THE THURSDAY EOmON
VOL. 88 NO. 76
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33,1977
mcs MOUhTNh
MIRROR-H€RALD
15*
Gold St.
To Begin Service
Signals
Talked
KMES Awaits Tax Number
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff Writer
Itie clty’a traffic flow com
mittee will recommend to the
dty commlMloners next Monday
nig^t that traffic algnale be
erected at three W. Gold St.
taitersectlona.
Tbla wai the concenaua of
opinion following a meeting at
dty hall Tuesday night vdiere 37
residents discussed the traffic
situation with Commlsatonars
Fred Wright, BUI Orlssom and
Jim ChUders.
The three Intersections recom
mended for slgnallsatlon are
Cansler, Watterson, Sims and W.
Gold Sts.
The situation, udilch longtime
resident Clyde Lindsay termed
“the Gold Street l^eedway”
came to a head recently when 86
W. Gold St. residents signed a
petition drawn by Mrs. Mary
Taylor. The petition was
presented to the city board for
action on Sept. 13.
Tbe petition suggested four-
way stop signs or q;>eed bumps to
force motorists to observe the 35
mph speed limit.
CRim To Page 3A)
^ Election
' Officialt
I Appointed
Voter registration for the
Tues., Oct. 11 municipal election
t ended at 6 p. m. Mon., Sept. 13,
j however, registration for the
( possible November 8 run-off
*1 election continues untU 6 p. m.
I Mon., Oct. 10.
‘ I New voters may register for
I I possible risi-off by contacting
Margaret White, registrar for
East Kings Mountain, 789-4019,
or Judges Connie Putnam, 789-
6617, and Joyce Dye, 789-4066.
West KM registrar Is Mrs.
Elisabeth Arthur, 789-5818.
Judges are Geraldine Myers,
789-9188, and Rebecca Cook, 789-
8960.
Officials for the Kings
Mountain Municipal Election
have been selected by the KM
Electkms Board, according to
Betty Mercler, secretaiy.
West KM Precinct: Registrar,
Betty Spears. Judges, Helen Holt
and Mae Stie Orr.
East KM Precinct: Registrar,
Peggy Hord, Joyce Dye and
Rebecca Cook.
Polls at the National Guard
Armory (WKM) and Community
Center (EKM) wlU open at 6:80
a. m. and close at 7:80 p. m. on
Tues., Oct. 11.
I 1
Kings Mountain’s second
rescue squad. Kings Mountain
Emergency Services, has only to
watt for a tax number indicating
a non-profit status before
beginning operations, squad
supporters learned Tuesday
nlg^t.
Ben Hord told those attending
a squad meeting that the squad
received Its chsuter last Friday
and Bob Hope noted that three
locations for squad headquarters
are available and one would
probably be chosen within a
week.
A tentative board of directors
was elected, with members
Including Hord, Tonruny Ellison,
Mrs. Haywood Lynch, Dick
Ware, Chris Morrison and Jack
Thrower. Two others were
nominated to fill one more seat,
Roy Pearson and Nell Hullender.
The organization of KMES
came about recently due to
public disapproval of the $20
ambulance fee charged by Kings
Mountain Rescue Squad. The fee
went Into effect July 1 after the
funeral homes In Cleveland
County discontinued ambulance
service.
The fees were approved by the
Cleveland County com
missioners after the existing
rescue squad told them It could
not provide voluntary maigKwer
during first shift working hours.
The commissioners hired three
40-hour per week employes, who
also serve as volunteers after
regular working hours. The fees
go toward their salaries.
The new squad has had an
ambulance donated, but Hord
pointed out that It would take
some time for the squad to offer
as complete a service as the
existing squad.
“But If we can get free service
back to the people, that’s all I
want," he si.ld.
m
Into Complete Ambulance Service
County Could Be Forced
\
Photo By Tbm McIntyre
STUDYING BYPASS - Ken Mauney, chief division engineer of
N. C. ’rranqxkrtatlon Department, goes over the U. S. 74 Bypass
plans for elevation to answer a question from Charles Bagwell, a
Piedmont Ave. resident, during Tuesday’s district four meeting at
Second Baptist Church.
ByTOMMcINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
’ITie current argument over
emergency services In the Kings
Mountain area, may be forcing
the county Into complete am-
bulsuice service.
Last Monday the county
commissioners signed contracts
with both Kings Mountain
Rescue and Shelby Rescue
squads. The contracts. In effect,
wars drawn by the two units and
agned to by the county. The
document guarantees that the
county emergency services will
bUl ambulance transport
patients for the two rescue units
and will contribute $1,300
monthly based on reports of unit
eaqiienses and depreciation of
equipment.
From the transport billing
bookkeeping e]q>enses and EMT
salaries are to be taken Any
overage Is to be returned to the
reeciM units.
The county budget for this
year also contains $48,000 funds
for both Kings Mountain and
Shelby’s units. Any citizen
donations to either tmlt will be
deducted In equal amounts of the
$48,000 budgets.
Clounty Commissioner Josh
Hlnnant of Kings Mountain said,
“We have signed the contracts
with these agreements, which we
have abided by under a verbal
contract since July 1. That’s the
date the resgxsislbmty to provide
emergency service fell on the
county’s shoulders.’’
Hlnnant said until quite
recently the county com-
mlaskmers were not aware there
was any dlssentlon within the
ranks of the Kings Mountain
rescue volunteers. That
dlssentlon surfaced In the form
of an application for chartering a
brand new emergency unit In the
city by former members of KM
Rescue Squad.
The new group. Kings
District Meeting Strikes Close^
By’TOMMdN’TYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
Theaday night’s “one-on-one"
local government meeting
struck very close to the original
Intent of the series of con
versations between elected of
ficials and private cltlieno.
A total of 28 persons attended
the district four meeting at
Second Baptist Church fellow
ship hall and asked questions
about how the city would handle
such problems as sewer line
backup, low water pressure,
trash pickups, street sanitation.
\h
Perfect Entries Ekim
Women F ootball Money
[' -
Only two contestants currectly
predicted the outcome of all 10
games in last week’s lOrror-
Heimld football contest.
Thelma Roark of Grover won
the $50 first piise by picking all
10 games and coming closest to
the tla-breaktng 35 points scored
in the Chase-Kings Mountain
gams. She guessed 38 on the fie-
breaker.
Helen Weathers of Ihelby
claimed the $38 second place
money by picking 411 10 games
and 83 points on the tle-brsaker.
Several other persons missed
cnly one game.
The game missed most was the
CSemson-Georgla game, won by
Ctomson 7-6.
Deadline for this week’s
contest Is 13 noon Friday, so you
still have a chance to get a piece
of that $78 prlss money.
The contest Is In Tuesday’s
Mirror-Herald. Entries may be
mailed to the Mirror-Herald, P.
O. Box 788, Kings Mountain; or
may be brought by our offloe at
304 8. Piedmont Ave.
surface drainage and speedsters
on residential streets.
District Four Commissioner
Norman King, and Mayor John
H. Moss responded to the
questions.
Bert Mclnnes, Second St.,
resident, wanted to know what
die city could do about a sewer
backup problem that has oc
curred at his residence three
times In recent weeks.
“Our city engineers have been
assigned that problem and the
situation of low water pressure
tai several sections of the city,"
Commissioner King responded.
“I believe this study Is scheduled
to take about six more weeks,
then the board will have some
facts and possible solution In
formation to work with."
Mayor Moss suggssted the
“sewage backup” problem
might have to do with the city’s
lines and If so “this will be
discovered during this survey.
Then we can take stops to
remedy the pr(rt>lom." He also
suggested that the problem could
he In Improper fall of the sewer
line owned by the resident.
The mayor told the gathering
that the city la planning addl-
tirnial water storage facllltlas on
the east side of town, which
should help “alleviate water
pressure problems. The
engineers will determine during
their survey of how much
pressure Is needed In the lines to
make sura sufficient water
reaches customers In all sections
of the city."
’Ihe mayor said about 4,800,000
gallons of water will be stored
within the city once the new
storage facilities are erected.
Dot Hayes and Annie Murphy
Fulton St, residents, wanted to
know why the trash pickup
service from the city was so
erratic.
“1 have had to call the city to
get a trash truck out each time I
had a pickup, Ms. Hayes said.
“I’ve seen the truck go by, but
they don’t stop and make the
(licxups."
Annie Murphy said, “I’ve seen
the trash truck pass by four or
five times In a day, going to the
dty dump. Is It against the rules
for them to stop luid make a
ptckupT"
Oommlssloner King said, "Ed
Dwyer, the public works
siqwrlntendent, has toifonned
me that he has drawn a new
schedule for pickups of both
gaibage and trash to make sure
the entire city Is covered
thoroughly and frequently. I
don’t know why the trash trucks
have not stamped when they
passed by, but I’ll certainly
ask."
William Green, Phillips Dr.
rasldant, asked when the city
was going to “start cleaning up
the mass on my street. It’s been
seven months now and nothing
has been dons. 1 can’t open my
door tor the mud and water."
that
have
Mayor Moss fielded
question. “We (the dty)
not always been prompt In
solving such problems and many
times It Is because we have no
solution."
The mayor explained that In
Mr. Green’s case the majority of
his problem stems from surface
drainage from neighboring
property. In such cases the city
“cannot legally take steps to
clear that up. Any neighbor who
duuiges the normal flow of
surface water on Ms prqpertry
through grading or culverts so
the drainage then q>llls onto
neighboring property has broken
the law. The neighbor has the
right to dvll court action."
The mayor said, however. In
cases where no curb and gutter
on city streets or clogged
drainage ditches on the city right
of way la at fault, then action can
be taken.
"Surface drainage la, believe
it or not, one of the major
ixoblems facing local govern
ments of all sizes," Mayor Moss
said. “The problems are caused
by the fact that 80 years or more
ago when many residential areas
were built there were no
rastrictlona on construction of
streets and drainage plans."
The city budgeted this year
$10,000 for surface drainage
woik. Ths mayor said that a
federal grant tor study and
solving this problem has also
(Ttim To Page 9A)
Mountain Emergency Serv
ices, Inc., want to retum to the
"no fee" system of all volunteers
and under the charter ap
plication that’s what they Intend
to do.
Hlnnant said he was suiprlsed
to hear from the new groiq> that
non-pald volunteers are
available to man the KMES, Inc.
office during da^lgdit hours,
“edien the commissioners were
told earlier that such volunteers
were not avallahls before. We
were told that the couity would
have to provide the manpower
for the dayll^ hours In Kings
Mountain."
Hlnnant said, “’The rest of the
county board and I would like
nothing better than to have had
been told In the beginning that
Kings Mountain Rescue Squad
could provide nuuipower during
the day and no fees would be
required. The fees now being
charged by the local unit ware
drawn by the unit Itself and
presented to the county."
The commissioner said he
personally feels that volunteer
services within any community
should be encouraged. “Any
services that people have
dedication enough to provide
means the tax rate doem’t have
to be tampered, with," Hlnnant
said.
“The thing I fear is that In
ternal problems such as the one
now brewing here, from a tax
angle, could force the county Into
establishing a complete am
bulance service and that would
drive taxes sky high. Frankly, I
don’t know how much longer the
county will be able to pay out
close to $1(»,000 to the KM and
Shelby rescue units.”
Hlnnimt said stoics the toe
sdiedules were put Into effect In
July over $18,000 worth of
transports have been billed by
county emergency services. He
said to date a little over $8,000
has been paid In, and that ftnm
Medicare coverage.
Hlnnant said that prsaently the
commissioners are aiming
toward a public hearing on
ambulance service and the
possible adoption of an or-
dtoiance giving the county the
power to franchise ambulance
operators within Its bouidartes.
“I think that public hearing Is
sdieduled tor Mon. Oct. 8. the
next monthly meeting of the
county ccmmlssloners,"
Hlnnant said.
Under “home rule
legtslatlan,’’ ths ootsity com
missioners have the power to
adopt such an ordinance. Under
ordinance provisions, which are
governed by stats statutes, ths
county board can deslgnats
(T\im ’To Page 8A)