Gaston County’s
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
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Volume 85 • Issue 52
Scenes from the 2019 Lowell Christmas Parade Pages 14 & 15
Thankful for our readers! • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Belmont mourns the passing of Rev. Kenneth Alexander By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Belmont and the surrounding area is mourning the passing of Rev. Kenneth Alexander who died December 14 at the age of 76. Rev. Alexander was a towering figure not only in the African-American community, but everywhere he went and whatever he was involved with. He served as Pastor of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Belmont from 1984 through
the time of his death. He shared his life in marriage with Rev. Ruby Alexander and they were blessed with two children, Jacqueline Alexander Davis and Jarvis “Demond”Alexander. He had two grandchildren, Phillip Davis and Kendall Alexander. Rev. Alexander was born and raised in Rowan County where he lived with his parents and siblings. He was educated in the Rowan County School System and gradu-
ated from Aggrey Memorial High School. He served and was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force. Rev. Alexander was a lifelong learner and attended several colleges and universities including Livingstone College, Hood Theological Seminary, RowanTechnical College, East Coast Bible College, and Shaw Divinity School.. He was awarded his Doctorate of Divinity from East Coast University. Rev. Alexander served as
Moderator and Dean of the Gaston County Missionary Baptist Association where he attained Emeritus status. Rev. Alexander believed in community and truly was a servant leader; he volunteered and was appointed to numerous boards, charities, and commissions and served in multiple capacities. As a result of his untiring work in the community; he was honored as the Citizen of the Year of Gaston County. He was a leader in the annual
2019: The Year in Review Part 1 of 2 in a series covering last year’s BannerNews articles. By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
In addition to the ongoing burst of growth and development stories, BannerNews articles for 2019 provided an eclectic blend of subjects including the arts, recognition of veterans, the ups and downs of sports, and some new faces winning municipal election seats. January 3, 2019 saw the front page of the BannerNews run a story on the City of Belmont recognizing Stephen Roberts as Firefighter of the Year. Another front page piece featured a profile of an unusual business based in the Iron Station area- an alpaca ranch operated by Mike and Shelly Walsh. On the inside, the Jan. 3 BannerNews featured an article on Belmont Sports Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Wade Breeland. A photo layout gave Girls on the Run some press. January 10 came along and
Belmont Unity Day event. He served as a faithful Pastor to the members of Mt. Moriah and those throughout the surrounding areas. He Rev. Kenneth Alexander was a mentor and example of humility recollections. and dedication in the role of “He was one of the finest Pastor, community leader and people I’ve ever met,” Martin advocate for those that soci- said. “He was compassionate ety often overlooked. His and caring. His passing is a infectious smile, booming great loss to the community. voice and laugh gave com- He emulated the virtues of fort to those in his presence. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave his time, talent, and and did not judge people by service with dignity and com- the color of their skin but by mitment while sharing and their character. He had a great demonstrating God’s love. sense of humor and liked Rev. Alexander made a clean jokes. He was also full huge and positive impact on of wisdom.” everyone he came into conFormer First Presbyterian tact with. Belmont pastor Dr. Richard Belmont mayor Charlie Boyce also recalled AlexanMartin counted him as a great der. friend and expressed heartfelt See ALEXANDER, Page 5
Mount Holly Museum schools tour
These students lit the Unity Candle at Belmont’s annual celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. event that took place January 21, 2019. From left- Carsyn Redmond, Belmont Central Elementary School; Rachel Tolbert, Belmont Middle School; Chloe Haun, Belmont Middle; Joshua Morales, Belmont Central; Landon Parrish, Belmont Central; Emmi Haun, Belmont Midddle. Photo by Alan Hodge the front page announced that the BannerNews had donated the bound volumes going back year by year to 1945 to
the Belmont Abbey Library where they are available for public viewing. Another story that week took a tour
of the new Mt. Holly public works facility. Weather was news in that edition of the See REVIEW, Pages 6 & 7
For the first time the Mount Holly Historical Society conducted a museum tour for 120 third graders from Rankin Elementary School. It had been the hope of the museum for several years to introduce Mount Holly area students to the individual, social, political, and economic history of Mount Holly. The museum hired a professional to coordinate the museum’s exhibits to the North Carolina Essential Standards. Since the third grade studies the “community”, it was determined that they would be best suited for the tour. The museum made con-
tact with Rankin Elementary School. The principal, Ms. Donna Kelly and the assistant principal, Ms. Charlotte Friday gave their approval for the tour. So, on the cool crisp morning of November 25, one hundred twenty third graders from Rankin Elementary School walked two blocks from their school rooms to the Mount Holly Historical Society Museum. They with their five teachers toured ten exhibits, spending five minutes in each exhibit. Each exhibit was presented by a docent familiar with the subject matter. See MUSEUM, Page 4
With prayers of blessings, good health and peace in 2020 from your friends at Community First Media