Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville
Volume 78 • Issue 20 • Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Stanley’s Harper Park open!
75¢ 8A
Michael, Connell honored at MH Awards banquet ALAN HODGE alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The 63rd annual Mount Holly Community Awards banquet took place on Thursday, May 9 and as in previous years was a smashing success. The event was held in the Grand Hall of the Mount Holly Municipal Complex and saw over 200 folks attend. A collaborative effort between the Mount Holly Chamber, the Mount Holly Community Develop-
ment Foundation, the City of Mount Holly, CaroMont, and the Mount Holly Man and Woman of the Year Committee as well as sponsorship by Duke Energy made the show possible. Will Christ emceed the banquet, and guest speakers included Mount Holly Mayor Bryan Hough, Tim Gause with Duke Energy, Lauren Shoemaker, Rick Martin, Richard Blackburn, and Pastor Bobby Joe See AWARDS, 4A
Kemp Michael and Elizabeth “Missy� Connell were named Mount Holly’s Man and Woman of the Year at the 63rd Annual Community Awards banquet. Seen with them are the 2012 winners Bob Blankenship and Hazel Lutz. Photo by Alan Hodge
MH hires new Chief of Police
Excessive Rain = Flood Waters
Photo by Alan Hodge
The South Fork River rose to flood level last week as evidenced by this photo taken of the dam at McAdenville.
With more rain in the forecast, rivers remain high By Alan Hodge Alan.bannernews@gamil.com
Torrents of rain brought trying times to eastern Gaston County as well as communities all along the Catawba River Basin last week in the form of flooding. Fueled by as much as seven inches of rain in the North Carolina mountains and foothills last Sunday and Monday, plus nearly two inches in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, the Catawba and South Fork
rivers rose many feet and flowed into yards, parks, and across roadways. In Cramerton, the South Fork River inundated River Park and nearly did the same at Goat Island Park. Last Tuesday, as the chocolate milk colored water rushed by, Gaston County Emergency Management team members stood in the Cramerton Fire Department parking lot and monitored the scene. The rising of the South Fork also hindered workers building the new bridge near
the Lakewood subdivision in Cramerton. Many backyards along the river were flooded and lawn furniture was seen floating in several of them. In McAdenville, massive amounts of water cascaded over the dam there and made a foaming cataract that swept into nearby woods and low lying areas. Further upstream, the shoals on the South Fork near Spencer Mountain and Lowell looked like the Colorado River as See FLOODING, 5A
The City of Mount Holly has hired Don Roper as its new Chief of Police. He will replace David James who has served as Interim Chief since last year. Chief Roper was a Captain with the City of Gastonia Police Department for 26 years. He was born and raised in Gaston County. Roper has a Bachelors Degree from Gardner-Webb and a Masters Degree from Appalachian State University. He served as a patrol officer, in Investigations, and the Narcotics unit. His last assignment was as a Captain in command of the West District. He also served as the commander of the Tactical Team and Field force. He was selected to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia, and graduated from the 246th session of the National Academy in 2011. Chief Roper comes from a law See ROPER, 4A
O’Bryon is GC Teacher of the Year ALAN HODGE alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Council awards several infrastructure contracts Last Monday’s meeting of the Belmont City Council saw several infrastructure contracts awarded. Carolina Cajun Concrete was awarded a contract for the Lincoln St. and Howe St. drainage improvement project. The company’s bid was $239,660 but a total of $245,000 was put in the projects “account� to allow for any possible unforeseen costs that might pop up. The work will consist of replacing a failed corrugated metal pipe culvert under Lincoln St., improvements on Howe St. to the existing drain system, and paving associated with the jobs. The Spring Sidewalk Replacement Program also got a green light from the coun-
cil as it awarded a contract to Bullseye Construction, Inc.’s bid of $29,130 for the work. The project budget is $31,000. Cracked, broken, or heaved sidewalks on the following streets will be replaced: N. Main from Belmont-McAdenville Rd. to N. Central Ave; N. Central Ave from N. Main to Woodrow Ave; E. Woodrow Ave. from Davis St. to Glenway St.; E. Catawba St. from Keener Blvd. to Fourth St.; E. Catawba St. from Tucker St. to Eleventh St.; Myrtle St. from Hill St. to S. Main; Church St. from Howe St. to Sixth St.; Sixth St. from Church St. to Howe St. The council also approved a contract with Max
Preston Sewer and Water for construction of a booster pump station at Belmont Abbey College. The firm’s bid was $89.287.00 with an overall city allowance for the project of $95,000. The Abbey work will involve pumps and electrical equipment including underground piping, installation of check valves, and backflow prevention devices to provide pressure in the fire line that loops through the Abbey campus. This will eliminate the need for individual fire sprinkle pumps in each new building. Site work connected with the project also entails construction of exterior brick walls on the outside of the pump house building.
Grier pleads guilty to embezzlement By Alan Hodge Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Last September, former City of Belmont employee Jarreal Montra Grier, 23, was arrested and charged with using a city gas card to buy more than $60,000 worth of fuel for himself and his friends. At the time, he was charged with four counts of obtaining property under false pretense and one count of embezzlement and placed in Gaston County Jail on $25,000 bond. Grier had first worked for Belmont as a line mechanic and later as a grounds worker. Last week, Grier had his day in court and pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to probation, closing at least that part of the affair. The story of how Grier managed to rack up $59,276 worth of gasoline buys
When it comes to creativity and commitment to high quality education, there are few professionals who can top Pinewood Elementary School’s Rebecca O’Bryon. Recognizing that fact, Gaston County Schools named her last week as its Teacher of the Year. O’Bryon has been teaching for twelve years and has a degree in psychology with a minor in children’s disabilities from UNCAsheville and a master’s degree in school administration from Gardner-Web University. Now in her fourth year at Pinewood, O’Bryon teaches fourth-graders in a style that’s both unique and effective. Diagnosed with ADHD as a child, her own experiences as a student in classrooms that were heavy on rote and sitting still influenced her current teaching methodology. “I believe that not all children learn the same way,� O’Bryon said. “In my classroom See O’BRYON, 5A
See GRIER, 4A
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