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Thursday, June 3, 2004
Is new
high school
in future
for county?
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The merger of Cleveland
County's three school sys-
tems earlier this year could
mean more schools in the
southern part of the county.
While the new Cleveland
County School Board is
holding off on making
plans until student reas-
signment is complete, the
board’s chairman did offer
some comments.
According to Dr. George
Litton, Township III
Elementary is the most
overcrowded school in the
system at this time.
“One of these days we're
going to need a new ele-
mentary, middle school and
high school in that area,”
Litton said in a telephone
interview Tuesday. Litton
said he was speaking as an
individual and not for the
board.
At the high school level,
Crest, located in the south-
ern part of the county, is the
most crowded, however
Kings Mountain and Burns
high schools are full, Litton
said.
The system will gain
approximately 400 students
this year growing from
17,200 in 2003-2004 to
17,600 in 2004-2005.
See School, 2A
7-cents
tax hike
in Grover
FY budget
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
GROVER - The Grover
Board of Commissioners
accepted a $540,000 budget
which includes a 7 cents
property tax hike last
Wednesday.
The budget is open for
public review through June
28. Before voting on the
budget, a public hearing
will be held at 7 p.m. at
town hall. The public is
welcome to comment.
The 7 cents increase
brings that number from
20 cents on the $100 proper-
ty valuation to 27 cents on
the $100. The 9 cents sewer
debt and operation tax
remains the same.
Several fees are on the
rise also.
Both the water and sewer
See Grover, 5A
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KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 116 No. 23
Since 1889
MEMORIAL DAY
Claude Pearson, left, Commander of American Legion Po
slated June 13
3A
50 Cents
GARY STEWART / HERALD
st 155, and Mayor Rick
Murphrey place a wreath at the monument of Veterans Park during Monday's
Memorial Day observance. Below, members of the KMPD Explorer Unit present the
colors.
Rain stops for
Memorial Day
observance
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
The early-morning thunderstorm gave
way to less cloudy and dry skies
Monday morning for the second annual
Memorial Day observance at Veterans
Park at Mountain Rest Cemetery.
Veterans of previous wars and other
patriotic citizens watched from the hill-
side as Mayor Rick Murphrey and Odus
D. Green Post 155 Commander Claude
Pearson hailed the sacrifices of military
men and women of all wars. American
flags decorated the graves of deceased
veterans who are buried in Veterans
Park.
Members of the Kings Mountain
Police Department Explorer Unit pre-
sented and retired the colors, and they
also raised a flag donated for the cere-
mony by Kenneth Morrison of Kings
Mountain, whose son Ronald K.
Morrison served in Iraq. The flag was
flown over Kuwait and Iraq on March
21, 2003.
Police Chief Melvin Proctor led the
crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, and
City Councilman Howard Shipp gave
the invocation. Paul Fulton played TAPS
to close the ceremony.
Murphrey said Memorial Day is a
time to honor the men and women who
made the “ultimate sacrifice” to preserve
freedom.
“These men and women knew the risk
See Memorial, 5A
says unoccupied
home is a safety concern
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Lou Dellinger.
“We know it’s an eyesore,” Dellinger said
in a telephone interview Thursday.
GROVER - An unoccupied home is caus-
ing concern for one neighbor and the owner
says he knows the dwelling is an eyesore.
During last Wednesday's town council
meeting, Janet White told commissioners
that the Cleveland County Sheriff's
Department visited the home over the
weekend after shots were fired.
“If my child is in the yard and gets shot,
whose responsible?” White asked.
White, who lives across from the 204
Laurel Street home, said she has seen boys
ages 11 to 16 leaving as late as 2 a.m. White
moved to the neighborhood in February and
says the trespassing has gone on since at
least then. She also says cats and snakes
have come from the yard which is not
mowed. ;
The home is owned by Billy Wease Jr. and
Dellinger said he would like to have the
home burned by the Grover Fire
Department and build two or three condo-
miniums on the lot. He said he is in the
process of applying for rezoning.
Dellinger said it would cost $60,000 to
$70,000 to repair the home to “tip top” con-
dition but he does not have the money. He
says there are structural and foundation
problems due to roof leaks. Dellinger said
he owns other properties which were get-
ting more immediate attention.
Dellinger says he has locked the home but
cannot keep people from kicking the doors
in. He also said he was interested in the sell-
ing the house.
Town commissioners discussed what to
do about the structure. The Town of Grover
See Home, 2A
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Car allowance
budgeted for 8
city positions
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The City of Kings
Mountain is currently pay-
ing $3,000 a month in car
allowances to eight employ-
ees and one council member
is questioning the practice.
During a budget work
session last week
Councilwoman Brenda Ross
asked for details. She specu-
lated on whether a mileage
reimbursement plan would
work better.
The following city posi-
tions receive the allowance:
aging director, zoning offi-
cer, building inspector,
codes director /chief build-
ing inspector, city planner,
planning director, risk man-
agement/safety director and
fire chief.
Money is also set aside in
the fiscal year 2003-2004
budget for a $375 car
allowance for the city engi-
neer and a $400 allowance
for the city manager. Interim
City Manager Gary Hicks
does not receive the
allowance. The engineer
position is currently vacant.
The vehicle allowance is
taxed. Recipients use this
money for insurance, gas
and maintenance. They are
not required to turn in
records of how the money is
spent.
Most other employees
have access to a city vehicle
to use on the job. These
vehicle may not be driven
home. Employees in a few
departments which do not
have a city car are reim-
bursed for mileage driven
while on the job.
City records indicate that
in July 1993, five employees
received car allowances.
Two codes department
employees received $200;
the finance director, $100;
city manager, $250 and plan-
ning and economic develop-
ment, $100.
Over time the number of
people receiving allowances
and the amounts paid has
increased, according to
Personnel Director Pat
Blanton.
Ross isn’t alone in her
questions. According to
Gaston County budget
director Phil Ponder, a
Gaston commissioner is
raising similar issues with
the county’s practice of
granting car allowances for
senior department heads.
The City of Shelby pays
its city manager a $450 car
allowance. The assistant city
manager receives $375 each.
month. Other employees are
reimbursed for mileage or
provided a city car.
Bell tower fund =
hits 35 percent
Monetary and in-kind con-
tributions over the past two
weeks have increased the total
amount raised for the
Mountain Rest Cemetery bell .
tower fund to $24,500, or 35
percent of the $70,000 goal.
To give to the fund contact
one of the following commit-
tee members: Jim or Brenda
Belt at 739-5425, Mike Blanton
at 739-7496, Joe, Terri or
Wayne King at 739-9318, Bell
Belt at 922-5882, Jerry
Mullinax at 734-5212, Mike or
Kathy Butler at 734-0080, John
or Erin Foster at 739-0747, or
' David or Christa Smith at 739-
6085.
Contributions received dur-
ing the past two weeks were
from:
In-kind - Talley and Smith
Architects, The Printin” Press.
Monetary: Steve Harmon,
Norman McGill, Wanda
Howze, Betty Gamble, Jeanne
Maner, W.E. McCluney,
Dorene Ballad, Louise
See Bell, 2A
ANDIE BRYMER/HERALD
This 204 Laurel Avenue home in Grover is causing concern for city officials and neigh-
bors.
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