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• Issue 42
Mt. Holly
By Alan
Hodge
News from
• Belmont
• Cramerton
city coun
Thursday,
Octobe
r 19, 2017
DGININSGAREA’S uide
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Volume 83
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Holly • Stanle
y gmail.com see this is Thursday, A large we will happening. Hopefu see group of lly October 19, showed FROGS Mt. Holly you in 2018 for up the 2017 River ing of the at last week's meet- Phase One ribbon Greenway Mt. Holly cil. city councutting.” FROGS Actuall in 2004 and was first organiz ed has raised ronym fory, FROGS is the hundred ac- of thousands of the group of the Greenw dollars for s Friends Mt. Holly greenw tional branch ay, an organiz ay project. the Another apresent Comm unity of the Mt. Holly week's council ation at last Develo Foundation the Commu meetin bent on pment Gaston nity Founda g saw interest boosting and tion of County local greenw construction hand eral checks out of a ay. The FROGS as part of to Mt. Holly sevthe Commu folks meeting came to the pact Fund program nity Imand other to thank the council nity Founda . Commu city officials tion represe support for their Elizabeth Patton of the ntative FROGS project. money. presented leader Cindy the chael, express Mt. ed gratitud Mi- ceived Holly project behalf of s that e on the the “Tonig group. and recipiefunds, the amountres, nt include specificallyht we are here Holly continued say thank you to $2,619 Comm unity d: Mt. Garden , who for Improv to move with the ed Safety forward Accessibility, and it seemed greenway even Melanie when Mt. Holly Commu Black; happen,” that it might not opmen nity way were she said. “Rightsever for Mt.t Foundation, Develapprova obtained, along of Friendl Holly Greenw $2,500 This group ls and permits with ay Bee y, Angela City, despite for support of FROGS (Friend , by the Mt. Holly Autovi ing constru s of the Greenw no; several Historical obstacles. $2,000 years ction of Society, funds a new greenw ay) showed constructionWe understand of Historic for Walking Tour of membethis year. Commi ay in town. up at last week’s been authori for Phase One that Mary Downtown Mt. ttee Labor Mt. Holly Smith; has Holly, Grahamrs included Reggie zed and city council way. We who was is under- cal Society Mt. Holly Histori, Danny are meeting on hand present , $2,000 Reeves McGloh Jackson it be known here to publicly to thank Field Trips/C for Museum , several SHARP awards to and Health officials that the Founda let on, Painter Photo by and the to Program Local Student urricular Activity Achievement and LaurenJohnnie departm City of Mt. Alan Hodge FROGS maker. are excitedtion Shoeents includi Holly ployers and highligh City's commit A commi s, Mary Smith. Police Departm to ts emng the who ttee ment A special a dozen ent, Streets call of duty go “beyond the in its workplaces. to safety and Solid guest applicationsreview ed council to provide The SHARP and for the Berry, meeting was at the and Water Waste, Utilitie program s, Berryhealthy workpl safe sists small Plant and NC Secreta Cheri Reclam aces”. has employers, asWater ation ry of on several been to Mt. Holly cially those SHARP Plant. in high espestands for By Stan hazard past to occasions in the industries, Cromlish Safety to awards present SHARP goal of achievi reach their attestin g ng a safe In five to the Stephen days, the Belmon See COUNC Cowie, Devon t Sports NCHSA IL page Lowery, Hall of Fame will A State 4 Rick Cherry, Champion ball team induct By Alan Hodge place at at its 30th Annual South Point Red and the 2011 alan.bann the Banquet. Raider Baseernew@g Life Center Park Street United The banque mail.com on Tuesda t Pollard, ily (named y, Octobe Methodist Churchwill take Duke A new r 24 Family note speaker University same land Shoemaker in the yond: A book, “Chinaberries Head Basebaat 7:00 pm with book). That is Teacher's Chris Chris grew. and Be- Heights Baptistnow owned by ll Coach, by retired Childho as the keyCatawba up in Amhers od educator collegiate The house Church. only chronic Patricia Journey” had no electric where he baseball at Davidsot County, Virgini Bostic not had to be les her up in the own life a and carried n College ity. Water son basebalfinished as the third-w from a spring growing woods. from 1993 played and 50s, Belmont area during inningest but in a to 1996 shutouts, l history. He also in the the “It 1940s on larger pitcher was hard appearances, how blacks ranked very sense casts in DavidAfter graduat and whites innings gether in light every day,” Bostic work carryin ion, he played pitched, andhigh in strikeou those g water got along baseball said. Other ts, before to“We lived days. several seasonscomplete games. life in theaspects Bostic's Chris returnemoving into Bostic said. in two separate book of profess the coachin d pitching with one little house include shares of societie ional g ranks. cordial and “Sometimes coach andto his alma mater s relations s,” going of the farmer' valuable sometim in 1998 recruiting s wander episodes were on picnics experie es not.” As her as the team’s coordinator ing bulls, over a consiste nce that would cantankerous in the woods, 1944 and tale tells, Bostic serve him where he gained ntly losing neighbo was born and kept up wooden began her life living well Pfeiffer a fuss. Bostic r who constan a in house on University when he took in a little a look at tly also gives Catawba the edge program how as the house andHeights. The farmof a field in related to each her parents and readers See HALL other- and siblings her father's where OF FAME cated on another like it page 8 stood was the as a barber duty in WWII especially how the propert loy of the and his career impacted Smith famAs the book the househo reveals, ld. a time came AY in SATURD See BOOK page 8
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Belmont
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Turnout light for last week’s election By Alan Hodge
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Maybe the cold drizzle that fell all day had something to do with it, maybe not, but last Tuesday's Gaston County muncipal election saw just 12,611 ballots cast out of 89,824 registered voters. That was 14.04% in other words. In Belmont, as of 10am Tuesday morning, around 100 voters had stopped by the Central School poll. “It's been steady,” said worker Ginger Feimster. Incumbent Belmont mayor Charlie Martin was unopposed and got 926 votes, but there were 110 write in votes against Charlie. “I'm glad it's over and just want to thank everyone who thought I did a good job,” Martin said. “I love this town and try to do what's right.” There were two Belmont city council seats up for grabs. Incumbent Richard Turner came away with 815 votes and incumbent Ryan Schrift got 724 ballots. Challenger Claudina Ghianni-Toole got 499 votes and there were 13 write ins. “I appreciate the strong vote of confidence and am excited to keep moving Belmont forward in a positive direction,” Schrift said. “I want to thank the Belmont voters for re-electing me to Belmonts City Council,” said Turner. “I believe that my message of gradual complimentary growth and fiscal policies which are "Belmont Centric" resonated with the voters. I ran with a budget funded by local friends and neighbors who share our community values and who love our town. I will continue to be transparent and accessible to all Belmont citizens.” See ELECTION page 3
Poll workers at Belmont Central School reported a slow but steady turnout on election day. From leftDelilah Winchester, Denyse Downer, Ginger Feimster, Elizabeth O'Connor. Photo by Alan Hodge
Seminary college coming to North Belmont Reprinted courtesy Catholic News Herald Story by Sue Ann Powell
The college seminarians are pictured with Bishop Peter Jugis and Father Matthew Kauth, rector of the new seminary. He blessed the land and buried a few religious medals on the site of the future seminary building. Catholic News Herald photo
Brian Greene’s Christmas train is more than a toy
On October 22, under Carolina blue skies, Bishop Peter Jugis blessed the land that will become the permanent home for St. Joseph College Seminary. The 86-acre wooded site sits along Perfection Avenue in Belmont, just north of Belmont Abbey College. Bishop Jugis was transported to the undeveloped site Oct. 22 on a large green four-wheeler – cheered on by the young men enrolled in the college seminary. They gathered near what will be the main entrance to the college seminary, and the bishop sprinkled the ground with holy water and blessed it. Then he buried a small crucifix and several holy medals near the future site of the seminary chapel, including a St. Michael medal, Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart medals and a Miraculous Medal. In his remarks during the
When Brian Greene of Mount Holly puts his scale model Yuletide train on the Metrolina Model Railroad Club’s track setup at the recent Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, everyone is filled with reverence and awe. A labor of love of all things Christmas, Greene’s 1:87 HO scale train consists of a Tyco locomotive and 10 cars that he turned into what he calls “pure fantasy”. Improvements and additions to the train are an ongoing thing. Greene’s train is done up in an imaginative and spectacular fashion. The locomotive is encrusted in royal blue glitter, and the cars are also covered in green, red, and blue sparkles. One of the cars fea-
See SEMINARY page 4
See TRAIN page 8
By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com