Safety

Donna Lisenby, the Catawba riverkeeper, considered by many who live along the river basin to be a hero of sorts, has discovered and reported the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Department (CMUD) for “secret” wastewater releases.

WCNC and the Charlotte Observer are reporting that the FBI and EPA are investigating release practices by CMUD workers at the McAlpine Creek plant.

This water flows downstream and empties into Lake Wylie, where many of Belmont’s neighbors and friends live and play.

The reports, last night and this morning, coincide with a series of articles that the Observer is publishing on the Catawba River Chain of Lakes and its impact on the region.

We live in a fragile ecosystem that can easily be disrupted by weather patterns (drought, floods), development rates (run-off, sediment build up, pollutants entering the system), and over use (recreation access, draw down of water for municipal systems).

We are supportive of the Riverkeeper’s watchful eye, outspoken behaviors, and dogged determination.  

Two websites, Topix.com and GastonPolitics.com have had some interesting discussions about the Belmont City Council elections.

Many of the same commentary that has been found here, just repeated across the different blog sites. These are both in forum style and are in real-time whereas, this site has screened responses (called, moderation) according to the “rules of civility” found on another page here.

To review, the city council election has three incumbents and 5 challenging candidates for 3 slots on council. This is a 4-year position. The new council will be sworn in at the December meeting of the City Council.

How this election impacts the citizens of Belmont:

• Planning & Zoning concerns are on the table with a need for teeth in the regulations and ordinances
• Strategic Growth Planning is crucial to a patterned response to the needs of the existing community, which includes roads, water, utilities, etc.
• Quality of Life issues such as parks, workforce housing, and recreation are focal points
• The other issues that always present themselves, such as jobs, taxes, etc.

The Belmont Banner published a special on-line page, which surprised us here on the Front Porch. The BannerNews website must be in development stages… anyway, we are glad that this page was set up to be viewed by the public. Please review that page as well.

Encourage our neighbors and friends to get out on Tuesday to vote. With the paving project going on along Central Avenue, some people may be discouraged  by the traffic issues in the morning or later in the day. Plan out your Tuesday to take time to vote.

Pictures of the Challenger Candidates:

Pictures of the Incumbents standing for Reelection:

YOUR CHOICE – YOUR FUTURE

A tearful older citizen and frequent belmontfrontporch visitor stopped by a couple of days ago on her morning walk. What happened we inquired?

She had received an email notice from whom she thought was the IRS. The email suggested that she had a refund due, and to “click here”. Well she did, because there was a notice at the bottom that threatened audits of her future filings. Lo, and Behold, her email was soon flooded with spam selling everything from apple pies to porn — mostly porn.

The Belmont Front Porch’s crack investigative team jumped into action !

We tracked down an official Internal Revenue Service (IRS) site, called to inquire, and found out some good information.

It took some doing, we all know how government “services” work and the time waiting, but it was worth the effort. We started with the IRS website at www.irs.gov, looked all over and found 1-800-829-1040. We then found 1-800-829-1954 and spoke with a representative of the service.

As we explained the issue, the customer service rep assured us that the IRS does not send emails, especially about refunds due. We were referred to another number, which is a tech center to discuss the spam attack. That number is 1-800-366-4484. There, they will give you instructions about how to report the phishing scam and ways to protect future issues.  

As always, be careful online, in the neighborhood, and in your car. Being aware of your surroundings will help you be safer.