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Thursday, August 3, 2017
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Volume 83 • Issue 31
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
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Thursday, August 3, 2017
Science camp had kids putting on their thinking caps By Alan Hodge Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
While some kids spent their summer gazing at their smartphone or fidget spinner, a group in Cramerton learned about forensic science, built rockets, and dissected a sheep brain. The later assemblage of young lads and lassies attended the annual summer science camp organized and taught by Jennifer Ramsey and Marcie Mauldin who teach AIG (academically/intellectually gifted) students at Belmont Central and New Hope elementary during the regular school year. Their camp is not officially affiliated with Gaston County Schools. “We want to let the kids use science to develop their analytical skills,” Ramsey says. “We started the camp because we felt like their wasn't enough hands-on science being taught in school.” The camp consists of two one-week sessions and takes place at the Cramerton Community Center, courtesy of Cramerton Parks and Rec. This year marks the camp's eighth year. Last week saw 29 campers laughing and learn-
ing. “We had a waiting list a mile long,” Ramsey said. Projects the kids worked on were challenging and the results rewarding. “We had them dissect a sheep brain so they could learn its parts and what they do,” Ramsey said. Another project involved building solar powered “cars” out of cardboard, a small solar panel, gears, and wheels. “The car helped the kids learn about different types of energy and the importance of solar energy,” Ramsey said. Other things the kids constructed included dowel rod and popsicle stick bridges, catapults, and soda pop bottle rockets propelled by air and water. The campers also got to put their sleuthing skills to work by learning how to test for DNA and using a microscope to find forensic evidence. One group of “older” kids who had taken part in the camp in years past were on hand to act as See SCIENCE CAMP page 2
These veteran summer science camp attendees, from left- Avery Davis, Graham Williams, and Eric Rodenberger, have taken part for the past three years. They all agreed learning is fun. Photo by Alan Hodge
Belmont receives Main Street Candidates file for 2017 Municipal Election accreditation for third year By Alan Hodge
By Alan Hodge
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
For the third year in a row, the City of Belmont has been honored as a Main Street community by the North Carolina Dept. of Commerce's Main Street and Rural Planning Center. Belmont was one of 39 towns in the state to receive the designation. In our area, Cherryville and Kings Mountain also received the award. North Carolina Main Street and Main Street America (the national affiliation) use two ways to arrive at the results- A Downtown statistics report to measure the economic impact and revitalization efforts (July of each year for the previous fiscal year) and a Program Assessment that evaluates the local Main Street program to ensure that communities are utilizing the Main Street approach, have active boards and committees, staff and member training, have a broad base support, and attend training, etc. The assessment is what the
gained 24 full time and 101 part time jobs created. In addition, there was a net gain of four businesses. Total public and private investment came to $9,305,070. Belmont's downtown director, Vicki Davis, is currently compiling stats for 2017. “Those communities meeting the standards understand that downtown economic
Filing for the Nov. 7, 2017 Municipal Election in Gaston County wrapped up on July 21 with a bumper crop of candidates. Local candidates include: City of Belmont: mayor- Charles Reid Martin; city council - Claudina Ghianni, Ryan John Schrift, Richard Conrad Turner. Town of Cramerton: mayor- William Anderson Cauthen III ; town commissioners- Dixie Friend Abernathy, Demetrios George Koutsoupias. City of Lowell: mayor- Sandra Hiatt Railey, Joshua Shane Robinson; city council- George Philip Bonham, Kenneth Dwayne Chitwood, Kenneth Darrell Ervin, Candace Ward Funderburk, Thomas Stevenson Gillespie, Jeffrey Scott Green, Larry Gene Simonds, Sr. Town of McAdenville: town council- Carrie Breyare Bailey, Farrell Arnett Buchanan, James Edward McCosh, Jr., Gregory Scott Richardson, Kevin Matthew Rink. City of Mt. Holly: city council- James Jason Gowen, Jamie Kellon Hamilton, Phyllis Brooks Harris, Jimmie Mark Hope, Charles Edward McCorkle, Willie Rob Melton, Jr., David Andrew Moore, Lauren Susan Shoemaker. Town of Stanley: mayor- Steven Kirk Denton, Phillip Daniel Sparrow; council Ward 2- Cathy Harrelson Kirkland; council Ward 5- Kerry Reed Hart. 2017 Election Dates to Remember October 8, 2017: Mail-out absentee voting begins for the
See MAIN STREET page 2
See ELECTION page 2
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Belmont’s vibrant downtown area was one reason the city was recently named a North Carolina Main Street community for the third year in a row. Photo by Alan Hodge accreditation is based on and is conducted in December of each year for the calendar year – so the 2017 accreditation is for the activities of 2016. A sampling of numbers from Belmont's 2016 application (for period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016) saw five downtown facades redone, five building rehab projects completed, and seven public inprovement projects completed. The downtown are also
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