Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / April 24, 1975, edition 1 / Page 1
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I I 1^ N(jPA a ward Winning Newspaper ICIMGS^OUNTAIN MISROB'HERMJ) 15 VOL. 86 NO. 16 Cleveland County's Modern yiewsweekly" KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, APRIL 24,1975 :-,. 'W-"'" ' '' Photo By Tom McIntyre THE entertainer - The Rev. Russell Fitts, pastor of Association banquet and kept his audience smiling with Bethlehem Baptist Church, was guest speaker at Monday humorous anecdotes. Rev. Fitts recently recorded an album of night’s first annual Chamber of Commerce-Merchants his favorite humorous stories. To Work With Elderly In KM George’s Goal “A BROAD PROGRAM” - The Rev. Kenneth George ex plains (he broad scale program being planned to serve Kings Mountain’s Community Program For The Aging and Senior Citizens. Application for funds under the Community Development Act has been made and preliminary surveys on needs locally have begun. Traffic, Safety Committee Named A 13-member traffic and safety committee has been ap pointed in Kings Mountain. Mayor John H. Moss said the committee “will study traffic flow within the city and recommend safety measures. The group will also work with this office in developing a plan for an underpass and the widening of E. Gold St. from Battleground Ave.’’ 'The committee, chaired by W. S. (Bill) Fulton, is beginning work immediately with the help of Community Assistance planners and N. C. Department of Transportation safety advisors to seek out un safe areas of traffic, and plan elimination of ungraded, un guarded crossings. In addition to Fulton, Mayor Moss has appointed Mickey Bell, Wilson Griffin, Lewis Dellinger, Charlie Blanton, William Roper, Jackie Barrett, William Hager, Mrs. Ruth Ruff, Bill Brown, Mrs. Ruby Baker, James Adams and John McGinnis on the committee. ATTENDS MEETING Mrs. Marvin Teer repre sented Colonel Frederick Hambright Chapter, Daugh ters of the American Revolu tion, at the Continental Con gress of the National Society of DAR in Washington, D. C. Apr. 14-17. Mrs. Teer served as page for the N. C. dele gation. By TOM McINTYRE Editor, Mirror-Herald One of the priority pro grams under Kings Moun tain’s Community Develop ment funding is a program for the aging and senior citizens. An application for $25,000 has been made under the CD grant to frovide survey, plan ning and assistance in the needs of the city’s aging and senior citizens. Rev. Kenneth George, a KM native now residing in Lincoln County, heads the committee. “This is a pilot program now,” he said. “We will have limited funds for the project and if the application is approved, there w^l be no funds until July 1. “This program will not replace any projects currently underway by, say, the minis terial association, social or civic clubs,” he continued. “We also realize any pro grams we plan for our senior citizens will not be a success unless we have the help of such organizations.” Rev. George said the big item for the first three months will be an indepth survey to determine the needs of King Mountain’s aging and senior citizens. Mayor John H. Moss commented, “This has been one of my major concerns here for some time. I feel our elderly residents have made great contributions to the community and we should now make every effort to serve them and get them involved in meaningful programs. “The day is past whai (he elderly are ignored and for gotten,” the mayor continued. “They blazed the way for us and now we, all of us, must aid in developing this very worth while project for them and with them.” Mayor Moss said the city “is most fortunate in having the services of Kenneth George coordinating the program for the aging and senior citizens. Rev. George said, “Some of our senior citizens continue in good health and have the necessities of life. Some of them will always make their own way and overcome every day st':^ess. “But most of our elderly have no one to turn to in ad verse circumstances,” he said. “Many have health prob lems which effect them men tally, physically and finan cially. Many of them will be neglected in food and health care. These people will never have their nee^ met unless we all start to care about them.” The first year’s program, as outlined in the CD application, calls for establishing an office for the coordination and development of a program; statistical and personal inter views with the aging and elderly; begin programs and education of elderly persons in regards to various assistance available to them; create a transportation system for them; begin phone and in per son contacts almost daily with the elderly for companionship and to find out their needs; establish volunteer help for elderly persons including ministers, scouts, civic and social club members; and establish future plans for the care and needs of the elderly. Rev. George, who has pas- tored five Wesleyan churches in as many cities during his tenure as a minister, said he plans to move back to Kings Mountain if this program is established on a continuing basis. “When I volunteered my services to the mayor, this type of project was what I expressly wanted to do”, he said. Merged Group Holds First Annual Meeting By TOM McINTYRE Editor, Mirror-Herald The first annual meeting of the Kings Mountain Chamber of Commerce and Merchant Association was held Mcmday night at the KM Country Club. During the relaxed 90 min utes the chamber’s past presi dent, Carl DeVane, gave a re view of the past year’s wcrk and pointed up the largest project as being the merger of the two organizations. “We spent a lot of hours, through many meetings and had a lot of discussion before the merger was affected,” DeVane said. “We now feel we have an organization capable of serving the full needs of the "community, business and industry.” In a talk liberally sprinkled with humor, DeVane said, “The reason I’m standing up here tonight is because when we talked Corky Fulton into accepting the presidency of the merged organization, he said he would do it on the condition that I MC the annual meeting.” Mickey Bell, past president of the former merchants group, said quite franMy, “That our merchants or ganization was a meet and go home type of operation. We did very little for our mem bership. “I feel now we have made a big step forward by combining operations with the cham ber,” he continued. “We urge all members to call on us. Give us your input and we can make this thing go.” In recognizing former offi cers and directors. Bell was able to give plaques to Bob Smith and Dr. Frank Sincox only. Bill Bates, Bob Bradley, Joe McDaniel Jr., Joe Smith, Larry Moss, and Bob Myers were not present. “Boy. When they get off the board, they get off, dcHi’t they?” remarked DeVane. DeVane introduced the new directors and officers and pointed out that the ballots sent to members via the mail and returned showed approval of the new bylaws and the nominated directors. The offi cers were elected by the direc tors at a meeting prior to Mon day night. New officers are W. S. (Corky) Fulton 111, president; LynCheshire, president-elect; Jim Dickey, second vice president; and Bill Grissom, secretary-treasurer. DeVane told the large gathering of the projects the chamber developed during the past year; a solicitation clearinghouse, a utility rate study committee, a ward equalization committee and the merger project. The guest speaker Mraiday was Rev. Russell Fitts, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, who gave a humorous talk citing old jokes and an imagi nary phone conversation with a “Mrs. Seymore” concerning “visiting her husband in the hospital.” Rev. Fitts recently recorded an LP consisting of anecdotes and rural humor. Other special guests Mon day were Mayor John Henry Moss and city commissioners James Amos and Murray C. Pruette; County Manager Joe Hendrick, commissioners Josh Hinnant, Coleman Go forth, Jack Palmer and C. M. Peeler Jr.; and Charles Spurl- ing and Paul Limerick, presi dent and executive director of the Shelby Chamber o&Cc*n- merce. Historical Group In KM On Monday Mayor John Henry Moss will welcome members of the Cleveland County Historical Association Mon., Apr. 28, 7:30 p. m., at the Kings Mountain Community Center. The meeting will be held in the Mountaineer Room. Mayor Moss has the pro gram, “What Is The Meaning of Kings Mountain?” To pre sent the program the mayor will introduce the guest speak er, Bobby G. Moss, Dean of History Department, Lime stone College, Gaffney, S. C. A native of Chercitee Coun ty, S. C., Moss was educated in Blacksburg, Mars Hill and Wake Forest. He has a Master of Divinity degree from South ern Baptist Theological Semi nary and a Master of Arts de gree from University of Vir ginia. He is a Ph.D. candidate at University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Moss is the author of “Tlie Old Iron District” and “The Voice of The Wilderness.” He is coauthor d “Journal of Michael Gaffney” who founded the city of Gaffney. Presently, Moss is working on a manuscript for the Na tional Park Service on the Battle of Cowpens and has begun work on a manuscript for Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, on military records of South Carolina participants in the Revolu tionary War. Dr. W. Wyan Washburn, CCHA president, will preside at Mondav’s meetin? Six Gallon Donors Three Kings Mountain men joined the six gallon club of blood donors at Monday’s visit of the Red Cross bloodmobile at which 96 citizens donated a pint of blood. A total of 113 citizens visited the blood donor center at the Community Center. Six gallon donors are Mearl Valentine, Charles Mauney and Steve Rathbone. Five gallon donor is Ray W. Cline. Two gallon donor is James Guffey. Joining the one gallon club are Mrs. J. W. Strange and Mrs. Roy Mauney. KM Man Killed When Dump Truck Overtiu’ns A Kings Mountain truck- driver, Aaron Hampton Cook, 49, of 213 Stowe Acres, died 'Tuesday morning at 10:20 when a dumptruck he was un loading with dirt overturned into the waters of South Fork River at Spencer’s Mountain. Cook, a driver for Bradley Jenkins Construction Co. for nine years, was on his fifth trip with dirt to the site where Duke Power Co. is building a levytype dike. According to investigating officers. Cook was backing the truck to un load when wheels on the driver’s side went over to the side of the road and dirt fell from the wheels, the weight of the truck shifting to the left side and overturning into tlie water, completely sub merging the cab for 40 min utes before rescue workers could recover the driver. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday after noon at 3:30 from Cherokee Street Baptist Church. Rev. George Leigh and Rev. Char lie Farris will officiate, and interment will be in Mountain Rest Cemetery. McLean & Son Funeral Home of Gastonia took the body to the home Wednesday afternoon. The body will lie in state at the church 30 minutes before the rites. Fellow workers of Cook will be active pallbearers. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Evelyn Cook; two brothers, Clemmie C. Cook of Connelly Springs and Houston Cook of Morganton; and one sister, Mrs. Johnny Earls of Winston Salem. Accidental Burning Ruled In M, L, Harmon Jr’s Death Funeral services for Martin Luther Harmon Jr. were held last Friday at Boyce Memorial ARP Church and burial was in Mountain Rest Cemetery. Harmon, 54, of 109 S. Goforth St., died Wed., Apr. 16 in a fire that gutted a rear ground-floor bedroom in the home of his late parents at 107 W. King St. Bennett Masters, assistant county coroner, said the former publisher-editor of The Kings Mountain Herald died about 11:30 p. m. and ruled the cause as accidental, from falling asleep while smoking in bed. Masters theorized that Harmon, alone in the two-story house, caught his pajamas afire with- a dropped cigarette. County Fire Marshall DelaneDa vis was called to the scene to investi gate and said Harmon apparently tried to get out of bed and was overcome by smoke. His charred body was discovered leaning against the side of the bed, angled towarda door. The alarm was turned in about 12:08 a. m. by Police Chief William Roper and Ptl. Harry Martin, who saw the smoke from the rear parking lot at city hall. Fire Chief Gene Tignor said the back bed room was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene. He said the flames, contained to the one room, were quickly extinguished. Tignor said the rest of the entire house was extensively damaged by smoke. Davis and Tignor agreed the bedding in the room had been smoldering for two hours or more before bursting into flames. When firemen arrived there was a scant six inches of breathable airspace between the floor of the house and the clouds of smoke. Bob Myers, co-owner of Myers Printing Co., W. Mountain St., said he left his office just before midnight and saw smoke in the sky beyond the buildings across Mountain St. He said he went to the Harmon home, arriving a minute or so before the fire department. “I tried to get into the house, but the smoke was so thick I couldn’t see anything,” Myers told The Mirror-Herald. “I got down on the floor and used a flashlight to lode around. 'ITiere were just a few inches above the floor not clouded in smoke. I couldn’t see any flames anywhere until I went around to the back of the house. The bedroom was blazing.” A Kings Mountain native, Harmon began his newspaper career at the age of 19 while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was editor of The Daily Tar Heel, the student newspaper. He graduated UNC-CH with a degree in journalism. From 1943-45 he was news editor of The Stanly News and Press in Albemarle, where he was also secretary of the Chamber of Com merce- Merchants Association. During World War Two, Harmon served as an officer aboard vessels involved in the North African invasion at Algiers and at the Morrocoan Sea Frontier headquarta-s in Casa blanca. Harmon purchased The Herald in 1945 and served as publisher and editor until Sept. 1974 when he sold his interests to General Publishing Co. From Sept, until his death, Harmon served the combined Mirror-Herald newspaper as an editorial consultant and continued writing his popular Martin’s Medicine column. A former vice president of the N. C. Press Association, he also served for many years as an association director. He was a member of Boyce Memorial ARP Church, Kings Mountain Lims Club, American Legion and VFW. Dr. Charles Edwards officiated at last Friday’s 11 a. m. services. He was the son of the late M. L. Harmon Sr. and Eunice Plonk Harmon. He is survived by his widow, Mary Anne James Harmon. Active pallbearers were Hal Plonk, Dr. George Plonk, Bill Plonk, Wray Plonk, Sr., Fred Plonk, John B. Plonk, Ned McGill and Bill Beattie. Harris Funeral Home had charge of the ar rangements. MAR'HN HARMON
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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April 24, 1975, edition 1
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