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(Br hh Volume 121 ¢ Issue 15 ¢ Wednesday, April 15, 2009 FATAL WRECK Loved ones remember ‘our Jennie’ BY ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer The pretty blonde curly-haired 24-year-old who loved life was “our Jennie,” says her mother who remembers their last words April 7 when Jennie Huffstetler left in her car to buy Diet Sundrop and went to Heaven. “Roy and I told her to be careful, we love you,” said Melva Huffstetler. “Mama,” replied Jennie, JENNIE “whatever HUFFSTETLER doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” As her family and high school and college friends mourned her untimely death in a car crash, they shared memories of a young woman who her friends say had a grasp of understanding far beyond her years and lived her strong be- lief of listening to both sides of a story and keeping friendships for life. That attitude extended to her classes at Gaston College, where she often came home and told her parents that she couldn’t write an opinionated essay because she had to see both sides of a story. “We will never know what hap- pened on the highway but we ‘know that Jennie is at this moment with her two brothers, Tripp, who died at the age of 8, and Christo- pher, who died at three months, and she’s probably telling them what to do,” said her Dad. The parents recalled that when Tripp Huffstetler died, the then- five-year-old Jennie told him, “May God’s peace go with you” and made a “peace sign.” Even at that age her parents saw her grasp of understanding death. Celebrating her life, the two songs used at her funeral service were “For the Beauty of the Earth” and “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. Friends of Jennie’s brother, Craig, who played football with him in high school, were pallbear- ers. Former classmates of Jennie’s Brian McGinnis, Buddy Black, Shane Davis and Raeford White, Jr., all city policemen, led the fu- neral procession to Resurrection Lutheran Church. “Meek” and a “peacemaker” by her friends’ def- inition, The Beatitudes and I Corinthians 13, the love chapter of the Bible, were read at the funeral service. _ Students who graduated with Jenny in the KMHS Class of 2003 talked of her dry sense of humor and Miles Hovis, now of Brown University, was one of the return- ing graduates who came to the Huffstetler home and talked of Jennie’s influence on him. “Jennie made ys laugh and we needed it.” Jennie added laughter to the Huffstetler household too, encour- aging her mother to add a ladybug to her paintings of cake plates. It soon became her trademark on all her artwork because it was Jen- nie’s wish for good luck. After school, Jennie added sand to palm trees, grass to fences, See WRECK, Page 4A Keep up with The Herald's 41 ur | twitter.com/kmhe Ize] Alliance - Bank& Trust Building Communities Landmark’s new beginning Plonk landmark sold to developers LIB STEWART #0i5 120-year- -old downtown landmark set to get a new face. DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION BY ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer The 120-year-old landmark building that once housed Plonk Brothers Department Store on Railroad Avenue and the adjoining corner building once the fabric shop for one of the most popular mercantile shops in town for a century has been sold to Scott Campbell, his partner Robert Campbell of Wilmington, Delaware and local building contractor Bobly Horne. See LANDMARK, Page 4A ZONING CONTROVERSY P&Z board will recommend zoning option to council By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer By 6-1, the Kings Mountain Planning & Zoning Board voted Tuesday night to recommend to City Council that they approve on April 28 a zoning option to allow two property owners with immedi- ate needs — Johnny Hutchins and Gary Kiser - to add on to existing mobile homes in the currently zoned R-10 area of Phifer Road/Phifer Circle where the city has Extra Territorial Jurisdiction. The board also said it would revisit the request from two additional property owners who may in the fu- ture want to add on to present resi- dences to accommodate aging family members. Property owners of 14 lots in the area had signed a petition asking for a change in zoning from R-10 to R-20 but a valid protest petition was presented by 24 families, 12 of whom have land within the 100 feet area of the petitioner for rezoning, Gary Kiser, 1500 Phifer Road. City Planner Steve Killian pre- sented five options to the board for consideration, noting that three of the options would constitute spot zoning. The vote came after 90 minutes of discussion as members heard comments by six residents of the area who had mixed feelings about the zoning. Board members looked at maps of the area supplied by Kil- lian and had questions themselves. “If we vote against these folks we are saying that we don’t care about this area two miles away,” said Bob Scoggins, who made the motion that the board recommend rezoning of the area fiom R-10 to R-20. Lamar Fletcher ide a substi- tute motion that carried 6-1. Also voting with Fletcher were David Allen, John Houze, Bob Scoggins, Hugh Logan, and Doug Lawing. “I am very comfortable with these in- " dividual applicants making re- quests,” said Keith Miller, who cast the ‘no’ vote. “We are con- cerned about conflicting property rights and I am not denying prop- erty rights but also protecting rights of others.” Tommy Hawkins was excused from voting and Ric Fran- cis and Curtis Pressley were absent. Chairman Jim Childers presided. Visit us today at FIRE GUTS HOME Woman escapes from house fire Easter morning Dorcus (Mrs. John B.) Plonk woke up Sunday morning to fire in her all-wood two story home on St. Luke’s Church Road. Firemen said Plonk ran from the burning building at 3:45 a.m. but received a burn on her hand. She refused transport to the hos- pital and is staying with family. Firefighters fought the blaze for more than seven hours and used 10,000 gallons of water before it was extinguished at 11 a.m. Easter Sunday, according to Perry Davis, Cleveland County Emergency Management Assistant Director and Chief of the Oak Grove Vol- unteer Fire Department. Oak Grove, Waco, and Cleveland Volunteer Fire Departments responded. Only the front porch and chimney were left standing at 219 St. Luke’s Church Road, firemen said. 13th Firehouse BBQ Cook-off begins Friday By EMILY WEAVER Editor The third weekend in April every year, the City of Kings Moun- tain is bathed in the mouth-watering aroma of freshly cooked bar- becue. It wafts through the town from a crowded field at the Jake Early Sports Center’s walking track on Cleveland Avenue. Smoke from grills and pits, many of which are handmade, billows into the sky, mixing with the sounds of laughter and music that escape from the track below. For many the event is like coming home again to see old friends and to make new ones. But for all of the teams that assemble there, it’s about firing up the competition. Kings Mountain’s 13th annual Firehouse Barbecue Cook-off will begin around noon on Friday and will run until 4 p.m. Satur- day. KM Fire Chief Frank Burns said that some teams will be set- ting up and selling barbecue by lunch time on Friday. The awards ceremony will begin around 3 p.m. on Saturday. Jazz artist Robin Rogers will perform 6-9 p.m. Friday and Dance Magic will be putting on a show 11-12 p.m. on Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. As of Friday, Burns said that they had four vendors lined up to sell barbecue during the Cook-off and one to sell barbecue sauce. Dixie Home Crafters is scheduled to have a booth set up. Fun time inflatables will provide excitement for the children at the event. See COOK-OFF, Page 4A Father, son-in-law open Oak Grove Grill, pay tribute to ‘Mounties, doo-wop By EMILY WEAVER Editor : o | Mark Blots, who has toured fie world performing} inthe band "Mink" and opened for musical groups such as Bob J Seger, has opened a new restaurant in the Oak Grove com- ne ~ munity. oi ~The Oak Grove Grill, at 731 Stony. Point Road, beside : Tom's Ss Mini Mart, quietly opened its doors on Monday, April 61 opened without a ribbon cutting or grand party, but still the restaurant has welcomed a steady stream of content cus- ~ tomers. ; "We wanted to ease into this,” said Blanton, who wanted to 5 finish a substitute teaching interim at Kings Mountain Mid- : dle before firing up the grill. He finished on March 24. Within two Wks he was back towork. See RESTAURANT, Page 4A 209 S. Battleground Avenue Kings Mountain A ine Th Bo Be a A Bn 0 A 0 Me A Te i Ai i Tn I Pn BB TI Bo NIT A A A I Br Po nh Ae ah Ae A a a he A P 704.739.5411 » www.alliancebankandtrust.com MEMBER FDIC The i os Homann Banking | hth Aa
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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