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Volume 86 • Issue 48
Good news for great people! • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
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Thursday, December 3, 2020
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Even with no Miss NC pageant, Gaston’s representatives win scholarships By Todd Hagans Even though this year’s Miss North Carolina pageant was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gaston’s three representatives still managed to win more than $11,000 in scholarships. Recently, the Miss North Carolina organization awarded a total of $40,500 in benefactor scholarships to the young women in the pageant’s Class of 2020. Miss Gaston County Mariana Linares received $1,000, Miss Mount Holly Anne Marie Hagerty earned $3,000, and Miss Gastonia Julia DeSerio tallied $7,800 – the most scholarship money of any contestant. “We are extremely proud to see our Miss Gastonia, Miss Gaston County, and Miss Mount Holly share a total of $11,800 in scholar-
ships – that is more than one-fourth of the money available,” said Delores Cox, the local pageant’s executive director. “It has been a challenging year for our representatives because of the pandemic, but they have worked hard to make the best of our current circumstances and find ways to promote their community service programs and represent their community.” Hagerty received the Jennifer Vaden Barth Innovation Scholarship valued at $1,000 and the North Carolina Community Service Impact Scholarship valued at $2,000. Linares received the North Carolina Electric Cooperatives STEM Scholarship valued at $1,000. DeSerio was the big winner, claiming five scholarships: Eric Ennis Endowed See PAGEANT, Page 5
Belmont installs signal box art wraps in downtown The Main Street Advisory Board and Downtown Belmont Development Association (DBDA) have recently unveiled eight newly wrapped traffic signal boxes in Downtown Belmont that finally brings a nearly twoyear effort to a close. The group’s Design Committee developed the idea to cover the large, silver boxes with artwork selected by the community that would encourage and spur discussion and education about our history by its interpretation through public art, while beautifying these otherwise common looking fixtures. The committee created and selected themes to See ART, Page 4
Woodrow and N. Main St.
2020 Winners from left to right Miss Gastonia’s Outstanding Teen Keelie Jones, Miss Gaston County’s Outstanding Teen Lexi Foy, Miss Mount Holly’s Outstanding Teen Micah Eustache, Miss Mount Holly Anne Marie Hagerty, Miss Gaston County Mariana Linares, and Miss Gastonia Julia DeSerio pose for a group picture at the conclusion of the Miss Mount Holly competition, which was held on Saturday, February 8. The six young women are looking ahead to representing the Gaston region in the 2021 Miss North Carolina competition.
Gaston Schools lunch bus is a welcome sight By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Back in the 1960s the musical group The Who had a hit tune “The Magic Bus”. Now, Gaston County Schools has a bus that may not be magic but still brings smiles when it pulls up. The bus is the vehicle that brings ‘Grab and Go’ meals to students who are engaged in remote learning. Students who are at school two days a week for in-person instruction have breakfast and lunch meals served to them in their classrooms. But, what about when students are engaged in remote learning at home? To ensure that breakfast and lunch are available to all students, Gaston County Schools is continuing its See LUNCH BUS, Page 6
The Gaston County Schools lunch bus at its Holly Hills Apartments stop. Staff includes Mary Hemphill and Renee Underwood. Siblings getting their Thanksgiving lunch are from left- D.J., Zanariah, Tristan, and Jeremiah- plus GiGi the pooch. Photo by Alan Hodge
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