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Apex High grad wants to be a 'Star'

Hilary Caryl Russell, Staff Writer

January 15, 2004

After Saturday, Jan. 17, Heather (Buchanan) Green, 27, who graduated from Apex High School in 1994, will know if she’s spending the next eight weeks competing for a record contract on national television.

Green, who lives in Hunstville, Ala., is one of 20 finalists selected to compete this weekend in a regional competition for a shot to appear on the USA Network original series “Nashville Star.”

Green makes three New Year’s resolutions every year and she had completed two of the three goals she had set out to do before 2003 ended.

The third one, to sign a recording contract, seemingly was already in the bag when an award-winning music producer Gary Baker had offered her a record deal. Baker wrote the song “I swear” for singer John Michael Montgomery.

“My husband and I decided last year that this was the final year, that if I didn’t get offered a deal then that was it,” said Green.

“Then we decided to make a video for Nashville Star. In it

my car looks like it was broken down on the side of the road and I’m singing about going to Nashville Star. The tape also included a bunch of interviews with my family and friends and even one with my cat,” she said.

Green sent the tape in last November not expecting to hear anything for quite some time, if at all. But fate and luck had something else in mind for her.

“A week later, this woman called and said ‘Whatever you do, don’t sign anything,’ She had actually called my husband first, so he knew before I did,” said Green.

“So when I called back to get more information they already knew who I was and that was really weird. I just didn’t expect to be chosen. They got 100 videotapes a day to watch, so what an honor to be a chosen out of all those entries.”

Green said she’s not so much nervous about performing as she is about figuring out what to wear Saturday night.

Wearing a jeans, tank top and cowboy boots, she said she’s most comfortable when she’s singing and helping out others.

Winning “Nashville Star” and the Sony record deal would not only give her a platform from which her voice could be heard on a national level, but she said the money that platform would afford isn’t something she necessarily needs a lot of to be happy.

“If I make it, there is no need to have millions of dollars when there are people out there suffering and animals out there suffering.”

Green is a devoted animal lover and has been known to rescue to abandoned and neglected pigeons, turtles, dogs, and cats, bring them home and foster them until she is able to place them.

While waiting for her big break, Green has stayed busy not only saving animals but also modeling, going to auditions, dancing, and appearing in commercials.

She’s also gotten some national exposure having appeared in

the movie “Big Fish”, Diamond Rio’s video “Beautiful Mess” as the love interest of a mobster, and danced in the opening act with Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett at the Country Music awards in Nashville.

If she doesn’t win the Sony contract for Nashville Star, Green says she will go ahead and sign a record deal with Baker and continue pursuing her dreams.

“Gary (Baker) would take my songs up to Universal South, a record company, and pitch me to them, and if they liked what they heard, then they would offer me a contract.

“If not, then I could go to any other label I chose and Gary would continue trying to get me one. Getting a record deal is great but it’s a long process and it doesn’t happen overnight. In winning ‘Nashville Star,’ that whole process is sped up and you get to skip a lot of steps.”

Green’s family, who live in Cary, will be in attendance at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville this weekend to watch the blond haired girl with stars in her eyes sing her heart out.

Green just hopes that all her years of wishing and hoping and singing late at night in empty bars will finally pay off, but at the same time, she knows that everything comes in due time and takes a very gracious approach to the possible outcome of the competition.

“I want the best person to win, from the bottom of my heart. I entered this competition because I want some definition, but if it’s not for me, then fine, I’ve got a good home and a good family.”

“Nashville Star” premieres on the USA Network at 10 p.m. on Saturday, March. 6

staff writer hilary russell can be reached at 552-5675 or hilarycarylrussell@yahoo.com


Support group being formed

Alzheimer's group to meet at Apex Baptist Church

Mary Jekielek Insprucker,Contributing writer

January 15, 2004

An Alzheimer‘s caregiver support group is now being formed at the Apex Baptist Church, 110 S. Salem St. The group will meet at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, starting on Jan. 20.

The facilitator for the group is Dick Scoville, who was recently named volunteer of the year for 51 eastern counties by the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern Carolina Chapter.

“Currently, there are in excess of 4 million people with Alzheimer in the United States,” said Scoville. “This means that about one in 75 people are affected by this horrible disease. It, therefore, seemed that in the Apex community we should have a group.”

Meeting agendas will vary. There will various speakers, educational trainers, and possible workshops. Caregivers will be able to address any problems that they are experiencing.

“Discussions are confidential and don’t leave the room,” said Scoville, a Mason and Lions Club member. “One thing that we are careful with is insuring the dignity of the Alzheimer patient.”

This is the Scoville’s first time as a facilitator, although most of his life he has been a trainer. He has trained tool and die machinists, systems programmers, and aviation electricians. However, it is Scoville’s personal experience with Alzheimer that gives him credentials for the position.

Scoville’s wife, Betty, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1992. He was her caregiver until her death in 2002.

“During this time I never contacted the Alzheimer Association. I had worked as a tool and die maker and spent 25 years as a system programmer. The type of work that I did required me to be able to visualize where I wanted to go. Thus, using this logic, I started on Betty’s journey with Alzheimer. As I worked with Betty, at every turn in the road, I evaluated what was happening and where we needed to go. During these 10 years, I gained much knowledge about Alzheimer, learning what I needed to know to support Betty.”

Scoville said he approached his minister, Phil Qualls, at the Apex Baptist Church about starting an

Alzheimer’s caregivers support group because the nurses where his wife was hospitalized encouraged him to do so.

“Nurses and nurse’s aids informed me that I knew too much about the care of an Alzheimer patient to waste this talent that God had given me and I should join an Alzheimer’s support group and share this knowledge with others.”

The Scovilles were married 39 years. Although Betty was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1992, looking back, Scoville believes she was in the early onset stage between ’86 and ’87, when she started dropping community activities in which she was involved.

“In 1992, she started going down hill. It is terrible seeing this disease eat away at somebody that you love. As the disease progressed, she became more and more dependent on me. It appeared that what was in that body was not my Betty.”

Scoville said that at times Betty would become violent, or mad at him. She would also wander out of the house.

“I would then jump in my car and follow her up and down cul-de-sacs. Eventually, she would stop and start looking around. I would then stop the car, get out and ask her if she was ready to go home. She would shake her head yes. I would put her in the car and take her home.”

Betty became dependent on Scoville. He would have to order food for her at restaurants and give her medication.

“There are so many changes that take place, eating, bathing, sleeping, dressing, walking, wheel chair. The list just goes on as the disease takes control of the brain and body.”

Scoville did not just care for Betty the last 10 years of her life; he did so for their entire relationship.

“Whenever she would get in trouble sewing, laying out patterns, or crocheting, I can still hear her screaming ‘Help, Dad, help.’ Most times I was able to help her.”

Scoville has some words of caution to Alzheimer caregivers.

"When you hear a person with Alzheimer’s swearing, hollering, or crying, what you are seeing is a human being that has had control of their body taken over by this dreadful disease. On the outside, the Alzheimer’s body doesn’t change much. But this disease is known as the broken brain disease. An Alzheimer patient’s brain at death is only one third to one half the size of the person without Alzheimer.”

Lastly, he adds, “The first and most important thing for a caregiver is not to take their loved one’s dignity. Remember that in that shell of a body there is someone that loves you, even if they cannot express themselves. So share the love that God gave you with them. Remember the good times.”

For more information contact Scoville at 612-2263 or email dickscov@aol.com





 

January 15, 2004

As a young boy growing up in Sicily, Joseph Cione was thrilled to get the opportunity to march in a parade.

On a beautiful June day in 1937, the 11-year-old felt proud to walk with classmates down “Freedom Avenue” in Palermo, a tree-lined, two-mile long avenue that led to the largest square in the city.

All along that avenue, the huge crowd buzzed with excitement and people jostled to get a better view of the passing parade.

But the thousands of spectators that had waited hours along the street weren’t hoping to catch a glimpse of the many well-dressed children marching along. They were much more interested in getting a good look at the two men being honored by the extravagant event.

And as Cione finished the parade route and stood in the square, he also waited excitedly for what he believed would be a historic moment.

With the crowd roaring wildly, the two men that everyone longed to see stood high on a podium looking down on the masses.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and German leader Adolf Hitler then delivered stirring speeches that promised a glorious future for both of their countries and all of Europe.

Such was the life of Cione while living on Italy’s Mediterranean island during the height of fascism.

Last year, the 78-year-old Apex resident wrote about his memories from that era in his first book, “Sicily on My Mind – Echoes of Fascism and World War II.”

When Cione decided to write the book he did so simply for his family. The memories on paper, he believed, would be a way for his descendants to connect with a way of life that passed long ago.

He also hoped it would help future generations realize how his loving mother, Rosina, rose above difficult circumstances to keep the family intact.

“I just wanted my family, especially my grandchildren and their grandchildren, to have the book as a legacy, to let them know who I was the first 21 years of my life,” said Cione. “I wanted to teach them something about fascism and the tactics they used on children.

After making copies of his book and distributing them among family members and a few friends, Cione couldn’t believe the feedback he began receiving.

“My granddaughter, Rachel, said, ‘Grandpa, this is such a wonderful thing,’” said Cione. “I can’t put it down. Maybe you should publish it. Then other people came to me, friends who read it, and said I should try to publish it.”

Several publishing companies turned down Cione before he turned to 1st Books. In just a few months, he has sold about 300 copies and even received his first royalty check.

“In my old age I never expected this,” said Cione. “I was overwhelmed by the way it was received. What it has given people and me is a joy that I never expected.

“I’ve heard from relatives that I’ve never heard of before. People I don’t know have called me and said they loved it and they are wondering when the sequel is coming out.”

The sequel – which will begin after his immigration to the U.S. in 1947 – will be published some time this spring.

Born in 1926, Cione was the youngest of four children. The book wonderfully details his first seven years of life in the small, close-knit village of Gioiosa that overlooked the sea.

His life then took a drastic change when his father, who lived in America, made a rare visit to Sicily. During his visit he ended up losing the family home while gambling with friends.

Cione along with his brothers, Taddeo and Andrea, and sister, Andrea, were then forced to live in a small apartment in the bustling city of Palermo.

Once the war began, nightly bombing raids by the British turned most of the city into rubble.

Through a great deal of death, pain and fear, the Cione and his siblings looked to their mother for strength. She, in turn, never wavered from her strong religious faith.

It was to his mother that Cione dedicated the book.

“I also wanted to let (my family) know about the suffering we went through in World War II,” said Cione about his reasons for writing the book.

“I also wanted to let them know that their grandmother, or great-grandmother depending on who is reading it, was really a great woman. She is the heroine of the whole book.”

For more information about the book, visit www.1stbooks.com.
 

Input sought for land use plan

Public can review draft of plan at final public workshop

Shawn Daley,Editor

January 15, 2004

It’s been a long process filled with plenty of good ideas from the public.

Now, at last, the end is nearly here.

The third and final public workshop on the town’s comprehensive plan will be held Wednesday, Jan. 21 at the community center. Registration and map review begins at 6:15 p.m. and the workshop is scheduled to end at 9:15 p.m.

This workshop will focus around the first draft of the 2025 land use plan. The plan was created with the help of public input at the first two workshops held in the fall.

Although a plan has been drafted, Apex Senior Planner Dianne Khin said it’s still not too late for town residents to voice an opinion on the subject.

“This is just a draft,” said Khin. “There is nothing set in stone. We want people to look at what we have proposed and tell us if we are headed in the right direction. Public input is still very important at this point.”

The draft will show areas of Apex that have been designated activity centers, employment centers, high-density residential areas, and low to medium-density residential areas.

Town consultants formed the draft based upon information gathered from residents at the two previous workshops.

“It reflects what they heard from the public,” said Khin. “The majority of people were in favor of keeping our current growth boundary. They also expressed their opinions on where we should have certain types of development.”

One of the subjects that will be discussed Wednesday is the location of activity centers. An activity center is basically the area around a busy intersection – such as NC 55 and U.S. 64 – were development can be concentrated.

The draft will also show a transit-oriented activity center at the area where Salem Street and I-540 will intersect (near Kelly Road). That center would include either light rail or bus transportation services for people headed to the Research Triangle Park.

“It would be good for people coming from Sanford or Lee County,” said Khin. “They could park their car and take a train or bus to RTP.

“This is something we are very excited about. We already talked to the Triangle Transit Authority and they thought it was viable. We also talked to (the NC Department of Transportation) about it.”

Two other important aspects of the draft show the downtown area being protected as a “special place” and the area inside the Peakway being designated as a “small-town character area.”

“Nearly everyone talks about protecting the small-town character of Apex and the downtown is the most important aspect of that,” said Khin. “In this area we wouldn’t allow certain development, such as a big-box store. We would only have development that will enhance the downtown core.”

“Actually, it is how growth has occurred in town anyway but this would give it a special designation. We want to (preserve the downtown) so when people drive through they will know they are in Apex.”
 

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