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By iVC, SC Governors
President Ford Asked
To Attend Celebration
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ANNOVNCINO PLANS — DIek ir.iM« (right)
dltcloMd plans tor a Joint North and South
Btcentennlal Celebration in Klnfi Mountain and the
KM NaHonal Military Park Ootober 7, a and t here
Tueaday. liatenliig In are John Beek, KMNMP Banger,
and Jim Howard, asalstant director of public
promotion. Southeast Region, Nattonal Park Service.
By TOM McINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
The final major Bicentennial
celebration for North and South
Carolina will be held In Kings
Mountain and at the Kings Mountain
National Military Pturk October 7, 8
and 9.
Mayor John H. Moss has been
named general chairman of this
Joint two state celebration — and for
the third time In as many years
President Oerald Ford has been
invited to attend.
And this tune out President Ford
has been Invited, not by the Kings
Mountain Bicentennial Commission,
but by Oov. Jim Holshouser of North
Carolina, Oov. James Edwards of
South Carolina and by the National
Park Service and the Department of
The Interior.
Will The President honor the city
with a visit?
"We should have the answer to
that In a week or so," said Dick
Ellis, executive director of the North
Carolina Bicentennial Commission.
Ellis, and his South Carolina
counterpart, John Hills, along with
representatives from York and
Clover, Qaffney and Cherokee
county and representatives of the
National Park Service, were guests
at a luncheon and press conference
at Kings Mountain Country Club
Tuesday.
Following the luncheon Ellis said
Oovemors Holshouser and Edwards
plan to meet In the military park, at
the state border, shake hands and
drink a toast with "mountain spring
water" to commemorate the
celebration theme — "Hands Across
Hie Mountain."
This Is planned for 10:80 a. m.,
Frl., Oct. 8 and will be mainly for
members of the media. Mike
Lovelace, superintendent of KM
ISCPA Award
Winning ISewspaper
VOL. 87 NO. 87
KinG9 MOUMTMM
MIRROR-H€Rt\LD
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA I8088 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER M, 1978
15'
Schools Asking For
Signal Assistance
By GARY STEWART
Staff Writer
The Kings Mountain Board of
V <..ttl.-in at Its •••g.aar tMcnUilj'
,..3etlng Monday nli^tt at Grover
School adopted a resoludcn asklig
the City of Kings Mountain and the
N. C. Highway CJommlsslon tor relief
and assistance In resolving
hasardous driving conditions on
Phifer Road near the senior and
junior high schools.
Supt. Don Jones said Increased
traffic has resulted in dangerous
driving conditions during the past
few years. The scluxd board Is
asking that a right traffic lane be
built and traffic ll^ts InstaUed at
the Phifer Road-Fultcn Drive Inter
section and that sidewalks be ex
panded along Phifer Road and the
roads perpendicular to that atrvet
The resolution points out
that BOO new homes have been
constructed In the area In the past
five years and that many of tile two
schools' 1,600 pupils walk the
streets. In addition, the schools
operate 32 buses In the area.
Supt. Jones said the Kings
Mountain police department has had
officers on duly at the two schools
fbr the past few days and the school
officials are asking the city to
continue that practice until the
^ftic situation can be resolved.
(Please TtinilbPageSA)
Voter Turnout Light
Day
Number Four Township voted
with the winners Tuesday in state
wide races which saw only 23 per
cent of CHeveland County’s regis
tered voters go to the polls.
In lOngs Mountain, a light turnout
of voters, only 1,048, went to the polls
In the run-off electioi which saw
Jimmy Green, conservative tobacco
farmer and speaker of the N. C.
House, win a substantial victory
over Howard Lee, In the runoff for
the Democratic nomination for
Ueutensuit governor.
Cleveland County voted with the
winners with the exception of one
race. Clevelanders gave 8,084 votes
to Jessie Rae Scott, who lost her bid
for commissioner of labor to John
Annie Oakley
Planned
Next Tuesday
"Annie Oakley Day" Is Tties.,
Sept. 31.
TTUa Is the title attached to a
program being sponsored by the
Kings Mountain Police Department
to instruct area women In handling
flrearma.
Chief Earl Lloyd said the
department has had numerous
requests from local and area women
tor firearms handling Instructions.
A program was created and Oapt. J.
D. Barrett placed In charge.
Aidile Oakley Day begins next
Tuesday at 10 a. m. at the police
pistol range off Hwy. 161. Women
who have contacted police about the
program and others Interested In
learning to handle small arms are
requested to bring their own
weapons and ammunition to the
pistol range.
B.rooks. In Kings Mountsdn, Mrs.
SM'tt, wdfe of former governor Bob
Scott, carried the Bethware
precinct.
In Kings Mountstin, Lee, former
mairorofCh^iel Hill, defeated tai his
attempt lo become the first black
man elected to a statewide office In
the South, carried both the East and
West boxes by narrow margins. The
vote totals were: East KM-Lee, 188
and Green, 126; West KM, Lee, 377
and Green, 387. Bethware voters
favored Green, 86, to Lee's 38 suid
Grover voted 73, Green, Lee, 67.
West Kings Mountain voters gave
Bridges one more vote than Woo.
The vote was 388 (Bridges) and 383,
(Woo). Grover voters gave Woo and
Bridges the same number of votes,
61. East KM voters gave Bridges 117
votes to Woo’s 111 and Bethwrare
voters gave Woo 46 to Bridges 41.
David T. Flaherty took a com
manding lead over Rev. Coy
Prlvette and easily won the
Republican nomination for gover
nor.
Incumbent Auditor Henry Bridges
won In a close race with Lillian Woo.
Green carried the county 3 to 1
over Lee. The vote wras 4,001 to 3,147.
Other vote totitis county wide:
Bridges, 8,860; Woo, 3,478;; Brooks,,
3,734; Scott, 8,084; Flaherty, 388;
Prlvette, 188.
GIVES TO PROJECT - David Barrett, left, and Sam
Tesenlar, center, (wesent Bob Hope, captain with the
Kings Mountain Rescue Squad, a money bag containing
$365 to be used toward the purchase of a new ambi lance
tor the sqnad. The money was raised by COPE mem
bers at its recent coffee break stop at the west city
limits. COPE at the same time engraved over 1,000
Items for area citlaens.
Squad Needs Fund Ideas
The Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad needs help.
A special committee, chaired by
Ben Hord, la looking for Ideas for
fund-raising projects squad
members can undertake.
"We are buying two new am
bulances," CM>t. Bob Hope said.
"Ben (Hord) Is In charge of the
committee to see that funds are
raised to pay for these badly needed
emergency vehicles."
To date roughly 13,600 has been
put Into the kitty to pay tor the
vehicles. This money was raised
through projects and donations,
according to Hord.
Rita Oobb, secretary of the squad,
said rescuers have pumped gas at
East King St. Exxon for a donation,
held a rummage sale and held a
traffic solicitation survey on King
St.
In addition donations have been
given by the Kings Mountain Church
of God, the Alert CBers of The
Piedmont and from Cltlxena on
Patrol and Emergenclea (COPE).
This week the squad received $364.81
from COPE, donations from cltlMns
Bloxam Comjdedng Prior Duty
Leonard P. Bloxam was hired as
public works director two months
ago, but as yet has not reported for
duties.
Mayor John H. Moss said Bloxam
has requested and has been granted
additional time before reporting to
Kings Mountain In order to complete
a project underway when he was
hired by the city.
"Mr. Bloxam la woriting on the
final Inspection of a construction
project St Morehead City,” Mayor
Moss said. "He was amlgned this
project by his former employers
prior to accepting the job as public
works director In Kings Mountain.
The commissioners granted his
request for more time to complete
the Morehead City project."
In the Interim, Codes Director A1
Moretz Is handling the PWD duties.
to COPE during two Operation
Identification Coffee Breaks spon
sored here recently. The squad also
received a check from the CB Nut
Club of KM for $160 and another
check for $164.86 from the KM
Mountaineers CB Club.
"The first of the two new am
bulances is expected to arrive
between January and July of 1977,”
Capt. Hope said. "The rescue squad
share of the coat for this one Is
$7,000. This Is a matching fund
program from the Federal Highway
Safety Act.
"The second ambulance will cost
us about $20,000,” Hope continued.
"We have to bear the total expense
of this one."
Ben Hord said the squad Is
planning to give away a 1886 Ford on
Sat., Sept. 18 at the Bethware
Community Fair. Tickets have been
going for $1 donations each for the
drawing. This money will go Into the
ambulance fund.
"We are also planning a gospel
and country music show for some
time In the near future,” Hord said,
"and contsilners for donations havs
been made available to us. We are
now asking businesses all over the
city tor permission to place the
containers with them.
"In addition," Hord continued,
"we will Issue a challenge to all of
the local clubs, orgsmlsatlons and
businesses for donations In this
fund drive between now and
December.”
Otlzens with fund-raising project
Ideas sire iMked to contact Ben Hord
at 7$8-4282 after 2 p. m.
"We are grateful to those In-
dlvlduala, clubs and businesses that
have already contributed to the
stmbulance fund,” Hope said.
Nationsd Military Park, said this Is
being held at a minimum be Muse of
the lack of parking fMllltles and
spill-over areas within the park.
On Oct. 7 at 8 p. m. in the park will
be the culmination of the second 180-
mlle trek of the "Overmountain
Men” sponsored by the Appalachian
Consortium. This Is a reenactment
of th march that took place 186
years ago when the Patriots
gathered at Sycamore ShosUs In
Tennessee sind marched over the
mountains to Kings Mountain to
meet and defeat the Loyalist troops
under the command of Ool. Patrick
Ferguson, the battle which turned
the tide toward victory tor the
Americana during UieRevolutionary
War.
Ceremonies and speeches are
planned In the park amphitheatre,
according to Harry Smith, grand
marshall of the march. Gov. Hol
shouser and Gov. Edwards will
participate along with Invited guests
Including Susie Profltt, Miss North
Carolina, and Lavlnla Cox, Mias
South Carolina, Thomas Kleppe,
Secretary at The Interior, Gary
Everhardt, director of the National
Park Service, Sen. Strom Thurmond
and General Westmoreland.
Lovelace said the park service will
use this occasion to publicly
dedicate the park’s new visitor
center and museum.
"In order to assure greater con
venience and safety for park
visitors,” Lovelace said, "On Oc
tober 8 off-site parking areas will be
provided at Eaton Corporation near
Grover and at Lake Crawford In the
South Carolina State Park, which Is
adjacent to the national park.
’"Special free shuttle buses will
operate between Eaton and Lake
Crawford and the park dedication
site. General Parking will not be
available within the national
military park," Lovelace continued.
Following the October 8 festivities
In the military park the focal point of
further activities will be shifted to
ttie City of Kings Mountain.
Mayor Moss said a press con
ference Is set for noon next Wed
nesday to outline finalized plans for
activities In Kings Mountain.
"However, I can tell you that a
parade Is planned on Oct. 8 at 8:80 p.
m. tn downtown Kings Mountain and
that a rocking chair marathon la
being planned," he said.
Joyce Lee, who has begun plan
ning the rocking chair marathon,
told The Mirror-Herald today that a
full committee to handle the project
will be announced next week. She
also said that partial arrangements
have already been made.
"There will be a first prize of $800
awarded to the person who outlasts
all competition,” she said.
Mrs. Lee and her husband,
Stephen, co-chaired the marathon
for the Kings Mountain Centennial
celebration In September 1874. Keith
Laughter of Kings Mountain was the
winner of that rockathon. His record
stands at 78 hours, 46 minutes.
Applications are already being
taken for the marathon by Mrs. Lee
(788-6691). There wdll be a $30 entry
fee from each contestsmt and each
contestant must sign a medical
(Please Turn To Page 3A)
^Miss Bonnie’ Dies
Funeral services for Mrs. Frank
Rlckert Summers, 78, affectionately
known as "Miss Bonnie," were con
ducted Friday morning at 11 o’clock
from St. Matthew’s Lutheran
Church of which she was a member.
Her pastor. Rev. Robert Allen,
officiated at the rttea, and interment
.1
MRS. P. R. SUMMERS
was In Mountain Rest Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Roy
Howard, John O. Plonk, George H.
Mauney, George Houser, Dan
Finger, John Cheshire, Thomas Tate
and W. D. Kerns.
The family has designated
memorials to St. Matthew’s
Lutheran Church and Kings
Mowtaln Hospital.
Mrs. Summers, prominent
historian and honorary chairman of
Kings Mountain’s 1974 Centennial
Celebration, succumbed Thursday
at 3:16 p. m. In the Kings Mountain
Hospital after severed years of
declining health.
Widow of the late President Frank
R. Summers of First Union National
Bank, "Miss Bonnie" was a Kings
Mountain teacher, principal and
superintendent of schools and during
World War l taught a class In
reading and writing to employes In
area cotton mills of the city. For
more than 40 years she taught the
Adult Men’s Sunday School class at
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church and
was a charter member for 60 years
and former Regent of Colonel
Frederick Hambrlght Chapter,
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