0ct 17 yancey county news

Sale begins October 9th 2013!

A Touch of “Cass” is relocating to 117 West Main Street in Burnsville

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Oct. 17, 2013 W Vol. 3, No. 42Brush Creek - Burnsville - Cane River Crabtree - Egypt - Green Mountain - Jacks Creek Pensacola - Price’s Creek - Ramseytown - South Toe

v Recipient of the E.W. Scripps Award for Distinguished Service to the First Amendment v

Yancey County News www.yanceycountynews.com vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v

Tim Tipton answers anonymous advertisement

mountain crafters’ co-opWE NOW SELL COOL MOUNTAIN ROOT BEER AND RED ROCK GINGER ALE!

127 W. Main St., Mon-Sat : 11-5

County services at risk of closing

Storewidesale!

By Jonathan AustinYancey County News

A Yancey County native entered a guilty plea to a charge of statutory rape last week in Superior Court and avoided the possibility of facing 93 years in prison for raping a child.

Wi l l i am Brack Davis, 38, of 135 Faithful Lane, Spruce Pine, pleaded guilty t o o n e c o u n t o f statutory rape and was sentenced to from 23 years to 28.75 years in state prison, according to his plea agreement filed with the clerk of court.

His plea was to a

felony offense that occurred March 1, 2010. In accepting the plea the state agreed to drop 12 additional charges of statutory rape/sexual offense with a defendant more than six years younger than he, one charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juve-

See page 10

Davis pleads in rape case

Man found shot to death at home

Look inside for...

Have an Apple

It’s harvest time at Shady Lane Farm, home to some of the region’s

best ‘old-variety’ apples.

See story inside!


A Yancey County man was found dead Sunday evening in his Old Mine Fork Road home, officials said. Investigators with the North Carolina S t a t e B u r e a u o f Invest igat ion and the Yancey County Sheriff’s office say James Anglin, 69, died from a gunshot wound.

Acccording to a statement released by Yancey County Sheriff Gary Banks, deputies responded to a request f rom the Yancey County Emergency Operations Center “to

assist with forcing entry into a residence in r ega rds to an unknown medical situation.”

When they arrived at 1280 Old Mine Fork Road deputies “observed a male lying on the floor inside of the residence. The officers forced entry into the residence and determined that the male had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his body.”

A n y o n e w i t h information about Anglin’s death are a sked to con tac t the Yancey County Sheriff ’s Office at 682-2124.

2 Oct. 17, 2013 • yANcEy cOUNty NEWS

WHO WE AREThe Yancey County News is the only independent

newspaper in Yancey County. It is owned, operated and published by

Susan Austin ........ Advertising/PublisherJonathan Austin ........... Editor/Publisher

who are the sole participants and members of

Yancey County News LLC127 W. Main Street

Burnsville, NC 28714

828-691-0806 or [email protected]

[email protected]

The Yancey County News (USPS publication No. 3528) is published weekly for $25 per year in Yancey County, $35 per year out of county. Published by Yancey County News LLC, Periodicals postage paid at Burnsville, NC.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Yancey County News, 127 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714

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To be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.

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courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism v

In Washington, it’s time for an interventionBy Lee H. HamiltonThe Center on Congress

The American public has lost patience with Washington. The question is, now what?

Congress is unable to do its job. It displays neither competence nor responsibility. It lurches — reeling from crisis to crisis, each one self-manufactured in an effort to postpone the reckoning from some earlier crisis. It shut the government down over a temporary budget. Now it’s threatening the financial credibility of the U.S. government and the security and safety of the American people. Three years of last-minute spending decisions have culminated in a television standoff with no actual negotiations.

Too many members of Congress reject the notion that accommodation and time-honored procedures allow them to fulfill their responsibilities to the American people. They use their legislative skill to engage in brinksmanship rather than address the country’s fundamental problems. Economic growth? Creating jobs? Putting the federal budget on a sustainable path? Don’t look to Congress. They’re too busy coming up with the next short-term tactic to confront the other side. Every day they dither, they keep the government from addressing the nation’s real problems.

Even worse, they’ve managed to raise real questions in this country and abroad about whether our system of government can work. Are we saddled with a national legislature paralyzed by unending conflict? Are we capable of tackling our major problems? We are on the road to a government that cannot plan, a

country shackled by perpetual uncertainty, and a loss of faith in our institutions both at home and abroad.

We do not have to continue down that road, but we do have to confront a core problem. The political center in Congress has weakened to the point of ineffectiveness, if not near-irrelevance.

That’s fine with some people in Washington, who are comfortable with gridlock and don’t think its consequences will be dire. Our government’s inability to deal with problems, they argue, is good — a government that’s able to act, they believe, creates more problems than it solves.

Likewise, some people acknowledge polarization as a problem, but blame it on an electorate that prefers a divided government, split between the parties. All I can say is that divided government in the past — think Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill — didn’t keep Congress from creatively addressing national challenges. Divided government is not easy, but it is not unusual and it can work.

Politicians don’t deserve all the blame. Voters share responsibility: more people have to turn out to vote. The more people who vote, the better the chances to strengthen the political center — that is, moderates and pragmatists. That’s because low turnout brings out the most ideologically intense voters, who in turn reward the most polarizing candidates. A Congress more representative of the American people rests on expanding efforts to convince people to vote, and beating back the barriers to voting.

The second solution lies with members

of Congress. Contemplating a government shutdown, a Kentucky congressman recently explained his stance by saying, “All that really matters is what my district wants.” This is not an uncommon view, but it’s a distressingly limited one. Our system depends on members who believe it’s also their responsibility to lead and inform voters, who are willing to weigh the national interest as well as parochial concerns and who have confidence in our system to resolve political differences.

In other words, we need members of Congress devoted to making the system work. We need men and women in office who understand that when the voters give us a divided government, they have no choice but to accept the distribution of power and work with it, regardless of what they wish were the case. We need legislators who realize that those on the other side feel just as passionately and deserve their respect, and who are committed to finding a solution to our problems.

We change laws in our democracy and solve our most difficult issues in this country not by bringing government to a halt, but by fighting out the issues before the voters in an election. At the end of the day, we have to move the country forward — and we need to elect members of Congress who are willing and able to do that.

Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

Your RepresentativesSen. Richard Burr (R)

Washington address: 217 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3154 - Fax: (202) 228-2981Asheville: Federal Building, 151 Patton Ave., Suite 204

Asheville, N.C. 28801Phone: (828) 350-2437 - Fax: (828) 350-2439

Sen. Kay Hagan (D)Washington address: 521 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510Phone: (202) 224-6342 - Fax: (202) 228-2563

Asheville address: 82 Patton Ave., Suite 635Asheville, N.C. 28801

Phone: (828) 257-6510 - Fax: (828) 257-651411th Congressional District

Rep. Mark Meadows (R)Washington address: 1516 Longworth House Office

BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515Phone: (202) 225-6401N.C. Elected Officials

N.C. Senate District 47 Sen. Ralph Hise (R)Address: N.C. Senate

16 W. Jones St., Room 1026Raleigh, N.C. 27601-2808

Phone: (919) 733-3460 and (828) 766-8329Email: [email protected]

N.C. House District 118 Rep. Michele D. Presnell (R)Address: N.C. House of Representatives

16 W. Jones St., Room 1025Raleigh, N.C. 27601-1096

Phone: (919) 733-5732 and (828) 682-6342Email: [email protected]

Three GranniesVelena’s grandmother, Merle Ledford, her mom, Dee Ledford, and Matt’s mother, Karen Bach want to thank everyone for all the love, kindness, prayers and help given to the Geraci family. It is so uplifting to see how people have opened their hearts and hands to them.

The immediate needs are being met, but we three grannies have a dream that there could be a Christmas Miracle of a new

house for the family at the old home site. We have heard of an old fashioned barn raising. Is it possible to have a house raising?

If anyone has any ideas or left over cement blocks or 2 x 4’s etc., has skills and a few hours of time to help, is it possible?

Please leave your name and phone number on the Music Box phone, 828-678-9596, and a brief message and Karen will return your call. Thank you all,

Karen Bach

Thank you from grandmothersImagine your car is

stuck on the highway whi le a f renzy o f evacuees fleeing from an unknown terror is grid-locked at a standstill. Abandoning your vehicle, you follow a group of people to a vacated hospital hoping to scavenge precious medication.

Your group leader guides you inside,

School plans Zombie Apocalypsebut you soon realize there is a different kind of illness that plagues the patients left behind. It’s the Zombie Apocalypse, the undead restlessly waiting for live meat from which they can feed.

Can you find the med ica l supp l i e s you need before the walking dead sink their teeth into your flesh? Will you be able to pocket that essential anesthetic and get out “alive?”

T h a t ’ s t h e storyline behind the latest incarnation of terror at East Yancey M i d d l e S c h o o l drama department’s Fall fundraiser. The Zombie Apocalypse Haunted Hospital will be presented at East Yancey on Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Each “survival” e x p e r i e n c e w i l l c o s t $ 2 . R e p e a t survivalists are paired with different team leaders to ensure each experience is different.

Drama t eache r Jenny Martin will stage both current and former theater arts students for this yea r ’s t e r r i f y ing

performance. The resu l t wi l l b r ing you the newest and most exciting fully-immersive Halloween horror experience y o u ’ l l e v e r s e e where you take part in realistic zombie apocalypse scenarios.

It’s not only about surviving impending zombie apocalypse, i t ’ s a l s o a b o u t benefiting the arts program in Yancey County. All of the profits from this year’s Haunted House will benefit the high school drama program and the Mountain Heritage auditorium.

“ W h e n d r a m a students leave the middle school, they are given the opportunity to further their interest in acting at the high school level,” said Martin. “In their own way, the middle school drama class decided that they would like the proceeds of the fundraiser to support the full theater arts program at Yancey County Schools by benefiting the stage on which they will act when they graduate from here.”

Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Oct. 17, 2013 • yANcEy cOUNty NEWS 3

Riverside Roller Rink

Halloween Party!Saturday, Oct. 26 - 7-11 p.m.

Come in full costume to be entered in the costume contest! Cash Prize for best costume!

It was just after daybreak. I had watched her for about 30 minutes in the dark as she worked her way across the field. She was both beautiful and dangerous. In fact, if you think about it, most things in nature share those two attributes.

Mount Everest is one example. The largest mountain in the world has enticed many a climber with her glorious beauty. She is also a killer. Nearly everyone that has ventured to the summit has come back with either parts of their bodies missing and damaged through frostbite or falls or parts of their soul grieving for the bodies they spot on the way to or from the peak. It is too dangerous to return the fallen, so the climbers that did not make lay scattered throughout the mountain. Having made authors such as Jon Krakauer and Anatoli Boukreev famous with their stories of Everest’s ferocity, it still isn’t close to causing the death, destruction, and disease of the beast that was in front of me.

Niagara with all her history and splendidness is also a devout widow-maker. She has power that few things or places on this world could ever compare to. Many times you can visit something that is regarded as larger than life and then once you get there you realize “wow, it’s not nearly as impressive as I thought it was.” Not Niagara Falls. It actually is beyond what you can imagine. The force of the water slapping the rocks below, the spray that results towering higher than any building it is very impressive. From miles away the sound and spray can be seen. Many daredevils have ventured down the river on their way to the drop. Only a few have survived. Yet it still does not contend with what stood just yards away from me.

Yes, this was the moment. Her kind was scarce just a few decades ago. Through both management and mismanagement she began to flourish however. In fact she is so common

throughout the state that North Carolina has allowed unlimited harvest. She destroys landscapes. She decimates food crops. And during the months of October through December she especially burdensome to

travelers. She fears not the would-be driver and often will head for direct impact. She also shares parasites, mites, and ticks with both people and pets.

This would be my chance to turn the tables. It had now been nearly an hour after I first saw her. I was not sure I would get an opportunity. She walked from left to right out of the swamp, occasionally pulling up soybeans as she strolled through the field. Patiently I waited. For some reason she turned. I remained still and steadfast sitting on the lock-on stand. She made another turn offering my movement to grab my bow without her noticing. She then turned back toward me once again. I could tell she was completely unaware of my presence. Her ears twitching away from me and back toward the swamp gave away her lack of insight. A little closer, that is all I needed.

Then she walked towards the stand and was only a few yards away. No clear shot for her vitals, I knew I still had one shot available. Nearly directly under me I set the sights. With one steady pull the string and

arrow locked in place on the Pearson Stealth II. My right index finger slowly moved up and over the release trigger. Instinctively, the pin glided to the intended point of impact and the trigger was grazed.

The spine shot laid down the doe immediately. Thirty seconds later and another deer would be done.

Bil l Howard teaches hunter education (IHEA) and bow hunter education (IBEP) in North Carolina. He is a member of North Carolina Bowhunters Association and Pope & Young, and is an official measurer for both. He can be reached at billhoward [email protected].

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

Stalking a doe is poetry in motion

The Yancey County/ Burnsville Chamber of Commerce has begun

planning the 2013 Christmas Parade to be held Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m. You can now get your application at www.yanceychamber.com or stop by our office at 106 West Main St. All

entries must pre-register by Nov. 11.No Horses will be allowed due to past

history and insurance liability.

There are many rumors flying which is indeed unfortunate. And I hear more things are to come.

There are many lies being told about me, my wife and my employment at the humane society. I believe the people who know me, the people I have helped over my life, and the people who care about the truth will see through these lies and question these liars. People are sick of politics as usual. Look what it has got us in Washington!

Anyone who has ever been in management, served on a board, been a leader in church, coached a sports team or tried to be leader in any field or area will fully understand this next statement:

You can please some people some of the time, but you can never please everyone all of the time, and if you do try to please everyone all of the time you will end up pleasing no one.

I have made management decisions that have cost people theirs jobs, made volunteers quit, and in general made a small group of self-serving people unhappy with me. Unfortunately, this has resulted in me having made a few enemies. However, I have always

dealt with people honestly and fairly. I have made every decision based on what was best for the animals in my care and the humane society as a whole. Have I made mistakes? Of course. Could some things been handled differently? Sure. But in the end, I have no trouble looking at myself in the mirror.

Now here are the facts. Adoptions at YHS are up 30 percent from 4 years ago. Instead of the euthanasia of half of all pets that come in, we now adopt out 100 percent of all adoptable animals. Intake of homeless pets has gone from a high of 1,200 plus pets per year to under 900, many of which we are now pulling from high kill shelters in our region. On a financial note, not a single county resident has paid to have a cat fixed or a dog weighing over 40 pounds spayed or neutered in over 3 years. We have given away many tons of dog and cat food to anyone who comes in and asks for it. We

have held numerous rabies clinics to help keep people and pets safe. No organization does more for the community than we do.

And to those who like to run anonymous ads asking where our donations go (obviously attempting to harm our fund raising ability), here is your answer: Every penny of every dollar goes to care for the pets that enter the shelter or to further the mission of the humane society. By the way, it was pretty despicable to see a negative ad ran against an organization that helps unwanted, homeless, abused and neglected animals. We have also had some donations come in just because of your ad. Personally, I don’t see how you sleep at night.

The people telling vicious lies about me and Yancey Humane Society should be ashamed of themselves.

Tim Tipton

An open letter from the director of the Yancey

Humane Society


By Lindsay WagnerNc Policy Watch

Most are familiar with the famous 1954 ruling Brown v. Board of Education, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws creating separate public schools for white and black children were unconstitutional.

Soon after Brown’s federal desegregation orders, North Carolina’s lawmakers developed the Pearsall Plan, which, according to the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education’s website, “was essentially a voucher program to provide funding for student attendance at non-public schools in order to avoid anticipated racial strife envisioned as a result of the public school integration mandate.”

Vouchers were on the table in the 1950s – and they were envisioned as a means to avoid integration. While the voucher portion of the Pearsall Plan was never implemented, that proposed policy set the stage for substantial regulation of private schools during the 1960s and 70s.

But by 1979, a private school-led uprising took place that ultimately resulted in state law that mandates very little oversight for private schools.

As North Carolina looks ahead to school vouchers being implemented next year, read on to understand why residents can anticipate very little accountability for private schools receiving taxpayer funds.

The Pearsall Plan and the creation of the Division of Non-Public Education The Division of Non-Public Education

(DNPE) was formed in 1961 to oversee private schools as they accommodated the flight of white students from public schools to private ones in the wake of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Just after the Brown decision, Gov. William B. Umstead created a Special Advisory Committee on Education, chaired by prominent Rocky Mount businessman and former Speaker of the House Thomas Pearsall.

That group that included 12 whites and three African Americans decided that school integration would be inadvisable and should not be attempted. The committee stalled desegregation efforts by giving local school districts control over student assignments at particular schools, blocking African-Americans from attending all-white public schools.

After Umstead’s death, Gov. Luther Hodges formed another advisory group, naming it the Pearsall Committee. Also chaired by Pearsall but comprising no African-Americans this time, that group came up with legislation that the General Assembly could adopt to block integration. Known as the Pearsall Plan, the legislation paved the way for the state to pay private school tuition grants to parents of students who were then assigned to “integration schools.”

The General Assembly enacted Pearsall, but needed public support for the legislation to be upheld. Ultimately North Carolinians voted to uphold racial desegregation.

Even though school vouchers that were intended to derail integration efforts never came to fruition, the Pearsall Plan still had a lasting effect on private school oversight.

Because private schools were considered to be a sanctuary for white students fleeing integrated schools, policymakers decided to impose regulatory requirements on them that mirrored those in place for the public school system.

The requirements dealt with teacher preparation, curriculum offerings, size of classes, safety and health requirements, and the length of the school day and year. The Division

of Non-Public Education, housed under the Department of Public Instruction, was tasked with enforcing those requirements.

Gov. Jim Hunt commented to the News & Observer in 1979, “At the time that the Pearsall Plan was adopted in this state, what we did, in effect, was we put all the regulations that we had for our public schools on the private schools. My understanding is that we have the most highly regulated private schools of any state in the country.”

Private schools fight back and home schools become legal

More than 70 percent of North Carolina’s private schools identify as religious today, and as those numbers grew in the 1970s, Christian school leaders became frustrated with state mandates that conflicted with their religious beliefs and instructional methodologies.

Lobbying efforts and peaceful demonstrations on the part of Christian school leaders that took place during the late 1970s to reduce private school regulation culminated in the passage of two bills in 1979.

Before that happened, the State Board of Education filed a declaratory judgment action in Wake County Superior Court against private schools, saying that religious schools didn’t have a First Amendment issue.

The Superior Court ruled in favor of the state Board of Education, and the private schools appealed to the state Supreme Court. Days before that case was to be argued, however, the General Assembly acted in the private schools’ favor, amending the law to what it is known today as Parts 1 and 2 of Article 39, which now provide very minimal regulations for private schools.

No longer are private schools held to any requirements with regard to curricula, teacher preparation, or class size. Private schools do have to provide sanitation and fire inspection records, immunization records, and attendance records. They must also administer nationally normed standardized tests in certain grades.

With minimal regulations, private Christian schools are able to inject fundamentalist ideology into their instructional practices. Some schools, like Bethel Christian Academy in Kinston, use the A-Beka Book curriculum and books from Bob Jones University Press.

These texts teach students Bible-based facts, including the following: dinosaurs and humans co-existed on Earth; slave-masters generally treated their slaves well; in some areas, the KKK fought the decline in morality by using the sign of the cross; and gay people have no more claims to special rights than child molesters or rapists.

In 1985, home schools became legalized in North Carolina when the State Supreme Court ruled in the Delconte case, saying that home instruction did not violate the state’s compulsory attendance laws.

DNPE was tasked with providing oversight of home schools as well. They are held to the same standards as traditional private schools. Since their legalization in 1985, their numbers have exploded from in the hundreds to now more than 57,000 across the state.

today’s Division of Non-Public EducationAt the time of private schools’ deregulation

in 1979, the Division of Non-Public Education

moved from the Department of Public Instruction to the office of the governor.

David Mills, the recently promoted director of Non-Public Education, said that the move was “to keep it politically free from anything that would come up.”

Mills explained that when the division was under DPI, telling “private schools to parrot public schools didn’t work out too well.”

Mills has worked for the DNPE for more than 25 years, spending his time reviewing the compliance records of both private and home schools and conducting site visits.

Prior to his tenure with DNPE, Mills worked in private business and then as a guidance counselor in Apex, working with children with learning disabilities and developing individual education plans (IEPs) for them.

Mills is also the brother-in-law of Rep. Skip Stam, a champion of school voucher legislation. Asked to confirm whether or not Stam is his brother-in-law, Mills replied: “it depends on the day.”

“We have never, ever discussed vouchers,” Mills said.

The DNPE is still the same size as it was in 1979, alternating between four or five staff.

During that time period, the number of home schools has exploded from just 500 to start to around 57,000 today. Private schools have also grown in number from 250 to approximately 700.

Prior to his promotion, Mills was the only staff member responsible for conducting site visits for the 700 private schools on DNPE’s list of compliant nonpublic schools.

“I try to get out to all of them once every three years,” said Mills. That would mean Mills would have needed to visit around 230 schools each year that are spread out all over the state.

When asked if he believes his office has the capacity to provide the necessary oversight for private and home schools, especially in light of the fact that private schools will now be eligible to receive taxpayer funds, Mills replied “(DNPE) has had to be creative, and technology improvements have helped us do that. That’s how we’ve kept up.”

“We can’t go out and see 700 private schools and 57,000 home schools each year. But schools can email or fax us these records and instantly we can see them.”

Mills told NC Policy Watch that for the first time in 22 years, he will randomly select five home schools to visit and inspect for compliance this month. He hasn’t been able to visit them at all thanks to the explosion in numbers, he said, during the past two decades. During that time Mills conducted record reviews in church basements.

The home schools will have advanced notice of Mills’ visits.

Minimal oversight over home schools has caused concern among those who see a ripe opportunity for abuse and neglect. This summer, Erica Parsons was reported missing by her stepbrother. Parsons was supposedly being homeschooled by her adoptive parents, but an investigation led to the revelation that she hasn’t been seen since 2011.

Parson’s birth mother is now calling for an “Erica’s law” that would require greater oversight for home schools.

The case for increased oversightThe Division of Non-Public Education

didn’t seem to think today’s school voucher program would really come to fruition.

DNPE’s former director, Ron Helder, who led the division for 25 years until 2010, authored the History of the Division of Non-Public Education, a document that one can find on their website.

See Page 8

Does voucher program have roots in school segregation? A brief history of the Division

of Non-Public Education, the Pearsall Plan, and

the deregulation of North Carolina’s private schools


Evelyn WilsonEvelyn Wilson, 100, of the Jacks Creek

Community, died on Monday, October 14, 2013. A native of South Carolina, she was a daughter of the late Charles and Rosa Lee Johnson McLean and wife of the late Ed Wilson. She was also preceded in death by three sisters.

She was a school teacher in Madison and Yancey counties for over 38 years, and was also a member of Jacks Creek Presbyterian Church. Evelyn was a loving mother and grandmother who loved reading, word games and visiting with friends, and always looked on the bright side of things and touched many lives.

Surviving are her son, Dan Wilson and wife, Stacie, of Leicester; granddaughter Sally Hilliard and husband, John, of Burnsville; grandson Charlie Wilson of Burnsville; step-granddaughter Katie Fanning of Florida; two step-grandsons: T.J. Kampka and Kevin Kampka, both of Leicester; and 8 great-grandchildren. Several nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

Memorial services will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 18, in the Chapel of Yancey Funeral Services. The family will receive friends from 6 - 7:30 at the funeral prior to the service at the funeral home. Internment will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Wilson Family Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Senior Meal Center in care of Weaverville Baptist Church, PO Box 547, Weaverville, NC 28787.

Howard ForbesHoward “Pa” Forbes, 73, of the Estatoe

Community, died Monday, October 7, 2013, at his home surrounded by his loving family.

A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Stan and Ethel Buchanan Forbes and husband of the late Dixie Riddle Forbes. He was also preceded in

death by sisters Cora Lee Whittington, Charlotte Winters and Anne Livelsbuger, and brothers Roy Forbes, Don Forbes, Clarence Forbes and Kelly Forbes. Howard worked for a number of years with Ingles throughout Western North Carolina and then worked 23 years with Unimin Corporation until his retirement. During that time he also pastored Black Mountain Baptist Church, Youngs Chapel and Blue Ridge Baptist Church, while retaining his life long membership at Altapass Baptist Church.

Howard enjoyed teaching children and was a loving father and devoted grandfather who loved to preach the word of God and watch his grandchildren play ball.

Surviving are his sons, Tim Forbes and wife, Debbie, and Jim Forbes and wife, Danyeale, all of Spruce Pine; grandchildren Taylor Forbes, Dylan Forbes, Caleb Forbes, Joshua Forbes and Joseph Forbes; sisters Shirley Marshall and husband, Paul, of Harrisburg, Penn., Brenda Stamey and husband, Eddie, of Spruce Pine, Linda Franklin Woody and husband, Jerry, of Florida and Jenny Pitman and husband, Danny, of Spruce Pine; brothers Albert Ray Forbes and wife, Peggy, of Bakersville and R.S. Forbes and wife, Carolyn, of Marion; and sisters-in-law Barbara Forbes and Phyllis Forbes, both of Newland. Several nieces, nephews also survive.

Funeral was Oct. 10 at Altapass Baptist Church. Preacher Steve Sisk and Preacher Marcus Benfield officiated. Burial was in the McKinney Gap Cemetery.

The family request memorials be made to Gideons International, PO Box 611, Spruce Pine, NC 28777.

Russell Douglas Staton Russell Douglas Staton, 60, of

Biggerstaff Road, died on Saturday, October 5, 2013, at his home surrounded by his family. Doug was a son of the late Russell and Jean Howell Staton.

He is survived by his wife, Gail Pittman Staton; son Derrick Staton, and wife, Merina, of Spruce Pine; two daughters, Dayna Shipman and husband, Eric, of Marion, and Renae Pittman and husband, Rodney, of Spruce Pine; three brothers: Darrell Staton and wife, Linda, of Fayetteville, Donnie Staton and wife, Pam, and Danny Staton and wife, Sandra, all of Spruce Pine; and five grandchildren: Dylan Ledford, Daisy Shipman, Cole Shipman, Faith Ledford, and Alli Grace Pittman.

Doug worked for Parkway Auto Parts for 25 years, and attended Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.

Graveside service was Oct. 8 at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Mitchell County 236 Hospital Drive

Spruce Pine, NC 28777.

Nancy CookNancy Ellen Pignato Cook, 72, died

October 2, 2013. She was wife of the late Don Cook, who passed away in 2011.

Their life in Burnsville started in 1987 when they opened a unique birdhouse shop on Main Street called the “Birds Eye View.” They assisted with starting The Small Businessmen’s Association in Yancey County and Christmas on the Square. They later opened “The Bowlegged Scarecrow” produce stand where they continued to support small businesses and their community.

Nancy was the daughter of the late Catino (Charles) Pignato and Leah Patricha. In addition to her parents and husband she was also preceded in death by her brothers: John Franklin Pignato, Daniel Joseph Pignato and Robert Harold Pignato.

Survivors include three children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren: daughter, Kelly Young and husband, Darrel, their daughters: Brittany Echo McMahan and husband, Josh, their children, Elora and Liam and Nikki Young Bodford and husband, Chris, their children, Darbie, Izaiah and new daughter due in January, all of Burnsville; her sons: Dana King and his daughter, Zoe and Dale (Chip) King, Jr. and his sons, Nicholas King and daughter, Sopie and Joey King, all of Charlotte. Of the surviving Pignato family are Nancy’s beloved brothers, Thomas Melving Pignato and Samual Craig Pignato and wife, Carlotta, all of whom she loved dearly. Also surviving is Janet Pignato, Nancy’s sister-in-law and best friend as well as her beautiful family.

Nancy was a member of South Estatoe Baptist Church.

There will be no services held at Nancy’s request. Yancey Funeral Services is serving the Cook family.

Obituaries

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Homemade bread, desserts and

specials every day!Breakfast

7-11 a.m. Mon.-Sat.Lunch

11 a.m. - 3 p.m. M-Fri.(11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sat.)Now open for dinnerWednesday, Thursday,

Fri. & Sat. 5-9 p.m. Entertainment

Wednesday 7-9 p.m. Pete McWhirter & Friends!

Thursday 7-9 p.m.Open mic

for Piano Players!

Coming soon! Trivia Thursday - stay tuned

for information!

Typical Mountain Boys, Bluegrass at it’s

best! Friday 12-2 pm

Open Mic Night - Fri 7-9

This Saturday 7-9 pmRichard Banks114 East Main St.

678-9362For Reservations

O n T h u r s d a y October 24 at 7:30 p.m., the Mountain Heritage High School Music Department will present a Fall Concert featuring the symphonic band, concert choir, and show choir. It will take place in the MHHS auditorium.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. The students have worked hard to prepare a collection of diverse songs sure to get your foot tapping; it’s an event you won’t want to miss! As always, we thank you for your support and hope to see you there!

High School sets Fall concert


The names roll off the tongue: Virginia Beauties, Falla Water, Limber Twig or Black Twig, Winter Jon, Pipin, Lewis Green, Clarke, Betsy Deyton and Stump of the World.

These are varieties of heirloom apples available at Shady L a n e F a r m o n A r b u c k l e R o a d , owned and operated by David Duncan.

“David has more old varieties than anybody in Western Nor th Caro l ina ,” said his cousin, Dale Duncan.

Some of the apples have too many names. “We have Crow Egg. In Avery they call em Sheepnose. In eastern Tennessee they are called Black Annies,” David Duncan said. But a man who wrote an encyclopedia of apples in America told him that “the correct name is Black Gilla Flower.”

“The Clarke ripens early. It’s come and gone,” David said. “The last we pick is Granny Smith.”

The Shady Lane orchard was started by David’s father, Clive Duncan, He began growing apples in 1952, starting them from seed or grafting trees. “He grafted a lot of old timey variety.”

David said he’s been an orchard man “pretty much all my life. Born in 1950, he grew up as the apples matured. He inherited the farm and has constantly e x p a n d e d in s ize and variety. “Dad s t a r t ed ou t with about 200 trees.” There are 1,100 now, “and 100 more coming.”

A p p l e lovers come f r o m f a r and wide to buy Duncan apples. Many

variety are available now, and more will ripen in the coming weeks.

You can get a 1/4 peck bag for $4 for snacking, most half bushels for $10, and a bushel of most variety for $18.

Buy many bushel and “we’ll figure out a price,” he said.

Da le ’s mother, Mrs. Bertie Duncan, helps sell apples.

You can drop by

between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. any day except Sunday, David said.

They keep apples many months due to the two large cold storage rooms built on the orchard.

“He can bring his apples in out of the field and chill them,” Dale said. That means apples are available at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and in a good season David has fruit until April.

But this was a year when the bees didn’t cooperate, so David expects a crop of 2,000-3000 bushel. A full year would be around 5,000 bushel, he said.

N o n e t h e l e s s , the bounty appears beautiful at Shady Lane Farm.

David can also be reached at 675-9232.


Sale begins October 9th 2013!

A Touch of “Cass” is relocating to 117 West Main Street in Burnsville

and is reducing inventory!Store-wide sale, everything 20% to 50% off!!

‘Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits.’

Henry David Thoreau

Photos by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News


The most valuable course I took in high school was typing. I took two semesters of it my sophomore year at Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois. By the end of the second semester, I was typing between 60 and 70 words per minute on a manual typewriter. My typing teacher - I do not remember her name - walked around the room while we students typed. She had a yardstick in her hand that she used to whack us with on our backs when our posture was the slightest bit off and on the backs of our hands when our hand positions were not proper. I received a good number of these whackings. She was mean. None of us liked her. She didn’t care. She was there to teach, not be popular.

Creative writing - also taken during my sophomore year - comes in a close second. One day, while the class was busy writing something, Mrs. Grimsley called me to her desk. In a voice purposefully loud enough that the whole class stopped writing and watched me squirm, she told me that my latest theme was “trash.” She handed it back to me, told me to do it over, and made it clear that the best grade I could hope for was a C. To say that I was humiliated is an understatement. A room full of stifled giggles accompanied the long walk back to my desk. By the way, I had most definitely turned in hastily-written trash, hoping she’d let her best student slide. No such luck.

Living

with

children

Surprise! Demanding teachers really are the best

Neither of these teachers would be allowed to teach today, not unless they repented of their evil ways, which I suspect neither would do. Mind you, I thank these two teachers often, to this day. During my 12 years of school (I did not attend kindergarten), no teachers made a more positive contribution to my life than these two meanies. Both of them cared about me.

A recent study found that teachers like my typing and creative writing teachers - teachers who are demanding, critical when criticism is due, and in every way the antithesis of touchy-feely - do the best job of bringing out the best in their students. The touchy-feelies are more well-liked, mind you, but their students don’t give them their best. They slack off, because they intuitively know that touchy-feely teachers are touchy-feely when they hand out grades. Billy did C work, but Billy gets a B from Mrs. Im-ok-Youre-ok because Billy

needs “encouragement.” All the kids really like Mrs. Im-ok-Youre-ok. Their parents do too!

It was recently announced that The Duke Endowment is giving Davidson, Duke, Johnson C. Smith, and Furman universities $3.4 million to study why so many of today’s college students report high levels of stress and anxiety and find ways of enhancing their “resiliency,” which the project defines as the ability to thrive despite adversity and difficult circumstances. I will tell these institutions, for free, why today’s college students find it so difficult to cope. It’s because they have never had to deal with high expectations, demands, and high standards that don’t waver because they need encouragement. It’s because they’ve never encountered the likes of my typing and creative writing teachers. It’s because if they ever had, their parents would have screamed bloody murder, administration would have caved in, and the meanies would have been replaced by the likes of Mrs. Im-ok-Youre-ok.

It takes $3.4 million to figure this out? The trustees of The Duke Endowment ought to be ashamed of themselves for wasting all this money. They need a good whacking with a yardstick.

Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents’ questions on his web site at www.rosemond.com.

From page 4At the end of the document,

written sometime after 2000, Helder wrote,

“While vouchers for non-public school attendance have been discussed in recent sessions of the General Assembly, no such legislative action is expected at this time. Many educators and policy makers are concerned about the potential bureaucracy needed to administer such a program and a possible loss of public school funding.

Non-public school leaders are concerned that government funding usually brings with it more governmental control which in turn stifles independence, educational diversity, creativity and innovation. For that reason, tax credits – rather than a voucher program – would be a more practical way to provide help to non-public school patrons. State tax credits to parents for non-public school tuition may ultimately be considered in future legislative sessions.”

The DNPE’s own director figured that with private schools taking in taxpayer funds, there would be some sort of demand for increased oversight and accountability.

So far, that hasn’t happened. The accountability provisions for private schools receiving school vouchers beginning in 2014, as laid out in the 2013 budget, are widely panned as weak. Financial oversight is very minimal and private schools receiving voucher funds are not held to any standards with regard to curricula, teacher

certification, or accommodating students with special needs, among other areas.

In other states with school vouchers, minimal financial and academic oversight has resulted in fraud and abuse.

At Milwaukee’s Mandella School of Science and Math, Principal David Seppah - who also founded the school - used proceeds from state voucher payments to buy two Mercedes-Benz automobiles at a cost of $65,000. Seppah also owed the state almost $330,000 for more than 200 checks officials acknowledged they “inappropriately” cashed. Many of those checks, worth about $1,500 a piece, were made out to families whose children never attended Mandella.

North Carolina’s lawmakers have countered that the ultimate accountability litmus test for private schools is the parents.

Rep. Marcus Brandon, a proponent of vouchers, told NC Policy Watch, “parents know what’s best for their children,” he said. “If it’s a good school, parents will go there. And if it’s bad, parents won’t. They won’t pay the extra tuition and get out of bed early to go send their kids to a bad school. Common sense prevails here.”

When asked if he believes private schools now deserve more accountability and oversight because they will be eligible to receive taxpayer funds, David Mills emphatically said no.

“The schools already have the accountability you could demand of a school because they work in

the free enterprise system. If they don’t pride the product that meets the needs of the parents, those parents will vote with their feet,” said Mills.

“I had 38 schools close this year because they didn’t have the financial adequance to continue,” he added.

Where did the students go? “They dispersed and went to other schools. We don’t keep those records,” Mills said.

A number of private schools on DNPE’s list of those that are in compliance with the law indicate that they have just one teacher on staff and a handful of students, ranging from five to ten. Paramount Christian Academy in Thomasville is one of those schools, with one teacher and seven students.

“They’re just starting out,” replied Mills when asked how those schools differentiate themselves from home schools. “They’re not home schools. They’re probably catering to kids with learning disabilities or accelerated learners.”

Calls to Paramount Christian were never returned. Of the three telephone numbers located for the school, two were not working.

The State Board of Education developed a vision statement in 2012 that emphasized the need for increased accountability for private schools, should they end up receiving taxpayer funds.

B e c a u s e m a n y s t u d e n t s move between the private and public sectors, some form of coordination between these sectors is appropriate. If public funds were to be made available – whether in the form of school vouchers for

parents or state revenue foregone in the form of tax credits for scholarships – the private and religious schools benefiting from such funds would need to be incorporated far more explicitly into the public school system. That would be necessary because state policymakers have a responsibility to the state’s taxpayers to assure that the funds are being used to promote the public interest and not just the interests of the direct beneficiaries.

Bill Harrison, who was chair of the State Board at the time the vision statement was published, told NC Policy Watch he’s concerned about where North Carolina is headed.

“We [the State Board of Ed] recognized there are options and parents should have choice,” Harrison said, referring to the 2012 vision statement.

“But what’s been lost in the conversation is the common good, and who will look out for youngsters who don’t come from supportive homes. They already face a lot of obstacles, and now we are going to disregard them and take dollars away that were intended to support them in the public system and try to send them to private schools that may exclude them.”

“It’s about t ransparency, accountability and accessibility. I don’t think we should invest public dollars in any entity that practices discrimination,” said Harrison.

Quest ions or comments? Contact education reporter Lindsay Wagner at 919-861-1460 or [email protected]

Is the best education reliant on a free enterprise system?

s i t e s .

Transferable septic permit already obtained. Electric close by. We are selling in order to buy a larger parcel (10-15 acres) and will consider land swap option. Asking price: $84,900. We would love to answer any questions you have or meet with you to show you this beautiful property. Contact Lisa at 828-208-1221.

FOR RENt House For Rent: 16 minutes south of Burnsville off Hwy. 197. Catttail Creek Rd. $675/month plus utilities, deposit, pet deposit. Approx. 900 square ft. 3 bdrm., 1 bath, laundry room, small yard, kitchen/dining/living room is

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ItEMS OR SALE Boxwoods for Sale . $10 each. 828.208.0406.MOVING: Miscellaneous Furniture for Sale. Ongoing. Please call 828-688-4161 .

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to take care of yourself and things you need to do without worry. Qualified/caring staff. Grants available. For information please call 828-682-1556Free Manure – Will load. Clear Creek Ranch. Please call 675-4510Roof Leak? Call Brad at Tip Top Roofing, 25 years+ experience. Residential, commercial roof repair and maintenance, roof coatings, gutter repair, roof inspection. References. 682-3451Sewing alterations. Call 208-3999.Yummi Yarns! Learn to knit or crochet for FREE! Walk in at your convenience daily at our new location 17 West Main Street Burnsville. Call for more information. 828-678-9890Low Interest Loans to Qualified Home Owners for Any home improvement projects. 828-273-0970Will clean your home or business. Call 208-3688.


Week of 10/14/13 - 10/20/13

ACROSS1 Staff symbol5 Make revisions9 Columbus ship

14 Country croonerJackson

15 Baseball team16 Small intestine

part17 Nevada senator18 Make much of19 Hasidic leader20 Centennial State22 Pay increases23 SAG member's

gig24 Musical based

on "La boheme"25 Feudal tenant28 Wolverine State32 Increased33 Daydream34 Zodiac sign35 Starter home,

for some 2 1954 Sonny 38 Tangled 47 Nota ____36 Late actress Rollins song 39 Horrible 48 Fill up

McClanahan 3 Airplane part 40 Large intestine 49 Amino acid37 Macon residents 4 Sign one's name beginnings 50 Son of Adam40 Triad, in music 5 Ultimate purpose 41 Out of control 51 Disencumbers42 Sooner State 6 Semiconductor 43 Multi-colored cat 52 Abstract being43 Discontinues 7 Division word 45 Museum piece 54 Mend a hem44 Sneaker brand 8 Golf peg 46 Father of Thor45 Suggestive 9 Feared fish46 Dwell on 10 Crohn's disease49 Blue Hen State 11 Bird beaks53 Prepared a card 12 London subway

game 13 Iowa college 54 Only prefix town55 Egyptian sacred 21 Map feature

bird 22 Right-hand page56 Chip maker 24 Orange peels57 One of Sony's 25 Common people,

three flagship in La Pazrecord labels 26 Sneak ____

58 Ohio team (2 wds)59 Impoverished 27 Winding device60 Siege site of 199328 Food from 61 2003 Woody heaven

Allen film, 29 Rotary-wing "Anything ___" planes, briefly

30 Sky-blueDOWN 31 Exigencies

1 DEA agent, 33 Gets frothyslangily 35 Plant cuttings

The Weekly Crossword

Answer to Last Week's Crossword

by Margie E. Burke

Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

32 33

34 35 36

37 38 39 40 41

42 43

44 45

46 47 48 49 50 51 52

53 54 55

56 57 58

59 60 61

C A S H E W A B E T E R EA T H O M E B O A R N U NS T R O B E A S S O R T E DS U I T E F L U T T E RI N V E R S I O N L E E SS E E R K E N F R I A R Y

S E R E L E C T I NF A C U L T Y L I P S Y N CI C O N I C T O N SS H E A T H R U T S C A MH E R B B O S S A N O V A

C L O S E L Y R I V E RO R I E N T A L R E P E N TC O O C U R E E N E R G YT E N E D D Y B A R T E R

LAND FOR SALESOUtH tOE LAND FOR SALE5.5 acres off Colberts Creek Road. Creek frontage, borders N a t i o n a l F o r e s t , p r i v a c y, mixture of lush rhododendron, pines and hardwoods, level to

moderate grade, south/southeast exposure, garden spot, view of Black Mountains, beautiful rock formation, active springs with spring boxes and pipe, and close proximity to South Toe River and Carolina Hemlock Recreation Area. At least 3-4 potential house

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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINANOTICE TO CREDITORS

COUNTY OF YANCEY THE UNDERSIGNED, having qualified on

the 17th day of July, 2013, as Co-Administrators of THE ESTATE OF JOANNE H. BLACKBURN, Deceased, of Yancey County, North Carolina, do hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of December, 2013, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 1st day of October, 2013.

BLAIR G. JOHNSON and KYLE S. JOHNSON, Co-ADMINISTRATORS OF THE ESTATE OF JOANNE H. BLACKBURN

c/o Stephen C. Rhudy, AttorneyWalker Lambe Rhudy Costley & Gill, PLLCPost Office Box 51549Durham, North Carolina 27717-1549

Published October 3,10,17, 24, 2013

Input neededT h e S m o k y

Mounta in Cen te r LME-MCO (SMC) i s conduc t ing an assessment throughout its 23-county service a r e a t o i d e n t i f y the mental health, s u b s t a n c e a b u s e a n d i n t e l l e c t u a l / d e v e l o p m e n t a l disabi l i ty service n e e d s o f p e o p l e who are uninsured, u n d e r i n s u r e d o r covered by Medicaid insurance.

R e s i d e n t s a r e u rged to use the “Stakeholder Needs Assessment Survey” link at www.smoky mountaincenter.com to complete the survey by Oct. 25. Your input will help SMC plan

for the future, as well as ensure an adequate provider network and that services are located in areas accessible to residents the system is designed to serve.

Smoky Mountain Center is the local, public agency that m a n a g e s m e n t a l heal th, substance abuse and intellectual/ d e v e l o p m e n t a l disability services in 23 WNC counties.

For information about services and providers in your area, cal l Smoky Mountain Center’s Access Call Center anytime at 1-800-849-6127. Call center staff is available 24- 7, 365 days a year.


Week of 10/14/13 - 10/20/13

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Answer to Last Week's Sudoku

HOW TO SOLVE:

Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate

Difficulty : Medium

SUBSCRIBE and get the

ONLY locally owned Yancey

County newspaper!

You can subscribe online at

www.yanceycountynews.comCLASSES @

MAYLANDExcel (24 hours)Learn the basic

elements of Microsoft Excel in this hands-on environment. Create graphs and charts, use simple formulas to perform calculations, and more. Class begins on October 21 at 1 PM at Mayland’s Yancey Learning Center. For more information visit www.mayland.edu and click on the Continuing Education link or call 828-682-7315.Computer Basics II (24 hours)

Expand on basic PC

knowledge. Review t e x t e d i t i n g a n d formatting techniques. Gain more in-depth i n f o r m a t i o n o n library, file and folder s t ruc ture , Gmai l , software installation, customizing the look of the computer as well as protecting the computer from viruses, malware, etc. There are a lot of handouts so students are advised to bring a 3-ring binder to class. Class begins on October 22 at 1 PM at Mayland’s Yancey Learning Center. For more information visit www.mayland.edu and click on the

Continuing Education link or call 828-682-7315.Combination Clay

Be prepared to surprise yourself . This course will give you a great overview of clay creativity: Hand-building, wheel throwing and sculpture techniques. You will learn to combine different techniques to create those special pieces. Class begins on October 31 at 9 AM. For more information visit www.mayland.edu and click on the Continuing Education link or call 828-682-7315.

County ‘prepared for the worst’ if feds don’t fix funding

From the frontnile, one charge of taking indecent liberties with a child and once charge of disseminating obscene material to a minor.

Davis was given credit for the 765 days spent in jail since his arrest in September 2011.

In his plea Davis admitted guilt to raping the girl. The plea, entered before Judge Eric Levinson of Cornelius, included acknowledgement of an aggravating factor because Davis took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the crime.

Davis has been transferred to Central Prison in Raleigh.


Yancey County officials were “prepared for the worst” in the event Congress and the White House didn’t find agreement to reopen the federal government and raise the debt ceiling.

“It’s a very difficult place to be,” said County Manager Nathan Bennett last week as he prepared to shutter programs that support child care, elderly and child nutrition and other ‘safety net’ programs reliant on federal funding. “We have to prepare for the worst.”

At the October meeting of the Yancey County Commission, Bennett related the many ways programs that serve Yancey County residents will be effected. Quoting from a notice created by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners blog, he read: “North Carolina counties are especially vulnerable to federal budget action, or lack thereof, given our administrative responsibilities for providing many mandated health and human services programs. In fact, most of the intergovernmental funds counties receive to administer these programs come from federal coffers, with very few dollars stemming from state revenue sources.

“Federal dollars also largely fund client benefit and services costs, with federal sources funding 65 percent of Medicaid, 100 percent of food stamps, and 80 percent of child day care. While the state contributes substantially to Medicaid services costs, funding 35 cents of every Medicaid dollar, and shares in childcare costs, state contributions for the administration

of health and social services are a minor source of county funding.”

Bennett said federal funds reimburse county Medicaid and food stamp administrative expenses at 50 percent , while chi ld support expenses are at 66 percent federal reimbursement.

Federal monies provide the basis for many child and adult protective services “and a host of other critical county social services,” Bennett said.

On a bright note, Yancey Schools Nutrition Director Deyton said the school system has received word from the Department of Agriculture that federal funding for free or reduced meals at county schools will continue despite the federal shutdown.

But funding for popular programs such as Meals on Wheels and nutrition at the county senior center is up in the air, Bennett said.

Counties have been told that state funds will not be available to replace missing federal funding, so it counties go out on a limb to provide services that have not been funded then the county may have to bear all the cost. “No state funds can be spent to replace federal funds,” Bennett said.

Bennett said the most damaging cuts resulting from the federal problems might be the subsidies for child care. “The child care subsidy is for low-income, employed folk,” he said. Funding will run out at the end of the month for that program, he said, so if a deal is not struck in Washington, dozens of county families will lose the money that helps pay for

child care. The worst case scenario could be that parents lose their jobs because they must stay home with their children, while county based child care centers will close because they lose a large portion of their funding.

Bennett told commissioners that the county would suffer doubly in that case because the county runs a child care center that relies heavily on federal funding to pay the bills.

He said the ripple effect of funding cuts could be devastating in a county as small and poor as Yancey.

- The disbursement of child support could be delayed, he said.

- Loss of funding can impact the specialty crop grants and funding at the TRACTOR farm aggregation facility, the approval of the long-delayed sewer extension in east Yancey, and the approval of the construction plans for the fedearlly funded new senior center.

- The completion of the rural high speed internet system is delayed, Bennett said, because “there’s nobody to process the paperwork” on the federal end.

- County transportation “will continue operations” but funding sources will be cut if the situation in Washington is not resolved, Bennett said.

Without a resolution, Bennett said “there is the great potential there will not be a safety net program” in Yancey after the end of the month.

“We’re the ones who will have to tell people that there’s no good stamps or no child care funding,” he said.

Davis pleads guilty to rapeOctober is Domestic Violence

Awareness Month. During the month of October The Family Violence Coalition of Yancey County, Inc. invites everyone in the community to participate in our annual Victims of Domestic Violence Homicide Memorial Service at Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church on Sunday, October 20.

“We will hold the Memorial Service in the sanctuary at 3 p.m. After the service we invite everyone to join us for refreshments and conversation –meet our staff – in another part of the church,” said Samantha Phipps, executive director of the FVC. “We have this service at Higgins UMC yearly,

but other ministers from various congregations to participate. Domest ic Violence affec ts members in all congregations, so everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend,” Phipps said.

“Mitchell County Safe Place staff will also be involved and everyone from Mitchell County is invited to attend.

This year Rolf Holmquist, local well known artist, will speak and share about his family’s loss due to Domestic Violence,” she said.

Higgins United Methodist Church is located at 101 North Main Street in Burnsville, N.C.

For more information contact Samantha Phipps at 678-3436.

Domestic violence awareness

OCT. 17, 2013 • yANcEy cOUNty NEWS 11

Chowing down at Mountain Heritage

Food for thought for middle school

What’s to eat at the elementary schools?

Teachers, do you want another way to show

how great your students shine? Then send the news of their success

to this newspaper, your local newspaper!Send news and photographs to

[email protected]

BreakfastChix BiscuitWG Cereal

WG Toast/JuicePineapple Bits

Milk

LunchHamburger/BBQ

Chix S’wichSunbutter S’wichCarrot Stix/Potato

Rounds/Baked Apples/Pineapple

Bits/Milk

Monday, Oct 21 Tues, Oct 22 Wed, Oct 23 Thurs, Oct 24 Friday, Oct 25

TEACHERWORKDAY!

BreakfastScrambled Eggs

Sausage/WG CerealWG Toast

PearsJuice/Milk

LunchChix Fillet S’wichChix QuesadillasSunbutter S’wich

Broccoli/Pinto Beans/Peaches

PearsMilk

BreakfastBreakfast Pizza

WG CerealWG Toast/Juice

Mandarin OrangesMilk

LunchPork BBQ S’wich

Fish S’wichSunbutter S’wichSlaw/Baked Beans

ApplesauceMandarin Oranges

Milk

BreakfastSausage Biscuit


PeachesMilk

LunchCheesy Beef Nachos

Corn DogSunbutter S’wich

Cali Blend VeggiesSweet Potato Souffle

Peaches/PearsMilk

TEACHERWORKDAY!



PearsJuice/Milk

LunchChix Fillet S’wichChix QuesadillasBroccoli/Pinto Beans/Peaches

PearsMilk





Fish S’wichMega Pizza

Slaw/Baked BeansApplesauce




PeachesMilk


Corn DogCali Blend Veggies

Sweet Potato SoufflePeaches/Pears

Milk

TEACHERWORKDAY!



PearsJuice/Milk

LunchChix Fillet S’wichChix Quesadillas

Mega PizzaBroccoli/Pinto Beans/Peaches

PearsMilk





Fish S’wichChix Quesadilla

Slaw/Baked BeansApplesauce




PeachesMilk


Corn DogChix Fillet S’wichCali Blend Veggies

Sweet Potato SoufflePeaches/Pears

Milk



Milk

LunchHamburger

CheeseburgerBBQ Chix S’wich

Ch. Garlic FlatbreadCarrot Stix/Potato

Rounds/Baked Apples/Pineapple

Bits/Milk

Monday, Oct 21 Tuesday, Oct 22 Wed, Oct 23 Thurs, Oct 24 Friday, Oct 25

Monday, Oct 21 Tuesday, Oct 22 Wed, Oct 23 Thurs, Oct 24 Friday, Oct 24

Friday, Oct 18


WG Cereal/ToastMandarin Oranges

Juice/Milk

LunchChicken PieBBQ S’wich

Sunbutter S’wichBaked PotatoesGlazed Carrots

Mandarin OrangesFresh Fruit

Milk



Juice/Milk


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V o l u n t e e r s f r o m AmeriCorps Project Conserve will assist the Southern Appalach ian Highlands Conservancy on Tuesday, Oct. 22, with a habitat restoration project on Round Bald, a grassy bald within the Highlands of Roan. This is the third year APC has assisted with habitat restoration projects on the Roan.

“Project Conserve members always bring enthusiasm to match their hard work,” says SAHC’s field ecologist C h r i s C o x e n . “ I t ’s a n

exciting partnership because it provides these generally young conservationists an opportunity to learn about habitat restoration projects w h i l e a l s o p h y s i c a l l y benefitting the public land held in their trust. Land trusts like SAHC can step in with volunteers to assist federal agencies, accomplishing our shared habitat management goals.”

Grassy balds are a globally imperiled habitat type and the Highlands of Roan represent the most extensive

example of grassy balds in the world. The open grasslands a s soc ia t ed wi th g ras sy balds have historically been maintained for thousands of years by large grazing animals. Because many of the balds are no longer grazed, without human management, they will eventually grow into forest. APC volunteers will cut back encroaching woody vegetation to maintain the grassy bald community, assisting SAHC’s 40+ year mission of protecting the Roan’s grassy balds.

AmeriCorps to help conserve Round Bald

Ingles ROP 10x16 Yancey County News (Runs Week of 10-13-13 through 10-19-13) 4/C - NC

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0ct 17 yancey county news