Empty Stocking Fund
reaches $3,218
J ones hit every
ot in '92
VOL. 10 NO. 53
A
Motorists were greeted by ice as they went to work early Monday
morning. But the mercury began rising and by mid-morning the ice
had melted.
Looking Back at 1992
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ngs Mountain, N.C. 28086 «35%
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King Winter gave Kings Mountain
residents their first snow flurries Sunday
morning and an icing Sunday night that caused
power outages at about 50 homes. There were
few traffic problems.
"We were lucky," said Community Services
Director Tom Howard. He credited the
aggressive tree cutting program of the city for
saving residences some of the inconveniences
that neighboring cities felt during the wintry
blast.
Six trees falling across primary feed lines to
the Country Creek Subdivision on Shelby
Road and to Meadowbrook Road were blamed
for power outages in two sections of the city.
Country Creek residents were without power
from about 2 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Meadowbrook
residents were in the dark for several hours.
"l am surprised that a storm of that
magnitude didn't create any more havoc in
Kings Mountain but I think the reason is that
the city has cut down more than 500 trees of
various sizes in an aggressive tree
cutting/trimming effort that started last
summer,” said Howard. "We've got a long way
to go."
Howard said Duke Power, the city's supplier
of electricity, expected to have power fully
restored in a wide area of Mecklenburg County
and in York County, South Carolina by close
of business Tuesday. More than 100,000
homes in those areas were without power.
"We've been working hard to improve the
odds that we don't get major outages," said
Howard.
Department of Transportation workers
stayed busy Sunday afternoon through early
Monday morning putting a sand and salt
mixture on Cleveland County roads.
The ice storm left bridges and ramps
dangerously slick from about 4 p.m. Sunday to
9 a.m. Monday.
Two people were taken to the hospital after
a wreck on I-85 at the Gaston County line
about 7 p.m. Sunday.
The ice was blamed for a minor wreck
Sunday at the 74 By-pass bridge on Cleveland
Avenue. A car operated by Melissa Jane
Mitchell, 1001 Cleveland Ave., slid on ice and
veered into the Southbound lane and hit a -
guard rail. Damages were estimated at $600.
The icy conditions slowed sanitation
workers Monday but Howard said that the
regular two day a week pick-up schedule
would resume next week after the holidays.
The weatherman was promising spring-like
temperatures with highs in the 60's predicted
for New Year's Day.
Like any other town, Kings
Mountain had its share of ups and
downs in 1992, but an economy
that is’ on the move brings hope
that there will be many more ups
than downs in 1993,
As the old clock winds down to
midnight, the city and area is see-
ing a resurgence in building as sey-
eral projects are under way, and the
hope is that new plants like
Bridgestone/Firestone which: is
constructing a new manufacturing
plant off 1-85 will bring more Jobs
into the area.
Kings Mountain voters helped
sweep the County Commissioners’
races for Democrats and helped put
Bill Clinton in the White House,
Jim Hunt in the K Governor's
Mansion, and Lauch Faircloth in
the Senate; and helped return their
own Ollie Harris and John
Weatherly to the General
Assembly.
1992 was the year the President
came to town. Although he didn't
stop for a speech, thousands lined
the Southern Railway tracks to see
his train slow down to 10 miles per
hour en route to Gastonia on a
three-state whistle-stop tour.
The school system faced several
issues in 1992, including a 12-
month school proposal which
failed; tardies, videos and drugs
and weapons on school grounds.
Month-by-month, here are some
of the news highlights of 1992 as
taken from the front pages of the
Herald:
January:
President Bush p— through Kings Mountain during his October whistle-stop tour of the Carolinas.
KM had ups and downs in '92
The Empty Stocking Fund col-
lected a record $4,176.14 allowing’
it to serve 79 children and 49 fami-
lies in the Kings Mountain area
during Christmas,
The mother and stepfather of
Grover murder suspect Dean
Hamrick, who took his own life
Dec. 30 after a five-hour standoff
-with police, were charged with ac-
cessory after the fact of homicide.
Officers alleged the Grover couple
hit Dean Hamrick, wanted for four
murders in Alexander County, at
the home of Hamrick's stepgrand-
mother on Groves Street.
A fire which destroyed the home
of Bryant Kennedy Grier at Lake
Montonia was investigated as pos-
sible arson by Fire Marshall Beau
Lovelace.
Charles Walker, program direc-
tor for the Senior Center, died at
age 69. He had worked the day be-
fore but began complaining of
chest pains that night.
The new Chill Out policy, which
is drawing the ire of some parents
and students now, was approved
for KMHS. Principal Jackie
Lavender told the school board that
students in hallways during class
time were disrupting the school
day and stringent rules were need-
ed; now, almost a year later, some
parents and students say the school
went overboard in enforcing the
rules.
The Moss Lake Commission ap-
proved regulations for dock per-
See 1992, 7-A
Subscription rates
increase 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:
M One year, $16 in Cleveland and Gaston Counties; $18 in other North
Carolina counties; and $21 outside North Carolina.
® Six months, $9 in Cleveland and Gaston Counties; $10 in other North
Carolina counties; and $11.50 outside North Carolina. All prices include
tax.
The good news is, you will continue to receive good, local news and fea-
ture stories about your friends and neighbors at a ycarly cost that is lower
than the single copy price of 35 cents each.
To subscribe my mail, call the Herald's Circulation Department at 739-
7496.
Happy New Year!
Kings Mountain People
Tax listing change
takes effect Friday
A new state law effective Friday
changes the way you're taxed for
cars and trucks.
The good news is that you won't
have to list your cars and trucks at
the county tax office in January but
the bad news is that it means you
can't postpone until next December
the payment of the taxes. The bill
comes with your vehicle registra-
tion card you receive from the N.C.
Department of Motor Vehicles and
is payable to the county tax office
the first of the month after you are
‘billed.
Jim Hendrick, Cleveland County
tax assessor, says other personal
property, such as single-wide mo-
bile homes, boats, jet skis,
campers, and outboard motors still
have to be listed with the county
tax assessor in January.
"This new system approved by
the state legislature last year is a
means to keep the cash flowing,"
explained Hendrick.
Hendrick said green postcards
are going out to people who didn't
list last January at the county office
See Tax, 2-A
Woman robbed in parking lot
Two Kings Mountain men face
felony charges of common law
robbery after a mugging in a local
shopping center parking lot
Monday.
Arrested just after the 5 p.m. in-
cident were James Jeffrey
Huffstickler, 23, of 319 Chestnut
. St., and a 17-year-old male. Their
$5,000 bonds. were secured.
Chief Warren Goforth said that
the two white males are accused of
mugging Phyllis Ware Austin, of
West Mountain Street, as the wom-
an unlocked her car after a shop-
ping trip.
Austin told officers that she
came out of Eckerd Drug Store and
found two men standing by her car.
She said they exchanged conversa-
tion and she wished them a happy
new year. "It happened so quickly,"
said Austin. "I turned my back to
get in the front seat and was struck
on the right temple."
Austin said the suspects fled on
foot after taking her purse from the
front seat, running in the direction
of the Sadie Mill. She went into the
drug store and called police who
gave chase and apprehended the
suspects on Sadie Loop and East
Gold Street shortly after the inci-
dent. Austin said the Eckerd Store
manager and a customer assisted in
the chase.
Investigating officers for KM-
PD were Ptl. William Fredell, Ptl.
Linda Haynes, Ptl. Thomas
Fletcher, Det. Sgt. Houston Corn,
and dispatcher Diane Whetstine.
Austin was treated at the hospi-
tal emergency room. She suffered a
black eye and soreness in her right
leg and shoulder. She was back at
work Tuesday at Kings Mountain
Country Club, where she is em-
ployed as dining room manager.
United Fund extends deadline again
Kings Mountain United Fund is
extending its appeal for funds until
January 20.
"Due to additional participation,
we find it necessary to extend our
campaign again,” said President
Pat Carter. "Hopefully this extra
time and participation will help us
to exceed our campaign goal for
$121,500."
Campaign chairman Maude
Norris encourages volunteers to
make their report of solicitations as
soon as possible. "Any gift, large
or small, is appreciated,” said
Norris, who said contributions may
be forwarded to Kings Mountain
United Fund, PO Box 122, Kings
Mountain, 28086.
The United Fund has targeted 14
agencies for assistance this year.
They include: American Red
Cross, $19,000; Ministerial
Association Helping Hand Fund
and chaplain service, $14,500; Girl
See Fund, 3-A
Nancy Scism, the new Senior
Vice-President and Chief
Executive Officer of Home
Savings Bank, doesn't plan to swap
her comfortable first-floor office
for the spacious second floor suite
of her former boss.
Instead, she plans to remain
readily accessible to the customers
who call her and her former em-
ployer, Tom Tate, by their first
names.
It's a trademark of the soon-to-be
70-year-old institution.
From her office, Nancy says she
sees many of the people who come
10 the banking institution on a daily
basis and many of them stop to
chat. Many of them affectionately
refer to Scism as their "personal
banker."
The promotion of the 29-year
veteran who worked her way up
the ladder from teller to the top slot
and the retirement of 34-year veter-
an Tom Tate becomes effective
December 31.
Scism is the only woman CEO
in the holding company, Security
Capital Bancorp. She will super-
vise 26 employees in three branch-
cs: Kings Mountain, Bessemer City
and Gastonia.
Scism credits her people- -oricnt-
cd former boss Tom Tate, her first
boss, Hilton Ruth, former manager
of Belk's Department Store, and
her sccond boss R.S. Lennon, CEO
Scism stays close by
at the old First National Bank, for
her rapid advancement in the busi-
ness.
"Mr. Ruth told me when I ap-
plied for a sales clerk position in
1959 that when I made a mistake to
learn from it," said Scism. "He also
told me that a person who never
makes a mistake never lcarns.”
Ruth also helped Scism get her
second job working as a teller at
First National Bank for Lennon
and both gave her recommenda-
tions when she was approached by
Tom Tate about joining his small
staff of three people at Home
Savings & Loan Association in its
See Scism, 10-A
NANCY
scIsm