NEWS RECORD
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY SINCE 1901
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madison ' L r,Vj y ' '? ' * * ' r
Vol. 84 No. 38 COUNTY library SDAY, September 19, 1984 25c
mm* GENERAL delivery
GOP Headquarters Opens Today
la last week's Community Calendar, we incorrectly
reported that the Madison County Republican Party
would open Its Madison County headquarters in Marshall
on Sept. 13.
The opening ceremonies for the headquarters will be
held this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. Former Rep. Bill Hendon
will attend today's ceremony. The headquarters is
located on Main Street in the former New Dimensions
video arcade.
The News Record regrets any inconvenience caused by
this error.
Shelton Laurel Day Care Meeting
There will be a meeting on day care at the Shelton
Laurel Day Care Center on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Everyone in
terested in day care is invited to attend.
Dinner To Honor Liston Ramsey
A dinner to honor North Carolina Speaker of the House
Liston B. Ramsey will be held at Madison H.S. on Oct. 7 at
7 p.m. Tickets are $20 each. For reservations, contact
David Caldwell at 649-2521 or 649-3229.
Attorney General Rufus Edmisten will be the featured
speaker.
Cutshall Family Reunion
The Cutshall family reunion will beheld on Sept. 30 at
the Laurel VFD fire station on N.C. 212. The reunion willl
begin at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.
All relatives and friends of the family are invited to at
tend and bring along a covered dish.
Hot Springs Aldermen,
Fire Fighters Meet
The Hot Springs Board of Aldermen will meet on Oct. 1
at 7:30 p.m. in the Ho t Springs Town Hall.
The Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Dept. will meet on
Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Hot Springs Town Hall.
The News Record
Is Honored
Named 'Friend Of The River'
The News Record and editor
Robert Koenig were honored by the
Land of Sky Regional Council Thurs
day at the annual "Friends of the
River" dinner in Asheville.
In announcing the Friend of the
River award. Land of Sky Council
chairman William M. Ives said, "The
News Record has long played a key
role in developing and maintaining an
awareness in Madison County of the
French Broad River and for com
munity stewardship of the river. Bob
Koenig of The News Record has pro
vided valuable coverage of French
Broad River Week activities such as
the RiverfesU in Marshall and Hot
Springs."
"Through editorials and othe
coverage, the paper has encourage
the public to protect and improve th
river. It has also drawn attention t
the potential benefits to the river t
be gained from improved wastewate
treatment and other local projects.'
In accepting the award, Koeni
thanked Ron and Sandy West o
Walnut for providing information a
river-related acvtivities and remind
ed the audience, "We've come a lorn
way, but let's remember there'
more to be done."
Other Friends of the River award
were presented to the Pepsi -Cola Bot
tling Co. of Asbeville, Warren Wilsa
College and WLOS-TV executive Kar
Zeidell.
HARSHALL Nc 28753
Marshall JMiorc uu v>lash
Officials Use Savings To Meet Payroll
By ROBERT KOENIG
The town of Marshall has had to dip
into its savings in order to pay its bills
in the past month. Oh Monday, The
News Record learned that town of
ficials withdrew a $50,000 certificate
of deposit last month from the First
Union Bank in Marshall.
A portion of the money was used to
meet the town's payroll and another
$3,000 was used by the Water and
Sewer Dept.
Mayor Betty J. Wild said that the
money was needed because the town
is late in sending out tax bills. "We
want to make sure that everyone in
the town pays their taxes," Wild said.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE LISTON B. RAMSEY was one of
the featured speakers at a roast for Madison County Sheriff
E.Y. Ponder last week in Asheville.-Story on Page 3.
"We're going over everyone's bill to
make sure there are no mistakes. The
bills should go out any time now."
Bank records show that the town
cashed in the $50,000 certificate of
deposit on Aug. 13, 1984. The town's
receipt shows that the town received
$48,965.47 and was assessed an early
withdrawl penalty of $1,281.25.
Town secretary Linda Dodson told
The News Record that the funds from
the CO were deposited in the town's
General Fund in an interest-bearing
checking account with Wachovia
Bank in Marshall.
Cashing in the $50,000 note leaves
the town with two certificates of
deposit with First Union Bank, one
for $10,000 and a second with a value
of $40,000.
Mayor Wild blamed the $37,000 debt
repaid to the N.C. Employment
Security Commission for much of the
cash shortfall. The town was ordered
to repay the ESC $6,500 a month for
unemployment claims against the
town.
In other Town Hall matters, Mayor
Wild said Monday that a date for a
special called meeting to discuss
Charlie Sexton's employment status
with the town has still not been set.
"We want to schedule it when
everyone can be there. We don't want
anyone getting a headache and leav
ing us without a quorum," Wild said,
referring to last week's meeting
which was cut short when alderman
In Weaverville
Sammy Lunsford left complaining of
a headache Lunsford's departure left
the board without a quorum
necessary to conduct public business
At issue is whether Sexton resigned
his position last month following a
dispute with the mayor. Sexton con
tinued to work for four weeks follow
ing the incident, but has not been paid
on orders issued by the mayor. A
special called meeting is planned to
discuss whether Sexton resigned and
whether or not he should be paid
"We'll give everyone enough notice
so that everyone can be there," the
mayor said.
Questioned about a report that the
two has a policeman currently in
training, Mrs. Wild said the town has
requested approval on a man's prior
record from law enforcement of
ficials in Raleigh, but that no one is
currently in training.
Mayor Wild said she was misquoted
in the article which appeared in Fri
day's Asheville Times.
On Sunday, police officer Chris
Bowman returned from vacation to
inform the mayor he is resigning his
position in two weeks. Bowman
becomes the third policeman to
resign from the Marshall force in the
past ten months. Earlier, officers
Jasper Treadway and Ed McLain
resigned following the dismissal of
Carlie Gunter.
Gov. Hunt Tours
County School
Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr. visited
Madison County Friday in what may
have been his final appearance prior
to the Nov. 6 election. Hunt met with
county school teachers, Department
of Transportation employees, county
workers and supporters at a 7 a.m.
breakfast at Madison High School.
Some 300 people attended the
sausage and ham biscuit breakfast.
Just the day before, there was
speculation that Hunt would not be
able to attend the breakfast. On
r Thursday, Hunt toured eastern N.C.
d counties hard hit by Hurricane
e Diana. A number of scheduled cam
0 paign appearances in WNC were
0 cancelled as a result.
r Hunt flew from Raleigh Thursday
night in order to attend the Friday
S breakfast. He greeted each of the
' estimated 300 guests prior to speak
n ing to the gathering.
^ Hunt began his remarks by thank
1 ing the teachers and DOT employees.
8 He said, "We're here today to
recognize and celebrate the progress
s we've made over the past eight years.
If things are turning around, it's not
1 because of Jim Hunt, but because of
1 you people who work so hard. I want
to thank you for all the work you've
done."
"Thanks for raising the Speaker of
the House, Liston B. Ramsey. No
governor has ever had the opportuni
ty to work with a finer speaker. I'm
thankful for his leadership."
Hunt also had praise for his aide,
Wayne McDevitt. He told the gather
ing, "He's done a superb job with the .J
western office and he has a bright
career ahead of him." Referring to
Mrs. McDevitt, Hunt said, "I know
she loves him, even though she only
sees him about four hours a day."
Hunt couldn't depart without taking
a swipe at his opponent in the Nov.
election, Sen. Jesse Helms, the
governor told the gathering, "Helms
would do away with all federal
assistance. I think making our
schools the best they can be will re
quire federal assistance. We're going
forward in North Carolina. There are
people who want to hold North
Carolina back, but I don't think you
can do that."
Following the breakfast, Hunt
toured Marshall Primary School and
addressed the students before depar
ting for campaign stops in Avery and
Jackson Counties.
Reservoir Plan
Studied
By ROBERT KOENIG
Weaverville officials debated a pro
posed water reservoir for the town at
a meeting of the Town Council Mon
day night. The council had earlier re
jected bids submitted on the project.
The town has considered construc
ting a new reservoir on the site of a
present small tank three miles out
side the town limits. The proposed
tank as originally let for bids would
have a capacity of one million
gallons.
After rejecting earlier bids, the
town officials asked the town's
engineering consultants, McGill,
Lapsley and Associates, P.A., to sug
gest alternatives to the million -gallon
tank.
Town manager Larry Sprinkle
outlined several proposals at Mon
day's meeting. Instead of a single,
millin-gallon tank, Sprinkle said, the
town might consider building two
500,000-gallon tanks at the site. The
two, smaller tanks would reduce the
cost of grading the site, Sprinkle said.
In addition to the single million
gallon tank, the engineers also
presented proposals and cost
estimates for several alternatives, in
cluding changing the location of the
proposed tank.
Larry Sprinkle discounted moving
to another site, however, because of
cost considerations.
Among the other proposals con
sidered were twq concrete tanks with
500,000-gailon capacity at a cost of
$215,000 for a single tank or $414,000
for two. Two half-million gallon tanks
constructd of steel will cost an
estimated (354,000.
Estimated cost of the originally
proposed million-gallon tank was
$335,000 according to estimates
drawn for the earlier bids. The town
has budgetted $225,000 for the project.
Mayor Sprinkle asked if the addi
tional funds could be moved from
other capital projects. Several pro
jects were suggested, but the council
took no action on transferring funds
to the project.
Instead, the council authorized the
town manager to begin negotiations
with Fred Claus and Tom Haney,
owners of property adjacent to the
reservoir. -The town will need to pur
Continued On Page 7
Gallup Poll Shows Helms Has Slight Lead
By ROB CHRI8TEN8EN
Tin Nm snd Obwfvef
Republican Sen. Jesse A. Helms holds a slim lead over Democratic Gov.
James B. Hunt, Jr. in North Carolina's Senate race, a special Gallup Poll
If the November election had been bald last week, Helms wn*l have beaten
Hunt 41.5 percent to 44.5 percent with 7 percent of the voters undecided, sccor
din( to the statewide poll of 1,1*7 rsgWwiifl voters. The survey, made public
Saturday, has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
The Helms lead "repreaents a meaningful, though narrow deference in the
Senate election, the Gallup organization said in a summary of the poll results.
The fowpetat edge by Helms la the same lead he held when Gallup con
ducted a similar poll In May. That pall showed Helms leadng Hunt BO percent
protecting Social Security, keeping American troop* from fighting a war in
Central America and keeping North Carolina moving forward.
Since last May, Hunt kai gained sapport among psrssai more than St year*
old. Macks and persons with less than a kigk school education. Helma had won
more voters in the Stte-M age category and among persons with some college
"The polls art encouraging," Helms said in a telephone interview from
Greenville. "But the only poll that counts is the one on Nor. 6."
Halms said a separate poll conducted by The Charlotte Otwrver published
Sunday shows him with a 3 percentage point lend aver Hunt. Some polls taken
by political action committees have shown Mm with an I percentage point
lead. Helms said.
"All are saying the same thing," Halms said.
Hunt, in a statement raleaaad by Ma campaign Saturday said, "The poll
results show that we have to work dauMy hard over the next seven weeks U>
The poll posed the following question " If the election for the U.S. Senate
were held today, which candidate won id yon vote tar- Jeaae Helms, the
RepnbUcan candidate, or Jim Hunt, the Democratic candidate?"
It found that Helms received backing from 48.5 percent of thane questioned,
while Hunt was chooen by 44.6 percent, or a difference of four percentage
points. In its summary, however- following what it said was "standard survey
practise"- Gallup rounded' Hates' figure to the higher outer of 49 percent,
and rounded Hunt's figure to the lower number of 44 percent, giving Helms a
five percentage point load.
Asa result, some participating news organisations may have reported that
the poll showed Helms leading by a margin of 49 to 44 percent