Lifestyle UNION
The face of homelessness. BFFs for more than 70 years. 20,000 unique dolls for missions. Golfing in Union County. April / May 2013 www.UnionLifestyle.com
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Union Lifestyle PO Box 1064 Monroe, NC 28111-1064
Lifestyle UNION
April / May 2013 Vol. 2, No. 3
5 Sisters are BFF for more than seven decades.
Contents Union Lifestyle April / May 2013
Editor Nancy E. Stephen
8
23
Selling Monroe and Union County to the world.
Soup kitchen feeds county’s homeless.
10
24
Singer’s soul would shrivel up without music.
20,000 unique dolls go on mission trips.
On the cover
12
26
Excited about the promise of the Easter bunny are Savannah Cohen, 5, and her brother Drew, 17 months.
Golfing in Union County: Where to go.
Vinyl records more than history, they’re a business.
18
28
The face of homelessness in Union County.
Go hungry to Leo’s Kitchen in Waxhaw.
21
29
Shelter resident willing to do any type of work.
Lots to do in the county during April and May.
Contributing Writers Deb Coates Bledsoe Madison McCain Luanne Williams
Photographers Deb Coates Bledsoe Lorayn DeLuca Nancy E. Stephen
Union Lifestyle
A publication of Cameo Communications, LLC PO Box 1064 Monroe, NC 28111-1064 (704) 753-9288 www.UnionLifestyle.com
(Nancy Stephen Photo taken at Rolling Hills Country Club.)
6 May
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 3
Editor’s letter I’m going to confess. I’m addicted to the “Real Housewives” of just about anywhere – Beverly Hills, Atlanta and New York. For those who don’t know, these are “reality” television shows about “friends” who apparently hate everything about each other (husbands, clothes, professions, bodies, personalities, etc.) and are willing to say so on national television in very explicit and cruel terms. I put those words in quotation marks because, really, this cannot be reality and these can’t be friends. I love my friends and will do just about anything for them within the limits of the law. But if any one of them talked to or about me in one tenth of the scathing terms that the “real” friends do, they’d be history immediately. I wouldn’t bother to dignify their comments by challenging them, and I’d certainly be heartbroken by their behavior. Not so in TV land. In Beverly Hills, the F-word flies out of the mouth of one woman – who wears dresses that extend one inch below her gluteal fold, who
lost her husband to a country music singer and who has apparently made such egregious comments about another “real” couple (who have since split) that lawyers are racking up big bucks defending one woman against another – when talking about her friends. And yet F-er and F-ee continue to go to the same events, saying something like “Gosh, I hope it goes OK,” or “I’m sick to my stomach about seeing my friend there.” Just a bit of obvious advice: DON”T GO! And for the hostesses who continue to invite frenemies and expect good behavior and a dramafree event, I have to ask: What are you thinking? In Atlanta, Friend A allegedly refused to pay Friend B for her professional expertise in developing a market for Friend A’s Donkey Booty workout video, which prompted Friend B to quickly develop her own Stallion Booty video in retaliation. I kid you not; I could not make this up.
train wrecks that should be clicked past rapidly. But somehow, I’ve been drawn in. Fortunately, TV friends are not normal friends. In this edition, septuagenarian sisters Dot Greene and Ann Tomberlin talk about their lifelong best friend relationship and how it’s defined their lives. It’s a heartwarming story, I think. As the youngest of four girls barely a year apart, I know the indescribable closeness that sisters can have. The Stephen girls did fight as teens, something Dot and Ann didn’t experience, but we always forgave and forgot and continue to be great friends to this day. Since my sisters live across the country and world, I depend on my friends for my familial connection. My friends are always here for me, and I hope I’m here for them when they have a need. But if any one of them treats me like a “real” friend, I will cry my eyes out and mentally draw a line through her name on the friend list. No one needs that kind of friend.
Seriously, both are horses’ behinds. I am embarrassed to be addicted to these shows; they’re just human
Editor@UnionLifestyle.com
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BFFs for
7 decades
Sisters Ann Tomberlin, left, and Dot Greene were BFFs long before the term was coined.
By Nancy E. Stephen
two interrupt each other, laughing as they remember playhouses, mud pies, picking cotton together, singing, looking at clouds in the sky and talking about they saw. “We did everything together,” Dot says. “If it was her task and she wasn’t finished, I helped her,” even if it was milking cows or mopping floors. “We’ve always been supportive of each other,” she explains. “We learned to compromise early on.” here’s a phenomenon called BFFs – best Their mother encouraged compromise by refusing to become friends forever. Young girls change BFFs weekly, but not the involved in any disagreement. “If we disagreed about something, Mills sisters. Oh no, not Dot Mills Greene and Ann Mills we’d go to Mother and she’d say ‘play pretty.’ We learned what Tomberlin. that meant – that Mother wouldn’t solve the disagreement,” Dot explains. The siblings are just 13 months apart in age, but that’s the only way they’re apart. They do almost everything “That was most defining. We learned no tit tatting. No together and always have. need to tell Mother because she said ‘play pretty.’ Negotiating is much easier.” They even look alike and wear similar clothes. “We never go shopping without people “As teens, we did develop friendships outside suggesting we’re twins,” comments Dot, the our sister friendship,” Dot explains. “We both younger sibling. As they’ve grown older, they had our own girlfriends, boyfriends and look even more alike as Dot’s red hair and activities, but when we came together at home, Ann’s brown hair turned to stunning white. we shared what we were doing outside.” Growing up on a cotton farm on the banks of The two shared a bedroom with youngest sister Goose Creek, the Mills sisters did everything Dean, who died at age 49, until they graduated together. They dressed alike in clothes their mother from high school. No separate closets or drawers, made and never were rivals, Ann says. the girls had the same clothes. Were they ever not best friends? Never, they both agree, From left, sisters Ann, “In those moments when you’re crowded in the space, shaking their heads emphatically, as if the idea is Dean and Dot Mills, you say things that you don’t say outside the door. It foreign and appalling. creates a bond of trust,” Dot says. “Things I didn’t like ages 5 to 7. about her or Dean, it was handled in that bedroom.” As children, they always played together. “We made doll clothes together and paper dolls,” Ann says. “We’d look at Ann married Pete Tomberlin after high school graduation, which the Sears catalog, picking friends, hairdos out of the catalog.” left a hole in Dot’s life and heart. “We always had creative, not competitive games,” she adds. The “That was the biggest depression I ever had in my life.
T
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 5
“It was a vacancy. I didn’t know how to express me without her.” But Dot’s high school friendship with Nat Greene became closer and filled the hole. The two married just a year later.
things that were negative. When we were together, we did things that might be absurd and didn’t dwell on the problem.” Thankfully, Dot has been cancer-free for years.
It’s good that Nat and Pete were also good friends because their lives would be forever intertwined, despite brief separations as both families moved away, only to return to Union County.
With the future bright again, the sisters re-evaluated their lives. “Our kids were paying their own way. The houses were paid for; things were wonderful,” Ann says.
Both families had children – son Jeff for Dot and Nat; daughter Amy and son Toby for Ann and Pete – and made a tradition of spending Saturdays together with their mother and all nieces and nephews. “We shopped, visited museums, did classes, learned things together,” Dot says. “We did it whimsically and seriously. We attended art classes, concerts and theatre. The point was that we shared Saturdays together.
After looking at top-end vacations, the sisters learned that’s just not who they are. “We learned that we’d rather be an ordinary person in Union County than a rich person in exclusive resorts.” “That’s exactly right,” Ann chimes in. The sisters and spouses “do time away, not vacations,” Ann explains. “All the time, once a month at least.”
Ann and Dot are not your traditional 70-somethings and proud of it. They formed a business, Winning Designs, “so we The group – Dot and Nat, center, plus Ann and Pete, right – As the couples established their could have first class tickets to the sat front row recently at a Kid Rock concert, prompting a businesses and careers and reared furniture market and design shows young couple, left, to request a photograph for evidence. their children, the sisterly bond in Atlanta,” Dot says. “We would never broke. To this day, the sisters “pick up the phone five times redesign what Winning Designs was to get us into the shows.” a day to say ‘Do you remember when . . .’,” Dot says. Just recently, the foursome sat front row in a Kid Rock concert to “I wish I could do it again,” she says wistfully. “I wish I had the energy to do it again,” Ann quips.
As the children became independent, the sisters had just a few blissful years together before Dot was diagnosed with melanoma. That life-threatening crisis brought the sisters even closer, if that were possible. “That was the most dependent I’d ever felt,” Dot said. “She said, ‘If you need me, I’ll be there.’ I never doubted it. She hurt with me through it; that was important.”
the delight of young folks behind them who “had” to photograph the seniors for evidence. They bought a limousine to take them on their adventures, taking turns being the driver and wearing the limo hat. “We do arrive,” Ann says laughing.
“Thank you for doing that,” she tells her sister quietly, for what must be the thousandth time.
Dot and Ann can talk for hours about their lives together, the memories of long-past adventures and thoughts of ones to come. They’re as close as siblings can be and thoroughly appreciate their special relationship, which they find difficult to explain.
Ann adds solemnly: “My need was to make every day a little bit of fun for her . . . get in the car, see new things, get our minds off
“I have never thought about why I knew Dot had my back,” Ann muses. “I always knew it, but it was never spoken.”
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My two BFFs are my husband and a woman I’ve known since 1964. She and I still meet for lunch and stay in touch by email. She is part of me. She cares about me despite my faults, as I do her. If either of us were in need, the other would be there to listen or help without judging. If I lost her friendship, I would lose a part of myself. My husband is my partner in every way, and my mom is wonderful, but if I need an unbiased opinion, I call my friend. Deb Patton, 60, of Monroe
A best friend is someone who knows all the skeletons in your closet and loves you anyway. Someone who will show up any time of the day or night – no questions asked – with a hug and a bottle of wine. Someone with whom you can have entire conversations consisting of nothing but significant glances across the room.
What makes a BFF?
My mother told me that the older a woman gets, the more she needs female friends. A BFF is someone who has seen you at your best and at your worst, but stays true to your friendship no matter what. Your secrets are always safe with your BFF. Pam Lang, 42, Wingate I have a large number of acquaintances, a big group of good friends, a small circle of close friends and two best friends. A best friend doesn’t have to always agree with you, but she will always have your best interest at heart. She will be there when you need her, and even when you don’t think you do, she knows when you need an emotional boost. Tracy Tripodi, 42, Monroe
I've had several best friends throughout the years. But, as an adult, that number has dwindled to just one. But, really, if you truly have a "best friend," one is all you need. Jenna Womack, 32, Waxhaw
Your best friend is someone who has seen you at your worst but chooses to remember you at your best. When you are with them, you feel a deep connection, a special vibe. A best friend makes you feel alive and the feeling is mutual! If you haven't seen your best friend in a while, it's effortless to pick back up where you left off. I have a few close friends but only two best friends. One is a woman I met 23 years ago. Deborah Parkhill Mullis, 55, Indian Trail
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Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 7
SellingMonroeand UnionCountytotheworld By Luanne Williams
W
hat do you get when you cross a fiscally conservative elephant hunter with a community-minded fighter pilot? An economic development director with a proven track record and a passion for making things happen. At least that seems to be the case in Union County, where Chris Platé is taking on a growing role in building business. A South Carolina native, Chris started his professional life crunching numbers at Moody’s Investors. A few years later, as the state’s youngest county level economic development director, he caught the eye of local leaders who recruited him to head Monroe’s economic development. Since 1999, he’s led the charge to move Monroe from a metal working community to a high-tech, precision manufacturing hub with an aerospace focus. As of Jan. 1, he took on the challenge of Union County’s economic development as well. “Now we are one entity with one voice,” Chris said of the Monroe-Union County Economic Development Commission. The five-member staff is responsible for all Union County, an arguably oversized opportunity that has him simultaneously “licking his chops” and “drinking from a fire hose,” he said. “We’re developing a work plan, meeting with the elected officials from all the towns and working with existing industries to develop relationships with them.” Chris used a similar process to help position Monroe in its aerospace niche, beginning with a workforce analysis. “The workforce we have here is the key. They started from an agrarian background, where you basically have to know how to fix everything on the farm. So you have workers who are very good with their hands, very good with mechanics. Plus, the community already had a strong basis in metalworking and machine building,” he explained. “So then you look at what industries work well with those characteristics.” He said Monroe had three aerospace related industries in 2002; now, there are 18. “We are recognized now in international magazines, recognized on a global scale for our aerospace focus. . . . We’ve also helped 8 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
existing industries convert over to supporting aerospace, allowing them to open up new markets, create new investment and hire more people.” Beyond a suitable workforce, Chris credits two other factors with forming the proverbial perfect storm for Monroe’s aerospace push. First, while many manufacturing firms were relocating to China, the need for secure intellectual property and patent protection meant that the aviation industry would need to stay put in the United States or Western Europe. Second, terrorists had just attacked our nation, sending aviation risks skyward. “It was right after 9-11. You had two planes fly into buildings in New York City. A lot of people thought aviation was dead . . . . While everybody else was running from aviation and aerospace, we decided to see if we could make some inroads into it.” Although inroads take time, Chris said constant networking, forging relationships at home and abroad and taking care of existing firms pays off in the long run. In the last 16 years, Monroe’s EDC has seen more than $1 billion in capital investment and the creation of some 5,000 jobs. Many investing companies are from outside the U.S., including four from Sweden, two from France, two from Taiwan and others from Switzerland, Austria, Britain, Germany, Japan and Colombia. Chris said economic development can’t be done from behind the desk and that it isn’t a quick-sell kind of business. “Monroe and Union County have blessed me with the ability and freedom to do the job the way it needs to be done, to work those longer term investments, to have a trip to France knowing that there may not be something coming from that trip this year,” he said. In fact, luring a company to the area can take 18 months or more. And each courtship can require a different approach. For instance, Midway Aircraft Instrument Corporation’s decision to locate in Monroe came about because of his trip to the Farnborough International Airshow in England. Monroe was featured in an Airshow publication seen by Midway site selection executives at the show, who were eventually put in touch with
‘ . . . when you win and bring that company in, it’s very rewarding.’
Chris. Ironically, Midway is based in New Jersey. While his focus is on Union County’s benefits, he admits there are some inherent challenges, including the lack of a limited access freeway such as the planned Monroe Bypass. “That’s one of the reasons that we haven’t targeted distribution . . . . It’s disheartening that it is taking so long, but we’re supporting that effort as best we can,” he said. He called Union County’s phenomenal growth both a blessing and a curse and said the diversity of the local economy had helped the area survive the recession. “Our diverse industrial base and strong agricultural base allowed us to weather the storm. These two legs kept us from flipping over when homebuilding went down,” he said, adding that the county has maintained the lowest unemployment rate in the region for more than a decade – quite an accomplishment during unprecedented population growth that ranked Union the seventh
fastest-growing county in the nation. The county’s diversity will also make his broadened role more exciting. Already the EDC is looking to focus on developing industries related to medical devices in the west and agribusiness in the east. “These are two emerging areas on top of the plastics, metalworking, aerospace, automotive and food processing that we deal with now,” he said. “Each community has its own strength. We need to find out from them what they want, then develop those strategies and have several targets to go for.” Even though he’s representing Monroe and Union County as he recruits, once beyond the borders, Chris is selling Charlotte. “On our own – Union County and Monroe, NC – a guy in Austria is not going to know or care where that is. What they understand is the city-state. They know Charlotte, Jacksonville or Richmond; they don’t know the individual communities. So when we start promoting, we are Charlotte, USA,” he explained. “We’re part of the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the 16 counties surrounding Charlotte, whose sole purpose is to go and generate leads for the region.” Once the prospect is sold on Charlotte, the game changes to more of an “every man for himself” enterprise. “Then we beat the devil out of each other,” Chris quipped, describing each county’s quest to distinguish itself among a similar field. “We jokingly refer to it as ‘co-opetition’ ” – a mix of friendly cooperation and fierce competition. That’s when the elephant hunter/fighter pilot part in Chris takes over. “That constant hunger to want to win, the ability to beat the colleague that you highly respect, when you win and bring that company in, it’s very rewarding,” he said. The icing on the cake, he added, is knowing that the victory will benefit the whole community. “I can go to bed at night knowing that the jobs created and the tax base put in place . . . are making a difference in the community, giving people a chance to better their lives, having opportunities right here rather than driving far away to work.” “Both sides of my personality are satisfied in this job,” he said. “Who can ask for anything better?”
Luanne Williams is a freelance writer and former newspaper editor. t
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Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 9
‘Without singing, my
By Nancy E. Stephen
B
y day, Gina Gutierrez is a human resource professional; by night, she’s an opera singer. The Juilliard-trained singer has performed across the United States, in France, Germany and Puerto Rico and with such famous operatic stars as Placido Domingo. “I was always interested in singing,” she says. As a child in Puerto Rico, “I would be in my bedroom, looking in the mirror and grab a stick of something,” she says, mimicking a hand-held microphone, “and pretend that I was a popular Spanish singer. “When I was growing up, my grandmother was always singing around the house. My mother and aunt would sing together; I’d
10 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
Gina Gutierrez performs with tenor Franco Londono in Charlotte. At right, Gina works with Jessica Bolden, a science teacher at Forest Hills High School, to obtain North Carolina licensure. (c. Lorayn DeLuca Photos) hear them sing popular music, beautiful duets.” In the sixth grade, she auditioned for a music school, similar to the North Carolina School of the Arts, and was accepted as a student – in wind, percussion and piano, not voice. As a senior, she was referred to the voice teacher, who questioned “why weren’t you here before now?” “She taught me an Italian art song and I auditioned for the conservatory. I got into the prep program because I didn’t know the first thing about voice. I was going to university as well because I hadn’t decided what to do – ‘do I want to be a dentist or a singer?’ “But I said ‘I really love this’ and decided to take the musical path.” She studied four years in San Juan, won a second prize in an international competition and headed to New York City to attend Juilliard, which she calls the mecca of music.
y soul just kind of shrivels up’ in HR eventually.”
“It really was wonderful but at the same time it was very hard. In Puerto Rico, I was one of a few (outstanding music students). But in New York, you’re one of many. It gives you a dose of reality. But I knew music was something I wanted to keep doing. Not many people get to Juilliard,” she says proudly and accurately.
Although singing opera didn’t end up as her full-time career, she’s never left the music field. “I’ll be singing until I’m about to go to the other side,” she says laughing. “It’s not a hobby; it keeps me going spiritually, just not financially.”
While in New York, Gina performed as part of Lincoln Center’s “Performance in the Schools” program, where she and a pianist would sing opera in an auditorium of 5, 6 or 7 year olds. “And even though it’s New York, in the Bronx many of those kids had never heard opera.”
After moving to North Carolina, she earned a role in Central Piedmont’s operatic theatre and participated in Opera Carolina’s random acts of culture. “It’s been phenomenal. You’re just planted somewhere (in a public space) and start singing. People just go ‘what’s happening?’
After Juilliard, she got jobs “here and there” and headed to Europe, where she played both female and “pants” or male roles due to her tall, slender physique. Her voice “is on the dark side,“ she says, which makes it easier to play a male role.
“Without singing, my soul just kind of shrivels up. That is something I realized early on when I got myself away from it for some time.”
“Throughout this time, I was definitely thinking this would be my career. But in the back of my mind, I had somewhat of a plan,” she says. “There’s a lot of soprano competition.” In her late 20s, she told herself, “If I am not at certain point at a certain time, I’m probably going to do something else.” Between opera performances, “I was obviously doing other work, like everyone else. I never waited tables,” she says with a laugh, “but I did other things. I worked at a record store, cleaned houses, whatever I could do to keep myself going.” Her perspective changed after a contract in Hawaii fell through a month before the performances started. “My agent called me one day and said they’d run out of money. It broke my heart. “I thought ‘This is just too hard.’ I kind of disconnected myself, yanked myself out of it.” She went to her boss at the New York City board of education and said, “If you have a full time job, I’m ready.” “It really hurt me, but it’s what I did. And that’s how I ended up
In addition to her full-time HR job and opera performances, Gina teaches voice to students ranging in age from 8 to adult. “That is my legacy to music – to teach others.” Gina recently produced a new CD of operatic music. To obtain a copy, contact her at vgutierrez1@carolina.rr.com.
Epic Proportions Spring concert, art show & reception featuring
Union Symphony Youth Orchestra Sunday, April 14 Tom LaJoie, Director 4 p.m. t $12 at (704) 283-2525 or at the door The Batte Center, Wingate University This project is supported by the Union County Community Arts Council and the Grassroots Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency.
(704) 283-2525
t
www.UnionSymphony.org
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 11
Union County
GOLF Compiled by Madison McCain
Charlotte National Golf Club
The Divide Golf Club
6920 Howey Bottoms Road, Indian Trail (704) 882-8282 www.charlottenationalgc.com Pro: Dave Moore Course Architect: Russell Breedon Charlotte National is a public club with PennLinks Bentgrass greens on the 7,227-yard course (longest tees.)
6803 Stevens Mill Road, Matthews (704) 882-8088 www.thedividegolfclub.com Pro: Mike Musialowski Architect/Designer: John Casell, ll The course features Bermuda fairways and Bentgrass greens on the 6,973-yard course (longest tees.)
Prices
For information about joining the semi-private club, contact Tonya Vernon at tvernon@carolinatrail.com or (704) 948-0180.
18 Holes with Cart Monday – Friday Before noon $35 After noon $29 Tuesday $25 Seniors $28 Walking Monday – Friday After 1 p.m. 9 holes $12 18 holes $20
Weekends Before 11 a.m. $42 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. $35 After 1 p.m. $29
Weekends $14 $25
Difficulty of course Green tees 74.6/135 Blue tees 71.9/129 Gold tees 68.8/120 Silver tees: 65.6/111 Men and boys only, gold tees 74.5/135 Women and girls only, silver tees 71.1/120 Amenities include a snack bar, plus driving range, putting green, chipping green and greenside sand bunker. 12 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
Prices Monday – Thursday 18 Holes (Rack Rate) Twilight 2 p.m 9 Holes anytime or Super Twilight after 4 p.m. Fridays 18 Holes (Rack Rate) Twilight 2 p.m. 9 Holes anytime or Super Twilight after 4 p.m.
Regular $42 .$37
Access/Preferred $30/$34 $32/$34
$25
$25
$47 $39
$35/$39 $34/36
$28
$28
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays 18 Holes (Rack Rate) $57 Twilight 2 p.m. $44 9 Holes after 2 p.m. or
$45/49 $39/$41
We may not be Myrtle Beach with hundreds of golf courses, but Union County isn’t lacking for courses. As the weather turns warmer and the fairways turn greener, local golfers will be flocking to their favorite course for a round or two. (Of course, diehard golfers have been playing all winter long.) Take a look at what Union County has to offer, links-wise – you might find a new course or two to try.
Super Twilight after 4 p.m. $30 Junior, college, senior and hero rates also available.
$30
Difficulty of course 74.4/137 The Divide has a grill with full bar, golf shop and practice facilities.
Eagle Chase 3215 Brantley Road, Marshville (704) 385-9000 www.playeaglechase.com Pro: Wally Moore Course Architect/Designer: Tom Jackson Eagle Chase is a semi-private course; for member information, contact Wally Moore or any staff member.
Prices Monday thru Friday $35 Sat/Sun/Holidays $46 Twilight Sat/Sun after 12 $36 Senior 55+ Mon. thru Fri. $26 The course features Bermuda greens on the 4,842 to 6,723 yard course.
Difficulty of course 72.6/128 from Blue Tees Eagle Chase offers a grill with full bar, pro shop and practice facilities.
Emerald Lake Golf Club 9750 Tournament Drive, Matthews (704) 882-7888 www.emeraldlakegolfclub.com Pro: Chris Toot Course Architect/Designer: Gary Wirth Eagle Chase is a public course.
Prices Monday-Friday Before Noon After Noon After 3 p.m. 18 Holes $35 $29 $20 9 Holes $20 $20 $20 Senior (55+) $29 N/A N/A Weekends/Holidays 18 Holes $45 $36 $25 9 Holes $25 $25 $25 Walking Rate N/A N/A $25 Civil Service Rate The club offers a civil service rate for active duty military, police, fire or medic with proper ID. 18 Holes $29 Anytime Monday-Friday The course features Bermuda greens on the 5,120 to 6,820 yard course.Type of Greens: Bermuda grass. Club amenities inclue a grill with full bar, pro shop and practice facilities.
Difficulty of course Emerald White
72.6/132 68.6/123
Blue Red
71/127 69.7/120
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 13
Firethorne Country Club
Prices
1108 Firethorne Club Drive, Marvin (704) 243-2433 www.firethornecountryclub.com Pro: James Thompson Course Architect/Designer: Tom Jackson The club is private; contact Scott Simerlink at (704) 243-2433 or sdsimerlink@firethornecountryclub.com about membership. The course features Bentgrass greens on the 4,626 to 6,904yard course. Scott Piercy and Dawn Perry hold the course record of 64.
GF and Cart Replay Senior (55+ Junior Twilight Rates – 1 p.m. GF and Cart $40 $45 $55 Twilight Rates – 3:30 p.m. GF and Cart $35 $35 $45 The course features Bermuda grass fairways and Bentgrass greens; yardage ranges from 4,756 yards to 6,965.
Mon-Thur $49 $25 $32 $25
Frid $54 $25 $39 $30
Weekends/Hol $69 $25 $56 N/A
Difficulty of course
Difficulty of course
Tournament Tees 74.3/147 Member Tees 71.8/141 Firethorne also has two dining rooms, two lounges, snack bar, full bar, plus meeting rooms, 10 tennis courts, four swimming pools and a fitness room.
Gold 73.4/142 Player’s Course 72/138 Blue 70.7/132 White 67.7/117 Red 68.1/120 The club features a restaurant with full bar, pro shop, practice facilities and event facilities.
Monroe Country Club 1680 Pageland Highway, Monroe (704) 282-4661 www.monroecountryclubgolf.com Pro: Mark Polk Course Architect/Designer: Donald Ross and Tom Jackson Monroe Country Club is a semi-private club; visit the pro shop for membership details.
Prices (including green fees and cart) Regular Monday-Friday $38 Weekends and Holidays $43 Twilight Rates (After 3 p.m.) Monday-Friday $30 Weekends and Holidays $37 The 6.759-yard course (from the longest tees) features Bermuda grass
Difficulty of course 71.8/118 Monroe Country Club has a snack bar, pro shop and event facilities.
Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation 7500 Olde Sycamore Drive, Mint Hill (704) 573-1000 www.oldesycamoregolf.com Pro: Barry Wilkins Course Architect/Designer: Tom Jackson The club is semi-private; contact Summer McCall at (704) 573-1000 ext. 2 or summer@oldesycamoregolf.com for info. 14 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
Pebble Creek 6207 US 74, Indian Trail (704) 821-7276 www.pebblecreekgolfpar3.com Memberships are available.
Prices Weekday Weekend and Holidays 9 Holes $12 9 Holes $14 18 Holes $18 18 Holes $20 All Day Pass $32 All Day Pass: $40 Seniors and juniors under 12 9 Holes $10 18 Holes $14 All Day Pass $28 The course features Bermuda grass greens. Par is 54 on the 2,552 yard course, from the longest tees.
Difficulty of course 52.5/121 Pebble Creek has a snack bar with beer and wine. Club and push cart rental available
Rolling Hills Country Club 2722 W. Roosevelt Blvd, Monroe (704) 289-4561 www.rollinghillscountryclub.org Pro: Jeff Avant Course Architect/Designer: George Cobb Rolling Hills is a private club. For membership information, contact Sharon King-Kilts at (704 )289-4561 ext. 239 or email her at skingkilts@rollinghillscountryclub.org.
Prices
Prices
Cart fees $18 for 18 holes $9 for 9 holes Senior cart fee $15 for 18 holes $7.50 for 9 holes Weekday guest fee $40 Weekend guest fee $55 House guest fee $30 Push cart rental $6 (18 holes) $3 (9 holes) The course features Bermuda grass fairways and Bentgrass greens. Yardage is 6,739 from the longest tees
Mon-Thurs Before Noon $35 Noon to 2 p.m. $28 2 p.m.-3 p.m. $23 After 3 p.m. $16
Fri $40 $33 $25 $16
Weekends $52 $38 $27 $16
Seniors $28 Seniors (After noon) N/A 9 Holes (After 2) $23
$30 N/A $25
N/A $34 $27
Difficulty of course
Juniors and students (After 2) $23 $25 $27 Replay (If available) $15 $15 $20 Rates change monthly and are available at www.stonebridgegolfclub.com/rates. The course features Bentgrass greens. Yardage ranges from 6,963 from championship tees to 5,145 on forward tees.
72.4/122 Rolling Hills offers a dining room, lounge with grill and snack bar, full bar, plus swimming pool and event facilities.
Stonebridge Golf Club 2721 Swilcan Burn Drive, Monroe (704) 283-8998 www.stonebridgegolfclub.com Pro: Boyd Everling, PGA Course Architect/Designer: Richard B. Osborne Stonebridge is a semi-private club; contact Pat West for membership information.
Rolling Hills Country Club
Difficulty of course Championship Tees 72.8/136 Member Tees 70.2/126 Middle Tees 67.6/113 Forward Tees 69.1/116 Stonebridge offers a restaurant with full bar, tennis courts, swimming pool and fitness facility.
2722 West Roosevelt Blvd. Monroe, NC 28110 www.RollingHillsCountryClub.org
704-289-4561 704 289 4561
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 15
The face of HOMELESS Text and photos by Nancy E. Stephen
Homeless:
Lack of regular and continual access to a conventional dwelling meant for human
habitation.
Chronic Homeless:
Unaccompanied individual with a disabling condition who has been homeless for more than a year or had three episodes of homelessness in last four years. Nationally, this accounts for 17 percent of the homeless population.
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overnighters who have proved their desire, ability and tenacity to recreate self-sufficient lives for themselves, complete with housing, income and meals. Residents frequently don’t have jobs or even cars to transport themselves to a minimum wage-paying job, if they can even find one. Some residents cannot obtain work, due to prior alcohol or drug abuse, a criminal record, mental illness or no viable skills – or a combination of these issues. Others are working low-paying and/or part-time jobs, trying to build a nest egg of at least $1,000 to enable them to rent an apartment and pay the required first and last month’s rent, plus all the required utility hookup fees. At $8 an hour, that takes a long time. Still others are utilizing South Piedmont Community College’s free HRD classes to begin the potentially arduous task of reentering the workplace with viable skills that will earn a liveable wage. During the day, residents must actively look for jobs, work on computer skills, take classes or do something that fulfills their plan for a self-sufficient life. They are held accountable for progress and are not allowed to stay in the dorm or even the day room doing nothing or watching TV. Meals are provided free as are a clean and safe place to sleep, clean bathrooms and a washer and dryer for individual use. Residents have access to donated toiletries, and in dire circumstances, donated clothing. Individuals entering the residential or family sheltering programs must pass a drug and alcohol screen, but overnighters are not screened unless they appear under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The average stay at the adult shelter is six months; for the family motel program, the average is four to six weeks.
ike virtually all communities in the United States, Union County has a homeless problem. There are hundreds of individuals who, for one reason or another, find themselves without a a place to live and without funds to provide a home. Each January, every county in the nation reports a homeless figure for a specific day in what’s called the Point in Time Count. Union County reported 254 homeless residents this year, but officials in homeless-related agencies say the count is much higher. “We can't count what we can't see,” explains Kathy Bragg, executive director of the Union County Community Shelter. “We believe that number is much higher, more like 400 to 500. It’s difficult to count the ‘double ups’,” she says, who are those who meet homeless definition but sleep on friends’ couches, floors, etc. The people who access the Shelter come from diverse backgrounds and lifestyles, even in their current situations. There are those who have a place to sleep, but come for the hot dinners provided by more than 65 churches and other volunteers in the county. Others are the stereotypical street people who also come solely for the meals. The Shelter asks no questions of individuals coming for the hearty hot meals and makes no judgments about why they come. Overnighters are those who come to the Shelter looking for a warm, dry place to For more Shelter stories, sleep, shower and wash clothes – one night visit www.UnionLifestyle.com at a time, while residents typically are 18 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
For more information on the Shelter and how you can help, call (704) 289-5300 or visit www.UnionShelter.org
SNESS in Union County TV and movie portrayals of homelessness not always correct
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situation. How did this happen? It was one debilitating life incident after another, until there was nothing left of the life they once knew. t’s not what you think.
I spent two nights at the Union County Community Shelter recently, acting as a resident, not a guest, to experience shelter life firsthand. It was an eye-opening experience. And it’s not what you see on TV. For the record:
The Shelter is a comfortable place to stay, but it’s not that comfortable, as one resident said. Personally, I’ve stayed in motels that weren’t as nice. But the resident is correct. Adults typically don’t choose to sleep in dorms, in bunk beds that line the walls, sharing communal bathrooms with showers and toilets screened by curtains. The men’s dorm has 14 beds; the women’s has five.
Editor Nancy Stephen washed dishes at the soup kitchen as part of her shelter stay. (Deb Coates Bledsoe Photo)
l I never felt unsafe. l I wasn’t afraid of the residents. l I didn’t feel as if someone would steal my possessions. Also for the record, the Shelter is not a haven for drug and alcohol abusers, a home for people who don’t want to work or a place for losers. I’m not suggesting that everyone who stays or eats at the Shelter once had a well-paying job, home and family and that it was only the economy that took their job, their home and their lifestyle. Or that no one there ever had a drug or alcohol problem, a stint in prison or a bad attitude that got him fired from his job. All of that is true for some, but certainly not everyone. And doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance? With unemployment as high as it is, those with “history” have an extremely difficult time finding a job. Many Shelter clients had jobs until the company went under or had transportation until their truck engine blew up after they’d already lost their job. Some seem to still be stunned by their life Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 19
The women’s dorm is cozy with two bunk One night we enjoyed chicken casserole, people in a sink that literally was at my beds and a single bed. After several trips green beans, bread and iced cake. The knees. up and down the ladder from my top second night, a church brought macaroni My back was screaming after my chore, bunk, I learned to plan my evening and cheese with little wieners, tasty but I wasn’t about to complain, at least regime to make the climb just once. collards, lettuce salad and dessert. not too much. My fellow workers joshed As the 11 p.m. lights out neared and Just like in the school cafeteria, diners me about raising the sink for my next visit residents moved to their dorm room, were making food trades – macaroni for as they mopped the dining room tables overnight visitors set up cots in the dining greens, etc. Some of the dinner guests and floor, sterilized or hand dried all the room and day room, segregated by sex. were, indeed, street people, somewhat dishes I’d washed, giving back one Both nights that I stayed, only men came obvious by their multiple layers of clothes because it wasn’t clean enough. to spend the night. for warmth or storage. Elsewhere, residents cleaned the public Mornings start bright and early, with One night, a store had donated bags of bathroom, day room, windows, emptying some residents arising early to catch bread, which the visitors could take back outdoor cigarette cans, picking up trash public transportation or a friend’s car to to their home, whether it is a house, on the grounds, dusting and emptying get to work or SPCC. mobile home or cardboard tent. trash. Everyone has chores, and just like at home, people complain. But they do the Lights are on at 7:30 a.m., and dorm When “seconds” were called, a few chores anyway, just like at home. rooms are locked for the day at 8 a.m., waited their turn somewhat anxiously, as when breakfast is served. That first meal if this were their only meal of the day. Almost everyone was upbeat, joking with can range from bacon and eggs (two strips And that could be. each other. They were courteous to staff, of bacon, one scrambled egg said thank you to volunteers and lots of grits) to cold who provided dinner, stood cereal and milk. and removed their caps when one church group After morning chores, gave grace. including cleaning the kitchen, residents move into A potential overnighter was their daily routine of job turned away from the searching, preparation or Shelter each night I was classes. The dorm rooms are there. The Shelter has zero locked to encourage residents tolerance for alcohol and to actively work on their life drug use, requiring plan, either through classes, residents to have an on-thejob search or medical spot drug test that targets treatment. eight common street drugs. Dinner is served at 5 p.m., Overnighters are screened and non-residents begin only when staff knows of or arriving shortly before, suspects a problem from registering with their name. experience. One man was The women’s dorm, complete with bunk beds, has been made cozy, Because churches graciously thanks to the donation of handmade quilts. (Deb Coates Bledsoe Photo) turned away for obvious provide the hot meal, you alcohol use and stormed out never know what it will be. cursing everyone and After dinner, diners leave the facility But you can count on it being hot and everything in sight. I was glad to see him while residents watch TV in either the day hearty, served on sectioned cafeteria trays go; a loose cannon in a shelter of room or the dining room, check out the with real cutlery, not plastic. vulnerable women, recovering addicts and Shelter’s laptop computers, work on people seeking a quiet night before their “Seconds” may or may not be available, resumes, participate in community next shift in the chicken processing plant depending on the number of diners that programs and just “hang out.” is not be good. night, but when seconds were called, at Overnighters take the opportunity after least a third of the room lined up. A woman was turned away the second dinner to shower and wash clothes. night for failing the drug test, which was One resident quipped that green beans At 9 p.m. or so, snack is served, and it can performed because of her previous history apparently are a favorite with churches, be anything from chicken wings and fries at the Shelter. but quickly added her gratitude lest she to soup or a sandwich. The snack is hearty sound even remotely ungrateful, which I felt bad for her; it was a cold night and because it’s a long time from the 5 p.m. she was not. obviously she had nowhere to go. But I dinner to 8 a.m. breakfast. understand “tough love;” a drug user Another resident said she’s gained 12 Residents have assigned chores. I was who’s high could jeopardize the future of pounds in her few months at the shelter, assigned kitchen cleanup, which had me recovering addicts trying desperately to and I believe it. The meals are nutritious washing dishes for approximately 60 create a new life. and hearty, but not low calorie. 20 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
‘I’m not lazy; I’m willing to do anything.’
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ike others at the Community Shelter, Ron Geibel, 52, hit a string of bad luck. He’s lived 30 years in North Carolina, primarily doing vehicle paint and body work. When his girlfriend in Union County developed cancer, he moved here to help take care of her until her death and worked in construction, mold remediation and renovation. Then the work dried up. “I was living in a camper trailer, still making ends meet,” Ron explains. “I was hauling junk to the junkyards, picking up metal along the roads or wherever I could find it. I wasn’t making big money but I was making enough to keep my head above water.” After about a few months, his truck engine blew up, “and that’s the reason I’m here.” He no longer had a vehicle to haul metal, and he didn’t have the funds to repair his truck. “I didn’t ever expect to be like this. This is the first time in 52 years when I couldn’t see how I could turn a dollar.” While the economy was the final blow, he admits, “I’ve made some bad decisions along the way; better decisions would have helped.” A buddy told him about the Shelter as a place to stay. Ron came about four months ago, starting out as an overnighter on a cot in the dining hall where he also ate meals. As a resident, he has a permanent, but short-term, place to live, where he can leave his belongings, take advantage of the Shelter’s case management planning and continue his job search. The Shelter isn’t home, but it’s a good place to be for a short time, he explains. “You’ve got to show that you’ve got an interest in the place, do the chores, don’t do things wrong,” he says. “I get along with everybody here. It’s all what you make of it. You have to make the best of the situation you’re in.” He’s always looking for work – of any kind, he stresses – by reading the newspaper, walking the streets or riding with friends looking for help wanted and just listening for any tips. “It’s depressing in ways,” he says bluntly. “You just have to overlook it and keep going. I don’t have the lifestyle I’m used to. I used to have a good job, drag in $600 to $700 a week, but it’s not here.” A decent job is the key to his future, “just making a steady paycheck so I can save up some money for a month or two, then get an apartment. You may have to put up to $1,000 to get apartment.” Ron calls himself “a victim of the economy. I’m not lazy, I’m willing to do anything, but I can’t find anything to do.” The confident, but not cocky middle-aged man stresses that he’s not alone in this situation. “The homeless need help. If you’ve got a job, let the Shelter know. A lot of people are willing to do the work. I know I am.” Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 21
Staff member Jewel Richey knows ‘where they’ve been’
J
ewel Richey is one of the Shelter’s many success stories. She’s also a Shelter employee. She became homeless in California when her full-time job was reduced to part-time and her renter moved out. “At that point, I couldn’t afford the rent on my own. My landlord was trying to work with me, but I was getting further and further behind.” A friend told her that job opportunities were better here and offered her a place to stay for six months. So Jewel shipped her belongs to North Carolina and followed. Just two weeks before the six months ended, Jewel found a job, but had nowhere to live. “I had about $800 left. I was between buying a car or going home,” she explains. Her adult children wanted her to return to California, but she declined. “I told them I was going to buy a car, and if I had to sleep in my car, I would. “So I found myself here, at the Shelter. They had one bed available, and they gave me the bed. I was a resident and working part-time (at a local store) when a position came open here for shift supervisor. They offered the position to me, so I lived here and worked here for eight months.” As Jewel demonstrated her capabilities and willingness to work, she began doing 22 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
case management and preparing meals. Very quickly, her role changed again and again, from shift supervisor to community operations manager, to volunteer services manager now. Although she stayed at the Shelter for just two months solely as a resident before being employed there, but still living there, Jewel has a homeless history that she shares readily with residents. “I’d been in this situation before. I lost my mother when I was 18, so a lot of the things I’ve learned throughout my life are trial and error. I had been homeless a & couple of times, & getting evicted (" because I didn’t know how to manage my money when I was " young. I didn’t have any direction. “So I learned (about being homeless) through living in ' motels, staying with " " people with my three !" ! #! children when they " " were young. ! ! “Then I became homeless as an adult on a different level. Never, ever before in my life had I had to live in a shelter, but I
was so grateful for the shelter being here. “I was nervous when I came. My mental image of a shelter was what I’d seen on TV and in California – alcoholics, drug addicts, people just hanging around. I was really scared being out here with nobody. I had absolutely nobody.” She quickly learned that the Union County shelter was not what she expected. “It was a great experience going through as a resident because this place is awesome. It’s like family here.” She moved out of the Shelter two years ago with assistance from Community Link, an agency that helps eligible people with rent for up to 18 months. “I’ve been in my place for over two years and totally on my own for almost a year,” she says proudly. “I totally am not embarrassed (by once being homeless.) I love sharing my story; I want people to know my story. Even though I’m sitting here as an employee, I really know where they’ve been. A lot of times, you can’t reach anybody unless you’ve actually walked in those shoes. “And I have.”
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Soup kitchen keeps county’s homeless fed The Shelter operates a soup kitchen daily, inviting anyone who needs a hearty meal to come with no questions asked. Some have places to stay; others live in the woods. Seventy five percent typically are men, but women also come each night. Each visitor has a story. James, 56 . . . works as a contract
homeless just three days before he arrived on one cold night. He had difficulty eating the hearty meal for fear he would become sick after so long without food. “Hopefully, they’ll let me stay here tonight,” he said, after spending the last three nights in the woods. “I’m at my bottom; it’s pretty bad,” he said, dejectedly. “Got to make something happen . . . it’ll happen. Got to keep my head up, that’s the only thing I can do.” He planned to contact friends for bus fare to return to Arizona.
newspaper carrier and been able to pay rent for many years. He comes to the soup kitchen each day for meals, calling the fellowship with other visitors as important as the hot meals. Because his work has recently been cut in half, he’s anxiously looking for additional work to supplement his income.
Billy, 49
Members of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in New Salem prepare trays of . . . has worked as an spaghetti, salad, bread and dessert for the soup kitchen. From left are Kim independent contractor for Marsh, Jill Martin and Raul Lugo. approximately 30 years. “With the economy as it is, Robert, 57 sometimes jobs are hard to come by,” he says. Currently living . . . is a regular visitor to the soup kitchen, visiting almost every with a friend who he pays room and board, “I come here for night and sometimes for lunch. He’s lived in the woods in a tent meals a lot of times. Sometimes, I just don’t make enough to pay for about 15 years. bills and buy groceries. After all those years, Robert appears philosophical about his “This place really helps me a lot; it helps a lot of folks like situation. Yes, it’s cold, he says, but “you pile on the blankets. I myself who work, but sometimes the money is just not enough keep my jacket on if it’s cold, sometimes I sleep with my shoes to get by.” When food is available to take home, Billy is grateful. on if it’s really cold.” “It helps me eat.” Although he receives $200 in food stamps each month, “that A regular for two years, he says, “Pride might get in your way to doesn’t last a month, not even for one person. We make a fire, start with, but it’s OK.” me and another guy, sometimes we cook, but most times we Todd, 43 come here.” The soup kitchen “is real important,” he says. “I . . . was a first time soup kitchen visitor recently, having become know I can always get something to eat here.”
The shelter at a glance: 2011-2012 Adult Shelter Program
Motel Program
Prepared Meals Served
Total Services
l 149 total residents l 5,879 overnight stays l 39 residents stabilized to permanent housing
l 52 families, 157 ind. l 29 families stabilized to permanent housing l 6,048 overnight stays
l 34,990 meals l 96 daily average l 684 individuals
l 11,927 overnight stays l 814 food boxes, clothing, hygiene l 48,031 units of service
Volunteer Amber Haney, 9 of Marshville (Nancy Stephen Photos) stuffs a doll.
Cheryl Parker of Indian Trail sews the basic doll during an assembly day.
Olivia Null, left, and Maureen Tull share camaraderie as they work.
Volunteers send 20,000-plus unique By Nancy E. Stephen
After returning, one man called the dolls the easiest witnessing he had ever done. He used his dolls as a tool with women,
A
group of women, men and children have what some might call a cottage industry in Union County. However, no one is making a salary. They make dolls, but not ordinary dolls and not just a few. Instead, they create soft dolls – more than 22,000 in three years – for use in mission work across the world. Dolls on Mission is inspiration of Joanne Mucci and Grace Barrett of Monroe. They had made mission trips, but when they could no longer go personally, their hearts still wanted to participate. Reading a magazine article about another group making similar evangelistic dolls, “my heart just leaped,” Joanne says. “I knew this is what we need to be doing. We can’t go on missions, but God brought missions to us.” So they started to work. “The first doll was pitiful,” says longtime volunteer Doris Davis, chuckling at the memory. “I thought it would be wonderful if we could do 100.” The dolls’ purpose is simple – “to get the Word of God out,” Joanne says. “We give 24 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
No dolls are sold, and no material is purchased. “It’s just word of mouth,” Joanne says. “People give us material all the time.” “We’re out of stuffing, and it just shows up,” explains Maureen Tull, a Lincolnton woman who regularly drives to Monroe to participate.
Joanne Mucci encourages Hannah Oh as she works on a doll.
As the mission gained momentum, the group quickly realized it had a logistics problem. No one had a house big enough to store all the donated materials, the dolls in various degrees of completion or the finished dolls waiting for their trip.
Enter Doris’ son, Doug, who offered the plan of salvation and prayer in the space in his Downtown Monroe business language of the doll’s destination.” where they keep their five donated sewing machines and congregate once a month Every doll has a face on each side – a sad for a mass assembly day. face which represents life without Christ and a happy face which represents life with Christ. The National League of Junior Cotillions Each doll has a string Union County Chapters of salvation message beads worn around Classes on respect, manners, etiquette and social dance are held once a month September through March. its neck and a card in the child’s language Boys and girls grades 2-9 explaining what each Locations in Marvin and Monroe color bead represents in the story of Contact Director Terri Beeson salvation. 704-254-7754 www.nljc.com Grace took the first www.facebook.com/NLJCBeeson 35 dolls to a mission team going to Peru.
On any assembly day, the number of dollmakers might reach into the 60s, with some women bringing their children and grandchildren to help. “There’s something that every age to do,” Doris says. The dolls are truly a labor of love. The women sit along long tables, chatting with the neighbor, who might be a newcomer. “We never know who is coming, but there are a lot of good hearts who always do,” says Joanne.
Each doll takes “maybe two hours to make, but we really don’t know,” Joanne says, “because each doll goes through so many hands.” At least eight people are involved with each doll, from cutting, stitching, stuffing, face painting, hair application, clothes and more. No two dolls are the same and that is by design. “God made us all different: we make all the dolls different,” she says. The group creates girl dolls with pigtails and boy dolls without, creating the facial
Lanka and Uganda. In countries where children have no possessions of their own, the dolls are unexpected treasures. While the purpose of dolls originally was strictly missions, the group also has created dolls for children whose parents are public servants; including each branch of the military, police fire and medic. military families and also specifically for cancer victims. Those dolls have no hair, just like many cancer victims who have experienced chemotherapy.
dolls on mission trips across the globe If you would like to help the mission, just drop by on an assembly days, held the second Saturday of each month from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at International Graphics Tech, 411 E Windsor St., Suite A, Monroe, NC 28112. The sewers often work at home, making their part of the doll. It takes 12 steps to create a doll, with one person completing a task and passing the doll on another. “Different people do different things,” says Grace. “Some want to stuff, others want to sew.”
and skin characteristics of each ethnic group to receive them. The non-denominational Christian dolls have made their way to more than 20 countries, including Brazil, Honduras, Haiti, Romania, Cameroon Africa, Ecuador, Swaziland Africa, Bolivia, Sri
A Peruvian girl totes her doll with her like the prized possession it is.
Boys in the Philippines show the boy dolls Dolls on Mission made for them.
For more information or if you work out of your home, contact Joanne Mucci at (704) 283-6784 or Maureen Tull at (704) 735-9464.
Jane Laney, nurse supervisor at UCPS, gives a doll to a child during a mission trip. Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 25
Records not just a p history, but a lucrative By Deb Coates Bledsoe
W
alt Gibson, owner of Jampac Records on Main Street in Monroe, can’t tell you how many record albums he has in his store, but knows it’s more than 100,000. “Every time I sell one album, 10 to 20 come back,” he says. “It never stops. People are always calling me to go up into their attics or go to estate sales.” Plus, Walt never throws a record away. “You never know what I may be doing in the near future with that album,” he says. Most customers are “not from around here,” he says, but find him through Facebook or Craig’s List. He says 50 percent of his sales are from across the county and even overseas. And most plan to resell their purchases somewhere else. Trade shows also are a big draw for record collectors, Walt says, many of whom travel from other countries. “Last weekend, this guy came from Sweden, but not just to this store. He went to Florida, Atlanta and Columbia.” While many foreign dealers come to the United States to purchase albums in person, others pay a pretty price to have their online order shipped. “I just sent five record albums (total cost $20) to Norway at a cost of $42 in shipping.” “They might buy an album in here for $10, but sell it back in their country for $45 or $50. The music is new to them.” Walt opened his store in 1986 at the height of disco. “When we first opened, I wasn’t selling albums. I was selling 12inch singles for a lot of DJs I knew.” A 12-inch single is a long version of one song to keep people on the dance floor. The decision to sell albums came from necessity. “After being married for 10 years, we had our first child,” he says. “I had two bedrooms full of records. Then we had our second child, and I had to move my stuff out of one of the bedrooms.” By the time the third child came along, all the record albums had to vacate the bedrooms to make room for his family. At the same time, his customers started leaving records with him. “It started happening more and more.
part of
Today, however, “You can’t give them away. I’ve shipped some to Canada, but every one of them ended up broken. It’s really hard to ship 78s because there is no fiber in them, and they’re easy to break.”
business “Then all of a sudden, I had about 30,000 records. I think I’ve only listened to three or four percent of them.” His oldest albums are four 1898 Edisons, created by Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor of the phonograph, motion picture camera and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Walt is a walking encyclopedia on the history of albums. He explains that the first record albums were 78 rpm (revolutions per minute), which were popular from 1899 to the 1940s. But there was only room for one song per record. Owning a phonograph and records, he says, was a luxury that not many people had in the early 1900s. “You saved up for a whole month just to buy a 78. They ran anywhere from 25 cents to $1, but then again, you had to save for a whole month for that $1.”
He does have customers who drive from Virginia to purchase these rare albums, but they drive them back personally. With invention of the 33 rpms, you could put six songs on one side. The 45s came about when record producers realized they could break up the recordings and make more money. “They could sell that same album 10 times,” Gibson says. (Deb Coates Bledsoe Photos)
When reel-to-reel tapes, such as eight tracks or cassettes, became popular, records faded away, except for businessmen like Walt.
Jampac Records is located at 111 S. Main Street in Monroe. For more information, call (704) 283-0285 or visit www.JampacMusic.com. Deb Coates Bledsoe, a former newspaper editor, is a freelance writer and photographer.
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 27
Leo’s Kitchen: Country cookin’ at its best!
Ambiance: Leo’s was just a takeout restaurant when we visited; it now has a dining room. Seating is available while you wait for your order, but with the amount of business the restaurant had that night, more seating was needed – and that’s a good thing! (4 stars) Menu: The takeout menu offers seven meats and three fishes, along with daily specials and upwards of 20 side dishes plus homemade cakes, pies, cobblers and puddings. In an area with few restaurants offering a wide variety of vegetables, Leo's Kitchen is an oasis in a barren land. (4.5 stars)
Quality: For old-fashioned comfort food, Leo’s earned kudos. But it’s not diet food and it’s seasoned sstronger than most restaurant food. (4.5 stars)
Service: Friendly staff at the front and in the kitchen, which you can see from the waiting area. We slightly inundated the small restaurant with our crowd of 10, arriving after several repeat customers who had the wisdom to call in their order. We’ll remember that! (4.25 stars)
Value: You can’t do better! Generous portions with a low price equals a good value. (5 stars)
Overall: 4.5 stars Leo’s Kitchen 3901-B Providence Rd. S Waxhaw, NC 28173 (704) 843-1143 Monday to Friday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday: Noon to 7 p.m.
28 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
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f you go to Leo's Kitchen in Waxhaw, go hungry. The restaurant, a takeout service that only recently added a dining room, promotes itself as "soul food.” Call it soul food or Southern home cooking, Leo’s homecooked meals are truly comfort food. Meals of a meat, two sides and cornbread or roll come in three sizes – medium, large and extra large, with prices topping out at $7.99 for dinner and $5.99 for lunch. Regardless of the size, it’s a lot of food for a good price. Our crowd of 10 tried the medium and large sized meals, which were plenty with leftovers. Certainly, the extra large portion would serve two adults. Among us, we managed to sample just about everything, including pork chops, baked chicken, meat loaf, chicken livers and cubed steak in gravy. Also among us, our opinions varied. Bottom line, if you’re seeking lowcalorie foods, Leo’s is not your restaurant. If you want food like your grandma used to cook, go to Leo’s. One diner ordered a vegetable plate of collards, lima beans and cooked cabbage, which were cooked with delicious, flavorful seasonings and probably a dose of fatback. The collard greens had chunks of ham which gave a wonderful smoky flavor. Notably, they were not greasy – just perfectly seasoned. Some might call the beans and cabbage slightly overcooked, but this is country cooking Southern style, not
haute cuisine. She thought they were cooked perfectly. The side dishes were a favorite with others, too. Two diners had broccoli casserole, which they thought was more rice and cheddar cheese than broccoli, but both finished every bite. One couple called the vegetables the best part of dinner. Their fried squash, fried okra, broccoli casserole and pinto beans were a big hit, as was the tender and flavorful cube steak. But the pork chops were deemed disappointing – quite salty and a little chewy. Another diner, however, called the pork chops great. Fried chicken livers, lightly breaded and very generous in portion, were “perfect soul food, perfect comfort food – reminiscent of those my grandmother cooked,” one woman said. The meat loaf dinners were massive, with two diners eating only a third of the meat. But they were happy to take the remainder home for the next day. A large piece of cornbread that several chose was another yummy piece of comfort. It was light and slightly sweet – a nice complement to the meal. The biggest hit of the meal was dessert, specifically the sweet potato cobbler. One diner called the choice the best decision she made all week. Another called it more of a casserole with a spicy sugary topping. Everyone thought it was awesome, but significantly high calorie. For a treat, maybe not as a regular dessert. We also sampled banana pudding and peach cobbler (very good), but nothing could beat the sweet potato. How many calories were in our dinners? Probably a lot – but the good ol' comfort food hit the spot on a damp and chilly evening.
Restaurant Review
things to do in Union County 23
Spinning and Yarn Crafts
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Free how wool is spun. See March Learn examples of finished items and fibers. Demonstrations throughout the day. Marshville Museum and Cultural Center, 201 N. Elm St. (704) 694-2602.
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Quilting Max
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. $25 per class. March This whimsical quilt is fast and fun, a great beginner quilt! Ages 15 and up. carolinaquilting12@gmail.com to register. Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center, Navajo Trail (704) 821-2541
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. • $25 Come learn about clay and create a March beautiful Easter basket. Grades 1-8. Register online at www.artsdelivered.com. Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center, Navajo Trail (704) 821-2541
All Thurs. April
Ballroom, line dance lessons
$20 per person (4 classes) 7:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. Inter. Ballroom 8:15 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. Line dancing Pre-registration required; ages 15 to adult. Monroe Aquatics and Fitness Center, (704) 282-4680
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Spring Break Workshops
9:30 a.m. - noon, $25 both classes Fun with arts, clay. Participants will April design and create a masterpiece. Dress for a mess. Register online at www.artsdelivered.com. Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center, Navajo Trail (704) 821-2541
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4 p.m. • $25 - $32 Family friendly comedy with class that April will have you rolling in the aisles. The Batte Center at Wingate University www.battecenter.org or (704) 233-8300 for info, tickets.
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Whether regaling audiences with her experiences as a 6’2� Miss Congeniality winner in the Miss America Pageant or tales of life with her husband, “Left Brain,� she delivers family friendly comedy with class that will have you rolling in the aisles. Author of three books on humor, Jeanne has can be heard daily on Sirius XM Radio’s Laugh USA family comedy channels where she lets millions nationwide know she speaks two languages fluently: English...and Southern.
“There’s striking about “There’ssjust “There’ justsomething some-thing striking about about
JJeanne eanne Robertson. Robertson Ro bertson Jeanne
. it’ss Maybe it’ it’s s her beauty queenesque good looks. Or maybe Maybe it’s her beauty queenesque good looks. Or maybe it’sit’ that she’ s six-feet-two thatshe’s she’s six-feet-twoinches inchestall. tall.Regard-less Regardless of of what what it it is, is, once once you hear her speak, you’ll you hear her speak, you’llre-member rememberher her––that thatis,is,ififyou youcan can laughing enough to catch your breath.� quitquit laughing long long enough to catch your breath.� – SSOUTHERN OUTHERN LADY L ADY MAGAZINE MAGA ZINE
–SOUTHERN LADY MAGAZIINE
www.battecenter.org ww w ww w w.battecenter.org 7 704-372-1000 04-372-1000
Downtown Monroe Art Walk
Fri. starts at 5:30 p.m.; Sat. at noon Galleries on Main and Franklin. Free April refreshments and entertainment. www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
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Car Cruise In Featuring Racecars
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. • Free Antique and classic cars, plus racecars, on Main Street, Monroe www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
JEANNE ROBE ROBERTSON RTSON !PRIL PM s !PRIL PM s Humorist JJeanne eanne R obertson iiss ffunny– unny– Humorist Robertson MAKE YOU LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY FUNNY MAKE YOU LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY FUNNY
Waxhaw Town & Country Run
5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Presented by Waxhaw-Weddington April Sunrise Rotary Club. 5K run, fun run and fitness walk through downtown Waxhaw and area roads. Benefits Safe Alliance Treehouse Children’s Advocacy Center and Turning Point domestic violence shelter. www.waxhawrun.com for registration and info.
SPIN
7:30 p.m. • $15 Uncommon theatrical and musical April journey celebrating the bicycle as muse, musical instrument and agent of social change. The Batte Center at Wingate University www.battecenter.org or (704) 233-8300
Jeanne Robertson
April
WINGATE WINGATE UNIV UNIVERSITY ERSITY
2012–13 2012–13 SEASON SEASON
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Clay Workshop
Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 29
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Opening Day at Nesbit Park
Ceremonies with player introductions by teams. DJ Paul Codispoti. Moe’s April and Carvel will offer food and ice cream, and Homer from the Charlotte Knights will visit. 1304 H.C. Nesbit Rd, Waxhaw, www.waxhaw.com
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Crumpets for Trumpets Tablescaping Competion
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Revolutionary War in the Carolinas
April
Tom Phlegar, Colonel, U.S. Army Hosted by the Waxhaw-Weddington Rotary Club and Museum of the Waxhaws. 3 p.m. • $10, $5 students Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy, Waxhaw, www.museumofthewaxhaws.com
by Union Symphony League April Presented Drawing with KidzArt 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. • $20 Fundraiser showcasing elegant and creative table Mondays, April 22 - May 20 designs by community leaders. 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. April $90 + $9 materials Henry Hall Wilson House, 1301 E. Franklin St., Monroe www.unionsymphony.org, (704) 283-2525 Children learn to see like artists and draw what they see. A variety of mediums. Ages 6 to 11. Tweaks by Judy S. Cook Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center, Navajo Trail April 13: 7:30 p.m.; April 14: 2:30 p.m. Register at www.new.kidzartsouthcharlotte.com $10 cash or check April Charlotte Raines is a playwright at mid- or (704) 941-0074 life, with a divorcing friend, aging mother and a flirtatious husband. The Carroll M. Edwards Reservations recommended. (704) 243-7283 or mail@thestorefronttheatre.org Memorial Golf Tournament Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Hwy, Waxhaw Presented by The Arc of Union County www.thestorefronttheatre.org April 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Teams of 4: $600, individual players: $150 Union Symphony Youth Rolling Hills Country Club, Monroe Orchestra Spring Concert www.thearcofunion.com or (704) 261-1550 p.m. • $12 April 4Reception in Rotunda The Batte Center, Wingate University www.unionsymphony.org, tickets (704) 283-2525
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Music on Main
Music by Holiday Band p.m. - 9:30 p.m. • Free April 6:30 Live music on Main Street. Snack food and drinks for purchase. Bring a lawn chair. Historic Downtown Monroe, Main Street www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
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Art Class for Children
10:30 a.m. - Noon • Free 6-9, limited to 15 participants. April Children Registration required at (704) 6243192 or (704) 624-2602. Marshville Museum and Cultural Center, 201 N. Elm St, Marshville
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Queen’s Cup Steeplechase
Festivities start at 10 a.m. for all information April www.queenscup.org and tickets. 6103 Waxhaw Hwy, Mineral Springs
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Calling All Dads
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. • $25 per project Bring the kids for a fun time using clay. May Register online at www.artsdelivered.com Indian Trail Cultural Arts Center, Navajo Trail (704) 821-2541
Union County Dog Walk
Presented by Alliance for Children, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Puppy parade, dog experts and demos, contests, giveaways and April raffles, vendors, adoptable dogs, music, food, fun and more. Historic Downtown Monroe www.allianceforchildren.org or (704) 226-1407.
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Spring Yard Sale 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. Village of Lake Park, www.lakeparknc.gov
Earth and Arbor Day
Sponsored by The Town of Indian Trail and The Town of Stallings April 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Learn fun and different ways to become a better citizen of the earth. Indian Trail Town Hall and Crossing Paths Park, 120 Blythe Dr, Indian Trail www.stallingsnc.org or www.indiantrail.org
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Rhapsody in Red Charity Ball and Auction
Benefits American Red Cross Seated dinner, live and silent auctions, music by Summerdaze Rolling Hills Country Club, 6 p.m. – midnight $100 a person; tickets at (704) 283-7402.
April
30 Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013
Ask for our Newcomer Special & Wedding Packages
Group or Private Lessons Weekly Socials No Partner Needed
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Monroe Beach, Blues and BBQ
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6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. • Free Live music on Main Street, snack food and drinks available for purchase, bring a lawn chair. Historic Downtown Monroe, Main Street www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
May
11 a.m. - 6 p.m. The streets of downtown Monroe will once again be filled with the scrumptious aromas of grilled pork, ribs and chicken. Main Street, Historic Downtown Monroe www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
May
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Union County Student Artist Showcase
Noon – 2 p.m. Military Wall on E, South Main Street, Historic Downtown Waxhaw www.waxhaw.com
May 4: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. May 5: 1 p.m.-4 p.m. • Free Union County’s largest art exhibit. More than 400 artists from public, private and home schools. South Piedmont Community College 4209 Old Charlotte Hwy, Monroe (704) 941-0074
Car Cruise In Featuring Boats
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6 p.m. - 9 p.m. • Free Antique and classic cars, plus boats
May
on Main Street. www.historicdowntownmonroe.org
Children’s Health and Safety Fair/Movie Night
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.; movie begins at dusk. May Activities include bike safety, car seat safety, healthy foods, fun. Blair Mill Park, 1025 Fairoaks Drive, Stallings www.stallingsnc.org
Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony
May
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Music on Main Featuring Dickens Band
Waxhaw’s SpringFest
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May 18: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. May 19: Noon - 6 p.m. May Musical performances,free Kids Zone food concessions, arts and crafts vendors. Historic Downtown Waxhaw, www.waxhaw.com
Got an event the public would enjoy? Submit your activity with all the details – who, what, when, where and cost – to Union Lifestyle for inclusion in the magazine and/or online. Send your information to Editor@UnionLifestyle.com.
Crumpets for
Trumpets
Queen’s Cup
STEEPLECHASE
QUEEN ’ S CUP STEEPLECHASE 18 18 TH RUNNING SATURDAY SA TURDAY , APRIL 27, 2013 B Benefitting enefitting
a tablescaping competition to benefit Union Symphony Society.
Delicate china and crystal, gorgeous flowers and fine linens, maybe a beach scene and a musical tableau – so much to enjoy. Browse the themed tablescapes and enjoy tea at the historic Henry Hall Wilson House in Monroe.
Saturday, April 13 n 2 p.m.-5 p.m. n $20
WWW . QUEENSCUP . ORG O RG
704.843.7070
®
(704) 283-2525 t www.UnionSymphony.org Union Lifestyle l April / May 2013 31
Swing by Monroe Country Club for the
BEST GOLF DEAL around!
Annual memberships as low as $750! Front 9 designed by Donald Ross Champion Bermuda greens Driving range and Pro shop
U.S. 601 S, Monroe, NC 28112 (704) 282-4661 www.MonroeCountryClubGolf.com
MONROE C OU N TRY C LU B
CITY OF
MONROE
a heritage of progress