Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / May 9, 1991, edition 1 / Page 1
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Having Fun At Fifth Grade Field Day See Page 15-A il Rescuers Celebrate Anniversary See Page 13-A KM Sports Teams Play In State Tournaments See Page 6-7A VOL. 108 NO. 18° Mayor doesn't plan to run again Mayor Kyle Smith says he won't seek reelection for a second term. The mayor has led the imple- mentation of the city manager form of government which he sought when he ran for office four years ago. "That was my goal when 1 an- nounced for this office and I'm proud of my ad- ministration,” said Smith. n M y four years will be ‘up . ‘in December and I plan to go home and enjoy retire- ment, " said Smith. "The old administration changed SMITH the city charter from mayor/council to manager/council before I came into office but that was something I came out strong for and I back and will always back City Manager George Wood 100 percent," he said. "I personally don't think the mayor should have a vote and the only way this will happen is to have an uneven number of com- missioners on the board," said Smith, Smith said he has cut ribbons, made speeches and presided at meetings of board meetings during his tenure, held office hours at city hall, represented the city at many functions and been available at call by citizens. "A couple of times I have been a See Smith, 12-A Thursday, May 9, 1991 GEORGE WOOD City Manager Wood a top-notch admin City Manager George Wood will get high marks Thursday on the annual May evaluation sheets being completed by city council. After three years on the job in a new era of city government for this community, Wood is even more popular today than he was when he came to work May 9, 1988. City council members agree he is a top notch administrator whose record speaks for itself. "I would not support any candidate running for mayor or council who supports returning to the may- or/council form of government," Mayor Kyle Smith. All six councilmen agree that the city manager form of government is working well and at least one Kings Mountain citizen, insuranceman Bob Maner, gave the city manager and council high marks at a re- cent city board meeting when Maner spoke for a new redistricting plan which will probably get final ap- proval by council Tuesday night. Maner doesn't want to see a return of the mayor/council form of govern- ment and joined Charlie Carpenter and Clavon Kelly Business week is Kings Mountain city and Chamber of Commerce officials more promotional work to do. Loretta Cozart, Executive Director of the Merchants Association-Chamber sof Commerce, City Manager George Wood and Gene White, the city's Director of Planning and Economic Development, attended a state- wide meeting on economic devel- opment recently in Mooresville and Kings Mountain was labeled as cause of its transportation system of and close location to Charlotte, the highway and rail lines. See Business, 9-A Not only during Small Business Week once a year in May but every business day John McGinnis and his partner and brother-in-law Doyle Campbell work hard to give Kings Mountain customers quality products at competitive prices with personal service shoppers say can't be beat at out-of-town malls, John McGinnis got started in the family business as a teenager help- underway | a prime target for new growth be- g tte and into the outlying areas but there is PARTNERS-Doyle Campbell, left, McGinnis Department Store, a Kings Mountain downtown merchant s and John McGinnis are partners in their family owned and operated ince 1952. This is 'Small Business Week' and salutes local merchants like the McGinnis family. ing stock shelves. He joined the firm on a full-time basis in 1965. : Doyle Campbell, who is married to John's sister, Anita, joined the busi- ness in 1972, The firm has been a family oper- ated business since New Years Day 1951 when the late Paul McGinnis and his wife, Ethel, 78 this week, founded the store after Paul got the mercantile trade in his blood as a Selling clothes is in their blood salesman in the early 1930's for the late J. B. Keeter at Keeter's Department Store. Ethel and Paul worked side by side in the store for many years. Most holiday week- ends Ethel is back at her sewing machine busy with alterations, John and Doyle are owners and managers of the family business, which has expanded several times over the years to include popular ‘family, athletic and dress shoes lines of clothing for the whole and infant wear. John and his wife have three daughters and Doyle and Anita have two daughters, each of whom has helped out on occasion in the business. Pattie McGinnis, who graduated with a degree in ac- counting from Appalachian State See McGinnis, 9-A New Grover School to open A long-awaited dream for Jim Scruggs, 63, will happen Thursday night at 7 p.m. when the new Grover School is formally dedicat- ed. "I was thinking about retiring this year but just had to enjoy this new school for one more year," said Principal Scruggs who came to Grover in 1956 and has com- piled an enviable record of 38 plus years in education. The affection that the students feel for him is expressed in the 1990-91 annual dedication," To Mr. Scruggs because we love you." "When I came to Grover I had some experience as a teacher and coach but now I've leaned a lot as I hope the kids have learned," said Scruggs, whose imposing stature at 6 feet 6 inches tall has meant few disciplinary problems. What he likes the least is introducing chil- dren to the board of education--the paddle--but he believes in corporal punishment as a necessity in some cases but says alternative punish- ing is preferable. During his career, Scruggs expelled only one boy at Grover High School which consol- idated in 1961 with Kings Mountain and the school became until 1976 a Grade 1-8 facility until the new KM Junior High opened in 1963-64 and then became a K-5 facility and added Head Start classes in recent years. Scruggs has seen new ideas come and go in education- -such as modern math and open classrooms. When he started teaching and coaching at Grover, in addition to his new duties as principal in 1956, he began new school terms with many sharecropper families of 8 and 10 children. Now he sees more single parent families and some of his pupils returning year after year are the grandchildren of his first students at Grover High School. Times change and with it many improvements in education, says Scruggs, who recalls that when he first came to Grover High he taught social studies and mathe- matics and coached. Although he See Grover, 9-A © cut. The budget matter is "up in the JIM SCRUGGS Kings Mountain, N.C RRR i Ol yl a yy MH A A @ : i Gouncil: govern ing fil : rking fil ta | in speaking for what council approy five members elected by wards, twq | *s 00 RW XANAVR i iS IN NIN SONI aa1d 93087 + gAV INOY AgVadIl TV IOWA | the mayor elected at large with a | says first term board which would mean the mayor w| | _ "Our city got to the position We Ne‘... « prvics- sional like George Wood. The utilities are getting in good shape with passage of the bond issues. To keep taxes down we have to keep the utilities on track be- cause our tax dollars don't generate enough money to run the police department,” said new board member Scott Neisler, who gives Wood high marks in budget- ing and administrative details. "We are approaching a $18 million budget and for now," he said. Fourth ‘toughest yet’ a city our size that's a big budget. Kings Mountain is primed for development in the future and we'll be ready to offer more city services," said Neisler. _ Neisler says Wood keeps an eye on what's happen- ing in state and federal government and laymen don't have time for these details. "That's why councilmen and councilwomen should be and are policy makers See Wood, 9-A budget His fourth budget as Kings Mountain city manager will be the toughest yet for George Wood. Wood says the $64,000 question: is how much will the state, faced with a hefty budget crunch, will air" services © rate, has remained the same for an ber of years. : "The bottom line is we don't want to raise taxes and we don't want to cut services but in this dif- ficult year of recession everything is in limbo as far as getting a bud- get together by June 1," said Wood. He said the council may have to delay action on the budget until the state legislators decide about cuts. Wood said the city could lose $300,000 from franchise taxes on utilities, $115,000 from business and inventory taxes, and $70,000 from intangibles taxes or a total of nearly $500,000. Kings Mountain has presently a 37-cents tax rate. "The city may have to dip into fund balances," said Wood. During 14 years experience in budget preparations and three years with the city, Wood says this will be his most difficult budget ever. ‘Money is tight and we don't know how much we'll get from the state until the last minute." Included in the budget for the Public hearing system of voting, will ne held Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at city The proposal, approved by the council recently, would change the current at-large system to a 5-2-1 plan--creating five wards and elect- ing two members and the mayor at large. The council voted 3-2 recently to make the proposed change, re- jecting the redistricting commit- tee! recommendation of a 4-2-1 plan and increasing the member- ship of the board to seven mem- bers; thereby denying the mayor a vote. Residents can voice their opin- ions on the proposed change Tuesday before the council formal- ly votes on it. The ward maps will be hand delivered later in the week to the U. S. Justice Department by City Manager George Wood and City Attorney Mickey Corry. Either 5-2-1 or 4-2-1 plans virtu- ally guarantee a minority member See Hearings, 11-A See Budget, 9-A Top teacher, principal named Bethware second grade teacher Susan Allen Elmore is Kings Mountain's Teacher of the Year and North School Principal Joey Hopper is Principal of the Year. The two educators and the Kings Mountain Police Department won the top awards at the annual Service Awards Banquet Monday of Kings Mountain District Schools. Kings Mountain Police Department won the "Special Friend" award for the department's assistance and support of the school system, including the lead- ership for two years of the DAREdrug awareness program. Mrs. Elmore has taught at Bethware School for two years. Hopper, 31, principal at North school three years, is the system's youngest principal. Elmore came to Bethware in August 1989 after teaching at Casar and Dover Schools in the county system. A graduate of Gardner Webb College, she is completing her 11th year as an elementary teacher. She was praised for well-structured classes. Elmore is married to Tim Elmore and they recently moved from Waco to Kings Mountain. Hopper came to Kings Mountain in 1981 as a teacher at Bethware School afte: graduating in the Class of 1981 at Gardner- Webb College. He Jias also received his master's and administrative degrees from Gardner-Webb. Hopper and his wife, Teresa, have a eight year old son. Chief Warren Goforth accepted the plaque for members of the Kings Mountain Police Department. Other "Teachers of the Year" from the various schools honored with plaques were Margaret Smith, East; Suzanne Keeter, Grover; Lisa Stewart, West; John Voorhees, North; Candy Albergine, Kings Mountain Middle School; and Eugene Bumgardner, Kings Mountain High School. Other employees honored for exemplary service in specific job See Awards, 9-A
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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May 9, 1991, edition 1
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