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Thursday, February 28, 2002 Vol. 114 No. 9 Since 1889 50 Cents
C gotiating coming to KM
By BEN LEDBETTER There's a lot of interest in that build- ployment rate of 12.5 percent. incentives that could lower the cost of announcement is expected in approxi-
Staff Writer ing,” Killian said. “We've had a lot of The city will also be losing 400 jobs starting the plant. mately two weeks.
people come to Kings Mountain just to as Anvil Knitwear moves those posi- Blachford would buy or lease the Calls to Blachford’s Chicago office
One building has been the topic of look at that building.” ; tions to a plant near Asheville. 100,000-square-foot building and start ~~ were not returned by press time for
conversation in Kings Mountain with Killian said one advantage cited by Out of the nearly eight visitors to production this year, if an agreement The Herald.
several companies possibly interested people who visit is the ability to have look at one of the former Dana could be reached, according to The Blachford is a privately held unit of
in locating here.. ; all utilities come from the city. : Buildings, one source said Blachford Business Journal. The Kings Mountain = Blachford Enterprises Inc. The compa-
Kings Mountain Planning Director Although further details of negotia- Corp. of Frankfort, IL has been negoti- hg 1 imately 250 k
ny : . : : ik : ; ; : plant would produce sound-inhibiting ~~ y €Mploys approximately WOrkKers
Steve Killian said seven to eight tions are not known, other city officials ating with Kings Mountain and . : > tf facturing North Ameri
’ : ; : oh materials used in automobiles and at four manifaciurmgiNozth American
prospective companies have looked at have said that a company which could Cleveland County officials. : manufacturing plants.
one of the Dana Buildings near be the city’s largest electrical and gas The Business Journal of Charlotte machinery. : : Other Blachford plants make libri
Interstate 85 on the 700 block of customer is looking at Kings Mountain. said in its Feb. 22 edition that company Kings Mountain Mayor Rick ta for vai bP d dered
Broadview Drive. It would also bring 35 to 100 jobs to officials have been talking with city Murphrey told The Herald in its Feb. o : g i i) bi an 2 ne
“People really like the location. Cleveland County, which has an unem- and county officials to try and obtain 21 edition that the city is negotiating metals, and additives for plastic and
with a prospective employer and an rubber
Council
8 tables
apartment
Tim Moore files
for State House
By BEN LEDBETTER ney, filed to run for a seat on the
re ue St Staff Writer NC Court of Appeals.
q And while his filing was done
: One seat in the General on Monday, Moore said his
By BEN LEDBETTER Assembly will now be contest- campaign has already started.
Staff Writer ed. “I have a good group of sup-
After previ-
ously saying he
would run for
a state judge-
porters,” he said. “In fact, we
have a lot of Democratic sup-
porters. Frankly, a lot more than
I thought I might have so I feel
Action on an apartment com-
plex for the Kings Mountain
Boulevard area was tabled dur-
ing Tuesday's city council meet- ship Kings really comfortable about the
ing. ountain resi- race.
Be matter was tabled until dent Tim One reason Moore said he
Moore filed for entered the race is because he
state House . believed Cleveland County
District 102 needs someone to look after the
seat which is area.
the next council meeting,
March 26.
Council would have to grant
RE on currently held MOORE “Cleveland County needs
allow for the development of 56 by Democrat Andy Dedmon. somebody who's going to look
apartments. According to the Cleveland out for Cleveland County,” he
The matter was continued at County Board of Elections on said.
the last Planning and Zoning Tuesday, Moore is the only new- Some of the things Moore
Board meeting. 2 comer in the state house cam- menyoned showy Pedmen s
i ’ : : aigns. record included the states new
Basan gonstruction Wes BEN LEDBETIER / YHE HERALD P Ho said state and local districts and his vote for a tax
develop, build and manage the Jay Rhodes, left and Carl Spangler chat during the Life Enrichment Center’s Kings Mountain cam- Republi ¢ b :
publican party members increase.
apartments. Currently, the com-. . paign kickoff sunaay at the Patrick Comer, asked him to enter the race. “So the folks from Cleveland
pany manages 150 complexes . . o “ Pending another outcome County need somebody who's
containing 9,000 units. from the courts, the current dis- oing to keep their word, some-
Rents for the apartments are Fund drive begins for hod 2 million trict 102 is entirely in Cleveland Ra rs to fight for
expected to be from $400 to n z a 4 County. lower taxes, and somebody who
$600 a month, mainly through a h t C t KM ; “I was approached by a num- is actually going to look out for
state tax credit program. Life Enric 1mceIl C11 Cr 111 ber of Tol vs run. tn it this as of their own
David Beam, with MPB Inc., a lot of thought,” Moore said. political interests.”
who applied for the rezonin 5 er Cr os “I've decided the best way that Dedmon, the majority whip,
a the Kings 2 By BEN L EDEETIER Gorin eonier n Sih Mountain,” LEC official I can help this county is run- said having a race for his seat in
i i Staff Writer zy ennedy. said. 4 ning for this instead of the the General Assembly is noth-
Mountain community has The new facility is expected to cost about $2 si hd 3 iy
become more attractive. He also With its current facility on Fallston Road in million. hd J sly Mote. ain ations 8 Ae Moore. 5A
owns the property. Shelby above capacity, the Life Enrichment Center She said the new facility in the lower part of
“The community is a very of Cleveland County kicked off its campaign Cleveland County will give extra space to those
attractive community with fam- Sunday at the Patrick Center for its new Kings in other sections. STARR OF THE SHOW
ily oriented activities that has Mountain facility. “Really, everybody in Cleveland County will -
become more attractive with The new facility, which will be built on Kings benefit,” she said.
the addition of the senior cen- Mountain Boulevard near the new Kings The facility will be the first adult day care in
ter, the YMCA, the playground, ' Mountain Intermediate School, will be twice as Kings Mountain.
and all of the sports activities big as the 6,000 square foot facility in Shelby. Additional space won't be the only thing the
that the city and other city The current Shelby facility was built in 1995. Kings Mountain LEC building will have.
groups provide,” he said. Currently, the Life Enrichment Center building Temporary overnight respite care will also be
* The complex would also on Fallston Road already has about 20 individuals available at the facility.
have a bike path, a clubhouse, who come from Kings Mountain, Grover, and When people that care for someone go away for
and a playground. parts of Gaston County. a vacation, they may take them to the LEC.
If the complex gets approval The new Kings Mountain LEC will provide the Ernest Rome, who is on the LEC’s Kings
for the state tax credit, con- same services as the Shelby center, which include =~ Mountain/Grover Advisory Board, said he did
struction could start as early as safety, health and personal care, and activities for not know what to expect when he made his first
next year, according to John its participants. visit to the LEC.
Eagan of Eagan Construction. Painting, cooking, music, and physical therapy People were putting aside differences and bar-
Two drainage matters are several of the activities offered. LEC staff also riers to help each other out, he said.
received different treatment as create an individualized care plan for each partici- “If we could lead our lives by that example,
pant. we'd all be ahead of the game,” Rome said.
See Council, 5A “We'll hope by next spring, we'll have a won- See LEC, 5A
By BEN LEDBETTER : enues are slightly above expenditures customers.
Staff Writer through January. The new city electrical business cus-
City Manager Jimmy Maney said the city tomers include Yamato’s Express, Kings
Despite the money crunch coming from stands to lose $574,344 from the state during Mountain Little Theater, and East Gold
the state, Kings Mountain remains in good the upcoming financial year, and most of Street Wesleyan Family Life Center.
financial shape. those funds would be $410,000 in utilities Maney said new lights and wiring are
That was the word from city officials dur- taxes. expected at the Cleveland Ave. Walking
ing the second budget workshop at the “This is money people in Kings Mountain ~~ Track.
Patrick Center last Thursday. spent when they bought the product,” While the city has gained new electrical
According to figures presented during Maney said. customers, it also has a new peak genera-
Thursday’s meeting, Kings Mountain owes He compared the state withholding funds tion facility on York Road. ;
approximately $1.5 million plus it is still to the president calling and asking for And with that new facility, Maney said
paying off two bonds. income tax refunds. the city has a nearly flawless record antici-
The city’s total debts for its water /sewer As with the previous session, Maney kept ~~ pating peaks.
and electric bonds is at $6,224,792.50 and the focus of Thursday's meeting to several “We have the best track record of peak
finance director Lori Hall said that figure is ~~ departments, detailing points about the generation in the state,” he said.
expected to go down in March. electric, gas, oy finance a Money id the city has missed one peak
And while the city will be coping with New accomplishments this year in the since 2
the loss of Anvil’s nt and money that electrical department include street lights in Dots Starr shows. oF hie Arison EN EDBEIIER 4 Jug HERALD
could be held back from the state, its rev- all annexed areas and several new business See City, 5A
Elementary’s annual Black History Month assembly Friday.
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