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Thursday, January 19, 1978, Vol. 24, No. 14 * •■■ rfawlFWiilM^ 15 cents per copy
Sled dog
Ben shows his master, Kim Poe, that a smart dog rides instead of pulling.
(Robert Green)
t he way it was
No whistling in church
This is the second in a series
>f the original ordinances
passed in Black Mountain in
1893.
Sec. 13. If any one in the
town of Black Mountain,
except on his own premises,
shall carry concealed about
lus person any pistol, bowie
knife, dirk, dagger, slung shot,
loaded cane, brass or other
metal knucks, razor or other
deadly weapon, shall, upon
conviction, be fined not ex
ceeding fifty dollars, provided
that this section shall not
apply to any one in the civil or
military service of the United
States or of the State, Cor ity,
or town, while actually
engaged in the line of duty.
Sec. 14. Any person who shall
discharge any gun or other
fire arm, or any rocket,
cannon cracker or any other
fire works or explosive in any
street or foot way, or in any
place less than one-fourth of a
mile from the Southern
Railway depot, except in self
defense or by command or
permission of the mayor and
board of aldermen, shall be
fined not exceeding fifty
dollars.
Sec 15. Any person who
shall habitually wander about
the streets, depot, or any other
Place in Black Mountain
without any visible means of
support, shall be arrested as a
vagrant, and upon conviction,
oe fined five dollars.
See 16. Any person or
Persons who shell congregate
m or about any church in the
town of Black Mountain,
cither before, during or after
'“vine service, in a disorderly
manner and to the disturbance
°t those attending such
church, or who shall by loud
mUcmg, whistling or laughing,
or by any other noise or in any
other manner disturb any
congregation or any one of
*my congregation so assem
w«d, or having been
assembled for divine, service,
shall, on conviction, be fined
not exceeding twenty-five
dollars.
Sec. 17. Any person pedling
in the town of Black Mountain
without a State or county
license, shall, upon conviction,
be fined ten doalars.
Sec. 18. Any merchant,
trader or dealer, or other
person who shall open any
shop or store on Sunday for the
purpose of buying or selling,
shall, on conviction, be fined
not exceeding fifty dollars.
Provided, that any one may
open their store for the pur
pose of selling grave clothes or
medicines or any drugs that
may be needed at the time
being. And if any store shall
be found open on Sunday it
shall be prime facie evidence
that the same was opened by
the proprietor for the purpose
of selling
Sec. 19. Any one who shall
break into or injure any guard
house or place of confinement
of prisoners in the town of
Black Mountain, shall, upon
conviction, be fined ten dollars
and shall be liable for
damages arising brum such
unlawful act.
Sec. 20. That the violation of
any of the ordanances of the
town of Black Mountain is
hereby declared a
misdemeaner under the
provisions of section 3820 of
the Code, and any person
guilty of such violation, shall,
upon conviction, be punished
by a fine not exceeding fifty
dollars or imprisonment not
exceeding thirty days, unless
the ordinance shall prescribe
a different punishment.
Sec. 21. That for the purpose
of justice in exceptional cases
the town court of Black
Mountain may be allowed to
exercise a sound discretion in
imposing fines for the
violation of these ordinances,
provided that no greater fine
is inflicted than is prescribed
in these ordinances.
Sec. 22 That it «h»n be
obligatory on any merchant in
the town of Black Mountain to
erect place for the benefit of
their patrons and others
stopping in that vicinity. That
such hitching place shall not
be in or obstruct any street or
sidewalk, and any merchant
or salesman in charge of any
store failing to comply with
this ordinance withing five
days after being notified, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor
and subject to a fine or im
prisonment or both, at the
discretion of the court.
To be continued.
172 fires in 1977
in Black Mountain
A Black Mountain Fire
Department spokesman has
reported that the department
fought 172 fires during 1977,
including 57 in homes.
Broken down into
categories, the department
fought 51 dwelling fires, 28 to
other buildings, 55 woods or
brush fires, 6 to mobil homes,
and 34 to vehicles.
The department also an
swered 8 false alarms, made
11 investigation md was
involved in IS rescue
operations.
The spokesman said that
eight fires last year were
suspected to have been caused
by arson.
One death and two injuries
resulted from fires answered
by the department last year.
Volunteer firemen put in
3,603 hours fighting fires, 1,375
hours training and 687 hours
on other activities throught
the denartment.
Assistant Chief Sterling Poe
began duties January 13 as
new Black Mountain Fire
Chief. Official confirmation of
Poe as replacement for Made
Kirkpatrick, who has ac
cepted the position of town
manager, is expected at a
special town beard meeting to
be held 6p.m. January 19. Poe
was the unanimous choice of
Black Mountain firemen for the
position.
Black Mountain firemen
answered three alarms last
week.
On January 10, one truck
and 13 men responded to a fire
caused by a fumance motor at
the Schmeb residence at 202
W. Fourth St. Damage was
estimated at $48.
On January 11, two trucks
and 17 men responded to a
grease fire on a stove at the
Gragg residence at 205
Goldmont About $20 damage
resulted.
On January 12, two bucks
and 11 men investigated a
misfired oil stove at the
Wheeler residence at 103 S.
Ridgeway. No damage was
reported.
The Buncombe County
Ambulance Service made 29
routine and two emergency
runs last week, and was not
needed on six occasions.
Gudger letter backs
manager choice
Black Town Manager Mack
Kirkpatrick baa .received a
letter from UJS. Rep. Lamar
Gudger promising backing
from the congressman
while noting what Gudger
called the “somewhat trying
circumstances’ ’ under which
Kirkpatrick was hired.
Gudger’s letter reads:
“Dear Chief.
“Fran all I hear you come
to your new position as Town
Manager for Black Mountain
under somewhat trying cir
cumstances. I hope that those
circumstances, which in no
way reflect upon your own
potential for positive service,
will prove to be a minor
problem.
“Your years of devoted and
competent service to the
community as Fire Chief are
solid evidence of both your
personal abilities and your
commitment to advancing the
welfare of the community.
“In your new role, there
should be frequent op
portunity for this office to be
of service to you and the people
of Black Mountain. Please be
Road death toll
lowest since 1963
Fewer persons died on
Nort^i Carolina highways
during 1977 than in any year
since 1963, according to Crime
Control and Public Safety
Secretary J. Phil Carlton.
And the significant reduction
in deaths took place during the
last five months of the year
when the State Highway
Patrol began its strict en
forcement of the 55 mph speed
limit.
The final highway death
toll for 1977 totaled 1,422
persons, some one hundred
seven fewer lives lost com
pared to last year's 1,529
figure. At the end of July,
traffic deaths totaled 837, five
more than at the end of July
1976, so the greatest reduction
took place after the 4i&‘
way Patrol began its stepped
up enforcement of the 55 mph
speed limit on August 15,1977.
Each month after August
reflected a decrease in the
number of traffic fatalities,
except for September in which
we broke even, Carlton said.
“The reduction of speed on
the highways was definitely a
contributing factor to reduced
fatalities,"Carlton said. “Both
the Highway Patrol and the
citizens of North Carolina
should be pleased with these
statistics. Traffic slowed
down in 1977 largely due to
voluntary compliance on the
part of citizens and it ob
viously paid off in the number
of lives saved on our high
ways.”
Police Report
Black Mountain Police
had a light week last week,
having issued (our traffic
tickets and investigated four
accidents. They answered 110
calls last week.
assured that we stand ready to
assist you in every possible
way as you undertake your
new duties.
Robert Jones
"Warm personal regards, I
am
Sincerely,
Lamar”
Arctic icescape
A Black Mountain town employee walks through arctic scene created by the
sprayfrom a cracked water line on Ninth Street. (Dan Ward)
Folk concert at WWC
features local musicians
As part of its Appalachian
Music Series, Warren Wilson
College will boat a concert
open to the public featuring
folk musicians from ine
Swarmanoa Valley.
According to David Holt,
coordinator of the concert
series, local artists Included in
the concert are Zeke and
Wiley Morris, ban joist Walter
fliuzuir * ,d/ethers
and die ^illianufString Bahfi.
The concert, free and open
to the public, will be held
Friday, January 20 in the
Kittredge Building on the
Warren Wilaon College
campus beginning at 8 p.m.
Other concerts featuring the
BUttk Community and other
communities of Western
North Carolina will be held In
the future, Holt said.
Montreal artist paints ‘atmosphere ’
by Du Ward
Robert Jones of Montreat is
not only one of the most
popular local artists, but be
has found himself in the role of
historian for Montreat and
Black Mountain.
“A lot of my nature is not
wanting things to change,’ ’
Jones said, explaining why
old-timey scenes and tum
bledown houses and bams
appear often in his work.
Quite accidentally, Jones
has made last drawings of at
least three institutions in the
Valley shortly before they
were destroyed. Those three
sketches - of the old Montreat
Store, Max Twitty's Fruit
Stand and a street scene near
the Depot showing the old
bank and Key City Drug Store
- have been reproduced into
small prints that Jones sells.
Each of the three were
made within two months
before the destruction of the
buildings.
“There’s a building here in
Montreat nd like to do, bat im
afraid they’ll tear It down if I
did,” Jones quipped.
The artist said that the
prints have ‘‘tremendous
nostalgia value’ ’ to summer
residents who are disap
pointed to find the area
chanatui each vear.
Jones said that the object be
strives for in his paintings and
sketches is to put “at
mosphere”in them, a value he
learned from his high school
art teacher.
“Even without people, this
picture tells a story of Black
Mountain at night, “he said of
one of his prints be had
painted over to depict a
desolate, but lighted, night
scene.
Many of Jones’ works are
serene landscapes with old
barns or houses in them,
reminisdent of the works of
Andrew Wyeth. On occasion,
he said he “cuts loose' ’ and
paints abstracts or im
pressionist works. His ab
stracts, he said, are pure
atmosphere - expressing the
saine value as his more
\ Li /•
photographic works.
Jones said he learned to
paint using watercolors, and
has adopted the different
technique of using acrylic
paints like watercolors.
The artist said he sees
himself as an “idea person’!
He will often walk through
stores in Black Mountain
examining merchandise and
fixtures simply out of
curiosity and in search of
inspiration. He said he knows
this is sometimes puzzling to
storekeepers.
“Sometimes I’ll just cut off
and go to Asheville or some
other town and just look
around, ”he said. “People will
ask me ‘how do you see these
things?’ (that he puts in
paintings). I just do without
thinking about it.”
Jones said one of the per
sona he most admired was
Walt Disney. “He was a
cartoonist, an artist. But he
also designed an
amusement park that became
a dream city,” he said.
Jones said that some people
I tie Ulactt Mountain Depot with now-defunct bank and drug store, as
sketched by Robert Jones.
think he is too commercial
because he ia always trying to
come up with a print or craft
to sell to tourists. He said the
romantic notion of the
bohemian artist did not appeal
to him.
“It’s not that way with me -
I like to eat,”he said. “I just
like to see what people like.’ ’
Even so, the artist said be
sometimes creates something
he knows will not appeal to
the general public.
“Whatever I do for me is
better than what you might
want me to do,"he said. He
sometimes will put a painting
i«sm t ; »
or sketch away and only show
it to a person he knows can
identify with the feelings he
had about the subject he
painted.
Such was the case with the
sketch of the Depot, be said.
“I was satisfied with that
one, so I stuck it in a drawer
and left it,”he said. When the
Cub Scouts asked to sell his
prints for a fund-raising, he
took the Depot sketch out of
hiding and gave it to them, he
said.
“If I hadn't given it away,
it would probably still be
sitting in a drawer,"he said.
r