Gaston County’s
The Banner News / banner-news.com
Page 1
Thursday, March 5, 2020 OUR MISSION: Moms in Prayer International impacts children and schools worldwide for Christ c by gathering mothers to pray.
FREE!
WIN
$10,000 see page 24
Volume 86 • Issue 10
www.momsinprayer.org
• Working Moms • Homeschool Moms • College Praying Moms • Moms of Career Age Young Adults • Military Families • Moms Praying For Prodigals • Special Needs Praying Moms • Church Based Groups • Language Based Groups • Prison Based Groups
Good news for great people! • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Mt. Holly Black History Forum one of the best ever By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
The 17th annual Mt. Holly Black History Forum was held last Sunday in the Grand Hall of the Municipal Complex and as the standing room only crowd proved was one of the best ever. The Black History Forum was the brainchild of the late Mt. Holly African-American leader Jim Hope and a handful of other folks determined to preserve and perpetuate the history and heritage of their people past and present. Each
year since its inaugural event, the Black History Forum has presented in music, word, and deed the legacy and lore of local African-America excellence. This year’s event offered a spectacular array of presentations. The event kicked off with a welcome by Mt. Holly city manager Danny Jackson who correctly declared “There are so many beautiful people here.” Several speakers addressed the crowd with remarks outlining the trials and triumphs of the African-
American experience. Kings Mtn. High standout student Kennedy Barnes gave an impassioned oration using quotes from Maya Angelou and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to illustrate the pride and power she feels from her heritage. Special guest speaker Valerie Melton traced her own journey from the blue collar Mt. Holly neighborhood she grew up in to her current position as an advocate for black college students. Melton focused many See FORUM, Page 3
These lovely ladies, who are sisters, came from Charlotte for the Mt. Holly Black History Forum. Front from left- Myra R. Payne, Donna Robinson, Sheila Edwards, Lavone Samuel. Rear- Na’Tanya Hardin. Photo by Alan Hodge
Work underway for third annual Mt. Holly Lantern Parade By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Beth Kendrick has plenty to be proud of by teaching her students dancing and life lessons for four decades. Belmont Parks and Rec. photo
Beth Kendrick retiring after 40 years of teaching dance By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Beth Kendrick is retiring after four decades of sharing the joy of dance with Belmont Parks and Rec. students. Her motto? “At the age of four I
wanted no more than to dance my life away. My dream came true, and my wish for you, is a life fulfilled each day.” A native of Danville, Virginia, Kendrick, whose students have been known to call her “Betherina”, may have been teaching dancing
for a long time, but her love of the art goes all the way back to her own childhood. Her first lessons began when she was just six years old in Danville. She continued taking ballet, tap, and jazz lessons there at the Anne Boyer School of Dance for 16 years. See DANCE, Page 9
The third annual Mt. Holly Lantern Parade will be stepping off later this year, but work on the project has already started. A couple of weeks ago, a group of around fifty folks got together at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Mt. Holly for the first of what will be several lantern crafting workshops to be held over the coming months. Awaken Gallery owner Emily Andress came up with the idea for the parade a couple of years ago. The first two parades doubled in participants and spectators who were agog at the fanciful and fantastic illuminated paper See LANTERN, Page 7
EVERY THURSDAY
This is the lantern that Emily Andress wore in last year’s parade. Photo by Alan Hodge