Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / March 3, 1988, edition 1 / Page 1
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? A brand fire burned 50 acres of woodland In the Little Pine section of Madison County, Tue"tay S~ 8 mahtcaki Madison's Lady Patriots won the Western High lands 2-A Conference Basketball Tournament. See Page 6 1 BJ * 11 1 ? ">w iuvM 0003^ j m" i B COUNTY LIBRARY Thl .?? ??S RECORD Serving Madison And Northern Buncombe Counties No. 9 Thursday, March 3, 1988 25c School Consolidation PlafyVmended Gerald Young ...suggests bond issue By BILL STUDENC Editor The Madison County Board of Education amended its long-range facilities plan Thursday, agreeing to retain a school in the town of Hot Spr ings for students in kindergarten through eighth grade in the western end of the county. The decision comes after two mon ths of controversy surrounding the N.C. Division of School Planning recommendation calling for massive consolidation and the creation of a countywide middle school for grades 6-8. Under the unanimously approved amendment, students in grades ft-8 at Hot Springs and Spring Creek will have the option of attending a K-8 facility at Hot Springs, or the new consolidated school. Sixth- through eighth-graders at Spring Creek and Hot Springs should be able to enjoy the advantages that the larger consolidated middle school would provide, said school board Chairman James Baker. School board members called the amended plan "a good compromise." "This gives as many people as possible what they want, but at the same time, never for a minute overlooks the well-being of the children," Baker said. The amended plan follows most of the recommendations originally made by state planners and tentative ly adopted by the school board - with the exception of facilities in Hot Spr ings and Spring Creek. The state plan called for the phas ing out of schools at Hot Springs, LaUrel, Marshall and Walnut. Students in grades K-5 at those schools would be consolidated in a new elementary school, to be built north of Marshall. Students in grades ft-8 at those schools would join sixth- through eighth-graders from Mars Hill and Spring Creek in a consolidated mid dle school to be built near Madison High School. Under the state plan, students in grades K-5 at Spring Creek would re main at a small, renovated school in that community because of problems transporting younger children to the consolidated school. In public discussion of the con solidation issue, the majority of speakers from Spring Creek said they wanted to keep a community school. Some Spring Creek residents said they prefered the benefits of a larger school, but would rather send their children to Hot Springs than to the Marshall area. "Economically speaking, I do not feel like there is a sufficient popula tion to support a separate school at Spring Creek," Baker said. "I'm sorry. I know many of you want a school at Spring Creek. " Walnut residents had also asked that a school be kept in their com munity. Baker said the new con solidated elementary school will be built north of Marshall, "in the vicini ty of Walnut." One idea proposed by some residents was a K-8 school at Hot Spr ings for students at Hot Springs, Spr ing Creek and Laurel. Baker said he had supported that plan until many Laurel residents said they preferred their children to go to Marshall. "The people of Hot Springs have been consistent with wanting a school at Hot Springs," Baker said. "I've not changed my mind on that. There are three township areas in the county, and each area should have a school there." Baker said that Hot Springs residents' insistence on a school in their community was a key factor in the board's decision. "I would not have been in favor of a K-8 school at' Hot Springs if not for what you people told us," he said. "I still feel it would be better to go to a central middle school, despite the long distance." The school board agreed to adopt a resolution allowing Hot Springs and Spring Creek students to attend the consolidated school, and that the county would provide transportation. The Madison County Board of Com missioners, meeting jointly with the school board, agreed to the amended school facilities plan. -Continued on back page Weaverville Council OKs Golf Course Annexation By BILL STUDENC Editor The Weaverville Town Council agreed in a split decision Thursday night to proceed with the satellite an nexation of 90 acres of the Reems Creek Golf Club. That decision came during a special meeting called for the sole, purpose of actfhg mra petition from Kenmure Associates of Henderson vilie asking the town to annex 189 homesites planned at the develop ment, located 1.2 miles outside town limits. A standing-room-only crowd jamm ed Weaverville Town Hall for the meeting, and several residents did not hesitate to let town officials know their feelings on the annexation - and on the special meeting. Weaverville Mayor Reese Lasher, who normally does not vote in town council meetings, was forced to cast the deciding vote when council members present deadlocked in a 2-2 tie. Voting in favor of the voluntary an nexation, in addition to Lasher, were Councilmen Bernard Koesters and Frank Spears. < nexation were -Butch" Davis an4&arold Payne. Council memtafrftqi Williams, who would have deciding vote, was absent from Thursday's meeting after undergoing -. minor surgery earlier in the day. Lasher said. Because the 3-2 vote does not repre sent a two-thirds majority, a second vote will be held on the Reems Creek Golf Club annexation request at the council's March 21 meeting. But several Weaverville residents present at the meeting said they were upset because town officials had call ed the special meeting to vote on the annexation question. The council, at its regularly scheduled meeting Feb. IS, bad agreed by a 4-1 vote to table action on Kenmyre s petition until March 21 1* ?rpm council members more time to study the request. But a majority of town council members - Williams, Koesters and Spears - signed a letter calling for Thursday's special meeting to "remove from the table" the Reems Creek Golf Club request. Some angry residents asked if the council would call another special meeting to speed up the annexation process. Town Manager Charles -Continued on back page The Bl-Lo Supermarket In Weaverville sustained some $10,000 in damages during a small (Ire Saturday which forced the RANDY COX PHOTO I evacuation of 25 employees and and shoppers. i ? Fire, Smoke Damage Grocery Store I The Bi-Lo Weaverville it ?tin 1 fire brain out in a storage room | sarty Saturday irmrt n Tbe fire, which was contained to the storage room in back of Ux forced the evacuation of ? emp yw and early said Deputy smelted smoke. He said he mv ? ke liming from the behind < store room door He ouened the and fire came out That's he - th? Are depart meat" . . r - The fire was sizeable, but It never spread beyond the storage There was quite a bit of smoke damage t ' maim under investigation, fire of ficials believe it was caused by an electrical problem Sims said the fire may have resulted when an overhead tight BILL STUDENC PHOTU Weaverville Mayor Reese Lasher looks over an agreement with the developers of Reems Creek Golf Club, who have petitioned the town for voluntary satellite annexation. TV A Pilot Project Requires Approval Of County Board By BILL STUOENC Editor Madison County should have no problem being selected for a special Tennessee Valley Authority pilot pro gram designed to boost economic growth. The only hurdle remaining to the county's participation in the TV A pro ject is winning the approval of the Madison County Board of Commis sioners, said Bob Gonia, county specialist for the TVA's Special Op portunities Counties Program. Gonia was speaking Tuesday night to the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. ' 'The only thing that would block it, I would think, would be if the county didn't approve it," Gonia said. "But I have been assured by each of the three commissioners that they will approve it." Gonia told chamber members Ust month that in order for Madison County to qualify as one of four coun ties to participate in the pilot pro gram, he must have letters of ap proval from the chamber, as lead agency in the project, and from the commissioners. But county commissioners said last month they would not approve Madison County's participation in the program without first discussing it with Gonia. Gonia has since contacted each commission* individually. He and Jeanne Hoffaan, chamber chair man. will meet Monday with the com missi oners to win official approval. Gonia and Hoffman will also attend meetings with the boards of aldermen in Mars Hill, Marshall and Hot Spr ings within the next month to seek their support. 1 m i m > ? . * J * f v ., Marshall Man, 17 Charged In Fatality The charge, filed Mom i accident thai occ p.n ' aturdajr of Buncombe < bounty, Patrol report I and was traveling on a rural road in Leicester when hi* car crash ri Jyp?Be<iout fa wih it toppfen a a r' It SraveMon A1 tanc ft id i Thorsen Murder Trial Begins From Staff Reports A seven-woman^ five-man Jury began hearing evidence Monday in the trial of Jon C. Thorsen, 44, charged with second-degree murder in the March 1987 shooting death of his wife. Thorsen, of S. Bear Creek Road, Marshall, is charged with shooting his wife, Claudia Ann Thorsen, in the head following a domestic dispute. Mrs. Thorsen, a waitress at Mary's Restaurant in Marshall, died about four hours after receiv ing a single gunshot wound to the head March 15, 1987. She had been shot at close range with a .32 caliber revolver. Thorsen, represented by at torney Stephen Huff, apparently will contend that his wife shot herself. Huff has yet to make his opening remarks to the jury. Authorities had at one point con sidered suicide as a possibility in the shooting, but later ruled out a self-inflicted wound. Testimony began Monday in Madison County Superior Court as a string of prosecution witnesses - including law enforcement of ficers, ambulance personnel and State Bureau of Investigation laboratory experts - took the stand. The most dramatic testimony came Tuesday afternoon, when Thorsen 's 17-year-oid daughter. Erjca Marie Thorsen. took the witness stand. Miss Thorsen testified that she was in her bedroom taftlng on the telephone with a friend when she heard "a loud pop." She described the noise as sounding "like a toy pop-gun." Miss Thorsen said she didn't pay any attention to the noise and con tinued talking on the phone until
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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March 3, 1988, edition 1
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