The Kings Mountain Mirror Publishes First Issue
The Kings Mountain Mir
ror, a modern weekly news
paper designed to give Kings
Mountain a new look at Itself,
makes its first appearance
with this September 1, 1971
issue.
The new newspaper will
be published each Wednesday
morning here in Kings
Mountain by the Mirror Pub
lishing Co., with offices at
146 West Mountain Street.
The Mirror’s mailing ad
dress is P. O. Box 345,
Kings Mountain.
After months of consid
eration and preparation, the
Mirror was established here
with a strong belief in the
growth and future of the
Kings Mountain area, and a
desire to be a part of that
growth by providing this
area with a high quality com
munity oriented newspaper.
ikk
LEM R. LYNCH
RODNEY DODSON
Drop In Attendace
Total Of 4^208 Students
Enrolled In City Schools
‘I»
An updated report by Superintendent
Donald Jones reports that after six days
of school, a total of 4,208 students are
now enrolled in the city schools, includ
ing 62 in Kindergarten classes.
At the end of the tenth day of school
last year, a total enrollment of 4,288 was
registered. This is a drop in attendance
of 80 students below last year’s enroll-
. merit.
Jones says he is surprised by the drop
in attendance, but explained that enroll
ment in the first and second grades is
down some this year.
Subscriptions
Being Taken
Free distribution of the Mirror will
continue for just a few weeks. We wan
ted to give everyone in the Kings Moun
tain area the opportunity to get acquain
ted with their new newspaper.
We now invite you to be among our
flrat subscribers. IF you would like to
receive the Mirror each week, just All
out the convenient subscription order
blank Inside this issue, or just come by
our office and let’s get acquainted in the
process.
CXir subscription rate has been set at
only $4 per year. If you enjoy our first
issue, we hope you will make the Mirror
a weekly habit at your home.
Why not send a subscription to an out-
of-town friend?
The very first subscription to the Kings
Mountain Mirror was sold to Chuck Tem
pleton, Manager of Clark’s Tire Co. here
in Kings Mountain.
We are happj to have Chuck among our
first subscribers.
Many have already requested subscrip
tions prior to the printing of this first
issue. Their names will added to our
subscription files, and will begin receiv
ing the Mirror each week when mailing
begins.
The total elementary school enroll
ment accounts for approximately half of
the total, with 2,161; followed by 1,276
at the High School, and 709 enrolled in
Junior Hl^.
A breakdown of the elementary enroll
ment reveals that 370 are enrolled at
Bethware, 354 at East, 425 at Grover,
615 at North, and 344 at West. 53 are
enrolled In the early childhood Title 1
program tor first and second graders.
Jones added that this year’s school
opening has gone exceptionally well, with
fewer schedule changes and less contosion
than ever.
School Safety
Alert Begins
The city of Kings Mountain begins its
annual drive to alert motorists to drive
with extra care in school areas and near
school buses this week . . . and during
the weeks to come.
Colorftil "School’s Open” posters are
being displayed throughout the community
as part of the national effort bythe Ameri
can Automobile Association and the Caro
lina Motor Club to reduce the death and
injury of our children.
Citing national figures revealed in a
recent AAA nationwide survey. Chief of
Police Thomas McDevitt points out that
each year some 500 school children aged
5-14 are killed and nearly 11,000 are in
jured as they travel to and from school.
Because the AAA study showed that
klndergartner end first grade youngsters
suffer the greatest number of school-route
pedestrian Injuries, Chief McDevitt urged
parents to walk with their children at least
on the opening day of school to make cer
tain that the youngsters take the safest
route to school.
If at all feasible, the chief said, parents
should avoid driving childrento school be
cause this only adds to the traffic confusion
around school areas, thus creating extra
hazards for all youngsters going to school.
Top staff positions on the
new paper will be filled by
two Cleveland County men
who are part owners of the
Mirror.
Rodney Dodson, 24, has
been named editor of the
Mirror. He has been man
aging editor of the Cleveland
Times in Shelby for the past
two years. He attended
Gardner - Webb Cpllege in
1965-66 where he worked on
the staff of school publica
tions.
He was later employed by
the Spartanburg (S. C.) Her
ald - Journal, and also
worked on the news staff of
the Blacksburg Times.
Dodson is married to the
former Sue Hall of Gaffney,
S.C.
Lem R. Lynch, 25, will be
photographer for the new
newspaper. Lynch has done
extensive reporting and
photography for the Char
lotte Observer, Shelby Daily
Star, and other publications,
in addition to operating his
own commercial photo
graphy business in Shelby.
A veteran of two years in
the U. S. Army, he served
as a photographer while sta
tioned in Vietnam.
Offices Open On
Mountain Street
The Mirror has opened Its offices at
146 W. Mountain St. In the heart of
downtown Kings Mountain.
Office hours are from 8:30-5:00, Mon
day through Friday, and from 9:00. 1?
noorf on Saturday.
Our telephone has not yet been insta
lled. The number will be announced in
the next weeks issue.
Ali of our readers are invited to come
by our office and get acquainted with us.
Don’t forget our mailing address- P.O.
Box 345, Kings Mountain.
Inside
The Mirror!
"■Johnny McDevitt
Wins Local Soap
Box Derby, and
Daddy Takes A
Ride!See Page
14-15.
The combined experience
of these two energetic news
papermen will bring to the
Mirror’s readers the best
in local news reporting, fea
tures, and photography.
Each week, in addition to
reporting the latest news,
the Mirror will bring its
readers in contact with in
teresting people and events
in this community through
feature stories heavily illu
strated with exciting photo
graphs.
The “Sports Mirror’’ each
week will provide fans with
on-the-spot coverage of lo
cal sporting events.
The football season is
here now, and the Mirror
will focus on every action -
packed Kings Mountain High
School game with full pic
ture-page coverage.
The “ Society Mirror’’ will
feature the latest news of
special interest to women.
with large, clear bridal and
engagement pictures. Any
news of general Interest to
women will be welcome for
publication in this depart
ment.
“Mirror Viewpoint’’ will
offer editorial opinion con
cerning local issues. The
editorial page will be a forum
for columns and personal
comments by the editor and
other contributors, the con
tents of which represent only
the opinion of the writer, and
not necessarily the view of
this newspaper.
The Mirror always wel
comes letters to the editor
for publication, provided
they are signed by the wri
ter.
The Kings Mountain Mir
ror is printed by the “off
set’’ method, a photographic
process, which delivers
clear reproduction of pho
tographs and clean, easy -
to - read type.
It’s easy to see the dif
ference offset printing
makes just by looking at
this first issue.
From theadvertiser’s view
point, offset makes adver
tising easier. Layout is
more versatile, and photo
graphs and cuts can be eas
ily added. A more readable,
cleaner ad is the end result.
An initial circulation of
over 4,000 copies of the
Mirror will be distributed
free throughout the Greater
Kings Mountain area for the
next several weeks.
New subscribers will be
gin receiving the Mirror by
mail each Wednesday morn
ing as soon as mailing ar
rangements are made. The
subscription rate has been
set at $4 per year.
Individual copies will sell
for 10 cents each.
Vol. I No. 1 Kings Mountain, N.C. Wednesday, September 1, 1971 16 Pages
Mountaineer Days Celebration
Slated For Oct. 4th - 9th
Mountaineer Days, a week-long celebra-
tlon, has been slated here for the week of
i:-: October 4th - 9th,
iv The rity of Kings Mountain, Chamber
of Commerce and Merchants Association
are jointly sponsoring the 1971 Mountaln-
eer Days program.
The last celebration of this nature was
held In Kings Mountain In 1955, and the
sponsors are hoping for enough partici-
;|;j patlon this year to make Mountaineer days
an annual event.
A tentative schedule of events has been
prepared by Robert G. Cox, overall coor-
;$ dinator of Mountaineer Days ’71. Cox
emphasizes that the schedule Is tentative,
and is hoping for more activities to be
i-ij scheduled.
On Monday, October 4th, the schools
will sponsor an art contest. Later in
the day, a street dance will be sponsored
by the City ofKlngs Mountain Recreational
Department.
Tuesday, a beard contest is on schedule.
Also the contest naming Little Miss Moun
taineer, and the Best Dress Costume con
test.
School art exhibits will beheld Wednes
day. Also Wednesday, the Kings Mountain
Jaycees have scheduled an appearance by
Miss North Carolina. Later Wednesday,
a gospel singing will be held.
A Band Concert will be held Thursday
either at the old City Stadium or at the
Community Building.
Friday will be a treat for the kiddies,
with a scheduled appearance by TV cow
boy and singer, Fred Kirby, from 3-5
p.m,
A SIngout and performance by the High
School Chorus will be another Friday
attraction.
Saturday, the final day of the celebra
tion, is the day of the Grand Ball.
The American Legion and VFW Auxil
iaries are scheduled to sell refreshments
at many of the week’s events.
According to Robert Cox, "Mountaineer
Days is a project of all of the people of
Kings Mountain. If it is to be successful
and an annual event we must all help
make It so. Clubs, churches and schools
each of us doing our own thing to make
tt a really big show.”
The Chamber of Commerce and Mer
chants Association are requesting that all
social, fraternal, and service clubs of
Kings Mountain will pick out an event or
project to sponsor in 1971, then Improve
on it in 1972, and future Mountaineer
celebrations.
"This is the only way we can afford a
week-long celebration, everyone pitching
in to help!”, Cox added.
•*4" ^ . iarA
/
Mirror Viewpoint
What’s In A Name?
V
In choosing a name for
Kings Mountain’s new news
paper, the publishers wanted
to convey the idea of giving
Kings Mountain a look at it
self by reflecting the life
of our growing community.
With this thought in mind,
the Kings Mountain Mirror
was conceived.
We believe that a news
paper on the community level
should offer its readers
more than just a categorical
listing of the news.
A newspaper should be
attractive, easy to read, in
formative, entertaining, pic
torial, and stimulating.
We shall always strive to
be all of this and more in
our efforts to produce the
best, most modern news
weekly possible for Kings
Mountain.
An independent publicat
ion devoted only to the peo
ple of this community, the
Mirror does not represent
the political persuasion of
any group, individual, or
party.
We shall make every ef
fort to become an asset to
our community by contri
buting to its cultural and
economic growth, and we
ask your reciprocal support,
cooperation, and friendship.
We would like to thank
everyone who helped us make
possible this first issue.
Your support and encourage-
meht were invaluable.
The Mirror is your news
paper, Kings Mountain, with
your continued support, we
can make it a great one!
Your comments would be
appreciated.
Aerial View Of Kings Mountain!
Kings MounUln, N.C., a growing, progressive city. Is the home of the new
Kings Mountain Mirror. A newspaper dedicated to the future prosperity of
this area, and the general well-being of Its people.
This striking aerial view of the city by Mirror Photographer Lem Lynch
Is an example of the high quality of photographs the Mirror will publish each
week.