1. Former councilwoman, Jane Ray has withdrawn from the city council race. Reported by the County Board of Elections. No reason given –

We suspect that a recent meeting at a prominent citizen’s home prompted several people to reconsider their candidacies. With 10, now 9, running in the Belmont municipal election certain incumbents have a slight leg up with a dilution of votes available.

As of October 1, we haven’t seen the typical growth of candidate signs around town as in previous years. Maybe the the drought has kept down the weeds so to speak, hmmm?

One candidate, neighbor, Richard Turner, must have an axe to grind with someone. His recent letter to the editor of the Belmont Banner suggests that city staff need be more accountable to council, and of course, he’s just the one to be the best for the job.

2. When are the community forums that have been successful in the past? Oh, wait, Charlie Martin is already on council — no need for those now — just ask Charlie, he has all the facts.

3. Haven’t seen much about the Parks and Recreation Bonds either in the papers or in flyers or letters. While we feel that this is a good step for the department, it seems that the staff and recreation advisory council needs to get on the ball. 

There is a very quiet effort, led by a couple of incumbent council members to see that the bond question is defeated. Shades of a past election where a secret write-in campaign brought back the consumate politician/slumlord, Billy Joye. This campaign looks very, very similar.

4. Is development even an issue with the candidates for council? Or are they all on the payroll of a real estate company in some form or another?

Incumbents running for re-election:

The Gazette has a good article about problem areas and driving in Gaston County. Near the end of the article is a list of deaths in the county and statewide.

This is a concern, most of the deaths were attributed to alcohol as a factor. Speed was another.

A great community is made up of a lot of things. Please drink responsibly, and slow down.

A listing of local hot spots:

Park Street and Wilkinson Blvd;

Hawley Avenue and Wilkinson Blvd;

Nixon Road and South Point Road (HS intersection);

Central Avenue and North Main Street (the “point”);

Woodlawn and Belmont-Mt Holly Road (Belmont Abbey stoplight);  

North Main Street and McAdenville Road (by Hawthorne Ford).

(Mike Hendsill – Gazette Photo)

Good article in the neighbors section of the Charlotte Observer today about the plight of Marching Bands in the Gaston County Schools.

Have you ever seen a ruff, tuff football player making the rounds, hat in hand, to sell fruit during the holidays? At the local churches for the “pre-game” meal served to South Point football players, do most of them thank the preparers/servers with a handshake or a word of praise? It must be a God-given right for football players to have a trainer, doctor, and multiple coaches along the sideline to “guide these young men and leaders” through the intracacies of  high school life. The message is, “someone else will take care of you”. What are they teaching their charges about life?

Not so, for the so-called “non-revenue sports and extracurricular activities”. Scraping by every year to teach fine arts at the high school level, teachers employed by the school system, resort to what amounts to begging for leftovers through piddly-fundraisers. Nickels and dimes are raised to offset the thousands of dollars necessary to operate a band or theater program.

At South Point for example, the band instructor, Tim Hamilton, has as many as 80-100 students in the marching/concert band class in fourth period. John Devine, PE teacher, has as many as 6-10 coaches, some of those are volunteer-daddies, for 60 players.  Players from South Point are also fed, visiting teams as well, after each home game — granted, a couple of hotdogs/hamburgers — but still fed, while the band has to run out to the local McDonald’s to get hamburgers at a reduced rate. According to SPHS Booster Club (re: FOOTBALL), this is because, “If we fed the band, we wouldn’t have enough to sell”.

Football, and all sports for that matter, are extracurricular activities, just like Band, cheerleading, French Club, and Moot Court. We would expect as taxpayers, that the various school sports booster clubs respect the students and families that PAY to see the football darlins’ — in the case of the Red Raiders — HOME and AWAY.

The 70 or so banner sponsors(at $300 a pop), Ray McKenney, and the Football Boosters should also support the Marching Band, which is an important part of the Friday Night High School Tradition.

We are calling on our Belmont friends and neighbors to help support the bands and fine arts programs at South Point. Participate in their fundraising activities and consider “adding” some dollars to your contribution for their effort.

You can call the school, 704-825-3351 to get band contacts, and contacts for the other programs as well.