Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / April 18, 1984, edition 1 / Page 1
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III News Record SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY Sll ^ LiBWABy ? I ^NEKAL DELivtMv f 1 'Af'isHnL.L. Vol. 84 No. 16 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.i NC M8 -.8753 " 25? FBEMC Rate Increase Is Postponed Several hundred people attended the annualk meeting of the French Broad Electric Member ship Corporation (FBEMC) at Madison H.S. on Saturday. The annual meeting also featured an Energy Fair where various energy-saving pro ducts were exhibited. FBEMC General Manger Charles Tolley delivered a report tothe membership. Tolley told the members that FBEMC and Carolina Power and Light Co. (CP&L) ahve reached agreement on a compromise on a proposed two pasrt rate increase that fixes the wholesale rate FBEMC pays CP&L at the level of the increase put into effect in Oct., 1983. Tolley received a round of applause when he told the members that the agreement means that a planned May 1 rate increase will be cancelled. Tolley said that cooperatives are good policy for rural counties. "A cooperative is an organization that is formed by people who want to do things together they cannot do as in dividuals. I visited an area last week in this county that did bot have any electric service in 1940. Ninety-six percent of our people did not have electric power. We now have almost 3,000 miles of distribution line, 30 miles of transmis sion lilne, 12 substations and meters are in place, and power companies would like to taek Over the facilities. (Continued on Page 14) News Record Suit Is Continued The lawsuit brought by The News Record against the Town of Marshall, the Marshall Board of Aldermen and Mayor Betty Wild was continued Monday afternoon when defense at torney Forrest Ball asked the court to drop the complaint. Ball based his request for a dismissal on the grounds that the complaint was improperly fil ed. Ball told the court that "The Madison Coun ty Publkishing Co." named as a complainant in the suit, does not legally exist. He called Madison County Register of Deeds Jena Lee Buckner to the stand. (Continued on Page 10) ZENO PONDER Hot Springs Seek Grant Hot Springs officials have given approval to a request for community development grant funds administred through the Community Development Block Grant program. Hot Springs has submitted ('applications for funding for two projects. The first, a request for $39,230, would fund the remodeling of the old drug store into a new community center. The second project would resurface portions of the town's streets and asks for a grant in the amount of $137,470. Streets that would be repaved include Serpen tine Ave., North Spring St., River Dr., Avenues A and B, Mountain Hgts., Jackson, Lawson and Short Sts. and Meadow Lane. The grant program is administered by the N.C. Dept. of Natrural Resources and Com munity Development. The town will not learn if the projects are to receive funding until sometime in June. Ponder Tells Convention County Democrats Should Vote Together By HOBiCKT KOENKi Madison Counly Democrats need to unite behind one can didate in the May 8 primary. That was the message Zeno Ponder delivered Saturday to a gathering of some 200 Democrats at (he counly con vention held in Marshall. As he has for the past few mon ths, the Democratic Party county chairman suggested that D M. "Lauch" Faircloth was the candidate they shouvld unite behind. Ponder was the keynote speaker at the county conven tion. He told the meeeting. "For a hundred years, Madison County had a reputa tion as a rock-ribbed Republican counly. We also earned the reputation of "Bloody Madison" because we had more killings than anywhere in the state. We also had another reputation. Madison County became known as the bootlkeggingest county in North Carolina. Bootlegging in Madison Coun ly was a way of life. That's what the good Kepublicans did for Madison County in the hun dred years they were in con trol." Poi)der recounted the 1950 election victories of Woody Amnios and Dr. W.A. Sams aneroid the convention the 1954* election brought him, "mor? criticism than I've ever had 111 my life." "We've come a long way." Ponder said. "We can brag aboul having the Speaker of the North Carolina House, Liston Ramsey. We have only one-third of one percent of the population of North Carolina, but we have the second most powerful man in state govern ment." Ponder told the delegates to the convention. "There's been a lot of improvements here in the lastr few years. We're no longer known as "Bloody Madison" and Madison Coun ty is no longer a bootlegging county. What we've ac complished didn't happen by accident. It required good planning and good politics." The county chairman then made his case for Fairclotli. Ponder predicted that both Buncombe and Haywood Counties would be split, with Fairclotli and Knox receiving the most votes. He said that if Madison County could deliver 70 percent of an expected 3.500 votes for Faircloth that Madison County could provide the difference in the 11th District. Ponder urged a unified county vote because. "If we neutralize ourselves, we liave simply wasted our franchise at the ballot box." Following Ponder's ad dress,! Hot Springs mayor Debbie Baker called the roll of delegates and opened the con vention for nominations for positions on election commit tees. Swan Huff and Woodrow Boone were elected to serve on the Judicial District Commit tee. County commissioners Er vin Adams and Virginia Anderson nominated each other to posts on the State Senatorial District Committee and were elected. Swan Huff and Doug Robin son were also elected to posi tions on the Stale House District executive committee The convention than selected 12 delegates to the 11th District convention in Waynesville on June 2. The convention elected Terry Gunier. Johnny Payne. Colin Bishop. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Wallin. Doug Robinson. J.L. Rice, Zeno Ponder. Marion Bail, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Boone and Marie Ponder. Robert Edwards and Liston Ramsey were also nominated, but declined to be elected. The convention concluded with the election of delegates to llie slate convention in Raleigh on June 16. Roger Haynie, Mr. and Mrs. Seth Metcalf, Betty Payne. Ruby Wallin. Johnny Payne. James Rue. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Watlin, Mr. and Mrs. Zeno Ponder and Bill Boone were elected as delegates to the state convention. At the conclusion of the con vention, Ponder distributed sample ballots to the delegates with bis own choices checked off. In addition to Faircloth. Ponder said he en dorses Gov Jim Hunt for the U.S. Senate seat; Thad Kure for Secretary of State. James E. Long for Commissioner of Insurance, Dick Barnes for Commissioner of Labor, Henry Frye for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and John C. Martin for Judge of the Court of Appeals. When asked why he had not chosen a candidate in the race fro lieutenant governor. Ponder said, "I wouldn't want to touch that one." Tlie News Record conducted an informal straw poll at the conclusion of the convention. In tlie race for governor, those voting in the straw poll favored Faircloth. Of the 15 votes cast, Faircloth received nine. Lieutenant Gov. Jimmy Green received three votes. ^ Attorney General Rufus Ed misten received one vole, as did Gary Hart and ?'undecid ed." In tlie lieutenant gover nor's race, the delegates were split between the two major candidates Tlie straw poll gave both Slate Sen. Bob Jor dan and former Speaker of the N.C. House Carl Stewart , seven votes each. Rabid Skunk Found In Laurel The Madison County Health Department has reported that a rabid skunk was found last week in tlie Laurel communi ty. Health director Ed Morton reported that the rabid animal was first reported on Wednes day night of last week. A skunk suspected to be car rying rabies had attacked a cow and been killed by a dog. Carlie Gunter brought the dead skunk t<> the Madison County Sheriff's Dept. on Thursday morning. Morion said he look the animal to Asheville to a laboratory and then sent it on to Raleigh for testing. On Friday afternoon, the laboratory notified Morton that the animal was rabid. Morton said that both the dog and Ihe cow have been isolated and are being in spected daily for symptoms of the disease He said that coun ty residents should be on the alert for excited animals of any kind. He recommends shooting any wild animals that appear to be carrying rabies, but cautioned not to shoot the animal in the head if possible. The Madison County Health Department and Dr. Bud Allen conducted rabies clinics on Saturday and Sunday at White Rock. Morton reported that Dr. Allen vaccinated ap proximately 100 animals dur ing tfte two-day clinic. The county Board of Health lias planned a meeting for Wednesday at which time ad ditional rabies clinics will be scheduled. Longshot Gubernatorial Candidates Offer Wide Range Of Positions By KI.1ZABKTH I.KI.AM) The News and Observer Andy Barker campaigns as "the man with the plan." Bob Hannon's slogan is "Don't get rob-Vote for Dr. Bob." For J.D. Whaley, it's "God and country and abolition of the In ternal Revenue Service." Barker, Hannon and Whaley are running for governor, entered as candidates in the May 8 Democratic primary. A fourth candidate is Ku Klux Klan leader Glenn Miller, who says the first thing he will do if elected governor is host a cross-lighting ceremony on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion. Each man says he's just as serious about his politics as are the six major Democratic candidates. So is Ruby Hooper, a 5?-year old dietician from Morganton, who's runn ing for governor on the Republican ticket against U.S. Rep. Jane's G. Martin. On her days off, Mrs. Hooper crj? crow as the state in her "flying machine"- a lttO while Pinto- proclaiming that it's time for a change" Democratic candidates won over the major contenders for governor- Republican Martin and Democrats Rufus L. Ed misten, DM "Lauch" Faircloth. Thomas O. Gilmore, James C. Green. John R. Ingram or H. Edward Knox. History offers little hope for the fringe candidates. Bruce "Bozo" Burleson, a former professional wrestler from Asheville is a case in point. Burleson was a perennial can didate in the '60s and early '70s. But in the 1960 Democratic primary for governor, Burleson got just 2,445 votes out of a total of 830,000-plus votes cast. In 1972, he switched to the American Party, but it didn't help. Of the more than 972,000 votes cast in (he gubernatorial primary, Burleson got a grand total of 251. As in past elections, this year's minor candidates are not widely known across the state, have raised little money and depend more on personal energy than on campaign staff* and slick advertising. So why do they run? For d^m ' For 'others .r^ra? Ileal religion," or ^ white Harmon said he wanted voters to know of his objec tions. "Tell your readers that Bob Hannon doesn't want to be here." said the 68-year old retired college professor from Greensboro. "He doesn't want to be written up with Ruby Hooper and that Klansman He thinks tie ought to be with the major candidates." Andy Barker doesn't mind being identified as a minor candidate- at least he says he doesn't. "I know me better than most people know me and con sequently it doesn't hurt my feelings when you put me with the lesser candidates." Barker said over salad at the Shoney's Restaurant in Green ville. where he had gone for an interview on a local television show. "t'm riot a career politician There are only two things I want in Raleigh- that's (lie Governor's Mansion and the governor's job." Barker, 59. has wanted the job since he was a youngtser growning up in rural Lincoln lias served as mayor for eight terms. He's best remembered for hosting a rock festival in 1970 that attracted 75.000 peo ple and a lot of national atten tion for the cowboy town. Barker is as a friendly man who greets visitors with a hug. a warm smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes. He's got a shock of white hair, and beneath his three-piece suit are a pair of big, brown cowboy boots. A pipe is always in his hand or mouth. With a budget of only about $3,000, Barker does most of his campaigning out of his home in Love Valley. No forums or rallies. No ads- unless sup porters want to buy them. And no special interest groups. "If you go and make pro mises and get endorsements, and receive money from special interest .groups, you're bound by your word,'' Barker said. "I want to help all the people in North Carolina....! don't want to be governor .ex cept the way I want to be." As governor, he would put prisoners to work, increase Baptists aren't going to like.1' Barker concedes. "But we've got millions of fruit going to waste every year... and illicit brandy from Wilkes County is selling for $50 a gallon. Why not legalize it and get revenue?" This is Barker's second bid for the governor's job, and he says it's his last. In 1976, he ran for the Democratic nomination and got about 5,000 voles to Gov. James B. Hunt's 360,000. "I'm offfering myself this time and this is it," Barker said. "Last time, I knew Jim had it in the bag, but I did it for exposure and experience." Robert L. Hannon also lias run before. In 1972, he cam paigned for lieutenant gover nor on the slogan. "Christmas is every day of the year." Two years later, he unsuccessfully vied for a U.S. Senate seat, ad vocating, "a chicken in every pot-regardless of race or creed." i With this year's slogan. "Don't gel rob, vote for Dr. Bob"-he says he's telling voters, "Don't go out there I Or perhaps he'll become a Baptist minister. He's already doing a lot of campaigning from church pulpits. "Each Sunday. I'm in the pulpit somewhere," Hannon said in a recent interview in his garage turned into an of fice. "I tell them that the Bible said. 'Let your light so shine so men can see your good works. ' This is Bob Hannon, I'm let ting my light shine by runing for office. It's practical religion. I tell them, 'You can let your light shine by registering and voting.' And, of course, I say, 'by voting for Bob Hannon."' A native of Scotland Neck. Hannon is the only black in the race of governor. He has an undergradute degee from North Carolina AAT State University in Greensboro, a master's degree from *Uar vard and a Ph. D. from lite University of Michigan. He has taught or been an ad ministrator at several col leges, including AAT and Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. He's also been a principal t oo^hor u/'hAnl in recalled "The angels saying, 'Run. Bob The L?*1 said. an example I blacks. Lei then. ing They k>?1 have money and they don' ha\i YouYeth* mly ir who fey wrun H?ti rui put ? oek tr
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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April 18, 1984, edition 1
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