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Vol. 119 No. 17 Since 1889 50 Cents
Thursday, April 26, 2007
‘Changing face
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City leaders aim
for life after five
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Once upon a time, downtown Kings
Mountain was alive with shoppers and
shopkeepers, dime stores and retail stores.
Three theatres, the Joy, the Dixie and the
Imperial, were the city’s “Broadway.” The
train brought in travelers and Mountain
View Hotel gave them rest.
Over the years much has changed. The
train that once brought newcomers now
speeds through with a boisterous “Hello,”
and then travels on. The Joy is the last the-
atre remaining, now called the Joy
Performing Arts Center. The last remain-
ing department store, McGinnis’, has been
reduced in size.
Mountaineer Partnership Director
Caroline Dover predicts many changes by
the end of 2007. “I would say a good third
of the properties downtown have turned
over in the last few months to new own-
ers,” she said, adding that once the proper-
ties are renovated and put on the market,
“we're going to be ripe for a lot of new
businesses to come in. Just off the top of
my head, I anticipate at least five new busi-
nesses to open in downtown by the end of
the year, if not more.”
Her mother is opening one of those new
businesses on April 25, which will be an
upscale consignment shop of sorts. A cou-
ple of other new establishments, include
John Harris’ coffee shop and CJ's
Landscaping, an outdoor shop, next to the
Joy.
Within 10 years, if all goes well, she
believes downtown Kings Mountain could
resemble the downtown of
Hendersonville, NC, with its variety of
shops and well-established, self-sustaining
businesses. Downtown Greenville, SC, has
its unique suspension bridge. If all goes
well, the future downtown City of Kings
Mountain will also have its anchoring
claim to fame - the Gateway Trail, a path
that connects KM to its namesake in the
national military park.
An additional sporting goods store with
bike rentals has expressed great interest in
setting up shop downtown to help support
the trail. “I feel like that (trail), eventually,
is going to be one of our big marketing
strikes. They always say in downtown
management that you need a creative
downtown that has a special hinge,” she
said.
“The downtown is the heartbeat of your
Cog
On a crisp Spring moming, the new splash pad at Patriots Park spouts off for one of
the first times. The pad was completed recently and awaits a lot of fun for children
during the upcoming hot summer months.
community,” Mayor Rick Murphrey
agreed. “When residents, prospective resi-
dents or industrial clients see that you are
working on revitalizing your downtown
that sends a message about the communi-
ty.” It shows the city cares about its com-
munity.
“What we really want to do is to get
more and more life after 5 pm,” he said,
adding that the Little Theater has helped to
keep the nightlife alive with entertain-
ment. But more is needed.
Dover calls this goal the 24-hour down-
town. She said that a lot of cities think that
if they put up 100 or so apartments then
they have achieved that goal, but that isn’t
what makes the downtown 24 hours. She
agreed that it is important for people to see
that there are things to do downtown and
that the sidewalks won't be “rolled up” on
them at 5 o'clock. When more restaurants
are open past five, bringing more people
out, then more retail businesses will feel
better about staying open later, she said.
Patriots Park is also seeing changes, said
Director of the Chamber of Commerce in
Kings Mountain Shirley Brutko. The
Rotary Club is putting the final touches on
the park’s new splash pad where children
can cool off on a hot summer’s day. Four
wrought-iron benches about ten feet long
are also planned to be added to the park
and more lighting is expected at the
Gazebo and around the park, creating a
family-friendly fun zone. The city hopes
that events, along with a pleasant atmos-
phere, will bring out the crowds.
“You know it isn’t like in the old days
when I was a kid. You were home and you
were out playing in the yard or out playing
with all of your buddies just having a big
old time,” Murphrey said. “Today every-
body gets on the computer. They're run-
ning in their house and they stay inside. So
we want to promote activities where they
can come. outside...They can be friendly
and walk around and learn that there's
something outside of television.”
Dover said that for too long now, a lot of
people have been distracted from coming
downtown thinking that it has nothing to
offer. But all that is about to change, she
said. “It should be the most vibrant area of
the city. You should be able to work in,
play in and stay in downtown,” she said.
“We're about to explode.”
EMILY WEAVER / HERALD
e King of Q
Courtney's Low Country BBQ wins
11th annual Firehouse Cook-off
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
‘| Courtney’s Low Country BBQ, of Clover,
SC, swept the floor with their 52 competi-
ltors at the 11th Annual Firehouse BBQ
|Cook-Off State Championship.
The three-year-old team that has compet-
‘ed in Kings Mountain for the past two
years was named Grand State Champion
2007. They collected winnings of $4,500,
“The Magic Big Green Egg,” two trophies,
‘two plaques, an invitation to the American
‘Royal Barbecue Contest and eligibility for
‘the Jack Daniels Invitational Contest. Their
overall total points that secured their state
championship bragging rights - 623.429.
But their winnings did not stop there.
They swept the board, placing in three out
of four categories: barbeque Pork, Pork
Ribs and Brisket. “This is the 14th Kansas
City Barbeque Society competition that
we've done,” said Gary Kunes of
Courtney's Low Country BBQ. “We've
been in the top 10 quite a few times but this
is our first state championship...When
you're passionate about something and
you win that ultimate goal - that’s what it’s
all about.”
Just a few notches on the scoreboard
behind Courtney's, with a score of 621.1426
was this year’s State Reserve Grand
See Cook-Off, 3A
Finger-licking' good. Kansas City Barbeque Soclety Judges gladly lend thelr
time, expertise and hunger to taste test the best bbq around. :
terms approved
by KM Council
Action must be pre-cleared
by U.S. Justice Department
| ELIZABETH STEWART
Herald Correspondent
By a 6-1 vote, Kings Mountain
City Council Tuesday night
reversed two year terms that
voters decided 12 years ago and
sent an ordinance for preclear-
ance to the US Justice
Department to implement stag-
gered terms, four council mem-
bers to serve four-year terms and
three council members to serve
two-year terms, beginning with
the November 2007 municipal
election.
Councilman Jerry Mullinax
cast the dissenting vote.
By drawing of numbers 1-25,
the Council made the decision
that the lowest number would
represent the two year-term and
the highest number the four-year
term. Ward 2 Councilman Mike
Butler drew No. 16-and Ward 2
Councilman Mullinax drew No.
5 for the two-year terms. Ward 4
Councilman Rodney Gordon
drew No. 22 and Ward 5
Councilman Keith Miller drew
No. 21 for the four year terms.
The board took the recommen-
dation of City Attorney Mickey
Corry and agreed that the elect-
ed mayor would serve a four
year term, the elected Ward I
councilman (currently
Rev.Howard Shipp) and the At
Large representative with the
highest number of votes would
serve four year terms while the
At Large representative with the
second highest number of votes
would serve the two year term.
Currently, At-large Councilmen
are Dean Spears and Houston
Corn.
Neither Mayor Rick Murphrey
or Council made comment
before or after the vote was
taken. During the citizen recog-
nition portion of the meeting
County Commissioner Johnny
See Council, 9A
Business owners
seek annexation
ELIZABETH STEWART
Herald Correspondent
Four business owners are
requesting voluntary annexation
of their properties by the city
totaling 6 plus acres.
Juliet and Tim Moore want the
city to annex Moore’s Market &
Grill, the two lots at the corner of
County Line Road and Goforth
Road, approximately 2.49 acres.
RARB Properties, owned by
Robert Arey Jr. and Robert
Burns, are seeking voluntary
annexation of 3.58 acres on the
north side of Shelby Road for a
One-Stop Gas Convenience
Center. The One Stop Food Store
at the location has been in busi-
ness since Feb. 1999.
Council directed the City
Clerk to investigate the petitions
and consideration will be on:the
agenda for a future meeting.
In other actions Tuesday,
Council:
+Awarded contract for admin-
istrative service to Stephen FE.
Austin, the low bidder at $40,500
and Moretz Engineering for
Westover Neighborhood contin-
gent upon approval by the state.
+Approved BB&T financing
terms for the 2007 bucket truck
at a cost of $111,500 at 3.83%
interest.
+Expanded the Downtown
Incentive Grant area, extending
eastward and westward along
King Street and South a short
distance on Battleground
Avenue with maximum grant of
$6,000.
See Annexation, 7A
ity Manage
City Manager
gets pay raise
City Manager Marilyn Sellers
received a $3,000 a year raise
Tuesday night from Kings
Mountain City Council which
brings her annual salary to
$78,000. The action was taken
following a brief closed session
following the regular meeting at
City Hall.
Councilman Keith Miller said
after the meeting that Mrs.
Sellers received a 4 percent hike
in pay after being on the job a
year, including the months she
served as Interim City Manager.
Other city employees received
the 4 percent cost of living
increase last year.
City Council annually evalu-
ates the job performance of its
chief executive officer.
The vote was 6-1 with
Councilman Jerry Mullinax cast-
ing the dissenting vote.
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