Wednesday, May 13, 2015
The Kings Mountain Herald | www.kmherald.com
Action Plan in the
Pension plans in trouble
Wayne Turner retired in
1973 after 32 years driving a
package car for United ‘Par-
cel Service, ;
Now he says his monthly
pension is at risk because of
legislation passed by Con-
gress last year that is meant
to help underfunded multi-
employer pension plans bol-
ster their finances by giving
them a way to cut benefits
for some retirees.
“It isn't right and we
definitely will have to ad-
just our lifestyles but I am
not worried about me, I am
concerned about what: it's
going to do for other drivers
and their families," he said
this week.
Turner says he doubts
that many other retirees
from not only UPS but Car-
olina Freight ( in this area)
are aware of the risk of their
pension being cut as a result
of the legislation passed in
December 2014 as part of
a spending bill meant to
run the federal government
through the rest of its fiscal
year. That legislation, he
said, was added at the last
minute and it is targeted at
companies that enter into
pension plans with other
companies.
Turner is circulating
flyers in the Cleveland and
Gaston county areas to make
people aware of what is hap-
pening and has scheduled a
meeting for Saturday, May
30, at 2 p.m. at the Belmont
Moose Lodge, Robert Rus-
- sell Road, Belmont, exit 26
Bl
Wayne Turner holds up a shirt that he is wearing to put em-
phasis on a “Stop the rush to pension cuts” a meeting slated
for Saturday, May 30, at 2 p.m. at Belmont Moose Lodge,
Robert Russell Road, Belmont, exit 26 off 1-85.
off I-85, follow the signs. A
meeting is also planned for
Greensboro on May 31 at 2
p.m. at Clarion Hotel at 415
S. Swing Road, Greens-
boro Airport, exit 213 off
1-40 Guilford College Rd/
Swing Road.
Karen Friedman, Pol-
icy Director of the Pension
Rights Center, Washington,
DC and Ken Paff, National
Organizer of Teamsters for
a Democratic Union, will be
the speakers.
“We want everyone to
come to this 'defend our
pension meeting’ to get the
latest updates on the new
law and threatened drastic
pension cuts by the Central
States Pension fund. We
must learn what we can do
to protect our earned pen-
sions," he said.
Petitions are being cir-
culated by the committee
to protect pensions, Www.
mycspensionhandsoff.com.
An independent audit
will be paid by the Central
States Fund to evaluate
other alternatives and pos-
sible changes that may in-
dicate other options to any
proposed cuts.
“We need a second
opinion to submit to the
Secretary of the Treasury
and other oversight bodies
as well call for an imme-
diate independent review
of the Central States Fund
by independent actuaries
and pension experts," said
Turner.
Page 3A
works at Grover
GROVER - Although
Town Board is still waiting
to hear from a IRS audit,
board members voted Mon-
day night to move forward
and ask for assistance in cre-
ating an “action plan” for the
town's future.
A third party is handling
payroll duties and making
payments in a timely man-
ner, Mayor J. D. Ledford
reported,, and state auditors
have been designated power
of attorney for the town's
taxes.
The mayor has also asked
for help in evaluating a new
clerk and finance officer po-
sition for which applications
are being received. The board
voted to spend no more than
$800 to contract with a sec-
ond party to evaluate candi-
dates for the position.
“We are on track to be
under budget by $14,000 in
the general fund for the fis-
- cal year 2014-15," the mayor
reported.
“How can the town be
under budget and still going
though this financial situ-
ation," a Grover resident
asked at the meeting. ;
Ledford said the budget
is “tight”
Another citizen com-
mented, “You let go of the
clerk but that's not the whole
problem. Go back and re-
view.”
“You took money out of
one pot and put it on water/
sewer expenses and that
doesn’t sound right, that de-
partment should stand alone,"
said another citizen.
The mayor explained that
the town had paid water/
sewer bills in anticipation
“of a loan which is being held
up by the Local Government
Commission.
In other actions,
board: :
+voted to buy pedestrian
signs for Main Street and
Hardin Circle.
+voted to accept appli-
cations for an open com-
missioner seat. The council
member would serve until the
November elections.
Four of Grover's five
council seats are up for
grabs in the November elec-
tions and the mayor's seat is
also up.
the
Allen, local student inducted into
Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
Steven T. Allen, of Kings
Mountain, a member of the
class of 2018 at Washington
and Lee University, was re-
cently inducted into Phi Eta
Sigma National Honor Soci-
ety, which is limited to stu-
dents who complete the first
term of their first year with
superior academic records.
To be eligible for Phi
Eta Sigma, a student must
be in the top 20 percent of
the class at the end of his or
her first term. Seventy-two
W&L students were ini-
tiated at a ceremony held
during W&L's 2015 Re-
union Weekend.
“The academic accom-
plishments of the first year
class, individually and col-
lectively, are very impres-
sive,” said Jason Rodocker,
associate dean of students: ,
and dean for first-year ex-
perience and adviser to
the W&L chapter of Phi
Eta Sigma. “Many Phi Eta
Sigma inductees will obtain
further academic accolades
including graduate fellow-
ships.”
East Elementary First Knight club donates to Nepal
Since the 7.8 magnitude
earthquake struck Nepal
and left thousands with-
out a home, the Early Act
First Knight Club at East
Elementary School decided
to send money from their
highly successful talent
show. . :
The East School talent
show raised $600 for local
and international service
projects. Last Thursday the
club members conducted
the meeting, for local Ro-
tarians and presented $300
to Rotary District 7680 and
the money was doubled by
the Rotarians and $600 sent
to help with earthquake re-
lief in Nepal. The remaining
$300 proceeds was donated
to a local cause — Relay for
Life- to help with expenses
for a local cancer patient.
An EAFK club was
chartered at East School
by Kings Mountain Rotary
Club in 2013 and, as any
Rotary Club, the club is ex-
pected to choose and com-
plete service projects. In
April the East School club
held the first ever East's
Got Talent Show and raised
$600 for local and interna-
tional projects.
East Elementary is the
first North Carolina elemen-
tary school to implement a
EAFK program with Kings
Mountain Rotary Club in
2013. Grier Middle School
in Gastotnia was the first
NC intermediate school to
implement the program.
Early Act First Knight
is a character development
program developed by
Texas Rotarian and former
Jordan Ellis, president of East School's EAFK club, presents
a check to help the victims of a Nepal earthquake to KM Ro-
tary club President Dr. James Mason. Kim Reel, left, school
counselor/social worker, looks on.
Navy Chaplain Dr. Randall
Parr. He was concerned that
students in K-12 were not
introduced to the concepts
of service or friendship or
taught basic character traits
like responsibility, respect
and honesty. The program
was introduced to Texas
Rotary Clubs and is exclu-
sively sponsored by clubs
today in Texas, California,
South Carolina and North
Carolina.
The school year kicks
off with a medieval joust
on the playground. Cos-
tumed knights ride horses
and teach honesty and
fairness in the games they
demonstrate to the entire
Photos by LIB STEWART
student body.
The EAFK curriculum
is used with students every
day and teaches not only
the Rotary Four Way test
but also about character
traits at home, school and
in the community. Interac-
tive activities are geared to
grade levels and students
are chosen monthly as the
best example of the trait
being studies. Monthly or
bimonthly award ceremo-
nies recognize students and
medals and knighting takes
place with queens, knights,
princesses and ladies in
costume from the Rotary
club.
OFFICERS OF EAFK - Pictured are officers of the EAFK club at East Elementary School
sponsored by Kings Mountain Rotary Club. From left, Jordan Ellis, president; Madison Bu-
chanan, vice-president; Jayden Henderson, secretary; Makaylah Reid, treasurer; and Jacob
Hamrick, sergeant-at-arms. Back row, from left, Rotary advisors Hazel Thrift-Morrow, Kim
Reel, school counselor and’ Suzanne Amos, Rotary club advisor.
2
EAFK CLUB AT ROTARY - Members of the EAFK Club of East School participated in the Ro-
tary Club program Thursday, the EAFK president presiding. Attending were Gage Noblett,
Sarah Hudson, Jeremiah Ellis, Sam Black, Jailen Moore, Ella Kue, Karlie Postell, Blake
Lovell and Stetson McDaniel.
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AUSTIN PUTNAM delighted Kings Mountain Rotarians
Thursday with the dance numbers he performed recently to
win the East School talent show.