"Veronica" surveys the Halloween traffic from her perch on Lorimer Road

Could the end of October get much busier?  The first winter blast has us all digging for those heavy sweaters, knit scarves and woolly hats.  We are racing around outside to bring in any tender plants as temperatures dip into the 20s.  There is Halloween to think about and all the spooky events on this week’s calendar. Trick-or-treaters will parade down the Main Street sidewalk tomorrow afternoon beginning at 5:15 while Veronica rocks on her front porch awaiting ghosts and goblins looking for treats. Perhaps we can put election predictions aside for a few hours and munch on candy bars!

This week Around Davidson found news in a variety of places.  DCPC hosted an early Halloween parade and Sandwich Supper at The Pines.  Ben & Jerry’s joined with Main Street Books to have an outdoor movie on the coldest night this fall. Henry Lebedinsky provides music for a silent movie and Mary Fetter Stough catches us up on the Davidson Theatre’s silent movies of the 1920s.  Zac Angell collects leftover Halloween candy for the troops and the town fills pumpkins for Scott Misenheimer and his family.  Creative Art Exchange and Childrens Arts Project celebrate Mergefest this Saturday with an outdoor festival for young and old.  And a Davidson resident, Shelly Meintzer, has a part in a gift to Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Happy faces trying out their Halloween costumes at The Pines Sandwich Supper

All this news make you weary?  Take heart for this Sunday we get an extra hour of sleep and more time to read all the news on DavidsonNews.net.  Don’t forget to “fall back” one hour before you turn in on Saturday evening as Daylight Savings Time ends.

Have we mentioned voting yet?

Glad to see all the “I Voted Early” stickers adorning shirts and  jackets. Remember Early Voting continues today and tomorrow 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.  For these last three days you can register to vote and vote at the same time.  However on Election Day next Tuesday, Nov. 4, only registered voters may cast a ballot.  Take note that in North Carolina voting for president is separate from the straight party ticket vote.  Study your ballot.  Be informed.

Check out that flaming red hair on "Princess Mia Biehler," daughter of Darren and Meredith Biehler

Pines Spooktacular

The Davidson College Presbyterian Church hosts quarterly Sandwich Suppers in the Davidson Room at The Pines Retirement Community.  Encouraging ties between the church congregation and Pines’ residents, these Sunday evening meals are sponsored by a particular group at the church which provides the sandwiches, cookies and lemonade plus entertainment.  Last Sunday, Oct. 26, the Nesters’ Sunday School Class was in charge of the event (with exceptional organization by Maggie Thwaites) and planned a Halloween special with their children all decked out in costumes.

Sporting purple braids, Julia Scruggs celebrated her 6th birthday with friends at The Pines Sunday

What a delightful time for young and old.  Babies were passed from shoulder to shoulder while preschool children romped between mouthfuls of sandwiches of all kinds.

Following supper, the children paraded around the filled-to-capacity dining room before joining Elizabeth Mills who led them in singing.  Scott Galloway read a Halloween story prior to final songs by Stephanie Rollans, Monica Galloway, and Elizabeth Mills accompanied by Rusty Knox, Brad Reddick and Dave Malushizky on guitars.  How nice for young families to make new friends among active enthusiastic retirees!

Who Else but Karen Toney?

It begs the question:  Who else but super community-minded Karen Toney would plan one of her wonderful outdoor movies (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) on the Summit Big Screen and have temperatures drop into the 20s?

Josh Suda and his sister, Lauren, came from Mooresville to enjoy Tuesday's outdoor movie.

It must have been a hex from Severus Snape trying her patience as well as that of Barbara Freund of Main Street Books and the six shivering die hard fans huddled in the parking lot.

Undeterred, Karen has simply switched gears and will have “Rock Band” Wednesdays (albeit inside) at Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shoppe on Main Street from 5-9 p.m. for the rest of fall.  Instruction is available.  Call 704-892-0604 for more details.

Karen Toney keeps a pumpkin on the counter for the Scott Misenheimer fund.

A Hot Spot for News

Speaking of Ben and Jerry’s, last Monday afternoon Davidson Police Sgt. Scott Misenheimer stopped in to give his favorite ice cream scooper a hug and say that his family is now renting a home in the same Rowan County neighborhood as his fire-damaged home.  How happy they are to be out of a motel while repairs are made.

B&J’s is one of many Davidson merchants with orange pumpkins collecting cash or check contributions for the Misenheimer family fund to cover expenses related to their home fire.  (Checks should be made to Downtown Davidson, Inc (DDI) with “Misenheimer Fund” in the memo.)

Longtime member of Davidson’s finest, Scott is a helpful friend to all in town and now we have a chance to return the favor.

Treatin’ the Troops

Last Monday afternoon also brought the Angell family to Ben & Jerry’s.  Mom Dani accompanied her children, second grader Zac and kindergartner Kara, as they delivered a BIG box to the Ice Cream Shoppe.  (Similar boxes are located at Ace Hardware, the Lake Norman YMCA and the Children’s Community School where the children are enrolled.)

Zac Angell and his sister set up their candy collection post at Ben & Jerry's.

For the second year in a row, Zac, a Wolf Scout in Den 10 of Davidson’s Cub Scout Pack 58, is asking families to donate a portion of their Halloween candy to our troops.  The candy collected will be sent to soldiers serving overseas as well as donated to the local Charlotte USO.  Collection will continue through Nov. 8.  Zac wants us to fill the four boxes at locations mentioned above and include letters, cards or pictures as well for our military.

Zac’s dad is an Army soldier who has witnessed first hand the joy brought to others by the candy donations.  His dad returned this June from a yearlong deployment in Central American with special forces.  He is currently stationed out of Ft. Jackson in S.C. training National Guard units on their way to deployment.  He will put some of the candy on the plane as they fly to their assignments. Candy will also go to one of Zac’s uncles who is serving his third tour in Iraq, and who will help distribute candy to soldiers and Iraqi children. (Last year, Zac collected well over 200 10-lb. boxes for the troops.)

The candy should be wrapped but does not have to be in sealed cellophane bags.  What a nice idea for children to share their goodies, as well as a perfect answer to empty-nest adults who have trick o’ treat candy leftover on kitchen counters.

Halloween Night Treat:  “Phantom of the Opera”

Come to the sanctuary of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church the evening of Halloween at 7:30 or 11 p.m. for a treat of the musical variety.  Playing the Wicks organ, Henry Lebedinsky will improvise music for the silent movie, “Phantom of the Opera,” a 1925 classic starring Lon Chaney.  This event is free and open to the public.

Ever thought about silent movies playing in our town?  Pulling Mary Beaty’s “History of the Town” from the bookshelf provided a quick reference to the “Davidson Theatre” opened in 1926 by S.T. and Frank Stough, late father and uncle of Mary Fetter Stough who now lives at The Pines.  The brothers converted their father’s general store into the theater, hired Billy Hunter to play the piano, secured the silent movies from Charlotte and opened to the public for a ticket price of 12 cents.

Mary Fetter Stough

A visit with Mary Fetter disclosed that the theater changed the movies three times a week.  Evening shows were 7 and 9 p.m.  Billy Hunter’s tenure as accompaniment to the silent movies was short lived as “talkies” were the new thing about 1929.  During the 1930s Mary Fetter remembers prices rising to 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children and being the first concession stand proprietor when she sold popcorn in the mid 1940’s.

The theater burned in the 1950’s – which many current Davidson residents remember well as it happened during a Louis Armstrong concert at Davidson College with students and townspeople streaming out during intermission to check on the source of the smoke.  Later the site became the Gulf Station for decades until Bub Cashion sold the property and CVS built on the site.

Just a bit of nostalgia about silent movies and a tidbit of town history to think about as you hear Henry’s music make Lon Chaney come alive tomorrow evening.

“Baby-Shower-to-Go”

How nice to meet Ed and Shelly Meintzer and their daughters, Emily (6) and Lauren (4).  Hardly newcomers to town, this family bought the Lou Justice home (built in 1908) near the end of South Street and have lived there for five years.  Shelly puts a whole new spin on being a busy mom.

Shelly Meintzer displays one of her custom Moses baskets

Two years ago she founded “Lil Ladybugs,” a growing business which designs and sells fashionable baby accessories to baby boutiques and gift shops worldwide.  Calling herself a “momtrepreneur,” she has now partnered with Leslie Head of Georgia and Suzanne Longacre of Pennsylvania to form “Mama Mia Showroom” at America’s Mart in Atlanta.  The showroom is aptly named since the three are maintaining a balance between business and babies while helping each other.

Although the group has varying political views, they wanted to do something to show support for Bristol Palin, a teenager expecting a baby in December and daughter of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.  The three mothers fashioned a baby shower gift for Bristol on behalf of “Mama Mia Momtrepreneurs” including many of the items in their showroom.  It was presented to Sarah Palin at a rally in Lancaster, Pa., on Saturday, Oct. 18.  Shelly’s contribution was one of her beautiful Moses baskets for which she has matching bibs, burp cloths and binky keepers available.  You can view items on Shelly’s website www.lilladybugs.com What a nice gesture to give this gift to a young mother-to-be suddenly thrown into the national spotlight and maybe needing a bright spot in her day.

Mergefest This Saturday

Interim Director Kim Beard wants everyone to stop by MERGEFEST this Saturday

The Creative Art Exchange and The Children’s Arts Project are merging and will celebrate on November 1, 2008 from 5-8. The parking lot party, in front of The Cornelius Arts Center, 19725 Oaks Street, will offer chili, Brunswick stew, with all the toppings from Mac’s Speed Shop, hot dogs and mac & cheese for the kids, AND music by the Davidson Express.  Beer, wine and lemonade will be available. The Childrens’ Arts Project will provide art activities for the kids and there will be pottery and art for sale by local artists. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for kids and can be purchased at the Village Store or at the gate on Saturday.

Noteworthy Notes

Don’t forget the Music at St. Alban’s Concert, “From Beethoven to Broadway,” this Sunday, November 2, at 3 p.m. at St. Alban’sEpiscopal Church in Davidson. Tickets are $15 with seniors and children paying $10.  This is a perfect Sunday interlude, especially when the Panthers have a “bye” so we don’t have to worry about home team football for a week.

Send us your news

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