<!) Thursday '■ ( 20c VOLUME 94, NUMBER 12 THURSDA Y, FEBRUAR Y 12, 1981 KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 9 Apartments To Be Built 9 • rs, « • 9 Photo by Molany Bolin ORGANIZE GROUP — Sgt. Shirloy Pniott, loft, oi th« Clovoland County Shoriifs Doportmont oisUts Suo Allan in organizing tho oiiicort for tho nowly-tormod Bothwaro Community Watch. Tho group organizod in a zpocial mooting Monday night at David Baptist Church. Watch Groups Prevent Crime By MELANY BOLIN StaR Writor The Bethware Community Crime Watch program was organized Monday night at David Baptist Church. Sgt. Shtrliy“Pruett-• of~the“" Cleveland County Sheriffs Department was guest speaker for the organizational meeting and explained how the com munity should get involved in combating crime. Ms. Pruett said she got involv ed in community watch four years ago and now runs a tight schedule of trying to get com munities involved. In 1979-80, she said, there were 72 break-ins in the north end of the county. Break-ins are generally professional jobs, she said. Thieves use walkie-talkies and scanners and usually watch people’s homes and know when they are away. In most cases, she said, rob bers do not want the victims to be at home because first degree theft carries penalties of up to life in prison, whereas, breaking and entering when no one is at home carries a lighter sentence. ‘The crime watch program is not going to stop crime, but it will help,” Ms. Pruett said. Communities organize crime watch programs by choosing a committee, chairmen, and block captains who oversee six to seven homes in their area. A nominal cost of about $5 per family is required for reflec tor signs to be placed on mailboxes and boundary signs that proclaim the community as a crime watch community. After her speech, Ms. Pruett answered questions and gave out community watch stickers and Rezoning Request Okayed booklets for all interested per sons. When asked why she thought a community should get involv ed in crime watch, Ms. Pruett said, ‘hhe days and times have changed. It used to be that almost everyone would never lock their doors when they left home. Now, everyone is warned to always lock doors when they leave and when they return in side their homes. “We need to be on the look out for our family as well as our neighbors, so that we can do our part in preventing and catching those involved in crimes,” she said. “Watching out for others is actually watching out for yourself and your family because it helps you when those involved in crimes are caught.” Ms. Pruett gave the following tips on preventing crime: •Use dead-bolt locks for front and back doors. •Don’t carry large sums of money. •Women should not carry handbags but should carry change purses that can be car ried in the hand. •Forty to 50 percent of break- ins are through unlocked doors. Therefore, be sure to always lock doors. •If you see any strange people or vehicles in the neighborho^, contact the Sheriffs Dept. If possible, get the tag number. •Do not approach the person or persons you suspect as being robbers. •Make a special effort to watch out for the elderly. •Do not advertise. Leave a light on at night. (Turn To Pago 5-A) ’ By GARY STEWART Co-Editor The Kings Mountain Board of Commissioners Monday night unanimously approved the rezoning of 10 acres of property on Canterbury Road to be used for the construction of multi family luxury apartments. Local attorney Scott Clon- inger made the request on behalf of Hunter Real Estate of Green ville, S.C., which plans to build the 80-unit complex on the J.O. Plonk Estate. The property ad joins Herald Publishing Co. The local Planning and Zon- ★★’A’ Meter Reading Class Set Are your utility bills too high? Are you interested in lowering them? If so, classes set at the Govern mental Services Facilities Center could be your answer. Walt Ollis, section supervisor for the City Public Works Department, Mayor John Moss and the Board of Commissioners will lead meter reading classes on Tues., Feb. 24, and Thurs., Feb. 26, from 1:30 until 5 p.m. and 7:30 until 9 p.m. The classes will teach concern ed citizens hdxv to read gas, elec tric and water meters, and sug gest ways in which to cut energy usage. The classes are being schedul ed due to the ever-increasing costs of utilities. If enough in terest is shown. Mayor Moss said classes will be scheduled in different districts of the city to reach “as many citizens as possi ble.” Moss said the city has received numerous complaints on high energy bills since the last billing, and he understands the citizens’ concerns. “With the citizens being able to read their meters, they will be able to determine their usage and be able to adjust their usage habits and conserve energy,” he said. “We are very concerned with the cost of energy and recognize that for people on fixed incomes it is very difficult,” he added. “We want to work in every way possible to assist citizens in keep ing the cost of utilities as low as possible.” By keeping a running tab on the use of electricity, gas and water. Moss feels the citizens can lower their utility costs through wise usage. ‘This is being done in an ef fort to work closely with citizens to assist them in any way possi ble,” he said: “We feel the classes will provide the citizens the abili ty to check their usage as often as they desire so as to reduce their use habits and lower the costs.” Higher Tuition Approved Outside school district pupils will pay higher tuition next year but the board of education Mon day delayed action on the recom mended increase. In a related action affecting pupils next year, the board postponed for further study a policy on transfer of elementary students beginning with the 1981-82 school year. ^ Board members asked Supt.^ William Davis to incorporate a proposed policy on appeals pro cedure to cover emergency situa tions and to cover children who move from one school zone to another within the school year. I The board also asked Davis to find out what tuition charges of Gaston and Cleveland County systems are and report them at the March meeting. The transfer policy, as propos ed by Supt. Davis, spells out that beginning students in 1981-82 be assigned to the school in the at tendance zone in which their parents or guardians reside. Students who are now attending schools outside their attendance zone will be permitted to con tinue unless that school becomes overcrowded. In that event, the last pupils approved for transfer by the board would be first to return to school in their own district. Out of district students would be assigned by the superintendent to the school closest to their residence. In the past, the parents have designated the school of their choice and paid $100 tuition. Persons who are employed in the schools would still have the option to place their child in the school in which they are employed, pro vided there is room for them. For administrative reasons, the board may request parents to volunteer to transfer their children outside attendance zones. Supt. Davis reiterated that the current transfer policy makes it easy for students to attend schools outside their attendance areas and has resulted in over crowded situations in the five elementary schools. (Turn To Pag* 4-A) ing Board earlier approved the request and recommended that the city board approve it. A similar request by the real estate firm to build the apart ments near Kings Mountain Country Club was denied by the Zoning Board several months ago. Hunter withdrew its request before it went before the city board. Cloninger cited a problem in traffic flow as the main reason residents on the west side of town protested the apartments being built there. “1 don’t think we will have that problem here because of the Highway 74 bypass which we all hope will be completed,” Clon inger said. “Hunter Real Estate prefers this property anyway,” Clon inger told the board. “It is far away from any residential houses.” No persons present spoke in opposition of the request. The city board several months ago approved rezoning of pro perty in the Canterbury Road area from residential to light in dustry over the protest of several area citizens. At that time. Herald Publishing and Commer cial Shearing were planning to build there. Both companies are now in operation. The 10 acres are divided into two tracts of 4.22 and 5.88 acres, and Cloninger said a 60-feet driveway will be built between the tracts. He said he feels the right of way could someday be extended “all the way to Gold Street to alleviate any traffic flow problems.” In other action Monday night, the board approved several mat- (Turn To Page 4-A) ’r HONORED FOR LONG SERVICE - Tommy King. l*h. lack E. Hiill*nd*r, R*t. J.C. Goar* and lim Amos or* pictured at a special recognition service honoring lack Hullender for service to scouting. Mr. Amos prsents a pla que from former members oi Hullender's scout troop. School Calendar Kept As Is By ELIZABETH STEWART Co-Editor The Kings Mountain Board of Education voted 3-1 Monday night to “keep as it is” the pro posed 1981-82 school calendar over objections from 216 members of the NCAE-ACT units. Board member Bill McDaniel made the motion, Kyle Smith seconded and June Lee approved the adopted calendar. Harold Lineberger abstained. Chairman Marion Thomasson votes only in event of a tie. Speaking on behalf of the NCAE KM Unit, President John Pettus said that a survey of 228 representatives of eight school plants, including some P-TA members, expressed “discontent” at the lack of teacher input in drawing up the new calendar. Pettus said the committee did not propose more than one calendar, as has been the custom in years prior, and that the proposed calendar was not posted at schools for teacher “comment” before it was approv ed last month. Teachers and parents ob jected, he said, to a shortened, (by two days) Christmas break and a lengthy spring vacation. Next year’s calendar cuts the usual two weeks for Christmas and includes a spring vacation of seven school days. The new calendar calls for Christmas holidays beginning Wed., Dec. 23, and concluding Fri., Jan. 1. Easter vacation begins Thurs., Apr. 8 and concludes Fri., Apr. 16. The NCAE Council proposed cutting two holidays from the spring break and adding them onto Christmas vacations so that Christmas holidays would begin Mon., Dec. 21 and con clude Jan. I. Easter holidays (Turn To Pag* 5-A) Hullender Is Honored For Service To Scouting Jack E. Hullender, 81, was honored for 45 years service to Boy Scouts of America at a sptecial program planned by former members of his troop, at Kings Mountain Baptist Church Sunday. Mr. Hullender organized in the early 20’s Troop No. 5 which was sponsored by the Goodfellows Club of Pauline Mill and disbanded in the early 1960’s. Mr. Hullender continued in an advisory capacity to Boy Scouts in Kings Mountain in the years since he served as a scout master. Tommy King, Troop 91 scout master, presented the 45-year service pin from Boy Scouts of America and Jim Amos, a former Scouter, presented a handsome plaque to the well known Kings Mountain man which read, “Presented to Jack Hullender for Devotion to Scouting By The Boys He Serv ed.” Fifteen former Boy Scouts who served under the leadership of Mr. Hullender were present for the special recognition ser vice. The Hullenders reside on Fulton St. Funeral Services Today For Ex-Cop Ellis King Ellis Harmon King, 65, of 609 Temple St., who retired Aug. 1, 1977 after 20 years with the Kings Mountain Police Depart ment, died Tuesday afternoon in Kings Mountain Hospital after declining health. Funeral services will be con ducted Thursday at 4 p.m. from Second Baptist Church of which he was a member. Rev. Eugene Land, assisted by Rev. W.F. Monroe, will officiate, and inter ment will be in Mountain Rest Cemetery. At one time during the former officer’s service with the Kings Mountain Police Department, two of his sons were serving on the police force with him. Mr. King was son of the late John Claude and Sallie Elizabeth Cunningham King. His wife, Maude Jolly King, died Jan. 5, 1980. Surviving are five sons. Tom my King, David King, Joe King, and Bobby King, all of Kings Mountain, and Jimmy King of Blacksburg, S.C.; three daughters. Miss Barbara King and Miss Susan King, both of Kings Mountain, Mrs. John D. (Janell) Wood Jr. of Bessemer Ci- ' ELUS HARMON KING ty; a brother, Willis King of Kings Mountain; four sisters, Mrs. Sadie Burton, Mrs. Mamie Roper, Mrs. Milton (Jeanette) Kiser and Mrs. Harry (Reba) Wilson, all of Kings Mountain, and eight grandchildren. Masters Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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