Fighting cancer, one lap at a time
Butler does it again
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page 20
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Volume 8, Number 18 • April 30 to May 6, 2015
Discover Mint Hill returning this weekend Discover Mint Hill will return this weekend for the eighth year in a row. The festival, slated for Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Carl J. McEwen Historic Village, will feature a chance for people to learn more about Mint Hill history, meet representatives from local civic organizations, participate in geocaching and Munzee (new for 2015) and more. See more in Josh Whitener’s story on page 3.
by Courtney Schultz education@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Photo courtesy of Sue McDonald
Matthews approves MARA stealth tower height extension by Crystal O’Gorman crystal@matthewsminthillweekly.com
MATTHEWS – Residents of Matthews could soon see a 40-foot change to an existing stealth tower on Matthews Athletic & Recreation Association (MARA) property. The Matthews Board of Commissioners approved on Monday, April 27, allowing the stealth tower to be extended from its
NCAE honors Crown Point’s Mark Anderson as ‘Principal of the Year’
current height of 80 feet to 120 feet, after a lengthy discussion between the board, MARA Holding real estate developer Keith Powell and Susan Urban, MARA’s attorney. The extension was approved 6-1, with Mayor Jim Taylor casting the sole dissenting vote. Taylor voiced concerns about the approval leading to more requests for stealth tower extensions in Matthews.
“I don’t think there’s a compelling reason to complete it, and I’m concerned about future cell tower increases,” he said. Commissioner Jeff Miller questioned why the tower had remained without power since it was built in 2009. Powell explained cell carriers halted building budgets for five to six years because of the recession. Urban (see Stealth tower on page 5)
MATTHEWS – Crown Point Elementary School has found a “great leader in the school community” in its principal, Mark Anderson, and the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) recognized him as the NCAE Principal of the Year. Although Anderson is humbled by the distinction, he said his success stems from Crown Point’s school community. “For over 40 years, the North Carolina Association of Educators through various awards and scholarships has tried to make sure that outstanding educators receive recognition for their outstanding field of work,” said Mark Jewell, vice president of NCAE, an advocacy group that represents more than 95,000 public school educators across the state. The school’s staff and community nominated Anderson for the award, and a panel of professionals selected him from a large number of applicants, Jewell said. “In order to win this award, you have to have outstanding student scores – all kids must be succeeding – and you’ve got to have the assessment and data to back that up,” said Dr. Betty Howell Gray, consultant for the board of directors of the National Alliance of Black School (see Principal on page 14)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Faith, 16; Calendar, 18; Sports, 20; Classifieds, 23
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