Vol. 107 No. 40
Thursday, October 5, 1995
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lonntainear Day [hse
Kings Mountain, N.C. ¢ 28086 ¢ 50¢
Kings Mountain election is Tuesday
FOR KINGS MOUNTAIN MAYOR
oe
"CHILDERS NEISLER
Registration cards to be issued at polls
Kings Mountain voters will go
to the polls Tuesday to elect a may-
or and three City Council members
from 13 candidates seeking two-
$ year terms.
Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close
at 7:30 p.m.
i The polling places are East
Kings Mountain, the gymnasium
area of the Community Center, and
West Kings Mountain, the National
Guard Armory.
Elections Board Chairman
Becky Cook is predicting that 35-
40 percent of the city's 4,752 regis-
tered voters will go to the polls.
All registered voters will receive
a white ballot with the names of
the three candidates for mayor and
the names of the four candidates
for At-Large commissioner. Voters
will get a blue ballot to vote for the
William Henry "Bill" Hager, 55,
of 126 Rollingbrook Rd., retired
Kings Mountain District School's
teacher, coach and community
schools coordinator, died
September 30, 1995 at home.
= Hager, who retired from the
school system in June 1994, said in
an interview several years ago that
his motto for all his students was
"finish high school and go to col-
lege."
He went to college on a basket-
ball scholarship and graduated
from Elizabeth City State
University and then received his
MA in education Administration
from Western Carolina University
and completed graduate work at
A&T State University and UNC at
Charlotte.
Hager's service to his fraternity
was well known. He was past
deputy district director and past
Southwestern ‘Area Director of the
North Carolina Association of
Alpha Men. As the Elder statesman
of Eta M Lambda Chapter of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, he was
president and served in most of the
offices.
He was past president of District
II of North Carolina Association of
Classroom Teachers, past president
WHITE
rect.
three candidates for that position.
Because of new registrations in
both Wards I and 2 Cook says they
are almost even in voter popula-
tion.
"For awhile we have been con-
cerned that with the next census in
the year 2000 that we would have
to rearrange the districts but I don't
see that as necessary with new reg-
istrations," she said.
New voter registration cards will
also be distributed by election offi-
cials, something new this year.
The 2 1/2x3 1/2 card prepared
by the county board of elections in-
cludes the voter's name, current ad-
dress, birth date and party affilia-
tion and also identifies the
Congressional and state Senatorial
and House districts, the location of
the precinct, ward, school and sani-
on. district. Ther ci
» back C fora.
address, which can then be for-
warded to the County Board of
KM educator
Bill Hager dies
of District II North Carolina
Association of Educators, past
president of KM Association of
Educators, past state chairperson of
Human Relations and Minority
Affairs Commission and Minority
Men's Committee, in addition to
other service organizations.
He was on the board and past
chairman of the KM Cancer
Society, past chairman of the
Cleveland County Voter
Registration Association and past
Democratic and precinct chairman
and treasurer. He was a recruiter
for Elizabeth City State University
and was coordinator of the Foster
Grandparent Program. He was a
Scoutmaster, Cubmaster and Boy
Scout Commissioner and was a
member of the NAACP, United
Negro College Fund, and Phi
Delta Kappa International
Fraternity.
He joined O'Connor Grove
AME Zion Church in Belmont at
an early age and later joined
Bynum Chapel AME Zion Church
in Kings Mountain and was vice
chairman of the board of trustees
and director of the church's tutorial
program. He was also a past vice
See Hager, 2-A
A race for mayor and three seats open on the Kings
Mountain City Council will be decided at the polls
Tuesday in an election season pollwatchers hail as one
of the quietest in recent history.
Mayor Scott Neisler has strong opposition from
two opponents, former commissioner Jim Childers and
retired city planning director Gene White.
Although their philosophy for serving all the citi-
zens of Kings Mountain is similar, each has outlined
different plans for attaining goals in newspaper adver-
tisements and in a recent short program before the
Kings Mountain Board of Realtors.
White says the city's credibility with citizens is a
major problem that the Council must take steps to cor-
tee
bents have stiff opposition.
Neisler says he has always taken a conservative ap-
proach to leadership at City Hall, reiterating that the
city has instituted tax hikes which are unnecessary.
. In a letter to citizens this week Childers took issue
with some of the platform claims made by White.
Hot races are underway also for the three seats in
Ward I, Ward II and At-Large where veteran incum-
Although there has been no outward political activi-
ty, the races will be closely watched.
Incumbent Phil Hager is opposed by Joe King and
political newcomer Tim Johnson in Ward I. Each can-
didates has been knocking on doors in his ward hoping
to generate more votes and handing out registration
forms. More people are registered to vote in this elec-
tion in Ward I, A total of 919 people who live in this
ward are registered to vote. :
In Ward 2, incumbent Jim Guyton has opposition
from Jerry Mullinax and political newcomer Al
Brackett. Each candidate has been knocking on doors
in his ward and election officials say new people are
registered to vote. A total of 895 people who live in
Ward 2 are registered.
Incumbent At-Large councilwoman Norma Bridges
Elections in Shelby which would
issue a new card with the correct
address.
Cook will be at East Kings
Mountain precinct to handle any
transfers and election officials Tim
Miller and Valerie Boyd will be at
West Kings Mountain to handle
transfers and also to distribute the
new cards.
Voters who don't receive their
voter cards on Tuesday can get
them when they go to the polls for
the November general election.
Cook says voters will still be
permitted to vote in November
even if they leave their registration
cards at home this fall but she says
the card includes much pertinent
information.
Responding to a question about
absentee voting, Cook said absen-
voting i mitted by t
» Ast SUE OR
BRIDGES ; BUNCH
& ™
® ;
: 3
HOMECOMING QUEEN - Heather Nicole Parker was crowned
Kings Mountain High School homecoming queen during halftime fes-
tivities at Friday night's game with R-S Central at John Gamble
Stadium. Game results are on page 8-A .
FOR COUNCIL AT-LARGE
FOR COUNCIL WARD |
County Board approves KM Hospital merger
The merger of Kings Mountain Hospital with
Carolinas Hospital Network was sealed Tuesday
night as the Cleveland County Board of
Commissioners unanimously, and without
discussion, gave the green light to the final
addendums to the 17-year lease agreement.
It was the final step in the 18-month process
and was merely a formality since the board has
already approved the final concept of the lease.
County Attorney Julian Wray said that the
only thing that remains is for Chairman Cecil
Dickson to sign the additions to the lease
agreement and he will deliver the paperwork to
the Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority.
The agreement was approved last Tuesday
by the Kings Mountain Hospital board of
trustees and directors in their final meeting as a
board at the local hospital and also by the U. S.
Department of Agriculture Rural Economic
Development board and bond counsel.
The additions to the agreement enables
CMHA to manage the facility, investing up to $2
million in the next two years as well as
recruiting physicians to the area.
KMH. which is $800,000 in the hole this
fiscal year, has suffered a lack of patients, which
Pe
is related to the loss of doctors.
In approving the lease, the board approved
the articles of incorporation, the bylaws and the
lease with the county.
The hospital will still be obligated to pay
$300,000 a year in rent to the county from
revenues generated through operating the
hospital.
A new Charlotte-based board of trustees will
replace the current board chaired by J. C.
Bridges but the Kings Mountain members have
been asked to consider serving on a six-member
community board to be established in Kings
Mountain, Current members of the KMH board
of trustees indicated they would be willing to
serve.
In the agreement, the Carolina Hospital
Network becomes the sole member of Kings
Mountain Hospital Inc.
The agreement also sets out payment of
network development fees not to exceed 10
percent of the hospital earnings before taxes and
amortization.
Bridges has said on several occasions that
CMHA has gone the extra mile during its 18
months management contract, providing not
only a qualified administrator in the person of
Hank Neal but also support staff and legal and
technical counsel. Bridges said that Neal is
expected to remain as administrator.
KMH owes CMHA a management fee of
$150,000 but CMHA attorneys have said they
do not expect to recoup that fee until the hospital
has turned the corner financially.
Bridges has said he feels it won't be long
until Kings Mountain Hospital turns the corner
financially.
"Smaller hospitals like Kings Mountain will
have to merge to survive," said Bridges recently.
"I'm thrilled that Charlotte is taking over."
Kings Mountain Hospital now belongs to the
rapidly expanding Carolinas Hospital Network,
a CMHA division including 21 hospitals and
headed by Austin Letson, the former president
of Cleveland Memorial Hospital of Shelby who
returned to Charlotte June 30.
Chairman Cecil Dickson made the motion to
finalize the agreement, seconded by new board
member Mary Accor. Also voting in favor of the
motion were commissioners Sam Gold, E.T.
Vanhoy, Ralph Gilbert and Bobby Malloy.
Commissioner Jim Crawley was absent.
GRIGG NORRIS
JOHNSON
is opposed by Wendell Bunch, Ronnie Grigg and Jim
Norris, all political newcomers. The city's 4,752 regis-
tered voters can vote for this seat on the board and also
cast votes in the mayor's race.
Polls open
6:30 am
Polls close
4:30 pm
FOR COUNCIL WARD 2
BRACKETT
Mountaineer Day
LINA :
set for Saturday
The Overmountain marchers in
period dress will open Saturday's
Mountaineer Day celebration at 10
a.m. in down- fi op :
town Kings}
Mountain with |
a 45-minute |
historical inter-
pretive pro-
gram, includ-
ing a display of
militia.
Former US
Congressman
and us bo ]
Senator Jim JIM BROYHILL
Broyhill of Winston-Salem, Kings
Mountain National Military Park
Supt. Mike Loveless, and Blue
Ridge Park Supt. Gary Everhart
will also comment on the signifi-
cance of the Battle of Kings
Mountain and the importance of
the nearby Park in relation to the
history of the Overmountain victo-
ry that terminated on October 7,
1780.
Broyhill introduced the legisla-
tion in 1980 that established the
Overmountain Victory National
Historical Trail. The 310-mile long
distance trail from Virginia to
Tennessee, Western North Carolina
and South Carolina was the route
followed by frontier militiamen to
pursue and defeat the loyalists at
Kings Mountain 215 years ago.
Broyhill will be keynote speaker
at the Park ceremonies and wreath-
laying ceremonies at 3 p.m.
Mountaineer Day Saturday,
which falls on the anniversary of
the famous battle, has all the ingre-
dients for a fun day, with events
geared to entertain the whole fami-
ly.
"We're just praying it doesn't
rain,” says Mayor Scott Neisler
who will provide the fireworks
show at 8:30 p.m. in downtown
Kings Mountain where the day-
long events will end with a street
dance.
A 8 a.m. 5K run/walk will kick-
off the festivities with runners to
line up on Gold Street beside
Plonk's General Store and vie for
prizes and free t-shirts to all partic-
ipants.
The Kings Mountain High
School Pep Band and city officials
will also participate in the opening
ceremonies at 10 a.m. from the
See Broyhill, 2-A
KM Military Park
plans celebration
Special activities at Kings
Mountain National Military Park
this weekend will celebrate the
215th anniversary of the
Revolutionary War Battle of Kings
Mountain.
Visitors can experience an 18th
Century military encampment
Saturday and Sunday as the
Guilford Militia bring back a part
of history and heritage with
musters, musket and rifle firing,
cooking, bullet and button molding
and basket weaving plus a field
hospital with a regimental surgeon
on hand to discuss Revolutionary
War medicine.
Marchers in the Overmountain
Victory Trail Association will ar-
rive in time for the celebration at 3
p.m. Saturday in the amphitheater.
Former 10th District US
Congressman and former US
Senator Jim Broyhill, who intro-
duced the legislation in 1980 es-
tablishing the Overmountain Vitory
National Historial Trail, will be
the keynote speaker.
Following the program, a wreath
laying ceremony will be held at the
U. S. monument which is the site
of the surrender of the loyalist
forces.
This is the 21st year that the
Overmountain marchers have re-
traced the events that led to the de-
feat of Major Patrick Ferguson at
the Battle of Kings Mountain, fol-|
lowing the original route of the|
Overmountain Men with a contin]
gent of marchers from several
counties. .
Park Supt. Andrew M. Loveless
said the public is also invited to a
"Miller-Rowe Consort" in the park
amphitheater Thursday at 7 p.m.
featuring Appalachian. Celtic,
Early American and traditional
music on the the hammer dulcimer
and classical guitar.
Rev. David Rowe, pastor of
Blacksburg ARP Church, performs
on the hammer dulcimer and
Michael Miller, who teaches classi-
cal guitar at Presbyterian College,
performs on the classical guitar.
The Park’ Visitor Center will
open Thursday at 6 p.m. |