Life is often like a railroad

By Don Davis For the Kannapolis Citizen One of my dearest memories of growing up in Bennettsville, S.C., was the old B&C Railroad. Many kids may have not been interested in railroads, but when I was growing up, this railroad was a part of my daily life. We only lived a house away from the tracks, and I would normally see or hear it going out every morning and coming back in the evening. I guess the words to the “Wreck of the Old Ninety Seven” are appropriate when the writer wrote, “this is not 38, but he old 97.” I would say, it was neither of these great trains, it was merely the “The Old B&C (Bennettsville and Cheraw) Railroad.” Do you remember singing these words as a child, “Down at the station early in the morning see all the puff-a-bellies all in a row?” When we sang it in school, my mind would take me to the small B&C Railroad yard that I had been to many times.  There was one engine running at a time. The older stayed in the yard where we played on weekends. We would imagine it stuffed full of coal running down the track and the whistle going full blast. I can still recall the old ramshackle steam engine going out in the morning. By the time I was old enough to be interested, it had lost its luster and most of its daily mission. Nonetheless, this train had a unique personality. I remember it struggling down that narrow, crooked track. At times it seemed like it was off the track as much as it was running. Life is much the same as the B&C Railroad used to be. Though I am retired now, I can remember getting up early in the morning and heading off to the office. Most of my working life was in management, dealing with people and assisting them as they did their jobs in providing computer support at Air Force bases and later the companies I worked. Yes, life was a struggle, but I knew I was not alone. Yes, God had given me good people, but knowing he would never let me face any obstacle alone gave me determination to go on with a peace I cannot explain. In Isaiah 40:31 we find, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” When we are confident Christ is with us, we can be like the “Little Engine That Could.” Rather than say, “We think we can,” we can say, “We know we can for Jesus is with us.” Christians, don’t ever go to work without Jesus. You need him there more than any other place. Life is such that people also jump the track, just like that old train, but those who have Jesus can be assured, Jesus will lift us up, just as a train crew, and put us back on track with a push to restart us in the right direction. Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Don Davis is a local pastor. He writes an occasional religion column for the Kannapolis Citizen. If you are interested in submitting a faith column, e-mail jmorris@kannapoliscitizen.com.�

St. Joseph Catholic Church plans Sacred Heart Mission

St. Joseph Catholic Church will host a Sacred Heart Mission Sunday through Wednesday. The “Blessing of the Children” will be the beginning of four evenings at the church, at 108 St. Joseph St., Kannapolis. The mission will begin each evening at 7 p.m. and  last until 9 p.m. with refreshments afterwards. There will be books, tapes and icons for sale, but purchases must be made with cash. Themes include: • Sunday — Jesus is Alive (bring pictures of friends and family that need healing and blessings). • Monday — Jesus Forgives and Forgets. • Tuesday — Opening Our Hearts and Homes to Jesus. • Wednesday — Building a Civilization of Love. All are welcome. The children will have a different activity each night, and the “Blessing of the Children” will take place Sunday evening. For more information, contact the church office at 704-932-4607.

‘Journey to the Heart’ documentary at First Presbyterian

As part of its Wonderful Wednesdays program, First Presbyterian Church in Kannapolis will present the documentary, “Journey of the Heart: The Life of Henri Nouwen” tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The viewing is free and open to the public. Considered by many to be one of the leading spiritual leaders of our time, Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, popular professor, prolific writer and humanitarian. After teaching for nearly 20 years at the Menninger Institute, Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard, he became chaplain at the L’Arche Daybreak community for people with developmental disabilities. He authored nearly 40 books on spirituality and the Christian life, many of which continue to be popular. This documentary features a conversation with Nouwen just a year before his death, as well as interviews with friends, colleagues and family members. First Presbyterian’s Wonderful Wednesday program includes an optional fellowship supper ($5 per person donation suggested) at 6 p.m., and children’s programs and a nursery at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please call 704-938-4623.

Judy Goodnight wins literacy award from Cabarrus Reading Association

The Greater Cabarrus Reading Association has presented Judy Goodnight one of its highest honors, the Celebrate Literacy Award. Goodnight is Kannapolis City Schools’ Director of Title I and Elementary Education, and she is a former president of the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association. Goodnight received the Celebrate Literacy Award because of her outstanding contributions to the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association and her efforts to promote literacy. According to  Greater Cabarrus Reading Association President Barbara Falkenbury, Goodnight’s efforts gave the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association new life and helped make it an award-winning chapter. “Four years ago, the reading association was on the verge of disbanding,” Falkenbury said. “Judy stepped forward and took over the presidency of Greater Cabarrus Reading Association. During her tenure, membership increased by 100 percent and became an International Reading Association Honor Council.” Falkenbury said Goodnight supported many Greater Cabarrus Reading Association projects, including the Books for Babes Program at CMC-NorthEast and professional development sessions for teachers that promoted literacy. Goodnight will retire from Kannapolis City Schools in June, but she will continue on the Greater Cabarrus Reading Association’s board as a member-at-large. “We’re so proud of Judy Goodnight’s many contributions to children and literacy in our community,” said Kannapolis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Jo Anne Byerly. “She’s been a wonderful advocate for helping people in our community learn to read, and I’m so glad the Reading Association has honored her. She’s extremely deserving of this award.”

Cause of fatal accident not known

By Joanie Morris Kannapolis Citizen Kannapolis police have not received a preliminary autopsy report which might explain why an Enochville man crashed his car into a building on South Cannon Boulevard on April 22. Officials at Carolinas Medical Center said Benjamin Tyler Poteat, 28, of 5740 Enochville School Road, died from injuries sustained after his car swerved off the road and hit a building at 3002 S. Cannon Blvd. Michael Thornton told Kannapolis police officers he was driving north on U.S. 29 and when he crossed over Interstate 85, Poteat’s 2002 Acura TL passed him “at a high rate of speed in the left lane.” Thornton, who stopped at the scene of the accident, said the Acura had gotten about 100 yards ahead of him when he saw the car turn abruptly to the right, leaving the road. From his location, Thornton didn’t see the accident happen, only a large cloud of smoke before he stopped. Kannapolis Police Sgt. Bobby Lear said he was traveling south on Cannon Boulevard when he saw a cloud of dust on the northbound side at about 10:50 p.m. In his report, Officer T.S. Lafferty noted the Acura left skid marks 36 feet long on the road, and the car traveled 98 feet off the road before the driver’s side door slammed into the right corner of the building. He estimated the car was traveling at 55 mph before leaving the road and about 50 mph at the point of impact. The car was registered to Poteat’s wife, April, according to the report. Though they still don’t have a preliminary medical report, officers found no indication of alcohol use at the scene. The Kannapolis Fire Department responded to the scene and found Poteat trapped inside the car and called for a helicopter from Carolinas Medical Center-Charlotte. They closed the northbound lane of Cannon Boulevard and set up a landing zone in the parking lot of the vacant Target building. Firefighters freed Poteat at 11:19 p.m. and he was then transported by Cabarrus EMS to the helicopter, which flew him to the Charlotte hospital. He died at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday morning. “What made this a difficult extrication for us was the condition of the structure,” said Battalion Chief Tracy Winecoff. “The instability of the flooring made the car unstable. Our firefighters and other personnel on the scene had to keep their safety in mind as they worked to free the driver.” Total damage estimated to the car was $20,000. The building, which belongs to Troutman Enterprises, sustained $10,000 worth of damage. Keith Troutman said the building was vacant at the time of the accident, but was being fixed up. Now, Troutman said, the building will be leveled. Family members of Poteat were not available for comment. Contact Joanie Morris at 704-933-3450 or jmorris@kannapoliscitizen.com.

What are you spending your stimulus check on?

By Hugh Fisher Kannapolis Citizen How will you spend your economic stimulus check? Starting this week, the U.S. government is distributing payments of $600 and more to individuals and families as part of an effort to give the economy a shot in the arm. Seniors filing a tax return will receive $300. The first to receive money will be those who chose to have their refunds deposited directly into their bank accounts. Paper checks will begin to go out to all taxpayers beginning on May 16. Local residents surveyed last week stated a wide range of uses for their checks. Some will use the payments to pay for much-needed medical care or home repairs. Others will spend the money on a summer vacation. Sonia Leigh of Kannapolis is going to do both. “I’m going to go get my eyes checked, and then we’ve got a vacation coming up to Florida,” Leigh said. “That’s going to help us out.” Vessie Foster of Kannapolis said her family will use the funds for home repairs. “We’ve got to do a lot of painting and fixing floors,” she said. Others plan to use the money to offset the rising cost of living. “Mine is going where? Straight to my gas tank,” said Venitta Sparkman of Concord. “The gas I have to buy is $3.67 a gallon right now.” Many of Kannapolis’ residents are torn between spending the money and saving it. The purpose of the government rebates is to encourage people to spend money on products and thus encourage economic recovery. Or, to put it another way: “My son said that to be patriotic, I was supposed to blow it!” Gloria Martin said. Martin, a Kannapolis resident who works at Village Grill downtown, said that deciding how to spend the money would be tough. “My dishwasher is ancient,” she said. “I’ve meant to replace it for years. But we’re also going to get a second TV for my guest room.” In order to receive the payment, you must have filed a 2007 tax return. But if you haven’t filed your taxes yet and filed an extension in time, don’t worry: You will still receive an economic stimulus payment as long as you file your return by Oct. 15. Contact Hugh Fisher at 704-933-3450 or hfisher@kannapoliscitizen.com.

Chamber members receive safety awards from N.C. Department of Labor

Cabarrus Country Club was the site of the 56th Annual Safety Awards Luncheon on April 24. Presented by Philip Morris USA, along with the Ben Mynatt Family Dealerships and Perdue Farms, the luncheon was held to congratulate private and public entities for a significant record of safety in the workplace. N.C. Department of Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry, the self-described “elevator lady,” gave the awards. The awards process requires application to the state Department of Labor. Criteria includes no fatalities during the calendar year at the site or location for which the award is given, and a lost workday case rate at least 50 percent below the statewide average for a particular industry group. The following governments and companies earned awards: • Cabarrus County • Cemex — Concord • Chandler Concrete Company Inc., Salisbury Plant • City of Concord • City of Kannapolis • Concord Builders Inc. • Concrete Supply Co., Kannapolis, Concord and Salisbury plants • Corning Inc., Concord plant • Duke Energy, Kannapolis Operations Center • Employment Security Commission, Concord office • Hanesbrands Inc., China Grove plant • Lutheran Home at Trinity Oaks • Meridian Automotive Systems Inc., Salisbury operations • Mount Pleasant Hosiery Mills Inc. • Philip Morris USA, Cabarrus facility • Rowan Vocational Opportunities Inc. • Rowan-Cabarrus Community College • Southeastern Packaging Co. • Superior Industrial Maintenance Company Inc. • Trelleborg Prodyn Inc. • Tuscarora Yarns Inc., China Grove, Mount Pleasant and Oakboro plants • Universal Forest Products Inc. • Vulcan Construction Materials LP, Gold Hill Quarry • W.A. Brown & Son Inc. • Water & Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County, Rocky River Regional Water Treatment Plant and Mount Pleasant Water Treatment Facility • West Atlantic Transportation Corp.

Vandals cost Harrisburg $11K

By Frank DeLoache Kannapolis Citizen A vandal cost the town of Harrisburg thousands of dollars and thousands of gallons of water last week when he shot the town water tower at 8885 Rocky River Road. Harrisburg Public Works Director Todd Taylor said someone driving by the tower Friday afternoon noticed water leaking from it and called town officials. Taylor said he hadn’t left work long before he got the call and returned to the tower between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Town workers found one bullet hole, and they don’t see how it could have been an accident, since deer hunting season is over and the tower is surrounded by subdivisions. Town workers didn’t have any way of plugging the leak, other than closing the main valve and shutting down water going into the tank, Taylor said. They also had to drain it enough so repair workers can get inside the tank. The repair work was supposed to start Tuesday. Town officials estimate the tank lost 100,000 to 200,000 gallons of water, which equates to about $6,000, and the city estimates the repairs will cost about $5,000. More aggravating is knowing someone would waste such a precious resource as officials worry about another  dry summer. Taylor said he hopes publicity about the incident doesn’t prompt any copycats, but he also hopes any article might result in the arrest and prosecution of those responsible. He said town officials have talked about offering a reward, though they haven’t taken any action yet. Anyone with information about the tower vandalism can call anonymously to Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME (932-7463).

Blitzing schools with safety

As fast as lightning, Kannapolis Fire Department personnel descended on the students in Kannapolis City Schools’ elementary schools during the past two weeks for the first ever Fire Blitz. Fire Blitz was created to give children a clear, concise lesson on one specific safety topic. This year, the Fire Blitz theme was “Crawl Low under Smoke.” “We had a ball with the students,” said Battalion Chief David Winecoff. “I’m really glad I was able to be a part of this brand new program. The children listened well, had great questions and comments and really practiced what we taught them.” During the lesson, children learned the dangers of smoke, its harmful effects on the body and the way to escape it as quickly as possible. Fire personnel used bath towels donated by Super Target to simulate smoke so that the children could put what they learned into practice. “Why use a towel?’” many children asked. “We chose to use a towel because we wanted it to be something that everyone had readily available in their homes,” Maria Bostian, the Fire Department’s public safety educator, said. “We wanted to make the lessons fun and easy to duplicate. “Safety for everyone is our primary goal. We cannot meet everyone in Kannapolis, but, hopefully, with the lesson and materials we provided, the children were able to go home and teach others in their communities. “Hopefully, many adults have practiced this rule over the past several weeks as well.” Fire Department Inspector Shane Pethel noted that 1,673 students have participated in the lessons at four elementary schools. “We have one more school to go,” Pethel said. “We are so pleased to have 100 percent participation from the (Kannapolis City Schools) elementary schools. (Kannapolis City Schools) is a big supporter of our safety and injury prevention efforts and makes safety a priority for their students.” Feeling blue that you missed out? The Fire Department is hoping to make Fire Blitz an annual event. If you want to participate or have some other great ideas, Fire Department officials encourage you to call the Risk Reduction office at 704-920-4261 for more information.

Man charged with setting fire to house he owned

Rodney Glenn Lowder, 36, was charged April 12 with setting fire to a house he owns at 9201 Oakridge Drive, Kannapolis, according to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. Other Kannapolis-area arrests and incidents reported by the Rowan sheriff include: • Ira Andrew Marlow, 870 Greenfield Road, China Grove, reported a burglar broke into his home April 1 and stole $150 worth of CDs. Damage to the back door totaled another $250. • Edward Adam Hudson, 167 Moosewood Drive, China Grove, reported someone shot his dog in its left rear side April 2. • Tommy Reid Brown, 2405 Eagle St., Kannapolis, reported the theft of three scooters from his yard between March 31 and April 2. Total loss was $2,600. • Kelly Romeo, 39, and Lisa Annette Donehue, 38, both of 9490 Oakridge Drive, Kannapolis, face drug and weapons charges following an April 4 domestic incident at their home. On April 12, Donehue, 38, was charged with simple assault/assault and battery at 418 S. Enochville Ave., Kannapolis. • Edward Grady Long, 37, was charged April 4 with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury based on a complaint by Bobby Wayne Martin at 2825 N.C. 153, China Grove. • Yadira Donjuan Ruiz reported her purse was stolen after it fell off the roof of her car April 5 on Ebenezer Road, Kannapolis. • Christopher Eugene Harrington, 2609 Woodsdale St., Kannapolis, reported tools valued at $170 stolen from his truck while it was parked at his home the night of April 6. • Rhonda Tennant Walters, 1384 Meadowcreek Drive, China Grove, reported the April 6 theft of medication from her home. • Ronald Dale Honeycutt, 30, was charged April 8 with assault on a female at 170 Ervin Loop Road, China Grove. • Daniel Joseph Crate reported someone caused $200 damage to his vehicle while it was parked at 147 Nuthatch Lane, China Grove, the night of April 9. • Brian Franklin Walker reported items stolen from the trunk of his vehicle he had parked at 2888 Moose Road, while he was attending an April 12 event at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium. • Billy Joe Barnhardt reported vandals broke windows in his car April 12 while it was parked at 2250 Kendra Drive, Kannapolis. • Items were stolen April 12 from Donnie Raffaldt’s Used Cars, 7454 Spring Acres Drive, Kannapolis. • Someone sold a stolen vehicle to Gordon's Used Auto Parts, 610 China Grove, Road, China Grove, on April 13. • Jessica R. Brawley reported personal items stolen from her purse April 12 or 13 at 135 Crestwood Drive, China Grove. • David W. Sickle, 49, was charged April 12 with injury to personal property at 190 Sechler St., China Grove. • Brian Arness Mishak, 51, was charged April 4 with felony breaking and entering a building at 1802 W. C. St.

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