00039
MADISON
COUNTY LIBRARY
GENERAL DELIVERY
MARSHALL NC
son
Is Here ? See Special Prep Preview
Serving The People Of Our Communities Since 1901
Vol. 87 No. 48
Thursday, November 26, 1987
25c
Hurley dales upen
Employees of Farmer's Tobacco Ware
house. owned by Jimmy Ramsey of Madison
County (left) unload burley grown by Danny
Hyatt of Waynesville. Monday's opening day
of tobacco sales brought an average price of
$1.59 per pound. Sales have stopped for the
Thanksgiving holiday and will resume Mon
day. The workers are Willard Revis of Mar
shall and Teddy Blankenship of Laurel.
'The Messiah '
40 Years, Going Strong
In Weaverville Concert
By EMMA LOU WAMBLES ,
N?w* Record Correspondent
Irene Holcombe Clark will direct
an 80-member chorus accompanied
by organist Ruth E. Mosley in a ren
dition of George Fredrick Handel's
famed oratorio "The Messiah "
The presentation will be at the
Weaverville United Methodist
Church on Sunday at 7:30 p.m
Clark has recieved much acclaim
as director of the production This
season marks the 40th consecutive
year that she has served in this
capacity.
This dedicated lady was named the
Most Distinguished Alumnus of
Berea College in 1971.
Many Madisonites may remember
Mrs. Clark as the wife of Methodist
minister Rev. W.C. Clark, who served
in the Madison area from 1960-1972.
Authorities
Investigate
Big Laurel
Shooting
From Slaff Reports
The Madison County Sheriff's
Department is still investigating the
Monday shooting death of a 44-year
old man from the Big Laurel section.
Carol Willy Chandler died Monday
afternoon from injuries sustained in
the shooting, said Dal Peek, chief
deputy with the Madison County
Sheriff's Department
Chandler had been shot in the face
"at failrly close range" with a
32 -caliber pistol. Peek said.
Authorities are still investigating
the shooting, which occurred at about
3:56 p.m. Monday, but ?ay they ex
pect charges to be filed within the
In a recent interview, _Clark had
nothing 4>ut pra??-forthe abilities' of
organist Mosley
"Transcribing the music and play
ing it an this organ are difficult taks,
but she can play anything," dark
said.
Mosley is choral director for North
Buncombe High School. She has serv
ed as organist for the Weaverville
United Methodist Church since 1973.
The 80 chorus members include
both local folks and people from dif
ferent neighboring areas. Different
faiths are represented, also.
"Through music everyone has a
common denominator," Clark said.
' Soloists for this presentation will be
Hannah Pennel singing soprano,
JoAnn Roberson, alto, Michael
-Continued on Page 14
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
Organist Ruth E. Mosley and director Irene Holcombe
Clark show off the new organ to be used in Sunday's
presentation of 'The Messiah.'
Stuart Jolley, master of ceremonies, had the
best seat in the house for last week's annual
8 Hill Christmas parade. Hundreds of
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
folks turned out for the event, despite chilly
temperatures and gusty winds.
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HUD Iteport Faults
Housing Authority
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
U.S Department of Housing and
Urban Development officials say
they "are extremely concerned about
the poor operation" of the Madison
County Housing Authority.
Officials with HUD's regional office
in Greensboro have warned that they
may remove the housing authority as
the administrative agency for public
housing in Madison County, if correc
tive measures are not taken.
That warning comes after a recent
audit and review of the housing
authority revealed several problems
- including a number of problems
that had been revealed by a similar
review four years earlier.
"We are EXTREMELY (emphasis
part of written review) concerned
about the poor operation of this pro
gram as evidenced by the high
number of findings, SEVERAL of
which are repeat findings from the
1983 management review," HUD of
ficials said in a "Section 8 Existing
Management Review" conducted lh
'What concerns us is that these things have been happening
for a long time and nothing has been done. But I get the
impression that we have the housing authority's attention
through this review.'
Robert W. Fields
HUD Housing Director
July.
Following that review, Madison
County Housing Authority officials
assured HUD that corrective action
would be taken, according to the 1987
review, issued in September.
"Based on this 1987 review, it is
clear that since 1983 the PHA's
(public housing agency's) operation
has worsened dramatically in all
areas," the review stated
HUD's reviews found recurrent
problems in the housing authority's
finances, occupancy rate and
management practices.
Among the findings are improper
documentation of administrative
salaries and annual leave records;
failure to collect rents from low
income housing tenants as required ;
failure to properly determine the
eligibility of public-housing tenants;
failure to maintain public-housing
units to federal standards; and,
failure to maintain proper accounting
practices.
Robert W. Fields, director of the
Housing Management Division of
HUD's Greensboro office, said that
HUD may be forced to take drastic
measures, if the Madison County
Housing Authority does not im
mediately take corrective action.
"What concerns us is that these
things have been happening for a long
time and nothing has been done,"
Fields said. "But I get the impression
-Continued on Page 14
Collins Pleads Guilty
To Attempted Rgp<*
Prom Staff Reports
A a^year-old Marshall man receiv
qC*.}ft-year prison sentence last
week after pleading guilty to the at
tempted ran of an 8-year-oW girl.
Terry Coijlns Jr. of Collins Road,
Marshall, altered the guilty plea in
Madison County Superior Court last
Thursday.
Collins faced three sexual abuse
charges involving the girl. Those of
fenses occurred over a three-year
period, according to authorities.
A Madison County grand jury in
dicted Collins in August on charges of
rape, first-degree sexual offense and
taking indecent liberties with a child.
According to the Madison County
Sheriff's Department, Collins sexual
ly abused the girl, who is now 8 years
old, |Kveral times between June 1,
1984 ind June 30 of this year.
Collins entered the plea Thursday
as the result fHHpff^bprgain ar
rangement w? |b District At
torney's Office.
In exchange for his plea of guilty to
the charge of attempted first-degree
rape, the District Attorney's Office
dismissed the charges of first-degree
sexual offense and taking indecent
liberties with a child.
Superior Court Judge Charles
Lamm sentenced Collins to the max
imum term of 20 years. Among the
aggravating factors considered by
Lamm in the sentencing was that Col
lins had taken advantage of a position
of trust or confidence to commit the
offense.
Lamm gave Collins eight days of
credit on his 20-year sentence for
time served while awaiting trial, and
recommended that he be allowed to
participate in the work-release pro
gram.
Man Calls For Pro be
into Grapevine Fires
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
A Madison County man who lost his
home in a 1986 fire is circulating peti
tions asking the State Bureau of In
vestigation to look into several
suspicious fires in the Grapevine
community.
Charles Taylor of Cody Road says
he is simply not satisfied with the
SBI's investigation into a Jan. ?, 1986,
fire that destroyed his home
"The SBI came in and found a big
hole Mowed in the floor," Taylor said.
"They checked it out and said they
would conduct an investigation, but
they never did."
Eddie Fox, chief of the Mars Hill
Fire Department, suspected arson
and notified the SBI, Taylor said. The
SBI did come to the scene of the fire,
but never talked to witnesses in the
community, he said.
"I talked to several parties who
saw smoke, and they said the SBI
never talked to them," Taylor said.
There have been several suspicious
fires in the Grapevine community
over the past three years, including
the blaze that destroyed Taylor's
home. "There have been a M of
burnings out there and none of them
fully investigated," he said.
Taylor said he wants the SBI to
come in and complete its in
-ConUnutd oa Page M
[Burnsville Man, 19, Dies
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