a Sr
ar
SS Ha po a a a Ne an ea a en
a a
back one hour ||
Turn clocks
Freddy Smith
See
Wins fourth dirt
track race crown
(re)
A
\
gf
7)
1 Ta
Pancakes
VOL. 105 NO. 43
City Council run-off election
—
Thursday, October 28, 1993
10 seek seats on Grover Town Board
Seven rookies and three veter-
ans.
That's the lineup for what proba-
bly will be Grover's most hotly-
contested municipal election
Tuesday.
Grover citizens will go the polls
from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at Grover
Rescue Squad Building. They will
also receive a statewide bond bal-
lot; school board ballot, and a wa-
ter district ballot.
Incumbents Jim Howell, Don
Rich and Tim Rowland face seven
challengers.
Cindy Cook, 24, a beautician,
and Robbie Sides, 23, a local po-
liceman, are among the youngest
candidates for public office in the
county this year. Cook attends
most Grover board meetings and
has expressed interest in beautifi-
cation and town improvement pro-
grams,
Joining Cook and Sides on the
ballot are newcomers James F.
Goad Sr., Juanita Pruette, a former
councilwoman, Noel G. Spivey,
Sam N. Stevenson, and Evelyn
Willis.
The recently organized political
action committee, Citizens for
Good Government, has taken an
active role. The group published an
August newsletter encouraging
grassroots involvement. Leaders of
the committee attend virtually all
monthly town board meetings.
Kings Mountain School Board candidates Myron George, Melony
Bolin and Keith Miller, left to right, answer questions during
Thursday night's Kings Mountain Ministerial Association-sponsored
Kings Mountain voters will return to the polls
Tuesday to vote in a run-off election for two seats on
the Kings Mountain City Council.
Dean Spears, the front runner on October 3 in the
four-man race for at-large commissioner, is being chal-
lenged by Jerry Mullinax.
Ralph Grindstaff, the former policeman who was
front runner in the five man race in Ward 3, is being
challenged by Charlie Smith.
Although the city political season has generated lit-
tle fanfare in outward politicking, the outcome of
Tuesday's citizens will see two more new faces on the
seven-member board next year. On October 3, voters
returned only one incumbent to City Hall and turned
down the bid of a former mayor for a commissioner
seat. The clear winners in the October 5 election were
political newcomer Rick Murphrey who ousted incum-
bent commissioner Fred Finger and incumbent Ward 4
forum at B.N. Barnes Auditorium. As the empty seats indicate, four of
the seven candidates failed to show, as did much of the public. Only
about 30 voters attended.
'Hot' School Board election set for Tuesday
Thursday night's Kings
Mountain Ministerial Association
forum for School Board candidates
was sparsely attended - by both
candidates and the public.
Only three of the seven candi-
dates attended and answered ques-
tioned offered by the Ministerial
Association as well as the 30 citi-
zens who attended.
Melony Bolin and Keith Miller,
two of the four candidates for two
outside city seats, participated as
well as Myron George, one of three
candidates for the at-large seat in
next Tuesday's election.
Ronnie Hawkins and C.A.
Allison, the incumbents holding
the two outside seats, sent word
that they had prior committments,
as did Rev. Billy Houze, a candi-
date for the at-large seat. Larry
Hamrick Jr., another at-large candi-
date, did not attend and did not
give the sponsors a reason why.
Rev. Robert Haynes, pastor of
Temple Baptist Church and presi-
dent of the Ministerial Association,
Candidate forum draws small crowd
explained that the forum was ar-
ranged on short notice because no
other organization in town was in-
terested in sponsoring it. Hugh
Dover, former Cleveland County
Commissioner, served as modera-
tor. :
All three candidates were
knowledgeable on school issues
and answered questions ranging
from sex education to school vio-
lence and athletics in the schools.
All candidates’ stances on most
issues were similar, but Mrs. Bolin
differed slightly on her view to-
ward alternative schools. While
George and Miller leaned toward
alternative schools, Bolin said she
would prefer taking children with
discipline problems out of the
mainstream of school programs but
to put them in a separate classroom
on the same campus rather than
moving them to another school.
"Obviously, these students have
See Forum, 7-A
Schools celebrate new computer
computer program two years ago,
Jostens
Learning demonstration site and
will receive a flag and a plaque.
East School will host visitors who
want to learn more about the pro-
The recently installed $1 million
worth of computers in grades 3-5
and the Middle School were offi-
cially christened by about 75 visi-
tors Tuesday including the gover-
nor's head of a new education task
force, Kings Mountain native Dr.
Sam Houston Jr.
Houston shared the podium with
Nancy Sites, Vice-President and
General Manager of Jostens
Learning Corporation's Eastern
Division, at a luncheon at Holiday
Inn which culminated a two-hour
visit to East, West, North,
Bethware and Grover Elementary
Schools and Kings Mountain
Middle School.
Sites announced that East
School, which pioneered the local
is now the official
gram.
A six-member
of Education,
Scott Neisler,
Lane Alexander,
team from
Jostens accompanied school offi-
cials, members and former mem-
bers of the Kings Mountain Board
school officials,
county commissioners, Mayor
County Manager
local N. C.
Representatives John Weatherly
and Jack Hunt; PTO presidents,
Chamber of Commerce Education
committee members and parents on
a tour of the schools. Visitors were
The School Board race on
Tuesday is sure to be the city's
hottest. :
Four people are running for two
outside city seats and three are run-
ning for one at-large seat. Of the
candidates, four are newcomers to
politics.
All registered voters in the
Kings Mountain School District
are eligible to vote for both outside
city and at-large representatives.
Seeking the two outside city
seats. are incumbents Ronnie
Hawkins and C. A. Allison and po-
litical newcomers Melony Clark
Bolin and Keith Miller.
Seeking the at-large seat are for-
mer board member Billy Houze
and newcomers Larry Hamrick Jr.
and Myron George.
Hawkins has served one four-
year term on the board and he is
completing his second year as
board chairman. Allison was ap-
pointed to the board in May to
serve the remaining term of Billy
Houze, who ‘moved inside the city
limits and. had to resign after 3 1/2
years on the board. Bolin, Miller,
Hamrick and George have all been
active in school PTO and commu-
invited to observe the students at
work and also to try out programs
on the computers themselves.
Supt. Dr. Bob McRae called
technology "the best hope of hav-
ing a teacher for every child.”
McRae, Houston and Sites credited
the Board of Education with hav-
ing the vision to put money for in-
struction at the top of the spending
list.
Houston brought greetings from
Governor Jim Hunt and said the
governor is committed to public
education. He predicted a "brighter
day in public education." He com-
mended the General Assembly for
their commitment to educational
reform and change.
"A board of education carries
nity activities.
The at-large seat was created re-
cently and replaces the inside city
seat held by Priscilla Mauney, who
chose not to seek reelection.
The Kings Mountain polling
places are the same as for the city
runoff on Tuesday. Polls open at
6:30 a.m. and close at 7:3Q p.m. at
The Armory, West Kings Mountain
precinct and at the Conimunity
Center, East Precinct, where voters
should enter the front door and
vote in the lobby for both city and
county elections. Normally voting
is done in the gym area at the back
of the building. However, City
Elections Supervisor Becky Cook
says that roofing is underway and
the back entrance won't be accessi-
ble to voters.
Bethware area voters will cast
their ballots at David Baptist
Church and Grover citizens will
vote at the Grover Rescue Squad
Building.
Township Five voters who re-
side in the KM School District will
vote at the Waco Town Hall on
School Road in Waco.
programs
out the mandates of the people and
electing the right people at the
polls is important on Tuesday,”
said Houston, who also put in a
plug for the governor and asked
citizens to vote for bonds on
November 2.
"Computers are expensive but
they are the windows of the future,
said Houston: "Kids have to com-
pete in the 21st Century and the
essence of education is the fact that
those who are the best will make
the difference."
"True and false tests are weak
measures and a 1938 curriculum
just won't do in today's world,” he
said.
See Schools, 7-A
ot)
Jim Childers.
KIWANIS CLUB
Pancake Supper
Swe 5:00-7:30 pm
NM
~ — \chool Cafeteria
Of
gHN]
LW
councilman Jerry White, who squeezed by challenger
The polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
Precincts are the same as for the October Primary.
They are: West Kings Mountain at The Armory and
East Kings Mountain at Kings Mountain Community
Center. Election officials will remain the same.
Becky Cook, city elections supervisor, will post the
election returns in the lobby of City Hall about 8 p.m.
All four of the candidates were out pumping hands
this week in an effort to get last-minute votes. All four
candidates pledged to work to upgrade programs and
represent all the citizens.
Not surprisingly, more new registrations were re-
ported in Ward 3 where only Ward 3 voters will elect
the Ward 3 representative.
elect the at-large representative on the board.
All registered voters will
City Council tables
street improvements
Kings Mountain City Council
tabled for the second time Tuesday
a petition from four property own-
ers for street assessments, saying
they wanted to give other property
owners ahead of them time to
come forward.
"I don't see putting one ahead of
the: others in . line," said
Councilman Jim Guyton.
"We've had people wanting their
streets paved for six or seven years
and nothing done about it," said
Guyton. "Priorities need to be set.”
Councilman Phil Hager agreed
and made the motion to table the
matter until more feedback could
coine irom other property owners
on the "back burner."
Signing the petition for paving
of Oakland Street from Hillside to
Meadowbrook Street were Ken and
Becky Cook, of 717 Meadowbrook
Rd., Virginia Hardin, 801
Meadowbrook Road, and Mable H.
Dixon Goforth, 701 Hillside Drive.
Cook was present at the meet-
ing. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cook ap-
peared before the board last month
to request that a dirt road beside
their residence be closed or paved
and agreed to pay 50 percent of the
cost.
Councilwoman Norma Bridges
questioned at what point an assess-
ment roll becomes null and void
and how long property owners
could stay on the "back burner."
Under the city's street assess-
ment plan, the property owners and
city share in the cost of the street
improvements but unless 51 per-
cent of owners of property sign the
assessment roll the petition is null
and void, said City Manager
George Wood. He said some prop-
erty owners may have decided not
to proceed because of costs.
"The petitions are not dead,"
said Wood. "We need to give those
property owners the benefit of the
doubt but they need to come for-
ward."
Wood said property owners have
a choice of paying the street as-
sessment costs in 30 days or over a
period of five years.
Councilman Al Moretz said that
some of the requests on the back
burner are "fairly old." He suggest-
See Petition, 8-A
Mayor urges
bond support
Kings Mountain City Council, at
the urging of Mayor Scott Neisler,
endorsed Tuesday the November 2
state bond issue for water and sew-
er.
The mayor = said Kings
Mountain's advantage in passage of
the bonds will mean lower interest
rates for construction costs to local
governments. The mayor said that
the city plans in the near future to
reline a sewer basin at an estimated
cost of $250,000.
Neisler said municipalities
would repay the loans through wa-
ter and sewer revenues.
In other business, Council:
Accepted the engineering pro-
posal from Alley, Williams,
Carmen & Kings Inc. of
Kannapolis at cost of $9,200 for
mining permits and design of the
access road to the dredging area at
Moss Lake.
Awarded the low bid to John
Jenkins Inc. for $88,407 for street
paving. The motion by Councilman
Moretz stipulated that the bid
award would be less $2,630 if the
board opts to wait to pave a portion
of Oakland Street using special as-
sessments. Moretz suggested the
contract specify depth of 1 1/2
inch asphalt priced per square yard
versus $32 per ton for 3,201 tons
of asphalt.
Amended the terms of office of
the Planning and Zoning Board to
two consecutive terms. The new
ordinance stipulates that no mem-
ber of the board shall serve more
than two three-year terms consecu-
tively. A member may be reap-
pointed to the board following two
consecutive terms only after re-
maining off the board for at least
the equivalent of one three-year
term.
Authorized the payment of
Christmas bonus checks and gift
certificates on the same schedule as
in years past but gave volunteer
fireman the same bonus, $65, one
month's pay, as reserve policemen.
See Bonds, 3-A
Dr. Jane King, Dr. Bob McRae, Nancy Sites and Dr.
Sam
Houston, left to right, were the principal speakers at a luncheon
Tuesday which culminated a morning-long celebration of
"Technology In The Schools.