Sourwood Fesf/va/ promises fun for a//
Competition, sightseeing and a iarge
variety of family things to do highlight
the Fifth Annual Sourwood Festival in
Blade Mountain. This year's events
begin on Monday, Aug. 2 with a tennis
tournament and conclude Saturday,
Aug. 14, with 5,000 and 10,000 kilo
meter road races
Most events oondude by Saturday,
Aug. 7. Induded are such craziness as
an ugly and unusual pet contest,
slowpoke bike races, and the like. Other
crowd pleasers will be dancing, flea
market, carnival with rides, hot air
balloon rides, homemade boat races,
and a recreational vehicle and camper
show.
The first days-Monday, Aug. 2
through Thursday, Aug. 5- are sport
and competition days. The tennis
tournament starts Monday and goes
through Sunday. A men's gold tourna
ment will be held on Wednesday, the
women's Thursday. Tournaments will
be played on the world famous Black
Mountain Golf Course, featuring the
par six 745 yard 17th hole, the longest
anywhere.
On Tuesday, Aug. 3 there will be an
indoor miniature go!f tournament.
Horse shoe pitching begins Wednes
day, Aug. 4 and runs through Saturday.
The state champion wiii demonstrate
his skills, and local players will compete
against each other. An informal swim
ming meet will be held Thursday, Aug.
5 at the town pool.
Family fun events will take place
during the entire Sourwood Festival.
The carnival will open Wednesday,
Aug. 4 with the full slate of rides and
games, such as ferris wheel, merry-go
round, giant slide, and many others.
The Old Depot will feature art and
crafts all week, with demonstrations,
exhibits, refreshments and music.
Shoppers will find bargains at the
merchants' in-store and sidewalk sales.
The big flea market on Cherry Street,
Friday and Saturday, promises to
satisfy everyone's desire for that certain
something.
Also on Friday will be the ugly and
unusual pet contest, street dancing,
trout fishing, a display of law enforce
ment equipment and techniques by
Town!ift designers
show more pians
by Cynthia Reimer
Specialists in landscaping and traffic
How problems presented plans Thurs
day for the next steps in the Townlift
program for Black Mountain.
Planners from the Tennessee Valley
Authority showed designs for aligning
Broadway and Montreat Road at the
State Street intersection by moving the
intersection to the left. Striping, marked
crosswalks and curb extensions would
also help ease conditions there,
r Cherry Street and Broadway were
drawn with landscaping and a "mean
dering traffic system" which would
slow down traffic and widen the existing
lanes to the state recommended 12
feet.
The planners recommended off-street
landscaped lots to replace some of the
parking which would be lost on Cherry
and Broadway
Landscaping, including deciduous
trees, evergreens, shrubs and ground
cover "to soften the view," were
recommended. Much of the landscaping
would be placed inside the curb
extensions, where seatng could also be
built.
Some of the storefront renovations
recommended in June are already
under way. "We're really making
progress on this. It's nice to see when
you drive into town," Developmental
Planner John Smalling told merchants
and Chamber of Commerce officials
gathered for lunch.
Steve Roberts has removed signs and
awnings frm the Black Mountain Drug
Co. Removing (he paint from the
decorative arched windows on the
building, Roberts found some etched
glass and copper trim. He has ordered
new signs and a domed canopy for his
doorway.
Tyson's Furniture has begun renova
tions, planning to have painting com
pleted for the Sourwood Festival next
week.
Black Mountain is the first North
Carolina town to receive the assistance
of the TVA professional planners in a
Townlift program.
Objectives, according to Smalling,
include historical preservation, integra
tion of the geographical setting, smooth
traffic flow, availability of parking and
pedestrian access, including for the
handicapped.
[oca! and county officers, flower and
garden show, arts and crafts displays on
Cheny Street, and "picking and singing
downtown.
Saturday, Aug. 7 will be another full
day, with a parade, hiking and climb
ing, slowpoke bike race, rides on Mr.
Bill's hot air balloon, youth and senior
Second cfass postage paid
at Biacit Mountain, NC
citizens' fishing contest, homemade
boat races, recreational vehicle and
camper show, and other events continu
ed from Friday.
The pace slows a little after Saturday.
On Sunday there will be a Jaycee
Sing-along and the Art League's open
ing tea at the library, beginning their
week long exhibition.
The final event of the Sourwood
Festival is not until the following
weekend, Saturday, Aug. 14. The 5,000
and 10,000 kilometer road races were
delayed to avoid conflicts with other
running events competitors might wish
to enter.
AU in aU. it's a big time and fun for
everyone in the Swannanoa Vaiiey.
Thousands of people will attend just as
they do every year. For more informa
tion contact the Black Mountain-Swan
nanoa Chamber of Commerce, 411 W.
State Street. The phone number is
669-2300. Call before noon.
Thursday, July 29, 1982, Volume 30, Number 30
Member of the NCPA
Chemical spiii in Saturday tire
A fire at Charles D. Owen Manufac
turers Saturday morning resulted in a
chemical spill according to Jerry Ve
Haun, director of the Buncombe County
emergency services. Swannanoa Fire
Department responded to the call at
5:15 a.m.
A fire in a small building next to a
tank of hydrogen peroxide heated the
tank, causing a gasket to rupture. About
1,500 gallons of the chemical leaked out
before it could be stopped, VeHaun
Benefit
dance for
Cary Davis
A benefit dance will be held Satur
day, Aug. 7 at the Lake Tomahawk
Clubhouse from 8 p.m. to midnight. All,
proceeds will go to Gary Davis to assist
him on his trip to Russia for medical
treatment.
The dance is sponsored by WONO
radio station. The WONO Zoo Crew and
the Boogie Machine will provide enter
tainment.
Improvements are under way at Tyson's Furniture and Black Mountain Drug Company on the comers of State and
Broadway in the Townlift program.
Overnight hike to historic
Mt. Mitcheii area
This year's exciting outdoor adven
ture for the Sourwood Festival will
feature a hike and overnight camp to the
Pinnacle Spring area near Mt. Mitchell.
Participants will meet Saturday morn
ing, August 7, at 11:30 a m. at the Black
Mountain Savings and Loan parking lot.
From there they will travel to the
trailhead at the end of Appalachian Way
in Montreat.
The experience will involve a moder
ate eight mile dimb along the historic
"Black Mountain-Mt. Mitchell Rail
road" bed. Elevations from the trail
head to the campsite will range from
2,800' to 5,000' respectively. Scenery is
spectacular and hikers should be pre
pared for an unforgettable outdoors
adventure, according to trip coordinator
Wendeil Begley.
The return trip Sunday morning will
be by vehicle from the campsite to Biach
Mountain. Ail hikers should provide for
their own lunch, dinner, and Sunday
breakfast. Transportation of heavier
equipment to campsite will be available.
Due to limited access and the fragile
wilderness environment space will be
limited and pre-registration is required.
For reservations contact Wendell Beg
ley. hike coordinator, at 669-7991 or
669-9170.
The hike is sponsored by the So'.r
wood Committee of the Black Mountain
Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce
said. The tank held about 5,000 gallons.
Swannanoa firemen called in the
county Hazardous Material Accident
Team to assist them.
The hydrogen peroxide is used in the
bleaching process at the plant. The 50
percent solution couid be toxic and even
fatal when the fumes are breathed,
VeHaun said. The chemical spill did not
reach the lake at Owen Park.
"The Swannanoa FTre Department
did a good job, calling for the Red Team
(Hazardous Material Accident Team) as
quickly as they did," VeHaun said,
praising the fire department.
Hie Sourwood King, Pbrry Stone, is flanked by some of the members of his court: Brandon Netherton, 20 months;
Kimberly Merrill, 4; Janell Aycock, 5; Keith Merrill, 6; and Glenna Aycock, 3. Not pictured are Merritt Albion,
Kimberly Shook and Johnny Blevins.
Sourwood Saturday at shopping
center to feature baiioon rides
Get ready for sights, sounds and saies
as the Sourwood Festival spreads to
Black Mountain's newest shopping
center.
The merchants of the new Black
Mountain shopping center got their first
taste of Sourwood excitement during
last year's festival. This year they have
planned to add some excitement of their
own.
Roses, Ingles, Eckerds and McDon
alds have combined their efforts to
provide what promises to be one of the
most memorable "Sourwood Satur
days" on record.
On Saturday, Aug. 7 the excitement
begins at 9 am. when Mr. Bill sends his
hot air balloon aloft to provide a sky
high view of the valley and the day's
events.
For those whose dreams of travel are
more down to earth, there will be a
recreational vehicle show in the center
lot sponsored by W ray Frazier of
Swannanoa.
If being a participant rather than a
spectator is your style, you are invited
to test your skill at the ' slowpoke bike
race," a popular event from last year's
festival that has moved to the shopping
center this year.
The sounds for the Sourwood Festival
will be provided by "The heartbeat of
the Valley, WONO." Don Taylor will
broadcast from Roses sidewalk from 10
a.m. until 4 p.m. Stop by, and you may
win your own "heartbeat T-shirt" or
one of the many other prizes provided
by the shopping center merchants.
Along with the other events, savings
will be found in the Sourwood sidewalk
sales provided by the shopping center
merchants.
Error made ft! listing
The Board of Adjustments reported
an error in the public notice made at
Town Hall about a public hearing to be
held Thursday. The Board of Adjust
ments will consider a request for
conditional use for a recreational vehicle
campsite, not a change in zoning for an
area off South Blue Ridge Road.
"There can be no question of
(banging the zoning at this meeting
because the Board of Adjustments does
not have power in such matters,'' stated
Robert J. Fischer, chairman of the Biack
Mountain Board of Adjustments.
Only the Board of Aidermen, at the
recommendation of the Hanning Board,
has authority to change a zoning
ordinance.
Tire public meeting wiii be heid at
Town Hail Thursday, August 5, at 7:30
p.m.
An audience of about 300 enioyed the 3econd Sunday in the Park at Lake Tomahawk last Sunday. Story on page 14.