Mount Pleasant candidates talk growth, lack thereof

For the last couple decades, the town of Mount Pleasant has remained untouched by commercial, industrial and residential development while Cabarrus’ other jurisdictions saw remarkable growth in each of those areas.

The town has not had a major housing development - though one is in the works - or landed a project from the Cabarrus Economic Development Corp.

Town commissioners say the town isn’t purposefully keeping development out, but merely waiting on the right time and the right projects. Before growth can come, the town will need better highways, expanded infrastructure and freed-up land for developers.

“I don’t think you have to promote the residential growth,” said commissioner Del Eudy, who is one of three candidates seeking two seats on the board in the upcoming election. “It will happen on its own. Now, with all the growth in Concord and Kannapolis, developers are seeing us as an untapped resource.”

Commissioner Maura Eberhardt and resident Mike Metcalf are the other two candidates vying for the seats.

Newcomer to the commission Rick Burleyson is up for a two-year term on the board and running unopposed. Also unopposed and up for re-election is Mayor Troy Barnhart.

Eberhardt said the town is developing a detailed “overlay plan” that can be given to residential and commercial developers that explains the kind of growth the town wants.

“It just hasn’t materialized yet,” Eberhardt said. “(Commercial) development will come when N.C. 49 is widened. It’s getting ready. It’s on the launch pad.”

Barnhart echoed Eberhardt’s sentiments, but added he thinks commercial developers will hold off until they feel Mount Pleasant has the people to support their businesses.

“I think along N.C. 49, when it’s four lanes, we’ll see some business,” said Barnhart.

“But if we got rooftops, I believe it would be before then.”

Burleyson said he would like to see commercial and industrial growth come to the city before any residential growth.

“It’s kind of like the chicken and the egg,” Burleyson said. “We can’t get rooftops to support business growth. And we can’t justify residential without tax base to support it. I would like to see business and industrial before we get rooftops. There are (commercial) businesses that don’t rely on walk-in retail. I would like to see some of those kind of businesses come through the area.”

Metcalf said he thinks the town should focus on infrastructure before it moves forward with any residential growth - school space, water, sewer and roads.

“Really, there needs to be a good, hard look at schools,” he said.

Metcalf added that holding developers to standards, such as the thickness of asphalt, could ensure that roads remain adequate for years to come.

“I want to know what (residential) developments are going to be when they’re built out in seven years,” he said, adding that holding the line on developers up front will ensure quality later on for the town.

Right now, a 790-unit housing development is in the works for a site just outside of downtown Mount Pleasant. The project, however, has not been formerly submitted to the town.

Because of a lawsuit involving a development at the same site that ended this year, the town’s attorney has advised commissioners not to look at the new developer’s plan until it is officially presented.

“We haven’t had a meeting with (developers) yet, so we have no clue,” Eberhardt said.

Metcalf, as a resident, has been able to attend some of the developer’s public information sessions.

“I think the developer wants to do their due diligence and do right by the community, because their getting pressure to do it (from residents),” Metcalf said.

In the last year, Barnhart said, 2,000 acres of the immediate area surrounding Mount Pleasant have been sold - with only one tract going to developers.

To reel in industrial development, all the candidates said a certified site would be needed. And even then, the town doesn’t have any rail or a certified site.

“It would have to be light industrial,” Eberhardt said.

Eudy said the costs to create a certified site for industrial development would be enormous for the city.

“For industrial, you need a certified site,” Eudy said.

John Cox, president and CEO of the Cabarrus Economic Development Corp., said he believes the Town Commission is very pro-industrial growth and has met with them several times about establishing a certified site.

Cox said it could be done by the town or by a private developer.

“Without a site, we can’t take (new business) prospects out there,” he said.

Eric Deines

Kannapolis candidates focused on research campus

Preparations for the North Carolina Research Campus will color every issue that Kannapolis, once a thriving textile town, will face in the coming years.

Water resources, infrastructure and becoming an inviting community to newcomers are three issues that will have immediate impact.

Jim Harkins, who is running for City Council, moved to Kannapolis in the 1980s from Oklahoma. He said when he first moved here, he noticed the rivalry between Kannapolis and Concord could be fierce. He said that rivalry could hurt the perception of Kannapolis to outsiders.

“I believe in a healthy rivalry, but I don’t believe rivalry should be in government,” Harkins said. “I think we need to quit trying to compete with Concord.”

With the research campus coming, new people will be coming to Kannapolis to work and the city has to be welcoming.

Harkins said he thinks the churches in town will have to take a big role as the welcoming committee.

City Council candidate David Baucom said setting aside land for spin-off companies from the research campus is important.

“We need to have adequate land to support the businesses that will come here,” Baucom said, “ so they can provide new jobs in Kannapolis.”

Baucom, who is on the Kannapolis Planning and Zoning Commission, also said it should be up to the business community to welcome and cater to new people who have moved to the area.

“If you are willing to work with new faces and do business with them, then your business will grow,” he said.

Incumbent Roger Haas said at a candidate forum on Oct. 5 that he would like to see a program involving business and community groups that would welcome newcomers to Kannapolis - those who will work at the research campus.

“We have more in common than we think,” Haas said.

Baucom said he is comfortable with how city leaders handled the interbasin water transfer issue.

“I think they addressed it in a timely manner,” Baucom said.

Longtime resident and council member Richard Anderson said at a candidate forum that the water transfer was critical to Kannapolis’ future.

“It is extremely expensive to purchase treated water,” Anderson said. “We should only purchase water as a last resort.”

Candidates John K. Williams said, if elected, he would push for more water towers to be built in the city to collect and hold water to help shore up the city’s water supply.

He also said Kannapolis needs to focus more on fighting illegal immigration.

“There is more activity on this issue in Salisbury and Charlotte and Gaston County, but I don’t hear too much coming from Kannapolis,” Williams said. “This is a big concern for the community and I think it is being ignored.”

Roads are also a challenge for Kannapolis to overcome in the next five years. Mooresville Road needs to be widened and the city will be putting up part of the construction cost. The big intersection in the city - Dale Earnhardt and Cannon boulevards - is in need of widening and renovation.

Incumbent Ken Geathers said at the forum that Interstate 85 is the greatest transportation challenge facing the city. He said widening the interstate would be critical to the success of the campus.
-Ben McNeely

China Grove elections will be all wet

Liquid is on the minds of China Grove residents and candidates - both water and liquor.

Residents will have a chance to approve liquor-by-the-drink sales on Nov. 6.

John Polilli, owner of Mimosa Italian Restaurant on Main Street, said liquor sales would be a boon for the town.

“It would be a good thing for the town,” he said.

China Grove already allows beer and wine sales, but does not allow liquor-by-the-drink. There isn’t a liquor store in the town, either.

Terry Osborne, general manager of Rowan/Kannapolis Alcoholic Beverage Control, said he would wait until the results of the election before plans are made to build a liquor store near China Grove.

“There has been a lot of interest in southern Rowan County,” Osborne said. “But the board has other items to worry about right now.”

Mimosa has been open since December, and Polilli said he doesn’t sell beer or wine.

“We wanted to be known for our food first,” Polilli said, “but we’re in the process of getting a beer and wine license.”

Customers at Mimosa have expressed a variety of opinions about liquor sales in the town, Polilli said.

“Some of our customers have said, for reasons of faith, they would not patron businesses that sell liquor,” Polilli said. “We’ve heard it all here.”

Polilli said he is also concerned about water and sewer rates in the town.

China Grove purchases water from the City of Salisbury, and in July, Town Council voted to increase water and sewer rates to reflect rate increases from Salisbury, from $14.10 to $15.15 per 1,000 gallons for water and sewer service.

China Grove pays Salisbury $3.92 per 1,000 gallons for water and $5.19 per 1,000 gallons for sewer. Interim Town Manager Bill Pless said that was a 7.45 percent increase from last year’s rates.

Residents and business owners have been complaining about high water and sewer rates.

Polilli said he ran a restaurant in Charlotte and his water bill was no more than $40 a month.

“Here, it is about $200 a month,” Polilli said.

Charles Seaford, a candidate for Town Council, said something has to be done about water and sewer rates in the town.

“I want to look at the contract we have with Salisbury to provide us with water,” Seaford said in July. “I want to know if it is the best for the people of China Grove.”

Town Council candidates also want to change the way the town does business.

With the departure of former town manager Eric Davis to Mount Holly in September, Town Council chose to wait after the election to hire a new town manager. Jim Whitley, owner of Whitley’s Auto and Lube, said, if elected, he would push to abolish the town manager’s position and cut wasteful spending out of the town’s budget.

But Ron Overcash said a town manager is needed to oversee town operations. Overcash served on Town Council from 1994-2000, before there was a town manager.

Each council member had a town department to oversee. It was an inefficient system, Overcash said, because council members could not devote their full attention to the department.

“I was not fully involved,” Overcash said. “And it was very difficult to see what’s really going on in a department when your only interaction is at a monthly meeting.”

-Ben McNeely

Stanly County: Joyce Little- Democrat

Oakboro native, Democrat Joyce Little, is running against Bob Harvey for mayor this November.
Little, 64, was the town’s mayor from 1993 to 2003 and decided she’d give it another try.
She and her husband of 46 years, Wiley Little, have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Little is currently the president of the Greater Oakboro Business Association and has owned Wiley Little Drywall Inc. with her husband since
1973.
She is involved with First Baptist Church of Oakboro where she serves as a moderator, is involved in Sunday school and the choir.

She has also served on the Stanly Senior Services advisory board for approximately four years.

Little enjoys the hometown atmosphere of Oakboro but is interested in seeing the town continue to grow.

“Oakboro has really grown a lot and we have so many great community people who are involved. I would like to us to continue to grow in the manner that we have but want to keep our hometown atmosphere as we continue to grow,” she said. “Oakboro is a great place to live and raise your family. I love the people, I love the town and I like to be a part of progress.”

When she’s not busy with church or other community activities, she can be found tending to her flowers or decorating.

“I love flowers, especially gorwing ferns,” she said.
-Kim Kinnecom

Stanly County: Jeanette Napier- Democrat

Jeanette M. Napier, 71, of North Albemarle is the Democratic candidate for the Albemarle City Council Member District 3 seat.

Napier won the Sept. 11 primary election by defeating candidate Eddie McDaniel.
As the official winner of the primary, Napier is now up against 23-year-old Republican candidate Graham Hatley.

Napier is the widow of former Albemarle council member Jimmy Napier who served on the council for 18 years before his death in 2005.

Napier is retired from First Union Bank where she worked for 40 years and was a supervisor.

She served as member of the school board for 13 years between 1983 and 1996 and recently served as a board member for Group Homes of the Autistic (GHA) for three years.

Napier enjoyed serving on the various community boards and has always enjoyed playing an active role in the community.

“Being retired I thought I’d enjoy it (running for office). My husband was always involved in politics and I have always been active in the community and want to stay active,” Napier said.

She is an active member of West Albemarle Baptist Church and is the mother of Karen Allen of Concord, Susan Hunter of Charlotte and Lisa Dry of Richfield.

Vicki Coggins, executive director of the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, has attended church with Napier for many years and describes her as “a lovely lady.”

“Jeanette, I’ve known for many, many years. She is a kind and gentle person with integrity. She is dedicated and committed to whatever she sets herself to do and she’s a steadfast and faithful person,” Coggins said.
-Kim Kinnecom

Stanly County: Harold Greene- Republican

Harold Greene has served as the mayor of Locust for the past four years and is taking another stab at leading the city
.
The 68-year-old Republican served on Locust’s first City Council from 1973 to 1975 and says he has been an active player in the Locust community for 50 years.
Greene is an active member of First Baptist Church of Locust, participated in Jaycees and was a volunteer fireman in Locust.

“I’ve been a part of this community for 50 years now and enjoy participating in various areas,” he said.

Greene’s pride is in looking forward to the “bigger picture” of Locust.

“I had a dream of having a recreational facility here and we were able to get a grant to get additional land and another one to do the construction. This dream has become a reality,” he said.

He gives credit to the community and City Council for the city’s success while he’s been mayor.

“A lot of good people have helped along the way. I’m not tooting my horn because numerous, numerous people in the community have come forward to help.”

Greene is excited about the growth that has taken place in Locust and hopes it will continue to expand.

“We have had several businesses create secondary offices in our City Center such as Home Savings Bank and Bear Insurance. Wal-Mart coming to town has been a big issue and the golf course development is well under way. I am glad to see this happening because it will bring jobs to town,” he said.

Outside of politics, Greene’s history is in the autob ody repair industry. He retired from Collision Body shop in Charlotte about three years ago and also worked at the Hilbish Ford dealer in Kannapolis.

He has two grown children who live in Locust, six grand children and one great-grandson.
-Kim Kinnecom

Stanly County: Bob Harvey- Unaffiliated

Former Oakboro Town Administrator Robert A. Harvey hopes to become to mayor come November.

Harvey, 56, is a 2005 retiree from the Federal Service where he worked for 32 years. He worked as a Naval Facilities Engineering Commander and his last job assignment in Washington, D.C., was as Head of Facilities Acquisition for the Navy and Marine Corps.

Harvey was reared in the southwest and a has a bachelor’s degree in business. He lived in Charleston, S.C., where he married his wife, Georgia Osborne-Harvey. He and his family moved to Oakboro, his wife’s hometown, in 1998.

In his new retirement, he enjoys restoring automobiles from the 1950s and 1960s and relaxing in the mountains. He also enjoys operating Ivy Tree Antiques on Main Street.
The “Norman Rockwell small town atmosphere and family values” that can be found in Oakboro are of particular importance to Harvey and his family.

Preserving the town’s atmosphere and “sustaining controlled growth” is also important to Harvey.

He and his wife Georgia have two children; Brooke, 16, and Hunter, 12.
Oakboro resident and business owner, Malcom Kennedy, of Oakboro Equipment Rental knows Harvey from the community.

“We live about a block apart,” Kennedy said. “Bob is a well qualified person and is a good manager of people. He’s a very responsible person especially for his actions and plans.”
-Kim Kinnecom

Stanly County: Charlie Hinson

Charlie Hinson who has been a resident of Locust for 32 years is the owner and manager of the Ace Hardware store in Locust and is running for mayor.

Originally from Albemarle, the 52-year-old Republican, previously worked for Home Depot in Charlotte for 10 years.

Hinson, has been a Boy Scout Master for 21 years and has guided numerous Eagle Scouts throughout the years.

He serves as an elder at Carolina Presbyterian Church in Locust and has numerous community memberships.

He is a member of the West Stanly Rotary Club, a member of the West Stanly Business Association and is a member of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce. Hinson also
serves on the Republican Precinct Committee of Locust.

He has served on the City Council for the past two years and oversees planning and zoning and previously served on the council for seven years in the 1990s.

“I keep busy 24-7 so there’s not much time for anything else,” he said. “But I feel that with my proximity to City Hall and being a business owner in the city, that I could focus a little more on city and what its needs are.”

Hinson is passionate about maintaining quality of life in Locust for the residents.

“I have a big heart for the senior citizens and the youth and it’s important to keep up a good quality of life here. I don’t want to give up our rural setting,” he said.

He and his wife of 32 years, Sharon (Tucker) Hinson, have two sons; Anthony of Harrisburg and Daniel of Locust.

Trent Burleson describes Hinson as a “lifelong friend.” Burleson and Hinson grew up just about a mile apart and went to school together.

“In high school we started dating our wives at the same time and they both lived in Locust. We’ve both since moved to Locust and we’ve remained friends, we go to the same church and our sons were college roommates. Our families have a very close relationship. He’s a very good friend and an honest person,” Burleson said.
-Kim Kinnecom

Stanly County: Graham Hatley- Republican

Albemarle native Graham Hatley, 23, is the Republican candidate for the Albemarle City Council District 3 seat.

Hatley is a 2002 graduate of Albemarle High School and is the son of local dentist Dr. Bill Hatley and Kay Hatley.

He has taken courses at Savannah College of Art and Design and is enrolled at UNC Charlotte, where he hopes to complete a degree in graphic design sometime next year. He also has plans to return to Savannah to complete his studies in industrial design.
He works as a buyer, seller and broker of classic cars with his personal business, Southern Classic, that he started about four years ago. He is involved with Downtown Albemarle Development LLC and the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation’s development and planning board.

Hatley is engaged to Allison Barbee of Norwood and has two dogs, Leonardo DiVinci, a miniature greyhound, and Prada, a chihuahua. Other personal interests include playing the organ, working on classic cars and traveling.

“Traveling is an amazing way to experience something new and get new ideas to bring back to help your own community,” he said.

Hatley is interested in encouraging more young people to become involved in the community through politics and volunteering.

“We’ve got a beautiful, beautiful city but many people here don’t seem to embrace new ideas and that’s why it’s important to me to get more young people involved.

It’s important to look down the road and I’m standing up for Albemarle citizens 10 and 20 years from now,” he said.

Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation Executive Director Vicki Coggins has known the Hatley family for many years and is pleased to see a young person running for office.

“I have watched Graham grow up. His dad has been my dentist for many years. He’s an extremely talented young man and I am happy that he’s exhibited an interest in our community,” Coggins said. “I commend him for his interest in politics and wish we had more young people who were interested in being involved.”
-Kim Kinnecom

Mount Pleasant Town Council: Mike Metcalf- Democrat

While Mike Metcalf never does quite “rough it” on camping trips with his family, a trip not long nearly got very rough.

Metcalf, 35, and his family were camping with friends on an island at Lake Lure when torrential rain began to fall and flood conditions set it.

“We checked out the bridge, and it was up to the bottom,” Metcalf said, adding that if he didn’t act quick the bridge would be underwater and the family stuck on the island.

Metcalf is one of three candidates vying for two open seats on the Mount Pleasant Town Commission.

Metcalf and crew made it off the island, but were forced to stay at a nearby inn when all the roads out of the area were flooded.

“When there’s a drought, people always ask us to come camping, because we always bring the rain with us,” Metcalf joked.

For this very reason, Metcalf’s wife Tracey saw to the purchase of a camper to replace their tent.

“The tent will only take so much,” he said.

Metcalf, former paramedic crew chief for Cabarrus County Emergency Medical Service, also said he enjoys other outdoor activities like hunting and fishing.

He said staying active, through outdoor adventure or coaching youth sports teams, is part of practicing what he prescribes at his job as a cardiovascular technologist.

“I like helping people and seeing the results,” he said. “You’re really helping with their quality of life. But it’s a big responsibility for me to adhere to that lifestyle — eat right, work out.”

Metcalf, who moved Mount Pleasant from Kannapolis about eight years ago, said the best thing people can do to keep healthy hearts is activities that keep the heart rate up and steady, like biking or running. He also said it helps to eat lighter meats such as chicken or pork.

Harry Turner, president of Cabarrus Senior Democrats, met Metcalf several years ago through Metcalf’s volunteer work with the party and became friends with him.

“I think he’s just a great guy, and would do a great service to the town of Mount Pleasant,” Turner said.
— Eric Deines

Mount Pleasant Town Council: Del Eudy- Republican

Del Eudy said he is still feels a little like the small town kid who made good.

“It doesn’t seem that long ago I was just a little riding my bike on Main Street, hanging out on the sidewalk. It means a lot to be on the board,” said the Mount Pleasant Town Commissioner, one of three candidates vying for two open seats on the board in the coming election.

Eudy, 45, mayor pro-tem of Mount Pleasant, said he was urged to join council by Scott Barringer, the former mayor of Moutn Pleasant.

“I think people just responded to my positive stance,” he said.

Eudy said he’s easy to please as far as his free time goes.

“Just anything outside,” he said, adding he is a big fan of hunting, fishing and the great American pasttime of “grilling out.”

“It’s not about the kill for me,” said Eudy of deer hunting. “I let everything go.”
It’s the quiet times in the tree stand that Eudy said he relishes most, and the quiet moments in life.

“I’m the kind of person who doesn’t always have to have something to do.”

A lot Eudy’s free time is dedicated to activities with family — his four-year-old daughter Faith and his younger brother’s family.

“She’s just wide open,” Eudy said of Faith. “She into everything. She loves being outside too, going to the beach.”

Eudy also works out and lifts weights three times a week. He’s kept up physical activity since he wrestled in high school.

“My freshman year was the first year of the wrestling program in Cabarrus County,” he said. “It was something different. And I’m a very competitive person.”
Joe Wilson, Concord’s director of Transportation, has known Eudy for eight years — six through the city.

The two developed into friends who often attended races together. He also noted Eudy’s love for spending time with his daughter and family.

“He’s a very conscientious guy,” Wilson said. “And he takes his job very seriously. I think he takes the lessons he learns here in Concord and applies them to what he does in Mount Pleasant.”
-Eric Deines

Mount Pleasant Town Council: Rick Burleyson- Republican

After a lifetime spent as a huge music fan, Rick Burleyson is taking matters into his own hands — literally.

For the last year, Burleyson — a fan and collector of everything from Led Zeppelin to Concord’s own Avett Brothers — has been taking banjo lessons.

Burleyson, 49, is the sole candidate for a two-year term on Mount Pleasant Town Commission. Burleyson was selection by the board this year to fill an empty seat on the board until the election.

“There is some very tough fingering,” Burleyson said of his banjo lessons. “This is the first instrument I’ve attempted to learn.”

If he does happen to development some chops on the banjo, Burleyson said he’s not interested in any sort of performance — just playing with other people in the community.

“I’m looking to try to find local jam sessions with people who want to play and share,” said Burleyson, who notes Neil Young as his favorite artist. “But I’ll not be performing in front of other people anytime soon.”

His children also have the music-lover gene — all of them are or were formerly involved in high school marching band. Burleyson is involved with the Mount Pleasant Marching Band and accompanies the group on their many road trips.

His youngest son in the drum major for the Mount Pleasant High School marching band.
And Burleyson said his varied taste in music has also rubbed off on his three children.

“My oldest son definitely has,” he said. “And I think all of them are more willing to listen to other music, like bluegrass.”
Burleyson is a former mill worker, who got the bug to complete his education around 2000.

“I kind of figured out that I need to do something different,” said Burleyson, who is now a systems programmer for Duke Energy.

Whit Moose Jr. got to know Burleyson and his family over the years as patrons of his business Moose Drug Store. Later, their children played sports together.

“He’s a good person and very straight up with everything,” Moose said. “(Mount Pleasant) needs people like Rick, who are young and forward-thinking. He’s not one who likes to hear himself talk.”
-Eric Deines

Mount Pleasant Town Council: Maura Eberhardt-Republican

When Maura Eberhardt says he enjoys travel, he means it.
It’s his livelihood.
As a travel agent since the 1970s, Eberhardt has also used his occupation to visit 68 different countries.

Eberhardt, 64, is one of three candidates vying for two open seats on the Mount Pleasant Town Commission in the upcoming municipal elections.
Eberhardt just returned from trip to Mexico, in which he traveled by train through Copper Canyon.

“It’s four-times the size of the Grand Canyon,” Eberhardt said. “At the bottom of the canyon, it would be 105 degrees at night. And at the top, you would need a blanket.”

His favorite destinations have been Denmark and other Scandinavian countries. And he’s ventured to all those different countries with no fluency in any foreign language.

Sometimes, Eberhardt said, not knowing a language can add to the adventure of traveling.

“You will be in a restaurant and don’t even know what you’re ordering, just point at the menu,” he said. “Or point to the next table — ‘That looks good. I’ll have that.’”

Even after all the traveling he has done, there are still several trips on Eberhardt’s list of things to do.

“I want to go to Egypt and see the Sphinx and the Pyramids,” he said. “But I just want a taxi to pick me up at the airport, take me to the Sphinx, take to the Pyramids and then back to the airport. That’s all the interest I have in Egypt.”

On one vacation to a South American island, Eberhardt was the victim of an attempted robbery and was stabbed in the process. But when officials asked for information to reach his family in the U.S., Eberhardt faked amnesia.

“I didn’t want them to call my family and worry anyone,” Eberhardt said.

When he’s not having global adventures, Eberhardt said he enjoys tending to his garden, in which he grows a plethora of vegetables.

“Green beans are the toughest to grow and pick,” Eberhardt said. “With one hand, it takes twice as long to pick green beans.”

Donna Blackwelder, who has worked with Eberhardt at David Walter Travel Agency for 27 years, said he’s known for his humor and care for others.

“He does have a very witty personality,” Blackwelder said. “But he would really do anything for anybody. My daughter adores him.”
-Eric Deines

Mount Pleasant Mayor:Troy Barnhardt- Democrat

For over 50 years, Mount Pleasant Mayor Troy Barnhardt has been training the future leaders of the community.

He’s offered his time to the Boy Scout of America on the district level, as well as helping Life Scouts reach the Eagle Scout level.

Barnhardt is running unopposed in Mount Pleasant’s mayoral race in the 2007 municipal elections.

“I think it teaches young men morals,” said Barnhardt, 64, of the Scouts. “I think, in today’s environment, we teach them how be self-sufficient — how to cook for themselves.”

Barnhardt, who’s been mayor for six years, helps Boy Scouts make the step into Eagle Scout by guiding through their final service project.

“It’s got be something big,” he said.

Recently, he helped a scout remodel the facade of an American Legion.

“He made it look very nice,” Barnhardt said.

Barnhardt had led Boy Scout troops on camping expeditions in New Mexico and Maine.
And recently, he traveled with a group of scouts to an international scouting conference in London, called the World Jamboree.

As part of the trip, they visited Brownsea Island, where scouting was founded by Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell, Barnhardt said.

The camping trips he’s taken with the scouts only consisted of “what you can carry on your back,” Barnhardt said.

Aside from the Scouts and roughing it while camping, Barnhardt also enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.

“We just like to have fun with the grandchildren,” he said.

He’s taken the average family trips to locations like Disney World, which he noted as a different kind of “roughing it.”

“It’s just rough on your pocketbook,” he said.

Barhardts also enjoys volunteering around the community. He’s rang the bell for the Red Cross of America and helped with projects for C-VAN.

Lillard Long has been a fried of Barnhart for 40 years, beginning when the two worked at CT Communications together.

“I think he’s a very honest guy and very sincere guy,” Long said. “Through the years, you rarely find somebody that’s consistent for that long. I find him the same person today that I did 40 years ago.”
-Eric Deines

Harrisburg Town Council: Bill Williams- Independent

For Bill Williams, life didn’t slow down after retirement. If anything, he found himself getting invovled more in his church and community.

Williams, 63, was born and reared in Harrisburg, where his mother, herself originally from Harrisburg, and father, a Davidson County native, were both school teachers.

As such, education was always an important part of Williams’ life.
It was only fitting that after graduating from Harrisburg High School in 1962, Williams left Cabarrus County to continue his education at Appalachian State University.

It wasn’t long before Williams returned home to continue his parent’s legacy as an educator. He worked as a teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system at Myers Park and Garinger High Schools. He retired in 1996. Today, his daughter, Joy, has also dedicated herself to teaching and works with children at Harrisburg Elementary School.

In retirement, Williams tried his hand at entreprenuership when he and his brother-in-law opened the Firelight Inn, a fine-dining resaturant in what is now the Captain’s Galley building.

“We did that for 12 years,” Williams recalled. “We had a Sunday buffet that was well-attended.”

When the time came, the brothers sold the business, but Williams continued his active lifestyle, as he joined the Lion’s Club, served on the Harrisburg Town Council, and as an elder and current board member on the board of Covenant Church of Harrisburg.

When asked what he does on the rare occaison that he leaves Harrisburg in search of relaxation, the answer came quickly.

“We’ve got a cabin in the mountains,” he said. “I love to go up there and relax. I love to play Bridge. That’s probably my passion. I (used to) go to Concord and Albermarle to play Bridge.”

Charles Efird, a former pastor at Covenant Church, said Williams’ years of service to the community through his various postions are a testament to his passion for the community and his desire to continue to serve its people.

“He grew up in Harrisburg,” Efird said. “He’s definitely got a heart for it. I’m convinced he’s proved himself have served on the council for a number of years. I believe he would like to bring to fruition a number of things he’s started.”
-Johnathan E. Coleman

Harrisburg Town Council: Bob Scaggs- Republican

Bob Scaggs has traveled his share of miles — most of them between Ohio and North Carolina — to find himself finally settling down in Harrisburg.

Growing up, Scaggs, 42, would leave his hometown of Cleveland to make the trip to visit his grandparents, who lived in the North Carolina mountains.

He joined the Army in 1983 in hopes of making a home in North Carolina.

In 1984, Scaggs, was stationed at Fort Bragg, where he joined the ranks of the 82nd Airborne and spent most of the next nine years, including an 18-month stint in Korea, as a paratrooper, a helicopter mechanic, an operations sergeant and squad leader.

Not long after leaving the Army, a newly married Scaggs returned for a brief time to Cleveland, but was inevitably called back to North Carolina, where he settled outside of Raleigh and began working as a consultant.

“One of the companies I worked with was Wachoiva,” Scaggs said. “That’s what got me interested in banking.”

And his interest in banking is ultimately what landed him in Harrisburg, though, even then, he spent a lot of time on the road.

“We spent about nine months looking for the right place to live,” Scaggs recalled. “I was living in a hotel during the week and commuting back to Raleigh (on weekends).”

For the last seven years, Scaggs has engrained himself in the commuity, serving as a Cub Scout leader, volunteering at his children’s schools and remaining active at Providence Baptist Church.

Despite his many activities in the community, family and friends say Scaggs is dependable, and always willing to lend a hand.

Marie McLucas, a longtime friend of Scaggs and his wife, said the diverse scope of Scaggs’ activities gives him a good base from which to draw when making important decisions.

“He seems to be a well-rounded candidate,” she said. “I know he researches and get involved before he makes a decision.”

In his free time, Scaggs enjoys boating, and refers to himself as “the most avid sailor without a sailboat.”

Recently, his time on the water has been limited because of the low water levels.
“Boating has been a big hobby, but it’s been an especially tough year for that. You can’t get a boat in the water at Lake Norman now.”

Jonathan E. Coleman

Harrisburg Town Council- Rhonda Poppen- Republican

When Rhonda Poppen married her husband Bill nearly 20 years ago, she had no idea how many weddings were in her future.

After years in the marketing business, working in both printing and health care, Poppen, 43, decided to venture out on her own and turn a hobby that she has enjoyed since the early 1980s into a business.
From that decision sprung Expressive Editions Hand Calligraphy, which she launched in 1997.

In the 10 years since opening the business, Poppen has shared her talents at a wide range of events, from Bar Mitzvahs to corporate events. But her most popular clients are, by far, brides interested in hand-crafted invitations, place cards or other keepsakes for their special day. Poppen said she has had some part in nearly 410 weddings since the business began.

“It was a hobby-turned business at the suggestion of my mother-in-law,” she said. “We just celebrated our 10th anniversary. I guess it’s kind of suprised me that I’ve been able to maintain that the way businesses come and go.”
And while her business occupies a great deal of her time, it in no way defines her, Poppen said.

She’s also spent the better part of the last decade volunteering her time at Harrisburg Elementary School, where both of her children — 14-year-old Emily and 11-year-old Blake — attended, and also at her church.

“This is the first year since I’ve lived in Harrisburg that I haven’t had a child at Harrisburg Elementary School,” she said. “If you have nine years in the same school or 11 years in the same church, that’s a core part of your life.”
Poppen has continued her service to the schools, now as a band parent at Hickory Ridge High School.

Her dedication and work ethic are two of many reasons Andrea Batson, who volunteered with Poppen during her years at Harrisburg Elementary School, believes she will be a strong advocate if elected to the Harrisburg Town Council in November.
“I know she has a strong compassion for our community,” Batson said. “She would be an asset to our Town Council because she is a hard worker who inspires others to be the best and get the job done.”

Jonathan E. Coleman

Harrisburg Town Council: Kirk Angel- Independent

After finishing law school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, all that stood between Angel and his then fiancee, Donna, was a law exam and a 525-mile road trip.

“I took the law exam on Wednesday/ Thursday, drove to Destin, Fla., on Friday and got married on Saturday,” he recalled.

Things haven’t slowed down much in the last 10 years.
These days, if Angel can’t be found at his law office in Harrisburg Town Center, he’s probably at the YMCA or some associated function.

Whether it’s coaching one of his son’s many sports teams or serving on the Board of Directors, Angel has committed much of his free time to the YMCA, earning the title “Kirk the Angel” from Cannon Memorial YMCA President and Cheif Executive Officer Ron Davis.

It started out innocently enough, Angel said.

“The YMCA is always in need of volunteers,” he said. “I got suckered into assistant coaching and the next thing you know I’m head coaching everything.”

At one point, Angel said, he was coaching multiple sports teams for his two sons, 8-year-old Brock and 4-year-old Cade.

“I’m about 18 months away from the girl (17-month-old Daegan) starting,” he joked. “I don’t know what we’re going to do then. We’re going to be all over the place.”

Even when he’s got a little time to himself, Angel often finds himself at the YMCA, where he enjoys lifting weights and working out.

“I’m a lawyer, so at the end of the day, I barely want to curl up with a comic book,” he said.

Angel’s life, outside of the office and away from the YMCA, includes teaching two nights a week at DeVry University in South Park, an activity he enjoys, but admits isn’t a career path he would choose for himself.

“I’ve got a flare for it,” Angel said of teaching. “I really enjoy doing it, but I could never be a professor as my sole livlihood. I’ve got to be more active than that.”

His giving nature and his willingness to stand up for what he believes in are part of what make him so unique, Davis said.

“He marches to the beat of a different drummer,” Davis said. “You won’t see him following the pack. He’ll go the way his heart is, even if it’s against the grain.”

-Jonathan E. Coleman

Harrisburg Town Council: Jeffrey Redfern- Republican

Growing up, Jeff Redfern was sure he would follow in his father’s footsteps.

He always thought he was headed for a job with the California Department of Fish and Game. Instead, Redfern made his home in North Carolina and found his calling as a detective for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

For the past 18 years, Redfern, 39, has worked for the CMPD, serving about the last 12 years in the Juvenile Offenders Unit. This has Redfern in and out of Charlotte, Mecklenburg schools, dealing with students and helping get young offenders back on the right track. The job is both frustrating and rewarding, but worthwhile when you’re able to really help get a kid straightened out, Redfern said.

“There are times when you’re able to get involved with a family, where your action with them shakes some sense into kids,” Redfern said. “(You) may not see it immediately, but then you get a phone call from parents appreciating the time you took to go out and speak to their children.”

When Redfern isn’t working, he tries to leave the job at home and focus his free time on coaching for the Harrisburg Youth Association. Redfern started coaching in the HYA when his son, Justin, 13, began playing in the league, Redfern’s daughter, Kallie, 9, also played in the league.

“It started off with my kids, but I also really enjoy coaching,” Redfern said. “(I like) working with kids and teaching. I think there’s a lot that can be learned through sports.”

While he started off coaching baseball, Redfern has also coached seasons as a football, soccer, basketball and softball coach throughout his eight years involved in the HYA.

Steve Sciascia and Redfern have been coaching and watching HYA sports off and on for the past seven years. The duo met when their kids were playing on the same team. Redferns concern for children on the team and his desire to help children improve their skills are what makes him a good coach, Sciascia said.

“He’s an easy going, laid back kind of guy,” Sciascia said. “He’s polite and very calm in his demeanor. He genuinely cares about people. He’s concerned about people and the issues that surround them.”

Redfern, who calls himself a simple “meat and potatoes,” type of guy, moved to North Carolina in 1985. Although he spent most of his childhood on the West Coast, Redfern considers North Carolina his home. He says the Southern feel of the area is well suited to his laid back personality.

He’s been in the Harrisburg area since 1992, and officially within the town’s limits for the last eight years. Cabarrus County’s school system and the small town feel of the community drew Redfern and his wife, Angela, to the area in the first place.

“It’s a very small town, it’s close to Charlotte it’s got small businesses and a (small town community),” Redfern said. “I consider it to have a fairly low crime rate. It has an overall sense of safety and overall family atmosphere.” -Christie Barlow

Harrisburg Town Council: Joe Hallatschek- Republican

Joe Hallatschek has been cycling, running and swimming all over the Southeast United States.
Hallatsheck, 47, competes with his triathlon team Girodana-Cliff-Bar throughout the U.S.

Hallatschek has always been interested in physical fitness and finished well in his first triathlon. From there, he was hooked. What started off as a dare in 1990, developed into one of Hallatschek's favorite things to do, he said.

“I love the lifestyle and the people you meet in the sport,” Hallatschek said. “Typically, they’re honest, hardworking people from all different walks of life.”

While some may find it daunting to be faced with a swim through six-foot waves, only to jump on a bike and ride for miles, it’s all part of the fun for Hallatschek. While he enjoys the challenge and discipline, the reward comes in finishing the race, he said.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of triathlons for Hallatschek is the friendly competition he’s developed with Kenny Daigle. Daigle and Hallatschek met while both were living in Olive Branch, Miss.

When competing in a triathlon the duo finished within places of each other and Hallatschek was shocked to hear they were from the same small town. When he returned home, Hallatschek contacted Daigle and they’ve been friends since, meeting up at least once a year to compete in triathlons.

“It’s a hobby for both of us,” Daigle said. “At the end of the day, the loser buys the beer.”

The focus Hallatschek has is one of his best qualities, Daigle said. Daigle calls his friend “a good-listener, patient and persistent.”

All these qualities together make Hallatschek good at everything he does from triathlons to his work as a civil engineer, Daigle said.

“Joe has the ability to look at a problem and he doesn’t bring any preconceived notions to the table,” Daigle said. “He’s very open-minded and willing to listen.”

While Hallatschek’s competitions have taken him across the U.S., he calls Harrisburg home.

About two years ago, Hallatschek, his wife of 25 years, Robin, and his two daughters, Sarah, 22, and Rebecca, 18, moved to Harrisburg, where Hallatschek took a job as a civil engineer with Mactec Federal Programs Inc.

“When it was time to retire, we decided with all the options we had, North Carolina would be best,” Hallatschek said. “It had all the things we were looking for. My wife was looking for Mayberry RFD (Rural Free Delivery), and I was looking for a job.”-Christie Barlow

China Grove Town Council: Lee Withers- Republican

Lee Withers is following in his father’s footsteps and running for Town Council. Roger Withers served on the council in the 1970s.

“I want to following in his footsteps and he is backing me,” Withers said. “He is the treasurer of my campaign and my role model.”

Withers, 30, is active in town activities. He took on organizing Farmer’s Day this year and he is sticking to that.

He is also running with only one agenda: To bring common sense to town government.
“We are at a crossroads in China Grove,” Withers said. “We’ve got to prepare for growth that is coming.”

Withers is a sales representative with Husqvarna and travels all over the state selling farm and landscaping equipment. But his heart and family are in China Grove. His wife, Kelly, who is an assistant principal at Carson High School, is expecting twins, and Withers enjoys spending time with his four-year-old son, Carson.

Withers said the town needs a fulltime manager, and that Town Council needs to take a hands-off approach to town departments.

“We have a lot of good people working for us,” Withers said. “Council needs to let them do their jobs.”
-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Council: James 'Jim' Whitley- Republican

Jim Whitley thinks China Grove can save some money.

The owner of Whitley’s Auto, Tire and Lube on North Main Street is running for the town council and said he would like to see the town manager’s position abolished.

Whitley, 51, said he wants to see wasteful spending cut from the budget.

“We have a couple of board members coming off that are conservative,” Whitley said, referring to council members Troy Elliott and Harold Simpson, who are not running for re-election. “I want to make sure that voice remains on the board.”

Whitley said he would work to promote business growth through small business incentives in China Grove.

“There is very little help for businesses in town,” Whitley said. “We should be helping businesses that are here and attract new businesses to the area.”

Whitley should know. He has been in business for himself — first as a paint contractor, then in auto repair and service — since 1983.

The lifelong China Grove resident said tax, water and sewer rates need to come down.
“There are a lot of people on fixed incomes in this town,” Whitley said. “Seems like taxes are going higher and higher.”-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Council: Charles Seaford- Democrat

Charles Seaford is running for office for the first time. He said he wants to get into the business of China Grove.

Seaford, 55, is a Salisbury native who moved to China Grove 10 years ago.
A lieutenant with the Bostian Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Seaford has been teaching emergency medical technician classes since 1981.

“The biggest reason I teach is, in a small way, I am touching many lives,” Seaford said. “If I teach 10 people, then they can go out and help 10 other people.”
He teaches basic EMT classes at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and started a class at the China Grove Fire Department.

In addition to his volunteer work, he was in the Leadership Rowan class of 1995.
His biggest issue: water and sewer service.

“I want to look at the contract we have with Salisbury to provide us with water,” Seaford said. “I want to know if it is the best for the people of China Grove.”

Seaford works for Duke Energy as a vendor contract coordinator at the Marshall Steam Station.
-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Council: Ronald A. Overcash- Democrat

Ron Overcash served on Town Council from 1994 to 2000. This was before the town had a full-time manager.

“At that time, each council member had a department to oversee,” Overcash said.
It was an inefficient system, Overcash said, because council members could not devote their full attention to the department.

“I was not fully involved,” Overcash said. “And it was very difficult to see what’s really going on in a department when your only interaction is at a monthly meeting.”

Overcash works at Food Lion in inventory control and said he is running again for council because he wants to make sure the town is not reverting back to its own ways.

“We need a full-time manager to keep a watch over things,” Overcash said.

Overcash enjoys playing golf and fishing, but his main pasttime is a classic American institution: Baseball. He coached Little League baseball, but since 1988, he has been the local commissioner of the Cal Ripkin Baseball League in China Grove.

“I’ll keep doing that for as long as I can,” Overcash said. “I’m not much for the professional game, but I love kids’ baseball.”-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Council: John G. Miller- Republican

John G. Miller, pastor of Grace Christian Church in China Grove, was elected in 1999 to the council and served two two-year terms.

Miller, 59, said he is running again because of the “tremendous amount of growth that is coming to China Grove.”

“A lot of that is because of what is happening in Kannapolis,” Miller said. “China Grove is moving into the major leagues.”

Miller said the town needs to attract more businesses to offset the tax burden from residents.

Along with the town’s growth, illegal immigration is a priority for Miller, he said.

“We can’t put if off to the county, state or national governments,” Miller said. “We need to make sure our police department is up to par on this and look at ways of discouraging people from hiring illegal aliens.”

Miller promised, he said, if he was elected to find out answers to the illegal immigrant question.
-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Countil: William Jordan- Democrat

William Jordan is making his first foray into local politics.

But he has been involved with China Grove’s annual street festival, Farmer Days, since the beginning.

“My wife and I were on the committee that first started the event,” Jordan said. “I’m surprised that is has lasted this long.”

Community involvement is important to Jordan, he said, and that is why he is running for town council.

“I feel like, with my experience, I could do a good job,” Jordan said. “Some of the past councilmen have not served the needs of the people.”

Jordan said he is interested in what improvements can be made to the water and sewer system and expanding the town’s parks.

“The next council will have to make major decisions regarding future management,” Jordan said, “and expected growth in both the private and business sectors. I do not have a personal agenda or disagreement with the city on issues.”
-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Council: Roger Hosey- Republican

Roger Hosey, a Landis police officer, said he is running to serve the residents of China Grove.

“It seemed to me that meetings were more for for council members to air grievances that to get anything done,” Hosey, 26, said.

He served as a non-paid reserve officer for China Grove and got to know the people there before he moved to the town.

Running for public office for the first time, Hosey said he wants the town to work with the state Department of Transportation to get a new interchange built on Interstate 85.

“The one we have now at N.C. 152, it’s an odd exit and it throws a lot of traffic into the north end of town,” Hosey said. “I’d like to see an interchange built at Pine Ridge Road. That’s ideal — it would throw traffic into the center of town.”

Hosey said the council should not micromanage town department heads.

“There is a town manager that runs day-to-day operations,” Hosey said. “The council sets the policy and the department heads execute that policy. That is how it should be.”
-Ben McNeely

China Grove Town Council: Jimmie Higgins- Republican

Jimmie Higgins, chair of the town’s parks and recreation committee, ran for council before in 2005. He lost his bid for a seat by 18 votes, he said.

Now, he wants another try.

“People come to the board with agendas and issues,” Higgins said. “I want to see people that will work for the town.”

Higgins spoke out against the council’s decision not to put a liquor-by-the-drink referendum on the ballot in March. He said the council took residents’ right to vote on the issue away.

Higgins, 62, owns Higgins Automotive on U.S. 29, between Salisbury and China Grove.
He said with the growth coming to the town, more parks will be needed.

“The town doesn’t have a large park,” Higgins said. “The ones we have now can barely service our residents now.”

He said he believes the town’s population will double in the next five to 10 years.

“There are other parks planned for the town,” Higgins said. “We need a major park.”

Higgins takes his passion for cars home with him. He restores old cars and shows them at cruise-ins and car shows all over.

“I take a 1964 Pontiac Starchief to the car shows,” Higgins said. “That’s the one that is really fixed up.”

In addition to the Starchief, he has a 1932 Ford pick-up truck, a 1958 Chevy Impala and 1963 Pontiac Bonneville.

Higgins said he is a conservative and he wants to have like-minded candidates to be elected to Town Council. -Ben McNeely

China Grove Mayor: Allen Welter- Republican

Allen Welter is a businessman. He owns at least 10 properties in China Grove and runs a rental business. Welter has a vested interest in the town.
That’s why he is running for mayor.

The 64-year-old Town Council member said he wants better communication in town.
“Nobody knows what’s going in China Grove because nobody tells anybody anything,” Welter said. “We need to better communication with our residents and with other towns.”

Welter, a registered Republican, has been a vocal member of the Town Council since he was elected in 2005.

“I ask a lot of questions and I expect to get answers,” Welter said. “I got into politics because, here, it is not what you do, it is who you know.”
Welter and his wife, Barb, sold their business in Canada and moved to the United States to retire in 1991. He raises his three grandchildren, Alisha, Aliyah and Zahra Khan, who are politically active. Welter encourages his granddaughter’s interest in politics.

“Boy they love it when I come home and tell them to look something up for me,” Welter said. “They really get into it.”

Welter said, even though he is more powerful if he stays as a council member — the mayor doesn’t have a vote — he is going to give the race “a decent effort.”

“I think we can do better,” Welter said.
-Ben McNeely

China Grove Mayor: Don Bringle-Democrat

China Grove has a lot of potential growth coming in the next five years.
That is why Mayor Don Bringle filed for reelection. Bringle is finishing up his first term as China Grove mayor and he wants to continue in the same capacity.

“It’s been a challenging four years,” Bringle, who became Rowan County’s Parks and Recreation Director in January, said. “With the knowledge of the town that I have, I’d like to see that continue.”

Bringle was born and raised in Rowan County and spent 20 years of his career in textiles — like many folks in the area. His company was sold, and after a stint at Wal-Mart, Bringle went to work for Rowan County, as manager of Dan Nicholas Park. In January, he become the director of Rowan County Parks and Recreation Department. His wife’s parents, Jamima and John DeMarcus, are well-known Rowan County residents: Jamima was on the first women to serve as on the County Commission and John served China Grove as a police officer.

Bringle said his goals are to continue expanding infrastructure to accommodate the growth coming.

“We haven’t seen rooftops yet,” he said. “But there is potential.”
-Ben McNeely

Landis Board of Aldermen: Roger D. Safrit- Unaffiliated

Roger Safrit, a blacksmith, said financial stability is his platform.

“The elderly people in the town have been ignored,” Safrit said. “The way things have been upped in costs lately, people on fixed incomes can’t afford it.”
Safrit, 55, owns Rustic Creations, a blacksmithing business in Landis. Safrit learned blacksmithing from his grandfather. He worked for many years at a buffalo farm in Concord, on N.C. 49, then went to Tweetsie Railroad, a Western-themed amusement park Blowing Rock.

“I’ve done some horseshoe work, some ornamental iron,” Safrit said.
But as a master knife maker, he makes decorative knives and swords using Damascus steel — an amalgam of different metals forged into one solid piece.

“You take the piece of steel, cut it down and bring out the blade, and dip it in etching acid,” Safrit said. “The acid brings out unique designs in the steel.”
Safrit said he supports the upcoming water and sewer bond referendum.

“It’s important for people to know that the bond is not about annexation, but to replace the old water and sewer pipes,” Safrit said.

He also said he is not making any promises not to raise taxes.
“You have to do what you have to do,” Safrit said. “You need to know the money is going to the right places.” -Ben McNeely

Landis Board of Aldermen: George Lee Pless-Republican

George Pless, 80, has been on and off the board since he was first elected in 1969. He was appointed to a third term in 2004 to fill the seat opened by Mahaley. Pless wrote in a statement that he is running again to oversee the growth coming to Landis.

“My goal is to continue a scheduled program of subdivisions in Landis,” Pless wrote. “These scheduled programs would increase the tax base and give the town more revenue.”

Pless grew up in Landis and worked as a banker in town with Merchant & Farmer’s Bank. Pless also enjoyed hitting the links and play golf.

“We’ve hit every golf course within a one-hour drive from downtown Landis,” Pless said. “We would play in the mountains and the beach.”

Now Pless doesn’t play much golf anymore, but he is still interested and involved in town business.

Getting the $6.7 million water and sewer bonds passed is a top priority for Pless, he said. Keeping the town in good financial shape is also a goal.

Landis Board of Aldermen: Charles J. Nickleson Jr.- Republican

Charles Nickelson, 51, a criminal justice instructor with the N.C. Department of Corrections, said the town needs to curb “useless spending.”

“Aldermen are the orchestrator of the town’s business,” Nickelson said. “The people need to be the ultimate decider on spending.”

The board should also take responsibility for its actions, Nickelson said.

“They don’t need to blame it on previous boards,” he said.

Nickelson ran for the board in 2005.-Ben McNeely

Landis Board of Aldermen: H.A. 'Tony' Hilton- Republican

H.A. “Tony” Hilton, 60, said the current board has put the town in bad financial shape.

“My goal is to put Landis back in a financially stable position,” Hilton said. “Unless the town is financially stable, there isn’t much you can do.”

Hilton, a native of Landis, is a risk manager for Rowan County government and was appointed to the board in 2002 and served a year.

But what many people don’t know is that Hilton served in the U.S. Navy — did a tour of duty at the Pentagon — and retired as a commander.

“I did ship and shore duty,” Hilton said. “One of children was born in Guam — the other in Bethesda.”

An avid hunter and fisherman, Hilton takes trips to Portsmith Island to go fishing. He also hunts-- everything from doves to deer to duck, he said.

“It’s a chance to get away and be alone with your thoughts,” Hilton said. “Even when you are with a group, you are still out there doing your own thing.”

Hilton said he believes Landis needs to manage its growth better. The town needs to adopt a growth plan to handle the pressure from Kannapolis and Charlotte.

“Kannapolis will soon be an engine driving the South Rowan area,” Hilton said. “We need to anticipate future needs and be ready to deal with it when it comes.”-Ben McNeely

Landis Board of Aldermen: Ernest Dean Beck- Republican

Dean Beck, 62, is a sergeant with the Landis Police Department and served on the board in the 1980s.

Beck said water quality and attracting businesses to the town are his priorities.
“Since the mills have gone, we’re only using a third of our water system,” Beck said. “We’ve got a phased plan to replace the water system. The bond referendum would fix that.”

Beck has lived in Landis since 1976 and owned and operated Beck Tire and Auto Center before entering law enforcement in 1992. He said he is getting close to retirement and he wanted to get active in local politics again.

“I’ve got six grandkids — four at Landis Elementary and two at Corriher-Lipe Middle School,” Beck said. “So I’m doing this for them.”

Beck is on the executive committee of the Rowan County Republican Party, has been chair of the party and is chairman of the west Landis voting precinct.-Ben McNeely

Landis Board of Aldermen: Tony Corriher- Republican

Corriher, 61, is the owner of Landis Plumbing Supply Co. on Old Beatty Ford Road in Landis.

He served on the board from 2003 to 2005 and said he is running again to restore “common sense” to the board.

“We started improvements in the town when I was on the board,” Corriher, 61, said. “Our facilities were falling down around us.”
He said upgrading the water and sewer system and the town ballfields are priorities for him.

“There haven’t been any improvements made to Linn Ballfield on South Meriah Street,” Corriher said. “Our children need a place to have facilities to play and to keep their minds occupied.”

Corriher served with the Landis Fire Department for 22 years, two of those years as chief. He is now with the China Grove Fire Department. Corriher collects old ambulances and fire trucks and restores them.- Ben McNeely

Landis Board of Aldermen: William P. Beaver- Republican

Beaver, 80, is the town’s mayor pro-tem. He was first elected in 1993 and said he is running again to see through improvement projects already started.

“Over the last 14 years, I feel we’ve made tremendous progress,” Beaver said. “I’ve tried to be progressive and continue to provide high-quality services to citizens while planning for the future.”

Beaver said three new housing developments will bring about 1,600 new houses to Landis in the next five years. The bond referendum to pay for upgrades to the town’s water and sewer system is necessary to the town’s future.

“It is vital to get those passed,” Beaver said. “They are cutting in the road at The Club at Irish Creek. That is revenue that we will be getting.”

Beaver grew up in Landis and spent his career at Linn-Corriher Textile Mill, for 47 years. He has seen Landis progress from a textile town to a bedroom community in southern Rowan County. Now he sees the growth around Landis as a boon for the town.-Ben McNeely

Landis Mayor: Michael Dennis Brown- Republican

Dennis Brown is running unopposed for Landis mayor.

Brown, 52, is a captain with the Kannapolis Fire Department and also runs China Grove Hardware with his father, Charles D. Brown. He grew up in Landis, volunteers with the Landis Fire Department, along with his duties at Kannapolis.

Brown served on the board of aldermen from 1992 to 2002, and served as mayor pro-tem for two years.

“I’ve always wanted to be mayor,” Brown said. “It’s been a goal of mine since I was in college.”

Brown said he wants to restore residents’ confidence in town government.

“I want the people of Landis to be proud of Landis again,” Brown said, “and to make sure Landis can handle the growth that is coming and to prosper by it.”

He said the bond referendum to replace the water and sewer system is very important for the town’s growth.

“It is vital to Landis’ future,” Brown said.

When Brown is not fighting fires he is on the golf courses around the area. His son, Tyler is on the golf team at Pfieffer University.

“His handicap is two,” Brown said. “Mine is 10.”
-Ben McNeely

Kannapolis City Council: John K. Williams- Democrat

John K. Williams, 42, is a newcomer to Kannapolis, having lived in the city since February, after moving from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Williams is a mortgage broker with Sunny Mortgage, but his passion is in nonprofit work.

“I want to see that community needs are met,” Williams said. “People are always going to need help.”

Williams is helping to set up a new nonprofit organization in Charlotte, Compassion Gifts International, that would offer a food bank, court advocates for children and assistance for the homeless.

With his experience in nonprofits, Williams wants to bring that passion to the city council.

“Kannapolis is going through a revival,” Williams said. “And with all this newness that is coming, I want to make sure that the people who helped build Kannapolis are taken care of.”

He said one of his goals is to look out for homeowner’s rights, especially on the western side of the city.

“Homeowners are concerned about businesses moving into that area,” Williams said.

His big goal: Establish a youth center on the east end of Kannapolis.

“The center would draw youth from Kannapolis and southern Rowan County,” Williams said. “The idea is to teach children values through character-building programs.”

Williams was a catcher for the now-defunct minor league baseball team, the Miami Miracles, from 1987 to 1989. Williams and his wife, Hannah, have four children.
-Ben McNeely

Kannapolis City Council: Jim Harkins- Republican

Jim Harkins knows how to campaign. He ran unsuccessfully for the council in the last municipal election. He said he thought he should try again.

“I’m trying to get involved with the city’s decision-making,” Harkins, 54, said.

Owner and operator of the Cash-N-Check on Cannon Boulevard for 19 years, Harkins moved to Kannapolis from Oklahoma City in 1998.

His mother grew up in in Kannapolis and always talked about what a nice place it was to live in.

“There are a lot of things going in Kannapolis right now,” Harkins said. “We need to make sure to keep the water supply going.”

Harkins has served as a lay minister for seven years at Midway United Methodist Church. He said friends and church members talked him into running again.

He runs his check-cashing business with his two dogs — Labradoodles named Thelma Lou and Roscoe, named for characters from “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Harkins would like to see the city set aside some land for a dog park.

“With the research campus coming, I’d like to see a little bit of land set aside and fenced in for a dog park.”
-Ben McNeely

Kannapolis City Council: Roger Haas- Republican

Roger Haas sees the future coming to Kannapolis.

“Kannapolis is at a crossroads and I have been involved with a lot of that,” said Haas, on why he filed for reelection.

He said the North Carolina Research Campus will transform the town and with the decisions that have already been made concerning the campus, Haas said he wants to continue to be a part of that.

“Experience will play a factor in this,” Haas, 58, said.

Haas served on City Council from 1997-2001, then was appointed in 2006 to fill a vacant seat left when Bob Misenheimer was elected mayor. Haas is the founder of Adventures in Motorsports, a racing tourism company in Kannapolis.
On the council, he has been an advocate for tourism and economic development — pushing for more amenities in Village Park and Kannapolis’ support for the NASCAR All-Star Race in Charlotte.

When he is not booking race track tours, Haas reads extensively and babysits his grandchildren.-Ben McNeely

Kannapolis City Council: Ken Geathers- Unaffiliated

Ken Geathers was elected to the first City Council when Kannapolis incorporated in 1984 and has been on City Council ever since.

He, like fellow council member Richard Anderson, has seen the decline of the textile industry from the inside. Geathers worked for 34 years in human resources at Pillowtex before it went bankrupt in 2003. Now, he is looking toward the future with the North Carolina Research Campus.

“I want to use my experience to help make Kannapolis a livable community,” Geathers said. “The whole country is moving from manufacturing to research.”

Geathers is now a substance abuse counselor at the Bill Hefner V.A. Hospital in Salisbury. Geathers is going back to school to get his license in substance abuse counseling, by taking advantage of the educational opportunities in the area. He said he wants others to take advantage of the same opportunities so they can get
jobs at the research campus.

“If folks get a chance to come back to Kannapolis, they have to get trained and we have to have the jobs here waiting for them,” Geathers said.
Geather’s civic involvement is extensive: He is a Paul Harris Fellow and past president of the Kannapolis Rotary Club. He is on the board of trustees of the Kannapolis YMCA and president of the John R. Mott Y Service Club. Geathers attends First Baptist Church in Kannapolis and is a past chairman of the Cabarrus chapter of the American Red Cross.

Geathers said he reads a lot — from fantasy fiction to mysteries to academic books about addiction. -Ben McNeely

Kannapolis City Council: David A. Baucom- Republican

David Baucom is running for one of the three seats open on City Council. He said he wants to represent the younger generation of Kannapolis residents.
“The board needs the voice of Generation X-ers,” Baucom, 33, said. “I think with the research campus coming, the age of the population is going to change. I want to represent the newness that is going to come to the area.”
The financial planner and owner of Baucom Wealth Management already serves on the Kannapolis Planning and Zoning Commission. This is his first time running for public office.
Baucom attends Kannapolis Church of God and likes to play racquetball and run.
He said he runs through downtown Kannapolis a lot.
“There have been a lot of changes that has come to downtown,” Baucom said. “A lot of new people are going to come here. We need to be ready for them.”
-Ben McNeely

Kannapolis City Council: Richard Anderson- Democrat

Richard Anderson knows Kannapolis. He grew up in the Centerview neighborhood, has served as the town’s mayor, served on the City Council on and off since 1991 and his house is right across the street from A.L. Brown High School.

He first got interested in politics when he father took him to Cabarrus County Democrat Party meetings when he was 16 years old.

“I’ve always been interested in politics, but I ran for council when the city got into a squabble over sidewalks,” Anderson said.

Anderson has been on the council through some of Kannapolis’ most troubling and promising times: The decline of Fieldcrest-Cannon Mills and the textile industry in the region, the Pillowtex buyout and bankruptcy in 2003 and the announcement of the North Carolina Research Campus in 2005.

He wasn’t going to run again because of health problems in the past two years.
“I said I wasn’t going to run again because of my health problems,” Anderson said. “But both my wife and I are on the road to recovery and with the research campus coming, with my experience and knowledge of Kannapolis, hopefully I can assist in that.”

He said Kannapolis is going through a “transformation.” “I still have plenty of energy,” Anderson said. “With what is coming, I think continuity on the board is important.”
-Ben McNeely

Midland Town Council: Don Fleener- Unaffiliated

Don Fleener believes in empowering Midland residents to get involved in the community.

Fleener said those serving on Town Council need to open the lines of communication so the public can add to the discussion of important issues, such as growth.

“When you’re on an elected body, it’s your responsibility to do everything humanly possible to engage people,” Fleener said.

Fleener moved to Midland in 1994.

He owns TSS Electrics, a small family business. Prior to that, Fleener spent more than 15 years in plant engineering maintenance in the Charlotte area.
Fleener has been involved with Midland since before it was incorporated in 2000, serving as a member of the Midland Community Association.
He was appointed to the Midland Planning and Zoning Board in 2000 and served for three years. He chaired the board for more than a year and also served a year as vice chairman.

Bob McCoy of Midland said he was impressed by Fleener when they both served on the board.

“He asked the questions I thought needed to be asked,” McCoy said. “He’s got a mind of his own. Too many people on these boards go along with the crowd.”

Fleener considers himself a strong advocate for managed growth.
— Justin Vick

Midland Town Council: Darrell Page- Republican

Darrell Page may be the lone incumbent for the Midland Town Council race, but don’t call him a politician.

He never had aspirations of becoming president or a governor, but friends encouraged him to run for Town Council in 2003. He believes those serving on the council should work toward the overall good of the town and its citizens.
“The town was new, and I felt like we needed to make sure we have people who were working for the town that had grown up here,” Page said.
Page was born and reared in Midland, as were his parents, grandparents and great grandfather.

He describes Midland as the center of accessibility to four major towns: Albemarle, Charlotte, Concord and Monroe.

Fellow councilman Allen Burnette described Page as dedicated and knowledgeable.
“He’s very dedicated to the town and community,” Burnette said . “He has the town’s as a whole best interest of heart.”

Page would like another term on the town council to follow through on providing the town water and sewer services, as well as helping provide more county resources in town, such as library service and resources for the town’s senior citizens.
Page served in the Air National Guard for 35 years, seeing action in operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Enduring Freedom. He’s currently employed at Duke Energy in Charlotte, where he manages data and maintenance for transmission stations.
-Justin Vick