City Mourns Loss of Firefighter

Yesterday, friends, family, and fellow workers paid respects at a memorial service for David Carpenter, fire engineer for the City of Kannapolis. He died unexpectedly last Wednesday.

David began employment with the City of Kannapolis as a Fire Fighter on March 9, 2005. He was promoted to the position of Fire Engineer on December 13, 2006. He was an extremely well liked and respected member of the Kannapolis Fire Department family. Many remember how excited he was to be joining the department in 2005 and how nice and conscientious he was.

David’s son, Joshua, and his family are in our thoughts and prayers. Our prayers and deepest sympathy also go out to our Kannapolis Fire Department family, David’s co-workers, as they also grieve and mourn the lost of their friend, brother in fire service and co-worker.

Exciting Research Taking Place in Kannapolis

The University of North Carolina’s Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis is developing the field of  “individualized nutrition” which means that the scientific community has recognized that each person’s metabolism and nutritional requirements differ and effects our individual response to disease and treatment. It is exciting to think that we will one day be treated for an ailment based upon our own personal genetic make-up and not receive the same treatment as our friends and neighbors with the same condition.

The UNC NRI publishes SoundBites, a semi-annual newsletter that has detailed information about their research. To subscribe to the newsletter, click here.

In this edition you can read about:

• NRI Director, Dr. Steven Ziesel, winning an environmental health award for his seminar on how environmental chemicals impact our health and how choline may help lessen their effects. (Did you know there are 80,000 chemicals in our world that we come into contact with on a daily basis that are unregulated by the EPA? Click here to go to CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s report: Toxic America.)
• Dr. Carol Cheatham’s ongoing children’s studies on brain health
• Metabolic chamber research which concluded that 45-minutes of vigorous exercise increases our metabolic rate for 19 hours
• How choline metabolism affects sperm count
• The impact of a high fat diet during pregnancy

and much more. The institute plans another series of classes or the return of their Appetite for Life Academy for February in the NCRC Core Lab on Tuesday nights at 7 pm.

 

New Census Numbers Just Out

The Census Bureau just released some population counts from the 2010 Census. North Carolina’s population grew 18.5% over the last 10 years, the fastest growth in the Southeast, to 9.5 million people. The state added 1.5 million people, the fifth-most in the country. The total U.S. population now stands at more than 308 million, 10% growth since 2010.

What does this mean so far for N.C.? We just missed gaining a congressional seat (more representation in U.S. House) by about 15,000 people. Instead, Minnesota beat us out and gained a seat. Despite our efforts to get people to fill out the Census form and send it back, I’m sure that many were probably not counted due to homelessness, transience, or fear of government – perhaps at least 15,000 people across the state! Hopefully our increase population numbers will help us get a larger share of federal funds available for housing, social services, transportation, etc.

Over the next 18 months, the Census Bureau will continue to release more detailed statistics – down to the county and city levels with numbers about race, sex, age, and housing. Data geeks will be in heaven to finally have updated numbers to use.  We’ll be able to learn the profile of Kannapolis and the region. What kind of growth have we experienced? Have our proportions of minorities changed? Is our population aging or getting younger? Has the average family size changed?

Stay tuned as more data get released. Here is a cool interactive map showing population change on the Census website that you can play with.

End of Year Donations

The end of the year is the time many people are thinking about donations and other contributions to non-profits due to the holidays and last-minute tax planning. There are many organizations in the area that provide essential services to our less fortunate neighbors and are in great need of our contributions. As you are planning for the end of the year, here is some information about local organizations that can help you make your decisions:

• Charlotte Observer’s Giving Guide allows you to do a search of organizations by county.
• A 2009 issue of the Kannapolis Magazine included an article on non-profit organizations in the Kannapolis area.
• One of my favorites is using DonorsChoose.org to help fund projects for local classrooms. You can select the location or school district and see the teachers’ requests, many of which are for high poverty students, and sometimes the donation is matched by a bigger funder.

I’m sure there are other sources you can use to determine your charitable giving. Whether it is time, materials, or money, whatever we can do to help our local non-profits serve those in need will be much appreciated.

Kannapolis History Books Have Arrived!

The 500 copies we ordered are here just in time to go under your Christmas tree! Visit the Customer Service Center to pick up your copies. Read my previous blog about the book sale for more information.

Fairview Flex Development Underway

On Thursday, I attended the groundbreaking for Fairview Flex, an infill office/warehouse development on Fairview St.  and Cannon Blvd. behind the Aldi’s. The project is being developed by Kannapolis Construction Company, a family-owned business that has built projects in the Kannapolis and Concord area since 1948.

The first phase of the development will include four spaces totaling 4,200 square feet, that can be built to suit offices, retail space, medical offices, and small warehousing operations. The most exciting aspects of the projects are its “green”, environmentally sensitive features:

• Re-use of siding and other materials from the warehouses that were formerly on the site.
• A vegetative rooftop watered by rain collected from a cistern.
• Solar panels on the awnings to produce electricity.
• Natural day lighting to reduce electricity needs for lighting.

Other projects that Kannapolis Construction Company has been involved with include the N.C. Music Hall of Fame in downtown Kannapolis, Whitley Funeral Home, and Dr. Sanchez Family Dentistry.

Citizens Academy Taking Applications

Would you be interested to know how your City taxes are spent? Would you like to meet the department heads that work for you? Have you ever wondered about maintenance of sewer or water lines, or city streets? Then the Citizens Academy is for YOU!

The Academy will begin February 8 and last until March 29 and is free to Kannapolis residents. There will be  weekly classes on Tuesday evenings, from 6 to 8 pm, that include your evening meal. Classes are located in City Hall’s Conference Room A at 246 Oak Avenue unless otherwise indicated. Class sizes are limited to 15 participants.

Here is the schedule for the Academy classes:

1. February 8 – City Operations Overview
2. February 15 – Police: Kannapolis Police Department
3. February 22 – Economic Development
4. March 1 – Finance
5. March 8 – Planning and Zoning
6. March 15 – Fire: Station 1
7. March 22 – Public Works: Water Treatment Plant
8. March 29 – Parks and Recreation: Village Park

Citizens will also be expected to attend at least one City Council meeting while the Academy is in session.

The deadline to apply for the Academy is January 10. Applications can be  found here to download. For more information contact Renee Goodnight, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 704-920-4311 or rgoodnight@cityofkannapolis.com.

Fox Network Filming Pilot in Charlotte Region

 

Casting call for extras this Friday

Although people can’t tune into “Homeland” yet, they will. And when they do, the locations will look familiar to Charlotte-area television viewers.

20^thCentury Fox Television is in town doing pre-production work for the Showtime pilot and will begin shooting the psychological thriller in the Charlotte region after the first of the year.

If the pilot is a hit – and with the track record of those associated with the project, it will be – it would be picked up as a series, with the possibility that it would continue to shoot in the Charlotte region. Howard Gordon, former“24” and “The X-Files” executive producer and writer, is producing and co-writing “Homeland.” “Dexter” director Michael Cuesta is directing. In addition to Gordon, Alex Gansa, who also wrote for and produced “24” and “The X-Files,” and Gideon Raff wrote the script. Raff, who also is “Homeland”’s creator, based the show on his Israeli TV series “Prisoners of War.” Emmy Award-winner and Golden Globe-nominee Claire Danes has the female lead.

“We are thrilled to host a production with such heavy-hitters with proven track records behind it,” said Beth Petty, director of the Charlotte Regional Film Commission, who worked with those associated with the production to bring it to the Charlotte region. “Our combination of locations, crew and support services all were key factors in the decision to film here.”

“Homeland” follows U.S. Marine Sergeant Scott Brody, who 10 years earlier disappeared in Iraq, then resurfaced and has recently recovered from injuries suffered during a drone strike. Carrie Anderson (Danes), an intelligent, driven CIA officer, gets a tip that Body, who is being feted as a returning war hero, actually has switched sides and will direct an imminent attack against the U.S. on American soil. The series has twists as Anderson works to build her case against Brody and learn the truth.

This Friday, Dec. 10, there will be an open casting call for extras at Plaza Fiesta Carolina from 4-7 p.m. and on Tuesday, December 14, 4-7 p.m. at Carolina Mall in Concord. Click here for details on the Charlotte Regional Film Commission’s website.

Studies on Babies and Brain Development

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute is looking for babies to be part of a research study on brain development. Read below to find out more.

Dr. Carol Cheatham’s Laboratory is Seeking Participants for Research Studies
Help us learn more about brain development in infants and toddlers!  Dr. Carol Cheatham and her research team are looking for 3-, 6- and 16-month-old infants to participate in the following research studies:

Breastfed 3-4-month-old infants

We are currently enrolling children between 3 and 4 months of age who are exclusively breastfed (no more than one bottle of formula per day) and were born full term.  DHA is a fatty acid that is thought to improve vision and brain development.  Breast milk contains these and other fatty acids.  It is important to learn how individual requirements for these fats may vary.  Some women may need to be sure their diets include fish and other foods high in fatty acids to increase the amount in their breast milk for their child’s benefit.

Participants in this study will provide saliva samples that will be used to determine how their body uses fatty acids.  A breast milk sample will be analyzed for fatty acid levels.   Some participants will be invited back to our lab for another session at 6 months of age to explore how the gene that controls use of fatty acids is related to memory abilities.  The Cheatham Lab has a system that reads the electrical activity given off when we think.  Babies will sit on their parent’s lap as they view fun, child-friendly pictures on a computer screen while a soft, spongy net of sensors measures their brain activity.  Families will be paid for their time.

Formula fed 6-month-old babies

We are enrolling formula-fed children who are within a few days of their 6 month birthday and were born full term in a research study of DHA.  DHA is a fatty acid that is thought to improve vision and brain development.  It is important to learn how individual requirements for these fats may vary.  Some pregnant women may need to be sure their diet includes fish and other foods high in fatty acids to support the development of their babies, whereas others may get the same benefit from plant sources of fatty acids. Participants in this study will provide saliva samples that will be used to explore how their body uses fatty acids and how those nutrients are related to memory.   The Cheatham Lab has a system that reads the electrical activity given off when we think.  Babies will sit with on their parent’s lap as they view fun, child-friendly pictures on a computer screen while a soft, spongy net of sensors records their brain activity.  Families will be paid for their time and babies will receive a small toy.

16-month-old toddlers

We are enrolling English speaking toddlers who are within a week of their 16 month birthday and were born full term.  DHA is a fatty acids that is thought to improve vision and brain development.  The human body can make its own DHA from another fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, that is found in flax and other plants.  Drs. Cheatham and Niculescu are interested in how well the human body can convert the fatty acids in flaxseed oil to DHA.

Participants in this study will come to the NRI for 4 visits that last about an hour.  The visits will be at 16 months of age, a week later, 20 months of age, and a week later. Between the first and third visits, children are given 2 plant-based oil capsules each day to mix with their food.  At the visits, they will be shown how to put together simple toys and then tested at different time intervals to see how well they remember how to assemble the toys.  To see how easy it is for them to make their own DHA, mother and child provide blood samples through a simple heel (child) or finger (mother) stick.   The child’s blood is also tested for DHA levels.  At each of the 4 visits, parents will be asked to recall what the child ate on the day prior to the visit. Families will be paid $20 a visit for a total of $80 and children receive a small toy at the end of the research study.

To learn more about these studies happening in the Cheatham lab, call Julie at 704-250-5018, email feedingbrains@yahoo.com or visit our website at www.cheathamlab.com.

To hear about other opportunities to participate in research at the NRI or join the NRI mailing list, sign up online at www.uncnri.org/moreinfo_form.asp.

Don’t Miss “A Kannapolis Christmas” on Saturday

At 2:00pm the magic begins at Village Park, located along A and C Streets and North Loop Road.  You will find rides, games, 24 craft vendors, 21 holiday displays, 14 food vendors, and 15 separate acts performing on the amphitheatre stage.

• The annual Christmas Tree Lighting Program begins at 6:00pm featuring the A.L. Brown High School Marching Band and Choir.
• Fireworks will begin around 7:00 pm.
• At 4:00pm Santa begins receiving guests at his house until 9:30pm.
• This year we are excited to introduce the newest Christmas display, the singing bears. They will perform the top of every hour beginning at 6:00pm. Other activities for the kids include a craft area under a tent on the lawn.
• In the park’s main building you will find the Mad Scientist with shows at 3:00pm and 5:00pm.  Also inside you can view the gingerbread house contest displays.

And don’t forget about the Winter Wonderland Express train rides for $2.00. The Ferris wheel, spinner, bounce house, giant slide, etc, are $0.50 each.

Parking won’t be a problem with shuttles running from downtown lots and the N.C. Research Campus lots from 1:30pm to 10:00pm.

The park closes at 9:30pm when the festivities end for the evening. The event is cash only.

Wanna come back for more Christmas fun? The Winter Wonderland Express and Celebration of Lights runs through December 31st from 6:00pm to 9:30pm, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

For more information about Saturday and other Christmas events planned at Village Park visit A Kannapolis Christmas.