Longer We Wait^ More We Lose ByJAY ASHLEY Mirror Staff Writer V , “lliere will be no more ' y increases in the Housing ^ Authority budget. We’re going to have to live with what was initially planned for,” was the statement made by executive director Tom Harper on the recent cutback of public housing units to be built According to information from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, nine units of public housing have been cut from the originally planned 100 units. The cutback came because there will be no more money 1 available and the cost of ^ construction is spiralling every day. In fact. Harper noted, “the projected coat of construction from HUD wUl be increasing at a rate of three- quarters of a percent per month.” The executive director of the Housing Authority said those estimates were made from a survey of the area. "The housing authority budget”. Harper said, “was drawn up 20 months ago and since then construction costs have increased sharply.” Harper stated the Authority ^ will have to “look at the low bids when we let them and negotiate.” He continued, “things mi^t change before we let bids but the way Hie trendsare going, the units will be cut.” The initial budget set forth by the Kings Mountain Housing Authority was $!.• million and the increased costs will have to be absortal. Harper also confirmed the fact that according to figures given him by HUD, each year's dday will cause nine mere units to be dropped from the plan. \Tim 0iii^e8 ir Wins NCNB Art Award An dl painting by Timothy Scott Oates of Kings Mountain recently war /t $150 purchase award by North Carolina National Bank in a student art show at the Aheville Art Museum. A senior at Western Carolina University majoring in art, Oates is the son d Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Oates, 700 E. King St. A deans list student and a graduate of Kings Mountain High School, he also won a first place award in a WCU student show in 1973 and exhibited in the Davidson National Print and Drawing Show that year. His paintings were exhibited in a show at the Jackson County Public library in Sylva in February, and Oates will have a one-man show on the WCU campus in May. The painting which won the N.C.N.B. purchase was en titled “Egoisms and Locked Doors. Central Talent Show Set The Central Junior High School Talent Show will be heldFri., April 19 at the school beginning 7 p.m. The admission is $1 per person and Debbie Bums, a native of Kings Mountain and currently reigning Miss Shelby will serve as the Mistress of Ceremony. A local rock group. The Third Shift, will provide special music for the event Judges for the talent show are Mrs. 6scar Stuart of Shelby, Mas Linda ChBders and Jay Ashley of Kings Mountain. The talent show h being sponsored >j>y the Central School students and faculty and the directors are Mrs. Sarah Jones, Miss C. illhTTglnr and Ronald Nanny. In their meeting recently, the Housing Authority voted to eliminate the M.L. Plonk property from their schedule ftir housing. Originally the plat, 46,000 square feet at W. King St. and Railroad Ave., was to accomodate several units of public housing. Harper said the reasoning behind the property dimination was "it would excessively delay the process of property acquisition.” He said Ae move would “not affect the budget” and added, “we have several ether areas in mind to make it up.” The master plan of con structing public housing consisted of 100 units, 89 of which were to be placed in the Cansler St. Urban Renewal area. The housing would occupy four “sections” in the Cansler area. The Kings Mountain Redevelopment was to acquire the properties in the sections for building the public housing. So far all the properties have not been acquired. < Harper told the Mirror it was “necessary for all the parcels to be acquired before construction can begin” in the Cansler St. project. The Redevelopment Commission recently expressed wishes that the Housing Authority Housing Authority Chair- attempt to build “piecemeal” man John McGill and in the area to accomodate Redevelopment Chairman residents who “do not want to Carl Mauney were to get move from their neigh- together in sorting out the borhoods.” probiem and reaching solutions for building and acquiring lands. Harper said Tuesday he “understood the two have met” but said any information divulged would “probably be premature.” 20 Pages Today BBf-l ifYlouritoin KINfiS MOUNTAIN MIRROR VOL. 3 NO. 32 KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROUNA 28086 THURSDAY, APRIL 18,1»74 IDf '“ll ! -■ a'.-t -<■. ■ • CLEARING PROPERTY - Dave Cash sits atop his balMoxer as he nonchalantly demolishes s concrete block house on N. Watterson St. Hie house, one of eight cleared away this week, is sub-standard and under urban renewaL was cleared for the Photo by Tom McIntyre future constructhn of a standard dwelling for a single family unit. There is no date set when construction will begin, however. ‘On The Square’ Set Tuesday One of the most widel; known and accepted per sonalities in the two Carolina’t is Doug Mayes. Doug is easily recognizable as the co-anchorman for WBTV’s 6 o’clock Scene Tonight. He is also Channel 3’s “Man On The Street” reporter. Over the years, Doug has covered every major news story in North and South Carolina, and now WBTV has added a new dimension to Doug’s newsbeat. It’s called “On The Square” and it gives Carolinians the opportunity to voice their opinion on anything they wish to a wide ranging television audience. On Tues., Apr. 23 at 1 p.m. a special IVBTV camera crew will be in Kings Mountain with Doug Mayes to film “On The Square” at the Kings Mouatain town square. Kings Maintain residents are invited to attend and participate by giving their opinions to the WBTV camera. “On The Square” is a relatively new feature of “The Scene Tonight” but it has already received as much good comment as some of the longer established Charmel 3 newsfeatures. '£ f' ' ' Photo by Jay Ashley SOMETHING FISHY HERE ..Jerry Hodge, NCWC, stocks JHM lake JHM Lake Slocking Program Underway The Easter Bunny is cer tainly famous but the John H. Moss Reservoir was visited by the “Easter Herring” Mon day. werry Hodge, of the hat chery at Marion, wheeled into the lake area Monday af ternoon with 2000 blue-black herring. The herring represent the first load of fish to be stocked by the N.C Wildlife Com mission. The herring were taken from the Cape Fear River and are to be used as a “prey species” according to Robert Brown of the Wildlife Com mission. “The fSh,” he said, “Mill be allowed to reproduce in the lake and later large mouth bass and crappied will be able to feed on the terrings’ spawn.” The fish range in size from seven to 12 inches and have the distinction of being the first fish to be stocked in the lake in a plan to stock over the next three to four years. Urban Renewal Kings Mountain Program Moving Struck Company Hiring By TOM MeINTYRE Editor, IbeMirror Hazel Brown proped forearms on his ample stomach Monday and watched Dave Cash gun the engine of his bulldozer, then plow through three concrete block houses at Watterson and Childers. The trio of houses fell to progress and, hopefully, a better nxxle of living for families in Kings Mountain under urban renewal. Later that afternoon the Cash Brothers demolished five other sub-standard houses a block away on N. Watterson St. “Out of those eight houses demolished Monday,” Brown said, “only two had been abandoned. Six families were rdocated under the redevelopment program.” While a group of young men followed the bulldozer tracks to begin clearing away the rubble. Brown, who works for the Kings Mountain Redevelopment Commission, said, “The city has been picking up the concrete blocks and the wood, well, we’ll givethattoany citizenwhocan finds use for it. Anything that is left after the demolition crew moves out they are welcome to.” The property where the homes were demolished this week will have to be imporved by thecity, which is Kings Mountain’s inkind