Reed digs into service

Posted on June 19, 2015 by crystalogormanwrites

Matthews – Mint Hill Weekly

Posted by on June 19, 2015 in News

Thomas Reed recently became an Eagle Scout. Crystal O’Gorman/MMHW photo

Mint Hill troop member earns Eagle Scout rank

MINT HILL – Jill Reed said her son, Thomas, enjoyed playing outdoors and chasing lizards and frogs when growing up.

“He has always been fascinated with animals and nature,” Reed said.

Thomas’s love of nature led him to join Boy Scouts in first grade, and he remained a member of Mint Hill Boy Scout Troop No. 198 until he aged out this March and became an Eagle Scout by creating a human sundial at Blair Mill Park in Stallings.

The human sundial is a hopscotch-shaped concrete slab labeled with the months of the year, where participants stand on the corresponding month and trace their shadow to determine the hour and minutes identified on inlaid tiles on concrete slabs displayed left to right in a semi-circle above the months. The sundial is set into the ground and spans about 20 feet in diameter.

“My Eagle Scout project brings together my love of nature and science,” said Thomas, an 18-year-old senior at Porter Ridge High School.

Thomas decided to make the human sundial his Eagle Scout project two to three years before starting the project, but the actual project took only a couple of months to complete. The sundial project cost $450, and Stallings paid for 50 percent of the total cost. Thomas also received donations of supplies, sundial plans and free instructional signs from Aaron’s Quality Signs in Matthews.

Thomas applied to join the Stallings Parks and Recreation Committee as its first youth board member prior to the sundial project. He served on the board for two terms in 2013-14 and again in 2014-15, finishing in March.

Dena Sabinske, Stallings Parks and Recreation director, said Thomas was the perfect fit for the town’s Parks and Recreation committee.

“He gave us insight on what our youth were looking for in events and programming,” Sabinske said. “It also was great having a young person on the board; they give off an amazing energy and are willing to try new things and pass along new ideas.”

Thomas’s dedication to the committee led him to pursue working with the town on his Eagle Scout project.

“Mr. Reed did an outstanding job on the sundial, from concept to completion; we are very proud of him,” Sabinske said.

Beyond his Eagle Scout experience, Thomas said his favorite part of Boy Scouts was camping. He recalled camping regularly at Belk Scout Camp and hiking, biking and camping along the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail.

Thomas believes Boy Scouts taught him many valuable life lessons and leadership skills, such as nature conservancy, problem-solving skills and how to be a leader. These ideals compelled him to become an earth lover and animal caretaker.

Jill Reed said her son started begging for a pet snake in sixth grade, and she caved in to his persistence a year later while working on letting go of her own personal fears.

“We’ve all learned to appreciate, at least respect, reptiles, because of Thomas teaching us how to interact with and understand these animals,” she said.

Thomas currently has a collection of pythons, which he breeds and sells, as well as tortoises and lizards he loans out as exhibitions to zoos. He also has volunteered and worked at Coldblooded Encounters – a reptile zoo now located in Troutman – for the last four years. His position is lead keeper, stand-in manager and acting zoo director. He plans to spend all summer working full time at the zoo, building new exhibits, giving tours and taking care of the animals.

Thomas plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall and study zoology or herpetology, with a concentration in research and conservation. He received six scholarships – the Union County Educational Foundation Scholarship, Independence Goodfellows Scholarship, Monroe Rotary Scholarship, Carson Scholars Scholarship, Monroe Union Breakfast Rotary and State Employees’ Credit Union “People Helping People” Scholarship – to help pay for his studies.

Thomas doesn’t know where his interests will take him, but he’s excited to dig in and discover more about the world around him.

Posted in Achievements and Awards, Education, Health and Wellness, Human Interest, Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly, Newspaper, Philanthropy, Traditional Journalism | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Teen collects ‘buddies’ for kids in need

Posted on June 19, 2015 by crystalogormanwrites

Matthews – Mint Hill Weekly

Posted by on June 19, 2015 in News

MMHW-TEddyBearDrive smallEmily Sharpe still has a handmade pink fleece blanket with little ducks on it that a woman from her church gave her 10 years ago, when she was 6 years old.

“I remember being sad … and the lady giving me the blanket, which made me feel so much better,” she said.

Now 16 years old, Emily still treasures that blanket and recently felt inspired to give the same sense of comfort to kids going through traumatic situations.

“While I never went through something traumatic, I know how much it can lift your spirits,” she said.

Emily initially intended to donate her gently-used stuffed animals to a local cause, but couldn’t find an organization that was accepting stuffed animals for kids. She realized there was a need for it and, in December 2013, decided to venture out on her own to collect stuffed animals and create stuffed animal-sized fleece blankets to distribute to organizations that support children facing challenging circumstances.

Emily, a Butler High School student, said she’s received a lot of support from school friends and fellow ballet dancers at Robinson Presbyterian Church Ballet. Emily has collected 97 stuffed animals and designed corresponding fleece blankets with her friends at “blanket parties” at her home.

Emily gave a presentation to the Matthews Board of Commissioners about the Buddy Project, during the board’s May 11 meeting. Emily formed a partnership with Matthews Police Department Chief Rob Hunter that evening and donated 21 stuffed animals and blankets to the Mint Hill Volunteer Fire Department later that night. She also has made donations to Levine Children’s Hospital.

Hunter said it’s been beneficial for police officers to have the stuffed animals and blankets to give to children facing trauma. He said officers keep the stuffed animals and blankets on hand in case circumstances arise, such as traffic crashes and domestic violence incidents in which children are involved and need extra support.

“Most of our police officers have children themselves, and it becomes paining to respond to those situations,” he said. “The stuffed animals help them to have a positive impact on those kids.”

Hunter believes offering something comforting can have a lasting emotional impact on a child and potentially give them enough “hope to break the cycle” of abuse or neglect that led to their current situation. Hunter said, unfortunately, statistics show children who have abusive parents often end up as high school dropouts or abusers themselves, but he feels one selfless act has the potential to propel positive change in their lives.

Hunter said he’s grateful to Emily for her act of service.

“Emily has a true heart for service,” he said. “Sometimes we take pleasure, when we see the joy on others’ faces and purposely align ourselves to take part in the effect of our actions; however, Emily will not likely see the children whose lives she affects, and yet she still dedicates her time to make a difference.”

Emily hopes to touch more lives by extending her collection drive to the community. She recently set up collection boxes at the Matthews town hall, located at 232 Matthews Station St., and asks community members to donate new or gently-used, medium-sized stuffed animals, with price tags intact when possible.

Emily also is collecting handmade stuffed animal-sized fleece blankets, which are 24-inch-by-24-inch blankets with 4-inch fringe. She said the blankets are easy to make and directions are widely available for this craft, which does not require sewing.

“It means a lot that I can make a difference in one kid’s life – brighten their day or week,” she said, adding she believes the gift is not just a physical gift, but also provides an emotional connection between giver and receiver. “I hope they remember the hope they got and the joy and happiness in receiving one.”

Interested in donating stuffed animals or making stuffed animal-sized blankets for kids in need? Contact Emily Sharpe at emily.sharpe99@yahoo.com.

Posted in Achievements and Awards, Events and Galas, Human Interest, Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly, Newspaper, Philanthropy, Traditional Journalism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Waxhaw plans for the future

Posted on May 30, 2015 by crystalogormanwrites

Union County Weekly

Posted by on May 29, 2015 in News

WAXHAW – Waxhaw is known for its “small-town charm,” but also continues to grow as a lively community for young families in North Carolina. This year Nerdwallet.com named Waxhaw the No. 1 “best city in North Carolina for young families” and Safewise Reports acknowledged Waxhaw as No. 21 out of 50 of the “safest cities in North Carolina.”

Mayor Daune Gardner said this is what makes Waxhaw special – and challenging – and is at the crux of why town officials are working toward the future.

“The challenge moving forward is to accommodate that growth without losing Waxhaw’s charm and community togetherness,” she said. “It’s figuring out how to grow a downtown that maintains a critical mass for the suburban type of growth in the landscape, while bolstering the core in a manner that continues to draw activity and connectivity.”

Town officials have currently entered a planning period – approving the town’s financial management plan through advisement from Centralina Council of Government (CCOG) Executive Director Jim Prosser, Town Manager Warren Wood managing the revision of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and updating Waxhaw’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

Waxhaw Board of Commissioners accepted CCOG’s Financial Management Plan for the town at its Tuesday, May 12 meeting.

Prosser recommended the town develop five strategies for long-term success: hire more fulltime staff to invest in experiential knowledge of processes and infrastructure; develop a cost-to-serve model for residential and commercial development; invest in inspectors to ensure everything is built to standard; create an economic analysis with the information provided from Waxhaw’s Comprehensive Plan; and research sustainable ways to impact financial costs of development and infrastructure in the future.

Prosser commended the board’s willingness to prepare for the town’s future financial viability.

“This is one of the few communities in this state that has undertaken the initiative to take on this job,” he said.

During the same meeting, Wood presented the board with a timeline for the revision of the UDO. Town staff will work from May through July reviewing, drafting and meeting with consultants and the public before finalizing the UDO.

Wood said the new UDO would simplify the town’s development process.

“Under our current UDO, too much has to be approved by the board; sometimes it takes an applicant a year to get plans approved,” he said.

The largest undertaking comes with the revision of Waxhaw’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan that was last adopted in 2009.

“When Waxhaw’s first Comprehensive Plan was adopted, there was an intent to take it further,” said Gardner. “It was very general and didn’t get into the detail we need to see now.”

The Comprehensive Plan will pull together recommendations from 10 town plans, including the Downtown Waxhaw Vision Plan and Future Land Use Plan; five county and regional plans, including the Western Union County Local Area Regional Transportation Plan and Union County’s Comprehensive Plan; and address issues brought to the board by community members, business leaders, field experts and consultants.

The topics that will be addressed in the plan include: land use and growth, management, transportation, economic development, municipal services and infrastructure, parks and recreation, natural and environmental resources, historic preservation and cultural resources.

The board elected David Godfrey in January, a 13-year planning board member, as chairman to oversee the plan’s revisions with the support of 11 committee members.

The board met with the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee on Tuesday, May 26, to discuss the committee’s progress. Godfrey and Jason Epley, a consultant from Benchmark Planning, updated the board on the committee’s public input sessions.

The committee created a “This is My Waxhaw” campaign and distributed 15,000 advertisements asking residents to comment on how they define Waxhaw and what changes they would like to see take place in their community.

Between 350 and 400 community members participated in a public forum, comment board, collective video, photography and social media campaign and table meetings over the last couple of months.

Godfrey said most of the public discussed traffic concerns, such as bottleneck traffic downtown, widening Rea Road to a four-way lane and addressing traffic patterns coming from Indian Land, South Carolina, via Highway 75.

“The greatest challenge will be helping the town determine the most important implementation steps given the many competing priorities and limited resources,” Epley said.

The steering committee hopes to finalize the plan by October, but it could change, depending on public response and the depth with which each topic is dissected. The board will set up a tentative timeline schedule of when topics will be tackled, so community members who are interested in participating will know when to attend meetings.

The information will be available on the town’s website at http://www.waxhaw.com.

“We want to incorporate the character of the people at the center of the plan,” said Godfrey.

He said it’s going to be a difficult task, but he is passionate about the future of Waxhaw.

“If you love Waxhaw the way I do, you are willing to work to make it a better place to live,” he said.

Gardener felt pleased with the work the steering committee has completed so far and looks forward to what issues will be brought to the table.

“Traffic, infrastructure and more voices to our community changes the nature of the conversation to some extent,” she said. “The core of the community hasn’t changed in 125 years, but we need to continue to work hard – pulling together the nostalgia, quality of life and the needs and interest of this community.”

Waxhaw residents are encouraged to join the conversation at http://www.bench markplanning.com/waxhaw or via social media using #thisismywaxhaw.

Posted in Civic and Government News, Newspaper, Traditional Journalism, Union County Weekly | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Bergin’s take on ‘The BRIEFCASE’

Posted on May 28, 2015 by crystalogormanwrites

Matthews – Mint Hill Weekly

Posted by on May 27, 2015 in News

MATTHEWS – Kim and Joe Bergin, of Matthews Estates, didn’t know what they signed up for when Kim Bergin applied to be on a reality TV show about their family’s financial burden.

The Bergin Family - Joe, Kim, Payton, Kennedy and Regan - are faced with a tough financial decision on new reality show, "The Briefcase, which premieres on CBS tonight at 8 p.m. Photo courtesy of Neil Jacobs and CBS.

The Bergin family took part in the new CBS reality TV show, “The Briefcase,” which is set to air Wednesday, May 27, at 8 p.m.

“I found out about it on www.realitywanted.com; all the listing said was, ‘Could having more money ease your financial burden?’” she said.

Kim  applied in early February, and CBS reached out to her family two days later. They were filming by March 7.

“Everything happened in less than 30 days – it was a whirlwind,” she said.

The show presents two families who have financial need and surprises them with a briefcase filled with $101,000 in cash. They get to keep $1,000; but as for the rest of the money, they have three options to choose from and 72 hours to do it: keep it all, give some of it away or give all of it away to another family in financial distress. Another twist – neither family knows the other has been confronted with the same amount of money and circumstances.

Kim, Joe and their daughters – Payton, 15; Kennedy, 13; and Regan, 12 – have faced many financial challenges over the years. Joe was laid off from a sales job 10 years ago and searched for a new job for six months before Kim  suggested they open an ice cream truck business. Brrr-Gin’s Ice Cream has served popsicles, fruit bars and ice cream at events and neighborhoods in Matthews, Mint Hill, Charlotte, Indian Trail and Stallings.

“We’ve worked at a lot special events at Stumptown Park and with Matthews Parks and Recreation camps and local schools,” Joe said.

An unfortunate accident befell on Joe in December 2014. He was driving one of the ice cream trucks on Stallings Road when someone drove across the center line and struck his truck in a head-on collision. Joe broke his right foot and dislocated his shoulder, and was ordered to be on bed rest for eight weeks.

“It was like I was sitting in jail,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything for my family.”

The financial burden became too much when he couldn’t work, and several ice cream trucks were out of commission and in need of serious repairs. Kim was trying to pick up the pieces and manage the family’s needs while working a part-time job.

The reality show shocked the Bergins with the briefcase full of money and sent them on an emotional rollercoaster as they went back and forth on what decision to make in regards to the money. New Hampshire couple Cara and Dave Bronson, the other couple was faced with the same decision, also wrestled with the idea of keeping the money or helping another couple, whose life circumstances are leaked as the week progresses.

Kim said the hardest part was knowing they needed the money just as much as the other couple.

“We both cried everyday – it was so emotional,” she said. “We were up and down.”

Joe and Kim Bergin become emotional about their final decision on "The Briefcase." Photo courtesy of Neil Jacobs and CBS.

“In the beginning, we were on separate pages, but in the end, we were on the same page,” Joe said. “We didn’t even have to say it out loud, because we both knew what we were going to do.”

Payton, who attends Crestdale Middle School, said she enjoyed the experience and was happy with her parents’ final decision.

“I am so proud of my family for doing the right thing,” she said. “If it was any other way, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

The Bergins said participating in “The Briefcase” shaped them in more ways than money ever could.

“I am so proud of our family,” Kim said. “It reiterates the fact that we have an awesome family without the money.”

“I think it’s brought us closer together,” Joe said. “I’m helping Kim more with the financial burdens; I’d always had a blind eye to that stuff, and I’m getting more involved and helping with that now, because I didn’t know what stress it was putting her under.”

The Bergin's of Matthews, N.C. face off with the Bronson's of Manchester, N.H. as they share their decision to keep or share $100,000 on "The Briefcase." Photo courtesy of Neil Jacobs and CBS.

They also hope their story will help others to not feel ashamed of financial problems.

“We’ve noticed over the last year or so that we are not the only people in this situation,” Joe said. “People just don’t talk about it, and we hope to help start the conversation.”

The Bergins plan to host a viewing party with 60 friends and family at Olde Sycamore Golf Plantation. Kim said only the five of them know what happened and they are excited to see their family and friends’ reaction.

View the episode at www.cbs.com.

Posted in Achievements and Awards, Entertainment/Creative Arts, Human Interest, Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly, Money and Finance, Pop Culture, Traditional Journalism | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Pippin’ piques life perceptions

Posted on May 23, 2015 by crystalogormanwrites

South Charlotte Weekly

Posted by on May 22, 2015 in Arts & Entertainment

Photo courtesy of Blumenthal Performing Arts

Photo courtesy of Blumenthal Performing Arts

The Tony-award winning Broadway musical “Pippin,” directed by Diane Paulus, captivated the audience with a riveting and risqué reinvention of this 1970s original musical at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s Belk Theatre.

The stage came alive with bright lights, bold, colorful costumes and high-flying acrobatics as a circus troupe interacted with the crowd and led Pippin through his coming-of-age journey to become “extraordinary” during the Middle Ages.

“Lead Player” Lisa Karlin lit the stage on fire with her sizzling dance moves and sultry sounds. Karlin mastered the stage in her characterization of a provocative prowess narrator as she guided “Pippin,” the moody prince played by ABC’s “Nashville” star Kyle Dean Massey, through the temptations of fame and glory in war, the loss of inhibitions through sexual exploration and promiscuity and political righteousness and justice by literally stabbing his father King Charles in back for the crown.

Karlin‘s burlesque moves magnetically transformed each scene with a contrast of sharp movements shadowing the bewitching nature of her character, while also gyrating in motion with the sexual connotations that follow throughout the story.

The “Glory” performance by Karlin and the other players added comical antics and acrobatic stunts to enact the war scene between King Charles’ army and the Visigoths. Donning top hats and canes, the players tap danced their way through battle, providing a Stooge-like parody that left audience members in stitches over the anxious, first-time sword wielding skills of Pippin and mannerism of the now-headless enemy soldier cuddling the box that holds his talking head.

Audience members believed the head of the beheaded soldier was a stage prop, ready to become a golf ball teed off Karlin’s cane into the crowd; however, the magic of illusion and distraction brought forth a pleasant surprise when the talking head was again presented to the audience in a small trunk. This is not the only magical scene that left mouths agape and heads scratched in bewilderment.

One scene might be considered an overdone magic trick, when Pippin’s stepmother, Fastrada – played by Sabrina Harper – sends King Charles through his wardrobe on a trip and spins it around to reveal Pippin is now inside. However, the symbolism of him becoming his father makes up for the lack of originality of trap doors on a magic box.

The greatest feat of strength and balance was exhibited by in towering troupe member Dmitrious Bistrevsky, when he stood on a board above stacks of rolling metal cylinders. It was as if the whole audience held its breath bracing for him to fall, yet erupted in a roaring cheer as he managed to pull it off.

Another showstopper, Pippin’s grandmother, Berthe – played by longtime T.V. and Broadway actress Adrienne Barbeau – started out meek but built on her performance as she took on “No Time at All.” Her pointed, abrasive language and mannerisms that interlude between song verses was reminiscent of a Bette Midler production, which she pulled off flawlessly.

Anyone who can belt out a tune beautifully while hanging upside from a swing attached high in the rafters deserved the audience’s respect.

King Charles, played by John Rubinstein, the original Pippin from the 1972 Broadway performance, did a good job making the audience believe he was a self-centered, glory-driven king with a jolly nature at heart.

Fastrada, his step wife, also demanded attention as a wicked, calculative step-monster living under the façade of a loyal, proper housewife. During her “Spread a Little Sunshine” performance, her dance moves were all legs, but her acting and singing remained consistent.

Catherine, the ordinary, widowed mother – played by Kristine Reese – who pulls Pippin from an existential crisis, did a fantastic job playing the role of an innocent and a little corny, “salt of the Earth” woman. Her chemistry with Pippin during their love scene was deep as they kissed and sang “Love Song” simply and sweetly at the edge of the stage.

Pippin mastered his character’s charming and confusing fumble along his existential journey, as he seamlessly transformed his characterization act to act from small and unassuming to large and in-charge.

His most outstanding attribute was his voice. His pitch rolled smoothly from one note to the next as he flowered into his role as a king in “Morning Glory” and a lover in “Love Song.”

The story ended with a surprising twist, reversing Pippin’s extraordinary perception of grandeur and replacing it with the simplest of love. Audience members were surprised to see the stage unravel as the conclusion was revealed and the crowd was left questioning the real nature of ambition.

“Pippin” does a top-notch job of putting the idea of societal ambitions in a snow globe, shaking it up and letting the purposeful essence of reality fall in the laps of audience members.

“Pippin” will run at the Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center through May 24. Visit http://www.blumenthalarts.org/events/detail/pippin for more information.

Posted in Entertainment/Creative Arts, Newspaper, Review, South Charlotte Weekly, Traditional Journalism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment