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Black Moui.tal!Y, '
Lady of teisure
has new rote
by Cynthia Relmer
Henrietta has been a iady of leisure
all her life, 30-some years. But things
have changed for the 7,000 pound iady
since Jim Pain tiff came into the picture.
Jim is an exotic animai trainer.
Henrietta (affectionateiy known to
intimates as Henry) is an Asian
elephant.
The puckered pachyderm has resided
at the WNC Nature Center since about
1957-no one remembers for sure,
except possibly Henry-in a small yard.
Her days were filled with such exciting
events as eating (125 pounds a day),
drinking (50 gallons a day), and
watching the humans watching her.
Until Jim came to the Nature Center,
Henry's carefree life style did not
include elephant training.
fast Wednesday, after a year of
polishing her technique and a quick
bath, Henry strolled through the gates
of her cage for her first public
performance before television cameras,
newspaper reporters and photo
graphers.
"Elephants are extremely intelligent
animals," Jim explained proudly.
"She's a real smart girl."
To the command of "Move up,"
Henrietta uses her trunk to sniff the
ground ahead, lifts one bucket-sized
foot and puts it down. Another "Move
up," and another step. And another
"Move up," another step. It takes a
long time to walk an elephant.
The stones bothered Henry's tender
feet, and hills, after 20 years of standing
on level ground, stopped her cold at
first.
Because of Henry's age it has taken
extra time and patience to train her.
And, "elephants being as smart as they
are," said Jim, "they really like to test
you." Henry would push Jim or stop
dead and refuse to budge at first, but
the two worked out their problems with
patience, diversionary tactics and a
pocketful of carrots.
"She has had her way for years,"
said Nature Center Director Mel
Thomason. "What a transformation
has occurred. "
The commands Jim uses are "uni
versal," the same used by all animal
trainers. Jim learned to train exotic
animals by working for eight or nine
years in zoos and safari parks, and by
watching other trainers.
Anyone could put Henry through her
paces now that she has learned the
commands, Thomason said, but each
new person would be tested by Henry.
"She's basically a good natured
elephant," Jim said, "but at times she
has her irritating moods."
Besides relief from boredom and the
benefits of physical exercise, Henry's
new skilis allow veterinary examination
and enable a keeper to work safely
around the elephant.
Jim also plans to teach Henry to lift
and pull-obviously tasks at which an
elephant would excel.
Henry knows several tricks now and
will star every Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2
p m. in a program about eiephants at
the Nature Center on Gashes Creek
Road in East Asheville.
Henrietta is up to new trichs, taught her by exotic animat
trainer Jim Painti/f at the WNC Nature Center.
New vet tikes the mountains
The Blue Ridge Animal Hospital has
a new vet, Glenn D. Graves, D V M.
"I think Tm going to be real happy in
the area," said Dr. Graves, who came
here from Wilmington. "The moun
tains make me feel right at home. And
the people are as friendly as any in the
world."
Dr. Graves started out to be a
"human doctor." "I was always
interested in the challenge of medi
cine," he said. Then, during his third
year of college he took off a semester to
work in a large hospital.
"f found that in some cases I could
have more compassion for animals than
Weather
review
April 28-high 82, low 44 degrees.
April 29--high 72, low 44 degrees;
.03 indies predpitatidn.
April 30-high 78, low 45 degrees.
May 1-high 64, low 53 degrees.
May 2-high 58, low 42 degrees.
May 3-high 72, low 29 degrees;
frost.
May 4-high 80, low 34 degrees.
W eather courtesy of
WFGW Radio,
Biack Mountain.
some of the human patients," and so he
changed his direction from people to
animals and, after eight years, gradu
ated from Louisianna State University
Veterinary School.
Since a vet must be licensed separate
ly in each state where he wishes to
practice, Dr. Graves thought carefully
about where he wanted to live. He has
lived in seven states, Indonesia and the
Philipines but he (hose Winston
Salem, North Carolina to begin his
career.
"North Carolina just seemed to have
everything. It's probably the most
appealing place I could find," he said.
Dr. Graves brought his two pets with
him to Black Mountain, boa constrictors
named Pete and Mildred, both nine
years old.
"I really enjoy working with binds and
reptiles. I like to work with wild
animals, too," he said. His areas of
special interest in veterinary medicine
include opthamology and radiology.
When he is not working, Dr. Graves
enjoys camping, canoeing and
raquetball.
Dr. Graves' arrival allows the hospital
to expand its hours. "The practice is
growing," he said. "That's the reason
Tm here." The off'ce will be open new
from8 a m. to 8 p.m. week days, 8 a m.
to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1-8 p.m.
Sunday.
Dr. Gienn Graves has oniy been here a /ew days but has
aiready made one /riend, Penny, the Bine Ridge Animai
Hospitai's resident cat. Penny has saved other cats' iives by
giving biood /or trans/asions, Dr. Graves said.
Fire fottows expiosion in Swannanoa Home
The back of a house on OM U S. 70 ii
Swann an oa was destroyed by fire Apr
30. The lire started about 7 p.m. after
gasoline can is believed to hav
exploded on the bach porch of th
' Sheiton residence.
! No one was injured in the biaze. Mrs.
! Sheiton and her son Matthew were a(
: home, but were in the front part of the
! house. Mrs. Sheiton heard the ex
plosion, discovered the fire and called
the Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Depart
ment. Mr. Shelton and another son
were not at home when the fire
occurred.
Town Councn
Budget on
Monday agenda
A raise in taxes or a cut in services
faces Town Council as they consider
next year's budget
The present tax of 73 cents per $100
property value was established in
1974-75 and has not been raised since.
Since then, according to Town
Manager Earnest Hudgins, inflation
has raised the cost of materials and
services 70 percent.
Hudgins' budget proposal for 1981-82
is $892,432.07, about $170,000 over last
year's budget.
People have indicated, Hudgins said,
that they want increased police pro
tection, more recreational programs, an
improved golf course, a full-time dog
warden, an adequately manned and
equipped fire department, a full-time
building inspector and more programs
for senior citizens.
"These are not services we can give
them at the present tax rate, " Hudgins
said.
His proposed tax raise is from 73
cents to (1. If the town receives a
projected (22,000 for the East Bun
combe Fire District, if the town can sell
some property, and with stricter
enforcement and a raise in cost of
privilege iicenses, "we might be able to
balance the budget," Hudgins said.
Aidermen are also looking at areas
where costs could be cut, hoping to
balance the budget without a tax
increase.
Two or three more workshops for the
budget are scheduled for the Board, but
Monday's meeting is an opportunity for
the public to respond, Hudgins said.
Other items on Monday's agenda
indude a report on the status of the East
Buncombe Fire District by Ron Sneed,
recreation proposals for Lake
Tomahawk, a presentation by Jerry
VeHaun on the Lukas power tool,
updating the privelege license
ordinance and many other items.
New tibrary opens
for WCC residents
This week, as part of their Spring
Fling celebration, the Western Carolina
Center, Black Mountain Facility, plans
to open its brand new residents' library.
The room, which housed a medical
library when the facility was a hospital
for tuberculosis patients, has been
repainted a soft yellow and carpeted.
On the shelves are bright picture books
for both children and adults, as well as
magazines, records and filmstrips.
Audio visual equipment and a puppet
theatre are waiting for the library's first
patrons.
In keeping with the Center's philo
sophy of intermediate care for the
mentally retarded, the library will be
used to teach residents how to use a
community library.
"The whole idea," explained Becky
Arndt, director of volunteers, "is to
make this library like (me you'd find in
the community." Residents will learn
how to use the materials in the library,
how to check out the books and how to
be responsible for materials as well as a
library card.
Jeanne Rowe, an educational special
ist, has worked for two years with about
$7,000 in LSCA money, a federal grant
program to augment state and local
support of libraries. "The staff people
are really excited because we've been
wetting two years," Jeanne said.
The Center has a critical need for
volunteers to run the library. "We are
unable to get a librarian position,"
Becky explained. "We will have to rely
on volunteers. If we don't have
volunteers, we don't open."
She said it will take about 15
volunteers to check out books, show
films, set up the listening center, tell
stories, do seasonal decorations and
programs and order Rims. The library
gets free films from the state library in
Raleigh and talking books from the
Jeanne Rowe
Blind-M ulti-Handicapped Library of
Congress.
"What we need," Becky said, "is
some voiunteers who are willing to work
with the residents in the library."
Volunteers are needed from 9-11 a m.
and 1-5 p.m, and also evenings and
weekends. H you would like to
volunteer, call Becky Arndt or Jeanne
Rowe at 669-3152.
The library also has an on going need
for donations of books and magazine
subscriptions. A Friends of the Library
group is being organized to help with
this need, made up of people from the
community and staff.
State facing critica)
water shortages
North Carolina has experienced one
of the driest springs on record and is
facing one of the worst water shortages
in many years.
According to North Carolina Commis
sioner of Agriculture Jim Graham, soil
moisture in the state is rated 27 percent
very short, 46 percent short and oniy 27
percent rated adequate in the April 27
weekly report of crop-weather cor
respondents across the state.
"Right now we are 7-10 inches beiow
normal in rainfall since September 1,"
Graham said. "Since last April nearly
every month has been below normal in
precipitation.
The National Wcau.T Service's am
rent 30-day outlook for May shows
continued above normal temperatures
and below average rainfall across all of
North Carolina, indicating little or no
Improvement in present water deficits
for the next four weeks, at least.
"The entire 1081 crop is in jeopardy
but the most immediate concern is small
grain," Graham continued. "We have
440,000 acres of wheat planted, the
largest acreage in the state since 1061.
It has already been stunted and the
straw is very short. Right now most of
the small grain is heading out and
unless it gets sufficient rain soon, the
yieid will be reduced.
"Every crop and garden grown in
North Carolina faces real problems if
the weather service's prediction for
May proves any where near correct,"
Graham concluded.
Kindergarten
registration
May 13
Children who will be five years old by
October 16, or six by the same date and
not presently in school, will enroll for
school on May 13 from 6 a m. to 4 p.m.
Registration will be held at Swannanoa
Elementary School and Black Mountain
Primary School and other Buncombe
County Schools. . **t
Parents should bring their chad's,
birth certificate and immunization
records. It is not necessary that the
child attend the registration.
*