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Thursday, June 26, 2003
KINGS
. 115 No.26 Since 1889
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Four-ye:
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iscussed
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BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
City Council held a public
hearing on Tuesday evening
about the proposed move
from two-year to four-year
terms for the mayor and
Council members. If the
Council decides to go ahead
with the plans to change
term length, the issue will
come before the public at
the November election. If
passed, the change will take
effect in 2005.
Only two people spoke at
the public hearing, and both
people were against the
change in term length. Jane
Martin, who frequently
speaks at Council meetings,
said that the current term
lengths “have merit.” She
also recommended impos-
ing a limit on the number of
terms a mayor can run for
office, citing the term limit
placed on the President of
the United States.
Jim Zeunik also opposed
the change.
“The four-year term for
Council is not in the best
interest of Kings
Mountain,” he said.
He said that the Council
members should be able to
learn the job in two years’
time, just as any other
employee for any other
business is expected to
learn the job quickly.
Inability to learn the job in
only two years is one of the
reasons cited by term
change supporters.
“I suggest that they put
more time into the job,” he
said. “That's what I did [at
my job]. It’s an option
everyone has in the private
or the public sector.”
He also said that in the
unlikely event that a whole
new Council and mayor
were elected one
November, the City would
survive because the City
Manager would be able to
guide them.
“It would not be earth-
shaking. The probability of
that happening is very
remote. Everyone here has
been reelected more than
once,” he said. “It’s not a
valid argument.”
Howard Shipp, mayor
pro tem, said that an entire-
ly new board and mayor
would effect the people
See Hearing, 3A
Council to hire
full-time engineer
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain City
Council voted to hire a full
time city engineer in a two
to four decision during
Tuesday night’s council
meeting.
Council member Gene
White said hiring an engi-
neer would eliminate prob-
lems with conflicts of inter-
est.
“We all know what we're
talking about. We ought to
make a clean cut and hire an
engineer,” White said.
Council member Clavon
Kelly told fellow council
READY, SET, GROW
4 ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Kyondra Adams and teacher Jan Sabetti make m moose antlers using finger paint. The
activity is part of Ready, Set, Grow, a kindergarten preparation program.
Summer pre-kindergarten program
familiarizes children with classroom
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
sors, pencils, bouncing balls and dance.
Certified teachers Melinda Canniff and
Jan Sabetti are teaching the program at
East Elementary. They may see some of
the students in their classrooms this fall.
“These 20 days are going to make a big
difference,” Canniff said. “We can see
such a difference already.”
Ready, Set, Grow also is taking place at
Grover Elementary and Bethware
schools.
Goforth believes that the program ben-
efits more than the targeted students. The
early preparation keeps teachers from
having to spend as much time reviewing
basics with a small group, meaning more
time for the class as a whole.
The free program also includes bus
transportation for students.
“We wanted to make this something
the parents could find no reason to pass
up,” Goforth said.
Last Tuesday morning, students count
See Ready, 3A
Kindergarten is a big transition for
most children but especially those who
have not attended pre-school. Kings
Mountain educators are using the Ready,
Set, Grow program to make the rite of
passage a little easier for those children.
“We think it’s such an important start
for kids,” said John Goforth, executive
director of curriculum and instruction for
Kings Mountain Schools.
The four-week program familiarizes
children with a classroom schedule, helps
them learn to follow directions and play
with others.
“For some it’s their first opportunity to
be with a group of kids on a regular
basis,” Goforth said.
Basic academics also are part of Ready,
Set, Grow. The youngsters learn colors,
shapes and numbers. They also hone
gross and fine motor skills by using scis-
Hospitals to
acquire Day's
Grover office
BY ANDIE BRYMER
Staff Writer
Grover residents will have
another physician to serve
them later this summer.
Cleveland County
HealthCare System
President John Young
announced plans during
that organization’s board
meeting Monday to acquire
an existing practice in
Grover.
The healthcare system
will purchase the practice
owned by Dr. Philip Day
who closed his practice ear-
lier this year.
Young would not release
the name of the physician
who will staff the practice.
“We're still in negotiations.
on a couple points,” he said.
Young estimated it would
take six weeks to have the
practice open.
Citing real estate privacy
laws, Young would not dis-
close during the open board
meeting how much the
health system will pay for
the practice.
Until recently, Grover was
home to two medical prac-
_ tices. Currently, there is one
practice owned by National
Medical Clinic.
Cleveland County
“We've been
looking at ways
to bring health
care all across i
Cleveland
County.”
John Young, CEO,
Cleveland County
HealthCare System
HealthCare System is eager
to open a practice in Grover.
“We've been looking at
ways to bring healthcare all
across Cleveland County,”
Young said.
The Grover practice will
mean more referrals to
Kings Mountain and
Cleveland Regional hospi-
tals, according to Cindy
Cook, director of public
relations.
“This is crucial to our
market,” Cook said.
She called the area from
Cherryville to Blacksburg,
S.C. the health systems “fer-
tile crescent.” There are no
physician’s practices in
Blacksburg, Cook said.
ER, surgery department i
top KM renovation plans i
BY ANDIE BRYMER
* Staff Writer
If state officials give their
okay, Kings Mountain
Hospital will build an $8
million addition.
Cleveland County
HealthCare System's trustee
board gave its approval dur-
ing Monday's board meet-
ing for the construction proj-
ect. Most of the $8 million
will be used in the emer-
gency and surgery depart-
ments.
. “These are the two places .
Kings Mountain has the
most need. The market
share is there to fill it up,”
said Cindy Cook, director of
public relations.
The emergency depart-
ment will triple in size if not
quadruple, according to
Cook.
The hospital’s current emer-
gency department sees
almost 18,000 patients annu-
ally. The additional space
should maximize efficiency,
she said.
“With more space and
moving people through
quicker, more people will
consider coming to that
emergency department,”
Cook said.
Currently, the general
entrace to the emergency
department and the ambu-
lance entrance are only
approximately 10 feet apart,
Cook said. The construction
plan calls for building two
completely seperate
entrances giving more pri-
vacy to patients being trans-
ported by ambulance.
The plan also calls for
additional surgery suites
See Plans, 3A
Bikers told there’s chance
individual will build park
members that the city has
spent approximately
$240,000 on engineering
services within roughly the
last fiscal year.
“We could hire an engi-
neer fora lot less than
$240,000 annually,” he said.
Councilman Dean Spears
argued against the proposal,
saying that some of the
$240,000 was used on stud-
ies which would still have
to be out sourced even with
an engineer on staff.
“If we have one on staff,
he'll have another engineer-
ing firm on speed dial,”
Spears said.
See Council, 3A
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Joaquin Minter demonstrates trick riding
on his BMX bike.
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain City officials gave
two teens who would like to see a
bike and skate park built here some
good news during Tuesday night's
council meeting.
Mayor Rick Murphrey Jr. told
Joaquin Minter and Mat Walker that
a private individual is interested in
building a park in the town.
“It’s under discussion. The city
manager is going to continue to
‘investigate this,” the mayor said.
The teens told council members
that bike and skate facilities have a
low injury rate.
They presented council with a peti-
tion requesting a park. The petition
had approximately 800 signatures.
During a Tuesday afternoon inter-
view with the Herald, the teens said
local laws prohibit them from riding
on the sidewalk. Area businesses call
law enforcement when bikers use
their parking lots due to liability
fears. The only area left is public
roadways where trick riding is pro-
hibited.
“There is no where to go,” Minter
said.
Both teens say the city could gen-
erate revenue and create jobs if it
built a biking and skating facility.
The closest ones are in Charlotte,
China Grove and Cornelius.
Neither teen enjoys conventional
sports like football or basketball.
“We're looking for something you
can go fast, extreme,” Minter said.
“Throwing a ball around does not
sound like fun.”
See Bikers, 3A
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