A Letter From The Editor
Dear Readers,
Cheryl and I are celebrating our anniver
sary this week.
Not our wedding anniversary, that's in
December. This week, we're celebrating the
end of our first year at Hie News Record. It was
one year ago today that we first arrived in Mar
shall to manage your county newspaper. Mon
day night marked the 52nd consecutive Monday
night we stayed up late preparing for our Tues
day press run.
I can well remember my first day in Mar
shall. I was full of excitement about my new job
and curiosity about my new town. After check
ing in at the office, I went for a walk up and
down Main Street. After a casual jaunt from
Cody Motors to the old railroad depot, I found
myself wondering where the rest of the town
was. It didn't take me long to figure out that
there wasn't any more.
Later, I went down to the corner drug store
for a cup of coffee and to find out what the local
folks were talking about. I found that the locals
were as curious about the newly arrived
stranger in town as he was about them. I feel
like we've spent the past year satisfying each
other's curiosity.
1 11 be the very first to admit that 1 have a
lot to learn about Madison County and her peo
ple, but I have spent some time on the subject
and I have learned a few things in the past year.
Some things I've learned are worth mentioning.
When I first took the job, a friend who had
lived here offered me a piece of advice. My
friend told me, "Don't insult the kids or kick the
dogs." It turns out that my friend had a good
piece of advice for me. With the exception of the
almighty, there's nothing more important to
Madison County folks than their children and
their dogs. I like that, because I feel the same
way.
Madison County is a study in contrasts.
We're dirt poor in many ways that the modern
world considers important. We have little in
dustry and too few opportunities for our young
people. We are still a farming community in a
time when many of our neighbors are turning to
high technology industries.
We're rich in ways that cannot be bought or
built, however. The fctreak of independence that
the first mountaineers brought to our county
still lingers today in the great-grandchildren of
the pioneers. We may not be rich in material
trappings, but we are wealthy beyond words,
i blessed to live in one of the most beautiful
places on earth. It is our duty to protect and
| preserve that beauty for future generations.
The past year has been a good one, both for
The News Record and for Cheryl and myself.
As for The News Record, circulation is up more
than 20 percent from last year at this time.
We've also increased the average size of each
issue by 50 percent and doubled the number of
rack locations. Last year at this time, I told you
that there would be changes made in your coun
ty newspaper. I promised you that we would
add a sports page and we did. I also promised
that changes would come gradually, and they
have. Since adding the sports page, we have
also added a page devoted to the news of our
many area churches. The church news page is a
fine addition to our paper and our advertisers
deserve credit for supporting this important
feature.
Next month with the opening of school, we
will begin a new feature page devoted to the
news of our county schools. Teachers and
students at each of our county schools will be
contributing articles on the latest news. We will
also present school lunch menus, news of school
board meetings and features on educational
programs that deserve attention.
My experience with Madison High students
in preparing the Graduation Day issue was one
of the highlights of the past year. I'm looking
forward to the new School News page and the
opportunity to work with students in the
county's other schools.
I can promise you that there will be other
changes in The News Record down the road.
This time around, however, I hope that you will
help decide which direction your county
newspaper takes. We have prepared a reader
survey which you will find on Page 3. If you will
take just a few moments of your time to fill out
the survey, you will have a part in deciding
what changes we will make next. We have also
left plenty of room for any suggestions, com
plaints or comments you might care to make.
To reward you for filling out the survey,
we're offering two specials on Page 4 this week.
Subscribers who return a completed survey
form can run a classified ad at no charge in
next week's edition. If you don't subscribe and
respond, we'll send you next week's paper free
by mail. It's our way of thanking y6u for help
ing us.
The past year has been a very good one for
the Koenigs. We've learned quite a lot about
this place, met some fine folks and made some
good friends. Best of all, we've found a place
we're proud to call home.
letters to the Editor
Concern For Animals Is Needed I
i To the editor:
Around 7 p.m. on Thursday,
? July 14, out telephone rang.
? Our neighbor, Mary Rice, in
; formed us that our grand
J daughter Sarah's little dog,
J Joey, had been hit by a truck.
! Our first reaction was shock,
? followed by anger and concern
I for Joey. Dr. J.R. Allen was
f called in Mars Hill and Joey
j was rushed over to his office.
? Upon arriving at Dr. Allen's
! office, Joey was given treat
S ment for shock and we were
I told that he would need to stay
S overnight for observation
The story has a happy en
| ding because we were told we
| could pick Joev up the next
| day. If our neighbor had not
ptwen so thoughtful as to call
have lost her
SARAH is
all smiles as she holds Joey.
in tne mgnway, I
remembei thai someor ye
ps thai animal very much
f ........ A I. _
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J? like The News Record
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Heard And Seen
By POP STORY
LIONS INSTALLATION ENJOYABLE
One of the most enjoyable occasions I at
tend annually is the Marshall Lions Club's in
stallation ceremonies at the Peddler Steak
House in Asheville. It is also the occasion when
the Lionesses are special guests which always
brightens up the affair. Frankly, I thought the
Lionesses looked more attractive than ever on
Monday night of last week.
I had the pleasure of sitting next to Joni
Betz-EUis, wife of John, the popular Hot Spr
ings dentist. His office is in Hot Springs but they
reside near Marshall. Joni is a swimming in
structor at the Marshall pool.
Ed List, outgoing president of the club,
welcomed the guests and Jerry Plemmons in
troduced the installing officer, R.L. Clark of the
Asheville Lions Club.
Entertainment was furnished by guitarist
singer, Callie Warner, a member of the Mars
Hill S.A.H.T. cast. She delighted the large
group of singing three ballads.
Officers installed were: President, Harry
Silver; First Vice-President, John Betz-Ellis;
Second Vice-President, Wayne McDevitt;
Secretary-Treasurer, Jerry Plemmons; Tail
Twister, Lonnie Plemmons; Lion Tamer, Lew
Alan Rice. Directors, Earle Wise, Jim Story,
John Corbett, O.A. Gregory; and Ed List, Im
mediate Past President.
Harry Silver, president, adjourned the
meeting.
BEAUTY SPOTS AROUND MARSHALL
The most casual observer of the summer
time bloom and greenery must have noticed
some of the beauty spots around Marshall these
days.
To name a few: the mini-flower garden at
the Housing Apartments on Main Street, base
planting at the Rector-Leake Apartments, and
the nearby sidewalk planter at City Hall,
"Preach" Davis' parking lot, new curb6ide
planting at the Marshall Presbyterian Church
parking lot, the wall of flowers at Ponder's
Chapel Church, doorway and other flowers at
the Skyway Drive apartments and the unusual
planting of yellow marigold at Northwestern
Bank.
There have been beautiful roses blooming
around the county jail, as well as roses at some
of the houses at the lower end of Marshall.
Many of the yards in Marshall are neatly mow
ed and offer the assurance of pride plus hard
and continuous work in making Marshall a
more beautifuTplace. Some merchants say they
are planning to use some of the planting sug
gested by Townlift.
Other sections and towns in the county are
also improving their appearances and have
worhtwhile projects which I hope to mention in
this column in the future.
I wish to thank Mrs. Ruth Gregory for br
inging my attention to many of the above men
tioned beautification projects.
Steve Ferguson
Summer Is . ?
Summer is a lot of things to
a lot of people.
What's important is to enjoy
it! You get out in the sunshine,
play in the water, bask on the
sand and call it a summer.
There's a funny side to
everything, including the hot
test season of the year.
Summer is...
...Getting hooked on soap
operas like you did last year.
...Realizing you haven't
missed a thing on the soaps
since last summer.
...Learning the Summer's
latest weird styles.
...Going broke to finance
your vacation.
...The joys of nature, like
stepping on a bee with bare
eet.
...Cruising Patton Ave.,
waving at all the members of
the opposite sex, even though
you know you're too scared to
really meet them face to face.
...Washing, waxing,
vacuuming and dusting your
car knowing full well when
you clean it it always rains
within the next 24 hours.
...Swangin*.
...Long, boring hours when
you've got nothing else to do
except perfect your Putt-Putt
technique.
...Dreaming about the cool,
white ski slopes.
...The time to start buying
Christmas presents.
...Realizing you'll still be
rushing around like wild on
Christmas Eve like the rest of
us.
...Losing your glasses off the
end of your nose.
. . .Swimming in the cool blue
water to get out of the bright
orange sun and getting very
red eyes.
...Knowing that even the
most cultured person can't eat
watermelon without dribbling
a little down their chin.
...Dogs that discover the
ecstasy of rolling in cowpiles.
...Dogs that sleep outside
until they learn better.
...Having your first
backyard party, your first
backyard barbecue and your
First backyard fire, in that
order.
...The smell of rain on hot
pavement, and fresh cut
grass.
...Starting that exercise pro
gram you wanted to, then quit
ting after a month because it's
just too hot ? maybe we'll try
it when its cooler in the Pall.
...Dreading Andy Griffith
reruns.
...The pain of weeding
everything, including your
room.
And there friends, is another
collection of my insights on
Summer. You probably notic
ed that the column is a little
shorter than usual. That's
'cause this guy is on vacation.
Summer is. ..lazy columnists,
too.
Ramsey
Continued from Page 1
small counties to get our fair share or
nothing will pass."
In a Monday telephone interview with
The News Record, Ramsey said, "The
Senate has amended it to where the
legislature would levy the tax across the
state and tell the counties how to spend
the money. I take the position that coun
ty commissioners and mayors are
capable of handling their own
business."
*
Ramsey opposes the bill passed in the
Senate because he believes that counties
such as Madison would be short
changed. He said, "The bureaucrats
would dish out most of the money based
on need. We'd wind up paying for water
and sewer lines for industrial develop
ment in the Piedmont. Madison County
doesn't have a lot of industrial develop
ment. Why should people in Spring
Creek and Laurel pay for industrial ex
pansion in the Piedmont? I don't think
they'd like to pay another half cent sales
tax and get back only half of that."
Letter
Policy
The New* Record welcomes
letter* to the editor for
imfcUcatioN. Do you have a
complaint a qnetUo* or sag
gesthm* Share yoor fhnaghtl
with oar naim hi a letter to
The News Record
ESTABLISHED 1901 ? NON-PARTISAN IN POLITICS
Box 369 ? Marshall. N C 29753 ? Phon* (704) 649-2741
Published Weekly By The Mad?son County Pn' ning Company. Inc.. USPS 388-440.
Second Paid at NfcrshaN 28793 nd a ! office
Outside Madtecx and Bunco*** Counties 1 /ear 6 Months j.7jOC N.C.
Add * Si Ta
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k "shall HC. ?87S3
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