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EDITORIALS/OPINIONS 4A
Speak Out
At Hearing
So often we fail to speak out when a public issue
comes up but are quick to criticize decisions made by
public officials.
Next Monday at 7:30 p.m. at East Elementary
School, the Kings Mountain Board of Education will
host a public hearing to give citizens a chance to state
their opinions on the possible closing of East School
and re-drawing of elementary school attendance lines.
There are pros and cons to any issue, but in this
case, at least until someone brings to light something
that has not yet been mentioned, it appears the disad-
vantages of keeping East open outweigh the advan-
tages.
Persons who have good reasons to keep the school
open need to make a special effort to attend, and speak
out, at Monday's meeting. School officials need to
have the reactions of all the people but especially
those persons who live in the East community and
have children attending that school.
The possibility of closing East arose several months
ago when the school board began considering re-draw-
ing attendance lines to create more racially-balanced
schools. Fifty-six percent of the students now attend-
ing East are minority students, while averages at the
other four elementary schools range from 14 percent at
Bethware to 29 percent at Grover.
The high minority figure at East is not the only con-
sideration, however.
Over the past several years, the total enrollment of
East School has decreased drastically and school offi-
cials predict that if the current trend continues, the en-
rollment will fall below 200 students by 1992.
The school system is also in the early stages of a
massive rebuilding and renovation program made pos-
sible by the passage of a recent bond referendum, and
school officials are also faced with the question of
whether or not it is wise to spend a lot of money at a
school whose enrollment is steadily declining.
Some board members and school officials are also
concerned that East is located between two major
highways, the 74 Bypass and Highway 161, and the
back part of the school property is divided by the city
street which children have to cross to get to the play-
ground. The school campus is also much smaller (8
acres) than the state recommendation for a school of
its size (13 acres).
If the only issue facing the board was the issue of
racial unbalance, its decision would be much easier.
Attendance zones could be re-drawn and East could be
left open. But, apparently, it's not that easy.
That's why the School Board needs public input. At
an earlier public hearing to discuss these matters, only
a. handful of people showed up and only five spoke.
The board is giving the community another chance.
The people need to be heard and the board needs to
weigh the pros and cons and make its decision soon.
We'll Miss
McGinnis
The death at age 55 of Jim McGinnis saddened his
many friends in the Kings Mountain area.
Jim grew up in the furniture business in a family of
13 children of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. Hinkle
McGinnis. Even as a boy he worked in the family
business. He was a popular salesman, even as a youth.
He greeted the public with a big smile.
In 1962, he and his family moved back home from
Concord and he became treasurer of the family corpo-
ration, McGinnis Furniture.
A familiar figure in the Kings Mountain business
community, he was well liked and friendly. Playing
golf was his hobby. Cheering Clemson Tigers football
team was pure joy for him, his wife and three daugh-
ters. The McGinnises didn't miss many games at
Clemson University.
His close friends and business partners say he told
them at the hospital several weeks ago that he pre-
ferred memorials be made to his church, St. Matthew's
Lutheran, or to Lutheridge. "Don't send any flowers.
Give the money to people who need it," he was quot-
ed.
Jim's wife of 32 years said Jim was always gener-
ous in his appreciation of others. He would want little
said about him in the newspapers.
Jim McGinnis will be missed. The Herald joins with
his friends in expressing Christian sympathy to the
McGinnis family.
Te
untain- Herald
Established 1889
Published Thursday
at East King Street at Canterbury Road,
Kings Mountain, North Carolina 28086, by
Republic Newspapers, Inc.
Darrell Austin
General Manager
Gary Stewart Sarah Griffin
Editor Bookkeeper
Elizabeth Stewart Jeff Grigg
Women's Editor Production Manager
Randall Barber
Pressroom Superintendent
Subscription Rates
1 Year 6 Months
InlCounty......-.............. $14.50 $7.25
Out-Of-County........co..... $15.55 $7.80
Student Rates (9 Mos.)...$11.00
(All prices include 5 percent sales tax.)
Should North Carolina Have A Lottery?
I believe North Carolina should establish a lottery.
Not because lottery is inherently good--for I do not see
it as a morals issue--but because it is an economic op-
tion which could greatly benefit the people of North
Carolina, and also because it is simply a matter of fair-
ness.
As an economic option, it has a lot to commend it--
conservatively 150 to 200 million dollars a year. This
is just about the amount that we find ourselves short
this year in order to provide for a 6% teacher and state
employee pay increase, and to continue to fund the ba-
sic education program. If we had the lottery in place,
we could have raised this amount without costing tax-
payers one cent.
Twenty-two states now operate lotteries, including
our neighbor, Virginia, where it has been estimated
that a substantial percentage of the revenue they have
thus far generated has come from North Carolinians.
Why should we let Virginia get this revenue?
In every municipality there is ready access to clan-
destine lotteries, numbers games, etc., which are avail-
able to those who want to participate. Why should we
allow these profiteers to feather their nests with money
.which could be used to provide for the state's educa-
tional needs?
With the enactment of the highway funding bill, we
have raised gasoline taxes 5 1/4 cents, together with
increases in vehicle use taxes. North Carolinians
should not be forced to suffer another increase in taxes
to provide needed services if there is another way to
raise the revenue. The lottery is a viable alternative to
another tax increase which will almost certainly be
needed in the next biennium to fund ever-increasing
costs of essential services.
A question of fairness: North Carolinians, like most
other Americans, love games of chance. Witness the
large number who play bingo, buy a raffle ticket, bet
on ballgames, play the commodities and stock mar-
kets, play the games at casinos like Vegas and Atlantic
City. Those who live at low and marginal income lev-
Helen Marvin is a
former educator and
represents the 25th
District in the North
Carolina Senate.
YES
els do not have the surplus cash to take a flyer in the
stock or commodity market, or fly out to Vegas for a
weekend, but they can and do find a dollar here and a
dollar there to buy a raffle or numbers ticket or to play
a game of bingo. Why should they be denied the op-
portunity to dream big and the hope of making a for-
tune out of a small investment? A lottery would give
them the chance to become a millionaire, albeit the
odds may be only one in a million, or even to win a
few thousand dollars to relieve the monotony and
hopelessness of their poverty.
The lottery bill proposed by the Senate would trans-
fer profits periodically to the Department of Public
Instruction "for use in furthering public education in
this state." It would prohibit these funds being used to
supplant funds appropriated from the General Fund.
This provision would insure against education being
short changed as it is claimed happened in California
when lottery money began to come into that state.
Colleagues of mine in Pennsylvania and other states
with years of experience operating the lottery assure
me that it is working well in their states with none of
the problems with the Mafia or corruption which op-
ponents use to argue against establishing a lottery in
North Carolina.
If any and every kind of gambling could be prevent-
ed in North Carolina, I would not endorse a lottery.
However, inasmuch as people are going to play these
games of chance which are available in almost every
mail and on almost every street comer, it seems to me
irrational to oppose a state lottery simply because it is
another game of chance.
The decision regarding a lottery in North Carolina
should be made by the people of North Carolina. All
opinion polls indicate the people want a lottery.
Hundreds of my constituents tell me they want a lot-
tery.
I believe the General Assembly should pass a bill to
enable the people of this state to vote for or against
this issue.
Ollie Harris is the
owner of Harris Funeral
Home and represents
the 25th District in the
North Carolina Senate.
My efforts to def-at the lottery bill through the years
that I have served in the N. C. General Assembly have
not been because of my personal beliefs but my belief
that passage of a lottery would be detrimental to the
State of North Carolina.
North Carolina is a great state with a minimum of
gambling within its borders.
To open up lottery in our state would tell our young
people that in order for us to provide their education
we must have a lottery and take money from those
who need it most, rather than from affluent society.
Polls have been taken in larger cities showing that
persons on welfare and with lower income spend more
on lottery than those with middle income and those
with larger incomes who do not buy lottery tickets.
If we pass lottery, our next step is horse racing, dog
racing and then casinos as in Atlantic City, New Jersey
and Las Vegas, Nevada. This we don't need in North
Carolina.
If North Carolina has a referendum and it passes, we
need to put those profits from same in the general fund
so that we can, not only fund education, but mental
health, mental retardation, and substance abuse pro-
grams to help those who can't help themselves. There
is a great need for prison construction due to the crime
rate in North Carolina and overcrowded prison condi-
tions which have resulted in release of convicted
felons.
I will vote "no" on this issue when the question of
lotteries come before the North Carolina Senate proba-
bly this week.
Meet My Friend Jim Knapik, The Adventurer
You have to know Jim Knapik (the first K is silent)
to appreciate his problems. I don't’ know if problem is
the correct term. Maybe adventure is a better word.
Jim has been a business associate for several years.
A former school teacher who was born and reared in
Cleveland, Ohio, he is likable, a hard worker and a
good family man. Jim always displays a cheerful coun-
tenance and will go out of his way to help a fellow hu-
man being. But, for some unexplained reason, trouble
follows him as surely as day follows night.
Remember that little guy in the Lil Abner comic
strip that used to go around with a black cloud hanging
over his head? I think his name was Joe Btzlpk, or
something along those lines. That's Jim Knapik per-
sonified.
About two years ago, Jim was working in Dallas,
Texas and he and a friend stopped at the Golden
Arches for a quick lunch. The restaurant, in conjunc-
tion with a local TV station and a national soft drink
firm, was conducting a contest, and when you pur-
chased your food, you got a game card. The card had
two blacked out areas. One of the areas, which had to
be cleared with the edge of a coin, or some such ob-
ject, contained a prize. The award could be a free sand-
wich, french fires, soft drinks or money—up to
$25,000, as I remember. The second blacked out area
was some kind of security key with instructions that
stated: if this block is uncovered the card is invalidat-
ed.
Jim, being new in town, knew nothing about the
contest, so he asked his friend, "how does this work?"
The friend took the card and said, "here, I'll show
you."
Whereupon he scraped the lack off the security box,
then the prize box. The prize box contained the follow-
ing: Instant winner $5,000. Jim took the card to the
manager and explained what had happened, but to no
avail. He was out five grand.
Jim
Heffner
Believe it or not, Jim still refers to the guy as his
friend.
The last harsh winter we had in this area, the time
when we had a lot of ice and snow, Jim decided he and
his son would be good neighbors. There was an elderly
couple who lived across the street, so he, in his own
inimitable way, thought it would be nice to lend a hand
since the gentleman of the house was in the hospital.
He and his son shoveled the snow and ice from the
couple's driveway and steps, but they missed a small
spot on the steps. Well, you can guess what happened
next. The lady came out, slipped on the small patch of
ice, fell and broke her knee. I don't remember whether
she got an adjoining room with her husband or not.
Last summer, Jim watched his children riding their
skateboards on the sidewalk in front of his house. He
thought that looked like a lot of fun, so he decided to
give it a try. Everything went along smoothly for a
while, but eventually, he made a sharp turn he couldn't
handle. Although the resulting crash didn't break any
bones, Jim ended up with extensive bruises and contu-
sions, that put him out of action for about a month.
Jim told me the other day he would never drive a
red car. Even when goes out of town and finds it nec-
essary to rent a car, he will not take a red one. If the
rental agency can't provide him with a car of another
color, he goes to another agency. I guess he considers
red cars bad luck. My question is: how could he have
worse luck?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT - I read somewhere that
Reverend Billy Graham was just honored with a star
on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. That's a little unusual
don't you think? Is Dr. Graham a minister or an enter-
tainer?
Getting their stars, along with Reverend Graham
were Charlie Tuna, a Los Angeles disc jockey and
Cubby Broccoli, produce of the James Bond films.
Sounds like a full course meal to me—Tuna,
Broccoli and Graham crackers.
THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING - There was a re-
port the other day about a Russian sailor who jumped
ship in Rockaway Beach, Oregon and ran through the
resort town naked, waving a small American flag in
one hand and brandishing a knife in the other.
The Russian went on a rampage, breaking into a
church and destroying equipment as well as smashing
several windows as he tossed out a VCR and a com-
puter system, among other items. He was arrested, of
course.
"I wanted to try American." was his only explana-
tion. Now what in the world does that mean?
At any rate the U.S. Immigration Service came to
the rescue, granting the Bolshevik temporary asylum.
Temporary asylum? This guy needs permanent asy-
lum—in an insane asylum.
Don't we live in a wonderful country?
BARNEY AND FLAT NOSE
Get Well Soon,
When Kings Mountain's David Godbold first began
trying to get a tree-climbing dog named Flat Nose
booked for showings, many were the times he heard
the loud banging of a phone being hung up.
"People thought we were crazy," he said.
Now, reporters and television crews from all over
the United States are in Raleigh to see if the world-fa-
mous dog from Darlington, S.C., will be able to climb
again.
Flat Nose, whose last public appearance was in
downtown Kings Mountain in June, had a pacemaker
surgically implanted Tuesday at the North Carolina
State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Johnny
Carson, on whose TV show Flat Nose appeared many
times, sent roses.
Godhold, Flat Nose's talent manager, and Barney
Odom, the dog's owner, first began noticing something
wasn't right with Flat Nose when they brought him to
Kings Mountain that Saturday in June. "We recognized
he was a little sick but thought maybe he'd been tired
from all the riding and flying he had been doing,"
Godbold said.
Since being signed by Godbold a couple years ago,
Flat Nose has climbed over 2,000 times, including nu-
merous times in front of television audiences and for
Flat Nose!
Gary
Stewart
dog food commercials. He has made a tour of Japan
and has climbed trees all over the United States, in-
cluding appearances at halftime of the Citrus and
Orange Bowls.
Flat Nose's tree-climbing ability apparently came
naturally. Barney Odom, who owns seven other bull-
dog-terriers, was walking his dogs on his farm in
Darlington County, S.C., one day about five years ago
when Flat Nose climbed a tree.
"Barney grabbed a stick and started whipping him,
trying to keep him from climbing," Godbold said.
One day not long afterward, Odom came home and
found Barney high up in a tree. The thought came to
See Flat Nose, 5-A
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