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Madison High School's Lady Patriot* are looking Cor
a conference basketball title.
See Page 7
Vol. 88 No. 6
Thursday, February 11, 1988
25c
Weaverville Annexation T opic Of Hearing
By BILL STUDENC
Editor
Some Weaverville residents say the
annexation of 90 acres of the Reems
Creek Golf Club will provide a major
boost to the town's tax base, while
others are concerned that the
development's 189 homes will drain
the town's water supply.
About 75 residents of Weaverville
and the Reems Creek area turned out
Monday at Weaverville Primary
School for a public hearing on the pro
posed satellite annexation of portions
of the $35-$50 million golf club.
During nearly two hours of discus
sion, eight speakers Voiced approval
of the annexation, two spoke in op
position and six asked questions but
stated no opinion.
The Weaverville Town Council is
expected to vote on the annexation re
quest at its meeting Monday night.
Kenmure Associates of Henderson
ville, developer of the Reems Creek
Golf Club, has offered to pay for the
installation of a water line to reach
the site, at a cost estimated at
*225,000- $300, 000. Developers say they
will then donate the line to the town.
Kenmure has also offered to pay for
a water pump station on Hamburg
Mountain that would keep the present
Ox Creek water storage tank full.
Town officials say that the pump sta
tion, which would cost up to 175,000,
would help serve the golf club and
provide improved service to about 125
water customers now in the Ox Creek
area.
Fred Bevins, representing Reems
Creek Golf Club, told town officials
that annexation of the development
would have an immediate impact on
Weaverville's tax base.
"This will be a profitable situation
to the town immediately," Bevins
said. "It amounts to hundreds of
thousands of dollars that the town of
Weaverville would not have in its
treasury. We feel like we will be doing
Developers of Reems Creek Golf Club (left
side of table) huddle with members bf the
Weaverville Town Council after nearly two
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
hours of comment at a public hearing on the
development's request for satellite
annexation.
something that will long-term benefit
Weaverville and Eeems Creek."
Not everyone agreed with Bevins,
however. Weaverville resident Joe
Joyner presented town officials with
a five-page, seven-item argument
against the annexation.
"In most cases of annexation, those
being annexed make every attempt to
avoid it. In the present case, much ef
fort is being made by the developers
to sell the town of Weaverville on the
benefits it will reap if the town goes
forward with annexation," Joyner
said.
Joyner called the golf club "an ex
clusive, expensive neighborhood"
and criticized developers for drafting
their annexation petition so that it
meets requirements established by
the General Assembly.
State law holds satellite annexa
tions to no more than 10 percent of the
area within corporate limits.
Bevins said that's why developers
are only seeking annexation of 90 of
the club's 260 acres. Under the pro
posal, only single-family homesites
would be annexed; the golf course
would be excluded.
Bevins also said developers prefer
to have the golf course annexed, and
are willing to seek special legislation
exempting the town from the 10 per
cent rule.
Joyner warned that the annexation
would put an increased burden on all
town services - water, sewer, police
and fire protection and garbage
pickup.
He expressed particular concern
with the town's water supply.
Weaverville, since 1974, has had a
moratorium on water tape outside the
town limits because of dwindling
water supply.
"What I see is the town has ex
perienced a profound miracle in the
past few weeks. Since 1974, we have
had an insufficient water supply, be
ing asked to conserve water only last
summer. Now by some miracle of ad
ministration we now have not only the
water we need, but enough for 225
more households," he said.
Town officials said that "miracle"
is Weaverville's recent agreement
with the Asheville-Buncombe Water
Authority supplying the town with
water until an independent source
can be tapped.
One man warned that the develop
ment would mean increased traffic
on Reems Creek Road.
-Continued on back page
School Merger Study
Committee Suggested
By HASSIE PONDER
News Record Correspondent
An opponent of a controversial
state recommendation calling for the
consolidation of most schools in
Madison County has suggested the
formation of a special citizens' com
mittee.
Jerry Parker, president of the Hot
Springs Parent-Teachers Associa
tion, spoke Monday night on the idea
of creating a citizens' group to help
the Madison County Board of Educa
tion study the consolidation issue.
Parker's suggestion came at a con
tinuation of the school board's
meeting that began last Monday.
Parker also volunteered to start the
group. But James Baker, school
board chairman, stated that since no
decisions have been made about
school consolidation that all pro
pasals would be noted.
Parker again spoke on his feelings
about the consolidation as proposed
by the N.C. Division of School Plann
ing. That recommendation calls for
the construction of a county wide mid
dle school in Marshall to serve all
sixth- through eighth-graders in
Madison County.
Students in kindergarten through
fifth grade from Marshall, Hot Spr
ings, Walnut and Laurel would attend
a new consoHdated*- elementary
school north of Marshall, under the
state recommendation, While
children at Spring Creek and flare
Hill would remain at schools in those
communities.
Parker, after traveling the west
end of the county, said he feels a west
Madison school for grades K-8 in Hot
Springs, Spring Creek and Laurel
would be be a bigger benefit to the
communities involved.
He suggested Marshall and Walnut
consolidate, and that the board have
another school in Mare Hill.
When this idea was brought up,
however, a resident of Upper Laurel
said she would rather have her
children go to Marshall because it
would be closer.
Also during Monday's session, the
board agreed to use vans provided by
the Madison County Transportation
Authority to transport high school
nursing students to a hospital in
Asheville, at a cost of $850 a year. The
school board must provide gas and a
driver.
After a three-hour executive ses
sion, a recommendation for a custo
dian was made by Madison High
School principal David Wyatt.
Thomas Brian Rice was selected for
the position by the board.
Madison May Join
TVA Pilot Program
By BILL STUDENC
Madison County is one of four
Southern counties in the running for a
Tennessee Valley Authority pilot pro
gram designed to stimulate economic
drntopawtt.
That's the word ffom Bob Gonia.
county specialist for the TVA's
Special Opport unties Counties Pro
gram, who spoke last week to the
County Chamber of Com
The pilot program, called by Gonia
a "basic economic development ef
fort," could mean technical
in
in
a battel
technical assistance to economic '
development projects in the county.
The program could mean financial
assistance, not only from TV A but
also from other agencies
"The selected counties would be in
the front of the line for funding from
us, and would have the inside track on
other funds," Gonia said.
Before TVA can select Madison for
the pilot project, the Chamber of
Commerce and the Madison County
Board of Commissioners must ap
prove the idaa.
Chamber officials say they're all
for it and voted last week to accent
the responsibility for being the lead
agency in the project. TVA officials
do r<"t want a oolitica) organization
Roll 'em...
Noble Entertainment is filming several key scenes of the
action-adventure movie "Trapper County" on the Ed List
farm near Marshall. Left, actress Betsy Russell gets an
BILL STUDENC PHOTOS
extra ttpch of MMP- Above right, Mcoad "^U?t
director Cool Lapcaater prepare! to yeU, Quiet op the
set!' Below right, cameramen line up a wot.
CP&L Seeks Hike
In Wholesale Rates
L; "-ma*-'- Jfc ^ - r .
Member* of French Broad Elec
tric Membership Cerp may won
have to dig a Uttle deeper into
their pockets when it comea time
to pay thoae monthly power bills
Carolina Power It Light Co. has
filed with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission ft* a IS
percent increase in the rates
charged to wholesale customers,
including French Broad EMC.
CP4L officials say the rate hike
hike requested by CWtL.
When FERC determines the
rate increase, French Broad BMC
members will he notified
Charles Toitey. manager of
French Broad KMC, says the rate
hike request is no surprise.
"We have been telling our
several months to
expect a rate increase when CPfcL
Want into commercial operation,"
Marshall Crews Won't
Repair Private Pipes
no longer be
crews work on
agreed Monday night to reinstate ?
policy preventing municipal work
crews from >r>* 1 water
TtepraMNa, said town
Dodson, is that working
Unas on private property is .
the town too much in terms of I
town it mjy
bean asked to thaw out water lines
beneath a trailer in town. n > I j
"He said he v? afraid to fet under
- ? t because he w? i
i o* fire," Mayor v
"He was worried
to repair
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is not