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Hearing set on
WNC Hospital
by Dsn Ward
A ti-member task force was
tpected to hold a public
;armg October 26 to hear
Mens' input into the ef
ciency of the Western North
troiina Specialty Hospital
nd reasons why it should or
ould not be closed.
The meeting, to be held at 2
m Wednesday in the
Mpttal auditorium, is the
trd to be held at the request
[ Dr. Sarah Morrow,
tcretary of Human
iesonrces, at state specialty
tspitals.
At the request of Dr.
torrow, a bill to close down
estern North Carolina
cspital was defeated last
mmer. Dr. Morrow asked
the institution remain in
operation for another year
whiie her office studies its
effectiveness.
"From the response we get,
it seems that peopie in this
area are vitaiiy interested in
the operation of this hospital,'
said Jack C. Ellison, hospital
administrative director.
"The task force will be
looking at all facets of the
operation as it serves the
region, including social and
economic factors,*he said. He
added, however, that health
care provided at the in
stitution will be the primary
consideration.
The hospital, which
specializes in the treatment of
respiratory diseases, employs
280 Valley residents. The
hospital treats 1200 persons
per year, many of them with
chronic diseases, from the
western part of the state. One
third of those have tuber
culosis.
The biH introduced iast
spring recommended ciosing
the hospital to save the state
an estimated $2.0 million.
Care for the hospital patients
wouid be consolidated at the
specialty hospital at Wilson,
the bill proposed. Opponents
of ciosing the hospital
maintain that the best care
could be given at the Biack
Mountain institution and that
it wouid be a burden for
patients from this region to
travel to Wilson for treatment.
The task force will make
recommendations to Dr.
Morrow after compieting
its study of the statek specialty
hospitals.
The task force will hold a
meeting at 1:30 Wednesday
prior to the 2 p.m. pubiic
hearing.
WOfgtM&y
:n fracfor <%ea/
by Dan Ward
An intra-agency in
Htigation of Gene Ervin,
pervisor of the western
istrict of Aicohoi Law En
)rcement, has shown that he
as not guilty of wrongdoing
! purchasing a state surpius
actor through Black
iountain town officials while
was an ABC agent in 1973,
wording to Phil Carlton,
Rretary of Crime Control
<t Public Safety,
in a letter to State Sen.
onald Kinkaid, who asked
r an investigation into the
actor deal, Carlton said
cur investigation discloses
Rt Supervisor Ervin was not
"'!ty of either of these
harges and no disciplinary
ction has been taken against
im.'
Carlton also noted that
'strict Attorney Robert
tsher determined that no
targes be made against
rvin or former Black
huntain officials, CD.
indsey and Richard Stone.
Aiiegations that Ervin
tsused his position in
arranging the purchase of the
tractor, at costs, through
Black Mountain town ac
counts were first made by Bill
Ingram, former supervisor for
Aicohoi Law Enforcement for
the western district. Ac
cording to Ingram, Ervin also
conspired with ABC agent
James Simmons to falsify
arrest records by giving
Sunmons credit for arrests on
which he oniy assisted.
Cariton, in response to those
ailegations, wrote "we find
absoiuteiy no proof of con
spiracy. Some harmless,
though irregular modification
in certain papers was made
by Agent Simmons after the
cases had been disposed of,
but there is absoiuteiy no
evidence that this was done in
conspiracy with Supervisor
Ervin.'
Simmons, Carlton went on
to write, would receive
"appropriate disciplinary
actiont-having the record
tampering incidents included
in his file. Cariton wrote that
Simmons "did not exercise the
best judgement consistent
with the high standards of iaw
Raindrops on a twig wotdd be beauti/u! even i/ there
"e'e no water ehortage ^Dan Ward)
enforcement; but was not
guilty of any great
wrongdoing in amending the
arrest records, which were for
cases that had already been
processed. Carlton stated that
Simmons' action did not
warrrant dismissai from the
department.
A row of cornshocks
harvest. (Dan Ward)
fAc Aarvesf
stand in a Swannanoa fieid as memorial to another
Our %Meyparf two
Grey Eagle grows
by DM Ward
Ed. note-TMs article h
second in a series on the
hittory of the Swannanoa
Valiey. The mein source for
this segment it Hittory of
Bitch Mountain, by the Bitch
Mountain High Schooi Cittt of
MB.
Grey Eagle, at the com
munity at the site % the
present Bitch Mountain was
known, was first settled in by
Frederick Lafayette Burnett,
a hunter and fisherman,
and his family in 17M. Like the
first settlers who followed
him, Burnett settled in the
North Fork Valley.
Among the other early
settlers were William Stepp
and his sons, John Kyle,
Major John Dougherty, who
bought Lynchk Cove with a felt
hat, Elijah and Elisha Kerlee,
Jesse Watkins and James
McNair.
In terms of business, Grey
Eagle was noted only for its
trading post on the stagecoach
line in the early lMOs.
Ridgecrest, then Imown as
Swannanoa Gap Station,
served a much more
prominent role as toll house
and overnight stop for
westbound travellers.
The origin of the name Grey
Eagie, like that of Swannanoa,
can only be speculated upon
Like Swannanoa, the name
may have its roots in an In
dian name. Speculation has it
that the name may describe a
bird-like rock formation near
Black Mountain. Why the town
fathers opted to name the
town after the tallest moun
tain range east % the
Mississippi when the town was
chartered is also unknown.
In 1679, with the completion
of the engineering marvel that
is the Old Fort-Asheville
segment of the Southern
Railways line, Black Moun
tain and Ridgecrest stopped
being sleepy stopovers for
Ashevilie bound travellers.
The Swannanoa Valley
established itself early as a
tourist center. The Mt. Mit
chell Hotel opened in ISM. The
famous Gresham Hotel was
later erected on the same site,
south of the railroad tracks on
Vance Avenue. Washington
House. Entofferk Inn and
Black Mountain Inn were ail
grand hotels erected before
the beginning % the 20th
century. The area became
known as a health spa and
scenic attraction.
Until the turn of the century,
Tabernacle Church and
another iog church shared by
the Baptists and Methodists
were the only houses of
worship erected. Sermons at
private homes by travelling
preachers were the rule for
early settlers.
The first school, a small log
hut, was taught By J.C.
Jarvis, who provided his
services three months each
year for a fee of (16 per month.
In 1693, the town of Black
Mountain was chartered, with
T.K. Brown serving as its first
mayor and P. Briggs, J.M.
Stepp, and S.F. Dougherty as
its first commissioners.
PoMee Report
The Diocese of North
Carolina building at 510 Vance
Ave was victim to thieves and
vandals who broke into the
building on October M. Black
Mountain Det. Bill Stafford
said approximately (1000
damage was done. Three
juvenile* are being
questioned about the in
cident, Stafford said.
The department answered
72 calls last week, issued 10
traffic citations, arrested one
for pubiic drunk, and
responded to we traffic ac
cident
JVeiyhborhood Watch
wcctiag draws 24
by Dan Ward
Black Mountain Police will
mail a letter to all households
in the town in an effort to
organize the Neighborhood
Watch Program here.
Twenty-four persons at
tended an introductory
meeting on the program at the
Black Mountain Club House on
October 20. John Heatherly.
of the Buncombe County
Sheriff's Department, ex
plained to those present that
the Neighborhood Watch
Program is an agreement
between neighbors to watch
each other's property for
suspicious behavior.
A marked reduction in
crime has been noted in other
communities since the Neigh
borhood Watch program has
begun. Buckeye Cove,
Ricevilie, and Swannanoa are
among a number of Buncombe
County communities that have
initiated the program.
The oniy cost to participants
is (1.00 for a sign, according to
Det. Bill Stafford.
Stafford said another
meeting wlil be heid some
time next month. He said the
police department will try to
enlist participants on a street
by-street basis. M five
tamiiies on one street sign up
for the program, that street
would become a Neighborhood
Watch area, Stafford said.
Stafford said that meet of
the persons attending the
October 20 meeting were from
the Vance Avenue and Bine
Ridge Road areas. Few
persons from the northwest
side of Black Mountain at
tended, he said.
The letter to residents, to be
maiied within two weeks, wBl
give the time and date of the
next meeting, in which par
ticipants wiil be recruited,
Stafford said.
Swannanoa Fire Dept.
)
!
The Swannanoa Volunteer
Fire Department responded to
six caiis last week.
On October 17, three trucks
and 1! men answered a false
alarm of a brush fire on
Central Ave.
On October 18, on truck and
nine men were called to
remove the Handle from a door
Biack Mountain
I
Fire Department
The Black Mountain Fire
Department answered three
calls last week.
One truck and 23 men were
called to put out a soot fire in
the chimney at the John
Bradley residence at 105 Ninth
St. on October 20. No damage
was reported.
On October 22, a car fire at
212 Ninth St. caused minor
damage. One truck and 20
men responded to that fire.
Minor damage resulted
from a fire caused by wiring to
the water heater at the Nora
Pierce residence at 307
Church St. on October 23. One
truck and 20 men responded to
that fire.
The Black Mountain Fire
Department ambulance made
one emergency run last week.
The Buncombe County
Ambuiance made sis
emergency runs, M routine
runs and was not needed on
three runs.
at 137 Central to free a cMM
who had locked hereeif In a
bedroom.
On October 21, two tracks
and 10 men responded to s
falae alarm at the Tack Shack
Faulty wiring in the alarm
^ am was Mamed.
A bam Ore at the HMdh
residence ia Buckeye Cove
cuased $400 damage on Oc
tober 22. Three trucks and M
men were called to put out that
Hre. Also that day, one track
and 15 men washed down attar
a wreck in which there were
no injuries.
On October 23. the depart
ment held a mutual aid roar us
driU with the Enka depart
ment. One rescue truck and 15
rescue personnel parieipated
Also that day, three tfadko
and 21 men were oiled to put
out a car fire in front on MAM
Grocery on Old US 70.
Fireman Barry Roberts
asked that everyone who still
has a water can belonging to
the department return it
immediately.
Bill and Marilyn and the Monte Vista
OZd-ftFwe image he/ps hotef
by Dan Ward
Gone are the days of the
gleaming roadsters, of tourist
jammed steam trains puffing
into the Black Mountain depot,
and of the grand hoteis
sporting tremendous
verandas and huge carpeted
iobbies.
AM are gone-escept the
Monte Vista.
BiU and Marilyn Phillips,
who in 1995 bag an operating
the hotel established in 1919 by
Bill's parents, L.E. and
Rosalee Phillips, have worked
hard to maintain the elegant
atmosphere of the 90s and 30s
in the sprawling Monte Vista
Hotel.
The old-fashioned image is
intentional. While for a
number of years, the hotel
often was second choice for
visitors preferring modern
motels or a room at one of the
conference centers now
reservations come from all
over from folks looking for a
homey country atmosphere.
"Our business has reaMy
improved these last few years,
"Marilyn said. "1 think we are
getting more people who want
old-fashioned country'
Most of the Phillipses
business is by reservation
now, a fact that makes them
happy that 1-40 will divert
most traffic away from the
hotel. About 30 persons, most
of them retired, live at the
hotel fuM-time or seasonally.
BUI remembers the days
when his parents owned the
hotei, Camp Alice on top of Mt.
MitcheU and rented the Lake
Eden Inn where Camp
Rockmont is now.
The original hotel stood
where the Monte Vista
parking lot is now. An annex
was buUt in 1926 and the
present main buUding in 1937.
Bilik father used to let his
pigs run free in the woods
across from the hotel, now
replaced by urban expansion.
"It was more of a tourist
town then than it is now,'
Marilyn said. "There used to
be about 20 cabs then in Black
Mountain.,'
The Phillipses raised their
food for a number of years on
a nearby farm-no small job
for a hotel full of visitors.
Marilyn is always on the
watch for antiques for the
hotei lobby, which would
make a museum curator
envious. She and Biii keep
those they have in almost new
condition with occasional
reuphoistering. They won't
part with any of than.
"We try to keep the styie
we've got. Marilyn said, not
seeing anything at ail wrong
in being oid-iaahioned.