Smith
1
IN THE NEWS
Post Office
Assured
King! ICounUln hu been
aaiurad of a new poet office,
but when and where Is still a
mystery.
Postmaster Charles
Alexsnder said die PO Site
and Planning Committee will
come to Kings Mountain soon
to select a site.
Hm city has been assured
also that groundbreaking
and on site construction will
begin before the end of 1977.
The city-has been on the
deflnltt) list for a new and
larger one-story postal
facility for well over a year.<
Lancaster
At Meetinft
Paul Lancaster of Kings
Mountain will be In Creet-
weU, N. C. today as mining
representative of the N. C.
Barth Resources CouncU.
The council Is meeting with
operators of First Colcny
Farms, Inc. to discuss the
potential of using peat fuel as
a replacement tor coal as
fuel In Industrial
manufacturing.
First Colony Farms claims
peat fuel Is equal to 800-
mlUlcn barrels of oil and that
It Is cheaper than either coal
or nuclear energy and bums
cleaner than coal.
Lancaster, president of
Kings Mountain Mica, said If
the new fuel system Is
adopted It could be one of the
most Important additions to
North Carolina Industry In
years.
Gearing For School
Tes, boys and girls, there
will be school again this
year.
Kings Mountain District
Schools Supt. William Davis
called all prlnc4>ala from the
district together Wednesday
at the administrative offices
to begin mi^plng out the
coming academic year.
Siq>t. Davie said teachers
wm npbn fb the junlui; lilgh
on August 16 tor various
meetings and that student-
teacher orlentattcn day Is set
tor Mon., Aug. 99. Regular
dasses will begin Tues., Aug.
80.
We know all KM students
will be thrilled to get this
news.
At KM Rotary
Today
Police Chief Earl Uoyd
and Crime Prevention Of
ficer Houston Com will be
special guests at today’s
Rotary Club luncheon.
Chief Lloyd and Com will
take along the new Crime
Prevention Bureau van tor a
practical and Informational
demonstration.
The van la not completely
furnished, but the chief will
explain exactly what Is
planned In the way of
exhibits for the van. The law
enforcement officers also
plan to Inform the Rotarlans
of what the Crime Preven
tion Bureau program will
attempt to do for the com
munity.
Rotarlans meet at the KM
Country Club at noon.
Community Market
Last week The Mirror-
Herald printed that the
commimlty maricet was open
tor business at the depot
center.
We were wrong. But, In a
way we were also correct.
Wrong In that no area
produce growers were ac
tually set up to make sales to
the public. Correct In that the
market Is available tor use.
Rev. Kenneth Ceorge,
depot center manager, said,
“The scorching heat and no
rain has all but ruined the
local farming crops this
season. We have nut been
able to find enough produce
to put up a proper showing at
the market.”
Rev. Oeorge said the
demand for the market la
high, based on the numerous
Inquiries he has had from the
public. Now, If the local
produce raisers can get the
weather to cooperate the
maricet will be put to good
Earn Yourself A Bicycle!
One youngster has, others are close
by selling new subscriptions to The Mirror-Heraid
—See story on pg. 1A-
=THE THURSDA Y EDITION
VOL. 88 NO. 58
KIMGS NOUMTAIh
THURSDAY, JULY 91,1977
MIRROR-HGRMD
Commissioner Houston Says:
Pay Plan Misunderstood
Something has gene wrong
with the city’s new pay raise
plan.
One city employe has handed
In his resignation and other such
actions have been rumored since
last Friday.
Commissioner Humes
Houston, who chairs the city’s
pereoniwl committee and was
one of the men responsible tor
drawing the Incentive pay plsui,
said this week that “obviously,
there has been a breakdown In
communications somewhere
along the line.”
Last Friday city employes
found alight Increases In their
weekly paycheck, anywhere
from three to 10 cents per hour.
Houston said the hcurly paid
employes ‘ ‘must think that Is the
promised pay ridse, but that Is
not the case.”
When the 1977-78 fiscal budget
was iq;>proved the city employes
were promised a five percent
Increase In wages. However,
under an Incentive play plan
adopted by the board prior to the
adoption of the new budget that
five percent Increase Is to be
paid In montiily Increments,
based on department head
recommendation.
“We felt this plan was far
more fair and equitable than
waiting for an entire year to pass
before giving the city employes
the full five percent,” Houston
said. “Under the new plan the
eRq>loyes can earn their raises
each month tor a full year.”
The slight Increases employes
received last Friday actually
have nothing to do with the five
percent wage raise.
Houston said, “We took the
pay each employe received the
week before and made an ad
justment In them In order to
place all employes Into their
proper Job classifications. In
every case the employes
received an Increase under this
adjustment, but that was to give
us a base minimum pay scale tor
each Job category In order to
begin the Increment pay raises
each month.’’
The first Increment pay raises
toward the promised five per
cent increase will begin with the
August pay period.
Oommlssloner Houston was
upset at the reported dlssatlafac-
tion among city employes when
the resignation and threat of
others were reported.
“We had a meeting with all
department heads last week and
I explained the system several
times to them so they would fully
understand and would be able to
in turn explain the procedure to
their employes,” Houston said.
“Obviously, the department
heads did not imderstand the
system, although all of them said
they did at the meeting, or they
did not bother to explain It to the
people working In their In
dividual departments.”
The incentive pay raise
program Is scheduled to run tor
sbe years with five percent pay
Increases each of those years.
‘”rhls is a good program. It's
going to woric,” Houston said.
“We've never had anything like
It before.”
Alexander Retiring
As Gty Postmaster
Board Filing Opens Augiist 16
Where are the city’s new
commissioner candidates
conJng f^'ot.i?
This a the question being
asked among cltlsena In this
election year In view of the fact
candidate filing opens In four
weeks.
The city iterates under a ’Type
4 — Non-Partisan Election and
Runoff procwCura, which means
the election data Is set for ’Tues.,
Oct 11, 1977. ’The runoff. If any,
will be held on Thes., Nov. 8,
1977.
’Two years ago the city board
adopted a staggered term
system. Under the first election
under the new system the mayor
and the three highest oom
mlssloner vote getters were
seated tor four consecutive
years. The three lowest poUsters
among the commissioners
received two year terms.
Election this year Is tor four
yeaxs.
Commissioners Humes
Houston, district 2, WUllami
Orlssom, district 6, and Fred
Wright, Jr., district 6, received
two year terms. ’These three
seats will be up for grabs this
October.
As yet neither Houston,
Orlssom nor Wright have
commented yes or no about
seeking re-election. Nor has
there been any pre-filing date
commitments to run from other
cltlzeiu.
’Two years ago there were a
total of 89 candidates; 86 tor
commissioner and four for
mayor.
Candidates for districts two,
five and six may pay the |6 filing
fee to Mrs. Betty Mercler, Kings
Mountain Elections Board
secretary, beginning at noon on
Frl., Aug. 19. Candidate filing
ends at noon on Frl., Sept. 9.
Mrs. Mercler resides at 902
Rhodes Ave. Phone 789-2192.
Elections Board Chairman
Luther Bennett ssild the can
didate polling a higher total vote
than all the combined votes
polled by opponents In each
district will be elected.
The registration books tor the
Kings Mountain municipal
el;don will rwnaln open until
September 12, 1977.
current registrars are Mrs.
John White, 108 Piedmont Ave.,
789-4019, for Bast KM Precinct;
and Mrs. O. D. Myers, 817
Scotland Dr., 789-9188, and Mrs.
Kenneth Cook, 717
Meadowbrook Rd., 789-8900, tor
West KM Precinct.
Eligible dUxena must call ths
registrars to make an ap
pointment to register.
The Cleveland County Elec
tions Board will meet on ’Tues.,
Aug. 2 in Shelby and the board
may either reappoint these
registrars or appoint new
registrars.
Bennett said he has requested
that the matter of precinct
boundary changes In Kings
Mountain also be placed on tbs
August 2 agenda.
“Although It woji’t affect
voters In the coming municipal
(Turn’To Page SA)
Charles Alexander Is retiring
as Kings Mountain’s postmaster.
The 00-year old KMer has
accumulated 20 years of
creditable service with the
postal system and has served
longer as postmaster than any
predecessor In Kings Mountain.
“This could be my last week,”
Alexander said. “If the Charlotte
section sends over sui officer In
charge right away he will take
charge until a postmaster Is
appointed.”
The postmaster Job will be
posted In offices throughout the
systess, however, Alexander
ALEXANDER
JOHNL.MeOILL
J. C. BRIDGES
’TOM TATE
WILLIAM ORR
Hospital Seats New Officers
John L. McOUl, former partner of the Kings Mountain Drug
Store, was elected prerident of the Kings Mountain Hospital’s
Board of Trustees tor the 1977-78 fiscal year, during the board’s
recent annual meeting.
Other officers elected are J. C. Bridges of Bridges Hardware,
vice president, and Thomas A. ’Tate with Home Savings and Loan
Association, aecretary-treaaursr.
William Orr, a Kings Mountain businessman, was appointed to
the board to succeed Rev. 8. T. Cooke who served as a trustee of
the hospital for the past 10 years. He filled the board’s maximum
of two, five-year terms.
During the meeting, board members expressed their gratitude
tor Cooke’s service, strong support, and many contributions to the
hospital and the total health care delivery system in the com
munity.
Other members of the board are Mrs. Marilyn Nelsler, Carl F.
Mauney, N. F. McOlU, Jr., L. B. Hlnnant, Dr. Joe Lee, m, and
Fatal Hambrtght.
The hoqiltal’s board serves on a voluntary basis, without pay. In
representing the residents throughout the hospital’s broad service
area. Kings Mountain Hospital Is observing Its 8eth anniversary
this year.
said an employe In the local unit
will have first crack at the r^-
pointment. All eligible employes
will have the opportunity to
make application for the Job.
“When I became postmaster
here,” Alexander said, “we had
three city routes and three rural
routes. We now have six fulltime
city routes and four rural
routes.”
Alexander said In 1966 the post
office was meeting seven trains
each day tor mall pickups, but
that now the mall Is conveyed by
Highway Post Offices and Star
Routes.
A member of First Baptist
Church, Alexander was selected
N. C. Postmaster of The Tear In
1968. He Is past first vice
president of the N. C. Chapter of
National Association of Post
masters of US, past president of
N. C. Chiqiter of National League
of Postmasters, and past
president of the President’s
Chib, national level, of National
League of Poetmasters.
Alexander’s wife. Ruby,
operates Alexander Realty In
Kings Mountain. When asked If
he was going to become a real
estate salesman, Alexander
aald, “I don’t know about that. At
first I think I’ll Just relax tor
awhile.”
Bickley
Is Out Of
Hospital
Brian Bickley has been
released from ’Ihe Royal In
firmary In Edinburgh, Scotland.
The 41-year-old Kings
Mountlam and his wife, Pauline,
are presently visiting with
relatives In Nottingham,
England. When the Blckleys plan
to return to Kings Mountain Is
not known at present.
Mrs. Bickley flew to Scotland
two weeke ago to spend time with
her hueband and talk with
doctors concerning his condition.
She said before leaving that
Bickley Is due to be released
from the hoepltal.
A neighbor, Mrs. E. O.
Campbell, aald Mrs. Bickley had
planned to keep Brian In
Scotland for several weeks after
his release, but that the lack of
hotel accommodations made
that Impoaslble.
Blckley’s treatment In
Scotland has brought his ailing
heart almost back to normal. He
was taken to The Royal In
firmary from Charlotte
Memorial Hospital to receive
treatment with a drug,
mexlletlne, which Is not yet
available In America. The drug
has been used on heart patients
successfully for two years In
Edinburgh.