nnexation vote by City Council could come Tuesday |
City Council could decide
Tuesday night on a major annexa-
tion plan for which public hearing
was held last week and attended by
only a handful of people.
Several representatives of local
industry spoke against the annexa-
tion.
The annexation, if approved,
would take in 775 acres. 131 peo-
ple and 18 businesses along
Canterbury Road, Second Street
and Industrial Park.
Firestone Textiles, a new Kings
Mountain industrial citizen, oppos-
es being taken into the city limits,
along with Bali Company and
H&W Systems in addition to
Center Street residents.
Industry representatives cited
higher taxes in the areas would
Road could take
some Compact homes
Compact School Road resident
Lemuel Oates said the the pro-
posed new extension of Dixon
School Road to US 74 Business
(Shelby Road) will take his fami-
ly's 60-year-old homeplace com-
pletely.
He and Charles Stephens, also of
Compact School Road, joined Bill
Moss, of 1363 S. Battleground
Ave., in objecting to the alternate
routes of the proposed $7.7 million
highway would serve as a shortcut
to Interstate 85.
Moss said the Alternate I route
which highway officials say they
prefer would have the least affect
on his property which could be im-
pacted by the road on both the
front and side of the property but
Oates and Stephens called for the
homes on Compact School Road
which were the first homes in the
neighborhood. .
Stephens and June Pearson, of
1250 Phifer Road, cited increased
traffic problems at the high school
and middle school at opening and
closing times of school and
Stephens said more traffic off 1-85
would only increase the danger.
'Have you ever driven on Phifer
Road when school is starting or
closing," asked Pearson of Len
Hendricks, public hearing officer
“that nT not St 150 feet resu
He said in addition a grade separat-
from the
Transportation.
The new road could result in the
displacement of at least nine homes
and a business if Alternate, I, the
suggested preferred route, is adopt-
ed.
At least a dozen DOT officials
were at the hearing plus about 65
citizens of the area who looked at
big maps of the two proposed
routes displayed on the walls of a
meeting room in Barnes
Auditorium.
Hendricks said the proposed
project will provide motorists a
more direct north-south route be-
tween 1-85 and US 74 Business on
the west side of Kings Mountain
and allow more efficient vehicle
operation and reduced travel times
Department of
ed crossing will be provided over
the Norfolk-Southern railroad as a
safety feature.
Hendricks said DOT was con-
ducting the hearing to solicit the
views on the two alternate loca-
tions and preliminary designs of
the Dixon School Road Extension
project.
The length of the new road
would be 2.8 miles, cutting by
three miles the distance for travel-
ers from I-85 to Highway 74
See New Road, 5A
Bloodmobile
returns
mean loss of jobs and future de-
velopment.
The annexation would bring in
more than $29 million in property
worth more than $100,000 per year
in property taxes to the city with
projected total revenues annually
of $257,000 with a cost of under
$13,000 the first year.
Richard Flowe, consultant from
May 30
Beachmark Inc., said the industrial
customers would realize a decrease
in sewer rates because they are
presently charged the outside city
rate.
Mayor Scott Neisler said the city
could act on the annexation
Tuesday or wait until the June
meeting. The effective date to be-
gin rolling services is 13 months
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away after the city passes an ordi-
nance, June 30, 1997, with June
30, 1999 targeted as the completion
of Phase I of the utilities construc-
tion.
At Tuesday's meeting Council is
-also expected to ink a lease agree-
ince 1889
Mountain and to formally rename
York Road from East King Street
the Ollie Harris Boulevard in. mem-
ory of the late Senator from Kings
Mountain.
The board is also expected to act
on a rezoning request from Mike
LY
Lemuel Oates, Compact Community resident, left, points out to
state Highway planner Wilson Stroud the location of his house on the
proposed route of the new Dixon School Road extension. Oates says
the road will take his family homeplace.
Plonk’s closing end of an era downtown
After nearly a century as a Kings Mounain business and landmark,
Plonk's General Store is closing. John Plonk Jr., left, and his son, Carl
Plonk, say their decision to quit marks the signs of the times.
KMHS finals begin Sunday
with hacealauroate service
Commencement exercises for
the 200 Kings Mountain High
School graduating seniors in the
Class of 1996 will begin Sunday
with baccalaureate services at B.
N. Barnes Auditorium and culmi-
nate on May 31 with presentation
of diplomas in John Gamble
Memorial Football Stadium.
Both programs are at 7 p.m.
Rev. Harold Bumby, pastor of
East Gold Street Wesleyan Church,
will deliver the sermon at the bac-
calaureate service sponsored by
the Kings Mountain Ministerial
Association.
Curtis Williams, minister of mu-
sic at East Gold Church, will give
his personal testimony. Other min-
isters participating on the program
will be the Rev. Don Williams of
See Bumby, SA
REV. HAROLD BUMBY
The closing of Plonk's General
‘Store. in downtown Kings
Mountain in about two months will
mark the end of an era for a four-
generation family which started
Plonk Brothers nearly 100 years
ago.
John Plonk Jr., the son of John
Plonk Sr., co-founder with the se-
nior Plonk's father William L.
Plonk, and Plonk's son, Carl
Plonk, the fourth generation mem-
ber to run the business, say it's time
to move on.
The junior Plonk said he and his
father had talked about closing the
store on and off for about 10 years
because the store isn't making
enough money to justify keeping it
open.
"It's sad," said Carl Plonk who
started stocking shelves at age 12.
Now 33, he said he will miss the
extended family of customers and
employees.
"When you've been associated
with something all your life it's
hard to make a change," said John
Plonk Jr. who started operating the
business in 1984 and is also presi-
dent of Foust Textiles.
Plonk said that deciding to close-
wasn't an easy decision but now
that's it's made he hopes that the
building can be rented to another
business to use and that a Quitting
Business Sale May 23-29 will help
clear out the inventory.
Plonk's opened in Kings
Mountain in 1899 with three part-
ners, J. O. Plonk Sr., his father W.
L. Plonk and a Mr. Kiser. By 1904-
05 the Plonks had bought Kiser
out. W. L. Plonk Jr. was manager
of the store for many years. The
store was remodeled in 1947 and
the marquee added. After the
death of John Plonk Sr. in 1951
ownership passed totally into the
hands of the J. O. Plonk Sr. family.
In 1958 John Plonk and his sisters
bought the W. L. Plonk interests In
1958 and in 1984 John Plonk Jr.'s
sisters Maude Patterson of Kings
Mountain, Mary Foust. Weaver of
Greensboro and Douglas McElwee
and Dorothy Lewis of North
Wilkesboro, sold their interests to
J. O. Plonk Jr. and Carl Plonk
bought a percentage of ownership.
In 1987-88 the store was remod-
eled again.
"When the store started, it was
right beside the railroad depot,"
said Plonk who recalled that the
store was a General Store even in
the early days although Plonk's
Department Store only changed to
its new format in 1987-88, remod-
eling and becoming associated
with B&S Variety and Ben
Franklin Stores. Prior to that, the
store featured clothing for the
whole family and its men's store
continued as a popular place for
shopping for men's clothing and
shoes. In the early days hardware,
groceries, seeds, furniture, cars,
and most anything could be pur-
chased at Plonk's. Plonk's was the
first store in this area to offer west-
ern beef.
Over the years the store grew,
the old potbellied stove was re-
moved and major renovation was
done.
"We never sold coffins but
sometimes people remarked that
Plonk's offered everything from the
cradle to the grave,” reminisced
John Plonk.
Employees said the best part of
working at Plonk's was the caring
family attitude of employers.
"It's more like family than any-
thing else and these people really
care for us," said Gene Bridges.
Judy Bolin, who has been with
the company for 15 years, called
the closing one of the saddest times
in her life.
"It's an indication of the times
and the fact that many businesses
See Plonk, 3A
ment with the Kings Mountain
Historical Association for the old
post office in downtown Kings
and Cynthia Brown for develop-
ment of their property on East
Ridge and King Street.
Grover Council ups water/sewer rate
Utility board okays
purchase of water
The neighboring town of Grover
wants to buy all its water, up to
five million gallons per month,
from Kings Mountain but the fig-
ures on the cost aren't in until after
the city fathers complete their bud-
get deliberations.
In the meantime, Grover city fa-
thers got a head ‘start on its 1996-
97 budget Monday night and ap-
proved a 20 percent water rate
increase to balance the proposed
budget of $539,695, up more than
$63,000 from the current year.
"We want to sell Grover water,"
Water Supt. Walt Ollis told mem-
bers of the city's utilities commitice
night.
1.94 per 1,000 effective July I.
The board also indicated that the
water tap fees would go up from
$350 to $500 in the new budget.
See Grover, 2A
Hearing Tuesday
to change city law
A public hearing by City
Council to change an oversight in
a law and regulate the Sunday sale
of malt beverages and fortified
wines is on the agenda for
Tuesday night's 7:30 p.m. Council
al by Gro Sa ieetiy filih wd
the propos i by the full ‘inspections Dit in
board but Ollis said that the cost is
up in the air until after the City
Council acts on its budget propos-
als for the new year.
discovered the loophole in the law
recently after a grocery chain re-
quested for the city laws governing
beer and wine sales on Sunday.
By law, beer and wine can't be
bought in the city on Sundays.
Except for an hour - from noon un-
til 1 p.m.
In 1993, the State Alcohol
Beverage Control law changed:
from prohibiting beer and wine
sales before 1 p.m. Sunday to pro-
hibiting sales before noon Sunday.
City law, written when the old=
state law was in force, prohibits
sales in Kings Mountain from I=
p.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday.
The new law, if amended
Tuesday, would substitute 12 noon
for 1 p.m. "in order to protect the
health and safety of citizens," the
proposed ordinance reads.
Police Chief Bob Hayes says po-
lice have no problems in enforcing
the city law.
Sewer rates will also become
more costly for Grover residents
since sewer rates are twice the wa-
ter bill and would increase from $8
to $9.60 at the base rate comparing
with a minimum fee for water of
$12 in Upper Cleveland County,
said Mayor Ronald Queen in soft-
ening the blow for residents.
Final adoption of the budget is
set for June 24.
The general fund is proposed to
total $275,795; the Powell Bill
fund for streets at $48,900; and the
water and sewer fund $215,000.
Grover water customers pay a
$4 minimum for up to 2,000 gal-
lons of water and $ 1.62 per 1,000
on the next level. That price
jumped to a $4.80 base rate and $
Poppy Day....
ff Patiam fe
Kaitlyn Suber, left, Unit 155 President Myrtle Christenson, Mayor
Scott Neisler, Bennett Suber and Lauren Suber, right, are ready for
the American Legion Auxiliary-sponsored Poppy Day this weekend as
the triplets, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Claudie Suber, present the
first memorial red flower to the mayor. The annual street distribution
of the handmade poppies made by veterans begins Thursday and ben-
efits veterans' projects.