Member
North Carolina Press Association
y
KM Schools share
of state referendum
would be $6.1 million
Kings Mountain District Schools would receive
$6,142,100 if a state-wide $1.8 billion bond refer-
endum is passed by voters November 8, Supt.
Dr. Bob McRae said this week. |
"It's essential that local voters go to the polls in
the general election and support these bonds for
education," he said.
McRae said it's his understanding that if the
bond issue passes that the mong¢y would be
spread out over the next five years.
Would the money be used for a ew school as
some have proposed between Bethware
Elementary and Grover Elementary to take care
of growing school populations in the two rural
areas?
"The School Board hasn't looked at all the pos-
sibilities but if a new school was built that would
take about $5 million," said McRae.
McRae acknowledged that most of the project-
ed growth over the next four or five years is in
these two areas. Bethware is expected to register
620 K-5 students plus 34 Head Star} students in
the new fall term starting August 12 and Grover
is expected to register 484 K-5 students plus 34
Head Start students in the 1996-97 fall term.
McRae said the two rural areas are drawing
more people because of more housing and jobs
by parents at area industries.
He said North Elementary in East Kings
Mountain is also one of the fastest growing in-
side-city plants with a school populafion project-
ed for the fall term of 438 K-4 students plus 17
Head Start students.
McRae said the school board will look at all the
options if the bond money becomes ayailable.
McRae said that the school system will be
putting up at least one new mobile ¢lassroom at
East Elementary this fall and that mobile homes
are already available to take care of crowded con-
ditions at Parker Street School.
Projected enrollment in the fall at the eight
plants in the Kings Mountain Schools System is
1165 K-12 students plus 85 Head Start students,
Bethware Fair to open July 30
GONE FISHIN
GOING AFTER THE BIG ONES - The break from the high tem-
peratures Tuesday morning provided the perfect excuse for
Roger Gaither and 6-year-old Michael Allen Warren ta get in
some fishing at Moss Lake. They said they have had some good
luck caiching big catfish and carp.
on 4-year rate
The City of Kings Mountain and Duke
Power Company will sign a contract Au-
gust 1 which means that the city's 5,000 elec-
tric customers can expect no rate increases
for the next four years with reduced power
bills coming in dollars still to be deter-
mined.
Utility Director Jimmy Maney said the
city has been in negotiations with its sup-
plier of wholesale electricity Duke for a new
rate for three years in what appeared to be
an uphill battle. The city filed a 206 com-
plaint along with eight other Schedule 10
cities in May 1995 with the Federal Electric
Regulatory Agency which regulates inter-
state power rates and sales saying Duke
had overstated its rates. The city is expect-
ing big bucks from the settlement which
Maney says will mean reduced rates for
customers.
The city also sought a coincident billing
rate in which the city would peak the same
time as Duke's system and would receive a
load signal from Duke and for the elimina-
tion of a ratchet. :
Currently when a customer sets a de-
mand he is locked in for 12 months for that
highest demand. With the elimination of a
ratchet the customer would be billed at the
demand he sets during the monthly billing,
not the highest demand for the previous 12
months. The customers on a demand meter
are those who exceed 30kw during any 30
minute interval, primarily commercial busi-
nesses and industry. Council would evalu-
ate a rate reduction for residential users.
Last week, Kings Mountain, along with
Dallas, Concord, Forest City, Due West, SC,
and Prosperity, SC settled with Duke but
two others, Greenwood and Seneca, SC did
not.
Maney said it will take 60-90 days before
a billing schedule can be in place. He has
asked for a recommendation of SVBK, the
Charlotte consultants who completed the
recent utility rate study.
Maney, the city's utility chief since 1981,
called the relationship with Duke good for
Duke and the city and foresees the city
would remain as a Duke customer.
But with the onset of deregulation in the
electrical business there are alternative sup-
pliers that the city can use to purchase
wholesale power.
Maney admits that was one of the nego-
tiating factors in Kings Mountain's favor in
a successful settlement contract that was
hammered out by local officials in Wash-
ington, DC on the federal level to the state
level in Raleigh.
"We made offer after offer on the table
and now we're sure the wholesale cost will
be reduced but the wholesale rate reduc-
tion for the city does not necessarily mean
the same on the retail side but customers
should be happy with the results," he said.
"Wholesale wheeling" is how Maney de-
scribes the process in which Schedule 10.
cities have been negotiating with Duke
Power for several years now. He said the
city even looked at buying power from
another company.
The federal government legalized shop-
ping around for power for largest users,
such as cities, that buy electricity wholesale
in 1992. City Council approved "shopping
around” by Maney and backed his ap-
proach wholeheartedly.
The new contract with Duke will allow
the city to better predict when electric use
and costs are highest so they can switch to
cheaper generators or conserve to lower
costs.
See Duke, 8-A
Annexed plants
file suit against KM
Gates swing open July 30 -
the earliest ever opening date -
of the 49th Bethware
Community Fair.
Co-managers Glenn Hicks
and Marshall Jones predict this
year's event at Bethware School
in Kings Mountain will be the
biggest ever with 22 all-new
rides, an expanded 32-space ex-
hibit hall and entertainment for
the whole family for five big
days through August 3.
Members of the Bethwatre
Progressive Club are working
feverishly to meet the early
opening deadline, expanding
the exhibit area in the Bethware
School gymnasium to give ex-
hibitors plenty of room to dis-
play their wares and also to of-
fer space for vendors of flea
market-type goods.
This week the aluminum pipe
framing went up for the booths
ancl pegboards and black and
gold canvass will be used as di-
viders. Cost of the expansion is
estimated at $6,000.
The agricultural fair, which
started 49 years ago with cake-
walks and a Fiddler's
Cdnvention as the group's first
school fundraiser, has grown
over the years and now offers
$3,000 in cash prizes to first and
second place winners in home-
grown products. Over the years
the club has presented such
items as computers, a piano
and cash to Bethware School.
Hicks said the 35-member
club had difficulty booking
rides for a September fair this
year and decided to hold the
fair when school was not in ses-
sion, contracting with Jon Stines
Amusements to bring rides
which have never graced the
midway before, such as a dou-
ble ferris wheel, a pirate ship,
scrambler, tilt-a-whirl and
much more. Hicks said the
Midway will feature clowns, a
petting zoo, plenty of good
food, and tents where people
can sit and renew friendships.
"Many of the fairy are former
students of Bethware School
and this is a chance for them to
see their former classmates and
the school again," said Hicks.
Family Nights will be
Tuesday and Thursday of Fair
Week when they can pay one
price for unlimited rides for the
whole family.
See Fair, 7-A
DEDICATION - Bethware Progressive Club President Craig
Mayes, left, presents a Bethware Fair catalog to Fred Tate for
whom the book is dedicated. Tate joined the club 28 years ago
and has served in virtually all offices from chief chef for steak
suppers to club president.
Betty White has been Fair volunteer for 25 years
It was natural that Betty
White would get hooked on the
Bethware Community Fair.
A volunteer with Tabor City
Yam Festival for years, Betty
Gaskin White moved to Kings
Mountain when she married
Cesko White and became an as-
sistant teacher and bus driver at
Bethware School.
She said the activities of the
children sparked her interest in
the agricultural fair nearly a
quarter century ago and she
volunteered to work the exhibit
hall.
Mrs. White is probably one of
the top boosters of the agricul
tural fair which returns to
Bethware School July 30 for a
five-day run.
For two days, July 29 and
July 30, White and her crew will
be busy in the school gymnasi-
um taking in entries and mark-
ing them properly for judges to
judge everything from canned
goods to pantry and dairy
items, household arts, ceramics,
flowers, antiques, plastic can-
vass and horticulture.
“It takes a lot of bard
work by many people to
make the Fair a success ...”
-Betty White
Household arts has become one
of the most popular category
over the years and includes
anything handmade.
Last year 1,894 entries com-
peted for cash prizes and this
year with increased exhibit ar-
eas White says there will be
many more. In 1994 more than
2400 exhibits were logged. The
White committee burns the
midnight oil and love it.
"It takes a lot of hard work by
many people to make the Fair a
success but the money the
See White, 7-A
Five Gaston County indus-
tries the City of Kings Mountain
plans to annex have filed suit
trying to stop it.
Bali Company, Commercial
Intertech, Firestone Fibers &
Textiles, Turbo Conveyor and
Metal Fabricating Leasing have
asked for a hearing before a
Superior Court judge in
Cleveland County.
The suit asks for an opinion
by the judge on whether or not
the city has met all the statutory
requirements for annexation.
City Manager Gary Hicks
said City Attorney Mickey
Corry is filing an answer to the
suit.
Hicks said the city will con-
tend that it followed proper
procedures and the data is ac-
curate.
Kings Mountain City Council
adopted an ordinance May 28
that calls for annexation of 758
acres of land effective July 1,
1997.
The first parcel north of the
city along Second Street would
take in homes and several
small businesses.
The industrial parcel would
take in 555 acres along I-85 and
Canterbury Road east of the
city.
The lawsuit claims that the
See Suit, 7-A
INSIDE AT A GLANCE
Kings Mountain People
The Kings Mountain Rescue Squad is not only
Jack Arnold's hobby but his life.
"I'm there when they need me," says the 26-
year-old Kings Mountain man who was intro-
duced to the Rescue Squad two years ago by his
cousin who then dropped out of the squad.
"My cousin had other priorities since he was a
family man but I'm single and I can give full-time
to the rescue profession,” said Arnold.
Lt. Arnold has moved up quickly in the ranks
and is working toward paramedic status from
Intermediate. He has also trained for the diving
team and is one of five certified rescue divers
who share the responsibility with divers from the
Shelby Rescue Squad for water safety at city-
owned Moss Lake.
Arnold says advanced training could qualify
him for a paying job at some point in his career.
He sees Rescue Squad training as a real plus for
It's always Arnold to the rescue
young men and young women.
"The knowledge that we get from this training
means that we could save a life and that's what
it's all about," said Arnold, who moved to Kings
Mountain with his parents, Don and Joy Arnold
from Detroit, Michigan. Jack graduated from
Kings Mountain High School in 1988 and was in
the US Army Reserves Airborne Division.
Arnold said his family chose Kings Mountain
because of its freshness and uniqueness and
working side by side with paramedics has given
him an opportunity to get to know people.
"I had thought I'd get into law enforcement but
I've liked the water ever since I was a kid and I've
found I can use my training as a diver now with
my rescue work," said Arnold. :
Arnold says he plans to stay in rescue work as
long as there's a need for volunteers.
Birthdays...........c.c.e.n. 3B
Business News.......... 4B
Church News............. 2B
Classified................ 6-7B
Editorials...........cccevenen 4A
Obituaries............... 2-3A
Police News............... 5B
School News......... 9-10A
SPOILS....coooncinniinnion 6A
Weddings...........c....... iB
Judge McSwain
to speak at
Davidson High
Alumni
Association
Reunion
9-A
SURVEY SAYS - County
Should Build Industrial Park
4A