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THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1983
- KINGS MOUNTAIN, | |
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work around the house.
~ SHE'S RETIRED - Polly Phifer retired recently from her posi-
tion as bookkeeper at First Union National Bank in Kings
Mountain. She's pictured above reading a good book in the liv-
ing room of her Shelby Road residence. Mrs. Phifer plans to
travel, spend time with her family and grandchildren, and
For almost 40 years, Pauline
Ware “Polly” Phifer was as per-
manent a fixture at First Union
National Bank as the vault.
But, Mrs. Phifer retired
recently as bank bookkeeper and
. plans to spend the rest of her life
~ traveling, spoiling her grand-
children, and doing things she
always wanted to do around her
Shelby Road home.
Mrs. Phifer joined the local
was known as First National
Bank and was located at the cor-
ner of Mountain Street and Bat-
tleground Avenue. It was a two-
teller operation and bookkeeping
was done daily on two machines.
She’s seen the bank grow to 15
employees and all debits and
credits are posted on computers
.. in the modern, two-story struc-
: ture a half-block north of the old
bank building on Battleground
Avenue.
The bank job was the only
one Mrs. Phifer ever held. She
joined the firm. shortly after
graduating’ from Mars Hill Col-
lege and Evans College of Com-
merce.
Photo by Gary Stewart
bank April 15, 1942, when it
mers was president and B.S.
Neill vice president,” she recall-
ed. “We had only two tellers.
Miss Eva Plonk was head teller
and the other teller was Carol
Newby Finger. Miss Bonnie
Summers helped in the teller line
when needed and posted daily
on the general ledger by hand.
The late Helen Ramsey Blanton
and I were the bookkeepers and
our machines were just behind
the tellers. We were all in one
room.” i
At that time, the doors to the
‘bank opened from the corner of
the street. The floors were mar-
ble. Mrs. Phifer recalls one day
when a customer came through
the doors, tripped, hit the marble
floor and slid all the way across
the floor to the teller’s window.
“We got a big laugh out of it, but
he didn’t think it was so funny,”
she recalled.
Banking hours were 9 a.m. to
2 p.m. including Saturdays.
As the bank business grew,
the building was renovated in
1945 and 1950. Mrs. Fred
Wright Jr. was added as a third
teller,
Spent 40 Years With First Union
Mrs. Phifer Retires
“At that time, Frank R. Sum- |
Bill Jonas joined the bank in
1952 as a loan officer, and Mrs.
Phifer worked as a note teller.
The bank continued to grow
and on March 8, 1960, the direc-
tors of First National and First
Union National Bank of North
Carolina approved plans for a
merger. The merger was com-
pleted in June of 1960 and the
bank became First Union Na-
tional Bank of North Carolina.
A year later, R.S. Lennon, a
member of First National of
Kings Mountain since 1954, suc-
ceeded the late Mr. Neill as chief
executive officer. In 1966, Len-
non was transferred to the
Charlotte office and Elmore
Alexander joined the bank in Ju-
ly of 1965 as city executive.
The present bank building
opened on January 17, 1967,
and in April of 1967 L.E. “Josh”
Hinnant took over as KM city
executive. He is still head of the
branch, which is one of over 200
First Union branches in North
Carolina.
“I’ve seen a lot of employees
come and go,” Mrs. Phifer recall-
ed. “There have never been two
days alike and that’s what makes
1
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banking an exciting job. I've
seen a lot of sad things, but more
funnier things. I enjoyed work-
ing with all the employees and
April, 1942 to December, 1982
have been happy years. I shall
never forget First National and
First Union for being so kind to
me.”
Through the years, Mrs.
Phifer worked as a teller, note
teller, vault custodian, book-
keeper, customer services and
account services.
“Since retiring, I’m enjoying
being with my family and grand-
children,” she said. She is taking
a course in china painting at
Cleveland Tech and is creating
china dolls for her grand-
children;. She plans to take a
quilting course in the fall in
Gastonia.
Mrs. Phifer and her husband,
Menzell, a partner in Phifer
. Hardware, have three children,
Paulette (Mrs. Eugene S.
Kaylor), Jean (Mrs. Barry W.
Bumgardner), and Don, who is
married to the former Janice
' Bolin. The Phifers have five
Turn To Page 8-A
5% Gayl a =
HGR CP REA GIA RH 1S
PUBLISH BOOK - Members of the Kings
Mountain Energy Commission recently
published a 48-page booklet to help citizens
conserve energy. Looking over the material
Adams.
Photo by Gary Stewart
are, seated left to right, William Hager, Burris
Ramey, John Henry Moss and Ernest Rome.
Standing. left to right. Jim Dickey and Don
Energy Book Available
The city’s Energy. Commission
has published a 48-page booklet
“to help citizens in conserving
energy and saving energy
dollars. ;
The 22-member committee,
chaired by Councilman Jim
Dickey, has been busy for over
two months compiling informa-
tion and organizing into sub-
committees which will put the |
_ program into action.
Kings Mountain is one of
several cities participating in the
program originated by the office
of the North Carolina Alter-
native Energy Corporation.
The city is in the process of
auditing all of its facilities, street
lights, ballfields, and vehicles to
determine the amount of energy
used, and the costs. Dickey and
Mayor John Moss, ex-officio
member of the committee, said
they hope to see the city cut at
least 20 percent of its energy
over the next year.
Moss said everything in the ci-
ty that uses energy is metered,
except street lights. He is in the
process of making a map of
street lights and will project the
energy use of lights by using
manufacturer’s specifications.
After the audit is completed,
“then we’ll begin to develop
ways of conserving,” Moss said.
“If we can get the individual
citizen to be as concerned as we
are, we're going to have a sav-
ings as a result of awareness and
management.”
The city’s energy booklet con-
tains savings tips in such areas as
Positive Action League
To Meet With Privette
The Kings Mountain Positive
Action League will hold a special |
awareness meeting Friday at 10
a.m. at Temple Baptist Church,
612 North Cansler Street in
Kings Mountain.
Rev. Coy Privette, executive
director of the Christian Action
League in North Carolina, will
be the guest speaker. He will be
instructing those attending on
the best possible ways to involve
community action to defeat the
proposed referendum which
seeks to establish the sale of beer
and wine and the establishment
of an A.B.C. store in Kings
Mountain.
“Every concerned citizen is in-
vited to attend,” said the Rev.
Kenneth Looney, publicity
chairman for the Kings Moun-
tain Positive Action League.
insulation, winterization around
doors and windows, use of
fireplaces and fireplace inserts,
solar energy, how to buy and -
care for appliances such as water
heaters, refrigerators, stoves,
dishwashers, freezers, washers
and dryers, microwaves, and
others.
Commissioner Dickey said
many energy dollars can be sav-
ed simply by caulking, keeping
coils and filters clean, and
following other simple tips.
“The booklet is designed as a
year-round help,” Dickey said.
“Heating and airconditioning
consume about 70 percent of a
household’s energy. Any small
thing that can be done to cut-
back can result in a savings. For
_instance, cutting the thermostat
one degree can save four per-
cent.”
Dickey said “volunteerism”,
whether on the part of an in-
dividual or members of his com-
mittee, will be the key as to
whether or not an energy sav-
ings results in Kings Mountain.
The winterization sub-
‘committee, chaired by Scott
Neisler, plans to target so many
‘homes in Kings Mountain to be
winterized. The committee will
assist needy families in securing
plastic, caulking, etc., and in
some cases will assist in doing
the job.
Turn To Page 8-A
Free BP Screening
i Kings Mountain Hospital will
i ‘begin offering free blood
pressure screening in the hospital
emergency room on March 14.
Screening will be offered seven
days a'week from 8 a.m. until §
p.m.
A card will be issued to each
individual which gives his name,
results of the blood pressure
screening, and the date of screen-
ing. If an individuals blood
pressure is above normal, it will
be suggested that he see his fami-
ly physician for a follow-up.
“Everyone has blood pressure.
It is the push of your blood on
the walls of your blood vessels as
your heart pumps blood to all,
parts of your body. When your
blood pressure goes up and stays
there, it is very dangerous for
' your health,” said Hospital Ad-
ministrator Grady Howard.
This year alone, high blood
pressure will help kill about
250,000 Americans and cripple
thousands more. It often leads to
stroke, heart attack and kidney
failure. One out of every six
adults has high blood pressure.
Children can also have it. Half
the people who have high blood
pressure don’t know it, because
often there are no symptoms.
That is why blood pressure is
often called the “silent killer.”
“Keep yourself and your fami-
ly safe from the dangers of high
blood pressure. Let us check '
your blood pressure on a regular
Offered By Hospital
fils Sd He
BP CHECK - Mildred Dixon, right, nurse at Kings Mountain
Hospital, checks a blood pressure in the hospital emergency
room. The hospital is offering free blood pressure checks seven
days a week.
basis,” Howard said.
Howard said
For Five Year Olds
School Screening Set
If your child will be five years
old on or before October 15,
1983 heshe will be eligible to
enter kindergarten. Those who
will be six years old on or before
October 15, 1983 will be eligible
for kindergarten or first grade.
Screening sessions will be held
at the five Kings Mountain
elementary schools on an ap-
pointment bases. Before May 1,
‘parents will need to contact the
office of the school his child will
attend. If the parent is not sure
which school his child will at-
tend, he may call the Central Of-
fice (739-4589) and get the infor-
mation. School offices are open
weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Schools’ telephone numbers are:
Bethware 739-6453; East
. 7394426; Grover 937-7671;
North
739-5276.
Parents are expected to attend
the pre-school screening with
their child in order to particpate
in the orientation and a private
parent/ocial worker conference.
739-2346; West
in cases of
emergencies, persons wishing to
have their blood pressures check-
ed may have to wait for a few
minutes.
In addition to the completed
registration form, parents need
to bring a copy of the child’s
legal birth certificate (NOT the
hospital record), herder “shot”
record, and a copy of the
physical examination by the
family doctor or the Health
Department.
Lenten Service Wednesday
A mid-day Lenten service will
be held Wednesday from 12:05
until 1 p.m. in the santcuary of
Central United Methodist
Church. :
The worship leader will be the
Rev.. Bric/ Faust of First
Presbyterian Church. The
message will be given by the
Rev. William Tyson of Boyce
Memorial A.R.P. Church.
A light lunch will be served at .
12:30 p.m. A minimum one
dollar donation per person is ask-
ed for lunch.
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