Newsletter:

The Board of Directors meeting will be held at 5:00pm upstairs at The City Club. Please plan to be there. If you can not be there, please call Sherri Hedgepeth @ 704-867-0601 or 704-616-3596 so your absence will be excused.

GCHBA
Sherri Hedgepeth - Office Manager
gchba@carolina.rr.com
704-867-0601 or 704-616-3596

President’s Message:

Message from 2008 President
Mike Brazell

Spring is here and the ground is dry! I hope you are ready for another good year. Although it is slow for some, most indicators say that our area is moving forward with a steady pace.
While we all have a “little” extra time on our hands, it is the perfect time to make plans and meet some other important needs. I hope all of you can give the Home Builders Association of Gaston County a little more of your time. We still have a lit of issues to face.
1 – The burden of new schools and infrustructure being unfairly placed on new home buyers instead of the whole community sharing it.
2 – Fire sprinklers in new homes.
3 – A need for more contributions to Build-Pac.
4 – A select few in the HBA doin all the work.
Just to name a few. I greatly appreciate the wonderful attendance we have had at the General Membership meetings this year. I hope you will consider getting involved. We have several committees that need you.
Call me or Sherri and ask how you can contribute.

Thank you for what you do!
See ya on Monday, April 14th!

Mike Brazell, 2008 President GCHBA

Other Items of Interest:

Build-Pac/State Director Report

Don't forget to mark your calanders for the May meeting!! We will hold our annual Build Pac auction. Our goal is $7400 so we need to get busy. We are asking for donation items to be auctioned. We would like to have them at least a week before the auction to get things organized. Some suggestions are small appliances to put together in packages as closing gifts, golf packages, sporting event tickets, spa packages, etc. If you just want to donate money, just let me know and I will be more than happy to pick up auction items for you. Also start asking suppliers you deal with for any donation items. Anything is welcome! Our legislative day is set for June 4th in Raleigh and we would love to have a good turnout. We can all caravan up or get a van for the trip. Let me or Jerry Campbell know if you want to attend. I look forward to seeing you all soon and thanks in advance for your help with our auction!

Krista Sands Realtor, GRI, SRES, ABR
704-905-7306 mobile
KristaSands.com krista.sands@wesellgaston.com

Government Liaison:

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS REPORT

The Government Report is of no use if we all do not support Buildpac. Buildpac is not about the "big guys" giving to gain influence. Buildpac is about protecting our industry, our jobs, our livings and therefore our families. NCHBA and the Realtors used Buildpac money to defeat impact fees and transfer taxes all over NC just this last November that would have deepened the housing crisis. Buildpac is about large contributions. Buildpac is about the power of small contributions given by many like minded people, advocates of the American Dream of Home ownership, being pooled together to make a difference. Buildpac Auction is in May.

Typically GCHBA and NCHBA are not involved in primaries. Therefore do not be surprised or read anything into what seems a lack of attention to the races. Things will be warmed up by Candidate's Night in September. A question arose at the Board Meeting in March about having candidates come and address everyone at the Meetings. The Board confirmed the long standing policy of candidates speaking to the group at Candidate's Night only. This does not prevent Members from inviting a Candidate to any Meeting as their guest and introducing them around during the social and dinner.

I write this for the Newsletter on March 12th, before the UDO presentation to Commissioners on the 27th. The UDO is an important issue we all need to be following. As I would tell anyone inside or outside GCHBA there are parts of the UDO I don't like and there are parts I like. I support the UDO as a whole because what it represents is a lot of hard work by a large group of people with diversified interests finding a balanced common ground.

As always get involved, listen and learn about the issues and candidates or incumbents and their positions.

Jerry Fleeman
Construction - Development-Real Estate
P.O. Box 550908
Gastonia NC 28055
Office 704-824-5635 Fax 704-824-9577

Membership Memo:

Greetings to the membership from the 2008 Associate Vice President-
Melissa Griffin

April showers bring May flowers…

The month of April is historically know as the month of “awakening or new birth”. It starts when trees and flowers begin to open, this signifies Spring. It also brings April Fools day and Tax day on the 15th. Which for many of us both days bring some sort of cruel joke that will cost us in the end!!!

April Fools Pranks
Wherever April Fools day originated, the fun of playing jokes and pranks on others continues. April fools pranks such as loosening the lid of salt shakers in restaurants is not appreciated all that much, but happens nonetheless. Silly jokes involving telling untruths in order to capture someone in a net of ridiculous may go something like this: A farm wife begins screaming, “The cows are out! The cows are out! Hurry we’ve got to get them back in the barn!” Everyone runs out of the door only to find the cows standing peaceful and munching in the pasture. “April fools!”

Other hoaxes that individuals play on one another include sewing the legs of pants shut so when the wearer goes to put them on she or he hits a dead end. Whoopi cushions are always good for a shocked look and wild giggles.

Making prank phone calls and asking silly questions like, “Is your refrigerator running?” is another popular April Fools Day pastime. (Raise your hand if you did this as a kid or in college)

Mark your calendar for this months meeting:

Speaker- Mr. Ken Jackson- Gaston County Building Inspections Administrator.

Presentation- Developing good communication between builders / contractors and building inspectors.

Changes in making the inspection process more efficient for all.

Will highlight some major changes in the new residential building code.

A big thanks to Bob Rouse for getting Mr. Jackson to some and speak to us!!!!!

Members in the News:

"PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEW MEMBERS!"

Tim Maltba – Carolina Foam Solutions – tim@carolinafoamsolutions.com
Dayle Guffey – Guffey Construction Serviced – cjguffey2@aol.com
Paul Rickard – Rickard Builders, LLC – pools2u@aol.com

Please take the time to invite our newest members to our next meeting!