Volunteer Jenn Trimboli wants this young puppy to have a new home (see below for more details).

Davidson College alums will be in town this weekend to celebrate reunions, and can look forward to beautiful weather as they enjoy renewing friendships.  For the rest of us in town, we can look forward to the dedication of the town’s new sculpture, artists displaying their talent on the Green, children’s sports activities — or just sit back and take in the balmy temperatures amid the beauty of our dogwoods and azaleas.

Today we report on achievements at Woodlawn School, including a Spring Break trip to Argentina.  There is also Boy Scout news, a first birthday celebration for Ruth Reddick, photos from Free Cone Day this past Tuesday and a note about topiary.

GATHERING NEWS IN DOWNTOWN DAVIDSON

Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s always brings a long line of patient people on the sidewalk of South Main Street.  Lots of news stories from residents as they ponder their favorite ice cream flavor but today we include just a few items about a birthday, a puppy and happy scoopers (ice cream that is!).

A very serious Ruthie Reddick is ONE year old!

Ruthie is ONE!

Ruth Reddick is one year old!  How fast a year goes by for this young lady and her parents, Brad and Melissa Reddick. Around Davidson found Ruthie enjoying cake with Mom on April 21 at a table near the playground behind Summit Coffee.  Sister Annabelle and brother Wiley helped her celebrate the big occasion on a beautiful spring afternoon.

Puppy Love

Who can resist an adorable puppy?  Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day asked participants this year to consider supporting North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue with donation of money or “doggie” items.  Perhaps many of our readers saw the Great Pyrenees-mix puppy with the pink hair bows.  What a cutie!  North Meck Animal Rescue volunteer Jenn Trimboli was showing off the beautiful dog pictured in the lead to this column.  Hope someone had a place in his or her heart for this show stopper.

B&J's Super Scoopers were (l-r) Charles Durham, Karen Toney, Lars Henke, Andrew Mills and Alicia Fisher.

Super Scoopers

They say that “busy people are happy people!”  Well the B&J ice cream scoopers certainly looked happy last Tuesday as they dug their scoops into the ice cream tubs and saw happy customers leave with favorite flavors.  Perfect weather and yummy treat made for a winning combination.

Thanks as always to Karen Toney – hardest working ice cream shoppe manager we know!

CUB SCOUTS CROSS OVER

Perfect weather prevailed at Fisher Farm last Saturday night for the Cub Pack 58 Crossover Ceremony. This is the solemn event marking the completion of Cub Scouts for boys ready to advance to the Boy Scout level.

Boys from Cub Pack 58 (at left) prepare to cross over to Troop 58 at a ceremony Saturday.

Those of you who visit Davidson’s Town Day each spring may have noticed the Boy Scout Rope Bridge.  While kids climb it for fun during Town Day, the apparatus is the focus of the Crossover ceremony.

Saturday evening, the bridge was crossed by nine boys from Davidson’s Cub Pack 58. Cubmaster Christopher Willingham stood on one side of the bridge and announced each boy to the waiting Boy Scouts from Troop 58.  When each Cub Scout reached the end of the bridge, he turned to offer one final Cub salute to his Cubmaster and then gave a first Boy Scout salute to his new troop, Boy Scout Troop 58, and Scoutmaster John Bragg. Quite a moving scene.

All nine of the boys crossing over – who were led by Den Leaders Heather Smith, Rob Collier, Rachel Stewart and Wendy Readling – earned the Arrow of Light award, the highest in Cub Scouting and the only one which can be worn on the Boy Scout uniform.  The award requires earning at least eight badges, participating in overnight campouts and other activities.

New boy scouts crossing over were Robert Carmichael, Kenny Clarke, Jeremy Collier, George Guise, Zachary Marti, Caleb Readling, Ian Ruppenthal and brothers Tyler and Jared Smith.

Congratulations to Cub Pack 58, which is sponsored by the Davidson Lions Club.

WOODLAWN SCHOOL NEWS

1. Spring Break in South America

Woodlawn students who spent spring break in Buenos Aires posed in front of the famous government building, "Casa Rosada."

Eighteen middle and upper school students at Woodlawn School got to put their Spanish expertise to the test over Spring Break.  These young people with their teachers, Sra. “Laine,” Mr. Burton andMrs. Lysne, flew to Buenos Aires on April 3 and returned eight days later on the 11th.  Did they have a wonderful time?  Just ask one of them about touring the city, taking a boat ride on the Tigre River, visiting art galleries, Recoleta cemetery and Eva Peron’s grave or riding the ferry across the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay and spending the day in the old Portuguese town of Colonia.  They stayed in a wonderful B&B in San Telmo and even tried bartering for souvenirs in the markets.

Happy smiles for good friends, Sophia Spach (left) and Sayre Weir, who spent spring break in Buenos Aires.

Seventh grader Daniel Wyatt did not hesitate when asked for a highlight. He immediately mentioned eating the Argentine steak.  Sophia Spach loved the ravioli.  Other students making the trip included Bradford and Sayre Weir, Thomas Tyson, Tori Rinker, Jeremy Hall, Ryan Childers, Joe Andry, Elisabeth Davis, Cassidy Coutinho, Riley Beatty, Sawyer Bowman, Greg Conn, Terin Patel-Wilson, Bryn Davies, Erin Johnson, and Isaac Josephthal.

Many thanks to Woodlawn tenth grader Sophia Spach, daughter of Rob and Gail Spach, who provided the news of this trip and said she got along just fine with her Spanish skills.  Hats off to this young lady who raised the money for her travel by babysitting.  It has just whetted her appetite for additional flights to South America!

2. SAT Results for 7th Graders

This year, 14 of Woodlawn’s seventh-grade students took the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) test as part of Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP). In early April, Duke reported to the school that six of these students earned “state recognition” (which means they scored at least 520 on the math, 510 on the verbal, or 500 on the writing section of the SAT).  Congratulations to these young students:  John Patrick Shaw, Stephan Snyder, Charlie Spoeneman, Bradford Weir, Maisie Wills, and Daniel Wyatt. Additional participants in the program included Sydney Bowman, Elizabeth Chen, Morgan Crawford, Mary Rood Cunningham, Ryan Hillman, Alex Lee, Iliana Ragnone, and Jacob Vaughn.

THINKING OUT LOUD

Have you seen the film/documentary, “A Man Named Pearl,” directed and co-produced by Davidson’s own Scott Galloway?  A remarkable film about a remarkable man living in Bishopville, S.C., who mastered topiary and made his yard a notable tourist attraction for thousands.

Driving back to Davidson from Mooresville recently and waiting to turn left onto Griffith Street from the interstate exit ramp, your correspondent could not help but notice the bushes against the pavement which soon will need trimming.  With our town’s focus on art, why not create eye catching topiary at Exit 30?  It would be right in line with our focus on art, nature and “going green.”  Topiary certainly would be less expensive than permanent pieces and provide a special entrance to our charming town.