Thursday, October 13, 2005
Vol. 117 No. 41
Since 1889
Mounties blank
Chase in rainy
homecoming
3B
50 Cents
KM Gateway Festival is Saturday
NDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain’s annual
Gateway Festival is Saturday from
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. downtown fol-
lowed by a 7 p.m. concert.
Over 50 vendors, exhibitors, and
entertainers will be part of the fes-
tivities. During the day musical
groups Praise in Blue, the Log
Cabin String Band, Rod Croft on
hammer dulcimer and Mark and
Kathy Bradley on the guitar, saxo-
phone and vocals will perform.
Dance Magic also will take the:
stage.
There will be a petting zoo and
pony rides. The Girl Scouts will
host a carved pumpkin contest.
Finished entries should be brought
to Patriots Park by 10 a.m.
Some exhibitors include Tom
Bittner’s What's in a Name, a fami-
ly name history and coat of arms
business from Lenoir, collage art
and small furniture by LL Designs
of Cherryville and windows deco-
rated with scenic art by Lauren
Mooney. There also will be hand-
crafted bows by Christy Cook, can-
non demonstrations by Terry
Helms who also will sale small
cannons, wood turning by Thomas
Tucker and hide tanning by
William Wesbrook of Georgia.
Reenactors will demonstrate
how the early European settlers
lived in what was then the back-
country. They'll be at the gazebo
this year.
Mauney Memorial Friends of the
Library will sale used books and
Premier Credit Union will offer
See Gateway, 3A
Gateway Festival Schedule
10 a.m. - Praise in Blue
11 a.m. - Log Cabin String Band
12 p.m. - Rod Croft on hammer dulcimer
1 p.m. - Cute Critters Competition
2 p.m. - Mark and Kathy Bradley on the guitar, saxophone and vocals
3 p.m. - Dance Magic
4 p.m. - Awards presented for the pet show, car show, store window dec-
orating and pumpkin carving contests :
7 to 10 p.m. - King Pup Radio Show
Ongoing events at Patriots Park include a petting zoo, pony rides and liv-
ing history demonstrations.
———— BATTLE OF KM 225TH ANNIVERSARY-
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Timothy Berly stands with Multi-State Composite Color Guard during Friday’s 225th anniversary celebration of the
Battle of Kings Mountain at Kings Mountain National Military Park.
Celebration at park remembers
‘Turning Point of the Revolution’
_ ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain National Military
Park celebrated this past weekend
the 225th anniversary of the battle
which is considered a pivotal turning
point in the American Revolution.
The full day of events started at 7
a.m. with a colonial reception break-
fast at the Patrick Center hosted by
the City of Kings Mountain. Local
officials and other leaders along with
descendants of people who fought in
the battle enjoyed the spread. Mayor
Rick Murphrey traced the area’s his-
tory from a backcountry community
to the city’s current status as a
Gateway to the three nearby national
and state parks. Park Superintendent
Erin Broadbent gave an update on
the park including its new exhibit at
the visitors center.
Later that morning cloudy skies
and scattered showers didn’t keep
over 90 groups from laying wreaths
at the U.S. monument located at the
Kings Mountain National Military
Park. Among those honoring the war
dead was Phyllis M. Porter of
Canton, Ga. representing the
Hightower Trail Chapter of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution and the Strozier Family
Heritage Society. Peter Strozier was
among the 30 Georgians who fought
at Kings Mountain. :
Porter wears several pins, each rep-
resenting an ancestor who fought in
the Revolutionary War. One pin is for
Margaret Strozier. Though not a sol-
dier, she is considered a patriot. After
her home was burned, she and her
five children set out to find their hus-
band and father who was fighting the
British. She worked as a cook for the
Patriot forces and was reunited with
her husband. Porter counts 35 ances-
tors who participated in the
Revolution.
On the walk up to the monument,
two “Redcoats” stood guard at Major
Patrick Ferguson's grave. Reenactors
Daniel Stowe of Charlotte, dressed as
a regular soldier, and David Sherrill
of Kannapolis, dressed in not quite as
elaborate garb, portrayed an
“American bearing arms for the law-
ful government of the colonies,”
flanked the final resting place of the
Loyalist officer.
Paul Desrosiers of Gastonia stood
See Battle, 10A
Ultra Machine
moving to KM
Company makes components
for military mine retrieval vehicles
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.co
Ultra Machine and Fabrication Inc. is moving from its
Gaston County location to Kings Mountain. The move was
announced during a press conference Tuesday at Kings
Mountain City Hall.
The company anticipates making a $1.5 million invest-
ment in its new 709 Broadview Street location.
Company President Frank Stewart started the business in
1989 as a machine shop. Answering to market trends, he
added fabrication six years ago.
“Our business has really taken off,” Stewart said.
A year ago Ultra, which was located at the former Kings
Mountain Industrial Park on N.C. 161, began looking for a
larger location. Stewart considered Gastonia, Clover and
Kings Mountain.
Industrial real estate agent John Barker showed Stewart a
the Kings Mountain location then introduced him to Mayor Ne
Rick Murphrey. From there city staff in codes, electric, gas | He
and water along with City Manager Greg McGinnis met |
with him. Stewart says the city’s willingness to work with B
him is why he located here.
“Your community has embraced us,” Stewart said during
the press conference.
Ultra Machine and Fabrication makes components for a
military vehicle which Stewart describes as “three times a
- Humvee.” Murphrey said the company is making it safer
for military personnel like Kings Mountain's own 505th
National Guard Unit which is now serving in the Middle
East. The vehicle are used for land mine retrieval.
See Business, 2A
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Steve Padgett, left, welcomes Frank Stewart to Kings
Mountain. 3
KM test scores second in state
) GARY STEWART / HERALD
Nikki Summitt was crowned KMHS homecoming queen
during halftime of Friday’s game with Chase. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joel Summitt.
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Career and technical stu-
dents at Kings Mountain
High School scored the sec-
ond highest in the state on
VOCATS testing. *
Principal John Yarbro
called the scores “amazing.”
“We're proud of them,”
Yarbro said.
He credited teachers for
preparing the lessons and
students for making a good
effort.
Drafting and engineering
teacher Dan Owens tries to
create an on the job environ-
. ment in his classroom.
“I tell them what I
expect,” Owens said. “I treat
them as adults if they let
me.”
Students can put in “over
time” working at lunch and
after school on projects.
Owens worked in the
field for 14 years before
becoming a teacher 11 years
ago. He often uses real
world problems in the class
instead of abstracts. For
example students draw the
radius of a basketball goal
hoop instead of a plain cir-
cle.
“Something they can
relate to,” is how Owens
describes it.
The Drafting II class is
drawing plans for the coat-
ing of a fiberglass burial
vault. Their real life cus-
tomer will pay them $150
which goes into the Drafting
Club treasury.
Owens said some of his
students get jobs right after
high school while others go
after two and four year
degrees in mechanical, archi-
tectural or civil drafting.
Advanced student Eric
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Instructor Dan Owens helps students Chad Blanton, right,
and Justin Gsellman in Drafting | class.
Hellstrand enjoys the com-
puters and design tools. He
plans a career in either
design or architecture. He's
now helping another senior
by drawing two- and three-
dimensional plans for a trail-
: See Tests, 7A