NEWLAND â The Newland Board of Aldermen convened for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, April 6, in which it moved through a packed meeting schedule as it handles additional changes in the absence of a town manager. At the beginning of the meeting, the aldermen quickly moved to approved the meeting minutes form the previous meeting, as well as the emergency meeting minutes in which the town approved a contract with Water Quality Lab Operations in Banner Elk to perform water quality tests for the town. In public comments, a local resident addressed some issues she was having with the lights at Shoemaker Park in Newland, where one light shines into her bedroom window. She asked if there was a reason the lights were affixed the way they are and asked if perhaps if the lights were used to keep people from sleeping in the park.