Executive Chef Philippe Frespech sported his fez while Sami Te' turned belly dancer at The Pines.

It’s Primary Election Day in our state. Residents in Davidson vote at the Town Hall (Precinct 206) or at Hopewell Baptist Church (Precinct 127) depending on your street address. Questions? Visit one of the precincts and check on your voter status. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Last weekend was full of activities in our town. Today Around Davidson visits a few Town Day sites and reports on the 2010 Spring Garden Party at The Pines. Read the full story

Proud Dad Scott Ortmayer holds his new son - and how about that Red Sox t-shirt!

Shhhhhh – college students are preparing for final tests and papers this week and next. We will have lots of news of commencement events soon and hope our readers will share photos of this important family event.

Today, however, Around Davidson focuses on news of young people who grew up in Davidson and are celebrating important occasions of other kinds. Amelia Mange is planning a wedding; Audrey Stell is expecting a baby; and Scott Ortmayer is a proud new father. There is also a thought about our libraries. Read the full story

If your order for fresh tulips is stranded by the ash cloud over Europe, try enjoying this photo of a Keukenhof tulip taken by Kate Barger while awaiting a flight out of Holland.

How nice to be sitting in Davidson reading the latest news on DavidsonNews.net. Not so for those who are stranded in Great Britain or Europe waiting for the first stand-by slot to return to the states. Will Roberts is hoping for a seat this weekend to return from France, Audrey Stell Cervero is marooned in Germany and Kate Barger is considering a train or ferry to return to her office in England. If you know of more residents inconvenienced by the volcanoes in Iceland, let us know. We would like to publish their stories.

In the meantime Around Davidson has news today of cub scouts crossing over to Davidson’s Boy Scout Troop 58. In addition we wish Davidson Police Officer Paul Lowry a Happy Birthday and congratulations to the Tate family on the arrival of twins, Graydon and Margot. Read the full story

"Cats on Main" featured artists Mike (l) and Margaret Goode and Tom Shandley

Last weekend’s weather was perfect for so many outdoor activities. Except that we need some rain, one would like to “freeze frame” these beautiful days to replace a few of our hot and humid August ones.

Friday’s Gallery Crawl through Davidson and Cornelius was a marvelous occasion. Today Around Davidson features a collage of photos from some artists taking part in the “crawl.” Read the full story

Sam Maloney

It’s April 15 and you have just a few more hours to file those dreaded (for most) federal and state tax returns. If you’re still not done, consider checking with the post office for the nearest facility that will cancel your return up until midnight to avoid late penalties.

On a happier note, Around Davidson brings you reports today of a Happy Birthday for Karen Myers, a winning performance for Clara Gerdes and a Flight of Honor tour to Washington, D.C., for WWII Veteran and Pines resident Sam Maloney. There are also a few Noteworthy Notes for your calendar. Read the full story

Anna Vogel of Mooresville was eager to learn about a corn snake, though a bystander said "Yuk!"

Hard to be back in the classroom or back at work when the weather is so pretty. This past weekend the blue skies and warm sunshine were perfect for Reptile Day at Davidson College Saturday morning. It was also a beautiful afternoon to drop by the Davidson College Presbyterian Church Congregation House to learn about the Nepal Orphans Home (NOH) at a program and silent auction.

Today Around Davidson reports on both events plus a special birthday celebration for Peter Hess. In addition we have an interview with one of the artists, Jim Elliott, who donated his work to the NOH benefit. Read the full story

Easter is already a few days behind us but never too late to catch up with these three: (from left) Sarah Busse, Anna Katherine Pharr and Georgie Thwaites.

Not wanting to say goodbye quite yet to Easter, we will keep the holiday going with this adorable picture from Saturday’s Easter Egg hunt in the McConnell neighborhood. This trio of young ladies in Easter finery enjoyed the hunt for the toddler-and-under crowd on the McConnell Green. Older kids later galloped through a nearby park (see a previous post with a photo of that hunt by clicking here), cleaning it of eggs before you could shout, “There’s the Easter Bunny!” And the bunny did indeed make an appearance.

Even aside from bunnies and babies, we have remarked before in this column about the tremendous variety of interesting people who call Davidson home. Today Around Davidson highlights a remarkable couple at The Pines, Anna and David Pai, and a Boy Scout mom, English Griggs, who creates special memories for cubs in Pack 58. There are also a few Noteworthy Notes about area events. Read the full story

Sophia Spach (l) and Erin Johnson coordinated last Saturday's Stop Hunger Now project.

It’s April 1st! But the weatherman was not playing an April Fool for us when he predicted blue skies, bright sunshine, warm breezes and glorious temperatures in the eighties! Welcome Spring – at last. No better place to think spring than to walk the plant aisles of Carolina Cones on North Main Street in Cornelius.

Today Around Davidson brings news of Sophia Spach and her Stop Hunger Now service project. We also have news of a recent Masterworks Festival in our area as well as a note about Carolina Cones and owner Gary Winge. Lastly there is a final note about Census forms. Read the full story

The sky was Carolina blue over Davidson Saturday.

What a weekend for spring showers and March Madness. How about those brackets for the men’s Final Four in college basketball! Anyone even close to choosing Michigan State, West Virginia, Butler and Duke? Let us know. And even if you are a diehard Tar Heel fan, you have to cheer just a little bit for the ACC team next weekend in Indianapolis. Right? (For UNC fans, we include a photo to show you that the sky is still “Carolina blue!”)

Today Around Davidson brings an update from our local library, which is about to enter a new era of belt tightening. We also have news of the recent church workdays for DCPC and DUMC, a comment on the census and an upcoming benefit on behalf of children in Nepal. Read the full story

Need a ride? This seat and its chatty cabbie were available to the Bargers during their recent visit to Egypt.

How glad we all are to see spring – at last – and hear the sound of lawn mowers busy cutting the new grass and spring onions. Some residents of Davidson beat the “winter blahs” by traveling to experience adventures in the Mideast. Today we hear of their treks by bus, camel, taxi or on foot to Turkey, Israel, Jordan and Egypt.

Barbara Regen, Gill and Siri Holland, and Hugh and Brenda Barger spent weeks touring in these countries. Each will tell you that they were accompanied at all times on buses as well as on foot by armed guards and saw tight security everywhere. Rather than be disturbed by a uniformed man carrying a pistol in his belt on a camel next to you, you felt safe and secure. Quite a change from our slow, relaxed life in Davidson! Read the full story