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Herald Football
Contest Planned
With the start of the football
season Just around the comer, the
Herald Is gearing for one of Its most
successful promotions...the annusd
"Pick The Winners” football con
test.
Tile contest will run throughout
the high school and college season,
which begins on FiT., Sept. 7, and
area "guesaperts” will be taking
Shota at the 97B prize money.
The first contest will appesu* In
next Tuesday's paper. Contestants
will have until Friday noon to submit
their entries.
Meanwhile, a limited amount of
space Is available to advertisers.
The contest will be limited to 10
advertisements. Anyone interested
In having an ad on the page may call
the Herald's advertising department
at 739-7496.
All contestants are urged to
closely read the rules next Tuesday.
Often-times entries sure disqualified
because contestants neglected the
rules.
The main thing to bear in mind Is
that only one entry per person will
be SLllowed, and entries must be
received by noon Fridays. No
typewritten entries will be accepted.
In case of a tie, the tie-breaker
method will be used. In It, con
testants predict the total number of
points (not the final score) that will
be scored In a selected game. The
person coming closer wins the $76. If
a tie still exists, the money will be
divided If no more than two persons
tie. If more than two tie, a drawing
will be held to determine the winner.
Games In the first week's contest
will be played on Friday and
Saturday, Sept. 7 and 8. So brush up
on your high school and college
football and get ready to pocket
some of that dough!
VOL. 90 NO. 69 THURSDAY, AVGUST 30, 1979
KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD
15c
Childers Seeks Re-election
\
JAMES A. CHILDERS
District One Commissioner
District One Commissioner James
A. Childers filed to seek re-election
on Oct. 9.
Last Tuesday both Incumbent
commissioners Norman King and
Oorbet Nicholson announced their
candidacies. Childers rounds out the
Incumbents up for re-election this
year.
Mayor John Henry Moss said late
Wednesday that he will make a
formal announcement at t p.m.
Monday concerning his candidacy
for re-election. The mayor said he
will be a candidate In the Oct. •
municipal election.
A native of Kings Mountain,
Commissioner Childers Is com
pleting his first term In public office.
He was elected In 1976 under the first
four-year staggered term system for
commissioners and mayor in Kings
Mountain.
“In reflecting back on the past
three years and eight months,”
Childers said, “It becomes apparent
how much progress has been made
In the city. Completed, to mention a
fow. Is the Citizens Service Center;
additions to the community center;
Davidson Park upgrading; additions
to the Deal Street Recreation
Complex; additions to the water
treatment plant and waste treat
ment plant; Improvements to water
and sewer limes; upgrading of the
electrical system; an ongoing
program of ssifsty and efficient gas
system operation; a personnel
policy and Job classification for city
employes.”
The candidate said he Is "proud to
have been a part of making these
things happen and If re-elected will
continue to work towards more
progress for our citizens.”
Childers said some of the
l»-ograms and projects he Is In-
Rufus Thomas Of Canterbury Rd,
terested In seeing through Include
more street Improvements, an
expanded and Improved surface
drainage program, continual
upgrading of the water, sewer, gas
and electrical systems, renovation
of the former city hall into a func
tional law enforcement center,
further enhancement of Davidson
and Deal Street parks, final and
complete closeout of the
redevelopment projects of urban
renewal, a workable program to
bring developers together to create
more private housing Into the city.
"And I want to see a continual
upgrading of the city's fire
protection system,” Childers said.
Childers. 48, is a veteran of the
Korean War, serving In the U.S.
Army. He is president of Childers
Roofing and Heating Co., secretary
and treasurer of the Kings Mountain
Babe Ruth Baseball League and a
member of Second Baptist C!hurch.
Man In A LegM Bind
By TOM McINT YRE
Editor, The Herald
Hie bureaucratic machinery has
chewed up Rufus Thomas and spit
him out.
Monday night, Thomas appeared
at a public hearing with his attorney
regarding his request for rezonlng a
portion of 'his Canterbury Rd.
property to expand a machine shop.
He left with his petition denied.
Commissioner Oorbet Nicholson
moved the petition be approved and
Commissioner Norman King
seconded the motion. Hiey were the
only ones voting favorably for the
petition. The “no” votes of Com
missioners James CSiUders, Humes
Houston, William Grissom and
James Dickey killed the petition.
During the public hearing only two
persons spoke; Gastonia attorneys
James B. Garland, in favor, and
Joseph Roberts, in opposition.
Garland, representing Thomas,
painted a vivid picture of his client’s
problems. He said Thomas pur
chased his property on Canterbury
Rd. in 1972 "wher. ’here were only
two homes in the neighborhood.”
Thomas built “what was really a
shed and began a machine shop
business In 1974. That business has
grown steadily.”
The attorney said Thomas, who
has an eighth grade education only.
employs four others besides himself
In the operation and “on Sept. 6,1978
he talked about expanding his
business site.” Garland said. In
essence, this meant tearing down
the original structure and erecting a
larger steel building.
According to Attorney Garland,
Thomas’ property lies In Gaston
Cbunty about one and three-qusulers
of a mUe south of 1-86. His property
line Is SGO-600 feet from the end of the
Kings Mountain zoning perimeter.
Thomu contacted a Gaston County
building Inspector and obtained a
permit to Install the new building.
The structure cost $7,221. After the
foundation for the new building was
begun, Thomas borrowed $12,000
from Independence National Bank
to go Into his business. The structure
arrived later than promised suid
construction was delayed until the
spring of 1979.
At this point the City of Kings
Mountain came Into the picture.
Alvin Moretz, city codes director,
sent a letter to ’Thomas Informing
him that the property he owned was
not zoned for what he proposed.
“This was Mr. Thomas first In
dication the city of Kings Mountain
had any Jurisdiction over his
property,” Garland said. ”A letter
was also sent from Mr. Moretz to
John Stowe, Gaston buUdlng In
Clears Second Hurdle
$5.3 Million Project
Proposed For Hospital
The Western North Carolina
Health Systems Agency has ap
proved a proposed $6.8 million
renovation and modernization
project at Kings Mountain Hospital.
Local hospital officials attended
the WNCHSA governing board
meeting In Asheville last Wednesday
night to answer questions con
cerning the program. The proposal
had already received a positive nod
from the WNCHSA review com
mittee this week before.
Now, according to Grady Howard,
spector, Informing him of the
violation. Six weeks passed and Mr.
Thomas heard nothing more. He
begsui constructing his building
again and this time the city stopped
him.”
Garland said the building la
partially constructed and Thomas Is
In debt. “This Is a situation over
vdilch he has no control. If the
property la not rezoned from R-30 to
LI, he cannot put up the building,
and if he cannot put up the building
to expand his business, he cannot
repay the bank loan or pay tor the
structure.”
Garland said the building can be
seen, “but not much of It shows In
the community.”
Attorney Roberts told the board he
represented “fifty-three Individuals
who have built their homes on
Canterbury Road. They built there
because they were sure the zoning
would protect them and their In
vestments.”
Roberts described the area as
similar to the North Carolina
foothills In beauty, which was
another reason the “residents chose
to build their homes there.” Roberts
termed Thomas’ situation as
"tragic,” but questioned whether
granting his rezonlng request was
"vaUd.”
“1110 problem presented Is that
Thomas wants to tsike a piece out of
the heart of this residential section
for another purpose,” Roberts said.
’‘He wants to go from the extreme of
an R-20 to Light Industry. I'm sure
Mr. Thomas has quite an Investment
In his property and business, but
what about the Investment of these
63 people In that community?”
Roberts said he felt the board
would not destroy their own zoning
without a strong reason euid "the
mistake made by one homeowner Is
not sufficient rationale to warrant
this destruction.”
The board had agreed that both
Garland and Roberts would be
permitted two minutes rebuttal at
the end of each Initial statement.
Garland took less than one minute
and Roberts "had nothing further to
add.”
Garland pointed out that the 63
people concerned knew the Thomas
machine shop was there when they
built and that “the majority of these
people live outside the Kings
Mountain zoning perimeter. They
are calling on Kings Mountain to
protect them, yet they chose to build
outside the city’s Jurisdiction to
avoid the thing they ask for.”
To questions from commissioners.
Garland said he had no Information
as to why a Gaston County building
Inspector would grant a building
permit to someone Inside Kings
Mountain's perimeter without In
forming the citizen of the facts.
(Turn to page 2A)
. BETHWARE FAIR QUEEN—Miss Ann Grant, daughter of Itae John
Grants, will serve as official hostess for the S2nd annual edition of the
Bethware Fair, Sept. 12-16 at Bethware Elementary School.
Ann Grant Is Named
Bethware Fair Queen
Ann Grant, a senior at Kings
Mountain Senior High, will serve as
Queen of The Bethware Fair next
month.
Hie daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
John Grant of Rt. 1, Kings Mountain,
will cut the ribbon to officUdly open
the 32nd annusd edition of the fair,
sponsored by the Bethware
Progressive (31ub, at 4 p.m. Wed.,
Sept. 12 Miss Grant will serve as
hostess and will present door prizes
won In the nightly drawings.
Besides the rides and games for
adults and children along the
midway, there wlU be over 1,()(X)
exhibits set up In the school gym.
according to Mrs. Betty White.
"Last year we had 1,437 exhibitors
and this year we are expecting
more,” Mrs. White said. “Persons
Interested In placing an exhibit of
handicrafts, homegrown or
homemade Items may register on
Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at
the gym.”
First place winners will receive
extra cash prizes this year and the
prize money will be presented after 8
p.m. on Fri., Sept. 14.
hospital admlmstrator, the proposal
goes to the Certificate of Need
Section of the Division of Facilities
Service for final review.
Kings Mountain Hospital has
applied for a $4.8 million loan from
the Farmers Home Administration.
If approved, the hospital plans
receiving construction bids In spring
1980.
To repay the loan over the next 30
years, the hospital would Increase
dally billing to patients by about $10.
Local Churches
To Take Poll
This canvasser form will be used
this week by members of local
churches calling for the Christian
Growth Celebration.
The Information on local families
will be used by the pastors In the
Kings Mountain Ministerial
Association to plan and follow up on
the celebration « Sept. 2-9, Gamble
Stadium.
An attempt will be made to con
tact every family In the phone
directory In the city to ask for
cooperation.
PEOPLE SEARCH
Family Name_
Address
City
FAMILY INFORMATION
Telephone
Date
Given Name
Age (of
ChiIdren
Attendance
W-Weekly
M-Monthly
S-Seldom
N-Never
Church Member?
Name of church
Church
Preference
2. Remarks
Canvasser