ICE
From 1-A
shelter. Two shelters were operated
by the American Red Cross.
“It could have been worse but
the ice storm was worse for us than
Hugo," said the city's utilities su-
perintendent Maney who headed
the city's power restoration effort.
_ Trees and branches began break-
ing and falling under the weight of
ice. Large broken tree branches lit-
tered lawns and streets and at least
one block of Fulton Road through
the Margrace section was closed
off because of oak tree limbs that
littered the streets. Ice remained on
tree shaded areas Tuesday.
Maney called in Scott
Buchanan, Nick Hendricks, Tom
Roddy, John Houser, Gene
Waldrep, Bobby Boles, Timmy
Adams, Ricky Chapman and Janet
Hayes, all of the electric depart-
ment, and Johnny Putnam and John
Clemmer and Lee Perry of the gas
department and Maney's wife,
Cathy, Public Works Department
receptionist, and they all worked
almost non-stop during the emer-
gency.
Public Works Supt. Moss and
16. members of his crew started
Friday afternoon removing tree
limbs hanging over roads and side-
walks, working ahead of electric
crews and primarily concerned
with removing fallen debris from
the.roads.
City Councilman Dean Spears
operated a chain saw Saturday to
help cut trees off lines.
Councilman Rick Murphrey assist-
ed Mrs. Maney and Janet Hayes
with phones, Mayor Scott Neisler
arranged emergency shelters and
gave out emergency information on
radio and Councilman Jerry
Mullinax delivered food to the
working crews and Diane Barrett
opened her house on North
Piedmont Avenue to the volunteers
and cooked food and hot drinks on
a gas stove during the effort.
Power was restored after 18
hours to Kings Mountain Hospital
and White Oak Manor but both had
emergency back up generators as
did the police department and 911.
The Meadowbrook feeder which
runs power to the police depart-
ment and public works and emer-
gency facilities was also back on
line in about 18 hours.
One of the last areas where elec-
tricity was restored was Hillside
Drive but Maney explained that he
concentrated on areas where the
most people were affected.
"When trees fall across primary
circuits you can't take a big truck
in and out during a storm like we
had during the weekend," he said.
In some areas Maney said that
100 electric boxes were ripped off
houses that would require an elec-
trician to repair the meter base and
other repairs before a power line
could go up.
GRAHAM
From 1-A
names synonymous with war.
For 38 days and nights Graham
said he didn't take off his shoes or
his’ clothes while stationed on
Peleliu Island. His patrol vowed
not to be taken prisoner. An ammu-
nition handler or rifleman in the
81st’ Wildcat Division, 323rd
Infantry, he was in the thick of
things. Graham was 19 when he
was drafted and discharged at age
22 as a Private First Class January
31,:1946.
He considers himself one of the
lucky ones.
He went on patrols and scouting
parties looking for enemy soldiers
and spent 20 months overseas in
“the Pacific Theatre of Operations.
He was in The Philippines when
the War ended awaiting orders to
Layte for training for the invasion
of'Japan.
He came home with the World
War II Victory Medal; the: Combat.
Infantry Medal, the Philippines
Liberation Service Medal with
Bronze Service Star, the Asiatic
Pacific Service Medal with two
bronze service stars and memories
that invaded his sleep for years as
nightmares.
Raised on a farm in Cherokee
County, his parents Robert C. and
Lanie Smith Graham moved their
family to the Kings Mountain area
in 1935.
He cut his teeth in textiles at the
old Margrace Mill at the age of 17
working for 32 1/2 cents an hour
sweeping floors and inspecting
cloth. His Army pay was $50 a
month.
After the War he went to work in
Ellenboro in a weave shop and
then worked in several other indus-
tries before joining Elizabeth
Weaving in Grover for 13 years
and retired 10 years ago from the
shipping and receiving department.
Both he and his wife were reared
in large families. Al has one broth-
er and three sisters surviving in a
family of 11 children and Evelyn
has six surviving siblings in a close
knit family of 10.
The Grahams are Baptist, attend
the Oak View Senior Citizens Club
and Oak View and Antioch Baptist
Churches.
Several years ago they got the
traveling bug and took their first
flying trip to Hawaii but later
drove the car on trips which took
them all around the United States
and to Nova Scotia and Canada.
Someday they may return to
Hawaii but Al never plans to return
to the South Pacific.
Maps of Angaur Island in 1944,
Peleliu Island, and the West
Caroline Islands in the South
Pacific with its year round temper-
atures of 100-110 degrees have no
fascination.
Thirty years after the ~war
Graham and his wife were vaca-
tioning and Al saw a former bud-
dy. The man didn't recognize
Graham but Graham said he never
forgets a GI's face.
In his book of memories is a let-
ter from his commanding officer,
Major General Paul J. Mueller in
which he wrote on August 15,
1945 that "this is a day of rejoic-
ing, a day to give thanks with all
reverence to our Maker for His di-
vine guidance in the perilous
months through which we have
passed. As we bow our heads let us
give thought to the memories of
our comrades who gave their all to
assure this hour of victory for all
the world."
Fifty years isn't really such a
long time.
Put a Touch of Excitement in His or Her
Valentine's Day with a Sizzling Selection of
ROMANCING
LOVE BASKE TI S
Fresh Arrangements,
Plush Animals & Balloons
2 i Hn Guaranteed with
FREE DELIVERY
In the Kings Mountain Area Teleflora
,
The Secret Garden
304 E. King St. » Kings Mountain
739-1089
AS
Maney could not estimate the
dollar figure from the cost of the
storm but he said that since the
work was handled in house the
savings would be considerable.
Maney said City Council's ap-
proval of a tree trimming program
several years ago paid off and ihe
storm could have been much
Worse.
"Kings Mountain would have
been in a terrible situation if the
winds had blown 15-20 miles an
hour as the weathermen were at
first predicting," he said.
Maney said the below-freezing
wind chill factor only enhanced the
dangerous conditions that workers
faced as they worked to fix electric
lines.
No one was hurt.
Kings Mountain Police reported
no major accidents.
There were no fires in Kings’
Mountain.
A house fire killed a 72-year-old
Gaston County woman near Kings
Mountain on Sunday but the fire
was not weather-related.
BREAK
From 1-A
on and it it comes down we pass it
on," he said.
"In January 1996 the same gas
cost us $3.77, over 100 percent in-
crease from 1.78 in 1995," said
Maney. He compared month by
month’ the city's cost, including
$1.78 in February 1995, $1.61 in
March, $1.74 in April, $1.86 in
May, $1.93 in June, $1.67 in July,
$1.53 in August, $1.73 in
September, $1.,84 in October, $2
in November and $2.51 in
December.
Maney said his personal bill for
natural gas is the highest ever.
"But it's not due to an increase
by the city and next month will be
better," he said.
Maney said he is happy that city
officials will work out payment
plans for citizens who find it hard
to pay the monthly bill.
But, there is good news. Maney
said prices for February have been
locked in at a rate of $2.50.
"We had alot of good public sup-
port and we thank people for their
patience," said Maney.
Maney said the city will still
have work to do. With ground still
wet and the weight of the ice on
the pine trees they will come down.
Kings Mountain Fire
Department answered 27 calls to
investigate power lines and trans-
formers blowng up, according to
Chief Frank Burns.
Police reported one break-in
during the power outages. Chief
Bob Hayes said someone apparent-
ly tried to enter Bridges Hardware
but was interrupted by an employ-
ee returning to the store. Nothing
was reported missing.
Upper Cleveland County, hard
hit by the ice storm, was still re-
covering and electricity was still
off Tuesday in some areas.
Callers to the city were express-
ing concerns for themselves as
temperatures plummeted and for
those trying to get the power back
on.
"We had some people cussing
but more people praying for us,"
said Maney.
Thursday, February 8, 1996 - THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD - Page 3A ~
SHELTER
From 1-A
made down bunks for nine people
and cooked together on the grill,"
said Police Officer Linda Belk.
"It was really fun and made us
all appreciate our good fortune."
Senior citizens reported numer-
ous incidents of Good Samaritans
who took them kerosene and
heaters and carried food. One 81-
year-old resident said her neighbor
also carried her newspaper from
the yard and took it to her door.
"Kenny Bridges was an angel of
mercy for many of the residents on
Gaston Street," said Mrs. David
Saunders.
"He checked on the elderly, took
heaters to residents and picked up: :
ery
.
'
at least one resident and took her to* !
a neighbor's house."
Modie Houston, a newcomer to:
Kings Mountain, said she has nev-:
er seen such caring people, not on-:
ly in crisis situations but all the: =
time.
ple care about me," she said.
Mayor Scott Neisler called the ==
city's utilities department heroes.
"It really makes me feel good to: =
live in a neighborhood where pee
bind
ardent
"They worked around the clock =%
to restore power and in single digit ==
a;
weather it's a wonder that someone =:
didn't freeze to death," he said.
am
"We had a few people complain- =
ing but we just chalked that up to
strained conditions," he said.
"All city crews deserve a much-
deserved pat on the back."
WARM-UP
From 1-A
Power went off at the Watterson
Road waste treatment plant and ~~
malfunctioned. Finally the lift sta-
tion on Adkins Road was opera-
tional by 3 p.m. Sunday.
"We used the fire department
and about 10 volunteers at different
times during the weekend to warn’
-
»
-
residents to cut back on usage until
the repairs were done,"
Causby.
er," said Causby.
said ©
“There was no back up of sew-'"
Queen said he appreciated the
community's patience during the
emergency and thanked firemen
who volunteered to help out.
|
Step
Aerobics
Starting
Feb. 15th
| 7:00 to 7:45 pm Se
Tues. and Thurs. ¢
TL Z Ss)
|
Gk y 4
CLEVELAND MALL, SHELBY, NC
RED DOT
734-0004
Weights «Toning Table
eTanning
.00 One Time Sign Up Fe:
$39.00 Per Month
Expires
Feb. 29, 1996
Give Your
Valentine a Tanning
and/or Toning Gift This Year!
75.00 Down - $50.00 Per Mon
Until Paid in Full
Sm) contract on our
SALE
C)LADIES FITNESS and TANNING, |
126 West Mountain Street « Downtown Kings Noro og,
ay,
We Tan.
have
a 6 month
complete package
A $30.00 sign up fee
$39.00 per month
RT G10)
|
SELECTED ALREADY REDUCED
ITEMS MARKED
WITH A RED DOT
LOOK FOR THE DOTS (@)
AN EXTRA
SATURDAY
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS
NOW
THRU
EXAMPLE!
hs
34.00 | ORIGINAL
17.00 | CURRENT
- 5.10 ADDITIONAL 30%
11.90 | YOU PAY