>.. ■ ■—
If It's Good For
Transylvania County,
The Times Will
Fight For It.
HE TRANSYLVANIA TIMES
1
A State And National Prize-Winning Home Town Newspaper
Vol. 88 — No. 4
BREVARD, N. C., MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1975
PUBLISHED SEMI-WEEKLY
CHARLEY’S AUNT—(left
to right) Kim Crow is Kitty, Danny
Kelly is Babberly in disguise as
Charley’s Aunt, and Christi
Warnick is Amy in the National
Players production of this English
comedy which will appear at
Brevard College on Saturday,
Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. at Dunham
Auditorium.
Two Performances
At College Jan. 25
The internationally famous
theatrical company, National
Players, will appear at
Brevard College in two per
formances on Jan. 25.
The matinee performance,
Charley’s Aunt, is scheduled
for 2 p.m. in Dunham
Auditorium.
Admission is $2 adult, $1
junior high and senior high
student, and $.50 elementary
student.
The evenining performance,
Henry IV, Part I, is part of the
Lyceum series, and members
will WL admitted on their
seasofitickets.
Tickets will be available at
the door for nonmembers at $4
adult, $2 public students or $12
for a family.
The performance is
scheduled for 8 p.m.
With this 26th Tour,
National Players begins its
second quarter-century as a
touring theatre repertory
company in the most enviable
position of all companies
touring in the United States
today.
For years National Players
was the only theatre company
touring—a pioneer in a field
where today touring groups
are springing up in practically
every state/ ,
But Player’s success is
notable for the high quality of
its productions and for its
international as well as
national tours: its 25 previous
companies have played in
over 40 states and in such
varied countries as Korea,
Japan, France, Germany,
Italy, Austria, Canada and the
Arctic Circle.
And Players still dominates
a now highly competitive field
because of its original and
long-lasting dedication: a
determination to bring the
magic and excitement that is
theatre to the stages of as
many cities, towns and
universities as possible.
No other single company
can boast of off-Broadway,
network television or White
House appearances, or in-,
vitations. from the U.S.
Defense Department or
Department of State to visit
other countries on behalf of
our country.
Beginning as an outgrowth
of the Speech and Drama
Department of the Catholic
University of America,
Players has been the foun
tainhead of numerous
directing, acting and
designing talents now well
known on the Broadway stage,
in films and television.
Each year a company of 15
young men and women em
barks on a 40,000-mile tour and
from September to May
covers the East, West, the
Midwest, the South and South
west, offering audiences
works by the world’s greatest
playwrights.
In a day when theatre is no
longer centered in New York
but in the “provinces”,
Players is at home where it
has always been for 25 years.
United Fund
Victory Lunch
On Tuesday
The Transylvania County
United Fund Victory Dinner -
a dutch treat affair - will be
held on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at
12:15 p.m. at the Brevard
College Cafeteria.
Special recognition will be
given to the campaign leaders
and workers.
Following the dinner, the
Transylvania County United
Fund will hold its annual
meeting.
be presented at Brevard College on ,
Saturday, January 25th at 8:00
p.m. at Dunham Auditorium under
the sponsorship of the Mutual
Concert Association Lyceum
series.
o-i-1 - :
Your Government At Work
Social Services Spends
$1,400,000 On 19 Programs
County Taxpayers
Provide $104,000
BY DOROTHY OSBORNE
Times Staff Writer
Transylvania County Department of Social
Services spends about $1,400,000 annually in 19
different programs that include aid to dependent
children, food stamps, medicaid, services to
young people, public housing, and activities for
retired persons.
Local funds provide about $104,000. The federal
government supplies 75 per cent and the state
government about 12% per cent.
The remaining 12'h per cent
comes from the Transylvania
tax payer.
Actually, the local tax
payer’s cost is less than that,
according to Don Morrison,
director of the department of
social servies, because of the
food stamp program, in which
the federal govbernment has
what he terms “a very, very
favorable match.”
Food stamps in September
cost $22,000, he said. In Oc
tober, it jumped to $65,000 and
climbed to $68,000 in
November. In December, it
dipped to $50,000. January is
expected to reach about
$60,000, he stated.
He attributed the October
jump to the Olin strike. By the
end of November, the in
fluence of the strike had
passed, but unemployment
was on the rise in other in
dustries.
“W e expect the program for
1975 to cost $750,000. The total
cost to the county after all
revenues is less than $5,000,”
he said.
The amount spent in Oc
tober represented aid to 2,080
persons. In December, 1,410
persons making up 519
families purchased stamps,
paying about one-third of the
purchase amount of the
stamps.
EFFICIENCY
The barometer of efficiency
in social services departments
is traditionally rated by the
welfare checks, he said. In
October 1974, Transylvania
County paid an average of
$45.71 to 155 women and
children. That amount, he
said, is the third highest in the
state, one penny less than the
second highest average
amount he said.
That number of people
receiving checks is slightly
more than .7 per cent of the
total population.
He cited figures for a neigh
boring county with a similar
economic situation and
population, which paid an
average of $39.11 to 386 per
sons, more than double the
number receiving aid in
Tansy 1 vania County.
“Our biggest line item is
medicaid paymenls.” hi
said, “the financial support of
people seeking medical help."
Payments amounting to about
$360,000 are made to medical
facilities and professionals, he
said, with the county’s portion
amounting to about $17,000.
While medicaid is the most
expensive item in the
budget, it takes fewer man
hours by the department staff
because the person-to-person
contact is with the medical
personnel, he said.
ELDERLY
The department is one of
seven agencies involved with
the day activities program for
the elderly.
One of three agencies in
volved in persons moving into
the low-income housing and
the support of these people.
One of three agencies in
volved directly with the
program Cope.
That program will open a
residence for nine youngsters
in February, he said.
In the Cope program, he
said, “We teach children why
the world is the way it is and
why they are the way they are.
“They learn such assumed
things as how to shop in stores,
i>ow to read bus schedules,
experience plane and train
trips—all the things that
adults assume as common
knowl edge.”
They also learn how to apply
for jobs, about local gover
ment and law “in such a way
that they car see law being
beneficial and protective of
thei rights; how to get along
with authority figures; how to
be authority figures and take
responsibility for themselves
and others; to face the
unknown and deal with it.”
During the past 14 months,
he said, the department has
been focusing on the 14 to If
year-old age group “because
the problems in this age
group, if not handled, will be
the welfare mothers of twc
years from now and the
deserted fathers two years
from now.
“These are candidates most
likely for training schools and
statistics say of those entering
training schools, 90 per cent
will go on to adult prisons.”
TRAINING SCHOOL
During this period, only on<
child from the county has
entered a training school for
the first time, he said. That
one stayed one month and is
now in a boarding school.
“Two have been incarcerated
in Hendersonville Juvenile
Center for less than a total of
48 hours. We intend to improve
on this, if possible.
“This is not just the work of
this department,” Mr.
Morrison said. “We share the
responsibility of working with
youth with many agencies—
schools, courts, court coun
selors, judges, public health,
mental health, youth services
board—in fact, every possible
agency at some time has been
involved either in referral
counseling or follow.up. The
Department of Social Services
has been, in fact, grateful to
share this responsibility.”
PERSONNEL
The department’s staff
numbers nine, including the
director.
“The entire staff is
dedicated to a single goal—to
maintain and improve the
social stability of this par
ticular county. We see our
work as problem solving and
ourselves as people problem
solvers.
“The cost that these
programs represent are not
seen by us-as a form of charity
but investment tools to make a
difference in our clients’
coping ability. We invest in
people and do it in such a way
that we nurture or support the
personal individual and avoid
cost for them to be dependent
on this department.
‘‘Theoretically, we would
like to put ourselves out of
business. This can never
happen, but in following this
goal structure, we are han
dling to the best of our ability
problems as they come, and
avoid piling problems on top of
problems and necessitating
expanding the department.”
Cooperative Spirit
Creates ‘Rare Arena’
BY DOROTHY OSBORNE
Times Staff Writer
The community spirit of
Transylvania County
residents and the cooperation
of county agencies to get the
job done combine to create “a
rare professional arena” for
Don Morrison, director of the
county’s Department of Social
Services and human resources
chairman.
“This is the most exciting
thing I have been involved in
in my professional career,”
Mr. Morrison said, speaking
of the cooperation of agencies
which will be easier when they
are brought together in one
building. This will be done as
soon as renovation is com
pleted on the former
elementary school building.
This means, he said, that a
person who needs service will
not need to understand the
bureaucratic divisions of
services; with all service
agencies under one roof, he
will not be shuttled from one
end of the county to the other
seeking help.
Mr. Morrison, who came to
Transylvania County 14
months ago, lives with his
wife, Juanita, and four
children, ages nine to 15, on
Country Club Circle.
DON MORRISON
A native of Minneapolis,
Minn., he met his wife in
Columbia, S.C., when he was
in the Army. After completing
a tour of duty in Vietnam in
1967, he decided he had had
enough of war and left the
Army, after nine years ser
vice.
The family moved to
Winston-Salem and he entered
Wake Forest University to
complete work on his degree
in psychology. He worked with
the Department of Social
Services in Winston-Salem,
Volunteer Workers
To Aid Delinquents
A program using volunteer
workers to help juvenile
delinquents or youngsters
with undisciplined behavior is
being set up by the 29th
Juducial District Juvenile
Court Counselors.
Ken Lanning, chief court
counselor of the district that
includes Henderson, Polk,
Rutherford, McDowell and
Transylvania counties, sees
the program as one way of
providing the youngsters with
the attention they need from
people who care.
Funded by the Law En
vorcement Assistance Ad
ministration (LEAA), the
program started in late Oc
tober when Leo Fox was
named volunteer coordinator.
Since that time, Mr. Fox
has surveyed the district to
determine the needs and set
up ways that volunteers can
help.
FRIENDS
The biggest need, perhaps,
is for a program of big
brothers or big sisters, he
said, volunteers to be friends
with the kids, someone to talk
to and do things with.
Another need is for tutoring.
In some of the counties,
emergency foster care is
greatly needed. In Henderson
County, for example, Mr. Fox
said that there is no place for
emergency care of the
youngster during the five days
from the time he is picked up
and the date of his hearing. In
such instances, he said, the
youngster spends that time in
jail.
Mr. Fox also hopes to get
volunteers from among
retired people, who might act
as grandparents to the
children. “A lot of the kids are
coming from the single parent
family,” he said. “They need
this association.”
The six court counselors,
headquartered in Hen
dersonville, carry a case load
of about 50 youngsters bet
ween the ages of 10 and 16 or
so each, supervising the
probationary orders of the
judge. The number of local
cases averages about 35.
When a child is placed on
probation, Mr. Lanning said,
the counselor visits his home,
getting information on the
child and his parents, seeking
ways he can help.
FAMILY
“Most times it's not the
child so much as problems in
the family — marital
problems, alcohol, and so
forth. We try to see what the
problems are and work
toward getting the child some
help.”
Many times the counselor
refers the family to agencies
such as social services,
vocational rehabilitation,
mental health, and schools for
help.
Volunteers working with
these children can help them
tremendously in solving their
problems, Mr. Lanning said.
The program, will be
monitored very closely, Mr.
Fox said, and volunteers will
receive training to help them
be as effective as possible.
“There are hundred of
things that volunteers can
do,” he added.
He is speaking before civic
anc church organizations,
telling about the program. He
is available to talk with other
groups and individuals.
Mr. Fox’s schedule will soon
include spending one day each
week in Transylvania County.
In the meantime, he can be
reached through the Hen
dersonville office, phone 692
3281. Mr. Lanning’s phone
number in Hendersonville is
692-6286. Or persons may
leave messages for them with
Charles Gibfwms, .court
counselor for this county, or at
the county courthouse
and completed requirements
for a master’s degree from the
University of North Carolina
in 1971.
Mrs. Morrison, a registered
nurse, works at Transylvania
Community Hospital. A
picture of the four children, all
with big smiles, hangs on Mr.
Morrison’s office wall. They
are happy kids, he said. “They
sparkle.”
The family attends St.
Philip’s Episcopal Church. He
is a member of the Brevard
Kiwanis Club.
He admits to only one ac
tivity not related to his work
playing golf when he gets the
chance.
“This job requires
dedication to get it done,” he
said, citing the long hours he
devotes to it. All members of
the staff do the same thing he
said. None works a 40-hour
week.
He sees their work with the
children of Transylvania
county as “our most im
portant work. If in the future
people are to have less need
for public programs in support
of their private lives, it will
stem directly from the child
growing up to an adult, able to
cope in a highly complex
society.”
During the time he has been
here, he has been amazed at
the community spirit of the
citizens—their willingness to
attend public meetings, serve
on the various boards, support
the various programs.
“The public spirit is here.
They care about people,” he
said.
“The commissioners gave a
very strong mandate when I
arrived,” he said. “They
wanted the Department of
Social services to take part of
the lead in influencing a better
social stability in Tran
sylvania County.”
He cited the preamble to the
constitution as an example of
what is happening in this
county. “The constitution
states ‘to promote’ the
welfare, not ‘to provide’ the
welfare. That’s what this
community is doing. The local
government is concerned with
its people. That’s why I like
being here. That’s why I came
here.
“I get a good feeling out of
beng useful. To me, that’s the
best prize of all.”
Miss Mass
In Symphony
SPARTANBURG, S. C. -
Miss Lee Mass, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Mass of
Pisgah Forest, will perform
with the Spartanburg Sym
phony Orchestra at the
Inaugural Ball in Columbia,
Jan. 15th. Lee is a sophomore
at Converse College and a
graduate of Brevard High
School.
I