south charlotte weekly

Serving The Arboretum, Ballantyne, Blakeney and SouthPark communities

INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Scores, 8; Education, 10; Faith, 15; Calendar, 16; Sports, 17; Classifieds, 27

page 4Harris Y breaks ground on new children’s space

Volume 13, Number 39 • Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, 2014 Locally Owned & Operatedwww.thecharlotteweekly.com

page 21

2014-15 performing arts previewinside: our annual guide to the performing arts events you don’t want to miss. Starts after page 12

About 180 pink-clad women came to Ballantyne Coun-

try Club on Tuesday, Sept. 23, to play golf and enjoy a luncheon, all while raising funds for Susan G. Komen, a

foundation for breast cancer awareness and prevention. The luncheon was part of BCC Rally Week, a week of fundraisers in

the Ballantyne area hosted by BCC Rally, a Charlotte-area nonprofit that raises awareness for breast cancer and offers financial support for Rally for the Cure to benefit Susan G. Komen.

A small group of women started the group at Ballantyne Country Club 11 years ago and it has since become the first Rally for the Cure group in the country to raise more than $1 million dollars.

BCC Rally Week, which started on Sunday, Sept. 21, with a Walk-and-Wag Pink-a-thon, a non-competitive 5K where people were encouraged to bring pets. BCC Rally Weeks ends on Saturday, Sept. 27, with a Denim & Diamonds gala.

Tuesday, women participated in a silent auction throughout the event

that offered a large variation of goods and services,

ranging from jew-elry to golf

(see BCC Rally on page 3)

Bal lantyne women throw party in pink to raise cancer awareness

(Left) Attendees of the BCC Ladies’ Luncheon arrived decked out in a variety of creative get-ups. Ryan Pitkin/SCW photo

New STEM-center charter school to arrive in Charlotteby Courtney Schultz

[email protected]

CHARLOTTE – On Sept 4 the North Carolina Board of Education voted to move 11 charter schools into the planning-year phase, with a target opening of August 2015.

One of the 11 schools, Queen City STEM School, will open in Charlotte with a mission “to prepare students to become competent, responsible and successful individuals in our globalized and technology-based society through a strong academic

program, school- family-community partnerships, and strong teacher-student relationships.”

The charter school will replicate Triad Math and Science Academy, a successful public charter school in Greensboro.

North Carolina Lieutenant Gov-ernor Steven Walker, who serves on the North Carolina Charter Schools Advisory Board, said Triad seems to be performing well and has long waiting lists, up to three times its capacity.

(see STEM on page 12)

Thompson shines

on court

by Ryan [email protected]

• Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, 2014 • South Charlotte Weekly www.thecharlotteweekly.com

South Charlotte Weekly • Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, 2014 • www.thecharlotteweekly.com

News

accessories to a weeklong stay in an Ocean Isle Beach condo.

The total amount of funds raised will not be released until the BCC Rally Week has con-cluded, but BCC Rally President Sue Dock-stader emphasizes that awareness is more vital than money, as early detection is the best way to prevent death by breast cancer.

After finishing a round of golf Tuesday morning well before the rain started falling, ladies were able to let loose with pink drinks from the bar and free pampering services from Neiman Marcus.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Judith Salerno, CEO and president of Susan G. Komen, addressed attendees while they ate a lunch of pulled-pork barbecue and French fries. It was Salerno’s first appearance at any Rally for the Cure event nationally since assum-ing the leadership in 2013. She addressed the crowd by discussing topics ranging from new technology used in treating breast can-cer to the disproportionate amount of black women dying of the disease as opposed to white women.

Salerno flew in from her home in Dallas for the event, and spent the morning prior to the luncheon meeting volunteers and staff with Komen Charlotte, the Charlotte-area Susan G. Komen affiliate. She said her first trip to Charlotte as CEO of Komen was “energiz-ing,” especially in seeing the work of BCC Rally.

“This event really leads the Rally events around the country in terms of commitment,” Salerno said before the luncheon started. “To see how they recognize the needs in their community and want to do something about it. The community is really coming together.”

Tami Simmons, executive director of Komen Charlotte, gave a short speech before introducing Salerno to the crowd. She said that one of Salerno’s best features is her impactful speaking and was excited to see how “jazzed” the president could get the members in the crowd about their cause.

Simmons was quick to praise BCC Rally, as well, on her arrival to the event, where she said all the pink was “amazingly beautiful” and showed just how united everyone was.

“The relationship (Komen Charlotte) has with BCC Rally 365 days a year is what means the most to us,” Simmons said. “They work tirelessly all year long in support of Komen and what we are trying to do. Today is just a wonderful celebration of the relationship we have across Komen Charlotte and BCC Rally and everything we are trying to accomplish together.”

Some women at the rally wore costumes, and one group of members dressed as char-acters from Alice in Wonderland. Others donned cowgirl get-ups or added pink tweaks to their outfits such as tutus or headbands.

Even With all the fun being had, the com-mon goal of the rally is to take action against the disease that’s expected to take 40,000 lives in 2014 alone. Many of those in atten-dance have lost someone close to them or had

a loved one affected by breast cancer. Debbie Violette, a 14-year Ballantyne resi-

dent, said she has been involved with BCC Rally from the beginning and attends events like Tuesday’s lunch as a way to pay tribute to a friend who passed away from breast cancer 10 years ago.

“It’s a way for the community to come together to show support for anyone who has dealt with the disease, for anyone who has lost loved ones, and it’s a way to have fun while doing that,” Violette said.

Jigisha Thaker, a Ballantyne resident for over 10 years and member of BCC Rally, played golf, but said that the important part is what the members are raising awareness for with events like Tuesday’s.

Thaker’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in college and within two days of diagnosis was being given a dou-ble mastectomy. Her mother is now a 28-year cancer survivor, and although Thaker’s happy for her mom, she also is happy that groups like BCC Rally are raising funds to research technology that prevents and treats breast cancer more effectively than the “radical” ways of the past.

“It happens very quickly,” Thaker said. “I never know when it can strike my family, my friends, my neighbors. That’s why supporting Susan G. Komen and eradicating breast can-cer is a really phenomenal thing.”

BCC Rally(continued from page 1)

Nancy Adams and Angel Canafax, co-chairs of BCC Rally; Dr. Judith Salerno, CEO and presi-dent of Susan G. Komen; Sue Dockstader, president of BCC Rally. Ryan Pitkin/SCW photo


News

An area YMCA will provide a new space to allow children “to learn, make friends and thrive.”

The Harris YMCA, located at 5900 Quail Hollow Road, hosted ground-breaking for its Cato Education Cen-ter and Sara Harris Bissell Pavilion on Sept. 18.

The Cato Education Center will have 10 classrooms – one with a teaching kitchen, an open-air gymnasium and stage and other flexible space.

“It will provide a high quality, age-appropriate learning environment with both indoor/outdoor areas,” read the YMCA’s website.

The building will not be funded by membership dues, and is 100 percent donor funded. Harris has raised $2.7 million of the $3.5 million needed for the new building. The community, according to a news release, will raise the rest of the money.

Preschool students helped the donors take the first scoop of dirt for the groundbreaking at the event.

The Harris YMCA built the education center because of its growing member-ship, with more than 25,000 members, including almost 7,000 children. The current facility lacks the dedicated, age-appropriate learning space for the youth programs, YMCA representatives have said. Many youth enrichment pro-grams must share or borrow space from other program areas, such as the child care and after school programs and part of the Teen Center, which has been converted to preschool classrooms.

Harris YMCA Executive Director Kelly Rogers said the building is spe-cially crafted for programs and hopes it will enhance these programs.

YMCA leaders believe that the new facility will provide an inspiring, age-appropriate learning environment that reflects the quality and vibrancy of its current youth programs, according to

the release. The Harris YMCA hopes the facility will serve the children of its Preschool Academy, the before- and after-school program and day camp.

“The Y is the cornerstone of a healthy community,” Rogers said the release. “The Harris YMCA brings more than 25,000 people of all ages and back-grounds together in meaningful and transformative ways. Our impact is especially evident when it comes to children. The Cato Education Center provides an extraordinary opportunity to increase our capacity to improve out-comes for children in school and life.”

Rogers said she considers this center to be a “must do” to help support the area’s children.

The programs at the YMCA seek to eliminate childhood obesity, encourage children to graduate on time and keep them from participating in sedentary activities, such as playing video games or watching television. One in five chil-dren participating in programs at the Harris YMCA receive scholarship sup-port.

President and CEO of YMCA of Greater Charlotte Andy Calhoun believe the event and center help bring the community together.

“We’re all in the ‘YMCA hub’ this morning,” Calhoun said.

Rogers echoed Calhoun’s testa-ments about bringing the community together.

“The YMCA positioned in a commu-nity is really at the center of bringing families together and creating opportu-nities for children to grow and thrive. (We want them to) become healthy, well human beings,” Rogers said. “We want to be a part of that – we want to hold space for those kids.”

The center’s projected completion date is spring 2015.

Find more information at www.ymcacharlotte.org/branches/harris/ha.aspx.

Harris Y breaks ground on new children’s space

by Courtney [email protected]

The Harris YMCA’s Cato Education Center will provide space for its Preschool Academy, be-fore- and after-school program and day camp. Courtney Schultz/SCW photo


News

Ballantyne residents try to get answers by Courtney Schultz

[email protected]

Ballantyne and south Charlotte resi-dents came together to ask questions about how the city will handle the dis-trict’s growth.

Ed Driggs, city councilman for the area, hosted a town hall meeting, “Man-aging Growth in District 7,” on Satur-day, Sept. 20, allowing city officials to explain Ballantyne-area projects.

The meeting was to “help the city to be more transparent,” Driggs said at the meeting.

Many residents shared concerns about the increase of multi-family resi-dences, such as apartment buildings, and their effects on traffic, schools and city spending.

The proposed apartments from Ter-williger Pappas’s at the corner of North Community House and Bryant Farms roads was a topic of discussion at the meeting. Opponents say the parcel could causes issues for an already over-populated area.

Debra Campbell, Charlotte’s former planning director, who was appointed as assistant city manager on Sept. 19, dis-cussed rezoning and District 7’s growth during her presentation at the meeting.

Campbell emphasized that the city’s planning department does not create

laws or regulations or decide rezon-ing, but shares with the city council how proposed rezoning could affect the area’s growth.

“Rezoning requests may not be a part of (the planning department’s overall) plan,” she said.

Rezoning usually is a four-month pro-cess, but residents have an option to oppose proposed rezoning by signing a protest petition. One resident from the area surrounding the proposed complex, which will be near the Morrison YMCA, has already officially filed a protest peti-tion.

Campbell said the planning depart-ment can provide guidance about pro-posed rezoning, but it’s the city council’s decision.

The assistant city manager also said some of the city plans are outdated, which some residents believe is the cul-prit for the city not accommodating Bal-lantyne’s growth the way they hoped.

“Some of our plans are fairly dated; and we need to look at the changes that have taken place,” Campbell said. “(But) we don’t have enough resources to revamp old planning policies.”

Residents also voiced concerns about overcrowding in Ballantyne-area schools

(see Ballantyne on page 8)


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News Briefs

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EDITORIAL

Managing Editor & Sports EditorAndrew Stark

Features EditorJosh Whitener

Asst. Sports EditorHannah Dockery

News WriterCourtney Schultz

Layout EditorLiz Lanier

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News WriterRyan Pitkin

Showmars 5K to benefit Levine Children’s Hospital

Showmars’ third-annual Pediatric Hearts 5K has added individual fundraising to its already successful event, which benefits Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital.

The 5K is Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Park Cedar location in Pineville and will loop through Park Crossing’s tree-lined streets.

For the first time, the event has added individual or group fundraising in honor or memory of a special pediatric heart patient.The goal is to encourage individuals to share their stories, so that family, friends or colleagues can support their fundrais-ing efforts while raising awareness for pediatric cardiovascular diseases, accord-ing to a news release. There is a $200 sug-gested fundraising minimum.

Participants of all skill levels and ages are welcome to run in the Showmars Pediatric Hearts 5K. The event includes a 5K run, walk, complimentary kids fun run, pancake breakfast and entertainment for the whole family. All registration and information can be found at www.showmars5k.com.

Eastwood Homes hosts golf outing to benefit Levine’s Children’s Hospital

Charlotte-based homebuilder Eastwood Homes will host its second-annual golf out-ing on Monday, Sept. 29, at Raintree Coun-try Club. All proceeds will be donated to the Levine Children’s Hospital. Eastwood Homes hosted its inaugural event in 2013, which raised roughly $56,000 for the hos-pital.

Teams of four will tee off in a shotgun

start at noon. Pre-registration for teams is required, and limited opportunities are available. All players will enjoy 18 holes of golf, a catered lunch, a giveaway bag, and recognition at the concluding dinner cer-emony.

“We look forward to this year’s charity golf outing, and to building on the success of last year’s event,” Bryan DeGabrielle, Eastwood Homes Charlotte vice president of sales said in a news release. “Everyone had a great time and we were honored to donate such a substantial amount to the Levine Children’s Hospital.”

Eastwood Homes formed a philanthropic partnership with Carolinas HealthCare System and Levine Children’s Hospital in January 2008. The builder donates a por-tion of the proceeds on each sale to the efforts of the hospital. Additionally, the company contributes gifts and necessities to patients and their families in the hospital through the use of the Eastwood Homes’ Hospitality Cart, which circles the patient floors on a daily basis.

Charlotte Animal Rescue wins $2,000 in Tractor Supply Company’s contest

Charlotte nonprofit Carolina Waterfowl Rescue won the $2,000 fourth-place prize in Tractor Supply Company’s national Res-cue Your Rescue contest, an online compe-tition to recognize groups working to find forever homes for adoptable animals.

More than 51,000 votes were cast for the top 10 finalists. The contest garnered 1,800 nominations for animal rescues and shelters across the country, according to a news release.

Tractor Supply hosted the contest as part of Pet Appreciation Week festivities. Pet Appreciation Week, or P.A.W., is the store’s annual event to celebrate pets and intro-duce families to the joy of owning animals.

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue is a non-

profit wildlife rescue organization run by federally-licensed migratory bird rehabili-tation experts specializing in waterfowl. The rescue takes in more than 1,000 birds a year covering close to 40 different wild bird species. The organization is an all-vol-unteer group that donates time, money and expertise to helping North Carolina’s birds in need.

Tractor Supply presented $25,000 worth of checks to prizewinners on Sept. 20 dur-ing Pet Appreciation Week events at local Tractor Supply stores. The event also fea-tured pet adoptions through a partnership with Petfinder.com, demonstrations on pet nutrition, discounts on pet food and sup-plies, free giveaways and valuable in-store prize drawings.

South Charlotte author E.K. Smith hosts book signing for new kids book

South Charlotte author E.K. Smith is hosting a book signing on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Park Road Books from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The signing is to celebrate the release of his new book, “Alien Dude! Mr. Evil Potato Man and the Food Fight!”

The new title is the first in a series designed to promote literacy and reading skills in boys and girls ages 6-8 years old. This action-packed, 64-page book uses full-page black and white cartoon illustra-tions with brief, expressive narrative lines to advance a fantastic plot that every 7-year-old boy (and maybe girl) will adore, accord-ing to a news release. It involves the heroic actions and adventures of Alien Dude, who likes to morph into a velociraptor before eating dinner, catch snowballs and air on his snowboard and use his secret weapon: his armpits.

The signing, which is presented by Zip Line Publishing, will include a book read-ing, cookies, lemonade and potato craft.



Crime Blotter

News

The following crimes were committed in south Charlotte, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.:

Home/Business Break-ins

• 11800 block of Golspie Court: $100 in dam-age done to bathroom window during attempted home break-in. Sept. 22

• 12000 block of Summerberry Court: $250 in damage done to glass door in attempted break-in. Sept. 22

• 12400 block of Stirling Trace: $13,650 in jewelry stolen during home break-in. Sept. 23

• 7900 block of Quail Hill Road: $4,560 in jewelry stolen and $350 in damage done to back door during home break-in. Sept. 23

• 6700 block of Castlegate Drive: $25 in damage done to door during attempted home break-in. Sept. 24

• 8600 block of Barclay Woods Court: $15,075 in jewelry stolen and $200 in damage done to back door during home break-in. Sept. 24

Vehicle Break-ins

• 4400 block of Sharon Road: $400 boots stolen and $500 in damage done during vehicle break-in. Sept. 21

• 6400 block of Fairway Row Lane: Golf clubs

and accessories, worth $3,764 total, stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 22

• 11200 block of Wheat Ridge Road: Glasses worth $500 stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 23

• 2800 block of Thornbush Court: GPS device, cash, phone charger and vehicle registra-tion, worth $420 total, stolen when two cars were broken into. Sept. 23

• 2500 block of Red Barn Lane: Shoes, wallet and prescription medication, worth $113 total, stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 23

• 6100 block of Colchester Place: Bag and prescription medicine, worth $540 total, stolen when four cars were broken into. Sept. 23

• 10100 block of Cedar Circle Drive: Car radio and speakers, worth $500 total, stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 23

• 3500 block of Brushy Lane: $10 cigar cutter stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 23

• 6600 block of Old Reid Road: $20 in cash stolen when two cars were broken into. Sept. 23

• 6000 block of Patrick Place: $1 piece of paper stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 23

• 3800 block of Davis Drive: Radar detector and loose change, worth $154 total, stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 23

• 11300 block of Colonial Country Lane: GPS device and laptop, worth $301 total, stolen during vehicle break-in. Sept. 24

Vehicle Theft

• 2100 block of Sagamore Road: $15,000 Toyota 4Runner stolen. Sept. 22

• 2500 block of Cranbrook Lane: Toyota Prius

worth $12,000 stolen. Sept. 22• 8300 block of Eagle Glen: $25,000 BMW

328i stolen from driveway. Sept. 23• 5600 block of Legacy Circle: Kia Optima

worth $8,350 stolen from driveway. Briefcase, jacket, paperwork and jewelry, worth $453 total, stolen with car. Sept. 23

Property Theft

• 8300 block of Bar Harbor Lane: Television and television streaming system, worth $500 total, stolen from veranda. Sept. 21

• 9100 block of Carswell Lane: $200 iPhone 4S stolen from purse. Sept. 23

• 9400 block of Bryant Farms Road: Wallet, backpack, identification, paperwork and textbook, worth $98 total, stolen from locker room. Sept. 23

Shoplifting

• Circle K, 4636 Sharon Road: $36 in alcohol worth stolen. Sept. 22

Vandalism/Hit-and-Run

• 7700 block of Cedar Point Lane: $900 in damage done to Honda Accord in hit-and-run. Sept. 21

• 11900 block of Johnston Road: $2,000 in damage done to police cruiser in hit-and-run. Suspect later caught and also charged with DWI, failure to heed lights; failure to move over; and open container. Sept. 21

• 6600 block of Reafield Drive: $2,000 in

damage done to Acura TL in vandalism incident. Sept. 22

• 11600 block of James Richard Drive: $2,000 in damage done to construction equipment in vandalism incident. Sept. 22

• 5100 block of Ballantyne Commons Parkway: $1,000 in damage done to Chevrolet Camaro in hit-and-run. Sept. 23

Financial Crimes/Fraud

• 1200 block of Piccadilly Drive: Suspect used victim’s name and Social Security number to obtain unemployment. Sept. 19

• 4400 block of Sharon Road: Stolen debit card used to make $625 worth of purchases. Sept. 20

• 11600 block of Stonebriar Drive: Suspect used victim’s name and address to activate mul-tiple credit cards. Sept. 22

• 10000 block of Southampton Commons Drive: Suspect used victim’s Social Security num-ber to file tax return. Sept. 24

• Suntrust Bank, 1935 Galleria Boulevard: Suspect swindled $9,559.50 from the bank by depositing personal money orders with irregular signatures and withdrawing the funds. Sept. 24

Drugs

• 3200 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Pos-session of marijuana and paraphernalia. Sept. 19

• 10000 block of Highlands Crossing Drive: Possession of marijuana. Sept. 24


News

The Mecklenburg County Health Department inspected the following dining locations from Sept. 18 to 24:

Lowest Scores:• Waffle House, 8300 Pineville-Matthews

Road – 90.5 Violations include: Cook arranged toast and

cheese on plates with bare hands; cook with one hand gloved and the other not gloved handling raw bacon with both hands, then handling clean plates and ready-to-eat cheese placed on plate; front hand sink with no adjacent paper towels; raw sausage patties stored over top of intact beef steaks in reach-in cooler; three door reach-in coolers at improper temperature; sanitizer solu-tion at improper concentration.

All Scores:

28210• Burger King, 10102 Johnston Road –

98.5 • Café at 6100, 6100 Fairview Road – 96.5 • Jersey Mike’s, 10110 Johnston Road, suite

14 – 95 • Terrace Café, 4625 Piedmont Row Drive,

suite 105 – 94.5 28226• Brooklyn South Pizza Parlor, 7725 Col-

ony Road – 95 • Dunkin Donuts, 7845 Colony Road –

96.5• Flip’n Chicken, 7629-A Pineville-Matthews

Road – 98 • Waffle House, 8300 Pineville-Matthews

Road – 90.5

28270• Juliana Pizza, 9858 Monroe Road – 98.5

• Russell’s Pub and Grill, 1609-A Sardis Road N. – 98.5

• Taco Bell, 1910 Sardis Road N. – 100

28277• Amazing Wok, 16049-L Johnston Road

– 94 • Another Broken Egg Café Ballantyne,

11324 N. Community House Road – 97.5 • Anzi Pizzeria, 8133 Ardrey Kell Road –

93.5• Bi-Lo Deli, 8620 Camfield St. – 96 • La Catrina Mexican Grill, 8129 Ardrey

Kell Road – 97 • McAlister’s Deli, 15201 John J, Delaney

Drive – 99• Mickey & Mooch-The Other Joint, 8128

Providence Road – 95.5 • On the Green Deli, 13840 Ballantyne Cor-

porate Place – 98 • The Q Shack, 10822 Providence Road –

98.5 • Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina, 9941 Rea Road

– 96

28209• Flamin’ Crawfish, 1600 E. Woodlawn

Road, suite 170 – 93.5• Jayla’s Gluten Free Goodness, 1515

Mockingbird Lane – 97.5

28211• Block & Grinder, 2935 Providence Road

– 96 • Dairy Queen, 108-B S. Sharon Amity

Road – 97.5 • Maggiano’s Little Italy, 4400 Sharon

Road – 96.5

About the grades…Restaurants are given grades of A for scoring at least 90, B for 80 to 89 and C for 70 to 79. The state revokes permits for restaurants that score below 70.


Restaurant Scores

and questioned Christine Hamlett, plan-ning specialist of the planning services department of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Concerns included how CMS esti-mates student enrollment from proposed and under-construction developments.

One resident said estimated enroll-ment numbers are drastically different than actual enrollment, with the latter significantly greater than the former.

Hamlett said the department makes estimates before the developments are constructed, but CMS typically re-eval-uates enrollment numbers after the 20th day of school.

One resident felt the planning division should learn from the past discrepancies between estimated and actual enroll-ment from new developments and apply knowledge to future enrollment esti-mates to avoid overcrowded schools.

Multiple schools in District 7 are

overcapacity, with overcrowding of about 100 students in some cases, including Community House Middle School.

Driggs said the planning division might assume a one-bedroom apartment may not have children, even though a child may reside there.

Overcrowding is caused by both multi-family and single-family developments, Hamlett emphasized.

Parents at the meeting said they didn’t want to see increased overcrowding in schools caused by new developments, such as the proposed apartments.

“It can take years to have relief (from overcrowding) depending on funding,” Hamlett said.

Resident leaders and the apartment developers were scheduled to meet on the evening of Sept. 25 to discuss poten-tial alterations to the proposed apart-ments, and results will be discussed with area residents.

Contact Ed Driggs at [email protected] or 704-432-7077 with any concerns about District 7.

Ballantyne(continued from page 5)



News & NotesEducation

Providence High to sell mattresses for football program

Providence High School is hosting a mattress sale on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to benefit the Provi-dence Panther football program.

Name-brand mattress sets will be sold at 30 to 60 percent below retail prices, featuring multiple styles and sizes which will be available to test at the school.

Providence High School is located at 1800 Pineville-Matthews Road.

Park Road Montessori celebrate Peace Day

Park Road Montessori held its annual Peace Day on Friday, Sept. 19, in con-junction with the United Nation’s Inter-national Day of Peace, which is held on Sept. 21.

The celebration took place in front of the school at its Peace Pole. On the pole is an inscription that reads “Let Peace Prevail on Earth.”

Students are taught to be positive forces in the world promoting peace, according to a news release from Char-lotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Park Road Montessori is located at 3701 Haven Drive in Charlotte.

Charlotte Latin student recognized by center for talented youth

Charlotte Latin eight-grader Gauruv Singh has qualified for “Grant Recogni-tion” in the John Hopkins Center for Tal-ented Youth Talent Search.

Gaur is one of a group of students who obtained outstanding scores on the ACT or SAT as part of the program, according to a news release.

The recognition ceremony will be held on Oct.19 at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

The center is a nonprofit at Johns Hopkins University that is accredited for fifth- through 12-grade students by the Commission on Secondary Schools of

the Middle States Asso-ciation of C o l l e g e s and Schools. The search is for sec-ond- through eighth-grad-ers who place at or above the 95th p e r c e n t i l e on national tests, achieve top levels on state tests, or otherwise demonstrate superior academic achieve-ment.

Charlotte Latin is located at 9502 Providence Road.

Freedom School Partners looking for volunteers

Freedom School Partners will host FreedomFest, a carnival-style reunion for children, families, staff, partners and vol-unteers who were a part of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools summer program this past summer.

Freedom School Partners collaborates with community partners to provide the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools summer program to children in Charlotte who most need and can least afford summer programming. CDF Free-dom School programs prepare children

for success in school and in life by provid-ing three fundamental resources needed to develop their potential.

Volunteers are needed to supervise activities, games, registration and food stations, as assigned.

The event will take place on Oct. 4, a Saturday, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, at 1000 E. Morehead St. in Charlotte. Volunteers are needed for the following shifts: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

People who would like to help can contact Irene Jordan at [email protected] or 704-371-4922.

ABMG donates to Charlotte causes

The Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group has donated $5,500 to area families and organizations in the greater Charlotte area through its community initiative, ABCares.

Each month, the company accepts pub-lic nominations on its website for causes in need. ABMG reviews the nominations and selects five organizations to be a part of a voting phase through the company’s website and Facebook page.

Donation amounts are $2,500, $1,000, and three $500 donations. Over 18,000 votes have been cast to date in support of 35 causes, according to a news release.

The September voting contest includes

Education

(see Education Notes on page 13)

Gauruv Singh


Education

While some kids watched television this summer, Ballantyne Elementary School students were paving their way into the world record books.

Ballantyne Elementary placed 11th in the Scholastic Summer Reading Chal-lenge, clocking in 3,534,504 minutes of summer reading. This is the third year the school has participated in the challenge, and Ballantyne Elementary received an honorable mention from Scholastic their first year of involvement for placing in the top 25.

Over 7,000 schools from across all 50 states and 29 countries participated in set-ting a new world record in summer read-ing by completing 304,749,681 reading minutes in the eighth-annual competition, nearly doubling the 2013 world record of 176,438,473 minutes.

The challenge encourages children to read in order to prevent “summer slide,” in which children can lose up to three months of learning during the summer months. Reading can alleviate the loss some students may experience.

Ballantyne, along with the other 19 top finishers, will be in “2015 Scholastic Book of World Records” for the most minutes read. The book will be available through the Scholastic Reading Club, Scholastic Book Fairs, and bookstores nationwide.

“Congratulations to all the students who made summer reading a top priority and rallied together to help set a new reading world record for summer 2014,” Francie Alexander, chief academic officer at Scho-lastic, said in a news release. “Summer is a great time for children to discover the power and joy of independent reading and help prepare them for the new school year ahead. We continue to encourage children to continue reading all year long and open a world of possibilities through books.”

Each of the top 20 schools will receive

a personalized plaque to commemorate their success. Scholastic also recognized the top five states with the most read-ing minutes, and North Carolina ranked third.

Anne Cooper, media specialist at Bal-lantyne Elementary, said the school was thrilled they placed in the top 20.

“I had my last class of the day with me and basically the (Scholastic) website started to show stars and light up, then we saw the top 20. We were so excited,” said Cooper.

Ballantyne Elementary employs various resources to increase literacy and a love for reading for its students.

The school participates in reading chal-lenges throughout the year, uses apps on iPads, has flexible check outs for books, open library hours and are looking into e-Books.

“I try to get a good collection (of books),” Cooper said. “We listen to the students about what they would like.”

Ballantyne Elementary uses a balanced literacy framework, which includes writ-ing, phonics, self-reflected (independence) reading and guided reading.

Cooper feels the framework helps increase literacy skills. The media spe-cialist is also working to ensure all of her students have public library cards per the partnership between Charlotte-Mecklen-burg Schools and the Charlotte Mecklen-burg Library.

“The more opportunities for them to read, the more they will read,” Cooper said. “The more subjects they find inter-esting to them, the more they will read.”

Scholastic also has challenged schools to take on a new feat: Read 100,000. The initiative encourages schools to clock at least 100,000 reading minutes by June 26, 2015. Go to www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/minutes-2014 for more infor-mation about the challenge.

Ballantyne Elementary places top 20 in reading competition

by Courtney [email protected]

Ardrey Kell High School

Jared e. Hunt

Charlotte Latin School

tobenna b. okwaraJoHn a. Powell

East Mecklenburg High School

erica a. Jordan

Myers Park High School

kyrie a. Mason

Providence High School

kristen e. GardnerMia c. MatHews aaron l. Morris

South Mecklenburg High School

nicHolas r. robinson

Congratulations to south Charlotte national aChievement sCholarship semifinalists:


Education

Walker said the advisory board was looking for innovation and found it in Queen City STEM’s plan.

Principal of Triad Math and Science Academy and member of the board of directors for Queen City STEM Fatih Kandil said the school will have the strength of a magnet school in terms of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) content area, but will be open to all students. The board plans to enroll 292 students in its first year, according to the application sub-mitted to the North Carolina Office of Charter Schools.

The school will integrate the successful quali-ties of Triad with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community, Kandil added. The board is looking to connect with professionals in the area to pro-vide educational opportunities for students, giv-ing them the ability to explore different careers.

“We don’t want the program to be just stuck inside the building,” Kandil said. “We want it to grow and integrate with community.”

Carlton Cammon, senior analyst at Time War-ner Cable and a member of the Queen City board of directors, said students’ abilities will be mea-sured as they enter the school and be continu-ously monitored throughout the school year. He said this provides no surprises at the end of the school year.

“The goal is meeting the needs of each indi-vidual student,” Cammon said, adding the teach-ers at Triad often go “the extra mile” for their

students by providing home visits and increas-ing parent involvement – a standard the board hopes to include at Queen City STEM School. “It’s really just not giving up and going the extra mile and there can be a lot of different ways of doing that.”

Until the school’s opening, the Queen City STEM board of directors will participate in a planning phase.

“The planning year requires schools to partici-pate in trainings hosted by the (NCDPI) Office of Charter Schools and provides assistance on what they will need to do in order to be ready to open by the stipulated charter term,” Deanna Townsend-Smith, education consultant for the Office of Charter Schools, wrote in an email.

The session allows board members to develop policies and procedures as well as manage the school’s budget and finances. The board has already completed one session this year, accord-ing to Cammon.

Kandil said many organizations that do not have a strong budget in place will not operate or survive accordingly.

“At the charter school, you get less funding per child, so you need to make sure there are neces-sary outreach efforts,” he added.

Cammon said financial solvency is vital to a successful charter school. He cited the closings of two Charlotte charter schools this year – Con-crete Roses STEM Academy and StudentFirst Academy – as examples of how important con-stant oversight is to sustaining the school.

Developing a charter school is not an easy task, said Eddie Goodall, executive director of

the North Carolina Public Charter Schools Asso-ciation.

Goodall said the timeline of building the charter school can be difficult. He cited char-ter schools can be approved after other charter schools have already had their student lotteries, so the new schools can miss out on opportuni-ties to recruit and enroll students, since a new school cannot start the lottery process until the state board approves them.

Costs can also cause problems for charter schools, Goodall said. New charter schools often don’t receive state funds until a few weeks before they open, so buying real estate, hiring a quali-fied staff and funding operational costs can be difficult.

Kandil, who has helped open two STEM char-ter schools, said there are key issues, but parent and community involvement is vital to overcom-ing obstacles.

The school will host open house sessions and reach out to businesses to hopefully increase the number of stakeholders in the school and get individuals involved in the planning process.

Even early in the planning process, Kandil has high hopes for the new charter school.

“The main hope for the school to become the best STEM school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. We know that it is going to take some time, but we know that it’s not impossible,” Kandil said.

Find more information about North Carolina charter schools at www.ncpublicschools.org/charterschools.

STEM(continued from page 1)


Education

the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Bright Beginnings Pre-Kindergarten Program among the top five.

The public can vote for this or any of the other four candidates at www.atlanticbay.com/abcares/#abcares-vote. Voting ends on Friday, Sept. 26.

Nominations for October will be taken until midnight on Oct. 13 and can be submitted at www.atlanticbay.com/abcares.

Volunteers needed for Eastover’s Fall Fun Day

Eastover Elementary School will host its Fall Fun Day on Oct. 19, a Sunday, and the school is in need of volunteers.

The event runs from 2 to 6 p.m., but volunteers are needed from 1 to 7 p.m.

The school needs help to run street game stations, monitor lines at inflat-ables, face painting, tattoos, cake walk and more.

Food trucks from Hubee Dee’s, Libret-tos Pizza, Polka Dot Ice Cream and Sunset Slushies will be available for purchase, along with drinks and cotton candy. Water and candy will be compli-mentary to volunteers.

Interested volunteers can sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084baca723ab9-eastover.

Eastover Elementary School is located

at 500 Cherokee Road.

State academic standards commission finally appointed

The North Department of Administra-tion announced the 11 members of the Academic Standards Review Commis-sion on Sept. 16.

The appointments were made in accor-dance with the North Carolina Senate Bill 812, which has a Sept. 1 deadline.

The appointments were four mem-bers appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; four members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; two members of the State Board of Education to include the chair or the chair's designee and a member appointed by the chair; and one member appointed by the governor.

Ann Clark, CMS deputy superinten-dent, and Denise Watts, CMS Project L.I.F.T. learning community superinten-dent, are both among the 11 selected.

The inaugural meeting was held Mon-day, Sept. 22, in the State Construction Office conference room at 301 N. Wilm-ington St. in Raleigh.

The commission was created to review the Common Core State Standards and make suggestions to the North Caro-lina Board of Education regarding any changes to the standards.

Contact Loretta Peace-Bunch at 919-807-3403 for more information.

Education notes(continued from page 10)


Education

The closing of Charlotte charter school Concrete Roses STEM Academy on Sept. 18 that left over 100 students displaced and scrambling to enroll in new schools may have been caused by financial insol-vency.

Concrete Roses, located at 8310 McAlpine Park Drive, opened on Aug. 25, with the intention of providing a “customer friendly” atmosphere, something parent sand students allegedly could not find in other schools.

The North Carolina Department of Pub-lic Instruction Division of School Business sent a letter to Concrete Roses on Sept. 17 stating that the school had not provided the required expenditure reporting for July and August, a violation of state law, and the school was funded for 300 students, but only had an enrollment of 126 students.

“Concrete Roses had not submitted the proper financial information, and (the department) was freezing access to their funds,” Joel Medley, director of the NCDPI Office of Charter Schools, said.

The letter stated the school received $479,084 in state funding based on the projected 300 students, and the school had already spent $285,170.

The discrepancies resulted in the school being placed on financial disciplinary sta-tus.

After an emergency board meeting on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., the school sent an email to parents stating the school would shut its doors at the end of the school day on Sept. 19.

Dr. Marvin Bradley, principal of Con-crete Roses, wrote, “The faculty of Con-crete Roses STEM Academy has been working diligently to ensure our students receive the best education possible. Unfor-tunately, we have to close the doors at this early state for educating the best life has to offer…our children. We will assist our students in the transition to their prospec-tive schools. Our prayers go out to the students, parents, guardians and families affected by this decision. Friday (Sept. 19) will be our last day of operation.”

Since charter schools are public schools, they are funded through the state.

“The state allocated dollars based on the number of students enrolled at the school,” Medley said in an email.

The division of school business allocates funds from the projected number and then reviews enrollment after the first 20 days of school. Since the projected enroll-ment was 42 percent greater than actual enrollment, the school would be allocated

considerably fewer funds. Concrete Roses STEM Academy stated

in its application the school planned to enroll about 2,400 students by its 10th year and over 400 in its first year.

The small brick building off of Monroe Road did not contain a cafeteria or gymna-sium. Students in sixth and seventh grades shared a classroom, and eighth- and ninth-graders learned in the same room.

Bradley said the school planned to purchase modular units, but cost was an issue.

The school employed 11 teachers, and one teacher assistant, with salaries rang-ing from $36,000 to $42,000, according to information submitted by Dr. Cedric Stone, CEO of Concrete Roses. Stone was to receive a $95,000 salary, according to a budget he submitted to the NCDPI. The Division of School Business is looking into how much of the state funds faculty, including Stone, received. The non-profit board of directors has fiduciary responsibil-ity for use of those public dollars, Medley said in an email, so the state funding could have gone to finance faculty salaries.

South Charlotte Weekly contacted all four board members and received no response.

Medley considers a school shutting down in the first few weeks of school an

“anomaly.”“It’s not something that is normal,”

Medley said, adding the closing shows several things. He said beginning a brand new charter school is a difficult and proves there needs to be a rigorous charter review to ensure individuals are capable of open-ing a new school.

The North Carolina Board of Education implemented a planning year for charter schools in 2006, which Medley said gives charter schools’ administrations the chance to complete training from the Office of Charter Schools and have time to gather necessary resources to open schools effi-ciently. Previously, charter schools would have roughly five months before opening.

Since the implementation of the plan-ning year, only two schools have had to close their doors – Concrete Roses and StudentFirst Academy, a Charlotte charter school that closed in April.

The Division of School Business received some financial information from leadership at Concrete Roses, and Medley said they are looking into all expenditures. The division is in the process of evaluating all expenditures to ensure state funds were properly spent.

South Charlotte Weekly will continue to monitor this developing story.

State finds thorns in Concrete Roses’ financesby Courtney Schultz

[email protected]


Est. 2002

‘Magnetic’ conference geared toward teenage girls

CHARLOTTE – Central Church of God will host “Magnetic: Becoming the Girl He Wants,” a conference for teenage girls, next month.

The event takes place Oct. 10 and 11, a Friday and Saturday, and is geared toward girls in eighth through 12th grades. Friday’s events will start at 6 p.m., and Saturday’s will take place from 9 a.m. to noon.

The conference will feature Lynn Cowell, of Proverbs 31 Ministries, and is “designed by girls for girls” to give tools to help girls reach their “fullest poten-tial, inside and out,” according to a news release.

“Discover a beauty deeper than designer clothes, skinny jeans and flawless skin … Magnetic helps you gain confidence to bravely live out the best you, (that) you can be,” the release read.

Find more information and register at www.lynncowell.com. Central Church of God is located at 5301 Sardis Road.

‘From Headline to Heart’ to feature speakers representing three generations

CHARLOTTE – Park Road Bap-tist Church will host “From Headline to Heart: Conversations on Matters of Faith” next week in the church’s commu-nity center.

The event takes place Wednesday, Oct. 1, with dinner served at 5:30 p.m. and the program to begin at 6:30 p.m. The program carries the theme “Anger and Apathy: What is the correct response to Ferguson?” and will feature three guest speakers: Rev. George Cook, pastor of Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church; Dr. Patrick Graham, president and CEO of the Urban League of Central Carolinas; and Darnell Brame, a recent North Car-olina Agricultural and Technical State University graduate.

“Three generations of African-Ameri-can males will reflect on their own reac-tions to the killing of Michael Brown, and to the American response to this tragedy,” read a news release.

There will be a time for open dialogue with the audience, and the program is free and open to the public. Call 704-523-5717 by Tuesday, Sept. 30, to make a reservation for the event.

Park Road Baptist is located at 3900 Park Road.

801South Food Truck Rally this weekend at Matthews UMC

MATTHEWS – Organizers are inviting people to an 801South Food Truck Rally & Community Outreach Event on Sun-day, Sept. 28, from noon to 3 p.m. in the

parking lot of Matthews United Method-ist Church.

The event will feature music and oppor-tunities to socialize with new friends, while eight food truck vendors offer a vari-ety of “summertime” foods and 16 flavors of hand-scooped ice cream, according to a news release. All trucks will accept cash and credit card payments.

Find more information at www.801south.org. Matthews UMC is located at 801 S. Trade St.

Meet Weddington Church session this Sunday

WEDDINGTON – People interested in becoming part of the Weddington United Methodist Church “family” are invited to a Meet Weddington Church session on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m. in the church’s family life center multi-purpose room.

The session offers an informal setting for people to meet the pastoral and ministry staff, hear an overview of the ministry and mission of the church and ask questions. Child care is provided in the nursery wing of the main building. Email Rev. Erin Yow at [email protected] for more information.

Weddington UMC is located at 13901 Providence Road. The church also has a Waxhaw campus at 8215 Bonds Grove Church Road, as well as a Marvin cam-pus at 9914 New Town Road.

Gospel concert to benefit basketball ministry

WAXHAW – Hermon Baptist Church will host a gospel singing by Matt Mor-gan and Friends on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. in the family life center.

The concert is free to attend, but an offering will be collected to benefit the church’s Upward basketball ministry. Find more information at www.hermonbaptist.org.

Hermon Baptist is located at 9713 Lancaster Hwy.

Indian Trail UMC to host new sermon series

INDIAN TRAIL – Indian Trail United Methodist Church will host a new ser-mon series, “If Only,” beginning Sunday, Sept. 28.

The series will be “about the regrets we have in life and how … we move beyond them, live with them (and) grow closer to God in spite of them,” the church said in an announcement. “If Only” will run through October, and services take place every Sunday at 9 a.m. Find more infor-mation at www.itumc.org.

Indian Trail UMC is located at 113 Indian Trail Road.

Send us your faith news!Send faith notes items to josh@

thecharlotteweekly.com. Announcements should be sent two weeks in advance.

Around Town


News & NotesFaith & Religion


Around Town

sept.27


Calendar

Send us your stuff!Have an event going on in south Charlotte people should know

about? Well, let us know! Send us an email listing information about your event, including when and where it is, any cost involved and how people can learn more or get involved. Items should be submitted at least a week in advance, and not all submissions will be used. Email us at [email protected].

9.27.14Saturday

Lebanese Festival, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.The annual Lebanese Festival is returning to Ballantyne offering

entertainment, Lebanese foods and sweets.Hosted by the Maronite Mission of Charlotte, the Lebanese

Festival is a celebration of culture and is fun for the entire family.Email [email protected] for more information.

St. Matthew Catholic Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte

9.27.14Saturday

South End Shuffle 5K, 8 to 10:30 p.m.The first-annual South End Shuffle 5K will highlight the

neighborhood while supporting South End by raising money for both the neighborhood's Rail Trail and The Purple Promise Foundation to end melanoma. In true South End style, top finishers will receive original works of art from the neighborhood's growing community of artists. Food and beer from a number of local restaurants will be on hand after the run.

1590 Camden Road, Food Truck Friday Lot, Charlotte

9.27.14Saturday

Queen’s Grant Community School Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to noon

Queen’s Grant Community School is hosting a yard sale in the school’s parking lot. Families will set up booths with a large variety of items including children’s clothing, uniform items and household products. The sale will help raise money for the school’s Invest in a Child fundraiser.

Queen’s Grant Community School, 6400 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill

9.27.14Saturday

Taste of Union, 5 to 8 p.m.Restaurants and caterers from across Union County will serve up

sample-sized portions of their specialty dishes, providing a unique Taste of Union. The event will provide attendees an evening of great food, music, silent auction and a 50/50 raffle and will benefit Operation Reach Out, an organization which provides food, clothing, emergency medical supplies and daily Bible study and lunches to those struggling in the county. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children ages 10 and under are $10. More information can be found at www.opreachout.org, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 704-289-4237.

Union County Agricultural Center, 3230 Presson Road, Monroe

10.2.14Thursday

Family Safety During the Holidays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Van Gurp Dentistry is presenting a free seminar hosted by Dan Starks to help keep your family safe during the holidays. With the holiday season approaching, Starks will discuss the dangers the holiday season can bring and measures families can take to keep the holiday season. Reservations are encouraged, as seating is limited. R.S.V.P. at [email protected].

Raintree Country Club, 8600 Raintree Lane, Charlotte

10.4.14Saturday

South Meck Class of 1974 reunion, 6:30 to 11 p.m.

South Mecklenburg High School is holding its 40th reunion for the Class of 1974 at the Doubletree Hotel in Charlotte.

The Class of 1974 is trying to reach out to as many classmates as possible to attend the event. If you are a member of the Class of 1974 or know of a graduate from that year, email Carol Fitch Crigler at [email protected].

Doubletree Hotel SouthPark, 6300 Morrison Blvd.,Charlotte

10.20.14Monday

Charlotte Garden Club, 7 p.m. Andrea Wulf, award-winning historian and author of “Founding

Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation” will discuss the lives of the Founding Fathers and how their attitude toward plants, gardens, nature and agriculture shaped the American nation. In a unique retelling of the creation of America, Wulf will show how plants, politics and personalities intertwined as never before at this free event.

For more information, visit www.charlottegardenclub.com.Mint Museum, 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte


”“

Sports

Coach Lisa Thompson is running her team through a series of offensive fast break drills to close out a recent practice. As the offensive

players line up to attack the goal on two-on-one and three-on-one fast break sets, more often that not Thomp-son ends the play with two words: “Shan-non wins.”

Shannon is Shannon Baker, the Bucs star senior goalkeeper, and from last year’s surpris-ing playoff run to this season’s dominating continuance of it, Baker usually wins.

During her four seasons in goal, the Bucs have won 44 of 59 games, and last year’s state championship. But this year, behind Baker, Country Day is off to its best start in recent memory.

“She’s an excellent athlete, she plays with a lot of heart and hustle, she’s so dedicated to the team and she’s fun to coach, so we’re lucky to have her,” Thompson said. “She’s an absolute leader on the field. When you give as much as she does, it lifts the people around you and she does that. She’s earned a lot of respect from her teammates and she has a great love for them.”

People close to the sport know of Baker’s immense talent long before she made a name for herself in last year’s N.C. High School Ath-letic Association playoffs.

Her stellar play in goal helped spark the Bucs – a No. 3 seed who entered the tournament

11-3-1 – to a magical run which ended with County Day knocking off the top two seeds in the field.

In the first upset, County Day went to strokes with Durham Academy, the same team that knocked the Bucs out of contention in 2012 in exactly the same fashion.

“It was insane,” Baker said. “All season we fought and we tried our hardest, but some-thing just clicked in the playoffs – we wanted it so bad.

“We had lost to Durham Academy the year before in the semifinals by strokes and then we were in the exact same position two years in a row. I think we just really wanted it.”

The Bucs delivered, taking a 4-3 win and

setting up a showdown with Charlotte Latin, the No. 1 seed who the Bucs had split with during the season.

But in the final, Baker was simply too good, allowing just one goal on a flurry of Charlotte Latin shots, especially in the waning minutes of the 2-1 win. Watching that game, it was easy to see that Baker was the best player on the field, from her stellar play in goal to her leadership in the net.

“I’ve been on the team for four years and I think a lot of myself is in this team,” she said. “I can see the whole field from my position, so I try to be the driving force and give as much feedback as I can. I try to give pointers and if I can see somebody isn’t on their man, I’m going

to tell them because they may not be able to see it, so I try to be their eyes on the field.”

But Baker is quick to point out it’s not all about her. Despite her play as the last line of defense spurring the defending state champi-ons to a 7-1 record where she’s allowed just three goals all season, Baker refuses to take all of the spotlight.

Baker singled out Anna Comer and Blair Boyles for their strong defensive play, but in a sentiment Thompson backs up, this team is a unified and tight-knit group.

“We have a connection as a whole team and we have a lot of chemistry on our team,” Baker said. “When one person picks it up, we feel like the energy is contagious and it flows

so well. Once the energy starts, you can’t really stop us.”

Thompson agreed, adding, “Defense is a part of every good team. You shout that from the rooftops, but we believe our team moves together so everyone is offense and everyone is defense. That’s what we’re living by.

“There are a lot of great teams in the state, there are a lot of great teams that we play every day, but we prepare to step on the field each day and get better.”

The Bucs only hiccup this season came in a 3-2 loss to Durham Academy on Sept. 12. That defeat, albeit to a perennial power who is 10-1 on the year, has done nothing but re-energize the Bucs and their title hopes.

Since the loss, they’ve gone on to shut out Providence Day and Forsyth Country Day, winning both games, 3-0.

“We played Providence Day right after (the loss) and I think it just fed the fire,” Baker said. “We weren’t happy with the loss, but it pulled something out of us that you can’t experience if you go undefeated all season. You need that little itch to keep going hard. The Providence Day game showed us we can step it back up and even though we lost, it doesn’t define us.”

Likewise Baker isn’t defined solely as being one of the state’s best goalkeepers. Although Thompson said she’s no doubt a college-level player based on skill on leadership, Baker is also a top-level student at one of Charlotte’s most demanding private schools.

Baker said she’s weighing her options of playing at the next level, but is first set on lead-ing the Bucs the rest of the season. Hopefully it will end in a repeat championship, but if it doesn’t Baker is already proud of herself and her teammates.

“I think I’ve put my heart into this team. I think whether we win or lose this year, the one state championship and all of the memories that I’ve made with my friends on this team have been awesome,” she said. “I wouldn’t have had near the same Country Day experi-ence without playing on this team for as long as I did and I’m very happy and proud of that.”

Thompson is happy to have Baker in the net as the Bucs last line of defense, but said her fiery play and leadership are awe-inspiring and something she’s proud of win or lose.

“She’s our leader,” Thompson said. “She can see the whole field, she communicates and she puts us in a position to win each time we step on the field with her excellent performances. She’s fun to coach, she’s fun to be around and she lifts the performances of those around her. It’s hard to ask for more.”

She’s an excellent athlete.

She playS with a lot of heart and huStle.

She’s so dedicated to the team and she’s fun to coach, so we’re lucky to have her.

– coach lisa thompson on shannon baker

Shannon Baker

by Andrew [email protected]

heart & hustle:

shannon

baker Shannon Baker (00) has allowed just three goals this season for the 7-1 defending state cham-pinon Bucs’ field hockey team. Andrew Stark/SCW photo


Sports

Game prev i ewsCharlotte CatholiC at Berry

Game time: Friday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m.

2014 reCords: Charlotte Catholic is 3-1; Berry is 2-2

last meetinG: Charlotte Catholic won, 35-17, on Sept,

27, 2013

Players to watCh: Charlotte Catholic: quarterback/

receiver Ryan Miller, running backs Cole Perry,

Jaret Anderson and Nick Rizzieri , tackle Owen Hall,

lineman Matt Kowaleski; Berry: quarterback Kiante

Cotton, running back Malik Brown, defensive end

Richon Green, defensive back Gabe Delgado,

receivers Michael Roberts and Will Perkins

the skinny: The Cougars came back to reality with

a hard-fought loss to reigning Class 4-AA state

champions Mallard Creek two weeks ago before

their bye last week. They’re still showing that they

can move the ball on the ground and have an

improved passing game and will look to use both

to get back on track against Berry to kick of their

defense of the conference title. They shouldn’t have

a problem doing so with Anderson (560 rushing

yards) handling the run game and Miller spending

more and more time at receiver. Berry on the other

hand suffered a hard blow after losing 11 seniors

to graduation last year and 10 more transferring

out. Cotton is a dangerous runner and passer but

his offensive line is young and inexperienced. He’s

got a couple of good receiving targets but expect

Catholic to run away with another win.– Hannah Dockery

liBerty Christian at Charlotte Christian


2014 reCords: Liberty Christian is 3-1; Charlotte

Christian is 2-1

last meetinG: Charlotte Christian won, 32-31, on

Sept. 27

Players to watCh: Liberty Christian: running back

Lamar Webster, receivers Jordan Foster and Jared

Jauch, quarterback Kaleb Bohrnstedt, lineman

Jeffrey Chadwick; Charlotte Christian: quarterback

John Turley, running back Elijah Deveaux, linemen

Brian Chaffin and Philip Walton, linebacker Ryan

Gilmartin, defensive back Jaylon McClinton

the skinny: Charlotte Christian barely escaped the

Virginia private-school power Bulldogs last year,

but both teams ended up winning their respective

state titles. This game is always hotly contested and

we wouldn’t expect anything less this year as the

Knights are still trying to prove they’re just as good

as last year. But we’re not so sure – they almost let

Monroe sneak up on them last week, so this will

be a huge test as Liberty Christian features a deep

roster with a lot of physical guys returning from

last year. Webster and Foster are two dangerous

runners, so the Knights line will have to limit their

production on the ground. If they can do that, they

shouldn’t have a problem beating the Bulldogs

but this game will be a good one that’s won in the

trenches. Whoever walks away with the win will

have a quality one under their belt.– Hannah Dockery

Charlotte Country day at ravensCroft


2014 reCords: Country Day is 3-1; Ravenscroft is 2-2

last meetinG: Charlotte Country Day won, 21-7, on

Sept. 27, 2013

Players to watCh: Country Day: quarterback Cole

Bloomer, running back/safety Sheppard Wilson,

receiver Byron Smith and Matt Williams, lineman

Richard Coker; Ravenscroft: running backs Garrett

Hicks, Tiger Harris and Donald Fuller, offensive

lineman Aidan Nesvisky, receiver Tyler Williams,

linebacker Drew Davis

the skinny: To say that the Bucs have dominated

this matchup in prior meetings would be an

understatement; they’ve won every game during the

last decade, only letting the Ravens come within a

touchdown on one occasion in 2008. They skirted

by a good Hillside team last week in a 20-18 win,

but had problems moving the ball on the ground

where they rushed for a total of just 65 yards.

They’ll need more from Wilson and Co. this week

if they want to continue their trend of dominating

the Ravens because those guys are bigger and

stronger than ever before. They lean on Harris to

move the ball and he’s certainly capable – last week

he had 222 rushing yards for four touchdowns on

19 carries and their defense has stepped up of late.

Expect this contest to be closer than prior years.

– Hannah Dockery

olymPiC at ProvidenCe


2014 reCords: Olympic is 2-2; Providence is 3-1

last meetinG: Olympic won, 21-7, on Sept. 27, 2013

Players to watCh: Olympic: quarterback Jeremiah

Dorsey, running back Juwan Frazier, receiver Torry

Boker, linebacker Emmanuel Olenga, defensive

end Kelvin Techie; Providence: quarterback Caleb

York, linebacker Jordan Fehr, running back Brian

Mattar, lineman Dimitri Gonzalez

the skinny: Providence may be the dark horse as the

So. Meck 8 conference race kicks off this week, so

a big win over Olympic would help them make a

name for themselves early. These guys are bigger,

stronger and more conditioned than the mediocre

Panther teams of prior years, and they’ve got

weapons on the ground and in the air. Mattar is

quick on his feet and receiver John Biasucci is a

dynamic playmaker, so expect those guys to put

points on the board quickly against a weaker Trojan

squad. But they’ll have to work for it as Olympic

has won their last two and has some momentum

going into conference play behind a defense that

hasn’t allowed more than two touchdowns the last

two weeks. An upset isn’t out of the question, but

Providence should get their first conference win

with relative ease. – Hannah Dockery

south meCk at hardinG


2014 reCords: South Meck is 3-1; Harding is 1-2

last meetinG: South Meck won, 48-6, on Sept. 27,

2013

Players to watCh: South Meck: safety Stephen Griffin,

running back Devin Andrews, defensive back/

receiver Chance Kennedy, defensive end Zach

Gilbert, linebackers Austin Champan and Austin

Smith; Harding: quarterback Xzavier Caple,

linebackers Matthew Teachey and Travis Brown,

running back Naheim Rumley

the skinny: The Sabres have won this contest for the

last seven years and we expect this year to be no

different. Expect them to get up early and pull

some of their starters before the game ends as

Harding has struggled to move the ball all season

and was absolutely throttled by a weak East Meck

team two weeks ago. The Sabres continue to

improve on both sides of the ball and another win

this week as conference play starts will give them

a confidence boost as much bigger games await in

the upcoming weeks. The Sabres lost quarterback

Tyshawn Carter to injury, but Antonio Wallace is

getting more comfortable running the offense and

he’ll have the chance to be the facilitator of a lot

of points this week. A Harding upset would be

huge, but we’re not holding our breath. – Hannah Dockery

west meCk at ardrey kell


2014 reCords: West Meck is 1-3; Ardrey Kell is 3-1

last meetinG: West Meck won, 33-0, on Sept. 27,

2013

Players to watCh: Ardrey Kell: lineman Mason Veal,

running back/linebacker Bonte Freeman, safety/

receiver Ryan Jones, running back Josh German,

defensive linemen Twazanga Mugala and Raymond

Wright; West Meck: receiver Marquise Audrey and

Devon Johnson, offensive lineman Dillon Helms,

defensive back Dante Nesmith

the skinny: The Hawks shut out the Knights in

this game last year, but don’t expect a repeat

performance. The Knights entered the season with

a lot of hype surrounding them and they’re living

up to it – they’re huge on both sides of the ball with

a number of guys over 6-foot-2, 250 pounds and

haven’t dropped a game since their season-opening

loss to Weddington and are playing with something

to prove. The Hawks on the other hand lost a ton of

talent from last year’s 9-3 team, so it’s a rebuilding

season for those guys and it’s showing on the field.

They could desperately use a win this week and

one against Ardrey Kell would be a good one but

the Knights keep showing up to play and haven’t

disappointed. – Hannah Dockery

myers Park at roCky river


2014 reCords: Myers Park is 2-3; Rocky River is 3-2

last meetinG: Rocky River won, 37-14, on Sept. 27,

2013

Players to watCh: Myers Park: quarterback Clay

Norris, running backs Dominique Washington and

Jaquavion Alexander, receivers Tadarin McNeil

and Jontavius Hall, defensive back Bo Owens,

linebacker Emrys Calin; Rocky River: receiver/

defensive back Jaire Alexander, running back Elijah

Jett linebacker John Henderson, quarterback Naiil

Ramadan, lineman Brandon Luallen

the skinny: After a sluggish start, the Ravens have

caught fire, taking three straight games. Ramadan

is back under center after missing a couple of games

with an illness and relies on Alexander through the

air and Jett, who is an emerging star, on the ground.

The balanced Ravens are rolling right now, but

better not take the Mustangs lightly. Norris is in

total control of the offense and backs Washington

and Jaquavion Alexander and receivers McNeil and

Hall are dynamic playmakers who Myers Park gets

the ball in their hands all over the field. This game

comes down to defense – a staple of any good Raven

team – but if they don’t come to play an upset isn’t

out of the question. – Andrew Stark

fork union at Charlotte latin


2013 reCords: Fork Union is 1-3; Charlotte Latin is

4-0

last meetinG: This is the first meeting

Players to watCh: Fork Union: quarterback Julius

Puruyear, offensive lineman Malik Shabazz;

Charlotte Latin: quarterback Daniel Jones,

receiver/defensive back Carson Song, running back

Denzel Pearson, defensive back/receiver Melvin

Rouse, receiver John Jenkins, defensive end Tay

McMaster

the skinny: This Charlotte Latin team entered the

season with lots of hype and certainly has done

nothing but build upon that through four weeks.

The offense gets a lot of the attention and can put

up points in a hurry with unrivaled efficiency. It’s

the defense that’s starting to get some recognition,

too, as many of these guys go both ways and are

proving to be adept at making plays on either side

of the line of scrimmage. SouthLake Christian was

considered a test by many, but the Hawks rolled to

a 45-21 win. They’ll have a chance to put a bunch

of points on the board this week against Fork

Union, a team which allows 25 a game and has lost

two straight. Expect a Hawk win, but they better

not be looking ahead to next week’s showdown with

Charlotte Christian. – Andrew Stark

ProvidenCe day at CuthBertson


2014 reCords: Providence Day is 1-4; Cuthbertson is

2-3


Players to watCh: Providence Day: quarterback John

Schweitzer, running back Gabe Montgomery,

lineman Soloman Key, defensive backs Deonte

Henderson and Julius Felder; Cuthbertson:

quarterback Austin Kendall, receivers J.T. Cauthen

and B.J. Muckelvene, linebackers Connor Gerlits

and Jack Generoso, defensive end Nick Karas

the skinny: Both teams are sort of reeling, even

though Cuthberston got back in the win column

last week against Forest Hills. Tennessee commit

Kendall is a gun-slinger and has a number of keys

– notably Muckelvene and Cauthen – to throw it

to. The Cavs entered the season with super high

expectations, but had fallen a little flat until last

week. They’re defense had been a concern, but was

better last week. The Chargers boast a talented

secondary with Deonte Henderson and Felder,

but they’ll be tested. If they can hold up and Gabe

Henderson can continue to balance the Charger

offense, this could be interesting. Coach Bruce

Hardin always has his team up – especially when

they’re the unerdogs – which they’ll be here.

– Andrew Stark

Carolina Pride at GivenGo fellowshiP

Game time: Friday, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.

2014 reCords: Carolina Pride is 4-0; GiveNGo is 0-4


Players to watCh: Carolina Pride: quarterback Bruce

Dixon, receiver Jaylen Erwin, receiver/linebacker

John Thierfelder, safety Ahmek Henry, linebacker

John Digiovanna; GiveNGo: quarterback Mikyel

Nance-Davis, linemen Taren Baker and Jaquenton

Long, receiver Jadarius Berry

the skinny: The Pride have become quite a story this

season, as they’re ranked in the Union County

Super 7 for the first time in their history, and keep

making beleivers out of all of us. Dixon is a play-

maker who is putting this team on his back, and

they’re crushing everyone in their path. This week

they get the Charlotte-based GiveNGo Fellowship,

who have 17 players in either the seventh-, eighth-

or ninth-grade this year – their innagural season.

There isn’t a lot of information about this team, but

it should be another easy win for the Pride anyway,

especially with Dixon under center. – Andrew Stark


Sports

super 71) independence (5-0)Previous ranking: no. 2

we believe the Patriots haven’t held the top spot in our super 7 since 2008, but this year’s version is more than deserving. independence has simply dominated its opponents this year and, while the defense is get-ting much of the credit, this team is well balanced and as dangerous as ever on offene.

2) Butler (4-1)Previous ranking: no. 1

the bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss in overtime to richmond where they had a big lead late but couldn’t hold it. the bulldogs can score – we know that – but the defense let them down last week. it’s tough to penalize a team for a tough loss, but in the end it mars their perfect season and drops them one spot this week.

3) charlotte chriStian (2-1)Previous ranking: no. 3

charlotte christian was listless in the opening quarter last week and let Monroe recover a late onsides kick that could have tied the game had they scored. but, a win’s a win and good teams find a way to pull it out in the end. a huge test awaits this week with liberty christian and an even bigger one looms next week with charlotte latin.

4) charlotte latin (4-0)Previous ranking: no. 4

we’ve been high on the Hawks all year and they haven’t let us down in the least. this team is scary good offensively and has the makings of a very good defensive bunch, too. they beat up a very good southlake christian team and shouldn’t get tested much this week. all eyes will be cast upon them when they face charlotte christian next week, though.

5) providence (3-1)Previous ranking: no. 5

the Panthers took their bye last week to get ready for the opening of conference play with olympic. Provi-dence is a viable contender for a conference title and have looked good early on, but the season is long and the road to a so. Meck 8 crown can be a bumpy one. they should be right in the mix, though.

6) charlotte catholic (3-1)Previous ranking: no. 6

at the very least, the cougars have shown that they are every bit as tough running the ball as they’ve been in year’s past and that they can be even better with an ample passing game. they were off last week, but get their conference title defense underway with a trip to berry.

7) rocky river (3-2)Previous ranking: no. 7

rocky river got off to a rocky beginning, but have righted the ship. the defending southwestern 4a champs get back to defending their crown this week, but get a tough test with Myers Park, a team that could give them some problems. elijah Jett has topped 100 yards rushing each game and they have the dynamic Jaire alexander playing all over the field. they should win, but better be focused.

alSo receiving voteS: ardrey kell (3-1)

passinGweekly Game stats

namedaniel Joneskelvin hopkinsbruCe dixonClay norrisanthony ratliff-williamsCaleb yorkJohn sChweitzernaiil ramadan

team gameS comp. att. yardSCharlotte latin 4 49 89 1044independence 5 58 109 845Carolina pride 4 42 108 826myers park 5 81 124 817butler 5 55 105 784providence 4 38 67 712providence day 5 37 98 530rocky river 4 48 83 520

namebenny lemaygabe montgomeryeliJah JettJaret andersonbrian mattaranthony ratliff-williamsbryon CollinsQuantavious mCgill

team gameS ruSheS yardS tdbutler 5 83 772 12providence day 5 91 593 5rocky river 5 110 563 3Charlotte Catholic 5 62 560 7providence 4 58 528 3butler 5 57 524 5east meck 5 60 461 4independence 5 44 430 4

rushinG

namewill waltonJaire alexanderClifton duCkkanyon tuttletadarin mCneilJonathan JenningsJaylen erwinJohn biasuCCimelvin rouse

team gameS receptionS yardS tdindependence 5 19 397 4rocky river 5 26 392 6butler 5 11 296 4Charlotte latin 4 12 294 6myers park 5 21 267 4Charlotte latin 4 11 239 4Carolina pride 4 8 232 4providence 4 13 228 2Charlotte latin 3 10 204 2

receivinG

nameChristian dixonriCky smithsolomon keyJay gibbswill sapytaJalen Cousaraddison debordmatt messlerJohn digiovannaChris mangumtyvon vannoyChristian Colon

team gameS tackleSbutler 5 51providence day 5 44providence day 5 42butler 5 39ardrey kell 3 39butler 5 38Charlotte latin 4 38ardrey kell 3 38Carolina pride 4 36independence 5 36rocky river 5 33independence 5 33

tacklesnameelliott beiserCameron goldeanClifton duCkalex CantrellJaire alexandertim marshallpeter pitrofftommy waynemelvin rouseaubrey alexanderChanCe kennedyJohn brannon

interceptionsteam gameS intprovidence day 5 4providence day 5 3butler 5 3providence day 5 2rocky river 4 2independence 5 2Charlotte Country day 4 2myers park 4 2Charlotte latin 3 2rocky river 4 2south meck 3 2south meck 3 2

namealeC hanffConnor millerhunter sheridanlawrenCe harrismatthew grayCaleb walker

team gameS SackSCharlotte latin 4 7Charlotte Catholic 4 6Charlotte latin 4 6Carolina pride 3 4.5Carolina pride 4 4independence 5 4

sacks send us your stats! attention coaches and team statisticians: as we do each football season, this fall we will publish weekly statistical leaders. to have players from your team included, please send the information by monday morning following each game to [email protected].


Sports

weekly Game picksby Andrew Stark

[email protected]

hannah dockeryandrew stark barbara nelson

guest piCker

LASt wEEK (7-3)OvErALL (39-14)



weekly GaMe scHedule:

butler at Garinger Fork union at charlotte latin

carolina Pride at GivenGo FellowshipProvidence day at cuthbertson

charlotte catholic at berry liberty christian at charlotte christian

independence at east Meck Myers Park at rocky river

charlotte country day at ravenscroftolympic at Providence south Meck at Harding

west Meck at ardrey kell

butlercHarlotte latincarolina PridecutHbertsoncHarlotte catHolicliberty cHristianindePendencerocky riverravenscroFtProvidencesoutH Meckardrey kell

butlerFork unioncarolina PrideProvidence daycHarlotte catHoliccHarlotte cHristianindePendenceMyers ParkcHarlotte country dayProvidenceHardinGardrey kell

This football season is flying by, and this week marks the kick off of conference rivalry season with a full slate of public school teams taking the first step to a con-ference crown.

There are some big-time races as Butler, Independence and Rocky River will all be in the hunt for the Southwestern 4A race. The So. Meck 8 is even more wide open with Charlotte Catholic, Ardrey Kell and Providence all having great shots at a title, and don’t rule out upstart South Meck, either, as the Sabres are playing really good football of late.

It’s another challenging week with out of conference private schools, but there

are some intriguing matchups before they open conference games next week.

To help us, we brought in Myers Park girls basketball coach Barbara Nelson, who helped guide the Mustangs to their first title last winter. She’s no stranger to win-ning and has worked with USA Basketball, Wingate University and guided Providence Day to seven state titles.

To Nelson, there is a common denomi-nator to all great teams.

“I believe that a team must buy in com-pletely to be successful – that means buy-ing into the system, teamwork, goals, work ethic, etc.,” she said. “If there are any hold-outs, especially with your leadership or best players, then there’s no chance for the team to reach their highest potential. Everyone must be accountable from top to bottom.”

butlercHarlotte latincarolina PridecutHbertsoncHarlotte catHoliccHarlotte cHristianindePendencerocky rivercHarlotte country dayProvidencesoutH Meckardrey kell

Serve for the Cure volleyball tournament this weekend

The 13th annual Serve for the Cure volleyball tournament returns to Charlotte Latin on Saturday, Sept. 27.

The event was started in 2002 by retired Charlotte Latin volleyball coach Suzie Pignetti, who is a cancer survivor.

Since then, Serve for the Cure has grown into the largest student-run

event benefiting the local C h a r l o t t e affiliate of

Susan G. Komen for

the Cure. Over the last 12 years, the

tournament has raised $336,000.

The event is also an educational opportunity

to increase awareness of breast cancer and women's health.

Nineteen teams from the schools in North and South Carolina will participate in some friendly, but highly-competitive volleyball this Saturday, while joining together to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast

cancer.Sports Connection and Carolina

Juniors Volleyball sponsor the tournament.

Admission is $5 and the tournament runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Beck Student Activities Center on Charlotte Latin’s campus.

The teams in this year’s field include Ardrey Kell, Butler, Charlotte Christian, Charlotte Country Day, Charlotte Latin, Covenant Day, Providence, Providence Day, South Meck and Weddington, among others.

Country Day takes on South Carolina’s best, wins rematch of state volleyball finals

Charlotte Country Day’s defending state champion volleyball team returned from a nine-match tournament against some of the top teams in South Carolina this weekend to knock off rival Covenant Day for the third time this season.

The Bucs, who have climbed to No. 18 in Maxpreps.com’s Xcellent 25 national rankings, defeated Covenant Day, 3-1, on Tuesday, Sept. 24 in front of a packed house on the Lions’ home floor to win, 27-25, 25-21, 21-25 and 25-14. The win over Covenant Day was the Bucs third triumph over the Lions this season in a matchup of the state

champion finalists.Katharine Franz led the Country Day

attack with 14 kills and 13 digs and Hannah Kintzinger (15 kills) and Taylor Portland (11 kills) were strong on the attacking end. Asya Patterson recorded 16 digs and Rachel Janson added 43 assists, pushing the Bucs record to 33-1 on the year.

This past weekend, the Bucs traveled to Simpsonville, S.C. where they played nine matches over the course of two days. In the opening round, they defeated Southside, Clover, Lexington, Westside, Northwestern and Blythewood – Maxpreps.com’s No. 5-ranked team in South Carolina – all by 2-0 scores.

In the quarterfinals, the Bucs beat 21-3 Baylor High (Tenn.), 2-0, and 21-3 Wando (S.C.), a team that also entered 21-3, by a 2-0 margin in the semifinals.

Country Day suffered its first loss of the season to Hillcrest, the 40th ranked

team in the country and the winner of the past three S.C. Class 4A titles. The Bucs took the first game, but lost the next two.

Franz and Patterson were named to the all-tournament team.

Following the win over Covenant Day, coach Brian Rosen was excited where his team was in the season.

“You never want to lose a match, and technically the loss doesn’t count, but I’m keeping it on our record as a reminder,” he said. “I thought (against Covenant Day) we played well. We had to fight back in Game 1 from four game points, and I was proud of how they responded.

“I told them that they could’ve had a letdown at any point. Covenant Day is a good team, but we hung in there and they kept fighting.”

Country Day plays (19-2) Providence Day on Friday, Sept. 26

sports shorts

Katharine Franz (12) had a huge game leading the nationally-ranked Bucs to a 3-1 win over Covenant Day this week. Photo courtesy of Brian Rosen

by Andrew [email protected]


Sports

Current Quail Hollow Mid-dle School seventh-grader Jenna Thompson recently represented North Carolina as the state’s No. 1 tennis

player in her age group at the 12-under

Southern Cup in Chat tanooga , Tenn. earlier this month.

Thompson won her four singles matches and was named the tour-

nament’s MVP. In August, Thompson won the 14-under North Carolina Girls Junior Clay Court Championship, downing Makayla Mills, North Carolina’s former

No. 1-ranked player in the 14-year-old divi-

sion. Thompson has been ranked the

state’s No. 1 player all year in the 12-under division and is

already a five-star recruit according to www.tennisrecruiting.net. She’s ranked the No. 2 player in the Southern region and 42nd out of 1,029 girls ranked in the country.

“Tennis is constant for us,” said Thompson’s mother, Shirley. “We’re always gone to tournaments all the time but she loves it. She always wants to play.”

Thompson, who trains five days a week at the Johan Kriek Tennis Acad-emy at the Charlotte Indoor Club, competed in her first national tour-nament this summer at the USTA National Clay Court Championships in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. where she advanced to the third round of the tournament before falling to the No. 1- ranked player in the country.

“In all honesty, she was a little ner-vous and overwhelmed at first, play-ing at the national level,” Shirley said. “There are so many good play-ers from Florida and California so it was an adjustment for her because tennis isn’t as strong in the South-east but she did great… she was apprehensive but excited and really played well.”

Quail Hollow Middle helped adjust

Thompson’s class schedule to fit her demanding tennis routine; though the final bell rings at 4:15 p.m., Thompson leaves school every day at 3 to get to tennis practice by 3:30 where she plays for three hours.

“Quail Hollow has been so help-ful,” Shirley said. “She’s having to take eighth-grade math to make the adjustments work but she’s done really well balancing it all.”

Thompson comes from an athletic family. Her younger sister is involved in competitive gymnastics while her brother plays tennis and flag football. Shirley and her husband Mark, both natives of South Africa, played com-petitive tennis as well, and continue to play at Olde Providence Racquet Club.

“In South Africa, sports are such a part of life,” Shirley said. “So it’s been a big influence on our family and even though we’re going non-stop, it’s important to keep our kids involved.”

Outside of tennis, which is a year-round sport for Thompson, she attends Forest Hills Church and loves going to Panthers games with her dad.

thompson shines on courtby Hannah Dockery

[email protected]

Seventh grade tennis star Jenna Thompson is the No. 1-ranked tennis player in the state for her age group. Photo courtesy of Shirley Thompson


GaraGe Salevacation rentalS

ACROSS 1 Pyramid city

close to Cairo 5 Mocking remarks10 “Yikes!”14 Achieved a

perfect score on15 Obstinate reply16 African country

bordering 12-Down

17 Socialite who inspired 1950’s “Call Me Madam”

19 Texts, e.g.: Abbr.20 Fossil fuel21 Sulu and Uhura,

e.g., on the Enterprise

23 1957 hit covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968

25 First word in many newspaper names

26 “___ you for real?”

27 ___ Dhabi28 Stale-smelling31 Like Old Norse

writing

33 Workplace communication

35 Letters before an alias

36 Not eat eagerly37 Pastrami and

salami40 Vietnam War

weapon43 Make a goof44 Sea of Tranquillity,

for the Apollo 11 astronauts

48 Car fuel additive49 Army NCOs51 Site of a church

kneeler52 ___-la-la53 McKellen who

played Magneto in the “X-Men” films

55 One of a 1980s demographic

57 Run out of energy61 Martinique et

Guadeloupe62 Many a car on

the autobahn63 Groups hired for

high-profile cases66 Carpentry spacer

67 Sky-blue68 Where Vietnam is69 Roget’s listings:

Abbr.70 Theater

reservations71 1930s art style,

informally

DOWN 1 Clothing chain

with a “Baby” division

2 Drink cooler 3 Like a game with

equal winners and losers

4 Old politico Stevenson

5 “Garfield” cartoonist Davis

6 Leaves dumbstruck

7 Deluxe 8 It’s really

something 9 ___ infection10 Jane Austen

heroine11 What’s filled up

in a fill-up12 African country

bordering 16-Across

13 Cut up, as a frog18 Kind of school

after nursery school: Abbr.

22 Boy Scout ___ badge

23 Uncle ___24 Hesitation about

something29 Slalom, say30 Breaks … or

an anagram of the ends of five Across answers in this puzzle

32 Golden State school up the coast from L.A.

34 Old jazz icon Anita

36 The “P” of G.O.P.38 Perry of fashion39 Part of a joule40 Business setback

recorded on Schedule C

41 Wither away42 Add by degrees45 Mollify

46 Earth-shaking

47 Animal whose name sounds like a pronoun

49 It goes “Ah-h-h-choo!”

50 Zoot ___

54 Mythical strong man

56 Beg

58 State trees of North Dakota and Massachusetts

59 Spanish water

60 Many a service station adjunct

64 “___ Misérables”

65 ___ Paulo

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Drivers: CDL-A. Average $52,000 per yr. plus. Excellent Home Time + Weekends. Monthly Bonuses up to $650. 5,000w APU’s for YOUR Comfort + E-Logs. Excellent Benefits. 100% no touch. 877-704-3773. 092614

AFTERSCHOOL SUBS WANTED: UCPS is looking for subs to work from 1:30p.m.--5:30p.m. Contact:

[email protected] 704-290-1516. Pay$9.68 per hour. Must pass background check and enjoy working with children. 092614

ATTN: Drivers. New Hiring Area! Quality Hometime. Avg. $1000 Weekly. BCBS + 401K + Pet and Rider. CDL-A Required 1-888-592-4752. www.ad-drivers.com SAPA

Drivers: Dedicated Lanes! $2000 Sign-On Bonus! Average salary $60k - $65k. Excellent Comprehensive Benefits!No-Touch get home weekly! 2yrs CDL-A Exp. Call Penske Logistics: 1-855-395-5506. 100314

Wanted: Landscape Crew Leaders - Hiring 6 positions immediately - Must have driver\’s license, no experience required, competitive pay and benefits. Please fill out application online at www.queencitylawn.com or call 704-947-3307. 102414

AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HERE - GET FAA APPROVED MAINTENANCE TRAINING FINANCIAL AID FOR QUALIFIED STUDENTS - HOUSING AVAILABLE JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. CALL AVIATION INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE 1-866-724-5403 WWW.FIXJETS.COM. SAPA

GREAT MONEY FROM HOME WITH OUR FREE MAILER PROGRAM. LIVE OPERATORS ON DUTY NOW! 1-800-707-1810 EXT 901 or visit WWW.PACIFIC BROCHURES.COM SAPA

Beware of loan fraud. Please check with the better business bureau or consumer protection agency before sending any money to any loan company. SAPA

INJURED? IN A LAWSUIT? Need Cash Now? We Can Help! No Monthly Payments to Make. No Credit Check. Fast Service and Low Rates. Call Now 1-866-386-3692. www.lawcapital.com (Not available in NC, CO, MD & TN) SAPA

DELETE BAD CREDIT In Just 30-Day! Raise Your Credit Score Fast! Results Guaranteed! FREE To Start! Call 1-855-831-9714 SAPA

HOUSE CLEANING Your Home Will be Thoroughly Cleaned! Weekly or Bi-Weekly. Expeirienced and Dependable. References and Free Estimates. Affordable Rates. Call Lelia at (980) 875-9606. 103114

Greenthumb Cleaning & Organizing would love to give you your time back! We offer one-time cleaning, move cleaning, real estate cleaning, and wash dry and fold services & more. Specialize in deep cleaning. A Veteran owned

and operated company. ***2 Hours, 2 Cleaning Techs $99*** - *** 2 Hours Professional O r g a n i z i n g $75*** www.greenthumbcleaner.com 704-907-1777. 103114

NU VISIONS PAINTING By Al Baskins on FB. Let us color your world one room at a time ! Interior / Exterior Painting Commercial / Residential Cabinets / Kitchens / Baths Specializing In Repaints Deck Restorations Pressure Washing Spring Special 10% off with this add Over 30 years experience painting Charlotte Al Baskins , Owner Pineville N.C. 704- 605-7897 / 704-889- 7479. 122914ATTENTION SENIOR CITIZENS! Hair services for less.

Call Melissa Hair 7046210909. Located in Matthews North End shopping center, off Trade Street.Cuts, boLow dries, roller sets, perms and more!101014

BYTESIZE COMPUTER SERVICES LLC FREE onsite service & FREE consultations. Virus Removal, Computer Hardware and Software repair, Speed up slow Desktop

or Laptop Computers, one hour In-Home personalized Computer Training sessions, Repair & Purchasing and Upgrading available. We offer Personable engagements and VERY competitive pricing. 25 Years of Computer Experience. Call Mark at 704-287- 8827 or visit our website: www.bytesizecomputer services.com. References are available. 101714

BEST PAINTERS 80.00 PER ROOM EVERY DAY ALL THE TIME. We offer some of the best pricing in the business on many services. Painting, Sheetrock installation and repair, popcorn removal, general handyman, pressure wash, light plumbing and electrical. Licensed and insured all work has a full warranty. Special Free paint on all jobs . Call for your free estimate 704-290-9693. 053014

Apartment to rent in family home, separate entrance.A lovely spacious must see apartment in Waxhaw/ Wesley Chapel area.2 bedroom, 2 bath. ALL utilities included; along with DirectTV and Internet. Eat in kitchen, Dining room,

laundry room.Quiet neighborhood, fenced in backyard.NO Pets. $900 a month. First month rent deposit.Available Nov 1st. Call 704-968-0745. 101714

FLAGLER BEACH MOTEL & VACATION RENTALS ***Trip Advisor*** Certificate of Excellence Furnished Oceanside Studio 1-2-3 Bedrooms, Full Kitchens. FREE WiFi, Direct TV, Pool. Call 1-386-517-6700 or www.fbvr.net SAPA

CAVENDER CREEK CABINS Dahlonega, GA. GAS TOO HIGH? Spend your vacation week in the North Georgia Mountains! Ask About Our Weekly FREE NIGHT SPECIAL! Virtual Tour: www.CavenderCreek.com Cozy Hot Tub Cabins! 1-866-373-6307 SAPA

A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, LET US HELP! PERSONALIZED ADOPTION PLANS. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HOUSING, RELOCATION AND MORE. GIVING THE GIFT OF LIFE? YOU DESERVE THE BEST. CALL US FIRST! 1-888-637-8200. 24 hour HOTLINE. SAPA

IF YOU USED THE BLOOD THINNER XARELTO and suffered internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, required hospitalization or a loved one died while taking Xarelto between 2011 and the present time, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H Johnson 1-800-535-5727. 092614

EARN YOUR High School Diploma at home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure. 1-800-658-1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA

Bundle & Save on your TV, Internet, Phone!!! Call Bundle Deals NOW. Compare all companies, Packages and Prices! Call 1-855-549-3156 TODAY. SAPADish TV Retailer -SAVE! Starting $19.99/month (for 12 months.) FREE Premium Movie Channels. FREE Equipment, Installation & Activation. CALL, COMPARE LOCAL DEALS! 1-800-351-0850. SAPA* Reduce your cable bill!

* Get a 4-room all digital satellite system installed for free and programming starting at $19.99/Mo. Free hd/dvr upgrade for new callers, so call now. 1-800-725-1835. Sapa

ENJOY 100 percent guaranteed, delivered?to-the-door Omaha Steaks! SAVE 74 percent PLUS 4 FREE Burgers - The Family Value Combo - ONLY $39.99. ORDER Today 1-800-715-2010 Use code 48829AFK or www.OmahaSteaks.com/mbfvc46

Canada drug center is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call today 877-644-3199 for $25.00 Off your first prescription and free shipping. SAPA

Medical Guardian - Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more - only $29.95 per month. 800-983-4906

DISH TV Retailer. Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 1-800-291-0612

HELP: LOST DOG, \”Dotty\”, Australian Cattle mix, 7yrs, 35lbs. Lost 8/1/14, Rea Rd. Black/White, black patch right eye. pink/grey collar. Contact Kim 704-763-3661. Her loving family misses her very much!

Cats cradle boarding beautiful 5 star cats only kennel. Huge sun-filled suites, 3 levels, climbing tree. Pickup/delivery. 20% Senior discount. For rates and requirements call 704.771.6052 www.Cat boardingcharlotte.Com. 072514

PROVIDENCE PET SITTING is licensed, insured, and pet CPR/First Aid certified. We have been lovingly caring for pets for over 10 years. Contact us at 704-591-7274 for more info. 101014

To advertise, visit www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.comCarolina Weekly Classifieds Network

vehicleS for Sale

ACROSS

1 Light bender

6 Hole to be dug out of?

10 Robbers’ take

14 In verse, “His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!”

15 Vicinity

16 Mean sort

17 “It was ___ and stormy night …”

18 *Traveler on the Silk Road

20 Flora seen around Lent

22 “Watch your ___, young man!”

23 *Eggnog relative

26 Wing it

30 Anglers after morays

31 “O.K., have it your way”

32 Vietnamese holiday

35 ___ extra cost

36 Thing seen on a lab slide

38 70 yards square, approximately

40 “Hmm, can’t remember”

41 Department store founder James Cash ___

42 Height: Prefix

43 Correctional workers, for short?

44 Comment immediately following a stage cue

45 What rain and paper towels may come in

47 Billy Ray or Miley

49 *Lover of Kermit

53 Cut with a ray

55 Novelist ___ de Balzac

56 *Edison lab site

61 International powerhouse in cricket

62 Window part

63 Canadian Plains tribe

64 Eggheaded sorts65 Like patent

infringers, often66 Part of P.G.A.:

Abbr.67 Secret

rendezvous

DOWN 1 Sacred hymn of

praise 2 Many lines on

pie charts 3 Taken together 4 X, in bowling 5 *Sign a treaty,

say 6 Hoover ___ 7 Disco ’70s, e.g. 8 Playoff spots 9 ___ Bell10 Desired11 In times past12 Clickable

address, briefly13 Guitarist Kottke19 Bon Jovi’s “Livin’

___ Prayer”21 Torrid24 50th state’s state

bird25 ___-Magnon27 For whom a

vassal worked28 Sleeping, say29 Local politics

and high school sports, for news reporters

32 Item under discussion

33 Foe34 Kind of sax36 Over again

37 *It’s not worth arguing

39 Legally voided

40 Treats for swelling, as a joint

42 Tuna type, on menus

45 Slings mud at

46 One making a confession

48 ___ Paulo

50 Stop producing water, as a well

51 Crossword needs

52 Baker’s supply

54 Pet care specialists, for short

56 AWOL chasers … or a hint to the answers to the six starred clues

57 Perrier, par exemple

58 Little Rock-to-Chicago dir.

59 Hi-___ monitor

60 Kesey or Follett

PUZZLE BY VICTOR FLEMING

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S T E M A S S T P A B S TT O T E P O L O R O U T EA L T A P R O F E L M O SB L U N D E R B U S S B L T

T R A Y S T E T L E YZ E S T E R T E N S EI N T O W G A M E T A B L EN Y U M Y B A D E A TC A M E R A M A N U P E N D

B E A M S P H A S E SA P L O M B A K R O NL I E B O B B L E H E A D SL A B E L O N U S L E A KI N U S E L E T T E R I EN O M A D O R Z O D O S E

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For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0826Crossword

financial

MiScellaneouS

help wanted

ServiceS

petS

for Sale

adoptionS

real eState–rental

south charlotte weekly

Documents

bcc rally weeks

bcc ladies luncheon

breast cancer awareness

school family

ballantyne area

pinkclad women

small group of women

ballantyne country club