Landis and China Grove Bonds and Referendums

WATER (LANDIS)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 90.02
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 9.98

WASTE (LANDIS)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 88.82
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 11.18

ABC (CHINA GROVE)
FOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 61.00
AGAINST . . . . . . . . . . . 218 39.00

Landis Mayor

MAYOR LANDIS
Dennis Brown . . . . . . . . . 402 94.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 25 5.85

China Grove Town Council

China Grove Town Council
Ronald A. Overcash . . . . . . . 177 16.27
Lee Withers. . . . . . . . . . 302 27.76
Jimmie Higgins. . . . . . . . . 114 10.48
Roger Hosey. . . . . . . . . . 99 9.10
William L. Jordan. . . . . . . . 113 10.39
John G. Miller. . . . . . . . . 40 3.68
Charles Seaford . . . . . . . . 153 14.06
Jim Whitley. . . . . . . . . . 88 8.09

Results for Kannapolis City Council

• Richard Anderson: 48 percent
• David Baucom: 32 percent
• Ken Geathers: 44 percent
• Roger Haas: 37 percent
• Jim Harkins: 18 percent
• John Williams: 19 percent

Note: Totals are combined results from Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

All totals taken from the county board of elections. All vote totals are unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Results for Mount Pleasant: Mayor, Town Comissioners

MAYOR MTP MT PLEASANT
Troy W. Barnhardt. . . . . . . . 99 81.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 23 18.85

Town Commissioner
Maura Eberhardt . . . . . . . . 75 27.88
W. Del Eudy. . . . . . . . . . 86 31.97
Mike Metcalf . . . . . . . . . 108 40.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 0

Town Commissioner
Richard D. (Rick) Burleyson . . . . 114 97.44
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 3 2.56

Results for Harrisburg Town Council

Harrisburg Town Council
Kirk J. Angel . . . . . . . . . 380 9.58
Leigh Thomas Brown . . . . . . . 197 4.97
Joe Hallatschek . . . . . . . . 449 11.32
Rhonda Poppen . . . . . . . . . 779 19.65
Jeffrey Redfern . . . . . . . . 653 16.47
Bob Scaggs . . . . . . . . . . 691 17.43
Bill Williams . . . . . . . . . 680 17.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 51 1.29

All vote totals taken from the Cabarrus County Board of Elections. All vote totals are unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Results for Concord City Council

David W. Phillips. . . . . . . . 2,724 64.72
Tom L. Small . . . . . . . . . 1,462 34.74
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 23 .55


Alex Porter, Jr. . . . . . . . . 1,850 42.97
Jim Ramseur. . . . . . . . . . 2,435 56.56
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 20 .46


Hector H. Henry, II . . . . . . . 3,066 94.78
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 169 5.22

Randy Grimes . . . . . . . . . 2,981 95.36
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 145 4.64


Ella Mae Small. . . . . . . . . 3,017 96.39
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 113 3.61

Numbers according to Cabarrus County Board of Elections. These numbers are considered unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Results for Midland Town Council: Incumbent Page loses bid

Final Results for Midland Town Council
Don Fleener. . . . . . . . . . 235 32.19
Darrell Page . . . . . . . . . 199 27.26
Mike Tallent . . . . . . . . . 287 39.32
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 9 1.23

Numbers according to Cabarrus County Board of Elections. These numbers are considered unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Early returns for Kannapolis

Kannapolis sits in both Cabarrus and Rowan counties. As such, the results are split between two counties.

Here are the returns from the Rowan side of Kannapolis:

Richard Anderson . . . . . . . . 2 or 16.67 percent
David A. Baucom . . . . . . . . 4 or 33.33 percent
Kenneth B. Geathers . . . . . . . 3 or 25.00 percent
Roger Haas . . . . . . . . . . 3 or 25.00 percent
Jim Harkins. . . . . . . . . . 0
John K. Williams . . . . . . . . 0

David Baucom is leading on the Rowan County side, while Ken Geathers is leading the pack in Cabarrus County. Richard Anderson is in the top three in Cabarrus, while he is trailing in Rowan.

Early returns for bond and referendum

Early returns for the Landis water/sewer bonds:
LANDIS WATER
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 or 83.33 percent
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 or 16.67 percent


Early returns for China Grove liquor referendum:
CHINA GROVE ABC
FOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 or 76.92 percent
AGAINST . . . . . . . . . . . 6 or 23.08 percent

Early voting returns for local races

Here are the early returns from the Kannapolis City Council race:
Richard Anderson . . . . . . . . 33 or 21.57 percent
David A. Baucom . . . . . . . . 20 or 13.07 percent
Kenneth B. Geathers . . . . . . . 43 or 28.10 percent
Roger Haas . . . . . . . . . . 29 or 18.95 percent
Jim Harkins. . . . . . . . . . 8 or 5.23 percent
John K. Williams . . . . . . . . 20 or 13.07 percent
NOTE: These are Cabarrus County returns.

Early returns from Rowan County:
China Grove Mayor
Don Bringle. . . . . . . . . . 22 or 88.00 percent
Allen Welter . . . . . . . . . 3 or 12.00 percent

China Grove Town Council
Jimmie Higgins. . . . . . . . . 6 or 12.50 percent
Roger Hosey. . . . . . . . . . 5 or 10.42 percent
William L. Jordan. . . . . . . . 1 or 2.08 percent
John G. Miller. . . . . . . . . 1 or 2.08 percent
Ronald A. Overcash . . . . . . . 11 or 22.92 percent
Charles Seaford . . . . . . . . 3 or 6.25 percent
Jim Whitley. . . . . . . . . . 2 or 4.17 percent
Lee Withers. . . . . . . . . . 19 or 39.58 percent

Landis Board of Aldermen
William (Will) P. Beaver . . . . . 1 or 3.03 percent
Ernest Dean Beck . . . . . . . . 8 or 24.24 percent
Tony B. Corriher . . . . . . . . 3 or 9.09 percent
H. A. (Tony) Hilton . . . . . . . 14 or 42.42 percent
C. J. Nickelson . . . . . . . . 1 or 3.03 percent
George Lee Pless . . . . . . . . 2 or 6.06 percent
Roger D. Safrit . . . . . . . . 4 or 12.12 percent

Concord voter turnout lower than expected

CONCORD — Cabarrus County Board of Elections officials said Election Day voter turnout left something to be desired.

“It’s been a long day,” said Linda Grist, director of the Board of Elections. “It’s been real boring here. We have roamers who visit the different precincts, and they’re saying it’s not been that busy.”

Reports from Harrisburg and Kannapolis precincts early both said voter turnout was minimal.

-Eric Deines

Candidates: New business key to future of downtown Concord

The move to grow and revitalize downtown Concord as a commercial player and as the county seat is a continuous campaign, one that calls for constant recruitment of new business to the area.

But as it grows to both those ends, downtown Concord must also grow in respect to the immediate residential neighborhoods - historical or otherwise.

The four candidates in Concord’s two contested races talked about their ideas how downtown Concord can be developed, yet retain its charm.

Councilman David Phillips, 57, seeking re-election for the city’s District 1 seat, said the city needs to continue the downtown merchant tax that is used to support the Concord Downtown Development Corporation, which in turn is charged with promoting downtown for new business.

Phillips also pointed to the recent addition of free wireless Internet as a step to further put downtown Concord on the map as an area in which to do business.

“What bothers me is that there are many people who have moved here and have never seen downtown,” Phillips said.

He also said in downtown’s adjacent residential areas also need the support of the city and that there are several lots where similar homes can be built.

“I think it has a charm and character that we need to maintain, protect and preserve,” Phillips said.

Downtown Concord resident Alex Porter, 58, challenging Councilman Jim Ramseur for the city District 2 seat, said more attention needs to be paid to downtown areas just beyond historic downtown like Gibson Village and the Logan Community.

Porter has said that he thinks Barber-Scotia College is one of the often overlooked assets of downtown. In the last year, the college has been working to regain accreditation and reducing debt.

“I think the city, the county and (the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce) should try to reach some sort of understanding in refurbishing Barber-Scotia,” Porter said, adding that the college sits along an important corridor for downtown. “I think the right personalities are in place to lead good dialogue with Barber-Scotia and some other parties - I think they’re receptive to those ideas.”

Porter said that while new mixed-use commercial developments like Huntersville’s Birkdale Village try to look like a traditional down, Concord has the real thing and it needs to be maintained.

“I don’t have any specific plans other than to just listen to people and make some compromises and make a difference,” Porter said.

Councilman Ramseur, 61, who is seeking re-election for the city’s District 2 seat, said the city has identified business expansion areas to the east and west of downtown on Cabarrus Avenue.

The city recently completed a roundabout on the western part of Cabarrus Avenue.

“In doing that, you improve the corridor and hopefully, the business sector will come,” Ramseur said. “I do not want to see them go north and south on Union Street (where two residential historic districts sit).”

Ramseur said he believes the CDDC is dong a good job of promoting downtown, as a few new places to eat have sprung up as of late. He also mentioned the idea of running shuttles into the downtown during the big Lowe’s Motor Speedway races in the spring and fall.

Ramseur also said the city needs the help of downtown business owner to promote and market downtown.

“You cannot and should not do it all on your own,” Ramseur said.

Business-owner Tom Small, 54, who is challenging Phillips for the city District 1 seat, acknowledged that downtown Concord is confined by the surrounding residential areas and said the city must work closely with downtown merchants to promote the area and attract new business.

“The physical limits of the downtown are pretty well defined as they are now,” Small said. “The city can encourage and help retailers move in that direction. The true importance of getting this to happen rests with downtown business owners and property owners. This is not a function the city can do all by themselves.”

-Eric Deines

Candidates in contested races focused on business

CONCORD - This year has proven to be a tough one for business in Cabarrus County.

Philip Morris USA announced it would move its manufacturing plant out of the city starting next year. CMC-NorthEast announced and completed a merger with health care giant Carolinas HealthCare System. And CT Communications was sold to Arkansas-based Windstream Communications. Now, Lowe’s Motor Speedway officials have said the track may relocate elsewhere in the Charlotte region, though efforts are being made to retain the business.

Philip Morris’ exit by the end of 2010 will leave a major economic hole for the city to fill, and it’s left Concord City Council to take the lead in ensuring the city continues to recruit new business and pursue economic development.

Councilman David Phillips, seeking re-election for Concord’s District 1 seat, said the first step is to continue to support Cabarrus Economic Development Corp. in recruiting, but also that it may be time Concord employs a stronger, “wholesale” marketing campaign for the city.

“I think Concord can be marketed beyond the EDC,” said Phillips, 57. “I think Concord has arrived where we need a full-time marketing person. I think sometimes there may be (business) opportunities close by that the EDC might not have on their radar.”

Phillips said what may come of the Philip Morris site relies heavily on business decisions to be made by Philip Morris, but that the city should be ready to help them.

“It sort of depends on what property Philip Morris decides to get rid of and when,” he said. “I know we’re ready and anxious to assist them in any way we can.”

As to whether recent drought issues in the region and controversy surrounding the city’s recent permit to draw water from the Catawba river basin would hinder new business coming to the area, Phillips said no.

He said Concord-Kannapolis is still reliant on its own water resources and hasn’t yet begun to pull the approved 10 million gallons a day from the Catawba.

Resident Alex Porter, challenging Councilman Jim Ramseur for the city’s District 2 seat, said that beyond work with the EDC, the city can do more to market the area’s other assets - such as a strong school system.

“I believe the city, the county and (the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce) should market the other assets we have to entice good business,” Porter, 58, said.

He also said recent disagreements between the city and the speedway may also need to be put to rest so that new industry is not apprehensive about coming to the Philip Morris property.

“We need to work quickly to gain a more business-friendly reputation,” said Porter, adding final decisions to how the Philip Morris site would be developed is up to the company itself.

He also said he thinks there is continued controversy surrounding the city’s permit to draw water from the Catawba river basin that could still hurt business.

Councilman Ramseur, 61, seeking re-election to Concord’s District 2 seat, said Concord’s role to bring new and expanding business to the city is through its annual contributions to the EDC and its tax-incentive grants to businesses.

“And I think we have to look at any other ways we can assists (new industry) - going to the state for help with new roads,” Ramseur said.

He hesitated to say what kind of particular businesses would work best at the 2,100-acre Philip Morris site, only that it was important that the city keep its current zoning for industrial use. He added that economic development officials have been seeking new business for the site since the announcement in June.

Ramseur said there is zoning at the edge of the properties that could be used to build mixed-use developments that would serve as a buffer for the residential areas as the edge of the property.

“People can say they want to see this or that,” said Ramseur. “I think you first put feelers out there and see what comes back.”

He also said he didn’t think Concord’s water woes would hurt economic development.

Local business-owner Tom Small, who is challenging Phillips for the District 1 seat, said the city is obligated to assist the EDC in industry recruitment and bring in a diverse set of businesses.

“I believe that City Council has an affirmative obligation to help economic development folks with any large or small site, help recruit the appropriate business,” he said.

Small, 54, has suggested that a pharmaceutical manufacturer may be a good fit for the Philip Morris site, as well as making for a good fit with Kannapolis’ North Carolina Research Campus.

He also noted that Philip Morris will have the final decision, but that City Council should work with the company as closely as possible without infringing on their rights of ownership.

In light of the city’s water issues, Small said whatever business comes to the site or the city at large, it should not be one that is taxing to water and sewer.

“I would be disappointed if they are recruiting industries that are water-intensive and sewer-intensive as we don’t have the capacity for large industrial water consumers.”
-Eric Deines

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