Thursday, May 17, 1990
KM Golfers Win State Title
West Students Are 'Smiling'
6-4
Charlie Ballard,
KM Hall Of Famer
VOL. 102 NO. 20
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KINGS MOUNT 7
SAT
Ready Fo al
month.
City crews are spreading straw
and seeding and doing curb work
at the new walking track this week
which is expected to be put in use
by citizens by the end of the
month, weather permitting.
"We're just real excited about the
progress at the track this week,"
said City Commissioner Norma
Bridges, who heads the Parks &
Récreation Commission.
"I've been at that track every day
this week and can't wait until we
can finally begin to see it in use.
It's been about eight years since we
started dreaming about one and
now it's going to be a reality," she
said.
The nearly half mile track was
crew from Champion Landscaping
aside funds for playground equip-
ment and picnic tables. "It will all
NEW WALKING TRACK-Workmen are putting the finishing
touches on a half-mile-long walking track adjacent to Jake Early
Memorial Park which should be ready for walkers by end of the
Finishing Touches
Being Put On Track
come,” she said, noting that city
council has given the walking track
improvements a priority in its list
of city improvements for this year.
"We're doing a lot of work to
channel water off the upper park-
ing lot area and will also be doing
curbing on Chestnut Street to chan-
nel water and relocating a manhole
on the northeast corner of the
walking track area," said City
Engineer Tom Howard. City offi-
cials have said that drainage prob-
lems are the biggest hurdle to suc-
cess of the walking track.
The city is putting in catch
basins to tie into existing culvert
pipes that run underneath the park
to control the drainage from Jake
built by Carl Champion and his Early Ballfield.
The $34,000 track is construct-
this week. The 10 feet wide by ed of granite dust screenings which
2,000 linear feet track runs adja- will pack down and compare in
cent to Jake Early Memorial Park. wearability to a paved track. A
Mrs. Bridges said the city coun- graveled parking lot to accommo-
cil will be asked to budget lights date 20 vehicles is being built on
for the track in next fiscal year's the northeast side directly behind
budget and in future years to put The Pantry on Cleveland Avenue.
See Track, 2-A
"Wellness' Kickoff Set
Thursday At High School
Sixteen exhibits, health screen-
ings, fitness stations, and athletic
events, including publicdemonstra-
tions of soccer, volleyball, horse-
shoes, walking, running, line danc-
ing, tennis, and swimming will be
featured in Kings Mountain's first
Wellness kickoff Thursday at 6
p.m. at John Gamble Stadium.
Allan Propst, chairman of the
wellness committee for the KM
Schools Health Committee, said
the welcome mat is out to all fami-
lies in the community to come out
in casual wear and tennis from 6
until 9 p.m. and enjoy 2 fun
evening by participating in the var-
ious health-oriented, free activities
available in the community to peo-
ple interested in obtaining useful
health information, including di-
etary suggestions and blood pres-
sure and cholesterol screenings, all
free to the interested public.
The program will begin with a
physical fitness address by Gordon
Edwards, KMHS swim coach, on
the home side of John Gamble
Football Stadium. Propst will wel-
come the group and Dr. Scott
Mayse, local doctor, will give a
Wellness overview. Following the
45-minute opening, active partici-
See Wellness, 10-A
School Decision Draws Nearer
The special committee studying
reorganization of Kings Mountain
elementary schools will present its
report to the Board of Education
Monday, chairman John Goforth
told the board at Monday night's
regular monthly meeting at the
Superintendent's Office.
Citizens packed the small meet-
ing room to listen to Goforth's re-
port and then to give their opinions
on whether or not East and West el-
ementary schools should be closed.
After a lengthy executive session
to discuss personnel matters, the
board scheduled a work session for
May 28 to discuss the issue.
School
Bids In
Kings Mountain District Schools
officials opened bids on the new
construction project at Grover
School Tuesday afternoon and may
have to have a special board meet-
ing to discuss them.
_ Supt. Bob McRae said the pro-
ject came in over $50,000 over esti-
mated costs. The schools had antici-
pated bidding the project at $1.1
million but bids were about $1.175
million.
"I don't know what the board
will want to do," McRae said.
"We're preparing some information
for them now. There are some
things shat conld be easily left Gif
the project that would not effect the
integrity of the building at all.”
The schools plan to construct a
new building at the current site of
the old FFA-Home Economics
building which now houses the
principal's office and library. The
building would include five class-
rooms, a new principal's office,
cafeteria-multi-purpose room and li-
brary.
"What we have is not a bad
price," McRae said, "but it's just a
little more than what we were hop-
ing for. What we do needs to be
done quickly because we're sitting
on go and want to try to do some
demolition as soon as school is
out."
The next scheduled meeting of
the board is June 11 but McRae said
a special meeting may be called to
act on the Grover project.
See Schools, 2-A
DICK KELLY
BILL STONE
Many teachers are asking the
board to make a decision by June 4
so students, teachers and staff mem-
bers at East School will know
whether or not they'll be attending
school at East next year or at
Central. Central is being closed as a
middle school and East is due for
major renovation if it is not closed.
But other citizens urged the
board not to make a hasty decision,
noting that the board should consid-
er the long-range effects.
The issue of whether or not to
close schools and either build an-
other new elementary school to ac-
or add onto North School and re-
draw attendance lines, has been dis-
cussed, along with many other sce-
narios, for over two years. The issue
began after it was pointed out that
East School has a high number of
minority students and also has de-
clining enrollment.
Last year the board voted unani-
mously not to close East after over
100 East Kings Mountain residents
attended a public hearing at the
school. However, the board asked
Supt. Bob McRae to continue to
monitor the enrollment figures at
East. The enrollment has dropped to
just over 200 and the percentage of
commodate East and West students,
stu cpening of fie
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minority students has risen from 56
to 60 percent since the board voted
to keep East open.
The special committee was ap-
pointed four months ago after par-
ents from West Kings Mountain ap-
proached the board and stated that
they did not feel the board had giv-
en proper public notice that elemen-
tary attendance lines may be re-
drawn and some West students may
be involved.
The committee has been meeting
several times a month since then.
The board had told the committee at
See Meeting, 11-A
ried pen mation,
PACKED BOARD ROOM-Shara Miller, standing, speaks during a meeting of the school board
Monday.
Hall Of Fame Banquet May 24
The third annual Kings Mountain
Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be
held Thursday night, May 24, at 7
p.m. at the Kings Mountain
Community Center.
Tickets may be purchased at
McGinnis Department Store, C&S
Mart, Plonk Brothers, Sagesport,
Western Auto, Kings Mountain
Herald and the Kings Mountain
Chamber of Commerce; and from
John McGinnis, Carl Champion,
Perry Champion, Mearl Valentine,
Denny Hicks, Dr. John McGill and
Gary Stewart.
Don Parker, who coached bas-
ketball at Kings Mountain High
School from 1943-67; Charlie
Ballard, who pitched on Kings
Mountain's championship 1941
baseball team; and George Harris,
former quarterback star at KMHS
and Duke University, will be the in-
ductees.
Also to be honored is the 1989
state championship KMHS baseball
team, which will receive the Special
Achievement Award.
Ken Pettus, assistant football
coach at N.C. State, and Buzz
Peterson, assistant basketball coach
at N.C. State, will be the guest
speakers.
Also taking part on the program
will be former KMHS coaches Shu
Carlton and Bill Bates, who will in-
duct George Harris and Don Parker,
respectively, and former Kings
Mountain Mayor John Moss, who
will induct Charlie Ballard who
played professional ball in Moss's
Western Carolinas League.
Among the special guests will be
former KMHS athletes who are now
playing in the collegiate ranks.
Dick Kelly Calls For Run-Off
Dick Kelly, Democratic candi-
date for Cleveland County
Commissioner, Monday called for
a run-off with Ralph Gilbert on
June 5.
A virtual newcomer to the politi-
cal scene, Kelly ran a strong race
in last Tuesday's primary, capturing
third place in a field of nine candi-
dates for two seats on the
Cleveland County Board of
Commissioners. Joyce Falls
Cashion of Kings Mountain was
the only clear winner among the
nine.
Kelly said an outpouring of per-
sonal requests and telephone calls
had convinced him to continue his
bid for county commissioner.
other department.
Bill started delivering groceries for
Kings Mountain High School in 1952,
With 37 years in the grocery business, Stone has
done it all: helped customers, stocked groceries,
bagged groceries, and loaded cars. Many of his cus-
tomers he knows on a first-name basis.
"the old Mauney Store at Burlington Mill after school
and on weekends in the 50's. After graduation from
for Floyd Payne at Phenix Mill, then worked for T. J.
Ellison at Ellison Grocery on Cleveland Avenue and
for Pete Barkley downtown. He went to work for
Dixie Home (now Winn Dixie) when the store was lo-
"I have been very encouraged,”
Kelly said. "There is obviously
strong support for me throughout
the county. I felt I owed it to those
who have worked so hard for me
and to myself to continue to seek a
seat on the county commissioner
board. "I believe I bring some
unique strengths to the board that
will benefit our county today and
tomorrow," Kelly said. "Those
strengths include a understanding
of and a commitment to long-range
planning and appreciation for the
needs of all our citizens, particular-
ly those who are concerned with
improving educational opportuni-
ties and the quality of life in our
county."
Bill Solid As A 'Stone'
Bill Stone, 55, doesn't run the cash registers at
Harris-Teeter Super Market but he's proficient in every
John Mauney at
he went to work
cated where McGinnis Furniture Store is located today
and stocked and bagged groceries for several years.
Harris Teeter came to town in 1958 and opened on
York Road at the old Center Service location and Bill
joined the company on Jan. 9, 1962 at its second loca-
tion, the present Family Dollar building on King
Street. When Harris Teeter outgrew the building, he
helped in the moving operation in June 1977 into a |
bigger building where the firm expanded its service
line in the present mini-mall on King Street.
Bill calls himself "a general flunkic” but his co-
workers and friends agree that the personable Kings
Mountain native has been a top employee for the com-
See Stone, 3-A
"My background in industry
gives me the experience to make
the practical, good sense business
decisions that will help Cleveland
County deal with important issues
like waste management and access
to excellent transportation net-
works," said Kelly who is the re-
tired general manager of Container
Corporation of America.
"My knowledge of the county
gained from working with people
at Container Corporation who
came from all parts of the county
has given me an appreciation for
the unique needs of each part of
our county. If I am elected, I
pledge to be a county commission-
See Kelly, 2-A
At H-T