Page >-KINOS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Tnewlay, October 16. 1679
PUBUSHED EACH TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
GARLAND ATKINS
Publisher
DARRELL AUSTIN
General Manager
LIB STEWART
Oo-Editor
GARY STEWART
Co-Editor
MEMBER OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
The Herald U pubUshed by Herald PubUshIng House. P.O. Bo* 76*. Kings
Mountain, N.C. 28086. Buslnbss and etftortal offices are located at 481 N. Piedmont
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Columns bringing bad luck...
€DI10RINS&OmiOIt)
Let’s dig deeper, KM
Come on, Kings Mountain, let’s all dig a
little deeper.
The United Fund needs our support.
The campaign at this point should be
winding up but Is almost $20,000 short of Its
$55,000 goal.
We know the economy Is bad. There’s talk
of recession. All of us have to stretch our
dollars to make ends meet.
But It Is times such as these that we need to
sacrifice a little more...dig a little
deeper...do without that uimecessary carton
of cigarettes or tank of gas and give those
few extra dollars to someone who really
needs them more than we.
Just a little sacrifice from all of us can go a
long way.
Newspaper week
Honest newspapers—and Majority
are—recognize as their duty the
reporting of the news and particularly
on public matters, the duty of In
terpreting the news via the editorial
columns.
Once upon a time many newspapers
took the position they were Infallible and
cm
U€WW!T
If you see a young man going around
town on weekends with an arm full of
cameras and lenses, chances are It’s
Rick McDaniel.
Rick is a Kings Mountain man who Is
photo editor of Western Carolina
University’s student newspaper, the
Western Carolinian.
Martin Harmon, the late editor of the
Herald, used to say he had a “good ear
for news.” If every good newsman has
to have a good ear for the news, I sup
pose every good photographer has to
have a good eye for pictures.
Rick, who was home a couple of
weekends ago covering the 199th
celebration of the Battle of Kings
Mountain for the Western Carolinian,
certainly has the knack of snapping
good pictures, as evidenced by some of
his work In the Carolinian.
He brought several copies by the office
the other day to ask our opinion on the
students’ work, and I’d have to say It’s
excellent...especially the photography.
Rick does an outstanding job shooting
Western Carolina football games, and
has a super double-page photo spread In
each issue.
He had a taste of the big time recently
when the paper sent him to the SouUi
Carolina coast to cover Hurricane
David. And he liked It. He’s going to
make some newspaper an excellent
photographer.
-oOo-
Mlke Nappl, supervisor of the KM
Parks and Recreation Department, has
been taking some good-natured ribbing
lately.
Mike, a former high school coach,
officiates football In his spare time and
a couple weeks ago helped ref the Kings
Mountain-Crest game.
’The first call he had to make was an
offensive interference call against the
Mountaineers, which didn’t exactly
please the KM fans.
"Wouldn’t you know. It would have to
happen on my first whistle and right In
front of the Kings Mountain bench,’’
Mika said. “It was close, but It looked to
me like the Kings Mountain boy l>lt the
other boy on the shoulder.’’
It was a close call, but Mike called It
the way he saw It without considering
who was playing.
“You know, the last team I want to
call Is Kings Mountain,’’ he said, ‘.‘but It
happened that week that erne of the
officials had an emergency and I was
named to replace him.’’
a retraction of previous published fact
was seldom seen.
Happily, this situation no longer
exists, the newspaper realizing that
perfection Is yet to be attained by any
mortal man.
NewspapeiTng Is as simple as this.
The reporter Is the representative of the
people. His job Is to attend the meetings,
report the events that the man In the
street is prevented by other duties from
attending himself.
It’s the job of the Kings Mountain
Herald and all other newspapers worthy
of the name.
On the occasion of National
Newspaper Week, the Herald
rededicates our statement of policy
(xie aim, to present to the subscribers of
the Kings Mountain Herald a gradually
Improving newspaper which will serve
the interests of no particular groups of
interests, unless that group or Interest
represents the will of all the people of
this city and Its environs.
-oOo-
CONORATULATIONS
The Herald adds its congratulations to
the winners In last ‘Tuesday’s election
and Its commendations to the losers for
their interest in giving the Incumbents a
race which brought 1,400 to the polls.
’Tuesday’s election Is not the last for
this season, for upcoming In the school
board election, where three candidates -
Paul Hord, Jr., Bill Moss and Harold
Lineberger - are seating the outside
district seat on the board of education
now held by Alex Owens. And, In neigh
boring Grover citizens will be electing
next month a mayor and five ward
commissioners from 12 candidates.
It seems inconceivable that thinking
citizens and the number would sur
prise would fail to take sufficient in
terest in such matters as going to the
polls to vote.
-oOo-
Congratulatlons to Melany Clark,
KMSHS Carrousel Princess, who will
represent the city In the annual
Carollnas Carrousel Thanksgiving Day
parade In Charlotte. Miss Clark Is a
pretty young lady and talented as well.
-oOo-
Attend the Kings Mountain Exhibit
now on display In the Community Room
of the Cleveland County Historical
Museum In the old Courthouse In
Shelby. It’s well worth the drive to the
county seat to see this colorful display of
our history during the early years.
-oOo-
The members of the Woman’s Club
are staging tomorrow (Wednesday) one
of Its “biggest and best ever” floral
&.lrs at the Woman’s Club. This annual
event, which also features lunch and
dlrmer. Is always a popular one In Kings
Mountain and attracts fair-goers from a
large area who are eager to see exhibits
in crafts, flowers, and hand made
bazaar items.
-oOo-
Hats off to Senator J. OlUe Harrls,who
has received the coveted Distinguished
Service Award of the North Carolina
Public Health Association, and to Bob
Bridges, tapped as the new president of
the North Carolina Automotive
Wholesalers Association.
-oOo-
The Herald adds Its sympathy to the
large family of the late Lafayette I.
Eaker, 91. Mr. Eaker had caUed Kings
Mountain home almost all his life, was a
dedicated family man and churchman
at El Bethel United Methodist Church,
and a retired farmer. In eulogizing Mr.
Eaker at funeral services Thursday his
pastor paid high tribute to Mr. Eaker In
comparing him to the example set by
Job. “This was a good man.’’
I do not claim to be a soothsayer or
even endowed with that female brand of
the national common superstition
known as “women’s Intuition’’ but It Is
quite possible that 1 should have seen
Madame Zlngha or some other
visionary before I started writing
columns for this page.
The last two column subjects have
brought me nothing but bad luck.
A couple weeks ago I wrote a piece
about quotes I had picked up from ac
tual accident reports at the local police
station over the past 20 years, the
“excuses" drivers give to Investigating
officers after accidents, noting that
people are the sme the world over, In
that respect.
’Ihe Ink had hardly dried on that
editorial page when I (and my old 1974
gold Bulck) were victims of a hit and
run driver on rain-sUck Compact School
Road. Thankfully, I was only “shook
up" but the entire left side of “Lizzie"
was damaged to the tune of $1200. When
I saw that the oncoming fast-moving
vehicle was about to hit me head-on I
held my breath and started praying.
’The driver whizzed by, didn’t stop, but
somewhere there Is a car with gold paint
on It’s driver’s side.
'Ihe late Editor Martin Harmon has
told me more than once (and I should
have listened); never play up accidents
and safety records. He shuddered
everytlme the city passed a year
without an accident and called for a
picture citing the honor. Who knows
when the shoe will be on the other foot?
Continuing with my bad luck story,
last ’Tuesday this column subject was
intended to officially open the month of
October which Is full of many ob
servances, Including National
Newspaper Week and the headline
writer entitled that piece, “Newspaper
’lypos Are Embarrassing To Reporters
Also." I had mentioned that birth,
marriage and death are three important
events which our editors caution us to
“get right In the paper.”
Lib
Stewart
Well, to make a long story short, the
gremlins got In the typewriter again.
Regretfully, we omitted from the
account of the funeral services of Dr.
D.F. Hord his surviving sisters, Mrs. H.
Tom Pulton and Mrs. George Moss, both
of Kings Mountain, and honorary
pallbearers, Including Dan Finger,
dental colleagues of Dr. Hord, members
of the Klwanis Club, the Men’s Bible
Class and Deacons of Kings Mountain
Baptist Church.
Charlie Campbell, a longtime friend,
brought his granddaughter’s wedding
picture by the Herald for last week's
Thursday edition. We were happy to use
the beautiful bride’s picture but the
story appeared In print that the bride,
Barbara Williford (Mrs. Richard
Barton Akin) was great-granddaughter
of Charles B. Campbell and the late
Mrs. Campbell.
“You moved me up another
generation," Charlie kidded us.
Actually, Charlie doesn’t have a
great-granddaughter old enough to walk
down the aisle as a bride. His only great-
granddaughter, pictured in this column.
Is Heather Lynn Ferguson of
Wilmington, Delaware, who celebrated
her third birthday Sept. 27. She Is
Granddaughter of Mr. emd Mrs. Charles
B. Campbell, Jr. also of Wilmington,
Del.
HEATHER FERGUSON
'typographical errors are Indeed
embarrassing. Oftlmes when we try to
correct them, the worse they become.
A printer’s simple typographical
error got Kings Mountain nation-wide
attention some years ago. A missing
“g" In the headline on a ticket for a ^
Saturday night “All Night Singing”
changed the ticket to “All Night Sin
ning.” By the time some Imaginative
publicity seekers and tongue-in-cheek
newsmen finished with It, the All Night
Sinning was an advance sell-out, new
tickets had to be printed, and news of
the approaching sinning spree was
spread to the four comers of the United
States, at least. %
I can't take blame for that mistake. I
was working at The Herald at the time
but our printshop didn’t print the
tickets. Thank goodness.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
Letters to the editor
Grateful for affection and respect
To the editors.
We will always be grateful for the out
pouring of affection and respect that we have
felt during this trying time.
Many people have been so helpful and
kind. We were truly overwhelmed with the
way friends and relatives rallied around us.
We also appreciate the work the city crew
did around the Kings Mountain Baptist
Oiurch.
During the funeral procession, the
policemen, as Is their custom, removed their
hats as we passed by and we were deeply
touched.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
THE FAMILY OF DR. D.F. HORD
Service above self
To the editors,
I appreciate the review you gave to my
address to the Kings Mountain Rotary C3ub
in your September 18 issue.
I will appreciate it if you will allow me to
correct your statement that Rotary’s
philosophy is “Service of Self” to read
"Service Above Self.” We believe that he
profits most who serves others best.
Sincerely yours,
PETER H. OERNS, GOVERNOR
District 767
Rotary Intematlonsd
Salutes papers
To the editor;
I take my licks from the newspapers now
and then, so It might surprise some people
that Tm writing this letter to salute National
Newspaper Week (Oct. 7-18).
But I recognize that the press Is valuable
precisely because It does make those of us in
government uncomfortable sometimes. It
keeps us on our toes, and it forces us to face
up to our mistakes and shortcomings.
I think the scrutiny of the press has helped
me be a better Governor. Newspapers
frequently bring to my attention problems
that I might not have known about other
wise. Sometimes they cause me to take a
second look at a program or policy.
Good government Is Impossible without
tree and open debate. And free and open
debate Is Impossible without goof
newspapers.
Throughout my administration, I have
held weekly press conferences In Raleigh—
almost 160 of them so far. In addition, I meet
with the local press whenever I travel
around the state.
That is a means of making the Governor
accountable to the people; I have to answer
their questions about things that are Im
portant to Individual citizens, and you can
read my answers.
Those encounters with the press help me
stay on top of what’s happening. I know that,
every week, I have to be prepared for the
tough questions and the troublesome Issues.
I know my administration has benefltted
from that.
Let us remember that there are no special
"lights” for the press. Issues such as open
meetings and access to public officials in
volve the fundamental rights of every person
to know what is going on in government. By
fighting for open meetings or open cour
troom proceedings, the press is fighting for
the lights of all of us.
What would It be like, in our country, if we
could not know—from an objective and in
dependent source—what Is going on in our
government?
I know what It would be like. I experienced
that when I served as an economic adviser to
the government of Nepal in Asia in the 19608.
Some days, you would look for the paper, and
it wouldn’t be there because the government
had closed it down.
I learn a lot about what's happening across
North Carolina from newspapers. That is
why I read four or five every day, and
whenever I’m in your area, I look for your
local paper. A lot of times, I go back after!
reading them with a lot of questions for my |
Cabinet secretaries and other members of|
my administration.
It’s so easy to get out of touch in Raleigh
and to forget that what really matters Is the
Impact state government la having In the
thousands of neighborhoods and com
munities across North Carolina.
Newspapers help keep us In touch.
So I Invite all the readers of this
newspaper to take a minute and think about
what you would be missing If somebody did
stop the presses.
Sincerely,
JAMES B. HUNT
Governor
Kennedy, repent!
To the editors.
Is Sen. Ted Kennedy running for president
of the United States of America? Well, the
news media already has proclaimed his
candidacy; Just the other week we heard on
the air that Kennedy has gone too far In
commltlng himself to his supporters, he
• ••
cannot step back any more. "Malden
Times” community newspaper in its last
week's issue pronounced him the president
on the second page of the newspaper. And his
supporters, the democrats, so we hear and so
we read, favor Ted Kennedy (or-the Ken
nedy myth) over Jimmy Carter
True, the President’s cabinet members
are not, most of them, first rate economists,
diplomats or even politicians. The President,
obviously, has often been ill-advised, and his
own statesmanship hasn’t earned an “A”,
but then his presidency has fallen In hard
times; if Ted Kennedy were the president,
the nation would. probably-God forbid-be In
shambles, looking like a disaster area "from
sea to shining sea." But speaking
realistically, where does the Ted Kennedy
leadership show up? In a recent Interview
with the American Associated Press, he
admitted that he had one of the best records
In Congress for support of Carter's
programs. Of course, as a politician of his
kind he put a "but I think” In the next sen
tence. We know, what this country of ours
n^eds If not the Ted Kennedy's type good
talker (after all, his speeches are written by
his staff) but a leader which can recognize
proven realities and deal with them. Neither
one of these two men are able to do that. And
certainly Ted Kennedy with the "Chap-
paqulddlck syndrome” when the drowning
Mary Jo Kopechne was left to her fate and
the "gentleman at the steering wheel” (Ted ^
Kennedy) run away from the girl-victim and
for some eight hours was trying to figure out
"what to do” Is a moral issue and. In ad
dition, he proved his disability to act In crisis
conditions. (Only Sen. Kennedy could get
away wdth it, “an average person” would not
escaped punishment by the law).
President Carter did the rtght thing saying
that In public Just recently that he wouldn’t
have panicked in the crlsls-as Kennedy did, ^
he meant. (But was it only panlck?) But ^
Carter was wrong trying to water down his
statement that Chappaqulddlck would not be
a campaign Issue. It must be a campaign
issue if Sen. Ted Kennedy becomes a can
didate. In that case we can neither forgive
nor forget him Chappaqulddlck.
TTie Ted Kennedy for president promoters
should better repent for his and their own
sins, our nation under God has too much to
risk going down with Ted Kennedy. J
DR. VALDIS MEZEZERS
Iron Station
What’s your
opinion?
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interest to you. Address all correspondence J
for this page to Reader Dialogue, Kings
Mountain Herald, P.O. Box Drawer 782,
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086. Be sure and sign
proper name and Include your address.
Unsigned letters will not be pubUshed.