KINGS MOUNTAIN C |
The Heral
Thursday, November 3, 2005
Geddings
resigns
from lottery
commission
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
a
8 i
MA Aanaz ia 2
MU ZBOQL-2414
Hv d0VUUTo514
viouriiuriecr o nuove
Burns Friday in
final home game
1B
Vol. 117 No. 44 Since 1889 .
Election is Tuesday
Mayor, all City Council seats up for grabs in Kings Mountain
ANDIE BRYMER
“ abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Smith.
None of the Kings Mountain can- 1,
didates have filled with the county 8
Board of Elections that they have
spent over $3,000, according to
Blanton.
Phillip Glover, a candidate for one
of three seats open on the school
board, has spent over $3,000. He is
Lawndale will draw high turnout
also.
Other towns with council elec-
tions include Belwood, Mooresboro,
Polkville, Patterson Springs, Boiling
Springs, Casar, Earl, Fallston,
Lattimore and Lawndale. Mayors in
several of those towns are running
unopposed. This is not an election
Shipp faces no opposition.
Ward Two incumbent Brenda
McFalls Ross is running against
Mike Butler. In Ward Three Jerry
Mullinax is defending against a bid
from Tommy Hawkins. Kay M.
Hambright is facing opposition from
Rodney Gordon in Ward Four. In
Ward Five Clarence “Buddy” Smith
WKMT co-owner Kevin
Geddings announced
Tuesday on the Keith
Larson Show on WBT radio
his resignation from the
North Carolina Lottery
A quarter or more of Kings
Mountain's registered voters are
expected to turn out for Tuesday's
council and mayoral election, a high
number for an off year.
Elections Director Debra Blanton
Commission. anticipates a 25 to 30 percent year for Grover’s mayor. and Keith Miller have registered to running against incumbents Mary
Geddings forwarded to turnout for Kings Mountain and 20 In Kings Mountain two at-large run. Incumbent Carl DeVane has Ramseur Evans and George Litton
The Herald a copy of his percent across Cleveland County. seats are up. Incumbents Houston withdrawn from the race for health and challengers Joanne C.
resignation letter to Dr.
Charles Sanders, chairman
of theN.C. Education
Lottery Commission. In it
he wrote:
“It is with great disap-
pointment that I submit my
resignation as a member
of the N.C. Education
Lottery Commission effec-
tive immediately.
“The persistent negative
publicity surrounding my
decades-long friendship
with a lottery company
vendor worker continues to
detract from the positive
work of the Education
Lottery. Although I believe
myexperience with the suc-
cessful education lottery
start-up in South Carolina
could have helped our
state’s new lottery, its pub-
lic image in
these early days is much
more important. Therefore,
I will step aside allowing
N.C. House Speaker Jim
Black the ability to appoint
a new
commissioner.
“I continue to be excited
about the tremendous
potential of the new North
Carolina Education Lottery
to bolster our schools with a
huge new source of fund-
ing. I wish you and my for-
mer fellow commissioners
the best of luck in creating a
successful lottery for educa-
tion funding in North
Carolina.”
Two weeks ago GOP
party Chairman Ferrell
Blount called on Geddings
to resign due to what he
labeled a previous business
relationship with Alan
Middleton, who is now a
vice president with
Scientific Games - a major
lottery vendor.
Geddings said that he
disclosed what he calls a
long time family friendship
with Middleton immediate-
See Geddings, 6A
Sheriff
injured
in wreck
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Cleveland County Sheriff
Raymond Hamrick sus-
tained a broken leg when
he was rear-ended by a car
while riding his motorcycle
on Saturday.
Danny Kay Chambers,
61, of 210 College Avenue,
hit Hamrick’s motorcycle.
with his 1969 Volkswagen,
according to the North
Carolina Highway Patrol.
Troopers charged him with
driving while impaired,
reckless driving and driving
‘with no operator’s license.
The accident happened at
6:30 p.m. on N.C. 150
almost two miles west of
Shelby. Hamrick was
stopped to make a left turn
onto N.C. 1272. His turn
signal was on when
See Sheriff, 6A
Blanton expects the Cleveland
County Schools Board, Cleveland
County Sanitary District Board and
town councils in Grover and
CHAIN
WE bi
Corn and Rick Moore are running
against challengers Garland Wayne
Edwards, Lamar Fletcher, Roy
“Butch” Pearson and Dean Spears.
Ward One Councilman Howard
reasons. Lou Ballew is making a bid
as a write-in candidate.
Mayor Rick Murphrey faces oppo-
sition from Gilbert “Pee Wee”
Hamrick and former mayor Kyle
Holowecky, Barbara Borders Minder,
Bobby Steen and Wilburn P.
Wellmon. Terry B. McClain, a former
Kings Mountain District Schools
See Election, 2A
GROVER CANDIDATE FORUM——
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Max Rollins, left, and Bill Willis listen as Betsy Wells, bottom photo, questions the candidates at
Tuesday’s forum at Grover Town Hall.
Challengers don’t show up
for Grover candidate forum
i abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Only incumbents showed up
for a candidates’ forum spon-
sored by the Grover Women's
Club Tuesday night.
Town commissioners John
Harry, Max Rollins and Bill Willis
participated in the forum while
challengers Calvin Huffman,
Adam Green and Christopher
Brent White opted not to.
Candidates were asked ques-
tions by moderator Betsy Wells
and also gave opening and clos-
ing statements. Questions were
submitted by the public and can-
didates were given the questions
prior to the forum.
Why are you running and
what separates you from the
other candidates?
Max Rollins said his experience
with Southern Bell where he
oversaw budgets in excess of $10
million prepared him to be on the
council.
Bill Willis noted his work in
plant engineering and mainte-
nance most recently with
Mayflower.
John Harry said he wanted
controlled growth in Grover. He
pointed to his time running
Grover Industries with a small
budget and time on the council as
qualifiers.
What are the responsibilities
of commissioners?
Willis said commissioner repre-
sent a cross section of the people.
Harry said commissioner deal
with the finances of the town and
said he supported a conservative
budget.
Rollins said commissioners find
out what the community wants
and match that with the funds
available.
See Grover, 8A
Mi Pueblito
makes KM its
‘little town’
NDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
“Mi pueblito” translates to “my little
town” in Spanish and that’s what Cindy
Cope and Rodrigo Chavez, owners of Mi
Pueblito restaurant, hope to make Kings
Mountain.
Mi Pueblito opened its doors last week
and held a grand opening ribbon cutting
Tuesday. hau
The restaurant has gotten a warm recep-
tion from the community, according to
Cope.
Cope and Chavez, who are married fo
each other, both worked in the food serv-
ice industry before opening the first Mi
Pueblito in Rutherfordton in 1995. Since
then they've also opened locations in
Forest City, Shelby and Marion.
Cope says Kings Mountain residents
who frequented the Shelby location asked
for a Mi Pueblito here. With the exception
of Shelby, Mi Pueblito does not open loca-
tions in cities with existing sit-down
Mexican restaurants.
The Kings Mountain location is across
the road from Taco Bell, a Mexican-style
fast food establishment. Cope doesn’t think
the two businesses will effect one another
adversely.
She says the restaurant wants be part of
the community. Other locations have spon-
sored ball teams and been part of events
like Relay for Life.
Mi Pueblito plans live entertainment.
* The restaurant is licensed to sell beer and
wine though Cope says keeping a family
atmosphere is the ultimate goal.
“We want it to be a family place,” she
said.
Several of Chavez's relatives from other
Mi Pueblito locations are staffing the
restaurant.
Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey
proclaimed the food “delicious” and pre-
dicted Mi Pueblito will attract more restau-
rants to Kings Mountain.
. The menu includes fajitas, quesadillas,
tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes,
vegetarian special, domestic and imported
beers, wine and complimentary chips and
salsa. Lunch specials are available under
See Restaurant, 2A
Ford Farm Bureau Teacher of Year
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
West Elementary second grade teacher Judy Ford was
named the first Cleveland County Farm Bureau Teacher of
the Year.
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
The smell of apple butter wafts from Judy
. Ford’s West Elementary classroom. Inside,
fish swim in two tanks and turtles inhabit
another. Preying mantis cocoons hang from
fennel stems Ford grew.
Ford, who loves science, makes the sub-
ject a part of her second graders” math and
reading curriculum. The effort earned her
the first Cleveland County Farm Bureau
Teacher of the Year award.
Ford wants her students to understand
the tangible world.
“They need to know where things come
from. You don’t just go to the grocery store,”
she said, referring to lessons on agricultural
products.
Once a student brought in a ripe cotton
plant. Ford turned that into an impromptu
lesson on what was once one of Cleveland's
largest crops. She told students about pick-
ing cotton as a child to earn extra money.
Ford explained that the white, fluffy stuff is
made into cloth.
“That plant made your blue jeans,” she
told the students.
The next day Ford brought books on cot-
ton to class.
“That's what I look for, a teachable
moment,” she said.
In September students celebrated Johnny
Appleseed day with an apple tasting con-
test. Ford cooked apple butter in two crock
pots. Students tasted it and took some
home.
They studied math last week by measur-
ing the height and circumference of pump-
kins. After weighing them, students estimat-
ed the number of seeds. Ford then cut the
tops off and let the students scoop out the
See Ford, 2A
<
¥ J 3