Ag
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Vol. 118 No. 9
Since 1889
Wet and dry forces gearing up
for Grover alcohol referendum
Voter registration
deadline March 10
| GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.co
Wet and dry forces are gearing up for the
April 4 beer and wine referendum in
Grover.
Grover Councilwoman Jackie Bennett
and former Councilman Bill Willis will be
working on opposite sides of the issue.
Several
ELECTION FACTS months ago,
Bennett made a
motion at a
HB Date of referendum - # Council meet-
April 4. ing to allow the
HB Where - Grover Town public to vote
Hall. on the alcohol
HW Polls open 6:30 a.m., issue, but it
Polls close 7:30 p.m. died for lack of
M Issue - For or against a second. In the
on premises sale of malt November
beverages and unfortified
wines.
election, the
three incum-
Hl Issue - For or against bent board
off-premises sale of malt members -
beverages and unfortified Willis, John
wines.
HM Voter registration dead-
line ~ Friday, March 10.
Harry and Max
Rollins - were
defeated and
BM Absentee voting begins two of the
March 3. newly-elected
BM One-stop /no excuse officials -
absentee voting begins Calvin
March 16 and continues Huffman and
~ through April 1 at the Brent White -
Board of Elections in voted with
Shelby: "Leese Bennett to call
~'M For more information for the referen-
call the Board of dum. New
Elections, 484-4858. couhcilman
Adam Green and Barry Toney, who was not
up for reelection last year, voted not to
allow the referendum.
Bennett said the matter has been “hush-
hush” so far, but both sides are beginning
to get to work.
“We're not going to start advertising or
putting out any signs until closer to the
time,” Bennett said. “We have had a couple
of meetings with some people we know
will help us out. We're trying to get some
more people registered. We just hope to
have a good turnout.”
“Really, all we're going to do is try to get
citizens out to vote,” Willis said. “What will
probably allow it to pass is if most of the
citizens sit home and don’t go vote. We
have to contact people and make sure
they're aware of it and try to get the
turnout to vote against it.”
Grover has 429 registered voters, some of
whom registered during the past year when
wet forces were trying to secure enough
signatures of registered voters to force the
council to call a referendum. The petition
drive failed, and that leads Willis to believe
the town doesn’t want it.
“A year ago they were unable to get
enough signatures to put it on a referen-
dum, which only requires 35 percent,”
Willis said. “So I don’t believe it will pass,
especially for on-premises consumption.”
Willis said he will be working with local
See Grover, 3A
Jake Early Sports Complex.
— SPRING STROLL————
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Sara McComas, left, and Margot Plonk take advantage of the recent
spring-like temperature to take a stroll around the playground at
Late filing assures
competition in county
GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.co
Late filing in Cleveland County
resulted in competition in almost
every race in the May 2 primaries.
J. Haywood “Woody” Allen Jr. of
Shelby filed Tuesday for the
Republican nomination for Sheriff of
Cleveland County. If elected, he
would become a third-generation
sheriff from the Allen family.
Making the Republican primary
complete are two men who filed ear-
lier, Don Allen and Dennis W. Theis,
both of Shelby.
Running for the Democratic nomi-
nation are Willie B. McIntosh Jr. of
Land bought
to expand
parking at
West School
{= DYLAN LLOYD
dlioyd@kingsmountainherald.com Thornburg gives to his role as job was with the Life
Director of the growing Kings Enrichment Center of
The Cleveland County Mountain Aging program spills : Shelby where he had
School Board Monday night over into his second career he interned as a col-
approved the purchase of launched eight years ago in the lege student.
an adjacent lot to West funeral profession. “I love working
Elementary School, which “It just grew on me,” said with older peo-
will be used to create extra
parking spaces for parents
and faculty.
The lot, located on the
northeast corner of West
Mountain Street and
Watterson streets, will pro-
The compassion Monty
Thornburg of his two year
embalming apprenticeship he
completed at Harris Funeral
Home. He receives his degree in
funeral service in May from
Fayetteville Tech.
Thornburg says that both profes-
Mountain High School and a 1982
graduate of Gardner-Webb
University with a B.S.degree in
Psychology, Monty's first
ple and learned
so much from
them in the day
care setting and
have learned so
much in the senior
center setting,” said
Lawndale and Gary Gold and
incumbent Raymond C. Hamrick,
both of Shelby.
HM Races are assured in both the
Democrat and Republic primaries
for Cleveland County Board of
Commissioners after two
Republicans and a Democrat filed on
Monday and three others joined the
competition before the filing dead-
line on Tuesday.
Former Gardner-Webb University
basketball coach Eddie Holbrook
filed Monday for the Democratic pri-
mary. Previously, the only man in
the race was Mike Putnam, who
filed on February 13. Then, on
Tuesday, Fast Freddie Ellis and Jo
See Filing, 12A
KINGS MOUNTAIN
|
50 Cents
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
Compassion Thornburg’s trademark
ELIZABETH STEWART
Herald Correspondent
Kings Mountain Senior Center,
then located at the old Depot.
Three years later he became the
director and soon will mark
23 years service.
In the Center's old
location no two
activities could go
on at the same
time, although
day for
Thornburg and his
staff when the $3.2
Sg TT AAMT URE Pgviv
Church to celebrate
150th anniversary
More meetings
scheduled on
PUD development
near Countryside
GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.com
Representatives of Mann Properties will meet with resi-
dents of Countryside Road Thursday to hear their con-
cerns about a 483-home planned PUD development on an
adjoining 119 acres owned by Randy Bates.
Bates has petitioned City Council to change the zoning
on the property on the south side of Countryside and
approximately 3,000 feet west of the Patterson Road inter-
section from R-10 to Conditional Use R-6.
A public hearing on the matter at Tuesday night's
Council meeting resulted in a packed house and numer-
ous concerns from Countryside residents about potential
traffic problems, more enrollment in already-crowded
Bethware School and KM middle and high schools, and
other matters.
Council did not take any action, because the Planning
and Zoning Board had already tabled the matter until its
March meeting. However, Mayor Rick Murphrey
explained, because the public hearing had already been
scheduled by council it had to be held.
PUD (Planned Use Development) approval allows
developers to locate homes closer together (as close as 10
feet), but requires them to set aside open space for recre-
ation and other uses. Mann Properties plans to use 19
acres of the property for open space use. All houses are
single-family units and owner-occupied, said City
Planning Director Steve Killian.
Walter Fields of Charlotte, a city planner since 1972
before beginning a consulting service eight years ago, is
representing Mann Properties which has developed other
PUD projects in nearby cities.
He said Mann chose the KM property because “there is
a market here for new housing” and that the developer is
trying to focus “on things that would make this a tremen-
dous addition to the city of Kings Mountain.”
He said potential traffic concerns have been reviewed by
the DOT and they would “expect to make road improve-
ments.”
He also said the developer plans a buffer area on the
Countryside Road side of the property. He said alternative
access is also being considered.
Tim Stevens of Indianapolis, IN said the project would
result in $6 million in land improvements. “The homes are
See Countryside, 12A
City Manager gets
pay raise, bonus
GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain City Manager Greg McGinnis received
a $3,000 per year raise and a $2,400 bonus following a job;
evaluation in closed session at Tuesday night's City f
Council meeting.
Council voted unanimously to increase McGinnis” salary
from $77,500 to $80,500 per year.
In another matter, the Council had to pass along part of
a fuel adjustment increase from Duke Power on electric
rates. Kings Mountain's base rate remains the same but
the fuel adjustment charge will increase 4.5 percent to help
offset a surcharge from Duke that has resulted in over
$800,000 increase.
According to Mayor Rick Murphrey, the city negotiated
a base rate with Duke that will not increase until 2009;
however, every contract has a fuel adjustment clause.
See Manager, 12A
enjoy nine different activities at a
time and to participate in classes
such as computer, crafts and cro-
chet. line dancing, Bible study,
pedicures and manicures, income
tax preparation, ceramics, a walk-
ing club, health and fitness classes
and nutritional lunches in a con-
gregate meals program provided
by the Cleveland County Council
on Aging which also delivers
meals on wheels to shut-ins. A new
morning group at 10 a.m. to
encourage more attendance by
males is called Men's Coffee. The
senior center serves more women
than men, a ratio of 2 to 1. A much-
needed feature of the handsome
the Depot was
expanded in the
1980s.
November 2001
was a red letter
vide 25-28 extra parking sions are “rewarding.” He sees the = Thornburg. He million H. Lawrence facility is the banquet room which
spaces and cost approxi- dynamics of families in both occu- joined the staff of the Patrick Senior Center ~~ accommodates weddings, recep-
mately $40,000 to pave. pations and the team work City of Kings Mountain opened to the public tions, reunions, and junior-senior
In what School Board involved. in June 1983 as assistant to offering senior citizens the proms.
Chairman George Litton A 1978 graduate of Kings the director of the MONTY THORNBURG perfect atmosphere to See Thornburg, 3A
See West, 12A
y y { 4
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