Thursday, December 1, 2005
Vol. 117 No. 48
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CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Seated on the Mauney Memorial Library porch, Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey reads “Twas the Night Before
Christmas” to children gathered around him.
Annual ceremony
officially kicks off
Christmas in KM
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Children were giddy with excitement as they
awaited the arrival of Santa last week during the
City of Kings Mountain's annual tree lighting cer-
emony at Mauney Memorial Library.
After Mayor Rick Murphrey read “Twas the
Night Before Christmas,” he told the youngsters
Santa had called from his cell phone and was
nearby.
“He’s coming. I know he’s coming,” Murphrey
said.
One child told the mayor she had heard his
sleigh bells.
“T heard the bells too. He's got to be close,”
Murphrey told her.
An airplane flew overhead generating much
speculation. Alas it wasn't the anticipated guest.
However moments later the siren and red lights
from a Kings Mountain Fire Department truck cut
through the crisp night air. The much awaited
moment had arrived. Children shrieked, jumped
up and down and pointed to Santa as he made
his way through the throngs of people gathered
on the library lawn. Santa then flicked the switch,
illuminating the evergreen. .
Yellow ribbons also decorate the tree this year.
The bows are in honor of members of the 505th
National Guard Unit and other local people serv-
ing in Iraq and other locations.
“Give me a big yell from Kings Mountain. I
think they'll hear it,” Guard Sgt. Greg Thompson
told the crowd. :
* Prior to Santa’s arrival, students from East,
North and West elementary schools sang
Christmas carols under the direction of Monica
Martin. Dance Magic and the Grace Team from
Patterson Grove Baptist performed. Murphrey
read the Christmas story from the second chapter
of the gospel of Luke.
“We don’t want to forget the birthday of our
dear savior,” he said. “Carry the spirit of love and
compassion through the year.”
- After lighting the tree, Santa and his elves
Celisa Bolch, Erica Carpenter and Erin Moore set
up shop in the library auditorium where they
heard Christmas wish lists. Refreshments were
served.
New Grover councilmen
to be sworn in Monday
GROVER - New commission members will be
sworn in during the Monday night council meet-
ing at the Grover Town Hall.
© Adam Green, Christopher Brent White and
Calvin Huffman will take the oath of office as
town commissioners. No information on who will
do the swearing in was available at press time.
* In November's election White and Green both
“garnered 22 percent of the vote and Huffman
took 20 percent. They defeated incumbents John
Harry, Max Rollins and Bill Willis.
The council is expected to put a referendum on
alcohol sales before the voters early next year.
Monday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. and is open
to the public.
Grover native Philip Francis has been named superintendent
of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Francis superintendent
of Blue Ridge Parkway
National Park Service
Southeast Regional Director
Patricia Hooks announced
today the selection of Philip A.
Francis, Jr. as Superintendent
of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Francis who has been acting
in the position since August,
comes to Blue Ridge from his
position as Assistant :
Superintendent at Great
Smoky Mountains National
Park where he served for 11
years. Phil's extensive knowl-
edge, skills, and experiences
gained from a 33 year career
with the National Park Service
(NPS) have provided him with
outstanding leadership skills
and an impressive record of
accomplishments in a wide
variety of areas.
A native of Grover, Francis
began his career with the NPS
at Kings Mountain National
Military Park as a seasonal
park ranger and later as
Administrative Assistant. In
1978 he entered the two-year
NPS Administrative Officer
training program. Francis
went on to serve as
Administrative Officer at a
sequence of parks of increas-
ing size and complexity. Prior
to his arrival at the Smokies in
1994, Francis was the
Associate Regional Director,
Administration for the
Southwest Region for three
years. He is a graduate of
Clemson University with a
Bachelor's degree in
Administrative Management,
and he has completed the
Department of Interior Senior
Executive Service Training
Program, a year-long series of
training and detail assign-
ments designed to prepare
graduates to be appointed to
the most senior positions in
government bureaus.
See Francis, 2A
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Food Lion announced that it
is opening a store at the former
Harris Teeter on Friday, Dec. 2
at 8 a.m. The store is located at
610 East King Street. The other
location on Shelby Road will
remain open.
The store will carry fresh
produce, full-service deli/bak-
ery, Sara Lee® meats and
cheeses, Butcher’s Brand
Premium Beef®, fresh pork
and poultry, seafood; interna-
tional, natural/organic and
specialty items, a large wine
{
City of KM receives
‘a perfect
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
The City of Kings
Mountain again got good
marks from outside audi-
tors. Heather Ball with
Dixon Hughes PLLC report-
ed the company’s findings
to city council members
during Tuesday night's
meeting.
She said the audit was
“unqualified” meaning
there were no problems
with the city’s finances. -
Utilities are highly collecta-
ble, no material weaknesses
were found and the fund
balance at the end of the fis-
cal year was at 16.2 percent,
8.2 percentage points
beyond the Local
Government Commission's
required 8 percent mini-
mum.
Mayor Rick Murphrey
praised the city staff for
‘having a “perfect audit” five
years in a row.
“Lori Hall and her staff
and everyone has done a
audit’
for 5th straight year
great job,” he said.
In other business,
Cleveland County
Commissioner and King
Mountain Extra Territorial
Jurisdiction resident Johnny
Hutchins spoke during a
public hearing, asking for
more representation on the
Planning and Zoning Board.-
‘He said that representatives
should come from Lake
Montonia, Bethlehem, Oak
Grove and the northeast
portion of the ET]. Currently
there are two ET] represen-
tatives on the board.
“We haven't felt like
we've been fairly represent-
ed,” he told the council.
Hugh Logan of Lake
Montonia also spoke asking
for more representation.
The issue has been contin-
ued until the January meet-
ing. :
David Faunce’s request to
rezone property at 814 West
Mountain Street from RS-8
to Office failed to come to
avote. Faunce told council
See Audit, 5A
Christmas parades set
Saturday in
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Love a parade? Eastern
Cleveland County is the
place to be Saturday. Grover
will have its Christmas
parade at 12 p.m. and Kings
Mountain at 3 p.m.
Knox Neely will serve as
grand marshal of Grover’s
parade.
Neely, a native of Mt.
View, S.C., has lived in
Grover most of his life. He
worked for 38 years as a
printer for Minette Mills.
“Anytime anyone needed
anything, all they had to do
was call him and he
dropped what he was doing
to help,” said Evelyn Willis,
parade organizer. “He's
done a lot for the communi-
7”
Neely and his wife
Bell ringers
KM, Grover
Margaret Beam Neely have
been married for 58 years
and have two children. The
octogenarian is a member of
Bethany Baptist.
On Saturday he will ride
in a vintage car owned by
Max Rollins and driven by
Robert Roper. :
The parade begins at
noon and line-up is at 11:15
at Spring Acres.
Entries so far include:
Family Worship Center,
Bethany Baptist, First
Baptist Grover, Eaton
Corporation, Shelby Star,
Grover Elementary, Kings
Mountain High School
band, area rescue squads,
GDS, Inc., the pig mascot
from the Piggly Wiggly of
Blacksburg, S.C., First
National Bank, area car
clubs, racing teams, Davis
Jet Toner, Calvin Huffman,
See Parades, 5A
to solicit
funds for Crisis Ministry
A familiar sound of
Christmas, bells ringing for
the Kings Mountain Crisis
Ministry, can be heard this
year at both Food Lion
stores and Love's Fish Box.
Volunteer bell ringers will
collect money Dec. 1, 2, 3, 8,
9,10, 15,16 and 17.
This is one of the min-
istry’s primary fund raising
opportunities. The agency is
heavily dependent on funds
collected at this time. Each
year Crisis Ministry distrib-
utes over $70,000 to families
in need.
Donations may be mailed
to P.O. Box 1335, Kings
Mountain, N.C. 28086. For
more information, call 704-
739-7256. The ministry is
located inside the Kings
Mountain YMCA. It’s hours
are Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday, 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers are
needed to help with recep-
tion and secretarial duties,
“handyman” jobs for the
disabled and elderly, pick-
ing up food (van or truck
required), praying on site
for clients, church groups
and individuals to mentor
families in need, sponsors
for children within broken
homes and children in need
of “big brothers” and “big
sisters.”
The ministry is moving to
a larger office within the
YMCA in January.
Donations of office and
waiting room furniture, a
copying machine, pictures
and accessories for the\
walls, three long folding
tables and 16 folding chairs
are needed.
Food Lion’s second store to open Friday
department, greeting cards,
fresh-cut floral items, Western
Union service, carpet cleaner
rentals, propane-tank exchange
and a Coinstar machine. The
store will offer approximately
28,000 different products.
Operating hours will be
from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
The store will be managed by
Max Jonas. Food Lion will
employee approximately 20
full-time and 35 part-time. The
number is 704-739-7458.
Grand opening activities
include Food Lion gift card
drawings, numerous specials
and free product samples.