Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / April 21, 1988, edition 1 / Page 1
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The NEWS RECORD Vol. 88 No. 16 Serving Madison And Northern Buncombe Counties Thursday, April 21, 1988 25c Weaverville May Lift Water Tap Moratorium By BILL STUDENT Editor Weaverville officials will conduct a study to determine if they should lift a 14-year ban on providing municipal water service outside the town limits. Mayor Reese Lasher, in calling for the study at Monday night's meeting of the Weaverville Town Council, said that a moratorium on new water taps outside the corporate limits has hampered the town's economic development efforts. Lasher also said that the recently approved agreement with the Asheville-Buncombe Water Authority should provide Weaverville with ail the water it needs for customers in side and outside town limits. Lifting the moratorium and exten ding water service to customers out side the town could also provide funds for an independent water system for Weaverville, he said. "In Weaverville, we have had a moratorium in place on the use of water since 1974. That moratorium has prohibited the growth of this com munity," Lasher said. "Weaverville, being a major part of the North Buncombe community, needs to continue that type of leader ship role. The oniy way we can do that is through water and sewer facilities that we have," he said. Weaverville could actually profit from providing water to customers outside the town limits, he said. Town officials could decide to charge non municipal customers a water rate that would cover the cost of providing the water, plus give the town money to set aside for future improvements to the water system. "I believe the study will show that we're able to do this and it won't co6t the town any money," Lasher said. "I believe we will be able to make money from the sale of water and I believe we will be able to make money from tap fees." Town officials have been studying several options to improve the supply of water in the Weaverville area. Among those options are tapping the French Broad or the Ivy rivers. Most Weaverville officials seem to favor utilizing the Ivy River as a water source, but cost estimates on a water system based on the river have been as high as $10.5 million. "I believe this (lifting the water moratorium) will be a better way to raise money for the Ivy River project without raising water rates and without raising taxes," Lasher said. "If we can raise money to defer the cost of building a plant this way rather than by raising water rates or property tax rates, I think all of our people would support that approach," he said. Town officials increased water rates by 27 percent last year to help provide money for the new water system. Depending upon what the study reveals, Weaverville officials may lift the water tap moratorium as ear ly as this fall. Councilman Harold Payne asked that study also include a look at the town's water lines. "We need to know if our pipes are suitable to get water here," Payne said. "Our problem is not availabili ty. 1 think it is distribution. Will our pipes handle it?" Weaverville officials last year iron ed out an agreement with the Asheville-Buncombe Water Authority through which the town will purchase water. That agreement is designed only as an interim solution until the town can -Continued on back page Madison Reopens By B1IX STUDENC Editor Three of the four Madison County Sheriff's Department dispatchers laid off last month are back on the Job - but they 're not getting paid for it. The former dispatchers are part of a volunteer force being used by Sheriff Dedrick Brown to answer emergency calls and provide full time supervision of Madison County Jail. * ?/ By using the volunteers - including the laid off dispatchers, auxiliary deputies and others -- Brown has reopened the jail and will keep the jail open until July 1, when the Madison County Board of Commis sioners approves a new budget. Brown is hoping that his slice of the budget will include funding for four full-time dispatchers, who also serve as jailers. If the county does not pro vide funding for the jail. Brown has -Continued on Page I* Reems Creek Golf Clob, scheduled for anne xation July 1, may not become part of Weavervllle. A group of residents has filed a BILL STUDENC PHOTO lawsuit to block the satellite annexation of 89 acres of property designated for residen tial development. Lawsuit Could Halt Annextion Of Golf Course By BILL STUDENC Editor A group of Weaverville residents has followed through on threats to file a lawsuit against the town of Weaver ville to prevent the satellite annexa tion of Reems Creek Golf Club. Thtraidents, represented by at torney Harold K. Bennett, have also asked a Superior Court judge for a temporary injunction halting the satellite annexation of the golf club until their lawsuit comes to trial. Judge Claude S. Sit ton will conduct a hearing next Thursday in Bun combe County Supeior Court to deter mine whether he will issue a restrain ing order halting annexation pro ceedings. The annexation of 89 acres and 189 homesites of the development is scheduled to take effect July 1. The lawsuit, filed last Thursday by Bennett, alleges that the annexation violates state law governing the an nexation of property that is not adja cent to current town limits. Ken mure Associates of Henderson ville, developers of Reems Creek Golf Club, requested annexation of V acres to be developed for single family homes. But developers did not request annexation of 161 other acres owned by Kenmure Associates - land that includes an lfr-hote golf course plus other property designated as for "future development." Under state law, all of a subdivision must be included in a request for satellite annexation, according to Bennett. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit - Joseph Joyner and his wife, Ann; Juanita Proffitt, Mary Traxler, Lawrence Sprinkle and David Bell - contend that the golf course and "for future development" property is part .rAn(lmiA<l am Kaolt nnffo BILL STTJDENC PHOTO House Speaker Lis too B. Ramsey, left, introduces Sen. Harold Hardison, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, at a gathering in Marshall. Ramsey Gives Nod To Hardison In Race For Lieutenant Governor By BILL STUDENC Editor State Sen. Harold Hardison, one of three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor, has been assured of at least one vote in the May 3 primary -- that of House 'Speaker Liston B. Ramsey. And Hardison is hoping that will translate to more votes in Ramsey's home county of Madison Hardison, an eight-term senator from Lenior County, was in Marshall on Monday looking for support from other Madison County Democrats during a luncheon at Momma'sCoun try Kitchen. Also seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for the office of lieutenant governor are state Sen Tony Rand of Fayettevllle and former state Sen. Parks Helms of Charlotte. . . & V? ' Attorney Of 50 Years Honored I SIK PONDER J Staff Writer H A E l-eakc. a Madison* torney for more than half a < must have feH like he was I again Friday. m paused Ml Hay to honor him for his SO years id during (he gpecial ceremony at i In Madiso Count 3 (>orn in in 1911. Carolina i L School | J VV"; ? Board of Education and the town of Hot Springs. Leake has also served as chairman of the Madiaon County Democratic Party and as a member of the North CarolUt State Democratic Party's ive Committee During Friday s cermony. several or Leake'; long-timi associate renu mbered Hie rst tl that they met Leake, and recalled the imprei came from District Court Judge Phillip Gtnn, who said: "Like the footprints imprinted on the sand, Mr. Leake has been imprinted on many hearts, so that we will never be the Several other associates and friends took a walk down memory lane and recalled the many times that they had seen I wit in action Ramsey, who introduced Hardison at Monday's noontime gathering, said that he knows all three Democratic candidates. "All three of them are friends of mine, but Harold Hardison has been the best friend to the mountain coun ties," Ramsey said. And that's the reason Hardison has won the speaker's vote, he said. "All three are capable men," Kaiiuey said. "1 don't run around telling people how to vote, but if anybody's interested, I intend to vote tor Harold Hardison because he has been the best friend to the mountain counties." As an example, Ramsey told of how Hardison played a major role in ob taining a lithotripter - a device which uses sonic waves to disintegrate kidney stones without surgery - for Western North Carolina. Hardison; in brief remarks to Madison Dtifeocratic Party leaders, thanked RaiAsey for his vote and said that he and the speaker agree philosophically " on most issues Hardison said he is not trying to sell himself as a "regional candidate," although his home county of Lenior and rural counties of WNC have much MsF; . . jaArtaaft itoifii 'Jtiuak < in common. "We have to represent the whole state," he said. His campaign for lieutenant gover nor has taken him to all 100 counties in North Carolina. "We are doing well with our cam paign. We have an organization that is working enthusiastically, and we feel real good about it," Hardbon said. "I am hoping and praying that we can wrap it up in the first primary - oh, wouldn't that be great. It would:] save a lot of wear and tear on me," he said. Topping Hardison's list of iaaues is education v ! "We have to educate our society. Our children arc our future," he said But almost at tk? is the development of < opportunities, I
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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April 21, 1988, edition 1
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