North Carolina Newspapers

{ wren nb il A oa or ns SSS Rv VOL. 101 NUMBER 52 § & < = Wh a, \ J The National Unidentified Flying Object Watch Association (NUFOWA) has reported the sighting of a strange object in the skies ov | 9608¢" The group said it is flying in a southeasterly direction at a high speed A spokesman for the group said the object resembles a sleigh that is being pulled by eight animals resembling reindeer, one of which has.a shiny, red nose. The sleigh appears to be carrying a big, fat man dressed in a red and white suit and also is filled with Nintendo sets, baby dolls, and The UFO is expected to arrive in Kings Mountain late Saturday night or KINGS MOUNTAIN, NA) * WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1988 Silver Express Mini-Market lo Build On East King Street A $1 million "Silver Express" mini-market will be built on Highway 74 Business Loop at North Deal and East King Streets, according to Gregg DeSantis, president of Silver Franchising Co., headquartered in Fredericksburg, Va. The property is being acquired from Warren E. Reynolds and is the 11/2 acre lot presently occupied by One Hour Martinizing on East King Street. Eddie Tillman, owner of One Hour Martinizing, is making plans to relocate and workmen were pouring footings on his new property on the west side of The Pantry on East King Street this week. Warren E. Reynolds built the present One Hour Naninidng building in 1946. He leased it to Tillman in 1970. De Santis said construction is expected to start in Plants Close For Holiday _ Shorter holiday schedules at most plants reflect an improved economy. At most plants employees will get holidays with pay. Kinmont Industries and Grover Industries report the shortest holiday. David Roof, Personnel Director of Grover Industries, said the mill has been running six and seven days for some time. Kinmont, of Kings Mountain, and Grover Industries will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26. Christmas gifts will be distributed to employees. Kings Mountain Knit Fabrics will be closed Friday and Monday for the holidays. Bonuses will be paid to employees based on years of service and employees will choose a gift from a company catalog. i Clevemont's Fruit of the Loom plant will give employees a long holiday. Personnel Director Russell Greene said that the plant will close Dec. 22, reopening on Jan, 9. Plant parties were held on the various shifts this week. The plant makes vacation payments. Mauney Hosiery Mills' employees begin their holiday period Thursday.The plant will reopen on Jan. 3. Bonuses are paid employees based on length of service. Parkdale Mills No. 5 will also observe a short holiday period. The plant will close at 7 a.m. on Friday, reopening at 7 a.m. on Monday, Dec.. 26. Personnel Director Lavon Strickland said the plant has been running seven days a week. She said Christmas bonuses will be paid employees based on length of service and Christmas hams and turkeys will also be presented employees. Sadie Cotton Mills will close at 6 a.m. Thursday, reopening on Wed., Dec. 28 at 6 a.m. Christmas bonuses are paid employees based on length of service and gift certificates are also presented to employees. Turn To Page 6-A Board Of Realtors Endorses Bond Vote The Kings Mountain Board of Realtors this week endorsed the Feb. 7 Bond Referendum which seeks $9.2 million for upgrading city's utilities. The realtors’ backing came on the heels of an endorsement last week by the City's Chamber of Commerce. "We feel that this Bond Referendum is vital for the future growth and well being of Kings Mountain," said Jerry King, President of Board of Realtors. The bond referendum would supply money for the upgrading of the City's electrical, waste water, and water systems. In an outlined statement, King gave the board of realtors reasons they support the upcoming bond vote: Electrical Systems : --The current electrical system is set up on two substations. An accident would cut off half of the City's power. This exposes the community and industry to sudden outages. --The system is subject to low voltage problems that can cause damage to appliances. --The system is at capacity with no significance room for industrial expansion. --The system is antiquated, with high maintenance costs, and is operating "on the edge." Turn To Page 6-A INSIDE Section C Classifieds......... .12-A Editorials...c.coeeuesee A4-A Food...........ccccoaze ..3-B Obituaries............ .5-A Religion.................8-B School News.........9-A Sports........ecereeenn2=A late January on the Kings Mountain market, one of six to open in the Greater Charlotte area in 1989. The new retailing concept is designed to fill the market gap ‘between large supermarkets and traditional convenience stores and are among the prototypes of the "Silver Exoress" store concept, developed to become anchor stores in as many as 100 new neighborhood convenience shopping centers being planned for the Middle Atlantic, Midwestern and Southeastern states during the next five years. "Silver Express" markets will place special emphasis on customer service with a full-line delicatessen and hot foods for both take-out and in-store dining, a bakery, and expanded grocery and beverage products in a spacious, attractive, well-designed and well-lighted Turn To Page 7-A Boat Sinks KM Men Feared Drowned Divers stopped searching Lake Murray late Tuesday for the bodies of two Kings Mountain fishermen who : northern Alaska. : 8 % % and headed toward Kings Mountain. 3 lots of other toys. : early Sunday morning. ) Merry Christmas! CAROLINA | indi 74 By-Pass NN Ridge St. Silver Express } Kentucky savas Hardee's Fried su \ O . ase a Od Bus. 74 E. King St. 2 o 7) .- 3 5 I E. Gold St. NEW CONVENIENCE CENTER - A "Silver Express" market will go up on East King Street in late January. Silver Franchising Company is buying Martinizing building. the 122 acre block, which includes the One Hour Utility Rates Being Studied By C.T. CARPENTER Three council members of the city's utility committee struggled again last night in a second work-horse session, trying to come up with a recommendation on new water and wastewater (sewer) rates which would go into effect should voters pass the $9.2 million bond election scheduled for Feb. 7th. The group scheduled mother committee meeting, open to the public, for Dec. 28th at 7:30 p.m. in the conference room upstairs at city hall. The new rates would go into effect in April and are being set to raise income to pay for improvements, all badly needed and some to be done under court order: $3,789,200 (including $500,000 for the Crowders Creek treatment plant) for wastewater; $3,629,500 (including almost $1.4 million for the water treatment plant) for water; and $1,811,500 for the electrical distribution system. Pilot Creek WWTP (wastewater treatment plant) is to be expanded to two million-gallons-day (almost $3.3 million), including sludge handling improvements Kings Mountain has agreed to build under a judicial order of consent. Crowders Creek WWTP will accept 2.28 MGD (million-gallons-day) when put into operation in 1992 and will allow elimination of McGill WWTP on the eastside of the city. With the water bonds, the plan is to build a 5 million- gallon storage tank for finished water near the city's utilities building on NC 216 N (Piedmont Ave.), in addition to improvements at the T.J. Ellison WTP (water treatment plant) and $1-million for possible spillway repairs at Moss Lake impoundment. Funds from the bond sale for electrical improvements will allow replacement of a 1970-built "temporary" sub-station off York Rd. with*a*modern facility and up- grading to 15-kv of the Cansler St. N sub-station, which with design and construction of new distribution lines would cut down on line loss (voltage and money) and provide back-up for the system in case of break-downs. The entire system would be 15-kv. Kings Mountain tracks electricity rates of Duke Power Co., which will still deliver current to the two sub-stations, and is the city's largest income-producer. Electricity profits, along with added income from the natural gas distribution system (owned by the city), provided some 4475,000 to the budget last year. The proposed new rates will allow Kings Mountain No Toys, At KM's If you visit the People That Love Center at 431 North to pay off the water and sewer bonds with income produced from the systems. No increase in property taxes is anticipated in order to pay for the bond money but council is asking voters to approve the general obligation bond method to gain a better interest rate. General obligation bonds require the full faith and credit of the tax payers, which revenue bonds do not. The pay-out period for the $9.2 million bond asking is 22 years. Last June council retained Arthur Young company to develop a water and sewer financial and rate study for Kings Mountain. Purpose of the study was to develop a comprehensive 5-year financial plan, to determine revenue requirements for fiscal years 1989 through 1994 and to calculate user charges. Mark Dolan and Elyse Reinecke, of Charlotte, presented the preliminary results to the utilities committee in meeting Dec. 7th. They were not present at last night's session. The committee also discussed possible construction of a 24-inch water line (down town 36-inches) on Oak Grove Rd. and expansion of 2.0 mgd at the Pilot Creek WWTP. Cost of the 24-inch line, which would go to the proposed 5-mg finished water storage tank to be built on NC 216 N, was listed at $3.56 million, and an amended cost of $2.3 for the 2.0 mgd expansion (less sludge handling and clearwell which are included in the proposed bond issue), for a total cost of $5.861 million. Committee Chairman Al Moretz and members Fred E. Finger, of Ward 5, and Humes Houston, of Ward 2, were present Tuesday night. Also attending from the city staff were Manager George Wood, Engineer Tom Howard, Director Gene White and Treasurer Marvin Chappell. Ms. Norma Bridges, of Ward 3, also was present for part of the discussions. Present from industry were Ernest Rome, Anvil Knit, and Plant Manager Pat Carter and Fred Teague, of Clevemont plant. "W e understand that the rate increases are necessary and needed," Rome said today, "and it's just the matter of the sudden shock of the jump. We are going to do some extended studies.” Anvil presently uses a 1-mgd (mill ion gallons a day) equalizing basin for wastewater, he added. Not Much Food Love Center have been missing since their boat sank Saturday. A boat and air search continues for the bodies of Robert Lewis Crawford, 57, of 811 Rhodes Ave., and Ernest McNeal, 35, of Northwoods Drive, according to Mike Creel, spokesman for N. C. Wildlife and Marine Resources. A third Kings Mountain man, Ernest Pettis, 19, also of 1707 Northwoods Drive and son of Ernest McNeal, was also aboard the boat and was rescued by another boat party and was transported to Newberry Hospital. Lake Murray is a 400-500 feet wide lake near Columbia,S.C. where numerous local fishermen have gone to fish for striped bass. The three men set out from Holland's Landing on Lake Murray at daybreak Saturday. The boat quickly took on water and sank after Crawford put it into reverse to retrieve a headlight that had fallen overboard, according to reports. The boat sank shortly after daybreak off Billy Dreher Island State Park, relatives have been told. Wildlife Department divers discontinued the diving operation Tuesday. Crawford's brother, W. Donald Crawford, returned to Kings Mountain Tuesday night after being at the accident scene since Saturday. Family members said the fishermen left home early Saturday morning. According to reports, the fishermen were trying to retrieve their light when the weather conditions became windy and turbulent. A large wave came over the rear of the boat and filled it with water and the boat tipped, throwing all three fishermen into- the water. Ernest Lee held onto his father. Crawford yelled for help and Earnest McNeal went to Crawford's aid when, in a matter of seconds, both of the older men went under and did not surface. The younger man held his hands up, he reportedly told rescuers, and yelled for help. He saw a nearby boat but the men in the boat did not see him and almost ran into him. The young man grabbed at the boat as it passed and the men in it realized what was happening and pulled the youth to safety inside the boat. Dragging operations started at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The boat was recovered in 40 feet of water. When the temperature hit 17 degrees, the operations were stopped but were resumed Sunday. The diving was discontinued Tuesday night. wr. * * Fishing was in Bobby Crawford's blood and he loved it, according to his wife, Betty. Since retirement from the grocery business in April, Bobby had enjoyed fishing more than ever and he and his family fished often at Lake Wylie . Although he was not as familiar with Lake Murray near Newberry,S.C. as some of the other fishing lakes, he had fished there for striped bass only a few days ago with Former Police Chief J. D. Barrett and Tommy Hawkins. Saturday morning Crawford, his friend, Ernest McNeal and McNeal's 19-year-old son returned to Lake Murray. It was cold and they wore warm clothing. Mrs. Crawford said the fishermen left about 5 a.m. so they could start fishing at daybreak."They weren't worried about the weather. The day promised to be good for fishing. They didn't get to fish because of the accident,” said Mrs. Crawford who said her husband's boat was recovered at the bottom of the lake . Divers marked the spot Tuesday afternoon and discontinued diving operations for the bodies of Crawford and McNeal, Sr. Ernest Pettis, 19, was rescued after the boat capsized. The Crawford family, which includes two daughters, and the McNeal family, which includes McNeal's wife, Mildred and six children, were joined by many relatives and friends anxious to hear from rescue operations. "Bob had just got on the water and apparently lost the boat light and was backing up when the strong winds capsized the boat," said Mrs. Crawford. She said Rescue Squads got the call at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. "It just seems hopeless now," said Mrs. Crawford who said boat and air searches are continuing at the site. By D.R. GRIGGS SONI “S 001 KW AENQVR "HAV INOWQHIg AdvVYd T TVIYORYF 4 Piedmont Avenue, you will find a quiet group of people waiting patiently to receive food, clothes and toys. You will also find a list of over 50 children who need those same items. But what you will not find is what they need. The center is completely out of toys, and is extremely low on food and clothes. In December of last year the center distributed food, clothes and toys to over 100 needy children in the Kings Mountain area. This year that figure tripled to over 300 when the center took over the "Toys for Tots" campaign traditionally handled by the Kings Mountain Fire Department. The center did not anticipate the great increase of people that it has experienced. "We had talked about maybe 200 [children], but we've gone way past that," said Wanda Kyle , director of the center. Turn To Page 6-A KINGS MOUNTAIN was chartered and incorporated in 1874. W.A. Mauney was Mayor R HOME DELIVERY OF THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD CALL 739-7496 TN a > 4