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After Lunch The Wagon Train Rolls Again
if ' - .\-5 ': i» . . * I*l. '■ ...
Head‘eml!p IMove 'em Out!
Wagons Ho! will be heard
in a few short days as the
Tri-County Regional Wagon
Train Association pulls out on
the morning of July 1.
Folks are making a list and
checking it twice to try and
remember to take all the
things they’ll need on the trip.
Musn’t forget the bonnet and
overalls, the raincoat (just in
case) and you might need a
soft pillow to use for your
head by night or your saddle
Sores by day. Approximately
25 wagons are being readied
for .the big day, some are
getting new paint jobs. Crops
ate geing laid by as weather
permits so the big horses can
leave their work to pull the
wagons. Riders are getting
their horses shod and tack in
shape for the four day trip.
Some of the wagon trainers
have already packed the bag
of marshmallows in hopes of
sitting around the campfire at
night.
Wagons, horses and riders
plan to meet at Curtis Creek
on June 30, to make camp and
finalize arrangements for the
order of the wagons in the
traip. Wagon-Master Charles
Letterman will be the number
one wagon on the train.
Ahead of all the wagons and
horses will be Chief Scout
Ottis Honeycutt who will be
directing traffic as nesessary
and riding back and forth
along the train to keep things
rolling smoothly. Members of
the Tri-County Regional
Wagon Train Association will
be scouts for Mr. Honeycutt.
The train will meet at
Curtis Creek in McDowell
County. It is located 2 miles
east from Old Fort on
highway 70. Julyl, the train
will leave camp at Curtis
Creek and pull up the
mountain, across -the Blue
Ridge Parkway into Yancey
County. It will then come
down by the old Fish
Hatchery and Past Mt.
Mitchell Lands Golf Course to
Hwy. 80. The first night out
the train will camp on Trop
Efflers property at Busick.
July 2, the train will travel to
the Parkway and around to
the Victor Place. This road
will come out on the Seven
Mile Ridge Road. The camp
Region D COG Begins New
Service For The Elderly
A new service for the
elderly is to be started soon by
Region D Council of Govern
ments, contracting with
Green Thumb, Inc, It will be a
public service employment
and training program for
persons 55 years of age and
older. Green Thumb, Inc. is
underwritten by Title IX of the
Older American’s Act.
Persons employed by
Green Thumb must have an
annual income below the
Federal maximum income
level and pass a medical
examination to qualify for the
program which will pay the
minimum wage and fringe
benefits for up to 25 hours
work per week.
Green Thumb enables
older people to earn their way
doing self-respecting work on
a payroll rather than to be on
welfare rolls. Although the
program guidelines initiate
employment at 55, Green
Thumb rarely hires anyone
under 60, and gives priority
based on age.
Green Thumb crews and
single nfneeme"* vorkers can
provide services such as home
site for second night will be at
the mouth of Seven Mile
Ridge and Hwy. 80. On the
third day, the train will travel
down Hwy. 80 to Micaville
and onto the Double Island
Road. The third campsite will
be at the Vernon Presnell
Property. July 4, the train will
leave out on Doe Bay Road,
across Jim Riddle Mountain
and down School Creek Rd. at
Windom, the train will turn
repair and winterization to
low income elderly homes,
nutrition project aides, out
reach workers, homemaker
and chore service providers,
transportation van drivers,
home health aides, meals on
wheels delivery, center aides,
teacher aides, office aides and
other community betterment
services.
Region D is currently
advertising for letters of
intent from local non profit
agencies and organizations,
or local government agencies,
to provide work sites. Letters
of intent, must specify the
number of employees desired
and give a brief description of
each job. Allocations will be
made by Green Thumb on a
first come first served basis.
Interested elderly persons
who feel they would qualify
and desire employment
should wait for an announce
ment by the Employment
Security Commission as to
which agencies in the county
will be carrying out the
program. Employment could
begin as soon as July 1, 1977.
Green Thumb, Inc. whidh
south on 19-E toward Burns
ville. It will travel to Burns
ville via the business district,
around the square and back
down the by-pass to the lot
below Burnsville plaza Ingles
and disbound.
Everyone is invited to
come out and join in on the
fun or just to to stop by and
see how old timers used to
travel.
came into being about 10
years ago as a five state effort
to supplement the low income
of elderly people by providing
opportunities for them to use
their skills, now operates in 29
states and the District of
Columbia. Rural communities
gain and save about $lO for
each $1 used in Green Thumb
projects.
Interested agencies should
present a letter of Intent to
Region D Council of Govern
ments, P.O. Box 1820, Boone,
N.C. 28607. Further informa
tion may be had by contacting
Cheryl Earnhardt, Planner for
the Aging at Region D.
Men’s Club
To Meet
The Burnsville Men's Club
will meet on Monday, June 27
6:30 p.m. at the Community
Building. All members and
interested men are urged to
attend.
R N L
VOL. S, NO. 25
1977-78 Budget Estimate
Released For Y ancey Co.
The Yancey County Budget
Estimate for the 4977-78 year
was released last week. A
public hearing is scheduled
for June 27, at 10 A.M. in the
Commissioner’s Hoorn of the
Courthouse.
The Formal Budget Ordi
nance will be adopted after
the public hearing and on or
before July 1, 1977.
The Budget Estimate recc
omends a tax rate of 5.50 per
SIOO valuation for the fiscal
year 1977-78 as compared to
the $.40 rate for the current
fiscal year. This increase is
the minimum amount on
which the county can operate
without a substantial decrease
in services or a serious
weakening of the financial
condition of the county
operations such as schools,
social services, Health Dept.,
garbage collection, Library,
Dept., Jail, and the
..uny other county offices and
operations.
This increase represents
an increase of $138,699 over
last years budget of $1,208,79
Approximately 75 percent of
Two Burnsville Men Slain
In Madison County
Four out-of-state residents
have been charged in the
shooting deaths of two Burns
ville men Sunday, June 12,
according to Madison County
Sheriff E.Y. Ponder.
The bodies of Tommy
Norton, 39, and Benny Hutch
ins, 26- both of Burnsville,
were found Wednesday one
mile of Big Laurel Rock
Quarry Rd.. about 40 mile
from Burnsville.
Madison County deputies
who discovered the bodies -
said the men had been shot
with high-powered weapons
sometimq Sunday. Officials
believe robbery was the
motive in the shooting.
Charged in the deaths are
Phillip Eugene Turpin of Ft.
Campbell, Ky.; his mother,
Mrs. Evelyn Alemany of
California; Deborah Romero
of California; and Lonzo
Crews Jr. of Dresden, Tenn.
Two of the suspects were
stopped in a routine traffic
check in Taylor, Colo, by the
South Toe Fire Dept.
Answers Call
Saturday, June 18, 3:45
a.m. South Toe Firefighters
were awakened by the radio
alert of a house fire at L.D.
Mclntyre’s on Rt. 80, near
Celo. The condition on arrival
was heavy smoke with flames
rolling out of the living room
end of the house. A fine stop
was made by Asst. Chief
George Powers; the main part
of the fire was knocked down
in less than 20 seconds! Air
Paks were needed to enter
the house. Lt. Frances Mur
phy led a rescue-search team,
and on finding no one in the
house, started overhaul im
BURNSVILLE, N.C. 28714
this increase or $104,744 is for
school capital outlay projects.
Some of these expenditures
are of maximum importance,
such as for school buses and
school repairs and must be
appropriated this year.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Banks Concerned About
Budget For Sheriff s Dept.
Yancey County Sheriff
Kermit Banks is concerned
about the recently released
County Budget Estimate. The
1977-78 Budget Estimate for
the Sheriffs Dept., has been
cut to $79,220. Banks request
slls,396. Last year’s budget
was $91,675.
Banks said that the budget
he requested would have kept
the present staff as it now
stands and provide for one
additional dispatcher for the
office.The largest part of the
cut was for salaries.
Sheriffs Dept. When they
could not provide proper
identification for the blue
Chevrolet truck they were
driving, a check by the
officers listed Norton as the
owner. A further check
revealed that Norton was on a
missing persons list.
The suspects were question
ed and Sheriff Ponder was
informed by the Colorado
Sheriff that two men had been
murdered in his county.
The search for the victims
began about 5 a.m. Wednes
day. the Cripple Creek
sheriffs department in Colo
rado reported Turpin, Mrs.
Alemany and two minors were
being held there for question
ing concerning the case.
Sheriffs officers went to
near the end of a old road in
Madison County, largely used
by fisherman and found it
blocked with fallen trees.
~ Deputies searched the area
for several hours before
locating the bodies near a car
mediately (looking for hidden
fire in walls, attic, etc.) By the
time her crew has their work
mostly completed, they had
used up four air bottles. Fire
damaged to the inside ftfcthe
house and its contents was
substantial.
The Mclntyre family had
left Thursday morning for a
weekend in Cherokee. Be
cause the fire appeared to be
of suspicious origin. Chief
Morgan requested assistance
from the Sheriffs office.
Sheriff Banks and the SBI are
investigating.
THURSDAY, JUNE 23,1977
Social Services 28 percent
increase in the Budget estimate
reflects increases in the
Medicaid Program and Pur
chased Services.
The decrease in Revenue
“1 requested $78,470 for
salaries and the Budget
Estimate allows only $51,480.
That figure not only does not
provide for the hiring of an
additional dispatcher, but it
cuts out two of the present
deputies,,’.’ Banks said.
“It takes four employees
to keep the office oper
24-hours a day and take can
of the jail as required by law
(168 hours, 42 hours for each
employee),’’, Banks said.
“Cutting out two deputies
would leave only eight em-.
and u-haul trailer abandoned
by the suspeCfs.The car had
been burned. The Madison
County sheriffs dept, said
Norton’s truck had been
driven up the road by the
suspects who dumped his
personal belongings beside
the road.
Huskins body was dis
covered at 8:20 below the
road. Frank Ogle of the
Madison County Sheriff’s
Dept, found Norton’s body al
1:20 p.m. Norton’s body was
located 350 feet above the
road.
Shortly after Madisor
County officials notified the
Colorado officials the bodies
had been found, Crews ant
the Romero woman were
arrested by Dresden, Tenn.
police, Ponder said.
Mrs. Alemany and Miss
Romero were charged wit!
aiding and abetting the
shootings. Crews was chargee
in the death of Hutchins anc
aiding the death of Nortot
and Turpin was arrested oi
charges of killing Norton ane
aiding the death of Hutchins.
Extradition hearings are te
be held in Colorado ane
Tennessee to return the
suspects to Madison County.
TTT > r
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i
15*
Sharing and the small fund
balance that could be approp
riated this year has made the
$.lO tax raise mandatory in
order not to cut services for
the citizens of Yancey County.
ployees in the Sheriff’s Dept.,
leaving only the Sheriff and
three deputies to patrol and
protect the county 24-hours a
day, seven days a week,” he
said.
‘‘The Sheriffs Dept, must
provide law enforcement for
the people of Yancey County.
We investigate all crimes,
serve all criminal and civil
process, investigate all crimes
in which a juvenile is either
the victim or the accused,
transport all mental patients
to the hospital, and all other
inmates to other detention
facilities,” Banks said.
He added,“We also provide
24-hour a day supervision for
the jail, 24-hour a day routine
patrol for protection of the
citizens homes, businesses,
and roads in the county. A
radio dispatcher is on duty
24-hours a day to provide
radio communication for the
Sheriffs Dept., Police Dept.,
Burnsville Fire Dept., South
Toe Fire Dept., Newdale Fire
Dept., and acts as a back up
for the Yancey County Ambu
lance Service.”
Presently the Sheriff’s
Dept, consists of 9 employees
paid ’ -y Yancey County funds -
the sheriff, the chief deputy,
6 deputies and a dispatcher.
One additional dispatcher,
funded-byjhe emergency jobs
program, has been working
since July 1975 and will be
funded at least until Sept.
1978. It is not known at this
time if this position will be
funded beyond that date or
terminated.
All these employees work
a swing shift and rotate every
four weeks. They work a
40-hour week on first shift and
a 48-hour week on second and
third shift. Two deputies and
one dispatcher are on duty
each shift to cover the entire
county.
“Deputies are paid no
over-time or Court appearance
time and often must spend
their day off in court without
pay,” Banks said. <*
“However, I only request
ed overtime pay to be used few
school functions. Ti he high
schools have requested two
deputies for basketball and
football games. With only two
deputies on duty we cannot