Herds
"Pick The Winners”
Football Contest Page 1B
in the
KM cop thankful
to be alive
See 10A
Major leaguers coming
to Kings Mountain
Golf Tournament
The city's Director of Water/Sewer Walt Ollis says
there is some legitimate interest by at least one devel-
oper in building houses on the shores of the city's old
Davidson Lake.
"This could be four or five years down the road and
may never happen," said Ollis, who said city workers
have lowered the Davidson Lake level to 10 feet and
may lower it another 10 feet to buy some time from
the state's insistence that the dams be fixed.
"It used to be that under the law the city could lower
the water level to less than 15 feet and leave it as is or
sell it as is but the rules have changed," said Ollis, who
said he has been told by state EPA officials that lower-
ing the water level won't jell as a permanent solution.
Ollis estimated that the cost of doing repairs at both
the city's Davidson and City Lakes will cost more than
$300,000, nearly double the amount the city budgeted
two months ago for repairs.
Stop killing
group plans
'Wall' in KM
A "Memorial Wall" with the
names of the 12 people murdered
in Kings Mountain over the past
five years will go up at Pine Manor
Apartments Friday at 7 p.m. as the
"Stop the Killing" caravan passes
through the city.
The wall will list the names of
Kings Mountain residents Charles
Wayne Shirey, 28, who. died
September 8, 1989; Carl Patterson,
41, who died May 17, 1990; Bobby
Wade, 45, who died December 2,
1990; Angela Adams, 21, who
i 24, 1992; Karen D.
dM :
died April 1, 1092: Cory Leach,
14, who died September 9, 1992;
Silay Thongouphin, 34, who died
February 7, 1993; Rebecca Nunez,
11-months-old who died October |
The state-mandated Davidson Lake dam repairs
were again put on hold by City Council which tabled
Tuesday the awarding of a contract for both the
Davidson and City Lake projects.
W. K. Dickson engineer David Pond was asked to
return to the construction contractors to negotiate bids
for the Davidson project alone since the state is push-
ing for concrete work repair at the Davidson dam.
Councilman Ralph Grindstaff suggested that per-
haps someone else should start giving estimates for
major projects in the budget but Mayor Scott Neisler
said the timing wasn't right and Pond agreed that
prices are up.
Grindstaff suggested that engineers get two different
prices, one for repair and one for breaching.
"It may cost more but I had rather drain the lakes,"
said Grindstaff. "We continue to pay money for up-
keep."
Angela and Mike Philbeck and son, Brandon, D. C. Black holding new grandson, Casey Philbeck and
Kim Burdette with her nieces, Emily Stillwell and Kristine Stillwell, front row, stand in front of the Black
home which burned to the ground September 3. Love Valley Baptist Church will sponsor a Poor Man's
Dam repairs will be $300.0(
Pond says he doubts a cheaper price is on the mar-
ket because dams are an ongoing liability.
"Fix them and sell them," Pond said.
Pond said that construction workers don't like to
work on dams because of the heavy liability involved
and the state has no money in special funds to bail the
city out of the cost.
Pond said several years ago the state turned down
the city's request to help pay the cost of a bridge at
Davidson Lake.
Grindstaff asked why the city continually pays for
something (Davidson and City Lakes) that taxpayers
don't use.
"We have to get them in state compliance to put
them on on the market," said the mayor.
Ollis said that only a few fishermen benefit from the
lakes now. "It would be nice if we could move these
properties and if someone would develop really nice
homes along the lakes."
Ollis announced that the state has approved plans
for running water lines to serve Patrick Yarn Mills and
water pipes should be in the ground in the next couple
of weeks. The project is funded by Cleveland County
and Al Moretz is engineer.
Grindstaff questioned the hold-up on the project,
saying that the plant wants to add 15 new employees.
But Ollis said that a 12-inch water line may need to go
"in instead of a 10-inch line as originally planned.
In other business of the meeting, the board sold two
propane tanks in accordance with the upset bid proce-
dure to Kleen-Flame Corporation for $28,000
After the business part of the meeting, engineers
Pond and Alex Berkley gave a slide presentation on
utilities, part of a long-range study covering a 20-year
period. They updated 10 current projects in a status
report.
McRae: System is taking
honest look at curriculum
9, 1993; William E. "Wimp"
Ramsey, 52, who died November
3, 1993; and Hugh Wayne
Marcam, 45, and Ervin C.
Lovelace, 67, who died December
2, 1993. There were no homicides
in Kings Mountain in 1991.
The Crusade, a faith-based, di-
rect action, high visibility approach
organization, will move through 14
cities, including Kings Mountain
and Shelby.
The Crusade will be in Shelby at
8:30 p.m.
The Crusade was organized in
1988 for the purpose of fighting
drug related crime in predominate-
ly African-American communities
in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
While the number of African-
Americans killed far out number-
ing all others, volunteer James
Barnett said a call will go out to
the African-American community
to take the lead in stopping the
killing and to save a race. He said
that 122 non-justifiable homicides
were reported in the City of
Charlotte in 1993, including 76
black males, 16 white males, 24
black females and six white fe-
males.
"We of the Crusade see this cam-
paign as a start of a movement of
unity. It will be the first time that
See Campaign, 11-A
Sides doesn't get police duties
GROVER - Former policeman [™.
Grover to get water from KM
Robbie Sides scored several hits
with his fellow Councilmen
Monday on his suggestions for hir-
ing at least two part-time officers
and refurbishing the cemetery but
he struck out when he volunteered
to serve as the police commission-
er.
Councilmen Noel Spivey and
Jack Herndon quickly objected and
Herndon asked Sides if he was go-
ing to be in town. "Is it a secret
where you work?" he asked.
Sides said he works out of town
from about 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. but re-
fused to say where. He said he is
willing to take complaints from
hoth police and water/sewer de-
partments on his answering ma-
chine.
See Grover, 12-A
lunch and supper Saturday from 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. at the church for benefit of the family.
Community comes to aid
of burned-out neighbors
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald staff :
The flames were alreaily reaching over half of his
bedroom when D.C. Black heard his daughter scream-
ing that the house was on fire.
Black, who was working outside in his yard on
Love Valley Road, shed no tears publicly when the
three bedroom double-wide and all the family's pos-
sessions lay in a burned rubble but he said he
mourned the loss of family pictures.
"The important thing was that my daughters and
grandson were safe, but I was worried about my wife,
Diane, who we called home from work to find the
home she loved was no more."
Black said that life's blessings, however, top the
tragic moments. Daughter Angela Philbeck, who was
about ready to deliver her second child, started having
labor pains and the family's thoughts turned to her and
husband, Mike, and three-year-old, Brandon. Seven
pound Casey Mikal Philbeck arrived on September 5.
Mother and baby are fine.
Brandon was undaunted by the fire. Later, the
grandchildren said the scene was "just like a love sto-
ry on television." Grandmother came home and
Grandpa opened his arms to her.
And since the fire the family has moved into Black's
sister Joyce Styers' mobile home nearby and the caring
community has showered the new mother with clothes
for the baby and the family.
"We could use some dishes, pots and pans, sheets
and household items but we've got our grandkids and
I'd like a dozen," said Black, who comes from a family
of 10 children of the late Mr. and Mrs. Doc Black.
At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3 Kim Burdette and
Angela Philbeck were stocking a brand new refrigera-
tor in their parents’ kitchen and Brandon was playing
in the living room with his toys. Black had recently
completed an addition to the three-bedroom mobile
home he and his wife purchased nine years ago.
Suddenly Kim said a breaker knocked off and she
walked up the hall and noticed a big orange light in her
parents’ bedroom.
"The whole bedroom was ablaze and I grabbed my
nephew Brandon and ran out the door," said Kim who
didn't take time to get her shoes. Angela holler ed to
her father and husband that the house was on fire.
Black started running toward them, all the time
yelling for them to get out fast.
Within 15 minutes the house was in ruins despite the
quick efforts of firemen from Bethlehem and Grover
Fire Departments.
The home and furnishings were not covered by in-
surance.
Kings Mountain School Supt.
Bob McRae told parents that the
system is "trying to be careful to
give an honest look" at the sex edu-
cation portion of the system's
Family Life Curriculum at Monday
night's School Board meeting at
West Elementary School.
A persistent group of parents
have attended the Board meetings
since February with Jean McAbee,
Tom Sees and Melony Bolin taking
turn about bringing their opinions
before the Board.
(his week, Mabe was placed
agenda.
The citizens’ concerns were basi-
cally the same that have been
voiced in the past - urging the
board to either adopt an abstinence
only curriculum or to offer children
the right to choose between a com-
prehensive curriculum such as the
one the system now has, or an ab-
stinence only curriculum such as
Sex Respect which the parents’
group says has been highly effec-
tive in other systems.
McRae, Jane King, who is Asst.
Supt. in charge of curriculum,
Board chairman Shearra Miller and
vice-chairman Sonny Peeler, who
is also a member of the Health
Council, assured the group that the
Health Council has spent numerous
hours going over the curriculum al-
most "word for word" and viewing
controversial video tapes which
have been shown in some class-
rooms. King said the Council met
for 6 1/2 hours (until 1 a.m.) at a
meeting last week and another
lengthy meeting was scheduled for
last night. She said many more
meetings may be necessary before
the Council makes its recommen-
dation to the Board.
McRae pointed out that when a
recommendation is made, the
Board will have as many public
meetings as necessary to give ev-
eryone in the community ample
opportunity to review the curricu-
lum and make comments.
See Sex Ed, 12-A
the Community" portion of the
Enrollment up
in KM schools
Kings Mountain Schools show a
slight increase in enrollment over
last year.and could top the 4,000
figure in two years, Supt. Bob
McRae told the Board of Education
at its monthly meeting Monday
night at West School.
The system had 3,984 students
elementary schools, indicating
new families are locating in the
perimeter of the city. Dr. McRae
said if the trend continues the sys-
tem may have to begin looking at
expanding facilities at some ele-
mentary schools.
Grover showed the biggest gain
with 453 students compared to 422
on the 10th day last year. The
kindergarten enrollment increased
from 75 to 97.
~ Bethware increased from 523 to
533, North from 378 to 389, and
West from 284 to 292. The only
decrease in elementary enrollment
was at East, where the number of
students dropped from 265 to 257.
The Middle School enrollment in-
creased from 940 to 954 but the
high school enrollment dropped
from 1123 to 1106.
"It is encouraging to know that
the largest grade is kindergarten,"
McRae said. "It looks like over the
next decade we could grow sub-
stantially. That could create some
challenges for us down the road as
far as facilities."
McRae said the new Grover
School was constructed with ex-
pansion in mind, and with good
acreage at Bethware and North ex-
pansion should not be a problem.
He said the Board may want to be-
gin discussing the possibility at its
annual Advance October 2-4 in
Boone:
In another matter Monday, the
Board discussed SAT results which
See School, Page 12-A
enrolled on the 10% day of school
GROVER - Local citizens will
be back on Kings Mountain's water
supply next week as town workers
drain the water from tank and then
put it back on line.
Meantime, another water line
will soon go in following unani-
mous action by Town Board
Monday.
After looking at a map of the
town water system, the board
agreed to put in a new line at cost
of $2000.
Mayor Ronald Queen said part
of Grover's water line is about 30)
years old.
In other actions of the meeting,
the board:
Voted to ask the Cleveland
County Board of Elections to
change the voting place in Grover
from the Rescue Squad to Town
Hall, effective with the next elec-
tion.
Voted to spend $300 for a com-
munity Christmas tree to be placed
by the Woman's Club in front of
Town Hall.
Voted to spend $2500 for 25 new
Christmas lights.
Thanked the Woman 's Club for
leadership of the Pre-Labor Day
celebration and expressed appreci-
ation to the Lions Club and to all
who attended the event in spite of
the rainy weather.
: 0
Grover Mayor Ronald Queen, left, and Councilman Noel Spivey look at charts of the city's water lines
as other Council members look on during Monday's regular meeting of the town board.