A e—,.. lthkH
i A a
Kings
a
IREIPERIRANE: 5 LANES fo iam
HMMHS
soccer off
to winning
start
Volume 121 « Issue 10 * Wednesday, Marcn 11; «.- IN i
A A Wo
i 106 BaMountain St., Kings Mountain Ni
a warlicka: 12 ick 1S NSU COI,
Bakers' 100-year dental legacy
featured in national magazine
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Two familiar faces graced the cover of a national
magazine recently.
Drs. Stephen and Bryan Baker were on the cover of
Dental Economic's February issue. Inside pages
shared the story of their family's 100-year legacy in
the dental profession and of the modern facility where
the Baker brothers hang their lab coats today.
The family practice began with Dr. Luther Philip
Baker. After graduating from the country's first dental
school in Baltimore, Md. in 1907, he came to Kings
Mountain and opened up a small office on Mountain
Street. This was where the legend began...
Dr. L.P. Baker worked without a dental assistant,
without a chair. It was stand-up dentistry back then
and if a patient needed x-rays they had to be sent to
Charlotte to catch an Appoiment with a traveling x-
ray technician.
But Dr. L.P. Baker was innovative for his time.
"I think he worked on a lot of things to improve the
practice," Bryan said. "He had one of the first cathode
x-ray machines - one of the first ones on the east coast
they said."
Dr. L.P. Baker's son, Robert N. Boker, helped mold
the practice too. He graduated from the Baltimore
Dental School in the 40s, joined the Coast Guard and
helped soldiers up and down the east coast during
World War II. The foot-top dental engine, similar to a
sewing machine with a foot pedal, that dentists had
become accustomed to using was about to change.
Dr. Robert Baker put a motor on it to increase effi-
ciency. He also developed and patented a push-button
instrument still used in offices today.
Bryan's and Stephen's father, Thomas P. Baker,
started down a different path in college. But the trail
ended up leading back home to the family business.
After serving as a dental assistant in the Air Force dur-
ing the Korean War, he came home, enrolled at
Lenoir-Rhyne College, finished his degree and went to
UNC-Chapel Hill where he graduated with his dental
license in 1961.
For a period of time, Drs. L.P., Robert and Thomas
Baker worked side-by-side in their Kings Mountain
office. Bryan followed some of his father's footsteps,
attending Lenoir-Rhyne and graduating from the den-
tal school at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1988.
He joined his father at Baker Dental Care, about a
month before Robert retired. Stephen attended Lenoir-
Rhyne and graduated from the Baltimore College of
Dental Surgery. He réturned to work with his father
and brother to once again fulfill the legacy of a Baker
father-and-sons practice.
Dr. Luther Baker served in the dental profession 37
years. Dr. Robert Baker practiced about 47 years. Dr.
Thomas Baker retired at 37 years. Stephen and Bryan
joked that, following that pattern, Bryan would have
to practice 27 years and Stephen 17. But Steven has
surpassed that mark with 18 years of experience under
his dental scrubs. Bryan has practiced 21 years.
Although Bryan and Stephen hope that one of their
children will consider carrying on the family business,
not every Baker becomes a dentist. But some do
branch out in different forms of dentistry from the
family tree.
Bryan's and Stephen! s uncle, Luther Philip Baker,
See NATIONAL, Page 3A
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
“The Daddy was the
hero,” says Kings Mountain
Fire Chief Frank Burns of
the Kings Mountain father
who braved intense heat
and smoke four minutes
after midnight Thursday to
pull his family to safety as
fire engulfed their home at
602 Temple Street.
“A desperate rescue ef-
fort and the family did
HERO SAVES HIS FAMILY
everything right,” said
Burns, who hailed Shane
(Buddy) Drum, husband of
Tammy Drum and father of
four, who miraculously
woke to flames and smoke
that spread quickly in their
house which left the family
with few material posses-
sions but with their lives.
Burns said a half second
more in the sleeping house-
hold could have spelled dis-
aster.
“ The mother and daddy
woke up and he tried to get
out of the bedroom and go
down the hallway, but the
fire was so hot they had to
climb out the bedroom win-
dow,” Burns said.
“When they climbed out
and went around the corner
of the house, the two sons,
Shane, 16, and Austin, 14,
were coming out of their
bedroom window because
they tried to get out of the
hallway and could not. The
father knew his 8-year-old
“A half second
more in a sleeping
household and the
fire could have
spelled disaster.”
KM Fire Chief
Frank Burns
daughter, Katrina, was
asleep on the couch. He
kicked the front door in and
got the little girl off the
couch and brought her out-
See HERO, Page 4A
DRAWING THE LINE FOR LBTD VOTE
Editor
The price of an average mixed alco-
holic drink costs about $5 at most
restaurants. But if every Kings Moun-
tain voter were charged per ballot they
would have to pay more than that just to
have it on the menu.
Following approval of the mixed
beverage referendum budget by county
commissioners last Tuesday, the Cleve-
land County Board of Elections voted
Wednesday morning to accept the
nearly $60,000 price tag they had fig-
photo by EMILY WEAVER
Board of Elections Director Debra Blanton talks to board members
Wednesday about polling sites for KM’s election on mixed beverages.
City will have two years to pay for $60,000 vote
By EMILY WEAVER ured for the City of Kings Mountain
election.
The BoE presented four possible
budget scenarios to the county:
* Option 1: Four polling sites, one-stop
at BoE office - $61,275
* Option 2: One mega polling site, one-
stop at BoE office - $57,820
Option 3: Two polling sites, one-stop
at BoE office - $59,145
Option 4: Two polling sites, one-stop
at BoE office and in KM - $64,845
The first two options were dismissed.
The BoE was politely "kicked out" of
See ELECTION, Page 3A
Five to
fly with
‘Honor’
The Kings Mountain Rotary
Club decided this year to send local
veterans on a “Flight of Honor” to
see the World War II memorial,
erected in their honor, in Washing-
ton, D.C.
First there were three. Then
there were four. NMow.there are five
local heroes that will fly to the na-
tion’s capital April 18, thanks to
money raised through local busi-
nesses. ;
The five men who will embark
on this special journey are Ed
Campbell, Sidney Dixon, James
Thea Ingle, charter Rotarian Wilson
Griffin and David Saunders.
The first four shared apprecia-
tion for this opportunity and some
of their experiences in WWII with
the Rotary Club at its weekly meet-
ing Feb. 19. Around $500 was
needed then, to send the fourth vet-
eran. It was raised within 14 min-
utes after the meeting.
Over that weekend, a fifth hero
was brought to the attention of
KM’s “Flight of Honor” organizer
and Rotarian Steve Padgett. The
See FLIGHT, Page 3A
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
Hundreds of electric sys-
tem linemen from some 72
Public Power cities are
coming to Kings Mountain
this month for four different
week-long schools at the
Kings Mountain Police
Club.
The City of Kings
Mountain was chosen by
ElectriCities of North Car-
olina to host the schools.
Mayor Rick Murphrey wel-
comed the “Introduction to
Electric Linemen School’
Monday morning.
David Young of Elec-
triCities introduced the pro-
gram, which will include
instruction for linemen with
a minimum of three years
giv WELCOMES ELECTRICIANS
City to host hundreds of linemen
experience. The Basic
Climbing School ended
Feb. 20. This week’s school
ends March 13, the Inter-
mediate school begins
March 23 and ends March
27; and the advanced course
of instruction begins April
27 and ends May 1.
Participants are required
to climb and work from an
aerial (bucket) truck. The
school is intended to assist
municipalities in certifying
that their employees have
received the training and
have demonstrated to the
school instructor’s profi-
ciency in some of the work
practices involved in Elec-
tric Utility Line work re-
quired by Occupational
Safety Hazards Agency
(OSHA)
Each participant re-
ceives college credits to be
applied toward an associate
degree.
Electric = Department
Head Nick Hendricks said
that Kings Mountain line-
men have all participated in
these schools with the ex-
ception of three linemen
who will be attending the
Advanced Lineman School.
He said the Kings Mountain
Electric Department has
provided instructors for
photo by LIB STEWART
Linemen, above, begin training with Electri-Cities
and staffers from Public Power electric systems,
including KM, at Kings Mountain Police Club.
these as well as many other
schools. for many years.
“We have an excellent staff
of linemen,” he said
Said Hendricks, “The ca-
maraderie that our employ-
ees have received
throughout these schools as
well as assisting cities dur-
ing emergency situations
will last a lifetime,
“The City of Kings
Mountain is committed to
safety and training” said the
mayor.
209 S. Battleground Avenue
Visit us today at
er
Kings Mountain
704.739.5411 e www allizncebankandinst.com
MEMBER FDIC
Alliance
Bank&Trust
Building Conunurities
The Faces of Hometown Banking
{ ¥i 4 j #