Member
North Carolina Press Association
Vol. 107 No. 41
Run-off set for three other positions
Hager ree
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald Staff
Three of four seats on the Kings Mountain City
Council were undecided Tuesday by 1,553 voters who
went to the polls and gave only one of the four incum-
bents, Ward I Councilman Phil Hager, a clear majority
for election.
Although incumbents Scott Neisler, Jim Guyton
and Norma Bridges led by slim margins, the runoff
election on November 7 will decide the winners.
Jim Childers, former city commissioner and second
runner in a three-man race for mayor, quickly called
for a runoff with figst place finisher and incumbent
Scott Neisler, who led by 100 votes. The vote was 627
for Neisler and 527 for ‘Childers. Retired city planning
Ward 2 second place finisher Jerry Mullinax, above,
Philip and Bonnie Sanders. Mullinax and incumbent Ji
GUYTON
360 votes.
, Yember 7 runoff after. Guyton squeaked by Mullinax by one vote...
#
County Commissioner E. T.
VanHoy walked out of the probable
cause hearing for controversial
DSS board member Robert A.
Williams Monday, saying he want-
ed no part of it.
“Declaring that he did not agree
with the process, Van Hoy read a
statement in which he said
Williams called attention to prob-
lems at the Department of Social
Services and charged that the board
had never given him a chance to be
apart of the DSS team.
“Van Hoy said that DSS has re-
ceived warnings that problems ex-
KM Schoo
The Kings Mountain Board of
Education has gone on record that
it is unconvinced that merger of the
three school systems in the county
would offer anything additionally
to the Kings Mountain educational
system.
So:said Supt. Dr. Bob McRae af-
ter the local board Monday night
unanimously accepted the Shelby
Board of Education's invitation to
join them and the county s¢hool
' Commissioners remove W
isted but no action had been taken.
He said ousting Williams from the
board was not a solution to the
problems.
Van Hoy said that Cleveland
County ranks first in the state in
per capita child abuse and neglect
reports.
"We can't solve the problems by
burying our heads in the sand," he
said.
After Van Hoy's departure, the
board listened for about 30 minutes
to reports from Bob Hensley, DSS
Program Director, and Stuart
LeGrand, vice chairman of DSS,
board for a long-range planning
session to discuss educational is-
sues after the three superintendents
and board chairmen agree on the
agenda.
Chairman B. S. Peeler will draft
a letter this week echoing the
county board of education's re-
sponse to the meeting and also
specifying that it be open to the
public and include all board mem-
bers.
left, is congratulated by
m Guyton are in the No-
Record ¢ Cle
LL CONTES
HAGER BUNCH
director Gene White was eliminated from the race with
Jerry Mullinax, second runner to Ward 2
Thursday, October 12, 1995
L
lected ouncil
Councilman Jim Guyton and trailing by only one vote /
97-96, also immediately called for a runoff with
Guyton in the three man race which eliminated Al
Brackett,
At-large Councilwoman Norma Bridges led a five-
candidate field with 685 votes but insufficient to claim
a majority.
Wendell Bunch, local restaurant owner and new-
comer to the political field, trailed Bridges by only 81
votes and called for a runoff Wednesday morning.
“I'm not a quitter and I will work hard to earn voter
support,” said Bunch. The vote totals were 685-604.
Jim Norris and Ronnie Grigg were eliminated,
See Election, 5-A
«side Today . Section C
Since 1889
Kings Mountain, N.C. « 28086 * 50¢
iW
citing incidents where Williams
had reportedly been uncooperative
and disruptive at board meetings.
Williams was not present.
The board, in what may be an
unprecedented action, voted to re-
move Williams from the DSS
board.
Because Van Hoy left the board
meeting before being excused by
the other six members, his vote
was counted as a vote to remove
Williams.
Monday was the second time in
recent months that the board which
appointed Williams in 1993 voted
"If a meeting is held we want to
be a part of it," said Ronnie
Hawkins.
Vice-Chairman Shearra Miller
and Hawkins were joined by
Connie Allison and Rev. Billy
Houze in disagreeing with the
Shelby board's suggestion that a fa-
cilitator moderate the meeting.
"I think there is a move afoot to
reinstitute the merger topic," said
Hawkins. :
Ready, Aim, Fire
“Members of tix Overmountain Victory Trail Association present a musket firing demonstration during
Saturday's Mountaineer Day celebration in downtown Kings Mountain. More photos are on page 4-A.
Incumbent Scott Neis er, left, who led the m
Jim Childers, right, a former commissioner, co
va sunoft November, 7. Neisler. topped. Childers by. d00. votes, ams m0
illiams from DSS Board
ah
to remove him from the DSS. The
board asked for his!resignation in a
letter but Williams declined, saying
he was guilty of no wrongdoing.
Williams said in a letter to coun-
ty commission chairman Cecil
Dickson under date of October 3
that he "has been the victim of ha-
rassment and disrespectful and dis-
courteous treatment by DSS board
members and staff." He said the
county board's "unstated reasons
for taking action are unlawful and
unconstitutional."
See Williams, 5-A
Hawkins says he remains strong-
ly against merger.
Houze said he doesn't want to
"go to. them fresh and sit down
when they already have an agenda"
and suggested that the board chair-
men and superintendents come up
with an agenda feasible for discus-
sion. :
Peeler said the meeting was pro-
posed by the Shelby Board of
Education in a letter sent both to
ayor s three way race Tuesday,
ngratulate each-bther and head for
+Childers
+Neisler
White
+Bridges
+Bunch
Grigg
Norris
Hager
Johnson
King
Brackett
+Guyton
+Mullinax
and
ROBERT WILLIAMS
| Board to meet with Shelby, County boards
Kings Mountain and Cleveland
County boards to discuss long-
range educational issues, including
but not specifying potential merger
of the three systems. Shelby had
originally proposed a third party to
moderate the meeting. Cleveland
County's board also objected to
the idea.
Peeler said the board is willing
See Meeting, 5-A
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
“Incumbent Councilwoman Norma Bridges gets a
big hug from her son, Kenny Bridges, as unofficial
election returns showed she led the At-Large
Commissioner race Tuesday. Bridges led political
newcomer Wendell Bunch by 81 votes and Bunch
called for a runoff Wednesday.
Unofficial Election Results
‘Betty Gamble
R
For Mayor
East West Total
212 315 527
249 378 627
154 206 360
At-Large seat
305 380 685
213 391 604
46 34 80
53 83 136
Ward |
49 103 152
6 25 31
18 72 100
Ward Ii
65 65
97 97
96 96
is retiring
Betty R. Gamble, veteran Kings
Mountain District School's Work
Force Director and a Vocational di-
rector and teacher since 1953, will
retire December 31.
Supt. Dr. Bob
McRae an-
no: uni.c eid
Gamble's retire-
ment at Monday
night's board of
education meet-
ing and the board
accepted the an-
nouncement g
"with regret." a
Gamble was GAMBLE
praised by various board members
as a top notch administrator, leader
of a successful vocational program
which enrolls 1100 students in
grades 6-12 since the 1980's and
instrumental in the launching of the
Tech Prep program in the 1990's.
Gamble, a former home eco-
nomics teacher and head of the de-
partment at the high school for
many years, supervises a vocation-
See Gamble, 2-A
His love for bluegrass music
takes a back seat only to his duties
as a police officer.
Sgt. Mark Simpson, 30, was
born in a musical family, so it was
only natural that he would follow
in his father's footsteps and play
the bass fiddle and that his young
family would take up his hobby.
Now when he isn't walking the
beat at the Kings Mountain Police
Department he is playing with Ruff
and Rocky Bluegrass, a Shelby
area band, and excelling in what he
calls "doghouse bass."
His wife Susan and their chil-
dren, Matthew, 10, and Milia, 4,
usually accompany him to \picking
and singing engagements and
Susan has fallen in love with the
hammer and mountain dulcimer.
Their son is learning guitar and the
smallest member of the family
dances and sings along with
Daddy.
"My Dad's side of the family has
always been musical and I started
with guitar and mandolin when I
was 10 years old," said Mark, who
says that music is the most relaxing
Police work music to Simpson's ears
SGT. MARK SIMPSON
hobby in the world after a hard day
at work.
"It relieves stress and a police-
man's job is full of stress but it
doesn't take away our love and
dedication for the job we try to
do."
Mark also sings tenor and plays
bass fiddle, joining Vern Berry of
Shelby, guitarist who is lead, singer
in the band; Thurman Ramsey of
Spindale who plays mandolin and
sings lead tenor and baritone; and
Bobby Wray of Bessemer who
plays banjo.
About once a week the group
gets together for practice sessions
and Saturday they plan to show off
their band at Mountaineer Day
downtown.
A native of Shelby, Mark is the
son of Robert and Evelyn Simpson.
A graduate of Shelby High School,
Mark played in the band and was
in the chorus and jazz ensemble.
He had opted for a career in elec-
tronics after a four-year hitch with
Uncle Sam's Navy as an aviation
electronics technician with the F14
Squadron on the aircraft carrier
"The Saratoga," seeing service off
the coast of Libya.
But when former Chief Warren
Goforth offered him a job seven
years ago as a patrolman in Kings
Mountain, Simpson jumped at the
chance and took his rookie training
See Simpson, 3-A
ea
it