Signs of the times - this pile-up is part of progress on the Davidson-Concord roundabout.

Living east of town you cannot help but keep watch on the roundabout construction at the intersection of East Rocky River and Davidson-Concord Roads.  Dump truck traffic is pretty intense as they leave their loads of asphalt and return for more.  Good news is that the roundabout is ahead of schedule and should be completed by the end of this month.  Bad news is that the entire intersection could be closed this weekend (weather permitting) with hopes that by Monday morning you will be driving “around” on the new pavement.  A little inconvenience for a few days but a safe improvement for years to come!

From “road talk,” Around Davidson turns today to news of Nicole Kazee’s wedding and words of welcome to the Phillips and Rawson families who are new to town but old to Davidson College.  (And find out which one is a member of the National Scrabble Association!)

WEDDING BELLS

Many in town will remember Tom and Sharon Kazee and their children, Nicole and Geoffrey.  They lived on South Street when Tom was a professor of political science at Davidson College from 1981 until 1999.  Nicole graduated from North Mecklenburg High School, received a BA in politics from Wake Forest University and this past May, a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.  Before starting this fall as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Nicole found time to plan an August 8 wedding.

Andrew and Nicole Kazee Lewis

Nicole married Andrew Lewis of Kalamazoo, MI, on that date.  The wedding was held outside at a flower farm near Traverse City, MI, with Nicole’s cousin and Andy’s uncle officiating.  Two couples with Davidson ties were able to attend:  David and Susan Shi and Peter and Boo Hess. The reception was in a refurbished barn on the farm and featured a pig roast with locally made cherry pies.  Following a short honeymoon on Mackinac Island with lots of golf, biking and kayaking, the couple settled into their new Chicago home.

Andy, son of Patrick and the late Mary Lewis, has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and recently was working in NYC as a communications director for a biotech company.  His sister is married to a professional hockey player and lives in Sweden.  His brother is studying at the Culinary Institute for American in NY.

Catching up with the Kazees, we learned that dad Tom is now Provost at Furman University in Greenville, SC.  Mom Sharon is dean at the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina.  Nicole’s brother, Geoff, is living in Myrtle Beach and finishing a degree in turf management, training to become a golf course superintendent.

Congratulations to Nicole and Andy and all their families.

NEW ON NEY

Welcome to Sarah and Chad Phillips and their 13-month-old daughter, Caroline, who moved into the former Roberts/Hal Walker home on Ney Circle just ten days ago.  The neighbors held a Labor Day picnic in their honor at the home of Mike and Louise Mazur – to welcome the new couple and no doubt to introduce Caroline to perspective baby-sitters!

Ney Circle welcomes Sarah, Caroline and Chad Phillips.

Sarah and Chad know Davidson well.  They graduated from Davidson College (Class of ’01) and married in 2003.  Chad played tennis at Davidson and still enjoys the game, when his work with Guggenheim Real Estate in Charlotte allows.  Sarah is working much closer to home as the new Special Assistant to Davidson College President Tom Ross.  Sarah knew him well when she interned for two years with the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation where Tom was serving as President.  Following her internship, Sarah earned her law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.

When she can snatch a few free moments from her busy schedule and mothering duties, Sarah loves to read.  New Orleans is the hometown for both Sarah and Chad so there is no family close by but luckily they have found a number of warm, welcoming new families on Ney Circle.  Welcome, Phillips!

MEET JOANNE AND BILL RAWSOM

Jazz and Scrabble!  What a great combination, as Around Davidson found during a recent visit with this couple who moved into their cottage at The Pines Retirement Community just six weeks ago.  The Rawsons hail from Columbia, SC, where they lived for the past 42 years.  Bill Rawson is a Davidson College graduate (Class of ’56) who pursued a graduate degree in economics at Duke University (where he knew Bob Avinger and Randy Kincaid).  Retiring from his position as a Professor of Economics at the University of South Carolina ten years ago, Bill has devoted much time to his extensive jazz music collection.  He also loves to read, is a World War II enthusiast and also enjoys flying model airplanes.

Welcome to Joanne and Bill Rawson.

Joanne Rawson is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and a retired nurse.  When the couple’s two children were little, Joanne developed a love of the game of Scrabble playing with her neighbor and best friend two doors down.  The two women raised children together over the game board and have never given it up.  Joanne is ranked by the National Scrabble Association and played in the Columbia Scrabble Club for the past five years.  (Bet you didn’t know that the top ranked player in the country, David Gibson, grew up in Huntersville and now lives in Spartanburg.)  Joanne laughs, saying,”I got my first Scrabble board in 1956 and my enthusiasm has never waned!”  Now she is looking for people who like to play the game and hoping to start a club here.  Interested?  Like to quadruple your score on those hard to place letters?  Call Joanne at 704.896.1412 or email her a jrawson@bellsouth.net. What a great way to improve your vocabulary while having fun.

Although Bill and Joanne love their hobbies, they also spend time with their children and four grandsons.  Their son, Stewart Rawson (Davidson Class of ’90), is a Presbyterian minister in Columbia and currently the Director of Development for the “Souper Bowl of Caring.”  He was a classmate of Kathy Beach-Verhey at Davidson and also at seminary.  The Rawson’s daughter, Sherard Anne Gates is married and lives closeby in Charlotte.

We are glad to have this multi-talented couple in town.

Send us your news

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