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A little
this ‘n that
Random thoughts:
Compared to last week
and the first of this week, the
. weather today may feel like a
heat wave. But, don’t get too
used to it. A year ago today
the Kings
Mountain
area had
an ice
storm...
I think
there may
be some
confusion
by a few
citizens
Gary Stewart about the
Editor city-
YMCA
agree-
ment. The city pays the Y
approximately $300,000 a
year to run its recreation pro-
gram and from the outside
looking in it seems to be a
good deal for the city. I
doubt very seriously that
Kings Mountain could run
much of a recreation pro-
gram for $300,000 a year, and
the city recoups a lot of that
money through the Y’s utility
payments. As for folks pay-
ing to play sports, that has
become necessary in a lot of
sports nationwide, even high
school sports. But I'm sure if
a kid that cannot afford to
pay to play sports tries out
for a team at the Y, someone
will make sure he gets to
play...
Again, the Board of
Adjustments will vote on
some video poker permits
tonight. I don’t play video
poker, and it would suit me
just fine if it was banned. But
isn’t it odd that the city and
the state law enforcement
turn their heads on raffles in
churches, schools, clubs,
sports, and almost any other
organization you can think
of?
The death of Johnny
Carson over the weekend
took from us probably the
best late night comedian in
TV history. Today's late-
nighters can’t compare to
him. Some of the acts he had
on his show - most of which
were not rehearsed - were
some of the most hilarious
you'll ever see, especially the
animals from the zoos. And
Carson was probably the
best ad-libber ever. A couple
of local people even made it
on Carson’s Tonight Show.
Remember Chainsaw Ted
from Cherryville and Barney
Odom and his tree-climbing
dog, Flat Nose from South
Carolina? Flat Nose
appeared several times in
KM. Somewhere, I still have
a picture of him that I made
when he climbed a tree in
Kings Mountain.
If the Super Bowl is any-
thing like Sunday’s NFC and
AFC championship games,
the most exciting thing to
watch on Sun., Feb. 6 will be
the commercials. It seems
like I heard someone say that
the halftime entertainment
will be Paul McCartney.
Even he won't be too good
without John, George and
Ringo...
My how times change! It
seems the uproar over school
merger is now taking place
across the creek as parents in
the Elizabeth community are
upset that their kids are
oing to be reassigned to
Shelby middle and high
schools from Crest. It'll all
work out. In ‘61 I was caught
up in merger (they called in
consolidation back then) and
I hated leaving Grover to
come to Kings Mountain. But
after a few days you make
new friends and get used to
the new surroundings and
everything works out just
fine.
FUN AT THE LIBRARY
8
The Kings Mountain Herald
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Toddlers, their parents and caregivers pretend to fly while singing the Bear Hunt Song during story time at Mauney
Memorial Library. Story time for children three to five years old starts at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. Toddlers two and under
meet at 10 a.m. on Thursdays. 5
Living wage
would make
SS idea work
Nel Andie Brymer
President George Bush promoted an
ownership society during his inaugu-
ral address last week. Sounds Clinton-
esque to me.
The details are different. Bush is moving toward priva-
tizing Social Security. Clinton turned welfare, into work-
fare.
Both ideas have merit. I think ric of us agree that
young, healthy folks should work for their living instead
of getting an allowance from the government. As for
Social Security, I like the opportunity to take co trol of a
bit of that money that so far has gone out o aycheck
and into government coffers, though I'm not convinced
Social Security is in the dire straits Bush describes.
However, neither of these good ideas will work if we
don’t have a living wage. One can’t invest money one
doesn’t have. Individuals can’t afford housing, food,
transportation, utilities and insurance on minimum wage.
If you don’t believe me, read Barbara Ehrenreich’s
“Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By In America.”
I don’t know of any elected leaders pushing for a living
wage. I'm sure a few have tried but the legislation hasn't
gotten on the radar. I'm not surprised. Paying a living
wage would mean smaller profit margins for the people
at the top. Those same folks are often the ones who make
large campaign contributions.
The situation isn’t without hope though. Economic sal-
vation could come in the form of labor unions. I know, I
said the “L word” and I don’t mean “liberal.” This “L
word” brings a far stronger emotional reaction. Here in
the south it’s almost blasphemous.
Why? Only the powerful stand to lose. Unions mean
higher wages for workers.
Union detractors point to crock labor bosses. All
organizations must be mindful of the tendency toward
corruption. Labor is not immune but lets not throw the
proverbial baby out with the bath water.
More and more American jobs are going to Third
World countries where labor comes cheaper. The wages
demanded by U.S. labor unions have been blamed for
this. The detractors may be partially correct, however it’s
not just heavily unionized states who have lost jobs.
North Carolina, by no means a pro-Union state, has-been
hit hard.
If laborers across the world were unionized that would
end the problem for good. Maybe instead of spreading a
vague “liberty,” Bush could vow to spread fair, living
wages across the world. Liberty, on its own, would fol-
low.
Staff Writer
MOLY
I hu want
everything
that Dell gets
Dell wants to build a computer man-
ufacturing company in North
Carolina. If it comes to pass, according
to reports from the state, 2500 new jobs
will be made available, even more when the smaller com-
panies which serve a large manufacturing plant are con-
sidered.
The problem is Dell wants a truckload of promises
before it will make a commitment. They've already asked
the state for half the world, and now they want to operate
for the first 20 years without paying taxes. Chances are
our stalwart governor will end up giving them what they
want.
I'd like to operate for the next 20 years without paying
taxes, but I've got about as much chance of that as a chain
smoker being given a clean bill of health.
Major league baseball has agreed to move to
Washington, D.C. now that the Washington city council
has agreed to build them a $200 million stadium.
It reminds me of the movie “Field of Dreams.”
Remember the voice that whispers: “If you build it he will
come.”
Well, if you build a stadium, a sports team will come. If
you give a large company 10 zillion dollars and your first
born child, they will build a plant in your state, and suck
the taxpayers dry, while pocketing prodigious profits.
Whatever happened to the get out of my way and let
me make my own living attitude? August A. Busch built
his own stadium in St. Louis for his baseball team. He -
didn’t saddle citizens with his company’s expenses.
Charles Comiskey did the same thing in Chicago.
That's the way it used to be everywhere in sports and
in business.
My message to Dell is take your company elsewhere if
Jim Heffner
Columnist
you expect a free ride.
Does anybody think they would sell computer equip-
ment to North Carolinians at a discount if we let them
build their factory here?
I don’t know what motivates people in positions of
power. Over in the world class city, voters turned down
the idea of tax money to finance a basketball arena, yet
the mayor and city council gave the new basketball ‘fran-
chise everything they wanted.
Ironically, the man who brought the team to Charlotte is
a multi-millionaire. I guess he has all that money because
everybody gives him what he wants.
I'm thinking about sending a letter to several cities
telling them, I'll move there if the city fathers will build
me a company. My idea should be attractive to them. I'll
See Heffner, 5A
Thursday, January 27, 2005
The Herald
changed hands
in January ‘35
From the Thursday, Jan. -
17, 1935 edition of the
Kings Mountain Herald:
With this issue of the
Herald, the management
passes from Eugene
Matthews, lessee, to H.E.
Lynch, lessee, G.G. Page,
owner and former editor of
the Kings Mountain
Herald, announced.
E.W. Goldsmith,
Supervisor of Safety and
Sanitation for the Southern
Railway System, paid a
visit to the Kings Mountain
Central School Monday.
The Men's Business Club
at their meeting Thursday
heard open discussion on
the prospect of getting
Kings Mountain National
Military Park in the near
future. The last Congress
passed a bill authorizing
$250,000 for establishing
Kings Mountain National
Park, but no appropriation
was made for it.
After paying all local
expenses of the Post Office
except for the R.ED. carri-
ers, the Kings Mountain
Post Office had a net sur-
plus for the year of 1933 of
$652.38 and after paying all
local expenses of 1934
except the R.ED. carriers,
the Post Office had a sur-
plus of $3,501.15.
Members of the Colonel
Frederick Hambright
Chapter, D.A.R., were
entertained at the home of
Mrs. Booth Gillespie
Thursday with Mrs. W.S.
Dilling as hostess. Mrs.
W.T. Weir had charge of
the program.
Friends of E.W. Griffin
will be interested to know
that he is able to be out
again following an illness
of several weeks.
Dr. O.P. Lewis, who has
been confined to his room
on account of an attack of
flu during the past week, is
able to be out again.
The regular meeting of
the Woman's Club will be
held Friday afternoon at
3:30. Mrs. W.K. Mauney
and Mrs. Ladd Hamrick
will have charge of the
program. ;
A Crazy Barn Dance will
be held Saturday at 7:45
sharp at the high school
auditorium.
Good Buys:
Fresh eggs were 29 cents
a dozen, potted meat was 3
cans for 10 cents, Pure
fresh ground coffee was 15
cents a pound, Heinz
soups were 2 for 25 cents,
jello was 3 for 19 cents,
U.S. No. 1 Irish potatoes
were 10 pounds for 15
cents, pinto beans were 3
pounds for 25 cents, and
bananas were four pounds
for 19 cents at the Home
Store...
New 1935 V-8 Ford
trucks were $500 at J.S.P.
Motors...A new Standard
Chevrolet car was $465 at
Cleveland Motor
Company, and the New
Master De Luxe was $560.
SIDEWALK
SURVEY
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
THE HERALD
B
What do you
think of the
amount spent
on the
Presidential
inauguration?
I think it’s a lot. T under-
I think it’s just, ne. I'm
stand it has always been 100 percent behind him.
that way. Mary Krieger
Don Roark Kings Mountain
Kings Mountain
They should have given I know it’s necessary but
that money to the U.S. to it’s too much money.
help us get jobs. Tommy Hawkins
Mary McKinney Kings Mountain
Kings Mountain
I'm against it. That money
could have been used in
our area to help people.
Tony Washam
WKMT radio
Kings Mountain