2810[high]5: Places to Level Up Your Inner Nerd

A. Pennyworth’s Comics: Just like Alfred Pennyworth is a stable presence in the life of Bruce Wayne, so has A. Pennyworth’s Comics, News, and Collectibles been to Matthews. Celebrating their 20-year anniversary in September, A. Pennyworth’s offers new and old comics and collectibles from your favorite tv show, movie, and (of course!)comic book. Whether you’re Team Batman, Team Superman, or Team Not Sure Who to Root For, your Inner Nerd will enjoy questing through the racks of comics, graphic novels, and other pop culture items inside the shop.

11025 Monroe Road, Ste. D Matthews, North Carolina 28105

AMF Carolina Lanes: Does thinking of the bowling alley conjure up more of your Inner

Dude than your Inner Nerd? At AMF in Matthews, you don’t need to worry whether or not

your mystery block lands on your Big Lebowski or your Big Daddy- both can have a

great time. In addition to bowling, Matthews’ favorite bowling alley also includes an

extensive arcade with both new and classic video games for your Inner Nerd to dedicate

some time to leveling up.

11210 Brigman Rd, Matthews, NC 28105

Temple Mojo: Is your Inner Nerd more the drinking and knowing things type? TempleMojo frequently hosts themed trivia nights where you can prove both of those skills. Past themes have included The Avengers, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones. Plus, Temple Mojo has 26 beers on tap, so whether you fancy yourself a Lannister, a Stark, a Dothraki, or a Wildling, they have plenty of choices to fill up your cup.

195 N Trade St, Matthews, NC 28105

Charlotte Academy of Music: It may be too late to invest in a magic wand and send your own Inner Nerd off to Hogwarts, but for one magical, spellbinding week this summer, your child can experience the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the CharlotteAcademy of Music’s Harry Potter summer camp. They will start their week off meetingHogwarts famous sorting hat and learn once and for all whether they really are a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Once placed into their individual houses, campers will spend their time creating Harry Potter inspired art. Camp will end with an exhibition for family and friends and the announcing of the winner of the House Cup. Two sessions of camp are still available!

15040 Idlewild Rd Suite C, Matthews, NC 28104

NerdsToGo: Is your inner nerd still a technology newb? That’s okay, NerdsToGo has you covered. If you find your inner (or outer) nerd is facing a technology monster that’s above their player level, contact NerdsToGo. With their home office located in Matthews, NerdsToGo will travel to you and offers maintenance and repair services for your computer or smart device.

3521 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Matthews, NC 28105

RAW to Reclaimed Woodworking

“I do love the smell of wood. All wood does something: it reacts differently, cuts differently, smells differently.”

— Ryan Watkins

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

To Matthews resident, Ryan Watkins, owner of “RAW (his initials) to Reclaimed Woodworking,” each piece of lumber, each piece of wood has a story to tell. “You can [often] feel the history of the wood,” he says as he looks around his new 2000 square foot warehouse (4002 Matthews Indian Trail Road) with wonderment and pride. On this day, he’s looking at pieces of ash, maple, walnut, oak, and antique pine.

As he’s working with these pieces, he says, he imagines the pilots standing around smoking cigars – a recycling of history and of raw materials, now used in another place and time.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

He’s most proud of the 1840s pine planks resting in his shop, which came from Minnesota after being torn down from a barn originally used for WWII glider pilot training. As he’s working with these pieces, he says, he imagines the pilots standing around smoking cigars – a recycling of history and of raw materials, now used in another place and time.

“I do love the smell of wood. All wood does something: it reacts differently, cuts differently, smells differently,” he said. For Ryan, utilizing all his senses when creating something out of wood gives him both fulfillment and purpose. It is now also his undeniable passion.

In 2017, Ryan hung up his Matthew’s Fire Department captain’s uniform and fireman’s gear for the last time. With 17 years on the force, he was tired, injured and in need of a Plan B. He had a wife and two children; their well-being was foremost on his mind.

Although Ryan had always tinkered with his hands and with materials like wood, about one year earlier, a designer-friend asked him for his help with some small custom projects. This would be a weekend and night’s project.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Later that same year, he was offered the opportunity to make 24 table tops with oak veneer plywood, for a South Carolina group opening a restaurant. He was game, but only had his 250 s.f. of work space in his garage. A scramble to find an appropriate location landed him in his new warehouse and his new life-path was soon carved out. Joined by his wife, the office manager, this became a team effort.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

To Ryan, using both new and reclaimed wood, recycling has become a metaphor for starting over.

“Taking a pile of lumber and turning it into something, that’s where the satisfaction is,” he said. “A lot of it is to put it on the workbench and see what you can do with it.”

He is working hard and diligently to chase his dream. “I’m nowhere near the peak where I want to be,” Ryan said, adding that he watches other long-time woodworkers who are successful and is following their lead. “We’re going to grow; we’re going to reach for the stars. Watch out IKEA!” he said with a laugh.

We’re watching.

RAW to Reclaimed Woodworking
R2Rwoodworking.com
704-200-5374
@raw2reclaimedwoodworking

Bethany Salisbury: Capturing Pets in Paints

Photo of Bethany Salisbury courtesy the artist

“I’m lucky to be able to do [this work]. It’s been my passion since I was a kid. I love animals and I love to paint.”

Bethany Salisbury, 31, of Matthews, knows a thing or two about pets and pet portraits. That would be nearly 900 things to be exact – the number of pet portraits painted by Bethany in the last handful of years.

A commercial artist, illustrator, and designer, Bethany has had much success with her pet portraiture, illustration and traditional paintings. And, while it is “80% dogs,” it’s also cats, rabbits, horses, birds, elephants, goats, a few ferrets, and sometimes people.

The series "Beer Dogs" will soon be on display at Temple Mojo in downtown Matthews. Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Since her mainstay is on social media, and with online orders, her clients come from all over the world (Australia, Africa, Hong Kong, to name a few places) and throughout the country. “I get a lot of repeat customers,” she said. “Many buy these for gifts.”

A childhood spent at art camp and in private art lessons, with minimal TV watching and maximum encouragement to create, combined with a love of animals led her to do just that: create paper dolls, make graphic novels and comic books about dogs.

“I’ve always grown up with animals,” she said.

The series "Beer Dogs" will soon be on display at Temple Mojo in downtown Matthews. Photo by Cyma Shapiro

While she captures the often impassioned and enamored looks of her subjects - “I think dogs are expressive,” she said. “I think it’s kind of second nature (to intuit their) emotions” - she is also not immune to the whiles of animals, herself. Bethany and her husband are the proud owners of one Miniature Long Haired Dachshund, Mochi, and an Australian Cattle Dog named River.

“I’m lucky to be able to do [this work]” said Bethany. “It’s been my passion since I was a kid. I love animals and I love to paint.”

Little Free Libraries

The Chopas Family’s Blessing Box. Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Dotted throughout Matthews, you can find about ½ dozen small house-style boxes on stilts proudly displaying free books for the taking.  Called “Little Free Library” boxes or little book boxes, owners report many reasons for building and displaying their boxes - some love books and reading, others find commonality with other readers and still others feel they are contributing to a greater sense of community in and around their neighborhood.

Among the Matthews boxes we found include:

• 1718 Privette Road

• 2140 Greenbrook Pkwy

• 125 Edgeland (empty)

• 1042 Kensrowe Lane

• 232 North Trade Street

For the Chopas Family (Privette Road), their book box was a way to share with the neighbors, promote literacy and give back to the cul de sac which had embraced them when they first arrived in Matthews three years ago. “This was a ‘Hallmark’ neighborhood,” said Debbie Chopas.  “They embraced us when our baby was born…..this was (intended) to keep the thread of meeting moving forward.”

Passionate about literacy, Debbie added that they also wanted to compliment the local library by encouraging reading throughout the summer. “Reading is the most valuable tool we can foster with this generation,” she said. “It’s a lost art. I wanted to help instill it in (children).”

To sweeten the goodies inside and continue paying it forward, the Chopas have combined purposes, by also calling it a “Blessing Box” –  and have chosen to add magazines, puzzles and other surprises for the takers.

Julie Tippett’s Little Free Library was a Christmas gift. Photo by Cyma Shapiro

The Little Free Library box was a 2016 Christmas present for Julie Tippett (Lightwood Road).  “I wanted it because I love my neighborhood,” she said noting that in neighborhoods like hers, with large lots and space between houses, she “wanted to do something so that we would have some form of community.”

“I wanted it because I love my neighborhood,” she said noting that in neighborhoods like hers, with large lots and space between houses, (I) wanted to do something so that we would have some form of community.”

“I love to read and loved reading out loud to my children (as they grew up),” said Julie. “(So) I love the fact that kids come by and get books….If I can put a book in the hands of a mom to read to her children,” Julie said, she will feel like the box and her endeavor has “served a purpose.”

And, what will she do when she moves away? “When I buy my next house at the beach, I will be sure to put a box up there, too!”  

Tina Marlowe’s library has been a labor of love. Photo by Tina Marlowe

To Tina Marlowe (Kensrowe Lane), her Little Free Library box of four years has been a “labor of love.”  “Literacy is our passion,” said Tina, “so sharing the joy of reading is so much fun!”A former volunteer tutor for elementary age children, her box combines purpose and intent. Tina purchases adult/children/teen books from Goodwill, The Book Rack, and book consignment shops around the area.  “Children’s books are my priority (and) the reason for our Little Free Library journey,” said Tina. “This has truly been a labor of love.”

“Children’s books are my priority (and) the reason for our Little Free Library journey. This has truly been a labor of love.”

The most public of Matthews’ book boxes is firmly visible and ensconced in front of Matthews Heritage Museum (232 N. Trade Street) – a joint effort between townspeople and the museum, it was built to “serve Matthews citizens in different ways when (the museum) wasn’t open to the public,” said museum Director Barbara Taylor. Originally intended to offer historical fiction/nonfiction, the box is well stocked with books of all types, now.  “(The box has allowed us to) have (another) successful interaction with the public,” she said.

The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, WI. He mounted a wooden container designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse (hence, the design) and filled it with books as a tribute to his mother, who was a book lover and school teacher. In 2012, the Little Free Library became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The original goal was to create 2,150 Little Libraries, a number which would surpass the number of libraries founded (and funded) by Scottish businessman and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. As of November 2016, there were 50,000 registered Little Free Libraries worldwide, with a significant amount located in the United States.

Like other public bookcases, anyone passing by a box can take a book to read or leave one for someone else to find. The organization relies on volunteers to construct, install, and maintain book exchange boxes. For a book exchange box to be registered and legally use the Little Free Library brand name, volunteers must purchase a Library box kit or a charter sign which reads, “Little Free Library” and displays an official charter number.

At present, there are several hundred Little Free Libraries in North Carolina; six are shown as registered in Matthews. There are countless additional boxes which have not been registered.

Little Free Library Stats

3 out of 4 people report they’ve read a book they normally would not have read because of a Little Free Library

73% of people say they’ve met new neighbors because of a Little Free Library

92% of people say their neighborhood feels like a friendlier place because of a Little Free Library