Banner-News 11-27-19

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Volume 85 • Issue 48

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

We wish you a

Blessed Thanksgiving

We are Thankful for our readers! • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Jeff Ramsey receives Cramerton Lifetime Achievement Award By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info

One of Cramerton’s most recognizable and beloved citizens, Jeff Ramsey, has been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cramerton Community Committee for his many years of dedicated service to the town. The formal presentation took place at last Thursday’s town

commissioner meeting. “I am humbled and honored to receive the award,� Ramsey said. “I have always had a passion for Cramerton.� Ramsey is the second recipient of the award. His cousin Ted Reece was given the inaugural honor last year. Jeff and his parents came to Cramerton from Coco Beach, Florida in 1965 when

he was just two years old, but the family roots in Cramerton go way back. His great grandfather Ed Reese was a superintendent in Cramer Mills in the early 1900s. “I was told by my grandparents that living in Cramerton was a golden ticket,� Ramsey says. Ramsey’s contributions to Cramerton are voluminous and here are some examples.

Ramsey’s first major civic involvement in Cramerton began when he we was elected as a town commissioner in 1993 and was with the Parks and Rec. Dept. headed up by Cam Carpenter. “I told Cam if you give us ten years we will make the best Parks and Recreation Dept. in Gaston County,� Ramsey said. That vow led to the es-

tablishment of a youth baseball team. Today, the various Cramerton Parks and Rec. programs have over 500 participants. Other Parks and Rec. Dept. projects that Ramsey weighed in on included support for Goat Island Park and renovation and expansion of the gym. Another big project that Ramsey was heavily involved in was the Cramerton Centennial celebration. He served as chairman of the organizing committee and did considerable research into the town’s past that helped

Jeff Ramsey make the event a huge success. He was also in on the founding of the Cramerton Historical Society. Yet another of Ramsey�s activities was helping with the creation of the Cramerton Veterans Memorial. Any time there is a celebration or event in Cramerton, Ramsey is sure to be a part of the action. See RAMSEY, Page 4

Riverbend coal ash cleanup complete

These clients at The Center (formerly East Gaston Adult Day Care) in Catawba Heights had a good time last week recalling how they celebrated Thanksgiving growing up. From left- Oscar Benton, Carmen Dorsey, Elizabeth Forney, Buddy Mayberry. Photo by Alan Hodge

Recollections of Thanksgiving past By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info

Thanksgiving is a special time of year and a group of senior citizen folks at The Center (formerly East Gaston Adult Day Care) in Catawba Heights sat down and shared

some recollections of how they spent turkey day back when they were growing up. Carmen Dorsey, 79, is originally from Puerto Rico and talked about how Thanksgiving was celebrated on that semi-tropical island when she lived there as a girl.

“I was born in the town of Aguadilla,� Dorsey said. “We lived in a small house. My mother was a single mom and there were five kids. When I came home from school I had to do yard work. Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico is a big deal. We were poor

but every family shared the food. My mother always had a nice meal. We might have a small turkey or a chicken we had raised.� Later, Dorsey’s mother married a man from Maine and the family moved there. See RECOLLECTIONS, Page 6

Last week, Duke Energy submitted their final 6th Month Progress report on the clean up of coal ash at the retired Riverbend Stream Station on Mountain Island Lake. Duke has removed all ash from the site, totaling 7.4 million tons, to permanent lined storage. Catawba Riverkeeper Brandon Jones commented “This announcement should be celebrated by the residents of Gaston and Mecklenburg counties who fought and advocated for the protection of their drinking water. We are now one step closer to the elimination of coal ash as a threat to the Catawba River. We look forward to the day when all ash is either recycled or stored in lined and monitored landfills.�

Prior to the cleanup, ash was stored behind leaking dams on the banks of the lake. Coal ash contains toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, selenium, and chromium. Mountain Island Lake is the drinking water reservoir for over 800,000 residents of Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. With the ash removed, final grading is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Contaminated groundwater on site will continue to be monitored and remediated until it meets NC standards. This report marks a significant milestone in the almost 8-year campaign by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation (CRF) to clean up coal ash. After initial sampling by See CLEANUP, Page 7

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