Second ctass postage paid
at Btack Mountain, NC 28711
Thursday. September 21, 1978, Vo!. 24, No. 48
Serving—
Black Mountain
* Swannanoa
* Montreat
* Ridgecrest
15 cents per copy
Center/br retarded
considered/brAo^pitaf
by Das Ward
The possibility of converting
fNC Hospital in Black
iountain to an extension of
?estem Carotins Center in
iorganton, sn institution for
te retarded, was one of the
ropcsala discussed by Dr.
arah Morrow, secretary of
M Department of Human
sources, in a meeting with
dvisora September 19.
According to Dr. Morrow's
resa secretary, Lis Martin,
te secretary chose not to
take any judgement on that
roposal or any other until she
obtains more information on
oats and staffing in such a
ansition.
The proposal to convert the
Mpital into a MO bed facility
r the retarded was first
need by Dr. J. Iverson
iddle, director of the
estem Carolina Center, in
ay, and repeated to the
Maory Budget Commission
Morgan ton last week.
According to Riddle, the
nter is already filled beyond
padty, and has a waiting
t of M "acute, critical''
sea WNC Hospital already
n tains a aatMlte unit of the
nter that cares for 40
tardad maid ants
Jack jRlhMh,- ad
tnistrative director of the
tpital, said he had not been
-suited on the possibility of
everting the hospital to a
nter for the retarded.
Ellison said he is not op
ted to using present and
turt unused facilities as an
tension of the center, but
id, "1 think we still have to
re for the type of patients
: care for now."
A apociai task force
signed by Dr. Morrow
commended in a majority
port that the treatment of
berculosis. the original
rpoae of the hospital, be
adually phased to home
ft The report, however,
commended that WNC
tapital continue to treat
chronic respiratory ailments
and that unused facilities be
used far other state in
stitutional caLre.
"! think we shonid in
vestigate hia (Kiddie's )
proposal more for utilizing
empty beds," Ellison said.
Riddle, meantime, said that
he was not suggesting that the
transition from respiratory
hospital to center for the
retarded be a fast one.
"My personal opinion is that
if we utilise that facility, it
would be a gradual phasing in.
Bat we do need the facilities
desperately,"be said.
Martin said that Dr. Morrow
has made no decision to abide
by either the majority report,
or a minority report falling
for a complete phasing out of
WNC Hoapitai and Wilson
Hospitals as respiratory
hospitals.
She added that the secretary
is still gathering information,
and wili not come up with a
recommendation for the
General Assembly for some
time. The General Assembly
reconvenes in January, and is
expected to discuss the future
of the state's three specialty
hospitals soon after that.
An earlier hearing before
the task force at the hospital
drew an overwhelming
protest of any attempt to
discontinue treatment of
respiratory care there, in
cluding promises by a number
of state representatives and
senators to fight such a
proposal.
The proposal to consolidate
the three specialty hospitals
into one has become a
perennial issue in the General
AaaemMy as a means of
cutting costs.
Or. Morrow ashed the
assembly iast year to put off a
decision until she could study
costs and needs of the
hospitals. Her report is en
pected to be complete at the
opening of this session in
January.
Mock disaster drill
draws trained response
Rescue personnel end
passers-by alike thought one
of the wwmt***) accidents
dker in the valley took place
September 17 when a mock
disaster drill was held near
the entrance to Highland
Farms.
One of a series of practice
disaster drills, the call went
out to Black Mountain Fire
Department that 11 persons
riding in two vehicles were
injured. The department
called for mutual aid from
Swannanoa, Riceville, and
Buncombe County, each of
which sent a rescue vehicle
and team.
Mock injuries ranged from
broken bones and lacerations
to a heart attack. "Victims"
were transported to WNC
Hospital where the disaster
team there took over. The
drill, called a success by
Black Mountain Fire Chief
Gant BarCsn, was held as.*
training excertise for Biack
Mountain and hospital per
sonnel, and as an exercise in
cooperation between area
rescue teams.
Rescue personnel were not
notified that the "disaster''
was actually a drill, Bartlett
said.
On September li, two
engines and 13 men responded
to an alarm set off at the
Ingles warehouse when a
forklift hit the sprinkler
system. No damage was
reported.
A Hre on a gas range at the
PertiUer residence on High
Top Colony Road September
13, resulted in minor damage.
One engine and eight men
responded
An investigation is under
way o( a report that Ughtning
a&nahth**petaho*aeanm
Walker St. on September 14.
Minor damage resulted. One
truck and two men in
vestigated.
September 15, two engines
and 11 men responded to a
false alarm at Highland
Farms when the alarm
system malfunctioned.
Two engines and 15 men
responded to a false alarm at
WNC Hospital on September
15.
The fire department am
bulance made three
emergency and one routine
run last week.
The county ambulance
made sis emergency, 10
routine and seven unneeded
runs last week.
Ernest Messer, chairman o/ the NC House Committee on Aging, tciis senior
c^'ns that the Lobe View ^dti-Aetyice* Cehber /or YheAged' s not oniyw
good piace to reiax, hut the core o/ iocai poiiticai power /or :e eideriy.
Messer spohe at the dedication o/ the center at tahe Tomahawh September i3
^Dan Ward/.
Fire wor&s/top reset
—* rt] mprmfn,
tativaao^ the Biack Mountain
and Swannanoa Fire
Dapartmaata ware avaiiabia
to attend a workshop on set
tUng a boundary disputa
batwaan tha two districts iast
weak, the meeting has hftn
^achaduiad and waa expected
to ba hold at &e Swannanoa
Fira Station September 20 at
Potter &rtMgs pro/ess%onaf:sm to Depot
by Dan Ward
When Ann Mardis agreed to
teach an aduit pottery class at
the Old Depot in Black
Mountain recently, Dr. Tom
Cannon and the rest at the
Depot Committee were
joytull.
It's not that classes at the
Depot haven't been successful
so far — they have been and
have expanded in popularity
since they began. But having
Ann teach a class there for
shadows what Cannon calls a
"coming of age "for the Arts
and Crafts gallery and
classroom.
Ann is a professional potter
with a studio in Asheville. She
is also director of the NC
Crafts Organization. She has
studied art and pottery at the
University of Virginia, Cor
coran Museum of Art,
Penland School of Crafts, and
Arrowmont
Ann, herself, is excited
about the Depot and its future
"The Depot is a very special
: thing to have in Black
I Mountain. It gives people a
j piace to develop their talents,
and offers new opportunities
for classes," she said.
"A lot of those classes were
formed,! found out, when so
many people called and said,
"1 know a lot of people who
want to team such and such —
can you Bnd us a teacher? "
"It* s working backwards,
but it's a great way to use the
facilities. There is so much
potential here, "she said.
Ann' s first class was
scheduled to start Last Mon
day. It was cancelled because
not enough people had yet
decided to invest MO in the 10
week course. Classes are
scheduled for Monday
evenings from 7-0 p.m. _
"What we want to do is* sort
of touch on all the ways to
work with clay this first time,
then let them pick out a
medium they want to work on
in the spring time, "Ann said.
The class will study hand
building and wheel-thrown
objects. Faria Aahhar built
three L ^ wheels to use in the
class, d in another for
children taught by Sarah
Struby.
Beside Bring in the Depot's
electric kiln, the class will also
utilis primitive Bring in
smouldering sawdust, a
technique that turns the
pottery black.
Ann calls herself a func
tional potter,' ' primarily
building objects that can be
used in day-to-day living.
Outside of her appreciation of
function, she still regards her
work as an art.
"M you uae the pieces for
day-to-day living and stili
appreciate their shape and
coloring — then it's also a fine
art, "she said.
Despite her own ap
preciation of function, Ann
said she will encourage
students to work on whatever
type of object that appeals to
them.
"1 don't want to impose my
values on another person,
except for a universal set of
standards as far as esthetics
are concerned — as long as
it works as a piece, "she said.
Ann said the unexpected
makes pottery especially fun.
"It's kind of neat People
will come and say, '!'ve got to
make a coffee mug.' They'll
start making a coffee mug and
have an accident — ac
cidentally poke the clay or
something, and say, that
makes a neat design ' They'll
end up making something
totally different from what
they had planned "
And teaching pottery in
Black Mountain makes her
feei like she is getting in on the
growth of a good program,
she said.
"1 love Black Mountain and
the Depot — there really
seems to be a communal spirit
here.' she said
7:30 pjm.
Martin Nesbitt, attorney Ra
the SwRiuumoa Fire Depart
ment, waa expected to present
maps and insurance cost
figures to those present to help
determine the beat balance of
coat versus response for the
residents of the area between
Biack Mountain and Swan
nan oa.
The meeting is not a
hearing, but only a workshop
between fire representatives.
Vote to close
ABC Store
unlikely
By Dam Ward
According to George
Woodruff, who designed most
of the advertising campaign
for the the Committee of
Concerned Citizens of Black
Mountain to defeat the mixed
drink referendum September
12, there is iittie chance that a
petition to close the Black
Mountain ABC Store will be
filed.
"There isn't a chance in the
world that that petition willbe
filed, "Woodruff said Tuesday.
According to the Rev. Edgar
Ferrell, chairman of the
committee, "there is no plan
to file it, but I can only speak
for myself."
Woodruff said that mem
bers of the committee plan to
meet soon in private to discuss
the petition to hold a second
referendum to recall the ABC
store, but that the consensus Is
now that the petition will be
dropped. Enough signatures
Jtave been obtained, to call for
9* roferstfUtuT), the committee
reports.
Woodruff said he will oppose
any attempt to close the ABC
store, and that most ministers
see the store as a lesser evil
than bootleggers.
The committee has Hied a
Hnanciai statement declaring
income and expenditures on
the anti-mixed drink cam
paign at (748.73. Many of the
donations came Hum chur
ches and individuals in
Montreat and Swannanoa.
Expenditures went toward
newspaper, radio and mass
mailing advertising, with
(341.M in printing coats.
Statements that Black
Mountain may have lost
business investment because
the September 1! referendum
failed may have proved to be
overstatements, the News has
learned.
Mayor Tom Sobol, who is
also co-manager of Valley
Realty in Black Mountain,
said that he had learned of
inquiries from motel and
restaurant chains second or
third hand from other realtors
and business brokers.
He did say he was btvolved
in talks with one restaurant
chain that may still establish
itself here, although
representatives "gave the
indication'' that passage of
mixed drinks would have
encouraged such a decision.
Chuck Ray, of Stepp and
Nichols Realty, who manages
a large tract of land near the 1
40 exit at NC 0, said that no
businesses have specifically
mentioned mixed drinks in
inquiries about the land.
He added, however, that
Holiday inn haa talked to
some people out here. I'm
sure this (failure of the mixed
drink referendum) would
have some bearing on it.
"As soon ea they see that
three years from now it will
pass, theyH start looking at us
again,"he said.
Three of four business
brokerage firms in Asheville
said they have had no querlee
from businesses wanting to
establish in Black Mountain
regarding mixed drinks. The
other couid not be reached for
comment
One broker said, however.
that some firms have aahad
about eatabiiahing in
Asheville, should that city* g
Voter registration, absentee
ballot deadlines soon
The registration deadline for
the November General
Election is October 9. The
Board of Election's office in
the Courthouse Annex will be
open the two Saturdays prior
to that deadline, September 30
and October 7 from 0:30 a m.
to 5 p.m.
Anyone wishing to register
for the first time or who needs
to transfer their registration
from one precinct to another
may come to the office or they
may call for the names of the
three precinct officials in their
own precinct and make an
appointment with them.
Voters who have not moved
and who have been voting in
buncombe County do not need
to re-register. If there has
been a post office change,
however, the voter should
check to be sure that his
registration is not being
challenged because of un
deliverable mail
On Friday, September 8,
absentee ballots and ap
plications became available in
the Board of Elections' office
in the Courthouse Annex.
Anyone who expects to be out
of the county on November 7,
or who is unable to go to the
polls because of illness or
physical disability may apply
for an absentee ballot, either
in person, by written request,
or a near relative may sign
the application.
The absentees wiii be
available until the Wednesday
prior to the election,
November 1 at 5 p.m. Ballots
may be returned tc the Board
until 5 p.m. on Monday,
November 6. One-stop voting
will be permitted in the office.
The Board of Elections will
meet on Thursdays at 10:30
a m. for the purpose of ap
proving absentee applications
until October 10, when they
must meet on Tuesdays and
Fridays of each week to ap
prove absentee applications.
Those meetings will also be at
10:30 a m. in the Board's of
fice.
The junction o/ the oid Mt. Mitcheii Raiiroad and Southern Raiiway, tn a
postcard submitted by Ciyde Wathins.