BN 013013 by Community First Media

It’s all Greek to me!

School News 4B

Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville

Volume 78 • Issue 5 • Wednesday, January 30, 2013

McWhirter

MOONSHINE

to be inducted into Belmont Sports Hall of Fame

75¢

Council talks You gotta love this range from once thriving industry! parks to budgets

By Alan Hodge Editor

Alan.bannernews@gmail.com

When South Point High football coach Mike McWhirter is inducted into the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame at its 26th annual awards ceremony and banquet on Feb. 19, it will mark the second time he’s been recognized in a similar manner. The event begins at 7pm at Part Street United Methodist Church. Last year, McWhirter was named to the Lenoir-Rhyne Sports Hall of Fame in honor of his time on the school’s football team where he played from 1972 to 1975. A four-year Lenoir-Rhyne starter, McWhirter was named the team’s Most Valuable

The Belmont City Council got together on Jan. 25 at the Whitewater Center for its annual planning retreat and covered a wide variety of topics ranging from budget issues to parks. The talks looked not only at Belmont’s state of affairs, but how they fit in with the overall regional, state, and even national picture. “This was mostly an informational meeting where we gave the council background and updates on things such as land use and finances,” said city manager Barry Webb. “A lot of the topics we discussed were about partnerships with other agencies and local governments.”

See McWHIRTER, 5A

GCS leaders discuss education with legislators By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Gaston County school board members met recently with several area state-level legislators to discuss concerns ranging from year-round classes to budget constraints. Legislators on hand for the meeting included Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston, District 108), Sen. David Curtis (RLincoln, District 41), Rep. Dana Bumgardner (R-Gaston, District 109), and Sen. Kathy Harrington (R-Gaston, District 43). In addition to the school board members, GCS Superintendent Reeves McGlohon was also in attendance. “We want to make sure we stay in touch with you,” McGlohon told the pols. The meeting covered a number of issues that impact local education. One of these is the option of certain schools holding classes year round with breaks between sessions. A similar concept was approved by Charlotte-Mecklenburg for four of its schools next year. McGlohon supports a cycle that would have kids in school for 45 days with 15 day breaks between sessions. However, he expressed skepticism about See LEADERS, 6A

OBITUARIES, 2A Betty English, Mount Holly Elizabeth Edwards, Gastonia Johnny Neal, High Shoals Judy Norman, Mount Holly William Page, Mount Holly Martha Young, Gastonia Fredrick Zoesch, Clover

INDEX Belmont Police Log ..............2A Opinions ...............................4A Sports...................................1B Classifieds ............................4B GO! Area Events ...................6B

Photo by Alan Hodge

This miniature moonshine still is currently on display at the Belmont Historical Museum as an example of local “pre-textile” industry. It was donated to the museum by Harold Russell, who had acquired it from Kenny Hinson. By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Most everyone knows that textiles were an important part of the industrial evolution of eastern Gaston County, but what is not so common knowledge is that there was once an-

other thriving manufacturing type in our area with an equally interesting and much more colorful story. That business was the making of corn liquor known as moonshine. The Scots-Irish pioneers that settled towns such as Belmont, Mount See MOONSHINE, 6A

The council heard a presentation on the economy that was best described as “cautiously optimistic.” Graphs and other information that council members had in their packets showed a local and state economy slowly rebounding from the last few years. Overall conclusions on the revenue front that council members were made aware of advised prudence where expectations of revenues were concerned. Punctuating that prognostication was the fact that total revenues available to the city in FY 2012-2013 will be $5.1 million compared to $5.28 million for FY 2011-2012. FY 20122013 expenditures are slated at $4.54 million compared to $4.29 million in FY 20112012. See RETREAT, 5A

Mount Holly police log over 10,000 calls in 2012 By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com

As just released 2012 annual reports attest, the City of Mount Holly fire and police departments had a busy time over the past year. On the police beat, Mount Holly dispatch received 10,267 calls in 2012 where an officer was sent out. David James, Mount Holly’s interim police chief, praised the work his staff did. “All of our officers and administrative personnel gave a high level of performance to their duties in 2012 and I know will continue to do so in the future.” James said. The greatest amount of Mount Holly police action came in the form of traffic stops with 2,573 recorded. Traffic stops made up 25 percent of all police action in

Photo by Alan Hodge

As its 2012 annual report shows, Mount Holly police perform a variety of services including visiting places such as East Gaston Adult Day Care, where Officer T. Bell was seen helping Alice Skipper string beads. Mount Holly last year. Checking on “suspicious vehicles”, occupied or not, meant that Mount Holly police were sent out 731 times. The next highest num-

ber of responses by police was in reference to a “suspicious person” with 456 calls. Vehicle wrecks in and around town saw police sent out 305 times.

Folks raising a ruckus in Mount Holly in 2012 resulted in 278 calls for noise violations. Moving down the line, police went out 235 times to check on the elderly or someone else that a neighbor, friend, or relative was worried about. As for those that could not “get along”, Mount Holly police went out 208 times for what was termed “domestic argument”. Other uproars that needed police response in 2012 included 186 civil disputes, 156 verbal arguments, 98 harassments, 84 communicating threats, 47 domestic assaults, and 47 fights with multiple subjects. Other high-response numbers in 2012 by included 199 assists to stranded motorist, 162 juvenile cases, 122 trespass, 91 intoxicated pedestrians, 74 intoxicated drivers, 77 prowlers, 77 damage to property, and 47 drug violations. Other calls that Mount Holly See REPORT, 6A

Where do we go from here... community or chaos? Unity Day celebration fills Basilica with thoughtful words, music By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Soulful and heartfelt music and words soared throughout the Belmont Abbey Basilica last week during the 22nd annual Unity Day celebration in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The event drew a large crowd that filled nearly every seat in the sanctuary. Music was provided by the Queen of Apostles choir, Mount Pleasant Men’s choir, and the attendees who joined together in rousing renditions of “We Shall Overcome” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Reverend Abbot Placid Solari OSB, opened with an interesting bit of history by pointing out the ironic fact that the stone baptismal font in the basilica foyer had once been a slave auction block. Belmont City Council member Charlie See UNITY DAY, 3A

Photo by Alan Hodge

The traditional candle lighting portion of the Belmont Unity Day event last week saw Cheryl Fleming RN, BSN, look on as the tapers were fired by Curran Sentilles, Camilo Salas Bowen, and Caramel Ferdinand.

6,000 pairs of eyes read what you’re reading right now. Let’s grow your business in 2013. Advertise on the Banner News front page! Call Pat at 704-825-0580.

Page 2A

The Banner News

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

■ OBITUARIES Betty Jean English Worked at Bank of America MOUNT HOLLY–Betty Jean Freshour English, 65, 130 Circle Drive, died on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. She was the daughter of the late A. C. and Mary Featherston Freshour and wife of the late Patrick English. She was an assistant vice president with Bank of America. She was a member of Centerview Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by one brother, Gary Freshour. She is survived by one daughter, Terresa Ann “Terry” English of Mount Holly. A service to celebrate the life of Mrs. English was held

Judy Norman Enjoyed scrapbooking MOUNT HOLLY–Judy Diane Bradshaw Norman, 59, 5050 Park Creek Drive, died on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. She was born in Catawba County, the daughter of the late Russell Cain a n d Josie L e e Martin Bradshaw. She was preceded in death by a brother, Bobby Bradshaw. She enjoyed scrapbooking. She is survived by her husband, Cecil C. Norman; one daughter, Teresa Threatt of Mount Holly; two grand-

at 2pm on Thursday, Jan. 24, at Centerview Baptist Church with Reverend Robbie Moore officiating. Burial followed at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior to the service at the church and at other times at the home of Pam and Louie Grijalva, 207 Johnston Drive, Belmont NC. Memorials may be made to Centerview Baptist Church, 2300 Acme Road, Belmont, NC 28012. Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly served the family.

daughters, Megan and Shelby Threatt; one sister, Mamie Helms of Maiden; four brothers, Terry, Steve, and Ricky Bradshaw all of Lincolnton and Jarrett Bradshaw of McAdenville. A service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Norman was held at 11am Friday, Jan. 25, at the Woodlawn Chapel of Woodlawn Funeral Home with Reverend Jason Marlowe officiating. Burial followed at Pineville Cemetery. The family received friends from 6-8pm Thursday Jan. 24, at the funeral home. Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly served the family.

William Bill Page A Master Mason MOUNT HOLLY– William Hoke (Bill) Page died Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013 at 12:50pm. Born Friday, Aug. 25, 1922 in Lincolnton, NC, Bill was the youngest and last surviving of nine children to parents Harry Page and Addie Hoover Page. He moved to Kings Mountain, NC in 1939 and graduated from Kings Mount a i n H i g h School, class of 1941. Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army in December of 1942 where he served during WWII in the China/Burma/India Theater of Operations as a Cryptographic Technician with the Signal Corps, being honorably discharged in Jan. 1946 as a Technician 3rd Grade. On July 30, 1949 Bill married Audrey Doris May of Greenville, NC and attended East Carolina College (now ECU) from Nov. 1955 until graduation in Nov. 1958 with a B.S. Degree in Business Education and was a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter, Pi Omega Pi National Honorary Business Education Fraternity. After graduating, Bill was hired by the Business Development Corp. of NC in Raleigh where he advanced from Loan Examiner in 1958 to Vice President and Secretary in 1980. During this time, he achieved many other

Do you have news to share? Community Events? Sports Scores?

accomplishments including induction as a Master Mason into the William G. Hill Lodge, AF&AM in 1969, induction into the Optimist Club of Raleigh, and earning his NC Real Estate Broker’s license in Oct. 1973. Bill and Audrey founded and successfully ran Professional Monogramming Co. in Raleigh, where they worked until retirement in 1993 and moved to Mt. Holly; he has resided at Morningside Assisted Living in Gastonia for the past several years. Bill participated in the esteemed Rotary “Flight of Honor” for WWII Veterans in 2009. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Raleigh and more recently, First United Methodist Church in Mount Holly. Bill is survived by Audrey May Page, loving wife of 63 years; daughter Clara “Meg” Page Farmer and husband Gregory Scott Farmer, along with grandsons William and Mason of Gastonia; and son, William “Hoke” Page, Jr. and wife Anne Funai Page, along with granddaughter Ana of Morehead City, NC. A memorial service was held at First United Methodist Church of Mt. Holly, 140 North Main St., at 2pm on Saturday, Jan. 26, with visitation and reception immediately following the service in the fellowship hall. Interment will be held at Greenwood Cemetery in Greenville, NC at a date not yet determined. In lieu of flowers, please remember Gaston Hospice, P.O. Box 3984, 258 E. Garrison Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28054. Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly is serving the family.

Martha Sue Young Loving wife and mother GASTONIA- Martha Sue Huffstetler Young, 58, of 4017 Pine Street, died Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. She was daughter of the late Flay Huffstetler and Viola Dellinger Huffstetler. She was preceded in death by a brother William Dennis Huffstetler. She is survived by her husband Robert Young; one daughter Kristy Young of Gastonia; one son Timothy Young and his fiancé Lindsay Hopkins of Gastonia;

Elizabeth Edwards GASTONIA – Elizabeth Edwards “Lalee”, 89, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. She was a native of Gaston County NC, born Nov. 19, 1923 to the late Will and Ella Worthy Edwards. The family received friends from 3-4pm Sunday Jan. 27, at United House of Prayer Gastonia. Funeral service was Sunday, Jan. 27, at 4pm at the church. Burial was Monday at 11am in Gaston Memorial Park.

Johnny Neal HIGH SHOALS– Johnny Adam Neal, 72, went to be with the Lord on TuesdayJan. 23, 2013 at his home. He was a native of Lincoln Co., NC, born June 18,

two grandchildren Skylyr and Pieper Young; four sisters Melvine Parton, Alta Hardin and Betty Huskey all of Kings Mountain and Brenda Sorrow of Shelby; three brothers Ernest Huffstetler of Kings Mountain, Floyd Huffstetler of Mount Holly and Michael Eugene Huffstetler of Lincolnton. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Young will be held at 3pm Thursday Jan. 31, 2013 at the Belmont Congregational Holiness Church with Rev. Jerry Rhodes officiating. Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Holly is in charge of the arrangements.

1940 to the late Daniel Ervin and Ruth Hayes Neal. Visitation was Friday, Jan. 25, from 3-5pm at Salem Baptist Church Lincolnton. Funeral service was Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2pm at the Church with Dr. Andy Royals officiating. Interment was in Salem Baptist Church Cemetery.

Fredrick Zoesch CLOVER, SC – Fredrick Charles Zoesch, 72, passed away on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 at Wayne T. Patrick Hospice House in Rock Hill. He was born April 25, 1940 in Butternut, WI. Funeral service was 2pm Friday Jan. 25, at Withers & Whisenant Funeral Home with Pastor Dale Lawing officiating. Burial was in Gaston Memorial Park.

Whatever your news is we want to know!

Send it to: alan.banner news@gmail. com

Our roots in Belmont run deep. We’ve been a part of this community for almost 100 years. We love our city and work each and every day to make it the best community it can be, just one more way we live up to our motto of “We turn houses into homes.” A better community safeguards your biggest investment, your home.

Serving The Needs Of Our Neighbors And Friends Since 1915

■ BELMONT Mt Holly CDF to review budget, outline goals The Mount Holly Community Development Foundation will meet Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7pm in the Training Room at the Muncipal Complex, 400 E. Central Ave. The group will review its final 2012 budget, hear reports and outlined 2013 goals from committee chairs, and address any additional business that comes before the board. There will also be special presentations to members and volunteers as well as announcement of the Volunteer of the Year Award. Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the meeting.

Jan. 21: Lillian Chiffon McIntosh, failure to appear release order, littering 500 lbs., financial card fraud, financial car theft, obtain property by false pretense, arrested by Officer M. Stroupe 6805 Wilkinson Blvd. Jan. 21: Jamari Tarkio Graham, disorderly conduct, resist, delay, obstruct, arrested by Cpl. M. Harris, 304 Devine St. Jan. 22: Benjamin Luke Joyner, 2690 all other offenses, arrested by Officer M. Stroupe, 201 Chronicle St. Jan. 26: James Dexter

Because we are an independent financial institution all decisions are made here at home, not at some distant location. Isn’t that the way hometown lending is supposed to be?

Perry, conspiracy, arrested by Officer M. Kaiman, 701 Hawley Ave. Jan. 26: Douglas Edward Lawing, larceny, arrested by Officer M. Kaiman, 701 Hawley Ave. Jan. 27: Donald Keith Reid, simple physical assault, arrested by Officer R. Cassell. 329 Todd St. Ext. Jan. 27: Jason Douglas Gross, probation violation, arrested by Officer P. Hunter, Belmont-Mount Holly Rd. Jan. 27: Zachery Adam Burgess, failure to comply, arrested by Officer P. Hunter, Belmont-Mount Holly Rd.

Race for R.A.R.E. Feb. 23 Feb. 23, 2013 – Race for R.A.R.E., open to the public. On Feb. 23, 2013 race starts at 9 a.m., at George Poston Park, 1101 Lowell-Spencer Mountain Road, Gastonia. Early registration is $25 for the 5K, and $35 (both before Jan. 23, 2013) for the 10 mile. For more information, call the Gaston County Parks and Recreation Department,

Secretary Position in Belmont area

Must type and be computer savvy. Must have NC Drivers License. Contact

We Turn Houses Into Homes

POLICE

704-460-3204

at (704) 922-2164. R.A.R.E stands for Rare disease Awareness Research and Education. Proceeds of this race will benefit the Joubert Syndrome and Related Disorders Foundation. Take part in a RARE event and make a difference for rare disease! After Jan. 23, 2013, registration for the 5K is $30 and $40 for the 10 mile. Awards will be giving out for both the 5K and 10 mile in the following categories: Top 3 overall male and female finishers, top 3 male and female in each age group: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54,5559,60-64, 65+. Also, for more information, or to register for the Race for R.A.R.E, visit their website at raceforrare.com.

PC-Tablet-Legos robotics-Zoomy Microsc Terminology-Skills-Functional NOT COMPUTER “PLAY TIME” R OU BUT A “FUN” AND T K Y OOL S A SCH C E TECHNOLOG CD PR OR CTOR E D I R OU T AB

“Mr. Bill” Celebrating 15 Years in 2013!

Belmont Federal 210 Park Street, Belmont

Text or call: (704)880-0705***Email: bw@bwasap.com Web site: www.bwasap.com*** Mr. Bill d/b/a CompuChild

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Banner News

Page 3A

Keeping our roads safe Photo by Alan Hodge

City of Belmont workers Jacob Kanburoglu and Wes Clanton had just loaded their truck with sand and were heading out to spread it on area bridges and hills during last Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s icy weather event. Many schools in the area also closed early in anticipation of the freezing rain and ice.

UNITY DAY: Where do we go from here? From page 1A Martin further set the tone of the evening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a time to remember Martin Luther King and what he taught society about furthering racial and ethnic harmony to make the world a better place.â&#x20AC;? Guest speaker for the evening was Rev. Pierre Crawford from Center Baptist Church in Gastonia whose booming voice and powerful words filled the crowd with ardor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Martin Luther King was a wonderful man of God,â&#x20AC;? Crawford said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His teaching represents the black church and people at his best. He had faults, but he was authentic in every way and God used him in a mighty way to keep us from forgetting the rule of His hand in America.â&#x20AC;? Crawford went on to challenge the crowd on the current social situation in America. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where do we go from here?â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Community or chaos? The very fabric of our society is being ripped apart.â&#x20AC;? Other speakers included Rev. Kenneth Alexander from Mount Moriah Baptist Church, Pastor Kevin Ford from Belmont Foursquare Church, and Pastor Calvin Lewers from Loves Chapel Presbyterian Church. The evening included the

giving out of the annual Humanitarian Awards. Recipients included Sister Bernadette McNamara for her work as executive director with Catherineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House as well as the sick and elderly. The Mount Pleasant Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choir also received a Humanitarian Award for their steadfast participation in the Unity Day events over the years. Other aspects of the Unity Day event included lighting the Unity Candle by Caramel Ferdinand, Camilo Salas Bowen, Curran Sentilles, and Cheryl Fleming RN, BSN. An offering was taken up to benefit the American Red Cross and $520 was collected. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Belmont Unity Day event carried on a rich tradition going back to 1991 when a group of citizens formed the Belmont Youth Counseling Service to help troubled youngsters. From this, the group expanded and became the Coalition for Concerned Citizens who held the first Unity Day celebration in 1992 at Belmont City Hall even though it was protested by the Ku Klux Klan. Just a few of the distinguished Belmont area citizens who have received the Humanitarian Award over the years have included Rev. Jethro â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bicycle Manâ&#x20AC;? Mann, Mrs. Elsie Grier, Rev. Charles Reid, Oscar Reid,

Dr. Richard Boyce, and Rev. Kenneth Alexander.

Photos by Alan Hodge

At right: Sister Bernadette McNamara (seen with Father Frank Cancro) was given a Humanitarian Award at the Belmont Unity Day event for her work with the homeless, sick and elderly.

The Mount Pleasant Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choir was honored with a Humanitarian Award at last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Belmont Unity Day event. Singers are, from left, Hubert Grier, Warren Moses, John Moore, Sam Riddle, Valentino Burroughs, Charles Grier, Charles Stowe, Bill Hannon.

Belmont Historical Society to hold membership drive Feb. 2-9 The Belmont Historical Society announces events at its Heritage and Cultural Learning Center, located at 40 East Catawba Street. On Saturday, Feb. 2 there will be a membership drive held from 1-5pm. Refresh-

ments will be served. The membership drive will continue through Feb. 9. On Saturday, Feb. 9, the theme will be Valentine Day Fun. Participants will make valentines for loved ones. Refreshments will served at this event as well.

OPEN 6a-Midnight Jan 30-Feb 5 7a-9p Feb 6-Feb 11 9a-9p Feb 12 thru Apr 8

Solve a Mystery

Q: Reader Doug Simpson brought in a photo made around 1938 that shows his dad, Charlie Simpson (left) and a fellow soldier. Anyone know who the other guy is and/or where the shot was made? If you know, or have a guess, please email Alan.bannernews@gmail.com.

606 S. Main Street â&#x20AC;˘ Mount Holly, NC 28120 Phone: 704-820-6466 â&#x20AC;˘ mtholly@libertytax.com

For All Your Medication and Pharmaceutical Needs . . .

Turn To Your Hometown Pharmacy

ALLEN DRUG Open: M-F 8am-6pm Saturday 9am - 1pm 220 S. Main St. â&#x20AC;˘ Stanley NC (beside The Woodshed)

704.263.4876

MANAGER/OWNER

Present this Coupon and Receive

2 OFF your next visit

OUR STAFF HAS OVER 95 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE!

to Just Cuts

6513 W Wilkinson Blvd in Belmont

Mon-Fri 9am-8pm Sat 9am-4pm

(704) 825-6099

STYLISTS

We now do color, hi-lites & perms

Meet Your Friends at Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mon.-Fri. â&#x20AC;˘ 7:00AM-7:00PM Sat. â&#x20AC;˘ 8:00AM-4:00PM Sun. â&#x20AC;˘ 8:00AM-9:30AM

Page 4A

The Banner News

Thursday, January 30, 2013

Opinions...

“

Yours, Ours, Others

Quote of the week... Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.

”

The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

Alan Hodge Editor If you are what you eat then I am a strip of crisp bacon hopping down the sidewalk. Now let that image digest for a second then continue reading. OK, I saw an ad the other day for some books on healthy eating. Titles screamed “Eat This Not That!”, “What to Eat in 2013!”, and “Five Foods That Will Help You Live Forever!” etc. & etc. Baloney. Now, many of you’uns reading this grew up in this area and are familiar with what is/was generally found on the bill of fare down home. However, perhaps you are new here so I thought a little Eastern Gaston County cuisine culture might be in order. First we must examine that food item called grits. I do not mean the ‘instant’ type that you microwave, but the type cooked in a pot on the stove all the while bubbling and hissing steam in a most mouth-watering manner. I prefer mine with butter and a dash of salt but others put red-eye gravy or even cheese on them but none of that for me thanks. The next food is considered “quirky” by some but has filled many a Belmont or Mount Holly stomach for generations. It is none other than that organ meat masterpiece livermush. Some folks turn their noses up at livermush and refuse to eat it just because it’s made by pitching a whole bunch of hawg livers in a big pot and boiling them up and then throwing some cornmeal, sage, and black pepper in and stirring it with a boat paddle. But he who has had a slab of crispy fried livermush in a cathead biscuit has eaten high-cholesterol ambrosia. Oh, just to prove I have an open mind food-wise I once dined on the Yankee equivalent of livermush called scrapple. The occasion was at a restaurant in Gettysburg, Pa. and the scrapple didn’t look too bad and tasted tolerable but I put ketchup on mine to mask the taste and was looked askance upon by folks at the next table, natives to the area no doubt,

Thomas A. Edison

Down home foods... you are what you eat! who had drowned their scrapple in pancake syrup. Weird. Moving along, another traditional food in our neck of the woods that some newcomers might consider testy not tasty is chicken gizzards. Now, a bird packs its gizzard with rocks and as the food passes along the stones mash it up since, I am assuming you know, chickens have no teeth. Anyway. Some folks love fried chicken gizzards and they are rather chewy once you get the crust busted off but I might as well cut to the chase and say they are not for me. More appealing meat that appears on our Gaston County gourmet menu includes homemade chicken and dumplings. How many times has one tough chicken (perhaps beheaded in the backyard with a butcher knife or hatchet) combined with some flour and water, a bit of salt and pepper, made a wonderful meal for mill or country families on a Sunday afternoon? Who can forget the scene of momma or mawmaw plucking that chicken and boiling him or her up and picking the bones clean of meat and them making the dumplings by rolling out the dough and having flour everywhere maybe on the face for sure the arms halfway to the elbow…and then mixing everything in a big pot and letting it simmer to perfection. Man o man that is some down home eating for sure! Another food item that garners great applause in our local area is that dainty known as the pickled egg. Or as it is generally pronounced “packled aig”. As a youth I used to gaze with reverence, awe, and not a little apprehension at the huge jars of packled aigs on the countertops of places like mom and pop grocery stores and service stations. I often stop to wonder exactly how old some of those packled aigs were that floated in their pink liquid flecked with cast-off pieces of albumin. Anyhow, I really like packled aigs and once there was a packled aig factory in Lowell that used jalapeno peppers in their variety but I can’t recall what ever became of it. Another item old-time cooks in our area can really whip up are coconut cakes. Lord, how my grandmother Mozelle could bake a southern coconut cake. She would go to the A&P grocery in Belmont and get a real coconut and take a

screwdriver and hammer a hole in the coconut’s eye with it and drain the coconut juice in a bowl and then bust open the coconut with the hammer and scrape the meat off with a spoon and then give the shell shards to my sister Beth and I and we would gnaw that snowy white, sweet, coconut flesh off with our bare teeth like rodents. Man, alive. Last but not least on the foods that have fed our Gaston County towns is the pork chop. Some of you readers might know, then again a lot might not know, that hogs were “processed” on the farm in cold weather with a hammer or .22 rifle that did the job and then scalding the hoghide and removing the entrails into a bucket for later use but I won’t say no more about it because I am fixin’ to recount something good that can be done with the pork chop part of the beast and don’t want to spoil your appetites. Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I think I prefer pork chops fried above all

other ways of prep. But caution, the pork chops need to be a little on the thick side so as to not resemble the ones I used to eat at a certain church cafeteria in uptown Charlotte that were so darn thin and dry they resembled petrified wood and tasted about the same. No, sir, I am talking about golden brown chops with some moisture left in the hog-meat and a nice bone for chewing on like a dog or cat and when you have had your way with the pork chop you lay the bone down on your plate with a clunk and in your mind go back to a time in Belmont, Mt. Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, McAdenville, Stanley, or any of the other towns in our region when families actually sat down and ate together and the land was relatively chaos-free and people were content with what they had even if it was livermush on a cold cathead biscuit. The lesson in all this gastronomic gushing? Don’t ever go into a grocery store hungry– or write a newspaper column with your stomach growling.

■ LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letter to the editor, Talked with you today about sign at bowling alley that says no concealed weapons allowed. Well I know all the arguments about guns but the fact is the only people that will leave their guns in their cars are the law abiding citizens, that means the crazy people, the robbers, the killers can carry their guns and I can’t protect myself or anyone else. The

fact is that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to have a good guy with a gun in their possession not locked in the car where it does no good at all. I know that the owners won’t care but I will not go in to a business with a no weapons allowed sign and I hope others that feel the same will also boycott these Tommy Childers Belmont

We welcome your comments*! Send us your Letters to The Editor at: The Banner News P.O. Box 589, Belmont NC 28012 or e-mail us at: alan.bannernews@gmail.com

must be signed and include address and phone number. * Thank you letters are required to be placed as paid personal notes.

Sidewalk Survey Local residents were asked...

What can be done to make schools safer? Joel Clemmer

Jeremy Carpenter

“Stop the bullying in school.”

“We need more security guards in schools.”

BannerNews Periodicals postage at Belmont, NC 28012 USPS 049-700 by Gemini Newspapers, Inc. Postmaster, send address changes to: P. O. Box 769, Kings Mountain NC 28086 Phone (704) 825-0580 • Fax (704) 825-0894 Office:128-C N. Main St. • Belmont, NC 28012

Paula Wilkerson “It is a complicated issue and I’m not sure what the perfect solution is.”

Robin Bamberg “Anti-bullying classes need to be part of the curriculum.”

Wendy Isbell - Publisher

Mail Subscription Rates Payable in Advance.

wendy.kmherald@gmail.com

All Prices include 6.75% NC State Sales Tax.

Alan Hodge - Editor alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Gaston & Cleveland County Other NC Counties Outside NC

1 Year $30.00 $35.00 $50.00

6 Months $19.50 $22.50 $39.00

Pat Rooney - Sales Coordinator Lisa Zyble - General Operations Manager Graphics & Composing Manager Wayne Conner - Business Manager Kathy Reynolds - Circulation/Classified

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Banner News

McWHIRTER: to be inducted into Belmont Sports Hall of Fame From page 1A Player in 1973. He was also named All-NAIA District 26 and received an Honorable Mention from Lutheran College All-American in 1974 for his 828 yards rushing and five TDs. During his Lenoir-Rhyne days, McWhirter tallied 2,553 yards rushing, 295 yards receiving, and 22 touchdowns as a fullback on the Bearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wishbone offense. With McWhirter on the team, the Bears were 5-6 and 5-5-1 during his first two years, and bounced back 7-3-1 for his last two seasons of play with a 6-0-1 league score punctuated by a South Atlantic Conference championship in 1975. He also received the Al Corelli Award. Rival teams experienced McWhirterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talents during his time at Lenoir-Rhyne as he led the Bears to a 3-1 record against Wofford and Davidson and 2-1-1 against Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb. Two big games in those series that McWhirter powerhoused his way across the gridiron in included a 19-14 victory against GardnerWebb and a 1975 pulling of the Davidson Wildcatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tail by a record-setting 69-14 score including 837 rushing yards and 914 total offense yards. Laying the foundation for McWhirterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lenoir-Rhyne career was the time he spent on the South Point High football team where he was a member of the 1971 WNCHAA Championship team and was named All-Conference player as both an offensive and defensive end. His play helped South Point gain its first 10-0 season since 1953. During his high school career in Belmont, teams McWhirter played on racked up a 26-6-1 record. Following a career with

Page 5A

Writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Workshops available in Feb. The Writersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Workshop is providing writing classes for any level writer at Providence Presbyterian Church. Registration is in advance only, by mail or online at www.twwoa.org. Financial aid in exchange for volunteering is available. Feb 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Screenplay Writing with Nathan Ross Freeman. The class will receive an overview of writing for the screen. Discussion will include various formats, structures and techniques, as well as tips on creating interesting characters and realistic dialogue. Students may bring a screenplay idea or synopsis to the class for review. Freeman won the NC Arts Council Fellowship for Hannah Elian, and the Great Lakes Screenplay Contest for

Geist. Meets from 12-5 p.m. $75/$70 for Workshop members. Feb 16â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Writing The Short Story with Dale Neal. This class, for beginning and experienced writers, will focus on techniques for crafting the short story. Publishing information will also be given, and students may bring up to 5 pages for in-class review. Nealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s short stories have appeared in Arts & Letters, north Carolina Literary Review, Carolina Quarterly and elsewhere. His first novel, Cow Across America, won the 2009 Novello Literary Award and was shortlisted for Foreword Novel of the Year. He is an editor and columnist at the Asheville Citizen-Times. Meets from 12-5 p.m. $75/$70 Workshop members.

RETREAT: Council talks range from parks to budgets From page 1A

Contributed Photo

Former football player and current South Point High coach Mike McWhirter will be inducted into the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame at the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 26th annual banquet on Feb. 19 at 7pm at Park Street UMC. Medtronic, Inc., McWhirter returned to South Point as a football coach and continues in that role today. He has been part of the 2003 and 2009 state football championship teams at South Point. Having been both a player and coach at South Point, McWhirter sees some changes but mostly similarities between his generation of athletes and todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Belmont youth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are bigger, faster, and stronger than many of us were, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a whole lot of difference.â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The great thing about coaching is to see those young men and see how hard they try to do their best. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a different generation but the same football field. It all boils down to how tough you are.â&#x20AC;? McWhirter was chosen to

be included in the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame by a distinguished panel of individuals. The selection committee included Jim Biggerstaff, Bobby Brown, Scott Lee, Jeff Gibson, Lee Hyde, Sallie Stevenson, and Director Emeritus Art Shoemaker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the ultimate honor to be chosen for such an award in the place you grew up,â&#x20AC;? McWhiter said.

Employee benefit issues also got a lookingover at the council retreat. Over the past ten years, Belmontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general fund personnel expenses have gone up by $1.7 million, or 59.27 percent. Salary expenses have increased by $1.2 million or 53.6 percent, and benefit expenses by $475,000 or 62.1 percent. The total employee benefit expense tally for FY2012-2013 is expected to be $1.8 million, with $801,427 of that being for health insurance including dental, vision, and life insurance coverage. Plans that the council discussed for easing the employee benefit crunch included increasing deductibles and co-pays, eliminating or modifying the coverage for retirees, and requiring employees to pitch in more of their pay if they decline to take part in programs such as smoking cessation or wellness checkups. Belmont is also eyeing participation in a shared wastewater treatment deal with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities (CMUD), the Long Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, to be located in the Mountain Island

Discover Timeless Treasures !' $( & % '& " ' & %'*"% ) %,' ! ! '* ! %& -) +# ! ""' & ) &' %' ! ' "!'

area. Council members heard more about the plans at their retreat. The City of Mount Holly recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with CMUD to move forward with plans to participate in the Long Creek project. Belmont had signed on in August 2011 but issues such as where the wastewater pipes would cross the Catawba River are still under study. Another topic was the possibility of a joint communications center between Belmont and Mount Holly police departments. In 2012, Mount Holly had over 10,000 calls for service and Belmont over 20,000 calls. An estimate of the cost to staff such a call center would be $545,000 just for staff salaries. A couple of more hitches include the fact that currently, Mount Holly lacks the ability to house such a facility. Other topics that were tossed around included the possibility of adding a rowing facility to the new River Park, working toward getting mountain bike and running trails set up at Rocky Branch Park, and continuing to work closely with the Downtown Merchants Association on events.

Our Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Sun 1pm-5pm Closed Mondays

B&B Antique & Artisan Mall 3209 W. Franklin Blvd. â&#x20AC;˘ Gastonia NC 28052 !"* "% "% ' &

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 Community Christian Fellowship 2560 Stanley Lucia Rd. 704-827-5881 Covenant United Methodist 110 Underwood Dr. 704-820-0603 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

Goshen Free Will Baptist Church 1300 W. Catawba Ave. 704-827-3076

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church 339 S. Hawthorne St. 704-827-4320

Grace Baptist Church 300 Westland Farm Rd. 704-827-8600

New Covenant United Methodist 14514 Lucian Riverbend Hwy. 704-827-4468

Harvest Time Church of God 707 Westland Farm Rd. 704-822-8033

New Providence Baptist Church 1104 Old NC 27 Hwy. 704-827-0822

Hickory Grove Baptist Church 3717 Hickory Grove Rd. 704-827-3939

North Main Baptist Church 1304 N. Main St. 704-827-6141

Jehovahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Witnesses 1736 Kelly Rd. 704-263-0199

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

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

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

Living Witness Ministries 541 Costner St. 704-827-0004 Lutheran Church-Good Shephard 110 S. Main St. 704-827-4751 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

Featured Church of the Week Macedonia Baptist Church Shiloh Ame Zion Methodist 1117 Old NC Hwy 27 704-827-8826

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

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

Way of the Cross Baptist Church 238 Lanier Ave. 704-827-8111

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

St. Anthony of Padua Traditional Catholic Church 108 Horseshoe Bend Beach Rd. 704-827-8676

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

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

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

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

Notice In order to accommodate the number of churches in our communities, we will print two alternating lists of churches each week. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the church youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for, be sure to check next weeks paper.

Page 6A

The Banner News

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

MOONSHINE: once a thriving industry From page 1A Holly, Stanley, McAdenville and Cramerton brought with them knowledge of distilling that they continued to practice, even after it was declared illegal. However, in its early days it was perfectly ok for people to set up a still, pour in the mash, and make some â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shine for their own home or for sale. A Methodist Bishop named Francis Asbury, who passed through the South Point area circa 1795, recorded one of the earliest accounts of moonshine making in the Belmont area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It improves in cultivation, wickedness, mills, and stills,â&#x20AC;? he wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is considerable drunkenness along the South Fork. A prophet of strong drink would be acceptable to many of these people.â&#x20AC;? Over a century later, according to Bransonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business Directory, in the late 1800s there were no fewer than 48 legal liquor distilleries operating in Gaston County with a large concentration in Dallas and Stanleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creek, now known simply as Stanley. In that time, Gaston County led the entire state of North Carolina in the production of legal liquor. One distiller, Moses Rhyne, had

a legal still business in Mount Holly. An account of the operation by Charlie Rhyne described a hazard of the job. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The workers at the distillery would have to taste the whiskey as it was being made in order to gauge its quality and potency,â&#x20AC;? Rhyne wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A.P. Rhyne, the second oldest of Mosesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seven sons, as part of his chores was tasked with going down to the still house, late in the afternoon, to tickle the back of the throats of the workers. This would cause them to throw up, thus sobering up enough to find their way home.â&#x20AC;? In Belmont, stills could be found in a variety of locations. Jack Page says he heard of one that made â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shine near downtown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was located in a yard behind the Chronicle Mill,â&#x20AC;? Page said. As the 20th century drew near, moonshine started getting some bad publicity. A news clip dated July 21, 1880 recounted a story about a man who had been killed by a train in Stanley while he was snoozing on the tracks after having imbibed a quantity of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shine. About this same time, a Cherryville man named Moses Stroup launched a campaign to stop the saleâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;but not the manufactureâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;of booze in Gaston County. Stroup got

his wish and as of March, 1891 Gaston went dry, but only briefly as the law was only in effect for two years before being struck down in 1893. Meanwhile, another attempt at a prohibition law was rammed through the NC General Assembly in 1895 that made it illegal to manufacture or sell whiskey within two miles of South Point Methodist Church in Belmont. By 1896, there were no legal distillers listed as doing business in the county. Adding to the drive against alcohol in Gaston County, the first act of the newly-elected McAdenville town council on May 5, 1911 revoked the license of the local drug store to â&#x20AC;&#x153;handle liquorâ&#x20AC;?. But that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that moonshining was dead, it had only gone to the woods and when the federal government passed the 18th Amendment in 1920 outlawing the making or selling of alcoholic beverages, Gaston County stills were cranking out the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shine for thirsty customers. Getting the product to customers was an exciting part of the business. A news article dated Feb. 12, 1929 described a chase between moonshiners and the law that burned up the roads near Mount Holly. The action involved a certain R.A. Smith who had been hauling

REPORT: Mount Holly police log over 10,000 calls in 2012 From page 1A police responded to in 2012 ran the gamut of mischief. These included 29 cases of subject with a gun, 23 solicitations, 10 cases of road rage, six cases of indecent exposure, five stalking, and four accidental overdoses.

Mount Holly fire and rescue also kept busy in 2012. The total number of calls answered in the 12-month period for fire and rescue was 1,665â&#x20AC;&#x201C;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over four calls per day. There were 74 incident types ranging from good intent calls to building on fire. The largest number of calls responded to in 2012 was of the EMS variety with 1,086 tallied. These calls made up 74.17 percent of all calls answered, but did not include vehicle wrecks with injuries. Those added another 78 calls to the roster, and vehicle wrecks sans injuries another 35 calls for a grand total of 1,235 rescue and EMS calls. The second most prevalent type of re-

sponse that Mount Holly fire and rescue dealt with in 2012 was what is termed â&#x20AC;&#x153;good intent callsâ&#x20AC;? and these added up to 158 incidents or about 10 percent of the yearly call total. There were 96 false alarms or false calls to Mount Holly fire and rescue in 2012. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one every four days. Other top calls for Mount Holly fire and rescue included 34 building fires, 14 cooking fires, 12 power line down, 11 smoke scares, nine unauthorized burning and seven assist invalid. Geographically, Mount Holly fire and rescue covered quite an area in 2012. The largest number of incidents was in the central part of town with 787 incidents answered. Catawba Heights area had 598 incidents. Fire and rescue headed to the area north of Mount Holly 117 times in 2012. Rounding out the incident responses, the east Gaston area had 76 incidents, and Community in North Belmont 81 incidents. Mount Holly fire and rescue also gave mutual aid to Mecklenburg County, Lowell, Lucia-Riverbend and Belmont during 2012.

Welcoming New Patients & Providing Family Dental Care

17 gallons of moonshine and was pursued by officers in a high-speed chase that ended in his arrest. Another case just a couple of days before had seen another man caught transporting over 600 pints of whiskey in the same area. Even after the 21st Amendment ended Prohibition, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shine making and hauling was still illegal, and rampant, in Gaston County. Another story from 1949 tells of a huge still with a 5,000-gallon boiler being destroyed by federal agents near Stanley. What tipped the agents off to the still was the fact that part of it had exploded, seriously injuring three â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shiners. According to the account, when the feds found the still in the woods, bits of burned clothing were scattered about. The still was capable of making 150 gallons of moonshine per day. It took 25 sticks of dynamite to destroy the operation. In more recent times, in the early 1970s a still was discovered on the farm of Sinclair Smith in Catawba Heights. The still was â&#x20AC;&#x153;smoked outâ&#x20AC;? after Smith and friends spotted some men chopping wood in the middle of the summer and smoke was seen rising from the back of a shed. An investigation revealed a small but lively liquor business. Another location in eastern Gas-

ton County said to have been a hotspot for moonshine making is known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the slideâ&#x20AC;? in Springwood near McAdenville. The late Irvin Brendle often talked about people far and wide would go there to get whiskey. Jack Winchester also recalled some tales of moonshining in Springwood. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They called it the muskrat slide because there was a steep dirt road that went down to the South Fork River and when it rained it was really slick,â&#x20AC;? Winchester said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People would go down there and cook fish in big pots, drink moonshine, and raise hell. They mostly sold bonded bootleg liquor down there but there were several stills operating including one on a kitchen table.â&#x20AC;? For anyone interested in learning more about moonshining in our area, the Gaston County Museum of Art and History in Dallas has a wonderful exhibit on display that includes a still, archival photos, and recollections of folks involved in the business. The Discovery Channel television series â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moonshinersâ&#x20AC;? is also an entertaining and informative source of information on the fun, and foibles, of making moonshine. As one character on the show named Tickle says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you love your country, you gotta love moonshine.â&#x20AC;?

LEADERS: meet with legislators From page 1A whether or not such an idea would meet with approval from the public. Another change in the way the GCS calendar would be set up was talked about and that would have the system align its schoolyear start and end dates to coincide with those of local community colleges and universities. This would mean that local districts such as GCS would need to be given more control over their calendars rather than having them set in Raleigh. Given the state of the economy over the past several years, and the impact it has had on school budgets, the subject of money was a big topic at the school board/legislators get-to-

gether. One especially touchy subject is the amount of money Raleigh has cut from local school budgets for everything ranging from books to classroom materials. Schools in not only Gaston County, but counties statewide have had to resort to candy sales and grants from sources such as the Rutherford Electric Co-op to get basic needs met. Other financial concerns of GCS includes competitive teacher pay, pay for tutoring and other help for students who are not reading on grade level, and giving tax money to private, charter, or home schools that are not required to meet the same achievement levels as public schools. In addition, GCS would also like to see an elimina-

tion of what is termed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;discretionary reductionâ&#x20AC;?. This state policy basically gives funding to school systems, then takes some back after the district makes certain spending cuts based on its own discretion. This rule meant that in 2011-2012, GCS had to return $7.5 million to Raleigh. A classroom policy request that GCS expressed interest in to the legislators would see a revamping of the traditional grading system of using A through F to gauge performance. Wording in the 2012 Excellent Public Schools Act addresses this and other issues such as establishing a NC Teacher Corps, strengthening teacher licensure requirements, and making changes to improve K-3 literacy.

We accept Medicaid & NC Healthchoice... We file Dental Insurance for you and participate in most dental networks...

Call us today at (704)263.4646 We look forward to hearing from you! Open Monday - Friday Located on Hwy 27 South in Stanley - across from Food Lion Hablamos EspaĂąol

Since 1999, Robert D. Black Insurance Services, Inc. has worked to provide our clients with first-class insurance at a fair price.

Call today for an appointment with our professional and caring staff.

AUTOâ&#x20AC;˘HOMEâ&#x20AC;˘LIFEâ&#x20AC;˘COMMERCIAL Robert D. Black Insurance Services, Inc. 108 West Catawba Avenue Downtown Mount Holly

704.827.8331 www.robertblackinsurance.com

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Banner News

Page 1B

â&#x2013; SPORTS

Warrior wrestlers keep up busy pace â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hot Holeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; By John Wilson John.bannernews@gmail.com

The East Gaston Wrestling team has been busy, very busy. On Jan. 18 they went up against Garinger and pulled off a big win. On the Jan. 19 the Warriors were one of six teams to participate in the Wildcat Duel held in Dallas at North Gaston High School. The duel was a series team on team matches all held on the same day. East Gaston along with North Gaston, Providence, Burns, Vance and Myers Park squared off against each other. The Warriors came in second at the Wildcat Duel. They posted wins over Providence, Myers Park, Burns and Vance. In a tough match up the host team North Gaston Wildcats edged out the Warriors 42-35. On Jan. 24 the Warriors faced off against the Charlotte Catholic Cougars. That match up was a contest between two Mega 7 Conference heavy hitters. The Cougars were sporting a 15-13 record going into the Warrior meet. The East Gaston/Charlotte Catholic match proved to be a seesaw battle with the final outcome in question up until the end. The Cougars took the first bout with a pin. After that the Warriors took the next four matches with Eric Harvey,

Jared Bassett, Jacob Grigg all posting wins for East Gaston. The Warriors also won a forfeit in the 120-pound weight class. The next matches proved to be tougher. The Warriors and Cougars split 2-2 with Alex Ledford and Jack Reep pulling out wins. In the following five contests the Cougars tore into the Warriors winning in the 160, 170, 182, 195 and 220 pound classes. When East Gastonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jordan Wilson took the mat in the 285-pound showdown there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much he could do. But Wilson did his part. He pinned his opponent in 22 seconds and helped the Warriors catch up some. Charlotte Catholic ended up winning the match 37-33. Next up for the Warriors will be a Feb. 6 match up against Olympic. Charlotte Catholic 37 - East Gaston 33 match results: 106: Billy Ferris, CHCA, Pinned Mason Lewis, EG, 0:34. 113: Eric Harvey, EG, Decison OT Blake Jackson, CHCA, 10-8.

126: Jared Bassett, EG, Major Decision Danny Sardo, CHCA, 15-2. 132: Jacob Grigg, EG, Technical Desision Ben Litton, CHCA, 0:00 22-7. 138: Mark Keough, CHCA, Major Decision Tristin Frazier, EG, 11-3. 145: Alex Ledford, EAGA, pinned Mike Keough, CHCA, 0:48. 152: Jack Reep, EG, Decision Alex Lapiana, CHCA, 5-4. 160: Chase Hayes, CHCA, Pinned William Metts, EG, 0:23. 170: Spencer Hayes, CHCA, Pinned Tyler Spurling, EG, 1:53. 182: Ryan Manion, CHCA, Decision Mark Bedard, EG, 4-2. 195: Nick Elchert, CHCA, Pinned Austin Beatty, EG, 3:43. 220: Quintin Hutchins, CHCA, Pinned Samuel McInnis, EG, 1:13. 285: Jordan Wilson, EG, Pinned Matt Kowalewski, CHCA, 0:22.

120: Michael Bedard, EG, Forfiet

East Gaston wrestlers best Garinger By John Wilson John.bannernews@gamil.com

The East Gaston Warrior wrestlers didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wrestle much in a Jan. 18 Mega 7 Conference dual matchup against Garinger. The Wildcats forfeited in 9 different weight classes. Both teams forfeited in the 220 match. When the Warriors did wrestle they dominated Garinger in just about all weight classes. East Gaston won the match 71-3. In the first actual match things went the Wildcatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; way. In 113-pound weight class Garingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DeShawn Patterson won a 4-3 decision over East Gastonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eric Harvey.

That would be the only victory the Wildcats would get. In the next match up East Gastonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tristin Frazier pinned Terrance Thompson in the 132-pound class. In the 138 match EGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s D`Andre Hunter-Cathey racked up the points in a 181 technical fall over the Wildcats Terrence Thompson. When the 145-pounders took the mat East Gastonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior stand out Alex Ledford pinned Garingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tariq Metwally. Next up for the Warriors will be the Wildcats Duel held at North Gaston.

proving plentiful

Match Results 106: Mason Lewis, EG Forfeit 113: DeShawn Patterson, GAR over EG Eric Harvey, 4-3. 120: Logan Moore, EG Forfeit

Photos by Alan Hodge

Above: Last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cold snap brought lots of fish into the Duke Energy â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Holeâ&#x20AC;? canal off South Point Road near Belmont. Barry Faw of Lowell said he caught this string of crappie in about half an hour. Below: Justin Sing of Charlotte came to Belmont last week to try his fishing luck at the Duke Energy â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Holeâ&#x20AC;? off South Point Road. Sing caught these two nice bass in a short amount of time and went looking for more.

145: Alex Ledford, EG, pinned Tariq Metwally, GAR. 152: William Metts, EG Forfeit 160: Tyler Spurling, EG Forfeit 170: Kyle Newton, EG Forfeit

126: Jacob Grigg, EG Forfeit 132: Tristin Frazier, EAGA, pinned Terrence Thompson, GAR. 138: D`Andre HunterCathey, EG technical fall over Terrence Thompson, GAR, 18-1.

182: Marshall Abernathy, EG Forfeit 195: Samuel McInnis, EG Forfeit 220:Double Forfeit 285: Jordan Wilson, EG Forfeit

Abbey beats Lees-McRae 98-74 The Belmont Abbeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crusaders menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team posted its 13th straight win over Lees-McRae with a 98-74 win Jan. 26 at the Wheeler Center. The Crusaders improved their record to 13-6 overall and 6-5 in Conference Carolinas. The early moments of the game were tight, as Jeremi Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lay-up at the 11:05 mark tied the game for the fourth and final time, but the Crusaders took control of the game on its next possession as Good gave the Abbey a lead it would never lose with a running lay-up. Good started a 12-3 Abbey run by scoring the first seven points of the flurry, and it was capped by a Jay Council layup that moved the lead to nine at 29-20 with 8:21 left. Lees-McRae responded with a run of its own to close the lead to four with 5:28 to go, but the Abbey closed with a 94 run to take a 42-33 lead into the break. During the second half, the Abbey outscored Lees-McRae

56-41 with a 54 percent shooting effort. The Crusaders outscored Lees-McRae 29-15 in the first eight minutes, punctuated by a big dunk from Darryl Durhamâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;two of his 20 pointsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; to move the lead to 23 at 71-48. Belmont Abbeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead rose to as high as 31 on a free throw from Nigel Jackson at the 9:02 mark and from there the lead never dropped below 24 points as every player saw action and all but two scored. The Crusaders shot 54 percent (35-64) from the floor as Good, the NCAA Division II leader in scoring average, led all players with 25 points. Durham added 20 on his second-straight perfect shooting effort. Two nights after making all four of his field goals and both free throws at Mount Olive, Durham finished tonight nine for nine from the floor and two for two from the free throw line. He also had nine rebounds. In his last two games he is 13-13 from the field and four for four from the line.

(0 "2//$+1)5 1/ +0( 1(,+(+& 1, + $)$"1/,+(" -/,"2/$*$+1 0501$* 4'$/$ )) &,,#0 +# 0$/3("$0 4()) !$ #3$/1(0$# +# 3$+#,/0 0$ )$"1$# + 1'$ %212/$ (1 4()) !$ * +# 1,/5 1' 1 )) 3$+#,/0 20$ 1'$ $ /,"2/$*$+1 0501$* )," 1$# 1 '11-0 + '/, $",+,*("$+&(+$ ",* 1, /$-)5 1, +3(1 1(,+0 1, (#0 0$ )$# !(#0 $.2$01 %,/ /,-,0 )0 ",*-$1(1(3$ -/,-,0 )0 +# 2,1 1(,+0 %,/ * )) 2/ "' 0$0 + ,/#$/ 1, !(# ,/ .2,1$ ,+ %212/$ -/,"2/$*$+1 0,)("(1 1(,+0 0 +,1$# !,3$ 5,2 *201 /$&(01$/ 1 1'$ 4$!0(1$ '11-0 + '/, $",+,*("$+&(+$ ",* /$.2$010 '1*) ",*- +5 (# $$ 1'$ 4$!0(1$ ,+ 1'$ - &$ 1 444 &' +" ,/& %,/ 0-$"(%(" (+01/2"1(,+0

Photo by Alan Hodge

Members of the Gaston Gargoyles rugby team practiced last week at North Belmont Park for their upcoming Feb. 2 game against Davidson College at Davidson with the first scrum at 1pm. Team information and schedule is at www.gastoniarfc.com.

East Gaston Warriors

South Point Red Raiders Player of the Week

Player of the Week

Elijah Gore Basketball

Tyler Bray Basketball Sponsored by:

Family Med Pharmacy 704-263-0810 We offer savings, service & satisfaction!

Historic Downtown Belmont â&#x20AC;˘ 704-825-7774

Bring this ad in for 10% OFF your pets first visit (new clients only, $50 minimum transaction)

Page 2B

The Banner News

Wild Card Games January 5-6, 2013

CINCINNATI Avery Insurance HOUSTON Allen Drug

INDIANAPOLIS Belmont Federal Savings & Loan BALTIMORE Badcock & More

MINNESOTA Materâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Motors GREEN BAY Watson Insurance

SEATTLE Anytime Movers WASHINGTON Robert Black Insurance

AFC - NFC Div. Playoffs January 12-13, 2013

HOUSTON Allen Drug NEW ENGLAND Brightstar Grill

Conference Championships January 20, 2013

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Super Bowl XLII February 3, 2013

NEW ENGLAND Brightstar Grill

BALTIMORE Badcock & More BALTIMORE Badcock & More DENVER Quilted Thimble

BALTIMORE Badcock & More

GREEN BAY Watson Insurance SAN FRANCISCO Stowe Insurance

SAN FRANCISCO Stowe Insurance SAN FRANCISCO Stowe Insurance

SEATTLE Anytime Movers ATLANTA Family Med Pharmacy

ATLANTA Family Med Pharmacy

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Banner News

Page 3B

Since 1906

Auto Motorcycles • Boat • RV PREFERRED DRIVERS PROGRAM

Personal We Insure ALL Drivers

LOW DOWN PAYMENTS Immediate Coverage NO AGENCY FEES

704

825.2620

704

Business

• Home Owners

• Contractors

• Rental Property

• General Liability

• Mobile Homes

• Workers’ Comp

• Builder’s Risk

• Bonds

• Flood

• Business Owners Packages

865.2336

704

827.2362

508 Park St. Belmont, NC

104 N. Church St. Gastonia, NC

150 S. Main Mt. Holly, NC

behind Walgreens

behind Dairy Queen

beside BB&T

Page 4B

The Banner News

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

It’s Greek to me! Middle school students from Gaston Day recently submitted Greek pottery vases with scenes from The Odyssey and The Aeneid in their Latin/Classics class. Students read renditions of these classic works of literature and then were asked to create, using paper mache, an authentic model of ancient Greek pottery. Favorite scene selections were Odysseus fighting the cyclops Polyphemus or Dido’s tragic death. The vases will be on exhibit in the Pamela Kimbrell Warlick Gallery during the month of January.

Classified Ads Homes For Rent/Sale MOBILE HOMES AND APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN KINGS M O U N TA I N Prices starting at $100/week. Call 704-739-4417 or (evening) 704739-1425. (tfn) KM MOBILE HOME for RENT on Linwood Rd – Rec e n t l y remodeled throughout. Very nice & clean. 2 BR & 2 BA. References required and background check. $425/mth

+ Deposit. 704739-5319 or 704685-2562. (tfn) Land For Sale PRICES REDUCED, LOTS in Gaston, Cleveland, & Cherokee Co, some with water & septic, owner will fin with low DP. Call Bryant Realty 704-5679836 . www.bryantrealty.org. (1/30) PRICES REDUCED, LEASE with option to purchase, MH lots in Cleveland and Ruther-

ford Co. with water and septic, owner financing. Call Bryant Realty 704-5679836 . www.bryantrealty.org . (1/30) Misc. For Sale Couch, café table and four chairs, chest of drawers for sale. Call (704) 419-3419. (tfn) Wanted to Buy

dise, or pictures, or anything of value. (704)300 – 0827 or (704)300 – 7676. (1/30/13) Help Wanted DOG SITTER WANTED. Over night care for 20 lbs. dog. Several times a month. Belmont area. If interest call: 703715-6200. (1/30/13)

CASH ON THE SPOT! Will buy tools or building full of merchan-

Legals STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF GASTON NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS The undersigned, having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of RANDY EARL PRICE, late of Gaston County, North Carolina, hereby notifies to all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before April 30, 2013, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 30th day of January, 2013. Marilyn Smith Price Estate of: Randy Earl Price 315 Ridge Drive, Mount Holly NC 28120 BN10526 (1/30, & 2/06, 2/13 & 2/20/13 ) STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF GASTON NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS The undersigned, having qualified as Administratrix of the Estate of CHARLES LEE ROY NOLEN, late of Gaston County, North Carolina, hereby notifies to all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before April 23, 2013, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 23rd day of January, 2013. Kathy McKee Nolen Estate of: Charles Lee Roy Nolen 84 Wallace Ace, Belmont, N.C. 28012 BN10523 (1/ 23, 30/2013) & (2/06, 13/2013)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of MARK DEAN MILLER, late of Gaston County, North Carolina, hereby notifies to all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before April 19, 2013, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 16th day of January, 2013. Sarah Taylor Miller 411 Timberlane Dr. , Mount Holly NC 28120 Marie M. Anders, Atty. for Executrix 124 W. Catawba Ave. Mt. Holly, NC 28120 BN10521 (1/16, 23, 30, & 2/06/13)

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF GASTON NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS The undersigned, having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of PAULINE LEONHARDT MAY, late of Gaston County, North Carolina, hereby notifies to all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before April 19, 2013, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 16th day of January, 2013. Judy May Seagle Estate of: Pauline Leonhardt May 600 Gann St., Lowell, N.C. 29098 BN10522 (1/16, 23, 30, & 2/06/13)

Banner News The Banner News is sold at the following locations: BB&T - Cramerton Belmont Post Office Bi-Lo - Belmont Byrum’s Grocery Charlie’s Drugs City Grille Café College Park Pharmacy Cramerton Drug Cramerton Omni Mart Dairy Queen Dales Grocery & Grill Dollar General Dollar General - Cramerton Exxon - Times Turn Around Food Lion - Mt. Holly OR HAVE IT

Fred’s Handy Pantry Jim’s Bait & Tackle Kangaroo - Belmont McAdenville Post Office Mt. Holly Post Office Nichols - S.P. Road Nichols - I-85 Quick Pick Shirley’s Restaurant The Banner News The Belmont Drug Store The Pantry #3 Time Flies Country Store Will’s Convenience

DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX!

SUBSCRIPTION FORM  New Subscription  Renewal  Senior ($25 - in Gaston County)  Gift (We’ll notify recipient) Clip & mail or bring payment to: The Banner News 132 N. Main St. • P.O. Box 589 Belmont, NC 28012 Or Call 704.825.0580 for more info.

RATES In Cleveland & Gaston Counties One Year $30 Outside Cleveland & Gaston Counties One Year $35.00 Outside N.C. One Year $50.00

Subscriber Information: Name ______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________ State _____ Zip _______ Phone _____________________________________ Your (Gift Giver) Information - if different from above Name ______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________ State _____ Zip _______ Phone _____________________________________

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Banner News

Page 5B

HIGHLAND STUDENTS RECOGNIZED AT DISTRICT 6 REGIONAL HOSA COMPETITION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thirty-seven students of the Health Occupations of America from Highland School of Technology competed at the District 6 Regional HOSA competition held at Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg on Jan. 12. The event had over 350 students participating from several surrounding counties in 16 different health care events. The top performers advance to HOSA state competition to be held in Greensboro April 11-13.

Plans continue for DSBG Kimbrell childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden

Bolick places in top 10

Justice Bolick from East Gaston placed in the top 10 in Medical Math for District 6 Health Occupation Students of America competition and will advance to the state competition in April. Online testing for the district was done Dec. 4, 2012.

Photo by Alan Hodge

These three friends were visiting Belmont last week making business calls, and stopped by the BannerNews office to chat, and remarked what a beautiful town it was. From left, Bennie Brundidge, Erin Grant and Garrett Stallings.

SOMERSET C o u r t

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We buy salvage cars & trucksâ&#x20AC;?

Assisted Living

Macâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Auto Parts

Cabinets At Their Finest Custom Cabinets & Woodworking Cabinet Refacing - Countertops

Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Electrical Services

3038 W. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia

Custom Cabinets

Trouble Shooting Specialist â&#x20AC;˘ Residential & Commercial

Medicaid Rates & Private Pay Accepted

Used parts for most makes & models!

112 Wes Cook Rd. â&#x20AC;˘ Lawndale, NC 28090 Office/Fax 704-538-7011

â&#x20AC;˘ New Construction or Remodel FREE ESTIMATES!

401. W. Academy St., Cherryville

704.861.0676 or 704.861.1331

All Private Rooms

704-445-1554

BRAD MORRISON 704-477-9812

CHAD GUY 704-913-8273

Deweyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electrical Service 704-739-5770

www.morrisonscustomcabinets.com

Gaston, Lincoln & Cleveland Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On-Time Electrician!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all taken care of...â&#x20AC;?

* Licensed in NC & SC

A Family Tradition Since 1957

'' 1+#- *$ #(#.#,1 *,& 3 ,*)2# 3 , )%.# 3 , '#

Mc Lean

Gaston 704.865.9669 Lincoln 704.736.4229 Cleveland 704.481.2985

Dog Boarding â&#x20AC;˘ Doggy Wash

oodlawn Funeral Home

Off Hwy. 216, between Kings Mtn. & Cherryville, next to Midway Lakes II

www.parkyourbarkllc.com kvathome@hotmail.com

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lock the door & leave at night - we live on the property so your dog has round the clock care!

1615 W. Dixon Blvd. â&#x20AC;˘ Hwy 74 By-Pass - Display/Sales Office www.riverhillmonuments.com

704-481-1198

Scrap Iron â&#x20AC;˘ Metals â&#x20AC;˘ Recycling â&#x20AC;˘ Aluminum Cans Appliances â&#x20AC;˘ Household Plastics Grades 1 & 2

CONTAINER SERVICE FOR INDUSTRIALS Tin â&#x20AC;˘ Coppers â&#x20AC;˘ Brasses â&#x20AC;˘ Radiators â&#x20AC;˘ Zinc â&#x20AC;˘ Cast Iron â&#x20AC;˘ Steel

734.1020 Doug & Kathy Toomey

*'&/%''# " 01 %) $$%!# ' ).

WEBB METALS LTD. - SINCE 1966

159 Sellars Rd. Kings Mountain

704

Locally Owned & Operated by Ron & Cathy Ledbetter

Does your dog need a vacation too?

PARK YOUR BARK

Funeral Directors !

Belmont - 704.825.5301 www.mcleanfuneral.com

We Would Like to Earn Your Business EDDIE L. WEBB & NATHAN DAVIS 8AM-NOON â&#x20AC;˘ 1PM-5PM PH: 704-922-5211 â&#x20AC;˘ FA: 704-922-7151 1305 PHILADELPHIA CHURCH ROAD â&#x20AC;˘ DALLAS, NC

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE HIRING â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

ULTRAFORCE STAFFING SERVICES

â&#x20AC;˘ Mig & Tig Welder â&#x20AC;˘ Turret Punch Press Operator

â&#x20AC;˘ Press Brake Operator â&#x20AC;˘ Industrial Assembly

â&#x20AC;˘ Clean Background Check â&#x20AC;˘ Drug Screen Test

www.ultraforcestaffing.com

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Executive Director Kara Newport will present details, including the latest design concepts, of the upcoming Lost Hollow childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden on Tuesday, Feb. 5, noon - 1 p.m., during the Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming First Tuesday Presentation. Newport will discuss the unfolding plans for this new three-acre experience. Located at the heart of the Garden, Lost Hollow is a sophisticated, artistic design that takes advantage of a dramatic and beautiful existing landscape. During this presentation, guests will see the latest sketches and images from artist and designer W. Gary Smith, that detail the various destinations within Lost Hollow that are designed to unleash creativity in children of all ages and encourage imaginative play and a passion for plants, art and design. After the presentation, Newport will open the floor to questions from guests and reporters. For more information about this and other events at the Garden visit http://www.dsbg.org/events.php First Tuesday presentations are free with Garden admission. Admission for members is free; adults, $12; seniors 60+, $10; and children 4-12, $6. Guests are encouraged to bring a bag lunch. For more information, visit www.DSBG.org or call 704-825-4490.

915 N. New Hope Rd, Suite G, Gastonia (704) 671-2337 302 E. Dixon Blvd, Suite 1, Shelby (704) 406-9766 518 N. Generals Blvd, Suite B, Lincolnton (704) 735-5667

GENDER PACKAGE $89.00 From 15-20 Weeks

YOUR AD HERE! YOUR AD HERE!

Call us today to see how your business can be listed in our Service Directory! 704739-7496 â&#x20AC;˘ 704825-0580 or Steve 704750-1125

The Banner News, Cherryville Eagle and Kings Mountain Herald are not responsible for errors in an advertisement if not corrected by the first week after the ad appears.

D â&#x20AC;˘ I â&#x20AC;˘ R â&#x20AC;˘ E â&#x20AC;˘ C â&#x20AC;˘ T â&#x20AC;˘ O â&#x20AC;˘ R â&#x20AC;˘ Y

Page 6B

The Banner News

go!

Government The Belmont City Council on the first Monday of every month at 7 pm. They hold a work session at 6:30 pm, prior to the regular meeting. Both meetings are open to the public. The agenda is available on the website one week prior to the meeting. Please sign up at the meeting if you wish to address the council at public comment or at a public hearing. The Mount Holly City Council meets for at 7:00 pm on the 2nd Monday and 6:30pm on the 4th Monday of every month. The 2nd Monday is the monthly business meeting and the 4th Monday is the council roundatable worksession. Meetings are open to the public and are held at City Hall, 400 East Central Ave. Gaston County Board of Commissioners meets the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the commissioners' chambers, second floor, at the Gaston County Courthouse, 128 W. Main Ave., Gastonia. The Gaston County Board of Education conducts its regular meeting on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. The Board Operations and Instruction Committees also meet monthly. Board meetings are held at the Central Administrative Center, 943 Osceola Street, Gastonia, N.C.

Events NOW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FEB. 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GASTON COUNTY SENIOR GAMES registration is open to the public at the Gaston County Senior Center ,1303 DallasCherryville Hwy., Dallas. $15 if registered by Feb. 8, or $20 after Feb. 8 until Feb. 15, 2013. For more information, call the Gaston County Parks and Recreation Department at (704) 922-2163. Pick up your registration packet at any one of the senior centers in Gaston County or online at www.gaston.gov.com.

Club Meetings THE QUILTMAKERS CLUB meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. All skill levels and ages are invited to the Lucile Tatum Center, 959 Osceola St., Gastonia. Please call the center (704) 865-3291 to speak to Pam Bryson for further information.

Health FEB. 23, 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RACE FOR R.A.R.E., open to the public. On Feb. 23, 2013 race starts at 9 a.m., at George Poston Park, 1101 Lowell-Spencer Mountain Road, Gastonia. Early registration is $25 for the 5K, and $35 (both before Jan. 23, 2013) for the 10 mile. For more information, call the Gaston County Parks and Recreation Department, at (704) 922-2164. R.A.R.E stands for Rare disease Awareness Research and Education. Proceeds of this race will benefit the Joubert Syndrome and Related Disorders Foundation. Take part in a RARE event and make a difference for rare disease! After Jan. 23, 2013, registration for the 5K is $30 and $40 for the 10 mile. Awards will be giving out for both the 5K and 10 mile in the following categories: Top 3 overall male and female finishers, top 3 male and female in each

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Your guide to area events

age group: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 5054,55-59,60-64, 65+. Also, for more information, or to register for the Race for R.A.R.E, visit their website at raceforrare.com.

Hospice FRESH START WIDOWED of the Greater Gaston Area meets the second Saturday and the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m., at the Gaston County Citizens Resource Center, Dallas-Cherryville Hwy. For more information, call Shirley at (704) 865-5663. THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Death of a Child (any age) Support Group, local chapter. A monthly support group for people who have lost a child. For more information, call Rose and John Stanley at (704) 865-7229, or John's cell (704) 616-6000. The group meets at First Presbyterian Church, 1621 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia. Gaston Hospice is now offering FREE ADVANCE DIRECTIVE CLINICS to discuss living wills, health care powers of attorney and the new M.O.S.T. form, (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment). A medical social worker will explain these forms and help you complete them and then notarize them. These clinics can be offered off-site at an office or church. For more information, contact Cindy Harry at (704) 861-8405. Sessions will be offered the first Thursday of every month from 11:30 until 1p.m., and the third Thursday from 4 until 5:30 p.m.

Education FEB. 6-27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER? Just complete the online volunteer application on the GCS website. Once your volunteer application is approved, you will receive an e-mail requesting that you attend an orientation session. Volunteer Orientation sessions will be held at the Gaston County Schools Central Office, 943 Osceola St., Gastonia, on the following dates: Feb 6 (12:15 p.m.),15 (8:30 a.m.), 22 (8:30 a.m.), and 27 (4 p.m.). For additional information on volunteering, contact Valerie Yatko, business partnership director, (704) 866-6329, or e-mail vayatko@gaston.k12.nc.us.

Arts NOW THROUGH FEB. 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FREE NEW EXHIBIT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Self-Portraits: Artwork by Mt. Holly, N.C., artist Kenneth Asbury opening Dec. 11, 2012 and running through Feb. 9, 2013 at the Gaston County Museum's bull pen, 131 West Main Street, Dallas. For more information, contact director Jeff Pruett, (7040 922-7681, ext. 101, or email at jeff.pruett@co.gaston.nc.us.

Classes GASTON COLLEGE'S "ALIVE AT 25" driving program for high school students is designed to assist drivers 16-24 in making good driving decisions. Class is a four and a half hour, highly interactive session. Cost is $67. To register or for more information, contact Donna Nichols at (704) 922-6353, or e-mail nichols.donna@gaston.edu. GASTON COLLEGE'S DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Call to see if you qualify. If you have been charged with a traffic violation and the charge was NOT in a school or work zone, or does not involve the use of alcohol; you may be eligible for the Defensive Driving Course (DDC-4). Course is offered in cooperation with the District Courts in Lincoln and Gaston counties and the North Carolina Health and Safety Council. Classes available at both the Dallas and Lincoln campuses. Cost: $67. To find out if you qualify, contact Donna Nichols at (704) 922-6353, or e-mail nichols.donna@gaston.edu. NOW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gaston College is offering a series of FREE CLASSES to teach the aspiring entrepreneur or seasoned small business owner how to run a small business more efficiently. Classes will be offered January â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 2013 on Thursdays from 6:30 - 9 p.m., Room KCC114B, Kimbrell Campus, 7220 Wilkinson Boulevard, Belmont. Also, a series of four basic accounting classes will be offered on Tuesdays from 5:30 -7:30 p.m., Room KCC114B beginning April 16. For more information call Stephanie Michael Pickett at (704) 9226215. WRITING CLASSES IN CHARLOTTE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Writers' Workshop is providing writing classes for any level writer at Providence Presbyterian Church. Registration is in advance only,

5-2/ 02!0"/(.1(-, ,# /$"$(3$

160 05

$,$4 *0 ,*5 $,$4 * +201 !$ /$"$(3$# !5 $! % /$,$4(,& !5 .'-,$ -/ $ + (* ' 3$ (0 -/ 01$/" /# /$ #5 %-/ . 5+$,1

1-. (, (, 1 -/ + (* 20 ) 1'5 )+'$/ *# &+ (* "-+

Banner News

by mail or online at www.twwoa.org. Financial aid in exchange for volunteering is available. Feb 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SCREENPLAY WRITING with Nathan Ross Freeman. The class will receive an overview of writing for the screen. Discussion will include various formats, structures and techniques, as well as tips on creating interesting characters and realistic dialogue. Students may bring a screenplay idea or synopsis to the class for review. Freeman has written and produced indie feature films such as "Mr. Bones" and "Authoring Action." He won the NC Arts Council Fellowship for Hannah Elian, and the Great Lakes Screenplay Contest for Geist. Meets from 12-5 p.m. $75/$70 for Workshop members. Feb 16â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WRITING THE SHORT STORY with Dale Neal. This class, for beginning and experienced writers, will focus on techniques for crafting the short story. Publishing information will also be given, and students may bring up to 5 pages for in-class review. Neal holds an MFA in creative writing from Warren Wilson College. His short stories have appeared in Arts & Letters, north Carolina Literary Review, Carolina Quarterly and elsewhere. His first novel, Cow Across America, won the 2009 Novello Literary Award and was shortlisted for Foreword Novel of the Year. He is an editor and columnist at the Asheville Citizen-Times. Meets from 12-5 p.m. $75/$70 Workshop members.

Museums FEB. 6, 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS FROM YOUR ATTIC? Please join the Gaston County Museum, located at 131 West Main Street, Dallas this date, for their regular program, Coffee with the Curator, from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m. If objects are too large please bring photographs. During this program, object donations to the museum will also be considered. There is no appointment needed for this program and it is free and open to the public. Please note â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there is a three item limit per person and there will be no monetary appraisals at this program. Gaston County strives to make its programs, services and activities accessible to all. If you will require an accommodation we request that you contact our office at least five days before the event. For more info, contact Jeff Pruett, Director, at (704) 922-7681, ext. 101, or email him at jpruett@co. gaston.nc.us.