Union lifestyle March April 2014

March / April 2014 www.UnionLifestyle.com

Lifestyle

A special family:Couple adopts 10 children

with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

If a 24,000-square-foot houserequires pretentious owners,

Charlotte Mott is living in the wrong house.

Dreadlocks aside, Jahson Oshita is at home with his special brand

of uniqueness.

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Union LifestyleA publication of

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Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014 3

ContentsMarch / April 2014 t Vol. 3 No. 2

24La Unica: One of

Union’s best Mexican restaurants.

6Couple adopts 10

children with

disabilities.

9Terminology has

changed for peoplewith disabilities.

10Dearth of male

teachers in primary grades.

12Prized rain bootsirrelevant after visit

to Honduras.

14Charlotte Mott, a ‘regular girl’ wholives on an estate.

18Woman, Man of

the Year dedicated toUnion County.

21Playwright’s firstplay set for public

reading.

22Dreads aside, JahsonOshita’s uniqueness

shines through.

LifestyleUNION

On the coverMarshville Elementary Teacher CraigChopko reads with student GabrielaOrdonez-Sosa.

Photo by Nancy Stephen

5Away from Public View:Dr. Mary Ellis

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I’m apparently too apathetic or lazyto do anything about shoe boxespiled atop each other. There’s still room before theboxes hit the ceiling, so I refuse tosee them as a big problem until mysister visits and falls to the floor ina fit of uncontained laughter.

Like many women, I have too many pairs ofblack slacks, socks, tank tops, yoga pants and,apparently, way too black striped shirts for thegym. I understand and appreciate that seeing toomany clothes jammed into a closet boggles themind and that I’m not wearing half of them.With that in mind, I’ve decided to tackle thecloset and drawer clutter as part of my Spring,Summer, Fall and Winter cleaning – it’s goingto take that long.It will feel good to donate usable clothes tovarious non-profits in the county; I just hopethey have clients who, like me, have giraffelegs.

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4 Union Lifestyle l March / April 2014

I’ve been reading constantly inmagazines and newspapers about how todeclutter your house. It’s as the mediaworld thinks we all have too much stuff.Well, how dare they!I haven’t taken the articles personally,although I could. Even I know that I havetoo much of almost everything. But as one ofmy ancestors was known to say when he was achild: “I like too much!”Oprah’s magazine recently had an article by awoman who said w only need 33 articles in ourclosets, including accessories and jewelry.Apparently she’s a believer in mix and match.I get it; I really do. But what many experts don’tseem to understand is that knowing how todeclutter my closet, drawers, office and housedoesn’t translate into decluttered closets,drawers, office and house.You have to get up off your bum and startthrowing things out or giving them away. Andthat’s difficult for many people, including me. It’s not that I treasure every pair of shoes andcouldn’t bear to part with any of them, but that

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This can’t be a normal woman’scloset. There’s just not enoughclothes! But it is pretty.

Photo by California Closets

My closet, or at least part of it. Notso pretty and piled to the ceiling.

What ’ s wrong wi th these pho tos?

Away from public view

The ‘real’ Mary EllisDr. Mary Ellis, superintendent of Union County Publicschools, is proud of her Union County roots. A graduate ofUNC-Charlotte, she taught English, became a principal,then both assistant and deputy superintendent. Todayshe oversees the education of more than 40,000 studentsin 53 schools, the sixth largest system in the state.

Childhood ambition: I wanted to be an English teacherfrom the age of 3, when I learned to read. I lived on afarm – I still live on the same farm – and my grandmothertaught me to read so that I would not bother her as shewas milking cows. She also was a teacher. All I wanted tobe was an English teacher; there was never any question.

Guilty pleasure: Being on Rocky River. I love walking thefarm; I walk it every weekend if I can. It’s my quiet place.Also photography. I’ve done some weddings andchildren’s photos. I’ve never been interested in takingmoney for it because when you do that, it’s somethingyou have to do. There’s enough that I must do, that I wantsomething there waiting for me when I decide to pick it up.

Challenge: To make sure that I do the right thing in everysituation. Not the most expedient thing or the thing thatpeople want me to do but the right thing. I’m 55 years oldand I’ve done the wrong thing more than once in my life.But as best I can, I ensure that what I do is legal, moral,ethical and that it’s the right thing. It may not be thepopular thing, but in my heart, it has to be the right thing.

Lemons to lemonade story: In 2009, the graduation ratefor Union County Public Schools was 80.7 percent. Lastyear, the rate was 90.8 percent. This wasn’t result of justmy work; former Superintendent Ed Davis and DeputySuperintendent Bill Stegall set the plan. We wereconvinced that the same thing didn’t work for everyone;we had to find a better way for students who weredisengaged from school. Since then, we’ve graduatedmore than 500 students from alternative education and,last year, had a 100 percent graduation rate of teen momsor pregnant students.

Greatest accomplishment: My children. They’re all welladjusted, contributing citizens. As a mother, all I want isfor them to be happy and do the right thing.

Hero: My mama, Mary Alice Brooks. She married right outof high school and is the reason I went to college. Sheinstilled in me that “you always need to ensure that youcan take care of yourself. She wanted better for me (thanher own life). When I couldn’t see the path, she didn’tunderstand it, but she saw a better path. And insisted,goaded, cajoled . . . . She made sure I did it. She sawbetter for me before I could see it.”

Life mantra: Grandmother taught me a poem when I was alittle girl. “Good, better, best; never let it rest, until good isbetter and better is your best.” It was never expected forme to graduate first in my class, but it was alwaysexpected of me to do my best.


By Nancy E. Stephen

That newspaper story was a pivotal point in the life of KathyClewell, and, in turn, changed the lives of her husband Mike and the10 children with developmental disabilities they ultimately adopted.“It just had an impact on me. I wept, stayed up and cried all night. Iwrote in my journal that night, ‘Lord, just show us what we can todo to help children who need love and a home.’ ”At the time, the couple had three children of their own, 5, 3 andnewborn; the bedrooms were all filled, and there was no extramoney. “But what can we do?” Kathy asked in prayer. “It wasseeded into my heart that night; something happened that night.When I first talked to my husband, he was not as open.”Mike recalls his reaction. “We didn’t have money, space; we had ourown children, we need to focus on that.”Kathy adds, “So I waited. We got involved with children in thehouse for two-week periods of time from the ghettos and slums (inIndiana) but nothing more.“I waited seven years, but one night, a Saturday, when we went tobed in a much bigger home, I approached Mike again. ‘Have youthought any more about foster care?’ He said the same stuff aboutour family.“I sat up in the bed and said ‘I’m done (with this conversation.)You’ll never hear me say this again, but when you come before God,you’ll have to account for yourself.’ ”She rolled over and went to sleep, at peace; Mike was tormented allnight.Mike explains his torment. “I had a dream that the youth pastor fromour church came to the front door and said. ‘I have this little babyboy that has no home. Will you take him, take care of him?’“In the dream, I looked at the little boy and started giving excuses. Ilooked at the baby’s face and couldn’t tell him ‘no.’ I felt a lot ofemotion. I told him we would take him.”The next morning, Mike told Kathy about the dream, asking “Whatdoes that mean?”“We’re calling tomorrow about getting involved in foster care,”Kathy said. “I’m very impulsive, ready to go,” she says now. “Mike is wiser,

more analytical. His holding us back until the right time was theright thing for us.”The couple started out as licensed foster parents, having no thoughtsof adoption. “But we bonded with the children as they came. Because they weredevelopmentally or physically disabled, there weren’t other parentsavailable. So we adopted them one by one,” Kathy says.“Most parents aren’t ready to adopt children with special needs,”Mike adds. “We weren’t either, in the beginning.”In 34 years, the Clewells fostered between 40 and 50 children butfound their special heart-tug in children with intellectual ordevelopmental disabilities. “It was God’s plan,” Kathy says.Through the years, the Clewells typically had seven or eightchildren at a time in their home, counting their own children, butnow have five adopted sons, ages 22 to 25, and an adopted daughter,11. Their own children are grown with families of their own.“They keep us young,” says Kathy, 66, of the five boys. Herhusband, now retired, is 67.With Kathy staying home with the children, the family relied onMike’s income as an electrician to support their ever-changingfamily size. “We weren’t rich, but we learned that there was room for one more,”Kathy says. “We weren’t going to be rich anyway,” Mike adds.“We always had more than enough,” Kathy agrees, thanking theirfriends, family and neighbors who always have been supportive.

Iread an article about a little boy in Chicago whohad been in foster care, but was returned to his‘rehabilitated’ parents. His mother beat him to deathjust a few weeks after he went back home. He was 7.She had stood him in the corner for a couple of dayswithout food and water, then beat him. The authoritiesfound a piece of paper in his pocket that said ‘Mommy,I love you; why can’t you love me?’


“When you adopt children with special needs, you have to knowthat it’s a lifelong commitment,” Kathy says.“They’re not able to make decisions about everyday events, to havetheir own place to live, to work at a regular job,” Mike adds.“There are group homes, but we want to keep them with us as longas possible,” Kathy continues.Their first adopted child, Richard “broke us in,” she says. The 9-month-old had significant developmental disabilities and

SPECIALFAMILY‘Try to tell one of theseboys that we’re not their

mom and dad . . .’

The Clewell family from bottom left: father Mike,Joshua, Jimmy, Nathaniel, mother Kathy,

Andrew and Michael. Eva Marie is in the center.

would never walk or talk, the doctors told Kathy then. “I was ‘Oh, I didn’t sign up for that.’ We’d never had consideredadopting a child with such challenges at that point. “I don’t know if I can do that,” she thought. “I’ve never been aroundchildren with significant developmental challenges.”She called Mike at work to “put the decision on him. He asked,‘What would Jesus do? Jesus would take him. We’ll learn how totake care of him. He’ll show us what he can do.’ ”And that was the beginning. The child’s condition was terrible. “He was filthy and hadn’t beenchanged for three days. We had to cut clothes off because they wereso tight. We gave him three baths because we couldn’t get the smelloff of him.“Compassion kicked in; I knew it was right. How could anyone dothis? It was all about Richard at this point. You knew he hadn’tknown love.”The family was going on vacation in two days, so they took theirnew child with them.To the Clewells, fostering and adoption became a family process.“We had family meetings with the kids as we learned how to foster.”Mike was concerned about what Richard would ever be able to do.But the Clewell kids, then 12, 9 and 7, got Richard on the floorwhere he began to crawl a little. He began walking when he was 18months, an achievement the Clewells missed because they were on amission trip to Africa. Richard was staying with friends who called tosay he was walking.Richard, now 35, moved to a different living arrangement when hewas 17, but comes home to the Clewells on the weekends. His diagnoses of intellectual disability and fetal alcohol syndrome,compounded by hyperactivity eventually made Richard more thanthe family could handle with their other adopted children. “Hestarted running off; we had helicopter searches and neighborslooking for him,” the couple says. “It was very frightening,” Kathyadds.

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Finally, their birth children went to their parents, saying “Richard istoo much. The other kids need you; we need you.” The couple speaks matter-of-factly about adopting 10 children withspecial needs. To them, it’s what they were born to do. They talkabout what they’ve learned in those 34 years – primarily patience.“We try to relate to them where they are mentally and emotionallyand realize that our expectations cannot be for them what they werefor our birth children . . . but we do have expectations.“We know their limits. You have to think like the boys do. Theythink differently, and that’s become our world,” Mike explains.“Some can’t tie their shoes. It would be easy to expect them to tietheir shoes, but they’re probably never going to do that,” addsKathy.“Two of the boys can’t wash their hair on their own because theyleave the soap in, as an example. Their clothes have to be laid outbecause they would wear very strange outfits. “It’s like having small children in young men’s bodies; they mightcry if they don’t get something they want. It’s a whole different wayof living.”But the Clewells add that their 12 grandchildren “keep us in touchwith the real world.”Four of the adopted boys work weekdays at Union DiversifiedIndustries (UDI), a non-profit organization whose focus is onenhancing the lives of adults with developmental disabilitiesthrough training and work experience.“It’s been a big reward that we’ve been able to find a place for themto be employed,” says Mike. “If they were at home all the time anddidn’t have any other activity, we’re at a point that I don’t think wewould be able to endure the difficulties of the day. They’d be sorestless. UDI has provided a great help to us.”With Mike’s retirement, the couple has more time together than everbefore. One adopted son is unable to attend UDI, and daughter Eva

is homeschooled. But it’s a quiet house during the day, they say.When they got Eva at 3 weeks old, she weighed just three poundsand fit in their hands, not their arms. “We hadn’t planned to adoptanother; we had said we were done.”But they weren’t. Eva initially was thought to suffer from fetalalcohol syndrome and to have developmental delays but that wasnot the case. She’s a cute and typical 11-year-old who loves to listenin on adults’ conversations. Through the years of fostering and adoption, the challenges of thedifferently abled household have changed. “It’s not the same aswhen we started. In the beginning, we were extremely protective;we didn’t want anyone to hurt them in any way, look at them, stareat them. We wanted them to be accepted and loved, to meet theirpotential.“We’re coming into that season where they may need other livingsituations. We are meeting each day’s challenges and trying to staytogether as long as we can, but we know that we’ll need to makeother arrangements,” Kathy says.The Clewell’s birth children have said they will step in, the couplesays. “Our kids would step up, be guardians, make certain thatnothing wrong would happen to the kids, but we don’t expect themtake them in.”Looking back over the last decades, the Clewells would not changea thing about adopting so many children.“I love them. If you do it for any reason other than the heart, I thinkit won’t last. The commitment requires too much; it could destroy ahome or a marriage if you don’t do it together,” Kathy says.She lists the benefits she’s received from adopting. “To get to knowthem, to love them, to have the privilege and honor to be a mom tochildren who didn’t have a mom, to have them call me mom. . .“Try to tell one of these boys that we’re not their mom and dad,you’d have a fight on your hands.”

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By Melinda Plue

The terminology regarding people with special needs hasevolved over the years, not unlike many other words that wereperfectly appropriate for our parents and grandparents to use. It is no longer acceptable to use the word “retardation” or anyderivative of that word. Even though many people are well-meaning and grew up learning that this was an acceptable wayto describe people with intellectual or developmentaldisabilities, this now seen as derogatory and insulting to theindividuals and family members who might have specialneeds. It is shocking to hear how many school-aged children andadults use that word every day to describe a friend orclassmate who is acting in a manner that is silly or annoying,but will say “I didn’t mean it THAT way!” Additionally, weno longer say “handicapped” or “mentally disabled.” A goodgeneric term is “special needs” or DD (developmentaldisabilities) when unsure!In 2010, Rosa’s Law was signed into law by President Obamaand effectively changes the word “retardation” in federalstatutes and medical diagnostics. No longer can doctorsdiagnose someone with mental retardation (they can, however,diagnose someone with an intellectual disability).When speaking of or about people with developmentaldisabilities, person-centered language is preferred, even whenwe know the specific diagnosis of an individual. We should not

define anyone as having a disability before we acknowledgethat they are people, first and foremost. Saying “her son whohas autism” sounds very different from “her autistic son” andthough it seems small, this is significant. Here are some other examples: n “…is wheelchair-bound/confined to a wheelchair.” Say“uses a wheelchair.” n “He’s a Downs child.” Instead, say “He has (a diagnosis of)Down syndrome.”n “…brain damaged.” Instead, say “…has a brain injury.”n “handicapped parking…” Instead, try “accessible parking.”Remember, the goal is for people with special needs toembrace their differences and thrive in a world that is inclusiveto all. Changing our language is a small way to support those whohave loved ones with diagnoses of developmental disabilitiesand is a way that you can show respect. Melinda Plue is executive director of The Arc of Union/Cabarrus, Inc, a non-profit organization committed every dayto creating a life like yours for people with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities through advocacy, awareness andsupport.

Melinda Plue and her brother-in-law, Jake Plue, who hasintellectual disabilities.

Correctterminology

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By Luanne Williams

Elementary school teacher. Say those words to almost anyone, and awoman comes to mind. Ralphie wrote hisinfamous “What I Want for Christmas”theme for Miss Shields; Opie answered toHelen Crump; and Beaver Cleaver startedhis elementary years in the capable handsof Miss Canfield and Miss Landers. According to the Bureau of LaborStatistics, just 2 percent of U.S. pre-K and kindergarten teachers aremale. At the elementary andmiddle school level, thepercentage grows, but only to18.3 percent. Local schools are alsolargely bereft of maleinfluence as just 12percent of elementaryteachers in Union CountyPublic Schools (UCPS)are men. At the secondarylevel, its 39 percent isslightly under the nationalpercentage of 42 percent. Dr. David Clark, UCPSdeputy superintendent in theHuman Resources Division, saysthe imbalance is not new, as thenumber of women going intoelementary education has for yearsexceeded that of men. Although UCPSwants school staffs to reflect theircommunities in terms of gender, ethnicityand other demographics, the system isalso an equal opportunity employerseeking the best candidate for the jobregardless of these characteristics. Andthe teacher pool is overflowing withwomen. “For example, I just called one school tosee how many applications they had forteaching and teacher assistant positions,and out of 74 candidates only five weremales,” he says. So does it matter that young children

Dearth of men in primary gradesMale teachers say gender-balanced staffs are important

rarely see a man in the front of theclassroom? Many studies say yes, especially for boys.Research published last fall in “Genderand Education” showed that boys prefermale teachers because of perceivedshared experiences, interests and ways ofthinking. Many boys believe men betterunderstand their style of play and moreeasily relate to them.

The benefits are more than social. A Stanford University study in 2012revealed that middle school boys performbetter when their teacher is a man.Further, both boys and girls in a 2010British study tried harder for maleteachers. According to the experiment,which involved 12- and 13-year-olds,

those taught by male teachers tended tohave “better perceptions of theimportance of hard work, betterperceptions of equalities of opportunitiesand higher self-esteem.” While they don’t feel that theirmasculinity makes them bettereducators, local male teachers say theybring a different perspective to theclassroom than their femalecounterparts.“The boys feel comfortable talking tome about sports. I can see their pointon things. They feel like they have anally,” says Tom Hector, who teachesthird grade at Indian Trail. “For thegirls, the advantage is my being adifferent perspective for them.” Marshville Elementary first-grade teacher Craig Chopkosays it was the lack of malerole models in children’s livesthat prompted him to go intoeducation.“With so many absent fathers,our children are growing up insingle parent homes, oftenmissing the male influence,” hesays. “In a lot of primary grades,these students are not beingexposed to any male teachers and I

do think that is wrong . . . . Thesestudents need positive male

influences.” Hector, who has been at Indian Trail forseven years, says students are often alittle apprehensive when they find outthey’ve been assigned a man teacher. “The girls are more nervous around me atfirst. They tell me later that they werenervous about having a male teacherbecause they didn’t know what toexpect,” Hector says. “Parents say thesame thing, but they usually turn outpleased.” Many parents welcome an additionalmale role model for their youngsters, butsome have reservations, especially inlight of public perceptions that male childabusers gravitate to schools. Although

Tom Hector offers a new book to read tostudent Neyland Burris.

(Nancy E. Stephen photos)

make ends meet.” When he beganteaching, he knew four other maleteachers who left after their first year toseek better paying careers. Clark agreed that pay is an issue. Averagefirst-year pay for teachers in NorthCarolina is about $30,800.“There are some things we can’t controlas far as state funding,” he says, addingthat an overall lack of respect of teachersalso plays a role.“From what I’ve seen, it’s been a battleagainst education for the last five years orso, whether it’s charter schools, testing,funding, teacher pay. It’s just one morething, people trying to diminish theeducation field,” Clark says. “Teaching isa great profession and worthy of respect.” Research published last year showed anumber of factors besides pay may bekeeping men out of the classroom,including, ironically, overly highexpectations that their “male qualities”will make them better disciplinarians ormagically make boys excel in theirclassrooms. “Teaching in the primary classroom formales is fraught with contradictions,”wrote Geri Smyth, who led a study on theissue at the University of Strathclyde inScotland. She described not only thestereotypes that make people doubt theirabilities, but also those that leademployers and parents to expect them tobe “superman.” Many in education agree that gender

disparity among elementaryschool faculties is aproblem without a quickfix. It seems achicken-or-eggissue that thestereotypessurroundingmale teacherscan’t beshattered untilmore men taketo the classroom,which won’thappen until they

can do so withoutbeing stereotyped.

Luanne Williams is aformer newspaper editor

and freelance writer.


a male P.E. teacher who helped inspirehim to go into education. At EvangelUniversity, he was surrounded by othermale students and says the gender ratiowas about 50/50 when he taught middleschool in Indiana. At Indian Trail, he’sone of just three male teachers.“I miss the camaraderie,” he says.Although at Indian Trail“everybody carries the load,” hehas worked at schools wheremale teachers were called onfor all the grunt work.“I have been in schoolswhere any time anythingelectronic broke oranytime they needed helpsetting up chairs, theyalways called me,” hesays with a laugh. “I’dalways get outside duty,because ‘he’s a guy, hedoesn’t care if it’s rainingon him.’ ”

“Maybe there is a time when Ineed to help teachers move

furniture, but on the same hand,they help me when it comes to the

more arts and crafts type of things,”Chopko says. Young and Hector call on the schoolnurse or ask their female co-workers toaddress sensitive issues with girl students. “They’ve had me talk to their boys aboutsomething they don’t feel comfortabletalking about,” Hector says, emphasizingthat it goes both ways and points tothe need for more gender-balanced staffs. So why don’t moremen go intoelementaryeducation?Many say it’seconomics. “If you havekids, it istough to makea living in thisprofession,”says Young whorecently purchaseda fitness franchise tosupplement his income. “A lot of people have towork a part-time job to

none of the local male teachersinterviewed said they felt parentsquestioned their motives, some say theyhad sensed initial doubts about theirability tonurture.

Chopko says some parents want theirchildren to be “babied.”“I tell them right away that I’m not thattype of teacher,” he says. A 17-year veteran of both the classroomand the playground, physical educationteacher Trevor Young describes himselfas “not the huggy type,” but says mostkids respond to a fist bump or a high fiveand that all need encouraging words.“You try to build kids up more thananything,” he says. Hector says there’s astigma attached to male teachers in theprimary grades, not connected with fearsof abuse, but simply because society hasbought into the female stereotype.“There’s this idea of ‘what is a maledoing down in the elementary school?They should go into the high school,’ ” hesays. “It’s a stereotype in TV, movies . . .the elementary teacher is always awoman.” Young had a male first-grade teacher and

Trevor Young encourages fifth graders LivierSantana, left, and Juliana Mora in a race.

Craig Chopko reads with GabrielaOrdonez-Sosa.

By Jill Hinson

Igrew up in the South and often heard of others goingoverseas for mission work. I try hard to help my community, but atthis point in my life, I didn’t really have plans to go anywheremyself. Then Honduras happened . . . .My aunt and uncle had been several times, and I had heard theirstories and seen their pictures. I was proud of them. A part of mewanted to experience what can make someone see the world sodifferently, but I never thought I would have the chance. In February 2013, my mom was in the hospital with cancer, and wewere discussing the trip my relatives planned. Maybe it was rawemotion, but I found myself intrigued and told them to count me in.No big deal, I thought. I’ll spend a week in Honduras, spread thegospel of Jesus and try to help where help is needed. I began a flipflop drive at Core Studio, (the Pilates and yoga studio she owns inMonroe.) Carolinas Figure Skating Club and Extreme Ice Centerpartnered with me, bringing in more than 200 pairs for me to take. I sold my house the week before we left and moved into temporaryhousing, so to say I took time to prepare my heart would not betrue. I struggled to get my belongings under the 50-pound limit, butI was determined to take my prized J Crew rain boots. In Honduras, my group headed to Pena Blanca. I was pretty happywith our living conditions at the campsite. I could not flush toiletpaper, but I did have a tiny bit of warm running water to showerwith and a bunk bed to sleep in. I was instructed early not to go anywhere alone and to let my


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{ }lifelessons

Prized rain boots become irrelevant after visiting Honduras’ squalor

interpreter speak for me. That was good since I only knew how tocount to 10 in Spanish. The family we came to build a house for was staying with us. I fellin love with the kids right away, and the first little feet I slipped flipflops on were these kids. This was my first moment of feelingashamed. I just had to get my J Crew rain boots on the plane, andthis child was thrilled with a pair of 50 cent flip flops.We spent the day packing beans and rice which we bought in themarket. I never knew how much rice and beans would change mylife until we visited May 25 Village. This was an abandoned market that people moved into on May 25.I have never seen such filth and small homes. These people must bemiserable, I thought. We gathered our backpacks filled with medicine, rice, beans, flipflops and clothing. I was incredibly nervous. My aunt asked me if Iwanted to introduce myself first, tell them who I am, that Jesusloves them, and ask if I can I pray with them. NO WAY! I wasn’t going first!Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Some of the women in thehomes we visited wanted to know how they could pray for me.They could care less who was watching, and when they prayed tothe same God I love in their language, it hit me that God could careless about my J Crew rain boots, and that I was there to learn fromthe people of Honduras. You see, they were happy! They had nothing, but they were happy!The children were playing just like my kids. Their feet were dirty,but they were happy. The orphanage we visited had some of the sweetest children, and I


was honored to be there. Sadly, many of the kids there were not leftbecause their parents did not want them, but because they simplycould not meet their nutritional needs. As we moved from various villages, I met a young girl who wascaring for her mother who had tuberculosis. Her home was muddywith a dirt floor and chickens running in and out. It was at thatmoment I knew it was time to pass along my rain boots. She pointed to my feet, covered in muddy socks. Trying not to cryin this moment of feeling ashamed, I simply said, “I’m OK.” I began to walk to our van in my socks, and my aunt handed me apair of flip flops I had collected. As I slid them on my feet andwalked slowly to meet the others, I realized in some ways thepeople of Honduras have so much more than Americans. They eatas a family, they are not consumed with electronics, and they arethankful. They had so little, but they always had smiles. I do not feel guilty that I live in a place blessed with so much, but Iwill never again take for granted the things I do have. I am nottalking about the things I can go to the mall and buy. I will nevertake for granted the food I have on my table, the running water inmy home, healthy children who have medicine when they need itand a bed to sleep in at night. We have so much to be thankful for.I look forward to going back because I left a small piece of myheart in Honduras. Jill Hinson is owner of Core Studio Pilates and Yoga in Monroe,founder of Core Compassion Project, a non-profit offering Pilatespost-rehab fitness for cancer patients, and a very busy wife andmother of three.

Prized rain boots become irrelevant after visiting Honduras’ squalor

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Text and photos by Nancy E. Stephen

Charlotte Mott is a paradox. She’s a typical middle-aged woman from a humblebeginning who lives with her husband, Arthur, in a 24,000square foot house with additional outbuildings in Marvin.As one of six children “we had a roof over our head andfood in our mouth,” she says, but they also wore hand-me-downs and she worked in a drugstore at 16 so she couldbuy things for herself.Those humble beginnings marked her personality for life,just as did her husband’s early life marked him. “He was exceptionally poor, their power was turned offmore than once and he put cardboard in his shoes forsoles. He grew up in Queens and ate subsidized studentmeals at school.“When he was very young, he said ‘I’m never going to bepoor’,” Charlotte reveals. “So he strived harder than otherpeople to get out of that hole.”And out of that hole he is.You might think that “moving on up,” as the Jeffersonsmight say, or hitting “black gold, Texas tea,” which putthe Clampetts in Beverly Hills would change the Motts,but that’s simply not the case.“I’m a regular girl, just like everyone else. I’m not whatpeople expect me to be because of the house,” Charlottesays. And she’s right. She’s just like “us.”“Nobody waits on me. I try to do everything for myself. Iwill never ask anyone to do something I won’t do formyself,” she says matter-of-factly. Despite living on a sumptuous 20-acre gated estate withthree housekeepers, Charlotte gets her hands dirtyregularly. “I do dishes all the time. I didn’t have adishwasher until I was 30-something years old so mytendency is to wash the dishes. I love laundry,” she addswith her gregarious laugh, “I love trying to get stains outof anything. And I grocery shop.”Arthur started as a paint contractor, painting apartments in

The House The Motts BuiltIf a 24-000 foot house requires

pretentious owners,Charlotte Mott is

living in the wrong house.


The “backyard” features not only a swimming pool, but a cascading waterfall over atiered terrace. A wine tasting room, just outside a wine cellar containing hundreds ofbottles of favorite wines, is walled in carved wood, with a renaissance wrought-ironchandelier hovering over the table. A complete bar, larger than in many smallrestaurants, adjoins a recreation room that leads out to a grotto where the Motts liketo entertain.

Manhattan at day and attending City College at night, astint that took 13 years because of his work and firstmarriage obligations and five children.He quickly began buying properties to lease, starting withfour family buildings while in school. “And it went fromthere,” Charlotte says, to the 31 buildings withapproximately 1,100 apartments they currently own onLong Island. “When I met him, he had 16 buildings.” That was whenCharlotte and then-divorced Arthur met in the Long Islandrestaurant, The Salty Dog, where she was a daytimebartender.“He was a total character. He’s funny . . . charismatic. Hewas always young and became even younger with all thechildren. The couple added four children to his previousfive. Now the family includes 10 grandchildren and onegreat-grandchild.You might wonder how the Motts came to live in UnionCounty, and Charlotte quips “in a mobile home, with adriver.”“New York was getting congested, pushy. I grew up in thecountryside where people were nice and you could walk toschool,” she recalls. “Plus the winters were bitter cold. Icouldn’t stand it; I wanted to get out of New York.”The couple looked a long time for property, camping atCane Creek Park in their 40-foot camper. “We kept goingup and down Providence Road. I said ‘I don’t know wherewe are, but I like it’.”They flew from New York on the weekends in Arthur’splane – he has flown for 60-plus years, in air races andaround the world – for six months or longer, looking for theideal property.And they happened upon the perfect location.

The House The Motts BuiltIf a 24-000 foot house requires

pretentious owners,Charlotte Mott is

living in the wrong house.



One weekend in 2005, they “trespassed,” Charlotte says,walking through the trees from the house across the street andinto a clearing. “It’s perfect; this is it!” she recalls exclaiming.“It’s like something so magical happened; it was unbelievable.“We took one look, bought it and went to church,” which is notmuch of an exaggeration. The property was listed on Thursday,they visited on Friday, bought it on Saturday and went to church.Their house, seated on 20 acres, was originally to be 10,000square feet, which transformedinto 14,000 and eventuallystretched into 24,000. The three-floor house has eight bedrooms,eight full and five half baths, twofull kitchens, two kitchenettes,four indoor and one outdoorfireplace.“It’s around 40 rooms,” Charlotteagain says matter-of-factly,counting the baths. But that’s justthe house.There’s a pool house with akitchen, plus a barn, garageapartment and something they call“the little house.” The 10,000-footbarn has one bedroom, two fullbaths, kitchen, great room withfireplace and a bar with pooltables.The barn has its own kitchen, asdo the garage apartment and littlehouse, as well as one bedroom with two full baths, great roomwith fireplace and bar with pool tables. And that’s just for thehumans; there also are eight stalls for horses.While she knows the number of rooms, what Charlotte can’tcount are the telephones. “Oh gosh, no, I have no idea. A lot . . .a lot. Every room has at least one phone. Probably 40 or 50phones easily.”The family room just off the kitchen is her favorite. Windowslining two walls bring in the sunshine, and the decorations areperfect for such a sunny room. It’s a room she shares with herdogs, where she watches TV – “Castle” being a favorite – anddoing jigsaw puzzles.Despite the grandeur of the property, Charlotte sees it simply as

home. “It’s nothing special. It’s special to me because it’s myhome and I like it, but it’s not what the life’s about. It’s just niceto have.”Having lived in the house for 16 years, Charlotte’s gotten thecommon itch to redecorate. “I’ve been changing things slowly,redoing the kids’ rooms.”Charlotte’s initial decorations prompted disagreement with herdecorators.

“The designers wanted to make it into a museum, but I said ‘I’vegot kids.’ “ So instead of marble floors, the house has porcelainfloors which have withstood the children riding bikes andskateboards up and down them. But the stone was shipped from Italy.The house “turned out better than I expected,” she says. “It’sfancy but not pretentious.”Pretensions just don’t fit Charlotte Mott. Notwithstanding herdown-home nature and willingness – no, it’s actually eagerness– to do housework, the family does have help. “Can you imagine me cleaning this; I’d be a slave to my ownhouse!”

You don’t have to look hard tosee vestiges of a typical home: a plaque of dedicated servicefrom the Federal AviationAdministration to Arthur, a noteon the back door remindsCharlotte to take her cellphone, paintings that have yetto be hung and dog beds in thefamily room.

Three full-time housekeepers and two handymen keep the Mottestate running efficiently and pristine.When the children were young, Charlotte cooked dinner everynight, hauled kids everywhere and enjoyed a house full ofyouths as everyone brought friends home. “They always hadtheir friends over; it’s a very friendly house to come to. I likehaving their friends here, but I also liked knowing where thekids were.”She still cooks a massive Thanksgiving dinner for everyone –husband, kids, significant others. And although the dining roomdoes seat 16, they pull in additional tables, just like the rest of usdo at family gatherings. As empty nesters, now that their children range from 19 to 29,“you would think that I would have nothing to do, but I’mbusier now.” And Arthur still works.Charlotte works a vegetable garden, growing tomatoes, peppersand kale, among others, feeds the deer daily and works jigsawpuzzles in the cozy family room, which she calls one of herfavorites. “I’ve always lived in the same rooms – the kitchen,bedroom, computer room with the dogs and the family room.I’m comfortable. I haven’t found anything that I like more.“I love the cows behind me,” she says of her rural location. Afavorite habit is feeding the meandering deer that visit almostevery day.

A few tidbitsThe multi-story formal living room has chandeliers on a pulleysystem to allow their lowering for bulb changing and cleaning.Wine cellars are popular, but the Motts went a step farther.Outside the cellar, they have a wine-tasting room, reminiscent ofKing Arthur’s time. But again, somehow they made the roomunpretentious.The Motts have a theater with not just a screen or even a screenthat lowers, but one hidden behind heavy auditorium drapes.There’s an old-fashioned popcorn machine as well as a ticketbooth just outside. No, they don’t charge!Arthur is a skilled artist, and his office is cluttered with works ofart waiting for their final place. His office also housesphotographs and plaques from his years of flying.The Motts have hosted many fund-raising events for non-profitorganizations. “We try to share (our house) when we can. Godgave us so much, it’s nice that we can share with other peopleand help.”

Erase the effects of ‘winter skin’

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look like me.’

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(704) 542-8018

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Clark Goodwin17-year chair of MonroeEconomic Development,now Monroe-Union

Economic Development.

Joyce RentschlerCo-founder of MonroeArtwalk; on MonroeTourism, DowntownAdvisory boards.

Visit us atwww.MonroeNC.org and

www.HistoricDowntownMonroe.org

(704) 282-4500

Proud to have the Man & Woman of the Year

as volunteers

Clark Goodwin, a retired banker, has focused on economicdevelopment and education for decades, while Joyce Rentschler, aregistered nurse at CMC-Union, has committed her time toimproving quality of life. But both, as the former Men and Womenof the Year who selected the winners will attest, have made


invaluable contributions that will impact citizens for years tocome.“Clark has been a constant advocate for the betterment of UnionCounty throughout his life here,” says Chris Platé, executivedirector of Monroe-Union County Economic Development,“as a resident, philanthropist, volunteer and businessman.”Last year, the Monroe resident was the driver for themerging of the Monroe and Union County economic developmententities, a union which not only created a stronger organizationwith one voice but also saved taxpayers $400,000 annually. “His commitment to this community is unsurpassed,” Platé said.During Clark’s 17-year tenure as chairman, the Monroe EconomicDevelopment Commission generated more than $1.2 billion innew taxable investment to Monroe and the county, created morethan 4,500 jobs and helped make Monroe internationally knownfor its aerospace cluster.

“As a result of his tireless effort, Union County is poised todevelop an even stronger local economy and further improve thequality of life for our citizens,” says Platé.John Dodd, president of The Jesse Helms Center, agrees, but froma different perspective. As one of the founding members of theCenter’s Foundation, Clark “has helped take the Helms Centerfrom its infancy to become one of the nation’s premier senatoriallibraries.” As a result, many internationally known leaders,including Margaret Thatcher, the Dalai Lama and formerSecretary of State Madeline Albright, have spoken in the county,an accomplishment unheard of in small towns the size of Wingate.When he commits to anendeavor, Clark makes it alifelong involvement. “Clark Goodwin has longbeen a deeply respectedleader for many importantcauses in Union County,”adds Dr. Jerry McGee,president of WingateUniversity. “Hisinvolvement as a trustee atWingate University hasbeen exemplary. He isrevered by his fellowtrustees and the Universityadministration.”His 40-year commitment tothe Wingate UniversityBoard of Trustees earnedhim an honorary doctoratefrom the University.Woman of the Year JoyceRentschler likes to workbehind-the-scenes inhands-on volunteerism.She and her daughter,Andrea Price, created theDowntown Monroe

Quintessential volunteers. That’s an apt description of Union County’s 2013 Man and Woman of the Year.

Man and Woman

of the Year

committed to serving

Union County‘. . . unsurpassed commitment’

‘. . . couldn’t do it without her’

Friend and former Woman ofthe Year Dr. Gwen Perkins,right, greets Joyce Rentschler. (Photos by Nancy E. Stephen)

Artwalk in 2007 to great success. The idea had beenbatted around for years, but many residents didn’tbelieve an art crawl in Downtown Monroe could beviable. The dynamic duo proved differently.

Each spring and fall, the two solicit artists to displaya wide variety of art styles in various venues arounddowntown. According to Brian Borne, assistant Monroemanager and director of downtown and parks andrecreation, the Artwalk “is a wonderful thing. We’rethrilled and appreciative that they have taken uponthemselves to pull it together every year.”Last year, they joined forces with the DowntownCruise-In, holding events simultaneously. “It’s anodd partnership, but the numbers of people in Apriland October are truly amazing. They’ve done it agreat job, and we couldn’t do it without her,” Bornesays.“The Artwalk brings crowds to downtown. And it’sfree!” he adds. “Visitors are looking at art, cards,shopping, dining, truly experiencing downtown at itsfinest. It’s great to have the cultural component inthe downtown.“I think it’s an important event, one that thecommunity expects and looks forward to. It’s verywell attended.”

Joyce’s volunteerismextends far beyond thedowntown festivities. Shecurrently serves on theUnion County CommunityArts Council, MonroeTourism Board andDowntown MonroeAdvisory Board.As an integral part of theWomen’s LeadershipCoalition, Joyce has “lenther skill and determinationto making a first-classwomen’s retreat each year,”says Martha Allen, the 2012Woman of the Year andfellow Coalition member.She’s also worked withHabitat for Humanity,organizing a recycling driveto raise funds as well ashands-on building. “She is the happiest whenshe actually gets to swing ahammer to help out on abuild,” Martha adds.


‘. . . unsurpassed commitment’

‘. . . couldn’t do it without her’

Wingate University President JerryMcGee, right, greets his friend ClarkGoodwin at the celebratory luncheon.

Friend and former Woman ofthe Year Dr. Gwen Perkins,right, greets Joyce Rentschler. (Photos by Nancy E. Stephen)

Union CountyYouth Ballet

presents

Cinderella. May 3

2 p.m. & 7 p.m.

$12 adult, $10 senior/child

Batte Fine Arts Center Wingate University

Tickets at Bonita’s School of Ballet and at the door

(704) 289-5733

Previous Men of the Year

1958 - Dr. Paul J. Helms*1959 - Jack R. Hargett*1960 - Charles L. Hunley*1961 - Budd E. Smith*1962 - J.C. Plyler*1963 - W. Leslie Starnes*1964 - Vann V. Secrest*1965 - E.D. Gaskins*1966 - N.K. Dickerson*1967 - James R. Huntley*1968 - Wayne Mangum*1969 - Edward Faulkner*1970 - Lester L. Helms*1971 - Aaron W. Plyler1972 - Thomas P. Dillon1973 - C. Frank Griffin1974 - S. Oren Starnes*1975 - Charles Norwood1976 - V.T. Helms, Jr.*

1977 - H.R. Johnson*1978 - Harold Shirley*1979 - Harry Sherwood*1980 - Nat Greene1981 - Jim Wellborn*1982 - Charles Sturgis1983 - Harry Myers1984 - Fred Long1985 - James E. Hinkle*1986 - John B. Ashcraft, Jr.1987 - Robert Fleetwood*1988 - Glenn Youngblood*1989 - Woody Faulk1990 - Fred McCallum*1991 - Tom Caldwell1992 - Jack Fowler1993 - Tom Batchelor*1994 - Carroll Edwards*1995 - Frank McGuirt

1996 - Bobby Kilgore1997 - Bruce Griffin, Sr.*1998 - Henry Gaye1999 - Max Melton2000 - Frank Carpenter2001 - Phil Bazemore2002 - Tom Williams2003 - Lynn Keziah2004 - Lynn Raye2005 - Phil Hargett*2006 - Jerry Thomas2007 - Ed Bower, MD2008 - Bobby Griffin2009 - I. F. Plyler*2010 - Bill Norwood2011 - Jack Hargett2012 – Johnny Pigg

*Deceased

Previous Women

of the Year

1985 - Ruth Sikes Haigler*

1986 - Sis Dillon

1987 - Fola Williams*

1988 - Carolyn Gaddy*

1989 - Dot Greene

1990 - Georgia McGuirt*

1991 - Lane Drew*

1992 - Vivian Norwood*

1993 - Sally Ormand

1994 - Sara Furr

1995 - Jeanette Sherrod

1996 - Doris Sparks*

1997 - Evermond Daniel*

1998 - Nancy A. Noles

1999 - Lynne Salvaggio

2000 - Lynda Keziah

2001 - Sandy Deskins

2002 - Ruby Stegall

2003 - Carol Tyson

2004 - Suzy Rogers

2005 - Angela Bower

2006 - Virginia Bjorlin

2007 - Modene Howie

2008 - Gwendolyn Perkins, MD.

2009 - Emmy Lou Haywood*

2010 - Nancy E. Stephen

2011 - Pat Kahle

2012 – Martha Allen

*Deceased


It may not be Broadway, but just the same, Kay Starnesis thrilled that her first play is about to be performed by TheStorefront Theatre in Waxhaw.Her play, “Bradford’s Crossing,” draws on Kay’s memories ofher aunts’ Monroe beauty shop in the ’60s and ’70s. Thebackdrop is in old-style beauty shop on small town Main Street“where you can see life going by,” Kay describes.The owner, not happy with the changes of time, thinks it’s timeto sell. Two regulars are horrified. “It’s an institution, not just aplace to have hair done,” Kay says.When a potential buyer comes in the shop, she talks about thechanges she’ll make: a juice bar, maybe a disco ball, andcertainly get rid of the hood dryers. The regulars tell the owner,“You can’t do this.” And in the end, she decides not to.

Fledgling playwrighttells tale of small-town

beauty shop Kay’sforay intoplaywritingcame last year. “Afriend has been after me to write,” sheexplains. “When the competition was announced, I saw it as achance to write something, to get my friend off my back and tohave some fun.”How does a writer start a story, develop it and end it all within 10minutes? “Since I haven’t written a larger play, I don’t haveanything to compare it with,” Kay says. “I had to put a timer onso I wouldn’t go over” the time.Writing her play in “maybe two weeks with tweaking” hasencouraged Kay to write more. “I have another one I’m tinkeringwith. I’m retired; it’s not going to be a career.”

We Like Short ShortsA festival of 10-minute plays

“It’s a variety of plays, a variety of actors, avariety of playwrights. From the ridiculous tothe sublime and everything else in between,the festival offers fun, a chance to experiencebrand new works, and an opportunity tomeet and talk with the playwrights whocreated them. And remember, love a play or

hate it – it doesn’t matter – it won’t last long.“The playwrights surprised me this year bycoming from all over: Gaithersburg, MD,Athens, OH, Chapel Hill and Miami,” says JudySimpson Cook, Storefront founder and UnionCounty native.Local actors will portray the characters ineight 10-minute plays that were accepted inthe competition. The performances take the

form of concert readings with theactors standing behind podiums.

Want to go?Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.Sunday, March 16, at 2:30 p.m.Waxhaw Presbyterian Church8100 Old Waxhaw Monroe Road. Tickets available online atwww.TheStorefrontTheatre.org


By Deb Coates Bledsoe

Jahson Oshita is as unique as his style, which isimmediately obvious. You’ll notice that Jahson wears a very tall hat, usually crocheted.What you won’t see are his very long dreadlocks that dangle pasthis knees and are stuffed in the hat.“It seems to cause less alarm to have a giant pillow on top of myhead than to have long hair,” he says, a shy smile spreading acrosshis face.The owner and chef of a Monroe restaurant, bibi - a beautifultaste, Jahson is definitely his own man, living life in the Bible Beltas a Rastafarian and being totally comfortable with – or obliviousto – his uniqueness.There’s a lot more to Jahson than his dreadlocks. A conversationwith him reveals a spiritual view of the world, his life and thosewho are part of it.“Whatever you decide to put your energy in is your faith; whatyou do with your energy is what you are. It doesn’t matter whatyou say, it’s what you do. If your goal in life is to leave a legacy,then that’s what you’ll leave. If your goal in life is to have apositive effect, then that’s what it will be.“I try so hard to separate myself from ego. We can’t escape whowe are, but at the end of the day, I hope I have affected people in apositive way.”

About the dreadsJahson jokes, “My hair has been growing since I was in mymom’s womb,” but says his dreads have been growing since1999.His unique hairstyle is a byproduct of being Rastafarian, abelief in natural living, which means that combing the hair isnot allowing it to be in its natural state.“Rasti is ancient Christianity,” he said. “It’s not like whatpeople think, smoking weed, all this other stuff. It’s not aboutthat at all. There are people out there that follow God’s lawover man’s law.”His long dreads don’t weigh on his mind or on his body.“I don’t even think about it. If I’m in a situation like on aroller coaster, I think about taking precautions. But there arebigger things to think about.”Jahson let down his hair, a la Rapunzel, at a fund-raisingsoccer tournament benefiting the American Red Cross.Visitors were amazed, not only at the length of his dreads,but that they didn’t hamper his prowess on the field.

About bibibibi is known for its humorous Facebook posts, such as these.

bibi~ we don't even OWN a micro-whatever-you-call-it.People that eat at bibi enjoy a dramatic increase inhappiness, healthiness, intelligenceness, vigor, flexibility andmany other abilities. Help us help you be super.It was written "...for there shall be snow and rumors of snowand this shall be a sign to eateth at bibi. kids eateth free"bibi is now accepting new regulars to visit everyday!! Ourfood is so fresh, it's borderline harassment.bibi dinner is like magical healing sent via thunderbolt fromthe heavens right into your soft innards.In my opinion, which I respect, bibi has the beautifulestcustomers ever.It's a beautiful day and you have a lot to get accomplishedtoday. Fuelify your molecules with a mighty powerful lunchfrom bibi. Your mitochondria will thank you.

bibi - a beautiful taste is located at 232 E. Franklin Street in Monroe.

Dreads aside, Jahson Oshita is at home with his uniqueness

Dreads down on the field. . .Photo by Nancy Stephen


(704) 283-2525 UnionSymphony.org

Season Sponsors BetterCarPeople and Big Ring Interactive

This project is supported by the Union County CommunityArts Council and the Grassroots program of the North

Carolina Arts Council, a state agency.

POPS!Sunday, May 18 t On the PlazaSponsored by City of Monroe

Union Symphony with Youth Orchestra6:30 p.m. on The Plaza on Hayne Street.

Bring a chair; concert is free.

Monday, June 23 t On the CampusSponsored by Wingate UniversityUnion Symphony with Youth Orchestra

Time TBA in front of the Admin. BuildingBring a chair; concert is free.

CONCERTS!Sunday, March 16

Rhythm of the DanceUnion Symphony Youth Orchestra

4 p.m. at Marvin Ridge High School Season tickets or $12.

Sunday, April 27Czech and Balances

Union Symphony Orchestra4 p.m. at The Batte Center at Wingate.

Season tickets or $15-$25

Aside from being “deep,” Jahson also is humorous, but you have tolisten carefully to his soft presentation.“I went to a bunch of colleges but didn’t graduate from any ofthem. Mainly, I would take classes in Hinduism, religion,philosophy, psychology – all the brain stuff that you don’t get paidfor.”The son of a Japanese father and Alabamian mother, “I call itJapabaman, ” Jahson remembers first being in the kitchen at age13, but taking cooking seriously at about 20. In his home, it was aneclectic combination of foods, which translates into bibi’s varieddaily specials. “My mom cooked country style; my dad cookedJapanese. I cook. . .” he says, gesturing with his hands to indicate awide variety of foods. Apprenticeships under professional chefs in Wilmington andCharlotte and experience in country clubs and elsewhere providedJahson with a vast knowledge and curiosity about combinations offoods, which he showcases regularly. “I grew up eating soeclectically that it just comes out naturally.“Same with my music. I grew up with all kinds of music.”Jahson is not a fan of labels, whether it’s categorizing hisrestaurant’s cuisine or his style of music. Ask him to name hiscuisine, and he gives an essay on why labels aren’t needed, aren’treally accurate and why diners should just try foods withoutneeding a name. As for his music, he prefers to calls his style “sincere” music. Hisgroup, “One Big Love,” has been recording since 2005, making sixalbums and 28 tunes on YouTube with “plenty more in the works.”He writes both lyrics and music and plays a variety of instruments,“whatever is in front of me. I like congas and bongos, but they’renot my forte.”“I don’t think there is a specific genre that exits in its singular formthat would encompass the type of music that I do,” he said. “Youcould grab three separate songs that I do and one of them mightsound like country music, one might sound like futuristic hip hopand one of them might sound avant garde like indie rock. Ascreativity springs, it just comes out like it does.”

Deb Coates Bledsoe is a former newspaper editor and a freelancewriter and photographer.

Dreads aside, Jahson Oshita is at home with his uniqueness

. . . and up for work.

Photo by Deb Coates Bledsoe


tomato sauce,onions, two eggsand cheese. Thesteak was nicelyflavored, and thesauce and eggswere a perfectcomplement.

The Mexican rice wasatypically a little dry and

crispy, but the French frieswere crispy, salty and delicious. The

$11 entrée was plentiful, to say the least.Enchiladas Suizas are two fajita-stylechicken enchiladas served with a creamysauce rather than a tomato-based sauce.Like other entrées, a large grilled scallionaccompanied these. “Very good!” said thediner. The $7.50 entrée is served with riceand refried beans. Fajitas de Pollo ($10.95) is anotherfavorite of our group. Chicken grilled


with peppers, tomatoes, onion andmushrooms and served with rice andbeans, this entrée, too, is enough for atake-home.We shared Coctel de Camaron y Pulpo($11.50), similar to a shrimp cocktail.Advertised with shrimp and octopus, wedidn’t notice the octopus but the goblethad lots of shrimp in a spicy tomato saucewith cilantro and avocado. Quite tasty!One diner is addicted to the Sopa de

Union County is dotted with aplethora of Mexican restaurants. Weknow that La Unica in Monroe is afavorite because there’s always a wait,albeit typically short.Seven of us visited the restaurant on aSaturday night. Once seated, we wereimmediately brought chips and meltedqueso, quickly followed by pica de galloand four types of sauces/salsas – two redand two green, some mild and others eye-watering hot. You know that they’rehomemade because the intensitysometimes varies. We suggest ordering a side of fresh-madeguacamole, which is plenty for several. Ifyou’re not careful, you can eat your fillon these, but don’t! These “appetizers” gogreat with a margarita, or possibly a beer.Milanesa al Caballo (eggs ridinghorseback) is a piece of steak pounded,breaded and lightly fried, topped with

Chips, dips and salsas just the beginning of a yummy

Mexican meal at La Unica

variety. Lots of vegetarian meals tochoose from, as well as a lunch menu.Quality: 4.5 stars. One of the bestMexican food in Monroe! As a groupand individually, our diners visit LaUnica regularly.Service: 3.75 stars. The restaurant wasvery busy, and staff was hustling. Ourfood came quickly, but not all at thesame time. Lunchtime is especially busy,so we try to arrive by 11:30 a.m. or later

Ambiance: 3.5 stars. It’s busy andsomewhat noisy. Sometimes a jukebox isplaying, other times all you hear areconversations in Spanish, as nativeMexicans tend to frequent La Unica. Therestaurant is a few blocks off of U.S. 74 ina strip business park that can easily bemissed and the parking lot desperatelyneeds to be repaved, but the food makesthese inconveniences tolerable.Menu: 4.5 stars. Large menu with a broad

in the afternoon to avoid the crowd. Value: 4.5 stars. Meals are large, and wefrequently take home enough for at leastone meal. Will we return? Of course, this place isa crowd favorite.Taqueria La Unica1621 Walkup AveMonroe, NC 28110Open Every Day

noodles, which therestaurant does,furtherillustrating thatthe soup is madeto order. A littleaddition of pico degallo adds a bumpin spiciness.One female chose a daily

special – soup and taco combo meal. She was pleasantly surprised that thesetacos had small slices of beef (nothamburger) which were light and tasty.One of two daily specials, a “small” bowlof chicken soup is paired with two tacos($6.50). At La Unica, a small bowl is anormal bowl; a large bowl is serving size. Skirt steak Mexican style was a hit withtwo diners. Served with rice, guacamole,salad and bean soup, the Carne Asade al

Carbon for $11and Carne yCamarones(with grilledshrimp) for$12.50 areenormous

Pollo, a chicken soup with a variety ofvegetables, noodles and rice. You don’toften see squash in vegetable soup, butthis Mexican version can have that, corn,lima beans, potatoes, carrots and more. The broth is very pungent and has a lot ofgood-sized chunks of chicken.You might think that soup is made inadvance, but we don’t think so. Soupoften is the last arrival to the table. Ourdiner asks to have her soup without


Chips, dips and salsas just the beginning of a yummy

Mexican meal at La Unica

plates of food. We were disappointed that flan had soldout that night, but the other desserts gavea polishing touch to our meal. We have to admit that despite our manyvisits, this was the first time for dessert.The meals are just too big to indulge indessert, especially by yourself. We adviseplanning to share.The group shared a Tres Leches cake,which was moist and flavorful, and thechocolate cake, which was both beautifuland delicious, moist with a fudgychocolate icing. We licked the platesclean!

The portions at La Unicaare very large. Plan to takesome home for lunchPictured, from top right, TresLeches cake and achocolate cake; Coctel deCamaron y Pulpo (shrimpcocktail), Milanesa alCaballo (eggs ridinghorseback); Sopa de Pollo(chicken soup) and CarneAsade al Carbon (skirtsteak.)

Eating Out

in

Union


Downtown Monroe ArtwalkFree l Friday, 5:30p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, Noon-4 p.m.Various mediums of art will be placed in numerous stores andbuildings downtown. Pick up a map there. Music on the street and in various venues.

Main St., Downtown Monroe l www.historicdowntownmonroe.org

Women’s Leadership Conference, Luncheon‘Turn Up the Heat: One Degree Makes A Difference’8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. l $35 includes lunchModerator Nicole Greer, CEO, Vibrant CoachingFeatured Speakers Jill Hinson, Pat Kahle, Robin Landsman

Union County Agriculture Services and Conference Center3230 Presson Road, Monroe (704) 619-4770; [email protected], tickets at ucwomenscoalition.com

1818things to do in Sweet Union

28Mar.

11,12April

Comedian Paula Poundstone7:30 p.m. l $25 l At Batte Center, Wingate UniversityAppearing on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can ofDiet Pepsi, Poundstone is famous for her razor-sharp wit andspontaneous interactions with audience.

Tickets at BatteCenter.org

11April

Swords and Crosses10 a.m.-4 p.m. l $4 student, $7 adultSee Union County’s War Between the States memorialcemetery. Confederate and Union re-enactors and Civil Warartifacts on display. General Robert E. Lee will also be inattendance.

Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Highwaywww.museumofthewaxhaws.com

5April

Knitting and Quilting10 a.m.-noon, quilting; 2 p.m.-4 p.m., knitting; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.,knitting.Marshville Museum l 102 N. Elm Street, Marshville, NC

1April

From Apartheid to DemocracyMonday-Friday l 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Exhibit tells the story of the first ten years of South Africa as ademocracy and connecting that process to the Charlotte.Batte Center at Wingate University l www.battecenter.org

thru31Mar.

We Like Short ShortsMarch 15, 7:30 p.m.; March 16, 2:30 p.m.A festival of 10-minute plays l $12.50 a personWaxhaw Presbyterian, 8100 Old Waxhaw Monroe Road, Waxhawwww.thestorefronttheatre.org

Union Symphony Youth OrchestraRhythm of the Dance4 p.m. l Admission $15 l Marvin Ridge High School2825 Crane Road, Waxhaw

Johnny Clegg Band7:30 p.m. l $25 l At the Batte Center, Wingate UniversityJohnny Clegg is one of South Africa’s most celebrated sons. Tickets at BatteCenter.org

15,16Mar.

Elected Officials Reception5 p.m.-7 p.mFree for Chamber members, $15 for non-members.Monroe Country Club, 1680 US. 601 S. Pre-registration encouraged at www.unioncountycoc.com

13Mar.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark10 a.m. l Tickets $5 l At the Batte Center, Wingate UniversitySponsored by Union County Community Arts CouncilTickets at BatteCenter.org

24Mar.

22Mar.

28Mar.

Andrew Jackson’s Birthday and St. Pat’s Day10 a.m. l $4 student, $7 adultSt. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids and free birthday cake and coffee.Museum of the Waxhaws, 8215 Waxhaw Highway, Waxhaw(704) 843-1822 l www.museumofthewaxhaws.com

15Mar.

The FantasticksPerformed by Nebraska Theatre Caravan l 7:30 p.m.Steampunk-inspired adaptation of the longest running musical . At the Batte Center, Wingate University

Tickets at BatteCenter.org

16Mar.


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Union Academy Community Carnival10 a.m.-3 p.m.Crafts bazaar and gift shops plus car show, games, silent auction,entertainment inflatables, art show, food and 5K run. 5K starts at 8 a.m. Entry fee $15-$20 in advance; $20-25 race day.

Register at www.unionacademy.orgUnion Academy Upper Campus, 675 N. ML King Jr. Blvd., Monroe

Queen’s Cup Steeplechase10 a.m.-7 p.m. l Prices vary.Mineral SpringsJack Russell Terrier races, pony rides, jockey course walk, hat and

tailgate contests, six races, raffle and Hot Walk Party. www.queenscup.org or (704) 843-7070 for information.

Union Symphony OrchestraCzechs and Balances4 p.m. l $15 -$25 l At the Batte CenterCharles Lambert, Overture De Broceliande

Erik Satie, Relâche (with 1924 René Claire film, ed. Rosenberg)Antonín Dvořák, Symphony No. 5 in f majorTickets at BatteCenter.org l www.UnionSymphony.org

26April

26April

27April

WWII EventApril 12, 10 a.m.; April 13, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. l $4 student, $7 adultThe First Allied Airborne Army will drop in. Interactive displays willinclude command/communications tent, firing of WWII heavyweapons and the Battalion Aid Station.


12,13April

Tom Hanchett, Donny Murray and Tom Estes3 p.m. l $4 student, $7 adultBluegrass show featuring Dr. Tom Hanchett’s talking points aboutthe history of bluegrass and country music recordings in theCharlotte area.


27April

Touch of C lassBANQUET & CATERING

1602 E. Roosevelt Blvd. 704.289.3733 www.HilltopFishFare.com

Made-from-scratch meals, fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks and scrumptious desserts.Open breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday.

Daily food and drink specials.Monroe’s largest wine selection.Three-level dining with 2 bars.

7 private dining areas.Family-owned and operated.

Full-service catering with elegant style & impeccable service.

Specializing in weddings, reunions,corporate and family events.

Catering for 10 or 1,000!

Documents

Union lifestyle March April 2014