BN 120413

Page 1

75¢

Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton, and McAdenville

Volume 78 • Issue 49 • Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Abbey back in court

Zoning request

By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Mount Holly – Plans include luxury apartments and a restaurant By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Mount Holly could soon be getting a $16 million building project at Tailrace Marina on the Catawba River across from the Whitewater Center pending city council approval of a rezoning request by the developer the Arnold Companies of Columbia, S.C. The rezoning request is

for 10.9 acres at 1000 Marina Village Drive. The Arnold Companies want the property rezoned from Conditional District Multifamily Commercial first approved on April 12, 2010 to Conditional District Multifamily Commercial based on a new development plan. The main features that the Arnold Companies are

Photo by Alan Hodge

McAdenville held its tree lighting event Monday night. Jerri Tatham (left) and Georgia Andrews were in the holiday spirit. See more photos on page 6A.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas...lights! Belmont Council See ZONING, 2A

reaches water, sewer deal By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

The Belmont City Council got together last week and approved a development agreement with NW Lake Wylie LLC regarding the construction and cost of water and sewer infrastructure to the firm's planned development near the intersection of NC279 (New Hope Rd.) and NC273 (Lower Armstrong Rd). The company intends to develop nine parcels of land totaling about 642 acres in that area with homes, retail, a park and other uses. Following a request by the owners/developers, the property was granted a noncontiguous annexation in the Belmont at the Nov. 4, 2013 council meeting. Belmont assistant city manager Adrian Miller says the deal will work like this. “The developer will pay for the cost of the water and sewer lines and pump stations,” Miller said. “The City will reimburse the developer for a portion of those costs. The reimbursement money comes from the fees that the developer pays in addition to the cost of the infrastructure. This arrangement allows the current city utility fund money received from people paying their water and sewer bills to pay for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements to

the existing system. The fees from the new development will pay a portion of the cost of the new development.” Particulars of the infrastructure engineering will include a a regional pump station on the developers land, three sub-regional pump stations, a ten-inch water line extension, and an eight-inch force main extension. Getting the water/sewer pipes across the South Fork River will be interesting. When a similar job was needed to get Belmont utilities to the Reflection Pointe development off of South Point Road, the challenge was the Allen Steam Station canal and bridge. The pipes were put in a tunnel bored under the canal. Part of the agreement the council reached with NW Lake Wylie LLC also includes property for a park. The developer will donate about ten acres of property to the City of Belmont. The park will be adjacent to South New Hope Road. “The City and NW Lake Wylie have agreed to partner on a new 10 acre park on South New Hope Road, between the intersection of Lower Armstrong Road and the state line,” said Miller. “Over the next 6 months, the city and developer will work on a conceptual design plan for the park and a construction timetable. The city and developer have agreed to on two scenarios for the park construction. In one scenario, the city pay for the construction of the park out of the property taxes See DEAL, 2A

Kerby facing new charges Robert Kerby, 56, the Stanley day care worker arrested Nov. 6 and charged with child sex crimes including indecent liberties with a minor, sex offense first degree, assault on a female, and crime against nature, has had a number of other charges added to his sheet after at least half a dozen other victims have come forward citing alleged similar acts. Kerby worked at his wife's day care Caron's Care Daycare in Stanley where most of the incidents were alleged to have taken place over a four or five year stretch. The day care's license was suspended Nov. 6 by the NC Div. Of Child Development and Early Education. One of the juvenile victims in the case alleged that Kerby touched her inappropriately while they were having dinner at a restaurant in Mount Holly. The victim stated that the incident oc-

Photo by Bill Ward

This house at 320 E. Chestnut St. in Stanley is the site of Caron's Daycare where Robert Kerby worked with his wife. He is currently facing 37 sex crime charges with more likely to come. The day care had its license suspended effective Nov. 6. curred around Halloween in 2011. The victim stated this during an interview associated with other allegations related to charges brought against Kerby by the Stanley Police Department. This case was assigned to Mount Holly police detectives, and warrants were obtained and served on Kerby. The Gaston County Jail

website listed 25 new charges against Kerby as of Nov. 25, bringing the total to 37 counts. Kerby could face more charges pending the outcome of analysis of computer data found at the home. Kerby's bond now stands at $8.5 million. He has been assigned a public defender.

‘Like’ the Belmont police facebook page? By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

The Belmont Police Department has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/BelmontNCPolice and its getting alot of looks. The department worked together to create the page. “It wasn’t just one person who had the idea,” said Lt. Basil Marett. “We have been talking about it as a group for a while now and we came together and made a decision to move forward with it.” The recent CVS shootout and hostage situation spurred the idea on. “We have been talking about the idea for quite some time but what helped make our decision was the critical incident that occurred at CVS on Oct. 25,” said Marett. “We want to be able to communicate information to Belmont residents, not just during

an emergency or critical incident, but we also want to be able to share information on a regular basis. We know that people are always on the go and social media is a valuable tool that can update the public and get information out to many people at once.” The page has a lot of input from officers and staff. “The posts can be suggested from anyone in the department,” Marett said. “Records Specialist Karen Wardwell has been doing most of the posts. The page is updated when there are alerts of info that we feel needs to be shared or is of value to our citizens. We can also choose to share other public agencies posts with our followers.” The Facebook page is a treasure trove of information about the Belmont police are doing as well as other information that citizens will find useful. The page has up to the minute reports of See BELMONT POLICE, 2A

Belmont Abbey College is back in court against the portion of the Affordable Care Act requiring it to provide insurance coverage for contraceptive drugs, sterilization, and abortion inducing drugs for its employees. The Abbey is seeking an exemption from the law based on religious belief and first filed suit in that regard on Nov. 10. 2011. That suit was dismissed by Washington, D.C. District Judge James Boasberg who said the timing wasn't right or ripe because the government was still in the process of developing the finer details of the ACA. The nonprofit Becket Fund for Religious Liberty legal firm represented the Abbey in that action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and also filed the latest suit on Nov. 20 against DHHS as well as the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Labor. “Religious liberty, a fundamental right of all American citizens, has enabled our Benedictine community to found and operate our College according to the principles of our Catholic faith for one hundred and thirtyseven years. We cannot abandon these principles at the whim of the government without destroying the distinct mission of the school as well as the fundamental rights we enjoy in this country,” said Abbot Placid Solari, Chancellor of the College and Abbot of Belmont Abbey in a statement posted on the Becket's Fund website. Belmont Abbey College now faces hefty IRS fines unless it complies with the mandate’s requirement to provide its employees with contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs that violate its Catholic beliefs. The Becket Fund is defending Belmont Abbey College’s right to continue providing its employees with health benefits that are consistent with its Catholic faith. Though the government allows “religious employer” exemptions from the mandate for churches and certain related entities, that exemption excludes most religious colleges, hospitals, and nursing homes. “Belmont Abbey is yet another religious organization that the government has classified as ‘not religious enough’ for a mandate exemption,” Mark Rienzi, Senior Counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead counsel for Belmont Abbey College said See BELMONT ABBEY, 2A

6,000 pairs of eyes read what you’re reading right now. Let’s grow your business in 2013. Advertise on the Banner News front page!

Call Pat at 704-689-7970 or Annie at 704-906-9607

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Page 2A

■ OBITUARIES Vira Abernathy A homemaker MOUNT HOLLY- Vira Luckey Abernathy 91, 1012 Noles Drive, passed away on Monday, November 25, 2013. She was born in Lincoln County, daughter of the late Lloyd and Hattie Duckworth Luckey. She was p r e ceded in death by her husb a n d David Andrew Abernathy, four brothers Charles “Whitey”, Willie, John, and Benny Luckey; three sisters Jeanette Stewart, Thelma Hager and Pansy McCorkle, and her daughter Donna Marie Abernathy. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church and was a homemaker. The family would like to thank the staff and doctors of Brian’s Center in Gastonia for their care and compassion. She is survived by her sons, Dennis Wayne Abernathy and wife Nancy of Mount Holly and Andy Abernathy and wife Leigh Ann of Alexis; four grandchildren, Tommy Wayne Rebecca Clippard Loving mother, grandmother Rebecca DENVERLouise Thornburg Clippard, 87, formerly of Stanley, met her Savior face-to-face on Friday, November 29, 2013. She was born in Gaston County, daughter of the late Will and Edith Lineberger Thornburg. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband George W. Clippard; two sons, George Michael Clippard, Ricky Glenn Clippard; a grandson, Michael Jason Clippard; a sister, Helen Cloninger; and two brothers, Charles Thornburg and Jack Oates. She was retired from Litchfield Knitting of Dallas and a faithful member to Lakeside Church of God. She is survived by a son, Donnie William Clippard and wife René of Alexis;

■

Abernathy and wife Debbie, Steven Wayne Abernathy and wife Jennie, Denise Jenkins and husband Michael, and David Lee Abernathy; five great grandchildren, Tiffany, Austin, Matthew and Robbie Abernathy and Sheree Outen; two sisters, Catherine Masters of Denver and Shirley Murray of Denver, and numerous nieces and nephews. A service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Abernathy was held 2pm Wednesday, November 27, at the Woodlawn Chapel of Woodlawn Funeral Home with Reverend Raymond Johns Jr. officiating. Burial followed at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Association National Office, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601. Condolence messages may be sent to the family at www.woodlawnfuneral.org Woodlawn Funeral Home in Mount Hollyserved the family.

two daughters, Nancy Haggins and husband Frank of Gastonia, and Linda Gunter of Denver; granddaughter, Karen Dowell of Cherryville; two sisters, Carolyn Haas and husband Jimmy of Dallas, and Geraldine Hoover of Winterhaven, FL.; two brothers, Phillip Thornburg of Dallas, and Bill Oates and wife Sis of Stanley; twelve grandchildren; thirty great-grandchildren; and fifteen great great-grandchildren. A service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Clippard was held on Sunday, December 1, at 4pm at Christ’s Lutheran Church of Stanley with Reverend David Gunter II and Reverend Robert C. Sapp officiating. The family received friends from 2-4pm at the church. Burial was held at 1pm on Monday, December 2, at Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery with Reverend Jamey Green officiating. Memorials may be made to Gaston Hospice, P.O. Box 3984, Gastonia, NC 28054 or to Lakeside Church of God, P.O. Box 570, Denver, NC 28037.

BELMONT POLICE

Nov. 26: Brandon Michael Mitchell, larceny, arrested by Officer M. Stroupe, 700 block Hawley Ave. Nov. 26: James Wesley Clark, larceny, arrested by

Officer M. Stroupe, 6507 Wilkinson Blvd. Dec. 1: Joseph Clyde Savage, arrested by Officer J. Pierson and Cpl. J. Pierson, DWI alcohol and/or drugs, 200 Nixon Rd.

■ HOLIDAY

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

EVENTS

Mount Holly concerts Two concerts to benefit Mount Holly Community Relief Organization will be held on Dec. 7 at 3pm and 7pm by the Mount Holly Community Choir. The events are entitled “What Sweeter Music: A Festival of Carols”. Tickets are $15 and on sale at Charlie's Drug & Sundries or from any choir member. Come be a part of this wonderful celebration and help our C.R.O. The concert will include an orchestra and a special performance by the Rankin Elementary School "Roadrunners Chorus".

Mount Holly Days Mount Holly will be having its annual downtown Christmas event “Mount Holly Days” on Dec. 13 from 6:30-9:30pm. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Time Flies Country Store during the entire event. Free face painting and balloon art will be at Queen Bee bakery. Free moon bouncy and small fire truck rides will be at N. Main St. The horse and buggy rides will load at the corner of N. Main and Central at a cost of $3 for adults and $1 for kids age six and under. A tractor hay ride will be located near First Baptist Church for the same fees. Other features of Mount Holly Days will include a live nativity at First Baptist. The Mount Holly Middle

School band and choir will perform on the front steps of First Presbyterian Church from 7-8pm. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will be open to view the Chrisom Tree and for Christmas music. First United Methodist Church will be open for Christmas music. The Mount Holly Historical Society will be open for visitors.

Dallas Christmas Parade Enjoy the Town of Dallas Christmas Parade beginning at 4 PM, on December 13 and then join the Gaston County Museum of Art and History, 113 W. Main St. for its free Annual Holiday Open House program from 3-7pm. There will be Christmas traditions and fun for the whole family. See the museum decorated for Christmas, take part in cookie decorating and crafts, hear live music, see and participate in historic dancing, and sample holiday treats. There will be a visit from Father Christmas. Visit the Museum Shop for holiday gifts featuring crafts by local artists, traditional wooden toys and contemporary items.

Holiday classes at the Garden Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden this December will offer continuing education courses with a holiday theme that

feature: photography, wreath making and holiday cards. Upcoming classes in December include: Photographing Holiday Lights, instructed by Dave Kelly, DEK Photography – Dec. 7, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Learn how to improve the quality of photos taken at night, then practice your newfound skills in the Garden surrounded by more than a half-million lights. This class is $50 for Garden members and $60 for non-members. Papercrafting: Holiday Cards, instructed by Suzanne Patz – Dec. 8, 1 to 3 p.m. Impress your friends and family with your hand-made cards, after you’ve taken this class that teaches papercrafting techniques including rubber stamping. This class is $18 for Garden members and $22 for non-members, with a materials fee of $5. Horticultural Highlight Walk, led by Garden staff – Dec. 21, begins at 1 p.m. Join our professional horticulture staff as they take you on a custom tour of the Garden. Guides will highlight what’s in bloom, seasonally relevant gardening tips and behind-the-scenes details. Each walk is a unique experience. Specific topics and guides will be announced the week before on the GarFacebook page at den’s Facebook.com/DanielStoweBotanicalGarden. These walks are free with Garden admission. For more information or to register a class, please visit for www.DSBG.org or call 704-829-1252.

ZONING: request includes luxury apartments From page 1A currently floating for the riverside lot would include a 124-unit multifamily luxury apartment building, and a restaurant of up to 8,000 sq.ft. Plans call for the restaurant to be reachable by water, walking, or vehicle. The apartment building would be four stories tall on the pool side and five stories on the waterfront side. Parking would be on the ground floor. A traffic study recommended improvements such as a four-way stop and pedestrian crossings be done at the intersection of Marina Village Drive and Riverfront Parkway if the rezoning is approved and the project moves forward.

Several meetings with Mount Holly planning staff, Ben Arnold of Arnold Companies, and property owners near the proposed development have been held. Issues discussed included traffic, noise, and blocked waterfront views. At a public hearing last Monday, Arnold addressed the council. “We don't want to be offensive to any of our neighbors,” he said. “A lot of thought went into how this building will fit into the site.” Citizens who spoke at the public hearing were about equally divided for or against the project. The Arnold Companies has built a similar project on Lake Murray near Irmo, S.C. with luxury apartments renting for $1,000 a month for a one bed-

room and $1,500 a month for a three bedroom unit. Arnold says the Tailrace development units will be in that price range. The restaurant on Lake Murray is similar in ambiance to the one proposed one. “We will bring a resort level development to Mount Holly,” he said. Arnold told the council that property tax revenues from the development could be in the $125-150k range each year and that there would be job creation as well. The Dec. 9 meeting of the council will likely see the rezoning request revisited. However, the council is not required to vote on it at that time. That is an option.

DEAL: reached with council over water and sewer From page 1A

development.”

generated by the development once we have collected enough revenue to do so. If the developer wishes to have the park completed sooner than this, then the other scenario will be for the developer to build the park and the city reimburse the cost to the developer. The reimbursement will come from the property taxes generated by the development. In either scenario, the city’s contribution to the park cost will come from property taxes generated by the

While they were at it, the Belmont council also approved landscape maintenance contracts with Two Rivers Outdoor Services. The FY2014-2015 contract comes at an annual cost of $142,8811 and the FY2015-2016 contract at $147,168. Two Rivers will have a lot of work to do. Areas they will maintain includes lawns at City Hall, planning and zoning department, city cemeteries, parks and recreation department,

city fire station, police department, city street rights of way and DOT service areas, waste treatment plant, water plant and facilities, parks and ball fields, public works facilities, Gantt Park perimeter and soccer fields, and Rocky Branch Park. In addition to mowing, other tasks, depending on the location, that will be part of the contracts include edging/trimming, spraying for weeds, aeration, shrub trimming, fertilizing, top dressing, and debris blowing.

BELMONT ABBEY: college back in court over insurance From page 1A in a statement. “Any definition of “religious employer” that excludes monks instilling religion is baffling.” The Abbey is not alone in its fight. There are over 80 other entities who have filed suit against the contraception mandate.

“As with the 82 other lawsuits against the mandate, Belmont Abbey is being forced to pay for its First Amendment right to practice its religious freedom,” said Rienzi. “The government has lots of ways to distribute contraceptives if it wants to—forcing monks to do it is completely unnecessary.” The Becket Fund is also representing the Little Sisters of the Poor,

Hobby Lobby, Christian Brothers Services, Guidestone Financial Resources, Colorado Christian University, East Texas Baptist University, Eternal Word Television Network, Houston Baptist University, Ave Maria University, and Wheaton College in similar lawsuits. The Abbey's case will probably not be heard until some time in 2014.

BELMONT POLICE: ‘Like’ their facebook page? From page 1A incidents. A recent day's posts warned of a stop sign being down at the corner of Jade Circle and Woodlawn Ave. Another advised of the closing of Secrest Ave. Yet

another advisory post related the incident where North Belmont Elementary was put on lockdown when a man was reported near the building with a gun. As the post assured, it was just a bb gun and everyone was OK.

Traffic reports are also on the page. Other posts on the Facebook page informed folks of topics as varied as robberies, a gas leak, and an effort by Belmont police to bring attention to abused kids.

The Facebook page is bright and colorful. Recent photos include Kellie Pickler when she was at WalMart enjoying fans, a new police car in front of the PD headquarters, and a huge American flag highlighting words of appreciation by Belmont PD to all veterans past and present. So far, the Belmont police Facebook page is proving a popular way for the department to not only get up to speed in the world of social media, it's also proving to be a good public relations tool as well. So far the page has 312 “Likes” and a number of positive comments have also been posted from a variety of citizens.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Page 3A

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Clover teen killed in wreck A Clover, S.C. teen was killed last Friday morning in an automobile accident near Belmont that also injured the four passengers riding with him. The wreck occurred around 7:30am. Police believe 19-yearold Patrick Henry Boyd, of 6915 Treebark Ln. in Clover fell asleep at the wheel of his car then struck a large, metal sign in front of Jim's Grocery at 1901 South Point Rd. Boyd was killed in the collision. His passengers, 18year-old Shelby Thompson, 17-year-old Jacob Medford, 20-year-old Alexander Craze, and 19-year-old Christopher Craze, were injured in the crash. The Craze brothers were taken to CaroMont Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. The Crazes are from Murphy,

Photo by Alan Hodge

A small memorial has been placed on the sign pole at Jim's Grocery on South Point Road where 19-year-old Patrick Henry Boyd was killed in an accident last Friday morning. N.C. Thompson and Medford are from Clover. Boyd and the others were returning home from a shop-

ping trip at Concord Mills Mall. NC Highway Patrol handled the scene and estimated

Boyd was going about 50mph when he left the road and hit the sign.

Photo by Alan Hodge

Members of the Little Bit Crafty Club were recognized at the Nov. 4 Belmont City Council meeting for creating this beautiful Christmas tree skirt. The skirt will be placed around the tree in front of City Hall. L to R is Barbara Lassiter, Linda Shetler, Joyce Antley. Members not pictured are Jerry Kay, Sandy Winslow, and Cathy Gutkowski.

Mensa applications being accepted Through January 15, 2014, Mensa is accepting scholarship applications online. Applicants should go to www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships for the rules and application form. The scholarship program is open to both members and non-members.

Awards are based solely on essays written by the applicants, limited to 550 words or less. The essays should explain their career, academic and/or vocational goals and how they plan to achieve those goals. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will be enrolled in an accredited

college for the following academic year. Applicants must also live in an area covered by a participating Mensa local group. Charlotte/Blue Ridge Mensa is a participating group, and covers those areas with zip codes beginning with 280, 281, 282, 286 and 297.

Elaine Lyerly is pictured here with Her Excellency Fatima Gailani, President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.

Lyerly attends international humanitarian meetings The reach and humanitarian efforts of the American Red Cross extend beyond the United States. For one Belmont businesswoman, a trip “down under� highlighted needs a halfglobe away and focused on a worldwide mission of compassion and charitable assistance. From Nov. 10-16, Elaine Lyerly, President and CEO of Lyerly Agency in Belmont, attended the International Red Cross Red Crescent (IFRC) meetings in Sydney, Australia. Comprised of 189 nations, the organization’s primary focus is to deliver humanitarian aid to victims of disasters around the globe. The IFRC was founded in Paris, France in 1919 on specific humanitarian principles: Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. The IFRC meets every four years to discuss issues that are pertinent to delivering humanitarian aid to alleviate human suffering, set policy and elect members of its Governing Board. As a result of the election, the American Red Cross was successful in the re-election of Virginia native Edward Heidt to the 20-member IFRC board. As one of three American Red Cross delegates, Lyerly’s role was to support the delegation in building rela-

tionships with Red Cross/Red Crescent societies on a worldwide basis to assure that developing countries have the resources in place to prepare for and respond to disasters. This can be for anything from earthquakes, hurricanes and fires to refugees and disease, such as tuberculosis and HIV/Aids. Lyerly also met with Her Excellency Fatima Gailani, President of the Afghanistan Red Crescent, and discussed an organization program that provides shelter for mothers and children living on the streets. They help women find shelter and teach each a trade so that they can sustain themselves and help provide for their families. Another significant issue in Afghanistan is the number of babies born with a small hole in their hearts. This genetically caused heart defect has been diagnosed in 5,000 infants. The Afghanistan Red Crescent raises funds to provide surgeries for these young children to correct this life-threatening situation. There is much good work being done by IFRC around the world. “It is very gratifying to me personally to be a part of an organization that touches lives, brings hope and shines a light in peoples’ darkest hours,� said Lyerly.

Welcome Home for

Jingle Bell Rockin’ Run %&# ( ) " "5 5)& ";&#0 */ "53*05=4 "3, &(*453"5*0/ */'0 "5 888 $-&7&-"/%$0:.$" 03( 10/403&% #: 5)& ".*-: !

Home for Christmas Parade

Christmas in Kings Mountain %&# ( ) " " 91&3*&/$& 5)& ."(*$ 0' 5)& < 0:4 ".&4 = &9)*#*5 "/% 5063 5)& )*4503*$ 03/8&-- "3#&3 )064& %&$03"5&% '03 5)& )0-*%":4

Christmas Fantasy Light Show % ( ! #! ' / 5)& )&"35 0' %08/508/ 6/& :063 $"3 3"%*0 50 8"5$) 5)& ."(*$ "4 07&3 -*()54 58*/,-& "/% '-"4) */ 5*.& 50 5)& .64*$ )& 4)08 36/4 6/ )634

1. 3* "5 1. .*%/*()5 "-/*()5 )3*45."4 7& &8 !&"3=4 7&

Santa’s

" " *5: 0' */(4 06/5"*/=4 "//6" )3*45."4 "3"%& 64&6. $-04&%

Firetruck Express

08/508/ */(4 06/5"*/

" " /+0: &95&/%&% &7&/*/( )0634 0' 5)& < 0:4 ".&4 = &9)*#*5 $"/%-&-*()5 50634 0' 5)& )*4503*$ "3#&3 064& "/% )05 "11-& $*%&3 #: 5)& '*3&-*()5

*4503*$"- 64&6. 34 -"64 8*-- 3&"% 5)& $)*-%3&/=4 4503: < 8"4 5)& *()5 &'03& )3*45."4= 50 5)& $)*-%3&/ )&/ '30. 1. "/5" 8*-- #& "5 5)& .64&6. '03 1)0504 7*4*54

‘Get Mugged’ for Christmas

Toys, Games & TRAINS!

Christmas Eve Luminaries

%&# ( ) "

& $ % " & "

"5 5)& 065)&3/ 354 0$*&5: *&%.0/5 7& 63$)"4& " )"/%."%& .6( #: -0$"1055&34 63$)"4& " 5*$,&5 */ "%7"/$& 4&-&$5 :063 .6( 4)"3& 40.& )3*45."4 )&&3 &-&$5*0/ *4 0/ " '*345 $0.& #"4*4

9)*#*5 "5 5)& *4503*$"- 64&6. )& *&%.0/5 < = "6(&34== .0%&- 53"*/ %*41-":4 3"*-30"% .&.03"#*-*" "3& 0/ %*41-": "4 8&-"4 "/5*26& 50:4 (".&4 6/ '03 "-- "(&4

%&# ( ) "

%&# ( )

#

" % 3*7& 5)306() 06/5"*/ &45 &.&5&3: '03 5)*4 1&"$&'6- %*41-": 0' $"/%-&-*()5

Page 4A

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Opinions...

“

�

Quote of the week... Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling.

Ahhh, the holiday feast! By the time your eyes are looking at this print, Thanksgiving will have gone by. But the lingering effects of its caloric intake will live on in the form of accumulated body fat. The Thanksgiving feast is the highlight of the gastronomic year. People go hog wild over eats and not only devour vast amounts of traditional vittles such as dressing and green beans and tater salad and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies and sich, they also think of new ways of cooking such as roasting the turkey in a trashcan to throw a bit of variety on the already groaning table. Of course the sacrificial turkeybird gets center stage at Thanksgiving. But wait, did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird instead of the bald eagle? That's right. There's even a booze company called Wild Turkey but that's another subject altogether. Anyway, most folks gain a few pounds over the holidays by feasting on all sorts of dainties and then falling back in a big ol' chair or on the sofa and vegetating in front of the TV where parades featuring gigantic inflatable cartoon characters and gals in sequined tights twirling chrome sticks and folks tooting horns in quasi-toy soldier togs strut by and then there are the ballgames with men tumbling around on a field after an inflated pig skin while being viewed by thousands of rabid fans doing their hollering, cheering, yelling, exhorting thing, etc. etc. But, after all the feasticating, there comes the day of reckoning when one must step upon the bathroom scales and view the toll of recreational eating. Ask not for whom the scales toll, they toll for thee. I have bloated up over the years. I sent my sister Sherry a photo taken in 1976 of the two

Yours, Ours, Others

Alan Hodge Editor of us standing together and I was 24 years old and she was about 18 or so. We were railthin. After she saw the pic, she emailed me the following remark “What are you trying to do, make me depressed?� Anyway, time and gravity and food and sloth and plenty of wobble pop had my body shifting course southward. Or, as my other sister Beth said she felt as if her gluteus maximum had melted and “slud� down the back of her legs. So, after having reached a tipping (over) point, and having lost a few pounds last month when the crud attacked my respiratory system, I came up with a diet plan that so far has seen another four or five pounds of spare tire leave my fizz-eek. I call it the Dale's Superette Diet Plan. Oh, for those who are not familiar with the establishment, Dales is on the riverbank at US29/74 and sells worms, minnows, gas, snacks, and sandwiches and other eatables from a grill inside. My Dale's Superette Diet Plan works like this...I have a cup of Earl Gray tea and maybe a piece of dry toast for brekkers, then come to the office. Around 10:30am or so when I start seeing stars and feeling faint from lack of nourishment, I head to Dale's and get a pork chop and egg sandwich or a bacon and egg sandwich (no mayo), or a hamburger with slaw and mus-

wich cradled in my hands reverently and partake of the wonderful grease/meat/egg taste and it melts in my mouth and I wash it down with iced tea and feel the strength coming back into my brain and around noon I have a piece of fruit and some candy and when I get home some barley pop and then eat dinner as normal hot from the microwave. Thus completes my rations for a given week day. Of course I fall off the food wagon on weekends but so what and I am scared to ponder my cholesterol level but you only live once and if a man can't have a pork chop and egg sandwich every now and then what's the point of having teeth and taste

tard only. I used to put onions on it but they made such a stink in the office that now I nix them. But back to the pork chop sandwich. OMG! The pork chop is grilled to a golden brown and the egg frizzled nice and yaller and these two are nestled in the bread (I prefer a bun), and when I unwrap the paper it comes in the grease has saturated it so that it's almost transparent and then the heady aroma hits my nostrils and I hunch over with the sand-

~ Edna Ferber

buds? So far I have lost eight pounds on the Dale's Superette Diet Plan in about the same number of weeks, which is I feel sure on a par with others that rely heavily on an intake of tasteless greens, nuts, berries, and grilled fish. Sorry, but IMHO fish is meant to be rolled in corn meal and fried in hot grease in a deep fryer or a coalblack cast iron frying pan. Thus completes my gastrointestinal rant. Well, here's hoping you had a great Thanksgiving. Right now it's 10:47am on Tuesday, and I'm heading you know where for you know what.

Letters to the Editor

Why does my alarm clock say it is 8 am but my I phone says it is 5am? I love Thanksgiving at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. For men, it’s a 13 hour day Tony Marciano starting at Guest Editorial 3:30am and ending at 4:30pm. When I get home, we celebrate Thanksgiving. In between dinner and dessert, I collapse. One year on black Friday, I decided I wasn’t going to let my exhaustion keep me from spending time with my wife and my daughter. We got to Northlake mall by 10am, parked at Macy’s and entered the mall through that store. I was still exhausted from the day before. I found a bench outside Macy and knew I needed to just sit down. Well actually, I lay down. In truth, I laid down in a fetal position and went sound asleep. You ask if I was embarrassed. Not on your life. I was exhausted. Fast forward a few years later and a similar thing happened.

Letter to Editor,

I’ve learned that when I am exhausted, I am no good for anything. One morning I planned to sleep in. Instead of getting up at 5am, I would get up at 7am. Somehow in changing the time on my alarm clock I accidently changed the time on it by 3 hours. Although I had set the alarm for 7am, I still woke up at 5 am. But the face of the clock said it was 8am. I sprang out of bed and turned on the radio. They said it was 5:03am. No I thought it was 8:03am. Somehow, they got it wrong. I looked at my alarm clock and it confirmed it was 8:03am. I looked at my cell phone and it was 5:03am. I reset the time and went back to bed for another two hours. I was so tired the day before; I couldn’t process what I was doing. I pressed the wrong buttons on the alarm clock and just kept pressing until it said 7am while simultaneously changing the current time to 8am. I’ve had days where I was so tired that I felt as though I was Frankenstein shuffling one foot

It has been a great year for the Belmont Community Organization. You, the community, have provided us with dedicated volunteers who are the heart of our organization. Men with trucks travel weekly to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Charlotte and daily to Bi-Lo in Belmont to pick up food. Other volunteers stock our shelves with non-perishable food items and our walk-in freezer and refrigerators with

See MARCIANO, 5A

See LTE: REUNIONS, 5A

See LTE: BCO, 5A To the Editor, Belmont has quite a history when it comes to textiles and it’s a history to be proud of. Belmont still has a few textile plants still operating but not near the number in the past. When a plant closes it costs not only jobs but the employees who worked in the plant lose contact with one another. But the people that worked at Piedmont Processing or when it was Ticaro and Spectrum Dyed Yarns have come up

Sidewalk Survey Will you spend more, less, or about the same on gifts this Christmas?

Candace Gant – I'll spend about the same

BannerNews Periodicals postage at Belmont, NC 28012 USPS 049-700 by Gemini Newspapers, Inc. Postmaster, send address changes to: P. O. Box 769, Kings Mountain NC 28086 Phone (704) 825-0580 • Fax (704) 825-0894 Office:128-C N. Main St. • Belmont, NC 28012

Barry Gant – I plan to spend more it's been a good year for my construction business

Cathy Hayes – I think I will spend about the same as last year

wendy.kmherald@gmail.com

alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Annie Jenkins - Sales Coordinator

Bill Joye – About the same as I did last year

Mail Subscription Rates Payable in Advance. All Prices include 6.75% NC State Sales Tax. Gaston & Cleveland County Other NC Counties Outside NC

1 Year 30.00 $35.00 $50.00 $

6 Months $19.50 $22.50 $39.00

Pat Rooney - Sales Coordinator Lisa Zyble - General Operations Manager Graphics & Composing Manager Wayne Conner - Business Manager Kathy Reynolds - Circulation/Classified

Š 2013 Gemini Newspapers, Inc.. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement or news that we deem inappropriate or offensive to our readership.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

MARICIANO From page 4A in front of the other, facing my responsibilities as if God would be proud of me for working while my body craved sleep. It was as if denying myself the needed rest made me more holy. Let me tell you what it made me (and holy was not part of it). When I am tired, I am cranky. When that happens, I become selfish and think only of myself. I am short with people. I tell them what I think while not caring a bit about their reaction to what I just said. I think I’m being decisive. Instead I’m being rude. When I am tired, I operate out of fear. The late great coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi said it best: fatigue makes cowards of us all. When I am so tired, I can’t think properly, I operate out of fear than faith. I can’t see God nor do I want to see his hand moving in

LTE: BCO From page 4A perishable items so that other volunteers can pack food orders for client pickup. In our warehouse, other volunteers sort and store the large amount of donated clothing and housewares on a daily basis. Recently we lost one of our volunteers, Judy Sherrill. Judy showed her love of community in many ways. One was the care she felt for our needy clients. We loved Judy’s sense of humor and laughter. She will be missed by us all. As backpacks were given out to our needy school children this school year, we also provided new shoes for each child. As a special project, BCO board members were challenged to raise enough money so that each of our 97 children

LTE: REUNIONS From page 4A with a solution to that problem thanks to Mrs. Sherry Mayhue and Dorothy Welch we have a Piedmont reunion at Twin Tops fish camp once a year to catch up on old friendships and memories. Sometimes we sadly lose a friend in one circumstance or another. If you ever worked for Piedmont in any form and do not get a reunion letter and want to go to the next reunion try to contact Sherry or Dorothy and let them know, we would love you to join us.

Page 5A

The Banner News | banner-news.com

my world. I want the most immediate, easiest solution to the problem. Not one that causes me to trust the one I cannot see and respond to Him in faith. Vince Lombardi has another quote about fatigue -“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious� That is the kind of “exhaustion� we should operate with – having given it our all for a good cause, we lie exhausted and victorious. I’ll be back in two weeks. Until then, live well my friend. Rev. Tony Marciano is the Executive Director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission. He is available to speak to your group. Go to www.charlotterescuemission.org and go to contact us- just ask for Pam.

would have a new pair of shoes in which to begin school. As the Christmas season approaches, I hope you will support our Christmas from the Heart program. We will send cards in memory or in honor of your family or friends letting them know that a donation was made to the BCO in their name. Please note the deadline of December 13th to allow timely acknowledgement to those your honor. Your act of kindness can make a real difference in the lives of your neighbors who need your help. Blessings to you and yours this holiday season.

â– MEDITATION

A Season of Love I saw a great demonstration of love when I was a little girl. My daddy and I were baking a cake for my mom’s birthday. We had all the ingredients except the oil. My daddy looked over and saw the chicken grease my mom had left over from last night’s dinner. He said, “It is oil so it should serve the same purpose.� The cake was three layers. We covered it with icing and placed a candle on top. When my mom came home we presented the cake with a happy birthday song. I watched my mom eat the entire slice of cake. It was not until I was older I realized she did not enjoy the slice as much as I thought. I asked her why she ate the entire slice. She said, “The beaming look on your face I could not say no.� Only unconditional love would cause a mom to eat an entire slice of cake baked with chicken

grease. There is a love even greater. It is the love of God. God is love and he demonstrated his love in giving us the greatest of gifts. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.� John 3:16 NKJV. God did not wait until we were righteous and living a perfect life. He loved us even when we were in our messiness of life. God sent his Son to die for people who refused to worship him. “But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.� Romans 5:8 NKJV. When we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit pours this love into our hearts. As a result this love becomes an identifying mark of a Christian. “A new commandment I give

Rev. Angela Pleasants First United Methodist Church, Mount Holly

to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.� John 13:3435 NKJV. Unconditional love is not a warm fuzzy but an act of will. We should persevere in our love for God and one another. It is made possible through God’s Spirit.

Marty Barnes President Belmont Community Organization

I believe more plants should do the same thing. But what would be better is to have a grand reunion and have every employee that’s still living that worked in any of the plants that have shutdown in Belmont. Oh I know that’s a big idea but its an idea. So if this gets printed all you ex-textile employees think about what I said and let the BannerNews have your input on my idea. Besides that’s one time a year I take my wife out to eat and and she won a prize but I won the biggest prize when we got married.

Angel Trees offer opportunity to help a needy child Contributed Photo

Angel trees are now up at Country Kitchen in Dallas and Friendly's in Stanley. The gospel group We R Forgiven is encouraging everyone to take an angel and help a needy child this Christmas.

W. Langley Belmont

Fellowship & Faith

" . $ ( #%( " &* )* +( 208 South Main Street 704-825-3216 (%* ( %% )* ( %% $ 120 Park Street 704-825-1333 * - *) &* )* +( 311 Belmont Avenue 704-827-8474 * - *) )" / $ +( 101 Beaty Rd., Belmont 704-827-8381 $* (, - &* )* +( 2300 Acme Road 704-827-2061 )* "#%$* &* )* +( 501 Catawba Street 704-825-5780 )* "#%$* +( % 320 E. Catawba Street 704- 825-8845 )* "#%$* ( "" &* )* 909 Edgemont Ave 704-825-5346 )* "#%$* ( ) /* ( $ +( 901 Catawba Street 704-825-8822 $ 0 ( $ * * % )* +( 120 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road 704-827-3366 ()* &* )* +( 23 N. Central Avenue 704-825-3758 ()* %+()'+ ( %)& " +( 8 Elizabeth Street 704-825-5811 ()* ( ) /* ( $ +( 102 S. Central Ave 704-825-3357 ()* ( ) /* ( $ "#%$* 112 S. Central Ave 704-829-0668

()* $ * * % )* +( % "#%$* 807 South Point Road 704-825-2106 %( )* % $* +( Meets at Stowe Family YMCA Bldg. 704-825-1709 ( ) $% $* $ +( % % 71 McAdenville Road 704-825-7283 ( $ ) & &* )* +( 5008 S. New Hope Rd 704-825-3276 +"" %)& " +( 106 School St 704-827-9621 )*%$ ( )* $ +( 5339 S. New Hope Rd 704-825-8252 %) $ ( ) /* ( $ +( Roper Street 704-827-6280 ( %( $ ( )) # "/ % 124 Georgia Belle Ave 704-829-1091 ( )" / $ +( 6014 S. New Hope Rd 704-825-7959

$(/1) & " # %$ +( 151 Henry Chapel Rd 704-825-0711

%"/ %# %(* ( +* ( $ +( 216 N. Main St. 704-825-2483

%% #%( " # %$ +( 455 Sacco St. 704-825-6007

%, ) & " ( ) /* ( $ +( 204 Lincoln St. 704-825-8342 )) % %, +( 306 Pearl Beaty Dr. 704-827-6500

%+$* %( &* )* +( 110 Lincoln St. 704-825-2046 %+$* " ) $* )) %$ (/ &* )* 212 South Street 704-825-7269 - %& ( ) /* ( $ +( 4357 S. New Hope Rd., Gastonia 704-824-1697 - &* )* +( 201 Oak Trail 704-822-6195 - "") & " ( &* ) 104 Morning Glory Ave. 704-825-5457 %(* "#%$* +( % % 2316 Acme Rd. 704-827-4092 1 %$$ ( (%, +( # %$ 613 N. Main Street 704-825-5576 (! *( * $ * * % )* 120 Park Street 704-825-8480 %- ( % * & ( * +( 118 School Street 704-827-7071

Featured Church of the Week East Belmont Presbyterian Church + $ &%)*" ) * %" +( 503 N. Main Street 704-825-9600 %+* % $* &* )* +( 124 Horsley Ave. 704-825-9516 %+* % $* ( - "" &* )* 297 Gaither Rd. 704-825-8045 %+* % $* $ * * % )* 510 Southpoint Church Rd. 704-825-4019 &( $ -%% ( - "" &* )* 220 Park Terrace Dr. 704-827-7801

* (!) $ * * % )* +( 701 Secrest Ave. 704-825-8175 *%- #%( " &* )* +( 26 Kee Rd. 704-825-5987 $ */ &* )* +( 1005 Catawba St. 704-825-8730 && ( %%# $ * $* %)* " 1405 Armstrong Ford Rd. 704-825-0604 "" % % +( 513 Woodlawn Ave. 704-827-5185

Page 6A

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

It’s beginning to look a lot like

Christmas...lights!

Photos by Alan Hodge

The Youth of Christ Choir from Hood Memorial Baptist Church sang several holiday tunes at the Belmont Christmas tree lighting ceremony Monday.

Above: Cindy Neagle Maxwell (left) and Elizabeth Atterberry were enjoying the Belmont Christmas tree lighting event on Monday evening. Below: Donald McGarry and sons James and Jack came out for the Belmont Christmas tree lighting and had a great time.

The (Christmas) lights went on in Belmont and McAdenville last night much to the delight of area residents.

At left: Cousins Adalynn Thomas, 2, and Isabella Smith, 5, along with Daisybelle their dog were thrilled at the McAdenville tree lighting ceremony. At right :Friends Linda Clawson and Gail Cook were decked out in Christmas togs for the McAdenville tree lighting ceremony.

The Classic Blend quartet; from left; Janet Kelchner, Samantha Kelchner, Doris Smith, and Tom Kelchner.

Photo by Steve Rankin

McAdenville Elementary School student Ian Patrick Hannon threw the switch Monday to officially turn on the McAdenville Christmas lights. Seen with Ian are CaroMont Health's director of wellness Debbie Ballenger (red scarf) and his parents Pat and Alison Hannon.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Page 7A

The Banner News | banner-news.com

â– SPORTS

Red Raiders fall to Concord By John Wilson John.Bannernews@gmail.com

A few weeks ago South Point head coach Mickey Lineberger said, "Everyone in the playoffs is good." That statement proved to be very true when the Red Raiders traveled to Concord last Friday night to take on the Spiders in the third round of the state 3A playoffs. Going into the game South Point was riding a 13-game winning streak. The Red Raiders had won their first and second round games by dispatching the West Rowan Falcons and the Burns Bulldogs, so things were looking good. The Red Raiders appeared to have peaked at the right time. Against Concord things fell apart. The Spiders used a balanced offensive attack and a stingy defense to limit the Red Raiders powerful triple option offense. The result was Concord beat South Point 21-13. Early in the game things looked bad for Big Red. South Point coughed the ball up inside their own ten-yard line. The Spiders took advantage of it when dynamic running back Rocky Reid scored from six yards out. Lineberger and the rest of the South Point defense knew they needed to stop Reid. Reid was to Concord what Tyler Bray was to South Point. Both backs

hold their school's rushing title. Reid finished the night with 125 yards. Less than he was accustomed to, but more than enough to keep Big Red on their heels. Overall the Spiders put up 249 yards in total offense. The first quarter was brutal for South Point. Tyler Bray got his helmet knocked off and suffered a gash to the head. Bray left the field and got three stitches. He would return later in the second half of the game. Concord struck again in the 2nd quarter with an eight-yard TD toss to put the score at 14-0. Without Bray in the lineup South Point struggled. The Red Raiders had fewer than 20 yards of total offense with fewer than two minutes on the clock in the 1st half. With the clock running down, South Point got back into the game. Quarterback Jaquan Brooks hit Jeffery Pearsall on a huge 30-yard TD hook up. At halftime the score was 14-7 Concord. In the second half the Red Raiders started to come to life. Just when they needed it the defense came up with a critical pick when Richard Dunning snagged a Spider pass. Going into the game Concord QB's had only thrown two picks. The Dunning pick set up a Tyler Bray score. The PAT kick was

blocked but Big Red was back in the game with the score 14-13 Concord. Bray ran hard for South Point. The Spiders were bent on stopping him. Concord threw everything they had at him. Even with stitches in his head the senior fullback kept pounding. Bray finished the night with 87 yards. The bottom line was Bray and the other offensive starters had tough nights. Brooks ended the day with negative rushing yards. Trey Crenshaw had 26 yards and Diontrea King had 25 yards. Combined the Red Raiders only had a meager 134 yards on the ground. Even with the Pearsall strike Brooks had a tough night throwing the ball. He was three for eleven for 70 yards. Brooks and the Red Raider offense finished the night with 204 yards of total offense – their lowest of the year. Concord put things out of reach when the Spiders scored late in the 4th quarter to put the final score at 21-13. South Point is done for the year. Concord will go on. The Spiders will host Forestview this week. Even with the tough loss no one can take anything away from the Red Raiders. Big Red had one heck of a run. They fought hard. They can hold their heads high. They left everything on the field. No one could ask for more.

DECA students score at competition

Abbey Women volleyball 2013 Champs The Belmont Abbey women's volleyball team defeated King Tornado 3-0 before a crowd of over 900 to capture the 2013 Conference Carolinas Championship. Belmont Abbey repeats as champion as it adds to the school record for wins (28) and winning streak (22). The Crusaders will receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with the first round of matches coming on December 5. Belmont Abbey (28-3) and King (32-5) shared the Conference Carolinas regular season title after both teams finished with identical 17-1 records, after the two teams beat each other on their home floors. The Crusaders were awarded the top seed after a random selection by the conference office, thus the match was played on the Abbey's floor. It was the Tornado that first built a lead it would not lose until late Crusaders run, capped off by a King The two teams fought closely through the end of the set until an Abbey surge, moved the Crusaders ahead 23-21. The Tornado won the next three points to set up set point for King at 24-23, but three straight kills from Hannah Schellenberg ended the set to move the Crusaders on top 2624 and a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set two was all Crusaders, as the Abbey stormed ahead 40 and would go on to lead 113. The Tornado could only close to within six, and the Abbey scored the final three points to win by nine, 25-16 and take a commanding two sets to none lead. The final set started similarly to the first, as the teams split the first 14 points before the Crusaders won the next four points to effectively seal the match. After King broke the string at 11-8, Belmont Abbey claimed the six of the next seven points to move ahead 17-9. King fought back, winning ten of the next 17 points, fighting off two match points, but it could not avoid a third, as Schellenberg knocked down her 17th and final kill of the afternoon to give the Abbey the Conference Carolinas championship. The win is the Abbey's school-record 22nd-straight, as its last loss came at King on September 20 and the 28th victory of the season is also a school record. Belmont Abbey now advances to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in as many years, the first two NCAA appearances in school history.

Orendorff wins art award South Point High student Cheyanne Orendorff won first place in the art competition for the "Artists of Gaston 2014 Calendar" - Sponsored by DiBella Chiropractic Center. At the unveiling of the calendar at Arts on Main on November 14, Cheyanne was presented with her first place award. Her artwork will appear in the 2014 calendar.

Contributed Photo

The following South Point High School DECA students recently scored proficiency and/ or placed in their marketing Competitive events of Quick Serve Restaurant, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Apparel and Accessories Marketing, and Principles of Marketing. Over 200 students competed in Newton , NC. These students will advance to the State level in March. Lauren Andrews, Emily Bain, Isaiah Carter, Austin Dirks, Bilal Jaliawala, Zain Lakhany, Yale Loucks, Abigail Medlock, Jack Sarno, Jacob Stanaland, Claire Turner, Madison Canterberry- Test finalist; Wesley Davis- Role play winner and overall finalist; John McLean- overall finalist; Katie Nencetti- Role play winner; Carson Potter- test finalist, role play winner and overall finalist;Tyler Potter- overall finalist; Bailey Thomasson- test finalist, overall finalist and first place series winner.

Cramerton Bike and Coat Drive If anyone is interested in donating coats, jackets, cleats, or tennis shoes, call the Cramerton Parks and Recreation office at 704-824-4231 to find out more details. No child in Cramerton should go without a coat or a pair of shoes. For

parents that need help, please contact Cam Carpenter to schedule a meeting. All inquiries are confidential. Also, don’t throw away your old bike, donate it to the Parks and Recreation department so they can fix them

Stuart Cramer Storm

up and donate them to the many kids around Cramerton that would like to have a bike. Contact Carpenter to fill out a confidential form requesting a bike. Several bikes are already available to be donated.

South Point Red Raiders Player of the Week

Player of the Week

Football Contest Last WeekĘźs Winner was... Barry Ward of Mount Holly Barry missed 3 & won the tiebreaker The Shelby game (#5) did not count as it was listed incorrectly.

East Gaston Warriors Player of the Week

Darnell Johnson

Tyler Price

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball

Kaylyn Mullis Ladies’ Basketball

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Your dinner is ready! Dine In • Delivery • Carry Out

Historic Downtown Belmont • 704-825-7774

Bring this ad in for 10% OFF your pets first visit

704-263-0810 We offer savings, service & satisfaction!

Page 8A

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Congratulations South Point Red Raiders Jim & Joyce Biggerstaff Bobby & Gail Brown Gerald Brown Jack & Gary Cannon Jerry Haney & Family Jack Rhinehart David & Betty Robinson Carrol & JoAnn Trull Bobby Don & Gail Tucker Don Wentz

College Park Pharmacy

682 Park St.Lineberger and coach Mickey 704.825.5179 on a great 2013 season! Gaston Floor Co. 1914 Moose St. 704.824.7577

Richard's Service & Towing 315 S. Main St. 704.825.2369 Rita's Family Restaurant 108 Beaty Rd. 704.820.0110

Annabell's Florist 601 Belmont-Mount Holly Rd., Mount Holly 704.827.2624

Overall 14-2 Hampton Inn Conference 820 Cecilia Alexander Dr. 6-0 National 704.825.6100 Rank 624 Handy Pantry State (NC) 505 S.Rank Central Ave. 12

Sheriff Alan and Cathy Cloninger Congratulations Red Raiders!

Art Shoemaker Insurance 305 Belmont-Mount Holly Rd. 704.827.8433

iDropped Carolinas 140 N. Main 803.389.7570

Simonetti's 6432 Wilkinson Blvd. 704.825.5555

Avery Insurance Group 210 N. Main St. 704.825.4134

Joe's Touch of Italy 503 S. Central Ave. 704,825.2805

South Main Cycles 405 S. Main St. 704.825.8585

Badcock & More 1352 E. Franklin Blvd. 704.862.6022

Little Village Restaurant 129 Main St., McAdenville 704.824.3624

South Point Grill 1901 South Point Rd. 704.829.1043

Belmont Chiropractic Center 5803 Wilkinson Blvd. 704.825.9799

Lyerly Agency 126 N. Main St. 704.525.3937

South Point Pet Hospital 3 N. Main St. 704.825.7774

Belmont Drug Store 403 Catawba St. 704.829.9897

McDonald's 505 N. Main St. 704.825.9711

Stowe Insurance 508 Park St. 704.825.2620

Belmont Federal Savings & Loan 210 Park St. 704.825.9861

Meese Jewelry Co. 35 N. Main St. 704.305.2048

Stricker Law Firm 203 Glenway St. 704.829.8034

Belmont Flooring Center 21 E. Woodrow St. 704.825.9985

Millican Pictorial Museum 35 Catawba St. 704.825.5391

Surprise Me 132 N. Main St. 704.825.1116

Belmont General Store 6 N. Main St. 704.825.0114

Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce 155 N. Main St. 704.825.5307

The Banner News 128-C N. Main St. 704.825.0580

Bright Star Grill 205 Madora St., Mount Holly 704.827.0212

Nichols Food Stores 5 Locations to Serve You! 704.829.6945

The String Bean Fresh Market & Deli 106 N. Main St. 704.825.3636

Burger King 200 Market St ., Cramerton 704.824.7600

Pack Brothers Collision Center 6116 W. Wilkinson Blvd. 704.825.9271

Byrum's Upholstery 759 S. Main St. 704.825.8648

Piccolo Antique Mall 134 N. Main St. 704.825.5656

Carother's Funeral Home 312 W. 2nd Ave., Gastonia 704.867.6337

Phil Champion State Farm Insurance 27 E. Catawba 704.461.8944

Carousel Boutique 120 E. Central 704.951.4133

Quilted Thimble Cottage 26 N. Main St. 704.266.6445

Clement's Automotive 411 S. Central Ave. 704.825.4647

RJ Shrift Private Asset Management 100 N. Main St., Ste. 124 704.266.4275

Rollins Insurance Agency 28 E. Woodrow Ave. 704.825.4010

The UPS Store 6428 Wilkinson Blvd. 704.829.1050 TRC Automotive 310 A. .Fuller St. 704.825.6550 Truliant Federal Credit Union 121 Main St., McAdenville 704.824.4630 Watson Insurance 302 Catawba St. 704.825.9642

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Page 9A

The Banner News | banner-news.com

Classified Ads FREE ADS! Have something to sell (under $100) or give away? Just fill out the form below & run your ad for FREE! Home for Sale or Rent MOBILE HOMES AND APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN KINGS M O U N TA I N Prices starting at $100/week. Call

704-739-4417 or (evening) 704739-1425. (tfn) MOBILE HOME for RENT. Very nice and clean. NO PETS. $435/mth + Deposit. Kings Mountain Area. References required. 704-7395319. (12/04, 11, &18) 5 ROOM FRAME HOUSE for RENT. Lackey St. in KM. Gas heat. References and deposit required. $475/mth. 704-

734-0951 (after 4 PM). (12/04) Land for Sale LOW DOWN PAYMENT, MH LOTS in Gaston, Cleveland & Cherokee Co., some with water & septic, owner will fin. Call Bryant Realty 704-5679836 or www.bryantrealty.org. (11/27 &12/04)) Wanted to Buy

CASH ON THE SPOT! Will buy tools, furniture or building full of merchandise, pictures or anything of value. Will also buy musical instruments. Call: 704-300-0827 or 704-300-7676. (12/04) Miscellaneous for Sale OAK FIREWOOD, $50.00. S-10 Load. Seasoned.

Exxon - Times Turn Around Time Flies Country Store Have the Banner News delivered Food Lion - Mt. Holly Will’s Convenience

toOR your mailbox weekly! HAVE IT DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX!

SUBSCRIPTION FORM ď Ź New Subscription ď Ź Renewal ď Ź Senior ($25 - in Gaston County) ď Ź Gift (We’ll notify recipient) Clip & mail or bring payment to: The Banner News 132 N. Main St. • P.O. Box 589 Belmont, NC 28012 Or Call 704.825.0580 for more info.

RATES In Cleveland & Gaston Counties One Year $30 Outside Cleveland & Gaston Counties One Year $35.00 Outside N.C. One Year $50.00

Subscriber Information: Name ______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________ State _____ Zip _______ Phone _____________________________________ Your (Gift Giver) Information - if different from above Name ______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________ State _____ Zip _______ Phone _____________________________________

Six Loads Left. Call: 704-4353970. (tfn) Yard Sale - Deadline Noon Friday LARGE MOVING SALE. 1416 Merrimont Ave., Kings Mountain. Sat., Dec. 7th. 7 am – Until. Clothes, Holiday Stuff, Household goods, TV’s, Tools and lots more stuff.

Legals on or before the 27th day of February, 2014, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 27th day of November, 2013. Rita Wilson McElwaine, Executrix 1000 Pierce Ave. Mt. Holly, NC 28120 BN10553 (11/27,12/04,11 & 18/13)

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF GASTON NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS Having qualified on the19th day of November as Executrix of the Estate of Robert Vance Cheek, deceased, of Gaston County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned Rita Wilson McElwaine, Executrix

FREEbies Name ___________________________________________ Address _________________________________________ City _________________________ State ____ Zip ________ Phone _____________________ • Giveaways or Items Priced Up to $100 Only • Price Must be Included in Ad • Ad(s) Must be Printed on Order Blank • No More Than 3 Free Ads Per Week

• Must Include Phone Number • Start Ad with Name of Item • Only Free Animals Accepted • One Item Only Per Ad • Maximum of 10 Words Per Ad • Not to be Used For Businesses

First Freebie Second Freebie

Third Freebie

or enjoy the news anytime with an online subscription to

www.Banner-News.com Call today! 704-739-7496

COPY DEADLINE: Friday before the issue date at 2pm Mail copy to: Kings Mountain Herald • PO Box 769 • Kings Mountain NC 28086

“We buy salvage cars & trucks�

216

Gaston, Lincoln & Cleveland County’s On-Time Electrician!

Mac’s Auto Parts

Reliable Auto Parts

“It’s all taken care of...�

3038 W. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia

High quality used & new parts

Used parts for most makes & models!

704.861.0676 or 704.861.1331

Mc Lean

0)-'-,.'*+.-$G$ 8&4$1&.%$:;C$2&+ 5EF$+*/(++))$3AD@CF$7?@=$9<' 6?@>B$8AD@C;?@

!

Funeral Directors !

# ) % "$ ($ '! $% &$' %

Gaston 704.865.9669 Lincoln 704.736.4229 Cleveland 704.481.2985

Belmont - 704.825.5301 www.mcleanfuneral.com

Does your dog need a vacation too? Dog Boarding • Doggy Wash 159 Sellars Rd. Kings Mountain

A Family Tradition Since 1957 $$ .( * '! % + ). ')# 0 )'&/ 0 ) &"+ 0 ) $ Locally Owned & Operated by Ron & Cathy Ledbetter

oodlawn Funeral Home

101 Oak Grove St. Mt. Holly, NC 28120 704-827-1801 NOW OPEN!

'$#,"$$ -. "& !!" $ &+ 1615 W. Dixon Blvd. • Hwy 74 By-Pass - Display/Sales Office www.riverhillmonuments.com

704-481-1198

PARK YOUR BARK

Off Hwy. 216, between Kings Mtn. & Cherryville, next to Midway Lakes II 704

734.1020 Doug & Kathy Toomey

www.parkyourbarkllc.com kvathome@hotmail.com

We don’t lock the door & leave at night - we live on the property so your dog has round the clock care!

Call us today to see how your business can be listed in our Service Directory!

704739-7496 • 704825-0580 The Banner News, Cherryville Eagle and Kings Mountain Herald are not responsible for errors in an advertisement if not corrected by the first week after the ad appears.

D I R E C T O R Y

Page 10A

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The Banner News | banner-news.com

■BUSINESS GiGi’s celebrates 3 years GiGi's Boutique & Fine Consignment is celebrating three years in business in downtown Belmont. Montcross Area Chamber members and friends helped GiGi’s kick off the celebration with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Oct. 23. GiGi’s is a family-owned and operated business. In the photo, owner Grace Hohman and her husband Ron are cutting the ribbon along with their daughter and store manager Jessica, who is holding their granddaughter Grace. Many other members of the downtown Belmont business community came out for the ribboncutting and festivities that followed. Holding the ribbon are Chamber members Chris Kennedy and Gina Falco. GiGi’s is at 24 N. Main Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information, call 704-461-8043 or visit www.gigisboutique-nc.com. (Montcross Area Chamber photo.)

TRC Automotive celebrates 2nd anniversary TRC Automotive in Belmont celebrated two years in business with a Montcross Area Chamber ribbon cutting on November 13. Located at 310A Fuller Street, just off Wilkinson Boulevard, across from Dairy Queen, TRC Automotive is an official NC state inspection location, offering a one-stop shop, including OBD diagnostics testing on vehicles. Tires are available, plus A/C work, brakes, oil changes, and most other mechanical needs. Cutting the ribbon are owners Reid Coluccio (left) and Chris Sorrentino. Beside them are shop employees Paul Hartsell (left) and Howard Slade. Also in the photo, are, from left, Chris Kennedy, Kristen Wright , recently elected Belmont City Council member Ryan Schrift , Chamber President Ted Hall and Chamber Board Secretary Dr. Joe Keith. TRC Automotive is open 7:30 - 5 on Monday - Friday and 8 - noon on Saturday. For more information, call 704.825.6550 or visit www.TRCauto.com (Montcross Area Chamber photo)

704-825-7171 A Quiet Place

Call Us 7 Days a Week

You Are Invited Annual Luminary Service To Our

Creating jobs in Gaston County focus at Chamber Business Buzz breakfast Creating new jobs in Gaston County and training workers to fill them were the topics at the Montcross Area Chamber's Business Buzz breakfast on Friday, November 8, at the Kimbrell Campus of Gaston College in Belmont. Donny Hicks, executive director of the Gaston County Economic Development Commission, spoke on the decline in manufacturing jobs and efforts to recruit new industries. Five new manufacturing facilities have been built recently in the Gastonia Technology Park, and Owens Corning announced last month it will spend $120 million to build a 110-employee facility there. But advances in automation and productivity mean fewer employees are required to operate

modern manufacturing plants. Hicks pointed out that, largely due to the decline in textiles, employment in Gaston County has dropped by about 3 percent since 1980, while the Charlotte region as a whole has grown in jobs by more than 100 percent, with Union County growing by 155 percent. Charlotte real-estate economist Frank Warren of Kimley-Horn & Associates addressed the need to bring office jobs to Gaston County and what will be required to succeed. He noted that office park development is following the I-77 and I-485 corridors, mainly north and south of Charlotte, but has not crossed the river into Gaston County. To attract office jobs, he

Our Gift To The Community

December 6th & 7th

" " $# $! ! # ! " " " $ " ! 6513 W Wilkinson Blvd in Belmont ! ! ! ! (704) 825-6099

$

2

Beginning at Dusk Evergreen is Gaston County’s Premier Locally Owned Perpetual Care Cemetery

1462 Armstrong Ford Rd., • P.O.Box 152, Belmont, NC 28012

(704) 825-7171 • evergreenaquietplace.com

Meet Your Friends at Charlie’s Mon.-Fri. • 7:00AM-7:00PM Sat. • 8:00AM-4:00PM Sun. • 8:00AM-9:30AM

! #$! %

OFF # ! ! % ! $# "

said Gaston County must pursue a multi-faceted strategy that focuses on “product (available sites and buildings), infrastructure, education, housing and quality of life.� He said Gaston County must address weaknesses in the areas of “transportation access, executive neighborhoods and available buildings.� Gaston College President Dr. Pat Skinner focused on the college's programs to train workers and plans for a new Center for Advanced Manufacturing. In the past three years the college has provided customized training programs for 2,577 workers at companies generating $500 million in capital investment in Gaston County. Dr. Skinner said two major projects being planned will enable the college to serve the county’s workforce needs even better in the future. “The new Center for Advanced Manufacturing, combined with renovations and updates to the Pharr Trade & Industrial Building, will provide the facilities required to secure Gaston College’s position as the top regional provider of specialized training for the 21st century workforce,� she said. The panel presentation was sponsored by Stress Free Home Care of Stanley, and owner Candi Lethcoe introduced the panel following a welcome by Chamber Board Chair Brian Herre of Park Sterling Bank. More details on the program, including the speakers’ presentation slides, are available on the Montcross Area Chamber website at www.MontcrossAreaChamber.com.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.