Gaston County’s
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The Banner News / banner-news.com
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Art by J Exhibit Opening Reception
Stowe Building 100 N. Main St. • Belmont • NC
July 19, 2016 4:30 - 6:00 pm
WIN
For information contact Ted Hall 704.825.5307 ted.hall@montcrossareachamber.com
$3250 see inside
Volume 82 • Issue 25
News From a Neighbor
Art by J owner Jeaniene Dibble's high school students will exhibit their art in the offices of the Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce. Public Invited ~ No Admission
For upcoming events visit montcrossareachamber.com
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, June 23, 2016
North Belmont Elementary bus driver John Kale honored By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Kayla got her face painted by Catherine Courtlandt at Juneteenth held in Belmont at Stowe Park on June 18th. See more Juneteenth on page 3. Photo Provided
BannerNews donates decades of Mt. Holly News volumes to Mt. Holly Historical Society
Friends, family, and former colleagues of the late John Kale gathered recently at North Belmont Elementary to remember his decades of service to the school and to name the bus parking lot in his honor. Kale, who passed away on Nov. 5, 2015 at the age of 82, was a fixture at North Belmont for more than 30 years, serving as a bus driver and custodian. Not only that, he lived across the street from the school and “kept an eye on things” even when he wasn't on the clock. More importantly, he touched the hearts and minds of everyone he came into contact with, especially the kids he carried to and from their homes on a bus. Kale was born on January 3, 1933 on the Stowe Spinning Mill village in North Belmont. He lived there with his family (mom, dad and 5 siblings) and worked at Stowe Spinning until he left in 1951 to serve in the Air Force in Texas, Korea and Japan). He was honorably discharged in 1955 and returned to his family and job at Stowe Spinning. In 1958 he went to Barber College in Durham and worked in Charlotte until opening his own shop in Springwood. As long hair became very popular in the early 70’s, his business started falling off drastically and he started driving a bus for Mt. Holly in February 1973 to supplement his income. An opportunity came up and he switched to North Belmont Elementary school on March 11, 1973. On October 22, 1973, he started working full time at East Gaston High School as a custodian. On March 11, 1974 he went to work full time at North Belmont as head custodian and continued to drive a bus. He retired from North Belmont Elementary school in the fall of 2010 but continued to open up and close the school for a number of years afterwards. Kale spent practically every day when the weather was warm sitting on his porch swing relaxing. Many parents, students and teachers would wave to him each day at the start and end of the day. See JOHN KALE page 2
By Alan Hodge
has come in different sizes and carted from place to place as the the the books match the paper's editorial offices of the Mt. Holly The BannerNews has do- dimensions for each period. News moved and it was time for nated bound volumes of the The papers are originals. The volumes had been See DONATION page 2 Mt. Holly News going back to 1945 to the Mt. Holly Historical Society's museum collection. The volumes will be placed in a special room so folks can view seven decades of local history as it appeared in the actual newspapers. BannerNews publisher Greg LedJohn Kale's wife Brenda, surrounded by family, is seen holding the sign dedicating the North ford approved the Belmont Elementary bus parking lot in his honor. The sign will be posted at the entrance to donation. the lot on Woodlawn St. across the road from where Kale lived. Photo by Alan Hodge “They are the people of Mount Holly's newspapers and the museum is By Alan Hodge budget had good news, but the place for them “We honor Jamie with this alan.bannernews@gmail.com there was nonetheless a sol- budget,” said city manager to be,” he said. The volumes go The Mt. Holly city coun- emn aspect to the proceed- Danny Jackson. “We know year by year and are cil approved the FY2016- ings as Mt. Holly's finance he would be proud of the hard hard bound in book Mt. Holly Historical Society members Mary Smith and Garrie Brinkley 2017 budget at last week's director for many years, the work that went into its prepaform the size of the came to the BannerNews office last week, loaded up nearly 70 years meeting. The approval came late Jamie Guffey who passed ration.” papers themselves. worth of bound Mt. Holly News editions, and took them to the society's following a public hearing away on December 18, 2015 Jackson thanked finance was remembered. Guffey had officer Africa Otis and new Over the decades museum on Main St. where they will eventually be available for viewing on the matter. the Mt. Holly News and research. The financial part of the been with the city for 15 years. Photo by Alan Hodge See COUNCIL page 4 alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Mt. Holly council approves FY2016-2017 budget
July 9th - Uptown Shelby
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