I widow.
:k; Mven
, Marvin
k, all of
trick of
itrick of
atrick of
lughtera,
wain of
Camp of
ty Davia
Ira. Alaie
nd; one
trick of
e aiater,
of Kinga
children
THUKDtV’9
KinGi MOunThin mirror
VOL. 89 NO. 4
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, JANUARY 12,1978
15«
HGRMD
NT
After 25 Years, Rountree Ready For Change
Job Both Rewarding And Frustrating
ACES for
e. Houaea
for rent
Apply at
le Home
Id or call
m. 1:10,
beik’oom
73M014
APART-
Upataira,
fu ranee.
3W BVD
th. Single
3one 487-
MINI
imUy or
eph R,
Phone
482-
■T
rage for
. truck,
el trailer,
r call Joe
or 482-
allable.
or 789-
OBILE
tf 161 S.
large 60'
ISO per
garbage
week.
■AT
POR
able for
or office
l»-26ie or
y MobUe
No pets.
In Oak
CaU 780-
kT
18 FOR
I H E W
Inalde
tion. Ph.
fn. TAT
By TOM McIntyre
Editar, Mirror-Herald
(HtOVER — Glenn Rountree has the
speech and gentle mannerlama at a man
of the cloth most of the time. But there
are limes when he doesn’t sound Uke he’s
talking from a pulpit.
Ibis week he sounded more like anun
who has Juat about bad it.
Ball baa to do with his work. Rountree
Islnchargeof the Grover Cemetery and
hae been for about 28 yean. Now be la
ready to give up the Job. It has nothing to
do with the pay, which la a token amount,
because when he first began his work be
received nothing. In fact it cost htan out of
pocket.
‘‘Ba<k in the early l«60a,” Rountree
said, “my motber-ln-law, Mn. Charlea
F. Harry, went for a ride. After a time we
stopped at the cemetery, got oid of the
car and went walking."
He said at that time the cemetery was
overgrown in broom-sage. Mrs. Harry
turned to Roimtree and said, ‘‘There is
aometUng you can do for me. See what
you can do aboid getting thU cemetery
cleaned up and keep it deaned.”
Rountree brought mowers and got
home help and they began dearing out
the broom sage and noowtag tbe grass.
That was tbe beginning. When Corley
Blartin, then in charge of the cemetery
lor the Town of Grover, decided to step
down Rountree took on the Job. Martin
sUyed around to counsd bim.
“After that a few of ue in town formed a
Lions Club and the dub took on tbe
project of keeping up the cemetery,"
Rountree said. “The dub Is still UUng
care of the cemetery through funds
raised by selling birthday calendars and
from special donations from tbe public.
This past year tbe project almost sank
because the calendar sales were down
and so were the special gifts.”
Rountree add the dub projed Is an
imporUnt one for Grover because the
town really cannot afford to give the
cemetery perpetual care.
The “cannot afford” aspect is one of
the things Rountree harped about to tbe
long-time caretaker the burial lota in
Grover Cemetery are so cheap that
people from communities such as
Gastonia, Shdby Kings Mountain and
Blackabirg, S. C. are coming In and
biQrlng plots. He said many of these
people “are without any connection
wtaataoever with Grover. They have
purchased lote here simply because they
are cheaper than lots In their own
communities.”
Monday night Roimtree slated his case
to the town board, asked for and reedved
an increase in tbe price of burial ploU.
Rountree said the town was selling burial
plots for six and 10 persons at $100. The
new price, retroactive back to Jan. 1,
1978, U now $200 for aU-peraon plots and
$800 for ei^t-person plots. And, in tbe
next few years, when the new section of
the cemetery is open, Rountree
suggested tbe town sell only two and four-
person plots at $250 and $500 .
The town board acted on the six and
dght-peraon plots, but not on tbe two and
four-person plots Monday night.
(Thm To Page 8A)
f
KM Students Are Below
The National Average
f
By GARY STEWART
aun Writer ^
Kinp Mountain OiBtrlet board of
education Monday night learned that
studenU here were below the national
average bi comprehensive teats given In
September.
Howard Bryant, direclar of instruction
for the system, released the test rasidta
and noted that even though KM atudenU
are below the national average, the
resulU were about what he expected.
In most cases, KM studento showed “a
year’s growth” ainee taste were given in
September of 1976.
“We feel the program shows that
StudenU have pown as expected,” he
said, “but we also know that we have lot
of work to do.”
TesU were given in grades one, two,
three, live and seven.
Bryant also spoke on tbe high school
competency teau that are being given for
the first time thU year. This year’s testa
will not have any bearing on graduation,
but next year’s will.
Bryant reported that 300 lOth graders,
or $0 psrtynt of tbe dam, took the tost
mA tbs ttUOfUi rosiltt **9 ]»»«•
On the readng test, 35 atudenU were
bdow tbe suggested competmicy MveL
On the math test, 106 studenU (36
percent) were bdow the suggwted level
In tbe math test only, 76 (26 percent)
Bryant said high acbod counselors are
studying thestudenU who scored low and
will come up with remedial courses.
In other action Monday, the board;
—Was told that tbe schod system had
received $19,000 in (XTA funds to employ
a High School Youth Opportunity Speda-
list on January 15. Supt. BiU DavU said
he has someone in mind but at present U
ri—ring up a question of certificatioo.
The purpose of the program, DavU
said, U to identify disadvanUged
StudenU and to develop prescribed plana
(Turn To Page OA)
Photo By Tom McIntyre
ROUNTREE’S DOMAIN — Glem Rountree has been times and frurirating at othen. Here Rountree standi besifc
caretaker of the Grover Cemetery for the past 25 years, but fteburUl cryp of the lady whogot himatorted in the Job - hU
now be U ready to give up the Job. U has b'jn rewe Tdl.-g at mot er-in-l-'w, Mr* CS-.arl.'o P. Harrv.
Objects To Being Kept In Dark
N
IE AT
MNE
INAL
ALSO
HOLD
IVE8T
Ruth Dedmon Seeks
Qerk Of Court Office
Ifrs. Ruth Dedmon has fUad as a Cleveland Ooimty fairly and impartiaUy,
cmdldaU for Clerk of Superior Court In without fmr or favor. In accordance with
toe May 8 Democratic Primary election, the law. I have also tried to be a public
The Shelby native U seeking bar third official whose honesty and tategrity have
Urm to the county oflica She U the wife alwaya bsen unrpimtlonable. You as a
of Roy Dedmin and they have one son, dtiaen of tbia county deserve Mch mr-
Rodney, a student at Bums High School, vices at the band of any pttolic official.”
In filing for the office, the incumbent Mrs. Dedmon also sUtod, ‘There to no
mM.‘T have irM 19 serve the psapleof «*Mltute far experience With the ever
lacreaaliig dutim and responsibUltles
baiiM placed upon toe Clerks of this sUte
at each aaaaion of the Lagtolahiro, many
tones wo And ourselves having to alt in a
Judicial capacity. Experlenos to also
necessary for the protection and
preservation of the macy important
rocorda oi this oflloe for which the Oerk,
imder law, to custodian, particularly in
toe field of esUtes.
“This office administered mere thsa
gg-mlllion during toe tost ftocal year,”
the candidata continued “This Is big
biuinem. Yet wo have conaisUiitly
receivsd excellent audit rsportt from the
Slate Auditor.”
The Cleveland County Qark’s office
has been referred to fropiently as one of
toe beet and most efficient in the state.
Mrs. Dethnon said, “My staff and I have
werked very hard to maks It thst way.
We hope you wUl afterd us the op
portunity of smvlng you another term.”
Region C
Selects
KIVTs Dixon
Delbert Dixon of Kings Mountain baa
been elected to serve on toe Executive
Committee of toe Region C Emergency
Medical Services Council.
Dixon was elected secretary to tbe
(fauncil, a position he has held for tbe
past year.
The Council, which Inchides McDowell,
Rtohetford, Polk and aevetond Coun-
tlas, met on January 4 to alact officers
and discuss EMS problems in toe four
county region. The Council wss
organised in 1974 to act as an advisory
State and Federal rant monies have
bean approved ihrough the Council for
purchase of vehicles, ambulance end
Dixon is employed by Lithium Cor*
poration of America and residea In Kings
Mountain. He has bean active in tbe
KhMS Moiatain Raecue Squad far 20
years, serving as captain for seven
years, and Is the only chartered member
of toe Kinr Mountain Unit that Is atlO
active on the squad. He holds toe rank of
second Ueutanant on tbe squad, serves as
EMT Coordinator and to certified by the
slate as an EMT Bxamhiar.
Other members of the Council from
Clav||and Counly are Larry Revels,
Amisunt Coordinator for Cleveland
county EMS and Jobn Washbura ad
ministrator of Crawley Memorial
Hospital.
Other officers eloctod to ths Couaefl
ars Dr. JerriU Mclniiro, chairman,
McDoweU County; Marvin Arisdge, vice
chairman, Pok County; and Dr. Hobart
RiCars. treasurer, Rutherford County.
• GROVER - Harold Herndon, toe new
town commissioner bera got a little hot
Mvtor the coUar Monday night when
Mayor W. W. (Bill) McCarter brought up
appointing an insulation inspector.
Jim Howell, a Graver resident, was
sent to a twoday workshop for inspectors
held in Charlotte Dec 15-16 to qualify
bimaelf to handle inapecdona of installed
insulation materials In new construction.
The town paid the $12 registration fee for
HoweU.
Herndon was dtotiabed because, he
said, “I didn’t know a thing about tola
until this minute. When did we vote to
send Jim Howell to that workshop?”
Town Clerk Gloria Horton said she had
called Commissioners Tommy Keetor
and Martha Byers concerning the
matter, but had been unable to contact
Herndon. Mayor McCarter said toe town
needed to make preparations to appoint
an inspector since the board had agreed
earlier not to use toe Cleveland County
Inspection office
The mayor said be would table tbe
matter until Herndon had more time to
think about appointing Jtan Howell or
someone else to the job. “I want you to be
happy,” the mayor told Herndon.
“HoweU was not given assurances he
would get the Job even when be agreed to
attend the worktoop.”
‘Tm happy,” Herndon said. “I have no
objection to Jim HoweU as toe inapector.
But I do object to being kept In the dark
about things.”
Herndon made toe motion to appoint
HoweU as the inapector.
The town board also passed a
resolution placing Grover under toe N. C.
State BuUding Regulations and set a fee
of $10 for permits to licensed contractors
to insUU insulatian materials in new
coutniction and a fee of $10 for the in
spection.
State law made such practices man
datory as of Jan. 1,1976 in tbe matter of
Insulation materials as on energy con-
Masters, Jones File
Bennett Masters of Kinga MoiaiUin
baa filed to run for the office of Cleveland
County Coroner and Rep. Robert A.
Jones of Rutoerford County is seeking re-
electian to the N. C. House of
Representatives in the 40th District.
Masters, who la completing the
unexplred term of toe late M. D. Walker,
served for six years os assistant coroner
and as coroner for more than one year.
-i'
BENNETTMA8TER8
.... roBBlng fer ooreaer
far 14 years. Masters is vice president of
the firm.
InhU filing statement. Masters sold he
feels he is qualified for the position
because of his training and beckgromd
experience he has as amiatant coroner.
“Ihe office Is a highly professional
service,” Masters said and further, that
it serves a great purpose in the county.
He uid in bis brief time in office he has
tried to update the office and at the some
time save the taxpayers some money.
“If elected,” hesaid, “I will continue to
run the office in toe moat professional
and economic way.”
The term as coroner is for four years.
Robert A. Jones has held the third seat
in toe 40th House District (Cleveland,
Rutherford and Polk counties) for the
post 10 years and is seeking his sixth
t«m, subject to the May 2 Democratic
Mmary, in 1976
“I am grateful to the people of these
three counties for electing me to this
posiUon of trust for toe post 10 years,”
Jones commented, “during which tone I
have tried to always vole In accordance
with toe mannar that I believe the
nwjority of toe people in this district
would have me vote and to represent you
toe same as if you were there yourself.”
Jones said he hoped the voters con-
tkiued to elect one representative from
Rutherford County as has bean done
akice the 40th Distrtxt was created.
Jones has served os chairman of the
Rules Committss, Ethics Cbmmlttee,
Sex Diacriminatian Study Committee
and the Property Tax Study Committee.
He is also a member of the Elections,
Judiciary, Finance, Wildlife, Con
stitution, Courts and Judicial District
Committees.
Masters is the first candidate to file for
the office of coroner and Jones makes the
third Incumbent to file for tbe 40th House
Wn
ROBERT A. JONES