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VOLUME 94, NUMBER 6
THURSDAY, JANUARY22, 1981
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
Cites Mayor Interference
Rev. George Resigns
As KM Aging Director
CITY AT WORK — Employ*M of tho City
Public Works Doportmont oro picturod boro
preparing Bonnott Drie* for curbing and gut
tering. The ciubing and guttering, which is ex-
Photo by Gory Stewart
pected to be completed within a week, is port
of the Neighborhood Strategy project for Ben
nett Drive and Chestnut Street wUch is being
funded by HUD.
Transfer Policy Considered
Kings Mountain Board of
Education Monday night
delayed action on a school
transfer policy until a committee
of parents and teachers can
study a specific plan but in
dicated that children entering
school for the first time next
year will not be allowed to at
tend elementary school outside
their attendance zone except in
extreme hardship cases.
Supt. Bill Davis said the new
policy needs to be implemented
with the beginning of school
next August 24 and recommend
ed that hardship requests be
documented. He also suggested
that students already established
in a schoohbe allowed to remain
there, whether or not they are
living in the correct attendance
zone.
Transfer requests from
parents have been granted
almost without question but
schools are filling up and new
families moving into the com
munity and the school atten
dance areas are having problems
placing their children.
Trustee Bill McDaniel sug
gested that transfers not be
granted unless there is evidence
of “absolute hardships” and
recommended that no excep
tions in the policy be made.
Responding to question of
Trustee Kyle Smith, Supt. Davis
said that student rolls are
established by the tenth day of a
new term and that the board
could fianlize the action during
the first week of school. Trustee
June Lee also expressed the opi
nion that “the board has no ne^
of going through this year after
year and we need to remedy the
problem.” Board Chairman
Marion Thomasson concurred
and added, “We almost had
some hard feelings this year and
we need to establish a policy
when the child enters
kindergarten.” Trustee Harold
Lineberger made the motion that
a committee be appointed and a
new policy be established.
Supt. Davis told the group
that “this problem seems to get
stickier every year and there is a
whole gamut of things that can
be done to remedy the
situation.”
“I don’t think we can cut off
transfers completely,” said
Lineberger, “but I think the
hardship cases need to be spelled
out.”
Responding to question if
The recount of votes in the
November county commis
sioners’ race in Cleveland Coun
ty may prove that the race was
decided by citizens who did not
vote for anyone.
The recount, ordered recently
by the State B^d of Elections,
began Tuesday at the County
Courthouse in Shelby and was
continuing at the Herald’s
presstime Wednesday afternoon.
The counters were working on
the final 10 of the 29 precincts,
but those 10 represented the
largest precincts in the county,
including both East and and
West Kings Mountain.
All of the precincts to be
counted Wednesday were where
Martel voting machines were us
ed.
Tuesday’s count, which in
cluded all paper ballots, showed
the three write4n candidates
sponsored by the Association of
t Cleveland County Taxpayers
(Bobby Crawford, Duran
Johnson and John Caveny Jr.)
gaining about 800 votes each.
Johnson narrowed the
2,000-vote gap by 874, Crawford
by 701 and Caveny by 601.
However, the count also
showed that 434 people casting
those ballots didn’t vote for
t anyone for county commis-
',.*ioner, and 597 others voted a
straight Republican ticket which
meant none of those sbt can
didates received a vote. The only
person on the Republican ticket
was Senate candidate Laverne
Shirley.
Fifty-six of the ballots counted
Tuesday were disputed and will
be sent to the State Board of
Elections for a ruling.
Bruce Seism, president of the
ACT and who watched the
counting process with Crawford,
predicted the final tally will be
close and admitted the persons
who did not vote anclbr who
voted a straight Republican
ticket could prove the difference
in the ACT candidates winning.
“It’s going to be close either
way. I just don’t know who’ll
win but I’m hoping the big
precincts will make up the dif
ference for us,” he said.
Seism has hinted that if the re
count doesn’t prove the write-ins
winners, the ACT may appeal to
the courts for a new elections
based on Crawford’s contention
that the bailot used in November
was illegal and did not provide
sufficient space for writing in
names under the incumbents.
“Whether we appeal or not
will have a lot to do with how
close the final count is,” Seism
said.'T would like for the three
candidates and some others to
get together and decide.”
redrawing of school attendance
zones and district lines would
alleviate the problem, Supt.
Davis said that “it would take a
terrible amount of geramanding
to improve much on the distric
ting” but reminded that the
board makes the final decision
oa trtgrfer requests.
In other actions, the board;
•Set the opening of next
school year on Aug. 24 and clos
ing on June 4th and approved a
school calendar.
(Turn To Page 10-A)
Caution
Lights
Okayed
Non-Voters May Decide
Cleveland County Election
Two flashing caution lights
will be installed at Grover
School as part of improved safe
ty measures for children walking
to school.
Kings Mountain Board of
Education voted Monday night
to pay for the lights, estimated to
cost $550 each, from funds it
receives from renting former
home of Principal Jim Scruggs.
Supt. Bill Davis, Grover
Mayer W.W. McC^er and
DOT Safety Consultant Bob
Jenkins met at Grover School
last week to discuss improved
safety measures in front of the
school, a problem which surfac
ed again a week before
Christmas when nine-year-old
Kelli Harry was seriously injured
by a pickup truck. The child re
mains in a coma in Charlotte
Memorial Hospital but has been
moved from an Intensive Care
Unit to a private room. Grover
Town Board employed a cross
ing guard on Carolina Avenue.
The Town of Grover will pay
the utility bills while the State
Department of Transportation
will maintain the lights, said
Davis. The lights will be installed
near present speed limit signs.
Grover Town Board had re
quested that the Board of Educa
tion hire an additional school
crossing guard but Supt. Davis
said that the school system is not
responsible for crossing guards at
the schools but is eager to work
with Grover and DOT officials
solve the problems. School cross
ing guards are on duty each mor
ning at West, East and North
schools in Kings Mountain but
are paid by the city of Kings
Mountain, Davis said. Grover
hopes to mark off crosswalks on
Carolina Avenue and at
Highway 226 in the area of First
Baptist Church, said Davis. Prin
cipal Jim Scruggs is also revising
loading points to eliminate the
traffic off Carolina Avenue, said
Davis.
Rev. Kenneth George, direc
tor of the Kings Mountain Ag
ing Program since its inception,
resigned his position Monday
because of interference from
Mayor John Henry Moss.
Rev. George’s wife, Becky, a
service aide in the program, also
resigned.
Rev. George, who organized
the program in 1974 and worked
without salary for the first six
months, resigned Monday after
Mayor Moss sent an employee
back to work after the Aging
Program’s five-member Ad
visory Council voted
unanimously to request that the
employee be dismissed.
Rev. George issued the follow
ing public statement:
“It was with deep regret for
Becky and 1 to offer our letter of
resignation January 19, 1981.
‘Two city employees had
made very serious and unfound
ed liable statements about the
director of the Kings Mountain
Aging Program. The director
called two meetings of his Senior
Center Advisory Council to
discuss these statements and us
ed documented material to show
these statements were untrue.
The Senior Center Advisory
Council made a signed request
asking that those who were caus
ing problems in the Aging Pro
gram not be continued in the Ag
ing Program. This statement was
unanimous, it was signed by all
five members of the council, and
all of these people are reputable
citizens. We have documented
material to prove the statements
we have made.
REV. KEN GEORGE
“On Monday, January 19,
1981, at approximately 7:20
a.m., the Mayor called me and
said one of these employees
would return to the Depxjt
Center to work beginning
January 19, 1981. At approx
imately 8:45 a.m., 1 went to the
City Hall and received a memo
from Mayor Moss stating this
employee would be returning to
work.
‘This is when 1 went into the
Mayor’s Office and told him ver
bally I would give him a written
resignation that afternoon. I
needed time to write a resigna
tion, because 1 did not think of
resigning until I saw there had
been no concern for the director
or the Advisory Council concer
ning the matter that was very
serious to all of us. I am trying to
write only things I feel I must
write at this time, it is impossible
for many city employees to per
form their duties because of
those who continually interfere
directly and indirectly in many
ways into things they know very
little about.
“1 stated it is with regret that
our resignations had to be of
fered. Our main concern is that
all of the citizens will continue to
support the Kings Mountain Ag
ing Program. We have made
much progress but we have more
to do. 1 made the statement
recently that the program is
needed even more now than it
was in 1974 when the program
was in the planning stage.
Because of inflation, serious
medical problems, depression,
crime and fear our elderly
citizens need us. The agony and
cost of being placed in special
homes or institutions is stagger
ing. 1 am told wherever 1 go our
program is unique, because 1 do
not know of another program in
North Carolina like the Kings
Mountain Aging Program. I am
requesting for you, the citizens,
to see that it continues to help
meet the needs of our elderly
citizens who mean so much to
many of us.
“We have not had any serious
problems working with our
Senior Citizens because we love
them and we are interested in
their total life. Most of our pro
blems have come from those
who do not really understand
what really needs to be done.
“Some have asked me to let
(Turn To Page 4-Jk)
UTTLE THEATRE PLAYERS - Pictured is a
group of Little Theatre Players who will pre
sent a one act comedy as program for Monday
night's Woman's Club meeting. From left, Mrs.,
Photo by Lib Stewart
Aubrey Mauney. lim Champion, Mary Dilling
and Lynne Mauney. Back row, from left, Kay
lolley and Daune Brazzell,
Little Theatre To Perform
Little Theatre players will pre
sent the one act hilarious com
edy, “Reciprocity," as the pro
gram for Monday night’s
meeting of Kings Mountain
Woman’s Club at 7:45 p.m. at
the Woman’s Club.
The play, by Martha L. Lever
ing, features a large cast in what
Nan Jean Grant, director, says is
“a take off on a regular club
meeting but presented with
humor.” The play, which runs
about 45 minutes, will delight
visitors, who are welcome to at
tend, as well as clubwomen.
Setting for the play is the
regular meeting of a woman’s
club who has scheduled the ap
pearance of a famous speaker.
The speaker, who is played by
Jim Champion, is preceded by
numerous chairmen reports and
a flowery introduction which
gives him no time to present his
illustrious message.
• Mrs. Aubrey Mauney, as Mrs.
Gansway the fine arts chairman,
plays the cello and Mrs. Grant
portrays Madame Melba, the
state federation singer laureate.
The Players will be donning
hats, gloves and long dresses to
resemble the various characters
they will play.
Appearing in the production,
in addition to Mrs. Mauney,
Mrs. Grant and Mr. Champion,
are Jane Dixon, as Mrs. Bell the
decorations chairman; Margaret
Dilling as Mrs. Milton the house
chairman; Robin Ramsey as
Mrs. Lewis the program chair
man; Lynne Mauney as Mrs.
Owens the club president; Betty
Potter as the state president Mrs.
Tipton; Myra Sheffield as
district president Mrs. McCall;
Sarah Shaw as the environment
and pollution chairman Mrs.
Hibbs; Vivian Duncan as the
drama chairman Mrs. Hampton;
Florrie Hamrick as the physical
fitness chairman Mrs. Jones;
Mary Dilling as the garden chair
man Mrs. Evans; and Bonnie
Sheffield, Joe Ann McDaniel
and Kaye Jolley as' club
members.