page 3 dark side of the moon - the observer news...

©2008 Horizon PublicationsAll rights reserved.

Several years ago, with a bit of urgency, some on Newton’s city council said, “Charlotte is com-ing.” Seeing what was happen-ing in Mooresville and Denver, and what was being built along highway #150 in the Terrell area, they were concerned. Now that highway #16 is being enlarged from Jones’ Fish Camp to Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, this urgen-cy continues.

But will Newton feel the impact like the towns along Lake Norman? Roads are a problem

Charlotte is Coming – Maybe,

Maybe Not

See Hester, Page 2

Get Breaking News Online Atwww.observernewsonline.com

For complete listing of obituaries,please see PAGE 2

Maiden soccer eyes proMising

yearpage 8

Did you know...?

.... the longest possible eclipse of the sun is 7.31

minutes....

Furry Faces contest winner

page 3

fridAy, AuGust 11, 2017 50 cEnts

Joe Hester

Red Dirt, Old Friends, and Cherry Pepsis

Local band to perform during Reunion’s street dance

o-n-e staff RepoRtsA popular local band will play and the streets on the south and east sides

of Courthouse Square in Newton will be thronged with dancing couples on Wednesday night, August 16, for the annual street dance, a traditional event of Soldiers Reunion week

Newton American Legion Post 16 sponsors the dance, which as always is free and open to the public, and Legion Post Commander Bryan Green declared he hopes to see dancing couples from “little tykes to great-grandparents” twirling to the music of the band, Crimson Rose.

The band played for last year’s dance and was a hit with the crowd, he added. The band, four instrumentalists and two female vocalists, is composed of performers from Catawba and surrounding counties and will be set up on a bandstand to be erected across the intersection of South College Avenue and East A Street.

Crimson Rose will supply musical entertainment during this year’s street dance at the 2017 Soldiers Reunion.

Photo SPecial to the o-n-e

See Music, Page 3

Auditions for Faith County at The Green Room

o-n-e RepoRts

The Green Room Com-munity Theatre is pleased to announce auditions for Faith County, the second produc-tion of the 2017/2018 Sea-son. Faith County takes place somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the south, where the beehive hairdo is still the rage and Saturday nights are reserved for the tractor pull in nearby Pickler. A colorful collection of good ole coun-try folk gather round for this year’s county fair, and there’s stiff competition in the Arts and Crafts category.

Auditions are scheduled for Monday, August 21 and Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 7:00pm both evenings. Audi-tions will be held at the Old Post Office Playhouse locat-ed at 10 South Main Avenue, Newton, NC 28658. Please enter at the lower level door at the back of the building

(on South Ashe Avenue). Faith County has roles for

males and females age 25 and up. No prepared monologues are necessary, and there will be some cold reading from the script. You must be able to be at all performances of the show. Please be prepared to stay for the entire audition time.

Faith County is produced by The Light Place and Aza-lea Glen and is directed by Jeanne Laws. Production dates are October 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, & 22, 2017

For questions about sea-son tickets, auditions, or any of our other programs, please call The Green Room’s main office at (828) 464-6583 or visit our website: www.thegreenroomtheatre.org.

The Green Room Com-munity Theatre is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.

DARk SiDe oF The MooNLocal astronomy club prepping for solar eclipse

bY bRanDY templeton

o-n-e RePoRteR

In 1979, Jimmy Carter was president, Pink Floyd released the double album “The Wall”, The Duke of Hazzard debuts on television, McDonald’s served its first Happy Meal, and the United States experienced a full solar eclipse.

That would be the last time the U.S. saw a full solar eclipse – until this month when parts of the nation will be in darkness once again, including Catawba County.

Jeff Whisenant, local astrono-my enthusiast, is excited about a partial eclipse coming to Cataw-ba County.

He said our moon will pass directly between us and the sun, and it will cause the sun to com-pletely disappear on the path of totality, depending on your loca-tion. Whisenant said it will get very dark and look like a sunset.

“ I t w i l l be my first total e c l i p s e ,” he said. “It’s going to be so close and so many people will have the opportunity to experience this thing.”

On Monday, August 21, the eclipse will start at 1 p.m. and last until around 4 p.m., with the peak time will be around 2:38 p.m.

“It will last approximately two and a half minutes,” Whisenant said.

In Catawba County, residents will only see a partial eclipse—the sun will be around 97 percent covered.

ABOVE: An illustration shows the 70-mile-wide projected path of the eclipse. It will pass directly over the western part of North Carolina and upstate South Carolina on Aug. 21.

BELOW: Jeff Whisenant rolls out a powerful telescope during a previous Catawba Valley Astronomy Club meeting. However, a telescope will not be needed for the eclipse. Special glasses should be usedto view the solar eclipse.

illuStRation SuPPlied by catawba Valley aStRonomy club

See Eclipse, Page 3

the observer news enterprise friday, august 11, 2017

[email protected] www.observernewsonline.com (828) 464-0221

Obituaries

Let Us Help You Spread The WordPlace your event in the ONE and OutlookCalendar of Events for only $8.00 a week.

Email the event to [email protected] and call in your payment or mail it with a check to:ONE PO Box 48, Newton, NC 28658 • 828-464-0221

Please send your event 1 week in advance

and highways N.C. 150 and 73 certainly draw my attention. During commuting times in the mornings and afternoons these two-lane high-ways are clogged with traffic. Cer-tainly “Charlotte” has caught up with towns like Cornelius, Huntersville and Denver. Enlarging these roads will take time and money.

In the early 1950s, when highway U.S. 321 was re-routed to the Westside of Newton many people asked “why?” Not much was out there. Look at it now! As a teenager, I could jog from the intersection of highways N.C. 10 and U.S. 321 early in the mornings all the way to where Bojangles is today and seldom see a car. The city leaders, who saw the need for this “by-pass,” as we called it then, had both vision and hope. Their vision was of the future and their hope was that busi-nesses would locate along this three-mile stretch of road, and they have. It also un-clogged downtown Newton just as the relocation of highway #16 has done for us today.

Well, if Charlotte is really com-ing our way, Newton is faced with many questions: How will “passers-

by” be attracted into Newton? What will make Newton a destination for shoppers and not just another small town to bypass while on the way to somewhere else? What can be done to improve business highway N.C. 16 as it comes into town? And there are needs for the downtown area: more retail, upscale restaurants, more off-street parking; but most of all vari-ety is needed. Can Newton’s leaders develop and sell a new vision to the outside world? I hope so.

Look what we have now: a new government center just several blocks from downtown; a beautiful and vibrant theater in our old post office building; an active civic center and auditorium dedicated to the arts; churches on every corner; four or five restaurants; an active wine bar; a real-ly nice pool room; and many small retailers. But there are empty build-ings and these need to be repurposed and some of our old buildings need some shoring up. A new street plan is in the works and that will help.

We have no college or university to attract young people into town, but maybe there’s a university out

there who wishes to establish a sat-ellite school? Newton would be a good choice. Lenoir-Rhyne is now in Asheville and Columbia, SC; some-one, somewhere is looking and New-ton should be looking too. Catawba Farms in south Newton is adding a vineyard, a restaurant, and begin-ning to develop craft beer. They will become a destination in the near future. These owners have a vision and have worked to complete it. What else can be done to make Newton a destination?

An identity is needed; perhaps the development of a “Newton Magazine” to sell itself. And as improvements are made, selling itself is something Newton needs to pursue. This can happen and cities like Charlotte will sit up and take notice. Of course, if we wait, the passersby will just continue to “pass on by.” Do you remember the theme song from the Jefferson’s TV show – “We’re moving on up…” That is my hope for Newton.

Joe Hester is a writer from Claremont.

HesterFrom page 1

Ongoing

Concert SeriesNEWTON, NC— New-

ton’s historic 1924 Court-house Square resounds with music and art this summer as Carolina Vines and the Downtown New-ton Development Asso-ciation present “Get Your NewtOn!-Art Evenings on the Square” on Thurs-days since June, July and August.

The series of outdoor events begins Thursday nights at 7 p.m. with music beginning at 8 p.m.

Located on North Col-lege Avenue between A Street and 1st Street, the series is free and open to the public.

The music lineup is:»Aug 10: Goodfoot

DownFor more information,

please contact Michael Waltuch at 704-325-3026 or [email protected] or Shannon Johnson at 828-695-4360 or [email protected].

Advanced Gardener Series

The Catawba County Library is a great place to learn, act, and grow as they host the second year of the Advanced Garden-er Series at two of their branch locations through-out 2017. The upcoming presentation of the elev-en-month series will be, “Everything Herbs”.

Dr. George Place, Catawba County Coop-erative Extension Direc-tor, will be talking about new tips new tips for successful herb garden-ing. The Advanced Gar-dener Series plays an integral role in the Farm and Food Sustainability Plan passed by Catawba County in 2013, which lays out clear action plans in working for a healthier county, while creating a local food system and preserving farmland.

August: Grains and Your Garden

September: Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Asparagus & More

October: Leafy Greens & Garden Perennials

November: Berries & Fruit in Your Garden

For the latest in library news, visit librarynews.

catawbacounty nc.gov or stop by your local branch.

Farmers MarketBe good to yourself!

The Farmers’ Market at Catawba Farms is open from 8am-12noon every Saturday from June 3rd to September 9th. Through-out the season the Mar-ket will feature locally grown produce, meat, herbs, plants, sustainable non-GMO body products, crafts, and wine tasting.

Located at Catawba Farms at 1670 Southwest Blvd. in Newton. Please enter from Technibilt Drive, across from South-side Park.

Aug. 13

REESE REUNIONThe descendants of Cal-

vin Peter Reese and Selena Punch Reese and the fami-lies of James W., Junius A., Laban, Alfred, Perry, Wil-burn, Henry Reese and Ellen Reese Weaver and Candace Reese Chester will hold the 48th Annual Reese Reunion on Sunday, August 13, 2017 at 1:00 p.m., First United Method-ist Church, 410 1st Ave. N., CONOVER, NC 28613. All family members, spouses and related family mem-bers are urged to attend and bring your specialty food dishes to share. Drinks will be provided. Lunch will begin at 1:30 p.m. with business meeting to follow. The Reunion offi-cers: Joyce Sronce, Presi-dent(828-328-3226), and Rosemary Fuller, Secretary.

Calvin Peter Reese was the grandson of Ger-man immigrants Peter Rees(1760-1833) and Mar-garet Lehr Rees(1765-1820) who settled in the Catawba Valley in the late 1780’s.

Symphony ConcertThe Western Piedmont

Symphony will perform “Symphony on the Square: An Evening With the Stars” as part of the Soldiers Reunion Celebration on Sunday, Aug. 13.

The free concert will begin at 8 p.m. on the steps of the 1924 Courthouse in Downtown Newton.

The program includes patriotic marches, movie and television theme songs, Broadway show tunes, and

a salute to the United States military. The first half of the show will include sing-ers and honor members of the armed forces. After dark, the second half of the show will include spe-cial selections set to laser lights.

For more informa-tion about the Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit www.WPSymphony.org, or email [email protected].

Aug. 16

Pet ManiaPet owners and animal

lovers are encouraged to attend and participate in the 2017 Pet Mania event at 7 p.m. on the west side of the Courthouse Square. Pet Mania is sponsored by the Newton Parks and Rec-reation Department and Conover Veterinary Hos-pital.

There will be nine cat-egories in which to com-pete. The winners from each category will be eli-gible for Best of Show. The deadline to enter is 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16. All pets must have proper vaccinations (with tags) to enter. Entry forms are available at the Newton Recreation Center.

Aug. 17

Genealogy Heritage Book Sale

In response to the demand, the Catawba County Genealogical Soci-ety will again offer both volumes of the widely pop-ular heritage book sale at their booth on the west side of the 1924 Courthouse on Soldiers Reunion Day.

The Heritage of Cataw-ba County Vol l is a 2001 reprint of the 1986 origi-nal. Heritage of Catawba County Vol ll is the 2006 original. Both hard--bound books are being offered on Reunion Day for a com-bined price of S30.00 plus $2.10 sales tax.

Together the two vol-umes have over 1200 stories of the pioneers who settled on the west bank of the Catawba River as early as the 1750s and their descen-dants, many who still call Catawba County home. Each book also contains stories of those who came later from the 1800s down

to the twentieth century. There are well researched, documented histories of numerous family lines as well as stories and anec-dotes about colorful and interesting individuals. All together the pages of the two books relate a remark-able sage of pioneers and people who have collective-ly made Catawba County what it is today.

In addition to the heri-tage books there will also be other CCGS publications for sale including census records and some volumes of the county cemetery books series.

Aug. 18

Open ObservatoryThe Lucile Miller Obser-

vatory will be open twice in August for public observ-ing. We will be open on Fri-day, August 18. We will run from 9:00 until 11 p.m.

The observatory is located on the campus of Maiden Middle School (the old high school) in Maiden, North Carolina. These are a free events, all ages and interests are welcome, and no reservations are need-ed. We will be open rain or shine both evenings.

Weather permitting, our telescopes will be available to observe the Moon, Jupi-ter, Saturn, and the mid-summer sky. Light refresh-ments will be available. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own telescope if they have questions on how to use it or if it needs adjustment.

Please visit our website at www.catawbasky.org for driving directions to the observatory. You may contact Jeff Whisenant at 828 850 6433 or [email protected] for addi-tional information.

Oct. 1

Poovey Family Reunion

The 43rd annual Poovey Family Reunion will be held at St.Paul Lutheran Church in the Startown community at 1 p.m. Bring a covered dish and family records.

They will be honoring the memory of William Pinkney Poovey and Sallie Caroline Starr. All Poovey families are welcomed.

Calendar of Events

Harold Gregory “Greg” AbeeHICkORy - SEPtEMBER 2, 1957 - AUGUSt 9, 2017

Bennett Funeral Service of Conover is assisting the family.

Michael David LoftinNEwtON - MAy 9, 1961 - AUGUSt 10, 2017

Burke Mortuary & Crematory in Newton is assisting the family.

NC remapping rules include election

results but not raceBy GARy D. ROBERTSON

AssociAted Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Past election results can be considered in draw-ing North Carolina’s new General Assembly dis-tricts later this month but not racial information about voters, according to ground rules Repub-licans pushed through redistricting committees Thursday.

The party-line votes on the GOP-controlled House and Senate panels for mapmaking criteria run counter to the wishes of most speakers during a public hearing last week who pleaded for politics to be left out of the process. And Democratic commit-tee members scratched their heads when Repub-lican leaders said racial data wouldn’t be exam-ined at all even though the boundaries still must comply with the U.S. Vot-ing Rights Act.

“How are you going to prove to the court that you did not violate their order in terms of racial gerrymandering?” Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Dur-ham County Democrat, asked House Redistrict-ing Committee chairman David Lewis. “You cannot escape the fact that race has to be in there some-where.”

Federal judges last year struck down 28 House and Senate districts because they said GOP legislators relied too heavily on race when drawing them in 2011. Their ruling, which wasn’t finalized until a U.S. Supreme Court deci-sion in June, means legis-lators are scrambling this month to adjust those and several dozen adja-cent districts and approve them before a Sept. 1 deadline.

Lewis said his reading of the August 2016 rul-ing by a three-judge panel found that legislators had not offered substantial evidence to justify their focus on using race in drawing districts to com-ply with the Voting Rights Act.

“Therefore, we do not believe it is appropriate given the court’s order in this case for these com-mittees to consider race when drawing districts,” said Lewis, a Harnett County Republican.

All but one of the 28 challenged districts had majority black voting-age populations. Although Democrats have said that Republicans needlessly drew too many such dis-

tricts to benefit GOP can-didates in surrounding districts, they say protec-tions to ensure the politi-cal influence of black vot-ers doesn’t erode are still needed. The approved maps are subject to review by the three-judge panel and would first be used in the November 2018 elec-tions.

“We live in the South,” said Forsyth County Sen. Paul Lowe, who like Michaux is black. “When in the South has race not been a factor? Because what I’m hearing doesn’t really add up.”

Republican mapmak-ers last year also reversed course on using racial data in February 2016, when another three-judge panel tossed two congressio-nal districts as unlawful. Instead, Lewis and other Republicans decided they would rework congressio-nal boundaries with the goal of the GOP keeping 10 of 13 U.S. House seats.

Lewis didn’t go so far this time as to offer cri-teria to specifically try to keep the party’s current supermajorities in the state House and Senate, which were helped by the current 2011 maps. But despite calls by speak-ers last week, Lewis said redistricting isn’t politi-cally blind. Statewide elec-tion results for governor, president and U.S. Senate routinely have been used to project whether a dis-trict leans to the left or right.

“Every result from where a line is drawn will be an inherently politi-cal thing,” Lewis said. “It is right and relevant to review past performance in drawing districts.”

But Sen. Terry Van Duyn, a Buncombe Coun-ty Democrat, said public speakers last year clearly “want us to move away from using redistricting for political advantage.”

Republicans also agreed that the number of new districts containing two or more current legisla-tors should be minimized. But Lewis said some “dou-ble bunking” will have to occur given other redis-tricting requirements.

GOP legislative leaders said the criteria will now go to an outside map-maker they’ve hired with taxpayer money — the same one used in 2011. Lewis said preliminary maps are planned to be released before an antici-pated public hearing Aug. 22 or 23. The first votes by the full General Assembly could come Aug 24.


friday, august 11 , 2017 the observer news enterprise page 3

your news The O-N-E invites you to share “Your News” with your friends and neighbors in the community. To submit news for publication on this page, please email it [email protected] or mail it to P.O. Box 48, Newton, N.C. 28658.

ImpressIve OrchId

Ernest and Nelia Winters, of Catawba, sent in this photo of their orchid, which has 24 blooms on it.Photo sPecial to the o-n-e

“Everyone will enjoy the songs, and even non-dancers will want to bring lawn chairs and blan-kets to relax on the courthouse lawn and listen,” he continued. He said the band will play “everything”

in the way of music genres, from country to beach, to rock-and-roll, to contem-porary pop.

The band will begin playing about 7 p. m. and the music will continue to 10 p.m. Crimson Rose,

he noted, is a favorite with the Legion and their in weekly Fri-day night dances for the public at the Post 16 building on South-west Boulevard, as well as the Saturday night dances they host.

“It’s been our number one draw-ing band for several years,” declared for-mer post Command-er Ron Harris. He said favorite dance styles include shag-ging and even line dancing

The street dance will follow the Reunion baby parade and contest at 6 p.m. on the College Avenue side of The Square and Pet Mania on the Main Avenue side on Wednesday evening.

MusicFrom page 1

Furry Faces photo contest

at hscc

Humane Society of Catawba County congratulates Jimmy and Kim Garrett on their winning entry “Frosty” submitted for the 2017 Furry Faces Photo Contest. Thou-sands of dollars were raised and all proceeds from the contest go directly to HSCC, which operates through the generosity and support of individuals in the commu-nity. HSCC does not receive any tax dollars, United Way funding, or receive portions of donations made to any national humane organizations. All donations to HSCC are tax-deductible. The 2018 Furry Faces calendars will be available in the fall. Anyone interested in sponsorship opportunities in the 2018 calendar can email [email protected].

Frosty

For those who would like to see the full solar eclipse, Whisenant said you will have to travel to either upstate South Carolina near Columbia or to the Brevard, North Carolina area.

Whisenant, who’s a mem-ber of the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club, said his group is headed to South Carolina.

“We plan to get there early Monday,” he said. “It will be very crowded and difficult to travel at the time of eclipse. The roads may come to a standstill.”

Whisenant also said that hotel accommodations are probably booked and patrons may be charged three times what they nor-mally should be.

“There will be a lot of congestion,” he said. “You don’t know what to expect. They’re expecting one mil-lion people just in Colum-bia alone.”

Whisenant also said that crowded areas may have cell phone overload and GPS systems might crash.

However, those things are minor compared to damage from the sun.

He cautions people to never ever look at the sun because it will damage naked eyes.

“It can affect your periph-eral vision,” Whisenant said. “The sun causes pain-less burns on the retina/the back of your eye and can create small or large blind spots. The damage has been known to acceler-ate cataracts and it’s not reversible.”

He also said not to use binoculars or telescopes to observe the eclipse.

Whisenant said that there are special glasses that block 99.9 percent of visible light, infrared, and ultra violet rays. These glasses are sold at Walmart, some hardware stores, and at the Catawba Science Center. Also, some local Catawba County libraries have them.

“Our astronomy club just received an additional 500 pairs,” he said.

Whisenant said that #14 welders glasses will work in an eclipse situation if the other glasses aren’t avail-able.

He cautions parents to closely monitor small chil-dren and for pet owners, he said, “Animals have enough good sense to not look at the sun in the first place.”

To observe the eclipse, Whisenant said that there may be gatherings at the Newton Library and at the Catawba Science Center Salt Block area.

He encourages everyone to come out and see the eclipse, because the next one won’t be until 2024 and it will be in the Midwest and south west. He said it will start in Texas and eventually make its way through New England.

Whisenant said that these things are easy to predict now by using upgraded astronomy software and a special almanac.

He invites people to come out to his club if they are curious about astronomy and learning more about eclipses.

“If you have an interest, come hang out with us and we’ll help you figure things out. We always have free advice,” he said.

The Catawba Coun-ty Astronomy Club has around 50 members with 25 currently active.

Those 16 and up can join, and families can get mem-berships for only $20.

“I started actively pursu-ing astronomy since 1980 and joined the club in 1989,” Whisenant said.

He became interested after picking up a star map and searching the night-time sky. Also, the observa-tory was named for a mem-ber of his church, Lucile Miller.

The observatory is located at Maiden Middle School (the old Maiden High School building) and the club meets the first and third Friday evenings of each month rain or shine.

For more information, go to Catawbasky.org

EclipseFrom page 1


page 4 the observer news enterprise friday, august 11, 2017

perspectiveCNN Reporter Wrongly

Became Part of the Story

P.O. Box 48 • 309 College Ave. • Newton NC 28658(828) 464-0221 • FAX (828) 464-1267

General Manager/Editor: Seth Mabryemail: [email protected]

The Publisher of The Observer News Enterprise reserves the right to reject, edit or cancel any advertising at any time without liability and the Publisher’s liability for error is limited to the amount paid for advertising. The Observer News Enter-prise is published daily except Sunday, Monday, and major holidays at 309 N. College, Newton, NC 28658. Telephone: (828) 464-0221 Fax: (828) 464-1267. Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Observer News Enterprise, P.O. Box 48, Newton, NC 28658-0048. Periodicals Postage Paid At Newton, NC. (USPS 599-300). Subscriptions: Mailed In Catawba County: 1 Year $64.00, 6 months $38.00, 3 months $27.00. Mailed Out Of Catawba County: 1 Year $82.00, 6 months $46.00, 3 months $29.00. Mailed Out Of State: 1 Year $96.00, 6 months $54.00, 3 months $32.00. Subscription Information: Telephone hours, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The Observer News Enterprise

O, Canada! If Only Liberals Knew All the Facts

Canada is often touted in the United States as the panacea of health care, leadership, love, peace and thick bacon.

Listening to Democrats Bernie Sanders, Maxine Waters and Chuck Schum-er, one would think there are no Canadians waiting longer than Americans for life-saving surgeries or just to see a doctor in an emer-gency room.

Canada is perfect!Since liberals enjoy

the comparative phrase, “industrialized nations,” there may be some angst or denial in the fact that the Canadian Institute for Health Information has given their emergen-cy room rating a failing grade.

According to the inde-pendent non-profit, estab-lished to provide action-able information about the nation’s health care system, “....compared to other industrialized coun-tries, Canada has the high-est proportion of patients reporting excessively long waits in an emergency department.”

On average, it takes nearly four hours to see a doctor after you’ve arrived at a Canadian emergency room. In fact, 29 percent of Canadians checking into emergency rooms have to wait four hours or lon-ger before being seen by a practitioner.

Last year, Quebec’s health and welfare commission-er reported 35 percent of patients in the province have to wait five hours or more for care.That’s not

just bad, it’s the very worst in the western hemisphere.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control reports the average wait time to see a doctor in U.S. emergency rooms is thirty minutes.

Canada also topped the list for having the high-est proportion of patients with long delays to see specialists, with 56 percent waiting longer than four weeks, compared with the international average of 36 percent.

In the U.S., which liber-als have been telling us has the worst health care in the “industrialized world,” half as many people having to wait that long to see a spe-cialist.

OK, so their health care system might not be per-fect, but at least Canada has liberal heart-throb Justin Trudeau.

Rolling Stone maga-zine, the politically liberal firebrand that has a dicey relationship with truthful reporting, poses Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau as the western world’s last great hope.

They were obviously impressed with his tweet

paying tribute to Fidel Cas-tro, a man who denies the poor health care as good for the ruling class and imprisoned fellow Cubans whose politics differed from his own as “larger than life leader who served his people...”

This is the same Trudeau who awarded a convicted terrorist who murdered Americans, Omar Khadr, $10.5 million as restitu-tion for Omar being held at Guantanamo.

Trudeau made no similar payments to the families of the soldiers murdered by Kahdr.

All of this makes Can-ada so appealing that the Trump election drove Lena Dunham, Neve Campbell, Barbra Streisand, Raven-Simone, Whoopie Goldberg (who was last seen at Disney World, where U.S. citizen employees were forced to train their cheaper immi-grant replacements or be fired immediately), Chel-sea Handler, and Breaking Bad’s Bryon Cranston to move there...

... or not.Yeah, wait.The latest is

that none of them kept their word.

Even Amy Schumer backed down, claiming her promise to move to Canada was “a joke.”

Bummer.But... Canada!It’s the perfect western

country!Every liberal loves Canada!

That’s why is rather odd that the Canadian LGBT Pride march in Calgary banned police officers from attending the parade

in uniform.If Canada is so wonder-

ful, what’s the problem with spiffy red-uniformed hunks marching or just guarding the marchers?

The president of Cal-gary Pride, Jason Kings-ley, claims the symbols of law enforcement could be “triggering” to attendees, comparing it to PTSD.

“It’s that symbol, that authoritative symbol, that weapon that can actually be triggering and trau-matic for individuals who have faced oppression or faced issues. So it’s similar to things like PTSD, where sounds or sights can actu-ally trigger these emotions or these responses, where they can relive these kind of traumatic episodes or situations that they’ve experienced in their lives.”

To the organizers’ dis-appointment, the Calgary police will still provide security to protect them.Some will march in civilian clothes.

Some marchers will likely faint at the horrible sight of Calgary police stoi-cally protecting their right to march.

For their sake, let’s hope none of the marchers twist an ankle and need to check in to a Canadian emergen-cy room.

Rick Jensen is Delaware’s award-winning conserva-

tive talk show host on WDEL, streaming live on WDEL.com

from 1pm ---- 4pm EST. Contact Rick at [email protected], or fol-low him on Twitter @Jensen-

1150WDEL.

The most fundamen-tal rule in journalism is a straightforward and rela-tively simple one: Don’t become a part of the story.

CNN’s White House cor-respondent Jim Acosta cut class the day that lesson was imparted.

His protracted argument with White House senior policy advisor Stephen Mill-er over the Trump Admin-istration’s plan to revise immigration policy was an embarrassment to himself, his colleagues, his network and reinforced the percep-tion that the media is no longer an independent bro-ker and purveyor of news, but a group of opiniated, smarmy individuals intent on expressing their own biases.

Acosta repeatedly inter-rupted Miller in mid-answer while lecturing him on the benefits of immigration and the contributions to Ameri-can society that immigrants provided.

Miller stood his ground and attempted to turn the discussion back to the Administration’s propos-al, but Acosta persisted in arguing his personal point of view rather than present-ing insightful and intelli-gent questions to draw out detailed responses.

At one point, he engaged in a senseless soliloquy on the Emma Lazarus poem affixed to the base of the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty rests and accused the President of vio-lating the spirit expressed in the writing.

He shifted back and forth from accusations to hector-ing, while stealing surrepti-tious, sidewise glances at the television cameras to make sure they were still trained on him.

He clearly relished the attention he attracted, shat-tering the non-involvement admonition in favor of becoming not only a part of the story he was sent to cover, but in playing a cen-tral role in it.

If other reporters in the briefing room were uncomfortable or embar-rassed by Acosta’s antics, they remained tight-lipped and not about to say or do anything that could be con-strued as criticism of him.

Their understandable reaction was that he may be a (fill in the blank), but he’s our (fill in the blank).

The daily White House press briefings have, in the Trump era, become must see TV with audience ratings sometimes exceeding those of daytime soap operas.

Clashes are inevitable in the often overheated atmo-sphere involving reporters who are mining for infor-mation and Administra-tion spokespersons who are equally as committed to managing it.

Recently-departed press secretary Sean Spicer was pummeled with regularity as he stood behind the podi-um and attempted - often painfully - to explain his boss’s latest tweet.

In his initial briefing two days after the president

was inaugurated, Spicer set an adversarial tone with his insistence that Trump’s swearing in was witnessed by the largest crowd in his-tory and that the media had undertaken a deliberate campaign of distortion and what later was termed “fake news.”

A skeptical media listened while Spicer defended the President’s assertion that five million illegal immi-grants had voted in the pres-idential election, or that for-mer President Obama had tapped telephones in Trump Tower during the campaign.

He was under relent-less pressure to react to the ongoing allegations of interference by the Russia government in the election and to reports that Trump campaign staffers colluded with Russian operatives to influence the outcome.

The relationship between the Administration rapidly deteriorated as Trump him-self drove almost daily a “fake news” narrative and White House advisor Steve Bannon offered the loony assertion that the press was “an enemy of the people.”

Even in such a hostile environment, it is crucial for the media to maintain a high degree of profes-sionalism, to understand its proper role as awitness to events - not a participant in them --- and to convey what they’ve learned in a fair and objective manner.

The late syndicated col-umnist Pete Lisagor once described his role and those of his peers, this way: “We walk down the middle of the street and shoot the win-dows out on both sides.”

Reporters, like anyone else, hold views and opin-ions on public issues and policies, but submerging them is a pre-requisite to fulfilling their responsibili-ties to their audiences.

Actions like Acosta’s undermine that goal and serve only to feed public dis-trust that it can rely on what it reads and hears.

Acosta knowingly and deliberately injected himself into the story, doing a disser-vice to his viewers and fur-ther harming the image and reputation of the media.

Should he continue his approach ---- and, there’s no reason to doubt he will - it may be necessary for the White House press office to designate two seats in the briefing room, one for Acos-ta and one for his ego.

Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at the Rich-

ard Stockton College.

Carl Golden

Jensen


friday, august 11, 2017 the observer news enterprise page 5

Grizzwells By Bill Schorr

soup to Nutz By Rick Stromoski

BorN loser By Art and Chip Sansom

hermaN dailies

FraNk aNd erNest By Bob Thaves

Nea BridGe phillip alder

astroGraph euGeNia lastASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Set your goals high and be prepared

to pick up information and learn as you head into the future. Make this a year to remember by embracing change and owning what you do and say. Be your own person, make no excuses, be goal-oriented and aim for success.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Mix business with pleasure. Making travel plans or socializing with people who have similar goals will stimulate you to try harder and do better. Explore your options and initiate change.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Deal with personal finances or negotiate an outdated contract. Positive changes at home will result in a higher standard of living. Say no to anyone putting unrea-sonable demands on you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Par-ticipate in events geared toward your concerns. Don’t let an emotional matter ruin your plans. Channel your energy into what matters and the things that will bring about positive change.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Don’t let someone else’s bravado stifle your chance to advance. Let your intelli-gence and experience help you outshine any opponent who challenges you. Per-sonal change will lead to greater oppor-tunity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- False information or direction will send you on a wild goose chase. Get the facts and don’t rely on anyone to take care of your responsibilities or help you achieve your goals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You’ll be anxious to get things done. Don’t let impulsiveness take control and result in mistakes that will slow you down. Positive personal change will be a result of nurturing an impor-tant relationship.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- An opportunity to get involved in a joint venture can change your life and liveli-hood. An enthusiastic physical contri-bution will seal the deal.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Live within your means. Indulgence, over-

spending or hanging out with people who are bad influences will leave you in a vulnerable position. Take better care of your emotional and physical health.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- An emotional incident will lead to overre-action. Before you do or say something you may regret, think again. A physical activity or challenge will help alleviate stress.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don’t let anger take the reins. If you protect your cash and possessions, you will avoid being taken advantage of. Invest in yourself, not in someone else.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- A partnership will suffer if honesty is lacking on one or both sides. Don’t lead someone on or take advantage of a situ-ation or let anyone do so in return.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Take note of what others are doing. Use diplomacy to alter a situation that you find too obscure or intrusive. Know your boundaries and limitations. Avoid overreacting or giving in to indulgent tendencies.

WHICH SUIT IS THE BETTER CHOICE?

Vincent van Gogh said, “I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate.” It seems as though fate decides some bridge deals. In today’s, for example, how should South play in six no-trump after West leads the club 10? In the auction, North-South were using two-over-one game-forcing. South could have rebid three diamonds, but did not like to consume so much bidding space. Also, his spade suit looked six-long. Over three clubs, South was tempted to bid a quantitative four no-trump but was afraid partner would treat it as Roman Key Card Blackwood. (It should be natural. To ask about key cards, South raises to four clubs first, setting the trump suit.) However, when North invited a slam, South happily accepted. South starts with 11 top tricks: five spades, two hearts and four clubs. The extra winner has to come from one of the red suits, but which one, and how? Ideally, declarer would like to cash dummy’s top hearts to see if the queen drops, then to try to guess diamonds. But that risks going down when the defenders can win with the diamond ace and cash the heart queen. Alternatively, South could run the heart 10 or try to guess diamonds. What would you do? I would be inclined to lead the diamond jack from the dummy because East might cover with the queen or think about it. If he plays low smoothly, I will put up the king. At the table, West had queen-doubleton of hearts and ace-doubleton of diamonds, but fatefully led not the club 10 but the heart queen!

arlo aNd jaNis By Jimmy Johnson

moNty dailies

moderately coNFused

CLASSIFIEDS TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT IN THE OBSERVER NEWS ENTERPRISE, PLEASECALL CINDY AT (828) 464-0221. OUR DEADLINES FOR PUBLICATION OF LINE ADS ANDLEGAL NOTICES ARE 1 P.M. ON THE DAY PRIOR. DISPLAY ADS ARE DUE BY 5 P.M. TWODAYS PRIOR TO PUBLICATION.

[email protected] WWW.OBSERVERNEWSONLINE.COM (828) 464-0221

PAGE 6 THE OBSERVER NEWS ENTERPRISE FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017

09 Health Care

Got Knee Pain?Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-reliev-ing brace at little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1- 800-591-5582

19 Schools-Instructions

AIRLINE ME-CHANIC TRAIN-ING - Get FAA certification to fix planes. Approved for military bene-fits. Financial Aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-441-6890

30 Help Wanted

BROWN TRUCK-ING is looking for COMPANY DRIVERS and OWNER OPERA-TORS. Brown re-quires: CDL-A, 2 years of tractor trailer experience OTR or Regional (Multiple states) in the last 3 years, good MVR and PSP. Apply: www.drivefor-brown.com. Con-tact Matt 704-927-6440.

FTCC Fayette-ville Technical Community Col-lege is now ac-cepting applica-tions for the fol-lowing positions: Department Chair Industrial Sys-tems Technology. For detailed infor-mation and to ap-ply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resour-ces Office Phone: (910) 678-7342 Internet: http://www.fay-techcc.edu An Equal Opportuni-ty Employer

Help WantedCounter person

Apply at Kelley’s Village

Cleaners in person at

232 S Main AveNewton

NUCLEAR POW-ER TRAINEEPaid Training, great salary, ben-efits, $ for school. Gain val-ued skills. No exp needed.Medical/dental, vacation. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 800-662-7419

40 MiscellaneousFor Sale

A PLACE FOR MOM. The na-tion's largest se-nior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obliga-tion. CALL 1-800-717-0139

Acorn Stairlifts. The AFFORDA-BLE solution to your stairs! **Lim-ited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1-855-808-9573 for FREE DVD and brochure.

All Things Base-menty! Base-ment Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Water-proofing, Finish-ing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control FREE ESTI-MATES! Call 1-800-698-9217

40 MiscellaneousFor Sale

DISH TV. 190 channels. $49.99/mo. for 24 mos. Ask About Exclusive Dish Features like Sling® and the Hopper®. PLUS HighSpeed Inter-net, $14.95/mo. (Availability and Restrictions ap-ply.) TV for Less, Not Less TV!. Call 1-877-920-7405

GOT LAND? Our Hunters will Pay Top $$$ To hunt your land. Call for a Free info pack-et & Quote. 1-866-309-1507 www.BaseCampLeasing.com

MobileHelp, America's Pre-mier Mobile Medi-cal Alert System. Whether You're Home or Away. For Safety and Peace of Mind. No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1-877-293-5144.

NEW AT&T IN-TERNET OFFER. $20 and $30/mo plans available when you bundle. 99% Reliable 100% Affordable.HURRY, OFFER ENDS SOON. New Customers Only. CALL NOW 1-800-950-1469

Safe Step Walk-In Tub Alert for Seniors. Bath-room falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foun-dation. Therapeu-tic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Installation In-cluded. Call 800-807-7219 for $750 Off.

SAWMILLS from only $4397.00 - MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! FREE Info/DVD: www.Nor-woodSawmills.com 1 -800 -578 -1363 Ext.300N

Social Security Disability? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on paid-in amount.) FREE evaluation! Call Bill Gordon & As-sociates. 1-800-371-1734. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar.

Spectrum Triple Play TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed No contract or commitment. We buy your existing contract up to $500! 1-855-993-5352

Switch to DI-RECTV. Lock in 2-Year Price Guarantee ($50/month) w/AT&T Wireless. Over 145 Chan-nels PLUS Popu-lar Movie Net-works for Three Months, No Cost! Call 1- 800-849-3514

48 Auctions

Online Only Note Auction Mortgage on 176+ Acres 2555 N US 29 Hwy, Spencer Aug. 23rd 1PM. Julian E Howell (770)841-9924 www.AMCbid.com NCAL 7410

48 Auctions

RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT AUCTION Wed-nesday, August 16 @ 10am, 699 West Cone Blvd., Greensboro, NC. New, Used, & Scratch n Dent. Hundreds of Items. Gas & Electric Ovens, Ranges, Char-grills, Flattops, Refrigeration, Southern Pride Smoker. 704-791-8825 ncaf5479 www.ClassicAuc-tion.com

Legal Notices

NORTH CAROLINACATAWBA COUNTYFile No.

17 E 829

NOTICE TOCREDITORS

Having qualified as Executrix of the estate of Rex Michael Teague, deceased, late of Catawba County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the under-signed within three (3) months from August 4, 2017, or this no-tice will be plead-ed in bar of their recovery. All per-sons, firms and corporations in-debted to said es-tate please make immediate pay-ment to the un-dersigned.

This the 4th day of August, 2017.

Sarah Daniels,Executrix

2828 Millersville Rd

Taylorsville, NC 28681

Estate of: Rex Michael Teague

August 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2017. Paid

Legal Notices

NORTH CAROLINACATAWBA COUNTY

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRA-

TOR

The undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Boyd Carson Pyatt, Jr., De-ceased, late of Catawba County, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the said Estate to present them, duly certi-fied, to the under-signed on or be-fore the 20th day of October, 2017 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons in-debted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.This the 21st day of July, 2017.

Boyd Shannon Pyatt

20111 Washam St

Cornelius, NC 28031

Chrystal DeHart Raper, Esq.631 Valley Brook Ln

Winston Salem, NC 27104

Publish: 7-21-177-28-178-04-178-11-17

NOTICE OF SERVICE OFPROCESS OF PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH

CAROLINACOUNTY OF CATAWBA

IN THE GENERALCOURT OF JUSTICEDISTRICT COURT

DIVISIONJUVENILE

DEPARTMENT

Legal Notices

NO. 16 JT 55

IN RE: D. C. CRAWFORD, A MINOR CHILD

TO: FRED S. GREEN, RE-SPONDENT FA-THER, OF THE ABOVE-NAMED MALE CHILD BORN TO JAMIE LEIGH CRAW-FORD, ON OR ABOUT THE 23RD DAY OF DECEMBER, 2009, AT CATA-WBA VALLEY MEDICAL CEN-TER, IN CATA-WBA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLI-NA.TO: JOHN DOE, RE-SPONDENT UN-KNOWN FA-THER OF THE ABOVE-NAMED MALE CHILD BORN TO JAMIE LEIGH CRAW-FORD, ON OR ABOUT THE 23RD DAY OF DECEMBER, 2009, AT CATA-WBA VALLEY MEDICAL CEN-TER, IN CATA-WBA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLI-NA.

TAKE NOTICE that the Catawba County Depart-ment of Social Services has filed a Motion to Ter-minate Parental Rights with re-spect to the above-described minor child has been filed in the above-entitled proceeding.

You are required and directed to make defense of such pleadings by filing an An-swer to the Mo-tion in this pro-ceeding within forty (40) days af-ter the first publi-cation of this no-tice, exclusive of such date. The Answer must be filed with the Clerk of Superior Court no later than September 13, 2017.

Legal Notices

If you are indi-gent, you have a right to appointed counsel. If you are not already represented by appointed coun-sel, you may con-tact the clerk of court immediately to request coun-sel. You are fur-ther noticed that any counsel ap-pointed previous-ly and still repre-senting you in an abuse, neglect or dependency pro-ceeding will con-tinue to represent you unless other-wise ordered by the court. You have a right to at-tend all hearings concerning your child.

The date, time and place of any pretrial hearing pursuant to G.S. 7B-1108.1 and the hearing on the Motion to Ter-minate Parental Rights will be mailed by the moving party upon filing of the response to this notice or forty (40) days from the date of this notice if no re-sponse is filed.

Upon your failure to file an Answer to the Motion within the time prescribed, the Movant, the Cata-wba County De-partment of So-cial Services, will apply to the Court for the relief sought in the Mo-tion, SPECIFI-CALLY as to the TERMINATION OF YOUR PA-RENTAL RIGHTS with re-spect to the above-described minor child.


Lauren VaughanAttorney at LawCatawba County Department of Social Services

Legal Notices

Post Office Box 669

Newton, North Carolina 28658(828) 695-4559

Publish: August 4th, 11th, 18th, 2017.


17 E 877

NOTICE TOCREDITORS

Having qualified as Administratrix of the estate ofJerry Ray Park-er, deceased, late of Catawba County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corpo-rations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned within three (3) months from Au-gust 11, 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned.


Andrea N Rochelle,

Administratrix11907 Wake

Bluff DrRaleigh, NC

27614

Estate of: Jerry Ray Parker

August 11, 18, 25 & September 1, 2017. Paid

Legal Notices

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Executor, the

Legal Notices


CITY OF CONOVER

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC

HEARINGTO CONSIDER A

ZONING MAP AMENDMENT

R17-02CONOVER CITY

COUNCIL

The Conover City Council will hold a public meeting Monday, August

Legal Notices

14th, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Room of the Conover City Hall to receive citizen comments and questions concerning a re-zoning.

The properties under considera-tion are located at 421 & 425 4th St. Pl. SW. and 519 2nd St. Pl. SW., Catawba County PINs 374105092706, 374105091863, & 374105090768 and contains a to-tal of .97 acre. The property is currently zoned R-9 (Residential)

The proposed amendment would change the zoning for this property to M-1 General Manu-facturing Condi-tional Zoning Dis-trict. The vacant parcels have been purchased by the owner of the adjacent Pre-mium Fabricators facility and the in-tent is to con-struct employee parking.

A file is available for public inspec-tion at the Con-over Planning Of-fice.

All interested per-sons are invited to attend this hearing and pres-ent their com-ments.

This, the 19th day of July, 2017.

Lance HightPlanning Director

Cara ReedCity Clerk

Publish: Friday, August 4th, 2017 and Friday, Au-gust 11th, 2017

Estate ofMargar-et CharleneMor-row a/k/a Mar-garet Charline Morrow, this is to notify all persons having claims against Margaret Charlene Morrow a/k/a Margaret Charline Morrow, deceased, late of Catawba , North Carolina, to file an itemized veri-fied statement thereof with the undersigned on or before the 26thday of Octo-ber, 2017, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of any recovery thereon. All per-sons indebted to said estate are requested to make prompt set-tlement.

This the 28th day of July, 2017.

Kenneth Wayne Morrow

Executor for the Estate of

Charlene Morrow a/k/a Margaret

Charline Morrow 3799 Rink Dam Rd.


Mail statementto:

Matthew D. Byerley

Attorney for Estate of Margaret

Charlene Morrow a/k/a Margaret

Charline MorrowGottholm Ralston & Benton PLLC

171 Main Avenue Dr.


(828) 635-0098

Publish: Friday, July 28, August4, 11, and 18, 2017

17 E 844

NOTICE TOCREDITORS

Having qualified as Executrix of the estate of Marilyn Jean Robertson aka Marilyn Miller Robertson, de-ceased, late of Catawba County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against theestate of said deceased to present them to the under-signed within three (3) months from August 4, 2017, or this no-tice will be plead-ed in bar of their recovery. All per-sons, firms and corporations in-debted to saides-tate please make immediate pay-ment to the un-dersigned.


Susan Carol Anderson,Executrix2196 5th Street NE

Hickory, NC 28601-1504

Estate of: Marilyn Jean

Robertson aka Marilyn Miller

Robertson

August 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2017. Paid

USE WANT ADS FOR RESULTS

WE CAN MAKEYOUR AD

BIGOR

SMALLCALL TODAY

464-0221


friday, august 11, 2017 the observer news enterprise page 7

onesports@observernewsonline.com www.observernewsonline.

tuesday, may 21 , 2016 the observer news enterprise page 7

A-1 Muffler& Service Center

We Fix Mufflers324-2874

3350 Highland Ave. NE,Hickory, NC 28601

Business DirectoryYour quick guide to quality services

Full Service Lawn CareToM’S LAwn ServiCe

(828) 320-4113 & (828) 244-3491Pesticide License certified

Mowing • Weedeating • Blowing Off • Bush Hogging• Weed Control • Seeding • Liming • Fertilizing• Snow Removal • Aerating • Pruning • Edging

Tom Maclauchlin (owner)704 3rd Ave., NW Conover NC, 28613

30 yrs. experience

grow your BuSINESS

Call (828) 464-0221 toadvertise your business or ser-

vice to our readers!

All Types of Pool & Concrete Services

Free Estimates828-302-3105

www.poolsbysparkling.com

SPArkling PoolS

•Inground pools

• replacement lIners

• complete pool renovatIon

capped by a 16-yard TD run by Alfred Blue.

But it was a strong showing for Caro-lina’s defensive starters.

“We put ourselves in good third down situations and we were able to execute and get off the field,” Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis said. “Overall, the first half, the ones definitely had a good showing.”

Panthers veteran backup Derek Ander-son looked sharp starting in place of Cam Newton, who’s still resting a sore right shoulder.

Anderson completed 4 of 5 passes for 76 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin to finish with a perfect 158.3 QB rating.

The 6-foot-5 Benjamin, who reported to training camp in good shape after being overweight in the spring, made a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone to give Carolina the early 7-0 lead.

“I am feeling good again,” Benjamin said. “I am ready to get Cam (Newton) back out there so we can rebuild that chemistry.”

WATT, KUECHLY RETURNTwo former NFL Defensive Players of

the Year returned to action after missing significant time last season with injuries.

J.J. Watt played one series for the Texans in his return from back surgery. Kuechly played six plays after returning from his second career concussion. Neither regis-tered a tackle.

SITTING OUTAlong with Newton, veteran defensive

ends Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson, center Ryan Kalil and rookie wide receiver Curtis Samuel did not suit up for Carolina.

ROOKIE WATCHTexans: Rookie linebacker Dylan Cole

appeared to return a fumble for a touch-down to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but the play was overturned.

Panthers: Christian McCaffrey had 33 yards on seven carries in his rookie debut and showed impressive quickness and the ability to make defenders miss.

POSITION BATTLESTexans: RB Alfred Blue outperformed

projected starter Lamar Miller. Blue ran for 33 yards on seven carries including a 16-yard touchdown, while Miller carried two times for no yards.

Panthers: Wide receiver Damiere Byrd, considered a fringe roster player, did noth-ing to hurt his chances by hauling touch-down passes of 50 and 8 yards from Joe Webb.

WHAT BROWN DOES FOR YOUThe Texans clearly missed left tackle

Duane Brown, whose contract situation remains unresolved. Savage was under heavy pressure on the first two series. Chris Clark started at left tackle.

INJURY UPDATETexans: Reported no injuries.Panthers: Vernon Butler, last year’s first-

round draft pick, left the game with a left knee injury and did not return.

QUOTABLETexans: “I’m so happy to be back with

my guys,” Watt said of his return. “It’s so much fun in my D-line room and being back out there with my teammates. That’s where I belong.”

Panthers: “It means a lot,” Byrd said after the first of his two TD catches. “It’s a dream of everybody’s to be able to play for an organization as great as this in the NFL.”

WatsonContinued from 8

back and that’s always good because we always know how to play with each other and how everybody plays,” Lich-tenwalner said. “But, the weaknesses would probably be the freshmen, the new players. Because they don’t know how to play and we have to help them and guide them. Since we only have a varsity team they don’t get to play at a JV level like people their age. They’re going to have to play against grow men and people that are a lot older than them, but I think we’ll be OK.”

Everett said the team will primarily focus on defense and take its chances in transition.

“We’re more of a transition type and we’re going to play strong defense,” the Maiden coach said. “Offensively I think we have some of the best players in the conference as far as skill, ball-handling and shooting. Nobody will ever beat us if they score so we’re going to try to

stop them defensively and do more in transition.”

Maiden soccer has seen a bit of suc-cess but would like more. A strong sea-son could go a long way to helping the future of the program.

“I believe it’s just getting kids to play,” Everett said. “The middle school has been successful for a long time but they’ll move to different schools or you’ll have some kids come to the high school and choose to focus on a differ-ent sport. There are multi-sport athletes and when they get to high school they just want to play the same old sports.”

Lichtenwalner said the team has worked really hard to improve every year and feels this season could be one to remember.

“I think we have a really solid team and we can move up this season and show people that Maiden just isn’t about football,” he said.

MaidenContinued from 8

PHoto ProVided

All-conference defender Patrick Lichtenwalner will look to lead the Maiden to a strong season. For the first time in school history the team will have mostly upperclassmen.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — A racing fan who grew up in North Carolina, William Byron remembers peering into windows at Hendrick Motorsports.

He saw cars built for Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s biggest stars during Byron’s 19 years.

Soon, he will be on the opposite side of the glass.

Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday that Byron will replace Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 Chevrolet beginning in 2018, giving the teenager a top-tier Cup Series ride for one of NASCAR’s most accomplished teams. Byron is scheduled to make his Cup debut at Daytona in Feb-ruary.

“It’s pretty cool to be in the other side of the picture,” Byron said.

Byron, who will turn 20 in November, is in his first season in the second-tier Xfinity Series. He has three wins, including ones at Daytona and Indianapolis, and currently ranks second in points while driving for

Hendrick-allied JR Motorsports. He also won seven times — a record for a rookie — in the Truck Series in 2016.

“You can’t teach speed and you can’t train talent,” Hendrick said. “And he has all those other qualities: Smart, dedicated, culture, work ethic. He’s got the whole package.”

Byron will join seven-time champion Johnson, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman in Hendrick’s four-car Cup lineup next sea-son. Instead of the star-studded group that featured Gordon, Johnson and Earnhardt a few years ago, the team will have three drivers under the age of 25 and Johnson, who will turn 42 next month.

“I don’t really have much of a concern,” said Hendrick, adding that Johnson will be a mentor while Gordon and Earnhardt will still have roles with the organization. “So they’ve got a lot of coaches. But the main thing is just not putting too much pressure on them and letting them go out and learn.

Byron lands top-tier ride at Hendrick Motorsports in ’18

By Michael christopher

[email protected]

It’s not often a program returns nearly all of its returning starters.

That sentence has never been more true for Maiden High boys soccer than this season.

The Blue Devils are a young pro-gram and for a decade plus have had to battle with throwing inexpe-rienced and younger players on the field in what several area coaches consider is the toughest conference in 2A, if not the state.

“All of the starters will be juniors and seniors,” Maiden head coach Neil Everett said. “For the first time ever in Maiden history we’ll have a varsity team. Usually I’m hav-ing to play a ninth-grader, 10th grader, this year mostly 11th and 12th graders will start.”

Maiden finished 8-14-2 overall with a 4-9-1 conference mark. Still, the prospect of returning 10 of its 11 starters with a year of experi-ence under their belts has Everett thinking big.

“I’d like to win the conference. I think if you say anything else you’re cheating yourself and your kids. We’ll try to win every game,” he said. “This is probably the tough-est soccer conference in the state, there is not a bad team. So the real-ity is you could win or lose every game you play. It’s a dogfight.”

The Blue Devils return three all-conference players in senior Pat-rick Lichtenwalner, Casey Ly and Forrest DiCiuccio.

“The strengths are definitely are that we have a lot of recurring play-ers. A lot of people have come back

o-n-e


friday, august 11, 2017

SportSToday

Girls Tennis4 p.m. – Maiden at Greene Central scrim-mage

Varsity FootballSt. Stephens at Wilkes Jam in scrimmage5:30, 6:30 p.m. – Bandys at West Iredell6 p.m. -- Hickory, Alex-ander Central, Maiden at Lenior-Rhyne

VolleyballFred T. Foard at Cataw-ba Unviersity in scrim-mage

Saturday, Aug. 12Girls Tennis

8 a.m. – Maiden at Greene Central scrim-mage

Boys SoccerSt. Stephens at Foard Friendlies at Henry ForkNewton-Conover in jamboree at Henry River Fork Pepsi Cen-ter

Volleyball9 a.m. – Hustle & Hit preseasonMaiden at Cox Mill High School scrimmageBunker Hill at St. Ste-phens scrimmage

Monday, Aug. 14Girls Tennis

10 a.m. – Maiden at St. Stephens

JV Boys Soccer5 p.m. – Hickory at Statesville5 p.m. – St. Stephens at AC Reynolds

Varsity Boys Soccer5 p.m. – Draughn at Bandys 6:30 p.m. – St. Stephens at AC Reynolds6:30 p.m. – Hickory at Statesville

Volleyball4:30 p.m. – Alexander Central at Fred T. Foard

Tues., Aug. 15Girls Tennis

Maiden at Gaston Christian

Boys Soccer St. Stephens at Wilkes Central Cup6 p.m. – Maiden at Fred T. Foard

JV Volleyball4:30 p.m. – Bunker Hill at Newton-Conover4:30 p.m. – West Iredell at Maiden5 p.m. – St. Stephens at Mount Tabor

Varsity Volleyball6 p.m. – Bunker Hill at Newton-Conover6 p.m. – West Iredell at Maiden6:30 p.m. – St. Stephens at Mount Tabor

Wed., Aug. 16Boys Soccer

6 p.m. – East Burke at Maiden

Volleyball4:30 p.m. – St. Stephens at Mooresville4:30 p.m. – Maiden at North Iredell4:30 p.m. – West Lincoln at Fred T. Foard

Varsity Volleyball6 p.m. – St. Stephens at Mooresville6 p.m. – Maiden at North Iredell6 p.m. – West Lincoln at Fred T. Foard

Maiden ready for next stepBlue Devils

soccer in unique position heading

into fall

PHOTO PROVIDED

Maiden senior Patrick Lichtenwalner attempts to shield the ball from an opponent during a match last year. The Blue Devils return 10 of its 11 starters heading into this fall.

Getting ready for Friday night

O-N-E PHOTO BY MICHELLE THOMPSON

Bandys’ Jacob ellis is brought down by several east Burke tacklers during Wednesday’s scrim-mage at Bandys High School.

O-N-E PHOTO BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER

A newton-Conover running back tries to break free of tacklers during Wednesday’s scrim-mage against Robinson at newton-Conover High School.

See Maiden, Page 7

rookie QB Watson shines in texans’ loss to panthersBy steVe reeD

AssociAted press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Deshaun Watson remind-ed everyone why Panthers coach Ron Rivera — and many others — felt he should have won the Heis-man Trophy last season.

Watson shined in his NFL preseason debut, completing 15 of 25 passes for 179 yards and running for a score in the Hous-ton Texans’ 27-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday night.

Watson, who led Clem-son to the ACC champi-onship on this field last December en route to win-ning the national champi-onship, received a rousing ovation from Tigers fans dressed in orange when he entered the game in the second quarter.

The cheers grew louder when Watson outran two defenders for a 15-yard touchdown — although Panthers fans tried to cover the celebration with boos.

“It was good just to get my feet wet,” said Watson, who was pleased with his overall effort.

Houston’s first-round draft pick looked com-fortable in the pocket,

stepping up to avoid pres-sure and getting rid of the football in a timely manner. He didn’t let pen-alties on his team affect him and didn’t turn the ball over in nearly three quarters of play.

“He’s a smart player, an instinctive player,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said.

“For the first game out there I thought he did some good things. That’s a big jump from college to the NFL and I thought he handled it pretty well.”

Tom Savage went three-and-out on his first two possessions against Caro-lina’s first-team defense. Savage had better luck with Carolina’s starters out of the game, complet-ing 8 of 8 passes for 67 yards on his final drive

WATSon

See Watson, Page 7

page 3 dark side of the moon - the observer news...

Documents