Pineville Pilot

Residents of Pineville and visitors alike will take to the streets of historic downtown on May 16, a Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to celebrate what’s become one of the town’s most beloved traditions.

The fourth annual Crops and Shops festival will kick off the opening of Pin-eville’s Farmers Market, as well as bring downtown vendors and merchants onto the streets with special giveaways, prizes, sales, food trucks, live music and more.

Jennifer Fagan, president of the Downtown Merchants Association and owner of Fluffs of Love, said the Crops and Shops festival unites Pineville, giv-ing the area “small town charm” and a sense of community.

“It’s really wonderful,” she said. “I think, to be honest, a lot of people crave small towns and that small-town feel. In my opinion, going to a farmers market or a little downtown area is the coolest thing you can do on a weekend. This fes-tival is really important for that aspect. It brings us a hometown feeling.”

The Farmers Market will be a staple of this year’s Crops and Shops, as more

than 15 farmers are slated to participate in the event, the most since the market’s inception.

Visitors to Crops and Shops farmers market will find not only fresh produce, but local honey, jams, jellies, vegetable plants, flowers, herbs, naturally-raised meat, fresh seafood, breads and more.

Adele Mahan, co-manager of the Farmers Market and member of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the growth and variety of the market will make this year’s festival the best yet.

“It’s so exciting,” Mahan said. “We worked really hard to get a variety of

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INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime, 7; Education, 12; Faith, 14; Scores, 8; Home Sales, 10; Sports, 15

Locally Owned & Operatedwww.thecharlotteweekly.com

page 12

South Meck welcomes StatSquad

Volume 3, Number 4 • April, 2015

Crops and Shops pops up next month

State bills could cause budget issues for Pineville

Pineville Downtown Merchants Association prepares for annual festival

by Courtney Schultz [email protected]

The Pineville Town Council passed two resolutions during its April 14 meeting in response to potential North Carolina Gen-eral Assembly actions that would cause dif-ficulties for the town.

In May 2014, Pineville lost approximately $700,000 after the state passed a law repeal-ing the authority of the town to levy future privilege license taxes beginning with the 2015-16 fiscal year. The privilege tax typically pays for emergency services within town lim-its, including EMT, fire and police services for area businesses. The tax ranged from $7,500 annually for “big box” stores, such as Belk or Sam’s Club, down to $25 for “mom-and-pop shops,” said Town Manager Haynes Brigman.

Councilmember Les Gladden described the blow as taking away one police officer during each shift and the state expecting the town to make up for lost funding.

Brigman said the lack of public safety jobs is where the town will see the negative impact of the loss because rural residents travel to Pineville to shop and expect a high level of public safety when they visit. The town can-not provide the same level of public safety with the loss of funds.

“The rural communities are coming in and spending their monies here, but it’s taking a lot of resources to make sure that they have a safe and enjoyable experience when they do that,” Brigman said.

The town also will feel the brunt of the blow in the upcoming fiscal budget, he added.

N.C. Sen. Harry Brown recently pro-posed Senate Bill 369, which redistributes the point-of-sale local sales tax from urban to rural communities. Since Pineville is part

(see State bills on page 11)

by Hannah Chronis [email protected]

(see Crops and Shops on page 4)

Phot

o co

urt

esy

of B

ill

McC

onnel

l

Home Salesin Pineville

page 10

Page 2 • April 2015 • Pineville Pilot [email protected]

www.HistoricDowntownMonroe.org

MUSIC ON MAIN4th Thursday of the Month

6:30 - 9:30pmAPRIL 23

JULY 23 AUG. 27 SEPT. 24 OCT. 22

MAY 28 JUNE 25

Holiday Band(beach/variety)

Emily Minor(country)

Radiojacks(variety)

Ken Knox & Co.(beach/variety)

Matt Stratford Band(variety)

Fourth Creek Band(James Taylor Tribute)

Image(old school R&B)

LIVELIVE

BEACH-BLUES & BBQ

July 4th Celebration in the

Park1st Weekend in MayMay 1st 7-10pm & May 2nd 11am-4pm

Sunday, May 17th at 6:30pm“¡Sí, Sí Symphony!”

Union Symphony & Youth Orchestra(lawn seating available, picnics and blankets are encouraged)

May 1st at 7pm: The Embers (beach) May 2nd at 12pm: The Caribbean Cowboys (variety)

4:30pm: Rides and fun foods7:00pm: Darrell Harwood (country)

9:30pm: Fireworks in

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/MeetMeDowntown /OnMainInMonroe

July 4th annually

Pineville Pilot • April 2015 • Page [email protected]

Pineville resident Bobby Graham and Town Councilmember Les Gladden reminisced about their time playing ball with Pineville’s little league baseball team from 1967 to 1969, while Hartsell Construction prepared the land at the site of Pineville’s new baseball fields on April 10.

“If you were a kid, you played baseball in Pineville (back then),” said Gladden.

They played from 10 to 12 years old and there were four teams with about 50 players, Graham said.

Graham and Gladden were on Huntley Motors, while others played on Pineville Red and White Supermarket, Cone Mills and Pin-eville Utilities.

Graham remembers riding his bike to the old baseball fields and spending Saturdays playing baseball and watching the other teams compete, as well as running over to Mr. Vick’s convenience store – now Stough’s parking lot – for bubble gum, drinks and snacks.

“It was a simpler time. It was a good time,” Gladden agreed.

Both men are optimistic about the new baseball fields currently under construction next to Pineville Elementary School, replac-ing the old ball fields that were buried under-neath the new elementary school when it was constructed two years ago. The new fields

also are in the same spot where they originally played ball.

“I hope it brings baseball back to the people in Pineville,” Graham said.

Pineville Community Athletic Association (PCAA) hasn’t had a home field since 2012. The teams have played at Jack Hughes Memo-rial Park, South Charlotte Middle School and sometimes in Matthews.

PCAA addressed Pineville Town Council in February 2014 to propose a partnership between PCAA and the town, as well as ask for the town’s help funding the construction of new ball fields. In March 2014, the coun-cil voted in favor of partnering with PCAA and also agreed to partner with Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation to assist with construction costs. Pineville Parks and Recre-ation Athletic Coordinator Jennifer Honaker was named PCAA Executive Board President.

In April 2014, the town voted in favor of the PCAA agreement. In the agreement the town was promised two board seats and prior approval of residential discounts and physical changes to fields. PCAA would be responsible for maintenance and Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation and Pineville would fund the new field’s construction.

Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation Proj-ect Manager David Suddreth oversees the construction of the three new baseball fields. He said the first phase of the project will cost between $375,000 and $400,000. Pineville

will fund $300,000 and Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation will fund the additional $75,000 to $100,000.

The first phase will include grading, irri-gation, soil adjustments, concrete and con-struction of the fields and dugouts. This budget also will include three bleachers, three rows high for each field and team, said Suddreth. Phase two will include lighting and restrooms and phase three will revamp the school parking lot.

He hopes to complete the project by May 15, so he can install the sod.

“It takes six months for the grass to grow,” said Suddreth.

Current Pineville Parks and Recreation Athletic Coordinator and PCAA President Dennis Buckley said PCAA is excited about the ongoing construction of the fields and

their new partnership with the town. PCAA has 21 spring teams with approxi-

mately 250 kids playing tee ball, machine-pitch, minor league and major league, accord-ing to Buckley. He also said this year they’ve added girl’s softball for 8 years old and older and Babe Ruth baseball for 14 years old and older.

The three fields will accommodate the tee ball teams – the largest in the league at 10 spring teams – machine-pitch and minor league teams. The Babe Ruth and major league teams require a larger diamond, so they won’t be able to use the new fields, he said.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for residents to stay right in town and participate in sports, said Kristy Detwiler, Pineville Parks and Rec-reation Director.

News

by Crystal O’Gorman [email protected]

This picture was taken on Pineville’s first town ball fields in 1967, where the new fields are being built now. The team was Huntley Motors. Front row, from left: Coach Henry Jones, Crawford, Alan Cowick, Jack Costner, Chris Allen, Bobby Graham, Les Gladden and Coach Wally Satterfield. Back row, from left: Walter Davis, Billy Blankenship, Zack Bailes, Bay Rod-gers and the late Ikey Dellinger. Photo courtesy of Bobby Graham

Baseball finds a new home in Pineville


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farmers and I think everyone is really excited to participate, especially the downtown businesses.”

The farmers market is just one aspect that makes Crops and Shops festival such a success, Fagan said.

Luna, a high-end women’s clothing boutique headquartered in Pineville, will host its annual bargain sale under a large, 2,400-square-foot tent at the cor-ner of Johnston Drive and Main Street. The tent sale will feature brands such as Citizens of Humanity, Hudson, Paige, 7 for all Mankind, Velvet and more at dis-counted prices.

Bill McConnell, secretary of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the Luna tent sale alone would draw more than 1,000 visitors to Pineville, but it’s unclear how many total attend-ees are expected at this year’s event.

“The Luna tent sale, of course, is always extremely popular,” he said. “Large crowds will be out just because of that, but we don’t really track the number of attendees because it’s not that important to us. We’re focused on providing a family-friendly and fun afternoon for residents and visitors of Pineville.”

Fagan, who became president of the Downtown Merchants Association in January 2015, said Fluffs of Love has been at its location at 315 Main St. for more than a year, and the Crops and Shops festival is a great way to draw residents’ attention to the variety of vendors located downtown.

“It’s really just a great event,” she said. “Bill and Adele have taken this project and run with it. From a merchant’s side, we’re all really excited. So many people stop in the stores and it’s a great way to get people to come out. I feel like Crops and Shops is one of the better events we hold downtown.”

Sabra Callas will provide live jazz and blues music, beginning at 9 a.m. and Larry Hopper will perform acoustic favorites at noon.

“The festival is really going to be phenomenal, just like it was last year,” Fagan said. “It’s for families and adults. It’s been a team effort to make it pos-sible and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Crops and shops(continued from page 1)

The following are the featured sidewalk sales for Crops and Shops:

Studio 321Reduced prices on select blow dry-

ers, curling irons and beauty supplies with proceeds going to the salon’s char-ity, Gift Beauty.

Fresh Start TransitionsFree face painting for kids; free draw-

ing for home organizing services; home furnishings, antiques and vintage col-lectibles up to 50 percent off.

Unwind Tea Leaves & Coffee Beans

Free samples of select teas, plus dis-counts on jewelry, handbags and other items.

Kiki’s KottageOffering home furnishings, art and

collectibles up to 75 percent off; free drawing for gift certificates.

Fluffs of LuvPluck-a-Duck from the Fluffs of Luv

pool for extra savings from downtown merchants.

Two On Earth Bakery CafeDiscount coupons; drawings for gift

certificates; half-price lunch specials and decorate-your-own cookies and cupcakes.

Dick’s Bicycle ShopCycling accessories and service up

to 25% off; pre-owned bikes 20 percent off.

Christie’s On MainVintage jewelry, china, vinyl, furni-

ture and more on sale up to 50 percent off, plus a special $1 table and free appetizers.

Z Home FurnishingsSelect home furnishings, art, hand

painted signs and collectibles up to 75 percent off.

Retro RebootSelect vintage video games and action

figures on sale up to 20 percent off.

LUNADesigner denim, jewelry, clothing

and accessories all on sale up to 80 per-cent off.

Photo courtesy of Bill McConnell


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Summer set to start with new year of “Rock & Reels” by Ryan Pitkin

[email protected]

Summer is in the air as the Rockin’ & Reelin’ 2015 Summer Concert and Movie Series is set to begin when it hosts country singer Ross Coppley on the amphitheater stage in Pineville Lake Park on May 29, a Friday.

The series, originally titled Sounds of Summer, has been held in Pineville for nearly 20 years, with every year turn-ing out a bit more people, said Kristy Detwiler, director of Pineville Parks and Recreation.

“When we first started, we were lucky to get 25 people to come out and enjoy a concert,” Detwiler said.

The series has come a long way, espe-cially since adding the amphitheater to the park about 10 years ago, she said. Today, organizers expect anywhere between 800 and 1,500 people every time musicians take the stage, with the largest turnout for the Charlotte Symphony’s performance.

This year, attendees can look forward to an increase in food trucks, an attraction Detwiler has been trying to get on-site for years, she said.

“For years, we’ve tried to get food ven-dors, but it was hard to get them to come to a concert for three hours,” she said. “Now it seems to be the popular thing and it has suddenly become hard to get food

trucks.” He Fed 5,000 and Smax Flatbread Grill

food trucks have committed so far to the 2015 series.

Each concert also will feature bounce houses and inflatable slides for the chil-dren. Each event is preceded with a pre-show, which includes performances from local companies, such as karate or gym-nastics studios or sometimes a local resi-dent dressed as a character of the movie shown that night.

Usually about half of the people attend movies than concerts, Detwiler said. There are no inflatable slides or bounce houses during movies, and families can settle in at dusk for a showing of a family-friendly film.

“It’s mostly young families, but we also have a group from Sun City (retirement home in Indian Land, South Carolina) who come and set up a tent in the corner for every concert,” Detwiler said. “We are set up for all ages.”

A variety of genres will be represented throughout the summer at Rockin’ & Ree-lin’, but country will serve as the kickoff when Ross Coppley, a Lexington-born country star now living in Nashville, Ten-nessee, takes the stage.

Look for a question-and-answer session with Coppley in next month’s Pineville Pilot.


The Pineville Pilot News Briefs

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Pineville resident turns 104 years old

Robert Capps, a longtime resident of The Laurels and The Haven at Carolina Place, celebrated his 104th birthday last month.

Capps is an original Charlottean, who was born and raised in the Steele Creek commu-nity of Mecklenburg County. His family ran a cotton gin, a sawmill and a corn-grinding mill in the Steele Creek community. He began his writing career in the 1990s and has written multiple books over the past 14 years – his latest was “What Makes Bob Tick,” published in September 2007.

The Laurels at Carolina Place honored his birthday on March 19 with a perfor-mance by Ethan Uslan, a three-time win-ner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest.

Pineville stores host grand openings this month

Two Pineville stores held their grand openings this month to help grow Pineville’s community.

Anytime Fitness of Pineville opened its door with a ribbon cutting by Pineville Mayor Jack Edwards on April 11. The event featured local health and fitness vendors, such as Run for Your Life and Express Your Health, and a blood drive benefitting the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas.

Michael and Susan Gilder, both U.S. Air Force veterans, opened the gym, located at 601 N. Polk St., to offer a new way for Pin-eville residents to achieve physical fitness. The location will include high-intensity interval training and WellBeats programs.

Anytime Fitness also will host “Free Workout Saturdays” for all adults at 9 a.m. each Saturday in May. The events will take place at Pineville Lake Park, located at 1000 Johnston Drive.

Contact 704-889-0800 for more infor-mation about Anytime Fitness.

Value Finders Warehouse, located at 413D N. Polk St. opened its doors at 9 a.m. on April 17 and held its first auction at 10 a.m.

The warehouse is a thrift/consignment store that offers various ways to sell items.

“When we said that we are doing shop-ping on a bolder level, we weren't kidding. If it does not sell on the floor, we have the option to sell in on several (websites) or send it to auction. That means that items won't last long in our (more than 25,000-square-foot) space/store and makes it to someone's home quickly,” owner Fatima James Scott Eddie said in an email.

The warehouse offers delivery and pick up and purchases furniture. Contact 704-491-6654 for more information about the warehouse.

Wendy Favreau opened Unwind Tea Leaves & Coffee Beans, located at 109 Dover St., on April 7 with a soft opening.

The retail shop offers about 70 different

loose teas that can be bought by the ounce; about seven different coffees by the pound; gourmet salts and seasoning mixes; jewelry; handbags made by Ameri-can artists and accessories; and more.

Favreau plans to host a grand open-ing at the Crops & Shops Festival on May 16.

Contact 704-889-8327 for more infor-mation about the shop.

Pineville Parks and Rec to set up mobile unit for art, nature programs

The Pineville Town Council approved a mobile classroom at its April 14 meet-ing for Pineville Parks and Recreation to offer residents more art and environmen-tal programs.

After the Civic & Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) of Pineville closed in summer 2014, the town looked for new cultural arts options for residents, said Kristy Detwiler, director of Pineville Parks and Recreation.

Rick Crowley, an area artist, has offered various programs for residents, and the programs’ popularity has grown steadily, generating a need for more space to host additional programs.

The council approved renting a mobile classroom from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for $1 a year, and using $20,000 to move the unit and purchase furnish-ings to set up the unit for use. The unit will be placed behind the Belle Johnson Community Center (BJCC).

The $20,000 also will help purchase materials to build an ADA-accessible (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramp with railings, as well as stairs, Town Man-ager Haynes Brigman said.

“Since an expansion of the BJCC is not

ROBERT CAPPS

Mayor Jack Edwards cut the ribbon at Any-time Fitness of Pineville’s grand opening on April 11. Photo courtesy of Michael Gilder

(see News Briefs on page 11)


The following people were arrested in Pin-eville from March 9 to April 12, according to the Pineville Police Department.

• Michael Velasquez, 8700 block of Pin-eville-Matthews Road: Shoplifting. March 9

• Shaniya Brooks, 8900 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Shoplifting at Circle K. March 9

• Breanna Grant, 8900 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Aiding and assisting in shop-lifting. March 9

• Daniel Royer, 10200 block of Johnston Road: Expired registration tag; possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia. March 10

• Nedim Boric, 10200 block of Johnston Road: Possession of cocaine, marijuana and paraphernalia and a concealed handgun. March 10

• Victoria Ellis, 10200 block of Johnston Road: Possession of heroin. March 10

• John Murphy, 8800 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Drug violations; concealing paraphernalia; possession or marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. March 10

• Philip Smith, 10000 block of Lee Street: Escaping from custody or resisting arrest. March 12

• Allison Moore, 10500 block of Centrum Parkway: Shoplifting. March 13

• Arthur Brown, 500 block of North Polk Street: Commercial non-forcible burglary.

March 13• Michael Shackelford Jr., N.C. 51 near

Johnston Drive: Driving while impaired. March 14

• Jaxiver Lorenzi Jr., 8800 block of Pin-eville-Matthews Road: Possession of cocaine. March 14

• Juan Garcilazo, 10700 block of Park Road: Possession of marijuana and parapher-nalia. March 15

• Richard Eugene Thames, 300 block of Pineville Forest Drive: Aggravated child abuse inflicting serious injury. March 15

• Crystal Anderson, 1000 block of Blythe Boulevard: Non-assaultive child abuse. March 19

• Jasmine Hillman, 11000 block of Caro-lina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. March 16

• Jeremy May, Pineville Lake Park, address not listed: Drug violations; concealing para-phernalia. March 16

• Victor Velasquez, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Drinking under 21 years old. March 17

• Rafael Pedreroramirez, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old. March 17

• Heber Velasquez-Guerra, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old. March 18

• Karoline Valverde, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old.. March 18

• Shannel Salters, South Boulevard at Longleaf Drive: Possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. March 19

• Jarrett Brewer, South Boulevard at Lon-gleaf Drive: Possession of marijuana; conceal-ing drug paraphernalia. March 19

• Edgar Villavicencio, 12700 block of

Windy Pipes Way: Possessing and concealing drug paraphernalia. March 19

• Kathy Wilson, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting at Sears. March 19

• Byron Thompson, 8800 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Failure to pay fine. March 20

• Jaiman Jenkins, 8900 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old. March 21

• Trevor Porrata, 8900 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old. March 21

• Krista Burns, 8900 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Consuming alcohol 21 years old. March 21

• Brianna Harris-Santiago, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting; remov-ing anti-theft device. March 21

• Dorian Cox, 10600 block of Park Road: Careless and wreckless driving while impaired. March 21

• Andre Gomez, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Assault on a female. March 22

• D’Aja Johnson, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Simple physical assault. March 22

• Heber Velasquez-Guerra, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Resisting arrest. March 22

• Karoline Valverde, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old. March 22

• Erik Guerra, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Resisting, obstructing, delaying arrest. March 22

• Victor Velasquez, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Resisting, obstructing, delaying arrest. March 22

• Adrian Velasquez, 10300 block of

Osprey Drive: Assault on a government official; contributing to the delinquency of a minor. March 22

• Tamryn Varnum, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old; resisting, obstructing, delaying arrest. March 22

• Rafael Pedreroramirez, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old; resisting, obstructing, delaying arrest. March 22

• Karla Mendez, 10300 block of Osprey Drive: Consuming alcohol under 21 years old; escaping from custody, resisting arrest. March 22

• Jerry Andrew Conner, 12300 block of Lancaster Highway: Possession of schedule II controlled substance; aid and abet larceny. March 30

• Z’Zream Elliot Greene, 12600 block of Rock Hill-Pineville Road: Assault on a female; vandalism; larceny. March 30

• Ivey May McKnight, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. March 30

• Mikeala Raine Robinson, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. March 30

• Cristian Lopez-Moreno, 12000 block of Sabal Park Drive: Drug violations; using drug paraphernalia. April 1

• Johnathan Thomas Koons, CMC Pin-eville, 10628 Park Road: Warrant. April 2

• Alex Gerardo Pavon, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Unlawful conceal-ment. April 2

• Billie Richard Braswell Jr., McDon-ald’s, 8824 Pineville-Matthews Road: Warrant; larceny. April 3

News

The Pineville Pilot Crime Blotter

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Crops & Shops 2015 Festival

Saturday, May 16Historic Downtown Pineville

4thANNUAL

• Live Music • Face Painting • Food • Tent Sales • Farmers Market • Games • Family Fun

8 am Farmers Market 8 am Giant LUNA Tent Sale 9 am Jazz/Blues Songstress

Sabra Callas9 am Main Street Sidewalk

Sales12 Noon Folk/Classic

Rockers LA Acoustics

(see Blotter on page 10)


Japanese SteakhouseThe Best Hibachi Show in Town!

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The Pineville Pilot Restaurant Scores

The Mecklenburg County Health Department inspected the following dining locations from March 13 to April 16.

All Scores:

28134 • Buca Di Beppo, 10915 Carolina

Place Pkwy. – 94.5 • China Buffet, 9931 Lee St. –

93.5 • El Veracruz Restaurant, 391

Towne Centre Blvd. – 96.5 • Harper’s Restaurant, 11059

Carolina Place Pkwy. – 95.5 • IHOP, 9940 Pineville-Matthews

Road – 96 • Jimmy John’s, 8912-B Pinev-

ille-Matthews Road – 97 • Machu Picchu Restaurant, 315

S. Polk St., suite 4E – 93.5 • Monkey Joe’s, 601 N. Polk St.

– 93.5 • Olive Garden, 9421 Pineville-

Matthews Road – 97.5 • Sky Asian Bistro, 9925 Leitner

Drive – 97.5 • Two On Earth Bakery Café,

333 Main St. – 97 • Zafran Kabab Palace, 212 N.

Polk St. – 95

Restaurants are given grades of A for scoring at least 90 percent, B for 80 to 89 percent and C for 70 to 79 percent. The state revokes permits for restaurants that score below 70 percent.


20152015 Issues Dates

(Tuesday Publish Days)

January 20February 17

March 17April 21May 19June 16July 21

August 18September 22October 20November 17December 15

Nestled adjacent to Ballantyne and SouthPark in south Charlotte, the Town of Pineville offers the small-town feel with all the big city amenities within its borders, just across the street in south Charlotte, and only a few minutes away from Uptown.

With a current population of just over 8,000 and growing quickly with beautiful new neighborhoods from John Wieland’s McCullough (see image below) to True Home’s Parkway Crossing, Pineville is on the move.

As Pineville’s only newspaper, the residents of Pineville read The Pilot cover-to-cover. Get in front of these attentive and loyal readers and turn them into your customers by advertising in The Pilot.

Call (704) 849-2261 or e-mail [email protected]

Pineville Pilot 5,000 CirculationSize Color 12 x 6 x 3 x Open

Full $124 $330 $396 $462 $495 Jr. $96 $256 $307 $358 $384 1/2 $68 $182 $218 $254 $272 1/3 $46 $121 $145 $169 $182 1/4 $35 $94 $112 $131 $140 1/6 $25 $66 $79 $92 $99 1/8 $18 $47 $56 $66 $70


• Kaylan Nicholas Knight, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 3

• Stephanie Marie Brown, 110 block of College Street: Misuse of emergency commu-nication. April 3

• Courtney Shantay Clifton, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 4

• Demetria Jade Shabre Barber, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 4

• Angel Guevara, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting; damage to per-sonal property. April 4

• George Luis Gonzalez, Carmel Road, no address listed: Driving while under the influence. April 4

• Vincente Estevez, 11000 block of Caro-lina Place Parkway: Counterfeiting. April 6

• Alejandro Vicente, 11000 block of Car-olina Place Parkway: Counterfeiting; resisting, obstructing and delaying arrest. April 6

• Dion Hallman, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 7

• Ariana Buckner, 11000 block of Caro-lina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 7.

• Tierra Ros, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 7

• Christine Vinson, 11000 block of Caro-lina Place Parkway: Shoplifting. April 8

• Shakeela Naquay Allen, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Aiding and abetting. April 8

• Natasha Deann Knotts, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Aiding and abetting. April 8

• Braxton Tyriell Knotts, 11000 block of

Carolina Place Parkway: Aiding and abetting. April 8

• Nayanna Dunbar, 300 block of South Polk Street: Unlawful concealment. April 8

• Dajah Alisha Galvain, 300 block of South Polk Street: Unlawful concealment. April 8

• Claude Hasselden Atkinson Jr., 8900 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Defrauding an inn keeper. April 8

• Pete Tywain Reed, 400 block of Main Street: Warrant service. April 9

• Sharon Marie Schuler, 120 block of Lowery Street: Warrant service. April 10

• Artell Eugene Leaks, 10200 block of Feld-farm Lane: Possession of marijuana. April 10

• Anthony Michael Guglieimi, 8000 block of Corporate Center Drive: Warrant ser-vice. April 10

• Irving Morel, 9010 block of Pineville-Matthews Road: Warrant service. April 11

• Dominick Lamont, 11000 block of Carolina Place Parkway: Larceny; resisting, delaying and obstructing arrest; trespassing; order for arrest; warrant service. April 11

• Kyle Summers, CMC-Pineville, 10628 Park Road: Simple non-physical threat upon officer. April 11

• Joseph Demetrious Aguayo III, McMullen Creek Parkway, no address listed: Drug violation. April 12

• Netoria Shaquelle, Main Street near Oakley Avenue: Driving while under the influ-ence. April 12

• Megan Elizabeth Jones, N.C. 51 near Centrum Parkway: Possession of schedule IV controlled substance; simple possession of marijuana; possession of marijuana parapher-nalia. April 12

News

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Mccullough 15517 Country Lake Drive Mar. 23 $536,666 15318 Country Lake Drive Mar.18 $376,850 15807 Country Lake Drive Mar. 9 $371,296 Parkway Crossing 12513 Druids Glen Drive Mar. 12 $278,540 Woodside Village 12501 Agate Lane Mar. 17 $150,000


News

State bills(continued from page 1)

News Briefs(continued from page 6)

of Mecklenburg County – one of the most urban counties in the state – the bill could potentially reduce sales tax collections for the town by up to $263,000, or 2.5 percent of the town’s budget, annually.

“Right now there are two options in the (N.C.) Senate for the sales tax redistribution, (which will cause) different outcomes, dif-ferent circumstances. We’re seeing varying degrees on what that impact will be, but it’s all negative,” Brigman said.

The combination of the loss of privilege license taxes and sales tax distribution could prove to be “catastrophic” for the town, he added.

The council and town staff, as they delve into their budget process, are looking into options regarding how the town will han-dle the budget blow despite not knowing whether the bills will pass.

“Pineville is such a unique place. It has a small population – we only have 8,500 folks that live here – but we have over 7 million square feet of retail space, so not very many communities have that type of dynamic,” Brigman said.

Because of this dynamic, the town must provide specific services to its businesses, and any loss of revenue would impact the town’s ability to provide those services, he said.

“(If N.C. Senate Bill 369 passes,) it’s going to be a combination of service cuts, scaled back in our departments, pushing off of capi-tal projects and capital purchases, possible fee increases, even possible tax increases are all on the table for discussion,” Brigman said.

Pineville Mayor Jack Edwards said the town went into its fourth budget meeting on April 16, in which department heads presented their departments’ needs, and the town will review the needs at a budget wrap-up meeting on April 28.

“We’re going to get creative,” he said, add-ing the town hopes to present its final budget at the May or June council meeting.

The North Carolina League of Munici-palities and N.C. Sen. Jeff Jackson met in Pineville on April 13 to discuss state bills that might be on the docket, including N.C. Senate Bill 396.

Brigman said even the more rural munici-palities did not support the redistribution because they did not want to “harm one in order to help another” and wanted “all coun-ties to rise together.”

Edwards said town representatives have visited Raleigh and have been met with resis-tance.

Councilmember David Phillips said the April 30 deadline for the N.C. Gen-eral Assembly to read the bills is quickly approaching, but Jackson told him the bill would most likely return.

The council also passed a resolution call-ing for the state to support the retention of historic tax credits.

The state budget typically puts forth money to give a 20-percent tax credit to indi-viduals who rehabilitate historic properties for moneymaking intentions.

Residents can combine the state tax credit with a 20-percent federal tax credit for a 40-percent total credit.

Some legislators, however, suggest local municipalities should be responsible for sup-plying these types of economic development incentives.

The bill is not necessarily an impact on the town’s budget, but the tax credits could be helpful for developers interested in rehabbing the Cone Mill property or other historic prop-erties in the downtown area, Brigman said.

Both resolutions will be presented to state representatives to reflect the town’s position on upcoming legislative actions.

close by, this is the most cost-effective option,” Brigman added.

The unit will be used exclusively for art and nature programs.

“I’ve been pushing for arts program-ming since I’ve been on this board, so I’m happy to see it rolling,” said Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Rogers Davis.

Two public hearings coming in May

The Pineville Town Council approved two public hearings during its April 14 meeting regarding a petition to increase the height of the cell tower near Wald-horn Restaurant and changes to storm water fees.

At the March 10 council meeting, Crown Castle presented an application to increase the height of the cell tower, which left councilmembers and town staff questioning the document’s legitimacy.

Pineville Planning Director Travis Mor-gan voiced concern regarding the 2014 engineering report from FDH Engineering,

Inc., which estimated a 106.1 percent struc-tural rating, meaning the height increase would make the tower 6.1 percent over capacity. Morgan also could not contact the report’s engineers, and their signatures on the report did not appear legitimate.

Councilmembers gave Crown Castle the opportunity to re-evaluate the applica-tion and continue the public hearing at the April 14 meeting. Crown Castle represen-tatives said they did not have enough infor-mation for that meeting and requested to reschedule the hearing for May 12.

The council’s May 12 meeting also will encompass a public hearing regarding a change in storm water fees for the town.

Through an update to the current Inter-local Agreement with the county related to storm water fee collection, the change eliminates the need of the town and the county to hold a joint public hearing regarding the storm water changes.

The town won’t know the specific changes to the fees until the town’s bud-get adoption, but Pineville will now have more discretion over the fees.

The public hearings will take place at the May 12 council meeting at 6:30 p.m. at The Hut, located at 413 Johnston Road.

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Ten South Mecklenburg High School stu-dents will soon use statistics to help improve the school’s athletic teams as a result of a partnership with OrthoCarolina.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and OrthoCarolina have partnered to introduce a new STEM- based (science, technology, engi-neering, mathematics) internship program, StatSquad, that uses sports and statistical performance to prepare students for careers in data analytics.

South Meck is one of five CMS high schools to participate in the program this spring sports season.

Charlotte-based National Amateur Sports (NAS) developed StatSquad to provide an after-school learning opportunity to study the data analytics of sports, according to a news release. Students collect, edit and analyze data to share with the athletic administration and coaches to potentially be used as part of game strategy. The internship is a way to con-nect statistics and make it relatable in a “real world” setting.

“We wanted to take a group of people who love athletics, but don’t play,” said CMS Ath-letic Director Susan Doran. “We want them to have a passion for athletics and the STEM side of academics.”

CMS administration asked teachers and coaches who would be interested in the

program last year. South Meck AP statistics teacher James Walsh jumped at the oppor-tunity to lead a team at South Meck, Doran said.

Dr. Tim Chartier, a professor at Davidson College, developed the curriculum after fol-lowing Davidson’s basketball team and record-ing data from each game, analyzing the data and presenting the results to the coaches.

“That part of data analysis is getting the data collected,” he said. “When you look at what we’re doing, we may not know what we’re doing (or what the result will be).

“But you get to a place where you can actu-ally see your ideas in creative and amazing ways.”

Chartier and his team would communicate the patterns they found through data col-lection to coaches to hopefully shape future game decisions.

He encourages StatSquad students to be “open-minded” and admit when they don’t have a definitive answer.

“You’re not going to know what to do all the time,” he said. “You have to humble yourself to know you don’t know.”

NAS Managing Partner and former NFL player Roman Phifer said statistics and data played a significant role in playing in the league.

“(Data) was relevant to the whole team and those common universal (team) goals,” he said.

Coaches gave Phifer data-driven informa-tion before games to demonstrate opposing team’s tendencies. The team would adjust based on data of past games and their oppo-nents. Phifer said he’s seen how data analysis can help drive success.

“Data changes with each play,” Phifer said. “You need it to figure out where the ball is going; you have to train your eyes.

“If you’re not looking at the right thing, you’ll never (understand) the data.”

Phifer, a South Meck graduate, said the internship and data also can help connect non-athletes and athletes. When he was in high school, he said he didn’t find an easy connec-tion between the two groups, but realized that data can bridge the gap and a non-athlete can “help an athlete be the best they can be.”

OrthoCarolina CEO Dr. Dan Murrey relates to the StatSquad team because he was drawn to sports, but wasn’t an athlete.

“I was drawn to be a part of a team,” he said. Murrey, an orthopedic surgeon, said ortho-

pedics is a product of STEM, which connects with his love of sports.

“For many of us, sports and sports statis-tics are part of our everyday lives. It’s some-thing we get excited about and it’s a shared cultural passion,” said he said in the release. “It’s imperative that we seek out unique ways to encourage the next generation of students to consider STEM subjects that can lead them to careers in medicine, technology or a

number of other fields.”He said statistics and data play a major role

in his profession, as he must analyze statis-tically driven medical studies and communi-cate that information to his patients.

Sometimes medical companies conduct a study in order to sell a product, Murrey said, so he must be able to distinguish data that’s relevant.

“The most important thing with (data anal-ysis) is to make sure it’s accurate because data is the jumping off point (of medical conclu-sions),” Chartier said.

Data shows the averages of the past, so it shows probability, Murrey said, but it can’t predict exactly what will happen.

“Statistics allow you to see what was watched, but you didn’t see,” he said. “You’ve got to be a ‘grinder’ to do this.”

Junior Michelle Mitchel’s mother’s career in orthopedics motivated her to pursue the StatSquad internship. She said she’s always loved math and sports and hopes the intern-ship will help her pave the way toward her dream of working for ESPN.

Walsh said South Meck’s StatSquad stu-dents are currently in the data-collecting phase, where they’re creating rosters of all the spring sports to better organize and gather data. They are using CMS Athletic Zone to find backlogged data, but still need to create a foundation to start delving into the informa-tion.

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Education

Quail Hollow orchestra earns top ratings

CHARLOTTE – Quail Hollow Middle School’s orchestra traveled to Shelby Mid-dle School to participate in the North Caro-lina Music Performance Adjudication event for the western region. The group received ratings of “excellent” and “superior,” accord-ing to the school’s newsletter.

South Meck welcomes rising ninth-graders

CHARLOTTE – South Mecklenburg High School will host the “Sabre Showcase” on April 23 for all rising ninth-graders and students new to South Meck.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the campus, meet teachers and learn about the numerous clubs, athletic teams and extra-curricular activities at the school.

Student representatives will be available to help with directions and provide tours, and teachers will be available to answer questions. New parents also can learn about the differ-ent ways they can become involved.

The event is a drop-in format and will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Parking is available outside of the main office, and the bus lot will be used for overflow parking.

South Meck is located at 8900 Park Road.

Pineville Elementary hosts international fair

PINEVILLE – Pineville Elementary School hosted its school-wide International Fair on April 2.

The first-grade students kicked off the night by singing African songs, while fami-lies enjoyed a meal from Big Guys Pizza.

Parents viewed students’ international fair projects in various classrooms through-out the night, and also participated in the Empty Bowls Project.

Third-grade students made bowls for sale and offered ice cream to raise funds to help the children of the Kajiado Children’s Home in Kenya. The project earned $600 for the Kajiado Children’s Home last year.

Sterling foundation to host golf tournament

PINEVILLE – Sterling Elementary School’s Math & Science Foundation (SMSF), Inc. will host the Math and Sci-ence Foundation Golf 2015 Golf Classic Tournament on May 18, a Monday, at The Palisades Country Club, located at 13704 Grand Palisades Pkwy. in Charlotte.

The SMSF’s mission “is to provide free and reduced-cost math and science related edu-cational experiences for students from eco-nomically-disadvantaged backgrounds; and to develop and support programs that seek to keep students engaged in learning during the summer months to avoid regression in math and science, and nurture an enthusiasm for

these subjects,” according to the school’s website. The foundation has provided STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) summer camp scholarships since 2007 to more than 100 elementary students, which allow students to explore the topics.

Registration for the gold tournament will begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 18 with access to an open driving range and putting con-test qualifications. Attendees will be served lunch from 512 Bro & Grill at 11:30 a.m., and a shotgun tournament start will follow at noon. A putting contest final and awards and reception will take place after the tour-nament.

The tournament will cost $150 per per-son with a $20 mulligan package that includes two mulligans, one qualifying putt for the putting contest, hole-in-one contest entry and one mulligan prize ticket entry. The player package includes green and cart fees, range balls, lunch, snacks, beverages and a special tee gift.

Visit schools.cms.k12.nc.us/sterlingES/Pages/MathandScienceFoundationGolf Tournament.aspx for more information about the tournament.

International program partners with Charlotte Catholic

CHARLOTTE – The New Oasis Inter-national Education has partnered with Charlotte Catholic High School to improve the quality of United States student abroad opportunities for international students.

New Oasis plans to not only place stu-dents, but assist with their transition into the American academics and culture, accord-ing to a news release. The service provides a host family for students, so members can experience a typical American family for a six-month period. Students also are given an academic advisor to assist with schedul-ing and everyday academic life.

“The American education system pro-vides our students the opportunity to pur-sue specific areas of interest and allows stu-dents a forum in which ideas can flow freely between a teacher and his or her class. It’s not just about test scores,” Mike Atkinson, communications representative for New Oasis, said in the release. “We partner with the most competitive private day schools in the country. Our students are placed in an environment that not only allows them to succeed academically, but to thrive.”

Find more information about the pro-gram at www.newoasisedu.com.

South Meck PTSA recruiting for next year

CHARLOTTE – South Mecklenburg High School’s PTSA is recruiting rising-ninth-grade parents to join the organization.

There are a variety of positions available. Work can be done at school or at home, and there are jobs with differing hours, accord-ing to the school’s newsletter.

Contact Donna Barrett at [email protected], Karen Brown at karen [email protected] or Elise McGinnis at [email protected] for more infor-mation.

EducationThe Pineville Pilot

News & Notes


The Pineville Pilot Faith & Religion

News & Notes

Faith

Pineville UMC seeking guitar players, camp volunteers

Pineville United Methodist Church’s praise team is looking for additional guitar players who can perform on a regular basis. Those interested in learning more can con-tact John Francis at 704-889-2022.

The church also needs volunteers to help with its Summer Music and Drama Camp, slated for June 15 to 18 (preschool camp) and July 27 to 31 (ele-mentary-aged camp). Both camps will take place from 9 a.m. to noon daily, with a 6 p.m. performance on July 31.

Volunteers will be needed to serve with the following activities: crafts, rec-reation, drama, music and Bible stories. The church also needs volunteers to help with photography, morning sign-in, First Aid and snacks.

The church will host a brief organiza-tional meeting on Sunday, April 26, fol-lowing the 11 a.m. worship service for those interested in volunteering. Con-tact Francis for more information.

Pineville UMC is located at 110 S. Polk St.

St. Mark AME Zion hosting weekly community prayer service

Individuals seeking prayer or wishing to be involved in a community prayer group are invited to attend St. Mark AME Zion Church’s weekly community prayer service.

The church opens its doors to the com-munity every Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and encourages people to “come see what great things for the New Year God has in store for you,” it said in a news release.

St. Mark AME Zion is located at 605 Johnston Drive.

Harrison UMC’s rummage sale to benefit Haiti

Harrison United Methodist Church will hold a rummage sale on Saturday, April 25, from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Items for sale will include children’s cloth-ing and toys, appliances, furniture, holiday items and household and kitchen items. Har-rison UMC will use all of the proceeds from the sale to benefit children in Haiti.

The church is currently accepting dona-tions for the sale, and will accept most house-hold items except adult clothing, entertain-ment centers and analog televisions. Email [email protected] to learn more about drop-off and pick-up times and dates.

Harrison UMC is located at 15008 Lan-caster Hwy.

Primer Timers Spring Fling at Pineville Nazarene

Pineville Church of the Nazarene will host a Prime Timers Spring Fling on Saturday, April 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the church’s family life center.

Tickets cost $6 and include a barbecue dinner. The event also will feature games and entertainment courtesy of Hem, Haw, Her.

Pineville Nazarene’s Prime Timers events are open to adults 50 years old and older. Visit www.pnaz.org/minis tries/prime-timers or call 704-542-3618 for more information.

The church is located at 8614 Pinev-ille-Matthews Road.

Summer camp registration now open at Pineville UMC

Pineville United Methodist Church will the following summer camps for children of all ages. Registration is open at www.pinevilleumc.org. Call 704-889-2022 for more information. Camps will take place at the church, located at 110 S. Polk St.

Preschool Music Camp 2015June 15 to 18, 9 a.m. to noonCost: $40 before May 1; $50 afterChildren 3 to 5 years old will learn to

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Vacation Bible School 2015July 13 to 17, 9 a.m. to noonCost: FreeThis camp is open to children 4 years

old, by July 1, through sixth-graders. Campers will learn “ways to show God's love by moving, acting, caring, following and sharing,” according to the church newsletter.

Elementary Music Camp 2015July 27 to 31, 9 a.m. to noonCost: $45 before May 1; $55 afterCampers will rotate through different

centers, including music, drama, rec-reation, snack and Bible stories. Rising first- through sixth-graders will perform a musical at the end of the week, on July 31 at 6 p.m.

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Sports

eberle’s in it to win itby Ben Doster

[email protected]

Carrie Eberle has the talent and the tools to be a great pitcher, but it’s her competitive nature that makes her one of the best athletes in south Charlotte.

The 6-foot-1 Charlotte Catholic junior, who is committed to play at Virginia Tech, said she’s always been naturally competitive but often puts so much pressure on herself that it causes unnecessary stress.

Eberle grew up in a sports family, where she honed her competitiveness, and began playing softball at the age of six.

Her father, T.J., has coached her since she was young, and is the one who has pushed her the most in her softball career. Her travel coach, Adam Martin, also played an integral role in her devel-opment, she said.

Eberle, who developed gradually as a pitcher, said one of her most memo-rable moments came at 10 years old when her travel team finished fourth in the National Softball Association World Series.

That moment, along with many oth-ers, prepared her to succeed at the high school level.

Eberle’s first high school game with the Cougars was at South Meck on Feb. 27, 2013. The standout star remembers being nervous, but quickly calmed down to pitch a no-hitter and lead Charlotte Catholic to a 6-1 win. The game gave her the boost in confidence she needed.

Charlotte Catholic coach Kathleen Murphy knew Eberle was going to be a special player the first time she saw her throw in practice. She was further convinced Eberle’s freshman year when her ace hurler pitched a no-hitter in

the Mega-7 conference championship to lead the Cougars to a 2-1 win over Olympic.

“Charlotte Catholic doesn’t get pitchers like this, unlike other schools,” Murphy said. “We don’t have a system of manu-facturing pitchers like her to come through. As she came up through Holy Trinity and became a fresh-man, I saw a young lady who was very committed and dedicated to the sport of softball.”

Eberle has made strides every season, and is play-ing at a high level from the mound and at the plate this spring.

The all-around-athlete who plays first base when she’s not pitching, is 7-5 with a 1.52 ERA, a .480 batting average, 12 hits, seven RBIs, two doubles and two triples as a major part in Charlotte C a t h o l i c ’ s 10-5 (8-2 So. Meck 8) start to the season, despite missing three games due to a school mis-sions trip.

The Cougars were at a crossroads early this season with a 4-4 record, but the turning point came

when the Cougars earned a big win over Ardrey Kell, 4-0, March 24.

“That was a good team win, because we were kind of struggling toward the beginning of the season,” Eberle said.

The Cougars have won six of its last seven games with its only loss

during that span coming from a 2-0 letdown to Providence (9-3, 6-1 So. Meck 8). The Cougars will have the oppor-tunity to avenge that loss to the Panthers on April 30, and the conference champion-ship or a share of it may be

on the line.Individually, Eberle said her goal is to use high school

softball to pre-pare herself for collegiate softball, and for the team,

it’s to win the c o n f e r e n c e championship and win as many games in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A

state playoffs as possible.“I think the

Charlotte Catho-lic softball program

as a whole has been on the rise lately,” Eberle said.

“Our team as a whole is becoming

stronger every year, and I think that is what’s helped us have a good,

solid start to the season as well.”Murphy said Eberle’s dedication to

softball extends outside of the regular season and into the offseason with the work she puts in to improve her game.

“In the offseason she has added new pitches to her list of pitches she can throw,” Murphy said. “She has improved her changeup tremendously since her freshman year. She works on her game. She’s a very good team member as well.

“You can’t teach work ethic, and I think that’s something that’s been ingrained in her from a young age. She’s very talented. She’s got the height and the size to be a very good softball player, which she is. She works hard. She does little things well.”

Murphy added Eberle is a valuable asset to Charlotte Catholic, but said Eberle knows her teammates are very important to her and she wouldn’t have the success she’s having with out them.

Eberle, who will walk in her parents’ footsteps when she attends Virginia Tech, has long loved the Hokies, and has visited Blacksburg for games with them for years. It’ll be a dream come true for her when she dons the maroon and orange after graduation.

Her talent doesn’t end with softball, however. Eberle will be inducted into the National Honor Society in coming weeks and plans to study biology in col-lege in hopes of becoming a forensic scientist.

“I always liked the aspect of the police, but I wanted to do something that I didn’t have to carry a gun and I like all of those crime shows and I want to help the world in a little, small way,” Eberle said. “That’s how I think of it. As a forensic scientist you’re helping to put the bad guys away and making soci-ety better.”

Ben Litton, a senior at Charlotte Catholic and member of the Cougar’s wrestling team, received an appoint-ment to the United States Military Academy at West Point on April 1. Lit-ton is the son of Robert and Joy Litton of south Charlotte.

Litton’s goal is to “defend the prin-ciples upon which this country was founded that preserve our inalienable individual rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” he said in a news release. “I want to protect these principles for Americans and our allies

throughout the world, no matter the personal costs.”

Litton wrestled in the 145-pound weight class and qualified for the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 4A state tournament.

Jack Speidel, a senior at Charlotte Catholic and member of the Cougars football team, also received an appoint-ment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Speidel is the son of Elizabeth and John Speidel of south Charlotte.

“The United States of America is one of the most influential and involved nations in keeping peace,” Speidel said in the release. “I would be greatly

honored to fight for the most powerful and feared military in the world.”

On April 18, Charlotte Catholic High School hosted the 13th annual Service Academy Day, which gave local middle and high school students the opportu-nity to hear presentations from each of the five federal service academies, speak one-on-one with cadets and academy representatives and learn more about the nomination process, the release said.

“Already, we owe a debt of gratitude to these outstanding local students who have chosen a life of service and sacrifice in defense of our freedom and way of life,” said U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger.

Justin Titgen, a senior at Marvin Ridge High School, Adam Pelter, a senior at Butler High School and Cait-lyn Highland, a senior at Ardrey Kell High School also received appointments to West Point.

Litton, Speidel receive appointment to West Pointby Hannah Chronis

[email protected]


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