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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2006
LIFE
Section
Urban island getaway
Ms. Elsie’s Bed & Breakfast offers a taste of the Caribbean (center) in the middle of Charlotte. From the colorful decor (above and bottom) to
meal preparation, the bed and breakfast offers visitors the look and feel of the islands.
Ms. Elsie’s Caribbean Bed & Brealrfast always offers a warm welcome
By Erica Singleton
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
P rom the outside it just looks like a regular house on any
Charlotte residential street. No large signs announcing there’s
an award winning bed and breakfast inside, no aromas to alert
you of the taste sensations that await you behind the front doors.
Yet, for those who have ever gone to or stayed at 334 North Sharon
Amity Road, they know Ms. Elsie’s Caribbean Bed & Breakfast is an
oasis hiding in plain sight.
A Blue Ribbon winner and named Best Bed & Breakfast in the
South by T\imer South, Ms. Elsie’s has been described as a “tropical
haven.”
From the time you walk in, the environment takes you away from
the suburban South to a tropical island. There’s lush vegetation
everywhere, a pool in the backyard, vibrant colors, and a three-
course Caribbean breakfast. AH that is missing is the sand.
When you call to make your reservation, it is Cheryl Watkins you
win speak with. However, the owner and chef at Ms. Elsie’s, Watkins
takes a back seat to the women whose picture adorns just about
every room, her grandmother, Ms. Elsie.
“The premise of the house is based on my heart, my best friend; my
grandmother,” said Watkins. “Breakfast is one thing that me and
Grandmother always did together.”
It makes perfect sense, then, that Watkins puts so much effort into
Please see BED/2B
PHOTOS/ERICA SINGLETON
JUDICIAL ETIQUETTE
Courthouse requires respect for law and order
By Erica Singleton
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
Most of us don’t have plans to go out and com
mit a crime, but things happen, whether you’re
stopped for speeding, or jay walking or what have
you; and we end up in a courtroom. Recently, I
had the pleasure of spending my morning in a
court of law, and was amazed at what I saw; it
seems many people don’t understand proper
court etiquette.
Mandrile Young is a bond court magistrate for
York County, S.C. He primarily sees people right
after they are arrested, and finds that for the
most part, folks don’t know how to act in court.
“People go in not knowing when to speak; not
listening. You’re instructed not to speak...hold
any questions until your particular hearing is
done; and that seems to just go in one ear and out
the other,” said Yoimg. “People just act on
impulse. And we’re talking about adults, not
Infill ^
Heart disease
children. If you’re reading something and it hits
them, they blurt out ‘huh-unh’; just reacting on
impulse and you can’t do that.”
Young also has civil and criminal jurisdictions
in York Coimty, and often covers for other judges
in courts other than his Bond Court. He men
tioned a number of things he’s seen during his
time on the bench, that just are not acceptable.
‘You don’t yawn in the courtroom, making huge
Please see COURHOUSET/2B
Heart disease is the number one
killer for African American men and
women living in the United States,
claiming more than 640 lives for
every 100,000 individuals each year.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a
particularly vicious type of heart dis
ease that threatens our community.
Blacks with CAD are much more
likely to suffer and die from this dis
ease than their white counterparts.
African Americans have been imder-
represented in most clinical trials of
CAD and are less likely to receive
state of the art treatment, including
medical therapy, thrombol3i;ics (med
ications to dissolve clots), percuta
neous coronary interventions (such
as angioplasty), and bypass surgery.
What is coronary
artery disease?
Like any other muscle in the body,
the heart requires a constant supply
of ojQ'gen and other important nutri
ents to function properly. Chygen in
the blood is transported to the heart
by blood vessels known as coronary
arteries. Coronary artery disease
(CAD) occurs when plaque builds up
in the wall of these blood vessels,
thereby limiting blood flow to the
heart.
If not enough oxygen carrying blood
reaches the heart, the heart usually
responds with pain, or angina pec
toris. Angina is usually experienced
as pain or pressure in the chest or left,
arm. Many describe it as ‘a weight
sitting on my chest’ or a ‘crushing’
sensation. However a variety of other
symptoms can also present as angi
na. These include: fullness in the
chest, shortness of breath with exer
tion, and nausea. On the other hand,,
the same inadequate blood supply
may cause no symptoms at all, a con
dition called “silent angina.” If one of
the coronary arteries supplying blood
to the heart is cut off completely, a
myocardial infarction (heart attack)
can result.
What are risk factors?
CAD risk factors include things
that you can control or manage, such
as high cholesterol, hypertension, cig
arette smoking and diabetes. There
are also non-controllable risk factors
which include: age (over 50 years),
male gender and a family history of
early CAD.
Risk factors interact with each
other to increase atherosclerosis or
blockage in the arteries. So, if you
have two risk factors - for example,
high cholesterol and smoking - the
odds of getting heart disease are
greater than if you have either risk
factor alone. In addition to obesity
and inactivity, the following risk fac
tors can contribute to CAD:
Hypertension: Nearly 42 percent of
Afncan American men and over 45%
of African American women have
high blood pressure, translating into
a higher risk of cardiovascular dis
ease, including CAD and stroke.
There are a number of effective drugs
to control high blood pressure and
these drug options should be dis
cussed with your provider.
Other measures should also be
taken to reduce blood pressure. These
measures include restricting salt
intake, maintaining a healthy body
weight, and sustaining an active
lifestyle. Unfortunately, few individ
uals with h3q)ertension are treated
properly to attain a healthy blood
pressure level, which is 120/80
mmHg or less.
Diabetes: Diabetes mellitus (DM)
is the presence of elevated blood glu-
Please see HEART/3B