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‘Brigadoon’ Tonight!
The curtain rises for the first performance of “Brigadoon”
Thursday night at Mountain Heritage High School. This
musical production will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on May 12,
13, and 14, ending three months of hard work by drama, chorus
and band students.
“Brigadoon” is set in the mystical highlands of Scotland
and includes a cast of 45 under the direction of Mrs. Elizabeth
Westall. This small Scottish town disappears from the world
then reappears one day every 100 years. Two Americans
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Ragan, Inc. And Officers
Sued By F ormer President
Brad Ragan, Inc. and
present and former officers
are being sued for $2,730,000
in punitive and $1,908,000 in
actual damages in eight
pleadings filed in Salisbury,
North Carolina by Willis Bert
Shellhorn of Salisbury, a
former president and director
of Brad Ragan, Inc., accord
ing to the Salisbury Evening
Post.
BRI has its principal
executive offices in Spruce
Pine and its general adminis
trative offices in Salisbury.
Defendants include Brad
ley E. Ragan of Mitchell
County, chairman of the
board, chief executive officer
and majority stockholder of
BRI; Homer L. Huskins, a
current vice president of
Rowan County; and Robert H.
Buchanan of Mitchell County,
a former director and secre
tary treasurer.
The newspaper said the
allegations include bribery,
conspiracy and falsifying
books and records to permit
overcharges and illegal bill
ings to customers, to inflate
falsely the earnings and price
of shares, and to defraud the
United States government by
various means, including fil
ing fraudulent tax returns
with the IRS.
Brad Ragan, Inc. is
described in the suit as being
in the business of operating a
large chain of retail tire and
appliance stores, and selling,
servicing and retreading of
off-the-road tires used on
heavy construction vehicles.
The retail stores are operated
under the name Carolina Tire.
BRI stock has been traded
1t,., • : ■
since 1971 on the American
Stock Exchange.
The allegations, according
to the Salisbury Evening Post,
state that the plaintiff Shell
horn was hired in 1966 as
general manager of retail
store operations and was
elected vice president in 1971.
After a disagreement with
Ragan over composition of the
board of directors, Shellhorn
was discharged on or about
August 31, 1972.
The suit further alleges,
the newspaper states, that on
or about March 15, 1974,
Ragan persuaded Shellhorn to
rejoin Brad Ragan, Inc. under
a five-year agreement at
$60,000 salary per year. The
plaintiff then alleges that in
the period after he rejoined
BRI, the defendants unlawful
ly conspired to acts including
illegal billings to customers,
illegal payments of BRI assets
to BRI employes, to falsify
books, to file false information
with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, to file
false tax returns, to control
purchases and sales illegally
of BRI stock.
On Jan. 15, 1975 Shell
horn’s suit alleges, he first
discovered evidence of “CD”
(an abbreviatidn of Crooked
Deal) activities within BRI
and began an.investigation.
“The defendants in fur
therance of the conspiracy
attempted to block the plain
tiffs investigation and to
conceal the wrongful acts and
conspiracy, and to that end
wrongfully and illegally dis
charged the plaintiff from his
employment at BRI,” the suit
P a P--“ •>“*'*•
wander into the town and set in motion a tale of comedy,
suspense, and drama. The colorful costumes and stage setting,
along with the singing, dancing and music promises to make
this an experience to remember for people of all ages.
Admission will be $2.00 for adults and $1.50 for students.
Tickets may be purchased at Mtn. Heritage High School now,
or at the door. [Pictured above are “Brigadoon” cast members
in costume; below, left to right, Kevin Shirley, Hope Rhymer,
Donny Laws and Jerry Collins. Photos by Jody Higgins
On April 7, 1975, Ragan is
alleged to have fired the
former secretary to Shellhorn.
Mrs. Janice Rary, “after
questioning her at length
about her knowledge of ‘CD’
files.”
The Evening Post said that
Buchanan was alleged to have
been dealing illegally in BRI
stock after 1972 by means of
Rubella Vaccination
Required By Law
Rubella (German measles)
vaccine for children entering
school is now required by
state law. The General As
sembly ratified the rubella
immunization bill on April 7.
Carl Tuttle, Director of
Yancey County Health De
partment, explained that the
law actually requires children
to be vaccinated by their
second birthday. “The initial
target group for public health
will be children starting
kindergarten or first grade
this fall,” said Mr. Tuttle.
Rubella, known by most
people as German or 3-day
measles, is not too serious in
an infant or preschool young
ster, but the effect on the
unborn baby when the mother
is susceptible may be very
serious. German measles
causes birth defects such as
mental retardation, deafness,
blindness, and heart disease.
mic in 1964 caused an
estimated 20.000 stillbirths,
an account set up in his
secretary’s name and to have
realized a profit of at least
$18,625 from such transac
tions.
Ragan was alleged to have
illegally concealed various
dealings in BRI stock since
1971, including sale of 28,870
and purchases of 50,000
shares, the newspaper said.
30,000 handicapped children
and an incredible economic
cost of 1.4 billion dollars for a
lifetime of medical, hospital,
and institutional care.
The health officer remin
ded parents that the State
immunization law requires
children entering school-pub
lic, private, or parochial-to be
immunized against diphther
ia, pertussis, tetanus, polio,
measles and now rubella.
Parents must present to the
school authorities a certificate
of immunization or some
other acceptable medical evi
dence that the child has
received the required im
munizations.
Rubella vaccine is given to
infants at IS months of age.
Rubella vaccine is available at
all health departments in
North Carolina. You may
receive it at the Yancey
County Health Department,
Burnsville. any Monday mor
ning between 8 a.m. and 12
noon.
THE YANCEY
JOURNAL
VOL. 5, NO. 19
Financial Assistance Bill
Would Aid Rural Doctors
A bill which would provide
incentive for groups of two or
more physicians to locate
practices in rural North
Carolina counties was intro
duced by 19th House District
Representative Ron Taylor
Tuesday.
The bill, set up on a two
year trial basis, provides
financial assistance to groups
of two or more physicians who
want to locate in counties
which have towns no larger
than 7,000 population.
Sheriff Urges Special
Property I.D. Measures
Sheriff Kermit Banks an
nounces that the Yancey
County Sheriff’s Department
>has engravers available for
the free use of Yancey County
citizens. In addition, a per
sonal property identification
record form is available to use
in conjunction with the
engraver. On it is this
information and advice:
“If you are the victim of a
burglary, it is important that
you know the serial numbers
of the items stolen. Without
the positive identification
made possible by a serial
number-or a unique number
which you may engrave or
mark on your property-you
may not be able to prove you
are the rightful owner if the
item is recovered from the
thief; and recovered property
Increase Asked For
Foster Home Funds
Some are just babies,
while others are teenagers.
Some have been raped,
beated, starved and neglected
by their own parents. Others
have seen one of their own
parents murdered before their
own eyes. Many are perfectly
healthy, while others are
handicapped either physically
or mentally. Not all have
these problems. Some need a
temporary home because
their parents have become
incapacitated for a while
because of health or other
reasons. Others have become
delinquent or unmanageable
by their parents. Many have
been released for adoption
and are awaiting adoptive
parents.
Who are these children?
They are the some 6,000
troubled youngsters who are
dependent on County social
services departments raomhlv
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Taylor said Tuesday the
bill was aimed at recruiting
more primary care physician
practices in rural North
Carolina Counties. Guidelines
for the trial program will be
set up by the Department of
Human Resources Division of
Rural Health Services accord
ing to the bill.
“There is a large concen
tration of physicians in the
urban areas of our state,”
Taylor said after introducing
the bill, “and there are few
(r '
that cannot be positively
identified as being stolen
cannot be used as evidence
against the thief.”
According to Sheriff
Banks, property that should
be engraved includes guns,
TV’s, tools, appliances, and
almost anything else that can
be picked up and taken
away--or driven away in the
case of cars, motorcycles,
RV’s and bicycles.
L
If there is no serial
number already on the item,
the Sheriff urges people to
use their driver’s license
number as a serial number. If
the Sheriff’s Department re
covers what they believe may
be stolen property, they can
immediately run the serial
number (driver’s license num-
across the state to provide
them with a temporary home
and a better way of life.
In turn, the county social
[Cont’d on page 6]
Poppy
Day
1977
Mayor Robert Helmle has
proclaimed Saturday, May 28,
Poppy Day 1977 in Burnsville,
according to Mrs. Genie
McQuadc, President of the
American Legion Auxiliary
Unit of the Earl Horton Legion
Post which sponsors the
annual observance.
, The proclamation reads as
follows:
WHEREAS, the American
Legion Auxiliary adopted the
Poppy as its Memorial flower
which pays tribute to the war
dead, and aids the living
veterans and their families;
and
WHEREAS, the contri
butions are used solely for
Children and Youth Rehabili
tation in our local community;
NOW THEREFORE, I,
Robert Helmle, Mayor of the
City of Burnsville, do hereby
proclaim the Month of May,
1977 as Poppy Month and
May 28 as Poppy Day in our
Community.
THURSDAY, MAY 12,1977
physicians in the rural coun
ties. This situation causes
rural residents to lack proper
medical care.”
The bill, if passed, will
appropriate $125,000 for each
of and 1978-79
fiscal years to set up practices
of two or more primary care
physicians.
“Physicians are just like
most people, they want good
working conditions, good
school systems and entertain
ment. We don’t want physi
cians who want to set up
ber) through their Police
Information Network (PIN)
and get the name and address
of the person to whom the
property belongs
" Take a few minutes and
record the description, serial
numbers and value of those
items which are most likely to
be stolen,” says Banks. Many
of them are listed for you on
the form the Sheriff’s office
will provide.” Keep your
property record form and
photographs with your insur
' ance papers or in another safe
place.
Sheriff Banks urges every
one to complete the inventory.
“After you complete your
inventory,” he says, “you will
realize how much you have to
lose in a burglary.”
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practice for two or three years
and then leave, we want
physicians who will take part
in community activities and
stay. We aren’t claiming rural
life is for everyone, if they
want to live in cities, we don’t
want them, but we feel there
are physicians who would like
to set up practices in rural
counties and they need help
getting started.
“This bill will help them
set up practices and at the
same time, help improve rural
health care,” Taylor said.
i Financial assistance to
physicians wanting to locate
in rural counties, under the
proposed bill, could be for:
staff salary support; construc
tion loans; equipment grants;
educational incentives; and
guaranteed annual incomes.
No guidelines have been
set up to regulate which
counties would receive the
limited funds first.
At the end of the two year
trial period, the program
would be evaluated by the
General Assembly based on a
report of the program submit
ted by the Department of
Human Resources.
We have four rural health
clinics serving the 19th House
District. And these facilities
could be used if the money
was available to attract the
new doctors. There are 13
other facilities around the
state in the rural areas.
The bill, if passed, would
apply to 55 counties in the
state. Among these would be
Yancey, Madison, Mitchell
and Avery counties.