Take Me To Your Leaders: Meet your mayor

As Mayor of Matthews, I want to maintain our small town appeal by supporting all of the great things that make us a desirable community. I look forward to guiding us in making smart decisions as we evolve and continue to be the greatest town in North Carolina.

Matthews operates as a municipal government with council-manager leadership. A mayor is an elected leader of a municipal government. Under Council-Manager organization, though, the mayor is a symbolic figurehead, but does not hold more authority than other Board of Commissioners.

Who is the mayor of Matthews?

According to the town website, Mayor Paul Bailey received a BS in mechanical engineering from NC State, and a masters in mechanical engineering at the University of South Carolina. He's married and has 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Paul and his wife Sherrie have lived in Matthews for 34 years. Previously Bailey served on Matthews Board of Commissioners and the CMS Board of Education before being elected Mayor of Matthews in 2017.

What is the mayor's role in Matthews?

The Matthews Board of Commissioners use majority vote to approve or reject policies, adopt resolutions, among other duties for town-wide adoption. The mayor is a first among equals on the city council and his vote does not hold greater weight than other members of the Board. The mayor is, however, the first point of contact for the Town Manager when critical information should be conveyed to the Board. The mayor leads and mediates public meetings.

The Matthews Mayor is a part-time position, has a salary of $19,650 annually and a technology allowance of $3,600 per term. The position does not include benefits. 

The Exchange Pizza Depot

The unassuming Exchange Pizza Depot is set back on Trade St. in Matthews, nestled between Seaboard and the Cigar shop.

Around the turn of the century, two sisters lived at 213 N. Trade Street, manning the switchboards for the local phone company.  By 1954, the phone company needed a place for their dial-up equipment and that same piece of real estate found new life. But, after falling into disrepair for many subsequent years, that life was resurrected this year in the form of The Exchange Pizza Depot.

“There’s plenty of room in town for (all of us). If my pizza is (good), they won’t be going elsewhere.

Enter Brendan Ciganek, former pizza shop franchisee owner and chef and a “friend of a friend of the owner.”

Hired to run the new pizza place (as adjunct to the owners’ next-door wine room, Seaboard), Brendan has found his “slice of the woods” in this business housed in the 14’x22’ foot building he can nearly call his own.

In addition to a staple of mostly Neapolitan-style pizzas (two of which are named after the owner’s daughters), Brendan has been free to not only write the menu, design the space and hire the staff, but to experiment with ideas and foods from around the world.

Pollo Con Crema (chicken, onion, bell pepper, tangy creamy sauce), Heatza (Cajun chicken, spicy red sauce, jalapeños, Sriracha drizzle), Tomato Pesto (with roasted brussels sprouts, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes), and Mashed Potato (with mixed cheese, bacon and garlic butter), Tikka Masala (tomato, cream, curry) are just a few of his many personal creations.

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

“I asked friends what they were eating,” he said,” got ideas from vendors at the Farmer’s Market and from international cuisines. He asked the employees who work there, patrons and his online friends, as well.

“My regular menu is a crowd pleaser,” he says, adding that the weekly (or so) special pizzas “may not be for everyone but are (a chance) to have fun with and appeal to some people.”

Among his special touches are tomatoes and flour from Italy, buffalo milk cheese and some regular produce from the Farmer’s Market. In addition, he grows basil and a few other things around the two restaurants.

And, as Matthews continues to grow and pizza competition gets even more heated, he said he’ll stick to what he believes:“There’s plenty of room in town for (all of us). If my pizza is (good), they won’t be going elsewhere.”

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

Exchange Pizza Depot

213 N. Trade Street, Matthews

Monday thru Wednesday: 5 PM - 9 PM

Thursday thru Sunday: 12 PM  - 10 PM

Matthews Morning Minute: September 7, 2018

News About Town: The Town is currently updating AV equipment in the Hood Room of Town Hall. AV updates were approved during the June 25, 2018 Board of Commissioners meeting.  Included in this update is the capacity to video record Board of Commissioner meetings which will then be posted on the Town’s YouTube channel. The  update will make Town Council meetings more accessible to those unable to attend them live.

News Above Town: The Weather Channel says more of the same...highs in the low 90s, lows around 70. It's going to be sunny, so if you didn't take time to enjoy the gorgeous sky yesterday, make sure you pause to look up today. The blue skies are limited edition over the next couple days.  

News Around Town: ​ Great Harvest Bread opened September 3 in Matthews Station and there’s no denying the call of the carb. Open Monday thru Sunday, 7 AM til 3 PM, 110 Matthews Station St, Matthews.

One Good Thing: Did you know Matthews is home to Bright Blessings? Through volunteers and supporters, Bright Blessings, a non-profit organization serving the greater Charlotte region, will provide essentials, literacy aids, and birthday parties to more than 10,000 homeless and impoverished children this year.

Throwback Thursday: What is your vision for Matthews? (circa 2005)

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews News and Record (more recently named The Matthews Record) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. This article was originally published June 16, 2005.

 More than 300 Matthews citizens flocked to city hall last week to express their personal visions for the future of their town. Neighborhoods and housing, cultural arts and historical preservation, schools, parks and recreation, town services, air and water quality - all of these aspects of the quality of life and character of the community were explored during this lively town meeting. 

Glenn Harbeck of Harbeck and Associates, commissioned by the town to help create a "vision" to direct future development, facilitated the session, traveling among the table groupings to discern what were residents' favorite streets, where they liked to walk, and what single issue was of most concern.

At Commissioner James Taylor's table, residents expressed concerns about keeping Matthews a "quaint" town, controlling traffic, offering diverse retail and entertainment options, finishing connector streets, and saving trees. In another group, citizens were heard questioning downtown vacancies, overcrowded housing developments, traffic congestion, remaining part of the county school system, and the loss of ties to the area farming community. 

“residents expressed concerns about keeping Matthews a “quaint” town, controlling traffic, offering diverse retail and entertainment options, finishing connector streets, and saving trees.”

At the end of the evening, Harbeck observed that it didn't matter at what table he sat - the concerns expressed were universal. He noted that every citizen's sentiments will be entered into a database, sorted by category, and posted to the town's website. The information will be analyzed and vision statement drafted to reflection desires and concerns. Later this summer, he said, a proposed vision will be presented to residents. 

Matthews Morning Minute: September 6, 2018

News About Town: The Cottage Greenway Project goes before the Board of Adjustment next Thursday (Sepember 13). Town Public Works department has recommended construction of a private road for the subdivision. According to the Town’s Unified Development Ordinance, all streets must be dedicated public. The quasi-judicial Board of Adjustment must determine several findings before approving or denying the request for variance.

News Above Town: The Weather Channel says we’re heading back to the 90s, but don’t start singing Pearl Jam yet. The evenings take us back to the low 70s.

News Around Town: It’s time for the September First Thursday Matthews Crawl. Check out the vendors on the green in front of town hall, then hit up Moe’s BBQ for a Thanksgiving Sandwich or $1.25 ribs.

One Fun Thing: The monarchs are here! Monarchs migrate in the spring and again in the fall. It’s not quite fall, but a few have been spotted around town on their way to Mexico. How’d they know Matthews is a pit stop on the Butterfly Highway?

Matthews Morning Minute: September 5, 2018

News About Town: Just on the heels of the John Street widening project, NCDOT unveiled their plans to widen Highway 51 between Sardis Road and John Street. This is the first phase of a widening plan that will extend to Mint Hill. NCDOT’s goal is to improve traffic flow with the most current designs, including a continuous flow intersection. Neighbors through the corridor are left with uncertainty about their homes.

News Above Town:  The Weather Channel shows highs in the upper 80s and lows around 70. Don’t turn off the AC yet.

News Around Town: Baked Well’s made-from-scratch Cookies for Claire satisfy your sweet tooth and your desire to do good deeds. Fifty percent of each cookie sale goes to Claire’s Army, a non-profit that supports families fighting childhood cancer and your desire to do good deeds. (Image from Baked Well’s Facebook page)

Open Tuesday thru Sunday, 7 AM - 2 PM; 10915 Monroe Rd. Suite D, Matthews

One Fun Thing:  Head out to the Sportsplex for an international match as Charlotte Independence hosts six-time Liga MX champions, Club Santos Laguna.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018; 7:30 PM until; 2425 Sports Parkway, Matthews;  $30+.

Welcome to the Beacon!

Norah Burke, Co-Founder and Business Manager

Six months ago we sat down and talked about our experiences in Matthews. After Norah's campaign for Town Council last year and Renee's foray into community activism, we knew there was a need for better communication. We decided to launch The Matthews Beacon as an online "paper" with contributing Matthews writers and photographers and a Matthews-specific focus. Why so hyper-local? There is a specific brand of pride that goes with living in Matthews. It's not just another suburb, and we're not the cookie cutter suburbanites of the '50s. Matthews is a diverse town with a rich history, one locals work diligently to maintain amidst modern pressure for growth and development.

We asked ourselves: "What is Matthews' identity?" Is it the agrarian history, the meandering neighborhoods, could it even be the traffic? How has Matthews remained

“We asked ourselves, “What is Matthews’ identity?” How has Matthews remained Matthews, snuggled right up against the largest city in North Carolina? Most importantly, where can you find the amazing stories and individual voices of the people who make up the Matthews community?”

Matthews, snuggled right up against the largest city in North Carolina?  What is the structure of our town government and how can we share what we've learned about the complexities that keep things running? Where can you go for in depth, unbiased information about local issues? Most importantly, where can you find the amazing stories and individual voices of the people who make up the Matthews community?

We'll publish unique posts daily.  Expect to start the day with a few small bites about what's going on in our Matthews Morning Minute series. Throughout the day we'll publish short segments, pieces that will introduce you to your neighbors. We'll present feature stories and town news, cover local events, and provide an examination of important issues of Matthews in one central place.

Between Norah's experience in business management and Renee's creative talent and 10+ years of blogging for self-promotion, we hope to provide an interesting, quality alternative newspaper focusing solely on Matthews.