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Health Director: Consolidate animal control
Kings Mountain City Council took no action
Tuesday on a preliminary proposal by County Health
Director Denise Stallings for consolidation of the ani-
mal control program.
Instead, Mayor Scott Neisler spoke for Council and
said representatives would meet "at the table" to talk
about a possible county-wide ordinance.
Stallings said she is concerned that only 8,200 dogs
and cats out of a possible 120,000 animals are vacci-
nated yearly in the county, which she said leaves the
county wide open for an outbreak of rabies.
"We haven't had any rabies reported in this county
but Gaston County has," said Stallings, who said the
Pre-Labeor Day |
celebration set
at Grover park
GROVER - A pre-Labor Day
celebration Saturday at Municipal
Park promises fun for the whole
family.
Grover Woman's Club is spon-
soring the fun day which begins at
11 a.m. and will be topped off with
a street dance at 6 p.m. in front of
Grover Industries.
Entertainment will feature train
rides around the walking track,
putt-putt, a dunking booth, conces-
sions and Grover t-shirts imprinted
with the town logo,"Where the
Carolinas Begin."
The list of activities include:
11-11:15 a.m. - Opening cere-
monies by Major and Town
Council. Town Councilman Noell
Spivey will sing the "Star Spangled
Banner."
11:15-11:30 - Jennifer Senter -
singer.
11:30-12 noon - David Dingus,
Carolina Christian Academy.
12-12:15 - Ms. Jackie Blanton,
story teller.
12:15-12:45 - Bethany Baptist
Church Singers.
12:45-1:15 - St. Peter's Baptist
Church Choir.
1:15-1:45 - Grover First Baptist
Church Ensemble.
1:45-2:00 - Arnold Clayton -
banjo.
2:00-2:30 - Mike Hayes -
Keepsake Recording Artist.
2:30-3:00 - Long Branch Baptist
Church Choir.
3:00-3:30 - Jerry Edmondson
and Family.
3:30-3:45 - Benji Towery -
Comedian.
3:45-4:00 - Jada Clark and
Megan Meade - Dancers.
4:00-4:30 - Bible Holiness
Church Singers.
4:30-5:00 - Jane Campbell's
Dance Academy.
5:00-5:30 - Talia Quinn - singer.
5:30-5:45 - Jada Clark and
Megan Meade - Dancers.
5:45-6:00 - Taped music.
6:00 - Street dance featuring
"Southern Thunder."
For more information, call Betsy
Wells at 739-1585 or Bobbie
Spivey at 937-7397.
sioners.
concept of county-wide consolidation of animal con-
trol would mean quicker response by dog catchers and
offer 24-hour protection for local residents.
Stallings said she is proposing that two shifts of dog
wardens work the county and that they be sworn offi-
cers so they can give tickets on the spot for violations.
She also suggested that a way to pay for the program is
to add a user fee to taxpayers, a proposal which would
have to be approved by the county board of commis-
"Ultimately we could reduce the tax dollars and the
only cost to Kings Mountain for the first coupe of
years would be the salary of the officer and the equip-
ment," she said.
Stallings said a new ordinance would incorporate
both Kings Mountain and Shelby's leash laws. The
county does not presently have a leash law.
Councilman Phil Hager asked how one officer on
duty could respond to a call in the upper end of the
county and at Kings Mountain at the same time.
"We cover the county now with four officers and I
envision we would have a total of six," said Stallings.
But Councilman Ralph Grindstaff questioned the
plan, asking what was wrong with Kings Mountain's
present system which employs a sworn officer who re-
sponded to 468 calls last year and picked up 49 ani-
‘Eighth Grade Science students, above, work in "Nature's Corner," which will include a pool or fountain
as a source of water for the birds. From left, Rocky Ingram, Chris Mackins, Tyler Ellis, Clay Phillips,
Brocke Blackburn, Cody Smith and Richie Wells dig up the earth.
Students enjoy
On any school day visitors to Kings Mountain
Middle School can see eighth grade Science students
working outside on a "Nature's Corner” and in the
classrooms with 12 little animals in "Habitats on
Wheels." :
KM District School's Educational Foundation chose
the "Nature's Corner" for a grant of $450 for this
school year. !
North Carolina Math/Science Alliance chose
"Habitat On Wheels" and funded the project $1000
with Patti Weathers and Van Canipe as the lead teach-
ers.
Even though the school year just started, the 150
Science students, under the direction of Weathers,
have started converting the courtyard outside the li-
brary into an aviary for the birds, using netting to cov-
er the top and planting bushes. A pool or fountain
will also be constructed on the advice of Mike Horn of
Discovery Place. The year's work will include studies
of different types of birds to determine the birds that
would survive the best without human interference.
Weathers said the project will indirectly involve
900 students who will enjoy the courtyard area.
The 150 young people are not only busy outside the
school building on the Science project but inside as
well. ¢
Recently, mobile habitats featuring a dozen sma}
animals became a part of the classroom scene.
With each habitat a unit of study will be designed
"Nature Corner
to teach proper respect, care and handling of animals.
Since the animals are be in cages and set up on carts,
they will be used on a classroom rotating basis as
teachers exchange animals periodically during the year
so that all students will be exposed to all animals at
that grade level. The animals include love birds, ger-
bils, hermit crabs, fish, algae eaters, guinea pigs and
earthworms.
Cages and aquariums will be used to house the crea-
tures.
Weathers said that students will be pretested on both
projects at the beginning of the year and post-tested at
the end of the year.
On a recent day students were fascinated with a
Spiney Iguana, love birds and hamsters. Animal food
is stored in a cabinet under each mobile habitat.
"The Iguana likes to hide and the students are fasci-
nated by his habits," said Weathers. \
Weathers said an important goal of both projects is
that students will learn how to work together. She said
the aviary will serve as an outdoor classroom for the
environmental lab students to use and also as a quiet,
restful place that staff and students can enjoy.
Students took out their shovels and gardening tools
Friday afternoon and started digging up the earth and
weeding for several gardens and plants.
Weathers hopes the project will whet the appetite for
other students who like birds and nature in general.
KM-Grover waste
agreement hits snag
A proposed agreement between
Grover Industries and the City of
Kings Mountain for a possible
wastewater connection has appar-
ently hit a snag.
City Council was ready to ap-
prove the agreement Tuesday night
but Mayor Scott Neisler asked
them to table the matter.
After the meeting, the mayor
said that Walt Ollis, the city's
Director of Water/Wastewater, was
meeting with Grover officials
Wednesday in an attempt to iron
out the agreement.
Ollis said Wednesday negotia-
tions are still continuing.
Grover Industries ‘asked city of-
ficials in May for a possible
wastewater connection and the city
got approval from the Department
of Environmental Health and
Natural Resources.
Sine then Ollis has worked up
preliminary wastewater permit
limits for Grover executive John
Harry and Harry has been collect-
ing water samples and running
tests.
Under the agreement of prelimi-
nary costs, Grover industries would
fund the refurbishing of basin 3
and related units at Kings
Mountain's Pilot Creek Waste treat-
ment plant. Construction of pumps,
‘mains and sewers as necessary to
tie into the city system plus the
necessary engineering would be re-
quired.
Under the agreement, the city
city would contribute up front the
amount budgeted in the 1994-95
budget and would allow Grover
Industries to recoup its funds less
the cost of the connection at Motor
Panels on Grover Road which
would serve only Grover Industries
at the rate of 50 percent of their
monthly bill for wastewater ser-
vice.
mals in June, 42
June and 181 in
for the year.
be less confusing
"Now, if your
in May and 32 in April, comparing
with the county's three officers who reported 140 in
May and a total of 6,586 stray dogs
1
Stallings said she wasn't knocking Kings Mountain's
system but said that a consolidated system would in-
clude one phone number for all residents to use, would
and would offer 24 hour service.
officer is on vacation; the calls must
still come to the county," she said.
"We believe we have a strong animal control policy
in Kings Mountain and have had no complaints about
See Animal, 11-A
Annexation rules
explained to board
M. Eugene White, the city's di-
rector of Planning and
Development, said Kings
Mountain has made only "false
starts" on involuntary annexation
in the past but he hopes the pattern
would change with new laws he
updated Tuesday to City Council.
White outlined the legal steps in
annexation and asked Council to
examine the policy and set priori-
ties.
He called attention to several
contiguous areas of the city, includ-
ing East Kings Mountain at
Linwood, Kings Mountain
Industrial Park, Shelby Road and
Margrace Road but cautioned that
once annexation is in place that the
city must provide the services
within a two-year period.
"I've been on the board six years
and we've talked annexation," said
Councilwoman Norma Bridges."
"Let's move on it."
Councilman Rick Murphrey said
he supports annexation 100 percent
to expand the tax base and rev-
enues of the city and asked Interim
City Manager Maxine Parsons to
make some specific recommenda-
tions.
White suggested that an outside
person be employed to do some of
the leg work.
Mayor Scott Neisler suggested
that Council devote a work session
to the matter.
The lengthy presentation includ-
ed steps for voluntary and involun-
tary annexation.
"We need to take in all these
new developments and not jump
around, taking one property and
skipping another," said
Councilman Jim Guyton.
Rezoning and annexation talk
took up the major portion of the
meeting.
After a public hearing, the board
approved an amendment to the
zoning ordinance regarding golf
courses, permitting as a conditional
use in the R-20 District and re-
zoned property of John Kiser on
East King Street near The Herald
to General Business.
See Annexation, 3-A
Dr. George Plonk, Betty Burleson and Harold Hord, left to right, Kings Mountain members of the
Board of Directors of Hospice of Cleveland County Inc., look over plans for the $1.2 million facility for
which construction begins in September.
Councilmen give
spending advice
City Councilmen Ralph
Grindstaff and Dean Spears cau-
tioned city employees not to spend
unless there was money in the
bank during a discussion of bud-
geted gas projects Tuesday.
"We may have the money in the
budget but no money in the bank
and we'll be in the hole again," said
Grindstaff to Utility Director
Jimmy Maney who was proposing
plans for a major gas project at
cost of $95,000.
"If there's no money to pay, we'll
stop work on the project," said
Spears.
But Mayor Scott Neisler said af-
ter the meeting the city would not
be in the hole.
"We've always had to budget for
projects such as gas extensions and
the money is in capital outlay in
the budget," he said.
Maney and Interim City
Manager Maxine Parsons said now
is the time to run a gas loop in the
Stoney Point/Oak Grove area at
Reliance Electric to pick up more
customers who will be needing to
turn on fuel at the onset of the win-
ter.
Maney said the low bidder for
labor is M&R Utilities of Shelby at
cost of $2,953.19.
Parsons said there is currently no
funds to pay for the entire project
but the funds will be available with
payment of city tax bills in the
fall.
Maney said that the city's natural
gas customers should begin to see
cheaper prices with the new flex
rate. He said the Oak Grove project
will be done in phases and the city
will be billed as the work progress-
es.
"You will be kept informed at
every step of the process and any-
thing that should exceeds the bud-
get will be brought immediately to
your attention,” said Maney at the
regular Council meeting at City
Hall.
Ground broken
for new Hospice
The hot sun blazing down on the
large crowd standing in the middle
of a 12-acre field in Shelby
Tuesday didn't damper the enthusi-
asm as Hospice of Cleveland
County Inc. broke ground for a
new Hospice Patient Care Facility.
"This is a beautiful day," said
Kathleen Hamrick, chairman of the
campaign which has raised over $1
million and needs only $40,000 of
its goal of $1.2 million.
After months of planning and
fund-raising, shovels lifted the soil
from the spot on 951 Joe Road
where construction of the 15.853-
square-foot facility is scheduled to
begin in September.
"We plan to start moving in 12
to 14 months." said enthusiastic
board member Harold Hord of
Kingd Mountain. Other local board
members, Dr. George Plonk and
Betty Burleson were just as excit-
ed.
‘Evelyn
West, Executive
Director, said the new home for
See Hospice, 3-A