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Winning Newspaper
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86 NO. 26
Cleveland County's Modern Newsweekly"
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, JULY 10,1975
Natural Gas Allotments
Unknown For Next Year
ByTOMMcINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
onie candid talk from Wil-
D. Edwards here Tues.,
ily 1 revealed users of na-
gas in this city and all
yer the state are in for a
jsterous curtailment of
40 percent in supplies
winter.”
nd even at that the cost
jibe more.
.yards, rf Engineering
Jd Management Consultants
ing municipal gas dis-
jutors, said the City of
Mountain is allotted
^ cubic feet of gas daily up
total 1,172,625 cubic feet
|the year.
ecity can continue using
fs 4,100 per day without
down here and there
Id hope that the 1,172,625
al will not be reduced,” Ed-
s said. “If it is cut, then
lis city will expend its gas
jtment and still have weeks
en months to go before
i?year is up.”
I'riie Greenwood, S. C.
igineer said at this point
lere are no guarantees on
ly amount of natural gas
lat will be available to this
lypr any other dty during
■fcoming year.
Idwards made mention of
ity’s proposed peak shav-
Mtinwhioh propane air
ill be mixed and feed
igh to gas customers as a
ititule. But he said “it
!S 11 gallons of propane to
:e (Begallon of natural gas
id the cost is much higher
that method,”
Under Federal Power
mission guidelines in-
lual homeowners get first
Irity under gas curtailment
id large industry gets last
“deration.
this reason Edwards
Igested that industrial
in the Kings Mountain
la begin immediately find-
substitute or alternate
source. In an earlier letter
le commissioners here Ed-
s recommended indus-
now on a firm contract
the city for gas be placed
interruptiWe basis. The
mention^ specifically in
tier was Kings Mountain
Co.
Paul and Hu^ Lancaster,
owners and operators of KM
Mica Co., attended Edwards’
meting and commented on
this recommendation.
Paul Lancaster said his firm
went ffli a firm contract with
the city in 1955 and has re
mained on such a contract for
the past 20 years. He said the
Mica Co. product was so much
si^erior being manufactured
under natural gas usage that
the entire operation was con
verted to gas use.
“We have paid for gas on a
firm rate cMitract for 20
years, year-round, as in
surance we would have gas in
the amounts we need it,” Lan
caster said.
Lancaster said KM Mica Co.
used (in round figures) 55,000
cubic feet of gas in 1966 , 49,000
mcf in 1967, 53,000 mcf in ’68,
52,000 , 53,000, 52,000, 62,000,
60,000 and 65,000 in 1974. He
said, however, the first six
months in 1975 they only used
22,000.
“With the figures you are
giving us now,” Lancaster
said, “Our cranpany will be
back operating at the same
level it was in 1969. We haven’t
increased usage of gas, so why
take us off a firm contract?”
Edwards said, “We cannot
guarantee you a foot of gas for
next year. I can only tell you
that you must make up your
mind to find an alternate
fuel.”
Edwards said no plan of
curtailment has been adopted
at this point, but suggested
that all distributors and con
sumers can look for an allot
ment the equivilent of what
they were getting two years
ago and perhaps 10 percent
more. He said there is no
fmomise even that amount will
be available.
Kiwanians
Will Honor
Joe Thomson
’The Kings Mountain
Kiwanis Club is sponsoring a
“Joe Thomson Night” to
honor the club’s charter
member.
The meeting is tonight at
6:45 at the Kings Mountain
Woman’s Club, E. Mountain
St.
Mm
Photo By Tom McIntyre
GAS SITUATION BAD — W. D. Edwards, natural gas
consultant fw the city of Kings Mountain, explained last week
just how bad the curtailment of natural gas will be next winter
and advised large users to look for alternate fud sources.
Local Elections Board
Instructs City Candidates
HONORARY COLONELS — (Left) Rip Cdlins is shown pre
senting certificates to Kings Mountain Bicentennial co-
chairpo-sons Mrs. John O. Plonk and Howard Jackson and
Mayor John H. Moss declaring them honorary colonels for the
Overmountain Victory March. The march begins in late
Photo By Tom McIntyre
September in Sycamore Shoals, Tenn. and ends on Oct. 7 at
Kings MountainNationalMilltaryPark. Itisa re-enactment of
the long march prior to the Amo'ican victory over Maj.
Patrick Ferguson’s British troops at Kings Mountain in 1780.
Bicen Planning Urged
Members of the city’s
Bicentennial conunittee have
attended two meetings in the
past week in which plans for
the coming celebration were
discussed
On Tues., July 1 committee
officials, Mrs. John 0. Plonk
and Howard Jackson, hosted a
luncheon meeting at the Kings
Mountain Country Club at
which Dr. Lawrence Wheeler,
state Bicentennial com
mission chairman, spoke.
Last ’Thursday Mrs. Honk,
Jackson, Mayor John H. Moss
and Tom McIntyre attended a
joint meeting with representa
tives from Cherokee County,
S. C., at Kings Mountain Na
tional Military Park.
In the July 1 meeting Dr.
Codes Inspection Monday
(^es Administrator Blade Leonard will begin uniform city codes inspections in the
downtown business district Mon., July 14, assisted by Crawford Murphy, architect for
the Kings Mountain Redevelqoment Commission.
I^nard said he and Murphy plan to work in half-day shifts on the inspections,
which will cover areas such as fire hazards, wiring, structural and general fixup. The
codes inspections are being done in compliance with a request from the downtown
merchants group Leonard has written, letters to 39 tenants and landlords advising
them of the inspection and Leonard said he feels they will comply with codes volun
tarily.
Bicentennial Group Meets
The Kings Mountain Bicentennial Committee wiU meet tonight at 7:30 in the
di^tor’s room at First Union National Bank.
The large planning committee, co-c haired by Mrs. Pat Plonk and Howard Johnson,
MS asked members to attend with ideas for discussion on projects to be planned for
e city coring the coming celebration.
This will mark the first planning session by the local committee since it’s
^anization almost one month ago. Members of the committee met with Lawrence
^seler, state bicentennial chairman, last week to hear guidelines being followed by
coininunities in project planning.
Condemnation Suits Filed
f.^®®Tate attorney general’s office has filed suits in Gaston County Civil Court to
Itoown and unknown heirs to 46 acres of land on Crowders Mountain formerly
nedby Rebecca Brevardand son, Hilliard, of Kings Mountain.
® state issued the condemnation suits in efforts to add the 46 acres to the Crowd-
ountain State Park, which opened in February.
^nesuits name 69 heirs, including Alma and Gaddis Partlow, Auterway and Lillian
oyd, Maggie Brevard Morgan and Grace Brevard Starr of Kings Mountain. Also
mes Crawford of Gastonia andFrank and Ruth Randleman of Belmont.
6 ense attorneys and trial date have not been set.
Wheela- suggested that the
community’s historic sites be
marked and efforts made at
preservation. He said the local
committee could work on bro
chures noting the things that
distinguishes this community
Griffin
Drug Hit
By Thief
An undetermined amount of
cash and some priceless fami
ly heirlooms along witti an
undisclosed quantity of drugs
were taken Tuesday night in a
breakin and robbery at Griffin
Drug Co.
Kings Mountain Police Chief
William Roper said the break-
in occurred sometime be
tween 10 p. m. Tuesday and 9
a. m. Wednesday.
“Tlie thief or thieves came
in through the roof by ripping
out an air vent and kicking
throu^ the ceiling of the
second floor,” Roper said.
“Entry downstairs in the drug
store was made by kicking a
connecting door off the
hinges.”
The cash and heirlooms
were taken from a safe in Wil
son Griffin’s office. Entry to
the safe was made by “chisel
ing or ripping” the steel face
plate from the door, removal
of lock and workings from
inside the door. Griffin said
the 57-year-old safe was
destroyed.
’The drugs were taken from
a cabinet after the doors were
broken open.
Investigating officers. Chief
Roper and Det. Sgt. Richard
Reynolds, commented in their
opinion the entry and robbery
was the work of a professional
or professionals.
Jim Woodward, with SBI
Crime Lab is assisting in the
investigation.
fix)m another, things such as
the architecture, the people,
the events that have shaped
the community.
Second, festival occasiais.
Dr. Wheeler suggested such
(PleaseTurnTo Page2A)
With the city election only 12
weeks distant, Luther Ben
nett, chairman of the board of
elections, reminds that filing
period for mayoral and dty
commissioner candidates
opens at noon Aug. 12 and
closes noon Sept. 5.
Meantime, citizens may
roister to vote or transfer by
visiting registrars in the two
Kings Mountain precincts —
East and West Kings Moun
tain — or at the County Elec
tions Board offices in Shelby.
Bennett said names and ad
dresses of registrars will be
made public as soon as ap
pointment of an East KM
registrar is made. Sqit 8 is
the final day to register to vote
in the coming election.
Candidates will follow this
policy in filing with Elections
Board Secretary Betty Mer-
cier, 902 Monroe Ave., Ph. 739-
2192:
“Pursuant to Section 163-
294.2 of the General Statutes of
the State of North Carolina,
each person offering himself
as a candidate for election to
any municipal office in
municipalities whose election
are non-partisan shall do so by
filing a notice of candidacy
with the Board of Elections.
The notice of candidacy shall
be either signed in the pres
ence of the Chairman or
Secretary of the Board of
Elections, or signed and
acknowledged before an offi
cer authorized to take
acknowledgements who shall
certify the notice under seal.
Second Doctor For Grover
GROVER — Dr. Frederick Maurer of Ven
tura, Calif, will begin practice here in mid-July
to fill the town’s second and final vacancy.
Dr. Richard A. Hardeman of Miami, Fla.
told town officials he would come to Grover to
begin practice by September.
Charles Harry, who headed a search for two
doctor’s to fill the town’s needs foDowing the
announcement the local clinic would be without
medical practitioners this summer, said.
“we’ve come to the end of a long, hard
struggle” to get replacements for the two doc
tors who are leaving for other positions.
Dr. Maurer is a recent graduate of the
University of Mexico. He has completed his
internship in Canada and two year’s residency
practice in Peoria, Ill.
Local industry sponsored the search for new
doctors and is providing medical facilities for
the practitioners.
The above described notice
may be mailed to the Elec
tions Board, but it must be re
ceived before the filing dead
line regardless of the time it
was deposited in the mail. The
filing fee shall be set by the
city governing board of not
less than $5 or more than one
percent of the annual salary of
the office sought unless one
percent is less than $5. The fee
shall be paid to the Board of
Elections at the time notice of
candidacy is filed and the
money turned over to the city
treasurer.”
Staggered terms for mayor
and commissioners will go
into effect in the Oct. elec
tions. If a run-off is required,
the run-off election will be
held Nov. 4.
Voters will elect a mayor for
four years alaig with the top
three vote polling com
missioner candidates. The
three low pollers will serve for
two years. In 1977 the three
low wards will run com
missioner candidates for four
year terms.
Citizens will go to the polls
every two years, but will vote
for only three commissiraiers.
A mayoral candidate will seek
office, after this October,
again in 1979.
One Day He
Could Save
Your Life....
A native of Shelby, James Robinson has lived in
Kings Mountain, 808 Rhodes Ave., since 1958. He is
married to the former Frances Wilson of Shelby.
The Robinson have one daughter, Mrs. Mickey
(Yvonne) Floyd and one grandson, Chris.
Jim earns his daily bread at Wix, Gastonia, and
volunteers ai almost equal amount of time as a mem
ber and officer with the Kings Mountain Rescue Squad.
Now serving as a lieutenant, Jim joined the squad
sevoi years ago after “a friend invited me to attend a
meeting. It got into my blood.”
Jim spent four years in the U. S. Army and served in
Korea and said doing rescue work is like being in the
service. At first you might be scared, but oice you’re
into it you get more used to the service.
“To me the scariest thing about rescue work, as far
as I’m concerned, is being called on in assisting a
mother in delivering her baby,” Jim said. “So far I’ve
always managed to get them to the hospital on time.
But I suppose once I help with the first one, the next
time it won’t be so scary.”
Jim said since joining the squad he has spent more
time in a classroom than all of his education years put
together and now it means more to him than it did then.
“I think the rescue squad offers a total service to the
community,” Jim said. “I like being a part of it. I think
it makes a more well rounded citizen to become in
volved.”