Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville | Volume 79 • Issue 8 • Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Illegal dumping!
75¢
Blanketed in
snow!
On February 17, 2014, the City of Belmont’s Wastewater Treatment Plant staff discovered a suspected illegal substance had been dumped into a grease trap at 700 Park Street, which is connected to the City’s sanitary sewer system. Upon discovering this, the City’s utility staff immediately blocked all sewage flow from this location to attempt to keep this substance from reaching the sanitary sewer pipeline and the wastewater treatment plant. See DUMPING, pg 4
Above: Joey Shue, a member of Troop 49 First United Methodist Church of Stanley, loved the snow so much he camped out in it! Below: Children had a ball on the sledding hill at Mt. Holly Middle School.
Cleanup delayed Court request to delay coal ash case upsets Catawba Riverkeeper The coal ash storage conflict between Duke Energy and environmentalists continues. Last week, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) requested that a North Carolina state court delay judicial review of its consent order with Duke Energy over coal ash contamination at Riverbend Steam Station on the Catawba River’s Mountain Island Lake, which is the drinking water reservoir for 860,000 people in Mount Holly, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and Gastonia. The Catawba Riverkeeper was upset by the request. “We do not understand why DENR See DISPUTE, pg 5
Photo by Bill Ward
Snowfall tops 8� By Alan Hodge Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Two weeks ago our area had an inch of snow that had local folks on edge. Last week, the worst winter storm in many years plunged everyone over the edge and into a snowy abyss with nearly nine inches. Last Tuesday set the stage when wet snow fell much of the day. Luckily it didn’t stick to streets, so that gave everyone so inclined the opportunity to hit the stores. Grocery stores like the Food Lion in North Belmont had
conga lines at every register with folks stocking up on the usual bread and milk rations. Wal-Mart in Belmont was buzzing as well. Charcoal and propane bottles for camp stoves were stripped from the shelves there. The Belmont General Store did a brisk business in sleds. “I managed to get 30 plastic sleds from Cleveland County,� said manager Lane Adams. “I sold them all in about as many minutes.� After an overnight lull in the snow, it came back Wednesday morning with a vengeance. By
noon, streets were turning white. By Wednesday evening, most roads were covered up with snow. Bright yellow NCDOT trucks as well as those from municipalities like Belmont and Mount Holly were out and about spreading sand and other traction-aiding materials on hills and bridges as fast as they could go. David Isenhour, Belmont’s public works director, once again had his truck drivers on the beat. “We were out there running with full crews throughout the day, night and early mornings,�
Isenhour said. “We took care of major roads and steep secondary roads but reach all city streets. We had two plows and spreader trucks working. We put down about 30 tons of salt and slag to begin with and even more into the next day or two.� The snow continued Wednesday night and several more inches accumulated along with a crust of ice. When folks awoke Thursday morning, large flakes were coming down harder than ever. Even See SNOW, pg 3
Stafford to be inducted
Property Taxes
into Belmont Sports Hall of Fame
What are you paying?
By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
For some folks the phrase “hold that line� is a football game cheer, but for the City of Belmont it represents the property tax situation in the coming year. During its recent retreat, the Belmont city council got a look at the property tax rate over the past ten years as well as a comparison with how it stacked up compared to other local municipalities and Gaston County. The results showed it to be in the “middle of the road� rate-wise. Back in 2004-2005, Belmont's tax rate was 46 cents per $100 of valuation. This coming FY2013-2014 it will remain the same as last year at 47.5 cents. Overall in the past ten years, Belmont's tax rate has risen just 3.26 percent. On the low end of the scale, Gaston See TAXES, pg 5
ground equipment for kids in the five-year-old range, a fenced dog park, and an observation bridge and pier on the town center side. Preliminary cost estimates for Phase II are around $1.1 million. The largest cost is expected to be the bridge, its approaches and foundations at $543,000. Actually putting the bridge up and constructing its causeways will be around $120,000.
One of the most interesting inductees ever into the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame will hear his named called at the organization's annual banquet set for Tuesday, March 11 at 7pm at Catawba Heights Baptist Church. Belmont native Todd Stafford will be the first, and only, golfer so far to see his name on the Hall of Fame's wall- and it's been a long time coming. “It's a huge honor to be selected as a member of the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame,� Stafford said. “I was shocked when Art Shoemaker called me with the news. It was out of left field. I am usually talkative, but I was speechless.� Stafford says he came by his interest in golf as a child by catching balls hit by his father. “I caught them with a baseball glove,� he said. Later, the Stafford family moved near Lakewood Golf Course, the current site of Stuart Cramer High. “Dad would drop me and some friends off and we would stay at the course all day,� he said. “Some days we would play ninety holes as fast as we could. We carried our own bags, too.� Practice made perfect for Stafford and
See PARK, pg 4
See STAFFORD, pg 4
Photo by Alan Hodge
This sign on the banks of the South Fork River marks the spot in downtown Cramerton near where a new pedestrian bridge to Goat Island Park will be built later this year.
Phase II of park under way By Alan Hodge Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Cramerton’s Goat Island Park has proven a huge success and Phase II of the project is well under way. The Belmont Rotary Club recently received a presentation on what Phase II will offer citizens not only of Cramerton, but the entire region. Phase II access to Goat Island will be via a prefab
bridge similar to the one already in place on the island’s other side on Greenwood Place. The new bridge will have a 165’ main span with am 80’ span on the town side of the South Fork River and a 120’ approach span on the park side. The bridge will be painted black with decorative lighting. New amusements at the park will include permanent cornhole boards, permanent table tennis tables, new play-
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