Inside: Vote for your favorite restaurants in Munch Madness • Page 3A
THE WEEKLY
BY THE UNION COUNTY WEEKLY
Friday, March 20, 2020 • Vol. 1 • No. 11
County reports first coronavirus case
ABOUT US P.O. BOX 1104 Matthews, NC 28106 (704) 849-2261
es, as well as set guidelines for public safety and emergency personnel, according to the county. Union County has established an emergency operations center and joint information center to counter the threat and disseminate information. “This is an unprecedented healthcare crisis and calls for unprecedented planning and precautions as an organization,” County Manager Mark Watson said. North Carolina reported 63 cases of coronavirus, including 14 in neighboring Mecklenburg County, as of 11 a.m. March 18. A few hours
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MONROE – Mayor Ron Pappas and Union County Commissioner Jerry Simpson each signed declarations for a state emergency in preparation for the conronavirus pandemic crossing Pappas county lines. The measure allows the town and county to tap into funding allocated for emergency purpos-
later, Union County reported its first case. The county is trying to identify the patient's links to other people to prevent COVID-19's spread. Gov. Roy Cooper has issued a series of orders since coronavirus arrived in North Carolina this month, including the closing of schools for at least two weeks and the closing of dine-in at restaurants. Such changes, as well as recommendations of social distancing, prompted the county to postpone see CASE, Page 5A
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E. coli found in water as coronavirus arrives in region Life lessons
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Tree yields some food for thought, 1B
Hidden talent Retired dentist taps into newfound hobby, 1B
Giving back Restaurants help feed students, 4A
QUICK HITS Self Assessment Novant Health is offering a self-guided assessment tool at www.NovantHealth.org/coronavirus to help people determine if they should seek care. It also has a 24/7 coronavirus helpline at 1-877-499-1697.
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MONROE – Union County Public Works customers woke up to the news of a boil water advisory March 12 after the presence of E. coli was found in a routine water sampling. Junior Honeycutt, who serves as the county’s public works water superintendent, said the sample that showed the presence of E. coli was collected March 10 near the intersection of U.S. 74 and Gray Fox Road in Indian Trail. Public works was notified March 11. Both Honeycutt and Public Works Administrator Hyong Yi said public works routinely collects water samples daily, which adds up to more than 120 samples a month. Honeycutt said about 100 samples had already come in by the time of the advisory, and all passed the test except for the one March 10. After the test showed the presence of E. coli, Honeycutt said public works immediately collected a second sample and tested additional samples in the general area, as well as routine testing at other points in the countywide system. “We believe this is a site-specific E. Coli issue from where the water sample was taken from,” Honeycutt said. “There’s no reason to believe
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there was any mass contamination of the county’s water system. The county samples over 120 coliform samples every month. We’re already close to 100 this month and all have been good except for this one. We’ll continue to sample to make sure that it was site-specific.” Honeycutt also said the presence of E. coli could have come from “a number of causes.” Some Union County residents expressed concerns in the two-day delay to get the advisory. Honeycutt said it takes 24 hours for the water
see WATER, Page 5A
WAXHAW – Kat Lee will always value the decision she made to make Waxhaw her home and how, in turn, the neighbors chose the former intelligence analyst to represent them as a town commissioner. Lee Lee served in her final meeting March 10 as her family is moving out of town. Elected in November 2017, she leaves with about two years remaining in her first term. In her departing words, Lee said she was proud to have stayed true to the beliefs that she campaigned on.
“I've tried my best to protect our last remaining invaluable park land against shortsightedness and greedy developers,” she said. “I've worked to control spending on our town budgets from the money we spend on consultants to the money we spend on this very board – all while fighting against tax hikes.” She mentioned how she valued working with former Mayor Stephen Maher to fund road improvements, as well as the mentorship of former commissioner Brenda Burns and the work ethic of former commissioner Candace DeFinis. “I won some votes and I lost some but when I look back on my time serving Waxhaw, it's the blessing
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sample to incubate before they can receive results from the lab. “Although the sample had been taken Monday, it was literally Tuesday at 5:00 before we found out that the sample had failed, so we continued to pull samples into the late hours of the evening on Tuesday,” Honeycutt said. “Those results to confirm the E. Coli was positive did not come back until late last night, so we started working on this issue last night at about 10.”
Lee resigns from Waxhaw board
The Charlotte Steeplechase Foundation has canceled the 2020 Silver Jubilee Queen’s Cup on April 25 in Mineral Springs due to concerns with coronavirus. N.C. Rep. Craig Horn points to emergency unemployment reforms that allow residents to access benefits more quickly during the COVID-19 crisis. Benefits paid during federal disaster declarations may be provided without waiting a week or without showing a job search. Beneficiaries may apply online. Horn encourages people to contact his office if they need assistance.
Liz Cooper, the county's public communications manager, explains the sequence of events after the county realized a water sample tested positive for E. Coli. Kayla Berenson/WW photo
For many of you reading this, this may be your first time opening our paper and reading it cover to cover. Garson For others, you are loyal readers of our family of publications and we are so grateful for your support. You are most likely either working from home now or having to make accommodations since your children are out of school for the foreseeable future. Since I have your attention, let me take a moment and introduce you to Charlotte Media Group. We publish four weekly newspapers every single week, 52 weeks a year. We publish South Charlotte Weekly, Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly, Indian Trail Weekly and The Weekly Waxhaw. We are delivered to nearly 50,000 south Charlotte residents every week. For over 15 years, we have been covering hyper-local news, high school athletes, local politics and economic development for all of the communities I mentioned above. I am the publisher of Charlotte Media Group. We have a staff of nine people that manage to produce four unique newspapers that, we like to believe, add value to the communities we serve. Our main goal has always been to connect the community with useful information and also connect our readers with local businesses. With the current public health crisis we are facing, it is more important now than it has ever been for us to do our jobs well. We have always provided trusted, unbiased, community-focused content and this is a critical time for us to continue that tradition. From day one, we have never charged a fee for our content. We have always been
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Page 2A • Weekly Waxhaw • March 20, 2020
LEE
IN THE KNOW
(continued from page 1A)
PHOTO OF THE WEEK STAY CONNECTED • Instagram: @weeklywaxhaw • Twitter: @weeklywaxhaw • Like us on Facebook • Web: unioncountyweekly. com • E-edition: issuu.com/car olinaweeklynewspapers
CONTACT US Union County Heritage Festival organizers have launched the sixth annual T-shirt logo design contest. The winning design will be used on the front of festival shirts Sept. 19 at the Union County Agricultural Center. Visit www.unioncountyheritagefestival.org for rules. Photo courtesy of Union County Heritage Festival
MOST POPULAR STORIES • Waxhaw’s 50 most powerful women • Novant Health launches online coronavirus assessment tool • How North Carolina’s judicial branch is responding to coronavirus • Thales Academy adding junior high • Counties call on state leaders to end budget impasse
TWEETS OF THE WEEK • "Waxhaw is not on lockdown or under a curfew at this time. Section 2 & 3 of the State of Emergency is meant to communicate that we will follow Union County Government's lead on curfews and gatherings. We will be releasing more information as we receive it from the County." – Town of Waxhaw (@TownofWaxhawNC) • "#Panthers give Cam Newton permission to seek a trade" – Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) • "Today's price range in city of #Waxhaw : $60,000 $4,400,000" – Jennifer Manchester (@Jenincharlotte)
UPCOMING EDITIONS • March 27: Arts & Entertainment • April 3: Summer Camps • April 17: Thrive Over 55
PUBLISHER Adrian Garson adrian@cmgweekly.com BUSINESS MANAGER Rebecca Jensen rjensen@cmgweekly.com MANAGING EDITOR Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com NEWS EDITOR Karie Simmons karie@cmgweekly.com SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Stark andrew@cmgweekly.com CONTENT PRODUCER Kayla Berenson kayla@cmgweekly.com ART DIRECTOR Kylie Sark art@cmgweekly.com ADVERTISING Charlotte Conway Kate Kutzleb adsales@cmgweekly.com PRESS RELEASES justin@cmgweekly.com
that I remember,” Lee said. “It's the outpouring of support I have felt from the good people of this town. It's the profound honor of being chosen to be your voice in government.” She encouraged citizens to take ownership in Waxhaw's future, noting that government is a partnership with the people. Commissioners approved a resolution of appreciation specifically mentioning how Lee had a role in major decisions that had substantial impact on the growth and development on Waxhaw. The resolution noted how her passion for parks helped improve the quality of life for citizens. Mayor Ron Pappas and commissioners thanked Lee for her service and wished her luck on her new journey. “We all know when we sit in these seats, no matter what other people think we do all day long, we do a lot of work together,” Pappas said. “I know you know what that's like. I just want to express appreciation.” Resident Bonnie Rusinko thanked Lee for her dedication, tenacity and always putting citizens first. She credited Lee for voting against a tax increase, vehicle fee, wasteful
spending and high-density development. Rusinko encouraged her to forget negativity from a few negative people, especially from “one toxic, smooth-talking unproductive con man.” DeFinis served with Lee for six months as interim commissioner. She lauded Lee's work on road and infrastructure improvements, her dedication to town parks, her fiscally conservative nature and her opposition to high-density development. “She served this town with dedication and grace, constantly under fire and under attack,” DeFinis said during the March 10 meeting. “She has time and time again rose above and continued to serve the citizens of Waxhaw.” DeFinis said Lee faced heinous attacks, threats and harassment, noting that no one on the board deserves that kind of treatment. She then acknowledged Edwin Elam, a political rival of Lee, by name. “Mr. Elam, I want you to know that we see you and we know what you have done, and I am not hiding anymore,” DeFinis said. “As a citizen, I have the right to say my peace just as you have the right to say what you have said over the past two years. I'll tell you something else – you haven't seen the last of me, because I'll be running in two years. Have a good night.”
CRIME SCENE The Union County Sheriff's Office reported these incidents from March 1 to 12: Marvin Driving While Impaired • 2100 block of Waxhaw-Marvin Road Identity Theft • 2000 block of Flowering Peach Road • 9500 block of Belmont Lane Waxhaw Break-Ins (Attempt)
• 1100 block of Deercross Lane Conspiracy to Committee a Misdemeanor • 500 block of South Providence Street Identity Theft • 500 block of Five Leaf Lane Property Damage • 1200 block of Oleander Lane • 2800 block of Crane Road (2 cases) Thefts • 2300 block of Napa Valley
Drive • 4100 block of Adams Road • 8800 block of Summerhill Drive Underage Consumption • 900 block of Giacomo Drive Unauthorized Use of Vehicle • 1300 block of Kronas Circle Youth Access to Tobacco, Vapor or Wrapping Papers • 1400 block of Cuthbertson Road
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Weekly Waxhaw • March 20, 2020 • Page 3A
First Round
Thirsty 32
March 20 to 24
March 27 to 31
1 The Bridge Restaurant
Sweet 16 Edible Eight Final Fork April 3 to 7
April 10 to 14
Championship
April 17 to 21
Final Fork Edible Eight Sweet 16
April 24 to 28
April 17 to 21
April 10 to 14
April 3 to 7
Thirsty 32
First Round
March 27 to 31
March 20 to 24
Munch Madness
1 Stone Table
Road to the
16 El Cafetal 8 Juke Box Deli and Pub
16 Duke's Grill 8 Hilltop Fish Fare & Steakhouse
Final Fork
9 Cactus Rose Café 5 Grapes Wine Bar 12 Omega Coney Island 4 Sileo’s NY Deli
9 Pepperoni's Pizza 5 Oasis Sandwich Shop 12 Hathaway's Fried Chicken 4 The Smoke Pit 13 El Vallarta
13 Chokh Di Noodle House
Indian Trail
6 Your GG’s Kitchen
Monroe
6 Franklin Court Grille
11 Sabor Latin Street Grill
11 The Skinny Cook
3 Hickory Tavern (Sun Valley)
3 Fox's Alley Bowling Bar & Grill
14 Athenian Grill
14 Iron Thunder Saloon
7 Mia Famiglia
7 Taqueria y Marisqueria los Pepe's
10 Sun Valley Café
10 East Frank Superette & Kitchen
2 The Trail House
2 Carnitas Mexican Guanajuato
15 NY Pizza & Pasta
15 Monterrey Mexican Restaurant
Champion 1 Mama's Pizza & Pasta
1 Emmet’s Social Table
16 Lam's Kitchen
16 Broome Street Burgers
8 Mario's Italian Restaurant
8 Queens South Bar & Grill
9 Saveeda's American Bistro
9 Bistro D’Antonio
5 Hickory Tavern
5 Cork & Ale
12 Lucy's Bake and Deli
12 Ice Cream & Pizza Works
4 Carnitas Mexican Guanajuato 13 Rock Store Bar-B-Q
4 Mary O’Neill’s Irish Pub 13 Capricci’s True Italian
Greater Matthews
6 Poppy Seeds Bagels
Waxhaw
11 Sabor Latin Street Grill 3 Moochies Tavern 14 Ararat 17 7 Phat Daddy's Cafe 10 The Steak 'n Hoagie Shop 2 Athens Pizza
6 Stacks Kitchen 11 South Main Street Barbeque
How to vote
3 Maxwell’s Tavern
No need to fill out the entire bracket. Each week, we'll collect votes for each round until a winner emerges. There are two ways to vote: 1. Email your round favorites to justin@cmgweekly.com. 2. Find photos of each bracket on social media (Facebook or Instagram) and leave a comment with who you want to win. Readers can vote three times each round (once for email, once for Facebook and once for Instagram).
14 701 Main Restaurant 7 El Vallarta 10 Fox’s Pizza Den 2 Provisions Waxhaw
15 Pappa's Pizza To-Go
15 Moe’s Original BBQ
You can also check us out on Instagram @weeklywaxhaw
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Who got snubbed? Would you like to file a formal complaint to the Munch Madness: Road to the Final Fork selection committee? Email justin@cmgweekly.com why your favorite restaurant deserved to be on the list or receive a higher seed and we may print responses. Remember, there is no crying in competitive food.
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Page 4A • Weekly Waxhaw • March 20, 2020
Atrium: We are prepared for coronavirus response by Kayla Berenson kayla@cmgweekly.com
Coronavirus shows no signs of slowing down yet, but doctors at Atrium Health want patients to know they are in the best hands. For the last month, Atrium Health and Levine Children’s Hospital have prepared for the inevitable COVID-19 outbreak. Callie Dobbins, facility executive at Levine Children’s Hospital, said she and her colleagues have plans in place in the event a child comes down with coronavirus, though not many child cases have been reported since the outbreak. “We are completely ready,” Dobbins said in a panel discussion March 13. “We are prepared. We have plans for our nursing team, our physician team, our nurse practitioners and [physician’s assistants].” Dobbins said in addition to being prepared for coronavirus, the hospital is also prepared for all children’s emergencies. Policies would be put in place to isolate cases of coronavirus from other pediatric situations in the hospital. No matter where patients are located, Atrium Health and Levine Children’s Hospital clinics, urgent cares and emergency rooms are all prepared. “All of our clinics across any place that Atrium Health has a location has been preparing the same way,” Dobbins said. “We have a lot of options for our patients or our families to use virtual visits. They can call their pediatrician or their family doctor if they’re feeling ill. That’s the first step. Then if they’re having emergent-type symptoms, we want them to go to their closest emergency department.” Drew Harman, Levine Children’s Hospital’s chief medical officer, assured the community that though there is a lot of panic surrounding coronavirus, things will be OK. “What we’re hoping is that, seasonal variation with common respiratory viruses we see that decrease over the summer months in
Medical Director of Labor and Delivery Lorene Temming said that pregnant women cannot pass coronavirus down to their babies. Kayla Berenson/WW Photo
warmer climates,” Harman said. “We’re hoping that will happen and we’re hoping that it will go down, but we just don’t know. We’re prepared to continue to take care of everyone out there as best as we can until it does blow over, but it will. It will go away and the majority of folks are going to be just fine.” While the risk of contracting the virus is lower for all children, the risk of developing severe symptoms is greater for children with conditions that compromise their immune systems, such as cystic fibrosis and asthma. Adult patients with these conditions are also at risk of developing more severe symptoms. Ashley Chadha, who serves as the specialty
medical director for pediatric pulmonology, said in addition to following existing precautions of handwashing and social distancing, patients with chronic illnesses should have a 30-day supply of their chronic medication and rescue medication readily available. Also at risk are adult patients with heart problems. Atrium Health Chief of Adult Cardiology Sanjeev Gulati said the best practices for these patients are to properly sanitize, eat healthy meals and be closely monitored by a doctor. He advised those who do not need to be in a healthcare facility immediately to utilize Atrium Health’s virtual care program in which doctors can see patients remotely.
The most important thing, the doctors said, was to get accurate information. Doctors recommended calling the county and state hotlines to figure out if they need to go to the emergency room and visit the Center for Disease Control’s website to see the facts, as well as find child-friendly information. “The fact is that the vast majority of people do not get sick with coronavirus,” said David Callaway from the division of operational and disaster medicine. “Eighty percent of people have a mild illness that requires no medical care, so it’s important to understand what puts you at risk for getting sicker and when you want to access that health system.”
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School lunch means socializing with friends, taking a break from classes and getting energy out on the school yard. But for some students, school lunch means more than that; it is the only substantial meal they will get that day. Many students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Union County Public Schools rely on breakfasts and lunches provided by the school districts. Now that schools are closed as a safety precaution, many families were left wondering how they could feed their children at this time. Since the announcement to close schools, both districts have separately announced grab-and-go programs to provide food to students who need it. CMS and UCPS posted a list of meal distribution locations where students can pick up breakfast and lunch free of charge. But several local restaurants and businesses have also stepped in to help. Chris Sottile, who owns The Loyalist Market in Matthews, posted on Instagram that the market would provide lunches to students who needed them 20 minutes after the announcement. “It was kind of just like, ‘let’s get to work,’” Sottile said. The response was bigger and quicker than Sottile expected. “We were planning on just feeding 50 people here every single day,” Sottile said. “I started getting emails and messages from teachers asking how do they get food from a lot of different quadrants of the city. I saw that this would be way bigger than what I’m thinking.” Sottile reached out to other restaurants in Charlotte and Waxhaw he thought might be interested in participating and started a GoFundMe page, which has since raised more than $41,000. Each participating restaurant will receive at least $1,600 to feed 50 kids a
day, along with $45 per day in labor costs to bring employees in. “We’re trying to encourage them, if you’ve had to cut back hours for somebody or you just recently laid them off because of everything that’s going on, bring them back and just give them something while this is going on,” Sottile said. The program started March 17. Sottile said they did not have a huge rush, but spoke with other locations that had higher turnouts. He said one restaurant that wasn’t part of the program at first had 150 kids come in. Now, the restaurant is part of the program and will receive funds from the GoFundMe donations. Also partnering with The Loyalist Market is Provisions in Waxhaw. As a parent, co-owner Lisa Vigil felt the need to help the community. “My husband and I have four children and they’re all out of school now. We run the business together, so our business is kind of an extension of our home,” Vigil said. “We would never invite someone into our home and have them go hungry. Even though we do, on a normal basis, make profit and make our living off of feeding people, if there are children in need in our community, I want to be able to make sure that they’re fed. I just think it’s the right thing to do as a mother and as a person and a business owner and as a human.” All business owners said no student ID is needed and they are happy to feed any student who needs a meal, even if they do not normally rely on school lunches. The Loyalist Market’s program is set to run through March 30, which is when schools are supposed to remain closed until, but Sottile said anything can happen, especially considering the recent mandate to close sit-down restaurants and restrict to takeout orders only. “There are so many unknowns as to what will happen,” Sottile said. “We might get shut down tomorrow. I have no idea. So we’re going to just keep running along the best we can until we’re told otherwise.”
Weekly Waxhaw • March 20, 2020 • Page 5A
GARSON
CORONAVIRUS TIMELINE March 3 State announces its first case in Wake County.
March 14
March 16
Mecklenburg announces a second resident has tested positive.
Mecklenburg announces three more cases.
March 10 Gov. Roy Cooper declares a state of emergency.
March 14 Gov. Roy Cooper orders ban of mass gatherings of more than 100 people.
March 6 State announces its second case, located in Chatham County.
March 18 Union County reports first case.
March 14 Gov, Roy Cooper orders K-12 public schools to close for two weeks.
March 16 Union County and Waxhaw declare states of emergency
March 12
March 15
Mecklenburg reports first COVID-19 case, as well as one from Cabarrus County.
Mecklenburg announces two more cases and declares state of emergency.
CASE (continued from page 1A)
cooperative extension, library and parks and recreation events until April 12; close senior nutrition meal sites; and close the Cane Creek Park campground. The Town of Waxhaw has canceled or postponed parks and recreation programs through April 12, including the Blue Light Sk8 Night on April 3. Senior programs are canceled
WATER (continued from page 1A)
Residents in the City of Monroe and the towns of Marshville and Wingate were not affected by the advisory. Additionally, Yi said residents whose water came from Anson County would not be affected. Yi stressed that public works aimed to communicate any further results with customers as soon as the information became available. Traci Colley, the county’s environmental health director, said her team worked with the state division to manage this issue for facilities that use water from Union County public works. These facilities, which include childcare services and restaurants, were instructed to close. Union County Public Schools
through mid-April. Parks and trails will remain open, except for the damaged 12 Mile Creek/Carolina Thread Trail suspension bridge. Watson is exploring ways to support county employees through flexible work schedules and teleworking. Commissioners have allowed Watson to offer two weeks of extended paid leave for situations related to COVID-19, such as sickness or caring of a sick relative. Wells Fargo confirmed an employee on the
broke the news of the advisory Thursday morning and closed schools before the county announced anything. Union County Public Communications Manager Liz Cooper said the public works team was immediately in contact with the state’s department of environmental quality, along with other state agencies. It was not until the early hours of Thursday morning that they received public health guidance from the state. “At that point, when we realized the impact it would have to the entire customer base for Union County Public Works, we made plans immediately to open our emergency operations center this morning, pulled together stakeholders from several different community partners and started working on our communications plans,”
sixth floor of the One Wells Fargo building in Uptown Charlotte had close, prolonged contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus. OrthoCarolina announced a physician with its Hip & Knee Center in Mercy Hospital in Charlotte tested positive. Employees in close proximity to these employees were quarantined at home. “We need to be supportive as a community of individuals who have been exposed or become ill from this infection,” said Gibbie Harris, public health director for Mecklenburg County.
Cooper said. “We know that the school district has a different deadline for notifying families that the school district will be closed and we completely understand and were in communication with the school district’s communications office early this morning.” On March 12, Mecklenburg County reported its first confirmed case of coronavirus. As concerns loomed, Union County’s public health medical director, Stephen Keener, said E. coli and coronavirus are two different types of illnesses. He said coronavirus causes respiratory systems, while E. coli causes gastrointestinal symptoms. However, water contaminated by E. coli would be harmful when trying to take precautions around coronavirus. “The problem with gastrointes-
tinal bacteria is that the contamination can come from the food or water that we drink or it can come from food and water that has been contaminated by our hands, so similar to coronavirus, it’s important to keep our hands clean,” Keener said. “But when we talk about washing our hands with contaminated water, that’s not a good thing. So, while we say it’s OK to shower with the water currently, when you’re washing your hands, you want to get them completely clean, so that’s why it’s important to use either boil water that has been cooled or bottled water to wash your hands with and follow up with hand sanitizer.” The boil water advisory was lifted March 13 and the county has yet to report any cases of coronavirus or E. coli.
(continued from page 1A)
completely free to our readership. And, I don’t plan to change that any time soon. We rely solely on the support of advertising from local and national advertisers. But, it’s times like these that we recognize our small business community needs us the most. The big-box stores, will manage, but we’ve got to do our part to support our local small business owners. Over the next several weeks, we will see our communities change. We are already seeing it. Schools are closed. Businesses are modifying their hours. Restaurants are closing their dining rooms and offering togo options only. Retailers are closing temporarily. This is a tough time for all of us, but especially the small business community. I’ve spent several days trying to think of the best way Charlotte Media Group can lend a hand to the communities we love so much. The best thing we can do right now is offer our ad space to local businesses who need to spread the word about their business modifications. If you’re a small, local retailer, local restaurant or local service provider, let us publish an ad for you at little to no cost so we can let our readers know that you are either still open and taking precautions to keep patrons safe or that you’re modifying your hours, whatever the case may be. Let us use our reach to help you during a time when you need it most. You can email me at adrian@cmgweekly.com. Lastly, if you made it this far down the page, thank you for sticking with me. This is not an easy time for our business, either. We are a small business, too. We are not owned by a large corporate media company. We are a family-owned company that still believes in “good news." As I mentioned above, we have relied solely on advertisers to support our newspapers throughout the years. At this time, I am asking you, as a reader, to support local businesses and bear with us as we navigate through the changes that will inevitably come our way, as well.
BRINGING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
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Page 6A • Weekly Waxhaw • March 20, 2020
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THRIVE OVER 55 Regional Section • March 20, 2020 • Page 1B
Tony Marciano Reverend
Crepe Myrtle chore bears good lesson
W Gary Heeseman suffers from dementia. He discovered a passion and talent for painting through The Ivey’s art therapy program.
Dementia patients develop sense of purpose through art by Kayla Berenson kayla@cmgweekly.com
CHARLOTTE – Art and music are among the first things humans learn as infants. With age, it is one of the last things they lose. But Gary Heeseman was never an artist. The former dentist always enjoyed puzzles, Sudoku, golf and other games, but until he started going to The Ivey Memory Wellness Day Center in SouthPark, his artistic talent was untapped. Like many other members of The Ivey, Heeseman suffers from dementia. After three and a half years of being a member, staff consider him their star painter. His wife of 58 years and current caretaker, Betty Heeseman, was shocked when she first saw her husband’s talent. “As a dentist, you have to have the art ability to be able to do crowns and decide what will look best in people’s mouths, but as far as painting, I don’t know that the man ever took a bucket of paint and painted the wall,” Betty said. “Now, he just loves it and he’s so prolific. It’s almost like having a kindergarten child bring you home a new picture every day. When it first started, it was just with sheets of paper, but now he’s doing canvases. He has just amazed us.” Betty said Gary’s paintings hang on the walls of her home, as well as her children and grandchildren’s homes. He has painted a variety of things for his family, including the mountains, Parisian scenes and college mascots. Betty said he takes inspiration from pictures and scenes he sees, and develops his artistic interpretation. He recently painted a portrait of Betty. She said Gary’s dementia is mild most of the time but can be severe. As his caretaker, she suffers the brunt of his occasional irritability that comes with dementia. The Ivey aims to give caretakers like Betty a break from some of the challenges that come with being a caretaker. Betty said it has been a blessing not only for Gary, but also for herself.
Betty Heeseman, Gary’s wife and caretaker, proudly shows off some of her husband’s paintings.
The Ivey puts a focus on the arts because it gives dementia patients a sense of accomplishment and a creative outlet. The center offers studio art classes as well as art appreciation and music programs. The Ivey also partners with local and national museums on art programs. “For people with dementia, so often, their lives are kind of marginalized and they feel like they can’t do anything anymore,” Chief Operating Officer Janet LeClair said. “Here, they’re creating and producing something tangible, which gives them a sense of purpose and a sense of worth.” LeClair has seen Heeseman grow in the art therapy program. “This has been so important to him in terms of focus every day and what he’s doing is amazing. It’s just neat for people who may not have even known that they had this talent,” LeClair said. “Many of our members, in the case of men, have been pretty senior people who never had time for recreational things because they were so busy working. For them to have this outlet and see the talent they have, it’s very nice.” Each patient’s artistic journey is personalized by art ther-
Art therapist Lela Kometiani personalizes patients’ artistic journeys based on their individual needs. Kayla Berenson/UCW photos
apist Lela Kometiani, who has been at The Ivey for five years. Kometiani said she includes different types of art in the program, including clay, painting and drawing.
www.QCmobility.com
Art helps with patients’ memory, Kometiani said, by using simple, geometric shapes and familiar alphabetic letters for them see ART, Page 4B
hen I was a kid, my father planted a big leaf maple tree in the back yard. The roots went down and the tree went up. The tree kept growing and growing. We used a tree pruner because we were concerned it would grow too tall. As we grew up, we stopped pruning it. I never thought about pruning trees again. When we moved to Charlotte, I was introduced to the Crepe Myrtle. We had one in the backyard and three in the front. I didn’t consider trimming it. It seemed to have lovely branches. We were in our home 20 years when I learned I needed to trim it. By then, it was significantly overgrown. I stood on the ladder with a chainsaw to cut limbs of this tree to rein it in. There were a few times the branches hit me on the way down. It was scary since I don’t do heights. I got the job done and was proud. All I had left were stumps. I didn’t think I killed the tree since I trimmed it in February. The stumps remained in March. They were still there in April. Suddenly, I started to see sprouts and the tree took over the lawns. It was as if I never trimmed them. Next February, I am back standing on the ladder with the chainsaw trimming more limbs and cutting more branches. Again, all I had were stumps for several months. Then the branches returned. I always wait until February. This winter was mild. I started to see sprouts coming from the tree. Then we had a cold snap and I took out the ladder. But this year, I left the chainsaw in the shed. Instead, I took the pruning shears and cut back all the branches. It was still a lot of work. When I was done, it didn’t quite look as trimmed as in previous years. I reasoned that I would come out in a week with the chainsaw and trim it so it looked like everyone else’s Crepe Myrtle trees that had been trimmed. Nice and neat. Mine were nubby and scruffy. Next week came and I stepped outside and looked at the trees. I had previously trimmed back all the branches. I was all set for another spring. Or was I? Trimming it back some more would involve quite a bit more work. Was I trying to be a perfectionist? There is a difference between perfection and excellence. I tend to be a perfectionist. Things are done perfectly or not done at all. As perfectionists, we think we get our best inspiration at the 11th hour. We convince ourselves that is when we are most creative. Actually, we put off the project until the last minute and give it our best shot. We promise ourselves the next time we will start sooner so we can give it our best devotion. The cousin to perfection is procrastination. If we can’t do it perfectly, we will put it off until we can do it perfectly. Then it comes due and we hurriedly give it our best shot. I think God’s plan is not perfection. Rather, it is excellence. God calls us to give it our very best. We don’t have to do it perfectly, just give it our best and leave the results to Him. I have excellent trimmed Crepe Myrtle trees on my property. I don’t have perfectly trimmed trees. I prefer them that way. It shows I am human. I’ll be back soon. Until then, live well my friend. The Rev. Tony Marciano is the president/CEO of the Charlotte Rescue Mission. Visit www.charlotterescuemission.org for details.
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Page 2B • Regional Section • March 20, 2020
Veteran bringing in-home care franchise to market by Andrew Stark andrew@cmgweekly.com
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After a long stint as a sergeant in the Marine Corps and over a decade in the healthcare field including being on a Critical Care Flight Team working for a large healthcare system in Charlotte, Bill Osborne opened a franchise with Right at Home, an in-home care and assistance company. He has been serving people from his Belmont location since 2006. Osborne is expanding his Right at Home footprint with a soon-to-be-built location in the Pineville area. He has plans to expand his range even further to include the SouthPark and Ballantyne areas of Charlotte. “We’re really excited to say we’re opening the brick and mortar in Pineville,” Osborne said March 10. “We’re going to open a physical office there, but it’s going to be a couple of months until we do. Ten thousand people turn 65 every day. That area of Charlotte down there is pretty dense, and there’s not a Right At Home supporting those folks. “There is a need for the quality of care that we can provide. They need that. It takes a unique approach to reach our vision, which is to improve the quality of life for those we serve. There’s not someone out there who’s able to do what we can do right now.” Osborne’s Belmont Right at Home location has about 60 caregivers and 31 full-time clients. Right at Home’s model is to provide in-home care for patients who don’t need to be hospitalized and want to be living in their homes, but still need help with a variety of services. “We try to pick up the little bits and pieces as needed for them to stay at their home,” said Daniel Bourne, Right at Home’s business operator coordinator. “We help people who want to stay home and aren’t ready to go into assisted living and who don’t need to be in assisted living. Also, our service helps make sure people are taking their medicines right and doing the things they need to do to get healthy, stay healthy and not get re-admitted to the hospital. That’s the number one goal is to keep them home and healthy.” Specialized care options Right at Home is a dementia and cognitive support certified service, which very few businesses in the Charlotte region are. They offer a unique program called Dementia Live that allows family members to “live the dementia experience” that allows them to feel what the disease looks like from a personal perspectives. “Then we’ll debrief and talk about how we feel,” Osborne said. “Then we discuss tips of what we could have done differently or things we can do to manage the environment for that time when they were in the realm of having dementia. It changes people’s perspective. Osborne was also one of the very first class of people who became certified by the Alzheimer’s Association nationally in a program created by Right at Home, so he can see the shift in treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s. Osborne said 10 years ago the approach to treating Alzheimer’s was very pharmacological, but there’s been a complete shift in treatment since. “We get to know who that person is and who they are then we get to know their abil-
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Helping out veterans Osborne is a proud veteran of the Marine Corps, where he was deployed as a field combat engineer to Fallujah, Iraq. He knows there’s a big population of veterans in Charlotte who need his help, but simply don’t know Right at Home is here for them. He hopes the new Pineville store can help bridge the gap. “We know there’s a large veteran population in the area as well,” he said. “We’re a VA-approved vendor. That means when veterans get authorized to have home health care or respite care, we’re allowed to provide that for them. “There are a lot of veterans that can use this care. It can make an impact between life and death for them whether they have us or not. But, the problem is, they don’t know that we’re out there and I think it’s important for them to know about us.” Awards piling up For the 2019 season, Right at Home Belmont received three prestigious awards under Osborne’s leadership: 2020 Best of Home Care – Leader in Excellence, Employer of Choice and Provider of Choice from Home Care. “The reason why that’s happening is due to communication,” Osborne said. “We’re striving to improve our communication even more by leveraging technology with a local caregiver. That provides information to our caregivers that they can share with the clients in real-time, which is huge.” Osborne said his customers are randomly surveyed, 10% of them a month. The surveys are done anonymously, but they routinely show that Osborne knows what he’s doing and he’ll bring expertise to the Pineville and south Charlotte residents the same way he excelled in Belmont. “The awards that he’s won don’t come without reason,” Bourne said. “From being in Bill’s office and working with him over the past couple of years, Bill just takes care of people. I think that’s what’s at the core of what I’ve learned about him. He just wants to take care of people.”
itive as new players are entering the market. To stay competitive, insurance companies continue to add new services and benefits. For example, some plans include transMany of us take a deep breath after the holidays. October, November and December portation to and from medical appointare hectic months and our focus tends to be ments, dental expense reimbursement, meals on family, friends and the numerous personal delivered to home after a hospital stay and acupuncture. This is because the Centers commitments surrounding the holidays. This considered, many seniors ignore the for Medicare & Medicaid Services is giving Medicare Annual Enrollment Period from Medicare Advantage plans the most flexiOct. 15 to Dec. 7, which provides Medi- bility they’ve ever had in terms of covering care Beneficiaries an opportunity to change non-medical, supplemental benefits. Likewise, the Trump Administration has Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription plans for the upcoming year. This is crunch taken steps to improve and drive competime for most seniors, and oftentimes, they’re tition in Medicare Advantage resulting in left feeling stuck with the choices they made more savings, more benefits and lower costs for beneficiaries. during a hectic AEP. Regardless, many seniors will not take adWhat many folks don’t realize is they also have a chance to make one additional change vantage of the OEP. One particular AARP survey found that to their Medicare Advantage coverage for the year during the Medicare Open Enrollment 23% of seniors said they found reviewing their Period. Seniors can potentially save a lot of Medicare plan to be one of the least pleasant money and gain benefits during OEP which tasks they endure. Many said they would prefer “getting a colonoscopy” and “going to the runs through March 31. The OEP is the time when a beneficiary dentist” to comparing plan options. Reviewing Medicare options and shopwith Medicare Advantage can either: 1. Change from one MA plan to a differ- ping for a new Medicare Advantage program does not have to be confusing or painful. Are ent MA plan, or 2. Drop their MA plan and return to Orig- you leaving benefits on the table or spendinal Medicare (Part A and Part B) and subse- ing more than necessary on prescriptions? quently apply for a Medicare Supplement or If you are curious, contact an independent Part D prescription coverage if they choose. agent who can help you compare plan opTo be clear, a Medicare Supplement will be tions. Open Enrollment ends March 31. medically underwritten in most all cases. Jeff Conyers is founder of Carolina Living BenIf a senior currently has Medicare Advantage, they may want to shop during the OEP efits Associates in Charlotte. He can be reached at because these plans are getting more compet- 704-321-0490 or jeff@carolinalba.com. Contributor
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ities,” he said. “It’s an in-depth assessment and measurement of the ability of someone with Alzheimer’s. We’re focusing on what they can do and not when they can’t do. It’s important for the family to get that, too. Sometimes, it’s difficult to grasp.”
Seniors can save through Medicare Open Enrollment Period by Jeff Conyers
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Bill Osborne will open a new Right at Home in-home care and assistance service in the Pineville area in the coming months. The U.S. Marine veteran has run a successful location in Belmont since 2016 and plans to expand further into Ballantyne and SouthPark in the future. Photo courtesy of Bill Osborne
Regional Section • March 20, 2020 • Page 3B
Operation Silver Shield protects North Carolina’s most vulnerable group by Josh Stein N.C. Attorney General
Last year, my office received 1,249 complaints from North Carolinians who had lost nearly $4.5 million through elder fraud. Scammers will often target older adults because they may be more vulnerable to the tactics used to frighten them out of their hard-earned money. That’s why in February, I launched Operation Silver Shield to confront the scammers and fraudsters who prey on older North Carolinians. Operation Silver Shield covers all of the work my office does to protect people and their money, including going after scammers, taking legal action against bad actors who break the law and educating people on how to keep themselves and their parents and grandparents safe. You can learn more about our work at www.ncdoj.gov/silver. Our first Operation Silver Shield initiative gets to the heart of how many scams originate – through robocalls. We’ve heard from older residents who have lost $6,500 to a sweepstakes scam, $6,500 to an imposter scam and nearly $400 to a utility scam. Each of these crooks ensnared their victims with a spam call. These incessant calls are a nuisance at best; at worst, they can result in people losing their life savings. But robocallers are clever about the tricks they use to hide their identity and location. That’s why we need your help. We launched the Robocall Report Task Force so you can report the robocalls you receive. When you get a spam call, report it to our office using the online web form at www.ncdoj.gov/norobo or by calling our robo-report hotline at 844-8-NO-ROBO. When you share information about these calls with us, we can
Sensory loss can lead to declining physical and mental health. Photo courtesy of Home Instead Senior Care
investigate them and share information with our federal partners and with telecom companies. The more data we have, the better we’ll be able go after these callers and find more effective solutions to stop the scourge of robocalls. The Robocall Report Task Force is the next step in my work to cut down on robocalls. Last year, I led a group of 51 attorneys general and 12 phone companies to create the Anti-Robocall Principles, a set of eight principles the phone companies agreed to implement to help fight these calls. Since we agreed on the principles, these companies have made important progress. But our phones have continued to ring, and I’m continuing to push these companies to strengthen their efforts to track and stop these callers. As we continue through 2020, I will share more about our efforts to fight robocallers and our broader efforts to protect older North Carolinians from scammers through Operation Silver Shield. You can also learn more at www.ncdoj.gov/ silver so you can take necessary steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Josh Stein serves as attorney general for North Carolina.
Survey shows older adults live with sensory loss CHARLOTTE – Home Instead Senior Care has unveiled “Aging Senses” to help increase awareness and create a broader understanding of the daily challenges faced by someone with sensory impairments. The free program offers resources and tools to the community, including an online sensory loss simulation and instructions on how to create an at-home Aging Senses Kit. “We hope this program will encourage people at every age to do their part to reverse the stigma associated with sensory loss,” said John Hawk, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Charlotte. A new survey by Home Instead Senior Care shows 83% of older adults in the U.S. are living with at least one diminished sense. Left untreated, the loss of one or more senses can lead to feelings of isolation, depression and diminished quality of life, which can be especially debilitating for older adults. Losing the ability to fully connect or interact with those around us cannot only cause older adults to retreat from social situations, but it can even lead to depression and declining physical health. Early detection of sensory loss in older adults can increase their ability to manage the loss and make necessary changes at home and with loved ones. “Declining senses can cause a wide variety of challenges for older adults impacting happiness,
safety and even overall health,” said Lakelyn Hogan, a gerontologist and caregiver advocate with Home Instead Senior Care. “It’s important for family members, caregivers and the community as a whole to recognize the signs of sensory loss and create a supportive environment that allows these individuals to continue living a normal, fulfilling life.” Becoming familiar with the signs and symptoms of sensory loss can be challenging. Sensory impairments present themselves in different ways, ranging in severity from a mild irritation to life-altering. For some, this may mean they can no longer read their favorite book or smell fresh cut grass on a summer’s day. For others, it may impact their ability to participate in conversations with loved ones or live independently. “Sadly, our world isn’t always designed to support older adults living with diminished senses,” Hawk said. “As a community, it’s up to us to find simple ways to be more inclusive and empathetic to make a difference in the lives of those around us.” Want to learn more? Visit www.agingsenses.com or contact Home Instead Senior Care of Charlotte at 704-586-9501 to experience what it’s like to lose one of your five senses.
Save the Date
2020
THRIVE OVER 55
Senior Expo
h t 6 1 y a M r fo – D E L U D E H RESC 9am-12:30pm Christ Covenant Church
FREE Breakfast and FREE Lunch • Free Admission Door prizes and giveaways • Food, Fun and Fellowship REGISTER TO ATTEND BY EMAILING US AT KATE@CMGWEEKLY.COM OR CALL US AT 704-849-2261
Page 4B • Regional Section • March 20, 2020 encouraged him to begin painting, work,” Kometiani said. “It’s good in which he excelled. Though he was for the community. They don’t really (continued from page 1B) shy when he started, Kometiani said understand the details behind this illGary now works well independently ness. There is life beyond this illness to remember. Additionally, art pro- and has blossomed in the program. and you can be part of society.” vides a tangible object for those with Betty said Gary always strives to learn Want to learn more? dementia to look back at and enjoy more from Kometiani and loves going to The Ivey. Kometiani calls Gary Since the coronavirus outbreak, again. The Ivey has temporarily suspended “There is memory loss in the pa- “Mr. Leonardo.” His talent prompted Kometiani to services and will reevaluate the situtients with dementia, but the imagination and creativity is still there,” get in contact with the Town of Mat- ation every two weeks. Staff memThe New York Sales Corporation thews to Times displaySyndication Gary’s artwork in an bers are available to answer questions Kometiani said. “It really helps them 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 exhibit at Matthews Town Hall. about The Ivey’s services via phone to feel like a person.” For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 “It’sRelease important to see their work Kometiani recognized Gary’s tal- For Thursday, July 18, 2019or email. Call 704-909-2070 or visit ent when she saw his drawings and because there are stories behind the www.theivey.com for details.
ART
Edited by Will Shortz
Crossword ACROSS 1 Gives the boot 5 Tickled 9 Welfare 13 ___ Sedgwick, 1960s “It Girl” 14 Wine: Prefix 15 Regional life 17 React to pyrotechnics, say 19 Showing humility, say 20 *Needlepoint, e.g. 21 Closed violently 22 Layer of an Italian muffuletta sandwich 24 Through 26 ___ Style Awards (annual honors since 1997) 27 Info on a highway billboard 28 Lights up? 31 Partner of older 33 *Sets the odds for 34 Accent
36 Team with home games at SunTrust Park 40 East African native 42 Greet someone, informally 44 Preceder of the Three Kingdoms, in Chinese history 49 Superbright 50 *Plumber/ carpenter types 51 Rehab woes, for short 52 Westinghouse rival 54 Concern for shipping and software companies 56 Big hit 57 Round windows 58 Advantage … or what the answer to each starred clue has? 62 Country that lost a quarter of its territory in 2011
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE W A T T
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63 Parker who was the first president of Facebook 64 *Submitted 65 “Quién ___?” (“Who knows?”: Sp.) 66 Con 67 Close to 10, say
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DOWN 1 Title also held by many a co. president 2 Commotion 3 One whose guiding philosophy is “What does it matter?” 4 Input in a desalination plant 5 Gryffindor who founded Gryffindor House at Hogwarts 6 Concern for a plumber or government official 7 Big carrier to Tokyo 8 “Dumb, dumb, dumb!” 9 “Mamma Mia!” group 10 Soccer star Messi 11 “The Jungle Book” protagonist 12 Michael ___, onetime Republican Party chairman 16 Snake that’s good with numbers? 18 Jules or Juliette 21 Cause for damage control 22 Singers do it
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39 “Git!” 41 Ending with kick or smart 43 Stopover 44 Big shots at a hospital, informally? 45 Kind of brief in court
DINING SCORES Health departments in Mecklenburg and Union counties inspected these restaurants March 6 to 12:
PUZZLE BY MICHAEL BLAKE AND JEFF CHEN
23 Line of symmetry 24 Hoover, e.g., for short 25 Shortly 29 Give a catlike warning 30 Those niñas 32 Name on a Cognac bottle 35 Good name for a beachcomber? 37 Goes poof! 38 Stereotypical wear for an accountant
Chicken Salad Chick has been open since September at 2233 Matthews Township Pkwy., Matthews. The restaurant, which serves up 12 different kinds of chicken salad, scored a 97 on its recent health inspection. Courtesy of Chicken Salad Chick
48 Dweller on the Arabian Peninsula 53 ___ es Salaam 55 Art house theater 56 Set-to 58 Women’s World Cup powerhouse 59 Slammer
46 Pablo ___, Nobel- 60 Shoot down winning poet 61 Letters after Chuck Schumer 47 Where crime or Kirsten evidence is Gillibrand analyzed
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Lowest Scores • The Skinny Cook, 1643 W. Franklin St., Monroe – 91.5 Violations include: Hands not washed after preparing shell eggs before working with cheese in prep top; raw chicken, raw beef and readyto-eat beets were stored together in prep reach-in; pasta sauce, gravy, pinto beans and chili weren't reheated to 165 degrees within two hours; and liver mush, cut lettuce, cooked sausage, cut tomatoes, cooked sausage crumbles and raw eggs were above 41 degrees.
Monroe • Carnitas Mexican Guanajuato, 2300 W. Roosevelt Blvd. – 98 • Golden Corral, 2507 W. Roosevelt Blvd. – 94 • No. 1 Chinese Buffet, 1008 W. Roosevelt Blvd. – 94.5 • The Skinny Cook, 1643 W. Franklin St. – 91.5 • Village of Woodridge, 2414 Granville Place – 100 Matthews (Mecklenburg) • Chick Salad Chick, 2233 Matthews Township Pkwy. – 97 • Marathi Masala (mobile food), 131 E. John St. – 97.5 • Publix (deli), 3110 Fincher Farm Road – 99.5 • South 21 Matthews, 11450 E. Independence Blvd. – 94.5
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A Family Focused Estate Planning Law Firm Estate Planning is Way More Than “Who Gets My Stuff?” We will help you:
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UNION COUNTY’S ONLY BOARD CERTIFIED SPECIALIST IN ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE LAW WEDDINGTON CORNERS 1940 WEDDINGTON RD WEDDINGTON, NC 28104
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Regional Section • March 20, 2020 • Page 5B
Wanting to run a classified ad? CALL 704-849-2261 Monday - Friday. We accept credit cards.
SENIOR MOVE MANAGEMENT
HELP WANTED IT KeySource, Inc., has openings for the positions: Datawarehouse Developer (ITKS200201) with Master’s degree in Computer Science,Engineering any, Technology or related and 6 months of exp to maintain the log for all the ETL process flows and implementations that took place in the EDW. Responsible in creating process flows for upstream and downstream application systems. Extensively work on the performance tuning of SQL/PLSQL queries. Design, develop and built Data Stage parallel jobs using Data Stage designer. Work with Oracle DBA team for building required dimensions. Involve in business meeting to understand the retail and institutional customer information. Data Analyst (ITKS200202) with Master’s degree in Computer Science,Engineering any,Technology or related to work on design and development of required analytic projects in response to business needs. Understand the data from different Databases/Campaigns by using complex SQL queries and going through the data model diagrams. Respond to data inquiries on source data from various groups within an organization. Troubleshoot and fixing the data issues when needed. IT Analyst/Data Warehouse (ITKS200203) with Bachelor’s degree and 2 yrs of exp to monitor the daily batch and troubleshooting issues. Analyzing the requirements and developing quality solutions. Provide the reports for the analysis research work carried out in the form of metrics. Work on complete software development life cycle to meet the business requirements. Manage and upgrade existing applications or integrating application with any new or existing applications and databases. Develop ETL design, implementation standards and procedures based on industry best practices. Recommend software upgrades for existing programs and systems. Software Developer (ITKS200204) with Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering any, Technology or related to develop, create and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user requirements and convert requirements to design documents. Test, maintain and recommend software improvements to ensure strong functionality and optimization. Senior Data Warehouse Engineer (ITKS200205) with Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science,Engineering any, Technology or related and 5 yrs of exp to perform code review, unit testing (UT) and component integration testing (CIT) for all ETL jobs with the QA team. Work in all phases of Software Development Life Cycle such as Requirements Gathering, Design, Development, All Testing (Unit, Integration, Regression, and User Acceptance), Production Deployment, and Support. Builds Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) solutions for Data Integration and Data Warehousing (DW) using IBM Info Sphere Data Stage for wide variety of source and target formats. Works on programming using UNIX shell scripting to enhance ETL solutions. Work location is Charlotte, NC with required travel to client locations throughout the USA. Please mail resumes to 11220 Elm Lane, Suite # 204, Charlotte, NC 28277(or) e-mail: pallavi@itkeysource.com
CEMETERY LOTS Burial Plots Sharon Memorial Park 2 plots for $2,000 each and transfer fee to be paid by seller Entombment rights at Sharon Memorial Park Tandem crypt $7,500 and transfer fee paid by seller Please call Gary at 704 661-7781
Organizing & Delivery Local & Long-Distance Moves Packing & Unpacking Junk Removal Veteran Owned & Operated We will do the packing and cleaning for you! Assistance with storage and organization.
(704) 909-7561
Veteran owned and operated
| NCUC: 4646 A+ BBB | DOT:A2998402 CALL TODAY FOR QUOTE! (704) 907-1777
Kelly’s Painting
FREE ESTIMATES • INSURED
DeMARZO
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“Affordable” Custom Moldings Picture Hanging Drywall Repairs Light Electric & Plumbing Storage Solutions
HOME REPAIRS & IMPROVEMENTS Repair & Replacement of: • Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Deck & Patio Repair/Paint • Carpentry • Rotten Wood Repair
Tony DeMarzo
• PAINTING • ROT REPAIR • PLUMBING • FLOORING
• ELECTRICAL • CERAMIC TILE • KITCHEN/BATH RENOVATIONS
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704-918-6248 • mctoolmanservices@gmail.com www.mctoolman.com Roof to Floor and SO MUCH MORE...
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980-253-9496
Your Home CONCRETE WORK Exterior •••I G W T ••• Specialists
Paul Tant
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Gutter Cleaning • Gutter Guard Pressure Washing • Tree Work • Polished Gutters
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Stamped Concrete • Decorative Concrete Driveways Basements • Carports • Patios • Sidewalks Concrete Repair • Slabs • Block and Brick Work Renovations • Roofing • Room Additions • Decks
Fully Insured
38 Years of Experience
Call Anytime!
Jerry Dunlap (Dunlap Brothers) Jerry@dunlapconcrete.com www.dunlapconcrete.com
Phone: (803)287-1971 | ptear50@gmail.com
980-622-7833
The handy Man
Licensed & Insured • Free estimates
Drywall • Painting • Decks • Windows • Doors Framing • Roofing • Gutters • Siding Water Damage & All Types of Flooring • Tile Work Plumbing • Electrical • House Cleaning • Gutter Cleaning
Give us a call to schedule you pre emergent and weed control applications!
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• Trail Building • Light Grading FREE ESTIMATES • Tractor • Small Dump Truck • Skid Loader 980-240-7358 • Trachoe • Concrete Demo 704-622-6460 • Bush Hogging • Small Trees Cut **We are licensed and insured** • Footings **We have been in business for 20 years**
BF Construction Services
or call Betty Call Bill
ELECTRIC O L O S Licensed and Insured
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soloelectric214@gmail.com HELP WANTED Music/Choir Director Local Baptist church seeking part-time Music/Choir Director. Please send resume to: personnelcommittee70@gmail.com
-Quality, highly experienced teacher and performer -Ballantyne area
•Beginners thru college level •Creative and innovative techniques •Development of performance skills including performing opportunities •Accelerated Summer Study
Pat Moehring
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Senior Quantitative Analyst in Charlotte, NC: Facilitate user (e.g. line of business (LOB)) & mngmnt understanding & acceptance of proposed models by preparing hi quality documentation, incl’ing presentations, explaining the model & its validity for its intended use. Bach’s +2yrs exp. Email resume w/ cover letter to Truist Bank: Paige Whitesell, PWhitesell@BBandT.com. Apps must ref: req#003.
Automation & Controls Engineer. Prep tech’l drawings of electrical systems to ensure operations meet co. standards & customer reqmts. Use computer-assisted engg & dsgn s/are. Analyze customer needs & determine the reqmts, capacity, & cost for engg plans or projects. Direct the installation & testing of electrical eqpmt. Collaborate w/ colleagues to ensure s/ ware applications for machinery are correctly programmed. Reqmts: at least a Bach’s Deg in Electrical Engg, or a related field, or the foreign equiv. Jobsite: Matthews, NC. Send resume to: RFSPROTECH, LLC 1320 Industrial Dr, Matthews, NC 28105.
MERCHANDISE FOR SALE 1st Saturday-1st Saturday-1st Saturday! Sidewalk Sale! 1stSaturday of every month at Servant’s Heart! Don’t miss it! Rock bottom prices on a variety of items not usually carried in our shop! 10am-5pm 9229 Lawyers Rd. Mint Hill, NC 28227
With Medicare, shopping around is key. Compare FREE Quotes from A-Rated Carriers to Save on a Medigap Plan Today! Get Covered and Save!! Call 855-399-9915 Have a CPAP machine for sleep apnea? Get replacement FDA approved CPAP machine parts and supplies at little or no cost! Free sleep guide included! 855-808-0483! Suffering from an ADDICTION to Alcohol, Opiates, Prescription PainKillers or other DRUGS? There is hope! Call Today to speak with someone who cares. Call NOW 1-877-753-4281
704-254-1321
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Piano Instruction
Quality Assurance Manager in Charlotte, NC: Create, implement and ensure compliance with testing standards. Develop KPIs to measure the QA success. Ensure delivery against Quality Assurance department goals and objectives, i.e., meeting commitments and coordinating overall quality assurance schedule. Local travel between branches required occasionally. Requires: (1) Masters + 3 yrs exp. OR (2) Bachelors + 5 yrs. exp. Please mail resume with cover letter to: XPO Intermodal Services, LLC, 11215 N. Community House Road; 6th Floor Charlotte, NC 28277. Attn: Recruiting, Refer to job code 2020-02-0001.
HEALTH & MEDICAL
• Lawn mowing • Landscape design and installation • Core Aeration and over seeding • Fertilization and weed control • Clean ups • Mulch and pine needle installation • Leaf removal
EDUCATION & INSTRUCTION AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance (866)724-5403
704-564-4275
Your Best “STOP” For A Drip From a drip to a leak, turn to the Weekly Classifieds to turn those headaches off. Call to advertise (704) 849-2261
Page 6B • Regional Section • March 20, 2020
Free Shipping & Shipping Discounts
On Qualified Purchases March 2-31
Monday Through Saturday 9am - 6pm ~ Just a short drive from Charlotte ~ We’re Worth The Trip™
Design assistance available for room layouts and furniture selection
Newly Opened • Amish Oak & Cherry Outdoor Gallery • Rock House Farm Factory Outlet • Southern Style Fine Furniture Design Boutique
Grab your favorite beverage on the go or sit down and enjoy a relaxing lunch at our onsite coffeehouse and café
Save On Indoor & Outdoor Furniture, Rugs, Lighting, Custom Fabrics & Window Treatments, Accessories, Local Artwork & More FROM CHARLOTTE: I-77 North to I-40 West to Hickory, Exit 126. Left off ramp, then right onto Hwy. 70. Mart is on the left. 800-462-MART (6278) • www.hickoryfurniture.com I-40 West, Exit 126 • 2220 Highway 70 SE; Hickory, NC