The Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg named Cornelius businessman, Denis Bilodeau, the 2011-12 Distinguished Rotarian of the year. Bilodeau, a Rotarian since 2006, has served in many leadership roles in the club, including serving as President in 2010-11. Under his leadership, The Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg achieved Rotary District 7680′s highest honor, Best off the Best Club Award.  Read the full story

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By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

On a sunny spring day under the oak trees, 449 students graduated from Davidson College Sunday in a ceremony that included one honorary degree, community service awards to two students and the local leader of Habitat for Humanity, and teaching awards to two veteran faculty.

Davidson doesn’t invite outside graduation speakers, so it’s up to the president to deliver a send-off to graduates. This year, that task fell to first-year President Carol Quillen. The ceremony, including her remarks, seemed aimed at conveying themes of diversity and inclusiveness. Read the full story

Davidson College on Sunday announced one of the largest gifts in its history, $25 million from an alumnus to support The Davidson Trust, its program to ensure that students can graduate without loans. The donation came from Edward L. “Ted” Baker, a 1957 graduate and former Davidson trustee. Mr. Baker is the retired chairman of Patriot Transportation Holdings Inc. and lives in Jacksonville, Fla. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The town boards of Mooresville and Davidson this week will take up critical revisions to the agreement that governs their jointly owned communications network, MI-Connection. Mooresville’s board on Monday and Davidson’s board on Tuesday will vote on changes that would adjust the towns’ ownership shares and limit Davidson’s financial pain while the system keeps losing money. The new agreement also would limit Davidson’s gains later, if the system turns profitable, and give Mooresville a chance at bigger payoffs. Read the full story

As grads and their families take one last, long look around campus this weekend, Davidson College senior writer John Syme offers a trip up to the roof of the Chambers building – a place few get to go. In a 2006 “Daybook” column on the college website titled “Up On The Roof,” he marvels at the view and calls it a “Davidson moment.” Read his report on Davidson.edu. And while you’re doing that, here listen to the sound of those bells.

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RELATED STORY: May 18, 2012, “Graduating: 449 seniors to march out of Chambers on Sunday.”

On Sunday at 9:50 a.m., the 449 members of Davidson College’s Class of 2012 will file out the door of Chambers Hall and onto the college lawn for a ceremony that will send them into the world. Sunny skies and a temperature in the 70s are forecast for this year’s ceremony under the oaks.

The ceremony will wrap up a weekend of events. (See the schedule on Davidson.edu.) Graduates and their families were starting to turn up on Main Street Friday morning, shopping or grabbing a coffee or a bit before graduation activities began later in the day. Read the full story

In observance of National Safe Boating Week May 19-25, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas around the country will host special events to raise awareness of the importance of safe boating, including two events in our area this weekend. Read the full story