Proud Dad Scott Ortmayer holds his new son - and how about that Red Sox t-shirt!

Shhhhhh – college students are preparing for final tests and papers this week and next.  We will have lots of news of commencement events soon and hope our readers will share photos of this important family event.

Today, however, Around Davidson focuses on news of young people who grew up in Davidson and are celebrating important occasions of other kinds.  Amelia Mange is planning a wedding; Audrey Stell is expecting a baby; and Scott Ortmayer is a proud new father.  There is also a thought about our libraries.

BABY, OH, BABY ARRIVES

Happy new grandparents are Lou and Carolyn Ortmayer holding Baby Ben

April 19 was a very exciting day in the lives of the Ortmayer and Uehlein families as Benjamin Thomas Ortmayer was born at 6:03 p.m.  Baby Ben tipped the scales at 9 lbs. 10 oz. and stretched to 21 inches.

Dad Scott and Mom Kim were thrilled at his arrival as were all the grandparents who welcomed a first grandbaby.

Scott, a commercial  airline polot with Com Air owned by Delta, is the son of Lou and Carolyn Ortmayer. Kim is the daughter of Wayne and Barb Uehlein of Lorain, Ohio, and works as a pediatric cardiac intensive care nurse at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.  The couple lives in Huntersville as does new Aunt Carrie Uehlein, who is a veterinarian at the North Mecklenburg Animal Hospital in Cornelius.  Also close by is Uncle Owen Ortmayer who works as a paramedic with MEDIC Mecklenburg EMS Agency and lives in Cornelius.

Congratulations to the Ortmayer and Uehlein families.  We know that Grandpa Lou and Grandma Carolyn will be headed to Huntersville many times a week to help the new parents and spoil Baby Ben.

BABY, OH, BABY-TO-BE

Exciting weeks for Justin and Audrey Stell Cervero as they await the birth of their first child in July.  To celebrate this upcoming event, “Grandma” Sue Stell hosted a baby shower for Audrey this past weekend assisted by Audrey’s sister, Ginger, and sister-in-law Jen.

The Stell "ladies, " (l-r) Ginger, Mom Sue, Audrey, gathered last weekend for Audrey's baby shower.

Audrey and Justin made it back from Germany just in time for the shower.  They had taken a two week vacation to visit Justin’s mom, Joan Gambino, who is living near Frankfurt, Germany, because of her job with SGL Carbon.  The couple’s vacation stretched to three weeks when the ash from the Icelandic volcano cancelled their flight back to the States.  How nice at least to be stranded with family.  Even better is the news that Grandma-to-be Joan’s job will relocate her back to NC this summer.  She will live in Lincolnton and be close enough to babysit for her first grandchild when needed.

This young couple lives in Hudson, near Lenoir.  Justin commutes to ASU where he works with computers.  Audrey is employed nearby with the NC Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.  Following the baby shower, Audrey will have no trouble preparing the nursery as she received many useful gifts – especially in pink – since they know the arrival will be a baby girl.

Catching up with the rest of the Stells, Dean Stell and his wife, Jen, live in Walkertown, with their daughter, Meg, who is six.  Dean continues to work at Wake Forest University while Jen is with Hanes Brands.  Ginger Stell has just completed her first of four years of study at the North Carolina School of Veterinary Medicine.  Mom Sue continues at The Pines as Assistant Director of Finance while Dad Lance is Director of Medical Humanities at Davidson College and also a member of the Department of Philosophy.  Busy family!

THEY’RE ENGAGED

Amelia and Alex are engaged!

Congratulations to Amelia Lynn Mange and Alejandro (Alex) José Castaño who were recently engaged.  Amelia is the daughter of Steve and Pam Mange of Cabin Creek in Davidson.  Alex is the son of Rolando and Maria Castaño of Miami, Florida.  The couple plans to marry in June in Davidson and will live in Greenville, S.C.

Amelia is a graduate of Furman University where she completed a master’s degree in early childhood education.  She is currently teaching third grade at Lake Forest Elementary in Greenville.  Alex has a degree from the University of Miami and is working as the district manager for Southeast Toyota in Greenville.  The couple met during a 5K run a few years ago.

Congratulations to the Mange and Castaño families.

NEW LIBRARY HOURS – JUST A THOUGHT

Residents in Mecklenburg County are paying close attention to the projected budget woes for fiscal 2011 which begins July 1.  For sure, our library system is going to take a big hit as already indicated by reduced hours and one day a week closings (other than Sunday).  Your correspondent thought she was paying attention until last week.  Knowing that the Davidson branch was closed on Thursdays, it was an easy detour to Cornelius to get the needed audio book for a Friday road trip.  Duh!  Cornelius is also closed on Thursdays.

Would it not make sense to stagger the day closed for the community libraries?  Especially for those of us in the North end of the county?  How many of us like to brave the crazies behind the wheel at Exit 25’s Regional Library?  If our community libraries can remain open – even with reduced hours – after July first, we will all applaud!  But let’s try to rotate days and hours of closure.

Send us your news

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