Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville
Volume 78 • Issue 14 • Wednesday, April 3, 2013
75¢
Michaux’s discovery still blooming By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Andre Michaux
When most folks think of pioneers in our area the image that comes to mind is someone with a coonskin hat and squirrel rifle. However, 217 years ago this very week a distinguished scientist from France walked among the Eastern Gaston County woods during an expedition that would see him discover one of the world’s rarest plants, on land near what would eventually become Mount Holly and Stanley. Andre Michaux (1746-1802) was a botanist sent to America by King Louis XVI of France to find new plants to ship back home to improve the forestry and agriculture there. Thomas Jefferson, who was Minister to France, had urged Louis XVI to send this
expedition. Though he was a sophisticated man, Michaux wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and has been described as “tough as bull hide, but with the heart of a poet”. Overall, Michaux spend over a decade traveling throughout the eastern half of the United States, and one of his trips took him through Charlotte and into Gaston County where he was the first to collect, describe, and name a rare and beautiful new species of magnolia tree called the Bigleaf magnolia or Magnolia macrophylla. With plants gathered near Stanley, Michaux soon introduced the species into the gardens of France. Michaux recorded the event in his diary entry dated April 3, 1796 and written while he was staying at a Stanley area farm. “Sunday the 3rd of April arrived at Bennet Smith’s 12 miles from Lincoln; remained
all day to pull shoots of a new Magnolia with very large leaves, auriculate, oblong, glaucous, silky, especially the young leaves; the buds very silky; Flowers white Petals with a base of a purple color. Stamens yellow etc. Along the creek on the bank of which this Magnolia grows I saw the Kalmia latifolia, Viola lutea, foliis hastatis; Ulmus viscosa then in process of fructification; Halesia; Stewartia pentagyna. The 4th started and crossed Tuckasegee Ford on the Catawba river 10 miles from Bennet Smiths.” While he was in the area, Michaux also took a hike to land south of Belmont near where Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located. Gaston County has twelve natural heritage sites listed as being of state or regional significance. Six of these are listed because See MICHAUX, 6A
SELC moves forward Harper Park set to open May 11 with coal ash suit By Alan Hodge Editor
Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The debate over Duke Energy’s method of handling ash from its coal-fired steam generating plant on Mountain Island Lake near Mount Holly continued last week with a notice from the Southern Environmental Law Center and Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation that they intended to sue the utility company over the matter. The 60-day notice of intent to sue was sent from the SELC to the EPA in Washington, D.C. on March 26. It’s opening remarks read: “This letter is to notify the United States Environmental Protection Agency the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and Duke Energy of ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act at the Riverbend Steam Station coal-fired electricity generating plant in Mount Holly, NC and owned by Duke. The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and its members are very concerned about continuing serious violations of the Clean Water Act at Riverbend that have caused and continue to cause pollutants to enter North Carolina waters and navigable waters and cause unpermitted discharges to flow from the coal ash lagoons into Mountain Island Lake and the Catawba River, the drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of people including the residents of the Charlotte area. The substances illegally discharged at Riverbend include arsenic, cobalt, manganese, iron, barium, boron, strontium, and zinc.” The SELC and the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation’s notice also says they will file suit in federal court to stop the pollution if Duke does not take appropriate action to “enter into a binding agreement to cease and remediate promptly all such violations.” “Duke should not be storing toxic coal ash in unlined lagoons beside Charlotte’s drinking water reservoir,” Frank Holleman, Senior Attorney at SELC, said. “If there was ever a place where it is irresponsible to store coal ash, this is it. Duke should remove its toxic ash to a lined landfill away from drinking water and remove pollutants from the groundwater.” The Catawaba Riverkeeper Foundation’s Rick Gaskins had this to say. “The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is committed to protect the Catawba River and the drinking water of the Charlotte area,” said Gaskins. “It is long past time that Duke moved its coal ash away from Mountain Island Lake and stopped discharging toxic substances into Charlotte’s drinking water reservoir.” Duke Energy spokesperson Erin Culbert issued a statement in response to the lawsuit notice. “We are reviewing today’s notice and agree Mountain Island Lake is a critical resource for our region, and Duke Energy has been monitoring water quality there since 1953,” she said. “We consistently find that water quality is good, fish are healthy and drinking water supplies are safe.” As far as toxins leaking into the lake and groundwater from the lagoons, Culbert replied in this manner. “Seepage is normal and necessary for an earthen dam’s structural integrity,” she said. “We have routinely informed the state of the seepage occurring at the toe of our ash dams. The volume of seepage is extremely small and has no impact to the overall water quality in the lake. We monitor groundwater around the Riverbend ash basins and report that data to state regulators. We find elevated levels of iron, manganese and low pH, which pose no health risk. Arsenic levels in Mountain Island Lake are at the lowest amounts laboratory instruments can accurately measure just a short distance from the plant.” Riverbend was officially retired on April 1. The decommissioning will be a multi-year process to remove materials, safely deconstruct the powerhouse, close the ash basins and See LAWSUIT, 6A
After many months of dreaming, planning, and construction, the Town of Stanley’s new $1.4 million Harper Park is within an inch of opening. According to Stanley’s Park and Recreation director Tug Deason, the official opening ceremony has been set for Saturday, May 11 at noon. “The grand opening will have a live band, food, and a big, fun atmosphere,” said Deason. “We are all really excited about the park.” Last week saw workers putting finishing touches on the park, preparing for the historic day. “We still have to install over thirty park benches, build pitching mounds on the baseball fields, and do some landscaping and paint touchups,” Deason said. Harper Park is the first public park in Stanley and has plenty of amenities. These include two baseball fields, bleachers, a large picnic shelter with tables, plenty of paved parking, a nice restroom and a concession center. Also, a basketball court, two playgrounds, a splash pad for hot summer days, horseshoe pits, a walking track, nature trail, and beach volleyball. The park has 1,000 feet of road frontage and occupies 19 acres conveniently located on Blacksnake Road just a couple of hundred yards from NC Hwy 27.
Photo by Alan Hodge
Harper Park in Stanley will have a grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 13. The park is named for Ron and Katherine Harper who were instrumental in its creation. A large flagpole at the park will bear a plaque honoring US Marine Lance Cpl. Nick O’Brien, a local man who lost his life in Afghanistan. Harper Park was paid for with some creative financing as well as help from local residents Ron and Katherine Harper, for whom the park is named. Fundraisers included selling bags of peanuts at Stanley Parks and Recreation events and setting the money aside for the park. The Harpers helped with cash and the property where the park is located. A
$500,000 state PARTF grant helped the project along as well. Other fundraising efforts ranged from corporate contributions to yard sales. A large and colorful sign greets visitors at the park entrance. The sign was financed with donations in lieu of flowers following Ron Harper’s passing on April 14, 2012. One of the anticipated uses for Harper Park will be hosting the Dixie Youth State Tournament for Little League baseball. The tourney will take place June 12-20.
Neighbors recall days of travel, adventure By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
When it comes to getting around the nation and globe, Lyn McFarland and John Cromlish of Belmont have both covered a lot of territory, each in his own special way. Currently next-door neighbors at Terrace Ridge assisted living facility on Hudson Blvd., McFarland and Cromlish often visit each other and reflect back on their individual travels, preferred modes of transportation, and the exciting things they did and saw. For McFarland, it was all about wings. A retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel, McFarland was a pilot who not only had a wide variety of postings, but also flew an astonishing array of VIPs far and wide during a career that spanned 1957-1991. “I was stationed in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, Mississippi, Arizona, and Maryland,” he said. “I also served 983 days in Viet Nam.” During his tour in ’Nam, McFarland took part flying missions in an AC-130 airplane rescuing downed aircrew. See NEIGHBORS, 6A
Photo by Alan Hodge Retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Lyn McFarland (left) and railroad buff John Cromlish are from Belmont but currently next door neighbors at Terrace Ridge assisted living facility. In this shot they are shown with some of their favorite memorabilia.
Kids learn gardening with Food Corps By Alan Hodge Editor Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Kids at North Belmont Elementary School got a feel for what it takes to farm last Wednesday morning, dirty hands and a freezing spring breeze included. About 60 third grade students filled raised garden beds on the school’s campus with soil, picked up trowels and hand shovels, and planted vegetable seeds–all while a chilly
wind blew. The planting is part of the Food Corps program sponsored by the Gaston County Cooperative Extension Service. Sarah Dixon from Food Corps was on hand to help the kids get the garden going. “Food Corps is a non-profit in 14 states that works in school garden-based nutrition programs,” Dixon said. “The garden helps connect kids with healthy foods.” The vegetable garden program is going on at 11 Gaston County schools. See NORTH BELMONT, 6A
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