Charlotte.com: Neighbors of Lake Norman and Iredell

Too long. Too short. Repeat.

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:50 EDT

Mooresville is exploring whether some downtown traffic signals should be eliminated to ease access to the central business district.

Residents have complained for years about getting stuck at downtown traffic lights, some of which seem to take an unusually long time to turn green and then let only two or three cars through before turning red again. The problem seems particularly acute at railroad crossings along Main Street.

Some residents refuse to drive downtown because of the interminable lights, Planning Board Chairman John Dodson said at a town planning meeting last week.

The town's engineering department has started looking into the issue, Mooresville Transportation Planner Chris Bauer said at the meeting. Bauer said he already knows of some signal intersections worth studying as four-way stops.

The N.C. Department of Transportation has the final say on whether to remove signals, so the town will have to make its case through the data it compiles, Mayor Bill Thunberg said.

The information will include intersection traffic counts this summer and probably into the school season, Bauer said.

Town traffic engineer Tony Tagliaferri cautioned that much more study is required before any signals can be removed, although it's something he's interested in looking at.

Kim Saragoni, who is on the board of the Mooresville Downtown Commission, said Tagliaferri has kept the commission updated on the plans to improve downtown traffic.

Saragoni, of Four Corners Framing and Gallery on North Broad Street, said even minor traffic improvements can't happen downtown without state approval. That delays even the simplest of changes, she said, such as eliminating some “no right turn” signs at intersections.

Still, she said, downtown traffic is nowhere near the mess of N.C. 150, and “we're not lacking for business.”

Huntersville aims to ease N.C. 73 traffic woes

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:50 EDT

Huntersville planners are hoping a new approach can help alleviate an old problem: backups on N.C. 73 near the Target store.

Right now, the road is a trouble spot that backs up traffic. Cars often have to wait a minute or more, and many drivers dangerously dart across to make it through a small opening. The town board is hoping Target will agree to turn its access road into a public street, helping to facilitate traffic on N.C. 73 and getting that area better prepared for the widening of N.C. 73 next year.

To do it, Target would have to sacrifice some of its parking spaces and also cut off some access points for others. But Huntersville transportation planner Bill Coxe said something has to be done.

“Right now, people turning left onto the access road (from N.C. 73 east) have to wait for a gap in ongoing traffic,” Coxe said. “That changes the whole dynamic of the traffic flow.”

Coxe said the road would be a key piece to finish before the N.C. 73 widening process begins. Target and American Asset Corp., the shopping center owner, are already asking for rezoning to allow for more development. A decision on that could come Monday at the town board meeting.

“We need to mutually figure out what to do with that road and figure out a timetable before we can start the N.C. 73 widening process,” Coxe said. “They want to get more development, which causes more traffic. So we have to mesh the two roads together in the best way.”

“We want them to spend the money to make it a public street,” said Coxe. “They don't necessarily disagree with that. It is just a matter of how fast we can all agree to all parts of this.”

Officials said it will likely be several weeks before a proposal can be ironed out. Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain said the tie-ups have to be dealt with soon.

“It has been on our minds for at least a decade,” said Swain. “This is hugely important, because it is not getting any better. We need to do something.”

‘Green' can be as plush as you want

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

If you think “going green” means sacrificing some of the luxuries of modern living, think again. “Project: Live Green” is a collaboration of Pippin Home Designs, Spivey Construction and PTI Designs to showcase sustainable home design.

Jennifer Pippin, owner of Pippin Home Designs, is the face of “Project: Live Green.” In her newly renovated home in Sherrills Ford, “Project: Live Green” is hosting an open house featuring dozens of green design principles and features at work. The surprising bonus is that the lakefront home is also very luxurious and inviting.

“If you don't love your home, you're not going to want to be in it,” Pippin says.

Some of the features to love about Pippin's home: natural light from windows and skylights, cozy porches overlooking the lake, a master bedroom suite that feels like a spa, and fireplaces everywhere you turn.

The home's “green” features include energy-efficient appliances, bamboo, Marmoleum and cork flooring, a built-in recycling center, and solar panels for generating power and hot water. The home's exterior is largely corrugated metal siding, which requires minimal to no additional finish. The siding and the metal roofing contain 30% recycled content. The EverGrain decking contains recycled content and requires no maintenance.

The home also incorporates one of the basic principles of green building: reusing materials.

Lumber from the roof of the original one-story home was used to build the addition. The two new levels are supported by steel columns and beams, and bear no load on the original structure. The kitchen cabinets were reused for storage on the main floor.

The front door and the original brick walkways were also re-used.

The home's upper level serves as a design studio for Pippin and her staff.

When she first opened her office in Cornelius a few years ago, Pippin says, her 25-minute commute was reasonable. But as increased traffic congestion stretched the trip to an hour, she decided to set up shop at home. Her staff also works from their homes two to three days a week, further reducing carbon emissions by driving less.

While most consumers would gladly give up time in traffic in order to help the environment, many are wary of going green at home for fear that it's too costly. The good news, Pippin says, is that increased demand for energy-efficient products and recycled materials means that building a green home is cheaper than it was when “Project: Live Green” started working on the design for the renovation over four years ago.

And visitors to the home can pick up a “Building Green Check List for Non-Greenies” to get ideas on how to go green in your own home. For example, if you're planning to paint, choose a finish with low- or no-volatile organic compounds (VOC), such as Sherwin-Williams' Harmony line. In the “Project: Live Green” house, this paint is used throughout.

Air quality is improved with features such as a sealed crawlspace and formaldehyde-free cabinetry. The fireplaces are all vented to the outside. The garage, with a continuously running exhaust system, is separated from the main house by a garden room, where plants help to purify the air.

Something that “non-greenies” may not consider is that green can also mean luxury. Pippin says she loves to see guests entering her home for the first time.

“Their eyes light up and a smile comes on their face,” Pippin says.

The “Project: Live Green” home is open today. Call (704) 895-0000 for directions. Find out more at www.ProjectLiveGreen.com.

The push is on for better lake access

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:44 EDT

I've always found it odd that you can't just hop out of your car in your swimming trunks and dip into Lake Norman.

Turns out many others are confounded, too, including countless out-of-town drivers who walk into the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce dressed in bathing suits and asking where they can swim.

Unless you have a boat or lakeside home, or unless you haul yourself to Lake Norman State Park off Interstate 77 Exit 42 in Troutman, it's impossible.

Enough is enough, said Bill Russell, president of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce.

“There are lakes and streams all over America you can walk into, and not to be able to at North Carolina's largest lake is ludicrous,” he said.

Manmade Lake Norman has 520 total miles of shore in Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln and Mecklenburg counties.

But Mecklenburg County bans swimming off its Lake Norman parks, including Jetton and Ramsey Creek, and much of the shoreline everywhere is graced with spectacular homes.

Russell said Mecklenburg prohibited swimming at the parks because of liability concerns. He hopes enough people will help him persuade commissioners to overturn the ban.

“We're not trying to put county commissioners under the bus,” Russell said. “We're trying to get them on the bus.”

I called Russell after he sent a letter to editors of the Observer and other papers.

He mentioned how at least 200 children with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte enjoy the lake one day each year as part of Business Today publisher Dave Yochum's Big Day at the Lake event.

Lake residents take the boys and girls on their boats and let them swim and fish parts of the lake. The 2008 version was scheduled for Saturday.

“The shame is for the other 364 days of the year, the region's greatest recreational asset is largely off limits to a huge segment of our population,” Russell wrote. “Not since the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s has one demographic of the population been denied the privileges afforded others.”

Russell said Lake Norman State Park is a nice amenity with trails, picnic shelters and a public swimming area.

The shame, he said, is that Jetton Park in Cornelius, with its beachfront, was designed for public access before the threat of liability arose, he said.

“This is a great injustice to thousands of families and residents who are denied the privileges of swimming at Lake Norman because of one simple demographic – household income,” Russell wrote. “The issue of public access at Lake Norman is not a racial issue, but it is one of fairness, and we should do something about it.”

I'm excited that Russell is helping lead the movement for better lake access. All we need are more people to take the plunge with him.

S. Iredell grad wraps uphis stint in Peace Corps

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

Micah Owens will join the ranks of a special group in October.

His name will appear with people such as U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Parker and television host Chris Matthews, all of whom are former Peace Corps volunteers.

The South Iredell graduate listened to his father, Don, who suggested that Micah travel to Europe on a limited budget after college. Six months before graduation from UNC Wilmington, Micah decided to join the Peace Corps, which was established in 1961.

Armed with a degree in anthropology and a desire to serve others, Micah embarked on a journey to promote world peace and understanding, the tenets of the Peace Corps. As he nears the end of his 27 months as a volunteer, Micah has begun to reflect upon his experience in Strazhitsa, Bulgaria.

In an e-mail, Micah said he lived with a host family in Kyustendil for three months.

He studied the Bulgarian language, learned about his role as a youth development volunteer and assimilated into Bulgarian life. Don described Micah's initial introduction to Bulgaria as a crash course in language and culture.

Micah spends his days living, working and interacting with the villagers in Strazhitsa. He mentors and teaches young people and assists individuals who are developing or refining youth programs. He must juggle many priorities, because he works with several organizations.

“My actual role and responsibilities vary from activity to activity,” said Micah.

Based in the town's cultural center, Micah may help children at an orphanage with their English homework, teach an advanced English class, create a Web site for an organization or teach basic computer skills.

“Working in concert with the area school, one of their English teachers and I have organized a theater group through which, for the past two years, the fifth-graders and a few other students have practiced and performed plays in the local theater. I find working with this age group very rewarding and usually a lot of fun. … I spend most of my time working with youth between the ages of 15 and 18,” Micah wrote.

Often Micah interacts with teens in informal ways, such as playing sports, hiking or meeting in one of the village's many coffeehouses.

In addition to interacting with the youth, Micah teaches adult English classes. The levels of English proficiency vary, and the blended classes are challenging to teach, said Don.

During free time, Micah works on village projects and socializes with residents.

He has been invited to play a leading role in a traditional outdoor comedy and to attend village weddings.

Don related Micah's participation in a traditional custom during his first Christmas overseas. He helped villagers capture and butcher a 500-pound hog. They drank the animal's blood and ate parts of the uncooked organs.

As Micah has blended into the community and forged friendships, he has achieved a better understanding of the Bulgarian people and enhanced their understanding of American life.

“I have met so many wonderful people, many of whom have become valuable friends, who have been generous, helpful and supported me here. I miss America and my family, but leaving Bulgaria will be bittersweet. That's what stands out most in my mind, that I came here as a volunteer, but I'm leaving feeling indebted to them,” said Micah.

Church sends mission team to Alaska

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

In January, Christ Community Church (CCC) in Huntersville entered into a five-year partnership with The Crossings Church of Birchwood, Alaska, to help native tribes and villages.

Because of Alaska's enormous size, native groups can be separated by more than 1,000 miles.

CCC joined in an effort to work with the Yupik Eskimos living in western Alaska and Inupiat Eskimos in northwestern Alaska. The remote villages are accessible only by aircraft, boat or snow machine.

Though the villages have modern schools, high school graduation rates are low. The rates of alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, violent crimes and suicide are some of the highest in the nation.

For a week in June, a team of missionaries from Christ Community Church went to work at the Kokrine Hills Bible Camp (KHBC), a ministry of Koyukon Camp Ministries Inc.

The camp, founded in 1965 by Arctic Missions members Russ and Freda Arnold, is deep in Alaska's interior, about 350 miles north of Anchorage and 200 miles west of Fairbanks. Each summer the camp hosts 30 to 70 weekly campers. Campers include Koyukon Indian and Inupiat Eskimo children and from third grade up to 12 {+t}{+h} grade.

CCC Pastor Dean Burris brought a team of 17 men to help remodel the camp, nestled on the banks of the picturesque and mighty Yukon River. The men spent their days sawing, hauling, nailing, tearing down dilapidated sheds, building friendships and fishing.

The missionaries said the experience was awesome, surreal, wonderful and glorious. They said they felt as if they were on holy land.

Some of the men shared that they learned anyone can participate in missions.

“All you need is an open heart and mind,” said one missionary.

Another missionary shared that he found Alaska to be unlike any of the lower 48 states. “It is remote and has a spiritual darkness that is indescribable,” he said.

The mission team included Travis Bowman, Dean Burris, Joel Burris, Nathan Burris, Josh Burrows, Brian Carter, Jack Casey, Roger Chastain, Chuck Foster, George Harris, Mark Jones, Rhett Lee, Toney Lee, Mike Loukus, Jeff Norris, Tim Poff and Russell Post.

CCC hopes to help The Crossing Church make the camp usable year-round. The Huntersville church plans to send teams of workers into native villages to assist the local pastors and missionaries and run weeklong Bible clubs.

CCC also plans to send a team to the Alaskan camp every year to help with camp work projects and perhaps serve as camp counselors during the summer. The church also wants to help provide Christian education for as many native Alaskan children as possible and send mission families to serve full-time in Native Alaska Villages.

For information about Christ Community Church, visit www.ccchuntersville.com.

Statesville Christian ready to go on football program

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

For several years, Statesville Christian has talked about having a football program. Now, in less than two weeks, the Lions will make that dream a reality.

Statesville Christian will begin its program with a middle school team when practice begins the first week of August. While they may be starting at square one, the Lions hired a big name to lead the program.

Former Dallas Cowboy linebacker and Statesville High star Vinson Smith will be the head coach from the start.

“We're definitely starting this team from scratch,” said Smith, who is also taking his first head coaching job of his career. “But you've got to start somewhere. I'm really nervous and really excited at the same time.”

What Smith lacks in coaching experience, he should make up by being one of the most accomplished football players to come out of the Charlotte area. Smith was an all-state player at Statesville High School, a star linebacker at East Carolina and played 12 years in the NFL for four teams, including the 1992-93 Super Bowl champions, Dallas Cowboys.

“I think this will be a learning experience for both the players and I,” Smith said.

The potential Lion football players also seem to be excited, as more than 40 kids turned out for the first mini-camp in June. Smith and the football staff hope for a similar turnout this week when they hold a camp from Monday to Friday at the school. Any kids who want to play are encouraged to attend.

“I think we're all really excited to get this football program started,” said Statesville Christian athletic director Chuck Nantz, who started his new job three weeks ago. “We needed somebody like Vinson to give us the instant credibility that we need to get the interest we want to have.”

The Lions will begin this coming season as a middle school program with seven games on the schedule, including three at home. Nantz also says their goal is to have a high school JV team by the 2009-10 season and a varsity squad by the 2011-12 season.

This year, Statesville Christian opens the season at the Cannon School on Sept. 4. Mack back at Memphis

Former Statesville Christian and Independence basketball star Doneal Mack transferred to University of New Orleans earlier this month, only to change his mind and transfer back to Memphis. Mack, who was unhappy with his playing time for the national runner-up Memphis Tigers, got his release from Memphis and enrolled in summer school at New Orleans. Three days later, he decided and he wanted to go back to Memphis and was accepted with open arms by Coach John Calipari.

With the overall No. 1 selection in the NBA draft, Derrick Rose, and first-team All-American Chris Douglas-Roberts gone, competition for time on Memphis' backcourt should be wide open.

Curry wins AAU Title

Hopewell basketball star Brandyn Curry was a part of the Charlotte Royals team that won the N.C. AAU state championships in late June. Curry, a first-team All-MECA 7 selection this past year for the Titans, was one of the top players along with Charlotte Latin's David Chadwick and Christ School's Lakeem Jackson (former Harding star).

Troutman OKs Exit 42 projects

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

So far, most of the new construction near Exit 42 on Interstate 77 in Troutman has been on the south side, led by a new Lowe's Home Improvement Center. But the action is about to shift northward.

At their July meeting, the town board unanimously approved sketch plans and permits for more than 22,000 square feet of offices, a 2,000-square-foot restaurant and a 77-room hotel, all just to the north of the heavily traveled interstate.

“These proposed uses are in agreement with the existing Exit 42 Land Use Plan and the proposed Troutman Area Land Use Plan,” town planner Emily Jackson said before the vote. “Both plans recommend that this area be (zoned as) interchange/commercial, which is for retail and services uses primarily geared to the traveling public.”

The three office buildings and the restaurant will cover 3.4 acres and will be part of a new retail/office complex known as the Charles Center, located on U.S. 21 just south of Houston Road. The property is currently vacant and was recently cleared.

Just to the east of the Charles Center property on Houston Road is the 3.16-acre parcel, which will house the Country Inn and Suites.

They are one of at least four hotel chains that have expressed an interest in building around the Exit 42 area. There are no hotels now in Troutman, but in anticipation, the town recently adopted a 3percent room occupancy tax and formed the Troutman Tourism Authority.

Also at the meeting, the board:

Adopted a dress/appearance code for town administrative personnel that prohibits the wearing or display of certain items, including T-shirts, jeans, shorts, low-cut necklines, visible tattoos and heavy perfumes.

Reduced the number of members on the Planning Board from eight to seven, while also adding two alternates. The changes were necessary in order to avoid the cancellation of meetings because of the lack of a quorum. Under the new arrangement, a quorum will be four instead of five, and alternate members can participate to reach a quorum if needed.

Mooresville, Duke tussle over intake

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:43 EDT

MOORESVILLE A federal agency will try to resolve Duke Energy's dispute with Mooresville over the town's water intake on Lake Norman.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will have to step in because the town and Duke failed to settle their differences in mediation with U.S. District Court Judge Frank Bullock.

John Whittaker, a lawyer for Duke Energy, provided the update in a July 10 letter to Kimberly Bose, secretary of the commission in Washington.

Duke sued Mooresville to stop construction on its existing water intake. The company says the town needs permission from Duke and from the commission to do the work because Duke manages Lake Norman through its hydroelectric license.

Town officials have said the water belongs to citizens, not a for-profit company, and that it has the right to change a water intake on town-owned property. The intake pumps water out of the lake for drinking water and other uses

Mooresville and Duke were originally working toward a new town water intake at another spot, for which Duke sought permission from the commission.

The town then decided to upgrade its existing intake, saying permission from Duke or the commission wasn't needed because the town was using its own land.

U.S. Chief District Judge Graham Mullen had asked the federal agency to “participate” in the case if mediation failed, Whittaker's letter said. Mullen will order the agency to get involved if it doesn't do so voluntarily, the letter said.

FERC spokeswoman Barbara Connors said the agency received Whittaker's letter. but that it would await notice from Mullen before proceeding.

Greensboro lawyer Randy Tinsley, who represents the town in the case, couldn't be reached for comment last week.

Teen killed in Huntersville wreck

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:27 EDT

An 18-year-old who graduated last month from Hopewell High School was killed Tuesday night in a one-vehicle wreck in Huntersville.

Another 18-year-old was critically injured in the wreck, which happened shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Kerns Road.

Huntersville police have identified the victim as Tad Allen Daugherty, of Cornelius. He was driving a black 1998 Toyota 4-Runner which overturned several times, ejecting the driver and passenger. Injured in the wreck was Daniel Hyde Latimer of Huntersville. Latimer, who is hospitalized at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, also graduated from Hopewell last month.

Police say Daugherty was driving northbound on Kerns Road, about a mile north of Mount Holly-Huntersville Road, at a high rate of speed and was being followed closely by another vehicle. A witness driving southbound on Kerns Road said Daugherty's SUV crossed the center line and then swerved back to the right, as the witness' vehicle approached. Police say Daugherty apparently then lost control of the vehicle, which overturned.

Huntersville police say neither man was wearing a seat belt and that speed contributed to the wreck. They also say alcoholic beverages were found in the vehicle, but it is not known if either Daugherty or Latimer had been drinking before the wreck.

Police are continuing their investigation into the wreck and ask that anyone with information contact Capt. Michael Kee, at 704-875-6542.

As Growing Kids, they're making some real money

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:38 EDT

If you've been to the Davidson Farmer's Market, you've probably heard the faint, but pleasant, “good morning” greeting from one of the market's youngest vendors.

Justin Newman, 8, aims to greets every marketgoer who heads his way.

“I made a dollar just by saying good morning to a couple,” Justin said.

Justin and his brother, Ben, 9, are participants in the market's Growing Kids stand, which was donated by the Davidson Elementary Parent Teacher Association.

The booth is open to any child or family in the area with home-grown fruits, vegetables or home-picked berries. Children who want to participate must sign up for a slot by the Monday before the Saturday market.

The Davidson Farmer's Market, which is in its first season, is open 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays through October, between Jackson and Main Streets next to Town Hall.

Ben and Justin have sold potatoes, blueberries, green peppers, rosemary, lavender, eggplant and other produce grown on their grandfather's farm in Davidson.

“It's fun to sell and grow (produce and herbs),” Ben said.

Under parent supervision, the young farmers are responsible for growing and picking produce, making signs, providing packaging and setting their own prices.

Ben and Justin said they compare prices in local grocery stores to those of other vendors before setting their prices.

Ben and Justin's mom, Johanna Newman, said the boys have learned the value of hard work and improved their math skills while participating in the Growing Kids program.

The market and the school do not restrict what the children do with the money earned. Ben and Justin earned $160 their first week. Ben said they split the money in four ways.

“Part of the money was used to make change, some was used to buy needed supplies, and we split the rest,” Ben said.

Alert kids, mom save a neighbor

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:38 EDT

Jacqueline Cingolani, 4, was riding bikes with her brother, Connor, 6, when she spotted smoke at a neighbor's home and alerted her mom.

Molly Cingolani was “knee-deep in mulch” that day, May 17, and didn't give the smoke a second thought. After all, her neighbor had a smoker, she said.

Then Connor spotted flames on the man's porch.

Molly Cingolani had Connor dial 911 as she went to the neighbor's home in the Lochmere community off Oak Tree Road and woke the man up. She got a garden hose and aimed it at the flames before firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze.

Fire officials honored the Cingolanis at last week's town board meeting by presenting them with a Mooresville Community Life Safety Award. It's only the third one given in the past five years, Battalion Chief Jamie Barrier said.

Barrier said the Cingolanis saved a life. Because of the family's quick action, no one was injured, and the fire caused minimal damage, he said. Fire officials weren't able to determine the cause.

“It's every firefighter's career goal to save a life,” Barrier said.

“These three people had that opportunity, by being alert to their community. Their acting without hesitation made a difference in life and property.”

It's the one she wanted to get away

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:58 EDT

Michelle Armstrong of Denver is a regular on the Women's Bassmaster Tour, now in its third year.

When Michelle is not fishing, she is busy raising her two children – Fischer, 9, and Brooke, 5 – or working at her nail salon. She also conducts bass seminars for her sponsors.

She enjoys sharing her fishing experiences with everyone. The following is an experience about a recent fishing adventure:

“It was the dawning of a beautiful day – day one of three stops on the Women's Bassmaster Tour at Old Hickory Lake. We had just arrived at our first spot of the day. The steamy fog was settling in patches just above the surface of the water. During practice, I had found the morning top water bite to be fantastic, so my obvious plan was to keep my ‘crazy shad' glued to my hand.

“Right away, I had a few short strikes, but I was not worried. I knew the potential of this area. I cast my bait next to the bank and let the rings fade. I kept an intense eye on the twitch-twitch, pause, twitch-twitch, pause action of the lure.

“The upper right side of my peripheral vision was suddenly distracted by something quickly approaching. Before my brain could digest what was happening, an owl swooped down and grabbed my bait. As he ascended upward from where he had come, he hooked himself. At this point, it appeared as if I were flying a kite.

“My amazed co-angler said, ‘What are you going to do…what are you going to do?' I said, ‘There isn't a thing in the pro manual that tells me how I am supposed to handle this one.'

“The owl swooped back down and landed in the water. He was terrified, and so was I. At this time, I tried to collect my thoughts. I knew I didn't want to cut the line and lose my great lure – only kidding. I also knew that the owl would get twisted around the line or stuck in a tree and die a horrible death.

“As that thought entered my mind, off he flew again. His wing span appeared to be about 12 feet. In reality, it was probably more like 4 feet.

“As I flew the owl like a kite again, a small sparrow began to attack the poor, trapped bird. The sparrow dove at the owl's head about five times before the owl headed for the water again. I tried to reel him closer, but he flew off each time the sparrow attacked him. Finally, I was able to reel him close enough to the boat and swing him in.

“At this moment, I realized that one claw was hooked. Then, in a panic, he began to kick his legs and he hooked his other claw. Now, all six hooks were embedded in his claws. My co-angler gave me a glove for my left hand and my pliers.

‘I could see the horror in the owl's eyes. I tried to place my hand over his face, but he wanted no part of that. He pecked fiercely at me and pushed his claws outward toward me as far as he could. I removed my sunglasses (in hindsight, that could have been bad), and said to him softly, ‘Look dude, either let me help you, or you're going to die.'

“I then placed my hand on his chest and began to work on the first three hooks. This is when I noticed, and paid very close attention to just how long his nails were. Being a manicurist, this scared me.

“The first set of hooks came out fairly easy. The second three, however, took a little more force and time, but they came out all the same. There was no blood, and he never even flinched.

“I backed up slowly and said to the owl, ‘You're free!' He laid there and stared at me without moving a muscle. I said, ‘Dude, get off my boat so we can go fishing,' and just like that, he stood up, spread his beautiful wings, and flew up to the tree he had come from.

“As I left the weigh-in stage on day two, a young boy asked if I would sign his autograph book. As I was signing it, he told me he had heard about me catching the owl the day before. He looked at me with his great, big eyes and asked, ‘Will you put under your name ‘The Owl Whisperer,' so I will remember who you are?'

“Though my top water bite never paid off, and it was not a great tournament for me, the experience of this made up for it all. I hope to remember that moment forever and will savor all the wondrous moments that only anglers get to experience.”

Tips from Capt. Gus

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission asks that recreational boaters be reminded of the following: Do not obstruct or impede public access areas or boat ramps. Tickets will be issued and towing will be enforced for:

A single vehicle in a space designated for a vehicle with a trailer.

Parking in an unmarked area.

Upcoming events

A free fishing seminar by Capt. Gus Gustafson, “Deep Jigging for Summer Stripers” and “How to Catch White Perch with Sabiki Rigs,” Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, 6:30 p.m. July 23. Call 704-658-0822 for additional information.

Hot spots of the week

Stripers are being caught along the edges of the main river channel early in the morning, on down riggers and deep jigging spoons. Bass are hitting top water baits along rip-rap banks at dawn. Try bottom bumping soft plastics around boat docks. Perch and catfish have been plentiful.

The water level is 2.8' below full pond. Water surface temperature is in the high 80s and low 90s.

Captain Gus is licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, is a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and a Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman. Visit his web site at www.FishingWithGus.com , e-mail Gus@lakenorman.com, or call 704-617-6812.

Ramp Up | News you need to know on Interstate 77

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:35 EDT

Exit 23 The Huntersville Athletic Park will host youth PONY league baseball tournaments Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.

Exit 25 The Huntersville town board deferred a rezoning request within the NorthCross shopping center until its next meeting. The board meets again July 21.

Exit 28 The Cornelius planning board will meet Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall off Catawba Avenue.

Exit 30 The Davidson town board is considering a change in its meeting time from 7 p.m. to an earlier time. Citizens can go to the town Web site, www.ci.davidson.nc.us, and give feedback on the proposed change.

Exit 33 Mooresville will borrow $12.5 million to complete MI Connection cable system upgrades.

Exit 36 Mooresville will pay $32,150 for consultant Wirth & Associates of Charlotte to design a master plan for a Dye Creek Greenway that would connect the downtown area to Bellingham Park.

Exit 42 The Troutman Town Board has approved an amendment to its Unified Development Ordinance which will permit retail stores to display temporary “Grand Opening” and “Going out of Business” signs.

Exit 50 The Statesville City Council has approved the site plan for a 1,500-square-foot addition to Everhart Honda, located on Folger Drive.

West Shore The Catawba RiverKeeper Foundation will host a training session Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Sherrills Ford Fire Station off Slanting Bridge Road. Wednesday's session is titled “Legal and Enforcement Issues.”

Construction to begin soon on animal shelter for Cornelius

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:35 EDT

Construction will begin soon on the town's new animal shelter on Meridian Street.

The town will seek bids from local contractors later this month, and the shelter should be ready to accept animals before winter, said Doug Barrick, the town's shelter project manager.

Town commissioners approved the project in April, and Mecklenburg County is now reviewing the plans, Barrick said. The town anticipates a “quick turnaround” from the county, he said.

Commissioners selected the Meridian Street site, which has served as a temporary animal holding facility since the late 1980s, after considering seven locations that were not suitable or were too expensive.

The town had planned to partner with Huntersville and Davidson to build a permanent shelter off Verhoeff Drive in Huntersville. But the partnership fizzled when the towns had different ideas about the scope of a shelter.

The shelter will cost about $500,000. The town is giving $200,000, and volunteers had raised about $100,000 by earlier this year. The rest of the money will be raised through fundraisers.

Community support has increased as construction nears, Barrick said. Children have been some of the most active fundraisers, donating birthday money, lemonade-stand receipts and supplies.

Brownie Scout Troup 1306 in Huntersville organized a cookie fundraiser after a troop member adopted a dog from the current animal holding facility.

La Chique Salon in Kenton Place was scheduled to celebrate its anniversary with a party and fundraiser on Friday benefiting the shelter.

Barrick credits Mary Isaacs and her team at Isaacs and Associates Architects of Cornelius for preparing construction plans and documents pro bono.

To view the plans, visit www.corneliusanimalshel ter.com.

Send tax-deductible shelter donations to Cornelius Town Hall, Attention: Finance Department, 21445 Catawba Ave., Cornelius NC 28031. Make checks payable to Town of Cornelius /Animal Shelter Fund.

TIDBIT

Statesville Business Park

to get first spec building

The Keith Corp. and Greater Statesville Development Corp. were scheduled to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for the first speculative building in the 180-acre Statesville Business Park.

Work on the 62,895-square-foot shell building is scheduled to be completed in the fall. The building can be expanded to 250,395 square feet.

Statesville Business Park is off U.S. 70, about four miles east of Interstate 77 Exit 49A.

Park tenants include Goodyear Tire, Sullivan Corp. and Bridgford Foods.

Tax-incentive grants are available to qualifying industries moving to the park.