X Ee Re Rb i April 27, 2000 Herald/Times i I ro PA hr le ols A LQ RR RARE RR wa Ry Page 9A. Citizens give Myrick earful on school merger BY ALAN HODGE Staff Writer With some help from Shirley Brutko and Kathy Falls of Kings Mountain, the issue of school merger appeared Tuesday evening on the plate of Representative Sue Myrick dur- ing her Town Hall meeting at Town and Country Barbecue restaurant. The subject came up during a question and answer period in which Rep. Myrick asked the 40 or so folks who had come to see her if there was anything on their minds. Brutko immediate- ly brought up the merger prob- lem. “We have a situation in this county where 80 percent of the people are against school merg- er;” Brutko said. “We have worked hard for over 100 years on our schools to make them the best.” Brutko went on to ask Myrick if there was any thing she could do directly to intercede in the merger fight. “Let your voice be heard on this issue,” Myrick said. “The wheel that squeaks gets the grease. Too many people are ap- athetic today. Speak up because you never know who might be listening that can help. If your elected officials are not listening to you, get someone else in of- fice who will.” Anti-merger ramrod Kathy Falls also spoke to Myrick about the political situation in Cleveland County. “We are grasping at any means possible to stop merger,” Falls said. “We are not being heard by the county commis- sioners. The chairman, Jim : Crawley, even said he didn’t rule by public opinion. That's the type of person we're dealing with.” Following Falls’ comments, help from an unexpected quar- ter appeared in the room when Patrick Gartland, Southeastern Regional Director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said he knew Phil Kirk of the North Carolina State Board of Education and would try to set up an appointment so that merger opponents could tell their side of the story before fi- nal approval. Prior to the merger discus- sion, Myrick had given a short address in which she touched on several issues currently on the burner in Washington. Myrick’s main topics were taxes and health care. “We voted in the House to eliminate the marriage penalty | for double i income SA ALAN HODGE/THE HERALD Work continues at a fast pace on the new three-story E&E Professional Plaza at the corner of Watterson and King streets in Kings Mountain. With good weather, the job should be done in a few weeks. 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Myrick also reported that medical care for the elderly was getting a close look in Washington. Prescription drug coverage for the elderly was a topic she addressed. “Up to one-third of seniors . don’t have enough insurance to cover their prescription medicines,” Myrick said. “We hope to set aside $20 billion for this purpose by the end of the year.” Myrick’s visit to Kings Mountain was part of a two- week tour to’hear what her con- stituents have to say on the is- sues facing their communities and the nation. SUE MYRICK Trust our crew to keep your home comfort equipment running smoothly. home comfort products! Start your engine! Race to Dilling Heating Co., Inc. today and take advantage of our outstanding track record of dependability. As a Lennox dealer, we offer the highest quality parts and service that keep our products performing years down the road with minimal pit stops. 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