Republicans Suggest Madison County Line Be Moved r% - , Jt*. ..y s ? ^ The Madison County Republican Party has com* up with on vay to solve the question of what to do about the proposed withdrawal of Madison County from its current judicial district. The party, during a meeting last week, offered a compromise asking the General Assembly to move the county line so that Democratic party leader Zeno Ponder s home would be located in Buncombe County. Ponder and fellow Madison Democrats have proposed that Madison County withdraw from its carrent Judicial district - the 34th - and align itself with Buncombe Coun ty, which, by itself, is the 28th Judicial District. Madison County Republicans say they are opposed to the redistricing plan, but did arrive at a "com promise." Ponder s home and 500-acre ranch is located on the Madison-Buncombe county line, and a alight adjustment of that line would place Ponder in Buncombe County - and out of the 34th Judicial District, according to the Republicans' proposal. Buncombe County officials have said they are opposed to joining with Madison County in a new judicial district. "In order to please Mr. Ponder and avoid the problems with the proposal, the county boundary lines dividing Madison and Buncombe counties at Mr. Ponder's property (should) be withdrawn, such that Mr. Ponder s property becomes a part of Bun combe County, thus making Ms coun ty of residence Buncombe County and his home Judicial district the S8th Judicial District," the Republicans' resolution states. "Nobody else wants to do this but Zeno, and some of his property is in Buncombe County, anyway," said Roger Swann, Republican Party chairman. "All they have to do is redraw the county lines so that all of I hit property is in Buncombe. That would and *11 the squabble about what should be done.' Some opponents of the redistricting plan have speculated that Ponder has proposed the change in judicial districts because of his indictment in the 24th district on charges that he conspired to profit from inside infor mation he learned while on the N.C. Board of Transportation. J. Thomas Rusher, the 24th Judicial District at torney prosecuting Ponder, is a "jtm*Baker, assistant district at torney, drew up the resolution for the Republicans, but said that did not represent a conflict of interest because be -would not participate in Ponder's trial. Ponder has denied that his indict ment has anything to do with the rodistricting proposal. He has said Asheville is simply closer to Madison County than Boone, home of Rusher's main office. ? Town Recovers From Festivities -Continued from Page 1 An old-fashioned sock hop followed the pageant in the Hot Springs School gym. Events continued throughout Saturday and Sunday as the weather went out of its way to cooperate with a weekend of picture-perfect days. Up and down Main Street, clubs and organizations sold food and crafts while on the river local raf ting companies gave free raft rides. For a couple of dollars, visitors were given the opportuni ty to view the town from above in a hot air balloon. Saturday night, young and old alike took to the streets to dance to the sounds of Carolina Misty. "I saw people dancing I never knew could dance," said Hot Spr ings Mayor and Homecoming Chairman Kenny Ramsey. "As long as I'm mayor, homecoming will be an am lal event." People caim from as far away as Oregon and 1 xas to take in the events, Ramsey 4 id. "I'm very ? *11 pleased. Everything went smoothly," said Ramsey. Funds raised during the festivities will be enough to cover the operational costs, with a bit left over for next year, Champion said. "A lot of people did come home," Champion said. "This really lifted the town's spirits. I think we were beginning to lose some of our southern pride, but a weekend like this is just what we all needed." The weekend ended with a ceremony honoring the the 50 an niversary of the Appalachian Trail, which passes through Hot Springs. U.S. Rep. James McClure Clark was on hand along with George Olson of the U.S. Forest Service at the ceremony and reception on the Jesuit Residence lawn. "This has been one of the best things we've done for ourselves and the town," Champion said. "I'd like to thank everyone who's worked hard to see us succeed." A number of contests were held in connection to the homecoming festivities. Here's a list of win ners: Beauty Pageant Wee Miss Hot Springs, Christy Puryear; Little Miss Hot Springs, Autumn Church; Junior Miss Hot Springs, Julie Tino; and, Miss Hot Springs, Sherri Self. Pinewood Derby Dustin Roberts and Chris Sams. River Raft Race Roy Whitson, Chuck Gentry, George Self and Toby Lawson. Hie team was awarded a $100 first prize, which team members donated back to the town. BILL STUDENC PHOTOS B*t Springs Homecoming '87 vat a festival of sights and niii. Above left, area children listen ta the band Nnthin' Fancy. Above center, Lions Club Presi dent Larry Hantsinger flips a barger. Above right, a hot air balloon gives residents a birds eye-view of the festivities. Left, Margaret Stadeac and Linda Dodson look at crafts nude by local artists. 230 Graduate At Mars Hill -Continued from Page 1 Grayson closed by noting that Mars Hill College has had only three presidents in this century, and that each of them had a profound effect on the quality of thousands of lives of students who passed through Mars Hill's classrooms. Earlier in the day, the students, their parents, the faculty and staff of the college heard Dr. R. Kir by Godsey, president of Mercer Univer sity, bring the traditional morning baccalaureate service. Entitling his sermon "Lessons on Time," Godsey urged the seniors to make time their servant rather than their master. "We should not delude ourselves in to thinking that time is an essential matter. We are not likely to be known for the number of days we have lived, but rather by the way we chose to Hve ; those days," Godsey said. "Without us. time has no character, no color, no beginning, no end. It is you and I who have character. We have meaning," he said. "My lesson \ on time is that we can live with in tegrity only if we live beyond the "Human problems, pain and values are larger than time. The times 1 iNUrsiHg AJ\0. Health Sciences, 118 from the School of Technology and Applied Science and 156 from the Graduate School A total of 206 students graduated with academic honors. Fifty-six students graduated summa cum iaude (highest honors) based on four year grade averages of 3.7S or higher on a 4.0 scale Of these, 21 were darifMlad University Scholars for camphUnj all of their work at WCU. Sixty-five students graduated magna cum laude (high honors, 3.30 to 3.74) and 85 graduated cum laude (honors). Listed are area students in the graduating class, dwwtaf each stu dent's Baid of study All received gradoato4evelS?Msiaranoted. Ap Area students graduating were: ? Hot Springs - Cheryl Lynn Plem mons, Route 1, master's degree, mid dle grades education; Donna Lucinda Fowler, Route 1, chemistry; and, Judith Lynn Price, Route 1, finance, cum laude. ? Mars Hill -- Gail Porter Sawyer, certificate of advanced study, com munity agency counseling; Doyle Willard Amnions, education specialist degree, educational ad ministration, public school. Master's degrees: Prances Lee Ramsey, Woodland Drive, secondary educa tion, social sciences; Richard M Thomason, business administratkm; and, Donald Thomas, Route S, medical technology, magna cum laude. N. Buncombe Students Compete In Academics Student* from North Buncombe High School competed in the According to school officials, "All students were winners, their behavior was superb, their coopers tier flawless and their courage magnificent since the majority of the students had no idea what the com ' The daylong testing session held lot month probrt how wail the en