By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Everyone knows that thanks to its spectacular holiday lights and events, McAdenville has acquired the name Christmas Town USA. In a similar vein of specialness, as of last week Belmont has now acquired not one, not two, but three vintage trolley cars that could give the city every right to call itself Trolley Town USA.
OK so that’s just a fanciful suggestion, but the true fact is now the CityWorks building on E. Catawba is where three trolleys are snugly situated awaiting finishing touches  and deployment on the tracks that run from downtown Belmont towards Wilkinson Blvd.
Last week saw two trolleys brought to Belmont from Charlotte. These cars, No. 1 and No. 85, join the 1913 Brill trolley that has called the CityWorks garage home for six years while it is undergoing a complete refurbishment.
The two Charlotte trolleys arrived on flatbed trucks. Monday saw No.85 pulled through downtown Belmont and parked for a while near Stowe Park before finally being delivered to CityWorks. The spectacle drew quite a crowd. Tuesday witnessed car No. 1 delivered straight to CityWorks. Flatbeds from Advantage Machinery did the delivering.  The cars were owned by the Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission and had been housed since 2018 at the Sabona Mill in West Charlotte.
Belmont Trolley, Inc. co-vice president Nathan Wells was with the trolleys every mile of the way to their new home.
 “There’s kind of this little kid kind of tingle like a Christmas Eve sort of feeling waiting for Santa,” Wells said of the delivery. “Then there’s a more overriding sense of calm and satisfaction of a job well done. So though the project is not done, there’s still the sense of accomplishment knowing that it’s getting closer. It’s another plateau reached. And the buzz from others around the arrival of these two cars is palpable. Very cool!”
Wells explained the significance of having three trolleys in Belmont.
“What’s important about these cars is that it gives us two operable cars immediately and once we get our car (1913 Brill) operational that’ll be a third car. Other than Memphis and a museum around Washington DC, there are not three operating cars anywhere else that I know of in the southeast.  More importantly, is that now that the tracks are ready and we have two operable cars, there’s less pressure on us to complete the restoration of our car in the coming months.  This segues into another part of the project.”
The three cars run on electric motors. Since live overhead wires of the original type are not really an option, Wells says his group is working to obtain propulsion in another way.
“We are working with UNCC’s engineering department to design a battery pack that will provide power to the cars,” he said.  “There’s a group of seven young engineers, or soon to be, from the Electrical, Civil, and Mechanical departments designing this cart as their Senior Design project.  This battery pack will be on a cart that is towed behind the trolleys.  The battery pack itself will also be self-powered to drive down the tracks, switch tracks, and back up to another car when we choose to run another car.  Over the next few years, this will save us from having to provide power to each car separately.  It’ll be controlled with a remote and I think it will be a hit, even among the non-trolley fans, with the young and old kids alike.  The battery project is supposed to be completed this spring and ideally we would like to demonstrate it to the public, and the students design peers and mentors. So having those two operational trolley cars will give us an opportunity to potentially demo the entire trolley project this spring.  It’s unlikely our current car would have been ready by this spring.”
The future looks bright for the trolley scene in Belmont.
“What’s the big picture for 2022?” said Wells.  “So we will spend the bulk of this year trying to complete our capital campaign for the restoration of our car and to provide funding to build a car barn.  Ideally, we would like to begin construction on the car barn by the fall of 2022 with construction completed by the spring of 2023.  It will be a fairly large capital campaign, but we believe with the arrival of the two Charlotte cars and the progress we are making on the restoration of our own car and the battery cart to supply power to each car, it’ll help energize our campaign significantly.  That affectively summarizes our plans for 2022. Our vision looking out three, five, ten years, etc:  We’ll start to refine that vision as the capital campaign takes off and we look towards implementation of the project sometime hopefully in the spring of 2023.”

About the new trolleys 
Number 1 The Red One
Trolley No. 1 was originally built in Philadelphia by J.G. Brill in 1907 for Athens, Greece. The trolley’s restoration was complete in 1989 by trolley restorer Bruce Thain of Guilford, Connecticut.

Number 85 The Green One
Car 85, built in 1927, was the last electric streetcar to run in Charlotte on March 14, 1938. Alexander Garfield Collie, Sr. supervised the drivers when the streetcars were retired. His son, Alexander Garfield Collie, Jr. was driving car 85 for its final run in 1938. In his personal diary, Collie Sr. wrote of the car’s final run into the barn. Directing his son, Collie, Jr. to “move over,” he took the controls of number 85 for its final run. After retirement it was sold for $100, along with all the remaining cars. Following the system closure, Charlotte would rely solely on bus transit to serve its citizens until the opening of the Blue Line in 2007.
Car 85 was subsequently sold, stripped of its motors and seats, and sold to the N.C. Air National Guard, which used it for office space at the Charlotte airport. In 1939-1940, it was again sold and converted into a diner/concession stand at Caldwell Station, N.C., being used in this role until the early 1950s. Around late 1951, it was purchased for $125-150 by Daisy Mae Trapp Moore, a Huntersville resident, who moved it into her backyard and converted it into a mobile home to house relatives. The car was subsequently occupied by various renters. Its last occupant, construction worker Clay Thompson, lived in the former Car 85 from approximately 1972 to late 1987, when the town of Huntersville condemned the makeshift residence as it lacked indoor plumbing. Though Moore had intended to use the former streetcar as a storage shed, she sold it to the Emergency Properties Fund of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission for $1,000 on April 12, 1988.
Following the streetcar’s discovery, the Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission led the charge in its restoration. On May 6, 1988, the streetcar was returned by road to Charlotte and stored behind the Discovery Place Museum for preservation and restoration. Original drivers’ stools from the Charlotte streetcars and a period trolley bell were located and donated to the project. By the end of 1989, the streetcar had been moved to a former city bus barn, where restoration continued. Motors, trucks, wheels and electrics were sourced from retired streetcars in Melbourne, Australia. Initially named “Trolley Car No. 2” but unofficially called “Car 85” the streetcar was conclusively identified as Car 85 when surviving interior identifying numbers were revealed during restoration work in 1990. Its restoration was completed in 1991 at a cost of just over $100,000.

The 31st annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Celebration sponsored by the City of Belmont, the Belmont Coalition of Concerned Citizens, the Gaston County NAACP, the Gaston County Organization for Community Concerns, and Race Matters Community Conversation will take place Monday, January 17th, 7pm. For the second year the service will be held virtually and hosted by the City of Belmont on its website (www.cityobelmont.org/MLKUnity). While organizers regret not being able to gather safely in person, the virtual service allows participants from all over the county, state, and beyond to participate live or at a later time. Last year almost the celebration was viewed almost 1200 times.
Mayor Charlie Martin will offer the welcome. The lighting of the Unity Candle by approximately thirty area children and teens will again be a part of the service. Local choirs will provide music. And the Reverend William Mark Andrews will offer the message. The son of Methodist missionaries and later a “preacher’s kid,” Reverend Andrews spent his childhood in Brazil and later western North Carolina. He attended Greensboro College for his undergraduate education and Duke University, where he earned his Master of Divinity in 1986. For thirty-three years Mark and his wife Denise served churches in the Western NC Conference, including First United Methodist Church in Belmont, where he served for ten years. In his final appointment Mark served as the District Superintendent for the Charlotte Metro District of the United Methodist Church.
Mark treasures being husband to Denise, father to daughter Courtney and son-in-law Phillip Clapp; plus son Wilson, daughter-in-law Carol; and, best of all, grandfather to Avery Clapp. Now retired, he spends his time with family, cycling, kayaking, playing tennis, and working towards racial reconciliation.
The online offering will benefit Habitat for Humanity’s Dixon Village in North Belmont. To learn more about this ministry and donate, visit https://habitatgaston.org/dixon-village-neighborhood/. Please designate Dixon Village when you donate.
Please mark your calendars, and join us online Monday, January 17th, 7pm, to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and our unity as a community.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info
Back in 1962 country music star Johnny Cash recorded a tune entitled “I’ve Been Everywhere”. That song pretty much sums up the life of 94-year-old Ailene Friday of Stanley.
Friday, who has lived in Stanley since she was a teenager, was faced with a serious situation in 1994 when her husband Charles passed away. She could sit at home or she could get out and see the country. Well, she chose the latter and over the past quarter century has seen the U.S.A. from stem to stern.
“I had never been anywhere before except Lake Lure and Chimney Rock,” Friday said. “So in 1997 I decided to get together with some friends, charter a bus, and start traveling.”
Over the years, Friday’s circle of traveling companions has expanded and the scope of the sojourns has too. Sometimes so many folks go with her that it takes two buses.
“I’ve been to every state except Hawaii,” she said. “I don’t like flying over water.”
The list of places Friday has visited reads like an atlas of America. Some of them are- Grand Canyon, Alaska, five trips to California, Salt Lake City, Oregon, and Kentucky. She’s also been to Nova Scotia in Canada. One of her favorite spots is Branson, Missouri.
“I’m planning a trip there again for a group in April,” she said. “I already have thirty people signed up, but there’s room for a few more.”
Friday, who organizes the jaunts and makes all the arrangements, doesn’t have a computer at home. So, how in the world does she book rooms and make other arrangements?
“I use an old fashioned desk phone and contact the chamber of commerce wherever we are going,” she says matter of factly.
S.T.I Charters bus driver John Benton has been carrying Friday and her groups across the nation for years. He spoke highly of her choices in lodging arrangements.
“She does not book dog bed hotels,” he said.
Seeing new sights is cool, but Friday really relishes meeting new people.
“I have made friends all over,” she said.  “You meet the nicest people on a tour.”
Covid cut into Friday’s travels the last couple of years, but whenever she travels precautions such as masks are part of the scenario.
“Covid knocked it down a bit,” she said. “But we are hoping to be back to normal.”
So, how much longer does Friday plan to hit the highways?
“I’m going keep going as long as I can,” she said. “The customers don’t want me to quit.”
Interested in going to Branson with Friday? Call her at 704- 263-2264 and get ready to ramble.
 

​​​​​By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

The second half of 2021 saw folks continue to get their lives back to “normal” following 2020’s Covid restrictions. Festivals, high school football games, and Christmas parades all drew large crowds of folks happy to be able to mingle again.
July kicked off with Belmont’s Red, White, and Belmont July 4th street fest. A huge crowd crammed Stowe Park for music, fun, and fireworks. That same month saw Mt. Holly WWII veteran Willie Bert Rhyne celebrate his 100th birthday. On the school scene, Stuart Cramer High welcomed new principal Jessica Steiner.
August came in hot and the Mt. Holly PD was making good use of its new Mtn. Island Lake patrol boat making sure everyone was safe and sound on the water. August also saw ground broken for the MHPD Memorial Plaza next to the Municipal Center. Another August story covered the official opening of the new Belmont Middle School. In Stanley, Ashley Price was recognized as Gaston County Firefighter of the Year.
September rolled around and First Baptist Church Mt. Holly finally held its grand reopening event following five years of rebuild from the July 21, 2016 fire. The Cramerton Historical Society also held a ribbon cutting for its new museum. In Belmont, work continued at a rapid pace on the redevelopment of the 100 year old Chronicle Mill into luxury apartments and retail space. September also saw folks recall the 9/11/2001 attacks with memorial services including one at Community VFD 32 in North Belmont. Also in North Belmont, Centerview Baptist Church celebrated its 100th anniversary.
October brought cooler air to our region as well as a story recognizing cool Francina Burris who has been driving a school bus for Ida Rankin Mt. Holly students for over four decades. In Belmont, plans for the Moonlight on Main festival were in the final stages. The event in Stowe Park featured a 28’ in diameter inflatable moon. In Cramerton, members of the Women in Pink group held a fundraiser for Cancer Awareness Month at Cramer Mtn. Country Club. In Mt. Holly the fourth annual Lantern Parade took place. Downtown Mt. Holly was packed with people who were wowed by the amazing and creative lanterns that were carried by participants.
November brought Indian summer to our region and a Veterans Day story profiling Cramerton’s Larry Rick who served in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart. Another personality profile in November looked at Belmont’s Charlie Craig and his incredible collection of vintage autos and artifacts. In Mt. Holly, a stretch of NC Hwy. 273 was officially named in honor of MHPD officer Tyler Herndon who had lost his life on duty December 11, 2020. The municipal elections were held in November and the turnout was steady. Cramerton got a new mayor in Nelson Wills and Belmont mayoral incumbent Charles Martin was reelected.
December brought 2021 to a close with a plethora of Christmas parades and the 66th annual lighting up of the holiday decorations In McAdenville. All the events were attended by heavy masses of humanity who were happy as larks to be able to see real parades after the Covid cancellations of 2020. December also brought an important day to Mt. Holly on the 11th when the spectacular Mt. Holly Police Dept. Memorial Plaza was officially dedicated. The plaza honors not only Tyler Herndon but all members of law enforcement who lost their lives in the line of duty.  December also saw the 100th birthday of Belmont’s Minnie Grier and groundbreaking for the new Belmont Parks and Rec. facility.

See more photos on pages 6 & 7 in January 6, 2022 issue of Banner-News
 

By Shawn Flynn
A lot has changed in downtown Belmont the past quarter century. The one staple: the famous chicken salad served up by the Crew members at Cherubs Café.
 Cherubs Café officially opened the doors on Main Street in December, 1996. The business not only provided a meaningful employment opportunity for the differently able, but allowed Holy Angels to connect with the community.
 “Our whole goal is to serve the people we support, but also to serve our community,” said Holy Angels President/CEO Regina Moody. “Cherubs Café is our happy place (as the sign reads in the restaurant). This is a little piece of heaven.”
 Sr. Nancy Nance, Holy Angels vice president of community relations, helped to start Cherubs Café and managed it for the first decade. She called it her greatest mercy moment at Holy Angels.
 “I loved watching our crew members grow in their job skills,” said Sr. Nancy. “They were so proud of what they did because they knew people valued what they were doing. That was a major mercy moment for me.”
 She says the restaurant remains the longest business still open in downtown on Main Street. The late Belmont mayor, Kevin Loftin, even called Cherubs Café the anchor store.
 In 2017, Cherubs Café underwent extensive renovations giving the café a more modern look, to help draw in more people.
 Last year, all the businesses were closed for several months due to the pandemic, eventually reopened last fall. The Crew members returned in April 2021 to much fanfare and media attention.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info
Faith. Family. Farm. Those three words make up not only the name of the Stroot family spread near Stanley, they also spell out the philosophy of the place.
Faith Family Farm is the passion of thirty-eight-year-old Joel Stroot, his wife Andrea, and their daughters, one-year-old Joanna, three-year-old Leah, and six-year-old Claire.
The root of the story starts with Joel, who grew up on a 200-acre farm in Missouri. When he was just 16-years-old, Joel lost his father, Mike, in a car crash, but the farming gene was already firmly planted in his soul. With Faith Family Farm, Joel is paying homage in many ways to the agricultural lessons he learned at his dad’s side.
“I grew up with fire in my belly to be a farmer,” said Joel. “This whole journey is about getting back to farming and continuing dad’s legacy.”
The family moved to the 35-acre former horse ranch off Rhyne Rd. in 2015 and set about turning it into an organic oasis. Joel, who is a bundle of physical and intellectual energy, is a dentist by trade and constantly works the farm when he’s not in his office. He’s been known to be on his tractor in the dead of night.
“The neighbors say I’m the midnight farmer,” he says with a smile.
Currently, Joel is taking a sabbatical from dentistry and devoting his time to getting the farm ready for spring.
“I have a big backlog of projects to do,” he said.
One of the biggest jobs Joel does is soil preparation.
The farm is dotted with huge heaps of leaves that the Town of Stanley brought there and dumped. Joel takes the leaves and churns them into the soil.
“When we first got the farm the horses had packed the soil down and depleted it,” Joel said. “Tilling in the leaves helps build it back up again.”
The trick works. The former hardpan soil is now dark and rich with a wide variety of plants thriving in it. In addition to a vineyard, vegetables, and herbs, the farm also produces fruit trees such as peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, apricots, pears, and cherries. One of the farm’s best crops are the elderberries that Joel and Andrea use to make a type of health supplement syrup that they sell.
“By using nutrient dense soil, you can produce nutrient dense food,” Joel says.
Livestock currently calling the farm home includes a flock of chickens and turkeys. These well fed critters are not pets, they provide eggs and meat for the table. Joel also adds wild game to the menu. He makes his own beer and wine.  He estimates that between the garden, the flocks, and the field, about ninety percent of the family food needs are met.
“I plan to add a couple of cows and pigs come spring,” Joel said.
Joel and Andrea want to pass on the knowledge they’ve gained at Faith Family Farm to others. Future plans include giving farmstead lessons and tours to interested individuals or groups. In this way, Joel, who was the 2017 annual North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award recipient, is carrying on his father’s legacy not only to his family’s benefit, but to the good of others as well.
“We are living out dad’s dreams,“ Joel said.
Interested in learning more about sustainable, organic, farming and Faith Family Farm? Text Joel at 704-689-0995 and prepare yourself for agricultural amazement. Oh, here’s the website https://www.faithfamilyfarmstead.com/.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Well, the weather was perfect for last week’s municipal elections in Gaston County and a fair number of folks took advantage and got out and voted.
Poll chief Tian Sagasi at Precinct 46 in Mt. Holly summed up the pace that was typical of other voting places in the BannerNews distribution area.
“By 11am we had 239 voters come in,” Sagasi said. “It was very busy.”
Ditto at the Belmont Central Elementary voting station.
“It has been a steady turnout,” said poll chief Delilah Winchester.
Anyway, countywide, 13,562 out of 97,883 registered voters cast their ballot. Don’t forget the election was for municipal seats and/or issues (like the Mt. Holly Parks Bond referendum).
In Belmont, mayoral incumbent Charles Martin defeated challenger Claudina Ghianni 957 to 619, followed by Jason Lyle with 124 votes. In the city council contest, two seats were up for grabs. Incumbent Richard Turner topped the slate with 1,056 votes, followed by Alex Szucs with 860 votes. Richard Cromlish came in third with 811 votes, followed by Joe Green with 284 votes.
In Cramerton, a new mayor was elected with Nelson Wills getting 612 votes and incumbent Will Cauthen getting 535. Will Weber got 19 votes. Two Town of Cramerton commissioner seats were on the ballot. Kathy Ramsey won with 770 votes and Scott Kincaid grabbed the other seat with 551 votes. Third place went to Brad Milton with 462 votes.
In Lowell, there were three council seats available. Travis Smith got the most votes at 361, followed by Phil Bonham with 294 and Ken Ervin with 289. Larry Simonds got 254 votes and John Cato got 172.
McAdenville voters elected three council members. Carrie Breyare Bailey got 42 votes, Greg Richardson 39, and Jay McCosh 37.
In Mt. Holly, the aforementioned Parks Bonds were defeated 1118 “no” to 887 “yes”. The Mt. Holly council race saw three seats available. Incumbents David Moore and Lauren Shoemaker got 968 and 867 votes respectively. Newcomer Ivory Craig, Jr. rounded out the three with 803 votes trailed by Charles McCorkle with 644 votes, Dennis Petro with 636 votes, Kenneth Reeves with 424 votes, Jesse Fields, Jr. with 413 votes, Scott Lilly with 410 votes, and Randi Moore with 231 votes.
In Stanley, Kathy Kirkland ran unopposed for her Ward 02 seat and got 266 votes. Ward 05 saw Chad Jones win with 211 votes and Caroline Reid follow with 124 votes.
 

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Working at any career for three decades is a feat, and when a person adds passion for that work to the mix, well, it’s a formula for success.
That pretty much describes Belmont Central Elementary School Teacher of the Year Jennifer Ramsey.
Cramerton native Ramsey has been a school teacher since she graduated from Appalachian State University back in 1990. She started at Lowell Elementary, and from there she moved over to Holbrook Middle. That was followed by several years at the Gifted Services division of Gaston County Schools. About 17 years ago she landed at Belmont Central and has been there ever since.
“It’s been a long time,” Ramsey said.
At Belmont Central, Ramsey is an AIG teacher for fourth and fifth grade students. What the heck is that? An AIG teacher teaches academically and intelligent/gifted kids who are sometimes bored by the “regular” curriculum.
“The key is to keep them focused and busy,” she says. “I make sure they have work that challenges their giftedness.”
Techniques that Ramsey says she uses in that regard includes deductive reasoning, manipulative math, algebra mysteries, and non-fictional text.
“These are things not usually associated with elementary school,” she said. “They are designed to frustrate them a little bit.”
Ramsey’s students rise to the occasion and appreciate what she does.
“She is really nice and shows us how to do our equations,” said student Emmit Widner.
“Another student, Jayden Brown, appreciates Ramsey’s sense of humor in the classroom.
“She’s really funny,” he said.
 Student Virginia Brown says Ramsey is “great!”
Ramsey has some advice of her own for parents of not only gifted children but all students.
“Make sure you open them up to new things,” she said. “Take them to museums, concerts, historical places. Try to spark their curiosity.”
Belmont Central principal Phyllis Whitworth knows Ramsey’s value.
“Naming Mrs. Ramsey as Teacher of the Year is a well deserved honor,” she said. “She is outstanding and is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure all students succeed not just her AIG ones.”
With 30 years under her belt, Ramsey is not far from retirement, but even when that date comes she plans to keep her hand in teaching.
“I will miss the kids,” she confesses, “I would like to come back as a substitute.”
She might also bring back the summer science camp she held for the past nine years in Cramerton.
“There’s plenty to do,” she said.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Members of the Cramerton Historical Society and special guests got together recently to discuss the game of golf- specifically as it relates to the town.
For nearly a century golf has been woven into Cramerton’s past as tightly as the weave of the famous military cloth once produced there. The first course was built on the banks of the South Fork River by Stuart Cramer back in 1922. The unnamed course was near Tenth St. and extended to Lincoln. St.
In 1927, a nine-hole course, Cramerton Golf Course, was constructed at the base of Cramer Mtn. near the Baltimore community. That course was said to be a “marvel of natural beauty and engineering”.
In 1954, Lakewood Golf Course was designed and built by Mike Michaels. The course was originally meant for Burlington Industries executives and workers. It was sold to Graham Bell in the early 1980s. Today, that property is the site of Stuart Cramer High School.
 In 1986, Cramer Mtn. Country Club was created on the slopes of Cramer Mtn. by Bell. The course was designed by world renowned Dan Maples who was also at the seminar.
Maples and Bell, as well as famed local golfer Joel Lineberger, shared their recollections on the past and present of golf in Cramerton at the seminar.
Now for the surprise. At the seminar, Bell was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his decades of service to Cramerton and Gaston County. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is North Carolina’s top civilian honor. Recipients have included such luminaries as Andy Griffith, Charles Kuralt, Michael Jordan, Ted Hall, and even Art Shoemaker.
“I was totally surprised,” said Bell. “I had no clue this was going to happen. I am very honored and appreciative of the award.”
But wait, the story of golf in Cramerton is not over. Look for several special events to take place in 2022 to commemorate 100 years of knocking little white balls in holes in the ground in Cramerton.
For more information on the Cramerton Historical Society and upcoming events, visit Cramerton.org.
 

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day, but every day is a good one to honor those who served our nation. Here’s the story of one local veteran.
It’s been half a century since America was embroiled in the Vietnam War. That fact might be hard to believe for many folks, but for some, like U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Larry Rick of Cramerton, the memories of serving there are as vivid as yesterday.
The year was 1966 and the war in Vietnam was going full tilt. Rick was 20 years old when Selective Service came calling.
“I was drafted into the Army on October 13, 1966,” Rick said. I was in the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Division named Tropic Lightning.”
Quick as lightning, Rick was soon at Fort Bragg getting basic training, then he was shipped to Fort Jackson for advanced infantry training.
“They let us know at Fort Jackson that we would most likely be going to Vietnam,” said Rick.
Things moved along and in April, 1967 Rick found himself and his comrades on the ground at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam.
“We were marched to Cuchi base camp,” Rick said. “We went straight into the field and started doing night patrols and search and destroy missions.”
One day, Rick and his pals got on helicopters and were flown to a spot called the Black Virgin Mountains in the Mekong Delta and Tây Ninh Province of Vietnam.
“We slept in a graveyard and watched B-52 bombers and jets bomb the area,” he said. “On Saturday, April 8, 1967 we marched through some rice paddies then into a forested area. We came upon a Viet Cong hospital area and had a battle.”
At 3:30pm on that day, Rick was seriously wounded by an enemy hand grenade.
“I was wounded in the left arm, right leg, and stomach,” Rick says matter of factly.
Rick was airlifted from the fight and spent a week in a hospital in Saigon. That was followed by a four month stay at a hospital in Japan. He finished his enlistment at Fort Bragg and was discharged on October 11, 1968.
Rick reflected philosophically on his experience in the Vietnam War- one which was controversial at the time for many folks.
“It was something nobody wanted to do,” he said. “But we felt as if we were serving our country as best we could. It was also a learning experience and made us appreciate what we have in America. If I had to do it over again I would in a heartbeat.”
Like many Vietnam vets, Rick held his memories inside. He credits one organization for helping him cope with being wounded- the Military Order of the Purple Heart-a national group of wounded veterans that has a local chapter 634.  (PS Rick’s brother in law Ron Wade of N. Belmont is also a member).
“The group helped me adjust to many things by interacting with people who have gone through a similar experience. They are such a great group of people.”
These days, Rick is retired from USF Holland where he was a supervisor and spends time enjoying his quiet home on Woodlawn St. in his hometown of Cramerton. With Veteran’s Day coming up, he mused on what that holiday means to him and other folks who put on a military uniform.
“Veteran’s Day is a special time for anyone who served no matter what branch of service,” he said. “It’s an awesome time to be remembered by our country as a whole.”
Thanks for your service, Larry.
Interested in the Military Order of the Purple Heart local chapter? Call Rick at 704-813-4566.

By TODD HAGANS
Special to The Banner-News
 After being derailed last year because of the pandemic, the annual Miss Gastonia/Miss Gaston County/Miss Mount Holly competition is back on track and scheduled for Saturday, January 8.
The show will culminate with the crowning of Miss Gastonia, Miss Gaston County, and Miss Mount Holly for 2022 as well as the Outstanding Teen winners for Gastonia, Gaston County, and Mount Holly.  The six young women will go on to represent the Gaston region in next summer’s Miss North Carolina/Miss North Carolina’s Outstanding Teen competition. 
Organizers are working now to recruit contestants who will vie for the coveted crowns, thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind scholarships, and the opportunity to connect with the community through public appearances and service projects.
The Miss division is for young women ages 19-26 who live, work, or attend college full-time in one of following counties: Gaston, Cleveland, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Catawba, Caldwell, Burke, or Rutherford.  The Teen division is for girls ages 13-18; it is open to North Carolina residents and not limited to particular counties.  The phases of competition are interview, talent, evening wear, on-stage question, and physical fitness (teens only).  There is no swimsuit competition.
To give potential contestants the chance to learn more about the pageant, virtual orientation sessions will be held on Thursday, October 28 and Wednesday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m.  Anyone interested in participating in a session should go to the Miss Gastonia website (missgastoniapageant.com) and complete the Candidate Interest Form to choose a session.  The deadline to submit all necessary paperwork is December 10.  For more information, call (704) 827-7277, send an e-mail to missgastoniapageant@gmail.com, or go to the Miss Gastonia Organization page on Facebook.
 When the current titleholders crown their successors in January, it will bring a two-year reign to an end for Miss Gastonia Julia DeSerio, Miss Gastonia’s Outstanding Teen Keelie Jones, Miss Gaston County Mariana Linares, Miss Gaston County’s Outstanding Teen Lexi Foy, and Miss Mount Holly Anne Marie Hagerty.  While they were crowned in 2020, pageantry was put on hold because of COVID-19, and they did not get to compete in the state pageant until this summer.
At Miss North Carolina in June, Jones finished as the third runner-up in the Teen division, DeSerio was named to the top 10, and Hagerty ended up as the first runner-up to Miss North Carolina.  It marked one of the most successful performances at the state level for Gaston’s representatives.  Collectively, they are walking away from the pageant experience with more than $30,000 in scholarship money.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Last Monday a very special package arrived at the Mt. Holly Police Department office- a 2021, $35000, fully equipped Harley-Davidson police motorcycle. But the new piece of law enforcement equipment is more than a machine, it’s a rolling memorial to MHPD Officer Tyler Herndon who was killed in the line of duty Dec. 11, 2020.
The bike was given to MHPD by the Spokane, Washington-based Beyond the Call of Duty- End of Watch Ride to Remember group. The same non-profit organization that visited MHPD last July when they were touring the nation visiting police departments who had lost officers during 2020- a total of 339 men and women in uniform.
Since then, the group accepted letters from the police departments that had lost officers. The letters were applications for the bike. Nationwide, over 70 departments responded. MHPD assistant chief Brian Reagan and Sgt. Terry penned the Mt. Holly letter. After the letters were read and considered by a panel of five judges from various law enforcement agencies, Mt. Holly was chosen the winner.
“We are honored to have been chosen,” Reagan said. “It is a blessing to have something else to carry on Tyler’s memory.”
The bike is basically black and chrome with special graphics not only showing the MHPD logo but also carrying reminders of Herndon. The graphics were designed by Reagan and Terry and applied by ADI Graphics in Yakima, Washington.
“The Mt. Holly PD can keep the bike as long as they want it,” said Beyond the Call organizer Jagrut Shah.
The bike will go into service in a couple of weeks just as soon as a few more accessories arrive. It will be used for patrol duty and will be a prominent fixture in local parades and other events.
Who gets to ride it?
“Traffic officers McManus and Dunn will go to the NC Highway Patrol riding school in Raleigh for training,” said Reagan.
Chief Roper gave heartfelt thanks to Shah’s organization.
“Beyond the Call has been a major help in our healing process,” he said. “They have taken us in as family and we are forever grateful.”
In other MHPD news, Roper and six other members of the MHPD went to Washington, D.C. for the 40th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service held Oct. 14-16. The bike was also on display there before it was trailered to Mt. Holly.
“I think that would be correct to say the bike got national attention,” said Roper.  “The group was set up with the bike in front of the US Capital during the memorial week events, and agencies from across the country saw the bike and asked about MHPD and talked about Tyler. It got a lot of attention and recognition.”
While the MHPD contingent was in Washington, they attended various events, including an impressive candlelight vigil, honoring police officers nationwide who had lost their lives in the line of duty. One of the stops was a visit to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial where hundreds of names, including Herndon’s are engraved. The MHPD group also escorted Herndon’s family during the activities.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

The William Gaston Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) recently honored Belmont’s Allen Millican with the Historic Preservation Medal and Certificate of Excellence. This award recognizes and honors a person who has done extraordinary work in their community over a long period of time in preserving objects of historic cultural significance. It is keeping with DAR’s own mission of historic preservation, education and patriotism.
The William Gaston Chapter has been active for over 108 years. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible to join NSDAR.
Millican is founder of the Allen Millican Pictorial History Museum at 35 E. Catawba St. in Belmont.
Chapter Regent Laura Laye Duncan presented Millican with the Historic Preservation Medal and Certificate of Excellence.
“While visiting the museum I found a 1915 Mountain Island mill photo whichincluded my great, great grandfather,” Duncan shared. “It was sheer joy to share this rare photo with my family. These photos are a treasure trove for genealogists and historians.”
In his usual self-effacing manner, Millican acknowledged the award.
“I was very surprised to have received it,” he said. “It is good to be appreciated.”
Created by Millican, the free museum is the third most popular tourist stop in the Belmont area according to TripAdvisor.
“People come from all over to see the photo collection,” Millican says. “I’ve had people from as far away as Paris, France and Puerto Rico stop by.”
What’s the attraction? An incredible array of old photos that Millican has restored and reproduced.
The main body of work consists of pictures taken in and around the Belmont area. Most of these span the years from the 1920s to the 1960s. Scenes the pictures reveal include textile mill villages and workers, schools, amusements such as Stowe Park, churches, sports teams and players, and local celebrities and civic leaders. More recently, Millican has expanded his photo collection to include early scenes from Charlotte and Gastonia. He has also built up a large number of photos showing movie stars from the golden age of films.
Many of the photos are donated by folks who don’t want to see them thrown in the trash, but rather, preserved with the Millican magic. A good example are the dozens of photos donated by Yates Abernethy showing a variety of scenes and people from North Belmont.
The photos are just part of the museum’s allure. Millican knows the history behind nearly every one of the pictures and can tell the stories to anyone interested in hearing them.
“There are so many stories it’s unbelievable,” he says.
In addition to the pictures, Millican also has a large number of historical, local city directories and high school annuals.
The museum is an outgrowth of Millican’s interest in photography. After a career in the auto parts industry, he found himself ready for a change and challenge. He opened a studio in Belmont back in 2003 and things grew from there.
“The Lord designed this job for me,” he says.
To learn more about the Millican Pictorial Museum, visit the website millicanpictorialhistorymuseum.com or email Millican at allenmillican45@gmail.com or call 704-825-5391.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

In addition to the political personages to choose from on the Nov. 2 municipal elections ballot, there will also be a referendum on parks bonds for Mt. Holly.
As our area grows in population, the need for more and better parks is imperative. To face that challenge, the City of Mt. Holly hopes to enlarge and enhance its existing and future parks profile.
According to the City’s website-
“The proposed bond package includes $13,555,000 of bonds to pay capital costs of providing parks and recreation facilities, including without limitation the acquisition, construction and improvement of parks and recreation facilities, acquisition of land for current and future parks and recreation uses and development of greenways and pedestrian crossings.
If approved by the voters, the City expects to issue the general obligation bonds for the purposes described above in one or more series. The general obligation bonds, if and when issued, will be secured by the full faith and credit of the City, and the City will annual levy and collect an ad valorem tax sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on any such bonds. The City expects that the term of any series of bonds will be approximately 20 years. The interest rate on any series of bonds will depend on market conditions at the time such bonds are issues.”
One of the main parks projects would be expanding Veterans Park, currently a 1.75 acre pocket park that spans a grassy swale between Catawba and E. Glendale streets. The park features a small veteran’s memorial, a few pieces of playground equipment, and open space.
Design firm Kimley-Horn explored several options for a potential expansion and upgrade of Veteran’s Park.
Proposed areas for enlarging the park could include as many as  5.37 acres from a variety of surrounding city and privately owned (if they could be purchased) properties. The expanded park would be on both sides of Catawba Ave. It would provide an opportunity as a trail head for the Carolina Thread Trail, there would be a dedicated parking area, the existing stream could be improved, and it would provide a large, natural setting in the downtown area.
Phase 1 also includes an amphitheater, stage, band shell, trellis, small events lawn, restrooms, splash pad, shelters.
Other projects that the bonds could fund include bridges across Dutchman’s Creek and Fite Creek.
This project would connect River Street Park to Woodland Park neighborhood, creating over 7 miles of continuous Greenway.
But, how does the $13.5 million price tag translate into taxes?
It translates into an additional $0.075 / $100 valuation of taxable property (property tax).
The current tax rate is $0.485 / $100 valuation of taxable property. The average value of a home in Mount Holly is $172,300, and here is how to calculate the tax rate:
$172,300 / 100 = 1,723
$0.485 x 1,723 = $835.66 tax
If the referendum passes, the tax rate will increase $0.075 to $0.56 / $100 valuation of taxable property, so if you take that same $172,300 house...
$172,300 / 100 = 1,723
$0.56 x 1,723 = $964.88 tax
This totals to a $129.22 annual increase. That is the equivalent of $11 per month, or $2.50 per week.
For a property valued at $100,000, the increase is: $80/year, $6.67/month, $1.54/week
For a property valued at $250,000, the increase is: $187.5/year, $15.63/month, $3.61/week.
For a property valued at $500,000, the increase is: $375/year, $31.25/month, $7.21/week.
For a property valued at $1,000,000, the increase is: $750/year, $62.50/month, $14.42/week
Mt Holly mayor Bryan Hough feels strongly in favor of the bonds.
“It’s not just park improvements it’s a statement about improving the quality of life in Mt. Holly,” he said. “It will allow us to connect one end of the city with the other. It is vital that we move forward to meet the increasing demand for parks and recreation improvements. The bonds will allow us to do the most critical part.”
For more information on the bonds visit the City of Mt. Holly Facebook page and click on-   City of Mount Holly Park Bond 2021- An interactive Story Map about Mount Holly’s Park Bond 2021 initiative.

Fourteen teachers have been chosen for Gaston County Schools’ new partnership with Gardner-Webb University that will help develop the next generation of school leaders. Several are from the BannerNews area.
The teachers will be involved in a 20-month program of study, completing 36 credit hours and obtaining a master’s degree in school administration.  They will progress through the coursework together as a cohort with a blend of online classes and in-person meetings.  The classes focus on topics such as executive leadership, resource management, curriculum development, and research and assessment. 
More than 50 teachers applied for the opportunity.  The following teachers were chosen: Savanna Abernathy, Bessemer City Central Elementary School; Laura Benson, Grier Middle School; Woodrow Boyles, Highland School of Technology; Daphne Jordan, Carr Elementary School; Shylane Laing Jordan, Grier Middle School; Angie Molla, Catawba Heights Elementary School; Emily Morton, Lowell Elementary School; Wanda Reid, Warlick Academy; Monica Sherer, Costner Elementary School; Meghann Sneed, John Chavis Middle School; Paris Suttenfield, Lowell Elementary School; Jordan Wallace, Holbrook Middle School; Heather Ulep Waters, South Point High School; Marcia White, Robinson Elementary School.
With the degree in hand, the teachers will be candidates to take on administrative positions in Gaston County Schools such as assistant principal, dean of students, curriculum/academic facilitator, and lead/content teacher.  According to Superintendent of Schools W. Jeffrey Booker, the school district is taking steps now to prepare promising educators for leadership roles.
Dr. Booker said, “We estimate that more than two thirds of the school administrators in Gaston County Schools already have 20 or more years of service, which means they can retire sometime in the next 10 years.  This is why we must act now to identify, train, and develop school administrators.  We have to invest in our workforce today so our schools will have leaders tomorrow.”
The opportunity for teachers to earn a master’s degree from Gardner-Webb is offered through the Superintendent’s Leadership Academy.  Tuition is free for the teachers who are chosen for the program; participants have to pay for books, which will be about $200 a semester.  Through the partnership, Gardner-Webb and the school district will split the cost to pay for the participants’ tuition, which is estimated at $20,000 per teacher.
“Sometimes, teachers have an interest in becoming a school administrator and show promise of being an excellent one, but they do not have the financial resources to pay for a master’s degree,” explained Dr. Booker.  “This partnership takes the financial burden out of the equation so teachers can work toward fulfilling their educational career goals.” 
Dr. Booker concluded, “We are extremely grateful for Gardner-Webb University’s commitment to helping us train and develop future school leaders.  This new program is a win-win for Gaston County Schools and Gardner-Webb University, and we look forward to seeing how it benefits our teachers, our schools, and our community.”

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

The Gaston County Museum on the historic square in beautiful downtown Dallas is one of our region’s most popular places for folks to get a look at area exhibits and artifacts going back literally hundreds of years.
However, a faulty HVAC system in the Hoffman Hotel where the museum is located put a lot of those priceless treasures at risk of destruction by mold and when that fact was revealed, museum staff and volunteers pitched in to not only save and clean the goodies but to relocate about 25,000 of them to a new and better environment.
Now, that new location, located at 1904 Dallas-Cherryville Highway (about a mile from the museum) is open to the public. The collections are owned by the Gaston County Museum’s 501c3 Board of Directors and are maintained by museum collections staff.
Museum assistant director Alexandrea Pizza explains in detail what happened.
“The museum’s main location is at 131 W Main St and is inside the Historic Hoffman Hotel, built in 1852,” she said. “The collections were previously stored inside the early 1900’s addition to the hotel which was once the Hoffman Store. The walls are made of plaster and brick and so were very porous and drawn to moisture build up—a dangerous combination for historic artifacts. Although the former collections space was temperature and humidity controlled, it was much more difficult to keep the environment stable, hence the mold outbreak after the air conditioning went out for 48 hours in the summer of 2018.”
The new home for the collection is a sturdy red brick structure owned by Gaston County. It was formerly the Mary Ellen Nelson Center, an education center for children. The portion where the museum archives are now located was totally renovated and has state of the art security and environmental controls.
“We are so thankful to have this new storage location and the ability to serve the public in a more direct way by sharing the art and history of Gaston County with the community,” Pizza said.
So, what’s available for the public to come see?
To name just a few of the vast amount of items- the collection includes pottery done by local artists, a huge number of vintage photos, painted portraits of local leaders, family documents, handwoven baskets, swords, textile related items, hats, vintage clothing, farm equipment, quilts, maps, Bibles, books, letters, and much, much more.
The “stuff” fills up five temperature and humidity controlled rooms.
How does one go about seeing the archives? Well, it’s not like a library where you can just go in and browse around.
“People who want to see items need to contact us and make an appointment,” Pizza said. “That also helps us know in advance what we need to collect and have ready for them.”
Once a visitor arrives, they will be seated in a special viewing room with a nice table to put the materials on. The room is also kept at a cool temperature for the safety of the items.
“They might want to bring a sweater,” said Pizza.
So far, the new location has had a number of calls regarding materials.
Interested in visiting the new Gaston Museum Collections and Archives location? It’s open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm. To make an appointment contact museum registrar Markecia Koulesser at Markecia.Koulesser@gastongov.com or call 704-922-7681 and be prepared to be amazed.

By Deborah Dunlap
In October of 2017, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Cramer Mountain Club Ladies’ Golf Association initiated an event that is dear to their hearts. That was the first year of their “Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer” event to benefit The Woman in Pink Boutique, a Gastonia wig boutique that provides free wigs and accessories to women facing breast cancer or other health issues. The LGA became aware of the wonderful work of two-time breast cancer survivor, Kim Beverly, along with family members, Paige Golding and Deborah Mull, when a member’s daughter, who was battling breast cancer, was provided not only a wig and accessories, but also the loving support of a woman who had faced the same journey. Because so many LGA members had either experienced breast cancer or had a friend or family member who had, they were determined to support The Woman in Pink.
With 100% of the profits going to the boutique, the golf event started small with a few hole sponsors, Ladies’ Golf Clinic, and members who played golf participating in the Closest to the Pin Challenge resulting in a check for $2,860. Gradually, more sponsors, In Honor/In Memory Hill, Raffle, and Putt-Putt Challenge were added.  As a result, this year, on the 5th anniversary of the event, the LGA was excited to present a check for $19,058 to The Woman in Pink Boutique to continue their mission “to give hope and encouragement  to women living with breast cancer.”
The LGA thanks the many people who supported them in making “Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer” a huge success: the Hole Sponsors, In Honor/In Memory Sponsors, Raffle Donors, including Harold Varner III, Golf Participants, Men’s Golf Association, the Cramer Mountain Club Pro Shop and Agronomy Department Staffs, members and neighbors who stopped by the event, and the many who gave direct donations. Also, much appreciation to Rick & Pat Stilwell, owners of Cardinal Graphics, for printing all of the signs.
They also want to give special recognition to their Founding Sponsor, Sandy Schultz MD, of CaroMont Breast Surgical Specialists. Not only is Dr. Schultz their very first hole sponsor, but every year she has also contributed her time to plan and work the event, while supporting it financially over and above the sponsorship amount.  She is truly a kind, generous professional!
For the first time, the LGA is excited to initiate the “Diamond Donors” recognition. This honors businesses or individuals who donate $1,000 or more. The first are CMC members and owners of One World Marketing, Vanessa and Brian Henry. They sponsored a hole, participated in the In Honor recognition, and also made a surprise additional donation. The second is Corrum Capital Management located in Charlotte. After an LGA member, who is an employee, asked them to match her $100 donation, her employee agreed to that and did much more!! The LGA greatly appreciates the generosity and support of the Diamond Donors.
The LGA is grateful to all who contributed to the success of their event as it was truly a team effort.  Your donations will help ease the financial burden that often comes with breast cancer while giving each Pink Warrior “a place to feel beautiful, special, and comfortable.”

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info
“An experience like no other.”
“Never done before.”
“A cool way to display art outside.”
That’s how Belmont’s downtown director Phil Boggan describes the upcoming Gobo Art Walk that will be coming to Main St. as part of the Oct. 22 to Nov. 7 Moonlight On Main event.
The art show will feature original works that will be projected onto the sides of buildings in the heart of downtown Belmont. The means of projection is called a “gobo”. A gobo is a small disc or template made of glass, metal, or film that carries a logo design or other desired image. The gobo is placed into a gobo projector and when light passes through the lens, the image appears on the selected surface.
One gobo projector has been in place in front of the Main St. City Hall building for months. For the event, two dozen projectors will be rented.
The Belmont artworks were turned into gobos by Apollo Designs of Fort Wayne, Ind. who laser etched them onto hockey puck-sized slides of glass.
Boggan described how the art was acquired.
“We put out a call to local artists and got over seventy responses,” he said. “From that number a group of panelists selected the works that will be displayed.”
Artwork themes center around the moon and/or downtown Belmont scenes. The styles are varied and range from impressionistic to realistic.  Artists that submitted works came from a number of area locations including Belmont, Gastonia, Dallas, Charlotte, Mooresville, Stanley, and McAdenville to name a few.
To help folks find out what artworks will be projected onto what buildings, Boggan and his staff have created brochures that will be on Main St. racks as well as signage on sidewalks telling folks how to access the GO app that will also have directions and information.
Actual  artworks will be for sale at numerous locations including Magnolia and Main, Bliss Gallery, GiGi Boutique, Belmont Yoga, and Everyday Market.
Boggan is excited at the exposure the Gobo Art Walk will give downtown Belmont.
“It will fill the town with beautiful art and also highlight the historic building facades,” he said. “It will be a lunar inspired outdoor art gallery.”
For more information on the Moonlight on Main event go to www.moonlightonmain.org.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

As most folks know, all sorts of things from the sublime to the ridiculous can be seen on YouTube. Well, here’s an interesting fact, there are several videos on there of Belmont during the early to mid 20th century made from “home movies” shot by local folks.
One of the YouTube videos shows newsreel film shot during the 1930s and 1940s in both Belmont and Kings Mountain. The video includes interviews with mill workers, action from a 1940 flood, and Herbert Hoover speaking to a huge crowd at the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain celebration.
The YouTube video was made and posted by Belmont’s Harding Stowe using original home movies actually shot on the scenes by his uncle, the late Daniel Stowe.
“When he passed away I got the films and had them digitalized by a company in Pennsylvania,” Harding said when the first film aired on YouTube in 2013. “I thought other people might want to see them so I posted the video. He started taking movies in the 1920s and the other films are travel and family stuff.”
In one early Belmont YouTube video, you see female workers leaving the Majestic Mill while a group of men in overalls hunker under a shade tree taking a break. The camera also encounters a group of young girls and films them giggling while a fellow mill hand named Charles Huggins holds a microphone and asks how they like their lollipops. Huggins also asks his colleagues how they like their jobs and gets mostly positive comments in return. Another portion of the video was shot at the Chronicle Mill. Other segments from the Belmont portion shows camera-shy women in cotton print dresses darting behind bushes to avoid the camera lens, and downtown Belmont seen through the window of a car driving along Main Street.
Other segments of the film shows a flood scene dated 1940 and a steel cantilever bridge in danger of being washed away. The bridge is not identified but it might be the one that was over the South Fork River in McAdenville at that time.
The Kings Mountain portion of the film shows US President Herbert Hoover addressing a huge crowd on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain. Folks in the film are seen swarming around the monument at the top of the battlefield, Hoover speaking from a large stage draped with flags, and the crowd dispersing in a cloud of dust.
Another old time Belmont YouTube video posted by Stowe is entitled School Days and Baseball. This clip features children walking into a school with  a man and teachers watching over them. Most of the boys are wearing bib overalls. Another segment shows  a lively crowd at a baseball game. The players are wearing uniforms with P&L on their jerseys. Mill village houses are in the background.
To see these and other historic Belmont videos, visit YouTube and type in Belmont NC History and be prepared to open a window on a fascinating look back at our past.
With the invention of portable movie cameras such as the one Daniel Stowe used, other folks became interested in filming hometown movies. One man, H. Lee Waters, recorded “slices of life” with his camera in Gaston and Cleveland Counties, and beyond, in the same time period as the film in the YouTube video. Waters, (1902-1997), was born in Caroleen and operated a photo studio in Lexington for 60 years. During the period 1936-1942, he traveled across North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina shooting films of towns and the people in them. Waters made 252 films in a total of 118 communities and titled the series “Movies of Local People”. The films were screened in movie theaters and many of them are archived in the Duke University library. Films that Waters shot in Cramerton and Gastonia are listed on the Duke library site.

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Francina Burris has the patience of Job, the heart of an angel, and the driving skills of a Grand Prix champ.
So, what has she done with those skills? She has driven a school bus for over 40 years.
You read that right- over 40 years.
There’s a song by the group The Who entitled “The Magic Bus”. Burris has one- it’s 40 feet long and yellow. The atmosphere she creates for her Ida Rankin Elementary and Mt. Holly Middle school riders is just that- magic. Any day might see her console a kid who has had a hard day. Or send one that has been a bit rambunctious in the back of the bus to a seat right next to her. Either way,  and a lot of in-between, Burris maintains her jovial yet no-nonsense demeanor.
Burris calls school bus driving her “calling”. She started driving at Ida Rankin in 1980.
“I wanted to be a truck driver but that didn’t happen so I became a bus driver,” Burris said. “It was a good decision.”
Burris begins her day by arriving at Ida Rankin at 6am. She’s on the road by 6:30am. Her route includes the Kendrick Square Apts. and Old NC27. The loop is around 17 miles. In the afternoon she does it over again, then she goes to her second shift job at A&E.
 Burris is not quite sure how many kids she bussed over the years but a rough estimate would be in the neighborhood of 1,600. One of Ida Rankin’s teachers, Mr. Noles, was even a passenger on her bus back when he was a child.
“I am driving kids now whose parents I also drove,” she said. “Some kids tell me ‘you drove my momma’,”.
But Burris is more than a chauffeur. She gets to know her passengers, their triumphs, and their tribulations.
“I listen and talk to them,” she said. “I tell them you are my kids while you are on the bus.”
Kids being kids, sometimes Burris has to show some tough love.
“You got to give them a chance,” she said. “Not all are good and not all are bad. We have mutual respect. I tell them you can make your ride hard or easy.”
And if some don’t get the message?
“I make them sit in the seat beside me,” she says. “If that don’t work then I give them a day or two off the bus to think about it.”
Burris has seen a lot of changes in her “office”- the bus.
“Back when I started the busses had stick shift,” she said. “They weren’t air conditioned either.”
Some things are the same.
“When it gets real cold the bus is usually warm inside about the time the route is finished,” she said.
Punctuality and safety is a big part of the Burris legacy. She’s won numerous Gaston Schools awards for perfect attendance and driving safety.
She appreciates those things, but knows there’s more to it than that or a big salary.
“It’s not about money or praise,” she says. “It’s about love.”
And love is what the kids and staff at Ida Rankin feel for Burris.
Principal Donna Kerry had this remark.
“There’s nobody like her,” said Kelly. “She is the most dependable driver ever.”
Assistant principal Lauren Caughman-Rohrer agreed.
“The children all love her,” she said. “She relates to them so well.”
So, how long will Burris stay behind the wheel of her magic bus?
“As long as I can pass the DOT test and as long as my health is good,” she said.
Hopefully, that will be a long, long time and many, many more miles

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

The Belmont Police Department has an interesting history and now a fascinating display of artifacts associated with it are on display at the Belmont Historical Society’s museum at 40 E. Catawba St. The display is called “Belmont Police Department Through the Years”.
The artifacts go back to the PD’s earliest days and span a time period of many decades. Items available for viewing are varied. Pictures of former chiefs and officers dating back to the first chief, James Wagstaff who served from 1895-1915 and going up to the contemporary period give a glimpse at the men who led the PD.
Several uniforms are on display as well as an assortment of vintage badges and hats. There’s also a section highlighting the Belmont PD’s use of K9s. Other stuff to look at includes early and more modern Breathalyzer machines, an early radar gun, a key to Belmont’s old jail, a red patrol car light, and lots more.
Museum member Elizabeth Atterberry explained how the idea for the display came about.
“Several of us attended the police National Nite Out event and spoke with Chief Chad Hawkins about the possibility of featuring the police department in a museum display,” she said. “He was very enthusiastic about the idea. He thought it would be nice to raise awareness of all the good work that the department does for the citizens of Belmont.”
Working with BHS members, Belmont PD PARC director Tyler Graham began searching for and collecting artifacts.
“It took some digging to find some of it,” he said. “One of the rarest things I found was badge from the 1940s.”
Belmont PD captain J.B. Davis was one of several officers to visit the museum last week for a sneak peek at the display.
“It’s a great thing,” he said. “It’s all about educating people on the history of the department and telling things about it that are not widely known.”
The display will be available for viewing at least until the end of this year. It will be the centerpiece of a “Meet and Greet” event at the museum on October 7 from 5:30-7pm. A number of Belmont PD officers will there to talk to citizen about the department’s role in the community. The event will also feature light refreshments and giveaways.
Also, the Belmont PD is partnering with Hope United, an agency that works to end domestic violence.
“Beginning October 1, 2021 you will begin to see officers from the Belmont Police Department wearing purple patches to bring about awareness for Domestic Violence,” said Belmont PD Capt.  J.B. Davis. “October is the month nationally dedicated to educate communities and honor victims of Domestic Violence. Officers from the Belmont Police Department developed the idea for customizing the patch and presented the idea to Chief Chad Hawkins. The idea garnered full support from the administrative staff.
Domestic Violence affects every race, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation as well as people from all income groups. By wearing the patches on our uniforms we hope to bring about conversations about Domestic Violence and what we can do as a community and agency to reduce the vicious cycle of Domestic Violence incidents.
For the month of October Belmont Police Department will be wearing and selling Purple Patches in order to bring awareness to Domestic Violence and support Gaston County’s very own Hope United. Patches can be purchased for $5.00 at the Historical Society, Belmont Police Department, and Sammy’s Pub in Belmont.”
The Belmont Historical Society museum’s regular hours are Saturday and Sunday 1:30pm to 4pm. Call 704-825-4848.
 

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Loyal readers of the BannerNews know that numerous stories have appeared concerning the 1913 J.G. Brill trolley that came to town six years ago from Fraser Valley Historical Railway Society in Surrey, Canada to be restored and put back on the tracks that run from the downtown area to Wilkinson Blvd.
That project is still a work in progress and should be wrapped up in a few months. Now, exciting news has arrived that Belmont will be getting not one, but two already restored trolleys from Charlotte. The cars are currently owned by the Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission and have been housed since 2018 at the Sabona Mill in West Charlotte. They could be delivered as early as a few weeks from now.
 Belmont Trolley Inc, co-vice president Nate Wells talked about the deal.
“We are still working on the final agreement,” Wells said. “Basically, the cars will be given to us as long as Belmont Trolley, Inc. is in business. We will not be able to sell them. If we go out of business or for some reason don’t want them then they go back to Charlotte.”
Chances are, once the trolleys cross the Catawba River and arrive in Belmont, they are here to stay.
According to Wells, the two Charlotte cars and the 1913 Brill (after it is restored) will eventually be housed in a shed that’s slated for construction in downtown Belmont near the Belmont Historical Society museum on E. Catawba St.. Plans are for the shed to be completed by late next year. Until then, the two Charlotte trolleys will join the 1913 Brill in the garage area at The City of Belmont’s massive CityWorks building a bit further down E. Catawba.
But a plan is also in the works to have one of the Trolleys on display at Stowe Park for a spell while the upcoming Moonlight on Main event is going on from Friday, October 22, 2021 until November 7, 2021.
“Once people have a chance to see one of the trolleys,” Wells said. “They will be excited.”
Having a “fleet” of genuine antique trolleys will make Belmont an even bigger destination.
“We’ll be the only operating historic, trolley system between Savannah and D.C.,” said Wells.   “More uniquely, having three trolleys operating is pretty rare and usually you have to go to the big cities up north to find three or more cars that are restored and operational (Memphis and New Orleans have more, but their cars are part of their transit system and are publicly-funded).  The few cities around the south that even have trolleys only have one at most that are operational.  So three is a pretty big deal.”

About the new trolleys from Wikipedia

Number 1 The Red One
Trolley No. 1 was originally built in Philadelphia by J.G. Brill in 1907 for Athens, Greece. The trolley’s restoration was complete in 1989 by trolley restorer Bruce Thain of Guilford, Connecticut.

Number 85 The Green One
Car 85, built in 1927, was the last electric streetcar to run in Charlotte on March 14, 1938. Alexander Garfield Collie, Sr. supervised the drivers when the streetcars were retired. His son, Alexander Garfield Collie, Jr. was driving car 85 for its final run in 1938. In his personal diary, Collie Sr. wrote of the car’s final run into the barn. Directing his son, Collie, Jr. to “move over,” he took the controls of number 85 for its final run. After retirement it was sold for $100, along with all the remaining cars. Following the system closure, Charlotte would rely solely on bus transit to serve its citizens until the opening of the Blue Line in 2007.
Car 85 was subsequently sold, stripped of its motors and seats, and sold to the N.C. Air National Guard, which used it for office space at the Charlotte airport. In 1939-1940, it was again sold and converted into a diner/concession stand at Caldwell Station, N.C., being used in this role until the early 1950s. Around late 1951, it was purchased for $125-150 by Daisy Mae Trapp Moore, a Huntersville resident, who moved it into her backyard and converted it into a mobile home to house relatives. The car was subsequently occupied by various renters. Its last occupant, construction worker Clay Thompson, lived in the former Car 85 from approximately 1972 to late 1987, when the town of Huntersville condemned the makeshift residence as it lacked indoor plumbing. Though Moore had intended to use the former streetcar as a storage shed, she sold it to the Emergency Properties Fund of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Properties Commission for $1,000 on April 12, 1988.
Following the streetcar’s discovery, the Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission led the charge in its restoration. On May 6, 1988, the streetcar was returned by road to Charlotte and stored behind the Discovery Place Museum for preservation and restoration. Original drivers’ stools from the Charlotte streetcars and a period trolley bell were located and donated to the project. By the end of 1989, the streetcar had been moved to a former city bus barn, where restoration continued. Motors, trucks, wheels and electrics were sourced from retired streetcars in Melbourne, Australia. Initially named “Trolley Car No. 2” but unofficially called “Car 85” the streetcar was conclusively identified as Car 85 when surviving interior identifying numbers were revealed during restoration work in 1990. Its restoration was completed in 1991 at a cost of just over $100,000.
 

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County has announced that construction documents for its Dixon Village on Lee Rd. off Hickory Grove Rd. in North Belmont have been approved.
The development will contain 28 homes and will occupy 7.5 acres.
The Belmont city council approved the documents at its August 6 meeting.
“I am very excited to achieve this milestone of receiving approval of our construction documents,”  said Habitat Gaston executive director Kay Peninger. “Our next steps will be site work, which will add shape and form to this innovative project, and take us one step closer to making the dream of homeownership a reality for persons who would not be able to achieve this without a partnership with Habitat Gaston. We look forward to hosting a groundbreaking ceremony once we have some work accomplished on the property and it is safe to have people on site.  We are grateful to our many supporters and donors who have partnered with us to bring Dixon Village to fruition!”
The project will provide homes for Habitat families and entry-level market-rate buyers in a community that is an innovative approach to providing affordable housing.
According to Habitat, the housing will be a mix of single story 3-bedroom houses and two story 4-bedroom houses.  The architectural design of the houses will be in the style of a Craftsman bungalow.  Design elements such as shingles and material accents will be used to add variation, visual interest, and color to the exteriors.  The neighborhood will feature community building amenities such as front porches, sidewalks, and a park-like green space with a playground, picnic tables, and a walking path.
 “Homeownership is the foundation of healthy families and communities,” Peninger said.  “We are excited to be able to provide affordable housing – housing that families can afford based on their income – in Belmont.  When families have a safe and stable home it provides many benefits such as a stable home life, their children do better in school, and they have improved health.  Homeownership also contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty as families have the opportunity to build equity in their home. Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County is committed to accomplishing this project and serving more families.  We have a strong project team in place that will result in a charming and attractive neighborhood.”
The Dixon Village project team is composed of experienced real estate and construction professionals, along with Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County’s Executive Director and Board of Directors who are committed to successful execution of this project.
Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County is seeking to raise $1,575,000 to begin development of the Dixon Village neighborhood.  The initial work will consist of clearing, grading, installing water and sewer utilities and paving. Habitat will also install sidewalks, a mailbox kiosk, and an entrance sign with accompanying landscaping.
 

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

In the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” the lead character takes a leap of faith and builds a baseball field following a voice that tells him “build it and they will come”. That same concept well applies to West Creek Park near Mt. Holly.
Never heard of West Creek Park? Not surprising. It’s located at the corner of Noell Dr. and Old NC27 just outside the Mt. Holly city limits in a mostly African-American community. There’s no sign at the park entrance, no website, and no affiliation with Mt. Holly Parks and Rec.
The park belongs to a group of about 20 folks calling themselves the West Creek Recreation Assoc. According to association members the 15 or so acres of land that make up the park was given to the community about 40 years ago by the Spratt family. The park has been around for as long as folks can recall but until recently was occupied by cows and in dire need of maintenance and upgrades.
That’s where the association stepped in. Over the past ten months, community and association folks went to work and set about sprucing the area up. Association member Rodney Friday explained what has been done.
“About a dozen of us worked on the project,” Friday said. “We built dugouts, put up a new fence, lights, cut lots of grass, painted a concession stand, and moved the picnic shelter.”
The shelter was moved by picking it up with a bulldozer. Leisure Time company owned by community member Dwayne McCorkel, Jr. supplied the dozer. On a high note, Centerview Baptist in North Belmont chipped in and helped get a couple of picnic tables for the shelter.
Once the refresh was completed, it was time to celebrate. On Sept. 12, a ribbon cutting for the field was held.
“About 300 people showed up,” said Friday.
Activities that day included softball games with the Charlotte-based Four Seasons Softball League, a fish fry, and lots of community camaraderie. Plans are for a similar gathering to take place on Sept. 26 at 3pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
So far, so good. But West Creek Park needs more. A walking track is hoped for. The only pieces of playground equipment for the children now are an old swingset and a weary looking plastic playstation. Both of these need replacing…as soon as possible.
“The main object is to have a safe place the kids can come play and stay out of the street,” said Friday.
So far, the association has footed the bills.
“We all chip in as best we can,” said Friday.
Anyone or any corporation wanting to help make West Creek Park be all that it can be can contact Friday at 704-678-1988.
 

By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Folks driving through beautiful downtown Lowell on the second and last Sunday mornings of each month are often astonished to see a long line of vintage and exotic motorcycles parked curbside outside the Grits N Greens restaurant. Many probably wonder what’s going on. Here’s the answer- it’s the twice monthly meeting of the Catawba River Basin Bikes and Breakfast group.
The group of guys who comprise the gathering show up on machines going back decades and up to the present day. Brands represented include some familiar ones such as Triumph and Honda, but also others a bit more exotic such as Laverda, Cagiva, Aprilia, and KTM. The bikes gleam in the sun and are certainly eye catching.
Members of the group come from a wide variety of backgrounds including retirees, truck drivers, IT professionals, mechanics, and an airline pilot. They call places like Kings Mtn., Belmont, Mt. Holly, Charlotte, Rock Hill, and other locales home.  Not surprisingly, the group is dubbed “an eclectic group of motorcyclists with an eclectic blend of bikes”.
After breakfast, the group meanders outside to stand and talk bikes, then they often go on rides to area attractions and backroads and ends up in places such as Kings Mtn. State Park, Ninety-Nine Mile Dam, or some other interesting spot..
Al Roof was one of the group’s founders
“In some ways we are a spinoff of the Brit Bike Breakfast Group, which was established by Glenn Kellis in 2012, based out of the Mooresville/Davidson area,” said Roof.  “But our Catawba River Basin (CaRB) Bikes & Breakfast group is more than that, in so many ways.  It encompasses friends and riding companions from the Brit Bike Breakfast group, the Blue Ridge Pathfinders Motorcycle Club, and the Burger Run group. In 2017 we asked if I could host the Brit Bike Breakfast group on the last Sunday of the month at Grits N Greens Southern Cuisine in Lowell.  Almost immediately the attendance at our gathering began to dwarf that of the other Brit Bike Breakfast gatherings, and, at the same time, fewer and fewer British bike were within the mix, with many desiring a more inclusive name, but it became obvious that was not going to happen. Earlier this year, Todd Daczkowski, Greg Harmon, and I established the Catawba River Basin Bikes & Breakfast group, with Grits N Greens as our home base, meeting the second Sunday and the last Sunday of each month. At present we have 111 riders as members of the Facebook Group Page I set up for the group.  I do not have demographics for the group.  Off the top of my head, I would say we range in age from the mid-thirties to late-seventies.  Motorcycles regularly ridden to our breakfast range from an immaculate Robin Egg Blue 1947 Cushman Model 54 scooter to a state-of-the-art 2019 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S, or perhaps a KTM 1290 Super Duke R.
John Clayton of Mt. Holly attended his first breakfast meeting on September 12. He rode his Royal Enfield Himalayan.
“They are a nice group of guys,” Clayton said. “They are fun to be around and have some incredible bikes.”
Another local member, Ben Bonds of Belmont, rode his tricked out Yamaha Super Tenere the same day.
“They are a group of guys who enjoy riding and each other’s company,” Bonds said.
Don’t think that you need a vintage or exotic bike to take part in the gatherings.
“If it has two wheels and handlebars you are welcome,” said Roof.
Interested in taking part? The next meeting will be September 26. Grab your helmet, hop on your bike and be at Grits and Greens by 8:30am. For more information on this interesting group of riders contact Al Roof at  al.roof.3224@gmail.com.

Congratulations to Belmont PD Officer Mark Reid who was named CPI Security Hometown Hero of the Game at a recent Charlotte Knights baseball game. Mark joined the Army Reserves in 2009. He was enlisted for ten years and completed a one-year deployment in Kuwait in 2018. He has been a Police Officer in North Carolina for the last eight years, serving at Johnson C. Smith University, Durham Police Department, Raleigh International Airport, and is currently with the Belmont Police Department. Mark is a corporal on patrol shift and is currently working towards the position of crime scene investigator.     
Photo provided
 

NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey (also the State Fire Marshal) paid a visit Friday morning to the Cramerton Fire Dept. and delivered the good news that its insurance rating had risen to a Level 2. Back in 2012, the department had a Level 5, that improved to a Level 3 in 2014. With the Level 2, Cramerton/McAdenville is one of just 48 fire districts in North Carolina to have achieved that designation.
“It was an overnight success that was ten years in the making,” quipped Cramerton Mayor Will Cauthen.
Fire Chief Lance Foulk has this to say.
“It was a team effort between members of the fire department, elected officials, and city employees.”
The Cramertona  fire department recently underwent inspections by the Office of State Fire Marshal. A fire department’s rating affects homeowners’ and business insurance premiums and helps signal how prepared firefighters are at responding to calls and battling blazes in their respective districts.

​​​By Alan Hodge
alan@cfmedia.info

Last Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Those horrific events and the heroes who responded to them were remembered with the burying of a 9/11 time capsule at Community VFD 32 at 1873 Perfection Ave. in North Belmont, a ceremony at the Stanley fire department on Blacksnake Rd., and the display of a section of subway rails from the World Trade Center at the Mt. Holly fire department. headquarters on Killian Ave.
The Community VFD 32 event and time capsule burying was planned by Tracy Jackson, wife of fire chief Gary Jackson.
“I fear that people will in time forget the most life changing event in my life,” she said. “We must not let it become just another day and have its memory fade away.”
The time capsule was loaded with 9/11 commemorative coins, U.S. flag pins, and hand written notes from folks expressing how they felt about the 9/11 tragedy. The stainless steel capsule was buried in front of the station and a plaque explaining its purpose put on the wall. The capsule will be dug up and opened on Sept. 11, 2041.
Gary Jackson shared his thoughts on the need to remember 9/11 and how we might apply its lessons to our lives today.
“It is important not to forget the events of that day and the courage and selflessness of first responders and citizens who performed heroic acts,” Jackson said. “We want to encourage people to live each day to the fullest and do kind acts for others. In this day and time we see so much hostility. We need to stop and slow down and reflect on how we can come together.”
In Stanley, a group of folks heard words from fire chief Eric Withers and mayor Steven Denton. A U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. was raised.
In Mt. Holly, two pieces of subway rails that were recovered from the lower level of the World Trade Center have a place of honor at the fire department headquarters.  The rails were brought to Mt. Holly by MHFD members back in April, 2016.
Chief Ryan Baker explained how the rails were obtained.
“I wrote a letter to the Art Preservation Society in New York,” he said. “They are in charge of distributing one percent of the 9/11 material artifacts that are controlled by the New York and New Jersey Port Authorities. The letter outlined what MHFD planned to do with the rails. It was reviewed and the OK to come get the pieces was given.”
Once the pandemic passes, people will once again be able to go to the fire station and see the rails in person. Baker says that hopefully, one day, the rails can be incorporated into some type of public memorial sculpture.
 “Different events define generations and 9/11 is the one that defines ours,” Baker said. “Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when it happened.”

Letters written 20 years ago by students in Gaston County Schools are being used to commemorate the anniversary of 9-11.
Just a week after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, students in the third grade classes at Tryon Elementary School got busy writing letters and drawing pictures to send to people affected by the devastating events of the never-forgotten day.  Letters from Sharon Lynn’s students ended up in the hands of Peggy Hare, who was working in the United States Secret Service field office in New York on September 11. 
Hare later provided some of the letters to the Secret Service for historical purposes and inclusion in the agency’s archives.  Now, Tryon principal Meghan LeFevers has learned that the letters are being featured in a remembrance display at the Secret Service headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“It is wonderful to know that letters from our students have been kept all this time and will be part of the 20th anniversary observance,” stated LeFevers, who admits that it was a bit odd to be contacted by someone with the United States Secret Service.  “When you get an e-mail from the Secret Service, you immediately think, ‘What in the world is going on?’ and after I read it, my first thought was ‘Is this real?’”
Cynthia Ramseur was one of the four third-grade teachers at Tryon in 2001.  She is still there and remembers the students writing the letters as a way to show appreciation for the heroic efforts that took place on 9-11.  The students also wanted to bring some cheerful thoughts to the individuals who were on the sad and stressful frontlines of the recovery and investigation.
“The project had an academic purpose because we wanted the students to learn about how to write a letter, but it also gave them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings,” said Ramseur.  “What took place that day was all over the news and everyone, including our students, was seeing what happened.  It had an effect on them, too.”
Ramseur said each class wrote letters that were sent to different locations.  Her students’ letters went to a fire station in New York, and she still has copies of them.
“To know that letters from Tryon are part of a 9-11 display makes me proud of our school,” she said.  “Through their letters, we felt like our children were helping make a difference in the lives of others who went through a horrible event.”
Ramseur remembers her colleague, Mrs. Lynn, as an “awesome teacher.”  Lynn, who retired after 37 years of teaching third grade, passed away last year.  Ramseur knows that it would warm her heart to have people seeing and talking about her students’ letters 20 years later.
One letter from a student named Kristen highlights how Mrs. Lynn taught students about the 50 states and how to sing songs such as “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful,” and “Anchors Aweigh,” the fight song of the U.S. Naval Academy.
“She taught the patriotic songs every year; that was important to her,” said Ramseur, who was a teacher assistant for Mrs. Lynn before becoming a teacher herself.  “She loved teaching, and she loved her students.”