Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Feb. 25, 1988, edition 1 / Page 1
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The NEWS RECORD . . , * s ' ????>. '? ? . '? ?XjrM?' .... ? ? * Serving Madison And Northern Buncombe Counties ? Thursday, February 25. 1988 ' Madison School Board Referendum 'Unlawful' By BILL STUDENC Editor The Madison County Board of Com missioners cannot conduct a referen dum to gauge support for a proposal that would change the way members of the Madison County Board of Education are selected. That's according to Larry Leake, attorney for the Madison County com missioners. Currently, members of the Madison County school board are chosen in a partisan election. Commissioner Reese Steen, a vocal supporter of ef forts to "de-politicize" the school system, had asked Leake in December to investigate the proper way to set up a countywide referen dum on the question of a non-partisan school board. And Leake's answer, delivered to Steen last month, is that there is no proper way to set up such a referen dum. Under state law, county boards of commissioners can authorize an ad visory referendum in only a few specific instances - a bond issue, the establishment of a fire or sanitary district, the consolidation of counties, and changes in the selection or com position of the board of commis sioners, Leake said. "In fact, it has been specifically held by our courts that it is unlawful for the Board of Commissioners to conduct any kind of advisory referen dum," Leake said in a letter to Steen. "Our courts have held that it is the duty and responsibility of the Board of Commissioners or other elected of 'After doing a lot of soul-searching, I have yet to find a single reason.. .not to have a non-partisan school board. Reese Steen Madison County Commissioner ficials, such as town councils, to make the decisions for which the peo pie have elected them, and that the election process cannot be used to conduct opinion polls," he said. That would particularly apply to the Madison County Board of Educa tion, since the method of selection of school board members has been established by the N.C. General Assembly, Leake said. Madison is one of 28 North Carolina counties that are exceptions to state law calling for the selection of public school boards through a non-partisan election. In the remaining 72 coun ties, and in all 40 city school systems in the state, school board members are chosen by a non-partisan vote, ac cording to the N.C. School Board Association. Because the General Assembly, through local legislation, has set up the method by which Madison County school board members are selected, only the General Assembly can change that method, Leake said. "Unless specifically authorized by the N.C. General Assembly, a referendum could not be conducted on the issue of whether the Madison County Board of Election (sic) should be elected on a partisan or nonpar tisan basis," Leake said. Despite the fact that a referendum now appears out of the question, Steen said he still plans to seek a change in the election of school board members on a partisan basis. "After doing a lot of soul-searching, 1 have yet to find a single reason as it relates to our school children not to have a non-partisan school board," he said Monday. Steen said he intends to bring the issue back to the attention of Com missioner John Hensley and board Chairman Robert Capp6. "I would love to see some non political organization educate the people of Madison County as to the advantages of a non-partisan school board, or perhaps, if there are any disadvantages, to make us aware of those," he said. Currently, three school board members are selected from District 2, representing wetern Madison County (Marshall, Walnut, Hot Spr ings) while two members come from District 1, representing the eastern section of the county (Mars Hill, Grapevine and Beech Glen). Members of the Democratic and Republican parties select nominees during a primary election. Buncombe School Merger Proceeds Without Protest From Staff Reports Although the possible consolidation of several Madison County schools has been in the news lately, the merg ing of four elementary schools in the North Buncombe district seems to be progressing with little controversy. The Buncombe County Board of Education recently approved a low bid of $589,133 submitted by Dill ingham Construction Co. of Asheville to develop the' site for the new North Buncombe Elementary School. The school will be located on a 50-acre site on Flat Creek Church Road at Clark's Chapel Extension near the new North Buncombe High School. It will replace current elementary schools at Baraardsville, Flat Creek, Red Oak and Alexander (French Broad), said Gerry Kovach, public in formation officer for the Buncombe County school system. The new school will cost some $5 million and is expected to be ready for students by August 1969, Kovach said. Construction will begin next month. The school board, during its meeting last Thursday, atae-aficeed tc ask the Buncombe Coumy Boarfl or Commissioners for <615,090 to cover ? the cost of the initial site preparation. Funds for the school wiir come from " a 932 million school bond referendum approved by voters in 1984, Kovach said. Buncombe County schools' share of that money is 926 5 million, while the Asheville City School System received $5.5 million, she said. The new elementary school building became necessary when Buncombe County school officials decided to shift to a "middle school" concept, with grades 6-7 housed in a separate facility, Kovach said. When the new North Buncombe High School was built, the old high school became North Buncombe Mld&NFSfchool. * VMM a large numbWDf transferred students out of the four elementary Schools and drastically cut enroll ment figures at those schools, Kovach said. "Since we have gone to a middle school system, it has taken three grade levels out of the schools that -Continued on back page Weaverville Committee Forms To Keep Residents Informed j By BILL STUDENC Editor A handful of Weaverville residents has formed Concerned Citizens of Weaverville, an informal committee designed to keep residents aware of activities of elected town officials and appointed administrators. The formation of the group comes after the Weaverville Town Council's recent public hearing on the proposed satellite annexation of Reems Creek Golf Club, located 1.2 miles outside current town limits. Chairman of the organization is Joe Joyner, one of the more vocal op ponents of the annexation of nearly 90 acres and 1M homesites of Reems Creek Golf Club Joyner has criticised Weaverville Mayor Reeae Lasher for trying to win approval of the annexation by town council without sufficient study. "We decided to do this after the public hearing on Reems Creek Golf Club," Joyner said Tuesday. "The big this is that he (Lasher) has not asked council members for advice. This has been thrown at them, especially with three new members, without having time to really study it." At least one of those new council members - Ronnie "Butch" Davis - seems to agree somewhat with Joyner. Davis, at last week's meeting of the WeavervilJe Town Council, ask ed that a vote on the proposed annex ation be tabled until the council's March 21 meeting. That motion passed unanimously. But the council is now scheduled to j - . i&v v , m gather in a special called meeting at 6:45 p.m. today (Thursday) to take | action on the annexation petition. Joyner, who along with six other ' unnamed Weaverville residents makes up the Concerned Citizens of ( Weaverville, has sent letters to the s households of 650 registered voter* . encouraging them to attend the March 21 meeting. But because the council has scheduled the special meeting for today, those letters may now have less impact. Whatever happens with the Reems Creek Golf Club annexation, Joyner says he and his fellow committee members are not trying to stir up trouble at Town Hall -- they just want to be sure municipal government in Weaverville remains open. > ( -Continued on back page Hot Springs Community Rallies Around Autry By HASSIE PONDER Newt Record Correspondent i The town of Hot Springs recently ' gave a perfect example of bow < residents of a community can unite \ behind a common cause. ! Hat Springs resident Gene Autry, c ?3, has Lou Gehrig's disease i Originally from Yancey County, i Autry has lived in Hot Springs for ? yean. He served as town alderman $ for eight yews and is well-known in i In July 1987, Autry began experien cing problems in his arms and legs, rhose problems soon became worse. \fter seeing doctors in Asheville and iVinston-Salem, he was diagnosed in September as having Lou Gehrig's hsease Since then, he has gone from t alking under his own power to using i walker . V ; When residents of the town qf Hot iprings and surrounding com n unities heard about Autry's pro live the Autry family tbeir f Mr Autry i;<J "A, lot of people BILL STUDENC PHOTO Felton Stephens, Mars Hill College's new head football I coach, is making plans for the upcoming season. Ex-Player Returns To Coach Mars Hill By BILL STUDENC Editor When members of the Mars Hill College football team hit the field for spring practice in March, they'll see a familiar face in a not-so-rafrritl&T position on the sideline. Felton Stephens, 41, has served as an assistant coach at Mars Hill for the past five years. But for the 1988 season, Stephens will be wearing the title of head coach. Stephens was named last month to replace Steve Patton, who stepped down from the helm of the Lion foot ball program to pursue private business interests in Greenville, S.C. Mars Hill College is definitely familiar turf to Stephens - and not just from a coach's perspective. Stephens, a Weaverville native, is a Mars Hill graduate and former member of the Lions' football squad. "I am excited," he said "I think that most coaches are very much goal-oriented. That was probably a long-range goal of mine, to get into college coaching." But to return to his alma mater to coach a team he once played for is something special, he said. "Being a head coach at the college level was a long-range goal," he said. "Getting a chance to coach where you played is really exciting." Stephens was a four-year starter at tight end for the Lions before he went on to coach at his high school alma mater - North Buncombe. At North Buncombe, Stephens serv ed as assistant coach for five years and as head coach for 10 years, leading the Black Hawks to six con ference titles. -Con Unued on back page Authorities Continue Fatality Investigation L From : The N.C. investigating a: on U.s. 25-70 north of Marshall that killed a Madison County nun and hospitalized a New York Clyde Bullman, ?, of Marshall wis killed when the car in which he was a | 4 U.S. 2S-70 and slammed into ? culvert basin at about ?:90 a m Sunday ?t about 70 mph when it left the road in a winding, lefthand curve on UJS. 25-70 about 71 miles north at Marshall. The car ran off the road onto tfee right shoulder where it struck a culvert basin according to
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Feb. 25, 1988, edition 1
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