Oct. 6, 2011

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Bill puts new water filter to the test

Former school board member dies

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www.yanceycountynews.com vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Oct. 6, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 39

Human waste litters UNBELIEVABLE! local farmer’s land

A Yancey County farmer says a crew hired to clear powerline right of way for French Broad Electric left behind at least seven piles of human feces as they trimmed trees, possibly making the ground unfit to grow crops for the market.

SEE STORY INSIDE

Ex-Mitchell commissioner: Constitution at odds with Judge Ginn’s security order

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

Marvin Miller, the chairman of the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners who resigned to protest a judge’s order requiring his county to pay for added security at his courthouse, stood before the Yancey County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to warn them that their acceptance of the order “can’t be reconciled” with the Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News oath they took when Former Mitchell County Commission Chairman they were sworn in to Marvin Miller speaks with Yancey Commissioner office.

Michele Presnell Tuesday night after the monthly See page 2

Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News

Heritage Coach Joey Robinson gives senior Austin Rice a hug Friday after Rice scored the winning touchdown in an unbelievable come-from-behind win over Owen. See more inside!

Yancey County commission meeting.

Autopsy report released on Timothy Norton

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

The formal autopsy report for Timothy Norton, whose body was found in the Cane River Sept. 2, has been released.

According to the medical examiner a t Wa k e F o r e s t University School of Medicine, Norton, 54,

drowned but also had a blood alcohol level of .18 and suffered heart trouble.

He also had contusions on his knees and scalp.

Norton had last been seen alive at about noon on Aug. 31.

The autopsy did not suggest any foul play.

Police chief: Drug problem is ‘getting epidemic’

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News Burnsville Police Chief Brian Buchanan said Wednesday that the influx and use of illegal prescription drugs “doesn’t seem to be slowing

down” despite the best efforts by his department and the sheriff’s office to stem the tide.

“I think it’s getting epidemic,” Buchanan said. “Of 100 true bills of indictment” handed down recently by the Grand Jury, “97 or so were all drug

related; almost all were pharmacological diversion” cases.

“It concerns me,” he said. “We continue to increase our efforts but the problem doesn’t seem to be slowing down.”

See Page 10

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Local girl aims for the big time in the world of race car engines

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

A Mountain Heritage graduate has every intention to attend the prestigious School of Automotive Machinists.

Why is that newsworthy?

Well, maybe because this student would be only the third female to ever attend the school that specializes in the design and construction of engines, blocks and heads for drag racing.

Kendra Bradford says she “grew up with cars” and can’t imagine a better career than to spend her days taking “a solid block of metal and put it in a machine and make an engine block.”

A graduate of Mountain Heritage High School, Bradford says she really had no idea while at Heritage what she wanted to do with her life.

“When I was in high school I really had no idea” what to study.

“I went to Florida to school to be a medical assistant,” she said, but that just didn’t fit.

She never remembered having an injection, so when it came time to give and take shots, “it turns out I was very afraid of blood and needles,” she said with a laugh.

That’s when her love of the mechanical side of life returned.

“I grew up in my dad’s body shop. I grew up with cars.”

What did the guys think of her mechanical skills while in high school? “Some guys thought it attractive,” she admitted, but others weren’t sure what to think. “My exboyfriend doesn’t know a thing about cars. He’d say, ‘Why should I? Kendra knows all about it.”

The school, located in Houston, Texas, is known by its acronym SAM. “It’s the best in the industry. Once you graduate they help you get a job” putting your skills to use.

Kendra Bradford wants to be only the third female to attend the School of Automotive Machinists.

The tout on the school’s website seemed written specifically for Kendra.

“If you have ever dreamed about working for a top race shop or building engines for a living, you have come to the right place. As the most respected name in motorsports education, SAM can give you the formal training you need to jump start your career. Our graduates help power the top teams in NASCAR, NHRA, IRL, and CART to victory every race weekend.

That, she said, is right up her alley.

The catch, she said, is the expense. “It’s more of a private college. You have to get your own apartment, job, buy your food, and pay tuition. It’s kind of difficult.”

So she is hoping to get sponsorships from race lovers who might appreciate helping a Yancey girl make it in the world of race engine design

and engineering.

“A friend of my dad suggested” seeking sponsorships, she said. “I said it’s impossible, but he said nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.”

Her father, Kevin Bradford, owns a body shop in West Yancey, but his website e x p l a i n s e x a c t l y wh e r e Kendra may have gotten the mechanical skills to build blocks.

“I have always been a hot rodder. It’s an addiction I got from my dad,” Kevin wrote on his shop website.

The grandfather “still builds hot rods at 70 for himself and customers. That’s where I get my old school train of thought.”

And it’s where his daughter is headed, if she has anything to say about it.

Want to know more? Call Kevin Bradford @ 682-1108.

More voices raised over new courthouse security From the front

Miller spoke during the public comment period of the meeting, and said he wasn’t coming to Yancey County to besmirch Judge Phillip Ginn, the senior superior court judge whose strong r ec o mm e n d a ti o n s led counties in his district to add metal detectors at the courthouse doors as well as other security improvements.

“I have the highest respect for all of you,” Miller said in addressing t h e f i v e Ya n c e y commissioners, “but I cannot let this issue pass.”

It isn’t the security that bothers him, he said; it’s the way a judge acted as if he had the authority to tell elected county leaders what to do.

“These are issues of importance.

These are issues of principle,” he said.

“I swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution,” Miller said, and acting as if they are following the orders of a judge appears to let the judicial arm of government usurp power that is reserved for commissioners, he argued.

“Is that the right relationship between boards of commissioners and the judicial system?”

He said he felt the judicial order may have involved “threats and intimidations; threats of contempt and possible arrest” if the strongly worded suggestions were not

implemented.

Holding up Ginn’s instructions, he asked the local board to “read this order, and then read the Constitution” and try to “reconcile such an order.”

In other business, Jon Silverman of Micaville asked the commission to get the speed limit on the Micaville loop set at 35 mph or below to reduce the frequent accidents that occur; Bill Grover and Andy Robinson joined Miller in denouncing the new security at the courthouse; Finance office Brandi Burleson provided the board with budget amendments to cover overages in the cost of the library renovation, funding for Church Street Preschool, funds for the recreational grounds, and the purchase of a camper for the manager of the county campground.

Commissioners Marvin Holland and Michele Presnell strongly opposed the camp gr ound expenditure and questioned funding the private child care.

They voted against the amendment, but said they supported the campground funding. They both said they couldn’t support the purchase of the camper and questioned the funding for the childcare.

See more on the commission meeting in next week’s Yancey County News.

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Opinion

Ray Rapp’s report from Raleigh

Since the special session ended two weeks ago (on September 14), I have been on a five-day, 1400 mile “Listen and Learn” tour of the state to meet with local leaders and assess the impacts of the budget cuts on our schools, citizens and jobless rates. Upon returning home last Saturday (September 24), I embarked on the first of a series of fall listening sessions around the District beginning on Tuesday evening (September 27) at the Maggie Valley Town Pavilion. At each of the 23 stops on the statewide and the town hall meeting in Maggie Valley, concerns about the impacts of cuts to health care, pre-school, K-12 education and our community colleges and public university budgets were validated by state and local officials, teachers, volunteers and individual family members. A total of 51 House and Senate Democrats took part in the statewide tour with three Legislators, Rep. Becky Carney of Charlotte, Earline Parmon of Winston-Salem and me in attendance at all 23 stops.

Listen and Learn Tour

Exhausted, exasperated and exhilarated would describe the way I felt at the end of the fiveday, 1400 mile “Listen and Learn” tour that took testimony at 23 locations from Cullowhee in the mountains to Wilmington on the coast.

At the first stop on Monday (September 19) in Raleigh, we heard testimony from State School Board Chair Bill Harrison who gave us some sobering statistics resulting from the current budget cuts: Since July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, a total of 6,382 education positions have been eliminated in our state’s 115 school districts: 305 were pre-K positions; 1,723.7, K-12 teachers; 2,282.7 teacher assistants; 393.8 Instructional Support Personnel; 14 Principals; 124.6 Assistant Principals; 517.4 Central Office Staff; 1,021.8 Non-certified Staff (custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers).

Undoubtedly, the most disturbing statistic given to us by Chairman Harrison, and repeatedly heard throughout the tour is that North Carolina now ranks 49th in the nation in per pupil spending on K-12 education. (The State is behind South Carolina and Mississippi in

per student expenditures.)

As we toured the state, we heard stories of the impacts of the over 16% cuts to our state’s university system that resulted in elimination of 4,519 positions at the 16 member institutions.

This is the biggest cut to higher education in the history of the state. As a result, we were told about overcrowded classes, reduced course offerings, and cutbacks in library and support service hours at institutions such as Western Carolina University and Appalachian State University.

The Presidents at Richmond, Pitt, Martin and Cape Fear Community Colleges testified about the impact of the 10% across the board cuts to their institutions. They have been forced to lay off instructional personnel (814 positions) and impose enrollment caps on many classes and programs at a time when unemployed workers are returning to retool and increasing numbers of high school graduates are opting to complete their first two years at their local community colleges.

Mountain hospitality was in evidence on Thursday (September 22) when we spent the day in the mountains beginning with a hearing at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching in Cullowhee, where the staff is grappling with a 50% cut in operational funds.

Next we visited Waynesville Middle School where we heard from Haywood School Superintendent Anne Garrett, Waynesville Middle School Principal Trevor Putnam, Tuscola High Principal Dale McDonnell, Bethel Elementary School Principal Jill Barker, and Title I and Pre-K Director Fred Tratham. Eloquent was Principal Barker who pointed out that her school was named an Honor School of Excellence last year—the highest academic distinction —and this year’s “reward” is 3 fewer teachers’ assistants at the school; reduced money for school supplies; higher enrollment than in previous years; teachers will have to pay for their own staff development to prepare for implementation of the new, required CO RE curriculum next year; and, for the fourth year, teachers have not received a pay raise. Ms. Barker asked, “What we don’t understand is why our school is being asked to do more and more with fewer resources than we have ever had. Why are we being punished, not rewarded, for a job well done?” Before leaving Haywood for hearings at A-B Tech’s Enka Campus and Appalachian State University in Boone, we visited Riverbend Elementary School where Principal Greg Parker told us about what has made it one of only 304 schools in the nation (public and private) to be named as a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School.

(Riverbend’s success is tied in part to small class sizes, highly motivated staff, excellent leadership and a first-rate facility.)

The Riverbend “high” was tempered by the Greenville “low.” Earlier in the week a special education teacher in the Pitt County School System met several legislators in private to tell us about her situation: Two years ago she had 8 autistic students in her class and a teacher’s assistant. As a result of budget cuts this year, she has 14 students in her class and no teacher’s assistant and she was attacked earlier in the month and severely injured.

While she will undergo reconstructive surgery, her concern was for her students, not the medical procedure she faces. This is the kind of situation that comes from cutting on average $290 per student to each school system in the state.

Representatives Parmon and Carney with me at the end of the tour in Durham.

Town Hall meetings Effective leaders listen and that is why I am scheduling a series of meetings around the District to hear your concerns and respond to your questions. About 30 persons attended the first of these conversations at the Maggie Valley Town Hall Pavilion on Tuesday evening, September 27 and special thanks to Juanita Dixon, Jan Pressley, Scott Sutton, Michael Sorrells and Sylvia Blakeslee for hosting the meeting. The next formal session is slated for Tuesday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cruso Community Center followed by a breakfast at Ferguson’s Store in Fines Creek from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 13 and another meeting that same day (Thursday, October 13) at 7:00 p.m. in the Clyde Town Hall. The last of these listening sessions in Haywood County is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Canton Town Hall.

This Saturday (October 1), I plan to attend the Community Dinner at Crabtree/Iron Duff/Hyder Mountain Center and will be available for informal conversations. The formal “Listen and Learn” sessions for Madison and Yancey Counties will be announced next month and I look forward to seeing you.

Around The District

At the invitation of Madison County Board Chair, Deb Ponder, I had the honor and pleasure of joining my fellow elected officials to recognize Madison’s firefighters and emergency responders by serving them a “thank you dinner” on Friday, September 16 at Madison High School as part of a 10th anniversary, 9-11 remembrance ceremony.

On Saturday, September 17, my wife Dorothy and I enjoyed breakfast at the Bright Hope Methodist Church’s Fall Festival at Ebb’s Chapel and on Sunday evening, September 18, before leaving for Raleigh, I stopped by Mars Hill’s “Music and More” program for a brief visit. This past week, I began a series of Monday lectures on mountain history and culture for Mars Hill College’s “Road Scholars” program (formerly Elderhostel). On Thursday, I had the pleasure of addressing Madison County’s Rotary Club prior to meeting with Dr. Robert Bashford, Associate Dean of Student Affairs for the UNC-Medical School in Asheville and Dr. Jeff Heck, Dean of the School, to review the progress of UNC’s program for junior and senior level physician candidates at the Asheville campus and to explore ways to attract students through a cooperative arrangement with UNC-A. That afternoon (Thursday) I was among 61 current and former Mars Hill College employees recognized for 30 or more years of service to the institution. (I served 32 years as a full-time employee.)

It’s been good to see so many of you over the past month and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your State Representative. Please feel free to contact me at rayr@ncleg.net or phone me at home at (828) 689-2214. If you prefer “snail mail,” you can write to me at 133 Quail Ridge Road, Mars Hill, NC 28754. Please be advised that my Legislative Assistant, Meredith Matney will be in the Raleigh office three and one-half days each week (Monday through Thursday).

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Obituaries Lew Jessie Ayers

Lew Jessie Ayers, 55, a life-long resident of the Red Hill community in Mitchell County, went to be with the Lord, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 at his home. He was a son of Rheba Hughes Ayers of Red Hill and the late Charles Ayers.

A truck owner-operator, Lew had traveled extensively throughout the United States.

Over 30 years he visited 48 states and logged more than a million miles. In the summer of 2010 he made his last cross-country trip, during a summer vacation, visiting the Southwestern deserts, the Grand Canyon, the California coast and the High Sierras with his brother. He was a journeyman, farmer and mechanic and loved working with animals, caring for two wolves since 1994. Lew suffered a debilitating stroke in 2009 afterwhich his health steadily declined. Lew was, at heart, a soft-spoken and caring man who many times helped neighbors during difficult times.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are a brother, the Rev. Dorne Ayers of San Diego, Calif.; and nephews Jeremiah Ayers of California City, Calif., and Dr. John Ayers of Boston, Mass.

Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m.

Thursday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Tammie Silver Edwards

Mitchell Baptist Church and was passionate about the N.C. Baptist Children’s Home, of which he was a representative for a number of years. He was also a member of the Yancey County Board of Education for a number of years. His other passions included writing and singing gospel music throughout WNC with his family. His love and compassion will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Surviving is his loving and devoted wife of 43 years, Wilma Ray Huskins; his daughter, Karen Young and husband, Bud, of Spruce Pine; two grandchildren that were his life: Ben and Ivy Rose Young; sister Joyce McGalliard of Nebo and sister-in-law Betty Huskins of Dysartsville. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral service was Sept. 30 with the Rev. Forrest Westall officiating. Graveside service was in the Ray Cemetery on Blue Rock.

Pallbearers were Donald Loftis, Jack, Danny and Harold Grindstaff and Tommy and Ronnie Huskins. Honorary pallbearers were Hershel Harris, Ken Young and Kenneth Hughes.

The family requests memorial donations be made to the Baptist Children’s Home of NC, 111 Sneed Drive, Clyde, NC 28721-8468.

Freeman Thomas (Tom) Clark

Freeman Thomas (Tom) Clark, 72, left our world but not our hearts on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, surrounded by a loving community of family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Carol; a sister, Virginia Schneider; and nieces Gail Childs, Lori Swift and Jill Smith.

Tom served in the Army and proceeded to complete his doctorate in Administration of Higher Education at The University of Michigan. Most recently, he served as a court interpreter for English/Spanish for the Clerk of Superior Court in Burnsville. For 15 years, he was an adjunct professor at Guilford College in Greensboro. He served as assistant to the president at the University of the Valley in Guatemala and was director of student services at the University of Michigan.

A dedicated social activist, he was involved, in many ways, teaching justice and building bridges with people in Mexico and Central and South America. He was a student of the world, traveling widely. He and Carol lived in Guatemala for three years and Mexico for two years. Their hearts have been in Yancey County for 23 years.

A memorial service is planned for a later date at Celo Friends Meeting House. Donors are uged to remember Tom by sending gifts to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 George’s Fork Road, Burnsville NC 28714 or Witness for Peace Southeast, 1105 Sapling Place, Raleigh, NC 27615.

Tammie Silver Edwards, 51, of Burnsville, went home to be with the Lord on Oct. 3, 2011. A native of Yancey County, she was a daughter of Eloise Brewer Harding and the late Hal Silver. Tammie and her husband, Michael, were owners of Prosperity Plants, and she was director of housekeeping at Brookside Rehabilitation and Care.

Tammie was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. She is survived by her husband of 28 years, Michael Edwards; daughter Sarah Edwards of the home; mother Eloise Harding and husband, J. C., of Green Mountain; brother Richard Silver and Olena; sister Mecheel Stewart and husband, Mark, all of Burnsville; nephews Jake Silver of Burnsville and Keith Southerns of Greenville, S.C.; stepsisters Nancy Silver and husband, Marvin, and Linda Hughes and husband, Danny, of Green Mountain; stepbrother Mike Harding of Granite Falls; sister-in-law Bereda Lovelace and husband, Jeff, of Asheville; and several step nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m.

Saturday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home with the Rev. Jeff Brewer will officiating. Burial will be in the Blue Rock Dean M. Brown Baptist Church Cemetery.

Dean M. Brown, 67, of Burnsville, passed The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Holcombe Brothers Funeral away at his home on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011.

A native of Yancey County, he was the son Home. of the late Thurman and Eva Laws Brown.

Cecil D. Huskins Surviving is his wife, Jacquetta Perkins Cecil D. Huskins, 83, of Celo, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, Brown; daughters Deena Johnston and husband, James, of Lexington and Nola Sept. 28, 2011, at Mission Hospital.

A native of Yancey County, he was a son of Shade and husband, Stephen, of Burnsville; the late Milt and Dora Williams Huskins. He sons Ricky Brown and fiancé, Nancey was also preceded in death by three sisters; Turbyfill, and Noel Brown, all of Burnsville; Edna Grindstaff, Estelle Huskins and Pauline four sisters: Lois Roland and husband, E.J., Long, and four brothers; Landon, Jack, Bill Grace Hensley and husband, Bill, and Eloise Hensley, all of Burnsville, and Emma Jean and Sherrill Huskins.

Cecil was a deacon and choir leader at Mt. Hunter and husband, Clarence, of Hampton,

Va.; two brothers: Benny Brown and Billy Joe Brown and wife, Peggy, all of Burnsville; 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

No services are planned.

Michael Joseph Rosenberger

Michael Joseph Rosenberger, age 47, of Burnsville and formerly of Pittsburgh, Penn., passed away quietly following a courageous battle with cancer on Monday Oct. 3, 2011.

A memorial service will be held to honor his life on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m. at the Beinhauer Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, then with graveside blessing and internment occurring at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Mckees Rocks, Penn.

Michael was born in the Pittsburgh-Greentree area to Joseph and Eileen Rosenberger. He attended grade school at St.’s Simon and Jude, and then graduated at Chartiers Valley High School. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is where he attended college with undergraduate work in accounting.

Michael helped in the family-owned business, once known as Delrose Motors, before going onto his career path in retail sales. Michael was a genuine, easy-going person who possessed a personality that drew people to him because of his laughter, love of life, and warmth. His kindness and camaraderie were well-known to all those fortunate to have met him, and he often left a lasting impression on people because of his sense of humor, fun, and positive outlook on life. His courage, faith, humor, and positive attitude never failed him. Michael enjoyed NASCAR, Pittsburghbased sports such as football and hockey, and frequent trips to Primanti Brothers when in Pittsburgh. He had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel, usually with a professional camera at the ready.

This loving husband leaves behind to cherish his memory a wife of 15 years, Melissa Rosenberger; his father, Joseph Michael Rosenberger; his sister and brother-in-law Sandra and Ron Webb; his beloved nephew, Cameron Webb; mother-in-law Mary Hill; and sisters-in-laws Sherrie Hill and Regina Dubinsky.

The family asks that you donate your memorial gift to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org with the designation placed on cancer research. Condolences are welcome and may be shared with the family at www. beinhauer.com. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Beinhauer Funeral Home located 2630 West Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, Penn. 15216. Funeral Director Michael S. Burns. Telephone number: 412-531-4000.

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Medicare open enrollment is earlier this year

(NewsUSA) - Your health needs change from year to year. Plus, your health plan may change the benefits and costs each year, too. That’s why it’s important to evaluate your Medicare choices every year. Open Enrollment is the one time of year when all people with Medicare can see what new benefits Medicare has to offer and make changes to their coverage.

There’s never been a better time to check out Medicare coverage. There are new benefits available for all people with Medicare -- whether you choose Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan -- including lower prescription costs, wellness visits and preventive care. Take advantage of Open Enrollment, and you may be able to save money, get better coverage or both.

You may be wondering, what is the benefit of having an earlier enrollment period?

Starting this year, Open Enrollment starts earlier, Oct. 15, and lasts longer (seven full weeks) to give you enough time to review and make changes to your coverage. Also starting this year, you will need to make your final selection for next year’s Medicare coverage

by Dec. 7. This change ensures that Medicare has enough time to process your choice, so your coverage can begin without interruption on Jan. 1.

It’s worthwhile to take the time to review and compare, but you don’t have to do it alone.

If you typically use the December holidays to discuss health care options with family or friends, plan now to move that conversation

earlier. And remember that Medicare is available to help.

Take a look at www.medicare.gov/find-aplan to compare your current coverage with all of the options that are available in your area, and enroll in a new plan if you decide to make a change. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1800-633-4227) 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to find out more about your coverage options.

TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

Review the Medicare & You 2012 handbook.

It is mailed to people with Medicare in September. Get one-on-one help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit www.medicare.gov/contacts or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the phone number.

Impact of running away is chillier than winter (NewsUSA) - Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away each year in the U.S. The brutal cold of winter is only one of the threats that runaway youth will struggle to overcome. According to the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) 2011 Runaway Youth Longitudinal Study, the long-term impact on their health, economic and legal outcomes as adults is another significant risk.

“Long-term consequences of youth running away should encourage parents, teachers and other adults to get involved earlier to prevent a runaway situation,” said Maureen Blaha, NRS executive director.

“Hopefully, knowing the potential consequences also deters youth from running away.”

For adults who ran away from home as adolescents, the likelihood of having suicidal thoughts increases 51 percent, they are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide, the likelihood of them being a smoker is 2.4 times as high, they are 67 percent more likely to use marijuana, and they are 53 percent more likely to report having a sexually transmitted disease.

Running away doesn’t just

affect health -- it also impacts the economy. As an adult, a former runaway’s annual income level is $8,823 lower on average and the likelihood of being a recipient of AFDC, public assistance or welfare is 76 percent higher.

The negative effects of running away don’t stop there. Adults who ran away as adolescents are approximately 2.5 times more likely to be arrested, and they are 99 percent more likely to sell drugs. The key is runaway prevention, and NRS offers a few tips for parents to keep their child from running away: • Understand Your Child. Try to sympathize with what your kids are going through, and look at life from their point of view.

• Discuss Feelings. Talk about what it feels like to be a parent, and encourage your children to talk about their feelings, too.

When parents share their feelings, children know it’s safe to share theirs.

• Use Teamwork. Work together to find mutually agreeable solutions.

Find help and information for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth at 1-800-RUNAWAY or www.1800RUNAWAY.org.

Enrollment increase credited to changes at Mars Hill

Successfully implementing a strategic plan for the future of the institution--ahead of schedule-has paid off in a big way for Mars Hill College.

Enrollment of traditional students for the fall semester is up eleven percent over last year, to 1,063. (The number of traditional students does not include students enrolled in Mars Hill’s adult and graduate classes. Those programs add another 247 to the enrollment.)

Officials at Mars Hill are encouraged by the enrollment numbers, and hope that they mark the beginning of a trend. “We’ve completed our strategic plan three years ahead of schedule,” said Executive Vice President John Wells, “and I think the changes achieved through that plan have had a dramatic effect on our enrollment. The administration dedicated the resources to make those changes happen, and with the hard work of faculty and staff, put those changes in place.”

According to Wells, the lengthy list of

institutional changes effected through Mars Hill’s strategic plan includes: • optimizing admissions procedures • launching a comprehensive program aimed at improving retention of students • redesigning the college Web site to be more appealing to prospective students • launching a master’s program in education • using money from a CIC-Walmart grant to strengthen services to first-generation college students and to help sponsor undergraduate research • revising orientation to emphasize student involvement on campus • streamlining administrative procedures • restructuring the academic administration • hiring several new faculty positions, particularly in entry-level courses, to maintain small freshman classes.

Wells also said he believes that the recent hiring

of a new chaplain at Mars Hill, Rev. Stephanie McLeskey, will help revitalize the religious identity of Mars Hill, which has Baptist roots.

Looking to the future, he said Mars Hill College will continue to make changes designed to maintain the advantages of the college’s small size, while increasing the quality and breadth of its offerings.

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UARA Racing

UARA racing well represented at Martinville Speedway

By Kassie Hughes

While the UARASTARS may not have a scheduled series event this week, that fact does not keep their drivers from racing. A number of current and former UARA drivers will be vying for the victory at Martinsville Speedway in the Vi r g i n i a i s f o r Racing Lovers 300 on Sunday, Oct. 9.

A l e x Yo n t z , a former Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 winner, finished third in the 2010 event and currently sits seventh in series points. Yontz has tasted victory not only at Martinsville, but also at the other crown jewel in American short track racing, Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Winning at Bristol was big. But Martinsville, that’s something else,” said Yontz. “I look at that grandfather clock every day when I come home. You know you beat the absolute best at Martinsville and no one can take that away from you.”

While Yontz will be looking for his second triumph in the most prestigious event in late model stock car racing, current series points leader Brennan Poole and last weekend’s winner Garrett Campbell will also be challenging for what would be their first grandfather clock.

“It’s a prestigious race at the oldest track still on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule,” said Poole, who finished third in 2009 but crashed out of last year’s event early.

“Just being there is a dream come true, but to win it, there wouldn’t be words to describe it.”

U A R A - S TA R S teammates Scott

Brennan Poole and Scott Turlington will be on the track at Martinsville this weekend.

Turlington and Andy Mercer will also be at the track this weekend, possibly playing the role of underdogs. Mercer quietly finished 13th in last year’s event, the final car on the lead lap. Turlington, however, missed the show after having to run one of the four heat races following a blown motor during his qualifying attempt on Saturday.

“We had a really good car last year but had to start in the back in the heat race and that killed us,” said Turlington. “We’ve got new Marlowe cars this year and the entire Mercer team has done their homework to make both of our cars fast. If we can qualify good on Saturday and either lock in or start up front in the heat races, we should be in really good shape on Sunday. It would be huge to our program for either of us to win the race. If I had my way, however, it’d be one-two with me beating Andy across the line. He might have something to say

about that, though.”

Other drivers with ties to the UARASTARS who have plans to enter the event include twotime UARA champion Matt McCall, 2010 Champion Coleman Pressley, 2004 title holder Jason York, 2008 Champion and 2009 event winner Jake Crum, Adam Long, Jesse Little, Anthony Anders, Harrison Rhodes, and Michael Rouse.

“We really brag on our drivers, but Martinsville is usually the true test of who’s got their stuff together,” said Kerry Bodenhamer, the UARA president.

“In 2009, we swept the top three spots and last year we had three of the top five finishers. Every year, you have to contend with at least a few of our top UARA teams if you’re going to win. It really shows how much of a development series we have become and how drivers and teams are able to step up their games after running with us.”

With at least 80

entries every year, 22 of the 42 starting spots come from time trials which will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. The other 20 spots are given to the top five from each of four 25-lap heat races that will be held on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

The 200-lap feature goes green at 3 p.m.

NASCAR Home Tracks Radio, with UARA announcer To n y S t e v e n s a s part of the broadcast team, will have live coverage of the events from the Virginia half-mile.

After the dust settles from Martinsville, the next stop for the UARA-STARS will

be in the mountains of Tennessee at Newport Speedway on Oct. 22.

Fans can keep up with the UARA on Twitter (@uarastars) or on Facebook under the United Auto Racing Association. For more information on the UARA-STARS, visit uara-stars.com or call (828) 692-3833.

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 7

Cancer Society announces new programs for Yancey County women

During the annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, the American Cancer Society is urging Yancey County women to follow early detection guidelines for breast cancer and to make healthy behavioral changes to lower their risk of breast cancer.

An estimated 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 39,520 deaths from breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the U.S. in 2011, according to the American Cancer Society.

“As the Official Sponsor of Birthdays, the American Cancer Society wants women to experience the benefits of choosing to put their health first,” said Kathlene Stith, Community Health Advisor Manager at the American Cancer Society. “Women can take action and put their personal breast health first to stay well, fight breast cancer and save lives.

Thanks in part to early detection and improved treatment, more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors will celebrate a birthday this year.”

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women, second only to lung cancer.

The society is reminding women 40 and older to have a yearly mammogram and clinical breast exam. Also, the Society recommends that women ages 20 to 39 receive a clinical breast exam once every three years. The five-year survival rate is 98 percent for breast cancer that is diagnosed in the earliest stages.

In 2008 only 40 percent of Yancey County women with Medicare got their mammogram.

“We believe that nothing should stand in the way of women finding breast cancer early when it is most treatable,” Stith said. The society is starting a new program to help women access mammograms and other lifesaving screenings. The new Community Health Advisor (CHA) program will recruit and train women to educate and navigate their

In 2008 only 40 percent of Yancey County women with Medicare gottheirmammogram. community members to screenings for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer. This program will start recruiting volunteers this November.

Contact Stith at 675-0305 or kathlene.stith@ cancer.org for more information.

The Society offers newly diagnosed women and those living with breast cancer a variety of programs and services to help them in their breast cancer experience. There is no limit to the number of Yancey County residents we can serve through these programs.

Reach to Recovery helps newly diagnosed patients cope with their breast cancer experience. Reach to Recovery volunteers offer the unique understanding, support, and hope from the perspective of someone who has survived breast cancer. Local Burnsville residents are some of the wonderful Reach to Recovery volunteers helping local women find the support they need.

To have a Reach to Recovery volunteer contact you, call 1-888-227-6333.

The Look Good…Feel Better program helps all cancer patients manage the physical side effects of treatment. Patients gain beauty techniques to help improve their self-esteem and quality of life, but also a sense of support, confidence, courage and community with other cancer patients in the program. Call the ACS Asheville office at 828-254-6931 to find a class near you.

The Yancey County’s Cancer Resource

Room provides free wigs, bras and prosthetics from the American Cancer Society and is located at the Yancey County Health Department.

Please call Stith for an appointment.

Women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by taking additional steps to stay well by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a well-balanced diet, and engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week. Also, limiting alcohol consumption can reduce breast cancer risk – one or more alcoholic beverages a day may increase risk.

In addition to helping women stay well and get well, the American Cancer Society has a long history of commitment to finding cures for breast cancer. The Society has invested more on breast cancer research than on any other cancer, and has played a part in many of the major breast cancer research breakthroughs in the past century, including the discoveries that led to the development of Tamoxifen and Herceptin.

Stith said the American Cancer Society and its affiliate advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN), continue to fight back against breast cancer by engaging in activities to increase funding for both the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and North Carolina’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (NC BCCCP) that provides lowincome, uninsured and underinsured Yancey County women access to mammograms. If you are a Yancey County resident in need of BCCCP assistance, contact the Yancey County Health Department: 828-682-6118.

To learn more about the American Cancer Society or to get help, call anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

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OCT. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

‘We won playing Mountain

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News Down by 17 points late in the third quarter, Mountain Heritage turned to their seniors to make or break the season.

They made it as the team recovered two on-side kicks and scored 20 points to defeat Owen with one of the most unforgettable, come-frombehind efforts in school history.

“We had every chance in the world to quit and you never did,” Heritage Coach Joey Robinson told players after the game. “I’m as proud as I’ve ever been. I told you something great was going to happen.”

How did the Cougars win?

“We won playing Mountain Heritage football,” Robinson said, with the defense and offense - with several players pulling duty on both sides of the line of scrimmage - held on and punished the visitors.

Owen was up 27-10 late in the third quarter and it appeared they were headed for a happy ride back to Swannanoa as Gerald Cruz closed out their last score with a 33-yard field goal.

But Robinson and his coaching staff wouldn’t let the Cougars quit. They felt they had worn Owen down on the line, and when Jackson Young took the ball in for a touchdown with 5:22 to go, the homecoming crowd could feel the momentum shift from the visitors back to the near side of The Pit. The Cougars recovered a beautiful onside kick - yes, they had practiced those - then Austin Rice bullied the ball down the field and Sam Howell ran it in.

The Cougars wanted the two-point conversion, but Owen committed back-to-back penalties that helped move the ball half the distance to the goal twice, setting up Rice’s run for the two points.

Trailing 27-24, Isreal Magana again pooched the kick-off, which was smothered by Ben Rice.

In his post-game talk, Coach Robinson credited Austin Rice with stepping forward to make his mark.

“A minute and 30 seconds to go, no time outs, and he said, ‘Guys, if we get the ball back, give it to Austin Rice.’”

Rice delivered, taking a handoff from Howell and scooting right 44 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars the lead. But the extra point

was wide and Heritage - up only by three - kicked the ball to Owen with 1:22 to go in the game.

Owen went for it all with a long pass down the home sideline, where Cougar senior Seth McIntosh was shadowing the Owen receiver. The ball bobbled and McIntosh threw his body horizontal, arms outstreched, to come up with a seemingly unbelievable interception to seal the Warhorses fate. “I just reached out and grabbed it and there it was,” a grinning McIntosh said after the game.

“I’ve been coaching a long time,” Robinson said in the post-game huddle, and looking at Rice, he said: “That may be one of the best leadership jobs I’ve ever seen.”

After managing just 65 yards of offense in the first half, Mountain Heritage ended the game with over 300 yards rushing.

“We wore them down and we took it over,” Robinson told the team. Looking around, seemingly amazed, he said: “I just love every single one of you guys. What an effort.”

A key, the coach later said, was that “we just did not quit.

We ran a lot of hurry-up offense, and I think in the fourth quarter we wore them out a little bit and caught them off guard, and did a little bit of what they do.”

Those no-huddle adjustments were critical for the offense, he said. “Coach (Kenny) Ford does a great job of calling in plays from the sidelines, and we didn’t want him to get the chance to set his defense,” Robinson said.

“Our kids just kept fighting.

I can’t say enough.”

And what did it mean for Mitchell to beat Polk Friday night? “It’s great for us,” Coach Robinson said. “It puts us right in the race for 2A, and puts us in the race for the conference.

I’m tickled to death that we’re in it again.”

The Cougars travel to Thomas Jefferson Friday in Mooresboro.

According to the CitizenTime s , “ T h e R u t h e r f o r d County-based Gryphons are 1-28 the past three years and 0-6 against WNC competition this season.”

The C-T picked Heritage to win by 21.

Thos. Jefferson is located south of U.S. 74 near Forest City.

Heritage football’

OCT. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 9

Photos by Jonathan Austin

10

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Chief sees how drug addictions are ‘tearing families apart’ in Yancey From the front

Buchanan’s comments came after a series of felony drug arrests in the county, including the arrest of an 81-year-old resident.

Arrested were: • Briton Lee Chaney, 26, of Buttersop Road, Burnsville, on four counts of trafficking in opium or heroin (Hydrocodone); felony possession of a Schedule II drug; possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Hydrocodone); maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances, and simple possession of Schedule II (Hydrocodone).

• Nathan Murph Angel, 47, of English Branch, Burnsville, on two counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (morphine); two counts of possession of a Schedule II drug (morphine),

two counts of sale or delivery of a Schedule II drug (morphine); and maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances; • Wi l l i a m J o h n McMahan,18, of North Bend Road: on one count, possession of a schedule VI drug (marijuana), possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule VI drug (marijuana), sell or deliver a Schedule VI drug (marijuana), maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances; • H o l l y Te r e e s Caravano, 26, of Ransom Silvers Road, Burnsville, on three counts of simple possession of a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone), three counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone), three counts of maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of

controlled substances, two counts of sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Oxycodone), simple possession of Schedule IV controlled substance (Alprazolam), • Edd Robinson, 81, of Rock Creek Road, Burnsville, on a charge of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Endocet), Possession of a Schedule II drug (Endocet, sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Endocet), maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances; • Michael Dale Carroll, 43, of Possum Trot Road, Burnsville, on four counts of trafficking in opium or heroin (Meperidine Hydrochloride), two counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Meperidine Hydrochloride), two counts of possession

Farmer upset after finding human feces on property

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

A Yancey County farm family is upset because seven piles of human excrement were discovered on their farmland soon after a crew hired to clear the electric power line right-ofway had cut their way across the property.

The feces was on the ground, covered with paper towels and wiping paper.

The piles were very close to the farm’s shitake mushroom growing area, and

approximately 150 feet off from the right of way.

A member of the property owner ’s family immediately took photographs of the feces when it was discovered to document how close it was to the mushroom area.

“It’s very frustrating,” said t h e f a r m e r. T h i s newspaper is choosing to not identify the farmer after consultation with county and state agriculture officials.

“The least they could do is bury it,” the farmer said.

In an economic climate where farmers are still trying to rebound from the loss of the lucrative tobacco crop, the exposure of crop land to human feces is troubling, officials said, and they said it could be a threat to the health of the community.

Dr. Ben Chapman, a professor in food safety at N.C. State U n i v e r s i t y, s a i d agriculture agencies and farmers work “to eliminate as much human feces” from the food chain as possible. “It definitely increases the risk of food-borne illness” such as salmonella, E.Coli and other dangerous pathogens See Page 12

of a Schedule II drug (Meperidine Hydrochloride), two counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Meperidine Hydrochloride), two counts of sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Meperidine Hydrochloride), maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances; • Linda Gail M c C u r r y, 5 0 , o f Pensacola Road, Burnsville, on two counts of possession with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver a Schedule II drug (Methadone),two counts of possession of a Schedule II drug (Methadone), two counts of sell or deliver a Schedule II drug (Methadone), and two counts of maintaining a vehicle\ dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances.

Asked whether the arrest of the 81-year-

old was out of the ordinary, Buchanan said, “it is surprising, but then it is not.

Saying he did not know the details of that particular case, he theorized that “often, (the elderly) have an easier access” to painkillers, and “depending on whatever their economic situation might be,” they might sell prescription drugs.”

He said the addiction to pharmaceuticals “tears families apart” and that while suspects “want to help themselves to a point” after they’ve been arrested by providing evidence against others, “that one supplier, they may not want to give up” because they rely on that person for future drug purchases.

What should residents do to help battle the drug epidemic? Primarily, get rid of unused pharmacy drugs. “If they have anything

expired, get rid of it,” he said.

“Our residents are pretty good about keeping us informed,” he said, but warning signs they can watch for include: • A burning smell in the neighborhood that has the aroma of lye and Coleman fuel; • A noticable change in someone’s p e r s o n a l i t y, o r a sudden changing of friends with no obvious reason.

“Watch for big shifts in personality,” he said.

Likewise, adults who are taking care of elderly parents should be aware of the drugs in the house, especially if someone is or was under Hospice care.

“If you are taking care of an elderly parent, stay aware,” he said. “Talk to the pharmacist.”

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 11

Outdoors

Testing a new water filter that can go anywhere

I keep a backpack I use on those ‘special’ hunting trips where I may be gone from home for several days in the wilderness. In it I keep things such as an extra fall restraint system (in case my safety vest were to either get damaged or get used for its purpose, I do not want to vacate my hunt), an extra trigger release, several food items, flashlight and batteries, fire starter, paper maps, and…you get the idea. It’s my survival pack in many ways. One thing I keep in the pack is an emergency water filter system. The one I use filters up to 20 gallons. By my calculations, that will get me by for close to three weeks if something were to happen.

Why would I need a water filtration system? One thing to keep in mind if you were to truly be in an emergency survival situation is you have to stay alert and sane. Food, water, and shelter are the necessities. While food can be taken either by hunting or by picking proper plants, and shelter can be made, water is a little different. Yes, I can find a stream in the mountains. What I cannot do is see whether the water is safe to drink. I can build a sill, but the water supply can be very limited in dry situations. And remember the alert and sane part? If you become sick from water-born bacteria and you are lost or stranded, how alert and sane do you think you will be? Hence the need for water purification. Options include tablets or filtration systems. I like the filtration systems due to the number of uses.

I was recently contacted by Ben Seaman of Eartheasy, the official launch partner for Lifestraw in the U.S. Lifestraw is a water filtration system for use by hikers, hunters, campers, and emergency preparedness. Lifestraw was first introduced in 2005 and accumulated many accolades and awards for its uses in disaster situations and third-world sanitary conditions. Ben asked if I would like to review the product for its

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

U.S. launch and after a little research, I was more than interested to test the Lifestraw. Like I mentioned before, I keep a water filtration system currently.

First, some technical information from Lifestraw and Eartheasy: weighing only 2 ounces, Lifestraw can filter down to .2 microns which includes 99.9999% of bacteria (such as salmonella and vibrio cholera) and 99.9% of protozoa (such as entamoeba histolytica). It cannot filter heavy metals or viruses or desalinate water. Here is what I find impressive; Lifestraw is tested to filter 250 gallons or more! Remember, the filtration system I have only does 20 gallons. In other words, Lifestraw could be used to filter water for nearly a year for a single person in an emergency situation.

Now, there is the hype from Eartheasy and Lifestraw. Of course, this is supposed to be my review, which means my tests would have to be run. Since I keep the system for hunting, I decided to test the Lifestraw in situations I could encounter while on a hunting excursion.

First thing, the Lifestraw packaging is TOUGH. I thought it would be a ‘tear open’ type wrapper. Nope, needed a knife. I suppose this is good to prevent contamination prior to first use. I tried it in regular cup of water first. When trying to get the water through the straw, it takes some powerful sucking initially.

Once I had water flowing though, it was pretty easy to continue drinking. The main reason I tried it on a regular cup of water was to see if there was any taste associated to the Lifestraw. Water tasted the same whether drinking from the cup or through the Lifestraw. Once you are finished drinking, it is recommended to blow back through the straw to clear the filter. Again, this took some power.

The second part of the test was to drink from a nearby stream. The straw worked the same as when drinking from the cup.

I could taste the stream water. Tip: Do not lie next to the stream bed in order to drink; you get wet! It is recommended to use a cup to dip into the stream or body of water and use the Lifestraw in it

instead. Here is where my other negative shows up. The Lifestraw has a larger diameter than a standard plastic bottle opening (the type that a soda or bottled water comes in). It fits fine in the larger diameter hiking-type bottles. I usually use bottled water and put those in my backpack. Remember the knife I used to open the wrapper? It was used to simply cut the upper portion of the water bottle off, creating an improvised cup.

So to recap the negatives: The wrapper is tough to open, the water tastes the same going in as it does coming out, and it is larger than a standard bottled water bottle.

With that being said, the positives

A girl uses a Lifestraw to drink water from a pitcher.

completely outweigh the negatives. The Lifestraw has been tested to a minimum of 250 gallons, can be stored a minimum of 3 years, and is in the same cost range (under $20) of filtration systems that provide much less filtration volume.

It also filters out more bacteria and protozoa than my current system. In fact, even the water purification tablets did not clean the water as well as the Lifestraw (based on research from reading the specs on a couple of water purification tablet bottles).

I find it as a must buy. In fact, the Lifestraw will replace the water filtration system I currently have. Not only is it great for the outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting, it provides a great tool for disaster relief and emergency management.

Hey, you may want to get one for each member of the family. It will be more than handy during the coming Zombie Apocalypse, and, after all, 2012 is just around the corner.

Bill Howard is a Hunter Education and a Bowhunter Education Instructor, a wildlife representative and the BCRS program chairman for the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, and an avid outdoorsman. He can be reached at billhoward outdoors@gmail. com.

12

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

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From Page 10 or bacteria, he specifically said.

“That’s how people get sick, through this fecal-oral route,” Chapman said. “If I were that business owner and they were (doing this to me), I’d be concerned. not just from a public health issue, but also because that’s my business.”

Jeff Lovin, the general manager of French Broad Electric Membership Corp., said Wednesday that he hadn’t heard of the possible problem and he deferred to Ron Chandler, the sub-contractor with Heritage Tree who has the contract to clear the rights-of-way. A call to Chandler went to an answering machine Thursday.

But Lovin did question how humans defecating on a farm differs from “the bear, the deer, the dogs and cats” and other animals that might do so. “How do we know it’s those guys” hired to clear the power line?

Asked if the utility required sub-contractors to provide portable toilets, he replied: “We don’t bring PortaJohns” out for that work.

Chapman said he felt such an attitude is not one that takes into account all the issues that arise when human waste is left where food is grown. “There are risks that are beyond their control,” he said. “My sense on it is, you want to do that (deposit human waste) as far away as possible” from agriculture areas.

And the fact that it has rained since the feces was discovered complicates the issue, Chapman said. “That’s a real concern, definitely,” he said. In fact, he said the current food illnesses traced back to Colorado canteloupe could be described as a similar event, and that has been blamed for at least 18 deaths nationwide. Rainfall or other “water can definitely be a factor” that increases the health risk. “It increases the potential that, if there’s a pathogen, it is spread” and soaks into the soil.

Chris Harrelson, the Food Defense Coordinator for the State of North Carolina, said poor practices such as those suspected by the local farmer “are an ongoing issue,” but that most farmers producing for the market have good agriculture practices in place.

See Page 15

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 13

Family

Don’t rely on an app for good parenting

By John Rosemond Full disclosure in four parts: First, I am not a tech-savvy person Living and never intend to become one. Second, I am convinced that the with less technology, the better the life. Third, the technology in my children life consists of a laptop, basic cell phone, stereo “Should children be paid for system, DVD player, flat-screen television, ROKU, chores like adults are paid for and a Digital Video Recorder. the work they do?” should be Fourth, I do not believe children answered. Ponder this: Adults are should have cell phones until they not paid for doing housework. are able to take full responsibility They are paid for doing work that for them, including paying the children are prohibited, by law, from doing. Children don’t bring monthly bill.

I recently ran across news of income into the home—not until technology available as “apps” they are old enough to be legally for mobile phones and tablet employed that is, at which point computers that entices children they should give back a certain to do household chores. I’m percentage (I recommend 20%) not going to list them, because of their income to the family.

I don’t want to appear to be Keep in mind that Dad and Mom endorsing them. In fact, I am give ALL of their income back to the family. So, to answer the dis-endorsing them.

One of these products was previous question: No. They named “Best Parenting App” already enjoy free room, board, of 2011. Parents create a list transportation, medical care, and of chores, responsibilities, and so on. That is their “payment.”

Also, when one pays or rewards desired behavior for the child in a child for chores, the impression question and assign point values to each. Points are then exchanged is created that if the child does for rewards. The other programs not feel the immediate need for are variations on the same theme the payment or reward, he is in that they make a game out not obligated to do the chores. of doing chores and result in And that brings us right back to children receiving rewards for entitlement.

A child should do chores becoming Housework Heroes. because his parents tell him to This is what I call Parenting of the Absurd. In other words, these do them, period. There should products will enjoy great appeal, be no rewards for this other than especially among parents who the reward of being a member drink often of the post-1960s of a family that is blessed to live parenting Kool-Aid. For their in a single-family dwelling that sake, let’s break this issue down is heated in the winter, affords protection from weather and into digestible pieces: First, a family is the most critters, and within which there fundamental of social groupings. is lots of love and good food. On The family, not the individual, is the other hand, if the child fails the building block of a functional to do his chores, then he should society. As such, family is the pay a price of some sort. That’s training ground for citizenship. what happens in Real World, Good citizenship is defined by and remember, this is all about contribution, not entitlement. helping children learn about Real Therefore, children should be World.

In summary, these apps are contributing members of their appsolutely stupid, the antithesis families. The most meaningful way they can contribute is by of what “family” means. doing their fair share of the work Family psychologist John that must be done to keep the Rosemond answers parents’ home clean, tidy, and otherwise habitable. Are you with me so questions on his website at www. far? If you are confused already, rosemond.com. then there’s no point in you reading any further.

Anyway, we have arrived at the point where the question

Worms, your unlikely allies

By Nathan Seppa Science News for Kids

Back in the Stone Age, humans had to put up with all sorts of creepy crawlies.

Parasites - organisms that live on or in another organism lingered inside our bodies, living off of our blood. Because internal parasites go mostly unnoticed, they were able to keep living with humans.

People can survive a long time with tiny parasitic worms in their intestines.

This seems like a win-lose situation - with humans the losers. But scientists now say that may not be so. Parasitic worms might have something to offer humans in return for getting free meals and housing. In parasites’ efforts to turn people into friendlier hosts, these tiny worms have developed the ability to tone down the human immune system. This system is that invisible “sixth sense” inside us all that fights infections and disease, including parasites. The part of the immune system the worms really target is inflammation.

Inflammation is usually a good thing.

If you cut your foot, you might notice the area around the cut becoming warm and swollen. That’s a sign of inflammation - the immune system sending in an army of professional cells and proteins to kill germs. But too much inflammation for too long is not healthy.

And that’s where parasites come in.

By releasing chemicals that lessen inflammation, parasitic worms make life easier for themselves. And while reducing inflammation might lower immunity in some people, it might also offer a golden opportunity

in others to cool off an overheated immune system.

Many people have immune problems, which i n c l u d e a l l e rg i e s and asthma. Their bodies generate too much inflammation on the skin or in the lungs, creating a rash, a cough or other symptoms. Doctors try to knock down the inflammation with an inhaler, pills or whatever it takes.

Inflammation can show up in more serious immune problems, too, such as autoimmunity, when the immune system gets so out of whack that it actually causes disease instead of curing it.

Autoimmune diseases tend to be more severe than allergies and asthma, and include rheumatoid arthritis (affecting joints, such as knees), multiple sclerosis (in nerves and muscles), Crohn’s disease (in intestines), psoriasis and lupus (in skin) and the kind of diabetes that occurs in young kids.

In all of these cases, the immune system generates out-ofcontrol inflammation.

Scientists are now trying to put parasitic worms to work helping people with immune problems.

It’s hard to believe, but doctor s have shown that treating patients with the live microscopic eggs or larvae of parasitic worms can calm some autoimmune diseases without creating new ones.

Wait a sec. Aren’t parasites the bad

guys?

Yes and no.

L i k e a b u rg l a r who steals from your house but also fixes the plumbing, parasitic worms can offer some benefits.

It’s true these tiny worms can cause anemia (a lack of red blood cells) and more serious conditions.

But because a parasite gets no benefit from bumping off its host, the worm doesn’t do too much damage r i g h t a w a y. A n d in the meantime, its inflammationfighting routine might come in handy.

The 20th century’s medical advances meant the end of most parasites in the United States and other highincome, developed countries. But those same regions also saw increases in asthma, allergy and many kinds of autoimmune diseases. Meanwhile, parasites continue to infect millions of people in the tropics, where autoimmunity is rare and asthma and allergy are less common than in wealthier, temperate countries.

Coincidence?

Some people don’t think so.

David Elliott, a doctor at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, noticed the increase in autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies in the United States. Elliott says, “We asked, ‘What’s missing in developed countries?’ We still had viruses and bacteria, but we were missing a whole See next page

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Oct. 6, 2011

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Good worms?

Continued from page 13 class [of microbes] that used to be universal.” That would be parasites. Better sanitation and simple changes like wearing shoes (to keep hookworms from getting into the skin) had put parasites out of business in the United States long ago.

Elliott wasn’t the only scientist fascinated by these trends.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham in England began working with Ethiopian scientists to study parasites and immune disorders. In 2003, the team reported finding that Ethiopian kids with parasitic worms were half as likely to wheeze — a symptom related to asthma — as were kids without the worms.

Around the same time, Argentine scientists began tracking 24 people who had multiple sclerosis, also known as MS. In people with this disease, the immune system damages nerves that control muscles. Half of the people in the South American study also had a parasitic worm infection. As part of the study, people with the worms agreed not to be treated for their parasites.

And just as well. Only three of the 12 patients with worm infections developed an MS attack - and only one attack each - during the next four years. The 12 MS patients without worms suffered a total of 56 attacks over the same time period. These results suggested the parasites were fighting inflammation.

In Gabon, a country in equatorial Africa, another study found that school children with a parasitic worm infection were about half as likely to develop an allergy to dust mites as were kids with no parasites. Again, it seemed these worms were keeping inflammation at bay.

Armed with this knowledge, some scientists decided to see if deliberately giving parasitic worms or their eggs to people already sick with an autoimmune disease would offer them any benefit.

Cringe-worthy treatment Elliott and his colleagues at the University of Iowa identified patients with ulcerative colitis, a condition in which the intestines become inflamed, causing pain, diarrhea and other symptoms. The researchers assigned patients to get a drink every two weeks for 12 weeks. Some patients received a drink that contained a cleaned-up version of eggs from a parasite called a whipworm. The team used the kind of whipworm that infects pigs because these worms don’t bother people. The other patients in the study were given an egg-free drink.

The results weren’t spectacular, but 13 of 30 people getting the parasite eggs improved substantially, compared with only 4 of 24 people who didn’t get the eggs.

Despite the promising findings, worm therapy isn’t a slam dunk.

A test in the European country of Denmark found patients with hay fever, a kind of allergy, received no benefit from whipworm eggs given over three weeks. Another study at the University of Nottingham showed that people with asthma receiving very small doses of hookworm larvae experienced no benefits.

But those results haven’t dimmed interest in parasite therapy. Several human studies with parasites are underway or being planned.

Purposely taking parasitic larvae or eggs requires some courage, says John Fleming, a brain doctor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Fleming is working on one of those studies and acknowledges that “it doesn’t seem like mainstream science at first pass.”

Not surprisingly, some people do find this whole idea of using worms to treat illness a bit hard to swallow.

“The problem with giving people [parasitic worms] is you’re introducing a foreign organism, and that has the [risk] of unforeseen consequences,” says Derek McKay. He’s an immunesystem expert at the University of Calgary in Canada.

But McKay is convinced that worms can stop inflammation by changing how the human immune system acts. So he is trying to find out just what those changes are. McKay’s team has found that parasites slow inflammation by revving up the production of a protein called interleukin-10, which reduces heat and swelling.

Joel Weinstock, a researcher at Tufts University Medical Center in Boston who worked on the Iowa studies, thinks that parasites smother inflammation by manipulating two kinds of immune cells: dendritic cells and macrophages. Parasites can steer these cells away from promoting inflammation and toward stopping it.

The next step is to find out which chemicals the parasites themselves release to trigger these changes. “Identifying these [parasite] products,” McKay says, “could be the blueprints for new drugs.”

Several chemicals already have been identified. David Elliott says all of a parasite’s different compounds might be necessary to effectively halt the inflammation caused by disease. “It’s a lot like getting a kid to clean his room,” he

says. “You offer money, turn off the TV, hide the video games — then the room gets cleaned. Any one thing won’t do it.”

Power words: parasite: Organisms that live on or in another organism. immune system: A bodily system of organs, tissues, cells and cell products — such as antibodies — that identifies threats to the body and rids it of harmful substances or organisms. inflammation: The body’s response to cellular injury; often involves swelling, redness, heat and pain. tropics: The region near Earth’s equator. Temperatures here are generally warm. temperate: Regions just above and below the tropics. Temperate regions have a moderate climate with fewer temperature extremes. microbe: An organism (such as a bacterium) that is very tiny and visible only with a microscope. dendritic cell: A type of immune system cell that initiates the primary response to a foreign substance. m a c ro p h a g e : A t y p e o f immune system cell that aids in the destruction of foreign objects such as bacteria.

Shane Wilson of Wilson Taxidermy got this eight-point buck in Yancey County with a Hoyt, Viper-tech bow. He said it was a big-bodied deer for the area, weighing 185-200 pounds. Shane can be reached at 284-9848.

His taxidermy shop is on U.S. 19W in Green Mountain.

Attorney General warns of job scams Many North Carolinians are looking for work - and scammers are working hard to take advantage of them, the attorney general’s office says. Be skeptical of job offers that sound too good to be true, and always research a company thoroughly before you agree to accept a job.

Be especially careful if you apply for jobs online or post your resume on career sites. One North Carolina

consumer recently applied for a job she found while searching the web but the job turned out to be a scam.

The position promised a weekly salary of $700 to serve as personal assistant to someone overseas, with duties to include banking and processing orders.

Fortunately, the website where she learned about the job figured out that the job was fraudulent and warned her.

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 15

What’stoeatattheelementaryschools?

Friday, Oct 7

Monday, Oct 10

Tuesday, Oct 11

Wed., Oct 12

Thurs., Oct 13

Friday, Oct 14

Breakfast Half Student Day Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk Lunch BBQ Rib Sandwich Fish Nuggets Cornbread Tossed Salad Spicy Pinto Beans Pineapple Tidbits Mandarin Oranges Milk

Breakfast Biscuit w/Jelly Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk Lunch Hot Dog w/ Wh Grain Baked Ham Mac & Cheese Cornbread/Pears B.Beans/ColeSlaw Blueberry Apple Crisp Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Ham Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk Lunch Toasted Cheese Sandwiches Sunbutter w/Jelly S’wich Veggie Beef Soup Broccoli/Fruit Applesauce Milk

Breakfast

Lunch Hamburger/ Cheeseburger on Wh Grain Max Pizza Sticks/ marinara Corn/Carrot Sticks Peaches/Blueberries Milk

Lunch Cheesy Beef Nachos Hot Ham&Cheese Sandwich Tossed Salad Veggie Beans Fresh Fruit/Fruit Cocktail Milk

TEACHER WORK DAY

Food for thought for middle school Friday, Oct 7

Monday, Oct 10

Tuesday, Oct 11

Wed., Oct 12

Thurs., Oct 13

Friday, Oct 14

Breakfast Half Student Day Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Waffles Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Ham Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast

Lunch BBQ Rib Sandwich Fish Nuggets Chix Quesadilla Cornbread/T.Salad Spicy Pinto Beans Pineapple/Milk Mandarin Oranges

Lunch Hamburger/ Cheeseburger on Wh Grain Max Pizza Sticks w/ Marinara Sauce Corn/Carrot Sticks Peaches/Blueberries Milk

Lunch Hot Dog on Wh Grain/Baked Ham Mac & Cheese Cornbread/Pears Stuffed Crust Pizza B. Beans/Cole Slaw B.BerryApple Crisp Milk

Lunch Cheesy Beef Nachos Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Chix Quesadillas Tossed Salad Veggie Beans/Fruit Fruit Cocktail Milk

Lunch Toasted Cheese Sandwich Sunbutter S’wich Stuffed Crust Pizza Veggie Beef Soup Broccoli/Fruit Applesauce/Milk

TEACHER WORK DAY

Chowing down at Mountain Heritage Friday, Oct 7

Monday, Oct 10

Tuesday, Oct 11

Wed., Oct 12

Thurs., Oct 13

Friday, Oct 14

Breakfast Half Student Day Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Pizza Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Sausage Biscuit Pancakes Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Waffles Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast Breakfast Pizza Ham Biscuit Cereal Animal Crackers Juice/Fruit/Milk

Breakfast

Lunch Hamburger/ Cheeseburger on Wh Grain Max Pizza Sticks w/ Marinara Sauce Corn/Carrot Sticks Peaches/Blueberries Milk

Lunch Hot Dog on Wh Grain/Baked Ham Mac & Cheese Cornbread/Pears Stuffed Crust Pizza B. Beans/Cole Slaw B.BerryApple Crisp Milk

Lunch Cheesy Beef Nachos Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches Chix Quesadillas Tossed Salad Veggie Beans/Fruit Fruit Cocktail Milk

Lunch Toasted Cheese Sandwich Sunbutter S’wich Stuffed Crust Pizza Veggie Beef Soup Broccoli/Fruit Applesauce/Milk

and cannot wash their hands. Pathogens can be transmitted to the product.

“I agree with Ben Chapman,” Harrelson said. “I trust his

opinion and expertise.

But I’m coming from a retail food service perspective. (The farmer) would have to sell directly to

restaurants” before he got involved.

So what if he found garden items in a restaurant known to have been grown

where humans had d e f e c a t e d ? “ We would not allow that product to be prepared or sold. We would ask the restaurant to voluntarily dispose of the product. If the owner refused to throw it away, we would embargo it.”

So human waste is that dangerous?

Yes, Harrelson said.

“Human feces are assumed to have a certain amount of pathogenic

Lunch BBQ Rib Sandwich Fish Nuggets Chix Quesadilla Cornbread/T.Salad Spicy Pinto Beans Pineapple/Milk Mandarin Oranges

WASTE

From Page 12 The same applies to any migrant worker who uses the bathroom in the field

TEACHER WORK DAY

organisms; bacteria and virus.”

Jim Melvin, the assistant director of regulatory programs with the Food & Drug Protection Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture, said that there is “the potential that the cropland has been contaminated” if the situation is as was explained to him, and his department would “embargo the field.”

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High school celebrates with crowning of Homecoming court

Mitchell Whitt and Ashlyn Medina

Mat Sigmon and Tori Mast

Alex Grindstaff and Maria Kardulis

Mitchell Simmons and Faith Silver

Jake Silver and Lauren Street

Brian Krause and Haley Carroll

Nick Thomas and Brandy Evans

Tim Hensley and Lacey Webb

Drew Brown and Brianne McFee

Reed Deyton and Abbey Bailey

Danny Whitson and Chelsea Blevins

Madison Trimble and Avery Austin

Zeke Seaton and Emily Tipton