Tommy and Ann Davis visited with Mayor John Woods (right).
My goodness! After this weekend what will we do with our time when there is no Olympic water polo to watch? Think we had enough time to absorb all the finer strategies of the game or gawk at the underwater images of the women’s bathing suits? Bet most of us will not care if we ever see any more footage of water polo or beach volleyball … but gotta hand it to the Brits. The games have been fun for those attending. And just one last factoid: If you scramble the letters in Gabby Douglas’ last name, you get “USA Gold!” How ‘bout that.
Around Davidson has news today of a BIG birthday for Bob Manning, a cruise for Jane and Michael Todd, a few notes about Tuesday’s National Night Out picnic, and a Noteworthy Note about our town’s two hour parking.
How about those blue eyes on two year old Brystan Lowry, youngest child of (off duty) Officer Paul Lowry
THANKS FOR A FUN PICNIC
Jordan Brady and his daughter, Joslyn, chose hot dogs for supper
Tuesday evening a happy crowd of Davidson residents gathered at Roosevelt Wilson Park on Griffith Street to meet and greet our Davidson police officers on National Night Out while enjoying hot dogs, hamburgers and all the trimmings. If you missed it, Brickhouse Tavern owner, Nick Lyssikatos, provided the grilled items, Carlos Springs provided the grill and the Town and local residents provided the sides from coleslaw to cake and ice cream bars. What a nice time to visit with friends and renew acquaintances.
Mickey Pettus (left), Officer Richard Leslie and Town Manager Leamon Brice (right) enjoyed a light moment.
Many thanks to the Davidson Police for providing the “man power” to make for a successful event. Our men and women in blue were there in uniform or street clothes but always eager to answer questions and provide tips on neighborhood safety and crime prevention, which was the focus of the picnic. It was also a great chance to meet Ann and Tommy Davis who spent 33 years living on Lake Norman before downsizing to Davidson’s Spinnaker Reach community. Tommy has been chairman of the board of the North Meck Crime Stoppers since 1990. Congratulations to you, Tommy, for your continuing efforts. Ann and Tommy are regulars at the picnic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOB MANNING!
Happy Birthday to Bob Manning surrounded by his children, (l-r) Laura Manning Riley, Mary Alice Manning Mitchell and John Manning.
Aug. 2 was a big day for longtime Davidson resident Bob Manning: He turned the BIG 7-0! (What a shame we could not move his favorite outdoor sculpture from the front of the post office to his front yard to mark the occasion!!) Bob was out of town for the big event celebrating with his family at the beach.
Bob and his wife, Susan, gathered their six children and 11 grandchildren at Sunset Beach for a week of rest and relaxation. In addition to roasting and toasting the birthday boy, the family celebrated grandson Brooks (son of John Manning and his wife, Vic, of Charlotte) who was on his first beach trip and took his first steps while there. There was also a welcome for brand new six week old granddaughter, Emily, daughter of Brittany and Adam Kicklighter of Huntersville to the sand and surf. (Emily was born June 20 weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. and stretching to 20½ inches.)
How do you bake a cake for a fella like Bob? You don’t. You perch all the candles on a half-gallon of ice cream (Bob’s favorite dessert) and surround yourself with 32 family members to help you blow them out. Following a round of Happy Birthday, everyone made their own sundae. Nice idea and it certainly keeps the kitchen cooler when you don’t have to turn on the baking oven!
A busy birthday week for Bob Manning at the beach with children and grandchildren…and this photo represents just some of them!
A calmer vacation for Bob occurred in late May when he and Susan joined 35 other family members and friends from Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Cornelius for an Alaskan vacation. They started in Fairbanks with visits to Denali National Park before traveling by train to Whittier for a seven day cruise on the Inland Waterway. Highlights of the cruise were whale watching in Juneau, a train trip on the historic White Pass Yukon railway up into the Yukon, and totem poles and shopping in Ketchikan along with a spectacular flight-seeing/cruise in the Misty Fjords National Monument wilderness area. Of course, the sightseeing was in addition to wonderful food, rest and relaxation on the beautiful Island Princess ship. Bob and Susan also enjoyed their pre- and post-cruise time in Seattle, where they saw the flying fish at Pike Market and had dinner at the top of the Space Needle.
Congratulations to you, Bob, on a wonderful birthday.
CRUISING WITH THE TODDS
Michael Todd enjoyed the city tour of Lisbon, Portugal and posed in front of the Belem Tower
Michael Todd retired recently after 41 years with DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) and celebrated with a cruise. Michael and his wife, Jane, chose the Iberian Odyssey trip with Oceania Cruise Line (www.oceaniacruises.com) for their 10-night adventure. They started in Lisbon, Portugal and ended in Rome, Italy. Their ship, the Riviera, was launched just this year and the Todds enjoyed the luxury of a brand new ocean liner. The Riviera made stops in Gibraltar, Casablanca, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseille, Nice/Eze, Monte Carlo, Florence & Rome. All places that the Todds had never been before. Beautiful weather and smooth sailing made the trip all the more enjoyable.
Yum! Jane’s cooking classes focused on scones, frittata & poached eggs on roasted vegetables
with Chef instructor, David Shalleck
Michael’s trip highlight was seeing the statue of David in Florence. Jane’s was going to all the different cathedrals in Spain, France & Italy and seeing the burial sites of Michelangelo, Galileo & Machiavelli in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. Michael and Jane also enjoyed a cooking class on board the ship, a brunch menu, which was one of many classes offered during the cruise. They found it hard to decide between ship activities or shore excursions.
How did they learn about Oceania Cruise Line? Through the alumni association of Virginia Tech, Michael’s Alma Mater. There were a number of alumni associations with groups on board (the largest from Texas Tech) which made for a lot of reminiscing about college experiences among the travelers.
Congratulations, Michael, on your retirement from DFA and good luck with the beef cattle you are conditioning on your land in Grayson County, VA. Nothing like farming to keep you gainfully employed 24/7 and very “un-retired!”
First you see them…
NOTEWORTHY NOTE
Did you see the town employees busy at work on Tuesday putting up brand new “Two Hour Parking Signs” along Main Street and Concord Road? That is 2-hour parking, from 8-5 on Monday-Friday. We already have two-hour parking on one side of the post office lot, the former public library lot, Depot Street from Main to the 4-way stop, South Street near the Stowe’s Corner building, as well as Main Street on both sides, CVS to the corner of Concord, and Summit Coffee to the College Book Store.
…and then you don’t!
Fasten your seat belts and hold onto your wallets, now the 2-hour restriction is extended on Main Street from Davidson College Presbyterian Church to Cunningham Theatre Center, the Belk Visual Arts Center to Depot Street, and on Concord Road from DCPC to College Street on the north side, and the Village Green to College Street.
Will this help or hinder the merchants? First thing that comes to mind is a meeting (civic, church, or whatever) that follows or precedes a nice lunch at The Soda Shop, Toast or Flatiron. Oops … that takes more than two hours and a parking ticket adorns your windshield. Does that really make sense?
But the best is that no sooner did the signs go up on Tuesday until they were carefully “bagged” yesterday. Around Davidson caught three town employees in the act and when asked “what was up?” they laughed and replied that maybe the signs were awaiting a proper community unveiling! Stay tuned …
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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbbarger@gmail.com.
