Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Sept. 8, 1988, edition 1 / Page 1
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MADISON COUNTY LIBRARY GENERAL DELIVERY MARSHALL Nc utj Buncombe Counties Vol. 88 No. 36 Thursday, September 8, 1988 25c Madison County Courthouse hit by arsonists late Sunday HUGHKOONTJEPHOTO River Week Begins Sept. 10 By H.D. KOONTZ III The New* Record Editor This weekend residents of Madison and three other counties will dive into activities celebrating the 12th annual French Broad River Week. The week - Sept. 10 through 18 - will feature stream cleanups, raft rides, festivals, contests, displays, picnics, music, fishing derbys, bike rides and even a junk sculpture contest. All this just to celebrate the river that flows a twiting, often rocky path through Madison, Transylvania, Bun combe and Henderson counties. Groups and organizations from throughout the river basic area hope to once again make a big splash with the public, said Ruth Gregory, presi dent of the French Broad River Foun dation. The week's festivities are being sponsored by the Foundation and the Land-of-Sky Regional Council. This year's theme is "Water for Life." The highlight of the week's events will be "Rivcrfest," a two-day celebration Sept. 10-11 of the French Broad River featuring free entertain ment, raft and conoe rides, kids fishing clinics, and other events at the Jean Webb River Park - named after the foundation's longtime president - beneath the Haywood Road Bridge in Asheville. In Madison County photos and other items pertaining to the river will be on display at the Madison County Library at Marshall throughout the month. Near Hot Springs in Madison Coun ty free whitewater raft trips will be offered for those willing to help clean up along the banks of the French Broad Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event, sponsored by the Nan tahala Outdoor Center, the Carolina Wilderness and French Broad Raf ting Company, provides equipment and guides, but participants should bring a change of clothes and lunch. You must be at least 10 years old. John Worstdl, manager of French Broad Outposl with the Nantahala Outdoor Center, said the cleanup trip will cover about six to eight miles and Continued on back page Democrats Oppose Poll Judge. Named I Itor | .son ? i mjb rd of Election* and the top Democrat disagree over the !)<?" poU S;, aw a whole E.V Fonder. ty Democratic Petty, 1 H I a UfUe more than that and thai the state law directs ofb- rds -l ele* tio t ?.vomn?T.4atk x>ii fron < ch of the two poUO al g- that i mended Powell name Debbie Ponder, a relative of Ponder's. But instead of following Ponder'* request, Powell named Reeves Church, a Democrat wtao is married y Democrats i had Rapublican oa hii farm buildings dun the 1986 eiac too hence I than i to >r ?ond sai foweU said he kn< said otil June IK Arsonists' Blaze Rips Courthouse S.B.I. Offers $10,000 Reward By H.D. KOONTZ III The New* Record Editor Madison County's 81-year-old cour thouse was torched about midnight Sunday by arsonists who broke through a rear window of the recently i renovated building. Three separate fires which were apparently set in office and cour troom trash cans left an estimated $100,000 in damage to the main cour troom on the second floor and to the first floor clerk's and tax collector's offices, Madison County Sheriff Dedrick Brown said. A 910,000 reward has been offered by the N.C. State Bureau of Investiga tion for information leading to the ar rest and conviction of those responsi ble for the fire. The courtroom was the hardest hit, with the judge's oak bench gutted by flames which apparently came from an adjacent trash can which was set ablaze. Brown said no gasoline was used to start the fires. No vital records were destroyed; nothing was reported stolen. No motive has been established, but Brown speculated the arsonists believed they had a score to settle with the Madison County courts system. "It could have been someone tried there who didn't think he got a fab shake," Brown said. i Brown, said the tax collector's of - lie* window had "a hole big enough to thrww a cow through" after the ar sonists broke In. Once inside, he said the arsonists used a mop to break through the glass door at the clerk of court's office. Although some small change was left sitting inside one of the offices, none of the money was taken. Brown said his department receiv ed the fire call about 12:24 a.m. Mon day. Eddie Fox, Director of Emergency Services, said the Mars Hill Fire Department had 15 firemen and Mar shall Fire Department had 19 men on the scene. The heat inside the courtroom was so intense it shattered a water pitcher and melted hardened chewing gum Courthouse Break-in , Arson 0 . * Very Amateurish 9 Sheriff Brown on the bottom of chairs. The recently installed fire retardent curtains which were used to improve acoustics in the room pro bably helped save portions of the walls, said architect Wayne Roberts, of Woodard and Roberts of Asheville, the firm that handled the renovation two years ago. Smoke and water damage was evi dent throughout the building, which is M NaOopjl Raftetar of Historic ("faces. r Bob PhllNpe. a Madison County homebullder, estimated it would cost up to 9200,000 to "to put it back like it was." Phillips said there was a lot of hand-made wooden portions in the courtroom. He said the "minimum" cost of repairing the building would be $100,000. Brown called the ureakin and arson "very amateurish" and added he believed more than one person was involved. He said the department had several , suspects, including one person who apparently cut himself during the breakin. Blood was found inside the building, apparently the result of breaking through the glass window. Brown said the department would have to subpoena information about the injured suspect from Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, where a Madison County man was treated for hand lacerations Monday. "We've got two or three people we're checking out who have done this sort of thing before," Brown said. S.B.I. Agent Brian Hallman said blood samples and fingerprint samples have been sent to the state crime lab in Raleigh for analysis. Madison County spent nearly 1300,000 two years ago renovating the county landmark. The dome was removed so the roof and other struc tural portions of the building^ould be repaired. Nearly $30,000 worth of drapes were installed in the courtroom. Spectators said flames could be seen licking out the sides of the dome at the height of the Arc. -Continued on back page Bon-Worth of Henderson opens plant in Hot Springs I <9fjjEE&' ? : ;|? . Hot Springs Plant Opens By H.D. KOONTZ III The New* Record Editor Springs Manufacturing Company, a subsidiary of Bon-Worth of Hender son ville, opened its sewing operation in Hot Springs this week Mid Barbara Waldrop would be the plant manager. work producing ladies woven and knit pants, Comer said. The Henderson ville plant employs about 130 people, he said. The Hot Springs facility is the first such satellite plant opened by Bon Worth. "We'll probably open more in the other areas as we grow," Cooler tM "We're convinced this is the way to go became everybody else is doing it. "There's ? lot of competition for Ike labor in Hendersonvilte, " he added. Bon-Worth has its own chain of stores, hence the elimination of the "middle-man," Comer said. He said the average wages for piece-work employees is about 900 a I ? ? _ - ? AM* fcj mi"- m ? ., ? , , M J any if 06p6noinj{ on now ^xpcncnc6u the worker is. Workers installed II sewing machines last week In the building Weaverville May Raise Water Rates By R.T. JKOENIG Weaverville water customers will see their monthly bills increase if the recommendations of a new study are approved. Weaverville's Town Council met with the town's engineer Tuesday night to discuss a recently completed study of the town's water system Gary McGiil of McGill Associates ex plained the results of the study during the special called meeting at Town Hall. Earlier this year, the council had asked McGill Associates to study the town's water system to determine if a long-standing moratorium on water, hook-ups could be lifted. McGill was also asked to determine if the town could expand water service to outly ing areas of northern Buncombe County. McGiil's study of the system recommends an 30 parent increase in water rates tar customers within the town limits. At present, water customers within the town are charg ed 95.02 for the first 3,000 gallons each month. Additional water lip to 100,000 -Coatlnaed en back page
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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