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2nd Class Postage at Tryon. North Carolina 2878.
and addittonal post offices. Postmaster: send
address changes to The Tryon Dally Bulletin, PO.
Box 790, Tryon. N. C. 28782
THE WORLD'S SMALLEST DAILY NEWSPAPER
Founded Jan. 31. 1928 by Seth MJ.n.ng
(Consolidated with the Polk County News 1955)
Jeffrey A. Bvrd, Editor and 1 ubhsher
The Tryon Daily Bulletin (DSPS 643-360) is
published daily except Sat. and Sun. for 535 per
year by the Tryon Daily Bulletin. Ine. 106 N. Trade
St.. P.O. Box 790,Tryon. N.C. 28782
The Tryon Daily Bulletin
Phone 859-9151
Vol. 55 - No. 160
The weather Thursday, high
86 low 66, hum. 62 percent,
and by 7 a.m. Friday .30 inches
of rain had fallen. The temper
ature was a pleasant, refresh
ing, firewood splitting 56.6
degrees at 8:35 a.m. Friday.
A labor dispute between
truck drivers and W&L Motor
Lines of Hickory has a group of
friends and neighbors in Hol
bert's Cove upset.
Five Polk County truck
drivers, Chris Ashley, Mike
Rhodes, Jerry Conner, all of
Holbert's Cove, Tommy How
ard of Green River Cove, and
Tony Conner of Columbus are
on strike.
Ellen Conner told the Bulletin
Friday that the dispute centers
on a new paymen formula
which W&L came out with
recently. It cut the drivers' pay.
"They just want their fair
shake," Mrs. Conner said. She
said the strike is being con
ducted without any hostilities.
Today, we feature on the
front page the second in a series
of stories on the challenges fac
ing the Thermal Belt medical
community. Inside, you will
also find a conversation
between Reps. Newt Gingrich
and Charles Taylor regarding
(Continued On Back Page)
Printed in the THERMAL BELT ot Western North Carolina
TRYON. N C 28782
MONDAY, SEPT. 23,1991
Landrum Raises
Taxes 9 Mills To
Upgrade Fire Dept
A 9-mills increase in the
tax rate in Landrum was passed
Thursday night, 8 mills of
which will pay for a new fire
house and fire truck.
The tax rate in Landrum is
now 77 mills. The increase rep
resents $12 more tax annually
for a $30,000 home, and $40
more annually for a $100,000
home.
After the short meeting,
councilman Doug Brannon said
he believes the property owner’s
increased tax expense will be
offset by decreased insurance
costs once the fire department is
upgraded.
ISO, the national insurance
rating agency, last inspected
Landrum's fire service capabil
ities in 1986, fire chief Joe
Williams said. Landrum
received a 7 rating.
By comparison, Tryon Fire
Department is rated more
favorably with a 6, while
Glassy Mountain has a less
favorable 9.
Brannon said the ISO had
three main concerns. First, the
newest fire truck owned by the
department is 21 years old.
Second, the town's pumper
trucks do not have enough
pumping capacity to meet the
ISO’s required gallons per min
ute standard for Landrum.
To meet the standard, both the
town's pumper trucks must be
on call and must respond to any
(Continued On Back Page)
16 Pages Today
20? Per i op'
A DOCTOR
IN THE
HOUSE
'90s Economics Make
Doctors Businessmen
This is the second in a series
of stories by Claire Wharton
exploring the challenges facing
the medical community in the
Thermal Belt.
The federal government pro
vides medical care for the
elderly, disabled and the
extremely indigent, but there
are still 35 million uninsured
workers.
Historically, many Thermal
Belt employers have not pro
vided group insurance, and
as a result the area has a larger
than average percentage of
uninsured workers.
One Polk County physician
said 30 percent of his patients
are self-pay.
Physician reimbursements for
federal medical care are 25% to
50% below the cost of the care,
and the uninsured are a credit
risk. So how does a physician in
a high Medicare, high uninsured
area keep a practice going?
"In order to survive, the phy
sicians have to become busi
nessmen," said family practi
tioner Dr. Richard G. Trifiro.
Dr. Brad Whitney, a family
practice and geriatrics doc
tor, agreed."The bottom line is
that the only way a physician
can maintain the viability of a
(Continued On Back Page)
Hugh Murrill
Accepts Position
Hugh Murrill, son of the late
Betty Czetwertynski, is now
food and beverage director at
the Links O' Tryon.
Hugh moved to Tryon in 1934
and then again in 1944. After
college at the University of
Virginia he became a fighter
pilot in the USAF.
After 14 years with Union
Camp as a salesman, he entered
the resort management field. At
age 40 he became president of
Madeline Inland Enterprises, a
public stock company, which
Holiday Magazine rated as one
of the top 20 resorts in the U.S.
Later he managed resorts in
Minnesota, Vail and Beaver
Creek, Colo. Scottsdale, Ariz.
and several islands in the
British West Indies, to name a
few.
Hugh and his wife Karin, who
owns the Betty Sturgis Shop,
have six children and reside in
Tryon.