Mi
MADISON
COUNTY LIBRARY
GENERAL DELIVERY
MARSHALL NC
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00039
Walnut Resident Honored
At White House 6
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Serving Madison And Buncombe Counties
Thursday. Augus, U.lW
Commissioners To Seek Manager Funds
By H.D. KOONTZ HI
The News Record Editor
The county manager form of government may be coming to Madison Coun
ty
The county's Board of Commissioners Monday night agreed to send a letter
to Speaker of the House Liston Ramsey requesting state aid in establishing a
county manager's office.
"We've got to have a county manager and get out of this good ole boy
system," said Commissioner Reese Steen Monday night.
"We've got a *10 million a year business and we need to have somebody in
charge."
The state has a program whereby $75,000 in seed money can be made
available to localities considering starting a manager's office. The annual
amount decreases each year until the county <ftn handle the expense itself.
Steen's suggestion was to "use what political clout we have" - the speaker
resides in Marshall - to get state aid. "
Steen said the county's $10 million budget has grown to the point where it's
like a small industry and added that no industry would stay in business long
without having a manager in charge.
"I'm a commissioner and I don't even know who's making the decisions or
where the orders are coming from sometimes," Steen said.
Board Chairman Robert Capps agreed, saying, "This is definitely
something to look into. If we can get the money from Mr. Ramsey, we'd be
foolish not to do this."
Commissioner John Hensley also voted in favor of the motion.
Steen also suggested the county consider establishing a county employee
personnel policy to define jobs and salaries so equal pay is given for equal
work.
No action was taken on that matter.
In another matter, Dr. Otis W. Duck of Mars Hill asked the commissioners
to support the efforts of the U.S. 23 - 1-26 Corridor Association, which is
pushing for an alternate, interstate highway quality road from the Tennessee
border where that state's 1-26 portion will end to Asheville.
The current U.S. 23 highway from Sam's Gap in Tennessee to Asheville
would be unsuitable for conversion to an interstate-quality highway, Duck
said.
The Tennessee portion of 1-26 is scheduled for completion in 1992.
Duck said U S- 23 in Madison County has 14 intersections, 43 curves,
numerous school bus stops, steep grades and narrow shoulders.
The association says there have been 106 traffic accidents, 41 injuries and
four deaths on the 11 miles of U.S. 23 between Sam's Gap and Mars Hill within
the last four years.
Duck said the association is seeking the support of all localities in Western
North Carolina for the alternate route, which would be a more direct path
from the border to Asheville.
In a related matter Steen said the county needs to ensure that the new
highway does not become a advertising billboard for other communities. He
said the state legislature must help in restricting advertising signs along what
is now a "scenic highway" in Madison County.
"I want something said and done about the billboards," Steen said. "This is
a beautiful county and we've got everything to lose if we let the billboards take
over."
Steen said he did not object to advertising logos on interstate exit signs He
said federal regulations do not address the potential billboard problem.
In other matters the commissioners:
?Learned from engineer Larry New, representing a firm planning a 80- bed
-Continued on Page 14
Freak Storm
Soaks Big Pine
By H.D. KOONTZ III
The News Record Editor
An isolated evening thundershower
dumped S.5 inches of rain on the Big
Pine Community in Madison County
last Thursday.
No one was hurt, but personal pro
perty damage was estimated at
$150,000, said Eddie Fox, director of
emergency services for Madison
County.
Only one home got any water in
side, and that was contained to the
basement. Fox said.
Residents called the flash flood -
Big Pine Creek rose over bridges
within 10 minutes and crested at
about eight to 10 feet above normal -
the worst such drenching in more
than a decade.
Wiley T. DuVal I, tobacco specialist,
said he remembered just one other
flash Hood in the area that was worse.
"And that was 11 years ago,"
Duvall said, while surveying tobacco
damage on Dean Roberts' farm Fri
day.
Dayton Wild, who resides on South
Fork Road, said there was little war
ning when the storm broke.
"It seemed like it all happened at
once," Wild said. "And I mean it
didn't let up."
The rain began at 5:45 p.m. and by
7 p.m. more than five inches had been
dumped on the area.
Big Pine was the only Madison
County community to get as much
rain.
"It was pretty freaky, that much
rain in that short a time," Pox said.
No livestock was lost.
"I've not even heard of a dog or a
cat being gone," Pox added.
Although flood damage was exten
sive, Pox said there probably would
not be any federal or state aid
available for the victims.
"The area is not big enough to
qualify for federal funds and there
are no state funds to help these peo
ple," he said.
?Continued on Page 14
Wolf
Wants Own Town
,
Homeowners Assoc lit
Monday night tlw residents agreed to
petition the state legislature tor in
corporation as a township.
Also the issociation ? to
njpioy lawyer Jack Steele, of Petrie,
Stockton firm, to
investigate a possiM con
trad bj Bak Mountain Develop
the , Igtnul (iovetopf :
ih *1
group
Negotiations are u
I of the ski
? Beach
.ho rrifowners
i il to pur- iw the incorporation
If Laurel Into a town by going to
el pull; out, n
bat I to :are
*
Big Pine Residents Survey Flood Damage To Bridge
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Schools Waiting
For The Numbers
By H.D. KOONTZ III
The News Record Editor
The upcoming school year's
operating budget will have to wait for
state budget numbers before the
Madison County Board of Education
gives the fiscal plan its final aproval.
The next meeting is set for Aug. 23
at 7 p.m. in the Madison County High
School auditorium
Director of Instruction Bobby Jean
Rice told the board Monday the state
figures had been delayed because the
legislature did not adjourn this year
wtil mW-Jnly ?
A naniber ol personnel items took
the majority of the board's time,
spent mostly in closed session, Mon
day.
The board unanimously approved
Latrelle Robinson, a former school
teacher and now operator of
Momma's Country Kitchen, as a
substitute teacher for Mars Hill
Elementary School.
After its three-hour closed session,
the board accepted the resignation of
Judy Peek* as an employee of the
Mars Hill cafeteria.
The board approved hiring Wanda
English as cafeteria worker.
Also, the board approved Bruce
?Continued on Page 3
Weayerville
Fire Cuts
Bruce Auto
An early Monday morning fire
caused $45,000 damage to Bruce *
Auto Shop on Reems Creek Road.
Weaverville Deputy Fire Chief
Doug Sims said the department
received the call at 3:54 a.m. and ar
rived on the scene a few minutes later
to find flames pouring through the
roof of the building.
No one was injured.
Sims said the building was valued
at $150,000
He said the fire apparently started
in the office-storage area. Cause of
the Maze has not been determined, he
?aid.
The Bum combe County fire mar
shal is investigating the fire, but Sims
said arson is not suspected.
Firemen from the Woodsin and
Reems Creek fire departments
helped fight the fire.
About 15 firemen had Uie fire under
control within 20 minutes, Sims said.
Wi
Mars Hill Agrees
T o Use Zoning Leaflet
<
M
Ply H.D.KOONTZ III
The New* Record Editor
The Mm Hill Board of AH
and Planning Board decided at * ]
meeting Tueaday night the
should provide leaflets explaii
town's zoning law to developers
The idea of the leaflets is to prevent
and delays fe*
! town and just outside the town
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