We Can Save You Money!!! ©CommunityFirstMedia
704.739.3611
106 East Mountain Street Kings Mountain, NC 28086
www.KMinsure.com Volume 129 • Issue 19
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
kmherald.com • 704-739-7496
75¢
Longest-serving Chief retires June 30
KMPD Chief Proctor retiring The past has a habit of becoming the future I was at the gym the other day and there was a TV set on, tuned to a soap opera. I ROBERT INMAN don’t usually pay much attention to soap operas, but a snippet of dialogue from one of the characters caught my attention. She said, “The past has a habit of becoming the future.” I thought about what that soap opera character said as we get ready for the fourth season of “Liberty Mountain,” my Revolutionary War drama. We’ll start rehearsing the first of June and open for 17 performances on June 23 at the Joy Performance Center in Kings Mountain.
The play chronicles the settling of the Carolinas by hardy pilgrims in the 1700’s and culminates in the Battle of Kings Mountain. In October, 1780, A determined band of Patriot frontiersmen defeated a larger and better-trained Loyalist militia force at Kings Mountain, in what historians agree was the turning point in the American Revolution. Up to that point, the war was at a stalemate in New England, and the British were winning in the southern colonies. But Kings Mountain changed everything. The momentum of the war swung dramatically to the Patriot cause, and a year later, the British surrendered at Yorktown, effectively ending the war. I’m fond of saying that had it not been for Kings
Relay for Life is May 19 Life at the Fairgrounds. A number of Kings Mountain churches and groups will have teams at Relay for Life and will be set up with refreshments and other sale items to raise funds for research by the American Cancer Society. Theme of the event is “Super Heroes.”
Health Fair on May 19 May is “Older Americans Month.” In honor of Older Americans Month, the Patrick Center is hosting a Health Care Fair on Friday, May 19 from 9-12:30 p.m. Educational and interactive activities to promote wellness is planned for all senior adults 55 and older.
Take advantage of free screenings, health and wellness Information and so much more. You do not have to register for this event. If you have a product you want to sell or display and would like to rent a table, please call Karen Grigg at 704734-0447 for more information. H. Lawrence Patrick Sr. Life and Conference Center is located at 909 E. King St. Kings Mountain.
Richard Reynolds and Houston Corn. Goal oriented, he has championed and set high standards in Community Policing, initiated numerous safety programs and during his tenure has written and received over $1 million in grants which has added staff, increased safety measures, seen the reduction of crime 60 percent since 2002 with statistics in the last 12-13 years well below the 1993 level. He has led a tough approach to fighting crime. He gives drug dealers three choices: you can stop selling drugs and be proud to live in the city; you can move out of the city limits; or you are next and you will be caught. During a big drug bust in recent years, one suspect told an officer, “tell your Chief we are moving.” Proctor has said on numerous occasions that “as long as our churches stay strong and united by faith as they are now I don’t see a crime problem.”
Chief of Police Melvin Proctor, who is retiring after 30 years with the Kings Mountain Police Department and the longest serving Chief for the past 15 years, is pictured with City Manager Marilyn Sellers at the front door of KMPD. Photo by LIB STEWART Proctor credits the strong faith-based community as the key for the down turn in crime. When crime rates peaked in 2000 and 2001, Proctor, who became Chief
in 2002, decided something needed to change. “We reached out to the faith-based community.’’ See PROCTOR, Page 6B
Two shows remain of ‘Death of A Salesman’
See PAST, Page 6B
CHEMO BUSTERS – The Boyce Memorial ARP Church Relay for Life team is called “Chemo Busters” and 11 members have raised more than $1400 for cancer research and will be displaying 61 luminaries. Katie Davis, left, and Amy Logeman work on luminary bags for next Friday’s event at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, in which Kings Mountain Relay for Life joins this year.
This year’s Relay for Life event is Friday, May 19, starts at 4 p.m. with a reception for survivors from 4-6 p.m. and opens at 6 p.m. with a survivor walk. The event closes at 12 midnight. For the first time in many years the Kings Mountain Relay for Life will join with Cleveland County Relay for
“We are all like family, a very special relationship that is hard to find in today’s world,’’ said Chief of Police Melvin Proctor announcing his retirement effective June 30. Proctor, 53, submitted his letter of retirement earlier to City Manager Marilyn Sellers, but wanted to meet with the employees first before it was publicly announced. The City Manager attended the Thursday meeting with the Chief where he made the announcement in the presence of his employees at Kigs Mountain Police Department,. The City Manager offered support to all staff and assured them that progress would continue. The personable and popular Chief for 15 years the longest serving Chief of Police in Kings Mountain history, joined KMPD on Feb. 23, 1987 as a patrolman and was promoted through the ranks. He was hired by then-interim Chief Bob Hayes and then worked for Hayes as Chief and also Warren Goforth,
Firemen to ‘fill the boot’ to send youth to camp Firemen in the Kings Mountain Fire Department will be on the streets Saturday to fill the boot with donations to send a 14-yearold boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to summer camp. Chief Frank Burns said firemen will have their boots at the intersection of South Battleground Avenue and Mountain Street asking for donations. Last year donations from the fill the boot drive sent several youngsters to summer camp. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disease that affects voluntary muscle functions and usually occurs in early childhood between the ages of 2-6.
For Dental Implants Locally Here In Kings Mountain
Baker Dental Care Preventative, Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry
What happened to Willy Lowman in “Death of A Salesman,” could happen to anyone. During the 1940s when playwright Arthur Miller wrote the play and it was a Pulitzer Prize winner people didn’t talk much about mental illness and there was not the help that is available today. The Kings Mountain Little Theater is presenting the dramatic struggles of Willy Lowman, his wife, and two sons and others in the cast two more nights this weekend. Friday and Saturday night shows are at 7:30 p.m. It’s a serious, adultthemed show, not suitable for children. Stan Logan directs the production which includes Henry Buckley, making his debut on the KMLT stage in the title role of the salesman, Willy Lowman; Georgiana Wright as the understanding wife Linda; and the two sons, Mark Griffin as Happy and Chad Spurling as Biff Loman. The supporting cast includes Josh Clark as Bernard; Ginger Bullock as the other woman; Michael Medlin as Charley; Jim Chandler as Uncle Ben; Greg Dixon as Howard Wagner; Erica Carpenter as Jenny; Jodie Carroll as Stanley; Jamie Hardin as Miss
Chad Spurling, left, as Biff Lowman, Henry Buckley as Willy Lowman, the salesman and father in “Death of a Salesman” and Mark Griffin, as Happy Lowman, have lead roles in the Kings Mountain Little Theatre production which runs Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. at Joy Theatre. Photo by BRIAN HALLMAN
Forsythe; Madeline Spurling as Letta and Caroline Allen as a waitress. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949 running for 742 performances and has been revived on Broadway four times, winning three Tony awards for best revival. Betsy Wells, retired drama teacher at Kings Mountain High School, accompanied some of her students to one of the revival
shows and Sarah Beth Moss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Moss of Kings Mountain, had the part of Jenny the evening that the Kings Mountain students were in the audience. Mrs. Wells said Ms. Moss was able to get them almost front row seats. Tickets at Joy Performance Center, 202 S. Railroad Ave., are $15 for adults and $10 for students and senior citizens.
Budget workshop Monday night Kings Mountain City Council will take its first look at the manager’s proposed budget at a workshop Monday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the H. Lawrence Patrick Senior Life & Conference Center.
City Manager Marilyn Sellers was putting the finishing touches on her projections for fiscal year budget 2017-18 this week. City Council is expected to vote on the budget by June 30.
Just a few benefits of Dental Implants: • Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. • Improved speech. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your dentures might slip. • Improved self-esteem. Smile again and feel better about yourself. • Durable. Implants are very durable and with proper care, can last a lifetime. To find out more about Dental Implants and schedule your next appointment
call us at 704-739-4461
703 E. Kings St., Suite 9, Kings Mountain • www.BakerDentalCare.com