Searching online for LOCAL can be FRUSTRATING

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – Sept. 19, 2012

Imagine that you are a visitor to your community. When you want a specific product or service, you ask a friend, look at the Yellow Pages (book), or search on the Internet. When a referral isn't available, finding what you are looking for on the Internet is like looking for a "needle in a haystack." The internet is better at being globally oriented than locally oriented.

Online search engines can be helpful and very frustrating. We haven't even touched mobile applications yet!

Whether you are a local resident or a visitor, we are going to do some online "exploring" of our Catawba River District community and see what we find. This week we begin with Belmont restaurants. Out of the top rated results below, I personally haven't heard of four of these businesses. It is a good bet that these are authentic locally owned restaurants with a special following. On the other hand, these could be restaurants that closed their doors years ago, because information on the Internet tends to stay forever, including listings of long-closed businesses. Information on these restaurants is something to explore further for next week. 

Belmont, NC Restaurants Online: A Very Short Exploration   

Presented below is a short list of a few of the first online search results for this specific category. What you already know about searches is that you get different results from different search services. Intrusive ads can push a result to the top of the list, even when the business in the ad isn't even located in the geographic area you desire. 

Ratings and entries may or may not be beneficial. Do you rely on the search information you find if it is not bolstered by your own knowledge of the business or a friend's recommendation?

First up, showing the top rated choices: Yahoo

www.Local.yahoo.com/nc/Belmont

1. Chick-Fil-A (704) 825-8600 801 Park St, Belmont, NC 
2. Deep Forest Barbecue (704) 820-8373 1420 Perfection Ave, Belmont, NC  
3. Caravan Coffee & Dessert Bar (704) 829-7711 7 S Main St, Belmont, NC 

Results:  With Local.yahoo, you do get Belmont restaurants and these are the top rated out of 10, advertisers are included showing 3 restaurants out of Belmont with 2 in Gastonia, 1 in Charlotte.

Next on list: Yellow Pages

yellowpages.com/belmont-nc/restaurants

Top rated on this website search engine: 

1. Mot's Diner, 501 Woodlawn Ave, Belmont, NC 28012 Map (704) 827-6200  
2. Papa John's Pizza, 6511 E Wilkinson Blvd, Belmont, NC 28012 Map (704) 825-7272 
3. Arby's, 700 Park St, Belmont, NC 28012 Map (704) 825-4950   
4. Cowboys BS, 1420 Perfection Ave, Belmont, NC 28012 Map (704) 820-8652  

Results: The Yellow Pages heading states there are 2,022 restaurants in Belmont listed. I imagine many of this number are not in Belmont. On the first page of search results we get 30 choices, all but one located in Belmont.  

Next up: Superpages

superpages.com/yellowpages/C-Restaurants/S-NC/T-belmont/

Top rated:

1. Captain's Cap: 670 Park St, Belmont, NC
2. MC Donald's:  505 N Main St, Belmont, NC
3. Rita's Northend Grill: 1420 Perfection Ave, Belmont, NC

Results: Superpages brings up 25 of 46 results. One out of the first 7 restaurants shown is actually anywhere near Belmont; one is even in Banner Elk, NC. The out-of-area restaurants come up first but aren’t actually counted in the numbered 25 of the 46 Belmont restaurants.

Another search measure: Boorah "buzz"

http://business.intuit.com/boorah-restaurants/best-of/18613/NC/Belmont.html

Top rated restaurants:

1. Sammy’s Deli & Neighborhood Pub, 25 S Main St, Belmont, NC 704-825-4266 – Nice casual atmosphere.
2. New China, 6517 W Wilkinson Blvd, Belmont, NC 704-829-1010 – The sesame chicken is soft and very tasty.
3. The Captain’s Cap, 670 Park St, Belmont, NC 704-825-4103 – Kids under four eat free and the portion sizes are very large.

Results: Boorah is a different way of rating restaurants. According to the website, "Boorah is the ultimate, personalized review guide providing consumers a smarter way to find great restaurants. BooRah's patent-pending natural language processing technology automatically summarizes a collection of online reviews from bloggers, professional critics and consumers, and allows consumers to search based on their personal preferences."
In my search for Belmont restaurants, the first 10 of 34 listings are in Belmont. 

How do you find your list?

The greatest advertising for local business is still a word-of-mouth referral. It helps to be able to have information available to you when you need it. There is so much information presented in so many ways that sometimes finding what you want can be frustrating, even if you know what you are looking for.

The geographic business centers of the Catawba District include Belmont, Mount Holly and Mountain Island Lake. In the months ahead I will be working on a new initiative to improve your search capabilities so that you can "explore," visit, and increase word-of-mouth referrals for our local community and those who visit occasionally.

Feedback welcome!

Share your stories about local businesses, referrals, and suggestions to improve our local business search capabilities.  What makes a local business so special that we tell a visitor "you have to go there." 

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

Sychronized swimming and a little Mount Holly History

Bathing beauty cover 1944 from IMBD

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – Aug. 29, 2012
Did you happen to see the synchronized swimming competition in the 2012 Summer Olympics? You may not know there is a bit of Mount Holly history connecting this sport, through Esther Williams movies, and Mount Holly.  

History isn't just about old times. History offers authentic connections to new ideas, future innovations, and developments for a community. 

Esther Williams

(Quotes from www.imdb.com Esther Williams biography)
"Before her stint in MGM musicals, she had been training as a competitive swimmer, and probably would've participated in the 1940 and/or 1944 Olympics (she would've been 18 and 22 years old respectively) if World War II hadn't canceled them. … Esther Williams was an advisor to the International Olympic Committee at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles for the new sport of Synchronized Swimming."

"Following (a) short movie, stardom was not far away. MGM created a special sub-genre for her known as "Aqua Musicals". Her first swimming role was in Bathing Beauty (1944). "Bathing Beauty" was a simple movie compared to her later big splashes such as Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), co-starring Victor Mature and Walter Pidgeon. Esther Williams was often called "America's Mermaid", as it appeared that she could stay underwater forever!"


Esther Williams, now 91, went on from promoting swimsuits to designing swimsuits and has a great online business today. A great article in Stylelist written during the recent Olympics provides and update and pictures. 

Synchronized Swimming

I didn't realize that this became a sport.  For those of you who have followed the sport, seeing a duet or team compete is amazing. You should find an old Esther Williams movie and watch the immense spectacle of a musical extravangza in the water.  Photos of the 2012 synchronized swimming competition are available through NBC Olympics. 

Mount Holly Cotton Mill

Mount Holly Cotton Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places

Robert Friedl, owner of the Mount Holly Cotton Mill, and Austrian official for the Austrian consulate, made a swimsuit personally for Esther Williams. I am so happy that I confirmed this tidbit with him personally a couple of years ago. Unfortunately he passed away in 2011, and his lovely wife Pam Friedl continues to be a big part of our local community, while exploring new opportunities for this beautiful historic mill, and conducting international business.

This short introduction cannot do full justice to the contributions of the Friedl family, the Mount Holly Cotton Mill, the fashion and textile industry to our region.  Hopefully, a little bit of history will help connect a few new ideas for our future.

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

New Mount Holly Merchants Group Forms

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – Aug. 15, 2012

Mount Holly downtown merchants and interested individuals representing a variety of organizations including the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Mount Holly have been discussing the future for several months. At the Aug. 7 meeting at First United Methodist Church, Jennifer Jordan was elected president to lead a new Mount Holly merchants’ organization. A focus group is being formed to guide how it will move forward. Doug Bess, chairman of the Mount Holly Chamber of Commerce, offered support and collaboration and mentioned the great business educational resources available.

Mrs. Jordan, owner of Sweet Peas Unique Gifts at 127 S. Main St.  in downtown Mount Holly, has been hitting the sidewalks and building communication among the businesses. She started the Classic Car Cruise In on Main Street and stated that she is “young and passionate” about downtown and building retail. Her persistence, joined by other enthusiastic merchants, is already taking root.

Sue Camacho of Time Flies Country Store shared news of a team developing with churches, businesses, city representatives, and other Mount Holly community organizations to launch an effort to support Mount Holly schools in addressing student needs. 

The City of Mount Holly and the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation have supported training of staff and the business community, respectively, through the annual NC Main Street Conference, over the past few years. Mount Holly has begun the building blocks for a potential Main Street application the future. The applications accepted each year are based on population, and Mount Holly’s opportunity may be available in 2015.  As chair of the the Downtown Revitalization Committee for the MHCDF, I have provided the application guidelines to Mrs. Jordan to help guide the organizational efforts.

Vince Hill, owner of The Caravan Coffee and Dessert Bar in Belmont, recently opened a second location in downtown Mount Holly. His experience serving as president of the Belmont Merchants Association has been helpful in pulling together interest in an organization for Mount Holly.  Mr. Hill discussed the challenges of meeting schedules and building attendance at merchant meetings regardless of the community. 

Learn more about the Mount Holly merchants organization

Contact the following people:

• Jennifer Jordan, Sweet Peas Unique Gifts: 704-827-6977 or email Jennifer
• Sue Camacho, Time Flies Country Store: 704-601-7131 or email Sue
• Vince Hill, Caravan Dessert and Coffee – 704-820-6072

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

Getting To Know Local Businesses Can Be Fun!

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – Aug 8, 2012

One of the great things about local small businesses is the owner's involvement in the community. In this busy multi-media world, we are all trying to find each other. Since a small business is just around any corner, you wouldn't think it would be too difficult. Demands on our time is a big issue. Another is that people like to feel welcomed and even invited. Two quick stories for you to read and follow.

Win a Weekend in the Smokies

Coordinated by The Banner News, this campaign involves businesses in the region. Stop by and register at participating businesses, one entry allowed per visit. I have listed the businesses only in Mount Holly and Belmont.

• Robert D. Black Insurance at 108 W. Catawba Ave., Mount Holly
• Simonetti's restaurant at 6430 Wilkinson Blvd., Belmont
• BrightStar Grill at 205 Madora St., Mount Holly

This is a great invitation for individuals to stop by and get to know these businesses, if you don't already. Businesses can collaborate to help make exploring and building neighborhood relationships more enticing and fun. 

i am Mount Holly campaign

The Mount Holly Tourism Development Authority has launched a new campaign to encourage visitors to the Charlotte area to explore Mount Holly businesses.  
You are encouraged to read the full story in the Gaston Gazette. 
You can also see the new billboard and learn more about the campaign at the Visit Mount Holly Facebook page.

Let's get started!  Explore today.

As we begin to truly build connections, neighborhoods, and business opportunities, collaboration is going to play a key role if we are to accomplish this effectively. 
Share your ideas here  as a resident, business, or visitor.

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

Knowing "us" and promoting "us" to others

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – July 25, 2012


Communities are multi-dimensional. There is no one label for our community, just as there is more to each individual than one job. Knowing more about our community helps us to connect and be better ambassadors to the many visitors, entrepreneurs, and business interests in our community. The organizations featured in today's blog are some of the groups connected to and within the Catawba River District. We have our work cut out for us to connect all the community dots. 


The Catawba River is central to our history and development for its connections to early trade routes. The Catawba River District is central to our region's vital resources, nature, and ecological balance. For many years, the river was seen as a divider of county territories. I submit that the river is our center for the 21st century, so knowing ourselves, our resources and our community better is important to our lifestyle. 


The notes below come from these groups' websites. I provide them with the hope that you will explore further and help us build our connections.

The Charlotte Regional Partnership

A nonprofit, public/private economic development organization, the Charlotte Regional Partnership leverages regional resources to market the 16-county Charlotte region. The Partnership’s business development activities position Charlotte USA for sustained, long-term growth, job creation and investment opportunities.

Charlotte Regional Partnership counties

“The Charlotte Regional Partnership has launched a more robust GIS buildings & sites application that enhances the property search experience for site selection consultants and company executives. The updated system quickly and efficiently provides those considering locating or expanding in Charlotte USA with further refined data to help them make more informed decisions.


Now, they can search for properties within a one-, three- or five-mile radius of an address or within specific communities. The program puts the data into context, showing the demographics around the properties, as well as nearby points of interest. Housing and wage information is built in as well, and the search itself is faster and more user friendly. The result is customizable reports that can be bundled to print or email. Data on more than 1,800 properties can be retrieved or sorted using easily navigable technology.”  Check out the Charlotte USA Prospector.

Catawba River District

“The Catawba and its impoundments of Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie provide drinking water, recreation and escape for a million people in the Charlotte region and a haven for a broad range of wildlife.”  Visit the Catawba River District.

“The Catawba River District seeks to provide a united voice for protecting and growing the things that make our community special – good schools, homes and jobs; a healthy environment; and vibrant town centers.”  Edna Chirico, Executive Director

Visit Charlotte

Charlotte today is a great urban center.  Urban centers also interact and depend upon regional resources, water, food, activities, and people.  See how Charlotte Travel and Tourism promotes to visitors at its website, charlottesgotalot.com.

A sample of its take on local history for first-time visitors: “Unbeknownst to most, Charlotte has a rich American history steeped in the discovery of gold and the pride of the Scots-Irish settlers. The Queen City was founded in 1769 and named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of England.”

Belmont, NC – "where Southern charm blossoms"

The Montcross Area Chamber provides visitbelmontnc.org to promote Belmont. 

“Surrounded by the natural beauty of rich forests, rolling hills and rambling banks of Lake Wylie and the Catawba River, Belmont beckons a wealth of year-long visitors with varied interests. Once a community where the textile industry served as the lifeblood, Belmont is a burgeoning success story of thriving growth and redevelopment. A picturesque blend of old-fashioned nuances, Belmont offers historical homes, streetlamps, brick sidewalks and the simpler times of 'back then.'


"These are the branches that support a budding business atmosphere of today that embraces the beautiful Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, arts, culture, shopping and an assortment of fascinations for all ages to enjoy. With its close proximity to Charlotte, you can also take advantage of big city amenities while enjoying a comfortable stay with small city charm.” 

Belmont also promotes many of its community groups on the City of Belmont website.

Visit Mount Holly, NC

Mount Holly has launched a new dynamic promotion for the community at visitmounthollync.com. Here is a sample of what you'll find there.

“Mount Holly is a vibrant and growing City that has maintained its charm as a small Southern town nestled along the Catawba River.

• Embrace Yesterday – The City welcomes you to Embrace Yesterday when the textile industry was the economic backbone of the area, railroads were the major mode of transportation and the river was harnessed to create power to run the mills.
• Enhance Today – You’re invited to Enhance Today by walking through a revitalized downtown area whose streetscape has been enhanced with brick sidewalks, planters with greenery and seasonal blooming flowers, tree lined streets, old fashioned lampposts, and benches to just relax, soak up our sunshine and enjoy the day.
• Explore Tomorrow – Mount Holly invites you to Explore Tomorrow as the River and City join hands to improve the quality of life for its residents. With approximately eight miles of shoreline along the Catawba River, Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake, the City may soon be more well known as being the “River Town of the Carolinas”.

Other community groups and websites promoting Mount Holly include:

• The City of Mount Holly for community information.
• Mount Holly Chamber of Commerce for building business.
• HistoricMountHolly.com, an interactive map and additional resources about Mount Holly's past. 
• Mount Holly Community Development Foundation, which has provided tremendous volunteer and funding energy to the community since its inception in 2003. 

Our special place

How are we recognized by others who look at visiting our area?  How can be better share the special lifestyle and support our local residents and businesses?

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

A Big Picture for Local Support

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – July 18, 2012

I am taking a graduate-level marketing class at Gardner Webb University. It is great to update knowledge since technology has changed the landscape in many ways. One marketing factor remains constant, however. Word of mouth still holds a strong position in driving consumer activity. Our ability to build awareness and connections within our own community affects our local community businesses.

Awareness

Immense amounts of information inundate us every day. We have demands and differing priorities. Our current needs and requirements help us to filter the overwhelming information coming at us. 

A new local business may hope you will drop in and see what it has to offer. Awareness on the part of customers seems to take about 6 months to 1 year to notice a new business, if at all. 

In other words, clothing (for example) has to be on your mind before you are going to notice and stop in to visit a clothing store. 

Visitors looking for an experience in a destination, such as a downtown, are more likely to walk along an attractive sidewalk and look in various stores. 

The visitors’ motivation is to explore and find something or experience something different from what they see every day. 

Be a visitor in your own community and explore some small business districts. Have an ice cream, coffee, glass of wine and dinner. 

You know you deserve a day of local enjoyment occasionally!

Knowledge

How much do you know about your community and its many offerings? 

This is what we hope to explore in this blog to encourage you in the community to get out and become acquainted with yourself. 

Like/Love your community

You might “like” a comment on the Internet, but I hope you “love” your community. It is home. 

Community events, places, people and businesses all depend on each other to grow as a healthy enjoyable community. 

Share your “word of mouth” about activities and local businesses. Create some “buzz” for the all of the entrepreneurs investing in our community.

Preference

If what you want in a product or service is not available in our community, let us know. Comment on this blog, or let a local business know you can’t find the quality or value of an item you seek.

Conviction

Help us build conviction about supporting local activities and businesses. Share the message that local businesses are important to our local economy and healthy community.

Buy something

When you do spend, think about something you can purchase locally. 

Every dollar you spend in our community helps to attract more business and vitality.

Build your awareness of the Catawba River District and tell all your neighbors about what you find. After all, we live in the best spot in the region!

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

Urgent Care Available In Catawba River District

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence – July 11, 2012
Don't wait until you need it to find out where your urgent-care opportunities are located.  For those instances, such as minor cuts, poison ivy and ear ache, you may need assistance but don't feel it is necessary to go to an emergency room. 

My recent experience

I have been meaning to check these places out, but found I actually needed to find one this weekend.  An unnoticed scratch appeared to be headed toward a fast infection. After a quick checkup and an updated tetanus shot, I headed to the local drugstore for a prescription for an antibiotic cream. I also obtained a 25% discount as a cash customer but didn't have to pay it all at one time. The outcome was much better than waiting to see if the situation could have worsened the next day. By the way, if you haven't set up a patient file in a while, they scan the palm of your hand now. It seems our palms are as individual as our finger prints.  It makes me wonder about palm reading.We are very fortunate to have the medical opportunities available to us. 


If you are over 30 years of age, you might remember the popular 1990s TV series "Northern Exposure." A small Alaskan town paid for the medical education of a New York doctor to set up practice in their town for a few years. The culture shock was fun to watch, but the issue of health-care access in rural areas and incentive funding is still an issue today. 



Hospital-connected urgent-care centers
(information from their websites)

CarolinasHealthCare UrgentCare

• Belmont, just south of Hwy 74, off Hwy 273, at 420 Park St, Suite 105; 704-631-1820; 8 am-8 pm daily
• Mountain Island, just south of Hwy 16 at 10210 Couloak Drive, Suite E; 704-801-2000; 8 am-8 pm daily

When to use an Urgent Care Center? Our locations offer a convenient and caring alternative when you have a sudden illness or injury. An urgent-health concern can be any type of illness or injury that must be addressed immediately and cannot wait for a regular medical appointment, but is non-life threatening. We can supplement medical care from your primary care physician as well as provide a quicker, less expensive alternative to emergency rooms for minor, acute illnesses and injuries. Examples of our services includes:

• General adult and pediatric episodic illnesses including sore throats, earaches, bronchitis, colds and flu and upset stomach
• Sprains, strains and fracture care
• Lacerations and burns
• Simple foreign body removal from the eye, ear, nose and skin
• Physicals for school, sports, camp and work 
• Assistance in selecting a primary-care physician

Urgent care centers are not appropriate places for patients with acute chest pain, severe shortness of breath or other acute life threatening illnesses or injuries. In situations of acute illness, please visit the nearest Carolinas Medical Center Emergency Room or call 911.

Caromont Health CLiC Immediate Care Clinic

CLiC Immediate Care Clinic, 8605 Mt Holly - Huntersville Rd.

CaroMont Health provides a CLiC Clinic in the Mountain Island Lake area, just south of Hwy 16, at 8605 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd, Charlotte; 704-971-2349. Open 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. daily.

About CLiC – Introducing CLiC, a convenient, immediate care clinic right here in our community. It’s faster than urgent care, faster than the emergency room, yet offers the same high-quality staff and care you’ve come to expect from CaroMont Health. And you never need an appointment.

CLiC thoughtfully provides separate sick and well waiting areas to keep everyone feeling better. And in the limited time you are waiting, if any, you’ll have access to interesting health tips from waiting room monitors and touch-screen computers offering health information.

CLiC. Convenient. Local. Immediate. Care. Because when you’re sick or injured, you can’t wait to feel better. And now, you don’t have to. For immediate care when you’re too busy to be sick, visit CLiC.

Pharmacy Clinics

Some pharmacies now offer immunizations, health tests such as cholesterol, and also can examine minor issues.  Get acquainted with these locations and what they offer, so you will be ready.

Walgreens

6802 W Wilkinson Blvd., Belmont; 704-829-5681

Walgreens website 

Special services: Health tests available at the Belmont Walgreens include Wellness Pack, Body Composition, Full-Cholesterol Panel Test, Total Cholesterol and HDL Test, Blood-Glucose Test, A1C Test. Vaccinations available anytime. 

CVS Pharmacy

6750 W. Wilkinson Blvd, Belmont; 704-825-6929

CVS website and Facebook page

Special services: Wellness and physical exams at CVS Minute Clinic. “When you need your cholesterol checked, need a TB test or have a child who needs a sports or camp physical, we can help. We provide the screenings, lab tests, exams and coaching you need to stay healthy.”

Get to know your Catawba River District and the many assets we have here. 

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly. 

Your Local Post Office - A Place, A Service, Our History

Keep It Local, By Barbara Lawrence, July 5, 2012

Post office locations have come and gone throughout their history.  This important vehicle of communication is also a source of pride as a United States institution, and as the "place" you have designated as home, by virtue of where your mail is received.  Communities may take this place for granted until the closing is announced. 

The Mount Holly Post Office put up and new and bigger flag this week.

Benjamin Franklin actually got involved in the British-owned North American postal service in 1737. In 1774, he was dismissed for his sympathies to the colonies. At the Second Continental Congress in May of 1775, Franklin headed a committee to lead postal services to protect the important communications during the fight for liberty. 

While we hear a lot about the decline of the postal service due to many other forms of communications, your home still has an address connected to a post office, rather than your computer number (if you have one).  The Internet and wireless communication systems allow us to connect to friends, family, and business around the world.  There is still only one service that can connect to every resident in your local community and connect you with local business with about 100% accuracy.  That is our US Postal Service. Business can utilize the new technology of the United States Postal Service, with Every Door Direct Mail.

We can develop our business and community relationships through including the use of mail when we want to reach everyone!  Think about it.

The postal service has been connected to most of our American experience.

Available online is The United States Postal Service, An American History, 1775 – 2006.

Locations in the Catawba River District

Post offices have changed in our local history.  Today within the Catawba River District the existing full -service post office locations are Mount Holly and Belmont.  Stamp booklets are provided at several community stores, as listed on the USPS website with maps. 

Oakdale

(Community is near the north end of the Catawba River District in Mecklenburg)

WAL-MART SUPERCENTER

9820 CALLABRIDGE CT

CHARLOTTE, NC 28216-7669

Stamp booklets only

WELLS FARGO BANK

10210 COULOAK DR

CHARLOTTE, NC 28216-7679

Stamp booklets only

Belmont

Belmont Main Post Office

208 GLENWAY ST

BELMONT, NC 28012-3181

Hours:  Mon, Tue, Fri - 8:30 am - 5 pm; Wed - 8:30 am - 2 pm; Sat - 9 am-noon; Thu, Sun - Closed

Walgreens

6802 W WILKINSON BLVD

BELMONT, NC 28012-6204

Stamp booklets only

Food Lion

602 PARK ST

BELMONT, NC 28012-2728

Stamp booklets only

Mount Holly

Mount Holly Main Post Office

806 W CENTRAL AVE

MOUNT HOLLY, NC 28120-3491

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm; Sat 9 am - noon; Sun - Closed

Food Lion

609 HIGHLAND ST

MOUNT HOLLY, NC 28120-2185

Stamp booklets only

 Freedom 

(Community at the eastern edge of the River District in Mecklenburg)

Food Lion

9115 SAMLEN LN APT 200

CHARLOTTE, NC 28214-3359

Stamp booklets only

About Barbara Lawrence – Barbara has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly.