matthews news

#ThrowbackThursday: November 23, 2006

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews News) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. These stories were originally published November 23, 2006 and was written by the Record staff.

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Rezoning request challenged

Over 100 Matthews residents turned out to hear a presentation by Beazer Homes and their proposed rezoning and development of 91 townhomes off South Trade Street last Thursday.

The purchase of roughly 20 acres of undeveloped land belonging to the Hylton and Martin families by Beazer Homes, will depend on the success of the zoning request. The homes would start at $265,000. Residents from Country Place, Hampton Green, and Chesney Glen, all neighboring subdivisions, quickly turned the subject to the everpresent topic - traffic.

“It horrifies me that we are even considering another development before the traffic problem is addressed,” said Jack Clark of Hampton Green, a sentiment that was echoed through the night.

With an estimated 182 more vehicles vying for traffic commute space between Fullwood, Pleasant Plains, and Weddington roads, the potential traffic quagmire overwhelmed those in attendance at the community meeting. Many citizens expressed concern about the “chicken before the egg” concept where development takes place before the traffic issues are resolved. Adjacent property owners indicated they were always aware of residential development of that site, for single-family homes, not townhomes. A couple of Matthews town commissioners were present, along with Mayor Lee Myers who addressed the crowd, trying to assure them that the development proposal is in its infancy and that the town leaders will do the right thing for the community. Citizens are encouraged to stay on top of further developments regarding the Beazer rezoning request.

#ThrowbackThursday: November 23, 2006

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews News) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. These stories were originally published November 23, 2006 and was written by Janet Denk.

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The War at Home

“See that field over there?” 84-year-old Neubert Purser points to a garden half-full of greens and winter vegetables, a sliver the size it was in its heyday. “My wife and I pulled up tow-foot-tall Johnson grass by its roots and piled it in the driveway.”

His oldest child, Michael, smiles, probably having heard the story before. “We ran over it with a tractor and then we burned it. It still grew back.” Working and saving for over nine years, he and his wife, Juanita, settled on 70 acres of land on Matthews-Mint Hill Road near Phillips where they raised three children - all grown and living in the area with children of their own. Neubert and Juanita, now deceased, along with their children, grew and preserved their own food; raised crops, chickens, hogs, and cattle. People around town still talk about the incredible piece of property.

Hot Property

For the last thirty years, developers of every ilk have been eyeing Purser’s property. But he never put it up for sale.

“It got to be a joke in our family,” daughter Janet Harrell of Matthews chuckles. “Daddy would say, ‘It’ll cost $100,000 to look around.” The Charlotte News wrote a big story in the early eighties about Purser’s refusal to sell his land. But farming is in his blood and it’s all he ever planned to do.

Those weeds were tough and stubborn. But Purser is tougher. Some would say more stubborn, too.

While discussing the Town of Matthews’ recent condemnation of his property for future park and public use projects, there is a sense about the old farmer that goes beyond sadness. Defeat, maybe? That seems unlikely because anybody who’s spent time with Neubert Purser knows he isn’t a guy who will lay down without a fight.

He paid a big price for that dug-in nature.

The beginning of the end

Wounded at the age of 22 during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, the young man from Union County swore to himself that if he ever made it out of there alive, he was going to buy himself a little farm when he got back to the states. A dream, perhaps. But one that probably helped keep him alive.

Cold?

“You don’t know cold,’ he grimaces. “I seen frozen bodies stacked up like cords of wood in piles all over the place. All kinds of bodies.” He can’t stand going into funeral homes to this day.

In 1945, while preparing to cross the Roer River in Germany, Purser and other members of the 102 Infantry division took a beating.

“The Germans opened up with everything they had that night,’ he recalls. “I was hit when an 88mm shell exploded near the boat.” A chunk of meat was ripped from his right thigh. The men dug in for 12 hours that night waiting for the barrage to subside. “The sky was lit up so bright, you coulda read the newspaper.”

The wounded were thrown on, what Purser describes as, a cattle car and taken to the hospital. “If you hollered or cussed, you got a shot of morphine.”

Reflecting back, the old man says, “I always thought that if I had made it a couple more days after that fight, I might’ve gotten out of that war in one piece.”

He would’ve been right. After the crossing of the Roer, then the Rhine River, the German army was in full retreat and would never fully recover.

It was the beginning of the end.

Plans for growth and the greater good

“This is the absolute worst part of a job like this,” Matthews Town Manager Hazen Blodgett confessed.

Condemnation is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things the Town of Matthews has undertaken. The $5.0 million in park bonds that passed in 2004 was originally intended to purchase land and simply “land-bank” it. Vacant land in the Matthews community is vanishing fast. “We have about 43 acres of town parkland for 25,000 residents,” explained Blodgett. That’s way below national standards for open space. In a community growing as fast as Matthews - it’s an all-out war against encroachment. If the land is not set aside for public open space for future generations it will be lost to development. There are only a few large tracts left in Matthews like the Purser property.

The Town and the family have mediated an agreement that set the amount paid to the Pursers at $59,000 per acre. The old farmer will die on that soil. It will belong to the Town of Matthews but he has the right to stay there until the bitter end. Had the battle gone to court, a jury would have set the value of the land.

Twenty years from now, when Neubert Purser’s deeply loved land is helping to stem back the tide of relentless development, the sacrifice will seem worth it. The battle is a valiant one.

As families toss balls, fly kites, walk dogs, and send their children to Matthews’ newest public school near the corner of Phillips and Matthews-Mint Hill roads, Purser’s pain might not be in vain. “I’ve only seen my daddy cry three times in my life,’ says youngest daughter Lynn. ‘One, when our mother died; two, when his daddy died; and three, over this farm.”

Only time will tell if this soldier’s battle helped win the war.

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The image on the seal includes four aspects of Mecklenburg County and it still holds up. “The seal is as relative today as it was back then,” said County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts. She, along with many others in the community, appreciate the origins of the seal design: that fresh out of the segregationist days of the old south, a young black kid from the country is selected by a powerful board of local leaders to document and preserve the history of the county.

“I thought I could contribute something,” the young man told the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners in 1964 after receiving the honor. He’s still trying to make a contribution, which is why he’s been before the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to offer his consulting services, should the design team need a little help.

Boyd never received any royalties for his work, despite the fact that he owns the patent on the design. He doesn’t want his contribution to be in vain.

That’s not likely to happen, his supporters say. The fact that a County Seal can say so much, from a guy who could’ve claimed so little and have it last so long - is admirable.

“That says an awful lot about the spirit of this place,” explained Juan Williams, owner and operator of Queen City Tours  who’s given more than his fair share of history lessons to natives and tourists alike. “It’s part of what makes the history of this place so interesting to so many people.” The seal is on vehicles, stationery, websites, and government paperwork. Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones Sr. has assured folks that Boyd will be included in a logo redesign, should the need arise.

Morning Minute: Friday, March 8, 2019

News About Town: As we indicated yesterday morning, the Monday (March 11) night Board of Commissioner’s meeting agenda is available online.  Items of note include allocating funds for Conceptual Downtown Streetscape Design Work (approved at the last meeting for the amount of $41,250.00), as well as the formal initiation of Zoning Motion 2019-2 to rezone the Stronghaven warehouse property on John Street and Brigman property in the ENT District. There will also be updates on NCDOT projects, Red Brick Partnership, and Republic Services (the Town’s solid waste provider).

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News Around Town: The North Carolina Education Lottery's NC School Heroes contest is live for voting. Celebrate our public school teachers by voting for them (once per day). The 10 educators with the most votes will win $10,000 each, as well as $10,000 for their school. The person who nominated them will win $1,000.  The contest runs through the end of March, and heroes will be announced May 6, 2019 There are plenty of Matthews schools in the running. Vote here.

One Good Thing: Head over to Jonathan’s Restaurant (10630 Independence Pointe Pkwy) tomorrow, March 9, at noon for an unexpected delight. Join the Carolinas Accordion Group at Jonathan’s for a rousing round of Irish tunes. If you don’t play the accordion you’re welcome to bring another instrument and play along or simply listen and enjoy. The group will play from noon until 4 p.m., plan accordionly.

Morning Minute: Thursday, March 7, 2019

News About Town: At Monday’s Town Council Meeting, the Council will have a Public Hearing regarding a change to the Unified Development Ordinance. This change is to the  Approved Tree List and Shrub List (Zoning Motion 2019-1). Changes to the list include the addition of several native species of trees, shrubs, vines, and groundcovers and the exclusion of the most invasive species, such as Chanticleer pears, a cousin to the shallow-rooted, ornamental Bradford pears commonly planted throughout subdivisions of the 70s and 80s.

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News Around Town: Novant Health, Elevation Church, and Butler High School recently partnered to bring ‘Stop the Bleed' to Butler High. Stop the Bleed is an initiative to provide schools with the tools to stop traumatic blood loss. Butler's Academy of Health and Science students and teachers filled 150 ziplock bags with emergency supplies, such as hemostatic bandages and tourniquets, to have readily available for worst case scenarios. Students and staff were also trained for the use of the products. Each classroom will have one on hand. 

One Good Thing: One Good Thing: Go ahead and wrap your brain around it: we’re springing forward this Sunday. What started as a way to conserve energy during World War I is now the instigator of many heated discussions semiannually. Why are we changing our clocks? (That’s rhetorical.) Don’t forget to move your clocks forward an hour this Sunday. Daylight Saving begins officially at 2 a.m.

Morning Minute: Wednesday, March 6, 2019

News About Town: Need a summer job? The Town is hiring  Seasonal Recreation Leaders to work with our campers at Camp Funshine. Camp FUNshine is a full-day camp for kids ages 6-11. Applicants must be 16 years or older and will accompany groups on lots of fun field trips.  Among other tasks, you’ll be asked to set up equipment for games and help keep facilities neat.  For more information and to apply online, click here.

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News Around Town:  Though the Arts and Science Council hopes for approval of a new approach for funding through sales tax, they’re also advocating for funding with state legislators. ASC staff will go to Raleigh on Wednesday, March 27 for  ARTS North Carolina's annual ARTS Day, a way for arts organizations in NC to collaboratively promote policies to sustain the arts and grow public funding. This year ARTS NC and ASC as part of that, are advocating for arts grants that would equal $1 for every person in NC. Find out more.

One Good Thing: One Good Thing: According to SafeHomes.org, Matthews ranks as the seventh safest city in North Carolina. Admittedly not a well-known website, the site used what appears to be a comprehensive methodology to arrive at their list. We know the Police Department is continually striving to provide a safe town for Matthews and it shows. Congratulations are in order!

Morning Minute: Tuesday, March 5, 2019

News About Town: Child Passenger Safety Seat Technicians will perform a safety check for children’s car seatstomorrow, March 6, at the Matthews Police Station, 1201 Crews Road. From 8 a.m until 11:30 a.m. certified technicians will check seat installation for free, no appointment necessary. Bring the vehicle, seat, and child, if possible. The process will take about 20 minutes. If you can’t make it on the 6th, Safe Kids Char-Meck provides this service every other week in Matthews. 

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News Around Town:  Hear the stories of Wildlife Rehabilitator Emilie Nelson at HAWK’s meeting tonight (March 5, 7 p.m.) at the Community Center. Emilie, creator and owner of Lincolnton-based NC Wildlife Rehab (NCWR), cared for more than 1,200 critters (from squirrels to woodchucks) last year all through volunteerism and donations, without government funding. Donations to NCWR are encouraged; suggestions include: Free and Clear laundry detergent, dryer sheets & bleach, Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper and Cases of Water, Grain Free Dog & Cat Food- wet and dry, Nuts- whole and cracked. No peanuts please, Receiving & baby blankets,Towels.  Matthews Community Center, 100 E McDowell St.

One Good Thing: The Matthews Concert Band formed in 2001 with 15 members and now boasts 50. This Thursday (March 7) the band will celebrate the sounds of jazz and big band in concert. The free show starts at 7:30 at the Community Center (100 E McDowell St.).

Morning Minute: Monday, March 4, 2019

News About Town: If you love following Matthews news and want a source straight from Town Hall, the Town of Matthews is connected on the major social media sites. Find them on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Twitter, and YouTube. There are a number of email options for Town information. Sign up for those here.  Rest assured, we’re here to read them all and share what we learn on the Beacon daily.

News Around Town: Gov Roy Cooper appointed Donald Cureton to Judicial District 26 (Mecklenburg County) on February 28. Judge Cureton, an incumbent who lost his District 26A seat to Judge Paulina Havelka in November, fills the seat vacated by Judge Louis A. Trosch, Jr. Judge Trosch now serves the Superior Court of NC.

One Good Thing: The Matthews Beacon is six months old! We’re going to be celebrating this momentous occasion all week long with giveaways and good stuff, but we also have a great deal for small businesses who want to capture our readers’ hearts. If you’ve been eyeing our advertising packages, now’s the time to make the move. To celebrate our half birthday (yes, we blew out half a candle) we’re having a huge sale on ads. Make sure to check them out.

#ThrowbackThursday: December 21, 2006

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews Record (also called Matthews News and Record and The Matthews Record) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. These stories were originally published December 21, 2006 and was written by Janet Denk.

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Back in the day, a young black kid from Matthews had the choice of two high schools to attend - Second Ward or West Charlotte High, both in Charlotte. Harvey Boyd chose the latter for its art department. That choice would pay off, as Boyd became a skilled graphic artist who went on to attend Howard University, then later, travel and lives the good life. When he was 21 years old, “on a whim” Boyd entered a contest sponsored by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. Out of the seven finalists in the 1964 contest, Boyd’s work was selected to become the Mecklenburg County seal.

The County government is undergoing a logo redesign for branding purposes, but folks making the final decisions are intent on preserving the original design because it remains representative of the County nearly 50 years later.

The image on the seal includes four aspects of Mecklenburg County and it still holds up. “The seal is as relative today as it was back then,” said County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts. She, along with many others in the community, appreciate the origins of the seal design: that fresh out of the segregationist days of the old south, a young black kid from the country is selected by a powerful board of local leaders to document and preserve the history of the county.

“I thought I could contribute something,” the young man told the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners in 1964 after receiving the honor. He’s still trying to make a contribution, which is why he’s been before the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners to offer his consulting services, should the design team need a little help.

Boyd never received any royalties for his work, despite the fact that he owns the patent on the design. He doesn’t want his contribution to be in vain.

That’s not likely to happen, his supporters say. The fact that a County Seal can say so much, from a guy who could’ve claimed so little and have it last so long - is admirable.

“That says an awful lot about the spirit of this place,” explained Juan Williams, owner and operator of Queen City Tours  who’s given more than his fair share of history lessons to natives and tourists alike. “It’s part of what makes the history of this place so interesting to so many people.” The seal is on vehicles, stationery, websites, and government paperwork. Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones Sr. has assured folks that Boyd will be included in a logo redesign, should the need arise.