Asheboro Magazine, Issue 21, April 2012

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sheboro

PRICELESS APRIL ‘12

M • A •G •A •Z •I •N •E

Switch It Up Cash or Consign Keeping Things Fresh

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Community Character - Micki Bare Feature - Crimes Against Humanity Zoo Zeal - Aging Animals Create Concerns

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M • A •G •A •Z •I •N •E

feature.••••40 at the y.m.c.a.••••43 ask the expert.••••44 community news.••••45 feature.••••46 ask the expert.••••48 community news.••••49 the cellar.••••50 recipe.••••52 zoo zeal.••••54 date night.••••58 upcoming events.••••60 ray of sunshine.••••62

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people.••••6 letters.••••8 editorial.••••10 cover story.••••12 feature.••••16 ask the expert.••••18 feature.••••20 community news.••••24 ask the expert.••••28 nature’s nuances.••••30 community character.••••32 ask the expert.••••34 daily devotion.••••36 ask the expert.••••38

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The Art of the Kitchen Remodel

Simple upgrades make an excellent first impression on homebuyers.

Appliances - A new range, oven, dishwasher and refrigerator are upgrades that effectively increase the odds of selling a house. Save money by shopping sales and looking for rebates on energy-efficient appliances.

Cabinets - Putting a new face on old cabinet doors and drawers give a kitchen a fresher look. Classic cabinet designs in neutral colors and hardware in stainless steel or brushed nickel appeal to the greatest number of potential homebuyers.

Sinks and Faucets - New faucets that are stylish and functional improve a kitchen’s salability. Many favor a stainless steel sink, but fresh caulking and shine make a sink look “new”.

For simple kitchen remodeling tips, visit www.WaynetteAraj.com.

For a complete listing of available homes and real estate market information, visit

www.WaynetteAraj.com To connect your dreams with the right real estate, call

RealtoR®, Broker, CDPe, SFR tRIaD MlS RE/MAX Central Realty

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wharaj@triad.rr.com Office: 336-626-5600

Araj.AsheboroMag.7.5x4.875_kitchen.indd 1

4/8/12 4:11 PM

asheboromagazine.com

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STAFF Sherry Johnson

Dave Johnson

Lina Landess

Katie Linn

Publisher

Advertising Director

Associate Editor

Creative Director

sherry@asheboromagazine.com

dave@asheboromagazine.com

Lauren Johnson Staff Photographer

lauren@asheboromagazine.com

CONTRIBUTORS Jim Gourley

Anna Richard FAKADEJ, MD SIKORA, DPM

Michael HARMON

jacquie REININGER

Winona Rev. Peter WENTWORTH PANAGORE

Bianca TYLER

WHO WE ARE Asheboro Magazine is a production of Asheboro & More Marketing, Inc.

W. Greg SMITH

Ryan DODSON

Tom GILLESPIE

Lina LANDESS

Asheboro Magazine PO Box 1369 Asheboro, NC 27204 336-698-3889 facebook.com/asheboromagazine

www.asheboromagazine.com ©2012 All Rights Reserved Asheboro Magazine is published monthly by Asheboro & More Marketing, Inc. Any reproduction or duplication of any part thereof must be done with the written permission of the Publisher. All information included herein is correct to the best of our knowledge as of the publication date. Corrections should be forwarded to the Publisher at the address above.

Disclaimer: The paid advertisements contained within Asheboro Magazine are not endorsed or recommended by the Publisher. Therefore, neither party may be held liable for the business practices of these companies.

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sheboro M • A •G •A •Z •I •N •E

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letters.

Dear Readers,

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from the publisher

hat a beautiful spring we have had so far this year. I can’t believe how early everything is (not that I’m complaining, it would still be snowing if I lived in Maine). I’ve already had my first fresh strawberries this year, and it’s only the beginning of April. I’ve planted my garden, and I’m looking forward to decorating the deck with lots of containers of beautiful flowers, similar to the beautiful ones depicted in our Nature’s Nuances article.

Speaking of strawberries, check out Susan Harrell’s new gallery in our story on page 40, and see her incredibly lifelike painting of strawberries. Lifelike,

“

What a beautiful spring we have had so far this year.

I can’t believe how early everything is (not that I’m complaining, it would still be snowing if I lived in Maine).

“

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that is, until you notice the little people scaling the sides of the strawberries and realize it’s a painting and not a photograph.

Kara Newton knows how to keep a business fresh and exciting. Check out our April cover story, Keeping Things Fresh. She is renaming her store on E Dixie Drive to Switch It Up Cash or Consign. If you haven’t had a chance to shop at her store yet, you are missing out.

I get more compliments on the outfits I put together from her store than I do when I pay full retail – and I save a ton of money!

Janet Harllee is one of my favorite people in Asheboro, and she’s the only person I know with a split personality that isn’t locked up in the looney bin.

Actually, I don’t know any others, but if you haven’t seen one of her performances as Mitsy Lou, you definitely need to check her out. Read all about her in our Ray of Sunshine article this month.

If you are like me, you love planning your weekends ahead of time so that you don’t miss anything. Check out

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our Community Events page and plan accordingly, there is a LOT going on in Asheboro and surrounding towns the next few weeks and you don’t want to miss a minute of the fun or the BBQ. I look forward to seeing you all out and about!

Last month we neglected to mention that the beautiful cover shot was taken

by Constance Ulrich of Studio C Photography, here in Asheboro. You can reach her at 336-227-7992. She does an amazing job both in studio and on location. Call her for all your photography needs. In addition to that, we forgot to tell you how reach Lina Landess at From the Inside Out. She can be reached through her website, fromtheinside-out.net or call her at 336521-1176. That’s what we get for not double proofreading the magazine!

Thanks for reading and have a great month!©

Sherry

Sherry Johnson, Publisher

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editorial.

EVEN IF YOU STUMBLE, YOU’RE STILL MOVING FORWARD

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ost people do not like change. Being an entrepreneur, you have to embrace change and be willing to make it, often times, at the drop of a hat. There are so many variables that affect change that if you aren’t willing or able to roll with those that need to be made, you are most certainly doomed.

And then there are the times where you make a change and realize later it did not produce the desired results. This isn’t necessarily bad because usually there is a valuable lesson learned. It has been my experience that, although sometimes uncomfortable, most change is good.

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Back in November of last year, we made a big change. We expanded the distribution of Asheboro Magazine to the Archdale/Trinity area of Randolph County and changed the name to Asheboro & More Magazine. Our hopes were to unite the county and highlight all the great things that happen here just like we were doing for Asheboro. However, after six months we’ve learned a few things. First, Randolph County covers so much area that is very challenging to cover the entire county with one publication. Secondly, Archdale and Trinity, although technically part of Randolph County, are more a part of the

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High Point area than our community.

And lastly, we just don’t have the resource needed to adequately cover the entire county. Because of these reasons, we’ve decided to change the name of the magazine back to Asheboro Magazine, give it a facelift and put our focus back on this side of the County.

The content of the magazine will remain, for the most part, unchanged.

We may add a feature here and there, but it has always been our goal to have a magazine “for the community, about the community, by the community”. I am fond of saying “the magazine will become what it wants to become”. That may sound a little mystic for some, but this “free style” format has served us well for twentyone issues and I am certain it will continue to do so.

We are not, and have never been, a professional publication, with professional writers (although some of our writers hold national acclaim).

We are amateurs who, like the 1980 gold-medal winning USA Hockey Team, are passionate about what we do and do it “for the love of the game”. Part of this publishing

[“It has been my experience that, although sometimes uncomfortable, most change is good”.] philosophy includes the community and gives those who normally wouldn’t have a voice, a place to share their passion with everyone else. In the last 21 issues, we’ve had quite a few “amateurs” share their words on our pages and based on the overwhelming reader response, our magazine is better for it.

Because we are amateurs (and human beings) we will continue to make mistakes. Although we do our best to proofread the magazine from start to finish each month, it is inevitable that a grammatical error or two is going to sneak past us from time to time. If you read our magazine with a red pen hyper focusing on the grammatical errors, you’ll probably find a few. If you want to continue to read local stories about the people and businesses that make our community great, written by people in our community, we got you covered.

Every month I hear that our magazine is hard to find. When we put out the new

magazines each month, there are never any left over from the previous month.

This means the demand is much higher than the supply, which is a good thing, but we’d like to have more magazines out there so more people can enjoy them.

Therefore, we are going to increase the number of magazines we distribute and add a few more distribution points on the north side of town.

There are a lot of things going on here in Asheboro in the next 30 days or so. My favorite is the criterium (bicycle race) that will be held for the second year downtown. We have a four page spread starting on page 24 that highlights this event. Art Mayhem and the Habitat for Humanity’s Bar-B-Cue are being held on the same day (May 5th) so there will be something for everyone. I can’t wait.

Bicycle racing was my sport and I was pretty good at it, too. I was hoping to get in shape this last year so that I could dust off my bike and racing gear and mix it up

with the other riders that will be coming to Asheboro from all over the state (and even other parts of the country) to race.

However, I was not able to devote the time needed to training and at my current weight I wouldn’t last a single lap. I have made it my goal to be ready for next year’s race though. If you’ve never seen a bike race, this is an event you do not want to miss.

As an entrepreneur, I pay special attention to all the businesses popping up left and right. It is a sign that the economy is turning around and I believe, as I have said many times before, we are in the right place at the right time here in Asheboro. This is also why we spend a great deal of time highlighting local businesses and business people.

There are great things happening that we want everyone to know about. For this reason, we’re happy to put our focus and attention back on Asheboro. Thanks for reading. ©

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by Molly Norman & Sherry Johnson

KEEPING THINGS FRESH

K

ara Newton knows how important it is to keep things fresh and exciting, and to change things up every now and again. In the next few weeks you will see several changes at her Dixie Drive store All About Fashion Upscale Consignment, including changing the name to Switch It Up Cash or Consign.

The store will be receiving a facelift with new paint colors, wall art and signage utilizing her new color scheme.

Switch It Up, formerly All About Fashion, is a ‘must shop’ destination 12

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for great finds in Asheboro and has been touted for the past eight years as Asheboro’s largest upscale consignment shop for the entire family and home.

Kara specializes in name brand apparel for ladies, guys & juniors, maternity and children, accessories, toys, furniture, home décor and more. Popular apparel brands are Abercrombie, Banana Republic, and American Eagle. She also maintains a large selection of plus sizes for women, as well as designer handbags from Coach, Dooney, Kathy Van Zeeland and more.

Her children’s section is always packed with great items. “Baby equipment is in high demand right now, and although we are usually stacked to the ceiling with it, lately it is not staying long enough to stack that high…which is a good thing,” Kara said. Items that sell well are strollers, jumperoos, pack-nplays and more. She will pay on the spot for all baby gear in gently used condition.

Kara said in her five years as shop owner, she has never seen baby gear selling so fast ... it’s obviously baby season! In addition to gently used items, Kara has a selection of new items as well. She

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carries a custom line of girl’s apparel & accessories made by Krista Montel with Lizards & Ladybugs Boutique, as well as luggage in many trendy designs such as zebra, polka dot & more.

Kara added consignment furniture to the growing list of items that her store carries in 2009, and it has done extremely well. In February, 2011 she expanded the store an additional 2,000 sq. ft. to accommodate the larger items.

Top sellers include dinette sets, modern style sofas and love seats, dressers and bunk beds. “We’ve done phenomenal ly well with furniture at the store, but we always need more!” Kara noted. If you are remodeling, or just “switching” up your furniture and decor, let Kara sell your used items and make some extra money to put towards the new.

Although she hasn’t advertised it much, Kara has been dabbling in “buyouts” or resales for about a year and a half, which has proven very successful through word of mouth with her clients.

She will be expanding this portion of her business and it will now be a resale and consignment shop, hence the name change. “So many people are traveling

to Greensboro and High Point for resale that it just makes sense to offer it here at home.”

In this economy, a lot of clients prefer the cash upfront to waiting for their items to sell.

Teenage boys and girls can bring in their gently used fashion items and within 48 to 72 hours have cash to spend at the mall, or choose the store credit option and receive 10 to 20% more per item.

Kara offers resale/ consignment year round, whereas most consignment events are once or twice a year. Often a group will host two seasonal sales a year, usually in the spring and fall and consignors are required to tag and hang their own items.

She said she has many consignors who used to participate in these types of sales and have shared with her their experiences. One customer in particular used to travel all the way to Raleigh. Another client’s husband begged her to stop attending these sales, and even offered to load her totes in the car for her to take to All About Fashion if she would keep it local and quit the seasonal consignment sales. He said it was a stress on his wife to get everything tagged and usually there were clothes and shoes laid out everywhere for two weeks prepping for the sale.

“Although you get 60% from those sales, by the time you spend your own money to buy the hangers, cards and pins for labeling, handwrite or type all the descriptions and pricing for your tags, and spend your time working the event, that percent goes way down.” At most of these places, you have to volunteer to work the event in order to get to shop the sale before the public.

Kara accepts two totes at a time from her clients, and once they have a chance to go through the tote, you will be contacted by one of her sales associates.

During peak season, Kara might get 20

to 30 totes in one day. She works hard to make sure they don’t sit for too long.

Merchandise flows through the store so quickly that it’s different every week.

When Kara purchased the store in 2007, there were 700 consignors in her database. She currently has over 3,000 sellers and consignors. She has grown the store to 6,000 sq. ft. of shopping space and has a constant flow of merchandise to fill the shelves and racks.

In addition to changing the name, Kara is launching a new customer loyalty rewards program. The “Switch‘n Bucks” loyalty program will be available to all shoppers. Every time a customer spends $20 in her store, their card will be stamped and on their 11th visit they will receive 20% off their entire purchase.

Another incentive available only for sellers and consignors beginning May 1st is the “Switch’n Exclusive” card, which can be purchased for $10 and is redeemable for 10% off every purchase.

Another positive that customers will notice due to the increase in business is the addition of a second checkout/ inventory station. It will be used for pricing and tagging items for the most part, but on super busy days it can be utilized to ring up customers’ purchases, making things quick and efficient for shoppers. She will also expand her store hours soon: Monday through Thursday 10-7 pm; Fridays 10-5 pm, and Saturdays 9-5 pm. Stay tuned to Facebook for updates.

“I love staying in contact with my customers and Facebook has made that easy to do. I take pictures of new items throughout the day and post them on the page. People see something they want and come in and buy it that day,” she said of her success using the social media site.

If you aren’t currently a fan of the store, please visit their site at www.facebook. com/aafconsignment. Kara encourages existing and prospective customers and consignors to call her at the store or if they are a fan, message her on the store’s Facebook page. She will be launching her own store website soon as well.

Kara is originally from Burlington.

She purchased the business in October 2007, and added women’s fashions to the existing children’s business. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Jonathan Newton - who works for his family’s business, Steel asheboromagazine.com

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Supply & Erection in Asheboro – since December 2002. They also own Wholesale Office Furniture Direct in Burlington, which they purchased in 2008, that offers 40-70% off retail pricing on name brands like Kathy Ireland, DMI, Lazy Boy and other office furniture brands. Kara has been spending a tremendous amount of time in the past four months getting that store organized and running efficiently, and looks forward to getting to see her Asheboro customers more now that she is able to split her time between the two stores. She is looking to hire personnel for both stores in the next few weeks to be able to manage her time more efficiently and effectively between the two locations.

Kara and Jonathan have three children, Jacob, eight; Megan, six; and three-year-old Morgan, whom Kara calls their little fashionista. “She loves to dress up. She lives in dance clothes.

As soon as I pick her up from my mother-in-law’s house every day, all she wants to do as soon when we walk in the door is

Megan and Morgan Newton, Sporting Apparel & Accessories

by Lizards & Ladybugs Boutique.

“I decided to consign with All About Fashion after several years of participating in a seasonal consignment sale in Raleigh sponsored by my twins club. Twice a year I had to drag totes of clothes and toys from the attic. I had to sort, price, and tag each piece. I never accomplished getting everything ready in time. I loaded up my items and drove the hour to the State Fair Grounds. The weather was always against us. It was normally either extremely hot or bitterly cold and more often than not, raining. I have two 5 year olds and free time is coveted. After speaking with Kara’s mom, I decided to give All About Fashion a try. The first check I picked up was over $400!! I couldn’t believe it, consigning with her paid for our Christmas trip to Disney World this year. I didn’t do anything other than put the items in a tote and deliver to the store. I have since taken everything from clothes to furniture to her store. You will never believe how easy she and her employees make it.”

- Brandi Caviness “The first thing that pops into my mind when I think of All About Fashion is Customer Service. They go the extra mile to provide customer and consignor satisfaction. They call you by name and truly appreciate your business. I would not consign anywhere else!”

- Karen Allred “I live an hour away, and I always have to stop at your consignment shop every time I come to Asheboro. All About Fashion always has wide range of styles of clothes, toys, and shoes. I am always able to find something that I love. The selections are great and very reasonably priced. This has to be one of my favorite consignment shops to visit. Thank you for having such a wonderful store!”

- Erica Scott “As a busy mom to 3 and soon to be 4 children, All About Fashion Upscale Consignment is my go-to for great finds for each of them & me!

Not only have I been shopping & consigning there for over 4 years, I know I'm always going to find a friendly face with Kara & each of her staff members. Keep the deals coming!!”

- Julia Herman “I always get complimented on how fashionable I dress my girls. And truth is I buy the majority of my daughters clothes from All About Fashion. My girls wear them for a season and then I reconsign them the next season!

That makes dressing my girls fashionable very affordable!! All About Fashion is the best consignment shop around!!! ” - Karyn Robinson

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CUSTOMER COMMENTS

Jacob Newton

put on her dance clothes and crank up the music,” she said.

The other two keep them busy as well, between Jacob’s passion for fishing and sports, and Kara taking Megan to dance classes and traveling out of town for competitions on weekends. Jacob hit two homeruns in the very first baseball game this season. Megan, who dances for Pointe South Dance & Tumble of Randleman, recently took home top soloist and best overall for the Minis (dancers younger than eight) awards from a competition.

Kara herself enjoys shopping, visits to the nail salon and spending time with her family. She is looking forward to the warmer weather when her family can do what they love best, spending time together boating on Badin Lake.

For more information on Switch It Up Cash or Consign stop by the store or give her a call at (336) 625-2742. It’s conveniently located at 1520 E. Dixie Drive, Suite L above Hobby Lobby and Big Lots. ©

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feature.

THE SOUND OF OM by jacquie Reininger

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HEN I WAS A TEENAGER, MY FAMILY MOVED TO A VERY RURAL AREA OF OUR COUNTY. IT WAS SO QUIET THERE AND I ENJOYED EXPLORING THE FIELDS AND WOODS SURROUNDING THE OLD FARM HOUSE. I GREW TO RESPECT AND REVERE THE PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE. MY HUSBAND AND I CHOSE A HOME IN THIS COUNTY WHICH WAS RATHER RURAL 20 YEARS AGO PARTLY BECAUSE WE APPRECIATED QUIETUDE. THE AREA HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS AND WE NOW HAVE NEIGHBORS ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF US, ALONG WITH THEIR DAILY EMISSIONS OF SOUND. OUR PEACEFUL SANCTUARY WAS OF COURSE NOT MEANT TO LAST, AND HAS BECOME IN FACT QUITE NOISY! IT BOTHERED ME MORE AT FIRST, BUT THEN I LEARNED THAT THE SUM OF ALL OF THE SOUNDS THAT ARE OCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY ALL OVER THE PLANET, EVEN OVER THE UNIVERSE, BLEND TO MAKE UP THE SOUND OF OM. FROM THE BULLDOZER’S RUMBLE THAT VIBRATES DEEP WITHIN THE EARTH’S CRUST DOWN TO THE SLIGHTEST BUZZ OF THE HUMMINGBIRD MOTH’S FLUTTER, THEY ALL COME TOGETHER TO BECOME THE SOUND OF OM. IMAGINE GETTING IN A SPACESHIP AND SHOOTING OFF INTO SPACE. ONE COULD LOOK BACK AND HEAR THE DISTINCT SOUNDS BREAKING DOWN AND BLENDING TOGETHER INTO A PULSING BACKGROUND HUM! 16

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Ever since I learned this way of thinking about sound, things that used to bother me--a lot--don’t so much anymore…like the lawnmower that starts up next door just as I finally get time to go outside to thin my spinach patch!

However, I am not able to assimilate all sounds into OM equally. As a matter of fact, as I write this sitting on my deck, the fourth lawn mower starting in the distance drives me indoors. I know that making sound is unavoidable and often beyond our control…but intentional sounds, especially ones which carry long distances still bug me! Some of us contribute to the Sound of Om more than others. Much of our sound emissions are necessary, like the sound of our car starting up in the morning.

But some of it is not, like the choice to install a loud muffler or to rev the engine for the thrill of hearing it echo through the neighborhood at dawn. In fact, our love-affair with combustible engines has changed the soundscape of our planet as much as its atmosphere! It has become near impossible to find a place on Earth where there are only natural sounds. Proof is in the article in The New York Time Magazine on March 18th, 2012 about scientists recording 60 sites in remote areas of the Dinali Reserve in Alaska for 6 years. In that span of time, they found only 36 days when there were no sounds of engines recorded!

A noisy environment holds risks to our health. I imagine it’s

OM (or AUM) A Sanskrit word of special sanctity in the Hindu religion, generally interchangable with AUM. It is pronounced at the beginning and end of every lesson in the Vedas (ancient scriptures) and is also the introductory word of the Puranas (religious works embodying legends and mythology). The KathaUpanishad states: "Whoever knows this syllable obtains whatever he wishes."

There are various accounts of its origin; one that it is the term of assent used by the gods and possibly an old contracted form of the Sanskrit word evam meaning "thus." The Manu-Sangita (Laws of Manu), a religious work of social laws, states the word was formed by Brahma himself, who extracted the letters a-u-m from the Vedas.

Om is also the name given by the Hindus to the spiritual sun, as opposed to Surya, the natural sun.

“OM (or AUM).” Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 4 Apr. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

like the energy spent in fending off the noise could be better spent in healing. Exposure to elevated noise can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance and sleep disturbance. It has also been known to induce tinnitus, hypertension, vasoconstriction and other cardiovascular impacts. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure. (Visit Wikipedia to see the article “Health Effects from Noise”) On the other hand, quietude stokes up our energy reserves. We find that after sitting in the park for our lunch break, our stores of energy seem revitalized. We experience a decrease in stress hormones and find our nervous system slowing down and blood pressure easing up.

We can pay attention to how our actions may be contributing to noise pollution. Just like in air and water pollution, our contributions effect more than our immediate home and family. Our sound activities effect neighbors at least as far as the crow flies all around us! Maybe we can adjust our collective noise on this planet…bring it down a notch. We can be aware of the sounds we make and muffle or limit the ones we do have control over.

We can crank up the manpower and reduce the horsepower required to achieve daily tasks. A shovel in the garden works as well as a tiller. A rake, as well as a leaf blower…and the added bonus is that these activities bring the body into a healthier state as well! So does riding a bike! Try using one at work on nice days to go to lunch (in the park!).

I am sure that over the centuries, especially since the Industrial Revolution, our Planet’s contribution to OM has grown louder, and maybe even more dissonant! From the vantage point of the moon, do you think it makes a difference? Probably not, but from down here it does! asheboromagazine.com

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ask the expert.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE?

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your money

ong-term care insurance helps cover expenses that typical health insurance doesn't, such as nursing homes, in-home care and assisted living.

During the last 20 years long term care insurance sales have risen dramatically.

But over the past 2 years insurance companies have been making major adjustments because the claims on longterm health care policies have exceeded their predictions and the premiums they were charging were too low. Meanwhile, record-low interest rates have depressed what the industry earns on the premiums it collects.

As of this month 10 of the top 20 long-term care insurance carriers have bailed out of the market and the remaining insurance carriers have raised premiums on new policies and existing policyholders.

Greg Smith is a local investment advisor and has over 20 years experience in the investment field.

He is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in business.

535 S Cox Street Asheboro, NC (336) 672-2155 18

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NEW INSURANCE PRODUCTS Trying to address consumer complaints about premium increases, the industry has created new hybrid products that combine life insurance or annuities with long-term care. These new products will give you money back if you do not use it for long term care in the form of life insurance or retirement income to you or your beneficiaries.

If you are over age 50 and are considering long term care insurance and planning ahead for retirement…..now may be the time to look into insurance or hybrid products before the market raises premiums even more.

Contact me for a detailed proposal on all of your retirement & long term care options. wgsmithinvestments@yahoo. com or 336-672-2155. ©

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The Randolph County Department of Social Services is looking for loving, supportive families to serve as foster families for the children of Randolph County in need.

We are focusing on homes for sibling groups, teenagers, and medically fragile children

If you are interested in becoming a Foster Parent, please contact the Randolph County Department of Social Services at 336-683-8062 to get more information on the requirements and training opportunities.

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feature.

CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

By Jim Gourley

ON A MONDAY MORNING NOT TOO LONG AGO, MY WIFE INTERRUPTED MY MORNING SHOWER IN SOME ALARM. "I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE GARAGE. THE DOOR IS OPEN AND I DON'T SEE ANY OF YOUR BIKES." "Okay," I simply responded. The bikes were easily visible. My 2011 Trek Madone was up on the maintenance stand I kept in there and the 2012 Marin Stelvio, provided to me by Marin as sponsors of my team for this year's Race Across America, was carefully placed against the wall. If my wife couldn't see them, they weren't there. I took a deep breath and reconciled myself to the loss. When I surveyed the garage, my worst fears were confirmed. The thieves had come through the gate to our yard, jimmied open the side door of the garage, and helped themselves to my cycling equipment. In addition to the bikes, they took my tool kit and a set of expensive race wheels. Knowing their business, they left behind my wife's beach cruiser and exercise bike. I called the police and the insurance company, and began going through the motions. Friends and family have remarked throughout the process that I have yet to express anger at the thieves, indignance at the violation of my home, or even frustration over the loss of the bikes.

It struck me that so many people 20

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felt that the crime itself was a hideous violation of something sacred. The very idea that someone would come into my home while I'm sleeping disturbed several people. It didn't bother me that much. Maybe it's because I had other things on my mind. All things considered, having my bikes stolen wasn't the worst thing that happened to me that weekend.

I got hit by a car on Saturday.

Hit. The rear passenger door struck my elbow. It put me off the road. The wind was blowing in my ears and it came up so fast and quiet I didn't even have a chance to react. I went into a soft grass field screaming at 22mph. The short lady in the silver-blue Acura just kept driving. Thankfully, I was able to get things under control before anything really bad happened. I righted myself, stood back on the shoulder, and watched her cruise on down the road as if nothing had happened. She didn't accelerate or slow down. I wondered if she'd even noticed I was there. That's when I began trembling uncontrollably. A thought came to me. Not of fear or anger, but

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something worse. Five minutes passed before I could stop shaking enough to pedal again.

I have to stop for a second and tell a couple of quick background anecdotes.

I'm a former Army officer and combat veteran with the 101st Airborne Division. There were probably a dozen times I almost died during my first deployment to Iraq in 2003, but two stick out in memory. The first was the time my platoon was sent to secure the site of a roadside bomb that had been discovered. We drove over it three times before someone realized they'd given me the wrong map coordinates to find it. The second time, another platoon in our unit encountered four Iraqi men with heavy weapons in a car. The men put up a fight, and the soldiers wound up killing them all. Before the last one died of his wounds, he confessed that they'd been on their way to attack our base. He'd been paid by Saddam loyalists to kill American soldiers. The price for a hitman in Iraq in 2003? Twenty-five bucks.

Here's what makes those little tales relevant. I'm not angry at the people who

[" ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS THAT GOOD MEN DO NOTHING."] Jim Gourley & Teammates after completing RAAM

Jim Gourley dipping his bike in the Atlantic after completing the Race Across America (RAAM)

stole my bikes. I was never angry at the man who planted the bomb I drove over.

I even felt sorry for the guys who took money to attack me. But the guy who gave me the wrong map coordinates?

Let's just say that I had words with him.

And the woman who hit me with her car?

If she stood before me right now I don't know if I'd fall to my knees and beg her for something or if I'd just wring the life from her neck.

Maybe that sounds inconsistent. How could I feel anger over such disparate crimes as robbery and careless driving, but forgive my would-be murderers?

And why the conflicting reactions to the driver?

I think most people view things in terms of the relative harm done. The thieves and gunmen were worse because they actually did me harm and because their intent was malicious. The woman "only" had an accident. I don't evaluate the incident, though. I look at the person.

I know the people who tried to kill me in Iraq didn't hate me. They were not guided by hatred, but rather by love.

They were desperate men with families they couldn't feed. They had neither the skill for nor tendency toward weapons, but it was their last resort to provide for their children. I don't know if the bicycle thieves were desperate as well, but I'd like to think so. The economy is tough. People are having trouble making ends meet. Maybe the thieves thought bike equipment would be an easy score to move and make some sorely needed

cash. Maybe my bike pays for a kid's new pair of glasses this week. There would have been better ways to resolve that issue, but if it's something like that, I could at least be okay with it. My son wears glasses. If I had to steal your bike to keep him from going blind in one eye, I'd do it. I've done much worse things in my life for much less noble reasons.

But what was the motorists’ reason?

Maybe she was irritated that a cyclist was in her way. Maybe she just didn't give it much thought that I need more space. Maybe she got distracted for a moment while passing me or it's likely she never saw me in the first place because her mind was on other things. She would have killed me as absentmindedly as any of us step on an insect while strolling the sidewalk. In a word, she was careless.

To my mind, being careless is, in and of itself, one of the worst crimes a person can commit. Consider it this way. If the bomber or the sniper had killed me in Iraq, regardless of how you feel about the war, my death would have had meaning.

It would have meant food for my killer's children. It would have meant a kind of victory for my enemies. If my bikes provide the thieves with money, the theft has meaning to them. But if I'd been killed by that woman, what meaning would there have been to my death? She neither meant to kill me nor avoid me.

There was no consideration given to me as a fellow human being. I would have been a victim of apathy. By definition,

my death would have been meaningless.

I'm reminded of one of the final lines in the movie "Platoon." "Hell is the impossibility of reason." If I'd died for no reason, you could say in a certain way that woman would not only have killed me, she would have sent me to hell.

The atrocity of carelessness goes further than an act of carelessness itself.

By means that defy reason, it becomes its own excuse. We say "careless accident," despite the implication that an accident is by definition a result of carelessness.

We are careless in our use of the word "careless." We simply throw it around without a moment's reflection of just how terrible it is. We accept too easily a person's response "I didn't mean to do it!" We never demand a greater sense of obligation that they mean to not do it.

A proverb comes to mind. "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing."

I think people assume that the expression means that there are evil people doing evil things in the world, and to prevent their success good people must make efforts to stop them. I don't see it that way. The quote refers only to evil, not evil people. The difference is significant, because it means that evil does not require people to do evil things, only that good people do nothing. If you drive your car and don't pay attention to the road, if you don't have it in mind that there may be a vulnerable living being out ahead of you, then there are things you are not doing. It's possible

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Jim Gourley on the road during RAAM

Jim Gourley on the road during RAAM

that a husband or a wife, a parent or a son, a beloved pet or a sibling could die.

The authorities will call it "negligent homicide" or "reckless manslaughter," but just because you didn't kill them with malice in your heart doesn't make them any less dead. You are not an evil person, but it's an evil thing to deprive someone of their daddy or mommy for the rest of their life. It's amazing what kind of evil can result from simply not doing things. When we talk about what it is to be truly evil, we invoke the names of people like Milosevic, Hitler and Bin Laden. We describe their deeds as "crimes against humanity." There's no disputing that what they did was horrible, but their crimes were against humankind.

To my mind, a crime against humanity is a personal thing. It's that which violates the very essence of what makes us human. Simply failing to be human by falling into such abject apathy that we watch our fellow man suffer without feeling any urge to help them — that is a crime against humanity.

There's a big debate about abortion laws and women's health in our country right now. No one is talking about adoption laws or orphanages. We get upset about how many people have died in Afghanistan, so we invent more drone aircraft and robotic weapons to remove troops from the line of fire. We don't engage in serious conversations about how our country decides to go to war and put those people in jeopardy in the first place. People still argue about corporate 22

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bailouts that happened years ago and complain about their mortgages. We're not taking enough canned food to the soup kitchens for them to stay open.

People spend the last week of March fighting about national health care.

How many people took the time to tell someone that they cared about them? I feel that, if we could accurately derive that ratio, it would tell us something about how healthy our country really is.

After the theft, acquaintances from Facebook and the cycling community offered to loan their bikes to me for the race across the country. I am a rich man to have such good friends. This outreach further inspired me to reflect on the Biblical tale of the Good Samaritan.

Most people know of it — a merchant was beaten by robbers and left for dead on the side of the road. Several other travelers passed him by, leaving him to certain death before a man from Samaria picked him up and gave him aid. The story doesn't focus on the robbers. Yes, they did evil, but there's no further qualification of their rationale. Maybe they were starving. Maybe they had to feed their children. I reserve judgment on them, because I don't know the reason for their action. But the story isn't about the robbery. It's about the people who saw the suffering man, and the evil of not doing something. The people who passed the merchant by may not be evil, either. But a simple robbery would have become a murder because of what they didn't do. What they did not do allowed

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Jim in Army Uniform

evil to succeed.

I humbly make this request to anyone who reads this. Fight evil this week. Care. Find yourself in a moment where you are not doing something, and take hold of that moment as an opportunity not to fight the forces of evil that surround us, but those that spring from within us. Are you not walking a mile in another person's shoes? Are you not having a sincere conversation with the cashier ringing up your items in Wal-Mart? Are you not buying your wife flowers for no reason? Are you not pulling over and making sure the guy with the stalled car on the side of the road at least has help coming? Are you not tipping your server enough? Are you being careless with your actions behind the wheel? With your words on the Internet? With the heart of someone who loves you? With the dignity of a stranger?

Kill your apathy. Rid yourself of the hellish emptiness bred of detachment from your brothers and sisters. Shake a stranger's hand. Touch a human being, get in touch with your humanity, and commit no crime against either of them. Care about people this week. Be considerate of others in your thoughts, and let those thoughts guide you to be careful with the lives and happiness of your fellow man. Do me a favor, and do a favor for someone you don't know. Do something, anything.

Just don't do nothing. ©

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community news.

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ONE DAY, TWO GREAT DOWNTOWN ASHEBORO EVENTS

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wo great events – the Asheboro in Motion Criterium and Art MayHam - are converging on downtown Asheboro on Saturday, May 5 bringing with them the opportunity for visitors to see high-speed cyclists, a BMX stunt show, music and the work of over 30 artists and

artisans. To top it off, a BBQ cook-off featuring around a dozen competitors will take place. The activities begin at 11 a.m. and will last until 7 p.m.

The Asheboro in Motion Criterium features a 0.6 mile loop of city streets.

Cyclists must whip around corners and master a hill to stay in the front of the pack.

The goal is to complete as many laps as possible during the allotted time frame.

Why is a criterium so much fun to watch? Imagine observing a group of extreme athletes pushing their bodies and bikes to speeds of over 40 miles per hour, while maneuvering through tight corners to become the race champion. These athletes not only have to rely on their own personal strength but on their team members to help support them through the race. There are potentials for breakaways from the main pack, sprint finishes, and the occasional crash. Some have even compared this type of race as NASCAR on two wheels! The electricity from this type of event is not only felt by the athletes, but by the crowds that come to cheer them on!

Amateur racing will take place from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The feature Pro Race will begin at 6 p.m. Interested participants should visit www.CharlotteSportsCycling. com for details.

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&

Art May-Ham is a combination of a

The Asheboro in Motion Criterium & Art May-Ham Event Map One Day - Two Great Downtown Events!

juried Arts and Crafts show, featuring the work of 30+ artists and artisans, BBQ cook-off, music and a play area

Old City Cemetery

for children. Just in time for last minute

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Mother’s Day shopping and the spring

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Suggested parking for Criterium riders

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graduation season, specially-selected

SBURY

artists and artisans will be featuring

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BBQ plates will be available at dinner time. Other food items available include grilled, marinated chicken, ice cream, funnel cakes, cotton candy, Italian ice and

ET LIBRARY

STREET

HILL STREET

Criterium Start Barbeque Arts & Crafts Sale

SCARBO

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Bicentennial Park

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Asheboro Downtown Farmers’ Market

S. COX

will be available for lunch, and complete

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S. CHURCH

real winners, however, are the visitors Mouth watering pork BBQ sandwiches

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their share of $1,750 in prize money. The who are able to purchase their fare.

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SUNSET AVENUE

S. FAYETT

Cookers compete for bragging rights and

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is sponsored by Habitat for Humanity.

NORTH STREET

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Arts and Crafts show. The BBQ cook-off

drinks.

/ NC 42

HOOVER STREET

DAVIS STREET

quality arts and crafts for sale in a juried

STREET

Kids Play Area Music BMX Stunt Show

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Road Closed VIP Tent

Additional Shopping, Dining and the NC Zoo

Registration, First Aid & Visitor Info Public Parking Criterium Course

Other free activities downtown

WAINMAN AVE.

will include the nationally-acclaimed King BMX Stunt Show, a play area for children featuring a number of bouncecastles and a concert featuring The Party Nuts in Bicentennial Park at 5 p.m. For more information on these events, visit www.HeartofNorthCarolina.com or call 800-626-2672. ©

Visit www.HeartofNorthCarolina.com or call 1-800-626-2672 for information

A criterium, or crit,onisvisiting a bike race onCounty. a short course (usually Asheboro andheld Randolph less than 5 km), often run on closed-off city center streets.

Race length can be determined by a number of laps or total time, in which case the number of remaining laps is calculated as the race progresses. Generally the event's duration (commonly one hour) is shorter than that of a traditional road race — which can last many hours, sometimes over the course of several days or even weeks, as in a Grand Tour. However, the average speed and intensity are appreciably higher. The winner is the first rider to cross the finish line without having been "lapped."

Events often have prizes (called primes, pronounced "preems", and are usually cash) for winning specific intermediate laps (for instance, every 10th lap). A bell is usually rung to announce to the riders that whoever wins the next lap, wins the prime.

Success in road criteriums requires a mix of good technical skills — in particular, the ability to corner smoothly while "holding your line" on the road, as well as rapidly and sharply — and riding safely with a large group on a short circuit and exceptional "sprint" ability to attack other riders and repeatedly accelerate hard from corners.* *Information above provided by Wikipedia.com at http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criterium.

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ask the expert.

CAROLINA EYE OFFERS PRECISION LASER SYSTEM FOR CATARACT SURGERY

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your eyes

illions of people around the world suffer from cataracts, an age-related condition in which the eye’s lens becomes clouded, making vision fuzzy or filmy and normal daily living activities more difficult. In fact, surgery to remove cataracts is one of the most common procedures worldwide, estimated at 19 million cases each year.1 While cataract surgery has been widely adopted across the globe, the procedure’s precision historically has been limited due to its manual nature.

This has changed with the development of the Catalys™ Precision Laser System for cataract surgery, available for the first time in North Carolina, from cataract surgeons Anna Fakadej, MD, Neil Griffin, MD, Daniel Messner, MD and Tarra Millender, MD, Carolina Eye Associates.

Catalys is a highly sophisticated laser cataract surgery system that combines a state-of-the-art femtosecond laser,

Dr. Anna Fakadej, is a Cataract and Aesthetic Laser Specialist at Carolina Eye Associates.

advanced 3D imaging, sophisticated software and a host of other unique features that deliver a precise, customized procedure and an exceptional experience for patients.

During the traditional (non-laser) cataract procedure, the ophthalmic surgeon’s first step is to perform manual cuts to form a circular incision in the lens capsule, a cellophane-like bag that holds the lens. Through this incision, he or she then breaks up and removes the clouded lens, and replaces it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). This initial circular incision is a critical surgical step, as its size, shape, and positioning may be key determinants of effective positioning of the artificial lens, and ultimately visual outcomes.2,3 If the artificial lens becomes de-centered by even a very slight degree, its performance will be diminished.2,3 This is especially true for premium, presbyopia-correcting IOLs that are designed to enable both near and far vision without contacts or glasses.

Using Catalys, Carolina Eye ophthalmic surgeons are able to make this initial circular incision (called a “capsulotomy”) under 3D image guidance with unparalleled precision. Unlike the conventional manual technique, the laser-delivered incision is pre-planned and customized to the patient’s eye with sophisticated software and then created in just a few seconds via a series of ultra-fast laser pulses. Clinical study results have

For more information on cataracts and lens implant procedures visit www. carolinaeye.com or 800-SEE-WELL 28

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shown that Catalys delivers unparalleled improvement in capsulotomy size, shape and positioning. In fact, the system is able to produce capsulotomies that are accurate within tens of microns, with exceptional circularity.4 The Catalys system is also used to create patterned incisions that soften and segment the cataract-affected lens, enabling easier and more gentle lens break-up and removal. This new laserenabled process may bring added safety benefits to patients, as it has been shown to reduce the amount of ultrasound energy needed during this step by approximately 40 percent.5 The Catalys Precision Laser System was developed by global ophthalmic company OptiMedica Corp. (Santa Clara, Calif.) in close collaboration with a Medical Advisory Board of cataract surgery experts from around the world.

For more information on Cataract and cataract surgery visit www.carolinaeye. com or call 910-295-1501.

1. 2011 Market Scope Report on the Global Cataract Equipment Market 2. Yanoff M, Duker J. Ophthalmology: Expert Consult. Third Edition. Mosby; 2008 3. Cekic O, Batman C. The relationship between capsulorhexis size and anterior chamber dept relation.

Ophthalmic Surg Lasers. 1999; 30(3):185-190 4. Friedman, NJ, et al., “Femtosecond Laser Capsulotomy,” Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 2011 July; 37(7): 1189-1198 5. Palanker, D., et al., “Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery with Integrated Optical Coherence Tomography,” Science Translational Medicine, Vol 2 Issue 58: 1-9 (2010)

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nature’s nuances.

TIME TO GET THE PATIO READY FOR SUMMER FUN

By Faylene Whitaker (Whitaker Farms)

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EMEMBER LAST SUMMER AND ALL THE FUN DAYS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS COOKING OUT AND ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S COMPANY. THE FLOWERS WERE IN FULL BLOOM AND THEIR BEAUTY MADE EVERYTHING LOOK BEAUTIFUL AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF TREES AND GREEN GRASS. WELL THE TIME IS GOING TO BE ON US BEFORE WE KNOW IT, SO IT’S TIME TO DO A LITTLE PLANTING AND SPRUCING UP TO BE READY TO ENJOY OUR OUTDOOR LIVING AGAIN THIS SUMMER AND FALL. 30

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entertain friends or just enjoy it yourself.

There is nothing more relaxing than being outside in the early morning or late evening and looking at all the beauty around you as you are enjoying your family meal or just having some down time.

I love all my beautiful blue containers filled with red geraniums and bright green potato vine that brighten up the back patio, then there are my wrought iron ones that are on a different patio that have purple heuchera, dragon wing begonias, and fatsia japonica, then of course there is the front that is done in traditional pink begonias with hanging baskets of macho ferns. Well I will love them as soon as I get them planted! You know they will be by the time I start having everyone over to eat outside. My family is large and we all love getting together so I guess I need to get to work. I have been blessed to have four sisters and all of their kids and my kids and grandkids to enjoy lots of family times together. I better get busy so at our next big get together on Mother’s day with our mother, my containers will be full and beautiful. Until next time - get busy and enjoy all of your hard work and the rewards it will bring when everything is blooming and beautiful. © First let’s take a look around and see what needs cleaning. You know … the patio, the furniture, the weeds and then, of course, our containers. Now we need to decide where we want to have containers and if we need some new ones to add color and excitement to our patio or porch.

One of the most important things we need to know about planting our container is its size. We need to know how many plants we can put in it. Is the pot ceramic , clay, stone, or concrete? Will it be in full sun, morning or afternoon sun? How much do you water it, do you have a certain color scheme you want to follow.

I know this seems like a lot of questions but answering them will make it easier on you to enjoy what you plant.

If I have a really big container that is heavy I will put some Styrofoam in the lower ¼ of the planter so it doesn’t take as much soil, plus it helps with drainage (if a planter is going to be outside in the rain it definitely needs drainage holes to keep from drowning your plants). Then I use a good container soil mix because it will already have fertilizer and fungicide

added. Now we are ready to choose our plants. Use plants with at least three different textures unless you are planting the container with just one type of plant.

Remember the larger the planter the more plants you can use but the plants will need growing room.

Some great shade plants for container are caladiums, torenia, ivy, impatiens, all types of begonias, ivy type geraniums, hostas, heuchera,and of course ferns of all kinds. Now for all those great sun plants there are so many ginger, mandevilla, geraniums, petunias, dahlia, million bells, portucalla, succulents, and the list just keeps going. A good way to tell if you need sun plants or shade is if your patio or yard gets full sun between the hours of 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM. If you get sun during these hours then you will need full sun plants.

As you plan where you will spend your time outside this summer don’t forget to add the sound of water whether it is a small fountain or a large stream, it will bring that something extra to the senses. It is also a great time to plan a small outdoor kitchen where you can asheboromagazine.com

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community character.

MICKI BARE

By Sherry Johnson

M

icki Bare studied at North Carolina State University and graduated with a BA in Speech Communications. While at NC State, she also took classes in Early Childhood Education through NC State and Meredith College. When she moved back to North Carolina in 1994, she took a position as Head Start Director. She worked in that position for twelve years while her boys were growing up, writing grants often with her youngest son, Evan, on her hip, expanding to additional counties and increasing funding from $300,000 to over $3 million. Enrollment increased, and her program was recognized by the National Head Start Association as one of the 40 best in the country out of over 2,000.

Micki relocated from Climax to Asheboro in 1998 after suffering divorce.

Since her boys were young and in bed by 7:00 pm each night, she used that time to get back to writing, which had taken a backseat to early motherhood. In early 2000, she became a guest columnist for the Courier-Tribune, and by August, she was writing a weekly column for the Saturday edition. Her column was eventually picked up by Stephens Media, the parent company of The CourierTribune, and published in their papers nationwide.

Several years later, she and her boys traveled to Pennsylvania to spend the 4th of July week with family and friends.

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That’s where she met Dave Bare, a friend of her cousins. She and the boys spent a lot of time getting to know him that week. “It was magical, actually, the way he fell in love with us and our little family fell in love with him,” Bare explained. They were married in October, 2001 and Dave relocated to Asheboro.

He worked as a cook at Randolph Hospital before accepting a position as a teacher in a self-contained classroom for physically and mentally handicapped children at Guy B. Teachey Elementary School. He worked for Asheboro City Schools for eight years before landing his dream job—librarian at the Randolph County Public Library, Asheboro Branch.

In May, 2003 Micki launched a radio show on WKXR 1260 AM in Asheboro, called Moments with Micki, which ran for eight years. She started a business, Inspired Scribe, offering freelance writing, copy editing and early childhood consulting through her website of the same name. Currently, she works fulltime for Trone Advertising in High Point as a web content manager and content strategist.

When she was in college, she penned a children’s book called Thurston T. Turtle Moves to Hubbleville. She always thought you needed an agent to get a book published, so she submitted her manuscript to various agents over the years. She received lots of rejection letters over the years. Finally, in 2009, she received two excellent pieces of

 ASHEBORO MAGAZINE

advice. She learned that for children’s books, authors typically work directly with publishers. She was also told that publishers often have—and want to utilize—in-house illustrators. She submitted the manuscript to Roseheart Publishing in Florida, that year. Within a few months, she had signed her first contract. The book was released in September, 2010, 21 years after she wrote the original manuscript. Since it had been over two decades since writing the first Thurston T. Turtle book, Micki was concerned she wouldn’t be able to find the same voice for a second book.

However, the book was always intended to be the first in a series, so she set a goal to complete the second manuscript

by December 31, 2010. She created an outline and chapter summary and dove into writing. She completed and submitted the manuscript by the end of the year and had a contract for the second book in the series, Thurston T. Turtle and the Legend of the Lemonade, by midJanuary. The book was released in March, 2012. She has since completed the third manuscript, which is in production and scheduled for a 2013 release.

When she’s not writing, Micki loves to cook for her family. She doesn’t like using boxed ingredients and prefers fresh ingredients from her garden whenever possible. She has a large kitchen garden in town, where she grows tomatoes, herbs, beans, squash and corn. One of her family’s favorite meals is homemade

pizza. She makes the dough and sauce from scratch and uses fresh herbs and vegetables from her garden.

Her boys are growing up fast. Elliott works full-time and is planning to attend GTCC for music engineering in the fall.

Ethan is at NC State in the Life Sciences program with plans to go on to medical school. Evan is a freshman at Asheboro High School. She loves holidays because everyone migrates home and the house

is full of activity as the boys and their friends hang out in the living room and kitchen.

Although, the nest isn’t as empty you’d think. Her mom moved in with them in 2009. Needing a little more space to accommodate everyone, they moved within walking distance of downtown Asheboro. “Mom is busier now than when I was growing up,” said Bare.

“She’s in all the walking clubs, attends

craft classes and takes pilates!”

She loves photography, which was a hobby she shared with her dad. Other hobbies she enjoys are reading and hiking with the family. Come down to Circa Gallery in Asheboro on April 20th at 5:30 pm and meet Micki. She will be signing copies of her new book, Thurston T. Turtle and the Legend of the Lemonade, and serving butter cookies and lemonade in the spirit of Hubbleville! ©

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ask the expert.

HAPPY NEW TAX YEAR FROM LIBERTY TAX

H

your taxes

appy New Tax Year from Liberty Tax!!! So you just finished your taxes, a whole year to go before you do it again. . . Did you owe? Did it take too long to put together disorganized records?

Make a Fresh Start with some of our BEST tax knowledge!

Or. . . (tax tips) If you owed, hopefully you filed your taxes, because if you do not file taxes and you owe, the IRS levies a 5 percent failure to file penalty on the amount owed per month, up to 5 months. That $4,000 tax bill will easily top $5,000 by midOctober. How do you stop the madness?

It is easy, file your tax return!

Consumers who receive their tax bill and cannot pay in full should also rest assured that payment options exist.

Individuals may qualify for an installment plan, agreeing to pay a fixed amount plus interest and failure to pay penalties in monthly installments until the balance is settled.

Recently the IRS offered a Fresh Start Initiative which offers penalties relief and doubles the qualifying threshold for installment agreements to $50,000.00.

Additionally, the IRS has raised the tax lien threshold from $5,000 to $10,000, meaning individuals who owe less than this amount should not have a lien placed on their credit report.

Individuals who owe a significant amount of taxes that the IRS believes are unlikely to be paid may qualify for an offer-in-compromise. This is an agreement between the government and the taxpayer, in which the balance is settled for less than the amount owed. However, the qualifying rules are very specific, and individuals who are uncertain if they qualify can address their particular situation with a tax professional before submitting an application to the IRS for review.

At the end of the day, the IRS wants to work with taxpayers to resolve their tax liabilities, not garnish wages, ruin credit through liens, or send them to jail.

To avoid these scenarios, taxpayers must work with their tax professional and the

Ryan Dodson has a Masters in Accounting from North Carolina State University. He worked in public accounting with Deloitte and Arthur Andersen. He and his wife Tiffany own and operate Liberty Tax Service.

405 East Dixie Drive Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 629-4700 34

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IRS to debts resolved.

Do you feel like you missed deduction opportunities?

The most commonly missed tax deductions we see in our offices are on non-cash charitable contributions. We have clients tell us, “Well, I gave 3 trash bags of clothes to Goodwill.” Our question is, “Were those new designer clothes or off brand work clothes. “ The devil is in the details. A little work tracking mileage each time you drive donations to Goodwill or Salvation Army will go a long way in saving you taxes next year. The IRS requires donors to assign value to their items when filing taxes. To help guide you, Goodwill has compiled a list of commonly donated items for your convenience at Goodwill. org<Donate<Taxes and Your Donation.

Long story short, the amount deducted on your tax return is the amount the item would sell for in the Goodwill or Salvation Army store and your miles driven are deductible too!

Keeping track of these details each time you donate, you will be surprised how it adds up to tax savings!! ©

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daily devotion.

WOBBLING WORLD

By Rev. Peter Panagore

O

n a new moon night, far from every earth bound light, I looked up at the star swathed band of milky white that stretched across the sky – The Milky Way, our galaxy, a stunning sight to see.

Up until 1919, we humans believed our galaxy was the entirety of the universe. Five hundred years before that, we thought the earth and our sun were all there was. We now know that that are a hundred billion to a trillion galaxies in the universe, and three hundred sextillion stars. That’s the number three followed by twenty-three zeros!

In our Milky Way there are maybe three hundred billion stars, and perhaps two hundred billion earthlike planets.

We see other planets using The High

Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) telescope that locates gravitational wobbles in distant stars that indicate the presence of planets.

Our planet is not the only world in our Universe.

This gives me pause about how seriously we take ourselves – how we war about God, religion, ideologies, power, and energy. It makes me wonder

how God is revealed elsewhere in the universe, and why we think what we think matters so much.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we live on this teeny tiny planet on an arm of a whirling galaxy of three hundred billion stars, in a Universe of three hundred billion galaxies, and yet, you love me. Whew.

Amen. ©

HERE’S A THOUGHT. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?”

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Should I Care if Mom’s Assisted Living is Licensed or Unlicensed?

To assure the best quality care for your loved one, be sure you have all of the facts about your Senior Living choices. Choosing a Carillon licensed community means: • Minimum staffing requirements by law.

• Physician-certified care plans.

• State-monitored medication administration.

• Training regulated and approved by the State.

• Routine monitoring by the Department of Social Services.

• One inclusive monthly fee.

An unlicensed facility means: • No staffing requirements or regulations.

• No physician certification required.

• No monitoring by the state for medication administration or training.

• Agency staffing of caregivers.

• Separate fees for the “rent” plus each “a la carte” service.

www.carillonassistedliving.com • 336-633-7600 • 2925 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro

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ask the expert.

THE BALANCED LIFE

P

your body

revention of falls that lead to injury and disability is an intense focus of physicians and physical therapists, because falls among the elderly are prevalent, dangerous, and can diminish our ability to lead an active and independent life.

According to the National Aging Council, about one in three seniors above age 65, and nearly one in two seniors over age 80, will fall at least once this year, many times with disastrous consequences. A physical therapist can help you prevent falls by designing an individualized program of exercises and activities with an emphasis on strength, flexibility, and

Michael Harmon is the owner of The Healthy Back & Body Clinic, and the physical therapist responsible for patient care.

Michael has a Masters Degree in physical therapy earned at Western Carolina University.

304 Lanier Avenue Asheboro, NC 27203 336-629-0086

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proper gait.

Balance may be improved with exercises that strengthen the ankle, knee, and hip muscles and with exercises that improve the function of the proprioceptive (balance) system.

Once a physical therapist has reviewed a complete medical history and conducted a thorough examination, he or she will develop a personalized plan of care. This may include a walking regimen with balance components such as changes in surfaces/terrains, distance, and elevations; Tai Chi (which emphasizes balance, weight shifting, coordination, and postural training); and classes geared toward balance and coordination. The physical therapist also may teach specific strengthening and balance exercises that can be performed at home. If necessary, the physical therapist will refer you to other medical professionals, such as an ophthalmologist or neurologist.

The good news here is that the loss of balance is very treatable. The most important first step is getting professional help from a physical therapist who can provide safety while you learn new balance techniques.

Balance is learned through repetitive actions that require the body to use specific types of muscle in the hips, knees and ankles. As these muscles are strengthened we simultaneously improve our proprioceptive system. This system consist of tiny receptors imbedded within the tendons of muscles around the hip, the knee, the ankle, indeed, all joints.

They provide information to the brain

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about where the joint is in space without us having to look at it. For instance, I could be in a pitch black room and still be aware that I was standing or sitting or squatting and also know where my limbs are in space. Balance is restored as we improve our “positional sense”.

What I see so often is someone who has had a fall, it scares them really bad.

So now when they walk they are being overly cautious and begin to stare at the ground to make darn sure they don’t fall again. Interestingly they are hastening the chances of falling again by becoming too dependent on their eyes for balance.

Now if they are distracted and look at something besides the ground, they lose their balance and perhaps fall. The treatment is quite simple; re-teach your brain to use the proprioceptive system again. At first we must assure your safety as we challenge your balance to become stronger. So a treadmill with hand rails or a trusty companion will be necessary. On the treadmill you simply walk, hold on and look about. Keep your sight active on as many different objects around you as possible, turning your head fully and slowly to the left and slowly to the right. Just don’t stare down at the ground. This will force the brain to rely on the proprioceptive feedback in all lower extremity joints for its balance information again. Balance is restored to a great degree.

For more information on balance, how to restore balance or how to become a patient please visit my website www. thehealthybackclinic.com ©

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NEW GALLERY OPENS IN ASHEBORO

Y

By Winona Wentworth

OU WALK IN AND SEE SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STRAWBERRIES YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. THE PHOTO IS WONDERFUL. YOU ARE DRAWN TO IT BECAUSE SOMETHING ABOUT IT MAKES THE STRAWBERRIES SEEM BETTER THAN REAL LIFE. AS YOU GO CLOSER YOU NOTICE THERE IS SOMETHING…DIFFERENT….ABOUT THE PICTURE. THEN YOU SEE IT. THERE ARE PEOPLE CRAWLING UP THE STRAWBERRIES. THEY ARE REALLY SMALL AND IT’S AS IF THEY ARE ROCK CLIMBING UP A STRAWBERRY ROCK FACE! AND THAT IS WHEN YOU FINALLY NOTICE THAT YOU ARE STARING AT A PAINTING! AS YOU TURN TO LOOK ACROSS THE ROOM, YOU SEE A WOMAN ABOUT TO JUMP OUT OF ANOTHER PICTURE. YOU CAN TELL HER ENTIRE LIFE STORY JUST BY LOOKING AT HER. IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND SCARY ALL AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE SHE LOOKS SO ALIVE THAT YOU CAN FEEL WHAT SHE IS THINKING AND KNOW SHE WANTS TO STEP RIGHT OUT AND MEET YOU. THOSE ARE JUST TWO OF THE EXPERIENCES I HAD WHEN I VISITED SUSAN HARRELL IN HER STUDIO IN ASHEBORO. NEVER HAD I SEEN PAINTINGS THAT WERE SO “REAL”… BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT REAL. THE PICTURES WERE MORE THAN REALISTIC! SHE EXPLAINED THAT HER TECHNIQUE IS TO TAKE SOMETHING AND PAINT IT IN A WAY TO MAKE IT REALISTIC (CALLED PHOTO REALISM) BUT TO PICK A COLOR AND BRING IT UP TO ENHANCE AND ADD AN ARTISTIC FLARE. THAT IS WHY THOSE STRAWBERRIES LOOKED LIKE GENUINE AUTHENTIC STRAWBERRIES BUT AT THE SAME TIME EVEN BETTER! asheboromagazine.com

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As a child she didn’t think “I’m going to be an artist when I grow up.” As a high school senior she needed another elective and had taken all the PE classes available so she signed up for Art. She went on to RCC to study Interior Design but realized it wasn’t for her. While there, however, she found the first thing she ever thought she was good at … painting.

Susan grew up fighting manic depression. When you throw in the fact that everyone in her family was extremely gifted in many areas and she hadn’t found her place in the world yet, things were very hard on her. Her three older brothers were all musically gifted. Her younger sister ended up being an Intensive Care Nurse.

Her mother had gone to Bible College but decided to make her family her career. Her father was extremely gifted in Science and had been in the Navy, stationed in Antarctica at McMurdo Base. And then there was Susan. Discovering her gift for Art at RCC was eye-opening for her. At the same time, she knew that school was not the environment in which she could thrive.

She was naturally hands-on, even while learning. She went to the library and found books on Renaissance paintings and decided to try replicating them. She thought that if she could figure out what they did, she would “learn from the best.” Her first ever replication was of the Mona Lisa. An artist she loved studying was Gilbert Stewart. He painted the first four presidents and was obsessed with portraiture. She also found out that the term “starving artist” is there for a reason. She still fought depression and feared that she would either end up in the hospital or living with her parents. She had even painted a cityscape and then painted “You Win, Satan” backwards over the top of it so that it could be read in the mirror.

She didn’t like mirrors and avoided them as much as possible.

But then something wonderful happened. Her brother Joe (Harold Construction) and Scott Smith (Able Custom Signs) offered her something special; a tiny space in the building where they worked that she could use as her very own studio. She had given up on humanity at that point and the fact that they would do something so wonderful for her and expect absolutely nothing in return showed her a love that she couldn’t deny.

Between finding her gift of painting, their unconditional love offering of the studio 42

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and becoming a Christian, she gradually found the help she needed to heal from her lifelong struggle with manic depression.

That first day in her studio she covered the cityscape with a painting of a little boy. She had heard about an art contest at the Randolph Arts Guild and decided to enter that painting with no expectations of placing. She won the contest! Reynolds Lisk saw the painting and approached her about renovating the mural on Fayetteville Street. She knew it would be hard but decided to take it on full force. She soon realized that there were many people in the community who were honestly concerned about her and that it is a complete delusion to believe that people don’t care. She met many wonderful people while doing the mural and started building real friendships and relationships. One person, Chris Julian, developed a website for her for free and put her portfolio on it. Before long, a wellknown gallery in Charleston invited her to do a show there. Doors kept opening for her, confirming the fact that people really are good.

After eight months, Scott offered Susan a storage area in the same building and told her she could turn it into whatever she wanted. Her choice was to turn it into a gallery. It is still difficult for her. She had to sell pictures to have enough money to buy paints and canvases for new paintings. She also had to buy things like track lighting and to build walls in the space. Sam Ramsey (Chic-Fil-A) was persistent about her starting to give lessons and wouldn’t give up until she started offering them.

Susan’s life now is totally different than it was just a few years ago.

Every day she is almost in tears because she is so thankful for a second chance at life — and that her talent can be used to represent how wonderful life can be for everyone.

She feels at peace and says “that is all anybody really wants when you

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boil it down.” Her art, her peace and her love for God are absolutely interwoven.

(I want to add a personal note to Susan Harrell. I have also fought depression all my life. I want you to know that the time I spent with you meant the world to me.

You are a wonderful example to everyone of what life can be. Thank you for sharing your life story with me!)

Her next project is the opening of her art gallery. Located at 375 S Fayetteville Street in Asheboro, the gallery Opening will be on June 1, 2012 from 5:00pm-9:00pm and will be a celebration of life. Joining her will be two other artists who create different types of paintings; Don Stewart does a “Plein Art” type of painting. Plein Art is painting from real life such as sitting on a beach and painting what you are seeing at that moment. Deb Barton will be there with her “Traditional Realism” paintings. They are both extremely talented North Carolina Artists. Though most gallery openings serve wine, this one will serve beer made by the local company, “Four Saints Brewing Company.” The public is invited to the Opening and there will be paintings for sale.

I hope everyone takes this opportunity to see these three talented artists and art at its best! ©

at the y.m.c.a.

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EVENTS AT THE YMCA 1. SAM BOSSONG MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT by Megan Clapp, Membership & Marketing Director Twelve years ago, we lost a very well known and loved individual in the Asheboro community. This individual lived life to the fullest and had a loving wife and three beautiful little girls, of whom he adored. At the time of him passing, he was also a RandolphAsheboro YMCA Board of Director and soccer coach. This individual was Sam Bossong. When Sam passed away, the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA wanted to do something to remember Sam and still benefit the community at the same time.

In collaboration with the Bossong Family, the first Sam Bossong Memorial Golf Tournament was established. It was held at Pinewood Country Club at night and included a live auction. The tournament consisted of 11 teams and together they were able to raise over $5,000. To date the tournament has raised over $80,000 that goes towards the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA Y-Give Scholarship Campaign which goes towards seniors, families, single-parent families, adults, and youth in our community who cannot afford a membership at the YMCA. The next year, Christie Luckenbuck, of the Junior Women’s Club, came to Patrick O’Hara, Executive Director of the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA, and asked to be a part of this collaboration with the Bossong Family to help raise money towards Y-Give Scholarship Campaign in honor of Sam. That year the tournament evolved into a full blown golf tournament, dinner, and live auction.

Christie was the Junior Women’s Club representative for 9 years. Last year Gina McKee took over this role to continue the help from the Junior Women’s Club in honor of Sam. The Sam Bossong Memorial Golf Tournament has become an annual event with it’s 12th tournament coming up on Friday, May 4, being held for the first

time back at Pinewood Country Club. If interested in participating with a team or sponsorship, contact Gina McKee at ginamckee@gmail.com or Patrick O’Hara at 336-625-1976.

2. COMMUNITY DAY & YARD SALE by Celena Fleming, Community Development Director Two times a year, the RandolphAsheboro YMCA opens their doors to the entire community for a free day of fun and events! The Spring Community Day is coming up on Saturday, May 19th.

The day is filled with giveaways, group exercise classes and demonstrations, Fifth Annual Community Yard Sale, NEW Teen Center activities, face painting, swim lessons, and much, much more! Starting at 10am the Splash Pad, a zero-depth water park, will open for the summer season! All of this is completely FREE and open to the public until 4pm!

You can also join the YMCA Friday, May 18th – Sunday, May 20st with NO JOINING FEE! That is a savings of $70-$100! With the extreme makeover renovations nearing the end, check out the all new YMCA and enjoy all the “Y” has to offer. Bring friends and family to this FREE day of events! Guests in FREE to try out the “Y” Friday, May 18 – Sunday, May 20.

Clean out your closets, garages and attics! If interested in renting a table at the Fifth Annual Community Yard Sale, sign up now! Six foot long tables with surrounding space are now available for rent for only $15! This event will be held from 7am until noon in the YMCA’s paved parking lot beside the shelter/ playground area. In case of rain, we will have the sale in the gymnasium. Soccer games, the Y’s largest sporting event, and the YMCA’s FREE Community Day events will be on-going as well, attracting an even larger crowd to the sale. Hurry!

There are limited spots available! There will also be a local charity available to collect donations at the end of the sale.

All table rental proceeds will benefit the

“Y-Giving” Scholarship Program. Please contact Celena Fleming, 625-1976 or visit www.randolphasheboroymca.com for more information.

3. MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL

by Joe Taureck, Youth and Adult Sports Director The Midnight Basketball program at the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA, now in its 17th year, is one of the biggest community projects we host here. We have children from all 7 public high schools, as well as some private schools.

Children ages 8-18 participate in this league. The league was originally designed to keep children out of trouble in the summer evenings and give them something productive to do. Today, that is still the goal of this project, though it has expanded. We had over 200 participants last year. Each child gets a shirt and gets to play in at least 7 league games. We do not discriminate based on skill level or gender. All teams are co-ed, and the teams are organized with various skill levels on each team. Each child is also guaranteed to play half a game, so everyone gets to participate. Though it is impossible to tell exactly how many lives have been affected by this program, the fact is that it is a positive influence on them. It gives them goals to shoot for, role models to follow, and a positive place to work toward those goals, all with a strong support system.

The league will begin registration on April 16, and continue through May 28.

All children enrolled in school, ages 8-18 and not out of high school, can register at the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA. Teams will be selected and the season will begin in early June, lasting into July. The season consists of 3 weeks, with 2 games each week, followed by a week of playoffs. Trophies are given to champions and runners-up, in what is certainly one of the more exciting nights of the year here. We expect another great turnout, and look forward to seeing both familiar faces and new ones. ©

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ask the expert.

EXCITING EPAT TREATMENT RELIEVES HEEL PAIN

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or the thousands of people

for treating plantar fasciitis have failed.

suffering from chronic heel

All EPAT treatments are non-invasive.

pain often caused by plantar

While the obvious benefit of EPAT is

fasciitis, a non-invasive

pain relief, there’s also the benefit of

treatment is now available that produces

being able to have treatment without any

exciting results. This treatment is called

downtime or medications. Treatments

Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technol-

are quick and effective.

ogy (EPAT).

Many people suffering from heel pain

ankle needs. If you are suffering with

More than likely, the cause is plantar

heel pain, we recommend you visit us for

fasciitis. Left untreated, heel spurs can

an exam. Your podiatrist will be able to

be a result of plantar fasciitis. The most

carefully evaluate your condition and be

painful areas affected by plantar fasciitis

able to determine if EPAT therapy is right

are usually the center of your heel, and

for you. us a call at 336.538.6885 or visit us at

is the inflammation or irritation of the

www.triadfoot.com. ©

ment stretches along the bottom of the foot and maintains the arch.

your feet

RELIEF FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT) relieves plantar fasciitis pain by using unique acoustic pressure waves that are sent through the foot with a special applicator.

Waves reaching the foot stimulates cell metabolism, increases nutrient delivery, and enhances blood flow by causing new blood vessel formation. This process greatly accelerates healing of the inflamed plantar fascia ligament.

EPAT treatment is considered when other traditional conservative modalities

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Schedule an appointment today! Give

the heel and arch meet. Plantar fasciitis plantar fascia ligament, where the liga-

44

as well as treatments for all your foot and

mistakenly think they have a heel spur.

the inside bottom area of your foot where

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Richard Sikora graduated from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York. He received his medical degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and completed his residency training at the Central Carolina Residency Program. He has been in private practice since 1990 and is certified in Foot Surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.

Triad Foot Center offers EPAT therapy

 ASHEBORO MAGAZINE

community news.

21

WESTERN PAGEANT TO BENEFIT CUOC

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n May 12th at K&L Event Center on Hwy 64 in Asheboro, a bevy of beauties will get together in the 1st Annual Miss K&L Western Pageant, proceeds to benefit the Christians United Ooutreach Center. Brainchild of Lowanda McDowell and Jenny Parks, they started talking about the idea at last year’s Tractor parade in Asheboro.

The pageant is open to all generations.

It takes $600 to fund the CUOC for one day running their food pantry in Asheboro. Lowanda wants to make this an annual event to assist CUOC in meeting the needs of the community.

Jenny Parks has lots of experience with beauty pageants. She has organized the Asheboro Jaycees Randolph County Youth Pageant for the past six years. She also runs the Central Carolina Merry Christmas Pageant which is a benefit pageant for Operation Red Sleigh. She is famous for her pre-pageant, “No Mama Drama” speech. Giving back to the community, she involves the queens from the various pageants she runs in community service work throughout Randolph County. All winners will be encouraged to do the same. She also donates her time at the Mid-State Tractor Heritage Parade Pageant.

Lowanda has opened up the pageant to business and individual sponsors who want to help the CUOC. Her business, K&L Western Wear has underwritten the entire show, and all food and monetary donations will go directly to assist CUOC with the growing needs in our community.

Emily Coltrane is co-director of the pageant and works with Jenny on all but the Jaycees pageant. Linda Palmer, store manager for K&L Western Wear will be running the sound during the event.

All generations are encouraged to enter the pageant, and Lowanda looks forward to families with multi-generational entries. For more information or to get an entry form, Jenny Parks at 336-625-3496 or Emily Coltrane at 336-873-7872.

RANDLEMAN SHRED DAY

T

he Randleman Chamber of Commerce and Randolph Bank are sponsoring a “Shred Day” on Saturday, April 28. Carolina Shredding Authority will be at Randolph Bank’s Randleman branch, located at 109 West Naomi Street, from 10 a.m. until noon. Individuals and businesses are welcome to bring documents to be collected for secure shredding. In order to avoid identity theft, people should consider having outdated and unused documents shredded rather than just throwing them away. Electronics, including older “tube” televisions and computer monitors, may also be brought to be shredded. A certificate of destruction can be provided. The event is free, although donations will be accepted.

For more information, please contact the Chamber at 495-1100 or at chamber43@northstate.net.

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feature.

THE 1-EYED TEDDY BEAR

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By Bianca Tyler

he point of this story need not identify the owner of the 1-eyed teddy bear, but rather WHO that fellow is that made all the difference in saving our son’s cuddly animals.

The man actually cannot be identified because he is a secret agent on a very significant level. He is close to our family and we all adore him but we keep conversation limited to family stuff, old friends, or school happenings. He signs his holiday envelopes as James Bond.

It’s all very cool in a surreptitious kind of way, the “secret” in secret agent makes it sound so hush-hush, and the undercover missions we are never allowed to know about are wrapped in clandestine mystery.

All very exciting, so what does this have to do with stuffed animals?

Our eldest is a strapping 20-year-old dude with beer posters in his room and a steady girlfriend at the helm. Rewind about 11 or 12 years and here was a kid with a ton of stuffed animals, some from babyhood, others won at the amusement park, many from the big glass box with the grabber handle you can’t help passing as you exit the diner. An admirer of big cats, one of his favorite was a huge white tiger with sharp 46

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blue eyes.

This is where past upbringing and merging personalities via marriage come in. My husband had one stuffed animal when he was little. A poodle he barely remembers and didn’t have for very long.

I, on the other hand, had a multitude of stuffed animals, each with a name, many dressed in finery, all wrapped up in loving feelings and good memories.

Most came from my grandparents, some from my father when he went on business trips and brought us something special, and all the animals meant something very important to me, especially Bunny, who sits in a revered place in our home…but of course!

For a long time, my husband felt our son needed to unload his cuddly animals.

I’d protest seeing the quiet sadness in our child’s eyes. The subject came up at significant milestones, like award ceremonies, moving from elementary to middle school, etc.

I understood my husband’s point of view: he wanted to make our son grow up, be a man, get tough. I understood my son’s point of view: at that time he was still an only child, many kids turn to their pets or stuffed animals as comfort and at-home buddies.

Sure, he had plenty of good friends, great activities, etc., but there’s a certain security in these special friends that my husband just couldn’t get his head around.

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Then one year we visited Washington, D.C. and James Bond invited us to stay in his home. He was away, as usual, and he couldn’t say where he was, except that he would leave the key for us under the mat.

Under the mat?!? He lives with all this enigmatic secrecy but leaves the house key under the mat? There’s irony for you!

It was very exciting to walk around his home. Medals, awards, Christmas cards from the presidents over the last 16 years, and as we walked upstairs to pick out our rooms for the night, there, in the middle of the master bedroom, sitting proudly atop the big bed, was a 1-eyed Steiff teddy bear with a worn nose, an untied yellow bow, and fur so loved-off and cuddled, it was a treasure to behold.

It was also ammunition to ward off any more attempts to clear out stuffed animals from our son’s room. “If James Bond keeps his teddy bear, so can I!”

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So that was that. More than a decade’s passed and on his own, our son has donated his stuffed animals along the way – but that’s the important part of this story – it was on his terms, his timing and his choice of where they went. The huge white tiger is now the centerpiece and reading buddy in a fantastic enrichment school.

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I never take anything from my children without asking them. Together we donate what they choose to give up when they choose to. It teaches them to let go, to give to others and to stay organized. Our daughter has given up many of her cuddly animals, even packing and sending several huge boxes to Africa. The exciting thing about that story is that the missionary we shipped the stuffed animals to sent back photos of orphan children cuddling her animals! A fine day indeed. Again on our children’s terms.

Happy Parenting!™

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ask the expert.

JOE

J

wellness

oe, a 66 year old male, initially called to see if EFT could help him get over a bad case of writer’s block. Since after asking him for some details surrounding this issue it seemed as if EFT could be helpful, I encouraged him to come in to my office.

During Joe’s first session he told me more about his experience of writer’s block and how frustrated, powerless and alone he felt when words stopped flowing onto the page. Focusing on his feelings of powerlessness and loneliness as potential indicators of a pattern, I asked him if he had ever felt either of those feelings before in his life — particularly as a child. (While these are emotions we’ve all felt at some point in our lives, his experience, especially of loneliness, was particularly intense.)

Responding affirmatively, he described a traumatic incident when he

Lina Landess is a Holistic Health & Wellness Coach whose primary goal is to help her clients enjoy optimal health: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

For more information call: (336) 521-1176 or visit www.fromtheinside-out.net

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was 11 years old. Joey’s (which was what he was called then) baby brother had been born just hours earlier, and he, his older brother and sister, and his father were in the hospital, on their way to see his mother.

They had stepped onto the elevator when the elevator operator looked at Joey and asked him how old he was.

When he proudly said 11, the elevator operator told him to get off the elevator because kids under 14 years of age weren’t allowed upstairs! As Joe recalled it, the elevator operator was neither kind nor compassionate, but gruff and angry!

Frightened by the man’s tone, Joey got off the elevator.

And this is where Joey’s trauma began. He found himself standing in the hallway, staring at his family as the elevator doors closed in his face. His father, brother and sister went up — leaving him standing there, all alone.

Feeling lost and abandoned, he just stood there, in shock; not knowing what to do next.

With the memory of that moment fresh in his mind, Joe followed my cues as we tapped on his feelings of shock and loneliness, his feelings of abandonment and, eventually, the inevitable anger he felt that his father hadn’t stood up for him, hadn’t cared enough to make sure Joey went with them, and hadn’t done anything to help him in that moment. As each feeling rose up, we tapped. We tapped until there

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was no longer any intensity about that elevator experience.

Hiding under those feelings were others, free now to come up to be cleared. Feelings about his father and his inability to stand up for Joey arose; this wasn’t an isolated incident, but just one more in a childhood where this little boy, now a grown man, felt unseen and uncared for, as if he didn’t matter, especially to his father.

As our session came to a close, I asked Joe to recall Joey’s elevator experience and tell me what, if any, intensity was still present. He reported that there was no intensity; that the event now seemed distant, as if it were a movie he was watching of someone else.

Although we didn’t directly address Joe’s issue of writer’s block, I’ve seen enough clients to believe that when it’s time to get to the bottom of what’s really ‘bugging’ someone, it’s often an immediate issue that gets their attention and through the door to healing. Here’s what Joe reported after that session: “It was almost like being back there when I was 11 years old. Using EFT along with your confident and reassuring manner, we cleared out decades old problems. I feel free and light….thanks, Lina!”

Once again, we discover how traumatizing experiences stay with us, just waiting to be healed, from the inside out.

To learn more about EFT and Lina’s work, call 336-521-1176. ©

community news.

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3RD ANNUAL CLEAN-UP AT CITY LAKES

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he City of Asheboro’s Water Resources Division is asking volunteers to help clean up two of the city lakes during the third annual “Lake Lift” program. The program will run during the month of April. Volunteers who would like to participate should check in with the Lake Wardens at Lake Lucas and Lake Reese for trash bags. For each trash bag or bulk item returned, volunteers will receive an entry form that will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Chamber Check. Chamber Checks can be used at any business that is a member of the Asheboro-Randolph Chamber of Commerce.

“Last year we had 12 great volunteers remove a lot of trash from our lakes,” said Bernadine Wardlaw, City of Asheboro Water Quality Manager. “Annual clean-ups are an important way to get rid of the roadway trash and debris that washes into our lakes. If you have a boat and would like to volunteer just one hour of your time, you can help the environment.”

The program is being sponsored by the City of Asheboro Water Resources Division, in partnership with the Asheboro Cultural & Recreation Services Department. For more information, or if you would like to arrange a clean-up event for your civic or youth group, contact Bernadine Wardlaw at 672-0892 x 204.

ASHEBORO DOWNTOWN FARMERS’ MARKET SEASON TO BEGIN

T

he Asheboro Downtown Farmers’ Market will officially open for the season on Saturday, May 5, but eager shoppers can take advantage of two special pre-season dates. The market will be open on Saturday, April 21 and 28 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Since the spring weather arrived early this year, market organizers expect strawberries to be ready for the April market dates.

During the regular market season, May 5 – October 27, the market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Two special event days will be held this year. Free strawberry shortcake will be available on May 12 for Strawberry Day and free peach ice cream will be available on July 21 for Peach Day. Both giveaways will run from 10 a.m. – noon, or while supplies last.

The Asheboro Downtown Farmers’ Market is located at 134 South Church Street and is operated by the City of Asheboro’s Cultural & Recreation Services Division.

For more information on the market, call 336-626-1240.

RANDOLPH COUNTY FORESTRY FIELD DAY – MAY 19

F

orestland covers approximately sixty percent of North Carolina and fiftyfive percent of Randolph County. Decisions about forest management can significantly impact the health of forestland and the income that can be made through timber sales.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with Consulting Forester Dan Edwards, Crop Protection Services, North Carolina State University (NCSU) Extension Forestry, and private landowners, is offering a Forestry Field Day on Saturday, May 19. Participants will meet at the end of Jones Road, Asheboro (off of Mt. Shepherd Rd.), at 9:00 a.m. to learn about pine and hardwood management, herbicide use on forestland, and hunting leases. We will then eat lunch and visit another tract near Old NC Hwy 49, where hardwood management will be discussed. NCSU Extension Forestry Specialist Dr. Mark Megalos will be available to answer questions about topics other than those mentioned, as well. The field day will end by 3:00 p.m.

Call 336-318-6000 by Thursday, May 17, to register.

For accommodations for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact Mary Helen Ferguson at 336-318-6000 (phone), 336-318-6011 (FAX), maryhelen_ferguson@ncsu.edu, or in person, no later than five business days before the event. asheboromagazine.com

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the cellar.

BIG BODIED & FRUIT FORWARD

By Dave Johnson

F

OR THIS MONTH’S WINE, WE VENTURE BACK TO MY FAVORITE WINE PRODUCING COUNTRY, ITALY. THE WINE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE IS THE 2009 SOLANE SANTI VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE RIPASSO. IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH VALPOLICELLAS, DON’T FRET, NOT MANY PEOPLE

HERE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GIVEN THE ATTENTION THEY DESERVE. REST ASSURED THIS REVIEW WILL PROVIDE THE SKINNY NEEDED TO MAKE AN INTELLIGENT AND EDUCATED DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO ADD VALPOLICELLAS TO YOUR “MUST TASTE” LIST. ALTHOUGH I AM PARTIAL TO ITALIAN WINES, I WILL ATTEMPT TO BE OBJECTIVE IN MY ANALYSIS. TO ME, THOUGH, VALPOLICELLAS ARE A WONDERFUL DEVIATION FROM THE MORE POPULAR CHIANTIS AND SANGIOVESES.

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There are a few basics you should know about Valpolicellas. Valpolicella is a red wine created from corvina, molinara, and rondinella grapes in the Veneto region of Italy. Regular Valpolicella has 11% alcohol and no more than 70% corvina.

Valpolicella Superiore is created with at least a year of aging, and must be 12% alcohol or more. The traditional center of Valpolicella production uses the name 'Valpolicella Classico' - about half of all Valpolicella falls into this category.

There is one more word on the label that you may not be familiar with, Ripasso. I could go into detail about exactly what Ripasso means, but it was described best on one of my favorite websites, wineloverspages.com: “Ripasso sounds like and means "repassed" because of its unusual doubleyour-pleasure wine-making process: In the spring, after fermenting over the winter in the usual way, select batches of regular Valpolicella are transferred into casks holding the grape skins that were left over after its bigger brother Amarone was made.

This process of "re-passing" the lighter wine over the bigger wine's "squeezings" adds body, color and flavor, and kicks off a secondary fermentation that boosts its alcoholic content. The result? A fruity, complex and bigger-bodied red that goes very well with red meat, game or sharp cheeses.

If you're shopping for Valpolicella, take extra care to check the label. If the word "Ripasso" is there, you've got your hands on something completely different from

the everyday wine.”

Now that you know everything you need to about this particular bottle of Valpolicella, let’s explore the area where it is grown, the Veneto Region. The Veneto Region, located in the north eastern part of the country, is comprised of seven Provinces: Venice, Padua, Verona, Vicenza, Treviso, Rovigo and Belluno.

Because of Venice, the Veneto is Italy’s most important region for tourism with more than 60 million tourists visiting from all over the world. Along with being known for its wine, the Veneto also has a vast heritage of art, landscape, and food, making it the perfect vacation destination.

Along with a myriad of tourist attractions, the Veneto is among the foremost wine-producing regions in Italy, both for quality and quantity. The region counts over 20 DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata {controlled designation of origin}) zones. Many of its wines, both dry and Spumanti, are internationally known and revered.

The three most well known DOCs are Bardolino, from the town with the same name and surrounding the shores of Garda Lake, Valpolicella, and Soave.

Other noteworthy wines produced here are the white Bianco di Custoza, the excellent sparkling Prosecco, the Breganze, and the Amarone (a rich and powerful red from the Verona province).

The importance of winemaking in this region is highlighted by the first Italian school for vine growing and oenology, created in 1885. In addition, the Veneto

was the first region to dream up the first strada del vino or "wine road", a winetouring road which features special road signs providing information on vines and the wines they are made into.

If you like big bodied, fruit forward, dry, oaky wines, you are going to love 2009 Solane Santi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso. It has an intense bouquet of cloves, vanilla, cherry jam and almonds. In the mouth, the wine is full, warm and harmonious, with an elegant finish. I wouldn’t recommend this particular bottle as a daily drinker or something to enjoy over a conversation.

It needs a big hearty Italian meal, like eggplant parmesan and some zesty sharp cheeses to bring out its full flavor.

The Wine Enthusiast give the 2009 Solane Santi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso a score of 87 saying “Santi’s pristine Solane Ripasso opens with lively tones of dark berry and cassis, backed by cola, licorice and mesquite smoke. There’s a touch of drying mineral as well and the wine is crisp and fresh on the finish”.

The long and the short of it … the 2009 Solane Santi is a tremendous bottle of wine for its price (under $16 at Lumina Wine and Beer). It is also an excellent representative of Valopolicellas and an excellent introduction to Ripassos. If you are looking for a bottle of wine to serve up with your favorite Italian dish, 2009 Solane Santi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso will most definitely fit the bill. ©

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recipe.

INGREDIENTS: 2 large eggplants salt 1 cup of flour for dredging 2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs 2 eggs 1/4 cup of milk 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan 1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese or you can use fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced thin Marinara Sauce Basil Leaves DIRECTIONS: 1. C ut the ends off, then slice the eggplants into circles ½ inch thick. Immediately salt the eggplant to draw out the moisture and prevent browning. Let the circles sit and drain on paper towels for about 30 minutes. Pat dry.

2. Beat eggs and milk together. Use three bowls, one for the flour, one for the egg mixture and one for the bread crumbs.

First coat the eggplant with the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs.

3. Heat a large skillet with the oil. Fry eggplant on both sides until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.

4. P reheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce. Lay the eggplant circles flat in the bottom of the dish. Spread more sauce on top, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and top with the mozzarella.

Repeat this step one more time.

5. B ake uncovered in the oven for about a half hour until cheese is browned and bubbly. Dish can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. If baked the next day, bake for an hour until it’s warmed throughout.

6. S erve warm and garnish with fresh or dried basil leaves.

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EGGPLANT PARMESAN

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zoo zeal.

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AGING ANIMALS CREATE NEW CONCERNS FOR ZOOS

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FEW YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE GIRAFFES AT THE NORTH CAROLINA ZOO TURNED 32 YEARS OLD, MAKING IT THE SECOND OLDEST GIRAFFE IN CAPTIVITY IN THE WORLD. ONE OF THE PARK'S FEMALE RHINOS IS 44—NOT ANCIENT IN TERMS OF LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR RHINOS BUT CERTAINLY PAST ITS PRIME OF LIFE. THESE TWO SPECIES ILLUSTRATES A GROWING CONCERN FOR ZOOS IN AMERICA AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD: CAPTIVE ANIMALS ARE LIVING LONGER AND THEIR EXTENDED CARE INTO OLD AGE HAS BECOME A GROWING CONCERN FOR MOST ZOOS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS HOUSING ANIMALS. Photos & Story By: Tom Gillespie, NC Zoo Staff

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Animal welfare groups likely would say that it’s good that animals are living longer in zoos and facilities--it illustrates how zoos are doing their job well. But it also means zoos must now deal with increasingly difficult aging problems.

Animals that would have long before died in the wild are now developing such ailments as cancer, renal failure, and heart and liver disease.

“The problems that we see in older animals are similar to those we see in older people,” said Dr. Mike Loomis, chief veterinarian at the N.C. Zoo. “We start seeing degenerative processes. For instance, we have several animals that have joint problems; we have animals that develop tumors as they age—just like humans.”

And like humans, animals are living longer because of improved nutrition, better veterinary care and medical breakthroughs. Also, as they age, animals in the wild usually die off naturally or are killed by other animals. But in zoos, they have no predators, so they live longer.

The easiest approach to the aging problem in zoos would be simply for them to euthanize aging animals once they become too old to be exhibited, but as long as their quality of life is good, 56

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zoos have a moral obligation to care for their aging animals. And like most accredited institutions housing animals, the N.C. Zoo makes a commitment to a particular animal from the time it arrives at the park until the time it leaves for another institution or dies naturally.

“As the animal age out, we honor that commitment to them,” Loomis said. “We do our best to provide them adequate care during the prime of their life, and then as they age, we continue to provide them the best possible care.”

Although zoos could simply move the aging animals off exhibit, it is often necessary to maintain diversity in the ages of animal collections. Younger animals are typically more active and are of more interest to visitors, but older animals are necessary, too, particularly in species that develop social groups.

The older animals are, in a sense, role models for younger animals, teaching them proper behavior within their social groups.

This aging in captive collections has created the need for zookeepers to learn how to accommodate these aging populations. Although zoos have always faced the problems of aging animals, today it has become an evolving part of

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their animal husbandry--learning how to care for older animals and to meet their needs. Similar to human populations, it’s not that zoos have never dealt with aging animals, it’s that aging animals are now in greater numbers proportionally.

Often zoo animals, just like household pets, grow weak with age but are not old or sick enough to be euthanized.

Suffering from typical aging maladies such as hearing and sight loss, cancer and dementia, zoo animals often have to be treated with expensive painkillers and other medications. Often, zoos simply have not budgeted for these higher, longterm health-care costs.

Adding to the aging dilemma is the emotional complexities brought on when both visitors and keepers grow to love the institution’s animals over the years and decades. And, as with companion pets, the choice to finally euthanize a zoo animal can be difficult and emotional.

Simply put, zoos and other animal institutions are responsible for the wellbeing of their animals for as long as those animals live—no matter how long that might be. But the new problems facing zoo staffs are taking them—and the animals—into an area of limited experience and many unknowns. ©

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date night.

DAVE & SHERRY JOHNSON

By Winona Wentworth

T

rue Love is priceless. No amount of money can buy the feelings and happiness that true love brings. But if you were approached by a magic fairy who promised you the person you were meant to be with…your own true love…would be revealed to you for $500, would you take the fairy up on it? Remember, this would be your true love. No question.

How about if the fairy said it would be $250 worth of candy? Even better…how about the price of a set of darts? Would you? While you are thinking about that, I want to introduce you to a couple in Asheboro many of you already know and love.

David Johnson was in the Air Force stationed at RAF Lakenheath in England.

In 1989 he got out of the Air Force and returned home to San Antonio, Texas.

When Dave and his ex-wife went through a divorce he no longer had any ties to Texas so he took a road trip to Maine to visit his Mother. He had originally planned to stay about 6 months and then move on, possibly to California to visit his Dad. But fate had different plans.

When he arrived in Maine, Dave rented a small apartment and took a job at a local sandwich shop, Bon Vivant. After working there for a couple of months and getting to know Portland, he decided he wanted to stay so he started looking for a job more suited to his skill set. After a short period of time, he was offered a position at an accounting firm in their Management Information Systems (MIS) department. They were looking for someone who had database management experience and, since Dave had worked 58

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on cutting edge systems in the Military, he was a perfect fit.

His first few days at his new job were spent learning their system and getting to know his co-workers. At the time, he wasn’t dating anyone but he did notice two ladies he thought he’d like to ask out.

At a going away luncheon for the person he was replacing, Dave managed to sit next to Sherry and he asked her on a date.

Sherry was a member of an all women’s dart team and their first date involved Dave going to watch Sherry play in a tournament. What Sherry didn’t know at the time was that Dave was an accomplished dart player, having spent many hours in English pubs. They both thought the first date was a success so they agreed to a second.

The second date was another dart outing, an open tournament at the Eagle’s Club. Not having any of his own darts with him, Dave purchased some at the event. He jokes now that it cost him a $100-set of darts to woo Sherry. (See… sometimes it just takes $100 to find true love!) At that event, Sherry discovered what an excellent dart player Dave was when he and his assigned partner got 2nd place overall. That impressed her and also cemented the fact that they had something in common they could enjoy.

They really appreciated their time hanging out together and as their friendship grew, so did the amount of time they spent with each other. After six months of dating they moved in together and eighteen months after that they were married, February 22, 1992. Two years and three days later, their daughter Lauren was born and four years after that

 ASHEBORO MAGAZINE

their son Andrew joined the family.

Although Dave didn’t intend to stay in Maine for any length of time, he knew that Sherry was a dyed in the wool “Mainer” and was not going to be easily transplanted. He eased her into the idea by planning vacations in North Carolina and South Carolina, showing her how beautiful the countryside was. In 2008, when Sherry started dreading winter storms and shoveling snow in July, Dave knew this was the year he was going to get his wish. He had stayed in Maine for 19 years to be with the woman of his dreams and now he was finally going to get to move. Now that’s true love! And it is also how they came to celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary in North Carolina! After moving to Charlotte first, and not liking the hustle and bustle of the larger city, they moved to Asheboro and launched Asheboro Magazine. They wanted a magazine that is upbeat and makes readers look forward to the things they read inside. It is easy to open a newspaper or turn on the news and be bombarded by all the negativity and problems in the world today. Asheboro Magazine offers a wonderful alternative.

If you ask either of them why their relationship has been so successful they will tell you that they are married to their best friend. “We don’t sweat the small stuff,” Dave says. “If you attack things from a united front, as opposed to pointing the finger at one another, problems tend to get solved quicker.”

Sherry will tell you that she is fortunate enough to be married to “her soul mate”.

“We fight like any other couple does”, she says. “We just end up laughing about

it afterward. I couldn’t ask for a better husband.” (I wonder how much he paid her to say that? Hmmmm….. OK. He really didn’t pay her to say it. She actually means it!) How wonderful to know a couple who feels this way after 20 years of marriage!

DATE NIGHT:

Having a family and owning a business has put a damper on the road trips and vacations Sherry and Dave have always enjoyed, so they grab as much time alone as they can. A date for them is any time they are alone without the kids. It could be something as simple as staying in bed and watching television on a weekend, grabbing lunch together or going to the movies.

Locally they enjoy having dinner at Bistro 42, Uptown Charlie’s, The Flying Pig or a wine pairing dinner at Timothy’s.

However, going to a cookout at a friend’s house or enjoying a glass of wine at Lumina with friends is equally fun. “When you’re as happily married as we are, every day seems like date night,” says Sherry with a smile. We can all hope to have a relationship like theirs one day! ©

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upcoming events.

COMMUNITY EVENTS APRIL & MAY ‘12 APRIL 17 - Glenn Davis Memorial Concert, Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Concert 7-9 pm. Admission is free.

purchase tickets by Monday, April 16th.

Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. All proceeds benefit the Y-Give Scholarship Program. Please don't miss-out on this very special night! Contact the YMCA with any APRIL 19 - Thrifty Thursday Movie – questions, 336-625-1976 or visit www.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, Sunset Theatre, randolphasheboroymca.com. Tickets are on 234 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Show times sale now at the Front Desk of the YMCA! are 6:00 and 8:15 p.m. Admission is $5 – includes small popcorn and small drink.

APRIL 23 - Senior Games Performing Follies and SilverArts Showcase, Sunset APRIL 20 - Friday Night Bluegrass, Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, Theatre, 234 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. 2:30 pm. Free event. Performing arts Doors open at 6:30 pm, show begins at 7:00 competition featuring senior vocal, pm. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the instrumental, comedy/drama, line dancing door. acts and more!

APRIL 21 – Ash-Rand Rescue BBQ Fundraiser, Cox Street, Asheboro. 11 am to 7 pm. Come help support Ash-Rand saving lives. Plates include Our famous BBQ, Pintos, Slaw, Roll, Dessert. Eat in includes free tea or coffee. They will deliver orders of 10 or more plates to business. Call in advance to ensure your order 336-6253354. Plates $7, Sandwiches $4

APRIL 27 & 28 – Liberty Antiques Festival, 2855 Pike Farm Road, Staley, 8 am to 5 pm. Admission charged. Twice a year 400 dealers from more than 25 states pack this 100-acre farm with 18th to 20th century furniture and accessories, pottery, glass, clocks, dolls, toys, military items, advertising, decoys, jewelry, quilts, folk art and "in the rough" country Americana. No crafts or reproductions, APRIL 21 – Pig Pickin’ BBQ, Bethel just truckloads of antiques and collectibles.

Friends Church, Hwy 42, 11 to 7 pm. (or For more information, go to www. when the BBQ runs out, whichever comes libertyantiquesfestival.com. first).

APRIL 21 – 9th Annual Father Daughter Prom, Asheboro Country Club, 5105 Old Lexington Road, Asheboro. 6 to 9 pm.

Something Different will be catering the “Fiesta” themed event with heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

Fathers and daughters of ALL ages are welcome at the Father & Daughter Prom.

Participants will enjoy music, dancing, games, commemorative photo, as well as door prizes and giveaways! Please 60

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APRIL 28 – Liberty Chamber Antique Car & Tractor Show, Downtown Liberty, 2 to 5 pm. The Liberty Chamber "Bill Roach Memorial" Antique Car & Tractor Show features antique car and tractor judging and trophies; food and craft vendors, and music.

starts at 10:00 am. Cost to Register is $20.00 per bike (includes rider). Ride will conclude at Snyder Farms Restaurant 2880 Beckerdite Rd Sophia where a meal can be purchased with all proceeds going towards this event. There will also be a silent auction that starts at Cox's and ends at Snyder Farms.

APRIL 28 – 17th Annual 5K Health Run/ Fitness Walk and Smile Mile, Memorial Park, 820 Church Street, Asheboro. 8 to 10 am. The 5K begins promptly at 8:15 am. The Smile Mile begins promptly at 9:15 am. Rain or Shine. The Smile Mile is limited to children 14 and is a loop in the streets around Memorial Park. The 5K course is a USATF certified (NC04019PH) loop around downtown Asheboro. The start and finish are at Memorial Park. A water station will be located at 1.5 miles.

Split times will be given at the 1 and 2 mile points. For information on the race call (336) 625-2044 or visit our website at www.randolphroadrunners.org.

APRIL 28 - Slug Fest, 735 Farr Street.

Season opener for Recreation League baseball and softball. Most teams will have a game during the day. Activities for children & foo d vendors.

APRIL 28 – Sisyphus Saturdays at Zimmerman Vineyard, 1428 Tabernacle Church Road, Trinity. 5 to 8 pm. Free admission, $5 wine tastings. Enjoy live local music with available great wines and gourmet cheese trays from Goat Lady APRIL 28 – Karen’s Ride, Cox’s Harley- Dairy at Zimmerman Vineyards. The $5 Davidson, Asheboro, 10 am to 2 pm. wine tastings will include a souvenir wine Fundraiser to benefit breast cancer pati glass. ent Karen Davis (wife of Bennie Davis).

Registration is from 8:00 to 9:30am. Ride APRIL 28 – Art Affaire, Pinewood Country

 ASHEBORO MAGAZINE

Club, 247 Pinewood Road, Asheboro, 7 to 10 pm. Art Affaire, held each spring, is an art auction (and really great party) to help fund the Arts Guild's projects and programs.

We have a live auction that consists of original artworks made and donated by artists. There is also a silent auction with art work and commercial goods. For further details, contact the Randolph Arts Guild at (336) 629-0399 or www.randolphartsguild. com.

Scholarship Program. Please contact the YMCA at 336-625-1976 or visit www. randolphasheboroymca.com for more information. Tickets are on sale now at the Front Desk of the YMCA! MAY 8 – 3rd Annual Cap & Mabel Burrow Foundation Golf Tournament, Holly Ridge Golf Links, 7933 US Hwy 311, Archdale, 1 to 6 pm. All proceeds from the event benefit The Foundation's work of meeting the medical, housing, educational, vocational, transportation and social needs of people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and addictive diseases. For more information, contact Jennifer Swift at 495-2734.

APRIL 29 – Party in the Park, Bicentennial Park, Downtown Asheboro, 3 to 7 pm. Party in the Park sponsored by local churches will be going on this afternoon starting at 3 pm with entertainment, crafts, food, games, and a Health Fair featuring several community MAY 12 – CCSC Assault on Caraway agencies ALL FREE!!!

Mountain, Caraway Conference Center, MAY 5 - Asheboro in Motion Criterium & Asheboro, NC. All Day. Kids 10 – 18, Art May-Ham, Downtown Asheboro, 11 all proceeds go to benefit Central Carolina am – 7 pm. Featuring: High-speed cyclists, Soccer Club in Randolph County. Register BMX stunt show, the work of over 30 for this One-Of-A-Kind adventure that artists and artisans, BBQ cook-off featuring challenges the heart, muscles, brain, around a dozen competitors – lunch and lungs and everything in between. Cost to dinner options available, The Party Nuts in participate is $80 per team. concert starting at 5 pm).

MAY 12 – Bloomin’ Wine Festival, MAY 5 – 1st Annual Mother Son Date Zimmerman Vineyards, 1428 Tabernacle Night, Randolph-Asheboro YMCA, 343 Church Road, Trinity, NC. 12 to 6 pm.

Hwy 42, Asheboro, 5:30 to 8:30 pm. The Bloomin' Wine Festival celebrates the Mothers and sons of all ages can participate sweet smell of grapevines in bloom. Enjoy in swimming, volleyball, basketball, great wines, live music, local artisans, Teen Center activities, racquetball and and gourmet cheese trays from Goat Lady MUCH MORE!!! Mothers and sons will Dairy at Zimmerman Vineyards. The $5 each receive a commemorative t-shirt, wine tastings will include a souvenir wine as well. All proceeds benefit the Y-Give glass.

a

ASHEBORO sheboro &more

MAY 12 – K&L Western Pageant, K&L Event Center, Hwy 64, Asheboro. 2:00 pm.

A beauty pageant featuring western attire, both classy and casual. 11 age divisions from infants to the 50 and over division.

Proceeds will benefit the CUOC. MAY 19 – 5th Annual YMCA Community Yard Sale, Randolph-Asheboro YMCA, 343 Hwy 42, Asheboro, 7 am to 12 pm.

Clean out your closets, garages and attics!

On Saturday, May 19, 2012 the RandolphAsheboro YMCA will hold its Fifth Annual Community Yard Sale! Six foot long tables with surrounding space are now available for rent for only $15! This event will be held from 7am until noon in of the YMCA’s paved parking lots In case of rain, we will have the sale in the gymnasium. All table rental proceeds will benefit the Y-Give Scholarship Program. Please contact Celena Fleming, 336-625-1976 or visit www.randolphasheboroymca.com. Tables are for rent now at the Front Desk of the YMCA! MAY 19 & 20 – Relay for Life, Bicentennial Park, Downtown Asheboro, 4 pm to 1 pm. The local chapter of the American Cancer Society coordinates this event with walking, entertainment and fellowship all while raising funds for the American Cancer Society. For more information visit www.relayforlife.org.

MAY 20TH—Summer Concert Series, Bicentennial Park, Downtown Asheboro, 7 to 8:30 pm featuring The Attractions.

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ray of sunshine.

JANET HARLLEE

By Winona Wentworth

I

tried and tried to narrow down this month’s “Ray of Sunshine” recipient to just one person but I’m afraid we have a tie so I will just have to write about both of them.

First I will introduce you to Mitsy Lou Puppernickel. Mitsy Lou is 63….gettin’ on up there now and over the hill. She is a tacky southern hairdresser from down in Frog Holler. (Her description! I’m not being mean!) Mitsy Lou says it takes a lot to entertain us in today’s world of Internet, cell phones, movies, etc. To her, however, there is nothin’ better than a lazy summer afternoon, an outhouse and a rooster! She loves talkin’ to people about the fun things in life and loves makin’ people laugh. She has a women’s program she does called “A Makeover with Tha’ Maker” and talks about how a lot of women feel like they are not popular enough or pretty enough. She tells about seein’ a book that showed how a woman’s body changes when she gets older and how she decided that she was NOT gonna look like that! But one day she stepped out of the shower and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and BAM…page 23 flashed through her head! Through stories and music she gives an uplifting look at how life can be!

She also has other programs she does for every type of person both in the hollers and the cities. Twice daily she shares thoughts and quotes on her Facebook page with all of her followers. And she absolutely loves the person she shares the “Ray of Sunshine” award with this month. So I guess it’s time for me to introduce you to…

Janet Whisnant Harllee. Janet is Mitsy Lou’s “other personality.”

Janet works at Cross Road Retirement Community and loves being able to share her life with the seniors she sees every day. Growing up with the family God blessed her with gave her the deep roots needed to become a “Ray of Sunshine.”

Her father was “a character.” He loved 62

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dry humor and making people laugh.

Her mother is a “storyteller” and taught Sunday School children for 54 years.

Janet’s sister is a school teacher. So it runs in the family to have a love of teaching and laughing and wanting everyone around to feel better about themselves. Janet has a background in the theatre and is remembered fondly by one of her classmates as “always the most cheerful, outgoing person around.

We had an excellent drama and music department then and she was always in the plays.” For a while now she has been the co-coordinator/writer/director for her church drama team. Her pastor’s wife has characters that are fun and Janet thought it would be fun to have one of her own. That is when God sent “Mitsy Lou Puppernickel” to her life. Mitsy Lou gives her a way to share a message through humor, story and song with the main focus being “how to hang on to your faith in this ever-changing world.”

Janet feels like you “can’t fake sunshine,” and laughter is very important. She has always wanted to help and encourage people. “God says we need to lift people up — not tear them down” and Janet goes out of her way to do just that. There is so much negativity in the world nowadays and she considers that a waste of time.

To those who know her on Facebook she is a great daily encouragement, whether as Janet or as Mitsy Lou. Both of them post thoughts twice daily. The first quotes are in the morning and then again after work. She never knows what she will run into during the day that might

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give her something else to talk about that afternoon. A lot of the time she has absolutely no idea what she is going to write when she sits down at the computer.

So she sits at the computer and asks the Lord to give her the right words to say. Then she writes what He sends to her. Being able to write as two totally different types of people means a lot to her. It feels good to her to be able to encourage, help people in their struggles and help build her readers’ faith by lifting their spirits. The people who read the quotes each day are always excited to see what she will say next. Speaking with some of them it was very clear to me how vital her twice daily quotes as each person meant to them. Mitsy Lou has a different writing style than Janet and that means that you get two points of view twice a day. We don’t know how much we influence people and she knows that the words we say reflect who we really are! Her quotes on both Facebook pages and the things she does for her church aren’t enough for Janet. So she also writes other types of material such as stories, and songs and is working on a book.

Janet is a firm believer that Christians need to be “bold for Christ” and should be more mission-oriented. She credits God with her talents and ability to make others feel better about themselves.

There is not one bit of “ego” when it comes to her.

And that is why Janet and Mitsy Lou are this month’s “Ray of Sunshine!” ©

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