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3t Black Mountain, NC 28711 I^.ld^'(3C*l*(^St
Thursday, April 20, 1978, Vol. 24. No. 26 1|¥,^^rv p /*/i?lJ||||p WpiS ’%*' >,l^,t pte | ?/- ^
———————15 cents per copy
Youth Park grant
approval likely’
by Dan Ward
Due to what appears to be a
case of secretarial bungling,
Black Mountain officials have
seen assuming that a $25,000
3ureau of Outdoor Recreation
BOR) grant has either been
icrapped or.tied up in months
if bureaucratic paperwork,
he News learned this week.
According to Robert
iasmght. assistant director of
he BOR department of the NC
iepartment of Natural
tesources and Community
)evelopment, a letter to the
own saying the town's youth
enter park grant application
ras not approved, and was
eing held until a May review,
ras actually in error.
Basnight said that the town’
application had been already
pproved on the state level
ist November, but somehow
ot mixed in with new ap
lications in March.
"As far as we're concerned,
our grant was approved in
lovember," Basnight said.
Basnight said that the ap
Lication was supposed to be
ent to Atlanta, Ga., to be
:viewed by federal officials
i December, but that his
redecessor, Ronnie Denton,
id failed to send it off in
me. To offset the delay,
Bsnight aeM that he has
kown the^application to a
■dreal grant analyst, who has
■commended revisions that
|buJd be recommended by
Ideral authorities in Atlanta
liyhow.
Those recommendations,
asnight said, are that the
>wn submit a plat map for the
•oject, a 100-year flood plan,
i site boundary map, and
omplete the original site map
a show the south boundary of
the proposed park.
Basnight said that federal
approval of the giant in a
“very short time’ ’ was vir
tually assured unless the area
proved susceptable to
flooding. Basnight said he
would need the additional
information before passing
the application on to Atlanta,
but noted that the application
should be acceptable there
with that information
The $25,000 BOR grant, if
approved, would pay one-half,
with Black Mountain paying
the other half, of the cost of
creating a recreation park
below the Lake Tomahawk
dam. Facilities would include
tennis courts, a baseball field,
basketball courts, a
playground area, parking and
landscaping.
The Black Mountain Town
Board at its last meeting
allocated its share of $25,000
set aside for the park to begin
renovations on the golf
clubhouse, with an informal
agreement to budget $25,000
for the park out of the 1978-79
budget, if the grant is ap
proved.
Black Mountain Mayor Tom
Sobol, when told by the News
of the mistake, commented
that he did not know that the
grant had actually been ap
proved on the state level, but
saw no problem in obtaining
alternative funding for the
town's share. He suggested
that the $25,000 could be ob
tained within the town budget
if the project had to be started
before the town received its
1978-79 share of revenue
sharing funds.
He added that he would
notify Town Manager Mack
Kirkpatrick and the Town
Board of the mistake for
action at a special meeting
already scheduled for last
Monday evening.
Kirkpatrick told the board
at the meeting that he con*
firmed most information
obtrained by the News by
calling Raleigh LaRoche,
grant analyst handling Black
Mountain’s application.
In addition, Kirkpatrick
said that he obtained a hand*
written letter postmarked
April 4 from LaRoche on April
10 describing what additional
information was needed in
relation to the grant. Kirk
patrick said that the letter,
along with two pieces of
needed information,
mysteriously appeared on his
desk the day of the last
regular board meeting. Kirk
patrick said he had no idea
who left the letter and in
formation on his desk, and
indicated that the letter had
probably been intercepted and
opened days earlier. He said
he did not know who would
have done it.
Kirkpatrick said that of
ficial written confirmation of
the mixup in Raleigh would be
forthcoming from Sandra
Babb, director of the grants
program. W
He also noted that he has
been notified that the town will
receive enough revenue
sharing money to fund its
share of the grant, and that
over 111,900 of that money
should arrive as early as July.
The board was not able to
take action on recent
developments at the special
meeting.
Dogwood blooms colored the mountains like flocks of butterflies last week.
(Dan Ward)
1978 street repairs
approved by board
by Dan Ward
The Black Mountain Town
Board voted April 17 to
overspend Powell Bill funds
given the town by ap
proximately )5000 in ac
cepting a street paving bid of
$45,186.95 from Paving En
terprises for 1978 street im
provements.
Rather than cut down on
paving and repaving projects
selected by the board after
examining street conditions
last month, the board decided
to pay about $5000 of the cost
out of Powell Bill funds ex
pected for next year. Town
Manager Mack Kirkpatrick
Elderly center almost completed
by Dan Ward
Work on the new Lake View
Multi-Service Center for the
Aged is expected to be
completed by the beginning of
June, according to Project
Director Irene Stephenson.
The center, located
downstairs of the Lake
Tomahawk Clubhouse, will
indude offices, a living-room
like area, a craft shop and
kitchen. The center will be
equipped with a color
television, library, couches
and chairs, and will have
facilities for shuffleboard,
piano playing, checkers and
cards, Mrs. Stephenson said.
Workmen have already
completed most wiring, in
Lib Harper
Friendship is her battle cry
by Dan Ward
If the old expression, "kill
them with kindness "were true,
Ub Harper would have 100
notches in her smile.
Elizabeth Harper, who
mastered the art of friendly
confrontation in working for
integration in the Valley years
ago, is taking her smile and
energy to another cause—as
new chairperson for the
Buncombe County Com
mission on the Status of
Women.
The housekeeping manager
at the Alcoholic Rehabilitation
Center is not new to working
for women& rights. She has
worked with the commission
for some years, but took the
chair only this March.
“We Ye just trying to get our
feet off the ground now,’ ’ she
said. “Our goals are a little
different now than they were
in 1975-76.”
While the overall goal
remains “equal opportunity
for equal pay, equal r
responsibilities’ ’ for women,
she said, the commission is
now working on improving the
Women’s Center to provide an
awareness education center
for women and a counseling
service for battered wives.
A main concern of the
commission now is getting
funds from Buncombe County
and the City of Asheville. Ms.
Harper also plans to meet with
Gov. Jim Hunt soon to en
courage more state-level
support for women’s rights.
She noted that the governor’s
wife has been active in work
for women’s right.
Ms Harper agreed that she
would fall into the category of
feminist.
“1 really don't like that
label, but to some degree, yes.
I strictly supported ERA,"she
said.
A more appropriate label
would probably be in
dividualist.
“I'm sort of pushed out in
front. I see needs where
nobody else will take a stand—
and I do, "she said. Although,
as in the case of both civil
rights and women’s rights,
she is speaking out on a social
issue, she said she will ap
proach an antagonist as an
individual. #
“People should sit down as
intelligent individuals and talk
and negotiate. This pushing
just doesn't make iense to me,”
she said.
One case where iieg’-iialion
paid off was an attempt by
her, acting alone, to get a
Valley businessman to in
tegrate his business during the
‘ 60s.
The man told her that blacks
and whites were not meant to
use the same facilities.
“I admired him because he
was totally honest and I can
appreciate honesty in anyone,”
she said. “You see, he was
taught that. You can’t blame
him because he was taught
that from a child up.’’
Long talks and logic finally
convinced the man to give up
his bigoted beliefs, and opened
the business to black patrons.
As in that case, Ms. Harper
sees public awareness of
lifelong misconceptions as the
route to bettering employment
and status conditions of
women.
“:I think most people are
aware of this (inequities
between the sexes), but we’re
trying to bring it out in the
open and keep it before the
public,” she said.
“A couple of years ago we
sent out some questionaires
and did a telephone survey to
find out the various im
pressions. You’d be surprised.
The salaries of women as
compared to men doing the
same work. Even in in
dustry—it’ s way out of
proportion. And education
way below men,"she said.
“I do think the picture has
changed somewhat in the last
five years. More young men
are willing to stay home,
babysit, wash the dishes,’’she
said.
The way to keep the ball
rolling, she said, is to follow
the teachings of her father
He told her, she said, to
recogni:; the dignity of the
individual and, above all,
love everyone.
stalled paneling, and put up
cabinets. Renovation of
the lower floor for the center is
being funded by a $23,000 Title
V grant with $7000 in addition
provided by the town. For
additional equipment, the
center is seeking donations
from local civic organizations,
Mrs. Stephenson said.
The canter, when com
pleted, will serve 23 percent of
the senior citizens living in the
Swannanoa Valley, she said.
The center will serve as
cultural, recreational, social,
educational, nutritional and
employment center for the
valley’s elderly, she added.
Adult education and craft
classes will be provided at the
center through Asheville
Buncombe Technical In*
stitute, she said.
A Planning and Advisory
Board made up of senior
citizens will advise her on
what programs and services
are wanted by participants,
Mrs. Stephenson said.
A director, three part-time
service aids and a number ot
volunteers will guide
programs at the center, she
said, r •
Site Manager Nancy Talmage and Project Director Irene Stephenson look
from serving window in the nearly-completed kitchen of the Multi-service
Center for the Elderly. (Dan Ward)
Lumber
store
breakin
Various tools, including four
sets of socket wrenches,
valued at $212, were taken in a
breakin early April 17 at Black
Mountain Lumber on Sutton
Avenue.
According to police, entry
was gained through a south
window of the business bet
ween 2:30 and 3:05 a.m. A
store representative said that
the window was very small,
indicating a small person was
responsible for the theft.
There were no suspects.
A 13-year-old boy has been
charged with breaking and
entering of a residence on
High School Koad April 14 in a
separate incident, according
to police.
In another development,
Norman Grady Taylor, 23, of
Powder Springs, Ga., pleaded
guilty to robbery with a
dangerous weapon in con
nection with the theft of $1000
in drugs from PSA Pharmacy
in Swannanoa in January.
Taylor was sentenced to 20
to 28 years in prison by
Superior Court Judge Robert
I), l^wis April 10.
—_ -_-_
said that Paving Enterprises
would be willing to wait for the
additional money.
Scheduled for “hot mix’ ’
surfacing or resurfacing are
Center Street, lower Sunset
Drive, 100 feet of Lakey
Street, 75 feet of Cook’s alley,
Travel Lane, Ruby Avenue,
Dougherty Street from Or
chard to State Street, Lauel
Circle from Montreat Road to
Tomahawk, both ends of
Hilltop, 75 feet of Fairway
Drive, Pleasant Drive from
the cul-de-sac to Dogwood, 75
feet of the lower end of Chapel
Drive, 30 feet at the bottom
and 75 feet at the top of
Dogwood, Tenth Street from
Cherokee to Azalea, and
Azalea from between Ninth
and Tenth to the town limits.
Streets scheduled for
bituminous paving or
resealing are part of West
View Avenue, Brookside,
Dilling Avenue, Briarbrook
Lane, Beech Tree Road, Pearl
Street west, Swannanoa
Avenue from First Street to
East College, Second Avenue
from Swannanoa to
Altamahan, East College from
Swannanoa to US 70, Chicago,
West Fifth Street, Sixth Street
from Tomahawk to
Oconcechev North JP*
Lane, anil Tenth Street from
Cherokee to Azalea.
Aid. A.F. Tyson, who
coordinated the street study,
said that some streets wcl
receive bituminous coatings
in preparation for paving next
year. The board spent two
days making an inspection of
tffl the town’s streets before
making the recom
mendations, he said.
Free Golf and Swimming
The board adopted four
amendments to an ordinance
passed at the last board
meeting allowing designated
volunteer firemen and police
free golf privileges.
The board passed an
amendment propose p by Aid.
Ruth Brandon ro give
designated town employees
and volunteers the choice of
either free golf or free
swimming privileges.
. The board also accepted
three amendments by Aid.
Tyson. They were that all
active volunteer firemen and
auxiliary police recom
mended by their respected
chiefs be given free recreation
privileges, that lists of those
persons be given to the golf
superintendent and pool
managers, and that the
privileges expire at the end of
the present board’s term
Trailer Zoning
The board also heard an
argument from Lloyd
Robinson why he should be
allowed to put a double-wide
mobile home on a lot not zoned
for mobile homes. Rob&tson
first applied for a building
permit for the home in May
1977.
Zoning Board of Ad
justments Chairman Robert
Fischer said that the board
was unable to grant the permit
because of the wording of the
town’s ordinance regarding
V vfoing, and that Uifc Case c£ulJ
not be interpreted as a hard
ship in legal terms.
Mayor Sobol called the case
v a hardship, and asked if the
permit could not be recon
sidered because the building
could be considered a modular
home. Sobol noted that the
Town Board had no authority
to grant the permit, but could
ask the Board of Adjustments
to reconsider from a more
humanitarian standpoint.
Fischer said the Board of
Adjustments would take up
the request again, but would
not be able to change its
decision as long as no hew
factors are brought up.
1
Intentional fires
set in Swannanoa
Swannanoa firemen were
called on to put out four brush
fires last week—all of them
thought to be set intentionally.
Fireman Barry Roberts
said there are suspects in two
of the fires, but that there are
apparently no witnesses to the
setting of any of the fires.
On April 11, two trucks and
nine men put out a brush fire
on Watson Road.
(continued on page 10)
While U.S. Rep. Lamar Gudger defended his
mailings to constituents in a speech at the Monte
Vista Hotel April 14, congressional candidate Bo
Thomas criticized the congressmen’s mail bill at
coffee hour at Burger Hutt. (Dan Ward)