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February 19, 2004
The Kings Mountain Herald
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Kings Mountain Intermediate School student Victoria Dover will have poetry published
in the 2004 Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.
Student’s poetry to be
in national publication
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Work by a young Kings Mountain poet
will appear in the 2004 Anthology of Poetry
by Young Americans.
Victoria Dover, a sixth grader at Kings -
Mountain Intermediate School, wrote about
young poets like herself.
Her language arts teacher Teresa Deaton
praises the young poet.
“She’s a real sweet girl. She works hard,”
Deaton said.
Victoria has written poems since the sec-
ond grade. While she studied poetry in lan-
guage arts class, the writing is all original.
“She did this on her own,” Deaton said.
Victoria says she was both surprised and
excited to learn she had won. She plans to
continue writing poems.
A few of Victoria's classmates also entered
poems but haven't heard from the
Anthology. Deaton is supportive.
“This encourages them to put forth the
effort, gives them a reason to do it,” she
said.
Deaton also believes poetry encourages
students to put their thoughts on paper.
Victoria is the daughter of Renee and
Wayne Dover. She has a brother, Wayne
Dover Jr.
Kindergarten registration
planned in local schools. .
Children who will be five years old on or
before October 16, 2004 should register for
kindergarten in their respective school dis-
tricts. If parents do not know which school
their child will attend, they should call the
Kings Mountain District Office at 734-5637.
Applications and Kindergarten Health
Assessment Reports are available at all ele-
mentary schools. The application should be
completed and returned to the school as
soon as possible. The Kindergarten Health
Assessment Report is to be completed by
the child’s physician or the health depart-
ment and is due on or before August 11,
2004.
Orientation Day for incoming kinder-
garten children and their parents will be
March 19 at all elementary schools. At this
time parents are to take the child's official
birth certificate and social security number.
Parents are to take their child to school at
8:30 a.m. and remain for an informative ses-
sion with the principal, which will last
about one hour. Children will go to classes
and enjoy a typical kindergarten day, end-
ing with lunch in the cafeteria as guest of
the school system. Parents will pick up chil-
dren at 11:30 a.m. Regular kindergarten chil-
dren will not attend school on this day.
Questions should be directed to John
Goforth, Assistant Superintendent of Kings
Mountain Schools for Curriculum and
Instruction at 734-5637.
Gaston kindergartners
should register in Gaston
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Snow and ice have closed school several
times this year causing students to attend on
days they would have had off if weather
would have cooperated.
Students will attend school Feb. 19 and 20
and March 11.
If school is cancelled again due to weath-
er, make up days will be March 12 and April
16. So far, those days are still holidays for
students and optional workdays for teach-
ers.
Kindergarten students should register at
the school in their home district. For Kings
Mountain students living inside the Gaston
County line that means registering in that
county. Those students will either attend
Chapel Grove or Bessemer City elementary.
To find out which school, parents may call
704-866-6100.
The Gaston County School Board has
indicated it will allow those students to
transfer to Cleveland County, though no for-
mal procedure has been worked out. For
now that means students planning to trans-
fer to Cleveland should still register in
Gaston County. Out of county students may
be charged tuition. .
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Dr. Abaya Bey asks talks to students at Bethware School during Black History Month
program Thursday.
Page 9A
Utility Committee
discusses policies
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
. Staff Writer
Kings Mountain City
Manager Phil Ponder pre-
sented several draft policies
to the utility committee
Monday afternoon.
Under a utility extension
policy, modeled after
Shelby’s policy, the city
would determine the cost of
running sewer to a neigh-
borhood and would then
divide the cost by the num-
ber of homes involved.
The city would then bill
homeowners for installation
cost over a 10 year period.
Shelby absorbs 25 percent
of the installation cost for its
residents. If the policy is
adopted, the Kings
Mountain City Council will
have to decide if it will sub-
sidize a portion of installa-
tion and if so, what percent.
Ponder also told the com-
mittee an eastside transfer
station needs to be con-
structed at a cost of
$600,000. The city is current-
ly buying its way out of a
contract with Gaston
County. Diverting the water
to its own facility will save
approximately $1 million
annually, Ponder said.
The city contracted with
Gastonia 18 years ago dur-
ing the textile heyday when
it could not keep up with
the waste water treatment
demand. With the demise of
the textile industry the need
for water treatment has
dropped dramatically.
Katie Stowe on Chancellor’s
Katie Stowe has been rec-
ognized with the
Chancellor’s Award at the
University of North
Carolina at Wilmington for
the fall semester
pre Ww. |
CONTLAC fuel for the Soul
“We all know water and
sewer are in bad shape. I
feel like with Gastonia paid
off we'll grow,” said utility
committee chairperson Rick
Moore.
According to Ponder,
other immediate needs
include repair of two lift sta-
tions which are in danger of
causing environmental prob-
lems, a line on First Street
and sewer line in-flow.
Repairs are also needed on a
city dam.
Ponder Pagsenie a utility
reimbursement policy which
would require developers
who build in areas not
already served by sewer to
pay for having large sewer
lines installed. These would
serve more than the devel-
oped area. Other developers
who later build near the ini-
tial area would then reim-
burse the initial developer
for a portion of the sewer
installation fee.
“No cash is coming out of
our pocket and it doesn’t
over burden the initial
developer,” Ponder said.
The City of Mount Holly
has used the policy success-
fully for the past decade,
according to Ponder.
The city manager present-
ed a sanitary sewer line
extension policy. The draft
calls for city staff to identify
a project area and determine
a preliminary cost estimate.
Community members
would then circulate a peti-
tion for the lines. At least 50
To quality for the recogni-
tion a student must have a
4.0 average while taking
more than 15 semester
hours.
percent of property owners
who also own at least 50
percent of the road frontage
must sign before council can
consider the request.
The assessment fee will
represent approximately 75
percent of installation cost.
Actual cost will be deter-
mined at completion. The
city will be responsible for
the remaining 25 percent of
associated cost.
Property owners may
either pay in full or make
annual payments over the
next decade. The interest
rate will be identical to that
charged the city, not to
exceed eight percent.
Ponder presented a six
step drainage ditch policy.
During an open meeting,
council must direct staff to
investigate the feasibility of
specific ditches. Staff then
authorizes a survey of
drainage areas in order to
document location of need-
ed easements. The city engi-
neer and other staff review
the assessment. Staff devel-
op a cost estimate which is
then submitted to the city
manager for review. The
council then makes a recom-
mendation to the city man-
ager and authorizes either a
budget amendment or inclu-
sion in the capital improve-
ment program.
“These steps, I like them,”
Moore said.
The city council must
approve the above policies
before they become official.
List at UNCW
Katie is a senior majoring
in exercise science with
plans to become an occupa-
tional therapist. She is the
daughter of Bob and Kay
Stowe of Kings Mountain.
Cecil Faile, General Manager
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