NCPA Award
Winning Newspaper
MIBROR-HERIdD
15
VOL. 86 NO. 12
Cleveland County's Modern Newsweekly
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23,1975
IN AND OUT — This turn is the extrance-exit for Kings
Mountain Junior High. The driveway is at the top of a long
curving hi!!, which has been the subject of concern by some
Photo By Gary Stewart
Kings Mountians. It is almost a blind curve for motorists
leaving the school, but highway officials say it is safe if the
speed limit is obeyed.
Hill, Blind Curve Dang er?
‘JVo Problem If Speed
Limit Obeyed’-Mauney
fiyGARY STEWART
Staff Writer
A hill thfat can’t be seen over and a
ffindcurveiii the roadatKings Mountain
Junior High School are raising some con-
cernamonglocal parents who are finding
it hard to get in and out of the school en
trance at dismissal times.
Several parents have phoned the
Mirror-Herald during the past several
weeks and KMJHS Principal Fred
Withers said he has also received some
complaints.
The school system has no control over
the road layout and Ken Mauney of the
Highway Department says the road is
safeaslongas motorists abide by the 35
miles per hour speed limit.
The road doesn’t presenttoomuch of
aproblem except when school is being
dismissed. A motorist approaching the
school entrance can easily stop his car
should another car pull out from the
providing he is within the speed
But there is a severe problem during
school dismissal when traffic is usually
backed up from the school entrance all
die way back to the blind hill near the
Kings Mountain School tennis courts.
Withers says the persons who have
complained to him mentioned the
problems of “getting in and out off the
road and the dangers of it.
“They want to know why we don’t have
policemen out there directing traffic,” he
said. “I can’t assign policemen and they
(the police department) don’t have
policemen they can put all over town.”
Withers said he has discussed the prob
lem with Chief of Police William Roper.
“They just have so many policemen,”
Withers said, “and they need them more
at the elementary schools.”
Roper was on vacation and could not be
reached for comment.
Kings Mountain High School has a traf
fic director, Bill Young, who is a teacher
there, but Withers said Young volunteers
his time.
“So far, I haven’t had anybody to
volunteer here,” Withers said, “and I
certainly don’t intend to assign a school
teacher to direct traffic.”
Supt. Don Jones said the school board
“tried to get the hi^way department to
shave off that hill and even the road out
but they said it was safe.”
Mauney said the highway department
has never had any complaints about the
road.
“It’s a lot better than it was,” he
commented. “We at least widened it and
made turning lanes into the school. If the
people drive at the appropriate speed
limits it should be no problem.
“I’ll admit it’s not the best road in the
world,” he continued. “It’s just a county
road that’s suited to the particular ter
rain here. We have a lot of roads like
that.
“It’s posted for a 35 miles jjer hour
speed limit and you can stop a car
driving 35 in the length of the car. I don’t
see any problem if the people are obeying
the speed limit.”
Qiaiiges
Studied
By Fox
% Engineer Dennis Fox is
laying requests for changes
® ffie initial plan for the off-
iffeet parking lot on Cherokee
Detail^ blue prints of the
peering drawing of the
ysed 76-space lot were left
••merchants and business-
connected with the lot
on for a week for study
W suggestions.
® all suggestions
ere r^uested no later than
Friday by 5 p. m. When
TO (leadline passed Fox said
P®‘'fonaUy, had heard
I,,,,, one businessman,
that Dean McGinnis of the
> Mountain Re-
,,,/°P™ont Commission had
f;red about four other
bastions from the down-
"ti^^erchants.
^efive suggestions had to
il ih levels, location
^®nipsy Dumpster
P'l^nting of
. long the sidewalks near
of the buildings,
tions and depths for utility
®nd gas lines.
Iff th 'l**™anent coverings
ftose lines,” Fox said.
iktiB said the trees
Ine sidewalks have been
''’'aaseTurnToPage2A)
County Delaying Approval
Cleveland County Commissioners have received bids on construction of a sewer line to
serve Eaton Corporation and the Grover area, but have delayed final word on acceptance
until final word is on a $300,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration of the
U. S. Department of Commerce.
The commissioners have been urged to accept the bids on the larger line to service south
east Cleveland County in thefuture. Hickory Sand Co., which built the waterline, submitted
the low base bid of $842,463.54. The low electric bid of $46,406 was submitted by National
Electric Co. The total low bid is $898,869.54.
Financing of the larger line would include $224,717.13 in State Clean Water Bonds, $300,000
from EDA and $374,152.41 in county funds.
Set Clock Back An Hour
Before you retire this Saturday night be sure to turn your clocks back one hour.
Daylight Saving Time will end officially at 2 a. m. Sunday and for the remainder of the
winter and until spring we will be observing Eastern Standard Time.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided that on the last Sunday in April clocks would be set
aheadonehour, thenturnedbackonehourat2a.m. thelastSundayinOctober.
So, if you hit the rack at 11 p. m. Saturday, turn the clock back to 10 p. m. and when you get
up Sunday you’ll be right with the world — except for Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico,
American Samoa, The Virgin; Islands, Arizona and 80 counties in Indiana. These places do
not observe Daylight Saving Time.
Candidates Warned
Of Sidewalk Talk
Five of six candidates for
two school trustee seats up for
grabs Nov. 4 were warned that
“making sidewalk decisions”
are the pitfalls in which new
board members “sometimes
fall.”
The speaker was Cecil Gil-
liatt of Shelby, national presi
dent of the School Board As
sociation and a board of
education member in Shelby
for 22 years.
Mr. Gilliatt led a workshop
for the candidates following
Monday night’s regular board
of education meeting at the
invitation of Supt. Donald
Jones and the board.
Pointing out that a board of
education is a “purely policy
making body”, he advised
that members should listen
and make decisions later “in
side and not outside” the
board meeting.
“Never be guilty”, said
Gilliatt, “in meddling in the
administrative affairs of the
school”. “Hiring a good
siq)erintendent is the major
responsibility of a school
board. He (the superinten
dent) makes recommenda
tions and the board adopts or
rejects them.”
“Lines of communications
must always be open between
the school board and the
administrator”, he declared.
“If you don’t like something
your superintendent ^>£8, teH
him about it. Don’t air your
problems outside the board
room.”
Mr. Gilliatt recalled how he
learned “the hard way” 22
years ago as a brand new
■school trustee and minus a
good handbook.
To question by Kyle Smith,
Gilliatt replied that a good an
swer to a person wanting to
know your plans if elected,
We’re going to make this the
best system in North Caro
lina.”
“If any of you have an axe to
grind, it’s better you stay off
the board,” Gilliatt declared.
Other questions directed by
the candidates concerned
policy on dismissal of a
teacher, structure of the board
of education, hiring practices,
and the school calendar.
To questions by Herman
Greene, Supt. Jones explained
that the two school trustees
elected next month will rep
resent the corporate limits of
the city to succeed Mauney
and Herndon but all citizens of
the school district, which also
includes Bethware and
Grover, can vote their choice
of two of thesix in the running.
Polling places will be: East
Kings Mountain, KM Com
munity Center; West Kings
Mountain, National Guard
Armory; Grover Rescue
Squad Building; and Beth
ware School.
To question by Herman
Greene, Supt. Jones pointed
out that an act of the legisla
ture spells out the number of
people and staggered terms on
the board of education, two
r^resenting the outside dis
trict, Bethware and Grover,
and three from inside the citv.
Replying to Kyle Smith,
Supt. Jones said that the boartl
at an organizational meeting
after the swearing-in cere
monies elects a chairman and
vice-chairman. George H.
Mauney is currently chairman
andP. A. Francis of Grover is
vice-chairman.
Other candidates present
for the meeting were Marion
(Mrs. George B.) Thomasson,
Charles F. Mauney and
William Orr. June (Mrs. Joe)
Lee had sent regrets stating
that she would be attending a
state hospital auxiliary meet
ing out-of-the-city.
Supt. Jones suggested the
candidates obtain a copy of
the “N. C. School Laws”, he
termed “our Bible” and gave
each a copy of the N. C. Hand
book for board of education
members.
Congratulating Supt. Jones
and county and Shelby city ad
ministrators for their ability
to “work together on prob
lems”, Mr. Gilliatt said that
the question of county-wide
school consolidation “bothers
me” as well as “court-ordered
busing.”
Chairman Mauney quipped.
(Please Turn To Page2A)
SCHOOL TRUSTEES HONORED — Re
tiring Kings • Mountain Board of Education
members George H. Maimey, left, and James
E. Herndon, right, were honored by the Kings
Photo By Lib Stewart
Mountain Unit Association of Classroom
Teachers at Monday night’s district board of
education meeting. Presenting plaques to the
trustees is Steve Wells, ACT officer.
ACT Honors Retiring
School Board Trustees
Retiring school trustees
George H. Mauney, chairman
of the board, and James E.
Herndon, Jr. were honored
with plaques for long service
at Monday night’s meeting of
the Kings Mountain District
Board of Education.
The engraved plaques were
presented by the KM Unit of
the Association of Classroom
Teachers. Making the pres
entation was Steve Wells.
Mauney was cited for his
outstanding contributions to
the teachers and children of
the KM Schools from 1963-1975
and for his leadership as
chairman of the board for the
past 10 years.
Herndon was cited for his
outstanding contributions to
the teachers and diildren of
the KM Schools from 1963-75
and for his leadership as
chairman two years during
1963-65.
Neither men are seeking re-
election. They will complete
their term of office Nov. 30.
Both schoolmen expressed
appreciation to the ACT Unit
and applauded their co-mem
bers on the board and Ad
ministrator Donald Jones for
good service to education in
the community.
Mr. Mauney commented
that he had missed only one
merting during his long tenure
on the board of education.
Supreme Court Paddling
Decision Against Teacher
Bhodmobile Here Monday
The Red Cross Bloodmobile will again visit Kings Mountain Mon., Oct. 27 from 11 a. m.
until 4:30 p. m. at the community center. This visit the goal has been set for 200 pints of
blood.
Co-chairmen Lyn Cheshire and Bill Grissom said this trip the bloodmobile wiU set up
facilities in the gym at the community center and that additional personnel would be here
that day to cut down on the waiting period for donors.
Nursery facilities and transportation at the center will also be provided during this visit.
For transportation to and from the center Oct. 27 call 739-3549.
By TOM McIntyre
Editor, Mirror-Herald
A fry-cook in a local cafe was over
heard Wednesday morning commenting
to a teacher “I guess you teachers are
happy now the Supreme Court has given
you back the right to beat the hell out of
students again.”
According to Dean Westmoreland, a
teacher at Kings Mountain Senior High
and President of the North Carolina
Association of Educators, the U. S. Su
preme Court ruling has done the op
posite.
“Newspaper headlines have created
the impression that the court has ap
proved paddling children,” West
moreland said today. “In actuality, the
court has upheld a lower court ruling
which, in effect, makes it extremely
difficult for a teacher to legally paddle a
student.”
Judge Braxton Craven’s decision
stipulates that North Carolina law which
allows corporal punishment of children is
constitutional, but only if stringent rules
are followed.
Westmoreland said “The rules are so
strict that it is my opinion that most
teachers will hereafter refrain from
spanking for fear of a liability suit.”
The NCAE official said the rules an
nounced by Judge Craven, who was
considering the ruling of a three-judge
federal court which had decided a Guil
ford County spanking case, included a
stipulation that corporal punishment can
be used only after other lesser forms of
punishment have been tried and then
only after certain procedures designed to
assure the student due process have been
followed.
The due process requirements outlined
by the court include:
The student must be forewarned of
the behavior that will result in corporal
punishment.
Another school official must be
present when corporal punishment is
administered.
Parents who request a written
explanation should be given one.
Westmoreland said the required
procedures leave many unanswered
questions for teachers, the major one of
which is what constitutes “forewarning.”
He said an official of the Institute of
Government in Chapel Hill has ques
tioned whether it would be adequate fore
warning to tell a kindergarten child, for
example, on the day before ad
ministering the punishment.
“North Carolina teachers should be
fully aware that failure to follow the
guidelines outlined by the court could re
sult in personal damage suits being filed
against the teacher,” Westmoreland
said.
The NCAE has pubhcized to members
the Guifford County case and have urged
them to seek alternatives to paddling.
“As usual, the teacher is left holding
the bag in this whole matter,” West
moreland said
One such alternative as spoken of. by
NCAE officials was related to this
reporter. A teacher in one of the local
schools thwarted the attempts of a
student to bully smaller children out of
their lunch money by taking the student
aside and telling him he would be ex
pected to fork over a dollar a day. Of
course the teacher had no idea of
collecting money from the student and
that bit of psychology worked. Now, we
are told, the student is pulling his own
weight and refraining from riding
roughsod over his fellow student.