KLack
105 n.
Black
LUx^ry
j 'cufherty^ Sixre^t^
Hom-tain,
.C. 38711
Sam Stewart o/ the Baltimore Orioles and Sheri/f Tom
Morrissey approved o/ the new orange and white uni/orms to
be worn by Valley Little Leaguers this spring.
Grievances
Potice. fire departments meet with Town Board
Firemen, poiicemen, dispatchers,
auxilliary ind cadets of the Black
Mountain Police and Fire Departments
demanded of the Town Board Tuesday
night the authority to run their own
departments. Spokesmen from both
departments presented grievances to
the Board in a closed session and asked
for removal of Mrs. Ruth Brandon as
advisor to the Department of Public
Safety, for fire and police chiefs to
control their own departments and
some additional equipment for the fire
department.
After meeting separately with each
department, Council voted in open
session to hold a "workshop" to discuss
the possibUty of changes in procedures
and policies in the policy manual under
which the town operates. This meeting
will be held "within a couple weeks, "
according to Mayor Tom Sobol.
The Town of Black Mountain uses a
liaison system in which aldermen serve
as advisors to Town departments, a
system Mayor Sobol called "totally
contrary to professionalized local
government. " Black Mountain is one of
the few North Caroliha towns to con
tinue this system, and may be the only
town to do so, Sobol said. The question
of whether or not to continue using a
liaison system will be discussed at the
workshop.
Also to be decided at the workshop is
whether or not the Board wishes to
change the Policy Manual to give
department heads full authority.
Presently, city management has final
authority over all departments.
"The Town Board is the governing
body, we realize that, but we did feel
that we had some grievances to air,"
Police Chief Slagle explained. He said
that he would be satisfied with the
workshop, "if we can accomplish
something."
About SO men and women from both
departments were present Tuesday
night. "These men were very
adamant," Mayor Sobol stated.
"Never in 13 years (on the Board) have
1 seen them this upset over a matter.
They're not the type to get upset." The
Board denied a request by both
departments to meet jointly with the
Board and instead met first with police
and then fire departments.
Cited as an example of procedure to
which the firemen are opposed is the
Jan. 30 action by the town manager to
put Assistant Fire Chief Sterling Poe on
indefinite probation for an accident
involving the fire engine Poe was
driving. "I didn't want any action
taken," Chief Bartlett stated, adding
that Poe had an 11-year accident free
record for driving prior to the incident.
Sheriff's Association
to sponsor
Littie League here
by Cynthia Reimer
When you think of crime prevention,
you hardly ever connect it with Little
League baseball. But that is exactly
what the Buncombe County Sheriff's
Association is going to do this spring.
The Sheriff's Association announced
Wednesday plans to sponsor a Little
league team in the Valley for un
derprivileged youths with funds from
the Sheriff's Association.
"You have to start with youth in
crime prevention," Crime Prevention
Officer Bobby Ferguson said. "We're
fighting crime all over the state, and
we re starting here, taking kids off the
street."
"It's our way of trying to prevent
crime constructively," Sheriff Chief
Tom Morrissey explained.
This is the first Little League team
sponsored by a Sheriff's Association in
North Carolina, Morrissey said, adding
that he hoped others would follow the
example. Chairman of the Buncombe
County Sheriff's Association is Roy H.
Creaseman.
Practice is scheduled to begin in May
at the Charles D. Owen Park in
Swannanoa. Seventeen boys from
Black Mountain and Swannanoa will
participate this year, Ferguson said.
At a press conference Wednesday,
four boys modelled the brand new
bright orange and white team uniforms
they will wear and got advice from
Valley baseball players who have made
the Major Leagues-Don McKenzie of
the Seattle Mariners, David Wilson of
the Minnesota Twins and Sam Stewart
of the Baltimore Orioles.
"It's not always important to win or
Weather
Review
Jan. 31-high 35, tow -1 degrees.
Feb 1-high 45, low 17 degrees, .16
inches precipitation.
Feb. 2-high 42, tow 26, .91 inches
precipitation.
Feb. 3-high 28, tow 9 degrees, .02
inches precipitation
Feb. 4-high 33, tow 15 degrees.
Feb. 5-high 39, tow 18 degrees.
Feb. 6-high 48, tow 17 degrees.
Courtesy of WFGW Radio,
Biack Mountain.
lose, but to improve," Stewart told the
boys.
"It (Little League) is a good place to
start," David Wilson said. "I'd like to
see them do better than any of us!"
All three pros are products of Little
League teams, Ferguson said.
Sheriff Morrissey sent the boys off
with final words, "You don't have to
win every game-just every one you
can!" _
Town Counci!
Fence to bebuiitat take
Town Council passed a resolution
Tuesday to erect a fence from
Tomahawk Avenue to Laurel Circle
Drive around Lake Tomahawk along
the foot bridge and dam at the south end
of the lake. The fence was recom
mended by an advisory committee as a
partial solution to drug trafitcking and
other undesirable activities occurring
near the lake.
The lowest bid for the project was
$6388. Town Manager Earnest Hudgins
stated that the money could come from
this year's budget by amendment.
The motion to erect the fence was
made by Alderman Brandon and
seconded by Alderman Begley. The
only dissenting vote came from
G!adys Jones ^!e/t) and Myra McLeHan are two o/ ABCCM
E's more than 30 vofunteer workers. Mrs. Jones has been a
votunteer /or /oar years, Mrs. McLeHan /ive.
Fuei oii need critica) tor
ABCCM-Eaid recipients
Last weekend an elderly woman ran
out of fuel oil. She was expecting a
Social Security check on Monday but
until then she had no money to have her
empty tank filled and heat her home.
Temperatures plummeted. For 24
hours the 87-year old woman struggled
to keep warm.
Neighbors discovered her plight and
called ABCCM-East, who saw that she
received a few gallons of oil to tide her
over until Monday, when her check
would arrive.
This woman is one of hundreds of
people assisted by ABCCM-E. Lois Nix,
director, said that in January she spent
)1000-$5000 over her budget for the
month. Seventy percent of those ex
penses were for fuel oil.
"We spent more in January than
we've ever spent in that office," Mrs.
Nix said.
ABCCM-E is supported financially by
20 Valley churches, civic clubs and
individuals. Our churches are doing
about all they can," Mrs. Nix said. She
is hoping that individuals will help to
make up some of the difference in the
doubled budget.
Mrs. Nix said that "short time" and
lay-offs in local industries have caused
hardships for many people. "They just
don't make enough to make ends
meet," she explained. Many are not
eligible for food stamps or other federal
programs for various reasons, but their
needs are nevertheless authentic.
The most pressing need is for money
to purchase fuel. Men's winter coats
are another priority, Mrs. Nix said.
"We can use anything, household ar
ticles, pots and pans, drapes, food,
sheets-anything but furniture," she
added
ABCCM-E is open from 9-12, Monday
through Friday. It is located at the
comer of Church and State Streets at
the rear of the building on the second
floor. Call 669-9404 for more in
formation
Alderman Slagle who stated, "I don't
think it's going to cure the problem."
She also expressed concern over
precedence being set by the Town
assuming responsibility for a problem
involving some private property.
Begley, not feeling precedence was
being set, said, "Hus is a law en
forcement problem...It is offensive to
all citizens."
Town Council previously passed a
resolution to erect no parking signs on
Tomahawk Avenue, which have not yet
been erected.
In other action, Town Council passed
a resolution to buy liability insurance
for aU town officials. The policy will
cover 80 employees including aider
men, members of the Planning Board
and the Board of Adjustments, as well
as policemen and firemen previously
covered under a separate policy.
The additional insurance will cost the
Town about $3000 a year, according to
the town manager.
Expressing concern over continuing
dry weather conditions, Council agreed
that construction of the three proposed
wells should be begun as soon as
possible.
"I'm very much concerned about our
water supply this summer. I would like
to see us go ahead right now and get
started ... and get them (the wells) in
production by the first of June,"
Alderman Tyson said.
A1 White, superintendent of the Water
Department, replied that "Even if we
started drilling today, it would take two
and a half to three months ,o get one
well in production."
Cost for the three wells is $39,000, but
drilling firms have expressed
willingness to defer payment.
Location and bids to be accepted will be
confirmed and the wells will be on the
March Town Council agenda.
tt's Girt Scout cookie time
by Cynthia Reimer
Giri Scout cookies have become as
much a herald of spring as the first
returning robin.
And no wonder-last year Western
North Carolina residents *te 221,712
boxes of Girl Scout cookies.
It all began 45 years ago in Ohio when
a Girl Scout leader asked a baker, Bob
Wilson, to bake some cookies for her
Girl Scout troop to sell.
A local tinsmith fashioned a trefoil
cookie cutter (a trefoil is the symbol of
the Girl Scouts) and Mr. Wilson stirred
up 5,000 trefoil-shaped sugar cookies.
The Scouts quickly sold all 5,000
cookies for 25 cents a dozen, and a
tradition was bom.
The price is a bit higher today, but the
selection is wider, too. Girl Scouts are
selling thin mints, peanut butter patties
and sandwiches, assorted sandwich
cremes, shortbreads, and two new
specialities-old fashioned oatmeals
and Sumores at (1.50 a box.
"Chocolate mints," said Cathy
Roberts, in charge of the cookie sale for
the Pisgah Council, "are best sellers,"
but she predicts that the new Sumores
will take over the number one position
this year. What are Sumores? "A
vanilla cookie, dipped in caramel, then
chocolate, then toasted coconut," Ms.
Roberts explained.
Pisgah Girl Scout Council en
compasses the sixteen counties of
Western North Carolina, including the
Swannanoa Valley, and serves 4,000
Girl Scouts.
What do those little girls do with all
that money?
"It's used," Ms. Roberts explained,
"for troop programs and Council
capital expenditures like running Camp
Pisgah." Some troops, she said, have
earned money for trips to places such
as Washington, D C. and New York
City.
Girl Scouts from Brownies to Seniors,
grades one through 12, will take cookie
orders from Saturday, Feb. 14 to March
2. Cookies will be delivered from
March 26 to April 13.
If you miss ordering cookies in
February, reorders wiil be taken
March 26 to April 13. And if you miss
that, you'll have to wait another whole
year for Girl Scout cookies
Tanya Meiton fright) and Christine Nix pian to seii a iot o/
Giri Scout coohies. Both giris are 20 years oid and in the /i/th
grade at Biach Mountain Middie Schooi, and are members o/
Giri Scout Troop 53. Tanya is the daughter o/ Mr. and Mrs.
Caivin Meiton. Christine is the daughter o/ Mr. and Mrs.
Edward Nix.