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Of Year
Kathryn Blanton, an energetic
elementary teacher from North
School, was named Teacher Of
The Year during the Kings Moun-
tain District Schools service
awards Randuay held Monday
night at the high school,
ore than 300 persons attend-
ed the first annual banquet to
honor retiring teachers
volunteers, school service and
support personnel and the
system’s outstanding educators.
“I did not envy the selection’s
committee’s task of selecting the
Teacher Of The Year from those
eight nominated,”” said
Superintendent Dr. Robert
McRae. ‘‘Any one would be an
outstanding selection, but all I
can tell you about this year’s win-
ner is that when I leave her
classroom I feel good all over.”
Mrs. Blanton is a 12 year
veteran of the local school
system, serving the past eight as
a first grade teacher,
Others nominated for the
Turn To Page 10-A
L
2
toi é
ss 4
Awards Banquet.
Beginning each day surround- always wanted to be the
ed by ix Hy watching them teacher.”
learn and gain confidence, giving The love for teaching was in-
love and getting it in stilled in Kathryn by her parents,
return....these are only a few Lina and Alex Owens of Kings
reasons that Kathryn Blanton, Mountain, Lina is a retired voca-
Kings Mountain's Teacher Of tional school teacher, and Alex
The Year, enjoys her profession. served on the school board from
“I love school, even from the 1967-1979. Two of Kathryn's
very beginning as a child I have sisters, Ann Bennett and
always enjoyed it and wanted to Margaret Rhodes, also teach in
become a teacher,” said the Kings Mountain system, and a
North School First grade third, Susan Brown, earned a
teacher. “I can remember play- teaching certificate but later
ing school in the basement with
my sister, Margaret, and I
chose a career as a dental
hygenist.
WELL WISHES---Kathryn Blanton, right, receives congratulations from friends Monday night
after being named Kings Mountain Teacher Of The Year during the school system's First Annual
Katherine Blanton Loves Teaching
Like most teachers, Mrs, Blan-
ton enjoys the interaction with
her students. *‘I like loving the
students and being loved in
return. I am very blessed that
God has given me a talent, and
that talent is teaching. I wish
that all educators could love
their work as much as I do. I
think that my children realize
that I am happy and they are
glad to be there.” ;
Mrs. Blanton graduated from
Kings Mountain High School,
earned an Associate Degree
from Wingate College and a
City Manager George Wood
announced the resignation of Ci-
ty Recreation Director George
Adams and the appointment of
Tom Fields of Pinehurst as
Building and Zoning Inspector at
Tuesday night's meeting of City
Council at the Governmental
Services Facilities Center.
Adams, who si
has headed the
recreation}
department for |
10 years, is leav- |g
ing June 10. He [§
plans to move to
Bridgeport,| }
Conn., where he
will join the
school system
there Ine igh
school basket- :
ball coach. ‘ADAMS
“I just feel like this is a great
time for me to get back into what
I really love, and that’s basket-
ball,” Ye told the board. “I have
a lot of fine momories of Kings
Mountain. I’ve enjoyed working
with city and the citizens.”
Adams was a high school All-
American basketball player at
KMHS, and later starred at
Gardner-Webb College, where he
made All-American three years
and set 15 school scoring and re-
bounding records which stil
stand. He played four years of
pro basketball with the
Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA
and the San Diego Conquistadors
of the ABA. After leaving pro
basketball, he returned to
Gardner-Webb to complete work
on his degree and joined the city
Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment in June of 1978.
“It will be hard to replace
George,” commented Mayor
Kyle Smith. “He did a fine job.
We always hate to lose good peo-
ple but we wish him well in his
well in hiw new endeavor.”
Adams will be teaching and
coaching in a city school system
that has eight 4-A high schools.
He says he and his wife will drive
to Bridgeport on June 12 to make
living arrangements. Adams has
four brothers and one sister liv-
ing in Connecticut and two of his
brothers teach in the Bridgeport
system.
“It’s hard to leave Kings
Mountain,” he said. “The people
have been very cooperative. I
can’t thank them enough for the
support they’ve given me
through the years. In leaving, I
don’t leave any hard feelings and
I hope no one has any toward me,
Everything I did might not have
been right but I can truthfully
say I leave no enemies behind
me.”
Adams said he is impressed
with the new city administration
and feels the town is headed in
the right direction.
“Kings Mountain has a lot of
things to be thankful for,” he
said. “For a small town, it has
the facilities and the resources,
and with the newly-appointed
people in the administration, I
feel there is going to be a lot of
progress. The only thing I regret
is that I won’t be a part of it. But
for several years I’ve been lean-
ing toward getting back into
basketball and I just feel like this
is a great time to move.”
Adams thanked Mr. and Mrs.
Pau! Hendricks Jr., Carl Cham-
pion, Everette Thombs, Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Bridges, Dennis
Conner, Vernon Smith, former
Mayor John Moss, Mayor Kyle
Superintendent of Public Instruction,
tionship with principals throughout the state. Here,
0’Shields, prinicpal of Central School. Supt. Bob McRae,
his brief tour of KM District Schools.
PHOTOS BY DARRIN GRIGGS
VISITS WITH PRINCIPAL-Dr. Craig Phillips, left, who is retiring in January after 20 years State
said what he liked best over the years has been the close rela-
Dr. Phillips, left, talks with Mrs. Glenda
center, was host to Supt. Phillips during
Adams Resigns, New Inépecior Hired
Bachelor of Science Degree and
a Master of Arts Degree from
Appelacplar State University.
She returned to Kings Mountain
and taught three years in
Kindergarten, one year as a
reading lab instructor and the
past eight as a first grade in-
structor, i
“My parents’ love for people
has played an important role in
making me the kind of teacher I
am, Because I say things that my
parents said to me that are
Turn To Page 2-A
Smith and city manager George
Wood for their support. ‘there
are a lot of others who helped
make my stay pleasant,” he
said, “I’m going to miss them.”
Fields is currently the Chief
Building and Zoning Inspector in
Pinehurst and will assume his
duties here on June 15. Until that
all permit requests will be ac-
cepted by Fran Black but will not .
be issued until they are approved
by the city manager.
Fields has Level III certifica-
tion (the highest level possible)
in mechanical, plumbing, elec-
trical and general construction,
as well as training from the In-
stitute of Government in zoning
administration. He is a 20-year
veteran of the U.S. Air Force and
has held statewide offices in
several inspection associations.
According to Wood, he
established a ‘first-rate’ inspec-
tion system in Pinehurst over a
"three-year period. He previously
worked in the inspection depart-
ments in Fayetteville and Cary.
Wood said, prior to Fields’ ar-
rival here, that he would like to
Turn To Page 11-A
Police Cracking
Down On Drugs
Kings Mountain police are
cracking down on under age
drinking and drug use.
Eight youngsters were ar-
rested during the past week and
officers promise that even more
arrests will be made if the in-
cidents continue.
Police will beef up its patrol of
local ballparks and other public
places, including the picnic and
other areas of Moss Lake.
Police also reported several
acts of vandalism and larceny
during the pay! week.
Last night, someone entered
Peggy's Restaurant on Piedmont
Avenue and attempted to break
in at Bridges Radio and TV in the
same area. At Peggy's, an
undetermined amount of change
and a large quantity of cigaret-
tes, candy and gum was stolen.
Later, police were called to
Bridges Radio & TV where the
burglar alarm had sounded.
They found a heavily damaged
metal door with pry marks on it,
and then when they got inside the
building, they noticed a loose
skylight. An employee went onto
the roof of the building and found
several packs of cigarettes and
candy bars.
Turn To Page 11-A
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VoL. 101 NUMBER 21 WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1988 KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH cae = z=
; =r
Blanton [ 2
City Cant Add ::
oN
Teacher ity Lan t | =
| =<
Sewer Custome
BY GARY STEWART
Managing Editor
The State Division of En-
vironmental Management has
placed a sewer moratorium on
he city of Kings Mountain and
will not allow the city to add an
new customers to the Pilot Cree
Wastewater Treatment facility
i discharge requirements are
met,
New City Manager George
Wood made the announcement at
Tuesday night's meeting of the
Board of Commissioners,
Wood has ordered all city of-
ficials who deal with issuing per-
mits for, or installing tap-ons for
sewer service, to not accept any
new customers, His order states
that city employees are not
‘under any circumstances’ to
‘issue a permit for a sewer tap
or agree to issue a perl for a
sewer tap at any uture date;
lan, buid or replace any sewer
ines; accept any subdivision
plats requiring sewage treat-
ment; or give any oral or written
committments or implied com-
mitments that the city will fur-
nish sewage treatment service
now or in the future.”
He said his directive will re-
main in effect until he issues
written notice to the contrary.
The state issued the mora-
torium because the city has ex-
ceeded its capacity of treatment
at the Pilot Creek facility. A let-
ter to the city from Forrest R.
Westall, Regional Water Quality
Supervisor with the Asheville
Regional Office, dated May 6,
said the facility cannot ‘‘ade-
quately treat its current or any
additional waste flow.”
Until the problem is corrected,
new industries such as Sheller-
A & y nr" y 3
z {7 Gleye on Grover Rodd, and new
Tuesday night's meeting because
of the sewage treatment pro-
blems,
Jim Sheppard of the Division
of Environmental Management
said Kings Mountain's
moratorium was imposed
because the Pilot Creek plant is
“high on its total of suspended
silage’ which is released into
area streams, He said Kings
Mountain had been operatin
under a special order of consen
(SOC) which gave the cit
‘‘somewhat relaxed limits until
they could upgrade or figure out
some way to get their plant into
compliance.”
Sheppard said state and city of-
ficials met Tuesday to try to
work out a plan of action, and
said all parties hope Kings Moun-
tain can ‘‘re-habilitate its aera-
tion base by July 1” which they
hope will put the plant back into
full compliance,
He said the city is subject to
fines if it exceeds its limits on the
amount of suspended silage
released,
“It's automatic, If a plant is
not in compliance it cannot ac-
cept any additional flow,” Shep-
pard said,
The latest action against the ci-
ty came about after city officials
requested a relocation of flows in
its SOC to accomodate Sheller-
Globe. The city had been notified
in February that the Pilot Creek
plant was out of compliance with
state discharge laws, ;
Westall’'s May 6 letter to
Mayor Kyle Smith said any addi-
tional flows may be accepted on-
ly “after a state of compliance
Shang requirements has been
established.”
Westall said the city must pro-
vide additional information
about the city’s industrial flow
Say
Nort ing developments such ay eiuredhellerisios
obert E. Lee’s Country Creek
sub-division on Shelby Road,
cannot connect to the system, A
request for final approval for
Lee’s sub-division was tabled at
ed to the system, ar. iw, bu
ty must also provide a list of
sewer connections and
associated volumes which the ci-
Turn To Page 11
day and Friday.
Hail Storm Hits
east.
tin,
was routine, really,” he said.
olice Chief Warren Goforth
any accidents. “The only
PHOTO BY DARRIN GRIGGS
WHAT THE?...Hail, some almost as big as golf balls, pound-
ed the Kings Mountain area for several minutes Tuesday after-
noon, sending citizens scurrying for cover. Weather officials
are calling for chances of thunderstorms again today, Thurs-
Only Minor Damage Reported
A 30-minute thunderstorm which came through the Kings
Mountain area Tuesday did little damage but sent people scur-
rying to avoid almost golf-ball size hail which sounded like rocks
as it hit window panes and windshields.
A small funnel cloud was reported two miles west of Kings
Mountain by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department, but it
did not touch down. A funnel cloud was also reported in
Mecklenburg County minutes later as the storm moved to the
The sheriff's Department activated the county emergency
system, notifying all area media, TV and radio stations, and set-
emergency sirens in the county.
The Kings Mountain Utilities Department reported some elec-
trical outages on Monday and Tuesday due to storms. Super-
visor Jimmy Maney said power was restored within two to three
hours after the storms but there was very little damage. “We
had a few lines down and a few instances where limbs got into
lines and caused some switches to kick out. Other than that it
Fire Chief Gene Tignor said the storm caused no fires and his
department’s only activity was to stand by for the electrical
department as it restored power.
report we got, other than the funnel
cloud, was that a cablevision line was down,” he said.
KM Area,
said the storm did not result in
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