rt GUEST COLUMN n Teens at KMHS are compassionate (ED. Note: Today The Herald begins a bimonthly column by Kings Mountain High student Donna Tackett. The column will deal with news about peo- ple and events at KMHS. Look for Donna’s column every other week). BY DONNA TACKETT I recently entered a local store and proceeded to shop casually. After mak- ing my final selec- tions, I then head- ed for the checkout counter. It a 4 was at the Donna Tackett checkout KMHS News counter 8 that I handed the clerk a $100 bill with which I intended to pay the cost of my selec- tions. As soon as I handed the clerk the bill, I received such a look of suspicion that would have caused the Pope to question his motives. Why are teenagers viewed with such constant scrutiny? If you really think about it, every age group has its flaws. In fact, I would be willing to say that the mistakes made by teenagers are equal in amount to mistakes made by adults. Sure, some teenagers may steal a CD, but some adults embezzle company funds. Some teenagers lie to their parents and teachers, and some adults lie to their spouses and bosses. Some teenagers cheat on tests, but then again some adults cheat on their other half. If both groups are equal in the amount of sins committed, why should my group be viewed in such a degrading way? I for one am sick of being seen as a member of “Generation X.” I wish that the people who assigned this name to my generation would have taken a moment to see what we are really about. My generation, “Generation X,” is actually composed of some very compassionate and caring individuals. A good example of this compassion can be found at Kings Mountain High School. Recently an event at the school named Pennies for Patients raised money for blood cancer research. This endeavor was lead by Mrs. Jackson whose class- room is located in mobile unit 12. Another example of the compassion of “Generation X” can be found only a few mobile units down in the classroom of Senora Canipe. It is in Senora Canipe’s classroom that the Kings Mountain Spanish Club meets. In its second major civic activity of the year, the Spanish Club has decided to host a book drive from February 1 through 23. Led See Donna, 5A The Angels Battling Cancer Relay for Life team is accepting $1 donations for a chance to win this swing on display at Kings Mountain City Hall. Members seated on the swing include Kayla Capps, left, Ethan Capps and Ashton Withers. Standing around the swing are members Bryson Bailey, left, Colby Bailey, Morgan Scism, Micah Waters, Johnna Scism and Taylor Davis. Other members are Lyndsey Murphey, Haven Sites and Lauren Ferrell. Norman Davis made the swing. The ABC team also is selling chances on an afghan designed by breast cancer survivor Cathy Powell. Team members range from ages one through 10. The team is leading the Kings Mountain Relay in money raised this year. To make a donation, contact a team member or see Betty Mitchell at city hall. Council vote WAS a vote for recreation With a raging obesity epidemic, the Kings Mountain City Council did the right thing when it approved a 10-year contract with the YMCA. Here in Kings Mountain and across the country, we're getting fatter and fatter. Over the past 100 years, we've moved off the farm and into the office yet we continue to eat like we've got 40 acres to plow. Recreation programs give us a chance to work off some of those calories. Is it the government's role to help us be healthy? Maybe, maybe not. That debate could go on and on. The real question is what's in the government's best interest. I believe the answer is recreation spending. The sicker people are, the more tax money must be spent on Medicare and Medicaid. Illness leads to job loss. That means less tax revenue coming in and more money going out in welfare spending. It’s cheaper to use our tax dollars on prevention. Recreation programs are the ideal vehicle. Another way to cut back on healthcare spending is to eliminate tobacco use. The research is in. The golden leaf causes lung and other cancers as well as respiratory ill- nesses. Again, lost productivity. I'm not naive enough to say we should ban tobacco. We saw how well prohibition worked in the 1920s when the government banned the sale of alcohol. That piece of legislation spawned an enormous underground market. Instead, do away with all public smoking. Limit light- ing up to private vehicles and residences. No more smok- ing areas. No more smelly ashtrays at the entrance of businesses. No more puffing away in parks and other public spaces. I know, nicotine is addictive. Smokers will have a hard time finding a place for their fix. That's the point. This strategy may make continuing the habit harder than quit- ting. : 1 a lighter note, I saw “Aviator,” the story of Howard Hughes’ life, Friday night. The almost-three-hour movie dragged a bit in the beginning but the last hour made up for the initial sluggishness. Film maker Martin Scorsese paints Hughes as a man obsessed both with germs and building airplanes. The heroic Hughes stands up to a congressman on the take. He also finds time to romance Kathryn Hepburn who goes on to break his heart. Definitely worth seeing. Andie Brymer Staff Writer Andie Brymer can be reached at 739-7496 or abrymer@kingsmountainherald,com i TEA 3% Af What's your bid for mooned rock and certificate? Isn't this a wonderful country? A fellow from Belmont has parlayed a styrofoam cup with a few table- spoons of water into a flourishing enterprise. This guy attended an Elvis concert in 1978, and after Elvis had left the building he picked up the half finished cup of water from the stage and brought it home. He says the king drank from the cup, and I have no cause to doubt him. The budding entrepreneur posted the water on E-bay, and sold it for over $400. That worked out so well, he decided to post the cup next. As it turns out, a company submitted a bid to have the man bring the cup to Boulder, Colorado. They won't say how much loot changed hands, but the cup, along with its owner is now on tour, and is available for exhibit. I can just see myself paying an admittance charge to go into an establishment and stare at a styrofoam cup. I put that right up there with going out on I-85 in mid-August to watch the recaps peel off. I guess that’s no worse than paying big money for a picture of a soup can, as some so-called art experts have done. I read somewhere last week that a woman has posted a grilled cheese sandwich on E-bay, and the bidding has reached $28,000. The lady took a couple of nibbles from the sandwich, and before she could take another, noticed the sandwich looked like the Virgin Mary, so naturally the next thing to do was to auction her lunch on E-bay. What a stroke of genius. This just proves that mental illness strikes somewhere in this country every six seconds. I am absolutely certain that every inmate in every institution in the USA is browsing the Internet constantly. How about those moon rocks NASA put on tour around the country? Thousands of people went to see the moon rocks. They stood around and mumbled to each other about how wonderful it was to be able to see a moon rock. Heck, I can look up almost every night and see where moon rocks came from, and I don’t have to buy a ticket. A couple of years ago, a baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks spit out his wad of bubble gum, and a fan spotted the sticky gob, scooped it up and sold it as base- ball memorabilia. Belle Acres Golf and Country Club on South Boulevard See Heffner, 5A Jim Heffner Columnist ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD TG&Y was coming back to KM in ‘85 From the Thursday, January 31, 1985 edition of The Herald: TG&Y Stores will reopen its West Gate Plaza store in Kings Mountain at 1316 Shelby Road on May 12. TG&Y closed its Kings Mountain store in October, 1984 but after extensive efforts by Mayor John Moss and the public decid- ed to revaluate and consid- er returning to Kings Mountain. The light snow which fell in Kings Mountain Monday didn’t look like much to some folks, but it was a welcomed sight for young people who had a day off from school Tuesday. The city commissioners Monday night said it would enforce an ordi- nance requiring all resi- dents to apply for and post street numbers on all buildings in the city. Residents have until April 1 to comply with the ordi- nance or face a misde- meanor charge. Painting has been Helen Wells’ love since she was a little girl and now she has opened her own studio in the old First Union Building downtown. Kings Mountain's George Adams had his jer- sey retired and dedicated during last week's Gardner-Webb-USC-Aiken basketball game at G-W'’s Paul Porter Arena. Kings Mountain's Jerry Adams has announced his resignation as head football coach at East Gaston High School. Adams will remain as the Warriors’ athletic director. Kings Mountain native Andrea Huffstetler Beason last week recorded her 100th coaching victory for Ashley Junior High's girls basketball team. Kings Mountain defeated Chase 76-53 Tuesday night to regain first place in the Southwestern Conference with a 12-1 record. Lavar Curry led the way with 20 points. Darrell Crocker had 15, Jerry Jordan 14 and Lenny Rayford 10. Albert Martin, of Route 5, Kings Mountain, sur- prised a would-be robber at his home Thursday. Dawn S. Bowen, daugh- ter of George E. and Lucille C. Bowen of Route 4, has been assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, after completing Air Force basic training. Navy Seaman Terry L. McClain, son of Charles L. and Sally McClain of Route 5, has completed recruit training at Naval Recruit Training Command, San Diego, CA. SIDEWALK SURVEY BY ANDIE L. BRYMER THE HERALD wu What is your best Valentine’s Day memory? This guy I had been dat- ing a few times, he came by to give me roses. Lisa Lacroix Shelby Spending time with some- one special. Tony Leach Kings Mountain i cin SS SRR I've had so many good My husband and I were ones I'm afraid to say. playing hide and go seek. Otis Falls He tried for two hours to Fort Mill find me. I was sitting among the grandkids stuffed animals. June Phifer Kings Mountain Last year when I met my husband. April Gass Kings Mountain