Ti News Record
. t
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MAD 1ER.-,*v
^ 1 y33 ' '
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, ^cUNfcSDAY, October 20, 1982
?1st Year No. 41
15c K Copy
Election Campaign Picks Up Steam
With the November election
fast approaching, both major
candidates (or the 11th
District seat in Congress step
ped up their campaign efforts
last week.
Incumbent Rep. Bill Hendon
and his Democratic
challenger, James Clarke,
met in face-to-face debate and
campaigned individually
throughout the district.
On Thursday, the two met in
the Asheville Civic Center at a
debate sponsored by the
Asheville Area Chamber of
Commerce. The debate
centered on economics and
highlighted each candidate's
approach to solving the pro
STATE SEN. JAMES <
CLARKE
blems the nation is currently
facing.
Hendon told the audience
that the Republican ad
ministration is solving the na
tion's economic woes, while
Clarke blamed the ad
ministration for many of the
nation's problems.
Hendon told the audience,
"The real differences between
me and Jamie Clarke is that I
am a man who will look you
right in the eye and tell you ex
actly where I stand on the
issues. My opponent would
have you return to the failed
policies that have brought this
country to the brink."
Clarke responded by remin- a
/
Murder Trial Opens
TVe murder trial of Billy
Ramsey began Monday as
Superior Court opened in Mar
shall with Judge W. Douglas
Albright presiding.
Ramsey is charged with the
June 29 murder of Kenneth
Harris of Asheville.
Represented by attorney
Richard Miller, Ramsey has
plead not guilty by reason of
self-defense to the charges.
A Jury was sworn Monday,
and the court heard testimony
from prosecution witnesses.
Hie only eyewitness to the in
cident, Mary WaHfer of
Asheville, was tfle first to
testify.
Waller told the court that
she was with both Ramsey and
Harris on the night -of the inci
dent. She testified that she and
the two men had gone to
several bars in Buncombe
County and Asheville and that
Harris shot a pistol off in the .
parking lot of the Mountain
Turf Lounge, a north Bun- ]
combe bar. I
Harris got the gun, she said, i
from her truck. Waller I
testified that the gun, a .22 1
caliber handgun, belonged to <
her. The three left the lounge '
after the shooting at the re- \
quest of the bartender. I
Waller told the court that
they proceeded to Asheville, t
they went to O. Henry's bar on f
Haywood St., where Harris 1
caused a disturbance. She told t
the court Harris again bran- e
dished the gun outside the g
Asheville bar. b
She said Ramsey and Harris
got into an argument on the c
way back to Madison County, s
While driving down Grapevine
Rd near her home, she said
that Harris, seated in the mid
dle of her truck, tried to push
Ramsey out of the vehicle.
Waller said both men went
out the door of the truck while
it was still moving. When she
brought the truck to a stop, the
men were at the side of the
truck.
She said she heard Ramsey
say, "Don't hurt me," and
Harris answered, "I don't
want to hurt you." She told the
court that following this ex
change, Harris fell to the
ground.
She said she did not then
realize the extend of Harris'
injury. She drove Ramsey fur
ther up the road before turn
ing around and taking Harris
to Memorial Mission Hospital
in Ashe vi Ue, where Harris
was pronounced dead shortly
after arrival.
The prosecution next called
Dr. David Carl Biggers, a
pathologist at Memorial Mis
lion Hospital. He testified that
le performed an autopsy on
Harris on June 29 and that he
letermined Harris died from
'hemorrhage due to a stab
?round to the chest,
>enetrating the heart."
The pathologist also
estified that Harris had a
resh laceration on the palm of
lis right hand and a bruise on
lis right thumb. Under cross
examination by Miller, Big
ers said he found Harris'
>k>od alcohol level to be .15.
Sheriff E.Y. Ponder was
ailed to testify by the pro
ecu t ion. Ponder came to
Memorial Mission when
notified of the incident. He told
the court that he spoke with
Miss Waller and took her
statement relating to the inci
dent.
Ponder told the court he had
recovered the pistol from
Waller's truck but was unable
to find a knife at the scene of
the incident. The sheriff told
the court, "She (Waller) told
me that Harris had been
argumentative because she
didn't want to go to the Coun
try Store. She said she didn't
go because he was overprotec
tive and she thought he might
alienate some of the local peo
ple."
Ponder told the court he con
tacted Ramsey and that he
had come to the sheriff's office
voluntarily.
Miller asked Ponder if he
had searched Harris' home.
When Ponder answered that
he had, Miller asked if he had
found any books. When the
prosecution objected to the
question, the judge ordered
the jury .from the court to hear
Miller's explanation of his
question.
When the jury returned,
Judge Albright recessed the
court until 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Before dismissing jurors, he
gave them instructions not to
discuss the case outside the v
courtroom or form an opinion f
until the entire case was
presented.
The jury was expected to a
decide the case on Tuesday. (|
Tim Barnwell:
Madison County Chronicler
nuuqr ?
HU project is intended to give
futui e ??wrailm a look at
Mi
? .. II
TIM BARNWEIJ
(Photo by Robin R?*vie>
and preserve a way of life
that's vanishing. It will be
gone in a few years and there
will be no records other than
the photographs and the
writings that people have
done.
"What I see in Madison
County are things that stay the
same or change very slowly.
It's like stepping back in time,
not in a had sense, but in a
sense that you can still enjoy
American Tradition in a
'Madison Pioneer Spirit
Revisited,' To me, it's a way
of getting away from the city
life and g otng bock to a slow
paced, thinking typo of reali
as you get closer to city life,
vanish. City life is less
isolated. Today, even the
mountains don't isolate as
well as they used to. A M of in
fluences are coming into and
changing the county. In some
respects it doesn't look like
things are changing, but they
are changing in subtle ways,"
he said.
As modsrn methods of com
tion move further into the
county, each generation of
people moves cloaer to the in
dustrial age way of fife.
It's not that other surroun
ding counties don't have
similar things to offer that
Tim choaa Madison County for
his documentary. Rather, it is
the uniqueness of Madison
that appeals to him.
"The land is exceptionally
beautiful, the people are
wonderful, and I learn by sit
ting and talking with them.
They teach me about their
ding the audience that, "One
out of 10 or 11 people In this
country are unemployed. The
budget deficit this year is the
tiighest in the nation's history.
He cited the Reagan -ad
ministration's policy of in- ,
:reased defense spending
roupled with tax cuts. "This is
Jie party that says they are
'or fiscal responsibility. It just
sn't working."
Hendon defended the record
leficit, telling the audience,
'A deficit was the second-best
iption that was open to us."
tendon blamed the deficit on
he recent downturn in the na
ion's economy, along with the
ccompanying downturn in
federal revenues. He said the
Jobless picture is improving,
with many plants recalling
laid-off workers.
The 11th District race has
attracted a number of
nationally-known politicians
to the district to campaign for
both candidates. Gov. Jim
Hunt campaigned across
Western North Carolina two
weeks ago on behalf of Clarke.
The Republicans countered
the gubernatorial campaign
ing with a visit from Vice
President George Bush. The
vice president toured Tryon
and Hendersonville on behalf
of Hendon
This past week saw former
LINDA GARDNER
Teacher Of The Year
MRS. GARDNER was selected by a vote of
all Madison County teachers. She has taught
business education at Madison High School
for the past nine years and is chairman of the
business department. She lives in Mars Hill
with her husband Gary and their two
children.
Campground Closed
The Rocky Bluff Recreation
trea on the Pisgah National
?"orest at Hot Springs, N.C.
vill be closed for construction
Mirposes beginning Oct. 19.
During this time, the roads
a the camping and picnic
rea will be paved. According
> District Ranger Charles
filler the area will be reopen
d as soon as the paving is |
ompleted. "We regret any in
convenience to the public dur
ing this project but are glad to ^
be able to improve the area"
Miller stated.
After paving, the area will
remain open as long as possi
ble to accomodate those wan
ting to camp and picnic during
the early winter. However, the
bathrooms and water faucets
will be closed and turned off to
prevent damage from freez
ing.
Florida governor Reuben
Askew campaigning in
Asheville for the Democratic
nominee. On Friday, Virginia
Governor Charles S. Robb ap
peared at Clarke rallies in
Haywood County to urge
voters to unseat the incum
bent.
On Monday, Clarke's elec
tion campaign received the
endorsement of House Majori
ty Leader Jim Wright,
D. -Texas. Wright spoke at a
meeting held at Clarke cam- j
paign headquarters in I
Asheville.
Hendon's campaign receiv
ed a boost early this week
REP. WILLIAM HENDON
Bus Service
Begins Nov. 1
Getting around Madison County will become
easier starting next month.
On Nov. 1, the county will inaugurate bus ser
vice, making it easier for those without
automobiles to get to work and shopping.
Funded by grants from both the federal and
state departments of transportation and by local
contributions, the service will employ seven
drivers to shuttle passengers from points
throughout Madison County. Final plans for the
seven bus service will be completed this week and
presented in The News Record next week. At that
time, routes and departure times will be made
available.
The service will make it easier for senior
citizens to get to the meal sites throughout
Madison County and to shopping and doctors of
fices in Asheville. The buses began test runs this
week, taking the elderly of the Mars Hill area to
the Senior Citizen Center and to shopping areas.
The program is funded primarily by a $74,868
grant from the federal Department of Transporta
tion. Matching state and local funds of $9,358 each
make up the rest of the budget. Fares will be col
lected from riders although the exact cost has not
yret been determined.
When fully operational, the program will serve
Hot Springs, Spring Creek, Marshall, Mars Hill,
Laurel, Walnut and Greater Ivy.
from the hero of the stock car
racing set and a former
quarterback. Racing legend
Richard Petty appeared with
Hendon at a barbecue and
bluegrass gathering in
Waynesville Monday evening.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jack
Kemp, R.-N.Y. campaigned
with Hendon in Franklin. Tlie
New York congressman, fre
quently mentioned as a future
presidential candidate, was a
principal author of the tax cut
bill enacted by Congress last
week.
Grand Jury
Indicts Two
The Madison County grand
jury returned true bills on
both cases it heard Monday.
The jury indicated William
J. Brittle Sr. of Mars Hill on
charges of taking indecent
liberties with a minor. Also in
dicated, on a charge of rape,
was Isaac Welch of Mars Hill.
Welch is charged with the
rape of a Mars Hill College
student last month.
Both Brittle and Welch re
main free on bond pending
trial.
Profitt Pays
$10,000 Fine j
A 72-year old man convicted
of manufacturing marijuana
last spring paid off the re
mainder of his $10,000 fine this
week. ?>.
Elmer Bernard Profitt, Sr.
who pleaded guilty to
manufacturing a controlled
substance was sentenced to a
two-year term, suspended,
and ordered to pay the $10,000
fine by Judge C. Walter Allen
in April in exchange for his
guilty plea.
The 72-year old Madison
County man paid the re
mainder of his fine to the clerk
of court on Monday. He re
mains on probation under the
terms of his sentence.