The News
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MA
L'ailson County Library
Marshall, NC 28753
9/"9I
81st Year No. 10
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.C.
WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1982
15c Per Copy
Ledford Doubts Henderson Will Leave Regional Council
By NICHOLAS HANCOCK
Editor
James Ledford, chairman of the Madison
County Board of Commissioners, has some
doubt that Henderson County will actually pull
out from the Land of Sky Regional Council, as
the Henderson County Board of Commis
sioners voted to do at their March meeting.
"I don't think they fully realize the
amount of money they are getting in nutrition
programs, child development and other
things," Ledford said in an interview Friday
night.
"I don't feel like they will go through with
it," ha aald.
The Henderson board voted 3-2 earlier this
month to withdraw from the Region B council
that also includes Madison, Buncombe and
Transylvania counties.
The surprise move by the Henderson
board came on a motion by Commissioner
William Drake after county Administrator
Joel Mashburn requested an increase in
Henderson's allocation to the regional
organization, according to an Asheville
newspaper.
Henderson County's pro-rated share of the
cost of the Region B council is $30,688, based
on the county's population, but Henderson had
been contributing only about $20,000, accor
ding to Mashburn. The council had begun bill
ing the county for a balance of $10,000.
One of the commissioners voting for
withdrawal argued that the council has
become a "self-sustaining, self -perpetuating
bureaucracy," and Drake, himself, proposed
that the county reconsider its vote if the coun
cil would revert to its original function as an
advisory body rather than perform as a ser
vice agency.
Ledford said the council will be meeting
this week to discuss Henderson's action, and
repeated his doubt that the county would give
the state-required two-year notice and pull out
at that time.
Madison County's share of the council's
budget is $10,757 for this fiscal year. If Hender
son does pull out of the council, Madison's
share would probably not be changed
drasticlly, according to Ledford.
"There are two ways of looking at it," he
said. "Region B would probably be cut down in
the operation. I'd be in favor of cutting back in
the expense of the council," he said.
Ledford said he didn't think Madison
County would be adversely affected should
Henderson finally pull out.
"I think it would be hurting the people of
Henderson County, I'd hate to see them pull
out, personally," he said.
Spring Creek Petitions
For Tax Referendum
By NICHOLAS HANCOCK
Editor
When residents of Spring Creek join
ed forces last year to establish a
volunteer fire department, they did so
with gusto and in a matter of weeks the
West Madispn Volunteer Fire Depart
ment became a reality Friday night,
many of them Joined forces again to en
sure the continuation and well being of
the department.
The residents presented the Madison
County Board of Commissioners with a
petition calling on the commissioners to
hold a referendilm on establishing the
Spring Creek township as the West
Madison fire district and on levying a
fire district tax to provide fire protec
tion in the community.
The commissioners approved a mo
tion to submit the petition, containing
nine pages of signatures, to the county
attorney so that he can "take whatever
legal actions needed so he can present
this to the board of elections."
If a referendum is held, voters in the
Spring Creek township would vote on a
fire district tax "not to exceed l5 cents
on $100 valuation," the petition stated.
In other action, the commissioners:
? Approved a request to apply for a
$10,759 Juvenile Justice Delinquency
Prevention grant to be used for an in
school iuspwjsion program at Madison
High School The request was made by
Ed Morton and Joe Martin of the county
schools' Team Project who explained
that JJDP money could no longer be us
ed to help finance the Team Project.
The county must be the local govern
ment agent signing for the grant ap
plication.
? Approved a request to apply for a
$12,687 Community Based Alternates
grant to continue the Team Project in
the school system. Ed Morton, director
of the county health department told
the commissioners that money would
be used to pay a public health nurse and
a nurse social worker. A 10 percent
local match is needed for the grant,
Morton said.
? Accepted the resignation of Jerry
Plemmons. director of the Marshall
Senior Citizen Center. The commis
sioners said Plemmons had accepted
employment with the French Broad
Electric Membership Corp.
? Approved the hiring of Edwin Glen
Phillips Jr. as director of fhe'MfcrshaH
Senior Citizen Center.
? Approved a recommendation from
Maria Cox to hire Frances Revis as a
cook in the Nutrition Site meal pro
gram.
? Approved a request to send Mrs.
Voociel Penland as a representative of
the Madison County Emergency
Medical Servide to a policymakers
workshop in Raleigh on March 10-11.
The workshop, sponsored by the state
Office of Emergency Medical Services,
is designed to offer administrative
direction to state EMS policymakers.
Board Tentatively Approves
Dental Screening Request
By NICHOLAS HANCOCK
Editor
County school students may be get
ting free dental screening by area den
tists next month, if the Madison County
Board o i Education determines there
are no objections to the free checkups
from the State Department of Public In
struction or local principals.
Myra Zeller, a health educator with
the Hot Springs Health. Program, re
quested permission from the board last
Wednesday to allow two HSHP dentists
to conduct the screenings in the Hot
Springs and Spring Creek elementary
schools. In addition, a dentist in private
practice has agreed to conduct the
screenings at Walnut and Marshall
elementary schools, Mrs. Zeller said.
The board unanimously approved a
motion to permit the screenings, sub
ject to the approval of Dr. Bruce
Hawkins, dental health supervisor,
Western Region and local principals.
School Superintendent Robert L. Ed
wards told the board that he would be
checking with Dr. Hawkins soon to get
his opinion of the idea.
screenings would be with parents' per
mission and that the children would
have to volunteer for the service.
Mrs. Zeller said the intent of the ser
vice was to offer free dental screening
to students who volunteered for the ser
vice, and she assured the board that no
pitch or enticement for dental work
would be made by the participating
dentists.
"It's merely an effort to promote bet
ter dental hygiene in the county," Mrs.
Zeller said.
The two-minute examinations would
be done with a light and a mirror only
and the dentists would send a note home
to the parents stating what dental pro
blems, if any, they fouhd with the stu
dent, she said.
In other business, the board:
? Approved the hiring of Mary Holt
as a substitute teacher at Hot Springs
Elementary School.
? Heard a report on the county
School Food Service program. The
report was the result of an audit con
ducted Feb. 1-4 by Ann G. Smith, direc
tor of the Division of Child Nutrition,
SDPI, of Raleigh and Elizabeth Norris,
coordinator of child nutrition at the
. Continued on Pag* 4
VICA DISTRICT OFFICERS ? Newly
elected officers of the Eighth District of the
Vocational Industrial Clubs of America are
(1-r) Teresa Norris, president, Madison
High; Debbie Macie, vice president, Erwin
High ; Nancy Holcombe, secretary, Madison
high; Daphney Kerley, treasurer, McDowell
High; Cathy Johnson, editor, Tuscola High;
and Tina Rice, parlimentarian, Madison
High. The officers were elected at the annual
VICA conference at Western Carolina
University last week.
Madison High Wins Big At VICA
Madison High School's
Vocational Industrial Club of
America (VICA) produced
three district officers and won
four first place awards at the
annual District VIII VICA con
ference held at Western
Carolina University last week.
More than 500 student
delegates from 16 western
North Carolina counties at
tended the conference and
competed in 17 events.
In club competition,
McDowell High placed first
and Madison High was second
in the club scrapbook
category.
Elected as officers were
Teresa N orris of Madison
High, president; Debie Made
of Erwin High, vice president ;
Nancy Holcombe of Madison
High, secretary ; Daphney
Kerley of McDowell High,
treasurer; Cathy Johnson of
Tuscola High, editor; and
Tina Rice of Madison High,
parlimentarian.
In the display category,
Madison finished first and
McDowell second. In club
business procedure, Madison
was first, Brevard second and
Erwin third. Tuscola and
McDowell finished first and
second, respectively, in the
safety category.
Seven Madison students
were winners in individual
competition. They will ad
vance, along with other
district conference winners, to
state competition at Charlotte
in April.
Madison winners in the
leadership contests were
Stuart Jolley, first, extem
poraneous speaking; Teresa
Norris, fourth, prepared
speech; Jennifer Nix, first.
Miss VICA; and Robert Mur
ray, fourth, job interview.
In the skill contests, Danny
Wallin placed fifth in bricklay
ing, Mark Cutshaw, third,
cabinetmaking; and Kent
Hurst, fourth, auto
mechanics
Erwin and North Buncombe
High Schools won six and four
individual competitions,
respectively, and Erwin plac
ed third in the club business
procedure category.
Individual Erwin High win
ners were Teresa Parham,
third, and Jeffrey Beaty,
fourth, extemperaneous
speaking; Kim Fosterer, first,
prepared speech; Kimberly
Shirlin, first, job interview;
and Hilda Anderson, third
graphics.
North Buncombe individual
winners were John Rick man,
fifth, architectural drafting;
Tim Bailey, fourth, cabinet
making; Jack Metcalf, sixth,
cabinetmaking ; and Roger
Baldwin, third, welding
In-school Suspension Program Proposed At Madison High
By NICHOLAS HANCOCK
Bdit?r
Barring any hitchas In the grant ap
plication process, High School
will an in-achodi suspension
program when school begins in the fall
ofl?!
The Madison County Board of Educa
tion approved the program proposal
submitted hjr Dr. Hobby Jean Kkc
schools wpattiw, at the board's
period.
THE NEW PROGRAM will allow
students to remain at the school where
they can continue their studies under
close supervision and also receive
guidance and help in improving any
unacceptable behavior, Dr. Rice said.
Under the present system, suspended
students often miss schoolwork while
out of school, and little is done to pre
vent future anti-social behavior
Disciplinary action used in the past? a
c< i n of suspensions, -
punishment and/or assignment of
"threats to the total school environ
ment," according to Dr. Rice. "Appron
imately one-half (or K) would have had
tnwbie with the law. had all violations
bCen reported," the proposal stated
Dr. Rice and Madison High officials
say the objectives of the in-schooi.
luapsniton program are to change
these students' "inappropriate
behavior" and prevent them from
suspensions will be reduced by the and
of the 1M2-83 school year under the new
program, and that half of the students
in the program will be able to function
within the parameters of the school
environment," meaning attending
school without exhibiting anti -social
behavior \
They also predict a 25 percent reduc
tion in the cases of students who are
behaving unacceptabiy and a 15 per
cent increase in the academic perfor
Students will be placed in the pro
disruptive physical or verbal behavior;
the use or possession of alcoholic
firearms, knives, or fire-crackers tn the
school or on school grounds; or for
fighting, theft.
Dr
Rice said that atudeota in tha pro
would not be allowed to have
periods with the rest of
tar a
Dr. Rice Mid than is "not enough
money now for hiring a professional"
? J i-ta>A?0A<4 4 ? I L? L. __ J 1L.I ...U n |t ? ? ?
ana streaoea to tne Mara that wnoever
is selected for the poaition would have
to be "a special penon that could
wort with thaw students.