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The NEWS RECORD
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY SINCE 1901
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Vol. 88 NO. 4 ' Marshall, N.C
Cheap Solar Power Studied
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-Story on Page 5
Community
Calendar
Walnut Creek CD Club
To Hold First Meeting
An organizational meeting of the walnut Creek Community
Development Club will be held on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at the home
of Joe Penland. All interested persons are invited to attend.
Extension agent Earle Wise will address the meeting and pro
vide suggestions for the newly-formed club.
4-H'ers Offer Shrubbery
Members of Madison County 4-H Clubs are now taking
orders for shrubbery, apple, peach and cherry trees and
asparagus, raspberry and blackberry plants. More than 60
varieties of shrubs, trees and plants will be available.
The shrubbery and tree sales are a fund-raising project to
provide money for 4-H activities throughout the year. Orders
may be placed with any 4-h member or by contacting the
Agricultural Extension Service at 649-2411. ' - .
Burley Day Set For Feb. 6
Burley tobacco farm families and other interested persons
are invited to attend the annual Burley Day activities on Feb.
6 at Lake Junaluska..
Representatives from Burley Stabilization and North
Carolina State University will discuss the future of the tobacco
program, recent research results and provide suggestions on
preparing the crop for market. Burley Day activities will be
held from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Terrace Hotel. Lunch
will be served.
Those Madison County farmers planning to attend should
contact Wiley DuVall no later than Jan. 29 at 649-2411.
Summer Camp Jobs Are Available
Applications are now being ac
cepted from young adults who wish to
work with youngsters at 4-H camps
during the summer.
Ttie North Carolina Agricultural
Extension Service, headquartered at
N.C. State University, operates five
residential camps in the state,
located in Onslow, Richmond, Rock
ingham, Stokes and Buncombe Coun
ties.
Available camp staff positions in
clude counselors and teachers. Per
sons over 18 years of age who can con
duct classes and workshops in marine
science, pioneering skills, nature
study, horsemanship, archery,
crafts, music, drama and swimming
are encouraged to apply. Employ
ment wilt begin on June 8 and run for
approximately 10 weeks, according to
Pam Crowhurst, associate 4-H agent
in Madison County.
A limited number of positions are
available. Additional information on
the camps and employment applica
tions can be obtained from the
Madison County Extension office in
Marshall or by calling 649-2411.
Farm
Receipts
Are Up
I ? I
Cash receipts for North Carolina's
farmers increased to $4.2 billion in
1984, up from the 1983 figure of $3.8
billion, according to Agriculture
Commissioner Jim Graham .
"The $1 billion net farm income for
1984 is about the same level as that
received over 10 years ago," Graham
said. "In 1973, the first billion dollar
net farm income was recorded; how
ever, during the 1973 to 1984 period the
purchasing power of the farmers' dol
lar declined by about half.
The 1983 drought and PIK program
which reduced plantings were cited as
reasons for the lower 1983 cash
receipts.
After production expenses are re
moved, net income for farmers will be
approximately $1 billion for 1984, as
compared to an $850 million figure for
1963.
According to NCDA chief economist
Frank Bordeaux, the rebound in farm
cash receipts was attributable to in
creased crop production, as indicated
by a 93 percent increase in corn pro
duction, a 37 percent increase in
soybeans produced, and a seven per
cent increase in tobacco production.
Adding to the rebound effect were
higher prices in the poultry and live
stock sectors
"Profitability of grains and
soybeans in 1984 were hampered by
low prices which offset the benefits of
increased production," Bordeaux
In ltt4, crop receipts are ?
to contribute 56 percent of total ?
receipts with livestock. d?iry and
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The Big Uuu nits
Record Cold Closes Schools, Businesses
The coldest temperatures in history were recorded
throughout North Carolina Monday as a mass of Arctic air
swept across the South from Canada.
Dubbed the "Alberta Flash", the bitter cold dropped
temperatures to -20 degrees in parts of Madison County and
caused the closing of schools and businesses. Water pipes
froze and car batteries refused to start in the bitter cold and
electric utilities were forced to cut back power in response to
record demand. Nationally, at leats 80 deaths Were attributed
to the cold. One Madison County woman was found dead in her
home Monday and is thought to have died as a result of the bit
ter cold.
Residents of Hot Springs and Shelton Laurel reported
temperature readings of -20, while the Asheville Regional Air
port reported an all-time record low of -16, shattering records
set by the deep freeze of Christmas Day, 1983.
In Knoxville, a temperature of -24 was reported and Mount
Mitchell reported a low reading of -34 degrees.
A light snow fell on parts of Madison County early Tuesday
morning as temperatures reached 13 above in Marshall at 9
a.m.
Madison County schoolls remained closed on Tuesday.
Traffic
Accidents
Claim 3
A Jan. IS singie-c-ai accident claim
ed the lives of two Madison County
residents last week. A 1972 Chevrolet
driven by Gregory Jay Surrett of
Walnut ran off U.S. 25-70 at the top of
Hot Springs Mountain, killing a
passenger instantly and injuring the
other four passengers in the vehicle.
Surrett, who was also known as
Harold James Ledford, died Sunday
at Memorial Mission Hospital from
injuries sustained in the wreck. Allie
Cogdill Mathis. 23, of Hot Springs was
pronounced dead at the scene of the
accident.
Another passenger in the vehicle,
Danny Cutshall of Hot Springs, was
listed in guarded condition Monday at
Memorial Mission Hospital in
Asheville. Two other passengers, Jef
frey Glen Surrett, 26, of Waynesville,
and Callie Kathy Aiken, 19, of Hot
Springs, remained hospitalized Mon
day evening. Another passenger,
Richard Lee Surrett, 24, of Asheville,
was treated and released.
No charges were filed in the acci
dent.
In an unrelated accident, a 20-year
old Marshall man died Friday form
injuries sustained in an automobile
accident in Tennessee. Terry Craig
Wills of Marshall died as a result of
the accident on Jan. 18.
A Grapevine woman, Alice Peck,
was found dead in her home Monday
afternoon and is thought to have died
from exposure to the cold.
WHILE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES were caus
ing problems for motorists and school officials, the
weekend storm also created peaceful winter scenes such
as this one on Grapevine Rd. Temperatures were ex
pected to moderate later this week. Readings of minus 20
degrees shattered previous records for coldest
temperature.
Boy Scouts Celebrate 75th Anniversary
By BORIS WEINTRAUB
National Geographic News Service
WASHINGTON -Robert Stephenson
Smyth Baden-Powell, Ernest Thomp
son Seton and Daniel 'Uncle Dan'
Beard never heard of Tiger Cubs ir
Varsity Scouts. They probably would
have disapproved of female Ex
plorers, and who knows what they
would've said about merit badges in
atomic energy, space exploration or
golf.
On the other hand, those three
pioneers of Boy Scouting would have
thoroughly understood the mission of
the Boy Scouts of America adopted in
1983: "To serve others by helping in
still values in young people and, in
other ways, prepare them to make
ethical choices over their lifetime in
achieveing their full potential."
They would have been pleased to
know that those values are based on
those in the Scout Oath: "On my
honor, I will do my best to do my duty
to God and my country and to obey
the Scout Law ; to help other people at
all times; to keep myself physically
strong, mentaly awake and morally
straight."
On February 8, the Boy Scouts at
America will mark their 75th an
Beginning in May, the Heritage
Campfire will be lighted in every
state capitol. Ashes will then be put
into a wooden box the shape of each
state and added to a caravan that will
zigzag 7,600 miles across America in
55 days
At Fort A. P. Hill, the boxes will be
assembled into a njap of the United
States and ceremoniously burned
If all that sounds a bit grandiose
and obtuse, well, that;s the way it's
been since the earliest days of
Scouting, and it's worked pretty well.
There have been numerous
changes in American society in the
Boy Scouts' first 75 years, and they
have had to adapt. They now actively
seek out Hispanics, blacks and han
dicapped youngsters. They also
welcome seven-year olds into the
Tiger Cub programs and young
women into co-education J, career
oriented Explorer posts. The "Of
ficial Boy Scout Handbook" now
warns of drug abuse and teaches first
aid for ratbites as well as snake bites
and merit badges have been updated
to include new fields of Interest
But the handbook still shows how to
build a campfire and tie wots, a
return to traditional Scouting con
field while serving with the British
Empire in the Boer War.
When Baden-Powell returned to
England as a hero after holding off a
siege in Mafeking, South Africa, he
discovered that his book was being
used by British youngsters as a guide
to life in the outdoors. Badem -Powell
than decided to rewrite the book
especially for boys. He then took 20 of
them camping for two weeks on an
island, where he trained them in
tracking, first aid, woodcrafts and
other outdoor skills.
The result was "Scouting for
Boys", a combination of post
Victorian moral urgings and prac
tical advice. It became the text for
the British Boy Scouts when they
were founded in 1906.
The following year, a Chicago
newspaper publisher, William D.
Boyce, got lost in a thick London fog
A young boy appeared and helped
Boyce find his way. When the
publisher offered a one shilling tip,
the boy, soon to become legend as the
"Unknown Scout", replied, "No sir, I
am a Scout, Scouts da not accept tips
for courtesies or
In mo, he
of /
young boys