Black mui-tam, *
**VI**"*
Reaganomics...
Town rethinks water system
-just in case
What if Black Mountain does not
receive the Appalachian Regional
Council (ARC) funds counted on for
$500,000 of the funding of its new $1.5
million water system?
"We ll advance to the rear and take
another look," said Town Manager
Earnest Hudgins
Hudgins received a letter last week
from the North Carolina Department of
Natural Resources and Community
Development stating what the town
already knew: the Reagan Administra
tion proposed budget cuts indude ARC
funds.
The letter also states that, " It is likely
that ARC'S funds will be cut, even if
they are not rescinded." Hudgins,
however, remains optimistic. "I think
right now we've got a 50-50 chance on
getting it. Tm hopeful that the House
will override the Resident's budget
request."
Nevertheless, he has been mulling
the alternatives over in his mind and
will continue to do so.
Plastic pipe, instead of ductile iron
pipes, could save a "considerable
expense" on water lines, Hudgins said.
Reducing the number of hydrants by
placing them 750 feet apart instead of
the planned 500 would save even more.
Another possibility is reducing the
size of the new water holding tank, but
the difference in cost probably would
not justify this cut, he said.
If the Farmer's Home Administra
tion, the company expected to hold the
town's water bonds, agrees, the town
could use its own work force instead of
hiring contract tabor to build the water
system.
"We already have the equipment, "
Hudgins said. "We would have to add
about four men. "
Although this possibility would likely
add months to the project, the savings
would be considerable-25 to 35 percent
of the total, Hudgins believes.
Hie proposed additional three wells
Hudgins says are vital to the system and
the number should not be reduced. The
wells Black Mountain already has have
meant that the jwn has a stable water
supply at a time when towns relying on
surface water, such as Asheville, are
preparing for emergency procedures.
Taxes and water rates could be raised
to make up part of the ARC funds.
"Now we have just about the cheapest
water in North Carolina, " Hudgins
said. "1 think people would be willing
to pay a little more rather than continue
with the dirty water we have now. "
In the 13-state region served by the
ARC, a total of (120 million for projects
serving four million people could be
eliminated or cut. Among those is the
Swannanoa solid waste transfer station,
planning for (200,000 in ARC funds.
The Black Mountain Town Board
expects to know whether or not it will
receive ARC funds by April 1.
Swonnonoa man hurt
in shooting incident
A Swannanoa man was hated in
satisfactory condition at Memorial
Mission Hospital after a shooting
Thursday night, March 12.
ThermU Lee Wright, 27, of 134
Central Ave., Swannanoa, was shot in
the left chest with a revolver about
11:15 p.m. according to the Buncombe
County Sheriff's Department.
Charged in the shooting is Wright's
father-in-law, Harold Samuel Moody,
who was taken into custody and charged
with assault with a deadly weapon,
inflicting serious injury. The shooting
reportedly took place at Moody's resi
dence at 108 Morgan, Swannanoa, after
Bee T ree
Lake
is dosed
a domestic situation.
Moody was released in iieu of (500
unsecured bond. An investigation
continues.
Recycled!
Bee Tree Lake in Swannanoa is dosed
for recreation and wiii remain dosed
indefinitely. The iake is being held in
reserve as an emergency water supply
for Asheville and Buncombe County in
case drought conditions worsen.
Although the situation at the North
Fork Reservoir has improved somewhat
in February and March, December was
the second driest on record and January
was the driest ever recorded.
Water chlorinating equipment has
been installed at the lake so that water
could go directly into the water system
when and if it is necessary.
N.C.226
reopens
A portion of Highway 226, dosed by
landslides since Dec. 19, reopened to
traffic this week, the Department of
Transportation reported. Four slide
areas near the Blue Ridge Parkway in
McDowell County are being repaired
and a break in the roadbed which
dropped about six feet is being rebuilt.
The repaired portions are not paved
and some sections have only one lane
open. Flagmen are directing traffic as
final repairs continue.
Oid Biack Mountain street
signs piaced aiong Tomahawk
Avenue wiii discourage cars
/rom parking in a no-parking
area aiong the iahe bank.
Weather
review
March 7--high 46, low 32 degrees.
March 8 -high 52, low 18 degrees.
March 9-high 56, low 17 degrees.
March 10-high 56, low 20 degrees.
March 11-high 52, low 24 degrees.
March 12-high 60, low 29 degrees.
March 13-high 62, low 34 degrees.
Blight inches of snow had fallen on
Clingman's Dome by 2 p.m., March
16.
Courtesy of WFGW Radio National
W eather Station, Blade Mountain.
BMCtt
Vo!unteer firemen
gathering funds
for rescue too!
Black Mountain volunteer firemen
are raising funds for the purchase of a
Lukas Power Rescue Tool to use in
extricating victims of car accidents.
The tool, which pushes, pulls, pries
and cuts with different attachments,
costs (8,200. Now the rescue squad
uses hand tools which take "minutes to
hours" to free a victim, emergency
medical technician Rick Patton said.
Hie Lukas tool is effective in seconds to
minutes.
If an accident victim cannot be freed
with hand tools, the nearest power tool
for the rescue squad here to borrow
must come from the Failview Fire
Department or the Buncombe County
Volunteer Rescue Squad in West Ashe
ville, with a travel time of at least 15-20
minutes.
The Black Mountain rescue squad has
used a demonstrator at two accidents.
Patton says that the tool is "unsur
passed in exerting pressure in extrica
tion of people from automobile
accidents."
All Black Mountain firemen will ;
receive training from the North Carolina
Department of Insurance Rescue Train
ing Division this week in use of the
power tool.
Some area businesses have already
contributed to the Lukas tool. The
volunteer firemen will hold fund-raising
events and also hope to collect dona
tions for acquisition of the equipment.
M AC gearing up for concert
Some nationally famous musicians,
including one group nominated for a
Grammy Award, will be in this area for
free concerts March 27-29. The
Imperials, Pat Terry, Scott Wesley
Brown and Tami Cheri, contemporary
gospel musicians, have all agreed to
come to Montreat-Anderson College for
"Renaissance 81." Montreat-Anderson
is gearing up for as many as 3,000
guests that weekend.
"It's for the community; it's for Black
Mountain," Stephanie Zimmerman,
treasurer of the Student Christian
Association explained. Beyond this
area, people are coming from colleges
and communities in Charlotte, Florida,
Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.
The concerts have been planned
entirely by the students of Montreat
Anderson, all since the students return
ed from Christmas break in January
when Stephanie and another student
felt moved by prayer to see if they could
organize the concerts.
"We started out with no money,"
Stephanie said, "and God has provided
$5,500." Local businesses have also
given the students materials and
supplies.
Stephanie called the fact that all the
musicians were available to come and
agreed to perfrom for no fee "a
miracle." "They're usually booked a
year to a year and a half in advance,"
she said. They also usually charge a
substantial fee for a performance.
Pat Terry had a concert in Guam
scheduled for that weekend. It was
cancelled. Tami Cheri had cancelled a
television talk show to come to
Montreat.
Miss Cheri, 17 years old, has just
completed her second album for a major
recording company and is on her fourth
nationwide tour.
The Imperials backed up Elvis
Presley on his album, "How Great Thou
Art," and also played with Jimmy Dean
for many years. They were nominated
this year for a Grammy Award.
Stephanie described contemporary
gospel music as "mellow rock music."
She said that while the concert will
appeal especially to young people, it
will be enjoyed by all ages. Gospel
music will be performed as well as
contemporary.
Entertainment will also include
speaker Ann Kiemel, author of such
award-winning books as "I Love the
Word Impossible.' "
What was begun by two students has
come to involve most of the student
body at Montreat-Anderson College.
The dormitories and gym will provide
free accomodations on a first-come
basis, and the cafeteria is ready to feed
the multitudes. Students have organiz
ed committees to take care of every
thing from parking to dean-up.
"Everybody said you'll never do it,"
Stephanie said. "There's no way 18
and 19 year olds could pull this off,
especially considering the time
element. "
The schedule for the weekend is:
FYiday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., Tami
Cheri; 8:30 p.m., Scott Wesley Brown;
Saturday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., sing-a
iong; 8:30 p.m. Pat Terry; Sunday,
March 29, 2 p.m, The Imperials; 7:30
p.m., Ann Kiemei. Ail events are free;
an offering will be taken. Ail ages in the
community are invited.
The !mperia!s
Friendship Force interviews
scheduied here
interviews tor ambassadors and host
families for the 1981 Friendship Force
exchange scheduled for Oct. 10-23 will
be held Saturday, March 21, at 11 a.m -
4 p.m., at the Black Mountain Library;
Sunday, March 22 at 2-4 p.m at Warren
Wilson College; and also at the Ashe
ville Mall each Saturday until April 4,
from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Those applying as ambassadors will
be charged a $2 application fee and will
be required to furnish the names of two
host families willing to provide a
four-day home stay for ambassadors
visiting here in the exchange.
Cost of the trip is approximately (635.
Some scholarships are available. The
trip indudes a four-day home stay with
a European host family and an addition
al four-day home stay with another
family, or four days of travel at the
ambassador's own expense.
The destination of the Friendship
Force trip is "a Western European
dty," according to Lynn Winkel, ex
change director. The exact destination
will be announced in April.
About 250 ambassadors are needed
and twice that number of host families.
Host families will provide sleeping
space and some meals for individuals or
families. Host families will also be
involved m programs, tnps and enter
tainment planned for the European
guests by Friendship Force.
The purpose of the Friendship Force
exchange is to promote peace in the
world by establishing friendships be
tween individuals and families.
A program explaining the purpose
and specifics of Friendship Force, which
includes slides from last year s ex
change with West Berlin, Germany, is
available. Clubs or groups wishing a
Friendship Force volunteer to present
the program can call 255-8021.