May Is 'Older Americana Month. ' - See Panes 6-7
MADISON
COUNTY LIBRARY
GENERAL DELIVERY
??MARSHALL NC
11 RECORD
Serving The People Of Our Communities Since 1901
ANNE KITCHELL PHOTOS
Birthday j
Bash
Vaace Birthplace near Weaver- I
ville recently celebrated the
lS7th birthday of Zebuloa Vance, 1
North Cardina l Civil War gov- \
eraer. Above, Weodfla Elemen- 4
tary School child re a visit the
state historical site. Left, El
isabeth Squire shows a group of
children how to "cane" a chair.
Vaace Birthplace, oa Reems
Creek Rood, is now open for the
maimer.
1
Accident -Filled Week Claims
Mother, Unborn Daughter
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
A Marshall woman and her unborn
child were killed in a single-vehicle
accident after she lost control of her
car on rain-soaked U.S. 23 near Wolf
Laurel last week.
It was one of several traffic ac
cidents to keep N.C. Highway Patrol
troopers busy in Madison County dur
ing the past week
Lorri Davis Bowen, 27, of Route 6
Marshall was killed at about 3:30
p.m. last Wednesday when her car
skidded off U.S. 23 at the foot of Mur
ray Mountain and crashed into
Laurel Creek, according to Trooper
T.B. Sutton, investigating officer.
Bowen was eight months pregnant
at the time of the crash, and attempts
to save her unborn child failed, accor
ding to reports.
Authorities blame the accident on
heavy rains and a wet roadway.
"There was a hard rain and she ap
parently lost control on the slick
pavement," Sutton said. "I figure she
hydroplaned."
The tires of Bowen 's vehicle ap
parently lost contact with the road
when it traveled through a puddle of
water on U.S. 23, he said. The car ran
off the right side of the road overturn
ed into Laurel Creek, according to
reports.
Bowen's 8-year-old daughter,
Angela, was a passenger in the car at
the time of the accident. Sutton said.
"She (Angela) crawled out of the
car, ran up to the road and flagged
down a passing motorist," he said.
The Madison County Emergency
Medical Service responded to the
call, and transported Bowens and her
daughter to the Mars Hill Medical
Center.
There, doctors tried to save
Bowen's unborn daughter, but their
attempts failed, said Eddie Fox, EMS
director.
-Contiaued on Page 12
Residents Question
Legality Of Home
By BILL STUDENC
Editor ?'
The town of Mars Hill can legally
apoftsor an intermediate care facility
for mentally retarded adults, despite
the fact that the Madison County
I Hoard of Commissioners refused to
participate in the project last year.
That was the word Tuesday from
David Matnev, project attorney, dur
ing a public hearing an the proposed
facility.
"I want U> know whether the the
town haa the right to do thia after the
county has tvtted it down on the
same property," C.N. Willis aaked
Matn< during the public hebring,
held at Mars Hill Town Hall.
"Vaa, sir Legally, they can,"
Matneysaid 'The county did not say
tbay didn't want it. The <*unty said
facility from county residents, opted
against sponsoring the home.
Project developers then asked the
Mars Hill Board of Aldermen for
sponsorship, and the board has ten
tatively agreed.
The county did not vote not to do
it," Matney said Tuesday. "There
was no motion to do it. But even if
they had said no, the town could stilt'
do it
Man Hill's approval of the project
also came after the town of Weaver
ville's earlier rejection of the pro
posal. The Weaverville Town Council
did not annex a site considered by
Blue Ridge Mental Health for the
facility, and that meant the facility
couM not get needed water and sewer
Madison Schools OK
$1.4 Million Budget I
BV MILL. STUDKNl
Editor
The Madison County Board of
Education, after several late-night
brainstorming sessions this month,
agreed last Thursday to a proposed
budget for the 1967-88 fiscal year
totaling $1,474,120.
That amount is $187,475 more than
the $1,286,645 budget the school
system operated on in 1986-87.
School board members approved
the proposed budget late Thursday
night, less than an hour before mid
night - and May 15, the deadline for
local school boards to adopt proposed
budgets.
The proposed school budget is
divided into two separate parts, the
operating budget and the capitol
outlay fund.
Madison school officials say they
will need $923,120 to run the county
school system in 1967-88. That money
would be used to pay salaries and fr
inge benefits, maintenance of
facilities, transportation costs and
supplies and materials. The amount
allocated to pay for operating ex
penses in 1966-87 was $1,135,645 -
$212,525 more than school officials
say they'll need for the coming year.
School officials have asked for a
total of $551,000 for the capital outlay
fund, which is used to construct new
school facilities, repair existing
buildings and purchase new equip
ment and vehicles. The proposed
capital outlay fund for the coming
year is $400,000 more than last year's
fund.
"I see a grand total of $1,474,120. I
think that's all we'd better ask for,"
said Jim Baker, school board chair
man. "Gentlemen, we have adopted a
budget.''
Madison County school system's
proposed budget, which includes
money allocated by the Madison
County Board of Commissioners, the
General Assembly and sales tax
revenue, will be now be submitted to
county officials.
The Madison County commis
sioners last year allocated $700,000 in
county funds to the school system.
That amount did not include
revenue from two half-cent sales tax
increases approved by the county.
State law requires that 40 percent of
revenues from the first half-cent
sales tax be used for school construc
tion projects and at least 60 percent of
the second half-cent sales tax
revenues be used for school construc
tion.
The Madison County commis
sioners agreed to divert 100 percent of
the revenues from the second half
cent tax to the school system's capital
outlay fund.
The school system last year col
lected $130,000 in revenues from the
-Continued on Page 12
Hot Springs Police Chief
Faces 2nd Assault Charge
By ANNE K1TCHELL
Staff Writer
Hot Springs Police Chief Terry Lee
Getman has been chained with using
a deadlv'WtMfNW to-awMilt and inflict
serious injury upon James C. Leister.
In a warrant issued last Thursday,
Getman is charged with striking the
elderly Leister with an "extra large
hand gun" once on the head, opening
a wound.
According to the warrant, Leister
required three stitches and had to be
given emergency medical treatment
following the April 30 incident.
Getman said during the Hot Spr
ings Board of Aldermen meeting
Monday night that he would not go in
to detail about the charges stemming
from the April 30 incident - or three
charges Tiled last week concerning
two teen-age boys.
Getman contended that he acted in
compliance with the law in both in
cidents.
According to Hot Springs Mayor
Kenny Ramsey, Getman was in
vestigating the theft of a purse in Hot
Springs April 30 when the incident in
volving Leister occurred.
Getman approached Leister for
questioning in his apartment, when
Leister allegedly pulled a gun on him,
Ramsey said.
Getman was acting in self-defense
when he hit Leister with the butt of
the gun, Ramsey said.
Leister has been charged with
?ILL STVDENC PHOTO
WUlKi ,M >(,.
Leiford Man HiU
commissioner, as
of the Charles H
? - ckftftKapii
Council. left
assault on a law enforcement officer
with a deadly weapon, resisting ar
rest and larceny, Getman said.
Leister's charges against Getman
come after two Madison High School
teen-agers filed assault and com
municating threats charges against
Getman last week.
Michael Miller has accused Get
man of threatening him with physical
violence and with assaulting him by
pushing Mm into the town police car
Randy Riddle has also accused Get
man of threatening him.
Those charges stem from Getman's
arrest of Miller on May 10 on a
routine traffic offense. He has called
the charges "ridiculous "
Town Board Approves
Part-Time Officers
By ANNE KITCHELL
Staff Writer
The Hot Springs Board of Aldermen
agreed Monday to appoint an aux
iliary police force for the town to
assist Police Chief Terry Lee Getman
when needed.
The move came in the wake of the
recent Hot Springs Homecoming,
where additional security was
credited with deterring violence and
disorderly conduct.
During the boafd's Monday
meeting, Getman told town officials
that an additional five deputies,
Madison County Sheriff Dedrick
Brown and two N.C. Highway Patrol
troopers assisted in controlling the
crowds and keeping disturbances to a
minimum.
Cietman had requested a volunteer
police force during the meeting of tbe
board of aldermen in April. The re
quest was tabled until the next
meeting, scheduled for May 4. Due to
a lack of a quorum, that meeting was
rescheduled until after the homecom
ing.
During the Monday night meeting,
the board agreed, after a 20-minute
executive session, to approve the use
of auxiliary police officers
The two newly appointed auxiliary
police officers are Getman's wife,
Carole Getman, and Hot Springs resi
dent Johnny Norton.
Getman also commented on the re
cent charges brought against him in
two separate incidents.
-Continned on Pagf ?
Weaverville Prepares
For Its Bicentennial
From Staff Reports
Although Independence Day is
almost two months away, the town of
Weaverville is already gearing up for
its annual Fourth of July paradt and
celebration.
This year, the event will take on ad
ditional significance, as Weaverville
will be celebrating its own bicenten
nial - and the bicentennial of the U.S
Constitution.
It was to 1787 that John Weaver, the
first white settler in Reams Creek
Valley, set foot in the area that could
one day bear his name.
And folks In the Weaverville area
Festivities surrounding
ville's bicentennial celebration wui
begin over the July 4th holiday, and
continue into August, Lasher said.
"Things will culminate the first of
August with the gathering of the
Weaver tribe he said. "This shou^H
be a pretty big event for the town.'
Town officials are helping the civic
and church organisations and
residents plan for Independence Day
activities * '
"We're committed to a program oi ' .
a parade on Saturday, the Fourth," t.
Lasher said Through the day, wtfK^j
a whole day of Fourth of July
at S and
tne
raise