Page 10A
Letters to the Editor
I lt nt SH in a a ad fe YX
Ng, eS
We need Davis in NC Senate
To the editor:
I have known Dennis Davis for over eight
years. In that time I have seen his commitment to
Cleveland County and important issues such as
education and tax reduction. Dennis, who is a
teacher at Crest High School, is married with one
daughter who is also a public school teacher.
Dennis’ interest in politics comes after his fami-
ly and church. Dennis served as our state Senator
from 1995-1997, and during that time was ranked
as one of the best members of the Senate by
NCFREE. He was a respected member of the
Senate and has received wide support for his re-
election, including public endorsements from and
visits to Cleveland County on his behalf by for-
mer Governor Jim Holshouser, Charlotte Mayor
Richard Vinroot, Congressman Alex McMillan,
Congressman Cass Ballenger, Congresswoman
Sue Myrick, and many more. :
Dennis Davis has an excellent record of
achievement on a number of issues important to
people of Cleveland County. As a conservative
with an ability to understand how government
functions and the ability to reach common solu-
tions, Dennis Davis brings a solid ideological
base with a talent for achieving successful results.
This made hi a key player in many of the difficult
decisions that were made in the legislature in
1995, including the rare honor of being named as
a conferee to the budget bill negotiations. With
the anticipated Republican takeover of the Senate
in 1998, Dennis Davis will be a leader on many of
the important committees of the Senate.
As a neighbor, Dennis Davis’ top local legisla-
tive priorities include improving roads and
spurring economic development in Kings
Mountain and overall in Cleveland County.
As a teacher, Senator Davis is concerned with
improving the quality of public education and the
personnel involved therein. In fact, while a mem-
ber of the Senate, Dennis Davis supported the
legislation that mandated school employee crimi-
nal record checks (S 223), legislation to expel dan-
gerous students (S 26, S 51), and legislation au-
thorizing alternative schools, to make our schools
a safe place for learning. Dennis Davis will also
continue to stress local control of the schools in-
stead of a Raleigh bureaucracy. Dennis Davis also
feels that the educational budget priorities should
be aimed at improving the quality of education in
the classroom.
As a concerned citizen, Dennis Davis knows
that improvements to the criminal justice system
are badly needed. During the 1996 sqssion Dennis
Davis supported legislation to repeal the prison
camp (S 27), increase criminal penalties for cer-
tain crimes including drug trafficking, assault,
burglary, and other violent crimes (S 28), require
sex offender registration (S 53), and adding more
prison space to keep criminals locked away (S
28), all of which serve to protect the citizens of
Tom £ Died. 1998
North Carolina. i
As a fellow taxpayer, Dennis Davis is mindful
of the economic constraints placed on the family
budget by the heavy taxing hand of government.
That's why Dennis Davis supported legislation
creating an income tax cut for working families
(H 2, $10, S 11) and legislation repealing the in-
tangibles tax (S 8), which were ratified and are
now law; and supported legislation raising the
homestead exemption (S 9). Dennis Davis also
supported the unemployment insurance tax cut
(S 13), which was adopted into law. So
When re-elected, Dennis Dais will continue to
fight for the issues that mater to the residents of
Kings Mountain and Cleveland County. With a
solid conservative philosophy and the ability to
put that philosophy into practical legislative ac-
tion, Dennis Davis provides excellent leadership
and an unparalleled commitment to public ser-
vice. Dennis Davis would once again represent
the best interests of his constituents and be the
voice of the people.
Timothy K. Moore
Kings Mountain
KM should re-elect Weatherly
To the editor:
I hope that all voters in Kings Mountain re-
member that John Weatherly stood up for Kings
Mountain over the Moss Lake issue last year. If
people in Kings Mountain do nothing else on
election day, they should take the time to vote for
John Weatherly for re-election to the House of
Representatives.
James Falls
LETTER PoLicy
We welcome your letters to the editor for
publication in each week’s paper. We ask that
you use the following guidelines and dead- =
lines. : &
Keep your letters brief and to the point.
Letters in excess of 600 words will not be ac-
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Mail letters to The Editor, P.O. Box 769, Kings
Mountain, NC 28086; bring them by the offices
of Republic Newspapers at 821-1 East King
Street, Kings Mountain, or fax them to 739-
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2 Herald/Times
>
Girl Scouts
~ to recognize
arca women
The Pioneer Girl Scout
Council will honor women who
have made outstanding contri-
butions to the community
through its "Women of
" Distinction: Juliette and Daisy
~ Awards" event October 29, 6:30
PM at Aldersgate United
Methodist Church, Shelby.
Guest Speaker will be Suzanne
Stevens of WSOC-TV..
Five finalist will each receive
a "Juliette" award named for the
founder of Girl Scouting,
Juliette Gordon Low. The
"Daisy" award, which reflects
Juliette Low's nickname, will
honor an outstanding young
girl, age 14-21, for her contribu-
tions to the community. Of the
five "Juliette" finalists, one will
be selected as the overall win-
ner, the "Woman of Distinction"
for 1998. One "Daisy" winner
will also be announced that
evening.
The "Juliette" award winners
for 1998 and finalists for the
"Woman of Distinction Award"
are:
Sharon Decker, Gaston
County. Decker is president of
the Lynwood Foundation in
Charlotte, which renovated a
National Historic site and estab-
lished the William States Lee
Leadership Institute.
Sylvia Holmes, Lincoln
County. Holmes is the retired
Executive Director of the
Pioneer Girl Scout Council and
is active in the East Lincoln
Betterment Association and
“serves on the Board of Directors
of the Lincoln United Way.
Dorris Hoyle, Lincoln
County. Hoyle is an active vol-
* unteer with the Guardian-ad-
Litem program and has served
as a Girl Scout and Red Cross”
volunteer. :
Dr. Ann Lane, Rutherford
County. Lane is a pediatrician
who developed an afterschool
program for elementary chil-
dren with special needs and
helped establish a youth house
for girls in troubled home envi-
ronments. ;
Jane Talbert, Cleveland
: County. Talbert is the media
specialist for North Elementary
School in Kings Mountain. A.
Girl Scout leader and master
trainer, she is an officer in ‘the
Girl Scout Pioneers.
"The Woman of Distinction,
Juliette and Daisy awards rec-
ognize outstanding achieve-
ments by women and showcase
these community leaders as role
models for girls,” said Janice
Booth executive director of the
Pioneer Girl Scout Council.
Nominees for the "Daisy
Award" include: Laura
Dameron, Gaston County;
County; Laura Gibson, Lincoln
County; Lindsey Jones, Gaston
County; Laura Beth Morrison,
Cleveland County; Sarah Tench,
Gaston County; and Liz Ward,
Gaston County. :
Tickets for the event are
$15.00 for adults and $10.00 for
youth and are available through
the Pioneer Girl Scout Council's
Marguerite Ring Torrence
Service Center, Gastonia. For
more information, contact
704/864-3245 or
1/800/627/6031.
The Pioneer Girl Scout
Council serves over 4,300 girls
and adult volunteers in
Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln,
Polk, and Rutherford counties.
Kristine Denholm, Gaston.
MELINDA RATCHFORD
Gaston teacher expert
on sinking of The Titanic
By Alan Hodge ;
Over 250 Kings Mountain High
School students were spellbound
Tuesday morning as the Titanic
seemed to come to their auditori-
um.
In a special hour-long presenta-
tion, Gaston County Schools Dr.
Melinda Ratchford shared her 40
year fascination with the Titanic.
~ Using slides, video, audio, and
dozens of pieces of Titanic memo-
rabilia as props, Ratchford gave a
moving and knowledgeable lecture
on the ship that has been called the
“largest moving object ever made
by man.” ro
Among the most interesting
items Ratchford brought for the
students to view was a Titanic-style
life jacket that had been a movie
prop, and an actual lump of coal
from the great ship itself.
“I’ve-been fascinated with the
Titanic since I was a child and read
Walter Lord’s book A night to
Remember,” said Ratchford. “It
just captured my imagination.”
The lengths that Ratchford has
gone to in the pursuit of Titanic
lore reached mew heights in
August, 1996, when she went on a
cruise to the actual site where
Titanic sunk.
“We had a wreath-laying cere-
“mony at sea,” Ratchford recalled.
“The chaplain of the ship we were
on read a list of those who died on
the Titanic.”
Another highlight of Ratchford’s
Titanic quest came when she actu-
ally met two survivors of the
tragedy.
Eager to share her knowledge
with others, Ratchford has given
over 90 Titanic programs in the
past two years.
Kings Mountain High cultural
arts coordinator Susan Patterson
was pleased that Ratchford had
‘come.
“I read about Ratchford’s work
with the Titanic and decided to
give her a call,” said Patterson.
“The students are fascinated by the
story of the Titanic.”
"Among the students enjoying the
program was Daniel Lattimore.
“I think people are interested in
the Titanic because it was supposed
to be unsinkable,” Lattimore said.
“This program will help us learn
more about what happened.”
Fellow student Tilese Roseboro
recalled seeing the recent Titanic
movie.
“1 cried the whole time,”
Roseboro said. “It was so’ touch-
ing.”
No matter if the Titanic lies at
the bottom of the sea, its memory
lives on in people like Melinda
Rawhford (faa
PURSE
From 8A
.anklin Graham, president of
samaritan's Purse. "Many of the
children we give shoe boxes to
have never had a Christmas be-
fore. Their lives are filled with
pain, war, poverty, death and
disease. I wish everyone who
packs a shoe box could see first-
hand the joy that a simple gift
can bring."
Graham emphasizes that the
children are also reached with
the good news of God's gift,
Jesus Christ.
The YMCA is asking all of its
members and the community,
including churches and schools,
to become: a part of the project.
"How fortunate we are,” says
Suzi Kennedy, YMCA project
chairman. "We can't possibly
imagine what it is like to have
nothing and to be dying from
cold ‘and hunger. We have so
many opportunities. Here is a
Jewelry er Gift Gallery
226 S. Washington St., Shelby e 487-4521
way to share our abundance.
It's so easy even young children
can do it." Acting as co-sponsor
is the Children In Action group
at First Baptist Church, Shelby.
Here are the steps:
How to Pack Your Shoe Box
Gift:
1. Find an empty shoe box.
(You can wrap it-lid separately-
if you like, but wrapping is not
required.
2. Decide whether the gift
will be for a boy or a girl and
what age: 2-4 years; 5-9 years or
10-14 years. Label the box by
sex and age.
3. Fill the box with a variety
of gifts. (A suggested list fol-
lows.) You may enclose a photo
of yourself or your family.
4. Enclose $5 or more in a
envelope and put it in the box.
This will cover shipping costs.
Checks are recommended,
made out to Samaritan's Purse.
Gifts are tax deductible. Place a
rubber band around the box.
Suggested items for the shoe
box:
Small toys: stuffed animals,
~dolls, balls, cars (No toy guns,
knives, or other war-related
items.)
School supplies: pens, pen-
cils, sharpener, crayons, color-
-ing books, writing pads/paper,
solar calculator
Hygiene items: toothbrush,
comb, toothpaste, soap,
comb/brush :
.Other: T-shirt, socks, Bible
story picture books, sealed hard
candy
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