Red Raiders Score Back-to-Back Victories
INSIDE...
7A
Obituaries ............. 2A MH Springfest ....... 3A Church News ......... 5A Here’s To Beer!...... 6A Sports................... 7A
Shots fired at Wal-Mart
Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville | Volume 79 • Issue 16 • Wednesday, April 16, 2014
75¢
Cyclists race through Belmont
3 men arrested Folks walking in the Belmont WalMart parking lot last Friday got more excitement than they planned on when shots rang out in the wake of a robbery attempt. At about 3:53pm the Belmont Police Department responded to a shots fired call at Wal-Mart located on Hawley Ave, where they encountered a man identified as Matthew Lee Ollis 25, of 114 Springs Street, Gastonia, armed with a gun. Officers immediately took him into custody. Ollis told officers he was at Wal-Mart to sell some jewelry to some people he made contact with on craigslist. Sometime during the transaction Ollis indicated that the buyers tried to steal the jewelry then tried to leave in a Jeep. Ollis fired four shots from a .45 pistol into the See SHOOTING, 2A
Do you know what to do in a (nuclear) emergency? By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
It's only about 10 miles as the crow flies from Mount Holly and Stanley to Duke Energy's McGuire Nuclear Station and if, God forbid, any type of emergency or accident should occur at the plant, the utility has a plan in place to alert and if need be evacuate area citizenry- crows not included. That 10 mile area is called an Emergency Planning Zone or EPZ. A bit of background about McGuire Nuclear Station. Ground was broken on the shores of Lake Norman for it in 1971 with commercial operation Phase I in 1981 and Phase II in 1984. It has a capacity of 2,200 megawatts and is a pressurized water reactor using uranium dioxide for fuel. Basically, the station boils water using nuclear energy and uses the steam to turn power-generating turbines. Even though nuclear energy is highly regulated and generally safe, Duke Energy, along with local and state officials, have created a system of “just in case” test, warning, and evacuation measures. Last week, the utility sent a large packet of information in this regard to area media outlets. One of the first parts of the plan consists of warning siren tests. These events are held periodically. In fact, one took place just last Wednesday at 11:50am at McGuire as well as Duke's Catawba and Oconee stations. The siren does not mean evacuate. It means go inside, turn on a radio or TV and listen for further information. Official Emergency Alert Stations are FM 107.9 WLNK or FM 106.5 WEND. See EPZ, 2A
By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Bunches of bicyclists clad in a kaleidoscope of colorful spandex costumes transformed downtown Belmont into a two-wheeled wonder world Sunday afternoon. The event was the 2nd Annual Belmont Criterium bicycle race. Picture perfect weather brought out several hundred competitors in both amateur and professional rankings who jockeyed
their bikes on a route that began and ended in front of City Hall. Swarms of spectators soaked up the action as well as a plentiful supply of sun. The race was part of the USA Crits series and was sponsored by Carolina Healthcare System. The City of Belmont as well as South Main Cycles also worked hard to make it happen. Many of the racers came quite a distance to take part. International riders made their way to Belmont from Latvia, Ukraine, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and Britain.
The United Healthcare Team had several of the international riders in its stable. Team manager Rachael Hill gave a thumbs up to the Belmont Crits. “This is a national level race,” she said. “Belmont is a great little town for it. The support from everyone here has been fantastic.” Race Director Thad Fischer also appreciated the work put into the day from folks like Belmont Community Events Director Reba Edwards and Belmont Police Cpl. Doug Huffstetler. See CYCLISTS, 10A
Celebrating NC Beer Month... Garden brings Is ‘Belmont Abbey Ale’ on the menu? By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
April is North Carolina's official Beer Month and Brother Tobiah Abbot at Belmont Abbey says he'll raise a mug to that. In fact, that quaff might be one he brewed himself at the monastery. Br. Tobiah says the monastic tradition of brewing beer “in house” provided a practical solution to many issues, one of which was the need for nutrition during the Lenten season. “Beer was a way for monks to get vitamins and minerals when their food intake was lowered by fasting,” he said. As for his own interest in brewing, Br. Tobiah says it was sparked not long after he got out of the Coast Guard in 1987. “I was talking to my uncle about making beer and there was a shop that sold beer making supplies where he lived in Greenville,” he said. “We got a kit and made a batch.” At the Abbey, Br. Tobiah is continuing that practice with beer making ingredients he gets from Alternative Beverage in Belmont. “I make a five gallon batch a couple of times a year,” he said. “I cook it on the stove in our kitchen.” From time to time, Abbot Placid Solari pitches in. He's been brewing beer for about 20 years. The Abbey beer connection has recently taken an interesting turn with well-known, Asheville-based Highland Brewery whipping up a Belgian-type ale and selling it with a Belmont Abbey logo on the bottles. Known as “Belmont Abbey Ale” the plan is to produce it in four seasonal batches then sell it in locations such as String Bean and Sammy's Neighborhood Pub in Belmont. There could even be t-shirts, mugs, and coasters with the Abbey Ale logo offered for sale.
community together By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Photo by Alan Hodge
This logo appeared on Belgian-type ale that Belmont Abbey has had produced in limited quantities by Highland Brewery in Asheville. The production runs were quickly sold out. “The idea for Abbey Ale came after a monk from Louisiana visited us,” Br. Tobiah said. “He told us that his monastery went to a local brewery and contracted with them to make beer and it was sold with their name in local stores.” A batch of Highland-made ale was brought to the Abbey alumni reunion and was met with enthusiastic response. “It went fast,” said Br. Tobiah. Taking the Abbey Ale idea even further, Br. Tobiah says that there's been talk of starting a microbrewery at the monastery itself. “That's still in the infancy stage,” he said. On a grander scale, according to Br. Tobiah, a group of Trappist monks in Spencer, Mass., decided to start an ale operation at their monastery. “They went to Belgium to see how it was done and spent about $1 million to set their brewery up.” See ABBEY ALE, 4A
What was once a vacant lot beside the railroad tracks on Main St. in downtown Belmont is being transformed into a vegetable paradise. The lot is owned by Jonathan Taylor and located behind the building he also owns at 21 N. Main that's home to the newly opened Provisions Local Market store. The idea for a community garden was hatched when Taylor and friends including Provisions owner Tyler Jones, who also owns Sandy Creek Herb. Co. in Waxhaw, were sitting around relaxing. The concept that was fleshed out involved creating a community garden then renting 50 square foot raised bed plots in it for $50 a year. The rent goes towards building costs associated with the garden and beds. In other words, a non-profit. Taylor calls himself a “benevolent landowner” in this regard and considers the garden space as his “donation to the community.” “We talked about a community garden and put the idea on Facebook,” Taylor said. “It sold out the first day.” Fact is, as of last week around 400 hits were recorded on the garden's Facebook page. Given that enthusiastic response, Taylor says there's a possibility of expanding the garden, and that a waiting list has already formed. The garden itself is about 100 feet long and 65 feet wide. It's surrounded by a heavy wood and wire fence with a farmyard type gate at each end. Inside the fence, raised beds ten feet long and five feet wide are See GARDEN, 4A
Spread Some Natural Beauty. Mulch
Topsoil
Decorative Stone
www.laniermaterialsales.com 105 Hillandale Lane, Mt. Holly NC 28120 • (704)827-7055