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Vol. 110 No. 27
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Thursday, July 2, 1998
The community-wide July 4th “Mountainfest -
A Celebration of Freedom” will kick off at 2 p.m.
Saturday at the Kings Mountain walking track and
continue until 8 p.m. with a fireworks spectacle at
dark - about 9:20 p.m. - to culminate events geared
for the whole family.
Recreation Director Tripp Hord says the best area
to view the fireworks display will be from the
ballfields located behind the Community Center. He
said some bleachers will be positioned for viewing
. but spectators are asked to take a blanket to spread
out on the banks located outside the ballfields off
Ridge Street or take lawn chairs.
“This year’s July 4th fireworks display will see a
little change due to the construction of the new fields
Have A Blast!
July 4th celebration Saturday
at Kings Mountain walking track
at Deal Street Park,” said Hord.
“To maintain safety distance the Parks and Rec-
reation and Fire Department have relocated the
site for firing and Jake Early Field won't be avail-
able for spectators, the walking tack will be
blocked off and parts of Chestnut Street will be
closed as well,” said Hord.
Musical groups will be featured on one stage
to be set up at the walking track and karaoke will
feature the entertainment from a second stage.
Craft exhibitors and food vendors will offer a va-
riety of items. Kid games and rides will start at 3
p-m. and run until 7 p.m. and will feature jurrasic
toss, duck
See BLAST page 7A
Kings Mountain, NC «Since 1889 <50¢
hoa!
City Council not ready
to forgive late lake fees
A recommendation by the Moss Lake Commis-
sion to “forgive” delinquent lake leases prior to July
1 drew the ire of City Council Tuesday night dur-
ing a nearly four hour meeting which represented
a mixed bag of controversial items.
Members voted unanimously to table, saying the
city should proceed to collect back payments with
direction from the city attorney.
By. 5-2, Councilmen Rick Murphrey and Jerry
Mullinax opposing, Council reappointed the two
members serving on the board from the Moss Lake
Property Owners Association but said it would con-
sider other applications and contact the other five
members representing
inside-city residents
before reappointment.
Gene White ques-
tioned attendance at
"We need to
| | Mayor's fireworks display gets better every year
by ELIZABETH STEWART
meetings. Terms of the
city-appointed board
expired June 30. .
City Planning Di-
rector Steve Killian
dismantle a
few piers if
we have to
of The Herald Staff
Watching fireworks light up the night sky is a
Fourth of July highlight in Kings Mountain and
Saturday’s 15-minute spectacle at 9:20 p.m. prom-
ises to be bigger and better than ever.
Mayor Scott Neisler, city employee Coy Black
and Don Short, assisted by volunteer firemen, will
light up the sky over Jake Early Field with hun-
dreds of shells varying from three to six inches. The
~ 100-shot grand ohh will feature Sine fire-
x just as big as hl
f Neisler, who will use a music sound track of love
themes to enhance the show which can be heard
"I guess I consider
shooting fire-
works the only
artistic talent I
may have."
Scott Neisler
Sp ] 1g
‘ance for The six inch shells. However, thousands
of people are expected to line Ridge Street and
out ihe progam die plans; to: shoot six ineh
other areas close to the walking track and bleach-
ers will be put up along the viewing route. Good
viewing is also available from the little league and
softball fields and some parking is available across
the street from the walking track.
Neisler likes to put a lot of fireworks in the sky
at one time and he says the effect from larger shells
"is explosive. He will open the program with 20
three inch and five inch shells but a total of 83
three inch shells, 40 four inch shells, 40 five inch
shells and 23 six inch shells will be used through-
“See MAYOR p page 7A
Fireworks readily available in S.C., but illegal in N.C.
Gearing up for the July 4th holiday is fun and
exciting but if you plan to shoot cherry bombs
and explosive type fireworks in Kings Mountain
beware.
“It’s against the law,” says Captain Houston
Corn, Assistant Chief of Police.
Safe and sane fireworks that stay low to the
ground such as Dragon Blaster Cone, Flashing
Signals, Ground Bloom, Ground Fountains, Morn-
ing Glory Sparklers and Snap n Pops, are the only
fireworks sold in North Carolina. Aerial fireworks
are only available in South Carolina.
“The little sparklers are the best bet for local
people who want to celebrate or best thing to do
is just watch the fireworks display on July 4th that
the city puts on at the walking track,” said Corn.
Kings Mountain folks don’t have to drive but
about five miles down Highway 29 to Grover to
. purchase fireworks at Poppy's just across the line
and owned and operated by Gregg and Cheri
Johnson and David and Karen Colvin.
~The store advertises “safe and sane” fireworks
that stay low to the ground and also carries the
aerial fireworks
“Fireworks are a great family event and are a
wonderful way to entertain the whole family when
used properly,” says Johnson. “The safe and proper
use of fireworks and observing local laws insures
that fireworks will continue to be available in our
region.”
Helpful safety tips include:
Always purchase high quality fireworks from a
reputable dealer.
Always use good common sense.
Never enter a fireworks store with a lit cigarette
ora lighter.
Never give fireworks to children and always
provide close adult supervision. |
Always follow closely all label instructions, con-
sult your dealer for advice.
Never hold any fireworks after they are lit and
never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Always use fireworks outdoors and only in a
See FIREWORKS page 7A
said the lake board’s
justification in recom-
mending the city wipe
the slate clean of past
due leases and start
over in a new year
was that the cost of
taking action would
exceed how much
money could be col-
lecfed.
ou
because we've
been too lax
too long."
Scott Neisler
sonnets (EIR sins
ncil u
nimously ap roved the Take
ceived in person or postmarked July 1, 1998 or later
if the subject lot has an existing shoreline improve-
ments adjacent to it. The last lease holder may re-
move the pier/dock but has to do so by Septem-
ber 1. After that date the city may evict all parties
from the city’s property and have the pier removed.
“We need to dismantle a few piers if we have to
because we've been too lax too long,” said Mayor
Scott Neisler.
Attorney Mickey Corry said he didn’t have
“much of a feel” for forgiving late payments and
had understood the city had planned to collect. But
Corry warned that it isn’t easy to say what steps
can be taken “at this point.” Corry said the delin-
quent property owners could be regarded as “tres-
passers” under the law and some civil action may
be taken to restrain their use of the property.
“We patrol the lake, we've regrouped and we are
trying to do the right thing and I don’t understand
a lake committee that would tell us not to try to col-
lect back payments and yet they have a budget that
is based on 100 percent collection of all fees,” said
Murphrey.
Both Murphrey and Gene White said they were
totally opposed to reduction of fees in the lake bud-
get but would vote for the total city budget. The
budget passed 5-2 with Jerry Mullinax and Bob
See LAKE page 6A
Storm knocks out power
A sudden, severe thunderstorm Monday evening
put 1,500 people in the dark for six hours, snapping
limbs and toppling trees.
On Oak Grove Road a big tree was up by its roots
in the yard of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Moore.
“We heard a pop and the tree started falling,” said
Mrs. Moore, who said the tree barely missed a build-
ing but its limbs topped it and also were scattered
over a wide-area. The storm knocked out power at
the Moores and at homes of neighbors. Workers con-
tinued to clean up the storm damage in the Moore
yard Tuesday.
In Kings Mountain city workers restored power
about midnight Monday, said Electrical Supt. Nick
Hendricks who said the Meadowbrook area was hard
hit and power was out in the Country Club section
of the city when lightning struck a main line.
“Transformers had to be replaced in several areas
of town and there were spotted outages throughout
the city,” Hendricks said.
Tops of trees snapped by high wind and lightning.
Pine trees were down on Mountain and Goforth
Streets. Trees were down at Pine Manor Apartments.
“It was an unexpected storm with lots of wind and
lightning,” said Hendricks who said the weatherman
Rollins new Grover Mayor
GROVER - Just call Max Rollins Mayor now. He
was appointed Monday to succeed Ronald Queen,
who stepped down because he and his family
moved outside the city limits.
Queen, who was first elected as a councilman in
1980 and has been mayor since 1991, announced his
resignation after presiding over business of the town
board which included the adoption of the $474,835
budget.
“I have enjoyed my tenure but our new home
actually was completed before I expected and we're
locating on our family farm on Bethlehem Church
Road,” said Queen.
The board appointed former councilman Tim
Rowland to serve the unexpired term of the late
Elizabeth Throop. Rowland was named the town’s
finance officer.
Rollins, who said he had big shoes to follow, pre-
sented Queen with an engraved plaque. Rollins was
elected councilman last November. He is a retired
Southern Bell employee.
Queen, a 40-year employee of Grover Industries,
is the company’s plant engineer.
“I have tried to be a friend to all and I am proud
to say that our town has seen many good things
rr
nendation tc imposea$l00late
plans application either re-
happen over the years,
said Queen who said
was not offering much respite from the heat the rest
of the week with temperatures predicted in the high
90's.
STORM DAMAGE- Lightning struck a huge ree in the yard of Edwin Moore’s home on Ok Grove
Road Monday afternoon and uprooted it. The sudden thunderstorm, accompanied by high winds, rain
and lightning, put 1,500 people in the dark for six hours.
Grover’s tax rate is unchanged for 1998-99 and
council hopes to absorb the increased cost of water
See ROLLINS page 6A
First Carolina Federal
Kings Mountain Gastonia
300 W. Mountain St.
865-1111
739-4781
529 S. New Hope Rd.
Shelby
1238 E. Dixon Blvd.
484-0222
MEMBER FDIC