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Football Contest Winner:
Lisa Baity (See Page 4)
*'*' vons
*uS:
EXCITING NIGHT - Om n««ds only to look at the Koreboard
in the background to realise why Kings Mountain High
cheerleader Elisabeth Borchert is so excited. The Moun
taineers. ohead 13-0 in the third period, went on to defeat
Ashbrook 19-0 Friday night at Gamble Stadium. Details of the
^tountaineer victory ore on page 3. ^
More Committees
Are Announced
Ralph M. Godwin, vice com-
% mander of the American Legion,
will be in Kings Mountain Oc
tober 7 for the Bicentennial
Celebration of the Battle of
Kings Mountain.
Godwin will represent Na
tional Commander Michael J.
Kogutek of Indianapolis, Ind.,
and will ride in the Bicentennial
Parade, as well as take part in
0 other activities of the day.
Meanwhile, Mayor John
Moss, general chairman of the
event, has announced four new
committees to help coordinate
the week-long activities.
The military encampment
committee, which will work with
the re-enactment of the encamp-
% ment at the new city hall, in
cludes Humes Houston, chair
man; James A. Childers, Charlie
Wilson, Steve Lang, W.K
Mauney Jr., Glee Bridges, Gan
Howard, Robert Wilson, Bol)
Hayes, L.D. Beattie, Fred Wat
son, Robert Sellar, John Leach,
N.F. McGill, Otis Falls Jr., Clara
Rhea and Eugene Lefevers.
Services Held
For Spearman
A 24-year-old Route 2, Kings
Mountain drowned Wednesday
afternoon in a quarry at Henry’s
Nob near Clover, S.C.
m Danny Earl' Spearman was
^ standing on a 75-foot cliff when
he lost his footing and fell into
the water below.
Funeral services were con
ducted Friday at 4 p.m. at Oak
View Baptist Church by Rev.
Raymond Shumperd. Burial was
in the church cemetery.
Surviving are his parents, Earl
and Lillian Caveny Spearman of
m the home; and a sister. Miss
^ Rhonda Spearman of the home.
Harris Funeral Home was in
charge of the arrangements.
The headquarters committee
includes W.A. Russell, chair
man; Sue Page, Camille Brad
shaw, Paulette Phifer, Mary
Gilstad, Ann Pouchak, Becky
Seism, Emma Blalock, Margaret
Plonk, Dorothy Etheridge,
Margaret Leach, Myrtle Camp
bell, Luther Bennett, Ben
Brown, Sarah Manning, Sarah
Jones, Lou Ballew, Margaret
Beam, Rev. Leroy Cox, Louis
Hovis, R.G. Franklin, Pat
Crosby, George Scharf, Shirley
Allen, Wilma Kirby, Lib Mayes,
Rev. R.L. Garvin, Ed
Hightower, Sandra Neal, C.J.
Gault Jr., Nell Gault, Charles
Fisher, Louise Fisher, D.E.
Take, Margaret Kirk, Nell Biser,
Hilda Dixon, Ruth Piper,
Hilliard Black, Bernice Glass,
Sarah Jones, Luther Bennett,
Jessie Collins, Margaret Mc
Carter, Tom Trott, W.S. Biddix,
John Reavis, Rev. W.G. Weeks,
Sarah Simpson, Fred Wright,
Mrs. A.A. Allran, Helen Logan,
Lib Arthur, Paul Ham, Susan
Goforth, Jane Talbert, Cindy
Adams, Crystal Bolin, Victoria
Shaw, Julie Yarboro, Carolyn
Smith, Leanne Latham, Brenda
Martin, Alyce Brown, Sophia
Crank, Angel Allen, Lori Davis,
Kim Parker, Christi Arrant,
Dawn Morris, Lee Ann Wilson,
Shelly Belt, Lavonda Grier, Pat
Jefferies and Sonya Leach.
The budget and finance com
mittee includes John Hills, chair
man; J.H. McDaniel, Gerry
Werner, Katie Wilce, Bill Griggs,
Andrew Loveless and Gary
Everhardt.
The arts and crafts committee
includes A.B. Snow, chairman;
Bernice Bunch, Diane Harper,
Shirley Gossett, Pat Plonk, A1
Waufle, Gail Bryant, June Hern
don, Evaline Herndon, Lynn
Eskridge, Dorothy Shoemaker,
Corene Anthony, Nancy Carter,
Bonita Lowe, Vangie
Westmoreland, Mrs. Bob
Maner, Suzanne Brymer, Mrs.
Jim Harry and Mrs. Elmer Har
din.
‘Then Conquer We Must’
Tickets On Sale At Chamber
Advance tickets for the outdoor drama "Then Conquer We Must”
are on sale at the Kings Mountain Chamber of Commerce, which is
located in the old City Hall on Piedmont Avenue.
The drama will be held Sept. 26-28 and Oct. 3-7 at the Kings Moun
tain National Military Park amphitheatre.
Time of each performance is 8:30 p.m., except for the Oct. 7 show
ing, which will be at 9 p.m.
Tickets are S2.S0 for general admission and S3.50 for reserved for
every showing except on Oct. 7. That night, tickets will be $4.00 for
general admission and $5.00 for reserved.
Tickets are also on sale at the Chamber of Commerce in Gastonia,
Shelby, Gaffney and Rock Hill.
VOLUME 91 ■ yVMBER 70 ■ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1980
20'
Board Hears ACT Requests
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Co-Editor
The leader of the Cleveland
County Association of Tax
payers, Bruce Seism, said Mon
day after 15 representatives of
the newly-formed tax protest'
group met with county commis
sioners that ACT’S board of
directors will meet this week to
select three candidates it wants
to run against incumbent county
commissioners in the November
election.
During a two and one-half
hour meeting with the five-
member board Monday morning
at the Ceveland County Law
Enforcement Building, the
group, led by attorney Jeff
GuUer, spokesman, presented
several suggestions but the com
mission took action on only one,
granting request by Jackie (Mrs.
Nolan) Seism that the Oct. 20th
meeting of the county board be
held in the evening at 7:30 p.m.,
instead of the regularly schedul
ed morning session, so that
working members of the ACT
could attend and present further
opinions. The motion was made
by L. E. Hinnant of Kings
Mountain.
Jeff Culler, Gaston attorney
who was hired by ACT, which
represents 6,500 taxpayers, was
spokesmaii for the group and
presented the petitions pro
testing higher proixrty bills
brought about by recent proper
ty revaluation. ‘These citizens
feel they have been taxed too
much and feel they have
grounds for complaints”, said
Guller. “We find it disconcer
ting”, said Guller, “that
Cleveland County sits with near
ly $3 million in reserves with a
budget that exceeds more than
S2 million over last year and a
tax rate that will allow you to
collect substantially more than
you figured because of the
reevaluation. This is not what
taxpayers want.”
Guller suggested that the com
mission offer some relief to the
taxpayer by: investigating the
possibility of reduction of the tax
rate from 60 cents to 48 cents,
extend the time for taxpayers to
apply for a hearing before the
Equalization Review Board,
which is made up of county com
missioners, issue the same tax
form which was issued to all tax
payers several years ago which
stipulates that exemptions apply
for the elderly, 65 and over, and
hold meetings at evening hours
and in other locations of the
county besides Shelby.
Guller also charg^ that the
county could be in violation of
the law, although not inten
tionally, "in the manner of the
way the land was appraised.” He
said that the general statutes of
the state require that an apraiser
consider separately each piece of
real property, including such
matters as soil, mineral rights,
water power, etc. and from inter
views by citizens in the rural
areas, Guller said this was not
done. Guller told the group this
is one reason that rural people
and farmers are bearing a big
brunt of the tax load. “Some
people who have made appeals
to the review board are yet to be
heard”, he said. Board Chairman
Jack Palmer, who presided,
disagreed. He said that all per
sons who had applied for a hear
ing before the Review Board
were heard and that without fur
ther'applications there was no
need to grant an extension.”
Palmer agreed with Guller that
citizens need to be shown how to
fill out forms and how to take
advantage of them. Palmer said
that the forms were mailed upon
call of citizens, noting that the
cost of postage had dictated this
procedure be stopped several
years ago when the board found
that citizens were not using
them.
Attorney Guller said that ran
dom samples show that average
increase in property tax was 160
percent, Rising those figures
from 50 or 60 sample tax bills.
Palmer responded that T can see
how you would feel this is cor
rect after seeing only 50 or 60
copies, as compared to 35,00 in
dividuals who pay taxes each
year in Cleveland County.
Replying to a question.
Comm. L.E. Hinnant said “It’s
hard to explain to an elderly per
son who draws $123 a month
and may have to sell property to
pay her taxes that there’s
nothing we can do.” Hinnant
said he sympathizes with those
people who flood his office each
day and has helped some of them
fill out tax forms. Hinnant said
that he has taken some of these
problems to local legislators to
take to Raleigh.
Guller also suggested that the
Commission appoint a commit
tee to work with representatives
of ACT and iron out some of the
problems. You determine if we
have a valid position. We think
that we have,” he added. “If
weYe barking up the wrong tree,
tell us. But you can help educate
us smd all the people of
Cleveland County. We doiiY in
tend to be a thorn in your side
but we’re taxpayers asking for
information and it’s your duty as
elected officials to give it to us.”
Guller said that the county
has been cooperative with his
group in supplying information
requested and noted that his
group was concerned with
receiving both copies of the 1979
and 1980 budget audit. Respon
ding, County Manager Joe Hen
drick said his office is open to all
citizens, that he encourages
citizens who can produce
evidence that their property
evaluation is incorrect to “know
that this can be changed.” “We
want you to see where your
money goes and we object to
many things, like you, but the
county must participate as the
statutes require and under state
law.”
Jim McIntyre drew a round of
applause when he remarked,
“My concern is what 1 pay and
what my kids will be paying in
the future. My pay hasn’t gone
up according to my taxes. Most
of you commissioners are pretty
well off. Property tax is the most
asinine thing there ever was and
I think it’s high time that the
working people stand up and ob
ject to paying for everything.
Tax everyone who has income,
not just 40 percent of us.”
Sally Jones asked where did
her tax dollars go and Comm.
Palmer noted that few people are
unable to see those results unless
they use the services of the
sheriffs department, rescue
squads, social services, welfare,
etc. and Ms. Jones wanted to
know why the county doesn’t
furnish water and sewer and
other services such as trash
pickups.
■h'*T
Photo by Lib Stowart
DESCENDANT - R.D. HambrighL loft is on* ol. if not th«
oldost, living doacondonts of Kings Mountain Bottlo boro Col.
Frodorick HombrighL Ho's shown boro boing prosontsd a
numbor of Bicontsnnial souvonirs bom Mayor John Moss.
Photo by Gary Stowart
SOUVENIRS - Doan Costas, right, and his sistor, Tika. show
off somo souvonirs thob groat-groat grondiathor, I.L Hicks, col-
loctod at tho 1880 Battlo of Kings Mountain colobration.
Hambright One Of Oldest Dean Costas To Fulfill His
Descendants Of Battle Hero ‘Great-Great Granddad’s Wish
R. Dewitt Hambright, 86, is
one of the city’s oldest living
direct descendants of the
Revolutionary War hero. Col
onel Frederick Hambright.
The Dixon community farmer
has resided all his life on a farm
about a half mile from the old
Colonel Hambright homestead
and a short distance from the site
of the Battle of Kings Mountain.
Mr. Hambright, son of the
late David Robert and Mary
Anne Dixon Hambright, looks
forward to the October celebra
tion of the 200th anniversary of
the famous Battle but admits
that he was most excited in 1930
when President Herbert Hoover
spoke at the Sesqui Centennial
Celebration at the at the Bat
tleground. Hambright was 36
years old at the time and recalled
that the whole county was
caught up in the excitement at
seeing a U. S. President in Kings
Mountain.
Hambright, his daughter,
Ailecne, and her husband, Ralph
Cline, of Charlotte, plan to at
tend the October 3-7 events and
Mr. Hambright received a com
plimentary cap from the
BicentenniitI Chairman John
Moss this week.
The well known farmer has
Turn to peige 7
By GARY STEWART
Co-Editor
On October 7, 1880, J.L.
Hicks was a Gastonia policeman,
and one of an estimated 12,000
people who attended the Centen
nial celebration of the Battle of
Kings Mountain at what is now
Kings Mountain National
Military Park.
Several weeks ago, Laura
Costas of Gastonia, her 17-year-
old son. Dean, and other
members of the family of Mrs.
Costas’s mother, Barbara Sum-
mitt Barnes, were going through
some of the papers of the late
Mrs. Barnes, who died July 5.
They came across a letter writ
ten by Hicks, a program from
the Centennial celebration, and
a small flag he received as one of
the participants of that day
almost 100 years ago.
The letter, dated Oct. 7,1880,
stated:
T was a witness of this occa
sion. Every thing on this pro
gram for Centennial day, Oct. 7,
1880, was preformed according
to program sheet which was
preformed for that day. This
sheet will be reserved for some of
people to take to next centennial
with this sheet and flag which 1
got there that day. I was at that
Turn to page 2