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Page TWO THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1960 ■LOT Southern Pines North Carolina “In taking over The Pilot no changes are contemplated. We will try to keep this a good paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to be an occasion to use our influence for the public good we will try to do it. And we w treat everybody alike.”—James Boyd, May 23, 1941. Death Crosses the Yellow Line Two tragedies tearing at the heart strings of Moore County jjdtizens this week were attributed by tl^Bnvestigating patrolmen to driving on wrong side of the road. ' ▼ Two cars which were in their proper lanes, observing the rules, were struck with tremendous impact. In one, in Union County, a whole family headed for a hap py homecoming at West End was wiped out—a father, mother, small girl, unborn child and teen-age sister, a tragedy so stu pendous the horror of it makes one numb. In the other, near Carthage, an elderly woman was killed, her daughter and two sons injured. In the first accident the driver of the other car lost his life, along with his vic tims. In the other, the truck driver w;hose tractor-trailer, the patrolman said, came “all the way over the yellow line,” was uninjured. Yet he will suffer all his life from the results of that moment. Our deep sympathy goes to all those be reaved in theselgrim tragedies. How often iii rounding a curve do we let those front wheels ease across the yel low line! It is so easy to do, isn’t it—it gets you around the curve with so little ef fort, and perhaps you hardly even think as you do it. And how often, conversely, do you experience a moment of fright and pull hard on the wheel as, going around the curve, you see an approaching car— its wheels bearing toward you over the line. It sometimes happens also on the straightaway but more often on a curve —yet the moment is gone so fast it hard ly stays in the memory. Unless you wind up in a tangle of steel, another wreck vic tim. Driving on the wrong side, failing to yield right of way, following too close— the State Highway Patrol says these are the greatest causes of accidents. Ordinar ily, the more spectacular wrecks are caus ed by high speed and drunken driving. The other law infractions bring the little wrecks into court, or just give someone a scare, perhaps a bit of damage—until such tragedies occur as we are hearing about this week. It adds up inescapably to the fact that all the rules about safe driving are impor tant—you cannot overlook a single one. This is a pertinent reminder now, with one superior court term just over at Car thage, another coming up next week, overloaded with highway safety law vio lation charges. They clog up our courts even when they do not cause dramatic accidents. And it is even more pertinent in view of the Labor Day weekend just ahead. The State Highway Patrol has issued its warn ings, and will dedicate itself to the task of saving life and limb. The reminder should be unnecessary, but it seems there is something about a holiday—even more than the greater number of cars out on the road—which leads to highway car nage. The feeling of gaiety, of homecom ing, of tossing aside the workaday rules— but the rules of safe driving can never be suspended, even for that one small moment it takes for your wheel to cross the yellow line, t Gearing Schools to Today’s Needs Schools are the big news this week, as principals, teachers and those most im portant people, our boys and girls, em bark on the big adventure of a new school year. Nostalgia sweeps us as we think of our own first school days—the new frocks on the little girls, the little boys so unaccus- tomedly clean, the new bookbag with the wonderful smell, the shiny pencil box, the squeaky chalk, the apple for the teacher! Well, it isn’t the same today and most of us have found that out. No sentimental reminiscence can make those old schools fit for today’s demanding world. They may have been fine then but today they’re not worth sour apples. Too many of our schools are still relics of the past. Most of us realize this. The school people themselves have told us. The professional educators, in most cases, are far out in front—but they have only the tools we give them with which to work. The school study commission set up in Southern Pines, a citizen group, has a big job to do. It should result in a valuable critique—which, however, will be no good unless the community follows through. In the Moore County system, Supt. Robert E. Lee has declared a state of emergency in the smaller high schools, which can offer only minimal curricula under the gravest handicaps for teachers and children alike. With the county board of education, Lee has taken his cause, that of consolida tion of the high schools, directly to the people, and they are listening. But the county commissioners are following through with the speed of molasses in winter. Whether we of Southern Pines realize it or not, we are an integral part of Moore county. We cannot live unto ourselves alone. The world has widened for the chil dren as well as everyone else, and all our schools and their well-being are directly related. Our own high school, though greatly helped by a tax supplement, enlightened leadership and good community support, is far below the size standard now con sidered essential for effective secondary education. The handwriting on the wall tells us something new every day: that the Uni versity of North Carolina is for the first time requiring entrance examinations; that more and more colleges are requiring advanced math and four years of foreign language for admission; that life itself, as well as the colleges, has raised its admis sion requirements for the yoimg. Time is running out, in the county and in the town. If we wait ten years, we’ll be 20 years behind the times, and may never be able to catch up. 15-Year Plan for N. C. Highways The long-range master plan for high way building in North Carolina over the next 15 years seems soundly conceived, its objective is to improve and expand the highway system to take care of the anticipated volume of traffic. The plan envisions constructing several hundred miles of four-lane thoroughfares in the primary system, bypassing the towns and cities of the State, and completing the portions of the federal interstate system in the State. This is a plan we believe to be realistic. It is not hard to see that, given a contin uing increase in the number of motor ve hicles, the mileage of four-lane highways in the primary system must be steadily increased or traffic bottlenecks will be multiplied, not lessened. The patchwork system won’t work if we are to stay ahead of the game—it takes a master plan en compassing years into the future, such as this one of the State Highway Commis sion. While the plan is too vast to permit of study and comment in detail, and there are complexities only bewildering to the lay mind, it is apparent to everyone driv ing these days how much a two-lane road can impede the flow of heavy traffic. We have found here, as have those of an increasing number of localities, that the bypassing of towns and cities is Im portant—the through traffic must be speeded on its way. Even a few short years have shown us that our situation in ‘‘Defend Me From My Friends; I Can Defend Myself From My Enemies!” % 'A HEALTHY SKEPTICISM" Can School Tests Measure Ability? "North Carolina Educa tion." the magazine of the North Carolina Education As sociation quotes "a well- known North Carolina educa tor" on the uses (and abuses) of testing students, especial ly the tests given for college entrance: "the colossus being constructed by the test manu facturers." The quotation fol lows: I “No one will question entrance standards that give reasonable assurance of quality.' There is nothing wrong with college en trance examinations properly used. The Education Testing Ser vice at Princeton, New Jersey, recommends that these tests should be only advisory, that the student’s total school record and background should be considered. Most college officials insist that this is the way they are being used in their institutions. How ever, the weight of evidence seems to be that admission offi cers have so many applications that it is convenient to consider the total record only of those who make above a certain score. . . developing a healthy skepticism of the colossus being constructed by the test manufacturers. There were more than one hundred mil lion standard tests given in the United States last year. Before this mammoth house of I.B.M. cards falls or is remodeled, much harm can be done to many chil dren. The tabbing, of thousands of children with unreliable I. Q. scores is one of the dangers. We have moved into a vast testing program too rapidly and with in adequate understanding and preparation. “Likewise, in our almost fanatic desire to identify the gifted, we are oblivious to the plain lessons of history. It is likely in the fu- FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ture, as it has been in the past that gifts will appear in unexpect ed places. We might cite as out standing examples, Edison, Ein stein and Winston Churchill.. There are lesser examples by the ten thousands. “It becoines increasingly evi dent that we must provide and make available a good college education for a larger rather than a smaller percentage of oqr high school graduates. And we must do this as prices rise and as the number of college applicants far exceed existing facilities. But only by solving this problem suc cessfully can we make progress, educational, economic, or intel lectual.” “This Day I Remember’^ A Danger Southern Pines would be one of utmost confusion if our “bypass” did not carry a heavy volume. Whether or not the mer chants decry the loss of business, whether or not the town fails to “advertise” itself to passing motorists, the fact remains that we could conduct very little business at all, and our advertising would be of no avail, if main-artery traffic had to fight its y/ay through a narrow, densely pop ulated town thoroughfare. The situation is difficult for any one town, or a few, when some are bypassed and others are not. As the plan becomes general, all will be in the same boat. Al ready merchants and advertising groups are adapting to the new conditions. As in most other things affecting our lives to day, the old ways just won’t doi any long er. The “new frontier” of American life becomes one of ingenuity and resourceful ness in adaption, a realization that, if some benefits are lost, others are gained, in our automotive society. So this seems a necessary move, though cost estimates cannot be regarded as def inite now. In putting the plan into effect, the State’s experience may be similar to that of the federal interstate system. Launching that system resulted in so marked a rise in construction costs that original estimates proved entirely inade quate. The overall estimate of $2,417,000,- 000 for the 15-year plan does, however, serve as a guide to the enormity of the undertaking. “One of the dangers of a sys tem of college entrance examin ations is that the curriculum tends to be geared towards the norms set up by the testing agency. Uniformity is encouraged and security is made the objective of the college-bound student. He takes the courses that will fit him to be successful on the examina tion and the school acoomnjodates its curriculum to this purpose. “Teachers over North Carolina today are asking for help in find ing materials that will help them prepare students for these exam inations. It is estimated by the Office of Educatiori that a student can with 15 hours of tutoring raise his average on the College Board Entrance Examination by at least 100 points. . . Private preparatory schools give coach ing for entrance examinations high priority in their programs. “The impact of higher admis sion standards, as measured by college-entrance examinations, will be felt more acutely by those students who are least favored by cultural and financial advantages. The boy or girl who is late in coming to intellectual maturity is often, though not always, the child of the poor, who has had to overcome cultural disadvantages of one era while he tries to as similate the advantages of an other. Measurable? “Look at the records of the gen erations of men, and it will be perceived that tenacity, moral courage and perseverance have at least equal value as retentiveness, consistency and the quick recall. Which of these qualities are measurable by a test and which are not? “More and more educators are By MRS. LOUISE C. GOODWIN Greensboro, President. N. C. Congress of Parents and Teachers Her tiny hand is chubby and soft, gripped firmly in mine moist from tension. She doesn’t pull from me as usual and her eyes are wide with wonder and excite ment. ThiS is the first day of school. I put up a brave front for her; me with the butterflies in the pit of my stomach. She sees right through my flimsy shield of pre tense. This day launches my six-year- old into a confusing new world of strange faces, strange sounds and unfamiliar rules. To these she adjusts better than her par ent. This is the day when I get smacked in the face with the realization that a third party en ters our family — her teacher. I suddenly realize that she tests her wings and never again will be as dependent on me as in days gone by. Yes, this is THE day. The day I thought about and for which I planned. “Should I go with her to her room or just to the door or the edge of the school ground?” “Should I stay for a time or bold ly bid her goodbye and scram?” “Should I tell her teacher about that sore toe?” I had pondered these and countless other ques tions and all the answers seemed of little importance at the doori In I went. This Is the day for which I bought the notebook (she doesn’t need it), the pencils, the crayons, the shiny new shoes (they were, for at least an hour), and that book on how to prepare her for school (someone should write one on preparing parents for school). Misery loves company and I found it. Fellow-parents smile bravely, yet they hardly see me. And I survey the scene. At first, the impression of utter' confusion, then I resdize that most of the turmoil is caused by the adults. Grade-mothers assist and the children listen to them. They listen and mind so well that I feel a tinge of jealousy. And alone stands one boy, shy with downcast eyes. The teacher sees him, too. He gets a special greeting and a warm smile. The girl with clean, but worn dress stands silently apart. Again the teacher’s warm smile, a gentle hand and the girl soon helps to pass out the name tags. This is my daughter’s teacher! Had I any doubts about bringing her into our family, they have now gone up in smoke. Now she extends her hand to me and tells me that she is pleased to haye Mandy for a pupil. "We are invited to stay and ob serve. Many do. Before my eyes a virtual mir acle takes place. Little desks be come personalities; tables are islands of interest; and the teach er becomes a magician. Quiet re places the babble of voices and the shuffle of feet. Attention riv ets on the every word of “our” teacher. “Teachers should conduct every birthday party for any number of children greater than three,” I silently observe. With a friend, I slip toward the door, trying to catch her eye and wave goodbye. She sees me, but hardly nods farewell. A new day is here; a part of the growing-up process for parents. Outside we compare notes. We DO have the finest teacher. There were too many pupils. We do need that new school building. Why did we buy those useless things, after all, the school bulletiq sug gested what and why. When does the lunchroom open? Now those fees make sense. Wonder when they will start reading and writ ing? Where did all these first- graders come from? This is the first day of school. I came through with flying colors. Ahead lies homework, questions about report cards and grading systems, questions on curriculum, theme papers, helping to solve the teacher shortage, helping to pass bond campaigns, financing a col lege education, and, oh yes, at least 17 years of PTA! This is the first day. This is a good beginning. Grains of Sand A typographic^' error in a story about Dan Harvat last week changed not only the name but the sex of his newest-bom. The 'Harvats’ two-months-old baby is not Jean, but Sean. Sorry, baby Sean! You have a beautiful name and we wouldn’t change it for the world. (We like Jean too, under other circumstances.) Moore county, or a product thereof, will have a very elevat ed place in the campaign of Pres idential Candidate Richard M. Nixon. Though grounded now by an in- th fected knee (result of a low blow from a car door in Greensboro), When Nixon and his campaign get off the ground they will be flying with a piece of Gulistan carpet—made at Aberdeen. A carpet industry trade journal notes: “Gulistan carpet will fly high in this fall’s presidential campaign. Forty-eight square yards of Gulistan’s pin-striped ^ Karasaet were recently installed in the private airplane of Vice7 President Richard M. Nixon. The installation was made by Aetna Floor Covering Co. of Los An geles (Massachusetts dealers may apply for equal air time). Pin striped Karaset is made only in the Aberdeen, N. C., plant of A. & M. Karagheusion, Inc.” This item was called to our at- ^ tention by one of our faithful Re publican friends, H. H. Pethick, ' who has our respect as One who comes right out and says so. It’s the Republicans who register as Democrats we can’t abide—It’s each person’s privilege to pick his own party but once having pick ed, he should stand up and be counted. As a matter of fact, that is the best service he can render Qi his party. ' Moore county may not be the only one, but certainly there can’t be many North Carolina counties who sent delegates to both pres idential convehtions—'Yoit more and John D. McConnell (al ternate) to the Democratic and Harry Pethick to the Republican. We missed the Kiwanis meeting at which Voit spoke on his experien ces, and decline to make any of the obvious remarks (we are sure there were many of them) about whether Harry would get equal time. The seasonal nature of business in this area shows up strongly in reports of sales tax collections, dropping in Moore county from $60,525.87 on April sales to $41,- ||| 938.86 on May sales. This is one of the numerous statistical items which has arrived at our desk, entirely without in terpretation, which we must sup ply ourselves. This is a drop of $18,587.01, or about 30 per cent, probably di rectly attributable to the closing of the resort hotels and businesses and the departure of winter res- ^ idents for the north. "When you consider that the sales tax is only 3 per cent on retail sales, you can see that is quite a lot of money. But, strangely enough, many other counties where business dp- erates on a year-round basis show slight drops at this time—more than those showing increases. Why, for instance, should Wake, "Vance and Gaston counties lose business, while Bladen, Burke and ^ Lincoln gain? Most of the mount ain counties show gains and this seems natural as the warm weath er comes on—but the biggest mountain county. Buncombe, dropped $20,000. We just don’t un derstand these things. Anyhow, for whatever reason, the state as a whole showed a drop in retail sales from April to May of $18,587.01—from $7,481,- W 828.60 to $7,406,130.86. The PILOT Published Every Thursday by THE PILOT, Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941—JAMES BOYD—1944 Katharine Boyd Editpr C. Benedict Associate Editor Dan S. Ray Gen. Mgr. C. G. Council Advertising Mary Scott Newton Business Bessie Cameron Smith Society Composing Room Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Jas-^ per Swearingen, Thomas Mattocks and James C. Morris. Subscription Rates: One Year $4. 6 mos. $2. 3 mos. $1 Entered at the Postoffice at South ern Pines, N. C., as second class mail matter. Member National Editorial Assm and N. C. Press Assn.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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Sept. 1, 1960, edition 1
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