le /
A REPUBLIC
"NEWSPAPER
ings Mountain Herald 1
rR PE a hE -_ i |
Wood AsksSpectrumAnnexati
Seventeen months after City Council amended the
city charter, a citizens committee is challenging the
Council's action.
A citizen’ s committee headed by Sam Tesenair is
4 "ating a petition for an election on the question of
nager-council versus mayoral form of govern-
Tose air, spokesman for the group, said he will pre-
sent Bn "initiative" petition Tuesday night to City
Council because "the people have a right to vote on
[ how the government is run. " (A public hearing was
held by the City Council on Aug. 25, 1987 and the on-
ly four people to speak were in favor of the Council-
| City Manager form of government.)
City Auommey Mickey Corry said the city complied
with the N. C. general statutes in the lengthy process."
Petition Asks Vote On Government Form
Even if the petitioners presented the petition for an
election within the proper time frame the Council had
the option of whether to vote themselves on the change
or to bring it before the people for a vote," said Corry.
Tesenair maintains the petition will be presented in
the 18 months time frame spelled out under General
Statutes 160-A104.
The petitioners state: "We, the undersigned, repre-
senting over 10 percent of the registered voters of the
City of Kings Mountain, in the State of North
Carolina, do hereby request of the present governing
city council the right to hold a public vote of the citi-
zens of Kings Mountain. The purpose of the aforesaid
vote will be to determine the type of governing coun-
cil, the mayoralty as opposed to the city manager type
See Petition, 3-A
Gas Rates Decrease
For Most Customers
Most of Kings Mountain's 2,500 natural gas cus-
tomers will see a decrease under a new schedule ex-
pected to be adopted by the city council Tuesday night
but the larger drops will be felt mainly by the city's
nine big industrial users who have been switching to
cheaper fuel.
Commercial businesses, schools and the interrupt-
+ ible users will see larger rate drops of 10 cents per 100
cubic feet of gas or between $356 and $4,500 less in
costs on average bills.
Residential users will see a decrease under the new
schedule of 0.02 cents per 100 cubic of gas. This trans-
lates to an average of about $16 less per year, or $1.33
per month on bills.
The decrease for residential users won't compensate
for last month's hike of 42 cents per million cubic feet
but under a rate structure proposed by Heath and
| Associates of Shelby the residential bill for a typical
user of 74 mcf would drop $16.28 per year.
A small commercial customer using 356 mcf per
year would see an annual decrease of $356. A large
Cominercial user's bill would drop $4,554 per year.
"Anyone using five times as much gas ought to get a
hooak and that's why we're suggesting cuts in rates,"
suith (eharles Heath of the consulting firm the city hired
to riake a rate study, the last set of schedules to be re-
viewed during a year long examination of the city's
utilities. Charles and Scott Heath made the presenta-
tion to the city utilities committee Tuesday night who
approved the proposal and will make recommenda-
tions to the full council that the rates go into effect
April 1.
"The bottom line is that now the city can compete,”
said Councilman Humes Houston after Scott Heath ex-
plained that the city's big gas users often interrupt their
natural gas service and switch to cheaper fuel if natural
gas costs run too high . This winter the interruptible
customers converted almost entirely to other fuels,
causing the city's annual sales to them to drop from
about 615 million cubic feet to an estimated 550 mil-
lion cubic feet. The city sold 935 million cubic feet
last year.
City Manager George Wood said the new rates are
"flexible" and will allow the city to have a competitive
price and to adjust monthly the rates of interruptible
customers who consume 66% to 75% of the city's nat-
ural gas sales. "We've got to do something to get back
in the ball game", said Wood.
Charles Heath said that although the rate cuts will
bring in less money to the city, Kings Mountain will
be selling more gas to customers.
Scott Heath said lowering rates may help attract
new industries in addition to retaining gas sales to cur-
rent companies.
Gas Supt. Jimmy Maney said the city is saving
money by buying up to 30 percent of its gas from com-
panies other than Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp.
of Grover, the city's primary supplier. By purchasing
gas without long-term contract and shipping it through
Transco lines, the city is slashing its cost by 50 per-
cent.
Consultant Scott Heath showed charts that illustrat-
ed that the proposed decrease for large users would
bring Kings Mountain's gas rates about even with
Public Service Co., of North Carolina Inc. and with
The Kings Mountain Board of
City Manager George Wood will reccommend to the
City Council Tuesday night that the city’s largest water
customer, Spectrum Dyed Yarns, Inc. be annexed into
the city.
The annexation of Spectrum, expected to be effec-
tive March 31 at mid- 8
night, would be the
city's first satellite an-
nexation of an industry.
Spectrum, faced
with increases in water
and sewer services
April 1, petitioned the
city for annexation five
years ago and renewed
the request last month
when new water and
sewage rates were
adopted indicating that
if not annexed there k=
would be cutbacks of GEORGE WOOD
DISCUSS GAS RATES-Gas consultant Chatics Heath, left, City Managér George Wood and
Councilman Fred Finger, right, discuss proposed lowered gas rates during a meeting of the Utilities' com-
mittee Tuesday night.
World War | Veteran
bein
!
Noah (Charlie Campbell)
Still Going Strong At 90
A month after World War 1 was declared Charlie
Campbell, then a 10th grader at Kings Mountain High
School, went off to war, a youthful 18-year-old who
joined Uncle Sam's Army on April 6, 1917 in Fort
Thomas, Ky.
He served two years and 10 days in what was then
called the Sub-Legion organized by George
Washington in1784 bu now called the Old Guard. He
was a border guard serving in a battalion which guard-
ed the international boundary on the Rio Grande River,
Mexico border in the days of Poncha Villa.
Campbell, 90 on Saturday, was honored by his three
children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grand-
children at Holiday Inn, a familiar place for Charlie
who eats breakfast and lunch with friends there every
day, a custom he began 17 years ago. Friends of long-
standing joined his family to help Charlie cut a deco-
rated birthday cake’and to reminisce with the Kings
Mountain native whose humor and youthful appear-
ance belie his age.
Charlie owns and operates his own car, a vintage
1968 Olds with 181,700 miles on it he affectionately
dubs, "Noah and his Ark." The car belonged to sons
Charles Campbell Jr. and then to Ed Campbell and has
been a Campbell tradition for 21 years. "My driving
privileges are limited to day time and I can't drive on
the interstate but every day I take "Noah" out for a
spin through the National Military Park for stops at the
Museum, visit with friends and to the Holiday Inn and
back a couple times a day,” laughed Charlie who is a
history buff and a descendant of the patriot Preston
Goforth at the Revolutionary War Battle of Kings
Realtors Support Bond Issue
Realtors support passage of the up-
Realtors this week endorsed the
April 18 bond referendum which
seeks $10 million for county gov-
ernment facilities and $30 million
See Gas, 3-A
Bulletin Board.................. 7-C
Classifieds.....ci...ioininiia 13-B
Community News............ 10-B
itorial
CC WE for school facilites.
Obituaries... .eeicomsnrenisssnns 2-A
Police Report.......ooceuesseee 12-B
Religion. ....oeuseiissvsssssssessse 4-C
PAGES TODAY
PLUS THREE INSERTS
"We feel that this bond referen-
dum is vital for the future growth
and well being of the county gov-
ernment and the Kings Mountain
school system," said Jerry King,
president of the Board of Realtors.
The bond referendum will sup-
ply money for school additions and
renovations, King said.
In an outlined statement, King
gave reasons why the Board of
coming vote. They included:
* Additions and renovations at
Kings Mountain High and Kings
Mountain Junior High to enable the
school system to close the outdated
Central School as a site for chil-
dren, allowing the re-organization
of grades along the K-5, 6-8 and 9-
12 grade pattern.
*Kings Mountain Senior High
needs approximately 15 additional
classrooms, appropriate support
space, an auxiliary physical educa-
tion facility, heating and air condi-
tioning renovations, and additional
parking spaces.
CHARLIE CAMPBELL
Mountain. During a trip to Scotland he visited Inberary
Castle, headquarters of the Campbell Clan to receive
an official card as a member of the Clan Campbell
Society signed by Duke of Argyll, chief of the clan.
See Campbell, 9-A
20-25 percent in usage for sewer ai narra gow wd
result in possible layoffs and a ripple effect in the local
economy.
Wood and City Clerk Marvin Chappell met with
Plant Manager Bill Hutchins and Jim Roark at
Spectrum and plant officials indicated that if annexed
they would like to use at least 1,350,000 gallons per
day of water. Wood was authorized by the city council
to conduct a financial feasibility study on the
Spectrum request. Wood recommended in a letter to
Mayor Kyle Smith and Council on March 21 that "if
lost revenues to the city are not substantial we should
annex Spectrum and grow out of the problem, not
force cutbacks in production.”
Wood said Spectrum has used as much as 1.7 mgd of
water and sewer but its equalization pond can regulate
the flow fairly evenly. The water and sewer rate study
used 1987 consumption figures of 1.22 mgd, versus
their stated intent to use at least 1.35 mgd if annexed.
See Spectrum, 3-A
Sunrise Service
Slated Sunday
The annual community Easter Sunrise Service,
sponsored by the Kings Mountain Ministerial
Association, will be held Sunday at 6:30 a.m, at
Mountain Rest Cemetery.
In case of heavy rain, the service will be cancelled.
Rev. John W. Sloan Jr., pastor of First Baptist
Church, will preach the sermon and other local pastors
will also participate in the service.
Rev. Harwood Smith,
pastor of St. Matthew's
Lutheran Church, will give
the welcome, and Rev.
Dewey Smith, pastor of
Galilee and St. Paul United
Methodist churches, will
pray the opening prayer.
Dr. Eric Faust, pastor of
First Presbyterian Church,
will read the scripture. Rev.
Frank Gordon, pastor of
Grace United Methodist
Church, will lead a respon-
sive reading. N :
Rev. Bob C@ 's, pastor i
of Kings Moura DD i8tmen BEY, S SLOAN _—
Church, will pray the pastoral prayer and Rev. Georges
D. ‘Simmons, pastor of East Gold Street Wesleyan
Church, will pronounce the benediction.
Fred Eaker of East Gold Street Wesleyan Church
will lead the congregational music. Shane and Alesa
Doty, ministers of youth at First Baptist, will present
special music and a group of local students and adults
will participate in a brass ensemble which will be led
by Rev. Morris Jordan, Minis:2r of Music at First
Baptist.
The public is invited to attend.
KM Man Charged
With Sex Offenses
Wendell Gale McAbee, 48, of 1060 Westover
Heights, faces four counts of statutory rape and first
degree statutory sex offense involving two 11-year-
old girls and one of his daughters, according to
charges alleged by the Cleveland County Sheriff's
Department.
McAbee was arrested Thursday by Sgt. David
Luckadoo of the Cleveland County Sheriff's
Department and Sgt. James Camp of the Kings
Mountain Police Department after officers obtained a
search warrant to search his home and after a guidance
counselor at North School called the Department of
Social Services to report the alleged assaults and
Social Services called police.
Authorities said they are questioning friends of the
students and encourage other children to come forward
if they have more information.
Luckadoo said Sgt. Camp charged McAbee with the
first incident of incest last August which-allegedly oc-
curred while McAbee lived on North Piedmont Street
in Kings Mountain. Luckadoo Thursday charged
McAbee with a second count of incest involving one
of McAbee's two daughters and statutory rape and
See McAbee, 9-A
*Kings Mountain Junior High
needs approximately 19 additional
classrooms and learning spaces,
dining hall expansion, physical ed-
ucation expansion, renovation of
existing space, and additional park-
ing.
*Replacement of outdated facili-
ties are needed on elementary
school campuses (Grover -
Auditorium and classrooms in the
building constructed in 1915, and
media center and administration in
a building constructed in 1934;
East - classrooms, media center,
cafeteria and administration in a
See Realtors, 3-A
Closed
SCHOOLS
Mar 24 - April 2
BANKS
& S.&Ls
GOVERNMENT
Closed
Monday
Closed
Friday
FOR HOME DELIVERY OF THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD CALL 739-7496