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VOLUME 9S. NUMBER 12
THURSDAY. MARCH 25. 1982
KINGS MOUNTAIN. NORTH
Engineer: If You Cut, You Lose
By GARY STEWART
Editor
The City of Kings Mountain’s
electrical consulting engineer
t(4d the Board of Commissioners
Monday night that its rates are
in line with other cities in the
area and if it cut rates identical
to Duke Power’s the city would
lose $9,000 per month.
The board, after a lengthy
discussion, took no action on
changing rates. District Three
Commissioner Corbet Nicholson
made a motion to decrease rates
to the “same as Duke Power”
but his motion died for lack of a
second.
W.H. Little Jr., engineer with
Southeastern Consulting
Engineers of Charlotte, appeared
before the board to compare
Kings Mountain’s retail rates
with those of Duke Power and
neighboring towns.
His appearance was prompted
by a report on a Charlotte televi
sion station last week which
stated that Kings Mountain’s
electric rates are the highest in
the area and that they are 13 per
cent higher than Shelby’s.
Little, however, said that
report was “in error” because the
TV station (WSOC Channel 9)
reported old figures from Shelby
and Lincolnton and up to date
figures on Kings Mountain.
Little passed out sheets to
board members and visitors com
paring Kings Mountain’s current
rates to those of Shelby, Lin
colnton and Duke Power.
According to Little’s figures.
Kings Mountain’s rates are
slightly higher than the others,
but he said the reason is that
Kings Mountain maintains one
rate while the other three electric
companies have both a summer
CX>MPARlSON OF ELECTRIC RATES
1000 KWH USAGE RATES
R*
RW*
RA*
SHELBY
$54.18
$54.18
$54.24
LINCOLNTON
$59.83
$54.18
$54.24
KINGS MOUNTAIN
$61.82*
$55.47
DUKE
$59.83
$54.18
$54.24
•PLUS FUEL ADJUSTMENT CHARGE
and winter rate. Summer rates
are higher.
Based on 1,000 kilowatt
hours. Kings Mountain’s
residential rate is $61.82 com
pared to $S4.18 for Shelby and
$39.83 for both Duke and Lin
colnton. RW (Residential and
Water Heating) rates are $54.18
for Lincolnton, Shelby and
Duke. Kings Mountain does not
have a water heating rate.
Residential all-electric rates
are $34.24 for Shelby, Lin
colnton and Duke and $33.47
for Kings Mountain.
Little blamed the differences
in the three cities’ figures on a re
cent Duke Power increase. In
December, he said, Duke applied
for a 13 percent increase and was
given a 12.3 increase. Kings
Mountain, on Southeastern’s
recommendation, approved a
nine percent hike in residential
rates, 12.3 on the all-electric rate
and 13 percent on commercial,
industrisd and Housing Authori
ty rates.
Duke, Little said, can con
tinue to charge 13 percent until
final action is taken by the
Utilities Commission and the
Federal Utilities Commission.
Therefore, he said, if Kings
Mountain reduces its rate by 2.3
percent to the 12.5 figure ap
proved for Duke, it would have
to continue to pay Duke 15 per
cent more until Duke’s proposed
increase receives final action.
That, he said, would cost the city
$9,000 a month, or $105,000 a
year.
Little, in response to questions
by Commissioners Norman King
and Jim Childers, said Shelby
and Lincolnton are losing money
because they increased their elec
tricity by only 12.5 percent and
are paying Duke 15 percent.
‘The Federal Agency said
Duke could go up 15 percent,
right?”, Childers asked Little.
“So Shelby is picking up the
other 2.5 percent?”
“Yes,” Little replied.
“Shelby every month is spen
ding money to furnish power at
a reduced rate?”, Childers added.
“It would cost Kings Moun
tain $105,000 a year to match
their rates,” Little replied.
“Shelby and Lincolnton are
losing money?”, Childers added.
“Yes,” Little said.
Bob Gidney, Utilities Director
Turn To Pag* 2-A
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121
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King: City Needs
To Have More Input
By GARY STEWART
Editor
City Commissioner Norman
King charged Monday night that
City Clerk Joe McDaniel and
many department heads are in
the dark about too many things
that are going on, and blamed
Southeastern Consulting
Engineers for not giving city of
ficials any chance for input into
decisions made for the town.
Speaking to W.H. Little,
Engineer for Southeastern, dur
ing the board of commissioners
meeting. King said McDaniel did
not know about the latest in
crease in electrical rates until the
action was approved by the
Board of Commissioners on
December 14.
‘The Mayor said he didn’t
know it untU 30 minutes before
the meeting,” King told Little.
“Do you not think someone in
the city should have some
Turn To Pag* 4-A
NORMJU* KING
Nicholson: KM Too
Fat In Some Areas
By GARY STEWART
Editor
City Commissioner Corbet
Nicholson, who proposed Mon
day night that the city cut its
electrical rates to the same
amount as Duke Power’s, said
following the meeting that there
is too much fat in many city
departments.
Nicholson’s motion died for
lack of a second.
“I felt .like we could afford to
cut the electrical rates for two or
three months until we see what
Duke Power does,” he said. “1
feel like we have some other
areas we can cut expenses to off
set it.”
W.H. Little Jr. of
Southeastern Consulting
Engineers said if the city cut its
retail rates to the same as Duke,
it would lose $9,000 per month
until the State Utilities Commis
sion makes a final decision on
Turn To Pag* 4-A
coRbCT
THE riEUJS
in BRIEF
Blanton Killed In Wreck
Screening
Clinic Set
Kings Mountain Lions Club
will sponsor a glaucoma and
blood pressure screening clinic
V Mon., Mar. 29 from 9 a.m. until
3 p.m. at the Kings Mountain
National Guard Armory.
The clinics will be conducted
by the staff of the Cleveland
County Health Department.
In North Carolina, glaucoma
is the third leading cause of
blindness, behind cataracts and
retina disease. It is estimated that
two percent of the general
^ population over 40 years of age
has glaucoma or 673 people in
Cleveland County. Everyone
over the age of 35 should be
tested for it. Glaucoma occurs
gradually and painlessly. Its
symptons such as blurred vision
or loss of side vision are not
always noticed. Glaucoma can
usually be controlled if it is
9 detected early.
High blood pressure, or
hypertension, is another disease
and is often called the “silent
killer.” The disease can be caus
ing damage to the body even
though one is feeling fine. If
hypertension is left untreated, it
can lead to a stroke, heart or
kidney failure.
A RUMMAGE SALE
^ The Kings Mountain Fire
Department will sponsor a rum
mage sale on March 27 in the
field across from the fire depart
ment. In case of rain, it will be
held inside the Are department.
Clothes, furniture, c^es and
pies will be sold. All proceeds
will go toward'the construction
of a roof on the fire museum.
0 Anyone with items to donate
may call the Are department at
739-2552. Items nuy be brought
to the Are station or firemen will
pick them up.
HOTDOG8ALE
Chestnut Ridge Volunteer
Fire Department will have a
grilled hamburger and hot dog
sale Saturday, March 27, from
A11 a.m. until 6 p.m. For carry
out orders, call 739-1416.
MARTY DOVER
Fund Drive
Is Underway
Westover Baptist Church of
Kings Mountain is beginning a
fund drive for a 12-year-old
Shelby boy who was injured
when struck by a car last week
on Highway 150 south of
Shelby.
Marty Dover,, a seventh
grader at Crest Junior High, re
mains in a coma in the intensive
care unit of a Charlotte hospital.
He suffered a broken leg and hip
and other injuries.
The family has no insurance
and the boy’s father has been
unable to work since the acci
dent because of the need to be by
his son’s side.
Anyone wishing to make a
donation may send their check
to the Marty Dover Fund, in
care of Westover Baptist
Church, 1370 Westover Drive,
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086, or
call Rev. Roger Webb at
739-2187.
TALENT SHOW
The West School Talent Show
wUl be held Thurs., Mar. 25 at 7
pjn. at Barnes Auditorium.
Steve Baker will be the Master of
Ceremonies and special enter
tainment will be presented by
Kate’s Skating Rink of Gastonia.
Admission is one dollar for
adults and 30 cents for students.
Bloodmobile
Visit Slated
The Cleveland County
Volunteer Fire Department and
the Fraternal Order of Police
will sponsor a bloodmobile visit
Thurs., Mar. 23 from 2:30 until
8 p.m. at Cleveland Volunteer
Fire Department in Shelby.
County office employees will
also participate. The goal is 73
pints.
Burns and Crest high schools
surpassed their goals in recent
blotxlmobile visits.
On Wed., Mar. 10, Bums had
the second most successful
bloodmobile this year. The
school had a goal of 173 pints
and 263 productive pints were
given.
On Wed., Mar. 17, Crest pro
duced 194 pints. The goal was
185.
Instructors
Are Certified
The Cleveland County
Chapter of the American Red
Cross certified eight new CPR
instructors during a recent class.
New instructors include
Monica Beheler, George Rogers,
Ken Wright, Ellen Fitzgerald,
Denice Fite, Dr. Doug Stover,
Ada Seism and Susan McBrayer.
The Red Cross is in the pro
cess of preparing a safety
calender to teach multi media
first aid, CPR and water safety.
Anyone interesting in taking any
of the courses may call the Red
Cross office.
COMMAJNITY WATCH
Sgt. Shirley Pruitt of the
Cleveland County Sheriffs
Department will present a pro
gram on Community Watch
Thurs., Apr. 1 at the regular
meeting of the American Legion
Post 153 Women’s Auxiliary.
The meeting will begin at 7:30
p.m. at the legion building. The
public is invited to attend. Myr
tle Christenson is unit president
and Arlene Barrett is program
chairman.
Marvin Thomas Blanton, 47,
of York, S.C., was killed early
Thursday morning in a twoear
collision just inside the South
Carolina line on Highway 161.
According to Trooper Danny
Horlacher of the South Carolina
Highway Patrol, the car which
Turner was driving ran off the
right shoulder of the road and
skidded into the path of a van
driven by Gerald Austin Jones,
49, of Shelby.
The wreck occurred around
Kindergarten
Registering
Is Underway
Kings Mountain District
Schools System is in the process
of registering kindergarten and
first grade students for the
1982-83 school year.
All children who will be five
years old on or before October
13,1982, will be eligible to enter
kindergarten. All children who
will be six years old on or before
October 15, 1982, are eligible to
enter kindergarten or first grade.
Screening sessions will be held
at the five Kings Mountain
elementary schools on an ap
pointment basis. Before May 5,
parents need to contact the of
fice of the school their child will
attend. If the parents are not
sure which school his child will
attend, they may call the Central
Office at 7394580 and get the
information. The school offices
are open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
each weekday. Telephone
numbers are Bethware,
739-6453; East, 7394426;
Grover, 937-7671; North,
739-2346; and West, 739-3276.
Parents are expected to attend
a pre-school screening with their
child in order to participate in
the orientation and a private
parent-social worker conference.
In addition to the completed
registration form, the parents
will need to bring a copy of the
child’s legal birth certificate (not
the hospital record), the child’s
shot record, 'and a copy of the
physical examination by the
family doctor or Health Depart
ment.
6:20 ajn. about seven miles
south of Kings Mountain.
Two passengers in the Jones
vehicle were taken to Kings
Mountain Hospital by the
Clover Rescue Squad. They
were identified as Tommy
Barnett, 39, of Church Street,
Kings Mountain, and Donna
Hunt, 25, of Route 6, Kings
Mountain.
Blanton was employed by
Freightliner Corporation in
Gastonia.
Funeral services were con
ducted Saturday at 3 pjn. at
Eastside Baptist Church in Kings
Mountain by the Rev. Buddy
Williams and the Rev. M.P.
Hampton. Burial was in Moun
tain Rest Cemetery.
He is survived by his parents,
the Rev. J.W. and Omie
Williams Blanton of Kings
Mountain; his wife, Grace Dell
inger Blanton; a son, Marshall
Thomas Blanton of (^umbia,
(Turn To Page 2-A)
ELF SUi
•’UHlUOtj
, ,.,y —-
Ilf issuiiDt:
GOING UNDER BUCKt • Could It b* that th* pric* oi goaolla*
will go undor a dollar a gallon ogoln? Th* pric* bos d*clia*d
st*a^y in King* Mountain o**r tb* post Mvorol w**k* ond
lait w**k dipi^ to an olaost unb*ard-oi low of $105.9 ot
aoToroI atation* on Highwe^r 74. It was o**r two yoor* ogo
wh*n th* pric* of gas loppod th* dollar mark.