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SPO Eee - a ll A rp a nt de Page 4A-THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Thursday, May 3, 1990 Superintendents Viewpoint + BOB McRAE We appreciate teachers, staff The first full week in May is annually designated as Teacher Appreciation Week. We plan to expand that concept and conclude this time period on May 15 with our second annual Employee Appreciation Day. No school system is any better than the people who work there. I think we're fortunate here to have some of the very best. I am sure that most of you have heard of the budget woes being experienced in state government. Our school system has been told that we need to return al- most $140,000.00 in state funds which we had planned on using before July 1. Some school systems are con- sidering laying off employees in order to meet their obligation. I think we should do that only as the very last resort. In our system we try to emphasize the fact that each employee, no matter what role he or she fills, is vital to the instruction of our children. Obviously, teachers are on the front line of instruction but every- one supports the cause. I know of no way that we could legitimately distinguish who could be laid off without impairing our ability to serve our children's needs. We need to remind ourselves of the important roles filled by our classified employees. All of our children need to be assured of a nutritious lunch - and breakfast for some - if they are to be expected to pay attention in ciass. Our cafeteria workers handle this important re- sponsibility very well. Fixing lunch for hundreds of students is a difficult job. I eat in our cafeterias enough to know our staffs do a superb job. Students, if they are to have maximum opportunity to learn, need to attend schools in clean, safe, secure facilities. This responsibility is handled capably by our maintenance and custodial staffs. Often they have to work on short notice to handle an emergency situation. At other times they must stay steadily active so that we can get maximum use out of our campuses. I think these folks have really worked hard in the last few years to improve our appearance and the environment in which students learn. Clerical service is also essential to our operation. We have some of the finest office workers with which I have ever been associated. Not only do they support our certified staff by helping to prepare instructional materials; they also help you get the information you need by handling your requests. They are the vital link to communications between our employees and the community. Our central office workers provide the same level of efficient support that is found at the school level. Bus drivers may have the most difficult task of all. They have the lives of our students placed in their hands on a daily basis. Ours do this job quite well. We have had very few accidents, and no serious ones, in recent years. Teachers assistants and other instructional assistants give support to our certified employees by giving that extra attention and care to need of our children that can best be met on a small group or individual basis. They offer a direct support service to the efforts of our chil- dren to learn. Obviously, our teachers and administrators are vital to the effort. I have told you before of their expertise and of their care and concern for our youngsters. I will simply tell you that now that care continues at a higher level than ever before. Your children are in good hands as they strive to learn. We are a team in this system. Each worker supports the others, and each is a key link in the mission of the system. As Employee Appreciation Day nears, I want to commend all of our folks to you and say to them, through this article, how much I respect and appreciate their efforts. Their pride in their work and in this sys- tem shines through everything they do. As a result, when our children go to school, they have a better than average chance to learn. I hope you are as proud of our employees as I am. Established 1889 Published Thursday at East King Street at Canterbury Road, Kings Mountain, North Carolina 28086, USPS 931-040, by Republic Newspapers, Inc. H-Doan Ridings ...-........-cte ic issn tesserae nna Publisher Paul Segers . Advertising Director Gary Stewart... aks Editor Elizabeth Stewa ...News Editor Kathy Allen... dvertising Manager Lance Frady. Account Executive Frances Blac Account Executive Jeff Grigg roduction Manager Debra Owen .Ad Composition/Design Oa WIAY. oi 5 see descr ea sintoune bevendss Typesetter Beverly Bollinger................covnininienannnns Typesetter Sarah Griffin ... .Business Manager Vickie'Barber.............. ies secs sis cine Bookkeeper Vickie Smith..............scoeeeiiiin. ono Receptionist Deniece Talbert ...Circulation Manager Dieter Melhorn Photographer Victor Trivett Pressroom Superintendent Dale Payne............. Lococo, Assistant Pressman April Camp.............. As he Darkroom Technician Postmaster: Send Address Changes To: Kings Mountain Herald: P.O. Box 769 Kings Mountain, NC 28086 Subscription Jalts 6 Months In County..cecrisvesrinsssisssssns: $14.50 $7.25 Out-Of-County........ouueesreereens $15.55 $7.80 Student Rates (9 Mos.)......... $11.00 (All prices include 5 percent sales tax.) REPUBLIC R NEWSPAPERS, INC. ETN ©1990, PM Editorial Services CAN T PLANT SOME. BROWNIES 2 Tired of this 'Trump’ card There really is very little excuse for this column, but sometimes I hear things, or something catches my eye and I glom onto it like a wad of bubble gum on a bedpost. The only way I can get those items out of my system is to tell somebody about them, so here goes. Are you getting tired of the Trump soap opera as 1? The comings and goings of Donald and Ivana Trump, not to mention that luscious little dish from Dalton, Georgia is becoming tiresome. Now the Trumps, having clicked into their reasonable mode, have agreed it's OK to date. It seems to me that at least one of them had already made that decision, but now it's in writing. The Trumps have signed a pact that al- lows them to date without it becoming grounds for di- vorce. Can you believe that? The agreement, it says here, was created at the request of Ivana. I wonder if that means they have agreed in writing to date each other of the community at large? Who cares? I saw a book the other day that should be good reading. The author is Pepper Rodgers. If that name is- n't familiar, Rodgers used to the football coach at Kansas and Georgia Tech. He is also one of the funni- est men on earth. Here are some of Pepper's com- ments: "Coaches like to talk about building character. They don't build character, they just eliminate those that don't have it . . . I've been on the move for 21 years, so long in fact that kids think Atlas Van Lines is the school bus . . . (after his Kansas team was penal- ized in the Orange Bowl for having too many men on the field) our 6-2-2-2 defense is tough to beat." And my personal favorite: "I used to have a lot of trouble remembering names until I took that Sam Carnegie course." Pepper's book has just got to be a laugher. I'd give you the title except I've forgotten it. I guess maybe I ought to take that Sam Carnegie course myself. And speaking of books, I was browsing in a small bookshop in Miami the other day when I discovered one called "637 Best Things Anybody Ever Said." I was intrigued by that title so I thumbed through it and came up with a few interesting quotes. Dolly Parton is supposed to have said: "You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap." Author Saul Bellow one quipped: "She was what we used to call a suicide blonde -- dyed by her own hand." Then there was Zsa Zsa Gabor: "I am a marvelous housekeeper. Everytime I leave a man I keep his house. " Science fiction Novelist Robert Heinlein: "It is better to copulate than never." William Dean Howells: "Some people stay longer in an hour than others do in a month." Lord Beaverbrook: ‘Buy old Jim Heffner masters. They bring better prices than young mistress- es.” Again I have a personal favorite. Whereas Garrison Keillor usually puts me sound asleep he did utter this gem: "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known." Sounds to me like Garrison took language lessons from Casey Stengel. And speaking of language how many times have you heard someone say, "There you go!" or "I hear you." or "You know it, too?" What do they mean? It seems to me that all three of those phrases have the same meaning which is, I agree with you. How about "Right on?" It means the same thing. But the flip phrases that really bug me are: "I could care less," "At this point in time," which means "Now," and "Go for it," which, as far as I can figure, means absolutely nothing. Lately I've been hearing sports announcers use "In back of" instead of behind. I guess the U.S. Government is the worst offend- er. I read an article recently about a man who had ac- quired a quantity of iron pipe that was coated with gobs of oil and grease. He made the mistake of writing a government agency to ask if hydrochloric acid would clean pipe so that he might use it. The agency wrote back the following: "The use of the mentioned agent for the purpose indicated might prove negatively bene- ficial." The gentleman wasn't quite sure what that meant so he wrote a second letter saying, "I guess you mean it's OK to use the Hydorchloric acid." Somebody with the government finally go t smart and replied to the man: "Don't use Hydrochloric acid. It eats hell out of pipe." Well, now I'm rid of those nuggets. About county recreation On Thursday, April 26 a public meeting was con- ducted in Shelby to discuss the status of the Cleveland County Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The meet- ing, which was attended by 80 people, was also an op- portunity for the public to provide input on the plan thus far and to allow the consultant some time to go in- to greater detail about our county-wide recreation fa- cilities. During the meeting representatives from Woolpert Consultants, the planning firm contracted by the county to conduct the study, stated that the cities of Shelby and Kings Mountain are currently providing the bulk of the organized parks and recreation services in Cleveland County. The consultants also discussed, in detail, the possible scenarios for parks and recre- ation within the county in the future. Three of the four - scenarios involve greater participation by the county in the provision of park areas and/or service, while the fourth scenario called for maintaining the current situ- ation. Many of the speakers at the meeting were very sup- portive of some county involvement in parks and recreation on a county-wide basis. No specific recom- mendations were made by either the consultants or the public as to what extent or in what direction county participation is desired. The general consensus, how- ever, from those who spoke, was that the county needs to be encouraged and urged to become more involved in meeting recreation needs. From a facilities perspective, the consultants were quite surprised at what they found on a county-wide basis. The most pressing needs throughout the county are for more mini-parks, children's play areas, picnic areas, major renovations to swimming pools in Kings Mountain and Shelby and the need to construct one or two additional pools in sections of the county. Many of David Hancock KM Recreation Director these components could be included within the County District parks which were recommended by the con- sultants. District parks are typically for all ages, gener- ally serve populations ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 and can be reached within a 1/2 hour driving time. When we look at possibilities of a parks and recre- ation system provided through the county, there are a couple of very important areas which must be consid- ered. Both issues to be considered were brought out, in one form or another, by several speakers at the meet- ing last Thursday. Of primary concern is the question of who is willing to pay for a county system. The county has expressed interest in parks and recreation by funding, in cooperation with Kings Mountain and Shelby, the ongoing master plan study but some speak- ers questioned the commissioners’ willingness to ap- propriate funds to purchase land for county parks. If you are interested in county participation in Parks and Recreation, let the commissioners know of your inter- est--they have to see a concern from the public on this and any other issue which they face. That's the only way any government body can make an objective deci- sion. See Hancock, 12-A Your Right To Say It Support PG : Dear Editor: I encourage parents and other Cleveland County cit- izens, businesses and industries to support Project Graduation 1990. As the parent of a member of the Kings Mountain Senior High School Class of 1989, I was a volunteer in the first year of Project Graduation. This event gave students the opportunity to celebrate this major occasion in their lives in a wholesome drug free environment. I urge everyone to support Project Graduation. What better way can we show our young. people that we have faith in them and that we want to assist them in their transition into adulthood. Sincerely, Doyle E. Campbell Thanks, KM! Dear Editor: On behalf of the White Plains Shrine Club, I want to personally thank the citizens of Kings Mountain and surrounding towns. Your support of our barbecue sale was deeply appreciated. Without your generosity, our efforts would be in vain. Thank you again for helping the crippled and burned child. Sincerely, Ned T. Yarbro President, White Plains Shrine Club Be A Friend Dear Editor: As chairman of the membership committee for the newly-formed "Friends of the Library," I would like to invite each person, family, club, association or busi- ness to join "Friends." The purpose of this group is to promote the library in the community, develop and maintain special pro- grams as needed, provide funds for special library needs, encourage volunteer participation in library ac- tivities and services, and provide a channel for indi- viduals and organizations to express ideas and make suggestions for library use and services. Current activities or programs already established or in the planning stages are 1) the adult literacy program training for volunteer tutors; 2) art exhibits and lec- tures; 3) book sales; 4) authors lectures for children and adults; 5) puppet shows and 6) special programs and workshops for children, teens and adults. Students, 18 and younger, can join for $1 a year. Adults can join for $5 a year, a family can join for $7.50 and a club, association or business can join for $50 a year. Lifetime and patron members are also available at $100 for adults and $150 for families. Patron memberships for clubs or businesses are $200 and up. Won't you consider becoming a Friend of the Library for yourself or as a gift to a child or family member? For more information contact the Library, President Martin Stallings or this writer. MRS. W. K.IMAUNEY III Thanks, Senator To The Editor: I'd like to thank North Carolina's Senator Terry Sanford for co-sponsoring the Tongass Timber Reform Act currently before Congress. This bill will help save a unique and special place, the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. As a professional fishing guide, I've had the oppor- tunity to help many people enjoy the wild country of the Tongass. Unfortunately, I've also seen firsthand the relentless destruction of the irreplacable old-growth forests that make up the biological heart of this great country. The U.S. Forest Service's operation in Southeast Alaska is widely recognized as the worst of any feder- al land management program. An incredibly destruc- tive boondoggle, the Tongass timber program loses money hand over fist subsidizing two giant corpora- tions which purchase public timber at a fraction of its true value. The companies’ unprecedented 50-year tim- ber contracts drive some of the most destructive forest management on record, and guarantee these corpora- tions, one wholly foreign owned, a monopolistic hold on Alaska's timber resources. It's a sad state of affairs to see a federal program that has gone amuck in an area that supports our country's highest population of bald eagles and brown bear! I feel that true Tongass timber reform must include terminating the 50-year contracts, and protecting, as wildemess, 23 areas which are identified as vital fish and wildlife habitat. Hopefully, the U.S. Senate will pass a Tongass bill that includes these provisions. John Muir once described Southeast Alaska as "a land of endless rhythm and beauty". People from North Carolina that have visited this special place will understand when I say that we owe Senator Sanford a letter of thanks for his effort in the fight to preserve our nation's largest and wildest national forest. The ad- dress for all U.S. Senators is: U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 3 Sincerely, Greg Petrich Letter Policy The Kings Mountain Herald welcomes your letters to the editor for publication in each week's paper. We ask that you follow these guidelines when presenting letters: All letters must be brief and to the point. Type and double space them, if possible, but sign them in ink and include the entire name, address and telephone number for verification purposes. The Herald reserves the right to edit letters for spelling, libel, slander, or any other reason, and re- serves the right to reject letters for any reason. Mail your letters to Letter to the Editor, P.O. Box 769, Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086. Hand-delivered let- ters will not be published.
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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May 3, 1990, edition 1
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