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INSIDE
April 2015 • VOLUME 10 NUMBER 7
www.CorneliusToday.com
POSTAL CUSTOMER CORNELIUS NC 28031
Cornelius Police officers per 1000 Residents
Public Safety First
2.68 2.61 2.51 2.40
2.04
2.06 2.01 1.92
1.88
1.83
1.78 1.71
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1.69
2010
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2015
Source: Cornelius Police Department
Police science means putting every dollar to work Page 4
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WINSTON-SALEM, NC PERMIT NO. 319
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DATED NEWS - POSTMASTER PLEASE DELIVER BY 3/27
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Cornelius Today P.O. Box 2062 Cornelius, NC 28031-2062
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2 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
April Things to do Newmakers Breakfast with Clark, Lennon April 22 at Peninsula Club New Superintendent of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Ann Clark and Board Member Rhonda Lennon, a Cornelius resident, will speak at Cornelius CLARK Today’s Newsmakers Breakfast Wednesday April 22 at The Peninsula Club. Clark was named superintendent in January after former Superintendent Heath Morrison resigned in November after an investigation into claims he bullied staff members. Clark has spent three decades rising through the ranks of CMS. Lennon was elected to the CMS Board of Education in 2009 to represent District 1. A graduate of South Mecklenburg High School, she holds an associate degree in nursing and a bachelor of arts in business administration from UNC-Charlotte. Lennon
started Families United for North Mecklenburg Education (FUME) in 2003 and has served on several education-related committees and the board of Charlotte AdLENNON vocates for Education. The Newsmakers Breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. and conclude at 9 a.m. Doors open at 7:15 a.m. for networking. The cost to attend, $12, includes a full country breakfast. The open forum Q&A begins at 8 a.m. The Peninsula Club is on Peninsula Club Drive, at Jetton Road. The presenting sponsor of the Newsmakers Breakfast is Duke Energy. The Breakfast Sponsor is Berkshire Signature Properties. The Coffee sponsors is Davidson Wealth Management. Reservations are required. Call 704-895-1335 with Visa or MasterCard.
Senior Fitness Day April 21 at Jetton Park The annual Lake Norman Senior Fun and Fitness Day will be held Tuesday April 2 Jetton Park starting at 9 a.m. The fun and healthy day for older adults includes a walk around the scenic lakefront park, a disc jockey and lunch. The day will include a chair exercise class at 10:30, a Tai Chi Class at 11, and a Line Dance Class at 11:15, all at Waterfront Hall. An organized Fitness Walk will also begin at 9:30am at Waterfront Hall. In
Adoptable Pets
addition, blood pressure checks and other health screenings will be available at Waterfront Hall. There will also be health-related booths and vendors, as well as basketball free throw, football toss, ring toss and corn hole. Registration is $3 in advance and $5 on the day of the event. To register, call 704948-2486. Volunteers are needed to assist with the day’s activities.
www.corneliusanimalshelter.org
Open for adoptions Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to noon. Call for appointments 704-237-3602
Neko is a large adult orange male tabby who was recently surrendered to the shelter. He is white with dark orange stripes on his head and a little orange mustache. He would make a great companion or family pet.
Penny, a three-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound/Foxhound mix, recently surrendered to the shelter has floppy brown ears and a white chest. She is playful and would make a great hunting dog.
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 3
Table of Contents Cornelius Police officers per 1000 Residents
Counting police
2.68 2.61 2.51
The number of police per capita has been falling in Cornelius Page 4
2.40 2.27
2.25
2.22
2.19
2.16 2.04
2.06 2.01 1.92
1.88
1.83
1.78 1.71
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
1.69
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Source: Cornelius Police Department
Accelerating learning
Bailey Middle School model-racing team headed for national competion Page 8
Historic Smithville
If you want to see a family community, look at Smithville Page 10
We knew her when
Newsmaker Susan Tillis stakes out her territory Page 12
Cornelius Cooks
Ivonne Reed and daughter Madison share Roxie’s Apple Dumplings Page 32
HOME DECOR ………………………… Page 25 HOME SALES ……………………… Page 18-24 NEWS-E ………………………… Pages 14-16 new coporations …………………. . . Page 28 SOUNDOFF ............ ……………… Page 38-39
Keith Blankenship designed this month’s cover
Lake People RUN DEEP
STAFF
Editor: Dave Yochum, nebiztoday@gmail.com; Sales and Marketing Director: Gail Williams, gail.todaypubs@gmail.com; Production Director: Stephen Nance, production.todaypubs@gmail.com. Send us your news: corneliustoday@gmail.com Cornelius Today is published 12 months a year by NorthEast Business Today, LLC with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any content without permission is prohibited. The Cornelius Today logo, stylized wave, and Lake People slogan are copyrights of Cornelius Today and NorthEast Business Today. All rights reserved. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of Cornelius Today or Business Today. Cornelius Today is a local community service-driven publication. Cornelius Today, PO Box 2062, Cornelius, NC 28031-2062. Telephone: 704-895-1335 Fax: 704-490-4447 Email: corneliustoday@gmail.com Cornelius Today is independently owned and operated and is not affiliated with the Town of Cornelius. Back issues: Payable by VISA and MASTERCARD ONLY. $1.50 (if available); $4 to mail. Reprints: Reprints on high-quality , framable stock are available, starting at $65 Photos: $100.
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4 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Police beat: Tactical approach to crime pays off By Dave Yochum If it feels as if there are fewer police on the beat than there were five, 10 or 15 years ago, you’re right. The Cornelius Police Department is stretched thinner than it was back in 1998 when there were 2.68 officers per 1,000 residents. Now there are 1.83 officers for each. “To give you an idea of how many that is, to hire back to 1998 levels it would take 25 new officers. We do not need that many but I’m just illustrating that 2.68 and 1.83 are way far apart,” said Chief Bence Hoyle. It’s a big decline, and it may contribute to the ability of some drivers to make it down West Catawba at 45 miles an hour. But the lower per capita ratio reflects increased efficienHOYLE cies from technology and a generalized decrease in property crime, some of it due to video cams. Improvements in technology—not to mention nearly six dozen strategically placed video cameras—reduce the need for feet on the street. New video cameras on poles near Jetton Park have apparently helped decrease property crime in The Peninsula since they
were installed last year. Between August and November, 2014 vs. 2013, property crimes in The Peninsula fell to five from 13. “With that said I’m not claiming cameras are responsible—we just don’t know. I can just tell you those numbers have drastiWASHAM cally changed since the cameras went up. It is way too early to say but certainly it has helped some. Also, crime is down all over—significantly so since the cameras went up around town— so perhaps that has helped. However, crime cycles and always has since crime rates have been reported. I suspect when national trends go back up so may we, but if we drop more than the national average and rise less we can say we are having an impact,” Hoyle said. Policing in Cornelius means covering the waterfront. The town is taking over lake patrols from Mecklenburg County. “Once we take over the responsibility for Lake Patrol, we will need to add eight additional officers dedicated to this service. It will take time to hire and train this many people, but it will occur during the next year,” said Mayor Chuck Travis.
Cornelius Police officers per 1000 Residents 2.68 2.61 2.51 2.40 2.27
2.25
2.22
2.19
2.16 2.04
2.06 2.01 1.92
1.88
1.83
1.78 1.71
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1.69
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Source: Cornelius Police Department
Lake Patrol will cost around $570,000. The county has agreed to provide $370,000; Cornelius pays the rest. The total police budget was $5.1 million this fiscal year. Despite all the investment, Cornelius commissioners are saying there will not be a property tax increase this year, in part because ratables and tax income continue to increase. “Upgraded technologies have created efficiencies with the police department that we haven’t had, we have a chief who is an expert in information technology, we have just approved a new software element that lessens the amount of paper work we will have to do,” said Mayor Pro Tem Woody Washam. “Things are just so much more efficient than back in 1998.” The town will invest some $550,000 for new police software that will make sleuthing more efficient. Mayor Travis said “we are at the correct number of officers according to our chief—he has requested an additional filing clerk as well as the resources to have an attorney on call for after-hours legal counsel. Both of these positions may be part time.” Comparing Cornelius police staffing to other towns TRAVIS can be misleading. “Comparative statistics with ratios is problematic. A town that has a lower population density like Huntersville will have a different need than an agency with high density like Cornelius and Charlotte. One that has a larger civilian function, like meter maids or code enforcement, that reduces workload of sworn officers, may have a lower ratio need than another. Finally, ratios are based on population—census numbers—and these are notoriously off,” the police chief said. Nevertheless, at the higher ratio Hoyle said he would hire a specialized fraud investigator, computer forensic examiner, a larger traffic unit and fulltime crime suppression units such as bike and foot patrols. Has there been a concomitant decline in the crime rate in Cornelius with the increase in the number of video cams?
“There are no magic bullets to reduce crime and there have been studies that say cameras have marginal success. I do believe we are seeing an impact of cameras and I know we have solved cases that we otherwise would not have without the cameras, but it is too complex a topic to generalize like that. We have to look at cameras as tools, not solutions,” Hoyle said.
$1,000 reward for hit-run driver who ran over puppy on Jetton
The blue-gray sedan speeding down Jetton Road didn’t stop when it hit Cami, the Hondros family’s young Golden Retriever. It happened around 5:15 p.m. March 2 in front of the Hondros boys, ages 7 and 10. John Hondros, their dad, is offering a $1,000 reward. The Peninsula residents are moving from Jetton Road to a cul de sac where it’s safer for children and pets. Hondros says he called the police who told him no crime was committed, that there was nothing they could do. Police did not comment. “I’d like to have a discussion with whoever did this about what’s right or wrong,” Hondros said. If you have information about the incident, you can reach John Hondros at jphondros@gmail.com
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 5
Beach at Ramsey Creek in next wave of improvements
Homes planned for property on Jetton By Dave Vieser A proposal to build 22 single-family homes on the prime, vacant 5.6 acre parcel behind the Jetton Cove Harris Teeter has been submitted to the town and will be the subject of a community information meeting Tuesday March 31 in Town Hall. The proposal will ultimately require the town's formal approval to rezone the property. Separately, Wakeman Charities' Jetton Park Triathlon is not being held this year. The site behind Harris Teeter was a staging and parking area for the event for several years. The proposed residential development has been named Jetton Cove at Charles Towne Lane by developer Best Equity Ventures Organization V and Hopper Communities. Hopper communities, in partnership with Lincoln Property Company, also developed Jetton Cove at Lake Norman, a 300-unit development. On their web site, Hopper Communities states they have close to 10 active neighborhoods in various stages of completion in the Carolinas. According to the town's planning director Wayne Herron, the same site was the subject of a different housing proposal back in 2012. "That proposal was for 50 single family units, but it was withdrawn before it made it to the Planning Board or the Town Board." At that time, the town's Transportation Advisory Board, which is now dormant, had reviewed the plans and raised a number of concerns over the additional traffic which the 50 new homes would generate in the area.
Cornelius Commissioners hold 'Coffee Chat' April 6
Cornelius Commissioners Jim Duke and Woody Washam, both of whom are running for re-election this year, will hold their second Cornelius Coffee Chat at Acropolist Restaurant April 6. The casual breakfast discussion will feature N.C. Sen. Jeff Tarte and Town Manager Anthony Roberts. The discussion will include details on more than a dozen major local projects.
22 homes not 50
It looks like there's going to be public swimming in Cornelius once again. Mecklenburg County Parks Director Jim Garges says a public beach at Ramsey Creek Park will open next year. Based on parking for 127 cars, the beach might accommodate around 500 swimmers. It will be the only beach in Mecklenburg County. "I wish it was four times as big," Garges said. There is no lake swimming set aside by the Town of Cornelius. Mecklenburg County plans to spend up to $425,700 on the new beach, which includes grading, restroom improvements and renovations to the guard shack. Construction should get under way as soon as the new fiscal year starts. It should be ready for the public by summer next year. Road improvements at the intersec-
tion of Nantz and W. Catawba, are not part of the plan at this time. Garges said the park will be manned by five or six life guards from dawn to dusk “We’re going to overstaff it to make sure we’re ready for anything,” Garges said. The beach is expected to help promote tourism in Cornelius, although residents "will always have priority," Garges said. Deploying some kind of check-in system for residents vs. nonresidents would in and of itself cost time and money. "We'll just need to evaluate the feasibility of charging," he said.
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8 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Bailey model race car team heading to nationals By Dave Vieser Horsepower Motorsports, Bailey Middle School's businesslike—and fun—model car racing team, will go to Houston, Texas next month to compete in the national finals for 1-10th scale radio-controlled model cars. Bailey's team, which started in 2013, has amassed an impressive series of accomplishments in their short existence. Think Science, Technology, Engineering and Math on four wheels. Students modify and race the cars against other teams while using cooperative learning and team building. The team believes in hard work and working together. Seventh grade teacher Stephanie Coggins, who formed the team, explains that each student plays an important role. The team runs like a business. This season they placed first overall in the Carolinas Invitational's competition, including first in graphic design, first in marketing and first in driving. In 2013, the Bailey team placed first overall in the Carolinas Invitational's competition, and placed first at the
The team: ‘Collaboration’ is the operative word.
national competition in driving. They even have a web site: www. horsepowermotorsports.weebly.com. It comes complete with a video most
small businesses would be proud of, as well as well-stated objectives like "Whether we succeed or fail, we always have fun," and "We collaborate." Bailey's team got into high gear after Coggins spent three days at a workshop in 2013 learning how to coach a competition team and integrate STEM into the school's curriculum. They compete at a regional and national level with other middle school and high school teams. The team is comprised of 20 sixth, seventh and eighth graders, male and female. Replicating the approach of NASCAR teams, each student either runs or is part of a department, including graphic design, marketing, community outreach, web design, aerodynamics, robotics, renewable energy, and creative engineering. The approach is paying off. The Bailey team has already been awarded a grant from the Charlotte Hornets Foundation for $2,500 and an additional $595 from Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional women educator's organization. In addition, they are holding the first annual Horsepower Motorsports Charity Golf Tournament sponsored by Speedway Motorsports on Monday April 27 at River Run Country Club in Davidson. "All of this will help us prepare for the resources and transportation costs necessary for the trip to Houston in May," Coggins said.
Information
More information on the first annual golf tournament to benefit the Bailey Middle School Horsepower Motorsports Team is available at www.horsepowermotorspor ts.weebly.com/golftournament.
Race cars are 1/10 scale.
10 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Smithville community has been close-knit through the years By Dave Yochum Because the 2015 Black History Month Celebration at Cornelius Town Hall honored the Rivens and Potts families, it was like a family reunion for more than 100 people, most of them born and raised in Smithville. Mindful of a key voting block, wouldbe politicians attended too. Indeed, the Rivens’ and the Potts’ are part of the fabric of old Cornelius. Members of both families operated barber shops that cut hair for black and white men alike. “It was a true community back then, one where they say it takes a village to raise a child, where everybody participated. There were a lot of children in the community. We always played outside. We could go anywhere in the community and anybody could be our parent,” says Ron Potts, whose brother Mickey runs Potts Barber Shop now. “It was a wonderful place to grow up.” Their father, Wilson Potts, was the patriarch of the family, and one of the elders of Smithville. He was respected by black and white alike in what was still largely a mill town, having been transformed by the textile industry starting around 1905. Black families mostly lived in Smithville just east of Highway 21 along Catawba Avenue. While there was plenty of turmoil in other cities and communities during the 1960s, Cornelius avoided all that. Residents today credit level-headed and big-hearted people, black and white, in Cornelius. Before 1972, black barber shops like Wilson Potts’ cut white men’s hair only. They didn’t cut hair for both black men and white men. It was an unwritten rule. Well-meaning Davidson College students weren’t quite ready for the sub-
Sister and brother Tonya Rivens and Martin Rivens grew up in Smithville
tleties around black barbers and white customers around 1968 up in Davidson. The late Ralph Johnson, a black barber who later attended Community in Christ Lutheran Church in Cornelius, found himself in the middle of subtle and unspoken segregation. In his autobiography, “David Played a Harp,” Johnson wrote about how he lost his business when Davidson College students picketed for not cutting blacks' hair. In 1942 Rutt Norton started barbering on Brick Row in old downtown Cornelius, but the customers were white only. The Potts boys shined shoes back when people dressed sharp on Saturday night. You could always get your shoes shined by the Potts boys; the Stinson boys, Barry, Wilson and Ronnie; and the Forney boys, Wilbert and Gilbert or Peewee. Wilson Potts bought the barber shop in 1957. Of course the customers were all white and the barbers were all black. Wilson was one of the people who brought water to Smithville when it was literally on the outskirts of Cornelius. They had kerosene lights before World War II and no runFormer Cornelius Mayor Lynette Rinker and Dr. James Potts ning water. The men
dug trenches around the Smithville community on their days off and water pipes were laid in. Flash forward to the turmoil of the 1960s, the Martin Luther King assassination and the Swann vs. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools decision in 1971. The New South still resembled the Old South in some ways. But in 1972 a black man named Toot Burton walked into Potts Barber Shop. “Wilson told him to sit down,” Ron Potts says. And that was the end of segregation. Among the people attending the Black History Month event at Town Hall was Mickey and Ron’s brother, Dr. James Potts, a well-known cardiologist from Nashville, Tenn. He completed his training at the University of Pennsylvania; he was a practitioner and professor of medicine at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, N.Y. “It just shows you what a little hardscrabble community can produce,” James said. He is on the faculty at Meharry Medical School in Nashville. Their father Wilson had a big rule: “If you didn’t go to church on Sunday, you couldn’t go out on the following Saturday night.” Mayor Pro Tem Woody Washam, who grew up in Cornelius, addressed the crowd too. Addressing old friends, he said: “If it weren’t known in that barber shop it didn’t happen. Potts Barber Shop…a majority of decisions that were made in this town started in Potts Barber Shop.”
Discussing both the Rivens and the Potts barber shops, he said, “These truly unique establishments have set the foundation for this town.” The leadership that came out of Cornelius’ old-time barber shops was formidable. Washam pointed out that Wilson’s daughter-in-law Nannie Potts became mayor of Cornelius. Tonya is among the most well-known members of the Rivens family: She is the on-air traffic personality on WBTTV and Power 98 Radio. “Cornelius was close-knit and caring…that’s why integration was able to happen. One of the jewels of this community was that integration was not an issue, Tonya said. “We have a special community here.” Her brother, Martin Rivens, was one of the kids who integrated Cornelius Elementary in 1964. “One of the things that was always emphasized in our family was getting an education,” he said, standing not far from one of the original Rivens barber shop chairs. “Everyone really loved my grandfather, so that made integrating easy. We didn’t have any problems, although it was a real difficult time. Everything turned out really well, I still have friendships to this day,” said Martin Rivens, whose passion was baseball. The Davidson Jets were the local team. Martin went on to land a scholarship to Gardner-Webb University. “The whole weekend in Cornelius was about baseball,” he said.
12 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Susan Tillis: Newsmaker in her own right Sure, there are luncheons to attend—there’s one with spouses from both chambers with first lady Michelle Obama in April—but Susan Tillis is quietly working her own meaningful agenda in concert with her husband, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. She wants to support members of the U.S. Armed Forces, their spouses and veterans. Speaking at Cornelius Today’s Newsmakers Breakfast last month, Ms. Tillis said she was moved to focus on the military after a visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where she helped cook meals for wounded warriors. “There is also a real need in North Carolina to do something, and I wanted to do something uniquely our own on our end,” she says, explaining that she is working on two or three projects or events to help military families and soldiers in North Carolina. "You see these brave men and women, some who have been there for five years and it just breaks your heart. We've got to do more for them," she said. She is also working on a Mother's Day event for the wives "who are too often the forgotten heroes." The former Cornelius resident, Realtor, real estate manager and mother of two grown children is no stranger to playing an active role in community service and politics. Susan taught Sunday school, was an active PTA volunteer, Girl Scout leader and volunteered in a variety of other or-
‘We’re North Carolinians before we’re ever going to be Washingtonians.’ ganizations. In 2005, she began a successful career at Allen Tate where she was nominated Rookie of the Year her first year. Five years later she was managing two of their offices. Of course husband Thom had meteoric rise from PTA president to Cornelius Town Commission, and then on to the N.C. House of Representatives where he became the first Republican Speaker of the House in a century. Susan quit her job at Allen Tate in 2013 to work full time as a volunteer on
Visit Lake Norman CEO Sally Ashworth asks a question
her husband’s campaign for U.S. Senate. She visited more than 65 counties during her travels, checking in with military spouses, large and small businesses and mayors of small towns. She was a capable pinch-hitter at an important campaign fundraiser at Mayor Chuck and Janice Travis’ house when the Speaker of the House was stuck in Raleigh. She told about 60 people at the Newsmakers Breakfast about her experiences during the Senate campaign, including one where Gov. Pat McCrory came up to their hotel suite at the Omni in Charlotte when it looked like Team Tillis was down by 200,000 votes statewide. She said the governor looked at her Twitter feed and told her not to worry, he was down by a lot more in 2008. “I finally looked at him and said, ‘Pat in 2008 you lost!’” Susan’s story brought down the house. They live in a “small, old” one-bedroom apartment in a townhouse on Capitol Hill. It has exposed radiators; they pay $1,800 a month in rent. The principal Tillis Senate office in North Carolina will be somewhere around Exit 18 on I-77. Long-time residents of The Peninsula, they now make See Susan Tillis, Page 13
Snapshot: Susan Tillis
Permanent home: Huntersville Number of friends on Facebook: 3,100 Family: Two grown children, plus U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis Stays slim: Paleo diet
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 13
SUSAN TILLIS
from page 12
their home in Huntersville. She told the audience that the transition from former Sen. Kay Hagan could have definitely been friendlier. The two candidates together spent more than $125 million on the race. That said, there was enough passion around the Tillis campaign for volunteers to come in from Texas and New York, as well as teenagers around the state. Has Thom Tillis, the quintessential guy next door, changed? No. “Thom has always been Thom. He’s going to be the same person he was when he went down the slip and slide at Big Day at the Lake. He’d rather be out in a T-shirt and shorts on his mountain bike.” “I want people to know that we want to be making a difference,” she said. The presenting sponsor of the Newsmakers Breakfast is Allen Tate Realtor Dixie Dean, a Cornelius resident. The Breakfast Sponsor is Cheri Thebeau, a Cornelius-based attorney. The Coffee sponsors are Davidson Wealth Management, Aquesta Insurance Services and Bank of the Ozarks.
14 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
News-e Ada Jenkins Gala is April 17 March 11. The Ada Jenkins Center will hold the “Red Hot Gala” at the Langtree Plantation in Mooresville April 17. This signature event is designed to raise awareness of the Ada Jenkins Center and its many programs while providing an opportunity for the community to come together to raise much needed funds to help meet the needs of our neighbors in the Lake Norman area. This year’s event will include live music and auctions. In 2013-2014, Ada Jenkins served 4,516 neighbors in need, providing 12,656 different services. The Ada Jenkins Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping citizens in the communities of Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville and S. Iredell County. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the Gala. More info: Jane Cacchione at 704-896-0471 x100 or email jane.cacchione@adajenkins.org.
News from www.CorneliusToday.com
Car-mageddon III: DDI striping creates huge backups on Catawba
March 17. Eastbound traffic on Catawba was backed up all the way to Jetton Road at 1 pm but only to Bethel Church Road at 2 pm as striping of the bridge over I-77 got under way in full swing. On Facebook, one driver posted this when she was stuck opposite Maddi’s Fatti’s bakery: “At this rate I could just put it in park, run across the street and grab a cupcake and no one would know the difference.” The bridge was closed last spring when the diverging diamond pattern was installed and again Jan. 10 when
the decorative masts and cables were installed. It looks like it’s best to avoid the area. Town officials said Police Chief Bence Hoyle is monitoring the “mess” on camera, and has plans in place to reroute EMS vehicles around the bridge. Cornelius Today Photographer Dave Vieser said traffic on Torrence Chapel Road was “backed up as far as the eye can see” at around 11 am. The DOT says there is another week to nine days of daytime striping work between 9 am and 4 pm.
Welcome to the Piedmont
March 16. If it looks like spring, feels like summer and it seems like winter was last week, you’re in the Piedmont. These trees, said to be cherry, were blooming on Peninsula Shores Drive
Resident receives award from NC Open Gov’t. Coalition March 17. Kurt Naas, spokesman of the citizens group WidenI77, received the 2015 Citizen’s Award from the N.C. Open Government Coalition at an event in Durham. The N.C. Open Government Coalition works to unite organizations interested in ensuring and enhancing the public’s access to government activity, records and meetings. The laws that require openness in government are called Sunshine Laws; the program is part of Sunshine Week, a national initiative spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors to educate the public about the importance of open govNAAS ernment and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy. The four awards presented were in the categories of advocacy, government, journalism, and citizen. Naas made numerous public presentations on the results of his independent research into the private toll lane project proposed for I-77. The stretch of interstate through the Lake Norman region is already one of the most congested roads in N.C. but has never been widened since it was constructed in the 1970’s. Naas predicted the project would ensure congestion and would result in tolls in the $6 to $10 range for a one-way trip. As a citizen Naas requested information on the project from the N.C. Department of Transportation through the Freedom of Information Act. His request discovered a study that verified his research. The study estimated tolls on I-77 could be $20 or more for a round-trip during peak traffic and also projected commute times to nearly double by the year 2035. Naas was nominated for the award by Doug Miller, Deputy City Editor of The Charlotte Observer. “I’m honored, surprised and humbled by the recognition,” Naas said. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a committed group of fellow citizens to help bring this wasteful project to light.”
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 15
News-e Harvey’s in Cornelius World Paddle Association paddle board competition benefits autism has closed
March 11. My Aloha Paddle and Surf, along with NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham, will host Stand Up for Autism benefitting autism services May 8-9, at Port City Club on West Catawba. The event will feature competitive and recreational races, which are open to the general public. The race is sanctioned by the World Paddle Association (WPA) and will be the first regional points race on Lake Norman. “After four years of promoting paddleboarding and introducing so many of our residents to the sport, it is so exciting to host a WPA race here in Lake Norman,” said Rob Bennett, owner of My Aloha Paddle
and Surf. Stand Up for Autism will support IGNITE, a community center in Davidson for young adults with highfunctioning autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. IGNITE offers activities, skills training, and educational workshops that foster independence for its members. IGNITE is operated by the Autism Society of North Carolina. It was founded in 2012 by Evernham whose son has Asperger’s Syndrome. The event will begin Friday evening with a kick-off party from 6-9 p.m. at Port City Club, which will include food, beverages, silent auction and music.
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March 18. It looks like Harvey’s in Cornelius will close after several years on Liverpool Parkway near the Post Office. Co-owner Charlie Dyer could not be reached for comment, but a manager on site said March 18 would be their last night. Harvey’s was recently the site of charitable events including the annual Kiwanis Breakfast and the Big Day at the Lake Beach Bash. The building, which at one time it housed R.J. Gator’s and the Lake Norman Brewing Co., was purchased for $1.66 million in 2006 by Liverpool Parkway Inc. from Sacramento Inc. The property is assessed at $1.45 million.
Gas Mart closed but Saeed’s stays open March 11. Saeed Safaie, owner and operator of Saeed’s Bar and Grill has a message for everyone in and around Cornelius: “We’re still open!” Despite the recent closure of Sam’s Express Mart in front of Saeed’s on Catawba Avenue just east of I-77, his night spot remains open for food, drink and karaoke. Safaie said he has received 50 calls in the past two weeks asking if his business also closed. “Absolutely not. We remain open and intend to stay that way,” he said, standing outside the business at 20832 Catawba Ave. The confusion was caused by the recent closing of the Sam’s Express Mart, previously known as Joseph’s Mart. Sam’s took over management from Joseph Jaouny last year, but the lease ran out March 1. They chose not to exercise a five year option.
For lease signs are now posted on the convenience store and John Springsteed of Springsteed Realty, which has the listing, is optimistic it will be filled sooner rather than later. “I’ve already had several calls about that building. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a convenience store, since it’s zoned for retail business.” Springsteed says they are asking $3,900/month rent for the 2,400 squarefoot store. Meanwhile, Safaie is hoping that the town will give him permission to erect a “Saeeds is still open” sign at the curb. “Having that type of sign would really be very helpful.” It sounds like Safaie may get his wish. Wayne Herron, Cornelius Planning Director, says “we would allow them up to a 60 day covering of the ground sign with a temporary sign that indicates he is still open.”
Meanwhile, the 58 year old Iranian native who opened in 1999 takes great pride in what he calls “a good clean place. I’m especially proud of our karaoke operation.” His customers are equally impressed. “They have the best karaoke system, hands down, over any place in the Greater Charlotte area” said Peggy C of Charlotte in an online review published by Yelp.com. “And they offer karaoke 7 days a week.”
Rivalssportsandhome.com
704-237-3696 19420 Jetton RD Cornelius NC 28031
16 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
News-e
News from www.CorneliusToday.com
Who was that masked man? Apparently someone name Benoit Constant
March 10. A second suspect has been arrested in that armed robbery at the Carolinas Telco Federal Credit Union on West Catawba Avenue back on Dec. 29. Benoit Constant was stopped during a routine traffic stop in Wichita Falls, Texas just this past Sunday. But after he gave a Trooper a false name and fled on foot, he confessed to beCONSTANT ing wanted in North Carolina. Constant is awaiting an extradition hearing to return to North Carolina where he will be charged with Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Making a False Bomb Report. The incident Dec. 29 was almost stunning in its brazenness. Cornelius Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Carolinas Telco, but the suspect, wearing a disguise, apparently made his getaway on foot and on a bicycle. Prior to this robbery, Cornelius Police responded to a bomb threat at the YMCA on the other side of Town. Police suspected the bomb threat was a diversion to pull police officers away from the area of the robbery. Police used video surveillance footage to locate a minivan in the area of the bomb threat matching the same description of the vehicle the witness described as seen parked behind the shopping center
where the cash and bicycle were found. This same vehicle was also identified in the area of the bank at the time of the robbery. The license plate of this minivan was captured through surveillance video and was registered in Delaware. From this information Cornelius Police, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police and the FBI, located and detained the vehicle and a suspect, Milandra Constant, an accomplice in the robbery. She was charged with Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Making a False Bomb Report.
Catawba Ave congestion should decrease
March 18. Catawba Avenue traffic around the DDI will get better. Seriously. Police Chief Bence Hoyle says he believes the worst is over, based on conversations with the people in charge of striping the Diverging Diamond. And that’s the NC Department of Transportation. “After some discussions on the mess they created, [they said] the rest of the work would have less impact,” the police chief had. East-bound traffic Tuesday afternoon was backing up from the bridge all the way back to Jetton Road. Thing is, the police department communicated with the DOT prior to the striping project getting under way. All is not well between the DOT and Cornelius as plans for a “super street” for Catawba avenue between Jetton and Sam Furr road unfold. In an email interview with Cornelius Today, Chief Hoyle said: “That said, the frustrating part is we had this conver-
sation with NCDOT before this happened. We told them to do this at night, but we have no control over them. The best we could get from them is they would try to avoid the rush hours and lunch rush. Frustrating.” Striping is being done between 9 am and 4 pm and is expected to continue no more than seven or eight more days. Town staff say they were not notified until around Friday noon last week. They, in turn, issued a press notification around 9:30 am Sunday saying the work would begin Monday. It didn’t, although a WSOC-TV news van was on scene at 9 am Monday. Striping began in earnest yesterday— while town officials were on a budget retreat in Winston Salem—and all heck broke loose. Drivers on Catawba avenue could not get from Point A to Point B without major delays. It ended in the evening, and it has not been as bad today.
Cornelius, get ready for the Easter Bunny! Morning with the Easter Bunny The Town of Cornelius PARC Department is hosting a special “Morning with the Easter Bunny” Friday March 27 from 10 am to noon at the Cornelius Arts Center. There will be seasonal crafts, refreshments and a visit from Peter Cottontail. There is no charge for this event and no registration necessary. Do not forget to bring a camera!
Hop into Spring Hop into Spring on Saturday, March 28 at Robbins Park for an afternoon filled with family fun, including arts & crafts, inflatable obstacle course, balloon artist, face painting, DJ and of course, a visit from Peter Cottontail! Do not forget to bring a camera and your basket to collect toy-filled eggs at the different activity stations. Recommended for families with children ages 3-12.
18 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Home Sales
19628 Weavers Cir. for $1.4 million These recent property transactions in Cornelius and Davidson were recorded by the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds.
Cornelius 2/18/15 $399,000 South Creek Homes to Odis & Nancy Campbell, 12810 Meetinghouse Dr. 2/18/15 $491,000 Classica Homes to Cathy O’Nan, 18023 John Robbins Ln. 2/19/15 $364,000 Douglas &
Nancy Young to Zachary Wells & Jennifer Gawthrop, 21312 Baltic Dr. 2/19/15 $380,000 South Creek Homes to Charles & Julia D’Arezzo, 18429 Neville Ave. 2/20/15 $255,000 Jeffrey & Catherine Fanjoy to Christopher & Priscilla Saunders, 20718 Waters Edge Ct. 2/20/15 $225,500 Darragh Gyger & Garrett Greene to SilSee HOMES, Page 19
18318 Gleanealy Dr. for $334,000
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 19
Home Sales HOMES
from page 18
via Zhu, 21620 Old Canal St. 2/20/15 $1,400,000 Dayne & Melissa Roberts to Bryan & Tracie Persinger, 19628 Weavers Cir. 2/24/15 $156,000 Andrew & Jenny Allen to Randll Burnett, 9230 Washam Potts Rd. 2/25/15 $239,000 Amanda Burns to Korie & Francis Lambert, 18418 Victoria Bay Dr. 2/25/15 $290,000 Anna Wicks to Dane & Vinca Russell, 21000 Harken Dr. 2/26/15 $575,000 Classica Homes to David & Kerrie Adams, 18112 John Robbins Ln. 2/26/15 $82,000 US Bank to Rodney Kiser, 17619 Trolley Crossing Way 2/26/15 $290,000 Matthew & Rebecca Fedewa to Lauren & Adam Eberle, 9529 Renick Dr. 2/27/15 $178,500 Salvatore & Judity Patafio to Kayla Wyrick, 18816 Nautical Dr. Unit 2 2/27/15 $197,500 Lisa Speas to Deborah & Everett Lutz, Jonathan Lutz, 18827 Silver Quay Dr. 2/27/15 $480,000 Denisa Riley to Arnold & Vickie Fox, 17820 Sedona Way 2/27/15 $447,000 South Creek Homes to Eugene & Beverly Shapert, 18440 Neville Ave. 3/2/15 $475,000 Jen Revocable Trust to Anthony & Tanya Tolley, 21615 Scottcrest Cir. 3/2/15 $241,000 MS Antiquity to Brian Bachofner, 1424 South St. 3/3/15 $198,000 Adam & Lauren Eberle to Barbara Brock, 10319 Watoga Way 3/3/15 $179,500 NVR INc. to Deborah Trkula & Jamie Robb, 19749 Playwrights Way 3/4/15 $440,000 Thomas & Sharon Barnes to Shannon
Vandiver, 21536 Rio Oro Dr. 3/5/15 $444,000 South Creek Homes to Michael & Lynda Adler, 12510 Meetinghouse Dr. 3/6/15 $252,000 Jill & David Goodwin to Todd & Eleanor Caccamise, 18625 Cloverstone Cir. 3/11/15 $173,500 NVR Inc. to Cara Sandor, 19741 Playwrights Way 3/11/15 $189,000 Brian Jacobs & Jenna Dumond to Patricia Wolski, 11509 Heritage Green Dr. 3/12/15 $252,500 Matthew Cobb & Rachel Cobb to Laura DeAssis, 17616 Harbor Walk Dr. 3/12/15 $334,000 South Creek Homes to Clara Bezek, 18318
12510 Meetinghouse Dr. for $444,000
See HOMES, Page 22
Connecting you to your customers Contact Gail Williams at
704.895.1335
about advertising opportunities
20 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 21
22 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Home Sales
18023 John Robbins Ln. for $575,000
21536 Rio Oro Dr. for $440,000
HOMES
3/16/15 $489,000 Cunnane Group to Anthony Mellor, 20114 Dowry Ct. 3/16/15 $247,000 Benjamin & Marjorie Peace to Nicholas &
from page 19
Glenealy Dr. 3/13/15 $190,000 James & Jacqueline Uttley to Yvonne
Williams, 18828 Silver Quay Dr. #17 3/13/15 $182,000 NVR Inc. to Mary Jo Anderson, 19745 Playwrights Way
Teresa Kent, 17915 Crossing Cir.
Davidson 2/23/15 $385,500 MI Homes See HOMES, Page 24
Looking for transactions from a specific month?
Scan the code to find our digital records archive
CORNELIUS
20204 Lola Circle | $3,800,000
W A T E R F R O N T
THE PENINSULA
W A T E R F R O N T 19425 Peninsula Shores Drive | $1,987,000 THE PENINSULA
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W A T E R DE R N U F R O N T 17606 Westward Reach Road | $2,448,000
18320 Peninsula Club Drive | $669,000
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18901 Peninsula Club Drive | $1,585,000
18101 Watercraft Place- $1,099,000 THE PENINSULA
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18125 Sunset Cove Lane | $1,525,000 CORNELIUS
P O O L 21321 Bethel Church Road | $794,000 THE PENINSULA
19311 Stableford Lane | $699,000 THE PENINSULA
B O A T S L I P
17424 Sailors Watch Place | $499,000
LuxuryPortfolio.com/LakeNorman Dixie Dean
704-641-1465 Dixie.Dean@allentate.com DixieDean.com
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17105 Niblick Lane | $525,000
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24 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Home Sales HOMES
from page 22
of Charlotte to Gary Jr. & Lisa Christmas, 18537 Boulder Rock Loop 2/27/15 $848,000 Tom Palmer Homes to Edward & Robin Abramson, 17909 Nodghia Cir. 3/4/15 $996,000 ARH Models to Walter II & Monica Pittman,
18130 Shearer Rd. 3/6/15 $360,000 Michael Knox to Exodus Capital, 106 S. Main St. 3/3/15 $525,000 Tower Inc. to John Rose, 1027 San Michelle Pl. 3/2/15 $660,500 KCK South Main LLC to 455 Main South LLC, Unit 400 Davidson @
Opportunity Ahead! Contact Gail Williams at
704.895.1335 about advertising opportunities 18440 Neville Ave. for $447,000
South Main Condominium 3/16/15 $497,000 JCB Urban Co. to Jennifer Hutchins & Antonio Regina, 1116 Samuel Spencer Pkwy. 3/17/15 $282,000 Phillip & Pamela Marrett to John & Nancy Griffith, 241 N. Faulkner Way
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CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 25
Eclectique Market celebrates anniversary in Lake Norman EYE CARE
www.FriedmanEyeCare.com
Valentine Vignette
Lake Norman area Eclectique Market celebrated its two year anniversary in March. If you haven’t visited this small home décor and furniture store yet, it’s worth the stop! Many shoppers claim they have driven past the stores Hwy. 115 location hundreds of times before finally visiting for the first time only to regret that they hadn’t stopped sooner. This quaint home décor shop carries a variety of vintage furniture pieces and home décor accessories. Not only is its inventory unique, but the prices are very affordable. During my last visit to the shop, there were several eye-catching pieces displayed for sale. The first was a portable wine bar on casters that was constructed from a pair of shutters and hand-painted wood. There was also a vintage Thomasville High Boy chest of drawers hand painted in midnight blue and a traditional dresser by Basset that had been painted in a custom red finish. Not only are these pieces unique, but they were well-made unlike many of today’s mass produced pieces made overseas. Store owner Lillian Vandiver Hoopaugh hand picks her pieces from estate sales, thrift stores, CraigsList, and local yard sales. She used to custom paint all the pieces herself but as her business grew she needed to bring on three additional custom painters and part-time interior designer (Al Bell) to keep up with demand. In addition to furniture, the store carries an assortment of gifts including jewelry, soaps, candles, custom signs, and purses crafted by local artists. Hoopaugh says
the soaps were a huge hit during the Christmas holiday shopping season. While business has temporarily slowed the past several weeks due to weather, the store expects sales to pick up again with warming temperatures this spring. And even though business has grown significantly since opening two years ago, Hoopaugh plans to keep it small and eclectic at 502-B Old Statesville Road.
Call to schedule your appointment today! Friedman Eye Care, O.D., PLLC 19900 W. Catawba Ave., Cornelius
Where quality care is easy to SEE! 704.892.8282
Jamie McNeilis is an Accredited Staging Professional and owner of Centerpiece Home Staging in Cornelius. Email Jamie at Jamie.McNeilis@ CenterpieceHomeStaging.com for home decorating and improvement topics you would like covered in Home Decor
Silhouette Ray-Ban Costa Del Mar Lilly Pulitzer Michael Kors Kate Spade Juicy Couture Vera Wang Jimmy Choo
$100 Gift Certificate To be used towards your next purchase of a complete pair of glasses Expires 5/31/15 Eye Care and Eyewear are eligible for Flex Spending Account Benefits
26 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
DOT official forecasts I-485 will be complete May-August
By Dave Vieser As motorists in the Lake Norman/ Golden Crescent region continue to wait for traffic signals on arteries such as Poplar Tent Road, they often wonder when the final section of the I-485 loop around Charlotte will be completed. The newest estimate from a DOT official: Sometime between May and August. Though not specifically on the agenda, the issue came up at the March meeting of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission (LNTC) held March 11, in Huntersville. Warren Cooksey of the DOT said the contract with Blthye Construction calls for completion by mid August, but he's hoping it will be sooner. "I've urged that we try and get it done by race week," Cooksey said. Race week this year is the week of May 18, and completion of the I-485 loop would expedite traffic flow in and around Charlotte Motor
Lions Club Golf tournament is April 20 The North Meck Lions Club Golf Tournament will be April 20 At Northstone Country Club. The fee is $100 per golfer and includes lunch and dinner. Held in memory of Russell Knox and Don Howie, the tournament begins with registration and lunch at 11:30 am. The range opens at 10. Shotgun start at 1 pm, captains choice format. The award ceremony and dinner is at 6 pm. More info: www.northmecklionsgolf.org
Speedway. Cold weather has been the major enemy of a more rapid completion, according to Cooksey. "The concrete has to be a certain warmth so the lane markings can adhere." A concrete plant has been set up in the middle of the unfinished section to hasten the paving process. "When you see the concrete plant removed, you'll know we're just about done." Originally the state and Blythe hoped to complete the final leg in northeast Mecklenburg County by the end of last December. The final 5.7 mile section runs from N.C. 115 to I-85. The 'turbo' interchange at I-85 and I-485 in Concord is already essentially complete. The contract with Blythe is for $139.5 million and when the final stretch is open later this year, it will mark the end of a 25 year process to build a true Charlotte interstate loop.
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 27
Jimmy John’s sandwiches is coming freaky fast
In addition to banks, Cornelius is becoming the place to be for food. While work is under way at the new Penn Station Sandwiches on West Catawba Avenue, Jimmy John’s says it will open two blocks to the north, next to the Tropicana. In another win for local economic development, the 2,300 square foot eat-in/take-out restaurant, along with a drive-through facility, will be opening within the next several weeks at 19732 West Catawba Ave., in space once occupied by a smoke shop and before that the Pantry Convenience Store. “We are stoked to become a part of the Cornelius community,” said Jimmy John’s spokesman Nathan Louer. “Our owner, Matthew Perrault, has multiple Charlotte area locations including Mooresville, and had been patiently waiting for the right location to become available. He finally found the right building in Cornelius. We love creating local jobs and look forward to bringing our freaky fast subs to Cornelius!” Jimmy John’s is a franchised sandwich restaurant chain, specializing in delivery and take out. Based in Champaign, Ill., the company opened their first restaurant in 1983. Today, they have over 2,000 locations in 43 states, including facilities in both Huntersville and Mooresville. They take great pride in using fresh ingredients. “No additives, no vegetable-based fillers, no fake stuff,” is how they put it on the company web site. “Real Hellmann’s mayo, real Grey Poupon, real olive oil– it’s the best of the best.” Parking will be available in both the front and rear of the new Cornelius restaurant, according to Peyton Woody
of Woodbine Design, which is handled the restaurant’s refurbishing. “The owners elected not to go through the lengthy rezoning process” Woody said. “Therefore, the drivethrough will be located behind the restaurant, and a new access driveway will be constructed from Manhattan Parkway. We’re also adding parking spaces in the rear too.” — Dave Vieser
28 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
New Corporations
These corporations have registered with the N.C. Secretary of State
Cornelius 2/18/15 Chloe’s Uniforms LLC, Drew A. Richards, 215 S. Main St., Ste. 301, Davidson 2/18/15 CHR Doubletree Inc., Jean Cronkhite, 19507 Denaue Lynn Dr., Cornelius 2/18/15 Edenton Airport Solar LLC, Adam Will Foodman, 17115 Kenton Dr., Ste. 2206A, Cornelius 2/18/15 Frachon Risk Management LLC, Kathy Frachon, 19825 B. North Cove Rd., Apt. 212, Cornelius 2/18/15 Vroombrands LLC, Shawn A. Copeland, 215 S. Main St., Ste. 301, Davidson 2/19/15 Joni Gabriel Properties LLC, Joni Gabriel, 21143 Harken Dr., Cornelius 2/19/15 MOS Holdings LLC, Lynn Rappaport, 18033 Lochcarron Ln., Cornelius 2/19/15 Tom Moen Homes LLC, Tom Moen, 20122 Coachmans Wood Ln., Cornelius 2/20/15 EyeBudeez LLC, Frances P. Tharp, 514 Jetton St., Davidson 2/20/15 Seek Educate Explore and Develop for Students, Juliana M. Correa, 10523 Caldwell Depot Rd., Cornelius 2/20/15 Synshark LLC, Paul Ornstein, 19825-B N. Cove Rd., #132, Cornelius 2/23/15 CJN Dance & Fitness LLC, Chrysta Jolly-Nestor, 19523 Sunnypoint Ct., Cornelius 2/23/15 JKS Property Management LLC, James Kevin Slaughter, 15850 Kiser Corner Ln., Davidson 2/25/15 FFD Holdings LLC, Amy Beal Crofoot, 20338 Colony Point Ln., Cornelius 2/25/15 The Lan E. Hardy Foundation, Lan E. Hardy, 18700 Bluff Point Rd., Cornelius 2/25/15 Painted Oak Properties LLC, Erika M. Erlenbach, 209 Delburg St., Ste. 203,
Davidson 2/27/15 Properties at Lake Davidson Inc., Richard D. Enderby, 1031 San Michele Pl., Davidson 2/27/15 Townhomes at Lake Davidson, Richard D. Enderby, 1031 San Michele Pl., Davidson 3/1/15 Wisdom Integrative Counseling PLLC, Christine Wisdom, 21000 Torrence Chapel Rd., Unit 200A, Cornelius 3/2/15 Better Trucking Resources LLC, Christina Sharpe, 8615 Creek Trail Ln., Apt. 813, Cornelius 3/2/15 Friends of Jesus LLC, Richard Boughrum, 20102 Dowry Ct., Cornelius 3/2/15 Van, Wyatt, and Schoch Inc., Tim Schoch, 18230 Delray Dr., Cornelius 3/3/15 Bella Casa Real Estate LLC, Nicholas Casa, 1114 Torrence Cir., Davidson 3/4/15 Perfecta Wellness Inc., Robert B. Newkirk III, 19810 W. Catawba Ave., Cornelius 3/5/15 Hopkins Consulting Company Inc., David L. Hopkins, 1217 Hudson Pl., Davidson 3/5/15 K&H Development Inc., Timothy M. Kiernan, 445 Pine Rd., Davidson 3/5/15 Quiet Winds LLC, Brianna Bedigian, 305 Walnut St., Davidson 3/6/15 Policy Premium Finance Service Inc., Jack Shaw, 17303 Players Ridge Dr., Cornelius 3/6/15 Shadowrun LLC, Karen Furstenberg, 17205 Island View Dr., Cornelius 3/6/15 Taproot Ensemble LLC, Camerin Watson, 18012 Bluff Inlet Rd., Cornelius 3/6/15 Total Lines Carrier LLC, Carlo Marrone, 9625 Parma Dr., Ste. 202, Cornelius 3/9/15 Green Heart Health Inc., Christen Jager, 610 Jetton St., Ste. 120-113, Davidson 3/9/15 Lake Norman Cake Studio LLC, Richard Asken, 12707 Windsor Crest Ct., Davidson
3/9/15 Mimacom USA Inc., Matthew J. Whitaker, 18137 West Catawba Ave., Ste. 5, Cornelius 3/9/15 Rosh Company Wares LLC, Shahrzad Hooshmand, 19310 Peninsula Shores Dr., Cornelius 3/9/15 Salabova LLC, Stephen Romeo, 8725 Creek Trail Ln., #407, Cornelius 3/9/15 Upside Write LLC, Chrishelle Micolucci, 21201 Baltic Dr., Cornelius 3/10/15 Computer Support Group LLC, Peter J. Stauner Jr., 10418 Conistan Pl., Cornelius 3/10/15 KCK Ventures LLC, Dennis R. Kazmierczak, 17538 Sail View Dr., Cornelius 3/11/15 Farmville Solar LLC, Adam Will Foodman, 17115 Kenton Dr., Ste. 206A, Cornelius 3/11/15 Mojo Leather LLC, Nathaniel Gandy, 9223 Ducati Ln., Cornelius 3/11/15 Steelo LLC, Kenneth Accetta, 8739 Westmoreland Lake Dr., Cornelius 3/12/15 ARK Group of Puerto Rico LLC, Noah Lazes, 19401 Old Jetton Rd., Ste. 101, Cornelius 3/12/15 Spoked LLC, Caroline Westray, 20605 Cornelius St., Cornelius 3/12/15 Tolson Solar LLC, Adam Will Foodman, 17115 Kenton Dr., Ste. 206A, Cornelius 3/13/15 NC Sports Media LLC, Keith A. Calcagno, 18510 Town Harbour Rd., Cornelius 3/13/15 NPI Piedmont LLC, Gary Hudkins, 20212 Colony Point Ln., Cornelius 3/16/15 Cody Phillips Agency LLC, Anthony Cody Phillips, 20823 North Main St., Ste. C, Cornelius 3/16/15 Friday Afternoon LLC, Diana Marie Brush, 235 Hobbs St., Davidson 3/16/15 Vision Building Group of the Southeast LLC, Adam G. Breeding, 9606 Bailey Rd., Ste. 260, Cornelius
More new corporations are online at www.corneliustoday.com
30 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Senior News
It’s time for spring clean-up to recharge and be positive Very seldom do I make walking in someone else’s New Year’s Resolutions. It shoes or selfishly fulfilling doesn’t seem right to make our own needs? important decisions in the • With what are we filing dead of winter when the our minds? Is there a lot trees are bare, the lawn is of extraneous knowledge, brown, and it’s dark at 4:30. trivial snippets, or thoughts In fact, I don’t really make that bring us down? Are resolutions at all. However there fond memories or I do give deep thought to hurtful ones? Are we my life around the time searching for knowledge Joanne Ahern when the clocks change, Seniors Columnist and understanding? the daffodils are peeking Find a quiet place and from the ground, and the birds sing with a pen and paper, and take a walk joyfully at dawn. I have a spring in my around in each area of your life. Don’t step, a song in my heart and the hope try to do this all in one session as it will that spring brings, signaling the dawn take attention, time and energy. Ask of something new. yourself these questions: There is work do be done in spring. • How do you feel about each area? I have to clean up my yard of fallen • List what you are pleased with branches, left over leaves, and weeds and what you would like to change. that amazingly still grow in the win• Now ask why are you pleased or ter. Roses need to be pruned, the displeased? bird feeders cleaned and put away, the • What do these things say about bird houses gotten out and the gutyou, both the good and the not so ters cleaned. Indoors there’s window good? washing, curtain laundering, air filter • Is this the light in which you replacing, smoke detector batteries to would like others to see you? be changed. • Do these things reflect the esDeep thought also takes work. Resence of who you are? flecting over the past year means tak• If these life attributes were to tell ing stock of events that affected our a story about you, what would the lives; the good and the bad, what will story be? I keep, what will I change, what will I I believe that if we exorcise negative, throw away, what will I store away for unhelpful thoughts and actions from another day. Just as we clean up the our lives, it is necessary to fill that gap yard or house, using reflection, we with something positive otherwise we ought to clean up the rooms of our lives. open ourselves to more negativity takOur hearts, our hands, our feet and our ing its place. We end up exchanging minds can get overcrowded, too tight, one negative thing for another and we too busy, tired and ineffectual. haven’t made any progress. The world • What do we hold in our hearts? is filled with books, writings, and sugIs it a relationship, a memory, love, gestions on how to live a meaningful bitterness, jealousy, envy, kindness, life. You can choose from any number godliness, faithfulness? of them whether they be about posi• What are we doing with our tive thinking or a list of service organihands? Are we serving others, are zations where you can volunteer your we busy with home projects, are we time. If our thoughts are true, noble, neglecting our needs while fulfilling right, pure, lovely, and admirable, and the needs of others? Or are we ne- our actions spring from these thoughts, glecting the needs of others just to we are indeed on the right track for a please ourselves? Are we serving thorough spring clean-up. others only to uplift ourselves? • What about our feet? Do our feet Joanne Ahern is the director of go where our beliefs live? Are we North Mecklenburg Senior Center attending seminars, going to work, Inc., a United Way Agency. You can frequenting restaurants or clubs that reach her at 704-875-1270. lift us up or drag us down? Are we
Newsmakers b r e a k f a s t Wednesday, April 22 with
Ann Clark
Superintendent of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Rhonda Lennon
Charlotte mecklenburg schools Board of Education
The Peninsula Club 19101 Peninsula Club Dr., Cornelius $12 - Includes Breakfast Doors open at 7:15 a.m. for Networking Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. — Concludes at 8:55 a.m.
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32 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Ivonne Reed, daughter Madison share recipe for apple dumplings
Please join us for the following Easter & Holy Week Services and Activities at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.
All are welcome!
For Ivonne Reed, cooking is all about family and friends. “I love having family and friends over to enjoy my favorite recipes,” she says. She and husband Robert live on Westmoreland Lake Drive with their daughter Madison. They moved to Cornelius in 2003.
“Outside of being a mom, my time is consumed with fundraising for Langtree Charter Academy, and coaching a Girls on the Run team,” she says. Girls on the Run is a non-profit program for girls in the third through eighth grade. Their mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. The program teaches life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running games. Ivonne comes from a family of teachers. Both her parents taught and her father was a high school football coach. But six-year-old Madison is the Reed’s focus, and Ivonne loves to cook with her., and carry on a family tradition. “I learned how to cook from my mother, Roxie. My mother is a wonderful cook and has always made simple recipes,” she says. A lot have come from church cookbooks that have been passed down to Ivonne and her sister. Her favorite dessert to cook is called “Roxie’s Apple Dumplings.” “This was one of my favorite as a child. I loved being in the kitchen and helping my mother with this recipe. We had some great conversations. I am so happy making this recipe now with Madison,” Ivonne says.
Roxie's Southern Apple Dumplings
Sunday, March 29 Palm Sunday Worship Services: 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00am. All children and adults will receive a palm branch to wave and take home. Thursday, April 2 Maundy Thursday Worship Service – 7:00pm in the Sanctuary This service is a remembrance of the last supper of Jesus with the celebration of Communion, which is open to all people. Friday, April 3 Good Friday Worship Service – 7:00pm in the Sanctuary This service will focus on the story of Jesus’ death and will include prayer, scripture reading, hymns and the stripping of the altar. Saturday, April 4th “Silent Saturday” Service – 2pm at the Outdoor Chapel (weather permitting) This is a quiet reflective service focusing on helping us learn to hope when we cannot see hope. Park in the church parking lot and there will be signs directing you toward the outdoor chapel.
Community Children’s Easter Egg Hunt 10:00am – 12pm in the Gym Children will gather in the gym for an opening activity. Older children are invited to be helpers. This is free and open to the community. Sunday, April 5th Easter Sunday Service Times 7:00am Sunrise Service Located between the Sanctuary and the Cemetery in the parking lot. 8:30am Worship in the Sanctuary with Chancel Choir, Brass and Handbells. Identical to the 11:00am service. 9:45am Worship in the Family Life Center with the Praise Team. 11:00am Worship in the Sanctuary with Chancel Choir, Brass and Handbells. Identical to the 8:30am service.
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church - 19600 Zion Avenue Cornelius, NC 28031 - www.mtzionumc.net
• • • • • • •
• • • • •
Ingredients
Pie Crust Recipe 2 cups of sifted flour 1 tsp of salt 2/3 cups of Crisco shortening 4 tbsp of water Blend with a pastry cutter Gather the dough and press to a ball
Sauce for Dumplings
2 cups of hot water 2 tbsp of butter 1 cup of sugar 1 tsp of vanilla Bring to a boil and pour over dumplings
Directions:
1. Make the pie crust into 8 circles 2. Core 8 tart cooking apples (such as a Granny Smith or Stayman's apples 3. Set each cored apple on the a pie crust circle 4. Fill the cavity with a pat of butter (tsp of butter) 5. 2 tsp of brown sugar and sprinkle of cinnamon 6. Gather the pie crust over the apple pressing the edges to seal and arrange in a baking dish. 7. Cover with syrup and bake with 350 degrees till golden brown 8. Cook for 30 minutes
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 33
Community School student gets Hope Paige scholarship
Lucia Coppola, an 18-year-old from Cornelius who will graduate from Community School of Davidson this spring, has been awarded one of only five $5,000 Hope Paige HERB It Forward scholarships because of her “exemplar y commitment to paying it for ward.” Lucia has Von Willebrand disease, a bleeding disorder. She was diagnosed about a year ago when a ruptured cyst caused unusual hemorrhaging. She has Type 1, Von Willebrand disease, which means her blood contains too little of one of the key factors which causes blood to clot. Her mom and dad are Mar y and Stephen Coppola. The family lives on Summerbrook Drive on the edge of Davidson. Their relationship with Hope Paige started when Lucia got a medical alert necklace from Hope Paige. Her condition has not slowed her down much. “It is not that big a deal to me,” she says, “so it’s not a big deal to others.” Always interested in social service—her late grandmother was a dedicated social worker—Lucia started a Homeless Outreach club at
school and volunteered in a variety of shelters. She liked the shelter for victims of domestic violence the best because, as she says, “clients come to the shelter at their lowest points, and are surrounded by so much hope as they begin the process of healing and rebuilding their lives.” Lucia will attend the UNC-Wilmington in the fall. She plans to do her undergraduate in business administration and then get a masters degree in social work. Her eventual aim is to work in a shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and ultimately, to be the director of a shelter. The Hope Paige organization says the scholarship was created to reward “committed and enthusiastic” young adults who have the desire and drive to make a difference. “The ‘HERB it For ward’ Scholarship was created to educate those future leaders who will continue to pay it for ward," says Shelly Fisher, CEO of Hope Paige Medical. Only five students around the country earned $5,000 scholarships. Others received $500 and $1000 scholarships.
34 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Scene and Heard Around Town
Auctioneer extraordinaire: Robert Reed was auctioneer in chief at the Big Day at the Lake Beach Bash. The event raised more than $7,500 for Big Brothers Big Sisters
Legislators support Kiwanis: NC Rep. John Bradford and NC Sen. Jeff Tarte, both Cornelius residents, attended the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at Harvey’s in Cornelius
Historic tour: The North Branch of the Mecklenburg Historical Association will hold a guided tour of the Hugh Torance House and Store at 7 pm April 14. The buildings are among the very oldest structure in Mecklenburg. More info: Sarah Sue Hardinger 704-906-6656.
Picture this: Artist John Hairston Jr. painted live at a Cornelius Arts Center reception sponsored by Cornelius Today in March. On the left, the artist with a blank canvas. On the right, his finished painting.
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 35
Scene and Heard Around Town
Giving back: Lake Norman Campus Pastor Matthew Drew (third from left) presented the Town of Cornelius with a new multi-passenger van. Also pictured are Town Manager Anthony Roberts, Commissioner Bruce Trimbur, Mayor Chuck Travis, Mayor Pro Tem Woody Washam and Commissioners Thurman Ross, Jim Duke and Dave Gilroy
New business touchdown: Dr. Richard Rolle, an oral surgeon, stands with his No. 87 Notre Dame jersey with Ken Pitts in Rolle’s new office
Lake Norman Realty annual awards Top 2014 Associates pictured from Left to Right; President Abigail Jennings, Rich Tomasini, Ann Scott, Nancy Hucks, Company Mom Jane Getsinger, Debbie Monroe, Julie Jones, Paul Tyson, Gail Huss, Linda Schafer, and General Manager Shantae Brown.
36 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
Transportation planning vote could mean $230M for roads By Dave Vieser Despite a last-minute change in the ranking of several projects, delegates from the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRPTO) have approved a list of projects for $230 million in state transportation funds.
The list, approved by a weighted 44-11 vote at CRPTO's March 18 meeting in Charlotte, will be the subject of a public hearing in June, and final adoption by Aug. 19. The projects include roundabouts for Catawba Avenue at both Highway
LAKE NORMAN KIWANIS Helping Children in Our Community
Weekly breakfast meetings 7:30am at Acropolis Café in Cornelius
704-490-0883 www.lakenormankiwanis.org
1 meeting, Charlotte City Councilwom21 and Torrence Chapel. "The projects adopted by CRTPO an Vi Lyles successfully lobbied to will benefit the citizens of the Charlotte have the ranking of improvements to region, and in particular the Lake Nor- Lakeview Road between Highways 21 man communities," said Bill Thunberg, and 115 in Charlotte moved up while executive director of the Lake Norman I/77 Sunset Road interchange improveRegional Transportation Commission ments and I/77/I40 improvements in Statesville were lowered. (LNRTC) Prior to the vote, Statesville Mayor If all goes as planned, many of the Pro Tem Michael projects on the list Johnson remindwill receive someed the CRPTO thing called bonus delegates that the allocation funds, Statesville intera one-time pot of change is a "safety money—currently estimated at $144.5 TRANSPORTATION issue that desperately needs to be million—for local addressed." Lyles jurisdictions along the I-77 toll lane project. "If the man- said she agreed with him and suggestaged lanes happen, North Mecklen- ed that some of the other projects on burg and South Iredell will receive a the list might fall off, making room to very appropriate amount of funds from move the Statesville project back up. Bill Coxe, Huntersville's transportathe bonus allocation to meet some badly needed roadway improvements tion director, reviewed the details of in our region," said Cornelius Com- the projects at the meeting, and noted missioner and CRPTO delegate Woody that the timetable is very tight. "All Washam who voted in favor of the list. the funding must be obligated within Some projects will also receive Strate- a five-year period." CRPTO delegates gic Transportation Planning (STP) or agreed to receive timely updates as the program unfolds, to gauge if projects Direct Allocation (DA) funds. A draft list had previously been ap- are meeting funding timetables and proved by the LNRTC but at the March whether any changes should be made.
The recommended highway projects in the Lake Norman region by community Cornelius
On Sunday, Come Worship With Us Bethel Presbyterian Church 19920 Bethel Church Rd., Worship 9am & 11am Cornelius Presbyterian Church 21209 Catawba Ave., Worship 10:30am Church of the Good Shepherd Lake Norman YMCA, 21300 Davidson St. Worship 10am First Baptist Church 21007 Catawba Ave., Worship 11am Grace Covenant Church 17301 Statesville Rd, Worship 8am, 9:30am, 11:15am Mt. Zion United Methodist Church 19600 Zion St., Worship 8:30am, 9:45am, 11am
NorthCross Church 11020 Bailey Rd., Ste H, Worship 10:15am Point of Grace Lutheran Church 20700 N. Main St., Worship 8:30am, 11am The River Church 18731 W. Catawba Ave., Worship 10:30am Union Bethel AME Zion Church 20738 Catawba Ave., Worship 11am Community in Christ Lutheran Church 7621 Norman Island Dr., Worship 9:30am, 11am, Wednesday 7pm Calvary Chapel 18731 W. Catawba Ave., Worship 10am
• • • • •
US 21 and Catawba Avenue Roundabout: $6.7 mil. US 21 widening Northcross Center Court to Westmoreland Road: $23 mil. NC 115 and Potts Street-intersection improvements: $6 mil. Northcross Drive extension: $2 mil. Torrence Chapel Road and West Catawba Ave intersection improvements: $5 mil.
Huntersville • • • •
I-77 & Hambright Road--build an interchange for HOT lanes: $37 mil. Torrance Creek Greenway Underpass between I-77 Exits 23 and 25: $6 mil. NC 115--upgrade Main Street corridor: $5 mil. US 21 and Gilead Road--intersection improvements: $3.5 mil.
Davidson • •
I-77 Exit 30--Construct roundabouts: $3 mil. Potts-Sloan-Beatty Connector Road: $2.2 mil.
Mooresville • • •
NC 801/150 intersection improvements: $.6 mil. Fairview Flyover Network supporting new I-77 overpass: $8 mil. NC 150 widening from Harvel to Perth Road: $5 mil.
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 37
Thank you to all of our 2015 Big Day Sponsors at the Lake 11 ®
www.bigdayatthelake-lkn.com
2015 Presenting Sponsor 2015 Admiral Sponsors 2015 Captain Sponsors
2015 Commander Sponsors
Aquesta Bank - Lake Norman Kiwanis The McIntosh Law Firm - Tricia and Brian Sisson - Chantal and Denis Bilodeau Jim Duke - Joshua Dobi - Dr. Nancy and Jeff Tarte - Lake Norman Realty
2015 Mates Sponsors
Chuck Travis - Troy Stafford - Dirk Tischer and Heidi Hansen - Alton’s Kitchen and Cocktails- Team Honeycutt - Sharon and Woody Washam - Mauriello Law Office
2015 Skipper Sponsors
Dixie Dean - Thom and Susan Tillis Margaret and Blair Boggs - Mark and Lynette Rinker - Tracey and Dan Stehle - Howard Kaplan - Marcy and Jim Carlyle - Tom Dutton
2015 Crew Sponsors
Lapis Financial - Diane and Dave Gilroy Gail Williams In Memory of Bob Williams - Fresh Chef - Fine and Motherlode Wines
38 • CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015
soundoffcornelius@gmail.com
TM
Your comments and opinions since 2006
You, sir, are an idiot “Dear white pick-up truck speeding on Green Dolphin. Given the children, pedestrians and pets on our little street, you, sir, are an idiot.” —via anonymous SoundOff contact link on www.corneliustoday.com
Response to Grade for LKN Planners: F “I couldn’t agree more with your comments on poor planning in the LKN area. I would like to add a comment, we have allowed our Elected Officials and The Chamber of Commerce to take away our identity. I never see mention of Cornelius, it is always Lake Norman!” —via anonymous SoundOff link on www.corneliustoday.com
DDI: Charlie Foxtrot
Shame on electeds
“The DDI re-striping is a Charlie Foxtrot. People need to stop electing the cool kids and elect people with integrity that can actually get something done and not just show up for photo ops.”
“Shame on the elected officials of Cornelius for being complicit in the privatization of I-77 and willingly accepting what is equivalent to bribe money from NC and NCDOT.”
—via anonymous SoundOdd contact link on www.corneliustoday.com
—via anonymous SoundOff link on ww.corneliustoday.com
Synchronicity. Not. “Why do we have to spend several minutes and almost always stop at several lights to cross the bridge? Is this the way the DDI is supposed to work? If you come up Torrence Chapel and catch that light, when you turn left onto Catawba you have to stop before crossing the bridge, then when that light turns green you cross the bridge but have to stop for traffic that has not yet started to move at the light on the other side of the bridge, then when you go through that light you stop a 4th time at the light on Hwy 21 by Cashions because it is just now turning green and traffic hasn’t started moving yet. On the return trip the same things happens. If you catch the light coming north on 21, when it turns green you catch the light before the bridge, the light on the “Idea 1: What if we widened I 77 from exit 25 South towards Charlotte now, then other side of the bridge and when that light turns green you still cannot go belater finish the project up to exit 36, wouldn’t that ease some stress. cause the light at Catawba and Torrence Chapel is still red? Idea 2: Put in a toll on both sides just north of I 485 on I 77 in Huntersville now The CPD says this is not their job or problem to fix and the NCDOT doesn’t everyone pays. Then when the road is paid for, take the toll out. With as much care. They spent all this money and are too lazy or too dumb to properly synchrotraffic as there is, it would be paid for in no time.” nize the lights to improve traffic flow. That shouldn’t cost a dime.”
For whom the tolls toll
—via anonymous SoundOff link on www.corneliustoday.com
—via anonymous SoundOff link on www.corneliustoday.com
CORNELIUS TODAY • April 2015 • 39
soundoffcornelius@gmail.com A bridge too cheap
TM
“I know the bridge is not finished but what is there is underwhelming to say the least and the reason why I suspect is because of commissioner Gilroy be-
ing cheap as usual. I am sure during the planning phase he insured that many items were skimped on. Such as the height of the main poles and the diameter of the cabling and my guess is
the railing will stay as it is... standard and ugly. Not spending enough to do it right is unacceptable.”
Commissioner Dave Gilroy responds: Did my wife, Dee, write this? Underwhelming (so far) is EXACTLY right and the whole Board recognizes it. I only wish it was simply about cost efficiency – it wasn’t. We’ve spent considerable money on burying overhead utilities; brick/
granite sidewalks; decorative walls; the new mast arms and mono-poles for traffic lights; lighting fixtures; nice masonry on the sides and four corners (yet to come); landscaping (in progress now), etc. Without a doubt, however, the overall visual impact in daylight is NOT suf-
ficient. We’re going to do our best to correct that, with input from citizens – all ideas welcome!” • Editors Note: Our SoundOff policy calls for strict anonymity, even when seniors without email call them in. We’re also not getting in the middle of this.
Cornelius! There’s a new way to sound off!
Trip the lights. Fantastic. “Hopefully the crew that constructed the sailing masts and diverging disaster are not the same ones who installed the two very tall commercial decorative light poles on Liverpool Parkway just prior to the Jetton Road intersection. Those light poles fell over (base pulled out of the ground) of their own accord due to the 1” snowfall last week??? Hopefully future contracts will not be granted until a thorough investigation be made into the companies vying for the contract. Please use the taxpayers monies carefully!” —via anonymous SoundOff contact link on www.corneliustoday.com
—via anonymous SoundOff link on www.corneliustoday.com
Driving while ding-a-linging “To the ding-a-ling driving a not so new red Jeep suv who followed right on my bumper on a snow-slick road. You don’t know how close I came to slamming on brakes and letting you smash into the rear end of my vehicle. You are fortunate as I took your actions as pure ignorance. I am sure you will find out what following too close does sooner or later.” —via anonymous SoundOff contact link on www.corneliustoday.com
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