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Obituaries ................. 5 Police Report ............ 7 School News ............ 7 Classified Ads ........... 7 Sports ..................... 6

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Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton and McAdenville

Volume 79 • Issue 50 • Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Pearl Harbor anniversary Belmont’s Gene Reinhardt recalls Dec. 7, 1941

By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Sunday marked the 73rd anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

“It was like a really bad dream.”

That’s how 93-year-old Gene Reinhardt of Belmont recalled the rather rude shock he and his fellow soldiers got at their Pearl Harbor, Hawaii military posts around 8am on December 7, 1941 when it was swarmed by over 350 Japanese aircraft. U.S. naval, air, and ground forces were caught completely by surprise.

Around 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded in the aerial assault. Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget subs were lost. Around 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

At the time of the attack, Reinhardt was in the U.S. Army Signal Corps based at Schofield Barracks on Oahu. He was having a Sunday morning snooze when all hell broke loose.

“The first bomb explosion woke me up,” he said “I jumped out of bed and looked out the window and I saw the second and third bombs falling on Wheeler Field nearby. The situation went downhill from there.”

One memory of the attack still sticks in Reinhardt’s mind.

“I watched a Japanese dive bomber drop its bomb and when it hit there was a ball of fire,” he said. “It made the blackest smoke I ever saw.”

Once Reinhardt and his comrades got over their initial shock, they sprang into action.

“We went to our battle station which was the main telephone exchange,” he said. “We were responsible for the communications at

Schofield.”

The years have added up for Reinhardt.

He’s probably the last Pearl Harbor survivor in our area and is a member of the Last Man Club. According to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, there are only about 3,000 left who were involved in the battle.

“I wish I could recall more about the attack,” he said. “But things have gotten dimmer over the years.”

Over the years, the BannerNews has recognized Reinhardt several times for his role in the Pearl Harbor event, on the 50th anniversary of the attack, then-editor Dwight Frady wrote a long article remembering December 7, 1941 and what President Franklin D. Roosevelt termed a “date that will live in infamy.”

Frady’s full page story appeared in the December 4, 1991 Banner and not only gave an account of the Japanese strike and how it came to be, but also quoted several local folks regarding their recollections of that fateful day.

One person that Frady spoke with was the late Ebb Gannt for whom the new soccer field in Belmont is named. Gantt recalled where he was and how he heard the news that war had come to the U.S. “My first knowledge of the attack came during a football game at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte,” Gantt told Frady. “The PA announcer stunned the small crowd with new that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Ruth and I rushed to uptown Charlotte where the streets were crowded with people shocked by the news.”

In 1978 Gantt and his wife went to Pearl Harbor. He reported the trip to Frady.

“We took a boat tour and the narrator brought tears to the eyes of many as we passed the ships that had been sunk on that day,” he said. “The soul shaking experience See PEARL HARBOR, page 2

Photo by Alan Hodge

Pearl Harbor survivor Gene Reinhardt of Belmont witnessed the December 7, 1941 attack first hand. In this photo he shows a Japanese flag he obtained during WWII.

Belmont rhythm and blues great passes away

By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Photo by Alan Hodge Belmont's 1916 Piedmont and Northern RR depot was recently approved as an historic property by the city council. It is currently the home of South Main Cycles and owned by Steve Pepitone.

1916 Belmont rail depot designated as historic property

By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Thanks to approval last week of an ordinance by the Belmont city council, the town's iconic 1916 Piedmont and Northern rail depot has been designated as an historic property.

Located at 4 N. Main St., the structure is currently the home of South Main Cycles, owned by Steve Pepitone.

“When we moved in a year ago we put having the depot named an historic property on our list of things to do,” said Pepitone. “We have no intent to change the exterior. This is an important part of area history.”

Lucy Penegar, co-chair of the Gaston County Historic Preservation Commission was present when the council approved the historic property designation.

Penegar pointed out the fact that the depot is not just a utilitarian building, but had some significant thought put into its construction.

“It was designed by Charlotte architect C.C. Hook,” Penegar said.

Hook was a prominent architect around the turn of the 20th century and drew up plans for many mansions in the Dilworth neighborhood. He was also involved in designing buildings at what would become Duke University.

Structurally, the depot is done in the mission style. It is constructed principally of tan bricks and has a loading dock See RAIL DEPOT, page 2

Belmont and the surrounding area lost one of its most interesting and talented individuals when George R. Hall, 77, passed away on Nov. 30.

Hall was a longtime resident of the Reid community and was known far and wide for his flamboyant musical style and lively outlook on life. During the 1960s Golden Age of rhythm and blues, Hall not only rubbed elbows with stars like Little Richard and Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, he also took to the stage with them and “let it all hang out.”

Other R&B groups and individuals that Hall, who went by the nickname “Gorgeous George”, hit the limelight with included the Marvelettes, Ike and Tina Turner, Little Esther Williams, and Little Willie John. He knew all of Little Richard’s songs and counted “Lucille” as his favorite.

Contributed Photo George Hall of Belmont passed away Nov. 30. He was known for his musical talent and love of rhythm and blues.

Hall was fond of telling folks that he still stayed in touch with Little Richard.

A self-taught pianist, Hall held day jobs for many

years working in the cafeteria at Belmont Central School and Sacred Heart See GEORGE HALL, page 2

Belmont Christmas Village coming The annual “Belmont Christmas Village” in downtown Belmont will take place Friday, Dec. 12 from 6-9 pm.

There will be a marshmallow roast at Stowe Park and festivities for the entire family.

Enjoy carolers and apple cider as you stroll on Main Street visiting the unique stores along the way. The local merchants abound with unique gifts and toys for everyone on your list including stocking stuffers.

Visit one of the local restaurants and enjoy dinner, appetizers or beverages. Santa will be on the front lawn at City Hall for the children to enjoy and pose for a photo that will forever capture the memory of this experience.

Bundle up with the family and enjoy a ride on Main Street in the horse drawn wagon and enjoy the festive storefront decorations. Rides are $5 per person and begin and end at Caravan Coffee. Tickets are available at the City of Belmont tent at Caravan Coffee. For more details call the City of Belmont at 704-825-8191 or visit www.cityofbelmont.org.

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Page 2

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

PEARL HARBOR continued from page 1 came as we passed the USS Arizona where 1,103 servicemen died.”

Another person Frady interviewed for the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack was Joffre Hart of Mount Holly who said he was watching a ball game when he heard the news.

“The Clippers were playing a team from New-

port News, Virginia,” he said. “About 2:30 or 3pm the announcer shocked me and everybody else with the announcement that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor.”

Another Mount Holly native, Frank Rankin, was at Fort Bragg when the Japanese attacked and he told Frady about what went on

there.

“They put out an order to give live ammunition to the walking post guards,” Rankin said. “They were worried about sabotage.”

For folks past or present who were alive on December 7, 1941, that date will not only live in infamy, it was also one they would never forget.

Archival Photo This picture shows Wheeler Field near Pearl Harbor on fire after the Japanese attack. Gene Reinhardt watched bombs fall on the air base from his post at nearby Schofield Barracks.

RAIL DEPOT continued from page 1

Photo by Alan Hodge This “B”front from the Dec. 4, 1991 Mount Holly News examined the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack from a local perspective.

Police body cams in the works for local force

By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Last week President Barack Obama went on the air in the wake of the Ferguson, Missouri riots and announced a program where the government would spend $75 million to purchase as many as 50,000 “body cams” for police nationwide.

The cameras can be worn either as a clip-on type device or as part of the frame of tactical eye protection.

Local law enforcement is ahead of the curve in the body cam department.

Several months ago, Mount Holly police began exploring the use of body cams and moved forward on the situation by securing funding for the devices.

Chief Don Roper explained.

“We have applied for and have been awarded a grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission,” he said. “We are awaiting the transfer of the funds to purchase our units. Over the summer, we had the opportunity to field test several of the cameras. We plan to purchase

the Taser Axon Flex body worn cameras when the funds are disbursed. We will issue a camera to each of our patrol officers, and are currently working on developing a policy to regulate the use of the devices.”

The Taser Axon Flex body cam that Mount Holly officers will have can be mounted on their eyewear, ball cap, collar, helmet, epaulette, body, or simply on the dash of the cruiser. Cost is around $600 per unit.

In Belmont, body cams are seeing selective use.

The Belmont Police Department is always exploring new technology,” said Sgt. John Wilson. “Currently the Belmont Police Department has video cameras mounted in all of our patrol cars. At this time some Belmont officers, the School Resource Officers, are utilizing body cameras and they are working fine. However, we have no plans to purchase a large amount of cameras. Over the last few years we have tested several body camera systems. If the department finds a practical system and monies can be secured to

purchase that systems we would look at it.”

According to Taser, body cams “ improves behavior of all parties during police interactions; reduces false complaints and lawsuits by accurately capturing video from the officer’s perspective; saves time and increases efficiency – officers spend more time on patrol with automated workflows that reduce administrative workload; enhances public trust and creates safer communities at a lower cost.”

However, the subject of body cams has a variety of opinions. Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union drew up a list of suggestions for police departments who might use the cameras. The list included not allowing officers to edit recordings, limit recordings to uniformed officers and marked vehicles, officers should attempt to tell people they are being recorded, keeping recording for days or weeks rather than years, and allowing people who have been recorded to have access to the material.

out back made of concrete. It's topped by red tiles. A prominent feature of the depot is the P&N logo on the wall facing Main St. The logo is done in blue and white tiles depicting three lightning bolts.

A reference no doubt to the electric trains.

Before voting on the designation, city officials had a chance to peruse a pack of materials outlining the long story of the depot and how it fit into the local scheme Photo by Alan Hodge of things over the decades.

“It was some fascinating reading,” said The P&N logo is prominently displayed mayor Charlie Martin. “There is a lot of on the front of Belmont's 1916 depot. history there.”

The depot was intended as a stop on the P&N electric train line that once connected Gastonia and Charlotte. It was at the end of a three mile spur that ran to Belmont. The line was built 1915-1916 and was the only electric powered regional rail company in North Carolina at the time. It was used extensively by mill workers as a means to get to their jobs.

In the 1930s when automobiles became more common, P&N stopped using the Belmont depot as a passenger stop.

In addition to its current use as a bike shop, the depot had previously housed the Piedmont Carolinas Railroad Museum and a consignment store.

GEORGE HALL continued from page 1 College. He enjoyed playing piano in his unique style for the nuns at Sacred Heart. In later years, he performed for the residents at local nursing homes like the Bryan Center. He also sang and played gospel music at his church, O’Connor Grove AME Zion.

In his younger years, Hall headlined at swinging Charlotte night spots like the Excelsior Club on Beatties Ford Rd., the Hi-Fi Country Club on Estelle St. and the Armory Auditorium. After the shows, Hall and his friends would go to a place called Club Bali for late night snacks and drinks.

He recalled days when he and other black performers often had to sleep on their buses or stay at the homes of friends when touring because hotels were “white only”.

Hall also sang and played at Stowe Park.

Hall’s manager during his performing days was pioneering female, African-American radio announcer “Chatty Hattie” Leeper who worked at WGIV in Charlotte. In her autobiography she made numerous references to Hall who she said “traveled with singing groups and did opening numbers for shows wearing his fancy clothes and performing exotic dance moves.”

Contributed Photo In his heyday during the 1960s George Hall was the spitting image of his personal friend Little Richard.

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Page 3

2014 Belmont Christmas Parade

Belmont Council sets 2015 meeting dates The Belmont city council has set its 2015 regular monthly meeting dates.

Meetings begin at 7pm. in

City Hall, 115 N. Main St. January 5; February 2; March 2; April 6: May 4:

June 1; July 6; August 3; September 8; October 5; November 2; December 7.

Photo by Alan Hodge Belmont mayor Charlie Martin (right) presented certificates of appreciation to folks who had retired from the city over the past year. Awardees included from left: former mayor Richard Boyce, Shyrl Hansil, Richard Spry, Bill Toole, and Sam Watkins.

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Urban archery program approved for Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden At its most recent meeting the Belmont city council gave the green light for Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden to participate in the 2015 NC Wildlife Resources Commission Urban Archery Hunting Season. The state lists the Urban Archery deer season as running from January 10 to February 14, 2015. Last year, the Urban Archery program was approved for the Reflection Point subdivision.

Both DSBG and Reflection Point are in the Belmont city limits.

DSBG approached the city about taking part in the program with the intent of thinning the deer population there.

Jim Hoffman with DSBG explained. “The Garden has had a hunting plan in place for a number of years—now only with bows—to control the deer population. Our program is carefully managed by US Wildlife and only a few specific people are authorized to hunt here. The public is not allowed to hunt; in fact, those in the program have had their backgrounds carefully reviewed and we are not accepting new hunters.”

A lengthy set of rules and regulations is part and parcel of the Urban Archery scenario at DSBG a few of which include: hunting must take place a minimum of 100 yards from a public road and the same distance from a residence or structures within DSBG; hunting stand locations must be placed so they are not visible from roads and walkways within the public areas of the Garden; stand locations must be approved by a designated DSBG staff member; no firearms are permitted on Belmont property of the Garden; permitted hunters arriving and leaving the garden hunting area must report to the DSBG designated staff member; hunters are only allowed to shoot arrows in a downward direction from an elevated location such as a tree stand; only five hunters, chosen by and including the DSBG hunting coordinator, can take part in the program at any given time.

NCDWR statistics showed a total of four does were harvested in Belmont during the 2014 Urban Archery season.

Statewide, the tally was 120 does and 31 bucks.

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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Belmont's Nichols named co-executive director

Town of Cramerton Photo The new bridge for Phase II of Cramerton’s Goat Island Park was brought to town and assembled last week. The 90,000 lb. structure will span the South Fork River from downtown Cramerton to the park.

Once again this year Santa will be visiting the Municipal Complex on the following dates from 2-5 pm: Friday, December 5; Thursday, December 11; Friday, December 12; Thursday, December 18; Friday, December 19. Santa will be located in the Grand Hall in front of the Christmas tree. Bring your children and your cameras and help spread the Holiday Cheer in Mount Holly.

Have breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 20. The event will be held at Discover You, 420 East Central Avenue from 8:30-11am. Call 704-827-6770 to make your reservation or sign-up online at www.discover-you.org.

New state laws took effect last week Several new laws took effect in North Carolina on Dec.1.

Remote controlled aerial platforms, aka drones, got the attention of lawmakers who declared their use illegal to use as a mean to interfere with or monitor wildlife hunting, or harass hunters. Violations are misdemeanors.

Hunters can’t use drones, either.

Another new law bans drones for hunting and fishing. Violators will be committing misdemeanors, unless the drone has a gun attached. Possessing weapon-outfitted drones will be a felony.

Other new drone regulations include a ban on using a drone to willfully interfere with a manned aircraft’s takeoff, landing or flight – a felony. In addition, it will be a misdemeanor to publish or disseminate invasive photos or video captured without consent by way of infrared cameras attached to drones.

One of the world's few flesh eating plants, the Venus flytrap, is native to North Carolina and lawmakers passed a regulation protecting the species.

The penalty rises to a felony for poaching Venus flytraps in North Carolina. Fines also increase for stealing other state-protected plants, such as lilies, pitcher plants, Dutchman’s breeches and orchids.

The law will also begin to count each plant taken as an individual offense.

Offenders could face fines of $75 to $150 per stolen plant. The previous

range was $10 to $50.

Public servants will be protected by Another new NC law was aimed at several new regulations. prison inmates.

Anyone who assaults or threatens Prisons will be able to give or sell another person as retaliation against e-cigarettes, nicotine gum, patches any legislative officer, executive offiand other cessation tools to inmates. cer or court officer for doing his or her However, anyone who gives or sells job may be charged with a felony. It’s a cellphone to an inmate, and any in- already felonious to attack or threaten mate who possesses a cellphone, may those officers directly; the new law be charged with a felony. This was seeks to protect their families and aspreviously a misdemeanor. sociates, as well as their offices, homes Tar Heel gun owners and those who and cars. carry a gun will also be impacted by The NC court system will also be new rules. impacted by a new law approved by The penalty rises to a felony for voters as a constitutional change in the anyone guilty of a second or subse- November 4 election. quent offense of carrying concealed Any individual charged with a firearms in public without a permit. criminal offense may waive a jury trial Detention officers working for a sheriff and instead let a judge handle the case. can carry weapons on school grounds That is, unless the state is seeking a when discharging their official duties. d e a t h Air rifles and BB guns are no lon- sentence. ger defined as “dangerous firearms” in Anson, Cleveland, Harnett, Stanly and Surry counties. They’ve opted out of that definition in a section of law that 3 Tab Roofing Architect Laminate deals with children Funeral Home using guns under Shingles Shingles adult supervision. & Cremation Service $44.96 Square - $14.99 Bundle $54.96 Square - $18.32 Bundle BB guns and the We offer funeral like are still “dan5V Galvanized Metal packages and we honor gerous firearms” in 8’ .............................. $15.49 14’ ............................ $25.95 Caldwell, Durham, existing pre-need funerals. .49 $ Forsyth, Gaston, 10’ ............................ 18 16’ ............................ $28.95 704-629-2255 Haywood, Meck.49 12’ ............................ $22 10’ Ridge Cap .......... $18.95 lenburg, Stokes, www.siskbutler.com Union and Vance Eddie Pigg, Funeral Director Treated Decking, Cabinets, counties.

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At the annual Boatsman Gillmore Wagner client appreciation and Make An Impact Foundation (www.makeanimpactnow.org) benefit, Dale Gillmore announced three major expansions to the Make An Impact Foundation (MAI): two new Co-Executive Directors to provide insight and oversight in the foundation’s operations, $30,000 in grants to be dis- Jennifer Nichols tributed to three local projects in 2014-15, and a new logo to expand public awareness of the foundation.

One Co-Executive Director is Belmont resident Jennifer Nichols who also serves as Director of Institutional Advancement for The John Crosland School (www.johncroslandschool. org) headquartered in Charlotte. The John Crosland School provides educational experiences for children with learning disabilities and special needs.

“Every day, Jennifer works with children with specific attention and learning difficulties,” notes Gillmore. “Her expertise in working with children aligns with the Make An Impact Foundation’s mission of promoting the well-being of underserved or underprivileged children in our community. She sees the possibilities, the opportunities and the synergies within the work of the Make An Impact Foundation. She will allow us to maximize our efforts and we are grateful for her dedication to the Make An Impact Foundation.” Dr. Sean Preston, Head of School for The John Crosland School, was also named Co-executive Director.

One of the grant recipients was Bit of Hope Ranch, a Gaston County non-profit organization that provides a safe place for at-risk children and youth. Their mission is to “Reach, Rescue and Restore” hurting children, families and horses through programs that build mind, body and spirit. Each child is paired with a caring adult and a rescued horse. Together they learn horsemanship skills and character building virtues. Both the "broken" horse and the "broken" child learn to communicate with each other, build trust, and experience life lessons together.

They offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), which is a solution-focused form of psychotherapy that incorporates horses experientially for emotional growth and learning. It is a collaborative effort between a Licensed Therapist and an Equine Specialist working with the clients and horses to address treatment goals. Therapies available to the children at the ranch address anxiety, self-esteem, grief/loss, depression, trauma, abuse, and teen sex trafficking victims.

The Bit of Hope Impact Grant will underwrite the construction of a separate 325 sq ft counseling room inside the main barn. The “Counseling Corral” provides a warm, nurturing environment giving children an emotionally-safe place to meet with specially trained therapists to explore their fears and to effectively deal with their personal challenges. An earlier Make An Impact grant provided for construction of an 11 element Low Ropes Course for the clients and the community.

About Project2Heal: Project2Heal’s mission is to breed Labradors with bloodlines carefully selected for the traits required for the best service dogs. They provide early training and then donate these well-chosen dogs to service organizations, which in turn, train and ultimately place these dogs with children who are injured or disabled. They also allow families with special needs children to bring their dogs over for therapy sessions and regularly visit special needs schools and assisted living homes with the service dogs.

The Project2Heal Impact Grant will fund the use of a new, larger vehicle to transport dogs and volunteers to training, home visits, schools and community events. The grant allows Project2Heal to increase its growth and service area.

About Make An Impact Foundation: Make An Impact Foundation was established by Dale Gillmore and Adam Boatsman, founders of Boatsman Gillmore Wagner PLLC. The not-for-profit was established to promote the well-being of local underprivileged children. The foundation’s goal is to make an impact in the children’s lives through both action and donations. Key initiatives of the foundation include supporting education for all children, serving children with severe needs (homelessness and poverty) and helping children with emotional needs, disabilities and disease.

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Family Worship Center presents “This Christmas, Remember Me” “This Christmas, Remember Me” is a dramatic play being presented at the Family Worship Center of Mount Holly, on December 20th and 21st at 6pm each night.

This play was written and directed by Amelia “Micki” Carpenter, a local writer in Denver, NC .

Micki comments about the storyline, “Nicholas Carrington, searched for Christmas joy through good times, parties, social events and friends, only to become disappointed and depressed. One night a group of children, singing Christmas carols, presented him with a special gift that changed

his life. Through a midnight miracle he discovers that the real meaning of Christmas is to remember Jesus Christ.

The program will also include: “A Christian’s View of Today’s Symbols and Decorations”.

The church is located at 1013 W. Charlotte Ave (Hwy. #27 West) in Mount Holly, NC. Admission is free and this cast of 40 characters will not disappoint you. Pastors Kathy and Gerald Taylor encourage everyone to attend. Charles Carpenter says, “This will really present you with a Christmas to be remembered.”

■ OBITUARIES Margit Piercy Member Berean Grace Church Mount Holly- Mrs. Margit Rohland Piercy, passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2014.

She was b o r n on September 9, 1933 in Muglitz, Czechoslovakia. Mrs. Piercy lived in Germany and moved to the United States in 1954 after marrying Robert Miles Piercy, who was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. She taught herself the English language and became a US citizen in 1974. She lived in Mount Holly for 58 years and was a charter member of Berean Grace Church.

Mrs. Piercy was the daughter of Alois and Rosa Rohland of Germany. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Robert Piercy and her sister Marianne Kison.

She leaves behind many who love her and will miss her dearly.

Mrs. Piercy is survived by two sons, Johnny Piercy and wife Rebecca of Charlotte, and Jerry Piercy and wife Susan of Mount Holly.

Three grandsons, Stephen, Phillip and Robert Piercy and one granddaughter Jennifer Piercy; three great grandsons Ethan, Max and Van Piercy.

She is also survived by her family in Germany; two sisters Gerti Hoffman and husband Fred, Gudrun Marschner and husband Helmut; brothers Dieter Rohland and wife Elizabeth, Gerhard Rohland and

wife Helga, Manfred Rohland and wife Monica; sister in law Margaret Sullivan of Hudson, NC and brother in law Fred Piercy and wife Betty of Lenoir, NC. Mrs. Piercy also leaves behind many nieces and nephews in the US and Germany.

A service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Piercy was held 2pm Saturday, December 6, at the Woodlawn Chapel of Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly. Interment followed at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Berean Grace Church, 1933 Misty Vale Road, Charlotte, NC 28214.

Condolence messages may be sent to the family at www. woodlawnfuneral.org Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly, NC served the family.

Tony E. Rollins Owner Rollins Service Station, Belmont Mount Holly–Tony Eugene Rollins, 68, 1209 Old Hickory Grove Road, passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. He was son of the late Roy and Helen Funderburke Rollins.

He was a member of the

First Baptist Church where he served as Deacon, and was a member of the Beloved Sunday School Class. Mr. Rollins was the owner and operator of Rollins Service Station in North Belmont “Center of Knowledge.”

He is survived by his wife of 47 years Jo Ann Miller Rollins; two daughters, Leigh West and husband Russell of Mount Holly and Beth Parker and husband Chad of Mount Holly; three grandchildren, Tori Parker, Alleigh Hicks and Payton Parker; four siblings, Nancy Dumas and husband Jim of Mount Holly, Johnny Rollins and wife Judy of Belmont, Connie Dixon and husband Tim of Mount Holly and Kenneth Rollins and wife Julie of Mount Holly. Numerous much loved nieces and nephews.

A service to celebrate the life of Mr. Rollins was held at 2pm Friday, December 5, at the First Baptist Church in Mount Holly with Reverend Dr. Kendell Cameron and Rev. Dr. Eddie McGinnis officiating. Interment followed at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery.

The family received friends from 6-8pm Thursday evening at the First Baptist Church.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund, 300 S Main Street, Mount Holly, NC 28120 or to the Mount Holly CRO, PO Box 831, Mount Holly NC 28120.

Condolence messages may be sent to the family at www. woodlawnfuneral.org Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly, NC served the family.

First Presbyterian Church in Mount Holly held a pumpkin sale and donated the $813.25 in proceeds to the Community Relief Organization. Seen with the check are, from left; FUMC Interim Pastor Bryan Hovey, CRO caseworker Peggy Putnam, CRO executive director Alice Bayne, and FUMC member Bob Miller.

Photo by Alan Hodge

WSGE 91.7 FM hosts ‘Socks for Seniors’ collection drive Gaston College Radio WSGE 91.7 FM is collecting socks, toiletries, and gloves for seniors to be donated to a local nursing home and homeless shelter within the radio stations service area.

“This is one of our most beloved community service projects during the year at the station,” said Cathis Hall, WSGE’s station manager.

“We encourage all our listeners and supporters to donate socks, gloves, scarves, soap, deodorant, tooth brushes/toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving razors/shaving cream, shampoo/conditioners, nail clippers and more. We need these items for both men and women. This year our goal is to collect 600 or more pairs of socks as well as the other needed items,” said Ms. Hall.

She added, “Anyone who would like to make a donation but is not sure what to bring, can call the station. The WSGE staff or volunteers can tell you what needed items we may not have received.”

All ‘Socks for Seniors’ donations should be dropped off at the WSGE 91.7 FM studio from 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday at the Gaston College, Dallas Campus, 201 Highway 321 South in Dallas. The radio station is located on the first floor of the Craig Building. The collection drive ends Thursday, December 18.

For more information about the ‘Socks for Seniors’ program visit www.socksforseniors.com or www.wsge.org. You can also call, Cathis Hall at 704.922.6552.

St. Mark’s UMC bake sale is Saturday St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 701 Secrest Avenue, Belmont will have its annual “Angel Bake Shop” on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 9am until 2pm. Available will be homemade baked goods to purchase in bulk that can be taken to a holiday party

or individual serving sizes. Also, brownies, fully decorated cakes, pies, cookies and other holiday goodies that are perfect gifts for teachers, co-workers and neighbors. For more information call 704-825-8175.

Community One Bank in Gastonia recently gave a $2,000 donation supporting the Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties. Left to right: Staff of Community One Bank Nancy White, Reggie Gaither, and Steve Ross present a check to Partnership for Children Executive Director, Michael Linker.

Contributed Photo

Fellowship & Faith

Church Service Directory MT. HOLLY Bethel Baptist Church NC Highway 273 704-827-9846 Burge Memorial Methodist Church 312 W. Glendale Ave. 704-827-2726 Catawba Heights Church of God 122 Tomberlin Rd. 704-827-4225 Cbc-Memorial Apostolic 230 W. Charlotte Ave. 704-827-0968 Chapel Baptist Church 324 N. Lee St. 704-827-5526

Goshen Free Will Baptist Church 1300 W. Catawba Ave. 704-827-3076 Grace Baptist Church 300 Westland Farm Rd. 704-827-8600 Harvest Time Church of God 707 Westland Farm Rd. 704-822-8033 Hickory Grove Baptist Church 3717 Hickory Grove Rd. 704-827-3939 Jehovah’s Witnesses 1736 Kelly Rd. 704-263-0199

Community Christian Fellow-

Lighthouse Full Gospel Church 530 N. Hawthorne St. 704-827-1442

ship 2560 Stanley Lucia Rd. 704-827-5881

Living Witness Ministries 541 Costner St. 704-827-0004

Covenant United Methodist 110 Underwood Dr. 704-820-0603

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd 110 S. Main St. 704-827-4751

Family Worship Center 1013 W. Charlotte Ave. 704-827-7656 First Baptist Church-Mt. Holly 300 S. Main St. 704-827-2481 First Free Will Baptist Church 841 Noles Dr. 704-827-7461 First Presbyterian Church 133 S. Main St. 704-827-0521 First United Methodist Church 140 N. Main St. 704-827-4855

Macedonia Baptist Church 1951 Stanley Lucia Rd. 704-827-9224 Mt. Holly Church of God 208 Rankin Ave. 704-827-8596 Mt. Holly Noles Baptist Church Hickory Grove Rd. 704-827-2013 Mt. Holly Pentecostal Holiness 406 Scott St. 704-827-8201

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church 339 S. Hawthorne St. 704-827-4320 New Covenant United Methodist 14514 Lucian Riverbend Hwy. 704-827-4468 New Providence Baptist Church 1104 Old NC 27 Hwy. 704-827-0822 North Main Baptist Church 1304 N. Main St. 704-827-6141

Featured Church of the Week Stowe Memorial Baptist

Restoration & Deliverance 804 W. Charlotte Ave. 704-820-0954

Shiloh Ame Zion Methodist 1117 Old NC Hwy 27 704-827-8826

Tuckaseegee Baptist Church 511 Tuckaseege Rd. 704-827-4301

Revival Tabernacle of Mt. Holly 826 W. Charlotte Ave. 704-827-2999

Springfield Freewill Baptist 220 Park Terrace Dr. 704-820-0193

Way of the Cross Baptist

Ridgeview Baptist Church 105 Pine Rd. 704-827-3856

St. Anthony of Padua Tradi-

Second Baptist Church 740 Rankin Ave. 704-827-5181

Church 238 Lanier Ave. 704-827-8111

tional Catholic Church 108 Horseshoe Bend Beach Rd. 704-827-8676

Wesley Chapel Holiness Church 324 N. Lee St. 704-827-1993

St. Paul FHB Church 1529 Old Hwy 27 Rd. 704-827-5851

Westview Presbyterian Church 1020 W. Catawba Ave. 704-827-2026

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Page 6

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Crest slips past South Point 13-7

By John Wilson john.bannernews@gmail.com

South Point’s season ended the way it started, with a loss to Crest. But that doesn’t exactly tell the story. At the beginning of the 2014 campaign the Red Raiders traveled to Cleveland County to go against the Crest Chargers.

In that match up Crest manhandled the Red Raiders in a 35-13 blowout. That loss set off a tidal wave of debate about the strength of the South Point program. The Red Raiders started the season 1-3. Then they got their act together. Fast forward a few months and South Point was back at Crest. This time with the Red Raiders were fired up and riding a wave of success. In a tough rematch the Red Raiders came up short. They lost 13-7 to the Chargers in the Western finals of the NCHSAA playoffs.

The 2014 season is something Raider Nation can be pleased with. Coach Lineberger echoed those thoughts in his post game comments.

“We turned it around,” Lineberger said. “It’s a testament to the character of the football team and coaches.”

No one knew how the game would go. Many thought that Crest was just going to blow South Point out. That never happened. The Red Raiders hung tough. Both squads came into the game with high scoring and productive offenses. But this game turned into a battle of defenses.

On that the edge went to Crest. The Chargers have one of the toughest “D’s” in the state. All season Crest smothered opponents. South Point tried everything but only managed 163 yards of total offense and 7 points. Those points came in the 3rd quarter when Tanner Muse scored on a 1-yard run.

Red Raider QB Jaquan Brooks dashes for yards in Friday’s game against Crest.

South Point defensive players Phillip Davis #77 and Jon Ledford #54 haul down a Crest player in Friday’s game.

“We tried everything,” Lineberger said. “We left it all out there. We gave it all we had.”

The South Point defense played well. They limited Crest to 260 yards of total offense and only one touchdown all game. The Red Raider defense played very well in the second half. The Chargers points all came in the first half.

Still the game went down to the wire. South Point played hard. They just didn’t have enough fire power to overcome Crest.

“Sometimes you run up against a team that has more than you do,” Lineberger said. “They had more horses in the barn then we did.”

The Red Raiders may have lost, but they made a heck of a lot of noise during this playoff run.

Coach Lineberger thinks highly of his seniors. Lineberger believes that group has done a lot for South Point football.

“This senior class has won 10 games in 4 consecutive years,” Lineberger said. “I don’t know that anyone has done that.”

Without solid coaching and senior leadership this year’s season could have fell apart early. After a rough 1-3 start things could have ended badly for the 2014 season.

“I’m proud of the seniors,” Lineberger said. “We went from 1-3 to winning 10 games. That’s an amazing accomplishment. We could have been 5-5. We rolled our sleeves up and went to work. We made the most of a bad start.”

For a team that started 1-3 ending at 11-5 isn’t bad at all.

South Point’s Tanner Muse runs for a good gain in Friday’s game against Crest.

Photos by Lydia Julen

Final score 71-45

Abbey basketball loses to Chowan The Belmont Abbey men’s basketball team fell to the visiting Chowan Hawks by a 71-45 score on Saturday night inside the Wheeler Center.

Chowan began the game on an 8-2 run before the Crusaders countered with a 10-2 run of their own to gran their first-and what turned out to be only-lead of the game at 12-10 with 12:16 to play in the first half.

A 20-5 run by Chowan to close the half gave the Hawks a 40-25 lead at the break. The Crusaders shot just 30 percent while Chowan converted 52 percent of its shots.

Chowan maintained its double digit lead for the rest of the game, as the Hawks outscored the Abbey 31-20 in the final period.

The Crusaders shot just 28 percent (16-57) for the game and was just 3-22 (13 percent) from three-point range. Freshman Nick Hough led the way with 11 points, with Deion Lane adding 10. Lane added a team-high seven rebounds.

The Crusaders next game will be December 13 hosting North Greenville.

Stanley Jr Pee Wee football team is the Mid-South Regional Champions. They will advance to the National Championship Pop Warner Super Bowl in Disney World. This team was undefeated in their conference.

Contributed Photo

East Gaston Warriors

www.Banner-News.com

South Point Red Raiders

Stuart Cramer Storm

Player of the Week

Player of the Week

Jon Ledford

Jordan Bryant

Player of the Week

Raven Brooks Basketball Football

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The Banner News | banner-news.com

Page 7

■ SCHOOL

The Community Foundation of Gaston County presented $3,500 to the Junior Achievement organization to fund the Economics for Success program in Gaston County middle schools. Gaston County Schools is proud of its partnership with Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas. For the past 14 years, the organization has provided many programs for students that teach about financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship.

Gaston Schools photo The chili contest was a huge hit on a cold November night, when Image Gallery photography hosted Chamber members, friends and guests for “Network After Work.” All those attending participated as judges of a chili competition, while making business contacts and admiring the photography and studio at Image Gallery, located at 132 N. Main Street in Belmont. After the votes were counted, the prize for the winning chili was awarded to Dot Martin. In the photo, enjoying bowls of the winning chili, are Image Gallery owners Dodie and Scott Huffman (center) with chili contest winner Dot Martin and Belmont Mayor Charlie Martin (left) and Chamber Board member Delta Sanders of Creative Travel. For more information on Image Gallery, call 704.869.8968 or visit www.igstudio.biz.

Montcross Area Chamber photo

Gaston Community Healthcare Commission launches Healthy Gaston Community campaign On Wednesday, November 12, the Gaston Community Healthcare Commission (GCHC), an initiative of Gaston Together, hosted their 2nd Annual Healthy Gaston Community forum. The forum focused on the Healthy Gaston initiative, which recognizes businesses, churches and schools, as they go through the process of creating a “culture of wellness”.

Forum attendees were welcomed by Gaston Together Executive Director, Donna Lockett. Guests then engaged in conversation with CaroMont Health CEO, Doug Luckett, as he stressed the importance of lowering the obesity rate in Gaston County. GCHC Board Chair, David Fogarty, shared the activities and outcomes of the past year and the engagement of Healthy Gaston in the community which included a pilot project at the Bethlehem West church. During 2014, Healthy Gaston volunteers also participated in the Bellies, Bodies and Brains at the Schiele Museum, the CaroMont Community Challenge and the YMCA Gaston Cup among

other events.

Darcel Walker, GCHC Program Manager, explained the Healthy Gaston criteria. The criteria assists businesses, churches and schools in creating a culture of wellness within their organization and recognizes them for making positive changes. They are encouraged to develop and implement “healthy” programming to accomplish health related goals, conduct program evaluations and celebrate success.

The meeting closed with door prizes, including a 90-day family pass donated by the YMCA and a Fitbit Flex provided by the GCHC. Event sponsors were Carolina Orthopaedic, Gaston Family Health Services, CaroMont Health and the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services. If you are interested in learning more about building a culture of wellness at your business, church or school, please contact Darcel Walker at dwalker@gastontogether.org or at 704-867-9869 x110.

Gaston County Schools news Robotics teams qualify for state competition: Seven school robotics teams have qualified to compete in the North Carolina First LEGO League State Championship, which will be held January 17 at N.C. A&T University. The schools competed against 22 other robotics teams in a qualifying tournament where they were challenged to design, build and program their own LEGO robot. The state qualifying teams from Gaston County Schools are: The Cav-Bots from W.C. Friday Middle; The CHEFS from Cramerton Middle; The RoboBuilders from Rankin Elementary; The Beauty and the Bots from Belmont Middle; The Blue Devil Destroyers from Stanley Middle; Team Dynamite from McAdenville Elementary; The Cybernetic Cougars from Costner Elementary.

Costner Elementary School sponsored the Penny War and Fall Festival activities, which raised more than $4,500 to support classroom libraries.

The Highland School of Technology received three honorable mention awards in the What’s Super About Public Schools video contest sponsored by the North Carolina School Boards Association.

The East Gaston High School marching band was named the Class 1A-2A Grand Champion at the Chase High School Trojan Tournament of Bands. The band earned first-place honors in the drum major, percussion, color guard and music categories and received the Trojan Pride Award for outstanding sportsmanship during the competition.

Stanley Middle School students collected 1,162 bags of candy for the Trick-or-Treat Extravaganza at Stanley Total Living Center. James Miller’s class collected the most candy with more than 400 bags.

Gaston College News

Stowe Pointe building 55 more homes Lennar Carolinas celebrated the Grand Opening of the final phase of the popular Stowe Pointe community in Belmont recently. Near South Point High School, the model home is at 329 Stowe Road.

The new phase, where 55 new homes will be built and several already are under construction, is a short drive from the model along Samuel Pinckney Drive and Amanda Lane. An intersection is planned from

the new section to Ewing Drive near Paige Elementary School and connecting with Keener Boulevard. Lennar representative at Stowe Pointe Angela DePietro-Neese, who’s about to cut the ribbon in the photo, says the company has developed all new home plans for the Traditions community.

Also shown are (from left, holding ribbon) Chamber Chair-elect Melia Lyerly, Robert Aldrich, Tricia Griffin, Belmont City Manager Barry

Webb, Melanie Wilson, Josh Stoner, Judy Closson, Jeff Huetteman, Stowe Pointe representative Angela DePietro-Neese, Shenova Hill, Scott Schweitzer, Allison Cottingham, Katie Goforth, Ericka McKnight, Freda Hall, Delta Sanders and Chamber Board member Gina Falco.

For more on Stowe Pointe, call 704.266.4025.

Montcross Area Chamber photo

Classified Ads Homes for Sale/Rent

Land for Sale

Wanted to Buy

Help Wanted

MOBILE HOMES AND APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN KINGS MOUNTAIN-Prices starting at $100/week. Call 704-7394417 or (evening) 704-7391425. (tfn)

LOTS IN GASTON, CLEVELAND, RUTHERFORD and CHEROKEE CO., some with water & septic. Credit no problem, owner will finance with low DP. Call Bryant Realty at 704-567-9836 or www. bryantrealty.org. (12/10)

CASH ON THE SPOT! Will buy tools, riding lawn mowers or building full of merchandise, pictures or anything of value.

Will also buy musical instruments. Call: 704-300-0827 or 704-300-7676. (12/10)

DRIVERS: Regionals with CDL-A, Run Southeast, Midsouth, Midwest. Home Weekly. COMPETITIVE PAY PACKAGE. Good Miles,BCBS,Medical/Dental/Vision. Call Jim at 855-842-8501. (12/10 &17)

BRICK HOUSE FOR RENT IN GROVER – 2-3 BR, 1 BA, new kitchen, big lot. Credit report & police report required. $550/mth + Deposit. Call: 704-692-4719.

(12/10,17,24,31 & 1/07/15)

Classified Deadline Friday 12 NOON

Yard Sale Public Sale NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE on 12/19/2014 @ 10:00 AM at Rick’s Auto on 832 S. New Hope Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054 for: 2007 Dodge Tk, VIN#1D7HE22KX7S186522.

(12/03 &10)

MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE on Saturday, Dec. 13, rain or shine, 733 Old Post Rd., Cherryville. Baby and household items, clothes, and handmade items from Africa.

Check us out online www.

Banner-News.com

Gaston College has planned the following events: • Foreign Film Night - Wednesday, December 10: The TRiO program will present the last Foreign Film Night of Fall 2014 featuring the modern Indian sci-fiction movie Iron Man 3 (2013) directed by Shane Black on Thursday, December 10, 2014, starting at 6 pm in the Dalpiaz Student Success Center, Room 208, Dallas Campus. The movie is based on an American franchise, but with Chinese Cultural Partnership. Following the viewing, a discussion will be led by English instructor John Withers, IV. • Truck Driver Training – Orientation, Tuesday, January 13, 2015: Gaston College, in collaboration with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI), offers Truck Driver Training, which is certified by the Professional Truck Driving Institute (PTDI).

An orientation will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2015.

Classes will be held from February 16 to April 2, 2015.

This 8 ½ -week class consists of classroom instruction, range driving, and road driving. Students completing this course will be prepared to operate tractor-trailer rigs, acquire a commercial driver license and become a professional driver.For more information contact Jeff Switzer at Switzer.jeffery@gaston.edu or 704.922.6381. You may also contact Chris Thompson at 828.726.2380.

• Basic Skills Student Success Spring Schedule, January, 2015: Basic Skills classes for spring 2015 will be scheduled in the morning and evening on the Gaston College Dallas and Lincoln Campuses. Morning classes will be held from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and evening classes from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. This course provides an introduction to the college’s Basic Skills Program by enabling the student to increase his/her knowledge of the Adult High School Program, Adult Basic Education Program, and GED® Program.

Topics include policies and expectations, educational and career goal setting, campus facilities and resources, study skills, communication skills, conflict resolution, self-advocacy, learning styles, time management, placement testing, and the campus’s physical environment.

Students will also learn about available scholarships and opportunities in the Human Resources Development Program and the importance of earning a Career Readiness Certification.

Upon completion, students should be able to function effectively within Basic Skills with a clear goal of graduating with a high school diploma or GED®; further, the student will have the understanding that they can continue their studies as a curriculum student. On the last day class, students will be registered for class in the program of their choice. Morning and Evening Classes: Dallas Campus Dalpiaz Student Success Center, Room 215, January 12 – 15, 2015 and January 26 – 29, 2015. Lincoln Campus Main Building, Room 118, January 12 – 15, 2015 and January 26 – 29, 2015. For more information, contact Leah Mackey, Basic Skills Assistant Coordinator at Mackey.

Leah@gaston.edu or 704.922.6318.

Page 8

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Scenes from the Mt Holly Christmas parade

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Cramerton Christmas parade

Photos By Bill Ward

Photos By Alan Hodge

Don’t Just Visit Cramerton...

Located along the banks of the South Fork River, Cramerton is a town rich in textile history.

Residents and visitors can enjoy nature and all its splendor with miles of greenways and blueways, including the newly opened Goat Island.

Walk one of the smallest Main Streets in America, browse the shops for a treasure or tempt your tastebuds at one of our local restaurants.

Come see for yourself why this little mill village is a town like no other with so much to offer.

Pride in the Past and Faith in the Future...

Mayor Ronnie Worley • Mayor Pro Tem Will Cauthen • Commissioner Sam Carpenter • Commissioner Demetrios Koutsoupias • Commissioner Tammy Lawrence • Commissioner Sandra R. Ware

ARRIVING 2015 Goat Island Park, Phase II

ADDITIONS 12’X365’ BRIDGE • ADDITIONAL WALKING TRAILS • CONCRETE PING PONG TABLES • DOG PARK PERMANENT CORNHOLE BOARDS • AGE 2-5 PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT • FIT PAVILION

Cramerton... Kayaking • Canoeing • Bicycling • Fishing • Picnicking • Disc Golfing • Shopping • Eating