Thursday, November 23, 2000
Snow Man
pays early
visit to KM
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
Showing just how capricious
Mother Nature can be,
Cleveland County and most of
the Piedmont got one of the ear-
liest snows on record Sunday
just a few weeks after a 40 day
drought.
The fluffy flakes that drifted
down nearly all day made the
‘snowfall the third earliest on
record. The other dates includ-
ed a trace of snow on October
31, 1887 and an inch on
November 11, 1968. ;
In Kings Mountain, amateur
weatherman Kenneth
Kitzmiller recorded one and
three-quarters inches in his
snow gauge. Kitzmiller also
said he saw about seven-tenths
inch of rain,
“It was a very wet snow,”
Kitzmiller said. “I've been liv-
ing here for 20 years and
haven't seen it snow this early.”
The snow came about when a
low pressure system from the
Gulf of Mexico slid into the re-
gion on top of cold air already
in place. When the moist air up
top condensed and fell through
the colder layer, it snowed.
Even though most places
recorded around a couple of
inches, roads remained relative-
ly clear.
“The roads were generally in
good condition with just a little
slush in spots,” said N.C.
Highway Department supervi-
reno
Wilson KM
Carrousel
Princess
Erin Wilson will represent
Kings Mountain High School
in the 53rd annual Carolinas
Carrousel parade Thanksgiving
Day in
Charlotte.
The pa-
rade begins at
1 p.m. and
will be tele-
vised on
WBTV
Channel 3. It
will have 86
units, includ-
ing 18 bands,
24 floats and a
number of special celebrity
guests.
The Carolinas Carrousel is
the largest Thanksgiving Day in
the southeast. Over a half mil-
lion people are expected to
view it in person and on TV.
Parade Grand Marshal is Dr.
Robert L. Maddox, longtime
band director in Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools. The
Carrousel has also established a
new $2,000 scholarship in his
honor. It will go to a high school
senior who plans to major in
music and participates with
his/her band in this year’s pa-
rade.
The Marching Cavaliers from
East Burke High School will
lead the parade onits 11/2-
mile route.
Crowning of the Carrousel
Queen will take place
Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. at the
Pepsi Coronation Ball in the
Bank of American Corporate
Center’s Founders Hall. Fifty-
five high school seniors from
the Metrolina area are compet-
ing and over $8,100 in scholar-
ships will be awarded.
Wilson, 17, ranks 17th in her
senior class of 205 at KMHS.
See Wilson, 3A
WILSON
S55
QE
YOU
ORAL
BANK
Downtown
KM getting
its face on
: make the downtown area fes-
: tive.
: p.m., Thursday, November 30.
i The “N.E.W.” Chorus,
i Stephanie Paysour directing,
: will give a special Christmas
: concert for everyone to enjoy.
i Mayor Rick Murphrey will also
¢ thrown and the tree illuminat-
i ed:
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 126 Years
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 112 No. 47
Since 1889
Kings Mountain has several
events lined up for the holiday
season. Workers have been busy
putting up over 20,000 lights to
To get everyone inthe spirit,
the annual Christmas tree light-
ing ceremony will take place at
Mauney Memorial Library at 7
share his rendition of “The
Night Before Christmas”.
Following Santa’s spectacular
arrival, the switch will be
The Hometown Christmas
festivities will continue with the
54th annual Kings Mountain
Christmas Parade at 3 p.m. on
Saturday, December 2. The pa-
rade will feature everything
See Downtown, 2A
City of Kings
Mountain utility
crews were busy
putting up decora-
tions this week.
John Houser (top
left) hung banners
while Bob Boles
(left) and Johnny
Putnam wired up a
toy train at the
Patriots Park
Gazebo.
Costners to throw switch
on 120,000 lights Thursby |
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer :
Proving that creative genius
comes in many forms,
‘Beethoven wrote nine sym-
phonies and Grady and Katie
Costner decorate their yard for
Christmas.
Actually, the word decorate is
a mild term to use in describing
the transformation that the
Costner’s give to their home in
the Mid-Pines section near
Kings Mountain.
After all, when you throw the
switch and 120,000 bulbs come
on, its obvious to even low fly-
ing aircraft that something
special is on the ground at the
Costner’s
“We've been putting up our
Christmas decorations for about
10 years now,” said Grady
Costner. “We started with just a
few and it kind of grew from
there.”
This year will see dozens of
elaborate displays fill the
Costner lawn, perch on top of
their house and garage, and
Standing between two rows of life size toy soldier
in Midpines Community
even be installed on a gazebo,
wooden manger, and a little
hut where Santa greets kids,
and hands out candy.
“I wish we had a highway
counter to see just how many
people come by during the holi- : :
days to see our lights,” said
Katie Costner. “It’s-at least
10,000 each year. Sometimes
they" re lined up on the high-
way.”
So many folks gaze at the
- Costner lights that the spot has
come to be called “Little
McAdenville” after the famous
Gaston County village of lights.
Just what have the Costner’s
created in their yard that draws : :
the crowds? Illuminated charac- }
ters include Disney favorites
Mickey Mouse and Goofy.
Other figures include
Cinderella, a line of life size toy
soldiers, alligators, turtles,
Sylvester the Cat, Tweetie Bird,
the Bible, A full size merry go
round, gigantic poinsettias, a
horse and carriage, antique
cars, and a motorbike with
See Costner, 3A
into his annual Christmas light extravaganza. Grady and his wife Katie work year round to get
their vard readv for the holidays.
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
739-4782
Gastonia
529 New Hope Rd.
865-1233
Alan Hodge Photos :
~ ALAN HODGE, THE HERALD’
s, Grady Costner ponders the work that goes
KM School Board
taking applications
for Hawkins’ seat
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Kings Mountain District
Board of Education Thursday
night officially accepted the res-
ignation of Supt. Bob McRae
and School Board member
Ronnie Hawkins.
The Board did not discuss
how it will deal with replacing
McRae, who will take over as
superintendent of Randolph
County Schools on April 1.
But, it did lay out the proce-
dure to replace Hawkins, who
will be sworn in as a Cleveland
County Commissioner on
Monday, December 4.
Hawkins’ resignation is effec-
tive noon December 4. The
Board of Education plans to ap-
point someone to fill the re-
mainder of his term (until next
December) at its December 1
meeting.
The Board will accept appli-
cations for the position through
12 noon November 30 at the
District Office on East Ridge
Street. The Board will hold a
special meeting on December 5
at 6 p.m. to go over the applica-
tions and schedule interviews,
if necessary.
Persons who live inside the
Kings Mountain School District
but outside the city limits of
Kings Mountain may apply.
Hawkins is completing 11
years on the Board of
Education, including six as
“chairman. He recently filed to
run for Cleveland County
Commissioner in opposition of
the current County Board's vote
to merge the county’s three
. school systems.
He said he would not have
left the School Board otherwise,
but felt if merger does come
about the county will need a
“champion” for education on
the County Board.
“All I ever wanted to do was
be a member of the Board of
Education,” Hawkins told the
Board in giving his formal an-
nouncement.
“A lot of people helped me
get a commissioner's seat,” he
said. “T'hope to be able to con-
tinue to be an advocate for our
children. I will challenge all of
the county commissioners to
get involved in our schools and
see what is happening.
“I've enjoyed serving on the
Board and wish I didn’t have to
stop,” he added, “but what has
taken place this year has been
traumatic for the whole county,
and especially our Board of
Education. I hope to be in a po-
See McRae, 3A
McRae may
request funds
for new school
‘By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Kings Mountain District
Schools Supt. Bob McRae has
requested to be placed on the
agenda for the Cleveland
County Commissioners’ second
meeting in December, possibly
to request financial assistance ir
building a new school to house
the system's fifth and sixth
grades.
McRae told the KM Board of -
Education Thursday night that
bids will be opened on
Thursday, Dec. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at
the District Office on East Ridge
Street.
The school is expected to cost
around $11.5 million. KM hopes
to award contracts in December,
break ground in January and
have the school ready for occu-
pancy by the start of the 2002
fall term.
By that time, the system
should have slightly over $9
million in reserve.
Earlier this year, McRae had
asked the County
Commissioners to approve a
loan for the remaining funds,
but they declined to take action.
Kings Mountain is hopeful the
new County Board, which will
“have three of its five representa-
tives from the Greater Kings
Mountain area, will be more
willing to advance the money
and pay itself back by keeping
Kings Mountain's share of fu-
ture state sales tax redistribu-
tion funds.
McRae said Architect Roger
Holland was to meet with po-
tential contractors in a pre-bid
conference yesterday. The pro-
ject is expected to attract inter-
est from all over the state,
which would hopefully result
in competitive bids.
Bids will be accepted for the
general contract, pluming, heat-
ing/ air conditioning, and elec-
trical. The system must receive
at least three bids in each area
to open them.
“We're cautiously optimistic
about construction bids at this
time,” McRae said. “This will
give us a firm hold on how our
existing funds compare with the
price. There's no way to accu-
rately estimate the total cost.
“We're hopeful this will go
very well,” McRae added.
“Roger’s done his very best to
See Hawkins, 3A
CommScope breaking ground,
but not ready to commit to KM
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
Though clearing of a 50 acre
plot on Countryside Road near
Kings Mountain is underway,
Hickory-based CommScope is
still not 100 percent certain it
will be building a new plant
there. If the deal does go
through, however, the facility
would bring a $30 million in-
vestment over five years and
150 full time jobs.
“We are doing preliminary
site preparation,” said
CommScope spokesperson
Betsy Lambert. “The land is be-
ing cleared to cut our lead time
if we decide to choose that loca-
tion.”
Lambert said that
CommScope was looking at
other potential locations for
Shelby
106 S. Lafayette St.
484-6200
their new plant. She said “sev-
‘eral factors” would determine
where the facility would even-
tually be built. If the Kings
Mountain site is not chosen,
Lambert said CommScope
would restore the landscape.
The property in question is
owned by the Plonk and Elam
families and is zoned Light
Industrial. It is also in the newly
expanded Kings Mountain
Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
(ET).
CommScope is a world leader
in the design of high perfor-
mance bandwidth cables for
telecommunications applica-
tions. CommScope is the
world’s largest maker of coaxial
cable for cable TV use. It is also
a leading supplier of electronic
See Commscope, 3A
Bessemer City
1225 Gastonia Hwy.
629-3906 :
Member FDIC