| erald’s "Pick The Winners”
ootball Contest Page 5A
Bud Bumgardner
roasted
See 13A
7. IX » NO. 38
Cleveland Home Health Care
opens new facility in She
See page 9A
Thursday, September 22, 1994
Kings Mountain, NC 2 5
A rditor: Financial condition still serious
Neg
| Ki as Mountain’ $: new city
mangger Chuck Nance has only
beenfon the job 2 1/2 weeks but al-
ready he feels right at home.
With the’ fine attitude of the
staff and the support of the mayor
and City Council, I see only posi-
1 tive things for the City," said
vance, who said his doors are open
to the public. :
' Since his arrival in town Nance
| has been busy meeting with staff
| and department heads and says he
likes what he has seen in the day to
day operation of the city.
The newcomer says the process
of learning the day to day utility
operations can't be accomplished
overnight but that the pervasive
the delivery of service.
‘end of this school year. His son
‘| theme of his administration will be
v City Manager optimistic about future
"I'm still driving about 90 min-
utes a day on US 74 to Spindale
and back but it isn't a bad drive and
it gives me time to do some think-
ing," said Nance, who plans to
move to King Mountain after the
started to kindergarten this year
and Mrs. Nance is a parent educa-
tor with the Rutherfordton School
System. His daughter recently cel-
ebrated her first birthday.
Nance won't end his City of
Spindale responsibilities for sever-
al weeks. He is working in
Spindale on Fridays as that city
hires his replacement.
"The Spindale Council permitted
me to work on Thursdays in Kings
See Manager, 10-A
- City Council
negotiating
dam project
City officials are negotiating the
_ low bid from Hickory Construction
Company for improvements to.
Davidson Dam and Monday night
in buying the property. ;
Jerry Smith met with members
of the city utilities committee and
indicated interest in both the
‘Davidson Lake and City Lake
properties.
But Councilman Jim Guyton,
who chairs the committee, said the
city would have to recoup its in-.
vestment for fixing the dams and
the price tag could run $250,000.
Mayor Scott Neisler reminded
that the city would have to take
bids and use the upset bid proce-
dure in disposal of the property if
Council offers the properties for
sale.
Smith, who did not elaborate on
what he wanted to build, said he
was merely on a "fact finding mis-
sion.’
Walt Ollis, Superintendent of
Water/Wastewater, will present a
proposal to City Council Tuesday
night to spend $197,630 to fix
Davidson Dam and delay, with
state approval, the repairs to old
City Lake Dam where the com-
bined costs of the two project were
= expected to run $300,000.
Ollis said the reduction in cost
will mean that the contractors will
have 120 days to complete the
Davidson project, instead of 90.
The contract change includes that
on-site rock will also be used for
riffraff and the city will be respon-
sible for disposing of waste exta-
vation materials. :
Ollis said that a total of
$215,000 is budgeted for the state-
mandated repairs.
Updating other projects, Ollis
said that the state-sponsored Dixon
Road-Rest Stop project to run wa-
ter lines down Dixon road and
sewer to the Rest area is about
"two years down the road." The
project is on hold pending the
awarding of federal funds.
Ollis announced a’ preconstruc-
tion meeting with county officials
on the Patrick Yarn Mill water line
project for 3 p.m. Thursday at City
Hall. No city money is involved
in the project. The county is paying
for the lines which Kings Mountain
will install.
Ollis announced that state
officials will be in Kings Mountain
at Holiday Inn on September 28 to
meet with city officials and offi-
cials of Grover Industries about
that industry's sewer treatment
problems.
Ardist Byers, a representative of
Transco, asked for cost estimates to
run a water line 3 000) feet to serve
Transco's station on 216 South of I-
25 Ollis estimated the cost would
he $70,000, including fire’ hy-
drants, taps and engineering fees.
See Project, 10-A
talked to a Charlotte man interested
City auditor Darrell Keller says the city will carry
over into new fiscal year 1994-95 nearly a half million
dois in debts that should have been paid by June 30,
1994
Keller, busy auditing the 1993-94 fiscal year of op-
erations, estimated that it will be 1996-97 before the
city, even with austere budgets Council sticks to, will
be out of a financial hole and with money in the bank.
On June 30, 1994 Keller said he reconciled the city's
bank statements and the city had $1,279 in the bank.
July 31, 1994 the city had $179 in the bank.
Finance officer Maxine Parsons, in her August 25
financial report to City Council, said that at the end of
July the city owed $718,764.26 to vendors and had
$377,440.20 in cash. September 1, the city made a
bond payment of $261,076.25, which included
$137,466.17 from sales tax revenues from the state
and the balance from regular utility revenues. The city
remained behind, however, in its payments to suppliers
of electricity and natural gas.
Parsons noted in her memorandum that the Local
Government Commission is monitoring the city's cash
flow on a monthly basis.
Keller said that during 1993-94 the city paid
paid by June 30, 1993.
"That's what's killing them," he said.
Keller said the city is still behind in payments :to
Duke Power and Transco, its suppliers of electricity
and gas.
Parsons said in her memorandum to Council that
water consumption was down in July in comparison
with the past five months but most of the major indus-
tries were down for a week to 10 days during the July
4th holiday. She said that the electric fund had a great
month with $776,543 in revenues. Last year in July the
revenues were $816,165. Historically, she said July is
the worst month for the gas fund. Last year July gas
revenues were $225,071.
Keller said he will include a letter of recommenda-
tions to management with the audit report which will
probably be completed by November. He said he has
been working closely with new city manager Chuck
Nance and Parsons.
"City officials will have to keep their nose to the
grindstone over the next three years before they ever
have money to build on," he said.
"The city's financial condition remains a serious
Shirley Wingard, Doug Wingard, Doug Wingard Jr., Shelley Shirey, Joshua Worthy, Sandra Morales,
Rev. James Barnett, Pine Manor Apartments Resource Director Denise Leonard, and Angela Neely, left to
right, stand at a memorial wall which lists the names of the 12 local people who were victims of homicide
during the past five years.
Stop Killing Campaign stops in KM
A mother's grief was relived Friday night as she
watched her son's name being placed on a "Stop the
Killing" memorial wall at Pine Manor Apartments.
Shirley Wingard, her husband, Doug, their son,
Doug Jr. and granddaughter, Shelley Shirey, stood by
as Rev. Jam es Barnett of Charlotte took his message
of community responsibility to Kings Mountain.
Charlie Wayne Shirey, who died September 8, 1989,
was one of 12 homicide victims in Kings Mountain
during the last five years.
Shirey was the victim of a senseless killing at the
hand of a friend, according to his young daughter,
Shelley, a Kings Mountain High School student.
The memorial wall was unveiled only a few feet
from the apartment where Shirey died and where two
others died.
The Stop the Killing caravan was nearly two hours
late arriving in Kings Mountain Friday night but on
Monday Barnett returned with another message.
"If the Klan was shooting us down as we are shoot-
ing each other down, we'd burn down any city," said
Barnett who has crusaded against drugs and crime - es-
pecially murder - in Charlotte's black community. "But
we've just accepted it."
Since 1989, Barnett, with the help of Z. Smith
Reynolds and Lance foundation grants, has waged a
grass-roots campaign against crime in North Carolina's
biggest city.
He has been outspoken about what he sees as the
black community's tolerance of violence.
"There are more good people than bad people, but
bad people tend to run the streets," he said. "We've got
to turn that around."
His main weapon against crime has been a kind of
grim cheerleading.
His strategy is part of his belief that anti-crime ef-
forts in the black community need to be led by blacks
themselves.
"No matter how many white people you bring into
the community, they aren't going to be role models for
the brothers carrying guns," he said.
After rising in 1993, Charlotte's homicide rate is
down 22 percent this year, which Barnett attributes to
his group's efforts, including workshops and organized
rallies.
Barnett wants to establish a Stop the Killing chapter
in Kings Mountain and the county. The dozen or so
public housing residents who came to hear Barnett
speak nodded in approval. Some wore white shirts let-
tered in black which read "A people united will never
be defeated.
Kings Mountain's wall - a stark reminder of the real-
ity of death - is displayed in front of the Pine Manor
office. It bears a dozen names, nine males and three fe-
males.
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
$770.000 worth of bills that actually should have been
problem."
Sheriff candidate wants
office for deputies in KM
Republican Ward Kellum's pro-
posal to open a satellite office in
Kings Mountain to reduce deputy
response time caught the ire of his
Democratic opponent for Sheriff
Dan Crawford this week.
"The concept may be good but
county commissioners would have
to approve additional funding,"
said Crawford.
"My first priority is to get more
officers on the streets. We have too
many people in offices now."
+. Kellum said if he is elected i in
November that he can open the
county's first satellite office here
with the help of local businesses
without sacrificing existing depart-
ment services and programs.
Kellum said he has received an
offer of both land and a modular
office building where deputies
could serve warrants, respond to
emergency calls and complete pa-
perwork, eliminating the need for
so many trips to the county seat.
He said deputies would still have
to travel to the Law Enforcement
Center in Shelby to imprison sus-
pects and complete business with
the magistrate's office.
Kellum would not put a price tag
on his proposal but Crawford said
if additional money is appropriated
by county commissioners that the
money should be spent for man-
power.
"Cleveland County has only sev-
en deputies that work a 12-hour
shift and that breaks down to one
officer for 13,000 people,” said
Crawford, who said Cleveland
County's population is 89,000.
"Certainly an office would be a
convenience but 90 percent of pub-
lic complaints can be answered
over the telephone and if an arrest
is made that means trips to the
county seat," said Crawford who
said by statute the City of Kings
Mountain's Police Department has
the responsibility of providing po-
lice service to the people of Kings
Mountain.
"Kings Mountain has a very pro-
fessional police department and
any warrants issued for citizens liv-
ing inside the city limits must be
served by KMPD," said Crawford.
Crawford said that Kellum's
proposal to use volunteers would
not wash.
"When you use volunteers you
run into a liability problem and on-
ly sworn people could be used to
run the office. Certified law en-
forcement people won't volunteer
365 days a year." ;
Crawford said that more
deputies are needed not only in No.
4 Township but also in No. ‘1
Township and in other areas of the
county.
"Crime is our main social prob-
lem now but I'm not making
promises I can't keep," he said.
Kellum said if he is elected as
the next sheriff and if a satellite of-
fice proves successful in Kings
Mountain that he would consider
similar offices in other areas of the
county.
"People are frustrated about
crime and I believe a satellite of-
fice can be one of the answers and
can be opened using donations
from businesses and individuals,”
he said.
"There's no reason why the re-
sponse time would not be cut and
there's no reason why the deputy
can't fill up with gas in Kings
Mountain instead of driving 13
miles back to Shelby to fill up,” he
said.
Kellum said he envisions a pro-
portionate number of officers based
in this area based on the number of
calls.
"We can justify an office here in
the Kings Mountain area and there
are ways to do it and stay within
See Office, 10-A
a ag
Former longtime florists Selma Crawford, left, and her sister, Grice Talbert, enjoy retirement.
Grace Talbert, Selma Crawford:
sisters, business partners, friends
By ELIZABETH STEWART
of The Herald Staff
The needlepoint gift sends a
strong message about Grace Allen
Talbert and Selma Allen Crawford,
sisters, business partners and life-
long friends.
"Flowers leave some of their fra-
grance in the hand that bestows
them."
Retirement was a big adjustment
for the popular florists but now
they find they are so busy with vol-
unteering at the Crisis Center, the
prison ministry, and Boyce
Memorial ARP Church that they
wonder why they didn't retire carli-
er.
"We've also caught the travel
bug and find we love to travel.”
said Selma. They're packing their
bags for a trip to Vermont.
Grace, 69, and Selma, 67, got in-
to the flower business at the urging
of their father, the late Will Allen,
and their sister, the late Mary Dean
Swansson who furnished them
flowers for Allen's from her green-
houses for many years.
Grace retired from Allen's in
1980 and Selma retired in 1989 af-
ter more than 34 years in the fami-
ly business which was sold to
Cindy Crawford Phillips in 1989
and then to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome
Wyatt of Spartanburg, SC.
Although her major career was
in floral arranging, Grace got her
See Sisters, 10-A