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The Banner News / banner-news.com
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Montcross Chamber hosts county commission candidates forum By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
With the March 15 statewide primary election looming, local politicos got their chance last Thursday to answer questions during a forum for Gaston County commission candidates. The event was sponsored by the Montcross Chamber of Commerce and took place in the auditorium on the Kimbrell Campus Gaston College in Belmont. A standing room only crowd turned out to hear the back and forth. The nine candidates actively seeking a seat on the county commission showed up at the talk and listen. Four seats are up for grabs. This included Lewis B. Guignard Jr. from Cherryville Township; Bob Hovis and Robert Crouch from Crowders Mtn. Township; Donnie Loftis, Dave Wofford, Jerry Woods, and Don Grant from Gastonia Township; Mickey Price and Ronnie Worley from South Point Township. Incorporated communities in South Point Township are Belmont, Cramerton, McAdenville, Lowell, southern Mt. Holly, and southeastern Gastonia. The township also includes theuunicorporated area of Brown Town. The forum moderator was Brad Rivers, direc-
tor of the Small Business Center at Gaston College. Timekeeper was Robert Aldrich, owner, Aldrich CFO Services. Fast talking was the order of the evening. Each forum participant was given 90 seconds to introduce themselves and to make a closing case for their candidacy. They were given 60 seconds to answer each one of the 14 question posed by the moderator. The range of questions put to the candidates was broad and deep. Topics focused on the state of Gaston County's infrastructure, tax base, transportation, school bonds, economic development, employment opportunities, and growth management. Taxes got a lot of attention. Most agreed that the decline in the textile industry had hurt the county. “We need to broaden the tax base to include more retail and small business,” said Worley. “We need to look at our economic development strategy. Price declared that to attract more businesses to Gaston, there had to be places for them to locate.
County Commission incumbent Mickey Price (left) and challenger Cramerton mayor RonSee CANDIDATES page 2 nie Worley are vying for the South Point Township seat. Photo by Alan Hodge
Mt. Holly Historical Society museum growing by leaps and bounds By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Volunteers and officers of the Mt. Holly Historical Society have been working hard to expand the museum's space as well as its artifact collection at 131 S. Main and it shows. The MHHS will be holding an open house and Founder's Day event Sunday, March 13 from 2-4pm and at that time take the opportunity to premiere a totally new room outfitted with parlor type items including a 19th century, square piano-forte. The piano was purchased for Susan Rhyne by her father, Moses Rhyne, as a gift for Susan's returning home in Mount Holly to look after her sisters and brother after their mother had died. The piano was manufactured in 1859 in Baltimore, MaryMt. Holly Historical society president Garrie Brinkley and treasurer/collections coSee chair Marian Vanni are seen with some new artifacts that were recently donated HISTORICAL SOCIETY to the museum. Photo by Alan Hodge page 3
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Stowe Park getting upgrades By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
On the Belmont recreation scene the new Kevin Loftin Riverfront Park currently under construction on Catawba St. has been getting a lot of attention, but venerable Stowe Park on S. Main has recently been receiving some much needed TLC. For the past couple of weeks city crews have been erecting orange construction barrier fencing, dumping dirt at the park, and using it to rebuild embankments. “We’re trying to stabilize that steep embankment between south end cherry trees and the steps leading down to the park,” said public works director David Isenhour. “The kids pretty much have destroyed this area with their dirt bikes so council requested that we try and repair.” According to Isenhour, about 150 tons of new dirt has been hauled to the park for the job. After the bulldozer and front end loader finish reinforcing and shaping the embankments, it will be time for landscaping. “Once they finish the embankment we’ll have a landscaping contractor come in and plant ground cover to help stabilize and beautify the new area,” said Isenhour. We’ll also be installing three new park benches on the newly improved sidewalk edging like the ones on the upper end.” In addition to the embankment work, another area of Stowe Park also got some attention. “There is a spring that runs constantly down near the playground area and it was always mucky and wet,” Isenhour said. “ The contractor installed a new French drain and tied it in to the existing storm drain to eliminate the wetness. The work is being funded through our Stormwater Department.” Altogether the projects costs are around $12,000.00 not counting the new benches and concrete pads. Stowe Park officially opened on July 4, 1951 and was the idea of Robert Lee Stowe Jr. Attractions included a Ferris wheel, carousel, “mile-high” sliding boards, a concession stand, movies in the amphitheater, and most popular See STOWE PARK page 6
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