Thursday
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VOLUME 94 NUMBER 34
THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1981
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
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City Board Approves
Sewer Use Ordinance
City commissioners Monday
night approved a sewer use or
dinance over the protest of
several citizens and an industry
spokesman.
The ordinance, which includes
a fee for sewage use, becomes ef
fective May I. The fee will be 35
cents per 1,000 gallons for
domestic, commercial and in
dustrial users inside the city
limits and 55 cents per gallon for
users outside the city limits.
Ralph Johnson of the W.K.
Dickson firm of Charlotte, the
city’s consulting engineers, said
it was “quite commendable” that
rhe city had gone so long
without charging a fee for
sewage use, but the time had
come to begin charging. He said
the Environmental Protection
Agency required a sewer use fee
for city’s to qualify for federal
grants.
A 7,000 gallon bill, which the
city says is normal, would be
$2.45. Johnson said industrial
users would be effected most by
the fee.
Reggie Broome, a spokesman
for Anvil Knit, said the sewer
use fee would result in his com
pany paying $60,000 a year for
water and sewer.
Broome said Anvil “is ex
tremely disappointed. Why not
stair-step this? We think that it is
too much at one time and that
you are making a big mistake.”
Mayor John Henry Moss said
the fee is comparable to other
surrounding towns.
Clayvon Kelly, a resident, call
ed the fee “an unfair tax. The
pteople are taxed to death and
now we’re taxed to go to the
toilet,” he said.
Kelly charged that the city
should have enough money left
over to maintain sewer treat
ment facilities and said he
thought it would be cheaper for
industries to handle their own
waste. Kelly also produced a
photo he took of private contrac
tors filling up water trucks and
claimed the city was not being
paid for the water. Ted Huff
man, superintendent of the
Public Works Department, said
those companies are billed for
the water.
In other matters Monday
night, the board:
•Received three bids for 38
lots in the Cansler Street urban
renewal area. Bidders included
Fred Dixon of Shelby, Dixon-
Jenkins of Belmont and Don
Ware of Kings Mountain.
Bloodmobile Here Monday
The Red Cross bloodmobile
returns to Kings Mountain Mon
day for a visit sponsored by
Kings Mountain Senior High
students.
Donors will be processed from
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at B N.
Barnes Auditorium. Goal of the
collection is 200 pints of blood.
The visit, the second to be
held by Kings Mountain
students this school year, is
under sponsorship of the Future
Homemakers of America
Chapter. Mrs. Betty R. Gamble
is advisor.
“We are encouraging all
students, their parents and the
community at large to come out
and sponsor this bloodmobile
visit”, said Mrs. Gamble. The
month of May is Bloodmobile
Month and the National Red
Cross Chapter is calling atten
tion to the 100th anniversary of
the American Red Cross. Local
chapter officials are planning to
attend the bicentennial celebra
tion to be held during the na
tional convention the third week
in May in the nation’s cao.'iV
CONTEST - Kings Mountain scouts aro
shown compsting in a iirsbuilding contsst in
last wssksnd's district spring camporss at
Photo by Tommy King
Comp Dosidson. Loft to right. Gsrald Glad-
dsn, Ksith Morris, Monts Huifststler. Ksith
Dixon. Patrick Hamrick and Jimmy Morets.
Scout Camporee Held
Kings Mountain Boy Scout
Troop 92 of St. Matthew’s
Lutheran Church hosted the
district spring camporee last
weekend at Camp Davidson.
The local troop won first place
in the best camp site competi
tion, was second in two other
contests and was judged second
best in the overall competition.
Scouts arrived at the Kings
Mountain camp Friday at 2 p.m.
and broke camp at noon Sunday.
Over 200 scouts and leaders
from Cleveland County par
ticipated in the event. In addi
tion to Troop 91, others par
ticipating included Troop 100,
Shelby Presbyterian Church;
Troop 104, Central United
Methodist Church, Shelby:
Troop 105, Lafayette Street
United Methodist Church;
Troop 109, Shiloh Baptist
Church; Troop 111, Friendship
United Methodist Church;
Troop 112, Lawndale Baptist
Church/Lawndale First
More Photos
On Page 6-A
Methodist Church; Troop 113,
Lattimore Baptist Church,
Troop 117, Boiling Springs Bap
tist Church: Troop 118, Zion
Baptist Church; Troop 290,
Aldersgate United Methodist
Church; Troop 400, Putnam
Memorial Baptist Church; and
Troop 413, Belwood Clinic.
Competition was held in
firebuilding and string burning,
log canoe race, jamboree salute,
fishing, tree identification, com
pass knowledge and cooking.
Each patrol was presented a
ribbon for its participation. First
place ribbons went to Troop
118, best overall; ’’anther Patrol,
best patrol overall; Troop 104,
best patrol flag; and Troop 113,
cooking award.
ribbon for its participation. First
place ribbons went to Troop
118, best overall; Panther Patrol,
best patrol overall; Troop 104,
best patrol flag; and Troop 113,
cooking award.
Tommy King, Scoutmaster of
Troop 91, presented a history of
the Davidson Scout Camp, trac
ing from 1947, when the Plonk
Family donated the land to
Kings Mountain Boy Scouts, un
til today.
Troops were awarded points
in each category of competition,
and points were totalled to deter
mine the overall champion.
Troop 118 had 308 points to 270
for Troop 91.
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Jaycees and their wives serv
ed as judges.
Ware’s bid of $2,302 was for two
lots.
Mills’ bid on all lots was
$74,600. He proposes to build 39
new single family houses for
moderate income families. Price
range will be from $36,000 to
$38,000.
•Approved annexation of pro
perties at 308 and 314 Fulton
Drive.
•Approved a contract with
the A.M. Pullen Co. of
Charlotte for the city’s annual
audit. The cost will be $22JO
per hour plus out-of-pocket ex
penses. The contract represents a
$1 increase from last year.
•Proclaimed May as Older
Citizens Month.
•Referred to the Zoning and
Planning Board a request to
rezone property of Herman Cash
Grocery from R-20 to general
business. The property is located
in the one-mile perimeter.
•Approved advertising for
bids for electrical supplies at the
Kings Mountain Hospital expan
sion project.
•Approved advertisement of
bids for a pickup truck for the
public works department.
•Approved following ex
ecutive session a recommenda
tion from Commissioner Humes
Houston that a personnel re
quest from Acting Police Chief
J.D. Barrett be approved. The
name and position of the person
involved will not be announced
until he has time to inform his
present employer.
Gas Tax
Proposal
Opposed
Gov. Jim Hunt’s proposal for
a three<ent hike in the state’s
gasoline tax will find little sup
port from Cleveland County’s
respresentatives in the General
Assembly.
In his televised speech, the
Governor proposed the hike in
the gasoline tax but made no
mention of an additional tax or
tobacco or luxury items.
Local legislators, including
Kings Mountain’s Senator J.
Ollie Harris, disagree with the
Governor that an additional
$200 million a year is needed for
the state’s highway system.
“I couldn’t go along with an
additional tax on gas and none
on cigarettes”, said Harris.
Rep. Jack Hunt of Lattimore
concurred and added that “peo
ple in our district would look
more favorably on an alcohol
and tobacco tax.
Senator Helen Marvin agreed
with the local legislators and said
she was also disappointed that
Governor Hunt did not make
reference to an increase in the
tobacco tax.
Senator Marshall Rauch of
Gastonia also opposes the gas
tax and questions the need for
such an increase. As co-
chairman of the Governor’s
Select Commission on Highway
Transportation, he said he would
go along with an increase on lux
ury items, but not on gasoline, if
the governor proves the increas
ed highway revenue is needed.
Rep. Bob Jones of Forest City
said he is against the governor’s
proposals. Rep. Edith Lutz of
Belwood said she thinks “three
cents is a little high.”
CITY BOARD
The city board of commis
sioners has called a special
meeting Friday at 12 noon in
Council Chambers to award bids
for KM Redevelopment proper
ties and to authorize plans and
specifications for gas transmis
sion line.
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MIKE NAPPI ...In Happier Times
Board Fires
Rec Director
In a stunning move Monday
night, the City Board of Com
missioners fired Recreation
Supervisor Mike Nappi in open
session.
Nappi was not allowed to talk
until after the board voted 4-2 to
fire him. Commissioners Humes
Houston and Bill Grissom voted
against the motion.
Members of the softball
league complained of a ’Tack of
communications”, and Jim
Guyton pointed to a certain inci
dent of April 11 when his group
found a locked gate at the soft-
ball field after paying $45 for the
use of the field and lights.
Guyton said he filed a request
to use the field and ptaid $45 for
the use of the lights. He said
when his group arrived, the gate
was locked and no one from the
recreation deptartment was there
to turn on the lights. He said the
light switch was knocked loose
with a px>le as had been done on
previous occasions, and he was
billed for the damage. Guyton
said he could pay for the damage
but was unhappy with the way
the rec department was being
operated.
Nappi said he was unaware of
a communications problem but
was willing to work it out. “It
was unfortunate the gate was
locked,” he said. “A lack of com
munications can be solved
easily.”
Commissioner Corbet
Nicholson, who made the mo
tion to relieve Nappi of his duties
immediately, said he had heard
nothing but complaints since
Nappi took over the department.
Nappi moved here two years ago
from Florida, where he held a
similar position.
“I don’t think he’s the man for
the job,” Nicholson said.
But Grissom, a member of the
recreation committee, but who
later resigned his committee
assignment, said Nappi has done
a “good job. Maybe the church
league, the commissioners and
Nappi need to sit down and hash
this thing out,” he said.
Nappi issued the following
statement:
“In resptonse to my termina
tion as the Superintendent of
Parks and Recreation for the Ci
ty of Kings Mountain, 1 have a
few statements to make.
“First of all, 1 was shocked at
the abrupt and inconsiderate
manner in which 1 was ter
minated. I had no indication
about what was to take place
Monday night. At 7:30 p. m. 1
left for city hall to attend the
council meeting and at I IKK)
found myself unemployed. I was
not given the oppxirtunity to de
fend myself until after I was ter
minated.
I have always tried to treat
everyone with equality. In fact,
this has created problems for me
in the past two years when cer
tain groups or individuals felt
they should be given special
privileges and treatment in
regards to rental fees, field and
facility useage, etc. and I have
not given this special trea'inent.
‘Complaints were alsc receiv
ed by city council front Church
League officials in regards to a
$15 bill I sent them for damages
they made to the new light con
trol box at the Deal Street soft-
ball field. It was destruction of
city property and was in viola
tion of city and state codes and 1
still feel they should pay for the
damages. 1 agree, the lights
should have been on for the
league’s tournament. 1 have
given in the p^t, both written
and cal directives to the city’s
Athletic Department as to its
responsibilities in regards to
facility lights, scheduling pro
cedures, park supervision, etc.
but without support, I have not
been able to properly enforce
these directives.
“An administrative plan for
the City of Kings Mountain’s
Recreation Department was
established May 15, 1977. If I
am guilty of anything, it would
be the enforcement of these city
codes, rules regulations without
playing political games.
“I don’t want to dwell entire
ly on the negative aspects of this
thing although it has been
tremendously upsetting to my
family and myself. I have found,
in the last two days, that I have
many friends and supporters in
Kings Mountain that 1 didn’t
realize 1 had. These “silent”
citizens have been a great com
fort to us since Monday night. 1
want to especially thank Mr. Bill
Grissom (to whom 1 was publicly
alleged to be related to) and Mr.
Humes Houston for their con
tinued support.
“1 will close by saying that
although this is a dark period for
us at this moment, we know that
all things work out for the best.
After all, everyone will get their
juSt reward in the end.”
Town Board
Meeting Set
Grover Town Board will heat
more complaints by citizens on
backfilling and seeding of
Carolina Avenue at Monday
night’s regular meeting at 7 p.m.
in Town Hall.
Clerk Gloria Horton said the
agenda also includes Grover In
dustries request to close a por
tion of Maple Avenue, commis
sioner reports and miscellaneous
items.