.r-rT,
11
Second class postage paid
at Black Mountain, JVC 2#7JJ
Thursday, December St, t98t, Votume 29, Number 5S
Mem ber of the JVCPA
Santa Claus entertains at the Jaycees Christmas party at Highland Farms. Over 100 valley children received a big
holiday boost. Later the children were taken shopping at Roses Dept Store.
Jaycees throw o party
Over 100 valley children were helped
by the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Jay
\ lees this year to give these kids a
Christmas they might not have had.
Some of the children were taken to
Highland Farms by area Jaycees and
riends for a Christmas party and
jresents presented by Santa Claus
himself. Christmas carols were sung
with music provided by Chet Prentice.
The children were later taken to Roses
Dept. Store to shop for articles of need.
The Jaycees also distributed special
fruit baskets to area elderly, and over 40
area families received food and gifts to
help make their Christmas merrier. The
Jaycees wish to thank area manufac
Funds come in
for rescue too!
The McDonald's Corporation pre
sented a check for $3,300 to the Black
Mountain Volunteer Fire Department
last W ednesday to aid in the purchase
of a power rescue tool.
M ayor Tom Sobol and Fire Chief Gary
Bartlett accepted the donation from
McDonald's Operations Manager Larry
Carter and local store manager Larry
McCall.
The money will go towards a Lucas
too! for the East Buncombe Fire
District. The Lucas tool, or the "jaws of
life," is a motor-driven device used to
cut and pry metal to rescue victims from
wrecked vehicles. The estimated cost of
the tool is $8,200.
Although several of these tools exist
in Buncombe County, the closest avai
lable tool is approximately 30 minutes
away, Chief Bartlett said.
"A rescue tool is needed in Black
Mountain because of the number of
accidents that occur in our area,
particularly on the Old Fort Mountain,"
he added.
Carter said that McDonald's first
learned of the town's need for the
special life-saving device last June
when the Volunteer Fire Department
began several fund-raising events. The
volunteers raised approximately $1,200
through these events, which included a
donkey softball game.
Va!!ey donors
Donors from the Black Mountain
Swannanoa area who completed giving
one or more gallons of blood in
November were:
Four gallons-C.L Pittman and Mar
sha G. Stafford of Black Mountain;
James H. Davidson, Rufus M. Fisher,
John J. Madison and Gordon W.
Metcalf of Swannanoa.
Three gallons-Ruth B. Ogle of Swan
nanoa.
One gallon-Michael E. Gardner and
Vernon L Wilson of Black Mountain;
Hedy E. Fischer of Montreat; and Dina
M. Garland of Swannanoa.
Another $1,100 has been raised by
fund-raising events sponsored by area
churches and individuals and from
private donations.
The remaining money for the tool
may be provided by the Buncombe
County Board of Commissioners. Al
though the county has offered to
allocate up to $2,500, it stipulated that
the funds must apply to the purchase of
a Hurst tool (a rescue tool similar to the
Lucas tool) rather than a Lucas tool. The
county further stipulated that bids be
processed through the county's pur
chasing office.
Mayor Sobol said that he was looking
into the offer and hoped to convince the
county to remove the stipulations. He
said that he had sent a letter to the
commissioners explaining the position
of the town on the matter and he is now
awaiting the reply "But either way,
"we're going to have a tool," he said.
"That's for sure."
turers, businesses, churches and indi
viduals who contributed to help make
this year's project a success.
Nancy Simmons presents a check for $207 to Fireman
Sterling Poe to be used toward the purchase of a power
rescue tool. The money was raised through a bake and
rummage sale sponsored by a group of individuals and
local businesses and organizations.
Mayor Tom Soboi and Fire Chief Gary Bartiett accept a $5,500 check from
McDonald's representatives Larry McCail and Larry Carter to be used to heip buy a
pnuematic rescue tooi for the Fire Department.
New <EM(]90:SLH*€? Ml 7 982
Chamber wi!!
bemore visibie
by Bill Studenc
The Black Mountain-Swannanoa
Chamber of Commerce has planned a
number of new committees, events and
projects to gain more exposure for the
organization in 1982, said Bill White,
the new president.
"My goal as president is to make the
Chamber a lot more viable and visible
than it has been in the past," said
White, who does not officially take
office until January 1.
The recently formed Economic Deve
lopment Committee, chaired by Wen
dell Begley, should help accomplish
White's goal, said Ed Weber, executive
secretary of the Chamber of Commerce.
The committee will be in charge of
compiling a current and up-to-date
roster of local buildings for sale or rent
and local property for lease or sale. The
roster will be made available to bus
inesses interested in coming into the
area.
"In the past, businesses have had to
contact one realtor, and then another,
and then another," White said. "This
roster will benefit those selling and
renting and it will help those coming
in."
The chamber is also pus!'irg for
construction of a road to Mount Mitch-U
through Black Mountain. "The Charr'
ber realizes that this is a 'c ;
range project but we re encou^t-J by
the support we've received to date."
said Weber.
Two possible routes exist, with one
going along the Old Toll Road and the
other going through state owned land
near the North Fork Reservoir area, he
said. "Feasibility studies will have to be
made by the state, which will designate
the final route with costs being the
overriding factor."
"The area would gain economically
from the road because its beginning
would be here in Black Mountain,"
Weber added. "Tourism is a factor and
there will be a need for accomodations
and the services for them. The road
would introduce a lot of people into the
area to shop, to vacation and to retire."
Weber stressed that the road would
be a restricted, highly controlled road,
somewhat similar to the Blue Ridge
Parkway, to prevent the buildup of
businesses and billboards that would
detract from the natural beauty.
Another project to be undertaken by
the Chamber in the new year is an
attempt to boost promotions by local
merchants, said White. "This would
perhaps include extending discounts to
local students."
"We want to encourage merchants to
have distinctive promotional displays
during major holidays of the year,"
Webersaid. "Just to make people want
to stop and look in the stores and then
enter them."
The chamber is also working with the
Department of Transportation on ob
taming road signs for the town, includ
ing a new sign on 1-40 east of Blade
Mountain indicating that the next two
exits are for Black Mountain and signs
to Montreat-Anderson and Warren
W ilson Colleges.
White said that the Chamber is also
looking into the erection of interstate
signs which list the actual names of
local businesses under the headings of
motels, serein stations, and restau
rants. These signs, which are like those
on 1-95 in Virginia and South Carolina,
could possibly be up within the next
year.
"These signs are paid for by the parti
apants whose businesses appear on the
sign," Weber said. "It appears to be a
great detenant to the need for unattrac
tive signs along the highway."
The Chamber will also continue to
push to bring new businesses into the
Black Mountain-Swannanoa area,
White said. Plans already exist for the
expansion of the Singer-Kearfott, Char
les D. Owen and Clevenger plants, he
said.
Weber added that the new Kunkle
Valve factory on Old U S. 70 would be
opening soon and that the Kentucky
Fried Chicken drain has shown a strong
interest in opening a Black Mountain
store. Shcney's restaurant drain will be
constructing a new store in Swannanoa
in the near future.
"There appears to be a strong
alliance between the Chamber and the
town to work together and accomplish
these projects,'*^said Weber, in summa
tion.
White added, "We can't get much
done unless the members help us and
stay with us and support our events. W e
can plan all we want to but if we don't
get any partidpants we're not going to
accomplish much."
Western North Carolina awoke Christmas morning to find a blanket
snow had covered the ground, giving the area its first white Christmas
several years. The Black Mountain Presbyterian Church was beautiful.
Photo by Bill Studenc.
B*a.