KINGS
Thursday, July 14, 2005
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Kevin Young is cheered on by family and
friends Tuesday. He’ll appear on Give Me
The Mike! Charlotte Aug. 3.
Give Kevin
the mike!
KM resident to sing
in WSOC competition
City to
Since 1889
MOUNTAIN
The Heral
Vol. 117 No. 27
50 Cents
urive up
price of gas
4A
ne man’s music
nother’s racket
study noise ordinance after stopping concert at walking track
———— MINETTE MILL FIRE———
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Neighbors bombarded police with com-
plaints of noise during a Friday night con-
cert, Kings Mountain city officials say, but
the band contends it was not violating the
law.
Five bands held a concert at the munici-
pal walking track as a fund raiser to send |
alternative band Inhumane Justice to
London. The band hopes to play five
shows there and record at a UK studio.
Police Chief Melvin Proctor said the
department’s communications system
received so many calls from residents on
Linwood and Boyce streets that the dis-
patcher had trouble handling other calls.
“It wasn't really that loud,” according
to Jacob Everson, a member of Inhumane
Justice.
Everson said the
concert was not as
loud as the city’s
recent Fabulous
4th concert.
Proctor said that
“Noise is
in the ear
of the
after an officer told
the band to tone it
down, the instru-
iil
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain residents held a pep rally
of sorts for Kevin Young on Tuesday after-
noon at the YMCA. :
Young, 24, will appear live on WSOC'’s
Give Me The Mike! Charlotte Aug. 3 at 8
p.m. He'll compete against five other
Charlotte-area musicians for a vacation, fur-
niture, a karaoke machine, disc library and
a five-song demo of his work.
Young will sing an R&B number but
wouldn't reveal the song’s name.
He first auditioned in June at Westfield
beholder’
ments got quieter
but the vocals
became louder.
After more com-
plaints from neigh-
bors, Proctor can-
celled the concert.
That was near 10 p.m. when the show
would have been over anyway, he said.
Everson said the band was packing up
around 9:45 p.m. when an officer told
them the concert was cancelled and the
show planned for the following night
Ellis Noell
Special Events
i Sra
Mall in Gastonia. Young heard about the ] World have tobe moved and rescheds | | :
eI Bator. ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey |
Young has survived two rounds of com-
petition since then.
He denies being nervous.
“I guess it’s just time to do it,” he said. “I
feel like this is what I'm supposed to be
doing.”
Young formerly led praise and worship at
Miracle Tabernacle in Kings Mountain.
After working in audio and video for four
years, he opened K&D Audio Video
Solutions. The company installs audio and
video in malls and restaurants.
He graduated from Kings Mountain High
School and played outside linebacker on a
football team which went to the state cham-
pionship.
Camera crews were at the YMCA to film
Young's family and friends along with
young people from the organization's day
camp cheering for him. Mayor Rick
Murphrey introduced Young. The spot will
run prior to his performance.
Young's parents are Mary Young and the
late Therman Young Sr. His mother and sis-
ters Angie Young, Freida Young and Connie
Young along with cousins, aunts and
friends from the International Gates of
Dance were at the event.
A portion of Grover’s historic Minette Mill was damaged in a blaze which started
early Sunday morning.
50,000 square feet damaged
in early Sunday morning fire
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Grover saw its largest fire in at least 100
years early Sunday morning.
Approximately 50,000 square feet of
Minette Mill was heavily damaged by a
fire which is still under investigation.
It took over 75 firefighters from nine
departments to control the fire.
“Without them we'd still be there,” said
Jimmy Hensley, assistant chief of Grover
Fire Department. :
Firefighters from Grover stayed on site
until 2:30 p.m. Sunday. On Monday, fire-
fighters from Grover and Bethlehem
returned to spend seven more hours put-
ting out hot spots. No additional damage
occurred to the building.
The Cleveland County Fire Marshall's
office is trying to determine what started
the fire.
Hay was stored in a portion of the
building which burned. While it can com-
bust, there was no door on that area.
Ventilation should have kept combustion
from happening. However, the open door
allowed easy access to the mill.
Walls of the mill were marked with
graffiti. :
“It had its share of vandalism out there
apparently,” Hensley said.
Firefighters were able to save approxi-
mately 350,000-square-feet, much of
which was used for storage.
See Fire, 5A
met with Everson on Monday. According
to Everson, Murphrey told the band the
city would refund the rental fee and a few
other expenses. That amount will be
between $300 and $350, Everson said.
Murphrey told the band it could rent
the city’s gazebo at Patriots Park. Everson
said he would prefer to play at the walk-
ing track.
City Special Events Coordinator Ellis
Noell, City Manager Greg McGinnis, City
Attorney Mickey Corry and Proctor plan
to meet regarding the city’s noise ordi-
nance. The current ordinance may be diffi-
cult to interpret. It prohibits “the playing
of any radio, phonograph or other musi-
cal instrument in such a manner or with
such volume, particularly during the
hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., as to
annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or
repose of any person or persons in any
dwelling, hotel or other type of resi-
dence.”
Noell said it is a “balancing act” to
define what is an acceptable noise.
“Noise is in the ear of the beholder,” he
said.
See Noise, 4A
Little Dan’s
appeals fines
A Kings Mountain convenience store has appealed the
Board of Adjustment’s decision to uphold video poker fines
in excess of $69,000.
Donna Goforth, manager of Little Dan's, 726 York Road,
has filed a Writ of Certiorari which will be heard in
Cleveland County Superior Court, according to City:
Attorney Mickey Corry. :
The appeal alleges that the Board of Adjustment did not
give appropriate notice to the store of a hearing nor did it
present enough findings and conclusions to make its deci-
sion. |
During its May meeting, the Board of Adjustment upheld
the fines Zoning Administrator Holly Black levied.
During an April meeting, Black told the board that Little
Dan's didn’t apply for conditional use permits to have two
video poker machines. The law requiring the permits went
into effect Jan. 31, 2001. Based on information from the
Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, Black believes the store
had the machines before that date. The fines went into
effect on Jan. 31, 2001.
Pool policy
goes to board
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Pools built before 1996 may be required to have fences.
Kings Mountain City Council will hold a public hearing
and vote on an ordinance during its July 26 meeting.
The ordinance would require all pools to be completely
enclosed with four-feet, self-locking fences. The material is
not specified, though typically pools are fenced with wood,
chain link fencing or brick.
“As long as it can prevent little kids from walking in,”
said Zoning Officer Brandon Putnam.
The city passed an ordinance in 1996 requiring all new
pools to be fenced; however, existing pools were exempted
in a “grandfather” clause.
“Nobody should be grandfathered in for something like
that,” said Betty Humphries, the Kings Mountain grand-
mother who last July asked city council to require all pools
be fenced. She said that her grandchildren were at risk
See Pool, 5A
Smith seeks
Council seat
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Clarence “Buddy” Smith has filed to run for a Kings
Mountain City Council seat in Ward 5.
Smith, 60, filed on Friday. Smith ran as a write-in candi-
date during the 2003 election for that same seat. He was
defeated by incumbent Carl DeVane.
Smith's central issues are saving the city money and
addressing school district lines. Smith believes city resi-
dents living in Gaston County should be allowed to attend
Cleveland County Schools without paying tuition.
“Those people should have been grandfathered in,” he
said.
Smith said he wants to listen to the people and work with
other council members.
He is in the process of retiring from the U.S. Postal
Service. He also worked on his brother Freddy Smith's rac-
ing pit crew.
See Smith, 4A
y A