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Classroom With Oil Storage Tank Termed ‘Dangerous’/Barbarous'
Education In Yancey-First
Among County Problems
The Yancey Record received an irate telephone call
this past week criticizing us for publishing so much news
relative to the county's school problems, much ot wnren
may be viewed as critical of the County’s school board.
We wish to state our position with regard to the school news
The Yancey Record believes school problems are the
most serious matter confronting the county at this time.
We know this view is shared by many of our citizens.
Some time ago the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce
canvassed its 200 members relative to the priority of
County problems. The response showed overwhelmingly
that school problems rank first.
The seven years of school board indecision with re
spect to putting to use the $338,000 allocated to Yancey
County from the 1963 State bond election, is illustrative
of the mess we are in. During these seven years of talk,
vacillation and bickering, this large sum has lost through
inflation, half of its purchasing power for the building
of school facilities.
Now, the forced closing of the upper floor of the
Burnsville school and the threat of having to close the en
tire building next year, has brought on a crisis where ac
tion by the school board becomes imperative.
Given this crisis situation, The Yancey Record be
lieves that all news relative to solution of the school
problems—all proposals, all consideration of
all activities of PTA groups aimed at finding solutions—
are of paramount interest to the County. All this is im
portant news, and The Yancey Record as a newspaper is
simply serving its purpose in reporting it all objectively.
It happens that the Burnsville PTA has been in the fore
front in involvement in the school problems. The Yan -
cey Record will be happy to report the activities and
view of other concerned citizen groups orindividuals.
The only limitation will be that we draw the line on ser
ving as a sounding board for any material aimed at fo
menting division between town and county. The school
problems are difficult enough without the injection of
divisive prejudice.
We go on record here as applauding the efforts of the
Burnsville PTA to form a county-wide PTA Council which
can pursue solutions for the best interest of all Yancey
County.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22,1970
Two UF Thermometers Show
Daily Progress Os Campaign
The 197 D campaign of the
Yancey United Fund is now in
***** awiug« * nc tncrnioinctcfis
at the two ends of the Burns -
ville town square show that re
ceipts have already passed the
W,wre 1 v on the way up
to a goal of $9,900.
This early in the drive it is
difficult to tell just how things
are going from day to day,and
the red indicator on the ther
mometers may lag due to slow
ness of reports to come in. A
problem of the campaign com
mittee is to get the volunteer
workers to turn in prompt re
ports of their results.
Chairman Mack B.Raystates
that he is much encouraged by
the early response to the drive.
A trend toward more generous
contributions is clearly evident
from the early receipts that
have been tabulated.
The first organization to
Harvest
Festival
A Harvest Festival will be
held on Tuesday, October 27,
in the Pensacola Elementary
School lunchroom. The Festi
val is sponsored by the Pensa -
cola P.T.A.
Doors will open for food
selling at 6<oo p. m. A Pro
gram, by the school children
and the P. T. A,, will begin at
7too p. m. Cake Walks, Auc
tions, etc. will follow the pro
gram.
Admission will be 254: and
504:, collected at the door.
Door Prises will be given at
the end of the program.
Board Meeting Fails Again;
Only Two Members Appear
One hundred ten citizens
concerned with Yancey County
school problems were dis
appointed last Friday night
when they found that tha school
board meeting which they
came out to attend, could not
be held on account of a lack
of a quorum.
Chairman I. E. Clevenger
and A. F. Blankenship were the
only board members present.
Ralph Silvers was reported to
be hospitalized, and Carter
Thomas sent word that a death
in the family prevented his
attending. Albert Edwards
simply did not attend.
Although no official busi
make the Honor Roll this year
has been the School Superin -
perceiit of the personnel-have
contributed. The honor roll
will be published weekly dur
ing the drive.
Chairman Ray states that
approx— a hundred vol
unteers have enlisted
out the county to solicit funds.
PTA President Hess Speaks On
Yancey Schools And Politics
(Speech Made By Bill Hess At Board Os Education Meeting)
Ten years ago I moved with my family into Burnsville.
For most of that ten years I have tried to play the proper role
of a newcomer and especially an outsider-newcomer. That
role, essentially, gentlemen, calls for you to keep your
mouth shut about what's going on in government because
what's going on and the way it is, is how it's done here.
The first week that we moved here the young fellow who
was my neighbor at that time and I were talking. He was a
schoolteacher, but he was leaving to teach elsewhere. There
may have been other reasons, but he told me one reason why
Seems like one of the politicians came around for a contribu
tion and he refused to make one and then it was hinted that
his contract wouldn't be renewed. Well being new here it
was hard for me to understand how being a good Democrat or
good Republican had any earthly connection with a person
being a good teacher so I asked around, quietly, and was told
"that's how it's done here". Like a good outsider I shut my
mouth and sat silently by.
My 3 daughters enrolled in the Burnsville Elementary
School that fall, and after a bit we got around to visiting the
place. That was an experience. . Kidi were crammed into
tiny rooms, with awful lighting and heat, and the toilet
smell and conditions were indescribable for the 2nd half of
the 20th century. I even noticed as we walked away that
there would be no way to get the children and teachers out
of the 2nd floor if there was a fire and silently said a prayer
that there would never be one during school hours. I asked
around again and was told "that's how it's done here". Be
sides, one feller told me, 'ft was aa lousy as that when I went
.yy* vAvv (Cont'd on page 3)
ness could be conducted,a lon&
lively and informative discus
sion of school problems took
place. The two board mem
bers, Superintendent Landrum
Wilson and a considerable num
ber of the audience took part.
The feature of the evening
was the speech delivered by
William Hess, Chairman of
the Burnsville PTA. At the
close of his remarks, the au
dience rose to its feet, applau
ding at length. In view of the
ovation with which this speech
was received, indicating wide
spread approval of its
The Yancey Record is printing
the speech elsewhere in this is
sue of the paper.
Following H ess's re m arks,
Chairman Clevenger asked
whether anyone present would
like to express differing views,
or otherwise reply or comment
No one accepted this offer.
Clevenger asked for a show
of hands to disclose attendance
frtJFfrfdWferent parts of the
county. It was evident that
the audience was largely made
up of people from the area
served by the Burnsville Ele -
mentary School. These peo
ple showed the greatest con
cern with the s ituation of the
(Conv-*_„ oage 2)
10<