Battle Of Kings Mountain Celebration Sunday
e 3:00 P.M. At The Military Park e
"Your Hometown Newspaper’
* Since 1889 »
Vol 102 No. 40
By EE
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ON Nu
‘HAV INOWAHTId
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Thursday, October 4, 1990
AMVYEIT TVIVYOWHIW AHINL
Wear a costume on Mountaineer
Day and help celebrate the 210th
anniversary of the Revolutionary
War Battle of Kings Mountain.
That's the invitation from
Mountaineer Day promoters, who
say that Saturday, Oct. 13, will be a
big day in Kings Mountain, not on-
ly for those participating but for
downtown merchants and crafts-
people readying for crowds from a
wide area.
"There will be something for ev-
eryone," says David Hancock and
Denise Falls, of the City Parks &
Recreation Committee sponsoring
the celebration. Mayor Kyle Smith
will open the festivities at 9:45
a.m, and music by the
KMHS Pep Band and Kings Revue
will precede a balloon release to
signal the start of the annual festiv-
ities.
Hancock said that 25 craftspeo-
ple have signed up to display and
sell their wares, numerous food
vendors, and exhibitors will be on
hand. Mother Goose will be wan-
Mountaineer Day
Set For October 13
Downtown KM To Celebrate
210th Anniversary Of Battle
dering through the crowds for story
times and there will be special ap-
pearances by Batman, Ninja Turtle
and Zax, the Duke Power
Company mascot.
In addition to a costume judging
contest, there's an iced tea contest
to determine who makes the best
cold drink and a dog show with
ribbons to be awarded in all
categories.
The Kings Mountain Fire
Department is sponsoring a antique
car show and there will be hot air
balloon rides, a space walk for the
kids, a street dance and big fire-
works display at 9 p.m. Horse-
drawn buggies will give
Mountaineers a ride through the
streets and the KM Police Scuba
Team will set up a "dunking
booth." Numerous gospel singing
and dance groups will perform on
the stage on East Gold Street in
front of the new City Hall. Craft
displays will be set up in the back
parking area across from Western
Auto Store.
DRESSING UP MOUNTAINEER-STYLE-Ruby Hord, left, and
Minnie Morrow model their Mountaineer costumes for
Mountaineer Day Oct. 13. Local folk are invited to wear their cos-
a
Jumes) celebrate and attend the apna) festivities downtown on Oct.
KM People
There's Never A Dull Moment
When William Hager's Around
William H. "Bill" Hager misses
the classroom but he has found in-
volvement with kids in the
Community Schools program ex-
hilarating and never routine.
This fall Hager began his 30th
year in education. "There's some-
thing different all the time and it's
a joy to watch kids learn and grow
and mature," he said.
The addition of a Summer
Enrichment program at Bethware
School for 60 children ages 4-11
and Before-School Care and
After-School Care in the five ele-
mentary schools were brand new
programs for the system as a result
of surveys first conducted by
Community Schools Advisory
Council which also started night
schools for adults who were taught
macrame, art, typing, and
conversational French and
Spanish. Spanish is now a regular
part of the elementary school cur-
riculum. The Extended Day pro-
gram at North school included a
Friendship club, jogging and fit-
ness classes, arts, Girl Scouts and
much more, he recalled.
"Hager," as he is affectionately
called by friend and kin, was hired
by Supt. B. N. Bames to teach 8th
grade in 1961 at Davidson and
Compact schools. He taught a half
day at each school. That was the
first year of school consolidation
in the district and Hager also
coached basketball at the two
schools and at Grover, where he
worked a year, then went to North
and Central. In August 1979, he
became the Community Schools
Coordinator, a job never too big for
the six foot five 250 pound former
athlete who played basketball in
high school and college.
Summer day care was a growing
need as early as 1980 and was of-
fered free the first year by the state.
Over 179 kids have been enrolled
in that program the past two sum-
mers at East School, where they
enjoy arts and crafts, learn about
Schools Set Dedication Ceremony
Dedication ceremonies for the
additions and renovations at Kings
Mountain Middle School and
Kings Mountain High School will
be held Sun., Oct. 14 at 2:30 p.m.
The forial dedication program
DRE will be held in
B.N. Barnes
Auditorium on
the KMHS
campus. It will
feature re-
marks by Bob
Etheridge,
S$. ta te
Superintendent
of Public
Instruction.
ETHERIDGE Roger Holland
of Holland and Hamrick
Architects, who designed the pro-
ject, will present the buildings to
Doyle Campbell, Chairman of the
Kings Mountain Board of
Education who will accept for the
school system. Acceptances for the
two facilities will be by Pamela
Goforth of the High School and
Van Canipe of the Middle School.
Middle School student Robert
Wingo and High School student
Robbie Wilson will accept for their
respective student bodies.
The ceremony will be followed
by open house at both facilities and
refreshments at the Middle School.
The public is invited.
Water Plant To Break Ground
Groundbreaking ceremonies for
major improvements at T. J.
Ellison Water Treatment Plant at
Moss Lake will be held Oct. 19 at
10 a.m.
Tom Howard, the city's Director
‘of Community Services, said the
water treatment plant improve-
ments, which include a new five
million gallon water storage tank,
are expected to cost $2,696,900.00
and funds were approved in the re-
cent bond package voted by Kings
Mountain citizens.
With the groundbreaking cere-
monies, the city will launch con-
struction of the third bond project
approved by citizens.
WILLIAM H. HAGER
positive self concepts and have
classes in mental and dental health,
fire safety, etc. from 6:30 a.m. until
5:30 p.m. The tuition is $25 a week
and the staff numbers 16. The pro-
gram has been in operation for 10
summers and students can enroll
by signing up at Hager's office, lo-
cated in a trailer in the yard of
See Hager, 13-A
STAKING OFF SITE - Mrs. Norma Bridges, left, chairman of the Parks &
Recreation commission, Councilman Scott Neisler, Jim Guyton, and Recreation
Director David Hancock stake off the 14x26 feet site for new rest rooms adjoining the
new KM Walking Track. Neisler was appointed by Mrs. Bridges to head a new three-
member study group to prioritize recreational needs for the city covering the next five
years.
Firemen Must
Sign Contract
After Heated Discussion,
Board Votes To Deed Land
GROVER-Town Board voted
again 4-1 Tuesday night to deed
the town fire department building
to Grover Rural Fire Department
but made the stipulation that the
deed be turned over only if firemen
sign a contract mutually agreeable
with both parties.
The action came after a long dis-
cussion in which tempers flared
about the issue which has been
talked for two years.
Recessing at 10 p.m., the board
set another meeting Tuesday night
at 7 p.m. with town attorney Bill
Lamb for finalizing of a contract
which will stipulate same quality
fire protection from trained person-
nel but will fix the cost to the
town, $7500 for the next two years
and then a percentage to the fire-
men of the property taxable valua-
tion for the next 97 years. The con-
tract will also stipulate that if
firemen decide to quit that the
town board be given a 12 months
notice and the town be given op-
tion to retain the building which is
valued at $69,000.
Local firemen want to add on to
the fire department but can't obtain
a FHA loan without a clear deed to
the property, owned by the town of
Grover.
"I just want to be sure we cover
all the bases,"said Mayor Bill
McCarter, reminding the board that
firemen walked out and went on
strike 15 years ago. "But that was
15 years ago, Bill," Commissioner
Sandra Ellis said. "What good will
. a building do us if we don't have
the firemen?" she asked.
Collin McWhirter, town attorney
who represents the Shelby law firm
of Bill Lamb, promised the board
he would draw up the necessary
papers and present them to the
board's special meeting Tuesday.
Mayor McCarter cautioned the
board that "We're getting the cart
before the horse in deeding the
property before we get a contract
which says what is expected of
both parties.”
See Grover, 14-A}
Battle Celebration Is Sunday
Sam P. Manning of Spartanburg,
S.C. will be the principal speaker
at the program commemorating the
210th anniversary of the Battle of
Kings Mountain Sunday at the
Kings Mountain National Military
Park amphitheater.
Manning, an attorney-at law,
previously served as an Assistant
U.S. Attorney and for 16 years was
a member of the South Carolina
legislature. Former Vice-Chairman
of the South Carolina American
Revolution Bicentennial
Commission, Manning provided
key support to the development of
the Cowpens National Battlefield
and is well-known to the historians
and genealogists of the Carolinas.
The 210th anniversary com-
memorating the Battle of Kings
Mountain will begin with the ar-
rival of the "Overmountain
Marchers" retracing the route of
the original pioneer militiamen
from southwest Virginia, east
Tennessee, the Carolinas and
Georgia. The 3 p.m. program will
be followed by a wreath-laying
ceremony at the United States
monument on the battlefield ridge.
The Guilford Militia, a group dedi-
cated to bringing back a part of his-
tory and heritage, will recreate the
activities of an 18th century en-
campment and muster all day
Saturday and Sunday.
There are no charges for any of:
the events. The public is encour:
aged to attend.
Monday Last Day To Register
The deadline for registering to
vote in the Nov. 6 election is
Monday at midnight.
Debra Blanton, elections super-
visor of the Cleveland County
Board of Elections, reminds that
prospective voters may sign up at
Mauney Memorial Library in
Kings Mountain, with local
precinct officials, or at the elec-
tions board office in Shelby.
Gaston County residents of Kings
Mountain may register at the
Bsa CP
Gastonia Board of Elections, at
Gaston County Public Library or
with precinct officials.
Last-minute voters can register
at Mauney Library on Monday
from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and also
at Mauney Library on Thursday
and Friday from 10 a.m. until 6
p.m. The Library is open until 8
p.m. both Thursday and Friday and
is open on Saturday but special
registration commissioners won't
be available except on the hours
designated. The Gastonia branch
of the Gaston County Public
Library will be closed on Monday
for staff training but will be open
from 9 a.m. to 5S p.m. on Saturday
and from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Registered voters who have
moved need to register their
change of address/precinct with the
elections offices by Monday. or
face extra time to cast a ballot on
Election Day. Applications for ab-
See Register, 14-A
Special Committee To Study.
Five-Year Recreation Needs
A committee of three pecple-John Blalock, Twyla
Robinson and city councilman Scott Neisler-have been
appointed by Parks & Recreation Commission
Chairman Norma Bridges to prioritize the city's recre-
ational needs for the next five years.
Commissioner: Bridges made the appointment at
Thursday's Parks & Recreation Commission meeting
at the Community Center.
Recreation Direction David Hancock, who has met
with Shelby city’and county P&Z boards recently and
with consultants developing a master plan for county-
wide recreational needs, will serve as ex-officio to the
special study committee.
Hancock said that the trio will look at needs of the
area after consultants present a cost figure.
Wolpert Consultants, hired by the city, Shelby and
Cleveland County to develop the capital, county-wide
recreation improvements plan, is suggesting that site
development for mini-parks, improvements at
Davidson Park and design fees for a fire training cen-
ter on McGinnis Street, a play area at Hillside Drive
property the city bought from Gardner Webb College
recently, and additional neighborhood park in the
Southwestern section of the city be targeted for com-
pletion over the five year period 1990-95. The consul-
tants are suggesting that Davidson Pool be demol-
ished but that the parking area, play area,
shelter/seating, and sports courts there be improved,
See Recreation, 14-A
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