aserviceinc.com
Volume 131 • Issue 30
kmherald.com • 704-739-7496
July 24, 2019
75¢
Candidate races set as election filing ends By Loretta Cozart
EUGENE BUMGARDNER
NCMEA inducts Gene Bumgardner into Hall of Fame As students from across the state gathered for the annual All-State Choral Festival in Charlotte on April 26-27, Eugene (Gene) Bumgardner was inducted into the North Carolina Music Educators Choral Director’s Hall of Fame. He was presented a plaque on Saturday at the closing concert. In his acceptance speech, Bumgardner shared the story of a young teenage tenor who attended a choral clinic with 2 friends in 1969, driven there by veteran choral director Mrs. J.N. McClure. They traveled the curvy country backroads to Mars Hill College to a clinic directed by the conductor of the Junaluska Singers, Dr.
Glen Draper. “From the moment he started the song (he sings) ‘Gossip gossip evil ting, much unhappiness it bring (sic). If you can't say something nice, don't talk at all is my advice,’ It was the truth and I was hooked,” he said. “Everyone who attended the clinic that year remembers the experience much the same as I do.” Dr. Draper’s love of music, and the songs sung at the choral clinic, brought out in Bumgardner a level of emotion he had never even imagined. “At that moment, I decided my life’s work. I was going to be a Clinician.
On Friday, July 19, filing for candidates closed at noon for the November election. Three new challengers filed for mayor and city council seats on the last day, including David Israel Dettloff challenging incumbent Mayor Scott Neisler, former Councilman Curtis Pressley challenging incumbent Councilman Keith Miller, and Jimmy West challenging incumbent Councilman Rodney Gordon. David Israel Dettloff of 617 North Cansler Street is a political newcomer. He is the son of Stan and Monica Dettloff and brother to four siblings: Jacob, Allie, Paloma and Noah. He attends Church of Six in Boiling Springs. His priorities include “keeping money local, exploring ways to keep a younger generation in Kings Mountain and draw crowds from local towns to Kings Mountain.” He works with children, both teaching and coach-
DAVID DETTLOFF
CURTIS PRESSLEY
JIMMY WEST
ing. That interest motivates his desire to “find ways to include the children in our community.” Jimmy Ray West, and wife Pam of 318 Landry Drive, have been married for 30 years. They have one son, Tyler, who is 28 years old and is a Charlotte Mecklenburg police officer. “I am a retired police sergeant from the Gastonia Police Department,” West shared. “I retired from the police department as a Detective Sergeant in 2009 after serv-
ing 30 years, during my career I have serviced as a K-9 handler, SWAT team member, traffic enforcement officer, Juvenile Detective Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Honor Guard Sergeant and K-9 Sergeant. “I started my career in 1980 with the Kings Mountain Police Department and served there for 10 years before leaving to go to Gastonia. I am currently employed by Gaston College as a campus police officer and I am the police depart-
ment’s training coordinator,” he said. The West family attends First Wesleyan Church in Kings Mountain and has for over 30 years. Pam is employed by the Cleveland County School System and has worked at Kings Mountain Middle School for 23 years as a data manager. West has served on the local church board and the couple has served over the church widow and widower ministry. See FILING, Page 7A
See BUMGARDNER, Page 4A
KMLT auditions set July 28-29 Kings Mountain Little Theatre announces auditions for The Hallelujah Girls directed by Jim Champion. Auditions are July 28 at 2 pm and July 29 at 7 pm at the Joy Performance Theater. Six women and two men, ages 40’s to 60’s are invited to audition. Performances will be September 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7:30 pm and September 15 at 3 pm. Hilarity abounds when the feisty females of Eden Falls, Georgia decide to shake up their lives. The action in this rollicking Southern comedy takes place in Spa-Dee-Dah!, the abandoned church-turnedDay-Spa where this group
Scott Neisler and Harold Greene (center) with the STI Shipping Department. Photo provided of friends gathers every Friday afternoon. After the loss of a dear friend, the women realize time is precious and if they are going to change their lives and achieve their dreams, they have to get it now! The comic tension mounts when a sexy ex-boyfriend shows up unexpectedly, a marriage proposal comes from an unlikely suitor and Sugar Lee’s arch-rival vows she’ll stop at nothing to steal the spa away from her. By the time the women rally together to overcome these obstacles and launch their new, improved lives, you’ve got a side-splitting, joyful comedy that will make you laugh out loud and shout “Hallelujah!”
Harold Greene retires after 47 years of service By Sandra Jenkins On July 19, 2019, Harold Greene retired from STI after 47-years of service. He began his career on July 27, 1972 at the age of 16. Greene had made the decision to quit school, so his mother gave him one option…go to work. At that time, Kings Plush Inc. dba STI operated as K Mills producing commercial fabrics. His mother had been with the company for three years therefore she was able
to help him get a job. Greene’s first position was in Shipping. After only one day, he transferred to Weaving as a Doffer. Just three short days later he was Cleaning Looms and a Yarn Tender. Eventually, he found his home working in the Dye House and Finishing Dept. Many people were big influences in his life teaching him so much. Some of his fondest memories are not only working with people such as Bill Sellers,
Jerry Jenkins, Garry Bell and the late Glen Moss, but also spending time outside of the company with them. His co-workers allowed him to become part of their families and for that he is forever grateful. Greene met his wife, Vickie, in 1978 and they married in 1984. He said, “Vickie’s been a good wife and was a great mother to our son. I don’t know what I would have done without her.” Harold and Vickie had
one son, Josh, who passed away on June 11, 1998 at the young age of 11. When asked many times why he remained loyal to STI, his answer was always the same. “The people of STI have always been good to me, especially when we lost our son. We can never thank John Kay, Mark Hovis, Sean Gibbons, Jerry and Doris Jenkins and all the others for taking such good care of us during a very difficult time in our See GREENE, Page 7A
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