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Pag* 2-KIM08 MOUNTAIN HERALD-Tu*Mlay. January 6. IWl
GARLAND ATKINS GARY STEWART LIB STEWART
PublUhw Co-Editor Co-Editor
MEMBER OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Tho Horald is published by Herald Publishing House, P.O. Box 752, Kings Moun
tain, N.C. 28086. Business and editorial offices are located at Canterbury Road-
East King Street. Phone 739-7496. Second class postage paid at Kings Mountain,
N.C. Single copy 20 cents. Subscription rates: $12.48 yearly in-state. $6.24 six mon
ths. $13.52 yearly out of state. $6.76 six months. Student rates for nine months.
$8.50. USPS 931-040.
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Some Good News
And Bad News
GOOD NEWS. BAD NEWS: First the bad news.
Nearly twrHhirds of North Carolina’s counties,
including Cleveland, experienced higher unemploy
ment rates in 1980, according to the Employment
Security Commission of North Carolina.
The state’s unemployment rate in November was
6.5 percent. That’s below the national average of
7.1, but far higher than the 1979 figure of 4.7.
In Cleveland County, 3,680 people, or 9.4 per
cent, out of the possible labor force of 39,250, were
out of work. A total of 117,600 North Carolina
workers were unemployed.
And, now, the good news:
Governor Jim Hunt says that industries announc
ing plans to build here during 1980 will represent an
investment of $2.24 billion and create 29,000 new
jobs.
Many of those new industries will locate in
Cleveland County. One major one, Sulzer Brothers,
is in the process of building near Grover.
Hunt says in the last four years investments by
new industries in North Carolina totaled $8.1
billion and created 123,000 new jobs.
Somehow, the figures released by Hunt and those
released by the ESC, don’t seem to jive. It makes
you wonder if many of the new jobs are going to
North Carolinians and Cleveland Countians.
Bt^Ck
(From the Ion. 4, 1962 •dition of
Tho Kingi Mountain Herald)
Mayor Kelly Dixon will decide by the end of
January whether to accept the Republican nomina
tion for United States Senator. The Mayor opposed
Congressman Basil Whitener, Gastonia Democrat,
in 1960, polling more than 41,500 votes in his un
successful bid.
Social and Personal
Mr. and Mrs. Luther Caveny announce the
engagement of their daughter, Carolyn Faith, to
Ernest Phillip Howell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel
W. Howell. The wedding wiU take place Feb. 25th.
Mr. and Mrs. Winston Miller and sons. Art and
Davis, have returned to Burlington after a holiday
visit with relatives. Mrs. Miller is the former Peggy
Arthur.
Max Mayhew, the manager of Kings Mountain’s
Sterchi’s Furniture Store who always has a friendly
word, is retiring January 10.
Max said the other day he began work at the age
of six on his father’s farm.
“When ! went to work with Sterchi’s, 1 told Mr.
Baird it would only be temporary. I started in Oc
tober and told him I’d help him out until the first of
the year. That was 37 years ago,” said Max.
Max, who lives near Shelby and is an avid sports
fan, hopes to do some traveling, and just plain take
it easy.
“But,” he said, “my wife already has enough
work scheduled for me around the house to keep me
busy for the first two years.”
Max will certainly be missed by his customers
and friends here. On behalf of all of them, here’s
wishing him a lot of happy retirement years.
**•
Things I’d like to see in 1981:
A fish camp in Kings Mountain that stays open
seven days a week. I was sitting in church a couple
Sundays ago, the preacher was preaching an inspir
ing sermon, and 1 was thinking how great it would
be if I had a big plate of Paul Hord’s green shrimp...
Fewer men jogging up and down the highways.
Whatever happened to cow pasture football and
softball as a means of staying in shape? Ladies, you
keep jogging ...
A big, fat pay raise. It seems like each trip to the
gas station and grocery store takes a bigger bite out
of my wallet, as I’m sure does everybody’s ...
Completion of the U.S. 74 bypass around Kings
Mountain. This traffic out here on the east and is
murder. If you don’t believe me, ask Ronnie
Hawkins, the co-manager of Harris Funeral Home.
He was involved in a four-car fender bender at the
intersection of 74 East and Ctmterbury Road a cou
ple weeks ago ...
Some brains for the sports fans of America. How
much longer will we pay $20 a ticket to see con ar
tists like Muhammad Ali and Roberto Duran
disguised as boxers, and million-dollar baseball
players like Dave Roberts struggle to hit 240? ...
Some detent sports announcers for TV. The job
Ray Scott and Johnny Unitas did at the Carolina-
Texas Bluebonnet Bowl game 2is pathetic. What the
sports world needs is a few Dizzy Deans and Mel
Allens ...
WINTER SCENE — The snows and sustained
cold weather in the mountains in the last
week have created some beoutiiul picture
Photo By Hugh Morton
situations, such as this scene of a deer boun
ding out of o ravine on Grandfather Moun
tain.
A Message
For New Year
New Year’s Day is the day that the columnists
look either backwards or forward to list the top 10
in about every category, from best dressed to big
gest news stories.
It’s also a day in which we eat blackeyed peas and
turnip greens for good luck and at our house store
the Christmas decorations for another year.
We take pleasure in repeating what the Central
United Methodist Church bulletin editor suggests as
a message for New Year 1981, looking back on a
year in which Kings Mountain citizens generally
had their share of both the good times and the bad.
‘Tomorrow (and as many tomorrows as you can)
... Mend a quarrel ... seek out a forgotten friend ...
dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust ... write a
love letter ... share some treasure ... give a soft
answer ... encourage youth ... manifest your loyalty
in words or deed ... keep a promise ... find the time
... forego a grudge ... forgive an enemy ... listen ...
apologize if you were wrong ... try to understand ...
flout envy ... examine your demands on others ...
think first of someone else ... appreciate... be kind ...
be gentle ... laugh a little ... laugh a little more ...
deserve confidence ... take up arms against malice ...
decry complacency ... express your gratitutde ... go
to your house of worship ... welcome a stranger ...
gladden the heart of a child ... take pleasure in the
beauty of the world ... speak your love ... speak it
again ... speak it still once again.”
What's Your Opinion?
Write Reader Dialogue
P.O. Box 752
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086
Feature Idea?
Call 739-7496
Lib
Stewart
Poets
Comer
SINGING IN THE RJUN
1 heacda bird'Singinc. ..
in the raindrops falling down.
Notes rang clear and sweet
With a joyrful, springing sound.
The bird seemed to know
something I did not.
He was so downright happy
and contented with his lot.
He wasn't aware of the cold
or the rain upon his head,
on the fact there were no roses
on which to make a bed.
The bird kept right on singing
on a tree limb showing bare.
Just singing in the rain
as though the sky were fair.
I heard a bird singing
in the raindrops falling down.
Notes rang clear and sweet
about a love-bird he had found.
Vivian S. BUtcliffe
'Jinia
/. -I.t:
1980 Was Good Year For Giant Rookie Holland
A1 Holland, the southpaw relief ace for the San Francisco Giapts, is
a fellow who knows where he’s going.
Al, currently living in Charlotte with his wife, the former Mary
Catherine Reid of Lowell, and their three young children, had an
outstanding season in his first full year in the major leagues as a Giant
last season.
Al, who is 5-11'/2, and whose playing weight is between 205 and
210 pounds, had a 5-3 record in relief for the Giants last season. He
recorded seven saves and had an outstanding 1.77 earned run average
in 60 innings out of the bullpen.
Al will be playing for a new manager this year. Dave Bristol was
fired earlier this year.
‘That came as a big shock to me,” said Holland. “I had a good
player-manager working relationship with Bristol, who is a native of
Andrews, N.C.
“1 had a feeling that he might not be back with us. I heard a couple
of rumors early in November when 1 was competing in a Celebrity
Golf Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz.
“It was a tournament for the J.R. Richards Foundation. 1 heard a
couple of guys talking about Bristol’s not being back with the Giants at
that tournament. Yet, when it happened, it was still a shock.”
Will Richards, the outstanding Houston pitcher befelled by a stroke
last season, be back with the Astros in 1981?
“After seeing him November 17,1 think he will be back this coming
season,” said Al. “He might not return with the awesomeness on the
pitching mound when he left, but he will be back in uniform. He look
ed great in Arizona. It was good to see him there.
“He played 13 holes on the last day of the tournament and won a
trophy for the longest drive.”
When last season started, Hollemd was the middle man for Bristol
and the Giants. Then, when he pitched extremely well after two Giant
visits to Pittsburgh, Bristol made him the short man, the guy called on
to come in with the pressure on and put out the fire.
“When the season started, I hadn’t even won a job,” said Holland. “I
remember one time in Atlanta I came in and worked about six innings
in relief.
“I enjoy the pressure situations. I like to come in when the game is
on the line. It cuts down on the margin for error. You know you’ve got
to go out there and get ’em out.
“I’m primarily a strikeout pitcher. I try to overpower the hitters.
> <» » » » »■» »»»»»»»»»»
Dwight
Frady
Frady’s
Views
Some guys you can overpower and some you have to finesse.”
Holland said he had a heap of trouble with a lefthanded batter,
Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals.
“1 just couldn’t get Hernandez out,” said Holland, a very likeable
person who is a North Carolina A&T graduate. That’s where he met
his wife, at A&T.
“I threw Hernandez everything I had and he’d still hit it. He led the
league in batting and was the co-most valuable player. He must have
hit .500 off me. Mike Schmidt of the Phillies is a fine ballplayer. I like
to challenge Mike. He challenges the pitchers enough..
“I don’t even want to think about the $o<alled sophomore jinx
when I go to spring training around the middle of Febniary,” said
Holland.
“I had an outstanding season. 1 want to go back and do it a^n-or
even better. I don’t want to go out there and think of the sophomore
jinx. The main thing is for me to stay healthy, to concentrate while I’m
out there, and to produce.
‘This winter has helped me. I really like Charlotte and we want tg
make this our permanent home. IVe been able to spend time with my
family and friends this winter. I’ve always played winter baseball
before:”
Al, who graduated from North Carolina A&T in 1975, was original
ly in the Pittsburgh organization. Then Al, Fred Brenning and Eddie
Whitson were traded to the Giants for Bill Madlock and Dave
Roberts.
Al has some ideas who “might” be the next Giant manager. “It
might be a couple of men who have been in the San Francisco
organization for some time, Jim Davenport or Tom Haller,” said Al.
‘Then there are Gene Mauch, Dick Howser and Frank Robinson. I
really don’t have any idea, but those are five names I can come up with
off the top of my head.”
As for last year’s Philadelphia win over Kansas City in the World
Series, Holland said he was rooting for Kansas City bKause he knew
most of the players and had been on some of the teams with them.
“A lot of them signed the same time as I did,” said Al. “But
Philadelphia had too much pitching for them. Tug McGraw had a
great World Series out of the bullpen and you don’t find many pitchers
around like Steve Carlton. ExcejN for Willie Aikens, Kansas City
didn’t show all that much power.
“Actually, that National League playoff series between Philadelphia
and Houston should have been the World Series. It was a sujter series.
“In our own league, I think the Atlanta Braves are coming on fast as
a contender. They’ve got some good young players and they were
strong down the stretch. They played some go^ baseball. With some
trades and the aquisition of free agents, theyll be even tougher this
coming season.”
Holland said that Atlanta “isn’t just another team” anymore.
“I think the Giants will be better. We’ve helped ourselves. We ob
tained third baseman Enos Cabel from the Astros and pitcher Doyle
Alexander from Atlanta. We also got Jerry Margin and Ed Figuero
from Chicago. Jerry’s an outfielder and Figuero’s a pitcher. I think we
strengthened our bench and got some good starting pitchers.
“By making trades and acquiring players, it has helped us. I’m just
really looking forward to the coming season."
Never mind the sophomore jitu. It undoubtedly won’t bother Al
Holland. He’s got what it takes.