Black JlCLu.tali: LJLhr^ry
105 If. I'cu^herty^STrwt
Black Mom-taln, l.C. 26711
Buncombe
unempioyment
up in Dec.
White the unemployment rate in
North Carolina remained at its Novem
ber level of 6.5 percent, the Buncombe
County rate rose from a November level
of 5.6 to 6.4 percent. North Carolina
registered 4 .6 percent unemployment in
December, 1979. (The Asheville area
was the only metropolitan area to show
increased unemployment during De
cember, rising from November's 6.0
percent to 6.4 percent.)
Three counties, Union, Orange and
Chatham, showed unemployment rates
equal to or below 4 percent for the
month. Union County had the lowest
rate of 3.6 percent, down slightly from
November's 3.9 percent. Orange
County registered 3.7 percent, also
slightly below last month's 3.9 percent.
Chatham County experienced the
greatest reduction in unemployment
during the month, dropping from
November's 5.6 percent rate to 4.0
percent in December. Last December
Chatham County had an unemployment
rate of 3.5 percent.
Haine Russ, of the Siler City Job
Service office, said, "I think this
reduction may just be due to a
combination of small things, such as
improved weather conditions allowing
construction to start up, small rehiring
and recalls. It's probably just a fluke
because jobs seem to have really dried
up. I don't believe it signifies any
coming improvements. "
Swain County again experienced the
highest county rate of unemployment
during the month with 20.6 percent for
December. The rate, up from Novem
ber's 17.6 percent and last December's
10.9 percent, reflects seasonal unem
ployment aggravated by continuing
plant dosings in the area, according to
Raul Guy, manager of Bryson City's Job
Service office.
"We've had three plants dose, one
large textile plant to partially dose, and
a lot of temporary layoffs, and
unemployment in neighboring counties
does not allow them to absorb our
excess workers," Guy said.
"I think though that this may be the
peak since there is some construction
work coming in and I expect things to
improve some in February and March. "
Coming your way! Wetcome these young citizens into your home
os they represent their schoo! dubs in setting subscriptions to the
Btock Mountain News. They ore earning funds for projects in the FHA,
Beta Ctub and Library Ctub, white offering you an opportunity for o
new or renewa! subscription.
Ciub officers !ooh
over the iatest issue o/
THE BLACK
MOUNTAIN NEWS.
Oid Fort Mountain was the site o/ a iarge tra/fic deiay
Friday when jachhni/ed semis bioched the highway, cutting
o/f tra/fic /or hours in the morning snowstorm.
(Photo by Pauf Fo!sc)
Dot mystery so!ved!
Some business owners are seeing
spots. The iittie dots are red and white
and they have appeared in the dark of
the night on glass doors and windows in
Black Mountain.
The mystery has been soived. The
dots are piaced on the doors and
windows by the Police Department. By
shining a light on a dot, officers can see
that there is glass in the window and
know that no one has broken or raised a
window to enter the building.
On the first round of a "midnight
tour," Jim Dolan, investigator for the
Weather
Review
Jan. 23-high 45, iow 39 degrees.
Jan. 24-high 57, iow 32 degrees
Jan. 25-high 62, iow 19 degrees.
Jan. 26-high 62, iow 26 degrees.
Jan. 27-high 63 degrees, iow 33
degrees, .05 inches rain.
Jan. 2S-high 46, iow 33 degrees, .07
inches rain.
Jan. 29-high 54, tow 33 degrees.
Jan. 30-high 26, iow 23 degrees, 4
inches snow (.11 precipitation).
Coartesy el WGFW Radio, Biack
Mountain.
Mice Department, said that the officer
gets out of the car to check doors and
windows. But for the rest of the night,
the officer makes his check by shining a
flashlight over the building from the
car.
n the glass were not in place, the
light could be caught and reflected by
something behind the glass, making the
officer think that the window had not
been broken or raised, Dolan said.
With the dots, the ofBcer can be certain
whether or not the window is in place.
Dolan said that the dots also showed
business owners that the building had
been checked. "If you see dots," he
said, "you know the officer has been
there."
1
Book selection poiicy
compiaintfiied Monday
A committee headed by Wendeii
Runion, pastor of Asheville Baptist
Tabemacie, which met last week at
Owen High School to discuss concern
about some books in the Owen Library
decided to file a complaint against the
county book selection policy. Bun
combe County Schools Superintendent
N.A. Miller received a formal complaint
from the committee Monday.
At the Jan. 22 meeting, a list of books
found offensive by the committee was
distributed. Monday's action marked a
decision to file a complaint against book
selection policy instead of individual
books on the list.
A complaint against school policy
must be heard by the school administra
tion and the school board attorney. A
special school board meeting is expect
ed to be called to address the issue.
Although the group calls itself "Con
cerned Citizens in the Owen High
School District, " school board policy
change would affect all Buncombe
County schools.
Weather...
and more weather
Weather was the news for the
weekend in the W estem North Carolina
mountains.
r Sd.(4o!s dosed in the middle of the
morning Friday and children wasted no
time in dropping pencils and books for
sleds and snowballs.
Beginning about S a m., the storm
left Black Mountain with about 4 indies
of snow, the first real accumulation of
the season.
Some businesses remained dosed for
the day. Basketball games and meet
ings were cancelled Jackknifed tractor
trailer rigs caused the dosing of 1-40 on
Old Fort Mountain, resulting in long
lines of cars backed up for miles and
hours.
Cars skidded and spun on the streets
of Black Mountain, Montreat and
Swannanoa. Tempers flared when
vehides blocked streets and highways
and the Sheriff's Department reported
inddents in which fists flew.
Black Mountain snowplows made the
season's debut. Sanded and salted, the
roads turned to soup, and cars that
crept to work sloshed home.
Sunday morning brought another
weather surprise-ice. More car acci
dents resulted though none were
serious. Slippery sMbwalhs brought 25
calls to the Buncombe County Ambu
lance Service Sunday morning. Unable
to keep up with all the requests, the
Ambulance Service sought aid from
area volunteer fire departments.
A traveler'r advisory remained in
effect until veil into Monday morning,
Groundhog Day-when, of course, the
sun burst through and Mr. Groundhog
saw his shadow, assuring us of six more
weeks' repitition of the last few days!
icy weather conditions iead
to highway accidents
Timothy Wayne Kilpatrick, 17, of
Swannanoa was injured when his Volks
wagen van went out of control on ice
and struck a tree Jan. 30 on Bee Tree
Road about 8 miles north of Asheville.
The accident happened about 9:15 p.m.
Kilpatrick was pinned in the van for
about 20 minutes while Buncombe
County, Swannanoa and Black Moun
tain Rescue Squads worked to free him.
He was taken to Memorial Mission
Hospital and treated for a broken leg.
The van was reported a total loss.
Three people were injured in a
two-car accident on the bridge at the
1-40 exit in Swaananoa Friday after
noon. A northbound car driven by
Carolyn Penley Grant, Swannanoa,
went out of control on the icy bridge and
struck a southbound vehicle driven by
Jack Lee Weaver of Skyland.
Carolyn Grant and two passengers in
the Weaver car were taken to the
hospital and treated for injuries.
Senior citizens to ho!d bake saie
This quiit, made by the quoting group at the
Lahe View Center, wiii be ra/fied o/f Saturday,
Feb. 7 at the Center's bahe saie and /iea marhet.
Home canned goods, bahed goods, /urniture,
ctothing, boohs, cra/ta and more wiH be sotd.
Proceeda wiH go toward the purchase o/ a van /or
the Center.