The News - Record $?)
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY ^*^#1
75th YEAR No. 30 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N C THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1976 15* Pgr Copy
30% Of Democrats, 20% GOP Vote
SEARCHING FOR WATER ?
Officials of Marshall are making
every effort possible to locate
additional water supplies. For the
past two weeks the McCall Bros.,
Inc., of Charlotte, have been
drilling on the B. G. Fortner
property, pictured above, near the
French Broad Kiver. Three wells
were found which indicate a total
of 600 gallons per minute. These
sources will be developed. Next
week the workmen will investigate
water supplies at Heck Creek,
Alderman Donald Ramsey stated.
(Photo by Jim Story)
Little more than 30 percent
of the registered Democrats
and 20 percent of the
registered Republicans at
tended the polls in Madison
County Tuesday to cast their
votes in the primaries.
No once could blame the
weather for the light vote since
it was a clear and comfortable
day. Some, however, stated
that the Aug. 17 date might
have kept some voters away.
Election officials, for the
most part, agreed that
everything went "smoothly"
as both party faithfuls
nominated their favorites to
oppose each other in
November'sgeneral election
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. men
and women started gathering
in the courtroom here where
they could see returns from the
various precincts posted on the
two large blackboards,
sponsored by The News
Record.
Since the Democrats had one
of the largest number of
Many Helped
In Posting
Returns Here
Jim Story, editor of The
News-Record, wishes to thank
the people who assisted him in
posting the election returns in
the courtroom here Tuesday
night.
Included among those who
helped are members of the
board of elections, anJShai,?r.
Ray, executive secretary;
Linda Gunter for posting the
returns on the blackboards;
Cathy Johnson for helping with
the charts; Cheryl Reeves and
"Pat" Kent for keeping
"stats" at the press table;
David Caldwell for loaning the
adding machine; and Cor dell
Massey and Richard Fox for
helping move the blackboards
from office to courthouse.
candidates in primary history,
coupled with several contests
by the Republicans, it was
feared that it would be close to
midnight before all precincts
had reported. However, due to
fine cooperation by election
officials and the efficiency of
the board of elections, and
others, the final returns from
all 11 precincts were posted on
the blackboards shortly after
9:30p.m.
DEMOCRATS
In the Democratic gover
nor's race, Jim Hunt easily
won the nomination in Madison
County's returns, receiving
1,608 votes. George Wood was
runner-up with 531 votes while
Ed O'Herron Jr., received 89
votes, Jeter Barker. 29, and
Thomas Strickland, 15.
Eight Democratic hopefuls
sought the nomination for
lieutenant governor. Jimmy
Green captured 1,095 Madison
County votes, followed by
Herbert Hyde with 596. C. A.
Brown Jr., received 138.
Howard Lee 94, John Jordan
77, Waverly Akins 53,
Kathryne M. McRacken 30,
and Frank Stephenson Jr., 10
The state auditor's race with
three Democrats running.
Henry Bridges was this
county's top choice with 1,208
votes. Lillian Woo received 531
votes and Walter Fuller got 157
votes.
Much interest was shown in
the race for the state House of
Representatives (44th House
District). Liston Ramsey of
Marshall, incumbent,
received 1,526 votes to top the
three while Ted R. Wells, of
?"Cdnton, 'opped veteran
legislator Ernest Messer, also
of Canton, 077 to 815 votes in
Madison Comity.
In the 11th District
congressional contest Lamar
Gudger won the nomination
with 1,301 votes. Bo Thomas
was runner-up with 473 and
Glenn Brown had 238, Michael
Vaughn 77, and Roy Gibbens
21.
Ronald Howell, Marshall
attorney easily out scored his
opponent. W. Kelly Johnson,
1.651 to 430 Howell also had the
distinction of receiving the
highest number of votes of any
Democratic candidate in
Madison County.
In the state senatorial race
(26th District) I. C. Crawford
piled up 1,343 votes with
Robert S. Swain receiving
1,235. J. Howard Collins got 436
votes and Helen T. Reed
received 270 votes.
In the only "Madison County
Contest," Mrs. Jena Lee
Buckner m issed t he 1,000 mark
by only one vote when she
received 999 votes Emery
Metcalf polled 731 votes while
Joe Justice of Spring Creek
received 476 votes.
REPUBLICANS
Republicans also had
several interesting contests,
headed by the governor's race
andthecongressional race.
Coy C. Privette, Baptist
leader, proved most popular in
Madison County where he
received 336 votes. David
Flaherty polled 173 Madison
County votes, Jake Alexander
received 101 votes and Wallace
McCall 21 votes.
In the lieutenant governor's
GOP race, Bill Hyatt out
scored Odell Payne, 305 to 180
to get the nominal ion.
Bruce Briggs of Mars Hill,
won a lop-sided victory for
Congress over his opponents.
Ralph Ledford and Walt
Sheppard. It was no contest in
Madison County as Briggs
received 659 votes to only 11
votes for Ledford and 8 votes
for Sheppard Briggs also had <
the distinction of being high
vote getter in the Republican
contests
The battle for district judge
of the 24th District was also
one-sided in Madison County
with Judge J. Ray Braswell
receiving 429 votes to Edwin
Taylor's 114 votes
Totals of other Democratic
and Republican contests now
shown on the election board
can be found elsewhere in this
issue.
CAP Lt Col. Foy Reese named
deputy wing commander,
North Carolina Wing, Civil Air
Patrol (CAP).
Ramsey Receives
Partv Nod Asrain
m
Liston Ramsey, Madison
County's veteran represen
tative in the N. C. House and
one of the legislature's most
powerful lawmakers, got a
good start Tuesday on
returning to the General
Assembly for yet another
term. He won the Democratic
party's nomination for one of
the two House seats from the
44th House District, polling
more votes than either of the
other candidates in the race in
all four counties.
Unofficial district totals
show Ramsey with 8,969 votes
Ernest Messer, the other in
cumbent district represen
tative from Haywood County,
polled 7,700 votes district-wide
while Ted Wells of Haywood
polled 6,665.
The 44th District is com
posed of Madison, Haywood,
Jackson and Swain counties.
" "Hie head to-head contest
between Messer and Wells in
Haywood divided the vote
between them there with
Messer get t ing 4.374 and Wells.
3,991. Ramsey out-polled both
of them, receiving 4.451 votes
in Haywood. Generally,
Ramsey won Western
Haywood precincts ? placing
first in 14 of them, while
Messer took East Haywood
precincts, finishing on top in
ll.'They tied in one while Wells
took three precincts, all in the
western part of the country.
All three received a majority
vote in the Haywood race with
Ramsey polling 35 percent,
Messer 34 percent, and Wells
31 percent.
It left Wells in a position, he
says, to challenge Messer for
one of the two seats in a runoff.
He has not made his mind up
whether he will call a second
primary.
Regardless, Ramsey has the
(Cont to teed on Page 12 > >4
? ". i
3 v-..;/ %
BC Store Dispute Erupts Again
The simmering dispute in Hot
Springs regarding petitions
requesting a referendum on whether
or not to close the ABC store in Hot
Springs has been updated. The
town's officials have received a new
petition.
Leroy Johnson, a member of the
board of aldermen and police chief in
Hot Springs, stated that the new
petition has been referred to the town
attorney, Ronald Howell, of Mar
shall.
Howell stated that he is advising
the board that the new petition which
has addresses of those who signed it,
appears to be properly prepared.
Howell said he is suggesting that
cards be sent to the petition signers to
verify that they did sign the request,
and if there are 73 valid signatures?
equal to 25 percent of the voters in the
last general election ? Hot Springs
should proceed with the referendum.
A first petition had been presented
in April with about 160 signatures,
but lacked addresses of signers and
contained other technical errors,
according to Howell.
Johnson said the board probably
will discuss the matter again at its
September meeting. Meetings are
usually held the first Monday of the
month.
"We'll do whatever the law says,"
Johnson was quoted as saying.
"We'll not be hard to get along with."
Wise Cited
For Farm
Leadership
Madison County Extension
Chairman Earie Wise has been
{selected to receive a national
award for his leadership in
extension programs.
1 The National Association of
founty Agricultural Agents
has named six North
parolinians. including Wise, as
recipients of distinguished
Service awards. The
jirsasntation will be made Aug.
St at the association's annual
keeling in Richmond, Va.
- The association said that
^flse has 'exemplified the
sp t
years in Madison County "
"He has inspired 4 H ers as
{Evidenced by U
Civic Leaders To Tour Greater Ivy
The Big Ivy section of
Buncombe County and
Greater Ivy in Madison County
will be the scene of a tour by
civic and community leaders
of the western area on the
afternoon of Aug. 24.
The visitor will see a variety
of improvement and
beaut ificat ion projects carried
out through efforts of the
citizensof the two areas.
The occasion will be the 24th
annual tour to visit prize
winners of the Western North
Carolina Community
Development Program,
sponsored by the WNC
Development Association, in
cooperation with the N.C.
Agricultural Extension Ser
vice and other sponsors.
Big Ivy. an area including
700 families in the Bar
nardsviUe ? Dillingham ?
Democrat sections of Bun
combe County, organized in
the WNC Community
Development Program four
years ago. It leased a 27-acre
abandoned camp, which had
been a CCC camp in the early
1930s, then was used by the
state's Future Farmers ef
been made, including building
by suppers, programs and an
annual ramp festival which
drew 3,000 people this year.
Big Ivy was runner-up for
beautification honors among
more than 90 communities in
Western North Carolina last
year. Major projects included
removing more than 300
jinked cars from yards, fields
and streams and painting
mailboxes and garbage cans in
the red, white and blue
(Continuedon Page 12)
Marshall Sewerage
Hearing Is Sept. 15
Official notice if published
elsewhere in this issue stating
that a public hearing will be
held at the City Hall build.ngin
Marshall at S p.m. on Sept IS.
to afford individuals the op
port unity to be heard on the
economic and social effect! of
the location, design and en
vironmental impact of the
proposed construction of
wastewater (sewerage)
treatment and collection
facilities for the Town of
Maps. fire wings, en
vironmental statements and
other pertinent data will be
available upon request for
public inspection at the Towa
Hall here
"All persons interested ia
the design, location and
construction of the facilities
are invited to appear and
express their views Written
statements may be submitted
prior to or at the time of the
Nef* Us m* yor ueorg*
Reese
Commands
CAP Unit
Foy Reese of Asheville was
appointed deputy commander
of North Carolina Wing, Civil
Air Patrol (CAP), by CAP Col.
Eugene E. Harwell, com
mander, at the Wing Com
manders Call in Charlotte
recently.
A native of Madison County,
Reese has been a member of
CAP, the civilian auxiliary of
the U.S. Air Force, since 1958,
During his years of volunteer
service. Reese has served in
most of the staff positions of
Group I Headquarters,
Asheville. including 10 years
as group commander. Reese,
who holds the rank of
lieutenant colonel in CAP, has
served as mission coordinator
for more than 100 search and
rescue missions since 1965.
In 1975, Reese Joined N.C.
Wing Staff as the Emergency
Services officer In that
position he was responsible for
all search and rescue
procedures in the state. He
completed CAP OCS < EC17-C)
in 1959, attended CAP National
Softrch Sohool in
19tH and again in 1973, and CAP
Seelca*1,'
. - f
Suzetta Faye Bragg
Is Pageant Entry
The Asheville Javcees and
Jaycettes are proud to present
the 1977 Miss Asheville
Pageant. It will be held at 8
p.m. Aug. 21 in the Thomas
Wolfe Memorial Auditorium
Among the contestants in the
pageant is Miss Suzetta Faye
Bragg who will be Contestant
Number 7.
Suzetta is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C.
Howard of Mars Hill. She is a
1974 graduate of Mars Hill
High School and is presently
attending UNC-Greensboro
majoring in mathematics. In
high school, Suzetta was Chief
Marshal, Beta Club, Math Oub
officer, Science Club officer,
Homecoming Court, Christ
mas Court, 1973 attended N. C.
Governor's School in
mathematics, and was
cheerleader for three years
Suzetta was a recipient of a
Reynolds-Scholarship to UNC
G for four years. Her hobbies
are sewing, knitting,
macrami, tennis, swimming,
and meeting people. Suzetta is
5'6" tall and weighs 123
pounds. She has brown hair
and brown eyes. Her talent is
singing.
Bill Norwood will be
assisting Maria Fletcher with
the M. C. duties. He will also
accompany her on a couple of
vocal numbers. Susan Profitt, *
reigning Miss North Carolina
and other state queens will be
present. Music will be ren
dered by the Enka High School
Stage Band again this year,
and the Beale Fletcher Tap
Dancers will perform. This
year's theme is "Somewhere
Over the Rainbow."