Thursday, June 3, 1999
111 Nog 0%
. CLAY PHILLIPS
KM resident to play
baseball at Wofford
Clay Phillips, who helped
pitch Gaston Christian School
to the state independent
schools’ championship, has
earned the Jerry Richardson
Family Scholarship and will
play baseball at Wofford
College. 5A
Stanford Testing helps
students improve SAT
The Stanford Testing System
is being used successfully at
Kings Mountain High Schools
as students using it have sub-
stantially improved their SAT
scores. 2A
over 100 KM students: :
named scholar athletes
Over 100 Kings Mountain
High School student athletes
were recently named Coca-Cola
Scholar Athletes by the North
Carolina High School Athletic
Association. 1B
North Elementary has
awards day program
North Elementary School
honored a number of students
at its annual awards day cere-
mony at the close of the school
year. 1B
Grover’s FY budget
will be about the same
Grover’s 1999-2000 fiscal year
budget will be essentially the
same as this year’s. 2A
Summer Reading kicks
off at Mauney Library
The annual Summer Reading
Program got under way Friday
at Mauney Memorial Library
with over 150 kids enjoying a
magic and puppet show. 2A
Arthur Carrigan, 84
Kings Mountain
Howard Allen, 87
Kings Mountain
Leona Wells, 88
Kings Mountain
Birthdays 2A
Business 7A
Churches 6A
Classified 6B
Obituaries 2A
Opinion 4A
Police 4B
Since 1889
50 Cents
Splash into summer
Swimming pool opens
at Kings Mountain
Parks & Recreati~
pve 3308¢
awa
Jo not
AGC or
50 4% Laue b
Here we grow again!
Overgrown lots eyesore, haven for rats and mosquitoes
Here we grow again!
The City of Kings
Mountain is fielding
complaints from res- .
idents about high
weeds growing in
vacant lots and
around dilapidated
buildings; and its
doing something
about them.
Thanks to a recent
update of its ordi-
nances, the city can
now take a quicker
step to get lots
cleared.
Scott Layton,
Zoning Enforcement : ©
Officer, said he has
issued numerous ci-
tations to property
owners, and some
VIOLATION
Vacant lot in
violation
of weed ordi-
nance
have already complied and had the lots cleared.
In the past, City Manager Jimmy Maney indi-
cated, city codes may have been too easy on prop-
erty owners. When lots weren't cleared, the city
simply cleared them and charged the property
owner $50.
Now, Layton said, when a complaint is re-
ceived the city tries to notify the owner and have
him cut the weeds. If that doesn’t work, a formal
letter which includes a $25 citation is issued, and
a violation poster is placed on the property. The
property owner has seven days to cut the grass.
There is a $25 fine for each day the property is not
cleared. After seven days, the city hires a contrac-
tor to mow the property and bills the property
owner for the seven days of fines ($175) plus
whatever the contractor charges for clearing the
lot.
Layton said many citations are the result of
complaints, and many are the result of city offi-
cials seeing high weeds on their rounds.
See Weeds, 3A
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
area."
The sound of hammers and saws is becoming a
familiar one in and around Kings Mountain.
From new homes to new warehouses, construc-
tion of all types in the area is booming.
"Since January of this year we've had $6.5 mil-
lion dollars in permits issued for construction
_ work in the Kings Mountain jurisdiction," said
City of Kings Mountain director of planning and
economic development Steve Killian. "There's
something being built or added on to in every
Just a few of the major projects that are now
underway in and around Kings Mountain are the
new Eckerd Drugs at the corner of King Street
on
City Manager Jimmy Maney points to one of numerous pot
holes in road near KM Plaza Shopping Center that have
prompted complaints from citizens
Building Boom!
$6.5 million in new construction going on in KM
graphical location for logistical purposes.
~ "The I-85 corridor near Kings Mountain will be
the one of the next places to see widespread con-
development.”
struction," said Killian. 'There's just too much raw
land along it to not be developed. Kings
Mountain already has the water, sewer, and gas
infrastructure on much of this property to spur
Another factor affecting growth in the Kings
* Mountain area is the soon to be completed
widening project of I-85 to six lanes from
Gastonia. Killian also says keep an eye on the
Dixon School Road area.
"The city has asked the General Assembly to
grant us an additional two miles of extra-territori-
al jurisdiction so that we can begin planning ex-
tensions of utility infrastructure,” said Killian.
ALAN HODGE/THE HERALD
The new Eckerds in Kings Mountain should be finished by late
summer. Placing conduit for electrical wiring at the job site are
(front) Steve Braswell, ard rear, Shelby Stover (left) and super-
visor Dan Donaldson.
and Highway 161, the Holiday Inn Express at I-85
and Highway 161, the new Kings Mountain po-
lice headquarters, and the addition to Mauney
Memorial Library.
"We have a healthy mix of residential, commer-
cial, and industrial construction going on right
now," Killian said. "Kings Mountain is much
more than a bedroom community. The increases
‘in commercial and industrial construction means
that more companies will come to this area look-
ing for workers."
Part of the reason that Kings Mountain is en-
joying a building boom is its location halfway be-
tween Charlotte and Spartanburg. Many firms
feel they can locate in the area and avoid paying
Charlotte wages while still retaining a good geo-
"We need to plan ahead for future annexation and
the building that will come with it."
Besides commercial growth, home construction
is heading upward around Kings Mountain. The
Mountain Manor subdivision is in the process of
adding 35 new homes with prices ranging from
$90,000 to $150,000. Sale of lots is also on the rise.
Again, the strategic Kings Mountain location of
being close, but not too close, to major metropoli-
tan areas is affecting this segment of construction.
Construction work in and around Kings
Mountain won't slacken for quite a while. In fact,
there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. While
the muddy roads and other traffic disruptions can
be aggravating, it pays to look at the long run of a
city where prosperity is part of the future.
Nothing like an old-fashioned reunion
IRR
annual
Staff Writer
Kings
nual’
resid
BY ALAN HODGE
The heavenly aroma of
grilling hot dogs and hamburg-
ers filled the air at EdenGardens
assisted living community in
Mountain Thursday as
the facility held its second an-
ay cookout. Over 200
ts, family members, and
gues@ibathered on the
Eden@ardens lawn to enjoy
food, ¥sllowship, and music in
the ste of Memorial Day pic-
nics from days gone by.
"The;EdenGardens cookouts
Food, music, dancing highlight
event at EdenGardens
rushed around to make sure ev-
erything for the cookout was
just perfect, maintenance super-
visor Tony "Mr. Fixit" Yelton
manned the grill. In addition to
the mounds of hamburgers and
hot dogs that Yelton grilled, the
families of EdenGardens resi-
dents brought dozens of home-
made cakes, pies, and other
desserts.
"The cookout is always
great," said Jack Moss as he
chatted with his mother and
EdenGardens resident Pearl
Horne. "We think of it like a
family reunion."
ALAN HODGE/THE HERALD
Over 200 friends and family gathered Thursday at EdenGardens for the assisted living facility's
big cookout and picnic. Enjoying a grilled burger outside was, left to fight; will Denton, Garrison
Goforth, Mae Sue McGill, Susan Goforth, and Rachel Goforth.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
i elelna 2 45] 7 7%)
Kings Mountain
SP NIp
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are very festive and very family
oriented," said Sarah Parker,
whose‘mother Mrs. Suzy
Davidson is an EdenGardens
resident. "Everyone who comes
to the cookout pitches in and
helps just like one big family."
While EdenGardens market-
ing director Denise Leonard
Hope Rd HOLE
Entertainment at the cookout
was provided by the
Wagoenwheelers square dance
troupe from Shelby. Dressed in
colorful western costumes, the
Wagonwheelers had everyone
at the cookout clapping their
See Seniors, 3A
Shelby
AY ATTICS TRI
S. Latayette St.
184-6200
Member FDIC
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