Recent Charlotte transplants to York Chester dubbed our neighborhood as "Dilworth West" and they weren't joking as they gave their reasons for choosing this neighborhood. Executives and professionals have noticed the economics that make purchasing a home here a smart financial move and value the charm of our truly historic neighborhood. I thought about those charms and appreciated the generations of tree growth that shade our sidewalks and our smart grid of streets that allow for route variety.

Several months ago, a request from a film location scout had my husband and I spending time around our neighborhood looking for possible filming locations. As we noted spots that fit the scout's list, we met more than a few folks strolling babies as well as joggers, dog walkers, and couples walking. Some I recognized as having long family histories with York Chester and others as newcomers from other states. I wondered if they felt as fortunate as I do living in a neighborhood that has been designated for protection as a National Historic District. I wondered if they recognized the rarity that we are completely surrounded by similar historic districts. Bounded by two other National Historic districts – the Loray Mill community to the west and Downtown Gastonia to the north. Our southern boundary is the historic community of Brookwood. To the east there is a "Center City" design district for the Oakland community that pro-vides design review for new development and redevelopment within that district. These designations reflect efforts of neighbors who were concerned about their community and cared.

As the incoming president of the neighborhood association, I have inherited memorabilia documenting a history of concern and care for our neighborhood. Rummaging through past newsletters, I am awed by the history and spirit of neighborliness that has marked this community and kept it as a quality place to live. I see this spirit in our Association's board members. These committees keep the spirit and our reputation as a desirable historic neighborhood alive. I invite you to participate in the process. Contact myself or a committee chair to find out how you can contribute.

—Tory Borne, President
president@yorkchester.org

The York Chester Historic District has recently been host to the filming of a movie; Blood Done Sign My Name, a film adaptation of the book by the same name. The film's main character is someone you might recognize from Silver Spoons days: Rick Schroder. Of course he also has been in more recent and well known shows such as Scrubs, 24, Andomeda Strain, and others.

Here is a brief synopsis of Blood Done Sign My Name taken from IMDB:

A drama based on the true story in which a black Vietnam-era veteran is allegedly murdered by a local white businessman who is later exonerated. The plot focuses on the role of a local high school teacher and the civil unrest that followed the acquittal. Read more

For a full overview of the book, visit the Blood Done Sign My Name page on Wikipedia.

Our 2008 Candlelight Homes Tour is gearing up for a spectacular event Saturday, December 6, 2008, 6-9 p.m. We will showcase nine gorgeous homes that have been meticulously restored and maintained by their owners. We will have several homes featured in the news as their stories are simply too exciting not to share. Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend. You will be pleased to learn the 2008 York-Chester Candlelight Homes tour and the United Arts Council Holiday Concert will be held on separate weekends so we will all be able to celebrate Gastonia two weekends in a row! If you would like to volunteer during the tour or participate on our planning committee, we would love to have you. Please feel free to email me.