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The News Record
to trim food budget?
Turn to paqe 3.
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY
76th Year No 22 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL . N C THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1977 15'Per Copy
County Board
J
Opposes Hike
In Tax Rate
For the past month the board
of county commissioners has
been reviewing budgets which
have been submitted by county
departments for FY 77-78 If
requested appropriations as
submitted by various
departments were granted the
appropriations would far
exceed the anticipated
revenues Estimated increase
to meet the request would
require a tax increase of ap
proximately 40 cents The
commissioners' unanimous
decision was to contact each
department head an ask that
they maintain their ex
penditures at the same level as
last year's appropriations.
This action was taken by the
commissioners in their effort
to afford all services possible
and at the same time not
burden citizens of Madison
County with increased taxes
As the North Carolina :[:?
General Statutes requires a
balanced budget and the
budget was balanced at the :?:?
level of last year's budget it
was the opinion of the com
missioners that neither the
citizens nor the economy of ;X;:
Madison County could tolerate
a tax increase at this time.
"Hopefully all departments
will accept the fact that the
purse strings must be
tightened and will make every :j&
effort to cooperate with this
request to reduce budget :;:v
requests in order to avoid a tax
increase this fiscal year," the
commissioners stated
Miss Briggs
Is Library's
"Story Lady'
Miss Carolyn Briggs has
recently been hired to the
position of "storylady" with
Madison County Public
Library Miss Briggs is a
graduate of Mars Hill College
and a resident of the Greater
Ivy Community She received
a degree in early childhood
education from Mars Hill
College in 1972. Since that
time, she has taught head start
classes in Asheville one year,
kindergarten in Hot Springs
for two years, and has been
employed as Homebound
teacher in Madison County for
two years She is a lifetime
resident of Madison County.
She is the daughter of Mr
and Mrs Frank E Briggs of
Mars Hill. She has a 5-year-old
daughter, Michelle.
Miss Briggs will be con
ducting story hours throughout
the county in kindergartens,
day care centers, and handi
schools She will also be
conducting community story
? !_ ** L.~11
nours in iViaisiiau, mats mil
and Hot Springs. Anyone
desiring her services in their
area or further information
about story hours, please
contact the Madison County
Public Library.
SKIPA (storytelling for
kiddies in the preschool ages)
is a special LSCA project.
MISS BRIGGS
k
TWO-WAY RADIO communications tower,
100 feet high, shown above, was constructed
last week beside the Madison County Jail.
The modern installation will enable Sheriff
Ponder and his department to have better
communications into and from the jail.
7 Communities
Enroll In CDP
A total of 97 organized
communities in 16 counties and
the Cherokee Indian Reser
vation entered the 1977
Western North Carolina
Community Development
Program by the entry
deadline, according to Morris
L. McGough, executive vice
president of the WNC
Development Association and
Walter Moss of Rutherfordton,
area chairman of the program.
The development contest,
now in its 28th year, is widely
recognized as one of the
nation's foremost grassoots,
self-help programs It is
sponsored by the development
association in cooperation with
the N. C. Agricultural
Extension Service and other
agencies and local sponsors.
Included among the field of
entries this year are several
community clubs that have
organized this month and
others that h*"* heen active
forovc.
Seven communities in
Madison County are taking
part in the improvement and
beautification program this
year. These include Big
Laurel, Bull Creek, Greater
Ivy, Mars Hill, Sleepy Valley,
Upper Laurel and Walnut.
Buncombe and Cherokee
counties lead in the number of
entries in the program with 13
each. Transylvania County
has 10 communities com
peting. Henderson 9, and the
Cherokee Indian Reservation
8
Purpose of the community
development program since
its inception has been to boost
community pride and sprit and
to encourage people to work
together to build better and
more attractive areas in which
to live. Projects have included
building community centers,
starting volunteer fire
departments, constructing
(Continued on Page ?>
V
Horse Show
It's Time Again! Saturday On The Island
Hundreds of horse lovers
will invade the Island here this
Saturday afternoon and night
to attend the annual charity
horse show sponsored by the
Marshall Lions Club
There will be an afternoon
show at 1 p.m. and an evening
show at 7 o'clock. In case of
rain the shows will be held on
Sunday, officials stated
There will be 41 classes,
including English Pleasure.
Western, walking horses and
racking classes which
promises to be the most en
tertaining show in Marshall's
history. ,
Members of the horse show
committee, which includes
Maurice McAlister, Jerry i
Plemmons. John Corbett. Ed
List, Roger Wood, Rick
Thomason and David Cald
well, have been preparing for
weeks, a top-flight show Roy
Reeves, president of the
Marshall Lions Club, has
appointed numerous com
mittees and everything is set
for June 4
Ribbons, trophies and cash
awards will be presented
Refreshments and soft
drinks will be available, in
cluding hamburgers, hot dogs,
etc.
Honorable Billy Winchester
of Florence, S. C., will judge
Western and Honorable Judge
Gene Roberts of Greenville, S.
C . will judge English.
I
River Searched
For Lost Girl \
Twleve Rescue Squad boat
crews searched un
successfully Monday in the
waters of the French Broad
River at Hot Springs for the
body of Penny Lee Lytle, 7, of
Hill Street, Asheville.
Sheriff E. Y Ponder seidthe
search effort was centc-ed in
the stretch of river down
stream from the Sand Bar
fishing resort, where the child
1
fell in the water about 5 p m
Sunday. The search was halted
by darkness but was resumed
Tuesday
"The water is deep and
swift," Ponder said The
rescuers who took part in the
search were from Buncombe
and Transylvania counties in
North Carolina, Greene and
Cocke counties in Tennessee.
The dragging operation had
begun Sunday night
Ponder said Penny and three
other children were running '
along the bank of the river, I
when she fell in Mr and Mrs
Oalson C. Rice of Weaverville,
the child's aunt and uncle,
were standing at a car parked
about 50 yards from where
the children were playing
"They heard one of the
children scream," the sheriff
said, "and went running back,
but the little girl had disap
peared "
The missing girl is the
daughter of Mrs Judith Lytle.
Lloyd Thompson of
Asheville will be master of
ceremonies, and Roger Wood
of Marshall will serve as
ringmaster Mrs Jerry
Plemmons w ill again serve as
show secretary.
Officials stated that stan
dard horse show rules will
apply
Below are the various
classes and the order of ap
pearance:
Lead Line < riders 6 years
and under English Halter
No. 1 ? 2 years and under. No.
2 ? over 2 years. Western <
Halter No 1 ? 2 years and
under. No 2 ? over 2 years;
Appaloosa Halter No. 1 ? 2
years and under No 2 ? over 2 i
years; Draft Horse Halter No.
1 ? 2 years and under, No 2 ? 1
over 2 years, No 3 ? mares i
with foal by side; Pleasure
Ponies (50 inches and under >;
English Pleasure (opem; 1
Madison County Pleasure; 1
Walking Horse (3 years and
under i; Ladies' Western
Pleasure (riders 17 years and
over i Pepsi Cola Race;
Western Pleasure riders 16
years and under c Juvenile
Racking (riders 12 years and
under); Walking Horse
i open >; Gentlemen's Western
Pleasure i riders 17 years and
over); Ladies' Racking;
Appaioosa Western Pleasure;
Buddy Pick-Up Race; Speed
Racing; Barrel Race;
Leadline (riders 6 years and
' Continued on Page6)
MARS HILL Handi School s
Special Olympics team winners in
the North Carolina Special
Olympics held at High Point
College in High Point recently are
shown above displaying their
medals. Front row, left to right,
Lorraine Green, Betty Ruth
Ballard, Elaine English; back
row, left to right, Eddie Ballard,
Chris Roberts, Howard Riddle,
Buddy Norton.
Runt Doesn't
Act Like
Most Dogs
Bv JIM STORY
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Clauss.
who reside on Route 1, Mar
shall, are well-known animal
lovers, especially of cats and
dogs. They have owned
numerous cats (or is it that the
cats owned the Clausses) but
their favorite pet for nearly
five years is "Runt," a
beautiful and well cared for
Great Dane
"Runt" is a strong, hand
some dog 33 inches tall and
measures six feet from tip of
tail to tip of nose His neck
measures 274 inches and the
glossy black pet weighs 175
pounds
"Runt eats about 14 pounds
of dry dog food a day plus
anything he can beg from the
table or steal from the cat,"
Gordon told this writer.
"Strangely enough, "Runt"
will chew a stick of gum for 20
minutes," Gordon commented
with a smile.
Gordon went on to say that
"Runt" understands about 30
words. His favorite words are
"Good dog," "Want to go?"
The most necessary words are
"No" and "Come."
"He loves to carry his bucket
with refreshments to me
somewhere on the farm At our
former home he brought in the
morning paper until he started
bringing in about six papers
and had to be stopped."
Gordon continued.
"Runt can clear the ground
by five to six feet when he is
catching his Frisby. He can
jump over any of the fences but
prefers to scoot under them.
He spends much timo on the
farm watching the cattle and
growls at them if they get
frisky and bump heads. When
"Runt" is in the car he protects
it viciously but when properly
introduced he quickly becomes
your friend and loves for you to
pet him," Gordon stated.
"We've had many pets that
have been members of our
family but 'Runt' is the
greatest.'' Gordon concluded
Youth Win Special Olympics Medals
Mars Hill Handi Schools'
Special Olympics team
recently returned after a
successful trip to the 1977
North Carolina Special
Olympics held at High Point
College, High Point. Several
athletes won honors in various
events.
All these athletes suc
cessfully competed in the local
programs before going to the
statewide meet One thousand <
three hundred participants
were involved in the weekend
program.
Winners and their ac
complishments follow: 1
Eddie Ballard, first place
softball throw, second place,
220-yard dash; Betty Ruth
Ballard, first place, softball
throw, first place 50-yard
dash; Elaine English, second
place softball throw, second
place. 50-yard dash; Lorraine
Green, third place, softball
throw, second place, 50-yard
dash; Chris Roberts, first
place, softball throw, second
place, 50-yard-dash; Howard
Riddle, first place, 50-yard
dash, third place, standing
long jump; Buddy Norton, first
place, 50-yard-dash. second
place, running long jump
The North Carolina Special
Olympics program included
track and field events as well
as swimmine events and a
wide variety of educational
and recreational clinics.
Athletes and chaperones were
housed in High Point College
dormitories
Opening ceremonies started
off the weekend event on
Friday evening as the "Parade
of Athletes" marched onto the
field The traditional lighting
of the torch officially opened
the games and was followed by
a carnival provided by hun
dreds of volunteers.
A special thanks goes out to
all our friends who helped us
with their donations: Miss Sue
Fitzgerald. Linda and Dennis
* a t? l.
mixurry, uan anu r r?iin
Quick, Mr and Mrs. R. P.
Stroup, Micro Switch, Mars
Hill Civic Club, Brad Ragan
Inc., the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes and the
Home Economics Gub, both
from the college, and all the
other people who helped us
with our bake sales and
newspaper drive.
The chaperones who
volunteered their time and
energy to help us were: Ragan
Stroup, Alice Mahy. Brenda
Edmonds, Mary Smith.
"Reco" Talarico, Tom Pack.
George Keville, and Walter
Anderson Without them this
trip would not have been
possible
"RUNT," the 175-pound Great Dane, pet of
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Clauss of Route 1.
Marshall, is shown hugging his master.
t
County Courthouse located in
Marshall.
The proposal is to replace
the existing bridge with a new
structure to be located Just
downstream. Minor work will
be required on Bend of Ivy and
Gravel Pit Road (Secondary
Road 1597) to tie them in to the
proposed structure. Right of
way will be variable to contain
construction.
The public is invited to at
tend, make comments, aril
questions aMl present any
< Continuation Pagef)
* f
Ivy Bridge
Hearing
Set June 9
On June 9, the N. C.
Department of Transportation
will hold a public hearing to
discuss the proposed
replacement of the bridge on
Bend of Ivy (Secondary Road
1576) over the Ivy River in
Madison County. (Not bridge
over Ivy River on Highway 25
70)
The hearing, scheduled for?
p.m.. will be held in the
courtroom of the Madison