Charlotte.com: Cabarrus Neighbors

FBI has 'Interstate Bandit' suspects

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:20 EDT

The FBI says police have arrested two of the "Interstate Bandits," who it believes were responsible for bank robberies in Huntersville, Concord and at least 10 other cities across the eastern United States.

The FBI said Friday that Malik Dillard was arrested Monday by police in Edison, N.J., after a robbery at a PNC Bank there. Detectives arrested Zarqurous Lequis Sanders the next day, in a hotel room in Lincoln, Ala.

Federal officials say Dillard and Sanders are suspected of being the so-called "Interstate Bandits," wanted in connection with more than a dozen bank robberies dating back to May 8. The robberies all took place along interstate highways -- in North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.

Among those cases were a May 27 robbery from a Sun Trust bank near I-77 in Huntersville, and a June 24 robbery from First Citizens Bank on Concord Mills Boulevard near I-85 in Concord. There also were two N.C. robberies in Raleigh and one in Cary, authorities say.

Federal authorities say additional suspects in the robberies have been identified, and more arrests are expected.

If you have information in this case, you are asked to call the Charlotte office of the FBI, 704-377-9200.

Rev It Up

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:20 EDT

Concord

‘Dennis the Menace'

A collection of illustrations by Marcus Hamilton, who draws the daily “Dennis the Menace” comic strip, will be on display July 28-Aug. 28 at the Cabarrus Arts Council Galleries in the Historic Cabarrus Courthouse in downtown Concord.

The exhibit, “Illustrating: A Career and Drawing Dennis,” will include a Saturday Evening Post cover portrait of comedian Bob Hope, a Junior Scholastic depiction of President Reagan and panels from the comic strip.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. The galleries also will be open 6-9 p.m. Aug. 1 for the council's Art Walk; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 9 for its “Second Saturday” program. Group tours also can be arranged. Details: 704-920-2787 or www.CabarrusArtsCouncil.org.

FOOD BANKS

Bi-Lo Charities program

To help area food banks meet increased demand, Bi-Lo Charities will run a food drive through Aug. 5 at all its area stores.

Through the Hunger Relief program, Bi-Lo customers can buy a $5 bag of essential groceries at the checkout counter. The groceries will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Charlotte and given to individuals and families in need throughout the Carolinas.

SCRAPBOOK

Send us snapshots

We're looking for your photos of summertime scenes and activities, vacations, celebrations and other pursuits for our Scrapbook.

Here's how to send your photos:

E-mail them to cabarrus@charlotteobserver.com. Please send photos as large JPEG files.

We don't accept photos with alterations or effects. Corrections such as red-eye removal are OK.

Include the W's: Who's in the picture, what is it, where was it taken, when, who took it.

We can't print all photos, but we'll try our best.

Details: 704-786-2185.

To let us know about news, events, story ideas or to comment on this section, e-mail cabarrus@ charlotteobserver.com. You can reach editor Scott Verner at 704-786-2185.

High fuel costs drag down action at tracks

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:21 EDT

You think your SUV is taking a hit by increasing fuel pri-ces? Try paying $8 a gallon.

That's what racing fuel costs at Concord Motorsport Park.

Whether it's feeling the pinch at the race track pump or paying more to transport race cars to distant tracks, fuel pri-ces are forcing drivers and race teams at local short tracks to take a closer look at how they approach their sport.

Toting a car from point A to point B is not the same as running to the grocery store. The weight of the equipment obviously adds up, but the trailers and haulers used for transportation also are less fuel-efficient than the average vehicle.

In an e-mail discussing the issue, Larry Thomas, CMP's events and public relations coordinator, said he had spoken with several racers from the eastern part of the state who have stopped traveling to Concord's races because they could no longer afford the cost of fuel to transport their racecars.

“Gas has gone up like a dollar and a half from last year, so some people have decided to just run local (races),” said Mount Pleasant Legends Car driver Clay Hair, who races in Lowe's Summer Shootout Series. “But there have been good friends of mine that have even quit racing altogether.”

Roger Slack, vice president of events at Lowe's Motor Speedway, said it costs an average of $1 a mile to use the tractor-trailer-size haulers and trailers that transport the series' Legends Cars and Bandoleros. The Summer Shootout Series attracts drivers from 23 states and Canada, so you can imagine the cost of travel.

Harrisburg resident Bobby Measimer Jr., 23, used to race primarily at Concord Motorsport Park. After winning the points championship in the track's Limited Late Model division last season, Measimer was up for the next challenge.

This year, he upgraded to a Late Model Stock car and wanted to compete at other short tracks besides CMP. Measimer said just the travel costs him about $175 in fuel per weekend.

Once drivers get to the track, CMP and Lowe's require them to use the race fuel sanctioned by the track. It's convenient for most drivers, who wouldn't have access to racing fuel otherwise, and track officials say it helps them maintain a level playing field.

Thomas said the 110-octane leaded racing-formula fuel that CMP makes available was selling at $8 a gallon on June 28, the last time it had races. And that is “subject to change with the next delivery,” he said.

Harrisburg's David Snell, whose 15-year-old son Christian Pahud races a Legends car in the Summer Shootout Series, said he has seen the cost of racing fuel vary from $6 to $12 per gallon at various tracks. Cars usually use three to five gallons in a race.

CMP continues to promote its Fast and Furious Fours division, which it bills as a novice workingman's division. This may seem hard to believe to a commuter, but among the division's cost-cutting features is the use of ordinary “pump” gasoline.

Drivers are offsetting the increased costs of racing by tailoring them to what they can sacrifice. Measimer, for example, said he's had to alter his personal budget to offset increased expenses.

While his race team, R&W Motorsports, bankrolls the car, Measimer said, he has paid for rising fuel costs by cutting back on household utilities and driving a fuel-efficient compact car (away from the track) instead of the diesel pickup he used to drive.

Slack of Lowe's speculated some drivers may cut corners on the racecar's setup, such as bypassing the purchase of a higher-quality part.

Thomas said he thinks the staggering economy has contributed to fewer competitors and spectators at CMP. But Slack said the numbers of drivers and fans at Lowe's are slightly up from last year.

Slack, however, added he expects some drivers who believe they are out of the points race may bow out of the season a little sooner than usual, because they may think racing is no longer worth the expense.

Consulting firm joining Research Campus

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:30 EDT

A New Jersey consulting firm specializing in sensory testing is joining the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, and is looking to hire 20 to 35 people.

Sensory Spectrum handles testing for clients in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, among others, said Clyde Higgs, campus vice president for business development.

The company trains panels of people to focus on the five senses and helps businesses understand what appeals to consumers, said Judy Heylmun, Sensory Spectrum's vice president of business development.

“We're very excited about working at the North Carolina Research Campus,” she added.

Billionaire Dole Food owner David Murdock is developing the $1.5billion campus in conjunction with several N.C. universities. Eight have signed on so far, most recently Appalachian State University, Higgs said.

ASU will run a human performance lab focusing on such areas as physiology and exercise, he said.

But the campus hopes to continue attracting private development as well.

“We love to talk about the universities and community college,” Higgs said. “But this is also supposed to be a home for private industry.”

In April, the campus announced that Wilmington contract research company PPD will join the campus and may bring 200 to 300 jobs over the next few years.

Higgs said Sensory Spectrum of New Providence, N.J., will occupy 12,000-square-feet at the campus in January. It should be in temporary space by October.

Heylmun said the company wanted to expand to the campus for several reasons, including the ability to collaborate with the universities there and a desire to be closer to its clients in the South.

Sensory Spectrum would need to hire sensory scientists, statisticians, home economists and support staff, besides part-time panel testers.

The company hopes to create a database of 10,000 to 20,000 local consumers to participate in tests, Heylmun said

Given the range of Sensory Spectrum's clients, Higgs said, he hopes those contacts will lead to more recruitment opportunities for the research campus. He expects to announce other private-industry partners in the next couple of months.

Looking at life behind the wheel

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:23 EDT

Welcome to Traffic Tango, a new column about how our lives on the road define us, and make – or break – our day.

Sometimes it seems like a dangerous dance we do: Two steps forward and one step back as we brake for rush hour, dart around construction cones or divert our route away from an accident.

In this space, I'll be writing about traffic in Cabarrus County, the University City area and Western Mecklenburg County. Tell me about your headaches, and your hopes, for roads you travel for work or leisure.

I do know a bit about driving. I've been behind the wheel for well over three decades.

For a dozen years, I lived in Charlotte and tangled with downtown streets and Independence Boulevard before it became a freeway. I remember the old Krispy Kreme on Independence, and a block down at Pecan Avenue, Thompson's Bootery and Bloomery, a lingerie shop that distracted and entertained drivers to no end. (I hear they had live models in the display windows, before the mannequins …)

In my tenure as a reporter for the Observer, and as its Living Here columnist for four years, I met hundreds of newcomers and others who had plenty to say about traffic.

Like why there are so many Queens Roads in Charlotte.

Or why intersections like Harris Boulevard and U.S. 29 are congested all the time (and accident prone).

And why mass transit hasn't found its way into the hearts of those in the Charlotte region (although that's changing with the new Lynx light-rail line and as gas prices inch up, up and away).

So, send me your questions, comments and concerns. I'll try to include as many as time and space permit.

Road workshop

Widening a road usually stirs up some interest.

So the public is invited to a workshop on the proposed widening of two-lane N.C. 3 (Mooresville Road), from the Kannapolis Parkway to Loop Road.

The session is from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Kannapolis train station, 201 S. Main St., Kannapolis.

Although there will be no formal presentation, representatives with the N.C. Department of Transportation will answer questions and receive comments.

Additional right of way will be required, and homes and business may be moved, said Kristina Solberg, DOT project development engineer.

State officials need to hear about issues that could affect the $15.5 million project, such as underground tanks, she said.

The state is studying whether to widen the 2.5-mile stretch of N.C. 3 to four lanes divided with a median. The proposal would include sidewalks as well as space for bicycles.

A public hearing on the project will be scheduled in 2010. Right of way acquisition would start in 2011, and construction in 2013.

For more information, contact Solberg at 919-733-7844, ext. 259, or klsolberg@ncdot.gov.

Wind tunnel stirs up business

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:29 EDT

Even before officials with the $40million wind tunnel in Concord marked their grand opening last week, they already were making plans for expanding staff and usage of the facility.

Windshear Inc. is operating one shift during weekdays now but expects to add a second shift by the end of the year, business manager Peter Zierhut said.

If business continues to do well, Windshear could operate seven days a week, he said, and grow to 22 or 23 employees. It has 13 now.

The wind tunnel is in a 40,000-square-foot building on Ivey Cline Road. The 180mph rolling-road wind tunnel is the first commercially available tunnel of its kind in the world, according to Windshear.

Both the road and the air travel at speeds of 180 mph, customer operations manager Randy Graves said. That puts the air flow stronger than the winds of a Category 5 hurricane.

Air in the tunnel flows from a fan 22 feet in diameter, powered by a 5,100-horsepower motor.

The air goes through a nozzle, then to the testing section and across a vehicle tethered to a type of conveyor belt. A steel belt runs under the auto to simulates the road beneath a race car. Windshear is owned by Haas Automation, which was founded by NASCAR team owner Gene Haas.

Windshear has about a dozen customers, including NASCAR and Indy racing teams. Eventually, the company hopes to attract teams with the National Hot Rod Association as well. That effort could be helped by the new drag strip being built at nearby Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The wind tunnel provides another opportunity to highlight the attractiveness of the area's racing ties for companies that are expanding or considering moving to the area, said John Cox, chief executive officer of the Cabarrus County Economic Development Corp.

To help entice Windshear here, the county provided $626,669 in incentives, the equivalent of 85percent of the taxes the project is expected to generate over three years.

The city pitched in by building a $5million electrical substation near Windshear. The substation, which serves customers other than just Windshear, already had been in the city's budget, and Concord officials moved up the project when Windshear came to town.

Autobell's 50th shop

Autobell Car Wash's 50th shop has opened in Harrisburg. It's the first Autobell in the town.

The car wash is at 12162 University Blvd. The Charlotte company also has two other car washes in Cabarrus County, both in Concord.

Future generations will appreciate our gentle touch

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:30 EDT

The older I get, the more I realize the value of being gentle. Our world depends on such efforts.

I was away for the past two weeks, in the great and beautiful state of Oregon. Sadly, I saw almost none of that magnificent land because I was stationed mostly in classrooms from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. each day.

We (my fellow students and our many esteemed teachers) were there to study issues of theology and faith, spirit and soul. Our texts on how to love God (and how God loves us) led to many spirited discussions, particularly about the Earth we are lucky enough to inhabit.

What we believe affects how we behave.

Teachers and students alike spoke a great deal about our environment. That happens when the view from the classroom window includes snow-capped mountains. That happens when you step outside for a break and see hawks winging their way across a sky of ceaseless blue, when the smell of sage trees wafts past, when fields of wildflowers just beyond call to your spirit.

That happens when you become aware that your own life is limited and brief, when you are reminded that living gently is a worthy and important goal.

How can we live lives that will minimize the damage we do by our mere presence?

Each of us creates a massive amount of waste. The average American family of four, according to a New York Times article May 18, throws out 122 pounds of food each month.

Figure a pound a day per person in our nation.

No wonder we students and teachers worried about our food consumption. Were animals cared for humanely? Should we eat meat at all? If we have to ship foods hundreds and thousands of miles, how much additional waste – in spent energy, in packaging, in transportation – are we producing when farmers are around the corner?

When I got back home, I found I had an e-mail from a reader who happens to grow and sell organic food.

Years ago my husband, Ralf, and I decided that eating as healthily as we could was worth spending extra dollars. We stint on lots of things, but not on organic fruits and vegetables. But we could do better at supporting local farmers in the way we consciously try to support local businesses.

Grocery stores can be too convenient, and their operating hours are expansive and inviting. I decided that we need to try and build in time to head to local markets when we have errands to run.

After all, how much energy did it take to get me the cucumbers in my refrigerator? Where did they come from? Could I buy just as well more locally?

Had I considered asking myself here the sort of questions I'd been asking myself on the other side of the country?

There is always room for improvement.

Back home, I made a vow. I want to get better at living a gentler life.

Future generations – right here in my home – will depend on that effort.

Meeting Agendas

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:21 EDT

Highlights of government meetings.

CABARRUS COUNTY

Board of Commissioners: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Cabarrus County Governmental Center, 65 Church St. S.E., Concord.

Adequate public facilities mitigation agreement; Meadow Creek Apartment project.

Home consortium three-year renewal agreement and authorizing resolution.

Buffalo Creek subdivision project.

Concord library budget amendment, $5,743 for surveillance cameras.

Right-of-way purchase, Cox Mill High School.

Old Cabarrrus County fairgrounds; Habitat for Humanity.

Public hearing, industrial development incentive grant, Saddle Creek Corp.

Public hearing, rural operating assistance program.

Board of Social Services: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Human Service Center, 1303 S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis.

Renovations update.

Northwoods project update.

Fiscal report/end-of-month statistics.

Elections for board chair/vice chair.

Legislative update.

Goals for fiscal 2008-09.

LANDIS

Town Board: Special meeting 5 p.m. Monday, 312 S. Main St.

Discuss take-home vehicles, employee fuel surcharges and fuel-saving measures.

MIDLAND

Strategic Planning Committee: 7 p.m. Monday, 4293-B N.C. 24/27 E.

Windshield survey, UNCCharlotte planning department.

Work session: review of current land use plan.

Get involved

in your local government

You don't have to attend every meeting to be active in your local government, but you can be knowledgeable about what's going on in your community by viewing information found on the Internet:

Cabarrus County: www.co.cabarrus. nc.us.

Concord: www.ci.concord.nc.us.

Harrisburg: www.harrisburgnc.org.

Kannapolis: www.ci.kannapolis.nc.us.

Midland: www.townofmidland.us.

Mount Pleasant: www.townofmount pleasantnc.org.

News Briefs

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:23 EDT

Genealogy workshop Saturday

Professional genealogist David Rencher will present a genealogy workshop, “From Ulster to the Carolinas: Finding Your Scots-Irish Ancestors,” from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Saturday in the Ray Hall Community Center at Aldersgate, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte.

Rencher, who specializes in Scots-Irish records, is director of records and information division for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. The workshop will help people learn what Scots-Irish records are available and how to access them.

The cost, which includes lunch, is $45 for N.C. Genealogical Society or Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society members, and $55 others. Checks should be made payable to NCGS and sent to: NCGS Annual Meeting, P.O. Box 1492, Raleigh, NC 28602-1492.

There also will be a free research party for workshop attendees from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, 310 N. Tryon St., Charlotte.

To register or for more details, visit www.ncgenealogy.org or e-mail info@ncgenealogy.org.

A new electronic entry tag system will be used at the fair this year, which means entry and W9 forms for all Cabarrus County Fair exhibits are due by 5 p.m. Aug. 22.

No entries will be admitted without matching registration forms sent in before the deadline. Pie contest, Diaper Derby and pageant entry forms also are due on Aug. 22.

Actual entries will be received from 1 to 8 p.m. Sept. 2 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 4 in Gold Hall II at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, 4751 N.C. 49, Concord.

The N.C. Make It With Wool Contest entry forms are due Sept. 1. Send them to: Jean Thomas, 3019 McLaughlin Lane, Charlotte.

The fair will take place Sept. 5-13 at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center.

For more details or for entry forms, visit www.cabarruscountyfair.com. Forms should be faxed to 704-795-1517 or mailed to Cabarrus County Fair, PO Box 707, Concord, NC 28026-0707.

Details: 704-786-7221 or 704-920-3976.

Winning streak stays intact for biscuit-maker

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:24 EDT

Winning streak stays intact for biscuit-maker

For the sixth straight year, Debra Barnhardt has been named one of the best “Made From Scratch” biscuit-makers in the annual Biscuit Challenge sponsored by Hardee's franchisee Boddie-Noell Enterprises.

Barnhardt has worked at the Kannapolis Hardee's on Jackson Park Road for more than 20 years and has focused on making biscuits exclusively for 19 years.

Her secret: “Don't overwork the dough,” she said in a news release.

She competed against biscuit-makers from more than 340 Hardee's restaurants operated by Boddie-Noell.

The competition began in January and each contestant advanced through local, district and regional-level competitions.

Company leaders evaluated the biscuit-making competitors on their knowledge and execution of biscuit procedures, cleanliness of biscuit equipment, personal appearance and biscuit appearance.

Charity Softball

The Ruckus House Learning Center will host a two-week charity softball tournament beginning Aug. 4 at Frank Liske Park, 4001 Stough Road, Concord.

Games will be played from 6:30 to 9:30 weekdays, but not all teams will play every day.

The tournament is dedicated to Gregorio Arenas Hernandez, who died in April and left behind his wife, Marla, and four children, Gregory, Anthony and twins Nicholas and Kristina. The twins have been attending Ruckus House since January.

The tournament is open to anyone who would like to form a team. The cost is $200 per team. Teams can register through July 28. A game schedule will be complete by Aug. 1.

Volunteers also will be needed.

A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Hernandez Children's College Fund. The rest of the money raised will help the family with their immediate needs.

To register a team, call Mark Tracy at 704-743-5187 or e-mail mttracy@ruckushouse.com.

For more information, to volunteer or make a donation, call Amy Giles at 704-455-2533 or e-mail Agiles@ruckushouse.com.

Region's farmers marketing health

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:59 EDT

A steady rain slapping against brightly colored gourds, fruits and vegetables at the area's newest farmers market did little to deter Virginia Kluttz.

She said she likes buying homegrown produce and appreciates the market's location near the newly developing biotechnology center in downtown Kannapolis.

“It's the thing of the future,” said Kluttz, who lives in the Rowan County town of Faith.

Research work at the $1.5billion campus focuses on studying how fruits and vegetables can help people lead healthier lives. So the idea of promoting local foods seemed like a natural offshoot.

The result is the North Carolina Research Campus Farmers Market in Kannapolis. It debuted in May and is open on Thursdays through October on West Avenue.

The campus, being built by billionaire Dole Food owner David Murdock, is running the market in conjunction with the Piedmont Farmers Market and N.C. State University. NCSU is one of the university collaborators at the research campus, said campus marketing director Phyllis Beaver.

Growers are coming to the market from a 100-mile radius, although some are from a lot closer.

“We're very aware that buying locally supports local growers,” Beaver said. “And the farmers market also creates a sense of community.”

The campus plans to offer the market every year, Beaver said. Eventually, it will be housed in a permanent structure and operate year-round.

At the recent market, Deana Lewis of Kannapolis pulled up looking for peaches and corn.

She said she appreciates that there is a farmers market in Kannapolis and was hoping to learn more about the campus as well.

Besides food, RagApple Lassie Vineyards from Boonville was offering wine for sale.

Nearby, William Kimball was selling okra, tomatoes, squash and other food from his south Rowan County farm. He said the market has been drawing good crowds and has been good for business.

Another seller, Anna Barbee of Barbee Farms in Concord, agreed business has been good in Kannapolis. She said she appreciates the support of local farmers.

She also said she is looking forward to participating with campus scientists when they study various crops.

“This is very much a community effort,” Barbee said. “And this helps promote healthy eating and habits.”

Farmers markets typically struggle to get permission to use space and parking while establishing a market, said Leigh Coulter, market manager for the Piedmont Farmers Market, a small nonprofit that runs several local farmers markets in the county.

But because the research campus stepped in to launch the market, secure a site and promote it, Coulter said, “It's like the fairy godmother of farmers markets came down and blessed us.”

Food service delivers for less

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:29 EDT

Have you noticed how expensive everything is lately? Gas is more than $4 a gallon, and the cost of food gets higher.

Paying for those necessities is stressing household budgets. I don't know how to get gas at a discount, but you can cut your food bill practically in half, and all it takes is a phone call.

The program is called Angel Food Ministries, available right here in Cabarrus County.

The nonprofit organization provides grocery relief and financial support to communities nationwide. It began in 1994 with 34 families in Georgia and has grown to serve hundred of thousands of families across 35 states. Angel Food Ministries can provide about $65 worth of quality, nutritious food to families each month for just $30.

The food is all restaurant-quality, purchased from top food suppliers. There is a different menu each month.

“It is the kind or program that doesn't take a lot of time, yet is a very awesome way to help many in our community,” said Tery Albright, community outreach pastor for The Refuge.

A nondenominational church in Concord, The Refuge has sponsored the program for more than a year. It places orders for about 20 to 30 families, but leaders would love to offer it to more.

“With the cost of food increasing as it has, we see more families taking advantage of the program, but still not as many as we would like.”

It's simple: Orders are placed by phone and paid for at the church office. The order cutoff is around the 15th of the month, and distribution is the last Saturday of the month.

“The program is very simple, yet far-reaching,” Albright said. “You don't have to meet any income levels or any of the normal stipulations. The Refuge usually orders a few extra to help those families we know that could use an extra boost.”

Each box contains 20 or more items, including meats, veggies, staples and a dessert item. Albright wants the public to know the program is open to everyone in the community, and you don't have to be a Refuge member to order.

“We have many families that just want to save on their food in order to use the money somewhere else,” Albright said. “Other families … order for themselves and for a neighbor or friend that may need a little extra help this month.”

Sounds like a great bargain to me, especially at a time when almost everyone is trying to make ends meet. To order, call The Refuge at (704) 788-2400, or visit its Web site, www.Therefuge.net, for more information. Now if we can only figure out how to get gas prices lowered.

Remembering Tiffany and Alex

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:04 EDT

Life can change in an instant.

One moment your whole world is as you've always known and expected it would be. Then suddenly nothing is as it was, and you realize it will never be the same again.

One decision, one leap of faith, one coincidence or one tragic accident, and everything changes.

Last summer, one eastern Cabarrus family and community learned that painful lesson. Tiffany and Alex Cress, ages 14 and 10, respectively, were killed in a car accident on their way to Walt Disney World with their mother, Linda Cress, and grandmother, Georgie Fritts.

The community surrounding Mount Pleasant, and especially the middle and elementary schools where Tiffany and Alex had just completed eighth and fourth grade, were shocked and stunned.

According to Linda Cress, the community responded with love and prayers, and she has been very thankful. She also is grateful to Cabarrus County Schools, where she is employed, for the understand

ing and support offered to her in the year after the accident, which resulted in physical injuries for her as well.

Since last summer, the community has responded in other ways. At Mount Pleasant High School, an athletic scholarship has been established in memory of Tiffany and Alex. Tiffany loved sports, especially basketball and softball, and had looked forward to playing high school sports. Beginning in 2011, the year Tiffany would have graduated, the award will be given to a senior athlete to help with college expenses.

Last month, the first Alex Cress Sportsmanship Awards were given to a fifth-grade boy and girl, Quinton Broadway and Jessie Maulden, at Mount Pleasant Elementary School.

Principal Corey Cochran said that, after the accident and before the school year, he talked with Alex's parents about what the school could do to honor Alex's memory. Since Alex was known for his love of sports, the sportsmanship award was created, and its recipients will be selected annually by the fifth-grade teachers and physical education staff.

I talked with Jessie Maulden about her award. She was very proud to win, she said, but also a little sad, because Alex had been a good friend. She's not quite sure why she was selected; maybe, she said, it's because she tries to be understanding and not to argue.

Alex was like that, Jessie said: He was very kind to everybody he met.

Now, one year after the accident, the Mount Pleasant community has another chance to come together and remember Tiffany and Alex.

On Monday, a candlelight vigil will be in the park across from Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church at 8 p.m. It will be a simple time for gathering and remembering.

Linda Cress hopes to be able to speak. Carla Black, principal at Concord High School, will sing. Linda heard Black sing at a school breakfast recently and said her “voice like an angel” gave her a sense of peace for the first time in 10 months. So she asked Carla to come and be a part of the vigil.

Also, the Rev. Darrell Coble of Parkwood Baptist Church will lead the gathering in prayer; everyone will light candles.

In a lot of ways, children belong to all of us. We cheer for each other's children at sporting events. We're proud when our students do well in school. We boast about the children from our town who make a name for themselves out in the world. They are our own children's classmates, teammates and friends, so we all feel grief and loss when they are taken from us too soon.

Monday's vigil is a time we can remember two friends who are no longer with us, but whose memory we cherish.

It seems like the name game is getting harder

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:04 EDT

I have recently started to worry about my mind.

I worry about whether I have one.

I can't think of the name of a person, place or thing. I have the images in my brain, but I can't verbally express them.

Most of my friends empathize with me, because they can't think of a person, place or thing, either.

Names really stump us.

I was with a group of ladies my age (if you're asking, I'm not telling) the other day, and our conversation was more like a comedy routine.

“Have you met the young couple who just moved in up the street? I can't think of their names.”

“I just met them yesterday. He's tall, dark and handsome. She's cute, petite and blond. Now, what is their name?”

“You know who I'm talking about. He works for a bank in Charlotte, but I can't remember the name of the bank.”

“I think it's an unusual name. That's why we can't think of it.”

“The name of the bank or the couple?”

“The couple.”

“I think their last name starts with a D … something like ‘deer.'”

“You know, they joined our church. He sings in the choir, and she has signed up to help with vacation Bible school.

“They have three children. Is it two boys and a girl? Or is it two girls and a boy?”

“How old do you think they are?”

“The children or the couple?”

“The couple.”

“I don't know how old they are. They are definitely younger than we are. I just wish I could remember their names.”

“I'm sure their last name starts with a D. Is it Deer?”

“‘Deer' doesn't sound quite right, but I think we're getting close.”

Then we carried on and on describing their house, all the previous owners of their house, their pets, their cars and even the flowers in their yard, but we still couldn't come up with their names.

We went over and over all the clues. It's an unusual name that starts with a D and is similar to the word “deer.”

We tried to change the subject, but we kept coming back to the mystery name until someone finally screamed, “It's Doe – Jane and John Doe.” (It was similar to the word “deer.”)

I would mention the friend who solved the mystery, but right now, I can't think of her name.

My brain used to be “right smart.” I never forgot a name. These days I'm lucky to remember my own.

I can see someone in my mind as clearly as a picture. I can describe them to you in detail. And the more I can't think of their name, the more detail I recall. I could probably tell you how many eyelashes they have, but I will not be able to come up with their name.

Words have flown out of my head. They're up there in the gray matter somewhere, crashing around like bumper cars, but they just will not connect to my speech or to my writing.

Sometimes I stare at the computer for what seems like hours to come up with a single word. I'm not Shakespeare, so we're talking about simple words – such as “vegetation” or “aggravate.”

I gave my two daughters a code word to use to let me know if I became difficult in my later years.

I've already forgotten the word.

If I don't make a grocery list, I just walk from aisle to aisle with an empty grocery cart, and then I start all over again.

I have made as many laps around the grocery store as Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes around a speedway without even picking up a carton of milk.

When it comes to places, my stock answer to a question is “I don't know.”

“Where did you and Bobby stay when you visited Charleston?”

“I don't know.”

“Where did you used to shag when you went to Myrtle Beach?”

“I don't know.”

“Can you give me the name of the restaurant in Charlotte that you said had the ‘best I've ever had' prime rib beef?”

“I don't know.”

I wish my mind was a pencil that I could sharpen each time it got dull. I would remember everything about everything. I could spout off the names of persons, places or things.

Instead, I'll just try to be content knowing that I can collect clues with friends and eventually get some answers.

And if I'm lucky, I'll still be able to remember my name.

It is Dale, isn't it? And I think my last name starts with an N and was the same last name as a former president. …

Profile: Sheffield Manor

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:04 EDT

Drive through the streets of West Concord, and you're bound to pass neighborhood after neighborhood. If you had done that a decade ago, however, you would probably have seen a lot more trees and farmland and a lot fewer houses.

That's one of the many things that set Sheffield Manor apart. It's a community that people love so much, it has stood the test of time. And it quite deserves to be the latest neighborhood spotlight.

At about 15 years old with about 325 houses, Sheffield Manor has staying power. Resident Donna Sheppard has lived there for eight years. She tells me that what lured her here, away from Charlotte, were the schools.

As a real estate agent, she was the perfect person to point out the neighborhood's finer attributes: “We've got a country feel, but proximity to everything,” she said.

Sheppard is quick to sing her neighbors' praises.

“We're like one big extended family here,” she said. “The people here are from everywhere. I'm out of the norm, being from Charlotte.

“It's so safe. Everyone is close, and you'll find people walking at all hours. There's only one entrance in and out. Years ago, they wanted to change that, so we all went to the City Council; practically the whole neighborhood showed up to fight it. And now one entrance is the way it will always be.”

John Bornhorst, who serves as the homeowners' association president, agrees that it's the people who make Sheffield Manor special. He and his family were transferred here from Ohio back in 1996, and he, too, was attracted to the strong schools. But it was something else he saw that sealed the deal.

“We looked at about 60 houses, and saw a house with 20 kids running around, gas grills set up in the cul-de-sac; they were having a party. We moved in because of that, all the young families. It's a great, great community.”

Sheppard and Bornhorst also love the neighborhood's amenities, which include a pool, clubhouse and tennis courts. Their swim team, the Stingrays, is 106 members strong, and their social calendar is full.

One popular event? The Dive-In Movie Night, where everyone can watch a movie while lazing around the pool on floats. There are also adult socials, a Girl Scout sleepover , and Sheffield Manor just had its first picnic. The day included a pig pickin', games and live music.

Talking to Donna and John reminds me of why our area is so special. If you'd like to see your neighborhood spotlighted, let me know.