First game photos!!
★Ridgecrest
Thursday. September 7. 1978. Vol 24. No. 46 SB p ^ I Ww***^****.
Fire district compromise
still in discussion
by Daa Ward
Representatives of the
Black Mountain and Swan
nanoa Fire Departments
came away from a workshop
on 8 common boundary with
differing versions of what was
accomplished August 29.
Although Swannanoa Fire
Department Directors Grady
Rooell and Barbara Settle
were joined by Black
Mountain Aid. Ruth Brandon
in the consensus that a
compromise has almost been
reached in the long-standing
boundary dispute. Black
Mountain Fire Chief Gary
Bartlett said he has not been
swayed from an earlier belief
that Blade Mountain should
maintain its present service
area.
Rocsell, Settle and Brandon
agreed that a tentative
boundary of Tom Brown Road
and Groveatone Road be
established between the two
districts, pending one or more
meetings where represen
tatives will study firefighting
capabilities and insurance
costs.
As part of that compromise,
they said that both districts
would request an
assessment of seven cents per
$1000 to eliminate fears that
protection costs would be
higher in one district than in
another.
According to Bartlett, he
told persons at the meeting
that Black Mountain Fire
Department could provide
protection to the contested
area at a rate of five cents
per $1000. That amount is
approximately double the
amomt presently paid by
industry and residents in that
" " y '
, . * v‘ '
3 arrested for drugs
i t -Am* •*• « ~,j . ■hwk^ ; »«■ u- .<A- *
Three local youths, in
cluding a 14-year-old, have
been charged by Black
Mow tain Police with drug
related crimes carrying a
total poaaible penalty of 21
years in Jail.
Richard Reeves, 17, and
Thomas Parker, 17, both of
Black Mountain, were each
charged with breaking and
entering, larceny, possession
of barbituates, and
manufacturing marijuana
after they were apprehended
in a stake-out by police of a
boose that had been closed op
by the owners.
In addition, Reeves was
charged with possession of
PCP, and Parker was charged
with possession of codeine.
Apprehended with the two
was a 14-year-old Swannanoa
boy, who was charged with
breaking and entering with
intent to commit larceny,
possession of marijuana,
possession of codeine,
felonious possession of bar
bituates, and manufacturing
marijuana.
Black Mountain Dot. Don Ramsey with drugs and
xx* on witchcraft confiscated after a stake-out.
(Dan Ward)
*
Police Marched the house
on Rhododendron Avenue,
owned by William and Nancy
Styles, when an anonymous
caller said the house had been
broken into. The Styles live
out of town and had boarded
the house up.
Police found that persona
had been apparently living in
the house. They found some
drugs, containers of growing
marijuana plants on the roof,
and same marijuana hanging
to dry in the house.
The three youths were
arrested during a stake-out of
(he house by Det Don
Ramsey, Officers Randy
Halford and Myron Fineberg,
and Auxiliary Officer Jerry
Fuller.
Ramsey also arrested Stove
Hensley, 17, of Black Mom
tain in connection with the
burglary of the Bill Studenc
residence last month. Police
reported $13B and two lighters
were taken in that brealdn.
Hensley has been charged
with breaking and entering
and larceny.
Police received 228 calls,
investigated one accident, and
issued four citations last
Police reported that in
formation and signs are now
available at the police station
for the Neighborhood Watch
Program.
Det Ramsey noted Oat 30
bicycles have been stolen
since spring with few
recovered. He advised that
bike owners cfaalh their bikes,
record serial nvabars, and
mark their bikes with an
engraver available at the
police station. The engraver
is also available, without
charge, to mark any other
pessaastons brought in, he
said.
Our Valley
Native woods
by B01 Peafeud
Tbe chestnut tree was a
lulor specie* In the northern
hardwood forests of the
median to high elevations in
*e Valley. This species has
been almost entirely
eliminated by the chestnut
blight (a fungus disease). It
wss reported by
that SO to 99 parent of the
ebaatnut trees in Buncombe
County were infected by 1929.
At the present tone, only
occaatonal sprouts , usually
iniet icu, dui someurncs up 10
39 feet high, may be en
countered.
Hickory la one of the
toughest, hardest, heaviait
and strongest of woods and is
and far baseball bats, u
shafts far golf clubs and in
several agricultural im
plements. Of the maples, the
sugar maple Is the most
valuable. Since it is hard,
often beautifully grained and
figured, maple wood is one of
the boat woods for furniture,
(continued on page 10)
area through donations,
Bartlett said.
Also, Bartlett said he is not
in favor of establishing the
boundary at Tom Brown
Road.
“It’s not up to us to decide
die thing — it’s up to the
county commissioners.
Really, I think it’s up to the
people to decide, and they’ve
already spoken, "referring to a
public hearing at Owen High
School in June where com
ments by industry and
residential representatives
was heavily in favor of service
by Black Mountain Fire
Department
The Buncombe County
Commissioners after that
hearing instructed the two
departments to try to work out
a compromise within six
months. The compromise
would presumably have to ha
reached between Bartlett and
the Swannanoa Fire Depart
ment Board of Directors.
Bartlett’s objections were
apparently unknown to others
at the meeting.
According to Mrs. Settle,
representatives had hoped to
finalise the compromise at the
next meeting, at Swannanoa
Fire Station September 12, or
at another following it
“At the next meeting, we’re
hoping to work on the maps to
determine which fire
department could give the
taxpayers toe best rate
possible, "she said. Maps and
figures are being compiled by
Martin Nesbitt, attorney for
Swannanoa Fire Department
Under the compromise that
apparently has not been
agreed on, Swannanoa would
cover same areas previously
serviced by Black Mountain,
including toe Singer-Kearfott
plant, Excello, and the
Juvenile Evaluation Center.
At the seven centasseasment,
Black Mountain would gain
$14,000 per year from the ares
outside the town limits on the
northwest side, while
Swannanoa would receive
$7,000. Bartlett said the town
receives approximately $6,000
from that area in donations
now, and would get $10,000
under a service contract
assessing five cents per $1000.
Rooell and Brandon said
that an effort has been made
to keep discussions low-key so
that factual data could be
presented to the persons in
volved, to prevent a half
informed, emotional
backlash. Rooell said he is
also interested in getting all
Black Mountain residents
involved in the discussions,
not Just persons living outside
the limits on the west side.
One piece of misinformation
voiced, according to Mrs.
Settle, was a comment made
by industrial representatives
that insurance coots will go up
for those shifted to the
Swannanoa district She said
that the insurance com
mission has informed the
department that those
buildings having internal
sprinkler systems would not
be affected by the insurance
rating of the district they are
in. Swannanoa has a lower
rating, 9 AA, than than Black
Mountain, at 7AA — primarily
because it does not have fire
hydrants, street lights, and
full-time firemen.
Six points
Brad LeVine dances a victory jig after scoring against Enka. (Dan Ward,
graphics by Taylor)
Drink vote
set here for
September 12
Mixed drink opponents have
stepped up what has been
considered by many to be a
low-key debate with ad
vertising and door-to-door
canvasing. One said he was
expecting a heavy last-minute
appeal from those in favor of
mixed drinks in Black
Mountain.
An Anti-liquor coalition, in
the meantime, has dropped a
plan_to call another
referendum to abolish the
ABC store in order to con
centrate on defeating liquor
by-the-drink and to attract
more persons who drink, but
are opposed to the current law
allowing mixed beverages.
'4
Black Mountain residents
will have the opportunity to
decide whether or not to allow
mixed drinks to be served in
town in a special referendum
to be held September 12.
To be decided by voters in
Black Mountain Precincts 2
and 3 that day will be only one
question — for or against “the
sale of mixed beverages in
social establishments and
restaurants’ ’ within the Black
Mountain city limits.
The polls will be open from
6:30 am. to 7:30 pan. for
voting Tuesday. Residents of
Precinct 2 will vote at the
Primary School, and residents
of Precinct 3 will vote at Lak»
Tomahawk Clubhouse.
Black Mountain fire
Black Mountain firemen
made four runs last week.
On August 28, one engine
and 15 men responded to a
report of a ruptured gas line at
Owenby Trailer Park. No fire
responded from the leak.
One engine and 12 men
responded to a false alarm
caused by a malfunction at the
WNC Hospital on August 31.
On September 2, a car
owned by Chris King was
totally destroyed by fire on
Mockingbird Road. One
engine and 15 men responded.
A smoke detector
malfunctioned at the Ballard
residence on Dougherty Street
the morning of September 3.
One engine and 16 men
responded.
Nutrition ?..garden ing is fun
by Dan Ward
The Buncombe County
Extension Service may not
have considered the fun factor
to be so important when they
helped participants of the
Expanded Nutrition Program
put in gardens this year.
After its first year of
operation, the TV A supported
program has shown to be so
effective that Extension
workers want to expand it to
include tillers for par
ticipating families to share.
Jeanette Boesen, of Black
Mountain, and her three
daughters are one family that
not only eats well now, but has
fun doing it
“We planted a little of
everything,"Ms. Boesen said.
“We tried planting some of
those pear-shaped
Sacramento tomatoes. You
get five tomatoes on every
branch — they are coming up
all over the place,’’she said
with a child-like glee and hint
of pride. “We’ve already had
about 260 cucumbers.”
The Extension Service, Ms.
Boesen explained, gives $35 to
qualified families to buy
whatever seeds, plants, fer
tilizer and pesticides they
need to plant a garden.
Although workers for the
Expanded Nutrition Program
offer advice on what to plant
and how, the only requirement
made of participants is that
they allow a soil sample to be
taken and that they add
whatever nutrients are called
for.
“We’re mainly interested in
building up the soil and seeing
that they get some good out of
it,’ ’ said Mickey Me Elrath.
who is a case worker for the
Expanded Nutrition Program
What makes the beautiful
Boesen garden a special
success story is the fact that
the three children — Denise,
13, Krissy, 10, and Diane, 5 —
did most of the work on it for
over a month, when Ms.
Boesen had a broken leg.
“They not only kept the
garden going, they kept the
house going,’ ' Mrs. Boesen
said. The children also kept a
log of how many of each
vegetable was harvested.
A neighbor has also helped
keep the garden up, and has
added an extra measure of fun
by planting rows of the same
vegetables next to theirs to see
which grow best.
Ms. Boesen said that
although her children have
always liked vegetables,
raising their own has made
eating more fun. The variety
of vegetables in the garden
has also changed their eating
habits, she said.
Ms. McElrath said the
program has had a more
profound effect of the diets of
other families.
“We encourage participants
to raise other things — to try
something new. Some are
even growing peanuts for the
first time. I think it has really
awakened a lot of people to
gardening,’’she sale.
Beyond the seed money
given members of the nutrition
program , most of the ser
vices the Extension office
gives families like the Boesens
is the same as is available to
everyone else.
Ms. McElrath said anybody
may obtain a free soil analyds
by sending a soil sample to
NC State Univenity Ex
tension Service in
Raleigh. She added that the
Buncombe County Extension
Service has free pamphlets
on all aspects of
gardening for those who call,
and offers free advice on
particular problems people
have with their crops.
“We’re really pleased with
this program, and just hope
the TV A considers us next
year,” Ms. HcElrath said.
Denise, Diane andKrissy in their garden. (Dan Ward)