Butterflies love late summer blooms
August bids us good-bye tomorrow and Labor Day weekend is upon us. A three-day weekend combined with the onslaught of visitors for the Democratic National Convention will keep our area roads and restaurants busy. Pools will be closing and we will have to say farewell to the summer of 2012. Lots of leaves already are falling and bright autumn foliage greets us in yards and along the highways, signaling fall.
Around Davidson talks to Peter and Boo Hess about their summer and has a report from Amelia Slagle and friends running the roads of Oregon. There is a tidbit about a Boo-Hoo Breakfast and also a few Noteworthy Notes worthy of your attention.
HESS HIGHLIGHTS
Nice for Boo and Peter Hess to visit their Hess Vineyard in California!
West Coast Travels
Peter and Boo Hess of Lorimer Road have had a busy summer. At the end of May they flew to California to spend 11 days with their younger son, Joey Hess, who is currently working as an outreach counselor with the nonprofit At the Crossroads, serving homeless youth in San Francisco. While on the West Coast, Boo and Peter celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary at a family gathering hosted by Peter’s cousin Anne in Corte Madera with her husband and two daughters. Also in attendance were Peter’s aunt and uncle from Steep Falls, Maine, along with their daughter and her fiancé from St. Helena (in Napa Valley).
Proud grandpa, “Papi” Hess holds his new granddaughter, Mariana Isabel Hess.
The Hesses’ trip coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge and they were able to view some of the festivities from the ferry transporting them to and from Alcatraz. Sights included seeing the massive Admiral Nimitz aircraft carrier in the bay, along with numerous sailboats, cargo ships and fire boats with their hoses ceremoniously at full tilt. Traveling through the Napa Valley, Boo and Peter had a compulsory tourist stop at the beautiful Hess Collection vineyard, on a hillside between Napa and Sonoma Valleys. There in the Donald Hess’ art gallery they recognized a grouping of headless bodies sculpted by the same Polish artist who did The Group of Ten now standing beside Davidson College’s Little Library. (“This Group of Ten” by Magdalena Abakanowicz was installed on Davidson’s campus last spring.)
Happy smiles for Karina and Jamie Hess and big sister, Ana Lu, at the baptism of Mariana Isabel Hess.
The highlight of the trip was of course the time spent with Joey, walking up and down the streets or riding trolleys, enjoying the ethnic meals offered by eateries in his neighborhood. Yosemite National Park was a treat, too, with its magnificent views of Half Dome, El Capitan and the giant redwoods. A late afternoon walk in Muir Woods with the sun slanting between these tallest of trees was unforgettable. Boo and Peter also enjoyed a drive up the northern California coast to Mendocino which offered spectacular views of the Pacific and the beauty of pounding of waves against the cliff-lined shore.
A packed itinerary for the 11 days even included a most enjoyable visit at the home of former Davidson students Michael and Alison Hall Mauze, both of whom took economics courses with Peter in the early 1980s. Alison returns often to the Davidson campus as a trustee and their two oldest sons are now students at the college.
East Coast Excitement
The Hesses returned from California on June 4 and had just about two months relaxing in Davidson and at their home in Davis, N.C., before heading to northern Virginia for the birth of their second grandchild and second granddaughter. Mariana Isabel Hess was born on August 15 to proud parents, Jamie and Karina Hess. Baby Mariana weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz., stretched to 20 inches, and is the delight of her older sister, Ana Lu, who will be two years old this November. Proud Grandpa Peter and Grandma Boo, as well as Uncle Joey, now have two beautiful little girls to pamper and dote on.
Maternal grandparents of Mariana Isabel and Ana Lu are Leo and Maria Cacho of Lima, Peru. Karina’s sister, Diana Cacho, has been visiting the family in Northern Virginia as has Grandma Maria. Jamie and Karina have busy days ahead as they will soon be leaving for Warsaw, Poland, where Jamie will be employed.
Front, from left: Greg Wadsworth (Cannon School 2008), Zach Eyler (2001), Mike Mitchell (2001), Adam Peindl (2001), Heidi Hecht Campbell (2001), Amelia Slagle (2003), Rob Wadsworth (2005), John Wadsworth (2001).
Back, from left: Matt Campbell, JD Whittemore, Jim Hooper (2002), Jacob Grove (2001), Jackson Letchworth(2002)
FLEET FEET
For young people today, it’s all about networking. Several members of the cross-country team at North Mecklenburg High School a decade or so ago have stayed in contact and recently gathered in Portland, Oregon, to run the 200-mile Hood to Coast Relay from Mt. Hood to Seaside on the Oregon Coast. This was perfect for Nancy Slagle’s daughter, Amelia Slagle, who lives in Portland and ran at North Meck, and has run many races since graduation in 2003.
The Hood to Coast relay team began on Friday morning at 8:45 a.m. and finished in 23 hours and 46 minutes. They were 53rd overall out of 1,050 teams. The 12 runners each ran three legs of the relay. Each leg was between 3 and 8 miles. Two vans shuttled runners back and forth between the exchange zones. The runners ran in broad daylight and in the pitch darkness of back roads from the mountains to the coast. Jim Hooper (North Meck 2002) of Davidson drove the team van.
North Meck runners included Jacob Grove (2001), Jackson Letchworth (2002), Zach Eyler (2001), Mike Mitchell (2001), Adam Peindl (2001), Heidi Hecht Campbell (2001), Rob Wadsworth(2005), John Wadsworth (2001) and of course, Amelia Slagle (2003). Greg Wadsworth (Cannon School 2008) joined the group as well as J.D. Whittemore of Austin, Texas, and Matt Campbell, husband of Heidi Hecht.
Congratulations to these young people who are surely “fleet of foot!”
Crying? or Cheering? to see the little ones in school!
BOO HOO or YAHOO
Tomorrow marks the first full day of kindergarten for Davidson Elementary School. Staggered attendance has been the norm this week but tomorrow the “real” business of behaving begins. What a wonderful idea to have a “Boo-Hoo Breakfast” for parents beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria. No doubt there will be some tears as the youngsters march off to independence from Mom – but we bet there might just be a good deal of cheering as Moms look forward to some REAL free time!
NOTEWORTHY NOTES
Has Dave Wilgus found a new home for his “Little Free Library?” Stay tuned!
Little Free Libraries
Around Davidson is already getting feedback about the “Little Free Library” idea so creatively constructed by Davidson’s own Dave Wilgus. Some good ideas are cropping up. You may see more of this marvelous structure in downtown Davidson soon.
ReadDavidson makes Davidson Read
In keeping with thoughts about libraries, the fall programs connected to ReadDavidson have just been announced. The book chosen for community discussion is Anne Patchett’s “State of Wonder.” For more information on events, go to www.townofdavidson.org/ReadDavidson, and be sure to sign up for the ReadDavidson eCrier, as well as following ReadDavidson on Facebook.
SEND US YOUR NEWS
Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbbarger@gmail.com.
