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KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR
VOL. 3 NO. 2*
KINGS MOUNTAIN. NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY. MARCH 28,1974
Cline Blasts Board
Cox Defends Collections
By JAY ASHLEY
ifit Mirror Staff Writer
IS HE COMING HERE? • Mayor John H. Mou extended an
oKlclal invitation to Vice PrcaUent Gerald Ford during a
March 14 visit to Washin^on to participate In the ceremonies
commemorating the 113rd anniveriary of the Battle of Kings
Mountain. Ceremonies are to be held in conjunction with the
Bloodniohile Visit
Here Fri^ Mar, 29
llie Red Cross Bloodmobile will visit Kings
Mountain Fri., Mar. 29 from 11 a.m. until 4 :.30
p.m. in the Mountaineep Romn at the Com
munity Center.
Bill Grissom, local chairman of the
Bloodmobile, said the goal for this visit is 126
pints and irges citizens and businessmen to
stress the importance of donating to the
Bloodmobile.
Who
Hired
W.T.Cox?
An item concerning oon-
aulting engineers at the John
H. Moss Reservoir led the dty
commissioners down the path
of “what powers do the Lake
Authority have” again, and
questioned collection
procedures of W. Tom Cox
Cox is consulting engineer
retained by the Kings
Mountain Lake Authority.
The discussion began with
«the agenda item calling for the
“use of Engineer Dennis L.
Fox for studes and regulations
pertaining to the J.H. Moss
Reservoir.”
Ward Two Commissioner
Uoyd Davis, said he had the
item placed on the agenda
because “I wonder if we’re
justified in having three
engineers in the city.”
Davis referred to W.K.
Dickson, W. Tom Cox and D.L.
Fox
“I wonder,” Davis said, “it
Dennis (Fox) couldn’t handle
engineering problems at the
lake It looks to me like we
have too many.”
Ward One’s Ray Cline
responded that the “Lake
Adthroty approved Tom Cox
as consulting engineer before
Dennis Fox was hired”. Cline,
a member also of the Lake
Authority, added, “we needed
help establishing rules and
relations and we needed it
in a hurry,” speaking of Cox.
Davis then said he had
“checked with members of the
Lake Authority and I can’t
find out if anyone ever hired
Cox”
Cwbett Nicholson, of Ward
’Three and a member of the
Lake Authority, said he was
inder the impression “Cox
cKy’s centennial celebration the first week In October. Ford’s
answer Is expected within a month. Pictured with the two are
Charles Mauney, co-chairman of the centennial commission,
and Rep. James T. BroyhlU, who arranged the meeting with
Ford.
Cline Says:
Buford Cline, a (x-operty
owner at the John H. Moss
Reservoir, lashed out at the
City Monday night and told the
council members he
“wouldn’t back down from
any man.”
Cline’s remarked stemmed
from provisions granted him
under a 1971 consent
judgement made with the dty
over his property taken by
condemnation.
Under the consent
judgement Cline was allowed
access to the waters of the
reservoir, right of way on
ingress and egress, granted a
provision whereby the dty
would move his well and
septic tank to conform to State
rules and other similar con
cessions.
Cline said he was “a firm
believer in the right to own
and keep property” and said
his biggest mistake was
“being a patient man.”
Ibe dairy farmer said he
had been “cussed and
discussed and criticized”
(kiring the condemnation
hearings on his land and
partnerships.
Cline said the provisions
covering his septic tank had
not yet been honored by the
dty even though the consent
judgement was signed April 9,
1971.
“Gentlemen,” Cline said,
“it’s time you started getting
(See CLINE p.2A>
Cox Says:
In Monday’s city council
meeting Tom Cox, consulting
engineer at the J.H. Moss
Reservoir, was discussed and
his collections from lake
property owners for advice
was questioned.
His employment status,
salary, position with the Lake
Authority and collections
made from property owners at
the lake were discussed in a
Mirror interview Tuesday.
“Let me start,” he said, “by
reading a letter I received
from the Mayor following a
Lake Authority meeting:
“In our Saturday meeting,
the Lake Authority members
approved employing you for
the purpose of recommending
design for piers and docks at
the John Moss Reservoir.”
Cox continued, “my answer
to the letter was: ‘We are
pleased to be commissioned
by the City of Kings Mountain
to assist the reservoir
authority in establishing a
program of water quality
management and regulation
governing the installation of
fixed and-or floating struc
tures for recreational use The
type of professional services
we will be rendering in this
instance can best be ac
counted for on the basis of
time involved and expenses
incurred.’ Then 1 listed my
standard fees.”
Cox stated, “after we got the
regulations in shape and
approved, the Authority said
they would need to have
someone to review and ap
prove applications and they
asked me if I would do it. I told
them I would and they asked
about how much time would
be involved.
"I told them we could do the
applications by mail and it
would require a small amount
of time.”
The matter of collections at
the lake came when Cox was
asked to make his services
(See COX p.2A)
NOT THE HANDIEST POSITION! • A transport rig, loaded
to the glUs whh shiny new Chevy’s found there are better
places to be than stranded on a railroad track with a train
coming Tuesday. Hie big rig attempted to go over the
Mountain St. crossing about 12:30 p.m. when the chassis
“bottomed out” on the tracks. Then the driver couldn’t go
forward or backward. That wouldn’t have been so bad In itself
until the bells began to ring and the lights began to flash in-
Photo by Jay Ashley
dicating a train was on the way. As quickly as passible police
came to the scene and manag^ to contact Southern Railway
narrowly averting disaster. According to police on the scene,
the train was just beyond Mauney Mills when they got the word
and put on the brakes. Finally with the aid of another rig, the
transport was pushed off the tracks and the northbound train
was allowed to go on its way.
Conmun
Prays As
He Preys
FUN!
ThaCs Centennial Promise
(See WHO p.3A>
BILL HERNDON
Mirror
Begins
Feature
In keeping with the Mirror’s
policy of informing the
citizens of Kings Mountain of
all facets of the community,
we will begin a regular feature
concerning Fire Prevention
next week.
The author of the column
will be Bill Herndon, Fire
Prevention Officer of the
Kings Mountain Fire
Department
Formerly with the N.C.
Forestry Service, Bill joined
the KMFD as Fire Prevention
(Xficer in February.
Herndon’s duties will be
every facet of fire prevention
in the htxne, in industry, and
in our environment. He is also
(]ualified to inspect homes for
fire hazards. That service is
bee to anyone who desires it.
Bill currently lives on the
Grover Rd. with his wife
Norma and son Brad.
Watch for Bill’s column
starting in next week’s
edition.
By TOM MclNTYRE
Editor, The Mirror
Plans are rapidly falling
into place for the Kings
Mountain centennial
celebration, according to
information given at a public
meeting at the community
center Tuesday night.
A large crowd of citizens
gathered in the center’s
Mountaineer Room to hear
Phil Frable, another
representative of The Rogers
Co., the professional firm
managing the local
celebration.
Although Frable’s schedule
of planned events was sketchy
the gathering did form a
mental picture of what will be
happening to entertain the
public as celebration dates
draw nearer.
'“This celebration is for
everyone,” Frable em
phasized. “There will be
activities of interest to
everyone beginning several
weeks before the
celebration.”
The first order of business,
however, is raising operating
capital and that falls to J.C.
Bridges’ revenue division.
Several methods of fund
raising are being worked out
and details will be explained
shortly, according to Bridges.
The initial outlay calls for
$9,000.
To coordinate all of the
activities the centennial
commission has incorporated
as a non-profit organization
and headquarters have been
established at the old First
Union National Bank building
on the corner of W. Mountain
St. and Battleground Ave.
About 10 weeks prior to the
October 1-6 celebration the
headquarters will be open
parttime and begins a full day
operation about seven weeks
before the celebration.
From this central point
revenue earning projects will
be carried out; such items as
souvenir booklets, coins,
plates, ties, hats, buttons and
period fashions will be sdd.
Around the end of June the
Brothers of The Brush and the
Belles Chapters will be for
med. The first is formed to
give men an opportunity to
“forget about shaving for
awhile, until the beard judging
takes place,” Frable said.
“And we have no trouble
forming the Belles chapter,”
he continued. “Any woman
who doesn’t join will be
‘arrested’ if caught wearing
cosmetics and will have to be
tried in the Kangaroo Cour-
t and ladies. Deodorant is
considered a cosmetic.”
The Kangaroo Courts will be
held once a week starting
about five weeks prior to
October. And there will be
promenades where men and
women dress up in their
celebration costumes and
waik with their neighbors,
usually to the Kangaroo Court.
Caravans are planned also.
In this activity represen
tatives from the city will wear
celebration attire and visit the
outlying areas to invite
citizens to join in the fun in
Kings Mountain.
About the last week in
August Rogers Company’s
resident director will be^n
casting about 300 roles for the
historical spectacle planned
for four nights at John Gamble
Stadium. There will be four
weeks of rehearsals, twice
each week for the show. The
spectacle will tell the story of
Kings Mountain from it’s
beginning until now through
scenes and music.
There are also many special
days idanned for the public.
Bill Brown, manager of
Belks, will have charge of
setting a motif for de(x>rating
the businesses downtown for
the celebration.
There are 65 committees
involved in the centennial
commission and Tuesday
night the plea was made for
volunteers to help in all of
them.
Charles Mauney, centennial
co-chairman, urged public
involvement and added,
“We’ll get out this celebration
what we put into it.”
Coupons
Save You
The Mirror welcomes A&P
to its pages this week.
The old established food
store joins Harris-Teeter and
Winn-Dixie in the second
section to give Kings Moun-
tians a complete selection of
this week’s specials in food
items.
And to save even more cash
at the checkout counter use
the special coupons you will
find within the A&P, Winn-
Dixie and Harris-Teeter ads in
this week’s Mirror.
Saturday afternoon a clean-cut man of
medium height and weight walked into the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cobb of 104 Cloniger
St.
He just walked in, without knocking, and
announced to the couple, “I’ve been sent to
pray for you"
The man asked if the couple had a Bible
and “if you would please get it.”
The Bible was brought out and he prayed
with them.
Following the prayer, the man asked Mrs.
CJobb if she could get him a glass of water to
cool his throat. She left for the kitchen and
brought the “preacher” his water.
The man left saying “I’ll see you folks just
after Easier.”
After making his exit, Mr. and Mrs. Cobb
discovered they had been relieved of $90 by the
kindly “preacher” who turned out to be a self-
styled “Elmer Gantry-Bennie the Dip”.
Cobb was missing $9 from his coat pocket
and his wife discovered $81 in cash gone from
her pocketbook.
Det. Richard Reynolds and Del Johnny Belk
investigated the flim-flam robbery Saturday
around3 p. m. Upon further investigation it was
revealed the “clerical faker” had also tried the
same stunt on one of the Cobbs' neighbors, but
had failed.
The police are looking for a man five feet
seven, weighing around 150 pounds with dark
hair and brown eyes.
Commissioner
Ingram Rotary
Speaker Today
Insurance Commissioner John Ingram is
special guest speaker at the Kings Mountain
Rotary Club luncheon today at the KM Country
Club
Rotarian Tom Trott arranged the program.
Discrimination in automobile insurance
rates is the subject the commissioner will talk
on at the meeting.
Ingram was scheduled to fly to the Shelby
Airport this morning and be the special guest
at a coffee hour in his honor at the Hotel
Charles. The public is invited to this 10-11 a.m.
event.
m
JOHN R. INGRAM
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