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VOLUME 91 NUMBER 64 TUESDA Y, OCTOBER 14, / 980 KINGS MOUNTAIN, NOR TH CAROLINA
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Jerry King makes presentation to Governor's judges..
Selected For Governor's Program
Team tours Eaton (Corporation
KM Community Of Excellence
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By GARY STEWART
Co-Editor
Kings Mountain will receive
the Governor’s Community of
ExceUence A'SJUdM ihc-Gayet-
nor's Annual Economic
Development Conference at
McKimmon Center in Raleigh
October 29.
That news came Thursday
after a four-hour visit by a team
from the N.C. Department of
Commerce, which posed as an
industry looking for a place to
locate as well as judge for the
Governor’s program.
The city was the 99th visited
this year and will be one of the
50 to receive the honor.
City officials will go to
Ralei^ to participate in a day
long economic development
workshop and receive the award
that night. In addition to the
handsome plaque, Kings Moun
tain will be proclaimed a Gover
nor’s City of Excellence by two
huge road signs to be placed at
the city limits.
Thursday’s news brought a
huge sigh of relief from Jerry
King, the director of the
Economic Developiment Office,
and many others who have
worked for almost a year to gain
the recognition.
King entered the city in the
program last spring and has
spent countless hours preparing
a slide program and other infor
mation for the visiting team.
Serving as judges Thursday
were Gary Shope, assistant
director N.C. Department of
Commerce; Harry Payne, In
dustrial Developer for the
Department of Commerce; Jim
Epting, regional developer, Tom
Jones, regional developer, Roger
Scott, regional developer; Betty
Queen, coordinator of the Mit
chell County Development
Commission; and Robert Dunn,
director of the Burke County
Development Commissioner.
The group acted as officials as
a major automotive component
company interested in locating
in the southeast. Rock Poisson,
executive with North Carolina
National Bank of Charlotte,
acted as chairman of the board
of the company.
The group questioned a
Mi
number of the chairmen of
various Economic Development
committees, as well as King,
Mayor John Moss, city
emFdoyes and others.
Questions ranged from
availability of land, price per
acre, water, sewage, electricity
and school facilities, to relation
ships among existing industry.
King showed a slide presenta
tion, maps of available sites, and
presented each judge a packet of
material which included a
12-page tabloid published by the
Economic Development Office
which described Kings Moun
tain as a “thriving community.”
After a two-hour question and
answer session at the Govern
mental Services Facilities
Center, the group toured several
available sites and took a
thorough tour of Eaton Corpora
tion, led by John Majors, Jim
Strahley, David Harrison and
Fred Finger.
Afterward, the group returned
to the GSFC for a brief critique,
and announced that Kings
Mountain would receive the
award.
All of the judges praised King
and his staff for the professional
presentation, and Eaton Plant
M«naiKr Majors for his input
dnd'‘«)nesty in describing his
young plant’s successful opera
tion and working relationship
with Kings Mountain.
“I didn’t think there would be
a presentation that could surpass
the one (Boiling Springs, N.C.)
we had this morning,” sttid
Payne, “but your’s was at least
as good or better.”
‘The presentation was super,
and the Economic Development
staff did an excellent job,” added
Dunn. “1 would locate my plant
here.”
Poisson discussed a few minor
details he would change on the
presentation, but added, “I don’t
find any fault with it. 1 would
certainly locate this company
here if it were a real company.”
Shope added, “With the kind
of presentation you did, 1 would
have thought Kings Mountain
had been in the Governor’s pro
gram for years instead of enter
ing it for the first time. One thing
you should consider in future
presentations is the tremendous
growth in Kings Mountain and
Cleveland County. Boast about
it in a cautious sort of way.
“Kings Mountain has a lot to
offer industry,” Shope added.
‘The main thing I would suggest
is to keep working with existing
industry. They’re the best
salesmen.”
King said he “couldn’t be hap
pier” with the group’s decision.
“1 ctm’t express how I feel,” he
said. “I was quite uptight about
the presentation because we
have had so much going these
past several weeks. 1 didn’t know
if I’d be ready and 1 knew what
the outcome would be if 1 wasn’t
ready. 1 appreciate all the
cooperation of everyone involv
ed.”
The distinction as a
Governor’s Community of Ex
cellence brings honor to the
town. King said, but it also
means continued hard work in
trying to lure new industry into
the area.
Communities of excellence
become part o' . statewide effort
to attract industry, and
King said that would add to
Kings Mountain's economic
development in the future.
The town will have to work
even harder in the future to
maintain their excellence stan
ding. Members of the team of
judges pointed out that “com
petition gets stiffer” every year.
Many of the towns which won
the honor last year failed to
repeat this year.
However, King and members
of his staff pledged to work even
harder to maintain the honor.
Local citizens taking part in
the program Thursday included
King, Mayor Moss, Connie Put
nam, Charles Hamitlon, Darrell
Austin, Gary Stewart, Corky
Fulton, Ollie Harris, Humes
Houston, Majors, Jonas Bridges,
Josh Hinnant, David Bayne,
Franklin Ware, Gerald Grigg,
Joe McDaniel, Ted Huffman,
Walt Ollis, Tom Tate, Bill Davis,
Norman King and Ruby Alex
ander.
m
Fall Festival Wednesday
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INQCTR.
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HOMECOMING QUEEH-Uril* Hamrick. King* Mountain
High Mnlor. woa crownod homocoming quoon during halftlmo
oi Frldoy'a Kings Mountain-North Gaston gam# at John Gam-
bl# Stadium. Losllo, who sorvos as th# KMHS mascot, th#
"Mountalnoor", Is th# doughtor of Mrs. Gall Graham. Kln{^
Mountain won th# gam# 7-6. Gam# dotalls or# on pag# 3.
“We celebrate 200 Years” will
be the theme for the annual Fall
Festival held each year by the
Woman’s Club on Wednesday,
Oct. 15th from 11 until 9.
The club women have been
working on this event for many
months and chose this theme to
tie in with the week of celebra
tion preceeding the festival.
Mrs. Eunice Davis and Mrs.
Sarah Faunce are Co-Chairmen
of the Festival.
Local Garden Clubs will
feature flower arrangements and
the public is also invited to bring
arrangements to display. No ar
rangements will be judged.
Garden clubs will have table
settings featuring the following;
Revolutionary Period, K.M.
Garden Club
Civil War Period, Magnolia
Garden Club
Early 20th. Century, Town
and Country Garden Club
Gold Rush Days, Open Gate
Garden Oub
Contemporary, Good Earth
Garden'Club
There will be a Horticulture
Room and everyone is invited to
bring specimens in bottles with
labels. They would also like to
display any garden items you
have grown.
Arts and Crafts Committee
have worked to gather items for
display made by local citizens.
There will be a Country Kit
chen with all varities of baked
goods and other items for sale.
Lunch will be served from
11:30 until 1 ;30 and dinner from
Turn to Page 9
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JVRTS AND CRJIFTS WILL FEATURE FAIR - will b# i#atur#<l Wadnoadoy In th# Woman's
Mrs. B#tty R. Gambl#. kn##llng, Mrs. Peggy Cltib Fall Festival at th# Woman's Club. Doors
Baird. Mrs. lessl# Collins and Mrs. Becky open at 10 ajn.
Seism display some th# arts and croits which