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Vol. 110 No. 32
Spot
zoning
approved
The county board of commis-
sioners’ first meeting scheduled
outside of Shelby drew only a
handful of local people to City
Hall Tuesday night and of the
half dozen who were in atten-
dance only three remained for
the three hour meeting.
No one spoke during the
citizen portion which came at
the end of the meeting,
Major business centered
around the spot zoning of two
pieces of property in the Moss
Lake District.
Leonand and Lynn Toms,
who own .503 acres at 2305
Marlowe Avenue, petitioned the
board to rezone property from
restricted residential to residen-
tial to open a day care center.
Mr. Toms told the board that the
facility is much needed in the
area but I. G. Alexander, of
Elizabeth Road, and Ben Martin
Sr., of 2306 Mason St., said they
were not against the individu-
als but felt if the property was
rezoned it would “open a can of
worms” and create a problem
with others coming into the area
. with similar requests for busi-
nesses. Alexander also said he
thought the business in the
home would devalue the
property of neighbors.
Commissioner Ralph Gilbert,
Thursday, August 6, 1998
TT FATHER AND SON MOMENT
Dalton, left, and Taylor Cash take a three-mile jog around town every day - the
easy way. They are pushed by their father, Scott, who runs the entire route. The
three were caught taking a break and watching football practice at Kings Mountain
High School.
ELIA pe 5
i, 45 \
BN XAT dae
‘who spoke for the rezoning,
said a day care center was
“vastly different from a auto
repair garage.” Commissioner
Willie McIntosh also spoke in
favor of the project saying he
supported community develop-
ment.
Both Alexander and Martin
questioned why a mobile home
had been grandfathered in the
area.
“We're not asking them to
move the mobile home and I
have no problem with Mr. Toms
wanting to make money but if
this change comes this could set
a precedent,” said Martin.
Planning Director Bill
McCarter said the two pieces of
spot zoning had been ap-
proved by the planning board
because members felt they were
compatible with the county’s
land use plan.
Wallace Buckner, 1683
Pinedale Rd., Cherryville,
representing the owner Patricia
Sloan, asked for property one.
mile east of Moss Lake be
See ZONING page 3A
» Deaths page 2A
Dennis McDaniel,
Grover
Tommy Chappell,
Upland, CA
Mary Howell,
Kings Mountain
Zella Sweezy,
: Kings Mountain
Lydia Hampton,
Gaffney, SC
Barbara Leach,
Shelby
Jack Jenkins,
Kings Mountain
Maudie Segars,
alts
Amber
Playing with her frisky toy poodle ing with school officials to enroll Amber
gets to see
Kings Mountain, NC eSince 1889 «50¢
Franklin to build
$16 million plant
Franklin Industrial Minerals, one of
the largest producers of mica in the
world, will invest $16 million in a new
plant adjacent to its present site at
1469 S. Battleground Avenue.
County commissioners Tuesday
night in Kings Mountain set public
hearing for August 18 to consider the
implementation of the county’s
infrastructure policy for sewer exten-
sion to serve the facility.
The extension would serve Franklin
Minerals Inc. and other businesses on
NC Highway 216. The estimated costs
for construction is $400,000 and the
line would be in the jurisdiction of the
City of Kings Mountain. The county is
being asked to provide up to $320,000
of the project's construction cost.
Steve Nye, the county’s economic
development director, announced
plans for the new construction and
said that the USDA Business Enter-
prise Grant Program has notified the
city of Kings Mountain of the award-
ing of $75,000 from the agency and it
is anticipated that other grants are
forthcoming.
The county project would include
the installation of 6600 linear feet of
eight inch sewer line, 210 linear feet of
bore and jack in a 12-inch casting, 22
manholes and various driveway
modifications and erosion control
measures.
Nye said that city and county
officials have been meeting with the
plant officials and other businesses
along the stretch of Highway 216 on
plans for the extension.
Based on the first four tax bills, the
county could expect an estimated
$320,020 in property tax revenue.
Franklin Minerals is the former
Kings Mountain Mica Company and
would add five to 10 new employees
with the construction of the new plant,
according to Nye,
Glenn R. McCloskey, general man-
ager, said the cost of the new construc-
tion is estimated at $15 million with an
additional $1 million flotation plant
renovation already under construction
The present facility will be expanded
and modernized for increased capacity
and new capabilities. The operation
will continue to produce muscovite
mica, potassium feldspar, quartz sand
and kaolin clay products used in the
construction of automotive, paint,
plastics, ceramics, television, glass,
cosmetics, rubber and other industries.
McCloskey said the state-of-the art
facility will augment and replace
existing plants located both at this site
and others in the area. He said this
investment in technology will allow
the company to more efficiently
operate in the current highly competi-
tive industrial minerals market.
RAR BY
“I told them the system just isn’t
nw
ickey Mouse
Amber Whetstine, 5, looks like a typical
preschooler.
She runs and jumps on her trampo-
line, frolics with the white poodle,
Tosha, and eight-year-old sister, Kassy,
and likes to play dressup, sometimes
changing costumes four or five times a
day depending on her mood.
Those “good” days are making
memories for her parents, Cindy and
Mike Whetstine.
Amber is a two-vessel miracle baby
who requires a breathing machine at
times, has lost the use of her right eye,
and has been in and out of the hospital
all her life. Born with chronic lung
disease, her right lung is diseased, her
right side is shorter than her left but it
isn’t noticeable and her right thumb is
disfigured. She also has an acid reflex
disease and has been diagnosed with
“curvature of the spine.
“We consider ourselves lucky to have
this beautiful child,” said Mrs.
Whetstine, 30, who has devoted her life
to caring for her children and is work-
in the S.K.A.T.E.S. program again this
fall at Bethware School.
Amber, who is 11/2 years behind in
school due to health problems, can only
attend school four hours a day and even
then her mother has to be on call with
the breathing machine, inhalers and
medication
Cindy doesn’t know if Amber will be
permitted to enter a regular first grade
classroom next year. Cindy may have to
sit in the class with her daughter
because an on-site nurse is unavailable
but she’s willing to do that if it means
Amber can get an education.
Discouraged at times on “bad” days,
Mrs. Whetstine talked to the Governor’s
office last week about some financial
assistance for herself and other parents
faced with high medical bills for sick
children. Healthy herself expect for
high blood sugar at times, Mrs.
Whetstine could get a job but if she does
that the help from Medicare and disabil-
ity payments will stop and one prescrip-
tion for 14 days for Amber costs $549.
fair,” said Mrs. Whetstine whose
husband, Mike, 32, builds houses for
Whetstine and Sons.
“1 ask myself why sometimes and
then I say why not,” said Mrs.
Whetstine as she played with her two,
young daughters, helping Amber put
on her ballerina costume and watching
the two girls play with their dog. Kassy
Whetstine is a third grader at Bethware
School and is a healthy child who is a
cheerleader for the Optimist club youth
teams. Amber has enrolled in tap and
ballet classes with Susan Goodson.
Married for 13 years, the Whetstines
give their family top priority. Their
granddaughters are the apple of the
eyes of grandparents, Connie Hamm of
Kings Mountain and Dee Whetstine and
the late Charlie Whetstine and Arthur
and Sandra Sinclair of Chester, SC. The
great-grandmother is Betty Mobley of
Kings Mountain.
The family forgot about
pulmonologists and medicine and bills
See AMBER page 2A Amber Whetstine
School bells will ring Monday
morning for the fall term of school
for 4,400 district students and 600
faculty members.
“We're ready,” said Supt. Dr. Bob
McRae.
McRae said faculties are com-
Kings Mountain schools open Monday
are concerned and there are no
major changes in the curriculum,”
said McRae. He said a task force on
student behavior is in the works
since the board of education has
sent a strong message to parents
that misbehavior of children will
Blacksburg, SC
Charles H. Holden Jr.
Palm Beach, FL
Robert K. Early,
not be tolerated in the classroom.
“We've told the parents and the
students that the classroom is the
_ plete and the major change in staff
is the assignment of Lynda Stewart
to Grover School from Kings
Greensboro Mountain Middle where she will place to learn, not play,” said
- serve as assistant principal and the ~~ McRae.
» Inside promotion of Laura Dixon at Kings One change that will be welcome
for students and teachers is in the
computer areas with installation of
a new wide area network where all
schools will be hooked up to the 3
- Internet and have Email capability. - - .l
“We think the Email will cut
down on postage and telephone
See SCHOOLS page 8A
Mountain Middle School in an
assistant principalship. Steve Wells,
who has served as assistant princi-
pal at both Grover and Bethware
Elementary, will remainat~
Bethware in the full time position.
“We think we're pretty much on
the right track as far as academics
Business page 5-6B
Church News page 3-5B
Classifieds page 7-10B
Lifestyles page 1B
- Obituaries page 2A |
Opinion page 4A
Police Report page 6B ;
Sports page 6-8A |
No hls wpe A dao a
Channon Vogel, first year teacher in the first grade at North School, Pat Regan and Mark
Bryson, third grade teachers, decorate Vogel's classroom in preparation for school opening
Monday.
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
739-4781
re pei A Ag lB BHI I I al pe fg Se ES Sg
Gastonia
529 S. New Hope Rd.
865-1111
ST Lo
1238 E. Dixon Blvd
484-0222
propp
MEMBER FDIC