David Woodmansee and his daughter, Lila, hauled their sleeping bags into the backyard igoo for night in the snow.

It’s Groundhog Day!  No matter what Punxsutawney Phil sees we have only to hear the long range forecast for our area to know that we have at least six more weeks of winter.  Last weekend’s snow was beautiful.  Hope our readers saw the amazing photos of the Daugherty’s igloo posted on DavidsonNews.net.

We have another igloo photo to share today as well as news from  2009 of a new arrival for Travis and Kelly Collum and a wedding for Tiffany Hutchins and Mike Fremder.  In addition there are Noteworthy Notes about church signs and the town statue in front of the Post Office.

THE NEWEST TREND IN OVERNIGHT LODGING

We read with interest about the igloo constructed in the backyard of Ed and Marlys Daugherty.  (Click here to see the photo story for yourself.) And now we hear about a similar “ice hut” constructed in the Chapel Hill backyard of David Woodmansee and his family. David is the son of Pris and Scott Woodmansee of Davidson.

The Wodmansee igloo in the morning.

David, his wife, Cherie, daughter, Lila, (and dog, Sobi) spent hours last Saturday packing the snow just right to make a comfortable igloo.  When the structure was completed, they gathered sleeping bags and with Sobi, camped overnight in their new “hotel.”  A mild 32 degrees inside while the temperature hovered at 11 degrees outside, the family had such a wonderful adventure that they spent a second night in their “ice hotel.”

Bulding the ice lodge came naturally for David.  He had learned the basics of the igloo construction while spending a semester as a student with NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School).  He followed guidelines from NOLS including keeping the tunnel of the igloo facing downhill since cold air runs like water – downhill.  Good planning!

No telling what the Daughterty and Woodmansee families will come up with next weekend if the weather forecast holds and more snow appears!  We will keep you informed.

(Many of our readers know of ice hotels in Scandanavia where one can have the same experience – but with their ingenuity, the Woodmansee family avoided paying the big bucks!)

CRADLE ROLL

Grant Owen Collum

Travis and Kelly Shackelford Collum welcomed their second son, Grant Owen Collum, last November 17 at Carolinas Medical Center.

Kelly Collum holds baby Grant, with big brother Jackson and dad Travis at her side.

Grant weighed a healthy 9 lbs 2 oz and stretched to 21.5 inches.  Keeping an eye on his little brother is Jackson, born in June of 2005, and now at 4 1/2 years a helping hand for Mom.  The family lives in the former Shackelford home on South Main Street in Davidson.  They moved into the house in May of 2008 following some renovation work which had altered the floor plan somewhat but still reminds Kelly of the home in which she grew up.

Dad Travis is an attorney in Mooresville and Kelly is a sixth grade math teacher at Bailey Middle School.  Paternal grandparents are Bob and Nanette Bowman who live in Mooresville as does Travis’ sister, Sonya, her husband, Shane, and their two daughters.

On the maternal side, Baby Grant has a doting Grandpa Fred Shackelford and his wife, Melinda, who live just north of Davidson.  Also Aunt Tracy Shackelford lives in Oakhurst and works as a paralegal with “Uncle” Travis in his law firm.

WEDDING BELLS

Tiffany Hutchins and Mike Fremder

Tiffany Hutchins and Mike Fremder.

Tiffany Nicole Hutchins and Michael John Fremder were married in a candlelight ceremony at Davidson College Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 21, 2009, at six o’clock in the evening.  Officiating at the service was Manfred Fremder, father of the groom.  Following the ceremony, the bride’s family hosted a dinner and dance at The Point Lake Club in Mooresville.

Tiffany chose her sisters as attendants in the wedding.  Brittany Hutchins Kicklighter of Cornelius was her sister’s Matron of Honor while Ashley Hutchins Gower of Clayton served as a bridesmaid.  Taylor Gower, Logan Gower and Emilie Fremder, nieces of the bride and groom, were flower girls.

Likewise, Mike Fremder chose his brothers to stand with him for the wedding ceremony.  Jason Fremder served as his brother’s Best Man while Matthew Fremder was his groomsman.  Ushers were Adam Kicklighter and Bobby Gower, brothers-in-law of the bride, and Justin Stauffer, friend of the groom.  Honorary bridesmaids were Katie Ware Partin, Morgan Carden and Rachel Carter, long-time friends of the bride.

Surrounding the bride, Tiffany, on the campus of Davidson College are, l-r, Brittany Hutchins Kicklighter, Taylor Gower, Logan Gower, Emilie Fremder, and Ashley Hutchins Gower. (Photos by The Professional Photography Group)

Tiffany is the daughter of Susan Hutchins Manning of Davidson and the late Mickey Lee Hutchins. She is the stepdaughter of Dr. Robert Manning of Davidson. She is the granddaughter of Yvonne Bost Byers of Huntersville and the late Reverend Edgar D. Byers, and Max and Doris Hutchins of Concord.  Tiffany graduated from North Mecklenburg High School with a diploma from the International Baccalaureate Program.  She received her BA degree in International Studies & Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her International Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.  She is currently employed by the Bayer Corporation in Research Triangle Park.

Michael is the son of Reverend Manfred Fremder and the late Marilyn Fremder of Wabash, Indiana.  He is the stepson of Linda Fremder of Wabash.  He is the grandson of Delbert and Wilda Timmerman of Indianapolis, Indiana.  Michael graduated from Butler University with a double major in International Business and German and received his International Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.  He is currently employed by Red Hat Corporation in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Tiffany and Michael met in 2005 in Vienna, Austria, where they were pursing their International MBA degrees from the University of South Carolina. To commemorate their meeting, guests at the reception were able to identify their seats by finding tables with matching streets or attractions from Vienna.

The groom’s family hosted a rehearsal dinner at Soiree Restaurant in Mooresville on Friday evening.   The bridal luncheon was hosted by the bride’s maternal grandmother, Yvonne Byers, of Huntersville on Saturday morning.  The bride’s family hosted a farewell brunch on Sunday morning following the wedding.

Following a honeymoon trip to the Mayan Riviera, Tiffany and Mike  will reside in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Congratulations to the new couple and their families.

NOTEWORTHY NOTES

Church Marquee Postings

In response to last week’s item from Jean Berg about church signs, a reader shared two more wonderful sayings – often heard or seen – and most definitely needing to be included:

• Seven days without prayer makes one weak
• Don’t worry, even Moses started as a basket case

The Question has been Asked!

"Bouquet for Davidson" by Andy Dunnill.

There were lots of comments when artist Andy Dunnill’s sculpture between the Davidson Post Office and Main Street was erected.  Some applauded the work while others were reluctant to voice negative comment.  Postal employee Tim Honeycutt even took heat from dismayed patrons who thought the US Postal Service had paid for the art and placed it on post office property.  (It sits on town property.)

All that aside, one wonders about the current appearance of the statue.  Named “A Bouquet for Davidson,” it has been in place for nine months and is rusting badly.  To the untrained eye, it now looks more like an assemblage of poorly weathering scrap metal than a pricey work of art.  Around Davidson would welcome input from someone in the know about the statue’s appearance today and what we can expect it to look like in the future.

Send us your news

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