by Josh Whitener

After years of planning and waiting, the new Mecklenburg County sportsplex in Matthews is close to becoming a reality.

The county received construction bids for the sportsplex – to be located at 1601 Tanktown Road near Interstate 485 – from 12 construction firms. County commissioners are expected to vote on hiring the lowest bidder, Denver, N.C.-based Eagle Wood Inc., at their meeting Tuesday, May 15.

A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Thursday, May 17, at the future construction site off Tanktown Road.

Officials involved in the project are excited to take this first step toward their goal and are ready to dive in once they get the green light from the county commissioners.

“I’m extremely thrilled that we’re actually at this point in the project,” Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor said. “It’s great to have a groundbreaking, and it will be wonderful to have a ribbon-cutting (ceremony) when it’s actually finished.”

County officials are eager to partner with the town for the complex.

“We’re very excited about the partnership with the Town of Matthews,” said Lee Jones, division director for capital planning services with the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. “We think that there will be strong positive economic impact.”

The first phase of the project will include five synthetic soccer fields, restrooms, a concession building, road infrastructure, parking spaces and lighting. Current plans for the entire sportsplex include 12 soccer fields, a large stadium built to seat 2,700 people, trails, picnic shelters and other amenities. The entire project will cost an estimated $32 to $34 million, Jones said.

If approved, Eagle Wood’s bid of $3,019,875 will launch the first phase of the project, and construction could start as early as June, Jones said. The first phase could be completed by late spring 2013 and officials hope to have funding secured for the second phase of the project by the next fiscal year.

County commissioners voted in July to sell up to $100 million in bonds, ending the county’s self-imposed “debt diet” implemented as a result of the recession. Of that total, the sportsplex project will receive $7 million. The project was approved by Mecklenburg County voters in 2004 and 2008. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in January 2008.

Matthews has committed to give

$2 million to the project, although town officials aren’t sure how or when the money will be spent.

“We’re okay with fronting it early,” Taylor said. “We’re open to discussion on that, and we’re eager to get the project underway and even more eager to actually get it completed.”

One change Taylor would like to see in the plans is an expansion of the stadium. Taylor hopes the sportsplex can be a site that attracts major sporting events, such as NCAA soccer games, men’s and women’s lacrosse games and special events with the Charlotte Eagles professional soccer team.

“We’d like to see at least 4,000 (seats),” Taylor said. “But in order to capture NCAA tournaments, the minimum number we really need is 6,000 to 7,000.”

by Mike Parks

Mint Hill budget discussions have unearthed a big surprise for town commissioners: Mint Hill Madness lost $8,386 last year.

“I’m stunned that they lost that kind of money,” Commissioner Tina Ross said at a recent town budget workshop. Commissioners learned of the loss for the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce event while reviewing financial documents. The chamber provided with their funding request.The organization is asking the town for $20,000 in funding this year and Town Manager Brian Welch is recommending a grant of $16,000.

Festival organizers say stormy weather was partly to blame for the deficit. Mint Hill Madness, which ran two days last year, is a key fundraiser for the chamber.

The annual event cost the chamber $68,053 last year but brought in much less, Chamber President Rich Ferretti said, partly due to rain keeping kids and families at home instead of on rides and buying snacks.

“You can’t predict that,” Ferretti said of last year’s bad weather. “You can only try to be ready for it.”

But another cost for the chamber was just how much time the group has to put into planning the massive annual event. The town board acknowledged during last month’s budget meeting that the chamber doesn’t have the manpower to organize the festival much longer.

The chamber’s budget request presented to Mint Hill last month shows the festival received $3,358.50 from their portion of ride tickets last year, $2,925 in food vendor fees and $8,250 in exhibitor fees. The main source of revenue was the $33,350 received in sponsorships.

But the costs of the festival are many, and included more than $13,000 in payroll expenses alone last year, not to mention more than $8,000 for power, $9,000 for entertainment like live music and $5,658 for security. Ferretti said when he looks at how much time chamber members spent last year just in planning for the festival, it’s a huge cost that has to be factored into their efforts.

But the festival keeps growing and has become a staple of the town. So what to do?

Ferretti said a time may be coming when the chamber no longer runs Mint Hill Madness. Town leaders discussed that possibility at their budget workshop, and weren’t exactly opposed to operating the festival down the road, though Welch cautioned “I don’t know that we’d love it” having that responsibility.

If the town didn’t take over the festival, and the chamber could no longer afford to run it, there’s a possibility an outside group could host Madness or it become its own entity, with a separate staff and budget.

“I think it’s something the chamber will always be involved in,” Ferretti said. “(It’s) really evolved into an entity on its own. It’s a lot of work to handle.”

As to the possibility of the chamber paying for a new Madness logo to go on new banners and signs, Ferretti said that was just a general conversation the chamber had and wasn’t a serious consideration. Members of the town board were under the impression in April that the chamber planned on changing the logo and asking Mint Hill for money for new banners, an idea that riled a few board members. Town leaders didn’t want to want to pay for a new logo when they say the old one is just fine, and Ferretti said he’s made it clear to the board that it’s something they aren’t planning on doing.

Welch has since been told the same thing.

“That’s my new understanding after meeting with them,” he said this week.

Betsy Stone, a certified pharmacy technician with Matthews’ Giant Genie Pharmacy, makes capsules with medication to treat fibromyalgia. The pharmacy recently opened its own compounding lab to make custom prescription medications for people and pets. Kara Lopp/MMHW photo

Giant Genie Pharmacy, 1730 Matthews Township Pkwy., suite 1A , recently opened the lab to fill a gap in local compounding services. According to pharmacist and owner Bill Henning, the shop is the only pharmacy in Matthews to offer the service. Compounding is the creation or alteration of prescription medications that aren’t available commercially. The procedure is most often used for animals – including putting medication into treats or making a liquid version of a pill medication.

Whether the medicine’s for Fido or to treat fibromyalgia, Giant Genie’s newest employee, Betsy Stone, can make it. The certified pharmacy technician has been compounding medications for nine years and equates the process to following a recipe to create something new to a doctor’s specifications. Medications can be made as liquids, capsules or creams.

Henning said the company is excited to expand their services.

“We’ve had a lot of compounding requests and we’ve had to send the business elsewhere,” he said. “It’s another way to serve the community.”

Sears plans grand opening

Visitors to the Sears Appliance Showroom in Matthews on Saturday, May 19 will have a chance to win a $250 store gift card during the store’s grand opening. The first 10 customers that day also will receive a $25 store gift card.

The two-day grand opening event runs Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The event will include sales throughout the shop at 9721-A E. Independence Blvd., with an additional 10 percent off all purchases, including sale items. Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor and the Matthews Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at 5:30 p.m. Child fingerprinting kits will be available Friday from the Matthews Police Department.

Live entertainment and free refreshments will be available both days, including cake donated by Costco; pizza donated by Papa John’s; and smoothies donated by Smoothie King.

The showroom opened in March as the fourth Sears showroom in North Carolina and one of only 70 of its kind nationwide. Recently opened locations in Huntersville and Charlotte’s Northlake community also will host grand opening ceremonies May 18 and 19.

The about 5,000-square-foot-store, near Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies, sells Sears brand Kenmore merchandise and 10 other national brands. Customers also can order other Sears appliances not on display and free shipping is offered on all purchases.

For more information, call the store at 704-443-0046.

Swiss Farms hosts NASCAR Day

Customers at Swiss Farms Friday, May 18, can enter to win tickets to an upcoming local NASCAR race.

The region’s first drive-through grocery store at 1431 Sardis Road North, near Matthews, is partnering with Coca-Cola to host NASCAR Day. The free event runs from noon to 6 p.m. and will include free refreshments.

For more information, visit www.swissfarmscharlotte.com.

Matthews hosts business summit May 18

Registrations are being accepted for Matthews’ fifth business summit Friday, May 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The free event includes lunch at no charge and will feature a presentation from Frank Warren, of Kimley-Horn & Associates, who will discuss regional demographics and real estate trends. The program will be held at Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station St.

To register, call 704-847-4411, ext. 224 or email lcanapinno@matthewsnc.com.

Jet’s Pizza hosts ‘Butler Nights’

Jet’s Pizza, 920 Park Center Drive in Matthews, will host “Butler Nights” from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 and 31.

The restaurant will donate a portion of the evening’s sale proceeds to Butler High School’s Parent Student Teacher Organization for those customers who mention Butler when ordering. The program is available for dine-in, take-out or delivery.

SAFE College Funding carnival to benefit nonprofit

SAFE College Funding, 1110 Sam Newell Road in Matthews, will host a carnival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19 to raise money for the nonprofit The Sandbox, which helps children battling cancer and other serious illnesses.

The event, dubbed SandBlast! 2012 will include an over-sized sandbox and inflatables for children, food, arts and crafts, vendors and live music. Admission is free and all donations and vendor fees will benefit The Sandbox.

A rain date has been set for Sunday, May 20 from noon to 4 p.m.
For more information, email info@safecollegefunding.org.

Harris Teeter launches ‘Support Our Troops’

Through June 6, Harris Teeter customers can purchase $1, $3 or $5 donation cards to benefit the United Service Organizations, known as the USO, and the Wounded Warrior Project. 

The project from the Matthews-based company is being dubbed as the Support Our Troops campaign and cards will be for sale at all Harris Teeter locations.

Money collected will be divided evenly between both nonprofit organizations.

Mint Hill’s Lowes Foods hosts pet adoption expo

Lowes Foods and Purina will partner for a pet adoption and fundraising event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 12 at the Mint Hill store, 7036 Brighton Park Drive.

The event will include participation from several local animal rescues that will feature dogs and cats available for adoption. Giveaways will be available and a raffle will be held for various prizes, including the grand prize of a $300 go-cart.

Free refreshments will be available and Lowes Foods will offer discounts on Purina products, such as cat and dog food, treats and cat litter. A free bag of Purina food will be donated by Purina to every animal adopted during the event.

Raffle proceeds will benefit the local nonprofits participating in the event.

For more information, call the store at 704-573-5420.

County Manager Harry Jones is working on ways homeowners can take part in the review of the 2011 property tax revaluation at the request of south Mecklenburg’s commissioner.

Commissioner Bill James asked Jones to bring in some of the citizens who have been the most vocal in fighting their property tax revaluation and researching the process. At least 16 people signed up to speak at a recent county meeting on revaluation, with many begging commissioners to “fix” a revaluation they saw to be seriously flawed.

“I think that it will help improve the audit of revaluation if we have citizens that were hip-deep in the subject matter involved in working with the auditor,” James said in an email Monday, May 7.

In an email to county leaders, Jones said he’ll put the options on an upcoming county commission agenda for commissioners to vote on. Jones did not respond to Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly’s request to describe what those options might be prior to press deadline.

“Although my recommendation was to rely on the appeals process as the built-in audit of the revaluation, my responsibility is to implement the decision of the board to conduct this review,” Jones wrote in an email to the board. “Given that the board is interested in assuring public confidence in the reappraisal process and having a credible review process, additional citizen involvement in the review process makes sense.”

Commissioners voted May 1 to review the revaluation that has caused outrage from residents across the county. Most of the charge to review the process has come from north Mecklenburg homeowners around Lake Norman, and the area’s county commissioner, Karen Bentley. Bentley tried to pass a proposal at the meeting calling for an outside audit of the revaluation and for the county to schedule a new revaluation for 2014, something James supported. The majority of commissioners balked at going that far in their vote, with SouthPark’s representative on the commission, Neil Cooksey, helping lead a vote to review the revaluation and look into the costs and efforts in doing a revaluation down the road, but not scheduling a 2014 revaluation.

The commission should discuss the finer points of getting an outside review of the revaluation process during their June 19 meeting.

by Eren Tataragasi

With the future of the Monroe Bypass now unclear, officials with the Southern Environmental Law Center say now is a good time for local leaders to examine whether the project still makes sense.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. ruled Thursday, May 3, that the N.C. Department of Transportation violated federal policy, “Because the agencies failed to disclose critical assumptions underlying their decision to build the road and instead provided the public with incorrect information, they did indeed violate NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act). … The agencies failed to take the required ‘hard look’ at environmental consequences.”

This week, David Farren with the SELC said he and his team will be watching the NCDOT and other agencies very closely as they work through this ruling.

“Under the National Environmental Protection Act, the law the court relied on striking down the bypass study, they need to take an open and honest look at both impacts and alternatives and it’s clear that didn’t happen,” Farren said. “So, from our perspective, it’s not just a question of checking off boxes and jumping through hoops to get back to where they were. The law requires they take an open look at alternatives and impacts and anything that suggests it’s just a delay and (they’ve) already made up their minds to move forward is not consistent with the federal law.”

Matthews property owner Roger Martin also will be on the lookout. He represents a group of property owners along Independence Commerce Drive in Matthews who have vowed to spend about $160,000 to extend the road to Stevens Mill Road in hopes of preserving their livelihoods. Businesses along Independence Commerce will lose direct access to Independence Boulevard/U.S. 74, when the bypass is built. Independence Commerce is a dead-end street off U.S. 74 with connection to Mount Harmony Church Road. The street falls inside Matthews’ town limits, but properties off it are split between Matthews and Stallings. The project will build 400 feet of roadway connecting Independence Commerce to Stevens Mill Road.

Martin bought office property there in 2000.

But construction won’t begin until the bypass is a sure thing.
“We’re just going to sit tight until we get some resolution on this,” Martin said.

Farren said the transportation agencies conducted the bypass study as if the road — along with the traffic and development that would accompany the new 20-mile road with nine interchanges — was already there and that U.S. 74 couldn’t handle the load, even with some sort of fix for the congested highway.

“So by assuming the project alternative analysis, they doubled the project and tried to squeeze it on 74 and you can’t do that,” he said. “If they do this study right, it’s not only an open question if they should move forward, but very much open if they can get permits for the project.

Reid Simons with the NCDOT said he had no information yet on the next steps for the department.

“We are investigating all of our options and what this opinion means for the environmental process, financial implications, and legal and judicial steps we need to take to address the court’s concerns and then move the project to construction,” Simons said. “The NCDOT/Turnpike Authority and local communities are committed to the project and are doing everything possible to address the court’s concerns in a timely manner. Our design/build team United Infrastructure, Boggs Paving, Anderson Construction and RK&K also are standing in support and will work with us on a solution to move this project forward.”

Of the 628,677 registered voters in Mecklenburg County, 178,533 voted in the primary election for an about 28 percent turnout. We’ll see a few run-off elections in July for races too close to call and the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Here’s a look at the results of some local races:

Mecklenburg County Commission District 6

Republican incumbent Bill James dispatched his in-party challenger Tuesday night in the District 6 race.

James is running for his ninth term on the board, where he represents southern Mecklenburg County, including Matthews and Mint Hill. He took nearly 52 percent of the vote, winning by nearly 700 votes.

“People know what they’re getting in me,” James said on Wednesday morning. “And what they really want is someone who stands up and defends them against the howling liberal horde in Uptown.”

James took 20 of the 29 precincts in the district, though Driggs took more of the south Charlotte precincts around Ballantyne. James’ wins came more in the Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville areas.

“I just think that people want somebody who will defend them and I have tried to do that,” James said of his record. “I have tried to defend people in District 6 from the predation of government. … When you get right down to the nitty-gritty, you’re left with the fact that in Mecklenburg County, at this point in time, the people of District 6 need someone who is going to fight for them, protect them against Uptowners, the NAACP, low-income housing dropped in their backyard, attempts to bus their kids to some inner city location, and for me … that’s the reason I originally got elected and continue to get elected.”

James moves on to face Democrat Connie Green-Johnson in November.

Mecklenburg County Commission at-large

Top vote-getting Republicans James Peterson, Michael Hobbs and Wayne Powers will square off in November against Democrats Kim Ratliff, Pat Cotham and Trevor Fuller and Libertarian Jason Bateman for three at-large seats.

Peterson captured the highest amount of votes, at 37,177, closely followed by Hobbs with 37,166 votes. Ratliff was next in line with 28,034 votes.

U.S. House District 9 Republicans

Voters are going to get another shot in July at picking a Republican to face Democrat Jennifer Roberts and Libertarian Curtis Campbell.

Neither Jim Pendergraph nor Robert Pittenger could separate themselves from the crowded field well enough to outright take the Republican spot on the November ballot. Ten candidates on the Republican side were running for Rep. Sue Myrick’s seat in Congress, with Pittenger getting 28.14 percent of the vote and Pendergraph 26.86. The two will face each other in a runoff election July 17.

Ric Killian, one of south Charlotte’s representatives in the N.C. General Assembly, pulled in 10.51 percent of the vote, and Andy Dulin, the SouthPark-area Charlotte City Council member, got 6.12 percent.

N.C. Senate 41 Republicans

Jeff Tarte and John Aneralla will face each other in a July runoff election for the N.C. Senate 41 race. Neither received the required 40 percent to win the race outright, with Tarte getting 37.64 percent and Aneralla 36.25 percent. The district covers north Mecklenburg, then runs down the eastern edge of the county to include the Matthews and Mint Hill area and one or two south Charlotte neighborhoods.

Want to know more?

For more detailed election information, including how your precinct voted, visit www.meckboe.org.

by Josh Whitener

The Golden Girls Cheerleaders (above) won an award during the Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Games opening ceremony & Silver Arts Showcase Thursday, May 3 at the Levine Senior Center in Matthews. The games continue this weekend with athletic events at the Alexander Graham Middle School track, 1800 Runnymede Lane in Charlotte. Photo courtesy of Levine Senior Center

The Mint Hill resident is one of many local senior citizens taking part in the 2012 Charlotte-Mecklenburg branch of the North Carolina Senior Games. The games take place in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, promoting healthy lifestyles among those ages 55 and older through “fun, fitness and fellowship.”

For 15 years, Evans has enjoyed participating in the Senior Games, sticking with her two favorite sports: basketball and softball. But the Senior Games offers a wide variety of activities, including track and field competitions, bocce ball, visual arts, performing arts, croquet, corn hole, golf and swimming. The Levine Senior Center in Matthews hosted the opening ceremonies and performing arts competition Thursday, May 3.

The events span four weeks, with activities being held on two or three weekdays and each Saturday. The majority of the events take place on Big Saturday and Little Saturday. Little Saturday, which was May 5, saw four events over the course of a few hours. Big Saturday, will be held May 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alexander Graham Middle School track, 1800 Runnymede Lane in Charlotte and will feature 13 different events.

Winners of certain tournaments advance to compete at the state and national levels. Evans has been fortunate enough to play basketball in the national competition three times, most recently in Pittsburgh several years ago. “I like the camaraderie with the other women I play with, and I love the competition of it,” Evans said.

The 2012 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Games has about 380 participants. Jean Grayson, head of the ambassadors for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Games and a fellow Mint Hill resident, feels the 2012 Games has been a success. One of the areas in which she’s seen more participation this year is performing arts.

“We had a lot of groups and a lot of good talent and competition,” Grayson said. “We’ve worked a little harder this year to try to get more people in. A lot of people aren’t athletic, and we encourage them, if they’re not, to do the arts. If we get them into arts, we get them introduced to the athletic events that might work for them.”

Some of the challenges Grayson has seen this year are participants not showing up for their event and some former athletes not being able to take part in the Games. “We’re trying to build up our numbers, and we’re having a little difficulty doing that because some of our older ones have had to drop out due to health issues,” she said. “We’ve also had a lot of no-shows. We hope our participants show up and that they have a safe competition.”

Having experienced the empowerment – both physically and mentally – brought on by participating in the Senior Games, Evans is passionate about the Games and believes all senior citizens should, in some form or fashion, jump on board. “I think it’s great and that more (senior citizens) should get involved,” she said. “It’s a great way to stay active.”

Want to go?
Watch local seniors compete in the 2012 Senior Games during “Big Saturday,” featuring 13 events. The free competition, which is open to the public, will be held Saturday. May 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alexander Graham Middle School track, 1800 Runnymede Lane in Charlotte.
For more information, visit www.cmseniorgames.org or call 704-322-4020.

Here’s a list of the events planned for May 12:
• 8:30 a.m. – Fun Walk
• 9 a.m. – Croquet
• 9 a.m. to noon – Football Throw
• 9 a.m. to noon – Spin Casting
• 9 a.m. to noon – Softball Throw
• 9 a.m. to noon – Field Events
• 9 a.m. – 1500M Run
• 9:30 a.m. – 1500M Race-Walk
• 10 a.m. – 400M Dash
• 10:30 a.m. – 5K Race-Walk

by Josh Whitener

Tommy Quist, 16, built this playground at the Carl J. McEwen Historical Village in Mint Hill for his Eagle Scout project. A sophomore at Independence High School, Quist is a member of Boy Scout Troop 65 based at Mint Hill’s Philadelphia Presbyterian Church. Kara Lopp/MMHW photo

Tommy, a sophomore at Independence High School, was thinking about what to do for his Eagle Scout project when he remembered a field trip he took to the historical village in kindergarten. Tommy is a member of Boy Scout Troop 65 based at Mint Hill’s Philadelphia Presbyterian Church.

“I definitely wanted to do something local in Mint Hill, you know, give back to the community,” Tommy said. “The (Mint Hill) Historical Society seemed like a good group to help out.”

Tommy met with several members of the nonprofit society to discuss what he could possibly contribute to the village. After juggling a couple ideas, a playground seemed like the perfect project. Soon after, the society and Tommy’s Scout Master gave the project the green light.

The goal was to create the playground as it would have looked in the 1890s. Much of the playground is constructed using materials that would have been used in the late 19th century, such as cedar wood and scrap farm materials. The playground features a rustic-looking swing set and teeter-totter.

Everything used to construct the playground was donated, with a lot of the materials coming from members of the Mint Hill Historical Society. Blue Max donated the mulch around the playground, and Monroe Hardware contributed some concrete.

After clearing the area, securing the poles with concrete, spreading mulch and planting some grass, Tommy and his fellow Scouts got to work. For two Saturdays in a row last month, 13 Scouts and about six Scout Masters volunteered four consecutive hours of their time to build the playground. Despite one rainy day, the playground was finished after just two workdays – and in time for the Discover Mint Hill Festival April 21, where kids flocked to use the new equipment.

Although Tommy had help, he was ultimately the one in charge of the endeavor, as Eagle Scout projects focus not just on the community, but on leadership as well.

“I have plenty of experience with leadership, but the biggest thing about this project is not just seeing one part of it, but starting from the beginning, coming up with the idea for the project and seeing it realized all the way through,” Tommy said.

Members of the Historical Society are grateful for Tommy’s effort and for all the hard work put into the project.

“One of our goals was to put in a play area for children,” Sue McDonald, administrative director of the Mint Hill Historical Society, said. “Children, when they come to visit, need to have a play area while parents are looking around. With this, (we can) take kids back to 100 years ago and have them enjoying the outdoors.”

Tommy hopes his accomplishments can be an inspiration to youth everywhere.

“You don’t have to spend all your time playing video games or basketball,” he said. “Even at the age of 16, you can do something real that will impact people’s lives.”

According to McDonald, he certainly has.

“We hope that he goes away from here feeling proud that he accomplished something that is going to be enjoyed for a long time,” she said.

Calling all Eagles!
If you are planning or have recently completed an Eagle Scout project, we want to know. E-mail kara@matthewsminthillweekly.com or call 704-849-2261.

by Josh Whitener

Leah Paquette of Matthews was born 13 weeks early, weighing 1 pound, 4.2 ounces (top) and spent 79 days in the Presbyterian Hemby Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU. Today (bottom) she’s doing well and attended a NICU reunion this month. Photos courtesy of Terri Dombroske

With the help of the Presbyterian medical staff, Leah persevered through a difficult two-and-a-half months and the Matthews tot was among the nearly 1,000 children who attended Hemby’s 30th annual NICU Reunion last week.

Each year, Presbyterian’s Hemby Children’s Hospital hosts an event for children, and their families, who have “graduated” from the NICU after spending 15 or more days in the unit. It’s a chance for families who shared the NICU experience to reconnect and celebrate the life and progress of their “miracle babies.” Former patients come from all over the region, including Matthews, Mint Hill, Charlotte, Huntersville, Mooresville, and Union County.

The NICU is a special intensive care unit for newborns. Staff care for babies born as early as 23 weeks – 17 weeks before full term – as well as full-term babies who are critically ill when they’re born. Many require breathing assistance, feeding tubes and other medical interventions, and some, like Leah, have to stay for months.

Leah’s parents, Dan Paquette and Terri Dombroske, knew early on they would endure a difficult pregnancy. They had already faced difficulty conceiving and during an ultrasound, the doctors found a problem with the placenta.

By week 26, Dombroske was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome, a life-threatening condition related to pre-eclampsia. The doctors performed an emergency cesarean at week 27.

Because of the high-risk health factors, Paquette was not allowed in the operating room to be with his wife during the procedure, or experience the birth of his daughter. When he first saw Leah in the NICU, he was shocked.

“When you see your baby for the first time, it’s supposed to be an exceptionally happy moment,” he said. “When you see a child that small, there’s some degree of concern.”

Dombroske was heavily medicated after the delivery and was not able to see Leah until the following day. Leah was placed in an incubator, with heart monitors and various tubes, including one for feeding, hooked up to her tiny body. Her skin was paper-thin and translucent, and she was unnaturally small.

“I lost it when I saw her in the incubator,” Dombroske said. “You have a vision, and that’s not what you expect to see.”

Paquette and Dombroske eventually returned home, but drove to the hospital each day to visit Leah.

“It’s a strange feeling, like babysitting someone else’s kid,” Paquette said of visiting Leah in the hospital. “You’re watching a process that really should have been happening in the womb.”

After 79 days, Leah was finally ready to come home on Christmas Eve 2010.

Now, at nearly 19 months, Leah is showing no long-term health issues. Although she is still small and working with a speech therapist to develop language skills, her parents expect her to be on the same level as other children by the time she turns 3.

This will be the second time Leah and her parents have attended a NICU reunion.

They’re also excited about reconnecting with the families, doctors and nurses they met while Leah was in the NICU.

“Everyone was just awesome, the way they made you feel comfortable,” Dombroske said.

Although Leah’s stay in the NICU was difficult for the family, it was a life-changing experience all three will carry with them the rest of their lives.

“It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but looking back, I wouldn’t do it any other way,” Paquette said. “We have this bond with the NICU. You spend so much time there that it’s part of you, like a special club. (You become) very grateful for what they’re able to do for your child. I guess (the reunion) is kind of a homecoming.”

by Morgan Smith

Anje Seufert waits for her son, Caiden, as they bike to Elizabeth Lane from Carmel Baptist Church Wednesday. Morgan Smith/MMHW photo

The siblings participated in Bike to School Day at Elizabeth Lane Elementary School, an inaugural event that happened nation wide Wednesday, May 9 and in just 13 schools throughout North Carolina. The event is part of May’s National Bike Month and exists to raise awareness of the benefits of bicycling to school.

At Elizabeth Lane Elementary in Matthews, students were encouraged to either bike or walk and nearly 110 students, around 84 families, participated.

Mandy Brock, one of the physical education teachers at the school, said she was impressed by the turnout, and said it’s great to see students and their families taking the initiative to be healthy.

“By students walking or biking to school, it alleviates the traffic, but it’s also a good way to get outside,” she said. “It’s a good exercise and it’s good for their minds.”

The special event was coordinated by the national Safe Routes to School program, and was sponsored by various organizations such as the North Carolina Department of Transportation, who said promoting the event also promotes bike safety, such as helmets, and how to work the handle bar and breaks. In Mecklenburg County, Dick Winters at the Mecklenburg County Health Department, helped coordinate the event in the district’s four participating schools. Winters said Elizabeth Lane Elementary showed interest in the event after they participated in the annual Walk to School Day last fall, which is held every year, the first Wednesday in October, and is the model for Bike to School Day. Other local schools that participated were Cotswold and Olde Providence elementary schools in south Charlotte.

“This came about because of an interest from parents and teachers about active transportation for their students,” Winters said. “These are events — it’s not typically a daily occurrence. But we’re seeing people come out to do this and be exposed to it.”

Winters said the first step to promoting active transportation for kids and their parents is by first raising awareness about the options and benefits.

It’s about “building physical activity into a daily routine,” Winters said. “The benefits are health, physical activity and it’s been shown to increase their readiness to learn.” Winters added that participation in biking and walking and other active transportation shows environmental concern, and will help keep traffic and pollution down around the schools.

But choosing to walk or bike to school is not left in kids’ hands, Winters said, and parents are the ones who really have the decision to choose.

And for Jen Shubert, it’s a choice her kids want her to make, especially because the family is frequent bikers and runners.
“It is fun biking to school,” kindergartener Sara Shubert said. “I wish we could bike everyday.”

But Jen Shubert said first, the family would have to work out a system, figuring out where to store the bikes while the kids are in school, and coordinating who would bike or run with the kids every morning. Elizabeth Lane has two bike racks, one located on each side of the school.

“I’ve actually thought about how we could arrange it,” she said. “They love to be active and talk all the time about not using gas and being environmentally friendly, so I think this is a great practice.”