The
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Thursday, April 22, 2004
Vol. 116 No. 17
Since 1889
“Hall of Fame
= 5p
00S PIEDHONT aye RY
KINGS HOUNTATN NC 28086-3414
Cra :
50 Cents
Funds Ok’d
for marking
cycle path
to parks
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Cyclists will have a clear-
ly marked path leading
from Kings Mountain to the
nearby state and national
parks thanks to Board of
Transportation contingency
funding,
Representative Tim
Moore received word last
week from Speaker of the
House Richard Morgan that
he had approved $2,500 for
the signs.
Known as “Share the
Road” signs, these are used
to designate bike lanes. In
addition to marking a trail
down N.C. 161 and
Woodlake Parkway, signs
will mark a loop within
downtown.
“We're really pleased,”
said Kings Mountain Mayor
Rick Murphrey. “This fits
right into downtown revi-
talization and the Gateway
project.”
No information was
available at press time
about when the signs
would be installed.
KM group
enthusiastic
about plans
for tourism
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer .
A Kings Mountain contin-
gent returned home from a
state travel and tourism
conference in Charlotte ear-
lier this month enthused
about the city’s potential as
a cultural heritage destina-
tion.
Museums, performing
arts, ethnic festivals,
antiques and historic sites
are all considered cultural
heritage travel, according to
Ellis Noell, city events coor-
dinator.
He sees the town’s prox-
imity to Kings Mountain
National Military Park as a
big draw.
“It has a lot of important
association with the turn of
events in the Revolutionary
War. Part of our victory was
here in Kings Mountain,”
Noell said.
City Councilman Carl
DeVane points to the Kings
Mountain Little Theatre's
work on a battle drama and
plans to build walking trails
between the city, the mili-
tary park and two state
See Tourism, 2A
FIREHOUSE COOK-OFF
fe
Thirteen-year-old Rob Fox of Lincolnton (above) enjoys b
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
arbecue ribs at the
Firehouse Cook-off Saturday at the Kings Mountain Walking Track. Below, Paul and
Connie Harrleson purchased barbecue from Home on the Range BBQ.
Hickory Knoll Cookers repeat
as grand champion of cook-off
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The Hickory Knoll
Cookers of Franklin took
their second straight overall
win Saturday during Kings
Mountain Fire Department’s
Firehouse BBQ Cook-off.
Team captain Roger
Aydelotte credits luck and
consistency for the win. He
plans to return next year and
hopes for another top finish.
The team has cooked for
seven years.
Aydelotte was impressed
with the contest and the
sunny skies.
“It’s run good,” he said.
“Ya'll ordered up the weath-
er perfect this year.”
Organizers were equally
enthusiastic.
“It went real well, one of
the best we've had yet,” said
Firefighter Eddie Parker
who headed up the fund
raiser.
He credited department
members for making it pos-
sible.
“If it wasn't for all their
work, we wouldn't have
been able to pull this off.
When it comes to crunch
time, those guys step to the
plate,” he said.
He estimates the total
See Cook-off, 3A
pr
AA
J
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Brothers Paul and Nathan Ledford are battling muscular dystrophy.
1
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County
Caucus
gives victory to
John Edwards
Party hopes to convince John Kerry
to choose Edwards as running mate
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Cleveland County
Democrats who voted in
Saturday morning's caucus
overwhelmingly supported
fellow North Carolinian
“Kings Mountain was
well represented, and
Grover,” she said.
Of Cleveland County's
29,352 Democrats, 0.8 per-
cent voted Saturday.
Statewide, one percent of |
North Carolina’s 2:3 million
John Edwards. Democrats participated.
Of the 223 who voted at Edwards took 51.1 per-
the county office building, cent of the state vote. Kerry
184 supported Edwards, was second with 27.2 per- i
giving him 82.5 percent of
the local vote.
“I'm tickled to death
about that,” said party
Chairperson Betsy Wells.
She has worked on both the
Edwards’ senate and presi-
dential campaigns.
During the afternoon
county convention, dele-
gates unanimously support-
ed a resolution asking John
Kerry to put Edwards on his
ticket as vice-president.
Kerry got 31 votes at the
county caucus; Howard
Dean, four; Dennis
Kucinich, three; Al
Sharpton, 0. One individual
voted as uncommitted.
Wells was pleased with
the turnout given the good
weather and the date being
one weekend after Easter, a
traditional time for family
vacations.
Filing begins Monday
cent; Kucinich, 12.2 percent;
Dean, 5.7 percent; Sharpton,
3.3 percent; uncommitted,
0.6 percent.
All figures are unofficial
and are from the state
Democrat Party website at
www.ncdp.org.
During the afternoon con-
vention, Boiling Springs res-
ident Kathryn Hamrick
announced she will run for
the 111 State House seat
now held by Republican
Tim Moore. He officially &&
announced his bid for re- - 2
election Saturday. Prior to
the Democrat convention,
he was scheduled to make
that announcement Tuesday.
Wells was enthusiastic
about Hamrick.
“We're tickled to have her
on the ticket,” she said.
Democrat County
See Caucus, 2A
for local, state races
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Election filing begins
Monday and several area
officials plan to seek another
term.
Cleveland County
Commission Chairwoman
Mary Accor and
Commissioners Tom Bridges
and Ronnie Hawkins are
running again.
Accor has served 7 1/2
years including both an
appointed and elected term.
Bridges and Hawkins are
completing their first four
year terms.
State House members
Tim Moore and Debbie
Clary both plan to run
again.
Due to redistricting,
Debbie Clary will no longer
represent the Gaston
County portion of Kings
Mountain where a new dis-
trict has been created. Clary
will represent Dallas,
Cherryville, Bessemer City
and a portion of northern
Gaston County.
Moore is seeking his sec-
ond term.
State Senator Walter
Dalton will seek a fifth term.
Register of Deeds Bonnie
Reece plans to seek a third
four-year term following a
1995 appointment.
District Court Judge Dean
Black will run again. He has
served a full four year term
and finished an initial
appointed term.
District Court Judges
Larry Wilson and Anna
Foster are up for re-election
but could not be contacted
at press time.
Cleveland County Soil
and Water Conservation
District Supervisor William
Plonk’s term is up. He could
not be reached at press time.
Voter registration forms
are available at the City Hall
and Post Office, Mauney
Memorial Library, KM High
and Grover Town Hall and
Post Office.
“This is a blessing’
Brothers with MD get van, handicap equipment
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
get out more, and with less physical strain
on them and those that care for them.
The van is equipped with a handicap
Saturday was a warm, sunny day; a good
day to get outside.
Playing outside is one of the things broth-
ers Paul and Nathan Ledford enjoy the
most.
But it’s difficult for them and those who
care for them. &
Paul, 11, and Nathan, 9, were born with
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, one of the
most aggressive forms of the disease. Paul
has grown to the point that it is very diffi-
cult to walk. Nathan still can walk but at a
very slow pace.
Saturday was a special day for both of
them.
Through the efforts of family members
and friends, they were presented a handi-
cap-equipped van which will allow them to
ramp, and along with the vehicle came a
wheelchair for Nathan and a Hoyer Lift
which will lift them in and out of bed and
the shower.
For a long time, they've had to be physi-
cally lifted in and out of bed and showers,
vehicles and school.
Carl and Pat Champion, great-uncle and
great-aunt of the brothers, made arrange-
ments to purchase the van and have it hand-
icap-equipped and painted. Many other
family members and friends contributed to
the cause, including Chris Champion, John
Carlson and Artie Warren of Champion's
contracting crew in Florida; Kevin
Champion and John Grant of Kings
Mountain who are working with the
See Brothers, 2A
4 : Hi