Teacher Thomas Underhill hands Congressman Mel Watt an official 5th Grade D.C. trip t-shirt from Davidson Elementary. (Photo by Kerry Dennis)

Spring is in the air!  Our clocks have “sprung” forward, giving us longer evenings of light so next weekend we can really say goodbye to Winter and welcome Spring.  Hooray!  Seeing the grass begin to grow, daffodils bloom and forsythia burst into color are welcome signs for all.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow.  Don’t forget to wear at least a touch of green to avoid a friendly pinch from a friend or neighbor.  For today Around Davidson checks on a “Puzzling Situation” in town, a birthday at The Pines, a noted speaker for a Wellness Group, and the annual Fifth Grade trip to Washington, D.C.  In addition there is a Noteworthy Note with special greetings.

A PUZZLING SITUATION

We all have a jigsaw puzzle somewhere in a closet or attic – the one with a zillion pieces we got as a gift and have no intention of ever opening.  Not so for Lacy Dick.  She received a Springbok 2,000 piece picture puzzle of ribbon candy several years ago from her son, Tony, and his wife, Ruth.  Puzzles have been a long tradition of beach weeks for Lacy’s family and for her childhood friend, Jane Leighton Bailey Burts.  This past Memorial Day the 3×4 foot 2,000 piece “monster” escaped the box and the fun began.

Without much progress made at the beach, the puzzle was carefully reboxed by Jane Leighton with pieces sorted by edge and candy color.  Last December when Christmas festivities calmed down at Lacy’s home, the puzzle reappeared on her dining room table – this time with an unspoken pledge that it would be finished.

With all the pieces finally in place, Lorimer Street neighbors produced a colorful puzzle of eye candy.

Every visitor to the Dick home on Lorimer was encouraged to put in at least one piece.  The front door remained unlocked; the welcome sign in place.  Soon the edge was finished and the candy taking shape.  Most dedicated puzzlers were Susan Abbott and Barbara Gardiner from the neighborhood and Jane Leighton from Charlotte, not to mention Lacy who simply covered the project with a tablecloth when her dining room table was needed for meals or meetings.

The end of February brought the awaited moment of finishing the puzzle complete with a champagne toast to mark the occasion.  Hooray!  A great accomplishment (except for one missing piece of edge which we will have to say the dog ate!) and a great community effort giving neighbors and friends a chance to visit for a minute or an hour.  Thanks, Lacy, for sharing “ribbon candy” with us.  Maybe one of our readers has another unopened treasure to leave on your doorstep…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUTH KIMZEY

The Generals at The Pines

Each month The Pines Retirement Community honors residents who have a birthday with a special reception, dinner and entertainment.

This month following dinner, the birthday honorees enjoyed the music of The Generals, an a Capella men’s group of Davidson College students.

Ruth Kimzey

Residents of The Pines support the students in so many ways.  This was a nice time for the students to reciprocate.

Among those honored this month was Ruth Kimzey who has been a Pines’ resident for 21 years and celebrated being 93 years young on March 6.  In addition to The Pines’ celebration, Ruth enjoyed a family party with her children and grandchildren at the Mooresville home of her daughter, Pam Jeffers.

Happy Birthday, Ruth.

FIFTH GRADERS ON THE GO

Teachers were there at 5 a.m., students and chaperones by 6 – all gathered at the Davidson Elementary School to pack into four chartered buses for the Annual Fifth Grade Trip to our nation’s capitol.  What a group to keep track of for three full days of sightseeing!

"Aspiring" FBI agents (l-r) Lauren Drakulic, Julia Desmond and Rebecca Fesperman were thrilled to see David Steber during a supper stop in Arlington.

The weather was cold and windy with lots of snow still on the ground, but everyone managed to see all the sights.  Highlights included the appointment with our District 9 Representative Mel Watt, who met the group on the Capitol Steps for a short talk followed by questions and answers, and the visit to the children’s area of the Holocaust Museum.  The students had read and discussed the book, “Daniel’s Story,” prior to the trip and were eager to see the exhibit relating to the book.

Chaperone Karen Fesperman contacted Davidsonian David Steber so he could meet the fifth-graders for a quick visit at a dinner stop.  (David, a Chapel Hill grad, is in his second year working for City Year, a service organization and is the team leader at Browne Gibbs Young School tutoring and mentoring 3-5th graders in literacy.)  It is always fun to catch up on our young people when they graduate from college and find employment in exciting places.

KEEPING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Anyone diagnosed with cancer can relate to the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.

Mary Ann Mabry thanks the Reverend Allan Buckner.

With that in mind, a group of women in our community meet quarterly for fun, fellowship and periodically, a guest speaker.  Called the Women’s Cancer Wellness Group, they come under the “umbrella” of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church (DCPC).  Church member Mary Ann Mabry currently serves as the coordinator.

Last week on March 11, the ladies enjoyed a light lunch in the DCPC Congregation House before hearing the Reverend Allan Buckner, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, speak on the topic of Mind, Body, and Spirit.  Presently serving as pastor of Gilwood Presbyterian Church in Concord, Rev. Buckner received his pastoral training in Family Counseling at Southern Seminary, University of Louisville and Harvard University.  His extensive experience as a speaker makes him sought after in our area.

If you are interested in joining this special “sorority of survivors,” please call the DCPC church office at 704.892.5641 so you can be informed of meeting dates and locations.  Nice to know we have this resource available to women in our community regardless of church affiliation.

Laurie Dennis

NOTEWORTHY NOTE

Had to take a moment to wish my faithful Around Davidson “sidekick” a Happy Birthday today.  Laurie Dennis is a bright, savvy journalist who knows all the tricks of the trade to make this column just a bit better as she “drops” in the photos and tweaks the copy.  Thanks, Laurie, and Happy Birthday to YOU.

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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbarger@bellsouth.net.