Thursday, January 16, 2003
KINGS
The Her:
Vol. 115 No. 3
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Thursday
reception
to honor
Maney
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
City Manager Jimmy
Maney retired at the end of
2002. On Thursday,
January 16, the city will
hold a reception to honor
Maney
and his six
years of
serving
Kings
Mountain.
The recep-
tion will
take place
from 5:30-
7:30 p.m.
at the senior center.
“It’s an opportunity for
people to come by and
show appreciation to Jimmy
Maney for his service to the
city,” said Mayor Rick
Murphrey. Maney’s family
will also attend the recep-
tion so that people can meet
them as well, he said.
Everyone from city associ-
ates to former city employ-
ees to the public is welcome
at the reception, said
Murphrey. Refreshments
will be served.
Maney has served the city
since 1996 as city manager.
However, he has been part
of the city of Kings
Mountain for much longer.
After spending eight years
‘ ‘working in Bessemer City,
he came to Kings Mountain
to serve as Director of
Electric and Natural Gas
Utilities in 1981, a position
he held until he was pro-
moted to city manager.
Maney served in the elec-
tric and natural gas depart-
ments under Mayors John
Moss and Kyle Smith. As
city manager, he worked
with Mayors Scott Neisler
and Rick Murphrey.
In 1988, the city voted to
move from a mayor-council
to a city manager form of
government. Maney is the
third city manager to serve
the city since then. During
Maney’s 21 years in Kings
Mountain, the city’s finan-
cial situation has improved
tremendously. Now the city
is cconomically very strong.
Currently, a search for a
new city manager is under
way. Maney agreed to
serve as interim city manag-
er until a replacement can
be found.
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
Chris Cole, Kings Mountain
High School band director, has
been playing music since he
was a child. Decades later, he
is still playing music and help-
ing others play it as well.
“I'm from a musical family,”
said Cole. His grandfather,
D.C. Cole was a band director.
His other grandfather, 97-year-
old Ray Howard, still sings in
a barbershop quartet. His dad
was a drum major and played
the flute and NC State. Both of
his parents still sing in their
church choir. He said he had
two musical aunts as well. His
aunt, Margaret McGinnis, is a
retired music supervisor at
Gaston County Schools.
eR
HOMETOWN
ELLY
LIGHT BRIGADE
Report says
KM tax rate
one of
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
lowest
The tax rate in Kings Mountain is lower than those in
many cities of similar size in western North Carolina,
according to a report released this week by the John Locke
Foundation.
“We are very proud of this. We have worked very hard
to manage Kings Mountain like a business,” said Mayor
Rick Murphrey. “We want to provide our customers with
the best service at the lowest
price.”
One way the city has been
able to keep taxes low is by
ensuring that everyone in
the local government knows
what is going on in the city
financially all the time.
Murphrey said the situation
is monitored daily, and
financial reports are sent to
himself and City Council
monthly. They always look
at the revenue as compared
to the'budget and are aware
“We have
worked very
hard to
manage Kings
Mountain like a
business.”
of how much cash is on hand
GARY STEWART / HERALD
A maintenance worker changes the exterior lights at Neisler Natatorium on the campus said.
of Kings Mountain High School.
Relay for Life holds kickoff
meeting for 2003 fund raiser
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
On Monday evening, dozens
of people gathered for the Relay
for Life kickoff at the senior cen-
ter. Six teams registered for the
relay before the meeting started.
{‘Stories--that’s what the relay
is all about,” said Becky Cook,
chair of the education commit-
tee. During the meeting, several
people tearfully told the story of
their own or a loved one’s battle
with cancer.
While the “spirit of the relay”
is stories, the Kings Mountain
chapter will be giving an award
See Relay, 2A
Va
Dena Blalock, 2003 Kings Mountain Relay for Life co-
chair, and Andrea Whitesides, community income man-
ager for part of the southeast division of the American
Cancer Society, discuss the upcoming Relay for Life at
the kickoff party on Monday.
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
Music is in Chris Cole’s blood
“Music’s been
a big part of my
life,” he said.
Originally
from Forest City,
Cole said he
began to play the
piano in second
grade and the
trumpet in third
grade. He was a
section leader in
his high school
band and found
that he liked the
leadership role,
he said, which is
part of the rea-
son he decided to become a
band director. Cole graduated
with a BS and a Master's
degree in music from Western
Carolina University.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celehating 129 Years
CHRIS COLE
Cole said he
was inspired to
become a band
director by his
grandfather, his
high school band
director, the late
W. W. Jacobus,
his college band
director, Bob
Welch, and
another professor
at Western, Maxie
Beaver.
Cole first came
to Kings
Mountain High
School in 1976
and is in his 26th year of teach-
ing music there.
“Kings Mountain has a long
tradition of a good band pro-
gram,” said Cole. “This is a
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
each month.
“The city’s municipalities
are run just like a business to
ensure that we have enough
finances and cash to provide the services to our citizens,”
he said. i
Murphrey said that when he talks to prospective busi-
nesses about coming to Kings Mountain, he always men-
tions the low utility and tax rates.
“Prospective clients look at those kinds of rates,” he said.
The peak shaving plant is one way that the city has been
able to save money, said Murphrey. By running the genera-
tors at the time when electricity consumption is at its high-
est, the city is able to'save over $1 million each year, he
Rick Murphrey
Mayor
The expanded gas system is also beneficial in saving
See Tax, 2A
{ing Day event
Monday at KMHS
prem 1 BY ABIGAIL Wows
Staff
band town. They support the .
music program. All our con-
certs are really well attended.”
The parental and community
support of the program make
working in the district special,
said Cole. Largely due to the
hard-working students and
support of the community, the
Kings Mountain band program
has been very successful.
Because of that success, Cole
said he has been asked to be a
guest conductor and judge
several times throughout his
career. He said he has judged
contests in North and South
Carolina, Virginia, and
Tennessee. He will also be
guest conducting the Gaston
All-County Band in February,
he said.
See Cole, 2A
Gastonia
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lic St.
704-865-1233
Writer
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical ‘Competition will
be held on Monday, January 20, from 6:30-8 p.m. at Barnes
Auditorium at Kings Mountain High School. The city of
Kings Mountain will host the event, which will be free of
charge and open to the public.
Competitors will recite Martin Luther Kings’ famous “I
have a dream” speech. This year’s competitors include Ken
Gober, Kesha Childers, Sherod Thurman, and Tyree Surratt.
~ “Last year’s winner sounded just like Martin Luther
King,” said Mayor Rick Murphrey.
* The event was hosted last year for the first thts. slthoun
it will likely become an annual event, said Murphrey.
“We enjoy doing this. It’s part of the city now,” said
Murphrey. “We want to bring together everyone in our
community. We wont to make sure the city’s working
{See King 2 2A
Schools consider
alternative for
suspended students
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
The Kings Mountain Board of Education, meet-
ing Monday night at Central School, approved the
Davidson Alternative School's ABC local options
data for the 2002-03 school year and approved the
concept of Kings Mountain High School and
Middle School participating in an alternative
school situation with Cleveland County that
would allow certain suspended students the
option of continuing school at Cleveland
Vocational Industries during their suspension.
Bob Grigg, principal at Davidson School, said
alternative schools are required to supply to the
State accountability goals for each school year. The
KM school’s goals this year are character educa-
tion, parental contact and personal education plans
for all students.
Grigg said each student is required to have two
lessons a week on character education.
He said the school’s goal is to contact at least 85
See Schools, 2A
Shelby Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-484-6200 ] 704-629-3906