the
November 4, 1976
Asheville, N.C. 28804
Volume XII No. 6
FINANCE COMMISSIONER RESIGNS
Full Series of Events Outlined
By CHRIS MANGUM
S.G. Correspondent
Former Finance Commissioner Raye
Brown resigned his office Monday, Octo
ber 25, after suspensions, bickering, and
‘hatchet burying’. The entire process has
its starting October 8 (when the Ridge-
runner with Brown’s letter was delivered),
which then led to a series of confusions
and personality clashes that has plagued
the S.G. recently. After interviews and re
search, the following history of events—
with some differences of opinions—can be
introduced.
Friday, Oct. 8—President Kindley sent a
letter to then Finance Commissioner Raye
Brown requesting his resignation. His rea
sons for asking were questionable findings
in the books; i.e., transfer of funds and
strange accounting practices. Kindley
stated that he felt that he was getting close
to something, that ‘something’ he could
not define just yet.
When questioned as to the extent
Brown’s letter to the Ridgerunner (con
demning the actions of certain members of
the Executive Branch) in the request for
his resignation, Kindley replied, “That
was the straw that broke the camel’s back. ’ ’
Brown thinks the reason was the acting out
of a conspiracy to remove him because of
this threatening presence interfering with
the intents of the Executive Branch.
Brown gives an example of not allocating
requested monies, because he thought the
necessary legal procedures were not met,
and so he was a threat to actions that these
executive members wanted.
Sunday, Oct. 10—After a discussion with
Brown and some time to think, Kindley
told Brown that he was just suspended.
Monday, Oct. 11—There was a meeting
with those in attendance being Dean of
Students Paul T. Deason, President
Randall Kindley, Vice-President John
Furek, Attorney General Tom Zumberge,
Media Commissioner Len Crowley,
Ridgerunner editor Ramona Griffin, and
Managing Editor Randy Luquire. At that
meeting friction won over reason, and the
meeting ended with Kindley resigning as
President (the document was dated for
Oct. 12).
Tuesday, Oct. 12—President Kindley
withdrew his resignation. The official
notice of suspension was delivered to
Brown, and Furek told Deason that the
matter was now taken care of.
Wednesday, Oct. 13—Kindley placed a
call to Chief Ray (of Campus Security),
because Brown had not given his keys
after several requests. This call was (some
how) intercepted by Dean Deason, who
met with the Chancellor. Later that day a
letter arrived to S.G. which stated that all
vouchers would be co-signed by Dean
Deason, in concurrence with the Chan
cellor’s decision. Kindley states that the
rationale for this was givea t3 him by
Deason as, “You’re never to vail Security
without going to the Dean of Students.”
Thursday, Oct. 14—During the Student
Senate meeting. Brown informed those
present that as of 2 P.M. the Chancellor
had impounded all S.G. records, and that
only Assistant to the Dean of Students
Zollie Stevenson had a key to the Finance
Commissioner’s office. President Kindley
was later given a key by Stevenson, after
the Chancellor decided that the S.G. Presi
dent should have access to all commis
sioners’ offices.
Sunday (or Monday), Oct. 17 (18)—
Tensions had been high that last week.
Kindley met Brown and the two decided to
talk the matter out. During this meeting
Kindley verbally lifted the suspension and
the ‘hatchet was buried.’
Monday (or Tuesday), Oct. 18 (19)—
Kindley had drawn up some restrictions
and his idea of how the office of Finance
Commissioner should operate, and this he
states was to t>e the official notice of the
lifting of Brown’s suspension (Kindley
does state that not drawing up a separate
notice of the lifting of suspension may
have been a mistake). Kindley does not
remember now whether he gave the letter
to Brown, but Brown did get it. At about
12:30 that day, Kindley says he asked
Brown to come up to his office for some
discussion, but Brown did not come (ac
cording to Kindley).
Thursday, Oct. 21—Brown claims that at
this time, since nothing official had been
done to lift the suspension, he asked
Kindley when he was going to send notice
to Dean Deason, so that he could get back
to work. At this time, Kindley is claimed
to have denied the ‘burying of the hatchet, ’ ’
and to have said that he (Kindley) would
sign vouchers and Brown would continue
his other duties. Brown interpreted this as
another suspension, and that he would be
only a figurehead.
Monday, Oct. 25—At 1:18 P.M., Kindley
received Brown’s resignation.
There is a major discrepancy in the
week starting Monday, Oct. 18 and ending
Monday, Oct. 25. This is as follows:
Kindley claims that on Monday or Tues
day he called Brown up to talk and Brown
never showed. There is no mention of any
further contact between the two. Brown,
however, claims that they had talked in the
middle of that week, and that Kindley then
denied all previous agreements and pre
sented a list of restrictions making Brown
a figurehead.
Kindley states that he does not remem
ber when, if he did, send Brown his letter
of official lifting of suspension (the letter
of restrictions). The questions are: When
and how did Brown find out about these
restrictions, whether Brown’s interpreta
tions were correct, and even deeper, did
Kindley and Brown have any contact that
week?
The week of Oct. 18-25 Seems to be the
crucial point of the whole affair, and what
really happened is locked in the minds of
those who participated and will nver be
known for sure.
Gary Riinion
Dies at 27
Gary Runion, a student of UNC-A, died
suddenly last Friday night. The cause of
death is unknown.
Gary was working as a photographer for
the Ridgerunner and the Summit and had a
rad’'^ cMow wi^b He wa*; a
commuter stuuciit non» West Ashevnie
and was living in the Arden area.
Gary transferred to UNC-A last year
from Los Angeles Valley College. He had
attended the North Carolina School of the
Arts from 1967-69.
The funeral arrangements were done by
Anders-Rice Funeral Home in West
Asheville. The funeral was held in Victory
Baptist Church in Leicester last Sunday,
October 31.
The staffs of the Ridgerunner, the
Summit, WUNF-FM, and the Student
Goverment extend their deepest sympathy
to Gary’s wife and family.
SUMMIT EDITOR
SELECTION
Halloween Dance Smashing Smash
The Halloween Dance was a smashing
(smashed?) success as at least twice as
many students showed, many of them
decked out in strange apparel. A were
wolf, a WWII flying ace, Alex and his
droogs, a leftover from the Bamum and
Bailey clown collection, a flower, fairies,
and a flasher could be admired as different
people outdid themselves. The band even
got in on the costumes.
People must’ve been having fun, for
this time the beer was gone early and no
soft drinks were available, but the place
was packed until the very last tune.
One can only look forwanJ to the next
time—
An editor for the Summit has been
scheduled for consideration by the Publi
cations Board Wednesday, Nov. 3.
(Hopefully by now one has already been
chosen.)
Three applications have been submit
ted. These are Anthony Fisher, a senior
literature major, Raye Brown, a senior
management major, and Jean Hutchinson,
a freshman classics major.
It appears at present that the Board will
be deadlocked between Fisher and Brown.
If an agreement cannot be reached, it is
possible that Ms. Hutchinson may be se
lected as a compromise.
The Publications Board was recently
formed in response to the need for an
editor for the Summit; there was no means
of selecting an editor since the staff was
not appointed by Nora Aiken, who was to
serve as editor for this year. Mrs. Aiken
resigned during Orientation Week last
August.
The Publications Board is composed of
six members: the three students are Erwin
Cook, Darrell Parker, and Ann Sales; the
two faculty members are Mr. John Bern
hardt and Dr. Ellis Shorb. The sixth mem
ber is Dean of Students Paul T. Deason,
who will be the only permanent member.
In its next meeting, the Board will con
sider the Aiken request of $167 for his art
work for the Summit 1975-76. The Board
will then begin taking applications for
editor of Images, the campus literary
magazine which is published once a year.
Two applications for this position have
been submitted: Terry Roberts, a senior
literature major, and George H. Johnson, a
junior literature major.