$7-Million Budget Is Adopted
By TOM McIntyre
Editor, Mirror-Herald
A record t7-mlUlon budget was
adopted by city commissioners
Monday night for the fUcal year
1978-79 and the tax rate was left at 65
cents per $100 valuation.
The budget projected revenues
and expenditures remained un
changed from first reading through
last prior to the adoption vote.
Mayor John Moss stated In his
budget message that the 66 cents per
6100 valuation Is continuing “for the
fifth consecutive yesu* . . . and Is
essentially the same rate since
1964.”
The increase In the budget figures
is due mainly to the upgrading of the
city’s utilities. Expenditures for
the water and sewer system are
budgeted at $607,724. For the electric
and power system, $1,748,860 and the
natural gas system, $1,279,200.
Expenditures under general funds
lo'tal $1,906,008. Broken down, the
expenditures Include; Cemetery
Dept., $42,072; municipal ad
ministrative dept., ., $168,844.61;
sanitary dept., $189,726; street dept.,
$226,748; police, $818,098.87; fire.
$100,160; general, $462,000;
recreation, $118,418.92; public works
administration, $88,894.60; garage-
vehicle inalntence, $89,609;
properties and maintenance,
$77,941.60; and englneeiing-codes -
Inspections, $41,621.
’^e new budget calls fbr payment
THUR9[W’9
KIMGS MOUMTWh MIRROR
VOL. 89 NO. 62
KINGS MOUNTAIN. NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY. JUNE 29,1978
15c
HGRMD
An 8 Percent Increase
Grover Buclget Is $124,037.75
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff Writer
GROVER — The Town Bosird
Monday night unanimously adopted
a $124,087.76 budget reflecting sui
eight percent Increase over flscsil
year 1977-78 while maintaining the
same tax rate of .86 per $100
valuation.
Action came after an hour public
hearing on budget propoasds which
attracted about 80 citizens who
made a number of suggestions
which were Incorporated Into the
budget.
Among them:
The File Department wlu got sui
additional $1600 for a walkie-talkie
and two air pack bottles; an addition
of $60 each was voted to Fire Chief
Joe Boheler and Cemetery Supt.
Glenn Rountree’s annual $60
allotment for travel expenses; an
addition of $160 to the rescue squad’s
$160 allotment; and ad
Itlon of $760 to town hall expenses for
re roofing.
Comm. Tommy Keeter also
suggested that a second policeman
be added to the town’s one-man
police force suid suggested $10,000
from surplus monies of ap
proximately $16,000 be budgeted. He
said that a second policeman would
enable the department to maintain
two shifts with the second policeman
using the same car as Chief Lionel
Barnes. The board agreed to In
vestigate the possibility of sup
plementary aid from the state and
report at the July meeting July
10th.
Th question from Quay Moss If
policeman salaries were In line with
deputies In the county. Mayor Bill
McCarter replied In the affirmative.
’Ihe Grover police budget totals
$18,670.40 for this year, excluding
the addition of another officer.
Mayor McCarter, responding to
questions about Grover’s sewer
system from Ray Cash, said that It
will cost approximately $108,000 for
an addition to reroute Its proposed
sewer system to City of Kings
Mountain treatment plant because
the sewer system In the area of the
Mlnette Mill and Grover Industries
must be redesigned to separate the
mill sewage from residential.
Relating to drawings for the new
gystem sis far back as 1974, Mc
Carter said that It was the board’s
original Intention to treat waste at
the mill system but that Grover’s
mills, Mlnette, Har-Ray and Grover
Industries, were In process of ex
pansion and had suggested that the
town use the Kings Mountain
teclimes. Building of additional
lines, engineering, and construction
costs still amount to approximately
$106,000. Grover has applied for
several grants, McCarter said.
Overall cost of the sewer project,
which began four years ago, U over
$1 million.
Replying to question of Ray Cash,
Mayor McCarter estimated that cost
of average expense to home owner to
be hooked up to the sewer system
would be minimum of $8 per month
“and could be lower.’’ If a
homeowner taps onto the line before
construction geU underway, no Up
on fee wUl be charged, explained
McCarter, the owner Incurring
SKfienaes from the property line to
Ms resldsnce.
Among other suggestions for
which no action was officially taken
but council meiTibers IndlcaUd the
budget would “Uke care of" were:
(Please Tom To Page $/*)
Li
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AREA’S FIRST FARMER AT FARMER’S MARKET
— 'nmmy Huffman, 18, was the area’s first farmer to
begin business this week In the Fanner’s Market at
Depot Center, offering fresh garden vegetables to the
Photo By Lib Stewart
public. Pictured with Timmy are some of his first
customers, front row, Alma Thornburg, Mabel Bridges,
Josephine McAbee, Rosa Goins; back row, Beulah
Houser, Sarah Crockett and WUUe McSwain.
4th Activities Planned
Fourth of July activities In Kings
Mountain ’Tuesday will be an all-day
celebration at the KM Community
Center under sponsorship of the
Parks A Recreation Department.
Entertainment for all ages la
planned. Including golf, softball,
hole-ln-one contests, diving, hor
seshoe tournaments, watermelon
and Ice cream feasting, sack races,
greuy pole climbs, and swimsuit
competition for young ladles, among
other attractions.
One Issue
Next Week
Because of the July 4th holiday
Tuesday, The Mirror-Herald will
publish only one edition next week,
appearing under date of Wednesday,
July 6th.
General Manager Darrell Austin
said that this policy will benefit both
subecribers and advertisers. Mall
subscribers will receive their paper
on Wednesday morning.
The Mirror-Herald offices on S.
Piedmont Ave. will be closed on
Thursday, July 6th.
The following deadlines will be
observed for next week’s edition;
Social deadline for news of wed
dings, etc., la Friday at6p. m.; news
deadline Is Monday at 8 p. m. and
advertising deadline Is Monday at S
p m.
"We appreciate the community’s
cooperation." said Mr. Austin.
Events begin at 10 a. m. and close
at 10 p. m. with a big fireworks
display. Awards will be presented at
9 p. m.
Tlie Calendar of Events:
10 a. m.-l2 noon — Putt Golf
Tbumament. Age groups of 8-18, 14-
18, Sind over 18. Entry fee Is 60 cents.
10 a. m.-l2 noon — Free Throw
Contests. Age groups of 8-10, 11-18,
14-16 and over 18. Entry fee Is 26
cents.
10 a. m.-8 p. m. Volleyball ’Tour
nament. Teams will consist of six
members with three males and
three females. Entry fee Is one
dollar per team.
10 a. m.-6 p. m. — Hole-ln-One
Contest. Entry fee Is 26 cents.
10 a. m.-2 p. m. — Open Tennis
’Ibumament. Entry fee: singles, $1;
doubles, $2.
10 a. m.-8 p. m. — Firecracker
softbaU classic at Deal Street Park.
10:80 a. m. — Diving Contest at
Pool. Dlv. 1 - 6 to9years; Dlv. II, 10
to 12 years; Dlv. Ill, 18 years and up.
11 a. m.-l p. m. — Horseshoe
tournament. Entry fee, 60 cents per
team.
11:16 a. m. - Penny Diving. Pool,
six years to 10 years old.
11:80 a. m. — Watermelon Dive,
Pool. 10 years and up.
11:46 a. m. — Floating Contest,
Diving Well, 10 years and up.
12 noon — Special feature — Scuba
Diving Presentation.
1 p. m. - Free Style Swimming
Contest. Dlv. I - sU years to nine;
Dlv. II, 10 years to 12; Dlv. Ill, 18
years and up.
1 p. m. — Watermelon eating
contest, entry fee 26 cents.
1 p. m. Ice Cream eating contest.
,, entry fee 26 cents.
1:16 p. m. Ice “sitting” contest.
Free.
(Please Turn ’To Page 8A)
Center
Dedicated
July 2
13-Year Old
Businessman
Opens Stand
’Timmy Huffman, i8-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. ’Ted Huffman of the
Dixon Community, Is the first area
"farmer” to begin business In the
Farmer’s Market at the Depot
Center.
Young Huffman was offering fresh
green beans, onions, potatoes and
squash at low prices to his first
buyers, who were participating In
the annual Senior Citizens program
at the Depot Center.
Rev. Kenneth George, director of
the city’s Aging Program, said he
expected the Farmer’s Market to
become a beehive of activity In
weeks to come as farmers hsuwest
tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers,
cantaloupes, watermelons and other
crops.
“We haven’t had much rain
lately,” said young Huffman, “but
we expect to have a lot more fresh
produce to offer. He said his family
expects to offer a variety of produce
at the Market.
’Timmy was on duty at 7:80 a. m.
Monday morning and by lunchtime,
when his father stopped by with a
sandwich for lunch, was enjoying a
busy morning.
Some of his first customers were
Alma ’Thornburg, Mabel Bridges,
Josephine McAbee, Rosa Goins,
Beulah Houser, Sarah Crockett and
Wmie Mae McSwaln.
“I’m gonna put up a big sign and
start advertising,” said young
Huffman.
Other area farmers Interested In
using the Market to display and offer
fresh farm products to the com
munity are encouraged to contact
Rev. Gtoorge at Depot Center.
Young Huffman said prices are
"much, much below” those on the
grocery shelves. Fresh green beems,
for instance, were going for 60 cents
a pound.
Dedication ceremonies and open
house for the Kings Mountain
Citizens Service Center are
scheduled at 2:80 p. m. Sunday, July
2.
The center Is located at 1018 N.
Piedmont Ave.
Spesiklng Sunday will be Sen. Ollle
Harris of Kings Mountain, Sen.
Helen Rhyne Marvin of Gastonia
and County Commission Chairman
Jack Palmer of Shelby. Also District
One Commissioner James Childers,
who served as chairman of the
building committee for the Citizens
Service Center.
Sunday's Invocation will be
delivered by Howard Jackson of the
water and sewer department and the
benediction by Fred Watson of the
street department. Ribbon-cutting
ceremonies will be handled by the
city's two oldest public works em
ployes.
The center Is dedicated to the
service of local citizens, with
operations beginning Monday, and
the public Is Invited to attend Sun
day's program.
(xi bond principal of $180,000 and on
bond Interest, $149,746. Fiscal
agency fees payments total $600.
On capital Improvements an
expenditure of $822,074.88 Is Included
In the new budget.
The largest capital outlavs In this
section of the budget are under the
utilities departments. Water sind
Sewer Dept, outlays total $104,000
for materlsds, a lift station (or the
Northwoods Subdivision, a walkie-
talkie and a one-ton service truck.
The eledtrtc dept, outlays totals
$60,000 and Includes purchase of a
line truck, a half-ton pickup truck,
hand portable radio, meters and an
electric meter tester. The gas dept,
outlays totals $20,000 (or an electric
welder sind trailer pipe, meters,
fittings and valves sind a desk
calculator.
Two mowers will be purcltased (or
the cemetery dept., a truh loading
machine, 20-yaiM rearend loading
garbage truck and a half-ton pickup
truck for the sanitation dept, and
four new patrol cars for the police
department.
A tandem wheel dump truck Is one
of the items to be purchased for the
street dept. The fire dept, will
purchase 20 pagers, one walkie-
talkie and a mini pumper truck.
Outlay for the recreation dept, will
be for a picnic building at Davidson
Park, play equipment for both Deal
and Davidson parks, baseball-
softbsdl field Improvements at both
Deal and Davidson and equipment
for the Deal St. Community Center.
Under street Improvements a total
of $112,000 Is budgeted (or curb,
gutter and paving construction
during the coming flscstl year. An
additional $100,000 Is earmarked for
resurfacing and repairing streets to
Insure maintenance (or the ap
proximately 64.4 miles of hard
surface streets plus 0.7C miles of
stone-gravel streets Inside the city.
Other Improvements to be un
dertaken In 1978-76 Include seeking
bids to enlarge the storage capacity
for the Kings Mountain Water
System by 2 million gallons per day.
Also during the new fiscal year the
Governmental Services Facilities
Building, the new city hall, will be
completed and will house the (Ire
department. This leaves the present
dty hall free for FMiovatlon to house
the entire police department.
Also expected to be completed Is
the 10,000 square foot expansion of
the community center and the
beginning of the plan to expemd the
Deal St. recreational complex.
.'..-teis'
-X
Hamrick
Appointed
As Judge
Gov. Jim Hunt today named
George W. Hamrick of Shelby
District Court judge (or Judicial
District 27-B which Includes
Cleveland and Lincoln Counties.
His term will begin July 1, 1978.
Hamrick has been practicing
attorney since 1968. He Is also
director of M A J Financial Corp. He
Is chairman of the board of Law
Examiners Candidate Committee,
and member and former president
of the Cleveland County Bar
Association and a member of the NC
Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Hamrick received his Bachelor of
Science Degree and Law Degree
from Wake Forest University.
JOSEPH R. SMITH
.., of Kings Mountain
Smith
Elected
To Post
Joseph R. Smith of Kings
Mountain has been elected president
and managing officer of First Stock
Savings and Losui Corp. of Gastonia.
Prior to taking the executive
position at First Stock, Smith was
vice president of flnwce for Foust
Textiles for four years. Before this
position he was executive vice
president and managing officer of
Kings Mountain Savings and Loan
Association.
A Florida native. Smith la a for
mer president of the Kings Mountain
Rotary dub, former president of the
KM Jaycees and presently serves as
chairman of the develand County
Shelter Home.
Smith and his wife, Nancy, are the
parents of three children. They are
members of St. Matthew’s Lutheran
Church where Smith serves as
superintendent of Sunday School.
Located In Gastonia’s Akers
Shopping Center, First Stock
Savings and Loan Corp. Is the drat
stockholder owned SAL chartered In
North Carolina. The corporation has
assets of $8.7-mllllon.