Charlotte Latin fires back at complaining parents (free version)
Plus: Future of huge, iconic Ballantyne monuments uncertain; Charity spotlight on camp for adults with disabilities; Scarowinds to require chaperones for 17-and-unders; Recycling pick-up delayed
Good morning! Today is Wednesday, September 21, 2022. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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A summary of Tuesday’s court action between Charlotte Latin School and two parents who are suing it over the expulsion of their children — after the dad had run-ins with administrators over what he said were inappropriate political themes in the classroom. The Ledger has been following the issue for months and has shared the parents’ point of view, but on Tuesday, lawyers for Charlotte Latin aired their side of the story. We tell you what went down, what the judge said and what happens next.
News that the four iconic 30-foot monuments at the entrance of Ballantyne might need to be moved. We tell you why, what the possibilities are and what the proposed schedule is.
The latest in our “Charity Spotlight” series, looking at a camp for adults with developmental disabilities called Camp Blue Skies.
Ledger members also received Tuesday’s Ways of Life obituaries newsletter, highlighting the life of Joyce Reimann, who built a one-of-its-kind library: the Mecklenburg County Law & Government Library established in 1991 at the old courthouse at 700 E. Trade St. “She was funny, a little high-strung and anxious,” her daughter told us. “You could call her a worry wart. She was just a 24-7 go-getter with a very kind heart.”
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School’s lawyer says it’s justified in kicking out kids after dad’s ‘demanding and accusatory’ emails; breakdown of ‘positive working relationship’ cited
by Tony Mecia
Lawyers for Charlotte Latin School told a Mecklenburg County judge on Tuesday that that the elite private school was justified in kicking out two students because their dad objected repeatedly to what he believed was inappropriate left-wing political activism in the classroom.
In an hour-long hearing, Charlotte Latin’s lawyers urged Judge Lisa Bell to throw out a lawsuit brought by Doug and Nicole Turpin, who were among a group of parents who raised concerns with administrators and board members that Latin’s embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives was going too far. The suit said that by expelling the Turpin children a year ago, administrators sought to “cancel” the Turpins and make an example out of them, resulting in a “culture of fear” among parents at the south Charlotte school. The Ledger has previously covered the parents’ objections and the filing of the lawsuit.
For the first time this week, though, Charlotte Latin fleshed out its view of the dispute. Lawyer Jim Phillips, of Greensboro law firm Brooks Pierce, told the court that Doug Turpin’s emails were “demanding and accusatory” — and that at a private school like Charlotte Latin, the Turpins “were not entitled to carry on a fight with the board and the administration until those two capitulate.”
“The long and the short of this case is that Charlotte Latin
Related Ledger articles:
“Tensions flare at Charlotte Latin” (Feb. 23)
“Charlotte Latin lawsuit: School asks judge to dismiss case alleging improper expulsion” (Sept. 16)
Iconic Ballantyne monuments endangered by planned road widening
Plans to widen Johnston Road in Ballantyne could require finding a new home for the area’s four 30-foot-tall monuments — which were among the first things built there when the site was developed in the mid-1990s.
The monuments, on the four corners of Johnston Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway, symbolize different themes of the Charlotte region’s history: technology, transportation, finance and the human spirit. They were commissioned by well-known Charlotte developer Johnny Harris, whose family once owned the land now known as Ballantyne, and were designed and built by Yugoslavian artist Boris Tomic over three years.
But now,
Charity Spotlight: Camp offers sessions in the off-season to adults with disabilities
Camp Blue Skies held its first in-person session since Covid back in March. Founder Dick Sesler (pictured in back) welcomes back campers after nearly two years of makeshift camp Zoom calls.
When Dick Sesler was brainstorming a name for what is now called Camp Blue Skies — a camp for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities — he drew inspiration from his idea to rent out vacant summer camps in the off-season. That meant he could go anywhere, and “wherever there are blue skies, we can have a camp.”
Camp Blue Skies offers two five-day, four-night camp sessions every year: one at Camp Harrison in North Carolina in October and one at Camp Twin Lakes in Georgia in March. The camp also hosts weekend camps in South Carolina in November and April.
Sesler was inspired for the camp itself by his son, Brent, who was born with a rare genetic disorder called Williams syndrome. After Brent graduated from a post-secondary school in Alabama, Sesler realized that there weren’t many social opportunities for adults with developmental and intellectual abilities who can’t drive a car.
“When someone with developmental disabilities turns 21, or ages out of our school system, all opportunities for recreation, socialization and continuing life skills just fall off a cliff; they just become unavailable,” Sesler said.
So, Sesler held the first Camp Blue Skies session in the fall of 2010. Brent, who still attends Camp Blue Skies every year, is known as “the mayor” by fellow campers and staff.
Each session typically hosts 60 to 70 campers and 45 volunteers who help run the activities. The staff also includes a team of nurses to attend to any camper’s needs.
Campers spend their days participating in traditional camp activities like scavenger hunts, fishing, arts and crafts and life skills classes. In the evenings, the camp hosts a talent night, a karaoke night, a campfire with s’mores and live bluegrass music, and a highly anticipated dance on the final night.
During Covid, Camp Blue Skies didn’t offer in-person camps but instead hosted Zoom calls to stay in touch with campers and help them feel less isolated in a time of quarantine. Camp Blue Skies had its first in-person session post-pandemic in March 2022.
“The other beneficiary of camp is the caregivers who get a well-deserved week of respite,” Sesler said. “Their caregivers, who are often 24/7 with their camper, look forward to camp, and some even plan their year annual vacation around that week where their camper is with us.”
Campers are asked to contribute roughly $425 for a session, and the rest of Camp Blue Skies is funded by individual and corporate donations, and the camp’s three annual fundraisers, which include paddle ball, fishing and March Madness tournaments.
Sesler was also recently awarded the 2023 AARP Purpose Prize Fellow award, which honors individuals aged 50 and older who work to solve social problems. Sesler will receive a $10,000 cash prize to go toward his work with Camp Blue Skies.
Sesler said this award will give scholarships to 10 campers, increase volunteer recruitment efforts, and, further down the line, expand Camp Blue Skies into other communities across the country. —LB
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s new events board:
Sept. 27: Coffee with the Chamber, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at ECPI University, Charlotte. An hour of informal networking with other Charlotte Area Chamber members and guests. Free event.
Sept. 28: The Charlotte Center presents The Forum featuring Sharon Gaber, Ph.D., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wray Ward, Charlotte. The Forum featuring Sharon Gaber, chancellor of UNC Charlotte, on “The Keys to the City” will explore the characteristics of great cities and what we can do to create a more vital and supportive city for all in Charlotte. We'll consider how place influences human flourishing and specific choices pressing on us in Charlotte today. What should we prioritize? What can each of us do? $10.
Sept. 30: First Annual Cigar Festival, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar, Charlotte. Join us for this three-day event featuring private meals, live music and the biggest names in cigars. Friday (9/30 from 6 to 9 p.m.), Saturday (10/1 from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.), & Sunday (10/2 from 1 to 3 p.m.).
RSVP for up for individual events or all three! $145.Oct. 8: BuildStrong: Festival for Autism presented by Choate Construction from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Symphony Park, Charlotte. Experience a fall afternoon of family fun featuring Noble Smoke BBQ and Suffolk Punch beer plus a corn hole tournament and live music. All special needs and children under 6 enter for free. Benefitting the Autism Strong Foundation. Free to $40.
◼️ Check out the full Ledger events board.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief
ACC moves HQ to Charlotte: The City of Charlotte has been officially chosen for the relocation of the Atlantic Coast Conference headquarters, which has been in Greensboro for the past 70 years. The league plans to relocate during the 2022-23 academic year to the Bank of America Tower at Legacy Union uptown. It has about 50 employees. (ACC)
Chaperones required at Scarowinds: Carowinds says that starting this weekend, park guests 17 or younger attending Halloween-themed Scarowinds events will need to have a chaperone aged 21 or older. Chaperones must show ID and be responsible for no more than four guests. The new rules follow what the park called “unruly behavior” at the event last weekend. (Carowinds)
Final curtain: The Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte is closing after more than three decades of performances. Director Laura Rice said the theater company had been struggling since the pandemic with lagging ticket sales, and when it learned recently that it would need to find a new home in 2023, it was a challenge they couldn’t overcome. It will remain open through its upcoming Season 34 production of “Evil Dead the Musical,” which ends Oct. 30. (WFAE)
Recycling delay: Recycling pickup is delayed this week in some areas of Charlotte due to staffing shortages by the company the city contracts with for recycling service. City officials say if your house is missed, leave the recyclables at the curb and call 311 to report it. Trash and yard waste are being collected on a normal schedule. (City of Charlotte on Twitter)
State student loan tax change unlikely: Republican Senate leader Phil Berger said he opposes the idea of changing state tax law to exempt federal student loan forgiveness. Without the change, people who have student loans forgiven would have to pay state taxes on the value of the forgiveness. Berger said changing the law would be unfair to other taxpayers and that he doubts the federal government has the authority to wipe away student loan debt. (Associated Press)
All aboard the NoDa party train: Aberdeen Carolina & Western, a regional railway company, has parked a historic magenta passenger train on a newly built track in the heart of NoDa, where it will sit through Friday for corporate events, social hours, rehearsal dinners and other private parties. The company’s goal is to leave the train there permanently after it books enough events to justify the cost of operation. (Axios Charlotte)
Bed Bath & Beyond closing at Arboretum: The Bed, Bath & Beyond at the Arboretum shopping center in south Charlotte will be one of the 150 stores the company is closing nationwide following the company’s plans to reduce expenses. A closing date has not been announced yet. (CNBC)
Cotswold apartment rezoning: The Charlotte City Council approved a 260-unit apartment complex in Cotswold with 30,000 s.f. of office space in a 6-5 vote Monday. The complex will be located on Colwick Road behind Publix and Chick-fil-A on Randolph Road. Dozen of residents were opposed to the plan. (WSOC)
New corporate HQ: Industrial manufacturer Columbus McKinnon is relocating its corporate headquarters from Buffalo, N.Y., to Ballantyne, where it will have enough space to accommodate more than 150 workers. (Observer)
Stratifyd raises another $10M: Charlotte AI data analytic startup Stratifyd has added $10 million in fundraising and two executives to its leadership team. Eric Healy will be the new chief executive officer, and Jake Darley will be the chief financial officer. (WRAL TechWire)
Former city manager dies: Former Charlotte City Manager Wendell White passed away Thursday at the age of 90. He was the longest-serving city manager in Charlotte's history and helped lead the city through “a pivotal period of growth, change and modernization.” He served as city manager from 1981 to 1996. (Observer)
CPCC closes fundraising campaign: Central Piedmont Community College announced an end to its five-year fundraising campaign with $66.3 million in donations and pledges. The “Powering a Stronger Future" campaign exceeded its original goal of $40 million, which was the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the college's 59-year history. (WFAE)
WFAE new center for community engagement in uptown: Charlotte NPR station WFAE announced plans to create a community hub in uptown Charlotte to expand its civic and community engagement opportunities. WFAE will relocate a majority of its University City operations to the current Google Fiber headquarters by uptown’s First Ward Park. (WFAE)
Creditors back Tepper bankruptcy plan: Major creditors in the bankruptcy case involving the Carolina Panthers’ Rock Hill project now say they support the reorganization plan proposed by David Tepper’s real estate subsidiary. It would allocate $60M to contractors. “It was very important to our client to push this schedule forward in such a way that subs would get paid in this calendar year,” said a lawyer for general contractor Mascaro/Barton Malow. Rock Hill and York County are still feuding with the Tepper entity in lawsuits. (Biz Journal)
Local TV anchor to leave: WSOC news anchor Allison Latos said in a Facebook video that today is her last day at the station after 11 years. She told the Charlotte Observer that she’ll be taking a corporate communications job for a digital product engineering company. (Observer)
Jail safety checks: Five people have died this year at the Mecklenburg County jail in uptown Charlotte, and after the most recent death, a state review revealed that officers are missing a substantial amount of safety checks due to staffing shortages. (WFAE)
No pigs at N.C. State Fair: The owner of Hogway Speedway Racing Pigs, who usually conducts the pig races at the North Carolina State Fair, is retiring, which means there won’t be any pig racing at the fair this year. (Observer)
Programming note: Ledger editor Tony Mecia appears as a guest on 90.7 WFAE at 6:40 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on Thursdays for a discussion of the week’s local business news in the station’s “BizWorthy” segment. Audio and transcripts are also available online.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project