anation of a
int; There was
lan in the car.
)
Vol. II No. 16
Greater Kinfis Motuitain’s Progressive Newspaper
KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1972
16 Pages This Week
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$75,000 Rig
Stolen
From Motel
A tractor and trailer was stolen from
I the south side lot at Royal Villa some-
’ time between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. Thurs
day morning. Value of the rig and load
was listed at $75,000.
According to the report, John Thomas
of Atlanta had stopped at the motel for
the night and had left the truck in the
south lot. The next morning he went out
and found it missing. The call came in
to Kings Mountain Police Ptl. Tommy
King at 9 a.m. Thursday morning and
Patrolmen Craig Parker and L. D. Bea
ttie were assigned to investigate.
Reported missing was a 1972 red Mack
Truck (R Model) with 40 foot flat bed
trailer loaded with 27,000 pounds of Ed-
gecomb steel used in dams and reinfor
cement work.
It was reported later in the week that
the trailer and steel had been left at the
rest stop but the tractor was still mis
sing.
The Kings Mountain Police also repor
ted a light week with only thirteen arrests
being listed. They were:
Kenneth McCullough, 26, public drunk;
Alton A. Blanton, 45, inspection viola
tion; Fay A. Price, 55, public drunk; Guy
Bulter, 60, illegal sale of beer; Opel
Nell, 40, worthless check; George Mc
Dowell, 46, public drunk; Eddy J, Home-
sley, 32, public drunk; Melvin Carroll,
18, assault on a female; James H. Mel
ton, 27, 50 in a 35zone;RichardR. Jones,
24, 50 in a 35 zone; J, T. Johnson, 20,
k driving under the influence; Mona P.
^Pruitt, 27, driving under the influence;
Delbut Patrick, assault on a female.
Bolin Home Wins
Decoration
G)ntest
Congratulations to the Herman Bolin
family of 809 North Cansler. Their
Christmas decorations were judged to be
number one in the area wide contest spon
sored by the Kings Mountain MIRROR.
Receiving honorable mention were the
entries of Leon King of 5040 Midpines,
Martha Turner of Grover, and John Hill
of 527 Baker Street.
The houses were judged for exterior
decorations only, and although many of
the homes were quite beautiful, select
ions were made on the basis of original
ity, ingenuity, and reflection of the
Christmas tradition.
We would like to thank everyone who
expressed interest in our contest, and in
vite you to enter again next year. Winn
ers repeating the same decoration theme
will not be eligible for next year’s con
test, however.
ALK U I I
MS N I AH
n'
.5 Million Bond
Issue Wins 2 To
The $2.5 million bond referendum voted
on Saturday passed by a little more than
2 to 1 in an election that was U, med “a
fairly good turnout,” by Superintendent
Don Jones.
The issue passed by a vote of 814 to
370.
Jones praised the various civic clubs,
P.T.A.’s, and other organizations for
helping to put the bond issue across.
Jones said, “The passage of this issue
reflects totol community interest in our
school system.”
The superintendent went on further to
say that the task now is to start organi
zing forces to approach the proposed
work on an economically sound basis.
He emphasized going about the work in
an “orderly and organized” &shionand
to make every dollar go as far as possi
ble. Jones said he “hoped that contracts
could be let by Ausust 1, 1973.”
There were four main goals in the pro
posed referendum. They were (1) to build
a new school to house grades 8 and 9 to
be located on Phifer Road near the pre
sent high school facility; (2) to build an
auditorium for the high school to seat
1200 persons. The auditorium should be
similar to the one currently in use at Dal
las High in Gaston County. It will also
Only Christmas Was Saved
be available for community use. (3) to
buiid multipurpose rooms, classrooms,
cafeteria renovations and up date pres
ent facilities at East and West Schools.
An indoor recreation and assembly area
as well as moving the library at West
School from the cafeteria is planned.
(4) to make additions and renovations to
Bethware and Grover Schools to include
storing perishables in the cafeteria and
updating water and sewage systems.
Bethware is to receive additional cover
ed walkways and Grover’s auditorium and
classrooms will be renovated.
According to the brochure issued by the
school offices it is anticipated that the
first year will require a 32f levy to re
tire the $2.5 million. It is hoped that the
rate will be decreased 2 l/29t per year
due to increase of valuation and decrease
of interest.
Voting breakdown by precinct was re
corded as follows:
Armory- for 444; against 144.
Bethware- for 118; against 72.
City Hall- for 176; against 83.
Grover- for 76; against 71.
A few Christmas Gifts were saved from the burning house be
fore firemen arrived Tuesday afternoon at the dwelling of Rosa
Lee Best of the Ebenezer Community. The Oak Grove Volun
teer Fire Department responded to the fire call around 1:20
Tuesday afternoon to extinguish the blaze. Firemen said that
more water had to be trucked in from Waco before the fire was
finally put out. It was reported that a couch, a chair, a few ar
ticles of clothing and some Christmas presents were all that
was salvaged from the house. The home is located on Hord
Road just off 2013 and Is owned by C. S. Plonk, Jr. Firemen
believe the blaze was caused by a faulty oil heater. The home
was totally destroyed. (Photo by Lem Lynch)
Commissioners, Alcan Reach
Waterline Agreement
Appreciation Dinner Is County Tradition
A dinner of appreciation for a small
group of men who helped their neighbor
nearly twenty-five years ago has bloss
omed into one of the biggest traditions
in Cleveland County.
The story began about twenty-five
years ago when the home of Arnold Kiser
caught fire. Smoke and flames began to
mount as help was summoned to extin
guish the blaze. Firemen in Kings Moun
tain rushed to Kiser’s home and began to
fight the smoke and heat to put out the
fire. Through alertness and energy as
well as a sense of neighborliness, the
men tolled and finally extinguished the
devastating flames. Because of their
concern for their fellow citizens the home
was saved from total destruction and Ar
nold Kiser decided to show his apprecia
tion by feeding the helpful men.
So Kiser, along with Dr. J. E. Anthony
and then Mayor Glee Bridges fed the
firemen twenty-five years ago just be
fore Christmas. But there was more in
volved than just turkey and the trimm
ings. There was an atmosphere os ap
preciation for a handful of men who were
concerned enough to help their fellow
man.
Each yeur after that, during the Christ
mas season, Kiser, Anthony, Bridges
gave a dinner of appreciation to the men.
In 1950 Ollie Harris joined in to help with
the annual dinner. Soon the event grew
to include the Kings Mountain Police as
well as the firemen. Then about 1955 the
Sheriff’s Department and Highway Patrol
were invited to participate in the Christ
mas feast. Each year mounds of turkey,
ham and scalloped oysters were placed
before the growing numbers of men per
petuating a tradition that lives today.
In April of 1966, the man who started
the tradition, Arnold Kiser died. His
wife still lives at the homeplace on East
King. Glee Bridges had died a month
before Kiser and his two sons, J.C. and
Glee Edwin kept up with their Dad’s
work. Of the original four only Ollie
Harris remains to see the annual festi
vity. W K, Mauney, Jr. joined the group
during the Christmas of 1967.
So this December 19 will mark another
year of a tradition began by a fire and
kept alive with appreciation and good will
toward fellow men.
The Cleveland County Commissioners
reached an agreement Tuesday with Al
can Aluminum in its request for a $60,
000 waterline extension. The commis
sioners and Alcan agreed that the indus
try, to be located about one mile south of
1085 on NC 161, will pay for the water
line itself and to be later reimbursed by
the county.
Charles Mauney, developer of the Al
can addition, along with Sen. Ollie Har
ris, Mayor John Moss and Bob Kingerly,
plant manager of Alcan Aluminum were
present at the Monday morning commis
sioners meeting to request $60,000 for
a waterline extension.
The city of Kings Mountain approved Al
can’s request to tap into the city water
system a few months ago.
The commissioners told Alcan to in
stall the line at their own expense and at
such time the tax valuation shows suffi
ciency then the county will reimburse the
company for the waterline work up to
$60,000.
The request was discussed at length and
on a motion the commissioners voted to
abolish the present county guidelines to
water policy and immediately draw up
another. According to commissioner
Josh Hinnant, “It was generally felt that
the county’s water policy was old and
needs revising.” Hinnant said the mo
tion for a new pqjicy was prompted by
the “confusion” of the old guidelines a-
dopted in 1970.
The new Alcan building will be located
south of Kings Mountain in the MMB In
dustrial Park.
Scott Dedicates Newest Welcome Center
IIM^x
1972 Winner- Christmas Decoration Contest
Governor Bob Scott was in the area
Thursday to dedicate the fourth of eight
tourist centers planned in the state.
The welcome center is located on 1-85
near Grover at the South Carolina State
line.
In his speech of dedications Scott told
the crowd that North Carolina is striv
ing to take more steps in the field of
tourism. Millions of tourists visit the
“variety vacation land” each year and
Scott termed the center, “one more step
toward taking advantage of such an eco
nomic boon for the state.”
Charles D. Barbour, director of the
Travel and Promotion division of the De
partment of Natural and Economic Re
sources told the audience that this new
est welcome center represented expen
ditures of nearly $147,000.
Also speaking at the dedication gather
ing was Robert Leak, director of Indus
trial, Tourism and Community Resour
ces and Charles Bradshaw, Jr., secre
tary of the Department of Natural and
Economic Resources.
The center is situated on approximat
ely 22 acres just off 1-85. Picnic grou
nds, including grills and shelter area
encompass the main building. Inside the
center are pictures of the various vaca
tion spots and points of interest in the
Tar Heel State. There is also an event
board which lets travelers know what is
going on in North Carolina at the time
and where.
Observe Caution
Sgt. Van Hoy of the Cleveland-Llncoln
County station of the State Highway Pa
trol urges Christmas travelers to drive
with extreme care over the holidays.
People taking those long treks home for
Christmas or even the short hops from
city to city should be alert and defensive
when driving. The MIRROR joins in with
Van Hoy in asking drivers to please be
careful. Besides, even troopers need
some time at home for Christmas with
their families and that's hard to do when
out investigating a wreck.
The welcome center will be opened from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer and from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. A
staff of hostesses will always be present
to serve refreshments to travelers and
offer information.
Governor Bob Scott visited the area Thursday morning in order to help with the de
dication ceremonies at the new welcome center off 1-85 near Grover. In Scott’s next
to last public appearance as Governor he praised his department heads and the work
they have done in travel and promotion of tourism in the state. (Photo by Rodeny Dod
son)