Sf j ? v-v . ! The NEWS RECORD Serving The People Of Our Communities Since 1 90 1 ? ? ??* ? , . i' :,v>* ? ^ -?? Vol. 87 No. 7 Thursday, February 12, 1987 " 25c Water Project Would Cost $10.5 Million Mars Hill , Weaverville Study Plan By BILL STUDENC Editor ASHEVILLE - Officials from the towns of Mars Hill, Weaverville and Woodf in learned last week that a joint municipal water system, to utilize the Ivy River, would cost an estimated $10.5 million. The proposed system, designed to meet the three towns' water needs through the year 2010, may also re quire a drastic increase in water rates for customers in the towns. That was the word Thursday from engineer Gary McGill, Asheville, who gave an often-discouraging report during a joint meeting of officials from the three towns at Land-of-Sky Regional Council in Asheville. "We don't want to mislead you," McGill said. "We don't want to lead you down the primrose path." The total cost of the project, design . ed to help the towns alleviate water supply problems experienced in years past, comes to $10,530,400, McGill said. That price covers the water treatment plant, the water lines, and construction, engineering fees. "You heard me right -- $10,530,400," McGill said. The cost estimate is in flated and is based on 1990 dollars because it will take at least three years of preliminary work before construction could actually begin. The system, if approved, would be ready in 1992, at the earliest. Last summer's long drought forced Weaverville and Woodfin to purchase water from the Asheville-Buncombe Water Authority. Both the twon of Weaverville and the Woodfin Sanitary District rely on Reems Creek and its tributarires for water. Weaverville has had a moratorium on new water lines outside the town limits since 1974 because of its supply problems. Mars Hill draws its water from Big Laurel Creek. The town currently has sufficient water to meet its needs, but officials are also concerned about where they'll get water in the future. Mars Hill also faced problems dur ing last summer's drought, and asked residents to observe conservation practices. Weaverville officials suggested last March a study of the Ivy River, near the Madison-Buncombe county line, as a source of drinking water. Studies of the river indicates that the water flow in the Ivy is more than sufficient to meet the towns' needs, McGill said. "With the flow the river has, we feel that this is a good source of water as far as quantity goes," he said. "Our impact on the river will be very minor." The system could produce 3.1 million gallons of water a day. . Preliminary samples taken from the river show that its water exceeds drinking water standards, he said. -Continued on back page BILL STIJDENC PHOTO Mars Hill Mayor, Owen Tilson (left) and Weaverville Mayor Reese Lasher listen to a report on a study of the Ivy River as a potential water source for their towns and neighboring Woodfin. Marshall Board Hears Proposal On New Prison By BILL STUDENC Editor The Marshall Board of Aldermen heard a suggestion Monday night that the town join tatea with ether municipal and county officials to br ing a medium-security prison to Madison County. The board, while appearing somewhat receptive to the idea, fell short of endorsing the plan without first receiving some input from Mar shall residents. "We should meet with others in the county first to see how they feel about it," said Marshall Alderman Faye Reid. "We've got a lot of retirees in this county and a lot of widows who might think they'll be scared to death if this thing comes here." Richard Kingston, a Marshall man who has been pushing to locate the prison in Madison County, presented his suggestion to the Marshall board at its regular meeting Monday. The proposed prison is to be a replace ment of the aging Craggy Prison located in Woodfin. The N.C. General Assembly has ap propriated 17.1 million for the con struction of an new medium -security prison in Buncombe County. N.C. Department of Corrections officials have located a handful of potential sites for the new prison, including a tract of land near Weaverville, but have met strong opposition from nearby landowners at those sites. Kingston has suggested petitioning the General Assembly to amend the. law so that the prison coM be built tn a county other than Buncombe - specifically in Madison. "We should look into the possibility of bringing this to Madison County," said Kingston, a member of the Mar shall Planning Board. "It seems almost a certainty that it won't be coming to Buncombe County." Prison officials met opposition to a proposed site near Enka, as area residents complained because of the site's proximity to churches and schools. Weaverville area residents ex pressed opposition to another propos ed site on Goldview Drive, citing the prison's potential negative impact on property values in the surrounding vicinity. But Kingston gave the Marshall town board a rundown of what he said are the advantages of locating a prison facility in Madison County. Those advantages, according to Kingston, include: ? $5.6 million in construction funds alone would be spent on the prison. ? Some 125 new jobs would be created when the facility is com pleted -Continued on back page Cable Rate Hike Legal, Company Says By BILL 8TUDENC Editor Several disgruntled customers of CenCom, the cable television com pany serving the Marshall area, stormed Marshall Town Hall Monday to complain about a nearly 21 percent increase in rates. But Paul Deiendorf, regional manager (or the cable company, told a group of about 30 residents that federal deregulation of the cable ldustry allows his can to charfg whatever rates it Deiendorf traveled from Bakers vil)a to Marshall st the re quest of Marshall Mayor Anita Ward to field questions from angry customers, who have been asking town officials about the rate Increase CenCom 's basic cat 110 75 a a hike of 10.5 percent one fire,'' Matthews said ERbtl 'WRpwl'as -v?w mtrr viewing friends and family members Tuesday, trying to learn information that might help in their investigation The victims' bodies were burned beyond recognition, authorities said Arson is not suspected in the fire: nor has it been ruled out, Matthews said. Much of Elliott and Knowles' work Tuesday centered around the fireplace area of the house Bobby Clark, chief of Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Department, said the fire apparently began sometime around 11 p.m. Monday "We got the call at about 1 1 : 15 Mon day night," Clark said. "The house was completely gone by the time we got there. Nothing was even standing." Clark estimated that 90 percent of the home was burned in the fire. Fire fighters arrived at the scene at about 11:30 p.m., and worked until 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to extinguish the blaze Subfreezing temperatures hindered the firefighters' efforts, Clark said. A tired Clark was still at the scene late Tuesday afternoon as SBI agents sifted through the charred dehris. Economic War Brewing _ O In Madison County Marshall Merchants Form Association "?jv i *? ' J ? ?.<>< {Sir***# By ANNE KITCHELL SUff Writer It is no secret Madison County is financially troubl ed. On any given day, one can stand on the U.S. 25-70 Bypass and watch potential retail and industrial dollars head for Buncombe County. Over the past five years, the fatality rate for businesses has tripled, with very few new businesses to take their place. A less-hearty community might simply give up. But Hot Springs Reactivates Chamber Of Commerce By ANNE KITCHELL Stan Writer The movement to save Madison County businesses is spreading throughout several communities In Hot Springs, more than SO area businesses and in dividuals have banded together to reactivate the defunct Hot Springs Area Chamber of Commerce to promote industry and growth. Fbr more then a month, the steadily increasing number of concerned citizens haw met to discuss what can be done about Hot Springs' falteriag Chandler Hearing Postponed A hearing to determine the location of the second trial of Andrew "Junior" Chandler, charged with sexually abusing seven pre school children, has been rescheduled to Fri day. A Madison County jury was unable to reach a verdict in the two-week trial of Chandler. 29, last week Superior Court Judge James A. Beat v Jr declared a mistrial, and pro secutors immediately asked for a new trial, bat in a different counts had scheduled a hearing on County in a will nw .1 session r Cou&f be 4f at Mar