UNION
Lifestyle
A special family: Couple adopts 10 children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
If a 24,000-square-foot house requires pretentious owners, Charlotte Mott is living in the wrong house.
March / April 2014
Dreadlocks aside, Jahson Oshita is at home with his special brand of uniqueness.
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UNION
Lifestyle Editor
Nancy E. Stephen
Contributing Writers Deb Coates Bledsoe Jill Hinson Melinda Plue Luanne Williams
Photographers
Deb Coates Bledsoe Nancy E. Stephen
Union Lifestyle
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On the cover
Marshville Elementary Teacher Craig Chopko reads with student Gabriela Ordonez-Sosa. Photo by Nancy Stephen
5
Contents March / April 2014 t Vol. 3 No. 2
14
Away from
Charlotte Mott, a
Dr. Mary Ellis
lives on an estate.
Public View:
6
Couple adopts 10
‘regular girl’ who
18
Woman, Man of
children with
the Year dedicated to
9
21
disabilities.
Terminology has
Union County.
Playwright’s first
changed for people
play set for public reading.
10
22
with disabilities.
Dearth of male
Dreads aside, Jahson
primary grades.
shines through.
teachers in
12
Oshita’s uniqueness
24
Prized rain boots
La Unica: One of
to Honduras.
Mexican restaurants.
irrelevant after visit
Union’s best
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 3
I
What’s wrong with these photos?
’ve been reading constantly in magazines and newspapers about how to declutter your house. It’s as the media world thinks we all have too much stuff. Well, how dare they! I haven’t taken the articles personally, although I could. Even I know that I have too much of almost everything. But as one of my ancestors was known to say when he was a child: “I like too much!” Oprah’s magazine recently had an article by a woman who said w only need 33 articles in our closets, including accessories and jewelry. Apparently she’s a believer in mix and match. I get it; I really do. But what many experts don’t seem to understand is that knowing how to declutter my closet, drawers, office and house doesn’t translate into decluttered closets, drawers, office and house. You have to get up off your bum and start throwing things out or giving them away. And that’s difficult for many people, including me. It’s not that I treasure every pair of shoes and couldn’t bear to part with any of them, but that
I’m apparently too apathetic or lazy to do anything about shoe boxes piled atop each other. There’s still room before the boxes hit the ceiling, so I refuse to see them as a big problem until my sister visits and falls to the floor in a fit of uncontained laughter. Like many women, I have too many pairs of black slacks, socks, tank tops, yoga pants and, apparently, way too black striped shirts for the gym. I understand and appreciate that seeing too many clothes jammed into a closet boggles the mind and that I’m not wearing half of them. With that in mind, I’ve decided to tackle the closet and drawer clutter as part of my Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter cleaning – it’s going to take that long. It will feel good to donate usable clothes to various non-profits in the county; I just hope they have clients who, like me, have giraffe legs.
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4 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
My closet, or at least part of it. Not so pretty and piled to the ceiling.
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The ‘real’ Mary Ellis
Away from public view
Dr. Mary Ellis, superintendent of Union County Public schools, is proud of her Union County roots. A graduate of UNC-Charlotte, she taught English, became a principal, then both assistant and deputy superintendent. Today she oversees the education of more than 40,000 students in 53 schools, the sixth largest system in the state. Childhood ambition: I wanted to be an English teacher from the age of 3, when I learned to read. I lived on a farm – I still live on the same farm – and my grandmother taught me to read so that I would not bother her as she was milking cows. She also was a teacher. All I wanted to be was an English teacher; there was never any question. Guilty pleasure: Being on Rocky River. I love walking the farm; I walk it every weekend if I can. It’s my quiet place. Also photography. I’ve done some weddings and children’s photos. I’ve never been interested in taking money for it because when you do that, it’s something you have to do. There’s enough that I must do, that I want something there waiting for me when I decide to pick it up. Challenge: To make sure that I do the right thing in every situation. Not the most expedient thing or the thing that people want me to do but the right thing. I’m 55 years old and I’ve done the wrong thing more than once in my life. But as best I can, I ensure that what I do is legal, moral, ethical and that it’s the right thing. It may not be the popular thing, but in my heart, it has to be the right thing. Lemons to lemonade story: In 2009, the graduation rate for Union County Public Schools was 80.7 percent. Last year, the rate was 90.8 percent. This wasn’t result of just my work; former Superintendent Ed Davis and Deputy Superintendent Bill Stegall set the plan. We were convinced that the same thing didn’t work for everyone; we had to find a better way for students who were disengaged from school. Since then, we’ve graduated more than 500 students from alternative education and, last year, had a 100 percent graduation rate of teen moms or pregnant students. Greatest accomplishment: My children. They’re all well adjusted, contributing citizens. As a mother, all I want is for them to be happy and do the right thing. Hero: My mama, Mary Alice Brooks. She married right out of high school and is the reason I went to college. She instilled in me that “you always need to ensure that you can take care of yourself. She wanted better for me (than her own life). When I couldn’t see the path, she didn’t understand it, but she saw a better path. And insisted, goaded, cajoled . . . . She made sure I did it. She saw better for me before I could see it.” Life mantra: Grandmother taught me a poem when I was a little girl. “Good, better, best; never let it rest, until good is better and better is your best.” It was never expected for me to graduate first in my class, but it was always expected of me to do my best.
I
By Nancy E. Stephen
read an article about a little boy in Chicago who
had been in foster care, but was returned to his
‘rehabilitated’ parents. His mother beat him to death
just a few weeks after he went back home. He was 7.
She had stood him in the corner for a couple of days
without food and water, then beat him. The authorities
found a piece of paper in his pocket that said ‘Mommy, I love you; why can’t you love me?’
That newspaper story was a pivotal point in the life of Kathy Clewell, and, in turn, changed the lives of her husband Mike and the 10 children with developmental disabilities they ultimately adopted.
“It just had an impact on me. I wept, stayed up and cried all night. I wrote in my journal that night, ‘Lord, just show us what we can to do to help children who need love and a home.’ ”
At the time, the couple had three children of their own, 5, 3 and newborn; the bedrooms were all filled, and there was no extra money. “But what can we do?” Kathy asked in prayer. “It was seeded into my heart that night; something happened that night. When I first talked to my husband, he was not as open.”
Mike recalls his reaction. “We didn’t have money, space; we had our own children, we need to focus on that.”
Kathy adds, “So I waited. We got involved with children in the house for two-week periods of time from the ghettos and slums (in Indiana) but nothing more.
“I waited seven years, but one night, a Saturday, when we went to bed in a much bigger home, I approached Mike again. ‘Have you thought any more about foster care?’ He said the same stuff about our family.
“I sat up in the bed and said ‘I’m done (with this conversation.) You’ll never hear me say this again, but when you come before God, you’ll have to account for yourself.’ ”
She rolled over and went to sleep, at peace; Mike was tormented all night.
Mike explains his torment. “I had a dream that the youth pastor from our church came to the front door and said. ‘I have this little baby boy that has no home. Will you take him, take care of him?’
“In the dream, I looked at the little boy and started giving excuses. I looked at the baby’s face and couldn’t tell him ‘no.’ I felt a lot of emotion. I told him we would take him.”
The next morning, Mike told Kathy about the dream, asking “What does that mean?”
“We’re calling tomorrow about getting involved in foster care,” Kathy said.
“I’m very impulsive, ready to go,” she says now. “Mike is wiser,
6 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
more analytical. His holding us back until the right time was the right thing for us.”
The couple started out as licensed foster parents, having no thoughts of adoption.
“But we bonded with the children as they came. Because they were developmentally or physically disabled, there weren’t other parents available. So we adopted them one by one,” Kathy says.
“Most parents aren’t ready to adopt children with special needs,” Mike adds. “We weren’t either, in the beginning.”
In 34 years, the Clewells fostered between 40 and 50 children but found their special heart-tug in children with intellectual or developmental disabilities. “It was God’s plan,” Kathy says.
Through the years, the Clewells typically had seven or eight children at a time in their home, counting their own children, but now have five adopted sons, ages 22 to 25, and an adopted daughter, 11. Their own children are grown with families of their own.
“They keep us young,” says Kathy, 66, of the five boys. Her husband, now retired, is 67.
With Kathy staying home with the children, the family relied on Mike’s income as an electrician to support their ever-changing family size.
“We weren’t rich, but we learned that there was room for one more,” Kathy says. “We weren’t going to be rich anyway,” Mike adds.
“We always had more than enough,” Kathy agrees, thanking their friends, family and neighbors who always have been supportive.
would never walk or talk, the doctors told Kathy then.
SPECIAL FAMILY
“I was ‘Oh, I didn’t sign up for that.’ We’d never had considered adopting a child with such challenges at that point.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” she thought. “I’ve never been around children with significant developmental challenges.”
She called Mike at work to “put the decision on him. He asked, ‘What would Jesus do? Jesus would take him. We’ll learn how to take care of him. He’ll show us what he can do.’ ” And that was the beginning.
The child’s condition was terrible. “He was filthy and hadn’t been changed for three days. We had to cut clothes off because they were so tight. We gave him three baths because we couldn’t get the smell off of him.
‘Try to tell one of these boys that we’re not their mom and dad . . .’
“Compassion kicked in; I knew it was right. How could anyone do this? It was all about Richard at this point. You knew he hadn’t known love.”
The Clewell family from bottom left: father Mike, Joshua, Jimmy, Nathaniel, mother Kathy, Andrew and Michael. Eva Marie is in the center. “When you adopt children with special needs, you have to know that it’s a lifelong commitment,” Kathy says.
“They’re not able to make decisions about everyday events, to have their own place to live, to work at a regular job,” Mike adds.
“There are group homes, but we want to keep them with us as long as possible,” Kathy continues.
Their first adopted child, Richard “broke us in,” she says.
The 9-month-old had significant developmental disabilities and
The family was going on vacation in two days, so they took their new child with them.
To the Clewells, fostering and adoption became a family process. “We had family meetings with the kids as we learned how to foster.”
Mike was concerned about what Richard would ever be able to do. But the Clewell kids, then 12, 9 and 7, got Richard on the floor where he began to crawl a little. He began walking when he was 18 months, an achievement the Clewells missed because they were on a mission trip to Africa. Richard was staying with friends who called to say he was walking.
Richard, now 35, moved to a different living arrangement when he was 17, but comes home to the Clewells on the weekends.
His diagnoses of intellectual disability and fetal alcohol syndrome, compounded by hyperactivity eventually made Richard more than the family could handle with their other adopted children. “He started running off; we had helicopter searches and neighbors looking for him,” the couple says. “It was very frightening,” Kathy adds.
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Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 7
Finally, their birth children went to their parents, saying “Richard is too much. The other kids need you; we need you.”
The couple speaks matter-of-factly about adopting 10 children with special needs. To them, it’s what they were born to do. They talk about what they’ve learned in those 34 years – primarily patience.
“We try to relate to them where they are mentally and emotionally and realize that our expectations cannot be for them what they were for our birth children . . . but we do have expectations.
“We know their limits. You have to think like the boys do. They think differently, and that’s become our world,” Mike explains.
“Some can’t tie their shoes. It would be easy to expect them to tie their shoes, but they’re probably never going to do that,” adds Kathy.
“Two of the boys can’t wash their hair on their own because they leave the soap in, as an example. Their clothes have to be laid out because they would wear very strange outfits.
“It’s like having small children in young men’s bodies; they might cry if they don’t get something they want. It’s a whole different way of living.”
But the Clewells add that their 12 grandchildren “keep us in touch with the real world.”
Four of the adopted boys work weekdays at Union Diversified Industries (UDI), a non-profit organization whose focus is on enhancing the lives of adults with developmental disabilities through training and work experience.
“It’s been a big reward that we’ve been able to find a place for them to be employed,” says Mike. “If they were at home all the time and didn’t have any other activity, we’re at a point that I don’t think we would be able to endure the difficulties of the day. They’d be so restless. UDI has provided a great help to us.”
With Mike’s retirement, the couple has more time together than ever before. One adopted son is unable to attend UDI, and daughter Eva
is homeschooled. But it’s a quiet house during the day, they say.
When they got Eva at 3 weeks old, she weighed just three pounds and fit in their hands, not their arms. “We hadn’t planned to adopt another; we had said we were done.”
But they weren’t. Eva initially was thought to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome and to have developmental delays but that was not the case. She’s a cute and typical 11-year-old who loves to listen in on adults’ conversations.
Through the years of fostering and adoption, the challenges of the differently abled household have changed. “It’s not the same as when we started. In the beginning, we were extremely protective; we didn’t want anyone to hurt them in any way, look at them, stare at them. We wanted them to be accepted and loved, to meet their potential.
“We’re coming into that season where they may need other living situations. We are meeting each day’s challenges and trying to stay together as long as we can, but we know that we’ll need to make other arrangements,” Kathy says.
The Clewell’s birth children have said they will step in, the couple says. “Our kids would step up, be guardians, make certain that nothing wrong would happen to the kids, but we don’t expect them take them in.”
Looking back over the last decades, the Clewells would not change a thing about adopting so many children.
“I love them. If you do it for any reason other than the heart, I think it won’t last. The commitment requires too much; it could destroy a home or a marriage if you don’t do it together,” Kathy says.
She lists the benefits she’s received from adopting. “To get to know them, to love them, to have the privilege and honor to be a mom to children who didn’t have a mom, to have them call me mom. . .
“Try to tell one of these boys that we’re not their mom and dad, you’d have a fight on your hands.”
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Correct terminology shows respect,
supports
those with
disabilities
T
By Melinda Plue
he terminology regarding people with special needs has evolved over the years, not unlike many other words that were perfectly appropriate for our parents and grandparents to use. It is no longer acceptable to use the word “retardation” or any derivative of that word. Even though many people are wellmeaning and grew up learning that this was an acceptable way to describe people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, this now seen as derogatory and insulting to the individuals and family members who might have special needs. It is shocking to hear how many school-aged children and adults use that word every day to describe a friend or classmate who is acting in a manner that is silly or annoying, but will say “I didn’t mean it THAT way!” Additionally, we no longer say “handicapped” or “mentally disabled.” A good generic term is “special needs” or DD (developmental disabilities) when unsure! In 2010, Rosa’s Law was signed into law by President Obama and effectively changes the word “retardation” in federal statutes and medical diagnostics. No longer can doctors diagnose someone with mental retardation (they can, however, diagnose someone with an intellectual disability). When speaking of or about people with developmental disabilities, person-centered language is preferred, even when we know the specific diagnosis of an individual. We should not
Melinda Plue and her brotherin-law, Jake Plue, who has intellectual disabilities. define anyone as having a disability before we acknowledge that they are people, first and foremost. Saying “her son who has autism” sounds very different from “her autistic son” and though it seems small, this is significant. Here are some other examples: n “…is wheelchair-bound/confined to a wheelchair.” Say “uses a wheelchair.” n “He’s a Downs child.” Instead, say “He has (a diagnosis of) Down syndrome.” n “…brain damaged.” Instead, say “…has a brain injury.” n “handicapped parking…” Instead, try “accessible parking.” Remember, the goal is for people with special needs to embrace their differences and thrive in a world that is inclusive to all. Changing our language is a small way to support those who have loved ones with diagnoses of developmental disabilities and is a way that you can show respect. Melinda Plue is executive director of The Arc of Union/ Cabarrus, Inc, a non-profit organization committed every day to creating a life like yours for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy, awareness and support. Monroe office: 1653-C Campus Park Dr Monroe, 28112 (704) 261-1550
Concord office: Cabarrus Avenue East Concord, NC 28025 (704) 788-1616
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 9
Dearth of men in primary grades
Male teachers say gender-balanced staffs are important
E
By Luanne Williams
lementary school teacher. Say those words to almost anyone, and a woman comes to mind. Ralphie wrote his infamous “What I Want for Christmas” theme for Miss Shields; Opie answered to Helen Crump; and Beaver Cleaver started his elementary years in the capable hands of Miss Canfield and Miss Landers.
rarely see a man in the front of the classroom? Many studies say yes, especially for boys. Research published last fall in “Gender and Education” showed that boys prefer male teachers because of perceived shared experiences, interests and ways of thinking. Many boys believe men better understand their style of play and more easily relate to them.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just 2 percent of U.S. preK and kindergarten teachers are male. At the elementary and middle school level, the percentage grows, but only to 18.3 percent.
Local schools are also largely bereft of male influence as just 12 percent of elementary teachers in Union County Public Schools (UCPS) are men. At the secondary level, its 39 percent is slightly under the national percentage of 42 percent.
Dr. David Clark, UCPS deputy superintendent in the Human Resources Division, says the imbalance is not new, as the number of women going into elementary education has for years exceeded that of men. Although UCPS wants school staffs to reflect their communities in terms of gender, ethnicity and other demographics, the system is also an equal opportunity employer seeking the best candidate for the job regardless of these characteristics. And the teacher pool is overflowing with women.
“For example, I just called one school to see how many applications they had for teaching and teacher assistant positions, and out of 74 candidates only five were males,” he says. So does it matter that young children 10 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
Tom Hector offers a new book to read to student Neyland Burris.
(Nancy E. Stephen photos)
The benefits are more than social. A Stanford University study in 2012 revealed that middle school boys perform better when their teacher is a man. Further, both boys and girls in a 2010 British study tried harder for male teachers. According to the experiment, which involved 12- and 13-year-olds,
those taught by male teachers tended to have “better perceptions of the importance of hard work, better perceptions of equalities of opportunities and higher self-esteem.” While they don’t feel that their masculinity makes them better educators, local male teachers say they bring a different perspective to the classroom than their female counterparts. “The boys feel comfortable talking to me about sports. I can see their point on things. They feel like they have an ally,” says Tom Hector, who teaches third grade at Indian Trail. “For the girls, the advantage is my being a different perspective for them.” Marshville Elementary firstgrade teacher Craig Chopko says it was the lack of male role models in children’s lives that prompted him to go into education. “With so many absent fathers, our children are growing up in single parent homes, often missing the male influence,” he says. “In a lot of primary grades, these students are not being exposed to any male teachers and I do think that is wrong . . . . These students need positive male influences.” Hector, who has been at Indian Trail for seven years, says students are often a little apprehensive when they find out they’ve been assigned a man teacher. “The girls are more nervous around me at first. They tell me later that they were nervous about having a male teacher because they didn’t know what to expect,” Hector says. “Parents say the same thing, but they usually turn out pleased.” Many parents welcome an additional male role model for their youngsters, but some have reservations, especially in light of public perceptions that male child abusers gravitate to schools. Although
none of the local male teachers interviewed said they felt parents questioned their motives, some say they had sensed initial doubts about their ability to nurture.
a male P.E. teacher who helped inspire him to go into education. At Evangel University, he was surrounded by other male students and says the gender ratio was about 50/50 when he taught middle school in Indiana. At Indian Trail, he’s one of just three male teachers.
“I miss the camaraderie,” he says. Although at Indian Trail “everybody carries the load,” he has worked at schools where male teachers were called on for all the grunt work.
“I have been in schools where any time anything electronic broke or anytime they needed help setting up chairs, they always called me,” he says with a laugh. “I’d always get outside duty, because ‘he’s a guy, he doesn’t care if it’s raining on him.’ ”
Trevor Young encourages fifth graders Livier Santana, left, and Juliana Mora in a race.
Chopko says some parents want their children to be “babied.” “I tell them right away that I’m not that type of teacher,” he says. A 17-year veteran of both the classroom and the playground, physical education teacher Trevor Young describes himself as “not the huggy type,” but says most kids respond to a fist bump or a high five and that all need encouraging words. “You try to build kids up more than anything,” he says. Hector says there’s a stigma attached to male teachers in the primary grades, not connected with fears of abuse, but simply because society has bought into the female stereotype. “There’s this idea of ‘what is a male doing down in the elementary school? They should go into the high school,’ ” he says. “It’s a stereotype in TV, movies . . . the elementary teacher is always a woman.”
Young had a male first-grade teacher and
“Maybe there is a time when I need to help teachers move furniture, but on the same hand, they help me when it comes to the more arts and crafts type of things,” Chopko says.
Young and Hector call on the school nurse or ask their female co-workers to address sensitive issues with girl students.
“They’ve had me talk to their boys about something they don’t feel comfortable talking about,” Hector says, emphasizing that it goes both ways and points to the need for more genderbalanced staffs.
So why don’t more men go into elementary education? Many say it’s economics.
“If you have kids, it is tough to make a living in this profession,” says Young who recently purchased a fitness franchise to supplement his income.
“A lot of people have to work a part-time job to
make ends meet.” When he began teaching, he knew four other male teachers who left after their first year to seek better paying careers.
Clark agreed that pay is an issue. Average first-year pay for teachers in North Carolina is about $30,800.
“There are some things we can’t control as far as state funding,” he says, adding that an overall lack of respect of teachers also plays a role.
“From what I’ve seen, it’s been a battle against education for the last five years or so, whether it’s charter schools, testing, funding, teacher pay. It’s just one more thing, people trying to diminish the education field,” Clark says. “Teaching is a great profession and worthy of respect.”
Research published last year showed a number of factors besides pay may be keeping men out of the classroom, including, ironically, overly high expectations that their “male qualities” will make them better disciplinarians or magically make boys excel in their classrooms.
“Teaching in the primary classroom for males is fraught with contradictions,” wrote Geri Smyth, who led a study on the issue at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. She described not only the stereotypes that make people doubt their abilities, but also those that lead employers and parents to expect them to be “superman.”
Many in education agree that gender disparity among elementary school faculties is a problem without a quick fix. It seems a chicken-or-egg issue that the stereotypes surrounding male teachers can’t be shattered until more men take to the classroom, which won’t happen until they can do so without being stereotyped.
Luanne Williams is a
Craig Chopko reads with Gabriela former newspaper editor Ordonez-Sosa. and freelance writer. Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 11
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I
By Jill Hinson
grew up in the South and often heard of others going overseas for mission work. I try hard to help my community, but at this point in my life, I didn’t really have plans to go anywhere myself. Then Honduras happened . . . . My aunt and uncle had been several times, and I had heard their stories and seen their pictures. I was proud of them. A part of me wanted to experience what can make someone see the world so differently, but I never thought I would have the chance. In February 2013, my mom was in the hospital with cancer, and we were discussing the trip my relatives planned. Maybe it was raw emotion, but I found myself intrigued and told them to count me in. No big deal, I thought. I’ll spend a week in Honduras, spread the gospel of Jesus and try to help where help is needed. I began a flip flop drive at Core Studio, (the Pilates and yoga studio she owns in Monroe.) Carolinas Figure Skating Club and Extreme Ice Center partnered with me, bringing in more than 200 pairs for me to take. I sold my house the week before we left and moved into temporary housing, so to say I took time to prepare my heart would not be true. I struggled to get my belongings under the 50-pound limit, but I was determined to take my prized J Crew rain boots. In Honduras, my group headed to Pena Blanca. I was pretty happy with our living conditions at the campsite. I could not flush toilet paper, but I did have a tiny bit of warm running water to shower with and a bunk bed to sleep in. I was instructed early not to go anywhere alone and to let my
g Honduras’ squalor
interpreter speak for me. That was good since I only knew how to count to 10 in Spanish. The family we came to build a house for was staying with us. I fell in love with the kids right away, and the first little feet I slipped flip flops on were these kids. This was my first moment of feeling ashamed. I just had to get my J Crew rain boots on the plane, and this child was thrilled with a pair of 50 cent flip flops. We spent the day packing beans and rice which we bought in the market. I never knew how much rice and beans would change my life until we visited May 25 Village. This was an abandoned market that people moved into on May 25. I have never seen such filth and small homes. These people must be miserable, I thought. We gathered our backpacks filled with medicine, rice, beans, flip flops and clothing. I was incredibly nervous. My aunt asked me if I wanted to introduce myself first, tell them who I am, that Jesus loves them, and ask if I can I pray with them. NO WAY! I wasn’t going first! Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Some of the women in the homes we visited wanted to know how they could pray for me. They could care less who was watching, and when they prayed to the same God I love in their language, it hit me that God could care less about my J Crew rain boots, and that I was there to learn from the people of Honduras. You see, they were happy! They had nothing, but they were happy! The children were playing just like my kids. Their feet were dirty, but they were happy. The orphanage we visited had some of the sweetest children, and I
was honored to be there. Sadly, many of the kids there were not left because their parents did not want them, but because they simply could not meet their nutritional needs. As we moved from various villages, I met a young girl who was caring for her mother who had tuberculosis. Her home was muddy with a dirt floor and chickens running in and out. It was at that moment I knew it was time to pass along my rain boots. She pointed to my feet, covered in muddy socks. Trying not to cry in this moment of feeling ashamed, I simply said, “I’m OK.” I began to walk to our van in my socks, and my aunt handed me a pair of flip flops I had collected. As I slid them on my feet and walked slowly to meet the others, I realized in some ways the people of Honduras have so much more than Americans. They eat as a family, they are not consumed with electronics, and they are thankful. They had so little, but they always had smiles. I do not feel guilty that I live in a place blessed with so much, but I will never again take for granted the things I do have. I am not talking about the things I can go to the mall and buy. I will never take for granted the food I have on my table, the running water in my home, healthy children who have medicine when they need it and a bed to sleep in at night. We have so much to be thankful for. I look forward to going back because I left a small piece of my heart in Honduras.
Jill Hinson is owner of Core Studio Pilates and Yoga in Monroe, founder of Core Compassion Project, a non-profit offering Pilates post-rehab fitness for cancer patients, and a very busy wife and mother of three.
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QUEEN’S CUP 19TH RUNNING SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2014 benefitting
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Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 13
C
Text and photos by Nancy E. Stephen
harlotte Mott is a paradox.
She’s a typical middle-aged woman from a humble beginning who lives with her husband, Arthur, in a 24,000 square foot house with additional outbuildings in Marvin.
As one of six children “we had a roof over our head and food in our mouth,” she says, but they also wore hand-medowns and she worked in a drugstore at 16 so she could buy things for herself. Those humble beginnings marked her personality for life, just as did her husband’s early life marked him. “He was exceptionally poor, their power was turned off more than once and he put cardboard in his shoes for soles. He grew up in Queens and ate subsidized student meals at school.
“When he was very young, he said ‘I’m never going to be poor’,” Charlotte reveals. “So he strived harder than other people to get out of that hole.” And out of that hole he is.
You might think that “moving on up,” as the Jeffersons might say, or hitting “black gold, Texas tea,” which put the Clampetts in Beverly Hills would change the Motts, but that’s simply not the case.
“I’m a regular girl, just like everyone else. I’m not what people expect me to be because of the house,” Charlotte says. And she’s right. She’s just like “us.”
“Nobody waits on me. I try to do everything for myself. I will never ask anyone to do something I won’t do for myself,” she says matter-of-factly.
Despite living on a sumptuous 20-acre gated estate with three housekeepers, Charlotte gets her hands dirty regularly. “I do dishes all the time. I didn’t have a dishwasher until I was 30-something years old so my tendency is to wash the dishes. I love laundry,” she adds with her gregarious laugh, “I love trying to get stains out of anything. And I grocery shop.”
Arthur started as a paint contractor, painting apartments in
14 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
The House Th
If a 24-000 foot pretentiou Charlotte living in the w
The “backyard” features not only a swimming pool, but a cascading waterfall over a tiered terrace. A wine tasting room, just outside a wine cellar containing hundreds of bottles of favorite wines, is walled in carved wood, with a renaissance wrought-iron chandelier hovering over the table. A complete bar, larger than in many small restaurants, adjoins a recreation room that leads out to a grotto where the Motts like to entertain.
he Motts Built
house requires us owners, e Mott is wrong house.
Manhattan at day and attending City College at night, a stint that took 13 years because of his work and first marriage obligations and five children.
He quickly began buying properties to lease, starting with four family buildings while in school. “And it went from there,” Charlotte says, to the 31 buildings with approximately 1,100 apartments they currently own on Long Island.
“When I met him, he had 16 buildings.” That was when Charlotte and then-divorced Arthur met in the Long Island restaurant, The Salty Dog, where she was a daytime bartender. “He was a total character. He’s funny . . . charismatic. He was always young and became even younger with all the children. The couple added four children to his previous five. Now the family includes 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. You might wonder how the Motts came to live in Union County, and Charlotte quips “in a mobile home, with a driver.”
“New York was getting congested, pushy. I grew up in the countryside where people were nice and you could walk to school,” she recalls. “Plus the winters were bitter cold. I couldn’t stand it; I wanted to get out of New York.” The couple looked a long time for property, camping at Cane Creek Park in their 40-foot camper. “We kept going up and down Providence Road. I said ‘I don’t know where we are, but I like it’.”
They flew from New York on the weekends in Arthur’s plane – he has flown for 60-plus years, in air races and around the world – for six months or longer, looking for the ideal property. And they happened upon the perfect location.
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 15
You don’t have to look hard to see vestiges of a typical home: a plaque of dedicated service from the Federal Aviation Administration to Arthur, a note on the back door reminds Charlotte to take her cell phone, paintings that have yet to be hung and dog beds in the family room. One weekend in 2005, they “trespassed,” Charlotte says, walking through the trees from the house across the street and into a clearing. “It’s perfect; this is it!” she recalls exclaiming. “It’s like something so magical happened; it was unbelievable.
“We took one look, bought it and went to church,” which is not much of an exaggeration. The property was listed on Thursday, they visited on Friday, bought it on Saturday and went to church. Their house, seated on 20 acres, was originally to be 10,000 square feet, which transformed into 14,000 and eventually stretched into 24,000. The threefloor house has eight bedrooms, eight full and five half baths, two full kitchens, two kitchenettes, four indoor and one outdoor fireplace.
home. “It’s nothing special. It’s special to me because it’s my home and I like it, but it’s not what the life’s about. It’s just nice to have.” Having lived in the house for 16 years, Charlotte’s gotten the common itch to redecorate. “I’ve been changing things slowly, redoing the kids’ rooms.” Charlotte’s initial decorations prompted disagreement with her decorators.
“It’s around 40 rooms,” Charlotte again says matter-of-factly, counting the baths. But that’s just the house.
There’s a pool house with a kitchen, plus a barn, garage apartment and something they call “the little house.” The 10,000-foot barn has one bedroom, two full baths, kitchen, great room with fireplace and a bar with pool tables.
The barn has its own kitchen, as do the garage apartment and little house, as well as one bedroom with two full baths, great room with fireplace and bar with pool tables. And that’s just for the humans; there also are eight stalls for horses.
While she knows the number of rooms, what Charlotte can’t count are the telephones. “Oh gosh, no, I have no idea. A lot . . . a lot. Every room has at least one phone. Probably 40 or 50 phones easily.”
The family room just off the kitchen is her favorite. Windows lining two walls bring in the sunshine, and the decorations are perfect for such a sunny room. It’s a room she shares with her dogs, where she watches TV – “Castle” being a favorite – and doing jigsaw puzzles.
Despite the grandeur of the property, Charlotte sees it simply as
16 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
“The designers wanted to make it into a museum, but I said ‘I’ve got kids.’ “ So instead of marble floors, the house has porcelain floors which have withstood the children riding bikes and skateboards up and down them. But the stone was shipped from Italy.
The house “turned out better than I expected,” she says. “It’s fancy but not pretentious.”
Pretensions just don’t fit Charlotte Mott. Notwithstanding her down-home nature and willingness – no, it’s actually eagerness – to do housework, the family does have help. “Can you imagine me cleaning this; I’d be a slave to my own house!”
‘I look and feel
younger but still look like me.’ Three full-time housekeepers and two handymen keep the Mott estate running efficiently and pristine. When the children were young, Charlotte cooked dinner every night, hauled kids everywhere and enjoyed a house full of youths as everyone brought friends home. “They always had their friends over; it’s a very friendly house to come to. I like having their friends here, but I also liked knowing where the kids were.”
She still cooks a massive Thanksgiving dinner for everyone – husband, kids, significant others. And although the dining room does seat 16, they pull in additional tables, just like the rest of us do at family gatherings. As empty nesters, now that their children range from 19 to 29, “you would think that I would have nothing to do, but I’m busier now.” And Arthur still works.
Charlotte works a vegetable garden, growing tomatoes, peppers and kale, among others, feeds the deer daily and works jigsaw puzzles in the cozy family room, which she calls one of her favorites. “I’ve always lived in the same rooms – the kitchen, bedroom, computer room with the dogs and the family room. I’m comfortable. I haven’t found anything that I like more. “I love the cows behind me,” she says of her rural location. A favorite habit is feeding the meandering deer that visit almost every day.
A few tidbits
The multi-story formal living room has chandeliers on a pulley system to allow their lowering for bulb changing and cleaning.
Wine cellars are popular, but the Motts went a step farther. Outside the cellar, they have a wine-tasting room, reminiscent of King Arthur’s time. But again, somehow they made the room unpretentious.
The Motts have a theater with not just a screen or even a screen that lowers, but one hidden behind heavy auditorium drapes. There’s an old-fashioned popcorn machine as well as a ticket booth just outside. No, they don’t charge!
Arthur is a skilled artist, and his office is cluttered with works of art waiting for their final place. His office also houses photographs and plaques from his years of flying.
The Motts have hosted many fund-raising events for non-profit organizations. “We try to share (our house) when we can. God gave us so much, it’s nice that we can share with other people and help.”
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Man and Woman of the Year committed to serving
Q
Union County
invaluable contributions that will impact citizens for years to come. “Clark has been a constant advocate for the betterment of Union County throughout his life here,” says Chris Platé, executive director of Monroe-Union County Economic Development, “as a resident, philanthropist, volunteer and businessman.” Last year, the Monroe resident was the driver for the merging of the Monroe and Union County economic development entities, a union which not only created a stronger organization with one voice but also saved taxpayers $400,000 annually. “His commitment to this community is unsurpassed,” Platé said. During Clark’s 17-year tenure as chairman, the Monroe Economic Development Commission generated more than $1.2 billion in new taxable investment to Monroe and the county, created more than 4,500 jobs and helped make Monroe internationally known for its aerospace cluster.
‘. . .
‘. . . unsurpassed commitment’
uintessential volunteers. That’s an apt description of Union County’s 2013 Man and Woman of the Year.
Clark Goodwin, a retired banker, has focused on economic development and education for decades, while Joyce Rentschler, a registered nurse at CMC-Union, has committed her time to improving quality of life. But both, as the former Men and Women of the Year who selected the winners will attest, have made
Proud to have the Man & Woman of the Year as volunteers
Clark Goodwin
17-year chair of Monroe Economic Development, now Monroe-Union Economic Development.
Joyce Rentschler
Co-founder of Monroe Artwalk; on Monroe Tourism, Downtown Advisory boards.
Visit us at www.MonroeNC.org and www.HistoricDowntownMonroe.org
(704) 282-4500
18 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
“As a result of his tireless effort, Union County is poised to develop an even stronger local economy and further improve the quality of life for our citizens,” says Platé. John Dodd, president of The Jesse Helms Center, agrees, but from a different perspective. As one of the founding members of the Center’s Foundation, Clark “has helped take the Helms Center from its infancy to become one of the nation’s premier senatorial libraries.” As a result, many internationally known leaders, including Margaret Thatcher, the Dalai Lama and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, have spoken in the county, an accomplishment unheard of in small towns the size of Wingate. When he commits to an endeavor, Clark makes it a lifelong involvement. “Clark Goodwin has long been a deeply respected leader for many important causes in Union County,” adds Dr. Jerry McGee, president of Wingate University. “His involvement as a trustee at Wingate University has been exemplary. He is revered by his fellow trustees and the University administration.” His 40-year commitment to the Wingate University Board of Trustees earned him an honorary doctorate from the University. Woman of the Year Joyce Rentschler likes to work Friend and former Woman behind-the-scenes in the Year Dr. Gwen Perkins, hands-on volunteerism. right, greets Joyce Rentschl She and her daughter, (Photos by Nancy E. Step Andrea Price, created the Downtown Monroe
Artwalk in 2007 to great success. The idea had been batted around for years, but many residents didn’t believe an art crawl in Downtown Monroe could be viable. The dynamic duo proved differently.
couldn’t do it without her’
n of
ler. phen)
Each spring and fall, the two solicit artists to display a wide variety of art styles in various venues around downtown.
According to Brian Borne, assistant Monroe manager and director of downtown and parks and recreation, the Artwalk “is a wonderful thing. We’re thrilled and appreciative that they have taken upon themselves to pull it together every year.”
Last year, they joined forces with the Downtown Cruise-In, holding events simultaneously. “It’s an odd partnership, but the numbers of people in April and October are truly amazing. They’ve done it a great job, and we couldn’t do it without her,” Borne says.
“The Artwalk brings crowds to downtown. And it’s free!” he adds. “Visitors are looking at art, cards, shopping, dining, truly experiencing downtown at its finest. It’s great to have the cultural component in the downtown.
“I think it’s an important event, one that the community expects and looks forward to. It’s very well attended.”
Joyce’s volunteerism extends far beyond the downtown festivities. She currently serves on the Union County Community Arts Council, Monroe Tourism Board and Downtown Monroe Advisory Board.
As an integral part of the Women’s Leadership Coalition, Joyce has “lent her skill and determination to making a first-class women’s retreat each year,” says Martha Allen, the 2012 Woman of the Year and fellow Coalition member.
She’s also worked with Habitat for Humanity, organizing a recycling drive to raise funds as well as hands-on building.
“She is the happiest when she actually gets to swing a hammer to help out on a build,” Martha adds.
Wingate University President Jerry McGee, right, greets his friend Clark Goodwin at the celebratory luncheon.
Union County Youth Ballet
Cinderella presents
.
May 3 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
$12 adult, $10 senior/child
Batte Fine Arts Center Wingate University
Tickets at Bonita’s School of Ballet and at the door
(704) 289-5733
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 19
Previous Men of the Year
1958 - Dr. Paul J. Helms* 1959 - Jack R. Hargett* 1960 - Charles L. Hunley* 1961 - Budd E. Smith* 1962 - J.C. Plyler* 1963 - W. Leslie Starnes* 1964 - Vann V. Secrest* 1965 - E.D. Gaskins* 1966 - N.K. Dickerson* 1967 - James R. Huntley* 1968 - Wayne Mangum* 1969 - Edward Faulkner* 1970 - Lester L. Helms* 1971 - Aaron W. Plyler 1972 - Thomas P. Dillon 1973 - C. Frank Griffin 1974 - S. Oren Starnes* 1975 - Charles Norwood 1976 - V.T. Helms, Jr.*
1977 - H.R. Johnson* 1978 - Harold Shirley* 1979 - Harry Sherwood* 1980 - Nat Greene 1981 - Jim Wellborn* 1982 - Charles Sturgis 1983 - Harry Myers 1984 - Fred Long 1985 - James E. Hinkle* 1986 - John B. Ashcraft, Jr. 1987 - Robert Fleetwood* 1988 - Glenn Youngblood* 1989 - Woody Faulk 1990 - Fred McCallum* 1991 - Tom Caldwell 1992 - Jack Fowler 1993 - Tom Batchelor* 1994 - Carroll Edwards* 1995 - Frank McGuirt
1996 - Bobby Kilgore 1997 - Bruce Griffin, Sr.* 1998 - Henry Gaye 1999 - Max Melton 2000 - Frank Carpenter 2001 - Phil Bazemore 2002 - Tom Williams 2003 - Lynn Keziah 2004 - Lynn Raye 2005 - Phil Hargett* 2006 - Jerry Thomas 2007 - Ed Bower, MD 2008 - Bobby Griffin 2009 - I. F. Plyler* 2010 - Bill Norwood 2011 - Jack Hargett 2012 – Johnny Pigg
*Deceased
Previous Women of the Year
1985 - Ruth Sikes Haigler*
1986 - Sis Dillon
1987 - Fola Williams*
1988 - Carolyn Gaddy*
1989 - Dot Greene
1990 - Georgia McGuirt*
1991 - Lane Drew*
1992 - Vivian Norwood*
1993 - Sally Ormand
1994 - Sara Furr
1995 - Jeanette Sherrod
1996 - Doris Sparks*
1997 - Evermond Daniel*
1998 - Nancy A. Noles
1999 - Lynne Salvaggio
2000 - Lynda Keziah
2001 - Sandy Deskins
2002 - Ruby Stegall
2003 - Carol Tyson
2004 - Suzy Rogers
2005 - Angela Bower
2006 - Virginia Bjorlin
2007 - Modene Howie
2008 - Gwendolyn Perkins, MD.
2009 - Emmy Lou Haywood*
2010 - Nancy E. Stephen
2011 - Pat Kahle
2012 – Martha Allen
20 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
*Deceased
Fledgling playwright
tells tale of small-town
I
beauty shop
t may not be Broadway, but just the same, Kay Starnes is thrilled that her first play is about to be performed by The Storefront Theatre in Waxhaw.
Her play, “Bradford’s Crossing,” draws on Kay’s memories of her aunts’ Monroe beauty shop in the ’60s and ’70s. The backdrop is in old-style beauty shop on small town Main Street “where you can see life going by,” Kay describes.
The owner, not happy with the changes of time, thinks it’s time to sell. Two regulars are horrified. “It’s an institution, not just a place to have hair done,” Kay says.
When a potential buyer comes in the shop, she talks about the changes she’ll make: a juice bar, maybe a disco ball, and certainly get rid of the hood dryers. The regulars tell the owner, “You can’t do this.” And in the end, she decides not to.
We Like Short Shorts A festival of 10-minute plays
“It’s a variety of plays, a variety of actors, a variety of playwrights. From the ridiculous to the sublime and everything else in between, the festival offers fun, a chance to experience brand new works, and an opportunity to meet and talk with the playwrights who created them. And remember, love a play or
Kay’s foray into playwriting came last year. “A friend has been after me to write,” she explains. “When the competition was announced, I saw it as a chance to write something, to get my friend off my back and to have some fun.”
How does a writer start a story, develop it and end it all within 10 minutes? “Since I haven’t written a larger play, I don’t have anything to compare it with,” Kay says. “I had to put a timer on so I wouldn’t go over” the time.
Writing her play in “maybe two weeks with tweaking” has encouraged Kay to write more. “I have another one I’m tinkering with. I’m retired; it’s not going to be a career.”
hate it – it doesn’t matter – it won’t last long.
“The playwrights surprised me this year by coming from all over: Gaithersburg, MD, Athens, OH, Chapel Hill and Miami,” says Judy Simpson Cook, Storefront founder and Union County native.
Local actors will portray the characters in eight 10-minute plays that were accepted in the competition. The performances take the
form of concert readings with the actors standing behind podiums.
Want to go? Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 16, at 2:30 p.m. Waxhaw Presbyterian Church 8100 Old Waxhaw Monroe Road. Tickets available online at www.TheStorefrontTheatre.org
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 21
J
Dreads aside, Jahson Oshita is By Deb Coates Bledsoe
ahson Oshita is as unique as his style, which is immediately obvious.
Dreads down on the field. . . Photo by Nancy Stephen
About the dreads
Jahson jokes, “My hair has been growing since I was in my mom’s womb,” but says his dreads have been growing since 1999. His unique hairstyle is a byproduct of being Rastafarian, a belief in natural living, which means that combing the hair is not allowing it to be in its natural state.
“Rasti is ancient Christianity,” he said. “It’s not like what people think, smoking weed, all this other stuff. It’s not about that at all. There are people out there that follow God’s law over man’s law.” His long dreads don’t weigh on his mind or on his body.
“I don’t even think about it. If I’m in a situation like on a roller coaster, I think about taking precautions. But there are bigger things to think about.” Jahson let down his hair, a la Rapunzel, at a fund-raising soccer tournament benefiting the American Red Cross. Visitors were amazed, not only at the length of his dreads, but that they didn’t hamper his prowess on the field.
22 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
You’ll notice that Jahson wears a very tall hat, usually crocheted. What you won’t see are his very long dreadlocks that dangle past his knees and are stuffed in the hat. “It seems to cause less alarm to have a giant pillow on top of my head than to have long hair,” he says, a shy smile spreading across his face. The owner and chef of a Monroe restaurant, bibi - a beautiful taste, Jahson is definitely his own man, living life in the Bible Belt as a Rastafarian and being totally comfortable with – or oblivious to – his uniqueness. There’s a lot more to Jahson than his dreadlocks. A conversation with him reveals a spiritual view of the world, his life and those who are part of it. “Whatever you decide to put your energy in is your faith; what you do with your energy is what you are. It doesn’t matter what you say, it’s what you do. If your goal in life is to leave a legacy, then that’s what you’ll leave. If your goal in life is to have a positive effect, then that’s what it will be. “I try so hard to separate myself from ego. We can’t escape who we are, but at the end of the day, I hope I have affected people in a positive way.”
About bibi
bibi is known for its humorous Facebook posts, such as these.
bibi~ we don't even OWN a micro-whatever-you-call-it. People that eat at bibi enjoy a dramatic increase in happiness, healthiness, intelligenceness, vigor, flexibility and many other abilities. Help us help you be super. It was written "...for there shall be snow and rumors of snow and this shall be a sign to eateth at bibi. kids eateth free" bibi is now accepting new regulars to visit everyday!! Our food is so fresh, it's borderline harassment. bibi dinner is like magical healing sent via thunderbolt from the heavens right into your soft innards. In my opinion, which I respect, bibi has the beautifulest customers ever. It's a beautiful day and you have a lot to get accomplished today. Fuelify your molecules with a mighty powerful lunch from bibi. Your mitochondria will thank you. bibi - a beautiful taste is located at 232 E. Franklin Street in Monroe.
s at home with his uniqueness
Aside from being “deep,” Jahson also is humorous, but you have to listen carefully to his soft presentation. “I went to a bunch of colleges but didn’t graduate from any of them. Mainly, I would take classes in Hinduism, religion, philosophy, psychology – all the brain stuff that you don’t get paid for.”
The son of a Japanese father and Alabamian mother, “I call it Japabaman, ” Jahson remembers first being in the kitchen at age 13, but taking cooking seriously at about 20. In his home, it was an eclectic combination of foods, which translates into bibi’s varied daily specials. “My mom cooked country style; my dad cooked Japanese. I cook. . .” he says, gesturing with his hands to indicate a wide variety of foods. Apprenticeships under professional chefs in Wilmington and Charlotte and experience in country clubs and elsewhere provided Jahson with a vast knowledge and curiosity about combinations of foods, which he showcases regularly. “I grew up eating so eclectically that it just comes out naturally. “Same with my music. I grew up with all kinds of music.”
Jahson is not a fan of labels, whether it’s categorizing his restaurant’s cuisine or his style of music. Ask him to name his cuisine, and he gives an essay on why labels aren’t needed, aren’t really accurate and why diners should just try foods without needing a name.
As for his music, he prefers to calls his style “sincere” music. His group, “One Big Love,” has been recording since 2005, making six albums and 28 tunes on YouTube with “plenty more in the works.” He writes both lyrics and music and plays a variety of instruments, “whatever is in front of me. I like congas and bongos, but they’re not my forte.” “I don’t think there is a specific genre that exits in its singular form that would encompass the type of music that I do,” he said. “You could grab three separate songs that I do and one of them might sound like country music, one might sound like futuristic hip hop and one of them might sound avant garde like indie rock. As creativity springs, it just comes out like it does.”
. . . and up for work.
Photo by Deb Coates Bledsoe
Deb Coates Bledsoe is a former newspaper editor and a freelance writer and photographer.
CONCERTS! Sunday, March 16 Rhythm of the Dance
UnionSymphony.org
Union Symphony Youth Orchestra 4 p.m. at Marvin Ridge High School Season tickets or $12.
This project is supported by the Union County Community Arts Council and the Grassroots program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency.
Union Symphony Orchestra 4 p.m. at The Batte Center at Wingate. Season tickets or $15-$25
(704) 283-2525
Season Sponsors BetterCarPeople and Big Ring Interactive
Sunday, April 27 Czech and Balances
POPS!
Sunday, May 18 t On the Plaza Sponsored by City of Monroe
Union Symphony with Youth Orchestra 6:30 p.m. on The Plaza on Hayne Street. Bring a chair; concert is free.
Monday, June 23 t On the Campus Sponsored by Wingate University Union Symphony with Youth Orchestra Time TBA in front of the Admin. Building Bring a chair; concert is free.
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 23
U
nion County is dotted with a plethora of Mexican restaurants. We know that La Unica in Monroe is a favorite because there’s always a wait, albeit typically short. Seven of us visited the restaurant on a Saturday night. Once seated, we were immediately brought chips and melted queso, quickly followed by pica de gallo and four types of sauces/salsas – two red and two green, some mild and others eyewatering hot. You know that they’re homemade because the intensity sometimes varies. We suggest ordering a side of fresh-made guacamole, which is plenty for several. If you’re not careful, you can eat your fill on these, but don’t! These “appetizers” go great with a margarita, or possibly a beer. Milanesa al Caballo (eggs riding horseback) is a piece of steak pounded, breaded and lightly fried, topped with
Ambiance: 3.5 stars. It’s busy and somewhat noisy. Sometimes a jukebox is playing, other times all you hear are conversations in Spanish, as native Mexicans tend to frequent La Unica. The restaurant is a few blocks off of U.S. 74 in a strip business park that can easily be missed and the parking lot desperately needs to be repaved, but the food makes these inconveniences tolerable. Menu: 4.5 stars. Large menu with a broad
24 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
tomato sauce, onions, two eggs and cheese. The steak was nicely flavored, and the sauce and eggs were a perfect complement. The Mexican rice was atypically a little dry and crispy, but the French fries were crispy, salty and delicious. The $11 entrée was plentiful, to say the least. Enchiladas Suizas are two fajita-style chicken enchiladas served with a creamy sauce rather than a tomato-based sauce. Like other entrées, a large grilled scallion accompanied these. “Very good!” said the diner. The $7.50 entrée is served with rice and refried beans. Fajitas de Pollo ($10.95) is another favorite of our group. Chicken grilled
variety. Lots of vegetarian meals to choose from, as well as a lunch menu.
Quality: 4.5 stars. One of the best
Mexican food in Monroe! As a group and individually, our diners visit La Unica regularly.
Service: 3.75 stars. The restaurant was
very busy, and staff was hustling. Our food came quickly, but not all at the same time. Lunchtime is especially busy, so we try to arrive by 11:30 a.m. or later
Chips, d
just the begi Mexican
with peppers, tomatoes, onion and mushrooms and served with rice and beans, this entrée, too, is enough for a take-home. We shared Coctel de Camaron y Pulpo ($11.50), similar to a shrimp cocktail. Advertised with shrimp and octopus, we didn’t notice the octopus but the goblet had lots of shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce with cilantro and avocado. Quite tasty! One diner is addicted to the Sopa de
in the afternoon to avoid the crowd.
Value: 4.5 stars. Meals are large, and we frequently take home enough for at least one meal.
Will we return? Of course, this place is
a crowd favorite.
Taqueria La Unica 1621 Walkup Ave Monroe, NC 28110 Open Every Day
ips and salsas
inning of a yummy meal at La Unica Pollo, a chicken soup with a variety of vegetables, noodles and rice. You don’t often see squash in vegetable soup, but this Mexican version can have that, corn, lima beans, potatoes, carrots and more. The broth is very pungent and has a lot of good-sized chunks of chicken. You might think that soup is made in advance, but we don’t think so. Soup often is the last arrival to the table. Our diner asks to have her soup without
Eating Out in Union
noodles, which the restaurant does, further illustrating that the soup is made to order. A little addition of pico de gallo adds a bump in spiciness. One female chose a daily special – soup and taco combo meal. She was pleasantly surprised that these tacos had small slices of beef (not hamburger) which were light and tasty. One of two daily specials, a “small” bowl of chicken soup is paired with two tacos ($6.50). At La Unica, a small bowl is a normal bowl; a large bowl is serving size. Skirt steak Mexican style was a hit with two diners. Served with rice, guacamole, salad and bean soup, the Carne Asade al Carbon for $11 and Carne y Camarones (with grilled shrimp) for $12.50 are enormous
plates of food. We were disappointed that flan had sold out that night, but the other desserts gave a polishing touch to our meal. We have to admit that despite our many visits, this was the first time for dessert. The meals are just too big to indulge in dessert, especially by yourself. We advise planning to share. The group shared a Tres Leches cake, which was moist and flavorful, and the chocolate cake, which was both beautiful and delicious, moist with a fudgy chocolate icing. We licked the plates clean!
The portions at La Unica are very large. Plan to take some home for lunch Pictured, from top right, Tres Leches cake and a chocolate cake; Coctel de Camaron y Pulpo (shrimp cocktail), Milanesa al Caballo (eggs riding horseback); Sopa de Pollo (chicken soup) and Carne Asade al Carbon (skirt steak.)
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 25
18
things to do in Sweet Union
thru 31 Mar.
13
Mar.
15,16 Mar.
15
Mar.
16
Mar.
From Apartheid to Democracy
Monday-Friday l 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Exhibit tells the story of the first ten years of South Africa as a democracy and connecting that process to the Charlotte. Batte Center at Wingate University l www.battecenter.org
Elected Officials Reception
5 p.m.-7 p.m Free for Chamber members, $15 for non-members. Monroe Country Club, 1680 US. 601 S. Pre-registration encouraged at www.unioncountycoc.com
We Like Short Shorts
March 15, 7:30 p.m.; March 16, 2:30 p.m. A festival of 10-minute plays l $12.50 a person Waxhaw Presbyterian, 8100 Old Waxhaw Monroe Road, Waxhaw www.thestorefronttheatre.org
Andrew Jackson’s Birthday and St. Pat’s Day
10 a.m. l $4 student, $7 adult St. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids and free birthday cake and coffee. Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Highway, Waxhaw (704) 843-1822 l www.museumofthewaxhaws.com
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Mar.
28
Mar.
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
10 a.m. l Tickets $5 l At the Batte Center, Wingate University Sponsored by Union County Community Arts Council Tickets at BatteCenter.org
Johnny Clegg Band
7:30 p.m. l $25 l At the Batte Center, Wingate University Johnny Clegg is one of South Africa’s most celebrated sons. Tickets at BatteCenter.org
Women’s Leadership Conference, Luncheon
‘Turn Up the Heat: One Degree Makes A Difference’ 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. l $35 includes lunch Nicole Greer, CEO, Vibrant Coaching Mar. Moderator Featured Speakers Jill Hinson, Pat Kahle, Robin Landsman Union County Agriculture Services and Conference Center 3230 Presson Road, Monroe (704) 619-4770; wcofuc@gmail.com, tickets at ucwomenscoalition.com
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1
April
Knitting and Quilting
10 a.m.-noon, quilting; 2 p.m.-4 p.m., knitting; 6 p.m.-8 p.m., knitting. Marshville Museum l 102 N.Elm Street,Marshville, NC
Swords and Crosses
10 a.m.-4 p.m. l $4 student, $7 adult See Union County’s War Between the States memorial cemetery. Confederate and Union re-enactors and Civil War April artifacts on display. General Robert E. Lee will also be in attendance. Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Highway www.museumofthewaxhaws.com
5
The Fantasticks
Performed by Nebraska Theatre Caravan l 7:30 p.m. Steampunk-inspired adaptation of the longest running musical . At the Batte Center, Wingate University Tickets at BatteCenter.org
Comedian Paula Poundstone
7:30 p.m. l $25 l At Batte Center, Wingate University Appearing on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of April Diet Pepsi, Poundstone is famous for her razor-sharp wit and spontaneous interactions with audience. Tickets at BatteCenter.org
11
22
Mar.
Union Symphony Youth Orchestra
Rhythm of the Dance 4 p.m. l Admission $15 l Marvin Ridge High School 2825 Crane Road, Waxhaw
26 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014
Downtown Monroe Artwalk
Free l Friday, 5:30p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, Noon-4 p.m. Various mediums of art will be placed in numerous stores and April buildings downtown. Pick up a map there. Music on the street and in various venues. Main St., Downtown Monroe l www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
11,12
Union Academy Community Carnival
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Crafts bazaar and gift shops plus car show, games, silent auction, April entertainment inflatables, art show, food and 5K run. 5K starts at 8 a.m. Entry fee $15-$20 in advance; $20-25 race day. Register at www.unionacademy.org Union Academy Upper Campus, 675 N. ML King Jr. Blvd., Monroe
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Queen’s Cup Steeplechase
10 a.m.-7 p.m. l Prices vary. Mineral Springs April Jack Russell Terrier races, pony rides, jockey course walk, hat and tailgate contests, six races, raffle and Hot Walk Party. www.queenscup.org or (704) 843-7070 for information.
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3 p.m. l $4 student, $7 adult Bluegrass show featuring Dr. Tom Hanchett’s talking points about April the history of bluegrass and country music recordings in the Charlotte area. Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Highway www.museumofthewaxhaws.com
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WWII Event
April 12, 10 a.m.; April 13, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. l $4 student, $7 adult The First Allied Airborne Army will drop in. Interactive displays will April include command/communications tent, firing of WWII heavy weapons and the Battalion Aid Station. Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Highway www.museumofthewaxhaws.com
12,13
Tom Hanchett, Donny Murray and Tom Estes
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Union Symphony Orchestra Czechs and Balances
4 p.m. l $15 -$25 l At the Batte Center Charles Lambert, Overture De Broceliande Erik Satie, Relâche (with 1924 René Claire film, ed. Rosenberg) Antonín Dvořák, Symphony No. 5 in f major Tickets at BatteCenter.org l www.UnionSymphony.org
April
www.battecenter.org w ww.battecenter.org 704-233-8300 704-233-8300 WINGATE WI NGATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY
JOHNNY JOHNNY CLEGG CLEGG BAND BA BAND -!2#( s 0South African singer, songwriter, dancer, anthropologist, and activist, Johnny Clegg delivers a vibrant blend of Western pop and African Zulu rhythms!
Nebraska Theatre Caravan Presents:
THE FAN FANTASTICKS FAN ANT TASTICKS -!2#( s 0It’s the longest running musical in history and tells a simple romantic comedic tale about a boy, a girl, their meddling fathers and the wall that divides them. Recommended fo for ages 10 +
Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 27
Made-from-scratch meals, fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks and scrumptious desserts. Open breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Daily food and drink specials. Monroe’s largest wine selection. Three-level dining with 2 bars. 7 private dining areas. Family-owned and operated.
T ouch of C lass BANQUET & CATERING
Full-service catering with elegant style & impeccable service. Specializing in weddings, reunions, corporate and family events. Catering for 10 or 1,000!
1602 E. Roosevelt Blvd.
704.289.3733
www.HilltopFishFare.com