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Vail son County Library I f'|
Marshall, l.C. 29753
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The News record r.~r_
summaries on page 8
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY
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76th Year, No. 50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, NC THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1977 15'Per Copy
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Second-Hand Mothers? Not These Centers
By: BOB GESSNER
In some eyes, day care
centers are sometimes looked
at as being "dressed up
babysitting services."
However, in the eyes of the
three teachers at the Hot
Springs Day Care Center and
the local populace, the facility
is much more than a
bureaucratic attempt at
second hand motherhood.
The teachers and in
structors at the Hot Springs
f Center are Talitha Price,
Glennis Cutshall, Ruth
Stamey and Vickie Wills. The
center is operated under the
auspices of the Madison
County Commissioners, the
Madison County Day Cars
Advisory Board, and Region B I
Land of Sky Regional Council, i
At the center 20 children from
ages 2-5 learn many skills that t
will help them in their future.
Activities such as painting, i
drawing, and other art i
projects are of course in- i
tended to be enjoyable ex- '
periences for the children at 1
the day care center. They are i
also intended to be much, i
much more. For example, the |
original art work not only t
encourages creativity but 1
additionally develops eye- t
hand coordination. <
This artwork is often
seasonal in nature With the
coming of the Christmas
holidays, the children spend
much of their time depicting
various Christmas scenes and
events.
During the Thanksgiving
season activities were coor
dinated to make the learning
experiences a total one. The
rhanksgiving unit began with
Mrs. Price placing figures on
i nearby flannel board,
?epresenting the various
eeople and foods present at
he historic first
rhanksgiving. The children
hen answered questions
ibout the scenes apd pictures.
Later the students gathered
around work tables to color
drawings of turkeys using the
most unique and familiar
model available ? their own
hands! Using this method, the
children used their thumbs to
draw the turkey's head, and
their fingers to represent the
bird's tailfeathers. Each child
then colored his or her special
version of a turkey.
Various antics and events on
the center's playground are
also part of the learning
process at the Hot Springs
facility.
For example, many of the
children learn to swing at the
center's playground as they
coordinate their bodies' ac
tions to provide their own
means of movement. Such
activities help the children
develop a good muscle tone.
Additionally, the children
receive the double benefit of
needed exercise and fresh air.
Storytelling and movie
watching are still other facets
of the center children's
learning experiences as the
children respond readily to
questions and answer sessions
held after a story is read by
the center's personnel. These
activities develop listening,
memory, and creative skills
prior to a child's formal school
experience.
Taking advantage of all of
nature's wonders that are so
plentiful in this area, the
center also conducts regular
field trips for the children
Such experiences provide the
opportunity for the children to
ask questions and gain
valuable knowledge about the
world and their immediate
surroundings.
These field trips may also
vary widely with one week's
trip taking the children to a
nearby farm and other trips
taking them to a puppet show
or park.
Another important aspect of
the education at the center is
personal hygiene training.
Children are encouraged to
brush their teeth after break
fast and lunch, to wash before
all meals and to develop
proper eating habits All of
this training comes in a
relaxed friendly manner from
the staff.
The instructors at the center
also serve important purpose
If any changes develop in the
child's behavior or eating
habits, the teachers are the
first ones to see it and to notify
the children's parents of these
happenings. Parents too are
involved in the center's
operation as they attend
parent meetings, participate
in parent conferences, donate
time and materials, and visit
. 0
with the children and staff at
special Thanksgiving and
Christmas parties
The community in
volvement and support for the
day care center was shown
during the recent flooding that
struck Western North
Caroilna and the town of Hot
Springs The center was
inundated with three feet of
water, mud, and debris. Many
toys and equipment were
either lost or heavily
damaged
Approximately fifty
volunteers helped shovel mud,
dispose of debris, and repair
Continued on Page 7
THE ARTIST at work is Jimmy Moore, who
obviously has all his attention directed to the
task at hand. The day care center's children
participate in many such efforts at the Hot
Springs facility.
County Flood Grants Approved
The Federal Disaster
Assistance Administration
(FDAA) has approved grants
totaling $4,172,005 to 30
governmental entities in 11
western North Carolina
counties to repair damages
caused by the Nov. 4-6 flood.
Madison County's reim
bursement to the county
government totaling $13,940 to
be used to replace six four
yard d urn peters washed away
by the flood ($2,460) and to
replace recreation facilities at
Blannahasset Island Park
($11,480); and $10,723 to Hot
Springs for removal of debris
from stream channels and
adjacent lands ($2,755), repair
of town roads and streets
($3,526), repair of public
buildings and equipment
($1,380) and restoration of
public utilities ($3,065).
Federal Coordinating
Officer Joe D. Winkle said the
funds, which are provided
through the Federal Disaster
Relief Act of 1974, are outright
grants which will be used to
repair or replace damaged
public-use facilities such as
streets, utilities, schools and
recreational facilities.
Approval of the disbur
sements is the first of as much
as $10.8 million FDAA officials
assigned to the 16-county
disaster area expect to expend
on repair of public facilities.
More than 45 local govern
ments and nine other
governmental entities have
submitted some 1,350 in
dividual repair projects which
may be eligible for reim
bursement.
The major portion of the
grants approved will be
channeled through the North
Carolina Department of
Transportation to reimburse
the state for money spent to
repair state and county roads
in Yancey County, according
to FDAA director Paul Hall.
Retiring Wardens Honored At Hot Springs
French Broad district
ranger Joe Wallace presented
certificates of appreciation to
retiring National Forest fire
wardens Fred Barnett,
Waymon Waldroup and Grady
Gahagan on Dec. 16 at the
annual district Christmas
party held in Hot Springs.
Grady Gahagan of Laurel
began his fire fighting in
November, 1*16 as a North
Carolina State Forest service
v
warden and later changed to
the U. S. Forest Service under
Ranger Lorenzo Jared in the
early 1920s. He retired with 56
years of experience, longest of
the three retirees.
Fred Barnett of Shut-in
ended a 90-year career as
cooperative fire warden but
passed his responsibilities to
his grandson. c"r"uel Barnett,
who ,,... Dtxwu.. w4 youngest
warden on the French Broad.
This continues a family
tradition to the third
generation since Neal A.
Barnett, Fred's son, has
worked for the forest service
since 1998 and is currently
supervisory forestry ,
technician on the French
Broad Ranger District. Neal is
Samuel's father.
Waymon Waldroup of
Spring Creek served for 23
veers and though he is retiring
%W t. r?
as a warden he will continue to
work for the forest service on
the Older American program
"Though he won't be
climbing mountains and
fighting fires like he once did,
we hope to have Mr. Waymon
working in Are prevention
activities in the future," said
V> diiace.
The Cooperative Forest Fire
Continued on P^e 7
Spring Creek, Laurel, Hot Springs
Officials Asked
To Visit Schools
At the called meeting of the Madison
County Board of Education on Dec. 14, all
the members were present along with Burt
King, architect, and Larry Leake, attorney.
The board instructed the superin
tendent to set a date with Burt King, ar
chitect, his constructional engineer and
principals to visit Laurel, Hot Springs and
Spring Creek elementary schools and report
to the board the constructional condition of
the above school buildings.
The board voted that chairman of the
county commissioners Virginia Anderson;
Bill Roberts, board member; Burt King,
architect; Bill Brigman, principal at
Marshall Elementary School; David Wyatt,
principal at Madison High School; Sidney
Harrison, principal at Walnut Elementary
School; and superintendent visit the
available sites in the Marshall-Walnut
school district and give a report to the board
of education at the February meeting.
The next regular meeting of the
Madison County Board of Education will be
Jan. 3,1978 at 7 p.m. in the courtroom.
TTie public is invited.
Homemakers
Send $1125
For Victims
"Such kindnesses restore
our faith in people," Mrs.
Ethel T. Wallin, Home
Economics extension agent of
Madison County, commented
Monday morning after
receiving a letter with a check
for $1,125 from extension
homemakers from all over the
state. The letter stated that
the contribution was for flood
victims in Madison County
The letter follows:
Dear Mrs. Wallin:
Enclosed is a check for
$1,125 as a contribution for the
flood victims in Madison
County from extension
homemakers from all over the
state.
We hope this money will
help to restore a little of the
Christinas Joy for these
people. It is not only meant for
extension homemakers in
your county but for those who
need it most.
Sincerely,
MRS. B.W.PSHYK
State Treasurer
North Carolina Extension
Homemakers Association,
Inc.
Durham, 27706.
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POSTER WINNERS ? Shown
- above are the four winners from
Marshall Elementary School in
the "Mail Early For Christmas
Contest" sponsored by the
Marshall Post Office. From left to
right, postmaster Roger Wood,
Julie Allison, (first piece winner),
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Loo
Allison of Route t, Marshall (Mb
grade); 2nd place, Betty Jean ;
Roberta, daughter of Mr. and ?
Mr*. Earl Roberto, Route 5, :
Marshall (fourth grade); Chris f
Hensley, third place, son of Mrs. f
Jan Griffin, Worley Cove (fourth
grade); and fourth place, Alberta
Blackwail, daughter of Mr. and |
Mrs. Albert BlackweU, Redman
Road, Marshall (fourth Brads).