Aquesta Bank, the only independent community bank headquartered in North Mecklenburg, earned $124,000 during the second quarter of 2010, a 36 percent increase from the same year-ago quarter. This is the seventh consecutive profitable quarter for the four-year-old financial institution. For the six months ended June 30, net income was $349,000, a 37.9 percent increase from the first half of 2009. Jim Engel, president and CEO of Aquesta, said the bank is operating conservatively in light of an economy that continues to pose challenges for small business. “Aquesta continues to improve profitability and is well-positioned for eventual economic recovery,” Engel said. Aquesta’s net interest income rose 26 percent during the second quarter to $1.70 million, compared to $1.35 million for 2009. Total assets rose 4.9 percent to $191.8 million, while provisions for loan losses in the second quarter 2010, at $150,000, were about the same as year-ago levels. Total deposits were $146.4 million at June 30, down slightly from $149.8 million a year ago.

When people come together for good things, magic happens. It happened for a sixth year in a row at Big Day at the Lake on July 24, when 145 kids in Big Brothers Big Sisters got out on Lake Norman, many of them for the first time, for a full day of fun.

Eighty-five “Boat Hosts” took the kids out starting at 9:45 a.m. for swimming, tubing, fishing and all-around fun. The event is highly dispersed. (The internet helps match up the “Bigs” and “Littles” with their hosts in Cornelius so they met up anywhere on Lake Norman, including boat ramps, marinas and private homes.)

“We got a lot of air out there,” said Quincy, an 8-year-old who took to a tube with his new Big Brother Nikolai Kruger, a Charlotte banker who grew up in The Peninsula. A non-swimmer, Quincy held tight to his life jacket and a foam noodle — it was his first time in the lake, not to mention a fast boat.

If you’re wondering what life in Cornelius was like before Lake Norman, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Southlake Shopping Center and Kenton Place, ask Janet Knox. Born and raised here, she remembers when shopping was a big deal at one of the local general stores. In fact, her dad, Preston Howard, owned Proctor Howard Co., which sold clothing, groceries and even hardware from a store on Catawba Avenue.

Her mother, Gladys Howard, was the town postmaster, so the family knew absolutely everyone long before the Zone Improvement Plan resulted in Cornelius’ numerical designation of 28031 in the 1960s.

Janet Knox has called Cornelius home for 86 years.

RINKER

July 20: Phase II of Navigate Cornelius has been completed — with some interesting similarities coming out of conversations in focus groups held during the past couple of months. More than 250 people have participated in the sessions, which will help shape a new Comprehensive Master Plan for the town.  The top five positive factors in Cornelius were, in order: small town feel; overall quality of life; access to Charlotte; park and recreation opportunities; and access to government officials. The top five negatives were, in order: traffic and transportation; development issues; lack of pedestrian and bike amenities; lack of business development; and lack of access to Lake Norman. At the Town Board meeting Monday night, town staffer Jason Abernethy said residents have responded positively to being asked about the strategic direction in which the town should head during the next two decades, particularly around land use planning and infrastructure. Another finding of the focus groups has to do with what residents perceive as the most important places in the town. They are, in order, parks, Lake Norman, grocery stores, schools and the Cornelius Public Library. Birkdale Village also came up as one of the best places in Cornelius. Alas, the mixed-use project is located in Huntersville, not Cornelius.

Cheri Thebeau of the Cornelius law firm Thebeau & Associates squeaked away with the “The Biggest Cheese in Town” award, raising $6,500 for Our Towns Habitat for Humanity. In all, the Rat Pack raised over $30,000, Executive Director Terry Laney says.

"The Biggest Cheese in Town" event began on June 10 with a Wine & Cheese kick off for the 13members of the Rat Pack who set out to raise at least $1,000 each for Our Towns Habitat for Humanity.  The goal was  to raise the most money and be crowned "The Biggest Cheese in Town" on July 17 at the Cheese Ball.

GARVIN

James T. Garvin grades his performance at B- for his first full year as principal of Cornelius Elementary School. He took over at a time when some parents were as unruly as kids in detention hall because of community relations under the prior principal, Barry Burford.

Parents and teachers give Garvin higher marks than he gave himself. Indeed, he has won back students from a number of private schools.

Keeping up with traffic in Cornelius is more than driving the speed limit. It’s a big part of how our growth machine of a town will take shape down the road as well as how residents will view their town’s leadership in years to come.

While there are relatively small issues — lowering the speed limit on Jetton Road extension to 25 mph was accomplished last month — there are Hummer-sized issues involving roads and connectivity in Cornelius. This, after spending more than $12 million to widen and beautify West Catawba Avenue, the principal east-west artery in Cornelius.