Peninsula Cove break-in try; SUVs on Harbor Light hit
May 16 Residents of Peninsula Cove Lane say Cornelius Police have arrested two people after an attempted break-in around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Someone tried to enter a home at 18609 Peninsula Cove by breaking glass doors on the rear of their house. The 89-year-old resident said damage amounted to about $1,000.
Separately, three SUVs were broken into on Harbor Light and items inside were stolen on May 13, according to police reports.
Lowe's gives grant to
JV Washam Elementary
Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a $30,000 grant to JV Washam Elementary School for the Hawk's Nest outdoor playground and learning area. The grant will be paired with a $45,000 Jimmie Johnson Foundation grant, completing a playground area, walking track and learning area.
Individuals of all ages with cognitive or
neurological disabilities can experience sailing
The Cornelius PARC Department and Huntersville Parks and Recreation Department, in conjunction with the NC Community Sailing and Rowing Center, will hold a free event this Saturday for individuals of all ages who have special needs due to cognitive/neurological disabilities. Highly qualified NC Community Sailing and Rowing Center volunteers offered 30-60 minute "Navigational Expeditions" aboard 19' Flying Scot Sailboats. Held twice a year, this is an opportunity for special needs individuals and their immediate families to experience the thrills of being out on the water. A total of 70 sail boat trips will take place, giving rides to more than 100 registered individuals. In addition, pirate-themed fun stations are available on land and families are encouraged to bring their own picnic lunch to enjoy on the park.
When: Saturday, May 19, 12-4 pm (register by Friday, May 18)
Rain Date: Sunday, May 20, 12-4 pm
Where: NC Sailing and Rowing Center, Huntersville
Fee: Free. Donations to the Sailing Center are appreciated, but not required.
Volunteers are needed for this program and for other upcoming Special Needs programs.To register or volunteer for this event, please contact Trina Roeder, Special Needs Programs Coordinator for Cornelius PARC and Huntersville Parks and Recreation: 704-892-6031 ext. 162 or email troeder@cornelius.org.
Memorial Day service at
Lake Norman Baptist
Lake Norman Baptist Church will host guest speakers Captain Eugene McDaniel and his wife. Captain McDaniel's message, "Where is God in Our Difficulties?," will speak on finding God while a POW for six years in North Vietnam.
Lieutenant Luck Patterson from Laguna Beach, California, will participate in the ceremony commemorating his brother Kelly Patterson, Captain McDaniel's bombardier. Kelly Patterson has remained an 'unresolved MIA' for 45 years. The service will include youth presentations of "Patriot Stories", a Memorial Quartet and the Military Moms Trio.
There will be two services at 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. For more info: Bill Crawford at 704-995-0045
The Ausie Rivens Foundation reports two additional students earned a GED High School equivalent degree through its evening program. Eddie Aiken completed the course work and has already enrolled in welding school. Derrick Kerns completed the course work within 3 months, attending classes on Saturdays.
Mail piece ignites Sen. 41 race; Tarte raised most cash
May 7 There's been a minor dust-up in the five-way race for the N.C. Senate District 41 primary election. A direct mail piece put out by one of the apparent front runners, John Aneralla, said he was the "authentic conservative" for the newly created seat. The mail piece compared Aneralla's positions on several issues, ranging from Amendment One to eliminating government pensions for elected officials, with those of Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte. Tarte said the mailing contained "misleading information" about his positions. "While some candidates may choose to go negative, I will stay positive, run on my record, and tell you why I feel I deserve your vote based on my positions on these issues," Tarte said in an email to the news media. Aneralla, meanwhile, fired back with his own email, saying the points he raised were accurate.
Aneralla appears to be the winner in terms of individual donations, with $48,750 coming into his account, vs. Tarte, with $45,369 in individual donations. Tarte, however, has lent his own campaign $50,000 in personal funds, bringing his total to nearly $100,000. Troy Stafford, a Cornelius resident, was the No. 3 fundraiser with $29,793. Robby Benton, a Huntersville-based race team owner, has brought in $13,500 total, and Dr. Donald Copeland, a Cornelius resident, has $700 of his own money in his campaign. The primary election is Tuesday. If none of the candidates wins 40 percent of the vote, there will be a runoff in July.
If you’ve been longing to remodel your kitchen but don’t have the funds, paint is a great way to make an impressive transformation without breaking the bank.
Do you love humor? I love to laugh. Good clean jokes, one liners, and funny sayings go a long way in keeping the mood light, keeping the day from becoming drudgery. One of my lifetime goals is to laugh at least once a day. It’s 12:50pm and I’ve already had a good belly laugh. How about you??
There is still time and means to appeal property valuations
May 18 The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize County Manager Harry Jones to proceed with the "Revaluation Review" of the 2011 property revaluation and subsequent appeals process. He is expected to provide the Board with a scope of work, a budget, a selected vendor and definition of the nature of citizen involvement at their first meeting in July. "Needless to say, there are many details to work out over the next few weeks and I expect that our group will be involved in that process," says former Cornelius Commissioner Jim Bensman, who has spearheaded the fight against the 2011 revaluation. More info: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003537568467
Bensman credited Mecklenburg County Commissioners Karen Bentley and Bill James, members of the Republican minority on the county board, for "untiring leadership" in the Democrat-controlled board which up until now has been reluctant to review the revaluation and appeal process.
Bensman offered these pointers for property owners either contemplating an appeal or somehow mired in the appeal process:
*You must get a copy of the Property Record Card and the Qualified Sales Report for your property by calling the Assessor's office. Also ask for an written explanation of all of the codes used.
*I strongly recommend you attend ongoing BER hearings to watch others and learn more about how these meetings are conducted. BER hearings occur every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9AM at 700 E. Stonewall.
*You can attend the end of day BER session when they discuss cases heard that day and decide the outcome of your appeal.
A bridge too far out? Cornelius’ new bridge is bigger than just a bridge
By Jackson Sveen
In the age of Disney and Jordan, branding is the principal means to engage a consumer and sell a product — and a small town.
Cornelius hopes to burnish its brand with a new bridge for its main thoroughfare, Catawba Avenue at I-77.
“We want to create the feeling where...you’re driving and you’re driving, and you come up on this amazing structure and immediately you’re going to say there’s something cool there and there’s something exciting happening there; I’m going to get off there,” said Lynette Rinker, mayor pro tem of Cornelius.
Two ex-candidates throw support to Tarte in Senate race
STAFFORD
TARTE
ANERALLA
COPELAND
May 15 POLITICS Troy Stafford and Robby Benton, who both ran for a North Carolina Senate seat in the May primary, have endorsed Mayor Jeff Tarte in the run-off election set for June 17. Tarte is in an increasingly contentious battle for the newly created N.C. Senate District 41 seat against Huntersville businessman John Aneralla, a former chairman of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party. Whoever wins goes to the statehouse because no Democrats are running. Dr. Donald Copeland, another Cornelius resident who ran in the May 8 primary, said both Aneralla and Tarte asked for his endorsement, but he plans to endorse neither. Copeland pulled 7 percent of the May 8 vote while Stafford pulled 11 percent and Benton 8 percent. Neither Stafford nor Tarte captured 40 percent of the vote which, under state law, means a run-off will determine who goes to Raleigh.
ALDI drops plan to buy site on W. Catawba; bank eyeing property
May 14 ALDI Inc., the discount supermarket chain, has dropped plans to buy the old Wellworth Realty property on West Catawba adjacent to the Goodwill Store. The owners of the property, heirs of Kathryn and Robert Kunkleman, say a regional bank domiciled outside of North Carolina is looking at the land for a new branch. Real estate broker Rush Dunaway, of Percival McGuire Commercial Real Estate, said the asking price for the property is $1.25 million. Daniel Kunkleman, a son of the Kunklemans, said his father purchased the property where the brick house sits from Jay Knox in 1978. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kunkleman passed away within a month of each other in 2010.
Cornelius Town Commissioners are can-do leaders, the kinds of people who guide others out of a tight spot. But what happens when all these Type A personalities get in a room to work on the town’s problems? Who leads whom? Who listens?
They all do, according to Mayor Pro Tem Lynette Rinker, who describes the town board as a team of managers. “A lot of us bring the same quality to the table, detail-oriented, drilling down to the facts,” she said.
“I’m not an executive summary kind of girl,” she noted.
Work styles and communications profiles of each of the members of the town board—along with Mayor Jeff Tarte and Town Manager Anthony Roberts — indicate this is a board ready to tackle any and all issues, perhaps more so than in past years.
Lula Bell Houston, a long-time Smithville resident who worked some 60 years at the Davidson College laundry, received the "Sojourner Truth Award" from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club Saturday in Charlotte.
HOUSTON
Houston sat on the dais with Mecklenburg County Commission Chairman Harold Cogdell who got his groove on when she led some 300 attendees in an impromptu performance of a gospel classic, "When I've Done the Best I Can."
Houston, who was born in 1923 in Belton, S.C., began working for Davidson College is 1947 for $12 a week. She was known on the campus for greeting everyone with a smile, a kind word and a hug. One foreign student said she made his education away from home bearable. He gave her a check for $1,000.
Tarte-Aneralla in runoff for NC Sen. District 41, neither snags 40% of vote
TARTE
ANERALLA
Senate District 41: Jeff Tarte, 6411—37.64 percent; John Aneralla, 6173—36.24 percent; Troy Stafford, 1835—11 percent; Robby Benton, 1421—8 percent; Donald Copeland, 1192—7 percent. The winner of the runoff will go to Raleigh, because no Democrat ran in the race.
Amendment 1: 95844 against, 81042 for (Mecklenburg results only). The amendment banning same-sex marriage passed by a 3-2 margin statewide.
Tarte got 60 percent of the vote in his own precinct, No. 242/Jetton Park. Aneralla got 27 percent; Stafford, 11 percent. Stafford also lives in 242. At Town Hall/202, Tarte pulled 56 percent of the vote; Aneralla, 27 percent; Stafford, 6.45 percent.
At Town Hall: Above, Joy Dean, Margaret Bailey, Miranda Bengston, Carolyn Stafford, Greg Wessling, Herb Taylor, Barbara Melton and Caroline Arnold greeted voters Tuesday morning at Precinct 202.
At Jetton Park: Right, Dene Matte, James Townsend, Kent Walton, Della Stafford and Dianne Piraino greeted voters at Precinct 242.
Woof! Permit for Lucky Dog daycare approved 5-0 by Town Board
May 8 Lucky Dog, a proposed doggy daycare, dog park and coffee/drinks bar in the former Kylie’s Restaurant on Highway 21, was granted a conditional use permit by the Cornelius Town Board at the Monday night meeting. Owners of the nearby Hampton Inn raised objections to the facility because of the possibility that barking dogs would disturb their guests' sleep. Bob Daly, one of the owners of Daly Seven, which owns the hotel, said the company is in the "sleep business." Hampton Inn policy is such that all guests get a full refund if they are not completely satisfied. The board vote, however, was unanimous, in favor of the new canid venture.
Asian Festival at Ramsey Creek Park
Dr. Kevin Lafone took this shot of a Dragon Boat at the Asian Festival at Ramsey Creek Park on Sunday.
There are five candidates in the May 8 Republican primary for newly created Senate District 41, but because no Democrats have filed to run this year the winner of the primary will become the new state senator for a district that runs from Cornelius and Davidson, along the east side of Mecklenburg County, all the way down to Matthews and Mint Hill.
Of course, if none of the candidates gets more than 40 percent of the vote, there will be a runoff in either June or July, depending on whether there is a clear winner in primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cornelius Parks and Recreation will kick off its Concerts in the Park Series May 19 with an "80's Night in the Park" at Bailey Road Park. Guests are encouraged to dress in bell bottoms and big hair for a performance by Joystick. The event is free and the entire family is invited. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra will perform June 30. There will be a Beach Bash in the Park July 28 and Country in the Park August 18. Bruster's Ice Cream and Nathan's Hot Dog will provide concessions for the events. Parking and admission are free.
In recognition of “Small Business Week,” the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce has planned a week-long series of events, seminars, and activities May 21-25.
Cornelius Town Commissioner John Bradford will hold office hours Monday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m at the Acropolis Restaurant. Open to all Cornelius residents. Mayor Jeff Tarte and Town Manager Anthony Roberts will attend.
Global Cafe at library
The Cornelius Branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will host the Global Cafe on Fridays in May, at 10 a.m. The series teaches America's history and culture and improves English skills. Note: Cornelius Branch will also be closed May 28. Info: www.cmlibrary.org
On the Cornelius Town Board, Chuck Travis is known for his dry sense of humor, keen sense of aesthetics — he’s one of the architects behind Birkdale Village — and his talents behind the grill.
“If I’m cooking there is usually a grill involved,” says Travis, whose wife Janice may intoduce herself as “Mrs. Commish.”
The Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center was established in 1969
The Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center’s annual breakfast fundraiser draws around 150 guests who support safe, affordable childcare in a community-based setting.
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