The Kings Mountain Herald
dE LR AS hi
March 6, 2008
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Rumors have flown through
town about a possible upcom-
ing liquor by the drink referen-
dum for the City of Kings
Mountain. Although it has been
discussed among citizens and
city council members lately,
whether or not a referendum
will come up lies in the hands of
the populace.
A group of individuals, with
economic development in
mind, have questioned city
council members about the pos-
sibility of getting a referendum
for liquor by the drink. But
most of the councilmen have
shied away from “leaving their
fingerprints on this train
wreck,” telling the citizens that
if they want the referendum
they should petition for it.
“I think that’s the best route,
just to petition for one,” said
Mayor Pro-Tem Rodney
Gordon.
“Let the people decide,” said
Councilman Rick Moore, who
just returned from vacation. “I
don’t have a dog in this fight.”
“If they want it they should
NEWS BRIEFS
do the petition,” said
Councilman Dean Spears. “I
don’t think council should be
involved.”
Gordon added that if sup-
porters can’t collect enough sig-
natures on a petition to hold a
referendum, then the issue
probably wouldn't pass at the
referendum phase anyway.
Cleveland County Board of
Elections Director Debra
Blanton said that in order to
petition for a referendum, such
as liquor bythe drink, petition-
ers would need to collect signa-
tures from at least 35 percent of
the registered voters. She said
that from the most recent data
collected in October, there are
6,007 registered voters in Kings
Mountain. Petitioners would
need at least 2,102 signatures to
call for a referendum.
Once enough names are col-
lected on the petition, Blanton
said that the Board of Elections
would have about 30 days to
determine the petition’s suffi-
ciency and then would schedule
the election no sooner than 60
days nor later than 120 days
from the date the petition was
Jones joins Navy on
Delayed Entry Program
Christopher N. Jones has
joined the United States Army
under the Delayed - Entry
Program. The program gives
young men and women the
opportunity to delay entering
active duty for up to one year.
The enlistment gives the new
soldier the option to learn a
new skill, travel and become
eligible to receive as much as
$50,000 toward a college educa-
tion. After completion of basic
military training, soldiers
receive advanced individual
training in their career job spe-
cialty prior to being assigned to
their first permanent duty sta-
tion.
The recruit, a prior-service
member, enlisted for four years
and qualified for a $25,000
enlistment bonus. He reported
for Advance Individual
Training at Fort Gordon,
Augusta, Ga., in February.
He is the son of Maria U. and
Anthony M. Jones of Hardin
Circle, Grover.
Miracle Amusements
buys Town & Country
Miracle Amusements recently
purchased Town & Country
Catering, 115 Park Grace Road,
Kings Mountain.
The new family dining room
area seats 200 and is open each
Sunday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
for buffet lunch.
For more information call
704-507-3883. x
Easter bunny to visit
kids at Cleveland Mall
The Easter bunny will arrive
at Cleveland Mall March 8 at 2
p.m. to kick off the spring sea-
Son. ?
Children can join in several
fun activities surrounding the
event. Free games with prizes
will be sponsored by Falls
Insurance. Students from Step-
n-Out Dance Productions will
perform at 2:15.
The bunny will be available
for visits and pictures at center
court.
verified by the board. Although
some thought they would have
a better chance getting it on the
November ballot with the presi-
dential election, Blanton said
that NC General Statute states:
“No alcoholic beverage election
may be held on the Tuesday
next after the first Monday in
November of an even-num-
bered year (NCGS 18B-601f).”
Gregg Johnson, who is famil-
iar with the current interest in a
liquor by the drink referendum,
said that he doesn’t think it has
reached the point of petition
just yet.
Liquor by the drink talks
came up at Mountaineer
Partnership’s downtown revi-
talization meetings. Several
business owners have been in
favor of the issue, not necessari-
ly for the alcohol but for the
high-scale restaurants and fur-
ther economic development the
city could attract.
Johnson, who sees both sides
of the issue as a businessman
and a Christian, said that a lot
of people who want to eat at an
Applebee’s or an Outback
Steakhouse are driving to
Shelby and. Gastonia. Liquor-
by-the-drink supporters say
that they could tap into that
customer-base and possibly
attract even more because of the
city’s access to I-85 and Hwy.
74. Supporters argue that the
current ban on full-bar restau-
rants prohibits these establish-
ments from settling in KM.
“I wonder if that’s the only
thing holding back a chain like
that coming to Kings
Mountain,” said Pastor Jeff
Hensley, of KM Baptist Church.
Those against liquor by the
drink are concerned of its addi-
tional availability and visibility
in the city. “They think of the
dangers that come with people
who don’t manage it well,”
Hensley said. He added that
many also fear the dangers that
may come from people having
more and more access to the
liquor.
“Clearly, there is evidence in
the scripture that people drank.
Biblically, speaking, alcohol is
there, but the Bible's stance on it
is to not drink to excess,” he
said.
Another lesson in the Bible,
taught by the Apostle Paul,
explains that “if your neighbor
would stumble because of your
doing it, then don’t do it,”
Hensley paraphrased. “I'm not
convinced that liquor by the
drink is the only thing standing
in the way of our growing.”
The issue of liquor by. the
drink has arisen before. Could it
really bring progress? Could it
really stain the moral fabric of
Kings Mountain?
“What I'm telling the people
is I want to see facts,” Gordon
said. “Everybody says it’s going
to stimulate the economy in
Kings Mountain. Show me the
facts. People for it say it will
help and people against it say it
won't help. Present the facts as
you present your case.”
Gordon says that without the
facts, he is torn on the issue. He |
has heard from and is support-
ed by people on both sides. He
can see the possibility from an
economic standpoint, but is also
affected by the morality factor.
“I, represent the people but I
also have my morals and ethics
that I have to stand behind,” he
said.
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