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CARL CHAMPION TO BE INDUCTED INTO KM HALL OF FAME 4A
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North Carolina Press Association 2 ay ES ate ANN
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Vol. 109 No. 14 Thursday,April 3, 1997 : h 1 oR ain, N.C. « 28086 « 50¢
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KM officials say this is not a 'wise' idea pur 80”
Gaston commissioner wants to abolisn ET jurisdiction
units can't participate in electing the decision
makers," Wise said.
But Killian says representatives of extra territo-
Commissioners will introduce a local bill for
Gaston County only. Kings Mountain is part of
Gaston County.
City officials are not happy about a piece of
legislation being proposed by former Bessemer
City Mayor Bill Wise that would abolish a city's
extra-territorial jurisdiction and restrict annexa-
tion.
The Gaston County commissioner has faxed a
copy of his proposed bill to Mayor Scott Neisler.
The Gaston County board conducted a first
reading of the proposed bill at last Thursday's
meeting and is expected to take a vote on it at the
April 10 meeting.
Wise says if his proposal is favorable to Gaston
County Commissioners and then it fails to be-
come state law that he hopes Gaston County
Holiday Inn Express
gets okay for tower
Holiday Inn Express got the
green light Tuesday morning
for its building plans for an esti-
mated $3 million dollar three
story 79-unit complex from the
Kings Mountain Board of
Adjustment.
The board approved a re-
quest from architect F. Thomas
Murphy for a hip roof to be
placed on a tower that will ex-
ceed the 50 feet minimum
height requirements in the city
building codes. Only the roof
part will exceed by eight feet
four inches the height require-
ments.
The rest of the structure com-
plies with the building codes,
according to Planning Director
Steve Killian and Building
Inspector Jeff Putnam.
Holiday Inn Express plans to
build on Highway 161 South
across from Falls Exxon in the
city's. one mile perimeter. No
13 An Ji LER +0
had been purc
velopers.
Putnam said the city ques-
of the building. He said the roof
line falls within the 50 feet re-
guirement but the elevation is
‘inh the tower portion of the roof.
= "It will look like a steeple or
tower at the top of the building
and protrudes higher than 50
feet,” he told members of the
board which included
Chairman Bob Myers, Herman
Greene, Lou Ballew, Bud
Ballard and Jim Belt. Member
Clayvon Kelly was absent due
to the death of his mother and
Roger Goforth was absent.
Myers said the 50 feet stipula-
tion applies only to buildings in
the general business district,
noting that Firestone's new
building on I-85 rises 120 feet
in height but is in an industrial
district.
Killian said that it's possible
that the Holiday Inn Express
and any other developments in
the area of 161 South could be
annexed by the city and the
zoning changed to industrial in
future years.
Builders of the new Holiday
Inn Express said in their appli-
cation for a variance that the
tower would enhance the visi-
bility of the new business.
construction projection has
hased by the de-
"This is a terrible idea for cities because it
would hamper everything you try to put in place
Steve Killian.
that promotes the best growth and development
possible,” said Kings Mountain Planning Director
Mayor Neisler agreed, saying that he is op-
posed to local initiatives on an issue which
should be statewide.
Retirement for Martha and
Tom Meacham is watching their
garden grow.
The Meacham yards at 803
Rhodes Avenue is picture per-
fect this spring with 190 pink,
white, and brilliant red azalea
bushes, colorful pansy beds,
thrift, roses, white dogwoods,
crab apple and irises in abun-
dance.
Tom, 79, gives all the credit
for the green thumb to his wife
of 22 years. Tom built the house
in 1958 and met Martha Hope, a
widow, seven years before they
decided to tie the knot in 1975.
Marriage the second time
around has been good for the
Meachams who have enjoyed
traveling with Willard's Tours,
gardening, and enjoying their
family.
"We met at an American
Legion dance and then never
missed a dance or bingo game
for years until Tom fell and
broke his hip in 1994," said Mrs.
Meacham. ;
Tom said The Kings
Mountain Herald he bought at
: green thumb is showing. Hundreds of flowering plants a
“I have a real problem that a county would try
to put restrictions on annexation,” he said. Neisler
says the present state law works well for all mu-
Wise's bill would abolish the extra territorial ju-
risdiction in all municipalities in counties that en-
force a county-wide zoning ordinance and other
land use regulations. Wise said he is proposing
the bill because of a growing controversy and
concern expressed by citizens opposed to land
use regulations imposed by local governments.
"There are valid arguments on both sides of the
issue both from a municipal standpoint for plan-
ning for future growth to the citizen standpoint
that citizens who are regulated by government
a vending machine turned out
to be expensive for him one
Wednesday evening about 9
M..
"I drove up to Harris-Teeter
to get a paper and just slipped
and the next thing I knew Chief
Bob Hayes was getting an am-
bulance to take me to the hospi-
tal," said Meacham.
The hip injury has curtailed
his dancing fun but hasn't
curbed his love for going to the
beach. But he says he has been
homebound due to the injury
and was in the hospital four
weeks and in rehabilitation an-
other four weeks before he
could return home.
"Martha wanted to work in
the yard this week or we'd
probably be at the beach," said
Tom.
Martha has always loved
flowers but found a perfect
place for her hobby in the large
back yard and front yard of
their home where she fertilizes
her plants with 10-10-10 in
February and then waters when
needed.
KINGS MOUNTAIN
EE XFS] EH NES] §
up.
NEW SIGN PROPOSED - The Kings Mountain Senior Center's plans for a new sign hit a snag
Tuesday morning when members of the Kings Mountain Board of Adjustment tabled until May ac-
tion on the request. Increased traffic at the site and poor visibility could keep the sign from going
Mrs. Meacham's
re in bloom this springtime season.
Oy Pelt ou Meachams have green thumbs
Tom admits that he is the
chief supervisor of the garden-
ing projects. Occasionally he
will drive to the store to get
something his wife needs for
the yard. He says he loves to
see the flowers bloom in the
spring and enjoys walking the
block and looking at the beauty
of springtime in the Linwood
section of the city.
Martha and Tom Meacham
became Mr. and Mrs. February
20, 1975 in a home wedding. A
Methodist minister from
Bessemer City heard the ex-
change of vows but didn't ar-
rive for the ceremony until
about 9 p.m. so the couple
postponed their honeymoon
until the next day when they
headed for the beach. Tom has
two sons and a grandson by a
former marriage, Harold and
Leland Meacham, and Martha
has a daughter, Dottie White
and a son, Dennis Hope, four
grandchildren and three great-
grandchildren. Martha is a
See Meacham, 3A
only.
rial areas sit on all boards, noting that Gaston
County has representatives on both the city plan-
ning board and the board of adjustments.
A second bill that Wise wants Gaston County
to introduce would require unanimous city coun-
cil action to approve any annexation. Neisler
says the present state statutes do not require
unanimous action of a governing body.
Wise says if either of the two bills fail to pass in
the General Assembly he'd like to see Gaston
County introduce a local bill for Gaston County
Public hearing set
on school budget
Public hearing by the Kings
Mountain Board of Education
on the proposed $4.4 million
current expense budget for
1997-98 will feature Monday's 7
p-m. meeting at Central School.
The budget calls for a one
cent supplemental tax hike -
from 18 cents to 19 cents per
$100 valuation - if approved as
expected by the Cleveland
County Board of
Commissioners.
The tax hike would help im-
piement a non-certified salary
schedule estimated to cost
$200,000. The increased taxes
would bring in approximately
$90,000.
The budget also calls for an
increase of 8.8 percent - or $2.1
million- from county appropria-
er this month.
The proposed budget also
provides for employment of a
system-wide technology assis-
tant at cost of $25,000 and no
new teaching positions. The
budget would provide for cus-
todial uniforms, a $2 per child
increase for instructional sup-
plies, and $36,000 for a limited
English program, a non-funded
federal mandate that requires
school systems to make the pri-
mary language available to ev-
ery student. The system will al-
so fund from local funds the
salary of a school resource offi-
cer who had been paid for two
years through a grant that pro-
vided 75 percent of his salary.
The proposed budget also
provides for matching benefits
if the General Assembly ap-
proves a proposed 8 percent
hike in pay for the certified staff
next year.
Anticipated revenues in the
budget include $5,000 from the
the ABC Board; $1.690 million
from the supplemental tax;
$100,000 from local government
sales tax; $2.1 million from
county appropriations; $80,634
from inventory tax; $134,085
from Gaston County tax;
$14,000 from tuition; $120,000
See Hearing, 3A
- fscience, an
Graduation policy
adds more credits
New graduation require-
ments under consideration by
the school board include mini-
mum requirements set by the
state and an additional level of |
diploma.
The new policy would re-
quire a student to complete 27
units of study to graduate from
the Class of '99 and thereafter at
Kings Mountain High School.
The Kings Mountain Board of
Education will hear a first read-
ing of the policy at Monday's 7
p-m. meeting at Central School.
The policy stipulates that a
graduating senior in1999 and
thereafter 1d complete fi
» social studies, one
unit of PE/Health, one unit of
PE or three years of marching
band, and 11 electives.
In addition to the required
units, a student must make a
passing score or be exempt
(students who are exempt re-
ceive a certificate) from the
North Carolina Competency
Test in math, reading and writ-
ing. Beginning with the Class
of 1998 students must pass the
new North Carolina
Competency test in reading and
math.
Seniors in the Class of 1998
would complete 24 units, four
of English, three, each of math,
science and social studies, one
each of PE/Health and PE or
three years of marching band
and nine electives.
The policy stipulates that be-
ginning with the Class of '99 a
student must complete his or
her maximum potential credits
minus five units in order to
graduate from Kings Mountain
High School. Maximum poten-
tial credit is defined as the indi-
viduals’ opportunity to earn all
high school credits available
within each academic year.
Maximum credits available for
the Class of 98 total 30 while
maximum credits available in
See Graduation, 3A
Sign project hits roadblock
"You'll get someone killed,"
warned Sgt. Bob Myers Tuesday
morning about a proposed new
sign the Kings Mountain Aging
Department wants up at the
city-owned Senior Center on
North Piedmont Avenue.
Myers, chairman of the city's
Board of Adjustment meeting at
City Hall, said one pedestrian
was killed crossing the street
from the busy Center some
years ago and that an eight foot
sign would block visibility.
"North Battleground is a
straight shot to King Street and |
a sign would be hazardous to
people entering traffic at the
south side of the building be-
cause they would be unable to
see oncoming traffic," he said.
Myers said although the
Police Department is cracking
down on speeders, that truck
traffic is extremely high in the
area and speeding at that inter-
section directly across from the
Center remains a problem.
The five members of the
board tabled the matter until
the May meeting to get more in-
put on traffic concerns.
City Building Inspector Jeff
Putnam agreed with Myers that
a primary concern in placement
of a new sign is poor visibility
of drivers,
Aging Director Monty
Thornburg said a problem is
that visitors to the Center use
the entrance at the traffic light
on Piedmont to also exit the
parking area.
"If everyone would observe
the speed limit and use the en-
trance at the light only for en-
trance that would take the haz-
ard concern out of it," said
Myers. "But getting them to do
that is another thing."
Jim Belt suggested that if the
city removes one cross tie from
a flower bed and redraws the
sign design that the sign could
be put up in conformance with
the sign requirements.
Closing the entrance on the
south side of the Depot Center
to make entrance only on the
east side with the exit from the
parking lot at the south of the
building past the red caboose
was also an idea expressed by
.members of the board of adjust-
ments. :
But Myers said motorists in-
cur a large drainage ditch at the
south end of the lot and that
even exiting at the correct place
causes traffic problems.
"If we can prevent accidents,
that's what we need to do," the
KMPD officer said.
Herman Greene agreed that
with the trees on the lot in front
of the Senior Center there is
poor visibility but Thornburg
said the city wants to put the
sign inside the present flower
bed at the front of the building.
Putnam said the sign must be
placed no closer than five feet
See Sign, 3A