Thursday, April 11, 2002
raises
zoning
issue
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Representatives from
Ebenezer Baptist Church
expressed concerns about a
possibly illegal horse barn
which has been built near the
church during Tuesday's Kings
Mountain Planning and Zoning
Board meeting.
Ebenezer Associate pastor
Calvin C. Miller presented a let-
ter expressing the church’s and
community's disagreement
with the barn stating that it’s
offensive to church activities.
“We are very much dis-
pleased with this barn in a
‘R10’ zoning district within a
few yards of the from the
church door,” the letter said.
“We consider this an affront to
a public place of worship for
more than one hundred and
twenty years.”
The barn in question is
owned by Dennis Putnam who
lives on County Line Road,
near, Cherryville.
Previously Cleveland County
issued permits for building the
barn, then sent a letter to
Putnam dated February 26
revoking the permits.
In’ the letter signed by
Cleveland County Codes’ oe ;
Administrator Paul Ezell, it
said the property is located
within Kings Mountain's juris-
diction.
Board members and city
planning staff said the city has
not received any application
from Putnam.
“The barn looks to me like
it’s complete,” Planning and
Zoning Board Chairman Jim
See Zoning, 3A
.
Se
KINGS MOUNTAIN
BEN LEDBETTER / THE HERALD
John Thornton sews while Brian Thornton watches during Sunday’s Revolutionary War
encampment at Kings Mountain National Military Park. See story on page 9A.
Dupin Crusade begins Sunday at KMHS
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Final preparations are being made for the |
Clyde Dupin Crusade which will start
Sunday and run until Thursday at the Kings
starting at 7:27 |
Mountain High School gym,
p.m.
town advertising the crusade.
During the Kings Mountain crusade, a
youth night is scheduled on Tuesday and a
Already signs have been placed around
Friday at 6 p.m.
Ray said a group of area pastors were
instrumental in bringing another crusade
back to Kings Mountain.
Dupin’s son Ken said the ministry staff
try to leave things in a way that would war-
rant another invitation to a community.
“After about 10 to 15 years we seem to
have the ability to leave things in such a
way that they desire for us to come back.”
focus on patriotism and people who work
.in public service on Thursday night.
“There’s going to be a lot of folks that
have been involved in that area of the com-
munity that are going to be exposed to the
gospel,” Crusade Director Jeff Ray said.
Dupin, who was previously in Kings
Mountain in 1987, is an evangelist who lives
in Kernersville. .
~~ One of the final activities leading up to
Sunday’s crusade will be a 24-hour prayer
vigil at Second Baptist Church starting See Crusade; 34
Gh tl
vi Sports
Hall of Fane
1B
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
ty customers.
one of its fees.
status.”
least a break-even status,”
spondence.
at the plant, Johnson said.
“We're just asking the city if there’ s any way they can help us on
cutting costs,” he said.
Anvil had announced earlier this
year that it plans to move about 400
jobs to another plant near Asheville.
While Anvil Knitwear 1s moving
jobs, another large Kings Mountain
company has asked the city to reduce
In a letter Spectrum Corporate
Engineer Hubert C. Johnson sent to
Maney dated April 1, he asked the city
to reduce the company’s industrial gas
transportation rate from $1.35 to $.85.
If the city agrees to lower the rate,
Johnson said the company will stay on
gas and not switch to oil. It has also
been trying to get the Kings Mountain plant back to a “break-even
SN
Spectrum asks
city for lower gas
transportation rate
Proposed 2002-03 budget
to be presented Wednesday
It now comes down to the numbers.
In what could be a tight budget year for state and local govern-
ment, Kings Mountain City Council will hold a budget work ses-
sion Wednesday at the Patrick Center at 10 a.m.
During the session City Manager
Jimmy Maney will present a proposed
budget that may be without Anvil
Knitwear, one of the city’s largest utili-
Council
action
draws
anger
of
citizens
See Letters, 4A
“We do not want to relocate our plant to another country like so
many other textile companies have, but we have to maintain at
Johnson said in the letter.
When contacted Tuesday, Johnson said the company is trying to
stay in business in the southeastern United States.
“We've lost money for the last two years and we can’t continue :
“ter do that and stayin businessin this part ofthe comnteyZ rv uw col
Council member Gene White said the letter had a common:
thread of coercion through it and questioned parts of the corre-
Johnson said the letter was not meant as an altinatam: He said
if the plant can get the lower gas transportation rate, it will contin-
ue to burn gas and will not start using oil.
Cost cutting measures such as automation have been instituted
One statement White questioned was a wish by the company to
buy its own gas.
White said the price for 1,000 cubic feet of gas was at one of its
lowest points in four years last fall and Spectrum had the opportu-
nity to lock in their gas price.
“From my own personal standpoint, I along with everyone else
does not want to see Spectrum leave here under any circum-
stances,” White said.
>
If Spectrum continues to say it has a need for a decrease in utility
rates it should give the city council a proof of need, White said. He
said it did not matter about the company being private, it should
prove its need if it’s using public funds.
“If you want the taxpayers’ money, yes you do,” he said.
If any rates for interruptible gas customers are changed, all users
would feel the effect, not just one of them, White said.
“We have to respond to this on a business-like basis on its own
merits,” White said.
During Spectrum's time in Kings Mountain, White said the city
and company have had a mutually beneficial association.
See Spectrum, 3A
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
From an early age, Perry
Davis wanted to work as a fire-
fighter.
Since his father was the Oak
Grove Volunteer Fire
Department Chief, he was able
to gain some experience.
“When I was the age of 14 1
was able to join the fire depart-
ment,” Davis said. .
So when he got his opportu-
nity, he went to all that he
could.
“I had grown up on his shirt
tail basically wanting to go to
fire calls with him when he
would respond going to the
RR ¢
TRE
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
Perry Davis has been fighting fires since age 14
Men charged
with robbing
KM store
station with him, washing the
fire trucks and cleaning the fire
hose,” he said.
Seeing his father help pre-
vent loss of property and loss
of life during work hours was
one of the main things that
“drew Davis into firefighting.
And while he moved jobs,
going from Oak Grove to the
Cleveland County Fire
Marshal's office in Shelby, he
still keeps his home in the Oak
Grove community.’
“The community is a nice
community,” he said. “It’s a
close knit community. Most of
my family’s from there.”
When he graduated from
Kings Mountain High School,
Davis worked full time in the
grocery business, and after
working nine years in that
field, a county fire inspector’s
position came open.
He applied and got the job
which involved inspecting a
variety of establishments for
safety violations, following cer-
tain cases through the court
system and ‘performing certain
emergency management duties.
Already knowing some of
the emergency management
steps at the office helped him
attain his present position as
Assistant County Fire Marshal,
a position that came open «
when former fire marshal Beau
Lovelace took a job with the
city of Hendersonville.
One of the toughest cases
Davis said he’s worked on was
when a mother and three chil-
dren were in a mobile home
that was set on fire by an angry
husband. He was later prose-
cuted and sent to a federal
prison.
He also has experience with
weather-related emergencies
working during the Palm
Sunday tornadoes about nine
years ago that struck Boiling
Springs and parts of the Oak
Grove community before leav-
ing the county.
Davis has also used lifesav
See Davis, 3A
Two Gastonia men were
“ charged by Kings Mountain
police shortly after an armed
robbery Tuesday afternoon at
Falls Superette, 1003 York Road.
According to Sgt. C.N. Moore
of KMPD, two men entered the
store at 5:30 p.m., brandished
weapons and demanded
money.
They reportedly were given
an undisclosed amount of
money, and the store in a dark
green Chevrolet going east on
Lake Montonia Road.
Moore said officers quickly
set up around the perimeter,
and shortly afterward a vehicle
fitting the description was
See Robbery, 3A
an
PERRY DAVIS
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 128 Years
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
529 New Hope Road
Gastonia
704-865-1233
106 S. Lafayette St.
Shelby Bessemer City
1225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-484-6200 704-629-3906
Member FDIC
Sci
ES