OMG! Pinky and Veronica remind us Valentine's Day is almost here!

Okay, fellas, this is your last weekend before Valentine’s Day to figure out the perfect something for your sweetheart!  We couldn’t get much conversation from Veronica and Pinky about their “wish list” as they lounged on a front porch in town.  Also no luck stopping John Elliott as he dashed in and out of the post office sending boxes of Davidson Chocolate Co. chocolates to lucky recipients who remain unnamed.  We would love to hear about your most unique Valentine remembrances so send us an email and photo if you have one.

Today Around Davidson has a note about Steve Langley’s Paddle Ball record, a Spokes update, an engagement announcement for Lillian Smith and a visit with Terry and Ric Erkes.

Engagement of Lillian Smith (Davidson Town Hall) to Michael Teer, Jr.

THEY’RE ENGAGED

Congratulations to Lillian Duer Smith of Charlotte who is engaged to marry Michael Page Teer Jr., of Wilmington, NC.  Lillian is a familiar face around Davidson’s Town Hall where she currently is the Town Clerk and also the Human Resources Coordinator.  February marks the last month of her employment with us so be sure to stop by Town Hall and wish her well – very soon.

Lillian, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Robinson Smith Jr., grew up in Wilmington.  She graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., before heading to UNC-Chapel Hill where she received a B.A. in English.  Michael is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Page Teer of Wilmington.  Following high school at Woodberry Forest, Michael received a degree in Economics from Hampden Sydney College and an MBA from East Carolina University.  Michael is a Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer with TD Bank in Wilmington.

Lillian Smith

A mutual friend introduced Michael to Lillian last year.  Although both families live in Wilmington, their paths had never crossed until then.  Now they are planning an April 14 wedding and looking forward to life together in Wilmington.  The couple loves the beach and enjoys fishing, sailing, crabbing, and all coastal activities.

Lillian’s younger sister, Eliza, a nurse at Roper Hospital in Charleston, will be home for the wedding as will Michael’s two brothers:  John, who is in medical school at Chapel Hill and Emerson who works for Clark Construction in Washington, D.C.  An excited flower girl for the wedding is Michael’s five year old daughter, Emerson (Emmy for short).

We will miss Lillian’s smile in Town Hall but wish her the very best as she embarks on a new career as Mrs. Michael Page Teer, Jr. (See related story, “Town clerk leaving, Davidson recruiting a replacement.”)

Terry and Ric Erkes stand before a wall of Ric's Air Force memories

THIS PILOT IS DOWN TO EARTH!

Meet Ric Erkes.  He and his wife, Terry, have lived in River Run since 1998 when they left the Pittsburgh winters and landed in Davidson on the advice of a fellow pilot.  That’s right.  Ric is a Jet Blue Captain who grew up as a military brat, living in 19 states, before graduating from Miami of Ohio with a math major.  Four years of ROTC in college translated into 10 years as an Air Force pilot before taking a seat in the cockpit of USAir jets.  Furloughed by USAir in a 2003 cutback, Rick soon signed on with Jet Blue – employment which he loves but smiles when he comments that it “gets in the way of his hobby – wood turning!”

Some examples of Ric's wood turning skill including his hat made from ambrosia maple

For sure, Ric is “down to earth” gathering down or dead trees to weather in his garage before putting them on his lathe and making works of art.  When the family moved to Davidson, Ric was “on call” with USAir which meant he needed to be available at home 24/7.  Needing an “at home” hobby, he read an article about Don Oetjen at The Pines.  Ric had a lathe he purchased in Pennsylvania when needing to fix a chair. Ever patient and a great mentor, Don soon had Ric putting that lathe to good use “turning” wood.

A workshop full of tools to go with his lathe

Now Ric is busy in his basement shop as often as possible – as he says, “letting the wood speak to him”.  In addition he volunteers twice a week at the Community School of Davidson (CSD) high school in their Arts Program, with teacher Jim Dumser, encouraging the students to approach lathe work with art in mind.  His work is as varied as the wood he uses.  He exhibits at Charlotte’s Festival in the Park and other local gatherings of artists.

A sampling of Ric's wood flower containers with removable "frogs.

Ric’s wife, Terry, is an enthusiastic Davidson Garden Club member and supporter of the Horticultural Symposium.  She was born and raised in Oregon and is a “Mighty Duck” grad who progressed from ROTC to an Air Force officer in finance and accounting.  Married to Ric since 1986, they raised two sons, Kevin (a student at CPCC) and Kyle (studying at NCSU).  Retired from the Air Force before moving to Davidson, Terry stays busy with gardening and volunteering at the Davidson Public Library.

Davidson is lucky to have this talented couple in town – and in the air!

UPDATING TNE NEWS   

Keeping skills sharp!

Hold onto those Paddle Balls!

Just when we thought we (356 of us) had it made with a Paddle Ball record last September 3, 2011, on the Town Green, we were knocked out of the record books on Jan. 25, 2012, by 412 employees of Johnson & Johnson!  Steve Langley, our Paddle Ball King, is not about to take this lying down (although we know that he can paddle ball even while prone!).  The Guinness Book of World Records needs to hear from us again.  In Steve’s words, “THANKS again to all of you for helping to make this happen; I am sorry that we no longer hold the record, but we can fix that!”

So hold onto your paddle ball, practice every now and then, and stay tuned for the next record holding extravaganza on the Town Green! (See Feb. 6, “We did it! Guinness certifies Davidson’s world paddle ball record.”)

They’re Pedaling Joy!

Nice to hear from Andy Beard of Davidson and his son, Will Beard of Charlotte, who are instrumental in raising money through The Spokes Group to provide bikes and helmets to needy children in our area.  For $70, a bicycle and helmet provides untold joy on Christmas morning.  To date, 25,371 bikes have been distributed over the past 18 years – primarily through The Salvation Army.  And as Andy proudly states, “Since day one, 100 cents of every dollar donated has been used to purchase bikes and helmets.”  Well done!  (For more information, access www.thespokesgroup.com)

SEND US YOUR NEWS

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