Jackie Blanton
Teacher of Year
2A
VT aN
THI
VOL. 106 NO. 18
- WAY WE
WELE IN 1963
a ea cet al] 1
a
[
3
¢
:\ oH,
NINE
= Z5
=. Ze
~~ a1 Pot
LA
Thursday, May 5 1994
Cs lr lp aera Nor wn am ny a a ae
aw Gis
I an A aa ae avd ER 5 on ro a a RN SRR WHR RIERA
3
heeds
sPohsors
=¥
atc
a —
iffle League
)
Kings Mountain, N 4]
Government Commission could take over KM
City considering utility and tax hike
Kings Mountain City Council is
leaning toward adopting a 10 per-
cent across-the-boards hike in wa-
ter and sewer to all customers and
a four cent ad valorem tax increase.
Although no formal action was
taken at a long budget workshop
meeting Monday, the seven
Council members indicated they
favor the hikes.
"I hate to balance the budget on
the backs of our employees," said
Councilman Jerry White to Interim
City Manager Maxine Parsons’
suggestion that Christmas bonuses
could be eliminated and that em-
ployees could pay more for depen-
dent health coverage, a recommen-
dation which would have added
$110,000 annually to the city's
tight money situation.
But Council didn't go for
Parsons’ recommendation and in-
dicated it is more in favor of saving
$300,000 and upwards by cutting
positions through attrition.
While not pinpointing positions,
Council questioned several depart-
ment heads, who had asked for
money to fund vacant positions.
Council cut from the proposed
budget five positions in public
works, two positions in streets, one
position in sanitation, six positions
in system maintenance, two posi-
tions in wastewater treatment, two
positions in pump station mainte-
nance, one position at the garage
and one meter reader position.
No layoffs were indicated.
Councilman Jim Guyton asked
the department heads to give an ex-
planation for proposed budget in-
creases and suggested that they re-
See Increase, 11-A
Westmoreland wins Senate primary
Democrat Dean Westmoreland
of Grover will face Republican
Dennis Davis in November in the
race for the 37th District Senate
seat being vacated by Senator Ollie
Harris of Kings Mountain.
Westmoreland, with 40.8 percent
of the vote, led the five-man field
Tuesday as an estimated 38 percent
of registered voters went to the
polls in Cleveland County.
The retired Kings Mountain
~ teacher received 2,178 votes in the
two-county district of Cleveland
3 : use. ! 3
Incumbents Edith Lutz of
Polkville and Jack Hunt of
Lattimore and newcomer Andy
Dedmon of Shelby were nominated
by Demograts Tuesday and John
Weatherly of Kings Mountain,
Debbie Clary and Dean Allen of
Earl were nominated in the GOP
Primary.
and Rutherford Counties. David
Teddy, Shelby lawyer, placed sec-
ond with 28 percent of the vote.
Davis, who ran two years ago
against Harris, was unopposed.
"I am very grateful to my sup-
porters,” said a jubilant
Westmoreland. He said his own
precinct of Grover voted heavily
and he was pleased with the esti-
mated 31 percent of registered vot-
ers who went to the polls in the:
. Kings Mountain area.
CRAIG BARFIELD )
TIET OR Toa : ¥
Two officials of the Local
Government Commission told city
fathers Monday they are "frustrat-
ed" and "could get upset" with
Kings Mountain's failure to take
appropriate action and take seri-
ously what they called a critical fi-
nancial condition.
Craig Barfield and Vance
Holloman, both of the Department
of the State Treasurer, were called
by Interim City Manager Maxine
Parsons to address a budget work
session by Council Monday night.
Specifically, Barfield said the
city promptly replied to his letters
in 1991, 1992 and 1993 and
promised to take some action on a
negative fund balance but had not
followed through.
"The city is in no financial con-
dition to issue debt of any type,"
said Barfield, responding to an in-
quiry about borrowing money.
"You have made excessive trans-
fers since 1989 and your reserve
fund balance, which should be at
Kid
SR 20 102 :
pea gs livia
least eight percent, is 1.2 percent
negative.
"You won't be able to get out of
this situation over night but you
need to reduce the transfers that the
general fund is being subsidized
by and the only way to do that is to
cut spending, raise the cost of ser-
vices, raise taxes, and continue
your hiring freeze," he said.
"Hold the line on expenses," said
Barfield, who signaled out a rec-
ommendation by the mayor for
money for Christmas decorations.
"You can cut that out, cut bonus-
es, utilize proper purchase orders
system where nothing is purchased
unless it is approved by the manag-
er but if you cut positions you have
to remember to pay accrued vaca-
tion leave to your employees," he
warned.
"Not filling vacant positions is
one way you could cut expenses
and use a smaller staff."
Barfield said that some cities
-take the quick fix way by cutting
payroll but often that system does
not pay off.
He said that monthly financial
statements should go to each mem-
ber of Council and the mayor and
Interim City Manager Maxine
Parsons said she was already pro-
viding that information
"Hold the line on expenses," said
Barfield, who suggested that
Council has some serious thinking
to do to turn around a problem
which will take at least two years.
Barfield said that Local
Government Commissions are re-
sponsible to the public for the solid
financial stability of cities in the
state.
"Basically, you are making debt
service payments to the detriment
of not paying your other bills or
robbing Peter to pay Paul,” he
said.
Barfield warned that if the city's
debt service becomes questionable
that the Local Government
See Workshop, 12-A
May runoff likely for Cashion,
Ralph Gilbert wins nomination
A rematch is likely between
Joyce Cashion of Kings Mountain
and Pat Spangler Jr. of Shelby in
the Democratic race for county
commissioner.
Spangler said Wednesday morn-
© ing that he is considering calling
for a run-off.
"I haven't definitely made up my
Kellum,
Crawford
See Westmoreland, 11-A
~ The unofficial vote totals: 3
Democrats ~~ Jack Hunt,
12,592; Edith Lutz, 10,372; Andy
Dedmon, 10,228; John Eaker,
9,547.
Republicans John Weatherly,
3,233; Debbie Clary, 2,596;
William Allen, 2,088; Jeanne
Kincaid, 1,682.
Carolyn Sherer places her ballot in the automatic voting machine as
the 317th voter to cast a vote Tuesday at East Kings Mountain
Precinct in the May Primaries.
Jamey Hunt, 10, is a brave little
girl battling a life-threatening ill-
ness.
"She takes her illness well and
never cries but she's scared and
wants her mother by her side," said
Cathy Hunt, who watched her once
healthy and active fifth grade
daughter suddenly stricken on
October 5 with an inoperable brain
tumor.
Six months ago Jamey played
with her friends, fell in love with
art and crafts and was an honor stu-
dent at Bethware School.
"On October 5 we noticed she
appeared clumsy and weak and
we took her to Dr. Michael Miller
for a checkup and then to pediatri-
cian/oncologist Dr. Barry Golembe
and she was diagnosed with brain
stem glioma," said Mrs. Hunt, a
former nurse at Clevemont Mills.
Since March the pretty blonde
blue-eyed girl has undergone 60 ra-
diation treatments at Carolinas
Medical Center and before that had
15 treatments of chemotherapy in a
month's time.
But Cathy and Jim Hunt are
grateful to God and the Make a
Wish Foundation that Jamey's
dream to see Disney World came
true on February 20-27.
Jamey celebrated her 10th birth-
day with her parents and her big
sister, Amanda, 17, on a Disney
World Cruise, an answer to prayer,
Bethware supper to benefit Jamey Hunt
they say, because the week after
the trip there were more rounds of
chemotherapy for Jamey.
"We went to Nassau and other
islands and had such a good time
and captured the moment in film,"
said Mrs. Hunt,
"A week later and Jamey would
not have been able to travel."
Mrs. Hunt said she had worked
for a neurologist for four years be-
fore the family moved to Kings
Mountain five years ago from
Anderson, SC and had never seen
an illness progress so fast.
Homebound now, Jamey has vis-
its from Hospice nurses and volun-
See Jamie Hunt, 11-A
JAMEY HUNT
Kevin Queen, seated, Wade Tyner, right, standing, and Denise
Leonard are promoting a public awareness campaign about the up-
coming largest and most prestigious bicycle race in the United States
which comes through the Oak Grove section of the city May 13
Debra Blanton, supervisor of the
Cleveland County Board of
Elections.
Blanton said that Tuesday, May
10, at noon is the deddline for can-
didates to file notices in writing of
their intention to call for a run-off.
If a run-off is necessary, it will be
held May 31.
Spangler, who was making his
first bid for public office, placed
third and slightly behind the in-
cumbent, Cashion, in the 12 person
"field in which incumbent commis-
sioner Ralph Gilbert won the
Democratic nomination for two
seats open in November.
Nominated by the Republicans
were Robert Morgan Jr. of Kings
Mountain and Johnny Short of
Casar.
Morgan and Short won nomina-
tion by more than 40 percent of the
vote.
"I am very disappointed with the
poor voter turnout in Kings
Mountain," said Cashion, a
Democrat who has served 10 years
as the only woman on the commis-
sion with one term as vice-chair-
man.
Gilbert led the field of commis-
See Joyce, 11-A
"of the ding to ;
3,266 votes.
Kellum easily beat his only op-
ponent, David Morrow. Kellum re-
ceived 1,883 votes. Morrow had
587.
In the Democratic Primary, an
estimated 44.5 percent of regis-
tered voters went to the polls, a
percentage that pleased Debra
Blanton, election supervisor.
"With the rainy weather, it was
as good as I had hoped, said
Blanton.
"It was an overall great day."
Blanton estimated a turnout of
28.8 percent turnout in the
Republican Primary.
The Sheriff's race was expected
to draw the crowds to the polls, but
in Kings Mountain the voter
turnout at East Kings Mountain
precinct at the Community Center
was 15 percent and at West Kings
Mountain precinct at the Armory
the turnout was 25 percent.
Local polling places did not at-
tract as many campaign workers
due to the rain. Some workers
braved the rain, using big umbrel-
See Sheriff, 11-A
nominated|
i SBI Agent Dan Crawford topped}
Crawford closest opponent,
Chief Deputy Ron McKinney, had
Tour DuPont coming through KM
Local cycling enthusiast Kevin
Queen says the biggest sporting
event to hit Cleveland County is
only eight days away.
A total of 119 riders and and an
entourage of 300 people, including
media, race marshals, and medical
teams will pass through Oak Grove
Road May 13, coming from Shelby
Courtsquare about 2:30 p.m.
Tour Du Pont, this country's pre-
mier cycling event - the American
equivalent of the Tour de France --
is a self-contained sporting event
that winds its way from Dover,
Del., through Hagerstown, Md.,
Fredericksburg, Va., Banner Elk,
Asheville and Charlotte.
Shelby will be part of the 134-
mile ninth stage from the Grove
Park Inn in Asheville at 10:30 a.m.
to Charlotte. The courtsquare in
Shelby will be the finish of a major
50 miles per hour sprint - a $5,000
purse will be on the ine for the
first competitors to reach the sprint
line on the west side of the old
courtsquare at the Confederate
Museum.
Local people who can't get to
Shelby to see the bikers can see
them from the parking lot of
Patterson Grove Baptist Church on
Oak Grove Road. Queen says the
bikers will run from Mooresboro
through Lattimore to uptown
Shelby, then cast to the Gaston
County line. Queen says the race is
expected to move through uptown
Shelby between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Dale Brown of D'oro Bike Shop
will emcee the play-by-play activi-
ties of the race, as well as all
events on the Square. Free registra-
tion for prizes will include a Fuji
bike. donated by J. N. Rich Inc, a
$100 savings bond from Carolina
State Bank, a gift from Toyota of
Gastonia, and entertiunment by
See Dul’ont, 11-A
School children won't be dis-
missed from school Friday, May
13, when the big Tour Du Pont
moves through the Oak Grove sec-
tion but the race will affect nine
bus routes which will be delayed
by roads closed to traffic for three
hours.
Supt. Dr. Bob McRae said the
professional cycling race will
move through the school district on
Oak Grove Road, Scism Road.
Highway 216 and Chestnut Ridge
Road. These areas will be closed to
traffic in the carly afternoon.
Students who ride buses at
Bethware and North Elementary
Schools and Kings Mountain
Middle School and Kings
Mountain High School will remain
at school under supervision
McRae estimated that all students
But you won't get out of school
would be on the road home from
school no later than 3:30 p.m.
Kevin Queen, a member of the
public awareness committee for the
local Chamber of Commerce, said
the biggest obstacle to the big
event for this area has been the fact
that the roads will be closed early
to traffic and will affect school bus
traffic. Queen said that streets in
Shelby will be closed at 10:30 a.m.
Queen said that Oak Grove Road
will ‘be closed to traffic about 1
p.m.
McRae said that students who
ride buses 94, 146 and 216 at
Bethware will be held at the school
for 40 minutes and will be super-
vised in the auditorium
The only bus affected by the
See School, T1-A Ww
ET ——