Home Care In Redland, NC

Lamar Gardin remembers his mother as a woman who got things done in Ranlo.

When the school bus driver refused to travel down Redland Drive to pick up the neighborhood children, she found the right person to talk to and got the route altered.

When she noticed children playing in the street, she purchased a lot and worked with town leaders to create a park.

The history, and name, of the park fell through the cracks over the years, but Robin Conner is working to bring it back.

Conner joined the town’s recreation committee in January. She was given the task to check out Redland Park and plan a celebration.

“When I went there, I thought what is there to celebrate? The park is raggedy,” she said.

Conner started looking into the park’s history and found a number of things she wanted to change – starting with the name.

Name wrongly changed

Redland Park inherited its name over time from the road on which it faces, Redland Drive.

But its heritage runs much deeper for the Gardin family.

The proper name for the space is actually Gardin Park, named after Beatrice Gardin.

Lamar Gardin was an adult in the Marines by the time his mother tackled the park project, but it remained a source of pride for his family.

When he returned to the area decades later, Lamar Gardin noticed the “Gardin Park” sign was gone. He did not realize it had been renamed.

New life to old park

Conner found documents to support that the property was donated to the town by Beatrice Gardin in the late 1970s. By early 1980, the town dedicated the park and named it after Gardin.

Her family still has a picture of her in front of the old sign.

To show its dedication to the park’s history, town leaders recently put up a new Gardin Park sign, and the county's mapping department changed the name in its record-keeping system.

Conner hopes that’s only the beginning of new life for the old park.

County commissioners have agreed to give money to several recreation departments including Ranlo. Conner hopes town leaders will dedicate a chunk of that money to buy new playground equipment and repave the basketball court.

Recognizing the community

Lamar Gardin remembers growing up in Ranlo. He and his many siblings lived in a house built by his father, Hiram.

“My dad was a brilliant man,” Lamar Gardin said.

Beatrice spent most of her days caring for the children. Her husband worked as a farmer, carpenter and butcher.

His family has always believed in investing in the community, Gardin said. His family was known for donating to what they saw as worthy causes.

Gardin said he sees that same quality in Conner.

“She wants that community recognized as well as all the communities in Ranlo,” he said. “She has done a wonderful, magnificent job. I appreciate her enthusiasm.”

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and Twitter.com/GazetteDiane.

Krista L. Newkirk, J.D., has been appointed the 12^th president of the University of Redlands. Newkirk will join U of R in July 2021.

Krista L. Newkirk spent her formative years on a cattle ranch in Missouri before attending the University of Missouri’s Honor College on scholarship. After two years there, she transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she graduated one year later in the top five percent of her class with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Philosophy. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary.

While in law school, Krista served as editor-in-chief of the William & Mary Journal of Women and the Law and as a teaching assistant. She received the Marshall-Wythe Gambrell Professionalism Award and was selected the Outstanding Woman Law Graduate by the National Association of Women Lawyers. During her time in law school, Krista also served as an intern at the Newport News Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, where she worked with victims and witnesses, negotiated outcomes for the Domestic Violence unit, and prosecuted cases, including felonies. She worked for several years as an attorney in both private practice and at a Fortune 300 company.

Krista joined the Office of Legal Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2003. In that role, she provided legal advice to the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees, and faculty and staff on a wide range of legal topics, as well as managing complex litigation. During this time, Krista was selected by her peers as a Legal Elite in the corporate counsel category by Business North Carolina in 2010, was a graduate of Leadership North Carolina’s Class XIX in 2012, and served on a number of boards, including as Chair of the Education Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Institute for Social Capital which she helped to establish, and the Women + Girls Research Alliance.

In 2012, Krista became the Chief of Staff at UNC Charlotte. As Chief of Staff, she assisted the Chancellor in addressing the major issues confronting the University, managed large-scale projects that crossed divisions, organized the start of the University’s football program and aided in the related conference change, provided coordination for the achievement of strategic goals and initiatives, oversaw the strategic plan development and execution, ensured that analyses were completed to facilitate timely and effective decisions, developed the agendas of the Board of Trustees, and reviewed the annual budget allocations.

Krista assumed the presidency of Converse College in 2016. Under her leadership, Converse enhanced its financial, academic and cultural strength. Her accomplishments spanned developing an innovative strategic plan; launching its first doctoral degree program; expanding its master’s degree offerings; opening an extension campus; celebrating the 50th anniversary of Converse’s enrollment of African American students in a year-long celebration; establishing a campus Unity in Diversity Committee which developed a targeted strategic plan which in part implemented a restorative justice model for incidents of discrimination; expanding athletics to include teams for Field Hockey and Acrobatics and Tumbling and five new men’s programs as well as Esports; and reaching record levels of Annual Fund giving and other fundraising. In addition, Krista led Converse through a thoughtful, research-driven, and collaborative process that resulted in one of its most transformative decisions: to add a coeducational residential college in the fall of 2020, to change its name to Converse University on July 1, 2021, and establish the Converse College for Women.

During her time in South Carolina, Krista was a member of the South Carolina Tuition and Grants Commission (which she chaired), the South Carolina Research Alliance Board, and the South Carolina Independent College and University Board, including chairing its President’s Council. She also served on the advisory board and task groups for the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce (OneSpartanburg), the Spartanburg Academic Movement Board, the College Town Board, and the globalbike Board, and was a Spartanburg Rotarian.

In 2020 Krista was honored as one of the 50 Most Influential People and one of the 25 Women of Influence in the Upstate of South Carolina and was named a Woman of Achievement by the Spartanburg Herald-Journal in 2018.

Krista and her husband, W. Lewis (Lew) Glenn III, have two sons.

REDLANDS, Calif. – Prospects across four different classes gathered at Ted Runner Stadium on the campus of the University of Redlands earlier this week for one of the most anticipated mega camps in the off-season calendar.

The event was broken up into two separate evening sessions, splitting the skill positions from the linemen, and drew the presence of staff members from the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana State, NAU, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Rice, Sacramento State, San Diego, Southern Utah, UCLA, Utah, UTEP and Washington.

With action taking place simultaneously at several different stations on two different fields, it was impossible to see every competitor, but there were a number of eye-catchers among the many participants. Here’s a notebook dump on some of the standouts from the Redlands mega camp:

- Jonah Rodriguez of San Diego (Calif.) Madison was highly impressive going through bag drills, showing power, agility and assertiveness through every station. A dozen programs have already offered and the 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive tackle looks like one of the region’s best uncommitted linemen heading into the summer.

- Local standout Brock Lium from Redlands (Calif.) Citrus Valley flashed a well-rounded skill set at wideout, looking comfortable making catches down field and showing a physical side in one-on-one battles. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound prospect is also being recruited for linebacker at the next level and holds a handful of Group of Five offers, having just taken an official visit to Colorado State. He could be one to monitor closely this coming season.

- Linebacker Andy Devine probably had the top defensive play of the camp. The three-star prospect from San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills dropped back into zone and read a long heave perfectly, lunged backward and made an acrobatic interception in 7-on-7. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound defender holds an offer from Air Force.

- Dillon Gresham was another pass-catcher who popped. The class of 2024 receiver from San Jacinto (Calif.) was explosive out of his breaks and made things difficult for any defensive back that lined up across him in one-on-one matchups. He has a big catch radius and seemed to glide into space on his routes.

- On the topic of receivers in the 2024 class, there was a case to be made for Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger three-star Daijon Calimon as the most explosive on the field. He was quick to gain separation from his opponents, showed terrific hands in traffic and was a fluid runner with great body control.

- At quarterback David Rasor from Newport Beach (Calif.) Corona del Mar and Kadin Semonza of Mission Viejo (Calif.) have become staples of the camp circuit this year and were solid once again after good showings at the recent Elite 11 Regional. Dermaricus Davis, a strong-armed 2024 prospect from Etiwanda, flashed some nice tools and should be one to watch as a junior this fall.

- A current freshman and recent transfer from the state of Texas, cornerback Cameron Jamerson was among the most impressive defenders in the event. A long, rangy defensive back who would line up at a variety of spots, Jamerson was stingy in coverage and looked very comfortable through his backpedal to stick to receivers deep down field. Washington has offered early and we could see him being one of the most coveted prospects in the Inland Empire for the 2025 class.

- Three-star athlete Zack Marshall made the trip up from the San Diego area and looked very good at tight end. He’s a well rounded pass catcher who doesn’t fight the ball and does a nice job of setting up defenders to break free. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect has a chance to contribute early at the next level. Decker DeGraaf, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound athlete from Glendora (Calif.) in the 2024 class, was another tight end who turned heads.

- Class of 2024 cornerbacks Asaad Chapman of San Bernardino (Calif.) Cajon and Miles Jackson of Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.), as well as 2025 safety Dylan Boucher from Riverside (Calif.) North, were a few more standout defensive backs that made plays in the one-on-one portion of camp.

- No one took more reps than La Puente (Calif.) Bishop Amat receiver Delano Franklin and he certainly had his share of success. A springy route runner with good burst, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Franklin looks like the prototypical slot that could make things happen underneath.

- An injury sidelined Andrez Lewis for a chunk of his junior season last year but he looked to be all the way back. The Mission Viejo (Calif.) receiver had arguably the best catch of the night, skying over a cornerback following a crisp stop-and-go route before coming down with possession inbounds. Lewis was one of the most consistent athletes throughout the session.

- The running back group was spearheaded by Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) Etiwanda class of 2024 prospect Jaiden Moss, who was simply an unfair matchup for any linebacker that stepped up against him. He’s shifty and quick with the ball in his hands and looked like a viable pass-catcher, too.

- Offensive guard Jalani Liva from Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita Catholic continued his impressive offseason, showing a tough and hard-nosed style to go along with a balanced blocking technique. Austin Boyd traveled from Lehi (Utah) and turned in a good workout as well, looking light on his feet in drills. Peyton Schaaf, Justin Tauanuu, Nate Hale, Cedric Jefferson, Davis May, Tuineau Muti, Brady Norton and Brandon St. Aubin were some of the other standout offensive linemen.

- Poway (Calif.) edge rusher Brady Tremble showcased length and speed as a pass rusher, while we also liked the frame potential of Yuma (Ariz.) Yuma Catholic edge rusher Jaxson Jones.

- In the 2026 class, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei defensive tackle Tomuhini Topui and San Diego (Calif.) University City defensive back Tay Lockett flashed upside beyond their grade and already have multiple scholarship offers to their names entering their respective high schools.

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the American textile industry packed its bags and left for cheaper-labor countries like China, India and Brazil, with about 99% of U.S. textile manufacturing–and about 900,000 jobs with it–migrating to other shores.

Mark Yeager didn’t let those harsh realities slow him down any, though. Since 1983, when he went from working on his family’s small farm in north Alabama to owning it, he’s also added the jobs of cotton gin owner and linens manufacturer to his resume. It’s that last title that really flies in the face of industry trends. Yeager had the idea of making bedsheets with the high-quality cotton from his own farm in 2015, founding Red Land Cotton and making his first products just before Christmas the following year. Red Land has seen 20% year-on-year growth since then, accelerating to between 30% and 40% in the past several years. The company, which now makes not just bedsheets but quilts, duvets (covers), bath towels and loungewear, had $11 million in sales in the past year, increasing its employee base by 25%–representing 45 jobs–in that time as well. It’s still a small company, but it’s growing fast.

There’s a lot of family history behind those details. “My Dad was raised on a very small cotton farm in southern Tennessee, about 80 miles from where we are now,” said Yeager. “He went into the Navy in 1938 and served in WWII. He got into electronics in the Navy and after he got out, started his own business in Huntsville. He bought a farm nearby and invested in a lot of farmland over the years.”

As a third-generation farmer, cotton was in Yeager’s blood. “I made my first cotton crop in 1980, a very small one,” he said. After taking over the family farm in 1983, he continued to grow the operation. “By 1987, I was farming about 1,000 acres. Realizing that our soil was our greatest asset, I bought more land and leased even more land. Then in 1994 I built my own cotton gin.”

A cotton gin is a group of machines that cleans and separates the cottonseeds from the fibers. Yeager built his own cotton gin to give himself a complete and unsurpassed level of quality control over his product. “My dad was an eccentric kind of person, always looking for a different way to do things,” he said. “My move was to cut out the extra person. I was just 35 and thought I could do whatever I wanted to do.”

“That desire to cut out the middleman fed directly into Red Land Cotton,” added Anna Brakefield, Yeager’s daughter and Red Land Cotton’s co-founder.

“Anna had gotten her college degree at Auburn and moved up to New York City, which I did not like,” said Yeager. “But by 2015, when I had my idea to make bedsheets from our cotton, she had moved back to Nashville. The timing worked out great.” The two made a series of trips to North Carolina to work with Cotton Incorporated, a non-profit that assists companies with business basics like product development, marketing and innovation, and launched the business in 2016. They hired a retired textile expert, Jack Miller, from Greenville, South Carolina, to help, and he still works for them today.

Red Land Cotton products are made entirely from cotton grown on the family farm and processed through the company’s cotton gin. The entire cotton farm is rain fed, so the soil has to be able to hold up during dry spells to make premium cotton.

Brakefield and Yeager have developed a 100% U.S.-based supply chain to spin and weave the cotton and have established their own cut and sew operation in Tylertown, Mississippi. “That was a move to bring even more of our process under our control,” explained Brakefield. “We have a mill owned by Parkdale Mills in Hillsville, Virginia, doing our spinning, while our weaving is done by Milliken and Hamrick Mills in South Carolina. We embrace the rich textile tradition that spans decades and generations in the Southern United States. When we expand to produce a new product we’ve come up with, we go out and put together a whole supply chain of the experts in their craft. We’re even working with vendors up in Maine now, which is really exciting for us!”

One big focus of the company throughout Yeager’s career has been sustainability. “I’m a good cotton farmer–I just need it to rain!” he said. “We believe in sustainability, including practices like crop rotation and cover crops so as to have as minimal impact on the surrounding environment while producing as unrivaled a crop as possible. I have two sons, and I hope they’ll continue with that work.”

Red Land Cotton has had its challenges along the way. “In 2018 or 2019, one of the big weaving mills went out of business,” said Brakefield. “That has a big effect on a small business like ours. 2020 was a huge challenge–the supply chain was fragile even before Covid came along. However, we pivoted and overcame what could have been devastating to our business–we were one of the first to make masks for our Alabama hospitals. We did what we could to stay afloat and give back to the state of Alabama. Having a direct-to-consumer business allowed us to quickly move to make masks and provide to health care workers and our general audience. This kept our team working continuously.”

“Labor can be a challenge, too,” said Yeager. " We are expanding and therefore continually looking for new, engaged and talented workers.”

“Skilled labor in particular,” added Brakefield. “We consistently look at ways to keep our team of skilled workers for the long haul, and it’s a challenge we believe we will face for several years.”

Still, the two co-founders are bullish about the future. “We’re seeing continued sustained growth,” Brakefield said. “We’re excited to be continuing to design and develop new products, and working with new American contractors for our operations.”

“Offering a Made-in-America product is a big deal,” added Yeager. “It’s mentioned in at least a third of our customer reviews on Facebook that they’ve bought because we’re made here in the U.S.A. People really appreciate what we are pursuing with our supply chain and business model.”

“It’s what our customers are looking for,” added Brakefield. “We introduced a loungewear collection last year, along with our new mobile app to reach the younger generations, like my own. They are less interested in home products at this stage of life, and more interested in apparel, so our loungewear is an opportunity. They have a common desire to know where their products come from, where their meat comes from and where their clothes come from. Most people have never been in a textile mill, and even fewer have been on a cotton farm, which is why we share so much of our manufacturing processes and our farming processes on social media and online. It allows them to experience the process firsthand, which is exciting!”

They’re plenty ready for a lot more growth. “I usually grow about 7,000 bales of cotton a year,” Yeager said. “We get about 70 sheets per bale, so we could grow to $84 million in sales just on what we grow today.”

“If you look at all that the U.S. grows, we export about 95% of it,” Brakefield added. “So there’s a lot more we can do here. The resources are here. “

York County's top baseball player has earned his first professional opportunity.

Red Land High School senior Benny Montgomery was selected No. 8 overall by the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the MLB draft Sunday night. He was the fifth high school player selected.

Montgomery has signed with the University of Virginia baseball team, but now has the chance to immediately go pro. The slot value (potential signing bonus) for the eighth overall pick in this year's draft is $5.1 million.

He has until Aug. 15 to sign his professional contract.

"I'm so proud to be a part of the Colorado Rockies," he wrote on Twitter. "I can't thank my family, friends, and coaches enough for helping me along the way."

Montgomery is now the highest-selected player to come out of York County. Hanover's Mark Phillips was taken ninth overall by the San Diego Padres in 2000.

Montgomery joins a prominent list of Red Land baseball players selected in the MLB draft. Former Patriots Brett Wagner (1994, No. 19 overall, St. Louis Cardinals) and Danny Sheaffer (1981, No. 20 overall, Boston Red Sox) were previously first round picks out of college. Longtime Philadelphia Phillies outfielder and 1980 World Series champion Greg Gross was a fourth-round selection out of the high school in 1970.

More:Red Land baseball comes up short of second consecutive state title against Bethel Park

More:Former U.S. Little League champion Red Land to leave organization for Cal Ripken

Montgomery's selection comes as no surprise after a standout and high-profile high school career for the Mid-Penn school in northern York County.

A 6-foot-5, 205-pound outfielder, Montgomery was named Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year this spring after helping lead Red Land to a 25-5 record and an appearance in the Class 5A state title game. Red Land was upset, 4-2, by Bethel Park, but Montgomery went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a hit-by-pitch in the contest.

Montgomery finished the season batting .423 with seven home runs, 22 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 45 runs scored while hitting from the leadoff spot. As a sophomore, the right-hander hit .359 with 14 stolen bases, 23 runs and 23 RBI while helping lead Red Land to a state title win over Lampeter-Strasburg. He missed his junior season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"His work ethic is second to none," Red Land coach Nate Ebbert said in a news release for Gatorade. "I can’t tell you how many times I would go over to the baseball field and see him running hills in the summer heat. He also puts in hours upon hours in the batting cage.”

Montgomery is originally from Bloomsburg and was not a member of Red Land's Little League team that won the U.S. Championship at the 2015 Little League World Series.

He was ranked as one of the top prospects in the country throughout the season. MLB.com had him ranked No. 15 and national baseball analyst Keith Law of The Athletic had him ranked No. 28.

According to scouts, Montgomery's combination of power, speed and arm strength make him a high-level prospect. MLB.com compared him to former Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals all-star Jayson Werth.

Notable drafted players from York/Adams

The MLB draft began in 1965 and has used several different formats, including a January draft. The current draft takes place in July

2018: Brett Kinneman, West York High School, North Carolina State University (Pirates, seventh round)

2018: Cash Gladfelter, West York High School, Shippensburg University (Mariners, 27th round)

2016: Parker Bean, South Western H.S., Liberty University, (Brewers 36th round)

2015: Brendon Sanger*, Fort Myers (Fla.) H.S., Florida Atlantic University (Angels fourth round)

2011: Joe Tuschak Northern York H.S. (Mets 6th round)

2011: Nate Eppley, Northern York, Rider University (A's 29th round)

2008: Cody Eppley, Northern York, VCU (Rangers 43rd round)

2007: Corey Bachman, Northern York, VMI (Cubs 40th round)

2003, 2007: Trent Kline, West York H.S., University of South Carolina (Expos 39th round, Giants 49th round)

2002, 2005: Robert Rohrbaugh, Littlestown H.S., Clemson (Expos 30th round, Mariners seventh round)

2001: Anthony Lerew, Northern York H.S. (Braves 11th round)

2000: Travis Hake, Red Lion H.S., Carson-Newman College (Brewers 27th round)

2000: Mark Phillips, Hanover H.S. (Padres first round, ninth overall)

1997: Mark Hendrickson#, Mount Vernon H.S., Washington State University (Blue Jays 20th round)

1996, 1997: Kevin Kurilla, Northeastern H.S., Va. Tech (Marlins 49th round, Phillies 11th round)

1995: Donnie Moore, Dallastown H.S. (Brewers 16th round)

1994: Bret Wagner, Red Land H.S., Wake Forest (Cardinals first round, 19th overall)

1991, 1994, 1995: Kyle Wagner, Red Land, Wake Forest (Astros 27th round, Cardinals 21st round, Angels 12th round)

1988, 1991: Craig Rapp, Red Land, NC State (Reds 15th round, Braves 35th)

1990: Matt Jones, Red Land (Expos 62nd round)

1988: Keith Bevenour, Delone Catholic, Penn State (Indians 40th round)

1987: Seth Reeser, Northeastern (Braves 27th round)

1986: Jonathan King, York High, York College, Temple (Indians 33rd round)

1985: Keith Wentz, Northeastern H.S., York College (Athletics fifth round)

1984: Paul Slifko, Red Land, Georgia Perimeter College (Red Sox fourth round)

1982: John Dopson, Delone Catholic H.S. (Expos second round)

1981: John Seitz, Red Lion, Shippensburg (Braves 16th round)

1981: Danny Sheaffer, Red Land, Clemson (Red Sox first round, 20th overall)

1980, 1981: Dave Myers, York High, Temple (Yankees 27th round, Mariners 13th round)

1975: Randall Reynolds, Littlestown, York College (Rangers ninth round)

1974: Butch Wynegar, Red Lion (Twins second round)

1974: Greg Kline, Northeastern (Tigers 17th round)

1973: Howard Shoff, York High, York College (Yankees third round)

1970: Greg Gross, Red Land (Astros fourth round)

1968: Robert Overmiller, Red Lion (Red Sox 12th round)

1966: Danny Smith, Red Lion (Red Sox seventh round)

1965: Jim Spencer+, Andover (Md.) H.S. (Angels first round, 11th overall)

1965: Doug King, Northeastern H.S. (Braves third round)

*—born in York

+—born in Hanover

#—living in York at time of signing

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, [email protected] or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.