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Thursday, December 23, 1976, Vol. 32. Number 12
15 CENTS
Buncombe Halts
Swine Flu Shots Program
Local and state health of
ficials seemed to have agreed
that whatever the effect on the
public health of the suspension
of the swine flu vaccination
campaign, the prognosis for
the campaign itself is poor.
Buncombe County and
North Carolina joined the rest
of the nation Thursday, Dec.
16, in halting the swine flu
program pending an in
vestigation of the incidence of
a paralyzing disease known as
Guillain-Barre syndrome
following swine flu vac
cination.
There have been 94 cases of
the syndrome nationwide, and
in more than half of the cases
the person had recently had
the vaccination. The paralysis
struck a 42 year old Raleigh
woman two weeks ago about
two weeks after she had the
shot.
Dr. James Tenny, Bun
combe County health director,
said that in his judgment, the
available evidence is not
sufficient to warrant stopping
the campaign. An in
vestigation of possible con
nections will take two to four
weeks and probably find none,
he said, but may kill the im
munization program.
“I would speculate it will be
very difficult to resume the
program after this on top of
the past difficulties,” tenny
said.
Dr. J.N. MacCormack, head
of the communicable disease
division of the state health
department, voiced a similar
concern.
‘‘If I had to make a bet, I
would say the vaccine will be
absolved,” MacCormack said,
but “there have been so many
problems with this program
already. The public response
has not been all that good.
This may be the straw that
broke the camel’s back.
MacCormack said there art
50 to 100 cases of Guillain
Barre syndrome in North
Carolina every year and that
the cause is unknown, though
it usually starts after some
virus. The disease, which
causes a temporary paralysis,
is fatal in only five per cent of
reported cases, according to
Tenney.
Swannanoa Manslaughter
Charge Dropped
A Swannanoa man had a
manslaughter charge against
him dismissed by District
Court Judge William Styles,
after a hearing.
Wilson McDonald Pittman,
51, of 108 Central Ave.,
Swannanoa, was charged
after the death of his nephew
on Dec. 5 from a pistol wound.
Rickie Murphy, 19, of Myrtle
Beach was pronounced dead
on arrival at a hospital.
Judge Styles confiscated the
weapon after finding it
illegally obtained and ordered
it destroyed.
Gudger
Plans Trip
Congressman-elect Lamar
Gudger has announced plans
for a “district to D.C.” bus
trip enabling residents of the
Uth District to participate in
the festivities surrounding the
congressional swearing-in
ceremonies on Jan. 4th.
The Washington bound bus
will depart from the Westgate
Shopping Center in Asheville
on Sunday, Jan. 2, arriving in
the Capital late that evening.
Participants in the trip will
have the option of touring a
number of attractions io the
Capital including the
Smithsonian Institution, the
National Archives, the
Federal Bureau of In
vestigation, as well as the
National Gallery. Currently,
the National Gallery has the
tamed “King Tut” exhibit on
display.
A reception will be held at
the Capitol Hill Quality Inn on
Monday evening. It will be the
main event of the swearing-in
festivities.
On Tuesday afternoon,
Congressman and Mrs.
Gudger will have a reception
for their guests in the House
Agriculture Committee room
located in the Longworth
House Office Building. This
reception will follow the
swearing-in ceremonies.
The bus will return to
Asheville late Tuesday
afternoon.
The cost of the trip has been
kept to a minimum so that
those interested can par
ticipate.
Information about the trip
may be obtained by contacting
Sue Peake in Roy Taylor’s
office in the North Western
Bank Building, Asheville.
“There is no cause for
alarm,” Tenny said. “It is a
rare condition. We haven’t
had any and don’t expect any.
but we are going along with
the suspension just in case.”
In the case reported in
Raleigh, MacCormack said
the woman, who was not
identified, is "gradually
improving.”
The officials said that since
the campaign began in Oc
tober, approximately 626,000
persons have been vaccinated
statewide (as of Nov. 30),
approximately 34,000 in
Buncombe County.
The state health department
will now begin collecting data
to determine if there has been
any increase in the normal
rate of the incidence of the
syndrome among persons who
have received the swine fu
shot.
Many are taking a cautious
attitude toward the suspension
and no sign of fear or panic
among those who have
received the vaccination.
A number of persons were
interviewed with responses
varying from “wait and see”
to “I didn’t want the shot
anyway.”
One recent recipient of the
vaccination was Chariman R.
Curtis Ratcliff of the Board of
County Commissioners, who
had his picture taken getting
the shot Monday in an attempt
to give favorable publicity to
the immunization program.
He said he felt fine and would
do it again and would leave the
investigation and the cam
paign to the experts.
I might add your editor had
her shot in November, suf
fered absolutely no adverse
effects, and like Mr. Ratcliff
would do it again.
Winter Off
To Snowy Start
Winter arrived a day earlier
than scheduled with snow
flurries and high winds
Monday that made driving
conditions dangerous and
caused some power failures in
the Western North Carolina
mountains.
fNiAiona: Weather Semes
said the outlook was for one to
two inches of snow to ac
cumulate in the Asheville
Hendersonville area, up to
three inches in the nor
thwestern mountains, and one
to two inches in the south
western mountains. Ap
proximately an inch to an inch
and a half of snow was
reported in the Swannanoa
Valley area Tuesday morning.
A traverler’s advisory was in
effect, with reports of some
weather related traffic ac
cidents Monday night.
Buncombe County School
Superintendent Fred Martin
announced Monday night that
schools would not operate
Tuesday.
By 3:30 pm Monday, the
Blue Ridge Parkway had
closed two links of the scenic
route; approximately 65 miles
between Mount Pisgah and
Cherokee, and 30 miles from
Craggy Gardens northward to
the N.C. 80 junction.
Winter will make its official
debut at 12:36 pm Tuesday,
when the high temperatures
'hejov NWS*.
Twill he fair and cold
Tuesday night with lows in the
teen* and fair Wednesday with
highsin the mid to upper 30s.
The probability of
precipation was 40 percent
Tuesday and near zero
Tuesday nigh’. We have
received reports of lows from
8 degrees to 0 in the Valley.
The extended outlook is for
some cloudiness Thursday,
fair skies Friday and Satur- »
day, wityh lows mostly in the
20s and highs in the 40s except
for warming to the 50s on
Christmas Day.
CP&L reported small,
scattered power failures, but
no major outages Monday
evening.
There had been no reports of
serious accidents at press
lime.
(Photos By Beverly Genetti)
RENOVATION OF THE CLUB HOUSE on Tomahawk Lake is
progressing at a fast pace at the hands of Neal Bartlett and his
crew. New rafters and beams are in place in the burned out
ceiling and the floor has been repaired. Robert McMahan is
replacing the electrical wiring and everyone is working hard to
meet a deadline to have the Club House ready for a dance
scheduled for New Year& Eve.
Decoration Or Desecration ?
Somewhere in Black
Mountain, or in the Valley or
perhaps even farther afield
'wo families have a beautiful
spruce Christmas tree
decoration ty descrecrating
heir homes Beautiful yes,
bui how can you iruly enjoy
hem for hey are stolen
property? The property of all
the people of the Township of
Black Mountain.
Sometime during the hours
of late last Wednesday
evening or early Thursday
some one helped ihemselves
'o 'woof ihe beauiiful spruces
gracing the golf course.
Ross Taylor staled Friday -
"I have some beautiful while
pines I would uladly have
I'.iven hem had hey asked but
hese spruces were uifts to the
Club.”
Yes, hey’re beautiful bu
how can you celebrate he
birth of (.'i ris' with his? We
can’ see how.
(Photo By Beverly Genetti)
THIS BEAUTIFUL CHRISMON TREE is adding beauty and
reverence to the sanctuary and worship services of the Swan
nanoa Presbyterian. Each of its beautiful, hand made bejeweled
ornaments of white and gold holds a special significance. Some of
these are crosses, shepherds staffs, fish, stars, lambs and many
other variations of the names and signs of Christianity down
through the ages. It is decreed that each ornament must be made
by hand. The ornaments on this tree were made under the
direction of Mrs. Sallie Alexander by the women of the church.
ASCS Panel Announced
New members of the
iuncombe County
Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service com
nittee held their first meeting
Monday.
They were elected in a
county-wide mail election held
recently.
The new area committee
members are:
Black Mountain: O.H.
Goodson, Lee C. Hutchins,
Rev. Gorman Burgin, Jackey
R. Wheeler and Harry Morris;
Broad River; Richard
Morgan, William L. Garrison,
C.M. Fortune, Lawrence
Ballard and B.Y. Fortune;
Swannanoa: Albert
Richardson, C. Latt Mc
Mahon, Roy A. Armstrong,
Baxton Bryant and Paul
Patton.
Jaycees Getting 6The Bird9 J
An Asheville City Hall
secretary raised her head
from her first cup of coffee on
Tuesday morning Dec 7. A
puzzled look crossed her face,
“I could swear I hear a
rooster,” she muttered.
She did. And so did most of
the other occupants of the
eight story municipal building
on City-County Plaza before
the newest “member” of the
Asheville Jaycees was
whisked away to other
quarters.
The Black Mountain chapter
of the Jaycees acquired the
unusually large white rooster
recently for a plan to promote
more visitation between
Jaycee chapters.
A club acquires the rooster
when another Jaycee chapter
shows up at one of its meetings
with at least 20 per cent of the
visiting club’s membership.
The visitors then give the
other chapter the bird.
That chapter can then get
rid of the rooster by taking at
least 20 per cent of its mem
bers to a meeting of some
other Jaycee chapter that has
not yet gotten the bird.
The Black Mountain
Jaycees turned out in force
Monday night, Dec. 6 for a
meeting ot me Asheville
Jayeees in the Downtowner
Motor Inn. They left the
rooster, named Rojo, behind.
Not knowing what else to do
with the bird at that late hour,
the Jayeees took Rojo to the
Jaycee offices in City Hall for
the night. This morning the
sun came up. And Rojo did
what all roosters do.
He crowed. And crowed.
Until the Jayeees rushed
him out to the office of
Asheville Jaycee president
Mike Moser at Moser Inc., on
Elk Mountain Road.
Rojo, that is Spanish for red,
kept the plumbing company
chief company until Thursday
of last week when the
Weaverville chapter of the
Jayeees me t.
And Moser moved heaven
and earth to have a good
turnout of Asheville Jayeees
on hand.
The long-range goal of the
promotion is to have the
rooster at the state Jaycee
convention in May as a visitor
to all of the chapters in the
western district.
In the meantime, if anyone
harms one feather on Rojo’s
head, it will cost that chapter
$50. Which should keep Rojo
out of any skillets and living
the good life until May.
At last report the
Weaverville Club had “The
Bird ana were massing meir
forces to move him elsewhere
as soon as possible.
Photo By Regenia Byrd)
Introducing Top Black Mountain - Swan
nanoa Jaycee Rooster El Rojo. He§ visiting
around all other Jaycee Clubs in the area.
El Rojo is a very valuable bird and will not,
wete sure, grace anyone^ table at Christ
mas. He& shown here with his capturers
Don Buchanan and Steve King.
Governor Hunt Invites
Citizens To Inauguration
GOV. ELECT.HUNT
Governor-elect Jim Hunt
this week extended a personal
invitation to the citizens of
Buncombe County to attend
:he North Carolina
Inauguration in Baleigh on
Saturday, January 8.
“January 8 is inauguration
day for your governor, your
lieutenant governor and your
Council of State,' the
governor-elect said, “and it
will also be a people's day.”
The governor-elect said that
he inaugural events were
being held this time on
Saturday so that school
children and working people
can attend.
The activities will begin
around 11 :.30 am when
Governor James Holshouser
and Mrs. Holshouser receive
final military honors at the
ExecnV^e Marwior on Blount
Street.
M-A College
Plans To Add
Facilities
Next year’s plans from
Montreat-Anderson College
include the addition of three
facilities. The facilities,
Howerton Hall, Howerton
Cafeteria and Fellowship
Hall, are currently rented by
the college but owned by the
Mountain Retreat
Association.
The Hoiyerton complex will
stabilize both the housing and
food service needs of the
college and the dormitory
houses approximately 100
students. Fellowship Hall
should meet the housing needs
of 500 students.
The summer school
program will also be enlarged.
Expansion in recreation,
academics, culture, sciences
and Christianity are expected.
At about 11:34 am, the
inaugural party will walk
from the Executive Mansion
to the site of the swearing-in
ceremony at Bicentennial
Plaza. The new plaza is
located between the Capitol
and the State Legislative
Building. During the noon
ceremony oaths of office will
be administered to Governor
elect Hunt, Lieutenant
Governor-elect James C.
Green and members of the
Council of State.
A two-hour parade will
follow at 1 pm, and people
may watch the colorful event
on Wilmington and Salisbury
Streets between Jones and
Martin Streets. The parade
will begin north of the
Legislative Building on
Wilmington Street, head south
on Wilmington Street, then
turn on Martin Street to
Salisbury Street, where it will
run north again.
The final event of the day is
a public reception at the
Executive Mansion where the
public will be greeted by the
new governor, lieutenant
LT. GOV. ELECT GREEN
governor and members of the
Council of State.
“I want all of the people in
Bunco.mbe County to un
derstand (hat no special in
vitation or tickets are needed
for any of these events,’
Governor-elect Hunt said.
“Saturday, January 8, is a day
for the people of this state,” he
addeed, “and I want the
people to be a part of the
inauguration. Please come to
Raleigh and be a part of your
inauguration.”
i
Tax Bills Due
By Dec. 31
No matter when you got your tax bill, it still must be paid by
Dec. 31 to avoid a penalty.
Most residents of Buncombe County got their bills late this
year. Tax bills for residents of Asheville were mailed out in late
September, about when they are normally, but those for property
owners outside the city limits were not mailed out until late
November.
Slate law requires that tax bills be “made available” for
payment by Sept. 1 each year, according to Tax Supervisor Ed
ward McElrath, but there is no requirement that they be mailed.
He said when asked about the mailing of the county bills that
anyone who had wished to pay his bill after Sept. 1 could have
come to his office and had one made out.
However, one taxpayer who called The Times after that report
first appeared said he had gone to the tax collector^ office and
tried to do just that some time before the mailing and was told he
would have to wait until the bills were mailed.
McElrath attributed the delay to an inadequate staff in his
department, saying he has asked the Board of County Com
missioners for additional personnel, without success.
A two per cent interest penalty is assessed on tax bills not paid
by Dec. 31 for the first month and a pe baity for three quarters of a
per cent for each month after that the bill is unpaid.
Listing for property taxes for 1977 will begin Jan. 3 with the
deadline for listing without penalty on Jan. 31.