Juniors in
Area IV playoffs
African pastor visits in KM...................3A
Best defense your money can
ew
>
VOL.. 105 NO. 27
Chad Baity, the 7-year-old Kings
Mountain boy whose fight against
a rare medical disease stole the
hearts of the community, is coming
home August 8. .
His first words Saturday during
a regular weekend pass at home
was to his teacher, Karla Bennett.
"Hey, Miss Bennett."
Although he has to speak very
slowly, Chad's progress is remark-
able, say his parents. After Chad
returns home, he will require thera-
py twice a week and his family will
encourage him to talk more.
On Saturdays and Sundays
when Chad has a pass from the re-
habilitation unit of Carolinas
Medical Center, the family bowls,
goes to the movies, and on July 4th
He telephoned her and left a mes-
sage on her answering machine:
N—
enjoyed a picnic and a cruise on
the Catawba Queen. His family is
at his side with a walker and
wheelchair and Chad is able to get
in and out of a car easily. He also
helps his father pick vegetables in
the garden, holding a bag for the
squash. Recently he went roller-
skating in his wheelchair and at-
tended a wrestling match.
And more good news came 0
Chad and his parents and three
year old Brooke this weck. Chad
will be promoted to the second
grade at West School.
"Chad was a miracle baby and
he is still a miracle," said his doting
father, noting that Mrs. Baity had
not carried two previous pregnan-
cies for more than six months.
Chad was delivered after an eight
month, one week pregnancy and
Thursday, July 8, 1993
KM's Chad Baity coming home
after lengthy stay in hospital
was in the Intensive Care Unit.
Since January 20 when he lost con-
sciousness during lunch at West
School Chad has been in Carolinas
Medical Center in Charlotte.
For Cindy and Brent Baity, his
improvement has been an answer
to prayer. ;
The Baitys are continuing their
personal brand of therapy, the love
and faith they hope will heal him
completely.
Great-grandmother, Ruth Baity,
is looking forward to babysitting
Brooke and Chad while their father
works at Advance Truss Systems in
Kings Mountain and their mother
works at Consolidated Traffic
Management Service in Charlotte.
"We're planning a special home-
coming for Chad and can hardly
wait to have him our son home for
"good," said his father.
CHAD BAITY
Hawkins files
for KM board
Board of Education Chairman
Ronnie Hawkins made it official
Friday that he's a candidate for
relection.
Hawkins threw his hat in the
ring five min-
utes after filing
opened at the
Cleveland
County Board of
i Elections for a
{ total of 54 of-
i up for
grabs in
November in
Cleveland
County this fall.
Seats of
Hawkins and C. A. Allison, repre-
senting outside city residents, and
Priscilla Mauney, at-large, are ex-
piring this year. Neither Allison
nor Mauney have indicated they
plan to seek reelection.
Hawkins said he is serious about
the education of Kings Mountain
children. "My only campaign
promise is to listen to the public, to
the kids, teachers, and to the ad-
ministration and attempt to find a
viable solution to the problems," he
said. :
Hawkins said he is running on
his four year record of service.
See Hawkins, 5-A
HAWKINS
BIG FLAG FOR BIG CELEBRATION - The Amvets' 65' by 115' flag flew over Jake Early ‘Memorial
Park for Saturday's big July Fourth celebration, sponsored by the Kings Mountain Parks and Recreation
Department. Kings Mountain area residents enjoyed a full day of games, entertainment and fireworks.
Wesleyans distribute Bibles in Russia
Standing in Red Square in
Moscow and distributing 6,000
Bibles was awesome for three
Kings Mountain people recently.
Rev. Harold Bumby, Carol
George and Farrell Lovelace were
among nine Americans on a mis-
sion trip for the Wesleyan Church.
They took cases of medicine and
planted the seeds of the gospel in
children’s hospitals and orphanages
and in the birthplace of commu-
nism.
Bumby said that he felt the evil
as he walked by Lenin's tomb and
Stalin's grave and witnessed to the
Russians that the tomb of Christ
was empty because we serve a
Risen Saviour."
George said it was a highlight of
her Christian experience to observe
lives changed.
Lovelace said the denomination
established a base for a full time
ministry there and will sponsor
seven missionaries.
Bumby said that nine young
people from the United States start-
ed a Christian Day Camp on the
day they left to return to America.
For Rev. Hoover Smith of
Gastonia, former pastor of East
Gold Street Church, it was his
ninth trip to Russia. He leads the
mission effort to Russia for the
Wesleyan Foreign Mission Board.
Fuss going to higher court
Nineteen families in the
Oakwood Subdivision in the Dixon
Community are up in arms about a
proposed trailer park coming to
their neighborhood and say they
will take their case to Superior
Court, if necessary, for a trial by
jury.
But developer Mike Brown says
he will be more than happy to sell
the five acres and four structures
he owns to the homeowners for
$190,000. He said he paid
$144,000 for it and has alrcady
spent $30,000 in improvements.
"It's not up 0 me to contact the
homeowners but I will welcome
calls from them," said Brown.
"We have no choice but to fight
the issue in court,” said Matt
Morris, president of the Oakwood
Homeowners Association, at a
meeting of the homcowners
Monday afternoon at thc home of
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Churchill.
A preliminary injunction issued
Friday in Cleveland County
District Court by Judge Keaton
Fonvielle for now apparently clears
the way for Brown to proceed
with his plans to put in 15 trailers
on property he owns adjacent to
Oakwood Subdivision.
"This is a story for pcople op-
posed to county wide zoning," said
Larry Wilson, attorney for Brown.
He said that zoning assurcs proper-
ty owners that unwanted construc-
-tion won't be allowed. The land at
issue is unzoned.
Wilson said that Brown posted a
$4,000 bond, at the order of the
judge, to answer concerns of prop-
cry owners about potential dam-
age to a road they say is privately
owncd and maintained. Property
owners say they had a restrictive
covenant when they bought their
homes in Oakwood Subdivision
that prohibits trailers. Brown main-
tains that his adjacent property is
not part of the original restricted
area.
Brown's argument was that be-
cause there was a common use of
the road by the public that the road
had been accepted and there had
been an "offer of dedication by
Clyde Huffman," according to
Wilson.
The hearing on Friday was (0
determine whether or not to contin-
uc a temporary restraining order
against the property owners. The
judge extended the preliminary in-
junction against the property own-
crs pending a full hearing on the
merits when the case comes up for
trial which could be 30-60) days.
Michacl Spurrier and John
Lingle say they have two weeks (to
file answers to a suit filed against
them and other property owners by
See Park, 5-A
The local missionaries will share
their experiences though pictures
and slides at East Gold Wesleyan
Church July 18 at the 11 a.m. wor-
ship service. The public is invited.
"There will be many tears shed
with our testimonies," said George,
who said her late father would
have wanted her to go to Russia.
"He always wanted to go as a mis-
See Russia, 5-A
Re
Todd Lingle, left, and Dale Smart stand at Smart's property line in
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THEY'RE OFF?
Seven KM residents file
for City Council seats
They're off and running!
Seven Kings Mountain men
have filed for four seats open on
City Council, creating a race for
both the At-Large and Ward 3 seats
in the first week of filing in the
municipal election.
A few minutes after filing
opened Friday with Elections
Chairman Becky Cook, former
mayor Kyle Smith paid his $36 fil-
ing fee and threw his hat in the
ring.
Also filing this week for the seat
currently held by Al Moretz were
Jerry Mullinax
and Frank
Brackett.
Mullinax was a
candidate for a
ward seat in the
1991 election.
Brackett, of
1012 North
Piedmont Ave.,
is a former city
employee.
Gilbert
Hamrick, also a former candidate
in recent elections for a commis-
sion seat and for the mayor's seat,
and Charlie Smith filed for Ward 3
Tuesday afternoon.
Jim Childers; who served eight
years as commissioner from Ward
1, filed Tuesday afternoon for the
Ward 4 seat now held by Jerry
White. Childers, of 206 Maner Rd.,
is president of Childers Roofing.
Filing for the Ward 5 seat now
held by Fred Finger shortly after
filing opened on Friday was Rick
Murphrey, of 402 Garrison Drive.
Murphrey, a first time candidate
for city office, is Vice President of
Sales at Spectrum Dyed Yarns Inc.
He earned his Business
Administration degree from
Atlantic Christian College. He and
his wife, Sandra, have one daugh-
ter, Tracy, and are members of First
Baptist Church.
In a filing statement Murphrey
said, "Having been a resident of
Kings Mountain for over 20 years,
I have seen a number of changes in
the evolution of our city, most of
which have created a better quality
of life for our families and friends.
My primary concern in running for
Kings Mountain City Council is to
do everything possible to build up-
on the past record of success and
enable Kings Mountain to become
an even more progressive city in
providing the needed services and
resources for our citizens. I believe
that my many years of local busi-
ness experience provide me with
the necessary management skills to
make objective decisions in the
best interest of our citizens and the
City of Kings Mountain. My goal
is to help improve our local econo-
SMITH
3
TE
Oakwood Subdivision which adjoins
CHILDERS BRACKETT
HAMRICK
SMITH
my by encouraging the creation of
more job opportunities through in-
dustrial and business development.
MURPHREY
- Thus, we can expand our tax base
and, hopefully, maintain lower tax
rates. I am always available to lis-
ten to citizens regardless of the na-
ture of their concerns. Most impor-
tantly, I will always respond to
their concerns and do all that I can
to resolve any issues to the best of
my ability."
Brackett, in a filing statement,
pledged to "represent all the citi-
zens of Kings Mountain, not only
those who live in Ward 2 where 1
reside.” Brackett said his experi-
ence as a former employee in the
sanitation and Public Works
Department puts him in a good po-
sition to answer concerns of citi-
zens and that his roots in Kings
Mountain for 33 years at the same
address will help him communi-
cate with the needs of citizens.
Brackett is employed by the state
on a road oil crew and also oper-
ates a family garage and rebuilds
and restores antique automobiles at’
his home. He and his wife,
Margaret Wood Brackett, have
been married 34 years and they are
parents of one son, Frank Brackett
Jr.
See Filing, 5-A
#
& '
a proposed mobile home park that neighbors don't want to see go up off Mountainside Drive in the Dixon
Community.
2