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MIDWEEK
MEDITATION
We live on
the edge of
two worlds
BY J.R. ROBBINS
As I write this article
today, I am just returning
from an out of state trip
where I was called to help
in the funeral of my aunt. It
is at times like these that we
are great-
ly aware
that we
are living
between
two
worlds.
As
humans
we live
here in a
world
that is
limited,
temporary, many times
pain-filled and always chal-
lenged by the uncertainties
of life itself. We live know-
ing that at any moment we
could be transported
beyond this life into eternity
that awaits every one of us.
Most people do not like to
face this truth even at times
when disease and/or death
have taken hold of them-
selves or someone they love.
It is precisely for this reason
that we share the message
of death, burial and resur-
rection of Jesus.
There is a great difference
in the two places to which
we go. As believes we
choose to live in this world
experiencing the joy of a
relationship with God
through Jesus. We choose to
follow the principles of the
Word of God, seek His guid-
ance and trust His protec-
tion in our lives. No, we or
our loved ones are not
exempt from disease, death
and danger. We face days of
discouragement and dark-
ness, but we do not face
these days or the future
with the same perspective
as those who do not believe.
We know through prayer
and the aide of the Holy
Spirit that our lives are for-
ever changed. We live
preparing to move to a
place of inexpressible beau-
ty, where there is no more
disease, death or darkness; a
place where all believers
will be reunited around the
“throne of God. We face these
times of death knowing that
death is simply a vehicle
that transports us into that
eternal place called Heaven.
We live with hope,
expectancy and anticipation
of being with Jesus and
other believers who have
gone before us. Paul put it
this way in Philippians 1:23-
24 “..I am in a strait
between two, having a
desire to depart and to be
with Christ, which is far bet-
ter: Nevertheless to abide in
the flesh is more needful for
you.”
We remain here to share
the love of God with others,
especially those who have
not yet made a decision to
turn and follow Jesus. Next
‘See Robbins, 5A
ROBBINS
:
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i
A
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Thursday, February 19, 2004
EE A ER
RR
LOOK BACK
Bethware Elementary School students listen attentively as entertainer Michael Parker sings during a Black
History Month program Thursday afternoon.
Wishing and hoping,
and singing and
praying...for snow
Last week was a disappointment.
Weather forecasters had called for icy
weather.
Wednesday night I drifted off to sleep *
with visions of inclement weather in my Heads In this
dream the roads were impassable. No one dared venture
out unless a flashing red or blue light was attached to the
top of their vehicle. Of course this being a dream, there
were few emergencies.
So sure that icy weather was on its way, I was truly con-
tent Wednesday night. I had my. Thursday planned
already and it did not include work.
T would sleep until 9 a.m. and only then awake to let
Susie outside. In the dream world, even she slept until
after daybreak. A leisurely breakfast and lots of steaming
hot coffee followed. Well sated, I would camp out on the
sofa with a stack of books.
In this make believe world, the weather was bad
enough to justify not coming to work but, of course there
were no electric outages. All my modern conveniences -
heat, hot water, radio, lights - were assured.
Alas, my little fantasy world fell apart Thursday morn-
ing. As I let Susie out all I saw from the front door was
rain. Maybe a little slush on the porch. The low place in
the front yard filled with water, not ice.
Again this week my hopes were dashed. I was visiting
my friend Carol at her Shelby home Sunday night. Her
son’s girlfriend came over from her upper Cleveland
home. Bundled up for winter weather, she informed us it
had snowed on her almost all the way there.
We let out an excited yelp. There would be no work
Monday, we were convinced. And we were wrong, real
wrong. Despite the patches of white stuff in yards here
and there, there was nothing on the roads the next morn-
ing.
At this point, I'm seriously considering moving some-
where with guaranteed frozen precipitation. Maybe
Buffalo, New York or Nome, Alaska. Problem is, employ-
ers in those towns expect you to come to work regardless
of the weather.
I guess in Buffalo they devote five or six billion to snow
removal. There are probably close to that many employees
with “road clearing” at the top of their job descriptions.
In Nome I'm sure the situation is a little different.
Maybe sled dogs get you to work on snowy days. Or if
you've been a good girl, Santa will send Rudolph over.
Maybe I should just schedule a vacation day or two but
See Andie, 5A
Andie Brymer
Staff Writer
later. Over the years it disappeared.
#1 Tused to lie on my bunk for hours listening to jazz, and
City had to
cut budget
in Feb. 1994
From the February 17,
1994 edition of the Kings
Mountain Herald:
City Council unanimous-
ly approved City Manager
George Woods’ recommen-
aation to cut $153,609 from
the city budget to prevent
an immediate increase for
industrial water users in a
special meeting Tuesday
night at City Hall. And,
after a lengthy discussion,
new councilmen assured
. Wood and the public that
they are not interested in
firing Wood or other per-
sonnel and returning to a
mayor /commissioner form
of government.
Kings Mountain was
spared any major damage
in last week's ice storm,
but many homes sustained
cosmetic damage due to
frozen precipitation which
forced water under shin-
gles and into homes.
Cleveland County
Health Department will
provide a full-time nurse at
Kings Mountain Middle
School beginning in mid-
March.
The Parent Resource
Center at West School was
GARY STEWART / HERALD
SERRE
Finding jazz
album was like
turning back clock
Because a friend of mine was so dili-
gent, I am in possession of my all-time
Lar Jim Heffner | recognized at Tuesday
mem, Goma | mae Shot Bead met
, ui ingasoneo win-
graphics man at the Kings Mountain — BA § ners of the Governor's
Herald, that my favorite jazz tune was Little Girl Blue by
the Dave Brubeck Quartet, from their album “Red, Hot
and Cool.”
I had the album when I was a member of the U.S. Navy.
I wore it out while stationed at Okinawa, but replaced it
Program of Excellence in
Education.
Kings Mountain High's
boys swimmers won their
third straight Sonfhwosren
3A Conference 'chiampi- ! -
onship Wednesdayat i i
Neisler Natatorium.
Kings Mountain's boys
played their best game of
the season Tuesday to
upset Shelby 78-50. Sharee
Hopper and Jarvis Bell led
the Mountaineers with 12
points each and Marcus
Bell and Eric Tate added 10
each.
Raymond and Ina
Blanton of Oak Grove
Road recently celebrated
their 50th wedding
anniversary.
LL
I'played that one twice as much as any other. |
Robert, a music buff himself, searched for the album for
over a year before discovering that it had been reissued as
a CD.
He told me where I could find it on the Internet, so I
went to the website and ordered it.
The day it came, I played it and it was almost like turn-
ing the clock back 50 years. I had forgotten some of the
other tunes on the disc. They were all classics. There was
Fare Thee Well Annabelle, Alice Blue Gown, Sometimes
I'm Happy, Love Walked In and several others.
The company that remastered and issued the CD used
the original dust cover art. The cover has a young Brubeck
at the piano (I think he was 32 at the time) and one of the
original super models, Suzy Parker, enjoying the tunes.
~~"
The album was recorded live at Basin Street East in NYC. Stacey Lee Reynolds,
The quartet at that time was composed of Brubeck, Paul daughter of John and
Desmond on alto sax, Joe Dodge on drums and Bob Bates Marlene Reynolds, has
on Bass. Dodge was replaced with Joe Morello in 1956,
who had just completed a three year stint with the Marian
McPartland Trio. Brubeck and Morello are now in their
eighties, Desmond is dead and I don’t know about the
been recognized for out-
standing scholastic
achievement with a
Western Scholarship to
others. I'll bet my friend Doug Norwood knows. attend Western Carolina
All the great big-band and jazz artist are dying out. The 5 University.
only way to preserve them is to preserve their music. 5 Although the number of
Orchestra leader Billy May passed away last weekend,
and Milt Bernhart, a remarkable trombonist, died last
Tuesday.
If you want to hear a great trombone solo, get a copy of
I've Got You Under My Skin by Frank Sinatra, and listen
to Bernhart at his best.
One of the best pianists of all time, Loonis McGlohon,
died a little over a year ago. He wasn’t just a jazz artist.
Loonis was a marvelous composer, and he could play in
almost any style. I like his jazz cuts best, but he penned
See Heffner, 5A
building permits are up
slightly from 1992, the dol-
lar amount for permits
issued by the City of Kings’
Mountain is down $16,000. .
Tap fees were up in 1993,
according to Dottie Elkins, '
codes /inspection secretary,’
who listed those totals as
$38,846.27 for 1993 and
$24,711 for 1992.
free
SIDEWALK
SURVEY
By ANDIE BRYMER
HERALD
Do you
believe the
economy is
rebounding?
Yea. I believe President
Bush is doing a good job.
Lyna Franklin
Gastonia
No. Unemployment is still
up. The job situation is no
better.
Ogden Jackson
Kings Mountain
No. There’s no jobs. Prices
are going up.
Gary Pal
Kings Mountain
No. It seems like it’s get-
ting slower. Places aren’t
taking applications.
Dewey Young
Kings Mountain
No. I think it’s getting
worse. They're putting
jobs some place but not
where the jobs are needed.
Jackie Burris
Kings Mountain
H-