Page 2—MIRROR-HERALD—Monday, November 21, 1977
GDITORIIM
opinion
ACT show good and bad
•*1
Ibe first annual Asaoclation of Classroom
Teachers Talent Contest was good and bad.
It was good In the fact that multi-talented
educators put on a good entertainment
program for the public In addition to adding
money to the ACT Scholarship program.
CD Ideas Wanted
It was bad for a couple of reasons. First,
there Is the lousy sound system In Barnes
Auditorium. A million dollar auditorium and
a two dollar sound system. Whoever was
responsible for Installing that piece of Junk
really ripped off the public.
The first public hearing on the third year Community Development funding
projects Is scheduled tor Kings Mountain on Thurs., Dec. 1.
The hearings are scheduled at 7: SO p. m. at city hall.
This Is where the citizens of the community get their big chance to suggest
programs beneficial to the city to be Included In the applications for the CD
funding allocated.
In the past there have been programs suggested that have not been approved
by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the lions
share of the money has already been tied up In eligible long-running city
projects, but there Is funding available tor brand new projects under the HUD-
CD guidelines.
The city was originally granted $4,160,000 under the five year CD program,
with the annual funding available decreasing slightly beginning with the third
year applications. However, a new three-year program of CD funding has been
approved and Kings Mountain Is on the list to receive a share. This additional CD
funding will be applicable beginning with this year’s application.
Kings Mountain’s CD program has been very successful during Its first two
years and that Is due In large part to the participation of the citizens who ap
peared at the public hearings with project Ideas.
In the third year don’t let anything different be said of KMer’s willingness to
participate In the planning for the city.
Reaching stated goal
The Kings Mountain United Fund for 1978 leads all agencies In the state for
percentage of goals achieved. One division has received pledges totalling more
than the entire goal of $46,000.
Something over $66,000 has been pledged In the total campaign. It shows a
great deal of hard work by the United F^ind officials and a willingness on the part
of Individuals, businesses and Industries In Kings Mountain to donate hard
eauned money to worthy causes.
Itsounds fastastlc, but being realistic an overage In each division campaign Is
a myst because not all of the pledges are honored whMi It comes time to collect.
So the higher the percentage above the goal the more chance there Is to actually
reach the goal.
Reaching the stated goal Is the Important thing because the budgets for the
participating agencies are based on this total. And the United Fund Is In business
to assist the public agencies In Ihelr programs for the masses.
Goodbye to a friend
iruMK^siniiMTaiii
TUSSDAY ANDTNUMtOAV
Leadership
TOM MCINTVRI
WMWtii'l SMttr
•AKVtTIWAOT
S#«rUieM*r
•tiiAral M«Mf«f
CLVDOHILL
AOvtiittMt Ok^cttr
MIMOOROr
north CAROLINA
RRIMAISOCIATION
Tht Mirror H«r«l0 N oveilthotf by Oonoroi
Aubiithino Comowv, P. O. Drowror Itt. Kino*
Mountain, N. C.. MM*, •utinott onR oRitorlai officto
•TO locotod ot 104 South RioRmoni Avt. Rhono 711
74M. SoCOnR CiMt ROOtOfO ROiR Ot tCIhfO Movhtoln,
N C. tinfl# CORV 15 conto. SuOocriptlon rotot: M.SD
ytoriy In ototo. 14.15 monthtj •» SO yoorty oot*R«*
ttatt. 15 tla montht; StvRont roto for nino fhoRlho
1424
Turning Sour
reach the audience over that lousy sound
system nor to overwhelm the rowdies.
The musician and singers who came on
toward the end of the show had provided
their own sound system and the rock music
they played blasted out so loud it was the
first time the audience was drowned out all
evening.
The second and worst reason It was bad
was due to the huge crowd of young students
ranging from the elementary grades through
senior high. In truth I don’t believe I have
ever seen a more unruly, rude. Ill-mannered
bunch of young people anywhere as I wit
nessed at Barnes last Thursday.
Before you read something Into that last
paragraph that Isn’t there, let me say that
not sdl of the young people attending
’Iburrday’s show rfeU Into the Ill-mannered
category. I would say a little better than half
the packed house conducted themselves
properly. But almost close to half the house
did not.
TOM
MclhTYRe
Several people remarked afterwards that
the kids wore Just high-spirited and what
they did didn’t hurt anyone, so what was the
harm. Personally, I’m a little fed up with
hearing that baloney. Being hlgh-splrltod la
one thing, but being rude. Ill-mannered and
disrespectful Is quite another thing. Thur
sday night’s disturbance had nothing to do
with hlgh-splrlts.
.4
I understand there Is a school policy that
covers something like this. It spells out
suspension for the students who do not
conduct themselves properly during school
functions.
K,,
He settled for Introducing the acts smd
exiting the stage as quickly as possible.
How bad was It?
If you can Imagine close to 600 different
young mouths going non-stop wiiUe on stage
a young woman with a magnlflcant voice Is
singing ‘"nie Lord’s Prayer”, then you will
have some Idea of what I am talking about.
Repeated pleas by Jonas Bridges, master
of ceremonies, for the audience to csilm
down went unheeded. Jonas Is an excellent
MC. One that can keep the humor flowing
between acts, but even he decided It was no
use and gave up even trying to do his full Job.
Willie Marable and Sarah Adams, from
North Elementary prepared a humorous
sketch. I was told It was humorous, but I
couldn’t swear to It because I couldn’t hear
what was said. ’Ilie end result was both
teachers being made to look ridiculous m
they pantomimed about the stage. If It was
the youngsters’ Intention to create this
situation, then they succeeded.
’Ihree other young tesushers had songs
prepared, but they might as well have Just
walked on stage and stood there without
opening their mouths.
Unfortunately, the teachers Just men
tioned did not have enough lung power to
I doubt very very seriously If anything will
be done about thta. Nothing was done after
students showed their rears during last
year’s graduation exercises and at the
Klwanls ’Talent Show. There were numerous
complaints from the public about these
episodes, but the little darlings escaped
unscathed. No wonder they continue to
disrupt. Obviously they do not get any
discipline at home and very little when they
act like people wearing underwesir made of
snadpaper at school functions.
Perhaps the teachers have the patience of
saints, but If It was up to me, the next public
fund-raising function planned to benefit the
ACT scholarships would be an acid rock
concert featuring the loudest groups
available. Then schedule the whole thing In
the heat of summer In some open air area.
TAL
Dlstrh
last ’ll
at Ba
’Teresi
Walla(
We now aay goodbye to a good friend.
Yeaterday the Rev. Robert Allen, pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church,
resigned after six years to accept the call to St. James Lutheran Church In
Fayetteville.
Rev. Allen hM made his Imprint on this community, not only through his
ministry, but through his personal Involvement In community’s affairs. He
served well on the city’s beautification commission and was one of the planners
tor the city’s Centennial celebration In 1974.
You may remember him In his role of "prosecutor” to George ’Ihomasson’s
‘‘Judge’’ during the weekly kangaroo courts held on the site beside Nelsler
Brothers offices. It was a tribute to his sense of humor that he allowed himself to
be pelted with pies and made to wear huge polks-dot bloomers to help entertain
the citizenry during the celebration.
Rev. Allen said he found It very hard to leave Kings Mountcdn. Kings Mountain
takes It equally as hard to lose a man of the statute of Robert E. Allen. He has
been a good friend and we wish him success In his new parish.
‘To the editor,
‘Ihe question being asked today is why is >
crime on a rampage. It really isn’t too
surprising because a naUon is only as great
as its leadership.
When a naUon’s leadership turns sour and
the proper steps to correct the situation are
not taken, then everyone losses. And when a
nation loses its self-respect it loses its In
dividual freedoms. If allowed to continue it
becomes a cancerous sore.
’There Is a way out. It’s called im
peachment, a dirty word today when pardon
has become the password.
It’s been said that crime doesn’t pay, but
we have seen proof that crlms has become
very rewarding. ’There seems to be a big
market for those who break ths law as
authors.
If we, the people, continue to aid and abet
corrupUon within our loadershlp,
then we are helping towaid our own down
fall.
EVBRETTE PEARSON
Kings Mountain
m
ir-'V
aJnsbneq'jh
Photo By Clay Nolan
STA’TE mS’TORIC Si’ll! - ’"The Old Kentucky
Home” at Asheville was the boyhood home of novelist
’niomss Wolfe and served as the main setting for his
novel, ‘‘Look Homeward Angel.” ‘ITie house is main
tained as it was in the past as a North Carolina
historical site and is open to the public.
Home of Thomas Wolfe
Old Kentucky Home
ASHEVILLE - The
rambling gray house al
most looks out of place
now. Across from it Is a
high rising hotel of steel
and glass.
stroll into the pages of
"LookHomeward, Angel.”
’Tom would recognize the
boarding house, “Old Ken
tucky Home’’ at 48 Spruce
St., but he wouldn’t recog
nize his hometown. The
house is now open as a
North Carolina Historic
Site.
When the Department of
cultural Resources began
operating the memorial as
a State Historic Site in
1974, the record for attend
ance in one year was 8,900.
So far this year, almost
10,000 visitors have toured
the boyhood home of one of
America’s greatest
writers.
Wolfe described the
house in his novel in
minute detail — the high
ceilings, the creaking
stairs, the room where his
beloved brother, Ben, died,
the piano his sister played
for the boarders, and the
large kitchen where his
mother (Eliza Oant in
Look Homeward, Angel)
prepared food for her
family and the boarders.
”We have noticed a
great Interest in the site,”
said Bob Conway, Site
Director. ”We have also
seen an increase in the
amount of knowledge
about Wolfs the visitors
have,” he added.
A step Into the house is
more than Just a Journey
Into an old home. It is a
Wolfe’s fame bloomed so
fast and the memorial was
established in such a short
time after his death in 1988
that many things In the
house were preserved.
The Thomas Wolfe
Memorial has a reputation
for having a large amount
of original Items. “Mrs.
Wolfe never threw
anything away,” laughed
Conway. She rented rooms
until her death In 1946 at
the age of 86.
Visitors see the bed Ui
which Wolfe was born, his
baby chair, his childhood
blackboard, his collection
of books, his typewriter,
childhood keepsakes, and
the furnishings from his
New York apartment.
Does the ghost
’Thomas Wolfe roam
house’’ Conway says;
“One of the workers was In
a room that Is not open to
the public, and he had a
strange sensation.”
of
the
'The memorial Is open
Tuesday through Sunday.
Admission Is $1 for adults
and 60 cents for children.
Nothing has changed. As
you walk through the house
and climb the stairs, you
expect any minute to ran
Into Thomas Wolfe. It Is a
step back Into another era.
He died on September 16,
1988, slightly more than
two weeks before Ms 88th
birthday. He lies today In
Riverside Ometery with
members of his family.
His grave bears a simply
granite marker Inscribed;
Tom-Son of W. O. and
Julie E. WoUe. A Beloved
American Author. Oct. 8,
1900- 8ept. 16, 1988. “The
Last Voyage, ‘Ihe Longest,
The Best” -
Homeward, Angel
Bent ‘To Touch His Chosen
Son With Mercy, Love And
Pity, And Put Ths Seal Of
Honor On Him When He
Died.” - ’ihe Web and ‘The
Rock
Look
Death
fdai
.1
Socia
were I
dents 0
at the
month
Kennel
secuiit;
In Shel
Socia
can b(
personE
.workei
severel
age 66,
decease
Mont
checin
tain jj c
worker
become
Of t
securlt
living li
6,142 a:
MRS
Fum
Mrs. C
■ ^ Qrover
ducted
* 2 p.m.
Harris
Rev.
of Klnt
Church
rites, a
e Sharoi
^ Method
‘ ' tery In
Mrs.
4 Wecbiei
« l>2:80p.
. tain He
' years (
.A
She
Clevela
ter of th
tjames
$nembe
'Method
•■I'
e H