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KINGS MOUNTAIN MIRROR
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( VOL. 3 NO. 34
KINGS MOUNTAIN. NORTH CAROLINA 280U THURSDAY. MAY 2.1974
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Surveying
The Situation
Public Works superintendent Roscoe Wooten (at right)
watches his crew of men working in the shadow of Dover Yarn
Mill and the city-constructed dyke that has recently caused
charges and counter-charges to fly. The workmen are busy
I * ‘
Dover Vs. City
(Jtar^es^ Ctmnler (Jtar^fes In Dyke Mailer
By JAY ASHLEY
Mirror Staff Writer
A recent letter to the dty
from Dover Yarn Mills
f Charges Kings Mountain has
done nothing to correct
deficiencies around the lake
area at their NC 150 plant.
To those charges.
Superintendent of Public
Works, Roscoe Wooten said,
“my men have been working
there for the past two weeks
straight and I resent the
statement.”
The letter, addressed to
Mayor John Moss and the (nty
commissioners from Dover
executive vice-president G.J.
Vincent, outlines two items
Dover feels Kings Mountain
has been “deficient” in
‘I coping with.
' iTt,' Dover pointed out, “a leak
» has developed in the dyke
,1^ (built by city) itself which we
believe was caused by the
erosion in the dyke which was
pointed out to you (Mayor
Moss) and the engineer for the
dty of Kings Mountain on
several occasions. We also
believe quite strongly that the
(fyke was constructed upon a
b^ of sand instead of solid
day as it was supposed to
have been done. We feel quite
strongly that the level of the
lake must be lowo-ed to the
point where the leak can be
completely stopped and the
dyke either replaced or
repaired, whichever proves to
be necessary.”
f The mill also contends some
pumping equipment placed by
the city has “never operated
iroperly and on one occasion
these pumps were damaged
when floo(ling occurred and
were repaired at the expense
of Dover Yarn Mill in the
amount of $500. The mill has
also paid to have a gas line
installed in order that the
pumps would operate and
further flooding be avoided.
Ibis problem arises because
the outside portion of the dyke
is lower than the surrounding
terrain and surface water
collects behind the dyke and
must be pumped out.”
V The Dover executive stated
Tile city had assured the mill
the problems would be
corrected and “yet nothing
has been done”. He continued,
“Almost twelve months have
passed and still nothing has
been done by the City of Kings
Mountain to correct these
deficiencies which are the
responsibility as outlined
above.”
Vincent said he was leaving
the country and would return
May 15 and if the repairs have
not been made to the
satisfaction of Dover Mills
engineers, “the mill will send
a (xipy of the invoice and
charges for repairs to the
pumps and for installation of
the gas line in the total amount
of approximately $1,3(X) to the
City of Kings Mountain."
In closing, Vincent said he
regretted taking such “strong
action” but that if the city had
such “an investment the size
of ours that was endangered
through the faulty con
struction of a dyke, plus the
fault of the City of Kings
Mountain to put into operation
the e(]uipment that it should
install and due to the fault of
the City of Kings Mountain to
take corrective action, we feel
that you, too, would take the
same action.”
On a tour of the situation
with Public Works director
W(mten he stated, “the pumps
are designed to takecare of all
(kainage problems, including
storm drainage on the mill
side of the dyke and the
discharge from Dover's in
dustrial waste treatment
plant.”
The pumping station,
located on the mill side of the
(fyke, contains four pumps.
TVo pumps take care of waste
treatment and storm drainage
and the other two pumps are
all electric except for one,
which is electric with a
gasoline auxiliary in cases of
prolonged power failure.
Wooten said he had men
from the city's water and
sewer, gas and street
departments at the Dover site
for “the past two weeks
straight just cleaning out the
pump house.” He noted, “the
letter didn't mention the fact
that the drainage from the
mill’s cooling tower contains
an abundance of lint. The lint
comes through the drain pipe
and into the pump house and
lias slopped up the screens on
the pumps. When we started
mrking here, one side of the
pump house had about four
feet of mud and sand in it and
the other side contained mud
waist deep. We've cleaned one
side and now are working on
the other side.” He pointed to
several five galion buckets
lying in the area and said, “we
are even dipping the mess out
by hand now.” Wooten said,
“The mill here needs to make
some effort to filter this lint
coming from the cooling tower
because pumps cannot pump
lint.”
He continued, “we started
working here in January and
then we brought out 26 dump-
truck loads of broken concrete
and cement to put around the
(kain pipe in the dyke to
prevent erosion. We also
poured 22 yards of concrete
around the pipe and it was
done to keep the dyke from
weakening.
“As far as the leak in the
dyke goes, we are still not sure
that the dyke is leaking. Ibe
little stream of water coming
from the ground is producing
water that is crystal clear,”
with that Wooten made a
gesture towards the lake and
asked, “does that water look
dear?” He added, “there is a
rule in engineering that you
don’t work on a problem until
you find out what the problem
really is. Now I’m not saying
that the water doesn’t come
from the lake, but I am saying
we need to find out for certain
before we spend a lot of money
that won’t be doing any good.”
Wooten said the contention
the dyke was built on sand “is
not exactly accurate. We built
the dyke with a clay core.
TTiere may be some sand
under it, but how far can you
dig for a solid day base? A
mile? We dug enough to get
the clay core. It’s entirely
possible that water is coming
(See DOVER p. 12A)
Bypass Hearing Tonight
■rhe design public hearing for the proposed Kings Mountain Hwy. 74 bypass is on tap
tonight at 7:30 in theKings Mountain Airmory, Phifer Rd.
Plans for the 7.3 mile stretch of highway, estimated to cost $14-million, have beat ap
proved by the planning board, division of highways, department of transportation.
According to the highway rights of way department in Shelby there are roughly 200 da ims
to be considered along tbe proposed bypass route and the department will not have an ac
curate picture of exactly who owns what until after tonight’s public hearing.
At tonight’s hearing there will be huge blowups of maps showing the bypass route and
persons who think they might be on the route may check these maps for information.
City Has Headaches
Superintendent of Public Works, Roscoe Wooten approached the Kings Mountain City
Cktuncil with four recommendations he termed “very pressing” for the city’s operation.
The first recommendation Wooten offered concerned the commercial and industrial trash
containers owned by the city. “They are giving us quite a headache”, Wooten said pointing
out maintenanceand time is being spent in excess in caring for the containers.
According to Wooten the containers are in poor condition and new ones run in the neigh
borhood of $670 apiece. In this vein Wooten recommended the board establish a policy of
discontinuing furnishing and maintaining the containers. Wooten said if the store and in-
(kistrial owners have to buy their own containers, “we would see an improvement in the
appearanceofthecontainers.” Wooten said the city-owned containers are being abused and
it is costing loo much to keep them up.
(See CITY H.AS page 2A)
Authority Sets Family Fee
After hearing complaints from John Henry Moss Reservoir property owners last Wed
nesday over what they term “excessivje lake use fees,” the Kings Mountain Lake Authority
approved a set fee for a family unit plan amounting to $175 annually.
Thisfeewillcoyer the head of a household and those dependents declared on tax form 1040
and the raleapplies to all families, not just lake front property owners.
The plan, on Henry Neisler’s motion, is an amendment to the proposed fee schedule
recommended by the authority to city commissioners. The city board, as yet, has not acted
on the schedule adoption or rejection.
(See AUTHORITY page 3A)
Change Name?
Yes^ No^ Maybe -
Forget It Forever
Photo by Jay Ashley
cleaning out the pump house that contained “about four feet of
mud”, according to Wooten. A small leak-like stream emerges
from the ground in the area between the Mill and the lake but
Woi>len says he “isn’t sure the water is coming from the lake.”
ByJAYASHLEY
Mirror Sta ff Writer
A move to change the name of the John H.
Moss Reservoir to the Kings Mountain City
Lake met with chaos and votes of 4 to 2, 3 to 3
and finally 4 to 3, in Thursday’s city board
meeting. And after speaking with com
missioners later, the vote was apparently 4 to 2
to change the name.
The motion to change the name after Ward
Hiree Commissioner Corbett Nicholson told
the board, “I received a letter from three
businessmen and have had several calls about
changing tbe name of the lake.” With that
announcement, Nicholson produced a
typewritten letter and handed it to Ward Five
Commissioner James Amos asking Amos to
read the letter aloud.
The letter stated that the lake is nine miles
from Kings Mountain, “in Shelby’s backyard”
and the writers felt the name should be
changed to Kings Mountain so the city would
get “iH-oper credit” for the lake.
The letter continued noting there was “a city
of Kings Mountain, a mountain named Kings
Mountain and a battleground named Kings
Mountain and the name of the lake should be
changed.”
The letter was unsigned.
Following the reading of the letter, Nicholson
said, “With that letter and other people I have
talked with, 1 move we change the name of the
lake from the John Moss Reservoir to Kings
Mountain City Lake.”
Mayor John Moss, for whom the lake is
named, said, “the only comment I can make
and feel I should make, is the previous board
named the lake after me unanimcxisly and I
had no part in that. I am honored the lake is
named after me and I respect the feeling that
some peopie want it changed. I also feel the
citizens have a right to name it what they want
and I’ll abide by the citizen’s wishes.”
Commissioner Amos spoke up and noted, “I
do not wish to change the name of the lake
personally. However, since this is the second
time the matter has arisen, maybe we should
put the matter to the people by way of a
ballot.”
John Dilling, a spectator in the audience
remarked, “if the people can’t sign a letter, I
don’t think it should te read.” Amxher spec
tator Huron Blanton said, “whatever the name
it won’t change the taste of the water.”
At that point. Commissioner Amos moved
“the meeting be adjourned” but Ward Four
Commissioner Don McAbee said, “wait a
minute, there’s a motion on the floor already
and it needs a second.”
There was a momentary lull and McAbee
spoke up, “I’ll second the motion.”
During discussion Commissioner Lloyd
Davis said, “I brought this matter up once
before and it was beat and I promised I
wouldn’t bring it up again.” He looked at the
mayor and added, “but I never promised I
wouldn’t vote to change the name if someone
else brought it up.” He continued, “if we are
going to change the lake name, I also think we
ought to change the name of the filter plant.
Now it’s the Tommy Ellison plant.”
Mayor Moss remarked, “you are putting me
in an awkward situation. I have always risen to
any challenge and have worked hard for the
lake.”
(See CHANGE p. 3A)
Tuesday’s Primary
Very Unexciting
Tuesday’s primary election
in Cleveland County is shaping
ig> with all the luster of faded
denims.
And according to Paul
Vogel, chairman of the county
elections board, “there
doesn’t appear to be a great
deal of interest in the May 7
primary election although
there are some very im
portant offices to be con
sidered.
Voters who go to the polls
next Tuesday, open from 6
a.m. until 7 p.m., will have
four Democratic ballots and
two Republican ballots to
consider.
The important national
primary election is between
N.C. Senator Jack L. Rhyne
and Billy E. Pope who are
vying for the Democratic
nomination for the U.S. House
repesentatives race. The win
ner in this category will face
incumbent James Broyhill for
the 10th Congressional
District seat.
Top contenders for the
Democratic nomination in the
U.S. Senate seat race (the one
currently held by Sam Ervin)
are Robert Morgan, Henry
Hall Wilson and Bill Hare.
In state races incumbents
W.K. (Billy) Mauney of Kings
Mountain and Marshall Rauch
of Gastonia are seeking
nomination from Democrats
for the N.C. Senate race. Also
on the ballot for this
nomination are J. Ollie Harris
of Kings Mountain, J.
Rodney Sherrill of Lincolnton,
James Ramsey of Bessemer
City and John Eaker of
Cherryville.
Three seats are available in
the 25th Senatorial District.
John C. Hodge Sr. of Lin-
oolnton is the lone Republican
candidate.
The 40th District, N.C.
House, has three seats
available and only three
Democratic contenders, in
cumbents Bob Falls of Shelby,
Jack Hunt of Lattimore and
Robert Jones of Forest City,
and their names will not be on
'Riesday’s ballot.
The Clerk of Superior Court
candidate. Incumbent Ruth
Dedmon. and Cleveland
Coroner candidate, incumbent
M.D. (Bub) Walker, also will
not appear on the primary
ballot.
In the county race for
sheriff, incumbent Haywood
Allen faces Charles Peeler in
■the primary. In the 27lh
District Solicitor primary
race incumbent Hamp Childs
foces Joe Brown of ^Imcnt.
In the 27th District Superior
Court Judgeship race, a new
office with one seat, Lewis
Bulwinkle of Dallas, Robert
Kirby and Ralph Phillips of
Gastonia are the contenders.
All three are currently serving
terms as district court judges.
Incumbents B.E. (Pop)
Simmons and Phil Rucker
face Ed Nolan and C.M.
Peeler Jr. for the two
Geveland County Com
missioner seats up for grabs.
In the Cleveland County
Board of Education race, two
seats are open, are in
cumbents Mary Lou Barrier
and Robert Stone and
newcomer Richard Lowery.
Kings Mountain area
precinct officials for
Tuesday’s primary are:
Bethware - Hazel McNeilly,
registrar, Aillen Herndon and
Carolyn Hicks, judges;
Grover - Geraldine Myers,
registrar, Mary C. Roilins and
Jerome S, Spangler, judges;
E. Kings Mountain - Mrs. Ruth
N. Hord, registrar, Janice
Glass and Nell Cranford,
judges, W. Kings Mountain -
Margaret Rayfield, registrar,
Kelly Dixon and Mrs. J.H.
Arthur, judges; Waco -
Maxine Moore, registrar,
Paul Shull and G.M. Murray,
judges.
Primary winners are
subject to the November 5,
1974 general election.
At FUISBank I0-5
Mirror Photographer
Here Today & Friday
The photographer is here.
C.W. Robinson has his camera set up in the conference room
at First Union National Bank, Battleground Ave., today from
10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The photo sessions, which continue Friday and again
niursday and Friday, May 9 and 10 at the same times, are
sponsored by The Mirror.
“Weare concerned about the lack of file photos of women in
the community,” said Mirror General Manager Darrell
Austin,” and that’s the reason we have contracted Robinson
for photo sessions.”
The photos are being made for The Mirror files at no cost to
the citizens. Several poses will be made and proofs mailed to
subjects for a selection. All proofs must be returned with the
pose selection clearly marked That photo will go into The
Mirror files.
“We want photos of members of all the ladies clubs and
organizations, plus photos of women active in business
politics, etc.,” Austin said.
“At the same time we want to urge men in the community
who were unable to attend the photo sessions of a year ago to
make every effort to take advantage of the photo sessions now
underway,” Austin continued.
All photos will be portrait-type quality. Robinson is now in
his 56th year as a commercial photographer. The Mirror is
fortunate to have a photographer of Robinson’s stature
available for this special promotion.
“We urge you to take advantage of this feature,” Austin
said.