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We love it !

Of all the uses for former textile facilities, warehousing being one, enterprises such as an internet sales of beer and wine making don’t usually top the economic development list.

Alternative Beveridge has been around awhile and recently moved operations to Belmont, and the Gazette highlighted the operation in East Belmont in a recent article.

(Mike Hendsill – Gazette Photo)

In our humblest opinion, the entrepreneurs of the world are at the top of the list. Several of our blogsite readers and commentors own these types of businesses and are quite successful. Some grow to become giant organizations, others provide a comfortable living for the owners and employees within a community. So, kudos to ya’ll who have those types of visions and determination to make a business grow and thrive over time.

What we like about Alternative Beveridge is the simple way of teaching and servicing their customers.

A simple way to homebrew

That’s It ? , that’s all the Observer could write?             

They are not “open”, they are contested.

Is this all that we are going to get from the City Council candidates this year?

You have to buy a copy of the Thursday (10/18)Observer to get more information. To be fair, there is a bit more information from the generic questionaire that was sent to all the candidates.

 Becky Burch: “…she would encourage the development of one shuttered textile mill to be converted into a nursing home…”  and this helps the tax rate how?

“Burch said council members have the authority to ask developers to leave room for these areas, she said. They haven’t made that request yet though, she said.”  WHY haven’t the council members made those requests – YET ?

We are not making this up – these are quotes from the Charlotte Observer.

  Irl Dixon: “While some candidates say they are concerned about high property taxes, Dixon said the tax rate dropped last year and he expects it to do the same in the future because of the development of high-end, waterfront homes”.

Does this give credence to the term “economic-genocide” that East-enders and South Point residents are concerned about? Push out the existing homes to build McMansions along the lake, reducing visibility and accessibility. This is a concern here in this community.

  Charlie Flowers:  “If re-elected, Flowers said he will push for businesses to fill the now empty textile mills”.

Too Late Charlie !  Most of the mills have been torn down or are in the planning stages to be torn down. We cite the examples of the Belmont Hosiery plant – now, called Belmont Reserve. We cite the Imperial Mill – now vacant, and its mill village called Hawthorne. We cite the Acme – now the space for development. This site even had a viable park area that the city acutally refused to use (Woodlawn) in the late 1990’s. How about what once was the Belmont Dyers, now torn down with development plans for high-end housing. Even the cotton warehouse that Stowe Mills used over on Eagle Road (a perfectly good pre-cast concrete structure) was torn down to make way for the clear-cutting that is now known as Eagle Village. Not even going to discuss in any detail the tearing down of the Eagle Mill for $500,000 unsold homes across from Belmont Central.

  Ron Foulk: “…61-year-old political newcomer said council members have budget responsibility…”.

He’s not a newcomer — he has run for City council in at least 2 other elections. He also opposed the Amity Acres annexation into the city in the 1990’s. How can you trust someone who will be opposed to future annexations.

  Curtis Gaston: “He would favor a building moratorium, especially on large subdivisions.”

Once again, the Pittenger/Duke(Crescent) property is already under design – that’s over 1,000 acres of voluntarily annexed land. The city has had jurisdictional control for over ten years on this property and until it was sold to State Senator Pittenger, nothing was done to guide its development direction.  Young Mr. Gaston needs to be more involved. He has promise but will he be committed in the long run?

 Martha Stowe: “…It [the land use plan] doesn’t prohibit developers, it just makes sure you’re working in tandem with developers,” she said. “As much development as we’re seeing in Belmont we’re going to have to do something other than what we have done…”

So, what are your plans and ideas?

Richard Turner:  “…The recent land-use plan lacks teeth, Turner said, and developers have been able to build as they wanted using conditional zoning. He said the city needs a public facilities ordinance that wouldn’t allow growth beyond the city’s ability to service it…”

Dennis Boyce: “Did not respond”

We hope the BannerNews and the Gazette will expand these questions.

We find it amazing that wherever you see a Burch sign in a yard, there is a Flowers sign right next to it. If it looks like a ticket (signs), sounds like a ticket (identical votes on all issues before council), it’s probably a ticket. Vote for one, get 2.  And we thought that the politics in Belmont was “non-partisan”.

Rain Dance

by Steve Lyttle, Charlotte.com  

Forecasters say a combination of events will rob the Charlotte metro region and much of the Carolinas of what had been a strong chance for badly needed rain today.

Instead of a steady rain, we’ll be lucky to get a shower or two, they say.

But forecasters still hold out hope for Friday.

This is terrible news for the region, which is locked in one of the worst droughts in history. Charlotte is more than 13 inches below normal for rainfall this year, and mandatory water restrictions are in place across the area.

Today’s problem is a familiar story. It has happened at least four times since July.

A general area of low pressure has developed across the Southeast, and forecasters originally thought showery periods of rain would cross the region today. But instead, an area of strong thunderstorms is forming along the Gulf Coast, and that is robbing our region of moisture. In addition, the second center of the low pressure is moving to our north.

That leaves the Carolinas stuck in a relatively dry area between the two rainy areas.

It doesn’t mean we’ll be dry and sunny today. The atmosphere is very moist, and fog will be common in many area this morning. Skies will be mostly cloudy for the rest of the day, with high temperatures in the upper 70s and humid conditions.

On Friday, a frontal system will cross our area. Rodney Hinson, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., said that front is our next good chance for rainfall. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop along the front, with most of the precipitation expected to fall before 2 p.m.

Clearing is expected Friday evening and night, so the high school football games likely can be played without any problems.

Friday’s front will mean a pretty weekend.

Partly to mostly sunny skies are predicted, along with temperatures approaching 80 degrees both Saturday and Sunday.