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Volume 114 • Issue 52
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Board of Education elects chairman and vice chairman Cherryville City Council members listen to Centralina Council of Government’s Michelle Nance during a Zoom meeting at last Monday night’s, Dec. 14 regular session, held at the Cherryville Fire Department’s meeting room. (photo by MEP/The Eagle)
City Council meeting update Centralina will help Cherryville as Chapter 160D statute had become cumbersome over time by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Monday night’s, Dec. 14, City Council meeting saw a couple of long-time City employees receive recognition, a Zoom presentation by Centralina Council of Government’s Michelle Nance, and more information on the city’s bond results and a timeline, among other items. In the Zoom meeting with Ms. Nance, she spoke
about the updates to Chapter 160D which, according to Nance (and the UNC School of Government’s web site), “…places these statutes into a more logical, coherent organization. “While the new law does not make major policy changes or shifts in the scope of authority granted to local governments,” continued the web site info, “it does provide many clarifying amendments and consensus reforms that will need to be incorporated into local development regulations.” Nance said the Chapter 160D is effective now but told Council that cities and local governments have until July 2021 to conform See CITY COUNCIL, Page 2
According to the Gaston School’s web site, the Gaston County Board of Education conducted its organizational meeting on Monday, Dec. 7, to select a chairman and vice chairman to serve for the next two years. As per the information on the web site, at-large member Jeff Ramsey was elected by the Board to serve as chairman, and atlarge member Dot Cherry was elected to serve as vice chairman.
The organizational meeting took place following the induction ceremony for elected officials. During the 9 a.m., induction ceremony at the Gaston County Schools Central Office, Dot Guthrie, Cherryville’s Robbie Lovelace, Brent Moore, and Jeff Ramsey were sworn in to serve on the Board of Education. The Honorable David A. Phillips, superior court judge, presided and administered the oath of office. Guthrie, Moore, and
Ramsey were reelected to the Board during the Nov. 3, general election. Lovelace was elected to the Board for the first time. They will serve four-year terms. The first regular meeting for the newly-organized Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 21, at 5:30 p.m., at the Gaston County Schools Central Office. The meeting will air live on Spectrum Channel 21 and the Gaston County Board of Education YouTube channel.
The members of the 2020 Gaston County Board of Education are officially as follows: Jeff Ramsey, At-Large Member, Chairman; Dot Cherry, At-Large Member, Vice Chairman; Kevin Collier, Riverbend Township; Justin Davis, South Point Township; Lee Dedmon, Gastonia Township; Dot Guthrie, Gastonia Township; Steve Hall, Dallas Township; Robbie Lovelace, Cherryville Township; and Brent Moore, Crowders Mountain Township.
The new 2020 GCS’ board is sworn in at their Dec. 7, meeting. Cherryville’s Robbie Lovelace (second from right) will represent Cherryville Township on the Board. It is her first time on the Board. (photo by Gaston County Schools)
2020 CFD awards banquet was a little different this year Ceremony was virtual due to COVID-19 restrictions by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Rev.’s Roberto and Pily Alfaro, co-pastors of the Israel Casa Integral Church in Cherryville. (photo by Camilo Alfaro)
Large menorah built outside Latino church They wanted to honor the very celebration Jesus Himself celebrated in Jerusalem by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
The congregation and ministers have chosen to remember the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which ended Dec.
18, in their own very special way. And what better way to do that than to build a very large, almost first-century-sized example outside their small church off Delview Road. Pastors Roberto and Pily Alfaro and their sons worked on it, and by oldest son, Camilo’s own admission, this isn’t the first time, nor the second (or third, or fourth, or, well, you get the picture) time the devout, Bible-believing family has done this. Said Camilo recently, See MENORAH, Page 8
This year’s Cherryville Fire Department Christmas Banquet and Awards ceremony looked quite a bit different from past years, noted Chief Jeff Cash. “Unfortunately, this year’s Cherryville Fire Department Annual Christmas Banquet and Awards Ceremony was held this past Saturday (Dec. 12) at the fire station due to the COVID virus,” he said. Chief Cash said the ceremony was held virtually but for those who wish to view it, it can be found on their Facebook site. A total of 10 awards, service pins, and scholarships were handed out that afternoon, which was also the same day the CFD staff gave away more of the face masks they had received back in August. Chief Cash said, “We honored some of our finest folks and awarded two scholarships.” He noted that special thanks go out to their various sponsors, adding, “It is
All 2020 CFD awards recipients present at the Dec. 12 ceremony pose for a group picture. They are (left to right): Pete Craft, D/E Barry Heavner, Capt. Nathan Bowman, Tony Jones, Lindsey Lingerfelt, Tyler Heavner, AFC Jason Wofford, Trent Rayfield, and Capt. Chris “Pudge” Cash. (Absent when photo was made was Adam Gunter.) (photo by Jhoan Alfaro) great recognizing special loyal and dedicated folks ryville Fire Dept.’s Ladies Auxiliary. folks which were chosen by serving our community!” Cherryville Chamber The following awards, their peers to be set apart! All award winners help us service pins, and scholar- of Commerce’s Pete Craft provide, ‘…exceptional ships were given at the 2020 was the recipient of the service by safeguarding our ceremony: Service Pins – Chief’s Citizen Advocate community through excep- Adam Gunter, 15 years of of the Year, while the CFD service; Barry Heavner, 30 nominee for Gaston County tional service’”! Also, Chief Cash said years of service; and Chris Firefighter’s Association special thanks goes out as “Pudge” Cash, 35 years of Firefighter of the Year was Trent Rayfield. The award well to their Cherryville service. Ms. Lindsey Lingerfelt is given in memory of J. Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary; as well as Jhoan and Capt. Nathan Bowman Ralph Beam, Jr., and is Alfaro who filmed the cer- were the recipients of the sponsored by the Beam and 2020 Roy Carpenter Me- Davis Family. emony. This year’s “Top Gun” Said Cash, “We are so morial Scholarship, which very blessed to have such is sponsored by the CherSee CFD, Page 3
COMMUNITY FIRST MEDIA
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!