Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Feb. 9, 1961, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOL '72 No. 6 Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, February 9, 1961 Seventy-Second Year PRICE TEN CENTS Today Population Greater Kings Mountain 10,320 City Limits 8,008 nil ligure ior Greater Kings Mountain Is del .Ted from the 1955 King* Mountain city directory census. The city limits figure Is from the United States census of I960. estimated at $50,000. It was the second time in a decade the Keeter firms has suffered a fire loss. Local News Bulletins RE VIV Al. An old-fashioned revival service \vilil begin Sunday and continue through Feb. lSth ait Gamble Hill Baptist church on Kangs Mountain - Gastonia highway. Rev. O. B. Hammond as the visiting evangelist and services are at 7 p. m. nightly. SPECIAL PROGRAM A program on Missions, fea turing a film, will be given Friday evening at 7 p. m. at Dixon Presbyterian church, ac cording to announcement by the pastor, Rev. J. S. Mann. CARSON MEMORIAL A Christian molrian picture, 'Teen-age Rock” will be shown at Oarson Memorial church in the Crowder’s Mopntaip community Sunday evening at 7 o’clock. The in terested community is invited. METER RECEIPTS Parking meter receipts for two weeks ending Wednesday ait noon totaled $124.21, inclu ding $104.21 from on street maters, $15 from off-street me te*® and $5 from over-parking fees, City Clerk Joe McDaniel reported. LEGION DANCE Otis D. Grfien Post 155 is sponsoring a dance for mem hens and guests Saturday from 9 unlril 12-jp. m. aft the Legion Hall. Music wail be furnished by Stooge Glenn and tickets are $1 per couple. BAKE SALE The Kings Mountain Hospi tal Auxiliary will sell home made cakes, pies and candies at Phifer Hardware Saturday morokig beginning at 9 a. m. Proceeds will be used to pur chase a radio to be used at the hospital. WINS PROMOTION Oarland E. Still, Jr., member erf the USAF Reserves, has been promoted to Captain, ef fective December 16, i960. Cap*- Still is a member of the 997fVh Air Reserve Squadron at Charlotte and a son of Mt and Mire. G. E. Still of Kings Mountain. HOSPITALIZED <'hamles Mass, Jir., who tin (kmwerrt a s‘omafch operation two weeks ago, is recuperating nlipely. He is a patien/t at Vat, wan* Ho pital, Crapeey Ave nue arid 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, v His' Parents, Mir. and Mrs. piarlas Moss, expect «o leave New York today to visit Iran. The Charles Mobs, Jj, family, former residents, now live lh New Jersey. rover Buildings destroyed By Fire Keeter Loss $50,000: Second In Ten Years Plans are indefinite for re building the R. B. Keeter grocery and dry -goods stares, completely destroyed toy fitre Monday night, Mrs. Keeter said Wednesday. The Keeter firms razed by fire Monday night about 10:45 were leveled by fire in September, 19 50. The IjjWters had rebuilt by Chrisftnwu. 1950, adding a parti tion to divide (the new self-ser vice grocery and drygoods estab lishment. The two one-story brick build ings, completely destroyed, were an esttimated $50,000 loss. They are (the first (two stores on the main block of the (town of Gro ver again hit toy fire. The two other major fires in Grover des troyed the old masonic building which housed the Tate drug store and ia dry cleaning estab lishment. Had the v ind been blowing in the opposite direction Monday, the flames eiMjld have seriously threatened e-ven other building. The R. E. 1 mbright Hardware and Grocery, djacent to the two Keeter firms was damaged by smoke and f ». Over 80 ft. men from sur rounding town * and 50 emergen ■y vehicles were summoned Monday as firemen battled the flaimes is just above freezing weather. The fire alarm was sounded about 10:45 by two 'ruck drivers parsing on nearby U. S. 29 who noticed flames roar ing through the poof of the dry goods store. There was some speculation that the fire, which apparently centered in the drygoods store, may have been started from an oil heater located in the back of 'the store. The R. B. Keeter family opened its grocery business in Grover in 1936, and other members of the Keeter family have been business citizens of Grover for more than 35 years. Mr. Keeter is Graver Postmaster The 1942 Dod^ city offered for sa •last Saturday' afittr tiers. (Later a (leak for it, tout the pn jeoted. City Clark ial %aid ithe city m truck, which was, ly, the city’s N\ wagon. lick the auction i no bid WINS CONTEST—Sandy Camp. belL high school senior, is win* ner of the annual American Legion High School Oratorical Contest. Campbell Wins Legion Contest Sandy Campbell, Kings Moun tain high school senior, won first prize Monday in the annual A merican Legion High School O ratorieal Contest on American ism. The award carries with it a $25 cash prize and the winner re-1 presents the county in district i competition. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. L. i Campbell, young Campbell used the subject, “The Constitution! and John Kennedy” in competi tion with Louis Mahoney, Shel-i by high school freshman. Miss i Mahoney spoke on 'The Consti tution and My Every Day Life.” At Central high school Camp bell is president of the student body and editor-in-chief of the school paper, ‘The Mountaineer.” He is a Demolay and has previ ously won four medals in speech | contests, two of these awarded in| high school when he copped the Davis declamation medal andj subsequently the Western Foren-; sic Medal awarded last year. In I the American Legion Oratorical i contest Campbell won second place in 1960. COURT or HONOR Court of Honor for Kings Mountain district Boy Scouts will be held Thursday night at 7:45 at Central Mrtnodtst church. Mayor Bridges Seeks Fifth Term Commission To Get Request For "White Way" The city commission will be asked Thursday night to con sider a new “white way” for the business disitriot. Charles Blaniton, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and other civic club officials a,re ex pected to present (the proposal a long with the request that the commission consider the propo sal for the coming fiscal year. Mr. -Blanton said this week that the Chamber of Commerce board of directors has indicated interest in the project and point ed out “we have a pretty dark business section.” The present “white way” was installed well over 30 years ago. Other matters scheduled on the commission’s Thursday night agenda are: Opening of 'bids for sale of a portion of the city’s power lines, serving 33 Lake Montonia road residents. 2) Conducting of a public hearing on a petition to re-zone for business use property at the corner of E. King and Gaston streets. 3) Conducting of a hearing on confirmation of certain street improvements assessments. 4) Discussion of the Kings Mountain National Guard Ar mory project. All 'A' Students To Be Feted Kings (Mountain High School’s | 36 “straight A" students are to I be feted by the National Honor Society eWapter in the cafeteria this week. Guests will (be students who logged all A’s for either the (third six weeks period or the se ! mester period. Straight A students include: Seniors: Paittie Huffstetler, Mary Ellen Stroupe, Martha Sue Welch, Sue Jean Wright, Billie Jones and Ann Broadwater. Juniors: Carol Jean Goter, Sa ra Rose Lennon, (Bill Ramseur, Kay Broadwater, Robert Whis nant, arid Jean Harlow. Sophomores: Paul Smith, Petic Lynn, Paiitie Howard, (Mack Stew art, Paul Neisler, Jewel Robbs Barbara Cable, Miarilyn Dixon Janie Cox, and Sara Hendricks IFreshmen: Joan McClure, Pris cilia Padgett, Carol Ramseur Michael Royster, Johnny Dye John Tria, Mary Wright, Virgin ia Goforth, Rebecca Stowe, Bet ity Styers, Patsy Welsh, Sysanne Lockridge, Judy Johnson, and Margaret Hambright Penally Day Near On City Auto Tags Uless the city sells a great number of auto license plates by next Wednesday, a large number of city auto owners will be flirting with fines. Sales through Wednesday to taled 1053, considerably short of the 1700 or more the city customarily sells each year. City statute provides that car owners who fail to pur chase and display the (tags on their autos by February 16 are subject to citation to court, and, if found guilty, further subject to a fine of $5 and costs of court. 1 • The tags are on sale at the city hall office at $1. City May Issue Bonds For Armory OFFICES—Dr. D. F. Hord. Kings Mountain dentist, has been e lected vice-president of Cleve land County Citizens for Better Schools, Hold Schools Group Officer Dr. D. F. Hord, Kings Moun tain dentist, was elected vice chairman of the Cleveland Coun ty Citizens Committee for Better Schools art an-organization meet ing Monday night. Other permanent officers elec ted were Harold Love, of Shel by, chairman, and Mrs. Bill Lat timore, of the Shanghai commu nity, secretary. The elections Were by aociama tion, following an address by Raymond A. Stone, executive sec retary of the state citizens com mittee. Mr. Stone outlined the func tions of the citizens group, stat ing the committee should become informed about all phases of school operations, should be a cooperative group, yet independ ent from the schools and repre sentative of the particular coun ty iHe suggested the committe might concern itself with school buildings and equipment, ade quacy of personnel, guidance counseling, administration and organization, finance and curric ulum, as well as other school needs. He added it is not in the province of the committees to concern themselves with teach ing methods. Mr. Stone cited several reasons North Carolina citizens need a greater publiq awareness of the needs of the schools and the job the schools have ahead of them. He stated that the average North Carolina student comple tes only eight years of secondary schooling. Last year, he said, there were approximately 48,000 graduating seniors in the state’s high schools, the number gradu ating comparing to 97,000 stu dents entering the first grade 12 years previously. “We’re wasting our human re sources,” Mr. Stone declared, “and they’re our most valuable (Continued On Page Eight) Low Bids On Hospital Facilities $36,174; Use Of New Wing Delayed A 'technicality may delay briefly utilization of the newly completed wing of Kings Moun tain hospital. BusLrfess Manager Grady Ho ward said Wednesday (that some state-federal funds are commit ted for additional construction— two small buildings to house an emergency power plant and air-j conditioning system for the op-j erating room, for which bids were opened Tuesday. “Under the rules, these funds would be withdrawn, were the new construction to be used be fore contracts ate awarded, “Mr. Howard said. “It's merely a tech nicality Some of the furniture hasn't yet arrived and it*’ll like ly mean delay of use otf the new wing an extra week.” Mr. Howard gueewes that con tracts for the additional constru ction will be awarded within the next ten days. The low bids totaled $38,174. J. S. Mitchem. oof Shelby, gen eral contract, $6,219; L. A. Hoke, Kings Mountain, electrical con tract, $21,990; and Southern Pip ing and Engineering Company, Charlotte, air-conditioning con tract, $7,905. A total of five bids was posted on the general con tract, four on (the electrical con tract and seven on the air con ditioning contract. State Medical Care association officials, here to inspect the new wing, said they were pleased with the bids for the additonal construction, Mr. Howard noted. The State Medicad Care repre- j senitatives here wore Bruce Jones, architect, and Donald Watson. Mr. Howard said the officials i gave tentative approval to the new wing construction. In addition to increasing the! capacity of the hospital from 50; to 75 beds, construction also pro vides a chapel, new waiting rooms in the new wing, and con - ference rooms. The former hos pital laboratory has been more than doubled in size. Total cost of Ithe construction, including the facilities for which contracts are still to be 'let, is about $260,000. Attorney General Says Statutes Give Authority One possible bar to the suc cess of the Kings Mountain Na tional Guard Armory project was removed this week, with a let ter from Attorney*General Wade Bruton stating that a city has authority to issue bonds for building of an armory. Mayor Glee A. Biridges had in his files this week the Bruton letter which stated in part, “Counties and municipalities are specifically authorized to borrow money, and issue and sell bonds, and to raise by taxation and otherwise, to defray cost of Ar mory construction.” * The city, when it initially com mitted itself for a $20,000 appro priation for armory construction, had counted on issuing bonds for the purpose under the state statute which permits issuance of bonds up to two-thirds the amount of the previous year’s debt retirement. In 1959-60, the city's net debt retirement was $29,000, indica ting availability of borrowing authority of about $19,000. Should the city follow this route, a sum of $13,000 will still be needed to bring the project to fruition by June 1. Additional site is required and will cost $7500. Meantime, the county commis sion has indicated it will appro priate $10,000 for the project dur ing the fiscal year starting July 1. However, it has stated that none of the appropriation would be available before August- Sep tember. The Mayor is expected to re port on the armory project Thursday night at the commis sion session. The project calls for expendi ture of $140,000, with $104,000 al ready appropriated by the fed eral government. The state sup plies 7.5 percent of the total, with local government required to furnish 17.5 percent. Armories either under con struction or contracted in near by communities are uniformly city-county projects from the standpoint of furnishing local funds, Mayor Bridges said he had learned. In Belmont, the city and Gas ton county appropriated $16,000 each. In Linoolnton, the city and Lincoln county appropriated $15,000 each. Spindale’s new armory is to be a joint project of Forest City, Spindale and Ru therford 'county. Blood Gifts 106 Pints Kings Mountain area citizens donated 106 pints of blood at Monday’s visit of the regional bloodbank and Red Cross offici als expressed themselves as plea sed with the response. Of the total, 97 were produc tive donors, nine were temporary rejectees. Fonty citizens gave blood for replacement of blood i used by friends and relatives. Blood Program Co-Chairmen I George Houser and Mrs. O. W. I Myers, in giving reports from the j bloodmobile visit, said they were especially pleased with the splen did response of Lithium Corpor ation which provided 20 donors and supplied slightly more than 20 per cent of the day’s total and Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, a newcomer to the group of cooperative firms, which supplied 11 donors from its plant In welcoming the new firm into the program, Mrs. My ers pointed out that "it is only as industry joins in cooperating with the blood program can we hope to reach the goal toward which we constantly strive.” Red Cross officials also ex pressed appreciation (to members of the Demolay organization who helped with loading of equip-: ment. i The names of the donors are: printed as public recognition for j the support given a program which exists for the benefit of the entire community. Donors were James L. Bennett, James E. Henson, Mrs. Eva Geor ge, Manuel L. Bridges, Luther P. ('Continued From Front PageA CANDIDATES — Mayor Glee A. Bridges, above. Is seeking re election to his fifth term. Paul W. Ledford, below, seeks election as Ward 4 commissioner. Nothing New On Bond Vote There were no new develop ments this week on a projected district bond issue for building of a Kings Mountain district high school plant. J. R. Davis, attorney for the board of education, said he’d had no further communications from the New York bond attorney, Mitchell, Pershing, Shefctetrly and Miltehess, of New York city. Meantime, there was local speculation on what monies would be available for constru ction should the state approve a school construction bond issue, which Governor Terry Sanford has seated repeatedly he will recommend. While the Governor has not announced what amount he will ask, many legislators think the amount will be $50 million, a.s it was in 1949 and again in 1953. How the money will be divided throughout the state’s school district is likewise unknown, there having been discussion matching funds basis and other formulae. The 1949 .school construction distributions were on basis of per capita school population. A gain, by this formula, the a mounits would vary, depending on the particular year chosen for the division yardstick. Kings Mountain school district records show that the district profited by $80,571.97 from the 1949 state bond sales, and by $92,692.06 from the 1953 state is sue. The increase reflects a gain in school population during the four years intervening. The 1953 issue was allocated in two parts and $50,059.09 is un spent and available for future construction, Supt. B. N. Barnes said Wednesday, and is part of an approximately $250,000 in construction funds the Kings Mountain district now has avail able. It is considered that any a mount of funds from the outside sources would lower the local fund requirement of the estima ted $1,000,000 required to build a new high school plant. The 1949 bond isue receipts and spent portion of the 1953 re ceipts supplied a portion of ithe funds for the Davidson elemen tary school and for the four-room addition and general renovation of East elementary school, Supt. Barnes reviewed. There is a further possibility that a federal school aid con struction appropriation will be made, in which the local district would also share. PERMITS ISSUED Permits were issued last week by City Building Inspec tor M. H. Biser to Kings Moun tain Country Club, Inc. for the construction of its $40,000 new' clubhouse and to Craftspun Yarns, Inc. to do some $25,000 in alterations to its industrial building located on Linwood iroad. Rhea, Ledford Nicholson. 1 Bagwell File The city's biennial political season opened with a profusion of candidates this week, as May or Glee A. Bridges filed notice he will seek a fifth consecutive ter m and four candidates posted filing fees lor commissioner posts. All the commissioner candida tes are challengers and one con tc-t has already developed. iBoth ex-Commissioner Paul W. Ledford and Willis B. Bagwell posted filing fees for Ward 4 commisrioner. . Corbet Ni ioPon, former city gas superintendent, seeks the Ward 3 commissioner post, and J. E. (Zip) Rhea, concrete prod ucts manufacturer, has filed for Ward 5 commissioner. The election will be conducted on May 9, three months hence. Speculation on the forthcoming city election has not been heavv in recent weeks, tout the early fil ings by several challengers indi cate opposition for incumlbents, should they choose to offer a gain. Ben H. Bridges, incumbent Ward 4 commissioner, has been rumored as a possible candidate for mayor. This week, he answered, "I don’t 'know what I’ll do,” on a question as to 'his political plans. Should he seek re-election to a third term as a commissioner, he will face Mr. .Ledford, whom he defeated tooth in 1957 and 1959, as well as Mr. Bagwell. Ross Alexander, two-term Ward 1 commissioner, has com mented he may hot offer for re election, tout it is thought he has made no firm decision. The same applies to the other commissioner incumbents, Boyce Gault, Ward 2, Luther Bennett, Ward 3, and R. Coleman Stroupe, Ward 5. All the present commis sioners are completing their sec ond terms. 'David 'L. Saunders, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor two years ago, has 'been indicating he’ll again seek the office for several months. Mayor Bridges, seeking an un precedented fifth term, said he had no formal statement Wed nesday concerning his candidacy, remarking, “I’m running on my record.” (Ir. six years at the helm of city government, (Mayor Bridges has served for two years as a part time mayor and, since 1955, as mayor on a full-time basis. In 1954, his first administra tion superintended the expendi ture of $400,000 from a 'bond is sue for waiter, sewage and pub lic recreation facilities and ano ther $400,000 in revenue bonds for a natural gas distribution system. Since he became mayor, the ad valorem (tax rate was re duced to $1.50 per $100. iMr. Rhea, Mr. Nicholson and Mr. (Bagwell are seeking city of fices for the first time. Schools To Ask Election Bill The North Carolina General Assembly, which convened Wed nesday, is expected to be asked to enact one piece of legislation effecting the Kings Mountain area. It will be a bill to set up a new election arrangement for board of education members, to pro vide for franchise of citizens in ithe adjacent areas consolidated with the Kings Mountain district by election last May. iB. N. Barnes, schools superin tendent, said he anticipated the present board of education will discuss terms of the bill ait the forthcoming February meeting. Terms of two school board members. A. W. Kincaid and J. W. Webster, expire in May. Both announced intentions to resign last year on effectuation of the area merger. Mr. Kincaid did re sign, but was reappointed when litigation was filed seeking to abrogate the school decision. The suit delayed physical consolida tion of the schools. It is anticipated the new elec tion act, when advanced, will re tain the present six-year stagger ed term arrangement for mem bers and will provide for repre sentation arid enfranchisement of citizens within the new bounds of the district. FAIR VIEW LODGE Regular communication of Fairview Lodge 339 AF&AM will be held Monday night at 7:30 p. m. at Masonic Hall, ac cording to announcement by Secretary T. D, Tindall.
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Feb. 9, 1961, edition 1
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