YOUR
OPINION
Noell promotes
Kings Mountain
After reading several arti-
cles and letters to the pub-
lisher in recent weeks, I felt
compelled to write a letter
expressing my support of
the efforts made by the
Special Events Department
in Kings Mountain. As a cit-
izen of Kings Mountain, I
appreciate the concerts and
other special events that
give my family a chance to
enjoy our beautiful city.
A question has been
raised about the necessity of
the Special Events
Department. In a time when
our community is facing
economic difficulty and job
loss, it is more important
than ever that we have
someone dedicated to
attracting people to this
area. An active, thriving
community is much more
likely to bring in new busi-
nesses and much needed
jobs. One recent article
pointed out that Kings
Mountain is the only town
in the area that employs a
full time activity director. In
actuality, the work that Ellis
Noell does is common in
growing cities. These towns
may have another name for
this department, or several
departmenis may handle
different aspects of the job,
but the work is being done.
If Kings Mountain truly
intends to be “The Gateway
to the Parks,” we have to
have someone promoting
our community. Events like
the triathlon and the
GateWay Festival are neces-
sary to encourage growth
and economic rejuvenation.
We must invite others to
come and enjoy the city that
we all love.
Respectfully,
Estelle M. Grabert
Kings Mountain
Cultural events
showcase city
The City of Kings
Mountain is very fortunate
to have a City Council,
Mayor and Events Planning
staff that makes efforts for
all citizens to enjoy cultural
activities within our annual
calendar of events. The pro-
fessionalism and dedication
of Mr. Ellis Noell in the pro-
motion and execution o
these events has been
tremendous.
Parades, festivals, road
races, concerts, etc. are an
opportunity to showcase
our community, businesses,
people and history. These
events also add opportuni-
ties for citizens to fellow-
ship with one another and
to develop lasting relation-
ships. In addition, these
events are held for all to
attend regardless of race,
religion, or economic back-
ground! There are many
people who attend these
events who cannot afford to
buy tickets to concerts or
Tv Meindng, BA
SEER
GOOD
=
JOB
OPINION ......
Thursday, October 30, 2003
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Southern Railway is doing maintenance work at several crossings in Kings Mountain this week, replacing some cross
ties, adding rock and repaving crossings. Above, workers are shown Tuesday repaving the crossing at Parkdale Mill. In
the background is the Hawthorne Street crossing which was also improved later Tuesday.
Are we getting all
we can get out of
our extra time?
Time. We lose track of it, buy books on
how to manage it and on Sunday got a
little more of it.
Andie Brymer
Daylight savings time ended sometime Staff Writer
early Sunday morning. I'll leave the exact muss
moment to the NASA engineers. I'm just
glad to get a bit more of it even if only an hour.
The last Sunday in October always thrills me. I wake up
and realize that whatever the clock says, it’s really an
hour earlier. No matter how late I sleep, I've got the gift of
one more hour in my day. I savor it. That Sunday always
seems extra long.
For a few weeks, until my body adjusts, I feel like I've
slept late on workday mornings thanks to the clock falling
back.
My excitement over the extra hour needs examining.
What am I doing with the seconds that make up the min-
utes that make up the hours of my days? Am I getting all I
can from them? Am I postponing my joy till later? Do I
realize later never comes? Can I really accept that true
happiness is not in the vacations, even holidays? It's
found in the moment by moment enjoyment of life, of
whatever is put before me even on Monday mornings.
Speaking of time, Joey and I felt like we traveled back a
few centuries Sunday afternoon. We visited the Carolina
Renaissance Festival in north Mecklenburg County. As we
stepped through the gate, a woman costumed in a gown
greeted us with “Good day my lord, my lady,” said in a
crisp, British accent. I wasn’t sure what to say back. I just
smiled and enjoyed it.
We watched as a procession of similarly well dressed
ladies marched past. A court jester teased visitors. A
woman beckoned us to purchase hot coffee. For a few
bucks we had the chance to visit a medieval torture muse-
um. We passed.
Crafts people from that era showed off their wares from
blown glass to hats and gowns. Silver jewelry and herbal
remedies competed for festival goers dollars.
Some of the offerings were a bit more exotic - tea leaf
and tarot card readers, henna body painting and camel
and elephant rides.
Vegetable justice amazed me the most. For $5 you could
have five tomatoes to toss at a man whose head and
hands were stuck through a wooden fence. I watched as
he taunted people holding the tomatoes. One short
woman, he repeatedly called her a midget, managed to hit
his face.
The creativity of his insults amazed me. I wondered
what it felt like to toss the tomato. I'll never know, I value
my money almost as much as my time.
EE
For the best in
bluegrass visit
Crouse MiniMart
There are many types of human talent
on this earth. Notice I specified human as
opposed to animal talent since it is obvi-
ous most monkeys are more adept at
swinging through the trees than a 250 sesssmmmmm—s——"—=
pound man. Anyway, some of these human talents
include sculpting, painting, writing, sitting on the sofa
semi-comatose while a ball game is on, and music. It is
this last talent that I wish now to examine.
I read once that music is the sound of the soul of the
person who composes it made manifest. Think on it. Of
all the talents, musical talent is the ‘one that mystifies me:
the most. It is simply an‘amazing thing for someone to
make music in their mind, then take a piece of metal or
wood or whatever and make that intangible sound tangi-
ble. :
You don’t even need to be able to hear to compose
music. “During a great deal of his adult life, Beethoven
was deaf. He composed his great Symphony #9 unable to
hear a thing. When it was first performed and the last
noble note died away and the crowd jumped up hooray-
ing, someone had to go turn Beethoven around so he
could see what was happening because he could not hear
a thing.
There are all kinds of music. Back when I was a hippie
we listen to Led Zep, the Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, etc. Now,
the funny thing is those same tunes are being used to sell
things that aging baby boomers and ex-hipsters think
they need or can afford. Stuff like Cadillac cars for
instance. It is a far cry from a VW hippie wagon to a
Cadillac. Wen I see a Cadillac I think of Lawrence Welk,
Geritol, and folks who are stately or stodgy or don’t want
their hair messed up.
Throughout our lives we may go through several phas-
es in our taste in music. No tot likes to hear “Voodoo
Chile’ and a high volume. No middle age person likes to
hear ‘Cha-bobba Cha-bobba’ over and over again. No old
person enjoys any of Ozzie Osborne’s stuff.
Sometimes people try to force their musical tastes on
others. One example is when a car worth $1,000 with a
$3,000 sound system pulls up next to you at a light with
the box wide open. The ensuing throbs seem to go
straight to the marrow of every bone in your body.
Sometimes I think it would be high sport to take a Colt
45 Navy cap and ball revolver and turn such racket
down permanently.
Recently I have entered a new musical phase. For many
years once I graduated hippiedom I listened to what is
commonly called classical music. It has some pretty good
See Hodge, 5A
Alan Hodge
Guest Column
EE
Nien
LOOK BACK
5
Liquor was
big issue in
October ‘98
From the October 29,
1998 edition of The Herald:
Kings Mountain citizens
could vote as early as
March on whether to
return the city to a “dry”
city and abolish alcohol
sales altogether. More than
200 people packed city hall
Tuesday night and after an
emotionally-charge public
hearing initially set to
debate Sunday beer and
wine sales City Council
voted unanimously to
request the Cleveland
County Board of Elections
to set a referendum.
Kings Mountain citizens
will join their neighbors at
the polls Tuesday for the
general election and for
primary elections for the
county commission race.
. By 2003 US.
Congresswoman Sue
Myrick predicts that the
earnings limits for senior
citizens will double. The
9th District Representative
# made the statement during
a Town Meeting Monday
. morning at the Kings
Mountain Senior Center.
Kings Mountain's
women’s volleyball team
defeated Fred T. Foard for
the Western Regional
championship Tuesday
night and will face East
Chapel Hill Saturday at
Independence Arena in
Charlotte for the State
Championship.
Kings Mountain High
football coach Ron Massey
said the importance of |
Friday night's 14-7. win.
over East Rutherford prob-
ably didn't really sink in
for awhile. The victory,
before approximately 4,500
fans at KM’s John Gamble
Stadium, not only left the
Mountaineers alone at the
Conference standings with
a 3-0 record, but it also
gave them the inside shot
at the league champi-
onship and a home game
in the first round of the
state 3A playoffs.
Kings Mountain’s Chad
Pearson ran his best time
ever (16:06) to win his sec-
ond straight Southwestern
Conference cross country
championship Thursday at
John Gamble Stadium.
Over 60 people gathered
Friday at the Parker Street
Alternative School for cere-
monies officially changing
the institution’s name to
Davidson School.
“Ink won't wash out of
your clothes ‘and you can't
get it out of your blood,”
said Herald News Editor
Elizabeth Stewart as she
officially announced her
retirement.
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