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PAGES TODAY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1987
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
"S 001
GIVE TO TH
HELPING HAND
9808¢ ON‘’NIW SONTY
The end of a political era in
Kings Mountain was toasted
by more than 25) people
Thursday night as they
honored Mayor John Henry
Moss who completes 22 years
and seven months with the ci-
ty as its chief executive next
week.
“For more than 22 years
this one single man has
dominated politics and he has
been a guiding source behind
SO many progressive ac-
tivities’’,said retired KM
Hospital administrator
Grady Howard.
“He is interested in all of
Cleveland County’’,said
| former Cleveland County
School Board Chairman J.D.
Ellis who talked about Moss’
energetic endeavors and his
association with him in the
new Metro Water District
and also with the Cleveland
Association of Governmental
Officials.
oast For Ma
ny
MAYOR MOSS HONORED—MTrs.
Mayor John Moss as a gift from KM citizens attending a testimonial dinner Thursday night in
which the Mayor was praised for leadership, grantsmanship, and community service.
250 People Attend
State Senator J. Ollie Har-
ris credited the Mayor with
development of programs for
the elderly and youth and
Rep. Edith Lutz praised Moss
for overseeing the develop-
ment of Moss Lake and the
new City Hall.““A good many
young people owe their good
citizenship largely because of
John Henry Moss”, said Har-
ris.
Most of the dozen political
and community leaders
leading the testimonial pro-
gram praised Moss for his
skill in finding government
grants, nearly $20 million in
federal funds which included
one of the largest grants in
the country for building of the
Community Center. ‘‘You
folks have been truly for-
tunate to have a man of this
ability and caliber’ said
Senator Marshall Rauch.
Former Shelby Mayor Les
Roark, Grover native,
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Charles Alexander, above, presents a gold ring to retiring
representing Senator Terry
Sanford at the festivities,
said the mayor’s ‘‘true genius
lies in his ability to bring peo-
ple together and his ag-
gressive style of public ser-
vice.”
L.E. Hinnant, Kings Moun-
tain banker and chairman of
the Cleveland County Board
of Commissioners, called
Mayor Moss ‘‘a great
motivator” and praised him
as a compassionate mayor
with a heart, one who worried
about people on unemploy-
ment.
Master of Ceremonies
Garland Atkins, Publisher of
the Kings Mountain Herald,
drew loud applause from the
standing room only audience
when he said Moss ‘‘has got-
ten more money from
Washington,D.C. than a
brinks truck‘ referring to
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Moss
"EAV INOWAHIg
AYVILIT TVIYOWAR AINOVR
|
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New Mayor, Commissione
To Be Sworn In Tuesday
A new mayor and three
new city council members
will be sworn in Tuesday
night as Kings Mountain in-
augurates a new form of
government, from mayor-
commissioner to city
manager-council.
Kyle Smith, who will
‘become the city’s first part-
time mayor in history, will
succeed John Henry Moss,
one of North Carolina’s last
full-time mayors whose an-
nouncement came as a shock
to Kings Mountain citizens
when he said several months
ago he would not seek re-
“election. Moss has served 22
years and seven months.
Although the Mayor has not
said what he plans to do after
retirement he has close ties
to several ongoing projects,
including the proposed Kings
Mountain Corporate Center,
the proposed hydroelectric
project on Moss Lake, the
proposed Metropolitan Water
District in Cleveland County
and the proposed regional
sewer complex in Gaston
County.
The new commissioners,
all newcomers to politics,
replace three veterans of the
political arena with many
years in office. Also retiring
with Mayor Moss are District
1 Commissioner Irvin
(Tootie) Allen, Jr., District 3
Commissioner Corbet
Nicholson and District4Com-
missioner W. Norman King
who has moved to Sylva in
Western North Carolina.
Replacing the incumbents
are Al Moretz, former city
engineer, District 1; Norma
Bridges, the second Kings
Mountain woman ever
elected to the board of com-
missioners, District 3, and
Jackie Dean Barrett, retired
Kings Mountain Chief of
Police, District 4.
The outgoing board, which
also includes District 2 Com-
missioner Humes Houston,
District 5 Commissioner
Fred Finger and District 6
Commissioner Harold
Phillips, will meet'at 7:30
p.m. Tuesday for last
meeting at which Mayor John
Moss will preside. The Smith
administration will conduct a
meeting after the new
members of the Council and
Mayor Smith are sworn in.
The ceremonies in the
Governmental Services
Facility Center council
JACKIE BARRETT
light refreshments to be serv-
ed by the City Hall staff in the
lobby. Visitors are invited to
participate in both events.
The public is invited to
welcome the new council
from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at a
Tecepilon in the City Hall lob-
y.
Business of the new ad-
ministration will include the
election of city clerk-
treasurer, the election of city
attorney and department
heads and designation of
financial institutions to serve
the city.
Mayor-Elect Smith has
taken a leave of absence from
his present job, beginning
Wednesday, and will be work-
ing full time in the Mayor’s
office, he said, until a new Ci-
ty Manager, Kings
Mountain’s first, is on the job.
Meantime, the new board will
begin interviewing 18 ap-
plicants for City Manager
after Christmas, Smith said.
chambers will be preceded by The Council will also set the
k | RL RSERTE
NORMA BRIDGES
date for the regular monthly
meeting but probably will not
appoint an interim City
Manager, said Smith.
The Council will also elect a
mayor pro tem. Two years
ago the board voted that
honor to the candidate receiv-
ing the highest votes in the
Primary (Humes Houston).
Four years ago the board
voted that honor to the
highest vote-getter in the
Run-off (Irvin Allen). Follow-
ing previous customs, the
honor could go to either Nor-
ma Bridges or Jackie Dean
Barrett. Bridges was highest
vote-getter in the run-off and
Barrett was highest vote-
getter in the Primary elec-
tion.
“There is a lot of work
ahead of us and I pledge to
give my 100 percent efforts to
having harmony among the
City Council and in continu-
ing a progressive govern-
ment in Kings Mountain’,
said Mayor-Elect Smith.
T
MEMBER OF YEAR—EIlwood Barnes, left, accepts Kings Mountain Rescue Squad’s
Member of the Year Award from captain Jonie Blanton at Thursday night’s Christmas
dinner at the Western Steer in Shelby. ‘
KMRS Has Banner Year
Barnes Is Top Rescuer
Elwood Barnes, who helped
spearhead a successful fund-
raising drive for a new am-
bulance, was named Member
of the Year at the annual
Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad Christmas dinner
Saturday night at the
Western Steer in Shelby.
Members of the squad,
board of directors, and their
special guests, celebrated a
year in which KMRS made a
complete about face in its
service to Kings Mountain
area citizens.
Squad captain Jonie Blan-
ton pointed out that a year
ago, the squad had only 11
members and just over $100
in the bank. This year, the
squad has grown to 23
members, of which 14 are
certified EMT’s and six in-
termediate level, and that the
checking account has grown
to over $4,000 and the squad is
within $3,000 of Laying off the
debt on its building.
In addition, the squad rais-
ed over $40,000 for a new am-
bulance which is on order and
should be delivered by the
end of the year.
“We owe it all to the com-
mitment of our members,
board of directors, friends
and supporters,’ said Blan-
ton. Blanton also praised the
city and county governments
who donated $10,000 each.
Barnes, a member for four
years, joined KMRS as
chaplain but has accepted
more duties each year. This
past year, he served as
treasurer and bookkeeper,
training officer, first aid of-
ficer and was a member of
the board of directors.
A former Assembly of God
pastor, Barnes is employed
vide.)
by Duke Power’s Catawba
plant. He lives in the El
Bethel community.
“This is the most fantastic
year I’ve ever experienced,”
said Barnes, ‘‘not only in
growth in membership but in
growing financially and in
achieving our goals and
dreams. It’s a pleasure to
serve the citizens of the Kings
Mountain area with the best
professional help we can pro-
Joyce Cashion, a Kings
Mountain resident and
member of the County Board
of Commissioners, and Jim
Falls, chairman of the board
of directors for the past four
years, were given
Distinguished Service
Awards by Captain Blanton.
Mrs. Cashion volunteered
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