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Thursday, November 18, 2021
Banner-News will publish a day early next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Look for your Hometown Newspaper on Wednesday, November 24th
Good news for great people! Volume 87 • Issue 46
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Charlie Craig - the king of local vintage automobilia By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Back around 100 years ago an Egyptologist named Howard Carter stumbled across the unplundered tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. When Carter poked his flashlight in a hole in the tomb door to see what was inside, the guy behind him asked if he could see anything at all. Carter replied “Yes, wonderful things”. Well, folks, that’s pretty much the scenario when
Charlie Craig of Belmont throws open the doors of the garages at his estate at 4320 S. New Hope Rd. However, instead of gold-crusted goodies and a withered up old mummy, Craig’s treasure trove is an astounding collection of vintage automobiles and stock car racing memorabilia. Indeed, Craig might have the largest assemblage of this kind of stuff west of the official NASCAR museum in Charlotte. Craig describes it thusly. “I have a lot of pretty neat
junk,” he said. But what junk! Cars include a perfectly restored dirt track racer from the early 1950s, a pristine 1961 Corvette, a sharp 1967 Impala, a couple of F150 pickups, and his wife Donna’s gleaming orange 1971 VW bug to name a few. Can you say collectibles? The shelves in Craig’s garage groan with race trophies, vintage helmets, racing suits, and countless photos of him with stars who have come calling including David Pearson and Ellie Mae Clampett. There are rare race car parts too. See CRAIG, Page 10
Charlie Craig with a vintage race car. This is just one of the amazing automotive artifacts he has at his “museum” on S. New Hope Rd. PS the racer cranks and runs.
Highway named for Officer Tyler Herndon By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Veteran Larry Rick greets Alexandra and Shepherd Noll at the Cramerton Veterans Day event.
Cramerton observes Veterans Day By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Communities across our area held Veterans Day ceremonies last Thursday and the one in Cramerton was among the best. Citizens gathered at 11am in downtown Cramerton at the Veterans Memorial and paused to reflect on the service and sacrifices of our
military veterans, Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient Larry Rick was Master of Ceremonies for the event. One of Rick’s friends and fellow Vietnam vet Fred Glenn led the crowd in prayer. Iraq and Afghanistan veteran and Bronze Star recipient Capt. Scott Kincaid delivered the keynote address. See VETERANS, Page 9
It’s been nearly a year since Mt. Holly Police Dept. Officer Tyler Herndon lost his life in the line of duty on December 11, 2020, and another honor was bestowed on him at last week’s meeting of the Mt. Holly city council. Brad Lail with the NCDOT was on hand to present a replica of the signage that will be placed along a five mile stretch of NC273 from I-85 to an area north of the Freightliner factory designating it the Officer Tyler A. Herndon Highway. “It is an honor to be here and name this highway for Officer Herndon who was known for his dedication, kindness, community service, and presenting a posi- A replica of the new NC273 highway sign was presented at last week’s Mt. Holly city council tive image of the Mt. Holly meeting to Officer Tyler Herndon’s family. From left- Holly Weldon, NCDOT Brad Lail, Lindsey Police Dept.,” Lail said. Herndon, Mark Herndon, Debbie Herndon, Chief Don Roper, Deputy Chief Brian Reagan. Photo by Alan Hodge See MHPD, Page 4
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
SHOP LOCAL! Local merchants are open and stocked with everything you need to make your holidays Merry & Bright!
See page 16 for area shops with great deals!