~ Manager Cliff Shank.
;
L
od +
= —-
™ ox
F* ™
> 0
he 0
Le ~~
0 2
TY wt as)
Ee XN
A <5
Tm
EE Do
FL =
v7 ge i hI =
Ss.
hf A mE —
En TNBES
Fon nl rE 3 *SEES
ye ot / -— w =e
x=*78", ay iA fe _— Re oO.
FS Zs +z “al ER Ww >
XZ 3 : & ; ——— mm
Na —— A. oO
- a 5 PE ———— x MDD —
= > <L
~ & a = vad
VOL. 106 NO. 19
Thursday, May 12 1994
Kings Mountain, NC 28086 * 50¢
KM woman shoots intruder
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald Staff
"Oh, my God, did I shoot one of my sons?"
That was the initial reaction of a
woman after she shot an intruder climbing two flights
of stairs to her bedroom Thursday.
Ellen Bolin, 55, was awakened by
frightening sounds a woman alone can hear - someone
breaking into her house.
Police say Bolin did what a lot of people say they'd
do.
Clevemont
is adding
150 jobs
Clevemont Mills' Fruit of the
Loom plant in Kings Mountain is
adding 100-150 new employees in
the Sewing Department this sum-
mer and raising its 650 employees
three percent across-the-boards,
says Pat Carter, Vice-President of
Manufacturing.
Carter said that applications are
being taken through the month of
June by Personnel Director Rita
Lawing and the plant will train
the new employees on site. Wages
start at minimum wages, $4.25 per
hour, but employees reaching pro-
duction capacity will make $7.67
per hour.
Carter said that Clevemont,
which operates three shifts, will
operate one unit of the expanded
sewing department around the
clock and sewers will use new au-
tomated machines. Sewing Plant
supervisor is Assistant Plant
Carter said the additional em-
ployees will generate additional
revenue from $1.6 to $2 million in
a year's time. Presently, the compa-
ny produces 28,000 dozen sweat
pants and shirts a week and is cur-
rently stocking an inventory of fall
sweats for all ages.
“This is just an example of ma-
jor advancements made by this in-
dustry," said Carter, who said the
company has also added to its ben-
efits package for employees, in-
cluding family dental insurance.
Carter said new applications will
be taken this month and next from
7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through
Friday. Employees are not re-
quired to have experience on
sewing machines.
"We would hope those applying
would have a good work record but
we have the in-house capability to
See Clevemont, 13-A
She shot him.
Bolin kept a loaded .38 caliber gun in her bedroom.
She had never fired the gun and hoped she would nev-
( ; er have to use it.
Kings Mountain
one of the most night.
"I'm still reliving this nightmare," said Bolin, who
was back at work at Bolin Day Care Center and plan-
ning to spend the night in her own home Tuesday
"It all happened so fast," said Bolin, who was awak-
ened just after midnight Thursday by her son's chow
barking, the shrill of the burglar alarm, and the shatter-
ing of glass from a basement door.
Melony Bolin addresses the Kings Mountain School Board at
Monday night's meeting at Grover School.
School Board hears concerns of parents
Kings Mountain School Supt.
Bob McRae told parents Monday
night if Kings Mountain schools
are not doing "as effective a job as
we can” of informing the commu-
nity about revisions in its Family
Life curriculum that they will make
a "special effort to improve" in the
future.
Once again, parents turned out
in large numbers at the regular
monthly School Board meeting at
Grover School to protest parts of
the sex education curriculum that
Grover mill asks KM
to treat wastewater
Kings Mountain Utility commis-
sion members were sympathetic
with Grover Industries wastewater
problem Monday but said the hold-
up to Kings Mountain's possibly
accepting wastewater from the
plant hinged with state recommen-
dations and additional costs, 1n-
cluding a $300,000 liner for a No.
3 basin.
Tuesday afternoon, Ollis talked
with state officials who gave them
the go-ahead sign.
"It's back in the industry hands
now," said Ollis, who said that the
utility commission had named a
committee to’ work with Harry.
The committee includes Jim
Guyton, utilities chairman; Ollis,
Tom Howard, city engineer; and
Maxine Parsons, interim city man-
ager.
Ollis, Water Department
Superintendent, told plant execu-
tive John Harry that the disadvan-
tages to the idea which Harry
termed a ‘marriage between the city
and Grover Industries’ could out-
weigh the advantages of additional
income for the city and more jobs
for the arca. ;
Ollis estimated the costs for
starting the venture would amount
to $370,000 and up and said that
with the city's current cash flow
problem that the industry would
have to put up the cash.
Ollis said that agreeing to the
venture would delete the available
capacity and that Grover Industries
would be required to pass strict
toxicity tests and permit limits.
Ollis said his projections were
based on an additional flow of
300,000 gallons a day.
Councilman Dean Spears, a
member of the commission who
presented Harry at the meeting,
suggested that Grover foot the ini-
tial cost and Kings Mountain pay
them back on a monthly scale.
Harry said Grover Industries
wants to get out of the water treat-
ment business and is currently un-
der a special Order of Consent
from the state.
Harry suggested that Kings
Mountain leaders go to the state for
more direction on the venture if
they wish to pursue it.
"If the numbers work and we
can strike a deal it would be bene-
ficial to both of us,” said
Councilman Phil Hager, also a
member of the commission.
Councilman Jim Guyton, who
See Grover, 15-A
deal with certain sex acts and
anatomy.
Tom Sees of Grover, who said
he had collected the names of al-
most 400 citizens of the Kings
Mountain School District who de-
sire an "abstinence only" sex ed
curriculum, spoke to the Board on
‘behalf of many citizens about revi-
sions in the curriculum; and
Melony Bolin spoke briefly about
her desire to see boys and girls sep-
arated in the sex education portion
of the health curriculum, and also
Bolin was in bed on the third level of her home on
Cansler Street when Gizmo, a family pet, started bark-
ing, the alarm sounded and her indoor pet, Boo-Boo,
started barking too.
She said she attempted to dial 911 but dialed 919 in-
stead but then immediately started calling her three
children, Jeff Bolin, David Bolin and Cindy Shytles.
When the intruder reached her room she fired two
shots in the wall but the third shot felled the man and
"That's when it crossed my mind that I may have
shot one of my sons," she said.
Then, she said she thought she might have hurt a
handicapped person. She said the steps she heard on
the stairs sounded as if someone were limping.
Police said a bullet hit William Tracy Herndon, 29,
of 208 Parrish Dr., in the right temple. Herndon is list-
ed in serious but stable condition in Carolinas Medical
Center.
he lay sprawled on the stairway at her bedroom door.
Bolin said she didn't see his face but she saw his
tennis shoes and sweat suit.
City Council, with the help of
department heads, shaved about
$386,000 from the proposed bud-
get Monday night but Interim
Manager Maxine Parsons predicts
they will have to "tow a hard line"
to stay within the budget next year.
"We need to run this city as a
business because it is big busi-
ness,” said Parsons, who was given
some input from Council after a
nearly four-hour session on where
to make budget cuts but not
enough. Another budget work ses-
sion is set for Sunday, May 22, at
6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
If the board holds to the Sunday
meeting, Parsons will have only
seven workingsdays to prepare the
budget for public review June 1.
Under law, the Council must have
the budget on the table for public
inspection and it must be approved
by June 30.
The biggest proposed cuts came
from the Gas/Electric Department
“and were recommended by Utility
_ Director Jimmy Maney. Although
they are not firm, he said he could
reorganize his departments and cut
two positions and not fill other va-
See Council, 14-A
that the curriculum be "age appro-
priate."
Jean McAbee criticized a
"Values and Choices" video used in
sex education classes which she
said shows the devefoping stakes
of a baby, body changes in both
boys and girls, and various sex acts
which she says are not appropriate
for 11, 12 and 13-year-olds.
Sees said much of the publi
protests at recent Board meeting
and parent workshops could ha
been avoided if school officials hed
See Shootng, 16-A
KM council shaves $386,000
from proposed '94-95 budget
Industry: KM pricing us out
Local industrial leaders say they he had understood that the city
are not fighting City Hall about would be operating in the black
utility rates but they are battling over the next two months if water
City Hall because City Council is sales continue, taking in about
pricing them out. $80,000 over the proposed budget.
"Increased costs will mean that The budget was exceeded $40,000
we will have to look at using alter- in April, he said.
natives such as a different fuel oth- "The problem we see from in-
er than gas and that will mean dustry standpoint is that Kings
problems for everybody," said Mountain has already maxed out in
Tony Ruppe, President of Ruppe its electric and gas rates with the
Hosiery, Kings Mountain Hosiery electric and gas rates higher than
and Ruppe and Woody Associates its suppliers but the water rate is
which employs 177 people. below the rates charged in most
"More increased rates could also surrounding towns," said Ruppe.
force industry to move out," he Johnson said the cost to manu-
said. facture is now higher than competi-
Ruppe, Hubert Johnson, of tors but he says Spectrum, the
Spectrum, and Ernest Rome of city's biggest water user, dyes yarn
Anvil Knitwear, attended Monday in Belmont three cents cheaper on
night's second budget workshop by the pound than it does in Kings
City Council. Mountain.
Johnson rose to ask a question If a proposed 10 percent rate
but Mayor Scott Neisler said he hike in water is passed, Spectrum
could not speak since the meeting will pay $100,000 more annually
was a workshop meeting and the and Anvil Knitwear, the city's sec-
public could not ask questions or ond biggest user, will pay $80,000
make comments.
After the meeting, Johnson said
See Industry, 16-A
given citizens an opportunity to
preview materials before they were
taught. He reiterated on comments
from past meetings when citizens
said that school officials had told
parents the curriculum was "state
mandated" and that parents were
promised "three public meetings"
before the curriculum was taught.
McRae said the concerns of Sees
and other parents will be taken into
consideration as early as next week
when school officials begin dis-
cussing next year's curriculum. He
said meetings of school and health
officials and the School System's
Advisory Health Council will take
place over the summer with the
goal of having recommendations to
the School Board early in the
1994-95 school year.
Board member Billy Houze said
he has already sat down with many
parents and will share their con-
cerns. Sees said however time con-
suming the process is that the sys-
See Schools, 15-A
front bike, will
Tour de France victor Greg 1
ride in Amerig
Pont, which winds its way throug
md of the United States, on the
premier cycling event, Tour Du
ihe county Friday.
Tour DuPont
coming
What's the race route, what time
do they come through and where
are the good vantage points?
That's the questions that most
people are asking about Friday's
big Tour Du Pont bicycle race
which features 157 riders pedaling
non-stop from Asheville to
Charlotte and expected to hit this
area in early afternoon.
The race will enter Cleveland
County at 1:13 p.m. from the west
on U S. 74 Business (Mooresboro).
After a sprint on the Courtsquare in
Shelby about 1:45 p.m., the pace
will slow for the remaining 56.9
miles to finish in Charlotte.
‘The big entourage will go past
Moss Lake Dam about 1:59 p.m.
and move through the Stoney Point
and Oak Grove Communities at
2:04 p.m. Near Patterson Grove
Church, the route turns left onto
Scism Road at 2:13. A mile later,
they turn right onto N.C. 216 at
2:16 p.m. then left onto Chestnut
Ridee Road near the Kings
Mountain city limits. They are ex-
pected at the Gaston County Hine at
2:08 p.m
Spectators can park in the park
Friday
ing lot of Patterson Grove Baptist
Church in the Oak Grove
Community. Because of the long
incline and the fact that the riders
will slow on the hill, the Stoney
Point Road is another good place
to watch.
The 17 teams of seven cyclists
each will pass through the county
at varying times. Because of the
short time the cyclists will actually
be in the county local tour Du Pont
committees have planned crowd-
pleasing events to beheld in con-
junction with the exciting. world-
renowned race.
Kevin Queen, local committee
member, says those watching the
races are encouraged to take ban-
ners with them to wave to the rid-
Crs.
Pegey Bridges. of the local
Chamber Office. said a cocktail
buttet and entertainment will be
held at Cleveland County Arts
Center Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The
cost is $25 per person
Lunch on the Court Square is
planned at 11 ame Friday with a
See DuPont, 16-A