Malison County Library 1 Z'm
Marshall. u.C. 28753
The News Record [--tl
- going on in Madison
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY spor,s 566 P?9e 3
77th Year, No. 6 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, NC THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1978 15'PerCopy
FAMILIAR scenes, as above,
have been evident for the past
month along the highway from
Marshall to As he vi lie as pic
turesque ice accumulations can
be seen every few feet in Madison
County. 1
Mars Hill To Sponsor
'Elderhostel' Program
Approximately 105 older
adults will share "An
Appalachian Experience" this
summer during Mars Hill
Colleges "Elderhostel"
program
Elderhostel is an op
portunity for those over 60 to
enroll in a weeklong
residential program during
the summer months which
features especially designed
non-credit, college-level
courses, a variety of extra
curricular activities as well as
community and cultural
events. Begun in North
Carolina in 1977, the program
has demonstrated that
retirement can be a time of
enriching new experiences.
Mars Hill, as one of the 10
colleges and universities
participating in the state-wide
program, will offer three
courses during each week
long session: Appalachian
music, folklore and crafts;
Appalachian history and
contemporary social issues.
TTiose enrolling in the
Elderhostel program may
take one, two or all three of the
courses. The dates from Mars
Hill's programs are June 4-11,
June 25-July 2 and July 16-23.
Persons over 60, regardless
of educational background,
may enroll in the Elderhostel
program for $75 (slightly
higher for out-of-state
residents) which covers one
week's housing and meals in
the college facilities as well as
the courses and other ac
tivities.
In addition to Mars Hill,
three other Western North
Carolina schools and six in
stitutions in the eastern part of
the state will be cooperating in
the Elderhoetel program.
They are UNC-Asheville,
Appalachian State University,
Western Carolina University,
UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC
Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro,
UNC-Wilmington, Winston
Salem State University and
Duke University. Each school
will have vacancies for 30
participants, although Mars
Hill will be able to ac
commodate 35.
Applications for Elderhostel
can be obtained after March 1
from Ray Rapp, coordinator
of Programs for the Aging,
Mars Hill College, Mars Hill
28754.
Information on the state
program as well as ap
plications can be obtained
from Bob Wagoner,
Elderhostel regional coor
dinator, 204 Abernathy Hall
002A, Chapel Hill 27514.
Private
Hearing
Scheduled
Larry Leake, attorney for
the Madison County Board of
Education, stated Monday
that a private hearing as
declared by law before the
board of education "is
scheduled this week" con
cerning the suspension of Don
Fowler, a member of the
Madison. High School faculty,
by the board at a called
meeting Jan. 20.
The board voted to suspend
Fowler following an in
vestigation by David Wyatt,
principal, and Bruce Phillips,
assistant principal, when the
board made the following
decision:
"Whereas the Board of
Education has been presented
with information, which if
true, causes it to believe that
Don Fowler's performance at
Madison High is inadequate
due to his alleged immoral
conduct and that therefore an
emergency situation exists
requiring that he be
suspended from his duties.
The superintendent is in
structed to notify Mr. Fowler
of the decision and of his
rights under the law."
It was stated that Robert S.
Swain, attorney, will
represent Fowler at the
private hearing sometime this
The decision of the board
will be published next week.
County Gets $555
For Law Officers
The Land-of-Sky Regional
Council was recently awarded
a grant in the amount of $4,968
from the Law Enforcement ?
Assistance Administration
through the Governor's Crime
Commission. The project will
help to meet a portion of the
low cost needs associated with
law enforcement agency
services. Officer supplies and
equipment will be provided to
the Madison County Sheriffs
Department in the amount of
$555.
This project type was
developed by the Governor's
Crime Commission to support
improvements in enforcement
agencies which otherwise
might not receive LEAA
support during the year, and
show Crime Commission
interest in their department to
improve agency operation,
and thus their services to the
citizens in their community.
44 Candidates File
For May 2 Primaries
Forty-four candidates
filed for county office
nominees in the Democratic
and Republican primaries to
be held May 2. The deadline
for filing was this past Mon
day at noon. According to the
list of candidates issued by the
Madison County Board of
Elections, there are 27
Democrats seeking
nomination, and 17
Republicans seeking
nomination.
They are as follows:
STATE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
44 th DISTRICT
f
<2 SEATS)
Democrats Liston B
Ramsey incumbent).
STATE SENATE
26 th DISTRICT
(2 seats)
Republicans: Edward B.
Krause. Joe L. Morgan
CLERK OR SUPERIOR
COURT
Democrats: James W
(Jim) Cody, Samuel E. (Sam)
Parker
Republicans: C.N. Willis
(sole nominee).
SHERIFF
Democrats: E Y Ponder
< incumbent), Raymond
b
Ramsey, Amos C Ray
Republicans Dewey
Griffey, Clarence E Hen
derson, William E Powell III,
Allon Silver
TAX COLLECTOR
Democrats: Dean Ledford,
Harold H Wallin (in
cumbent)
Republicans: Fay J Ball
(sole nominee).
BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
v (3 seats)
Democrats: Ervin Adams
i( incumbent), Carolyn T.
Ammons, Virginia H
Anderson (incumbent),
Wayne Brigman, J G Gar
dner Jr.. James T Ledford
(incumbenti, Emery Metcalf,
Claude Moore
Republicans: L Patrick
(Pat) Clemens (sole
nominee), Frank W Massey
(sole nominee), Perry G.
Willis (sole nominee)
BOARD OF EDUCATION
DISTRICT!
(2 seats)
Democrats: Donald N.
Anderson (incumbent),
Dedrick C Cody (incumbent i.
Kelly Ledford, Gerald Young
Republicans Don Hall. Bill
Sears, Terry A Wyatt
BOARD OF EDUCATION
DISTRICT II
(3 seats)
Democrats: Ernest 0.
Burnette, Nell C. Franklin,
Edward T Gentry, Gilmer
Maynard Jr RZ (Bobby)
Ponder (incumbent), James
A (Jimmiei Ramsey, Floyd
Wallin.
Republicans Willie L.
(Bill) Hodge sole nominee),
F. Crafton Ramsey (sole
nominee), Gregory A (Gary)
Sprinkle (sole nominee).
Mrs. Criss
Killed
In Wreck
Eugenia "Jeannie" P.
Criss, 34, of the Amnions
Branch community, was in
stantly killed Monday af
ternoon about 4 o'clock when
the Jeep she was drivinc
skidded off Iliii Sum*
(Corkscrew) in Marshall
when it struck an ice ac
cumulation. Her body was
thrown from the Jeep as it
plunged about 230 feet down
the enbankment.
Mrs. Criss apparently had
started to the Marshall Day
Care Center to pick up her son.
The accident occurred below
the lower reservoir on the
steep street.
Mr. and Mrs. Criss and two
children, formerly of
Maryville, Tenn., had resided
in Madison County for the past
two years. Mrs. Criss was
secretary for Bill Brigman at
the Marshall Elementary
School. Her husband, Steve,
owns and operates the Steel
Crafters Shop on US 25-70 near
the . Riddle Farm Road
intersection between Marshall
and Walnut.
Bowman Funeral Home will
announce arrangements.
Y
Laurel Man Arrested
Following Shooting
Bruce Gentry, 28. of Route 4,
Marshall was rushed to
Memorial Mission Hospital
Thursday afternoon after
suffering a pistol wound in his
neck following an argument
on the Rock Quarry Road off
N.C.' 2Jt> in the Big Laurel
, aec$M. J
Love Gunter, 49, of Route 4,
Marshall, was arrested and
charged with assault with a
deadly weapon with intent to
kill and was placed in the
Madison County jail. He is
now out under a $3,000 bond,
posted Saturday.
Sheriff Ponder stated that
he" received a telephone call
from Barbara Gunter of
Guntertown about 4:15 last
Thursday afternoon stating
that she had passed three
small children standing beside
the road below Belva on N.C.
206 and they were apparently
in trouble She thought that
Ponder ought to know about iU
was the reason she called. a
Sheriff Ponder said he seer
deputies Grindstaff and Ogle
to the area They arrived
about 4:30 p.m. and found that
the three children had been
picked up and were in a neigh
bor's car. Ponder said the
neighbor's wife told the of
ficers that her husband and
two other men had gone up the
road to see what the problem
was. About that time Bruce
Gentry came down the same
road (Rock Quarry Road) in
his car, Ponder related.
Gentry stopped his car and
asked to be taken to the
hospital. Officers stated that
he was bleeding and had been
shot in the neck Ogle and
Grinds taff put Gentry into the
w arjJ headed toward
Marshall. TTiey called Sheriff
Ponder who met them at
Walnut with an ambulance.
Gentry was then rushed to
Memorial Mission Hospital
where he was given 10 units of
blood and underwent surgery
Ponder said that Gentry was
released from the hospital
Saturday and is recuperating
at his home.
An investigation was started
by Sheriff Ponder and his
deputies, resulting in the
arrest of Love Gunter, who
was charged with assault with
a deadly weapon with intent to
kill.
Ponder said eye witnesses
stated there was an argument,
and Gentry was shot one time
in the neck with a 38 caliber
pistol
Sandra Higgins, mother of
the three children, was also
placed in jail as a material
witness She is now out under
$1,000 bond. Ponder said.
Fund Raising Meeting
For Medical Center
The meeting to discuss a
community fund raising for
the Marshall-Walnut Medical
Coiter, postponed earlier
because of bad weather, has
been rescheduled for this
Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the
Madison High School
cafeteria.
Everone interested in the
establishment of a medical
center in this area is en
couraged to attend this
meeting.
SOLAR ENERGY classes at Mars Hill
College proved highly successful as shown '
above as students oenetruct a manifold hot
water collector. Plans are being made to
resume the eoler beefing classes at the
? V
college during die summer for study of the
systems for both farms and homes. Those
interested in taking the courses may contact
Dr. John Hough at the collage. BUI Shealy
will be directing the clamor
MRS. FAY BALL
Mrs. Fay Ball
Candidate For
Tax Collector
Mrs. Phillip "Fay" Ball,
Mars Hill, announced her
candidacy for the Republican
nomination for Madison
County Tax Collector.
Mrs. Ball stated, "I feel it is
time Madison County had fair
and equal taxation. My
background in business would
allow this office to be run on a
competent basis. I would also
use the influence of this office
to see that the monies
collected are distributed fairly
to all communities in the
county."
Mrs Ball was a business
major at East Tennessee State
University. She is financial
vice president of Dan-Kay Inc.
in Asheville. Mrs. Ball is youth
choir director and a Sunday
school teacher at Calvary
Baptist Church, Mars Hill.
Mr. and Mrs. Ball live at
Route 1, Mars Hill, and have
two children, Daniel and
Kaylen.
'Pat' Clemens
Announces
For Board
L. Pat Clemens, who has
announced his candidacy for
the board of county com
missioners on the Republican
ticket, made the following
statement this week:
"We are operating this
county as if it were MM," he
feels. "Look at our police
protection... what happens if
you need help in the middle of
the night? Our Are protection,
a handful of good man trying
to hold together three small
Are departmenta on their own
with little or no help from the
county. And moat important,
our schools or batter yet the
Theae are some of the
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