Bobbi Martin Column, July 25, 1988

Monday, July 25, 1988

[photo of Bobbi Martin] Bobbi Martin

Based on the consensus of 6th District party leaders last week, City Councilman Steve Arnold should easily find a place on the GOP legislative ticket in November — if he wants it. Arnold has made it clear — he wants it.

Tomorrow night, party precinct leaders are expected to tap Arnold for the vacancy left by candidate Judy Mendenhall, who withdrew. Other names have been mentioned, but none seriously. That doesn't mean there isn't opposition to Arnold. The controversial young Turk could win the battle, and then lose the war in November.

His win tomorrow night will reflect the recent victory of ultraconservatives at the presidential primary township caucuses. Almost all of High Point's delegates to the Guilford County GOP convention carried the banner of presidential hopeful evangelist Pat Robertson.

This strong, right-of-center faction, which often identifies with U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and the Congressional Club, may have a firm grip on the local party reins, but that's not enough to send Arnold to Raleigh.

Among Republicans, Arnold will have to do some serious fence-mending, particularly with party moderates who supported former Mayor Judy Mendenhall. Mrs. Mendenhall was soundly defeated in last year's first nonpartisan city election by former Democratic Mayor Roy Culler. Arnold openly opposed Mrs. Mendenhall and supported Culler. Arnold led the ticket for City Council, but he must have some of that same support from Democrats in his quest for state office.

Culler may not return the favor. The two have clashed repeatedly, particularly over budget matters. Arnold has a strong following among those who like to see City Hall challenged and taxes never raised.

Although he's not too popular there, Arnold will have support from City Hall. In fact, in the halls there's a joke being circulated that $1,500 has already been raised for Arnold's campaign, and that was just at the last meeting of the department heads.

As you read this, one of High Point's finest, fairly old landmarks is coming down. For several weeks we've read with sadness about the scheduled demolition of the Jack and Jill School. The two-story house was built in 1899 by the W.P. Pickett family.

Writer Martha Clontz put is so well (Lifestyles, Enterprise, July 17): "For the old-timer, it represents the years when the city's most outstanding families built large homes close to Main Street. For the younger generation, it holds memories of those first school days, when they, then their children, were introduced to reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic under the guidance of Mrs. E.O. (Marie) Cummings."

For 40 years, each generation was prepared for the next. But since the first of July it has stood alone, empty and stripped, waiting for the wrecking crews.

Last Friday Marie Cummings performed for the last time what was a daily morning and afternoon ritual. As long as they lasted, she passed out the children's books and games to the boys and girls who came. Some of those "children" were well over 30.

Mrs. Cummings recalled little arms wrapped around picture books held tight — as close as Linus and his security blanket — books that were read and reread and eventually recited by heart. She says she has been astonished at the requests from former students wanting some little memento or souvenir, a desire to possess some remembrance of those first days they experienced away from the nest.

What disturbs me and saddens her have been the uninvited guests, who have taken things without permission. Many of the fixtures she's sold, but there were others she had hoped to keep for her memories. The house was broken into repeatedly and pieces just ripped out. The locks were taken and the doors left standing open. The brass door knobs, the molding around the entrances, commode seats and railings ... The switch plates were torn off, the light sockets stripped and vandalized.

Isn't it a shame a turn-of-the-century house like this cannot be saved? What a marvelous children's reading room it would have made as part of the new High Point Library — this time a landmark with a new purpose. There are examples of that being done. The best I know is being done by High Point businessman Phil Phillips. Phillips has purchased and is preserving the historic downtown Biltmore Hotel and is restoring it as part of a new multistory office complex.

Why do we deliberately cut ourselves off from the past?

Just this week we recalled and once again patted ourselves on the back for 19 years ago launching the first spaceship that put a man on the moon. What ingenious navigators we are! We can find outer space, explore and seize it for our children, but we can't preserve the space we have inherited from our fathers.

Another giant step backward for mankind.