INSIDE ▼ Tips for getting through inflation PAGE 1B Friday, May 20, 2022 • Vol. 15 • No. 20
ABOUT US P.O. BOX 1104 Matthews, NC 28106 (704) 849-2261 justin@cmgweekly.com charlottemediagroup.org
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Budding artists Donors support studio at Matthews Glen, 1B
thecharlotteweekly.com/mmhweekly
@mmhweekly
Budd, Cotham secure the votes CHARLOTTE – State legislative candidates Laura Budd and Tricia Cotham each earned enough votes May 17 to win their primary races and advance to the November ballot. Cotham, who previously served 10 years as a state representative, earned nearly half of the vote in the Democratic primary for the District 112 seat in the N.C. House. The race included former state legislator Rodney Moore, who reportedly stopped campaigning for the seat. “I am so grateful to the
voters and to my friends and neighbors who devoted their time, energy and passion to help power this campaign,” Cotham wrote to supporters on Facebook. “I am honored to have this opportunity and look forward to continuing our campaign to November to ensure this new seat sends an experienced and battle-tested Democrat to the State House.” Cotham, who lives in Mint Hill, told voters she’d advocate for “more affordable housing, lower health care costs and equitable funding” of schools.
She will face Mint Hill Commissioner Tony Long in the November race. Budd defeated Ann Harlan in a Democratic primary that featured two challengers vying to replace outgoing N.C. House Rep. Rachel Hunt. Budd won by 723 votes. Hunt was among several high-profile Matthews endorsements for Budd, who advocated for adequate school funding, economic growth, living wage jobs and criminal justice reform. “As always, this was never
about asking you for your vote, it is and always will be about earning it,” Budd wrote to supporters on Facebook. “Thank you to everyone who sent sage advice, lent an ear to listen and kept it real with the laughs. Next up is bringing home the blue in November!” Budd takes on former Republican lawmaker Bill Brawley in November.
Budd
Cotham
• Flip to page 3A to see unofficial results of other primary races from May 17.
Barker: Be bold Girls on the Run founder shares wisdom with grads
Of the Wingate University students earning degrees May 17, 60 majored in biology or environmental biology, 42 in exercise science, 41 in psychology and 26 in sport management. Photos courtesy of Wingate University
Season of celebrations
Wingate University spring 2022 graduates These Matthews students earned graduate degrees at Wingate University: • Madalyn Lee Bobeng, Doctor of Pharmacy • McKenzie Cass Bolin, Doctor of Occupational Therapy • Jamie Lee Hundley, Master of Business Administration • Morgan Lenora Jamison, Master of Arts in Sport Management • Jenelle Nicole Mrugalski, Doctor of Occupational Therapy • Madeline Sara Patrick, Doctor of Occupational Therapy • Sydney Paige Stuart, Master of Business Administration • Raymond Joseph Zaffarese III, Doctor of Pharmacy.
Area high school graduations • Levine Middle College High School: May 26, 1 p.m., Ovens Auditorium • Butler High School: June 11, noon, Bojangles Coliseum • Independence High School: June 13, noon, Bojangles Coliseum • Providence High School: June 13, 8:30 a.m., Bojangles Coliseum • Rocky River High School: June 15, 12:30 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum • Providence Day School: May 27, 9:30 a.m.; Mosack Athletic Center
Readers can vote for their favorite companies Justin Vick Managing Editor
O
ne of my favorite times of year is when Charlotte Media Group recognizes winners of the Best of the Weeklies readers choice awards. Some business owners are surprised to have been nominated. Others lead informal
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND HAVE IT MAILED TO YOUR HOME!
campaigns encouraging their customers to vote for them. Regardless of how they earn the honor, it’s great to be a part of the excitement in the room at our awards ceremony. It’s also exciting to watch the votes roll in. We launched voting this past week. Each of our newspapers will hold voting for their respective coverage areas through June 4 at www.thecharlotteweekly.com. A few weeks later, we’ll highlight the winners in a special edition and show them love at an awards ceremony at Mario’s Italian Restaurant. This is one way you can thank that burg-
er joint for always cooking the beef precisely how you want it or the dance studio for going the extra mile in building confidence in your children. There are dozens of categories to consider, including some within the subject areas of arts, drink, food, fitness and shopping. It has been incredibly difficult managing a business since the pandemic and things may get much worse with inflation. Winning the title of Best Fill-in-theBlank just may give a company the momentum it needs to power through these trying economic times.
If you’re not getting the you’re missing out!
GET IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
FOR YOUR DELIVERY: Contact us at 704-849-2261 or email cmgweekly@gmail.com
WINGATE – Wingate University graduates picking up their bachelor’s degrees May 17 got seven bits of wisdom from third- through eighth-grade students via Girls on the Run founder Molly Barker. The Charlotte native shared bits of her personal story and challenged the Class of 2022, 416 members strong, to live bold and authentic lives, despite the tension she described as two sides of the human experience coin. “On the one side … is our essence, the unique us, the us that is perfectly ourselves,” Barker said, “and on the other side is this deep desire Barker for belonging so much that we literally and metaphorically photoshop, filter and cover up who we really are, to fit in, to be pretty, or beautiful, rich or buff, athletic or successful – to be all the things society tells us we should be instead of who we really are.” Speaking to a crowd of thousands on the Academic Quad during a 9 a.m. ceremony, Barker said her encounters with Girls on the Run participants over the past quarter-century had helped her learn the following lessons: • Sometimes you will really suck at something, and that’s OK. “We have to step outside our comfort zone and do things that show us what we are, by showing us what we are not,” Barker said, describing her conversation with a last-place runner in a GOTR 5K who realized that walking, not running, was her forte. • Sometimes being ourselves means being vulnerable and crying in front of people. • Usually, when our heart is in the right place and we are bringing our authentic selves to a project, people really appreciate that, even if the messaging is a little bit off. • Being yourself can be hard. And selfcare matters. • Sometimes in the middle of doing something that will bring you lots of awards and recognition, you discover something that actually brings you joy. Do that, because that’s where your real self lives. Barker said this lesson came from a see SPEAKER, Page 5A
,