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108'S. Bedmont Ave.
Kings Mountain, NC.
739-2591
Two restanrauts join forces
Big E's BBQ moving into 238 Cherokee Street downtown
Eric “Big E” Pardo, left, shakes hands with his new business partner at 238 Chero-
kee Street Tavern, Robert Bolin.
CCS
stands
against
bullies
p= ELIZABETH STEWART
_ lib.kmherald@gmail.com
School bullies create misery for
children victimized by their actions.
That's why parents and teachers are
taking a stand, school board members
said Monday night.
"Eighty percent of our students do
what, you ask them, 15 percent do it
but need direction and 5 percent need
mediation," said Dr. Stephen Fisher,
Director of Administrative Services
for Cleveland County Schools, in a
presentation on the NC Bullying Law
to the Board of Education's Monday
night workshop.
See CCS, 7A
t
—— CAREFUL CROSSING —
ws EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Two popular restaurants are joining forces in
Kings Mountain. To the delight of diners down-
town, all of the favored dishes at Big E's BBQ will
be served at 238 Cherokee Street Tavern come
Monday. ’
Award-winning chef "Big E" Eric Pardo is
moving into Robert Bolin's 238 on Monday, bring-
ing with him his smokers, mouth-watering Fecipes
and seven employees.
"All of the great food you could order at Big
E's, you'll be able to get here. And this merger is
coming without any layoffs," Bolin said.
His restaurant was chosen as the site of then-
presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's visit to
- Kings Mountain because of Bolin's commitment
to create and keep jobs in a county that has been
rocked by high unemployment. Gingrich came
near the end of April. The restaurant was packed. -
Do you see the difference at the West Gold Street train crossing? The City
of Kings Mountain, in an increased safety effort, has installed new "stops"
to keep trucks from crossing the tracks. Orange barricades and posts that
eliminate wide vehicles from crossing add to the "absolutely no truck traf-
fic" signs already posted. The city will conduct a public hearing June 26 at
6 p.m. on whether to permanently close the Oak Street crossing a block
away. It has been the scene of numerous wrecks by truck drivers ignoring
the signs. After meeting with railroad officials, city leaders are determined
not to close the Gold Street crossing.
ion.
KYRA TURNER / HERALD
Public hearing
set Thursday on
KM city budget
City council will conduct
a public hearing Thursday at
6 p.m. on the proposed $34.4
million budget for fiscal year
2012-13. ;
The public is invited to
give input at the special
meeting in Council Cham-
bers at city hall.
After a public hearing,
the board is slated to adopt
the budget, = which is
$211,000 less than last year.
It includes a 3 percent
across-the-boards cost of liv-
ing raise for the 180 full time
8171985250020
city employees and money
for three new programs as
well as capital projects.
City Manager Marilyn
Sellers said at recent work
sessions that the big obstacle
in balancing the budget was
the cost to the city for health -
insurance. Last year the
city's tab for claims for
health insurance = was
$30,000 a week. City em-
ployees receive health and
dental coverage and spouses
get reduced rates.
The pilot = programs
funded in the new year
budget include a "Smart
Meter" program, which is
expected to expedite utility
See HEARING, 7A
‘If you dream it, you can do it.’
Big E's BBQ is likely to bring in more Sods
to mingle with the many regular diners already en-
joying the home-style favorites served at the Tav-
ern.
'T think what our menu has to offer and his
seems to be a perfect fit," Bolin said.
The Cherokee Street Tavern opened in January
of last year, as a second location of Cramerton's
Center Street Tavern. Bolin purchased the business
on Aug. 15, a day before Pardo's birthday.
~The two restaurateurs have been talking about
a possible merger for several months. The move
will allow Pardo the freedom to explore his pas-
sion in cooking, catering and competing in BBQ
cook-offs, while Bolin continues to manage the
restaurant.
Pardo has continued to place in the top 10 for
pork in every contest he's competed in since 2009.
Last year at Gastonia's Carolina Smoke-off BBQ
See BIG E'S, 7A
$13K Schools’
audit finds S2K
as only misuse
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmail.com
An independent audit of the schools' books has found no
additional-purchases for personal items by employees other
than those questioned in a state probe last March into misuse
of over $2,000 in local funds in the school system's mainte-
nance department.
Martin Starnes & Associates, hired by the county schools
ata cost of $13,000, has completed a "focused" audit and re-
viewed the procedure used and the findings in a report to the f
school board Monday night.
The accountant said his job was not to express an opin-
: t
Some of the expenditures questioned in the 2011 state
probe into the system maintenance department ‘went back
several years, Finance Director Dr. David Lee said. "We have
been doing what we needed to do," he added, referring to the
audit authorized by the school board after an investigative
report from the N.C. Auditor that found local funds misspent
by some employees in the maintenance department.
~ Since hiring the accounting firm to perform a "focused"
audit, the board has
hired a permanent internal auditor for the school system
and budgeted $89,539 for the position, including benefits.
See AUDIT, 7A
yg
Paul Ledford, left, and his classmates of 2012 look out to the stadium stands, packed with loved ones and fans at
Graduation Friday night. FOR THE FULL STORY AND MORE PHOTOS, see page 3A.
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