Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday, March 9 -
Remember to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday night!
Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville | Volume 79 • Issue 10 • Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Traywick named Belmont Citizen on the Year The Belmont Historical Society announces the 2013 Belmont Citizen of the Year. This year’s honoree is Mr. Howard Franklin Traywick, a native of Belmont. He is married to Sharon Cline, father of two children and has four grandchildren. He worked in drafting and design during his career. He is an active member of Park Street United Methodist Church, and has served on several community nonprofits boards. This year’s banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 25 at Park Street United Methodist Church Family Life Center at 7:00pm. Sponsors for the event are
Queens crowned!
Belmont Federal Savings & Loan Association and South Point Pet Hospital. Tickets are $20.00 and will be available at the Belmont Historical Society (704-825-4848) and the Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce office. You may also contact Elizabeth Atterberry, Chair of the event (704-8258152). Students from South Point High School who attended the American Legion Boys and Girls State will be recognized along with the American Legion’s MVP. Plan to attend and support the Belmont Historical Society on this very special evening.
Annual ‘Men Who Cook’ set for March 16 On Sunday, March 16, over fifty of Gaston County’s finest male “chefs� will gather at the Mt. Holly Citizens Center for the 18th annual “Men Who Cook� event. For almost two decades, the Rotary Club of Mount Holly has used Men Who Cook to raise money to provide worthy Gaston County high school seniors with scholarship funds to assist them in attending the college or university of their choice. Individuals who purchase tickets for this event will have an opportunity to sample the culinary delights prepared and served by civic and business leaders, elected officials, area restaurants, and high school culinary
75¢
classes. In the past, the types of dishes shared have been as simple as pigs in a blanket, and as unusual as venison stew. Ticket holders will be able to pick and choose from a variety of meats, vegetables, breads, and desserts. Rotary Club of Mount Holly President Molly D’Avria promises “no one will go away hungry.� The serving line will open at 12:30pm on Sunday, March 16 and the event is a perfect option for a Sunday lunch. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 years of age and younger. All proceeds from Men Who Cook go to the scholarship fund of the Rotary Club of Mount Holly. The Rotary Scholarship fund has See MEN WHO COOK, pg 5
City Pride Day is April 12 Saturday, April 12 is the 14th anniversary of Belmont’s “City Pride Day�, and Keep Belmont Beautiful will hold its spring litter pick up event. Volunteers will meet at the upper shelter at Stowe Park at 9:00 AM for donuts, biscuits, juice and coffee. Volunteers will be provided gloves, bags and an assigned area to pick up litter in Belmont. T shirts will be given out as long as supply lasts. KBB plans to conduct the cleanup unless there are thunderstorms. We will not have a rain date. Please call KBB at 704-825-8587 to register your group. Residents of Belmont may put discarded items (appliances, tires, debris, lawn mowers, etc.) at their curbs for pick up during the week of April 15-19. Not accepted- paints, any hazardous materials or batteries. Any questions call Public Works Department, 704-825-0506. Call the Keep Belmont Beautiful office 704-825-8587 to register or questions. Visit KBB website: www.keepbelmontbeautiful.org, and Facebook.
Stone hired in Mount Holly Tara Stone is the City of Mount Holly’s new Stormwater Specialist. She has an office, but don’t be surprised to find her in boots slogging along the banks of Dutchman’s Creek or some other local waterway making sure nothing is amiss. Stone came to her position after stints as a school teacher and employee of Mecklenburg County. The Utility Division welcomes Tara Stone as our Environmental Specialist. She has worked for the Mecklenburg County LUESA Water Quality Program and has an extensive environmental management background. Tara will be involved with stormwater issues within the City and implement the provisions of the Mount Holly NPDES Stormwater Permit. (NPDES=National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System)
Christina Benedict was crowned Miss South Kelsey Hayes was crowned Miss East Gaston Point Saturday, February 22. See more on on February 8. See more on page 6. page 6.
Police roll out new trucks Four-wheel drive vehicle an asset to Belmont PD By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
“Very handy getting city employees to work in the recent snow.� That’s how Belmont police officer Cpl. Doug Huffstetler described the four wheel drive Ford F150 pickup truck that the department recently acquired. But wait, there’s not one, but two pickups on the PD parking lot ready for action, the other one being a Ford F-250. So, how did the police come to acquire the trucks, outfit them for law enforcement and community work, and what will the role be for
Photo by Alan Hodge
See BELMONT PD, pg 5
Belmont police Cpls. Ed Mason (left) and Doug Huffstetler are seen with the pickups the department recently acquired. The trucks will be used for community police work and haulin’.
Keeping Belmont beautiful just got easier By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Sidewalk trash and recycling cans might not seem like an important part of a city’s image but in fact they go a long way towards beautification as well as keeping the landscape clean. To that end, the City of Belmont has purchased a number of new trash and recycling containers that are already being well-used. The cans were installed last week. Belmont’s public works director, David Isenhour, explained how the Great Can Swap came into being. “We were given some capital funding from last year’s budget and were waiting closer to spring of this year in moving forward with the project,� he said. “With this funding I ordered sixteen new combo recycling and trash containers
for downtown, East Belmont and several of our parks.� The new cans are not only nice to look at, they help ‘brand’ the city. “These new containers have ‘BELMONT’ inscribed into the sides,� Isenhour said. “It gives us a more personal city identification. We also ordered eighteen of the new round trash containers with ‘BELMONT’ inscribed in them as well. Most of these are for the parks.� Belmont merchant Poochie Dotson will have both a trash and recycling container on the sidewalk outside the door of her Surprise Me gift shop in its new 140 N. Main location. “The blue and green colors of the containers are aesthetically pleasing and the location is very convenient,� said Dotson. Along with the trash See NEW RECEPTACLES, pg 5
Photo by Alan Hodge
These new trash and recycling cans are just one of sixteen pairs installed last week in Belmont. The city also plans to installed new picnic tables and mulch containment borders in its parks. In this photo Poochie Dotson prepares to pitch a cup.
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