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VOL. 104 NO. 52
Santa Claus helped the White Plains Shrine Club entertain chil-
| dren who have been patients at Shriners Hospitals. The second an-
nual Christmas party was a festive affair Thursday night at
Masonic Hall. :
Courtney Marie Elkins defied all the odds and is clearly the joy of her
| grandparents life. g
| The little girl, who says she can hardly wait for Christmas, was born
nearly seven years ago in Akron, Ohio with Spinabiphidae. Doctors told
her parents that she could not live.
Doting grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Elkins, prayed for a miracle.
They found the miracle at Shriners Hospital in Greenville, SC.
At 17 months of age, Courtney moved with her grandparents to
Kings Mountain and Elkins went to work at Spectrum Fibers. For five
years, the pretty, 48-pound, light brown, long-haired beauty has been in
and out of Shriners Hospital. Her most recent hospitalization for leg and
foot surgery was in May.
John Elkins said he learned about Shriners Hospital when he took the
baby to Dr. Martin Stallings, Kings Mountain pediatrician. That first trip
to Greenville, SC was " a miracle,” said Mrs. Elkins.
"We can't praise enough the work of White Plains Shrine Club and
Shriners everywhere," said Elkins.
Courtney .is a first grade student at Jefferson School in Shelby in a
special class for orthopedic handicapped. She is learning to use a walker
and she operates a wheelchair with ease and style.
Stealing the hearts of young and old alike Thursday night at White
Plains Shrine Club's children's party, she wheeled her chair expertly
through the crowd following Santa Claus as he hugged and talked with
other children like her who have had numerous surgeries and been pa-
tients in Shriners Hospitals for much of their lives.
Courtney has undergone surgery five times in her young life and was
in a body cast for three months in 1989 and in a cast from May-August
this year. ;
Her uncle, David, says she is the bravest little girl he knows.
Courtney says she likes to play VCR tapes of "Old Woman In A
Shoe" and "Miss Piggie." She asked Santa for a Cabbage Patch doll, a
stove, a vacuum sweeper and a doll stroller.
Mrs. Elkins says Courtney fights her illness. "She is very much her
own person and very opinionated,” she said. "We give her important
jobs to do in the household and she loves it."
"All these children are so special,” said Mrs. Elkins. "We have seven
children and 12 grandchildren we love but this little one is an extra
blessing." :
"Christmas will be great at our house this year because Courtney is
home," said her uncle.
Courtney, busy opening her present from Santa, smiled in agreement.
Wednesday, December 23, 1992
Shorter holidays at some Kings
Mountain plants is predicted by lo-
- cal industry as an omen of good
will signaling an upswing in the
economy for New Year '93.
"We're running strong," says
Grover Industries personnel man-
ager Randy Patterson.
The identical statement was
made by officials of Minette Mills
and Cleveland Products in Grover,
by Mikie Smith of Commercial
Intertech in Kings Mountain and
Claude Suber of Kings Mountain
Knit Fabrics and by officials of
Hayward Pool Products.
Shortest holidays-- Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day--will be
taken by employees of Commercial
Intertech, Combustion
Engineering, Hayward Pool,
Kings Mountain Knit Fabrics,
Grover Industries and Minette
Mills/Cleveland Products at
Grover.
At other plants the holiday
schedule varies.
Anvil Knitwear will close at end
of the second shift December 23
and employees will return to work
at 10 p.m. January 3, 1993. Gifts
will presented to all employees and
eligible employees will receive va-
cation pay.
Mauney Hosiery Company em-
ployees will enjoy a holiday from
December 23 until January 4 but
David Faunce said the plant will be
open for several days this week for
inventory. Christmas bonuses will
be paid based on length of service.
See Christmas, 3-A
Kings Mountain. N.C. 28086 «35¢
New Year's Day.
and New Year's Day.
re-open Jan. 4.
«City Hall - Closed Dec. 24 and 25, and
New Year's Day.
eLibrary - Closed Dec. 24,25,26, and
New Year's Day.
e Harris Teeter - Close at 6 p.m. Dec. 24,
closed Christmas Day, close at 7 p.m.
on New Year's Day.
sFood Lion - Closed Christmas Day, open
eBanks - Closed Christmas Day
«Schools - Closed Dec. 22,
Local money helps in Somalia
Gifts to the American Red
Cross, a Kings Mountain United
Fund agency, are helping alleviate
the vast needs of the suffering peo-
. ple in Somalia.
United Fund Chairman Maude
Norris says that local people
touched by those innocent victims
starving in Africa are marking their
donations to United Fund for disas-
ter victims.
Martha Scruggs, executive di-
rector of the Cleveland County
Chapter American Red Cross, said
that Red Cross President Elizabeth
1
Ww Shr b pre
sented a life membership to
Thomas D. Tindall Saturday night
as the highlight of the annual
ladies’ night Christmas banquet at
~ Holiday Inn. :
Noble Ralph Grindstaff, presi-
dent, praised Tindall as Mr.
Shriner, Mr. Mason, and Mr.
Scottish Rite Mason. Noble John
Grant Jr. presented the Past Master
of Fairview Lodge 339 AF&AM
and Past President of White Plains
Shrine Club with an engraved
plaque.
Tindall has served as secretary
of Fairview Lodge for 25 years.
For the past several years he served
as treasurer of White Plains Shrine
Club.
"We have leaned on Tommy in
both organizations," said Grant.
Dole is on a 10-day visit to key ar-
~ " = 1 .
been elected to 37 Shrine and
Somalia, where the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement is providing humanitar-
ian relief to victims of conflict and
famine.
Dole's fact-finding mission is
aimed to assess, first hand, the Red
Cross relief role in Somalia,
Mozambique, Kenya and former
Yugoslavia. While in Africa, Dole
will also visit with the South
African Red Cross.
Dole will be observing relief op-
erations, making certain that food
is reaching victims and that the
pipeline is open for future contri-
b wl A: h . ¥ 3 &
airview Lodge since and has
Masonic offices.
Grindstaff also presented a
"Circle of Honor" plaque to Larry
Adams for his fund-raising efforts
and accepted a check for $1,000
for the club from Shrinettes, the
auxiliary of the Shrine Club.
The reigning Shrine Queen Lori
Cobb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Mike Cobb, crowned the 1993
Queen Andrea Mayhew, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Mayhew.
Shriner John Stanley of Gastonia
recognized the club for raising over
$25,000 last year for crippled and
burned children. He: said local
Shriners have also helped support
6,000 children at Oxford
Orphanage and the elderly a
In Somalia, the Red Cross has
been supporting ICRC community
kitchens, ICRC activities at the
Keysaney Hospital in Mogadishu
that treats conflict victims and has
provided $1,711,219 in cash, medi-
cal supplies and delegates to ICRC
relief operations.
In former Yugoslavia, the Red
Cross has channeled $657,990 in
cash and in-kind relief to the ICRC
and Federation to distribute there
and it has obtained a US govern-
ment grant for 14,000 tons of food
distribution worth $6 million, in-
cluding transport and storage.
The i
White Plains Shrine Club placed
14th overall among Shrine clubs in
the Oasis Temple for contributions
in 1992.
"This is an outstanding record
even in hard times," said
Grindstaff.
Stanley installed new officers
and Grindstaff passed the gavel to
Bob Ramsey.
New officers of White Plains
Shrine Club, in addition to
Ramsey, are Joel Wallace, presi-
dent-elect; Bruce Ward, vice-presi-
dent; Darvin Chasteen, treasurer;
Mike Rippy, secretary; and John
Grant Jr, and Bob Smith, directors.
Grindstaff will serve as advisor.
See Tindall, 3-A
donated $25,000 to drought relief
in Mozambique and recently nego-
tiated a US government grant to
channel over $300,000 to relief
there.
It has provided artificial limbs to
an ICRC operation and has also
sent a delegate to war-ravaged
Mozambique, where two million
people are at risk, a country fast
becoming an emergency much like
Somalia.
On her visit Dole will visit
Somali refugee camps, accommo-
dation centers for displaced
Mozambicans and refugee centers
TOM TINDALL
Shriners treat crippled children
It was hard to tell who was hav-
ing the most fun at the Shriners’
Christmas Party Thursday night:
the kids, Santa Claus or the
grownups.
White Plains Shrine Club enter-
tained 15 youngsters at a party
which included hotdogs and ham-
burgers with all the trimmings,
gifts and a visit from Santa Claus.
Wheelchairs had the run of
Fairview Lodge 339 AF&AM. The
children maneuvered their way
past chairs and tables to follow
Santa Claus on his route as he
stopped at each table to hug a
child, take him on his lap, or listen
to his requests.
The special guests at the second
annual party were children who
had been patients at a Shriners
Hospital during the past year. Most
of the children present had been
patients at Shriners Hospital for
Crippled and Burned Children in
Greenville, SC but some of the
group had traveled to more distant
cities for treatment, all paid for by
the caring Shriners.
"We look forward to this party
every year," said Shriner Ralph
Grindstaff, assisting Santa with
distributing toy trucks, dolls and
TY
stuffed animals to children of all
ages. J
"It really makes Christmas for us
to have these children here in their
homes this season,” said Dewitt
Guyton.
Guyton said the Shrine Club is
interested in knowing the names of
all area children who have been pa-
tients at Shriners Hospitals in the
past or those families who may
need information about the hospi-
tals.
The children ran a close race
with the jolly ole man from the
North Pole as stars of the show.
"We just can't say enough about
the Shrine Club," said John Elkins,
whose granddaughter ‘Courtney de-
lighted old and young alike with
her antics with her wheelchair.
Excited about Santa, Courtney
could hardly eat. She watched the
door for Santa and when he came
into the room her eyes and face lit
up like a Christmas tree and she
made a mad dash for him, keeping
up with him in her wheelchair.
"Where's Rudolph,?" asked one
tiny tot.
"He'll be here with Dasher,
Dancer, etc.," he said, laughing and
ho-ho-hoing as he made his way
among the crowd.
Stocking tops $3,000 mark
Kings Mountain people always come through.
The Empty Stocking Fund, which last week had col-
lected less than half of its goal, went over the top this
week because of the generosity of many Kings
Mountain area people.
That means Christmas will be brighter for young-
sters living in the Kings Mountain School District who
otherwise may not have a toy or needed clothing this
Christmas. 2
Herald subscription rates
to increase on January 1
We have some good news and some bad news for you.
The bad news is, effective January 1, 1993 the Herald will have to in-
crease prices on its mail subscriptions. This is due to the ever-increasing
cost of newsprint. Despite those increases, this is the first time in four
years the Herald has increased its subscription rates.
Effective January 1, mail subscriptions will be:
One year, $16 in Cleveland and Gaston Counties; $18 in other North
Carolina counties; and $21 outside North Carolina.
small, will be greatly appreciated.
Previous total $1,300.00
Contributions this week:
Marie and Adam Gsellman $50.00
Cleveland County Health Department, in honor of
Denise Stallings, $110.00
Mauney Hosiery Mill, First Shift Knitting Department
Donations during the past week amounted to $1,798 $50.00 Six months, $9 in Cleveland and Gaston Counties; $10 in other North
and pushed the total to $3,098, marking the fourth payghters of Wesley Class, Central United Methodist Carolina counties; and $11.50 outside North Carolina. All prices include
straight year that the fund has toppedghe $3,000 mark. Church, $50.00 tax.
It is still not too late to give. Mail your donations t0 Mrs. Helen Hendricks $50.00 The good news is, you will continue to receive good, local news and fea-
the Empty .Stocking Fund, P.O. Box 1461, Kings The Thursday Afternoon Book Club $129.00 ture stories about your friends and neighbors at a yearly cost that is lower
Mountain, N.C. 28086; or deposit them into the special
Empty Stocking Fund account at Home Federal
Savings and Loan. All donations, no matter how
than the single copy price of 35 cents each.
To subscribe by mail, call the Herald's Circulation Department at 739-
7496.
- Public Works employees: Street, Sanitation, Garage
and Administration, x $120.00
See Stocking, 8-A