INSIDE ▼ Useful Father's Day gifts for aging dads PAGE 1B Friday, June 17, 2022 • Vol. 15 • No. 23
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Home Repairs Stein gives tips to avoid fix-it scams, 2A
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Garner supports school project by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
MATTHEWS – Commissioner Renee Garner told leaders at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on June 7 that she wants to do what she can to advocate for construction at Matthews Elementary School so that work is started sooner than later. CMS has started engaging the public on a list of 125 capital projects estimated to cost $5.3 billion over the next 10 years. Feedback from the public may shape where projects rank on the list or how projects are scored. An onsite replacement for Matthews Elementary School current-
ly sits at No. 47 in the rankings. CMS construction leader Dennis LaCaria has said schools want to rank in the top 45 Garner in the event county leaders only feel comfortable putting a bond referendum on the 2023 ballot between $2 million to $2.5 million. Garner said the ranking for Matthews Elementary School makes her a “little bit nervous.” “I understand that we’re all competing for these dollars, but Matthews Elementary, for those that aren’t aware, part of the building was built in 1954, part of it was built in
1969, part of it was built in 1971. So we have a cobbled-together elementary school that is loved by our community.” She told members of CMS’s Municipal Education Advisory Committee that Matthews commissioners discussed the school at their planning retreat and they would support some sort of update or rebuild of the school. An onsite replacement for Crown Point Elementary currently ranks 53rd on the capital needs project list. Garner asked about the 40-point scoring difference between Matthews and Crown Point. LaCaria told her that daylight and indoor air quality were differ-
ence makers for renovations and replacements as well as their rankings. While Crown Point is a younger building, it has not had as many updates as Matthews, he said. Once this plan is approved, school officials will update the rankings annually. Schools may be affected by changes in enrollment or if the district decides to finance an administrative building through means that don’t require a public vote. CMS’s Municipal Education Advisory Committee formed after the passing of House Bill 514 in 2018, which granted Matthews, Mint see SCHOOLS, Page 5A
Hallways to success Butler High's Class of 2022 turns the tassels by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
Novant Health officials are excited about the Matthews hospital's expansion. The first clinical space in the new tower is scheduled to open in summer 2024. The anticipated completion date for the entire project is summer 2025. Photos courtesy of Novant Health
Diggin' in
Hospital breaks ground on $169M expansion MATTHEWS – Novant Health Matthews Medical Center broke ground June 8 on a four-story, 150,000-square-foot tower and 50,000-square-foot renovation project. Located on the south side of the hospital campus, the new tower will house 20 new patient beds along with surgical services to include seven operating rooms, three endoscopy suites, a post-anesthesia care unit and an ambulatory care unit. There will also be three cardiac suites. “I am proud of Novant Health’s commitment to ensuring our community has access to comprehensive, quality medical care, right here close to home,” said Jason Bernd, president and chief operating officer of Novant Health Matthews Medical Center. “This investment helps address the medical center’s long-term sustainability and ensures we are able to grow in the clinical areas our patients need.” Matthews Medical Center opened in 1994 as a 102-bed community hospital. It
MATTHEWS – Sofia Goetz remembers her first day as a freshman at Butler High School unsure where the hallways would lead. She reminded classmates during her June 11 commencement speech how the “unspeakable tragedy freshman year” (a student was shot and killed at school) prompted students to run for safety from the hallways. Later, they sought refuge in the hallways a tornado approached town. And then there was COVID-19, which cleared hallways for more than a year. “In your lifetime, there will be hundreds of hallways you’ll walk through,” Goetz said. “Some of those hallways will lead to tragedy and great sadness. But there will also be hallways that bring accomplishments and immense happiness.” Valedictorian Jana Pak said students picked up notable skills during their time in high school, such as the ability to endure, adapt, strengthen and unite as a community. Pak spoke about finding value in the uncomfortable. “The repeated clashing and coping with the unfamiliar is the foundation to our growth that unlocks our success,” Pak said. “Each time we struggle, we simultaneously develop the problem-solving skills to respond to the difficulty. As we work to master these skills, we learn, we improve and most importantly, we grow into better people than before.” While some may downplay graduation as an achievement, Principal Vincent Golden told seniors that 1.2 million students drop out of high school annually in the U.S. That’s one every 26 seconds, he said. Golden encouraged graduates to focus on three words to drive their futures: Success is yours. He outlined four keys to success: determination, skill, passion and discipline. “Success can be obtained if you believe in yourself,” he told them.
Dr. Gautam Patel, of Novant Health Inpatient Care Specialists, and Jason Bernd, chief operating officer at Novant Health Matthews, were among leaders attending the June 8 ceremony.
has expanded several times over the years including a fifth-floor vertical expansion and a new women’s center doubling the size of its maternity services. The hospital has 157 licensed beds. It will become a 174-bed hospital with this $169 million expansion.
'Godfather of Small Ball' Muggsy Bogues book-signing among this week's key events, 2A
MONDAY, SEPT. 12, 2022 Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation
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