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:? "aiisca County Library - ~ 1
a.c. 25753 v"73
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| Parents Want Students Off Island,
Urge Construction Of New School
ByJIM STORY
The courtroom here was
filled with concerned citizens
Monday night as many of
them voiced their feelings
before the county board of
education regarding the
urgent need for a new Mar
shall-Walnut elementary
school ? not on the Island
The standing room only
crowd, most of them from the
Marshall-Walnut school
district, were in unanimous
agreement that immediate
action should be taken by the
board of education to put in
motion definite plans which
will enable the elementary
students to get off the Island at
the quickest possible date. The
recent flood which severely
damaged the present
buildings made the parents
even more aware of the
dangers which exist at the
present facility.
The anxious audience were
not alone, however, in ex
pressing the need for a new
school in a new location
Immediately after Emery
Wallin, chairman of the board,
called the meeting to order,
Bill Roberts, a member of the
board, told the group that he
and the board members were
aware of the situation and he
would recommend using the
federal monies granted for
repairing the school of
damages caused by the flood
be used or applied on the
construction of a new
elementary school He voiced
the opinion that all members
of the board realized the
urgent need for a new school
and had discussed the matter
many times
Larry Leake, attorney for
the board, told the audience
that the board concurred that
a new school was needed and
set out the legal requirements
which would put in motion a
county-wide bond referendum
which would, naturally, in
crease the tax rate ap
proximately 8.5 cents per
hundred in order to finance a
new school building
Leake also explained the
pros and cons of a bond
referendum and answered
many questions asked by
parents and other persons
present
Don Anderson, a member of
the board, also spoke of the
efforts which were made by
the board, the superintendent
and others following the flood
in determining the damage
wrought by the flood and the
advisability in reopening the
school Representatives of the
state Health. Education and
Welfare Department and
other experts visited the
school and Island and
estimated the flood caused
$325,000 damage He also
stated that after careful in
spection, the experts declared
the buildings were basically
sound and safe for the
reopening of the school
Ernest Burnett e of Route 7
explained to the board about a
meeting held at the Marshall
Elementary School on
Thursday night when more
than 100 parents were in at
tendance Burnette read and
supplied board members
copies of four resolutions
concerning the future of the
Marshall School which were
adopted at the meeting, to
wit:
1 Plans be started im
mediately for a new Marshall
Walnut Elementary School
2 Monies from previous
bond issue and flood ?iamage.
approximately $550,000 00 be
marked and set aside for
construction (only) of a new
Marshall-Walnut Elementary
School
M. I f f J
3 Marshall Elementary
School to slay intact (faculty
and students attending classes
on the Island until new school
is completed).
4 Construction of the new
school to be in the area of the
land fill not adjacent to the
high school
We do hereby submit these
resolutions to the Madison
County Board of Education for
immediate action
This the 5th day of
Continued on Page 3
THE NEWS RECORD : r
- basketball summary
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY turn to page 8
76th Year, No. 49 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N C THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1977 15- Per Copy
MADISON COUNTY "Woman
and Man of the Year" were
presented plaques by Mrs. O. A.
Gregory of Marshall, Director of
the WNC Development
Association at the annual Awards
Meeting at the Civic Center in
Asheville last Saturday. Dr.
Evelyn Underwood, of Mars Hill,
and Dean Ledford, of Greater Ivy,
were the recipients of these
honors. (Photo by Jim Story)
Christmas Pageant
It's Slated In Marshall Friday, Saturday
The Marshall Christmas
Pageant Committee held its
final planning meeting on
Monday night and Ilo Ball,
director of the Marshall
Annual Christmas Pageant,
and Jack Ramsey, chairman,
have announced the following
cast members and heads of
various committees for this
year's production.
Jobie Sprinkle, working
with various members of the
Lions Club, will handle the
sound and Charles Huey is in
charge of the music. Mrs.
Hattie Teague, Mrs. Beulah
Fisher, Mrs. Eva Sams, Mrs.
Edith Hampton and Mrs.
Juanita Ball are the members
of the costuming committee
and Walter Ball, Earl Wise
and Clyde Fisher are in
charge of the scenery.
Hie donkey will be fur
. ^Oished by Bobby Arrowood
and the sheep by Aaron
Sronce Mars Hill College is
making the loan of two
spotlights and some of the
costumes, and McRae Roberts
and John Panaro will be
working with the lighting
committee
The Marshall Fire and
Police Department are taking
the responsibility of traffic
control and the recent clean
up on the streets, following the
Nov. 6 flood, is progressing so
that the pageant can be
presented without the mud
and grit the citizens of the
community have had to
contend with during the past
month.
John Shackleton will be the
narrator this year and the cast
is as follows:
Mary I, Cindy Loving; Mary
II, Pat Caldwell; Joseph I,
Teddy Cody; and Joseph II,
Buddy Fisher
Angels, Beth Smith, Clara
Fisher, Linda Ammons,
Karen Hunter and Lisa
Riddle; shepherds, Vader
Shelton, John Dodson, and
Toby Sprinkle
Inn keeper, Ray Buckner;
innkeeper's wife, Linda
Buckner; Roman soldiers,
Allen Stines, Richard
Robinson; wisemen, Gene
Breedlove, Jerry Caldwell and
Malcolm Reeves;
Townspeople, Mrs Gene
Breedlove and family, Donnie
Andrews, Greg Wilde, Mrs.
Lane Ogle and family, the
Bobby Arrowood family,
Laura and Stephen Ponder
and others.
THE CHOIR
The choir, under the
direction of Charles Huey, is
composed of the following;
Nancy Allen, Walter Ball,
Moody Chandler, Dot Cody,
Mike Cody, Clyde Fisher,
Patricia Fisher, Rebecca
Fisher, Gwen Foley, Barbara
Sue Goldsmith, Clyde Hagan,
Katie Harrell, Walda
McDevitt, Dale Panaro,
Ernestine Plemmons, Mary
Ponder, Jack Ramsey, Cheryl
Reeves, Lisa Riddle, Kathy
Roberts, Manita Roberts,
Roberta Roberts, Ed Scott,
Laura Scott, Ruth Shackleton,
(Continued on Page 3)
I Mail Schedules
?* Marshall postmaster Roger
Wood has announced that the
Kwtal Service this year will
dtake every attempt to have
biaU and parcels delivered on
jt-normal schedule during the
Christmas Season, throughout
the continental United States.
JSfljrmal delivery time, he said,
ft approximately 10-12 days
< |
;
for parcels and 4 to 5 working
days for letters and cards.
Persons having Christmas
mail going overseas should try
to have It in the mail stream
by or before Dec. 10. Specific
mailing dates for overseas
areas may be obtained by
calling .tie ... ..all Post
Office.
CDP Cites
Madison
Efforts
Unity of Macon County,
Washburn of Rutherford
County and Big Ivy of Bun
combe County are the three
communities named top
winners of the 1977 Western
North Carolina Community
Development Program.
The announcements were
? mac1.--. Saturday W the
Asheville Civic Center during
the 28th annual awards lun
cheon of the nationally
recognized, self-help rural
development program.
The Washburn Community
additionally was named as
having the most outstanding
overall youth program during
1977.
Approximately 600 rural
and business leaders, ex
tension agents and local of
ficials attended the event,
which was the annual meeting
of the Western North Carolina
Development Association. The
community development
program is sponsored by the
development association and
the N. C. Agricultural
Extension Service, in
cooperation with other
agencies and sponsors.
The top community awards
were presented by
Congressman Lamar Gudger.
Madison County, who has
been awarded top honors for
several years, had to be
satisfied with two Honorable
Mentions.
In Division "B\ (75-150
families) Bull Creek gained
Honorable Mention, receiving
$50.
In Division "C", (More than
150 families) Greater Ivy
received Honorable Mention,
receiving $50
Mrs. O. A. Gregory, of
Marshall, a director of the
WNC Development
Association, presented the
community leadership
awards.
Madison County had one of
the largest number of
representatives present at the
meeting.
Pageant Cast
Sets Final
Rehearsal
Final rehearsals for the
annual Marshall Christmas
Pageant will be held on
Thursday, Dec. 8th. Main cast
members are asked to meet at
6:30 in Vaddr's Barber Shop.
The Townspeople will meet at
the Marshall Baptist Church
at 6:30 for costuming and all
cast members will assemble
at the church at 7 for final
instructions and a short
dedication and prayer service
led by the Rev. George Moore
before the rehearsal.
Marshall Acquires
City Hall Building
By JIM STORY
^ Th<* latest major transaction in Marshall was
officially announced last Thursday night at a joint
meeting of the former town officials and the newly
elected officials who took office Monday.
Former Mayor George Penland and former
aldermen Donald Ramsey and Ed Niles stated
that the Town of Marshall on Nov. 21, purchased
the Kermit Cody Building (the former Redmon &
Worley Building) from Cody for $60,000 in what
they termed "a projected economical plan." The
purchase was under a two year lease-purchase
agreement with a down payment of $23,000 and
$18,500 per annum. It was stated that the
payments would come from Revenue Sharing
funds and that there would be no increase in taxes.
Former Mayor Penland explained that the
building, now known as the Marshall City Hall,
housed the Town Clerk and personnel, the
volunteer fire department trucks and equipment,
the ambulance services of which the county pays
$125 monthly; the Driver's Examiner office, with
the second story rented by a law firm for $100 per
month. It was also stated that the law firm had
personally paid for remodeling and improved the
second story quarters. Also in the purchase was
the adjacent parking lot which at present has 22
spaces rented at $6 per month with seven vacant
spaces available for interested renters.
Former aldermen Donald Ramsey and Ed
Niles, as well as James Penland, who was
reelected as an alderman, expressed the opinion
that the transaction would be beneficial to Mar
shall and its citizens and taxpayers in years to "
come.
"By owning this building, it will alleviate the
costs of renting space and would be an asset to
Marshall," an official state''.
The former officials tlso briefed the newly
elected officials about plans to add still another
parking area for vehicles from the Main Street
Housing project to the business building opposite
Cody's Used Car lot at the lower end of town.
The joint meeting, the first of its kind here,
was harmonious and both former and present
officials stated that they would cooperate together
in the future
Liston Ramsey Bids
For Legislative Post
By BILL NOBLITT
Raleigh Reporter
State Rep Liston B
Ramsey, D-Madison appears
to have an early lock on
becoming the next Speaker of
the House of Representatives
in the N. C General Assem
bly.
Most sources concede that
Ramsey now has enough
commitments among present
Democratic members of the
House to win the post.
Things change, of course,
over the period of time in
volved until the next
speakership election;
especially now that present
Speaker Carl J. Stewart Jr.,
D-Gaston, has stated his in
tention to seek a second two
year term.
Traditionally, the speaker
served only one session of the
assembly. Stewart has the
votes to break that tradition,
and repeat as speaker for the
1979-1900 term. Ramsey is
lining up support for 1M1...
and beyond.
Anticipating changes in the
membership, Ramsey is busy
courting newcomers to the
legislative body. Three have
been appointed to fill unex
pi red terms as vacancies
occur from legislators taking
other governmental posts.
Ramsey Is also ready to call
on any new Democrats
nominated in next year's
elections.
EARLY VOTE
Meanwhile, Ramsey has
been carefully paving the way
for an aarttor shot at the
speakership should anything
happen to Stewart. That is a
particularly difficult task,
insiders say, since It must not
appear that Stewart Is being
Continued on Page 4A
MARSHALL'S former and
present town officials held a joint
meeting last Thursday night at
the Marshall Town Hall where
past, current and future plans
concerning the town were
discussed. Shown seated are
former officials, left to right,
Donald Ramsey, alderman;
George Penland, mayor; Ed L.
Niles, alderman; standing left to
right, Lawrence Ponder, present
mayor; James Penland, reelected
alderman; Buford Marler,
alderman; and Jackie Davis,
alderman. (Photo by Jim Story)