Thursday, August 21, 2003 -
Vol. 115 No. 34
Since 1889
50 Cents
EL va annual prep |=
WY a oe football guide |
Herald's
Apartment project gets new life
Construction tax credit approved
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Construction will began in December or
January on a 56 unit apartment complex on
Kings Mountain Boulevard, developers say.
The time table was set after the state
Housing Finance Agency announced last
week it will give Eagan Partners a $391,557
construction tax credit.
Gaye Morgan, a spokesperson for Eagan,
called the announcement the “third and
final hurdle” for the project.
With the tax credit in place, the company
only has to borrow $1.407 million to finance
the project, according to Morgan.
“We're able to ask for much lower rents,”
she said.
The two bedroom units will rent for $360
to $580 and the three bedroom units for
between $400 and $610. According to
Morgan, this is $200 below market rates.
While some area residents have criticized
See Project, 3A
Water line nears completion
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
As completion nears on a water main
extension project, city council must decide
how much if any to reimburse a local devel-
oper.
Jim Testa, owner of Kings Mountain Truck
Plaza, is asking the city for between $20,000
and $22,000 in reimbursement for the line.
The water line runs to the area around the
truck plaza located at the intersection of I-85
Outdoor
drama
possible
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Valdese, Cherokee, Boone
and Manteo all have out-
door dramas. Kings
Mountain could soon be
added to that list.
In September, the Kings
Mountain Little Theatre will
see if area residents are
interested in a drama. The
organization will mail sur-
veys to between 3,000 and
5,000 people.
The survey will gauge
interest in volunteering
with or watching the
drama; should tax money
generated through tourism
be used or should only pri-
vate money be used; are
other outdoor dramas visit-
ed and where should the
drama be produced.
“We're looking at a fairly
brief survey,” said Jim
Champion. He is project
director for the survey.
The theatre will use its
own mailing list and will
get names from the
Cleveland County Arts
Council.
According to Champion,
a drama could entice
national park visitors to
stay overnight in Kings
Mountain.
“This could stimulate
some downtown business-
es,” he said.
- The little theatre spon-
sored two outdoor dramas,
“Sword of Gideon” and
“Then Conquer We Must”
in the 1950s. “Conquer”
was revised in the late
1970s during the town’s
centennial.
Champion credited city
councilman Carl DeVane
and events coordinator Ellis
Noell for renewing the
effort to once again have a
historical drama in Kings
Mountain.
Project TEACH |
Gilmore helps steer minorities into teaching profession
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Decades have passed and Henry Gilmore
can still remember his fourth grade teacher,
Mrs. Webber.
“She was strict but we loved her. She
wanted everyone to succeed,” Gilmore said.
“She would tell us we could do anything.”
Mrs. Webber was Gilmore's first African-
American teacher. Today, as part of Project
TEACH, he is working to make sure more
minority students have that same experi-
ence.
“Students need people in the classroom
who look like them,” he said. “We need
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
TRAIL BOSS
(
Sei
ALL
Paul Carson is stationed at Kings Mountain National Military Park
Paul Carson oversees marking
of Overmountain Victory Trail
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
While most national park
superintendents oversee one
large land mass, Superintendent
Paul Carson's responsibility
stretches for 330 miles through
portions of four states. Carson is
superintendent of the
Overmountain Victory Trail.
Carson works out of an office
at Kings Mountain National
Military Park.
“They’ve been gracious
enough to allow space,” he said.
While the trail was estab-
lished by federal legislation in
1980, a full time staff member
was not assigned until last year.
Before that Rick Sussman coor-
dinated the trail project on a
limited basis from a National
Park Service office in Atlanta.
“I think we're fully committed
to full time management of this
trail now,” Carson said.
Carson, who has been with
the National Park Service for 27
years, was - chief ranger at
DeSoto National Memorial in
Florida before coming to South
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Carolina.
While developing a trail-style
park is different than his last
job, Carson is happy.
“It's an unusual approach to
parks... I enjoy all the contacts I
make,” he said.
Communication is vital to
Carson's job. Unlike most parks,
NPS does not own the majority
of land covered by the trail.
Instead, it is entering into agree-
ments with non-profit organiza-
tions, other government agen-
cies and private individuals
See Carson, 3A
African-Americans and Laotians in the
classroom.”
The state started Project TEACH in 1985.
Kings Mountain District Schools implement-
ed the program five years ago.
“North Carolina wanted to put something
in place to generate minority teachers,”
Gilmore said. “We hope some come back to
Kings Mountain.”
While Gilmore has been part of Project
TEACH for several years, he took over as
KMDS liaison this year. Valerie Boyd held
“that post until now. Bendetria Hart is the
middle school liaison.
Gilmore and Hart plan monthly sessions
See Teach, 3A
300 W. Mountain St.
and Dixon School Road.
- Neither Testa nor Kings Mountain City
Manager Phil Ponder have been able to
locate any written agreements nor any
record of verbal agreements between Testa
and the city. Ponder was not the city manag-
er when talks began on the project.
“Apparently Mr. Testa moved forward
after discussing it with the utility commis-
sion,” Ponder said.
Testa’s truck plaza is outside the city lim
See Water, 3A
Riddle Fabrics
faces closing,
STI expanding
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
While one Kings Mountain textile plant
may be shutting its doors, another is
expanding.
Riddle Fabrics is seeking a buyer but if
none come forward, the company will shut
its doors soon. The small label making plant
located on Second Street employees six peo-
ple. :
Ralph Hinson, who owns the plant along
with three other partners, said that if no
buyer is found, the plant will close in the
near future.
Sales of labels are down because most
products are shipped into this country
already labeled, he said.
“There is a market though not like it used
| .to be,” Hinson said.
For.information on purchasing the plant,
call Hinson at 828-464-4743.
Speciality Textiles, Inc. is expanding its
facility by 55,000 square feet.
Located on Marie Street, the company
hopes to have the expansion completed by
early 2004 though weather delays could
occur.
The expansion will create between three
and nine jobs initially.
“It really depends on how business
grows,” said Candace Nichols, human
resource manager.
Construction is being done in one phase
though machinery will be installed in multi-
ple phases.
“We're excited about a business expand-
ing. They (STI) are a good customer to the
city,” said Mayor Rick Murphrey.
The company was started in 1964 as K -
Mills. In 1985, it was purchased from
Hickory Springs by Maurice J. Walsh and
was renamed Kings Plush Inc.
The company produced cloth for furni-
ture inside vans, recreational vehicles, the-
aters and motels until 1989. At that time, it
began producing fabric for aircraft and
mass transit furniture.
In 1994, the focus went to medium to
high end residential furniture fabric. In
1999, the company began producing fabric
coverings for lower end retail furniture.
STI expanded its facility from 100,000
square feet to 170,000 square feet in the mid
to late 1990s.
During the last three years, it has upgrad-
ed its weave and weave prep equipment
See Riddle, 3A
Storms cause
minor damage
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Thunder storms knocked
off power in a few areas
and lightning knocked win-
dows from a home this
week.
Lightning struck a home
in Woodbridge Subdivision
at 11:20 p.m. Monday night
bursting two front win-
dows.
“Luckily the occupants
were in the back of the
house,” said Perry Davis,
Kings Mountain
704-739-4782
; ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Henry Gilmore is the liaison for Project TEACH in
Kings Mountain District Schools
Gastonia
704-865-1233
Shelby
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-484-6200
chief of Oak Grove Fire
Department.
No one was injured.
See Storms, 3A
Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906