* ‘Mountaineers defeat Shelby page 4A Coming Next Week: KM Hall of Fame Class of 1998 Meet KM High’s star teachers page IB go vl 44 M6 f= mE roa S$ AF a NAS > = = Z, SIX LY Sly, a= Le ITY ST = — 5 MS SIS TS ZSw £ = = = mT a A ERC VION YQ - Eri | |] J \ Fr] Vol. 110 No.12 A as + Lad SC aL ual Kings Moratas By Gary Stewart AS em, PULLING FOR THE HEELS - Residents Grace Page and Boyd Canipe, front, and Activity Staff members Trish Camp (left) and Denice Leonard pull for the Tar Heels at Carolina party Thursday at The Summit Place. Summit Place residents love their UNC Tar Heels ; Ahlversity od North CR a the house at the first Carolina Party Thursday afternoon at The Summitt Place, Kings Mountain's newest assisted living center on Phifer Road. The occasion was the Tar Heels’ first round game with Navy in the NCAA Tournament. Although the Heels struggled early, they blew the game open in the second half and won easily, much to the delight of the residents. Denice Leonard, Activity Director, and Trish Camp, Assistant Activity Director, organized the party. After an early lunch in the dining hall, residents and their guests gathered in a blue and white-decorated sitting room to view the game on TV. Most of them were decked out in a Carolina sweatshirt and/or cap, or at least wore light blue. “We have so many Carolina fans that we just decided to do a Carolina party throughout the whole tournament,” said Leonard. “Most of our residents are sports fans. They enjoy baseball, basketball and football.” None of the residents attending the party are Carolina graduates, but most of them have long- standing ties with the university. Grace Neisler Page, a basketball player and national skeet shooting champion during her younger years, is Carolina Blue through and through. ; “I've been pulling for them all my life, and I'm 88 years old,” she said proudly. “I think they have a good chance to win the national championship - a little better than good.” Mrs. Page did experience a few jittery moments early in the game when the Tar Heels’ unusually high amount of turnovers kept Navy in the game. She kept telling Leonard, “Denise, if they don’ t be careful they're going to have to put us in.” See ROAMIN' page 2A Thursday, March 19, 1998 Kings Mountain, NC «Since 1889 «50¢ came to Sunday School. had been hiding his talents Hitting the high notes SINGING ON THE ROOF - Rev. Barry Philbeck, pastor of Love Valley Baptist Church, sings “Victory in Jesus” from the roof, a promise he made if 100 people Philbeck gives The Lord credit for the growth of the rural church where Sunday School attendance has climbed from 40 to 145 since he became pastor in July. The congregation plans to build a new sanctuary this summer. After the song, worshipers said they Sxpadied Philbeck to join the choir because he The May 5 primary will likely go on but Director of Elections Debra Blanton says voters may cast bal- lots only for races not affected by a state congressional redistricting plan. “It’s all up in the air right now but we should know something after the results April 3 of a suit filed against limited voting and expected to be heard before the Court of Appeals in Washington, DC,” she said. Depending on the outcome of the D. C. court case, county com- mission races could be changed and another filing period may be required. The filing period was extended once and all candidates refiled. The terms of three com- missioners elected in 1996 were extended. “I think we'll for sure have the sheriff’s race on May 3 but right now a lot depends on the out- come of two lawsuits filed against the state’s congressional redis- tricting plan which could put the congressional and General As- hold,” says Blanton. “This is purely conjecture right a Gene Timms, 70, started his business on a shoestring. “That was just the way it was done 45 years ago,” recalled furniture owner Timms. Timms, 70, recalls the early years of Timms Furniture as a “real challenge.” A salesman for 50 years, Timms started stocking the shelves and deliv- ering groceries for his father, the late T. J. Timms, at the old Timms Grocery in the late 1940s. “Dad had the very first self-service super market in town,” said Gene, who recalled some of the prices in those early years. Loaf bread was 15 cents, Campbell’s soup sold for two cans for a quarter and Coca-Cola in bottles were six for 25 cents. “But of course you know folks didn’t make a lot of money back then,” said Timms. } Gene graduated from Kings Moun- tain High School and served in the US Navy in World War II. He completed his schooling at Western Carolina Uni- versity on the GI Bill. The Navy gave him $65 a month and his room and board cost $30. Gene opened his own appliance store in the former Blalock’s Grocery build- ing on Grover Road but when his ‘Gene Timms fol in his dad's footsteps owed mother became ill he moved his wash- ing machines and other appliances in the same 3,500 square foot grocery store building his father built on S. Battle- ground Avenue a little closer to town. Since then Timms Furniture has ex- panded five times and is now a14,000 square feet building full of not only brand name appliances but fine furni- ture for every room of the home. “We started out as a low volume store but it grew to almost $1 million per year and due to our loyal custom- ers,” said Gene. Gene has almost never missed a day at work, except in recent years when he developed a heart ailment and in recent weeks due to shingles. It’s apparent, say his employees and his manager Larry Dunn, that Gene is a super salesman and loves to sell. Just say you want to look at a stereo or a fine dining suite and the gleam will come in Gene Timms’ eyes. “I guess I learned from my Dad,” said Gene who is modest about his sales techniques. He admits his four daugh- ters probably won't follow their Dad in the local furniture business. Three of his daughters are married: Debbie Milner of Spartanburg, SC, Sharon Mitchell of Rock Hill, SC and Tara Birthdays SC Business WC T28C Church News 6C Classifieds 7-9C Clubs 2C Lifestyles 1€C Obituaries 2A Opinion 4A Police 7C School News 5A Sports 1-4B FRIDAY Rain pos- sible, high 64, low 44. Cx BY SATURDAY Clouds and some sun, high 56, low 38. SUNDAY Mixed sun and clouds, high 54 low ®.30, McDONALD’S BREAKS GROUND - McDonald's broke ground Friday for a second Kings Mountain restaurant on York Road at I-85. From left, Jim Allen, president of Cleveland Chamber; Bill Sherwood, McDonald's official; Mayor Scott Neisler and county commission chairman Joe Cabaniss. sembly races in the primary on, May 3 primary up in the air now 3 hearing we should have more definite plans,” she said. The suits filed in U. S. District Court in Raleigh claim the redis- tricting plan put together by the General Assembly last year is no better than the previous one, which the U. S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional because the 12th District was drawn up to elect black candidates. The Cleveland County Board of Elections last Wednesday ap- proved the printing of ballots but Blanton said new ballots at the printers may not be necessary because of reprogramming of vot- ing machines. Blanton said she is awaiting word from the U. S. Justice De- partment on the request for two additional polling places for Kings Mountain elections. The polling places, if approved, would mean that voters would also vote at Second Baptist Church and the Kings Mountain Community Center in addition to the National Guard Armory and American Legion Post 155. Once approval is given for the addi- tional precincts, voters will be notified of the phe! to vote, Gene Timms has been a salesman on Grover Road for over 50 years. Robinson of Charlotte. His baby daugh- ter, seven-year-old, Michelle, is a first grader at North School. Gene, his wite, Ely, and Michelle are members of Cen- tral United Methodist Church. A Kings Mountain native, Timms credits the success of his business to his rapport with not only customers but with the Kings Mountain community. He has been president of the Lions club several times, was active in the Mer- chants Association and Chamber of Commerce for many years and a is now but probably after the April Board to revise mobile home park rules A proposed mobile home park ordinance which area mobile home park owners protested would literally put them out of business will go back to a com- mittee for revision, the Cleveland County Planning Board voted unanimously Monday night. Gene Lovelace, Oak Grove park owner and president of the county’s Manufactured Home Park Owners Association, said he was encouraged by the action and pledged to assist county planners in developing an ordinance. Planning. Director Bill McCarter told the board Monday night that he had researched mo- bile home park ordinances used by six other counties and learned that existing parks are grandfathered or allowed to op- erate more or less as they have been. New and expanding parks, however, must comply with higher standards. Dobbins Lattimore, chairman, said the group is looking at grandfathering existing parks, an action that local mobile home See TIMMS page 3A See MOBILE HOME page 3A McDonald's broke ground Fri- day for its second restaurant which is expected to be up and running in May and provide 40 new jobs. “This is Friday the 13th but a lucky day for Kings Mountain,” said Mayor Scott Neisler, who said two McDonald's is a mark of greatness for a community our size.” Bill Sherwood said a modular building will go up soon at the site at I-85 and York Road beside of Burger King . He said the new business will cost in excess of $1 million. He introduced his wife, Bonnie and their two sons and said Bill Sherwood Jr. will man- age the facility. Sherwood said McDonald’s has been a Kings Mountain busi- ness citizen for 12 years and has also opened a new restaurant in Forty new jobs at new McDonald’s Cherryville. McDonald's also has two restaurants in Shelby. "We appreciate the support we have received from Kings Moun- tain people and we feel this is the perfect spot for motorists to stop along busy I-85,” he said. McDonald's at Kings Moun- tain Plaza will remain open as long as the customers want the service,” he said. “The Cleveland Chamber stands 100 percent behind McDonald’s,” said Jim Allen, Chamber president. Joe Cabaniss, chairman of the county board of commissioners, pointed to McDonald’s impact on the economy with its 225 employees and annual payroll of $1 million. Other county officials present were County Manager Lane See McDONALD'S page 3A Ra
