Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville | Volume 79 • Issue 9 • Wednesday, February 26, 2014
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Cramerton bridge project delayed Completion now slated for July The North Carolina Department of Transportation informed the Town of Cramerton this week that the C.C. Dawson Bridge Replacement Project, that spans the South Fork River and connects North Main Street and Lakewood Road, has been delayed. The original completion time was April 2014 and now the estimated time of completion is July 2014. The NCDOT has contracted with Lee Construction Company of the Carolinas for construction of the project that started October 2012. According to NCDOT, Lee Construction has experienced difficulty in drilling shafts into the river for the sub structure of the bridge and severe weather conditions. NCDOT has also stated that Lee Construction is working seven days a week in order to complete the project. Cramerton Mayor Ronnie Worley said, “I under-
stand that the replacement of the C.C. Dawson Bridge over the South Fork River was necessary but the project has been an inconvenience and challenge for the citizens and businesses of Cramerton. The Town will continue to assist NCDOT in providing updated information to the citizens and businesses of Town as it is made available. We encourage everyone to support our local businesses during this challenging time.� The Town of Cramerton will continue to use the Town’s monthly newsletter, www.cramerton.org, and Facebook to provide updates on the bridge construction project. For more information in regards to the C.C. Dawson Bridge Replacement Project, please contact Mr. Gary Spangler, District Engineer with the NC Department of Transportation at 704-4802080 or gspangler@ ncdot.gov.
Tax rate update In last week’s BannerNews an article on local municipal tax rates over the past 10 years stated that Mount Holly’s had increased by 14 percent. To clarify that, Mount Holly City Manager Danny Jackson has provided the following data: “When our tax rate went from 44 cents to 53 cents in 2006, it was due to our citizens being informed that the tax rate increase of 9 cents would be for specific reasons,� Jackson said. “The breakdown was 4 cents for the bond referendum of 2003, which the public was told that it could be as high
as 6 cents but we settled on 4 cents. Three (3) cents were for the Tuckaseege Park Expansion Project and the final 2 cents for the renovation project that is now our Municipal Complex. “To round out the other factual information, from 1986 to 2002 property taxes in Mount Holly were not increased. Obviously, that is a total of 16 years our citizens did not see an increase, despite the financial conditions of the city. In 2002 there was an increase from 42 cents to 45 cents. In 2004 we actually lowered the tax rate from 45 cents to 44 cents.�
War of the words over coal ash storage continues By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Duke Energy and its coal ash storage methods seems to be the controversy that keeps on giving- folks something to verbally and legally spar about. With the war of words between environmental groups and Duke Energy continuing like a 12-round world championship slugfest, coal ash's potential hazards, as well as the catastrophic spill of the substance into the Dan River a few weeks back has prompted the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation to issue more information to bolster its claims that Duke is endangering waterways with its coal ash policy. The report, entitled “Coal Ash of the Catawba vs. the Dan�, is a chart comparing
coal ash storage at the Dan River Steam Station near Eden, N.C. to the nowclosed Riverbend Steam Station near Mount Holly, Allen Steam Station near Belmont, and Marshall Steam Station at Terrell near Denver. According to the Catawba Riverkeeper, facts and figures on the chart were compiled from engineering reports and information requests received by the EPA from Duke Energy. The chart declares that in the 29-miles stretch of the Catawba River from Terrell to Belmont, Duke Energy has four coal ash ponds totaling 445 acres and containing 5 billion gallons of coal ash slurry. The chart provides information on what cities are closest to the coal ash ponds. See STORAGE, pg 7
Photo by Alan Hodge
Mount Holly's beautiful and vibrant downtown area is just one reason it was chosen recently as the second best place in North Carolina to retire to.
You’re not alone - city ranked 2nd for retirement in NC By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
When many folks think of retirement, there's a beach or mountain in the picture. But even though it lacks palm trees and 30-mile views, Mount Holly has taken its place among the most desirable retirement spots in North Carolina. According to a ranking chart devised by Movoto Real Estate, Mount
Holly ranks second in the state as a place to kick back and relax when a person's working years are over. Civic and business leaders in Mount Holly are filled with glee over the second place ranking. “Mount Holly is a great place to live, work and play for all ages and lifestyles,� said Mayor Bryan Hough. “We are blessed to live in a community recognized for our citizens and what we have to offer.�
City Manager Danny Jackson agrees. “In regard to the recent situation with Mount Holly being ranked number two in NC for best places for retirees, I am extremely happy,� Jackson said. “I am also always happy for our citizens when good things happen in Mount Holly. For well over a decade there has been a collective effort to improve the quality of life in Mount See MOUNT HOLLY, pg 5
Local sites provide rich history By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Black History Month is drawing to a close, but it's never too late to visit some of our local sites connected with the African-American experience. Mount Holly has a couple of highly interesting locations that are embedded in the black community's past. The first is the site of the former A.M. Rollins School on S. Hawthorne St. in the Freedom neighborhood off NC273. The Rollins School was originally known as Mount Holly Colored School and it was where all of the town's black students went. It was in operation from 1930-1969 and took its name from the first principal, A.M. Rollins. Teachers at the school who needed to live close by often boarded at the home of Mrs. Roceda Bailey. With the passage of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, local schools began to integrate. In 1969, Rollins School closed. For a brief period, the building was used as a community center, but it was eventually torn down. These days, folks can visit the site where the Rollins School once stood. The land is occupied by the Rollins Apartments, but something special remains to honor the school. That special feature is a stone monument in front of the apartments engraved with the words “A.M. Rollins Elementary School� as well as an image of the school itself. The names of principals A.M. Rollins and Willie See SITES, pg 7 Photo by Alan Hodge
This marker on Hawthorne St. in Mount Holly is on the site where the A.M. Rollins school for African-American children once stood.
Joe Hand to be inducted into Belmont Sports Hall of Fame By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Upcoming Belmont Sports Hall of Fame inductee Joe Hand's ability to fight and overcome the effects of polio not only typifies his determined personality, it also makes his athletic career all the more amazing. James “Joe� Hand loved sports of all types from an early age. His first cousin, Sam McClure of Belmont, recalled the fun times they had competing with other
youths in all sorts of ways. “Joe had polio but he never let it hinder him,� McClure said. “He could swim, climb trees, and do anything other boys could do. In fact, he could swim better than most guys with two good legs.� Baseball also figured in Hand's youthful days. “We played on the field near where the current Belmont sewer plant is now,� McClure. “We had a team coached by Lee Grier.� The Boy Scouts were another popular activity with
Hand. He went on to earn his Eagle Scout ranking. Hand attended Reid High in Belmont during the mid1950s. While at Reid, he was not only a top student, but also played on the 1954 and 1955 state championship baseball teams. A multi-faceted player on the diamond, he was both catcher and first baseman. After graduating from Reid High in 1958, Hand went on to attend Elizabeth City State University. At that school he continued his legacy of academic and ath-
letic excellence. In addition to being newly inducted into the Belmont Sports Hall of Fame, he is also a member of the school's Hall of Fame thanks to his baseball career there. After graduating from Elizabeth City State, Hand settled in Richmond County, N.C. where he enjoyed a long career as an educator and coach, first at Leak St. High School and later at Richmond County High. Hand also served as a member of the Richmond
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See HAND, pg 5