INSIDE... Obituaries ........................ 2A Police Log ................2A & 7A Lifestyles ......................... 8A
Sports Page 6B
kmherald.com
Snakes Alive See Page 5B
75¢
Volume 127 • Issue 16 • Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Photographer Ellen Devenny captured this picturesque view of Crowders Mountain as the background for the setting of tents and other gear provided by pitmasters from all over the country competing in the 19th annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-off sponsored by the Kings Mountain Fire Department. Midnight Burn picked up the top BBQ prize, a check for $4,000. See more pictures and story on page 3A in today’s Herald.
Main Street Program Accredited ELIZABETH STEWART lib.kmherald@gmail.com
Kings M o u n tain's Main Street program is one of 35 in North Carolina to receive Jan Harris a c c r e d i - Main Street Director tation by the National Main Street Center for its commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization in 2014. For accreditation the program must meet 10 performance standards which sets the benchmark for measuring a community's application of the Main
Wells up for special challenges in KMLT’s ‘Mary Poppins’ DAVE BLANTON dave.kmherald@gmail.com
Street four point approach to commercial district revitalization. Standards include fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings. Liz Parham, director of the North Carolina Main Street Center, said evaluation of each of the state's local Main Street organizations annually identifies those programs which meet 10 performance standards. “These communities worked hard to meet the standards established by the National Main Street Center and we are pleased to see
Retired KMHS drama teacher Betsy Wells more exciting and will be so much better for audiences,” Wells said. “Mary Poppins,” based
on the P.L. Travers books written in the early part of See WELLS, Page 7A
See MAIN STREET, Page 7A
Tickets available for theatre party A limited number of tickets are available for the opening night party June 26 of “Liberty Mountain,” the Revolutionary Drama. Join the party at 5:30 p.m. for low country boil prepared by Chef Nancy Pinkerton and enjoy music by RG Absher prior to the 7:30 p.m. performance in Joy Theatre. Tickets are $100.
Betsy Wells is in her element. On the stage backgrounds are being painted and around her are lighting technicians, a pianist and, of course, actors. Wells is making one of her periodic returns to directing after retiring more than a decade ago from her role as Kings Mountain High School’s Drama Department chief with “Mary Poppins,” which premiers May 1 at the Kings Mountain Little Theatre. Despite having more than 25 years of theater experience under her belt – a long run that includes such well-known and complex productions like “Oklahoma,” “West Side Story,” “Flowers for Algernon” and “The Sound of Music”
– Wells has never directed “Mary Poppins” until this spring. In fact, she says it’s the first staging of the play in Cleveland County’s history. “Mary Poppins” presents a very special challenge because of the flying,” she said before rehearsals at the Little Theatre last week. “A lot of playhouses won’t do it because it’s too technically demanding on that level.” To put the play on, the KMLT hired a unique kind of company that specializes in theater production consulting. They traveled to Kings Mountain earlier this week to help set up the complicated rigging that smoothly and safely gives its title character and her friend Burt the gift of flight. “We could have done it with silhouettes and lighting effects, but this is much
For tickets and information visit: www.LibertyMountain.com/"www. LibertyMountain.com or www.KMLT.org or tickets @kmlt.org. Or call 704-7309408 or 704-692-2897. Presenting sponsor is Patrick Yarn Mills and the drama is supported by a grant from Kings Mountain Tourism Development Authority and produced by the Kings Mountain Little Theatre, Inc. at Joy Performance Center, 202 S. Railroad Avenue, in Kings Mountain.
Help KM Museum with funding and vote in WTVI contest Vote for Kings Mountain Historical Museum's video showing across WTVI's 13-county viewing region now and through May 5 by emailing: www. pbscharlotte.org. The local museum is one of three finalists along with the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the Allegro Foundation in WTVI's Community Give Back non-profit spotlight contest. “We saw the impact of local voters recently when Red Bridges BBQ Lodge won the 2015 Garden & Gun Ultimate Barbecue
For Dental Implants Locally Here In Kings Mountain
Baker Dental Care Preventative, Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry
Bracket,'' said Museum Director Adria Focht. That was local voters who cared enough to make that happen. We are hoping the community will come together again to support the Museum with their votes. The $10,000 in free underwriting would have a huge impact on driving local tourism and economic development,'' she added. Kings Mountain Historical Museum's video profile highlights the community partnership project centered around “Liberty Mountain,'' See HELP, Page 7A
‘Liberty Mountain’ actresses appear on the short promotional video of Kings Mountain Historical Museum that citizens can view online and cast their vote in a WTVI contest among three non-profits for $10,000 in free underwriting on PBS Charlotte.
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