So the Olympics are over…now to finish Stranger Things!

Happy Tuesday-have a great week!

Today’s weather: Chilly with partial sunshine. The high will be 48.

Tonight will be cool with increasing clouds, and a low of 39.

In November, with the suspension of Federal Food assistance looming, the Gaston Community Foundation reached out to the Second Harvest Food Bank to partner in establishing a hunger relief program in Gaston County.

Soon after the project was announced in social media, John and Dr. Malinda Lowery announced a dollar for dollar $50,000 match challenge for anyone who would give. At that point the name of their effort was changed to the Lowery Challenge for Hunger Relief. The very same day, an anonymous individual donated a matching $50,000.

At the close of the year, the project had received a total of $123,720, including the gifts from the Lowery’s and the anonymous donor.

People truly avoided hunger over the holidays because of the Lowery Challenge for Hunger Relief. Thank you to the Gaston Community Foundation, the Lowery’s, the anonymous donor, and to everyone who participated in this effort.

Tavern 1899, located in the old Freeman’s Pub space in downtown Gastonia, hopes to be open in late March. They will serve pizza, pasta, and pints. They are owned and operated by the Pita Wheel team.

After four years of meaningful work and fun at The River Room, Catawba Riverkeeper's headquarters is moving to Confluence, their Community-Center Taproom in Cramerton, NC. With this move, they're striving to more fully integrate their mission into a single, dynamic community hub.

From their Facebook page; “At Confluence, we look forward to connecting the art, music, and recreation people already love with mission-driven programming that highlights education and conversation surrounding water conservation. By reducing our physical footprint, our staff can invest more time and resources directly back into programs that protect and restore our local waterways.”

Be sure to stop by and say hello to staff the next time you're in Cramerton!

Last Wednesday, local leaders broke ground on the South Fork Trail — a new hike from George Poston Park to the top of the iconic Spencer Mountain. Once complete (estimated fall 2026), the Spencer Mountain Trails will welcome the public to explore three miles of trail around and up historic Spencer Mountain, including an easy loop trail around the base of the mountain, and a more active switchback trail up the western face to the summit at 1,250 feet.

This is so cool! Check out the Carolina Thread Trail’s online description of the proposed trail here.

A new company be shopping for a site in McAdenville. The facility was formerly owned by Pharr Yarns, and more recently by Mannington Mills, which closed n late December.

The name, size of the company, or number of jobs that may be created has not been revealed at this point. McAdenville’s town clerk did mention that a Level One Grant, which would require a $1 million net new taxable investment, is on the March 10 Town of McAdenville Council’s agenda.

In July 2026, the Gaston County Museum will open "The Many Unheard Voices: The African American Communities of Gaston County, 1870s–1970s" - a community-curated exhibition exploring generations of history, resilience, and lived experience.

This exhibit is being shaped in collaboration with a diverse community committee who are helping guide the narrative, objects, and design every step of the way.

Now, we invite you to join the conversation: Thursday February 26 at 3PM at the Museum.

Curator Alicyn Wiedrich will present on the exhibit’s development and invite community feedback. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts, ask questions, and contribute to the process.

History is strongest when many voices are heard. We hope you’ll join us!

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