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Hey, Santa!
It's me again
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eoiioiiiNS&opiNori?
Dear Santa,
Well, old man. I’m running a little late on my
Christmas shopping this year. 1 was hoping maybe
Christmas would be cancelled, because I haven’t
really recovered from last year yet.
But, I hear that’s not going to han>en, so I need
your help. You probably have your sleigh packed
and all ready to go, but would you consider adding
some of these requests:
A state basket!^ cham{nonship for Kings Moun
tain’s Mountaineers, who are off to their best start
in years, and a big slam dunk for the Mounties’ S-IO
guard, C^l Smith ...
Starting jobs for all Kings Mountain players par
ticipating in college athletics: Let’s see, that would
be footballers Kevin Mack at Clemson, Henry
Hager at North Carolina Central, Avery Smith at
Gardner-Webb, Chuck Gordon at Appalachian and
Kelly Land at Lenoir-Rhyne, and b^ballers Tim
Leach and Mark Schuman at Wingate. Since Land
and Gordon are already starters at their respective
schools, throw them in some All-Conference
honors.
Twenty-two super athletes for the Kings Moun
tain football team next fall. It’s been a long dry spell
since the last championship ... A return trip to the
state championship series for Kings Mountain
High’s baseball team, which lost out in the title
game last spring ...
Some speedier mail trucks for the U.S. Postal Ser
vice. It took seven days for a letter to reach us from
Gaston College, which is maybe 10 miles away in
Dallas, N.C. But that’s nothing compared to the
man in Bessemer City who received a letter a couple
weeks ago that was postmarked 1972 ...
Twenty boxes of chocolate coverd cherries for
our paste-up girl, Melany Bolin, and a case of mello
yellos for Dwight Frady, the editor of the Belmont
Banner who works over here a couple days a week.
If those two ever lose their sweet tooth, two candy
factories and three soft drink plants will go out of
business ...
Some more federal grants for Kings Mountain,
and its Mayor with the Midas touch, John Henry
Moss. It used to be finding news was easy because
you could always call up John Henry and ask him
how many federal grants he got this week. But since
the HUD audit the money hasn’t come in quite as
often ...
A one-way plane ticket to the U.S. for the
hostages who have been held in Iran fw over a year.
I asked you for this last year, Santa, so let’s get on
with it ...
A crime-free, accident-free, fire-free Christmas
day, so dedicated people like policemen, rescuers
and firemen can enjoy their Christmas dinner.
A seven-foot center for Belmont Abbey basket
ball coach Bobby Hussey. Hussey, former KMHS
coach, has worked wonders with the Crusader pro
gram and a big man is about all he needs to have a
powerhouse ...
Drafting by a good team for South Carolina’s sen
sational Heisman Trophy winner, George Rogers. 1
would hate to see him go with a sorry team like
New Orleans or Washington. Now, before you Red
skin diehards start calling in bomb threats,
remember. I’m a Redskin fan, too. But, you have to
admit, they’re the pits this year ...
Many more good years for the Shrine Bowl. We
may not like the way the teams are picked, and we
may be greatly disappointed that it’s been 23 years
since Kings Mountain had a player in the game, but
it gives us all a good feeling inside to see the Shriners
raise $1.S million a year to aid the crippled and
burned children ...
A very Merry Christmas for East Rutherford
High School football player George Bristol, who
was left paralyzed after being hit in a game against
East Gaston last fall. Thanks to the Shriners and the
staff of their Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia,
Bristol is learning to walk again ...
A lot of good episodes of Dallas, so our typeset
ters Nancy Walker and Rachel Thomas, and yours
truly, will have something to talk about on Monday
mornings...
A return to good health for so many people we
know who are not well during this holiday season:
young Scott Carrigan of Ocala, Fla., a young
athlete who just recently learned he has a rare form
of leukemia; our own Mason Rodden, general
manager of the Belmont Banner, and Will Hughes,
a neighbor and good friend who is now living in
Arkansas, both victims of cancer; and so many
others whom we do not know but who need our
thoughts and prayers this Christmas ...
A hot meal, clothes, or a toy for needy people in
our own area and around the world who will do
without this Christmas and not have even some of
the simple things that we take for granted ...
And, above all, the true spirit of Christmas for all
people everywhere, for if we miss that, this is just
another day anyway.
TODATS BIBLE VERSE
And the angel said unto them. Fear not, for
behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which shall
be to all people. — St. Luke 2:10
Look to The Source
The Post Office was filled one morning this week
with patrons in a hurry to get to their jobs and stop
ping to mail Christmas cards and packages enroute.
“I wish Christmas would hurry and get here,”
was overheard a lady in line, “because I’ll be so glad
when it’s over."
How many of us share her frustrations. So much
to do, so little time. The gift list is long. All those
Christmas cards to address and mail, office and
private parties, etc. and etc.
Perhaps it would be wise to follow the advice
given by ministers from the pulpit this religious
season when they tell us to glad. More than
anything you do during this time of self-imposed
pressure, be glad. Take time to remind yourselves
why you are trying to do so much for so many.
^ing glad should lead to The Source, perhaps in
the Second Chapter of Luke:
“In those days a decree was issued by the
Emperor Augustus for a general registration
throughout the Roman world. This was the first
registration of its kind; it took place when Quirinius
was governor of Syria. For this purpose everyone
made his way to his own town; and so Joseph went
up to Judaea from the town of Nazareth in Galilee,
to be registered at the city of David called
Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David
by descent; and with him went Mary who was
betrothed to him. She was pregnant, and while they
were there the time came for her child to be bom,
and she gave birth to a son, her first bom. She wrap
ped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn.
All at once there was with the angel a great com
pany of the heavenly hosts singing the praises of
God;
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and on earth
His peace for men on whom his favor rests.”
Don't be a victim
Sometime between now and New Year’s, a child
will pop a bright Christmas tree bulb into his mouth
and turn a joyous season into pain and heartbreak.
It always happens - somewhere.
Don^ let your child become a holiday victim,
warns the North Carolina Medical Society which
reminds us to follow these Christmas precautions
and not be victim of the ugly side of all this glitter.
•Check the old stimg of lights and throw away
ones that are worn out and brittle. If your
household has small children, throw out old bulbs
that the toddler could find and pop into his mouth.
•Be careful not to overload your circuits - don’t
plug more than two strings of lights into a single
outlet.
•Make sure that your Christmas tree is secured in
its stand and won’t topple over when you least ex
pect it.
•Secure all your extension cords into their outlets
so you won’t be shocked when you turn on your
tree lights or other electric decorations.
•Keep extension cords away from hallways and
doors to avoid tripping over them.
•Put breakable ornaments and ornaments made
with angel hair or other glass filaments on higher
branches out of baby’s reach.
•Also keep holiday decorations made with real
holly and nuts away from small children. Some ber
ries, if eaten, can be deadly. Poinsettias are also tox
ic if the milky substance from the leaves is swallow
ed.
•Stay away from real candles on the tree;
althou^ they are a pretty sight they can also be
dangerous if they fall over.
•Christmas trees should have skirts that are
nonflammable to cover the stand. Do not put cot
ton or paper around the base of your tree.
•Make sure that your tree is unplugged if you
leave the house. It is also a wise idea to keep the
stand filled with water to avoid drying the tree out.
•Electrical toys for the children should be chosen
with care. Make sure that the wiring is intact and
that the toy is durable.
•Avoid toys with sharp edges and removable
parts that small children may swallow.
Lib
Stewart
Lost Christmas
is repeated ...
Lost Christmas” has
are repeating it this
Erma Bombeck’s The
become a perennial. We
Christmas.
There is nothing sadder in this world than to
wake Christmas morning and not be a child.
Not to feel the cold on your bare feet as you rush
to the Christmas tree in the living room. Not to
have your eyes sparkle at the wonderment of
discovery. Not to rip the ribbons off the shiny boxes
with such abandon.
What happened?
When did the cold bare feet give way to reason a
and a pair of sensible bedroom slippers? When did
the sparkle and the wonderment give way to depres
sion of a long day? When did a box with a shiny rib-
bonmean an item on the “charge”? A Child of
Christmas doesn’t have to be a toddler or a teen. A
child of Christmas is anyone who believes that
Kings have birthdays.
The Christmases you loved so well are gone.
What happened?
Maybe they diminished the year you decided to
have your Christmas cards printed to send to 1,500
of your “closest friends and dearest obligations.”
You got too busy to sign your name.
Maybe it was the year you discovered the tradi
tional Christmas tree was a fire hazard and the
needles had to be vacuumed every three hours and
you traded its holiday aroma for a silver one that
revolved, changed colors, played Silent Night and
snowed on itself.
Or the year it got to be too much trouble to sit
around the table and put popcorn and cranberries
on a string. Possibly you lost your childhood the O
year you solved your gift problems neatly and cold
ly with a checkbook.
Think about it. It might have been the year you
were too rushed to bake and resorted to a slice-and-
bake with no nonsense. Who needs a bowl to clean
or lick?
Most likely it was the year you were so efficient
in paying back all your party obligations. A wonder
ful little caterer did it for you for S3 per person.
Children of Christmas are givers. That’s what the
day is for. They give thanks, love, gratitude, joy and
themselves to one another.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have
children around a tree. It’s rather like lighting a can
dle you’ve been saying, ^arojiiig when ywr f<|^ tffe
'ToTd, buflffin^ a fire in k eiej^' gri^e, Ending tinsel
deep into the rug, lickihj^ "frosting off a beater, jpv-
ing something you made yourself.
It’s laughter, being with people you like, and at
some time falling on your knees and saying. Thank
You for coming to my birthday party.”
How sad indeed to awake on Christmas and not
be a child.
Time, self pity, apathy, bitterness and exhaustion
can take the Christmas out of the child, but you
caimot take the child out of Christmas.”
©
0 ^
♦))-
(From Tho Monday, Doc. 24. 1951 Edition
of Tho King* Mountain Horald)
The first set of twins was bom at Kings Mountain
Hospital Sunday morning. The twins, a boy and a
girl, were boro to Mr. and Mrs. James Staley, of
Route 2. The boy arrived at 6:30 ajn. and the girl at
6:38 ajn. Dr. P.G. Padgett was the attending physi
cian.
OiO
Poets
Corner
Make the most
of Christmas
It’s another Christmas season.
Around the globe, there exists tensions, which, if
short of war, make the imminence of war near.
American hostages remain prisoners of Iran for
another Christmas and many other world situations
do not make a heartening backdrop for the
Christmas scene.
But it’s Christmas and most folk will make the
most of the holiday.
It is the nature of mankind to be optimistic, and
in spite of the tensions in many parts of the world,
almost all look forward immediately to an enjoyable
Christmas season, and future Christmas seasons
when the principal problems of living are earning a
livelihood, rearing the children and attending to the
other duties which arise in normal living.
The Celebration of the Birthday of the Prince of
Peace should not be accompanied by the holocaust
of war, enmity, suspicion and envy.
A New Year is just around the comer and what it
holds in store for the peo|Je of Kings Mountain and
of the world none can predict with any surety that
the predictions will be correct.
May future Christmas seasons fmd “Peace on
earth, good will toward men,” and may the bright
new year bring with it the promises of many
brighter tomorrows.
LOVE TAKES HOLD AT CHRISTMAS TIME
Love shines at Christmas time
as brilliant as the star,
that shone the first Christmas night
to guide the shepherds afar;
Love shines the star of hope
above a world of greed,
of aU the things that man must have
God’s love is the greatest need.
• ^
Love shines the star of joy
With beams that glow afar,
the message of “Peace On Earth”
No earthly thing can mar;
there’s love in every light that glows
on every tree that shines,
Reflecting the Christmas spirit that dwells
operating in hearts and minds.
Love lights a candle in the darkness
to guide lost ones on their way.
Love takes hold of the hardest hearts
to bring joy on Christmas Day.
Vivian S. BUlcUH*