KINGS MOUNTAIN
The Heral
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Vol. 118 No. 3
Since 1889
GOP chair
Westmoreland
‘announces
for NC Senate
NDIE BRYMER
% abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Cleveland County GOP
Chairman Wes
Westmoreland announced
Tuesday that he will chal-
lenge Democrat Walter
Dalton for the 46th District
State Senate seat. :
Westmoreland said he
will step down as party
chairman, a post he has
held for the last five years.
In a press release,
Westmoreland laid respon-
sibility on Democrats and
Dalton, who chairs the
Senate Appropriations
Committee, for increasing
taxes, failing to hold the
line on government spend-
ing, and a lack of focus on
priorities like education and
roads.
“It is time to stop throw-
ing more money at the ~
same problems. It is time
for a proactive conservative
approach to the challenges
facing our State,”
Westmoreland said.
The challenger also
blamed Dalton for support-
ing legislation which hurts
business in North Carolina.
“Senator Dalton’s idea of
an economic development
plan is to spend your
money on a Tea Pot
Museum in Sparta, an ACC
Hall of Champions in
Greensboro, and roads in
eastern North Carolina,”
Westmoreland said.
Westmoreland criticized
Dalton and other
Democrats’ treatment of
education.
“While our state’s teach-
ers are forced to purchase
school supplies out of
their own pocket, education
spending makes up a small-
er and smaller part of
our total budget,”
Westmoreland said.
He also cited Dalton for
Medicaid spending.
“He has worked with the
liberal Democratic leader-
ship to increase Medicaid
benefits to the point that
they are greater than those
offered our state’s employ-
ees,” Westmoreland said.
For the past three years
See Wes, 5A
Board seeks
information
on Hamrick’s
poker request
Video poker operator Ken
Hamrick was in the process
of renewing his conditional
use permit to have the
machines when those same
machines were confiscated
by the Cleveland County
Sheriff's Office in late
December.
The Kings Mountain
Board of Adjustment dis-
cussed the situation during
its Monday afternoon meet-
ing. Board member Bob
Myers said he would ask
the CCSO for official paper-
work regarding the confis-
cation. The board also
requested that Kings
Mountain Code’s Director
Holly Black be at its next
meeting to address the
effect of the violation.
In other business, the
board unanimously
approved Mike Heath's per-
mit renewal allowing him
to have three video poker
machines at his 902 South
Battleground Avenue loca-
tion.
The board will meet
again on Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m.
50 Cents
«avn TULLETY
features children
who need adopted
3A
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Joann McGill stands in front of her home near Bessemer City, which was severely
damaged by a tornado Friday afternoon.
KM preacher and sons escape injury as
tornado severely damages their home
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Joann McGill and her sons Michael and
Anthony were in their Barker Ridge sub-
division home Friday night when
Michael spotted a funnel cloud coming
toward them.
“By the time he said ‘tornado’ the win-
dows in the back were burst,” Joann
McGill said. ’
McGill tried to take cover but could not
move. Strong winds, rushing through a
hole in what used to be the roof, trapped
her. At that point McGill, who is on staff
at Bynum Chapel AME Zion Church in
Kings Mountain, cried out for God.
“Have mercy, Lord, save us,” she cried.
The wind tore McGill's bedroom door
from its hinges. The airborne door grazed
her earlobe. Broken windows flew by her.
McGill describes it as the worst 15 sec-
onds of her life.
“After that it was peace and calm,”
McGill said.
McGill, her sons and their neighbors
poured into the streets of the subdivision
to check on one another and survey the
damage. The roof of the house located
behind McGill's home was now laying in
her backyard. Beside it sat siding and
duct work from McGill's home. Another
neighbor’s basketball goal was in her
front yard. Winds had slammed an in-line
skate into Michael's car windshield.
McGill and son Anthony's cars also were
damaged.
The awful scene brought out the best in
the community. Families whose homes
were not damaged opened their doors to
McGill and others.
What officials are calling a “gustanado”
cut a path through the subdivision, leav-
ing several homes unfit for human habi-
tation. Others were untouched. No one
was injured.
“Truly God guided that wind and held
us in the hollow of his hand,” McGill
said. “Material things can be replaced;
lives cannot.”
McGill and her sons moved into the
Barker Ridge Drive home, located near
Bessemer City, five months ago. Now
they are staying at a nearby Best Western.
McGill does not yet know if her house is
a total loss or if the existing structure can
be repaired. If she must rebuild, she
wants to do so on the same lot.
“We hope to move back here if it’s
God's will,” McGill said.
McGill serves as a local preacher at
Bynum Chapel and in May she is slated
to be ordained as a deacon. She antici-
pates her 15-second ordeal will have a
long range impact on her ministry.
“Friday night I had to walk in shoes I
hadn't before,” she said. “You really don't
know what people are going through.”
MLK message:
Progress made,
problems remain
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
| We might be out of Egypt but we have not yet reached
the Promised Land, was the message during a Monday
morning breakfast honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King. Rev. John L. Houze of People’s Baptist Church gave
the keynote address during the event held at Bynum
Chapel A.M.E: Zion Church. -
Houze called
king “another *
Moses.”
“All he (King) |
wanted to do was
God's will 4 ay
Houze said. “That
is love one anoth-
er as God loved
us.”
While there has
been progress
from the pre-Civil
Rights era, prob-
lems remain,
Houze told the
crowd. He cited
minorities being
the last hired and
first fired; legisla-
tion which favors
ANDIE L. BRYMER/ HERALD
Rev. John L. Houze delivers the
Hos wi have He keynote address during Monday morn-
ti 1s thin th par) ing’s breakfast honoring the legacy of
sw € CIIM- py Martin Luther King held at Bynum
inal justice system. ghapel AME Zion Church.
He condemned
fighting between blacks and whites, whites and whites,
blacks and blacks and faith denominations. :
“As long as we fight among ourselves, we are slaves,” he
said.
Houze encouraged people to vote, saying that those who
don’t go to the polls don’t believe in hope.
He directed the church to be “concerned about the whole
of mankind, Jesus was, Martin Luther King was.”
Houze looked to the time when Sunday morning would
no longer be the most segregated hour; youth would not
kill one another in the streets; and black students would not
be expelled for offenses that whites are not.
He admonished the crowd not to rest on the laurels of
Martin Luther King instead to make the dream alive; for
those who are blessed to reach back and help others.
“I pray it will not be long,” Houze said. “Brothers and
sisters, we need to be about our Father’s business.”
Rev. William H. Puryear, senior pastor of Bynum Chapel,
introduced Houze. .
The interracial Pastors’ Prayer Circle organized Monday's
breakfast. Bishop Roger Woodard of Family Worship Center
served as master of ceremonies. Bishop Brady Jackson of
Royal Praise Ministries led a prayer. Phillip Hager, Elliott
Moss, Brother Lonnie Tucker, Margaret Leach, Naeemah
James and Esther Campbell also lead portions of the serv-
ice.
Malasha Parker and A.J. Wright of the International Gates
of Dance performed and the Bynum Chapel choir and
People’s Baptist praise team sang. 3g
Members of Bynum Chapel prepared a full breakfast for
the event.
Nicole Moore wins MLK speech contest
ANDIE BRYMER
Center.
for a better education for a
world that is currently
studying war, terrorism
and poverty. She also
talked about the need for
love, grace, unity and
understanding in order to
keep King’s dream alive.
Moore plans to pursue
advanced degrees in edu-
cation and open a literacy
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain High senior Nicole
Moore took top honors Monday night dur-~
ing the City of Kings Mountain's Martin
Luther King Day speech contest
held at the Joy Performance
Moore spoke on the need
vine” Jesus. He cautioned that many don’t
want the responsibility of a dream.
Puryear-advised those who have succeed-
ed to mentor the young.
“We've got to reinvest if we're going to
Keep the dream alive,” he said.
Sacrifice i is another requirement.
“Two thousand years ago
God's son hung on a tree,
marked, flayed, sacrificed,”
Puryear said. “We've got to
give till it hurts.”
Puryear ended his
remarks with a request for
prayers for those who
don’t know God or who
have backslidden.
Shana Adams sang
“Amazing Grace” and the
“Lord’s Prayer.” Lester
Williams recited King’s “I
Have a Dream” speech.
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Shana Adams sings “Amazing Grace” during the Dr. Martin
Luther King celebration Monday night at the Joy
Performance Center in Kings Mountain. .
!
and writing center. She is the
daughter of Patricia Moore of
Bynum Chapel AME Zion Church, gave the
keynote address. He looked to the story of
Joseph's dreams recorded in the book of
Genesis as the text. He also cited the dreams
of Columbus, Copernicus and King.
“Dreams stir the heart,” Puryear said.
“What is your dream?”
Puryear told the audience it was impor-
tant that dreams be attached to the “true
§ The International Gates of
Dance and the Silver Strutters
Kings Mountain and Kevin §
Weaver of Charlotte. _ performed. Choirs from Ebenezer
Hannah McGill took Baptist, Vestibule AME
second place and Sarah re Place in: Zion and Bynum Chapel
Roper, third. AME Zion sang.
Rev. William H. Puryear, senior pastor of Donna Huie-Brooks
was the master of ceremonies. Contes
judges were Karlee Jenkins, Shelia McClain
and Hazelene Abernathy. AY
Rev. Howard Shipp gave the Hvocation.
Event sponsors were Corry and Luptak
Law Offices, Cleveland Headline News,
~ Printin’ Press and the Kings Mountain
Historical Museum Foundation. The City of
Kings Mountain hosted the event.
\% yy
4
niin Sage rm RAD A INE THER ARI FATE TNR wh nd EAS ah A AAR SA