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VOL. 101 NUMBER 35
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1988 KINGS MOUNTAIN,
City’s New Pay Plan Draws Mixed Reactions
By LIB STEWART
News Editor
On his first day at work Mon-
day as the city’s first personnel
director Charles Webber was
busy getting acquainted with
department heads.
“I like it,” said Webber, 35,
who feels at home in his depart-
Personnel Director On Job
ment because he has worked
with the Employment Security
Commission for 12 years.
His first duties will be to assist
City Manager George Wood and
Finance Director Marvin Chap-
pell in implementing the city’s
new pay plan for 170 employees.
Another project Webber ex-
pects to undertake soon will be to
Turn To Page 11-A
WEBBER
By LIB STEWART
News Editor
One of the biggest pay raises in the city’s
history, $212,000 for this year alone, is receiving
mixed reactions by the city’s 170 employees who
are rejoicing with the extra money but fear the
raise may not offset the rising costs of health in-
surance.
City Manager George Wood and Finance direc-
tor Marvin Chappell said oy employees will still
‘“‘come out ahead” even when city council im-
plements a plan to charge the employee a portion
of his dependent health coverage.
classification plan submitted by Municipal Ad-
visors, Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va., a firm that the
board hired at recommendation of Mayor Kyle
Smith when he assumed office last December. Ci-
ty employees will receive comparable pay of those
on the same jobs in Shelby, Gastonia, Lincolnton,
Forest City, Gaffney, and York, S.C.
_ All city employees, except four above the max-
imum steps, will receive at least 2 2 percent
raises in September and possibly another 2 % per-
cent on their anniversary of end of their proba-
tionary period with the city.
Chappell said the initial raise, which averages
for some about 6.5 to 7.5 percent, will appear in
City Council last Tuesday approved the pay and Turn To Page 11-A
Crowders Creek
Contract Signed
By LIB STEWART :
News Editor
Mayor Kyle Smith joined Gastonia Mayor J.B.
Garland and Gaston County Commissioner David
Beam Thursday at 6 p.m. in affixing official seals
to close the four-municipality deal on the
Crowders Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
On Friday Gaston County officials hand-
delivered the documents to the State Environmen-
tal Protection Agency in Raleigh.
The $26-28 million project now awaits final ap-
44%
proval of a $14 million federal grant which depend- Unemployment
a barely on Kings Mountain’s participation in Manufacturing
e project. :
Thursday morning at 11 a.m. Gastonia City of- Produciion of 809,
ficials voted 5-1 to shift about $3 million of the cost p y
from Kings Mountain to Gastonia. 20 yr. Fixed : :
At the signing ceremony Mayor Garland said Mortgage Rate 10.5%
that Gastonia staffers are studying the best way to Prime Rate “10%
raise the extra funds and “Gastonia is proud to be
a part of this day.”
Gaston County commissioners and Kings Moun-
tain city council approved unanimously the new
agreement last week in separate meetings.
None of the Gastonia council members objected
to the clause in the Kings Mountain contract that
delays for six years any annexation west of
Gastonia and east of Kings Mountain. Councilman
Robert Caldwell, unopposed to the project, ob-
jected to the additional cost to be paid by
Gastonia.
“You're not going to get all you want but what
you try to do is get the bulk of what you want as
Turn To Page 2-A
Local Economy
Still Looks Good
AL A PE RE ens
By TODD GOSSETT
Staff Reporter
Photo By Lib Stewart
Contract Signed
: Representatives of the municipalities invelved in the Crowders Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant,
$26-$28 million project, signed contracts Thursday in Gastonia. Seated, from left, are Gastonia Mayor J.B.
Garland, Kings Mountain Mayor Kyle Smith and Gaston County Commission Chairman David Beam.
Back row, from left, Gaston County Manager Phil Hinely, Gastonia Utility Director Sam Wilkins, Kings
The local economy is generally considered
strong now and should stay that way in the coming /
months, according to most economic indicators
and local analysts.
Unemployment in Cleveland County was 4.4 per-
cent in June, down from 4.6 percent a year ago.
Mountain City Manager George Wood, Rep. Vernon Abernathy and Rep. Walt Widley.
Rhoney
Michael Rhoney, business
teacher at Bessemer City High
School, was hired Thursday as
the new assistant principal at
Central Middle School in Kings
Mountain.
The Board of Education made
the announcement in a brief call-
ed meeting at the Schools’ Ad-
ministration Office.
Rhoney will join the Kings:
Mountain system in about 30
days and will be moving to Kings
Mountain as soon as he can sell
his home, Superintendent Bob
McRae noted.
Rhoney will replace Greg
Payseur, who opted to take a new
assistant principal’s job made
possible through the state’s
Basic Education Plan. Payseur
will serve as an assistant prin-
cipal at Central and Bethware
Elementary School, splitting his
time between the two schools.
Prior to going to Bessemer Ci-
ty, Rhoney taught business and
was an assistant principal at
Burns High School. He is 36 years
old and is a graduate of Ap-
palachian State University. He
earned his Education Specialist
degree at Western Carolina
Ready For School
The unexpected rain Monday morning didn’t do anything to
dampen the spirits of an excited Jason Hendren, who is escorted up
the walk to West School by Gwen Watts. Jason’s a third grader.
Professor Urges
Warm Classrooms
“Where is the fun, excitement and enthusiasm
of teaching?’ asked Dr. Bill Purkey of 450 facul-
ty members assembled Friday for a back-to-
school motivation lecture in B.N. Barnes
Auditorium.
Challenging veteran teachers to be as excited
as the few beginner teachers in the audience,
Purkey said teachers need a passion to ac-
complish more in the classroom by laughing a lot
and if they want to be a $6 million man or woman
they need to look and act the role.
The professor of counseling and education at
UNC-G poked fun at the educators while
elaborating on some goals for teachers as they
return to classrooms for the 1988-89 academic
year this week.
“You can’t come from somewhere you haven't
been. Stand tall, dress well, eat less and take
care of yourselves so you can take care of the
children in your classroom,” he said.
“Attack your clothes closed. Buy a $200 outfit
and look good when you go to work. Look good
and dress professionally at all times.” “Report
to school early and greet the children. Say ‘good
morning’ and ‘goodbye’ in the afternoon.
Everyone can spot a sour teacher.”
“You're in the people business. Find new ways
to teach and don’t rest on your laurels if you're a
veteran. You have to care for your students
because it shows. Kids are smart.”
“If you lose one child and he drops out of school
all of you get poor marks.”
Turn To Page 5-A
University.
Blackie
Rufus S. (Blackie) Oates, 74, Saturday at 3 p.m. at Harris
worked on the corner of East Funeral Home Chapel by his
King Street at Oates Shell Station pastor, Rev. John Sloan, of First ? :
almost all his life and earned his Baptist Church. Burial was in Obituaries uel sia ainsi ne
nickname from his occupation. Mountain Rest Cemetery. Editorials............. 4-A
The popular mechanic walked Oates was a native of Sports........n..c 6-7A
to Central School as a boy from Cleveland County, son of the late Classifieds......... 11-14A
the family homeplace on East Charles Calvin and Laura Mor- E- X chan e Church News 16-A
King Street and got his first job rison Oates who farmed the land g UC NEWS. ree vrais
as a boy pumping gas at the old where Allen’s Flower Shop Lifestyles aaanls wie 1-B i
Treadway East King Shell stands today and lived at 700 E. Teacher Weddings ............ 2-6B
which, in later years, he bought King, nate ; Oey Js . Food... iu 7-9B
and operated until 20 years ago ome. He was the husband of the . e-
when Si sold the business to his late Janie Mae Rhodes (Ginny) L I kes K M COmPINY Nom Mus }
former employee, Danny Oates. | re a Teta) LL i AEE | nerlaliE esa
Shockley, and the name changed
to East King Shell Station. Survivors include a son, 32
Oates died Thursday in Kings Timothy Oates of Los Angeles,
Mountain Hospital. Calif, a daughter, Evelyn Califf PAGES TODAY
After he retired July 1985, he of Myrtle Beach, S.C., a brother,
walked to the station ot longs Charles Calvin Oates of Kings
twice a day or more to chat wi Mountain; a sister, Nell Hoyle of
in oli? friends. Chapel Hill; and two grand- COMING NEXT WEEK—HERALD’S FOOTBALL EDITION
Funeral services were held children. :
Oates Dead At
Age 74
Statewide, unemployment hovered around 3.5 per-
cent, according to the Employment Security Com-
mission of North Carolina.
The June unemployment figure was higher than
in previous months mostly due to school
M employees and students getting out of school for
C entral the summer and entering the RE force, said Bob
: Teachers To ake Burns, a labor market analyst with the Employ-
Assistant ment Security Commission in Charlotte. Most of
those entering the summer labor force were able
to find jobs, Burns said.
The unemployment rate should smooth out later
this year after students and teachers go back to
school, Burns predicted that continued prosperity,
a robust economy and hiring across the board will
continue in the area for the near future. “This is
essentially full-employment,” he said. :
Joe Hendrick, Cleveland County Economic
Development director, said indications from the
state show that there might be a slight downturn in
employment in the fall - especially in textiles.
Hendrick doesn’t expect to see much of a
downturn in Cleveland County, he said.
Turn To Page 2-A
Red Cross Bloodmobile
To Visit Here September 1
Kings Mountain Industries will sponsor a
bloodmobile visit Thurs., Sept. 1 from 1-6 p.m. at
First Baptist Church in Kings Mountain.
The American Red Cross collects blood every
day to insure that blood is available for patients
who are ill or undergoing surgery, said Marlene
Reynolds of Glen Raven Mills, who is helping
promote the upcoming visit. “The people in
Kings Mountain have always been very suppor-
tive of the bloodmobile, and we need to again ask
for their support,” she said.
The goal is 135 pints.
Persons wishing to donate for the first time
must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110
pounds and have a medical history free from cer-
tain diseases such as hepatitis, cancer and heart
disease. Any questions can be directed to the Red
Cross office in Shelby.
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