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Mountain Heral
Volume 126 eo Issue 27 ¢ Wednesday, July 2, 2014
7 04-17-15 0024A00 5P
PAUNEY JEMTIAL a
S PI
KINGS MOUNTAIN NC 28086- 3450
15¢
Rezoning approved Reen actors
z= ELIZABETH STEWART
8 lib.kmherald @gmail.com
City Council unani-
mously rezoned two pieces
of property for an equestrian
farm and a solar farm last
Tuesday night after public
hearing.
Carl Spradley, 125 Grand
View Dr., had applied for
conditional use rezoning to
allow Edy Jakubiak and Eric
Bergstrom to utilize the
property as a single family
farmette/ equestrian busi-
ness.
The horse boarding/train-
ing facility, to be located on
Grand View Drive off
Chestnut Ridge Road, will
include a barn, pastures, are-
«=. nas and parking, donkeys,
“chickens for personal use
not to exceed 12, and pigs,
not to exceed three, of the
‘potbelly/teacup variety.
"The solar farm would be
on 17 acres on Bolin Drive
near the intersection of
Hardin Drive and Stoney
Point Road.
Dennis Bolin, 115 Bolin
Drive, applied for Residen-
tial-20 rezoning with solar
farm overlay district. Cur-
rently the land is pasture
land which adjoins a manu-
factured home park, wooded
area, and creek on the 17.3
acre portion of the tract.
Bolin told council the
farm would be located on a
small portion of his property
and would not have an im-
pact on the surrounding
area. Once constructed, he
said it would be a passive
farm only needing routine
maintenance.
In other actions, Council;
— reappointed council-
men Rick Moore and Rod-
ney Gordon to the Tourism
Development Authority
committee.
— appointed Bill McMur-
rey and reappointed Ernest
Rome, Preston Todd, Tyler
McDaniel, Russell Wing-
field and Dick Schafer to
the Moss Lake Commission.
.appointed Katherine Allred,
John McCoy, Carl Morrow,
Goldie Diggs, Jonathan
Rhodes and James Conrad
to the Senior Center Advi-
sory Board.
— amended the budget or-
dinance in the general fund,
utilities, Powell Bill, the
budget now totals
$38,506,309.
— amended the budget or-
dinance for capital fund
water system improvements
project, appropriating
$1,257,680 for the new 36-
inch water line from Moss
Lake to the city; $2,812,141
for the waterline rehab proj-
ect $517,845 for the water
plant improvement project
and $19,045 for spillway re-
pairs for a total of
$4,606,711. Revenues ex-
pected to be available to
complete this capital proj-
ect: $1,615,668 from the
water-sewer fund and
$2,991,043 from proceeds
from financing by NC-
DENR. .amended the budget
ordinance for internal work-
ers compensation fund at
$253,589.
— adopted the ordinance
regarding the year end in-
creases to the health
See REZONING, 7A
Gemini announces
sale of The Herald
Gemini Newspapers,
Inc., Kings Mountain, par-
ent company of the Kings
Mountain Herald, has an-
nounced the sale of the Her-
ald to Community First
Media, Inc., of Shelby, ef-
fective June 27.
Gemini acquired the
Herald, along with The
(Cherryville) Eagle and the
Belmont/Mt. Holly Banner
News in August 2008 from
Republic Newspapers, Inc.
of Knoxville, TN.
Community First Media
is the publisher of Shelby
Shopper & Info and the
Rutherford Weekly commu-
nity newspapers.
In announcing the sale,
The Herald's co-owner,
Tm
9852570020
Wendy Isbell said, "We
have always believed that
local newspapers should be
locally-owned and are
pleased to have continued
that tradition here. I am
confident the sale of the pa-
pers to another local owner
will keep the quality of cov-
erage up to the expectations
of the community. These
are very good newspapers
staffed by people who care
deeply about the communi-
ties and the people they
cover."
CF Media president
Greg Ledford said, "We are
excited to take on the chal-
lenge of preserving the
unique charm and character
of these newspapers while
recognizing the need for
complimentary growth. Our
goal is to help our commu-
nities thrive and benefit
through all our publica-
tions."
Cribb, Greene & Associ-
ates of Charlottesville, Va.
represented the company in
the sale.
, fireworks
to highlight 4th of July
gy ELIZABETH STEWART
© libkmherald@gmail.com
A skirmish between the
British and the Patriots to
defend the modern city of
Kings Mountain will feature
the “show that reenactors in
25 militias will present as a
feature of Kings Mountain's
Revolutionary 4th Friday at
the Kings Mountain Walk-
ing Track.
Billed as the largest fire-
works show between Char-
lotte and Asheville, the
Kings Mountain 4th will be
capped off with a patriotic
opening ceremony at 9 p.m.
followed by the cannon bat-
tle for Kings Mountain and
the Patriots’ victory signal
starting the fireworks ex-
travaganza.
But before that, Ellis
Noell, Special Events Direc-
tor for the City of Kings
Mountain, promises there
will be fun for all beginning
with a Pirates Ball on Thurs-
reaay. DAVE BLANTON
: ye dave.kmherald @gmail.com
~The Kings Mountain Revolution-
ary 4th kicks off Thursday night at 6
p.m. with a reception for the militias
hosted by 238 Cherokee Grill.
The Pirate’s Ball costume contest
will begin at 7:30 p.m. for entrants
16 and under and at 9 p.m. the adults
will model their costumes.
There will be cash prizes for first
place and other prizes for runners-
up.
The restaurant will also be serv-
ing a special Caribbean-themed
See PIRATE BALL, 6B
day starting at 6 p.m. at 238
Cherokee Grill, costume
contests starting at 7:30 p.m.
and Living History demon-
strations directed by the
South Fork Militia from 2-5
p.m. on Friday and weather-
permitting on Saturday from
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
“There will be some sur-
prises," says Rob Lewis,
South Fork Commander
who will be bringing 40
people to town Wednesday
evening to begin putting
down stakes, setting up
tents, and camps between
the picnic shelter and the
ball field at Mayor Rick
Murphrey Children's Park to
be joined by reenactors,
sharing daily life of the Rev-
olutionary era, the 84th
Highland Emigrant Militia
and Charles Towne Artillery
at the historic encampment.
Lewis says it will take all
day Thursday to get the
camp ready.
Visitors can enjoy pot-
tery and soap making,
sewing demonstrations,
learn about and sign the
Declaration of Independ-
ence, receive educational in-
formation about the signers
of the Declaration, and also
talk with British loyalists
being loyal to the King and
See REVOLUTIONARY
4TH, 6B
Not your ordinary fireworks
AC/DC, Charlie Daniels and Kate
Smith. Set those powerful voices to the
soaring, sparkling boom of fireworks
and you’ve got yourself a show. That’s
what Scott Neisler, the longtime py-
rotechnician who runs the town’s an-
nual July 4th fireworks show, is
thinking ahead of the big show this Fri-
day at Jake Early Park.
As is usually the case this time of
year he’s been preparing for weeks —
getting up the commercial grade fire-
works, planning the music and arrang-
ing a crew to help him put on the show
that draws thousands of spectators from
surrounding counties. Neisler puts on
the display in conjunction with East
Coast Pyrotechnics, a Catawba, S.C.,
company the city has contracted for
many years.
Like most other years, he’s got a few
new tricks up his sleeve. This year, he’s
using fireworks software that will help
him cleverly sync up the explosions and
fire we see in the sky with what we hear
over the loud speakers. Those not in the
immediate vicinity can also tune to FM
87.9 to hear the music and Kings
Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey’s
speech just before the show.
See FIREWORKS, 6B
GI Bill marks 70 years
gy ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Vietnam veteran Jim
Medlin, 68, credits the GI
Bill of Rights with changing
his life, forever. On Sunday
the nation marked the 70th
anniversary of the Service-
men's Readjustment Act of
1944, more commonly
known as the GI Bill.
“I grew up on the Mar-
grace Village and my Dad
and Mom, the late J.H. and
Irene Medlin, didn't want
me to go into the cotton mill
business, they wanted me to
do something different,”
said Medlin.
Jim said his dad was su-
pervisor in the warper room
at Margrace Mill. “He had
only a 7th grade education
but he was big on education
and stressed to our family
that we must have an educa-
tion.”
Jim worked for the late
John Caveny at the Mar-
grace Store, starting at age
10 crating bottles and
sweeping the store, and
worked all through high
school.” I loved Mr. Caveny
as a second father - a very
good man and he is part of
me today," said Medlin.
Medlin graduated from
Kings Mountain High
School in 1964 and entered
WCU with a grant-in-aid for
See MEDLIN, 7A
Vietnam veteran Jim Medlin is shown taking part in this
year's Memorial Day celebration.
KM File Photo
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