Thursday, April 7, 2005
Religious
leaders
remember
Pope
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
St. Mary’s Catholic
Church in Shelby will hold
an ecumenical mass for
Pope John Paul II Friday at
7 p.m. The Pope died
Saturday.
Kings Mountain religious
leaders are remembering
the pontiff for his contribu-
tions to Christianity and the
world.
Rev. Carol Davis of
Galilee and St. Paul United
Methodist churches called
him an ambassador for
Christ and a role model for
humanity.
She said John Paul was in
touch with God and repre-
sented Catholics well.
Rev. Davis felt the Pope's
life and death were in the
hands of God.
“He served. He lived his
days. His time had come,”
Rev. Davis said.
She said that denomina-
tional differences weren't a
barrier for being open to
God.
Rev. Jeff Hensley of Kings
Mountain Baptist Church
called the Pope a moral
compass for many
Christians. He described
John Paul as someone with
strength of will and
warmth. Rev. Hensley said
‘the devout probably felt
both sad at their loss and
joy for the Pope going
home to God.
Rev. Hensley said he
admired the Pope for trav-
eling across the globe. He
called John Paul’s love and
passion for the third world
positive.
Rev. Ken Gillikin of
Resurrection Lutheran
called Pope John Paul a wit-
ness to prayer and an influ-
ential leader whose stance
on issues have a clear effect ,
on the world.
Rev. Gillikin said he was
in prayer for Roman
Catholic leaders as they
select a new pope.
Rev. Bill Jeffcoat of St.
Matthews Lutheran believes
the Pope's contributions to
the Catholic Church and
See Pope, 5A
Woman’s
Club’s
Centennial
Saturday
Kings Mountain Woman's
Club will celebrate 100
years of service to the com-
munity Saturday.
The celebration begins
with a 10:30 a.m. reception
in the clubhouse parlor. A
luncheon will folly w. Kings
Mountain native Laura
Carpenter Bingham will
deliver the keynote address.
Carpenter is president of
Peace College. Before
accepting the position in
1998 she served in upper.
management at Covenant
Health, Hollins University
and the Comprehensive
Cancer Center at Duke
University. Carpenter also
worked as an assistant for
olicy for Lt. Gov. Robert
RR
The woman's club began
a century ago when several
local women gathered to
clean the cemetery. They
also traveled to York, S.C.
for a floral fair. Returning
home impressed, they
organized a fair of their
own.
In 1905 the Civic League
See Club, 5A
Vol. 117 No. 14
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Higher gas prices have local folks shop-
ping around for gas and considering getting
rid of fuel guzzling vehicles.
Bobby Elliott called the prices “a little
rough” as he put $35.31, just over half a
tank, in his Chevrolet truck Tuesday morn-
ing.
Fitting in the passenger side, his wife
Carolyn Elliott agreed, calling the gas prices
“pitiful.”
Elliott chosg the Petro Express on N.C.
216 because the prices, $2.16 a gallon, were
the cheapest he had found. Gas was going
for $2.27 a gallon in Gastonia, Elliott said.
Mary Morrison of Shelby stopped after
putting $20 of gas in her 1988 GMC truck.
Music was always in Cole’s blood
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Chris Cole, one in a long line of successful
Kings Mountain High School band direc-
tors, will retire at the end of the school year.
During his tenure Cole continued a tradi-
tion of strong concert band performances.
“We've had a long run of Superiors,” Cole
said.
The band is known across
the state for consistently tak-
ing a grade six, the highest
possible score.
The community both sup-
ports and expects a good
concert band, according to
Cole.
Former superintendent,
Dr. Bob McRae, also was a
big advocate for the arts
including the band, Cole
said.
Cole is quick to credit past
band directors for setting a
winning tone at KMHS. Dr.
Paul Hendricks directed the
band from the 1930s to 1941.
Joe Hedden took over in
1945, directing till 1969. Donald Deal held
the job from then until 1985. Cole worked as
an assistant under Deal.
Gil Doggett has been Cole’s associate
director since 1991. The two both graduated
from East Rutherford. Cole’s wife Sarah was
the associate director from 1985 to 1991.
Cole describes his job as “hard work, fun
and very rewarding.”
SWINGING INTO SPRING
“l enjoyed it.
| knew that
school band
directing is
what | want-
ed to do.”
Chris Cole
KMHS band director
Since 1889
“It’s too high. People can’t afford this
stuff anymore,” she said.
Morrison is afraid the price of gas will
drive up other goods.
The $20 pit stop would only put a “dent”
in her tank, Morrison said. When she
bought the truck last year it took $65 to fill
up.
Robert Sneed of Cherryville called the
prices “ridiculous.” He’s considering trad-
ing in his V6 Honda Passport SUV for a car.
Sneed had switched to a lower grade gas
when prices soared but spark knocking
forced him to use the more expensive fuel
again. Before gas went up it cost him $25 to
$26 to fill up, now the price has risen to
$35.
Statewide gas is going for $2.17 a gallon
See Gas, 5A
A member of the East Rutherford Cavalier
Band during high school, Cole went on to
pursue music at Western Carolina
University.
“I enjoyed it. I knew that (school band
directing) is what I wanted to do,” he said.
Music flows through Cole’s family tree.
His grandfather was a band director and his
aunt supervised music teachers for Gaston
County Schools. Cole started
piano lessons in second
grade and trumpet the next
year.
Over almost three decades
Cole has watched marching
bands change. He describes
it as “more of an art form
today.” Instead of just
marching up and down the
field, bands use the entire
space now. They are more
willing to take chances,
according to Cole.
KMHS band uniforms made
a radical change under Cole,
going from orange to the
school’s colors. According to
legend, the school received a
shipment of uniforms that
should have gone to another school. Instead
of returning the orange uniforms, the school
decided it liked the color and marched in
orange for years.
When it came time for new uniforms Cole
advocated for switching back to the school’s
colors. Most folks agreed, though a few
wanted to order new orange uniforms. In
See Cole, 5A
50 Cents If
Mountaineers
knock off
R-S Central
1B
Local fans celebrate
UNC'’s national title
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Tar Heel fans are still in Blue Heaven after Carolina won
its fourth NCAA basketball championship Monday night
with a 75-70 victory over top-ranked Illinois.
The victory was a long time coming for some of the
younger folks who cannot remember the Heels’ last cham-
pionship in 1993, but it seemed like only yesterday for older
adults who have been diehard Carolina*fans since their
childhood.
Several Kings Mountain folks were in attendance at the
championship game in St. Louis, including UNC student
Stuart Heffner.
Retired KMHS basketball coach, Larry Sipe, who runs the
game clock at UNC home games, joined a huge crowd at
the Dean Dome to watch the game on big screen TV, and
then witnessed the massive celebration by thousands of stu-
dents on Franklin Street after the game.
Heffner, son of David and Tammy Heffner of Kings
Mountain, volunteered in the UNC basketball ticket office
this year and as a result got his name put in the hat for a
lottery drawing for a chance to purchase a ticket for the
Final Four. He and one of his friends were both chosen,
bought their tickets and flew to Chicago where they met
other friends for a car ride to St. Louis.
Contacted by cell phone on his way back to Chicago
Tuesday afternoon, Heffner was in Blue Heaven. :
“It was just great to be there and see them win the nation-
See bive: 2A
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Bobby Elliott puts gas in his truck Tuesday morning. He
calls the prices “a little rough.”
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Chris Cole is completing a successful career as band
director at Kings Mountain High School.
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