The NEWS RECORD
SERVING THE PEOPLE Of 'miMTir SINCE 1907
mad I Ton
? COUNTY I.I?RARy|
srNFRAi nn'jvrRY
mar|mai.
NC
WEDNESDAY, January r, ' ' 2(3753 25c
Marshall Board Meets Jan. 14
The Marshall Board of Aldermen will meet (Si Jan. 14 at 7 : 30
p.m. in the Town Hall.
Mars Hill Town Meeting Postponed
The Mars Hill Board of Aldermen will meet on Jan. 14 at
7:30 p.m. in the Mars Hill Town Hall.
Hot Springs VFD To Meet
The Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Dept. will hold a meeting for
all members on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Hot Springs Town Hall.
All members are asked to attend.
Laurel Turkey Shoot Set
The Laurel VFD will hold a turkey shoot on Jan. 12 at 11 a.m.
at the fire station field. Everyone is welcome to participate.
All proceeds will be used to purchase equipment for the com
pany.
Narcotics Anonymous Group
Formed In Marshall
The Willingness To Try Group, a chapter of Narcotics
Anonymous, has been formed and will meet on Thursday
nights at the Marshall Presbyterian Church. The meetings
will feature open discussions and are open tojhe public at no
charge. For more information, call the Narcotics Anonymous
Help Line at 258-4537.
Correction
In last week's Community Calendar, we incorrectly
reported that the Hot Springs Board of Aldermen would meet
on Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Hie meeting in question took place on
Jan. 7. The News Record apologizes for any inconvenience
caused by this mistake.
Hie next meeting of the Hot Springs Board of Aldermen is
scheduled for Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Ledford Elected
Land Of Sky
Chairman
James T. Ledford, chairman of the
Madison County Board of Commis
sioners, was recently elected to serve
as chairman of the Land of Sky
Regional Council. Ledford succeeds
William Ives of Transylvania. . "
Ledford has been a member of the
council for 12 years as a Madison
County representative within the
council. He was also named to repre
sent the four-county region as a
member of the North Carolina Joint
Regional Forum, a forum of county
and municipal offficials which ad
vises on development of policies and
programs affecting regional councils
and local governments.
Also named, to the council's board
were Henderson vi lie Mayor Don
Micbalove, named first vice chair
man; Buncombe County Commission
chairman R. Curtis Ratcliffe, named
as second vice chairman; Montreat
Mayor John Abernathy, named as
secretary and Laurel Park Mayor
John Carter, named as treasurer.
Transylvania County Commissioner
Fred Kilstrom and Brevard coun
cilman Cornelius Hunt were also ap
pointed as at-large member of the
council.
Ledford and the fellow officers will
be installed on Jan. 30 during the
council's annual dinner in Henderson
ville.
Betty Wild Named
To Committee
Marshall Mayor Betty Wild has
been appointed as a member of the
North Carolina League of
Municipalities' Community and
Economic Development Policy Corrt
mittee, one of the league's four stan
ding committees. Wild was appointed
to the post by Horace Whitley, presi
dent of the league. She will serve a
two-year term on the committee
chaired by Fayetteville Mayor Bill
Hurley.
The committee serves to provide
advice to the league's board of direc
tors.
The committee's first meeting of
the year will be held on March 5 in
Raleigh.
MHC Receives $5000
ik : 'V. * ? V ? .*? 'V ? .* ' ?? ' V--,'* < .r :
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Mara Hill College President Fred
Bentley has announced that the
school has received a donation of
$5,000 from Wachovia Bank and
Truat. The check waa delivered
recently by Herbert Buckner,
manager of Wachovia s Mftrafcall
of a $15,000 pledge Wachovia made in
f?Vv ,? ;J 'I
IMS as put of the Madison Assurance
Campaign. The college began the i
fund-raising drive while undergoing
financial difficulties
Bentley thanked Buckner and
Wachovia. saying, Wachovia * conti
Hjmiz ? stp^irtW evidence rfthairowi
Hill C
Hot Springs To Cash Bonds
To Pay Off ESC Debt '
By ROBERT KOENIG
It was standing room only at Hot
Springs' Town Hall Monday night for
the monthly meeting of the Board of
Alderman. Some 30 concerned town
residents crowded into the hall to
hear details of the town's debt to the
North Carolina Employment Security
Commission (ESC.)
Residents first learned of the
$30,000 debt at the December meeting
of the board. Discussion of the debt,
stemming from unemployment
claims following a 1979 HUD housing
rehabilitation project, occupied most
of Monday's meeting.
At the conclusion of the meeting,
the board voted to redeem three cer
tificates of deposit worth $25,000 in
order to repay the ESC bill. The town
is hoping that the lump sum payment
will convince ESC officials to forgive
some $4,000 in interest and penalties
on the debt.
On a motion introduced by Kenny
Ramsey and seconded by alderman
Waylon Puryear, the board voted to
cash in a $5,000 note belonging to the
town and two $10,000 notes belonging
to the Hot Springs Volunteer Fire
Dept.
The two $10,000 CDs being held by
the fire department are what remains
of $30,000 in grants approved by the
General Assembly for im
provements. The other $5,000 note is
the remainder of a $35,000 General
Assembly appropriation to the town
for the purchase of a new garbage
truck.
The town recently purchased a
truck for $30,000 and completed an
overhaul of the fire truck. Mayor
Baker said that the League of
Municipalities had approved using
the funds to repay the ESC.
During the meeting, the board also
voted to incorporate the town's
General Fund and water and sewer
funds. The action was taken, Baker
said, upon the recommendation of the
town's auditor.
Redeeming the CDs will leave the
fire department with $6,000 with
which to make additional im-.
provements to the town's fire truck
and equipment.
Although cashing in the notes will
erase the town's savings, the latest
financial statement indicates Hot
Springs will still have some $22,978 in
cash on hand, with lesser amounts re
maining in revenue sharing and
Powell Bill funds.
The debt to the ESC stemmed from
unemployment claims paided to
workers on a HUD housing rehabilita
tion project in 1978-79. Hot Springs
was notified in April, 1983 that it was
liable for repayment of the claims
paid by ESC. The town had repaid
some $15,000 of the debt prior to the
announcement at last month's board
meeting. Marshall paid off a similar
debt of $37,000 from a HUD project in
six installments of $6,500 in 1964.
Hot Springs' debt was so large
because the town does not make
unemployment tax payments on
employees, making it fully accoun
table for any unemployment claims.
The town officials voted to cash in
the saving certificates rather than
face a takeover of (own services by
the N.C. League of Municipalities
Had the town's savings not paid a
substantial portion of the debt, the
League of Municipalities could have
taken over the workings of the town's
government and set property tax
rates high enough to retire the debt.
Hot Springs and Marshall were two
of 27 North Carolina municipalities
facing debts to- the ESC stemming
from HUD projects in the late 1970 s.
In other matter discussed at Mon
day's meeting, the board heard from
Tom Bowman of the Old Smoky Cable
Co. regarding cable television service
to Hot Springs. Bowman's company
is attempting .to restore service
following the departure of the former
cable franchise operator.
Bowman told the aldermen that he
hopes to have service to Hot Springs
homes returned within the next week
and to be able to offer up to) 12 stations
within the next 60 days. He said his
company also has plans to open a
store in Hot Springs offering repairs
and satelites.
Old Smoky Cable, Inc. has not been
awarded a franchise as of yet. Mayor
Baker instructed Bowman to con
tinue to operate the system and that
the town would prepare a franchise'
agreement for consideration at the
February meeting.
The town opened bids received for
the administration of a $137,000 street
paving project being funded by a
Community Development Block
Grant The low bid of $4,257 was sub
mitted by the Land of the Sky
Regional Council. The Madison Coun
ty Housing Authority also submitted
a bid of $10,000 which would include a
final audit of the project. The
aldermen tabled a final decision on
awarding the contract.
Mayor Baker said that town is hop
ing the state Dept of Transportation
will be able to assist in the rep^ving
project
The aldermen also tabled a request
for the installation of a spetic tank
presented by W.C. and Ruth Spencer
of La Belle, Fla.
On motions presented by Kenny
Ramsey, the board voted to require
all town department heads to attend
the monthly meeting of the Board of
Aldermen and made the installation
of septic tank hookups a first priority
for the town crew.
Board member Gerry Ramsey did
not attend Monday's meeting.
Cutshall Cleared Of Assault Charge
Maiy Hill Chief of Police R.J. Cut
shall was found not guilty of a charge
of assault inflicting serious bodily
harm during Thursday's session of
the Madison County District Court.
Cutshall had been charged by
former Mars Hill police officer
William Lisenbee following a dispute
in the town police station on Dec. 13
during which Cutshall suspended the
officer.
Madison County District Court
Judge Alexander Lyerly found Cut
shall innocent following some 45
minutes of testimony from the two
men.
Lisenbee told the court that Cut
shall struck him with the back of his
hand as he was attempting to leave
the station, knocking him into a wall
and injuring his neck. He told the
court he wore a brace for several
days following the incident.
The incident began, Lisenbee said,
when Cutshall ordered him back to
the police station shortly after mid
night on Dec. 13. Cutshall ordered
Lisenbee back to the station after
discovering that he had double initial
ed security stickers placed on Mars
Hill businesses. The stickers were be
ing used in response to a series of
break-ins in the area.
Lisenbee admitted initialing the
stickers twice, saying he did so in
order to concentrate on suspicious
traffic which may have been linked to
the break-ins. In an earlier telephone
interview with The News Record,
Lisenbee said he was acting on the
suggestion of assistant police chief
Sizemore.
Summing up the testimony of the
plaintiff and complainant. Assistant
District Attorney James L. Baker
told the court, "Really, there are just
two different accounts of what hap
pened." Lisenbee said he regretted
there were no witnesses to the inci
dent. - ' ; ?
Following the trial. Cutshall told
reporters he was pleased with the
verdict and that the double initialing
was only one reason he recommended
firing Lisenbee.
Mars Hill Mayor Bill Powell con
vened a special meeting of the town's
Board of Aldermen on Dec. 19 to in
vestigate the incident. The aldermen
voted to dismiss Lisenbee following
the hearing.
Prior to working for the Mars Hill
force, Lisenbee was a member of the
Marshall Police Dept. and ran unsuc
cessfully for Madison County Sheriff
in 1982.
Cutshall's trial was one of several
cases involving assault heard during
the Jan. 3 session of court. James
English was found guilty of simple
assault and was sentenced to an ac
tive 30-day jail sentence. English was
originally charged with assault with a
deadly weapon.
Pattie Tipton was found not guilty
on charges of assault anrl resisting
arrest. Also found not guilty of
assault charges were Donna English
and Robbie Banks. Larry Davis was
acquitted of charges of assault and
communicating threats.
The court also dismissed charges of
assault on a female and com
municating threats against Champ
Rice, Jr. and charges of larceny
against both Floyd" Rollins and Gary
Ball.
Tim Cole entered a guilty plea to a
charge of communicating threats and
received a suspended two-year
sentence and was ordered to pay a
$500 counsel fee for his court
appointed attorney. Charges of mak
ing harassing telephone calls and
assault by pointing a gun against Cole
were dismissed.
Joey Robinson and Tony King both
failed to appear to answer charges of
assault in unrelated cases. The court
issued arrest orders for both men.
Redmon Dam Returns To Service
Major renovations to the Redmon
Dam hydroelectric plant have been
completed and the 75-year old power
plant has been returned to service
The Carolina Power and Light Co.
recently completed the installation at
new turbines and generators at the
plant, increasing the dam's
generating capacity by five times.
Built in 1910 by Captain W.T.
Weaver to provide electricity to
operate Asheville's electric trolley
car system, it was later purchased by
the Asheville Power and Light Co.,
which merged with CP4L in 1928.
"It's our oldest power plant, but it's
been completely modernized," said
Cletus Clark, a CP&L spokesman.
"About the only piece of old equip
ment left here is a 1909 motor that
was once used to raise and lower the
headgates of the plant. We call it our
museum piece."
Not only the oldest plant, but the
smallest as well, the Redmon Dam
provides an inexpensive source of
electricity by using the waters of the
French Broad River.
"It's economical power. There are
no fuel costs with hydroelectric
power, and even with the money
we've spent on the renovation, the
plant will more than pay for itself."
said Warren Hilliard, a senior
engineer on the modernization pro
ject.
The red brick powerhouse beside
the dam still looks much the same as
it did in the 1930'*. The changes made
to the powerhouse, however, are on
REDMON DAM AS IT APPEARS TODAY, ready to return to
service at five times its original capacity.
BMfraft i _ .jUtiM .rfK. ^ v
,
OM THE ino's shows that the red brick
ained i < u-s.
the inside where a computer systems
allows CP4L to control the dam (ram
teh company's Skyland facility
Sp* ing of the renovations, dark
said, "We've taken an old power
plant and made it into a completely
automated new plant "
The renovations will allow Rodman
Dam to generate 19 to 5,000 kilowatts.
There Is no storage capacity at the
plant, which operates as a "run of the
high
Bob Buctaer is the sole operator of
the plant, a job he has held for the
past 14 years. Referring to the dam.
There's a lot of
la lot of
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