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VOL. 105 NO. 50
Thursday, December 16, 1993
Ward 5 City Councilman Rick
Murphrey, the top votegetter in the
recent municipal election; was
unanimously the choice of his fel-
low board members Tuesday for
the position of Mayor pro tem.
Murphrey was nominated by At-
Spears. Ward 1 Councilman Phil
Hager seconded the motion and the
action was unanimous.
The election of Murphrey was
the top item on the organizational
agenda for the new board after it
was seated Tuesday.
Upon motion of Councilman
large Councilman Harold Dean
Jerry White and seconded by
Councilman Ralph Grindstaff, the
board reelected Mickey Corry as
city attorney. Hager's motion and
White's second that Carolina State
Bank be the city's depository for
funds was also a unanimous deci-
sion.
Councilwoman Norma Bridges
was the unanimous choice of the
board for its representative to the
Isothermal Planning and
Development Commission's quar-
terly meetings in Forest City.
The new Council set January 11
for a special meeting to receive and
Rick Murphrey named mayor pro-tem
review the audit and to review the
current year's budget at mid-year.
Mayor Scott Neisler took the oc-
casion to recognize the city's
newest employee, Recreation
Director Bruce Clark.
Just as the mayor was about to
adjourn the meeting for a recep-
tion, Spears said he wanted to
make a motion that the board pub-
licly thank Mike Heath for lower-
ing the price of gasoline to mo-
torists the same amount that the |’
city raised the cost of natural gas
for Kings Mountain customers.
KM students
above average
Third grade students scored
above the state average in math
and reading on end-of-grade tests
for 1992-93 and all elementary stu-
dents tested above the state per-
centiles in math.
While third grade scores were
positive, students in the middle
grades four and five scored .8 of a
point below the state average in
reading; students in grades six,
seven and eight scored two months
below the state average in reading,
and seventh graders tested four
points below the state average in
nash, : ‘
Math scores at the five elemen-
tary schools were considerably
higher than state-wide percentiles
of 47, said Director of Student
Services Jean Thrift. She made
these comparisons: Bethware, 52;
East, 67; Grover, 49; North, 63,
and West, 65.
"We feel good about the third
grade scores but we'll be develop-
ing some strategies to improve
scores in the middle grades,” said
Thrift in a report to the Kings
Mountain Board of Education
Monday.
Supt. of Instruction Dr. Jane
King said that teachers and princi-
pals have received copies of the
base line data.
King said that some progress is
noted and that overall the system
"did well with a first time test that
we knew very little about." She
said that she is working with facul-
ties on ways to improve future test
scores.
King said that computers in the
classroom are helping third graders
answer many of the test questions.
"This end-of-year test was very
challenging to students;" she said.
"We have more work to do."
King said a curriculum audit will
also help improve the next test
scores.
On the state percentile in read-
ing, Kings Mountain third graders
scored 51 comparing to 47
statewide and other comparison
scores were: Fourth grade, 44-46;
fifth grade, 44-48; sixth grade, 39-
See School, 12-A
Three new members of City Council and an incum-
bent took their seats Tuesday night after a ceremonial
farewell to three outgoing commissioners Fred Finger,
Elvin Greene and Al Moretz by Mayor Scott Neisler.
The mayor took the occasion to present the outgoing
commissioners, all of whom were present except
Finger, with engraved plaques and gifts and to praise
them for high achievement and a tenure of office total-
ing 18 years. He cited the passage of the $8.5 bond ref-
erendum and major improvements to the city's sewer
and electrical systems as high marks of their career as
pubic servants.
Judge Keaton Fonville of the 27-B Judicial District,
administered the oath of office to Ward 3 Councilman
Ralph Grindstaff, Ward 5 Councilman Rick Murphrey,
At-large Councilman Dean Spears and Ward 4
Councilman Jerry L. White. Wives of the commission-
ers held Bibles for their husbands as they took the oath
Kings Mountain, NC 28086 * 50¢
New KM councilmen take office
"Giving the best service for the best price" is the
goal that Murphrey said he wanted to see happen dur-
ing his term of office. He thanked his wife, Sandra and
their family and supporters for long hours of cam-
paigning on hot summer days and pledged to work
with all council members and staff for the betterment
of Kings Mountain. :
"Councilman Jerry White echoed Murphrey's re-
marks about service being the trademark of the new
board and said that everyone worked hard to make the
recent political campaign one of the cleanest ever. He
said he appreciated the confidence of voters in return-
of office before a capacity audience at City Hall.
Judge ileaton Fonvieile, left, administers ihe oath oi office to newly-tlecied City Council members
Ralph Grindstaff, Dean Spears, Rick Murphrey and Jerry White.
Moss Lake Commission
asks for full-time officer
The five members of Moss
Lake Commission say a full-time
police officer is needed at the city-
owned lake to handle patrolling,
budgeting and organizational re-
sponsibilities.
After the holidays, Chairman Joe
Smith, Billy Hawkins, M. C.
Pruette Jr., Evelyn Hamrick and
Charles Ballew will meet with City
Manager George Wood to make
their suggestions official.
Presently, the city lake officer
Alan Hardin also is in charge of the
D.A.R.E. program in the Kings
Mountain schools.
Two residents of Moss Lake
aired boating concerns at Monday's
meeting at City Hall.
Charles Shirah, of 100 Wave
Rd., stated that with the lake low-
ered he is unable to use his boat
without taking a chance on ruining
his equipment. He said he doesn't
understand why the city doesn't
provide better accessibility while
the lake is lowered.
Smith said that the board appre-
ciated Shirah's concerns but repairs
are required, usually t periods of
three to four years. Repairs have
been completed, Smith said, and
lake levels should return to normal
in about 60 days.
Bob Conlon addressed the board
concerning areas of land in the lake
which he thinks should be excavat-
ed by the city while the lake levels
are lowered in order to reduce the
possibility of damage to boats. The
board referred the suggestion to
City Engineer Tom Howard.
Mrs. Hamrick made the motion,
seconded by Pruette, that the fol-
lowing requests be approved sub-
ject to compliance with Moss Lake
Commission guidelines.
They included: :
Billie G. and Terry E. Thames to
build a rock shoreline except for
beach area and dock space; James
C. Hamrick, remove dirt so boat
can come closer to the lot; Terry
and Barbara Ward, seawall; Horace
B. Ledford, concrete seawall;
Edward Martin Jr., stationary pier
and mooring facility; Robert E.
Roberts, landscaping and dredging;
Lawrence E. Mierka, retaining
wall; and Don Harmon/Harmon
Properties, concrete boat ramp.
Brad Frasier, Member of the Year, Joe Boheler, retired Grover Fire Chief, Bill Ware, Assistant Chief
and Fire Chief Jimmy Hensley show off the plaque honoring Boheler which will hang in the new Joe
Boheler Building in Grover.
Muddy water
not health risk
The muddy water coming from
your faucets is drinkable and soon
will clear up, says Walt Ollis, of]
Kings Mountain water department.
The reason for the discoloration
is because a water bregk at Moss]
lake water plant Sunday at 4 a.m.
required shutting down of the plant
for about an hour to isolate the
break.
Ollis said that a flang that holds
the pipe split in half and caused the
break. "Luckily, we saw where the
problem was and closed a valve
and got the water back on line in
about an hour," he said.
Ollis said that big industry water
users have already experienced
muddy water but that home users
may not notice the problem until
later in the week.
"There may be some spots that
we missed and some muddiness
may not have shown up yet," said
Ollis.
Shearra Miller was elected
chairman and B.S. Peeler was
elected vice-chairman of the Kings
Mountain District School's Board
of Education as the first official ac-
tion of the newly-sworn board
Monday night.
The two new officers have
served on the board two years.
Mayor Scott Neisler adminis-
tered the oaths of office to newly-
elected members Ronnie Hawkins,
C.A. Allison and Rey. Billy Houze.
Libby Hawkins, Adelaide Allison
and Karen Houze held Bibles for
their husbands to take the caths«in
ite Adppinistration Oifices on
Parker Street.
Miller is wife of Bridges
Hardware co-manager Tim Miller
and mother of two daughters.
Peeler is a former Kings Mountain
teacher.
"Peeler made the motion to elect
Miller, seconded by Hawkins.
Hawkins made the motion to
elect Peeler, seconded by Allison.
"The board action was unani-
mous.
"I am looking forward to serving
the school system in this position,"
said Miller. We will continue to
work together to help our schools
to be the very best possible for our
children and the community."
Miller earned the highest level
three certificate of excellence from
the North Carolina School Boards
ing him to his seat.
Councilman Grindstaff pledged to work with all cit-
izens and represent all citizens in all matters in the
coming months and said he looked forward to working
with the board and staff. "By working together we can
achieve," he said.
See Council, 12-A
Shearra Miller named
School Board chairman
SHEARRA MILLER
Association recently, recognizing
additional hours of staff develop-
ment in-service training.
C.A. Allison and Rev. Billy
Houze also received the first level
certificates. Supt. Dr. Bob McRae
made the presentations.
McRae called the meeting "a
celebration of service," recognizing
retiring vice-chairman Priscilla
Mauney for six years of service on
the board, chairman Ronnie
Hawkins for being elected a mem-
ber of the district scholarship team
on the North Carolina School
Board Association and presenting
See Miller, 12-A
Newly-elected: school board members Rev. Billy Houze, Ronnie
Hawkins, and C. A. Allison, left to right, take the oath of office from
Mayor Scott Neisler.
Grover fire station addition
named for ex-chief Boheler
Grover Volunteer Fire
Department honored one'of its-own
Saturday by naming the new
$180,000 addition the Joe Boheler
Building.
Boheler was Chief of the Fire
Department for 22 years before re-
tirement last year.
"You have to be dedicated to be
a good fireman and Joe is dedicat-
ed," said Chief Jimmy Hensley, an-
nouncing the surprise award at the
end of the annual Christmas barbe-
cue attended by 80 people.
"I'm speechless," said Boheler,
who said he had no idea that his
friends planned to name the build-
ing after him.
Hensley said the award was a
well kept secret in town because
the firemen wanted to honor a man
who had led the department over
many hurdles over the years.
Boheler's service began with five
firemen, including himself, and
one fire truck which wouldn't start
half the time.
Boheler said he had seen fire-
men complete numerous training
courses and build a handsome ad-
dition that he called one of the
finest in the state. The department
also has six trucks, including two
pumpers, a tanker, two brush tucks
anda utility truck. The addition in-
cludes a renovated kitchen and din-
ing area, a training room, office,
and utility storage room of brick
and block construction. Recently, a
matching grant bought $8,820 in
turnout gear and air pack equip-
ment.
Boheler said he responded to his
first fire 22 years dgo at
Burton/Dixie Mill in Blacksburg,
SC, a big fire that required 27 de-
partments and many firemen to put
out.
"Grover has been lucky that we
have had no major fire in the city
limits, although two lives were
claimed by a house fire and a car
fire," said Boheler.
A native of Kings Mountain,
Boheler is the son of the late Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Boheler. He owns.
and operates his own masonry
business. He is married to the for-
See Boheler, 12-A
a DINE 8