Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / May 14, 1981, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News Record SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY I 80th Year No. 20 PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.C. THURSDAY, May 14, 1981 15c Per Copy On 11th District Tour Hendon Aide Visits Madison, Plans Return Trip Later By NICHOLAS HANCOCK Editor Bob Orr, district ad ministrative assistant to Rep. Bill H end on, sat in the com missioners' office in the Madison County courthouse Thursday morning waiting to greet any county residents who had a comment or pro Mem to pass along to Hendon, the llth District congressman from Asheville. Orr was into his fourth stop m a IS county tour during the nonth of May to meet one-on ne with constituents to listen to views and comments about citizens may be hav with federal agencies. I'm primarily here to listen, " Orr said, explaining that the tour is an effort to give the voters a voice in what goes on in Washington. "Bill Hendon can't vote the way every individual would like for him to, but he wants to know how people feel about the issues. We want to be out in the communities and be available for folks to come by and make comments and tell us their problems, he said. Orr, a Henderson ville native and former Asheville at torney, said he sees the tour of the llth District counties as an extension of his work in Hen don's district office in Asheville. His duties there consist of coordinating business concerning legislative questions with Hen don's Washington office, researching local issues which are tied into the federal government, representing Hendon at various meetings and functions, and meeting with local officials to get their comments on federal issues that effect local government. "We handle a lot of peoples' personal problems that in volve the federal government in some fashion; Social Security benefits, veterans' disability problems, and Farmer's Home Administra tion problems,'' Orr said. "A lot of people sort of turn to their congressman as a last resort when they've been unable to get any results from some federal agency," he said. "Many things come along that we at the office feel a very personal interest in. You feel that you're helping folks in a special way ' Orr explained that the district office is also involved with some of the major issues concerning Western North Carolina such as wilderness designation, the Appalachian Bob Orr Regional Commission, the 1-26 Mills River highway connec tor, and road projects near Zirconia south of Henderson - ville. Orr said he plans to visit the counties in the 11th District "probably every two months," that trying to travel to 15 counties every month would keep him away from his of?ice~<fi)ties too'mueK of'flle time. During subsequent visits to Madison County, Orr plans to be located in different com munities for each visit. "We will probably be in Mars Hill for the next visit, and on later visits we will probably visit some of the community stores to talk with constituents in the various neighborhoods,'' he said. "I enjoy getting out and go ing around western North Carolina, that's something I didn't get to do much of as a child growing up in Hender sonville," he said. "I like meeting people and seeing the places that make western North Carolina special." Orr said that anyone with a problem can also contact him at the distric office on the up per level of the Asheville Mall where he is available on a regular basis for constituent service. "We're trying to make the bureaucracy work ? trying to cut through the red tape," he said. Finishing out the month, Orr will visit Pollt County on Mon day, May 18; Haywood County on Thursday, May 28; Jackson County on Friday, May 29; and Swain County on Friday afternoon. May 29. ' (3fr<Jid'nbr incTuhe a visit To^" Rutherford County because Hendon maintains a field of fice there in the Tri-City Mall in Forest City, staffed by Wilbur Burgin, a retired Navy pilot. Marshall Aldermen To Hold Sewer Bond Referendum The Marshall Board of Aldermen decided at its May meeting to hold a new sewer bond referen dum to secure $200,000 as matching funds for nearly $1.4 million in state and federal grants to complete the town's sewer system. The aldermen said they felt town residents were entitled to a new referendum since only a portion of the money from a 1974 bond issue pass ed by voters has been used. The 1974 bond issue was for $185,000, and to date, only the portion alloted for water improvement has been spent in upgrading the water and sewer system. Town engineers, in reviewing the cost of the sewer project, said a $1,225,000 sewer improve ment project could be acquired by the town at a cost to the users of $250,000 or less. They said plans are now completed for the entire project and that federal and state funds are committed for the project. The complete project will include a new sewer system at the Walnut Creek Housing Authority down Walnut Creek; the Courthouse Hollow area and upward along Hill Street; the Rollins residen tial area including a pumping station; a new line on the south side of the French Broad River serv ing Worley Hollow, Rector's Corner and the Cot fcon Mill Hill area; Floodproofing three pumping stations and reworking the present treatment ^ant including increasing the capacity and pro tiding a secondary treatment plant as required by the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Aldermen said only the water improvement phase of the sewer improvement project was car ried out after the 1974 bond referendum because condemnation of the Hunter Creek Dam caused extensive plan changes. They said condemning the dam resulted in re-engineering and added work to develop deep wells for the water supply to the town. This work was completed two years ago. At the time of the bond issue, bonds were re quired to be issued within five years. The five years was extended to seven years by a legislative act in 1975. According to town officials, final plans and specifications for the project were not com pleted within the seven year period, nor had the town received final approval on the applications for the federal and state funds. The Local Government Commission in Raleigh raised questions about the validity of the bonds if they were issued after the extension, ^pd the same question was raised by the New York Bond Council. After conferring with town engineers and the Local Government Commis sion, the aldermen elected to call a new referen dum to assure completion of the sewer project ? without any obligations on the technicality. The board said the Farmers Home Ad ministration is committed to purchase the sewer improvement bonds issued by the town at a rate presently standing at 5 percent with 40 years allowed far repayment. The {dans and specifications for the project are oil file at the Town Hall for anyone wishing to view them, the aldermen said. N.C. Unemployment Shows Decline of unemployment in North Carolina in Man h showed a alight decline In 73 increase in 30 BO chug* to 2 i the Head) and . high trend of (MM the statewide figure was 6.9 percent, towi from the 7* For h, tourthr'!Sj|||| Swain County registered the highest unemployment rate in Match ting 1,110 unemployed MM. That figure was from tt.4 percent earlier. Orange County, athar hand, held the lowest unemployment rate among he counties for tl i with .-on ie< utiv? month ? sth 3.1. eiimina _ piled by the BSC for Madiaan County for the month of March shows the county ?employment rate at 7.0 per cent M.-s Oountj I ? a labor force of 8,110 570 : : : ?' "? . ? :r Hendoh : CIA Agents Musi Be Protected Congressman Bill Hendon announced today that he is cosponsoring legislation that would make it a federal crime to divulge the identity of American intelligence agents working aborad. Hendon noted that there are several publications, some of which are operated and published by American citizens, that have printed the names of U.S. in telligence agents working overseas. These disclosures led to the death of the CIA station chief in Athens, Greece, and most recently a machine gun assault on the station chief in Jamaica, who escaped unharmed. "Our intelligence agents are working at great personal risk in defense of our country and they must not be further endangered by irresponsible disclosures," the con gressman said. "In fact, they must be fully protected "For this reason, I am cosponsoring tbe In telligence Agents Identities Protection Act, which would provide penalties of up to 90 years in prison and/or a 9100,000 One for anyone con EXAM CRAZIES - (1-r) Mike Duncan, Dallas Drake and Bill Robertson take a break from final exams by making use of a muddy construction site near the cam pus. David Diggers (bottom photo) washes off the three mud bathers who hope they aren't washed up academically after the exam results are posted. (Photos By Scott Fitzgerald) Longridge Project Loses To Numbers By SCOTT FITZGERALD The Department of Housing and Urban Development turned down an application from the Mars Hill Town Council for grant monies that would have been used for the improvement of the Longridge area. HUD turned the application down because it felt there wasn't a significant number of people involved in the project. In January of this year HUD received the application from the Mars Hill aldermen, llie application requested funds to be used for hous ing, septic tank, road and sewer im provement and service. Funds of ap proximately $535,000.00 was needed to carry out the project to its com pletion. The project did not include any plans for beautificatkm. All im provements were to be made on ex isting conditions to improve the liv ing facilities. The Longridge area has approx imately 50 residents living in 30 houses. Most of these residents are older people who ore on in mined by HUD that these anas were in much greater need of monies to be used for improvement of conditions. HUD rationalized that the small ratio of affected persons per unit (2 per house in Mars Hill) could not substantiate enough convincing evidence to give grant funds. HUD also said that the Mars Hill Com munity had a high income level for most of its residents. "This high level of resident income hurt the chances of the needy people in the area," according to Becky Williams of the Land-Of-Sky Regional Coun cil. The aldermen are not giving te|n the project even though HUD'S, refusal is a great setback. The coun cilmen are going to try to put the project into phases. The Longridge area could possibly be considered in - 1. 1>> ji41 niitW a ..L .(I A on junction wiui a pocKei plan. A poclcet plan would include areas of I MMwefi
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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May 14, 1981, edition 1
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