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VOL. 95 NUMBER 44
UE [
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1982 - KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
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KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC
Gas
By GARY STEWART
Editor
What keeps going up but
never comes down?
Why, natural gas, naturally.
The City of Kings Mountain
has received three increases by
its supplier-Transcontinental
Gas Pipe Line—in less than a
month.
The board passed along its se-
cond and third increases to
customers at Monday night’s
board meeting, and noted that
the three increases combined
come to 66 cents per MCF, or
1,000 cubic feet.
The city passed along an 18.1
cent increase at its meeting two
weeks ago. Increases of 8.80
cents, effective October 1, and
39.12 cents, effective November
1, were approved Monday night:
City Clerk Joe McDaniel said
the increases would mean a 19
percent hike in bills.
‘Although the city has no alter-
native but to pass along the in-
creases, the board does plan to
attempt to do something about
the steady stream of increases by
Transco.
The board authorized Mayor
John Moss to write the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
urging that it seriously consider
refusing any further increase re-
quests by Transco, and to cir-
Going Up, And
%* kk
Ak
Fok k
Revenue Up $134 Million
HOUSTON --
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Corporation (TGPL), a. sub-
sidiary of Transco Energy Com-
pany, has filed with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) a proposed settlement of
its March 31, 1982 general rate
filing. In conjuction with the set-
tlement, TGPL has aked to
FERC for permission to charge
as of October 1, 1982 interim
rated equivalent to the settle-
ment rates pending final ap-
proval of the agreement.
The settlement agreement pro-
vides for increased annual
revenues of $134 million over
the rates previously in effect and
also provides for a one-year
moratorium on further general
rate increases through
September 30, 1983. This pro-
posal would effectively fix
TGPL’s rates through next sum-
mer, except for those under its
Purchased Gas Adjustments,
and thereby help keep gas com-
petitive in industrial markets
served by TGPL’s customers.
Although the rates reflected in
this agreement are favored by
TGPL, its customers and state
regulatory commissions, the
FERC Staff supports alternate
rates included in the settlement
which would provide increased
annual revenues of $93 million
assuming the same sales level but
with no moratorium period.
As protection, since TGPL
would require increased
revenues in the Spring of 1983
over those contained in the alter-
nate proposal, TGPL last week
filed with the FERC a $117
million annual general rate in-
crease over the interim rates to
become effective in April, 1983.
If the preferred settlement alter-
native is approved by the FERC,
TGPL will withdraw this rate fil-
ing.
TGPL is a Houston-based in-
terstate natural gas pipeline
system serving 69 natural gas
distribution customers in eleven
states in the Southeast and along
the east coast, terminating in the
New York City metropolitan
area. 4
~ Have Happy Halloween
£7 AEs %
The City of Kings Mountain
wants you to have a safe and
iS Shipman) Yipes
happy Halloween.
Despite bans in other cities the
Funeral Services Held
For Matilda Dedmon
MATILDA DEDMON
Miss Matilda Dedmon, 75, of
Kings Mountain died at 8:45
a.m. Saturday at Kings Moun-
tain Convalescent Center follow-
ing several years illness.
A retired employee of
Margrace Mill, she was a
Cleveland County native and
the daughter of the late James
Monroe and Florence Jane Botts
Dedmon.
She was a memeber of Ross
Grove Baptist Church, where
graveside services were con-
ducted Monday at 11 a.m. by
the Rev. Edwin McGinnis and
the Rev. J.C. Goare.
She is survived by one
brother, Spurgeon Dedmon of
Shelby; and four sisters, Mrs.
Kathleen Allen, Mrs. Oveda
Pruett and Mrs. Sarah Glascoe,
all of Shelby, and Mrs. Brady
(Annie Laura) Dover of Grover.
local
| government feels that
Halloween can be a safe and
happy occasion for thousands of
youngsters who go trick or
treating in a safe and supervised
way.
Mayor John Henry Moss and
the Kings Mountain Police
Department have their minds on
both a pleasant celebration and
the safety of the holiday. With
this in mind the police depart-
ment’s crime division has issued
safety tops to make this “ghost
and goblin night” ‘safe for
children and property.
There’s little risk involved
when parents accompany their
children on trick or treat visits to
the homes of friends, neighbors,
and relatives. It is when children
are sent out unsupervised into
the night to knock on doors that
there is a real threat of danger.
Children need to be especially
careful from who they accept
treats this year. That makes it
more important that those who
plan to trick or treat stay in their
own neighborhoods, and knock
on doors of people they know.
Turn To Page 6-A
p, And U
culate petitions in the city for
citizens to sign.
Even the commissioners,
though, doubt that the efforts
will pay off.
Earlier in the year, the board
sent a resolution to the N.C.
Utilities Commission urging it to
refuse constant increase requests
from Duke Power, the city’s
electricity supplier. Like natural
gas, electricity has also steadily
increased.
“This is a very serious pro-
blem,” Moss told the board. “It
behooves all of us to convey to
“ the Utilities Commission and
those responsible for reviewing
requests to be aware that this is a
very difficult problem for us to
continually face these increases.”
Moss said the constant in-
creases are especially tough on
persons on fixed incomes and the
unemployed. -
Commissioner Jim Dickey
was very upset about the in-
creases. Transco notified the city
of the October increase only last
Saturday, and then on Monday
the city received word of the
November increase.
“About a year ago we had you
(Moss) writé the Utilities Com-,
mission. Evidently, it didn’t do
any good,” Dickey said. “These
. people are guaranteed a certain
income. I don’t know of anyone
else who is guaranteed an in-
come. This is ridiculous and we
have no assurance that there
won’t be another one.”
Dickey, who has worked in in-
dustry for several years, said it’s
- not right that utility companies
can pass along the cost of con-
struction and repairs to their
customers.
“Private industry doesn’t have
that opportunity,” he said.
“They always modernize or ex-
pand out of their profits. But it
doesn’t work that way with
+ utilities.”
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Commissioner Jim Chiféérs
noted that about a year to g.m
and a half ago Transco
the city a 45 cents redy™"
“But’ now thee § oH
back plus 21 cents,”
don’t look forward to) %
creases. But what are you Ln
to do when Congress sits “up
there and deregulates?”
In view of the three recent in-
creases, the city is taking steps to
form an Energy Use and Conser-
vation Steering Committee to
develop ideas to help citizens in
€nergy costs.
Mayor Moss said the commit-
tee, which will be named within
a week, will include members of
the board of commissioners and
citizens.
Meetings will be held during
the afternoon for the benefit of
the elderly and unemployed and
at night for the benefit of the
employed.
Turn To Page 6-A
Tuesday Is Election Day
Kings Mountain area citizens
will go to the polls Tuesday to of-
ficially put in office several of-
ficials' who for all practical pur-
poses won seats in the June
primary.
In only two of the area races
will the voters have a choice.
In the 25th Senatorial | District,
incumbent Democrats Ollie Har-
ris of Kirnigs Mountain and Helen
Rhyne Marvin and Marshall
Rauch of Gastonia face opposi-
tion from Republican Walter H.
Windley of Gastonia and Liber-
tarian Alan Jones of Kings
Mountain. ;
In the race for the U.S. Con-
gress from the 10th District, in-
cumbent Republican James T.
Broyhill of Lenoir faces Liber-
tarian Jhon Rankin of Gastonia.
All other races were decided in
the primary.
However, there is a campaign
underway to try to elect
Cleveland County Sheriff Dale
Costner on a write-in. Costner,
who was appointed to his post
two years ago when long-time
Sheriff Haywood Allen retired,
was soundly defeated in the
primary by former Deputy Bud-
dy MeKinney.
W. Hamp Childs is unopposed
for District Attorney from
District 27-B; John J. “Jack”
Hunt, Edith Ledford Lutz and
Charles “Babe” Owens are unop-
posed for State House seats from
the 48th District; L.E. “Josh”
WALTER WINDLEY
MARSHALL RAUCH
Hinnant and David M. “Pete”
Stamey are unopposed for seats
on the Cleveland County Board
of Commissioners; Ruth S. Ded-
OLLIE HARRIS
HELEN MARVIN
mon is unopposed for Clerk of
Superior Court; and Ralph Mit-
chem is unopposed for Cleveland
County Coroner.
OPERA AT WEST - Opera Can Be Fun, a pro-
gram sponsored by the Division of Arts of the
Department of Instruction to introduce opera
as an art to students, was presented Tuesday
at West School. In photo at left, members of
the opera troupe perform for the students. Left
to right are Timothy Braden, Elaine Durham,
Erika Wheeler and William Mangham. In
photo at right, some West students participate
in “The Elixir of Love” which featured Doctor
Dulcamard’s Medicine Show. Students par-
Layton,
Wright, Betsy McIntyre, Cindy Moore, Rivers
ticipating included Scott
Lenny
. Smith, Michelle Timms. Scott Belcher, Sharon
Cobb, Ryan Hollifield and Donna Young. The
program was coordinated by Shirley Austin,
Jane Shields, Karen Burton and Jackie Hope of
the Kings Mountain School System.
Photos by Gary Stewart
EDN
EE