The Heral d
Thursday, November 17, 2005
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Since 1889
Vol. 117 No. 46
50 Cents
oO
ii
0 <2
3 §
roreign exchange
students like at KM
High School
12A
Food Lion to
open at H-T site
Kings Mountain will
have a second Food
Lion beginning Dec. 2,
Jeff Lowrance, a compa-
ny spokesperson con-
firmed Tuesday.
The store will occupy
the former Harris Teeter
location on King Street.
Harris Teeter closed
at the end of October
leaving Kings Mountain
with one store, the Food
Lion on Shelby Road.
Winn-Dixie closed this
summer as part of a
bankruptcy plan.
Lowrance was not
able to confirm if Max
Jonas and Camilla
Carpenter of the
Cherryville Food Lion
will be managing the
Kings Mountain store as
some have speculated. -
Town Christmas
tree lighting set
The lights will glow
from the City of Kings
Mountains Christmas
tree starting Tuesday
night.
An official tree light-
ing ceremony will be
held at 7 p.m. at the tree
located in front of
Mauney Memorial
Library.
Choirs from North,
East and West elemen-
tary schools will per-
form along with
dancers from Dance
Magic.
Mayor Rick
Murphrey will read
“Twas the Night Before
Christmas.” Santa will
visit and there will be
refreshments.
The tree is decorated
with yellow ribbons in
support of members of
the 505th National
| Guard Unit serving in
Iraq. Their families have
been issued a special
invitation to the cere-
mony and the general
public is invited as well.
Sign banner for
troops in Iraq
Area residents can
send a Christmas mes-
sage to members of the
505th Army National
Guard by signing a ban-
ner which will be
mailed to Iraq where
the soldiers are serving.
The banner will be at
Kings Mountain City
Hall through Dec. 9
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
each week day.
Yellow ribbons have
been placed on all
municipal buildings.
Ribbons which had
been placed on the
overhead bridge have
blown off but are being
replaced.
Herald to print
early next week
~The Herald will pub-
lish on Wednesday next
week so the mail deliv-
eries of the paper will
be made before
Thanksgiving.
Deadline for all
advertising is 11 a.m.
Friday. Call 739-7496 for
more information.
Deadline for news is 5
p.m. Monday.
- The Herald will be
closed on Thanksgiving
day and will reopen on
Friday, November 25 at
8 a.m.
VETERANS DAY
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Army veteran and Kings Mountain legionnaire Larry Deaver salutes the flag during
Pledge of Allegiance at Friday's Veterans Day ceremony at Mountain Rest
Cemetery. Below, Bill McMurray holds a small American flag over his heart as he
participates from the crowd.
Kings Mountain remembers
its heroes at Friday ceremony
GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.com
A large crowd of veterans from at
least three wars, young people who had
a day off from school, and other
Patriotic citizens took advantage of the
unseasonably warm weather Friday to .
participate in the city’s annual Veterans
Day observance at Veterans Park at
Mountain Rest Cemetery.
A large number of veterans, led by the
Kings Mountain Police Department
Color Guard and Cub Scout Pack 95 of
El Bethel United Methodist Church, par-
ticipated in a foot parade from the war
monument on Railroad Avenue to the
cemetery approximately 6 1/2 blocks
away.
Graves of veterans decorated with
small American flags provided a color-
See Veterans, 2A
Alcohol vote
in future for
Grover board?
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
What changes will happen for Grover when its three new
council members take office? One current commissioner
predicts alcohol sales will be allowed and zoning will relax.
Council member Jackie Bennett said that the new council
will probably vote on a referendum on alcohol sales during
the January meeting. Bennett was elected two years ago and
will not be up for reelection until 2007. Earlier this year she
made a motion for the council to vote on alcohol sales but
none of the other four council members would second the
motion. Three of the four other commissioners - John Harry,
Max Rollins and Bill Willis - lost bids for reelection earlier
this month. :
Bennett and others then attempted to collect signatures of
35 percent of registered voters which would have required
" the town to hold a referendum on alcohol sales. Supporters
did not submit that petition after they fell short of the 35
percent.
Bennett said that she worked to get the new council
members elected. One of those, Calvin Huffman, has been
outspoken on his support of alcohol sales. Newcomer Brent
White said last week that alcohol sales are the only way to
attract a grocery store to Grover. Adam Green said that he
believes townspeople are opposed to it but if the issue came
up, he would talk with residents.
A simple majority of council members are all that is need-
ed to call for a referendum on alcohol sales. If one is called
for, the county Board of Elections has 60 to 120 days to hold
the election, according to Bennett.
Bennett is confident the town’s residents would approve
alcohol sales. :
“I'm sure we won't have any trouble,” she said.
Huffman has carried on an almost year-long battle with
the current Grover Town Council on a rezoning request
which would have allowed him to put residential housing
in ah industrial area. Bennett indicated that the new council
didn’t plan to be overly controlling on zoning.
Rea re-opens after
fatal plant accident
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
The Occupational Safety and Health Agency gave the go
ahead for Rea Contracting to reopen on Tuesday. Plant fore-
man Paul David Vandyke died there on Thursday after he
was struck by a falling object.
The object was propelled by an explosion, according to a
report by the Kings Mountain Police Department. The acci-
dent happened at approximately 7:02 a.m. on Nov. 10 at Rea
Contracting’s 199 Quarry Road site.
There was no foul play, according to Capt. Derek
Johnson. The investigation has been turned over to OSHA.
“It will be some time before they are finished,” said Steve
Hubbard, a company spokesman. “They are piecing togeth-
er everything.”
Hubbard described Vandyke, 58, as a well respected man.
“He will be missed,” Hubbard said.
Employees received grief counseling.
Vandyke lived in Stanley. !
Axle leaving KM, Dole breaks ground in BC
# ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
last year that they hoped to
hire 250 people within two
years. Base pay began at
$14.50 an hour. Workers
were unionized.
Axle purchased 85 acres
owned subsidiary of
Diamler Chrysler and is
headquartered in Detroit.
Company officials could not
be reached for comment.
While news is bad in
A new plant in Kings
Mountain is closing while
one is opening in Bessemer
City. near Bethware School and a ~~ Kings Mountain, in nearby
Axle Alliance which shell building that Bessemer City the Dole
opened in September, 2004, = CommScope had planned to ~~ Fresh Vegetables Company,
is closing. occupy. a division of Dole Food
Company officials said Axle Alliance is a wholly ~~ Company, Inc., broke
ground for their newest
salad production operation
last week. The facility will
comprise approximately
280,000 square feet in size
and occupy a 125-acre site in
525 people within the first
three years of full operation.
This is the company’s
first facility in North
Carolina. The new jobs
being created will be mainly
the Southridge Industrial production workers who
Park. will take the fresh vegetables
Dole Fresh Vegetables and. process them into
Company will invest $54 bagged products for distri-
million and plans to employ See Axle, 12A
A senior project for the seniors
Student updating Senior Tar Heel Discount Book
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com pharmacies.
Once the information is compiled Dixon will
design a new directory for seniors. This informa-
tion can be stored on CD and updated as new
A Kings Mountain High senior is helping other
seniors - the ones 60 and older.
Adam Dixon is updating the Senior Tar Heel
Card Discount Book for Cleveland County as part
of his high school senior project.
Dixon is working with Patrick Senior Center
Director Monty Thornburg to see if area business-
es listed in the 1992 directory are still open and
accepting the discount card. They also are recruit-
ing new businesses. So far they have gotten a
good response from physicians, attorneys, restau-
5
businesses join.
give card holders a discount. Many post a
her card was even accepted at the Buffalo
New York state. :
See Senior, 2A
- rants, beauticians, auto service providers and
The card is available to North Carolinians aged
60 and older. Participating businesses agree to
on their door or window announcing they are
part of the program. One senior told Thornburg
decal
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Kings Mountain High School senior Adam Dixon
and Patrick Senior Center Director Monty
Thornburg work on the Senior Tar Heel card dis-
count program directory. A
Z00 in