UNION
Lifestyle
New Salem man representing U.S. in world duathlon championships.
On the road again! Bikers on a coast-to-coast motorcycle ride...
May / June 2014
From Ukraine with love. A life lesson learned from overseas friendships.
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UNION
Lifestyle Editor
Nancy E. Stephen
Contributing Writers Deb Coates Bledsoe Donna Hopkins
Photographers
Deb Coates Bledsoe Nancy E. Stephen
Union Lifestyle
A publication of Cameo Communications, LLC PO Box 1064 Monroe, NC 28111-1064 (704) 753-9288 www.UnionLifestyle.com Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/UnionLifestyle
On the cover
Noelle Keenan of Waxhaw cuddles with her favorite stuffed animal. Photo by Nancy Stephen
5
Contents May / June 2014 t Vol. 3 No. 3
14
Away from
Cross-country ride
David English.
experience.’
Public View:
6
Volunteer quilts
‘unbelievable
16
‘If I knew that
5th graders’ names
I could not fail,
8
18
into immortality.
I would . . .’
New Salem man
Ukrainian crisis hits
in world race.
adoptive mother.
representing U.S.
10
Zam drivers feel
home to American
20
Fresh local products,
like they’re in a
eclectic cuisine make
12
22
parade.
11-year-old gives
Noey’s Loveys to
needy individuals.
Heritage a hit.
Entertainment
abounds in Union this Spring.
24
things to do in Sweet Union.
Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 3
Country life provides an educatio n
I
am, by no means, a country girl, although I live in rural Union County and grew up in “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” WV. I’m not a city slicker, either, since my hometown boasts about 6,000 residents. But having lived 24 years in what my husband called “God’s country,” I’ve become intrigued by the animals that share our land – two llamas and about 25 goats. Baby goats hop around on all fours, crying when they lose Mama. Unfortunately, they sound a lot like human babies. When they’re little, they have an uncanny ability to squeeze through the holes in the fence – one way – into the yard. They can’t find their way back, so I lift them over and they scamper away. They never even look back. An adult goat has learned the twoway trek, but while he is in the yard, Big Al, who I call Dali, is cute when he has a full fleece, above. After shearing, he often looks like a pathetic creature. This year, he was only he is making a buffet of my shrubbery. When the owner gets here, sheared on the back half, sporting the lion look, which apparently is all the rage on the farm runways. the miscreant is back on the other side, innocently chewing grass there. The two llamas apparently had a thing going on a few months back because the female is now in a maternity ward elsewhere. I called two previous ones Fernando llama and Lorenzo llama, to the chagrin of their owner. He smiled and laughed, but I feel certain he thinks I’m an idiot. If he only knew that while in college, I was unaware that most Eat in or take out animals mate the same way as humans. (I found out that snakes mate in a full-length intertwining fashion after college when I put a photo Gourmet soups, salads of that spectacle on the front page of a newspaper.) and sandwiches OK, we didn’t have pets when I was growing up! How was I Casseroles and entrees supposed to know any of this? Maybe in another 24 years I’ll for dinner at home understand the ins and outs of country life. Homemade breads, But don’t count on it; I also thought pastries and desserts Editor@UnionLifestyle.com you could plant one row of corn. Craft beer, wine to go Artisan cheeses Box lunches
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4 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
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The ‘real’ David English
Away from public view
David English is one of 20 North Carolinians honored with the 2014 Governor’s Medallion for volunteering. He serves on the boards of the Union County Community Shelter and Center Theatre, volunteers with the Red Cross, Monroe Parks and Recreation Advisory Council and coaches basketball at his church. Early ambition: I was a sports nut as a kid and started playing golf at 10. I assumed that I’d have a career in golf. Although going to college on a golf scholarship, I figured out fairly quickly that wasn’t to be. Good golfers were a dime a dozen. Guilty splurge: Two golfing trips to Scotland. Guilty pleasure: Anything served at Stone Table café in Downtown Monroe. I absolutely love eating there. Their roast beef sandwich – (wife) Susan and I talk about that for days in advance. Greatest accomplishment; I’ve been told I married up and “outkicked my coverage,” so it must be my marriage to Susan Radford. Why volunteer: I served three years on the United Way investment allocations committee and learned what organizations and missions are out there. That was very eye-opening. My experiences with the Shelter and Red Cross also opened my eyes to what the needs are in the community.. At some point, it clicked in. If you have roots in a community, you have an obligation to serve. Role models: Jack Hargett, who I went to school with, is a role model. His resume speaks for itself. He’s so community-oriented, civic-minded, Man of the Year. As someone who runs his own business, has four children, does all his stuff in the community, Jack’s always been a role model to me. Another is Kyle Dunn, who invited me to join the Jaycees, which started me volunteering. He brought Main Street Live to Downtown Monroe.
David English jokingly breaks his “office” putter after a few bad putts.
Lemons to lemonade story: When you’ve played competitive golf for 12 years and you know it’s over, you have to find something new. Golf had consumed my life until the last couple years of college when I turned my focus on graduation. My roommate and I started a paint contracting business, but after two or three years, I knew that wasn’t my future, not what I wanted to do. I read an article about people transitioning careers, and Britt Hadley was one of the subjects. I ran into him at a Hornets basketball game and asked to have a meeting. “You need to interview with me,” Britt said. That began my career at Hughes Supply for the Carolinas. Most overused expression: Wow. I find myself saying that frequently.
Volunteer quilts 5th graders’ names into immortality
I
By Nancy E. Stephen
f idle hands make idle minds, Teri Silsby’s mind is anything but idle. Her hands are constantly busy.
The Buffalo native, now Union Countian, quilts labors of love to celebrate the graduating classes at Marshville Elementary School. All fifth grade students sign their names on small pieces of fabric which are incorporated into that year’s quilt, which eventually makes its way to the fifth grade hallway.
The wall hangings are the brainchild of former principal Tina Miller, who thought quilts would add interest to halls. And they do add a three-dimensional touch to the typical block walls. Teri added the signature aspect. “I thought it would be interesting to have the kids’ involvement. Maybe they can’t cut the fabric, but they can write their name. So that’s how we melded the ideas.
“Kids love the involvement,” Teri says. “And their siblings see the quilt as they go through school. People get excited because there’s a memory.”
Seamstresses know that quilting can be a long, painstaking process, but Teri doesn’t mind. She estimates 70 hours are involved in each quilt, which varies by size and configuration. The quilts are both
Teri Silsby cuts pieces for this year’s quilt. Bottom left, her creative chair back made to hold young students’ books. Bottom right, Teri’s fabrics are neatly wrapped around card stock and categorized by color.
Photos by Nancy E Stephen
machine- and hand-made, with the individual pieces machined together, but the quilting by hand.
Each year’s quilt features a different theme and color scheme. The first was the American flag, which measures 62 inches wide by 45 inches. “They have to be big enough to see the signatures, but the quilt can’t take up the whole wall.”
Teri followed that with a vertical lighthouse and last year’s abstract. This year’s design is a fall leaf theme, with students and staff signing the outline.
She creates each design herself and asks for donations of fabric from students to incorporate. Marshville business Edward Wood Products sponsors the quilt, paying for purchased fabric and batting, but Teri donates her time.
6 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
“The reaction has been very positive. Each year’s quilt is unveiled during graduation night, when graduates can have their photographs taken with the quilt piece.”
2011
2012
Her youngest child, Spencer, is excited to see his name this year, but his graduation won’t stop Teri from continuing the project. “As long as they would like me to, I’ll keep making the quilts. There are so many beautiful designs out there that will interest kids.”
Teri’s love of quilting is evident in her rural Union County home where she has small quilted pieces adorning walls, as well as a highly organized sewing room. She categorizes large fabric by keeping a sample in a notebook and storing the fabric elsewhere and smaller pieces on a bookshelf. “I just love to recycle,” she explains.
Her creative bent and non-idle hands are also evident by beautiful quilted potholders as well as keepsake pillows from loved ones’ shirt or tie fabric. When her church decided to make small lap quilts as “a warm hug” to people who are shut-ins, she made at least 50. She saw online vinyl chair back sleeves to keep young students’ books off their desktops, and she went one step further, creating hers out of fabric, not vinyl, to last longer.
She found a way to easily modify a pillowcase as the fabric and often finds the pillowcases for 10 cents at thrift stores. And, of course, she takes contributions of fabric and cases. “The idea is to not have a cost to anything.”
In her “spare time,” which she has very little of, Teri
2013
also sews “more practical stuff” for hire, such as table and sink skirts, table runners and a keepsake quilt out of onesies.
“I’ve been sewing for a long time. I’ve been sewing since I was 18 or so. I started quilting from need. People would need blankets, that sort of thing.”
For her, sewing and quilting are peaceful activities. “I work on it when the kids – 17, 15 and 11 – aren’t home,” and when she’s not at her part-time job as parent and community involvement coordinator at the school.
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Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 7
Representin T
New Salem man co
By Nancy E. Stephen
he Olympics may be over, but international competition is anything but over for Jeff Gaura, a Union Countian who is representing our country in June at the 2014 ITU Duathlon World Championships in Spain.
This is a big deal for Jeff, who entered his first competitive duathlon race of running and biking in April 2013. “Now I’m on the national team,” he says, still sounding somewhat amazed himself. “That’s extreme.
“Being given the chance to don a jersey with our country’s flag and Olympic insignia on it is humbling and concurrently gratifying.”
The 48-year-old has been athletic all of his life – well, almost. He was injured twice as a child, which prompted his parents to stop him from participating in organized sports for awhile. “After five days in the hospital, that was the first message from my parents – stop. So I really didn’t know I had an athletic bent until later in life.”
As he matured, Jeff was a boy scout, a ranger, and wilderness survival instructor. While a Peace Corps volunteer in Himalaya, “I didn’t find it that challenging to put on a pack and climb one of the highest mountains in the world. Climbing was part of my vacation while I was a teacher there.”
Back in the States, he entered the New York City marathon in 1991 – the weekend before. “I just decided to run. I hadn’t trained. I ran a half marathon on Saturday and Sunday and figured I could put it together the next weekend – at 26 years old without training for it.
“After the marathon, it was like ‘OK, what’s next.’ ”
He kept running on weekends, as marriage, children and work would allow, then cycled across Ireland with his wife, doing 30 or 40 miles a day, which he says, “justified having a big appetite.”
Then his bike gathered dust for a decade. He was running now and then but not trying to beat a speed record.
8 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
Last spring, he discovered that his 10K on a treadmill “would have beat last year’s winner in the duathlon.” So he bought a “nice” bike which he “putzed around the neighborhood on” in preparation for his
ng the U.S.
ompeting in Duathlon World Championships
thinking, ‘I’m passing literally the best in the world with a bad foot.’
“I passed 10 with national jerseys during that race, and yes, I counted.”
Jeff placed as an alternate, but later was named to the full national team. “I about went out of my chair (reading the email).”
And then reality set it. “Oh my gosh, I now have to invest more time. I’m representing my country, not just me.”
He dropped 20 pounds, changed his diet “a ton” and now trains at least five days a week on cardio, two days in Pilates, six through physical therapy and one day of yoga, for upwards of 18 hours a week. “I love doing duathlons, as there is no one single place where you can win the races, but there are several places where you can lose it.
“During the running, I may hit a groove and fly, and the run represents my strength that day. Other times, riding on the bike is my strength. I don’t which part of me will be the strongest until the race starts.”
Because duathlons are not yet an Olympic sport, Jeff is responsible for all his training costs, including expensive equipment. His $160 shoes last for only about 250 miles and his bike is about $6,000. Team USA, though, pays airfare, room, transportation of bike and food.
first duathlon in Charlotte.
The Spanish race will take two to three hours, depending on the mountains. Competitors will run 10K (6.2 miles), bike 40K (about 28 miles) and run an additional 5K (about 3 miles.)
He placed second in his age category and “was proud, but thought I was done with it.”
Then he received a letter saying his race time was good enough for the national championship competition. “After making that commitment, I realized I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how to maintain a bike; I didn’t know how to run correctly.”
So he hired a coach. Not just any coach, mind you, but Sharon Koontz, a 71-year-old who was a 14-time participant for Team USA. Sharon whipped Jeff into shape before the October nationals in Tucson, where there were 50 competitors in his age group.
But Jeff went into the race somewhat injured. “Two weeks before nationals, I blew my right foot. Walking was painful; running was impossible.” After a couple of cortisone shots, Jeff decided to race.
“About one and a half miles into the race, I almost stopped because the pain was pretty strong. I made a decision to overcome; I was staring at an opportunity that I’d never get again.
“Running was slow, but when I jumped on the bike, I freaking flew. The first time I passed a national team biker wearing national team uniform with the Olympic rings on his jersey, I was self-inspired,
Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 9
Driving a zam is like driving a car, sort of
T
hey are giant, squarish twoseater vehicles, taller than a person and equipped with studded tires, an elevator and two water dispensers. No radio.
They’re Extreme Ice’s resurfacing machines that are driven around and around the two skating rinks several times a day. Extreme Ice uses Olympia brand machines, a competitor of the original Zambonis®.
For some reason, people love the machines, says Andy Gibson, one of Extreme Ice’s 8 to 10 drivers and the arena’s hockey director. At the arena, the machines are called Zams, and each day has designated drivers – designated Zam drivers, that is.
Driving the machine is much like driving a car, he says, except that you have to remember to lower the scraper, turn on the hot and cold water and drive in an overlapping pattern while waving to bystanders. Sometimes it’s like a parade.
“It’s nerve wracking at first, especially during public session when everyone is standing there and the kids are
waving,” Andy says. “You don’t want to mess up, hit the side boards, that’s for sure.” At birthday parties, the honored child gets to ride with the operator, waving to his or her friends.
“You wave to people; they wave back. You honk the horn, flick the lights.” Lights and a horn?
The lights aid drivers in gauging their distance from the boards and for grooming the ice if the power goes out. The horn is honked not just for entertainment but to notify people on the ice who are, for example, moving the hockey nets during grooming. Here’s basically how they work.
The ice is scraped with a blade and the scrapings, which are sprayed with cold water to separate the chunks, go up the elevator into a hopper, which is dumped into an ice pit after the run. Meanwhile, the remaining rink ice is layered with a film of hot water, which melts the existing surface enough to create a smoother one. On each run, drivers adjust the blade, depending on how the ice was last used and what the next use will be. During a public skate, Andy says,
“People aren’t digging into the ice that much, so we won’t scrape much, but put down water to fill in the holes that are there.” After a Charlotte Checkers practice, it’s a different story. “They eat up the ice pretty good, so we may have to make one or two ice cuts.”
There are different ways to resurface the ice for hockey and figure skating. “Figure skaters like ice to be softer so they can dig into their jumps,” Andy explains, “while hockey players like it harder for more traction.” Can anything go wrong? Oh yes.
You have to adjust the blade to the correct depth, something drivers must develop a feel for. If you go too fast, you don’t put enough water down leaving streaks where it’s dry, resulting in an uneven surface. If you go too slow, you flood the ice which takes longer to freeze, postponing the next session. If you run out of propane or the machine breaks down while on the ice, you’ve got to get people on ice skates to push it off, just like a car. And that has happened, he says.
Noey’s Loveys
Summer Performing Arts Camp . . .teaching the art of fine acting in a joyful and creative environment.
DRAMA focusing on storytelling, mime and movement
DANCE technique, movement
invention and creative choreography
MUSIC through songs, games, activities
Children K-6 June 16-19 & 23-26 9 am-3:30 pm Central Academy of Technology and Arts 600 Brewer Drive, Monroe Public shows June 28, 10 am & 11 am $350 – Space is limited Directed by Larry Robinson Theater teacher at CATA
Registration info at www.UnionArts.org
12 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
V
olunteering in your community is undeniably rewarding, most adult volunteers will proclaim. But Noelle Keenan, an 11-year-old from Waxhaw, has already learned the satisfaction of giving back to her community. She created Noey’s Loveys, a ministry for children who are in need of a little extra love through hugging a Lovey – a stuffed animal. Noelle loves, loves, loves her stuffed animals, but through the years, her “zoo” became bigger than her living space. She just couldn’t fit any more stuffed animals in her closet, toy box or on her bed. “One day, we were throwing all this stuff out and we came on stuffed animals that I liked,” explains Noelle. “We went into my room and decided that I had too many stuffed animals. Mom said, ‘Give some away.’ I said ‘no’ because I really liked them.” But Noelle soon came around. Mother and daughter decided to create an organization to give to children in need, whether they’re in the homeless shelter, have been burned out of their home, are sick or just need someone to hug. Noelle wanted to make sure the Loveys went to a place where they could receive the same amount of love that she was able to give each and every one of them.
At first, the animals were all Noelle’s – two or three trash bags full the first time. Then their church, Union United Methodist Church, created a drop-off box which parishioners and friends fill. “We’ve received donations from a lot of people,” mother Wendi says. “She has had quite a collection. At one time, we were overwhelmed with so many” being housed in an upstairs closet in their house. So they donated overstock to Christ’s Closet, another church ministry that provides clothes where they are needed. While her mother helps Noelle, the pre-teen does most of the work herself. Together they sort the donations, wash them and make minor sewing repairs. Noelle herself takes the animals to their new locations, giving them a hug and praying over them individually before she says goodbye. “I ask God to make sure these children are loved and that God is with them,” she adds.
Noelle says the Loveys recipients always say “thank you or they’ll be so excited that they’ll run to their mom and say ‘I got a stuffed animal.’ ”
Not all the new owners are children. The Keenans give stuffed animals to babies through adults. “We’ve given some to people in church, to people who are older and sick, to a woman when her husband died and to our pastor’s new baby,” says Wendi, who checks news stories to find unusual needs.
“One school counselor used some in a counseling group. A child who had lost both parents and was living with her grandmother was afraid to go to school without the grandmother. Gradually, the student accepted a Lovey to take the place of her grandmother at school.
“It’s good to know that we’re doing something to help.” In all, Noey’s Loveys has given away more than 230 stuffed animals in just two years.
‘It makes me feel happy to know that I’m giving
something to someone who doesn’t have anything.’ A few years ago, a tornado in Union County devastated one housing community. Wendi heard about a home being leveled, with one of the four children in the hospital. “We went to the house to see what we could do to help,” she says. “I felt really sad, scared and mad,” Noelle adds, “because if this happened to me, I would be sad that I lost all of my stuff.” The dad was poring over the rubble, looking for his children’s stuffed animals in the devastation. That’s all they wanted, he told Wendi, the stuffed animals that they go to bed with. Noelle handed him a bag of stuffed toys, earning his gratitude. “He was really joyful; he gave me a big hug. He had pulled out a rabbit from the trash, but it was dirty, wet and ruined. “
“Sometimes the situations are dire,” Wendi says, “sometimes the situations are not as bad. But if the (stuffed animals) help, that’s the purpose.” Noelle sums up her feelings about Noey’s Loveys this way: “It makes me feel happy to know that I’m giving away something to someone who doesn’t have anything.” “I’m very proud of her for what she’s done,” her mother says.
If you know of someone with a need for a Noey’s Lovey or have a gently used or new stuffed animal to donate, contact Noelle or Wendi at (704) 989-2139 or Union UMC at (704) 843-2438.
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Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 13
I
By Nancy E. Stephen
f anybody says they don’t get tired or their butt doesn’t hurt, they’re lying.
That’s the only remotely negative thing Mike Heafner can say about the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, this year a 2,800-mile, eight-day motorcycle trek across the United States. Mike, wife NiQue, brother Dennis and his wife Cindi are among 150 cyclists making the May fund-raising trek that benefits North Carolina’s Victory Junction, Kyle Petty’s camp to enrich the lives of children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Most of us wouldn’t call this experience a vacation, but the Heafners love it. They’re old hands at the ride; it’s the 18th for Mike and NiQue and the 19th for Dennis and Cindi. Mike and NiQue ride together while Dennis and Cindi saddle up on separate bikes. “It’s fun,” says NiQue enthusiastically. “If you haven’t done it, you wouldn’t understand. It’s hard, don’t get me wrong. You see some beautiful country; it’s amazing what you see.” Cindi concurs. “I look forward to it every year, but it’s over before you know it. It’s one of the best trips you’ll ever take.” For all but NiQue, this year’s trip will be almost 6,000 miles, as they not only will ride from Carlsbad, CA, to Daytona Beach, they’re also riding out to the starting point. And there’s the ride back from Florida. Cindi and some gal pals are riding separately from the guys on the way west, stopping in towns along the Top, from left, Cindi Heafner gives the peace sign while riding with husband Dennis; way to visit bikers who aren’t going this year. On the ride west, the girls will carry only the clothes and supplies – rain gear, bike tools – they have in their saddlebags or bike trunk. Once there, they can access the suitcases they shipped earlier. gear, heated gloves and vests that plug into the motorcycle, plus Other bikers ship their bikes to the starting point and fly out to helmets with microphones so they can keep in touch. ride one way with the group, including Lynn Raye, a 12-year “It’s a great trip,” comments Lynn. “It’s not just a ride, it’s an rider. He calls the two-way riders “dedicated people; I call them experience. And all rides are different.” hard core.” The daily schedule is basically the same, Mike says. “Get up at 6 “It’s not that hard unless you’re not a seasoned rider,” Mike a.m., have breakfast and leave around 8 a.m. Ride about 130 miles, explains. Typically, the motorcycles string out over about three get gas, ride another 130 miles, stop for gas and lunch. After that, miles, traveling 65 to 75 miles an hour. But a lot depends on the you ride 130 to 150 miles and stop for the evening.” weather. “Last year, we rode in sleet, snow and rain. It took us Cindi says days can be difficult. “If you’ve ridden 600 miles in 95 about 12 hours to go 100 miles in the snow.” degrees, it can be grueling. But it’s never a grueling that you “We’ve suffered through sand storms and tornado conditions complain about because you’re happy to be there. At the end of the with 70-mile winds,” Cindi adds cheerfully, as if those are day, even if it seems hard, it’s about the love of the children, love of the ride family and the love of motorcycles.” everyday occurrences. Dennis and Cindi are on the charity ride team, which is responsible The motorcycle enthusiasts are geared up for any weather – rain
Yearly cross-country charity rid
14 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
In all these years, Mike says, “we’ve rarely had any problem with anybody. Everybody knows what we’re doing, and they welcome us with open arms. . . . 100 percent of places, they can’t wait for us to come back.” “In race towns, there are lots of people lining the streets, waving flags, hanging flags from overpasses,” Cindi says. “I’ve cried many times in stops, seeing the patriot guards, veterans and scouts waving flags. It’s heartwarming.” The group has a fund-raising sidecar with a closed top and signage reading “Small Change, Big Impact. “If kids are waiting to see us come in, they throw coins in,” she said. Celebrity riders can draw in additional funding, simply by being gracious at the stops. Celebrities scheduled to participate this year include NASCAR greats Richard Petty, Matt Kenseth, Geoff Bodine, Harry Grant and Donnie Allison, plus former NFL star Herschel Walker. The ride is highly organized and expensive. There’s a $10,000 entry fee, which funds the support team, including a medical crew from Duke University, as well as gas, meals and hotel rooms. But it’s worth every dollar, all the riders say.
Why do they do it?
NiQue and Mike Heafner meet racing legend Ron Tilley; Lynn Raye coasts along.
de an ‘unbelievable experience’
Contributed photos
for the fuel stops that are orchestrated in advance. Once the route is established, gas stations are contacted with a date and approximate time the bikes will come through. “Every day during the ride, a group of us go ahead to ensure that the designated stations are open and available for riders to come in.” Riders remain on bikes, driving past the pumps as Cindy and crowd pump fuel, which takes about 45 minutes for all bikes. Through the years, the ride has become easier. “It’s easier to get through; (local) police are easier to work with,” Mike says. “We have a police escort the whole way. Some North Carolina highway patrolmen take their vacation for this.” Just like gas stations, every town passed through is contacted prior to the race. The bikers typically are met with a police escort to lead them through town without stopping for traffic lights.
“It’s camaraderie, fellowship and the cause.” – NiQue “The people. Most you only see one time a year. People come together for one cause – to help children . . . . Knowing that you rode across the United States on a motorcycle, with the best people, for a very worthy cause. That’s something that very few people get to do in their lifetime.” Mike “Outside of the seeing the children enjoying the camp the ride funds, the best part is the friends that we’ve made for life. Dennis and I love motorcycles and love the fact that it is a charitable event.” – Cindi “Two reasons. It’s a beautiful ride and I’ve made many, many great friends. But the main thing is to support Victory Junction.” - Lynn
Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 15
If I knew I cou llroom allet a b a b e uld b d tap and o w “. . .I . I studie young and r y dance I was ver nager nty ma u o C n n , Unio whe d it. y Coto d in C e enjoy
“. . .I would find the cure for cancer and then there would be no suffering from that disease.
Karen Johnston, fulltime “ya-ya” (grandmother)
“. . .I would li ke t time and hang w o go back in ith Jesus, sinc e I am working o n being/becomin g a good Christia n. I have plenty of questions f or him and wou ld like to talk to him when he w as 25 or 30 years old. Jim Black, Land of th
e Waxhaws
uld not fail. . . ut Jennifer o k s a ld u o w “. . .I e. (Jeff’s wife t a d a r o f n o t Anis ) said it was OK! nologies r of Blue Lin Jeff Sagraves, owne
e Tech
. . . and if I ha d unlimited funds, I would invest in real estate! Actuall y, I have never gone into anyth ing would fail. Only thinking it a couple of what was I th inking ventures. I’ve been prett y lucky thus f ar – eternal optim ist or blind fait h, I guess. Oddly enough, what I would do is no t theatre or art s related.
Ginger Heath, lifelo ng actress
ague e L r o a M a j w a s my e b ould , which w I . the yer r “. . a o l f p l t the o al Baseb ove! And n he love of l t first , but for tion! i t nit e p m y tions U e a o ig n t c s e o m inal Inv d the n a w Crim a h e x a lk, W gam by Hau Bob
From Ukraine – no
F
By Donna Hopkins
riends have asked for my thoughts on the crisis in Ukraine, asking “Why does it matter?” For me, that is a personal question.
My son, now 23 years old, was the first child adopted from Ukraine to America when he was 17 months old. The one promise that his Ukrainian godfather, Dr. Alexander Kareta, asked of me was that I never let him forget Ukraine.
Over the past 22 years, Ukraine has become our second home. We’ve been there many times; some personal trips, some professional and student exchanges. So my take on Ukraine is about people – people I have laughed with, cried with, loved and admired.
Alexander worked tirelessly to get this small child out of a Ukrainian orphanage to give him the opportunity to grow up in a family and have a life we take for granted.
Donna Hopkins’ love of Ukraine solidified when she adopted her son, Alex, above at 17 months. Twenty years later, Alex meets one of the nurses, right, who cared for him in the hospital. Below, Dr. Alexander Kareta put his career on the line to help Donna adopt Alex.
Top and bottom photos by Nancy E Stephen, others are contributed.
Interestingly, at the same time Ukraine was breaking away from Russia. In fact, Alexander arrived here for his first visit as a Russian and left two weeks later as a proud Ukrainian.
His family is my family. I love his two children, both successful physicians in Ukraine, as my own. In January, I spent 10 days there, skiing with Serhyi and Tanya and their spouses. It was very enlightening but sad to hear their views and fears. Unfortunately, their fears have come true.
It is important to know the background of Ukraine. Their country is described by Serhyi and Tanya as the doorstep between Europe and Russia and has a very long and rich history. Kiev is more than 1,800 years old and was the first capital of Russia. Whenever Europe (in the form of Hitler) or Russia (in the form of Putin) get a wild hair to “reclaim Ukraine,” this beautiful country becomes the pull toy.
Today, Ukrainians are left with four divisions of alliance:
t Crimea, which has felt like part of Russia that was given away.
t Eastern Ukraine, which has had the most Russian influence; it has been illegal to speak Ukrainian in public or schools.
t Kiev, or the central portion of Ukraine, is more westernized but still has a great deal of Russian influence. t Western Ukraine, which considers itself part of Europe.
18 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
Ukraine won't go easily into Putin’s fold – there will be a civil war. You cannot put Ukraine back in a box and hand it back to
ot Russia – with love
Russia without a struggle. Let me tell you about my experiences with Ukrainians. Tanya and Serhyi both speak three languages, including English. We have worked together on multiple projects to benefit both Ukraine and America from student and medical exchanges to shipping medical supplies and equipment to starting a Rotary Club in Ukraine. Alexander was in a horrible car accident 10 years ago and suffered severe pain in his hip and leg for three years as the doctors there told him there was no remedy. Hip replacement surgery was not common in Ukraine then. Working with his son Serhyi, we got a total hip replacement
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surgery done in Charlotte with funds raised by my Christmas list friends from five continents. The surgery and subsequent therapy gave him his life back and enabled him to continue working tirelessly for “his children,” children who were severely affected by the Chernobyl disaster and who are treated at the Regional Children’s Hospital where he is administrator. Why does Ukraine matter? It matters because, unlike America, its citizens are being forced to become part of a country they have no desire to be a part of. Less than four percent of the country’s total existence has been under Russian rule – 70 out of more than 1,800 years. What gives Russia the right to force – with threat of military action – its beliefs on this wonderful country? Imagine that you are forbidden to drive to Charlotte. You wouldn’t get there in any case because tanks are blocking the road. Each morning, you have no idea what the day will bring. Do your neighbors whisper quietly? Do you wonder how to get guns to protect your family? Will you have a job tomorrow, and if you have a job, will you get paid? While we can hardly imagine this scenario, Ukraine is living it. So you can see that to me, Ukraine is not just a faceless country half a world away. It is a country filled with people who are a part of my heart and who have small children they want a decent life for. They want the ability to get up each day and not worry about being drafted or attacked. They want to practice their skills, make a living and be productive to the world. They want to sit around a table and enjoy good times with family and friends. Are their desires really any different then ours? I think not.
Donna Hopkins, center, visits her Ukrainian family – Dr. Alexander Kareta’s children, Serhyi and Tanya, both physicians, earlier this year.
(This article was written on April 14, as a new wave of Ukrainian/Russian conflict was occuring.)
The Ukrainian crisis – a native’s perspective
Ukrainians are shocked, paralyzed in their souls; we try to continue our daily routine and every evening everyone watches the latest news, when we wait for some new awful event. In the morning, we are afraid to be the first to switch on TV or Internet. I ask (my husband) Anatoliy what happened during the night and I ask friends what happened during the day because personally I don't have any more strength. And at night almost everyone doesn't sleep – thoughts, fears, whispers to the closest. The feeling of the theater of absurdity. No ground under your feet.
The day before yesterday there were tanks in the street of (hometown) Chernihiv – can you believe it? In the region bordering Russia, roads are blocked with sand. We have a very weak army, very weak. People are looking for ways of getting guns. If Russians go beyond the Crimea, there will be a real war. Ukrainians did not want to fight for the Crimea and did not call bluff, as we have a historical example of people who were sacrificed in vain – Abkhasia, Osetia that were taken by Russia from Georgia. But everyone will fight for Ukraine. We are getting used to living in the state of constant tension and stress, whereas we just want to live. - Tanya Kareta
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Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 19
T
Eating Out in Union
Heritage melds local products into g
ucked away in a small shopping area is another outstanding restaurant in Union County. (It seems that some of the county’s best fare has to be sought out; it’s typically not directly on main streets.) Heritage Food & Drink, in downtown Waxhaw, is an upscale restaurant that focuses on local farm-to-table fare “with Southern undertones.” Chef Paul Verica, former chef at the Club at Longview, uses the area’s fresh bounty to create an eclectic menu, which changes at least once a week and frequently more often.
Ambiance: 5 stars. Charming little restaurant on the main street with umbrellaed tables outside.
Menu: 5 stars. Smallish but eclectic
menu with items you just have to try to appreciate.
Quality: 4.75 stars. Creativity meets fresh in these unusual combinations of tastes and unique accoutrements. One dessert was not appreciated by our diners.
Service: 5 stars. The wait staff is attentive but not harassing and the chef came to the table to describe that night’s composed vegetable plate. Value: 5 stars. European-sized dinner
dishes are filling because their flavors are complex, negating the need for a huge portion. No one went hungry. Breakfast dishes are large.
Will we return? Absolutely! This is
a new favorite.
Heritage Food and Drink 201 W. South Main St., Waxhaw, NC 28173 (704) 843-5236 www.HeritageFoodAndDrink.com
Open Tues. - Sat., 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday Brunch - 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
20 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
Know that hamburgers and fries aren’t on the menu, but rabbit chips may be. And they’re delightful; not at all gamey. The underbelly of the rabbit is boiled to tender then buttermilk fried with light cornmeal breading and served with mole and green onions. This $10 “small plate” is suitable for an appetizer or dinner when combined with a salad. We sampled other small plates, including deviled eggs ($3, $5 and $7), in both classic and “of the day” versions. Both were delightful, with the special featuring the tangy addition of lime and pickle.
Pork torta ($10) is another specialty, featuring a tortilla, hoisin sauce, kim chi, tomme, green tomato, green garlic and cilantro. The flavors blend together, rendering a taste you’ll find nowhere else in Union.
Reading the listed ingredients for each dish is daunting, we discovered. But you can and should ask your server about any dish; they are fully prepped on dish construction.
Scallops, black rice and veggies
Most menus in the South feature a vegetable plate, but Heritage’s version is a more European composed plate. Each day is different, as the chef makes spontaneous creations based on product availability. The composed vegetable plate ($17) is
beautifully presented on a white plate and on our visit featured four artfully crafted compositions of root vegetables, early spring greens and snap peas. As a bonus, Chef Paul came to the table and described each selection. Our diner’s favorite was the combination of carrots, rutabaga and onions on a bed of wilted greens. A shrimp and grits small plate ($11) was a tasty entree and just the right Soup and salad size for another diner. Large sweet, perfectly cooked shrimp rested on top of tangy greens and a seared cake of creamy grits. She started her meal with a mixed baby lettuce salad, which was adorned with nasturtiums, walnuts, goat cheese, figs and aged balsamic dressing. The lettuce itself “was some of the most tender, sweet Vegetable plate lettuces I have ever tasted.” The chicken pot pie entree ($16) bore no relation to the storebought variety. Heritage's version was a hearty chicken stew with turnips, carrots, rutabaga, and chard, infused with herbs and topped with a pastry round.
Heritage’s pasta dish also was not a typical pasta and sauce. It featured braised short ribs, carrots, mushrooms, turnips, kale, pecorino cheese and rosemary; the combination was pungent and hearty. Perfectly caramelized and tender scallops
gourmet dishes
($24) were served on a bed of black, or forbidden, rice. A vegetable medley combined carrots, bok choy, napa cabbage and mushrooms in a slightly spicy and intense “Kentuckyaki” glaze. Other entrees that day included North Carolina sea bass and New York strip steak. We shared four desserts, each for $7. A chocolate mousse-type pudding featuring orange and a bit of olive oil and salt was outstanding. The chocolate was intense and amazingly smooth.
featured a light, flaky crust and perfectly combined sweet and tart lemon filling.
Butterscotch pudding, with chocolate and a bit of bourbon was good, but it couldn’t compare with lemon chess pie.
Sunday brunch
Heritage has an outstanding Sunday brunch, which has become very popular. Each week features freshly baked and quickly sold out doughnuts ($1.50) as well Chef Paul Verica describes the night’s composed as typical vegetable plate to diners Ellen and Ron Vilas. breakfast items and others with the combination of hash and greens and also Pork belly hash, greens and eggs Heritage twist. are topped with a spicy hollandaise. The
We had chosen a sweet tea creme brûlée topped with lemon sorbet and a crisp benne wafer, but were not thrilled with the tea taste. When the server discovered that we were a little disappointed, she brought out a French toast slice of lemon chess pie, which was delightful. It
Southern ‘bennies’ is their version of eggs Benedict. Poached eggs topped with a spicy hollandaise are nestled atop fried green tomatoes and served with sweet potato home fries and house sausage. Flawlessly prepared!
Pork belly hash ($10) is similar but slightly different. Sunnyside eggs top a
The Southern Gates Collection
eggs were perfectly cooked to our diner’s preference – jiggly yolk but solid white. Diners also chose omelets ($9), which include your choice of country ham, spinach, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, onions, sausage and bacon. Brunch also featured the “hangover helper,” a brioche with fried green tomato, bacon, pimento cheese, pulled pork, fried egg and onion rings for $11, “the jar,” with collards, pulled pork grits and onions for $10, soup and salads, fish and chips, chicken-fried steak, chicken salad and a quiche of the day.
James Michael & Co. Stafford Place Executive Offices Suite A-2, 1201 Stafford Street Monroe, NC 28110
Make every day sparkle! Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Perfect for Mother’s Day and Graduations
Prices start at $30
704.296.5531 www.JamesMichaelCo.com
Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 21
24 2:
things to do in Sweet Union
May
Sunset Series (Frozen) Free; Crossing Paths Park 120 Blythe Drive, Indian Trail Bounce house at 7 p.m.. face painting, games. Movie at dusk (approx. 8 p.m.) www.indiantrail.org
2-3: Beach, Blues & BBQ
May 2, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.; May 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Downtown Monroe BBQ cookoff, dessert contest Music: Embers Friday at 7 p.m.; Skinny Velvet, Sat 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Gal Friday, Sat 1:30 p.m.
3:
Nathan Hughes project - classic rock $3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
3: Cinderella
Union County Youth Ballet 2 p.m.; 7 p.m. $13 adult, $11 students and seniors Batte Center at Wingate University www.ucyb.org; (704) 289-5733
3-4: A Visit from Scarface
May 3: 7:30 p.m.; May 4: 2:30 p.m. $12.50; Storefront Theater Waxhaw Presbyterian Church www.thestorefronttheatre.org
3-4:
Student Artist Showcase Work of more than 550 students May 3: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 4: 1 p.m.-4 p.m. South Piedmont Community College 4209 Old Charlotte Highway, Monroe
3-4:
Waxhaw Artists Open Studio Tour More than 30 artists in all mediums. May 3: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; May 4: noon-5 p.m. www.WaxhawArts.wordpress.com
9: Early Ray - acoustical country singer
7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
10:
Lauren Light - pop/modern $3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
16: Sunset Series (Despicable Me 2)
Free; Crossing Paths Park 120 Blythe Drive, Indian Trail Bounce house. face painting, games. Movie at dusk (approx. 8 p.m.) www.indiantrail.org
17:
Emerge - modern/pop/harmony 3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
17-18: Family Festival
Downtown Waxhaw May 17, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; May 18, Noon – 6 p.m. Arts and crafts, food court, street performers, free kids zone. www.waxhaw.com
18: Pops on the Plaza
Sponsored by City of Monroe Union Symphony & Youth orchestras Free; 6:30 p.m. Main St. Plaza, Monroe www:UnionSymphony.org
22:
(704) 254-6437 www.ncfbins.com
Dixon S. Hall
CLU, ChFC, ChHC, LUTCF, AAI, AIS, API, AU, AIM, RHU, REBC
Agent DHall@DixonSHall.com
22 Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014
Music on Main The Matt Tucker Band Free; 6:30 p.m. Main St., Monroe; Bring a chair! www.HistoricDowntownMonroe.org
31:
Exit 34 Rock 70’s 80’s 90’s $3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
6:
June
Sunset Series (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2) Free; Crossing Paths Park 120 Blythe Drive, Indian Trail Bounce house 7 p.m., face painting, games. Movie at dusk (approx. 8 p.m.) www.indiantrail.org
21: Dirt Poor - Southern rock
$3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208 TreehouseVineyards.net
28: Sukes Band
Folk-/country $3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208 TreehouseVineyards.net
7:
Family Fun Day 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Crossing Paths Park 120 Blythe Drive, Indian Trail Free games, free rides, food, craft vendors, music and more! www.indiantrail.org
23:
Outdoor Pops at Wingate University Sponsored by Wingate University Free; 7:30 p.m. Stegall Administration Hall, Wingate Univ. 220 N. Camden St.; Bring a chair or a blanket. UnionSymphony.org
26: Music on Main
The Dickens Free; 6:30 p.m.; Bring a chair! Main St., Downtown Monroe www.HistoricDowntownMonroe.org
Got an event the public would enjoy?
Submit your activity with all the details - who, what, when, where and cost per person - to Editor@UnionLifestyle.com for inclusion in print and/or online.
We get a lot
COOLER 7:
RJ Adams - soul/rhythm and blues $3; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
13: Nikki Tally - country artist
$5; 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
14: Bonfire Country Bandy - country
7:30 p.m.-10 p.m Bring a chair, blanket, picnic. Treehouse Vineyards, 301 Bay St., Monroe (704) 283-4208; TreehouseVineyards.net
in summer!
Public Skate Learn to Skate Learn to Play Hockey Summer & Winter Camps Figure Skating Hockey Broomball Curling Birthday Parties Corporate & Group Outings
$10 Off Learn to Skate Registration
First time registrants only. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires 8/31/14
4705 Indian Trail-Fairview Road Indian Trail, NC (704) 882-1830 n www.xicenter.com Union Lifestyle l May / June 2014 23