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0 Thursday, July 15, 2004 a A fi pte KINGS MOUNTAIN A Gl i i WL GR LS BAG ss The Heral Vol. 116 No. 29 Since 1889 50 Cents’ “They're not going to arrest 200 parents’ Former KM school board member urges parents not to send kids to Gaston BY ANDIE L. BRYMER Staff Writer A former Kings Mountain District Schools board member is encouraging protests of the $1,414 tuition levied on city residents who live in the Gaston County portion of Kings Mountain. “We haven't rolled over and said uncle yet,” Mike Smith said Tuesday. Bessemer Council discusses speed humps By TODD HAGANS Special to The Herald Bessemer City officials are considering a “traffic calming policy” to address con- cerns of residents seeking help in elimi- nating speeding in several neighbor- hoods. The policy discussed by city council during Monday night's meeting regulates the placement of speed humps on streets in residential areas. Council took no action on the policy and directed city staff to modify the proposal and develop a map showing which streets are eligible for speed humps. City planner Kevin Krouse said Bessemer City does not have a speed hump policy and needs one since resi- dents, particularly ones living along Toncin Ave., have brought up the need for speed humps to control speeding problems. In a memo to council, Krouse said a ‘policy establishes criteria the city can use to evaluate requests and determine whether or not speed humps are needed and appropriate for the area in question. Krouse said not having a policy makes it difficult for council and staff to take action on speed hump suggestions from residents. “Just because we have a policy doesn’t mean we are required to put them in if people ask for them,” Krouse said to See Bessemer, 5A KM Council postpones vote on project BY ANDIE L. BRYMER Staff Writer Kings Mountain City Council post- poned a vote on a utility project Monday morning because the city doesn’t own the land it wanted to build on. The council was slated to award a $1.3 million contract to Ronny Turner Construction to build the lift stations and a $1.48 million financing agreement with BB&T at 3.9 percent interest. The $1.48 million also includes engineering and a contract to T. Luckey & Sons to make repairs at City Lake Dam. The city wants to put utility lift sta- tions at three locations - two near Canterbury Road and the third on N.C. 161 near the ABC store. The city has ease- ments on the Canterbury Road locations and an encroachment on the N.C. 161 location, officials say. The North Carolina Local Government Commission requires municipalities own the land before build- See Project, 3A . Smith and others have formed Gaston County Mountaineers Against Merger. Smith served on the KMDS board until the three systems were merged in January. KMDS used the courts to fight the merger and unsuccessfully sought Justice Department intervention. Until the merger, Kings Mountain students living in the Gaston County portion of the city were allowed to attend KMDS schools for free. Earlier this year the Gaston County School Board voted against county money fol- lowing those students to what are now Cleveland County Schools. The majority of students affected attended East Elementary. The school, which is located in a pre- dominately lower income and minority community, had pro- grams in place to involve families. The school also had extensive after hours tutoring. Test scores were nationally recognized. Smith says making these stu- dents travel at least 15 minutes to Gaston schools will threaten family involvement and test scores. Cleveland County school officials say so far only one family has paid the $1,414 tuition for its two chil- dren to attend. According to Donna Curtis with MIKE SMITH Cleveland County Schools, around 10 parents have called with ques- tions. Some are upset; others say they are willing to pay the tuition, Curtis said. Smith would like to see parents show up at their children’s former schools on opening day and insist their children be enrolled. If the request is denied, Smith says stay put. See Gaston, 3A ——BEATING THE HEAT—— ‘GARY STEWART / HERALD 11-month-old Amelia Friday is shaded from the hot sun by her stroller as she watched area youngsters participate in the Foothills Soccer Camp Monday at Kings Mountain’s Davidson Park. Amelia’s parents are Dwayne and Anita Friday. Democrat. GOP primaries slated Tuesday Primary elections are Tuesday. Voters can decide on their party’s state and local candidates for the general election Nov. 2. : The Cleveland County Commission is the only local race. Republicans running include incumbent Ronnie Hawkins and Will Troutman, Johnny Hutchins and Oliver Emmert. Democrats include incumbents Mary Accor and Tom | Bridges; and Robin Hendrick, Freddie Ellis and Kenneth Ledford. The Patterson Springs Town Hall polling site on South Post Road in Shelby has been moved to the No. 3 Volunteer Fire Department at 2327 Blacksburg Road, Grover. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. : / In other election news, seats held by Cleveland County School Board mem- School Board Okays spanking, dress policies BY ANDIE L. BRYMER Staff Writer Teachers and administrators across Cleveland County will still have the option of corporal punishment. The school board unanimously approved the use of cor- poral punishment as part of its conduct and attendance pol- icy Tuesday night. During a work session immediately prior to the meeting, board member Tommy Greene dissented during a straw vote. Greene apparently heeded Chairman Dr. George Litton’s admonition just before the formal vote. Litton asked the board to support the policies and the administration. . While the policy does not limit cor- poral punishment to elementary age children, school officials say a limit- ed number of ele- mentary principals are the only ones choosing to use it. Included in the - conduct policy is a dress code. It pro- hibits inside the building and other designated areas caps, hats, bandan- nas, sweatbands, sun glasses and other head cover- ings. Shirts and blouses must cover the abdomen, chest, both shoulders and back completely. Other prohibited items include see-through tops, exces- sively baggy pants, pants dragging the floor, wording or messages on the seat of pants, imagery or advertisements on clothing, book bags or jewelry promoting tobacco, alco- See School, 3A JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD Shearra Milller speaks at Monday’s School Board meeting in Shelby. Plumbing : Repair F34-6330 bers Chairman Dr. George Litton, Dr. Steven Curtis, Mary Evans and Terry McClain will be up for election in 2005. See Primaries, 3A GARY STEWART / HERALD . Signs promoting politicians in local and State races line the highway in front of the old Margrace Mill in Kings Mountain. The Democratic and Republican primaries are slated in Cleveland County next Tuesday. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. » 3
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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July 15, 2004, edition 1
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