Rutherford Weekly

The boys of summer will make their return to Rutherford County when the Forest City Owls kick off the season on Monday, May 30 at McNair Field. We recently caught up with Owls owner Phil Dangel to catch up on what fans can expect this year from the home team. This year is Dangel's first year as team owner, but both he and his wife, Becky, who is co-owner, have been in the business world for years. A love of baseball brought the couple to ownership of the Owls, which is a member of the Coastal Plains League. Dangel, who is a self-described "fanatical Boston Red Sox fan," had always dreamed of owning a baseball team. His son, Boomer Dangel, served as a broadcaster for the Owls. During a visit to see him, the Dangels were introduced to former Owls owner Ken Silver and "one thing lead to another." "I always tell the story about my wife who thinks I have completely lost my mind for buying a baseball team," Dangel said. "On our first date we went to an Atlanta Braves game. It was a big game against the Dodgers, and for baseball fans, it was the first time Fernando Valenzuela was pitching in Atlanta. After three innings she asked 'When will this game be over? This is so boring.' Now she is a fan like the rest of us." The Dangels, to put it simply, fell in love with the area and are excited about the upcoming season, which Dangel promises will bring "everything new and everything old will be local." "We are adding Fat Tracy's barbecue this year," Dangel said. "We are adding wings, we are adding Ruff'ton Brewhouse craft beer and Mainstreet Ice Cream." This year's team will also be more local. "We have five or six high school All-Americans," Dangel said. "We have a young man who has already hit 10 homers this season and two pitchers who are five and one. This is going to be a good team." Baseball won't be the only entertainment to take center field this season, Dangel continued. "The Owls are sponsoring the Charlie Daniels Band on June 25, a Star Wars night on June 4, a Faith Night, Barney Fife night and Girl Scout and Boy Scout nights," he said. McNair Field will also be a place for folks to enjoy July 4 with a fireworks show. It's more than just the field, the players and the game that make the Owls organization special, Dangel explained. It's the community who supports all of this that make the organization unique. "The best part of owning the Owls has been the people," Dangel said. "Seriously, I know this sounds trite … Kiva, Denise, Town Council, the Mayor … each one of them has been really helpful. The people of Forest City do not realize how good this group is." Season tickets and single game tickets are still available and can be purchased online at forestcitybaseball.com. For more information on games, themed nights and sponsorships, contact the Owls at 828-245-0000. OUR 24 th YEAR • ISSUE NO. 21 • May 26, 2016 RutherfordWeekly.com 828-248-1408 FREE FREE OUR MEMORIAL DAY EDITION OUR MEMORIAL DAY EDITION ©Community First Media Community First Media Mon-Sat 11am-6pm E Juice • Glass Pipes T-shirts • & More 719 S. Broadway, Forest City Right off Exit 182 from US74 828-229-3123 ©Community First Media Community First Media FOREST CITY FOREST CITY 720 South Church St. 720 South Church St. 828-245-7274 828-245-7274 CAROLEEN CAROLEEN Hwy. 221A Hwy. 221A 828-657-5353 828-657-5353 LESLIE WALL HOME HEALTH CARE COORDINATOR LESLIE WALL FREE BLOOD PRESSURE CHECK EVERYDAY EACH CALENDAR YEAR MEDICARE WILL PAY FOR ONE PAIR OF DIABETIC SHOES AND THREE PAIRS OF INSERTS (HEAT MOLDABLE) ATTENTION DIABETIC PATIENTS Owls owner Phil Dangel caught up with Rutherford County up with Rutherford County native & Houston Astros player native & Houston Astros player Tyler White before the Astros Tyler White before the Astros game against the Boston Red game against the Boston Red Sox (Dangel's favorite team.) Sox (Dangel's favorite team.) A baseball signed by White will A baseball signed by White will be auctioned during the June be auctioned during the June 4 Owls game, which is Autism 4 Owls game, which is Autism Awareness Night. Awareness Night. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL BUY Take me out to the ballgame - Owls season begins May 30 Owls season begins May 30 Representatives from local businesses that belong to the Rutherford County Chamber came together recently, some trading their inside desk jobs for a day outdoors constructing porches and railings for those who needed them. The Rutherford County Chamber Ambassadors tackled two building projects for Rutherford Housing Partnership. It's one of several service projects Ambassadors will complete this year. The Ambassador Program, which launched in 2015, is made up of representatives from the Chamber membership who agree to volunteer a few hours of their time each month to promote the company they represent and serve as a link between the Chamber board, community and new and existing members. "Ambassadors really serve as the face, hands and feet of the Chamber," said Kimberly Mullinax, who serves as an Ambassador and is on the Chamber's board of directors. While the program is new to Rutherford County, it has been implemented across the state for a number of years, Mullinax continued. Through her job at King Law Offices, Mullinax had served in other Ambassador groups. No two are alike, she said. "The Ambassador program is really about building relationships," she said. Ambassadors meet once each month. Service projects are held quarterly. "This program really helps us in our vision that two plus two begins to equal five," said Chamber Director Clark Poole. By having feedback from Ambassadors, the Chamber can hone in on what its members would like and offer more services. The construction project provided a much- needed service to Chamber member Rutherford Housing Partnership. "By having the Ambassadors work on these two homes, RHP was able to get two projects done and help these families," said Amanda Hill, project manager for Rutherford Housing Partnership. "There are 125 projects on our waiting list." Many of those projects are similar to the ones the Ambassadors undertook, Hill said - replacing porches. "A lot of the projects on our list are like this - one or two-day projects," she said. At the work site Ambassadors worked to replace a 45-year old porch for a homeowner who is receiving hospice care. He stood in the doorway and watched as volunteers worked. "I just hope and pray that if I needed something like this, someone would come and do it for me," said Ambassador Stacy Hawkins, who works for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. More information about the Rutherford County Chamber and the Ambassadors program can be found online at rutherfordcoc.org or by calling 828-287-3090. Articles By: Allison Flynn, Rutherford Weekly Articles By: Allison Flynn, Rutherford Weekly Ambassadors of business and good will t f t w t t s t f O l Phil D l ht O l Phil D l ht

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