T HE NEWS RECORD
Serving Madison And Buncombe Counties
Vol. 88 No. 20 Thursday, May 19, 1988 25c
?' !V. i . t ? f ? -r v ?* - "* ' ?" ? 1 l-i? t? ^2
Madison Schools To Get $5.5 Million
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
The Madison County School system
will receive $5 5 million from the N.C.
Commission on School Facility Needs
for construction of new buildings.
That amount, part of more than
$119 million allocated to 29 North
Carolina counties, will allow Madison
County school officials to proceed
with plans to build a new, con
solidated middle school.
The N.C. Department of Public In
struction's Commission on School
Facility Needs announced the awards
Friday.
The General Assembly set aside a
total of $120 million to be used to meet
the most critical school facility needs
across the state.
Madison County school officials
had hoped to receive between $6
million to $7 million in the so-called
"brick and mortar money . "
"We did very well, but we had
hoped we'd get more money --
perhaps 16 million to <6.5 million,"
said James Baker, chairman of the
Madison County Board of Education.
"But $5.5 million is a lot of money,
and we are very grateful for it. We
could have gotten nothing."
The >5.5 million allocation from the
state will be used by county school of
ficials to build a new consolidated
middle school for students in grades
6-8.
Under a long-range facilities plan
adopted earlier this year by the
school board as part of its application
for the critical needs funds, current
schools at Laurel, Walnut and Mar
shall would be closed.
Students in kindergarten through
fifth grade from those communities
I Education Board Outlines Budget Needs I
By BILL STUDENC
Editor '
The Madison County Board of
Education says it needs more than
$1.7 million in local funds to
operate the county school system
in the 196&-89 fiscal year.
That's the total amount school
board members are requesting
from the Madison County Board of
Commissioners. The school board
has met several times during the
past two weeks to iron out its
budget request, finally approving
the financial picture last Wednes
day.
The board has also met several
times to discuss the hiring and fir
ing of school system personnel,
with that discussion coming in ex
ecutive session. The board met in
executive session for some five
hours last week. Another meeting
was scheduled for Wednesday
night.
The school board's $1,762,676
budget request is 1288,556 more
than the $1,474,120 total requested
of county commissioners last
year.
County school officials say they
need $1,147,620 in local funds for
general operating expenses -
$224,500 more than last year's re
quest of $023,120.
The general operating fund is
used to pay salaries, fringe
benefits, maintenance of school
buildings, supplies, materials and
transportation costs.
School board members say they
need additional county funds for
salaries for several new teaching
positions they hope to add for the
coming school year, said Robert
Edwards, superintendent of the
Madison school system.
?Continued on back page
would attend a new elementary
school north of Marshall. Students in
grades K-5 at Mars Hill would remain
at Mars Hill Elementary School,
while K-S students in Hot Springs and
Spring Creek would attend a K-8
facility at Hot Springs
Students in grades 6-8 at Laurel,
Walnut, Marshall and Mars Hill
would attend the new middle school,
while those at Spring Creek and Hot
Springs would have the option of at
tending the K-8 facility at Hot Springs
or the consolidated middle school. (A
group of Spring Creek residents is
trying to convince the school board
not to close the school until they can
locate private or corporate grants to
keep the school open permanently.)
Madison school officials say the
$5.5 million in critical needs money
will go toward construction of the new
middle school.
-Continued on back page
Assistant Transportation Secretary Tommy
Harrelson, left, and Division 13 transporta
tion board member John Sutton open Tues
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
day's public hearing on state highway im
provement priorities.
DOT Officials Impressed
By U.S. 23/1-26 Support
By BRA, STUDENC
Editor
ASHEVILLB - Government,
fegittws, industry and tourism of
ficiate from all over Western North
Carolina voice overwhelming support
Tuesday for a proposed interstate
highway through Madison County.
Of 37 speakers at a N.C. Board of
Transportation public hearing on
road improvement project priorities,
20 spoke in favor of a proposal to ex
tend Interstate 26 from its terminus
at Asheville north through Mars Hill
to the Tennessee state line.
No one spoke in opposition to the
project; the other 17 speakers attend
ed Tuesday's public meeting to
discuss other road projects elsewhere
in the Board of Transportation's 13th
division.
State transportation officials said
after the three-hour meeting that
they were impressed with the show of
support for the 1-26 project.
"The need has obviously been
shown,'' said John Sutton, 13th vi
sion representative on tte state board
of transportation 'We've seen
unilateral support from all 17 western
counties ~ from as far west as
Cherokee County and as far east as
McDowell County and all counties in
between."
Gov. James Martin said last week
that funding for the project may
come from a bond issue that would go
before the voters in June, if approved
by the General Assembly ( see related
story).
"Gov. Martin and (Transportation)
Secretary (James) Harrington sup
port the project, and hopefully the
General Assembly will support the
project by setting up a bond referen
dum," Sutt aid Tuesday.
Nearly ISO people attended the
three- hour meeting - most of them
adorned with stickers in support of
the 1-26 project. The 1-26 Corridor
Association, a group of WNC business
and government leaders, distributed
stickers and literature at the door of
the meeting, held on the campus of
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Com
munity College.
The 1-26 Corridor Association is lob
bying DOT officials to move up on its
list of highway projects proposed im
provements to U.S. 23. Under the cur
rent Transportation Improvement
Flan (TIP), DOT is planning to widen
U.S. 23 north of Mars Hill. Right-of
way acquisition for that project is
scheduled to begin in IMS.
But Tennessee transportation of
ficials are already at work on an
interstate-quality highway on their
-Continued on back page
Weaverville Council Selects
Dreibelbeis As New Member
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
The Weaverville Town Council, in a
split vote Monday night, selected
Board ol Adjustments Chairman
Robert Dreibelbeis as its newest
member, replacing former Coun
cilwoman Ann Williams.
Weaverville Mayor Reese Lasher
cast the deciding vote when two of the
remaining council members voted for
Dreibelbeis, while the other two pick
ed another former councilwoman --
Kathleen Young.
The council last Monday interview
ed Dreibelbeis. Young and three
other applicants interested in filling
the seat on the town council created
bjr Williams' resignation in March for
"personal reasons." The council
allowed Weaverville residents to sign
up to fUl that vacancy. Other can
didates for the spot were John Dodd,
Robert Neiger and Colin Hudson.
Frankly, we have some excellent
people out there," Lasher said. "It's
a shame we can only select one. I
think we have found some people that
can serve our community in the
future."
Lasher then asked the council for
nominations. Councilman Bernard
Koesters nominated Dreibelbeis, and
Councilman Franklin Spears second
ed it.
"I was impressed with all the can
didates that came forward. I had a
hard time narrowing it down," said
Koesters in nominating Dreibelbeis
"I feel he's a man of his own ideas,
one who speaks well for the town and
one who'll look out for the beat in
terest of the community as a whole."
Councilman Harold Payne then
nominated Young, who narrowly lost
in November in her bid for re-election
to a third term on the council. Coun
cilman Ronnie "Butch' Davis
seconded the nomination.
"I nominate Kathy Young. I think
she has the experience,'' Payne said.
"She served as vice mayor of the
town for two years. Also, the seat was
held by a lady. I feel she's the only
lady who signed up for it."
But that 2-2 split among the coun-.
cilmen forced Lasher to cast the
deciding vote. As mayor. Lasher only
votes to break a tie. He most recently
had to vote in March, immediately
after Williams' resignation, to break
a 2-2 tie in the council's vote concern
ing the controversial annexation of
Reems Creek Golf Club.
"I get to vote again, huh?" Lasher
said before voting for Dreibelbeis.
Lasher then administered the oath
of office to Dreibelbeis, who took his
seat at the council's table.
But the outcome of the vote spurred
a lively exchange between town of
ficials and John Young, husband of
Kathy Young. Mrs. Young was not
present at the meeting.
-CoNtiiiaed oa back page
Weaverville Mayor Reese Usher adminis
ters the oath of office to the newest member
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
r' '
?f tho Weavervllle Town Council, Bob
Dreibelbeis.
D , C . ~ ,
Kusher Supports Governor's
Drug Law Recommendations
Prom SUIT I rts
itrict Utorne homa.
to6b?eggortl? propcwl by Go,
mum,
: benefit of earl
on convicted di : dealers
Among his proposals it legislation
would preven
' iffickers Aran obtaining vrly
tin
they are convicted to Nartfa Qrtln
'hey will Mrv*
sentence
Martin sal good tirna"
fich ?rs serve oafy eighth a t
their (erm
h haa
? nt ? c Tent law calling for man
,tory
ooti ird on backfift
Hot Springs Sets Beer Vote
Free Staff Reyerto
The Hot Springs Board of EJec
?ffte its f Ho i
i.l ir t
Unry
the town
c* hen will Im two
separate issue* included on the
ballot July 19, HunUinger said.
r TO]
praises sale of
iifD. and ?l!<- other to
? permit the Off
tif dwine
s*ct toe sale of another t\
H Ad mm- 1&