sw.- -? :-:r
? ?T .4' , - ' '' ' ?"* v J*
-5 > '
recom
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY Q|M( COUNTY LIBRA^^^
1 GENERAL DELIVERY |
MARSHAI.L
NC
28 7-53
82nd Year No. 20
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL, N.C. WEDNESDAY, May 18, 1983
? ? ? * . ,
15' Per Copy
Mars Hill College Graduates 268
Two hundred and sixty-eight Mars Hill Col
lege seniors received their diplomas Sunday
afternoon, as the school brought its 127th
academic year to a close.
College prresident Dr. Bentley was the prin
cipal speaker for the afternoon's cermonies.
Following the individual presentation of
diplomas, he told the capacity crowd in Moore
Auditorium that, more than ever, "people need
ed people."
While undergoing six months of "soul sear
ching" as a result of economic pressures, the
college has found that there must be a centering
of goals which are consistent and will enable
the community to draw closer together rather
than become more diffused, he said.
"These same principals apply to each of you
as you enter another phase of your human
pilgrimage. In this age of rapid transition and
impersonality, it is imperative that you know
yourself," he stated. "We hope we have helped
you assess your talents, develop your
knowledge, spiritual life, and physical well
being. Now it is incumbent that you establish a
goal or purpose for your life and pursue it with
integrity."
He closed by telling the graduates half of the
jobs of the 1990's have yet to be created. "You
must be willing to learn every day, with the
pressures to be adaptive; you will need a
stabilizing strength in your life which can be
found in our Lord. Look to him daily for
guidance and comfort."
During the afternoon ceremonies, four
students were presented the Scholarship
Character Medal, which goes to the student or
students who rank the highest in scholarship,
manners and character. Hie four, who all had
perfect 4.0 all-A academic averages, included
Michael Good, a chemistry major from Burn
sville; Kim Myers, an English major from
Asheville; Lisa Hooks, a social worker major
from Nebo; and Lavern Fox Warner of
Candler, an elementary education major who
earned her degree through the college's adult
evening program while working full-time and
caring for a family that includes four children.
Two of the medal winners, Myers and Hooks,
are Grayson Scholars, recipients of the school's
most prestigious scholarship, established by
Dr. J. Wesley Grayson of Laguna Hills, Calif.
Dr. Grayson and his wife Polly gave the college
$2.6 million to fund the scholarship program.
(Continued on Page 6)
THE MARS HILL College Class of 1983 enter Moore Auditorium for Sunday's graduation
exercises.
Madison County Schools
Walnut School/ A Center For Community Activity
Many of our county's elementary schools
also serve as centers for community activity.
Hie schools in today's report ? Walnut, Hot
Springs, Laurel and Mars Hill elementary
schools ? all serve extra duty as the hub for
community youth and service programs.
Walnut Elementary serves as a school for
156 children in grades kindergarten through
eighth grade. After school hours, the school is
also the site of clogging practice, Girl Scout
meetings, adult and youth basketball leagues,
4-H Club meetings and aerobic dance classes.
In addition to K through eighth grade, the
schools also offer both Head Start and CETA
GED classes during regular school hours.
Walnut principal Sidney Harrison has a
staff of six state-assigned teachers, two aides,
an exceptional children's teacher and a
Chapter 1 instructor. Hie work of the profes
sional staff is supplemented by several com
munity people who volunteer their services.
Mrs. Starr Ray volunteers her time to serve as
the school's librarian. Lucretia Griffin assisted
the children in assembling the school's annual
this year and other people like Sheila Wilson
also give time to help in the schools.
Harrison is a full-time principal who also
teaches special topic classes. He is presently
completing his seventh year as the principal in
Walnut. Before coming to Walnut, he taught at
Madison High School and spent 22 years as an
instructor at Laurel High School.
As one of the county's smaller schools,
Walnut faces problems common to all the
smaller schools in Madison County. With the ex
ception of the kindergarten, fifth and first
grades, all students at Walnut are in mixed
grade classes. Kathy Adams teaches a combin
ed second and third grade class; Wanda Capps,
the school's Teacher of the Year, teaches a
combined third and fourth grade class, Larry
Wyatt teaches a sixth and seventh grade com
bination and Katherine Phythian instructs a
combined class of seventh and eighth graders.
Both breakfast and lunch are served in the
school's undersized cafeteria. Breakiasi is
served beginning at 8 a.m. and lunch is served
in two sessions beginning at 11 a.m. The News
Record tour of the facility found the cafeteria
clean and the food well-prepared.
The school itself was built in 1936 on the site
of the former Hotel Switzerland after the
former school, Jewel Hill, was destroyed by
fire. Although well maintained, the school
shows its age. The school's large interior makes
it difficult to heat in winter and there are some
old windows that need to be replaced. The
school's auditorium and gymnasium are poorly
lit and the stage curtain is in need of replace
( Continued on Page 7)
i?.id? u.rao
B$.?,"cks Mark Bingo At Cherokee
"Super Bingo" marker in hand and ears perk
ed to the announcer's voice, Nina Finney of
Waynesville is hoping Fortune will smile upon
her. But she's skeptical.
"I like it, but I'm not lucky," says the veteran
of about 10 years of evening bingo games at
Waynesville spots like the American Legion,
Moose Lodge and VFW Post.
On this wet spring afternoon, however, she's
left Haywood County to join about 4,000 others
? mostly middle-aged women like herself ? in
Cherokee for what's advertised as "The World's
Largest Bingo Game."
There they spend an average of more than $125
each to play bingo for about It hours. If that
sounds a little extravagant (or monotonous),
consider the potential rewards. $225,000
guaranteed each time the doors open : 91,000 for
"early bird games, 16,000 for 10 regular games
and from $7,500 to 950,000 for four Jackpot games .
The last figure is exactly 20 times the amount
allowed by North Carolina taw for a single even
ing of bingo. But don't mind that: tribal
sovereignty Dimes bingo outside the scooe of
state regulations And there aren't any federal
sessions five days a week.
While they don't deny they're in it for a profit,
the promoters say bingo was brought on the
reservation primarily to help revive a comatose
economy.
With an average unemployment rate of 40 per
cent, the reservation's economy dwells in the
doldrums in all but the summer and fall tourism
seasons. And even then the tate rarejy drops
below 25 percent.
"It gets to a point where you say 'Why in hell
doesn't the tribe do something for its people?' "
says Dan McCoy, a tribal council member and
one of the business people involved in the bingo
IURCVM. r? T? ?
"I approached the tribe from the angle of do
ing something for the economy and in the mean
time mailing some money with the management
contract."
Preliminary indications are that the tribal
economy is, in fact, coming out a winner. Bingo
is employing more than 200 people, mostly
Cherokee, at $5 to 17 per hour all day twice a
month And service industry hiring has also pick
ed up on the reservation of about 5,000 Cherokee.
"The amount of general assistance teas been
reduced by five to 10 percent," said Jeff