r
S 6”
.25
22 Pages Today
KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR
t VOL. 3 NO. 31
KINGS MOUNTAIN. NORTH CAROLINA 2WM THURSDAY. APRIL 11.1»74
Isam
JS 6”
3.25
.i
4TH.
1.19
.J
lEL
END^l
ET&
EPANI
lain I
d colors! I
1 for
99
Hours Cut^ Pay Raised
In ^After-Meeting^ Action
i ■
By JAY ASHLEY
Mirror Staff Writer
A “meeting” after the
meeting of the dty board of
commissioners Monday night
resulted in some city em
ployees working hours to be
dropped from 44 hours per
we^ to 40 hours.
It was also discovered by
the Mirror that the board
approved a $15 per week
expense check to be given
Roscoe Wooten, superin
tendent of public works.
The board actions took place
after the regular Monday
night meeting had been ad-
)oumed.
The action to reduce
working hours apparentiy
came from a request by
Wooten concerning city
emidoyees’ vacations. In the
regular meeting, Wooten
asked the board to clarify the
city’s policy of granting
vacation time. At the meeting,
the board voted to give two
weeks vacation to any em
ployee with five or more years
services with the dty.
When Wooten made his
request, he mentioned his
men, in the public woiks
department, were working 40
hours per week |dus four hours
Saturday morning.
When alerted to the change
in hours, the Mirrpr spoke
7.1th Ward Two u/inroissioner
Uoyd Davis. Davis said after
the meeting “we (the com
missioners) just put our heads
together and decided to quit
the Saturday morning work. It
was generally fdt that by the
time the workers got started
on Saturday, it was almost
time to quit.” (Commissioner
Ray Cline left after the
meeting was adjourned.
Davis was asked why the
action was seemingly
shrouded in mystery. The
commissioner said, “it wasn’t
a secret. In fact the reporters
were there, why weren’t
you?” This reporter, who
attended the regular meeting
told Davis, “the meeting had
been adjourned.”
After phone calls, it was
discovert that at ieast three
of the four newspapers
represented were not present
when the board matte their
decisions as Davis had stated.
Davis was then asked if the
commission re-convened to
which he said, “we just got
together.”
Ward Four commissioner
Don McAbee was contacted
Wednesday and said, “the
board has been considering
dropping the Saturday
morning work for quite some
time. The employees have
been wanting a raise, so in
effect we gave them one since
they’ll draw the same pay for
40 hours as they did for 44
hours.”
As for the $15 per week
expense money for Wooten,
M^bee said, “when Roscoe
came to work for the dty, the
iast board promised him
transportation to and from was taken away from him and
home (Wooten resides in we feit he should have some
Gastonia). Later the (dty- expense money to operate his
owned) truck he was driving auto to and from Kings
Mountain.”
Roscoe Wooten was con
tacted about the matter and
noted, “the commissioners
In Old Winn-Dixie Site
Downtown Merchants Committee
Opposes Kingsmont Warehouse
The Kings Mountain
Downtown Merchants
Committee has gone on record
apposing the sub-leasing of the
old Winn-Dixie location,
Cherokee St., by Kingsmont
for use as a warehouse.
In a tetter to the mayor and
commissioners, Wiiliam S.
Fulton, chairman of the
committee, pointed out to dty
oftidals the committeemen
“feel in as much as this is
in violation of the zoning or
dinance of Kings Mountain...,
and is in direct conflict with
the Urban Renewal program
and in no way adds to the
uplifting of the centrai
business district, and in as
much as we are asking the
merchants to sacrifice to
improve the central business
dtetrid, we fed we must go on
record opposing such a
move.”
The letter was signed by E.
Wilson Griffin Jr., vice
chairman; Larry D. Hamrick,
secretary; Mrs. Sue Young,
Odus D. Smith, John McGinnis
and Charles Blanton, com
mittee members.
The Cherokee St. Winn-
Dixie building meets code
standards and will remain,
with minor repairs and
facdifting to fit into the
overall renewal plans.
However, under urban
renewal plans the building
caimot be used a s a warehouse
facility.
The regulations of this
district are intended to permit
the convenient performance of
functions requiring a location
near the transportation and
population center of a large
trade area and to (X'ovide the
Qty of Kings Mountain with a
compact and efficient retail
shopping, consumer services,
financial and governmental
center.
had talked with me about
dropping the Saturday
morning work and when the
subject came up Monday, they
decided to go ahead and drop
it. ” Wooten confirmed the fac t
that he had been assured
transportation to and from
home and said the $15 was to
cover gas and car main
tenance for his personal car.
The Mirror then called Joe
McDaniel, city clerk, and
asked if the actions of the
board had been included in the
minutes of the meeting.
McDaniel said, “no. Per
sonnel matters matters are
not put into the minutes.”
When asked if the actions
were made in violation of the
opening meetings law of North
(Carolina, McDaniels said the
dty codes provided the hours
could be changed with out an
offidal meeting.
A check of the city codes
revealed Article Five, sec. 2-
94 outlines Hoars of Work:
“The standard work week of
cHy employees shall be as
determined by the mayor
from time to lime.” Sec. 247
(See AFTER p. 3A)
DISPLAYS MAP - Cha irman of the KM Lake
Authority, Mayor John Moss explains the city's
eight foot buffer zone between lake-front
property owners and the waters of the Moss
Photo by Jay Ashley
Reservoir. The mayor urged the lease com
mittee to begin study rules and regulations
regarding access to the water in the
Authority’s meeting Monday afternoon.
KM Taxpayers Get
Fee-Break At Lake
jr^ mounuiin
THIS IS OFFICIAL SEAL - This reproduction of local place winner was the Rev. Robert Allen, pastor of St. Mat-
original art work is the Kings Mountain Centennial Seal,
created by Mrs. Raymond Holmes, 1003 Sherwood Ln., Kings
Mountain. This seal will be used in all centennial commission
correspondence, ads and booklets issued In conjunction with
the city’s 100th birthday celebration. For her winning seal
design Mrs. Holmes has earned a $25 savings bond. Second
thew’s Lutheran Church, and third place went to Dee Dec
(Here, Rt.7,Shelby.$10and$Sincath went to second and third
place winners. Also two reserved seats, each, to the historical
spectacle to be staged at Gamble Stadium the first week in
October.
By JAY ASHLEY
Mirror Staf f W riter
Kings Mountain taxpayers
will get a break when it comes
to paying fees for activities at
the John H. Moss Reservoir.
The Kings Mountain Lake
Authwity appro' od ('‘f.
“break” for city dwellers
when they adopted a proposed
budget presoited by com
mittee chairman Henry
Neisler.
“The budget committee,”
Neisler said, “felt the citizens
should get some break
because, after all, they are
paying for the lake.” He
continued, “all figures are
estimates that can be
changed. Since this is the first
time we’ve had to draw a
budget for the lake everything
is merely estimates.”
Vise buiigi.’. ' f . 'ed is
Revenues .estiniaied in
come )-
Annual boat fees- $5,00(1
Daily boat fees- $7,500
Annual fishing licenses-
$1,000
Daily fishing licenses- $1,000
Pier and-or dock permits-
$1,250
Ramps- $250
Water use leases- $9,000
Total- $25,000
Expenditures-
Patrol boat- $3,500
One employee- $7,500
Legal fees- $500
•’ LiiiUerjaiiee- $2.W'
Liiiform equipment-
insurance- $450
Supplies- $1,000
Engineer services- $1,500
Telephone- $100
Electricity- $350
(See K.'M p. 2A)
r-oo
Confrontation
Heated Word^i Ended Meeiin^
^Blue Chip^ Industry
Giving City The Eye
ByTOMMcINTYRE
Editor, The Mirror
Whether or not a $25-million major
metal working plant locates in Kings
Mountain depends, to a large degree, on
the community’s desire to have the firm
here.
The overall picture of available labor
and locate will also figure greatly in the
final decision. According to L.E. (Josh)
Hinnant, chairman of the Mayor’s In
dustrial Committee, advertisements
I ^offering persons in the area a con
fidential opportunity to apply for jobs at
the plant is already underway (see ad
vertisement in Today’s Mirror). The
deadline is SaL, Apr. 13 for applications.
The “biue chip industry”, which will
remain unnamed until the company’s
officials make a final decision on locide,
reportedly will employ 450 persons. One
nimored location under stutfy is near 1-85
between Kings Mountain and Grover,
however, Hinhant would not confirm this
rumor.
Hinnant said the company is con
sidering sites in other states at the same
time. “The availability of labor, in
cluding persons experienced in
machinery and machinery operation and
in the trades, as weil as experienced
personnel, will determine which site wins
favor.”
The industry plan includes wages and
benefits to meet or exceed existing area
standards and empioyment will be
steady and year round in a new modern
plant.
Hinnant said a great deal of work has
0)ne into wooing the industry into con
sidering Kings Mountain because it is the
type of industry the area needs.
A finai decision on iocation iS expected
within 30-40 days.
Babe Ruth
Tryouts Set
Youngsters ages 13-15 in
terested in playing Babe Ruth
baseball this summer are
urged to contact one of the
league’s coaches or the city
recreation department.
Current plans include a
seven-team league and, ac
cording to a league
spokesman, if enough interest
is shown a 13-year-oId league
will be organized.
Kings Mountain’s Babe
Ruthers won the state
championship last summer
and represented the state in
the southeast regionals in
Clearwater, Fla.
By JAY ASHLEY
Mirror Staff Writer
Three city commissioners
held an impromptu “question
and answer” session last week
with city counsulting engineer
W.K. Dickson and the session
ended abruptly when Com
missioner Lloyd E. Davis
accused Dickson of “being a
helluva long way from being
an engineer”.
Ihe comment came after
Davis, M.C. Pruette and
James Amos asked the
engineer about matters
“brought to our attention from
several people”.
Davis and Pruette said they
“understood some equipment
in the filter plant at the
reservoir never has worked
properly.”
The meeting was held in the
T.J. Ellison Filter Plant at the
John H. Moss Reservoir last
week. The occasion was
switching the pumping
facilities from diesel powered
pumps to electric motor-
^ven pumps.
Davis and Pruette arrived
at the lake site while the work
men were priming the pumps
and Davis commented “this is
the most wasteful thing for the
taxpayers I’ve ever seen.”
The Ward Two com
missioner elaborated on his
statement by noting, “if the
city had extended one pipe
another ten feet, we coidd
have cut into the electrical
power two or three weeks ago
and saved on so much diesel
fuel.”
Davis said be had priced an
extension for one pipe and
said, “it would’ve cost $480 to
extend and we would have
saved a lot of money since
dectricity is cheaper than
diesel fuel.” He noted the
diesel fud was 25.9 cents per
gallon.
“Besides”, Davis, a former
superintendent at the filter
plant said, “those diesels are
worn completdy out. They’ve
been at the bottom of the lake
two times and there’s no
telling how much it has cost
the taxpayers in time and
money spent. I want to find out
why we’ve been using these
diesels in the first place. It
would have been much more
economical to use electric
motors.”
Davis continued, “when I
was working at the plant, me
and George Moss (water
department superintendent)
priced two dectric motors and
pumps at $6.0(X). I gave these
figures to the mayor who in
(See HEATED p. 5A)
CU ' i
Photos by Jay Ashley
CONFRONTING ENGINEER - W.K. Dickson, coosulting
engineer for the city (back to camera) listens to questions
fired at him by two of three city commissioners last Wed
nesday. Lloyd Davis (left), James Amos (wearing hat) and
M.C. Pruette visited the plant and Dickson was queried about
various equipment that Pruette said, “has apparently never
worked properly.”