The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • K1

Sunday, August 3, 2008 SECTION Neighbors CABARRUS A A I A I I A A A A I I A charlotteobserver.com/cabarrus IN THE COMES TO CABARRUS Mixed martial arts debut locally, complete with chain-link fencing, card girls and blood. Page 9K GREAT WAGON ROAD Hear about the route that brought German settlers to Cabarrus. Page 10K NIGHT AT THE RACES Young and old race to win in Summer Shootout Series. Page 16K By Gail Smith-Arrants This year has produced a near-rec- ord crop of Cabarrus County school board candidates. When filing closed at noon Friday, 17 people had signed up to run for five open seats in the nonpartisan race.

The field includes three incum- bents and 14 people who have never served in a local elected office. The number is second only to 1993, when 19 people ran for one school board seat in a special off-year elec- tion, recalled former board member Gary Hahn, who won that seat. After an additional board member resigned later that year, the school board appointed the runner-up to the second vacancy. Grace Mynatt, now a county commissioner, won the seat. Linda Grist, the county elections director since 1992, said this to- tal tops the field of 15 people who ran for school board in 1994.

That year, four seats were open. This year, think the interest is be- cause there are four (full-term) seats and a two-year term to Grist said. lots of people to choose In the November election, the top four vote-getters will win four-year terms. The one with the fifth-most votes will finish the two years left in the unexpired term of former board member Liz Poole. Poole resigned so she could teach at Concord High School.

Incumbents Cindy Fertenbaugh, Holly Blackwelder and Wayne Wil- liams are running for re-election. Board member Lynn Shue decided not to run again because he wanted to spend more time with his family, and because of his health. the three incumbents win, and with two new people elected, it surprise me that a lot of peo- ple are Poole said. it takes is five bucks (to file). not very prohibitive of anybo- dy to file for school 17 compete for school board SEE SCHOOL, 9K Five open seats attract a crowd of candidates, including 14 who have never held local elected By Karen Sullivan The North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue is having its best year more dog rescues, adult dog adoptions and volunteer support than ever.

Its best year could also be its last. The rescue, which moved from Charlotte to Harris- burg in 2004, has lost its major source of funding, which contributed about $2,000 monthly. afford the said the founder, Beth Phillips. property will be going up for sale this Phillips has never earned a salary at the rescue. a labor of compassion, staffed mostly by volunteers.

She started the rescue in 1998 at her 3-acre property near Freedom Drive. She took in abandoned animals and arranged adoptions. Phillips was leaving her driveway one afternoon and spotted a dog wandering in traffic on a busy thorough- fare. Another motorist stopped, too. Phillips and the other driver, Terry Fillow, developed a friendship because of the mixed-breed chow.

Fillow and her husband, Steve, have been major contributors PHOTOS BY DAVID T. FOSTER III North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue owner Terry Fillow rubs the belly of Annie, one of the dogs at the rescue she founded on land purchased with co-owner Beth Phillips using their own money. Because of the tightening economy, the shelter will be closing by February 2009. Animal best year may be its last year Newly acquired puppies peek through the fencing at the North Mecklenburg Animal Rescue on Thursday. North Mecklenburg has lost its major source of funding and afford its property.

SEE RESCUE, 3K JONATHAN YOUNG Josh Tucker takes the inside track around the first turn in Concord at the Cabarrus Creamery Classic cycling race Wednesday. The race was part of the of eighth annual Giordana Crossroads Classic, which ends today in Winston-Salem. TAKING THE INSIDE TRACK IN CONCORD VIEW THE RACE See a video of the cyclists on www.charlotteobserver.com By Gail Smith-Arrants Michelle Zakraysek recently saw something that looked like solar pan- els floating in Lake Howell. She asked us, going on The floaters, near the N.C. 73 side of the lake, prompted calls to the Cabar- rus County Office and other agencies, said Ray Furr, water opera- tions manager for the Water and Sew- er Authority of Cabarrus County.

Zakraysek was right when she thought the objects looked like solar panels. just what they are. Six solar units are in various loca- tions on the lake, each one powering a turbine that pulls water up from the bottom of the lake through a hose. The water is then mixed with air, which improves water quality. part of a $135,000 yearlong pilot study on monitoring and improving water quality, a partnership between the authority and UNC Charlotte.

The study started in June and will continue at least until next summer, Furr said. In the meantime, those calls may continue to come in. called and said one night they were certain a plane had crashed out Furr said. Gail Smith-Arrants: 704-786-2185 Floating solar units help water Callers wonder what those things are in Lake Howell. You wonder whether it can possibly be the same source of magic.

If you revisit a place of memory, a place bound to perfection and tran- scendence, you bound to be disappointed? It was the first time in a long while that my family had for ourselves, and we had only 2 days to spend fully with one another, without distrac- tions or obligations. We decided to head for the Blue Ridge Mountains. Before anything else, we would go and find the water- fall. discovered it the first time we went to the Blue Ridge. The fall is on private land, and we found out about its existence only after an accidental conversation with a local woman.

drive told us, you can walk down and see Our son was just a boy then, and the SEE THIEDE, 4K Can special site retain its magic? ON COMMON GROUND BARBARA THIEDE BENEFIT CONCERT WAM JAM coming Oct. 18 Tickets are on sale for the Wom- Auxiliary of second annual fundraising con- cert. The event will be Oct. 18 at Field- crest Cannon Stadium, 2888 Moose Road, Kannapolis. It will feature classic rockers Rick Springfield, Eddie Money, Lou Gramm and John Waite.

Tickets are $55 for general ad- mission (stadium seats) and $65 for floor seating (on the infield). Proceeds will benefit WAM, a Concord-based NASCAR charity. For more details, call 704-788-9299 or visit www.wa- minc.org. For tickets, call 704-932-3267or visit www.intimi- datorsbaseball.com. COUNTY FAIR Free $10 gas card Organizers of the Cabarrus County Fair have announced that the first 250 people who enter the gates will get a $10 gas card.

Gates will open at 4 p.m. Sept. 5 and the fair will run through Sept. 13 at the Cabarrus Arena Events Center, 4751 N.C. 49 Concord.

There also will be weekly draw- ings for those who make a pledge to display a 2008 Cabarrus County Fair Magnet on their car through Sept. 13. There is no limit to winning and name will be in the drawing throughout the promotion. Prizes include general admission tickets (as well as tickets for children and seniors), ride wrist- bands and tickets, T-shirts, hats, CDs, food coupons and items donated by vendors and spon- sors. To register for the weekly draw- ing, e-mail your name, address and phone number to cabarruscounty.us and a magnet will be sent to you.

For a complete schedule of fair events and attractions, call 704-786-7221 or www.cabarrus countyfair.com. SCRAPBOOK Send us snapshots looking for your memora- ble photos of summer vacations, scenes and activities, celebra- tions and other pursuits for our Scrapbook. how to send your photos: E-mail them to lotteobserver.com. Please send photos as large JPEG files. We accept photos with alterations or effects.

Corrections such as red-eye removal are OK. Include the in the picture, what it is, where it was taken, when, who took it. We print all photos, but try our best. Details: 704-786-2185. CONTACT US To let us know about news, events and story ideas, or to comment on this section, e-mail charlotteobserver.com.

You can reach editor Scott Verner at 704-786-2185. Rev It Up.