Matthews Gives Back with Covenant Day School

Photos by Cyma Shapiro

On Monday, at 9 a.m., 68 students from Covenant Day School in Matthews, and a few of the school’s teachers went to Target with the sole purpose of purchasing items for those in need during this holiday season. As in previous years of the CDS/Matthews Police Department partnership, they were accompanied by School Resource Officer Don Warren, who previously handed out approximately 40 cards identifying the wish lists of unnamed local children in need of gifts this season.

As part of the annual Matthews Gives Back program, the seventh graders were divided into small groups and assigned a child to buy gifts for. They eagerly scoured the isles with $100 in hand and the dictate to purchase appropriate gifts which will eventually be distributed by the Matthews Help Center. This fall, the class raised $3400 during the “Penny Wars,” a competition between homerooms, specifically for this event.

After shopping, the students are taken to the Crews Recreation Center to play games and eat lunch. They then wrap and deliver the gifts to the police department who, in turn, will deliver the final load to the Matthews Help Center.

“As teachers, we love watching the wheels turning in the students’ heads as they figure out how to stretch the money as far as possible,” said accompanying Covenant Day teacher Zach Turner. “We do not want them to just get one or two gifts - we want them to get as many as they are able to.  For the kids we are shopping for, this might be all they get under the tree, so we take that very seriously.”

This group is one of a number of local institutions, including Matthews United Methodist Church, the police department, and the Town of Matthews who will work toward a unified holiday support program.

“Each year, we’re just adding more community partners to [this],” said Matthews Help Center Director Sandra Conway. This year, the Help Center decided to “marshal our resources to make a bigger impact on the community,” she said.

To become a beneficiary of holiday gifts, families are screened by several local institutions before being chosen to visit Matthews Help Center’s “Holiday House,” where they can pick up toys for their children. Each family is given a budget for shopping and accompanying vouchers to do so, mirroring the experience they would have in a retail establishment. Last year, 374 children received presents.

Across town, students at Crestdale Middle School (among many others) are also doing their part by collecting toys and goods for local families in need. Officer Warren will pick up and transport those gifts to the Help Center as well.

“We’re just really excited to be a part of the Matthews community and give back in whatever way we can,” said Principal Jennifer Schroeder.

Proffitt Dixon: Growth in the Entertainment District

If you’ve driven along Matthews-Mint Hill Road near Ridge Church and Dorian’s Deli you may have noticed the beginning stages of development on 35.5 acres of the south side of the road.

The property went before the Planning Board and then to the Board of Commissioners (the typical method) for rezoning from I-1 to ENT in 2017. The planned construction, previously named Matthews Park, is a multi-use, urban-style, pedestrian-friendly network of live/work spaces in anticipation of the build-out of the Entertainment District. For those unfamiliar with zoning, I-1 is property appropriate for light industrial and ENT is a designation by the Town in the Land Use Plan for the acreage surrounding the Sportsplex..

Successfully rezoned, site work is now underway. The ENT district requires an 8% tree save which Proffitt Dixon, the developer, has committed to meeting and exceeding. A preliminary survey showed no trees larger than 36” diameter. During Phase I of construction the site will not be clear-cut, though ultimately the majority of the existing trees that are saved will be the ones closest to Matthews-Mint Hill Road. To meet the 8% tree save, trees will be strategically replanted.

According to the Board of Commissioner’s approval, the entire complex of Matthews Park can include up to 570 apartments, 180 hotel rooms, and 151,000 square feet of commercial space, which may include retail and medical offices. Construction is planned in two phases. Phase 1, where the site work is currently underway, will be 359 apartments. The next phase may include the remaining apartments, hotel, and commercial portion, as allowed by the rezoning process.

Proffitt Dixon expects Phase 1 of this project to be completed in 2021.

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.

Past to Present: Crestdale’s Roseland Cemetery

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

When the Taft Development Group (TDG) begins breaking ground in mid-November on the multi-use 21-acre “Proximity Matthews” complex on 10252 Monroe Rd., Charlotte native and UNC anthropology major Hoke Thompson will be marshaling area townspeople to begin carefully clearing out fallen trees and debris on Roseland Cemetery, located on the back of the property.  

Roseland Cemetery, also known as the town’s African American Cemetery is the final resting place of approximately 75 former slaves, many of whom were also Crestdale residents.  The descendants of many of those buried at Rosedale still own or live on their family land.

There are many sunken spaces once believed to hold graves and a few still-standing and barely legible gravestones.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Overgrown and in total disrepair, the less than two-acre plot is on private property with limited accessibility. There are many sunken spaces believed to once hold graves and a few still-standing and barely legible gravestones. Six years ago, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission designated the cemetery as an historic landmark.

Having originally worked on restoring the Native American and free slave burial cemetery on the grounds of Sardis Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, Hoke Thompson has experience with this type of venture.  Now the Project Manager for this historic cemetery reclamation project, Thompson first showed interest as an Eagle Scout and has waited two long years to see this all of this come to fruition. “I’ve been eager to get in there and fix it up,” he said.  He will also be joined by Paula Lester, president of the Matthews Historical Commission, members of the Matthews Preservation Advisory Committee and others.

According to Dustin Mills, VP of TDG, the cemetery will not be impacted by nearby construction. “There will be no tractors or tree (work there),” said Mills. “It will be preserved in its present state... We’re committed to making this an area which will be beneficial to those who have loved ones in the cemetery and allow them to have access to it, (too).”

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Celebrate the Tatas

Photos by Cyma Shapiro

Dozens of women attended the 7th anniversary of Hadassah Charlotte’s “Celebrate the TaTas,” on Sunday, Sept. 23, at the McDowell Arts Center in Matthews.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

This will be the first of four annual events designed to raise money for the Hadassah Medical Organization’s Breast Cancer Research in Jerusalem, Israel. This year’s events will raise about $50,000; cumulatively, the group has raised nearly $500,000 in the seven years of existence. Other events this fall will be Novant’s Mammovan and “The Big Reveal” at Queen Park Social club in October. For the large upcoming soccer tournament, women will fly in from the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia to join teams such as “Cleats and Cleavage” and “Akuna MaTatas,” emblazoned with such shirt numbers like “34DD.”

On this day, women come to have their “TaTas” painted, eat, schmooze, be pampered, made-up and buy jewelry. While the event is intended to raise money and awareness, and celebrate and empower women in a creative and fun atmosphere, it’s also a day of “sisterhood,” according to Charlotte founder Talia Goldman. “All these women become your sisters.”

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

“My mother has had breast, lung, melanoma, colon, and breast (cancer) again,” she said. “I realized that this is in my DNA. I just needed to do something. I wanted to do something that was educational, creative and empowering.”

Citing the organic and communal nature of the group, the events, the sponsors, the artists, and the volunteers, Goldman attributes its success to how much it touches people, most especially, women.“Everyone knows someone (with breast cancer), is in support of someone, is (doing this in) memory of someone, or knows (and supports) Hadassah,” she said.

“Celebrate the Tatas” was started by Goldman, but has spread to New Orleans, San Francisco, Atlanta and several cities in Florida. The events are intended to bring together survivors, supporters and friends and family members affected by breast cancer. This year’s local sponsors include Novant Health, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Dillard’s (employees donated their time).

Although Goldman has relinquished many of the overall responsibilities to other women, she sees the growth, passion, and mission for this as infinite. “Someone asked me the other day, ‘When are you going to stop doing this?’” she said. “(I answered) When are they going to find a cure?”

Photo by Talia Goldman

Matthews Morning Minute: September 20, 2018

News About Town: Saturday, September 22, 2018, from 9:00 AM  12:00 PM, the Town of Matthews will hold a Community Meeting at Matthews Town Hall (232 Matthews Station Street Matthews, NC 20815).  If you’re curious what an overlay means, or if it affects you as a property owner, this will be a good time to get all the answers.

The meeting schedule:

• 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. E. John Street/Outer Loop Small Area Plan

• 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Entertainment District Small Area Plan

• 11:00 - 12:00 p.m. - Monroe Road Small Area Plan

News Above Town: The weather seems stuck: high of 89, low around 68. We’ll get a few days of slightly cooler temperatures starting Friday, so at least there’s that.

News Around Town: Family Dollar is packing their bags. In a statement released Tuesday, Family Dollar, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree, announced the consolidation of their headquarters in Chesapeake, VA. The closure will affect approximately 900 jobs.

One Good Thing: Barks and Blooms, a Matthews-based pet sitting service, has organized a supply drive for pets affected by #Florence. Drop off items needed (see list above) at Your Mom’s Donuts or other area locations. Collected items will be taken to high-need areas such as Lumberton and Robeson County.

Matthews Morning Minute: September 19, 2018

News About Town: In very last minute news, this morning the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board of Education is hosting a breakfast for Town Councils from Mecklenburg County municipalities. As the first meeting between town boards and the school board since the Municipal Concerns Act was passed, tensions may be high. However, School Board member Elyse Dashew remains optimistic. “Sometimes it can be very hard to collaborate and solve problems together, but that is exactly what our constituents deserve and expect of us. This breakfast is designed to be a step forward in that process.”

This is a public meeting, but there will be no public comment period. September 19, 8:30 AM, Room 267 of the Government Center.

Since it’s a teacher work day, the kids are home, and we’ll all be busy making homemade ink. It is unclear if minutes or a recording will be available after the meeting.

News Above Town: Seems like a broken record, but it’s going to be another hot and humid day with highs around 89. The silver lining? The umbrella gets to stay put.

News Around Town: If you haven’t cleaned up the fallen twigs and branches yet, the county has guidelines for yard waste curb collection. Please be courteous to neighbors and don’t block the sidewalk or street. If you can, bag leaves and smaller sticks in heavy-duty paper bags available specifically for yard waste. These bags can go straight into the composting piles at Compost Central, eliminating single-use plastic waste. Plastic bags should be clear or the top must remain open so waste collectors can see the contents. Bags must weigh less than 50 pounds each, and there is a 20 bag limit per week per residence. Have branches trimmed shorter than 4 feet long and less than 5 inches thick. Stack limbs in small piles for easy collection. Remember, it’s not the Hulk picking up our yard waste.

Forage the greenway for walnuts and make some ink today.

One Good Thing: If you bought extra bottled water with the intention of returning it, be aware that many stores may provide a refund but are obligated to then throw the water away. If you can afford to, donate your bottled water to an area nonprofit. Rainbow Express Ministries at Matthews United Methodist Church will gladly accept sealed, unused bottles of water. To arrange a donation, email Allie Little, alylittle@gmail.com, or call 704-517-9335.

Highway 51 Widening and Eminent Domain Workshop

Last night The Odom Firm held an eminent domain workshop for those impacted by the NCDOT Highway 51 Widening from 4-lanes to 6. Around 50 residents attended to learn about their rights as property owners and the process of eminent domain. 

Image via NCDOT

David Murray presented the law firm's typical process and answered questions. Some residents were concerned about loons, a superstreet bulb-out designed to handle larger vehicle u-turns, impeding their driveways.  Others were concerned whether NCDOT appraisers would take the nuances of school districts into property value consideration. Three of the residents interviewed were worried about their family homes, properties which have been in their families for decades. 

Image via NCDOT

NCDOT recently combined the Highway 51 widening construction phase with the East John Street widening construction. Both are set to begin in 2020.