Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Feb. 26, 1981, edition 1 / Page 2
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-Editorials It Doesn 't Work That Way On any given day, somewhere in this country a newspaper is printing an editorial reminding its readers about the free press, the First Amendment to the Constitution, or prior restraint. Today, it's our turn. Recently, I was asked to write an arti cle about a particular program in one of the country's institutions. An appointment was made for the interview, and on the designated day at the appointed time, I grabbed notepad and camera and met with those individuals to be interviewed. Notes taken and photos snapped, I sped back to the office with thoughts of the daily workload and deadlines. While writing the story I was inter rupted by an individual associated with the program, and informed that upon comple tion of the article the person wanted to read it and make additions and any necessary "corrections" before it was printed. Then I was told that the person's supervisor would have to "approve" the article before it went to press. Sorry. It doesn't work that way. A reporter's duty is to report the facts as clearly and accurately as possible. If mistakes creep in, then a statement of cor rection by the newspaper is in order. If a person interviewed desires to retract or amend a statement, then that is his right, but it is a newspaper's right to report that a statement has been retracted or amended. A reporter, an editor or a newspaper submitting to prior approval of articles by persons other than their superiors in the field of journalism invites censorship and the destruction of the concept of the free press. NICHOLAS HANCOCK Other Editors Say Public School Use Students and teachers aren't the only people who use Haywood County public schools. Under an expanding Community Schools Program, sports groups, craft classes and other organizations have in creasing access to educational facilities after the books have been put away at the end of the day. The Haywood County Board of Educa tion demonstrated its continued support of community school use last week by liberalizing its policy regarding utility charges for after hours use of school facilities. The board voted to reduce the charge for groups "borrowing" schools by 25 per cent; knocking the rate from $4 to $3 per hour. The charge foots the extra cost of lighting and heating gyms and cafeterias. Lowering the fee makes Haywood County schools more accessible to a broader range of interest groups. And the board went a step further, following up on a recommendation from member Mike Mathews to study the possibility of zoning facilities frequently us ed during non-school hours. By reworking school heating systems to isolate auditoriums, gyms and other public use areas, it would be possible to heat only the portion of the building in use without wasting energy on vacant classrooms. That makes good sense. And the idea of separating heating systems in buildings that see a lot of public use is one that shouldn't be forgotten when new schools are built. Not only heating systems, but the dimensions of each new facility should be examined with an eye for possible public use. Schools should be built with children in mind, providing all the basics needed to educate our sons and daughters. But it just makes good sense to get top value out of our tax dollars by increasing public access to idle facilities. The Mountaineer Volunteer Fire Department . Continued from Page I members if I hey would sup port the idea of forming a volunteer fire depart ment. A fori'St of upraised arms af firmed thai they would indeed. MoElroy said thai the group needed to eject a by-laws com mittee which would take care of organizational needs and thi>n elect a board of directors McElrov announced that the community had b?"en divided into five sections to determine a fair representation on the committee. The five sections were Bluff. Lower Spring Creek. Upper Spring Creek. Dogget Mountain and Meadow Kork Hi- then produced a list of people who had expressed interest in the department and asked that they be elected to the by-laws committee. After each name was read and each section polled the membership of the by-law committee was as follows: Bluff. Lionel Brooks: Lower Spring Creek. Hobby Clark; Dogget Moun tain. Glenn McNulty; Upper Spring Creek, Larry Plem mons; Meadow Fork, Stan McElroy. McElroy then sugested that (he organization be called the Western Madison Volunteer Fire Department but after some comment and discussion the name was ammended to West Madison Volunteer Fire Department. He announced that two in dividuals had pledged a total of $12(1 (o (he new department and asked if anyone in (he hall w ould add to (hat A Bluff resi dent rose immediately to his feet and posted a $100 dona tion. With that, a stream of people began to flow to the women taking the contribu tions. As the money came in Jim my Ramsey from the Mar shall Volunteer Fire Depart ment. who had (raveled over with chief Jackie Davis, told about the efforts of lhal group to organi/e and build an effec tive fire fighting outfit. He in vited the group to drop into Ihe Marshall station anytime and. as had the others, pledged the support and assistance of his depart meni. anyway we can help Jerry Vehaun. who had assisted two departments in Buncombe and one each in Haywood and Transylvania counties, commented at the end of the meeting that at this point West Madison was three months ahead in in terest of any group that he had ever seen. As of February 18 some in donations had been receiv ed and 27 men signed on as future firefighters Anyone wishing to donate to the department should contact one of the by law committee members Checks can be 1 LETTERS WELCOMED we welcome letters 10 me editor. aii we ask is that they be reasonably brief, in good taste and contain no libelous statements. However, letters will not be published if they are not signed by one or more individuals. rarents or "Concerned Citizens" does not constitute a signature. Please include your return ad dress and phone number. The News Record ESTABLISHED 1901 ? NON-PARTISAN IN POLITICS Box 369 ? Marshall. N C 26753 ? Phone (704 ) 649 274/ G. NICHOLAS HANCOCK. Editor JEAN BLANKENSHIP, Office Mgr. JULIA WILLIAMS. Avertising Manager JAMES I. STORY. Editorial Consultant And Columnist Published Weekly By The Madison County Publishing Company, Inc . USPS 388-440 Second Class Postage Paid at Marshall. N.C. 28753 Subscription Rates: In Madison and Buncombe Counties ? 1 Year $5.50; 6 Months S4.25; Outside Madison and Buncombe Counties ? 1 Year $8 75. 6 Months $7 00. N C. Residents Add 4% Sales Tax Application to mail at second class postage rates is pending at Waynesvtlle. N.C 28786 Postmaster: Send address changes to the News Record, P.O. Box 369. Marshall. N.C. 28753 Member North Carolina Press Association made payable to I ho West Madison Volunteer Fire Depart meni and donations are lax deductible. McElrov said Voices My neighbor voices are the dashing of waters against the rocks and banks of a clear, cold rushing stream. And the singing of birds, and the splashrng of raindrops on my roof, and the wind in the bran ches' rustling leaves All familiar voices, sounds of friends From this bottomland I can view the mountains ? my brothers, for they have my heart ? the heart of the immemorial wilderness. They, like me. reject the grasping hands of war They push up above the clutches of industry, and with titanic shrug heave off the manacles of merchants and the pinching ways of progress My brothers defend the voices of my neighbors, protect the security of our commune But above all. bathed in the glory ? colors of dawn or outlined against the splendor of the setting sun. these majestic wonders point up ward to my Father To Him who gave both brother and neighbor and for vJhom all good things are. Whose name I see in the grand hills, and Whose Voice my neighbors imitate BJ Heard and Seen By POP STORY Although the Madison high school girls and boys lost in the finals of the Little Mac Tournament held on the Roberson court last Friday night, both teams had winning seasons. The Lady Patriots posted an 18-7 record while the Patriots posted a 13-10 season record. Sandy Franklin led the team in total points scored and also led the entire Little Mac division. Coach Ricky McDevitt did an excellent job in directing the Lady Patriots to an excellent season. The boy's team, spearheaded by Dwayne Buckner and Mike Hensley, had excellent support from the other team mates in winning 13 games and losing 10. Coach Joe Kruk also deserves credit for the winning season. He got the most out of his material. The passing of Melvin Melton, of Mar shall, has taken from us one of the best known citizens of Marshall. Although small in stature, Melvin was large in compassion for others. He was a friendly sort of man who liked people and was known for donating small amounts of money to many needy youngsters. Due to his characteristic, he didn't like to be "picked on" or ag gravated by larger men. Although in his nineties, he was young at heart. Some thought of him as a "loner", but he was kind and friendly to those he liked. He'll be miss ed sitting for hours in front of the cour thouse and walking along the sidewalks. After missing several services at the Marshall First Baptist Church due to leg ailments, etc., I decided to go to the morn ing worship service last Sunday morning. It felt good to be back and see and speak to many of my friends. As usual, Mike Minnix preached a splendid and challenging ser mon. It was also the first time I'd seen and heard the new Allen Organ. Charles Huey, organist, explained the intricate and sophisticated equipment and the many modern improvements. I believe that there is no church of the size of ours which has a better and more beautiful organ in North Carolina. Letters To The Editor Pastor Expresses Thanks AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OE MADISON COUNTY A pastor dreams of a church where love, unity and joy rule in the hearts of pastor and people alike. Few men ever ex perience more than a dream; however, for me and my family the dream came true when we were called to serve the First Baptist Church of Marshall. In 13 years of ministry I have never known a more loving, kind and generous people. A pastor also dreams of a church which will grow in number, spirit and stewardship. The evidence of this realized dream can be seen in the attendance, the joyful worship and the financial success which First Baptist has experienced dur ing the past few months. A pastor dreams of a church where he can serve across the years This part of my dream was not in God's plan. The Lord is leading us to the Victory Baptist Church, Asheville. This move does not signal a single disappointment in you. on the contrary, it would have been our great delighl to have served among you for many years. Since we have been led by the Master to move, please be assured that we covet your prayers for our family and our future work. To the members of First Baptist Church we express our deepest gratitude for your love and kindness to us You are the salt of the earth and an inspiration to all around you To the people of Madison County, and Marshall in particular, we ex press our appreciation for your friendship. You made us feel at home. We shall never forget our days here and hope that we have left just a portion of the good memories with you that we are taking with us. God bless you all. The Rev. & Mrs. J. Mike Minnix & children Marshall, N.C. She Recalls Bonnie Hill School Dear Editor: In response to the article on Bonnie Hill Church ( The News Record, Feb. 12), I used to attend school at Bonnie Hill. That was in 1911 and 1912. I was rather small at that time, as I was born in 1903. On Sunday our parents took us to church in the same house, as Bonnie Hill was used as a church house on Sunday and a school house week days. My teachers were Miss Emma Dover of Hot Springs, Miss Violet Balding of Meadow Fork. Tom Woody, my uncle, lived close by. My brother, sister and I and four Holt children and four Gowan children lived on one side of the mountain from the school house. All the other children lived on the other side of the mountain. I remember once it came a flash flood while we were at school. When we got to the branch it was all out of the banks and there was no way to cross. As we always waded the branch, since we all were barefoot. My brother Alvah Parker, Lonnie Gowan, and Clarence Holt, ran back up the road and got the grown up boys that went to school to help us cross the branch. Grover Gowan and Lloyd Miller came. They took us up the branch till they found a tree that had fallen across the branch and took us kids across, one at a time. While Violet Balding was teaching school there, one Sun day Mr. landon Haynes came after her and said her father was killed that day at church. Lightning struck the church, killed her father and two more men. We had lots of playmates at school that we enjoyed playing with. Viola Miller, Dora Gowan and Lola Cook. We had a playhouse down close to the spring. The school kids went to the spring to get water. I was Caroline Parker at that time. Caroline {'angle Kl. 2 Hot Springs, N.C. Living And Growing Gossip : Do It At Y our Own Risk By C ARL ML'MPOWER, M.S.W. Women do it, men do it, kids do it, older folks do it, ministers do it, doctors do it, and so does about everybody else. Gossip is the tune and you can bet its heard a lot. That 's unfortunate, in that the good Lord wasn't kidding when he labeled gossip as a not-so-smart endeavor. Some of us take his advice, many don't! We gossip when we put others down by focusing on their troubles and faults. In doing so we attempt to bring them down on our level in order to feel more secure and comfortable with ourselves. It works on a temporary basis, except that we tend to become so obsessed with pulling everyone down that we don't have the energy or wisdom to work on pulling ourselves up. Thus those of us that make gossip a regular part of our lives, take the risk of tearing ourselves down each time we verbally undermine another. I think that's the price that the Bible speaks of in labeling gossip as a futile and dangerous involvement. People who gossip are typically trying to replace their loss of purpose and ex citement by thriving on the pain and discomfort of others. Changing our tendency to gossip usually means finding something more meaningful and productive to fill our lives with. It means taking the focus off of pulling others down and putting it on enhanc ing our growth and better ment. It means removing an obsession on the negative aspects of people and life and putting it on a more positive note. It means giving up something that brings tern pnrary excitement and securi ty through the suffering of others and replacing it with excitement and security based on less hostile and destructive foundation. Listening to gossip is about as destructive as sharing it. II you feel that you have to gossip, as you and me sometimes do. please feel free to go ahead It no doubt does bring some feelings of satisfaction and comfort. On the other hand, keep in mind that every time you do it, you are not only tearing down their personhood, but your own as well. Uncle Ben From Coonpatch - Dear Mister Editor, Well here we are agin. Me an' Corlee figured we'd better cetch ya up on the goin's on round here since Ben can't. Ben says he's sorry bout not comin up with his letter last week, but he was mighty busy. Seems he got word that a feller up on the head of Spring creek was "coon poor", and decided to do somthin bout it. Feller named Floyd Tesh let it be nown he had plenty of rab bits, but no coons. So Ben being the humanitarian thet he is figured he'd help him out. Ben's back up at the head of Coonpatch Holler with his coon enticer settin by a passel of coons that ought to make ol' Floyds face light up. We was readin in your paper a story by a Mr. Mumpower about sex. Zeb was doin the readin and at first couldn't quite figure out what that guy was talkin about. Zeb said he had a faint recolleckshun of it, but the details had done slip ped on by. Corlee thought it was about religious sex ? like Budhists and them Moonies and stuff. Well, after some head scratchin and discussin, we figured it out. The only thing that bothers us about it is that Mr. Mumpower says to "keep sex in perspective." Shoot fire mister, when ya get as old as we are, we just want to keep it! This reminded Ben of sumthin thet happened last summer. Seems he was headin for the old swimmin hole one hot day, and jest b'fore he got to it he surprised a young couple thet was skinny dippin. Well, the feller jumps up and runs at Ben an says, "Hold it! Don't go back there. There's a necked girl behind a rock." 'Shucks,'" says Ben, "I seen plenty of rocks." Ben never did figure out what the ruckus was about. Folks been skinny dippin down there since as long as we kin remember Corlee recollecks as to how a preacher tried to stop it one time. The reverend got up at church Sunday mornin and spit the hell-fire bout swim min and such Said, "If the good Lord had wanted ya runnin around necked, you'd have been born that way." Well before he figured out what he'd said, the coughin and wheezin and clearin of throats got so loud you'd thought there was one of them flu type epydemiks Good thing it wasn't a hot day or thet ol swimmin hole would have been plum full. Your Friend. Nub Spencer
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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