Dozens of volunteers gathered at the Matthews HELP Center last week to rake leaves, paint and more. And at Habitat for Humanity of Matthews’ ReStore, volunteers donned work gloves and grabbed hammers to tear down a wall to add space for the shop. Both efforts were part the third annual LOVE Week, an event launched by Matthews-based Elevation Church which now includes volunteers from many area churches.

The first year of LOVE Week generated 10,000 hours of volunteer service. Last year, more than 25 churches collaborated to volunteer 34,257 service hours. For LOVE Week 2012, Elevation hopes to see 50 churches join the effort and volunteer 50,000 hours of service.

The event continues through Sunday, Feb. 19 and volunteers are still needed. Register for a project online at www.loveweekcharlotte.com. (Photos courtesy of Koreen Marx and Tim Long)

by Kara Lopp

For the second year in a row, Matthews commissioners will host their annual planning retreat in Ocean Isle Beach.

Though the plan includes renting a beach house Feb. 24, 25 and 26, to keep costs down town staff won’t be attending. The estimated taxpayer cost for the weekend is about $3,000, town spokeswoman Annette Privette Keller said.

Last year Mayor Jim Taylor and Commissioner John Urban said they opposed hosting the public meeting outside Matthews, but the majority of the board said out-of-town meetings mean fewer distractions and a more effective use of their time. Taylor said this week, though, he understands the argument for getting away. Commissioners last year said it was the best retreat they’d ever attended, he said.

“I think everybody feels that getting away allows them to focus and concentrate on Matthews,” he said. Last year “I think we accomplished an awful lot, set an awful lot of goals. From my perspective, quite frankly, whether it’s here or whether it’s anywhere, if we can get people to focus and spend quality time I think its beneficial.”

The retreat is a public meeting, but the town doesn’t plan to broadcast the sessions or make accommodations for residents who may want to attend part of the conference, Privette Keller said. Like any public meeting, someone will be taking minutes. It’s about a four-hour trip to Ocean Isle.

Matthews spent $2,728 on the conference last year, which included renting a beach house, meals and gas during the four-hour trip to Ocean Isle. Last year’s total though was about $1,070 less than what was spent in 2010 hosting the meeting in Matthews with catered meals by Matthews’ Mellorina’s Catering and Santé Resturant, Privette Keller said previously. The 2009 retreat was held at town hall for a total of $1,875, according to town records. In 2008, the town board held a two-day conference at a resort in Southern Pines, spending about $10,000.

In comparison, Mint Hill spent about $180 total on breakfast, snacks and one lunch for town commissioners during their 2010 retreat in Pineville, which offered a free meeting room. The town hasn’t set a planning retreat this year, though at a recent Mint Hill board meeting Commissioner Brenda McRae suggested  scheduling one for this year.

Taylor said in the future, he’d like to be able to stream Matthews meetings online for active citizens who’d like to watch. But would anyone watch?

“The times that we’ve had (the conference) here in Matthews, we’ve never had anybody show up,” he said. “I don’t want to imply that we don’t want (residents) there. I would love to have it packed, I really would. But the track record says people don’t come if” the conferences are in Matthews.

What do you think?

Should Matthews commissioners host their annual planning conference in Ocean Isle this year? E-mail your thoughts to kara@matthewsminthillweekly.com, and we’ll publish them as a Letter to the Editor.

by Morgan Smith

Crime at Matthews and Mint Hill’s public schools decreased slightly last year, especially at Independence High School and area middle schools, in line with the district seeing a drop as a whole.

A recent state report by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction showed Charlotte-Mecklenburg School’s crime and violence averages at Matthews and Mint Hill campuses decreased by .17 acts per 1,000 students from 2009-10 to 2010-11, which included the addition of Rocky River High School and the redistricting effects on Butler and Independence high schools. The school opened in 2010. That’s compared to a decrease of .6 acts per 1,000 students for the entire district.

Matthews and Mint Hill schools have a lower crime and violence rate –at 8.1 acts per 1,000 students– than the district’s rate of 11.1 acts per 1,000 students.

The report classifies crime and violence in 17 different categories, including possession of weapons, drugs and alcohol, assault, robbery and sexual offenses. In the district, possession of weapons, possession of a controlled substance and assault on school personnel were the majority of crimes reported.

In Matthews and Mint Hill, the high school average crime rate per 1,000 students last year was up at 15.58, compared to 13.19 the year before. This year’s district high school rate was 16.89. Crime and violence at Butler High School nearly doubled with 20 acts in 2009-10 and 36 last year, even with 170 fewer students, contributed mostly to a high spike in cases of possession of a controlled substance. They had a rate of 16.86 acts of violence per 1,000 students last year, almost right in line with the district average.

The high school rate also went up with the addition of Rocky River High School in Mint Hill, where the 2010-11 rate came in at 26.38. That’s 35 acts.

But that’s not the case for the other area high schools. Independence High’s rate dropped 10.13 acts per 1,000 students. With a decrease of around 200 students, they came out with a rate of 15.13 last year, and with 26 fewer crimes.

Both Mint Hill and Crestdale middle schools had a decrease in crime, especially at Crestdale where crime was cut in half. Last year the schools averaged a rate of 11.24 acts per 1,000 students, compared to 18.25 in 2009-10.

There wasn’t a significant change in Matthews and Mint Hill’s six elementary schools, except at Lebanon Road Elementary School, where despite having 40 more students, the school’s crime and violence rate decreased from 9.17 in 2009-10, to 3.73 last year.

The school system also was recognized in the report as having one of the largest three-year decreases in high school dropout count, with 1,637 dropouts in 2009-10 and 1,404 last year, a 14.2-percent decrease. The system now has a dropout rate of 3.57 percent, an improvement from the 6.39 percent in 2006-07.

Demographics of dropouts from last year are: 877 male, 527 female; 767 black, 292 Hispanic, 281 white, 37 Asian, nine American-Indian, less than five Pacific-Islanders and 18 multi-racial individuals. School specific data was not provided in the report.

Despite the good dropout news, the district came in at the bottom of the state with the greatest number of suspensions and expulsions with 35,393 short-term suspensions, 137 long-term suspensions and five expulsions. Wake County, which is comparable in size to CMS, had a total of 17,339 short-term suspensions, 577 long-term suspensions and two expulsions.

In CMS, 18,514 of the short-term suspensions were against black males, and 7,985 against black females. White males accounted for 2,694 of the short-term suspensions, with 886 short-term suspensions for white females.

by Josh Whitener

About 2,000 people are expected at this year’s Get Your Rear in Gear 5K to fight colon cancer. Last year’s Charlotte event drew more than 1,760. (Courtesy of Get Your Rear in Gear)

For the third year in a row, thousands of people throughout the region are joining together to fight colon cancer through the annual Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk, founded by the Colon Cancer Coalition, presented by the Presbyterian Cancer Center and sponsored by Charlotte Gastroenterology.

And it’s all thanks to Matthews resident and colon cancer survivor Sue Falco.

The Charlotte 5K, part of a series of events nationwide, is one of the premiere Get Your Rear in Gear races in the country and Falco was responsible for bringing it here. Last year, more than 1,760 people participated in the race, and Falco is expecting this year’s race to top 2,000. Registration is $25 for adults and $12 for students 18 and younger. After March 7 registration, including on race day, is $35 for adults and $15 for students 18 and younger.

“It’s unbelievable how much this race has grown each year,” Falco said.

Through the funds raised at the event, Get Your Rear in Gear works with participating practices to offer colon screenings to the uninsured and underinsured, finance the colon and rectal cancer support group within the Presbyterian Buddy Kemp Cancer Support Center and provide financial assistance to colon cancer patients.

The race begins at 8:15 a.m. Saturday, March 10, beginning and ending in Charlotte’s Independence Park, with surrounding streets being reserved for the race. Awards will be given to the top three male and female winners, top fundraising teams (both individual and corporate) and the largest teams (both individual and corporate).

Prior to the race, a ½-mile Kids Fun Run for children 10 and younger, sponsored by Coca-Cola, will take place at 8:05 a.m. For the first time since the Charlotte 5K started, a survivors’ tent will serve as a place for colon cancer survivors to receive special treats, including live entertainment and a massage courtesy of Presbyterian’s Strides to Strength.

“This gives survivors a place to enjoy the event who may not be able to participate,” Falco said.

Falco was diagnosed with Stage I colon cancer in 2008. Although she was able to have the cancer successfully removed through surgery, the cancer had still left its mark on her life. To show her support for the fight against colon cancer, Falco ran in a Raleigh Get Your Rear in Gear 5K in 2009. Soon after, she contacted the Colon Cancer Coalition about bringing the race to Charlotte.

Falco was originally told that she would not be able to pull it off, due to the fact that too many 5Ks already take place in the area. Despite being worried that they wouldn’t even see 500 participants, Falco and her planning board pressed forward as the event continued to gain momentum. When the race took place, more than 1,100 people participated.

“I actually couldn’t believe it, myself,” Falco said.

Jane Hutchko, a Matthews resident and a founding planning board member of the local race, has endured an eight-year battle with colon cancer. Diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2004, Hutchko has been through multiple chemotherapy and radiation treatments, as well as surgery, and recently finished another round of treatments.

For Hutchko, who plans to run in the race, the 5K is an opportunity to fight. Despite her treatments and her condition over the past three years, Hutchko has completed the 5K each year, sometimes running, sometimes walking.

“Normalcy is what gets me through,” she said. “Life is going to be fabulous. If I’m fighting this hard to stay alive, I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”

Hutchko also hopes to use her participation as an opportunity to reach out to others as well.

“I hope (the race) can put a face with the disease,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be embarrassing for people to talk about. I also don’t want people to think that it can’t happen to you, because (colon cancer is) nondiscriminatory. It’s about being assertive and not afraid to get checked.”

Colon cancer is the second most common form of cancer. In 2011, the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics reported 4,858 new cases of colon and rectal cancer. Of those cases, 1,663 were fatal. Mecklenburg and Union counties alone saw 462 new cases and 152 deaths.

“Colon cancer can be found early and diagnosed before it gets too aggressive,” Pam Gwaltney, GI navigator for Presbyterian Cancer Center, said. “The earlier we find it, the earlier we can get to it and treat it. It’s about standard care and early detection.”

Want to run?

To participate in the March 10 Get Your Rear in Gear 5K Run/Walk, sign up online at http://getyourrearingear.com/events/list/2012/charlotte-nc-2012/. Registration is $25 for adults and $12 for 18 and younger. After March 7, including on race day, adults are $35 and students 18 and younger are $15.

The ½-mile run, for children 10 and younger, is $12 in advance or $15 after March 7 and on race day.

Christian Yodi

Matthews

Charges/citations

Feb. 13: Ronnie Melton Jr., 41, of 501 Sadie Drive. Assault on a female, assault by pointing gun, communicating threats.

Feb. 13: Troy Haywood, 23, of 11618 Brief Road, Mint Hill. Fictitious tag, failure to change address on license.

Feb. 13: Justin Breneman, 24, of 1524 Golden Rain Drive. Driving while impaired, open container of alcohol.

James Lemmond

Feb. 11: Arthur Gunter III, 35, of 10700 Forest Drive. Warrant (possession of marijuana).

Feb. 11: Scott McDowell, 36, of 3119 Winding Trail. Warrant (unauthorized use of vehicle), order for arrest (driving while impaired).

Feb. 11: Mary Mayo, 46, of 9832 Idlewild Road. Order for arrest (larceny).

Feb. 11: Nathan McEwan, 22, of 5921 Austin Road, Monroe. Driving while impaired, driving with a revoked license, expired registration.

Feb. 10: William Grier, 27, 4713 Tanglebriar Drive, Charlotte. Warrants. (Larceny, possession of stolen goods – Mecklenburg County).

John Sarkis

Feb. 10: Matthew Nasrallah, 22, of 2300 Oak Meade Drive, Charlotte. Driving while impaired.

Feb. 10: Kimberly Patrick, 39, of 8224 Henry Harris Road, Fort Mill, S.C. Larceny from merchant by removing security tag, misdemeanor larceny ($306 in clothing at Kohl’s).

Feb. 10: Willie Robinson, 62, of 3200 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. Discharging a firearm in city limits.

Feb. 9: James Lemmond, 27, of 5949 Quail Hollow Road, Apt. E, Charlotte. Warrants (assault on a female, injury to personal property).

Justin Breneman

Feb. 9: Christian Yodi, 21, of 7015 Marlbrook Drive, Charlotte. Order for arrest (second-degree trespassing).

Break-ins

Feb. 11: 14034 Idlewild Road. GPS unit, digital camera stolen from vehicle.

Feb. 11: 1127 Reverdy Lane. Stethoscope, otoscope, two handbags stolen from unlocked vehicle. Items recovered.

Feb. 10: 12414 Bentcreek Lane. Vehicle window broken, causing $300 in damage. Shoulder bag, Goodwill

Kimberly Patrick

paperwork stolen.

Feb. 10: 12314 Bentcreek Lane. Laptop, power point projector stolen from vehicle.

Feb. 10: 12308 Bentcreek Lane. Vehicle window broken, causing $100 in damage. Computer bag, six school textbooks stolen.

Feb. 10: 12426 Bentcreek Lane. Vehicle window broken, causing $300 in damage. Computer bag with rollers, paperwork, jumpdrives and over-the-counter medicine stolen.

Lee Haenschen

Feb. 10: 13139 Lemmond Drive. GPS unit, camera, radio/TV/VCR equipment, computer hardware/software stolen from unlocked vehicle.

Feb. 10: 2205 Tanfield Drive. Vehicle window broken, causing $250 in damage and $200 in other damage to vehicle. Nothing reported stolen.

Feb. 8: Comfort Inn, 9701 E. Independence Blvd. Vehicle front door lock pried open, causing $100 in damage. Laptop, computer bag and wireless air card stolen.

Feb. 8: Matthews Fire & EMS, 236 S.  Trade St. $300 leaf blower stolen, non-forced entry.

Mary Mayo

Fraud

Feb. 13: 811 Odell Court. Fraudulent purchases made online with victim’s credit card.

Feb. 11: 9327 Hunting Court. Fraudulent purchases made with victim’s credit card.

Feb. 10: Value Brakes, 8935 E. Independence Blvd. Presenting worthless check for $4,000 in vehicle parts/accessories.

Feb. 7: 1936 Tanfield Drive. Fraudulent purchase made online with victim’s credit card.

Matthew Nasrallah

Thefts

Feb. 13: Rae Construction Company, 1011 Sam Newell Road. $60,000 in copper wire stolen.

Feb. 13: Hops, 9950 E. Independence Blvd. Diaper bag containing cell phone, credit/debit cards, and Coach sunglasses stolen.

Feb. 13: 1326 Brittle Creek Drive. License plate stolen from vehicle.

Feb. 12: 4309 Hounds Run Drive. iPhone stolen from open garage.

Feb. 10: 201 W. Charles St. Victim’s mail stolen from mailbox.

Michael Stumpf

Feb. 9: 201 W. Charles St. Package opened and unknown items stolen.

Feb. 8: Target, 1900 Matthews Township Pkwy. Two Playstation wireless controllers worth $55, $70 Wifi adapter and $23 HDMI cable stolen.

Feb. 8: Infiniti of Charlotte, 9103 E. Independence Blvd. Prescription medication and lottery tickets stolen from desk drawer.

Feb. 7: Target, 1900 Matthews Township Pkwy. $599 Dyson vacuum stolen.

Feb. 7: 1603 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. Worthless check used to buy 1999 Lincoln Navigator motor for $1,100 and a 2006 Chrysler 300 motor for $2,200.

Nathan McEwan

Vandalism

Feb. 13: 312 Bradwyck Court. Garage door spray painted, causing $200 in damage.

Feb. 13: 320 Bradwyck Court. Garage door spray painted, causing $200 in damage.

Feb. 11: Microtel, 1603 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. $300 in damage to security cameras, $200 in damage to hallway light, $800 in damage inside hotel room.

Ronnie Melton

Feb. 10: IHOP, 9253 E. Independence Blvd. Vehicle steering column, wiper lever and steering wheel broken, causing $2,000 in damage.

Feb. 9: Cafe 157, 157 N. Trade St., $400 in damage to metal pole in parking lot.

Mint Hill

Charges/citations

Feb. 13: Stan Woody Jr., 24, of 8118 Woodway Oak Circle, Charlotte. Warrant (hit and run – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police).

Stan Woody Jr

Feb. 13: Kevin Turner, 40, of 9324 Chislehurst Road. Warrants (simple physical assault – Union County), no operator’s license.

Feb. 11: Michael Stumpf, 21, of 4529 Creekmore, Charlotte. Possession of a Schedule II drug (Adderall), possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana.

Feb. 11: Dabari Wright, 19, of 4709 Stoney Trace Drive, Apt. J. Possession of marijuana.

Feb. 10: Nadiyda Thelwell, 22, of 4100 Oak Forest Drive, Charlotte. Warrant (contempt of court, perjury, court violations).

Terrance Robinson

Feb. 10: Deanna Huff, 17, of 10719 Starwood Ave., Charlotte, arrested at Rocky River High School. Disorderly conduct by disrupting students.

Feb. 10: William Burkett, 26, of 1895 Tryon Drive, Apt. 3, Fayetteville. Order for arrest (contempt of court, perjury, court violations).

Feb. 9: Princeton Hooper, 17, of 11040 Palestrina Road, Charlotte, arrested at Rocky River High School. Communicating threats.

Feb. 9: John Sarkis, 56, of 12901 Rising Sun Trail. Warrant (assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury).

William Grier

Feb. 9: Dekevon Young, 16, of 7215 Sterling Haven Road, Charlotte, arrested at Rocky River High School. Possessing/concealing stolen property ($200 Nike Air Jordans).

Feb. 9: Joshua Kirkpatrick, 16, of 7413 Sterling Haven Road, Charlotte, arrested at Rocky River High School. Buying/receiving stolen property ($200 Nike Air Jordans).

Feb. 9: Terrance Robinson, 16, of 7421 Boswell Road, Charlotte, arrested at Rocky River High School. Larceny from a person ($200 Nike Air Jordans).

Feb. 8: Rasool Harrell, 18, of 7506 Lancashire Drive. Simple possession of marijuana.

Feb. 7: Lee Haenschen, 28, of 9621 Bethel Church Road, Locust. Driving with a revoked license, careless and reckless driving.

Commissioners voted Monday, Feb. 13 to buy the property at 2432 Rice Road from owner O. Grady Query for $25,500.

The purchase adds to the about 9 acres of adjacent land town officials bought for $338,000 from Wake County Schools. The Wake property once belonged to former state House Speaker Jim Black. In 2009, the land was transferred to the Wake County school system as part of Black’s sentencing for charges of bribery and obstruction of justice.

To help with the cost of purchasing the land, the town is applying for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant. The grant would cover half of the purchasing cost. Officials will know by May if they have received the grant.

The park is part of the town’s parks and recreation master plan. No timeline for construction has been set.

Town commissioners and planning board members were scheduled to host a joint public hearing Thursday, Feb. 9 but the planning board didn’t have a quorum, Town Clerk Beth Hamrick said. The hearing has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 23 at Mint Hill Town Hall, 7151 Matthews-Mint Hill Road.

The professionals would occupy a yet-to-be constructed building across the parking lot from the current Mint Hill Dentistry, said Dr. Earle Sullivan, who owns the property with his business partner, Dr. Anastasi “Taso” Roupas. The office would be the “final piece” for the dental complex which began in 2007 with Mint Hill Dentistry, Sullivan said.

“It’s very unusual to have every dental specialty in one spot. This is just the icing on the cake for us,” he said previously.

The owners, known as Sullivan & Roupas LLC, have filed an application with the town for a conditional use permit which, if granted, would allow the building to face Phyllis Lane, a private street.

Find more information including proposed plans online at www.minthill.com. Click “document center” then “active cases” and search under 2012.

Feiwen Walker and Peggy Dixon pose with Mary Lee Maag (center) after receiving the Ed Maag Volunteer of the Year Award Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Matthews Library. (Courtesy of the Town of Matthews)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Matthews Branch hosted its second annual Winter Celebration to honor volunteers on Sunday, Feb. 12.

Two of those volunteers, Feiwen Walker and Peggy Dixon, received the Ed Maag Volunteer of the Year Award for their dedication as volunteers. They each received an engraved glass star.

Walker and Dixon both started volunteering at the Matthews Library in 2008. As of July 1, 2011, Walker volunteered 263.5 hours and Dixon logged 248.5 hours volunteer hours.

The total number of volunteer hours at the Matthews Branch since August 1, 2011, is 5,214 hours. That represents an average of 869 hours each month with an average of 105 volunteers giving of their time.

During the event, gift cards to local businesses were given out as door prizes, thanks to the Matthews business community which donated more than $2,500 in gift cards. The listing of donors can be found at the Matthews Branch.

For more information about the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and information about how you can volunteer at the Matthews or Mint Hill branch, visit www.cmlibrary.org.

During the free event, residents of Matthews’ Crestdale community will provide information about the historically black community; Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church choir members will perform at noon; and Home Depot staff will present information about 10 important African American figures in U.S. history.

The Matthews Police and Fire departments will be present and free blood pressure checks will be offered. Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly freelance photographer Greg McMurray also will display his collection of photographs featuring important local black leaders through the years.

Home Depot is located at 1837 Matthews Township Pkwy., in Matthews.

For more information, call 704-845-9200.

Thank you very much for writing the article about the Carolina Raptor Center.

The staff at the center is truly devoted to caring for injured birds of prey. As volunteers who capture and transport raptors from the Matthews area, my husband and I have witnessed the caring of their staff as well as the magnificence of these birds.

Unfortunately, there are many more volunteers needed from our area to help get the injured birds to the center. When someone calls with an injured bird, phone calls are made by the staff until they locate a volunteer that can go capture the bird and get it to Huntersville for medical care.

I’m hoping your article will peak the interest of some future volunteers and that they will call (staff volunteer coordinator Carly Orlando).

It is so sad to transport a bird that doesn’t make it, but it is the greatest feeling when we can release one back to its home area.

I loved reading that you gave your husband the gift of releasing a barred owl. They are my favorite raptors with their big beautiful eyes and gorgeous feathers. I hope Beauty lives a healthy, long life in your neighborhood.

Kathy Stoessel

Matthews

Editor’s note: To volunteer with the Carolina Raptor Center call 704-875-6521 or e-mail Carly Orlando at
corlando@carolinaraptorcenter.org.