Carolina Meadows news

Love is in the air at Carolina Meadows

Romance blossomed at Carolina Meadows over the last 18 months without the help of Cupid’s Valentine arrow. Six widows and widowers found each other in very different ways and are now happily married. Ed and Shirley Mammen hadn’t seen each other in 72 years when a chance phone call reconnected them. "I was trying to reach an old friend when it was suggested Shirley might know the address," Ed explained. "As soon as she heard my voice she said she knew I was a Paducah, Kentucky boy!" "We’d attended the same grade school and high school. She was a drum majorette while I played in the marching band. Her father was a doctor who treated my father. We knew all the same people." A four-month telephone romance culminated in a wedding on July 29, 2010, in Shootout Mountain west of Asheville, where Shirley had retired. The Mammens now live in the best of two worlds – six months during warm weather in Shirley’s mountain house and the other six months in Ed’s Carolina Meadows apartment. Guy and Phyllis Sickmond met on the internet. "I was living in Wilmington, NC, when my spouse died," Phyllis explained. "Shortly thereafter Seniors Meet People Social Networking popped up on my computer screen. I became curious and eventually posted my photo and profile." "Coincidentally, the same thing happened to Guy at about the same time. We connected in late June. After exchanging E-mails and phone calls, Guy drove to Wilmington to take me out to lunch. A week later my grandson was getting married in Raleigh and we met each other again." The Sickmonds married October 22, 2011, and now have a huge combined family. Each had a first marriage that lasted ten years and a second marriage that lasted 30 years until the death of their spouses. Between them, they now have 6 children, 12 grandchildren, 2 great grand children, 6 stepchildren, 11 step grandchildren and 5 step great grandchildren! In addition, Phyllis developed a deep bond with a Swedish exchange student and her family, all of whom who she now considers part of her extended family. Joe Mengel and Candy Owens became good friends through a common hobby -- photography. They were founding members of the CM Photo Club in 2006 and have worked closely together ever since. The club focused at first on learning how to use digital cameras, then moved on to sponsoring photo competitions and mounting displays throughout the campus. More recently members redecorated the Health Center Study walls with their photographs of campus scenes and are now working on the new Maintenance Building walls. With both of their spouses deceased, friendship turned to romance last fall. "We found we had so much in common," Candy observed. "For one thing we’re both native North Carolinians and UNC graduates." Fellow resident and UCC Minister Myles Walburn married them on New Year’s Eve, 2011. “It’s really special to marry one of your best friends,” Candy and Joe agreed.

Quilter stitches love, talent into her creations

Anne Jones loves to make quilts by hand. In fact, she has made more than 100 of them since being introduced to the art in a church workshop she attended in Pittsburgh 20 years ago. She’s given most of her quilts to the Pediatric Department at Duke University Hospital, where social workers distribute them to babies born with HIV-AIDS. Larger ones have gone to Life Experience in Cary, which auctions them off to raise funds for their sheltered workshops for the disabled. “I love being able to do good for others through pursuing an intriguing hobby that I love,” Anne said. Her home is well set up for quilting. She shares half a study with her husband, Bill, in which she has all her equipment and materials – from books of quilting designs, to special cutting boards and tools. She can try out color designs and patterns by simply putting cotton swatches up on a wall-mounted quilt grid.She assembles the quilts on her dining room table. Glaucoma almost ended Anne’s hobby when she started having difficulty threading the small needle she uses to join all the quilt pieces together. She only uses her sewing machine to affix edging. Fortunately, advanced medical science came to the rescue through a delicate operation that relieved the pressure on her optic nerve by a surgeon inserting tiny nano stents into neighboring capillaries. “He was astonished when I demonstrated how easily I could thread my needle again,” Anne said. There are other quilters at Carolina Meadows. Eight of them meet Tuesday mornings to work on joint quilting projects. Co-chaired by Bobbie Hahn and Irma Stein, the group donates its quilts to Chatham County charitable organizations such as Chatham County Outreach, Council on Aging and the Child Development Center who auction them off to raise money for their activities.

Elon professor explains renowned political poll

The Elon University Poll is recognized as "The poll of record in the State." Adding luster to this reputation, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Associated Press, and Politico all reported findings from a recent Elon poll addressing Tar Heel opinions on President Obama's handling of the economy, same-sex marriage, job proposals, taxes on millionaires, and other issues high on the list of political concerns. "North Carolina is a swing state," Dr. Mileah Kromer recently told an enthusiastic audience in the Carolina Meadows Lecture Hall. Expect plenty of excitement starting with our state’s May primary and into the November General Election, she said. And count on the Elon pollsters to document the results from the fireworks. Dr. Kromer is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Assistant Director of the Elon University Poll. With expertise in statistics, political science and Southern politics, she oversees the non-partisan Elon Poll. Founded in 2000, it is neutral, independent, and fully funded by Elon University as a public service to citizens. Unlike other polling groups conducted by hired professionals, the Elon Poll is staffed by students who come from all disciplines. They conduct three polls per semester and their work at the poll is integrated into their academic curriculum. Their training is designed to apply analytical skills to practical political issues. During the polling dates, students man 40 lab stations on campus, conducting interviews through both landline and cell phones. Using a stratified random sampling of households they reach adults 18 years and older, representative of the N.C. population. The interviews last about 20 minutes and are conducted over four to five days from Sunday through Thursday. The survey aims to measure issues, policies, and candidates’ status or support as well as the "why and who" of citizens' support. Students interview from 500 to 600 households. The survey is considered complete when respondents complete at least 80 percent of the questionnaire. In a sample size of 600 interviews there is a 95-percent probability that survey results are within a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points. "This is a policy-based poll, not a horse race poll," says Kromer. With transparency the point, questions are designed to eliminate ambiguous terms, leading or loaded questions, or loaded language. "Clarity means the questions asked must mean the same to you and to me," Kromer says. Distinguishing between words like "protestor or demonstrator," "global warming or climate change" are key to eliciting an accurate gauge of North Carolina citizens’ opinions and concerns. "Politerate" is an invented term defined by Dr. Kromer as "a condition of being knowledgeable in public opinion polling." In reaching that goal, the students prove that the Elon University Poll is among the best regional polls in the country.

Carolina Meadows gift shop: varied merchandise, boost to Residents Association

The Carolina Meadows Gift Shop has a mission “to serve our Residents and customers with quality merchandise and to serve and provide funds to support the Resident Association activities.” In November, resident Marge Yanker, Gift Shop manager, presented a check for $5,000 to Roy Carroll, Residents Association president. The contribution represents half the amount the gift shop provides to the Association annually. Ms. Yanker, manager of the shop since 2010, has broadened the types of merchandise available. The new lines include handbags, the ever-popular “popcorn” blouses, watches and other jewelry, children’s toys and scarves. To make all this happen, Ms. Yanker has a crew of 42 volunteers who work as buyers, cashiers and trainers. Of that number, 14 are cashiers with two shifts each day, five days a week, and sometimes with special openings on weekends. In addition to the broader selection of merchandise, a point-of-sale computer system was recently installed. The machine integrates with the Dining Room, Café and Accounting Department and enables customers to charge purchases on a credit card or on their Carolina Meadows account, or to use cash. The new system makes for easier record-keeping and lets shop management track merchandise and sales. The Gift Shop began with $5,000 in start-up funds from the Residents Association in March 1992; the funds were repaid as of January 1996. Over the years, many residents have contributed to the Gift Shop’s success, including past managers, and an array of past and current staff who work diligently to make the shop a popular and profitable venture.

Residents learn how to prevent falls

A packed audience gathered recently at Carolina Meadows to learn more about a topic of great interest to seniors: fall prevention. Physical therapist Carol Brandford gave a presentation entitled "What Can You Do To Prevent Falls?" “Falls are the leading cause of injuries to older people and can be very expensive,” Brandford said. “A fall can cause fear. Will you no longer be able to stay in Independent Living? Will you have to move to a nursing center?” Brandford suggested four things you can do to avoid falling: begin a regular exercise program; have your health care provider review your medicines; have your vision checked; and make your home safer. To make your home safer, Brandford suggested: * Removing things you can trip over on your floor like small throw rugs, books, shoes, etc. * Keeping things you use often in cabinets that you can reach easily without a step stool. * Having grab bars put in next to your toilet, tub and shower. * Improving the lighting in your home. * Having handrails and lights put in all staircases. * Wearing shoes inside and outside the house; do not go barefoot or wear slippers. Wear shoes that give support and have non-slip soles; tennis shoes are good. Avoid shoes with high heels and shoes without backs. Carolina Meadows held a screening in the fall to help residents determine if they were at risk of falling. Residents can avail themselves of on-site physical therapy, balance classes, personal training, and other Wellness Center activities.

Carolina Meadows grants assist local charities

The Social Accountability Committee of the Carolina Meadows Board of Directors recently awarded $110,000 to 15 charities that deliver care for the county’s less fortunate citizens in a variety of ways: Chatham Council on Aging: $11,250, to purchase food for the Council on Aging's Home Delivered Meal and Congregate Meal Programs, which provide nutritious, hot meals for older adults. Chatham County Schools: $3,900, to enable 600 students in all 3 Siler City Title I Schools to attend a four-week summer enrichment camp, CAUSE (Chatham Activities Unlimited Summer Enrichment), which would offer fun and educational activities, field trips, transportation, and two meals per day all in a safe and supervised setting. Chatham Family Resource Center: $10,000, to provide funding for salary support and vehicle maintenance in order to increase transportation services to low income women who otherwise could not get themselves or their children to medical appointments. FRC also provides case management to these women, connecting them with other local services. Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA): $10,000 to purchase food for distribution to needy families either through the pantry or through the SNACK program. El Futuro: $5,000, to support the Puentes Program which will provide accessible, affordable and appropriate mental healthcare for Latino youth in Chatham County. The program provides both individual and family therapy and psychiatric care for Latino students. Family Promise of Chatham County: $5,000 to purchase start-up items such as beds and partitions and to fund programming costs for the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Chatham Co, which provides shelter and meals to homeless families. Family Violence & Rape Crisis Services: $7,350 to support the infrastructure of FVRC so that it can continue its critical services of providing safety, helping victims through crises and building a community that works to end domestic violence and sexual assault. Part of grant will also be put toward an emergency financial assistance fund for clients. Farmer Foodshare: $5,000 to purchase fresh, local food to distribute to agencies and needy families and to pay salary support. Fuel Up at Perry Harrison School: $7,500 to purchase food and shelf-stable milk for weekends and breaks from school for eligible students. Hispanic Liaison: $8,000 to support the Basic Needs Assistance for Immigrant Families/Hunger Relief Initiative, which will allow staff to ensure Latinos in Chatham County equal access to much needed government and community services, as well as provide emergency assistance to needy families. Moncure United Methodist Church – God’s Helping Hand Food Pantry: $7,500 to purchase food from the Food Bank of NC so that the food pantry can serve more food and to more families in the Moncure area. Sanford District United Methodist Women (Chatham Subdistrict): $2,000 to purchase school supplies, including backpacks, for The School Store, which serves over 500 low-income children. St. Julia Catholic Church: $10,000 to support the existing Brown Bag Ministry, which provides food (staples and fresh produce) and grocery gift cards to approximately 530 individuals each month. Take and Eat Food Pantry (Evergreen UMC): $7,500 to purchase food and equipment as part of their mission to provide supplemental, nourishing food at no cost to economically disadvantaged citizens of eastern Chatham County West Chatham Food Pantry: $10,000 to provide weekend food for the backpacks of as many hungry children as possible.

Walter Dellinger opens Fall University Speakers series

Walter Dellinger, constitutional scholar, distinguished Duke Law professor, and U.S.Solicitor General and Chief White House Legal Counsel in the Clinton administration, recently spoke at Carolina Meadows. He was the first of three speakers scheduled in the Fall 2011 University Speakers Series and his subject was “The Constitution and the Court.” Dellinger said he emphasizes to his students the importance of being open to learning from experience. This, too, is his philosophy toward the Supreme Court’s ideal approach toward decision making. The lecture included several episodes from his childhood which he found helpful in dealing with constitutional issues in his later years. The subjects, among others, included school integration, affirmative action and church and state. A painful experience when he was eleven stayed with him through the years. It involved a policy in the Charlotte, NC public school system, back in the fifties, which required a Christian non-denominational (Protestant) religious hour each week in the city’s elementary schools. The program consisted primarily of reading and telling Bible stories and coloring pictures of Jesus and other Biblical characters. The school policy offered an option which allowed children to avoid attending these classes if their parents requested their absence in writing. Young Walter’s mother was a very devout, Irish Catholic who was uncomfortable about his attending this Protestant oriented religious program and her attitude was encouraged by the Catholic hierarchy. After much agonizing, Mrs. Dellinger wrote a letter to the school requesting that Walter be excused from the weekly classes. Apparently only one other parent in the class wrote a similar letter to the school. Because, from that time on, each week prior to the start of the religion class the teacher would announce to the class that Walter and his classmate Frank, who was Jewish, were to leave the room and spend the next hour shelving books .in the library. Dillinger said he never forgot his feeling of being excluded and an outsider and, consequently, in later years found it much easier to relate to minorities feelings of exclusion and being considered outsiders, because of their treatment. The lecture was followed by a Q and A session. In answer to how he expects the Supreme Court to decide on the constitutionality of “Obamacare,” he said he is guessing it will be approved on the basis that in the final analysis it is a private market program as opposed to government-funded. The former is more compatible with strict constructionalist thinking. The University Speakers Series presents six lecturers each year on topics of interest to Carolina Meadows residents. The lecturers are college or university faculty or staff in our area.

Donation to county manifests in new park

Carolina Meadows recently submitted its second of five $10,000 donations to support parks in Chatham County. The donations started after Carolina Meadows removed a soccer field to make way for the East Campus expansion; the field had been leased to the county for a number of years. The first $10,000 check was presented to Sally Kost, the former Chair of the Chatham County Commissioners, by President and CEO Kevin McLeod in a ceremony that was part of Carolina Meadows' 25th Anniversary celebration last year. Northeast Park officially opened on Aug. 19 in a ceremony in which McLeod participated. The park is located on Big Woods Road, the first road on the right after turning off Jack Bennett Road. A large sign identifies its location. The park consists of 67 acres and includes a multi-purpose field for soccer and football, along with a softball and baseball field that does double duty as a site for outdoor movies. Each field has spectator bleachers, and the park has lighting that meets the county’s new requirement for energy efficiency. There are also two tennis courts; tennis lessons are expected to be offered in the future. Carolina Meadows’ contributions have built the brightly colored children’s playground, the walking trail around the small lake and the picnic shelter along the trail. Each site has a sign that states “Gift to Chatham County from Carolina Meadows.” In addition, the park includes a concession stand, rest rooms and a water fountain. Two parking areas provide easy access to the entire park. Northeast Park is five miles from campus and, thus, easy to reach for Carolina Meadows residents; it provides another area for walking along with a sitting area overlooking a small lake.

Former UNC chancellor reflects on "big-time sports in American universities"

Paul Hardin, former Chancellor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Carolina Meadows resident, recently addressed the Carolina Meadows Men’s Breakfast on the subject: “Big-time Sports in American Universities: Revelry, Rivalry and Risk.” Prior to assuming his duties at UNC, Mr. Hardin taught law at Duke University and was president of three other colleges or universities, including Southern Methodist University. His experience at SMU had a decided influence on his remarks. He recalled his own undergraduate days at Duke when he was a member of the golf team, which won the Southern Conference championship. He reflected on his pride in the success of Carolina and Duke basketball, UNC women’s soccer, and Carolina baseball. “I was thrilled when UNC won the first-ever Sears Directors Cup for the best all-around sports program in the United States,” he said. “I was present at the final games when the Carolina men won the 1993 and 2005 National Championships and when the Carolina women won the 1994 National Championship. I have reveled in the lifetime success of former athletes and the generous humanitarian acts of men and women who have played (or coached) here.” Turning to rivalry, he quoted two prominent authors who described the Duke-Carolina rivalry as the best in collegiate athletics, and — with roots in both camps — he can appreciate fully why alumni and fans of each school are so vehement in expressing their loyalties. Mr. Hardin compared the current situation at Carolina to his experience while president of SMU. He said he had a phone call from the parent of an SMU football player who told him that his son was coming home from practices and games with money in his pockets. He informed the Chairman of the Board of Governors of that call and what he planned to do if his investigations confirmed that they were cheating. (The Board of Governors was a small group of Dallas businessmen, not to be confused with the 100-member Board of Trustees.) When it was revealed that players were being given cash for “big plays,” Mr. Hardin took away the title of athletic director from the football coach, advised him that he had breached his five-year contract, and offered him a one-year probationary contract, which he accepted. Mr. Hardin then notified the Southwest Athletic Conference and the NCAA of those violations and his response. His decisions were fully supported by the Southwest Athletic Conference and the NCAA and applauded by the press and the Board of Trustees, which asked him to stay for a third year as president. However, a short time later he was advised that he had lost the confidence of the Board of Trustees and was asked to resign. By then he had lost confidence in SMU, so he did resign. A leading newspaper editor in Dallas concluded his feature article on the forced resignation that “Paul Hardin was not Texas, not Dallas, not SMU, and not a pushover.” Hardin told the Men’s Breakfast audience that he and his family were shocked and saddened, but it turned out to be an advantage 13 years later when he was being interviewed by a search committee from Chapel Hill. It was made clear to him, he said, that the one “tie breaker” between him and other finalists for the chancellorship here was how he had handled the SMU experience. The committee was looking for an experienced administrator who loved athletics but would never put up with cheating. He said he flew down from New Jersey, “did my athletic due diligence in a wonderfully welcoming and encouraging conversation with Dean Smith, Mack Brown, and John Swofford, accepted the position and never lost a wink of sleep during my chancellorship over any issue of risk in athletics.” Hardin completed his talk by noting that SMU was later given the NCAA’s harshest penalty, and he has since been honored when the current SMU president reached out to him and Barbara “with regrets and friendship” when his portrait was unveiled on the SMU campus. He concluded his talk with a resounding vote of confidence in Carolina’s current “first family,” saying: “Holden and Patty Thorp will never suffer even temporary separation from Chancellor’s Row at Carolina. He is our Chancellor, and she, our First Lady. Together they are a fabulous team.”

Governor Perdue visits Carolina Meadows

On Sunday, November 6, at 1:00 PM, Carolina Meadows residents began filling seats in the auditorium, one half hour before the anticipated arrival of Governor Beverly Perdue and her husband, Bob Eaves. Precisely at 1:30 PM, Governor Perdue and her husband, guests of the Residents Association, entered the packed auditorium to report to her constituents. This was the first visit of a sitting governor to Carolina Meadows. In welcoming Governor Perdue, Residents Association President Roy Carroll said it was a special honor for him to introduce her to Carolina Meadows because of her long-time interest in geriatrics and her efforts in establishing the Institute on Aging at UNC. Perdue said this was not intended to be a political speech and stressed her operating philosophy: to compromise; to be bi-partisan; and, most importantly, to encourage everyone to get along. As an aside, she mentioned the first Christmas she and her husband shared. At the time of their marriage she was a very active Democrat and he was a registered Republican. Beneath their first Christmas tree was a small gift box for her which she suspected might be a pair of earrings from her husband. She opened it to find instead her spouse’s new Independent registration card. He said, "I wanted to do what I could, but I can only go so far!" The Governor’s opening remarks focused on education and its vital importance to the general welfare, quality of life and the future of North Carolina. She pointed out since the early19th Century the state has stressed the constitutional right of each child to have a sound, free public education. Ours is one of only six states in the nation that even mentions education in its constitution. She added that the principal reason she vetoed the General Assembly’s budget was her concern over the Draconian cuts in education which she believed could be dealt with less painfully and more effectively. Following her talk, Perdue fielded a number of questions. One of the questioners inquired about her attitude toward the recent North Carolina congressional re-districting. She replied that whichever party has the majority is going to skew the districting in their favor and, unfortunately, that is just the way it is. This time the Republicans held the majority and the results followed the historic pattern. Perdue said she wants to eliminate the politics and appoint a non-political commission to draw the district boundaries on a fair and objective basis. Gov. Perdue's visit was in keeping with the longstanding tradition of bringing speakers of national and regional prominence to campus.