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PUBUSHED EACH TUESDAY AND THintSDAY
U.l BLAND ATKINS
Publisher
GARY STEWART
Oo-Edltor
LIB STEWART
Oo-Edltor
DARRELL AUSTIN
General Manager
MEMBER OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
The Herald Is published by Herald Publishing House, P.O. Box 901, Kings Mountain,
N.C. 280M. Business and editorial offices are located at 4S1 N. Pledinont Ave. Phone 78»-
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rates: $10 yearly in-state. IS six months. $11 yearly out-of-state. IS.SO six months. Student
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Today’s Bible Verse: Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness for
they shall be filled. St. Matthew S;6
€DnoRiw.9&C)PiniorK
Remember your family,..
Mrs. W.T. Weir, chairman of the city’s
grounds beautification project for the new City
Hall, wrote this editorial.
Men, women, families In Kings Mountain, here
Is an opportunity to Include the names of your
fbrebearers In an appropriate record of the
builders of our town.
This handsome, new million dollar building,
(the new City Hall) will serve as the Govern
mental Center for years to come.
Let's pay tribute to those who made Kings
Mountain what she Is today by engraving their
names on the memorial plaques to be placed
inside the vestibule. Make It a record of many of
those who laid the foundation for 1980, as well as
of more recent citizens.
For $150., the name of an individual or Mr. and
Mrs. Will be engraved on a metal strip to be
attached to the plaque. A matching plaque for
honors Is planned also.
Contact any member of the beautification
committee or call 739-2063.
Open meetings law, , ,
North Carolina has a new Open Meetings Law.
Enacted by the 1979 General Assembly, the new
law took effect October 1. Its purpose Is to make
certain that the people have ample opportunity
to keep up with the deliberations as well as the
decisions of their elected and appointed
representatives In government, particularly
local government.
Too often, we fear, the crusade for open
meetings Is seen by the public as something the
news media champion for their own self-interest.
Yet, the rules for openness in government are
devised to give every citizen—not just
LOOKIMG
From the Dec. 11,1958 edition
of Hie Kings Mountain Herald
Griffin Drug Store, the second oldest com
mercial business operated continuously under
the same trade name In Kings Moimtlan, an
nounced this week Its grand opening In Its new
location at 129 West Mountain St.
Tlie coveted Plonk Blocking Trophy remains In
the family this year. David Plonk, senior guard
and trl-captsdn of the Kings Mountain Moun
taineers football team In 1958, has been awarded
the handsome trophy given each season to the
team’s most outstanding blocker by his father,
Fred W. Plonk.
Bethware Progressive Club will hold Its 12th
annual Christmas banquet, a ladles night event,
Monday night at Bethware School cafeteria.
Social and Personal
Mrs. Hunter Allen entertained members of
Circle 6 of Central United Methodist Church at
her home Monday night.
First grade students of Mrs. J.C. Bridges at
West School presented a program on the Nativity
at the Golden Age Party at the Woman’s Club
Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Austin announce the arrival
of a son. Sat., Dec. 6, Kings Mountain Hospital.
newspaper reporters or ’TV camera crews—
access to the workings of our government. We
journalists tend to exhibit the most Interest In
these rules because we are frequently the only
representatives of the people to attend meetings
of public bodies.
Let us take this occasion to peruse some of the
rules set forth by North Carolina’s revised Open
Meetings Law—not only to remind citizens of
their “right to know," but also to remind
governmental officials of certain obligations to
voting constituents and tax-paying employers.
A frequently-observed misconception among
local government officials is that a board may
conduct “work sessions” where citizens are
unwelcome because minutes won’t be recorded.
North Carolina’s Open Meetings Law declares
that a public body holds an "official meeting’’
wdienever a majority of Its members are present
to take action.
’The only time the general public may be
barred from a meeting of a public board of
committee is when the board of committee votes
to me't In “executive session.”
Another provision in the revised law codifies a
1976 court ruling that prohibits public bodies
from making decisions by secret ballot. From
now on, board members may vote on an Issue by
written ballot.
For the most part, local governing boards have
tried to follow the spirit If not the letter of North
Carolina’s Open Meetings Law. We trust the
members of our various county and municipal
boards will continue to be open in their
deliberations as well as their decisions.
SMTTHFIELD HERALD
Good parade
despite rain, , ,
Although the rains came and the crowds were
smaller than usual, Grover citizens can be proud
of the 1979 Christmas Parade which was staged
’Thursday afternoon by Grover Lions Club.
Everyone along the route enjoyed the floats,
pretty girls, bands and the appearance of Santa
Claus.
-oOo-
Pearl Harbor recalled, , ,
Friday was the 38th anniversary of the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
It was also OvU Defense Day, but the an
niversary didn’t get as much attention as press,
radio, and television customarily records
eventful days of history.
’This reminds that events of history are
somewhat like a person’s birthday.
Each succeeding birthday of a chUd U Im
portant with cake and Ice cream but the an
niversaries diminish In Importance at age 12.
Sixteen is very Important, for a youngster
passes the mUestone that lets him or her drive a
car.
And, age 21 Is Important, for It Is the age a boy
becomes a man, at least legally, with all the
privileges, rights and responsibilities that the
law Implies.
After that. It’s the round numbers that seem to
be important to the men. We lady folk find 89 Is
very Important, and some decline to leave It,
often for years.
Thus, Pearl Harbor Day may be relegated to
the same category of less noticed birthdays, but
we hope not by everyone.
Lib
Stewart
At least one Kings Mountain citizen, BUI Lane,
thinks Pearl Harbor Day la a good time to taUc
about American unity and suggests that as
Americans banded together 88 years ago In
Mjpport of their government, so they ihould
today In the face of th* Iranian crisis.
Ihla Is why Mr. Lane la Mklng clUzens to fly
the flag untU the 50 hostages are released. He
reports he’s had several csUlers asking \^ere a
flag can be purchased In this area.
The American Legion AuxUlary has about five
flags left over from a special shipment Unit 155
obtsilned for an Americanism project several
.nonths ago. The flags are suitable for mounting
on a residence and can be obtained by calling
Orangrel Jolly at 789-8929 or Unit President
Oara Rhea at 789-4081.
Uncle Harley.
’The Reader’s Digest sometimes has a secUon
that’s called “My Most Unforgettable C3isurac-
ter.” Let me tell you about one of the most un
forgettable characters I’ve ever met.
Most of you probably know him. He’s Harley
WeUs, a 75-year-old who grew up In Kings
Mountain, spent about 80 years In the service and
now Uvea In the Old Soldiers Home In
Washington, D.C.
Several years ago Harley came home for a
couple of years, purchased a smaU house traUer
and locatedlt next door to my home. ’That’s when
I got to know Harley, although I’d known about
him aU my life. He and his brothers grew up In
the same neighborhood as my father and his
famUy.
Harley’s a big man, about 6-1 and over 200
pounds, red-faced and usuaUy during the win
tertime wears a big coat and toboggan. Being
from Washington, he loves the Redskins and
hates protesters. “You can see a protest
everyday In Washington,” he sayi,, “and If you
don’t like what they’re protesting you can walk
around the comer and find another one.”
He loves to talk about the old days. He bud-
died around with my uncle, the late Ben Stewart,
who died many years before I was bom. 1 often
wish I had known Ben. According to most people
who knew him, including Harley, he could throw
the heck out of a basebaU.
Harley used to have an old white horse and big
OolUe dog named “Breadbasket,” which was the
smartest dog I’ve ever seen. He was almost
human In that he would do exactly what Harley
told him. ’The dog often came down to my house
and as long as he was down there was just as
gentle and loving as he could be. But If you
walked Into Harley’s yard without him knowing
it, you’d better look out ’cause that dog was going
to get you.
“Breadbasket” disappeared not long after
Harley returned to Washington to live and to this
day no one knows what happened to him. "I still
GW!V.
9TeWW!T
miss that dog,” Harley told me the other day”
and If you’re familiar with the love he had for
him, you’d understand why.
It’s this time of year that Harley returns to
lOngs Mountain for a week or so to visit family 0
and friends, and usuaUy the first thing he wants
to know when he comes In Is “when’s the Grover
Oirlstmas Parade?” Going to Grover’s no big
deal for most people, but It Is for Harley, because
he can remember a time when It was a booming
place.
George Blalock and I were sitting in Blalock’s
Groceiy about 6:10 a.m. last Tuesday. 1 was
about half asleep when George said “Look
coming here! ” I looked up and In wsdked Harley ^
with a big “Ho, Ho, Ho.” Remembering a time
when a youngster In our neighborhood begged
him for a birthday present, I said, “’Tomorrow’s
my birthday. Uncle Harley, and he replied
’Uncle, Hell. I’ve had 75 birthdays and ain’t
nobody got me nothing.”
And, sure enough. It wasn’t over five minutes
until he asked when the Grover Parade was.
When he found out It was just two days ’tU lineup ^
time, he started getting excited. He and my ^
father, George, left out at 2 p.m. Thursday for
the parade which was set for four.
But, that’s the main thing about the Grover
Parade. “You have to get there early, walk the
streets and eat peanuts and look up Grady
Gash,” he said. He managed to do It all, and the
cold and rain that kept most people away didn’t
dampen his spirits a bit.
Tell them to keep oil.
I’m sick and tired of reading about Shah
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and the AyattuUah
RuhoUah Khomeini.
I can’t spell their names. I csm’t pronounce
their names, which look like the result of some
drunk playing around with alphabet soup.
I don’t understand their Ideas or their
philosophies and what’s more, I don’t want to.
How we ever got Into the mess with Iran, I
don’t understand, but If we ever get our hostages
back I think we better assess our entire foreign
policy philosophy and I have some suggestions:
(1) ’Tell the Shah he will have to move to some
other country. After all, what has he ever done
for us except raise the price of oil and sell us a
few pistachio nuts. (When I discovered pistachio
nuts came from Iran, I dumped mine In the
garbage can. ’Then that night I went back out In
the cold and rooted through the garbage and
retrelved them. What the heck, I might as well
get something out of that country.
(2) Stop Immigration Into this country.
We have enough foreigners here now as It Is.
Ibey come here, go on welfare and Increase our
taxes.
(8) Stop selling wdieat to foreign countries.
Everybody hates us so let them find their own
food. I would rather see our country give away
food to the starving people In Cambodia then to
sell It to Russia or to some other country who
probably never pay us for it anyway.
(4) Stop all foreign aid to all countries. Tlieae
countries end up hating us, bombing our em
bassies, destroying our flags, etc. We can use
I’M THANKFUL
I’m thsmkful for the dally blood.
Collected from our region spread.
For volunteers and donors so good.
For chapters that I have led.
I’m thankful for each heart that sings.
With love of fellowmen It sees.
For sharing which the donor brings.
For all bloodmobiles like these.
I’m thankful for ourwork and rest.
For meeting goal when daylight ends;
Of all my thanks, this la the best ;
For Red Cross family and friends.
CLEVELAND COUN’TY CHAPTER
AMERICAN RED CROSS
JUST THINK
Just to think what might have been
Gives my heart a fright,
’To think if Jesus had not come
To Bethlehem that night.
If the shepherds had not heard
’Hie angels sweetly sing.
Had they not been told about
’nie birth of Christ the King.
We can be sure there’d be no hope
Nor ever would there be
’There’d be no children singing
And no lighted Christmas trees
I’m thankful we can light our trees
And hear the children sing
Since this we do to celebrate
The birth of Christ our King.
CALVIN WRIGHT
Kings Mountain
A MERRY CHRISTMAS
What makes a merry Christmas
From dawn til close of day?
Garland
Atkins
... -i ’«dl fOtlW
this money to help our own country.
(5) Deport all Iranians, whether they have a
valid passport or not.
(6) And I have a few remarks for Khomeini but
I can’t print them here—not even In this paper.
And we will print almost anything.
As far as the hostages, where Is John Wayne
when we need him. He could take the dirty dozen,
walk right down the streets of Iran and bring
those hostages back aUve.
It seems like the harder we try to work with
other countries and to help them, the worse they
treat us. I reaUy think we should begin con
centrating on our own country’s needs and let the
rest of the world do the same.
’The more we help other countries, the more
they despise us.
Let’s keep our wheat, teU them to keep their oU
and do the best we can without It. We could make
It.
I know I could Uve the rest of my life without
pistachio nuts.
I like popcorn better anyway.
Corner
Is It the tree that proudly stands
With lights and trimmings gay.
And all the magic packages
Beneath, In fall so bright?
Is It the sparkling soft snowflakes
’That clothes the world In white?
Perhaps the rich aroma
’That wafts from kitchen door.
Or sounds of Christmas carols
Mixed with the city’s roar?
The joy of having loved one-
Together for awhile.
The handclasp of true friendship
Or a neighbor’s ready smile?
The stars that shine In chUdren’s eyes
When SanU CTaus they see
The story of the Christ chUd
And of the Wise men, three ^
Ah yes, much Christmas happiness
Each one of these Imparts-
Entwlned and held so tenderly
By love within our hearts.
myrtle GOFORTH