Santa listened to a child during Wednesday's holiday party at Davidson Cornelius Child Development Center. More photos below. (Tyler McFayden photo)

Santa and Mrs. Claus joined children and a stream of family, friends and supporters Wednesday night at the annual holiday party of the Davidson Cornelius Child Development Center, on Gamble Street.

Children snacked on holiday treats, decorated cookies, made holiday arts and crafts and sat in Santa’s lap. Lake Norman Kids for Kids volunteered, helping out with the activities.

Visitors were treated to songs and skits from each age group, from the youngest (the tadpoles) to the oldest (the frogs), and in the poliwogs in between. The older group, as part of the center’s Spanish immersion program, sang two songs in English and then two in Spanish. Read the full story

Leland Park

Leland M. Park, a Davidson resident and retired library director at Davidson College, has been appointed to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees, the library announced Wednesday.

He was appointed by Charlotte Mecklenburg school board, filling a vacancy that opened earlier this year. Read the full story

With planning revived for the Red Line Regional Rail Project north of Charlotte, Davidson officials have scheduled a series of meetings this month and next to seek public input on plans for a commuter rail station on Jackson Street, behind the Davidson post office. The first information session is Thursday. Read the full story in REAL ESTATE & HOME»

Map shows locations of potential stations and financing districts. Click to download the PDF.

$452 million project won’t happen without all area governments in, task force chair says

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – Supporters of the Red Line Regional Rail Project north of Charlotte began their sales campaign in earnest Tuesday at a meeting of about 150 area elected and appointed officials. Leaders from across the region were there to hear the pitch, from Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and Mecklenburg County Commission chair Harold Cogdell to town commissioners from the Lake Norman area.

There were plenty of skeptics in the crowd at the Charles Mack Citizens Center: local officials with questions about financing, retirees worried about higher taxes, and conservatives philosophically opposed to rail transit. Read the full story

Lake Norman-area leaders were scheduled to meet in Mooresville Tuesday to hear a new proposal to fund construction of the Red Line Regional Rail Project, which would run from Charlotte to Mooresville. The 25-mile Red Line has been discussed for  years, but lately it hasn’t had much momentum. Supporters are trying to change that.  Scott Graf, the morning host at our news partner WFAE-FM, talked to David Boraks of DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net, in advance of Tuesday’s meeting.

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Commissioner Margo Williams and her dog Gracie on the steps of her Concord Road home last week. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

When Davidson Commissioners meet Tuesday night to take the oath of office for a new term, it will be the first time since 1995 that Margo Williams isn’t in the picture. As she steps down after eight terms, her unwavering and Texas-accented pleas for thoughtful planning, preserving Davidson’s unique character, and ensuring affordable housing will be absent. Read the full story

The Davidson Town Board’s meets Tuesday to say farewell to Commissioners Margo Williams and Tim Dreffer, who did not seek re-election, and to welcome the two men elected to fill their seats: Rodney Graham and Jim Fuller. Meanwhile, other public meetings this week include a Red Line rail line “summit” Tuesday in Mooresville, a MI-Connection board of directors meeting Thursday, and a public information session Thursday on the proposed Red Line commuter rail station off Jackson Street. Read the full story

Luminaria stretched the full length of Rollingdale Lane in River Run Saturday night. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Updated Dec. 15
From Naramore to North Main and Winged Oak to North Downing, thousands of luminaria lined the streets and sidewalks of Davidson Saturday night in the annual Noel for Neighbors fund-raiser for Davidson Housing Coalition. The candle-lit displays raised more than $16,500 for the organization, which provides affordable housing and home ownership education programs. Read the full story