North Carolina Newspapers

Serving— ^■lBPilpliBisjff^illjilgillllMln^^^l^iB^lwM wbbbb! ^ xt*ti Thursday. Auuust 31. 1978 Vol 24. No 43 «3UM KHhHU|9 r - MMHHmP^Bh -—»■ ~M,**~-j — - 15 cents per copy Mountain Laurel Acres annex complaints heard by Du Ward A handfull of residents of the Mountain Laurel Acres subdivision engaged in long, and at times, heated, discussion an the annexation status of their property with the Black Mountain Town Board August 28. Question of whether all 19 lots comprising the 21 acre subdivision came into question when tax rolls were updated this year and property owners who thought they lived outside the town received bills. According to records research done by Paul Grif fith, the area was annexed to the town in 1966 based on a petition from Mrs. J.C. Nanney. However., some parcels had been sold prior to the final reading of the an nexation approval. To further confuse the situation, a local bill through the general Assembly that year formally annexed that property, and has been in terpreted by Town Attorney Bill Eubanks, the League of Municipalities, and the At torney General’s office to over-ride any improper procedure followed in an nexing those lots through the town, with die exception of a lot bought by J.W. Blanken ship, Jr. before annexation proceedings began. The board heard testimony from Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Wilhelm, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lehman, and Mrs. M.C. Dickens that they did not want their respective properties within the town limits. The board, after hearing the opinion of Eubanks, asked the attorney to ask die League of Municipalities and the Attorney General for a more in-depth study of the Mountain Laurel Acres issue and to give the board a more specific opinion on whether those who do not want to be within die town limits may be removed from annexation, either by local ordinance or legislative action when the General Assembly reconvenes in January. Child abuse charged A Swannanoa man has been charged by Black Mountain Police with child abuse when it was discovered that his two year-old son suffered ex tensive bruises while in his custody: W. "* According to Black Mountain Det. Don Ramsey, police issued a warrant on Paul Pressley August 28 shortly after the child was returned to the custody of his mother, who lives in Black Mountain. Two breaJdns are under investigation this week. Suspects remain to be questioned in connection with fee brealdn and ldrceny at ft* in toutf and two lighten'' from the Bia Studenc residence at SIS Azalea Ave. some time between August 14 and 38. Studenc was on vacation at the time, police reported. On August 27, a breaUn at the Vivian Buckner residence at New Bern Apartments netted an Instamatic camera and small amount of cash, acCTrdlng|tojpgiye. ^Sugpects questioned. Police recovered a number of towels, wash cloths and pillow cases stolen from the Travel-Eze Motel last week. Nobody was charged with the theft The sun shimmers off the streafn flowing from Lake Tomahawk. (Dan Ward) ‘Booze in Black Mountain?’—London asks by Du Ward ed. note — Although we are opposed to the growing popularity of tbe media becoming the news, and although we have a policy of aot printing rebuttal! to mistake* other media have made, we would like to make *n exception considering liquor-by-the-drink has lofted Black Mountain to In ternational reknown. It was a strange series of events that led to a British newsman calling Johnny Allison and John Mundy August 28. It began with a Charlotte Observer reporter, Bob Drogin, who came to Black Mountain to interview a number of people about the September 12 liquor-by-the dnnk referendum. One of those people was Mayor Tom Sobol. “He seemed like a really nice fellow at the time. We sat by the pool and talked for two hours, and when it was over, he printed the two worst lines Possible of what I said. He made us all out to be a bunch at Snuffy Smiths,"Sobol said. In short, the article leaves the reader with the impression that Black Mountain residents, who usually spend all their time picking their teeth with broom straws, are ready to pick up their muzzle loaders over mixed drinks. To continue, Drogin also works as a stringer for the Washington Post The Post, apparently sensing good reader interest in a feud between modem day likker swillin’ hillbillies and Bible thumpin’preachers, reprinted the story under the headline ‘Black Mountain Folks Split Over Demon Rum Referen dum." Apparently, mountain feuds have international appeal, because a British Broad casting (BBC) reporter, seeing the Post story, called on Allison and Mundy to en tertain and inform the stolid, but beer-swilling, Londoners. Paul Reynolds, a BBC In terviewer, called Mundy from New York, asking him to be recorded for a London broadcast Mundy at first refused, referring the newsman to the Rev. Edgar Labor Day driving care urged The Labor Day holiday weekend, according to High way Patrol Commander Colonel John Jenkina, is one of the most dangerous weekends of the year an North Carolina's Hhways. Since 1972, some 145 persons have been killed * the highways during the Cabor Day holiday period, which this year begins at S P m. on Friday. September 1, "id ends at midnight on Monday, September 4. Six **en persons died during the •^7 holiday. Jenkins said the i»«rfing causes of fatal accidents during the holiday period are usually the same as any other weekend — speeding and drink driving Jenkins said troopers will be on the highways over the weekend strictly enforcing all traffic laws, with special emphasis on speeding motorists and drinking drivers. Every piece of speed timing equipment and the special fleet of unmarked patrol cars will be in operation, he said. Ferrell, chairman of a coalition against liquor-by the-drink. The newsman called back when he found the minister was on vacation. “The information I gave him was just general stuff,’ ’ Mundy said. “I told that man it’s not a person against person thw. It’s just that the church is against an issue. Mainly I just bragged on Black Mountain.” Afterward, Reynolds called John Allison, Jr., former owner of Wonk’s Dymaxion Bar on Cherry Street “What they were looking for is mayhem,’ ’ Allison said. “They thought from the ar ticle that it was neighborhood against neighborhood. They were looking for barricades in the streets. I told him this wasn’t Northern Ireland. He was also interested in brown bagging — how it works. He thought that waa hilarious. “They wanted to know about die influence of the religious retreats. I told them it was very simple — they come here only in the summer and don’t vote in elections. “I think he was disap pointed,’ ’ Allison concluded. 2nd fire truck in accident here by Dan Ward As Black Mountain firemen were still disputing a report on a wreck involving one of its pumpers, one of the depart ment’s tankers crashed into the assistant chiefs Cadillac, apparently of its own accord. According to Town Manager Mack Kirkpatrick, Assistant Chief Steriing Poe pulled the tanker backwards into the fire department garage August 28 to find the source of a noise coming from the engine. After checking under the hood, Poe left the truck in neutral, but applied both the hydraulic and mechanical brakes to the truck before shutting off the ignition. He then went into the fire house to get assistance from Fire Chief Gary Bartlett While inside, the truck rolled across the parking lot, doing extensive damage to Poe’s private car, Kirkpatrick said. He added that two firemen who were the first to arrive at the scene reported that both brakes were still engaged. Inspection of the brakes showed they are in proper working order, Kirk patrick said. The trade suf fered a smashed right fender. “What's really strange is that when the battery is dead, we have to use crowbars to get die truck rolling out of the garage, "Kirkpatrick said. “And, of course, that’s without the brakes engaged.” Although there is no evidence that someone caused the truck to roll from the garage, Kirkpatrick said he has not ruled out foul play in the accident He said that a number of lesser misfortunes suffered by city vehicles In dicates either vandalism or an extremely bad run of luck. The accident comes in the wake of a report issued by American LaFrance, Inc. that an accident involving a Black Mountain fire truck on August 1 was not due to mechanical failure. In that accident a pumper driven by David Bradley Norton, a fireman in training, crashed into the home of Mr. and Mrs, J.E. MacMahan on Old U.S. 70 at Blue Ridge Road, totally destroying the house. Chief Bartlett refuted LaFrance’s findings, saying the company is apparently Fire bounds meeting set A meeting was expected to be held Tuesday evening between officials representing Black Mountain and Swan nan oa Fire Districts to come to a compromise on a proposal by the Swannanoa Fire Department to expand its district eastwards. The meeting, set for August 29 at the Swannanoa Fire Station, followed an earlier meeting in Black Mountain between officials to reach a compromise at the request of the Buncombe County Commissioners. Expected to attend the meeting were Black Mountain Fire Chief Gary Bartlett, Aid. Ruth Brandon, Fireman Freddie Robinson, Swannanoa’ s Board of Directors and Attorney Martin Nesbitt. The two districts were given six months by the com missioners to come to an agreement on new fire boundaries. disclaiming any blame for the accident According to a letter sent by LaFrance by Regional Sales Manager Doyce L. Ford, inspection and testing of the pumper showed that the brakes were functioning and that there were no defects in the steering. Ford did note that inspection of one of the brake linings showed they had been subjected to excessive heat. Ford went on to write that die brake linings, engine, air compressor and power steering pump were not original equipment and did not meet American LaFrance specifications. Bartlett said he checked with Broughton Hospital in Morgan ton, from whom Black Mountain bought the truck and who had bought it new, and found that the brake linings had been Inspected, but never replaced. He also said that replacement of the other equipment mentioned had been done to specifications given by Gene Hall, LaFrance district ser vice director. Bartlett also said that although the brakes worked when LaFrance represen tatives teaM the truck, they aid not grab hold as quickly as they should have. He suggested that the brakes failed when Norton tried to stop at Old U.S. 70 because the fireman had been driving the truck around curves on North Fork Road for the previous 90 minutes, causing the brakes to heat excessively through constant use. Bartlett said Assistant Chief Poe, who was a passenger in the track at the time of the accident, said that Norton did apply the brakes, without effect, before swerving to avoid a car and hitting the house. Bartlett said that no disciplinary action will be taken against Norton as a result of the accident Damage on both the truck and house are still being determined. Push for bam theater gets school backing by Ella Booker “What can we do to raise money? There are some costumes up here in the loft. Maybe we could put on a play.” Nostalgia buffs will remember Mickey Rooney saying this to Judy Garland in the Andy Hardy film series. It was a popular theme of the movies of the 40’s. At Charles D. Owen High School, drama students of Judy Jones will have an op portunity to re-enact the previous scene . when they explore an old combination silo and barn on their school grounds. This was built as a Work Progress Ad ministration project in the 30 ' s. Herds of cattle found shelter in the bam until the school leased the buildings to a summer stock company from 1»SS through 1961. The theatrical group of area residents was headed by Tinker Crawford Lauer of Black Mountain. Renovation to the buildings took place by means of community team work, and the Silo Circle Playhouse came into being. Old feed troughs became benches when more than 250 residents regularly attended the performances. The first review read: “New theater lights up the skies of western North Carolina.’ ’ Area artists exhibited their work in the downstairs lobby. The loft of the old cattle barn became the site of the first theater-in-the round in Western North Carolina. Resident actresses included Betty Alexander and Victoria Green of Black Mountain and Elaine Hunter Meyer of Asheville. Other Black Mountain residents who participated in the produc tions were Ralph Singleton and his wife, Dana, who acted as ushers, and Earl Brotherton who directed parking by waving lanterns. Patsy Clarke of Asheville and Harriett Terrell of Black Mountain were responsible for costuming. Gordon Greenwood of Black Mountain, state represen tative, was one of the group of local citizens who formed the Silo Circle Angels to assist in raising funds for the season. In the early 60’s, the bam reverted to its orginal pur pose. Agricultural students at Owen High School were in volved with a cattle project and a registered Angus herd was kept in the bam. At present the bam temporarily houses athletic equipment for the school.Although there are no school funds available for the project, plans are being considered which would revive the old Silo Circle Playhouse by means of l joint school-community effort. Grady Roezell, Owen district representative of the county school board, is studying the proposed project for im plementation. H.H. Zeugner, Buncombe community schools coor dinator, would oversee the project “I feel that the Silo Circle Playhouse will be a major step in reviving com munity interest in our Owen area public schools, ’ ’ he stated. Charles Lytle, principal of Owen High School, indicated an interest in updating the theater project for area drama students and interested citizens. The county schools cultural arts supervisor, Dorothy Hampton, would like to see the bam become a place where arts activities can take place. “Community involvement will be needed, including volunteer labor and materials before any renovation can take place. We hope it will give students and residents of all ages an opportunity to work together, ” she commented. Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. N.A. Miller, Jr. thinks that the building might be used as a young children’s theater, a speech center, puppet theater or a classic film site. Small musical productions could be performed and art exhibits by both the schools and the community could be held, he stated. “Revival of the old Silo Circle Playhouse is an ex citing idea, ’ ’ commented Tinker Lauer. “Perhaps the community could work with the students to put on a play which would provide funds for the theater. There mpy not be costumes in the bam loft, but the bam is still there along with its memories of the past and hopes for the future.” Any individual or group interested in pursuing the Silo Circle Theater restoration may call the office of the Buncombe County Com munity Schools Coordinator at 274-4266 or the office of the Buncombe County Schools Arts Supervisor at 274-7744. Bruce Wilshire and Tinker Crawford in C rehearsal scene from “The Rainmaker.” July 193 (Ed DuPuy)