eno
* industrial narrow fabric for shipment to
Former Kings Mountain residents purchase Sadie Mill
Mr. and Mrs. George Houser for an
undisclosed price.
community's oldest and longest-running
industries, closed two years ago.
Burke said the plant is moving to Kings
‘Mountain because it is growing and the
expansion requires a larger building. He
said the new location will be productive for
both the employer and community.
"Mr. Houser has been a good friend and
supplier for years," said Burke. "I was born
in Charlotte but Kings Mountain has always
seemed like home."
See Industry, 11-A
Burke Narrow Fabrics Corporation has
purchased the old Sadie Cotton Mill and is
moving its Charlotte plant and fixtures to
Kings Mountain.
Thomas F. Burke Sr., president, and his
wife, Vivian Burke, vice-president,
announced Tuesday at a press conference at
Kings Mountain City Hall that production
could start at the new location as early as
next week.
The plant will initially employ 40-50
people for which applications are being
accepted for training in the production of
KMHS tardy policy
to come before board
Kings Mountain High School's tardy policy will
come under fire at Monday night's Board of Education
meeting at 7 p.m. at the Superintendent's Office.
Joyce Green will serve as spokesperson for a group
of parents who will voice their concerns with "Chill
Out," a tardy policy which was put into effect during
the last school year. :
Under the policy, which was approved by the Board
of Education, students who are late for a class because
of unexcused reasons are not allowed to come in but
are instead sent to a "Chill Out" room for the remain-
der of the period. They are excused for doctor's ap-
pointments, deaths in the immediate family and court
appearances, as well as all other excuses defined by
the State Department of Public Instruction, such as ill-
ness, quarantine, religious observances and education-
al opportunities approved in advance.
The policy requires students with unexcused tardies
to spend time in lunch detention (first two offenses),
after school (third offense) and for two hours on
See School Board, 9-A
¥ (Se
Kings Mountain men minister in Russia
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Of The Herald Staff
Singing "Victory In Jesus" in Red Square in Moscow was an exhila-
rating experience that three Kings Mountain men won't forget.
Their recent trip to carry the gospel to the Soviet Union with Rick
Gage Ministries was much different from what Rev. David Philbeck, Hal
- Glass and Gene Stone ever imagined it would be. They found the people
friendly, loving, appreciative, and humble.
Philbeck, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church and laymen Glass, of
Macedonia, and Stone of Bethlehem Baptist Church joined 43 other
Gage team members and in 4 1/2 days helped distribute 89,500 pieces of
religious literature, including 20,000 Russian New Testaments, to 45
church services, 34 public schools, one village rally, and one military
base, preaching and witnessing at 81 meetings.
Before they returned to the U.S.A. they saw 5,122 people saved and :
distributed 4,500 Russian-English Parallel New Testaments, 40,000
gospel tracts, 20,000 "To Be A Christian Book," 5,000 power bands,
75,000 Parallel New Testaments and 43 audio tapes of the Russian New
Testament and witnessed to a crowd of 17,864.
-See Russia, 12-A
Empty Stocking still needs your help
The Kings Mountain Empty Stocking Fund is grow-
ing, but still needs your help to make Christmas
brighter for needy children in the Kings Mountain
area.
During the past week, $720 was donated by area in-
dividuals, businesses and groups, bringing the year's
total to $870. With Christmas just two weeks away, the
fund will have to have some sizeable donations to
match the $3,000-plus that has been the average over
the past three years.
Persons are asked to mail their donations to the
Empty Stocking Fund, P.O. Box 1461, Kings
Mountain, 28086; or take them to Home Federal
Savings and Loan and deposit them in a special ac-
count there.
While other charitable projects provide for needs the
year round, the Stocking Fund places its emphasis on
helping children during Christmas. Some children will
N.M. Farr dead at age 84
national and international markets.
Burke, son of the late Mr. and Mrs.
‘Frank Burke of Kings Mountain, worked at
the old Lambeth Rope Corporation on
Phifer Road for his father who was
associated with that industry from 1950-71.
Burke, who attended Western Carolina
University and UCN at Chapel Hill, opened
his own plant in Charlotte in 1975. Mrs.
Burke, the former Vivian Hill, worked at
Trinity Episcopal Day School for a number
of years before the family moved from
Sherwood Lane to Charlotte. So
The Sadie property was purchased from
| Voli 104 No. 56 Thursday, December 10, 1992
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086 e 35¢
Shannon and Eric Sellers will celebrate their
best Christmas ever with baby daughter Brooke.
The mill, one of the
Mayor Scott Neisler, center, welcomes Burke Narrow Fabric Corporation
to" Kings Mountain. Thomas Burke, right, and his wife, Vivian, have
purchased the old Sadie Cotton Mill and are moving their operation from
Charlotte.
A Christmas Miracle
Brooke Sellers’ parents cherish the gift of life
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald Staff :
Christmas will be Brooke Olivia Sellers’ first
Christmas.
Eight months ago when the tiny strawberry blonde
blue-eyed bundle of joy was born to Shannon and
Eric Sellers, she weighed 2 pounds, 1 1/2 ounces,
spent 6-1/2 weeks in Carolinas Medical Center and
three weeks in Cleveland Memorial Hospital and re-
quired five life-saving blood transfusions.
Brooke now tips the scales at 15 pounds, is 24
inches dong and has outgrown her baby doll dresses
and wears a size 6-9 months. She is also learning to
~ walk and is the pride and joy of her doting parents
and family, :
"We have much to be thankful for this holiday sea-
son,” said Shannon, as she sat with her husband and
daughter around a lighted Christmas tree in their
was extra special.
Born prematurely at 6 1/2 months, a 27-week ba-
by, on March 23, 1992, she was delivered by
Caesarean Section. Her mother, in bed for nine
weeks prior to the birth, had been told she would not
be able to carry the baby to full term. She had deliv-
ered two babies prematurely: a boy, Casey Lee, on
March 18, 1985 who weighed one pound and was a
26-week baby and a boy, Dustin Colt, on March 8,
1991 who weighed 1 pound, two ounces and was a
22-week baby.
Brooke's due date was June 21,1992 and Shannon
worried that something bad would happen.
Childhood sweethearts Shannon, 24, and Eric, 26,
married eight years ago. They wanted a big family.
Doctors told Shannon she would have a difficult
pregnancy. "I was determined and Mama told me that
if I prayed and had faith that everything would work
beautifully decorated home on Bethlehgm Road.
Life is a miracle bug Brooke's entry into the world
Gene Stone, left, Rev. David Philbeck and Hal Glass look at pic-
-tures they made during their recent mission trip to Russia.
not receive a toy or needed clothing and other items if
the Empty Stocking Fund drive is not successful.
In addition to giving money, area citizens can help
the fund by participating in projects of two local busi-
nesses.
Cornwell Drug each year sponsor's an Angel Tree
for benefit of Empty Stocking Fund children. On the
tree in the drug store you will find the description of
children whose names have been provided by social
workers. You are asked to purchase a gift for the chil-
dren, wrap them and place them under the tree. They
will be distributed before Christmas.
Bridges Hardware, which is a drop off point for can
goods and toys for the needy, will contribute 10 per-
cent of its gross sales on December. 20 to the Empty
Stocking Fund.
See Stocking, 9-A
Norwood Milton Farr, 84, of 608
E. Ridge Street, retired longtime
member of the Kings Mountain
Fire Department and Kings
Mountain Chief of Police from
1946-50, died December 8, 1992
at White Oak Manor.
A native of Greenville County,
SC, he was married to the late
Mary Somers Farr and was son of
the late William M. and Lula
Hodgens Farr.
He was a World War II Marine
veteran and a member. of Boyce
Memorial ARP Church.
Surviving are one daughter,
Norma Herndon of Kings
Mountain; three brothers,
Haywood Farr of Swannanoa,
Blease Farr of Black Mountain and
Wilson Farr of Travelers Rest, SC;
three sisters, Beulah Keeler of
Greenville, SC, Ruby Sims of
Cleveland, GA, Ruth Porcher of
Swannanoa; and two grandsons,
Brad Herndon of Chapel Hill and
Brent Herndon of Kings Mountain.
The memorial service will be
conducted Friday at 11 a.m. at
Boyce Memorial ARP Church by
his pastor, Rev. Bill Barron.
Graveside service will follow at
Mountain Rest Cemetery.
The family will receive friends
Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. at
Harris Funeral Home.
N.M. FARR
BEN F. BEAM
GROVER - Santa Claus will
come to town Saturday in a 114-
unit Christmas Parade which be-
gins at 3 p.m.
Grand marshal will be WSOC-
TV Channel 9's Cullen Ferguson,
who anchors "Eyewitness News
This Morning” at 6:15 a.m. and
6:45 a.m. and co-anchors
"Eyewitness News: Midday."
Co-chairmen Sharon White and
Judy White said the parade will
line up on Spring Acres, travel
down Main Street, turn right at the
next block, turn left and end at
First Baptist Church. Entries will
be accepted until starting time.
A highlight of the event will be
the Carolina Cruisers from
Bessemer City. The high-stepping
Kings Mountain High School Band
and Blacksburg, SC High School
Band will also set the pace for the
holiday spectacle which features
pretty girls, floats, clowns, and
celebrities. y
Ferguson joined Channel 9 in
July 1969. He is a 1965 graduate of
Florida State University. He earned
his master's degree in journalism
from Northwestern University. He
spent two years as a lieutenant in
the United States Army
Intelligence.
Ferguson's other broadcast expe-
rience includes positions with
WAYS-AM and WSOC-FM 103,
both in Charlotte. During his
tenure with Channel 9 Eyewitness
News, he spent 10 years as Action
Insuranceman Ben Beam is dead
Benjamin "Ben" Franklin Beam,
85, died December 6, 1992 at
Cleveland Memorial Hospital after
a brief illness.
He had been a resident of
Carolina Care Center in
Cherryville for nearly two years.
Born in Gaston County in 1907,
he was son of the late Elzie and
Julia Ann Houser Beam. He grew
up in Bessemer City and after
graduating from high school at-
tended the University of North
Carolina. He later made his home
in Kings Mountain after his mar-
riage to Sarah Mae Hammell
Harmon.
Beam was a member of Central
out," said Shannon.
Grover parad
this Saturday
See Miracle, 12-A
CULLEN FERGUSON
9 reporter which is a consumer
beat, and was assignment reporter
until his current position. He he be-
come known for his often whimsi-
cal feature stories. :
A resident of Charlotte,
Ferguson and his wife, Gwendolyn,
have three children, Michelle,
Doug and Bo.
The lineup for the parade in-
cludes: Grover Police Department,
North Carolina Highway Patrol,
Air National Guard Color Guard,
Cleveland County Sheriff's
Department, Grand marshal, town
officials, First National Bank, Jim
See Parade, 5-A
United Methodist Church for more
than 50 years and served as its trea-
surer for 27 years. In 1980, his
church recognized him as "Father
of the Year." He was also later hon-
ored for his many years of church
service.
Prior to his death, Beam estab-
lished the Ben F. Beam Scholarship
Fund at Central United Methodist
Church, the purpose of which was
to assist young students from the
church who need financial assis-
tance to attend college.
He retired from Western &
Southern Life Insurance Company
See Beam, 2-A