EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO
VOTE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd
VOL. 104 NO. 44
Kings Mountain citizens will join their neighbors
and those from across the country at the polls
. Tuesday to vote in what may be one of the largest
turnouts -- an estimated 75 to 80 percent of registered
voters -- in a general election in recent history.
In Kings Mountain, a total of 11,533 voters were
registered to vote as of August 5 and since that time
county election officials say that more have regis-
tered. In Cleveland County, as of August 5, nearly
42,000 people had registered to vote, according to
Debra Blanton, county elections supervisor. She pre-
dicts a heavy turnout for election day.
Watch out for the
TRICK OR TREATERS
ON HALLOWEEN
DRIVE CAREFULLY!
Thursday, October 29, 1992
Big turnout expecte
No.4 Township voters will make 41 choices from
86 candidates for jobs that range from the White
House and Governor's Mansion to the county com-
mission.
The polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. :
In Kings Mountain registered voters include:
Bethware, 2,214; East Kings Mountain, 3,034; West
Kings Mountain, 3037; Grover, 1,324; and Waco,
1,924.
Voting precincts in the Greater Kings Mountain
area are East Kings Mountain, Community Center;
West Kings Mountain, National Guard Armory;
Grover, Rescue Squad Building; Bethware, David
Baptist Church fellowship building, and Waco, Town
Halk.
This year's redistricting divided precincts between
two Congressional districts and two N.C. Senate dis-
tricis. Kings Mountain and all of No. 4 Township is
part of the 9th Congressional District and the 37th
Senate District.
No. 4 Township voters will receive only one large
ballot printed on both sides. Mulls, Rippy, Shanghai,
Casar and Boiling Springs precincts get the same bal-
lot as No. 4 Township voters due to redistricting.
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Kings Mountain, N.C|
or electiu.s
Of particular interest here is the 37th District
Senate race between J. Ollie Harris, Kings Mountain
mortician, and Dennis Davis, Republican, Lattimore
school teacher; the 48th House District where
Republican John Weatherly is running in a field of
three incumbent Democrats and two Republicans; in
the 9th Congressional District where incumbent Alex
McMillan, Republican, is challenged by Rory Blake,
Democrat, a Cherryville pharmacist; and in the hotly
contested six-man county commission race where
See Election, 6-A
Council again
delays Pay vote
July, and six per nt in Janu
TT
Bom
good time for a rate increase, and
Water, sewer
rates increase
Kings Mountain City Council
Tuesday night voted 6-1 to increase
water and sewer rates 5 percent ef-
fective with the December bills to
customers.
“+The g00d news is that the in-
crease is not as high as originally
planned. In March, city
officials decided to. raise water and
sewer rates 15 percent this year,
nine percent which they did, in
Pat fully realize that there i is
frankly, we had hoped in March
1992 the economy would be fully
recovered by this November," said
City Manager George Wood. He
said the city can manage with a
smaller second increase if the in-
“crease is put into effect with the
bills going out to customers
November 30. "If we wait until
January, it cuts two months of rev-
enues, about $29,000."
The rate increase offsets the loss
8 Bessemer City as a Kings
‘Mountain water customer and also
pays for the added cost of wastew-
‘ater treatment after the city began
treating water at the Crowders
Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
full time. The increase was to be
split into two increases, the board
‘had said at the Spring planning
meeting.
"This is less than $1 a month fore
customers,” said Councilman Jim
Guyton. SN
Council Al Moretz, chairman of
the utility committee recommend-
ing the increase, said the increase
is much less than originally pre-
dicted and future rate ingreases
‘should be.minor. © ik
Councilwoman Norma Bridges
called attention to the city's lower
rates in comparison with meighbor
in g cities. &
~ Wood said that the city's rat S
See Rates, 6-A
Re
| the payroll change.
After going behind closed doors
for an hour Tuesday night City
Council tabled for the second time
a decision that could have changed
the way city employees are paid.
City officials want to pay city
employees every two weeks in-
stead of each week to reduce work-
load for payroll clerks and by cut-
ting the number of checks required
to pay employees. Mayor Scott
Neisler estimated the savings could
be as high as $5,000 a year.
But City Council is apparently
divided on the issue--caught be-
tween management and the 171
employees surveyed by the city
who voted overwhelmingly not to
change the way they are paid.
Tuesday night, the board went
into executive session to discuss
The item did not appear on the
regular monthly agenda, as it did
last month, but was taken up in ex-
ecutive session. Last month
Council hedged on making a deci-
sion after Councilman Jerry White
suggested surveying employees af-
ter four employees called about
him about the proposed payroll
change.
"I'm not against the city saving
money," White said at the time.
"I'm all for that. But I've had calls
from some employees who feel it
should stay the way it is. We owe it
to the employees to let them be
heard."
Council member Phil Hager said
at the time that he agreed that citly
council must protect city employ-
ees. But he said council members
must also protect the interest of
taxpayers. "We're here governing
the whole city of Kings Mountain,”
Hager said. "Sure, we have to look
out for the city's work force but we
also have to look out for the whole
city."
Again Tuesday night Hager's
substitute motion to table the issue
for more study, and seconded by
Councilwoman Norma Bridges,
passed 5-2 over the objections of
Councilmen Jim Guyton and
White. The first motion was by
White, seconded by Councilman
Elvin Greene, to keep the same
payroll schedule.
There was no discussion in open
session. The Mayor called for the
vote as soon as he reopened the
meetin
z See Pay, 6-A
You can win $ in President Photo Contest
Did you capture the thrill of the President's visit on film last week?
Maybe you snapped your camera right at the moment when the President
waved and smiled to the crowd. Or, you got the thrill on a youngster's face.
Or the sign that really got across the message of this election.
If so, share that picture!
Mayor Scott Neisler and the Herald are sponsoring a photo contest on
the President's visit, and we want everyone to enter their prize photos.
Three cash awards will be given. First prize will be $50; second place $30;
and third place $20. The winners will be published in the Herald and then
displayed at City Hall.
Color and black and white photos will be accepted. The pictures must
have been made in Kings Mountain or Grover; and only amateur photogra-
phers may enter.
Mail your photos to Photo Contest, P.O. Box 769, Kings Mountain
28086; or bring them (any size) to the Herald on East King Strect before
Friday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. They will be judged over the weckend and pub-
lished in the Thanksgiving paper. Photos can be picked up at the Herald af-
ter November 27, or you may supply a sclf-addressed and stamped enve-
lope and we will mail them to you.
po
personnel and a legal matter at
train with Presid
Although he didn't get any closer to the President
of the United States than those of us who watched as
he rode by in "The Spirit of America" last
Wednesday, Gene Austin said he would not have
missed the excitement of joining the eight cars of
press corps covering George Bush's whistlestop tour,
"] felt Radio Station WKMT owed it to the shut-
ins who couldn't see him wave from the train to give
them some. coverage of the day's activities," said
Austin, local radio announcer.
Every 15 minutes starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday
when Austin boarded oné of the eight press cars, he
called by cellular telephone to WKMT to report to
manager Jonas Bridges and co-workers. z
‘Austin said he decided on a whim to call The
White House and ask for press credentials. After get-
ting the go-ahead, he had to buy a camera and his
wife, Phyllis Ware Austin, gave him an early
Christmas present. Austin made pictures along the
route and he hopes they will remain in the family
scrapbooks forever.
Austin said he didn't see President Bush until the
train arrived at Ranlo where everyone got off the
train, the President accompanied by his son and by
Senator Strom Thurmond and by scores of secret ser-
vice men.
"I was really impressed with the security and the
press corps,” said Austin, who said he chatted with
them about the importance of the Battle of Kings
Mountain, which several admitted they had never
“heard about.
When the train slowed i in Grover, reporters on the
train assumed the train was slowing in Kings
Mountain. Austin said he rushed to tell them that the
train was in Grover and asked seweral times if the
train would slow for the President to make a speech
ent Bus
in Kings Mountin. Advance Crews, hl others on i
the train, indicated that if there were sufficient num-
bers along the tracks that the President's train would
pause momentarily in Kings Mountain. -
"Strom Thurmond was very cordial to us,” Said
Austin, who said Thurmond came through the press
car as the group ate breakfast. Austin was in
Spartanburg early Tuesday morning to check-in with
secret service at 6 a.m.
Crowds in Spartanburg, Gaffney, Blacksburg and
Grover didn't compare with the thousands that greet-
ed the Bush train in Kings Mountain, said Austin.
‘Security, was heayy in Spartanburg when Austin
boarded the train. He said his camera equipment and
tape recorders were inspected by dogs sniffing the
bags.
Local and county police were on duty at all the :
crossings. "It was touching to see the police with.
hands iis their ‘hearts and the flags flying," said
Austin
‘Austin said the only. time he heard politics men--
tioned was by the President in Ranlo.
People on the train saw the band uniforms in
Kings Mountain and the crowds and thought they
were in Ranlo, said Austin.
"I had to give the reporters a history lesson about
the Baitle of Kings Mountain and our National
Military Park," he said.
Austin said he was interviewed by a reporter fom
National Public Radio who was impressed at the.
small town turnout and the attention local media was
giving to the train trip.
"I guess I'm just hooked © on radio and I love what
I'm doing," said Austin, who taped his impressions of
his trip to share with listeners in radio land. "The re-
sponse has been great.”
/
Dit a dinner cruise 2 boat 1 in the wa-
~ Norman.
Kings Mountain People
KM won't
allow boat
on its lake
Moss Lake resident Wanda
Hays' dream for a cruise boat on
Moss Lake died quickly Tuesday
night as City Council unanimously
axed the idea.
Hays, who was not present, had
contacted City Manager George
Wood about the possibility of
tabling the matter until she had
more time to develop the project.
The board followed the recom-
mendation of the Moss Lake
Commission and denied the re-
quest.
Both Wood and City Attorney
Mickey Corry strongly recom-
“ ‘mended the board deny a permit to
: 8:
They opposed the plan because of
possible noise and water pollution.
Hays wanted to bring a pleasure
cruise boat similar to a sternwheel-
er called the Catawba Queen,
which is now operating at Lake
Wood said that the city-owned
lake is first and foremost the city's
water supply.
He said a large craft/sternwheel-
er does not fit into the recreational
uses outlined in city ordinances
governing the use of Moss Lake
and that a possible major fuel
spillage and the fact that no com-
mercialization has been permitted
on the lake for 20 years are other
factors that must be addressed.
Such a venture, he said, would
probably not be successful without
the sale of alcoholic beverages.
City ordinances prohibit alcoholic
beverage on city property. In a
speculative venture, it isn't in the
city's best interests, he said, to con-
sider dealing exclusively with one
person. Wood said Moss Lake is
one of the city's nicest residential
areas and property Owner Concerns
must also be a high consideration.
“I very strongly recommend de-
nial of this request,"/said Corry.
None of the board members
commented.
In other actions, the board:
Heard from Recreation Director
David Hancock that the city' has
been approved to host the 1993
Dixie Youth state baseball tourna-
ment in July 1993. Hancock said
See Council, 5-A
Fain Hambright a born leader
FAIN HAMBRIGHT
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald Staff
Former Grover Postmaster Fain
Hambright testified for benefits for
postmasters and federal employees
21 times-before the U.S. Congress
during his tenure as President of
the National © League of
Postmasters.
Hambright, who retired rceently
after 31 years with Grover Post
Office, says he is cnjoying not
punching the clock for the first
ume in his life.
Postal mementos he picked up
on his travels in 35 states as repre-
sentative of 23,000 postmasters
linc the walls of his workshop in
the basement of his Grover home.
A map is pinpointed to mark the
places that he spoke. His speeches
before Congress are enclosed in
Congressional Records and the
copics of bills he lobbied for over
four years on behalf of 75,000 fed-
cral employces arc numerous.
Pictures on the walls show the
Grover native with President Bush
and other leaders of government
and plaques point to his record of
service for five years as an energet-
ic leader of postmasters anda advo-
cate of federal employees.
"I went to Washington for a five-
day national meeting and stayed
five years," said Hambright. After
his clection as president of the
National League of Postmasters, he
moved to Arlington, VA and after
that was clected four consecutive
rerms.
Carolyn Ded on H mbright
said it was the rigsy tine during
their 34-year marriage th: © the cou-
ple had lived alone alicr raising
See Hambright, 13-A