Neighbor-to-Neighbor Outreach in Bella Sera

Earlier this year, when a Bella Sera Villas (Bella Sera Way) elderly resident showed signs of impairment and began walking the subdivision alone, alarmed residents took action.

Forming the “Neighbor-to-Neighbor Outreach Connection (network),” Jody Brewer, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Lorrie Klemons, RN, MSN & Senior Patient Advocate, marshaled their resources, drew from their professional careers and experiences and set out to blanket the 158-unit complex, in an effort to reach out and touch any/all of the mostly over-55+ residents to determine whether they were in need of a “check-in.”

“There’s already a lot of connecting going on,” said Brewer, “especially in the cul-de-sacs.” However, Brewer added, that with an aging population going in and out of the complex and some “elder-orphans” (phraseology for those who are alone by design, death of a spouse or living far from relatives/friends), the necessity to stay-in-touch becomes paramount.

To date, the duo have gathered approximately 30 recipients/residents (adoptees) and approximately 15 volunteers/residents (adopters) who are now participating in this program.

To blanket the complex and do an accounting of the needs/desires of those residents choosing to opt in/out of the program, Brewer and Klemons (residents and co-chairs) used a spreadsheet, created flyers (since many older people don’t use computers) and met with the volunteer-residents to discuss a good way to approach often wary neighbors.

“There needs to be a trust factor,” said Brewer.

“(The intention was to show) How to be a volunteer, set boundaries, (learn) the best way to approach the residents, how to provide additional information,” said Klemons. “Very low-level stuff, not major.”

According to the group’s brochure, the network has been created to address “social isolation, loneliness, no near-by family.” The intention is to reach out to others on a “semi-regular basis” to “make sure all is well.”

According to the group’s brochure, the network has been created to address “social isolation, loneliness, no near-by family.” The intention is to reach out to others on a “semi-regular basis” to “make sure all is well.”

“This (network) was intended to create neighborliness and to make sure that no one was sitting home alone, unattended to,” said Brewer.

Their flyer states that they have “decided to re-energize the “Wellness Check” program of the past. The  volunteer duties are to phone, text, email or knock on the door of a fellow resident” to determine the (ongoing) “wellness” of that individual.

All participants are given a senior resource directory and a “Vial of Life” kit for emergency situations.

Plans for the future include more meetings, more reach-outs and the possibility of sharing this program with other subdivisions in the area.

The People of Matthews: Jaspal Singh and the Sikh Education Foundation of the Carolinas

Jaspal Singh, one of the founding members of the Sikh Education Foundation of the Carolinas, leading his Current Events class during Sunday School. The group was discussing the recent synagogue tragedy, reading a related news article translated into Punjab. Singh also leads his class in Gatka - martial arts - during Sunday School. SEFC is currently leasing space from the Sangrock/Taekwondo Center on West John Street.

The Precious Pooches of Matthews

Pawsitively Matthews was this past Saturday in Stumptown Park and we were on the scene to get puppy kisses and photos of the precious pooches. Around 40 pet-centric vendors were set up, including Companion Parrots Rehomed and several dog rescues. Matthews Police did a demonstration with their canine unit as well. We’re pawsitive the event was a success.

Daisy is available for adoption.

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55+ New Friends Meetup Group

More than one dozen men and women residing in the towns surrounding Matthews meet three times/week for a Squirrel Lake walk and then coffee at Publix at Fincher Farms. Called the "55+ New Friends Meetup Group," they range in age from 55-80's; none are originally from North Carolina and have moved here from as far away as England, as well as from other states across the country. Matthews resident and New Friends Meetup founder, Anna Langill, started this as a way to connect people with same interests. "There wasn't a way for seniors to meet each other," she said. They also meet up for holidays and go to movies, dinner and other events. 

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

The People of Matthews: Four Buddies on Bikes

Four buddies out for a ride on a warm fall day, biking their usual daily "60 miles or so." Ranging in age from 44-68, they had stopped to check one of their bikes. Members of various local biking clubs, the oldest one (left) has clocked in about 14,000 biking miles this year.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Matthews Beacon's First Annual Halloween Parade

If you were stuck at home waiting to hand out candy to kids who never came, we have gathered some sights from our own trick or treating so you don’t have to miss the fun. Want to add your kids to the parade? Send a pic or tag us on Instagram (@matthewsbeacon) and we’ll make you internet famous!

Bloodhounds, the Real Life Paw Patrol

Last week law enforcement officers from all over the country convened in Matthews to train and certify their bloodhounds with the National Police Bloodhound Association. More than 45 law enforcement officers traveled across the country, some by plane, to Matthews to attend this five-day seminar. Instructors created scent trails for the dogs to follow, provided feedback to fine-tune the dogs’ tracking abilities, and advised handlers on best practices.
If you didn’t see these incredibly hard-working dogs while they were training in town, Matthews Police Officer Kevin Osuch will have his dogs (one of which is a tracking bloodhound) at Pawsitively Matthews this Saturday, November 3, in Stumptown Park.

“Since 1962, the National Police Bloodhound Association has been a trusted source for information relative to the use of the purebred bloodhound in the field of law enforcement.  The National Police Bloodhound Association (NPBA) teaches basic standards that have been tried and proven from many years of trails by law enforcement officers from all over the country that were found to be sound in the utilization of the man-trailing bloodhound.

Never has any officer member of the National Police Bloodhound Association been proven wrong when challenged in his or her use of the bloodhound in law enforcement by the courts by following the standards that have been set by the National Police Bloodhound Association.”

— NPBA Website

The People of Matthews: The Lauries

Matthews residents Patrick (42) and Wati (43) Laurie (formerly from Alaska and New York, respectively), with daughter, Marie, out for a pre-Halloween stroll. What’s with the costume? “It’s what we represent as a family and a community,” said Wati. 

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Crews Road: Where line dancing is alive and well

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Driving down Sam Newell Road near Crews Road, on Wednesdays, between 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., one might hear the sounds of songs like “Achy Breaky Heart,” “Electric Slide,” and “Uptown Funk” along with laughter and exclamations emanating from the Crews Recreation Center.

Here, line dancing is alive and well, thanks, in part, to a determined long-time Matthews resident, Belinda Burgess-Purcell, 68, who is the class teacher.

“It’s all about having fun and getting some exercise,” she said. “I make so many mistakes that it makes them real comfortable,” said Belinda, laughing. “I have two rules – try to go in the same direction and have fun.  Just stand there and boogey. I don’t care what you do, but keep moving.”

Five years ago, Belinda approached the town to offer her services. “I don’t get many opportunities to dance anymore,” said this lifelong dance enthusiast. “We don’t go to bars, or across town to (other) line dancing… (This type of dance) reaches out to a bigger crowd. It’s good exercise without having the (expectations) of other dance classes.”

Now, five years later, the crowd continues to grow. On a recent Wednesday, twenty people, ages 40-90, attended the class. Nearly all of the participants were women.  “There are more women who love to dance than men,” said Belinda. “Most of these ladies’ husbands don’t dance; it’s hard to get on the floor by yourself and dance. For people who are a little bit shy, it allows them (some anonymity),” she said.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Having struggled recently with ailments and surgeries, this is an opportunity for Belinda and the others to keep moving. “I do this because I want to do this,” she said. “The biggest thing about this class is that sometimes others get real serious about line dancing.”

“I have two rules – try to go in the same direction and have fun.  Just stand there and boogey. I don’t care what you do, but keep moving.”

— Belinda Burgess-Purcell

“At the beginning of the class, I tell them this is for fun, this is exercise….It’s more about doing an activity,” Belinda said. “Dance affords cardio, balance, rhythm - all the things we can (focus on) as we get older. Losing our balance becomes more (prevalent). I’m trying to work in stuff (routines) that’s supposed to help.”

Line Dancing with Belinda Burgess-Purcell

Crews Rec Center 1201 Crews Road, Matthews, NC 28105
Phone: 704-708-1287 Wednesdays, between 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Bowspring Yoga

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Wednesday nights, in Room 102 at the Matthews Community Center, at least one dozen participants are moving into positions, sweating and sometimes groaning during their weekly Bowsprings yoga session.

While groaning is rarely a reflection of pain, rather, just a sign of exertion and movement in ways not seen before, some of the contortionist-looking postures may sometimes appear counter-intuitive to more traditional forms and methodologies of yoga.

Where, for example, you might hear an instructor exhorting you to draw your bellybutton toward your spine and tuck your tailbone slightly under (traditional Downward-Facing Dog). Here, with bent knees (Crouching Cat), you would be asked to bow your belly forward as you move your hips up and back, maintaining the low back curve.

This is one of the newest forms of yoga, started in Colorado seven years ago by Desi Springer and John Friend - both long-time yoga teachers. It is being taught in Matthews by yoga teacher, Linda Oelschlaeger, 71, from Weddington, who has been teaching at the Matthews Community Center for 18 years, six of which have solely focused on the Bowspring technique. Oelschlaeger is the only Bowspring teacher in the Charlotte region and only one of a few Bowspring teachers in North Carolina.  

Photos by Cyma Shapiro

According to the Global Bowspring website, Bowspring yoga is a mind-body practice which focuses on moving toward a specific geometric shape through 10 key areas of the body in a dynamic neutral position. The practice seeks “proportionally ideal curvy alignment between the head, neck, ribcage, waist, and pelvis, in which functional movement is optimized with the least amount of force required.” With this methodology, connective tissue can elongate, not by straightening limbs as other methods require, but by curving it.

For Oelschlaeger, who studies with both Springer and Friend, Bowsprings was the next step both in her own personal practice and in her teachings to others. “I just worked the (new exercises) in as a general process,” she said. Some people liked the new change, others dropped out. But, she encouraged her class to stick to a process that requires at least a few months of constant practice, to see positive outcomes. “With practice and time, Bowsprings becomes more natural,” she said.

(Several class participants have been involved with Linda’s Bowsprings yoga for years, choosing not only to become close to other class members, but to support, meet up with and form friendships outside of class.)

“Many older people who have had injuries may appreciate the way it relieves pain and the therapeutic aspect of it,” she said. “It resonated for me. I liked the way it felt in my body. It’s challenging and I felt I could access different parts of my body which I felt I couldn’t access with (other) yoga,” said Oelschlaeger.

“It is a natural, animalistic, primal type of movement,” she explained, noting that there are other traditions and methods which are also moving more toward curvy alignment now and a curving (not a straightening of) the knees.

Photos by Cyma Shapiro

“Because it is curvy and dynamic and we pulse and move, as long as you do it with healthy alignment…I know I like it and I know that others appreciate it. The thing is that it can appreciate into your daily life – how you stand, how you bend over when you use the dishwasher, or how you squat to pick up something. So, using those principles in every movement you make is freeing. Ride a bicycle, climb a mountain, run…you can use that (same) alignment,” said Oelschlaeger.

Unlike more traditional forms of yoga with time-worn poses and phraseology, Bowsprings intent, positioning, framework and even terminology is different. Hence: Earth Foot, Crouching Foot, Zig-Zag Legs, Salt Hands, Seed Hands, Harvest Hands, Dome Hands and Jewel Hands, for example. Full-body movements include pulsing or jumping.

In a traditional yoga class, you start on your mat in the middle of the room with a prescribed sequence of movements. In Bowsprings yoga, it varies from one class to the next, beginning with simple warm-ups and moving on to more strenuous/rigorous movements and poses including arm and leg stands on both the ground and the walls.

Six-year student, Vicky Derrer, 69, of Weddington, said she likes the feeling that she hasn’t “failed” if she can’t do all the poses perfectly. “I love the focus on alignment, balance and deep stretching,” said Derrer.  

“I had never taken yoga classes before I started with Linda five years ago. Bowspring yoga has helped me with strength, flexibility, (and made me) more aware of my posture - all the things that are important as we age. AND, Linda is the best!”

— Anne Murray

“I had never taken yoga classes before I started with Linda five years ago,” said Anne Murray, of Weddington.  “Bowspring yoga has helped me with strength, flexibility, (and made me) more aware of my posture - all the things that are important as we age. AND, Linda is the best!”

“I was in the class and had a new-found respect for her students, because it was tough!” said Melissa Johnson, Cultural Recreation Manager for the Community Center. “Her students are all incredibly strong!  They may not have started that way, but this type of yoga definitely builds strength and stamina.” 

In all her sessions, Oelschlaeger reserves the last class for movement with music. “They’ve had eight weeks to learn about alignment,” she said, adding that on that day, they are allowed to move as they wish (with her promptings).

Oelschlaeger hopes to continue teaching and doing yoga for at least twenty more years. “I am grateful for this process. It helps me get stronger. I was in a lot of pain when I started yoga. It’s helping me more and more. I feel like I’m still evolving. I have no pain anymore. I am grateful.”

Bowspring Yoga with Linda Oelschlaeger

Matthews Community Center, 100 McDowell St., East, Matthews, NC 28105 

Cost: Eight sessions: $80 (Matthews residents), $85 (non-residents); Drop-ins: $12

Choose your day: Tuesday: 9:30-11 AM, Wednesday: 6-7:30 PM Thursday: 9:30-11 AM

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Supportive Help for Butler High Students, Staff, Parents, and Caregivers

Early Monday morning Matthews Police responded to a shooting at Butler High School. One student, Bobby McKeithen, was shot and taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. Another student was taken into custody. Following the lifting of the school lockdown, students were released to waiting parents. Butler will remain open and classes will continue for students who remain on campus.
CMS has counselors on site and available for students who need to talk to someone. There are also several online resources for parents to use in assisting their children in dealing with violence and grief:

• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

• US Department of Education Psychological First Aid

• American School Counselor Association

If you or your child would like to talk to a counselor over the phone or by text, Disaster Distress Hotline is available 24/7. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 for support and counseling; Spanish-speakers should text Hablanos to 66746.

Matthews Mojo Runners: Running Adorned

Despite cold, humid weather Saturday morning, more than eight people showed up in their finest Halloween attire (ranging from a touch of orange to a full body Monsters, Inc. suit) for Mojo Run Club’s annual Halloween run. Dubbed the (annual) “Halloween Costume Run,” the event is held as a way to combine the business of running with……well….fun!

Photo by Norah Burke

“Halloween is my very favorite day of the year,” said Bethany Salisbury, VP of the Charlotte Runners Club and organizer of the Matthews Mojo Runners runs. “I'm crazy about th(is) holiday and the only thing I like more than actual Halloween (day) are costumed Halloween runs!” she said. (One year, Salisbury tried to run in a Halloween tutu and witch's hat and learned the hard way that that didn't work! Another year, she dressed up as an injured runner and the next day she hurt her knee!)

The group, an offshoot of the Charlotte Running Club, runs weekly each Saturday at 8 a.m. from  Temple Mojo (195 North Trade Street) in the center of town to the Greenway and back – approximately five miles, (although some members meet at 6 a.m. or even 7 a.m. and run to the Sportsplex beforehand). They now call the group the Matthews Mojo Run.

Photo by Norah Burke

To support the event, partner Temple Mojo offered pumpkin beer and Bethany baked cupcakes to share with the runners after the event. They were joined by more friends to imbibe. “Not everyone dresses up but I always do,” said Bethany. “I like to bake something pumpkin-related to share with the runners afterward, while we drink our coffee (and beer!). It's always a really fun time.”

Photo by Renee Garner

Photo by Renee Garner

Photo by Renee Garner

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

The People of Matthews: John Bly

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

John Bly, 39, of Weddington, walking outside his place of employment on a beautiful fall day. "This is a great walking community, there are (many) restaurants to walk to..... I'm getting exercise while working!"

Don't Miss Bee-haven

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

While scouting Little Free Libraries, this roving reporter found one with a particularly stunning backdrop, a mural of sunflowers painted on the homeowner's fence. The mural “Bee Haven,” 1718 Privette Road, was created by Indian Trail artist Tersia Brooks whose Matthews-public artworks can be found on the obelisk at Country Place Park on South Trade Street and a turtle painting on a storm drain in Four Mile Creek Greenway.

According to Tersia, “Bee Haven” represents what someone would see as if there was a hole in the fence, and is a nod to the pollinator passion of its owners and many others in Matthews, NC.

Tersia related that as she took a photo of her artistic creation for her portfolio, a butterfly landed on the biggest sunflower in the piece. “I loved it,” she said. “It made me really, really happy….. If a butterfly landed on it, it must really be a beautiful sunflower.”

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Yarn Crafters: a Tightly Knit Group

Two years ago, Evy Ellis approached the Matthews Public Library about hosting a weekly knitting group – “a place open to everyone, (where) I didn’t need to worry about parking and setting up,” said Ellis. Having knitted since she was 10 years old, she envisioned that the comfort this group might provide – to each other and to others, together with the final product to be donated to others, might serve a worthy purpose in the community.

Through word of mouth, notices around Town Hall, online information and the library calendar, more than one dozen people signed up. Today, they meet twice each month, due to popular demand.

“We have given up on knowledge of how to do natural things, use our resources. I’m trying to recapture those as much as possible and I think these ladies are doing the same thing.”

— Sandy Davis

The “they” includes (older) women who moved to the Charlotte area to be near children, people already residing in the area and the youngest member – the “resident dessert maker,” who is known for her blue hair.

In addition, they are sometimes joined by a gentleman from Africa who rounds out the group.

“This is a welcoming group,” said Ellis. “It’s an eclectic bunch…very interesting (people). We have a great time talking. Since we meet in the library, the majority of people are prolific readers, and knitters. We discuss books, movies, art, recipes…It reminds me of (a time) when women had quilting gatherings.”

Although conversation is often at a premium, it’s the by-product of the group that takes center stage: scarves, hats, baby blankets, NICU hats, lap blankets (for seniors) at the rate of more than 100 per year. All the knitted creations go to local churches, Room at the Inn, homeless shelters, Meals on Wheels, missions and NICU units (one member transports them to Nashville, when she visits relatives).

In addition to camaraderie, the members get to ogle the great craftwork being created right before their eyes. “I’m astounded by the work – the craftsmanship which the women do,” said Ellis. “They use intricate patterns; some make beautiful things.”

It is a sentiment also reflected in the thank-you cards they receive from the recipients who receive the knitted work.

Do any of the women stand out? “A couple of them are like an assembly line,” laughs Ellis. “I just met some great ladies. We all reach out to each other. I’m (also) glad we can get together and chat.”

Said Sandy Davis, of Weddington, a knitter since her teenage years, “(The group) is totally welcoming.  There is no pressure or social biases. We’re there to share our yarn and be together. I’m glad that these ladies are keeping up with (this craftwork)……We have given up on knowledge of how to do natural things, use our resources. I’m trying to recapture those as much as possible and I think these ladies are doing the same thing.”  

“We’re yarn crafters specifically,” said Davis. “We go there and play with our yarn!”  

Rolande Sowers, of Matthews, is one of the newest members.  A creative person with many artistic interests, in the past, she made dozens of blankets for wheelchair-bound people but had a hard time finding a place for them.  Now, she sees exactly where the fruits of her labor land. “I have only been with the group since the summer. I have enjoyed every bit of it - I’ve even brought my best friend. I have made 25 scarves so far…. We just go at it. I want all my efforts to go to the right people.”

Yarn Crafters meets the first and third Thursday of each month from 2:15 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the Matthews Public Library Activity Room.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro