News and Updates

Mary and Dennis Steenwyk are cutting the ribbon with Cramerton Mayor Will Cauthen, Town Commission member Susan Neeley and Town Manager David Pugh. Local art instructor Jeaniene Dibble also is on the front row. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board members Brad Frazier (left) of Belmont Abbey College and Jeff Lee of the Vintage Nest in Mount Holly. In the smaller photo below, Mayor Cauthen (left) is congratulating Mary and Dennis following his welcome remarks at the grand opening. 

Gallery is in retail center at South Fork Village Apartments  

For the next outing of your church, civic, social or family group, consider a paint and sip event or an art or craft class at A Little Bit of Art, which is open now in the retail center at South Fork Village Apartments at 900 South Fork Village Drive, Belmont, NC. This Town of Cramerton business with a Belmont address is owned by Mary and Dennis Steenwyk, who celebrated their grand opening with a Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony today.

“Grab a friend and come to a night of fun and inspiration, says Mary. “Can’t make it at night, look for our day classes also. If you don’t want to paint then join us for a craft class. If you are looking to change your décor stop in at our art gallery and get an original painting or piece of pottery to add to your collection.”

5:30 flight winners were (from left) Timothy Roberts of Cottage Keepers and Jacob Desvaux of Spectrum. Presenting the prizes, which were gift certificates from McAdenville Table & Market, were Chamber Board Chair Carey Roberts of Carey Roberts Design and sponsor Ryan Schrift of RJ Schrift Private Asset Management. In the photo below, are 7:30 flight winners Chris Cole and Heidi Schmidt of Anchored Soul, with Chamber President Ted Hall.

Course open to Garden guests at Pollinator Paradise through Sept. 3

The first Pollinator Putting Tournament at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was loads of fun for three flights of two-player teams, spectators and Garden visitors on June 7, 2018. The 18-hole miniature golf course is part of the Garden's Pollinator Paradise exhibit, which is open daily through September 3.

The tournament was presented by the Chamber and sponsored by RJ Schrift Private Asset Management and McAdenville Table & Market along with Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Chamber member York Chester Brewing was featured in the beer garden and David Demperio and Chris Hertz performed live.

First-place teams in each of the three flights were: Jacob Desvaux of Spectrum and Timothy Roberts of Cottage Keepers; J.C. Vargas of Belmont Executive Offices and Greg Gambill; and Heidi Schmidt of Anchored Soul and Chris Cole.

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Brookline Homes owner Scott Dirkschneider breaks ground for the townhomes in Aberfoyle Village in Belmont with members of the Brookline team and Chamber members, including Belmont Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Stowe. The Brookline Homes team includes three four-legged members affectionately known as the company "barkitects." 

Aberfoyle Village townhomes from $196,900

Lots already are selling and Brookline Homes of Belmont is ready to start construction of townhomes in the Aberfoyle Village neighborhood along the Catawba River off East Catawba Street (Highway 7), near Kevin Loftin Riverfront Park. The site formerly was home to the Aberfoyle Mill, and many design elements of the townhome and apartment community come from the textile mill heritage of the property. Brookline owner Scott Dirkschneider manned the shovel at the ground breaking accompanied by the Brookline team and Chamber members and friends. Townhomes in Aberfoyle Village range from 1,280 square feet to 1,750, and from $196,900 to $235,900. For more information, call 980.277.1322, or visit www.mybrooklinehome.com. The Brookline Homes office is at 425 E. Catawba St., Belmont, NC 28012.

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Owner Gus Georgoulias is cutting the ribbon with wife Vicki, help from son Dimitri, restaurant general manager Matt Maynard, chefs Harry Madeckas and Alex Baxevanis, other staff members, Chamber members and Belmont city officials including Mayor Charlie Martin and Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Stowe. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board members Phil Painter of ImageMark Business Services and Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency.

Owner Gus Georgoulias brings decades of experience

Belmont's newest restaurant Estia's Kouzina is open and doing great business at 609 N. Main Street. The Greek and Mediterranean restaurant is named for the Greek goddess of hearth and home. Kouzina in Greek means kitchen. Gus Georgoulias, who has owned and operated restaurants in Charlotte for decades, is the owner along with his wife Vicki. Many Chamber members and friends attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5, 2018, and were delighted to be treated to a broad sampling of delicious offerings from the restaurant's extensive menu. Estia's Kouzina opens now Monday through Saturday at 5 p.m. for dinner. Lunch and Sunday brunch hours will be announced soon. More information at 704.825.7005, or online at www.estiaskouzina.com. 

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Owners Raquel Cruz and Luis Romero cut ribbon with family members, staff members, customers and Chamber members. Holding the ribbon are Chamber Board member Robert Larrison of Carolinas HealthCare System and Chamber Board Chair-elect Shannon Thomas of Creative Solutions Special Events. 

Chamber ribbon cutting with great food and giveaways

Owners Raquel Cruz and Luis Romero made sure their customers, Chamber members and other guests were well fed as the Tex-Mex Back Road Grill celebrated its first anniversary on May 31, 2018. Food and giveaways were provided under tents in the parking lot. The address is 5316 Union Road in Gastonia. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and also provides catering. For more information, call 704.890.9102.

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Dr. Deborah Matthew cut the ribbon with members of her staff. Holding the ribbon, are Chamber Board member Wil Neumann, left, of Gaston Capital Partners and former Chamber Board Chair Bryan Dalton of 321 Equipment Company.

Office in Sterling Professional Park on Park Street

Signature Wellness celebrated its grand opening at 1105 Spruce Street, Suite 102, in Belmont on May 31,2018. A Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony was part of the festivities. Signature Wellness practices functional medicine, using a patient-centered approach to wellness. In addition to considering the overall health of the patient, functional medicine practitioners consider beliefs, attitudes and motivations as well as the physical, mental and emotional aspects of the patient. For more on Signature Wellness, call 704.752.9346, or visit www.signaturewellness.org.

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This slide is from Randi Gates' presentation on Roads. See below to download the entire presentation. In the photo below, Randi Gates (front, left) and former Chamber Board Chair Melia Lyerly of Lyerly Agency, with (from left) Michael Carpenter of TPP Vending, and Chamber Board members Wil Neumann of Gaston Capital Partners and Robert Aldrich of Aldrich CFO Services.

Top regional transportation planner Randi Gates presents program 

Roads and traffic were top of mind when Montcross Area Chamber members and friends heard from the region’s leading transportation planner at a Business Buzz breakfast program on May 31, 2018. The program at the Kimbrell Campus of Gaston College in Belmont was sponsored by CaroMont Health. 

Randi Gates, principal transportation planner with the Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) shared information on highway projects, some of which already are under way, and others that are years, or even decades, in the future. Here are a few highlights: 

• I-85/US 321 interchange improvements in Gastonia: Under construction … Completion Nov. 2019 … $22.8 million. 

• NC 273 widening to 4 divided lanes in Mount Holly: Under construction … Completion 2020 … $19.5 million. 

• I-85 widening to 8 lanes, exits 17 to 27, replacing 10 bridges: Construction 2021 … Completion 2024 … $257.5 million. 

• US 74 Catawba River Bridge replacement and Wilkinson Blvd. improvements to NC 7: Construction 2022 … Completion and cost not yet available. 

• US 74 intersection improvements at NC 273: Right of way and utilities 2020 … Construction 2021 … $700,000. 

• NC 279 widening to 4 lanes, Titman Rd. to Union-New Hope: Construction 2021 … Completion 2023 … $57.6 million. 

More detail about these and many more highway, pedestrian and bikeway projects in Gaston County are available at this site: www.gclmpo.org. 

The group learned the long discussed highway and bridges project, now called Catawba Crossings, connecting southern Gaston County to Mecklenburg near the Charlotte Airport is years in the future. Feasibility studies and other planning completed when the project was proposed as a toll road will have to be repeated. There are no estimates on when the project might be revived.

Download the slide presentation in pdf format.

Principal Transportation Planner Randi Gates addressing Chamber members and friends at Business Buzz breakfast.