Morning Minute: November 21, 2018

News About Town: The Matthews Police and Fire Departments are teaming up for the first annual “Matthews Public Safety Year In Review”.  Because our emergency response departments look at Matthews in three zones, there will be three meetings: North, Middle, and South. Each meeting will be a town-hall style and is a prime opportunity for anyone who is ever in Matthews to learn about public safety in 2018 and what to expect from the departments in 2019. Meeting dates and locations are listed on the Town’s website.

News Around Town: The Matthews Help Center has launched their 2018 HOPE Fundraising Campaign to continue serving Matthews-area residents in-need with financial assistance and counseling. The HELP Center does not apply for government funding, so their $1.3 million budget relies on sales from Backporch Treasures (the thrift store), grants, and donations. This season The Leon Levine Foundation will match all NEW donor gifts between now and December 31st. To contribute, donate online at www.matthewshelpcenter.org or mail a check to PO Box 91 Matthews, NC 28106.

Special Election Update: Following Tuesday's recount, Rachel Hunt has been declared the winner in the NC House District 103 race. In the end, just 68 votes separated Ms. Hunt and Mr. Brawley, making the case for the importance of every single vote.

One Good Thing: If you haven’t seen our call for artists and businesses all over the internet, we’re working hard behind the scenes to bring you a Hyperlocal Holiday Gift Guide. The Good Cup and The Loyalist Market are hosting a Hyperlocal Small Business Saturday Pop-Up event and have offered our Hyperlocal Holiday Guide participants the opportunity to join. Stop by on Saturday, November 24, from noon till 3 PM in the courtyard beside the market and shop small in Matthews.

Forest Lawn East Cemetery: A Peaceful Resting Place for Everyone

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

A drive down Forest Lawn Road, on the line between Matthews and Weddington, is as peaceful as one might hope for on a drive in the country.  Through the front black gates of Forest Lawn East Cemetery, visitors are greeted by a memorial to US Airways flight #5481 - a nine-foot-tall obelisk surrounded by 21 memorial markers - dedicated to those who lost their lives in the crash at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, on January 9, 2003.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Driving further along, you’ll find an old-fashioned water wheel and springhouse, a gazebo for flower- arranging near a botanical garden which overlooks the historical Sweetwater Spring, a small stone bridge overlooking the creek, and bird feeders, for attracting wildlife.

There are azaleas, flowering dogwoods, sundials, a Lion’s Head fountain, professionally-landscaped flower gardens, marble seats, the Garden of Chimes, meandering roads and even-larger structures like the Sylvan Abbey Mausoleum – all designed to provide ample opportunities for reflection and meditation. This might well be the epitome of peacefulness and serenity.

Upon closer look, you’ll also find upright and flat gravestones, silk flower arrangements and a variety of monuments, mausoleums, crypts and vaults in many sizes, shapes and colors and material.

This is the vision of former Greensboro (NC) resident Jack O. Williams (now deceased), who created Forest Lawn East Cemetery in 1972 as a “peaceful resting place for (everyone),” said cemetery manager and Funeral Director Karen Reardon, one of seven directors in that location. “There was a need and somebody had to fill it…His belief was to take care of every human being.”

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Currently 62 out of a prospective 65 acres have been developed and/or are being designated for future use. There are approximately 7000 units at the site.  Forest Lawn East Cemetery is believed to be the only interdenominational cemetery in North Carolina.

The beautification of the entire space is attributed to Williams; Reardon has continued that original mission. “Mr. Williams wanted it to be a park-like setting,” Reardon said. “He wanted people to be comfortable - where they could come here and visit; where it would be tranquil, and would be peaceful. They wouldn’t be walking away from here thinking they’d been in a ‘doom-and-gloom cemetery.’ ” she said.

He also wanted to provide for anyone interested in being buried in his cemetery.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

To that aim, there is now a Jewish section, a Christian Orthodox (Greek and Russian Orthodox) section, and St. Matthews Catholic cemetery. There is also a Garden of Faith, Hope, Love, a Green Burial Preserve (no caskets or vaults), Baby Land children’s cemetery and St. Francis pet cemetery – offered outside of the cemetery proper.

For those individuals wedded to their faith, they may choose to be buried in a faith-specific area; individuals may also choose to be buried in non denominational sections.

“Some people want to just be with their faith and (choose) that area,” said Reardon. “We don’t discriminate (regarding) religion. We allow the families to tell us where they want to be buried.”

In addition, the cemetery continues to be approached by faith-based groups seeking their own plot of land – their own piece of paradise. Once successfully negotiated, the cemetery “leaves it up to each faith to decide how they want to use their own space,” said Reardon.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

The first group to do so were members of the Jewish faith.  In 1988, they approached the owner about finding an alternative to the only other Jewish cemetery in the area – the historic Hebrew Cemetery of Charlotte. After negotiating successfully to completion, their section now represents a decidedly Jewish perspective – only Jews can be buried there (an interfaith couple would need to be buried on opposite sides of the road), the caskets must be made of wood (not metal), and can be stained in one of three colors.  The grave liner is made with holes in bottom so that each element returns the body to the earth.

One simple black covering with a Star of David is allowed on top of the casket. Bodies are bathed and shrouded in a separate area in that location; add’l room has been created for prerequisite sitters, who spend up to a few hours guarding the body before the burial (preferably 24 hours).

Approximately seven years ago, individuals from the Christian Orthodox churches approached the cemetery requesting their own section. Their ornate and often markers are often distinguished by large crosses at the top of gravestones.

The Catholic cemetery does not require specific rituals, but offers a variety of options – small mausoleums, private estates with stacked stones, photos on gravestones, etc.  Known as the “Garden of St. Matthew,” the Catholic section has columbarium units (buildings with niches in it) to house cremated remains as well as in-ground burials of cremated remains.  Visitors can leave specialty silk flowers in the vases on or near the stones indefinitely or place fresh flower arrangements for up to 10 days after the memorial service.

Recently, the cemetery has negotiated with members of the Baha’i faith for the creation of a new section.  Required/requested rituals will be the adornment of ceremonial (hand) rings and shrouds made of 100% silk and cotton. Individuals will be bathed and placed in the highest caliber wood caskets off-site, before reaching the cemetery grounds. According to the Baha’i faith, burial must take place within 75 miles away from where death occurs.  

Currently, the Messianic congregation (Jewish and Gentile) - Hope of Israel Congregation in Charlotte - has been in talks to create its own section, too.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

As an independently owned funeral home (rather than as part of a corporation), Reardon says they have the “ability to offer all kinds of things to our families.” This includes balloon and dove releases, urns and caskets made of many different materials. A reception facility is located onsite for meeting and/or eating before or after the service. Everything can be taken care of in one place – from bathing the body and readying it for burial, to adding special touches to the memorial service, to hosting families for memorial dinners/get-togethers before or after services.

“It’s all about a family’s desire,” said Reardon. “We are here to serve every human being. Our goal is to listen and do what the families want. We take great pride in making it an individualized, personal experience for families.”

“Every death is important to the family that you are working with,” Reardon said. “Some days are harder than others,” she said, especially when faced with a death of a child, for example. “No matter what our faith is, we all know we are going to a better place….Each of us will see our maker no matter who it might be.”

Guest Editorial: Thank your pollinators this Thanksgiving

This year, why not feature a bouquet of flowers as the Thanksgiving table centerpiece rather than a turkey, in honor of the hardworking pollinators that helped most of our foods grow and fruit? To us flowers represent sheer beauty, but to pollinators, they represent a feast of pollen and nectar.

One in every three bites of food we eat is courtesy of insect pollination and that food contains major proportions of essential micronutrients like vitamins A & C, iron, zinc, folate, amino acids and antioxidants. Even some of the plants that cows eat (alfalfa and clover) to produce milk—from which we make cheese, butter and ice cream—and beef, depend on pollinators.

In addition to the European honey bee introduced to North America in 1622, pollinators include the bumble, orchard, squash and other bees, as well as moths, beetles, hummingbirds, butterflies, bats, and flies.

Insect pollinators travel from flower to flower during sunny days that are warm enough for flight, visiting as many as 1,000 flowers per day, gathering nectar and spreading pollen along the way. Flowers evolved nectar as pollinator bait. Drawn to the nectar, pollinators inadvertently do what most plants cannot do for themselves—move the pollen (the male part of the plant) to the plants’ female parts to make seeds. That’s why we have fruits and nuts!

There are about 3,600 species of native wild bees in the United States, but their numbers are declining due to pesticide exposure, habitat loss, poor nutrition and diseases. Indeed, the once-common rusty patched bumble bee was added to the Endangered Species List in 2017.

Pollinators depend on flowers with nectar; without flowers many species starve. Moreover, without the pollinators, 90 percent of all species of wild plants and trees may eventually become extinct.  

According to the Xerces Society book, Attracting Native Pollinators, “In China’s Sichuan Province, one of the largest apple producing regions in the world, farmers perch on ladders in mountainside orchards to pollinate blossoms by hand. The farmers have adopted this practice because wild bees are now absent in their area, and honey beekeepers refuse to bring in their hives due to excessive pesticide use in the orchards.”

When we take care of the pollinators by planting the locally native plants they co-adapted with over millions of years, and by using insecticides, fungicides or herbicides only when there is no alternative, not only are we ensuring food supplies for man and animal, we are also encouraging beneficial insects that prey on true crop pests. All of the fragrant, colorful flowers aren’t so bad either.

So, as you scoot that cranberry sauce onto your bite of turkey, thank a bumble bee. And when you savor that pumpkin pie, thank a squash bee. If it’s served a la mode, thank a leafcutter bee for pollinating the dairy cow’s alfalfa. If you chase it with a cup of coffee, thank a tropical stingless bee or fly. You might even consider capping off the evening with a mead wine toast to our little striped friend, the honey bee.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Learn more about Bee City USA here. For more information about our local Bee City US program, contact Gretchen Reid. Check out our article about Martha Krauss, who helped bring Bee City USA to Matthews!

Morning Minute: November 20, 2018

News About Town: Want to be more involved in the future of Matthews? The town is seeking board members for the Transportation Advisory Committee, the Matthews Committee on Education (Matthews residents only), and the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Advisory Committee (Matthews residents only). These boards meet monthly and examine issues to be presented to the Board of Commissioners for consideration. Contact Lori Canapinno, Town Clerk, at 704-708-1222 with questions. To apply: complete an application and submit it to Lori via email (lcanapinno@matthewsnc.gov). The deadline to apply is November 30, 2018. 

News Around Town: The Matthews Community Farmers’ Market wrapped up the main season this past Saturday. Luckily we have one last chance to get some locally grown meats and veggies for the Thanksgiving table. Today, November 20, visit the Thanksgiving market from 4 until 6 PM in the main market area. The selection won’t be the full scale we’re used to on Saturday mornings, but there will be plenty of leafy greens, sweet potatoes, artisan bread, and desserts. (Hello pumpkin pie, I’ve been waiting for you.) There has even been a whisper of fresh tomatoes still coming in. November 24 there will be no Saturday market, then they’ll reopen for winter hours (8 til 10 AM) every Saturday through March.

One Good Thing: The Kiwanis Club of Matthews is having their annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser. Proceeds from the tree and wreath fundraiser are used to improve “the lives of children one community at a time.” Wreaths are $25 each and trees start at $25. Further details can be found on the Kiwanis website.  Kiwanis Club of Matthews sponsors everything from college scholarships to grocery store gift certificates for single parents to afford a Thanksgiving feast. The deadline to order is November 21, 2018.

Please note: The order form has an incorrect date. We’ve verified with the Kiwanis Club that the last day to order is November 21, 2018.

Fried Turkeys the J Bones Way

Photo courtesy of Jerome Brooks

Jerome Brooks has been married for 29 years. For the first 10 years of marriage, his wife would do all the cooking; he would “grill.”

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

But, in 1999, when he left his job and started working for himself, his days sometimes ended early. He’d soon be responsible for taking care of his two daughters after they got out of school, and also cooking supper for the family (wife, Alicia, is a lawyer). “When she got home,” he said, “the food was ready.”

In the beginning, he’d do “basic stuff” – stuff like spaghetti, fried chicken, beef, cube steaks and Gumbo – basic family food that he’d grown up with in Louisiana.  “I had a pretty good sense of taste,” said Jerome.

After a while, he bought a Kitchen Aid mixer. His wife told him straight-out that she wasn’t going to use it herself.  His answer? “I guess I’ve got to learn how to cook a cake!” And voila – out came his special pound cake with five flavors.

All along, he continued cooking his very special turkeys – both deep fried and smoked - a tradition that began during the holidays with family and friends and extended to his work. Also, his church (Mt. Moriah) came calling.

Photo courtesy Jerome Brooks

“My turkey (cooking) started when deep-frying turkeys (became popular),” said Jerome. He soon learned that aluminum didn’t crisp his turkeys the way that stainless steel pots did. He also purchased a (regular) two-bird electric smoker.  “What made me fall for the frying – I love the crispy taste,” he said. “I love it for the taste and it’s crispy. When you do it in aluminum, sometimes it’s not as crisp.”

In truth, after tasting this new type of cooked turkey, he never went back. “When I first tried a fried turkey, I didn’t want another baked turkey,” he said. Apparently, neither did his friends, family, fellow parishioners, and co-workers. So began the experimenting.

“I started off with one flavor and found another one that was better,” he said. He found the magic taste with “certain seasonings, liquid, apple and hickory wood.”  He says his turkeys are like a Cajun turkey – “with Cajun seasoning, so it’s got a nice little spice to it.”

While he cooked turkeys up to 10 hours, he found the timing was too long; he settled on five hours of cook time. Instead of basting his liquids and seasonings on the outside of the bird, he decided to inject the mixture.  “All of those juices are trapped inside. People are amazed at how good they are,” said Jerome. “Each year, I’m always learning something.”

He originally used peanut oil but found Canola oil as an alternative for those people with peanut allergies.

As time went on, demand for his cooked turkeys continued to soar. So much so that he’d need to start cooking Thanksgiving turkeys a few days in advance, especially if his family was traveling for the holidays. “A couple of years in a row, I did 15, 16 turkeys,” he said, noting that he wanted to give them their cooked turkeys closer to the holiday. “I wanted people to have fresh turkey on Thanksgiving.” Last year, he cooked eight a few days before Thanksgiving and ended up staying up way past midnight.

Then, as things started snowballing, his wife put her foot down. “My wife said ‘wait a minute.” When this went into (our) dinnertime, she said, ‘you’re gonna have to say no.’ More people want me to do them than I have time to do. That’s how I was running into my dinnertime,” he said.

Jerome attributes his popular turkeys to much trial and error and a great cooking technique: the key, he says, is how you drop the bird into the fryer – SLOWLY – so that the oil cannot bubble up and cause a fire.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

But, then, four years ago, he ate lamb at a friend’s house and didn’t like the strong meat-taste. He said, “I’m gonna come up with a recipe that I like!” and his special lamb dish was born. “It’s not just turkey (now) - my thing is now lamb,” he said, noting that he cooked his signature dish for a Valentine’s Day party this year and also cooks it regularly for his pastor.

In the future, he plans to get a “J Bones” food truck and cook his signature lamb and turkey, in addition to ribs and chicken. “There’s a lot of other stuff I’d like to do,” he said. “But, I’ll start off slowly.”

Morning Minute: November 19, 2018

News About Town: The numerous projects along South Trade Street seem never-ending, in part because there have been several different projects which began in a streaming time line. Currently, NCDOT is working on the expansion of S. Trade Street , a project which was expected to be complete in September 2018. First with a few delays and now colder weather, some of the unfinished items cannot be completed until the spring of 2019. Construction should be complete soon after.

The greenway tunnel under the widened portion of South Trade is a separate project. The tunnel construction will begin after the completion of the road widening (spring 2019) and is being managed by Mecklenburg County.

News Around Town: For those who have noticed the name change on the Coveris signs, TC Transcontinental Inc. purchased the company in May of this year. Coveris, 700 Crestdale Rd, a business previously held by Coveris Holdings S.A. (headquartered in Chicago, Illinois) and produced flexible plastic and paper products (think bags, pouches, and rolls of paper or shrink wrap). TC Transcontinental (headquartered in Montreal Canada) is a flexible packaging printer for many different industries from food packaging to battery wraps. The TC Transcontinental facility in Matthews will create the same flexible paper and plastic products as before the purchase.

One Good Thing: If the cost of vaccines for your pets seems prohibitive, Neighborhood Feed is hosting a low cost vaccine clinic this coming Sunday, November 25, from 1:30 until 3 PM. Through The Pet Stop mobile clinic, state-licensed veterinarians will be on-hand to administer single or multiple vaccines for cats and dogs. Get your pet in tip-top shape for the month of partying ahead.

Side Hustlers and Master Makers: We Want You!

Are you a crafter, baker, candlestick maker?

Small business owner? Manicurist or masseuse?

The sign-up page is here or email Norah about advertising in our Hyperlocal Holiday Gift Guide! Rates start at $15, deadline to sign up is November 20, 2018 and the page will launch November 23.

How to Read a Garden

On a rainy afternoon just like this one, I ran across this quote from the Roman Stoic philosopher Cicero.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”

Being both a gardener and a writer, as well as a librarian in a past life, I fully agree with this sentiment. Being also a bit of a skeptic when it comes to internet quotes, I did a little research into these words. The general agreement is that Cicero did write these words in a letter to a friend. The literal translation is, “If you have a garden in your library, you have everything you need”. Many, if not most, homes of wealthier Romans had inner outdoor courtyards with a garden. So in this context, the literal translation may be the correct one.  

In my case, the literal translation may also be the more apt one. Most of my Life has been spent with books and gardens. Even my career has revolved around the the worlds of plants and words. They have informed each other, shaped how I see the world, and helped make me who I am today.

Gardens and libraries are both repositories of information. The written, spoken, and filmed words you find in today’s libraries bring the world’s knowledge to anywhere there are people seeking to learn. A garden brings the experiential version of much of that knowledge. Let’s call it an interactive library of science and art. So the two concepts support one another. You may experience some natural or man-made phenomena in a garden, and go to the library to find out about it. Or you may read about/hear about/see some amazing garden at the library, and then go and see it or try to recreate that effect. However the approach, the effect will be some wisdom gained.

And knowledge gained and applied, multiplied by the experience of using that knowledge, is in fact, a type of wealth. The designer and philosopher Buckminster Fuller offered this idea as a definition of wealth. We are always learning more and experiencing more. As we apply this knowledge and experience to our lives through our actions, we become more wealthy.

That’s certainly been my experience. Through my time spent in libraries and gardens, I have learned how to feed myself by growing, cooking, and eating lots of fresh food, how to heal myself by growing and using all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, how to construct shelters using plants and soil, how to provide money for myself by growing food/flower/fuel/fiber plants for others, and how to heal local and planetary environments by growing/planting/using plants. The biological processes alone could keep you busy learning, teaching, and doing your entire life!

Add to that the artistic and spiritual knowledge and experience you’ll find in a garden. I often say that gardens don't just feed our bodies; they feed our souls as well. We’ve all experienced the restful coolness of a forested garden. The riot of color in most flower gardens stimulates us and lifts our spirits. As we gain the confidence to create our own gardens, we have the opportunity to indulge our inner artist. Our creative nature is engaged, and new parts of the brain may even be activated.

Just as a well-loved book will have worn, stained pages, a well-loved garden will have worn paths to certain areas, often stained with the blood, sweat and tears of the gardener. Special sections of both books and gardens will be easy to find. That's where the most attention goes. Follow the most often used trail in any garden to see what the gardener enjoys most. Find the most dog-earred pages in a book to discovered the most treasured passages. In either case, the  knowledge is where the wealth is, because that’s where the Love is.

Remember to enjoy your garden (and your library), because THAT’S what makes you a successful gardener.

Morning Minute: November 16, 2018

News About (and Around) Town:  The Matthews area House of Representatives (District 103) race has been a real nail biter. At the close of election day current Representative Bill Brawley led challenger Rachel Hunt by 52 votes out of 38,000 cast.

However, after the polls closed there were absentee and provisional ballots to count.  Absentee ballots must have been postmarked by November 6 and received by 5 PM on November 9. Following the absentee ballot count last Friday, Ms. Hunt edged ahead by 64 votes with a tally of 19,102 (Hunt) to 19,038 (Brawley).  

A provisional ballot is cast when there is a question regarding a person's eligibility to vote (see more here: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voting-Options/Provisional-Voting), or if they've arrived at the wrong precinct. Following election day each provisional ballot is researched to determine if the voting issue can be resolved. The research is presented to the Board of Elections and they make the final determination on whether the ballot is eligible and will count. Provisional ballots were verified and tallied yesterday, which resulted in a 68 vote lead by Ms. Hunt over Mr. Brawley. The deadline to certify the election is today at 11 AM.

Since the final tally has less than 1% separating the candidates, Mr. Brawley has requested a recount, which will most likely happen early next week.

One Fun Thing: This Saturday Matthews United Methodist (801 South Trade Street) will have over 80 artists and crafts people selling their handmade goods just in time for the holiday gift-giving season. Ready-to-serve bake sale items will be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table. Lunch will also be available for sale with those proceeds benefiting Christ Our Shepherd Kids. Saturday, November 17, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Hand Turkey Placemats For the Thanksgiving Win

If you’re already planning your Thanksgiving table, we have a fun printable Hand Turkey How-To to add to the kids’ places. Right click and save the image, then print it on 11 x 17” paper on a laser printer or copier. If you have neither send it to Kinko’s. Add some crayons or colored pencils to the place setting. Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned hand turkey on Thanksgiving? It’s an heirloom and a crumb catcher all in one.

Scribbling is, of course, a-ok too.

#ThrowbackThursday: November 30, 2006

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews Record) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. These stories were originally published November 30, 2006 and was written by Janet Denk.

Two men, two worlds apart, together again

When the two Matthews men first met, a little over a year ago, it didn’t take long for the exchanged pleasantries to move into much deeper territory. Discussions of home ownership, family and food preparation shed light on the cultural differences between Oh Rmah and Bill Dixon. But their stories began to intersect when the topic of Vietnam began to emerge.

Oh, a local cabinet assembler living on Tank Town Road in Matthews, was born in the central highland region of Vietnam. His people are known as Montagnards (French for “mountain people”). North Carolina is home to many Montagnard families.

These two men, from two different worlds, have discovered that they traversed the same jungle decades terrain decades ago. They shared similar memories and fought, quite possibly, on the same mountain thousands of miles from where they stood that day in Crestdale. both men grew up modestly, raised families, joined armies, endured the deaths of their own sons. They’ve seen guts and glory, yet go about their days, as neighbors and simple men. Their communication, like many soldiers, does not depend on words.

It just is.

That comes with the territory.

The territory in the late 60s was the central area of Vietnam in places with names like Dakto, Khe Son, Hamburger Hill.

Oh Rmah

When Americans pulled out of Vietnam in 1975, the war for Oh Rmah and his people did not end. A constant struggle to secure his homeland, the Montagnard joined those who fought against communism in his country. Oh Rmah was happy to work alongside US Army troops to serve as an interpreter and a guide in his native highlands.

For this allegiance, Oh and many others like him would pay a costly price. It would be two years into his imprisonment that his wife, Din, would have knowledge of his whereabouts. The war in Vietnam ended in 1993 for Oh when he was released from prisoner of war camp where he endured years of torture, starvation, and misery in an attempt by the government to “re-educate” him and his people.

It didn’t work because he is a proud American today.

But memories of home still haunt him. The scars on his ankles from shackles remind him of communist Vietnam, where he still has family, including a daughter in her twenties.

The first three months in the camp, Oh, like many others who fought alongside Americans, was tossed into a hole in the ground with his hands and feet bound together. “No light,” Oh recalls. “My hair grew down to here,” he gestures to his forearm. “We were so dirty and we had lice. Excuse me, ma’am.” His recollection of the filth and the shame cause him to become modest in front of strangers. “I told them whatever they wanted to hear, because I wanted to live.”

“Dick” Dixon

Daylight can hardly penetrate a triple canopy jungle. Company A from the 173rd Airborne Division, found themselves smack in the middle of the firing perimeter before they, or the well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army, discovered each other. Three machine guns, at close range, opened fire nearly decimating Company A.

Bill “Dick” Dixon’s command group directed Company B to a left-flanking maneuver to give support to the first company. They immediately came under enemy fire, as well, causing fifteen casualties and wounding the company commander. Throughout the chaos, as darkness began to fall and men around him were dying, Dixon’s military training, or maybe his maturity (he was seasoned at the age of 25, while the average age of soldier in that war was 17) motivated him. He initiated radio contact with the main command post and began reorganizing the remaining men. The battle raged on for another 45 minutes until a thick fog and relentless rain blanketed the hilltop leaving Company A out there isolated and cut off. Dixon headed out into the jungle alone to find them.

This brave act would later earn him a Silver Star. But it would be another seventeen hours before the last wounded man would make it off that battlefield.

Two weeks ago, at the Matthews Rotary Club luncheon for the Armed Services, both men strolled the grounds of Central Piedmont Community College enjoying the food and fellowship. These are better days for both me.

When Oh earned his citizenship this year, Dixon was there. When the fancy washing machine confounded the Rmah family, Dixon helped straighten it out. When Oh threw a birthday party for one of their daughters, Dixon went to the celebration. The commissioner helps out because that’s a part of his nature.

“We couldn’t have operated over there without these guys,” Dixon says of the Montagnards. But something deeper exists between these two men that was not forged in a Matthews neighborhood or at a patriotic luncheon beneath a Carolina blue sky. It was forged in a highland jungle thousands and thousands of miles away when they were soldiers once.

A New Yoga: Combining Body Awareness and Healing

The origins for “Yoga for Addiction, Recovery, and Mental Health” involve serendipity - having taught other yoga classes at the Y, a mutual acquaintance put Liz Belser E-RYT 500 in touch with Dion Lovallo, owner of the new Carolina Center for Recovery. The two decided to join forces and offer a class for addiction recovery.

Yoga for Addiction, Recovery and Mental Health, Mondays from 7-8 PM. Brace YMCA, 3127 Weddington Rd, Matthews.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

With a new class, “Yoga for Addiction, Recovery, and Mental Health,” starting this month at the Brace Y (Mondays 7-8 p.m.), long-time yoga teacher and Matthews resident, Liz Belser will be doing what she does best in all her classes – bringing awareness to the body and helping accentuate the breath.

“I always weave into my classes the “tools,” (which are) anywhere from breathing – there’s all kinds of breathing that can (help) people (cope with) anxiety and stress – down to places of being present and aware,” said Belser.

A Matthews-based practitioner, Belser’s classes and workshops have primarily revolved around yoga for mental health – a topic she knows well, having suffered from depression and anxiety. She will bring to the mat her knowledge and understanding of the complexity these stressors trigger. “It’s always a work in progress,” she said. “Sometimes it will (be ok) and sometimes it will rear its ugly head… All the (same) tools worked for me and I just had to share it.”

The origins for this new class involve serendipity - having taught other yoga classes at the Y, a mutual acquaintance put her in touch with Dion Lovallo, owner of the new Carolina Center for Recovery, also in Matthews. The two decided to join forces and suggested this class to Y leadership. To both of them, this would be a win-win for all.

Lovallo’s clients are given Y privileges as a way of integrating mind and body. It is mandatory for those in the highest level of treatment to exercise and/or work out at the fitness center daily. For Belser, this would be a way to stretch her repertoire, connect with, and help a new group.

“(This will be) different than the mental health group, but, there’s always going to be a mental health piece. I’m still teaching the same tools, but there will absolutely be another layer of compassion - another layer of sensitivity,” she said.

“I’m so excited to move forward and get this going. It’s funny how the universe works. As a community a few years ago, I don’t think we could have gotten this going. But the recovery center is now here and the Y is onboard.”

“I’m so excited to move forward and get this going. It’s funny how the universe works. As a community a few years ago, I don’t think we could have gotten this going. But the recovery center is now here and the Y is onboard,” said Belser.

For Lovallo, this is a natural progression of the recovery and healing process. “We always wanted to incorporate yoga somehow but didn’t know how to do it. This just showed up and worked out perfectly,” he said. “For myself, since I’m (also) in recovery, being in fitness (is important)….anything to get people out of their comfort zone helps in many ways.”

Belser understands the complexity of these issues.

“What sets this class apart from other yoga classes is an extra level of mindfulness and compassion,” said Belser. “If people have been through a traumatic experience, and may just be fearful, they may worry about where to stand in the room or recognize there may be the possibility of triggers. That being said, I won’t hand out (exercise) straps... You never know what emotions or experiences someone is bringing to the class,” she said. “(I’ll be) bringing into it (the importance of) reconnecting with the body, rather than assuming that people already have that connection to the body and body awareness.”

“Addiction is a place to disconnect,” she said. “We want to help them connect to their body safely and feel resilient in that moment, feel strong in that moment - this is instrumental in cultivating self-belief. Just being in that moment and acknowledging your body is a step toward healing,” said Belser.

“It’s not my place to understand what someone’s diagnosis is, what someone’s struggle is. I’m not a therapist; in yoga, it’s all about the body experience.”

Will she ask information of the participants? “The only information I’ll ask is if there’s anything they want to share. It’s not my place to understand what someone’s diagnosis is, what someone’s struggle is. I’m not a therapist; in yoga, it’s all about the body experience,” she said.

To that aim, she’ll be available before and after class, for anyone in need of some help. She also plans to attend an AA or NAMI group – something she’s never done. “I’ve gone into this very humbly because I haven’t had an experience with addiction. (Regarding attending a meeting) I don’t mean to come into it with judgments, but with curiosity and compassion, so that I can teach with an open heart.”

Belser says she’s already been approached by people curious about the concept, but mindful of the stigma that taking the class may hold. “A student asked me if they will call (the class) that, but I feel strongly about (doing so). There are people who I know must be thinking, ‘If I walk through that door at that moment (class time), then I’ll be judged as an addict or in recovery, or dealing with some sort of mental health issue.’ ” However, Belser said she is happy that the subject (and the descriptive name of the class) aren’t being “sugar-coated.”

“We all have our own addictions; one person’s addiction may (or may not) be as serious. We are all struggling with something, whether it’s (serious) or you’re having a crappy day,” Belser said. “Hopefully I’ve presented it in a way that will allow people to come thru the door and just see what happens.”

“I can only speak from personal experience. It’s invaluable to discover and use and see the efficiency and success from your own ability to find your strength and create change in your whole being. It may happen in baby steps, but you might, in a moment, say that you feel better now than an hour ago.”

“I can only speak from personal experience. It’s invaluable to discover and use and see the efficiency and success from your own ability to find your strength and create change in your whole being,” she said. “It may happen in baby steps, but you might, in a moment, say that you feel better now than an hour ago.”

Ultimately, the healer becomes the individual. “Nothing major changed. I didn’t give you a box of pills. I didn’t say you were healed. YOU created that change,” said Belser. “That’s all I’m doing is guiding and (letting) you do the work. I don’t know what kind of price tag that you put on that. To be walking around as a human being who is healing and thriving. I just think that’s amazing.”

Morning Minute: November 15, 2018

News About Town: The Town Council has approved an LED Conversion for increasing energy efficiency in facility lighting around Matthews. The original estimate, $51,733.86, did not anticipate needs for improvement to certain areas of the Community Center in poor condition and Hood Room upgrades in town hall. With the additions to the the scope of the project total cost is approximately $60,000, but with increased efficiency will have an anticipated return-on-investment (ROI) in under 2 years.

News Around Town: There’s no shame in dreading a day in the kitchen preparing for a Thanksgiving meal, especially when you know you’ll spend the next day doing all the dishes. This year you have two downtown Matthews restaurants ready to smoke a bird for you. Moe’s BBQ (111 Matthews Station St, 704-814-6637) is offering whole smoked turkeys for $50 and trays of sides for $30, orders have to be in by Monday, November 19. Mac’s Speed Shop (142 E. John Street, 704-444-0332) is offering 2 sizes of birds: the smaller is $55 for turkeys between 12-14 pounds and $110 for a 20-22 pound bird.

One Good Thing: Tonight is the 10th Annual Festival of Trees in the lobby of Novant Health Matthews (for old timers Presbyterian Hospital Matthews). Festivities include the lighting of themed holiday trees decorated by area businesses and nonprofits. Check out the cheery, modern, dog themed tree decorated by Barks and Blooms (sneak peek in their lovely photos above). There will also be holiday classic treats to eat, live music, and a visit from Santa Claus. Want to take something home? Raffles and a silent auction to benefit local area nonprofits can fill that desire. If you’re staring longingly at your holiday decor (ahem Norah, it’s too early for reindeer earrings) tonight is your night. Novant Matthews Festival of Trees, November 15, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, 1500 Matthews Township Parkway, Matthews.

Caroline Kramb: The Hidden Strength of a Snowflake

Photo credit: Ally Henning

When the curtain goes up for the “Nutcracker,” danced by the Matthews Ballet and Dance, at the McDowell Community Center, one dancer in the group will be happy to be alive, well, and again dancing in this year’s production.

Matthews resident, Caroline Kramb, has been dancing with this group since she was four years old.  She is now 15 and has taken on such roles as Angel, the lead – Clara, Chinese, Ginger Child, Waltz of the Flowers, Candy Cane, Spanish, Gold Angels, Party Girl and Soldier.

This year, as in previous years, she will exude the joy and passion that dancing invokes in many. “Caroline is a dedicated student with a passion for dance,” said dance studio Program Director Amanda Sheppard. “She loves performing onstage, and is always a joy to watch.” This year, she will dance the part of “Snowflake.”

Also, as she has in previous years, Caroline will be grateful for this opportunity. However when she performs, many in the audience will be unaware of her ongoing serious medical struggles, her courageous approach to her illness, and her willingness to share her story in an effort to fundamentally help others.

Approximately 2 1/2 years ago, at the age of 12, Caroline developed a severe rash and became extremely tired. What her family thought would be a common trip to the doctor turned out to much more serious. Her bloodwork showed that she had a rare blood disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).  Systems include low platelets and chronic bleeding. “We were in utter shock,” said her mother, Brooke.

Upon diagnosis, Caroline was rushed to Levine’s Children’s Hospital for a short stay and subsequent 18 months of treatments including infusions and heavy doses of steroids – protocols that left her feeling weak, tired and sick.

“It was hard for me with dancing, just going to school and just living my normal life,” said Caroline. “I had to push myself much harder than the other girls. (Although I knew) I am just as healthy and strong as the other girls… (I had an) autoimmune disorder. I looked good, but you couldn’t tell I had to work harder.”

At points, she missed days of school after eight-hour treatments needed every six to eight weeks – “all of that was very emotional,”  she said. She was also banned from (her) competitive swimming and all activities for which there might be a propensity for getting hurt (should she fall, hurt or bruise herself, it could cause internal bleeding). Both she and her mother, Brooke, said she felt “embarrassed” to not be able to do things that other kids could do, and longed to just “be like others.”

With that in mind, she ardently chose to continue her weekly dance lessons and maintain her participation in the annual Nutcracker productions.

“I just get really excited for the Nutcracker,” said Caroline. “I’ve had dance in my life longer than anything else I’ve ever done. Being able to (dance in) the Nutcracker every year (gives me) a sense of assurance. When I was a lot sicker, a lot weaker, I still had that event to look forward to, to participate in.”

To her dance teachers and fellow dancers, keeping this routine was paramount to keeping her spirits up. “I know that dance is (Caroline’s) “happy place” and her way to escape her illness,” said Sheppard. “She shows such amazing resilience for someone so young. I think dance has given her the strength to never give up but to always remain determined and focused.” 

Photo courtesy Michael Strauss Studio

According to Brooke, the Nutcracker and Caroline’s continued participation in dance lessons (two hours/week for dance classes; up to five hours a week during Nutcracker rehearsals), as well as her family, friends and faith all “helped her cope as well as thrive.”

During her second stay in the hospital, in the chemo-bays, she saw young kids playing but realized that older children had nothing to do with themselves during this stressful and difficult time. The “lightbulb” went off. Caroline said to her mother, “For my birthday, I want to invite my friends, but I want them to give donations so we can make our ‘bags.’ ”

The “activity bags,” as they were called, were intended to be filled with “things to do.” To date, she has made and delivered close to 100 bags and also made several hundred bracelets to pay for the bags, all of which are donated to children/teens also undergoing treatment at Levine Children’s Hospital.  

Caroline has also become an ITP activist.  Two years ago, she started her own Instagram page called “World Free of ITP,” which she created to “express my feelings…I would talk about when I had to go to the hospital and my thoughts about the journey - to (help others) understand how real this disorder is.”

Photos by Brooke Kramb

Last summer, she applied for and received a scholarship to attend an ITP conference in Cleveland, Ohio, where she met with other teens struggling with the same issue, and those hematologists who care for them.

“Before I was sick, I was the wimpiest and weakest person out there,” said Caroline. “I’d cry when I got shots. I wouldn’t take pills. But, after going through all that, I honestly didn’t have a choice. I had to push myself to get stronger and get over my fears. I honestly think it happened for a reason…Coming out of being sick, I just knew, ‘I just want to help other people….so they don’t have to go through this.’ ”

Caroline now wants to be hematologist. When she turns 16, she has been invited to shadow her lead hematologist at the children’s hospital.

Today, Caroline’s platelets are stable and she is considered in remission (there is no cure for ITP). She remains fixated on the goal of learning more and helping others. “Definitely the way she has reached out to others – she has done this entirely on her own,” said Brooke.

Photos by (L) Brooke Kramb, (R) Ally Henning

“Because I have ITP, it is like an obligation to know everything; to be informed and understand the doctors because I want to help others,” said Caroline. “I want to help understand even other blood disorders because I want to know how to give back and find other ways to help.”

For more information, contact the Platelets Disorder Support Association.

The Matthews Ballet and Dance Center’s production of “The Nutcracker” will be performed Nov. 24, 25, Dec. 1 & 2 at Matthews Community Center, 100 McDowell Street.  

For tickets, contact www.matthewsfun.com or call 704-321-7275.

Morning Minute: November 14, 2018

News About Town: It’s time once again for Coffee with a Commissioner. Head out in the rain and meet three of our Council Members at 10 AM at Brakeman’s Coffee for a chance to chat. Conversation is led by the attendees at these events, so come ready with all the Matthews questions you’ve been wondering about.

News Around Town: If you see a particularly hairy looking male police officer around town don’t worry, nobody’s joining ZZ Top. Thirty two Matthews Police officers are participating in No Shave November. Each officer donated $25 to participate and those funds will be donated to Zero Cancer Foundation, a prostate cancer patient advocacy and public awareness group. Check out the Zero Cancer site to learn more and donate.

One Good Thing: Aside from our obvious obsession with bacon, we at the Beacon also love handmade goods and small businesses. Are you a crafter, baker, candlestick maker? Manicurist or masseuse? Got something that would make a great gift? We have a gift guide for the smallest of businesses at the best of prices: $15! Message us or email Norah about advertising in our Hyperlocal Holiday Gift Guide.