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sSince 1889+
VOL. 103 NO. 6
"Enchanted Evening" At KMLT................2=A
Jones Eyes Big Year..............ccco.......8=A
Member Of The North
Carolina Press Association
Thursday, February 14, 1991
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086 «35¢
School Board Narrows Redistricting Scenarios
The Kings Mountain Board of Education Monday
narrowed its number of scenarios to three and hopes to
make a decision on elementary redistricting at its
March 11 meeting.
The board will hold a workshop on Mon., Feb. 25 at
7 p.m. to further discuss the matter and receive input
from the public.
At its January workshop at West School, the board
had requested Supt. Bob McRae to have several more
computer-generated maps supplied by YSAC, Inc.,
which came up with the original redistricting plan in
December. That original plan is still being considered
but not as seriously as the two plans which slightly
change the YSAC proposal.
One plan, known as Plan 8, moves students north of
Ebenezer from Bethware to North; students on
Highway 74 between KM Animal Clinic and the 74
Bypass going north toward Patterson Grove Baptist
Church from North to Bethware; an area in town from
Cansler to just north of Sims Street from North to
Bethware; Pine Manor from Bethware to East;
Carolina Gardens from East to North; the Fulton
Road-Bennett Brick Yard-Mountain Street area from
North to West; the Timms Circle-Parkdale area from
West to East; and 13 students in Bethlehem from
Grover to Bethware.
The second plan, known as Plan 11, moves north of
Ebenezer from Bethware to North; the Highway 74
area from North to Bethware; the Fulton Road area
from North to West; the Timms Circle-Parkdale area
from West to East; and the Bethlehem area from
Grover to Bethware, The rest of the nodes mentioned
as changes in Plan 8 remain in their YSAC proposal in
Plan 11.
McRae said because of the changes requested, the
YSAC computer moved several other areas of towns
into new districts. For instance, an area near Oak
Grove Fire Department which had been assigned to
North in the original plan was moved back into
Bethware in Plan 11.
Several parents complained following the meeting
that the plans moved board member Priscilla Mauney's
children from East back to North; however, McRae
said that move was computer-generated and was not
requested by the School Board. :
Several other plans which had been requested by the
board at its January meeting were laid aside Monday
night because they far exceeded the board's goal of
keeping all schools within plus or minus five percent
of the system-wide minority percentage of 26 percent
or would have caused some schools to exceed capaci-
ty.
_ Former board chairman Doyle Campbell said he
likes both maps (8 and 11) and said that Plan 8 "struck
me most because it places students closer to where
they live."
Ronnie Hawkins said he likes Plan 11 because it
keeps Pine Manor in the Bethware district.
"Plan 8 is upsetting several areas instead of just
one," he said. "With Pine Manor going to Bethware we
would have just one bus making one trip and it also
helps the economics. It's easier for the Pine Manor stu-
dents to get more attention at Bethware."
Hawkins pointed out that: moving students in the
Cansler Street area from North to Bethware, although
it's closer to Bethware than Pine Manor, would mean
multiple bus stops. He said moving one bus load from
Pine Manor to Bethware would be quicker.
He also pointed out that much of the Chapter I funds
are allocated because of having disadvantaged children
in the same classes with talented children. "If you put
the disadvantaged in with the talented, they get more
attention than they would if you put them all together,”
he said.
See Scenarios, 9-A
Grover
Questions
Census
GROVER-Concerned that the
town lost population in 1990, town
board voted Tuesday night to count
the houses and submit the new data
to the U. S. Census Bureau.
"We have new apartments in
town and have annexed an area of
about 150 people plus people have
built new homes in Spring Acres,"
said Mayor Bill McCarter, who
the 1980 population of 586
of iy townspeople ne to a
questionnaire on the monthly utili-
ty bills about size of household.
With the new census figures of
516, the town stands to lose
$3,263.40 in Powell Funds as well
as sales tax revenues and other
money based on population.
"I'm really disappointed because
Grover doesn't have any vacant
houses," said Commissioner
Norman King.
"I can't see that many people
missing," said Commissioner
Ronald Queen.
The board voted to hire two peo-
ple to conduct the house count and
pay them minimum wages.
In other business:
+Set the date of February 24 for
a ribbon-cutting and open house at
the new addition to Town Hall at
which State Senator Jim Forrester
will make the address and
McCarter will give a history of the
town. The public is invited to the
ribbon-cutting, which starts at 2
p.m. Preparations are being made
to serve refreshments to 150 peo-
ple.
+McCarter appealed to citizens
to buy and display the American
flag in support of American troops
in the War in the Gulf and the
board named Kay Howell as chair-
man of a committee to plan a patri-
otic rally in town. Howell said she
would get in touch with area minis-
ters and suggest a prayer vigil and
ask residents to decorate with red,
white and blue banners.
You Want To Know
In Love On Valentine's Day
TOM AND SELENA TROTT
After 47 Years Together,
They Still Give And Take
After 47 1/2 years Tom and Selena Trott keep the
romance in their marriage by not taking things too
seriously and remembering to give and take.
Tom and Selena began courting at Lenoir Rhyne
College in 1937. Theirs was no whirlwind courtship.
It took Tom six years to persuade Selena Parton to tie
the knot on November 14, 1943 at Central Methodist
Church in Kings Mountain.
A native of Salisbury who grew up and graduated
from Patterson Episcopal School for Boys and Lenoir
Rhyne College, Tom was working at Cannon Mills in
Kannapolis and rode the bus every weekend to Kings
Mountain to date Selena, secretary to the late E. A.
Harrill. "I felt like I had stock in Greyhound Bus
Company," laughed Tom, who recalled those good
ole days of holding hands in the Parton parlor with
Selena, double dating with friends, and walking
downtown on summer evenings.
This was the war years. Tom volunteered for the
Navy and Air Corps but was turned down by both.
Then he was drafted by the Army. He was President
of the Jaycees and his picture was on the front page
See Trotts, 3-A
SUZANNE BOLIN AND ERIC GRAYSON
‘Suzanne Bolin, Eric Grayson
Look Forward To Happy Years
‘Their faces glow when they talk about their ro-
mantic June 22 wedding but high school sweethearts
Suzanne Bolin, 22, and Eric Grayson, 23, are serious
about a lifelong future together.
Both plan to share the cooking. They plan to joina
Baptist church, and they want a large family of 4-6
children.
Another priority will be celebrating the day they
met, which is what they have done each May 20th
since 1985 when Eric asked Suzanne to be his date |
for his senior sports banquet at Shelby Christian
School, where Eric graduated in 1985 as valedictori-
an and Suzanne graduated in 1987 as valedictorian.
» They plan dinner or a movie and both say the tradi-
tion will continue after matrimony.
Eric's priority for several years has been to save
money for a house the young couple want to build in
Shelby or Kings Mountain. Eric attended
Appalachian State University and Gaston College
and is a drafter for Machine Builders & Designs of
Shelby. His hobbies are sports and watching movies.
He is an avid Charlotte Hornets fan. He is active in
See Couple, 3-A
(Q-Cleveland County collects the city ad valorem taxes for tax year 1990.
How much in dollars has the county charged the city for this service? For
this amount of money, could the city not hire a tax collector/clerk while at
the same time have immediate access to the funds collected?
A-The total 1990 property taxes to be collected by Cleveland County for the
city are $831,603.51. The county charges 2% for collecting, which would be
$16,632.07. City Manager George Wood says the city could not do the same job
more cheaply. Most collections are voluntary but legal action is required to col-
lect overdue accounts. It is a waste of tax money for the county and city to take
separate actions to collect overdue taxes, says Wood. The separate actions would
1 often cost more than the amount of taxes and penalties collected, Wood says.
The savings to the city of manpower and delinquent collection costs are greater
than the charges from the county and the delay in receiving the funds.
Q- The 1990-91 budget adopted by city council was $18,895,467.00. Since
that time there have been budget amendments. What is the amount of those
budget amendments and for what and the anticipated total of the 90-91
budget?
A-The adopted FY 1990-91 budget was $16,880,367.00, not $18,895,467.00,
says City Manager George Wood. The city council adopted an amended budget
on November 27, 1990 of $17,627,461.00. The amendment was adopted after
the annual audit was received. The primary purpose was to carry forward some
major projects from the prior year (such as the Bridges Drive water, sewer and
drainage improvements). State law governing municipal budgets requires unfin-
ished projects to be budgeted in the following year, says Wood.
VERALEE R. MASK
A foster parent for 15 years,
Veralee R. Mask is called "Mama"
by 23 children.
Mask is also well-known at the
Senior Center, where she has been
a volunteer for many years and still
volunteers once a week. She is a
retired employee of the City
Recreation Department.
"Veralee" is a familiar figure in
the Kings Mountain community.
"The merchants know I'm sponsor-
ing a senior citizen program or a
special event at the Depot when
they see me asking for door
prizes," said Mask, who has contin-
ued to present special gifts to se-
nior citizens attending special pro-
grams at the Depot.
Veralee ran unsuccessfully for a
KM Police Officer
Charged In Wreck
Kings Mountain Pl. Joel Wayne
Hendrick’ Jr., 21, of 1321
Clairmont Drive, Shelby, faces
charges of careless and reckless
driving and aiding and abetting
giving false information to police
April 1 in Cleveland County
District Court.
The charges stem from a 3:30
a.m, wreck Saturday on N. C. 180
in which Hendrick and a passenger,
g
1026. Hunter Valley Road, Shelby,
riding in the back seat, was unin-
jured. Hendrick was off-duty.
Kings Mountain Police Chief
Warren Goforth said an internal in-
ny Indore, 2 of 1008
vestigation into Hendrick's in-
volvement in the accident is under-
way. Goforth said Hendrick is on
medical leave.
The investigation centers around
Hendrick letting a f riend tell the
N. C. Highway Patrol he was driv-
ing Hendrick's car, a 1990
Chevrolet Beretta, when it ran off
Fallston Road, hitting a chain link
fence.
Hendrick's friend, Kale,
See Policeman, 3-A
Council, Department Heads
To Have Planning Meeting
A March 2-3 planning meeting
by city council and department
heads will be held at Cleveland
Community College.
City Manager George Wood said
department heads have until
February 22 to present their annual
budget requests to him and he will
then compile and review informa-
tion for a formal presentation to
city council. The planning meeting
and work sessions on the budget
are held prior to.the adoption by
June 30 and council voted at the re-
cent meeting to hold the planning
session at an out-of-city location
within the county.
Wood said the CCC setting
would be ideal for the two-day
meeting, expected to begin at 9
a.m. on Saturday, recess in late af-
ternoon and continue Sunday after-
noon. "There's a lot of work to cov-
er in two days," said Wood.
What kind of year the city has
enjoyed financially as well as his
impressions of the impact the cen-
sus will have on state-shared rev-
enues will be detailed in opening
remarks to council by Wood.
With gas prices going down,
Wood said that the city's cost for
See Council, 9-A
Patriotic Rally Sunday
At Community Center
A patriotic rally to show support
for area service people in the War
in the Gulf will be held Sunday af-
ternoon at 2 p.m. at Kings
Mountain Community Center.
The program is co-sponsored by
Kings Mountain Chamber of
seat on the KM Board of Education
in 1965 but in the years since be-
came too busy for politics with
church work, volunteer organiza-
tions and working at the Recreation
Department. She was hired by
Former Mayor Garland E. Still and
also worked in the administrations
of Glee Bridges, Kelly Dixon, and
John Henry Moss. Her first job was
to supervise the old Davidson Pool
and with segregation helped over-
see Deal Street pool. She has
worked with seven city recreation
directors over the years but recalls
that Jake Early was her first "boss."
She retired Sept. 10, 1988 after 26
years employment.
Back in 1976 Veralee recalled a
harrowing experience at the
Commerce and City of Kings
Mountain,
Families of service people sta-
tioned in the Mideast will be seated
in a reserved section.
Chamber of Commerce
See Rally, 3-A
Just Call Veralee 'Mama’
Community Center involving a
woman out-of-work who "went
berserk” in the employment office
and threatened two ESC employ-
ees. Veralee said she heard screams
coming from the office and found a
woman throwing things at two
women employees. Veralee said
she picked up a folding chair and
"drew back with such force that the
chair knocked a hole in the door."
She said she would long remember
that experience.
In addition to providing a home
for foster kids, she also reared sev-
eral nieces. She keeps a three-year-
old child on weekends and kids
from Ohio to Kansas City and.
-See Veralee, 9-A
~ Hendrick said he panicked. "I'm
took
the blame for the accident and was
LEAL SEA rm AMORA A DA JAN ht 0 1 AS x i