Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Nov. 17, 1982, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News Record SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY IWYlirNO. 45 PUBLISHEO WEEKLY IN THE COUNT* SEAT AT MARSHALL. N.C. WEDNESDAY, November 17, 1982 - ISc P. Copy ?* * <? . . ? k. I - American Greeting Ca Is Plans For Plant Construction By ROBERT KOENIG Editor Officials of the American Greeting Card Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio have announced that they have cancelled plans to construct a $10 million card finishing plant in Madison County. Construction of the facility was halted last month when engineers discovered the gas at the landfill site. Ralph White, company vice presi dent for personnel and industrial rela tions, said that the gas discovery which halted construction was the major reason behind the decision to abandon the plans for the Madison County loca tion) On Friday, White said, "At this point in time, we've put it on the back burner. The methane problem was just bigger than we anticipated. We're still interested in Madison County and the site will be considered for the future. If we hadn't rim into the gas problem, we'd be well underway with construc tion by now." The proposed Madison County plant was to have been built on property at the county landfill. American Greeting paid $85,000 for the property earlier this year. When first announced, American Greeting Card officials stated that the new 400,000 square foot plant would employ some 400-500 peo ple when fully operational. The Madison County plant was scheduled for completion in the fall of 1963 at a cost of $10 million. ? White said American Greeting had to proceed with plans to construct a new finishing plant and that the company has decided to construct a new $20 million facility in Bardstown, Ky. The local Bardstown newspaper, The Ken tucky Standard, reported in its Oct. 4 edition that American Greeting plann ed to build the new plant there. Com pany officials told reporters for the paper that the new plant would employ between 500-600 people when it is com pleted next year. Madison County officials received word of the company's decision during a meeting last Thursday in Cleveland. County commissioner James Ledford, county attorney Larry Leake and Phillip Elam flew to Cleveland to meet with the American Greeting officials to discuss the problems presented by the Madison County landfill site. Speaking of the meeting, Ledford told reporters, "They told us that the project is on hold for now. They said they were still interested in Madison County for the future. There are a lot of factors involved." On Friday, White declined to estimate when his company might ex pand its operations to Madison County. He said that further expansion would take place only after the Bardstown plant was completed. White said, "We needed to get this plant built, and Bardstown represented the best opportunity to do that. Our business had expanded at a rapid rate and we have to expand to keep up. We'll probably have to expand again after the Kentucky plant is com pleted." Regarding when the plant might be built in Madison County, Ledford said, "I think they're going to wait and see if the economy turns around." Despite the decision to cancel the plant, feelings on both sides remain friendly. White told reporters, "I don't want to blame anyone for what's hap pened. We should have investigated the site more before we made our deci sion." Ledford said, "I really feel good about them personally. I think this decision is just a temporary setback for us." The decision not to build the plant will not affect the sewer bond issue recently approved by Marshall voters. Marshall mayor Lawrence Ponder said that the plant, and the taxes it would generate, would not have been used to pay for the improvements to the sewer system. The town will pro ceed with plans to furnish sewer ser vice to the site. Price Supports Cut As Burley Markets Open With the annual auctions of burley tobacco set to begin Wednesday morning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a cut in the average price support for burley from $1S1 to $1.75. The USD A had announced the fl.Sl figure on April 14. The announcement came on the eve of what it expected to be a banner year for North Carolina tobacco growers. Favorable weather conditions this summer created a bumper crop of the tobacco. Although an increase in the cigarette tax is expected to lessen demand lor Uw leaf, forecasts call for farmers to receive from $1.85 to 12 a pound in this year's market. The success of this year's crop accounts for the cut in the price support. Congress authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to cut tire frice support whenever supplies were in excess supply. Most area tobacco farmers have ex pected the cut in support prices. Everett Rank, the USDA's a^hainistrator of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Services said that the move is designed to keep the tobacco on the open market and out of the burley stabilization warehouses. Even with the cut, this year's average support price of $1.75 is more than nine cents higher than last year's average price of $1,636. This year's sale will be the first since Congress enacted the No-Net Cost Tobacco Act this summer. Under provi sions (rf the art, tobacco growers will be assessed on cent for each pound of tobacco they sell at auction. The assessments will be used by the Burley Tobacco Stabiliza tion Corp. to offset the costs of buying up any excess tobacco on- the markets. The bur ley auctions which begin Wednesday morning, will continue each week through January. All burley markets will be closed Christmas week. Sales will resume on Jan. 3. Court Hears DUI Cases Judge Robert H. Lacey presided over a number of driving under the influence cases during last week's ses sion of District Court in Mar shall. Ronald Charles Gentry, charged with DU1, was called and failed to appear at his hearing Friday. An arrest order was issued in the case. - In other DUI cases heard during the session. Judge Lacey found Cathy Yvonne Hill Shelton guilty and sentenced her to a $300 fine plus costs of court and ordered her to surrender her operator's license. Ernest Waldroup, also charged with DUI, was found guilty and fin ed $200 plus court costs, ordered to surrender his license and attend alcohol and drug education school (ADES) and pay the school fee of $100 Tray Lee Meadows, charged with DUI and having no operator's license, failed to appear for trial, and an arrest warrant was issued. Nickey L. Adams, also charged with DUI, had his case continued until Dec. 23. Audrey Hensley, charged with DUI and no operator'^ license, has her case continued until the court's next session on Nov. M. fi with DUI, was allowed to plead guilty to driving left of center. Judge Lacey also found former Mars Hill College stu dent Randy Kirk Maney guilty of trespass on college proper ty. Maney was arrested after returning to the campus against the order of Dean Michael O'Brian. Lacey sentenced Maney to 30 days in Jail, suspended, and ordered the defendant to pay a $50 fine, plus court costs and 1200 toward the expenses of his court-appointed attorney. Maney was also ordered to stay off Mars Hill College pro perty without receiving ad vance written permission. The court dismissed charges against Gregory Richard Roberts. Roberts was charged with a violation of the Alcohol Beverage Control laws. The DUI case against Vonno Anglin, Jr. was continued until the Nov. 24 session. Assault charges against David Eugene Wheeler, Sr. were also continued William H. Stines, charged with two counts of hit and ran driving, has his case con tinued, as did Robert Lee Johnson, charged with pones Hot Springs Health Program Board Approves Construction Bid, Raises Rates The Hot Springs Health Pro gram held its monthly board meeting Monday night and ap proved a contract for con struction of a new health facility. The board heard from ar chitect Taylor Barnhill regar ding bids submitted for the project. The low bid was sub mitted by Western Builders, Inc. of Sylva which bid 1231,800 on the project, some $18,200 less than the next lowest bidder, C & S Contrac tors of Cincinnatti, Ohio. Bun combe Construction Co. of Asheville submitted the third lowest bid at $250,827. Barnhill reported that the jow-bidding firm had neglected to include $12,000 in site development costs when compiling its estimates. The Mars Hill architect said Western agreed to honor the bid rather than forfeit the bid bond it posted. The bond was in the amount of $11,000. The company said it would like to wait until March to start work on the project. Board members expressed opposition to having the pro ject delayed until March. The Health program has assembl ed a package of grants, dona tions and loans totaling $369,000 for the project. The Appalachian Regional Commission has earmarked ^1801000_^or__the_?ro^ec^ Grants from the state of North Carolina and the Public Health Service account for another $12S,000 of the funds. The remaining $64,000 was raised through donations, the program's cash revenues, in terest accrual and deprecia tion fund. After much debate concern ing the project and the three lowest bidders, the board voted 9-1 to accept the lowest bid. One board member, Judy Major, abstained from the vote. Because of the miscalcula tion, the construction com pany may need to make changes in the construction plans. The board's acceptance of the bid was not conditional upon these adjustments. Before hearing the presen tation by Bamhill, the board heard a financial report from program director Monica Teutsch. The new director told members that the program was on sound financial footing. It was reported that the program showed a cash surplus of $9,847 at the end of the first six months of the cur rent fiscal year. Previous debts of $15,853, however, wiped out the surplus and created a deficit of $6,006. Teutsch also recommended that the program raise its rates for home health visits. The program currently charges $40 for a visit by a registered nurse. The board accepted the director's recom mendation and voted unanimously to raise the rates to $47 per visit. Saying the program had "naively low rates in view of costs," Teutsch also recom mended that the board ap prove increases in charges for after hour treatments. She recommended doubling the charges for after hour treat ment at the program's three centers from the present $15 to $30. Also recommended was an increase in the charges for sutures. The board was told that the increases might lessen the number of frivolous calls the program's physi cians must attend to. The board approved ail of the rate increases. In her financial report, the director told board members that the program has received some $24,000 of an expected $30,000 in donations. She also told members that the pro gram is currently trying to get the state to pay on some $25,000 in bills owed to the health program. Weaverville Firm Plans Expansion Reliance Electric in Weaverville is expanding to make new lines of couplings and sheaves (metal pulleys), creating 35 to 30 new machin ing Jobs. The company, which has been in Weaverville since lt?, already employs about ? nd makes trical equipment. The company is looking foi people with machining background to fill the new job but will not accept applies Uons at the plant. Those in tereated in applying shouk contact the Employmen Security Commission, 4i Grove Street, la Asheville TV bell that rang for aver N yean from tin Chap* overlookint Marshall naaa .awkomeint tow ar Hf Grace tpinrnpai Church nortl Aa) viil ,o<1 ;h? ?f , tij|i ? the Rector Chapel was raw* recently Mr*. W Edwart Naah gave It to Grace Churcl in memory q t bar hush?nd and her parenta, WtUiair Croichton Hartwell anc Inflation hit house purchases hard By PAUt T. O'CONNOR RALEIGH - Since 1971, the costs of buying a house have increased faster than the costs of renting, a study by an N.C. Agricultural Extension economist concludes M L. W^lden reports in the October issue of Tar Heel Economist that inflation in the house buy ing market increased faster i the general inflation rate m n at a rate inflation r's 1M7 i for rent and sir By for . ' ?? * inflation has been M> percent while rental inflation has been 111 percent and general infla tion 134 percent. But this year's high interest rates, when combined with a small decline in the average price of houses, have sent the formula over into the positive column. That means that this year it did not pay to borrow money for a house Tbe investment prospects for home ownership in an era of high interest rates and stagnating prices are not : flat rate tax is approved in Washington, the tax exemp tion for interest payments will be gene. The indexing of in come tax rates h? inning in' 1964 wilT relieve some of the pressure for middle class tax ?belters, thus reducing hous ing demand, he says. In the past year and a half. Walden reports the nation wide recession has slowed the inflation rates for both buying vi-'-i. renting, the tax refund to homeowners and the invest ment aspect of owning real estate cannot be discounted. Walden formulates an "aftertax mortgage interest rate and says it suggest "H paid individuals to funds to buy homes" the lt70s He has the monthly payment the amount of taxes hell save by owning a ?
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Nov. 17, 1982, edition 1
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