Volume 123 + Issue 4 » Wednesday, January 26, 2011 5 0 Opting out: Lutherans have choices: Bishop By EMILY WEAVER . Editor Lutheran churches have the option of “opting out” of a national decision to allow gay ministers without leaving the national assembly, a state bishop told members of the Resurrection Lutheran Church Sunday. The churches have other options in deal- ing with the issues that have led to a split among Kings Mountain Lutherans. On Nov. 21, church members voted on whether or not to change its membership from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America to the newly-formed North Ameri- can Lutheran Church Synod. The NALC was created by some, who split from the ELCA after it voted to allow people in life-long monogamous gay relationships to serve as pastors in August 2009. But in September 2009, ELCA delegates also voted to allow individual churches to “opt out” of their decision through declara- tions of their own beliefs, according to N.C. Synod Bishop Leonard Bolick. Churches will still choose their own pas- tors and councils can draw up their own dec- larations, to affirm and announce their own stance on the issue. ; Congregations can also elect how their monetary contributions are spent. Church councils can choose not to send money to the ELCA and even to the state synod without fear of an end to services or support. Al- though, Bolick added that if a church de- cided to stop sending money to the state synod they would probably visit with the congregation and ask them to reconsider. Churches everywhere and of all denomi- nations have struggled in the Great Reces- sion. Unemployment has led to lower tithes. Having less in the collection plates has even spurred some local churches to hold car- washes to keep up utilities. But adding a contentious rhorality issue to the mix of a bad economy has been like the “perfect storm” for the Lutheran church, Bolick said. More than 700 congregations across the _ country have voted on whether or not to stick with ELCA or switch to NALC. A two-thirds majority is needed for a vote to pass. It did not pass at Resurrection Lutheran. The issue can be brought up again in fewer than five months. But after the vote, whether passing or, not, the splinter seemed to tear the con- gregation in two. Sixty members left Resur- rection to start their own church — Advent Lutheran — one of 13 (soon to be 16) North Carolina church members of the NALC. See LUTHERANS, 7A Banking on grants ff 7 0 i DN "KYRA ALEXANDER/HERALD Downtown bank building up for renovation. Moore seeks grant for bank renovation By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer The old landmark bank build- ing at 201 South Battleground Av- enue in the heart of the business district has been acquired by N.C. Representative Tim Moore and his wife, Julie. The Moores are applying through the city for up to $40,000 - and based on five jobs - for a NC Rural Center building reuse and restoration grant. Bobby Horne, Kings Moun- tain developer, is designer for the renovation. In his application to the city, Tim Moore, a Kings Mountain lawyer, said that he plans to add four-five staff members to his law practice. Preliminarily, he plans to hire two full time assistants/para- legals and two-three new lawyers spending . roughly $150,000- $200,000 on renovations to the old First National Bank building. City council Tuesday author- ized Mayor Rick Murphrey' to submit the Moore grant applica- tion. Councilmen took the recom- - mendation of a review application * and approved resolutions award- ing four incentive grants. City council took the recom- mendation of a review application committee and approved resolu- tions awarding the grants Tuesday night. ‘Darrell L. Keller is seeking a facade grant of $5,000 and a-gen- eral - inducement grant of $1,783.20 to renovate’a: former body repair shop at 105 S. City Street into office space for his CPAfirm. Keller said it will cost $251,700 to rehabilitate the build- ing. Leonard and Ann Marie Wright, 406 Fulton Drive, are ap- plying for a downtown incentive grant for Dance Magic, including a facade grant of $5,000 and gen- eral inducement grant . for $1,135.85 tor add two new awnings, new windows, doors and paint to the metal building at 301 S. Battleground Avenue. John O. Harris Interests has applied for a downtown incentive (facade) grant for J. Oliver’s Cof- fee Shop, 211 Battleground Av- enue, for $5,000 and a general inducement grant for $1,802.84. Harris has spent over $90,000 in - See GRANT, 7A A Family Tradition of Di $ Service & Understandi ge ng gl RT ke 108 S- Piedmont Ave. Pe . Kings Mountain, NC fr 739-2591 Schools buried mn budget blizzard By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer Their faces Monday night at the county school board meeting mirrored the grim situation facing county school leaders but no one mentioned publicly the cuts expected to 60 “to 76 school positions in Cleveland County as the North Car- olina Legislature wields the ax on school budgets across the state. : Cleveland County Schools is looking at a 5 or 10 percent cut in the 2011-2012 school year which translates to a loss in funds to the local district of $5.6 to $8.5 million, according to proposed reductions from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction on order of Gov. Beverly Perdue. Trimming the budget will be a piece of work as local leg- islators head back to Raleigh this week for the opening of the General Assembly. The state expects a whopping $3.7 bil- lion budget shortfall. Some school systems in the state are facing harsher cuts than the local district. Monday night’s meeting was time for recognition of stu- dents, a visiting Kingstown delegation and Relay for Life leaders who were all smiles as they presented plaques and praised schools for community participation. The major item of business for decision by the board was to set Saturdays as any future snow-make-up days on rec- See SNOW DAYS, 7A Horne hailed Main Street Champion By EMILY WEAVER Editor In 2006-07, he designed J. Oliver’s Coffee Shop and Al- liance Bank. On Thursday, this downtown property owner — Bobby Horne of Horne Construction & Design will receive one of the highest honors for his efforts. Horne, who has ownership in eight buildings and has ren- ovated six of them, will be recognized as the “Main Street Champion” for downtown Kings Mountain at a North Car- olina Main Street Annual Awards banquet Thursday night in Shelby. : “I’m excited. I just want to see this town go,” Horne said on Monday. Horne has played an active role in downtown redevelop- ment. In addition to the design and interior construction of J. Oliver’s and Alliance Bank, Horne renovated property near Dellinger’s Jewel Shop for the Ervin Clinic. Over the past few months, he has been busy working with See HORNE, 7A SNOWED UNDER New apartments offer convenient amenities By EMILY WEAVER Editor Motorists who traveled down Gold Street last year probably saw it grow. Its foundations - were being poured then. Its timbers were being raised, as the construe- tion of one of the city’s newest residential communi- ties was resurrected in a val- ley across from the cemetery. Kings Falls Apartments, a ..87985257°00200 retirement complex, and Cleveland Ridge, an afford- able housing community for small families, opened in November, off of Ruppe Street. Several residents now call this one-block neighbor- hood home. : But now a few months after its opening, “some peo- ple still don’t know who we are or what we are,” noted Regional Property Manager Lisa Willis. Put simply, the commu- nity is an affordable housing complex where residency is qualified based on income but rent is not. In other words, once residency is qualified, rent is controlled. For seniors age 55 and older, who may get a part- time job in the future, this could be a safe haven in their era of retirement. For fami- lies struggling to make ends meet this could help. & Both complexes, on the same estate, offer fitness fa- cilities, computer centers with Internet access, activi- ties, rooms, laundry rooms (with washer/dryer hook-ups in apartments), and a medi- tation room/chapel and crafts room in the seniors building. A playground sits outside of the family units. Kings Falls, open to sen- _iors 55 and older, houses 28 one bedroom apartments and eight two bedroom apart- ments. Four of the units are for the handicapped or dis- abled, featuring ‘roll-in - showers, tubs with grab bars, and conveniences like low- ered light switches and emergency pull cords. Site manager Lynn Yarbro stands outside of the entryway to Kings Falls Apartments. All apartment units come equipped with a fire extin- _ guisher in the kitchen and a sprinkler system that auto- matically lets the fire depart- ment know of any trouble. Banks Trust Hy Te Building Trust. Building Smiles, 209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain © 704.739.5411 www.alliancebanknc.com . memser ric JENA awe st eo . Senior residents share a common hallway, but getting into the building without clearance can be tricky. See APARTMENTS, 4A f
