Second ctass postage patd
at Btack Mountain. NC 287I1
Thursday. December 7. 1978, Vo! 25. No. 7
Serving—
^ Black Mountain
itr Swannanoa
* Montreat
^ Ridgecrest
15cents per copy
Moraf et%Mcafton
^peaA^er ^ay^
by Dan Ward
The president of Mars Hill
College toid a relatively small
audience at the annual
Chamber of Commerce
Banquet at Assembly Inn
December 4 that education
now must focus on confronting
moral issues and provide a
liberal arts background to
meet changing social pat
terns.
Fred Bentley, 43-year-old
president of the Baptist
college, told a crowd of less
than 100 that technological
growth has created new moral
debates, such as "test tube''
birth and artificial life sup
ports, and has contributed to
phenomena such as the break
up of the family unit,
homosexuality, and multiple
career changes.
To combat and adapt to
trends, he said, colleges need
to stress studies in the iiberai
arts to provide a broader
educationai background, and
to give students a philosophic
base to try to deai with new
morai questions. He added
that society in general needs
to work toward maintaining
family unity - the root of most
moral decisions.
"In small towns such as
Black Mountain you have the
advantage of remaining
somewhat close-knit, with the
family unit still very im
portant," Bentley said. "We
should all try to keep that
unity."
Bentley's address followed
short speeches by outgoing
president Bob Dickey and
incoming president Carl
Bartlett.
Dickey praised the
chamber for innovative
thinking - particularly in
regard to Sourwood Days
festivities - during the iast
year. He also iauded
Chamber Manager Ed Weber
for being responsive to the
needs of the community.
Bartiett, in a short speech,
said he wouid like to see the
Chamber and community
work more cioseiy for the good
of the VaHey.
Included in the program
was an award of appreciation
to Ed Miracle, who has served
as treasurer for the
organization for a number of
years. The award, written by
Weber and read by Dickey,
jested that Miracie did a fine
job of doctoring the books for
the IRS. Miracie declined re
election to the post for the
upcoming year.
Blessings and the
benediction were given by the
Rev. Edgar Farrell. George
Pickering introduced Bentiey.
Biach Mountain Fire Chie/ Gary Bartiett and Captain Steve King check out
a new FMC pumper at McMurry Chevroiet. The pumper repiaces a 1952
mode! truck the town wiii seii. fDan Ward)
Senior Citizen party set
The Fifth Annual Christmas
Party for senior citizens wiii
he held at Highland Farms
Retirement Community on
December 10 from 3 p.m. to 5 5
pm.
AH Swannanoa Valley
retsdents over 55 years old are
Mvited to attend. This year's
Program features Harry
Bryant and Louise Barnhill.
Attendance at this affair has
been over 200 persons for the
past several years, according
to Elizabeth Harper, chair
person.
It is anticipated that state,
regional and local officials as
well as representives of the
media will be in attendance.
Serving with Mrs. Harper on
the committee for the Senior
Citizens Christmas Party are
Mark Cooper, Jim Buckner.
Inez Daugherty. Louise
Hamby. Irene Stephenson,
Lois Nix, Sandra Buchanan,
Zeima Weeks, and John
Ferguson.
At a iuncheon meeting on
December I, committee
members made final
preparations for this years
event and elected officers for
1979. The elected officers are
Louise Hamby, chairman;
Lois Nix, vice-chairman; and
Irene Stephenson, program
coordinator.
30 years ag^
Coach Car! Myers' un
disputed champions in the
American Legion basketball
season for 1947 arranged to
have the WNC finals played in
Black Mountain for the 1948
season. The fact that the loqal
post had completed
remodeling of what was
Probably the best Legion Hall
in the state helped to bring the
tournament here
A representative of the
Asheville Industrial
Promotion Council told the
Black Mountain Chamber of
Commerce that waiting for
inquiries was not the way to
get industry in Black Moun
tain. The representative
spoke at the chamber's 25th
anniversary banquet He said
Sorry
In the article on page one of
tsst week's News concerning
settlement negotiations
between the town of Biack
Mountain and Mr. and Mrs.
McMahan, we mistakenly
gave the cost of the modular
home built by the McMahans
*s )17,000. That home actually
cost $20,741. Installing
footers, sewer tines, porches
and reiandscaping, aiong with
the cost % removing the
destroyed house, made up the
difference between that figure
and f38,H6 totai cost. We
regret any misinterpretation
the incorrect figure may have
caused.
he saw no reason why industry
would be mcompatabie with
tourism.
The teacher and pupils at
Black Mountain's Black pre
school offered thanks to "our
many white friends of Black
Mountain for the lovely
Christmas surprise given by
Santa Claus Saturday to our
colored children '
Santa, besides visiting the
preschool, rode a trailer down
State Street, handing out free
gifts and candy. An earlier
plan by the Junior Chamber of
Commerce to have Santa visit
the stores was cancelled for
safety reasons
Boyd Meat Ball'' Owenby
and Earl "Eight Ball' ' Gil!
were called back for an encore
tan dance by a full house at the
(cont. on pag^ s <
4
Fred Bent!ey addresses the Swannanoa Vaiiey
Chamber o/ Commerce. Incoming President Cari
Bartiett is to the ie/t o/ the podium, /ormer
President Dr. Bob Dichey to the right. fDan Ward)
Tree lighting Saturday
A short, but festive tree
iightin ceremony has been set
for the Biach Mountain
Clubhouse at Lake Tomahawk
for 7 P.M. Saturday,
December 9.
The ceremony, sponsored
by the Chamber of Commerce
and organized by Jack
Cievenger and Margaret
Siagie, will begin with an
official lighting, probably by
Mayor Tom Soboi.
Included in festivities will
be a visit by Santa Ciaus, who
wiii give candy to children and
hear their Christmas
requests, and Christmas
music on the piano.
Mrs. Siagie said the event
wiii replace the annual
Christmas parade for the
Swannanoa VaUey. Although
planning has been done by the
Chamber of Commerce, she
said the tree-lighting is a
community affair.
"It* s not just Chamber
people-we encourage com
munity involvement, "she said.
Because the event will be on a
Saturday evening, the
program wm ue aepi sina i so
that "people can just stop by
for a moment on their way to
other engagements,' ' Mrs.
Slagle said.
Two trees, rather than the
former one, have been placed
on the lake this year.
Chamber Manager Ed Weber
said he hopes to arrange for
three floating trees next year.
New hearing
for HUD grant
December If
The Black Mountain Town
Board has set December 7 at 7
p.m. as the time for the first of
two puMic hearings on what
project the town should
propose for use of a Depart
ment of Housing and Urban
Deveiopment Community
Development grant. The
meeting will be held at Town
Hail.
The purpose of the grant
would be to make im
provements for lower income
neighborhoods or to provide
facilities for the elderly or
handicapped.
An earlier set of hearings in
Black Mountain resuited in a
proposai to install 10-inch
water mains and fire hydrants
in the Cragmont Community.
Funding for that project was
rejected earlier this year.
However, a representative of
the Land-of-Shy Regional
Council has stated that the
town stands a better chance
now of getting a grant for the
project, should citizen input
suggest that the water lines
are still the priority project
for the town.
JFtrewteM /turf
&y /wynes
Four Black Mountain
firemen were overcome by
noxious gas when they were
inspecting a fauity iighting
fixture at the De-tox unit at
WNC Hospital November
28. The four were taken to
Memorial Mission Hospital,
and were released shortly
after. Two trucks and 22 men
responded to the report of
fumes. No damage was
reported.
Two trucks and 19 men
responded when an alarm at
the Ingles warehouse
malfunctioned November 29.
Damage estimated at $5000
resulted from a fire in the
kitchen of the Tommy Stepp
residence at 917 Rhododen
dron Ave. November 30. Two
trucks and 17 men responded.
The county ambulance
service made two emergency,
17 routine and one unneeded
run last week
One year tw o/ytce, agree f/taf f/iey dfisagree
by Dan Ward
If there is one item the
present Biach Mountain Town
Board members
are unanamous on, it is that
ail have rareiy been
unanamous in action during
the first year they've been in
office
However, most agreed that
the division and confiicts
could have been worse.
The five aldermen-Mihe
Begley, John Kluttz, Jim
Norton, A.F. Tyson, and Ruth
Brandon- and Mayor Tom
Sobol were ashed to reflect on
the first of two years for the
present board. All responded
except Tyson, who said he
would submit only an unedited
printed statment That
statement is printed as a letter
to the editor on page two.
"Working relations could be
better, but it hasn't been all
that difficult, either,'' was a
sentiment among board
members as expressed by
Begiey.
Mrs. Brandon, who often
found herseif at odds with the
rest, or most of the board, saw
the devision as "both good and
bad."
"ft's good if the decisions
are truly being made in
dividually because it shows
independence on the part of
the alderman malting that
decision, ft's bad if it leaves
the public feeling that the
board is divided for purely
political reasons "
While Sobol said he would
prefer to see an end to what he
termed "nit-picking"on issues,
he was philosophical on
division on the board.
"ft's been rough at times,
but that's because we have
people with strong characters
There's a lot Mrs. Brandon
and I don't agree on, but that's
what democracy is ail about,'
Soboi said
Norton said devisivenes!
has held progress back.
"You get boggbd down in th<
political end of it. I
something needs to be done
you don't need to debate it al
that much,"he said.
All except Kluttz said the)
have noticed a change for ths
better in terms of rapport wit!
citizens. Kluttz said he has
only heard a handfull ol
persons comment on board
business, one way or the other
Begley and Sobol both said
that comments from citizens
have been good.
"One of the things I've been
most pleased with is the
support we've gotten from the
community,' ' Begley said.
Most of those comments, he
said, came in the wake of the
firing of former Town
' Manager Jon Creighton, the
resignation of Goif Pro Ross
t Tayior, and current set
tlement proceedings with the
J.E. McMahans.
"There seems to be less
disenchantment. 1 don't think
it's apathy - it's optimism, "he
added.
Sobol, on the other hand,
said most favorable com
ments he's heard stem from
"putting the right person in
the right job.' ' He said a
reduction in complaints to
Town Manager Mack Kirk
patrick indicates that citizens
are getting the town services
they need without problems.
Mrs. Brandon said the
change she sees is an in
creased activism on the part
of citizens.
"They seem more con
cerned with their town
government than ever before.
They are demanding, and
rightfully so, that board
members be heid accountable.'
' She added that she has been
humbled by expressions of
gratitude she has received
during the past year.
Begley, Sobol and Kluttz
gave averting a water crisis
as the most significant
achievement of the board
during the last year. Kluttz
noted that in spite of the worst
drought in a quarter of a
century, the town managed to
get by with buying only a
small amount of water from
Asheville - primarily because
of a new well drilled on short
notice at the golf course.
"1 was really happy about
that," Kluttz said.
Norton said he was happiest
about gains made for
recreation, including repairs
1
t
to the golf clubhouse, repairs
to the pooi, and obtaining a
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
Grant. He also praised
capita! and personnel gains
for the police department #nd
fire department, although he
said he was opposed to grants -
- such as for the PIN ter
minal and dispatchers - that
require the town to pay an
increasing share of the cost.
For all their past
disagreements and con
troversial decisions, board
members in general appeared
to play down controversy and
adversity in reflecting on the
year. Optimism, at least for
die record, seems to be the
current emotion for the town
board.
As expressed by Kluttz, "I
think it's getting better all the
time. As we get a little more
experience, we' 11 do even
better."
Tom Sobot
MtheBegtey
!(utti Brandon
J«hn Ktuttz
Jtm Norton
A.F. Tyson