Co-owner Kelly Waugh says she's hoping for a mid-summer opening for her doggy day care, grooming services, boutique and bar, but is reluctant to guarantee an actual date while she jumps through some last-minute hoops with Mecklenburg County.
Originally, it was her retail neighbors that Waugh feared may spell doom for her fledgling business. At a Cornelius town board public hearing in May, the owners, management and employees of the Hampton Inn two doors down turned out to oppose Waugh's plans for a day care and grooming facility by day and a bar by night, where pet owners can bring their dogs and enjoy a coffee, beer, wine or cocktail. There were general concerns expressed by the Hampton Inn faction about noise and safety, but the town board approved a conditional use permit for the business to be located in the former Kylie's Sports Bar site.
Waugh says the previous dissent from her neighbors is now the least of her issues, and that things in that realm have calmed down a good bit.
"I think they had valid concerns," Waugh says, "but I really don't think it will affect their businesses."
Once open, Lucky Dog Bark and Brew will be a membership-based business ($10 per year — a prerequisite of N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control when alcohol is served but no food will be prepared on the premises), with a portion of the membership proceeds donated to the Cornelius Animal Shelter.
Waugh told town commissioners in May that once it is open, Lucky Dog will be a doggie day care by day complete with grooming services and a retail store. It can house as many as 65 dogs at one time, but she said she doubts it will reach that level. No more than 10 dogs will be outside at any one time.
Waugh also says she hopes to chronicle her permitting woes on Lucky Dog's Facebook page, treating it as Lake Norman's own small business start-up reality show. Follow the saga at www.Facebook.luckydoglkn.
Bakery turns sorrow to sweet
When Hough High School student Jocelyn Desmond took her own life earlier this year, her mother, Davidson resident Jaletta Albright Desmond, spoke publicly about her daughter's battle with depression and bullying.
In support of the Desmond's family quest to shine a light on the devastating effects of bullying, Maddy's Fatty's bakery in Cornelius has named a brownie in Jocelyn's memory and will donate 25 cents from the purchase of every treat to organizations the Desmond family supports.
Proceeds from "Jocelyn's Brownie," a very rich chocolate confection, will benefit the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and the Pacers Foundation at Pacers.org, two organizations chosen by the Desmond family.
Bakery co-owner Madeline Baucom, herself a victim of bullying as a child, has said from the time she and sister-in-law Enza Friedman founded Maddy's Fatty's, that they plan to partner with several organizations and community groups in support of an anti-bullying message.
CMS chief to make Chamber rounds
The new superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Heath Morrison, will mix and mingle with northern Mecklenburg business and community leaders at a luncheon at NorthStone Country Club Thursday, July 19, at 11:45 a.m. Morrison will speak to members of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce and elected officials to outline his entry plan goals for students, parents, teachers and school operations.
Morrison's plan involves five goals, as well as how he plans to achieve them. He says those goals are to focus organizational efforts and align resources to ensure all students are college- and career-ready and achievement gaps are closed; to establish and promote highly effective district governance by building a trusting, productive, collaborative relationship with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education; to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency and ensure high performance and support to schools; to establish a respectful, positive district culture centered on teaching and learning; and to build public trust capital and confidence through open, honest communication and positive relationships.
Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce President Bill Russell served on an interview panel earlier this year as an appointment by school board District 1 member Rhonda Lennon. The panel examined the three finalists for the superintendent position.
Morrison, a native of Fairfax County, Va., arrives in town from Washoe County (Reno), Nev., where he had led a school district of 63,000 students and 94 schools since 2009. Morrison holds a bachelor's degree in government from the College of William and Mary. He earned a master's in educational administration and a doctorate in educational policy and planning from the University of Maryland.
His leadership has been recognized regionally and nationally. He received the Outstanding New Professional Award from the University of Maryland, the Distinguished Educational Leader Award from the Washington Post and was Maryland Principal of the Year in 2004. He was the 2011 Nevada Superintendent of the Year and the 2012 American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year.
The Chamber luncheon, which is open to the public, is sponsored by Hendrick NorthLake Luxury Auto Mall, Boatsman Gillmore PLLC, and Business Today. The cost is $16 for Chamber members and $20 for the public before July 12. Chamber members can register online at LakeNormanChamber.org. Members and the public can also RSVP to the Chamber at 704-892-1922.
Campus Crest makes public stock offering
Campus Crest Communities Inc., part of the "Lake Norman 24" (see Page P8), has launched a public offering of 6.5 million shares of its common stock. The shares are priced at $10.10 for net proceeds of $62.7 million, reports the Charlotte Business Journal.
The company also granted the underwriters of the offering a 30-day option to purchase up to 975,000 additional shares. The offering was expected to close earlier this week.
Campus Crest says it intends to use proceeds from the offering to buy the remaining ownership interest in joint-venture properties in Idaho and Georgia and to repay mortgage debt secured by the properties. It also will reduce outstanding debt under the company's revolving-credit facility.
Campus Crest Bought out its joint venture partner, Harrison Street Real Estate Caitl, on two projects earlier this year.
Raymond James, Citigroup and Barclays are serving as joint book-running managers for the latest offering. RBC Capital Markets is lead manager. Baird and Janney Montgomery Scott are co-managers.
Charlotte-based Campus Crest is a developer, builder, owner and manager of student housing. It owns interest in 33 properties comprising 6,324 apartment units.
The company has been publicly traded since October 2010. It posted net income of $3.7 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $94.8 million in 2011, its first full year as a public company.
Dirt to move soon for Autumn Care
Ground will be broken this summer on Autumn Care, a skilled nursing facility operated by a Rocky Mount-based nursing and rehabilitation services provider. The facility will be co-located with Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Cornelius, according to CorneliusNews.net.
Carolinas Medical Center is also part of the joint effort to develop the $13 million facility. The Curry Engineering Group is the project manager.
Officials say the project could bring as many as 100 jobs to the area over the next five years, including construction, nursing, pharmacy and maintenance positions. The Cornelius location will be the newest facility in North Carolina, with 16 existing locations in the state and another eight in Virginia. Learn more at www.autumncorp.com.
Local auto dealer gaining Kansas foothold
Hendrick Automotive Group, owner of the new Hendrick Luxury Auto Mall at Northlake (intersection of Alexanderana Road and N.C. 115), is renaming eight of its dealerships in the Kansas City area, branding them with the Hendrick name.
According to the Kansas City Business Journal, the Charlotte-based auto dealer chain is making the name changes as part of a series of upgrades and dealership openings in the greater Kansas City market.
Hendrick Automotive ranks as the nation's seventh-largest dealership chain.
Beck fills new spot at United Way
Linda Beck has been named the Mooresville-Lake Norman Community Director for the United Way of Central Carolinas, a new position created to provide campaign and community investment leadership in the region.
Beck, who was formerly responsible for development and corporate gifts for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, will begin the new position on July 9.
Since 2010, Beck has been a strategic player in leading the corporate partner campaign for the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. She was responsible for educating and supporting the vision of the Arts Center, which is widely recognized as one of the top state-of-the-art, multi-use performing facilities in the country.
Prior to coming to the Charlotte area, Beck lived in Denver, Colo., and held sales and training positions. She also created The Huntington Group, a telecommunications recruiting company for executive placements.
"Linda is an articulate self-starter who understands the power of relationship building," says Jane McIntyre, executive director of United Way of Central Carolinas. "Her previous work experience with Blumenthal and her strong sales experience in Colorado will bring a unique skill set to our work in the Mooresville-Lake Norman area. I am confident she will establish new and stronger relationships with the corporate partners and health and human service agencies in that community."
In the newly created position, Beck will cultivate and strengthen relationships with individual donors and corporate partners as part of the United Way campaign in the Mooresville-Lake Norman area. She will provide leadership in increasing awareness and understanding of the needs in the area and how donor dollars are being invested to meet those needs through funded agencies. She also will work closely with campaign and community investment volunteers throughout the year.
The United Way of Central Carolinas Board of Directors recently voted to provide $16.5 million to 87 agencies serving 352,000 clients over the five-county region. Agencies in the Mooresville-Lake Norman area received $925,319.
"I am a tremendous fan of United Way and the work the organization does," says Beck. "I'm excited about the opportunity to use my skills in fund development, sales, and relationship building to strengthen the work of United Way in this community. I look forward to working with outstanding agencies that are truly making a difference and increasing awareness of the needs within the Mooresville-Lake Norman area."
Beck serves as a mentor with the Women's Inter-cultural Exchange (WIE) and is a member of the Eternal Threads Auxiliary Board. She is a graduate of Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, where she earned her master's in education.
