Life in Davidson is an occasional column of short items that capture life in our small town. Have an item to share? Send it to editor@davidsonnews.net.
ON TUESDAY, THIS BECOMES A CRIME
Sitting behind Summit Coffee, a teen looks up from her cell phone as a friend steps out of his car in the parking lot: “You’re here already? Hey — why were you texting when you were driving! Don’t you know that’s not safe!”
Good advice. And even better advice beginning Tuesday: That’s when a new state law takes effect banning texting while driving. Also now off limits: reading email on your smartphone or Blackberry. The fine is $100 per violation if you’re caught.
Of course getting caught could be the least of your worries. Studies show that people who text and drive are 23 times more likely to be in a crash than “nondistracted” drivers.
And if you haven’t seen it, check out that British public service video that graphically portrays the potential hazards of teens texting and driving.
DEER IN THE YARD
Deer are a fairly common sight these days in and around Davidson. The police blotter often contains stories of automobiles hitting or swerving to avoid them.
In early November, the Booker family of South Street had a surprising experience involving a deer, a dog, and later, animal control officers. It seems a deer wandered into their yard, which backs up to the parking lot at Davidson United Methodist Church. Cindy Booker tells the tale:
“Our daughter, Belle, was home from Carolina for the weekend and brought her pup, Darwin, with her. He kept barking and was very agitated until she followed him down to the back of our yard, where a badly injured doe was lying.
“Darwin didn’t want to leave the deer at all, and it was everything Belle could do to get him back in the house so she could call me. (She said it was Darwin’s “Timmy’s in the well” moment.) We called the town and Sgt. Scott Misenheimer came and called Mecklenburg County Animal Control. They had to put the doe down and then took her away.
“We have had deer in the yard a lot, but never a dying one. The last time there was fireworks at the July 4th celebration, we had a doe and her baby behind the magnolia tree at the back of the yard. They stayed until dark the next day and I guess went back to the Greenway area after everything settled down.
“Sgt. Misenheimer said that when he is on patrol late at night, deer are all over town.”
EMERGENCY ALERT = SPAM?
An emergency drill at Davidson College a few weeks back had some of us Davidsonians wondering if we were under attack, or whether we should flee a meltdown at the McGuire Nuclear Station.
While the siren was still wailing, we posted a news item explaining what it was: A Davidson College evacuation drill and test of a new campus alert system. http://davidsonnews.net/2009/11/11/that-alarm-its-only-a-test/
Folks on campus were warned ahead of time that a drill was coming. If you were a student or employee sitting at your computer when the siren sounded, you were supposed to have gotten this email: “Test Evacuation Drill report to designated assembly areas standby for all clear to return to building.” Alas, the college’s security systems were in conflict: For many, the message was screened out as “spam.”
Later, the college sent a second email: “All Clear return to your buildings.” That too ended up in the junk folder, according to some who received it.
IS THE TOWN GREEN OVERBOOKED?
We’ve had so many events this year on the Village Green, from concerts to Town Day to a fishing tournament to this weekend’s upcoming Christmas in Davidson. Some are well attended, others are not. Downtown Director Sandy Lemons told the Town Board in her November report last week that she and others have begun discussing whether the Village Green is “overbooked.” It’s not clear what the implications of that might be. Fewer events? Stay tuned.
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