The close of Monday’s town board meeting became a walk down memory lane for many in attendance and a call for a return to the good ‘ole days.
The board heard from Dorland Abernathy, a Landis native, who moved back to town about 15 years ago. In a poignant way, Abernathy told the story of his life growing up in the town in an era when neighbors like “Fat Correll” took a child in for a bite to eat. He also spoke of a time when papers were delivered by boys on bikes and a cup of coffee and a doughnut cost a nickel.
“That era of gentility may have passed us by, but not completely,” Abernathy said.
He’s stopped and talked with town employees and seen trash collectors clean up his curb even though it wasn’t his trash day. He, however, has also seen areas in the town where “civility seems to have disappeared,” Abernathy said.
He called for a revival of the attitudes of days gone by to begin inside council chambers.
“Many times the exchanges made in this room, among council members and between members and the mayor, and remarks by other officials to the citizens who have hired them and pay their salaries have lacked a sense of respect for diversity of opinion, diversity of capability and common courtesy,” he said.
Mayor James Furr commended Abernathy on his comments saying he appreciated Abernathy’s words.
Abernathy didn’t directly mention any particular incident. However during the May meeting, town resident Nadine Cherry spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting. Cherry was repeatedly interrupted by town attorney Rick Locklear, who lambasted Cherry regarding a prior meeting where she was asked to leave. The mayor later said last month he feared Cherry was videotaping a closed session meeting from outside the building.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Accepted five parcels of property from the DC Linn Estate as a gift.
The family hoped the town could sell the property and use the proceeds to help with the cost of the passive park. Frances and D.C. Linn died in January 2009, but their dream was for the town to have a passive park in the downtown area. The town has been working on funding since 2009. During the May meeting, the board approved declaring property the Linns owned as surplus. The family agreed with the town’s plan to sell the house on that property and use the money to fund the park project.
Two of the five lots can be built on, said Town Manager Reed Linn. The properties are not in town limits but the board agreed to annex them into town limits.
“This is another example of the generosity of the Linn family,” Furr said.
• Received an updated draft of the agreement for municipal projects to be done by the N.C. Department of Transportation regarding the railway corridor improvements.
Town Manager Reed Linn said the work that is being done at the railroad crossing at West Ryder Avenue had nothing to do with the double track.
“The work being done now is routine maintenance and it has nothing to do with the double track,” Linn said.
Some of the double track project will include installing 1,175 feet of sidewalk along the south side of the newly-installed Kimball Road, east of North Main Street, and 350 feet of sidewalk along the east side of North Main Street, west of the newly-installed Kimball Road.
Alderman Tony Hilton has long pushed for sidewalks throughout town particularly along parts of South Main Street near Kimball Road. Hilton said he was contacted by China Grove councilman Lee Withers about the possibility of the two towns together applying for a grant to get sidewalks installed.
“We need to get this done,” Hilton said.
He said there will be more people walking when the Kimball Road grade separation is installed.
“It’s going to greatly increase,” he said.
Alderman Roger Safrit said there will be more foot traffic when school is out as well.
• Announced plans to have a public hearing June 19 at 5:30 p.m. for the 2013-14 proposed budget and a special meeting to adopt the budget.
• Awarded town mowing contract to B&G Lawn Care of Kannapolis, who bid $45,000 — the lowest bid. There were a total of three companies who submitted bids with $77,400 as the highest bid amount.
• Announced that town hall will close June 28 at noon so town staff can close out the fiscal year. Staff will continue to answer the phones, but town hall will be closed and will not accept bill payments. Linn said the close happens every year around this time.