The News record
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY
On thm Insldm ? ? ?
Mike Cook Sums Up Patriot
Footbll Season .
Ken Edwards Has The
Story On Page 6.
79th Year No. 47
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N C
THURSDAY, November 20, 1980
15* Per Copy
Ramsey Likely Shooin For House Speaker
State Representative Liston B. Ramsey of
Marshall is almost guaranteed to become the next
speaker of the House when the 1981 N.C. General
Assembly convenes in Raleigh on Jan. 14. The
61-year-old legislator was re-elected to his 10th
term in the Nov. 4 election, and he says he has
commitments from 95 out of the 96 Democratic
representatives in the House toward his selection
as speaker.
In a recent interview with the Asheville
Citizen, Ramsey said he expects to be nominated
as House speaker when the Democratic caucus
begins in the House on Dec. 2 in Raleigh. House
members will also nominate individuals for
sergeant at arms, the principal clerk and reading
clerk at the caucus.
Ramsey said she expects the present holders
of those positions to be renominated. They are
sergeant at arms, Larry Eagles of Edgecombe
County, principal clerk, Grace Collins of Wake
County and reading clerk, Sam Burrows of Ran
dolph County.
If Ramsey is indeed selected as House
speaker, he will become the first from the moun
tains of Western North Carolina to hold that posi
tion in 80 years.
As House speaker, Ramsey will have the
same authority as the lieutenant governor who
serves as the president of the Senate and the
president pro tempore of the Senate combined.
The position would allow Ramsey to make all the
committee and committee chairmen appoint
ments in the House. ii
As a result, it is expected that some Western
North Carolina legislators could become
chairmen of important House committees; Reps.
Gordon Greenwood of Black Mountain and Ernest
Messer of Canton for example.
The 1981 General Assembly will have a 4 to 1
margin of Democrats over Republicans in both
the House and Senate, according to Ramsey. The
Democrats will hold a 96-24 margin in the House of
Representatives, and Democrats outnumber
Republicans 40-10 in the 50-member Senate as a
result of the Nov. 4 election.
Ramsey served as chairman of the House
Redistricting Committee in 1971 following the 1970
Census, and he said reapportioning the congres
sional and state legislative seats will be an impor
tant issue in 1981. According to Ramsey, it looks
as if North Carolina will retain its 11 seats in Con
gress, but there may be some changes in the
state's legislative districts once the population
figures of the various counties have been certified
by the federal government for the state.
As for changes in Western North Carolina
Senate and House districts, Ramsey said early
projections may require some changes in the
mountain counties, especially in the 10-county
27th Senate District and the two-county 43rd
House District, comprised of Buncombe and
Transylvania counties.
It is possible that the ltt-county 27th Senate
District may have to be split in two, with one
senator for each of the two new districts. Bun
combe and Transylvania may possibly lose one of
the 43rd House District seats because,
"Buncombe hasn t grown as fast as these other
counties, percentage-wise, Ramsey said.
Another pressing issue facing the 1981
General Assembly is that of taxes, particularly
the decreasing revenues from the state gasoline
tax which is the only source of money for state
highway construction. North Carolinians are us
ing less gasoline, and therefore, paying less taxes
on gasoline.
Ramsey said he hopes the Department of
Transportation can economize and continue to
function properly within the bounds of the
decreasing revenues.
The seasoned legislator speculated that there
would probably be several bills introduced in the
General Assembly to raise the state s gasoline tax
to offset the dwindling gas tax revenue, but he
said any such bills would not be introduced by
him.
North Carolina is reputed to have one of the
highest gasoline taxes in the nation.
Photo by Susan Edwards.
Rep. Liston Ramsey
Judge Braswell Hangs Up Robe
Photo by N Hancock
Judge J. Ray Bras well
Chief District Court Judge J. Ray
Braswell sat on the bench at the Madison
County courthouse for the last time Mon
day. After 12 years as head of the 24th North
Carolina Judicial District, Braswell will be
trading his robe and gavel for a text book.
Unlike many retiring judges who return
to the practice of law as attorneys, Braswell
said Monday he plans to enroll at Ap
palachian State University to study
Southern Appalachian history.
"I'm interested in our heritage, said
the Avery County native, "and if I can ever
learn to write a simple, coherent sentence
after dealing with legal language so long. I
would like to do some research and write
something about the history of our area."
Braswell said he had mixed feelings
about retiring from the judgeship, "but it's
time for me. I will miss working the bench.
Legal matters are of profound importance
to people. Civil matters ? divorce, child
custody, juvenile cases ? are important to
people, and I'll miss being a part of that, '
he said.
But, Braswell spoke of attending col
lege again with a gleam in his eye. "When I
started college, I had planned to enter the
field of journalism, but I went into law in
stead. Someday, I would like to write about
what goes on in court to help the people
understand the court system. I feel people
are often confused about court procedure,''
he said.
The retiring judge was honored at a lun
cheon in Marshall by friends and fellow
court workers where he was presented with
a proclamation citing his outstanding ser
vice in the 24th Judicial District. The
district includes Watauga, Mitchell, Avery
and Madison counties. Judge Braswell has
served under four North Carolina Supreme
Court judges since his duties began in 1968.
Hot Springs Trio Receive
Injuries In One-Car Accident
Three Hot Springs residents
were injured Thursday at ap
proximately 12:20 p.m. when
the automobile in which they
were riding overturned on a
curve on Icy Hill Road south of
Marshall
Tony King, 24, Billy Stout
and Brenda Ricker all receiv
ed moderate injuries when the
1974 Dodge Colt, driven by
King, ran off the right
shoulder of the road on a left
hand curve and swerved back
onto the pavement overturn
ing and came to rest on its
side.
Highway Patrolman W.C.
Swanson said King, the driver
of the vehicle, was charged
with driving too fast for road
conditions and driving a motor
vehicle without an operators
license. -
Both the Marshall and Mars
Hill ambulance services were
called to the scene to transport
the accident victims to
Memorial Mission Hospital in
Asheville. Marshall emergen
cy medical technicians tended
to the injured trio at the scene
A spokesman for Memorial
Mission Hospital said both
King and Stout were treated
Photo By N Hancort
Dodge Colt Wound Up On Its Side In Accident
and released from the
emergency room Thursday
Ms. Ricker remained in the
hospital Thursday night where
she was listed in satisfactory
condition.
The accident occurred at the
intersection of Ivy Hill Road
and the drive leading to the
Madison Gun Club. The vehi
cle was traveling east at ap
proximately 45 miles per hour,
according to Patrolman Swan
son.
The Marshall Fire Depart
ment was initially dispatched
to the scene because persons
living near the scene called
stating a fuel oil delivery
truck was involved in an acci
dent. A Gregory Oil Company
truck was near the scene of
the accident at the time the
car turned over, but according
to Swanson, it was not evident
that the truck was involved.
State, Local School Authorities Reply To Hollo ways' Request
By NICHOLAS HANCOCK I
The office of the State
Superintendent of Public In
struction and the superinten
dent of Madison County
acbools, R.L. Edwards,
repbed late last week to the re
quest of a Madison County
couple to educate tbeir nine
year-old daughter at home
through a home study course
developed by the Seventh-day
AdveoUst Church.
Superintendent Edwards,
?Iter ) '<ng contacted by
William Peek who is an assis
tant to Dr. stele
- t l'|_ll>* t ILj f a ?> f ** I r ? ' ft! ?
and Mrs Ronald Holktway of
Marshall that they were in I
violation of North Carolina
General Statutes by not enroll
ing their daughter in a school
in Madison County
The HoUoways were con
tacted by Sidney Harris, prin
cipal of Walnut Elementary
School, who passed along Mr
Edwards notice. Harrison
said as principal of the school
at which the Hoitoway child
would ordinarily attend, he
to send the
<-;? .1 .
board of education was
authorized and directed by
law to see that their child at
tend a school.
Contacted at his office, Har
rison said the only recourse at
present is for the Hoi Iowa ys to
try to get their home and the
correspondence course
registered as a non-public
school and to get state ap
proval of the educational pro
gram being used by the
Accomplishing either of
these actions looks doubtful
for the Holloways in light of
opinion
handed down by the N.C. At-|
torney General's office regar
ding parents teaching their
children at home, according to
school authorities in Raleigh.
According to the Attorney
General's ruling, "... it is and
remains the opinion of this of
fice that a parent does not
meet the requirements of the
ConpulMry Attendance Law
by providing his child with in
struction in the home.''
Contacted at his office in
Raleigh. William Peek con
firmed that the local board of
education is obligate! by law
to get any child between the
[school. Regarding thel
Holloway case. Peek said the
local board could accept or re
ject ercdit of a cor
responctawe course only in
conjunction with regular
school attendance. Peek also
mentioned that the HolJoways
could endeavor to register the
Home St*dy Institute course
used by the HoUoways as a
non public school under the
Office of Non-Public Educa
tion in North Carolina
public school by sending
notice of intent to open a
school to his office. However,
the school must meet safety
and sanitation requirements
set up by the state, and the
students must be ad
ministered standardised
achievement test at least ance
each year. However, Critter
pointed out the Attorney
General's ruling excluded
parents teaching their
children at home
It s just not possible for
parrnts to teach their own
children at home under the
law, oow. Criner aaid. But,
he added that Attorney
General opinions are subject
to change through a court of
law.
Mr. and Mrs Hoiloway said
Friday they maintain that it is
their right ot exercise their
religious freedom and convic
tions to use the Home Study
Institute education program
to give their daughter a
"Biblically centered' Chris
tian education.
As of press Ume Tuesday.
Mr and Mrs Hoiloway had
scheduled a meeting with
school superintendent Ed
wards and Mr. H.E. Davis, a
_? lllll
North Carolina district of the
church conference. The
Hoiloways said they plan te
pursue the nutter of obtaining
state and local approval of Ufe
Home Study Institute course
further.
The Hoiloways
enrolled in Uie third-grade
level of the Home Study In
stitute course The cc
f?ram
by the!
Churcti for