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Fuse lit for July 4th’s big bang
The story behind the pyrotechnics and a look at what else is planned for a “Revolutionary 4th”
DAVE BLANTON
. dave.kmherald@gmail.com
With the most patriotic
day of the ‘year just around
the corner, Scott Neisler has
been busy.
The commercial-grade
fireworks have been bought,
the licenses secured and the
safety of the annual flying,
sparkling and booming show
carefully plotted out for the
Revolutionary Fourth at Jake
Early Park.
“We’re ready to go,” said
Neisler, a pyro technician
with over 20 years of experi-
ence. “This year’s show will
be bigger than ever. They
keep getting bigger and more
Filing opens July 5
LIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Candidate filing for the
2013 Nov. 5 elections will
open next Friday, July 5, at
12 noon at the Board of
Elections, 215 Patton Dr.,
Shelby, and end Friday, July
19, at high noon.
In Kings Mountain, three
seats are up for grabs on city
council. Four-year terms of
Mike Butler, Ward 2, and
Tommy Hawkins, Ward 3,
and At-Large commissioner
Dean’ Spears are expiring.
Kings Mountain uses the
nonpartisan simple plurality
election method. Filing fee is
$35.
In Grover, three council
seats are up in November.
They are the four-year terms
of Jackie Bennett, Cindy
O’Brian and Shane Davis.
Mr. Davis was appointed to
fill the unexpired term of
Brent White who resigned.
Filing fee is $5.
Terms of four members
of the Cleveland County
School Board are up. They
are Philip Glover, Kathy
Falls, Dale Oliver and
George Litton. Filing fee is
$20.
Three commissioners are
to be elected in November in
the Cleveland County Water
District. Filing fee is $5.
A mayor and one alder-
man are to be elected in
Waco on Now-5:Filing«fee is
$5.
Search on for new
county manager
« ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
~The search for a new
county manager has resulted
in 30 applicants for the job
now held by retired and now
interim manager David Dear.
Ronnie Hawkins, chair-
man of the county board of
commissioners, said that by
the second week in July
commissioners could be call-
ing in finalists to Shelby to
be interviewed for the posi-
tion.
Hawkins appointed
county commissioner Susan
Allen to head the search
committee. “She has been
doing a great job,” he said.
“We are looking for peo-
ple experienced in county
government but are taking a
good look at all the applica-
tions, and all of the commis-
sioners have had a chance to
look at the resumes, some
from out-of-town and some
from in-county,” he said.
Eddie Bailes unexpect-
edly resigned after two years
as county manager April 30.
He had previously served for
a number of years as HR Di-
rector and then as assistant
manager. Dear, who retired
two years ago as manager,
was employed by the county
under the economic develop-
ment umbrella and stepped
out of that role to take the
position of interim manager.
Bailes contract had an an-
nual salary of $159,000.
Holshouser passes at age 78
Jim Holshouser, who was
North Carolina’s first Re-
publican governor elected in
the 20th century, died June
17,2013 at age 78 after a pe-
riod of declining health.
“Governor Holshouser
was a genuine leader,” says
former city councilman M.
C. Pruette who recalls that
the ex-Governor * visited
Kings Mountain in 1987 as
guest of then-Mayor John
8798525700200
Henry Moss. Holshouser
came for a luncheon at Holi-
day Inn and joined Moss and
some members of the city
council and industrial lead-
ers J. Ollie Harris and Josh
Hinnant to discuss industry
recruitment.
Pruette said that Hol-
shouser made an indelible
mark on this community in
helping the city and county
to land Eaton Corporation. “I
was very impressed with the
man and with his leader-
ship,” said Pruette.
Other members of Kings
Mountain city council at the
. time were Corbet Nicholson,
Don McAbee, Lloyd Davis,
Jim Amos and Ray Cline.
elaborate.”
Neisler has a passion for
what he does and he’s will-
ing to put the research and
training into the endeavor in
order to put on a show, the
largest Independence Day
event between Charlotte and
Asheville.
He recently attended a
big fireworks display in
Knoxville, Tenn., where he
cribbed some notes and bor-
rowed some ideas.
“I take a part of that show
and try to do it well at our
show,” he said, looking
ahead to the Kings Mountain
show, which will require a
crew of about five.
a rierald
ol al
Dare Rr BA
A GARG rb A iu OR TG ar ren
Fireworks light up the night sky during the 2012 4th of July
celebration in Kings Mountain.
Look for horse tails, bee
effects, fans, double breaks
(a sequence of two aerial
events), falling leaves, ghost
shells and the ever-popular
star effects, which resembles
a giant sphere with hot, tiny,
sparking dots comprising its
Photo by ELLIS NOELL
outer edges, in this year’s ex-
travaganza, for which the
raw materials alone cost
close to $10,000.
Neisler fell into the fire-
works game back in the
See REVOLUTIONARY 4TH, 5A
Focht new director of KM Historical Museum
= ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmail.com
Adria L. Focht, 30, the
new Director/Curator of
Kings Mountain Historical
Museum, Spent the first
week on her new job learn-
ing about the city with for-
mer Director/Curator
Stephanie Walsh, 34, who is
moving back to Philadel-
phia, Pa.
Both women are return-
ing to their roots.
Focht’s family lives in the
Ballantyne section of Char-
lotte/Mecklenburg. She
earned her B.A. in Art and
Anthropology from UNC at
Charlotte in 2005 and her
M.A. in Anthropology (His-
torical ~~ Archaeology/Tex-
tiles) from East Carolina
University in Greenville in
2009.
Focht aspires to draw
more K-12 students from a
regional area to the local mu-
Stephanie Walsh, left, welcomes Adria L. Focht, the new Director/Curator of Kings Mountain
Historical Museum. The museum is located in the old post office building at 100 E. Mountain
Street.
seum by working on educa-
tional projects. A textile
artist, she wants to establish
a studio in the area.
Susan Champion, Presi-
dent of the Historical Mu-
seum, welcomed both young
wonien to a bon voyage
photo by LIB STEWART
party for Walsh last Tuesday
night at the museum hosted
by the museum board of di-
See FOCHT, 5A
City gets green light on water line project
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
The city has received the green light
from the state for construction of a $5.2
million water line rehabilitation project
expected to be shovel ready by early
September.
Mayor Rick Murphrey said that engi-
neering and permitting for this initial
phase of a $33.8 million infrastructure
project is complete.
Funding was applied for and has
been okayed by the North Carolina De-
partment of Environmental and Natural
Resources (NCDENR), the Local Gov-
ernment Commission, (LGC) and State
Revolving Fund (SRF).
Water lines are to be replaced on
Gold Street from Phifer Road to Railroad
Avenue, on Mountain Street from Phifer
to Gaston and on King Street from Phifer
to Oriental Street. The city will repay the
no interest loan within a 20-year period.
“We expect to be shovel ready on
other projects in October,” said the
mayor. He said that final paperwork is
being submitted for the money (loan) to-
. taling $33.8 million for the entire proj-
ects but the water line rehab project will
start by early fall.
The expansion and rehabilitation of
the water plant is expected to cost $ 12
million.
Calling all pirates and
As a prequel to the annual July 4th
fireworks show in Kings Mountain, a
Pirates’ Ball will be held Wednesday
night, July 3, the eve of Independence
Day: =
“Pirates and privateers were an im-
portant part of the Revolutionary War,
smuggling supplies into the colonies for
the Patriot forces and also menacing the
shipping lanes of the British Navy.
These privateers were a big part of the
successful outcome of the Revolution-
ary War,” said Ellis Noell, Special
Events Director for the City of Kings
Mountain. Visiting militia groups ex-
pected to participate in this year’s Pi-
rates’ Ball include members of the
South Fork Militia, the Charles Towne
Artillery and the 84th Highland Immi-
grant Militia.
Hosting for the third year, 238
Cherokee Grill will be the site of the
ball. “We think this is a great way to be
a part of this huge event in Kings
Mountain, celebrating our country’s in-
dependence and having fun doing it!”
said David Noles, manager of 238
Cherokee Grill. A Caribbean dinner
special will be introduced that evening
by Chef Troy.
There is no entry fee for the costume
contest and there will be prizes in two
categories for best pirate’s costume, 16
and under and adult. Registration is on
site with judging taking place at 7:30
p.m. for the younger entries and at 9
p.m. for the adults. Judging will be by
Revolutionary War militia members
gathering in Kings Mountain for the
historic colonial encampment during
the Revolutionary 4th celebration.
A new 36-inch water transmission
line connecting the city to Moss Lake is
expected to cost $16.1 million. More
than 85% of the right-of-ways have been
obtained and the permit to construct has
been approved by the state.
The waterline rehabilitation project
for downtown is expected to cost $5.2
million and the loan was approved this
week. The Local Government Commis-
sion as well as NCDENR and the State
Revolving Fund sent letters of approval
to the mayor this week.
Spillway repairs for the dam, the
costs not included in the overall loan
amount from the state, are expected to
cost $611,120.
privateers!
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