Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Nov. 30, 1983, edition 1 / Page 2
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Editorial Coke Cash Can Plan Is A Fine Idea Improving the quality of public education and recycling our natural resources are two unrelated themes we have often supported in this column. Now along comes the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Western Carolina with a unique project that promises to accomplish both these worthy goals. Through a project called "The Coca-Cola Cash Can Flan," schools in Western North Carolina can obtain funds by recycling aluminum soft drink cans. Coca-Cola officials have announced that the company will pay a premium price of 42 cents per pound for empty aluminum cans from Coca-Cola products. Ac cording to the officials, a school could net as much as $1,575 in a school year if each child was to bring one can a day to school. The com pany will furnish a crusher and plastic bags with which to collect the cans. In addition to the premium price, Coke will also present cash awards to the schools that collect the most cans. While this innovative program won't help Madison County to replace many of our old school buildings, it will furnish money to pur chase new library books, software for com puters or basketballs for recreation. Each school taking part in the program can use the money it raises as it sees fit. Perhaps even more important than the dollars and cents this project will raise is the habit of recycling it will instill in our young people. In a recent study of recycling, it was pointed out that Americans recycle less than half the aluminum produced in this country. Throwing away that empty can, the study pointed out, wastes as much energy as if a can half filled with gasoline were poured out. The News Record will help Madison Coun ty schools that take part in this project. Each month, we will name one school to receive our aluminum cans. Madison County residents wishing to help the schools can bring their aluminum cans to our office. We'll collect the cans and forward them to the school of the month. At the end of each month, we'll let you know how much money was raised through recycling. "The Coca-Cola Cash Can Plan" may only be a small step toward improving the quality of our schools, but it is a step well worth tak ing. Off Limits? News that Madison County has been plac ed off limits to Soviet government personnel brought some head scratching around the of fice this week. Our little county has been declared off limits by no less an authority than the U.S. State Department. If the decision is causing head scratching here in Madison County, it must be causing some serious puzzlement in the Kremlin. Un doubtedly, several dozen KGB agents are working overtime these days trying to find out what the American imperialists have hidden beneath the greenery of our mountains. No doubt the -, most sophisticated Soviet spy satellites are busy photographing ewery cor ner of the Vounty from Sandy Musn to Bald Mountain for some clue. It's doubtful that the Washington bureaucrat who declared Madison County off limits has ever set foot in our county. Kather than declare us off limits, the State Depart ment would do well to declare the rest of America off limits and confine the Soviets to Madison County for a few weeks. Get the Rus sians out of crowded cities like New York and Washington and send them to some place like Spring Creek for a spell. A few massive doses of Southern cooking, long walks through the countryside and hours spent just settin' might do more to ease inter national tensions than a hundred batteries of State Department diplomats. Utter 5 i&tfie Editor Reader Criticizes Invasion Of Grenada Dear Editor: Thank you for printing Dan ny Wyatt's letter regarding the invasion of Grenada. I, too, was dismayed by the il legal invasion, the disregard of our treaty obligations, the press ban, the manipulation of information, and the less than-honest justification of the attack. I was even more dismayed by the lack of public outcry against this action. In this time, when the threat of nuclear war is so very real, how can we support such a reckless and trigger-happy approach to solving interna tional differences? How can be bdieve that the Keagan ad ministration is , seriously negotiating with the Soviets in Geneva (at this point, they are not) when they made no at tempt to solve the problem with tirenada through diplomatic channels? Somehow, President Keagan is convinced that it is in our national interest to send the Marines or covert CIA forces to intervene militarily when the course of world events is not to our liking. I totally disagree. Our real na tional interest lies in upholding the democratic principles for which we stand, not in violating them for self interest. We must demonstrate our humanity, our intelligence, and a good measure of imagination in the response we make to the needs of the world's developing na tions. In Latin America, in par ticular, it is essential that we recognize revolutionary movements as legitimate at tempts to change long histories of extreme economic inequality and social injustice. If the ll.S. reacts with harass ment, blockades, propaganda pressure and invasion against a revolutionary country, we are in effect pushing it into the arms of the C.S.S.K., as in the case of Cuba. Instead, we should offer economic aid, en courage dialogue and negotia tions, and work to end the arms race in the region. Above all, we must respect the integrity and antonomy of all the Latin American states. We should normalize relations with all the governments and seek to diversify our economic interdependence. American foreign policy in Latin America reflects a lack both of historical perspective and of informed opinion in the government as well as in the public. Many people are will ing to send the Marines to "de fend democracy" abroad, but how many are willing to work to preserve democracy here at home? Democracy demands participation in order to re main strong. As citizens, we must be willing to think critically, to speak out, to let our representatives know our views, and to inform ourselves. Sincerely, Louise Langsner Marshall Students Seek Jobs Madison County high school students need help finding jobs in their communities, Students from each communi ty in the county have ex perience in all types of farm and home related work. There are alao students with business, clerking, and maintenance skills available. ts i ceding help with The News Record ? ' ; ? J* ? ' "k ; ESTABLISHED 1901 ? NON-PARTISAN IN POLITICS Box 369 ? Marshall N C 28153 ? Phone (704) 649-2741 Heard And Seen "a ~ I V . By POP STORY ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE La&t Thursday, Thanksgiving, was a quiet day in Marshall with practically all businesses closed here and very few people were in town. Outside, it was cloudy and somewhat dreary. However, it was ideal for reflecting upon the many blessings we have enjoyed during the past year. Sure, we have had many disappointments but the "good things" have far outweighed the "bad things." As I start writing this week's column, my mind recalls the timely and appropriate ser mon delivered by the He v. "Buddy" Freeman, pastor of the First Baptist Church here, on Sunday, Nov. 20, when he stressed the impor tance of "the attitude of gratitude." It was a fine sermon which made me con scious of expressing my gratitude to those who have made my life more pleasant. Too often we don't express our thanks enough. With this in mind, I want to say "Thank you" for your many acts of friendship. This "attitude of gratitude" is not only for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, but for the entire year. CONGRATULATIONS, PEGGY Peggy Sexton of Alexander, has been named a national 4-H winner for her plant and soil science project, according to the National Vh Congress which convened Sunday in Chicago. Miss Sexton, who lives on Old Mar shall Highway, received a $1,000 scholarship. This honor is no new experience for Peggy. She has been active in 4-H projects for years and has frequently been cited for her outstanding accomplishments, in local, district, state, and now national competition. I've known Peggy since childhood and have admired her for her many abilities. Peggy is also a cat-lover and whenever I talked with her, I would ask about her faline pets. Congratulations, Peggy, on your latest achievement. CHRISTMAS NEAR When you read this week's column it will be less than a month before Christmas. You don't have too long to do your shopping. Just a reminder. Know Comment V By JOSEPH GODWIN I was sitting on the bench in front of the bookstore at the mall while my wife did her shopping. On my right and left, people would sit and rest awhile; then within a few minutes they would suddenly leave ? only to be replaced immediately by others with painful feet or other tired bones. Suddenly, in this constant exchange, Mr. I. B. Savant perched next to me on my left. He announced his presenc by saying, "They shore are a lot of people here today, ain't they?" I allowed as how it's about the most people I've ever seen here this early in the Christmas shopping season. "It's foolish," he exclaimed, "to spend as much money for Christmas as most people spend. They ain't no use in it ? buyin' on time and then takin' half the year to pay it out. "My birthday is Christmas day ? that's cause I was born on Christmas, you see ? and it's just like any other day with me. "1 can't walk too much all over this here place. 1 was in World War II and got my feet froze in Ciermany. I've been in and out of that VA hospital since 1965. First it was my feet. I was with General Pat ton till they took me out just before they crossed the Rhine. "Then 1 had a stroke up and down my left side, but 1 finally got over that. You see, I can use my left hand and leg now. Then I had a heart attack. I have to go back for a check-up every month. They give me a prescription and I mail it in and they fill it and mail the pills back to me from the VA. "I'm 70 years old. I ain't much fer politics. You know, they ain't no tellin' what things will be like by 1990." I replied that I'm not sure I want to know. "Well," he continued, "at least me and you won't have to worry about that. We ain't gonna be around then nohow." "At least," I said, " a whole lot of Democrats want to be President." "Yeah," he said suspicious ly, "they ain't none of the whole bunch worth nothin'! You take that M on dale It won't do to get him in there. He was Carter's vice presi dent, and them two very near ruint this country. "I'm a registered Democrat myself, but that don't mean a thing. I always vote for the best man and it don't make no difference to me if he's a Democrat or Republican. "I think Reagan has been a pretty good President myself. Some people dind't tike it when he tuck that little island over there. 1 think he done what he ort to. Cuba wanted that island and Russia wanted it too so they could take over the world. Well, Reagan, he jest beat them to it. 1 kinda like that! "You know the biggest thing wrong with this here country right now? I'll tell you. We are gettin'. too durn many fur niners in here ? all kinds of them. Mexicans, Cubans, Jews, and all kinds of other people! - "I'll tell you what you will see happen ? it's happenin' already. All these here kinds of people will end up in the Congress and in the Senate ? and, brother, we're gonna be in a mess. That bunch we got up there now has got little enough sense, but you jest wait awhile till all these others git in there. "Besides all that ? gittin' elected to offices and all ? they will git up here in these here mountains and we will have our own gang of guerillas. "You take that there Jackson that's running. He's already got FBI protection. I guarantee somebody will kill him." I volunteered my earnest hope to the contrary, stating that we can use our votes to take a person out of office or to keep one out in the first place. However, killing a politician is just not our American way. Almost before 1 knew it, Mr. Savant stood up saying, "I en joyed talkin' to ye." He never looked back but disappeared into the unusually heavy early Christmas crowd. For a while, my head seem ed to spin as I tried to absorb all he had "taught" me. What 1 learned from what he said was really not difficult to sort out: There are at least two ways one can get his informa tion. He can sit on the bench in front of the bookstore and listen to Mr. Savant ? or, he can go inside the bookstore and read some of those 50,000 books. I know some other people who would profit greatly from learning the same thing. Living And Growing ' By CARL MUMPOWER. MSW The Asheville Counseling Center It seems like a crazy mess Wars going on all over the place. Famine, disease, and genocide are an active part of the lives of many. Our evening news and papers are Tilled with accounts of one farm of maliciousness after the other Trying to make heads or tails out of the mess cart be over these different parte break down. Some seem to stay broken most of the time. Other parts work beautifully and quitely go about their func tion. You will notice that when one of our parte breaks down, it seems to take over. Bad backs, sick stomachs and aching heads dominate pur at tention through the pain they cause Trouble spots in the world are no different. They catch our focus even though they are (he exception vs. the rule. As relates to our body, when our he a t give much thought that a thou sand other parte are clipping You can also compare our In any group of more than a taw, you will have the same level of intrigue, power strug gle, and the like that we see on a world scale. Thar* will be good guys, bad guys, quite guys, and loud guys. You'll find saddening and moving humanneas. You'll find all of the characters, just on a smaller scale. If you can understand the driving motivations behind the opera tior of your work place or family, then you can alao understand a good bit of what makes our world tick. It is also comforting to remember that the pnn, that apply to individuals, also ?W> tend U> leave you isolated unhappy and rejected, then you can bet the aame will app ly to a country that pursue* the same course. If being paranoid, destructive, and dishonest undermines a per sons, then how would you aaMSS the kmgterm potential of Mother Russia? Sometimes we are lad to believe that the world scheme is an intricate maze of com ptexity that defies understan ding. Don't buy it. It's no more you are. Now you've got it. It's life itself that is None
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Nov. 30, 1983, edition 1
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