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Sunday, April 3
VOL. 106 NO. 13
Kings Mountain volunteers from
the Police Department, Fire
Department and Public Works are
helping clear the debris left from
Sunday's tornado which devastated
the town of Boiling Springs.
Acting City Manager Maxine
Parsons, who lives in Boiling
Springs and luckily had no damage
at her home, said that the city sent
a wood chipper and crews Monday
and Tuesday to help clear limbs
and trees from power lines and
roads.
Police Records Clerk LuJuan
Volunteers help neighbors clean up
Dover, who also lives in Boiling
Springs, said she found tree limbs
in her yard after the storm but luck-
ily had no damage. Dover said she
was glad she was not at home
when the tornado. touched down
near the University.
Parsons said the damage to the
University buildings was exten-
sive. Parsons said an air condition-
er on top of the University
Observatory was taken several feet,
a car parked at one dorm landed on
See Volunteer, 12-A
Hospital
to hire
doctor
Kings Mountain Hospital's
Board of Trustees Tuesday night
approved the employment of a
family doctor and took steps that it
hopes will keep McGill Clinic
open.
Since veteran Dr. Charles H.
Adams of McGill Clinic informed
the medical community of his in-
tentions to retire and the possibility
that the clinic would close May 30,
medical officials have been work-
ing hard to secure at least two doe-
tors to occupy that facility.
Hospital Administrator Huitt
Reep told the board that the hospi-
tal had entered into a contract with
Dr. Edward Butler of Atlanta, Ga.,
and that he could begin practice as
early as April 4.
The hospital is also negotiating
with Dr. Richard Francis of North
Vernon, Indiana, who said he will
establish a family practice if
McGill Clinic becomes available.
The board approved Reep's re-
quest to negotiate with Dr. John
McGill, a member of the board, to
lease McGill Clinic and its equip-
ment. McGill excused himself
from the meeting while the matter
was discussed.
"I strongly recommend that we
lease McGill Clinic and put two or
three doctors in there," Reep said.
"I didn't learn about this possibility
until 3 o'clock this afternoon but it
is very important go get this under
contract."
Reep said it is important to the
hospital and the community to re-
cruit doctors for the clinic that will
admit patients to Kings Mountain
Hospital and follow-up with their
care.
"If you have someone in there
just during the day and if they don't
admit patients to Kings Mountain
Hospital it will put a tremendous
burden on other physicians in the
community,” he said.
Reep said he doesn't believe
See Hospital, 9-A
Thursday, March 30, 1994
Tornado es rip-up county
High winds took about a fifth of
the roof of one home on Zeb Cline
Road at Moss Lake Sunday and
ripped through a barn and tore tin
loose from several buildings but
otherwise the Kings Mountain area
escaped major damage from one of
the worst tornadoes to hit
Cleveland County. .
The home of John F. Yarbro Sr.
was damaged when the wind took
most of his roof on the Lake end.
Yarbro quickly covered up the roof
with tarp but reported some rain
damage. At least one other home
and a barn, all on Zeb Cline Road,
sustained some wind damage.
No one was injured.
Although there were major pow-
a
er outages in other areas of the
county, Kings Mountain citizens
escaped the storm's wrath.
The tornado, which ravished
Boiling Springs, also touched
down again in Suburban Acres
Mobile Home Park near Oak
Grove, leveling trailers and up-
rooting trees. A shelter was set up
by the Cleveland County Red
Cross Chapter at Oak Grove Fire
Department for victims in this area.
Luckily, no cne was seriously
hurt.
No one was treated at Kings
Mountain Hospital for storm-relat-
ed injuries and Kings Mountain
Police Department answered no
See Tornado, 12-A
53
Chris Westmoreland, as Jesus, holds up the cup as the disciples gather for the Lord's Supper during
Maundy Thursday service at Central United Methodist Church. Mike Norwood is seated left of
Westmoreland and Terry Edwards is at his right. Other disciples, standing left to right, John Rauch,
David Dilling, Jerry DePue and David McDaniel. Back row, Jim Ware, David Potter, Johnny Reavis, Jim
Potter and John Clemmer.
Churches plan Easter services
Rev. Harold Schwantes, pastor
of Central United Methodist
Church, will deliver the sermon at
the traditional community-wide
Easter Sunrise Service Sunday at
7:08 a.m. in Veterans Park of
Mountain Rest Cemetery.
His sermon topic is
"Assumptions That Hinder."
The service is sponsored by the
Kings Mountain Ministerial
Association.
Special music will be presented
by the Choir of First Presbyterian
Church under the direction of
Shirley Austin.
"The public is invited.
CENTRAL METHODIST
Maundy Thursday Communion
at Central United Methodist
Church will be a solemn 7:30 p.m.
service during Holy Week.
Twelve men from the congrega-
tion will portray the Twelve
Disciples and Chris Westmoreland
has the role of "Jesus."
City employees will be off
Monday for the traditional Easter
holiday but next year their spring
holiday could be on Good Friday if
the policy is changed at next mon-
th's spring retreat and planning ses-
sion.
The recommendation to change
the holiday schedule this year was
on the agenda at Tuesday's City
Council meeting but the board sid-
ed with employees, voting unani-
mously not to make the change
since the holiday is on Sunday.
Utilities, said his employees want
Good Friday off because they have
already made plans for the long
weekend and would have difficulty
in getting babysitters for their chil-
dren on Friday since Day Care
Centers are closed. .
Maney said he agreed with city
officials supporting the change in
Jimmy Maney, Director of
City employees to take Monday off
holiday schedule that Good Friday
may be the best time to close since
local banks and other businesses
already observe Good Friday as the
official holiday and this poses a
slight imposition on the operation
of several city functions.
"We had little notice, however,
and my people are upset that they
may have to make last minute
changes in vacation plans," said
Maney.
Maney said that city employees
were surveyed several years ago
about their choice of Easter
Monday or Good Friday and a ma-
jority chose Good Friday.
The change came at the sugges-
tion of Personnel Director Winston
Bagley who proposed a permanent
change in the months to come,
along with additional updates to
the personnel policies.
REV. HAROLD SCHWANTES
The men in the drama will be
dressed in long robes and cos-
tumes. They will assist the Rev.
Harold Schwantes in the Lord's
Supper after the 20-voice Chancel
After taking his business sign
down several months ago on King
Street because it didn't meet city
specifications, developer Mike
Brown got approval Tuesday night
from City Council to put it back
up.
Council amended the zoning or-
dinance to permit Brown to in-
crease the aggregate square footage
at his new businesses on East King
Street to 75 square feet but the or-
dinance specified that all five signs
he wants to put up be erected on
one structure near the sidewalk.
City Attorney Mickey Corry ob-
jected to a "hodge podge of sepa-
rate signs" and suggested that all
attached signs be placed on a one
time supportive structure.
Corry's remarks brought discus-
sion from Council. Councilman
Jim Guyton said that adding a new
ordinance for multiple signs might
be the way to go but Planner Gene
White said the present ordinance
will take care of Browns’ needs.
Choir presents the cantata, "On
The Passion of Christ," by
Williams.
Linda Dixon is directing the can-
_ tata, for which Libby Putnam is or-
ganist.
The church sanctuary will be
centered by a long Lorgls Supper
table at which the disciples will bey
seated. The bread and wine will be
served as worshipers come to the
altar,
The March 31 program is open
to the public.
Sonny Peeler, Jake Dixon,
Teresa Williams, Sue Horton, Rev.
F 'rold Schwantes, and John
Warlick have solo parts in the can-
tata.
Trudy Rauch, Judy Norwood
and Kathleen Walker assist with
costumes and direction.
The disciples are portrayed by
David McDaniel, David Dilling,
John Rauch, John Clemmer,
See Easter, 12-A
"Brown's situation is unique,”
said White. "His building doesn't
face the road."
Guyton said that the amendment
would mean limiting the total
square footage for any one busi-
ness in town. White said the ordi-
nance spells out that 30 feet maxi-
mum is required for signs at any
business location but for any addi-
tional sign to be put up at the same
spot the maximum footage would
be 75 feet.
Councilman Phil Hager asked
Corry to word the ordinance at his
discretion but Corry said the mo-
tion by Council must spell out ex-
actly what Council wants. Hager
then made the motion that the ordi-
nance stipulate 30 feet for the first
sign and 15 feet thereafter up to a
maximum of 75 square feet.
Brown has three separately me-
tered businesses in one location on
King Street.
Brown's proposal had been
turned down by the Board of
Sunday's tornadoes caused major damage in Cleveland and Gaston
counties, but the city of Kings Mountain was spared.
City policemen
threaten to quit
Several patrolmen threatened to
quit Tuesday on the eve of Chief
Warren Goforth's proposal that
City Council change the work
schedule of patrolmen from 12 to
eight hour work day shifts.
But Goforth told City Council
Tuesday night he changed his mind
and wanted to rescind his agenda
item that would save the city over-
time money and vacation time for
some employees in the Police
Department.
He said the reason he made the
suggestion was at'Council's insis-
tence that department heads make
cuts in spending but changed his
mind about the schedule because
one employee came to him
Tuesday afternoon and said the
change would cut her her paycheck
$100.
"I have always done what I
thought was best for my people,"
he said.
After the meeting, the Chief said
that 20 members of his department
had signed a petition objecting to
the change of work schedule. He
said the petition, which did not sur-
face in the open session, had noth-
ing to do with his withdrawal of
the recommendation.
Goforth said he had the backing
of some members of Council but
not a majority of the board to
change the work schedules effec-
tive Easter Sunday.
"I'm sure that about 20 of my
employees have already talked to
you folks," Goforth told Council.
Two police sergeants and two
dispatchers were in the audience.
There were no comments by
Council nor from the audience.
There was no motion made to re-
scind or accept the Chief's recom-
mendation. Mayor Scott Neisler
moved on the next agenda item.
Goforth said that on July 1,
1988 KMPD made the change
from eight hour work day shifts to
12 hour work day shifts to allow
See Quit, 12-A
Adjustments. Brown's only re-
course for appeal after City
Council would have been Superior
Court.
In other actions, Council:
Approved the interview process
schedule for the position of city
manager.
Contracted with Browne, Keller
and, Associates, CPA, the firm
which does the annual city audit,
to balance the monthly bank state-
ments during the period of interim
city manager. Acting Manager
Maxine Parsons made the recom-
mendation, noting that the audit-
ing firm would balance the check
books and also keep internal con-
trol.
Set public hearing for April 26
at 7:30 p.m. and referred to the
Planning and Zoning Board for
recommendations a request from
Charlie Barnes to rezone his prop-
erty from GB to R-20 at Gaston
County Tax Map 11-48, Parcel
22.06; request from Warren
Mayor offers
board apology
Mayor Scott Neisler apologized
to City Council Tuesday for not
letting all of the members know
about an informational meeting
Monday with the two facilitators
who will organize and lead the
Council's April planning retreat.
"There was nothing secretive
about it," said the Mayor.
"If 1 overstepped my bounds, 1
am sorry."
The Mayor's apology came after
Ward I Councilman Phil Hager
said that he would have attended
the meeting if he had known about
it.
"At this crucial period in the city
all of us should know about every
meeting and in the future the whole
Council needs to be told," said
Hager.
Hager made the comment after
Councilwoman Norma Bridges
asked the mayor when council
scheduled the Monday meeting
which was attended by the mayor,
Councilman Rick Murphrey, who
is Mayor Pro tem, and Acting City
Manager Maxine Parsons.
"It's a part of our duty as elected
officials to be present at every
meeting," said Hager.
Neisler said Zebulon City
Manager Charlie Horne and
Institute of Government facilitator
Deborah Henezey were interested
in how to structure the upcoming
retreat and will be given a free
hand in working it up. He asked
the Council to approve a $250
scholarship to the Institute of
Government since the facilitators
can't accept fees. Both leaders will
be paid travel money and two days
housing in Kings Mountain to at-
tend the meeting at Gardner-Webb
University Observatory in Boiling
Springs.
Council reverses decision on Mike Brown's sign
Huffstetler to rezone his property
from GB to R-20 at Cleveland
County Tax Map 4-57, Block 1,
Lot 57; and TEAsGroup, Inc., for a
special use permit to construct ‘a
Telecommunications tower in the
L-I district at Cleveland County
Tax Map 27, Block 1, Lot 6.
Called for a public hearing on
May 31 at 7:30 p.m. and referred to
the Planning and Zoning Board for
a recommendation a request from
Anvil Knit, Inc. to rezone property
from R-8 to L-I at Cleveland
County Tax Map 19, block 3, lot 5,
partial, and lot 4.
Approved an exchange of prop-
erty with James C. Crawford in or-
der to perform the required con-
struction of upgrades for the
Davidson Lake Dam. Director of
Community Services Tom Howard
said the dam must be fixed to com-
ply with state mandates.
Accepted the low, negotiated bid
See Council, 9-A