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MAUNEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
100 S PIEDMONT AVE
KINGS MOUNTAIN NC 28086-3450
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Volume 120 ¢ Issue 52 « Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry
Christmas
from the Staff of
ScissorSmith & Co. Salon
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Decision of
LBTD vote
rests with voters
By EMILY WEAVERY/
Editor
Signatures are still being col-
lected on petitions for a mixed-
beverage-sales-within-city-
limits vote, after the call for a
referendum was turned down by
city council in September.
Citizens for Progress, a group
of citizens still seeking a vote on
the issue, initiated a petition
with the Cleveland ' County
Board of Elections on October
7, 2008. They have until January
5, 2009 to collect the 1,971 sig-
natures they need from regis-
tered voters before a referendum
can be called through the BOE.
Only the signatures of regis-
tered voters, who reside within
Kings Mountain city limits, will
be counted.
Merchants, business owners
and others throughout the com-
munity have utilized opportuni-
ties like the Gateway Festival,
Election Day polling sites, and
Mountaineer Christmas to col-
lect signatures. They have even
set up petition sites at places
like the ABC store, Parker’s
Amoco, and Bobby Horne Con-
struction where folks can go and
sign.
Future economic develop-
ment was one of the leading fac-
tors behind Citizens for
Progress‘ push for a LBTD vote.
With the staggering job losses
the city has seen in recent
months, some who may have
opposed the vote before are now
signing the petition.
Gregg Johnson, with Citizens
for Progress, told The Herald in
a previous interview that signing
the petition does not mean you
are for mixed beverage sales, it
just means that you agree citi-
zens should vote on the issue.
But several churches and oth-
ers in the community have op-
posed all attempts at a vote,
saying that allowing mixed
beverage sales would open
the city up to more crime
and unsavory establish-
ments.
In the end, the decision,
and the decision of
whether or not a decision
will be made inthe matter
rests with the voters.
J
day at the National Guard Armory.
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor :
pd ine ae of Svein
the Armory in Kings Mountain at 7 a.m. on F
day for a shoe giveaway that started at 10,
Although the early morning's rushing crowd
and traffic congestion fizzled out to a steady
proved to be a reflection of the times. And this
did not go unnoticed.
“Santa’s cobblers” Mike Butler, Dean
Spears, Rick Murphrey and friends pooled their
pairs of shoes to give to the community. They
had hosted a similar shoe giveaway at the
Patrick Senior Center two years ago. They gave
Councilman Rick Wore, left, and Counciiman Mike Butler, right, help Soleta
Wilson shop for Jakayla, 2, and Nake-bea Wilson, with Sania s Cobblers Fri~
y:
structions were simple, ‘the crowds were
contained and hundreds, if not more, were
‘helped. ‘Small groups, coming in shifts, filtered
into the Armory’s gymnasium with the instruc-
‘tion of “one pair per person.” Although there
‘were some, who tried to get more than one pair
stream of shoe-seekers by 11 a.m., the turnout
good deed of citizens helping their neighbors
own money to purchase a freight load of 1,500
— Santa’s Cobblers —
Photo by Lib Stewart
Citizens give 1,500 pairs of shoes to sightan
A difference made t to over 5, 000 people i in 3 years
furniture away in 2007. But this year ’s give
away was different. :
or who returned multiple times for their “one
pair,” there were others whose stories warmed
the “cobblers” hearts.
Butler shared the story of one boy at a local
elementary school who had been coming to
school in his mother’s shoes. He was contacted
See GIVEAWAY, Page 4A
Herald file photo
The Christmas Eve luminary show of
candles at city-owned Mountain Rest
Cemetery is expected to be the
biggest ever Wednesday with some
5,000 lights. The public is invited from
6 p.m.-midnight to walk or drive
through the cemetery.
Luminaries shine
tonight at cemetery
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff Writer
The Christmas Eve luminary show of
candles at city-owned Mountain Rest Ceme-
tery will be triple what it was last year with
over 5,000 lights, the 2008 event shaping up
to be the most impressive ever.
The public is invited to drive through or
walk through the cemetery beginning at 6
p.m., entering the Main Gate on Dilling Street
and exitlng the cemetery on Deal Street. The
cemetery will be open, rain or shine, from 6
p.m. until midnight.
See LUMINARIES, Page 3A
City inks 20 year contract for water
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain and Cleve-
land County inked its largest
private-public contract in
its history - a $350- $450 mil-
lion dollar investment by South-
ern Power Co.- in a signed
agreement Monday during a
joint meeting of both the Kings
Mountain City Council and
County Board of Commissioners
at the H. Lawrence Patrick Sen-
ior & Conference Center.
By the agreement Kings
Mountain signed a 20 year con-
tract with Southern Power to sell
12.5 million gallons of raw
water from Moss Lake and the
city’s treatment plant daily to
the Atlanta-based company and
provide 850,000 gallons of
potable water daily to generate
steam to produce electricity at a
proposed natural gas-fueled elec-
tric generating plant on 275 acres
of land near Grover. “This is an
early Christmas present for
Kings Mountain and all of
Cleveland County,’* said Jo
Boggs, chairman of the Cleve-
land County Board of Com-
missioners.
Mayor Rick Murphrey, who
welcomed the group, echoed
Boggs’ remarks, saying “This
is a great day for Kings Moun-
tain.”
In addition to city council,
Southern Power officials,
county commission and Cham-
ber of Commerce members,
Senator-Elect Debbie Clary
and Rep. Tim Moore also at-
tended the signing ceremony to
offer congratulations.
Southern Power, the largest
wholesale energy provider in
the Southeast, plans to begin
initial construction of its
Grover plant by 2010 with
opening projected for 2012.
With full development city and
county officials expect the
project to be the county’s
largest taxpayer.
Photo by Emily Weaver
City and county officials inked a historic contract Monday with
Southern Power, the largest wholesale energy provider in the
Southeast. Seated, L-R Buddy Jessup of Southern Power, Mayor
Rick Murphrey and County Commission Chairman Jo Boggs.
Standing, from left, front row, City Councilmen Howard Shipp,
Rick Moore, Houston Corn, Mike Butler, Rodney Gordon, Dean
Spears, Jerry Mullinax and county commissioners Ronnie
Hawkins, Johnny Hutchins, and Mary Accor.
Eaton lays off 87 employees; total layoffs climb to 900
by ELIZABETH STEWART
staff writer
Eaton Corporation’s Kings
Mountain plant will lay off 87
employees Dec. 31, the latest
blow to the area hard hit by the
down turn in the economy which
has put 900 people looking for
jobs.
Plant Manager Mike [zzi
called the production layoffs
temporary and said of the 51 em-
ployees laid off Nov. 14, 27 are
still out on temporary layoff and
have had no change in status.
efits for six months, not
-
a
Building Communities
inn
resin
During a temporary layoff the
company continues medical ben-
COBRA, but the same plan as
active workers. He said for six
months Eaton pays its part, the
employees pay their part and the
benefits remain the same. Dis-
placed workers can sign up for
unemployment compensation for
up to a year provided they main-
tain a work search record (ask for
a job at two places per week.)
Claims may be made by tele- °
phone, on the Internet or by visits
See LAYOFFS, Page 3A
Fan dllety
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209 S. Battleground Avenue, Kings Mountain
704.739.5411 ¢ www.alliancebankandtrust.com
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