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The Banner News / banner-news.com
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Thursday, March 26, 2015
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Allen Tate 2014 Top Performers It is our pleasure to recognize our top performing agents for 2014, based on closed sales volume. See our top performing agents on page 3!
Volume 80 • Iss Issue 12
Serving Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Serendipity sees MIA bracelet returned to Bunyan Price's family By Alan Hodge
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Webster's dictionary defines 'serendipity' as “luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for.” Well, a huge hunk of serendipity recently landed at the home of Stan Norket who lives near Mount Holly. But let's back up a bit. A few weeks ago the BannerNews ran an article about Bunyan Price, the Vietnam War MIA whose remains had been located in Cambodia and who will be returned to Belmont for burial with full military honors in Greenwood Cemetery on April 11 at 1pm. As fate would have it, Norket picked up a copy of that week's paper and was sitting at home reading it when serendipity came calling. Here's how Norket tells it. “I am a Vietnam veteran. I served from January 1967 to January 1968 as a sergeant over a communications section in the 9th Infantry Division. About twenty or twenty-two years See more SERENDIPITY page 3 Over 100 runners took part in Saturday's Rail/Trail 5k event in Belmont. The event raised about $2,000 that will go towards construction of the Rail Tail pathway from downtown Belmont to Belmont Abbey College. See more pictues on page 10. Photo by Alan Hodge
Historic Catholic church opens doors twice last week By Alan Hodge
The events were services held at St. Joseph's Catholic Worshippers got not one Church- the oldest still standbut two chances to step back ing original Catholic church in time last week in Mount in North Carolina and the fourth Catholic house of worHolly. alan.bannernews@gmail.com
on
ship built in the state. The 171-year-old church, originally constructed in 1843 to serve local Irish Catholic miners and their families, holds services twice a year-
on St. Patrick's Day and St. Joseph's Day. Last week, these days were on Tuesday and Thursday. Last Tuesday, a group of members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians held a ceremony that honored St. Joseph's original 19th century parishioners as well as the first priest there, Father T.J. Cronin. Though Cronin died of yellow fever before the building was completed, he is buried in the church cemetery out front. Last Thursday saw St. Joseph's Day Mass held at the church. Father Frank Cancro from Queen of the Apostles led the service. The building has no heat and even though it was a damp and cloudy day, worshippers didn't seem to mind. Despite dreary weather, a capacity crowd of several dozen folks filled the church's Wanda Hanley, sister of Vietnam MIA Bunyan Price of Belmont, is seen with a photo of him as well as the POW/MIA original pews. One who came to the event bracelet bearing his name that was given to her last week by Stan Norket. See more CATHOLIC page 2 Photo by Alan Hodge
HHOME GARDEN & S P R I N G S E CT I O N
Father Frank Cancro from Queen of Apostles in Belmont led the service at St. Joseph's Catholic Church last Thursday on St. Joseph's Day. Photo by Alan Hodge
Look Inside Today's Edition Page 9