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IREDELL LIVING • NOVEMBER 2013 1

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Living the Good Life

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Top Brands, Trendy, Affordable!

2 IREDELL LIVING • NOVEMBER 2013

November 2013

Iredell Living the Good Life


LIVNG

I from the publisher

Myron T. GoughPublisher, Iredell Living

Welcome to the November issue.

This is the month for giving thanks. Thank you to our

veterans for their service to our nation as we salute them

on Veteran's Day, November 11th. If you know a veteran,

shake their hand and tell them you appreciate their

service.

Thanksgiving offers a great opportunity for us to step back

and count the many blessings we have to be thankful for.

I am most thankful for wonderful friends and family, work

that I love, and the opportunity to wake up in a fabulous,

free country everyday.

When I think of the sacrifices the early settlers endured

in a new land, most of our problems of today pale in

comparison. These early pioneers overcame incredible

odds, such as brutally cold winters, disease, and starvation

to persevere and put down roots in a new world. Thanks to

them for paving the way for all that we enjoy today.

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for reading the

November issue of Iredell Living Magazine!

Follow us on facebook–IredellLivingMagazinehttp://twitter.com/IredellLiving

W W W . I R E D E L L L I V I N G M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Mailing Address - 1670 E. Broad Street, Suite #195 Statesville, NC 28625 704-873-7307E-mail - [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKristie Darling • Kirk Ballard • David Bradley

Meredith Collins • Kathy WheelerCheryl Grant • James D. Williams • Scott Rudolph

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYShane Greene Photography

COVER STORYStyle Exchange

Editorial stock photography, unless otherwise noted, is from ThinkStock.com

Iredell Living reserves the right to deny any advertisement or listing. Submissions are welcome, but unsolicited materials are not guaranteed to be returned. Iredell Living assumes no responsibility for information, products, services or statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

Myron T. GoughPublisher/[email protected](704) 873-7307

Kathy WheelerArt Director/[email protected](828) 238-3224

Bob [email protected](336) 686-7271

Linda B. [email protected](704) 657-0237

Heather [email protected](704) 962-8080

To advertise, please call one of Iredell Living Magazine's sales representatives or

contact us at (704) 873-7307.

Iredell

Follow us on facebook–IredellLivingMagazinehttp://twitter.com/IredellLiving



LIVNG

I content

November 2013

22

18

8 • Being Grateful Makes You Happier

12 • Style Exchange: Top Brands, Trendy, Affordable!

16 • A Time Of Thanks, Renewal Of Friendships, And Bold New Rumors

18 • Dr. Naomi Simon: Offering Innovative Treatment For Underarm Sweating

20 • Feeling The Need For Speed

22 • Holiday Shopping

25 • What's Cooking?! Decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie

26 • A Word From The Mooresville- South Iredell Chamber: Regional Chambers Meet For Economic Summit

28 • A Word From The Statesville Chamber: The Future Of Statesville Is In Good Hands25

holiday | food | giving back | local business


It is impossible to be happy without having an attitude of

gratefulness for what we have, the people in our lives, and

the simple pleasures we enjoy. It’s the little things that make

us happiest. The frequency of positive feelings, rather than

the intensity of those feelings, is the most pleasing. The big

accomplishments in our lives are fleeting. Sure, we are happy

and exhilarated for awhile, but then we adapt to the new ac-

complishment or milestone before moving on to another goal.

The key to happiness is enjoying the day-to-day blessings that

we have. Focusing on what is positive with a grateful heart,

while attempting to change what we don’t like in our lives, is

a tactic that always works. Even disappointment can become a

positive motivator for change when we use the experience as a

source of knowledge.

Someone recently said to me that depression comes from liv-

ing in the past, and anxiety comes from living in the future,

but peace comes when we live in the present. No ones’ life

is perfect. We all have ups and downs, good times and bad,

achievements and failure. We have made mistakes and have

regrets. However, we have a choice in what we focus on, how

we remember our past, how we approach our future. We can

choose to concentrate on making positive memories in the

present.

Here are a few tips to increase our happiness:

Celebrate other people’s success! Being happy for others

who succeed and admiring their talents are healthy attitudes.

However, using their success to measure your own or being

envious is not. If you are competitive, use that to challenge

yourself toward improvement instead of trying to keep up

with someone else’s accomplishments. Do things that are

fulfilling and enjoyable; this is where you will find success and

happiness.

Limit your contact with negative people. Attitudes are

contagious. There is a saying that we’ve all heard – misery

loves company. Avoid becoming a dumping ground for other

people’s problems. Don’t participate in their negativity. That

doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be there for each other, or lend

an ear to a friend who is struggling with an issue, it just means

we should spend more time with those people who choose to

be happy, regardless.

Have a sense of humor. When it comes to present or past

mistakes, don’t take yourself too seriously. Choose to remem-

ber your successes, and laugh at your failures. Give yourself

permission to try and to fail, knowing that both bring you a

little closer to success.

Give back. Do things that improve the lives of others. The

feelings you get from helping and sharing are your reward.

They bring more purpose and happiness into your life.

Count your blessings. Don’t take simple pleasures for

granted. Take time to acknowledge the small things that make

you smile each day. Don’t get so busy that you miss any oppor-

tunity to feel happy, positive, and grateful.

When you sit down to dinner this Thanksgiving holiday, take

a look at those around you and give thanks for the simple

pleasures, the people you love, and the awesome life that you

enjoy.

Being Grateful Makes You Happier

By Cheryl Grant

©Stockbyte | Stockbyte | Thinkstock


LIVNG

I cover story


Photos:On the cover, and pictured

right–From left to right,

Ashley Offenbacker,

Hickory manager; Michele

Willis, owner; and Amanda

Trouille, Mooresville

manager

Pictured–Managers Ashley

and Amanda enjoy choosing

the perfect pieces for each

mannequin to complete

their looks.


“Style Exchange is the only place I shop for clothes on a regular basis,” said Heather Ramsey enthusiastically. “I buy for my 14 year-old son and 11 year-old daughter, and for me! I’ve replaced my wardrobe at a fraction of what I would have spent at the mall.” Heather is a long-time customer at Mooresville’s Style Exchange, the trendy consignment shop at the corner of Hwy. 150 and Wil-liamson Road, next to Starbucks. Rave reviews like Heather’s keep Manager Amanda Lynn Trouille and her staff of sales associates busy everyday.

A FANTASTIC CONSIGNMENT EXPERIENCEAmanda and her team focus on tak-ing care of their customers, sellers and buyers alike. “Our shoppers, guys and gals, love our selection. We sell fun, young-at-heart clothing, shoes, and accessories that are current, like new,

and affordable. These styles appeal to shoppers of all ages, especially teens and young adults. A trip to our store is well worth it. Many customers come in often, sometimes several times a week,” Amanda shared. “We offer the same friendly service that I like when I’m shopping–helpful but not overbear-ing. Our sales associates are great.” Her inventory changes everyday, because it comes from people like you and me who bring in their gently used items with labels you might see at Buckle, Abercrombie & Fitch, or Gap.

WHAT'S ON THE RACKS?Just about everything you’d like to wear at work, on vacation and around the house! Style Exchange features popular labels that are in style and in demand today–the best of the best–at extremely reasonable prices. Brands include Hollister, Forever 21, Delia’s, Aerie, J.

Crew, Coach, Charlotte Russe, Miss Me, American Eagle, Old Navy, Quicksilver, Ralph Lauren, Dooney Bourke, and B. Makowsky. There’s more than just clothes: jeans, capris, slacks and shorts; shirts, sweaters, blouses, coats and vests; belts, shoes, boots, and sandals; purses, wallets, and backpacks, as well as sun-glasses, jewelry, scarves, teen decor, per-fumes and lotions. With such reasonable prices, there’s lots of shopping to do! “Because we accept new items everyday, we’re always full of current fashions,” Amanda told me. “Our men’s racks are the same: new selections in great styles, always.”

A best seller is nearly new Miss Me Jeans, which are $35 to $60 off their regular price of around $120. “Some items are brand new with tags,” Amanda said. “When you might afford only one pair at the mall, you could perhaps buy

By Kristie Darling | Photos by Shane Greene Photography

Top Brands, Trendy, Affordable!


three or four here.” While the store caters to teens and young adults, many customers are men and women in their 30s, 40s, and up–it’s a matter of style, not age. “I started shopping at Style Exchange because I was buying Diesel Jeans at South Park and spending $500 or more,” Weston Roodhouse told me. “I met Amanda at Starbucks, and discovered she has Banana Repub-lic, True Religion and other labels I like. I can easily get jeans hemmed if I need to, and still save hundreds. I love that she’ll call me if she gets something in that I’ll like. Style Exchange is all about helping customers find what they like, and they do a great job of it…I’ve never had anyone from the mall call me.”

Preteen, juniors, petites, and women’s sizes fill the racks, along with plenty for guys to look through. The constantly updated Facebook page is very helpful. Posting dozens of photos and answering over 50 questions each day, it’s not surprising that on-line orders come in all the time. Heather Ramsey likes shopping online: “I follow on Facebook, purchase items online, and they’ll hold it or send it to the other store if that’s more convenient for me. I just bought my son some LeBron James shoes that he loves!” You can use store credit or credit cards online, and your items will be ready for pick-up.

EXCHANGING IS EASY AND PAYS GREAT!Style Exchange is different from the usual consignment plan. It’s easy and you don’t need an appointment. Simply bring in clean, gently used, still in style clothing (folded in a tub or basket), shoes and accessories, and Amanda’s fashion-conscious staff will

Photos: Left, top to bottom• Whether you need fashion advice or just need to try on your selections, Bella is happy to help.• Amanda is excited to show a Michael Kors bag to a

customer. At 60% off retail, this bag is only $80 at Style Exchange.

• Bella assists a customer with items she wishes to sell.

Photo: Right–Over 100 items are posted on Style Exchange's Facebook page daily, so be sure to like their page at:

www.facebook.com/styleexchangehickoryItems can be purchased by phone and picked up at either the Mooresville or Hickory location.


immediately–within the day–examine your items for brands, condition, and desirability. “We’re looking for items that have been in style for the last 18 months or so. Unless an older item is something classic, like a Michael Kors purse, for instance, we might pass on taking it,” Amanda explained. “While we’re assessing your items, you’re wel-come to shop or come back later that day. We’ll make you an immediate cash offer, or you can choose 15% more in store credit.” Then it’s up to you to take the offer or decline. You can take home things they aren’t interested in or leave them for charity donation. Plan on making a deal that day–their policy requires you to exchange or pick up by closing time. Items sell at 60% to 90% off retail, and very reasonable cash payments are made to exchangers. The Style Exchange system has worked well for over seven years, and they know it’s working because so many regulars not only shop there, but also bring in items to sell all the time.

BEHIND THE SCENESAmanda and husband, Toby, celebrated their fourth anniversary last month. Their two-year-old son, Hunter, is all about Thomas the Train and Nemo. Amanda and Toby recently finished a 2,250-mile tour to Milwaukee on their Harley Davidson Street Glide!

“Both stores work together,” Amanda said. “Luis Calderon, Kasey Travis and Jacklyn Walker, all team leads in Hick-ory, will come down when an employ-ee is out, or I simply need extra help.” Amanda’s sales team is professional and energetic. Bella Kurvers, a high school junior, is the most recent hire in Mooresville, and Madison Cusimano, has been on board a year. Alongside Amanda, these young women spend hours every day helping exchangers bring in new items, inspecting and reviewing exchanges, sorting, pricing, tagging, hanging, photographing and

posting, and serving customers. Madi-son explained, “We focus on getting the job done and helping everyone find what they want.”

A LITTLE BACKGROUNDMichele Willis is one of this area’s highly successful young female entrepreneurs. She is owner of Style Exchange’s two stores, in Mooresville and the Hickory store on Hwy 70, just behind Red Lobster. Each store is dif-ferent, but they use the same exchange system. “Our goal is to teach how easy it is to stay stylish and totally in fashion without spending a fortune,” Michele shared. “It’s easy to recycle your ward-robe, and it’s fun finding new-to-you treasures.” I’ve shopped at both stores, and recommend them to anyone who loves fashion and saving money. Style Exchange is not at all like a thrift store where you have to dig deep to find clothes that aren’t worn out. Here, all the sorting has already been done–you just have to find what you like that fits! Michele also owns Aqua B, a women’s retail fashion boutique in Hickory’s downtown shopping destination, Union Square.

Plan a visit for yourself. Shop with girl-friends, then relax at Starbucks. Before you come, sort through your closet. What you bring can be exchanged for something that suits you better or for some extra mad money. Either way, Style Exchange is likely to become your shopping destination of choice for fashion and bargains.

Style Exchange109 Williamson Road • Mooresville

(704) 664.7200

www.StyleExchangeOnline.com

1822 Hwy 70 SE • Hickory(828) 267.7200

www.styleexchangehickorync.comVisit on Facebook

Photos: Above, top to bottom•You will find great brands at Style

Exchange like Coach, Fossil, Michael Kors, Kathy Van Zeeland, Guess and more.

• Brand names for guys–Amanda shows a frequent customer the most recent items in his size.

• Both locations offer a huge selection of scarves from $4 to $6 each.


They say November and Thanksgiving are the most heavily traveled seasons of the year. I try to make it back home during this time of the year to renew old friendships and catch up on the happenings of my hometown. I always try to attend the church that I grew up within, for it gives me a sense of comfort and is a great resource of the current happenings.

The past couple of years have been a big transition for the church. The for-mer pastor of 20 years retired. Mem-bership has been in decline. Giving has dropped and the church has been forced to reexamine finances. All of this in a period of great community need. So the search committee decided to look within the community for a new pastor.

My childhood friend Randy was selected as the most likely candidate. Even in high school, he felt religion to be his true calling. Randy was ordained but had never been a full time clergy-man. As fate would have it, Randy had been recently laid off from his job of 25 years. So this was a wonderful opportunity. Randy had picked up the phrase, “As one door closes, another door opens.”

Randy’s selection was not without controversy. He was well thought of in the community, and the background checks came back with no issues. I am

sure he came at a bargain price for the church. Since he already lived in the community, the church could rent the former pastor’s residence to help shore up its finances.

All the familiar denominations were represented in town. There were Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches. There was a Jewish synagogue. But this was a town where people did not move from church to church. Randy’s controversy had begun with hushed rumors. As with many very tight organizations, everyone knows someone who knows someone. Sometimes there is an element of truth in a rumor. But, just like chemistry, ele-ments are very small particles.

I first heard Randy’s rumor at the picnic after the Sunday service. I guess some folks felt they could confide in me be-cause they knew me, but I was no lon-ger a resident of the town. Many knew that Randy and I had been friends in high school, played on the same teams, and even dated some of the same girls. I got the feeling I was being probed for information. Randy’s rumor involved a supposed drinking problem.

As the picnic began to wind down and the congregation began to say their goodbyes, I had some personal time to talk with Randy. We laughed about our days in high school. We talked about whatever happened to Mike, Joyce,

Sally, and Keith. I asked Randy how his new responsibilities were going?

Randy began to open up. He said, all in all, it had been an easy transition. He knew most of the congregation and could recite their lineage. But he was having a bit of trouble overcoming a ru-mor. Oh, I said, playing dumb. Yes, one of the former elders of the church had started a rumor that Randy had a drink-ing problem. He said Irene had wanted her son-in-law to become the new pas-tor and was upset with his appointment. Randy said this rumor was far from the truth. He went on to explain how his income had dropped, but his family’s bills still need to be paid. He understood the finances of the church.

Randy said the rumor had started because Irene and some of her friends had seen his truck parked outside a local bar several nights during the previous week. I asked what Randy was doing at the bar? He told me he had taken a part time job as a backup guitarist to supplement his income. I asked him if he worried about his church position? He said no. He had explained the situation to the current elders, and they understood. But how was he going to stop the rumor? Randy said not to worry…I’ve started parking my truck in front of Irene’s house over night.

I can’t wait for the next picnic.

Bold New Rumors

By James D. Williams

A Time of Thanks, Renewal of Friendships, and

©Jochen Sand | Photodisc | Thinkstock


One in five American adults experience excessive underarm sweat. They say it can be more embarrassing than being overweight, having acne, cold sores, or dandruff. What can you do about it? Dr. Naomi Simon, of Piedmont Health-Care’s Mooresville Dermatology Center, is now offering a new and easy proce-dure to help people whose excessive underarm sweat interferes with their everyday lives. She is one of just a few physicians in North Carolina to offer this procedure.

MiraDry is an FDA-approved perma-nent solution for axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive underarm sweat). Prior to

this new treatment, Dr. Simon says the only options were really strong antiper-spirants which can often burn or sting the skin in their highest concentrations; Botox in armpits which is costly when repeated every six months for the rest of your life; or oral medication that can cause side effects, because it prevents your entire body from sweating.

“The miraDry treatment is similar to a laser treatment and is only done on the outside of the skin,” Dr. Simon ex-plained. “It uses microwave thermolysis to eliminate the underarm sweat glands without pain or surgery.” Two treat-ments, three months apart, can elimi-nate the sweat glands in the armpits,

resulting in an average sweat reduction of 80%. “The sweat glands in your armpits are just 2% of your total body sweat glands, so you don’t need them,” Dr. Simon said.

So far, Dr. Simon has treated around 25 patients with miraDry. “A lot of our patients have a very severe prob-lem with underarm sweat,” Dr. Simon continued. “It is a significant problem. Some people can only wear one color shirt, and others wear two or three shirts. This treatment was made for those patients, but I have also had a number of patients come in who don’t have excessive sweating, but just want to sweat less than they do.”

By Meredith CollinsPhotos by Shane Greene Photography

Dr. Naomi Simon:Offering Innovative Treatment

for Underarm Sweating

Photos: Intense pulsed light (IPL) laser treatments are used to treat acne in patients of all ages.

Piedmont HealthCare’s Mooresville Dermatology Center is one of only six practices in North Carolina offering miraDry, a non-invasive treatment for excessive underarm sweat.

Dr. Naomi Simon (right) and Kristin Prochaska, PA, provide both experience and expertise in caring for their patients.


In addition to the miraDry treatment, another new and excit-ing advancement now offered at the Mooresville Dermatology Center is Sciton BroadBand Light (BBL) laser treatment. This intense pulsed light treats inflammatory acne and decreases the red coloring of acne scars. “The other conditions we use intense pulsed light for are red skin discoloration from rosacea and broken blood vessels on the face,” Dr. Simon said. “This treatment is also good for brown age spots on the face, neck, chest, and hands.”

Dr. Simon moved to North Carolina in 2008. She joined Pied-

mont HealthCare and opened Mooresville Dermatology Center

in 2010. She is assisted by Kristin Prochaska, PA-C, who has

worked in the specialty of dermatology for ten years. Their

staff of ten includes a full-time RN who does only cosmetic

work, front office staff, and the clinical staff who regularly

participate in continuing medical education. The entire team

treats their patients like family, with a clear focus on patient

and customer satisfaction.

Piedmont HealthCare Mooresville Dermatology Center

444 Williamson Road, Suite B • Mooresville704-235-1827

www.mooresvilledermcenter.comwww.piedmonthealthcare.com

Photo: The providers and

staff at Piedmont

HealthCare’s

Mooresville

Dermatology Center

offer a patient-

centered approach

to addressing skin

health.


“My Internet is too slow!”

“Your Internet service is awful!”

These are the most common com-plaints Internet providers hear. But what’s the truth? Are the services really slow and awful, or is there another is-sue causing your problematic Internet experience?

Let’s start with the assumption that ev-erything is working as designed at your home or business. Your computers are fairly new, not infected with viruses or malware. Your software is up-to-date and that gaming system, smartphone, tablet, or media device (iPod, Roku, etc.) is connected and configured properly. Your router and modem are connected to the provider’s service. If all of that is true, and your Internet is still awful, you might want to look at your bandwidth (speed) subscription to see about an upgrade.

Now for bandwidth, the ultimate ques-tion is: What do I need, to do what I want? First, let’s cover the “…to do what I want” requirement. Are you browsing, checking email? What about streaming movies from Netflix or Hulu? Will you be playing online games or using Internet telephone (VoIP)? Just as

importantly, how many devices are you using to do those things?

Here’s an analogy that might be help-ful: Suppose you live alone and rarely use water for more than one thing at a time. Adequate water pressure for all of your devices should only require a small supply line, let’s say, three quar-ters of an inch; again, using only one device at a time.

Now let’s say that your brother sells his home and you agree to let his family move in until they find something else. Whoa! Now you’re running showers, sinks, a washing machine, and a dish-washer, all at the same time. Your water pressure has tapered off to nothing! What to do? Well, in lieu of moving out of your own house, you could increase the size of the supply line from the source to your home, possibly up to the maximum size your water company can provide, usually two to four inches.

Well, it’s nearly the same for band-width. I’ll give you an example. Re-cently I was waylaid at a public forum by one of our customers. He cornered me right by the hors d'oeuvres, “When are you going to fix your Internet service? It’s awful!” Somewhere be-tween the nacho chips and the guaca-

mole dip, I managed to ask him a few questions. What I found was that in addition to browsing the Internet and checking email, he had recently added two smartphones, a tablet, AND he had subscribed to a movie streaming service. What he hadn’t done, though, was increase the size of his water pipe, his bandwidth. For this particular cus-tomer, there was nothing wrong with our service or even his equipment. He just didn’t have enough bandwidth and needed to upgrade his service.

Let’s finish up by revisiting the band-width ultimate question: What do I need – to do what I want? If you suspect that your demand exceeds your supply line, contact your service provider about the various bandwidth levels and options available. You can ask to speak with a representative who is specifically trained to match band-width to customer use. Let them help you get the speed you need, for today and for the future.

Feeling the Need for Speed

By Scott Rudolph

Scott Rudolph is the

Chief Technical

Officer for Yadtel

Telecom.

www.yadtel.com

©Federico Caputo | iStock | Thinkstock


Holiday Shopping

November ushers in the Christ-

mas shopping season, and ev-

eryone will be looking for the

perfect gift for family and friends on

their list. You need a plan. Only after

considering the recipient’s personal-

ity, style, interests, needs, and your

budget, are you ready for the quest to

find a gift that will bring them joy and

much use.

So many of us get distracted while

shopping for others by things we want

and like. I usually make it home with

a few gifts, five impromptu purchases

for myself, AND a blown budget! Not

what I intended to do. The solution is

simple: stick to a list of what you plan

to purchase and your price range. If

you find something you really like for

yourself, take a photo that includes

the tags. Someone may need a hint

or two from your Christmas wish list;

however, be sensitive to their budget

before making a suggestion.

My husband is a professional mu-

sician. Friends ask what’s a good

musical gift they can buy him that he

doesn’t already have. I usually laugh

and respond with, “If he doesn’t have

it, you and I can’t afford it!” People

with a hobby or professional inter-

est almost always have a very specific

wish list. They have already researched

their next purchases. Chances are they

can give you a list of desired items

they want, the best place to shop, the

name brand and model number they

prefer. If the items are over your bud-

get, consider purchasing a gift card from

the store they refer you to.

Personally, I would rather give gifts that

need to be wrapped, or should I say,

unwrapped. I love seeing the wrapping

paper come off and the anticipation on

the recipient’s face. However, sometimes

a gift card is a better choice. For in-

stance, rather than buying clothing, a gift

card from a favorite boutique allows the

recipient to purchase something that fits.

Gift certificates to spas are another great

choice. You can’t wrap a service! And

gift cards to a favorite restaurant make

wonderful gifts for couples.

Buying Local Versus OnlineSome items are fine to buy online, while

others are not. For example, textiles

and other merchandise where the feel,

weight, or texture are important are

better purchased from a store. Clothing

and bedding are good examples. Even

though you may be familiar with the

fabric content of an item, the weight and

texture may not be to your liking, or the

color, for that matter. Variables from how

the camera captures the color to how

your monitor interprets it can make a

huge difference in what you see on the

screen to what you receive in the mail.

Electronics are good items to buy online

if you know what you are looking for.

Many people do their research and make

their selection locally, and then complete

their purchase online to save a little

money. I think it is worth a few extra

dollars to support your local merchants;

I may need their help next season. On-

line purchases are perfect when you can't

find items locally. Make sure to read the

return policy and consider how much

trouble it would be for you or your re-

cipient to return the gift, if needed.

I hope you find all the items on your list

this season and enjoy wrapping them up

in pretty packages! Happy shopping!!

By Kathy Wheeler

©GalaxyPhoto | iStock | Thinkstock


Holiday-Flavored Whipped Cream Try these flavored whipped creams using McCormick extract and spices.

For each recipe start with one cup of heavy cream, add the remaining ingre-dients, and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Vanilla: Add 1/4 cup con-fectioners’ sugar and 1 tea-spoon pure vanilla extract

Candy Cane: Add 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/2

teaspoon pure vanilla ex-tract and 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Cocoa Cinnamon: Add 2 teaspoons unsweetened co-coa powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla ex-tract

Eggnog: Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 tea-spoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon imitation rum extract

Decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie 1 refrigerated pie crust, (from 14.1-ounce package)1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips3 tablespoons milk4 eggs3 tablespoons butter, melted2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 cup dark corn syrup1 cup sugar½ teaspoon ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon ground allspice¼ teaspoon salt1 ½ cups pecan halves

Directions:Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 9-inch deep dish pie plate with pie crust. Bake 7 min-utes. Remove crust from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Meanwhile, microwave chocolate chips and milk in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Pour chocolate evenly over crust.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Slowly pour mixture over chocolate layer. Place ring of foil around edges of crust to prevent over-browning.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until filling is puffed and center is still soft enough to move when shaken gently. Cool com-pletely on wire rack.

What's Cooking?!Decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie

Recipe and photo courtesy of McCormick.

For more holiday-inspired recipes, visit www.McCormick.com


Pho

to b

y C

apta

in G

us

Kirk BallardPresident and CEO

Mooresville - South IredellChamber of Commerce

Regional Chambers Meet For Economic

Summit

A WORD FROM

A delegation of regional Chambers of Commerce and members of economic development corporations met in Washington for a small business and economic development summit hosted by federal government leaders.

This year’s summit was held in early September in Washington, DC. The delegation wanted to work on building relationships with members of Con-gress in the hopes of preserving the support of federal legislators who, of-ficials say, help bring millions of dollars into our region.

The focus was on three areas of con-cern: transportation, creating jobs, and healthcare. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx talked about the need to restore educational control to schools at the local level. Representative Richard Burr talked about the critical skills gap and the need for workforce education instruction with a focus on educate to employment. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew discussed growth in hous-ing, manufacturing, and financial insti-tutions. He also mentioned that deficit reduction, though small, was moving in the right direction. U.S. Transporta-tion Secretary Anthony Foxx talked about TIGER grants that are available to repair infrastructure on bridges and roadways. The North Carolina Film Office Director Aaron Syrett said, “We spent $70 million on film incentives in 2012 while taking in $376 mil-lion, which created more than 4000 full-time positions in North Carolina.” These incentives are set to end in 2014.

Chamber presidents from the Moores-ville-South Iredell Chamber, Greater Statesville Chamber, Lake Norman Chamber, as well as Visit Lake Nor-man’s board chair, Randy Marion, attended the summit.

At last month's Mooresville Cham-ber board meeting, North Carolina

Representative Dr. David Curtis and Representative Robert Brawley gave an update on North Carolina legislative wins for 2013, which include:

Fixed Broke and Broken Unemploy-ment Insurance System (H4)Led effort to restore responsibility and accountability to our state’s unemploy-ment insurance system and to provide real solutions that encourage North Carolina businesses to create the jobs our citizens desperately need. Reforms give employers greater certainty by put-ting a plan in place to repay the more than $2 billion debt in three years. This saves North Carolina employers approximately $714 per employee over the next seven years.

Strengthened NC’s Competitive Position through Tax Modernization (H998)Dramatically improved North Caro-lina’s competitiveness regionally and nationally through tax reform. Reforms reduce the corporate income tax from 6.9% to 6% in 2014 and then to 5% in 2015, a 29% rate reduction. North Carolina will move from 44th to 17th in state business tax competitiveness.

Supported Transitioning Veterans into Sustainable Jobs (H74)Encouraged allowing private job cre-ators the ability to provide a preference to veterans and the spouses of disabled veterans for employment. This work-force development initiative will help create long-term, sustainable jobs for North Carolina’s veterans and spouses of our wounded warriors.

Increased Access to Career and Tech-nical Education (S14)Boosted workforce development efforts through increased access to career and technical education teachers, develop-ment of career and college endorse-ments for high school diplomas, and greater community college enrollment



in career and technical education in high-need employment areas.

Supported Transition to Digital Learning in Schools (H44)Successfully supported efforts for North Carolina to lead the nation in the use of digital devices in the classroom. Evolv-ing innovations in online learning are a big opportunity to provide anytime/anywhere access to learning.

Local, regional, and national leaders each felt that com-munication and collaboration have been the keys to finding solutions to problems we face.

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A W O R D F R O M

The Future of Statesville

Is In Good Hands

David BradleyPresident and CEOGreater Statesville

Chamber of Commerce

We can get mighty fickle about life. Wake up and read the newspaper or hear stories on television about the ugly stuff that is happening around us, and it’s hard to keep a positive attitude. There are days in which you figure Chicken Little had it right–the sky IS falling.

Blessedly, there are days when hope for tomorrow drowns out the steady nega-tive drum of today. Many of us had one of those days in October. One of the staple programs of the Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce is our Youth Leadership Iredell program. Thanks to the wonderful support of Elmer’s Prod-ucts, Inc., we have been able to sustain an extraordinary program designed to engage some of the top members of the junior classes at Statesville, North Iredell, West Iredell and South Iredell High Schools. We gather once a month to discuss topical issues and explore parts of the county that might otherwise go unseen.

One October morning, following a walking history lesson by Dr. Steve Hill, the group of 46 of our best and brightest took a short ride out to Fort Dobbs Historic Site. Scott Douglas, the site’s historic interpreter, explained the history of Iredell County in the French and Indian War and the importance of the very ground on which we stood. Our hope with this session is to impress upon these young men and women that Iredell County is more than the spot where they live right now; that there is a rich, deep history to this land that we can appreciate.

On this particular day, we enjoyed a deep discussion about our future. Thanks to the folks at Centralina Coun-cil of Governments, we had interactive conversations about Iredell County and the entire Charlotte region’s expected growth over the next 30 years. We live in one of the fastest growing areas in the country and can expect to have another two million people living in this area

by 2050. The enormity of managing that growth is beyond comprehension. To plan for jobs, housing, transporta-tion, water/sewer and recreation has to happen–now! The Connect Our Future program is being undertaken through-out the 14 counties in the region, but this was the first conversation with strictly young leaders. This will be their domain, and to get them involved now is paramount. But, I was skeptical.

When I was that age, the extent of plan-ning for the future consisted of prepara-tion for the next football or basketball game. My frame of reference was shat-tered when these 46 students started the simulations of our future. There was no lack of statements exactly like…• “Light rail is expensive, but with this

growth, we will have to invest in more effective ways to move people north and south, so we need to begin look-ing at ways to invest.”

• “Iredell County, particularly in the northern and western areas, is critically important in the agricultural economic base of North Carolina. We need to protect those areas as best we can.”

• “We can’t just hope for better shop-ping opportunities; we have to attract jobs to the area so that we can support better shopping.”

We began Youth Leadership Iredell six years ago hoping to put a small plug in the challenge of brain drain, in which our young people search to find their future somewhere outside Iredell County. This year, we had nearly 90 applications for the program and could only take 46. Through the financial help of Elmer’s and the incredible energy of Susie Wiberg, partnership coordinator at Iredell-Statesville Schools, we hope we are making a difference in the lives of these students. One thing is absolute: they make a difference in my life. After hearing the wisdom, thoughtful sugges-tions, and sage advice, I feel better about the future of this fine place we all call home.


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