Introduction: The Patterns of Corruption in CC Government!!! There are many Parts and Pieces to this Puzzle!!! Part 1: The Newgrass Brewery History, research, commentary and conclusions by Robert A

Editor’s Note: Over this past 2022 Christmas and New Year’s holidays, Robert A has been seriously thinking over how to structure his writings into “bite-sized” pieces that are shorter, easier to read and on point with the specific corruption details. Then, fit the many, many pieces together in such a way as to “build upon” each piece of the puzzle until the “final picture” comes together into a sharp focus; Instead of writing a fewer number of longer articles that are sometimes more complex to properly absorb and understand. This is the way children (are supposed to) be taught to learn in school. And hopefully Cleveland County citizens and voters will learn, between NOW and the 2024 Elections, just who and how the “corruption” is being pulled off. Especially as Robert A makes his decision on whether or not to run for the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners in 2024. And the citizens will understand full well who they should be voting for. Or against!!

Robert A has decided to start with the Newgrass Brewery as many of the same players are involved with the seemingly never-ending scandals that have only just now developed into potentially Indictable Prosecutions. Such as the Catawba Casino, Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership and Taxpayer Paid “junket” trips by County Officials to Europe and perhaps other exotic places, the American Legion World Series, Baseball, Inc., the Kings Mountain Equipment Supply Company, The Foothills Shooting Range. The CC Commissioners, CCS School Board etc. Lawsuits against Cleveland County Commissioners and the School Board. To mention just a few. Also, the stupidity and easily preventable, but costly, mistakes of the County’s so-called “Leadership. The most recent being the School Board’s decision (8-1) to install new gymnasium floors at Burns and Crest High Schools before major roof leaks were repaired. A MILLION DOLLAR blunder of the first order. And Danny Blanton advised them not to do it. The expensive brand-new gym floors at BHS are buckled and warped beyond repair. At CHS the floors were soaked and a basketball game cancelled at halftime. And now th4e damaged floors are without warranty due to the School Boards stupidity. Again, a Million-dollar blunder.

Also, Folks, keep this in mind as you read this and following articles. Corruption in Cleveland County did NOT start or even begin with the Newgrass Brewery. This article is intended to limit the scope of corruption described herein to just the 21^st Century, where the Commissioners and School Board members are still living and many are still in office or influence those that are still in office. All are registered as Republicans and many are the incumbents that are expected to run for reelection in 2024. THEY make up the majority on both the Commissioner Board and the School Board. ALL of them must be defeated in the 2024 Election cycle.

The sad and corrupt saga of the Newgrass Brewery is described below:

The Newgrass Brewery is located at 213 S. Lafayette Street in Shelby, North Carolina. That address was held from around 1906 until around 2015 by what was known as Hudson’s Department Store. Hudson’s shut down in the 1990’s and fell into severe disrepair. Such disrepair that the building was eventually totally gutted with the debris hauled off to the Cleveland County trash dump. Only the building brick walls remained.

About this time, former County Manager David Dear and later the Economic Development “guru” and his big buddy, Shelby Architect Roger Holland hit upon an idea. Get the old Hudson property for themselves, for basically nothing. Get a bunch of Grants; city, county, state and wherever and build a brewery and bar on the premises. No money out of their own pockets and the taxpayers pay all the bills.

This was a common MO in and around Shelby and Cleveland County. Holland had already worked a deal with the county, most likely with County Manager David Dear, where he and some more of his buddies would be given the old Doran Mill property. For free even. They “said” they would build a Data Center on the old Doran Mill property. And hire a few people. NONE of which ever happened. And, for most of five years Holland and his buddies avoided paying property tax on the Doran property. Another MO that would crop up later with the Newgrass Brewery Project.

Also, Roger Holland was an influential member of the City of Shelby’s Historical Property Foundation and was blood-related to some on the Shelby City Counsel. David Dear had strong and “strange” connections with ALL the county commissioners. It would be absolutely foolish to think that something corrupt was NOT going on here. That there was NOT a conspiracy to use the power of their political connections for their own personal benefit and profit.

And, then it gets worse. For taxpayers anyway. Shelby City Councilman Dennis Bailey and Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony get in of the deception to cover up a tax fraud. Tax evasion might be a better description for this very serious crime.

The Shelby City Council had passed an Ordnance that allowed the property tax bill for a historic property to be reduced by 50%. HALF. So, Holland and Dear apply for registration of the Old Hudson location as a historic property. State Officials denied that application. Too much of the building (95% probably) had been demolished and hauled to the trash dump. But that was OK with Holland and Dear. The City of Shelby itself could designate a Livermush biscuit as a historic property if a majority of the Shelby City Council Members voted to approve that application. And, so what? Who would care? It is only the taxpayers who would be shortchanged by having to pay more in property tax so Dear and Holland could pay less. Besides, who would ever figure out the scam? They never figured that Robert A would ever get around to this.

Besides, they had a “Plan B.” They would call in the Shelby Star to their City Council Meeting to report on what was said. And. The Shelby Star would print every lie, every deception without checking out anything. And they did.

So, the Star wrote up a big front-page article on December 23, 2015 titled “Two sites granted historic designation” and subtitled “Moore-Willis House, Newgrass now eligible for tax incentives.” The Star Reporter was Joyce Orlando.

The Shelby City Council took up the Moore-Willis House application first. The Moore-Willis House had been extensively remodeled to bring back its original façade. This is where the real deception and cover-up occurs. Dennis Bailey fires up with a quote that he remembers “strict restrictions on houses that were designated historic areas. That even window glass that was replaced “had to be replaced with period correct glass…”

When the Newgrass application came up, Mayor Stan Anthony was “hesitant” because the state preservation office had not endorsed this site. But the Hudson family as well as the Historic Shelby Foundation “argued that the Hudsons played a significant role in the history of the city and that Newgrass deserved the designation.” An argument that was ludicrous on its face. But Dennis Bailey piped up and said “If the local commission says that we should go with it, then we should (go with it).”

It was strange that the Star Article NEVER named the real owners of the Newgrass Brewery as being David Dear and Roger Holland. And that Holland has an association with the Historic Shelby Foundation.

The Shelby Town Council voted to approve the Newgrass Brewery as a historical site that would allow Roger Holland and David Dear to only pay half of the normal tax bill. And, the fact totally remains that the Hudson store building as it exists as the Newgrass Brewery has exactly ZERO historic significance about it. Especially since Shelby and Cleveland County did NOT allow alcoholic beverages to be legally brewed, distilled or sold during any part of the time that the Old Hudson’s Store actually existed. And, any part of the old Hudson’s Store that still exists is buried under tons of garbage at the county landfill. Although it has been said that the “H” from the Hudson’s Store sign is now on display at the Newgrass Brewery.

Another part of the deception that the Newgrass Brewery has any historic significance is that it is alleged the wooden beams from the old Doran Mill were stolen from the old Mill by Holland and his associates and sawed into boards that were used in the construction of the Newgrass Brewery. Perhaps this is the only thing that is historic about the Newgrass, however, that wood is only historic in relation to the Doran Mill, NOT the Newgrass.

Robert A says that he has personally observed and inspected the alleged old Doran Mill wood that was allegedly installed at the Newgrass. Robert A suspects that the Newgrass wooden floors do not appear to have any historic characteristics about them. That this repurposed wood story is likely to be just another tall tale. A fabrication and a deception to further advance the lie that the Newgrass is a historical site that deserves this 50% reduction in property taxes. (But that is only an opinion by Robert A and not “prove-able” as is the rest of this article.)

There is a picture of David Dear, Roger Holland, Eddie Holbrook. Wallace Cheves and Catawba Indian Chief Bill Harris posing together at the site of the proposed Catawba Indian Casino near Kings Mountain. Eddie Holbrook was also a County Commissioner and another economic development so-called “guru” with a long association with all the characters in this article. Based on present information, it appears that David Dear, Roger Holland, Eddie Holbrook, all the Commissioners, the Shelby City Council and plenty more of those involved with Cleveland County Governmental leadership appear to have their hands in the Cleveland County taxpayer’s “cookie jar.” Obviously, they ALSO believe that “they can serve the people best by first serving themselves!!”

(That last quote was from an old Errol Flynn movie, The Seahawk. Somehow that quote seems totally appropriate to apply to those that have been abusing their elected offices in order to obtain personal gain.

All these crooks have to be run off in the 2024 Elections. Stay tuned folks, this is only the start of a process that has been overdue for so very long.

One last thing. Folks. If you still believe that the Newgrass or Hudson’s are on the National Register of Historical Places for Cleveland County, North Carolina, search on the link below. Robert A is offering a $100 reward to the first person who can find that registration on this list. Good Luck with that!!