4
Thursday, May 6, 2004
KE
Vol. 116 No. 19
Since 1889
aa of Fame
4A
50 Cents
RELAY FOR LIFE
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Friday night.
around the oval.
Wearing blue shirts and white sashes emblazoned with
the word “Survivor,” approximately 100 people made an
emotional lap around Kings Mountain’s municipal track
Two of the area’s youngest cancer survivors, Destiny
Wilson and Autumn Malpass, led the pack. The children,
young adults, middle aged folks and senior citizens who
began Kings Mountain's seventh annual Relay for Life
were greeted with applause as they made their way
By Saturday morning $68,804 had been raised, accord-
ing to Andrea Whitesides of the American Cancer Society.
However, she expects that number to increase.
See Relay, 2A
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Cancer survivors Destiny Wilson and Autumn Malpass, above, lead other survivors during the first lap of the
American Cancer Society's annual fundraiser Relay for Life Friday night at the municipal walking track.
Brittney Ellis, below, begs for spare change so she can be released from the time out chair. It was part of Katie's
Small Wonders Walking for Big Cures team’s fundraiser. The chair was supplied by the Hair Chair Salon.
868.804 raised
and fund total
still climbing
‘Great Ambassador’
Job holding pizza advertisement
dream come true for Jack Bryson
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
When Jack Bryson, 19, met his
one-on-one worker John Hall six
months ago, one of the first
things he told the man was he
wanted a job.
Last week that dream came
true. Seated in his wheelchair,
Bryson, with some help from
Hall, holds a sign advertising
Little Caesar's Pizza. The young
man follows his job description,
smiling and waving to passers by
on East King Street.
“It’s working out great. I con-
sider Jack the best hire I've ever
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
A 17-year-old Kings Mountain youth
was killed Sunday afternoon when the
vehicle he was driving hydroplaned,
hitting a parked patrol car on U.S. 74.
Christopher Stewart was traveling
LJ TN
had,” said manager Dale Lundy.
, Hall said Lundy was enthusi-
astic from the moment he
approached her about hiring
Bryson. The restaurant employs
two other disabled individuals
from Gaston Skills and
Vocational Rehabilitation and
also has on staff three senior citi-
zens.
“Little Caesars Cutting Edge
Corporation believes everybody
has a right to work that wants to
work,” Lundy said.
She calls Bryson a “great
ambassador” for people with dis-
abilities.
See Bryson, 2A
north near the Interstate 85 and U.S. 74
split. The accident happened at
approximately 2:22 p.m. :
Kings Mountain Patrol Officer
Thomas Bell and Timothy Sigmon of
967 Mary's Grove Road, Cherryville,
victim in the initial accident, were seat-
ed in the patrol car when Stewart
&
struck the rear of the patrol car.
Bell and Sigmon were transported
by ambulance to Cleveland Regional
Hospital where they were treated and
released.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol
is investigating the fatality.
&
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Jack Bryson advertises Little Caesars Pizza.
Teen killed in wreck
Three more
from KM file
for county
commissioner
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER:
Staff Writer
Four of the six candidates
filing to run for Cleveland
County Commission,
incumbents Ronnie
Hawkins, [ Bs
Mary Accor |
and Tom ¢
Bridges and |!
newcomer |
Johnny
Hutchins,
are from
Kings
Mountain.
Accor, a
47-year-old
Democrat
who cur-
rently
chairs the
commis-
sion, filed
last
Thursday. [&
She lists cit-
izen
engage-
ment at the
top of her
agenda.
“We're getting the issues
ACCOR
BRIDGES
© to people, hearing what they
have to say,” Accor said.
She describes the current
board with its three
Democrats and two
Republicans as “cohesive.”
During her tenure over
the past seven and one half
years, Accor and fellow
board members have faced
challenges like an economic
down turn, drought and a
controversial school merger.
This year the board is
hearing requests from coun-
ty agencies struggling to
make ends meet.
“They've got valid.rea-
sons to want additional
funding however we've got
a budget we've got to stay
in to keep taxes low,” she
said.
Services to the aging,
domestic violence and crime
are some of the areas she
believes need attention.
“I've never been a one
issue person,” Accor said.
Accor, who works in
administration with the for-
mer Kings Mountain
District Schools, says she
wants to continue her focus
on education.
“Education is an impor-
tant key to have a work
force,” she said.
Incumbent Tom Bridges, a
68-year-old Democrat, filed
on Monday. =
“1 will continue to sup-
port our EDC in searching
for additional jobs for
Cleveland County. I will do
See County, 2A
2 manager candidates
will be interviewed again
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain City
Council spent Wednesday
night deciding which two of
four candidates for city
manager to bring back for
second interviews.
The final first round can-
didate was interviewed last
week. Both meetings were
closed. State law permits
this for personnel matters.
A fifth candidate was in
the running but had to
reschedule. According to
Mayor Rick Murphrey, this
candidate may reschedule,
however time is running
out.
“We're getting to the
point we have to narrow it
down,” he said.
The council also heard a
report on insurance and
conducted a budget work
session. No information was
available at press deadline.
Bell tower would make
KM cemetery ‘complete’
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
When James Belt
Ministries began in the
1990s what has become an
annual Christmas Eve lumi-
nary project, volunteers
noticed that one area of the
municipal Mountain Rest
Cemetery stood empty.
They discovered that
planners had originally
meant for a béll tower to
occupy the spot.
“Really the cemetery was
not complete,” Belt said.
Since then, the ministry
has formed a 12-member
committee, raised funds,
drawn plans and gained city
approval to construct the
bell tower.
“Interest is tremendous,
great response from.the
community,” Belt said.
Volunteers will be at
Mountain Rest Saturday
from noon to 5 p.m. to
answer questions and sell
bricks.
Visitors will see a draw-
ing of the tower complete
with an irregular, hexagon
base and belfry with two
large and three smaller bells.
Drawing of bell tower that
is being proposed for
Mountain Rest Cemetery.
The actual music will come
from a $20,000 sound sys-
tem programmed with 1,200
songs.
The music will be played on
holidays and for funerals.
Along with the belfry, a
wall of names will be the
other central feature.
Engraved bricks in honor or
memory may be purchased
for $100.
Kings Mountain High
School student Brian Styers
See Tower, 2A