Bee T ree
Community
Watch success
by Bert LMngstoa
Active Corranunity Watch Programs
can lead to other benefits as important
to the community as the added neigh
borhood security, according to Biii
Sites, president of Bee Tree Community
Development Club. A group organized
to start a Community Watch Program
soon found other community projects
that would benefit from their attention.
The dub was created in the fall of
1979 with assistance from the Crime
Prevention Squad of the Buncombe
County Sheriff's Department. Resi
dents of upper Bee Tree Road and
Summer Haven are pieased to report no
major break-ins or vandalism losses
occurring since the program was set up
in 1979.
Several factors are credited with
contributing to the success of the Watch
Program. More than SO orange and
blade signs warning of Community
Watch participation by property occu
pants continue to be displayed
prominently. Highway signs at points
of entry where comrmnity watch pro
tection is practiced are also thought to
be effective in the community's freedom
from criminal activities.
Community Watch participants My
that programs with color and sound
movies presented monthly by members
of the aime prevention squad assist
greatly those taking part in the pro
gram. These training sessions have
included instruction and distribution of
printed materials on subjects ranging
from effective measures for making
property more secure to recognition and
handling of dishonest door-to-door sales
and money-raising schemes
Community Watch members dis
covered other community issues and
projects to work on and the Bee Tree
Community Development Club became
an outgrowth of the Community Watch
Program.
Closing of an unauthorized garbage
dump and trash landfill on property
adjacent to state-maintained Bee Tree
,Road, and continuing work to get rid of
environmental problems and other
problems created by the dump have
been phnicipal projects of the dub.
A study of effects upon the commun
ity of a proposed return of Bee Tree
Lake to the city-county water system is
also in progress under dub sponsor
ship.
Persons or groups interested in
establishing Community Watch Pro
grams are invited to contact John
Heatheriy, Crime Prevention Squad,
Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.
The CowbeH HoHow String Band wiii present an evening o/
oid-tintey "/i^die n' banjer" music at 8 p.m. on Wednesday,
January 21 in the Kittredge Community Arts Center at Warren
Wiison Coiiege. The pubiic is invited. Admission is f2.
Montreat water exceeds
turbidity iimit iisted by EPA
The Mountain Retreat Assodation,
Inc. reporta that anaiysea of water
samples taken in September, October
and November ahowed a turbidity
concentration above the maximum con
taminant level Hated by the Environ
mental Protection Agency (EPA).
Mike Queen, director of operations at
Montreat, described turbidity as the
solid particles in water, such as min
erals, that chlorine can't take out.
"I guess what it really is, is dirt, "
Queen said, "but it's dean dirt "
The solid particles are gathered when
the water goes through the soil of the
watershed and into the reservoir, where
some of the particles settle out
Montreat is working to correct the
problem, Queen said, by drilling six
wells which will eliminate the use of a
reservoir. The town will vote on a water
bond referendum January 15 that if
passed, would fund the updating of the
entire water system.
Trade-in time
for tired tags
Has your car license plate seen better
days? Is it hard to find an uncrinkled
comer to put the 1M1 sticker on? If so,
the Motor Vehicle Department will
swap you for a new one, free of charge.
To get a replacement bring the old
tag to the licensing office at Weatgate
Mall in Asheville. The office is open
Monday through Friday from9 a.m. to 5
p.m
To avoid long lines, don't go at lunch
time, and do go within the next couple
of weeks.
The system is currently owned by the
Mountain Retreat Association but will
be purchased by the Town of Montreat
to be eligible for federal and state grant
monies.
There is no conclusive evidence that
turbidity alone causes disease or sick
ness in humans, Queen said, but it can
interfere with disinfection of the water.
The N.C. Health Department is satis
fied as long as progress is being made,
Queen said.
"Lots of towns and dties have the
same problems," Queen concluded. T
think people used to cal! it "hard
water*-minerals and things. "
3
New winter
usage record
set by CR&L
customers
Customers of Carolina Power & Light
Co. set a record winter demand for
electricity on the CP&L system on
January!. Their usage peaked at 6,063
megawatts between 7 a m. and 6 a.m.
That peak surpassed the winter
record set February 5, 1960 when
customer usage hit 5,609 megawatts,
said Mack Clark, CP&L's manager of
system operations.
The new winter peak demand is less
than the all-time peak demand on the
CP&Lsystem of 6,139 megawatts set on
August 5,1960.
CP&L serves more than 725,000
customers in a 30,000 square mile area.
There's nothing quite !ike the support of the home town
newspoper in building o better community. Here in
the Volley we're proud of the role ond the responsibility
we hove in reporting news ond activities, ond in
promoting commerce. JO!N THE W!NN!NG TEAM
Co!! 669-8727 today and subscribe.
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Thursday, Januay^ i5,1981, Volume 28, Number 64 Second c!ass postage paid at Btack Mountain, NC 28711
A-A^A-A-A-A A A-A-A-A-A A A A A-A A A A-A-A-A-A*A :-i A-A-A A A-A-A-A A A-A A-A A-A-A A-A A A A-A A A A A-A-A A A-AyA-A A-A-A A A A-A-A A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A A A-A-A-A-A-i*:-A-A R-A-A-A-A A A-A AW^^
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2
Cannon agrees to
purchase Beacon
Beacon Manufacturing Company in
Swannanoa received word iast week
§ that Cannon Mills Company of
Kannapolis will purchase Beacon from
the National Distillers and Chemical
R Corporation.
Otto G. Stolz, chairman of the board
- of Cannon Mills Company, announced i
that Cannon has executed a "definitive
agreement'' with National Distillers and
Chemical Corporation for the purchase
of the assets and certain liabilities of
Beacon, National's blanket manufactur
ing division.
Approval by boards of directors of
both companies and regulatory approval
is expected to be completed by March 1,
according to Herb Coman, Beacon
Manufacturing's employee relations
director. "We assume there will be no
hitches," he said.
Cannon had agreed to purchase
Beacon a year ago, Coman said. "We
thought it was finalized a year ago, and
then it was dropped," he said.
Coman said that he was pleased to
hear of the sale and that he expected
few changes in the company under the
new owner. The name will remain
Beacon Manufacturing Company, he
said, and the plant will continue to
manufacture and merchandise blankets.
No report of the financial agreement
between Cannon and National was K
available.
Cannon Mills Company is a major 3
manufacturer and merchandiser of %
cotton and synthetic household textiles,
decorative fabrics, knitted apparel $
fabric, yam and other textile products. 3
The Company has 19 manufacturing 3
plants in North Carolina, South Carolina 3
and Georgia, and 13 regional sales 3
offices throughout the United States. ^
Town Counci]
Dunsmore Dam
'Unsafe'
The Dunsmore reservoir dam is
unsafe, according to a study by the U S.
Army Corps of Engineers for the
National Dam Safety Act of 1972.
A December letter to Town Manager
Hudgins from the Corps of Engineers
called the situation "nonemergency."
The Phase I study report, done by
Golder Associates, Inc., stated that,
"The hazard classification is high'
under both State and Federal criteria."
The Phase I report showed that slope
instability was noted on the downstream
slope of the dam, that the lower third of
the same slope is soaked by seepage;
and that the spillway system is
inadequate.
At a Town Board meeting Monday
night, Hudgins stated that spillway
replacement alone could cost between
$75,000 and $125,000.
The Ridgecrest reservoir was com
pleted in 1935. Alderman Tyson
expressed surprise that after nearly 50
years of hard rains, floods and
"freshets," the spillway should now be
found "inadequate."
The purpose of a Phase I study is "to
identify . . . dams which may pose
hazards to human life or property."
There are, according to the report, two
lakes and three houses downstream
between the dam and 1-40. Black
Mountain is located two miles down
stream.
Hudgins said that a follow-up study
by an engineer for the Town will be
required to find the source of the
seepage at the base of the dam and to
find a means of stopping the seepage.
Other corrective action will include
upgrading and enlarging the spillway
and fortifying the lower lake.
The aldermen expressed hope that
the repairs could be delayed until the
three new wells platmed can be dug,
when the lake would not be critical to
the Town water supply.
Town Council agreed to hear en
gineer Bob White at the February Town
Council meeting. Prior to this, aider
men will visit the reservoir to observe
conditions.
Revenue sharing
Also at the Monday night Town
Council meeting, Mayor Scbol reported
that the Town had received its first
revenue sharing check for the year. The
$10,000 was not budgeted and repre
sents "a little extra to work with,"
according to SoboL
Sammons Communication
John Howell, regional manager for
Sammons Communications, appeared
before the Town Council to state the
company's plans for the next year.
Beginning some time this summer,
Sammons wiU erctend cable service to
East and West Pear! Streets, Taft
Street, North Fork Road at the North
Forte Apartments and out past Daniel
Lane, Cragmont, Goldmont, Greenbriar
Road, Forest Lane, Carolina Heights
and other areas.
Howell said a map showing all
proposed new lines will be available at
the Black Mountain office in about three
weeks.
Crime at lake
Gay C. Fox appeared before the Town
Council to request permission to put a
fence, at her own expense, across the
dead end of Connelly Street to keep
people from parking on her property
and walking to Lake Tomahawk.
She said that neighborhood children
in the area are exposed to drug dealing,
drug use, intoxication and indecent
exposure by the traffic to and from the
lake. .
cont. on page 9
Kids with guns menace
to iives and property
Kids with guns are becoming some
thing of a problem in Black Mountain
according to Jim Doian, detective for
the Black Mountain Police Department.
Irresponsible youths have shot out
house windows, car windows, killed
cats, squirrels, rabbits and a pedigreed
Airedale dog.
The curly-haired male dog, Colby,
was a friendly animal, a pet to golfers
on the golf course as well as the pet of a
loving family. On Dec. 16, about 11 JO
a m., a Coke delivery man heard a shot
and saw Colby crawl onto the golf
course.
Colby died later that day at the
veterinarians' of internal injuries from a
gunshot wound.
A young man admitted off-the-record
to Dolan to having shot Colby. He said
it was aoddentai-he had only meant to
scare the dog away from his female dog.
Workmen at the golf course report
burying several small animals they
found shot on the golf course.
Several persons have come to the
police recently to report finding dogs
that have been shot, or to report their
own dogs shot, some with BB guns.
"Apparently there is a lot of indis
criminate shooting going on," Dolan
said. "Many parent is going to buy a
gun for a child, they should teach him
how to use it" A target or targets in a
safe place should be provided for the
child to practice on.
There is a state law and a town
ordinance against firing a gun in the dty
limits. So, besides behaving cruelly and
dangerously, the youngsters are break
ing the law.
Dolan said that it Is possible that
police will set up a target practice range
in the future.
Commissioners
say keep
manned station
Don't remove the manned warning
station from Old Fort Mountain, was the
plea of the McDowell County Board of
Commissioners last week.
A resolution unanimously passed and
signed by Paul Richardson, chairman of
the Board of Commissioners, stated, "It
has been proven on two occasions that a
manned warning station at the top of
Old Fort Mountain . . . has been
effective in preventing accidents and in
saving lives. "
The warning station is scheduled to
be replaced by signs and flashing
warning lights this month.
Montreat
to receive
$248,770
Dr. Sarah T. Morrow, secretary of the
N.C. Department of Human Resources,
and Governor James B. Hunt, Jr.
announced that state grants of nearly $5
million for water projects have been
made to 29 local governments across the
state. The Town of Mon treat will
receive a grant of $249,770.
These grants were made under the
provisions of the N.C. Clean Water
Bond Act which permits grants of up to
25 percent of the total eligible costs for
approved water supply systems projects
to assist in their construction.
Grants are based on priority ratings
and the total amount of funds available
annually. To date, under this act and
the one preceding it, 1,010 applications
have been received and 794 grants
representing nearly $135 million in state
funds have been awarded to water
projects, with a total cost exceeding
$700 million.
About one and a half years remain for
making grants under this program.
Applications are processed quarterly.
The next announcement of grant awards
will be made in early April.