Charlotte Area News Local Section

A newly-formed local race team hopes to bring a unique message to NASCAR, beginning with the Daytona 500 later this month.

Charlotte-based America Israel Racing (AIR) was created to raise awareness of the importance of America supporting Israel through a unique and very public forum – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. AIR will team with Robinson-Blakeney Racing of Monroe to place a car in the 2012 Daytona 500 field on February 26.

“This is a critical time in our nation’s history as it pertains to our relationship with Israel,” said Rich Shirey, co-founder of AIR. “As the only true democracy in the Middle East, we feel it is critical that the United States reaffirms its commitment to stand beside Israel. By fielding a car in the most-watched race of the year, we hope to show Israel just how many Americans feel the same way.”

The No. 49 America Israel Racing Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota will be driven by JJ Yeley at Daytona. Inspired by AIR’s mission of promoting American Israeli support, the car’s design prominently displays both the United States and Israel flags as well as a striking image of a bald eagle holding both nations’ flags in its claws and an olive branch in its beak on the hood.

“We wanted to ensure our car design was not only eye-catching, but properly conveyed the mission and values of America Israel Racing,” said Shirey. “The eagle in particular contains a great deal of symbolism – it has a determined look on its face, because we are determined to voice the importance of America’s support of Israel.

“However, we wanted to be sure to include the olive branch, because it is a universal sign of peace and above all else, America Israel Racing’s message is a peaceful one.”

An image of the No. 49 America Israel Racing Robinson-Blakeney Toyota is attached. Additional photos are available on America Israel Racing’s Facebook page at facebook.com/AmericaIsraelRacing or by request.

AIR hopes to continue its partnership with Robinson-Blakeney Racing beyond Daytona, and with the support of like-minded individuals AIR will spread its message of American Israeli support by placing a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup field for the entire 2012 season. Anyone wishing to support America Israel Racing and its cause can make a donation online at AmericaIsraelRacing.com.

“If enough people make a stand, the world will take notice,” said Shirey.

About America Israel Racing
America Israel Racing was formed to raise awareness of the importance of America supporting Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, as it stands against its enemies. The North Carolina-based race team, founded in 2011, is in the process of fundraising to field a car in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starting with the Daytona 500. Through strategic partnerships and joint ventures with other organizations, America Israel Racing hopes to spread the message throughout the world that the United States supports Israel.

AmericaIsraelRacing.com facebook.com/AmericaIsraelRacing twitter.com/AmIsraelRacing

Hendrick Automotive Group finalized its acquisition of Tim Marburger Dodge Chrysler Jeep this week. The dealership, located at 287 Concord Parkway, has been renamed Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Concord.

The store will be Hendrick Automotive Group’s first Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram location serving its home market of Charlotte.

“We’re thrilled to now offer Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram to the Charlotte area,” said Tom Blocker, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hendrick Automotive Group. “We saw sales of these brands grow more than 25 percent last year alone. They’re excellent products, and we’re excited to have them available to our customers here.”

Wes Watkins will serve as the dealership’s Executive Manager and offers 23 years of experience with Hendrick Automotive Group. He also will serve as General Manager at Honda of Concord, a position he’s held since 2001.

“Our focus will continue to be on offering the best possible experience to every person who walks in the door, whether it’s in sales or service,” Watkins said. “We hope all Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram customers in the region will visit the dealership and experience the Hendrick commitment to its customers and community. We want to earn their business.”

Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Concord will offer more than $4 million in new inventory and an expanded product selection, all available immediately. In addition, the 40,000-square-foot dealership will offer its customers oil changes starting at $9.95, full service on Saturdays, shuttle service, a parts boutique and access to free Wi-Fi.

Information on future Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Concord career opportunities will be available at www.HendrickCareers.com.

About Hendrick Automotive Group
Encompassing more than 100 franchises from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is one of the largest automotive retail organizations in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the company employs more than 7,000 people across 12 states.

For more information, please visit www.HendrickAuto.com. Follow the dealership on Facebook at Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Concord, or on Twitter at @HendrickCDJ.

The Fort Mill YMCA, 857 Promenade Walk, is hosting a variety of Ageless Grace® classes and educational programs March 2-4, 2012, facilitated by the creator and founder, Denise Medved (in photo). This innovative movement program is ideal for baby boomers, seniors, children and those with physical limitations. There will be several 30-minute public classes, a 4-hour Personal Practice Seminar and a 2-day Educator Certification to Teach Course. CE credits are available.

Ageless Grace® — 21 Simple Tools for Lifelong Comfort and Ease — is a fitness and wellness program created by Denise Medved, an internationally renowned leader in the fitness world for over 25 years. Designed for all ages and abilities, the program focuses on the healthy longevity of the body and mind. Performed in a chair, each of the 21 Tools addresses different anti-aging factors, e.g., joint mobility, spinal flexibility, coordination, cognitive function, balance, confidence, and playfulness.

The Personal Practice Seminar (a 4-hour workshop teaching participants how to practice the program at home) will be held Friday, March 2 from 3 – 7pm. The price is $55 in advance or $65 at the door. Those registered for the Certification may attend at a discounted price of $30.

The Educator Certification (a 2-day program for those who would like to teach) will be held Saturday, March 3 from 9am – 6:30pm and Sunday, March 4 from 9am – 1:30pm. The price is $250, plus $75 for the training materials (Ageless Grace® Playbook, a set of three DVDs, and flashcards).

The four 30-minute Public Classes will be held on Friday from 6:30 – 7pm, Saturday from 12:30 – 1pm and 6 – 6:30 pm and Sunday from 1 – 1:30pm. The cost is $10 per person per class.

For more information and to register, visit the Certification and Seminars page at agelessgrace.com. Questions? Contact Kat Mansfield at 980-475-2194, movewithkat@gmail.com or visit movewithkat.com.

The Appalachian State University (ASU) Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis is recruiting 18 to 55 year-old males and females for a running study to be conducted at the end of February.

The study will test the effectiveness of a 17-day course of the supplement Nutrasorb, a soy protein powder enriched with polyphenols, to counter inflammation, oxidative stress and negative immune changes caused by three days of running for two-and-a-half (2.5) hours per day in a laboratory setting. Nutrasorb was developed in part by Mary Ann Lila, PhD, director of the North Carolina State University Plants for Human Health Institute also on the NCRC.

Only 38 spots are available. Participants will be compensated $400.

Study Details
The first week of testing is February 27 through March 2. During this week, participants will be scheduled for a body composition assessment in a Bod Pod and a treadmill VO2 max test, which measures maximum oxygen uptake. The assessment will take up to an hour-and-a-half. Two weeks before the first day of running, blood will be drawn and participants will receive a supply of the Nutrasorb supplement.

The next three visits will be scheduled on consecutive days so that participants can complete a two-and-a-half (2.5) hour run each day.The first two hours and 15 minutes of the run will be at a constant 75 percent of VO2 max. The last 15-minutes of each run will be a time trial with controlled speed with the goal of cover as much distance as possible. On the three running days, participants will be in the lab by 2 pm and will be finished by 6 pm.

Blood will be drawn before running on the first day and on the third day. The morning after the final run, participants will need to come to the lab between 6:30 am and 8 am for a single blood draw, which will take no longer than 10 minutes.

For more information on the running study, e-mail asu-ncrc@appstate.edu.

About the ASU Human Performance Lab
The ASU/NCRC Human Performance Laboratory investigates the influence of unique plant molecules (e.g, flavonoids such as quercetin, luteolin, and epigallocatechin 3-gallate or EGCG) on age-related loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia), muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise-induced changes in immune function, oxidative stress and inflammation. Principal investigator David C. Neiman, DrPH, FACSM has received over $5 million in research grants and is a pioneer in the research of exercise immunology.

About the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis
The North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis is a hub for research advancing human health, nutrition and agriculture with the goal of preventing, treating and curing disease. Campus partners include eight universities and corporate, government and non-profit partners. The North Carolina State University Plants for Human Health Institute is researching fruits and vegetables to enhance the health-protective value of food crops and to increase the economic impact of North Carolina’s agricultural sector. For more information, visit www.ncresearchcampus.net.

Television and movie legend William Shatner will bring his one man show SHATNER’S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT (www.shatnersworld.com) to the Belk Theatre in Charlotte, NC on April 17. Tickets go on sale February 3rd at 10:00 a.m. The show will play a three week run at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre from February 14 – March 4.

Tickets can be purchased at the Belk Theatre box office or at www.blumenthalarts.org. Ticket prices range from $34.50 – $300.00.

The two-hour show will take audiences on a voyage through Shatner’s life and career, from Shakespearean stage actor to internationally known icon and raconteur, known as much for his unique persona as for his expansive body of work on television and film.

“I’m looking forward to taking this show on the road and playing for audiences across the country, says William Shatner. “It’s taken me 80 years to get this show right! ”

SHATNER’S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT is produced by Innovation Arts & Entertainment; Larry A Thompson Organization; Adam Troy Epstein; Larry A Thompson; Seth Keyes; and Josh Sherman. The show is directed by Scott Faris. Other creative team members include: Edward Pierce, Scenic Design; Ken Billington, Lighting Design; and Peter Fitzgerald, Sound Design.

For tour updates follow @WilliamShatner or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ShatnersWorld

William Shatner is an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, philanthropist and horseman. In 1966, he originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the TV series Star Trek, which spawned a film franchise where he returned as Kirk in seven of the movies, one of which he directed. He played the title role in the hit series T.J. Hooker before hosting TV’s first reality-based series, Rescue 911. He won Emmys and his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of Denny Crane on The Practice and Boston Legal and received four more Emmy nominations as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award nods. His interview series, Shatner’s Raw Nerve, aired on Bio, and he recorded the critically acclaimed album Has Been. The Milwaukee Ballet performed “Common People,” which was set to songs from the record; the event is featured in the documentary Gonzo Ballet. Seeking Major Tom, featuring a number of heavy metal covers and songs by U2, Frank Sinatra, Queen and Pink Floyd, was released last year. Shatner has authored nearly 30 best-sellers.

His autobiography, Up Till Now, was a New York Times best-seller, and Shatner Rules was released in 2011. His comic book series,William Shatner Presents is based on his novels Tek War, Man O’ War, and Quest for Tomorrow, along with a new title: Chimera. He has also been successful in another area – horse breeding. A dedicated breeder of American Quarter horses, he has had enormous success with the American Saddlebred, developing and riding world champions and has won numerous world championships in several events. He united his passions for horses and philanthropy with the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, benefitting L.A.-based children’s charities. He appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark, The World of Suzie Wong, and Tamburlaine the Great. And no, there is nothing this man does not do.

Bank of America today announces the 2012 Museums on Us® roster featuring many of the most renowned arts, culture and educational institutions across the United States, from Miami, Fla., to Anchorage, Alaska. Museums on Us offers Bank of America and Merrill Lynch debit and credit cardholders free admission to more than 150 of the nation’s most exciting cultural venues across 91 cities on the first full weekend of every month.
“We invest in the arts because we believe fostering cultural understanding and respect enables local economies and communities to thrive,” said Rena DeSisto,Bank of America global arts and culture executive. “Our Museums on Us program is a distinctive advantage of doing business with us, and we are proud to share the benefit of this program with our customers across the United States.”

Bank of America partners with an array of institutions including museums, science centers, botanical gardens and aquariums. New institutional partners include Brooklyn Children’s Museum in N.Y., Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Ill., Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul, Minn., and Laguna Art Museum in Orange County, Calif. (full list below). Notable institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, N.Y., Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Calif., The Art Institute of Chicago in Ill., and the Houston Zoo in Texas continue to participate in the program.

2012 Museum Roster Members in Charlotte include:

Mint Museum Uptown
Mint Museum Randolph
Levine Museum of the New South
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Harvey B. Gantt Museum of African-American Arts+Culture
Museum visitors must present a photo ID and a valid Bank of America/Merrill Lynch credit or debit card to be eligible. One free general admission is limited to the cardholder at the participating institution, excluding fundraising events, special exhibitions and ticketed shows (not to be combined with other offers). For more information about Museums on Us and to view a full list of institutions, visit http://museums.bankofamerica.com.

Bank of America and the Arts

As one of the world’s largest financial institutions and a major supporter of arts and culture, Bank of America has a vested interest and plays a meaningful role in the international dialogue on cultural understanding. As a global company, Bank of America demonstrates its commitment to the arts by supporting such efforts as after-school arts programs, programs to conserve artistic heritage as well as a campaign to encourage museum attendance. Bank of America offers customers free access to more than 150 of the nation’s finest cultural institutions through its acclaimed Museums on Us® program, while Art in our Communities® shares exhibits from the company’s corporate collection with communities across the globe through local museum partners. The Bank of America Charitable Foundationalso provides philanthropic support to museums, theaters and other arts-related nonprofits to expand their services and offerings to schools and communities. Bank of America partners with more than five thousand arts institutions worldwide.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department will hold an orientation for youth participating in the inaugural Recreation Employment Corps Mentor / Mentee program on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., at the Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center, 2921 Tuckaseegee Road.

Recreation Employment Corps is a program designed to provide teens, ages 14 – 17, with the opportunity to gain first-time work experience and positive life skills by serving as mentees at various recreation facilities around the County. Each participant will work closely with an assigned recreation supervisor for 10 hours a week through November. Mentees will be compensated for their time and will be subject to policies and procedures just as other County employees are.

Recruitment for the REC program began in fall 2011. Park and Rec staff identified potential candidates – teens currently active in Park and Rec programs – and developed an application process consisting of a written essay and an in-person interview. Sixty teens applied and 20 were selected to participate.

“We are proud to offer this wonderful program which gives students the chance to develop positive working skills and habits which will serve them throughout life,” said Park and Recreation Director Jim Garges. “It is a great example of Park and Rec’s commitment to providing an atmosphere that stresses both education and personal growth.”

Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to a study by Davidson Associate Professor of Biology Michael Dorcas and colleagues published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study, the first to document the ecological impacts of this invasive species, strongly supports that animal communities in this 1.5-million-acre park have been markedly altered by the introduction of pythons within 11 years of their establishment as an invasive species. Mid-sized mammals are the most dramatically affected, but some Everglades pythons are as large as16 feet long, and their prey have included animals as large as deer and alligators.

“The magnitude of these declines underscores the apparent incredible density of pythons in Everglades National Park and justifies the argument for more intensive investigation into their ecological effects, as well as the development of effective control methods,” said Dorcas, lead author of the study and author of the book 2010 book Invasive Pythons in the United States.

He continued, “Such severe declines in easily seen mammals bode poorly for the many species of conservation concern that are more difficult to sample but that may also bevulnerable to python predation.”

The most severe declines, including a nearly complete disappearance of raccoons, rabbits and opossums, have occurred in the remote southernmost regions of the park, where pythons have been established the longest. In this area, populations of raccoons dropped 99.3 percent, opossums 98.9 percent and bobcats 87.5 percent. Marsh and cottontail rabbits, as well as foxes, were not seen at all.

The researchers collected their information via repeated systematic night-time road surveys within the park, counting both live and road-killed animals. Over the period of the study, researchers traveled a total of nearly 39,000 miles from 2003 to 2011 and compared their findings with similar surveys conducted in 1996 and 1997 along the same roadways before pythons were recognized as established in Everglades National Park.

The authors also conducted surveys in ecologically similar areas north of the park where pythons have not yet been discovered. In those areas, mammal abundances were similar to those in the park before pythons proliferated. At sites where pythons have only recently been documented, however, mammal populations were reduced, though not to the dramatic extent observed within the park where pythons are well established.

“Pythons are wreaking havoc on one of America’s most beautiful, treasured and naturally bountifulecosystems,” said U.S. Geological Survey director Marcia McNutt. “Right now, the only hope to help halt further python invasion into new areas is swift, decisive and deliberate human action.”

The authors suggested that one reason for such dramatic declines in such a short time is that these prey species are “naïve” – that is, they not used to being preyed upon by pythons since such large snakes have not previously existed in that ecosystem.

“It took 30 years for the brown treesnake to be implicated in the nearly complete disappearance of mammals and birds on Guam; it has apparently taken only 11years since pythons were recognized as being established in the Everglades for researchers to implicate pythons in the same kind of severe mammal declines,” said Robert Reed, a USGS scientist and co-author of the paper. “It is possible that other mammal species, including at-risk ones, have declined as well because of python predation, but at this time, the status of those species is unknown.”

Another coauthor of the study was John Willson ’02, a research scientist at Virginia Tech University who has worked with Dorcas on several studies and co-authored the book Invasive Pythons in the United States.

Willson commented, “Our research adds to the increasing evidence that predators, whether native or exotic, exert major influence on the structure of animal communities. The effects of declining mammal populations on the overall Everglades ecosystem, which extends well beyond the national park boundaries, are likely profound, but are probably complex and difficult to predict. Studies examining such effects are sorely needed to more fully understand the impacts pythons are having on one of our most unique and valued national parks.”

On January 23 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a rule in the Federal Register that will ban the importation and interstate transportation of four non-native constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades, including the Burmese python. These snakes are being listed as injurious species under the Lacey Act.

In addition to Dorcas and Willson, authors of the study are Robert N. Reed, USGS; Ray W. Snow, NPS; Michael R. Rochford, University of Florida; Melissa A. Miller, Auburn University; Walter E. Meshaka, Jr., State Museum of Pennsylvania; Paul T. Andreadis, Denison University; Frank J. Mazzotti, University of Florida; Christina M. Romagosa, Auburn University; and Kristen M. Hart, USGS.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal artscolleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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Longtime Charlotte business owner William “Bill” Griffin has announced that he will run for the Mecklenburg County Commission District 5 Seat.

“I would like to join the Mecklenburg County Commission to bring stability to the Board,” said Griffin who owns Griffin Home Health Care. “I am deeply committed to the citizens of Mecklenburg County and I want to assure that we are taking care of all our citizens and everyone’s freedom to achieve success. I pledge to make Mecklenburg County a vibrant and fiscally strong community once again.

“Commissioner Neil Cooksey has certainly set a high standard representing the district and I certainly wish him well in all his future endeavors. I plan to maintain the same type of honest and common sense values he’s displayed on the board representing District 5.”

Griffin, a native of Charlotte and his wife Tamara live in Charlotte and have four children and two grandchildren. He has been very active in state and national affairs for many years. He is a strong advocate for the protection of individuals and their health care needs and supported efforts for North Carolina to become the first state to license durable medical equipment suppliers. In conjunction with the North Carolina Attorney General, Griffin assisted to provide regulations governing the public for safety in the durable medical equipment industry.

In addition, he has worked with members of the United States Congress to help clarify the mission of the durable medical equipment industry and testified before a Congressional Subcommittee for small business in 2009.

Griffin has served in various capacities in the Charlotte community. He is currently the President of Arthritis Services and has served on the Board of Directors for over 20 years. He is the Chair of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy DME Sub-Committee. Griffin served as President of the North Carolina Association for Medical Equipment Services and as treasurer for the Continuity of Care Association. He is immediate past Chairman of the Diaconate at Providence Baptist Church, where he also sings in The Sanctuary Choir.

As a result of his founding and establishment of Griffin Home Health Care 29 years ago, a successful provider of health care products and services, he has provided employment for a number of citizens in the community. The Charlotte and Gastonia locations serve the general public in a 16-county region in and around Mecklenburg County.

Buck Lawrimore
editor@charlotteareanews.com

“The Dry Grass Of August” by Anna Jean Mayhew

Reviewed by Jessica Stafford

Charlotte Area News Book Editor

“The Dry Grass of August” takes us back to a time in our very own Charlotte and explores the complicated relationship between blacks and whites on the eve of Brown vs. Board of Education. It is an honest look at the feelings of people involved from all perspectives.

Charlotte author Anna Jean Mayhew makes her debut into literature with this heart wrenching story. It was long journey to create this book, but for this reader it was worth the wait. Her use of dramatic irony tears at the heart as the reader makes their way into the inevitable. Her protagonist, 13 year old June, finds herself in a whirlwind of social change. While her family seems to be happy and successful, the real heart and rock of the family is in their maid Mary.

The story is full of Charlotte references from Queens Road West to Daddy Grace. Mayhew compiled a large amount of research to accurately convey the time period and culture of the story. Her research stretched from the Carolina Room at the main branch of the Charlotte Public Library (a resource that I can personally recommend as being wonderful) all the way to Washington, DC to see an exhibit on Brown vs. Board of education. Her attention to accuracy does not go unnoticed; as you read the 1950s seems to fill your mind in culture and setting. It is one of those books that you get so engrossed in that the summer setting of the story makes you forget that we are actually in the middle of winter.

She created characters that are so vivid that they are living lives that make the readers question what their own response would be in the face of social injustice – if they would have the same audacity or naivety. Even cameo characters have a realism to them that goes to the old saying “there are no small roles.”

“Delta Magazine” recently named “The Dry Grass of August” as one of the top 5 books of 2011 and the book just had its 8th printing. If you have not read this book yet it is a must! Then you will be ready for the next book she is currently working on, “Tomorrow’s Bread.”

The Dry Grass of August (Kensington Books; $15.00; April 2011)