[ 11 1 B ■ ^ ^ ^ ontreat
hursday. May 1*. 1977. Vol. 33. No. 32
Report recommends
closing WNC Hospital
by Dan Ward
l legislative subcommittee
; recommended the closing
Western North Carolina
spital in Swannanoa as part
i plan to save $5 million and
isolidate health care in the
te
-he closing would put most
80 area residents employed
the hospital out of work and
luire that approximately
county residents, most of
cm long-term patients,
end health facilities in
erdeen.
rhe plan, proposed by a
committee of the Base
dget Committee, in its
commendations on the
iget of the Department of
man Resources, recom
nded the closing of WNC
Hospital and Wilson Hospital,
and consolidating their
patients at Central McCain
Hospital near Aberdeen.
The plan followed a request
by WNC Hospital for $2 million
to renovate a wing of the
hospital that was built in 1937.
Jack Ellison, hospital
director, said a similar plan
had been introduced two years
ago, and had been discarded
after testimony at a public
hearing showed the state
could treat paitients easier
and better at the regionalized
facilities.
Te hospital, which
specializes in treating
respiratory problems, treats
1200 patients from the 34
western counties yearly,
Ellison said. About one-third
of those patients have
tuberculosis, and the rest have
various illnesses such as
brown lung or lung cancer, he
said. Many of those patients
must come in often for visits
or be hospitalized for great
lengths of time, he said.
The Chamber of Commerce
will begin a drive to have the
proposal defeated, according
to Chamber President Ed
Weber. The hospital brings
J1V4 million per year to the
Swannanoa Valley, Weber
said.
“The chamber is prepared
to go all out and fight this,”
Weber said. “We’ll promise
the biggest fight they've ever
seen.”
Weber said he will contact
local representatives in
Raleigh in an effort to have
the proposal defeated.
Meals on Wheels
at new location
I
by F. A. Foster
ABCCM has announced that
le MOW food distribution
enter has been moved to the
nited Methodist Church in
lack Mountain. Meals-On
'heels brings a hot lunch to
sabled elderly in the area.
Mrs. Lois Nix, office
anager for ABCCM
shev ille-Buncom be Com
inity Christian Ministry.)
ys there will be no changes
drivers or delivery
hedules. Rev. Horwood
yers pastor of United
hodist, helpful as always,
id that he is delighted to
fer ABCCM use of the
urch facilities. Myers at
ches great importance to the
incept that ^ church should
rve the whc> community
id in the past has provided
>ace for a health clinic,
itrition site, a food stamp
istribution center and now
IOW ABCCM has an ethic
hich closely parallels that of
*v. Myers. Their motto is
Making the Word Flesh.”
IABCCm has been helping
alley residents in
emergencies for over two
years without every asking
questions about faith. It is
supported by 13 churches in
the valley and could use more
help. It invites church workers
and others to come in and get
acquainted with what they are
doing. Mrs. Nix says she is
most happy to assume this
new responsibility and “Will
stay with it as long as the need
exists.”
A note of thanks is due to
Irene Stephenson Site
Manager of the XYZ Club who
firstbrought MOW into the
Valley. Mrs. Stephenson
regrets that new respon
sibilities make it necessary
for some other community
organization to supervise the
activity. She wishes to thank
all of those who helped her in
the past year.
Information about MOW is
available from Mrs. Nix by
calling her at 869-9404 between
9-12, Monday through Friday. H '
Applications for admission to .
the program may be obtained
in her office.
Armed Forces Week set
Governor James B. Hunt
Jr., has declared May 16-22
Armed Forces Week in North
Carolina.
In proclaiming Armed
Forces Week in North
Carolina, the Governor
commended the “thousands of
North Carolinians serving in
America’s Armed Forces
worldwide as well as our
National Guard and Reserve
Units in North Carolina."
“For over two hundred
years,” the proclamation
read, “men and women in the
United States Armed Forces
have responded when peace
and progress were
threatened; and...continue to
maintain a constant vigil for
the protection of all
Americans and their allies.”
This year, in conjunction
with the national observance
of Armed Forces Day on
yieet the hoard
Mundy --Mathematician
by Dao Ward
John Mundy, newest
'ember of the Black
lounUin Town Board, has
arned the epithet
Mathematician” from one of
is fellow aldermen. It’s easy
1see why.
-
While explaining the city’s
water problems at his desk at
the Square D plant in
Asheville, Mundy kept
referring to a huge stack of
graphs, listings and com
putations he’s compiled on the
subject.
“I guess it’s the engineer in
me,” he said. “I hate to stick
my neck out on something
unless I’ve got plenty of data
to back me up.”
Mundy, a lifelong resident of
Black Mountain, was ap
pointed to the board to fill the
vacancy created when Gordon
Greenwood was elected to the
state legislature.
“I always tell the other
board members that they got
elected, but I won," he
quippeu.
Mundy said he sees a need
for people to go to the aider
man whose specialty is the
category the problem falls in.
His is the town’s water and
sewers.
"Since I've been in, not one
person has called me about a
water problem,” he said. “I
was called once about a sewer
problem and was really glad."
Mundy said he and Water
Superintendent A1 White went
out and investigated the
problem.
Mundy said he would like to
see more people attend Town
meetings, but added that "if
they don’t come, I guess
everything’s all right.”
On his role as alderman,
Mundy regards the work as a
challenge.
"When our boss comes by,"
he said, gesturing the room his
desk is located in at Square
D,” and lays a pile of papers
on my desk, he doesn't say,
‘here's more work for you.’ He
says, ’Here are more op
portunities.’ We have plenty of
opportunities on the board.”
Saturday, May 21, North
Carolina has set aside an
entire week to pay tribute to
the Armed Forces. The first
Armed Forces Day was in
1950, in accordance with a
proclamation by President
Harry S. Truman.
Food Stamps
to increase
Food stamp allotments and
income eligibility levels,
reflecting an August to
February rise in food costs for
low-income families, will
increase for most households
on July 1, the U S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) has
announced.
In all the continental states
and District of Columbia,
monthly food stamp allot
ments for all household sizes,
except one-person households,
will increase by at least two
dollars. The monthly stamp
allotment for a family of four
will rise from $166 to $170.
Food stamp allotments are
based on USDA's Thrifty Food
Plan, which computes the cost
of a nutritionally adequate
diet for low-income
households.
Since income eligibility
levels are tied to the size of
food stamp allotments, these
levels also will increase in
most cases. The net income
limit for a family of four will
increase from $553 to $567 per
month.
However, income stan
dards for one and two-person
households will not change.
These income standards $245
and $322 per month, respec
tively) will remain at USDA's
poverty guidelines. Food
stamp regulations require
USDA to use either allotment
based calculations or the
poverty guidelines,
whichever are higher, in
setting income eligibility
levels, department officials
explained.
Mointhly net income limits
for the 48 states and District of
Columbia, effective July 1
•re: One-person
household....$245, Two-person
households... $322, Three
person households ...$447,
Four-person household
s — $567, Five-person
households....$$73, Six person
households....$807, Seven
person households... $893 annd
Eight-person household
s....$l020.
Jaycees sweep state awards
The Black Mountain
Swannanoa chapter of the
Jaycees walked away from
the state Jaycees convention
in Asheville with an armload
of awards-including the state
award for conservation
projects.
The Swannanoa River
Cleanup project organized by
the local Jaycees won them
both divisions and state
awards for energy and en
vironment. Winning the award
places the Black Mountain
Swannanoa Jaycees among
contesting chapters nation
wide for the national energy
environment award to be
presented in Seattle next
month.
The chapter also won the
Doubling Up award, given to
chapters that have shown
more than 100 per cent in
crease in membership within
a year.
They were also presented
with the Extender Club
award, an award given to
outstanding chapters. It
consists of the Founder’s
Plaque, desk set. State
Residents’ Award of Honor
and an Award of Appreciation
plaque.
Over 3000 Jaycees from all
over North Carolina attended
the convention in the Asheville
Civic Center last weekend.
The three-day convention
featured meetings, contests,
plays, training workshops,
music, and 40 kegs of beer.
STEVE KING and Tom Turner look on as Charles
Shook adjust a banner over State Street welcoming
the state’s Jaycees to the Valley (Dan Ward)
**°ntreat str
—s,ZZ\Z7
The Board of Com
missioners of the Town of
Montreat met in regular
session on May 12.
Chief of Police Pete Post
reported that no major
problems have developed in
the last month. Assistant
Building Inspector Ed Berg
said that four new houses are
in the early stages of con
struction. In the absence of
Dr. Larry Wilson, Chief Post
reported for the Streets
Department that pot-holes
have been patched and that
grading of the unpaved roads
will be done within a week.
Under old business,
Elizabeth Maxwell, Mayor, in
observance of instructions
from the April meeting,
reported that John Hamilton
will place a dumpster between
Texas Road and Assembly
Drive for the use of week
enders, the financial
arrangements with Mr.
Hamilton for 1977-78 will
remain the same, and a
special pick-up woll be held on
Friday June 10 for general
trash, not including large
furnishings or appliances.
Black Mtn. Fire Dept,
The Black Mountain Fire
Department made two runs
last week.
On May 9, two trucks and 19
men answered a call about an
overheated stove at 205 E.
College St.
Two trucks and 21 men were
called to put out a house fire
on US 70 west on May 14.
Minor damage was reported.
Buncombe County
Ambulance
The ambulance service
made 17 routine runs and four
emergency last week
Police Report
The Black Mountain Police
Department conducted 12
investigations last week. They
arrested two for DUI, three
for public drunkeness. They
issued two citations for ex
pired inspection ticket, one
warning citation and three
speeding citations.
They located two missing
persons.
They assisted BCSDvin a
couple of instances and
assisted three motorists.
They answered four civil
disturbances and one
domestic disturbance
Accidents recorded were on
W. State St. and Church St.
$500 property damage and at
Montreat Rd. and W. State St.
:$400 damages.
Swannanoa
fire dept.
The Swannanoa Fire
Department fought one fire
last week.
Six men and two engines
were called to put out a brush
fire May 12 on the unfinished
part of 1-40 behind the Beacon
plant. No damage was
reported
The Fire Department picnic
was held May 15 at Owen
Park
Buua im«j lireut-Andersoti
College and the Mountain
Retreat Association have
stated satisfaction with police
protection and stated their
intent to continue the present
arrangement through fiscal
year 1977-78.
Jiaclt Mountain Dog Or
dinance: A copy of
A copy of the Black
Mountain Dog Ordinance was
not immediately available,
but a summary was given.
The Montreat Board will
continue to seek a practical
approach to the town’s dog
problems.
On motion of Commissioner
Ed Crisp, the board instructed
the mayor to write the League
of Municipalities that Mon
Leat wi1 ’■'ts.jiabk' to con
tribute to the cost of then new
multi-million-dollar building.
This may mean that the
town’s participation in the
League Group Insurance plan
will terminate on June 30.
The mayor was also in
structed to ask Philip Carson,
town attorney, to contact State
Representative Gordon
Greenwood concerning the
payment of back Social
Security for police officers.
The board continues to resist
this requirement, teeiing that
the state’s refusal to accept
offered payment in 1971
removed any responsibility
the town had in this matter.
The dates of May 23, May 30,
June 9 and June 23 were set for
hearings concerning and
adoption of the 1177-78 budget.
The financial report was
accepted after an amendment
deleting Equipment Rental
and adding that amount to
Gas, Oil and Tires.
After a discussion of
suggestions given in the 1976
Planning Study prepared for
Montreat by R D. Tillson, the
section titled “Review of the
Zoning Ordinance” was
refered to the Planning and
Zoning Commission for study
and recommendations.
Upon motion of Mr. Crisp,
the Mayor was requested to
issue a proclamation honoring
Wilton Watkins for 35 years of
service to Montreators and for
his effective citizenship.
Meet the staff
Uva is Mom to most
by Dan Ward
Uva Miracle is not only
distinguished editor emeritus
of the News, she is mother and
grandmother to about half the
population of the Swannanoa
Valley.
But that is common
knowledge. “You don’t have to
write anything, everybody in
town knows about me
anyhow,“she said recently.
Uva, who was-fulltime
editor of the News for most of
the last nine years, left the
staff three months ago to pay
more attention to home and
family and because of what
she calls “sickness.”
"I quit because of
sickness,” she said, ‘‘My
husband and family got sick of
my working.”
Uva, however, is addicted to
the journalist’s malady of ink
in the blood. Since she left, she
has written up a number of
engagements, retirements
and weddings as only she can.
“One reason I take such an
interest in the weddings is that
the young poeplc are ‘my’
kids. 1 only have two children
of my own, but 1 have two or
three thousand by proxy. I like
to see them have a permanent
remembrance of that special
day,” she said.
On being an editor, Uva
said,“It had its joys, its
frustrations. One thing I
learned is that you can’t
please everybody.
“I’ll always look back on the
years I worked here as I he
most rewarding and fulfilling
of my life, though ” she ad
ded.
Uva has found freedom
from work (“Don’t call it
retirement, I’m too young to
retire”) has opened new doors
for her. She has spent a good
deal of time traveling lately,
particularly to see her
children and grandchildren.
“I’m very busy being a wife,
mother and grandmother and
enjoying it immensely,’’ she
said.
We at the News enjoy Uva
immensely, and hope she will
contribute and visit often.,
She’s the best at what she
does, be it mother, grand
mother, or society writer.