Gaston County’s
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Good news for great people! Volume 87 • Issue 52
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Blessings of Peace & Health!
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Just Jeepin’ 4-A Cause club combines camaraderie, caring By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Folks who own Jeeps do all sorts of things with them from stump jumping to cruising boulevards looking cool. But there’s one group of enthusiasts, Just Jeepin’ 4-A Cause, that uses their vehicles to help others. The club was founded in 2019 by Karen Finley and her husband Larry after he put forth the idea of a Jeep show to help raise funds for the Love Like Lauren Foundation which is a charity helping children with cancer. From there, the club
and the number of worthy causes it helps raise awareness for has grown. “We are not your average car club,” Karen said. “We have meaning behind everything we do.” Right now, the club has 1,900 members in North and South Carolina. Many of them live in our area- Belmont, Mt. Holly, Gastonia, and Charlotte to name a few locales. All you need is a Jeep and a willingness to help other folks in need. A classic example of the club in action took place December 17-19 when a group of members
made their way to Kentucky in the aftermath of the deadly tornado outbreak. “You could see the damage on TV but when you are actually there it’s unreal,” Karen said. “It was like going down a regular road and everything was destroyed.” The club gathered food, bottled water, and toys from a variety of local donors and loaded them in two trailers. Donors included Gaston county citizens as well as businesses like Rick’s Body Shop and Keffer Dodge. Just Jeepin’ 4-A Cause leader Karen Finley with her Jeep “Lucky 7”. She and Photo by Alan Hodge See JEEPIN, Page 3 her husband Larry co-founded the club in 2019.
The Year in Review Part 1
2021 proved that Covid could not conquer our communities By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
If 2021 proved anything, it was the fact that even though the Covid virus was still around, folks were not going to let it keep a lid on life any longer. Here’s a sampling of some of the top stories for the first half of 2021 from the BannerNews archives that illustrate that point. The BannerNews kicked off 2021 with the edition dated January 7. Those pages announced the retirement of long time City of Belmont employees public works director David Isenhour and water plant supervisor Chuck Flowers. Between them, the guys had 56 years of service. That issue also featured an article on the upcoming 30th annual Belmont Unity Day event recognizing the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The January 14th BannerNews led off with an article profiling the Mt. Holly Arts on the Greenway scene
and some of the artists that do their work there. The same paper ran a story on how our local ancestors did business with each other back in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Smith family who were local entrepreneurs and land owners back then, were highlighted. On the inside pages, there was a story telling how NC Gov. Roy Cooper was finally starting to relax Covid restrictions. The January 21st BannerNews profiled local musician Karen Hite Jacob and her expertise on the harpsichord. Jacob also founded the Carolina Pro Musica group that performs tunes from the Baroque era. Another musical story in that edition looked at the new pipe organ that was being installed as part of the First Baptist Mt. Holly fire reconstruction job. January wrapped up with the issue dated the 28th and a lead story touting the good work done by local Meals on Wheels volunteers. The YMCA also got coverage
for their presentation of a community service award to H&M Catering for their work in providing lunches to hungry kids. On the inside pages, there was an article on the NC snow skiing industry and the fact that the slopes were open for business. February rolled around and a lead story in the edition for the 4th examined the efforts of Fred Glenn to preserve the one room Baltimore School that African-America kids had attended back in the 1920s-1950s. The school building is in Cramerton. Another story that week praised the BackPack Weekend Food Program and the work the organization had been doing to make sure kids didn’t go hungry on weekends. The February 11th version of the Banner News highlighted Valentine’s Day and the love story between Jack and Gearl Dean Page who had been married for 70 years. Another article that week profiled Reid High See REVIEW, Pages 6 & 7
Belmont Middle School principal Susan Redmond at the new school in April.
Senator Kathy Harrington announces retirement Majority Leader Sen. Kathy Harrington (R-Gaston) has announced she will not seek reelection. Sen. Harrington is in her sixth term representing Gaston County in the North Carolina State Senate. She was elected by the Senate Republican Caucus to serve as majority leader for the 2021-22 session. Sen. Harrington said, “I’m
EVERY THURSDAY
immensely proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish over nearly 12 years in the Senate. It’s been an honor to serve the people of Gaston County. “Looking back at my tenure I can say for a fact that I’ve accomplished all my goals and worked tirelessly on behalf of my constituents. North Carolina See HARRINGTON, Page 4
Sen. Kathy Harrington