INSIDE... Need Bees? ................. 2A Goins Trial .................. 3A Opinion ....................... 4A Obituaries ................... 5A Free School Meals! ..... 8A
Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville
Volume 79 • Issue 33 • Wednesday, August 13, 2014
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New bridge dedicated to textile leader By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The threat of rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm and excitement at Saturday's official dedication of the new C.C. Dawson bridge on Lakewood Rd. over the South Fork River in Cramerton. A number of officials attended the event that also featured a visit by members of C.C. Dawson's family. Dawson was a textile leader who came to Cramerton in 1908 and over the course of several decades rose to the position of president and general manager of Cramerton Mills until his retirement in 1950. The bridge that the new one replaced was dedicated on April 9, 1952 with a ceremony that included a speech by NC Highway Commission chairman Dr. Henry Jordan and music by local school bands. Dawson was in Europe at the time of the dedication, but was represented at the
event by his wife, Lucille. At the dedication of the new bridge on Saturday, Dawson's grandson, Claude Dawson, and other grandchildren Bobo Tanner, Suzanne Chitwood Tanner, and Sarah Dawson Dycus were in attendance. As a young boy Claude had attended the second dedication of the old bridge in 1962 when a plaque was unveiled with Dawson's name on it. “Grandad loved Cramerton and its small town atmosphere,” Claude said. “This new bridge is great.” Folks that attended Saturday's event heard plenty of praise for the new bridge See BRIDGE, 6A Photo by Alan Hodge
The grandchildren of C.C. Dawson were in attendance at the dedication of the new, second, bridge named in his honor. From left: Claude Dawson, Sarah Dawson Dycus, Suzanne Tanner Chitwood, Bobo Tanner, Cramerton Mayor Ronnie Worley.
Black batted his way into MHS Hall of Fame By Kathy Blake Special to the Banner News
When Tracy Black was in junior high and high school, people could tell what season it was by the shape of the ball he held. Black played football, basketball and baseball, though he admits basketball was “something to fill in. It wasn’t my passion.” More like something to do, to get from the end of football to the first pitch of spring. “I was always the kid who had to be playing something,” he said. The other two sports –
Tracy Black
Goat Island Park expanding By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
especially baseball – have put Black, 52, of Lowell, in the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame. Black played all three sports for Mount Holly Junior High and East Gaston High School, and has a trophy for being awarded school Athlete of the Year. He played both sides of the ball, as a free safety and tailback, on the 1978 football team that won East Gaston’s first Southwest Conference title and was state Class 3A runners-up. “Everything just came together that year,” he said. “Going into my sophomore year, we had the same group of guys that won the junior high championship at Mount Holly, so when we got to East Gaston, they weren’t doing so well in sports but when we were in 10th grade, we started to turn things around as far as winning. Everything just clicked. We weren’t one of the biggest teams, but as far as talent, ability and speed, everything fell into place. We had the right guys in the right spot, and it was just a bunch of guys who loved to play.” (He cites fellow MHSHOF inductee Richard Dill, a member of the 1978 team, as “one of the best athletes I every placed with – a standout type of talent.”) But when Black graduated in 1979, football was put on hold. “Baseball won See BLACK, 7A
Groundbreaking for Phase 2 of Goat Island Park in Cramerton took place Thursday afternoon under a sunny sky and with the sparkling waters of the South Fork River as a backdrop. “Contract end date is April 1, 2015,” town manager Michael Peoples said of the project. “We are probably looking at having a grand opening in June. Blythe Construction is the general contractor and McGill Associates are the engineers.” A number of dignitaries were in attendance for the groundbreaking including Mayor Ronnie Worley, US Congressman Patrick McHenry, NC Senator Kathy Harrington, and NC State Director USDA Rural Development Randall Gore. Town commissioners Sandra Ware, Tammy Lawrence, and Demetrious Koutsoupias were there as was mayor pro tem Will Kauthen. “It's great so many people showed up this afternoon,” said Worley. “I am excited to get this phase of the park
Coal ash in limbo Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The North Carolina General Assembly adjourned its short session recently without any sort of consensus on what to do about the ongoing Duke Energy Coal ash storage situation. Like rust, coal ash never sleeps, and millions of tons of it will still be snoozing in Duke Energy steam station lagoons when the politicos return from recess in November. One of the four most risky coal ash storage sites is Riverbend Steam Station just a few miles from Mount See COAL ASH, 7A
started.” Congressman McHenry had this to say. “Congratulations to Cramerton. This is a great partnership between the town and USDA Rural Development.” Phase 2 of the park will include a pedestrian bridge across the South Fork to Goat Island Park. The 365-foot steel and wooden span will be anchored at a spot near the fire station on 8th Street and the other end will be on Goat Island itself. It will feature lighting and look similar to the bridge already in
place on the island's Lakewood Rd. entry point. Other amenities in Phase 2 will include a dog park, permanent ping pong tables, cornhole boards, and playground equipment for youngsters from 2-5 years old. There will also be an observation deck where folks can fish or just watch the South Fork flow lazily by. The Phase 2 project cost is around $1.5 million. The Town of Cramerton has so far accumulated a little over than See GOAT ISLAND, 6A
Change coming for Belmont festivals? By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Last week's meeting of the Belmont City Council saw a sparse crowd in the gallery and two members, Martha Stowe and Ryan Schrift, absent. Nonetheless, several important topics were bandied about during the course of the evening. Park and Recreation Director Sallie Stevenson put forth the idea of making some big changes in the number of fes-
tivals the city holds each year. Basically, her plan would see the Fall Festival and Red, White, and Belmont events nixed and replaced by a two day Garibaldifest extravaganza. Stevenson's justification for the changes included saving the city $1,700 in employee overtime costs as well as the overall expense of throwing three festivals. Stevenson also pointed out that a survey conducted by her department See COUNCIL, 7A
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