Enjoy the river traditions

One quiet place to walk along the water is Mountain Island Park, just below the dam

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – May 30, 2012

There was a time when people felt more connected to our river.  Here are some traditions that you may want to renew or, if you are new to the area, adopt for your own.

The Fish Camp Tradition

 It was, and still is to many, a weekend activity to go to fish on the banks of the river.  There was more camping and cooking out on an old fashioned campfire.  It was out of these traditions that the term "fish camps" emerged.  I have heard that visitors sometime call the area looking for fish camps thinking they are campgrounds.  There is a brief history on the Visit Gaston website.

The joy of eating fish and fixins in casual style lives on in restaurants in the area which are more about local atmosphere, good fried (mostly) fish, and not fine dining.  While there are many ‘fish camp’ restaurants in the region, here are local fish-camp restaurants in the Catawba River District to get you started:

• Riverview Inn on the Mecklenburg shore established itself in a big way in the Charlotte area over its 60+ years. Riverview used to sponsor Captain Windy the pirate on local WBTV in the 1960s, and it was always a big treat to go to the restaurant overlooking the river – 10012 Moores Chapel Loop Charlotte, 704-399-3385 
• Black's Bluewater Seafood & Grill, 1118 S. Main Street, Mount Holly, 704-827-1230 
• Dotson's Fish Fry, 600 E Henry St, Mount Holly/Belmont, 704-827-3291
• Captain's Cap, 670 Park Street, Belmont, 704-825-4103
  
• Catfish Cove, 1401 Upper Armstrong-Ford Rd., Belmont, 704-825-3332

Get Active! Fish, hike, bike, kayak, canoe or just enjoy a walk near the river

If you are interested in fishing, these NC Bait and Tackle Shops can help you get started:

• Dale's Superette, 7304 W. Wilkinson Blvd., Belmont, 704-825-2746
• Jim's Grocery Bait and Tackle, 1901 Southpoint Road, Belmont, 704-825-5566.
• Master Bait, Grill and Grocery, 2333 Southpoint Road, Belmont, 704-968-BAIT (2248)

For big time fishing, there are bass tournaments in the area!

Get in the water by canoe, kayak, or walk along trails and enjoy the view at these great spots:

Tailrace Marina offers boat slips, canoe, kayak rentals and a great spot on the river.

Three Mount Holly Parks run along the river. CLICK for a page where you can download a map of all Mount Holly parks. Parks on the river include:

• Tuckaseege Park, Sports Ln, Mt Holly, NC 28120
• Mountain Island Park, Mount Holly
• River Street Park, Mount Holly

The city of Belmont is creating River Park. Here is the plan for River Park

For the ultimate list of adventure activities, from whitewater rafting to kayak paddling, visit the US National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, 704-391-3900. Several You tube videos are available online:

http://youtu.be/Erje-PwY9hE

When you are not on the river, you can feel and see the difference just being close by.  There are always hawks flying, and there is a fresh 'green' smell in the air that you notice if you pay close attention driving into the area from Charlotte.  Our water, trees, and fish are not in the shape they were in 100 years ago.  Maybe getting reacquainted with nature will help us all do what we can to improve these resources for future generations.

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly.

 

Schoolyard Gardens Need Your Help This Summer

Whitewater Middle students plant seedlings in their garden.

River District News and Updates, by Rich Haag – May 29, 2012

School ends in a few weeks. If you know any teachers, you know that they crawl to the finish line with end-of-year tests and programs, final report cards and, often, a day or two accounting for and packing away mountains of books and learning materials.

So my figurative hat is off to 19 teachers at Whitewater Middle School and Whitewater Academy. They have volunteered to come back to school throughout the summer so that a new learning project is ready for their students come August.

That learning project, begun this spring, is several raised-bed vegetable gardens beside each school. Several teachers worked with the River District to plan the schoolyard gardens. The teachers and students planted them with the help of the Catawba River District and the guidance of Jeffie and Chris Hardin of Rivendell Farms.

The gardens are helping kids get hands-on lessons in math, science and good nutrition while they learn how to garden. Tomatoes, green and jalapeño peppers, squash and other summer vegetables are taking shape on previously barren schoolyards under the daily care of students, teachers and River District volunteers.

Several students have told me they are excited about coming back in August to pick vegetables and actually taste them.

The teachers who have volunteered to help tend the gardens throughout the heat of the summer know how important that experience could be. Their students already have gotten hands-on math and science lessons as they learned about gardens, laid out their plots and watched the small plants begin to mature under their care. In August they could get a great lesson in the benefits of eating fresh vegetables.

Of course that lesson will require that they have vegetables to pick. And THAT will depend on having many people willing to nurture the gardens this summer. Can you lend a hand?

We need more volunteer gardeners

Volunteer to tend the schoolyard gardens this summer. We can work around your own hectic schedule and plans for summer trips. And you will be able to share in the excitement next August when our students return to see their gardens, now brimming with fresh vegetables.

To learn more about volunteering, EMAIL Edna Chirico or call her at 704-562-8847.

To learn more about the River District’s Schoolyard Garden program, CLICK here.

About Rich Haag –  Rich gained his love for the outdoors while roaming the woods and river gorge near his upstate NY home. He has spent many vacations – one lasting eight weeks – camping with his wife, Karen, and their sons. Rich still roams the woods nearly every day, either walking with Karen at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve or cycling on the Mallard Creek Greenway.

Eat Your Vegetables – Including Cabbage!

That's Farming, by Jeffie Hardin – May 28, 2012

"I don't know what to do with it."

That comment is not too unusual when members of our Community Supported Agricultural group come out to our farm to get some vegetables. I'll tell them what is ready to pick...broccoli, lettuce, spinach, carrots....but when it comes to cabbage, there's often a slight turn up of the nose.

"Other than coleslaw, I don't know what to do with it."

Au contraire...cabbage is great. There are many ways to use it including stir-fry and soups.  Also, just remember that cabbage is great for you. It is rich in nutrition and fiber, loaded with vitamin C and has been found to lower the risk of developing certain forms of cancer.

So we need to find recipes that you and your family will enjoy.  I often turn to www.allrecipes.com for inspiration. I love the comments people make on that site as well as the changes to the recipe each cook will suggest. The following recipe for cabbage is actually one I've changed and modified from numerous recipes, so now it's more mine than anybody else's.

My kid don't like mayonnaise.  Cole slaw, potato salad, meat salads...anything with mayonnaise goes to waste at our house. So the following is an oil and vinegar salad.  It's crunchy and tangy. I only have to make sure that they eat the whole salad and not just pick out the secret ingredient.

 

Crunchy Cabbage Slaw

1/4 - 1/3 head of green cabbage

1 large stalk of broccoli, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, sliced

*1 pkg. Ramen noodles (dry) (not with the added spice mix)

Shred cabbage finely.  Add broccoli, onions and celery.  Crumble Ramen noodles and stir into salad.  Toss with dressing.

 

Dressing

1/4 tsp. pepper

3/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Water

*The secret ingredient, Ramen noodles, can be substituted with something else else that is crunchy such as nuts or seeds.

Enjoy at your Memorial Day picnic!

About Jeffie and Chris Hardin – The Hardins left suburban life in 2001 for an 8-acre farm near Mountain Island Lake. Now the Hardins and their children seek to grow half of their family’s food and help others grow food, too.

Don't Let Your Pet Become A Hot Dog

Sage Canine Advice, by Sage Riverdog – May 27, 2012

Special care needs to be taken for dogs when the temperatures soar in the summer. Dogs wear their fur coats all year long, although mother nature thins it out some during the summer. Dogs can easily get heat exhaustion or heat stroke if you aren’t careful. Dogs only perspire through their pads of their feet and their noses. 

Never leave a dog in a hot car and always have lots of shade and fresh, cool water handy if dogs are outside during the heat of the day. Exercise early in the morning. When leaving water outside, be sure to clean the bowl regularly. Algae begins to grow in the bowl if it is not cleaned regularly, and that’s not healthy for dogs.

Here are signs that show if your dog is overheating:

• Body temperature above 104.
• Vigorous panting 
• Dark red gums
• Tacky or dry mucus membranes
• Listlessness or unwillingness to get up 
• Collapse or loss of consciousness
• Thick saliva 
• Dizziness or disorientation

Should your dog overheat, get him in the shade immediately, cool him/her off slowly, with cool towels on the feet and head. Don’t use ice or cool a dog off too quickly, because that can cause damage as well. I particularly like cool water running on my legs and feet.   
It’s a good idea to have your vet check out your dog if your dog has experienced any of the above symptoms – organ damage can occur during heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Of course if you’re a Labrador, like me, the nearest swimming hole is ideal!

Have a safe, enjoyable and cool Memorial Day weekend.

About Sage – Sage is an 8-year-old black Labrador retriever who lives with River District Executive Director Edna Chirico and Edna’s husband, John Huber. Sage earned a Canine Good Citizen award, which allows her to visit nursing homes, hospitals and schools. Sage loves to run, fetch, swim, ride in boats, travel in the car and play with just about anyone, especially children. 

The Radiant Radish

Chinese proverb says, "eating pungent radishes and
drinking hot tea, let the starved doctors beg on their knees."

Sustainable Healthy Living, by Sheila Mullen – May 26

Behold, our first garden plunder – red red radishes. 

Radishes have a uniquely delicious and pungent flavor and are a powerhouse of good nutrients. However, radishes continue to be one of Mother Nature’s best-kept natural healing secrets.

Radish Basics

Radishes come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. They can be the size of a grape or larger than a carrot, and range in color from bold reds, pinks, and purples to starker white and even black. 

In Season: Radishes peak from April to July.

What to Look For: Choose radishes that are plump, firm, smooth and free of cracks and blemishes. When serving radishes raw, buy them with the bright green and fresh leaves still attached.

How to Store: Place radishes in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper. Those purchased with the tops removed can be kept up to a week. Radishes with the leaves still on should be used within a day or so because the greens don't stay fresh very long.

Nutrient Facts: Radishes are low in calories, contain no fat or cholesterol, and are low in sodium, high in dietary fiber, have loads of carbohydrates, high in water content, and are a natural diuretic. They are loaded with vitamins; K, B6, folate, pantothenic acid and minerals; potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and manganese.  What is not to love about radishes?

Radish Health Benefits Sampling.

•                Weight Loss: Radishes are filling, satisfying your hunger easily without adding many calories as they are low in digestible carbohydrates, high in roughage and contain a lot of water.

•                Cancer Prevention: Radishes are excellent detoxifier and rich in vitamin-C, folic acid and anthocyanins.  Radishes are believed to prevent and possibly help heal many types of cancer, particularly those of colon, kidney, intestines, stomach and mouth.

•                Respiratory Disorders, Bronchitis and Asthma: Radishes are an anti-congestive, relieving congestion of respiratory system including nose, throat, windpipe and lungs, due to cold, infection and allergies. Radishes are a good disinfectant and also rich in vitamins, which can help protect the respiratory system from infections.

•                Other Benefits: Including the benefits mentioned above radishes can assist in keeping the common cold at bay as well as reducing chronic illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease, radishes are a natural mouth and breath freshener, a laxative, help regulate metabolism, improve blood circulation, are good treatments for headache, acidity, constipation, nausea, obesity, sore throat, whooping cough, gastric problems, and gallbladder stones.

Eat More:

Radishes can be served raw, cooked or even pickled.  The simplest way to add radishes to your meals is to toss slices into your salads. Here is a new twist for your radishes.  Make up a batch of Mexican Ceviche where the pungent kick of the radish meets the sublime citrus zing to form an explosion of flavor.

Mexican Ceviche (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 5 large lemons, juiced
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
• tomato and clam juice cocktail
• 2 white onions, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 bunch radishes, finely diced
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, 
• minced tortilla chips

Directions

Place shrimp in a bowl (you may either coarsely chop the shrimp, or leave them

whole, depending on your preference).

Add lemon, covering shrimp completely.

Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until opaque and slightly firm.

Add tomatoes, onions, cucumber, radishes, and garlic; toss to combine. Gradually add cilantro and jalapenos to desired taste (jalapeno will grow stronger while marinating).

Stir in tomato and clam juices to desired consistency.

Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Serve chilled with tortilla chips.

Caution:

Radishes may contain goitrogens, a plant-based compound found in cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and kale. Goitrogens may cause swelling of the thyroid gland and should be avoided in individuals with thyroid dysfunction.

Radish Tune (click here): Bet you can't help tapping your toes and humming along while at the farmer's market or picking fresh radishes from your garden while celebrating the radish in all its glory. 

Be well.

Sources: 

http://www.fatburningfurnace.com/blog/radish-nutrition-facts-–-health-benefits-of-radishes

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-radish.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/274898/radish-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide

About Sheila Mullen – The founder of Continuous Motion Consulting, Sheila is passionate about engaging friends, family and community in improving their lives and the lives of those around them. Sheila spent more than 20 years in technology sales, marketing and development. She also has a background in organizational development, innovation and executive wellness coaching.

Cowan's Ford Dam - Designed for a healthier river

Cowan's Ford hydro station. From Duke Energy website

Clean And Clear Catawba, by Alice Battle – May 25, 2012

Cowan’s Ford Dam, which forms Lake Norman, has a unique design. The main dam is 190 feet tall where it forms the lake.  Another dam was built 100 yards upstream,  just below the surface of the water.

This construction assures that the warm, oxygen-rich water at the top of the lake will pour through the spillways. This water guarantees that the fish downstream will be able to breathe. 

The dam also maintains a permanent cold pool near the bottom of the lake. That layer is pumped backwards in a slow, gentle manner to avoid whirlpools and is used to cool the Marshall Steam Plant on one of the lake’s upper fingers.

The coldest, deadest and closest to the bottom layer of water is pumped up past the surface, where it supplements the condenser-cooling water for the McGuire Nuclear Station.

The design of the Cowan’s Ford Dam also assures that clean water enters Mountain Island Lake. The mud that once came down the river, before construction of Cowan's Ford Dam in the early 1960s, now is settled out in Lake Norman. Mountain Island Lake provides drinking water for 80% of Charlotte’s population. In addition, Gastonia and Mt. Holly have water intakes on Mountain Island lake.  Mt. Holly provides water to the town of Stanley.  Gastonia sells water to Ranlo, McAdenville, Cramerton, Lowell and the South Carolina City of Clover.

The EPA has a lean staff to monitor pollution in the river. To monitor the river,

Duke Energy has a cadre of scientists commissioned to keep tabs on the company’s performance. They are environmentally conscious.

About Alice Battle – Alice lives on Mountain Island Lake has served on numerous groups devoted to protecting the lake, including the Duke Energy Relicensing stakeholders group. She currently is Lakekeeper for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.

 

How Do We Connect Our Past And Future Locally?

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – May 23, 2012

One of my favorite quotes is on the Heritage Sculpture at the National Archives in Washington DC.  "THE HERITAGE OF THE PAST IS THE SEED THAT BRINGS FORTH THE HARVEST OF THE FUTURE"

This quote was also placed on a plaque many years ago in Mount Holly on the outside wall of the current Mount Holly Archives building.

 

Remembering what has connected us

Memorial Day weekend has become a time to remember those who gave their lives in service that we may continue as a nation of free people. As we are thankful, consider those who came before us right here in the Catawba River area. Most of us give little consideration that the original date was established to honor those who died in the Civil War.  In search of my own family history, I have found there were many soldiers lost from right here in our area. I hope we don't forget that Americans share a common bond in the creation of a nation under an idea of freedom. Working together is necessary to protect this future and our resources.

Locations established along horse-drawn wagon trails and river crossings back in the 1700s still serve the growing population of our area today. We don't know our neighbors as people used to many years ago. Our daily movements are more erratic and fast paced. 

1789 Mecklenburg County included Gaston, and Charlotte is the small circle to the right of the Catawba River.
Also notice that the big square is Indian Land and not the square of Center City Charlotte on most current maps.

Preserving our region's valuable food and water resources

Our region's first settlers came here from the North before the Revolutionary War because they had heard about our region's bountiful resources, including land and water for farms. 

Today we remain fortunate to have good drinking water (most of it drawn from Mountain Island Lake), local food and food from around the world. Especially since most of us don't grow our own food anymore, the local farmer's markets in Mount Holly, Belmont and West Charlotte provide us with more than food. Supporting local farmers gives us an opportunity to know them personally and learn from them. 

We have recently had the benefit of new investments in upgrading grocery stores. Bi-Lo in Belmont at 6507 W Wilkinson Blvd, Bi-Lo at 2924 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road in Charlotte,  and Food Lion at 617 Highland St. in Mount Holly just completed extensive renovations. We also have seen improvements at Food Lion at 237 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road.  Harris Teeter is located at Hwy 16 and 3540 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road.  

The changes seen today in produce sections in grocery stores illustrates a public demand for healthy food choices. You may have heard of the food deserts in some of our nation's urban neigborhoods. Our access to food and water is something we shouldn't take for granted, as competing forces and a changing world ensure that nothing will remain the same.  

You can help nurture young farmers this summer

The Catawba River District is working with several groups to support and expand local agriculture, including school vegetable gardens where our children are learning by growing their own foods. In fact, the River District is looking for volunteers to nurture these young gardens throughout the coming season while the children are out of school. Interested? CLICK to learn how you can help.

See if you can tell from the 1789 map above where our Catawba River District (below in red) is located today. 

Knowing  our River District neighbors and resources is important to our future.

More Memorial Day thoughts

For other links on Memorial Day history, a couple are provided here:

• "The Meaning of Memorial Day" (Forbes.com)
• Memorial Day history (USmemorialday.org)

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly.