We learned this week about the town’s expenditure of $50,000 for yet another plan addressing development.  Around Davidson hopes the town will plan on addressing the repair of an ever-larger body-jarring, axle-wrenching pothole on Jackson Street at the entrance to the post office parking lot.  Any money left for a little asphalt?

See below for a full report on the OTHER big dance for the McKillop family. (Photo by Amanda Caldwell.)

Street maintenance aside, this week’s Around Davidson brings news of basketball, Capriol Farm,  a Habitat house,  a new grandbaby, baseball, and Scandinavian waterfalls.  Speaking of basketball, Lefty Driesell was in town bringing back memories of  Wildcats’ NCAA tournament trips in the early 1960s.  Then Bob McKillop has a Big Dance of his own – not with the Wildcats but with his only daughter, Kerrin, on the day of her wedding to Henry Heil.  Baseball enthusiasts Hobby Cobb (check his retired Davidson College basketball jersey in Belk Arena – #21) and Jon Regen make a last trip to the old Yankee Stadium.  Henry and Emily Lebedinsky introduce us to Bucket and Pnuh; DCPC has an annual fall picnic introducing a new Habitat owner; Betsy Hazelton welcomes a first grandchild; and Bill and Laurie Heyer travel to Scandinavia.

Old Memories of the Big Dance

What a wonderful surprise for Carol and Ed White at The Pines to get a call from reception last Tuesday saying they had visitors.

Visiting with Ed (in the non-white shirt) and Carol White at The Pines were (from left): Joyce and Lefty Driesell.

Lefty Driesell and his wife, Joyce, were at the door, on their way home to Virginia Beach from a Hall of Fame speaking engagement in Gastonia.  The Driesells lived in Davidson from 1960-1969, when Lefty was head basketball coach at Davidson College.  Since Ed White was director of admissions and financial aid during that time, he and Lefty worked closely and even joined forces on recruiting trips once in a while.

Lefty had great success with basketball at Davidson in the ’60s and remarked what a good time he had at the dinner in Gastonia visiting with former players including Wayne Huckle, Barry Teague, Tony Orsbon and Bill Jarmon.  Having taken teams to the NCAA Tournament three times while coaching Davidson, “retired” Lefty particularly enjoyed being in Detroit to cheer Davidson’s trip to basketball’s Elite Eight last March.  Good to see the Driesells in town!

New Memories of the Big Dance

Bob McKillop is a household name in Davidson and many parts of the country after the outstanding performance of the college’s men’s basketball team last March.  Hard to top the excitement of making it to the NCAA’s Elite Eight – and almost the Final Four.

So romantic! Photographer Amanda Caldwell captured the newlyweds, Kerrin McKillop and Henry Heil at Lake Norman.

But perhaps Aug. 2 really did trump basketball when it came to the excitement of walking his only daughter, Kerrin, down the aisle of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church to marry Henry Heil and later at the reception having his own “Big Dance” with her to “My Girl.”

Bob and wife Cathy had a busy weekend in August welcoming friends and family from near and far.  Guests came from 18 states, including 51 Davidson alumni and current students – no surprise since both bride and groom are Davidson College graduates.  A special note about Kerrin and her brothers: At the Brick House karaoke party following the rehearsal dinner, Brendan and Matt McKillop closed the festivities down singing a rendition of “Piano Man.” Then they returned to the McKillop home on Concord Road to stay up visiting with their sister till the wee hours.  Needless to say it was a beautiful weekend and a wonderful family event.  (Many thanks to Amanda Caldwell of Statesville, photographer for the wedding, who graciously shared her photos with DavidsonNews.net.)

See all the details on our wedding page link.

Life on Capriol Farm with Henry and Emily

Seeing Henry Lebedinsky dressed in a tuxedo playing Bach and Buxtehude on the harpsichord, you would not think of him rounding up chickens or catching a donkey at his farm on Shearer Road.  In truth, Henry does the inside work while his wife, Emily, an experienced horsewoman, works outside taking care of three goats, one donkey, 20 chickens, one rooster and two horses.

Proud inhabitants of the Capriol Farm include (l-r) Emily, Bucket, Henry and Pnuh!

This energetic young couple, married nine years, bought the house and land from Michael and Sarah Hunn (Emily’s sister) when the the Hunns moved to Raleigh almost two years ago.  The Lebedinskys came to Davidson in 2005 when Henry became the organist and Director of Music at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church.  Living first in Oakhurst, they jumped at the chance to be in the country and have a bit of elbow room.  (Their home is the old Earl Goodrum House built in 1895 which was moved to its present location on Shearer Road when Jackson Street became a reality in the 1980s.)

Henry and Emily named their place Capriol Farm since the term “capriol” refers not only to a dressage move but also a Baroque dance.  Perfect for Emily since she tries to ride each evening after working for Hewitt Associates in Charlotte and trains for eventing (steeplechase, show ring jumping and dressage). It is also a perfect name to tie into Henry’s love of Renaissance music.  Both are Bowdoin College graduates and Henry has a master’s degree in Historical Organ Performance from Longy School of Music.  Emily grew up on a farm in Grand Junction, Colo., where she learned to ride and enjoy many outdoor activities.  Henry spent his early years in West Hartford, Conn., in a Vietnamese neighborhood and to this day, he prefers cooking meals from that country’s cuisine.  Both Henry and Emily enjoy good wine and antiques and of course, music.

Speaking of music, Henry’s 5th Season of Music at St. Alban’s begins in 10 days with the first concert of the 2008-09 season on Sept. 21 at 3 p.m.  The program will be “Bachfest III” and Henry describes it as a “concert going from the sublime to the caffeinated.”  Tickets are $15/adults and $10/students.  To order in advance call 704.941-0650 or go to www.saintalbans-davidson.org/musicatstalbans.htm for more information.  What a treat to have the talent of the Lebedinskys in our neighborhood! (See also DavidsonNews.net‘s Aug. 1 season preview.)

Presbyterians Picnic on the Front Lawn

The Davidson College Presbyterian Church held its annual fall picnic last Sunday following the morning worship.  Members gathered to enjoy BBQ while welcoming college students and the church’s new Habitat family.

Homeowner-to-be Tammy Doan (center back), standing between her daughter, Veronica, and DCPC Family Liaison Linda Glaser. Joining them were, from left, nephew Samuel, son Vincent, and nephew Jacob.

Most residents of north Mecklenburg have seen  activity in the bend of Bailey Road between Highways 115 and 21.  Many new Habitat homes are under construction there including a large new home for Tammy Doan and her five children.  Tammy, one of 12 children, came to the United States from Vietnam in 1987.  First living in California, she relocated to the Charlotte area three years ago.  Her new home is a DCPC-accelerated build with church members providing volunteer labor and support. Tammy has five children:  Vivian (17), Vanessa (14), Vanny (11), Veronica (10) and Vincent (6) and all are very excited at the prospect of their new home.

Jan Tevepaugh (l) and Charlotte Miller encouraged signup for Habitat workdays.

Visiting with Jan Tevepaugh at the Habitat sign-up table during the picnic, she told DavidsonNews.net that her son, Tom Tevepaugh, currently working for Northlake Landscaping, will soon start his own business.  He has set up as a company which will be called Paradise Lawnscapes Inc. and hopes to sign up clients this fall.  Living on Grey Road near his parents, Jan and Mark Tevepaugh, Tom is a hard worker and eager to talk with you about your yard.  Call him at 704-746-7318 for more information.  Congratulations to our newest business owner in Davidson.

Take Me out to the Ball Game!

A fond memory for Hobby Cobb was the time his father took him as a five-year-old to his first baseball game – watching the Yankees play in their home stadium in the Bronx.  Wanting to revisit the stadium before it is demolished next year so the Yankees can move to new digs across the street, Hobby received the gift from his wife, Jane, of a three-day trip to New York to see the Yankees play three home games in the old stadium “Babe” built.

Hobby Cobb (l) and Jon Regen are baseball fans extraordinaire.

Traveling with Broach Tours, Hobby enlisted Jon Regen, an enthusiastic baseball fan (although cheering for the Yankees was a bit of a reach!) to be his seat mate on the long bus trip north.  (Hobby and Jon were classmates at Davidson College just a few decades ago.) Traveling with 40 others, this group joined 54,000 fans for the Labor Day weekend, enjoying a Friday night game and two afternoon games on Saturday and Sunday with one win and two losses against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Did these fellas have a great time?  From the soft-serve ice cream to the view of Monument Park, these friends enjoyed every minute.  Hobby loved the rush of joining the tens of thousands of fans cheering his favorite team, three days in a row.  Jon, who was not familiar with Manhattan, particularly enjoyed the three-hour bus tour of the city, including Ground Zero, following the Sunday afternoon game.  Both remarked about their excellent tour guide for this outing.  It was a grand trip and provided lots more wonderful memories for Hobby Cobb and even for the reluctant Yankees fan, Jon Regen.

Cradle Roll -Hooray for Grandchildren

Betsy Hazelton of Concord Road is the proud grandmother for the first time.

Proud grandma and her first grandchild!

Avery Phillip Hazelton was born on August 15 weighing 5 lbs 9 oz and stretching to 17 1/2 inches.

His delighted parents, Christopher Brooks Hazelton and Kristin Magnuson Hazelton, live in Eastern North Carolina.  Although Avery arrived a bit early, Grandma Betsy reports that he is thriving and gaining weight each week.  His maternal grandmother, Nancy Magnuson of Florida, is equally proud to have her first grandbaby.

Additional relatives of Baby Avery are Floridians William “Papa” Magnuson, Eric Magnuson and Kari Magnuson.  Living in Massachusetts are Ellen Hazelton and Judson Hazelton.  Congratulations to all the family.

A First Visit to Scandinavia

Bill and Laurie Heyer spent 16 days traveling in Scandinavia last month.  They first visited Denmark where they enjoyed strolling in the Tivoli Gardens.  An overnight cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo was wonderful as were the many hours they spent on trains seeing the countryside in Norway and Sweden.  Bill and Laurie were fascinated by the Vasa warship in Stockholm, the Viking ships in Roskilde and Oslo and the Kon-Tiki, also in Oslo.  They walked countless miles on the stone-paved sidewalks of cities and small towns and found that the beautiful sunsets lasted seemingly forever in the long summer twilight.

Laurie and Bill Heyer enjoyed the beauty of Norway this summer.

The Heyers found the Scandinavian food delicious especially the game and seafood. Among many highlights, one moment during a hike above Balestrand in Norway, stands out. Laurie writes: “We were sitting in the forest, next to a stream with a beautiful waterfall, looking out over a pastoral small town scene and the crystal blue waters of the fjord with snow-capped mountains in the distance.  It was hard to comprehend how so many different beautiful things could be in sight all at once!”

The Heyers returned to Davidson just in time for Laurie to start her semester of teaching  math at Davidson College – with her batteries certainly recharged.  It was a first time in Scandinavia for both Bill and Laurie.  We bet they are eager to return.

Send us your news

Have news for Brenda? Write to her at hbarger@bellsouth.net