Cold in Cleveland!

Ah! February is here and Groundhog Day awaits our fancy on Wednesday.  Bet the folks in the Midwest and eastern seaboard are hoping the groundhog fails to see his shadow and winter ends soon!  (That is if Punxsutawney Phil can exit his Gobbler’s Knob burrow through the blowing snow expected in his neck of the woods!) Spending last weekend in Cleveland, Ohio, your correspondent can attest to the cold (morning temperatures in single digits) which keeps the residents behind closed doors until well into April.  Midwest weather never gives the icicles on the gutters and outdoor fixtures a chance to melt but rather just increases their length as the weeks of winter keep them in its grasp.  Let’s hear a round of applause for the milder temperatures of N.C.!

Around Davidson begins February with a wonderful story of romance from Rabbi Michael Shields.  In addition there are a few notes about an art opening for Herb Jackson, DavidsonNews.net connections and a chance to vote for an innovative health care video with a local connection.

Jacquie Wolochwianski & Michael Shields. (photo from JDate)

ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR

More and more we hear about online dating services. With Valentine’s Day approaching, we bring you the wonderful results of a match made on JDate.com (a leading Jewish singles network) – the engagement announcement of Rabbi Michael Shields and Jacqueline Wolochwianski who plan to marry in Charlotte this April.

Michael is the son of Karin and David Shields of Scarsdale, N.Y.  He graduated in 2001 from the University of Albany (SUNY) with a BA in History.  After earning master’s degrees in Religious Education and Hebrew Literature from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (N.Y.), Michael was ordained a Rabbi in 2008.  He came to Davidson as the first full time Rabbi at Lake Norman Jewish Congregation, which now numbers 140 families. He signed a new contract to stay with the congregation for another five years.  Michael also serves as the Adjunct Jewish Chaplain at Davidson College.

Billboard in Times Square

Jacqueline Wolochwianski is the daughter of Tania and Enrique Wolochwianski of Indian Land, S.C.  Jacquie is a 1999 graduate of UNC-Greensboro with a BA in Psychology and Spanish. Jacquie taught Spanish for three years at Providence High School in Charlotte before earning an MSW (Social Work) from UNC-Charlotte in 2006 and is a licensed clinical social worker.  She appears regularly on Spanish language radio stations raising awareness in the community about issues of domestic violence.

Both signed on to JDate.com hoping to find a true partner.  They almost missed their first date a year ago because of a snow storm in Charlotte, but when they did, both felt a special attraction.  More dates followed and Michael asked Jacquie to marry him on June 24, 2010.

Best of all, Michael and Jacquie’s engagement became digital billboard news in New York’s Times Square as part of a national ad campaign for the JDate website that brought them together.  Not too many couples can top that!  (More news on Michael and Jacquie at http://www.jdate.com/jmag/2011/01/jacquie-and-michael/)

Congratulations to you both and best of luck as you plan for your April wedding.

Vote today for Sam Barger's IEI idea

EMERGING ISSUES PRIZE for INNOVATION

This past fall the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) challenged full time students from two or four year colleges or universities in North Carolina to design an innovative and effective solution to the challenge of childhood and adolescent obesity.  Five finalists have been chosen and the top award of $5,000 will be presented next week, on Tuesday, February 8, in Raleigh at the 26^th Annual IEI Forum.

Voting on the final five is being done via the Internet.  Turns out that a local student, none other than Sam Barger, is part of a three man UNC-Business School team vying for the top award with an innovative three minute pitch called “Rascals,” which addresses the epidemic of childhood obesity by making physical activity addictive for kids with rewards earned for play.

Voting must be completed by Monday, Feb. 7, so go online today to http://www.ncsu.edu/iei/?page_id=842.  You can watch the video (last one) and vote at the bottom.  (As Sam’s mom, I know it’s shameless for me to promote this. But who knows how far these three entrepreneurs might take their idea!)

Riding the Phoenix by Herb Jackson

BIG APPLE TRIPS

In case you have your snow boots ready and are traveling to NYC, be sure to plan your trip for mid-February to catch Herb Jackson’s art exhibit at the Claire Oliver Gallery on 513 West 26^th Street (just off 10^th Avenue).  The opening will be Thursday, Feb. 17, from 6-8 p.m. at the gallery.  For a digital preview of Herb’s paintings, access www.claireoliver.com and select the heading “upcoming” before clicking on his exhibition.  Congratulations, Herb, on your continued artistic success.

NOTEWORTHY NOTES

Amazing how people drop into our lives at unexpected times thanks to the Internet.  Recently DavidsonNews.net connected two of our residents with former acquaintances.  Michael Pilmer, a student of Judy Schuh’s French classes at North Mecklenburg High School, found his favorite teacher of the 1980s through our website.  Michael is now with the Devo Band in the Raleigh area and fondly remembered by Madam Schuh as a good student and very artistic.

Shirley Torstrick of The Pines heard from a missionary working in Brazil who wanted permission use a questionnaire in the book she’s writing for children and parents.  Researching the net, the young lady from Brazil came across a photo of Shirley in this column and imagined she was the one needed for the material in a Portuguese book.  Small world!  Interesting networking through DavidsonNews.net on the Internet!

Send us your news

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