i
IN
YOUR
OPINION
Skateboarders
can only dodge
traffic in KM
Many kids and teens in
our day and age who skate
or ride BMX are all asking
the same question. “Where
can we go to let loose and
not worry about cars or.
cops?”
The answer is nowhere!
We aren't allowed to ride
anywhere. The city ordi-
nance even says that the
only place bikers and skate-
boarders are allowed is in
the street, and that trick rid-
ing is illegal.
Everybody has the wrong
idea about bikers and skate-
boarders like us. They have
the stereotype in their mind
that many other people do;
they think that we are van-
dalizing hoodlums who
cause nothing but trouble.
That isn’t fair to say, though.
That is like saying every-
body who has a tattoo is
gothic, or that everybody
who drinks is an alcoholic
We have been biking and
skating for a little over a
year and the worst injury
we've ever had is a broken
collar bone, and we haven't
vandalized anything. We
definitely don’t do drugs,
and don’t plan on starting.
The only reason we get into
trouble is because people
think we will destroy their
property and they panic and
call the cops on us. Just the
other day we almost got
arrested for riding to
McDonalds. The truth is
that biking keeps us out of
trouble and leads us away
from drugs and danger.
On June 2, my friend and
I went to the police depart-
ment to have an interview
about the city ordinance on
riding bikes and skateboard-
ing. They said that the only
place we are allowed to ride
is in the streets. I always
thought they wanted to
keep kids off the street and
provide a safe place for us,
but I guess that isn’t true.
We have nowhere to go. We
don’t have access to any
parks around here that are
dedicated to our sport. They
would rather us get hit by a
car than to build us a safe
environment to skate and -
ride in.
I don't see a difference
between our sport and all
the other ones, like baseball,
basketball, football, soccer
and golf. But the funny part
is that they all have local
courts, fields and courses to
play their sport. Some even
have two or three right here
in Kings Mountain. All we
have is the street.
The sad part is that the
city doesn’t want to do any-
thing about it. I don’t know
if it’s because of liability or
what, but I think they could
get in worse trouble from
one of us getting hit by a car
than falling in a skatepark.
Because in a skatepark you
have to sign a waiver,
relieving them from any lia-
bility involving wrecks,
See Letters, 5A
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OPINIO
EDITORIAL
The Kings Mountain Herald
ANDIE L. BRYMER / HERALD
Boaters at Kings Mountain's Moss Lake should be cautious. Because of recent heavy rains man trees and other
debris have washed into the lake.
What not try new
ideas concerning
our healthcare?
The cost of healthcare in the United
States is atrocious. Most people realize
this, including our elected officials. Abigail Worford
Staff Writer
However, no one has done anything. Do @fsmmmmmmmmmmss
they not know what to do? I propose that we take a les-
son from Europe and go to socialist medicine.
I do not understand why socialist medicine would not
work in the United States. It seems to work well in
Europe. When people are sick, they can simply go to the
doctor, without worrying about the cost of the visit.
When they need medicine, they simply go to the pharma-
cy and get their prescription, without having to pay for it
up front. Healthcare is simply funded through a federal
tax.
Those under socialist medicine also do not have to pay
for insurance. The cost of health insurance in the United
States is outlandish. It seems ridiculous that we should
even have to pay for something to protect us “just in case”
we do get sick. However, few could afford to take the risk
of not having insurance.
Health insurance is ridiculous for those who are retired.
My parents both recently retired, and their health insur-
ance went up 13.5 times what they paid before they
retired. How can anyone possibly justify something like
that?
Every year, members of Congress argue about the prop-
er way to have health care in the United States. Many use
health care reform as their campaign platform, so they
obviously acknowledge that it is a problem. However,
after they are elected, they come to the people year after
year with sorry excuses for health care bills. Every year, I
wonder how on earth these people even got elected and
why they are not being held accountable for their actions.
The cost of prescriptions for seniors urgently needs to
be addressed. My grandmother’s prescriptions each
month cost almost more than she has to live on each
month. How appalling that an 84-year-old woman has to
pay so much for the medicine that keeps her healthy.
The current Congress and administration have done lit-
tle to aid seniors. Whenever someone suggests something
that would actually benefit the people, the majority of
Congress members vote it down because of the cost.
See Abigail, 5A
just turns me on
i
S
There's something
about a mule that
There’s something about a mule that
turns me on.
I can’t explain it exactly, but mules are
some of my favorite people. Now I don’t
own a mule myself, but I've been around **
a few of them from time to time and they strike me as
being inscrutable animals. The mule always seems to have
something up its Sleeve and, a awry. smile on its faceto
ALAN HODGE
Columnist
AI
prove it. Look “at a mule’s'facé and think about it. HC 61
Though some folks might think they are common as
dirt, a mule has a noble heart. I know of a guy in a Civil
War reenactment cavalry unit who rides a mule instead of
a horse. This mule is huge, steel-black in color and when
he gets going he has a headstrong, get outta my way look
about him that is decidedly fetching and grand.
I wrote a story a couple years ago about a guy who lives
on Moss Lake named Ambrose Cline who had two gigan-
tic yellow mules. He used them on occasion to plow a
small garden. He gave me the chance to plow the garden.
The mules took off and I plowed the garden with my
knees and elbows before I could let go of the plow han-
dles. Plowing is harder than it looks
Last week was the Garibaldifest in Belmont. There is a
guy named Dale Ward who brings a couple of little mules
and a wagon each year and gives rides. I petted the mules
and they looked at me in a kindly way that would melt
anyone's heart.
The way that mules come into this world is interesting.
A mule is a cross between a horse and an ass. I forget
which is supposed to be the man and which is supposed
to the woman, as some men think they are the former and
many of both genders are the latter, but a mule is what
happens after they hit and/or stumble around in the hay.
A mule can’t make another mule and there are and have
been plenty of mules around so someone is having an
interesting if somewhat odd time. If they went to a mule
motel and didn’t want to sign their names one could write
Ima Ass on the register.
As long as I'm in the barnyard, I might also say that I
am decidedly neutral about cows. I once knew a guy
named Goober Carmichael who lived on a dairy farm in
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Editor: Gary Stewart 739-7496
LOOK BACK
Boll weevil
threatening
cotton in ‘53
From the June 18, 1953
edition of the Herald:
Cleveland County cotton
farmers were warned this
week by Howard Clapp,
county agent, that they
stand a good chance of los-
ing a cotton crop if they do
not poison the boll weevil.
R.H. “Doc” Burton, for-
mer butcher at Plonk’s
Grocery, has purchased the
interest of W.R. Peterson in
Ware & Peterson Grocery.
Members of the Kings
Mountain National Guard
left Sunday for Fort
McClellan, AL where they
will undergo a two-week
encampment.
North Carolina's bur-
geoning outdoor drama
industry, including Kings
Mountain's “Sword of
Gideon,” will be featured
in the forthcoming Sunday
edition of the Atlanta
Journal.
Prepayments of 1953 city
tax bills trickled in at a
faster rate during the past
week, and the total early
Wednesday afternoon was
$3,370.68.
The first organizational
meeting to form a Kings
Mountain Lodge of the
Loyal Order of Moose will
be held Wednesday at 8
p-m. at the Masonic Lodge.
Third baseman George
Harris topped a 14-hit
attack with 4-for-5, includ-
ing a double and three
runs batted in, to lead
Kings Maunteines ye
A Amer ean, Legion) Lgyiors, ff ;
a
Morganton.
Dan Finger was present-
ed the Kings Mountain
Country Club handicap
tournament championship
trophy at a dinner at the
club Wednesday.
Teleseaman Erwin N.
Hughes, stationed with the
navy at the Boston Naval
Base, Boston, Mass.
returned Tuesday after
spending a 15-day leave
here with his wife and par-
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad
Hughes.
Good buys:
Nylon cord suits were
$22.50 and sport shirts
were $2.98 at Keeter’s...Box
620 cameras were $15.95
and cuff links were $1.75 at
Dellinger’s Jewel Shop...A
recliner was only $69.50 at
Coopers.
Women's dresses were
$4.85 at Reba’s Fashions,
located between McCurdy
Cleaners and Dixie-Home
Store... Admission to two
shows at Kings
Mountain /Bessemer City
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ee——
Huntersville. Goober and his brothers and pappy had
about 200 cows so they weren't exactly on a first-name
SE
Drive In was 40 cents (free
See Alan, 5A
if you were under 12 and
. accompanied by parents).
SIDEWALK
SURVEY
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
& ANDIE L. BRYMER
THE HERALD
Ww
How are
‘you coping
with the
city’s water
problems?
“Just getting by. The kids
don’t like it.”
“Not good. I work at
KFC. It's awful. We've
had people to turn down
Ray Hale our tea because of our
Kings Mountain water. We've had to give
refunds.”
Misty Cody
Kings Mountain
“Just praying and taking it
one day at a time. You
know it could be worse.
We're just buying us some
water to drink.”
Mary J. Adams
Kings Mountain
“Buying bottled water. It
is awful. I don’t actually
live here, but I work here.”
Lisa Lacroix
Shelby
“T work at Summit Place,
and I don’t think we have
a problem there. We
haven't really had any
complaints. Our water's
been fine. Our residents
have all been fine.”
Tammy Roper
Kings Mountain
re