ITT
Bethlehem Baptist Church
celebrates 150th anniversary
5-A
KM teens brighten days of
retirement home residents
12-A
VOL. 104 NO. 80
Thursday, July 23, 1992
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086 +85¢
Transter
station
dedicated
The James K. Downey Refuse
Transfer Station, Cleveland
County's first such facility, was
dedicated Tuesday morning on
North Piedmont Avenue,
City officials were joined by
Downey's widow, Glenda, and oth-
er members of his family in unveil-
ing a plaque honoring the late
Sanitation Department Supervisor
from 1980-89.
The transfer station is the culmi-
nation of two years of planning by
City Council:and city workers. The
Public Works Department began
road construction in 1991 and site
. construction got underway in
March 1992. Contractors were
Cleveland Container Corporation,
Parker-D Fence Company, Dye
Electric, and Leonard McSwain
Septic Tank Company. Engineer
was city engineer Tom Howard.
Howard, who presided at the
dedication ceremonies, said sav-
ings from the project yearly will
top more than the cost of the pro-
ject, $54,000. The refuse container
will hold 45 cubic yards of com-
posted refuse. A contractor will
pick up and empty the container
three times weekly, eliminating
trips by city crews to the county
landfill 34 miles away.
Howard said city trucks pick up
refuse five days a week. Now, each
of the city's three trucks will empty
i Kings Mountain couples visit Russia
David and Sarah Faunce came
back from a boat trip down the
Volga River in Russia with over
200 photographs, plus video tapes.
And they said they should've taken
more film.
"We could've taken more. We
should've taken more," said Sarah.
The Faunces, along with Bill
and Mary Mauney and Odus and
Joanne Smith, took a tour on the
Alexander from Moscow to Gorki
and back to Moscow. Then they
took the midnight train to St.
Petersburg, which was the favorite
part of the trip, said David.
St. Petersburg was more
European, he said, with beautiful
architecture. Peter the Great during
his reign brought in architects from
all over the world to adorn the city.
5
Mayor Scott Neisler, left, and members of the Jim Downey family dedicate the city's new refuse
transfer station in memory of the former sanitation department supervisor. Downey's sister Joyce
Buckner, his son Kenny holding grandson Josh Jones, his wife Glenda, his sister Jo Ann Smith, his
daughters Lynn Jones and Phyllis Downey, and his niece Susie Buckner, left to right, also participated.
seven cubic yards of compacted
refuse daily at the refuse station
and sanitize trucks and equipment
at the end of each day. Howard
said truck schedules have been re-
arranged to save the city in man-
power costs and future capital in-
vestment.
Costs of the transfer station in-
clude the compactor, $20,495; a
40-yard receiver $4,280; site work,
$14,725; access road, $8,000; and
fence, $5,000. In-house labor re-
duced the project cost.
Whereas, Moscow was "drab" and
more of the Islamic style of archi-
tecture, said David.
David said the Russians were
busy renovating all the churches.
Not only is there a religious resur-
gence, but the Russians wanted to
spruce things up for tourists.
"It was really interesting,” said
David. The people were very
friendly and interested in America.
Odus Smith said that an old
woman came up to his wife and
started talking in Russian. The in-
terpreters said she was saying that
Americans were good people.
"We heard that a lot," said Odus.
David said that Russia was not
like Europe where most people
could speak English. Mostly
younger Russians could speak
The new facility has handrails
and is enclosed by a locked, high
fence. About 110 cubic yards of
concrete forms the retaining walls
and slabs. Drainage and sewer sys-
tems were added. The electrical
layout was done by the city electric
department.
Mrs. Downey said she was quite
pleased the city wanted to honor
her husband. "He would have en-
joyed seeing this facility go up,"
she said. Among members of the
family present were his grandson,
English tut the older ones could
only speak Russian.
That didn't keep the group from
bartering. Sarah bought lots of
Russian hats. And she bought oil
paintings at ridiculously low
prices.
David said the Russians would
trade for jeans, socks and t-shirts.
They would come up to the
Faunces and ask for dollars be-
cause they could trade the dollars
on the black market for more.
Cigareties were not in demand,
but candy for young children was,
said David.
The food was "eatable," said
Odus. The beef was tough and
from old cows, said David and
See Russia, 9-A
Charlie Campbell, land surveyor, dead at 93
Charlie Campbell, 93, was still
driving a car two months before his
death July 19 1992.
"Dad was a very independent
man and my best friend,” said son
Ed Campbell. "He took pride in
managing his own affairs." ;
Campbell still balanced his
checkbook and traded cars. Until
his recent illness his activity belied
his years and still walked with ease
the stairs to his second floor apart-
ment on West Gold Street where he
had lived 18 years. He drove him-
self to McGill Clinic the day he be-
came ill. He died at White Oak
Manor.
A familiar visitor at the Holiday
Inn, Campbell took most of his
meals there and enjoyed lunching
daily with his son and friends. In
an interview with the Herald on his
90th birthday, Campbell said he al-
ways took the long route home
from meals, detouring through
Kings Mountain National Military
Park. It was a drive he loved, he
said, especially in autumn.
Friends regarded Campbell as "a
walking history," said his son,
since Campbell was acquainted
with many people and their family
lineage. On his 90th birthday
friends and kin gathered at the
5
Mayor Scott Neisler cuts the ribbon for the newly opened Advance Auto Parts last week. Jake Call, left,
Holiday Inn for a big birthday par-
ty which included both Campbell
and Hughes relatives from far and
near.
A widower for 42 years,
Campbell was married to Bertie
Hughes Campbell, who died in
1951.
Born March 18, 1899 to E. L.
and Mollie Lenora Ware Campbell,
Charles Blackstone Campbell en-
listed in the Army at age 15 and
served during World War I during
the days of Mexican rebel fighting.
His job was to help protect the
See Campbell, Page 2-A
manager of the new store and Greg Smith, representative ‘of the Kings Mountain Rescue Squad look on.
Advanced Auto Parts donated $200 to the local rescue squad. ¢
three-year-old Josh Jones; his
daughters, Lynn Jones and Phyllis
Downey; his son Kenny Downey;
his sisters, Jo Ann Smith and Joyce
Buckner; and his niece, Susie
Buckner.
"Paying tribute to one of our
own honors a dedicated worker
who loved Kings Mountain," said
Mayor Scott Neisler, who praised
. City Council and City Manager
George Wood for the foresight to
build the facility in today's climate
See Downey, 9-A
David and Sarah Faunce in
Russia.
CHARLIE CAMPBELL
KM voters
undecided
Nearly half -- 49 percent -- of
voters polled in a survey conducted
by the Kings Mountain Herald said
they were undecided about who
they would vote for in the race for
President of the United States in
November.
A poll of 100 Kings Mountain
citizens was conducted last week
by phone. The results showed that
18 percent would vote for
Democratic candidate Bill Clinton,
while 19 percent would vote for
President George Bush.
Unfortunately, a significant 14
percent of those polled said they
did not plan to vote. 2
There were a few survey partici-
pants who were not familiar with
who was running for President.
One respondent said he had
planned to vote for Ross Perot but
would change his vote to President
Bush now that Perot had taken
himself out of the race.
Of those voting for Bush, one
person said, "I'm conservative. I'm
against socialized medicine and so-
cial programs. Mostly, I'm just vot-
ing against Clinton."
Another said, "He (Bush) repre-
. sents my views. Clinton's too liber--
al.”
Comments for Clinton included:
"I just don't like Bush."
"Bush is out of touch."
"I think we need a chang e."
"I'm tired of the same junk that's
gone on for 12 years and I'm sure
not better off than I was 12 years
ago."
"Bush has not done what he said:
he would do."
"It's disappointing for the peo-
ple who spent so much time on
Perot's campaign. He brought out
people who had never been in-
volved in the political process. I'm
afraid they won't get involved
again.” :
"I'm encouraging Perot support-
ers to switch to Clinton."
“Clinton's choice of Senator Al
Gore of Tennessee as his running
mate will boost the Democratic
ticket."
"The President is conservative.
To me, Clinton is not. Most of the
Perot people will fall in line behind
Bush." .
As in the rest of the country,
Perot supporters in Cleveland
County spent months collecting
signatures and organizing voters
for November. Now, they are
weighing their choices. Some told
The Herald they don't plan to vote
in November.
US 29 land use ordinance
A wide-ranging land use ordi-
nance unanimously approved
Monday by Cleveland County
commissioners will regulate mo-
bile home parks and prevent ex-
pansion of mines along a 6-mile
corridor of US 29 between Kings
Mountain and Grover.
The restriction was fought by
Rednour Mining Company, which
wants to expand its 10 acre mining
operation by another 113 acres.
Rednour officials say they aren't
giving up the fight.
The new rules, enacted after two
years of study and public hearings,
now regulate everything from the
placement of billboards to the way
subdivisions are built.
The new rules state that no new
mining can take place beyond the
2,060 acres on Grover Road now
being mined without rezoning.
Rednour would need to apply for
rezoning to get permission to mine
‘approved by CC commissioners
on an expanded site. Nearby high
tech Eaton Corporation and
Dupont have expressed concern:
that vibrations and dust from the:
mines would harm their delicate
equipment. :
Rednour has argued that it al-
ready has state permits to expand
the mine with tough guidelines
controlling vibrations. :
The new ordinance specifies a
minimum lot size for mobile
homes of 10,000 square feet for
homes with septic tanks and 5,000
square feet for homes with water:
and sewer hookups. It also allows :
gravel roads and underpinnings
made from any kind of suitable ex-
terior building material. An earlier
draft of the ordinance got opposi-
tion from mobile home park opera-
tors. It had required larger lots,
paved roads, and brick or cement
block underpinnings.
Sale of city property expected
to be on KM City Council agenda
Sale of city property to two
churches is expected to be on the
agenda for Tuesday night's City
Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at
Governmental Facilities Center.
Bynum's Chapel AME Zion
Church and St. Paul United
Methodist Church on Cansler
Street want to buy parcels of land
for additions to their church build-
ings. Council is selling the proper-
Kings Mountain People
ty under the upset bid method fol-
lowing legal advertisements.
The Council will also be asked
to authorize demolition of a house
on city owned property once
owned by A. B. Cline at Moss
Lake. The city acquired the Cline
property during negotiations to
build Moss Lake and the Clines
built a new home in 1973.
The world has changed
in Keeter's 96 years
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald Staff
Wait until she's 100 and Mary
Morris Alston Kecter, 96, will rcal-
ly celebrate.
Mrs. Keeter's life has spanncd
depressions, American wars from
the Spanish American to the Gulf
Storm, and two centurics. She has
viewed Halley's Comet twice --
once as a girl in 1910 in Bertic
County and -morc recently in
Cleveland County ncar Bethware
School.
In 1896, the ycar that Utah
joined the union and Grover
Cleveland was President of the
United States, she was born on July
21 to Mary Eoline Morris Alston
and Joseph Jefferson Alston in
Powellsville in Bertie County near
the Chowan River. At age 10 she
was baptized in the Chowan River.
Miraculous changes have oe-
curred during her lifetime, along
with marvelous inventions.
Transportation has changed from
horse and buggy to automobiles
and airplancs. Communication and
entertainment have made the world
smaller with movies, radios, televi-
sion, VCR's, and telephone. Space
{lights put man on the moon.
Mrs. Keeter relaxed in her com-
See Keeter, 9-A
MARY KE ETER
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