery crafted by area artists. Demonstrations, entertainment, raffles andmore.Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center(704) 821-2541

9: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana3 p.m., $25/$15 childRecommended for ages 10 +Batte Center at Wingate University

2121things to do inSweet Union

* requires advance registration

14: Girls Night Out (Accessories Party)Alliance for Children5 p.m. – 8 p.m.105 Cedar Street, Monroe(704) 226-1407

15: Rosehill Artist ShowcaseThe Inn at Rosehill & Rosehill Stables6623 Prospect Rd., Monroe; 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.(704) [email protected]

23: Union County Christmas ParadeDowntown MonroePre-parade performers at 1:15 p.mParade begins 2 p.m.(704) 226-1407

28: Holiday Festival of LightsStarts Nov. 28; Free. More than 75,000lights illuminate downtown.www.waxhaw.com

29: Lake Park Lights4019 Lake Charles Way, Indian TrailThis year’s show will run through Dec. 31.www.LakeParkLights.com(704) 962-5106

30: It’s A Wonderful LifeUnion County PlaymakersA pay what-you-can event.St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall116 S. Church St., Monroe(704) 238-3394

December5: Senior Citizens Christmas PartyWaxhaw celebrates its senior citizens with atown-sponsored Christmas Party held thefirst Friday in December. www.waxhaw.com

5: Stallings Christmas Tree Lighting & TreeParade, 5:30 p.m.

5,6:Waxhaw Women’s ClubHoliday Tour of HomesDec. 5 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.Dec. 6 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Purchase tickets on event days at The Waxhaw Woman's Club. (200 E SouthMain St.) for $20 or call ahead for will calltickets at $15.(704) 843-3493.

Sunday, March 29Symphony & Psalms

Union Symphony Orchestra &Wingate University Singers

4 p.m., $18-$28The Batte Center

Sunday, April 26All In The FamilyUnion Symphony Youth Orchestra4 p.m., $6, $18

Marvin Ridge High School

Reserve tickets at 704.283.2525.

www.UnionSymphony.orgThis project is supported by the Union County Community Arts Council

and the Grassroots Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency.

Union Symphony is pleased to have Richard Rosenberg as artisticdirector and Tom LaJoie as music director of the Youth Orchestra.

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Sunday, Dec. 7A Festival of Carols

Union Symphony Orchestra & Central United Methodist Chorus

5 p.m., Free801 S. Hayne St., Monroe

Friday, Dec. 12Holiday Fantasia

Union Symphony Youth Orchestra 7:30 p.m., $6, $18

Marvin Ridge High School

Saturday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. $100 a person

Premier tables available.

Rolling Hills Country ClubMusic by Union Symphony

Reserve at 704.283.2525. Black and white a�re

Celebrate Valen�ne’s Day

UUppCClloossee&& PPeerrssoonnaall

at an elegant concert, dinner, dance & auc�on.

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5:Weddington Tree Lighting5 p.m. Rain date December 6Please bring a new toy and/or non-perishablefood item.Pictures with Santa for $5Weddington Town Hall1924 Weddington Road(704) 846-2709

6: GingerSnap 5K & Girls on the RunOver 1,500 runners take to the streets ofWaxhaw.www.waxhaw.com

6,7: The BirthStorefront TheatreSaturday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2:30 p.m.$15; Waxhaw Presbyterian Church 8100 Old Waxhaw Monroe Road, Waxhaw(704) 243-7283

7: Indian Trail Parade, Tree Lighting3 p.m. Parade (Indian Trail Road)4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Free activities (Crossing Paths Park)4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Free photos With Santaand Mrs. Claus

7: Lake Park Tree LightingTown Center Gazebo Park5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.Music by Faith United Methodist Church andUnion Academy

7: A Christmas ConcertUnion Symphony Orchestra & Central United Methodist Chorus 5 p.m., FreeCentral United Methodist; 801 S. Hayne St., Monroe

7: Union County Christmas ParadeDowntown MonroePre-parade performers at 1:15 p.mParade begins 2 p.m.

12: Holiday FantasiaUnion Symphony Youth Orchestra7:30 p.m., $6, $18Marvin Ridge High School

13: Poetry Open Mic6:30 p.m., Free

Poems may be originals or a favorite byanother author; light [email protected](704) 821-2541

14:Waxhaw Christmas Parade Features local school marching bands,entries and floats by hundreds ofbusinesses and members of the community.After the parade, have a snack with Santa.www.waxhaw.com

18-21: ‘Twas The Night BeforeChristmas by Union County PlaymakersA mouse is stirring – because Santa missedhis house last year. Dec. 18 – 20. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m.St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall116 S. Church Street Monroe, NC$15 adults, $12 Sr./StudentsCarolinaTix.com or call (704) 238-3394.


TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OR FOR MORE INFO CarolinasHealthCare.org/NewCenter

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT with an OB/GYN physician or pediatrician704-512-4351

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT DURING YOUR STAY:

Expert physicians at Union OB/GYN

Custom-designed suites and a private entrance

Cozy family-style waiting lounge

Special care nursery

AS YOUR CHILD GROWS, YOU’LL HAVE ACCESS TO:

Board-certified pediatricians

Children’s Urgent Care in Monroe

Pediatric hospitalists

It’s So Much More Than You’re Expecting

INTRODUCING THE NEW

Carolinas Medical Center-UnionWomen and Children’s Center at

Union Lifestyle Nov Dec 2014

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Transcript of Union Lifestyle Nov Dec 2014