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Winning Newspaper
MIRROB'HEIMD
15
’‘*“?udget "totaling
Monday night,
anendment reduced
proposed budget from
«or Jdin H. ^
Crease in projected
i^s “reflects the down-
general economy of
tea.
iNO. 2t
Cleveland County's Modern Newsweekly''
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY. JUNE 26,1975
budget Is Adopted,
Utility Rates Talked
,tom MCINTYRE
Idilor,
Mirror-Herald
amendment dty
adopted the
Moss said
yget amendment was
jOOOless expected rev-
ii the utility fund,
1,46 less in the general
{6608.25 less in debt
j and 5283,625.35 less in
al fund for a total de-
,e of 5469,186.56.
1975.76 budget shows a
6,90 increase over the
said very little time has
illotted for a long study
Bt the increases will
bit that Southeaster fi
ilting Engineers has
H) with a study and a
imaidation to the city,
recommendation was a
icent increase to dty
ners, which the board
Monday night,
have figured the
itts distributed through
and York SL sta-
fith and without the fuel
t” little said. “Using
ise rate we figured the
[0 the city at the Gaston
plunder old rate was
p. The same amount of
■lander the new rate will
p5|619, an increase of
fffcent
* the York St. point the
fate cost has been
pV Little continued.
I same amount of power
'the new rate will be
an increase of 23.6
®t We recommend the
'add
percent to cus-
* to take care of
through charge from
ppearance
PPointed
a Moss has
niiii 'Appearance
«»on for Kings Moun-
;®A-451, to work
ingTS*"® ""‘I
a better general
e recent board
* 'aioinissii
chairper-
iifer J;r'’
*», Ragan uf'
Mrs.
k Gerald
The 24 percent surcharge
will appear as a separate line
item on the August 1, 1975
power bill.
Little said citizens should be
made aware this increase is
not going to the city, but on to
Duke to take care of that
company’s increase.
He said the 24 percent will
be compatible with Duke’s
rates in the majority of cus
tomer use by Kings Moun-
tians. Little also recom
mended the city have a study
into the rates so a more con
crete proposal can be adopted
to handle the increased costs
to the city for power. Com
missioners moved to take such
action.
Mayor Moss read two letters
from William D. Edwards,
aigineering and management
consultants serving municipal
gas distributors, concerning
the proposed increases in
natural gas rates.
“.. .1 find change from two-
part to a one-part gas pur
chase rate has reduced cost of
firm gas,” Edwards stated in
his letter. “At the same time it
reduced this cost, the cost of
gas sold on an interruptible
basis was increased approxi
mately 20 cents per 1,000
feet.”
Edwards suggested the dty
increase the small commer
cial public building rate to
Gas
Talk
CaUed
Off
ByTOMMcINTYRE
Editor, Mirror-Herald
MEET CANCELLED — The
public meeting with William
Edwards to discuss natural
gas rate increases expected
for city customers scheduled
tonight at 7:30 at city hall has
been cancelled. Edwards is
unavailable to come to Kings
Mountain this week.
(Turn To Page2A)
William Little Explains Electric Rate Increase
die budget the corn-
oners adopted a 65 cents
[do valuation as the tax
®s is the same rate as
current fiscal year,
fo budget message
Moss said, “in the face
(her costs of operating
■arepleasedwecan
the tax rate the same for
ming year.”
„ Monday’s meeting a
group of citizens heard
nations d why the dty
increaseelectric and gas
to cBstotners in th'z
ogjear. WiDian Little of
ieastern Consulting
leei-s, told the comrois-
•sandthe audience what
Power Co. has proposed
crease of more than 23
nt in costs to municipali-.
Staggered Terms Approved
staggered terms for com
missioners and mayor were
adopted at Monday night’s
city commission meeting
following a public hearing
Saturday and more discussion
Monday.
Under the modification of
sections 131 and 132 of the dty
charts-, beginning with the
next munidpal electitxi, a
mayor will be elected for four
yearr^ aloa" with th" to" thm*'
vote polling commissiontr
candiciates. Ihe three low
pollers will serve for two
years. In 1977 the three low
wards will run commissioner
candidates for four year
terms.
Citizens will still go to the
polls every two years, but will
vote for only three com
missioners. A mayoral candi
date will seek office, after this
October, again in 1979.
Prior to the vote to modify
the tentures of office City
Attorney Jack White said “the
timetable calls for acticm to
night (Monday) in order for
all qualificaticmsto be met for
the coming October municipal
election.”
White was speaking to a
question frcan Jim Trammel.
At last Saturday’s public
hearing Trammel com
mented, “If you have long-
range projects and get new
commissioners, it’ll take them
at least two years to catch on
to what’s going on.”
Monday night Trammel
again commented favorably
^^the staggered term propo
sal, with emphasis on four
years for a mayoral candi
date.
At the Monday meeting all
citizen comment favored the
staggered term system.
Speaking out on the issue were
Leroy Blanton, George
Lublaneski, Qyde Blackwell
and Mrs. 0. 0. Walker.
M-H WiU
Publish
July 2nd
Codes Inspections
Scheduled By City
(Turn to Page 5A)
Crawford Services
Held Last Friday
Mayor Will
Recommend
Bank Fishing
J. Wilson Crawford, Kings
Mountain realtor and first
president of KM Business
Develcpment Corporation at
its organizaticm Nov. 19, 1967,
died Wednesday afternoon in
Charlotte Memorial Hospital.
He was 62.
Semi-retired builder and
prominent land developer,
among them KM Shopping
Plaza, the Country Club area,
Southwoods and Northwoods
Sub-Divisions of the dty, Mr.
Crawford was hospitalized
Monday on his 35th wedding
anniversary. He had been in
declining health for several
years.
KM Business Development
Corporation was instrumental
in bringing Waco Sportswear,
K Mills, Concept Furniture,
Now Horizons, Inc. and Carpet
Industries, in addition to other
industry to the area.
Former President of KM
Chamber of Commerce, he
was a longtime member of
KM Lions club, veteran of
World War 11, a member of
the American Legion Post 155,
and active in Boyce Memorial
ARP cihurch.
His funeral services were
conducted Friday afternoon at
4 p. m. by his pastor, Dr.
Charles Edwards, assisted by
a former pastor. Dr. W. L.
Pressly of Mooresville. Active
pallbearers were Mayor John
Look for your Kings
Mountain Mirror-Herald on
Wed., July 2 next week.
For the week of the
fourth your hometown
newsweekly will publish
early. Because of the early
mailing and street sales
date news and advertise
ment deadlines will move
►jack.
Aii social and women’s
section news must be in by
early Mon., June 30.
General news items must
be in early Tues., June 1.
The Mirror-Herald ^-
preciates your cooperation
in this coming early
publication week.
Public Works Director
Black Leonard told represen
tatives of the downtown mer
chants group Monday night
that letters are being sent to
landlords and tenants that on
site inspections for possible
code violations are planned
within a week.
Leonard was responding to
the request of the merchants
for strict codes enforcement
and definite guidelines on
what upgrading is to be done
to buildings not slated for de
molition under the re
development commission con
tract.
Making the request at Mon
day’s commissioner meeting
was Wilson Griffin, chairman
of a four-man committee
appointed to work with the
codes director and redevelop
ment architect C. Crawford
Murphy in this program.
Bill Fulton, chairman of the
downtown merchants group,
also attended the meeting, but
made no comment to the
board.
Mayor Jbin H. Moss told
Griffin and Fulton that the
codes enforcement inspec
tions “fit in nicely with the
environmental impact state
ments that must be sent to the
Department of Housing and
Urban Development under the
community development fund
Monday night commission
ers moved to invite William D.
Edwards, engineering and
management consultant serv
ing municipal gas dis
tributors, to city hall Thurs
day night to meet with the
board and the public at large
to talk about natural gas costs.
Edwards, who could not
attend Monday’s meeting as
scheduled, sent letters to
Mayor John H. Moss ex
plaining his study findings on
the gas situation in Kings
Mountain.
(See budget story for
highlights on Edwards’ first
letter)
During the board meeting
Buford Defore, Spectrum Tex
tured Fibers executive,
suggested “a study be made
before the board takes action
on gas rate increases. Some
thing seems out of line. ’Die
rate in February 1972 was 52
erruptible service and now
this man (Edwards) suggests
a rate of $1.03.”
Mayor Moss said the
Transco projection per 1,000
feet of natural gas “runs like
this. Beginning in July and for
138 days the rate would be 80.1
cents. Beginning November 15
(Turn To Page2A)
(Turn ToPage2A)
Arts Council Plans Show,
Street Dance On July 4
J. WILSON CRAWFORD
Henry Moss, Robert Neill,
Howard B. Jackson, Tom
Tate, Senator W. K. Mauney
Jr. and Carl Goforth.
Son of the late William
Joseph and Vennie Littlejohn
Crawford. He was married 35
years ago June 16 to Eloise
Summerford who survives.
The Crawfords lived at 916
Sherwood Lane.
Also surviving are his sister
and brother-in-law, Mr. and
Mrs. Harold Coggins of Kings
Mountain.
Let the good times roll!
And come Fri., July 4 that’s what the Kings
Mountain Arts Council is planning to do.
“Actually, on the night of the Fourth the good
times will come in two parts,” said Arts Council
Chairman Tom McIntyre. “First there will be a
big outdoor inusical program featuring a wide
range of music — rock, folk, classical, calypso
and country and western.
“The second part of the evening’s en
tertainment will be a street dance,” McIntyre
continued.
The musical program will feature a number of
Kings Mountain and area residents. The arts
council chairman said, “and we can promise you
there will be no flaming baton acts — unless Jonas
Bridges is planning one. Jonas wiU handle the
major portion of the master of ceremony duties
for the show.”
To kick off the show at 7:30 p. m. will be Don
Gr^n and The Shastells featuring RCA recording
artist Joey Martin. Others on the program are
Dennis Huffstickler on the organ, Andre Small, a
classi()al guitarist and Scott Rhea, folk singer-
guitarist. A full list of performers will be an
nounced in next week’s Mirror-Herald.
The show will be held at the pedestrian walk and
rest area beside Rose’s, just off S. Battleground
Ave. and will run until aoDroximatelv 9 n. m.
A professional band with a variety of styles,
enough to accommodate the rocK ana roller and
the square dancer, will begin the street dance
around 9 p. m. For the dance S. Battleground will
be blocked off at W. Mountain and W. Gold Sts.
The Kings Mountain Arts Council, in conjunc
tion with the city recreation department, invites
Kings Mountians of all ages to join in the festivi
ties to celebrate the Fourth of July at home.
me
Mayor Jdin H. Moss will
recommend to the Kings
Mountain Lake Authority at a
meeting scheduled Mon., June
30 that the area near Camp
Creek Rd. at Moss Lake be
designated for bank fishing.
The city owns approximate
ly one-half mile along the
shore and back to Camp Creek
Rd. and, according to N. C.
Wildlife officials, the spot is
ideal for bank fishing.
“However, the Wildlife
Resources Commission
cautions that citizens who use
the designated area for bank
fishing must maintain sani
tary conditions,” the mayor
said. “My recommendation
will include this provisiai.
Also that fishing be permitted
during daylight hours only.”
Mayor Moss said this move
is being made until public
fishing piers can be construct
ed at Moss Lake. .
Joseph Mickey Jr.^ of the
Division of Inland Fisheries,
was here this week and after
an inspection said that the fish
population and environment
at Moss Lake is excellent.
Suicide Ruled In Gun
Death Of Brian C. Lair
The gun death of Brian
Christopher Lair Sunday night
has been ruled a suicide by as
sistant Cleveland County
Coroner Bennett Masters.
The 11-year old son of Rev.
and Mrs. Robert E. Lair Jr.,
805 Katherine Ave., was pro
nounced dead on arrival at
Kings Mountain Hospital
about 9 p. m. Sunday by Dr.
Sam Robinson.
Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad transported the young
ster to thehospital for medical
examination. The youth died
from a single wound in the
heart from a .38 caliber
revolver.
Police Chief William Roper
said the body was discovered
on the floor of his parent’s
bedroom by a sister. The re
volver was reportedly kept in
the bedroom.
Police reported the
youngster left church follow
ing services Sunday night and
went home alone. His parents
remained for choir practice. A
sister came home, found the
door locked, returned to the
church for a key, then let her
self into the house and dis
covered the body.
Brian Christopher Lair was
born July 3, 1963. He was a
student at Central School.
A memorial service is plan
ned Sunday at 11 a. m. at
Grace United Methodist
Church, where his father is
pastor, by the Rev. Cecil K.
Myrick and the Rev. Robert A.
Foster.
The body is being sent to
Duke University School of
Medicine, Durham.
Surviving other than the
parents are one brother, Rob
ert Gr^ory Lair; and two sis
ters, Marlene Louise and
Karen Lynn Lair of the home.
One Day
He Could
Save Your Life.,..
ROY HAMMETT
Roy Hammett is a Kings Mountain native employed
by Lithium Corp. He is married to the former Linda
Garris of Gastonia and has two sons, Craig, 2, and
Shane, 4. The Hammetts reside at 606 Mica St.
Roy served two years in the U. S. Army in Germany.
In service he attended mechanics school.
A relative newcomer to the Kings Mountain Rescue
Squad, Roy joined the squad on Jan. 13,1975. “I enjoy
working with other people,” he said. “Especially when
they need help and you know you can be of service. I
feel it’s a person’s duty to do what he can for his com
munity and his fellow citizens.”
Roy pulls duty each Wednesday night and totals
about 15 years each week in volunteer service with the
squad. He’s had the standard first aid and personal
safety course, which he recently finished at the squad
headquarters.
“In service I got into skin diving for pleasure,” Roy
said. “I’m planning to get back into it, polish my skill.
It could be of possible service to the squad
J