Moore County Recreation Director Billy Ransom said the construction work does not interfere with activities scheduled at the county’s new multi-purpose park. However, he has no idea when the work will be completed.
“We use our four fields just about every night, except when it rains,” Ransom told Pilot Light.
The old entrance to Hillcrest Park has been closed except for emergencies, and all traffic must enter through the new entrance, which is closer to the Humane Society of Moore County site.
DOT has completed installation of drainage pipe beside N.C. 22 and is preparing to pave the turn lane in the near future. Ransom said the work was approved by DOT some time ago when development of Hillcrest Park was still under way.
PATIENTS — U.S. Sen. John Edwards cited four North Carolinians when he appealed to his colleagues for support of the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act.
The bill is co-sponsored by Edwards; Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican; and Sen. Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat.
Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat who grew up in Moore County, told about Ethan Bedrick, a young Charlotte boy, whose insurance company denied treatment ordered by his doctors. Bedrick was born in 1992 with cerebral palsy, a condition causing him to need daily physical therapy. The company said no.
Under the McCain-Edwards legislation, the Bedricks would not have had to go through a long legal battle, Edwards argued.
Edwards also described three other North Carolina patients who were denied needed treatment. Steve Grissom of Cary lost coverage for oxygen when his wife’s employer switched HMOs. Gary Wemlinger of Kernersville learned that his insurance company would not cover a stem cell transplant that doctors say is his only hope of recovery from kidney cancer. Michael Gray Whitt, a 2-year old from Fleetwood, was discharged from the hospital against his doctor’s wishes after he was born with a blood disorder and quickly became ill.
“The HMOs are spending millions of dollars on lobbyists, television ads and public relations. I wish they would spend their money on better care for patients,” Edwards said in a news release.
COBLE — U.S. Rep. Howard Coble is nudging Congress to make possible the purchase of additional land to protect the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro.
The Greensboro Republican has announced that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved $800,000 to purchase more than three acres adjacent to the Revolutionary War site. The appropriation is part of a bill allocating $261 million to the U.S. Department of the Interior for land acquisition and state assistance.
“This historic site must be preserved for future generations to enjoy, and buying the Kotis property will provide a buffer against future development in this fast-growing area,” Coble said in his June 21 announcement. “We have a willing seller and a willing buyer, and I am pleased that we could assist in making the deal work. We are not done yet, but tonight was a big first step in that effort.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for passage.
Coble represents Moore County in the 6th District.
