Fall - Elizabeth Community

Dear neigbors and friends:The good news is that thenewsletter is attracting lots ofattention from advertisers andneighbors who want tocontribute articles. However,that means more work for thenewsletter volunteers who giveso generously of their time.We don't want them to burnout, so please see which ofthese tasks you can help withand contact me as soon aspossible. I'm in the list below.ECA News needs help—Be a liaison with advertisersand help us collect payment.—Help sort and label about2000 newsletters.—Help bag and take thenewsletters to the post office.Any time you could contributeto this community projectwould be greatly appreciated.Important changesInterest in advertising in theECA News has beenoverwhelming, but since thisnewsletter is so tiny, we needto maximize our ad space.Starting with the next issue,we'd like all advertisers to buythe quarter page format.Larger ad sizes are discouraged,but if you feel you couldn't livewithout a half or even (gasp)an entire full page ad, they'llbe available at premium rates.Please see the ECA News ad onpage 15 for complete advertisinginformation. We encourage youto purchase your ads as annualcontracts and will honor themon a first come, first servedbasis.—Babak Emadi, editorfront cover: Hardin Minoras the Easter Bunny,photo by Tony MillerBack cover: tree poet Kevin Keck,photo by Babak EmadiECA BOARD FOR 2003-2004Elizabeth website: http://elizabethcommunity.comname address work tel. e-mail (home or work) committeePeter Tart 1517 E. 8th St., 28204 372-4147 petart@carolina.rr.com • ECA PREZ / Zoning•MembershipTate Ogburn 2510 Vail Ave., 28207 342-5258 togburn@poynerspruill.com •Zoning•RaceJean Galloway 2101 E. 5th St., 28204 377-3936 jgalloway@firsttrustnc.com •TreasurerJim Heller 2228 E. 5th St., 28204 619-1847 jheller1@carolina.rr.com •Sec•Traffic•Race•Block CaptRoxie Towns 1512 E. 8th St., 28204 342-1000 janeroxi@bellsouth.net •Zoning•Beautification•Community DevBabak Emadi 725 Clement Ave., 28204 334-1648 babak@urbana-architecture.com •Corridors•Zoning•Trees•RaceTony Miller 1515 Sunnyside Ave., 28204 377-8500 millerarchitecture@msn.com •Corridors•Zoning•Community DevTodd Williams 2204 East 5th St., 28204 943-9198 williams@mgallis.com •Community Dev ChairLinda Nash 1921 E. 9th St., 28204 342-5293 lnash@poynerspruill.com •Social Co-ChairBrad Miller 1812 E. 8th St.,28204 432-0458 bjmiller@ci.charlotte.nc.us •Zoning•Corridors/Traffic•CrimeKris Solow 2109 E. 5th St., 28204 806-4456 ksolow@carolina.rr.com •BeautificationRuffin Pearce 2121 Greenway Ave., 28204 331-4989 rpearce@wcsr.com •ZoningBritta Crandall 2338 Greenway Ave., 28204 347-4899 brittacrandall@yahoo.com •RaceRachel Eldridge 2423 Vail Ave., A13, 28204 333-1887 racheldridge@hotmail.com •RaceTim Whitmire 1944 E. 9th St., 28204 372-2211 trwhitmire@hotmail.com •Race•BeautificationJoAnn Brown 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 523-2446 JoAnn.Brown@asmnet.com •Business Representative2I dream a lot. I do more painting when I’m not painting. It’s in the subconscious.—Andrew Wyeth

It is difficultto get the news from poemsyet men die miserably every dayfor lackof what is found there.—from "Asphodel,That Greeny Flower" ©1962William Carlos WilliamsMy M.O. is whimsyby Kevin KeckI started posting poems on thetree at 601 Clement in July of2004. The concept originatedfrom an idea I had several yearsago to call everyone in theCharlotte phone book and readthem a sonnet. I had a lot morefree time in those days. It onlytook a few phone calls to realizethe plan wasn’t going to takeflight: in the middle of my sixthcall the man who answered cutme off and said, “If you ever callme again you freaking pervert Iwill find you and kill you.” I wasreciting Byron’s “She walks inbeauty…”Both of these ideas wereextensions of my belief thatpoetry isn’t as relevant to thepublic as it should be. It’s theperfect literary form for asociety where reading is on thedecline due in large part to aneurotic, time obsessed culture.Poems are compact, and someof the very best can be read inunder a minute and still carry awealth of intellectual andemotional stimulation.But it’s tough to get this acrossto most people. It’s terribleenough that a great deal of thepopulation finds little pleasure4THE PEOPLE PAGESin reading, but even those whodo read most likely don’t readpoetry. They find it too difficultor boring. Or they have somehorror story of being forced torecite “Two Roads Diverged in aYellow Wood” in 7th grade, andI understand completely howsuch an event could scar anindividual for a lifetime.There are some folks who liveon 8th Street across from theyoga studio who have placed allthese little frog figurines andstatues in their yard where atree with gnarly roots edgesagainst the sidewalk. It’scompletely odd and I love itbecause it’s difficult to walk bywithout wondering what’s upwith all those frogs. Theexperience transforms themundane into the wonderful. Itwas this type of personal eventin public space that I wanted toaccomplish with poetry.Originally I wanted to copy apoem in chalk down the lengthof Clement Avenue, but such anundertaking would have to beaccomplished at night, and Itend to fall asleep rather early.Plus there was some minormath involved to pull it offproperly, and I’m not good withnumbers.Somehow the idea materializedof posting poems on the tree atthe corner of the yard wherethe driveway meets the sidewalk.The first poem was by PabloNeruda, “Drunk as drunk onturpentine / from your openkisses…”–a sweet love poem forsummer. After I put it on thephoto of Kevin Keck by Babak Emadi, background image: asphodel from www.saltfilms.net/zababdeh/naturepage/january/asphodel.html

tree I fretted that peoplewouldn’t stop to read becausethey might think I was postingreligious texts in an effort tolure them into a cult, and so Itook to drawing a friendly arrowand encouraging words on thesidewalk in front of the tree sopeople might feel moreinclined to investigate.Occasionally, when the whimstrikes, I still place some wordsof encouragement on thesidewalk, but my modusoperandi these days is simply toredraw the arrow whenever Iswitch the poems—usuallyabout once a week. I select thepoems according to theirquality and my mood. Some ofthe poems are by contemporarywriters whom I know, but mostof them tend to be from 20thcentury poets of reputation. If aperson stops and reads the treeonce a week over the course ofa year they will have read atleast 50 poems—good poems,some even great—and that’swell above and beyond theaverage reader in this country.I can see the tree from mywindow, and sometimes I watchto see if passersby will stop forthe tree. If they do stop I neverlinger to watch them read—that would just be weird. It’sweird enough to post a poemon a tree, so I don’t feelinclined to add to the aura ofstrangeness anymore thanI already have.But what interests me are thepeople that don’t stop. Thereare some people who walk pastmy building every day, and Ihave never once seen thempause to read the tree. I’veresisted the urge more thanonce to open my window andinterrogate those peopledemand an explanation fortheir indifference. I want toknow if they treat the 8th St.frogs with the same apathy—but frogs are considerably moreapproachable than poetry, soI grasp their reluctance on acertain level.However, it is still my hope thatsome person passing the treemight be moved to emulationor response, and find himself orherself compelled to post apoem on his or her own tree. Itseems an interesting idea thatpeople in a community mightfind a passive way ofcommunication through art,and that folks might meanderdown the street, from house tohouse, filled with wonder andpossibility.Politicians in our midstby their intrepid PR peopleWe all know our Elizabethneighbors Senator DanClodfelter, CountyCommissioner DumontClark and City CouncilmemberPatsy Kinseyvery well, but here'san update on anotherpolitician neighbor,as well as notes on ourHouse Representative.Elizabeth residentJennifer Roberts hasbeen named chair oftwo Commission Committees:the Natural Resources andCommunity Building Committees.She'll be dealing with issuesconcerning the preservationand protection of the county'snatural resources (includinggeese), as well as helping toincrease the appreciation ofdifferent ethnicities andcultures as valued parts of ourcommunity. CommissionerRoberts can be contacted atmroberts5@carolina.rr.com.Representative Becky Carneyof the 102nd House District ofthe North Carolina GeneralAssembly is serving in the 2005legislative session, where she'lltackle issues such as the state'sbudget shortfall of about $1.2billion, as well as legislation tostop street gangs. RepresentativeCarney was a primary sponsorof the anti-street gang bill.Contact her through Polly Little:plittle@carolina.rr.com.THE PEOPLE PAGES 55

6THE PEOPLE PAGESElizabeth Communityloses long-time residentby Ann SomebodyJohn G. Ball, an Elizabethresident who died on February14 at age 83, had lived in thisneighborhood since 1926.Since 1939 he had lived on 7thStreet in the house besideCooking Uptown. A graduate ofCentral High School, John wasa Navy torpedo bomber pilotduring World War II and a flightinstructor, serving in CorpusChristi, Texas, and in Pensacola,Florida. After the war he workedat Stanley’s Drug Store, whichwas at that time in the spacenow occupied by Starbucks.John resumed delivery of TheCharlotte Observer and fortwenty-five years providedsteadfast and personableservice. “My most enduringmemory of John,” said CarlsonWilliard, “was the morning afterHurricane Hugo. We lookedout, and among all the limbsand leaves we saw a light. Werealized it was John’s flashlight.He was delivering the paper, anexample of his total dedication.”Kevin Strawn recalled aninstance that illustrates howwell John knew his customersand how caring he was. Thefirst time Dan Clodfelter ranfor Senate, there was a run-off.John had sized up Kevin wellenough to know that he wouldcare about Dan’s election, andsince Kevin was out of townwhen the results werepublished, John saved thepaper for Kevin.Known for his diligent serviceand interest in others, John wasa true gentleman and also aneccentric who represented therich texture of humanity foundin this neighborhood. He had asharp mind and a good memory.He was quick to recall thetrolleys on 7th Street and theElizabeth community back tothe 1930’s. John was in goodhealth until a few days beforehis death. His Elizabeth friendswill miss him.Progressive dinnerupdateby Maya PackardJust wanted to let you knowthat the progressive dinner isgoing to be April 30 this year.Contact me at 704 334 2196 ormpackard@carolina.rr.com.The race is on!by Emily Shea ZarbatanyThe 19th annual "Big E"Elizabeth road race is almosthere! Sponsored by Carolina'sMedical Center, among others,proceeds go towards treereplanting efforts. The event ison March 12th, so you'd betterhurry if you want to sign up orvolunteer. A contact forvolunteers is Rachel Eldridge:704-378-4291. The eventconsists of an 8K race, a 3Khealth walk and a 1K fun run(free for kids) at the HawthorneRec. Center, IndependencePark. We need your participation:join us in cheering runners onor be a runner yourself. Call meat 704-564-2693 or e-maileshea@dickensmitchener.com.

Sponsors of this year's race: CMC MERCYHAWTHORNE'S NY PIZZA ✺ ADAM'S 7TH STREET MARKETHIGHLAND PARK DEVELOPMENT COMPANYTHE RUTZLER, LLC ✺ COOKING UPTOWN ✺ LA TEA DA'SSHOWMARS RESTAURANT ✺ JACKELOPE JACK'S BAR &RESTAURANT ✺ THE FIG TREE ✺ BIKE SOURCE ✺ 2001CLEANERS ✺ ANDERSON'S RESTAURANT ✺ VISART VIDEODIAMOND SPRINGS ✺ RUN FOR YOUR LIFE ✺ JHGFINANCIAL ✺ EMILY ZARBATANY, REALTOR ✺ POYNER &SPRUILL, LLP ✺ SCHLOTSKY'S DELI ✺ VISULITE THEATRETHE PEOPLE PAGES 7

No, not that kind ofhouse paintingby Cyrus the GreatThe oil painter and landscapeartist, Robert Brown, hasembarked on a new path sincemoving back to Charlotte fromPhiladelphia last June. He’staken up residence in Elizabethand spends sunny days paintingportraits of houses andbuildings in our neighborhood.“Painting architecture isrelatively new to me,” saysBrown. “I’m used to paintingmore pastoral scenes where theemphasis is on getting thesubject down quickly beforethe light changes. It’s still achallenge working withchanging light, but now I havethe additional task of gettingall the perspective lines ofroofs and windows to lookreasonable at the same time.”Why architecture?According to Brown,there are very few pleinair painters who takeon the challenge ofpaintingarchitectureon location.“It’s morethan mostpainters wantto dealwith–mucheasier to take aphoto and paintfrom it in thecomfort of astudio,” says Brown.And why Elizabeth?“Well, that’s easy,” says Brownwith a smile. “It has some ofthe most challenging houses inCharlotte, for a painter, I mean.It’s also an easy neighborhoodto walk in. I hardly ever drive.I got in the habit of walkingand taking public transportationin Philadelphia. In Elizabeth,everything essential is withineasy walking distance. I alsolike putting my paintingbackpack on and traipsingaround until I discoversomething that catches my eye.In a neighborhood likeElizabeth there are manybeautiful scenes.”Brown’s paintings can beviewed at Providence Frames,beside Shain Fine Art onProvidence Road. He’s alsoavailable for commission houseportraits and can be reached at704-905-9765.Charlotte GardenClubs Council Houseby Byron BaldwinAs an observant Elizabethan,you're probably aware of thewhite house with an archedentrance and eye-catchinggarden in the 1800 block ofSeventh Street.Many may have observed thechanges taking place at theCouncil House, also known asthe Betty Little House. Since2002, the interior and exteriorof the house have undergoneextensive renovations. Theexterior of the house isbrighter as a result of recentpainting, while a black fenceand new arch have replacedthe white picket fence whichyou may remember. Inside, theentire downstairs has beenpainted, the kitchen has beentotally updated, and in Januarya central air conditioningsystem was added.For several years the CouncilHouse has participated in theElizabeth Home Tour. But notonly can Elizabeth residents beproud of the house's preservationand it's contribution to theneighborhood, they can alsouse it.The house provides an excellentlocation for a gathering of upto sixty-five people; it has onoccasion been the site chosenfor small weddings, rehearsalparties, receptions, luncheonmeetings and other functions.To find out more about touringthe interior of the house and8THE PEOPLE PAGES

learn the conditions of rentingit, please call the house at 704-375-4373 and leave your nameand telephone number.Someone will return your callpromptly.Be aware of the house, use thehouse, and recommend thehouse. It's a good neighbor.And on April 9th there will be agarage, craft and plant sale atthe Council House, so be sureto mark your calendar!Pura Vida, worldly artby Little ShivaThere's a great story behindthe new shop on CentralAvenue that sells folk art fromaround the world. Owner TeresaHernandez had earned herMBA in marketing and strategicmanagement from UT Austin,then moved to Charlotte in1998 to work for Accenture, thelargest business consulting firmin the world.Her clients included Sprint,American Airlines, Bank ofAmerica, AstraZeneca, UnitedHealth Care and the US PostalService. While on a nine monthsabbatical in 2001 to exploreMexico, the country of herbirth, something clicked.Growing up in Texas, folk artwas everywhere: Teresa becamean avid collector. After movingto Charlotte and not being ableto find local sources for buyingauthentic folk art, she formedthe idea of opening her ownstore. During her travels inMexico, meeting folk artists,often indigenous people whoseskills in a particularart form are passeddown throughgenerations, theidea of opening herown store inCharlotte grewanother step closer to reality.She wanted to help thesepeople continue their richartistic traditions and offerCharlotte something it wassorely lacking.Back at work in 2002, sheformed a business plan for herstore, but realized she'd need tokeep working and save up somemoney. Quitting Accenture andan exhausting 50 week per yeartravel schedule for the stabilityof a job at Bank of America, shecontinued planning and savinguntil the time was right.Through friends, she eventuallymet the man she would marry,Luis Ramirez. The name of thestore, Pura Vida, is a saying inhis native Costa Rica meaning"everything's great". Teresa andLuis married last July, then inAugust she quit her job at Bankof America to concentrate fulltime on all the intricate detailsof making her shopkeepingdream come true. Luis took afew weeks off from his job atThe Vanguard Group to helpget the store ready, and itfinally opened the weekendafter Thanksgiving, 2004.Teresa still does much of thebuying of Mexican folk art, andworks with several fair tradeorganizations to import worksfrom folk artists around theworld: Turkey, India, Peru,Guatemala, Costa Rica andeven the USA. She also carrieswork by several Charlotteartists, and lives her belief thatart unites people acrosscultural boundaries.Pura Vida is at 1521 CentralAvenune near the corner ofThomas. Hours are M-Sat from10:30 until 6. 704 335 8587.THE PEOPLE PAGES 9

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