TVR TE ymin
GUEST
COLUMN
N.C. toll
roads hit
roadblock
The N.C.House sent a bill
that would authorize toll roads
in North Carolina on a detour -
one that will probably end up
as a dead-end road.
After an
hour of ques-
tions, the
House voted
overwhelm-
ingly to send
the bill back
to committee.
With the ses-
sion winding
down, it’s
unlikely that
the measure will wind its way
back to the floor.
North Carolina has tradition-
ally frowned on motorists pay-
ing tolls to travel on the state’s
highways. But supporters of toll
roads believe the climate may
be changing as more citizens
find themselves stuck in traffic,
and the state struggles to build
roads and public transportation
fast enough.
Supporters believe a private
developer can design and build
a road in months, rather than
the years required by the state.
Speeding up construction
would help relieve some of the
traffic jams. ;
A private toll-road developer
in Alabama has raised interest
in toll roads by making several
presentations to legislative com-
mittees and study commissions.
Officials from the state
Department of Transportation,
who have been cool to the idea
pot privately-built toll roads, ac-
wknowledge that they have be-
come interested.
The bill that the House sent
back to committee would have
allowed up to three privately-
developed toll roads in North
Carolina. A bridge crossing the
Catawba River between Gaston
and Mecklenburg counties is a
prime contender for one of the
three roads. :
House members spent an =
hour of debate asking dozens of
questions about the impact of
the measure. ji
Some did not like the idea of
effectively giving a private com-
pany the power to condemn
land. Under the bill, the
Department of Transportation
would use the state's power of
eminent domain in cases where
property owners did not want
to sell. The developer would
then reimburse the state.
Others questioned whether
there was a limit on the toll
road that could be charged,
whether to toll would come off
when the road was paid for and
what would happen if a private
toll-road developer abandoned
a project halfway through con-
struction.
The chairs of the powerful
budget- and tax-writing com-
mittees also waded into the de-
bate and said provisions of the
/ bill needed review by their
committees.
The House decided to send
the bill to the Finance
Committee, which considers
bills dealing with taxes and
fees. If it emerges from there, it
will likely go to the budget-
writing Appropriations
Committee. With the session
winding down, the chances are
not good that the bill will come
up for a vote of the full House.
By sending the bill off to
committee, the House didn’t
ban toll roads. Some argue that
a developer could build a pri-
vate toll road in North Carolina
now.
But it is not clear that a pri-
vate toll-road builder could tap
into the existing highway sys-
tem. So the apparent death of
the bill put a big roadblock in
front of toll roads in North
Carolina.
(Andy Dedmon represents
Cleveland County in the North
Carolina House of
Representatives).
Andy Dedmon
PICTORIAL EDITO
+
The
RR
RIAL
Kings Mountain Herald
ALAN HODGE/THE HERALD
A regular T-ball scorer, eight-year-old Jake Allen gets ready to sock another run. Allen was taking
part in a recent baseball camp at Kings Mountain High School.
YOUR OPINION
u :
This is an open letter to
Fairview Baptist Church, its
- pastor, trustees and members:
It’s hard to imagine the cruel-
_ ty of the decision to relocate the
‘old graves that are one hundred
or more years old - the land-
mark of our old ancestors who
so graciously struggled to have
a place of worship - working in
cotton fields, corn fields, potato
patches, etc., hands sore and
scarred, trying to prepare for
the future. I write this as a plea
from the heart.
Wouldn't it be a cruel thing to
tear down what God gave them
strength to do? Whatever God
forbids us to do are the very
things Satan will entice you to
do. We have to be very careful
to feel God's heart, so as not to
be enticed by the devil. Stop!
Disregard all of Satan’s reason-
ing and know that God will al-
ways be faithful to impress in
the right way. Think about it,
I'm sure God would not lead -
you to disrespect the pioneers
who were laid in their final
earthly resting places. Think
how cruel it would be to the
loved ones who are still living.
Think about how it affects their
thoughts and frustrations, to
harbor anything so bizarre.
I am greatly disturbed to the
extent of sleepless nights so I
asked the Holy Spirit to speak:
to my heart and illuminate my - .
path. As I sat here in silent 2
reverie the still small voice said,
“Pick up your pen and write © .
what I'm saying to you. Tell the =
Opposes relocating graves
To the editor:
house of worship with godly
people, just don’t go out of
habit or because you have . po-
sition. Go to worship and de-
part to serve.”
Expanding the building will
not save souls; it is mostly to
boost ego. What a cruel way to
exalt yourselves, and God is not
pleased. May the words of this
letter pierce your conscience
and heart as an arrow, tearing it
to shreds.
.Iam no longer a member of
Fairview Baptist Church. I was
raised up, and baptized in a
- creek. Lam proud of my culture
and spiritual heritage. I'm not a
‘member, but I have a lot of an-
.cestors buried at Fairview
Baptist Church Cemetery, and
people it’s fine to go to the ~~ i Wie See Letter, 12A
-y
Editor: Gary Stewart 739-7496
June 29, 2000
Summer reading is a sure bet
to take you places in your mind
One of the best things a kid can do this summer is vi
brary and get some books. Books procured,
then go home, turn off the TV, curl up some- :
where cool, and read, read, read.
Having worked in libraries for 13 years, I am
somewhat familiar with how important reading
is to minds young and old. Every summer for
over 10 years I put on the library summer read-
ing mascot suit and made visits to schools, day
cares, other libraries and parks to encourage
kids to read. During the eourse of these adven- Alan Hodge
tures I was costumed as a monkey, dinosaur, pink cat, shark,
roel and a coupe of other characters that have slipped my
mind.
The effect that books have on kids is enormous. Not only do
they offer reading material, books can take children on jour-
ney’s in their imagination that older folks fail to appreciate.
What child has not ridden in the crow’s nest of a pirate ship,
been a fairy princess, won the West, or gone into outer space
through the pages of a book? ) :
A good local library like Mauney Memorial in Kings
Mountain can plant the seed of books in a child that can grow
into something wonderful. When I was a chap growing up in
Charlotte, I used to walk to the East Branch library, sit in its cool
and somewhat musty environs and read anything I could get
my hands on. Well, almost anything. Once I was looking at a
National Geographic with some natives in it and the librarian
took it away. ;
Parents owe reading time to their kids. Again, turn off the TV,
sit with your child in a comfortable chair or even under a shady
tree, and read together. Not only will this form a bond between
parent and child, it will also form a bond between the child’s
mind and books. If parents read stories to their kids as often as
they did in the days before TV, it would go a long way to creat-
ing a kinder, gentler world.
Besides the written word, another aspect of children’s books
these days that has seen marked development is artwork. Gone
are the days when pictures in a kid’s book were cartoon-like in
their simplicity. Now, with rich and imaginative illustrations by
top artists filling their pages, even elementary children’s books
offer a treat to the eyes.
Summer will be over before you know it, so now is the time to
take your kids to the library. Who knows, a love of books start-
ed now could last forever.
sit a li-
pv
Letters to the editor
We appreciate your letters to the editor and encourage you
to write. Because we receive so many letters, however, we must
impose guidelines to ensure that as many readers as possible
are able fo share their views. We therefore limit the ntimbet ‘of
letters that any one person may have published to one a
month. Also, we ask that you keep your letters short, no more
than two pages double-spaced or one page single-spaced.
Handwritten letters are accepted, but must be legible.
We will not publish letters from anonymous writers; names,
addresses, and phone numbers must be included. We reserve
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Letters must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday of
the week they are to be published. Mail letters to The Editor,
P.O. Box 769, Kings Mountain, NC 28086 or fax them to (704)
739-0611.
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past the deadline will be withheld until the following week.
Be
SIDEWALK
SURVEY
ou seseesscssssrscscceniae eessssses
By ALAN HODGE
‘Kings Mountain Herald
What do you
think about
| the closing of
i
the video
poker parlors?
they are
If people want to It doesn’t matter to
They haven't had an I'm glad I'm glad to see them \
effect on me one going to close down. going away. spend their money me one way or the
way or the other. at the casinos, then other if they close
that’s their right. them.
Frank Shaw Charlotte Shields Tracy Stewart Kenneth Clark Amy Lail
Grover Grover Kings Mountain Grover Shelby
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