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Estate Sale, an entertainers delight! Estate Sales of NC & SC Antique andQuality vintage furniture Our Mission: At Quality Estatetapestries, Sales of NC & SC, we aim to minimize your stre Crystal, china, silver, assorted streamline the entire estate sale process. We are committed to providing a high houseware items, women’s clothing professional sale experience with the least amount of confusion for our buyers and so much more! value for your items. Friday, March 7th 9am to 3pm and Saturday, Our Services: March 8th 10am to 2pm • Free Consultation: We offer a no-obligation consultation to discuss your 1004 Spanish Moss Road, Indian Trail NC 28079 • Staging & Pricing: Our team stages the sale to showcase each item in its
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Friday, March 7, 2025 • Vol. 25 • No. 9
and prices each item individually with careful attention to its value. Auctions & Marketing: We provide advanced marketing, including socia ensure maximum visibility. Debris Removal: We handle debris removal before and after the sale. Personalized Services: Each estate sale is customized to meet your spec Professional Staff: Our experienced team manages all aspects of your sa Insured & Bonded: We are fully insured and bonded for your peace of m
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Opera star Griffey returning to Wingate for concert •
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By Chuck Gordon Contributor
WINGATE – Tony Griffey certainly understands how important it is for music students to hear professional artists perform live.
When Griffey was a student at Wingate in the late 1980s, he took in a show at the Metropolitan Opera House while on a univer-
sity-sponsored trip to New York City. From the cheap seats, he turned to Martha Asti, the advisor for the trip, and said, “I’m going to be on a first-name basis with everybody on that stage.” Wingate did not have an opera program at the time, but Griffey eventually became an opera star, winning Grammys and performing in the world’s most renowned opera houses.
Griffey will have an opportunity to inspire the next generation of Wingate music students March 23 when he performs in the Batte Center’s McGee Theatre. The performance, part of the Noel Musical Artist Series, begins at 4 p.m. Admission is free, and the show is open to the public. Griffey, a 1990 Wingate graduate known professionally as Anthony Dean
Griffey, has performed on some of the world’s most renowned opera stages: Paris, Sydney, the Met. A lyric tenor, Griffey specializes in English-language productions, such as “Of Mice and Men,” “Peter Grimes” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” “He’s an acting singer,” said Jessie Wright Martin, chair of the Wingate music department. “A lot of people really focus on the quality
of their sound. While Tony focuses on his sound and is a truly beautiful singer, what Promise: We are dedicated to maximizing the value of your items while m I see when I seeOur him sing is process as stress-free as possible. Since 2013, we have built a reputation for pro he’s really focused on and storyintegrity, exceptional results. Contact Us: Christine Boskovich (661) 305-5226 Christine@QualityEstateSaleNC telling and communication. Singing just happens to be the vehicle.” “We Sell Everything, But the House! Griffey, who comes from a family of High Point factory workers, initially enrolled at
UCPS names Teacher of the Year finalists April Little teaches Academically and Intellectually Gifted students at Shiloh Valley Elementary School.
Dylan Chavis teaches social studies at Porter Ridge High School.
MONROE – Union County Public Schools has announced five finalists for 2025-26 Teacher of the Year.
The district will announce a winner in May. Finalists were picked from 53 schoolbased winners. “I am consistently impressed by our UCPS teachers, and these individuals are no exception," Superintendent Andrew Houlihan said. “It is a privilege to witness and celebrate the impact they have on our students and I am grateful for their service.” Here are reactions from the five finalists about being named finalists: • Jodi Chaffin (Parkwood High): "I’m so honored and really surprised. This is only
Elizabeth Miles teaches sustainable energy at Waxhaw Elementary School.
Kimberly Spencer teaches second grade at Sandy Ridge Elementary School.
my fourth-year teaching, so it’s such a huge honor to be recognized as a top-five finalist. … I just love our students and staff. Everyone’s very supportive, and it’s great to work with all the kids and help them learn math." • Dylan Chavis (Porter Ridge High): "I truly don’t even know what to say right now. It’s such an honor. I’m a graduate of Union County, so it feels poetic to be here. … I love giving back to the community that gave so much to me. It’s a privilege to be here and make a difference." • Elizabeth Miles (Waxhaw Elementary): "It feels awesome to know that I’m being honored in this way. It’s so cool to celebrate it with my first graders. … I didn’t
WINGATE – It’s not uncommon for new mothers to experience any number of difficulties after giving birth: pain or discomfort, difficulty feeding their newborn, postpartum depression.
Wingate University’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program is here to help. In conjunction with an already-established pro bono clinic for adults, the program has started Women, Mothers, Babies, a free clinic to help women in the early days of their child’s life. Clinic days and times are yet to be determined. Dr. Patee Tomsic, one of four Doctor of Occupational Therapy faculty members who established the clinic, with help from a $10,000 grant from Foundation for a Healthy Carolina, said that occupational therapists’ strength is being able to help with such a wide variety of problems. “We are such a holistic profession that we are able to help in that holistic way,” she said. “There are a lot of things you can
experience as a mother, and we can help with almost all of them.” Assistant professors Tomsic, Dr. Wynnet Sinclair and Dr. Reeti Douglas and associate professor Dr. Stacey Caplan came up with the idea for the Women, Mothers, Babies clinic. They all have experience with maternity-related occupational therapy. Sinclair has been providing pelvic-floor therapy for years, helping women who experience incontinence or pelvic pain. Caplan, Tomsic and Douglas all have extensive experience with infant and child development, including specialties working with premature infants, feeding difficulties, torticollis and plagiocephaly, and other physical conditions. All four are becoming certified as lactation counselors. Other common problems new mothers experience include back and joint pain, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as depression and anxiety. Wingate Doctor of Occupational Therapy faculty members can also provide developmental help for infants. “Maybe the baby is a couple of months old and they aren’t meeting some of those
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Story continues, see OPERA page 3A
Tony Griffey
Hardware store fixing to open in Ballantyne, Wesley Chapel
Jodi Chaffin teaches math at Parkwood High School.
Photos courtesy of UCPS
expect this at all. I love getting my students to think about how to protect our planet. Sustainable energy – that’s what this is all about!" • April Little (Shiloh Valley Elementary): "I am just proud to represent Union County Public Schools. I look forward to the next phase of the competition. … We’re educating the whole child and preparing them to be globally ready. We’re part of that, educating lifelong learners." • Kimberly Spencer (Sandy Ridge Elementary): "It feels like my life's work has just really come together so beautifully. I'm so honored. … The children is what it’s all about. The love they bring me and the love we have every day."
Wingate creates pro bono OT clinic for new mothers, children By Chuck Gordon Contributor
Professional Staging: We ensure your items shine when displayed in the environment. Immaculate Presentation: We make sure your home looks its best befor Respectful & Community-Focused: We treat your home and neighborh utmost respect. Expert Guidance: We provide in-depth instructions to ensure everything smoothly.
early milestones,” Tomsic said. “They can come to us and we can screen the child and provide some education and intervention there.” The Foundation for a Healthy Carolina grant has gone toward supplies, mostly for lactation support, and continuing education for faculty members, such as in the lactation and mental-health areas. Students will have hands-on and guided learning opportunities, but not quite to the extent of the student-run pro bono clinic offered by Wingate Doctor of Occupational Therapy, because of the intimate nature of the treatments. But even observing Wingate faculty members in action will be helpful to students. “It very much supports their learning in that if these are specialty areas that they’re interested in pursuing in their career, they will have this experience already,” Tomsic said. Two Wingate students have also been instrumental in establishing the clinic, as part of their capstone projects. Tomsic said that ultimately Wingate Story continues, see WINGATE page 3A
Westlake Ace owns and operates 14 stores in North Carolina under the Westlake Ace and Outer Banks Ace brands. Two new Westlake Ace locations in the greater Charlotte area will follow the one scheduled to open Feb. 28 in Charlotte’s Rozzelle Crossing Shopping Center.
Photo courtesy of Westlake Ace Hardware
CHARLOTTE – Westlake Ace Hardware has signed lease agreements to open new stores in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte and the village of Wesley Chapel.
A 9,000-square-foot store will be developed in the Ballantyne Commons East Shopping Center (15221 John Delaney Drive). Renovations to the space will begin this spring, with an anticipated soft opening in late summer. A 15,000-square-foot store in the Village Commons at Wesley Chapel shopping center (6422 Weddington Road, Wesley Chapel) is scheduled to open in early 2026. Construction will start in early 2025. The stores will sell lawn and garden supplies, fasteners, tools, plumbing and electrical supplies as well as key cutting, automotive key fob replacement and propane tank exchange. Stores will also showcase specialty departments and store-within-a-store concepts, selling such brands as Stihl, Ego and Milwaukee outdoor power equipment; Benjamin Moore and Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines paints; and Milwaukee, DeWalt and Craftsman power tools. “We are excited to open two new locations in the greater Charlotte area and deepen our relationship with the community as a friend, a trusted neighbor and an employer,” said Joe Jeffries, president and CEO of Ace Retail Holdings, the parent company of Westlake Ace Hardware. “We look forward to serving our new neighbors and showcase how we live the Ace Helpful Promise daily through reliable service, helpful advice and the products our customers need to get their projects done right.” Need a job?
The Ballantyne Commons store will begin accepting applications in late spring. Applications for the Wesley Chapel location will be accepted in late fall. Interested applicants are encouraged to email jobs@westlakehardware.com with “Westlake Ace Hardware – Charlotte, N.C.” or “Westlake Ace Hardware – Wesley Chapel” in the subject line.