? ? , - - :i?c ? THE NEWS RECORD Election Day is behind us and the people have spoken The people, by an overwhelming margin, have endorsed the , policies of Ronald Reagan and rejected the course proposed by Walter Mondale. In North Carolina, voters rejected two-term governor Jim Hunt in favor of his opponent, two-term Sen. Jesse Helms. Tar Heel voters also called for a change in state government by electing Jim Martin as only the second Republican governor in this century. The voters have also chosen to return Bill Hendon to Con gress for a second term. We must leave it to historians to decide if the voters decided rightly yesterday. What is of the utmost importance today is to unite behind the leaders we have chosen. North Carolinians have just emerged from one of the most bitter election struggles in our history. Now is the time for all Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, to stand together. America faces many challenges in the years ahead. We must keep the peace, reduce the federal debt, feed our hungry and many of the world's starving people and educate our children. The bitterness of our internal political conflicts must now take a back seat to the task before us. Editorial A Time For Unity Marshall's Good Move It isn't often that the officials of one of our Madison County towns pass an ordinance that will benefit residents of the other towns, but that's what happened Monday night in Marshall. The Marshall aldermen, at the request of the town's accoun tants, changed the meeting date for town meetings from the first to the second Monday of each month. We wholeheartedly approve of their decision. With three town governments convening on the same night at the same time each month, it was impossible for us to pro vide coverage of all the meetings. This change will enable us to report on meetings in Mars Hill and Hot Springs as well as in our county seat. Now, if we can get one of the other towns to move their meeting date, we'll be able to better cover all our bases. Letters To The Editor m ? i )peration Child Find A Success Dear Editor: Madison County's Operation Child Find has begun. The Halloween Party sponsored by the Downtown Mer chants Association was a big success. We fingerprinted 237 children and exceeded our goal for the day's pro gram. We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all who made this event possible. Thanks to you, Mr. Koenig, for your informative articles on the program and the day's events; to radio station WWNC for supplying printed materials; to the Merchants' Association for all the fun and refreshments provided to the children who trick or treated on Main Street; to Dean Shields and WMMH for providing costume contest prizes. We maust also recognize the dedication of Sheriff E.Y. Ponders deputies, Frank Ogle and Clayton Grindstaff and Marshall's police of ficers, Joe Griffey and Larry Davis for making the fingerprinting possi ble. Thank also go to Louise Davis and Ed Pender, Debbie Williams and the net for entertaining the children and to the Marshall Brownie and Girt Scout troops for serving refreshments and helping clean hands. Also to the Lions CLub and the Madison Central Optimists Club for their financial assistance and to Bet ty and Gene Wild and Marion Wall in and Brenda Parker for contributing their time. We must also acknowledge the con tributions of the Mars Hill Girl Scouts and Alpha Phi Omega fraternity for their program in Masr Hill. On Oct. 27 at the Fall Festival, 152 children were fingerprinted. On Oct. 13 at Baptist Youth Day, another 69 kids were printed for identifiction. Thanks also go to Robert Edwards and the Madison County Board of Education for their support of the program. The next fingerprinting session will be held on Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. until noon in front of the Marshall Town Hall. Interested parents can call 649-3221 for more information. Sincerely, M.E. Loomh Operation Child Find Reader Enjoys Heard And Seen uear exuior, I was born in Madison County, but have lived away from my native home for some 90 years. But I keep tqp with the news thanks to a nice friend who subscribed to your paper for me as a birthday gift this past summer It has been a joy to me to read the good news and the events from back home I think Pop Story's column is \ great, as is 'Know Comment' fay Joseph Godwin. Pop Story has mentioned Dr. Graver Angel in his column many times. Could you tell me if this Mr. Angel was once the principal at Hot Springs School? He and his wife were loved so much while in Hot Springs. I " have often thought about them. ? A stadeat from Hot Springs. g The News Record Serving TtwPaopie Of Madison County Sincc 1901 P.O. lox 369* Marshall, N.C. 28753 *(704)648-2741 Heard And Seen By POP 8TORY PLANS FOR PAGEANT PROGRESS After an absence of seven years, plans are going forward to resume the Marshall Christmas Pageant this December. The pageant is being sponsored by the Marshall Merchants' Association in cooperation with various churches in the coun ty Some of the more active members who are spearheading the revival of the pageant announced this week that one rehearsal has been held and other rehearsals are planned in the coming weeks. j Most of the cast has been selected, along with a narrator. A large spotlight is expected to be purchased soon and donations i are being accepted to help fund the project. Edwin Fender, who is leading the campaign to revive the ] pageant, told me that several committees have been named to i help move the project along. I More definite plans will be announced as progress con tinues. t ] 2 FRIENDS AT WESTERN STEER It's not unusual to see friends from Marshall enjoying a meal at the Western Steer in North Asheville. However, it was < unusual on Tuesday night of last week to see several friends who happened to be eating there at the same time, including Jean Blank enship and her daughter, Sherry Lynn; Gwendolyn Plemmons and her daughter, Gina; Lib Roberts and daughter, Billie Lynn and Harry and Gail Silver. It was sort of like "Marshall Night" at the restaurant. EVERETTES LATEST RIB-TICKLER The fresh young traveling salesman put on his most seduc tive smile as the pretty waitress glided up to his table in the hotel dining room to take his order. The salesman said, "Nice day, isn't it?," to which she replied, "Yes, it is." "...and so was yesterday. My name is Ellie and I know I'm a pretty girl and have lovely blue eyes. No, I don't think I'm too nice a girl to be working here and my wages are satisfactory, thank you. "I don't think there's a show or dance in town tonight, and if iiere was, I wouldn't go with you. I'm from the country and I'm a respectable girl and my brother is the cook in this hotel ind he was a college football player and weighs 300 pounds. Last week, he pretty nearly ruined a $25-a-week traveling talesman who tried to make a date with me." "Now, what will you have? The roast beef, roast pork, Irish Jtew, hamburger or fried liver?" -Submitted by Everette Barnett. Know Comment By JQSEPH GODWIN ~ ? 4 ? . Haying often heard the term "my most unforgettable experience," I decided recently to try to understand what makes such an experience un forgettable. Through analysis of a sage of personal experience, I came tip with at least a partial explanation. Mrs. Howington, my secretary, jsually announced the arrival of each >f my appointments. "Mr. Godwin," she would say luietly, standing just inside the door o my private office, "this is Mr. Ker nit Jones. He has an appointment vith you at this time." Usually, I would respond, "Thank rou! Please sit down, Mr. Jones. I'm [lad to see you." That is the way it usually happened tack in the 1950's-but not always ... One afternoon about two-thirty in larly September, I was sitting at my lesk with the blinds drawn behind me o keep out the hot late summer sun. The door to my office was opened, but 4rs Howington did not present nyone. Someone entered very quiet |T, not seeming, at first, to pay me ny attention. He really behaved as if did not exist. My visitor looked to be about four feet and seven inches tall in stout, rugged build, but not at all obese. He was well-tanned, with beads of perspiration on his face and a little trace of dirt beads under his chin on his neck. He wore a faded gree shirt with short sleeves and a pair of well-worn blue jeans that were still not nearly worn out. His left hip pocket, torn near the bottom, revealed the staff of a sling shot the pouch of which was visible at the top of the pocket. His sneakers, showing many miles of fun and frolic, looked as though they needed a good retreading and some more time in the washing machine. Although I had stopped my work and had sized him up carefully, the visitor still gave no evidence of recognizing my presence. On the north wall of the large office from one end to the other, there were book shelves higher than he could reach; and the visitor seemed to be totally engaged by the books. There he stood, about three feet from the book shelves with his feet well apart as he slightly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. During all of this time, his eyes earnestly but leisurely scanned the books, first on one shelf and then on the other. He still did not seem to be aware of my presence at the desk, nor had I spoken to interrupt his concentration. This situation continued for at least ten minutes, during which time nobody else came into the office. While I regarded him closely almost too intently to breathe-he turned slowly to his left and face me squarely, saying as his eyes met mine for the first time, "Hi, Daddy. You got anything in here to read?" I was the college counselor and I taught psychologh and religion. Because of that, my shelves were not filled with material an eleven-year old boy usually selects. "Son, you might find something over there that you like," I replied. "Take you time and see. If you find a book you think you want to read, take it along-and bring it back when you have finished with it." Moving along the shelves slowly from one end to the other, he examin ed the books carefully, taking several more minujtes. With his left hand, he took down a thick book, saying, "I believe I'll take this one." Saying nothing else nor delaying any longer, he left the office without looking back, closing the door behind him as quietly as he had entered twenty minutes earlier. Finally* I could breathe normally a gain-insofar as the fatherly pride within my breast would let me. That thick black book Joe had selected was THE HUMAN MIND, by Karl Menninger, and I wondered what any eleven-year-old boy would do with it. About a week later he returned the book and his personal, informal evaluation of it: "Daddy, that is a pretty good book!" This experience contained three gripping elements; the unusual cir cumstance, the deep emotional feel ings, and a gnawing question,... I wonder what he got out of that book. Unforgettable! Have Youth Forgotten Viet Nam? Dear Editor, We ire very fortunate in thai coun ry. We can speak our minds. We can elect a career, and if we discover we re unhappy with our selection, we an change ouc minds and start over. It can practise our religious beliefs ?eely without fear. We can go to leep at night knowing that we will ake up in the morning... No, my friends, this is not the case e can no longer sleep and be iiaranteed of rising the next morn ig. The threat of nuclear war has me away with this guarantee. In a recent survey of Madison High tbool students, I was appallled at le attitude reflected by the percen iges oo the following question: "Would you favor a continued jild-up of our nuclear strength as ? beat means to keep the pence?' Out of 711 children (and I stress nldren), 57 percent said Yea. najority of them were not even born. Secondly, it is hard to imagine the otal destruction of everything i round you when you're 18 years old. rhirdly, they have been exposed to a ;eemingly harmless and charasmatic ) resident for four years. They have teen John Wayne ride into the lation's capital and restore order vith his six-gun. Maybe they aren't i ware that the guns are a lot bigger iow than in the wild West. 'My feeling is how can anyone who las read, seen on TV, or heard of the ?error, the death, the widespread lestruction and absolute nightmare if nuclear war go to the polls and pull he lever to re-elect Ronald Reagan tin I overreacting? Am I wanting my country to 'lay down its arms' and be it the mercy of another world ptwer?