The
SERVING THE
'CORD
MAO ? SUN
COON IV L1BHAKY
tatNtHAL DtLIVtKY
MARSHALL NC
2B/bL4
2UNTY SINCE 1901
Vol. M No. 52
^WEDNESDAY, Dtcember 26, 1984
MICR08WITCH MANUFACTURING presented two $500
scholarships to Mars Hill College students recently. Robert
Holey, left, presented check to Teresa Griffin of Marshall
while Audrey Hensley receives check from Micros witch per
sonnel director Paul Bur well. Both students are Madbon High
School graduates and freshmen at Mars Hill College.
Marshall Meeting
Postponed
A scheduled meeting of Marshall
town officials and representatives of
the town's engineering firm and the
Farmers Home Administration was
postponed Proday morning and
rescheduled for Monday morning.
Mayor Betty Wild called the
meeting to discuss Marshall's troubl
ed sewer system. During their Dec. 10
meeting, the aldermen asked for a
meeting with engineer Bill Lapsley
and representatives of Taylor and
Murphy Construction Co., contrac
tors on the town's sewer project.
The aldermen called for the
meeting after learning that only half
the homes in town have been con
nected to the new sewer lines install
ed by Taylor and Murphy.
Marshall is having difficulty in
making the scheduled payments on
its bond with the Farmers Home Ad
ministration because the homes and
businesses not connected to UmT
system cannot be charged the higher
water and sewer rates needed to
make the payments. The town has
had to use general fund revenues to
make the latest 919,000 semiannual
payment on the FmHA bonds.
Mayor Wild and aldermen Sammy
Lunsford and John Dodson waited
nearly an hour Friday morning for
Laps ley to appear. After several calls
to his office, Wild announced that
there had been an unexpected change
in schedule. Neither Lapsley or Larry
Merrill of the Fanners Home Ad
ministration were able to attend the
Friday meeting. Wild said the
meeting woud be rescheduled for
Monday morning at ft a.m.
Hendon Opposes Nuclear Dump
Newly elected U.S. Rep. Bilfgen
don announced last week that hrtrill
form an advisory group of envoim
m en talis ts, geologists and concerned
citizens to oppose the location of
nuclear waste disposal sites in
Western North Carolina.
' 'A recant study potential nuelear
waste storage sites conducted by the
U.S. Dept. of Energy identified
several potential locations in North
Carolina. Although none of the North
Carolina are included in current
plants for the first such waste dump,
>v*1
Hen don said he wanted to, "make
sure these beautiful mountains and
the people who live in them are not
subjected to the potential hazard that
nuclear waste storage brings."
Hendon has suggested that the first
site be located at former
? ??< * ? 'm, .
tesi site# nr TicvBoa. iik
ground in Nevada has been con
taminated for generations, perhaps
forever. It is only prudent that we use
an area like that as opposed to even
considering Western North
Carolina," Hendon said.
CP&L Seeks Rate Hike
Carolina Power and Light Com
pany has notified French Broad Elec
tric Membership Corporation that it
hat filed with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission for a 15 6
percent increase in its wholesale
rates. CP and L wants 10.2 percent of
this increase to go into effect as early
as February 14th and the remaining
5.4 percent added in about five mon
ths.
"I am very concerned about the im
pact an increase of this size will have
on our members," said Co-Op
Manager Charles Toiiey, "and, of
course, we will do all we can to
reduce or eliminate this raise."
Tolley indicated that the Co-Op had
asked its attorneys and engineers to
intervene in opposition to these in
creases and was, at the same time,
negotiating with CP and L to lower
their request.
"As soon as it is determined how
this increase will affect French
Broad EMC. we will notify the
members how much our rates will
have to increase." Tolley stated.
More Will Provide
Community Service
the
S6TV1C6 in
? enacted by the stat
Assembly now allows ju
sentence other offenders to ct...
ty service Instead of active jail t
la IMS, the General Assembly pass
ed the Safe Roads Act, calling for
periods of community service for
drivers convicted under the new driv
ing while impaired statute The Safe
Roads Act created five levels (I
noun
TV
r terms of
Manrtnn fnivm (|i
ranging irqn
to 71 boon. The two highest levels of
may be required to serve up to 40
hours of community service in lieu of
an active Jail sentence.
Those convicted of misdemeanors
punishable by Jail terms of up to two
years cm be required to serve up to
100 hours of community service in
stead. Persons convicted of non
violent felonies may also be required
to serve up to 900 hours of community
service instead of going to Jail.
Defendants with a history of
assaults or violent bebavio
who have previously failed to
ptete a i
traffic offenders will not be
Tfee i
DWI
the Com
REP. LISTON B. RAMSEY
...named to third term as Speaker of the House
Ray Sawyer To Head
New A-B TecK Center
Ray E. Sawyer has been named
director of A-B Tech's newly
established Madison County Center.
For the past several years, Sawyer
has been director of the College's
Continuing Education program with
primary responsibility for fire train
ing, law enforcement, and emergen
cy medical services. In his new posi
. tion, he will coordinate classes to be
scheduled at sites throughout
Madison County. In discussing his
new assignment Sawyer said, "My
primary goal is to broaden A-B
Tech's services to the residents of
Madison County through our Continu
ing Education offferings." He is
presently scheduling meetings with
civic groups, community clubs,
church organizations, and various in
dividuals In order to assess needs and
interests. The College will make
available classes in several areas, for
example, adult basic education, high
school equivalency training, prac
tical skills, health and hospital educa
tion, and a vocational courses, for
adults u years of age and older.
Sawyer, who began his teaching
career at Walnut High School in 1955,
says, "I am pleased to return to the
County after thirty years and am par
ticularly glad that I will have the op
portunity to promote A-B Tech to
Madison County residents." As dbec
tor of Continuing Education, Sawyer
coordinated fire service training pro
grams in Madison County and has
worked with the Mountains of
Madison Enterprise in Mars Hill and
Unaka Center in Hot Springs.
A native and current resident of
W^averville, Sawyer graduated from
Newberry College. He taught and
coached football and baseball at
Clyde A. Erwin High School before
joining A-B Tech in 1966.
Married to the former Carolyn
Crawford, a teacher at Erwin High,
he is a member of the Weaverville
First Presbyterian Church where he
sings in the choir. He is also active in
the Asheville Chapter of the Barber
Shop Singing Society. He enjoys
fishing, woodworking, and garden
ing. Along with his enthusiasm for
A-B Tech and its ability to serve
adults in Madison County, Ray has a
lot to talk about as he visits with com
munity leaders in his effort to in
troduce the services of the Center and
to identify the educational needs it
can serve.
He wants to hear from anyone with
a suggestionfor classes. His office is
located in the Marshall Elementary
School where he can be mflwrt
weekdays from 1:90 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Call collect 64MHS or 64?-2M7
Ramsey Is
Renominated
By ROBERT KOENIG
North Carolina Rep. Liston B. Ramsey of Marshall was
nominated for an unprecendented third term as speaker of the
House by the Democratic caucus Thursday in Raleigh. Selec
tion by the 79 Democrats is tantamount to election in the
Democrat-controlled chamber.
Ramsey, a 12-term member of the State House, was unop
posed for the post he has held since 1961. His selection, as
House speaker will become official when the full General
Assembly convenes in February. Ramsey said on Thursday
that he hopes to announce the apointment of committee chair
manships before the session opens.
In accepting the nomination, Ramsey told the House
Democrats, "We will convene on Feb. 5 under unusual
political circumstances. R is the second time in this century
that the North Carolina executive leadership and the
legislative leadership are from different political parties." He
reminded the Democrats that the responsibility for sound
government remains with the Democrats and concluded by
reminding the legislators, '...let us bear in mind at all times
that what we do is for the people, keeping their well-being
foremost in mind at all times and making all our decisions on
what will do the greatest good for the greatest number."
The Democratic caucus also chose Cleveland County Rep.
Jat^k Hunt to serve as speaker pro tem.
New Housing Opened In Mars Hill
^ > _
Ivy Ridge Public Houaing Project,
Jarvis Branch Road, Mara Hill, act
the stage for a ribboning
ceremony at 10 a.m December 13th
Many tenants had already moved in
the previous week.
Ivy River conaiU of ? unite; U