Newspapers / The Smoky Mountain Times … / May 14, 1970, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Smoky Mountain Times (Bryson City, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
g " ' ■ . T r, P \ t p , . The Smoky Mountain Times , r ‘ ' • Volume 87 - Number 34 - Bryson City, North Carolina - Thursday, May 14, 1970 May Is Cleanup Month The amount of trash-garbage thrown away every day comes to 5.3 pounds for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. These items are what a cleanup crew found along a one-mile stretch of a two-lane Kansas highway: 770 paper cups; 730 empty cigarette packages; 590 empty beer cans; 130 pop bottles; 110 whiskey bottles; 90 beer cartons; 90 oil cans; 50 paper livestock feed bags; 30 paper cartons; 26 magazines; 20 highway maps; 16 empty coffee cans; 10 shirts; 10 tires; 10 burlap bags; 4 bumpers; 4 shoes; 2 undershirts; 2 comic books; 2 bed springs; and 270 miscellaneous items. There are several places in and around Bryson City where much the same thing can be found Let’s band together, both young and old alike, and clean up the rubbish which is ruining the quality of our environment. Then everyone must begin to do his or her small part by thinking before throwing that piece of paper out of the car window, or dumping his garbage in the once-scenic Tuckaseegee River. In this way everyone ^jrill be helping to preserve the beauty of Bryson City. ' * 4 H Clubs * Offer Reward Pick up those old drink bottles and drink cans! They’re worth money! The 4-H Clubs of Bryson City axe sponsoring a prize of $10.00 to the school aged person or group of students who turn in the most drink an4 beer cans or bottles by 5:00 p.m. on May 22. The bottles and cans should be picked up within the city ^imits of Bryson City. These bottles and cans will be turned into the Mayor and the Sanitation Department at the Town Square on May 22. Around Town * I The May 2nd Primary Ballots have now been counted and nomination have been decided for the fall election in both the Demo and GOP races. The count-out was fairly close but all incumbents were renominated for the Democrat Party and a full date has been named for the Republicans with the exception of the Register of Deeds office. **** There was a lot of excitement around Bryson City Tuesday afternoon when the Fire Department personnel set fire to a house on Gibson Street in a practice alert. Smoke and Fire could be seen for miles and quite a crowd of spectators gathered to watch fire test their equipment. **** We received a note to remind us of the Presbyterian Kindergarten Graduation this Friday night. The little ones have been taught a lot during the past few months and now comes the reward. But this is just a start. Wouldn’t it be nice to be that OLD again? **** Revival services will begin Monday at the Victory Baptist Church and run thru Friday. The Rev. Grady Green from Landrum S.C. will be the guest speaker. Services begin at 7:30 nightly, the public is invited to attend. **** Mountain Skill-Crafts will have a sale at the Bryson City Community Building, Saturday, May 9th, 16th and 23rd, from 10 a. m. until . Many beautiful interesting and amusing articles will boon sale. Crane to browse and stay to buy. All are welcome. rfa.' mimm® mam ? The Other Side Of The Mountain J 1 By F. Bryson Cleveland, Ohio-Let me tell you about... the wildest way to climb a mountain. Most folks, when they’re out in the wilds and want to get to the top of a hill, will either ride a jeep up or simply walk. No problem. « But last summer, I witnessed a new way to go up a hillside--by motircycle. Charging up a thirty to forty-degree slope on a bellowing, rock-throwing, two-wheeled substitute for a jackass has got to be the wildest ride on Earth! This is the world ofmotorcyde hillclimbing. To people who know about this sort of thing, a hillclimb is a fairly common event; but it was new to me. Typically, these events are begun at the bottom of a hill that you’d never consider trying to scale without a rope and a winch. (They’re too steep!) The soil is (usually hard day with just enough shale and loose rocks in it to make it break free easily and pepper the crowd below as the machines go thundering up the hill. Ideally, the course is roped off with spectators standing well out of the path of flying men, machines, and rocks. But, addon is this the case. God knows what makes people want to get dose to a two-wheeled wildcat that could swerve and thoroughly stomp them at any given moment. But, this is what happens. Everybody wants to be right where the machines are going to flip over backwards or go sailing off into the woods. (Maybe it takes more nerve tobe a spectator than to be a rider). There is one unique thing about hflldimbing. This is the fact that the fastest motorcycles and the fastest riders are also the oldest. As sports go, this is a contest for old men-which makes it contrary to just about any other speed-related sport that I can think of. For instance, in stock-car racing or even other types of motorcycle tadng, the Car machines and the fastest bines are the pre-1950 Harley Davidsons m Indians that have dongated^jdmes and hinny looking gas ggnks that have elongated frames and funny looking gas tanks that resemble toothpaste tubes. Similarly, the fastest riders are generally bald, or gray, or both-and have a couple of grown kids. They are the men who would have been riding these same machines when they were new. (Who says a man over 35 should slow down?) To get ready for a run up the hill, a rider puts a pint or two of gas (enriched with a tonic of nitromethane and castor oil) into the tank, pulls on a heavy leather suit (even in 100-degree weather), and fastens on his brains bucket (jargon for a crash helmet). Then, when his engine is warm, he takes a run at the hill, sounding-all by himself-like the first wave on Omaha Beach. The trick to hillclimbing is to get as much speed as possible on the lower, level portion so that you won’t have to dig too much on the steep portion of the track. If you don’t make it to the top, a crew of dust-covered monkeys carrying ropes and hooks pounce on the fallen bike and haul it off the course as if they were dragging away a dead cow that had been hit by a train. The rewards for an afternoon of racing can vary from $500 to a broken leg. Somehow there aren’t too many fatalities in this sport (hard to believe when you see it). Maybe what makes these old men and their old machines travel from race to race is the notion that this is one sport that takes patience and time to leam; and since they’ve learned it, they don’t have to take second place to younger, spunkier competition. And, maybe when they come home after a weekend of thrashing a mountain, their machines, and themselves, they don’t have to take any guff from their sixteen-year-old sons about being over the hill. Swain County Primary Ballots Counted; All Democratic Incumbents Re-nominated The political wishes of 2,235 Swain County voters were finally decided Tuesday morning around 3:30 a.m., approximately 12 hours after the counting of the May 2nd. primary ballots had started and 9 days after the ballots were cast. The counting began Monday afternoon and proved to be a very tiring process as precinct officials, with the supervision of both the Swain County and the the ballots one precinct at a time. The three Democratic incumbents running for office were renominated by decisive margins after the all-night count. Incumbent Chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners, Odell Shuler, led the count with 1,054 votes of the 1,886 votes cast by the Democrats. V.N. Gasaway, incumbent Sheriff, seeking his second full term, was second high vote-getter with 1,004 votes, a 108 majority over both his opponents, James Franklin and Denny Rochester. Franklin was the second man on the ticket with 821 votes, 183 votes behind Gasaway. Rochester seized 75. In the little commissioner race where 4 Democratic candidates were seeking two nominations, incumbent Jack Smith was renominated by a landslide, polling 951 votes, to second man Clint Carson’s 818. Carson eased by Humphrey Browning by only 16 votes. Carson is a former Swain County Clerk of Court. This was Brownings first political endeavor. R.C. (Bob) Crawford trailed with 583 votes. In the two GOP contests, Bill Lewis out-polled Glen (Bear Hunter) Watkins 245 to 53 votes in the Sheriff’s contest, while Bruce Hawkins and Jack T. Franklin beat C.E. Brown for the two little commissioner nominations. In the only state-wide contest on the ballots, Harry Martin beat incumbent Appeals Court Judge Fred Hedrick 3 to 1 polling 1,253 to 440. Alex Brock, Executive Secretary for the North Carolina Board of Elections, was in complete charge of the counting with Board member, Ernest House, serving as observer and Mrs. Martha McLaughlin acting as auditor for the Board. Hie Swain County Election Board was in session during the entire count. The Board completed the election returns and held a canvass of the primary immediately after the count in order for Mr. Brock to carry the primary results back to Raleigh. The delay in the counting came about when Superior Court Judge Thad Bryson handed down a court order on May 2nd (voting day) ordering that the ballot boxes of all Swain precincts be sealed and impounded by the Swain County Board of Elections. Immediately after the polls dosed and before any count could be made. Bryson’s order came as a result of an affidavit signed by Democratic candidate for Sheriff, James Franklin and signed by his attorney, Mr. Leonard Lloyd of Robbinsville, charging that irregularities in the form of ballot “stuffing” and/or exchanging true ballot boxes with boses that had been stuffed prior to the election. The boses were turned back over to the Swain County Board of Elections last Friday in an Appeals Court ruling that also allowed the North Carolina State Board to intervene as requested by the local Board members. As preliminaries got underway before the counting process could be started, Chairman of the Swain County Board of Elections called a Board- meeting to order and upon the recommendation of the Board’s attorney, Herbert Hyde, ttie keys to the Swain County Grand Jury Room, which induded two keys for padlocks placed on the doors by Board members Saturday night and two keys to standard locks that were already on the doors before the ballots were impounded, wore turned over to Mr. Brock. Upon Brock’s order the Grand Jury Room of the Swain County Courthouse was unlocked and the ballot boxes were removed from the room for the first time since they had been placed there Saturday night. Guards who had watched over the boxes continuously since their impounding, carried them upstairs to the courtroom where they were counted, one precinct at a time. Rock Swap Set This Weekend The first for 1970 in a series of four rockswap shops for the Western North Carolina mountains will be held May 16-17 at Gorgarama Park on U.S. Highway 19 in the Nantahala Gorge between Bryson City and Andrews. Moon rocks will not be on exhibit but most everything else from common rock to precious gem tones will be Where There’s Smoke - There’s Fire Firemen used this old house on Gibson Street to practice their fire drill. The smoke and flames caused quite a bit of excitement but firemen kept everything well under control. The house had been bought by Sidney Ball and was to be torn down to make room for a new car wash being built on a nearby lot. available for trade. Every continent has one or more precious or semi-precious stones associated with its name, along with most countries and states, such as Australian fire opan, India bloodstone, Brazilian agate, African tigereye, North cArolina ruby, and Wymoing jade. Any material found on earth usually turns up at these get-togethers. This is the eleventh year for this event which is held outdoors four times each year. The public is invited with no charge of any kind. This May date is picked for the beautiful floral event taking place in the Nantahala Gorge as spring comes early in the Gorge. Other hobbyists have joined in the fun with bottle collectors pulling up fast as a hobby. The sparkling waters of the Nantahala River make vacation pleasure along with hobby swapping. The river has become a new home for canoeists. Annual canoe races areheld, sponsored jointly by Washington, D.C. and Georgia Canoe Clubs. 1970 dates are July 2nd and 3rd. Junior races finish line is located at The Gorgarama Park, adult races just above Wesser Creek falls at Tote & Tarry Restaurant. The Nantahala Gorge is adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on outh side, raveraed by U.S. 19 Highway midway between Bryson City and Andrews. The Gorge is one of America’s most scenic attractions while the Nantahala River rates among the leading trout streams. This photo was snaped early in the A.M. Tuesday morning as the next to the last Swain Precinct was being counted. Alex Brock executive Secretary for the N.C. Board of Elections is pictured (2nd from left), Ernest House, Member of the N.C. Board is seated 2nd from right and Mrs. Martha McLaughlin is seated (right). The precinct workers are from Almond. A.' • ' • * ;'JV " ‘ ~ . . _ .... Bryson City And Townsend, Tennessee Community Leaders Form Corporation Business and community leaders from Western North Carolina and East Tennessee recently met in Bryson City to discuss mutual problems related to he economic development of the area in both states. The result wasthe formation of a non-profit, educational corporation, known as Tee Bee Cee, Inc. which will devote itself to the upbuilding of better relationships between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. Particular emphasis will be given to the development of an educational program concerning the problems of pollution,onservation, and recreation and the development of better communications between the separate states and the states and the federal government. Dr. Kelly Bennett, pioneer leader in the development of programs related to conservaton and recreation in Western North Carolina, was named president of the new organization. Dr. Bennett has .served on the North Carolina National Park Parkway and Forest Commission since it was created in the early thirties and is the only original member still remaining. This is a state organization which has, in the past, concerned itself with the development of the Smoky Mountain National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the National forests within North Carolina. Mr. Ashear Howard, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners in Blount County, Tennessee, was named vice chairman and H.H.H. Clark, of Bryson City, was named secretary. “ The main office of the organization will be in Bryson City. However, a branch office of the organization will be opened in Townsend, Tenn., with a full time paid secretary at a later date. In addition to the officers named, the following persons have been asked to serve as directors: from the state of Tennessee, Mr. W. Townsend Anderson, Robert C. Chapman, of Knoxville; Charles Eugene Brown, of Maryville; Harry Meyers and Roy Lindsey, of Townsend; from North Carolina, Sam Colville, T.A. Sandlin, 111a Ferguson, Tom Crownwell, Philip Britnall, and Ora A. Dougherty, of Bryson City; and Frell Owl of Cherokee. Plans call for a complete board of 49 directors. Steadman Hines, of Bryson City, is serving as legal counsel for the group in North Carolina and Paul H. Clark of Townsend as counsel in Tennessee. With the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and thousands of acres of National forest land lying within the area which the people from these two states call their home it is only natural that the group shall concern itself with educational programs concerning the need for trails,. oads, landing strips,and fire protection for the national parks and forests. The organization is financed by private donations which, because of the non-profit nature of the corporation and its educational program, are tax exempt. Liberal contributions have already .been received by the group. TYA Says They Would Furnish Power To Six County Owned Power System In a letter from James E. Watson, Manager of Power, Tennessee Valley Authority, George Sloan, Chairman, Steering Committee to form a non-profit organization that would distribute electricity to the people in the area where power is now distributed by the Nantahala Power and Light Company, was gven assurance that TVA power would be made available to the six counties in that area. The new non-profit corporaion would be controlled and directed by a board of directors appointed by the Boards of County Commissioners of the respective counties. Three assumptions were set forth in Mr. Watson’s letter: 1. “The people in the counties you represent desire TVA power for the new corporation; 2. The new corporation purchases the electric distribution system of the Nantahala Power & Light Company; and 3. The new corporation demonstrates that it can feasibly and economically operate the electric system distributing TVA power. This will confirm the information given to you that under the foregoing circumstances TVA would be willing to enter into a standard TVA power supply contract with the new corporation.” In order to meet these assumptions and other requirements, earlier discussions between Nantahala Power & Light Company officials and members of the steering committee, it was agreed that the company’s employees in the distribution system at the time of the sale would be retained in their present or a comparable position, with all employee fringe benefits and conditions of employment. The steering committee also desires to indude in the proposed purchase the Power Company building in Franklin which will continue to serve as the new corporation’s headquarters and central office of operations. The Town of Franklin is near the geographic center of the electric distributive system. “The only purpose of this proposed purchase is to provide the people with an abundance of electric power which the region has not had during the past,” Chairman Sloan stated,“but which is absolutely necessary if our southwestern counties are to reach their full economic potential.” “Our legal counsel has advised that the forming of a non-profit public corporation to purchase and operate the Nantahala Power distribution system is the best means to provide the most economical TVA power supply to the present and future consumers of the entire six county area,” Sloan said. Roy Taylor's Aid To Visits Area Tom L. Mallonee, 11th Congressional District Assistant to Congressman Roy A. Taylor, is now making scheduled visits to he county seats and other sections of the counties. On Monday, May 18, he will be at the Council House of the Eastern Band of Cherokees, Cherokee, from 9:00 to 9:30; at the Swain County ; Courthouse, Bryson City, from 11:00 to 12:00; and the Graham County Courthouse, Robbinsville, from 3:00 to 4:00. On Thursday, June 4, he will be at the Jackson County Courthouse, Sylva, from 9:30 to 10:30; and at the Macon County Courthouse, Franklin from 3:00 to 4:00. Any person who has plans or official business pertaining to Congressional matters they wish to discuss, is invited to meet with Mr. Mallonee at the above-specified times. Revival Starts At Mt. Zion There will be a revival beginning May 17th. at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Route 2, Bryson City. The Revival speaker will be Rev. John Freeman and there will be special singers during the week including the New Hope Quartet, The Good W01 Quartet, and the Sportsmen. Services will begin at 8:00 each evening May 17th through May 14th. Everyone la invited to attend.
The Smoky Mountain Times (Bryson City, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 14, 1970, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75