Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

September 25, 2015

Vol. 8 No. 39 | Twitter @mmhweekly

2015-16 Performing Arts Preview Carmel Christian hires new director Page 11

James and the Giant Peach Page 13

Cant-miss arts festivals Page 15

School performing arts schedule Page 16

Photo by Alisha Raquel Pictures

Opinion 7 | Crime Blotter 22 | Education 19 | Faith 21 | Calendar 23 | Sports 24 | Classifieds 27

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 3

Incumbents fight to keep seats as Mint Hill commissioners

by Josh Whitener josh@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

MINT HILL – It’s a four-on-four game in the 2015 municipal race for Mint Hill, as four incumbent commissioners and four challengers vie for four open seats on the Mint Hill Board of Commissioners.

This week, we’ll take a look at the incumbents running for re-election and introduce some of the topics that are important to them as they seek to remain Mint Hill elected officials.

Challengers include Dale Dalton, Harry Marsh, Alan McKenzie and James Stapleton. Check back in two weeks for a look at those candidates.

Lloyd Austin

lloydaustin@carolina.rr.com 704-493-0962 Lloyd Austin is a graduate of Charlotte Barber College and attended CPCC. He has lived in Mint Hill since 1984 and has served on the Mint Hill Board of Commissioners since 1997.

Austin has been heavily involved in the Mint Hill Lions Club, previously serving as club president, and is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

What made you choose to seek reelection in the 2015 race?

I have served Mint Hill a number of years.

I get personal satisfaction out of helping the citizens with their problems. I have always answered email and phone calls when someone

asks something from me. If re-elected, I will continue to help the people of Mint Hill.

What are the three most important issues Mint Hill is currently facing?

The General Assembly passed new legislation on zoning affecting towns. We will be addressing these concerns shortly.

When developers come to the board to get permission for new development, we will continue to monitor what we approve for our citizens and the betterment of Mint Hill.

We will make sure we have great fire and police protection as we now have. Also, keeping our tax rate low and not making an increase. We can to this with proper planning and make sure we don’t overextend the town’s budget. People are moving here because they like what Mint Hill is doing. I will work to keep Mint Hill a great town.

Carl “Mickey” Ellington minthillmickey@carolina.rr.com 704-506-7773 www.voteformickey.com

Carl “Mickey” Ellington is a native of Mint Hill, a graduate of East Mecklenburg High School and an alumnus of Appalachian State University. He currently serves as president of the Carl M. Ellington Funeral Service and is a member of the advisory board for Yadkin Valley Bank. Ellington was appointed to the Mint Hill Board of Commissioners in 1998 to fill an unexpired term, elected in 1999 and currently serves as the town’s mayor pro tem.

What made you choose to seek reelection in the 2015 race?

Simply put, there are still several projects going on in town that I would like to see completed.

Over the past few years, the town has really gotten aggressive with our sidewalk program including approving at our last retreat several other projects to be built. I would like to see these sidewalks completed in my next term. Also, there are a lot of developments that are beginning to take shape and I would like to see them through as well. For example, the residential developments behind the new town hall, the Publix shopping center and other downtown projects.

What are the three most important issues Mint Hill is currently facing?

Traffic. If elected, I will continue to work with town staff and NCDOT on the planning and construction of roundabouts at Lawyers and Bain School roads and N.C. 51 and Idlewild. Admittedly there will be some inconvenience to motorists during construction, but I firmly believe these two projects will absolutely help relieve traffic on these busy roads.

Water/Sewer. Since the IBT moratorium has been lifted in the Goose Creek Basin, I have worked with the staff of the town and Charlotte Water to expand water/sewer service to every Mint Hill resident that wants it. I have worked very hard to get private systems bought out by Charlotte Water to help our residents save money and get a cleaner product and have also worked towards expanding the water/sewer network of Charlotte Water.

Parks and Recreation. The town was re-

cently awarded a PARTF grant to buy land on Brief Road to be developed into a park. It is my intention to design a park on this property that will provide much needed athletic fields for the town's children to play on.

Richard “Fig” Newton rnewton@contico.com 704-724-9706

Newton has lived in Mint Hill for more than 20 years, and is currently vice president of sales at Centrex Plastics. He has served on the Mint Hill Planning Board, the Mint Hill 2000 Ten Year Plan and Mint Hill 2011 Small Area Plan.

He also is a member of the Mint Hill Historic Society, Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, Masonic Lodge and Mint Hill Lion’s Club. He was elected commissioner in 2013.

What made you choose to seek reelection in the 2015 race?

I chose to run again because I enjoyed my two years as a commissioner and there are a lot of town projects we are still working on, such as sidewalks, incomplete subdivisions, and future traffic patterns.

What are the three most important issues Mint Hill is currently facing?

One – Changes made by the state, which affects the quality and appearance of housing and other buildings. Mint Hill will continue to work to keep our building standards at a high level by improving our ordinances. (see Mint Hill Election on page 6)

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The Weekly

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, This is in response to your article from Sept. 14 – Mint Hill expecting “low-key” campaign season.

Time for change in Mint Hill.

Come on property owners, we're not all being represented by the current commission.

Come out and vote this year in record numbers.

Always vote for four commissioners. Folks who vote for only one have been doing that for years and have enabled the skewed result in favor of that individual. Yes, this happens here in Mint Hill.

If only 13 percent of the voting populace came out in 2013, that should make everyone nervous about who won those positions and who plans and approves what to do with our tax dollars.

What candidate would say, “I'm against sidewalks and will raise your taxes?” Really, come on. They'll say what you want to hear.

Are their best interests yours?

“Our” incumbent commissioners range from the mid-50's through their 80's. None have school-age children. While they can all say they support Mint Hill, go to a town meeting. Watch and listen to who says what.

Three out of four rubber stamp almost any proposal. Only Tina Ross questions anything. She is worth voting back in.

Change, people, change is needed. Don't play the political party game. It doesn't matter at the town level.

Mint Hill voters are made up of: • 7.1 percent from 18 years old to 24 • 28.5 percent from 25 years old to 44 • 29.8 percent from 45 years old to 64 • 10.3 percent from 65 years old or older Since the same folks are voted in year after year (exception Newton for 2013), it would appear that mainly the 65 years and up crowd voted and hardly anyone else. Are you OK with that? I'm not.

How many more hair salons and grocery stores does Mint Hill need? Keep the same folks in office and you'll have the same results.

Mark Mushin Mint Hill Dear Editor, I am in complete agreement with Michael Mayor who says that we do not need a mall at Lawyers and Interstate 485 (we also didn't need the Publix shopping complex and an extra stoplight either, but too late now). Like Mayor, my family and I also moved to Mint Hill because we wanted the feel of small town living. The huge conglomeration of stores at 51 and Independence can accommodate almost any need.

And the drive to other shops is no more than 10 to 15 miles tops. I-485 can get you to Concord Mills Mall and Carolina Place Mall reasonably quickly. Pineville's out of control growth should serve as a warning to the decision makers in Mint Hill about what can happen when an area explodes into one shopping center after another.

Lisa Jillani Mint Hill Dear Editor, Thank you for publishing the profiles about the candidates for Matthews Board of Com-

missioners. I found it interesting that the unanimous number one concern among the first four is traffic in Matthews. It should not surprise anyone if that is the same number one issue for all candidates including the mayor.

Since that is the case, it does make this taxpayer wonder why it took the Matthews Board of Commissioners 11 years from the time voters approved the funding until the South Trade Street project was finally approved.

Now in all fairness to the board, they did not vote to use the $5 million bond for South Trade Street project until October 2004, so it actually only took them 8 years. If you wonder why we have a traffic issue in Matthews, perhaps it's because it took eight years for a decision, while a much shorter time for a Sports Complex which is a wonderful addition to the community, but brings traffic to an infrastructure we do not have roads or parking for.

The next traffic problem has already been formulated by development approvals passed by the Board. Fullwood Road will have new crossroads with the addition of Eden Hall, and the Talbot Road Extension, with no scheduled improvements to Fullwood to handle this additional traffic. Will it take 8, 11, 15 years to fix that problem?

Ken Randall Matthews Dear Editor, The absolute last thing we need at this point in Mint Hill are more stores built, especially an Arboretum-style mall with 1.3 million square feet to fill. Honestly? Look around town – every strip mall and shopping center in this town has vacant stores. Many have been vacant for more than a year.

That kind of massive complex is going to totally bring to gridlock Lawyers Road and the surrounding small town environment we all like will be ruined. That is why we live here. If we wanted a mall and strip mall shopping centers on every corner, we would live in Pineville. Who is going to pay for widening the roads? Can you picture a twolane road heading into the Arboretum? How about all the front yards of the quaint and well landscaped houses on Lawyers Road that will be carved up for additional lanes?

What about the obvious crime problems this will bring with easy access from uptown Charlotte? Car thefts? Robberies? Not to mention all the other minor and major crimes that come with the massive development of a mall. This town has a low crime rate and very good quality of life. Why intentionally change that?

Who comes up with these goofy ideas? Some developer who has no interest in this area and most definitely doesn’t live here, but just wants to suck the money and life out of a quiet and peaceful suburban town.

This town could use more ball fields and parks. Use that already cleared area for recreational purposes – at least until the other commercial buildings are occupied and we actually need more shopping, which is many years down the road. Having a big mall so the town can make “boku” tax dollars to fund more development is heading down a slippery slope of overdevelopment and low quality of life.

I think the current slate of politicians, including Mayor Ted Biggers, needs to address this issue and give us a clear understanding of where they stand. Let’s make this a referendum on this dumb idea.

Marty Pearsall Mint Hill

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 5

County works to expedite code enforcement

by Justin Vick justin@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

Mecklenburg County is struggling to hire and retain qualified code enforcement employees to keep up with growing demand from the development community.

County commissioners Jim Puckett and Pat Cotham continue to hear feedback from developers about building plan approvals taking as long as five or six weeks, when they used to take one or two weeks.

“They say it’s just killing them,” Cotham said.

The Land Use and Environmental Services Agency (LEUSA) issued 94,913 permits in fiscal year 2015, or about 380 a day, resulting in more than $6 billion in construction value. The county also performed 261,121 inspections, about 1,040 per day.

County commissioners granted the department five new positions for the coming year, but LUESA Director Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi said he’s been able to fill two of those. LUESA had seven vacancies in plan review and 10 vacancies in inspections as of Sept. 11.

“It’s just difficult to find qualified people, because the private sector is competing for the same candidates,” he said, noting that he’s lost four inspectors to the industry in the last seven months.

With developers calling ahead and booking inspections almost through mid-November, Gujjarlapudi said county staff is restricted to accommodating other requests in the re-

maining hours.

“We are resource-limited in one sense, but at the same time, we are continuing to recruit and also trying to see how process-wise to speed up,” Gujjarlapudi said.

Some of the process-oriented improvements include: • Trying to solve outstanding issues within the second plan review cycle to prevent a third cycle.

• Launching a special team of inspectors who solely work on more complex mega/ multi-family projects after hearing concerns about inspection times.

• Building a customer service team to better serve office walk-ins.

“When we have issues and a developer reaches out, we try to troubleshoot those and move them through the process,” Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio said.

“While it’s not perfect, we continue to make it a higher priority and work through the issues as quickly as we can.”

Connecticut-based research firm Gartner is conducting a study to evaluate how the city and county can improve and better collaborate on development planning services.

Solutions may involve process or technology solutions, or a combination of both, Gujjarlapudi said.

Diorio described the process as a marathon, not a sprint.

“System change and culture change takes a lot of time,” Diorio said.

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Mint Hill Election (continued from page 3)

Two – Finding ways to keep traffic moving as we grow. We continually monitor lights and traffic patterns as well as communicate with the NCDOT about improving roads.

Three – Water and sewer. We continually work with (Charlotte Water) to improve those areas of Mint Hill that do not have water and sewer.

Katrina “Tina” Ross Katrina87@earthlink.net 704-545-6231

Tina Ross has lived in Mint Hill since she was 15 years old. She is a retired educator. Ross was elected as town commissioner in 2003 and has held leadership positions in multiple civic and professional organizations, including the Arts and Science Council, Kiwanis Club of Mint Hill, Levine Senior Center, Mint Hill Business Association and Mint Hill Historical Society.

What made you choose to seek reelection in the 2015 race?

The reason that I initially ran for office was my desire to make Mint Hill a better place to live, work and play. My reasons for seeking reelection have not changed. Mint Hill is a good place to be, but I believe we should strive to be even better. Our citizens have the right to expect me to be prepared for meetings, to think independently, to seek and value citizen input, and be willing to evaluate positions other than my own. I have the time and desire to continue serving as a Mint Hill commissioner. I am a public servant, not a politician.

What are the three most important issues Mint Hill is currently facing?

Many issues face Mint Hill, and the majority growth-related. More important than the quantity of growth is the quality of growth. I believe it is imperative that we adopt and uphold high standards for development, and to seek public input surrounding our growth issues. I will continue to advocate, as well as vote for, high standards as we grow.

Economic development should become a high priority. Many of our citizens would prefer to work, shop, receive great health care and attend great schools close to home. As traffic woes increase, many citizens seek employment close to home in order to avoid congested roadways and long drive times. Additionally, an increase in our commercial tax base would enable the town to offer more amenities that our residents seek. I will seek to organize citizen groups to gain important information regarding economic development and commercial opportunities in Mint Hill.

We should work diligently to help secure public water and sewer for all of Mint Hill. Recently several neighborhoods were relieved of the oppressive rates and sub-standard service of a private supplier, but many residents are still without public water and sewer. As a commissioner I will work to see that all residents have access to public water and sewer. I would like to schedule meetings between Charlotte Water and Mint Hill citizens for a yearly status update.

I want to serve on the board to see projects that have begun during my tenure come to fruition.

I will continue to provide independent thinking, appreciation for citizen input, and strive to keep our taxes low.

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 7

Opinion

You’re never too small to make a difference

by Josh Whitener

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Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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K

ids have a way of teaching the most valuable lessons without even knowing they’re doing it.

I learned such a lesson recently from my 5-year-old son, Caleb.

Since he was about 18 months old, Caleb has gone through phases where he’s developed a fixation on random things. First, it was lights and lamps. Then, it was ceiling fans, followed by an imaginary Donkey Kong game he’d run around the house acting out.

Lately, it’s been road signs – “no outlet” and “dead end” are his favorites.

Caleb picked up quickly on what those two signs mean. Before long, he picked up on something else: all of the streets and neighborhoods around us had “no outlet” signs, except ours.

“Why can’t we have a ‘no outlet sign?’” he would ask me. “All of the other streets are just like ours and they have one.”

As a parent, I came up with every excuse in the book. “It costs money to install those signs;” “that decision has to go through the government;” and “it’s not up to us” became some of my go-to excuses when he persisted in asking about having a sign installed on our street.

Soon, I realized something – my 5-year-old was poking holes in my arguments, and they weren’t holding water. My wife and I finally told him, “If you really think we should have

a sign, then you can write the city government and ask them to put one in.”

Caleb jumped at the idea. With a little help, he handwrote a letter to the “government people” – the Monroe City Council – explaining in simple terms why we needed a “no outlet” sign on our street. I emailed a snapshot of the letter to the city council, having no idea what to expect.

Within four hours, we received our first response from a councilmember. Shortly afterward, we received another and, then, another – all confirming that a “no outlet” sign, indeed, was needed on our street, and that it should be easy to install.

One week later, WBTV “Good News” reporter Kristen Hampton and Monroe Mayor Pro Tem Dottie Nash were at our house filming a special for that day’s 5:30 p.m. news.

Two weeks later, the sign was installed.

There’s an oft-quoted Bible verse that begins with “out of the mouth of babes” – some translations say “children” – which I have always interpreted as meaning children, in their fervent faith, are sometimes wiser than adults. That certainly rang true for me a few weeks ago.

Caleb’s story re-affirmed my belief that one person, no matter how small, can make a difference. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it, but I’ve adopted a somewhat cynical view of the workings of government over the years. I do my best to research candidates in depth and show up at the polls for each election. But, I often find myself asking these

questions: “Does one vote really count?” and “Can one person really make a difference?”

As we head into the season of municipal elections – which affect us much more than most of us know – let’s remember that lesson.

Our opinions do matter. Our votes do count.

And one person truly can make a difference, no matter how small.

It’s true, I am a super-proud parent. But I think we all can learn a lesson from a 5-yearold’s simple request for a “no outlet” sign.

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Page 8 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

The Weekly

Restaurant Scores The Mecklenburg County Health Department inspected the following restaurants from Sept.

14 to 20.

Lowest Score: • Carrabba’s Italian Grill, 10400 E. Independence Blvd., 28105 – 92.5 Violations included: Employee touched bread with bare hands before slicing it; meat sauce, pomadora sauce and chicken soup that was made the night before was not at proper temperature; chicken base rehydrated on the line without time or temperature moni-

The Weekly

Development Briefs

toring; risotto thawing at room temperature; pans stacked wet; broken tile at dish pit; and a lot of build up on the floor under equipment.

All Scores: 28105 • Carrabba’s Italian Grill, 10400 E. Independence Blvd. – 92.5 • Panera Bread, 1904 Matthews Township Pkwy. – 98.5 • Subway, 9623 E. Independence Blvd. – 96.5 • Tamarind Restaurant, 10416 E. Independence Blvd. – 96.5 • Target Pizza Hut, 1900 Matthews Township Pkwy. – 99.5 28227 • Bojangles’, 6915 Albemarle Road – 93.5

& Hinson, wrote in a letter to Planning Director Kathi Ingrish that the use would produce a relatively low traffic-generation impact. It would also preserve trees.

Town commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Nov. 9 and vote on Dec. 14.

Pete Pike began a homegrown nursery in 1958 Marietta, Georgia. Since getting bought in 2008, it’s expanded to 16 retail locations, most of which are in the Atlanta area.

Pike Nurseries has a Ballantyne location at 12630 N. Community House Road.

Photo courtesy of town of Matthews

Rendering of proposed Pike Nurseries off of Matthews Township Parkway.

Pike’s doubling down in region

MATTHEWS – Pike Nurseries hopes to open its second Charlotte-area greenhouse in town.

The company is requesting rezoning of 4.15 acres on the east side of Northeast Parkway, south of DeVore Lane and north of Matthews Township Parkway to operate a commercial nursery with greenhouses.

John Carmichael, of Robinson Bradshaw

The Weekly

Business Briefs Registration open for Matthews Chamber Golf Classic on Oct. 13 MATTHEWS – Registration is currently open for the Matthews Chamber of Commerce’s annual Golf Classic, a fall golf tournament.

The tournament is slated for Oct. 13, a Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Raintree Country Club’s north course, located at 8600 Raintree Lane in south Charlotte. Check-in runs from event start until 11:45 a.m., followed by tee time at noon. Awards, raffles and a dinner will take place at 5:30 p.m.

Cost to participate is $100 per player. Hole sponsorships also will be available for $150 each. Lunch and dinner are included in the registration cost, along with 18 holes of golf, golf cart usage, range balls and beverages.

Mulligan packages will be available for $20 and include two mulligans, two putting contest tickets, one free throw, one skirt and one raffle ticket.

Find more information including a printable registration form at www.matthewschamber. org.

Town looks at community garden MATTHEWS – Town leaders will consider putting a community garden in a future park slated for N.C. 51.

They want to complete a master plan for the park first before identifying where to put the garden. About $20,000 has been allocated for a community garden.

Commissioners are expected to vote on draft plans Oct. 12.

Business After Hours welcomes ‘upscale wine bar’ to Mint Hill MINT HILL – The Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce will dedicate its upcoming Business After Hours event to welcoming “upscale wine bar” Vinter’s Hill to the community.

The event will take place Oct. 1, a Thursday, at 5 p.m. at Vinter’s Hill, located at 7427 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, suite 105.

The business offers a “cozy, sophisticated atmosphere with a delicious array of eclectic, boutique wines and local craft beer,” read an event announcement. “During your visit you are invited to relax in our lounge, sip on a special glass at our bar, peruse our retail bottles and specialty items or sit outside and enjoy North Carolina's beautiful weather.”

Vinter’s Hill hosts multiple events throughout the year, including live music, viewings of sporting events, private parties, charity events, corporate meetings and evenings of wine and beer tasting, the announcement said. Find the business on Facebook and Twitter for more information and regular updates.

Call the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce at 704-573-8282 for more information on the Business After Hours event.

Send your business briefs to josh@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 9

2015 Performing Arts Preview

What’s Inside Bruce Long joins Carmel Christian New Fine Arts Director Bruce Long has big plans for the well-established arts program

11

Arts Notes Area arts and crafts shows, anniversary celebrations, special promotions and more

12

James and the Giant Peach Matthews Playhouse will put a local spin on the iconic production Oct. 9 to 18

13

Spotlight Academy The Mint Hill-based theater teams up with Broadway pros for a new dance workshop

14

Community Spotlight Get to know Amanda Bledsoe, founder of The Black and White Theatre Company

15

2015-16 School Performance Schedule Get our exclusive list of school plays and performances for the upcoming season 2015-16 Performing Arts Schedule Find when your favorite musicals and plays are coming to the greater Charlotte area

Photo by Abbe McCracken Photography

16-17 18

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 11

Arts Preview

Carmel Christian School arts prepares for future expansion concerts, and the school’s musicals for fifthgrade, middle school and high school.

by Courtney Schultz courtney@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

Carmel Christian School, a private college-preparatory school in Matthews, holds a reputation for extravagant musicals and art performances.

Former Head of School Van Wade played a large role in making the shows come to life with special effects and lavish costumes. After his departure last spring, some might be left wondering what’s to come for Carmel Christian visual arts; however, a new face hopes to lead art students toward an art-filled future.

New face, new art programs

Bruce Long was hired at the beginning of the school year as Carmel’s new director of fine arts, and he plans to set the groundwork for future facilities and student pathways.

“Our focus is to evaluate where we currently are and begin to lay the foundation for the expanding curriculum,” Long said.

Carmel Christian seeks to prepare all students throughout their educational careers for their college and career paths.

Long said he’s also preparing for new facilities coming in the next couple of years to Carmel Christian, which he said will include some art-centered space, and potentially a new theater.

“Knowing that’s on the horizon, we’ve made a concerted effort to think of all the curriculum

A new career perspective

Photo courtesy of Carmel Christian

Carmel Christian School hopes to increase its arts offerings. The school has a strong reputation of its performing arts program, including graduate Ryan Alderman, who earned recognition in a Shakespeare competition.

needs and ways we can expand,” he said.

Long felt the current curriculum couldn’t expand as much as desired because of limited space, but believes the program can ride on its strong reputation to further develop the school’s offerings.

He hopes to expand the dance program through offering different disciplines, as well as continue to expand the music program, which currently includes a praise band, choirs, strings and more.

The Carmel Christian community can still expect its standard art favorites with the winter and spring art festivals, which include student artwork on display and music

Long, who has experience as a Broadway and West End theater producer, said he also hopes to bring a new perspective about arts careers.

He believes the traditional career pipeline, which includes high school, college and higher education and then career, works for most students, but an untraditional path should not be ignored, especially for arts students.

“There is a craft to the arts that we’re teaching these students and that sometimes that may be a program to find strong industry experience,” Long said.

He believes the traditional path may not work for individual circumstances, when high school seniors might be offered apprenticeships, internships or performance opportunities before attending university.

“Let’s get (students) prepared for college, recognizing that if something were to come along, it wouldn’t be too bad to take a broader sense of what’s to come,” Long said.

Long, who considers theater an apprenticeship industry, believes his experience in the entertainment industry can help students find their smaller niches within the broad industry, as well as help students navigate “traitorous and fickle industry.” He’s seen how nontraditional opportunities can

Carmel Christian Art Events Middle School Musical “Annie, Jr.”; Nov. 6 to 7

Winter Art Festival Lower School: Nov. 17 Middle and High Schools: Nov. 19

Fifth-grade Musical “Lion King, Jr.”; Jan. 14

High School Musical “Music Man”; March 10, 11 and 12

Spring Art Festival Lower School: May 3 Middle and High Schools: May 5

help prepare students for careers.

“There is a cycle in which we need to value craftsmanship in general and in the art world,” Long said. “It’s not inconceivable to think that some great opportunity that something might come along. It’s a viable option toward a higher degree. There might be an alternative course to a traditional path.”

He hopes to prepare students to be college- and career-ready, but also encourage students to take helpful and sometimes nontraditional opportunities.

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Page 12 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

The Arts Preview

Arts Notes Matthews UMC annual Arts and Crafts Show slated for Nov. 21 MATTHEWS – Matthews United Methodist Church will hold its annual Arts and Crafts Show on Nov. 21, a Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church. The event is free to attend, and money from sales will help support local missions. This year’s vendors include: Attic Artist, Off the Envelope Postage Stamp Art, Willow Creek Primitives, Old Julian Pottery, Stone Throw Pottery, Madaline Made, Christmas Treasures from the Sea and many more.

Matthews UMC is located at 801 S. Trade St.

Mint Museum celebrates fifth anniversary Oct. 2 through 4 CHARLOTTE – Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte will celebrate its fifth birthday on Oct. 2 to 4, Friday to Sunday. Free admission will be offered at both locations all weekend, as well as a 5-percent discount at the museum shop and membership specials.

A day of celebration will be held Oct. 4, which will include: 1 to 2 p.m. – Music on the Terrace 1 to 3 p.m. – Project Ten Ten Ten Talks 1 to 4 p.m. – Collaborative Community Artwork 2 to 4 p.m. Thicket Talks 2 to 3:30 p.m. – Live Music 1 to 5 p.m. – Museum Gallery Tours Visit www.mintmuseum.org for more information.

Photo courtesy of Tina Whitley

Kids will have the chance to participate in “Hands On” art activities during Matthews 30th annual ArtFest.

‘Spooky Bowl’ class at Dish It Out BALLANTYNE – Dish It Out pottery studio will hold a “Make It With Us” class on Oct. 4, a Sunday, from 3 to 5 p.m. Attendees will learn how to make a “spooky bowl” and work with bubble paint and stickers. The class costs $40, which includes a large bowl, materials and instruction. Registration and payment is required, and the deadline to sign up is Sept. 27.

Dish It Out is located at 7828 Rea Road in south Charlotte.

Annual ArtFest is Sept. 26 & 27 MATTHEWS – The 30th annual ArtFest will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 5 p.m. The fine arts and master craft juried art show will feature more than 50 artists from across the Southeast, and guests will be able to purchase art and meet artists.

ArtFest also will feature live entertainment both days of the festival, a children’s “Hands On” art area and a high school senior art scholarship competition. The show will take place on the Town Green on Matthews Station Street in downtown Matthews.

www.matthewsminthillweekly.com

Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 13

Arts Preview

‘James and the Giant Peach’ hits the stage Oct. 9

by Josh Whitener josh@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

MATTHEWS – Theater lovers can prepare for a larger-than-life fantasy adventure, as “James and the Giant Peach” hits the stage at Fullwood Theater next month.

Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts will present the musical as the nonprofit’s annual larger-scale fall stage production. The show will run Oct. 9 to 18, with performances on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets cost $12 general admission and $10 for students and senior citizens, and are available at www.matthewsplayhouse.com. All performances take place at Fullwood Theater, located at 100 McDowell St. E. Show director Sidney Horton previously directed the non-musical version of “James and the Giant Peach,” so he jumped at the opportunity to direct the musical adaptation.

“I think the musical is so much better; there’s really good music in this show,” he said.

“It’s kind of fun and upbeat; there’s a lot of high-energy numbers in it.”

The show tells the story of James, an orphaned boy who escapes into a fantasy where a magic potion brings insects to life. Horton said a major theme of the play is family, as James eventually grows closer with the magical insects than he is with his two horrible, bloodrelative aunts.

Want to go?

Oct 9-18 $12 general admission $10 for students/seniors 7:30 p.m. on Fridays 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays “It kind of tells the story of ‘family is where you find it,’” Horton said. “(James) had to make family where he found it – with a bunch of insects.”

The cast of 18 includes performers from 7 years old to senior citizen-age. Horton said the combination of a solid cast and “awesome” costume and set designers have made the show “absolutely fabulous.”

“We’ve really captured the dark and creepiness (of the story) that I wanted at the beginning, and transferred to (a) more bright (atmosphere) at the end,” Horton said. “It’s a hard show to design … it has hard, hard music, but everyone is really giving it their all, and I’m really proud of them.”

He added audience members can “expect to see something a little creepy, but a whole lot funny. It’s an hour-long, fun-filled, fastmoving show, and I think the audience is just going to love it.”

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Page 14 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

Arts Preview

Spotlight teaming up with Broadway professionals for dance workshop

by Josh Whitener josh@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

MINT HILL – Young performers interested in musical theater-style dance will have an opportunity to learn the ropes from a Broadway professional next weekend, as Spotlight Performing Arts Academy hosts its first open-to-the-public Broadway Connection Master Class.

The workshop, which will teach musical theater dance in the style of the Broadway production “Beauty & the Beast,” will take place Oct. 3, a Saturday, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The class is open to performers 8 to 14 years old and costs $25 per participant.

People can register online at www.spotlight academyonline.com or by calling 704-5457373.

Spotlight Performing Arts Academy is currently working with a cast of student performers from Queen’s Grant Community School for its own production of the Broadway musical “Annie.” So, when the Broadway tour of “Annie” came to Charlotte this summer, Spotlight founder Angela Gordon Mills jumped at the opportunity to host a Broadway Connection Master Class for Spotlight’s “Annie” performers.

Cast members of Broadway tour productions head up Broadway Connections Master Classes, visiting performing arts venues and other organizations to host the workshops and give student performers the chance to learn from a professional. “(Broadway performer) Evan Mayer came here and taught the kids three different choreography numbers. He was very honest answering questions,” Mills said. “… We had an amazing experience.”

The program went so well that Mills decided to work with Broadway Connections again in the fall, when “Beauty & the Beast” comes to Charlotte – this time, opening the workshop to the public.

Mills said having the opportunity to work with a Broadway professional provides invaluable insight for both students who want to pursue performing as a career, and those

Photo courtesy of Angela Gordon Mills

who are content with it being a hobby.

“I think anytime that you can bring a professional who’s been on Broadway, who is currently on Broadway as a working actor, and they can come in and bring their experience to students who may want to eventually do that with their lives, it can give them an idea of how hard they need to work to get there,” Mills said. “It’s really great that they’re doing this, that we’re being able to bring it to Mint Hill.”

Spotlight Performing Arts Academy also will host a Broadway Nights fundraiser on Oct. 2 and 3, a Friday and Saturday, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $5.

The group’s production of “Annie” will take place in late October and early November.

Find more information at www.spotlightacademyonline.com.

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 15

Arts Preview

The Weekly

Four arts festivals worth the drive Community

by Justin Vick

justin@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

Looking for family fun with an arts twist?

Here’s a round-up of four of the most popular fall arts festivals happening in the next couple months.

Festival in the Park

Having been a part of Charlotte culture since 1964, the annual arts event has gained a reputation as one of the nation’s best festivals. Organizers estimate more than 120,000 people enjoyed its live music, arts and crafts vendors and performance art at last year’s event. Regional touring acts, such as Tiffany Ashton, Carson Hill, The Spongetones and Sunday Union are scheduled to perform on the main stage. Attendees also will find clowns, magicians, jugglers and youth performers on other stages.

• Sept. 25, from 4 to 9:30 p.m.; Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Freedom Park, 1900 East Blvd., Charlotte.

• www.festivalinthepark.org.

Charlotte Film Festival

A few dozen films are showcased over the course of several days. Some of the films getting screened include documentaries “Chuck Norris Vs. Communism,” “Buskin’ Blues” and “20 Years of Madness.” Narrative features include “All In Time,” “Manson Family Vacation” and “Remake Remix Rip-Off.”

Tickets cost $10 for general admission, $9 for students (with ID) and $8 for Charlotte Film Society members.

• Sept. 25 to Oct. 3.

• Carolina Cinemas, 9630 Monroe Road, Charlotte; and Ayrsley Grand Cinemas 14, 9110 Kings Parade Blvd., Charlotte.

• www.charlottefilmfestival.com.

ArtFest of Matthews

The 30th annual festival expects to have more than 50 artists showcasing fine art and crafts. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to meet and chat with the artists about their work. The event will also have entertainment and hands-on activities for kids.

• Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sept.

27, from noon to 5 p.m.

• Matthews Station Street, Matthews • www.matthewschamber.org.

Carolina Renaissance Festival

Hundreds of costumed characters walk through the 25-acre fictional Medieval town of Fairhaven, giving visitors a purely interactive experience. Between 12 stages of entertainment, jousting, open-air shops, amusement rides, medieval demonstrations, and gainst roasted turkey drumsticks, it’s hard to be bored here. Advance tickets cost $23 for adults, $11 for ages 5 to 12 years old and free for ages 5 and younger. Parking is free.

• Oct. 3 to Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• 16445 Poplar Tent Road, Huntersville.

• www.carolina.renfestinfo.com

Spotlight

Amanda Bledsoe is the founder of The Black and White Theatre Company.

The theater group, currently based out of Spotlight Performing Arts Academy in Mint Hill, Amanda Bledsoe has performed a variety of shows since its inception several years ago – including “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “Hamlet,” Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” and an original holidaythemed production last year.

The Black and White Theatre Company will participate in a fundraiser with Spotlight Performing Arts Academy on Oct. 2 and 3, a Friday and Saturday, at 7 p.m. The fundraiser, “Broadway Nights,” will feature a variety of music from popular Broadway shows, and will take place at Spotlight Academy, located at 7714 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. Find more information at www. spotlightacademyonline.com or www.theblackandwhitetheatre.com.

Why did you found The Black and White Theatre Company?

I was inspired to create The Black and White Theatre Company due to the lack of adult (theater) companies in Mint Hill. I love the-

ater, and I liked the idea of having a company similar in style to a ballet company, where the members don't change until someone leaves or we need extras. This way they get to know each other, and that relationship will make the companies performances stronger.

Why did you choose Spotlight Performing Arts Academy as the company's headquarters?

It has a very intimate and quaint quality to it that I feel helps the audience feel more connected to the show.

What is your favorite part about performing with the company?

My favorite part of performing with the company is getting to grow as an actress.

We challenge each other in the roles we take on, and I feel it has made myself and my fellow company members better performers.

Is it tougher to be an actress or the director of a show?

I find directing more challenging then acting, due to having to see the big picture.

As an actor, you can focus more on yourself, but as a director, you need to be able to think ahead and see the whole show. It is like playing God, and that in itself is terrifying.

Do you have a favorite Broadway play or musical?

My favorite Broadway show is “Finding Neverland.” I saw it this summer while I was in NYC, and it was brilliant and lovely.

I love Peter Pan.

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Page 16 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

Arts Preview

Local schools’ performing arts schedules

Area schools feature some of the best performers in the area, including soulful singers, booming orchestras, twirling dancers and more. Check out what your area schools have in store for this year.

Independence High School Theater All performances will take place at 1967 Patriot Drive in Mint Hill. Contact Paula Baldwin at paula.baldwin@cms. k12.nc.us for more information.

Oct. 27 – 7 p.m.

Preview performance of “A Young Lady of Property,” the school’s North Carolina Theater Competition Festival Entry Nov. 13 and 15 – 7 p.m.

Encore performance of “A Young Lady of Property” and Honor III class play, “I Know I Saw Gypsies” Dec. 3 to 5 – 7 p.m.

Honors IV class production, “The Spoon River Project” Feb. 18 to 20 – 7 p.m.; Feb. 21 – 2 p.m.

“Bye, Bye Birdie” April 21 to 23 – 7 p.m.

“An Evening of One Acts” presented

by Intermediate Theater classes April 28 to 30 – 7 p.m.

Honors II Class play: To be announced May 12 to 14 – 7 p.m.

Honors IV class play, “You Can’t Take It With You” Butler High School Performing Arts All performances will take place at 1810 Matthews-Mint Hill Road in Matthews. Any performances marked TBA may be cancelled by Theater Director

Barbara Mager. Contact b.mager@cms. k12.nc.us for more information.

Oct. 13 – 7 p.m.

Talent Showcase Oct. 27 – 7 p.m.

North Carolina Theater Competition Play – To be announced (TBA) Nov. 3 and 17 and Dec. 11– 7 p.m.

Plays – TBA March 3 to 5 – 7 p.m.; March 6 – 2 p.m.

Musical – TBA March 17 to 18; April 14 to 14 – 7 p.m.

Plays – TBA April 28 and 29 – 7 p.m.

Show Choir and Jazz Band Concert May 19 to 20 and 24 to 25 – 7 p.m.

Plays - TBA Oct. 20, Dec. 10, March 15 and May 17 - 7 p.m.

Butler High School Band Concerts Dec. 15 and May 10 - 7 p.m.

Butler Chorus Concerts Providence High School Performing Arts All performances will take place at 1800 Pineville-Matthews Road in Charlotte. Contact Joshua Potter at joshuak. potter@cms.k12.nc.us or Kristen Johnson at kristenm.johnson@cms.k12.nc.us.

Oct. 24 Providence Cup Marching Band Competition Dec. 3 Band Winter Concert featuring the Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble and Chamber Players

Dec. 15 Band Winter Concert featuring Wind Ensemble and Concert Band March 3 Band Concert featuring Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band May 5 Band Spring Concert featuring Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band and Chamber Players May 17 Band Spring Concert featuring Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band Providence Chorus Concerts Oct. 6 – 7 p.m.

Dec. 17 – 6:30 p.m.

May 19 – 6: 30 p.m.

Mint Hill Middle School Band Dec. 3, Feb, 2 and May 17 All performances will take place at 11501 Idlewild Road in Matthews. Contact Amber Liachoff at amberk.liachoff@ cms.k12.nc.us.

Charlotte Christian School Performing Arts All performances will take place in the Lamb/Johnson Gymnasium, located at 7301 Sardis Road in Charlotte, unless otherwise noted. All music performances are free and advanced theater tickets can be purchased at www.charlottechristian.com/boxoffice. Tickets also will be available at the door.

Oct. 15 – 7 p.m.; Oct. 17 – 2 and 7 p.m.

Fall Musical: “Sleeping Beauty” Oct. 26 – 7 p.m.

Upper School Band, Jazz Band and Orchestra Concert

Dec. 2 – 7 p.m.

Middle School/Upper School Orchestra Concert Dec. 7 – 7 p.m.

Lessons and Carols by Middle and Upper School Choir Event will take place at Providence Baptist Church, located at 4921 Randolph Road in Charlotte.

Dec. 9 – 7 p.m.

Middle/Upper School Band and Jazz Band Concert Feb. 25 and 26 – 7 p.m.; Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.

Disney’s The Lion King Experience April 14 and 15 – 7 p.m.; April 16 at 2 p.m.

Godspell 2012 April 20 – 7 p.m.

Middle School/ Upper School Orchestra Concert April 25 – 7 p.m.

Middle/Upper School Band and Jazz Band Concert April 27 – 7 p.m.

Middle/Upper School Choir Concert Alexander Graham Middle School Performing Arts All performances will be held at Myers Park High School’s Auditorium, located at 2400 Colony Road in Charlotte, unless otherwise noted, and are free.

Oct. 28 – 7 p.m.

Masquerade Concert, which combines performances of both the school’s orchestra and band.

Dec. 15 – 7 p.m.

Winter and Alumni Band Concert

Dec. 17 – 7 p.m.

Winter and Alumni Orchestra Concert March 2 – 7 p.m.

Pre-MPA Concert, a requirement for eighth-grade performers of the band and orchestra.

March 17, 18 and 19 – 7 p.m.

“Bye Bye Birdie,” which will take place at the school’s theater at 1800 Runnymede Lane in Charlotte.

May 10 – 7 p.m.

Year End Band Concert May 18 – 7 p.m. (Date subject to change) Year End Orchestra Concert, which will take place at Alexander Graham Middle School, located at 1800 Runnymede Lane in Charlotte.

Myers Park High School Performing Arts All performances will be held at 2400 Colony Road in Charlotte. Contact Amanda Roberts at amandam.roberts@ cms.k12.nc.us for more information.

Oct. 20 – 7 p.m.

Chorus Concert Oct. 26 – 7 p.m.

Orchestra Concert Oct. 27 – 7 p.m.

Band Concert Nov. 19 to 21 – 7 p.m.

MPHS Theatre Presents “May the Farce Be With You” Dec. 3 – 7 p.m.

Dance Concert Dec. 10 – 7 p.m.

Chorus Concert (see School Arts Schedule on page 17)

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 17

Arts Preview

School Arts Schedule (continued from page 16)

Dec. 14 – 7 p.m.

Band Concert Dec. 17 – 7 p.m.

Orchestra Concert March 7 – 7 p.m.

Orchestra Concert March 9 – 7 p.m.

Chorus Concert March 15 – 7 p.m.

Band Concert April 21 to 22 – 7 p.m.; April 23 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

MPHS Theatre Presents “Little Women” May 5 – 7 p.m.

Dance Concert May 24 – 7 p.m.

Band Concert May 25 – 7 p.m.

Orchestra Concert May 31 – 7 p.m.

Chorus Concert June 3 – 6 p.m.

MPHS Theatre Presents the Second Annual Festival on the Quad and “Much Ado About Nothing” Providence Day School Performing Arts All performances take place at the McMahon Fine Arts Center Theater, located at 5800 Sardis Road in Charlotte. All event are open to the public.

Contact Karen Brand at karen.brand@providenceday.org for more information.

East Mecklenburg High School Performing Arts All performances will take 6800 Monroe Road in Charlotte. Contact Amanda turner at amanda. turner@cms.k12.nc.us or Kathryn Heinen at kathryna.heinen@cms.k12.nc.us for more information.

Oct. 19 – 7 p.m.

Fall Choir Concert Dec. 8 – 7 p.m.

Orchestra Concert Jan. 11 – 7 p.m.

Winter Choir Concert March 3 to 5 – 7 p.m.

High School Musical: “Footloose” May 20 – 7 p.m.

Orchestra Concert Carmel Christian Performing Arts All performances and events will take place at 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road in Matthews. Contact Bruce Long at longb@carmelchristian.org for more information.

Nov. 6 to 7 Middle School Musical: “Annie, Jr.” Nov. 17 Lower School Winter Art Festival Nov. 19 Middle and High School Winter Art Festival Dec. 13 – 7 p.m.

Winter Orchestra Concert Jan. 14 Fifth-grade Musical: “Lion King, Jr.”

Nov. 5 to 7 – 7 p.m.

Upper School Play: “Eurydice:

March 10, 11 and 12 High School Musical: “Music Man”

Dec. 2 – 7 p.m.

Middle/Upper School Holiday Choral Concert

Spring Art Festival Lower School: May 3 Middle and High Schools: May 5

Dec. 8 – 7 p.m.

Middle School Band/Strings Holiday Concert Dec. 9 – 7 p.m.

Upper School Band/Strings Concert Dec. 17 – 12:15 p.m.

Fifth-Grade Holiday Choral and Band/Strings Concert Feb. 4 and 5 – 7 p.m.; Feb. 6 – 2 p.m.

Middle School Musical: “Legally Blonde Jr.” April 7, 8 and 9 – 7 p.m.

Upper School Musical: “Anything Goes” April 25 – 7 p.m.

Upper School Band/Strings Spring Concert April 27 – 7 p.m.

Upper School Chorus and Upper School A Cappella Spring Concert

Jay M. Robinson Middle School Fine Arts All performances will take place at 5925 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. in Charlotte. Contact Stacey Boone at stacey.boone@cms.k12.nc.us for more information.

Nov. 18 to 21 The Lion King, Jr. Dec. 10 – 7 p.m.

Winter Orchestra Concert

South Mecklenburg High Performing Arts All performances will take place at 8900 Park Road in Charlotte and begin at 7 p.m. Contact Bonnie Hall at bonnie.hall@cms.k12.nc.us for more information.

May 2 – 7 p.m.

Middle School Band/Strings Spring Concert

Oct. 20 Fall Band Concert

May 11 – 7 p.m.

Middle School Chorus and Middle School A Cappella Spring Concert

Nov. 5 Veteran’s Concert

May 26 – 12:15 p.m.

Fifth-Grade Spring Chorus and Band/Strings Concert Ardrey Kell High School Music Department All performances will take place at 10220 Ardrey Kell Road in Charlotte. Events are free, but due to seating restrictions, tickets are required for entry to some events. Request choral concert tickets from Amanda McFarland at amandak.mcfarland@cms. k12.nc.us.

Oct. 26 – 6 p.m.

Orchestra Concert in conjunction with the Ardrey Kell Wind Ensemble

Dec. 10 Band Concert Dec. 15 Orchestra Concert Dec. 17 Choir Concert March 16 to 20 Spring Musical May 17 Jazz Band Concert May 19 Orchestra Concert

Dec. 10 – 5 p.m.

Winter Choral Concert

May 24 Band Concert

Dec.15 – 6 p.m.

Orchestra Concert

May 26 Choir Concert

May 19 – 6 p.m.

Orchestra Concert May 24 Spring Song Choral Concert – A Pop Concert

Covenant Day School Theater All performances will take place at 800 Fullwood Lane in Matthews. Visit www.covenatnday.org/ finearts or contact Megan Fair at mfair@covenantday.org for more information.

Oct. 28 to 31 Middle School Musical: “Shrek Jr.” Feb. 4 to 6 High School Musical: “Fiddler on the Roof”

Sorvillo at dyannah.sorvillo@cms.k12.nc.us for more information.

Nov. 6 and 7 – 7:30 p.m.

“Legally Blonde The Musical “

Charlotte Country Day School Performing Arts All performances will take place at 1440 Carmel Road in Charlotte. Contact Thomas Delaney at tom.delaney@charlottecountryday.org for more information.

Oct. 15 and 16 – 7 p.m.; Oct. 17 – 2 p.m.

Upper School One-Act Plays: “Cheating Death” and “I Dream Before I Take the Stand” Feb. 4 and 5 – 7 p.m.; Feb. 6 – 2 p.m.

Upper School Musical: “The Addams Family”

Carmel Middle School Performing Arts All performances will take place at 5001 Camilla Drive in Charlotte. Contact Ka’Shara Davis at kasharac.davis@cms.k12.nc.us for more information.

March 3 to 5 – 7 p.m.

“Suessical Jr.” Community House Middle School Performing Arts All performances will take place at 9500 Community House Road in Charlotte. Contact Dyanna Courtney Schultz/MMHW photo

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Page 18 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

Arts Preview

Matthews Playhouse Matthews Playhouse’s Fullwood Theatre is located at 100 McDowell St. Visit www.matthewsplayhouse.com or call 704-846-8343 for tickets.

James and the Giant Peach Saturday, Oct. 9 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 10 – 2 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 11 – 2 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 16 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17 – 2 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 18 – 2 p.m. $12 adults / $10 students Scrooge the Musical Friday, Dec. 4 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 5 – 2 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 11 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 13 – 2 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 19 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 20 – 2 p.m. $15 adults / $12 students Urinetown Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 – 8 p.m. $18 adults / $12 students Junie B. Jones the Musical Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016 – 2p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016 – 2 p.m.

Friday, March 4, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 5, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 6, 2016 – 2 p.m.

Storefront Theatre Storefront Theatre is located at 8100 Old Waxhaw Monroe Road. Visit www.storefronttheatre.org or call 704-243-7283 for tickets.

The Fragrance of Books Saturday, Oct. 3 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4 – 2:30 p.m. $15 Bob’s Your Elf Saturday, Nov. 14 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 15 – 2:30 p.m. $15 Mold Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 – 2:30 p.m.

We Like Short Shorts Saturday, March 5, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 6, 2016 – 2:30 p.m.

The Fox on the Fairway Saturday, April 16, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 17, 2016 – 2:30 p.m.

Blumenthal Performing Arts Blumenthal Performing Arts’ Belk Theatre is located at 130 N. Tryon St. in uptown Charlotte. Spirit Square is located at 345 N. College St. Visit www.blumenthalarts.org or call 704-372-1000 for tickets.

Local performing arts schedule Beauty and the Beast Tuesday, Sept. 29 – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 30 – 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1 – 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 4 – 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Belk Theatre $25 and up Spunk Wednesday, Sept. 30 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4 – 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 7 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 9 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 – 8 p.m.

Spirit Square $28 Menopause the Musical Thursday, Oct. 1 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Spirit Square $45 to $50 The Sound of Music Tuesday, Nov. 24 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 25 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 26 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 27 – 8 p.m Saturday, Nov. 28 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 29 – 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Belk Theatre Ticket price TBD Ragtime the Musical Monday, Nov. 30 – 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 1 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 2 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 3 – 7:30 p.m.

Knight Theatre Ticket Price TBD Charlotte Ballet: The Nutcracker Thursday, Dec. 10 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 11 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12 – 2p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 12 – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 16 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 17 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 19 – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 20 – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 22 – 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 23 – 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Belk Theatre $25 and up Wicked Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 – 2:30 p.m and 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 – 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 15, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 – 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thuresday, Jan. 21, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 22, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 – 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 29, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016 – 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Belk Theatre Ticket Price TBD Romeo & Juliet Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 – 2 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Belk Theatre $19 and up Matilda the Musical Tuesday, Feb 9, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 12, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016 – 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Belk Theatre Ticket Price TBD The Book of Mormon Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016 – 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 3, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 4, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 5, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 6, 2016 – 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Belk Theatre Ticket Price TBD The Wizard of Oz Tuesday, July 5, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 7, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 8, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 9, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, July 10, 2016 – 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Belk Theatre Ticket Price TBD If/Then Tuesday, July 19, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 21, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 22, 2016 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 23, 2016 – 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sunday, July 24, 2016 – 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Belk Theatre Ticket Price TBD Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers All films will be shown at McGee Theater, located at 403 N. Camden Road in Wingate, with the exception of “1971,” which will be shown at Recital Hall, located at 220 N. Camden Road in Wingate. Visit www.southarts. org/touring-arts/southern-circuit for more information.

1971 Tuesday, Oct. 20 – 7 p.m.

Imba Means Sing Monday, Nov. 9 – 7 p.m.

Dorothea Lange: Grab A Hunk of Lightening Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 – 7 p.m.

American Made Movie Tuesday, March 15, 2016 – 7 p.m.

Althea Tuesday, April 5, 2016 – 7 p.m.

Central Piedmont Community College Performing Arts Pease Auditorium and Halton Theatre on CPCC’s campus are located at 1206 Elizabeth Ave. in Charlotte. Visit www.cpccfacilities. com for tickets and for more information.

The Trip to Bountiful Friday, Sept. 25 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27 – 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4 – 2:30 p.m.

Pease Auditorium Daughter of the King: The Musical Saturday, Oct. 24 – 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Pease Auditorium The Phantom of the Opera Friday, Nov. 13 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 14 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 15 – 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 19 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 20 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 22 – 2:30 p.m.

Pease Auditorium Defining Dances of Past and Present Friday, Dec. 11 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 13 – 2:30 p.m.

Pease Auditorium I Love a Piano Friday, Feb. 12 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 14 – 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 19 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 21 – 2:30 p.m.

Halton Theater Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Friday, April 9 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 10 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, April 11 – 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 14 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 15 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 16 – 8 p.m.

Sunday, April 17 – 2:30 p.m.

Pease Auditorium

www.matthewsminthillweekly.com

Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 19

Education

State budget could mean less money for teachers

by Courtney Schultz courtney@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

The clock continued to tick all summer and into the school year as schools across North Carolina waited to know the fate of driver’s education, teacher assistants and teacher salaries.

N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory and the General Assembly finally passed a state budget for the next two spending years. The wait is over, but concerns do not end there.

School districts waited all summer to see if approximately 5,000 teacher assistants would lose their jobs – the state Senate’s budget proposal in order to decrease class sizes and increase the number of teachers.

The state Senate compromised and the number of teacher assistants from last year will be retained, but with conditions that the funds would only be used for those positions.

However, this could prove troublesome for school districts, including CharlotteMecklenburg Schools, which use some of the teacher assistant funding to pay for teachers.

Last year, North Carolina school districts used $48.7 million intended to teacher assistants for other purposes – $42.3 million going to hire teachers. CMS used $13.5 million last year for teachers from the TAs fund.

Legislators say the school systems have greater flexibility elsewhere in their budget to move money around for teachers. Already tight budget allocations will mostly likely feel the squeeze if CMS will have to shift funds.

However, parents of high schoolers can breathe a sigh of relief as driver’s education funding was instated for the next two years.

The budget also includes an increased base pay for all beginning teachers from $33,000 to $35,000, but no one-time raise of $750 for veteran teachers, and funding for education K-12 enrollment growth, as well as more funds for the controversial North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Program.

“The final two-year budget will fund close to 6,000 student scholarships by the 201617 school year, up from 1,100 students in the Program’s first year (2014-15),” Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, said in a statement. “When you consider that the first year of the Opportunity Scholarship Program was only able to utilize roughly $5 million dollars due to legal challenges, it is truly significant to see that the final budget ends with $17.6 million for 2015-16 and $24.8 million for 2016-17 – a nearly 500percent increase.”

The Weekly

Education Briefs

emy’s Celina McGowan; and Providence High School’s Charles Ballentine, Nathan Godin, Olivia Lane, Ryan McMillan, Samual Miano, Adrian Mucha and Yunfei Wang.

Visit www.nationalmerit.org for more information.

Queen’s Grant to host annual blood drive on Thursday Oct. 1

Mint Hill Arts offers homeschool program, youth art classes

MATTHEWS – Queen’s Grant High School will host its annual fall blood drive on Oct. 1, a Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All donors must be 16 years old or older, weigh at least 120 pounds and have a valid ID to be able to donate. Each donor will receive a free T-shirt.

The school is located at 10323 Idlewild Road in Matthews.

MINT HILL – Mint Hill Arts will offer fall and winter classes for homeschool students, starting this month.

All classes are scheduled in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with four different artists.

Ellen Ragona will teach on Mondays, following the North Carolina Essential Standards for Visual Arts; Charlotte Coolik will encourage students to explore various mediums and techniques on Tuesdays; Frances D’Amato teaches the North Carolina Essential Standards for Visual Arts along with exploring different media on Wednesdays; and Jeremiah Ray teaches on Fridays the basics of drawing using pencils, charcoal, markers and chalk pastel.

Kim DiBiaso, Madison Huffman, Mila Antonyuk, Ruth Crowe and Larry Ferguson also will offer various art classes in the evenings during the week.

Ray also will teach his Pen and Ink Advanced Techniques on Saturdays for children 11 years old and older.

Parents can register online at www.minthill. org or at Mint Hill Arts Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact Marta Brown at martabob@aol.com or 704-577-8922 for more information.

Area students chosen as Merit Scholarship semifinalists MATTHEWS – The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program and Matthews students made the cut.

The students have the chance to earn scholarships among more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. Semifinalist must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, according to a news release.

The following students were recognized as semifinalists: Covenant Day School’s Hannah Ertel, David Krein, Franklin Ockerman and Austin Soell; Greyfriars Classical Acad-

www.matthewsminthillweekly.com

Page 20 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

Student Spotlight

Butler girls honored for academic accomplishments

by Courtney Schultz courtney@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

Butler High School might want to invest in making the “best girls in the world” Tshirts, as two Butler female students gained recognition last week.

Senior Walker Austell and graduate Charlotte Pak earned honors in two distinct accomplishments.

She is ranked first in her class with a weighted GPA of 5.04, including taking honors and Advanced Placement courses.

She also is an accomplished musician, serving as a percussionist with the Charlotte Youth Wind Ensemble for the past three years. She also received eight “superior” ratings for piano at the annual National Federation Junior Festival.

She plans to study medicine in college.

Charlotte Pak

Photo courtesy of CMS

The Matthews Chamber of Commerce recognized Walker Austell for her academic and community accomplishment.

Walker Austell

Walker was the Matthews Chamber of Commerce student of the month for September.

The award recognizes a student from Butler and Providence high schools for academic and extra curricular excellence.

Charlotte won the College Board’s State Advancement Placement Scholar Award, which honors students who have earned the most scores of three or higher statewide and have the highest average on all AP exams taken. Two students from each state are recognized each year.

The AP Program offers awards to high school students, who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams.

Although there is no monetary prize in addition to receiving the award, the achievement is sent to colleges the following fall.

Charlotte was nominated as a 2015 Charlotte Observer All-Star scholar last year, and went on to attend Emory University.

She was also among approximately 2,200 winners of the National Merit Scholarships.

She earned the National Merit Emory University Scholarship and planned to pursue a career in neurosurgery.

Crestdale takes learning into nature with new trail

by Courtney Schultz courtney@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

Crestdale Middle School students will develop a love of nature thanks to a new milelong trail on the school’s campus.

Principal Katy Richert spearheaded the installment of a nature trail when she took the helm of the school last year and, after a parent donation, she made the trail come to life.

Three of the schools athletic groups – Girls on the Run, cross-country and track – have already begun using the trails. Richert said she also hopes to create an outdoor classroom along the trail for students to use. Classes, including science, math and language arts, currently use the trail, but she hopes to acquire a specific space for classes. The principal saw an outdoor classroom at Providence Spring Elementary School and hopes to replicate that space. Fit Lab and physical education students will use the outdoor space to expand their curriculum, as well.

The trail adheres to American with Disabilities Act standards to allow students in the self-contained classrooms to use the trail as well in an effort to encompass the entire student body and curriculum opportunities.

“The reality is kids need to have learning outside the classroom,” said Andrew Cambruzzi, Crestdale health and physical education teacher and athletic director.

He has two children who attend Crestdale and he believes the outdoor classroom gives

Photo courtesy of Lisa O’Donnell

Crestdale Middle welcomed a new place for learning with its nature trail.

another opportunity to experience learning.

Students sit in the classroom for five hours a day, so Cambruzzi believes it’s the natural and healthy for students to be able to learn on the trail.

“I hope they become engaged and excited about being outdoors,” Richert said. “We have this strong technology (1:1) initiative, which is great, but we (also) have to remember to get back outside.

“We want them to have a love for the outdoors, a love for learning. It’s about interacting and engaging all our students.”

Crestdale also is working with the town of Matthews to potentially connect Crestdale’s trail to the Four Mile Creek Greenway that runs through downtown Matthews, but are still waiting on funding.

www.matthewsminthillweekly.com

Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 21

Faith

Real estate might be a good investment, but I make a lousy landlord

by Rev. Tony Marciano tonym@charlotterescuemission.org

I was having one of those days. You know what I am talking about – a really bad day.

Can I say I was having a really bad week?

I called our national office and chatted with Rev. Tony Marciano the executive assistant to our national director. I thought I was just letting off a little steam; you know, getting a few things off my chest. I must have said more than I thought. She told her boss about my call. He called our national chaplain who called me.

That conversation started off by saying, “Are you OK? How are you doing?”

When I got off the phone with the chaplain, I paused to take a hard look at what was going on in my life. I also thought about our national director. He had faced some very difficult challenges.

They were real. He got through them, and so could I. Although the call was brief, it got me thinking even further. I had gotten good at “licking my wounds.” When someone

hurts me, I hold onto those hurts. I will continue to scratch those cuts so they don’t heal. In the process, I became a landlord. I had tenants – lots of tenants living in an apartment building I didn’t own. I didn’t sign up to be a landlord. I became one without realizing I had achieved that accomplishment. Did I tell you I was a lousy landlord? A really bad one.

I allowed my tenants to live rent free in my apartment building. I never collected any rent from them. In addition, I provided them with free food, free electric, free cable, free Internet, free Wi-Fi. Free everything. I never charged them for anything.

The apartment building was my head.

I let my tenants live rent free in my head.

I went into the apartment building and walked up to the apartment. I removed the door from the hinges and informed the tenant they had to leave. I let them know the water, electric, cable and Wi-Fi had already been shut off. I walked them out the door.

An article on forgiveness challenged me to consider that if we lose that old pain, we lose what we learned and might repeat our mistakes. The author went on to say, “Dwelling on the past is equally dangerous.” That’s when I had an idea.

I envisioned I had just walked my tenants out of my apartment building.

I took them across the street and let them move into a store that had large glass windows. I could see them but they couldn’t get out. (I changed the lock. It only opened from the outside.) Being able to see them reminded me that God called me to pray for them. I also knew they were not “safe people.”

I forgave them. Archibald Hart defines forgiveness as “giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me.” I’ve added, “It is not forgetting. It takes one to have forgiveness; it takes two to have reconciliation.”

Since they no longer lived in my head, I could drop my guard instead of always operating on “alert mode.”

By the end of that weekend, I felt free.

In a sense, I had “buried the hatchet.” I wasn’t going to “scratch” old wounds. I wasn’t going back into the landlord business with a lot of nonpaying tenants.

I told our national president what I did. He was pleased. I thanked him for setting the example that your past doesn’t have to take your present hostage.

I’ll be back in two weeks. Until then, live well my friend.

Rev. Tony Marciano is the executive director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission. He is available to speak to your group. Visit www.charlotterescuemis sion.org for more information.

The Weekly

Faith Briefs

Free concert at St. John Neumann MATTHEWS – St. John Neumann Catholic Church will hold a free concert on Nov. 7, a Saturday, to support veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, their families and the community. The show will begin at 7 p.m.

Visit www.jasonmoon.org for more information on the artist.

St. John Neumann is located at 8451 Idlewild Road.

Mint Hill Baptist to hold Fall Festival MINT HILL – Mint Hill Baptist Church will hold its annual Fall Festival on Oct. 10, a Saturday, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the church. The event includes music, arts and crafts, food, free popcorn, a pumpkin patch, and games. Volunteers are needed, and sign up boards are available in the church Fellowship Hall and Vestibule. The church will hold a work day on Monday, Sept. 28, to prepare for the event. Optional volunteer shirts will be available for $7.

Visit www.minthillbaptist.org for more information.

Mint Hill Baptist is located at 7835 Matthews Mint Hill Road.

Bible Study at Threshold Church MATTHEWS – Threshold Church will begin a new Bible study series on Tuesday, Sept. 29 Pastor Jeff Gardner will lead the study, entitled “Getting Ourselves in Front of Jesus.” The “stand-alone” studies will take place on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Threshold House, located at 3501 Antioch Church Road.

Pastor Gardner will use the New English Standard Bible, and attendees are asked to bring their own Bible.

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Page 22 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

The Weekly

Crime Blotter The following crimes were reported in Matthews between Sept. 14 and 20, according to the Matthews Police Department: Home Break-in • 1600 block of Nightshade Place: Misdemeanor breaking and entering; court paperwork file and pictures stolen. Sept. 18 Vehicle Break-ins • 1200 block of Gold Hill Road: $140 in cash and Vera Bradley purse and radio ear piece, worth $185 total, stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • 1300 block of Golden Hill Road: $27 in cash and $50 wallet stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • 2300 Fernridge Lane: $7 in cash and $20 wallet stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • 11300 block of Gladewater Drive: $5,000 in power and hand tools stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • 1400 block of Shady Knoll Court: $150 GPS and charging cord stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • 3300 block of Crescent Knoll Drive: $369.99 firearm stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • Tacos & Tequila restaurant, 131 E. John St.: $400 in vendor food, snacks and drinks stolen from vehicle. Sept. 15 • 2700 block of Kirkholm Drive: $300 in cash, assorted credit/debit cards and $75 purse/wallet stolen from vehicle. Sept. 16 • 2300 block of Heathershire Lane: Wallet, Social Security card, debit and credit cards, worth $25.04 total, stolen from vehicle. Sept. 16 • 700 block of Aubrey Bell Lane: $399 in assorted items stolen from vehicle. Sept. 17 • Siskey YMCA, 3127 Weddington Road: Pocket book, wallet, Samsung Galaxy cellphone, purse, sunglasses, cosmetics and miscellaneous credit

cards and gift cards, worth $1,625.99 total, stolen from two vehicles, causing $550 in damage to both vehicles. Sept. 19 • Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Road: $150 in cash and purses, worth $50 total, stolen from two vehicles, causing $300 in total damage to both vehicles. Sept. 19 Property Theft • Neighborhood Feed, 1900 Moore Road: $140 worth of pallets stolen. Sept. 14 • 10900 block of Ballards Pond Lane: $3,000 Jeep Liberty stolen. Sept. 14 • Rack ‘Em Pub & Billiards, 1898 Windsor Square Drive, suite A: $700 Samsung Note 4 stolen. Sept. 15 • 3100 block of Fincher Farm Road: $12 in cash and leather wallet, N.C. driver’s license, credit/debit cards and Social Security card, worth $35 total, stolen. Sept. 17 • 1700 block of Walnut Crest Lane: iPhone 5C and wallet, worth $525 total, stolen. Sept. 19 • Kohl’s, 9617 E. Independence Blvd.: $80 worth of clothing stolen. Sept. 20 Vandalism • 1600 block of Nightshade Place: $1,000 total in damage to rear exterior door and garage door in vandalism incident. Sept. 14 • Arthur Goodman Park, 1200 block of S. Trade St.: $900 in damage to front bumper of vehicle. Sept. 14 • Fifth Third Bank, 1818 Matthews Township Pkwy.: Counterfeiting. Sept. 17 • Holiday Inn Express, 9420 E. Independence Blvd.: $250 in damage to back windshield of vehicle in vandalism incident. Sept. 19 • 200 block of Bubbling Well Road: $200 in damage to glass windowpane in vandalism incident.

Sept. 19 Fraud • 2000 block of Dylan Drive: Confidence games/ trickery by larceny. Sept. 14 • Sam’s Club, 1801 Windsor Square Drive: ATM fraud. Sept. 14 • 8000 block of Castle Cliff Drive: ATM fraud. Sept. 15 • 100 block of Edgeland Drive: Obtaining money/

property by false pretense. Sept. 18 • Levine Cancer Institute, 1401 Matthews Township Pkwy.: Counterfeiting. Sept. 18 • 2300 block of Connemara Drive: Obtaining money/property by false pretense. Sept. 18 Drugs • East Matthews Street, no address listed: Simple possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; assault by pointing a gun. Sept. 14 • 2800 block of Patten Hill Drive: Drug violations – possessing/concealing cocaine and equipment/ paraphernalia. Sept. 19 Miscellaneous • McDonald’s, 9607 E. Independence Blvd.: Assault on a female. Sept. 15 • U.S. 74 at Matthews-Mint Hill Road: Armed robbery; kidnapping/false imprisonment; filing a false police report. Sept. 15 • 7-Eleven, 1700 Windsor Square Drive: Armed robbery. Sept. 17 • 100 block of Coach Ridge Trail: Harassing phone calls. Sept. 17 • EconoLodge, 1938 Moore Road: Going armed to the terror of the public. Sept. 18 • 1100 block of Kale Wood Drive: Simple physical assault. Sept. 20 The following crimes were reported between Sept. 15 and 21, according to the Mint Hill Police Department: Vehicle Break-in • Tutor Time, 7005 Tutor St.: $900 in damage to vehicle during attempted break-in; nothing listed as stolen. Sept. 16 Drugs/Alcohol • On Stoney Glen Drive, no address listed: Possession of marijuana; drug violations – equipment/ paraphernalia. Sept. 16 • 2600 block of Connemara Drive in Matthews: Driving while impaired; provision driving while impaired. Sept. 17 • 9600 block of Central Drive: Possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Sept. 18

• On Central Drive, no address listed: Simple possession of marijuana; drug violations – equipment/ paraphernalia. Sept. 18 • 12800 block of Idlewild Road: Driving while impaired. Sept. 19 • 10800 block of Lawyers Road: Driving while impaired. Sept. 19 • 9500 block of Stoney Glen Drive: Possession of marijuana; failure to heed for blue lights and siren; no operator’s license. Sept. 19 • 7900 block of Hannon Road: Simple possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; driving while license revoked. Sept. 20 • 7900 block of Hannon Road: Simple possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sept. 20 • 6200 block of Danbrooke Park Drive: Driving while impaired; no operator’s license. Sept. 20 Fraud • 9400 block of Central Drive: Identity theft. March 2 (reported Sept. 15) Vandalism • 10600 block of Lawyers Road: $100 in damage to sliding glass window in vandalism incident. Sept.

14 (reported Sept. 15) • Queen’s Grant High School, 10323 Idlewild Road: $150 in damage to vehicle in vandalism incident; communicating threats. Sept. 18 • 5900 block of Oak Drive: $800 in damage to each of two vehicles in vandalism incident. Sept. 19 • 5900 block of Phyliss Lane: $50 in damage to window when suspect shot an arrow damaging window screen. Sept. 19 Miscellaneous • Aylesbury Lane, no address listed: Assault on a government official; resist, delay or obstruct; littering. Sept. 16 • 4400 block of Wilgrove-Mint Hill Road: Leaving the scene of a crash. Sept. 16 • 6100 block of Wilson Grove Road: Possessing/ concealing stolen property; displaying fictitious registration tag; failure to register motor vehicle. Sept.

17

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 23

Calendar

learn about the importance of honeybees and watch them work. Find more information at www.matthewsfarmersmarket.com.

8 a.m. to noon; Matthews Community Farmers Market, 118 N. Trade St., Matthews

September

26 Operation Medicine Drop

The Weekly

Bake Sale for 25 Branch Historic Bain Yadkin Bank of Mint Hill will host a Branch Bake Sale at its third-quarter community service to benefit efforts to restore Historic Bain, a 19th-century school building next to the current Bain Elementary School. The Yadkin Mint Hill Team will make a variety of baked goods to be sold at the bank during normal business hours. Call Tina Ross at 704-545-3927 or Melissa Fields, of Yadkin Bank, at 704-573-6547 for more information.

Yadkin Bank, 4335 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill

Charity 25 Annual Barbecue for Disabled Veterans and Seniors Blessed Assurance Adult Day Care will host its annual charity barbecue to raise money for its clients, which include disabled veterans and senior citizens living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diabetes, stroke-related ailments, Parkinson’s disease or other health conditions. The event will feature barbecue chicken and pork, cooked on campus by Texas Roadhouse. Dinner plates or 1-pound pork will be available for $10. The nonprofit will provide free delivery for 10 or more orders.

Call 704-576-4754 for more information.

Blessed Assurance Adult Day Care, 13001 Idlewild Road, Mint Hill

Market Fall 26 Farmers Plant and Garden Day The Matthews Community Farmers Market’s Fall Plant and Garden Day will feature a collection of fall perennials, shrubs and houseplants, including orchids. Special guests will include the Master Gardeners of Mecklenburg County, The Audubon Society and Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK).

Customers can receive gardening and planting tips, advice on composting and backyard wildlife habitats, and learn about conservation and environmental issues. Master beekeeper Jeff Knight, of Dancing Bees Honey of Monroe, will bring an observation hive to the market, where customers of all ages can

The Mint Hill Police Department is inviting community members to bring old, expired or unwanted over-the-counter or prescription drugs to be safely disposed. Syringes will not be collected at the drop site.

Call 704-545-1085 for more information.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Harris Teeter, 7036 Brighton Park Drive, Mint Hill

Night featuring 26 Date Acts of Renewal Matthews United Methodist Church will host a Date Night featuring Acts of Renewal in Love, Relationships and Other Confusing Things. Jim and Carol Shores, professional actors and speakers, will use comedy theater to address relationships in an entertaining and practical way, according to a news release.

Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased under the “Couples in Christ” tab on the “Reach” page at www.matthewsumc.org.

7 p.m.; Matthews United Methodist, 801 S. Trade St., Matthews

26 30th annual ArtFest

The Matthews Chamber of Commerce will host its 30th annual ArtFest, a fine arts and master craft juried art show featuring more than 50 artists from across the Southeast. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The event will feature live entertainment throughout the duration of the festival, children’s activities and more.

Sept. 26-27; Matthews town green, on Matthews Township Pkwy. in downtown Matthews

October

8

Infant CPR

This one-time class will teach parents and caregivers about infant safety and CPR techniques, and will provide hands-on practice with a model. The class does not provide American Red Cross certification in infant CPR. Cost is $15 for an individual or first registrant and $10 or a second registrant, if registering as a couple. Call 704-384-4949 for more information.

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Community Rooms C and D, Matthews Medical Center, 1500 Matthews Township Pkwy., Matthews

www.matthewsminthillweekly.com

Page 24 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

Sports

Butler handles Hough, Myers Park survives Sun Valley

by Ben Doster ben@carolinaweeklynewspapers.com

I was wrong. I picked Independence instead of Butler to win the Southwestern 4A in our preseason preview, but the first month of the season has made me a believer in the Bulldogs.

Butler, which is 3-1 and fresh off a dominating performance in its 35-3 win over Hough (4-1), is clearly the best team in Matthews-Mint Hill and possibly the entire greater area of Charlotte outside of Mallard Creek (4-1), but who knows what might happen if the Bulldogs and Mavericks meet in the playoffs.

Running back Benny LeMay can gash a defense, steamrolling defenders as a runner or can breeze past them as a pass catcher on screens, swing passes, dump offs and more. He tormented Hough, rushing 20 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns, and catching three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

“He does so much,” Butler coach Brian Hales said. “He’s such a strong kid. He’s got such great balance. He’s got the determination we need. Benny did a great job.

“That screen pass he scored on at the end, we were in the huddle during the timeout the play before and he said, ‘Coach, what about that play?’ We got the first down, and I was like, ‘Let’s try it,’ and that was the one that worked out. It’s good to have a smart kid that’s back there too.”

Clifton Duck gives the Bulldogs another game changer, as someone who can impact a game on both sides of the ball. He caught three passes for 53 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown pass, and returned an interception for a touchdown against Hough.

The Butler defense, which has been dominant most of this season, forced the Huskies into three turnovers, but Hales won’t even begin to compare them to the units from when the Bulldogs won state championships in 2010 and 2012.

“You can’t compare them, because we

Ben Doster/MMHW photo

haven’t won a state championship,” Hales said. “If we get to that point and we do accomplish that, then we can talk about how they compare to those guys, but until you win a state championship you can’t be in that conversation.”

Butler isn’t the only team in our coverage area trying to be the king of the Queen City, and of the state, for that matter.

Charlotte Catholic and South Meck, both of which had byes last week, appear to be in the mold of contenders.

The Cougars, led by outside linebacker Xander Gagnon (Duke), defensive tackle/ defensive end Owen Hall and middle linebacker Greyson Krone, and the Sabres, led by defensive ends Zack Gilbert and Jake Lawler, linebackers DeAngelo Blair-Young and Holden Parker and defensive backs Jacobe Clement and John Brannon, play some of the stingiest defense in the city.

Catholic has only allowed six points in three games, pitching two shutouts, while South Meck yields just 8.5 points per game.

Butler and South Meck are superior athletically, but Catholic is more disciplined than the Bulldogs and Sabres.

Most teams are through nonconference play with league action beginning this week. The table is set for what is essentially a new season and will be an exciting road to the playoffs. It’s a new beginning for teams that would like to forget the first few games, and an opportunity for others to pad resumes and earn home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Week six football game previews Berry at Catholic Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Cougars are off to another strong start, and once again seem poised to compete for a conference championship and state title.

The game plan, which has worked all season for Catholic, is simple. Play great defense, don’t turn the ball over, and give the opposition a heavy dose of Jaret Anderson. Berry’s 3-1 record is deceiving, because the Cardinals haven’t beaten anyone of great significance. Catholic is capable of exposing Berry for what it is – a mediocre team.

East Meck at Independence Friday at 7 p.m.

This is a must win for both teams as they seek to stay in the playoff hunt and build their postseason resumes. Both squads have shown signs of life after rough starts, but still leave much to be desired.

Independence’s defense is solid and running back Quantavious McGill is emerging as one of the top backs, but it needs help from its passing game. East Meck fullback, Juan Powell, is a bruising runner and gets stronger as a game wears on, but can’t win a game alone. Whichever team can make the least amount of mistakes will come out on top.

Rocky River at Myers Park Friday at 7 p.m.

The Mustangs are only a game above .500, but have made strides every week. Defensively, Myers Park showed it’s metal when it held undefeated South Meck to 14 points. Offensively, the Mustangs are fueled by the arm of quarterback Jack Davidson, who has been effective in distributing the ball to the team’s playmakers at receiver.

Myers Park will have its hands full with dual-threat quarterback Tyshawn Carter, but Rocky River must play better defense and eliminate foolish penalties that have led to its demise in four losses this season.

The Weekly

Week Six

Athletes

Game Picks

Boys Athlete of the Week

Ardrey Kell at West Meck Berry at Catholic East Meck at Independence Garinger at Butler Harding at South Meck Providence at Olympic Rocky River at Myers Park Grace Crossing at Providence Day Ravenscroft at Country Day Charlotte Latin at Fork Union Carolina Pride at Charlotte Christian

Hannah Chronis

Ben Doster

Courtney Paschal

Ardrey Kell Catholic Independence Butler South Meck Providence Myers Park Providence Day Country Day Charlotte Latin Charlotte Christian

Ardrey Kell Catholic Independence Butler South Meck Olympic Myers Park Providence Day Country Day Charlotte Latin Charlotte Christian

Ardrey Kell Catholic Independence Butler South Meck Olympic Myers Park Providence Day Ravenscroft Charlotte Latin Charlotte Christian

Last week: 5-2

Last week: 5-2

Last week: 6-1

Overall: 39-9

Overall: 40-8

Overall: 38-10

Benny LeMay, Buter Butler running back Benny LeMay destroyed Hough's defense in the Bulldogs 35-3 win on Sept. 18. He rushed 20 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns, and caught three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Girls Athlete of the Week Camille Martin, Independence Independence senior cross-country runner Camille Martin won the Myers Park Home Meet with a time of 21 minutes, 36.71 seconds, beating the runner-up by nearly 14 seconds.

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 25

Sports

Week five stats

Receiving

Player Team Games Rec

Passing

Player

Team

Games Comp

Att

Jack Davidson Myers Park 5 74 123 Davis Cheek Butler 5 65 105 Antonio Wallace South Meck 4 50 89 Bates Jones Latin 4 32 62 Tyshawn Carter Rocky River 5 73 108 Bryce Maginley Ardrey Kell 4 42 81 John Schweitzer Providence Day 5 44 109 Cole Bloomer Country Day 3 23 39 Khalil Gilliam East Meck 5 28 67 Garrett Schrader Christian 4 13 24 John Walton Catholic 3 18 34 Chase Eighmy Providence 4 20 32 John Turley Christian 4 33 37 Jack King Providence 3 3 7 Chad Ayers Providence Day 1 5 6 Drake DeIuliis Providence 3 13 30 Jack Cherry Christian 1 3 8

Yards 858 849 783 747 671 626 546 305 289 269 246 155 146 128 124 120 29

TD 7 5 10 7 4 8 6 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 0

Rushing Player

Team

Juan Powell Benny LeMay DeMarkes Stradford Bryce Maginley Khamal Howard Jaret Anderson Elijah Henry Gabe Montgomery Travis Prince Merrick Haston John Schweitzer Tyshawn Carter Warren Holland Nick Tennant B.J. Caldwell Nicco Crew Grant Henderson Justus Woods Elijah Deveaux

East Meck Butler Latin Ardrey Kell East Meck Catholic Rocky River Providence Day South Meck Ardrey Kell Providence Day Rocky River Country Day Country Day Myers Park Ardrey Kell Providence Day Christian Christian

Games Carries 5 5 4 4 5 3 5 5 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4

96 89 60 36 84 63 63 59 56 58 42 81 40 36 48 23 29 26 43

Yards

TD

587 5 550 9 511 10 437 5 420 1 413 6 374 1 339 6 338 1 315 3 296 1 293 5 259 5 201 6 193 4 171 168 3 167 1 148

Int 3 2 3 4 1 2 9 3 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 0

Melvin Rouse Brandon Adams Clifton Duck Jaylen Erwin Cameron Goldean A.J. Elam Kendall Lewis Cooper Hearn Moryah Johnson Benny LeMay Blake Proehl Johari Alexander

Latin Myers Park Butler Ardrey Kell Providence Day South Meck Rocky River Myers Park South Meck Butler Providence Rocky River

4 4 5 3 5 4 5 5 4 5 4 5

16 14 18 14 16 13 25 25 11 12 13 19

Yards 343 320 290 283 255 237 233 223 206 186 184 173

Defense Player

Team

Games Tackles

Christian Dixon Butler 5 57.5 Solomon Key Providence Day 5 51 Tyler Pistorio Providence 4 50 Austin Anderson Country Day 4 49 Jonathan Jones East Meck 5 45 Larry Blanton Rocky River 5 43 Ryan Gilmartin Christian 4 42 Alex Alvarez Myers Park 5 37 Jaylen Lesane Butler 5 36.5 Jordan Fehr Providence 4 36 Holden Parker South Meck 4 35 Cole Brown Providence Day 5 35 Jamal Watson Myers Park 5 35 Nicholas Radford Country Day 4 35 Beau Snuggs Christian 4 35 Noah Smith Myers Park 5 33 Julian Okwara Ardrey Kell 4 33 Davis Waldrop Christian 4 33

Player

Team

Jake Lawler Jonathan Jones Arman Azad Robert Fuller Julian Okwara

South Meck East Meck Providence Day Latin Ardrey Kell

Games Sacks 4 5 5 4 4

5.5 5 4.5 4 4

TD 4 3 1 3 0 1 2 1 4 2 1 2

Page 26 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

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Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly | September 25, 2015 | Page 27

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Page 28 | September 25, 2015 | Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

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