September 6, 2001
The Kings Mountain Herald
Page 3A
(Center
From Page 1A
with high columns and
entrance and covered brick
walkways, will draw a lot of
looks from passersby, it’s the
inside that will keep seniors
and other community members
coming back for years to come.
“The original design was sort
of a box design,” explained
Murphrey. “We kept talking to
the architect and looking at it,
and we added the walkways
and high columns and ceilings
for appearance. But we also
added a lot of new features
inside. The original design did-
n’t have all the openness. We
added a lot of new space such
as exercise rooms, and expand-
ed the eating area and kitchen.”
At the upcoming dedication,
Murphrey said citizens will be
invited to tour the facility.
These are some of the things
they'll see:
@ A spacious lobby, com-
plete with furniture. It will
include a gift shop on one side
where senior citizens can sell
their wares, and a receptionist
area on the other. As visitors
come through the front door
they will see a huge, 8-section
art piece with each section
depicting a scene from one
decade between the 1920s and
2000. For instance, the decade [0
of the 1930s will feature a like-
ness of baseball great Babe
Ruth. In one corner of the
lobby will be an 8-foot tall
sculpture donated by Gaston
County doctor Graham
Withers. It is an hour glass with
people inside.
@ An office wing, which is
not elaborate by any stretch of
the imagination, but will give
senior citizens easy access to
services offered by different
personnel. Those offices
include one for the transporta-
tion coordinator (Mattie
Scoggins), administrative assis-
tant (Sharon Eaker), program
coordinator (Carolyn Bell),
Aging Director (Thornburg),
and nutritionist and volunteer
social worker. Included in the
office wing is a small break
room, which staff has not had
in the current Senior Center, an
electronic room for corhputers, . : folks have already made dona-
fax machines, ete, ‘storage‘and tions of equipment, but more is
rest rodfis10 216d £1 10 visial beiivtyelcome. The room will actom-
@ An educational wing, modate small exercise classes,
where seniors will be able to but the larger ones such as aer-
take classes and enjoy leisure obics will be held in one of the
time all day long. The wing bigger rooms.
includes a spacious library, The ceramics shop was
which will be equipped with another add-on, and Thornburg
bookcases and tables and is said it could also attract new
wired for future internet con- participants to other programs.
nection. Thornburg said the For the past several years the
room can also be used for ceramics room has been a reno-
bridge and as a Board room. vated storage shed separate
“A lot of people are going to from the Depot Center. He said
give us books,” Thornburg _ many persons utilizing ceram-
noted, “and a lot of people that = “ics programs came just for that
have worked at libraries have . ‘vand not for other activities.
volunteered to help us set it “That's fine,” he said, “but
up.” : having the room here in the
The educational area also same building will give them
INCIUAES rest roovins, storage an opportunity to see some of
rooms, a nice craft room, exer- the other activities that they
cise room, ceramics shop, and a may want to get involved in.”
billiard and ping pong room ® A large 45 x 90 foot confer-
for the men. Some of those ence room is one area of the
rooms were added after the building that will probably be
original design. utilized by the community. It
“The craft room will be espe- has a dividing petition which
cially nice for quilting and . would allow activities in either
other activities,” Thornburg side at the same time.
said. “Quilters can actually “This room will be used for
leave their quilts set up. Now" the larger senior center activi-
they have to pack them up ties such as health fairs, semi-
every day and take them back nars and socials,” Thornburg
home with them. This way they * said. The room has a dance
can leave them here until floor, which Murphrey kidded
they're finished with them, and =~ may not be large enough for
then sell them in the gift shop.” the energetic seniors, and
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
Billy Lockridge of Pinnix Construction sands a column to prepare
it for painting at the new H. Lawrence Patrick Senior Life and
Conference Center. Workers are putting the finishing touches on
the building and will then begin paving and landscaping in prepara-
tion for an October opening.
Thornburg said donations of
billiard and ping pong tables
are needed for the men’s activi-
ty room.
“This should help attract
more male participants,” said
Thornburg. “They can come in
all day long if they want to.
Now we have to schedule
activities at different times
because of our limited space. If
they'd like they can come in
and stay all day and go from
one activity to another.”
The exercise room, once
equipped, will also be impres-
sive. Thornburg said some
there’s a pull-down screen in
the ceiling for movies and spe-
cial presentations.
Thornburg envisions the
room being rented by civic and
community groups for meet-
ings, seminars and special
activities. He said City Council
will adopt a fee schedule, with
one rate for non-profit groups
and another rate for profit
groups.
“Our original thought was to
use this room as a gym,” he |
said. “But we added a hall all
around the perimeter of the
building that can be used as a
walking area. We'll just have to
figure out-how many laps is a
mile. We've also discussed
using the hall as a gallery
where artists can hang their
paintings.”
@ A large kitchen/dining
area will provide comfortable
seating for 120 persons.
- Currently, Thornburg said, the
senior center averages about 40
to 50 persons a day for its lunch
program. An additional 40 per-
sons are served by Meals on
Wheels, a program now run by
the County Council on Aging
but which had its start in Kings
Mountain in the 1970s when.
the senior program was operat-
ed out of the community center.
“Currently, we have our
meals catered,” Thornburg
noted, “but eventually we will
probably cook them here. We
want to work toward having
our own kitchen staff.
Cleveland County has its own
staff of volunteers that come
every day to cook. We would
look at that, but we would also
look at hiring somebody
through a joint effort with
Isothermal.”
The dining room area was
also one of the areas that
changed from the original
design - partly to offer more
seating and partly to add win-
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dows so participants can see
\
outside.
Right off the dining room are
spacious men’s and women’s
rest rooms complete with baby
changing stations. Thornburg
said the seniors who have
already seen the building got a
big laugh out of that, but added
that they are required by State
building standards and will be
useful for other groups that use
the building.
Although the unfinished out-
side makes the building appear
far from ready for occupancy,
Thornburg says upon comple-
tion of the inside things will
come together quickly.
“We began grading in
January,” he noted. “Once the
metal work went up it went
pretty fast.”
Murphrey said the DOT
recently cooperated with the
city in cutting trees along the
Highway 74 ramp coming into
the city limits “because we
wanted to make sure people
can see it,” and he said once the
paving work is complete the
DOT will install traffic signal-
ization at the intersection of
East King and Canterbury. The
speed limit coming off the
ramp has also been reduced to
35 miles per hour.
Thornburg said the parking
lot will include 99 parking
spaces, including numerous
handicap spaces, and there are
drop-offs at every entrance for
the elderly who have to be
transported. There is also
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
; Randall Wright, left, and Brady Goforth of M&M Commercial
ingress and egress at the back Cleaning clean the windows at the dining room area of the new H.
of the property trom bast Kidge Lawrence Patrick Senior Lie and Conference Center on East King
Street. bid Street.
“We have:quite a few seniors
who are feeble or frail and they
have to be transported,”
Thornburg noted. “Coming in
for that meal every day is what
keeps them going. We have
some that are in the beginning
stages of Alzheimer’s and other
diseases, and we're also look-
ing forward to the Life
Enrichment Center coming to
Kings Mountain so those per-
sons will be able to take advan-
tage of adult day care.”
Murphrey said he is excited
to see the center nearing com-
pletion, and hopes it will result
in more people in the Kings
Mountain area taking advan-
tage of the services offered. |
Murphrey said the facility. »
and the programs, compared to’ f°
the Depot Center, will be as
“different as night and day.”
“This is something the peo-
MINK PRODUCTIONS
Presents
The Mink Band
1984 Beach Music Awards
“New Band of the Year”
Shelby Moose Lodge
Saturday, September 8, 2001
9pm until 1am
Public is Invited
..1.One of the most versatile dance bands in the Carolinas, members have
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various local bands in 48 states and 20 countries.
REP HN —
ple are going to be real proud : Ee et
of,” he said. “
BUILDING PERMITS |
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Published every Thursday
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Office issued the following per-
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Office: 824-1 East King Street ® Kings Mountain, NC 28086
E-mail: kmhnews@aol.com
8/27 - 617 Mauney Ave, Gary
Pos bn Nolen, remodel: Mike Blanton Publisher
ing, $3,000. : :
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Marry Jo Curry, garage, $10,000. Ben Ledbetter... iii crniiiairiistoriadaresrons Staff Writer
8/29- Riverside Court, iL Stacy Godfrey Kale..........coonnnivininisssinnsisns Advertising Manager
Bailding Produets, Tunumcne Shelley Campbell....ossivriisiismvioist Composition Manager
ing plant, $2,500,000.
8/31 - 315 Somerset Drive,
Ralph Whetstine, accessory
building, $2,000.
Mail Subscription Rates
Payable in Advance. All Prices include 6% NC State Sales Tax.
8/31 - 406 Hill Street, 1 Year 6 Months
Guillermo & Tammie Acuna, Gaston & Cleveland County $24.25 $15.75
addition to house, $8,000. Other NC Counties $25.50 $17.00
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ASSOCIATION i North Carolina Press Association
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
The Cleveland County Health Department
Announces the Opening of a New Health
Department Office in Kings Mountain
Monday-Friday
8:30am-4:30pm
(office will close 12:00 noon - 1pm)
Special Services Include:
(Call for an Appointment)
Family Planning Services ;
Cholesterol Screening Sexually Transmitted Disease
Pregnancy Tests Diagnosis and Treatment
Immunizations 1pm-4:30pm daily WIC (Women, Infant, and
Children) Nutrition Program
General Services Include:
Blood Pressure Checks
Diabetes Screening
Cleveland County Health Department
(Next to the new Senior Center and across from the Herald)
823 E. King Street
(704) 730-1371
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