It's been a rough couple of years for our local econ-
~ Harris Funeral Home
omy. Jobs have been shed in almost every sector, Grover
but we are learning how to cope with the wound- ; school ., Locally Owned
i wi,
ing of our dominant industry and new jobs are 4 , brings &@ Operated Since 1947
‘books
Ato life |= J
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coming to offer us paychecks instead of un-¢
employment checks. It is a light at the end
of a long, dark tunnel. And this time it isn t
freight train bearing down on us.
A Family Tradition of Dignity,
Service & Understanding
Se
Progress
INSIDE, B2
SPEAK OUT ON THE ISSUES
Find out why Hamrick is running for re-election and
what candidates propose to speed up response times
‘Run Baby Run!
5K race, scout show, tour of
homes and Nicky Cruz
‘Outreach all set for Saturday
. Gateway inaugural race,
unveiling begins at 8
A celebration of the first marked seg-
ment of the Carolina Thread Trail in
Cleveland County will feature an unveil-
ing of the sign at Kings Mountain Gate-
way Trail, May 1 at 10 a.m. at 807 S.
Battleground Avenue in Kings Mountain.
"This is a milestone event and we in-
vite the public to attend," said Shirley
Brutko, president of Gateway Trail.
The sign unveiling event is being held
in conjunction with the Gateway 5K in-
augural race which begins at 8 a.m. The
race will be followed by the unveiling cer-
emony marking the Carolina Thread Trail
which is weaving through 15 counties,
connecting the two Carolinas and con-
necting 2.3 million citizens.
Carl Spangler, who heads the Carolina
See RACE, 3A
+ Cruz-ing into town at 6
Nicky Cruz, former warlord of the no-
torious Mau-Mau gang in Brooklyn, will
be coming to the Cleveland County Fair-
grounds Saturday, May 1st to share his
testimony of how his life was saved. The
event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and is free
and open to all.
His amazing "gang to God" story is
one that local pastors and Christians of
different denominations are hoping all of
Cleveland County's youth’ will come to
hear.
Those, who cannot attend but still want
to get involved, can join the "Wall of
Prayer".
Prayer centers, housed in churches in
four regions of the county - north, east,
south and west - will be open during the
event.
"These churches have agreed to host
public prayer for the Nicky Cruz event for
those
who are unable to attend for various
reasons and still want to do something sig-
. nificant to help make a difference in
Cleveland County," said Teresa Jones, a
volunteer helping with the Nicky Cruz
Outreach initiative.
See CRUZ, 3A
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Cancer survivors take the long lap on the Kings Mountain walking
track at the official start of Relay for Life Friday night as others
line the path and greet the courageous procession with cheers,
applauds and salutes. Each step the survivors took represented
the very essence of Relay for Life - a long walk made by thou-
sands hoping to reach a cure for cancer.
Poker Run set to raise
money to save a life
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
Terry Mullis de-
Bruin, 49, needs a life-
saving lung transplant
and Kings Mountain
friends and family are
planning a poker run
Saturday, May 8, from
11 am.-4 p.m. from
Murphy's Scooter Shed,
114 Camelot Drive.
Local people are fa-
miliar with the success-
ful poker runs by
motorcycle enthusiasts
for Shriners Hospitals,
Masonic Home for
Children and the Kings
Mountain Police De-
partment Christmas toy
project. Promoters are
hoping that cyclists
from near and far will
help raise funds for one
of their own.
deBruin, who resides
with her husband Jake
and two children in
Wilmington, Delaware;
was born in Kings
Mountain and she and
three of her siblings
were raised at Oxford
Orphanage, now Ma-
sonic Home for chil-
dren. Fairview Lodge
339 AF&AM sponsored
Terri, Kenny, Tony and
Debbie Mullis (Dalton)
at the orphanage until
they graduated from
high school. A fifth
child, Tim, was raised at
Western Carolina Cen-
ter.
Daughter of Louise
Whetstine Mullis of
Kings Mountain
and the late Henry
Mullis, Terri first
noticed troubling
symptoms, such as
redness and
Scout Show
May 1st at track
Kings Mountain will be
the host site of this year's
Scout Show set for Saturday,
Eran
FOR A SPECIAL EDITION
HIGHLIGHTING KM'S 102 YEARS
OF SCOUTING HISTORY.
TERRI deBRUIN
swelling in her hands, in
2004. She ‘saw a
rheumatologist and was
later diagnosed with
systemic scleroderma,
an auto-immune disease
causing her. immune
system to attack her
body, especially her
See RUN, 3A
Vig 108 S. Piedmont Ave.
= Kings Mountain, NC
739-2591
TOM MAYHEW | SPORTS, C1
96-year-old
PRIMARY
Election Day
is Tuesday
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
Kings Mountain voters will join their Cleveland County
neighbors at the polls Tuesday in the May 4 primaries and a
higher turnout is likely due to increased interest in the hot
race for Cleveland County Sheriff, contested by four Demo-
crat and two Republican contenders.
Should a nominee not receive 40 percent of the vote a run-
off election would be held June 22. The county sheriff's race
will be decided between the Democrat and Republican nom-
inees in the general election in November.
The sheriff candidates responded to 13 questions on var-
ious issues submitted by The Herald's editorial staff and their
answers in today's Herald reflect their stance on various is-
sues and their platforms running for the high office.
All six candidates—Democrat incumbent Raymond Ham-
rick, challengers Mike Chapman, Danny Gordon and Alan
Norman and Republicans Don Allen and David Morrow—
agree to what has become a controversial topic around town
in recent months:ithe emergence of gaming or "sweepstake"
establishments. To a man, they say "it's gambling" and law
enforcement hands are tied until the legislature decides le-
gality. The City of Kings Mountain currently has a sweep-
stakes moratorium in effect. Tuesday night city council was
voting on a stiff ordinance that would require a conditional
use permit with a $2,500 price tag, regulations on the pres-
ent 13 gaming businesses and locations where any new ones
“could be relocated if they conform to zoning.
Answers were mixed on the need for a satellite sheriff's
office in the Kings Mountain area. Candidates said that al-
ready several satellite offices are located in other areas of the
county. Some said they would be receptive to the idea but
that deputies have access to Kings Mountain Police Depart-
ment to use their station as needed.
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m at 26
precincts in the county.
In the Greater Kings Mountain area the six voting places
are: Bethware - Bethlehem Baptist Church activities center,
1017 Bethlehem Rd; Grover - Grover Town Hall, 201 Mul-
berry Rd; Kings Mountain North - Kings Mountain YMCA,
211 N. Cleveland Ave.; Kings Mountain South - Mauney Me-
morial Library, 100 S. Piedmont Ave., Oak Grove - Oak
Grove Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 1022 Oak Grove Rd.
and Waco - Waco community building, 200 S. Main St,
Waco.
Kings Mountain voters will also be interested in the race
for Cleveland County Coroner where Kings Mountain mor-
tician and county Medical Examiner Dwight Tessneer is
Rock the House
May lst at the walking track
next to the YMCA on Cleve-
land Ave.
The show, which runs
from 9 am.-4 p.m., will
showcase Scouts from
throughout the Battleground
District (composed of troops
in Cleveland County) and
will give the public a chance
to see what scouting is all
about. The event is free and
open to the public.
Tommy King, Battle-
ground District assistant
commissioner, said that this
will be the first time in many
years the Scout Show has
been hosted in Kings Moun-
tain.
In addition to scouts dis-
playing skills and even earn-
ing a few merit badges in the
process, this year's show will
feature special guests: the
Kings Mountain Police,
Kings Mountain Fire De-
partment, the North Carolina
Highway Patrol Motorcycle
Division, the Army National
Guard and others.
A model train exhibit will
be set up at the track. A large
inflatable obstacle course
will be open to the kids.
Local Scoutmaster
Thomas Matola said they
have invited all of the
YMCAs in Cleveland
County to also be a part of
the show.
"The YMCA has been an
integral part of the Boy
Scout movement," he said.
Matola added that they
will also hold ceremonies to
retire American flags in the
proper way. You are invited
to bring old flags that need to
be retired to the Scouts on
Saturday, who will dispose
of them with honor and dig-
nity—the American way.
la
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
The Kings Mountain YMCA celebrated “Healthy Kids Day" Saturday
morning with activities aimed at keeping kids active and healthy. A
Scooby Doo Bounce House was stationed out on the Cleveland Ave. side
of the Y. Emily Gilbert, in house at left, laughs while she and counselor
Clint Falls, right, quickly lose their balance. Luke Hyde, in back, Autumn
Sheridan, back right, and Sylvia Hyde look on.
appy i BIS
IE Our Business
209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain ® 704.739.5411
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