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VOL. 90, NO. 19
MARCH 8, 1979
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AFTER THE FIRE - Firefighter Joe Left-
wlch is shown coming down from the upper level
of the new city hall where he had been checking
for further damage Monday. The nutln switch
Photo by Tom McIntyre
panel in the mechanical room exploded and
burned Monday morning. Hie transformer at
left was also destroyed when the panel and
wiring burned.
9 0
Grover Board Squabbles
Ovei; Police Radar Purchase
» v»
By EUZABETH STEWART
Staff Writer
GROVER—Some citizens In the
audience at Monday's Town Board
meeting took exception to Oomm.
Harold Herndon’s statement that
"we don't need a radar unit In
Grover nor a police officer to run
down speeders."
ITie Issue surfaced after Police
Oommlssloner Martha Byers an
nounced that a new radar unit for
Police Chief Lionel Barnes had been
purchased at cost of $1200.
Oomm. Herndon had asked Mrs.
Byers, “If It’s In the budget can a
department head spend the money
as he sees fit without bringing It
before the board?" and Mrs. Byers
had replied, "I’d think so, cer
tainly.”
Mrs. Byers told the board that the
radar unit had been purchased at
“considerable savings of $680“ from
a $2000 allotment In the police
budget for equipment. “We are
expected to live by the laws", she
(Please Turn To Page SA)
Asset8 Reach $20-Million
During February Kings Mountain
Savings and Loan reached
$20,000,000 In assets.
“February was a continuation of
growth In service of the
association,” said Gary Whitaker,
executive vice president and
managing officer. "Reaching this
milestone further broadened the
base available to customers of Kings
Mountain Savings and Loan."
Whitaker said the association Is
proud of the confidence shown In t by
the residents of Kings Mountain and
area “and we pledge to continue In
the future to provide the highest
degree of safety, service and
security available."
The Association was founded In
1907 and In eight years had assets of
$38,488.00. Continuing to grown, 1966
found the firm over the million
dollar mark with assets of
$1,680,877.00. Modest compared to
todays achievement but Impressive
nevertheless.
The Association Is a member of
the Federstl Home Loan Bank, The
United States Savings and Loan
League, The North Carolina Savings
and Loan League, The Savings and
Loan Foundation, and Its depositors
funds are Insured by the Federal
Savings and Loan Insurance Cor
poration to the full legal limit.
The Federal Savings and Loan
Insurance Corporation (FSLIC)
coverage Is perhaps one of the most
Important services provided
customers. The FSLIC is an agency
of the federal government provided
by an act of congress to assure
depositors that there Is no safer
place for their funds.
Whitaker said the directors, of
ficers and staff are proud of the $20-
mllllon mark suid are even more
determined to provide the service
“that will say thank you.”
Sunday’s heavy rains caused some
flooding and property damage In
Kings Mountain.
The damages also brought out
cries for help from some citizens,
who feel the city has not done all It
can to make sure surface waters
does not wash them away.
James B. Oole of Belvedere, Clr,
called The Hersdd Monday to tell
about the surface water destroying
his driveway and to complain that he
has “asked the city to do something
about drainage In that area for
several years."
G.L. McDaniel, 8(M Juniper St.,
had a similar complaint about lack
of action on the city’s part con
cerning surface drainage.
McDaniel did not lose a driveway,
but a two-tier, eight inch concrete
block wall along side his driveway
was knocked down by the courlng
water Sunday.
Like Cole, McDaniel said, “I have
been preaching storm drainage for
years, but It doesn’t seem to do any
good."
Cole’s drainage problem was
looked Into, according to City
Ehiglneer Alvin Moretz. “We ex
tended drainage pipe on down below
Mr. Cole’s property. The problem
Sunday was the unusual amount of
rainfall. The pipe Just could not hold
all of the surface water."
In McDaniel’s case, he says his
problem Is surface water hitting his
property from behind his home and
from the street side. “With the
construction of Home Savings and
Loan Association three blocks up
and the new apartments on Gold
Street, the surface run off has grown
stronger," he said. “And Its always
the same. The city says It can do
nothing on private property."
Moretz said there are numerous
complaints on file now since Sun
day’s rains. “There are Incidents of
basements being flooded, furnaces
being shorted out, lawns being
eroded and yards standing In
water," he said.
The engineer said city crews have
been out driving all over town since
the rain, clearing clogged drains and
drainage pipes.
“We have had reports of drainage
problems In the city In areas where
they have been no problems before
under normal rainfall,” Moretz said.
(Please Turn to Page 6A)
Transformer Also Destroyed
Fire Destroys Wiring
At New KM Gty HaU
Seconds after the primary panel
switch In the mechanical room at the
new city hall was closed fire leaped
through the circuits destroying
panel, primary wiring and a tran
sformer Monday.
Two members of Caldwell
Electrical Co., sub-contractor of the
new building on S. Cherokee St.,
were in the mechanlced room when
the panel exploded. Neither man
was hurt, according to KM Fire
Chief Gene Tlgnor.
TTgnor and several members of
the fire department had been Invited
to the site earlier to see a demon
stration on how the electrical system
functioned. “It wets some demon
stration,” Tlgnor said. “One of the
electrical workers closed the switch
and the next thing we knew they
were racing out of the building."
Firefighters quickly smothered
the flames, but not before the surge
of power on the primary line caused
by the explosion Inside had caused
the transformer outside to explode
and bum.
The explosion and fire occurred
about 10:30a.m. Monday and caused
a power outage In the area. Tlgnor
said the outage was Indirectly
responsible for at least one private
residence fire two hours after the
Incident.
“George Wilson of 90S Southwood
Dr. had been cooking In his kitchen
when the outage occurred,” Tlgnor
said. “He waited for awhile, then
went down to his basement den
where he fell asleep. He had
forgotten to turn his range off. When
the power came back on the grease
In the frying pan on the range cooked
until It caught fire."
Wilson was unaware of the fire in
his kitchen, which did an estimated
$6,000 damages, and was alerted to
the fact when firemen banged on his
door and awakened him.
The fire at the new city hall,
although quickly extinguished,
caused some smoke damage In other
areas of the building. Alvin Moretz,
city engineer, said, “The damage
was not as bad as It could have been
had any extensive painting been'
done.”
The electrical contractor has been
tracing the wiring and examining
the main panel to determine what
exactly caused the tire. At preasOme
the cause had not been determined.
Moretz said new switching gear Is
now being especially made to
replace the destroyed unit and a new
transformer Is being sought.
Moretz said the secondary wiring
and switching panels were not
liarmed In the fire and are still
functioning. He said the prlmsuyr
unit has been operational about four
months prior to Monday’s fire.
This Saturday
Students Will Dance
To Raise MD Funds
Kings Mountain Senior High
students, with more than 360 ex
pected to participate, will dance In a
12 hour Dance-A-Thon Saturday
Sr ,<41
Weekend Rains Rack
XTp KM Property Damage
I
Photo by Tom McIntyre
SURVEYS WATER DAMAGE - O.L. McDaniel of 304 Juniper St.
surveys the damage to a concrete block wall following Sunday
night’s heavy rainfall. Surfhce water damage was high all over
the city due to the abnormal downpour.
from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. for benefit
of the Muscular Dystrophy cam
paign.
Events, which get underway with
a Key Club Push-a-car-athon at 7
turn, wllllnclude Bible Club water
bombing, teacher dunking, French
club-sponsored monopoly-a-thon,
skateboard-a-thon, FHA Rock-a-
thon and disco dancing with area
disc jockeys to provide en
tertainment, plus many more ac
tivities.
Steve Baker, high school faculty
sponsor for the benefit, said that 60
students from Future Business
Leaders of America chapter and
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
sponsored a weekend 20-mlle Blke-a-
thon and a 10-mlle walk-a-thon and
received pledges totaling over
$3,000. Last year KMSHS studenU
earned more than $6,600 and the
locsd student body raised the highest
amount In the state for muscular
dystrophy.
"This year 326 students have
signed pledge sheets to participate
In various events all day Saturday’’.
said Baker, a good Indication, he
said, that this year’s event will again
attract record participation and
pledges. More than 200 students will
be dancing, 60 students will be
rocking and more than 20 students
will be skating In events slated for
the KMSHS gymnasium.
’ 'We Invite the community to Join
us In these activities (see schedule In
this sectllon) and to dance along
with the dancers for a donation of
$1”, said Baker.
Mayor John Henry Moss has
proclaimed this week as “Muscular
Dystrophy Week” in Kings Moun
tain.
Muscular Dystrophy Is a disease
that strikes children, young and
middle-aged adults alike, causing
muscle fiber to deteriorate so that
SLfflicted muscles are no loner
useful.
“Our students will be dancing for
others who cannot but who will be
special guests during the day and
evening," said Baker.
Donation$ Sought
Mayor John Mom will name a
committee to handle donatlona of
shrubbery, plantings and other
mobllla for the Governmental
Services Facilities Building
property on Mar. 1$.
The mayor said he would like to
see at least two trees of the same
type donated for planting on ttie W.
Gold and S. Cherokee St. sides — the
trees to be decorated at Christmas.
Any citizen Interested In donating
to this project Is asked to call the
mayor’s office - 739-2636.