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North Carolina Press Association
Vol. 108 No. 41
N.C. House
candidates
discus
§ the issues
Gndidates |
discuss the issues |
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Thursday, October 17, 1996
in the First
Carolina Feder
Savings Bank
Football Contest
Kings Mountain, N.C. » 28086 « 50¢
Commissioners take option on three parcels of property
Cleveland County Commissioners, meeting at
a public hearing set for last night and involving
the future industrial park, voted 4-2 in favor of a
$1 a month option for purchase for three pieces of
property for the next 120 days. The first site is lo-
cated west of NC 226 on Polkville Rd., the second
located near Kings Mountain and owned by
Plonk family heirs just off of the US 74 bypass
and west of US 74, and the third being located
south of the US 74 bypass and west of US 74 and
owned by the McSwain family heirs.
Costs for obtaining the options is estimated at
$1 per property. Also, engineering and environ-
mental costs are to be incurred at an estimated
cost of $18,440 for property 1, $14,615 for proper-
ty 2, and $2,000 for property 3.
Commissioners fielded comments from the
standing room only audience for almost two
hours before coming to a final decision.
Chairman Cecil Dickson made clear at the be-
ginning of the hearing that the commissioners
would not hear any comments about a site for the
park, stating, "We are not here to discuss one site
over another, rather a $1 a month option for prop-
erty over the next 120 days." Dickson said that
future meetings would be a possibility.
Most of those addressing the commissioners
were well in favor of having new industry com-
ing to Cleveland County, however, the audience
seemed to be split on ways to finance the new
park. :
Ed Hamrick, owner of Hamrick Properties, was
one of those in favor, saying, "I'm in favor 100
percent for the industrial park for the benefit of
Cleveland County."
However, Hamrick was also in favor of financ-
ing the sites without having to collect extra tax
dollars from the citizens of Cleveland County. He
offered ideas such as seeking not-for-profit orga-
nizations to sell the properties to or the issuing of
shares of stock. "I wish we would look at all the
methods of finance," he said.
~ Danny Hawkins, a Cleveland County resident
for 24 years now, was also in favor and stated that
he would do his fair share in bringing industry to
the County. "I have paid my taxes and will con-
tinue to pay my taxes. I encourage you to pro-
ceed in finding ways to bring the park here. Ien-
courage the studies and the expanding and I
encourage having the systems here. Someone has
to pay the bill, and I plan to be one of those and
pay my part."
Hawkins was equally supported by Brownie
Plaster, a resident of 26 years, who stated,
"Competition makes the rules. You cannot play
ball without the equipment. And we do not have
a ballpark." Plaster said the park was a "bold step
for the future."
One other in favor of the park, Bobby Maner,
said, "There's industrial development going on
Hinson Ledford's secrets of longevity.
Mrs. Ledford celebrated her 90th birthday
October 5. Sunday she worshiped with over 25
members of her family in her regular pew at Oak
View Baptist Church at a special birthday tribute
by her church family.
The Kings Mountain woman never misses a
Sunday morning church service if she can help it.
"Church has always been important to me and
it was important to my late husband I. W.
Ledford," said Mrs. Ledford who relaxed with her
daughter, Inez Worthan, on a recent afternoon at
her home on York Road and enjoyed birthday
cards from friends and received red roses from
Ruth Ledford is 90 and still on the go
Loving the Lord and working hard are Ruth
the spooling room. That's where she met her hus-
band, a mechanic, when he'came by to do some
work on a spooler. She was 14 and at 15 she be-
came the bride of 25-year-old Ledford and they
started raising a family., :
Mrs. Ledford recalled that mill wages were
$8.75 for a 40-hour week but the money seemed
to go further in those days.
Her main goal in life was to raise nine fine chil-
dren. She lost two children to death as babies and
later death claimed two grown children. The fam-
ily includes Worthan of Douglasville, Ga., Jack
Ledford of Charlotte, Betty Henderson of
Morganton, Edward Ledford of Charleston, SC
and Jerry Ledford of Rome, Ga. There are 18
everywhere except Cleveland County." He re-
layed to the audience a story concerning
Mooresville and how they built a 450 acre park
that increased the town's tax base by $30 million
dollars.
Those in favor of the park, but not in favor of
tax dollars being used to build the park were
adamant in their pleas, though. Lem Cochran of
Boiling Springs said that he was all for industry,
“but said, "If you were thinking about using tax
dollars, I'd be the first one to vote you down." He
also called the possibility of placing the new park
in the Bethware Community "political suicide."
"I'm not opposed to an industrial park, except
in one instance, my tax dollars," said J.B. Brackett
of Lawndale. Brackett said that he felt if they re-
ally wanted to, the people of Cleveland County
could make it on their own, like he did as young
man. "They just need to get out there and do it.
Why take my hard earned tax dollars," he asked.
KM Schools to allow
neighbors.
ids
The City of Kings Mountain
will save $367,000 as the result
of a refunding transaction with
the state following the sale of
$7.075 million in bonds.
State Treasurer Harlan E.
Boyles this week awarded the
bonds to First Union Capital
Markets Corporation and First
National Bank of Cleveland
County who submitted the
most favorable bid, resulting in
a true interest cost to the city of
4.9627 percent.
Ground broken
~ for Alexander
Business Park
Mayor Scott Neisler, City
Manager Jimmy Maney and
Cleveland Chamber official
Franklin Mabry welcomed
Alexander Business Park to
Kings Mountain Friday at
groundbreaking ceremonies at-
tended by a large crowd of local
business people and neighbors
of the proposed facility.
"Businesses like Alexander
Park will open up this business
corridor even more and revital-
ize downtown Kings
Mountain," the mayor said.
Ruby and Charles Alexander
plan to build a $600,000 two-
story facility that will house
four large office suites facing
East Gold Street and six small
offices with a reception area fac-
ing City Hall on Regal Drive.
Alexander Realty, Alexander-
Pace Tax and Accounting,
Creative Dimensions and Regal
Ventures Creative Ministries
will occupy the suites of offices
on the second floor.
Estimated completion date is
Spring 1997. J. W. McGinnis is
architect and T. G. Strickland is
general contractor. Both are of
Shelby.
Participating in the ground-
breaking were the Alexanders
two children: Rev. Reg
Alexander and his wife, Deco;
and Cindy Alexander Wood.
Reg Alexander gave the prayer
of dedication in which he
thanked God for the vision of
his parents in undertaking the
~project and for the people of
Kings Mountain who encour-
aged their vision for progress.
4 A homemaker, Mrs. Ledford relishes that role.
77 /| She said she worked briefly at the Cora Mill in
bonds will
City Manager Jimmy Maney
said the bonds will be general
obligations of the city, unlimit-
ed taxing power pledged, and
are being issued to achieve debt
service savings on two issues of
Kings Mountain outstanding
public utility bonds issued
September 1, 1989 and March 1,
1991 at net interest costs of
6.7149 percent and 6.5276 per-
cent, respectively. The proceeds
to be received from the sale of
the bonds will be applied to the
purchase of certain obligations
grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and two
great-great grandchildren.
See Ledford, 10- is
“save Kings Mountain $367,000
unconditionally guaranteed by
the United States of America.
Maney said interim finance
director Dan Stone will struc-
ture the obligations to be pur-
chased in order that such obli-
gations will bear interest and
mature at such times and in
such amounts so that sufficient
monies will be available to pay
when due all principal of and
interest and premium of the
bonds to be refunded. He said
the obligations will be held in
EDEORD
trust by an escrow agent bank
for the benefit of the owners of
the outstanding bonds.
Treasurer Boyles extended
congratulations to city officials
on the successful results of the
sale in a letter to Mayor Scott
Neisler and Maney.
Other bidders were Wachovia
Bank of North Carolina, 5.0352
percent, Interstate/ Johnson
Lane Corp 5.0699 percent; and
Legg Mason Wood Walker Inc.,
5.0850 percent.
student drug survey
Student View, a drug preven-
tion effectiveness survey, will be
offered to students in grades 6-
12 in November following ap-
proval by the Kings Mountain
Health Council and on Monday
night by the Kings Mountain
Board of Education.
Patsy Rountree, the system's
food service and health coordi-
nator, said several questions
sensi-
GROUNDBREAKING - Alexander Business Park held groundbreaking for a $600,000 facility
Friday. From left, Cindy Alexander Wood, Deco and Reg Alexander, Mayor Scott Neisler, Charles
and Ruby Alexander, City Manager Jimmy Maney and Cleveland Chamber official Franklin Mabry.
Kings Mountain People
Substance Abuse Task
had recommended to Kings
Mountain, Shelby and
Cleveland County Schools.
Rountree said parents can re-
view the survey at the middle
and high schools and that stu-
dents can be opted out of the
program by their parents.
"Answering questions on the
survey is voluntary and stu-
dents may choose not to answer
or skip any question that makes
them uncomfortable," Rountree
said.
"This is not a test and no stu-
dent's name will be on the sur-
vey and no one will know the
individual student's answers.
The answers will be counted
along with the answers of other
students to help us understand
more about the experience and
feelings of students in this age
group and we will appreciate
their honesty and helpfulness,"
she said.
Based on the results, drug
prevention programs in the
schools and community may be
restructured.
The survey will take about 20
minutes to complete and is pro-
duced by the Minnesota-based
Johnson Institute.
The $13,000 cost for adminis-
tration and data compilation
has been secured with a grant
from Carolinas Medical Center.
Confidentiality is assured
and letters gong out to parents
will say that the student's name
will not be on the survey and
no one will know a particular
student's answers. The school
Force
will only receive a report on
group results.
"The kind of data will help
determine if what we are doing
now is effective or should be
approached from a different di-
rection," Rountree said at last
month's board of education
meeting when the board tabled
the vote until after a review by
the Health Council.
The Cleveland: County
Here are some sample ques-
tions:
Do you like yourself: not at
all, hardly ever, sometimes,
most of the time, always.
Do you fit in well with most
other people your age? not at
all, hardly ever, sometimes,
most of the time, always.
Do you have trouble doing
things right? not at all, hardly
ever, sometimes, most of the
time, always
On how many occasions have
you had alcoholic beverages to
drink, beer, wine, wine cooler
or liquor? zero occasions, 1-2
occasions, 3-5 occasions, 6 to 9
occasions, 10 to 10 occasions; 20
or more occasions and during
the past 30 days?
Have you ever received med-
ical care from a doctor, clinic or
hospital after drinking alcohol
or using other drugs? no, once,
more than once
During the past 12 months
how many times have you driv-
en a car, truck, motorcycle or
other motor vehicle after drink- °°
ing alcohol or using other
drugs? never, once or twice, 3 to
5 times, 6 to 9 times, 10 times
ore more.
Have you had any of ‘the fol-
lowing drugs during the past 30
days? Do not count the drug if
it was prescribed by a doctor
and you took it according to the -
directions? barbiturates, tran-
quilizers, heroin or other nar-
cotics, steroids or anabolic
steroids, answer no or yes
Farming and carrying the mail kept Edwin Moore busy
J. Edwin Moore's mailman
job was almost letter-perfect.
For 47 years he was a tempo-
rary and/or substitute rural
mail carrier for the U. S. Postal
Service in Kings Mountain and
juggled that job with running a
dairy farm for 40 years and
farming cotton crops in the Oak
Grove Community.
Moore, 82, reminisced this
week about his postal service
which coincidentally is during
the 100-year anniversary of
Rural Free Delivery.
He has carried the mail over
muddy roads and snow long
before the roads were ever
paved in the rural section of the
community. His car had flat
tires, he ran out of gas one time
and in winter time the ruts on
the roads were so deep that it
was trouble with a capital T if
he met a car.
"Cars were hard to come by
back in 1943 and sometimes
when another postman broke
down on his route I had to go
get him," said Moore, who
bought his new '43 model from
W. Gurney Grantham at the old
Chevrolet Place with the down
payment of a country ham from
the Moore farm.
Moore covered 75 miles on
his route and usually for a
buck's worth of gasoline. Gas in
1943-44 went for 18-24 cents a
gallon. He delivered just about
everything from letters to mag-
azines to packages.
Normally Moore would be
singing along with the music on
his radio which he kept going
all the time. He dodged dogs
and once in a while there were
some perks though. He pulled
up to mailboxes on Route 1 and
Route 4 to find people wanting
to buy stamps who also offered
him cake and coffee.
Moore was hired by the late
W. E. Blakely in 1942 and in lat-
er years also worked for
Postmasters Charles Alexander,
Fred Weaver and Mike Howard.
A first class postage stamp
sold for 3 cents and postcards
were one cent each in 1942.
Moore reported to work at 7
a.m. and started putting up the
mail at the post office boxes
about 1 p.m. In 1971 his cotton
crop made 65 bales of cotton
and he was working at the post
office every day and working
until midnight on the farm at
home. ;
During 47 years on the road
he never had an accident and he
See Moore, 10-A
ud has pledged
3 Lg _