Thursday, June 27, 2002
Vol. 114 No. 26
Since 1889
Utility committee
discusses debt
collection plan
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
There may be a new way of collecting
debt in the city of Kings Mountain.
That was the word during Friday's City
Council Utilities Committee meeting.
Billing Director Jean Wyte said the state
has approved a new debt collection pro-
gram which allows for collection of funds
against a customer’s income tax refund.
The program calls for cities and counties
to submit any outstanding debt of $50 or
more through a clearinghouse to attempt
the match to tax refunds.
Other utility policy changes were also
discussed, including new deposit require-
ments and tampering fees.
Proposed deposits are for class 1-$150,
class 2-$250 and class three-$300.
Tampering fees suggested were $300 for-
the first offense, $600 for the second and
denial of service for the third offense.
“We felt the need to go ahead and get
that in place,” City Manager Jimmy Maney
said about the proposed policy changes.
Committee members also heard an
update on the second phase of the
stormwater management program from city
engineer Al Moretz.
Moretz also discussed other projects the
N.C. Department of Transportation will be
scheduled to start including the Kings
Mountain Boulevard Extension. That is
expected to connect to Interstate 85.
Reconstruction of the N.C. 161/1-85 inter-
change will also be on the DOT's slate,
Moretz said.
Maney said the proposed greenway
would also tie into the interchange work.
See Committee, 5A J
Next week's
postage stamp
will cost 37 cents
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
On June 30, the price of
mailing a first class letter
will increase 3 cents from 34
to 37 cents, which is about
45 cents per month more per be available.
household, according to
United States Postal Service
estimates.
“And while we're talking
sense, it makes good sense once.
for customers to purchase
stamps before the new rate
takes effect,” Kings
Mountain Postmaster Bob
Howard said
Howard said many busi-
Fireworks,
drought bad
combination
F
Extreme drought
conditions across the
state have fire officials
on alert, and the
approaching July 4
50 Cents
baseball coach
6A
BEN LEDBETTER / THE HERALD
Forest City artist Clive Haynes works on his mural on the side of
Fred Kiser’s Grill on Gold Street on Monday.
nesses will be able to adjust
to the rate hike since they
have postage meters.
The new stamp went on
sale earlier this month and a
new 3-cents stamp to add to
the current postage will also
The end of the month rate
increase is the third since
January 1999. Eight years
before that, the rates rose
Last year, the postal serv-
ice lost about $1.7 billion
and expects to lose another
$1.5 billion this year even
after the rate hike.
See Stamps, 5A
ABULOUS FOURTH
KM’s annual celebration includes
plenty of fun, games and fireworks
Council -3
discusses
revitalizing
downtown
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer Mayor and 2
The old saying in theater is coun ci I men
the show must go on, and
with three members of the
Kings Mountain City : : were :
Council absent at Tuesday's atte n d in g
a seminar
in Montana
meeting, including the two
that preside over meetings,
that’s just what happened.
Mayor Rick Murphrey,
Mayor Pro-Tem Howard
Shipp and Rick Moore did
not attend the meeting and
the remaining four council ;
men appointed Carl DeVane to run the meeting.
They were away at a seminar on council effectiveness in
Big Sky, Mont.
During the meeting businessman Bill Marcellino, with the
Mountaineer Partnership downtown revitalization group,
gave a presentation about creating a municipal service dis-
trict for the downtown area.
Marcellino talked about a four-point plan, which
involved hiring a full-time director.
Shelby has one employee who runs its downtown group.
“Our real goal in the end is to have a prosperous down-
town,” he said.
See Council, 5A
BEN LEDBETTER / THE HERALD
Kings Mountain Post Office Clerk Teresa Jeffers sells a book of the new 37 cents stamp
Plant
| moving
to KM
Kings Mountain received
another economic boost last
week when a Richmond,
Va.-based company
announced it move its
Charlotte plant to the
Cleveland County
Industrial Park, just west of
the city on Shelby Road.
Owens and Minor, one of
the nation’s leading distrib-
utors of medical and surgi-
cal supplies announced last
Wednesday that it selected
See Plant, 5A
book to Kim Morgan. The rate increase takes effect on June 30.
Kings Mountain will host a
holiday adds a new
“Fabulous Fourth” Thursday,
reason to worry.
Insurance
Commissioner and
State Fire Marshal Jim
Long reminds every-
one of the dangers
associated with fire-
works and urges all
North Carolinians to
practice caution when
celebrating. this year.
Avenue.
The event begins at 4 p.m.
a gigantic fireworks display
around 9 p.m.
The Raggs Kids Club Band,
consisting of five furry canine
Kings Mountain Fire ou
photo opportunities.
July 4 around the playground at
Jake Early Sports Complex adja-
cent to the YMCA on Cleveland
with games, and concludes with
And Kings characters will perform high
Mountain is no excep- energy, multiple 30-minute cho-
ion, reographed shows, and then
meet with the young people for
Toni Stedman, creator and presi-
dent of RAGGS, LLC. “Each
character is independent and has
worked to excel in the band in in
their personal lives. And, they
deliver their messages in a hip
format that is fun for the whole
family. B. Max, for example, is
disabled and demonstrates a
true can-do attitude while par-
ticipating in the band’s activities .
from a wheelchair. The crowds
love him and his character is
helping to change the way dis-
abilities are perceived by young
people.” :
All children in the area are
‘held, one for T-ball and another
ground. Children are encour-
aged to decorate their tricycles,
scooters and bicycles and com-
pete for prizes for the most
patriotic costume and decora-
tions. Plans are also in the works
for a bike rodeo.
Two home run derbies will be
for coach pitch.
Other activities include sack
races, watermelon eating con-
test, and a dunking booth. There
will be a pre-fireworks obser-
vance with a tribute to the sol-
diers who fought in the Battle of
Kings Mountain.
BEN LEDBETTER/THE HERALD
See Fireworks, 3A
90) FIRST NATIONAL BANK
“The band is all about self-
esteem for young people,” said
invited to participate in the Lil’
Patriots Parade around the play- 2103.
Kings Mountain Gastonia
300 W. Mountain St.
704-865-1233
For more information call 730-
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
Work began Tuesday on the Hillside Drive
drainage project that Kings Mountain City
Council recently approved.
Shelby Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-484-6200 704-629-3906
wkd (olobrating 125 Years
704-739-4782