The Belmont Front Porch

Well, graduation weekend has come and gone in the little berg of Belmont, NC.

Many ‘lil darlin’s are down at the beach - well pretty much strung out from Carolina Beach to Kiawa Island, but they are mostly there.

From student reports: The Friday afternoon picnic at Stowe Park went over well with the approximately 160 students who gathered to hug, complain about the heat, eat hotdogs and hamburgers, and participate in the slip’nslide down the hill in front of the gazebo. Several students promised to submit photos, so we waited until today to write about it… guess the photos have to be found on one of the many facebook pages of SPHS students.

The graduation was done very well this year. While the weather was VERY HOT (93 degrees at the beginning of “Pomp and Circumstance”), the packed home side of Lineberger Stadium seemed to hold up well. Only 3 or 4 reports of heat-related fainting occurred.

This year, the students were seated on the football field facing the vistors side with the podium facing toward the home section (and the seated graduating class). Large coolers of water were spaced at the end of every third row of chairs. As the students processed in, most of them got a cold bottle of water, and after they were announced they got another bottle of water. Seems to have been pretty well orchestrated.

The concession stand was open as well and - yes, you guessed it, water was for sale.

Six student speeches, welcoming from Lindsay Hawkins and Christine Ellington, representing the student council, and salutatorian speeches by Katie Dare Payseur and Phillip Rinehart. Payseur and Rinehart talked about the 4 years at South Point and the things the graduates would remember. Co-valedictorians, Amy Cordell and Andrew Pierce talked about their futures and the limitless possibilities.

Mrs. Little thanked the South Point community for her years of work as principal at the high school. The students and parents gave her a standing ovation for her leadership and guidance over the years.

Several interesting points to this graduating class: over $6.5 million of scholarship money was awarded, more than 160 students graduated ”cum laude” or better, with just over 60 with highest honors, “summa cum laude”. This was the largest  SPHS class with 304 graduates - only seven droputs, and 20 transfers out in the 4 year class of 2008.

Congratulations Class of 2008 - always remember your roots, and know that you are welcome home any time!

Even though the concept is old news ’round here, when the Gazette picks it up, it must be important.

We think this is a great reuse of the inactive mills, it helps from a destination place viewpoint, and it keeps the Discovery Place program in the forefront of children’s programming.

Our wholehearted endorsement of this program is just a few small voices applauding the formation and planning process.

With homes in the former Chronicle Mill village converted to private ownership, and the lack of significant parking, what are the plans to move cars, and the many school busses and day care busses through the neighborhood?

This will certainly be a challenge to Mayor Richard Boyce’s vision of “Neighborhood Preservation’ as expressed in the recently passed Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

We would assume the RL Stowe Fiber Lab will be eliminated for the parking needs, but that begs the question about the Belmont Parks and Rec department onetime eye on the land next to the new police station. Members of council had shared an interest several years ago in this land for a Recreation Center when the police station was under construction. Now that the Parks Bond has passed, maybe they have backed off on that idea?

The program of regionalizing the Discovery Place for children in the lower elementary grades is a workable concept. Already in the design phase, a similar regional Discovery Place Kids will be located in Huntersville. As many as five regional prgrams could be established. Kinda wonder what would happen to the Schiele Museum over in Gastonia. The city’s museum is struggling financially and the current city manager has put pressure on all the department heads to lower city-funded operating losses.

Could Discovery Place Kids be the Wal-mart of children’s museum programming?

Good Luck with this project, we hope it works out for the best for everyone.

South Point Seniors put on their traditional Senior Show this afternoon during 4th period - and was received with much success.

Loud, rowdy, and possibly over the top student performances, parodies of teachers and administrators ruled the last official day of classes before final exams next week.

South Point seniors recognized Mrs. Collins as “educator of the year” and presented her with a plaque. They thank Mrs. Little for “putting up with the largest graduating class for the past four years”, and got down to having fun through the rest of the afternoon.

Matt Crane and Wilson Nguyen co-hosted and introduced the various acts.

Mallory McCarn did an outstanding interpretative dance, Pria Patel performed a traditional Indian dance, and Cameron Matthews/Jonathan Howland/Aaron Pegues performed a Garth Brooks song, “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” inviting the crowd to sing along - which they did enthusiastically.

The students performed a take off on “The Next Top Model”, who knew those boys were so pretty!

Paul Stillwell reprised his Mr. South point performance of “It’s not Easy”, with his superman rendition and video.

The teacher parody of “So You Think You Can Dance”, pitted, ”the teachers”, Mrs. Pierson, Mrs. Lawing, Mrs. Mac, Mr. Cavnar, and Mr. Grelis in a dance off competition. Nathan Francis, Erica Jordan, and Aaron Pegues were the judges. The students nailed the mannerisms and words of the real teachers spot on.

The final dance performance of the show was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Both entertaining and engaging with a number of dancers, again getting the choreography just perfect.

Thank you seniors for another entertaining show - we hope this tradition remains alive and well with new adminstrators in the coming years.

Thank you Mr. Grimes and Mrs. Hall for putting up with this “crowd” of seniors - they definitely keep pushing the envelope as they have for the past thirteen years.

We are all looking forward to graduation next weekend!