PRE-SORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

Permit No. 45Carrier Route Presort

Serving the Bethlehem Community of Alexander County - Published by The Taylorsville TimesVOLUME XLII NUMBER 6 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

The Bethlehem Star+

AS2 Angela Adair, an AlexanderCounty native, became a UnitedStates Navy sailor in September2008. Departing from RTC GreatLakes, she arrived at NATTCPensacola, Florida eager to learnher rate. After graduating, CNATTUJacksonville in Florida was her nextstop earning the 7606 NEC (supportequipment tow tractor technician) in2009. AS2 continued south where shespent just over a year and a half sup-porting the needs for all squadronsvisiting for training sessions in KeyWest, Florida. While at FRCSE DETKey West, Adair earned Technicianof the Month for March and BlueJacket of the 3rd quarter in FY2010.

Earning a second NEC (7618-Afloat support equipment techni-cian) at NAS Jacksonville in 2011,Adair transferred to the USSAbraham Lincoln in Everett,Washington where she was awardedher 1st Good Conduct medal. After avery successful COMTUEX, CVN-72and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2deployed in support of OperationEnduring Freedom (OEF). Servingthe 5th, 6th, and 7th fleets, AIMD/IM-4 had an impressive 98 percent gearavailability rate that served CVW-2

keeping “birds” in the air. Adair heldthe Tool Control Program and gearIssue & Receipt positions through-out the eight month deployment. Bythe end of deployment she was 100%qualified in her shop and earned herEnlisted Air Warfare and EnlistedSurface Warfare pins keeping heramong the top performers in herdepartment. Adair also had her handin the earnings of the 2012 FoodService Ney Award and the Battle“E” allowing the USS AbrahamLincoln to be known as the best war-ship in the fleet.

During Refueling and ComplexOverhaul (RCOH), AS2 became workcenter supervisor and shortly afterwas promoted to LPO (LeadingPetty Officer) of Support EquipmentRework Facility (SERF). Leadingten technicians in the rework of allaviation support equipment, Adairaided in the 10 year extended shelflife of the gear. She also assisted herpersonnel with their careers:Conducted 18 Career DevelopmentBoards (CDB), 10 approved PerformTo Serve applications, 8 reenlist-ments, and 100% advancement with-in her division. AIMD named AS2Adair Sailor of the 2nd Quarter and

FY 2013 Sailor of the Year. USSAbraham Lincoln also named herSailor of the 2nd Quarter and FY2013 Sailor of the Year. March 2013,she earned a Navy AchievementMedal (NAM) in honor of all she hasaccomplished so far in her Navalcareer.

Angela Adair graduated fromAlexander Central High School in2007, and is the daughter of Gary andAnita Adair of Bethlehem. j

Adair receives US Navy commendations

Commissioner nominees selectedFor Democratic Party For Republican Party

Joel Harbinson 928Marty Loudermilt 907Lisa Barnes 829Nancy H. Kerley 439

Josh Lail 1401Milton H. Campbell 1355Ronnie L. Reese 1266Kevin W. Powell 893Andrew Ferguson 848Judy M. Moose 771James W. Clark 343

HARBINSON

LOUDERMILT

BARNES

LAIL

CAMPBELL

REESE

Candidate Ballot Count

Candidate Ballot Count

Alexander County voters on Tuesday, May 6,in the Democratic Primary selected threecandidates for County Commission for theNovember 4, 2014 General Election.

Preliminary results from the AlexanderCounty Board of Elections show 3,782 personsvoted. Democrats selected Joel Harbinson,Marty Loudermilt, and Lisa Barnes to betheir party’s nominees for county commis-sioner. Incumbent Kay Hagan again won herparty’s nomination for U.S. Senate.Approximately one-third of the ballots cast inAlexander County were in the Democraticprimary races. j

Alex Republican Primary voters Tuesdayselected Josh Lail, Milton Campbell, andRonnie Reese to be their party’s nominees forcounty commissioner for the November 4, 2014General Election. Thom Tillis won theRepublican nomination for U.S. Senate.Approximately two-thirds of the ballots cast inAlexander County were in the Republican pri-mary races. j

Bethlehem Friends of the Library sponsored a special reading by Joseph Bathanti,Poet Laureate of North Carolina, on April 29, at the Bethlehem Branch Library.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, he has BA & MA degrees in English Literature fromthe University of Pittsburgh, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren WilsonCollege. Bathanti came to North Carolina as a VISTA Volunteer in 1976 to work with prisoninmates. He is Professor of Creative Writing at Appalachian State University in Boone, NCwhere he is also the Writer-in-Residence for the University’s Watauga Global Communityand Director of Writing in the Field.

Son of a steel worker, Bathanti spoke about his upbringing in Pittsburgh and how hecame to North Carolina through a program of social work in which he worked withinmates through the Vista volunteer program in 1976. While working in the state at aHuntersville prison, he met the wonderful woman, Joan, who would become his wife.

He read several of his poems, including “Wheeling,” named for the West Virginia townthat offered excitement for him and other youths, which was “only a spit away” across thestate line from his Pittsburgh home. He also read “Not Talking,” which detailed the tenseatmosphere in his family after his sister let their mother drive, a decision which theirfather warned against and which had nearly deadly consequences. “Your Leaving” cap-tured his thoughts on the night before his sister married and left home. In a humorouspoem, Bathanti recounted overseeing a group of prisoners who were allowed to be guestson the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker TV show. When given a cue, the men were supposedto say “Praise the Lord,” but all of them were shocked and said nothing.

Though some may not know it, Bathanti lived for about 15 years just over the countyline in Iredell County in the Scotts Creek and Little Farm Road area until 2000. He nowlives in Vilas, in Watauga County. • POET LAUREATE Page 2

NC Poet Laureate visits Bethlehem

BATHANTI — N.C. PoetLaureate Joseph Bathanti(above) visited BethlehemBranch Library on April 29. j

AS2 ANGELA ADAIR

Alexander County Schools will close forstudents early next month. The last day forstudents is June 11, while the ACHSGraduation will be held Thursday, June 12.

The following end-of-the-year awardsdays were announced recently.

ALEXANDER CENTRALHIGH SCHOOL

• Friday, May 23 - Scholarship presen-tations and special awards - 8:30 am;

• Friday, May 23 - Awards Day inVarsity Gym;

• Thursday, June 12 - ACHSGraduation - 7 pm.

BETHLEHEM ELEMENTARYSCHOOL

• Monday, June 9 - Awards Day -

Grades 1-2 begins at 8:30 am; Grades 3-4begins at 10:00 am;

• Tuesday, June 10, Fifth GradeGraduation at 6:00 pm;

• Wednesday, June 11, KindergartenGraduation at 8:30 am.

WEST ALEXANDERMIDDLE SCHOOL

• Monday, May 19 - Athletic AwardsCeremony in the gym at 6 :30 p.m.;

• Tuesday, June 10, 6th Grade AwardsCeremony at 8:15 a.m.

• Wed., June 11, 7th Grade AwardsCeremony at 8:15 a.m.

• Wed., June 11, 8th Grade AwardsCeremony at 11:00 a.m. j

Next Starprints

June 12The next issue of The

Bethlehem Star will beprinted on Thursday,June 12. The deadlinefor advertising and cor-respondence is Tues.,June 10, before 5 pm.

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Starnes, Rhyne sign with in-statecolleges for athletics • See Page 2

The Alexander CountyDepartment of SocialServices is in critical needof volunteers who are will-ing to deliver home deliv-ered meals to homeboundolder adults.

This is a helpful servicethat the county is able tooffer and staff are alwaysin need of people who arewilling to help others.

DSS workers ask thatresidents please considergiving one hour a month ofyour time to deliver anutritious meal to some-one who really needs it.

Please call KellieWilliams at 828-632-4133 orWanda Pennell at 704-585-6646 for more informationon becoming a volunteer. j

Alex DSS needs local volunteers todeliver meals

Alexander County Schools Superintendent Dr. BrockWomble accepted a position as Superintendent of CaswellCounty Schools effective July 1, 2014.

Dr. Womble has been the Superintendent of AlexanderCounty Schools since July 2012. He previously served assuperintendent in Mitchell County and Hyde CountySchools.

“We appreciate Dr. Womble's serviceto the Alexander County Schools andwish him lots success in CaswellCounty,” stated School Board ChairmanBrigette Rhyne. The board acceptedthe resignation during closed session ofthe May 13 board meeting.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed workingand living in Alexander County, but I amlooking forward to serving the studentsand families in Caswell County," statedDr. Brock Womble. j

Superintendent Wombleleaving for Caswell County

WOMBLE

The Alexander County Relay for Life will roar backinto town on Friday, May 16, starting at 6:00 p.m. atAlexander Central High School’s football field.

This annual event fundraiser of the American CancerSociety has approximately 44 teams who are registeredto participate in the collection efforts.

For more information, call American Cancer SocietyRelay Coordinator Andrea Whitesides at 704-674-3214. j

Relay for Life is May 16