Introducing 'Fred t Mafaon County '? Homegrown Cartoon Character _ page 8 I Laurel Rook Tournament The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor a Rook Tournament on February 24th beginning at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend and bring a friend. Mars Hill Opens Sewer Project Bids Last week's heavy snows didn't prevent more than 40 Mars Hill residents from attending the bid opening for construction projects on the town's sewer system. The News Record wasn't able to at tend the bid opening, but town clerk Dahryl Boone reports that the Town Hall community meeting room was filled to capacity for the opening. The project was divided into four divisions for the purposes of bidding. The Cooper Construction Co. of Hendersonville was the apparent low bidder on three portions of the pro ject. On the Division 1 project, for con struction of a treatment plant and pump station. Cooper Construction submitted a bid of $752,187. The se cond lowest bid was offered by C.F.W. Construction. $787,720. Hickory Construction Co. of Hickory submitted the third lowest bid, $826,160. Boone reported that nine bids were received on the project. On the Division 2 portion, which dealt with the electrical work on the project. Hayes and Lunsford Elec trical Co. of Asheville submitted the low bid of $64,883. Brevard Electrical submitted the second highest bid at $68,520 and M.B. Haynes of Asheville was third lowest with a bid of $70,822. Cooper Construction also submitted the low bid in Division 3 of the project which deals with construction of sewer lines. The company's bid of $337,859.80 was the lowest offer received. Wheeler Construction sub mitted a bid of $397,090 and Taylor and Murphy Construction, contrac tors on the Marshall sewer project, submitted a bid of $425,255. Division 4. dealing with construc tion of sewer lines and force mains, was also headed by Cooper Construc tion with a bid of $687,218.80. The next lowest bidder was Dillard Ex cavating Co. with a bid of $808,180. Taylor and Murphy Construction sub mitted the third lowest bid. $854,260 Boone said that contracts for the project will not be awarded for several weeks. The proposals are now being reviewed by the sewer project's engineers, McGuire-Beebe of Spar tanburg. S.C. Lakeshore Dr. To Be Paved The Weaverville Town Council ap proved a contract with the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation at its Monday night meeting. The con tract calls for DOT to grade, drain and pave a 750-foot section of Lakeshore Dr. at a cost of $17,000. The contract approval was the most important business conducted during the brief meeting. In other business, police chief Steve Goodson presented a report on his depart ment ;s activities during January. According to the report, the Weaverville police answered 74 calls during the month. Among the calls were three reports of prowlers, eight accidents, three fights and a domestic disturbance, seven strand ed motorists, two fires, two larcenies, a missing person and an attempted suicide. The department made four arrests during the month. Town , manager Larry Sprinkle reported that the town has hired Doug Mackey as a meter reader. Mackey succeeds Jeff Ford, who was pro moted. Sprinkle also outlined the town's hiring policy for the council members. The council also approved eight tax releases, including six for persons who do not reside within the town limits. Harold and Sandra Ellis received a $20.21 refund on their taxes. It was also announced that the November municipal election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Deadline for registering to vote will be Oct. 7. Can didates for office may file for election betweeen Aug. 30 and Sept 20 Upon a motion presented by Kathleen Young, the board voted to send a letter to the town's state representatives opposing the propos ed end of the intangibles and inven tory taxes. Town manager Larry Sprinkle pointed out that the town's 1985 budget anticipates $18,000 in revenue from the intangibles tax. Also upon a motion presented by Young, the council agreed to appoint a committee to look into purchasing Christmas decorations for Weaver ville streets. Mayor Lawrence Sprinkle adjourn ed the brief session at 7:40 p.m. The council's next monthly meeting is scheduled for March 18 at 7 p.m. Marshall, Gunter Reach Settlement Reach Out-Of-Court Agreement By ROBERT KOENIG The town of Marshall, Mayor Betty Wild and the town's Board of Alder man reached an out-of-court settle ment agreement with former police officer Carlie Gunter on Tuesday morning. Mayor Wild called an emergency meeting of the town board Tuesday morning to discuss details of the set tlement with the aldermen. Aldermen John Dodson and Sammy Lunsford met with Wild at Town Hall at 10:30 a.m. Board member Ed Niles was unavailable and did not attend the board's second emergency meeting in less than a week. The three town officials went into an executive session that lasted only a few minutes. All three declined to discuss details of the closed session with reporters. Gunter had filed a $350,000 lawsuit against the town last February charging the town officials with libel and wrongful dismissal. Gunter was dismissed from the town police force in Nov., 1983 as the first act of Wild's administration. In a telephone interview following the emergency session, town attorney Charles Mashburn acknowledged that the town and former police of ficer had reached an agreement on an out-of-court settlement. The lawsuit was scheduled to be heard later this week in Madison County Superior Court. Mashburn told The News Record, "The emergency meeting this morn ing was called to go over details of a settlement. The town will report details of the settlement to the public in a short time through documents fil ed with the court." Further details of the settlement were unavailable as we go to press. Asked about the settlement, alder man John Dodson declined comment. Attempts to contact Gunter or his at torney, Herbert Hyde, proved fruitless. Mayor Wild attended the public hearing of the state Utilities Commission at the Marshall First Baptist Church and was also unavailable for comment. Details of the settlement agree ment will be published in next week's issue. Baker Completes Investigation DA To Review Report On Shooting Incident Madison County Assistant District Attroney James Baker has completed an investigation into the Feb. 8 shooting incident which lead to the" suspension of Marshall police chief Joe Griffey Baker said that his in vestigation was completed Monday morning following interviews with Griffey, Marshall policeman Larry Davis and the motorist involved in the incident. Baker said he had also conferred with the Criminal Justice Dept. and the Attorney General dur ing the course of the investigation which began on Feb. 13. The investigation was begun at the request of Marshall Mayor Betty Wild and alderman John Dodson. but Baker pointed. out that the District At torney's office was investigating the incident independently. "Apparently, the mayor and aldermen are waiting (or the report before taking any fur ther action in the matter, but this of fice is investigating the matter to determine if Griffey is guilty of any criminal action." Baker's report will be delivered to, ' District Attorney Tom Rusher sometime later this week. Rusher said he would not discuss the results of the investigation until he has had an opportunity to read Baker's report. District Attorney Tom Rusher was expected to come to Marshall Wednesday morning, at which time it is expected he will reveal the details of Baker's investigation. REV. BUDDY BUCKNER, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Marshall, visited the Marshall Presbyterian Church Monday. Rev. Buckner was at the church to donate a pint of blood during a visit by the Red Cross Bloodmobile. Visit netted pints of blood. Bloodmobile will be at N. Buncombe H.S. Fri Marshall Police To Work Seven Days A Week H.v ROBKKT KOKNIG Marshall Mayor Betty Wild has jrdered the town's two remaining jolice officers to work seven-day weeks in the wake of the suspension ?f police chief Joe Griffey. Wild gave he order to acting police chief Larry [>avls on Friday. Davis. 2ft. was named as the acting rhief last Wednesday afternoon ollowing Griffey's suspension. The own's only other full-time officer. Kd McLean, will also be required to work seven days a week. The town's other acting officer. Craig Kdwards. was notified that be will not be needed. On Friday night of last week, a report on WIJIS-TV in correctly staled that Kdwards had resigned in protest over Griffey's suspension. Contacted by The News Kecord on Monday. Kdwards said his remarks on WI.OS were taken out of context. "They asked me why I thought Joe had been suspended.'' Edwards said. "And I told Ihem, 'They (the aldermen) probably though! it was the right thing to do. They might have had someone in mind to replace them, or it might have been political.'" Kdwards complained because only his remark concerning the political motives were aired dur ing the Friday night broadcast. Edwards was appointed to the town's police force as a part -lime of ficer in October of last year following the resignation of Chris Bowman. Kd wards formerly served on the Mar shall force in I97K. Since Griffey's suspension last week. Marshall residents have been without a way to contact the town's police by telephone. The number listed in the directory for police assistance. 649-2111. is a number con nected to Griffey's home. Repeated attempts to contact Griffey at the number have been unsuccessful. Center Attempts To Preserve Southern Heritage By MERCER CROSS National Geographic Newt Service M Ferris wearins T-shirt and oordurovs sits cross-legged on a table, lecturing his dass at tha University of Mississippi on tradi tional Southern dogtrot houses. Eighty-six miles north, In the attic of a cluttered, three-story brick house In Memphis, Tenn., Judy Friaer flips the switch on a movie Droiector and renowned Mississiooi author Kudo* a W> saws to the camera: "In a an* I think iMithamei care about each othe? about vvv n if ?/ 1 i unim ^vwu ?vi i ?v?