Newspapers / The Black Mountain News … / May 4, 1978, edition 1 / Page 1
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Serving at Black Mountain. NC 28711 fejfSpStMil I * Ridgecrest Thursday, May 4. No. 28 15 cents per copy Overgrown graveyards caught in legal jungle by Dan Ward Wedged in a comer behind the Black Mountain east cemetery and next to the Tabernacle Methodist Church cemetery is a weedy patch of homemade headstones as a visual reminder of a few who are in fact forgotten. More than a week of research by the News shows that the headstones announce the only claim heard for the ; overgrown graveyard. The plot, approximately 30 feet by 15 feet, is shown by : county records to be owned by Jackie Wheeler. According to Black Mountain town records, | it belongs to Lee Hutchins, who owns adjoining fields. According to a survey map in town records, the land belongs to Tabernacle Church. Ac cording to at least one former town official, the area is simply a no-man's land used by the poor soon after the turn of the century to bury their kin. Ownership of the cemetery came into question when an irate town citizen complained of the condition of the cemetery, which, if not for a knee-high fence, would appear to be a continuation of the town-owned plot adjoing the Padgett family cemetery. Tax records show, however, that although there is question as to who owns the land, the town does not. Town Manager Mack Kirkpatrick said that he has assumed that the land belonged to Taber nacle Church, whose cemetery adjoins the “potter’s field’ ’ on the south side. A survey done by George M. Gudger for the town when it accepted the cemetery from T. Pell Padgett in exchange for perpetual care for the family cemetery in 1969 also shows the land as belonging to the church. Robert Goodson, chairman of the church’s directors, said that the land does not belong to the church and never has. Land records back up Goodson’ s statement. Goodson noted that the town at one time oared for the now^ overgrown and van dalized cemetery. Lee Hutchins said that a survey done of his land earlier showed that part of the pauper cemetery was on his land. He added that he would agree to let anyone maintain the graves , now covered with limbs, brush and displaced headstones. Former Town Manager Charles Lindsay confirmed that the town had cared for the cemetery under his ad ministration as a courtesy, because relatives of those buried there either did not exist or were unwilling to provide care. He said that he was told, upon beginning duries as town manager, that the area had been used as a pauper’s cemetery by the town, but that Tabernacle Church owned the land. “As far as I know, nobody’s responsible except the relatives of the people buried there—just like the old mountain graveyards, Lindsay said. Ross Taylor, Golf Course supervisor for the town, said that he cut brush and grass in the tiny cemetery “twice a year” until golf course duties made it hard for him to spend a day at the cemetery. He said the graveyard poses a special problem in that the ground is too rough for a riding mower. Hand sickles are about the only tools that can be used to keep the growth down, he said. Taylor said he last cleaned up the cemetery two years ago. Harold Dotson of the town streets department said that town crews have cleaned up the cemetery two or three times a year. He said that the crew was planning to make its first cleanup visit to the cemetery soon for this year. Maintenance, he said, in cludes mowing and spraying weed killer. Kirkpatrick said that he will have the cemetery cleaned up at town expense if he receives town authorization. Kirkpatrick said that in another case, that of the west town cemetery, located next to Mountain View cemetery, the town has initiated action to care for that cemetery, although the town sold plots at the turn of the century without provision for perpetual care. Kirkpatrick said the town has run into legal problems because the plots are now privately owned by relatives, making it legally risky to remove overgrown bushes and trees to make mowing easier. Lindsay, who was named along with Bob Miller and Bertha Jones as a member of a committee working to obtain permission for the town to remove unwanted trees and bushes, said he has done some research to locate living relatives of those buried in the now-filled west cemetery, but cannot contact deed holders without formal approval from the town board. (continued on page 3) “Potters Fields-overgrown and overlooked. (Dan Ward) (More Photos on page 3) In spite of spring weather in the Valley, a late snow on the mountains stayed for two days last week. (Dan Ward) Black Mountain College—a history Ed. Note—The following condensed history of Black Mountain College, currently the topic of a series of workshops at Warren Wilson College, was written by Mary Emma Harris, who devoted years to studying the college lor her master’s degree thesis. The series was originally published as a single article in the April edition of the Arts Journal. Copyright April 1978, Arts Journal By Mary Emma Harris 'Black Mountain College "as founded in order to provides place where free use m‘ght be made of tested and proved methods of education and new methods tried out in a purely experimental spirit. — John Andrew Rice, “Black Mountain College, ”1934) Black Mountain College was founded in t\e fall of 1933 and "as closed at the end of the summer session. During th* intervening twenty-three .'ears, the college was a place "here innovative ideas in education were tried and *rtre the arts, especially "perimental activities in the foun<l » sympatheitc audience. The impetus for the foun lr|g of Black Mountain College was a crisis in the spring of 1933 at Rollins College in Florida. This crisis, ignited by the firing of John Andrew Rice, Professor of Classics, resulted in the dismissal and resignation of more than a quarter of the Rollins faculty and student body. Four of these facility— John Andrew Rice, Theodore Dreier, Ralph Lounsbury, and Frederick Georgia—together with sudenis who left Rollins decided to found a new college which would put into practice alternative ideas about education anu the arts. The founders of the college were concerned primarily with (1) the formation of a college where the faculty and students would have complete control over the educational program, and (2) the development of a curriculum which would create in the students the capacity for independent thought, initiative, imagination, and emotional maturity—qualities which the founders deemed critical to the survival of a democratic society. They realized that, in order to achieve their goals, it would be necessary to reorganize the structure as well as the curriculum and educational procedures of the traditional liberal arts college. Brides,brides ^ain this year, the Black Mountain News will present a June Bride Supplement, including tips for new homemakers and bridal fashion. Watch for it Black Mountain College was owned and administered by the (acuity who formed a non stock corporation. The facility elected a Rector who chaired faculty and Board of Fellows meetings but who had no special administrative authority. The faculty had complete control over educational policy. The Board of Fellows, elected by the faculty from its membership and including one student elected by the students, was responsible for hiring faculty and for the finincial ad ministration of the college. There was no endowment and no Board of Trustees. The college was financed on an annual basis by tuition in addition to gifts and a few small grants. An Advisory Council of prominant in dividuals in the arts and in education was selected by the faculty. They had no authority but supported the college by their endorsement of its program, and they of fered advice when it was sought. Members of the Advisory Council included Walter Gropius, a founder of the Bauhaus and Chairman of the School of Architecture at Harvard University; John Dewey, the founder of the Progressive Education Movement; Franz Kline, the Abstract Expressionist painter; and Albert Einstein, the eminent nuclear physicist. (To be continued. ..) Chamber fest planned A Swannanoa Valley Chamber of Commerce committee tentatively set August 9-12 as the dates the chamber's annual celebration on April 28. Replacing the Founder' s Day celebration will be the theme "Swannanoa Valley Sourwood Festival Days,"the committee recommended. Anticipated as events in the festival-type celebration, the committee agreed, would be a parade, horse shoe com petition, street dance, en tertainment, golf tournament, street displays and craft sale booths, a sourwood sale and possibly a bar-b-que. Much of the activity should take place in Swannanoa , and the Big Buy parking lot and on Cherry Street in Black Mountain, the committee decided. Civic organizations and the Old Depot Association should be encouraged to parUcinate, they agreed The committee also suggested that Black Mountain Mayor Tom Sobol issue a proclamation in support of the Swannanoa Valley Sourwood Festival Days. The festival recom mendations will come before the Chamber of Commerce at its regular meeting 8:30 p.m. on May 4 at the Black Mountain Savings and Loan. Members of the festival committee are Carl Bartlett, chairman; Bob Miller; Dr. Bob Dickey; Ed Weber and Bill Ricketts. Revenue sharing hearing set The Town of Black Moun tain will hold a public hearing Thursday, May 4 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall to get citizen input into how the town should spend approximately $SO,OOp in new revenue sharing funds and $16,900 in unspent revenue sharing money from last year. Town Manager Mack Kirk patrick said that the hearing is required by law as a means of finding out what projects the citizens would most like to see the money spent on. He said use of the money is limited basically to capital im provements—that is buildings and equipment. Citizens may either speak or submit written statements at the hearing Fire bounds hearinsset by Dan Ward The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners have agreed to set a hearing for Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Owen High School to 3 once and for all tbe boundary between the Black Mountain and Swannanoa M. Fire Districts. The commissioners last year set the boundary at the Old Black Mountain Township limits, but have scheduled another and final hearing at the request of Fire Chiefs Veiling *oe . *? Bladk Mountain and Tom Hixon of Swannanoa. All persons living between the Black Mountain western town limits and the west end of Tanglewood Mobile Home Park and Scenic Drive are asked to attend. *oe said that those most cotMsnwd are persons and businesses located on rake Eden Road and near the Juvenile Evaluation Center, Camp Rockmont, and the Kearfott plant. Poe added that all com missioners are expected to attend, and that they will make a final decision on the fire boundaries at the meeting baseJ , n testimony of Jifbse who attend. Armed holdup, breakins here The Black Mountain Police, partially because of the seasonal increase in interstate traffic, had a busy week, in cluding the investigation of six thefts. A black man is sought in connection with the armed robbery of the Pizza Hut on US 70 west on April 28. According to Det. Don Ramsey, the man pulled a gun on the cashier and took $491 from the cash register and fled in a car driven by another person. Although police have a description of the man, he has not yet been arrested, Ramsey said. Three juveniles from Ohio have been arrested in Statesville in connection with the breaking and entering and theft of tape recorders and other items from Black Mountain Grammar School over the weekend. The youths are runaways, police repor ted. Two men from New Jersey were charged with the larceny of $14 worth of gas from Shook’ s Exxon when they were apprehended by Sheriff’s police in Broad River on April 27. Two tires valued at $110 were stolen from Blankenship Gulf last weekend. The theft is under investigation. One suspect remains to be questioned in connection with the theft of an unknown number of items from a house belonging to Rudolf Ricketts on Seveith Street April 28. The breakin was discovered by a neighbor.Ricketts, who lives in Florida, was unavailable to list missing items. In another burglary, $30 was taken from Graphics Associates on US 70 west April 25. The theft is still under investigation. On April 29, Black Mountain Drug Store reported that a newspaper rack had been vandalized. No one is yet charged in the incident. Police responded to 198 calls last week. They arrested two for public drunk, issued six traffic tickets, investigated three accidents, assisted the Black Mountain Fire Department and transported one county prisoner. Hook shot hooks free tuition by Dan Ward One athlete who doesn't have wide shoulders and eight-inch biceps has recently been signed to an athletic grant-in-aid worth $4100 for the first year of college alone. And she’s an honor student to boot. Mary Ann Myers, who thrilled basketball crowds the last few seasons with her spectacular, but unselfish, play on Owen’s court, has accepted an offer to play basketball for the University of Miami of Ohio. The soft-spoken daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Myers of Swannanoa said she accepted Miami's offer despite another offer from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Carolina’ s offer was probably a little better, really;’ she said. “Miami's team isn’t any better—probably the same.’’ Her decision to go to Miami was reached despite of the urgings of her friends to go to Carolina. It was based, she said, on her friendship with Miami’ s coach and im pressions she got while visiting each campus. “Their I Miami’s) recruiting policies aren’t so stiff. It was persona1 The team mem bers—that’s the major thing. Miami’s team members come up to you and talk—not just about basketball, either. “It’s got a small college atmosphere. I think big schools are excellent but Miami is a big school with a small school atmosphere. “I try not to think that Ohio is so far or Carolina so close. I just think this is going to affect me the rest of my life,’ ’ she said. Mary Ann was quick to say that her notoriety was not all her own doing. “I had pretty good team mates. Something else I think isn’t talked about enough is the coaching. “You can be the best athlete in the whole wide world, but if you don’t have good coaching, it won’t amount to anything," she said. “Fortunately, I had the coach that said, ‘You can bring the ball out. ’ He gave me the confidence. I didn’t feel like 1 had to beat everybody,’’ she said, referring to Coach Chris Lee. “He’ s kind of a unique coach,"she said. “He knows so much about basketball. He’ s a great girls’coach." “I come from a large family—three sisters and two brothers, I guess they were the ones who really got me started off in basketball,'’she added. She is optimistic about her new team. “1 think that in two or three years it will be a nationally ranked team,’’she said. The eager said she plans to major in physical education and minor in recreation. Academics shouldn’ t be rough—she’s an honor student and beta Club member at Owen. Does sha hope to make her make her mark a’Miami m a sport other that basketball? “I’m going to try out for spring tennis, |ut I’m not sure I’m going to rgake the team,” she said with a smile
The Black Mountain News (Black Mountain, N.C.)
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May 4, 1978, edition 1
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