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Thursday, September 2, 2021
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
We’re open for your business! Volume 87 • Issue 35
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Cramerton Historical Society museum officially open By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
The long awaited official grand opening of the Cramerton Historical Society’s museum took place last Saturday. The event was attended by Society members, Town of Cramerton officials, and a large group of citizens, all of whom shared in the excitement of finally having a place where folks could come and see exhibits relating to Cramerton’s long and interesting history. The Cramerton Historical Society’s physical location is at the Cramerton Community Center’s first (bottom) floor
at 1 Julian Street. No mention of the new museum would be complete without paying honor to the late Ted Reece who was instrumental in its founding. Reece passed away August 2nd at the age of 93. Reece was the youngest of ten children and a life-long member of Cramerton Independent Presbyterian Church. He retired from Burlington Industries and C.H. Patrick after many years of faithful service. He was a founding member of the Cramerton Historical Society and was a former Cramerton Citizen of the Year. He was the recipient of the Cramerton Life-
time Service Award in 2018 and the Cramerton Veteran’s Memorial “Spirit of the Memorial Award”. He was affectionately known as “Mr. Cramerton” and “The Pickle Man”. Ted was an avid golfer and enjoyed many days spent with the “Lunch Bunch” and was a huge sports enthusiast, See MUSEUM, Page 9
Cramerton mayor Will Cauthen (center) cuts the ribbon officially opening the Cramerton Historical Society museum.
Belmont’s Cookie Thompson honors fallen heroes in a unique way By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
There are all sorts of ways to honor and remember our fallen first responder heroes and Cookie Thompson of Belmont has come up with a truly unique way of doing it. Thompson, a highly skilled metal fabricator and race car builder, has prominently placed the images of fallen police officers Tyler Herndon of the Mt. Holly Police Dept. and Jason Shuping of the Concord Police Dept. on the hood of his latest dirt track car build. The graphics were done by Franklin Signs and Graphics in Lowell. Herndon, you will recall, lost his life on December 11, 2020 while responding to a breaking and entering call.
Shuping was killed in the line of duty just a few days later on December 16, 2020. Thompson is a popular frequent visitor to the Belmont Fire Dept. and has done fabrication work there on several occasions. He explained what led him to honor the officers with the race car graphics. “Craig (fire department division captain Craig Austin) let me go on a ride along with them to the scene of a serious car accident,” Thompson said. “It takes a lot to be a police officer of fire fighter, they have hard jobs. That’s what triggered it.” Austin appreciates Cookie’s kindness. “It makes us feel good to See HEROES, Page 4
Happy as larks, the First Baptist Mt. Holly congregation seated in the new sanctuary.
Photo by Bill Ward
First Baptist Mt. Holly holds official ‘grand re-opening’ By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
The long awaited grand re-opening of the rebuilt First Baptist Church of Mt. Holly
took place on August 22. The event was a heartfelt celebration of the church’s literal resurrection from the fire of July 21, 2016, that burned the majority of the sanctuary to
the ground. The five long years of work to rebuild the structure was culminated in a special service that included a number of guest speakers and a
strong sermon by the First Baptist pastor Rev. Dr. Kendell Cameron. The congregation was filled with emotion at finally See FIRST BAPTIST, Page 7
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