KIMG9 MOUMTWM MIRROR
VOL.. 89 NO. 48
TUESDAY, JUNE 20,1978
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Dixon Is Saluted For 20
Years Service To Squad
By TOM McINTYBE
Editor, Mlrror-Henld
The Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad c'>'''brated Its 20th anniver
sary Sat Jay with a special dinner
at the Depot Center, where Delbert
Dixon was recognized for his full
term of service.
Dixon is the only charter member
of the rescue squad still active.
Col. Charles A. Speed, director of
the N. C. Emergency Medical Serv
ices Depsurtment, presented Dixon
with a plaque "In appreciation . . .
for 20 years of dedication and volun
teered services to the Kings Moun
tain Rescue Squad."
As guest of honor Saturday, Dixon
had no knowledge he was to be
honored. He was late for the dinner
because he was handling an
emergency call.
"I won't make a speech," Dixon
said. "But I will say thank you."
Following the dinner rescue
members and their wives heard
reports by rescue squad board
member Tom McIntyre, Sen. OUle
Harris and an address by Col. Speed.
Senator Harris capsuled the past
20 years of service by the rescue >
squad, commenting on how It all
began ui 1808. He said the snuad was
bom out of an Incident In \ Uch two
Oak Grove men were trapped In the
bottom of a well.
T 1 Harris FVneral Home am-
bulimce was dispatched to aid the
men, but "more help was needed.
We removed the men from the well
by lowering a third man down In a
bucket.”
Harris said both men survived,
but the town realized something else
was needed when such emergencies
arose. He said Delbert Dixon was
one of the local men who took the
Initiative to create the squad.
Harris gave the squad a 1948
ambulance to get started. When
money was raised and newer
equipment could be purchased, the
ambulance went back to Harris. He
next gave It to a group In Grover to
start a rescue squad. From there the
ambulance went to Upper Cleveland
County where a third rescue squad
was started.
“When that squad bought new
equipment they told me the am
bulance was worn out and could they
throw it away and keep the siren,”
Harris said.
Col. Speed, who has served the
State of North CaroUnji for 4S years
as a state trooper and later head of
the State Highway Patrol, took over
directorship of the N. C. Emergency
Medical Services In 1975.
In his remarks Saturday he said
rescue squads began about 1946 In
North Carolina and quickly spread
across the state. "The beginning of
volunteer units began based on the
knowledge and experience and value
of advanced medical training In the
military,” he said.
Speed said It takes a special breed
of person to Involve himself totally
In such work, "a person who has
Initiative and a desire to truly help
his fellow man. And If a person
assumes the responsibility for
taking someone else's life in his
hands to keep him alive until he can
be taken to professional medical
help, this dedicated person must
have exceptional training.”
Speed said a well-trained
Emergency Medical Technician
compares with a doctor In some
ways. "When the EMT Is working to
save someone's life In a ditch along
the road, on a mountalnalde or In a
dark house, he compares with a
doctor who works with his equip
ment and backup teams In a
hospital.”
He said over the years training
programs for rescue workers has
Increased and said It will continue to
Increase. The top of the line “will for
rescue workers to become
paramedics. These people have 800
to a thousand hours of training and
In some cases can perform the same
functions that a medical doctor can.
In Guilford County there are
paramedics who work under the
sponsorship of the hospitals.”
Speed said men “like Delbert
Dixon are the ones who deserve the
credit because they had the vision In
the first place. Ihey were the
pioneers that helped us get to the
state of emergency readiness North
Carolina now has.”
f RECEIVES AWARD - Delbert Dixon, the only cterter member of toe
I * iKlngs Mountain Resene Squad, reeelvea a piaqpe tram Ua feilesv
members fortoyenrsef serrlee. ObI> Cintrlet A. ^sed. diraetossf toe M,
Emergency Medical Services, Is shown presentlnf the ptaque. The
ievent was held In ooalnnclion with the KM Rescue Squad’s Uto an-
I nlversary Saturday at toe Depot Center.
Wins Miss Poppy Title
Amy Dixon, six-year-old daughter
of Mrs. Charles Dixon and the late
Mr. Dixon, won the title of Miss
National Poppy for North Carolina
during the annual American Leglon-
AMY DIXON
Auxiliary convention during the
weekend In Winston Salsm.
Miss Dixon competed with other
contestants from 26 districts Who
had earlier chosen their represen
tatives. She represented Kings
Mountain Unit 165, of which she is a
junior member, and District 28.
Eight young people participated In
the contest Friday evening at Hyatt
House. Miss Dixon advances to
Southern Division competition
among winners from 11 other states
and that winner receives an oil-
expense • paid trip to national
convention competition In August in
New Orleans, La.
Mrs. Dixon and Miss Robin Dixon
accompanied Amy Dixon to Winston
Salem.
Kings Mountain Unit 166 also won
four awards during the convention.
Including a plaque to Elizabeth
Stewart and The Mirror-Herald for a
series of feature stories on Kings
Mountain schools, entered In
competition for the Golden Press
Award. The Unit also won two first
prizes In foreign relations, and first
prize for poppy table arrangement.
Meredith McGill To Study
Six Weeks In Scandinavia
Meredith McGill, daughter of Dr.
and Mrs. John C. McGlU, has been
selected to participate In a six-week
Board
Amends
Ordinance
MEREDITH MoGIlX
... going to Scandinavia
study tour In the Scandinavian
countries this summer.
The program, sponsored by the
University of Wlsccmsln and the
University of Sweden-Lund, ^allows
students and professionals In the
field of special education to study
similar programs In Sweden and the
surrounding countries.
Ms. McGill, who attended
Meredith College In Raleigh, grad
uated summa cum lauds from
Appalachian State University In
August, 1977, with a Bachelor of
Science degree In Special Education
and a second major In English.
She Is employed by Greensboro
City Schools where she Is teaching
the autistic adolescent class at
Mclver School.
She Is a member of the National
Society for Autistic Children and of
the North Carolina chapter, and was
recently elected as stats secretary
of the North Carolina Federation of
the Oouncll for Exceptional Children
fbr the year 1978-79.
The city board has approved an
amendment to an ordinance con
cerning the time limit for com
pliance by citizens regarding
clearing weeds and rubbage.
Codes Director Alvin Moretz
recommended the board set a time
limit of 10 days after receipt of a
registered letter from the codes
department.
City Attorney George Thomasson
suggested setting a time limit would
"put teeth Into the ordinance.”
Moretz said If a citizen does not
comply by clearing weeds and
debris from their property within
the time limit the city can do the job
and bill the property owner.
Commissioner Norman King
questioned how stringent the city
wished to be when dealing with
elderly property owners. The board
agreed that In such cases that the
age and capabilities of the pnqiierty
owner to do the job request be taken
Into consideration.
Moretz said the city-owned
property and property owned by any
other entity within the city llntite are
subject to the same limit of time for
compliance.
In other action, the board ac
cepted a petition from three of the
four property owners on Suzanne St.
from Roxford Rd. to Garrison Dr.
for paving. The petition will be
added to the standing paving order
drawn by the city.
Jobs are scheduled In order ac
cording to the date of the petition
received.
— The board approved a leaee-buy
agreement with USI of Charlotte on
a line truck for the electric depart
ment. The 1978 model truck costa
160,644 and will be heavily scheduled
by the department "for the next six
years,” according to Supt Harry
Wilson.
— Mayor John Moss reviewed the
proposed $7,088,886.68 budget for
1878-79 which Indicates the heaviest
Increase Is In the city's three utility
departments.
- Adopted the 1978-79 Revenue
Sharing Budget, which aets $160,000
In general revenue sharing and
$47,228 for capital expenditures.
Grover Hearing
Is Postponed
GROVER - A public hearing on
the proposed budget and revenue
sharing has been postponed until
6:80 p. m. Mon., June 28.
Following the public hearing there
will be a special town board meeting
at city hall for the purpose of action
on the 1978-79 budget.
' MORE ANTIQUES - Kings Mountain Fire dilef
Gene Tignor poses with toe 1916 Amerlcan-LaFrance
Ore engine the department recently purchased for $700
from Randall's Truck Sales of Shelby. The engine will
be restored and placed on display at the new flro
department headquarters In toe Oevernmesital Ser
vices FaclUtles BuUdlng on W. Gold Ot. when the
complex Is completed later this year or early 1879.
State Approves Center
Kings Mountain Convalescent
center has been approved by the
North Carolina Health Care
Faculties Association Peer Review
Thsk Force, Administrator Sue H.
Payne has announced.
Peer review U a self-regulating
effort of member nursing homes to
contlnuaUy Improve the quaUty of
care provided by professional
nursing home administrators and
staff.
Kings Mountain approval came
after a thorough on-slte Inspection
by a team of trained professionals
knowledgeable in all aspects of long
term health care deUvery.
"The concept of peer review end
critique is a self-improvement tool
which benefits member homes and
their residents," said J. Craig
Souza, executive director of the
North Carolina association.
"Associates are often the most
beneficial critics, because they not
only can help define a problem but
can suggest a solution. Effective
solutions are Important to
everyone.”
Among Its benefits, peer review
provides a means of self-dlsclpllna,
and an avenue for greater consumer
understanding and resolution of
problems. It also provides a con
tinuing educational process In
helping to deUver the highest level ot
care at the least possible cost.
Peer review does not supplant the
mass of state and federal regulst-
dons that govern nursing homes.
However, It does add a credible and
professional mechanism developed
by knowledgeable people whose first
concern is quality long term care In
safe and comfortable furroundlnga,
Drainage Policy Established
Through two public hearings, well-
attended by local citizens, the city
has been able to establish policies
and priorities In surface drainage
programs.
A1 Moretz, a city engineer, said
during the public meetings the
present storm water surface
drainage project was reviewed and
afterwards the meeting was thrown
open for general discussion. Moretz
said aerial maps of the city were
used for review purposes.
From cltlssn Input the new city
drainage policies were formed.
Currently the city's drainage
program provides for work within
established flood hazard areas.
Moretz said these areas are
basically the most downstream
creeks and drainage basins.
■•Our present program tends to aid
In relief of more general areas,"
Moretz said. ''However, this
(xogram will allow for the flexibility
to consider other smaller surface
drainage problems where a suf
ficient amount of concern and input
has been received.”
Moretz said progress Is being
made In the area of surface drainage
within the city limits. An additional
amount of money has been set aside
In the city budget for storm water
especially for surface drainage.
"The city has received a grant to
assist In surface drainage,” Moretz
said. "And the city to developing a
storm water policy and In the near
future we will have ordinances more
stringent than those we now have.”
Moretz said an example of the
city's efforts to reduce surface
drainage problems to a requirement
that a site plan for sJl new con
struction be submitted for review
prior to the Issuance ot a building
permit.
"This will place emphasis on
surface di alnage as now to placed on
other utilities,” he said.