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Choral Society auditions
The Gaston Choral Society is now accepting singers for its fall season.
All singers are welcome. They will be auditioned in small groups. Music-reading ability is encouraged but not required for membership. Rehearsals begin Aug. 28, 7-9 p.m. They will be held every Thursday in the music room at Gaston Day School.
For more information, call Lawton Blandford at (704)827-0853.
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Water woes continue for landscapers
By THOMAS LARK
- Thu, Mar 6, 2008
BELMONT—Thomas Joyner is a businessman with a big problem.
The owner-operator of Southern Roots in Mount Holly, Joyner is one of some 171,000 people statewide who make their living in landscaping or other horticulturally and arboreally related businesses, bringing in about $8.6 billion a year to North Carolina’s economy.
But, speaking Monday afternoon as he watered his plants at Southern Roots, Joyner said the ongoing drought and its concomitant Stage Three water restrictions are bad for business—pure and simple.
“We just want people to be aware that these restrictions are adversely targeting our industry,” he said. “The whole thing we’re upset about is that Gastonia is allowing hand-watering—using water kettles or garden hoses with automatic shut-offs. You can also do that in Mount Holly and Charlotte. But Belmont, right next door to us, is really clamping down on us. They’re allowing no watering at all, and they’re discouraging planting anything. That’s a direct stab to my business.
“According to Duke Power, the drought situation is improving with regard to water levels,” he added. “Belmont needs to help us, and they’re not doing it. If they were to allow us some ability for watering, it would be really good for business.”
Monday night at Belmont City Hall, Joyner was among a roomful of landscapers spilling out into the hallway during the regular meeting of the Belmont City Council. He didn’t address council, but fellow landscaper Brian Hoagland of Hoaglandscape did. Many trees and lawns are languishing under the current Stage Three water restrictions, Hoagland told council.
“And some green businesses are going out of business,” he said. “We believe that Belmont’s restrictions are the toughest in the area, and they aren’t necessary.”
Hoagland said that the restrictions are slated to remain in place through August, according to Duke Power. He asked council for a variance to these restrictions, thus enabling homeowners to water with handheld hoses and drip irrigation. He added that this would constitute only a negligible amount of use, according to water experts.
“We must act now, quickly and decisively,” said Hoagland. “If we don’t, there will be a greatly negative impact on our environment and Gaston County.”
Mayor Dr. Richard Boyce expressed sympathy. Consulting council briefly on how best to address the problem, Boyce agreed to call a special meeting of the Belmont Water and Sewer Committee for March 10 at 3:30 p.m.
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