Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Vol. 115 No. 48
Since 1889
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BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Katie and Grady Costner’s annual
Christmas light show has spilled over
into neighbors’ yards.
This year, Santa and his sleigh, a
new addition, will be parked behind
the Midpines Pantry. Another new
piece, an eight-foot Santa with a wav-
ing arm, will sit across Margrace
Road in Fran Johnson's yard.
The Costners are locally known for
their elaborate holiday decorations.
The Midpines couple began the tradi-
tion over a decade ago.
" “We just started with a little bit.
The next thing I know, it has gotten
out of hand,” Katie Costner said.
“People expect it.”
The lights make their debut
ical moment can occur, it takes
months of preparation.
“We work at it all the time,” Katie
Costner said.
Grady, a welder, builds the frames
Thanksgiving night. Before that mag-
from pictures in children’s books.
Katie strings the lights.
“I've always been able to weld.
Give me a picture and I can make it,”
he said. “I make them and she puts
the lights on.”
After the lights are all strung, Katie
works to keep them burning.
“You can imagine how hard it is. If
you have ever messed with
Christmas lights you know,” she said.
Grady’s brother-in-law Carl
Bledsoe visits daily to help out with
the lights.
Some of the illuminated designs
include a nativity, trains, stagecoach,
soldiers, a carousel, candles,
snowflakes and Christmas trees.
This year, Katie has engineered the
lights to make the soldiers appear as
if they are marching.
Atop the couple’s home, Santa
appears to walk across the roof
toward the chimney.
Lights across the archways across
the two Jriveiays spell out “happy
holidays”‘and “peace on earth.”
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD'
Grady and Katie Costner of Midpines have been working for months to get their yard ready for their annual
Christmas light display which will begin Thanksgiving night.
Lights go on Thursday at 5:30
A Geico Insurance commercial
inspired the Costners to create a
scene with playful squirrels causing
antique cars to wreck.
They have also built a temporary
shelter for Santa Clause who will give
candy out to children from 5:30 to
10:30 p.m. nightly.
The couple say the lights are a lot
of work but the display is their gift to
the community.
“It’s fun. The kids really enjoy it
and a lot of old people do to,” Katie
said.
Located at the corner of Margrace
and Mail roads, the house attracts
motorists nightly.
“Some nights it’s bumper to
bumper,” Katie said.
After motorists leave the Costner’s
yard, they'll be treated to more dis-
plays around the neighborhood.
“We're not the only ones who light
up,” Grady said. “It’s not just us.”
Many visitors make a donation
which helps the Costners offset their
electric bill.
Hayley Flynn is
Hayley Krista Flynn will
represent Kings Mountain parade as the 2003 Honor Flynn and the other 56
High School in the 56th Band. representatives will be pre-
annual Carolinas’ Carrousel This year’s Grand sented at the Pepsi
Thanksgiving Day Parade Marshall position has been Coronation and Awards
November 27 at 1 p.m. in
uptown Charlotte.
The parade, which is the
largest Thanksgiving Day
parade in the southeast, will
be telecast live on WBTV-
Channel 3.
The Marching Husky
Vanguard from Ashe County
High School in West
ot (
HOMETOWN
BANK
on
Jefferson will lead the
awarded to MEDIC -
Mecklenburg EMS Agency.
Riding in the position of
honor will be several
MEDIC employees who
have recently completed 25
years of service. The agency
is also celebrating its silver
anniversary, having begun
responding to emergency
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 129 Years
announced.
ram
calls on November 1, 1978.
Ceremony Wednesday at
7:45 p.m. at the Omni
Charlotte Hotel. At that
time, the Carrousel Queen
will be crowned and win-
ners of the marching bands
scholarship program and
matching grants will be
Keynote speaker will be
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
Sharon Allred Decker,
President of Tanner
Companies. Entertainment
will be by the Ashe County
Husky Vanguard Marching
Band and Yours Truly, a
women's a cappela quartet.
Flynn, 17, is a senior at
Kings Mountain High
School where she partici-
pates in numerous academic
and extra-curricular activi-
ties.
She has attended Tar Heel
Girls State and the
(Gastonia
704-865-1233
Tax District
looks to hire
first director
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The Mountaineer
Partnership downtown revi-
talization committee
announced plans during its
Wednesday meeting to hire
a part time downtown man-
ager.
The position will be filled
as soon as possible, accord-
ing to Bill Marcellino, com-
mittee chairman.
That person will work on
economic restructuring, pro-
motion, design and regula-
tions affecting downtown
merchants. One of the man-
ager’s initial tasks will be to
conduct a marketing survey.
The position and survey
will be funded by a munici-
pal service district tax levied
on downtown businesses
and from the city’s general
fund, Marcellino said:
KM to
MSD tax bills went out
last week and are already
falling under some scrutiny.
The bill not only taxed the
property but personal and
business property inside the
building.
“It’s not exactly what we
asked for,” Marcellino said.
He called it-unequitable
and plans to ask city council
to limit the tax to property.
City council unanimously
approved the tax in June
after Marcellino and other
business owners requested
it.
The MSD includes 123
properties, 93 of which are
commercial.
The Main Street USA plan
recommends MSD’s. The
plan attempts to revitalize
small and medium sized
cities and is largely consid-
ered a success.
turn
its attention
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
It’s beginning to feel a lot
like Christmas in Kings
Mountain and Grover.
Kings Mountain will light
its Christmas tree Monday,
Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. The tree is
located on the Mauney
Memorial Library lawn.
The Kings Mountain
Hospital Auxiliary will light
its “tree of love” on
Wednesday, Dec. 3. A pro-
gram begins at 4:45 with
Edie Bridges playing holi-
day music on the organ.
Rev. Jody Griffin, pastor at
David Baptist Church and
hospital chaplain, will give
the devotion. Billie Hicklin
~ will sing. A hospital
employee and auxiliary
‘member will be honored
during the ceremony.
Crystal angels decorate
the tree. Those may be pur-
chased in honor or memory
of an individual with a $10
contribution. The names
will be recorded in a book
adjacent to the tree.
To make a contribution,
call Jessie Collins at 704-739-
5503.
The Grover Women's
Club will sponsor a parade
Dec. 6. The line up begins at
KM'’s Carrousel Princess
Governor's Page program.
She was a Junior Marshal,
sophomore class secretary,
KMAE Good Citizen, Shelby
Exchange Club Good
Citizen, Best Female Athlete,
vice-president of the
National Honor Society, and
member of the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes.
She plans to attend a four-
year university and major in
special education with a
minor in Spanish. She plans
to teach special education.
Shelby
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-484-6200
ristmas.
11 a.m. at Spring Acres. The -
parade begins at noon. The
route goes up Main Street,
right on Laurel, right on
Mulberry, left on Cleveland
to First Baptist where the °
parade ends.
There is no application fee
or theme. Participants
should call Evelyn Willis at
704-937-9047 to let her know
how many spaces their
entry will require.
Participants are allowed to
throw candy to spectators.
The Grover Fire
Department and Rescue
Squad are assisting with the
parade.
The Kings Mountain
parade takes place on the
same day at 3 p.m. There is
no application fee. Any non-
street licensed vehicle
including go-carts and dirt
bikes must have a safety
crew if exhibition tricks are
performed. AH horses must
be diaper bagged.
Registration information
is available by calling 704-
730-2103 or by visiting city
hall.
Line up begins at 2 p.m.
on Gold Street. The parade
starts at 3 p.m. and runs
from Gold St. to
Battleground Ave. to King
St. The parade ends at KFC.
HAYLEY FLYNN
Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906