THE YANCEY JOURNAL
i
VOL. 5, NO. 1
Snow And
Ice Cause
Highway
Accidents
An accident on Wednes
day. December 29, at 6:30
p.m. involved a 1970 Lincoln
driven by Carson Honeycutt.
26, of Route 4, Burnsville.
The car was traveling south
on US 19W and skidded on
snow and ice. The car skidded
off the right side of the road
striking a rock and overturn
ing down a 10 foot embank
ment, striking a tree.
There were three passen
gers in the vehicle: Clarence
Deyton, 54, of Route 1,
Burnsville and Jerry McCur
ry, 23, of Route 4. Burnsville
were taken to Yancey Hospi
tal. The other passenger was
not injured. Damage to the
car was estimated at $1,200.
Trooper A.T. Morrison inves
tigated.
Alfred Muratori, 26, of
Burnsville was involved in a
one-car accident on Friday,
December 31, at 12:00 a.m.
The accident occurred on N.C.
1975, 3‘/i miles out of town.
Muritori was driving a
1969 Chevrolet north on N.C.
197 S and apparently lost
control on the wet road. The
car ran off the road on the left
side, back onto the road, then
back off the road down a steep
embankment and into Cane
River. There were no passen
gers and no injuries. SSOO.
damage was estimated.
Trooper W.J. Stallings inves
tigated.
Charles Ayers, Jr., 37, of
Morganton, N.C. was in
volved in a one-car accident
on Friday, December 31, at
10:30 a.m. The accident
occurred 12 miles north of
Burnsville on Relief Road.
Ayers was driving a 1975
Chevrolet north on the Relief
Road and attempted to make a
left turn onto the McKinney’s
Branch Road, The vehicle
skidded op snow and ice off
the left side of the road and
overturned down a 15 foot
deep embankment..
There were two passen
gers in the vehicle. There
were no injuries. Damage was
estimated at SI,OOO. Trooper
A.T. Morrison investigated.
An accident on U.S. 19E 4
miles north of Bufnsville
toward N C. 80 occurred on
Friday, December 31, at 12:20
p.m. Mary Marsh. 34, of
Micaville was driving a 1973
Chevrolet north on the old 19
highway. She came to a stop
sign and stopped. She then
pulled onto U.S. 19E into the
path of Dale. 37, of Green
Mountain. Dale was driving a
1971 Plymouth. The Plymouth
skidded 50 feet then struck
the Chevrolet in the left side.
There were no injuries.
Damage to the Chevrolet was
estimated at $700; to the
Plymouth, $75. Trooper A.T.
Morrison investigated.
On Friday, December 31
at 5:15 p.m. 5 miles east of
Burnsville on the Double
Island Road a two-car acci
dent involved Till Gouge, 61.
of Burnsville and Jimmie
McCurry, 24, of Micaville.
Gouge was backing a 1%0
Chevrolet out of a private
drive onto the roadway and
failed to see McCurry in a
1969 Pontiac. The Pontiac
struck the Chevrolet in the
rear then crossed the highway
running qff the left side of the
road and striking a block wall.
There were two passen
gers in the Gouge vehicle.
There were no injuries.
Damage to the Gouge Che
vrolet was estimated at S3OO,
and damage to the McCurry
Pontiac at SBOO. Trooper A.T.
Morrison investigated.
niVami w w 11 * 1 1111 1, I, p i
Snowstorms, Low Temps Extend Holidays
Yancey County school children had K all their own wav durins the T „„ , , ~ . . , , „ ...
Cbrtstonas and New Years holidays this year, as snowstorms «md cold had SSjCd * n° V*° ** tee " B a " d bekW lw *
temperatures not only closed the schools on Monday, December 20 for »**d Day urn. temperatures were warmer, but
Christmas, three days earlier than planned, Them dosed p L ,ong enoUgh *° com P lete, y thaw s ° me ° f the
Monday, January 3, which was to have been the first dav of school after the ~ , , , . .
holidays. At the present time school officials do notll" W th ™ th * P*™* but also
County roads will be in a safe enough condition for the buses to ‘*«e schoolkids are ready to end the prolonged holiday by this time.
* me 801,001 Duses ,0 travel - Pictured above, a snow scene captured by camera in the Windotn area.
Price Increase Due To Demand:
Firewood Cost Tqps *IOO/Cord
If you chopped your own
supply of winter firewood,
that stack of logs in the back
yard may be worth a lot more
than ’you realize.
Like almost everything
else today, the cost of
firewood is going up, some
times astronomically.
Across the country, a
standard cord of wood which
cost an average of $49.50 in
1972 is today about SB6. In
some parts of the country that
figure is much higher.
Off-Road- Vehicle Plan
In Effect January 1
Robert W. Cermak, Forest
Supervisor of the National
Forests in North Carolina,
said today that the Off-Road
Vehicle Plan is ..w in effect
on all National Forest lands in
North Carolina.
‘‘Beginning January 1,
1977,” Cermak said, “certain
roads, trails, and special
management areas will be
closed to oft-road vehicle use.
However, many roads and
trails will remain open to
off-road vehicles.”
All of these restricted
areas will be posted. The
Forest Service plans to
distribute maps of each
Ranger District which show
where ORVs may operate.
These maps will be available
to the public at District
Ranger Stations located at
Robbinsville, New Bern, Hot
Springs, Marion. Highlands.
Pisgah Forest, Burnsville,
Murphy, Troy, and Franklin.
Maps will be available at the
Supervisor’s Office in Ashe
ville at 50 South French Broad
Avenue
Four-wheel drive (j ee P‘
type) vehicles will be restric
ted to use of open roads.
BURNSVILLE, N.C. 28714
A cord that sold ior »46
four years ago in New
Orleans, for example, now
costs $l5O. Prices in New
York City, Chicago and Los
Angeles also have broken the
SIOO mark.
Prices have risen primarily
because demand has escala
ted. Eighty percent of all
newly-constructed homes
costing over $23,000, say
building contractors, contain
at least one fireplace. The
U.S. consumption of firewood
for fireplaces was estimated
Some roads not suitable for all
vehicles may be designated
“Four-Wheel Drive Roads.”
Only off-road vehicles with
a width of 40” or less and 2 or
3 wheels will be permitted to
operate on those trails not
posted as closed. All vehicles
are permitted on open roads
provided they meet state laws
governing vehicles and
operators.
Mr. Cermak said, “The
purpose of this Plan is to
provide off-road vehicle users
ICont'd on page 3]
tfl-Lo o* T»t€. UeiK
CoUNTy
CoUNTHV
55 *
7*
at 14 million cords in 1960, 16
million cords jn 1970 and is
forecast at 18 million cords by
1980.
Although a price of SSO
- per cord delivered is not
exorbitant to pay, it is often
difficult, if not impossible, for
the consumer to know if he is,
indeed, getting a cord for his
money.
A standard cord of wood
equals 128 cubic feet in
volume, or a stack 8’ x 4’ x 4’.
Many dealers sell face cords,
short cords, ricks, racks or
pick-up loads-somdtimes ad
vertised sjmply as “cords”
and priced accordingly.
Another pitfall lies in
buying green wood unknow-
COST OF FIREWOOD
1972-76
'72 76
Albuquerque.-NM SSO 565
Atlanta. GA SO 80
Boston. MA • 79
Chicago, IL ’l6O
Cincinnati. OH • 70
Denver. CO 45 70
Detroit. Ml • 64
Houston, TX 45 90
Indianapolis. IN • 77
Los Angeles. CA 45 125
Milwaukee Wl • 65
New Haven CT • 75
New Orleans. LA 45 150
New York. NV • 100
Philadelphia. PA 65 50 68
Richmond, VA * 72
San Francisco. CA 55 85
Seattle. WA 50 60
St Louis. MO 45 80
'not available
South Toe
Fire Calls
December 27: 3:15 p.m. a
broom sage fire on Rock
Creek Road in the vicinity of
the residences of Stanley
Shuford, Wilford Shuford,
and Betty Huskins. About 1
acre burned off. Boxwood
planting damaged. Forest
Service Crew and Fire Depart
ment worked together to put
the fire out. Two trucks and 11
firefighters responded.
ingly. A good fire needs well
seasoned wood, containing no
more than 20% moisture, that
has been air-dried at least six
months after cutting. Green
wood may be as much as 65%
water.
If you are among the more
than 20 million American
families with a fireplace,
there are three ways to get the
most for your firewood dollar.
The cheapest method is to
cut your own supply-if you
have ready access to the wood
as well as a chain saw. If that
Hi* J
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Crooked Pine Concert Set
Crooked Pine is a collaboration of the .fine and folk arts. It is a meeting of old and new, the
modem and the traditional as Mary Hicks combines innovative, original dance with the ageless
mountain musk of the Crooked Pine String Band.
scheduled for January 8,1977, at 7:3o*p.m. In the Harris High School Auditorium In Spruce Pine.
Sponsored by the Toe River Arts Council of Yancey and Mitchell County, tickets are: 56c for
children ( 12 years of age and younger), $2.50 for adults if purchased prior to the performance or
$3.00 at the door. Advance tickets are on sale at the Yancey County Country Store In BumsvUe or
at the NCNB Bank in Spruce Pine and from any Toe River Arts Council Board Member.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1977
solution isn't practical, you
maj/ choose to burn the
manufactured Duraflame
type firelogs, which are
available in many stores.
Eight and one-third cases,
equivalent to a standard cord,
cost about SSO and can be
stacked in a closet or the
corner of a garage.
Finally, if you decide to
buy cordwood, make sure you
know what you’re getting.
Read up on the subject; shop
around; take a measuring
tape with you, if necessary.
Report From The
Sheriff’s Office
Three Felons that escaped
from the Yancey County
Prison Unit at approximately
7:00 p.m. on December 28.
1976 are all back in custody in
the Prison Department.
Roy Shell, age 25 of
Morganton, N.C., Marvin A.
Brown, age 23 of Brevard,
N.C.. and Alvin Wesley
Smith, age 23 of Cherokee,
N.C. left the Prison unit by
climbing over the fence. Shell
was captured approximately
15 minutes after the escape by
a citizen near the Prison Unit.
Four hours later Brown was
arrested by prison authorities
one and one half miles west of
the unit on US Highway 19E.
Shell was arrested Sunday
night. January 2. at approxi
mately 11:00 p.m. in Chero
kee, N.C. by the Cherokee
Reservation Police, she-
Department of Corrections
and the Yancey County
Sheriff’s Department. Char
ges have also been filed
against Shell charging him
with Automobile Larceny. A
1971 Opel which was stolen
from Jerry Lee Pate on
Thursday night, December 30
was found abandoned about
300 yards from the Smith
residence. Sheriff Kermit
Banks is investigating the
automobile larceny case.
All three men are present
ly oeing held by the Depart
ment of Corrections and their
first appearance hearing is set
for District Court in Burnsville
on Wednesday, January 5,
1977.
Escaped felon from the
Department of Corrections,
Member Os
Association
Indian Creek Angus Farm,
Route 3, Burnsville, N.C. has
been elected to membership
in the American Angus
Association at St. Joseph,
Missouri, announces Lloyd D.
Miller, executive secretary.
There were 222 member
ships issued to breeders of
registered Aberdeen Angus in
the United'States during the
past month.
15 c
Pompano Beach, Florida,
Robert Dale Henderson, age
31, was arrested December 28
at approximately 3:00 a.m. by
Chief Deputy Erwin Higgins.
Mr. Henderson was arrested
on Highway NC 80S while
driving a 1968 Plymouth
owned by Ray Ward of
Gatlinburg. Tennessee. This
vehicle was reported stolen on
December 27 from a shopping
center in Gatlinburg.
Henderson is being held in
the Yancey County Jail on
charges of Using Fictitious
Drivers License, Escape from
Department of Corrections in
Florida, and Larceny of an
Automobile in Gatlinburg,
Tenn.
The vehicle was first
known to be stolen when
Deputy Higgins called the
license number of the vehicle
in to the Yancey Sheriff’s
Department and a message
was sent to the National
Crime Information Center,
Washington, D.C. This takes
only a few seconds by using
the PIN (Police Information
Network) located in the
Sheriff’s Department.
★ ★
The Yancey County Sher
iffs Department, for the yegr
of 1976, served 415 warrants,
served 476 civil actions,
served 1162 subpoenas, ser
ved 68 juvenile petitions,
served 31 orders of forfeiture,
summonsed 378 jurors; a
total of 2,520 processes
served.
The Sheriffs Department
cars were driven a total of
220,150 miles: the Depart
ment worked 27,500 hours
regular time plus many hours
overtime for which no com
pensation is received.
Mars Hill j
College
Gets *SOO
A SSOO gift toward the
proposed Blackwell Adminis
tration Building has been
received by Mars Hill College
from Westco Telephone Com
pany at Weaverville.
The t contribution was
among year-end gifts received
by the college, which is
presently accumulating funds
with which to construct the
million dollar administration
building named in honor of
the college’s president emeri
tus, Dr. Hoyt Blackwell of
Mars Hill.
The gift was presented to
Dr. Fred Bentley, president of
the college, by Paul Wooten,
commercial manager for the
telephone company, and by
Westco marketing consultant
Ted Sandtord.
Westco installed and
maintains a 300-phone cen
trex telephone system at the
college.
Burnsville
Fire Calls
11:40 p.m. unoccupied Mobile
Home owned by Billy Joe
McLaughlin on Cherry Lane. J:
Heavy damage to interior by
fire, smoke aST Witter. Two
trucks and 18 men respond
"’Vcember 28 Tue da' at