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

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

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

Polling Places: Rowan

Barnhardt Mill
West Park Baptist Church
(West Park Dr., off Hwy 152 East)

Blackwelder Park
Blackwelder Park Baptist Church (2204 Summit Ave.) Choir Room

Bostian Crossroads
Bostian Heights Fire Dept.
(Old Concord Rd. & Hwy 152)

Bradshaw
Atwell Township Fire Dept.
(Hwy 152 West)

North China Grove
China Grove Middle School – Library (1013 N. Main Street)

South China Grove
China Grove Community Building

Cleveland
Cleveland Elementary School – Library (Media Center)

South Locke
Locke Township Fire Dept.
(Hwy 150 near Briggs Rd.)

East Enochville
Enochville Fire Department

Faith
Faith American Legion Building (Gantt Street)

Franklin
Shoafs Wagon Wheel
(6430 US Hwy 601)

Milford Hills County
West Rowan Middle School – Media Center (Hwy 70 at Barringer Rd.)

Rock Grove
Rock Grove United Methodist Church (Fellowship Building)

North Granite Quarry
Granite Quarry Municipal Bldg. (Hwy 52)

Hatters Shop
Union Fire Department
(Union Church Road)

West Kannapolis
St. Johns United Church of Christ – Fellowship Bldg. 901 N Main St.

East Kannapolis
Jackson Park Elementary School (Multi-Purpose Rm)-1400 Jackson St.

East Spencer
East Spencer Municipal Bldg. (206 N. Long Street)

West Landis
Corriher Lipe Middle School (Cafeteria)

East Landis
American Legion Building

North Locke
Salem Lutheran Church
Fellowship Bldg.
(Sherrills Ford Rd)

Morgan I
Pooletown Fire Department
(Bringle Ferry Road)

Morgan II
Morgan Elementary School
School Library

Mt. Ulla
Mt. Ulla Elementary School
Gym

Rockwell
Rockwell Elementary School
(Cafeteria)

Gold Knob
East Rowan High School
Library (Enter from Hwy 52)

Scotch Irish
Scotch Irish Fire Department

Spencer
North Rowan High School
Lobby Entrance

Steele
West Rowan High School
Auditorium

Sumner
Rowan County Agriculture Bldg. Auditorium (Old Concord Rd.)

Trading Ford
Miller Ferry Fire Dept.
(Long Ferry Road)

Unity
Woodleaf Community Building

Bostian School
Bostian Elementary School (Beatty Ford Road) - (enter at gate)

West Ward II
Fire Station #2 (2312 South Main Street)

West Ward I
Rowan Public Library
(Main Branch) – Hurley Room

South Ward
Salisbury Civic Center
( South Boundary Street)

East Ward
Park Avenue Community Center (632 Park Avenue) Training Room

West Innes
Knox Middle School - Gym

North Ward
City Park Recreation Building

Milford Hills City
Isenberg Elementary School
Gym (2800 Jake Alexander Blvd)

West Ward III
Miller Recreation Center
(1400 Block of West Bank Street)

West Enochville
Enochville Elementary School
Gym

Ellis
Ellis Park
3541 Old Mocksville Rd.

South Granite
Quarry Granite Quarry Elementary School Gym