Volume 123 ¢ Issue 16 © Wednostoy April 20, , 2011 Mauney Library seeks new KM home ELIZABETH STEWART Lib.kmherald@gmail.com Should the city's Jacob S. Mauney Memorial Library move or renovate? The nine-member board of trustees has been mulling the question for several years and says a new building is the way to go. Mauney Memorial Li- brary trustees pitched the idea for a new library to Kings Mountain City Coun- cil Tuesday during a work session... gi. "We know the city is strapped for funds right now but we wanted to share with you a presentation of what we picture a library of the 21st century," said Chairman Dr. Jeff Mauney. The cost could range between $7-$8 million. City Manager Marilyn Sellers said she was pleased that the library board "under- stands our constraints in the budget." Librarian Sharon Stack added, "There is true passion that exists in Kings Mountain for our library service," not- ing that the library served 88,000 visitors last year. Mauney said the library board visited 14-plus li- braries recently. Next step in the process is a site analysis, securing 3-5 acres of land, drawing a building plan/con- ceptional rendering, and ulti- mately starting a major funding campaign. Other members of the li- brary board of trustees in- clude Robert Curry, ‘ vice-chairman; Stella Put- nam, secretary; Marie Brink- ley, Miriam Goff, David 10RTAL “1 ToRARY ONT AVE gy Larry Allen and Susan Harris Funeral Home Locally Owned & Operated Since 1947 | A Family Tradition of Dignity, | Service & Understanding | RT LOT¥%XC 003 apa . 28084-3450 ? 108 S. Piedmont Ave. Kings Moutitain, NC EAR 739.2591 0 ! > _KYRA ALEXANDER/HERALD Tillie Hogue of Kings Mountain reads a book at Mauney Me- morial Library while her son plays during his Spring Break. Margot Plonk, Mari Slaugh- ‘See LIBRARY, 7A dren's Librarian Christi Con- ner, and assistant librarians DeVane, Mary Lou Ware, Dr. Champion. Officers are Di- Ann Gamble, Summer Kelly, rector Sharon Stack, Chil- Senate takes aim at gun law Concealed weapons class open to public this Saturday ms EMILY WEAVER Emily.kmherald@gmail.com The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution says.t simply: "the right of the people to keep and bear arms. shall notbe infringed. "But for many years in North Carolina, | firearms have been banned | from public premises. A concealed weapons | | class, which teaches Td nL | firearm safety, han- at may change soon. | gjing responsibility =p Roly Hastings (R- | pking was held Cleveland, Gaston) co-spon- | on April 9 and will be sored a bill with Rep. Mark | Ea Hilton, a police officer in | offered again this Sat- | Conover, Rep. Jeff Barnhart, | urday, April 23, begin- | CEO of Cabarrus Community | ning at 8 a.m. at the Health Centers, and Rep. Fred | firing range off of Alex Steen, a consultant in Rowan | D. Owens Dr. The County, to allow concealed | course is open to the weapons in parks and restau- | public. For more infor- TANS Ls mation, call city hall at The bill has passed the 704-734-0333 or the House and is coming up for its Kings Mountain Police | second reading in the state | Senate. House Bill, 111, al- | Department at 704- lows those with concealed | 734-0444. handgun permits to "protect themselves and their families in restaurants" and to "carry a handgun in a park" But would the extra presence of firearms pose a risk to public safety? Some lawmakers and law enforcement officers don't think SO. "Criminals don't care what the law is. They will carry weapons anywhere they please," Hastings said. "I hope it will prevent law-abiding citizens from being charged and prose- cuted and I hope it will allow people to protect themselves." "I -don't foresee a spike (in crime) or reduction if it's passed,” said Sheriff Alan Norman. "But there again, the peo- See GUNS, 7A EMILY WEAVER/HERALD “Kings Mountain Police Cpl. Keith Davis, specialized firearms instructor, coaches Christina Hill, daughter of KMPD Officer Thomas Bell, in a concealed handgun class at the Kings Mountain Firing Range. Teta g KYRA ALEXANDER/HERALD First grade students at Grover Elementary watch book characters parade in the gym on Friday. N S, 1C. Early signs oF ioeiect on storm’ | doesn’t wash away good times EMILY WEAVER Editor The grills were hot. The _ competition was fierce and so was the weather. The city welcomed the most teams it has ever hosted at the 15th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-off last weekend. But this memorable event didn't come without memo- rable challenges. Mother Na- ture's whims saw to that. Fifty-two teams from as far away as Florida, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia, mi- grated to the city's walking track off Cleveland Avenue Friday. They rolled out grills, set up camp and got ready for a great contest. On Fri- day night, the clouds rolled in, too. Pyro Pigs of Indian Trail, Ga., came to the Firehouse Cook-off for the first time this year. The team captained “by David Pressley, a fire- fighter of 35 years, was praying the storm would miss them Friday night. "Who's in charge of this weather?" joked Pressley. Hours after day gave way to night, the winds picked up Alex Ranucci of Ranucci’s Big Butt BBQ walked away from the Firehouse Cook-off Saturday with the Mayor’s Choice Award and the top prize for the Anything Butt (meat) contest. and the rain started falling first in drips, then in sheets. Heavy rain and strong gales stormed down on the con- tenders who camped by their grills. Many sought comfort in campers or vehicles, but some ‘braved the storm in tents. The cooking team of Ranucci's Big Butt BBQ, manned by Alex Ranucci, passed the night in a tent. ‘The wind and the rain was pretty heavy last night, the Ranucci team said on Saturday. But they managed, even with some occasional raindrops permeating the tent's rain guard. Kings «= Mountain Fire Chief Frank Burns said that he pulled an all-nighter at the RTT) Building Trust. Building Smiles, 209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain 704.739.5411 www.alliancebanknc.com « memser mic track too on Friday, checking on the teams and keeping a "weather-eye" on the radar. See COOKOFF, 6A 3 ll Il 1
