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Black Mouj.taln, J .0. 26711
Second ciass postage paid
at Biacic Mountain. 2S7H
Thuisday, December 10, 1981, Volume 29, Number 50
'Outstanding Educator' named
Hitda Catdwet)
Hiida Ca!dwe!!to
represent Owen High
Hilda Caldwell, Owen High School
English teacher, has been chosen by a
committee of fellow teachers "outstand
ing Young Educator" for the year. Mrs.
Caldwell will compete for the county
honor in this annual contest sponsored
by the Jaycees.
Mrs. Caldwell teaches gifted and
talented ninth, 10th and 11th grade
students, as well as two college prepa
tory classes of freshmen.
She is in her ninth year of teaching,
having taught at Roberson High School
and Valley Springs before coming to
Owen four years ago.
"I enjoy my role as a teacher," she
said. "1 feel it's a most important
profession." Mrs. Caldwell made her
career decision at an early age. 'Td
always wanted to be one (a teacher),"
she said. "There was no other thing I
ever thought about."
In her classroom, Mrs. Caldwell
strives to make it possible for every
student to feel successful, she said. "I
try to create a rapport with the students
so they can express their ideas openly
without fear, even if their ideas contra
dict mine," she explained.
At Owen, she is sponsor of the Beta
Club and chairman of the English
department.
A member of the committee who
selected Mrs. Caldwell, Betty Davis,
said Mrs. Caldwell was chosen to
represent the school because she is,
"an excellent teacher, very dedicated
and very professional."
The Madison County native attended
Mars Hill High School and graduated
from Appalachian State University with
a bachelor's degree in English. She and
her husband Jerry have two children,
Christopher and Stephanie. They live in
Haw Creek.
Chamber banquet
Get invoived, speaker says
"Winners leave their marks on their
communities, not iosers. Love winning,
what's wrong with it?" was the mes
sage Monday night at the 22nd annual
Black Mountain-Swannanoa Chamber
of Commerce banquet at Montreat's
Assembly Inn.
Guest speaker Stan Finch, a much
traveled Texize Corp. executive, spoke
on "How To Be A Winner." Opening
his remarks with a series of attention
gathering stories, Find! finished up
with an almost evangelical appeal to
enthusiasm and common sense in
serving one's community.
To win, he said, use commrn sense
and get involved. Total emotional
commitment to the valley is essential if
the Chamber is to move forward, Finch
continued. Remove anything that dut
tcrs your life, that stands in your way,
he urged the large audience. Stay
young, he conduded, you have the
energy to do anything you want to.
Incoming 1982 Chamber President
Bill White Jr. outlined goals for the
coming year as a new Chamber of
Commerce building, moving ahead on a
road to Mount Mitchell, and attracting
"the right kinds" of new business, high
paying and non-polluting firms. A new
economic development committee will
work on this, he said.
Short term goals White mentioned
induded doser ties with local public
officials, more office coverage at the '
chamber, membership drives, tours of
local industries, more participants in
the Sourwood Festival, stronger mer
chants' committees, and Christmas
decorations next year for Swannanoa.
Chamber directors for 1982 were
announced as Andy Andrews. W endell
Begley, Susan Garland, Joe Hyder,
Margaret Slagle, Ronald Sneed, Joe
Tyson, George Venturella, Sam Wool
wine, Herb Edwards and Cliff Meyer
Chamber officers for the coming year
are W .W. White Jr., president; Frank
Rosen, president-elect for 1983; Mike
Sobol, vice president; and Cad Bartlett,
treasurer.
Outgoing president Margaret Slagle
detailed accomplishments of the Cham
ber of Commerce in the past year. She
outlined publicity the Chamber had
acquired for the valley in media outside
the area and named many signs of
growth and development in east Bun
combe County. She discussed services
provided by the Chamber and its
director.
Special recognition was given to
former chairmen of the Sourwood
Festival. They are founder and first
chairman Dr. Bob Dickey (1978), Cad
Bartlett (1979) and Andy Andrews
(1980-81). Each received a Distinguish
ed Service plaque. George Venturella
will serve as Sourwood Festival chair
man in 1982.
Many present and former public
officials were introduced at the begin
ning of the program, including aider
men, county commissioners, state and
Stan Finch
U S. legislators.
Outgoing Chamber directors recog
nized induded Margaret Slagie, Dr.
Tom Cannon, Bili Eubanks, Ted Mahaf
fey, Jack Clevenger, Harry Hyder Herb
Coman and Roger Hibbard, who receiv
ed Distinguished Service awards. Out
going president Margaret Siagie was
commended for her tireiess efforts
for the chamber.
Gun fired inside
poiice station
A gun, thought to be unloaded, was
discharged in the Black Mountain police
station last week. The bullet from the
.38 caliber police special struck the wall
where it shattered, scattering plaster
fragments. Vinson Miller, town mana
ger, was struck in the arm by either a
bullet fragment or piece of plaster. The
skin was broken slightly on his upper
arm, Miller said.
Officer Gary Sorrells was demonstra
ting speed loading equipment, new to
the department, to the town manager
about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Apparently a
bullet remained lodged in the gun when
Sorrells emptied it, Police Chief Crait E.
Slagle said. Sorrells, believing the gun
to be empty, fired it inside the lobby of
the station.
No disciplinary action will be taken
against the officer by Chief Slagle, he
said, because he was not present when
the incident occurred. "If any action is
taken, it will have to be by the town
manager," Slagle said.
However, "there will be a policy
officers will not practice in the station,"
Nativity p!ay
wi!! feature
rea! animais
Churdi Women United will sponsor
an outdoor Christmas Nativity pageant
on Dec. 16, 17, 18 and 21, 22, 23. The
30-minute performance will begin each
evening at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot
of the First Baptist Church on Montreat
Road, Black Mountain.
Children from area churches will
portray the characters in the Christmas
story. Live animals will be used. The
audience is to assemble in the Ingle's
parking lot adjacent to that of the
church.
Choirs from six local churches will
provide the music for each perfor
mance. They are: Mountain View
Baptist Church, Blade Mountain Pres
byterian Church, Ridgecrest Baptist
Church, First Baptist Church of Blade
Mountain, the choir from the Juvenile
Evaluation Center and Mills Chapel
Baptist Church. The public is welcome.
Slagle said. "It wasn't written policy
before."
' "I didn't recommet I any (discipli
nary action)," Miller said, "because it
was an accident-which shouldn't have
happened."
Speed loading equipment allowr sev
eral bullets to be loaded in a gun at the
same time instead of one by one, saving
an officer who may be facing an
automatic weapon the few seconds that
might save his life. Black Mountain
police have been examining several
types of the loaders before a purchase is
made for the department.
Chief Slagle said another result of the
accident in the police station will be a
stepped-up weapons training program
for the department. While all Black
Mountain police officers are qualified
on a range, Slagle believes they need
more practice. "It's a little too easy to
qualify," he explained.
Medtca) Center
dean-up (jay
Saturday
A call for volunteers to help dean up
the grounds around the Swannanoa
Valley Medical Center went out this
week from Dr. Jack Kettleson, chair
man of the Center's board of directors.
Volunteers are asked to come to the
Medical Center at 10 a m. this Satur
day, Dec. 12, and to bring rakes,
pruning shears, etc.
Hot coffee and lunch will be provided
for volunteers.
The Medical Center grounds are
badly in need of weeding and leaf
raking, Dr. Kettleson said, and many
shrubs and small trees need pruning.
The Center has been unable to provide
adequate professional help for regular
maintenance, and therefore dedded to
appeal again for community assistance.
The Swannanoa Valley Medical Cen
ter is the product of the community.
Organizations and individuals in the
Valley contributed to its creation in
1964. Typical of continuing financial
support is (1,700 received from the local
Kiwanis Club during the past year.
White House Conference on Aging
Delegate reflects on accomplishments
by Cynthia Reimer
When 2,200 delegates from across
the United States met in Washington for
the White House Conference on Aging,
Highland Farms resident Paul Limbert
was one of them. Limbert was appoint
ed by Governor Hunt, one of 22
delegates from North Carolina to the
Nov. 30-Dec. 3 conference.
Although the most controversial issue
at the conference was Social Security
) benefits, Limbert reflected on other
H important trends in the 600 recommend
H ations of the 14 committees made up of
y "older Americans," issues that may
have tnore far-reaching affects on all
Americans, young and old.
"This conference went on record in
favor of maintaining the present level of
support for that portion of the older
generation who are needy," Limbert
said. "It also gave attention to the role
of the private sector in doing all they
^ can, through pensions, education pro
grams, volunteer activity," in keeping
with the movement in Congress to
curtail government spending.
A-recurring emphasis throughout the
conference, Limbert said, was on com
bating stereotypes of older people, on
getting away from the idea of simply
providing services for and to the
eloerly.
Ohe recommendation of the commit
i
tee reads, "Older Americans are too
often considered a problem. We are of
the strong conviction that older Ameri
cans can be part of the solution to the
challenges facing this country in the
decade ahead."
Through the conference it became
apparent, Limbert said, that "the older
generation is a political force to be
0!der Americans can be part
of the sotutiuon to the
chatienges facing this country'
reckoned with. They want to be regard
ed as a resouroe, not only in their own
interests but in international, economic
and other areas. "
At the conference, Limbert served on
the Educational and Training Opportu
nities Committee, a natural outcome, he
said, of his career in the field of
education. Limbert was a college pro
fessor, president of Springfield College
in Massachusetts, secretary-general of
the World Alliance of YMCAs in
Switzerland for 10 years and executive
director of Blue Ridge Assembly before
he retired at Highland Farms.
The recommendations of the confer
ence, which convenes in Washinton
every 10 years, will be considered by
governmental bodies on the federal,
state and local levels for years to come.
"To be part of it was very thrilling in
many ways. It was a memorable
experience to me," Limbert said. "The
significance will appear as time goes on,
in what happens locally, what happens
nationally."
"There may be a renewed awareness
of oltier people," he concluded, "and
what important role they play in
American Sodety."
Weather
^ .
H rcy<ew
Dec. 1-high 42, iow 29 degrees;
; .46 inches precipitation.
Dec. 2-high 55, iow 34 degrees; .02
inches precipitation.
Dec. 3-high 50, iow 31 degrees.
Dec. 4-high 42, low 26 degrees; .06
indies snow fiurries, rain, sleet.
Dec. 5-high 40, iow 30 degrees; .02
inches snow fiurries.
Dec. 6-high 50, iow 17 degrees.
Dec. 7-high 56, iow 16 degrees.
Totai rainfall in November-1.37 inch
Scouts from Troop 50 raised the Hag at the dedication festivities for the new McDonald's, followed by the Owen
Band playing "The Star Spangled Banner." Hundreds braved the wind and cold temperatures to have a look at
Ronald McDonald. (Related photo on page 18.)