IKtT ? V - M W" * 1V1V1
{From The Editor's Notebook
One Man 's View
Living in Madison County it's easy to
$ forget there is a big world out there beyond
j the sereniy of the surrounding mountains
and the peaceful flowing waters of the
French Broad River. But television and in
j teroational news coverage in newspapers
i remind us that a populous world does exist
beyond these hills, and in a few weeks the
American hostages in Iran will mark the
} 365th day of captivity on their calendars.
The conflict between the United States
') and Iran over the hostages has caused un
friendly feelings in many Americans
: toward Iranian students and immigrants in
| this country. The situation has, for almost a
- year, promoted disunity and separateness
between fellow human beings studying and
? living together in our colleges and cities.
In the 1950's when I was a kid growing up
| in a small piedmont North Carolina town, a
family from Latvia moved into a house two
: blocks down the street from where I lived. I
remember I thought these people were dif
ferent; foreigners. They didn't quite look or
? act like "us." While there was no hatred or
even dislike on my part toward them, I felt
' uneasy about them and their presence.
. Comments I heard from adults reinforced
my feelings that this family was strange
and they were "outsiders" to our peaceful
little town. I never got to know the children
nor the parents in that family.
One year later another Latvian family
J moved to our town. Since their children
j were near my age, I came to know them in
I classes at school. Funny thing, I didn't
know they were immigrant Latvians until
several years later. I just thought they were
? very nice folks with an uncommon last
name. By then it didn't make any difference
to me anyway. They were my friends first
and Latvians later.
: Today, that not-too-large piedmont North
; Carolina town has, in addition to its
j "Americans," inhabitants representing
| many nationalities and ethnic backrounds:
| German, Cambodian, Indian, Pakistani,
Italian, Chime, Lebanese, Vietnamese,
Japanese, Spanish and Puerto-Ricans, and
Blacks who represent an Afro-American
heritage. I remember that back in the SO's
Blacks were also considered "others" and
were not permitted to eat in the same
restaurants as "whites." I guess I tend to
forget my own lineage as most
"Americans" do. Taking stock, I find
English, German, Irish and American In
dian traces in my veins. Yet, most people
would just consider me to be an
"American."
Reading the latest newspaper accounts of
the U.S.-Iranian negotiations concerning
the hostages, that abbreviation for the
United States began to hold my attention.
U.S. It almost jumped off the page at me. Of
course! U.S. = "us."
The U.S. is made up of people from vir
tually every country, nationality, religious
faith and ethnic background on the planet.
All these diverse peoples have become the
U.S., the Us that inhabits this planet called
Earth. It says so on the money. "E Pluribus
Unum." "Out of many, One." Unity.
This reminds me of the statements made
by some of the astronauts after they viewed
Earth from the blackness of space. They
were overwhelmed with the feeling and
awareness that this blue and white
"marble" in space is our home. Home for
every human being. They sensed that unity.
I am also reminded of that classic
philosophical statement made by Walt Kel
ly in the now defunct "Pogo" comicstrip.
Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he
is us
I find it interesting that this country is not
called the Western Territory, as it might
have been from the days of Columbus. W.T.
= "We and They." Nor is it called the
United Territories. U.T. = "Us and Them."
It is simply, and probably rightly, call the
U.S. Us, symbolizing the unity of all
mankind on this planet. I find some hope
and comfort in that.
I , I
Precinct Appreciation Night Held
The Madison County Young
Democrats sponsored
"Precinct Appreciation
Nigit" Monday, Oct. 6 at
Ma#ison High School. Some
350 persons enjoyed this event
honoring precinct officials. A
bar<t>-q dinner was served by
the Teen Dems.
visiting guests. State YD
president, Wayne McDevitt,
installed the newly elected YD
officers: President ? Herbert
Ponder, 1st V.P. ? Theresa
Banks; secretary ? Walda
McDevitt, and treasurer ?
Pat Franklin.
Senator Larry Leake was
emcee for the program and
also gave a brief history of the
Madison County Democratic
Patty. Following remarks
from Zeno Ponder, Represen
tative Liston B. Ramsey in
troduced the speaker for the
evening, Lt. Governor Jimmy
Green. Green stressed the im
portance of hard work to elect
Democrats from the county all
the way to the White House.
Congressman and Mrs.
Lamar Gudger; Ed Renfrow,
candidate for state auditor;
and Roy Rabon, Carter cam
paign official were among the
Several awards and presen
tations were made by the
Young Democrats. Recipient
of the most outstanding senior
party male ? Joe Justice, the
most outstanding senior party
female ? Jena Lee Buckner,
the most outstanding young
Democrat ? Roger Haynie.
An autographed picture of
Governor Jim Hunt and Bill
Moore was presented to Bill
Moore. Also, a gun was
presented to Sheriff E.Y.
Ponder in honor of his many
years of service.
A dance followed the ban
quet which featured the Big
WISE Sound Factory with Sid
theCerf.
Copy Deadline
Deadline for submitting Memorials,
Cards of Thanks, Personal Notes, Hospital
Notes, Church News and Special An
nouncements to The News Record will be
12:00 noon on Fridays.
The News -Record
NON-PARTISAN IN POLITICS (USPS M8-M0)
0. NICHOLAS HANCOCK,
L STORY.
JULIA WILLIAMS. AdwrtMng I
Published Weekly By
Madison County Publishing Co. Inc.
?0X369 MARSHALL. N.C. 28753
PHONE: (704)449-2741
> Rates
i Madison Co.
MAO
**00
STATE SEN. Larry Leake presents
45-calibre pistol to Sheriff E.Y. Ponder (left)
at Young Democrats banquet.
LT. GOV. Jimmy
Democrat Club
quetat Madison
By POP STORY
The incredible playoff series between
the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia
Phillies ended late Sunday night with the
Phillies winning the best of five, 8-7, in the
Astrodome. The series was one of the most
exciting ever with both teams battling back
and forth in some of the most weird games
I've ever seen.
The fans, both in person and those wat
ching over TV and radio, really got their
"money's worth." It's now World Series
time with the Phillies battling the Kansas
City Royals. Actually, the World Series will
be anticlimatic following such a "wild"
playoff series.
For years I have been watching and
listening to the Lawrence Welk show on
Saturday nights at 7... now the program has
been shifted to Sunday afternoons at 1:30.
It's hard to get used to the new time. The
show comes on in the middle of a profes
sional football game but since my wife (and
I) don't like to miss the Welk show, I usually
watch it and also keep up with the game
during commercials. It's been working out
right well but I do wish Channel 13 would go
back to the former schedule.
Imagine my surprise Saturday after
noon while I was watching the playoff game
over TV! I heard the harking of dogs, some
commotion outside and some talking. I went
to the door and there was Nick Hancock and
Terry Holland. They were riding two of Joe
Eads's beautiful horses. It was the first
time Nick, our new editor, had been up to
my home. I was glad he and Terry, son of
Bernie Holland, came up. Nick seems right
at home on horseback.
Frost was evident around here Monday
morning and with the frost and cooler
weather, I expect the kudsu up home to soon
disappear. With frosts and the presence of
Joe Eads's horses, I won't have to worry
about the kudsu until next spring, glory be!
Congratulations to the Madison
Patriots on winning the homecoming game
against Mitchell last Friday night. With
their second victory of the season, let's hope
the Patriots keep up their winning ways.
We also congratulate the members of
the local Optimist Club on sponsoring the
ham-turkey shoots on the bypass each
Saturday. If you didn't participate last
Saturday make plans to do so this Saturday.
Meet The News-Record Staff Writer
The News Record is pleased to an
nounce that Kevin D. Morley has joined the
staff on a part-time basis as staff writer.
Mr. Morley, 29, is a native of Dennis,
Massachusetts, and he attended Brown
University in Providence, Rhode Island,
where he majored in English and American
literature.
Morley, his wife Laurie and three-year
old son, Nathaniel, reside in Mars Hill.
Prior to moving to Mars Hill, the Morleys
lived in Hot Springs for four years. While in
Hot Springs, Morley operated a cafe and
recreational center, and later worked as
director for the Madison County Recreation
Department.
As part-time staff writer for the News
Record, Morley will be assigned to cover
regular news events, and will write feature
articles and profiles occasionally.
Kevin Morley
Fire Razes Hot Springs Building
By KEVIN MORLEY
Staff Writer
HOT SPRINGS? A handful
of Hot Springs volunteer
firemen fought a smoky blaze
that at one pint threatened the
down-town area of this remote
community.
The alarm was sounded at
12: 15 p.m. on Oct. 9 for a fire
in an abandoned two story
brick building owned by
George K. (Red) Ramsey. It
was severe enough to warrant
the initial contacting of the
Marshall Fire Department for
assistance, but the Hot Spr
ings crew quickly brought the
blaze under control and
signalled the Marshall team to
return to their station.
A spokesman for The Mar
shall Department said that
tffey had not gone too far at all
when the recall message was
received, and he praised the
newly installed radio system
for saving them a long drive.
Fighting the fire from the
roof on an adjacent building,
the volunteers were plagued
by billowing clouds of smoke
that issued from the upper
floor. The sidewalks of Hot
Springs were Tilled with peo
ple watching the efforts of the
firefighters as the tenacious
flames, time after time,
re ignited in the attic of the ag
ing structure. Finally, after
chopping holes in the roof the
men succeeded in dousing the
last of the embers. Around j
6:30 p.m. the fire was declared
out.
This fire, of undetermined
origin, damaged a building
that once served as town post '
office and bank. Three dif
ferent barbershops and a
grocery store have also used <
the facility. No estimate of ]
damage was available.
Family Often Taken For Granted
By ROBERT STUMP
The pressures of daily life cause us to
take many things for granted. We often
fail to see and appreciate the impor
tance of the people, events and things
we encounter. I believe the family is
one example.
We were all born into and live in some
kind of family. Our valtass, beliefs,
goals, occupation, friends,, etc., have
been shaped by our family. At a time
when demands and pressures of living
cause us to spend less time in family ac
tivities, it becomes easy to lose sight of
the value of the family.
Every one of us has different ideas
and images about the family. No mat
ter bow pleasant or hurtful these
thoughts are, we cannot divorce
ourselves from the impact the family
has, is having and will have on our daily
living
Statistics are often used to suggest
that the family, as an institution in our
society, has failed. Statistics can be us
ed to prove any point. The family has
certainly been under a lot of stress in
recent decades. Stress can be positive
as it enables us to experience growth; it
does not always have to be seen as
negative. Occasionally we need to have
our attention directed to areas where
we need to improve and bring about
change. I believe family life is one of
these areas needing our creative atten
tion.
I believe if the family fails, then all
the other institutions of our society will
also fail. The family to that basic ingre
dient which undergirds everything else.
Kenneth Chafin, in a recent book on
family life, raised the question, "Is
there a family in the house?." Instead
of trying to give an academic definition,
he uses word pictures to define the
family's critical functions. We need to
evaluate our family against these im
ages.
Dr. Chafin suggests that a family is:
...a place to grow people through a
r
fairly balanced and consistent environ
ment.
...where self-trust and individual
creativity is developed.
...a shelter from the storms of life.
...a transmitter of values, with em
phasis being given to the belief that peo
ple are more important than things.
...a place where problems are to be
and can be solved; no family is
problem-free.
...where people survive through |
meaningful relationships.
Each of us could add to Chafin's list.
When we take people or things for
granted, they lose their meaning and
value. In the rush of daily living, it is
necessary to stop and to recognize the
values we receive from our family ex
periences. In reality, I do not believe
that an individual can continue to cope
with dally demands and grow emo
tionally without experiencing mean
ingful relationships through family in
teraction.
l
Elections Office Now
Open On Saturdays
The office of the Board of
Elections on Main Street in
Marshall will be open the next
two Saturdays, Oct. It and 8
fNnta.in. untU 3 p.m. for the
pvpoae of voters wishing to
if
ballot. The deadline far oa*
?top voter* will be S p.m. on
Oct. 30. The deadline for
voters wishing to vota
absentee ballots by mail will
be Oct. n.
- ? ? . ? ft
'?'iiUi . ? . s
LETTERS WELCOMED
We wekone letter* to the editor. All we
??k is that tbey be reasonably brief, tai
good taste and contain no libelant
statements. However, letter* wlH not be
pobUsbed if they are not signed by one or
?tore ladivldaal*. "Parent*" or
Coocerwed Chiiens does not constitute a