VOLUME 95, NUMBER 18
The American Dream—everyone’s hope of own-
ing a new home-is dying.
At least, that’s the thought of many in the savings
and loan, housing and real estate business, and peo-
ple in North Carolina are taking steps to do
something about it.
For the next six weeks, the North Carolina Sav-
ings and Loan League is sponsoring an, advertising
campaign in every newspaper, radio and television
station in the state, and on billboards, urging
citizens to write their elected officials and urge them
to make housing their top priority.
An advertisement in today’s Herald, sponsored
locally by First Federal Savings and Loan and
Home Federal Savings and Loan, is in the form of a
letter to Congressmen. Readers are asked to sign the
letter and mail it to one of their elected represen-
tatives, James Broyhill, Jesse Helms or John East.
In two weeks, another letter will appear to be ad-
dressed to Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, or the
Pro Tem of the Senate, Howard Baker.
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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1982
The AmericanDream!
Citizens Appeal To Government To Allow Everyone To Own A Home
Two weeks after that, a letter will appear to be
sent to President Ronald Reagan.
The idea of the campaign originated in the office
of the N.C. Savings and Loan League, and has now
spread into realtors, home builders and others in the
housing industry.
Becky Bradshaw of the League office said the
main goal of the campaign is to “get the attention of
our leaders, and then, for them to make this a priori-
ty and really work to do something.”
Of course, the obvious goal is to lower the in-
terest rate so more people can afford to own their
own home. Interest rates have become so high, ac-
‘cording to savings and loan officials, most people
cannot afford to buy a home.
The letter in the advertisement, which is signed
by local citizens, states: “Dr. Mr. Congressman: The
American Dream is dying! I can’t afford to buy a
home. Even worse, if something isn’t done, my
children will never own a home. Something must be
dne.
“Mr. Congressman, affordable home ownership
has been one of the great distinguishing triumphs of
our nation. I don’t know when the dream got put
aside, but I don’t want it to die.
“You have the ability to assure the perpetuation
of the opportunity for home ownership.
“Please Mr. Congressman, save the American
Dream.”
- Ms. Bradshaw says the Savings and Loan League
hopes to “get as many citizens as possible to respond
by clipping and mailing the letter, hoping to get the
attention of our congressional leaders and have
housing become a top priority with them. We hope
to have so many letters going to Washington that
they’ll see that the citizens are so concerned that it
will become the number one priority.” :
The League also hopes to see the campaign
spread nationwide.
“We have indications that it has the potential to
do so,” Ms, Bradshaw said. “We have had many
calls of interest from other states.”
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KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH ca
Home Federal Savings and Loan in Kings Moun-
tain has purchased 500 envelopes and stamps,
which will be available for area citizens to use. Tom
Tate, President, said copies of the letters will be
available and all citizens will have to do is sign them
and put them into the envelopes.
“If we don’t do something, our children will never
be able to own anything,” Tate said. “We're hoping
Congress will take another look at housing.”
Gary Whitaker of First Federal Savings and
Loan of Kings Mountain said his employees have
been talking to and calling customers to ask for their
support “and so far the people are supporting the
campaign 100 percent.
“I’ve been concerned about this for a long time,”
he said. “My kids may never own a home if
something isn’t done. It’s something to think
about.”
Whitaker said his firm also hopes to have tear-
sheets of the advertisement available for citizens to
sign.
Rauch Vs. Electric Rates
Get Ready For Fight
Utility companies of North
Rauch’s study is geared at
tising and public relations sider
“constraints” on such
il
OLLIE HARRIS
De Off
With the deadline Friday for
filing for the June 29 primary,
most races for area county and
state seats are taking shape.
Senators Ollie Harris, Helen
Rhyne Marvin and Marshall
Rauch filed this week for re-
election and they’ll have at least
one competitor, newcomer
Bruce Scism of Kings Mountain.
Incumbents John J. Hunt and
Edith Ledford Lutz have also fil-
ed for the North Carolina House
of Representatives.
Senator Harris has served in
the North Carolina Senate for
five terms. He is Chairman of
the Senate Human Resources
Committee, Co-Chairman of the
North Carolina Transportation
Study Committee, a member of
the Mental Health Study Com-:
mission, and Vice Chairman of
Senior Citizen Committee. He is
a member of the Appropriation,
Banking, Ways and Means,
Rules and Judiciary 1 Commit-
tees of the Senate.
Turn To Page 6-A
Carolina may be in for a battle
during the next term of the
General Assembly.
Senator Marshall Rauch of
Gastonia said today that he is
studying the ever-increasing
costs of utilities in the state and
hopes to be ready to do
something about them when the
General Assembly goes back in-
to session next January.
public realtions-type advertising
campaigns of utility companies—
and if they are necessary—and
guaranteed dividends for’ their
stockholders.
“Pm studying the increasing
costs of utilities, including the
necessity of increased dividends
for utilities companies
stockholders and the increasing
cost of utilities’ companies adver-
‘budgets and how it effects utility
rates,” Rauch said.
Rauch hinted that he would
begin his study at a recent
meeting in Cleveland County.
Kings Mountain Mayor John
Henry Moss picked up on the
idea and last week the City
Board of Commissioners passed
a resolution asking Duke Power,
its electricity supplier, to. con-
things as PR advertising and
guaranteed dividends, and urg-
ing the State Utilities Commis-
sion to refuse unwarranted price
increase requests by Duke.
According to Moss, Duke
+ spent $1.4 million in advertising
last year and guarantees its
stockholders a 17 peceny divi, Ear
ond
TOP 10 SENIORS - The KMHS seniors pic-
tured above were honored Tuesday night at
Photo by Gary Stewart
Henry Clark, Aaron Dixon and Pamela Hatch.
Back row, Laura Herndon. Robin Masters,
the annual Top Ten Banquet at the high James Rikard and Scott Shaw.
school. Front row, left to right, Janet Blair,
KM Students
Get $1,850
For Cancer
By GARY STEWART
Editor
When Kings Mountain High
students Janet Blair and Danna
Scism agreed to co-chair a cancer
fund drive at the school, they
had little idea what they were
getting into.
The two, under the sponsor-
ship of the Fellowship of Chris-
tian Athletes, coordinated a very
" successful chain link sale and
pretty legs contest, which netted
$1,850.
i The drive lasted all last week
‘and drew almost. 100 percent
‘participation from KMHS
students and teachers.
The two were recruited for the
effort by Jake Dixon, chairman
of the Kings Mountain area fund
drive for the Cleveland County
Unit of the American Cancer
Society.
Janet and Danna met at
| Janet’s home two Sundays ago
foto begin making plans. They
g Highs Turn To Page 6-A
HANGING CHAIN - Kings Mountain High
students get a boost from the shoulders of
some of their classmates to hang a paper
chain in the commons area. Each link of the
chain represents a 10-cent donation to the
Cleveland County Unit of the American
Cancer Society. KMHS students raised $1,850.
Students pictured above include, front row,
left to right, Gerald Gladden, Larry Wilson,
Laura Herndon and Janet Blair. On shoulders, :
Terri Plonk, Danna Scism and Lee Ann
Lineberger.
: Top Ton Banquet
Honors KMHS Students
Thirty-three Kings Mountain
High students who have excelled
in the classroom were honored
Tuesday night at the second an-
nual KMHS Top Ten Banquet
at the school cafeteria.
The fete recognizes those
students who rank in the top ten
percent academically in their
classroom. Twelve sophomores,
11 juniors and 10 seniors were
recognized and presented pla-
ques and certificates by Principal
Bob McRae and assistant prin-
cipals ‘Blaine Froneberger and
Jackie Lavender.
Dr. Craven Williams, presi-
dent of Gardner-Webb College,
was the guest speaker.
Students honored included
sophomores Susan Biggers,
Tracy Bolin, Toni Camp, Shawn
Gibby, Devra Haney, Lisa Na-
tion, Jill Plonk, Lisa Raby,
Tracy Scism, Jeff Smith, Sandra
Watterson and Laura Wright;
juniors Lynn Bolin, Mark Clon-
inger, Sharon Dilling, Kevin Dix-
on, Joan Finger, Kelly Goodson,
Roger Grant, Joanie Hamrick,
Jimmy Lackey, Tim Plonk, and
Todd Weaver; and seniors
Elaine Anderson, Sandra Appl-
ing, Janet Blair, Henry Clark,
Aaron Dixon, Pamela Hatch,
Laura Herndon, Robin Masters,
James Rikard and Scott Shaw.
Miss Hatch received a special
award for making all A’s
throughout her high school
career.
Dr. Williams urged to students
to accomplish even more in the
future. “You have been singled
‘out and set apart from your
classmates, and dubbed with a ti-
tle that exceeds the others,”
Williams told the students.
“They’re going to expect more of
you now because you have
something special.”
Williams said the students
should strive for quality and be
determined to do their job “bet-
Turn To Page 7-A
KM Railroad Crossing
Projects Are Approved
The North Carolina Depart-
ment of Transportation and
Southern Railway have signed
an agreement to upgrade the
Baker Street and Oak Street
railway crossings and expect
work to begin in four to six
weeks.
Mayor John Henry Moss said
the city received notification of
the projects Tuesday.
The projects include the
widening and signalization of the
crossings and will cost $80,000
each. Costs will be shared by the
DOT and Southern Railway.
The projects are part of a long,
ongoing project of upgrading all
railroad crossings in the city.
When the projects are com-
pleted, all crossings in the city
will have been upgraded except
the Hawthorne Street crossing.
“This has been a program that
we've worked hard on,” Moss
stated, “because we feel that the
citizens need the protection and
are hopeful that we can resolve
the Hawthorne crossing design
and reach an agreement for
signalization there at an early
date.”
The Hawthorne project has
been held up for several months
after citizens of the area pro-
tested Southern Railway’s sug-
gestion that it be closed.
The city’s only financial
responsibility in railroad cross-
ings is a share of the
maintenance costs with
Southern. Moss said those costs
are “very small.”
Park Yarn
Mill Is Sold
J.P. Stevens & Co. said Thurs-
day that it plans to acquire Stev-
coknit, Inc., subject to several
conditions and the approval of
the directors of both companies,
Stevcoknit, a circular knitter,
has been in Chapter 11 since
Nov. 16, 1981.
Turn To Page 5-A
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