Check out the latest from the Campus

Check out this video for the latest research happening at the NC State Plants for Human Health Institute at the North Carolina Research Campus. 

Sign up for DNC vendor information

While there is sure to be additional information to come, currently there is a webpage for the September 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte where businesses can enter their information and submit initial interest to be a vendor or contractor for the event. The DNC Committee will make the choices regarding vendors and contractors. They would like to make sure that businesses of various sizes owned by minorities, women and persons with disabilities are offered the opportunity to compete for contracts.

That webpage looks a little too general to me to be of much use immediately. I expect that there will be a more refined process of vendor communication as the time gets closer. However, it doesn’t hurt to enter your business information if you have a service or product that relates to the convention activities.

For information regarding the Charlotte Host Committee, go to http://charlottein2012.com or view their Facebook page.

2011 Appetite for Life Academy

The 2011 Appetite for Life Academy lecture series starts tomorrow night! Each week, hear from distinguished researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute about topics related to nutrition and your health. Read below to learn more.

Join the UNC-Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) for the popular Appetite for Life Academy seminar series, Frontiers in Nutrition, beginning on February 22, 2011. The 2011 series will last for four weeks and take place on Tuesday evenings, from 7 – 8:30 pm, in the meeting room of the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.
February 22, 2011
	Mihai Niculescu, MD, PhD   Eating for two – the healthy way: the science of epigenetics. Does a mother’s weight during pregnancy directly impact her baby’s growing brain? Could obesity of a pregnant woman lead to developmental delays for the child? In his presentation, Dr. Niculescu will discuss how high-fat diets can alter the gene expression of a child – during pregnancy and throughout life. Mihai Niculescu, MD, PhD is an expert in the new science of epigenetics, helping to discover how diet sets the “switches” that control gene expression. In particular, Dr. Niculescu studies how maternal obesity influences children’s health in the long term.
March 1, 2011
	Martin Kohlmeier, MD   Eating just right: Principles and practice of personalized nutrition Ever wonder how to safely navigate all the food choices, diet myths, and product labels? Do you think “they” will ever learn how to recommend the best diet for you, personally? In his seminar, Dr. Kohlmeier will share his progress toward exactly this type of personalized diet recommendation. Come hear how he plans to help your doctor (and ultimately you) tailor a diet plan that is healthiest for you individually. Martin Kohlmeier, MD, PhD is an internationally-renowned researcher, an accomplished author, and one of the world’s leaders in the use of technology for nutritional education. Dr. Kohlmeier’s passion, supported by over 30 years of experience, is to help the public benefit from recent advancements in genetics and nutrition.
March 8, 2011
	Liza Makowski, PhD   Obesity and Inflammation in Diabetes. It is common knowledge that obesity is directly linked to type 2 diabetes, and that both are rapidly increasing in the United States. But what do we really know about obesity and diabetes? More importantly, what can we do to avoid these diseases? Join Dr. Liza Makowski as she explains how immune cells and metabolism are critical factors in obesity and diabetes. Her presentation will cover her current, ongoing research project: a high-fat diet fed to rats, which actually uses junk food that people eat including chips, cookies, and pepperoni. Dr. Makowski is a leader in the study of metabolism and inflammation of white blood cells and the relation to obesity and cancer. She directs research of diabetes using cell cultures, biochemical assays, preclinical models, and genomic/metabolomic profiling. Through this research, she hopes to manipulate metabolism to improve the immune and metabolic status of obese individuals.
March 15, 2011
	Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, PhD   How the Cookie Crumbles: Latest Update on Childhood Diabetes Research How common is childhood diabetes? How can nutrition improve the health of children with diabetes? Dr. Mayer-Davis will present information from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study, the largest study of childhood diabetes ever conducted in the United States. She will describe how well children with diabetes eat, how nutrition can help, and how their diet may be related to future risk for heart disease. Dr. Mayer-Davis, an expert in childhood diabetes, is Chairperson of the national study, SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth. She also serves as the Vice President for Health Care and Education of the American Diabetes Association. Primarily, Dr. Mayer-Davis researches how nutrition can impact the risk for development of diabetes and is dedicated to determining nutritional factors that my facilitate improvement in diabetes self-management.

The NRI’s Appetite for Life Academy presents a variety of community programs that bring the latest scientific research down to earth in educational, interactive events. Meet leading experts as they present their research in engaging and energized sessions designed to help people eat better and live longer, healthier lives.

• Frontiers in Nutrition is free and open to the public.
• Seating is limited and registration is required.
• 2011 sessions are held on Tuesdays, from February 22 to March 15 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm in the Meeting Room of the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building, 201 North Main Street, Kannapolis, NC 28081.
• Attend all sessions to receive your Appetite for Life Academy Diploma!

Register online at http://www.uncnri.org/appetite_form.asp.

For more information contact:
Community Outreach Office
UNC Nutrition Research Institute
Phone: 704-250-5034
Fax: 704-250-5001
Email: beverly_jordan@unc.edu

Dale Earnhardt Anniversary

Today is the 10th anniversary of legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt’s death. His No. 3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo hit a wall in the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. Dale Earnhardt Plaza on S. Main St. stands as a tribute to Earnhardt – Kannapolis was his hometown. Today, dozens of people will likely visit the plaza to pay their respects.

For those who are interested, you can still buy a brick in the plaza with a special message from you or in honor of a family or friend. To order, fill out and return this form. Click on the links below to learn more the local tributes to Dale:

• Information about the plaza and the statue
• The Dale Trail
• Dale Earnhardt Inc.
• NASCAR Hall of Fame
• Other things named after Dale: Kannapolis Intimidators and the Intimidator ride at Carowinds

Center City Master Plan Public Meetings Scheduled

The City has released a draft version of its Center City Master Plan. The purpose of the plan is to stimulate discussion about what we as a community would like to see for the future of downtown Kannapolis, and to provide recommendations for getting there. The plan includes recommendations to promote the redevelopment and revitalization of the “Center City” area, covering issues such as:

• Transportation – connectivity, pedestrian and bike safety, rail transportation
• Community enhancement – gateways, streetscape improvements, greenspace
• Land use and development – zoning, design regulations, development standards
• Economic development – civic uses, marketing, tourism

Your input on the plan is needed! We’d like to hear your thoughts about the proposed recommendations and any additional ideas that you have. The City is holding a public input session next Thursday, February 24 from 4:00 to 8:00pm at the Train Station. It will be an informal drop-in session where you can speak directly with Planning staff and learn more about what is in the plan.

Once staff gathers feedback, the next part of the process will be to hold a public hearing on April 6 during the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting before taking the plan to City Council for a public hearing and approval on April 25.

To read the plan or for more information visit www.cityofkannapolis.com and click on the homepage article.

New Distribution Center in the Works

At last night’s Council meeting, the City approved the award of an economic development incentive for SP Richards Company to locate a distribution center on Glen Afton Blvd behind the Afton Ridge shopping center. The company is based in Atlanta and sells business products like office furniture, computer supplies, and business equipment.

It plans to invest $11.8 million in property and equipment for a 200,000 square foot facility. The company expects to create 66 full-time equivalent jobs paying an average of $18.75 per hour for clerical, warehouse, and drivers, and an average of $87,000 per year for sales and supervisor positions. Read here for more information.

The company has not finalized its decision on a location, and Cabarrus County will consider an economic development grant to the company at its February 21 meeting.

The City’s economic development grant program is similar to that of other local governments. It provides a rebate of 85% of the property taxes paid on new investment for the first three years of operation. That means that the company still pays 15% of its property taxes, then after 3 years, pays its full property tax bill. The grant is based on the assessed value of the actual investment, not the proposed, which helps to protect the City.

This is an exciting project for the City because it represents new jobs with good pay, additional tax revenue for the City, and hopefully it will be the catalyst for additional distribution or warehouse facilities along the Kannapolis Parkway corridor.

Five Ventures Business Competition Open to Participants

The 10th annual Five Ventures business plan competition is now open to participants. The competition is organized by UNC Charlotte and their Office of Technology Transfer, the Charlotte Research Institute, and the Ben Craig Center. The purpose of the competition is to encourage and reward innovation and stimulate entrepreneurial activity.

The finalists will be coached by a mentor team comprised of leading entrepreneurs and business leaders. Winners are awarded cash prizes and more importantly, in-kind services and expertise to help early stage companies grow to the next level.

The process begins with workshops that help to hone business plans, and ends with presentations from the finalists on April 14. All competitors must submit their executive summary by March 1 to participate. The entry fee is $75 for the For Profit and Social Enterprise Ventures category. Go to the Five Ventures website for more information about the competition process. It would be great to have a Kannapolis entrepreneur in the competition!

For those who would like to see what the competition is all about and hear about exciting new companies, you can attend the Five Ventures event on April 14 at UNC Charlotte, 4-8pm.

Strawberries for the Apple of Your Eye

Did you ever wonder where Valentine’s Day got its start? It is actually based in both Christian and Roman traditions. The Catholic Church recognizes three Saint Valentines (or Valentinus) who were all martyred. Legend has it that one of these Valentines sent a letter from his prison cell to a young maiden that he had fallen in love with and signed it “From your Valentine” before being executed. This handwritten expression of one’s affection has become so popular that Valentine greetings are the second largest card-sending holiday of the year with one billion cards exchanged.

And what about sweets to the sweet? This week around 60 million pounds of chocolate will be purchased which means more than $345 million will be spent on this dark confectionary.   

Strawberries are also closely associated with Valentine’s Day and are definitely a healthier and more nutritious selection for your cherished one. Packed with Vitamin C, strawberries are a source of fiber, manganese, omega 3 fatty acids and potassium, to list a few of its attributes.

How about surprising the apple of your eye with a healthy muffin recipe that uses puréed strawberries versus oil and cuts the sugar by using honey? A Strawberry Blonde Muffin does just that. The recipe was created by Emily Towner, a Johnson & Wales University student in Charlotte as part of the NC Strawberry Project that North Carolina State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) is involved with here on the Research Campus. This partnership between JWU and PHHI aims to breed a better strawberry by bringing together the agricultural and culinary industries.

Strawberry Blonde Muffin

Ingredients

• 1¼ – 1½ cups fresh strawberries (divided)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Using a food processor or blender, purée enough strawberries to make 1/4 cup (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup cut strawberries). Chop remaining strawberries (enough for 1 cup).
3. In a small bowl, combine strawberry purée, milk, egg, honey and vanilla; lightly beat. In a large bowl, sift salt, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Lightly toss the remaining cup of chopped strawberries in the flour mixture. Pour the milk mixture into the dry mixture, stir until just moistened.
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18 to 23 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean). Let muffins cool for 5 to 10 minutes in pan. Yields 10 muffins.

North Carolina State University has its NC Cooperative Extension outreach program called Market Ready that provides great information to the grower and consumer. Visit them on the web to find great seasonal recipes by The Produce Lady along with other interesting agricultural news.

Modern Film Fest at the Davis Theatre

The availability of independent films for movie buffs has expanded in the area to include the Modern Film Fest at the Davis Theatre. This is a joint effort of the Modern Film Fest and Cabarrus Arts Council. This Friday, February 11, there will be a FREE screening of The Red Machine at 9pm after the Art Walk in downtown Concord. Below is more information about the movie. While you’re at it, pencil in the dates for the 3rd annual Modern Film Fest this fall, September 30 to October 3 at the Gem Theatre.

The film tells the story of a charming and irrepressible young thief who is forced to help an icy and mysterious United States Navy spy steal a brand new device that the Japanese military is using to encode its top-secret messages. During the mission, which is complicated by the spy’s dark past in Tokyo, the two discover that they are pawns in a larger game. Together, they devise an intricate but risky scheme to outwit the people trying to use them. The film answers the question: How do you steal a thing without really stealing it?

The Red Machine has been praised by critics, including Roger Ebert, and honored with several major film festival awards.

“Here’s a film with an elegant simplicity,” Ebert, who gave it “two thumbs up,” wrote. “It may remind you of a 1940s B crime movie, and I mean that as a compliment.”

The Film Geeks’ Chris Reed proclaimed it a “fantastic crime caper and one of my favorite films of the year.”

The film will be shown after Art Walk, which will feature visual art by almost 100 artists, entertainment and refreshments at 14 locations in downtown Concord, 6-9 PM.

For more information call 704-920-ARTS (2787) or visit www.CabarrusArtsCouncil.org or www.redmachinethemovie.com.

Congratulations to the KFD

Big news this week. The Kannapolis Fire Department landed yet another grant from FEMA.  The $368,820 grant from FEMA will  replace the department’s existing records management system as well as install mobile data terminals in all apparatus and vehicles. The City will match $40,980, bringing the total investment in new equipment and software to $409,800.

The new records management software will better integrate with the software used by the Kannapolis Police Department. The mobile data terminals also help enhance communication between fire apparatus, police vehicles and the 911-dispatch center.

What does this mean for you? Improved firefighter knowledge in the field, better response times, and more emphasis on strategy versus communication. To read the press release, click here.