Newspapers / The Black Mountain News … / July 15, 1976, edition 1 / Page 1
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DEVOTED 100% TO OUR COMMUNITY — THE GROWING SWANNANOA VALLEY I Your Hometown Newspaper If You Live In ★ Black Mountain ★ Montreat ★ Ridgecrest ★ Swannanoa SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT BLACK MOUNTAIN, ..'.C. 287 15 CENTS Club House Fire Ruled Arson I THESE GUTTED REMAINS were all that was left of the lower floor of the XYZ Clubhouse after a fire, which started in this bottom corner, rampaged through it early Saturday morning. FIREMEN SIFT through the ashes trying to find more clues as to who the arsonists were. The fire at the Black Mountain Club Saturday morning has definitely been ruled arson; Mac Kirkpatrick, Police Chief, stated Monday, several containers, some still containing gasoline, were found in the basement of the building where the fire is believed to have started. Also found was a container of acid. Kirkpatrick stated several avenues are being pursued in apprehending the culprit and or culprits. He also ascer tained that they have several leads and tha the name of one prime suspect is known. He urged any person having any information to please come forward and present it. Often seemingly unimportant clues can unravel a case. This in formation will be given to the State Bureau of Investigation to be evaluated. S.B.I. Agents Bill Matthews and Mike Lewis, along with the Black Mountain Police Dept, and Buncombe County Sheriffs Dept, are aiding in the in vestigation. Samples of the debris have already been sent to the S.B.I. crime laboratory in Raleigh. The fire was discovered on the back comer overlooking Lake Tomahawk by Mrs. Gay Fox of 307 Tomahawk Ave. Mrs. Fox said she was awakened by a snapping, cracking sound like someone throwing peebles at a Window. She got up to check and poking out saw flickerings in the Club House. Thinking ft could be a fire she called the Fire Dept. While she was still on the phone it became ap parent it was on fire as flames shot upward. She called the department at 4:31 and they were on the scene at 4:33. The alarm, answered two trucks and 21 men, was brought under control at 4:57 a.m.;- however trucks remained on the scene until 7:28 a.m. Members of the Fire Department remained on the scene all day with clenn-up operations. Speculation has been high in the community as to motive. Some raised have had political and racial overtones. But Chief Kirkpatrick ruled out both of these. "We feel we are dealing with some one with a sick mind,” he said. He did not however rule out the possibility of a roving band of vandals who have caused serious damages in other areas of the county. Though no motive has been determined, Lt. Steve King, information agent officer for the department, said whoever started the fire was respon sible for more than $15,000 worth of damage. This figure was given by investigating insurance appraisers, who stated they believed the club house could be repaired. Much of the damage is smoke and water but some areas are heavily charred and will have to be replaced. All fixtures, drapes etc. were destroyed. In the main room great damage was also done to the ceiling and walls. There was no damage to the pool. The fire caused a change in plans for the many residents who use the facility. A dedication ceremony scheduled Sunday for the adjacent swimming pool, featuring U.S. Rep. Roy A. Taylor, had to be moved outside, regardless of weather. It was the XYZ members who had begun decorating the clubhouse for the Sunday ceremonies. But the fire “virtually destroyed everything they did,” said Jon E. Creighton, town manager. In addition to the XYZ Club, several other groups make regular use of the facility. It was used regularly often _ severai times a ween. ' A crew worked Saturday with investigators to clean up the charred remains but King said it would be a long time before the clubhouse was again serviceable. See related story elsewhere Streets, Sidewalks, Dogs, Fire Topics At Boardmeeting The following are the of ficial minutes of the July Town Board Meeting of the Black Mountain Township: The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Black Mountain met in regular session Monday July 12, 1976, at 7:30 p.m. with all members present. The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed guests. The Lord's Prayer was followed by the pledge of Allegiance. The Clerk was instructed to read the minutes of the last meeting which were approved as read with Mr. Tysofl requesting that these minutes show that the Town is requesting a reimbursement from the State for the money spent on widening Montreat Road. The Mayor read a letter from Mrs. McGraw requesting that Mrs. Margaret Whiteside be ap pointed to replace Mr. Hubert White as Treasurer of the Library. On a motion by Mr. Sobol and seconded by Mrs. Cont. on P. 3 FIREMEN AND POLICE found these jugs on the premises after the fire was put out. One jug is empty and one is still full of gasoline, which was used to spread the fire on the bottom floor. THE TOP FLOOR of the clubhouse was littered with debris and burned-out insulation following the fire. I CONGRESSMAN TAYLOR joins with fellow townsmen to dedicate a worthwhile ac complishment. Citizens of the Township of Black Mountain gathered proudly Sunday afternoon for the dedication of the new, 50 meter, Black Mountain Pool. The dedicatory speech was given by U.S. Hep. Roy A. Taylor. Congressman Taylor’s comments are as follows: I am pleased to be back home again and to join you in dedicating the new Black Mountain Municipal Swim ming Pool. 1 understand that this Project has been financed entirely by revenue belonging o the Town of Black Moun |ain, including some funds Provided by federal revenue snaring. I commend the town officials on using revenue sharing funds for a purpose that will be of long-term benefit to the entire town. A pool of this type is an asset to any town. It provides ad ditional recreational op portunity to citizens of all ages. For a town which depends on summer tourism, as does Black Mountain, the modern swimming pool, with the “kiddy” pool and the new bath house facilities joins the Black Mountain Golf Course and the tennis courts in fortning a recreational complex which is a valuable tourist attraction. The older swimming pool which this modern one replaces was used and ap Pool Dedicated “Community Effoert Of Which We Can Be Proud,” Taylor Says predated by many people over a period of many years. Children love water. I know firsthand the meaning that the swimming pool had for our two children during their formative years. It was here children learned to swim, along with Mac Kirkpatrick, Tom Sobol and others present today. Here they also received Red Cross lifesaving in structions. I understand that Black Mountain citizens gave their time and professional advice in matters such as drawing up blueprints, planting flowers and shrubs, donating flood lights for work on the pool at night. This has been a com munity effort and today the Black Mountain community has every reason to be proud. Entertainment and fun have their place, but recreation goes beyond mere diversion a& skills are developed. Recreation is a creative use of leisure and recreation is about the fastest growing segment of our economy. Someone said, “the way to stay young is to be with young people and the way to die young is to try to keep up with them.” You parents will realize the truth of this statement when you try competing with your teenagers in this swimming pool. It was here many years ago that our son had the satisfaction of first defeating his dad in a competitive sport. He was a good swimmer and as a teenager he challenged me to a race from one end of the pool to the other and he won. Recreation is a very essential part of everyone’s life and certainly of a healthy community. I noticed a sign in a restaurant which read: “Your health is your future; eat here.” We might paraphrase this by saying, “Your health is your future; exercise here.” President Kennedy described physical fitness as, “The basis for all other forms of excellence.” We are a nation of sport smen. It is either football or basketball or baseball season, or fishing season, or some sports season the year-round. Summer is swimming season. The opening of the Mcjor League baseball season this spring signaled a return to normalcy and turned our minds from high grocery prices and unemployment and other national problems to a more pleasant side of American Life. It was good for America when the umpire said: “Play ball”. Years ago 1 heard an in teresting story on the Lum and Abner program. Abner said he was the star baseball player on his home town team and they were playing a cham pionship game with a nearby town. He said that with two outs in the 9th inning he came to bat and the score was 24 to 24. He said that everyone cheered because they knew he would knock a home run and win the game, but that the pitcher threw the first ball way out in front of him and that he threw the next two balls behind him. He knew then that the pit cher was trying to walk him and when he saw that the fourth ball was going behind him, he whirled around and hit it left-handed and the ball went sailing over the fence. But since he hit left-handed he got mixed up and ran to third base, then second, then first, and then on in home. Then there was an argument about whether the run should count. The umpire ruled that he had unscored a run and the other team won by one run. Some of you may have made some goofs in sports that you would like to forget, but I doubt if you have ever un scored any runs. Very few things arouse my interest and enthusiasm as much as the world of sports. Athletic participation remains an important part of the educational experience of every student. It is generally acknowledged that athletic participation promotes leadership qualities, sport smanship, courage, stamina, and a broader understanding of our fellowman. I believe of all the qualities necessary to promote a better world, surely these are at the top of everyone’s list. As a member of Congress, I am proud to spend much of my time in the field of recreation — I don’t mean my own recreation — but in the field of conservation and preservation and providing long-range recreational opportunities for our people. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks and Recreation, past ten years, I have had the opportunity to visit some of the most scenic areas of our nation but none more beautiful than our own mountains here in Western North Carolina. Yet, our greatest resource is the people and their spirit and their determination to work together for the common good and for freedom and op portunity for each individual. The greatness of America ia not in what we own but in what we believe. Not in what we have, but what we are. Cant, on P. 3 SHOWN CUTTING THE bright red ribbon to of ficially open the new Black Mountain Pool are the members of the Town Board: Left to right, Alfred F. Tyson, Mrs. Ruth Brandon, Tom Sobol, Gordon Greenwood and Mayor Margaret Slagle. (Staff photo by Joe Compton) r
The Black Mountain News (Black Mountain, N.C.)
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July 15, 1976, edition 1
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