Kernersville News July 17, 2014

June
Atkinson,
the state
superintendent of
public instruction,
visited a local
elementary school on
Wednesday looking at
summer programs.
See story below.
The heartbeat of
Kernersville for 76 years
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Vol. 76 No. 83
Published Tues., Thurs., Sat.-Sun.
Sound wall is
going up
Deere-Hitachi is building a wall to alleviate noise
Mountain Street and ManorDepending on where a resiwood Drive to help alleviate the dent lives on the street, the height
on-going noise concerns present- of the wall is anywhere from sixConstruction has begun on ed by area residents earlier this feet to 12-feet tall. Those who live
the new sound wall between the year.
There is only one problem.
Deere-Hitachi plant on West
See “Sound wall” Page 2
By Linda Payne
Govenmental Affairs Reporter
‘Model school’
State Superintendent visits Kernersville
Elementary School
By Linda Payne
Govenmental Affairs Reporter
State Superintendent of Public Instructions June Atkinson
described Kernersville Elementary School (KES) as a “model
school” on Wednesday while
touring the various summer
school programs taking place on
campus.
Atkinson also fell in love with
the school’s atmosphere.
“You can’t help but smile
when you see the passion these
teachers have for education and
the smiles on each of the children’s faces,” Atkinson said. “This
school is a role model when it
comes to keeping students engaged in the learning process,
and I am so glad I could be here
today.”
Atkinson reviewed three different teaching styles being used
See “Model school” Page 8
A Native
American
lesson
Visitors attending the annual Strong Sun Pow Wow at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in
Kernersville over the weekend were treated to authentic Native American traditions such as the
dance above. For more photographs, see today’s Lifestyles section. (Photo by Felicia Katsilis)
Making
music
Although Jennifer and Van Manuel (above) picked up music later in life, the two have become a
popular musical duo, performing at local events throughout Kernersville. (Photo contributed)
Songs in their hearts
Local couple performs together as a
popular musical duo
Just look at Van and Jennifer could sing until I was 38-yearsManuel, a local couple who per- old, even though I was singing
form together as a popular mu- all the time, when I was vacuSome of the best things in sical duo.
See “Musical duo” Page 7
life come to those who wait.
“That man did not know I
By Wendy Freeman Davis
Features & News Editor
ATwolove
of
baskets
friends turn life changing situations
into one positive venture
a way to focus their energies and
at the same time teach others to
create something from the most
For two friends bonded by simple of materials.
Heidi Amash and Marcy Ramadversity, a craft that dates back
thousands of years has become mel have been teaching basket
By Wendy Freeman Davis
Features & News Editor
weaving at the Senior Enrichment
Center (SEC) since early in the
year, but their interest in the art
came from a need to be producSee “Basket weaving” Page 7
Fight against colon cancer
Benefit for Jennifer Lutz to be held Saturday
By Jennifer Owensby Eminger
Lifestyles Editor
When Tara Waite heard her
long time friend Jennifer Lutz
was diagnosed with colon cancer,
she knew she wanted to do something to help her, so she decided
to hold a fundraiser in her hon-
or. The fundraiser will be held rectal cancer is cancer of the last
on Saturday, July 19 at Smokin’ several inches of the colon. ToHarley-Davidson beginning with gether, they’re often referred to as
a Poker Run and multiple other
activities.
See “Benefit” Page 2
According to the Mayo Clinic,
colon cancer is cancer of the large
intestine (colon), the lower part
of your digestive system, while
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Kernersville News, Thursday, July 17, 2014
Page 7
Basket weaving
Continued from Page 1
tive while undergoing life altering
events in each of their lives.
Amash spent her career working in the financial sector, but a
freak accident in 2008 changed
everything.
“I worked in the financial
world for 19 years. I loved my
work and I loved what I did. I had
a phenomenal job,” said Amash.
Amash was working for American Express in Greensboro when
one day after leaving the office she
saw a Canadian goose on her car.
She thought shooing it away was
the best course of action, but in-
Amash and Rammel
teach basket weaving at the
Senior Center in Kernersville.
(Courtesy photos)
stead of jumping away, the goose
stood its ground, spread its wings
and approached Amash in an aggressive manner.
Startled at the goose’s action,
Amash stepped back but lost her
footing. She fell and hit her head,
and was knocked unconscious by
the impact. She suffered a mild
traumatic brain injury that would
leave her unable to work.
As she struggled to relearn
even the simplest of things,
Amash became depressed with
her situation. Her doctor suggested she find a hobby as a way to get
out of the house and to help with
her diminished hand-to-eye coordination.
She tried just about everything.
“I tried pottery, cake decorating, painting but nothing clicked,”
recalled Amash.
Then she found a basket weaving class at Guilford Technical
Community College (GTCC).
“I fell in love immediately,”
said Amash.
Amash said she liked that some
aspects of basket weaving require
lots of thought, while others allow
one to weave mindlessly. It wasn’t
long before Amash had a house
full of baskets.
Rammel’s introduction to basket weaving came at the suggestion of Amash. The two women
had worked together at American
Express, and when Rammel was
diagnosed with breast cancer in
2011, Amash suggested she try
out the basket weaving class she’d
taken. It would get her out of the
house and interacting with people
again.
That’s exactly what Rammel
did and soon she, too, had baskets
all over her house.
The two former co-workers
turned friends decided to begin
marketing their basket creations
at local festivals such as Kernersville’s Spring Folly and the
Marcy Rammel (left) and Heidi Amash (right) have taken their friendship and shared interest
in basket weaving (below) to create Baskets 2 Luv, offering classes to local seniors. (Courtesy
photos)
Honeybee Festival and joined
the Kernersville Arts and Crafts
Guild. They even created a website
and named their venture Baskets
2 Luv.
Coming up with the name
took about a week, said Rammel.
“Baskets 2 Luv, oh boy, that
took about a week. The ‘2’ of
course is because there are two
of us, but the rest was hard. We
thought about ‘Basket Babes,” but
what’s not to love about baskets?”
Last year, Lisa Miller, director
at the SEC, saw some of their baskets at Spring Folly and was interested in their craft.
“She said they had seniors
asking about basket weaving, so
Heidi and I went back and forth,
talking in the fall and then started
the classes in January,” explained
Rammel.
Since beginning the classes at
the SEC, Rammel said they have
about half a dozen regulars who
come to every Wednesday class
when it’s offered. Others have
attended more sporadically, but
the class can accommodate about
12 students per session, added
Amash.
Amash and Rammel started
students out with the basics of
basket weaving, teaching them
how to make a hanging wall basket. All the baskets are made of
reed, with classes becoming more
difficult as students advance.
Newer members are given the
beginning projects to get them
started.
“The more advanced they become, we let them choose. Some
of them are natural crafters,” said
Rammel.
Rammel said learning to make
baskets provided her an outlet
while undergoing treatment for
breast cancer, now in its fourth
stage of advancement. Still, she
wants to keep busy.
“It keeps me busy. I am not
someone who can just sit around,”
said Rammel.
Amash said basket weaving
has had a positive impact on both
their lives.
“It’s really brightened both our
lives,” said Amash. “We can share
what we have learned, but it also
gives your nerves a rest. It helped
me learn that I do have a creative
side, and it is something you can
do with a friend.”
Amash and Rammel offer their
own basket creations for sale on
the Baskets 2 Luv website at www.
baskets2luv.com. They also provide information about the classes
they offer, including those at the
SEC, but also private classes, organization classes and business team
building classes for the business
world.
Amash said her own accident
has taught her empathy for others
in difficult situations.
“I’ve learned that things will
get better. The whole accident has
totally changed my life. I thought
it had ruined it, but it just changed
it,” said Amash.
Both hope to pass what they’ve
learned to others using basket
weaving as a bridge.
Musical duo
Continued from Page 1
uming and cleaning or cooking,”
laughed Jennifer as she talked
about her and her husband’s
journey into music.
Music had always interested
Jennifer, even as a young child.
She begged her mother to let
her take piano lessons, but as the
youngest of five children, that
ship sailed. Her mother figured
the lessons would just be wasted
after having watched four others
try and then abandon similar interests.
“My entire life I wanted to
play an instrument and I begged
my mother to play piano,” recalled Jennifer.
The family did have an old
chord organ, though, and whenever she had a chance, Jennifer
would play using old songbooks;
however, she only played when
no one else was home. When her
mother got rid of the organ, Jennifer protested.
“I asked her what happened to
the chord organ and she said she
got rid of it because no one ever
played it. I told her I played it all
the time,” said Jennifer.
When Jennifer’s daughter began playing the harp, she decided
to pick up an instrument again,
to be able to play along. This
time, she chose the fiddle. When
Van expressed his interest in mu-
sic, Jennifer bought him a guitar
and he began taking lessons. He
even started playing in public.
“Van started playing at church
in the praise band and I would
sing a song,” said Jennifer, with
the emphasis on “a” song. Just
one, no more than that.
Then, the couple began playing together and one thing led
to another. They were asked to
perform at a sweetheart banquet
at the church and when Jennifer
was practicing with the praise
band, she realized that getting
through more than one song required speaking in between each.
“I was nervous, thinking, what
am I going to say in between
songs,” admitted Jennifer.
Jennifer ended up creating a
character she called “Camille.”
Van was “Dwayne” and the
two began performing at other
churches as “Dwayne and Camille.”
“That got us out further from
just our church, and over the
years we’ve made friends who
play music,” said Jennifer. “We
started playing more and more.”
Jennifer also built her song
list. She said just the other day
she decided to make a duplicate
of her songbook, one for the couple’s home in Kernersville and
another for their vacation house
in Beaufort.
“There are 89 songs in there,”
laughed Jennifer.
Seven years ago, Jennifer gave
up the fiddle because she said she
wasn’t good at it. At the urging of
friends, she picked up the guitar,
learning to play rhythm to Van’s
lead.
“Van bought me a guitar, and
with him teaching me to play I
would sit on the front porch for
hours,” remembered Jennifer. It
also got her through what she
called a dark time in her life.
“Feeling the music, singing
the songs, mostly sad, I guess
I was cathartically singing
away the sadness,” said Jennifer. “Then my music got happy,
with songs like ‘I Can See Clearly Now.’”
Jennifer said she loves playing music with her husband,
and they will play just about
anywhere. Van also has a combo
band called Dogs Like This that
also features friends Craig Burris
and Mike Burris.
Today, Jennifer and Van perform throughout Kernersville.
Just last weekend they provided
entertainment at the downtown
Cruise-In. They’ve also performed in their home away from
Husband and wife duo Jennifer and Van Manuel have been performing together for more than
a decade, first at church then out in the community. (Courtesy photo)
home in Beaufort.
laughed Jennifer.
than anything else.
Jennifer related a funny story
For Jennifer and Van, it is
“We just like playing and we
about performing at the farmers about the love of music more have fun together,” she said.
market there.
“Someone suggested we open
our guitar cases for donations.
We got organic chicken, apples,
harvest bread and crafts. It was
the best haul we’ve ever gotten,”
2nd Annual Youth Rally
July 26th • 4pm - until
PHOTO DAY
Mon., July 21
12 pm - 8 -pm
1500 Sitting Fee
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Pets & People, or Just People
Call 993-2668 now for an appointment
The trio Dogs Like This includes Van Manuel, center, Mike
Copley, right, and Craig Burris, left. The group practices in the
Manuel’s basement, which has become a gathering place for
local musicians. (Courtesy photo)
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210 N. Cherry St.
Kernersville, NC 27284
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5990 Salem Chapel Road
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*For More Info or a Ride*
please call one of the contacts listed below
Pastor Wayne Dunn 336-413-1700
Dean Nelson 336-391-0806
Matt Donelson 336-689-5655
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding. -Proverbs 3:5