Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Nov. 1, 2007, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 2 SOUR LocAL The Kings Mountain Herald November 1, 2007 City, school board elections Tuesday “i: gstewart@kingsmountainherald.com Kings Mountain, Grover and Cleveland County citizens will go to the polls Tuesday to elect City Council and School Board mem- bers. Based on the recent City of Shelby election which drew only a 12 percent voter turnout, County Elections Board Director Debra Blanton predicts a 15 percent turnout, but urges higher numbers. “It may be that people are thinking that everything is focused on next year’s Presidential election and they're thinking ‘why vote this year, I'm going to vote next year” she said. “But the local candidates are the ones that will affect you more than who will be president.” Blanton said no excuse absentee early vot- ing is available today and Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Elections Board, 215 Patton Dr., Shelby. Voters may want to check their voter regis- tration card to make sure which precinct they're in. If anyone has a question, they are welcome to call the Board of Elections at 484- 4858, Blanton said. Polls will be open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m.- 7:30 p.m. Blanton said votes should be post- ed by 9 p.m. on the Elections Board website at www.clevelandcounty.com. Kings Mountain City Council results will also be posted on a board at City Hall. The lobby of city hall will be open by 7 p.m. and a repre- sentative of the city will be on hand at the Elections Board to phone in the results to Kings Mountain. In Kings Mountain, Mayor Rick Murphrey and Ward 1 Councilman Howard Shipp are unopposed but all other councilmen face opposition. No one filed against Ward 3 Councilman Jerry Mullinax, but since filing ended Wayne Worcester has launched a write-in campaign. Some of the 16 people running in Kings Mountain will be awarded four-year terms in a new staggered election set-up that was approved by the U.S. Justice Department ear- lier this year. The winners of the mayor, Ward 1, 4 and 5 races and the top vote-getter in the At-Large race will receive four-year terms ending in 2011. All others elected will have two-year terms ending in 2009. After the 2009 election all office-holders in Kings Mountain will serve four-year terms. There are six seats available on the Cleveland County Board of Education, five of which will be for four years. Kings Mountain residents running for a seat are incumbents Terry McClain and Shearra Miller and former educators Bobby Scoggins and Connie Phifer Savell. The City of Grover has a unique situation in that only one person filed for the two open seats on Town Council. Incumbent Jackie Bennett is seeking re-election but Barry Toney chose not to run. The second seat will be filled by a write-in winner. Former coun- cilman Bill Willis has launched a write-in campaign, and there may be others. Incumbent mayor Robbie Sides is being opposed by longtime Grover resident Sam Stevenson. First Gateway Trails meeting draws big crowd MILY WEAVER “i eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com Sixty-one people attended the first public meeting of the Gateway Trails last Monday night at the H. Lawrence Patrick Senior Life and Conference Center. The group was divided among several round tables, each head- ed by a captain from Gateway Trails Inc. Jonathan Wood, senior associate of HadenStanziale, a planning, landscape architecture and civil engineering firm out of Charlotte, asked everyone a list of questions. The eight questions were discussed and answered by each table, then presented to the room, according to vice presi- dent of the trails committee Shirley Brutko. The first question was: “What can the Gateway Trail mean to the Kings Mountain region?” Common responses among the groups were: an increase in trav- el and tourism, a KM connection to area parks, promoting health and wellness and economic development. The second question asked, “What can the Gateway Trail mean to you, as a user?” The general consensus was that the trail will create more opportuni- ties for fitness and nature explo- rations and a connection to the parks. The third question asked the public what kind of ameni- ties should be located along the trail or at the trailhead. Responses included, an amphitheater, shelters, benches, rest rooms, trash cans, water access, call boxes for phone access, directional and/or mileage signs, an educational facility, lighting, designated camping areas, wildlife informa- tion, play areas for children, cod- ing to identify difficulty of trail, mountain bike trails, parking, fencing, fitness stations and con- cessions. “Where should connections and linkages occur?” Downtown Kings Mountain, I-85, Galilee Church Road, Alex D. Owens Road, rest area and parks were Common answers. The fifth questions asked, “What imagery defines the char- acter of the Gateway Trail?” The groups had different responses: varied terrains, boulders, history, wildlife, nature, gems and min- erals or geology. The next ques- tion, which asked if everyone knew where the three parks were located, was answered with a short “yes.” Other concerns addressed were safety and emergency situ- ation issues, trail maintenance, whether or not animals will be allowed, security, the possibility of a mineral museum downtown and an amphitheater at Boulder’s Access in Crowders Mountain State Park, shuttle service, liability, the need to keep people from wandering off the trail, width of trail, and littering. “I thought the turnout was very good, especially for a Monday night,” Wood said, adding that he felt very positive about the public's feedback. “Many are looking forward to connecting Kings Mountain to the State Parks and other region- al trail systems. Many of the attendees see the trail as an opportunity to improve their health and well being and spend more family time together.” Dwayne Stutzman, mountain region trails specialist for the state, said that utilizing public input is very important when crafting a master plan. “A good master plan is only good if it reflects the public’s opinions,” he said. Wood said that he thinks the community’s responses “will help identify potential amenities and activities that might occur or be located along the trail.” He added that suggestions could also “potentially shape future routes.” Stutzman said that he feels very good about where the trail process is at the moment. “Everything continues. to fall into place. We call that ‘trail magic” when it happens - when things just seem to fall into place,” he said. Although the competition for grants can be rather competitive, Wood said, “I feel that Gateway Trails stands a very good chance of receiving a grant or two along the way.” The proposed path that may one day be very significant to Kings Mountain, is already unique in its own right. “The sig- nificant difference about the Gateway Trail is that it is one of a number of huge trail’ systems that are going to tie into the his- toric aspect of a region,” Stutzman said. With the trail’s proposed connectability, alone, the Gateway Trail stands out as unique. Wood said that HadenStanziale joined the KM Gateway Trails Inc. effort in August. “He has been hired to do the Master Plan and apply for the PARTF grant for the trails,” Brutko said. Stutzman has been working with Gateway Trails Inc. since the concept for it began years ago. HOW TO REACH US Report your news to The Herald by mail at P.O. Box 769, Kings Mountain, NC 28086; You may also bring it by our office at 824- 1 East King St.; call 704-739- 7496. fax 704-739-0611 or Email gstewart@kingsmountainher- ald.com LOCAL CANDIDATES Candidates who are running for Kings Mountain City Council: Mayor Rick Murphrey (I). Ward 1 Howard Shipp (I). Ward 2 Mike Butler (I). Brenda Ross Danny McAbee Ward 3 Jerry Mullinax (I). Wayne Worcester (write-in) Ward 4 Rodney Gordon (I). Kay Hambright Ward 5 Rick Moore Keith Miller (I). At Large Dean Spears (I). Houston Corn (I). Ric Francis Curtis O. Pressley James Emmett Carroll Candidates who have filed for Cleveland County Board of Education: Connie Phifer Savell S. Dale Oliver Shearra B. Miller (I) Terry B. McClain (I) Tommy C. Greene (I) Burney Drake Richard Hooker Jr. (I) Kenneth A. Ledford Bobby N. Scoggins John C. “Jack” Hamrick Jr. (I) Candidates who have filed for Grover Town Council: Mayor Sammy “Sam” N. Stevenson Robert Sides (I). Council* Jackie Bennett *There are two seats available on Grover Council, those held cur- rently by Jackie Bennett and Barry Toney. Since only one per- son filed, the second seat will be determined by write-in votes. Laurie Mancuso Licensed Aesthetician When You Feed Good, You Look Good!!! Relax, Recharge, Rejuvenate! Any Massag € Vecaliment 15% OFF * Offer expires 10-31-07 Kevin Jones Massage Therapist, LMBT NC Lic #3815 116 S. Railroad Ave., Kings Mt., NC 704-734-1133 © 704-734-1135 v ie IEEE Se psa RS R a —
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 1, 2007, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75