America Works
When Americans ' Work
Our nation is threatened from a great many
corners these days. There is the ever-present
danger of nuclear destruction, pollution of our
waters and overcrowding in our largest cities. We
face a federal deficit in excess of HOO billion
which threatens our already stagnant national
economy. Our farmlands dwindle each year while
aliens, both legal and* illegal, pour across our
borders.
Without minimizing the dangers all these
situations present to our national security, we feel
that the number one problem facing America
these days is the ever-increasing number of
workers unable to find jobs. National unemploy
ment rates are at post-World War II highs today
as more workers find themselves without jobs
with which to support their families.
Having faced unemployment twice in the past
18 months, we are no stranger to the problems fac
ed by these many million Americans. The pro
blems are many and a number of the evils of
unemployment are not clearly understood by
those who have never had to search for work.
Hie lack of money for food, rent and other
necessities is only the most apparent problem of
the unemployed. As the period of unemployment
grows longer, the self-confidence the job-seeker
first enjoyed grows dimmer. As weeks turn into
months, the first interviews become forgotten
among a long list of applications and hope turns to
despair.
We are fortunate in this country to have a
number of assistance programs which enable the
unemployed to escape starvation. Food stamps, a
program often maligned as being a haven for
chiselers, provide necessary nutrition to millions
of truly needy Americans. Unemployment in
surance, aid to families with dependant children
and welfare assistance also provide a measure of
security to the unemployed which previous
generations did not enjoy.
Food stamps, unemployment insurance and
welfare can provide the unemployed with basic
subsistance. They cannot provide things just as
vital to a healthy life, hope and a sense of self
worth. We all need to have a sense of our own
value as individuals that government assistance
cannot provide. Standing in long lines at Employ
ment Security Commission offices cannot instill
hope for the future in the hearts of today's
unemployed.
It is a common line of thought that those who
receive food stamps are all loafers who would
rather collect welfare than work. It is a cruel lie.
Only a fool would rather be fed from government
assistance than work for his daily bread. Most
Americans are not made that way.
It is a tendency among us to say, 'What can I
do about it? I'm just one person.' In some cases,
this is true. There is probably very little the in
dividual American can do to curb inflation, stop
the spread of nuclear weaponry or clean our
waters and preserve our natural resources. We
can, however, put a dent in the terribly high rate
of unemployment by finding work for our
neighbors.
There is an inherent value in all forms of
labor, from bank president to street sweeper. A
person out of work will accept a job, no matter
how little esteem that job commands. A man with
a family who needs work doesn't ask, 'How much
does it pay?' or 'What are my benefits?' He asks
'When can I start?'
Take a good look around you, Mr.
Businessman. Is there a job in your company that
can be filled? If there is, don't wait until things
improve to hire someone. Things may never im
prove if you wait too long. There are many good
workers out there looking to help you. All they
need is the chance.
Even if you don't have a full-time position to
be filled, isn't there some work that could be done
by a part-time worker? Doesn't that storeroom
need to be swept? There are any number of people
who could do the job for you, and do it well.
jgf .H
Work made America great. It was working
people who blazed the trails, farmed the fields,
built the railroads, the steel mills and our great
cities. Work and people to do the work that made
America great and they can make America great
again. All they need is the chance.
The News Reoord wants to help. Prom now
through Labor Day, we will open up our
classifieds for people seeking work and those who
have jobs to offer. If you're currently looking for
work, on either a full or permanent part-time
basis, we will run a classified listing your
qualifications, the type of work you are seeking
and your address and telephone number.
Employers will also be able to list their available
jobs, up to 25 words, without charge.
Larger Type
We received a call this past week from a lady
who described herself as "an 88-year-old widowed
woman from Mars Hill." She called to tell me that
she enjoyed my articles very much. Of course, I
was pleased to hear that one of our readers found
my editorial column of interest. I was about to ask
her what points of the article pleased her most
when she informed me that, "I like the big print
it's printed it. It's easier for me to read."
It's no matter that she wasn't excited by my
razor-sharp wit or crystal clear style. It's good to
be appreciated, even if only for the larger type.
Her call made me realize something that pro
bably has never occurred to a great many
newspaper editors. Those of us, like myself, who
are blessed with 20/20 vision, do not consider
those who are less fortunate. Her call has resulted
in what I believe will be an improvement in The
News Record's style.
The bigger type she referred to is 10 point. It
would be impossible for us to print the entire
paper in this size print because it takes up too
much space that is needed for news items.
However, from now on, The News Record will pre
sent articles of special interest to senior citizens
in this larger typeface.
(Continued from Page 1)
mid-summer of next year.
One private citizen question
ed what effect the bond issue
would have on the new
elementary school and
Madison High School. County
commissioner James Ledford
responded, saying, "If the
referendum fails, the county
will be forced to put in a new
system to keep the schools
open."
Letters
Dear Editor:
I very much appreciated
your editorial of July 28 and do
hope that you can, through
conveying information, make
a positive contribution to
Madison County.
One of the first issues that I
believe you should address as
soon as possible is the
establishment of a "Com
munity Watch" system in our
county. This system is ideal
for rural aras, yet unfor
tunately, will meet opposition
here. If you could run some ar
ticles on the system (there is
plenty of literature available)
it might raise some communi
ty action.
This is simply a suggestion
in response to your request for
such. Thank you very much
for your kind consideration to
this request.
Sincerely,
Betty Sue Johnson
The News Record
ESTABLISHED 1901 ? NON-PARTISAN IN POLITICS
Sox 369 ? Marshall. N C. 28753 ? Phon* (704) 649 2741
jl.- H.#' . v ;f ] ?? ' .
ROBERT TKOENIG. Editor
?r CHERYL W. KOE
JAMES I. STORY, Columnist
IEAN BLANKENSHiP, Office Mgr CHERYL W. KOENIG, Advertising Manager
Published Weekly By The Madison County Publishing Company, Inc . USPS 388 440 Sacond
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HCar
_
Another private citizen,
former Marshall mayor Wade
Henry, spoke up, saying, "I've
lived here longer than I care to
mention. I would like to see
the young people of this area
have better than what we've
had to put up with. This is a
great opportunity for Mar
shall and Madison County. If
we don't go through with this,
our schools will be closed."
Those attending the meeting
made plans to get out the vote
and to circulate a petition and
fact sheet regarding the pro
ject to the voters. Polls will be
open for voting on the referen
dum on Aug. 26 from 6:30 a.m.
until 7:30 p.m. at the fire sta
tion in Marshall.
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NX.
Heard And Seen
BY POP STORY
A GOOD PLACE TO KAt$
If you're hungry and want ? good meal, I
highly recommend the C-n'-D Restaurant near
Mars Hill. Formerly the Steak House, located just
above the Madison Manor Nursing Center, it is a
family-operated restaurant which features a buf
fet lunch daily as well as a variety of menu
choices. A friendly atmosphere complements the
good food and the popularity of the restaurant is
evidenced by the large number of customers who
eat there regularly.
Much of its popularity is due to the fine
waitresses who always are as busy as bees. In ad
dition to owners Daniel and Cynthia McClellan,
waitresses include Annette, Becky, and Amy Mc
Clellan and Sharon Shook.
WHAT? FIREMEN BURN HOUSE!
We usually think of firemen putting out a fire
to save a house. However, that wasn't the case on
Friday night when firemen from the Marshall
volunteer department, joined by volunteer
firemen from the Laurel volunteer department,
actually set fire to and burned what is known as
the Glenn Landers house between Walnut and
Laurel River. Fire Chief Jackie Davis of the
MVFD was quick to report that the burning of the
vacant dwelling was planned as an "on the job
training project." Some 15 local firemen and five
Laurel Firemen participated. "We used portable
pumps and the dump tank in the exercise," Davis
said. He added that in addition ot practicing fire
fighting techniques, the firemen also had a lot of
fun.
CARNIVAL HERE
Instead of softball being enjoyed on the island
this week, both young and old, especially the
young, will enjoy the "Summer Carnival" which
is being sponsored by the Marshall Volunteer Fire
Department
The main attraction will be a variety of rides
from which the "young'uns" will get a thrill. I
wouldn't be surprised, however, to see many older
citizens join in.
The carnival, which had been in Canton for a
week, started arriving last Saturday just before
the rains stopped softball play. The rains,
however, subsided later and the weatherman
predicts a pretty week. Part of the proceeds will
be used by local firemen to improve fire-fighting
equipment. The carnival lasts through Saturday.
AN ENJOYABLE VISIT
Last Sunday night following church services,
"Bill" and I decided to ride around a bit just for
the fun of it. We decided to ride around Robots
Hill Road from our road to the top of the hill.
Although the trip was less than a mile, we
thoroughly enjoyed it. At Joe's and Marie's we
turned off on P. Davis Road and stopped at Bob
and Venie Davises home for a short visit. It had
been years since I'd been up the hollow and was
impressed with their neat yard and well-planned
landscape. I especially was impressed with their
3-tier mini-garden which contains flowers and
vegetables. Grace Connor also joined us and we
had a fine visit. It just goes to show that you don't
have to travel a long distance to see the im
pressive yards, homes and gardens of your
neighbors.
Living And Growing
BY CARL MUMPOWER
If someone asked you to
take a good swallow of rat
poison, you'd probably tell
them to get lost. Wouldn't
you? Who, in his right mind,
would take rat poison? That
stuff could kill you, right?
Well, how about if I told you
that you and I swallow a shot
of rat "poison most days of our
lives? Obviously, it's not the
kind that comes in bottles, but,
with time, it's almost as
lethal.
Anger is one of those
poisons. Sure, we all feel
anger at times and that's pret
ty normal. Anger was meant
to be felt, expressed, and let
go of. When we suppress it,
hold on to it, or store it for use
later, it gradually and subtly
consumes us by destroying
our positive focus, sense of
personhood, and awareness of
reality. Anger, quite simply,
destroys the container that
holds it.
Vengeance is another
poison. Related to anger, it is,
as the saying goes, a double
edged sword. Wherever
vengeance becomes a goal, it
quckly becomes difficult to
tell who's trying to hack who.
Everyone involved gets hurt,
or poisoned, depending on how
you want to look at it. The Bi
ble advises us to leave
vengeance to the Lord.
Jealousy is equally fatal.
From the moment we allow
our feelings of jealousy to run
us, we begin to lose our ability
to understand, support, and
develop ourselves. We become
victims, not participants, in
our own lives, assigning con
trol to those we are jealous of.
The most lethal of poisons can
do no more harm.
Finally, there is guilt. That
ever so gentle, but malicious,
human burden that so many
wear like a cloak of honor. We
generally cling to guilt for one
of three reasons. Perhaps we
were brought up to believe
that it's an OK thing and don't
really know any better. In
other cases, we feel guilt
because we are, down deep,
ploting or considering a repeat
of the thing that caused our
guilt to begin with. Lastly, we
use guilt as a form of self
punishment for having com
mitted an act we are not proud
of. Guilt is one of the most
wasteful of the human emo- ,
tions. It gives us a profound i
sense of responsibility, while i
robbing us of the strength to
do anything about it. It doesn't
help us grow in our sense of
maturity and responsibility, it
tears us down. Sort of like sip
ping on a can of Drano, isn't
it?
So don't for a minute believe
that the Federal government
puts a label on all the poisons
that you should keep an eye
out for. If you'll look closely at
your lifestyle, IH bet your get
ting a dose or two more fre
quently than you'd like to ad
mit. It takes time, but it can be
lethal, not only emotionally,
but physically as well. You
and I get enough stuff in the
air we breathe and the food we
eat without adding more by
our own hand... '
The News Record invites letters to the editor
from our readers. In order to provide space for a
variety of views, we ask that letters be limited to
fewer than 1,000 words. The News Record
reserves the right to edit all letters. Your opi
nions on any subject are welcome, as are sug
gestions, compliments and complaints.
Letters must be in good taste and contain no
libelous statements. They must also be signed
and include the writer's address and/or
telephone number for verification purposes.
Send your letters to "Editor, The News
Record" P.O. Box 369, Marshall, N.C. 28753.
Steve
Ferguson
AH I Have To Do I > Dream
We all dream, and everyone
has a story of a strange dream
or nightmare that they have
experienced.
Well, I heard some stories
lately that I felt were deserv
ing of Mag put into print.
Everyone knows how off-beat
some dreams can be, and
these below are no different.
The stories you are about to
hear are true, almost. Hie
names were changed to pro
tect my column's "PG"
rating.
One story I heard was from
a person in financial trouble.
He was drtvir* down the road
in Ma American Express card
when be Mdtfcnly shifted into
He pulled his American Ex
press card off to the side of the
road, when suddenly CHIPS
came by and arrested him
from indecent exposure. End
of dream.
Yes, dreams seldom make
sense and even leas seldom do
we understand why we dream
such strange things.
Some scientists think that
strange dreams are the body's
way of relieving tension and
emotions. Some think it is a
collage of things that happen
ed to you during the day. -
Most scientists think a good
pan pizxa with extra pep
peroni will do it. I tend to
agree with this elite group
Horror dreams are a
popular type of steeptime soap
opera, sad people have been
chased by everything from a
resort brochure to a 17 con
ly stepping over winos when
(horrors! ) you hear footsteps.
You realize it's time to take
drastic measures as you
realize you're being chased, so
you begin daintily leaping
over weinos, two at a time.
Suddenly, you find yourself
face to face with (shudder) a
billboard advertising Hawken
Smokeless Tobacco. A strange
feeling come over your body
? it tenses your muscles, your
eyes begin to water, acne
breaks out over your left shin,
and you suddenly realize
what's happening ? you have
this sudden need for a little
pinch between your cheek and
gum.
You turn around and you're
face to face with your pursuer
- those cold, dark eyes, evil
smile and sewery breath. You
instantly recognise your evil
just had. You have that funny
feeling that you always have
after a bad (team, and you
roll over and go back to sleep
better luck next time.
And finally, a strange
dream I heard from a girl who
just saw "E.T."
It seems she (beamed of
babysitting for E.T. when be
suddenly got the urge to dip
his head in her fish bow! and
suck up half the water.
However, thanks to quick
thinking on her pert, she
pumped the water out of him
( I gues its a him, I don't know)
and an Oscar-bound movie
was saved. Thank goodness
she didn't see Rocky m in
stead!