The town of Cornelius has earned recognition from a national magazine as one of the most affordable suburbs in the United States. Business Week put the town of 23,000 on its list of Best Affordable Suburbs 2009, citing it for a short commute to Charlotte, moderate housing prices, and schools.

Cornelius was the only N.C. town on the list and was No. 7 in the magazine’s top 10. (Another Charlotte suburb, Fort Mill, S.C., also made the list.) The news had Mayor Jeff Tarte crowing. In an email message to citizens he said, “The secret is out on what we all know – Cornelius is a great place to live, work and play.”

The area is getting another Saturday fish market – this time at the Bradford store – as one local purveyor expands. Also in this week’s BizNotes column:

• Lake Norman Regional Medical Center CEO quits.
• March 19 workshop for food vendors at public events
• Sparqware leases office at Harbour Place.
• Open that Bottle at Campania Feb. 28
• New fast chicken restaurant “Tenders Fresh Food” debuts
• BUSINESS CALENDAR, including a South Main Square Business Network kickoff, MI-Connection board meeting, free seminars at Healthy Home Market.

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Traffic on West Catawba Ave. in Cornelius will shift to the outside lanes this weekend to allow for construction of a median. (David Boraks photo)

The lengthy project to widen and improve West Catawba Avenue, west of I-77 in Cornelius, will take another turn this week when traffic is shifted to outside lanes of the widened road beginning Saturday, Feb. 21. The shift will limit left turns and  allow road crews to build a center median strip and turn lanes. Read the full story

Updated Thursday, Feb. 19,  5:12 p.m.

The Lake Davidson Working Committee, comprised of local officials from Davidson and Mooresville, will hold another public meeting later this month in hopes of reaching a compromise on a two-town agreement that will accommodate all kinds of uses on the lake, from power boating and water skiing to canoeing and kayaking.

Committee chair and Davidson commissioner Margo Williams said the meeting is scheduled Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. at Davidson Town Hall.  (Update: This is an revision of the originally reported tentative meeting date). Read the full story

A new networking group is forming at South Main Square for Davidson-based professionals and services. The first monthly meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 26, from 8:30 to 9 a.m. Also, check below for upcoming events at South Main Square, which includes shops, restaurants and offices off South Main Street in Davidson. Also in this column:

• Southern Bella boutique closing.
• A name change for Home Economist, plus dates for a series of health and nutrition events.
• 2009 board election at MI-Connection cable system.
• Lake Norman Chamber awards for Forrest, Bilodeau.
• Divorce workshops for women.

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Bill Tatum Jr.

William “Bill” Franklin Tatum Jr., 85, of Huntersville, father of Bill Tatum of Davidson, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 at Olde Knox Commons.

He was born on Sept. 7, 1923, in Hamlet, N.C., to the late William and Mary Tatum.  Bill graduated from McColl High School and attended the University of South Carolina.

He was retired from the South Carolina Tax Commission after serving over 30 years as a sales tax agent.  He was a 32nd Degree Mason and Shriner. Read the full story

The Lake Davidson Working Committee will hold a public meeting on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 9 a.m. at Davidson Town Hall. Davidson and Mooresville officials agreed on buffers and other development issues as they try to come up with a joint 5-year agreement to protect  the lake. Public input is being sought on “water-based” issues  such as no-wake zones, speed limits and where different types of recreational uses might be permitted. Read the full story

Conceptual drawing shows layout of small park proposed near Harris Teeter.

The Town Board on Tuesday approved a pair of amendments to the master plan for Davidson Commons, the Harris Teeter shopping center off Griffith Street near Exit 30.

One amendment updates signage rules at the center to address retailers’ concerns about the visibility of their signs. Another gave the developer, Edens & Avant, a break from rules that set deadlines on completion of approved master plans. Edens & Avant was granted permission to replace a planned block of 5 town houses with a public park, along Jetton Street – at least temporarily, until the market for new residential construction improves. Read the full story