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V 01.34, N 0.36
School Board Delays Action On Controversial
Plan; Fate Os Burnsville School Uncertain
A controversial and spirited
meeting of the Yancey County
School Board was held at the
Courthouse in Burnsville last
Friday evening. Some 45 con
Complaints From local Managers End Centralized
Management Os School Lunches Despite Endorsement
The Yancey County School
Board at a special meeting on
August 30 ordered the applica
tion of a uniform 25 cart charge
for school lunches for all the
Farmers Net lit Per Carton In
Catastrophic Blow To Tomato Industry
Low grade tomatoes have
been netting farmers in Yan
cey County only ll<fc per 20-
pound carton for the past two
weeks and high grade tomatoes
much harder to come by, nets
the farmer only $1.07 for a
20-pound carton.
Tomato growers across the
nation are faced with a mid
summer glut of the market and
many Yancey producers are
leaving their ripened tomatoes
unpicked because of the price
sag.
Agricultural officials who
had pre-season hopes of the
Yancey crop exceeding last
year's income say. it will be
much below that figure when
the final tally is added.
The situation is apparently
national in scope, with all to
mato producers feeling the
pinch, and came about be -
cause the major producing statq
California, stepped up its to
mato acreage about 1296 this
year and had a larger than usual
crop.
When the Yancey tomatoes
started to market in late July,
prices were $3.50 per 20-pound
carton. In August the price
dropped to $2.50, and on Au
gust 10 to $2 per carton,where
it has bottomed out.-
Some growers with high
quality tomatoes could pssibly
make enough at this price to
just about break even by sell -
(ing them, but it doesn't pay
to market the lower quali
cemed and aroused residents re
presenting all areas of tie coun
ty appeared to hear what the
Board intended to do about the
adoption of a plan for the de
★
schools in the county. The
new charge, effective Septem
ber 8, is an increase in the
following schools—Micav ille,
South Toe, Pensacola, Clear
ty produce as picking costs ex
ceeds return.
All growers are urged, how
ever, to pick off toe mature
tomatoes ana maintain their
spraying program to be ready
to resume toe harvest if the
price strengthens.
About 40-5096 of toe Yan -
cey crop has been picked to
date. The packing house has
been keeping busy, but with
much bigger selling problems
Rebels Beat Marshall
The Cane River Rebels, led
by the devastating running and
passing attack of scafoack Os -
sie Parker, won its 2nd straight
victory of the young football
season with a 16-8 triumph
over Marshall Friday night-
Accredited
Notice has been received
from toe State Department of
Public Instruction, Raleigh, N.
C. that South Toe Elementary
School is now officially accre
dited by the State Accredits -
tion Committee. In addition
to South Toe, East Yancey and
Cane River High Schools are
now state accredited schools
Superintendent Landrum Wilson
states that other schools in the
county are making progress to
ward becoming accredited.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3,1970
velopment of Yancey County
Schools.
The two plans, in bare out
line are as follows: The first
is to hoard our financial re -
mont and Bee Log. The increase
is a result of the continuing in
flation, affecting and
other costs.
At this same meeting the
than in recent years. Retail
prices of tomatoes have shown
some decline.
"To some of our farmers the
tomato crop is their bread and
butter," commented Allan Mc-
Murry, horticulture specialist,
"We are hoping for toe prices
to go upward again, but with
a big number of green tomatoes
sold earlier this summer from
California it is hard to be op
timistic. "
Cane River, who whipped
Hot Springs 38-0 last Friday,
held the advantage in both the
running and passing departmot
The Rebels ground out 18 3 yard
to only 47 for Marshall and
led the aerial action with 155
yards to 66 for the Tornadoes.
Cane River also had the du
bious distinction of having 158
yards in penalties while Mar
shall was penalised 80.
After a scoreless first 'quar
ter in which both teams were
heavily penalised, Wayne Mc-
Devitt threw to Harlon Rice
for 25 yards to score Marshall
only touchdown in toe second
period. The pass climaxed a
penalty aided 60-yard drive.
Frank Roberts ran the extra
point run.
Cane River got on the score
board in the third period when
Ossie Parker slammed off
(Cont'd on page 16)
sources until we can see our
way to build a fine new high
school on a fifty acre site, cos
ting perhaps $1,500,00Q Wien
this is completed—a possible
Board reversed itself regarding
the introduction of centralized
buying of food and manage -
ment of school lunches. This
centralized
the Board voted unanimously
to adopt has been in operation
only since the first o f this
school year.
Mrs. Don Elly, who meets
the State requirements for the
job, was employed to be the
county-wide manager. That
job has now been abolished.
At the previous school board
meeting, last Friday,the lunch
room managers of five of the
(Cont'd on page 2)
Killed In
Collision
Yates R. Bennett, 62, of
Burnsville was fatally injure d
about 6:45 p. m. Saturday in
a two car collision on U.S.I9E
six miles east of Burnsville.
Bennett was a State Highway
Commissioner for the Western
District during the administra
tion of Governor Terry Sanford.
He was also a former Register
of Deeds for Yancey County,
County Chairman of the Demo
cratic Party, a real estate
broker and Veteran of World
War n.
He was the son of toe late
S. T. and Ora Young Bennett.
Surviving is a sister, Mis.
Elizabeth B. Clapp of Burns
ville, a foster son, C apt. Ro
mie Bums of St. Petersburg,
Florida, a nephew, James F.
Hughes and two great nephews.
Funeral services were held
at 300 p. m. Tuesday in the
chapel of Holcombe Brothers
Funeral Home. The Rev. Har
old McDonald officiated with
Mr. Bruce Tomberlin and bur
ial was in the Pete Young Ce
metery.
date in 1977 was mentioned—
our two present high schoo Is
would become elementary
schools.
In the meantime the present
school set-up would remain as
is. It was this feature of the
plan that provoked the greatest
hostility from the audience who
rebel at the idea of keep ing
children in the Burnsville school
for some seven years or more.
This school, the subject of
an inspection by the State Fire
Marshal in March, has been
condemned by the Grand Jury
for years. Also the Fire Mar
shal has set out certain condi -
tions that would have to be met
even for temporary occupancy,
none of which has been voted
on to this date.
Alternative Plan #2 is to pro
ceed immediately with an "in
termediate plan", or first step
toward a "long range" plan..
This involves starting at once
to add ten classrooms to the
Cane River High School, which
would become the single high
school in the county until such
time as finances permit the
building of a fine entirely new
high school. In the meantime
the Burnsville elementary shod
would be moved to the vacated
East Yancey Building.
The sentiment of tho<*e at
(Cont'd on page 2)
Panthers Whip
Mars Htt Team
By Lloyd Gouge
Rodney Bishop, Senior half
back for East Yancey scored two
touchdowns Friday night as the
Panthers defeated Mas Hill 22-
6. The Panthers opened the
scoring in the first quarter
senior quarterback, Ken Win -
ters hit paydirt on a 50 - yard
run. Forest Westall followed
through with the two-point con
version.
Later, in the second quarter
Bishop received a long bomb
from Winters and went in for
a touchdown on the pass
play.
Early in the third quarter
Ken Castelloe scored on a one
yard plunge putting 6 on the
scoreboard for Mas Hill.
Shortly afterwards Bishop
went through on a 40-yard run
with a handoff from Winters.
Randy Banks closed the scor
ing with the two point cavers kai
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