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Volume 78 • Issue 52 • Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Who made the headlines in 2013? Part 1 of 3 By Alan Hodge Alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The year 2013 is nearly done and what a year it was. The main issue on the BannerNews beat for 2013 was growth and develop-
ment. Many, many city council meetings over the past year in Belmont, Mount Holly, Cramerton, McAdenville, and Stanley saw rezoning requests so that businesses and residential developers could set up shop or build housing in the area. Not everyone embraced the
changes, and debate often broke out on the issue of small town quality of life versus growth. On the sports scene, the South Point Red Raiders football team had another stellar year on the gridiron and won the Southern Conference 3A title only to fall
in the state playoffs to Concord. Nonetheless, Big Red finished the year with a 131 record. Municipal elections were also held in 2013 and they resulted in several new faces as well as some incumbents taking their seat at the dais in our local communities.
For week by week details on stories that the BannerNews reported on in 2013, read on. January 3 featured a story on musician Darrell Bumgardner and his work with the band that was See REVIEW, 5A
Girls rule! Robotics team places 2nd By John Wilson John.bannernews@gmail.com
Who says that robots are only for boys? A group of hard charging young ladies from Belmont Middle School are showing that robotics isn’t just a guy thing. The all girls RoboChicks received 2nd place in Robot Performance class of the First Lego Competition. The competition was held Nov. 23 as part of a national robotics program. The BMS team competed against 24 other teams from various Gaston and Cleveland County middle school robotics teams. The competition requires the various teams to program their robot to do a series of functions, or “missions� in a set period of time. In this year’s competition the Robo-Chicks were running their robot “Bo-
bette� through a modified obstacle course that simulated a hurricane disaster scene. The fact that the RoboChick’s all girl lineup has created a buzz isn’t lost on their advisor, Belmont Middl School technology teacher Deb Elmore. Elmore believes the Robo-Chicks serve as an example of what determined young ladies can do. “This year we decided to go with an all girl team,� Elmore said. “ We wanted to teach them life skills in science, technology, engineering and math.� Elmore is proud of what the Robo-Chicks have accomplished. “They are positive role models,� she said. “They show that robotics is something that girls can do as well.� See ROBO-CHICKS, 4A
But don’t forget the meaning of Christmas. Belmont Middle Schools Robo-Chicks Robotics team shows off their 2nd place Robot Performance Trophy. The teams recently competed against 24 other Gaston and Cleveland county teams in a robotics competition. Contributed Photo
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to have a complicated influence on the relationship between the insured and insurer. Still in its early days, consumers and providers alike are still sorting through a host of new rules, a web site that didn’t launch smoothly and the extent to which Medicare funding is affected.
Photo of painting by Alan Hodge
This portrait of Mildred Ford hangs in the office of the Belmont Community Organization building. In addition to other philanthropic and civic activism, Ford was one of the founders of the BCO. Decades later, Friday and Hodge still work at the bank, now Wells Fargo. “I recall how pleasant she was,� Friday said. “She always had a smile for everyone. She was a precious person.� Hodge was only 18 years old in 1972 when she was hired by Paul Ford. “I remember Mrs. Ford See FORD, 4A
The prolonged political battle that eventually pressed into law an overhaul of the health insurance industry seemed to come to an end on March 23, 2010, when President Obama signed a contentious bill called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But the struggle to change the way Americans get access to health care and pay for treatment wasn’t over then and is still a moving target now, nearly six years after the president and Congress began drafting and re-drafting legislation that sought to reduce the number of uninsured while at the same time lowering ever-rising health care costs. After the law passed, the legislation still had to overcome a number of political hurdles that risked killing – or at least stalling – what Obama has called the most important act of his time in the Oval Office. Among other lawsuits related to the new law, the one with the most momentum was one brought by an association of hospital and insurance companies that sought to strike down the new health care law on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. That suit wound its way through the federal courts and ulti-
mately landed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled, essentially, that Congress did, in fact, have the power to mandate that individuals carry health insurance as prescribed by rules set forth in Affordable Care Act. Later, as a budget fight roiled Washington in September, the new health care law was in the spotlight again as Republicans, who have been the fiercest opponents of the Affordable Care Act, sought to withhold funding for it. That resulted in a 16-day shutdown of the federal government, which shuttered most federal government offices and sent more than 800,000 federal workers nationwide home, unsure of when they would be able to return to work. Members of Congress eventually worked out a budget deal that preserved funding for the new health care law’s provisions. At the same time, another problem – not a political one but a technical one – was surfacing. The web site maintained by the government to help marry the insured with the insurer was having catastrophic problems. The site crashed repeatedly in its debut week. Tens of thousands of would-be customers were reporting problems establishing an account. There were also doubts that the site, which had been designed and built chiefly by a menagerie of non-government sub-contractors, was stable enough to withstand cyber attacks, and whether it was secure enough to be entrusted with individual’s personal information. After more than six weeks of prolonged glitches and uncertainty, confidence in the insurance exchange and in See AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, 4A
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of Stanley
But don’t forget the meaning of Christmas.
Turkey feast and pumpkin pie Yuletide log and Gramps’ winked eye Smiles aplenty gathered ‘round Savory sights and scents and sounds...
Dave Blanton
Belmont lost one of its kindest, most compassionate, and well loved figures last week with the passing of Mildred Tucker Ford. Ford died December 16 at the age of 100. She was living in Loveland, Ohio with her daughter Alice Obst. Ford was born in Belmont on January 26, 1913 and was the daughter of the late Clarence Eugene and Ida Mauney Tucker. She was married for 53 years to the late Paul Ford, for whom the Belmont Parks and Recreation Center is named. Paul served as president of the Bank of Belmont, and during her visits to his office there, Mildred made an impression on the employees she met including Denese Friday, Sharon Hodge, and Harriet Armstrong.
Silver bells and twinkling lights Candy canes and chilly nights Santa Claus and stockings filled Presents wrapped for morning thrills...
But don’t forget the meaning of Christmas.
dave.kmherald@gmail.com
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
By Bill Ward www.willyace.com
Carols sung and mistletoe Cider hot and hearts aglow Old friends’ calls and Cards of cheer Building snowmen in the clear...
BCO leader, Ford, New health insurance laws a passes away at 100 ‘game-changer’ for local providers By Alan Hodge
The Meaning of Christmas
A wondrous star, a Baby born Some triumphant, others torn His Birth for us, as was His death Eternal Love, forever blessed... This - is The Meaning of Christmas
Loan program overhauled Changes to strengthen, encourage rural housing markets and new construction by MICHAEL E. POWELL michael.cherryvilleeagle@gmail.com
There is good news for local first time Gaston and Cleveland County home buyers in what has been a fairly depressed economy – home loans. Warren Smith, Area Director for the USDA's (U.S. Department of Agriculture) local office in Shelby overseeing both Gaston and Cleveland counties, said the department's Secretary, Tom Vilsack, released information detailing “sweeping changes� to a popular loan program for first time rural homebuyers. Smith is one of six Area Directors in North Carolina. Area 2 is comprised of 16 See USDA HOME LOANS, 3A
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