EXIT 27: Recent Episodes
A Mt. Holly Podcast
Welcome to EXIT 27, a Mount Holly, NC podcast. This podcast explores the history, people and current events of Mount Holly. Hosted by Greg Blackwood, and recorded downtown Mt. Holly in the historic Summey Building, EXIT 27 documents and brings to life the stories of our friends, family, and neighbors.
Lee and Jenny are the owners of Bolton's Curbside Cookery. They're both life long Mt. Holly residents, and graduates of East Gaston. In this episode we talk about their brand new restaurant and how they got started with their food truck four years ago.
In this episode you'll hear a recording of the 2024 Mt. Holly Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This years inductees were:
Vance Furr, introduced by Scott Pope, award accepted by DeLina Furr. 7:34.
James Mack, introduced by Gary Neely. 14:00.
Lee Edison Hansel Jr., introduced by Eddie Wilson, award accepted by Jim Bailey. 23:22.
Jamie Summerlin, introduced by Scott Pope. 37:05.
1979 EGHS Baseball Team, introduced by Scott Pope, award accepted by Tracy Black. 46:40.
Chais Schenck, introduced by Doug Smith. 57:44.
Cierra Brooks, introduced by Tyler Berg. 1:08:15.
Jamie was recently inducted into the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame for his accomplishments both on the baseball diamond and in the dugout as a baseball coach. He grew up in Stanley and graduated from East Gaston in 1998 before going on to play baseball at Belmont Abbey College. He currently lives in Mt. Holly with is wife and three children. Listen in to learn more about Jamie's accomplishments, and the family structure that led him to success.
William is the owner of Sanitations Unlimited in Mount Holly. He has lived in Mt. Holly almost all of his life. He currently volunteers time with the Mt. Holly Historical Society and the Mt. Holly Parks and Rec Commishion. He's a graduate of East Gaston, class of 2000. In this episode we talk about William's business and some Mt. Holly past and current events.
Rob is a former college and high school basketball coach. He currently works in the Parks and Recreation department for the city of Mount Holly. In this episode we discuss his coaching journey, the people and connections he's made along the way, and of course, March Madness!
Garrett is a Physical Therapist who lives and works in Mount Holly. His clinic, Kinetix, is located in the Municipal Complex. He's originally from Frederick County Maryland and he's a graduate from Shenandoah University's Physical Therapy Program. In this episode we learn about his clinic and how he and his wife found their way to Mount Holly. We also discuss ways to stay physically active and how to best help the body recover.
Jonathan is the new City Manger of Mount Holly. Prior to coming to Mount Holly he was the City Manager of Ranlo. He obtained a Masters in Public Administration from UNCC and a Juris Doctor degree from the Charlotte School of Law. In this episode we discuss what led him to Mount Holly and what his future plans are for our city.
Allison is the owner of Cleary's Bookstore in Mount Holly. She and her husband recently moved to the area from Seattle. In this epsiode we get to know Allison and her bookstore. We also discuss what drew her to Mount Holly.
My uncle Joe Haverty, my cousin Chris Drumm, and my brothers John and Marty joined me for this all in the family edition of EXIT 27. In this episode the guys discuss growing up in Dotson's Trailer Park in the late '60s early '70s, and some of their first rock and roll concerts. We also talk about some of our favorite trips together and our grandfather, (Joe's Father) Joseph Haverty Jr., who passed away when he was only 36 years old.
Jeff is the owner of Painter Funeral & Cremation Services. He was born and raised in Mt. Holly and currently lives in Stanley. He graduated from East Gaston in 1995. He received his certification for Funeral Directing from Fayetteville Technical Communicty College and has been serving our community in the funeral business for the last 15 years. In this episode we discuss how the funeral business has changed over the last 20 years. We also reminisce on some of our favorite Mt. Holly memories.
Jeff is an imcumbent member of Mt. Holly's city council who is running for re-election this November. Jeff has a Masters degree in public administration from the University of Central Florida. Since moving to Mt. Holly in 2008 Jeff has served on the Mt. Holly Planning Commission, as well as serving two terms on City Council. In this episode we discuss what drew Jeff and his family to Mt. Holly, his background, and his campaign for re-election.
Bryan is Mt. Holly's incumbent mayor, seeking re-election to his 6th term this November. In this episode we discuss some of the accomplishments Bryan and the City Council have achieved during his time as Mayor. We also touch on some of the current development happening within the city and what future growth may look like.
Learn more about Bryan and his campaign on his website www.bryanhoughformayor.com.
Joe grew up in Mount Holly and graduated from East Gaston HS in 2001. He went on to graduate from East Carolina University. He currently lives in Belmont with his wife and two kids. Joe is an active volunteer in his community, coaching youth sports and mentoring students. He hosts a Sandwich of the Week show on Instagram @JoeblackECU. In this episode we discuss his health scare this past New Year's Eve, his Sandwich of the Week show and what it was like growing up in Mount Holly.
Scott is the Owner/Operator of Mount Holly's newest restaurant, Firehawk Brewpub, which is set to open in the coming weeks. Scott has over 15 years in the restaurant industry. He has lived in Mount Holly for most of his life, graduating from East Gaston HS in 1994. He's my first cousin and we have a lot of memeries from growing up together, some of which are discussed in this podcast. Listen in to learn more about Scott and Firehawk Brewpub!
Thomas "Officer" Bell is a Sergeant with the Mount Holly Police Dept. For the last 20 years he has worked as the Resource Officer at Mount Holly Middle School. He's a graduate of Kings Mountain High School and he has lived in Mt. Holly for the past 4 years. In this episode we discuss what he does with all the candy people bring him and we also talk about what he does when he is not in uniform.
Danny is an amazing person who has lived a fascinating life. He grew up in Lucia and attended Mt. Holly High School. He currently lives in Mt. Holly and is a regular member of the McDonalds breakfast crew. He is a recovering alcoholic and he has sponsored countless people through the Alcoholics Anonymous program over the last couple decades.
Outro song titled "I wouldn't Change A Thing", written and performed by Carrie Haverty.
Mary works with the City of Mt. Holly. She came onto the show to tell us about all of the exciting events the city will be hosting during the month of December. Mary also owns a marketing and consulting firm in town named, For the Love of Technology. You can find out more information about the Yule Love Mt. Holly events here, Yule Love Mount Holly, and you can reach mary at mary.blomquist@mt.holly.us.
Robert is an Attorney at Law who grew up in Mt. Holly and has practiced law in town since 1975. He received his undergraduate from Davidson College and he complete law school at UNC. He also served two terms as the Mayor of Mt. Holly. In this episode we discuss his career as a lawyer and a mayor, as well as some of his memories from growing up in Mt. Holly.
In this episode you'll hear a recording of the 2022 Mt. Holly Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This years inductees, in order of introduction, were:
Harry Adams, introduced by Scott Pope
1956 Mt. Holly Hawks Football Team, introduced by Gary Neely
Steve Hansel, introduced by Gary Neely
Robert "Buster" Nichols, Jr., introduced by Eddie Wilson
Marrio McCorkle, introduced by Doug Smith
Stewart Hare, introduced by Tyler Berg
In this episode you'll hear a recording of the 2022 Mt. Holly Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This years inductees, in order of introduction, were:
Harry Adams, introduced by Scott Pope
1956 Mt. Holly Hawks Football Team, introduced by Gary Neely
Steve Hansel, introduced by Gary Neely
Robert "Buster" Nichols, Jr., introduced by Eddie Wilson
Marrio McCorkle, introduced by Doug Smith
Stewart Hare, introduced by Tyler Berg
Jessica is a member of the Mt. Holly Athletic Association. The MHAA is hosting the first annual Fall Ball, Friday Sept 24th @ Traust Brewery in donwtown Mt. Holly. (See the link below to purchase tickets). Jessica grew up in Lucia, graduated form East Gaston in 1998, and went on to graduate from ECU. She lived in Wilmington most of her adult life and recently moved back to Mt. Holly. In this episode we discuss the Fall Ball, some of Jessica's memories of growing up in the community, and what led her back to Mt. Holly.
Click here to puchast Fall Ball tickets
Jake and Matt were two of three coaches for the Mount Holly 10u Allstar baseball team that recently won the State Dixie Youth Baseball tournament and represented North Carolina in the Dixie Youth World Series. They both grew up in Mt. Holly and graduated from East Gaston, Jake in '02 and Matt in '99. In this episode we discuss the ups and downs of their amazing journey to the World Series and the outpouring of support they received from the local community.
Luke & Tyler are both repeat guests on the podcast. Luke grew up in Mt. Holly and now lives in Wilmington, NC. Tyler was a basketball standout at East Gaston and later Wofford College. He recently took over the position of President for the Mt. Holly Sports Hall of Fame Committee. In this episode we discuss some current and upcoming events in Mt. Holly. We also relive some of Luke's glory days on the hardcourt and talk about what he has going on in Wilmington.
Tickets to the upcoming Sports Hall of Fame ceremony
Randy is from West Charlotte. He's a graduate of Harding High School and UNCC. He moved to Mt. Holly over 45 years ago with his wife Cindy. During this episode we discuss Randy's career and his path to Mt. Holly. We also talk about being a father, a grandfather, and mornings with the Mcdonalds breakfast crew.
Gary is a life long Mt. Holly resident. He's a graduate of Mt. Holly High School and App St. University. In this episode we discuss Gary's childhood, Mt. Holly sports in the 60's, Gary's participation in the Mt. Holly Sports Hall of Fame, and much more.
Outro song, titled The One That Got Away, written and performed by Joe Haverty
Jeff is the owner of the Vintage Nest, a home decor store located in downtown Mount Holly. In this episode we discuss the reasons Jeff decided to open a retail store in Mount Holly and how the Vintage Nest has evolved over the last 10 years.
Outro song, titled Valerie, performed by Carrie Haverty.
Don Roper is a candidate running for Sheriff of Gaston County. Currently, and for the past eight years, he has served as the Chief of Police in Mount Holly. He's lived in Gaston County his whole life and is a graduate of Hunter Huss. He received his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Gardner-Webb University and his Masters's Degree in Public Administration from Appalachian St. Tune in to this episode to learn about Chief Roper's campaign and his record over his 34 year career in law enforcement.
Outro song, titled Line of Fire, performed by Joe Haverty.
Ivory is a life long resident of Mt. Holly and a candidate for Mt. Holly's City Council in this November's election. Ivory works in real estate with Ivory Craig Real Estate, Powered by Premier South. He has also worked as a policeman for the city of Mt. Holly, and currently works part time for the Belmont police department. In this episode we discuss Ivory's campaign for election, as well as some of Ivory's memories of growing up and working in Mt. Holly.
Lauren is an incumbent member of Mt. Holly's city council who is running for re-election Nov 2nd. Lauren graduated from Penn State with degrees in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. She moved to Mt. Holly in 2006 and has since volunteered her time with many different non-profits within the community. In this episode we discuss Lauren's takeaways from her first term as a city council woman, her background, and her campaign for re-election.
Brian is the Assistant Planning Director for the City of Mt. Holly. Jonathan is the owner of The Summit Bottle Shop & Tap Room in downtown Mt. Holly. During this episode we discuss the upcoming 2021 Park Bond referendum that the citizens of Mt. Holly will vote on this November.
Outro song, titled Come Together, performed by Carrie Haverty.
Cecil and Eric were recently released from prison after serving 31 years for drug trafficking and firearms charges. During the podcast they discuss their crimes, sentences and lessons learned. We also touch on their first impressions after being released and what their plans are for the future.
Donnell and Renee are the owners of Brown Shugah, a nail salon that recently opened on Main Street in Mt. Holly. During the podcast we discuss how Brown Shugah came to be and what it's like to be new small business owners in Mt. Holly. We also touch on some of the things Brown Shugah is doing to support the local community.
Dan Stutzman is a local small business owner and resident of Mt. Holly. He owns a baseball & softball player development facility in Lowell called Kinetic Drive. Dan grew up in New York and played baseball at App St. before moving to Mt. Holly. In this episode we discuss Dan's path to Mt. Holly and how he decided to open Kinetic Drive.
Find out more about Kinetic Drive @ Kinetic Drive-Drive.com
Outro song: Home in the Hills, written and performed by Joe Haverty
Marty is the current president of the Mt. Holly Athletic Association (MHAA). He also spends a lot of time at Tuckaseegee Park umpiring youth baseball games. He graduated from East Gaston in 1994 and currently lives in Lucia. In this episode we discuss Marty's background, the history and current state of the MHAA, and what it's like umpiring baseball.
Outro song written and performed by Justin Aswell Blackwood.
Both Kathy and Jimmy have lived in Mt. Holly their whole lives. Kathy has worked in college administration since 1969, most notably as the Executive VP of Finance for multiple schools over the course of her impressive career. Jimmy worked as a welder and for a time was a professional fisherman, competing in tournaments all over the southeast. During this episode they both tell some really wonderful stories. This podcast starts out great and just keeps getting better until the very end when Kathy's brother, Joe Haverty, plays an original song titled In the Morning Light.
This week I was joined by Paige Sigmon. Paige is from Cherryville and moved to Mount Holly about five years ago to open her chiropractor practice, Carolina Family Spine Center. In this episode we discuss some of the volunteer work Paige does around the city, most notably her involvement with the Mt. Holly Farmer's Market.
Connor Sisk is the current Athletic Coordinator for the Mt. Holly Parks and Rec department. He grew up in Mt. Holly, graduated from East Gaston in 2010, and went on to attend and graduate from N.C. State. In this episode we touch on the youth sports programs offered in Mt. Holly and some memories from Connor's past.
Justin is a cousin of mine who grew up in Mt. Holly and has recently moved back into town. He is a musician, DJ, and music producer, as well as many other things. He recently celebrated one year of sobriety by releasing two new songs, linked below. His unique ability to "play" the MPC and Maschine have led to millions of views on YouTube posts. In this episode Justin and I discuss how he got started in music and the journey that has led him to present day.
Justinaswell.bandcamp.com
We continue our salute to veterans this week as Will Crist joined me to discuss his time spent in Vietnam. We also discuss Will's childhood, growing up in Mt. Holly, and the years before and after his time in the military. Will was in the Marine Corp from '65 to '69, and served as an interrogator in Vietnam from Nov '66 to Jan '68. He left the marines with the rank of Captain and went on to graduate from the University of South Carolina before coming back to Mount Holly to raise his family.
Marty is my older brother. He grew up in Mt. Holly and currently lives in Matthews, NC. He graduated from East Gaston in 1979 and went on to get his undergraduate degree from UNCC and his masters from Belmont Abbey. Listen in as we discuss some of the memories and good times from Marty's past.
Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans out there. This week Matt joined me to talk about his deployments in Baghdad and Kuwait. Matt joined the Army National Guard as a Second Lieutenant after graduating from App St University. Here are some links to give the listener a visual of some of the topics we discussed during the episode.
https://www.mapsofworld.com/iraq/baghdad-city-map.html
https://www.google.com/search?q=army+m88+recovery+vehicle&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj-6-qW2_XsAhVqg3IEHT78BPoQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=m88+army+v&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgYIABAIEB46BAgAEEM6BggAEAUQHjoECAAQGDoCCAA6BAgAEB46BQgAELEDOgcIABCxAxBDOggIABCxAxCDAVDqsgFY29EBYMzoAWgAcAB4AYABpgGIAeINkgEEMjEuMpgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nsAEAwAEB&sclient=img&ei=dlepX_7YOeqGytMPvviT0A8&bih=934&biw=1719&client=safari#imgrc=HCKXJlMwSZWQoM
For this episode, in honor of Veterans Day, my mom and dad joined me to discuss the four years my dad spent in the Air Force. From 1961 to 1964 Dad was a jet engine mechanic stationed in Dover, Delaware and Suffolk Co., New York.
This week Scott Hope, Stewart Hare, and Jamie Summerlin come back to the studio to record the EXIT 27 Day Challenge Recap episode. Listen in to see who won the challenge and find out how our aging bodies held up over the 27 straight days of push ups, sit ups and lunges.
Ryan is a life long friend of mine. He grew up in Mt. Holly and graduated East Gaston in 1997. He currently lives in Black Mountain with his wife and son. In this episode we share a lot of laughs as we recall some memorable events of our past.
Luke (Elby) Blackwood was in town this week and stopped by the studio for a return visit to the podcast. In this episode we review some of the previous EXIT 27 podcasts, I try to convince Luke to move back home, and we discuss Luke's upcoming 30th birthday.
This week Scott Hope, Jamie Summerlin, Stewart Hare and I recorded the first Exit 27 Day Challenge Podcast. During this episode we discuss and decide on the best way to challenge ourselves, both physically and mentally, for 27 straight days.
Bryan grew up in Mt. Holly and currently serves as our Mayor. He and his business partners recently opened Smoke and Barrel Cigar Bar and Lounge here in downtown Mt. Holly. Listen in to learn more about his new business and to hear some great stories from Bryan's past.
Tyler was a basketball standout at East Gaston where he graduated in 2002. He went on to play basketball at Wofford College before moving back to Mt. Holly where he still lives today. In 2019 Tyler was inducted into the Mt. Holly Sports Hall of Fame.
Jeremy grew up in Mt. Holly and graduated from East Gaston in '98. He moved around the country going to school and working for a few years but now he's back home. In this episode we talk about Jeremy's journey to this point in his life and growing up in Mt. Holly.
Kyle is a professional bowler from Taylorsville, NC. He has won five PBA titles in his career (two this year) and is currently ranked 3rd in the PBA Player of the Year standings. In 2019 he bowled internationally for team USA.
Stewart and I played basketball together at East Gaston and we have remained close friends over the last 25 years. Stewart scored over 1000 points at East Gaston and went on to have a successful basketball career at UNCW. During this episode we discuss Stewart's basketball journey, from the low points to the highest of high points.
Drew is the owner of Johnson Power Washing Plus, a small business located here in Mt. Holly. He's a good friend of mine and one of the funniest people I know. Listen in to learn more about Drew and hear some wonderful stories from his past.
Ivory and Joe are from Mt. Holly and they're both passionate about bringing people within the community together. Listen in as two people of different races discuss current events and growing up in Mt. Holly.
Matt and I grew up as next door neighbors. He currently works as a doctor for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta GA. He's a graduate of East Gaston, class of '94. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his doctorate from UNC. In this episode we discuss Matt's journey to the CDC and some fond memories of growing up in Mt. Holly.
Dave is my Father in law. He lives in Raleigh and is retired from Nortel. He still manages some real estate properties, one of which is in North Myrtle beach where we recorded this episode, and another one is in Mt. Holly. Dave was raised in Boonville Indiana, a small town of six thousand residence. During the podcast Dave estimates that their high school gymnasium seats two or three thousand, but afterwards we looked it up an it actually seats 5650!
Bobby has lived in Mt. Holly almost his entire life. Over the years he has volunteered his time for numerous non-profits for the benefit of Mt. Holly and it's citizens. He has also served in multiple public service roles. Listen in as we discuss his father, Mr. Black, the legendary band director, what it was like being Mayor of Mt. Holly, and many other topics.
Aaron is the owner of RDS Lawn Care, a Mt. Holly company that has been around for 25 years! Aaron and I are life long friends. We graduated East Gaston together in 1995. Join us as we relive some of our favorite memories from growing up in Mt. Holly.
In this episode I sat down with my uncle Joe. Joe is a graduate of Mt. Holly High School, Atlanta School of Broadcasting, and Belmont Abbey College. He's currently retired and living in Mt. Holly. Listen in as we discuss his past and his love of music. Joe plays two original songs during the podcast, the first one is titled Home in the Hills and the second is Line of Fire.
Angela Blackwood is my Mom. She has lived in Mt. Holly almost her whole life. She graduated HS from Sacred Heart, has her undergraduate and masters from UNCC, and doctorate from Nova South Eastern University. She recently retired from Belmont Abbey where she taught accounting for 40 years. In this episode we discuss our families history and Mt. Holly's past.
Jonathan is the owner of the Summit Craft Bottle Shop & Tap Room in downtown Mt. Holly. In this episode we discuss how the Summit came to be and how Covid19 is impacting local businesses. The volume is a little low in the beginning but bare with us, the issue is resolved about 9 minutes into the show.
Eddie Blackwood is my Dad. Listen in as we discuss how the Blackwoods got to Mt. Holly and what it was like growing up in the town during the late 40s and early 50s.