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Thursday, September 30, 2004
Vol. 116 No. 40
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50 Cents
The
Birthplace
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Gaston Memorial Hospital dedicated its new Birthplace (above) Thursday. In top photo, nurse Stephanie Johnson
demonstrates a ventilator for babies.
Gaston Memorial women’s center
‘nicest in the country’
called the
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Gaston Memorial's The Birthplace is
attracting attention from around the
world.
Locally, the hospital showed off its
newest addition Sunday with a public
open house and a VIP reception
Thursday. A delegation from the
Netherlands will visit in the spring.
The European nation will use The
Birthplace as the standard for its 100
hospitals. For the past two years, the
design has been used as a model at
engineering, architecture and facilities
conferences.
“This is the nicest women’s center
I've ever done, nicest in the country,”
said architect Scott Rawlings.
now the largest in the nation. All care
including labor, delivery, recovery and
postpartum happen in the same room
with single care.
“We think that’s important,” said
Jean Waters, a hospital spokeswoman.
Couches in every room unfold into
beds for family members. Sinks were
designed to accommodate baby’s first
bath. All rooms have a television, DVD
player and refrigerator. The hospital
and a hot tub manufacturer worked
together to design a whirlpool style
tub which could be completely sani-
tized between patients.
Nurse Alice Edwards has watched
labor and delivery change during her
35 years at Gaston Memorial. When
she started work in 1969, dads only
saw their newborns through the nurs-
the delivery team and babies stay in
their moms’ rooms.
“It’s wonderful to get the daddies
involved in the care,” Edwards said.
The Birthplace does have a four-bed
nursery for babies needing extra moni-
toring.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
has 16 private beds. Each soundproof
room has a pull-out bed for family.
Prior to the private rooms, parents
could not be present when doctors
examined their babies due to confiden-
tiality rules. Now, parents and physi-
cians can concur during the exam.
“We want to include them as part of
our team,” said Nurse Stephanie
Johnson. ;
The rooms are designed with break-
away walls to accommodate up to
With 52 single care rooms, Gaston is
Roxanne
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Over 15 years of dance
lessons have earned a Kings
Mountain woman a spot on
the Carolina Panther’s Top
Cat team.
Roxanne Brown and over
300 other women first audi-
tioned March 15. The field of
competitors had to demon-
strate a side kick, leap and
chenne turn. For the second
round of competition, the
women were expected to
learn in 30 minutes a dance
routine to “I Like The Way
You Move” by Outcast.
School board told tuition
has divided community
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Dwayne Woodard Photo
ROXANNE BROWN
Cleveland County Schools board members were given
compact discs filled with photos of students and families
affected by the $1,414 out-of-county tuition.
Speaking at Monday night's meeting, former Kings
Mountain District Schools board member Mike Smith told
the board that the City of Kings Mountain has been divid-
ed. The tuition is too high for many living in the Gaston
County portion of the city. Smith also said the tuition has
emotionally devastated families and caused a drop in prop-
See Tuition, 3A
ery window. Today, dads are part of
Brown’s a Top Cat
“It was difficult,” Brown
said.
For the March 29 finals
the now much narrowed
field performed a routine
with one week's practice
time. They also had to
answer two questions about
the team. The next day
Brown found out she made
it.
“I was excited, very excit-
ed,” she said. “The competi-
tion was really stiff. There
were a lot of talented girls.”
Top Cat veterans told
Brown this year’s audition
was one of the most compet-
itive probably because the
See Gaston, 8A
Panthers made it to the
Super Bowl.
Brown also earned a spot
on the Top Cats traveling
show team with a tap and
jazz routine she calls Old
School. A salute to the 1970s,
she wore an afro wig, over-
sized hoop earrings and
fishnet hose.
Susan Goodson of Dance
Reflections was Brown's first,
instructor. Today Brown
works with her sister
Brandy Tate who owns
International Gates of
Dance. The Kings Mountain
dance school uses contem-
See Brown, 3A
New board has no policy
on schools’ fund raising
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The Cleveland County Schools board has not set a policy
on fundraising by students, but at least one member would
like to see that happen.
Several years ago Cleveland County Commissioners
allowed the former Kings Mountain District Schools to add
one cent per $100 valuation to the property tax residents
within the school district paid. The income from the
increase then went to the schools so students would not
have to raise funds.
See Board, 3A
Mayor breaks
tie to close
Hawthorne
RR crossing
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The Department of Transportation will barricade
Hawthorne railroad crossing “immediately,” DOT engineer
Mike Shumsky told Kings Mountain City Council Tuesday
night.
In the absence of Councilman Carl DeVane, Mayor Rick
Murphrey cast the tie breaking vote to close the crossing
when the council split three to three. Council members
Houston Corn, Kay Hambright and Jerry Mullinax voted to
close the crossing with Rick Moore, Brenda Ross and
Howard Shipp casting the dissenting votes. DeVane is
recovering from surgery.
During the public hearing, approximately seven local res-
idents, including the president of Patrick Yarns, asked that
the crossing remain open while four residents asked council
to close the crossing.
Patrick Yarns President Gilbert Patrick told council
that the company has experienced 30 percent job growth
since 2001, has an annual payroll of $4 million and upped
its utility usage by 30 percent over the last three years.
Commenting on Patrick’s remarks, Joni Smith, a Kings
Mountain attorney in private practice, said she would not
address the “loosely veiled threat of financial blackmail I
thought I heard.” Smith said she grew up on Hawthorne
Road and along with her neighbors was not allowed to use
the crossing.
“My mother still won't let me cross on Hawthorne,” she
said.
Smith told the council that if they fail to close the cross-
ing after the DOT and Norfolk-Southern have made the
request, not only would the city as a whole be liable, but
individual council members could incur litigation. She also
said that Patrick Yarn owners could be personally responsi-
ble.
“It would pierce the corporate veil and assign liability to
all,” Smith said.
David Posage, sales manager for Patrick’s two Kings
Mountain plants, called the company a “gem in our area.”
He said that if the crossing is closed he would have to
either direct clients down a dirt road past competitor
Parkdale Mills or down Cansler Street with its view of the
back of a plant. According to Posage, representatives of sev-
eral Fortune 500 companies including Corning and
Sunbeam visit the company’s research and development
facility on Hawthorne.
“We're trying to impress them,” he said.
Sam Tessneer, a Patrick Yarns retiree, blamed accidents on
speeding and drunk drivers. Tessneer, who said he crosses
the track four times daily, said the closure could create a
bottleneck downtown.
Dennis Conner told council members that the closure
would redirect traffic to Gold Street where the Rotary Club
plans to enhance Patriots Park creating potential for acci-
dents and lawsuits.
Wendell Bunch said he had used the crossing for 17
years. He gave a brief history of Patrick Yarns and praised it
as one of the largest tax payers in the city.
See Mayor, 3A
HOMECOMING QUEEN
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