Page 2 |
The Kings Mountain Herald
City council denies
REBECCA PISCOPO
. rpiscopo@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain City Council
voted down a referendum (4-3),
which would have called for a
vote on mixed beverage sells in
city limits, at their meeting
Tuesday night.
Council members Houston
Corn, Mike Butler, Dean Spears,
and Rodney Gordon voted no.
Jerry Mullinax, Rick Moore, and
Howard Shipp elected yes.
Butler said that since he
released his phone number in
the “Kings Mountain Herald's”
September 4th issue to poll the
citizens, he has received six
calls for yes, and several more
for no.
“I was elected by the people,
for the people,” Butler said
adding that he felt the people
had, by leaving voicemails on
his landline, expressed what
they wanted. His vote against
the referendum, he believes,
represents that.
However, Mullinax said,
“This town is in bad economic
shape.” He added that the
shocking rate of 8.8% unem-
ployment in Cleveland County
doesn't help.
Charlotte lawyer, leader of
Citizens for Progress (a KM
committee which focuses on
different economic develop-
ment projects), and KM resi-
dent, Gina Collias expressed,
after the meeting, that she was
not impressed with the
Council's decision. She said that
they overlooked the skyrocket
unemployment rate and
blocked people’s right to vote.
Houston Corn, who served
on the police department for 25
years, pushed the fact that he
didn't want more police officers
to see more death caused by
drunk driving or domestic
abuse.
A packed house in City
Council listened to the con and
pro debates. Audience mem-
bers on both sides of the argu-
ment sported mixed stickers,
exclaiming “Just say no!” or
“Let us vote!” Ten spoke for the
vote for LBTD, and seven spoke
against.
Multiple arguments, central
theme
Although there were multiple
arguments brought before
council on whether or not to
have a vote, the number one
concern from both sides cen-
tered around what is best for
the people.
Nurse Kay Hambright said
that she never heard her alco-
holic father say I love you.
“I had a Christian mother,”
she said, who prayed every
night for father.
But even when her father
stopped drinking at the end of
his life, the damage was done.
She expressed her position
saying “As a registered nurse,
I've seen so many times what it
does to people. There was a
gentleman I saw whose stom-
ach was so swollen you could
LBTD referendum 4-3
see every vein."
Collias said that she under-
stood such health concerns.
“My maternal grandmother
was an alcoholic. She died of
psorosis of the liver. I under-
stand the disease!” Collias
exclaimed. “And I still want my
right to vote! We cannot imper-
ilize moving our community
forward by fear!”
Property owner Mark Beach,
who also argued for the referen-
dum, said that without LBTD,
restaurants will not come and
bring jobs. He said that
investors have gone with him
through KM saying, “One of the
things they asked me after driv-
ing around our beautiful town
was, “Why does a community
like (yours) at the apex of two
major roads..., why do you have
so many empty lots?’ Because
we have no business investing.”
Former Council member
Keith Miller presented pictures
of persons damaged by drink-
ing in one hand and, in the
other, held a money bag, which
he claimed was a symbol for the
economic development argu-
ment, aligned with “Judas
betraying Jesus.”
Miller called on council to
stand and protect its citizens
against allowing yet another
avenue for the threat of drink-
ing.
Pastor of Faith Baptist Church
and property owner, J.R. Robins
agreed.
See DECISION, Page 12
Two
REBECCA PISCOPO
rpiscopo@kingsmountainherald.com
"Land has been cleared on Gold
Street for two new apartment com-
plexes, “King Falls” and
“Cleveland Ridge,” by the
Pendegraph Company of Raleigh.
Mayor Rick Murphrey said, of
Pendegraph, “They re really profes-
sional people that own these apart-
ments.” :
While Pendegraph hasn't
released a date as to when both
complexes will be .completed, it is
certain that each are made to suit
citizens who are in different stages
of their lives.
“King Falls” will be built for sen-
iors ages 55 and older, according to
Murphrey. It will feature special
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Moving Wall comes
The Vietnam Memorial
Moving Wall will be stationed
at the KM Walking Track, on
Cleveland Ave., October 2-6,
2008. An opening ceremony
will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday,
October 2, 2008.
The speaker will be Brigadier
General Ernest Brockman, Jr.,
Ret. Army National Guard.
During the opening ceremony,
the names of the 121 fallen
heroes from Cleveland, Gaston,
Lincoln, Rutherford and
Cherokee counties will be read.
The closing ceremony will
begin at 2 p.m. Monday,
October 6, 2008 with speaker
Col. James Quincy Collins, Jr.,
Ret. USAF, Vietnam POW.
The Vietnam Memorial, in
Washington, D.C., stands as a
reminder of the sacrifices of the
2.7 million American men and
women of the Armed Forces
made in service to our country.
Inspired by such dedication, a
group of Vietnam Veterans had
a vision to honor the 58,000 fall-
en heroes and share the mean-
Thursday
ing of this memorial with
everyone. The Moving Wall has
visited over 1,000 communities
throughout the country, provid-
ing an opportunity for loved
ones, comrades and all who
love America to pay tribute to
those who served their country
with honor.
The wall is being brought to
KM with the help of the Kings
Mountain Historical Museum
Board of Directors and the
Moving Wall Committee.
security conditions for the retired
community.
ADVERTISING
| Classified - 1 p.m. Monday
NEWS ITEMS & SOCIAL NOTES
12 p.m. Monday
LETTERS to the EDITOR
12 p.m. Monday
OBITUARIES
5 p.m. Tuesday
: REBECCA PISCOPO/HERALD
Construction and bulldozers work to clear land for the build-
ing of a new apartment complex on Gold Street.
apartment
complexes to be
built on Gold Street
. “We feel really good about the 36
senior apartments,” Murphrey
said, adding that they will be for the
elderly, “that don’t have as much
income.”
Tenants living in either set of
apartments can apply through the
NC Finance Housing Services for
helping paying their rent.
“Cleveland Ridge Apartments”
will be available to anyone includ-
ing young couples, families, or sin-
gles. It will house 48 units.
“They're nice apartments,”
Murphrey said, “but there are
(financial assistance) credits that can
be given”
Murphrey announced that along
with the new complexes another
one with 12 units, for those needing
handicap assistance, will be builtat
Cherokee and Wilson Streets.
Display Ads - 12 p.m. - Friday oo