The Heral
Since 1889
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Vol. 114 No. 8
a
| KINGS MOUNTAIN
50 Cents
Two KM
men die
in wreck
Two Kings Mountain men
died Tuesday afternoon when
their pickup truck crashed and
burned on Lake Montonia
Road.
Calvin Junior Parker, 48, of
123 Hillway Drive, and his
brother-in-law, Berry Bristol, 46,
of #2 Hillway Drive, were both
trapped in the vehicle and were
dead when Kings Mountain
firemen extinguished the blaze.
Captain Derek Johnson of the
Kings Mountain Police
Department said the cause of
the accident remains under
investigation. Autopsies were
supposed to be performed on
the bodies Wednesday in
Chapel Hill, and Johnson said
he hopes within a few days to
determine the official cause of
the wreck. :
Parker's father, John, had
died of natural causes earlier
Tuesday. One published report
said the men were on their way
to make funeral arrangements
for Mr. Parker when the acci-
dent occurred.
According to Kings
Mountain Police, the pickup
was on its side and fire was
coming from the engine com-
partment and inside the pas-
senger area when their
responding officers arrived at
the scene.
The truck was traveling west
on Lake Montonia Road and
crashed at the intersection of
Hillway Drive at approximately
12:48 p.m. The truck reportedly
struck some small shrubs and 'a Ao
tree in the front yard of a home," [i
and then flipped on its left side.
A motorist who came upon the
scene shortly after the accident
attempted to extinguish the fire
with a fire extinguisher, but
was unsuccessful, police said.
According to a Shelby news-
paper, Cleveland County
Coroner Ralph Mitchem said
the accident may have been
caused by carbon monoxide
leaking into the truck.
2002 Relay for Life kicks off
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain's 2002 Joseph R. Smith
Relay For Life started its annual event with
a kickoff meeting Monday at the Patrick
Center. :
And like the relay, its kickoff meeting has
grown as well, according to one resident.
“This room is full of people,” Master of
Ceremony for the 2002 Relay Mike Neely
said.
He talked about the first relay five years
ago when eight people were at the kickoff.
The money given each year to the Kings
Mountain Relay has also grown, as it raised
$71,665 last year. That is an increase from
it’s first year total of $25,000.
Along with Shelby’s 2001 total of
$273,000, Cleveland County raised approxi-
mately $340,000, ranking it seventh in per
capita giving, American Cancer Society rep-
resentative Andrea Whitesides said.
Growth also ushers a need for organiza-
tion as several committees are part of the
relay.
Those committees various parts of the
relay including corporate sponsorship, can-
cer survivors, and on site activities.
Relay organizer Joyce Roark said all the
committees are looking for participants.
Another part of the relay is cancer sur-
vivors. They lead the first lap of the 24-hour
event.
One Kings Mountain breast cancer sur-
vivor, Diana Thomas, who is the Kings
Mountain District Schools Nurse, told the
story of her battle with the disease.
See Relay, 5A
Zachary Saldo, dressed up like Abraham Lincoln, pledges allegiance the the U.S. flag during
special Presidents Day celebration Monday at Grover School.
Pg
eA
Kings Mountain Relay for Life organizer
Betty Mitchell reads a poem patterned
after the Dr. Suess poem “Green Eggs and
Ham” as the “Cat in the Hat” acts out
hand motions..
Law will require more education for teacher assistants
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
A new federal law will require teachers
assistants to go back to school but how it
will effect Kings Mountain District Schools
is not clear, according to school officials.
The Leave No Child Behind Act, which
started on Jan. 8, is one of the most drastic
pieces of education legislation since Lyndon
Johnson's presidency, Kings Mountain
Superintendent Dr. Larry Allen said.
The law would require teachers assistants
to have two years of college or obtain their
associate's degree. Another possibility
would be to pass a proficiency test.
However, it is unclear on whether the test
would be given by local, state, or federal
officials.
The program will affect teachers assis-
tants in federal programs, and one of those
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Cetetrating 128 Years
prevalent in Kings Mountain is the Title I
Reading Program.
East Elementary School, which has over
60 percent of its students on free and
reduced lunch, is the only total Title I school
in Kings Mountain.
The new law could also increase the num-
ber of Title I schools by decreasing the num-
ber from 60 to 40 percent of students on free
and reduced lunch.
Total Title I schools have more flexibility
to spend money from the federal program
than other schools that are not school-wide
Title I.
Since East is the only total Title I school,
all teachers assistants would have to qualify
by either attending two years of college or
obtaining an associates degree. Another
possibility would be to have a satisfactory
score on a proficiency test.
Kings Mountain District Schools officials
704-739-4782
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
said they are awaiting word from the state
on how the new law will affect the district.
Assistant Superintendent for Personnel
Ronnie Wilson said 75 to 80 teachers assis-
tants in the school system could be affected
by the federal legislation. He said the
district is expected to take further action
once the state makes guidelines concerning
the new law.
The school system has 16 teachers assis-
tants that are paid out of Title I money and
Wilson said about half of those could meet
the requirements now.
Allen said if East chose not to stay a
school-wide Title I school, all teachers assis-
tants would not be forced to qualify.
While there are several unanswered ques-
tions on the state and local levels, Allen said
the new law would be beneficial to the
school system.
See Teacher, 5A
Gastonia
529 New Hope Road
704-865-1233
106 S. Lafayette St.
704-484-6200
Sara Lee
0 expand,
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
While the plant will be
expanding its jobs, it will also
be expanding one of its facili-
ties.
Sara Lee Intimate Apparel,
which operates two plants in
Kings Mountain, will expand
their plant by 250,000 square
feet in the Cleveland County
Industrial Park, 219 Commerce
Blvd.
Cleveland County
Commissioners approved the
expansion during its meeting
Tuesday in Shelby.
With the approval from the
county, the company will move
dirt from adjacent land, giving
it the soil it needs for construc-
tion. Sara Lee will also help the
county develop the site where
they borrowed the dirt.
The company is able to use
up to 150,000 cubic yards of
dirt, with and estimated value
of $1 per cubic yard.
The expansion will bring an
estimated 140 jobs to the county.
One company official said
construction should begin soon.
“Werexpect to break ground
as soon as we receive the requi-
site permits, sometime between
mid to late February,” Sara Lee
Vice President Cecil Moore said.
Choate Construction of
Charlotte has been chosen as
the general contractor for the
project, which company officials
said is expected to cost $8.3 mil-
lion.
add jobs
Sara Lee opened its Cleveland
County facility in January 2000
to service several of its brands
and private label customers.
Along with the Canterbury
Road center in Gaston County,
the two facilities encompass
590,000 square feet and employ
800 people.
Sara Lee’s total investment in
the county is expected to be $3.5
million.
Commissioner Mary Accor
said the expansion would bring
much needed jobs to a city
which will be losing one of its
biggest water customers.
“It’s going to provide more
employment for a community
that’s facing an economic down-
fall,” Accor said. “This is a posi-
tive in a pool of negatives.”
Commissioners Chairman
Willie McIntosh was also com-
plimentary of the expansion
plans.
“It’s a win-win proposition
for all of us,” he said.
Jobs will be the subject of a
. Thursday conference, when
Commissioner and textile exec-
utive Charlie Harry is expected
to participate in a conference
with several textile businessmen
and federal officials at Maiden’s
Carolina Mills.
The Unifour area near
Hickory has also experienced a
negative impact from a textile
slowdown.
Harry said he received an
invitation from Rep. Cass
See Sara Lee, 5A
City budget workshop
tonight at Patrick Center
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Today's Kings Mountain City
Council Budget Workshop at
the Patrick Center at 5:30 p.m.
will review several items that
could have an impact on next
year’s city budget.
According to City Manager
Jimmy Maney, city council is
expected to take another look at
the financial overview, review
Governor Easley’s budget cuts,
and report any new information
concerning the Crowders Creek
negotiations with Gastonia.
A review of the city’s gas and
electric funds are also scheduled
to be on Thursday's agenda.
During the last work session
earlier this month, city engineer
Al Moretz talked about the cur-
rent state of the water and
sewer fund.
Water projects have been a
top spending item as about $3
million have been spent on
them in the past two to three
years. Some of the projects were
mandated by the state.
While spending reductions
See Workshop, 5A
BEN LEDBETTER / THE HERALD
Title | Coordinator for East Elementary School Ada Bridges listens
as Hannah Martin reads.
Shelby
Bessemer City
1225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906
Member FDIC