Sept.22, 2011

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Cougars ready for visit by Polk

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Adolescents and drug abuse

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www.yanceycountynews.com vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Sept. 22, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 37

METH ARRESTS IN MITCHELL Ollis

Bennett

Banks

Hughes

Grindstaff

P. Barrier

Lumpkin

Smith

Ledford

Griffith

Burleson

York

Barnett

Buchanan

Brown

Ayers

Charley Hill

Charles Hill

Law officers rounded up these 19 people Tuesday after a year-long investigation into what they say is the escalating manufacture and sale of methamphetamine in the area.

See story inside

A. Barrier

Explosion in camper burns down home This Star Mill Road home burned Tuesday morning after fire apparently broke out in a camping trailer p a r k e d n e a r b y.

Firefighters from Newdale, Celo and Burnsville VFDs responded to battle the blaze for about four hours.

Neighbors reported hearing a boom, and some suspected it occurred in the travel trailer, starting Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News the fire.

Photo illustration by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News This ‘stitching’ of two different photographs from the Charlie Proffitt funeral best illustrates the community support displayed and the individual grief felt after the loss of the volunteer firefighter, Department of Corrections sergeant and part-time radio show host who died of leukemia at age 39.

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Sept. 22, 2011

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Schools

Anti-bullying program set to begin All schools deal with the issue of bullying. Mountain Heritage High School is taking proactive steps to stop and prevent bullying by adopting the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. This researchbased school-wide “systemschange” program has been used successfully in schools all over the country and around the world with positive results.

This program is not a curriculum of student participation for only a few weeks.

Rather, it is a coordinated effort by all the adults in the school to supervise and intervene when bullying happens. As part of the program, students participate in weekly class meetings to learn about the effects of bullying, what they can do about it, and how they can work with adults at school to put a stop to it even as bystanders. Parents will receive information on Parent Conference Day and will have access about program implementation and information on the School Fusion page. This is an effort to ensure that parents can support the message that students will be getting in school.

Counselor Shane Sullivan, said, “This type of program is about changing the whole school climate to make it a safer, more positive place to learn. One change that many schools have noticed after using this program for a year or two is that students actually like school better.

It makes sense— it’s hard to learn if you’re afraid or if other students are mean to you.”

Implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a long-term commitment to making Mountain Heritage High School a safer, more positive place to be. For more information about the program and/or ways to become involved with Olweus at MHHS, contact Principal Mrs. Bennett, or Counselor Shane Sullivan. If you would like more information about district wide implementation please contact Kristin Buchanan, Certified Olweus Trainer for Yancey County Schools.

MHHS will be having their school-wide kickoff on Sept. 9th with a special assembly: guest speaker with performances by faculty and a student made video.

Yancey County Schools is the first School District in North Carolina to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Districtwide!

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program was established to increase the capacity of schools in Yancey County to reduce bullying and to create classroom climates where children feel safe and cared for—where children are free to learn academically and to thrive emotionally.

The program was developed by Dan Olweus at Clemson University, and is now run by Susan Limber, a nationally recognized expert on bullying who is also with Clemson University. The program is designed to stem bullying by not only making it unacceptable to everyone in a school, but also by ensuring that those employed in the school have the tools to identify and deal with bullying immediately.

During the past four years Yancey County Schools staff has been trained on how to deal with bullying. Everyone from bus drivers to custodial staff to teachers and support staff, has been through the training. Yancey County Schools wants to empower every single person in the district to deal with the issue of bullying.

Because when we’re empowered, the children are empowered.

Through role playing, activities and discussions, Yancey County Schools staff, have learned to identify what bullying is, what the myths are around bullying and how to stop it from occurring.

The program focuses on four main expectations — we will not bully others, we will try to help students who are bullied, we will try to include students who are left out and if we know that somebody is being bullied we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

The program also focuses on using positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement; the goal is to change the attitudes of children and adults that bullying will not be tolerated.

“This isn’t a curriculum; this is a culture change,” said Kristin Buchanan, Olweus Certified Trainer. “Stopping bullying takes a team. This approach takes a year to 18 months before you start to see a change. Change happens in small implements.”

Bullying — the myths Bullying, researchers say, isn’t just the school loser beating kids up for lunch money.

According to Olweus, bullying can be defined as “when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself.”

“Bullying is about targets. It is about feeling

like you are the target of other individuals who are out to make you feel bad about who you are. What we are discovering is that those “bullies” are themselves someone else’s target for the same behavior. In other words, bullies have bullies. It is very powerful to have a bully confess in front of the one they have targeted that they to have themselves been targeted at some point by their own bully. When a child that has been bullied sees their “tormentor” break down in tears in front of them, that is a very powerful message and it takes the sting away of the abuse to some degree. Yet, it is very clear that this is a disease that is insidiously epidemic in its spread.” said Mr. Shane Cassida, principal.

And it can take many forms, according to Olweus. Bullying isn’t just hitting, punching and shoving. It can also take on indirect forms including social isolation, rumor spreading, getting others to bully someone else and cyber bullying.

Students can be bullied in the classroom, on the bus, in the cafeteria or online at home.

“Olweus is designed for all students and is designed to be preventative and responsive,” Buchanan said. “Students are required to report bullying if they see it and they are required to learn about what bullying is.”

But the program also ensures that there are district-wide consistent punishments for bullying.

“No matter what school the student is attending, they will know what is expected of them,” said Dr. Tony Tipton, Superintendent.

Proactive prevention

Bullying can be fatal for some students. In the last two years, seven U.S. teenagers have committed suicide because of bullying.

“There’s not a person who hasn’t been made aware of some of the tragedies that become the victims of bullying,” said Superintendent Dr. Tony Tipton. “It’s important that we do everything it can to minimize that risk.”

Bringing parents and the community into the program is another aspect of the effort, Dr. Tipton said. “Students go home to environments we cannot control,” he said. “But we can make a good-faith effort and communicate to the homes. And we can collaborate with the parents to eliminate this behavior. If it’s in one school, it’s a good thing. But if it’s a program that is incorporated throughout a district, it can pervade a community and make a real difference.”

For more information visit: http://www. olweus.org/

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Sept. 22, 2011

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Opinion

Giving kids a positive message about drug treatment It goes without saying that adolescents shouldn’t use alcohol or illicit drugs. Both activities are illegal and dangerous to adolescents’ health and safety. Still, by the time they reach their senior year of high school, 71 percent of adolescents have tried alcohol and nearly half have tried an illicit drug at least once. Although not all of the adolescents who try or use alcohol and drugs will develop an addiction, some will. In fact, more than one in 10 (12.5 percent) of youth ages 18 to 20 have an alcohol dependence, the highest rate of any age group.

September is National Recovery Month, a time to spread the positive message to adults involved with adolescents that strategies to prevent substance use work, that treatment can help, and that young people can and do recover. The best way for adolescents to avoid addiction is to never use alcohol or drugs.

However, if an adolescent does develop an addiction, early intervention can help them to avoid carrying that problem into adulthood.

Alcohol and illicit drug use in adolescence

The most common and harmful form of alcohol use among all adolescents is “binge drinking” (having four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men within a couple of hours). Although the percentage of high school students who binge drink has declined in recent years, about one in four high school seniors surveyed in 2010 had binged within the past 30 days of the time the survey was taken.

In terms of illicit drug use, marijuana is the drug tried and used most often by adolescents, followed by prescription drugs without medical supervision, and then by inhalants and hallucinogens. After years of declining use, adolescents increased their use of marijuana between the mid-2000s and 2010.

Two federal initiatives have set goals and specific targets for preventing and reducing alcohol and illicit drug use in adolescence: the U.S. National Prevention Strategy (a

comprehensive plan to increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life) and Healthy People 2020 (the federal government’s 10-year health agenda).

Specifically, efforts are focused on reducing the number of high school seniors who have engaged in binge drinking and on reducing the number of adolescents, ages 12 to 17, who have used an illicit drug in the last 30 days.

Adolescents, dependence, and addiction treatment

Several factors influence whether an adolescent will develop an addiction to alcohol or illicit drugs. These include genetics (for example, whether their parents had a substance abuse problem), as well as the age that they start using alcohol or illicit drugs (the earlier in life they use substances, the higher their chances are of addiction).

In a positive trend, the percentage of adolescents identified as having a substance dependency declined between 2002 and 2010.

Still, in 2009 a substantial number (about eight percent) of all adolescents ages 12 to 17 required specialty treatment for problems with alcohol and illicit drugs. This includes 1.1 million adolescents suffering from alcohol dependency, and 1.2 million with an illicit drug problem. Of those youth in need, less than 10 percent received treatment. This low number is a result of a variety of reasons; however, the majority of adolescents with dependencies did not make an effort to get help, or did not think that they needed help.

Healthy People 2020 aims to increase access to services and increase the proportion of adolescents that receive treatment for dependency issues by 10 percent by 2020, in addition to improving prevention and screening activities for other adolescent substance abuse issues. More information on substance abuse prevention and intervention programs proven to work can be found in SAMHSA’s National Registry of EvidenceBased Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Did you know?

The more likelihood of harm that adolescents believe is associated with a substance, the less likely they are to use it. Unfortunately, between 2002 and 2010, the percentage of adolescents ages 12 to 17 who perceived “great risk” from using heroin, cocaine, LSD, and marijuana actually decreased. At the same

time, the percentage of youth that perceived great risk in binge drinking increased.

Additional resources

• Narcotics Anonymous holds weekly meetings for teens in Burnsville every Monday at 7 p.m. The meetings are held at St Thomas Episcopal Church, located at 372 Reservoir Road.

• Healthy Yancey provides a full list of services at www.healthyyancey.org.

• The West Highlands Network staffs a 24 hour hotline to assist those with addiction issues. The number is 800-951-3792.

• RHA Behavioral Health/ARP Addiction Recovery and Prevention can help M-F, 9-5 at 682-2111.

• SAMHSA’s Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator helps adolescents (and those that care about them) to find the right drug or alcohol abuse treatment program. For information on treatment providers nearest you, see http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov or call 1-800-662-HELP. • Stopalcoholabuse.gov has a number of resources provided by the 15 federal agencies of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Underage Drinking Prevention. Specific to adolescents trying to recover from alcohol addiction, the site’s Treatment page has details on treatment-related research, programs, and services.

• The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has a number of resources for treatment and recovery from addiction.

Also, parents looking for strategies to prevent, or stop, illicit drug use by their adolescent can visit AntiDrug.com, the Web site of The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, and a project of the ONDCP).

• The National Institute for Drug Abuse’s NIDA for Teens site has a wealth of resources to educate adolescents ages 11 through 15 on the science behind drug abuse. Its section for parents and teachers has information and lesson plans that help explain the physical effects of drug abuse to adolescents.

• CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov, the site of the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Task Force on College Drinking, has an FAQ page dedicated to Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Its page for college parents includes resources like, “What Parents Need to Know about College Drinking.”

Would we seek a ‘Horsehead’ or other industry?

The television news was all atwitter this week about the news that Horsehead Company, a zinc smelter and recycling firm, plans to build a new plant in Rutherford County, bringing that community 1,000 construction jobs and 250 permanent positions once the site is operational.

Horsehead says the plant will cost more than $350 million to build and will utilize lowercost, environmentally friendly technology.

We congratulate Rutherford County for attracting this new industry, but I have to wonder if Yancey leaders are out there beating the bush to lure industry here.

Now granted, a zinc smelter might not be what some people want in the county, but when an industry brings 250 well-paying jobs

to town, you can’t ignore the possible positive impact.

So what is attractive in Rutherfordton that isn’t attractive here in Yancey? Is it the infrastructure? The workforce? Rutherford has a population in the 60,000 range, while we have less than 20,000 people, but both counties have progressive community colleges and residents ready and willing to train to learn new skills.

So are our leaders out there busting their rear ends looking for our version of the Horsehead Company? And if they were interested, would the community support it or pass it by?

Jonathan Austin

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Obituaries Thomas Dean McIntosh

Thomas Dean McIntosh, 68, of Shepard Way, died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, at Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care in Lenoir. A native of Yancey County, he was a son of the late Tom and Ruth Jarrett McIntosh.

Surviving are a sister, Susan Wilson and husband, Robert, of Lenoir and a brother, Ronnie Vic McIntosh and wife, Mitzi, of Micaville.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home.

Maud Kathleen Hensley Higgins

Maud Kathleen Hensley Higgins, 95, of Burnsville, died peacefully surrounded by family on September 18, 2011. A native of Yancey County, she was the daughter of the late Wesley B. and Atlas Banks Hensley. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, William A. Higgins, in 1996, a retired magistrate of North Carolina for Yancey County, two brothers, Edgar B. Hensley and Brooks C. Hensley, and a grandson, Douglas A. Fisher.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Ann Higgins Fisher and Col. Donald L. Fisher of Bend, Oregon; two grandsons, William Blackburn of Colorado Springs and David Fisher of Bend, Oregon; a greatgrandson, Brandon Blackburn; one sister and brother-in-law, Mary Evelyn Hensley Divers and John D. Divers of Cloverdale, Va.; two sisters-in-law, Wilhelmina A. Hensley and Joyce R. Hensley of Burnsville; six nieces, two nephews, special friend, Yvonne Edge, and a host of cousins and friends. Mrs. Higgins was owner and operator of Maud’s Beauty Salon in Burnsville for 30 years. She was a member of Higgins Memorial Methodist Church since 1934.

A funeral service was Thursday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home with the Rev. John D. Divers and Pastor Wes Sharp of the Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church officiating. Burial was in Banks Cemetery on Bolens Creek.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

Helen Johnson McCoury

Helen Johnson McCoury, born April 30, 1921, to Hobert and Merla Johnson, died Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011, at Mountain Manor Assisted Living. She was the wife of the late Frank Edward McCoury, who passed away in 2002. In addition to her parents and

husband, she was also preceded in death by her granddaughter, Kristie Lynn Gunderson Lee; and sisters Margaret Johnson Carter and Frances Johnson Van den Enden. She was a member of Crabtree Baptist Church for many years, and following Frank’s death she joined the First Presbyterian Church of Burnsville.

Helen worked for Glen Raven Mills, was a manager of the lunchroom at East Yancey Middle School and retired from Baxter Heath Care.

Surviving is her daughter, Barbara McCoury Skinner and husband, Pat, of Burnsville; brothers Kermit Johnson and wife, Betty, of Spruce Pine and David Johnson and wife, Suzanne, of Germantown; granddaughters Karla Deen and husband, Jason, and Barbara Stewart; and great-grandsons Zachary Lee, Christian Deen and Brady Deen.

Funeral service was Thursday morning at the First Presbyterian Church of Burnsville with Dr. Bill Lindeman officiating. Burial will be in the Honeycutt Cemetery on Georges Fork Road.

The family requests memorial donations be made in Helen’s honor to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.

Guy Silver

Guy Silver, 82, of the Bandana Community, died Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. He was the son of the late Fred and Edna Jarrett Silver. He was preceded in death by his brother Harry Silver.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jo Ann Holder Silver, his sons: Sam and wife, Ronda Stafford Silver, and Edd Silver, and three grandsons: Clint F., Jacob Guy and J.E.B. Silver, all of the Bandana Community. He is also survived by two sisters; Nina Turbyfill of Snow Creek, Bobbie Stack of Pensacola, Fla., and a brother, Ted Silver, of Garner; several nieces and nephews; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, James and Jean Willis, of Bear Creek, brother-in-law Charles Bruce Holder and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Edward and Mary Holder all of Canton, Ohio.

Guy was a lifetime farmer in the Bandana Community except for a brief period when he served in the Korean War in the Air Force. Guy showed a love for God first, family second and then his community and the land, as was obvious by his testimony.

He was a lifelong member of Silver Chapel Baptist Church and was laid to rest there on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011.

The family invites everyone to join them in celebrating Guy’s life on Sunday, Sept. 25, at Staci Nicole Ayala 2 p.m., at the Silver Chapel Baptist Church in Staci Nicole Ayala, 36, of the Newdale Bandana. The family requests that memorial community, died Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, at donations be made to the Gideons, of which her home surrounded by her loving family. She Guy was a long time member. was preceded in death by a sister, Tami Denise Honeycutt; grandparents Ossie and Verlon Ethel Ray Austin Edwards and Lester and Carrie Honeycutt, and Ethel Frances Ray Austin, 89, of the her favorite aunt, “Mommy” Wanell Hudgins.

She was a 1993 graduate of Mountain Heritage Riceville community in Buncombe County, High School and a graduate of East Coast died Thurday, Sept. 22, 2011, at Mission Hospital.

Bible College in Charlotte.

She was a daughter of the late Ernest Surviving is her loving husband of seven years, Jonathan Ayala; parents Benny and Bingham Ray and May Penland Ray. She was Judie Honeycutt; mother and father-in-law, the sister of the late Ellis Ray, William Ray, Bob and Becky Ayala, and a sister-in-law, Ali and Edith Dockery, all of Riceville, and two Ayala. brothers who died in infancy.

Funeral services will be held at 8 p.m.

She worked at the Pentagon during World Thursday in the Chapel of Yancey Funeral Services with the Rev. Charles R. Dodson War II in the war department, and married officiating. Graveside services will be held Harvey E. Austin, an Army Air Corps aviator.

She graduated Mars Hill College at age 50 at 11 a.m. on Friday in the Edwards Family Cemetery. The family will receive friends from and began a career as a school teacher at Black 6 until 8 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Mountain Elementary School, from which she The family requests memorial donations retired. be made to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 She was mother of Deborah and Christopher Georges Fork Road, Burnsville, NC 28714.

Austin of Asheville, Peter Austin of WinstonSalem, and Jonathan Austin of Celo.

Roy L. Tipton

Roy L. Tipton, 86, died Sept. 11, 2011, in Port Orange, Fla. He was born in Mitchell County to the late Burnie and Nellie Bryant Tipton. He had previously worked as a sales supervisor at the Budweiser Company.

Survivors include daughters Debbie Bowling and husband, Richard, of Port Orange, Fla., Anita Worley and husband, Kenneth, of Johnson City, Tenn., grandchildren Vance and Dennis Rountree, Gator, Sarah, and Brittany Bowling, and great-grandson Jonah Lane Bowling.

Funeral was Friday, Sept. 16. Burial was in the Whitson-Tipton Cemetery in Green Mountain.

Memorials may be made to Whitson-Tipton Cemetery, c/o Thelma Tipton, 5549 NC 197, Green Mountain, NC, 28740.

Sept. 22, 2011

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Community garden grows healthy food and green thumbs

By Olga Ronay Dig In! Community Garden not only grows fresh, healthy food for local families in need, it also grows green thumbs.

This is not an accident - part of the garden’s mission is to teach, inspire, and empower people to grow their own healthy foods, using modern, sustainable methods. Last week, three different groups came to the garden, and all left with new skills, the satisfaction of growing food for neighbors in need, and maybe even a new friend.

Quaitlin McCoyle was probably the youngest helper, at 19 months. He was acquiring a taste for fresh green beans as his mother, Peggy McCoyle, harvested the bean rows. Peggy and Alice Hutchins are homeschooling moms who brought their “Green Team” to the garden. A 4-H community service club, the Green Team harvested 24 pounds of beans - well, less a bean or two for Quaitlin.

Also that day, Mountain Heritage High School ag instructor Chad Ayers brought three busloads of FFA (Future Farmers of America) students.

Ayers is a big fan of the garden.

“The kids learn better handson,” he says, “and it helps a worthy cause. Our school and students do a really good job of helping out in times of need.” Students helped to turn the compost piles, and to build hoop houses so the garden can continue to produce food

Mountain Heritage FFA students building a hoop house.

through the winter.

Hoop houses were one of many things covered in Pat Battle’s “winter gardening” class at Mayland Community College. Students learned how to protect plants from the winter weather, and which plants grow—and even thrive—in cooler conditions.

A f t e r a s t o p a t Tr o y ’s Greenhouse in Burnsville, the class planted seeds and seedlings at Dig In! Battle will be teaching another class at Mayland October 15, for those interested in growing onions, leeks, garlic and other plants in the allium family.

On any day, you’re likely to see a volunteer like Bob

Repoley in the garden. Bob’s not in any class. In fact, he looks like he knows his way around a garden. “Not true,” he laughs. “I just do what Laura tells me to do!” He means garden manager Laura Seelbach. Somehow she manages to keep track of what needs to be harvested and what needs to be planted, how to lay out the new irrigation system, when the compost tea will be done, and whether the worms are happy in their new worm bin. And she’s always happy to put a pair of hands to work in the garden.

All the food grown at Dig In! Community Garden is given to local people in need, through

Reconciliation House and Higgins United Methodist Church. As of mid-September, Dig In! has provided 2035 pounds of fresh, healthy vegetables, including tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, chard, eggplants, carrots, squash, and potatoes. If you know anyone who needs help getting enough fresh, healthy food, please have them contact Reconciliation House at 6827251.

If you’d like to help at Dig In!, please visit the website, http://www.diginyancey.org/ or call Laura at 828-682-3733. No matter what color your thumb is, your help is welcome!

Besides gardening, help is needed with construction, fundraising, outreach, etc. You’ll enjoy a beautiful setting, learn skills, make friends, and enjoy the satisfaction of producing healthy food for neighbors who are struggling in these hard economic times.

Follow us @ Yanceynews!

Peggy and Quaitlin McCoyle picking green beans

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Sept. 22, 2011

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UARA Racing

Drivers ready and willing as racing goes to Greenville

By Kassie Hughes The UARA-STARS event at Ace Speedway was postponed until further notice this past weekend due to lingering rain showers and moisture, but the teams are chomping at the bit to race this coming weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway in the Pacific Equipment 150.

During the 2010 event at Greenville Pickens, Brennan Poole shot out to the early lead, but Jeremy Burns dominated the race only to be disappointed with a fifth place finish. The two made contact on the last lap in turn one, giving Poole the win.

A year later, the two find themselves back in action at a familiar track, both with cars capable of winning another UARA event this year.

“We need to make smart decisions during the race, because we need to finish and run all 150 laps,” said Poole, who leads the series standings by 171 points. “But we are definitely still here to win races and just let the points fall where they fall. It would

David Roberts and Andy Mercer duke it out.

mean a lot to me to beat Jamey Caudill’s all-time win record and we can still do that.”

Poole will need luck on his side to stay out of trouble for the last couple events.

His worst finish of the season has been a fifth place run at TriCounty, but his time for bad luck could be due. If payback from the No. 81 of Burns is on Poole’s mind, he can rest assured that Burns is only here to win races.

“I really want to

overcome last year and win the race this year,” said the confident Burns, who won earlier this year at Anderson Motor S p e e d w a y, a b o u t 15 miles away from Greenville. “It’s my home track, where I raced my first race. It would mean a lot to me to win a UARA race at the place I started racing.”

While Burns and Poole are focused on another win to add to their 2011 laurels, another tour regular is focused

Mercer is the one who went home with a big check.

on his first career win. David Roberts, from Simpsonville, S.C., has carried the Pacific Equipment No. 18 Chevrolet and its blue colors for the entire UARA season. Roberts, a former champion at the South Carolina half-mile, would love nothing better than to win his first career tour event at his home track, too.

“We had a stretch where it seemed like nothing went right and we got caught up in all kinds of messes,” said Roberts. “I think we finally got our luck turned around and there’s nothing like going to your home track to build your confidence and make a statement. Pacific Equipment has been great to me, they’re sponsoring the race, and they deserve a win in front of all of the employees and their families. We should be pretty good.

The Yancey County News does not charge to run obituaries. So when you are faced with the task of honoring your loved one, remember to ask your advisor to email the obituary to us. Send a photograph, too, and we will run it at no charge.

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We’re going to give it our best shot, for sure, and Lord willing we can pull it off.”

Roberts’ career best finish is a third at Kingsport from just the second race of the season. While he hasn’t visited victory lane yet, the soft-spoken driver who many call “The Rocket” has claimed multiple Holley Performer of the Race awards this season, meaning he knows how to pass cars but has yet to put it all together to claim a checkered flag.

“We struggled with qualifying earlier this year,” said Roberts.

“We finally started to figure it out. The only problem is the guys up front in this series are really good and really hard to pass.

You’ve got to have a really good car, which I know we do, in order to get up front. I think we can qualify pretty good and if we do,

we should be in really good shape for the race and not have to worry about burning our stuff up getting to the front.”

Roberts, along with Burns, Poole and the rest of the tour regulars and local invaders, will do battle on Saturday night along with the Greenville Pickens Renegades, the Carolina Vintage Racers and the Allison Legacy Series.

Spectator gates open at 4pm with UARA time trials taking the track at 6:15. Racing is scheduled to begin promptly at 8pm.

F o r m o r e information on the UARA-STARS, visit w w w. u a r a - s t a r s . com. Fans can also follow the series on Twitter (@uarastars) or on Facebook (United Auto Racing Association) for up-to-the-minute updates, insider information and discussions.

Sept. 22, 2011

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8 Sept. 22, 2011

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Polk up next after Cougars drop road game to Hendersonville

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News

For nearly one half last Friday night, the Mountain Heritage and Hendersonville High varsity football teams were like two well-matched boxers, pounding away but seemingly unable to find the other’s tender spot. But as is the case in many battles, one side made adjustments, capitalizing where the punches were beginning to have an effect, opening up small wound; cutting, bruising, and finally staggering their foe.

In the end, the seemingly well-matched game turned lopsided as the Bearcats passed and rushed for a 27-0 victory in the opening round of Western Highlands Conference play for both schools.

The defenses owned the first two quarters, and as the clock wound down it appeared both sides would go to the locker room scoreless.

“I’ve very happy with our defense,” said Heritage Head Coach Joey Robinson. “I thought our kids played really hard.”

But with less than 50 seconds to go in the first half, Hendersonville quarterback Grant Rivers connected with Mahcallum Duckett, who pushed into the end zone.

Nonetheless, Bearcat fans seemed concerned, saying they had expected their boys - known for speed and big plays - to have the game well in hand rather than filing into the locker room up by only that last-moment score.

But then came the adjustments, and the Bearcats started anew in the third, quickly moving 50 yards with punishing inside running to add their second touchdown, though they missed on a two-point conversion attempt.

The Cougars couldn’t sustain on offense, though, and after punting it away they saw Hendersonville take only two plays to show they had found their stride as they again found the end zone. They missed the point after, and a Heritage coach tried to rally his boys, shouting encouragement that there was time

Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News

The Hendersnville quarterback was stuffed on this play, though he completed a pass that resulted in a touchdown.

and opportunity for a comeback.

“Offensively, we just couldn’t move the ball,” Robinson said. “The offense couldn’t connect and keep our defense off the field.

So they wore us out. Our defense got tired.”

It looked like the Heritage boys were hungry to move the ball, but Hendersonville didn’t intend to allow any come-from-behind effort, and a Bearcat defender caught Cougar quarterback Sam Howell in the backfield for a 14-yard loss on Heritage’s next possession, forcing another punt.

Several times the Cougars - in the hole

on penalties or negative yardage - looked for their receivers to advance the ball, but Hendersonville defenders repeatedly got better position and picked the passes off for critical turnovers that took the air out of any air game.

Robinson said Cougar quarterback Sam Howell dislocated an index finger in the second quarter at Hendersonville, but he will be on center Friday against visiting WHC co-champs Polk County. “He’s the one who’s making the sacrifices,” Robinson said, and after his injury “he played as hard as he had” up until then.

Polk will travel to Burnsville Friday after beating visiting Madison last week 32-14.

“By far their breakthrough guy” is Cary Littlejohn, who rushed for three touchdowns and blocked a punt against Madison.

“They’re beatable,” Robinson said about the visiting Polk team. “I don’t think they’re as good as Hendersonville.”

Nonetheless, Robinson said Polk comes to town with experience and accomplishments.

“They’re very explosive,” with multiple offensive looks and a quarterback who can throw the football.

It makes a difference for this to be a home game; the first after three road trips. “This is a very big home game advantage. It makes a difference for our kids.”

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 9

Snapshots of Cougar girl’s tennis versus Avery County

Bring your Hot Rod, Motorcycle, or Family Car out for a Night of Cruisin! Cruise from the Robo to the Old WKYK Building. There will be Music and Old Movies, including Thunder Road being shown on The Square. Bring your Friends! Relax and Reminisce!

When: Friday Sept. 23 Where: Burnsville Time: 5:30 until ...

For more information call: 828-208-2821

GO COUGARS!

10

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Meth roundup results in bonds totaling in the millions

By Jonathan Austin Yancey County News Mitchell County authorities rounded up 19 people Tuesday as part of a year-long investigation into what they say is the escalating manufacture and sale of methamphetamines in the area.

Mitchell County Sheriff ’s Capt. Rick Wiseman said dozens of warrants were served on the residents on charges involving conspiracy to manufacture meth and possession of the ingredients to make meth.

Wiseman said the prevelence of meth labs has increased in the area, due in part to the ease with which a person can make it. He said television shows have shown step-bystep instructions for making meth in a liter soda bottle. “That really helped us,” he said, meaning, of course, that the ease is a greater burden on both law enforcement and society.

Wiseman said officers began serving the warrants Tuesday morning, and that officers from the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office and Burnsville Police were very helpful in the raids.

All the suspects were processed through the Mitchell County Jail, one being held on $1 million secured bond.

Wiseman said the new method of making meth - known on the street as shake and bake - allows individuals to make the drug on demand and in 45 minutes. He said they can take orders, and don’t necessarily have to keep the drugs in hand.

But possession of the ingredients - known as precursors - is a criminal offense.

Wiseman said bonds are high for many of the individuals because some were on probation from prior drug convictions, some were otherwise repeat offenders, and some were awaiting trial on unresolved drug charges.

Here is the list of the individuals arrested.

Wiseman said others are being sought as well.

Jody Allen Barnett, 32, 12 Homer Young Road, Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 8 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 8 Counts, $1,000,000 Bond.

Kole Robert Smith, 45, 179 Roses Branch Rd., Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

Tony Banks, 44, 1026 Rockdale Rd., Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

Tim Hughes, 40, 415 Odom Chapel Road, Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

James Brown, 27, 60 Crabtree Acres Rd., Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

Joshua Ledford Buchanan, 35, 152 N.C. 226 North, Apartment 1, Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

Isaac Allen Trevor Ollis, 25, 12647 N.C. 226 North, Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

Linda Randel Lumpkin, 50, 179 Roses Branch Rd., Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine 2 Counts, $250,000 Bond.

Chloe Wren Ayers, 20, 35 Amethyst St., Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Immediate

Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Daniel Derrick Bennett, 29, 303 Veed Garland Rd., Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Patrick David Barrier, 48, 46 Cheslea Lane, Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Ashley Nicole Barrier, 21, 46 Cheslea Lane, Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Janie Ledford Buchanan, 35, 152 N.C. 226 Norht, Apartment 1, Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Kevin Griffith, 33, 1182 Hoot Owl Rd., Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

John York, 30, 259 Doc Howell Rd., Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine , Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Sarah Grindstaff, 23, 179 Boo Creek Rd., Bakersville, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Kim Ledford, 30, 96 George McKinney Circle, Spruce Pine, Felony Conspiracy to manufacture Methamphetamine, Possess Precursors to manufacture Methamphetamine, $125,000 Bond.

Playhouse to present Dracula through Oct. 8

Before there was Edward Cullen, Sookie and Bill, Buffy and Angel, and Lestat; there was Count Dracula - the enigmatic and mysterious titular character at the center of Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic horror novel.

Starting on September 30, Parkway Playhouse audiences will come face to face with the insidious and original vampire with a production of Dracula that will run through October 8. Performances will be held Thursdays - Saturdays from September 30 through October at the historic Parkway Playhouse theatre located at 202 Green Mountain Drive. Tickets range from $10 to $17 with discounts available to students, senior citizens, active military, and groups of 10 or more. All tickets to the September 30th performance are $10. Curtain time is 7:30pm and there will be a 5pm performance on Sunday October 2. Reservations

can be made by visiting the theatre’s website at www. parkwayplayhouse.com or by calling 828-682-4285. Elements in the production may not be appropriate for young children.

“Dracula is one of the most famous literary and pop-culture icons of all time” commented Parkway Playhouse Producing Artistic Director, Andrew Gall.

“The book is the inspiration for countless movies, plays, books, comics, and television shows.

Dracula has even inspired a Sesame Street character and a breakfast cereal. Going back to the original story, which is an exciting and atmospheric adventure , will have plenty of thrills for vampire enthusiasts of all generations. ” The story of Dracula centers on the seemingly unrelated disappearance of Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer, who goes on a business trip in a remote corner of Europe and

Performances of Dracula will be held Thursdays - Saturdays from Sept. 30 at the historic P a r k w a y Playhouse theatre in Burnsville. the mysterious death of a young woman living on the coast of England. These events draw together an unlikely group, led by the eccentric Professor Van Helsing- an expert on obscure sciencewho ultimately discover the

horrible secret that a monster is among them . Daunted by shipwrecks, nightmares, and armed with only wooden stakes and crucifixes Van Helsing leads a small group of skeptics on one of the most famous showdowns of all time.

The Parkway Playhouse production features a local cast and several gallons of blood.

(It’s fake.) The ensemble cast includes Playhouse veterans Rob Storrs, Alex Sheets, Jeff Douglas Messer, Dominic Aquilino, Jackie Blackburn, Doug Shaw, Clara Burrus, Mary Katherine Smith-Gall, Bruce Chuvala, Andrea Bailey, and Eric Martinez. Western North Carolina actors Michael Oliver and Anna Franklin will make their Parkway Playhouse debuts with this production. The production is being directed by Gall and is based on an original adaptation by Gall and Messer.

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 11

Outdoors

Take care as you put those tree stands to use

As a child, I spent countless hours climbing trees. My cousins and I were still mastering the art of walking when we could be found climbing my Aunt Sue’s red leaf plum trees in her front yard.

They were perfect for learning low altitude maneuvers for toddlers like ourselves. Though we were no more than 3 or so feet off the ground, we thought we were in the clouds.

Of course, as we aged we would seek new heights.

My cousin Chris and I had a favorite pine at his house where the limbs provided perfect rungs for us to scale to the top.

When I say top, I really mean top.

We would go as high as possible without causing the top to lean and break, often he on one side of the main trunk and me on the other.

A t m y g r a n d f a t h e r ’s house was a huge magnolia tree. Its vast array of limbs provided not only easy steps but plenty of cover and handholds. My

friend Bobby and I experienced our first hunting from a tree there. We would pick various limbs where we could sit and wait comfortably, with our bb gun beside us. After a few minutes, we would often spot and shoot at an unexpecting bird that happened into our range.

Just before hitting our teens, Bobby and I were playing in a field where the trees had just been clear cut. There was one particularly large and long tree that was leaning at a 45 degree angle. Bobby got the bright idea to climb all the way to the end and have it double over bringing him close to the ground.

The tree had other ideas. Perhaps the tree was upset from being cut down, but it only gave way slightly before dumping Bobby to the ground below.

The fall of about 20 feet left Bobby unconscious and I was certain he was about to die. I was recently reminded about that day and how I ran nearly a

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

mile to the closest house with an adult inside. We called the ambulance and his parents and they met me back at the field. Bobby woke up as he was being placed on the stretcher and only suffered a concussion and broken collar bone, but to a 10 year old, it was a life threatening and changing moment.

It is funny how now as an adult, life has come full circle. I again enjoy climbing trees. The purposes are still much the same.

The objective is to get high enough to enjoy nature without nature realizing you are observing. While in the stand this Ric Hunter of Jack’s Creek shared these images of a trophy sized deer he took hunting in Kansas. “I was fortunate enough ... to take this wonderful trophy in Kansas. It was fair-chase, taken with a Sako 25-06 rifle with a 117-grain bullet.

The shot was off-hand at about 125 yards. The deer weighed nearly 300-pounds and took a front-end loader to pick up (bottom photo).

The antlers measured 163 1/3 inches (typical, meaning the ten-point tines were balanced on both sides), measured by a certified Boone and Crockett game warden.

last weekend, I saw one deer which was way too far away. However, I spent several hours enjoying watching a cardinal clan

flitter from ground to tree to shrub.

Much like an aquarium can bring solitude and peace, sitting there with God’s creatures undisturbed brings inner reflection and comfort.

Still, just like w i t h B o b b y, the potential dangers are there.

Remember this season to use a safety-restraint system if using a tree stand, particularly climbing stands.

When someone goes up, they never expect to come down

the quick way.

However, there have already been reports of falls, and they often end up far worse than a broken collar bone and concussion.

Bill Howard is a Hunter Education and a Bowhunter E d u c a t i o n I n s t r u c t o r, a wildlife representative and the BCRS program chairman for the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, and an avid outdoorsman.

He can be reached a t b i l l h o w a rd outdoors@gmail. com.

12

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

CLASSIFIEDS

HOMES/LAND

FOR RENT - or SALE - 4.55 ACRES - BRICK RANCHER - has three bedrooms, one bath. Big living room, kitchen, dining, utility /mud room. 1- Car carport, 2-car garage. Level yard, meadow gentle slopes to woods. $600.00 month rent - $169,000.00 for sale.

Lunsford Realty - ask for Doris 678-3400.

FOR RENT OR SALE Furnished Cottage nestled 1.60 ACRES overlooks town of Burnsville, yet wooded serenity, private and quiet.

Two bedrooms, two baths.

Living-dining, kitchen, utility/mud room. Porch and Deck. Other homesites.

Rent $600 month. Sell -

$169,000 Ask for Doris at Lunsford Realty 678-3400 $99,000 - 19.99 ACRES “ Survivalists Retreat” at end of lane, spring water supply, plenty of firewood, wooded private. CABIN - of Three bedrooms, bath, huge living w/heart/heater for wood burning. Country KitchenDining. Deck. Needs TLC but liveable now. Lunsford Realty 678-3400 NEW HOME - 4.82 ACRES - Custom Built Greatroom w/cathedral ceiling, wood floors, beautiful kitchen w/ stainless appliances, tile counter tops. Two bedrooms, two baths, office/nursery.

Huge laundry/mud room.

Wrap-around porch. Private yet Close in! $199,000.

Lunsford Realty 678-3400

$89,000 - If you can pay rent, you can afford this!

Three bedrooms, two baths.

Huge living w/fireplace of gas log. Dining, kitchen with center island, stainless appliances, new floor clovering. Porch. Fenced pasture for horse plus shed!

3 Miles to town! End or road PRIVATE! Lunsford Reaty 678-3400 LAND - 1.2 ACRES $7,900 NO restrictions! Beautiful knoll, 280* views. Private, yet close to town.

LAND - 1.03 ACRES - Septic installed for three bedroom, site graded - REDUCED $10,000 !!!!! NO restrictions - just off 19E! Lunsford Realty 678-3400 HOME FOR SALE OR RENT Large Townhouse 3BR/3BA; $179,900 or $998/ Month Rent 312 Robertson St.; 2173 sq.ft heated space,

$82.00/Sqft; in-town; vaulted ceiling, fireplace, kitchendining combo, master on main, sunroom, office/den, large closets; non-smokers.

Mountain views. Built 1997.

2-car attached garage.; Homeowners Assoc. cuts grass & shovels snow. MLS #490506 682-6074 WE NEED LAND! Small to medium tracts of raw landany directions. Remote with water, good hunting, or close in. Call Lunsford Realty 678-3400 FOR RENT Two to three bedroom mobile homes.

S o u t h To e a r e a . H U D approved. References and security deposit required.

828-682-4705 RV sites for rent as well.

FOR LEASE2Bd/1Ba 2-story apartment 1 mile north of Burnsville Town Sq. $850/mo (includes basic utilities) plus deposit. Quiet n e ig h b o r h o o d .

Background check. No pets, No HUD, Non-smokers preferred. Near

parks, pools, stores, shops, Farmer’s Market, restaurants, theater, playhouse and live weekend entertainment. Call (828) 682-9976.

SERVICES

FREE MANURE: Will load. Clear Creek Ranch, Hwy. 80 South. Call to schedule pick-up, 828-6754510 Caretaker Available for Vacant or Vacation Homes.

References available. Will provide onsite security, maintenance, and upkeep.

Call 423-743-0677 or 423330-2139. Please leave a message.

WANTED TO BUY Junk vehicles; any age or condition. No title needed.

Will pick up. 828-284-7522 or 828-284-7537 .

Qualified and caring Caregiver/CNA wishes to help care for your elderly loved one and give you, the primary caregiver, a break.

Weekend and holiday respite.

References available. Call (828) 682-0467, please leave a message.

MORE ON PAGE 14

Sept. 22, 2011

A valid and radical change in behavior

By John Rosemond Browsing a gift shop the other day, I happened on a decorative plaque on which was inscribed a quote attributed to the late “power of positive thinking” guru Norman Vincent Peale: “Change your thinking, and you change your world.”

I thought hard about that for several hours and came to the conclusion that Peale was being redundant. A change of thinking doesn’t change the world, and I’m reasonably certain that he wasn’t a humanist, so he really didn’t believe in the idea that each of us constructs our own, equally valid, reality. So I think he meant to say, “If you change your thinking, your entire worldview changes.” And when one’s worldview changes, his perceptions, priorities, values, and relationship to everything in the world changes as well.

For those reasons, his behavior also changes. As such, people who know the individual in question can tell, even if they don’t know his worldview has changed, that there is “something different” about him, and they begin responding differently to him. His change of thinking, therefore, if it is valid and radical, changes other people’s behavior.

How does this relate to parenting? A number of years ago, I came to the realization that the problems today’s parents suffer with the behavior of their children is primarily a matter of faulty thinking on their part. A person living in or before the 1950s could not have ever imagined that just two generations later, parents would be having the sort of child-rearing problems today’s parents report. For example, there is every reason to believe that in the 1950s, it was the rare child who was “oppositional” or threw tantrums after his or her third birthday. And people who taught back then scratch their heads over this ADHD thing The reason for this is not that our ancestors used better discipline methods. It is that they thought differently than do today’s parents about children and their responsibilities toward them. The thinking in question gave rise to a certain parenting vernacular that included such things as “children should be seen and not heard,” “you’re acting too big for your britches,” and “I knew if I gave you enough rope, you’d hang

Living

with

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 13

Family Do some dolphins hunt by detecting electricity with their dimples?

children yourself.” Today’s parents (by and large) don’t say these things to their children. They think differently than did their kids’ great-grandparents. They think high self-esteem is a good thing, for example, whereas their greatgrandparents thought humility was the desirable trait. That difference in thinking results in different parenting behavior which results in different behavior from children. As parents have embraced dysfunctional ideas, the behavior of children has worsened. It’s as simple as that.

Most significantly, those greatgrandparents understood that children need leadership from the significant adults in their lives.

Today’s parents are trying to have “wonderful relationships” with their children. They don’t know that competent leadership eventually leads to very satisfactory relationship, but the attempt to have wonderful relationship shoots leadership in the foot.

Clever discipline methods based on behavior modification theory will not solve a problem that is, at root, a problem of thinking. When parents change their thinking in a functional direction, children sense that there is “something different” about them, and their behavior changes. This is not theory. I’ve been witness to this at a personal level and I’ve heard numerous parent testimonies to that effect.

I started with a quote from Norman Vincent Peale. I will end with a similar sentiment expressed by Bob Dylan: “Gonna change my way of thinkin’, get myself a different set of rules” (Change My Way of Thinking, 1979). Peale and Dylan are talking about a change in one’s worldview; I’m talking about a change in one’s parent-view.

Same difference.

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

Science News for Kids

A person can use all five senses while spending time with dolphins. We can see them frolic in the waves, hear them call and splash, and feel their skin. We can sniff dolphins, though they don’t have much of an odor. And those willing to get close enough for a lick could find out what dolphins taste like.

Dolphins can sense you, too, but not in all the same ways. They have keen eyesight, for example, but no sense of smell.

Sensory biologists try to understand connections between animal behavior and the senses.

One team of these scientists recently made an unexpected discovery about certain dolphins.

The researchers found that Guiana dolphins detect electric fields, an ability that may help them find fish to eat.

Scientists suspect these dolphins are benthic eaters, which means they look for fish food on the seafloor. Down there, animals stir up clouds of dirt while foraging, making it hard to see.

Finding food with electric fields could come in handy in such murky waters.

The secret to this newly found sense, say the scientists, is hidden in the dolphins’ snouts.

“We were really surprised to find this in the dolphin.

Nobody had expected i t , ” Wo l f H a n k e told Science News.

Hanke led the new dolphin study and is a sensory biologist at Germany’s University of Rostock.

Living organisms generate electric fields. The beat of a heart, the work of a cell and the pump of gills all produce tiny but measurable

electric fields. In 1992, scientists even measured the electric field produced by small goldfish.

“Everything that I’m doing when I’m talking, when my brain is working, is making an electrical field. And water carries electricity,” Paul Nachtigall told Science News.

Nachtigall, who did not work on the new study, is a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He says animals generate natural electric fields in many ways.

Hanke and his team suspected the dolphin’s electrosense might have something to do with small dimples on the animal’s snout called vibrissal crypts.

“We thought they must have some function,” Hanke said.

To find out for certain, his team studied two Guiana dolphins from an aquarium in Germany.

Guiana dolphins look like smaller versions of the wellknown bottlenosed dolphins. Found in shallow waters near the east coasts of Central and South America, Guiana dolphins’ choice of habitat has earned them the nickname “costeros.”

The scientists first studied tissue from the snout of a 29-yearold dolphin that had died of natural causes.

Under a microscope, the vibrissal crypts looked familiar: They resembled the sensors

used by other animals to detect electric fields. The scientists also found nerve fibers running into the pits — a sure sign of electrical activity.

Next, Hanke and his team tested a live dolphin, a 28-year-old named Paco, to see if he could recognize an electric field. They taught Paco to swim close to a device that could create a weak electric field in the water. Then the team taught Paco to swim away from the device (and toward a fishy treat) if he detected any changes in the electric field. When the scientists flipped the switch and created an electric field, Paco swam away - showing that he knew something had changed. When there was no field, Paco stayed put. When Paco’s snout was covered in plastic, he didn’t react to the electric field.

Paco’s behavior told the scientists that the dolphin used his snout to detect the tiny electric field.

Other scientists are excited by the finding. “This is a major breakthrough,” Peter Madsen told Science News.

Madsen, who did not work on the study, studies the senses at Aarhus University in Denmark. “I think they’ve demonstrated in a convincing way that this dolphin species can use electro-reception, and in a way that’s sensitive enough to potentially detect prey.”

14

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

FOR SALE GARAGE SALE 9/24 & 9/25. Lots of stuff!! Dressers, End tables, Chairs, Bar Stools, Lamps, Shoes, Books, Children’s stuff, Kitchen stuff, Portable saw, old Miter saw, etc.

Call (828) 682.9976 203 Lincoln Park Road.

YARD SALE Church Street Preschool is having a HUGE Yard Sale! October 1st, 7 am to Noon, located at Church Street Church. All proceeds to benefit the Preschool.

AUTO SERVICE Take care of your car and it will take care of you! Allen Teague’s Auto Repair & Radiator Service. Radiators, Brakes, Transmission flush. Complete automotive maintenance and repair. “Service is our Business.” 5865 Hwy. 80 S – just past South Toe VFD. 675-0876 – 32 years experience. Reliable & Trustworthy

Spruce Pine Montessori School will have its annual fall rummage sale September 29th – October 1st. 45 family event at the Cross Street building in downtown Spruce Pine. Thursday times are 12:00 – 5:00PM admission is $5. Free admission on Friday hours are 8:30 to 5:00PM. Free admission on Saturday and hours are 8:30 to 2:00PM. For more information please visit our website. www.sprucepinemontessori.org

T h e T o e R i v e r on Tuesday, October Community Choir will 18, in preparation for be resuming rehearsals the concert of Handel’s “Messiah,” that will take place in December with the Toe River Chamber Ensemble.

All area residents, all levels of expertise are invited to join. “No auditions, just come and sing, and have

fun,” is what director Beth Joyner has said.

Rehearsals will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday starting on October 18 and will continue weekly. The concert will be held with the Toe River Chamber Ensemble under the direction of Lisa Mauney. All

rehearsals and the concert are held at the First Baptist Church on the Burnsville Square.

T h e To e R i v e r Community Choir and Toe River Chamber Ensemble are sponsored by the Toe River Arts Council. For information call 6827215 or 765-0520.

AUTO SERVICE

Take care of your car and it will take care of you! Allen Teague’s Auto Repair & Radiator Service. Radiators, Brakes, Transmission flush. Complete automotive maintenance and repair. “Service is our Business.” 5865 Hwy. 80 S – just past South Toe VFD. 675-0876 – 32 years experience. Reliable & Trustworthy

People stop us to ask: ‘Do you deliver?’

WE DO! EVERY WEEK!

Our team covers hundreds of miles of Yancey County roads - from Busick to Indian Creek to Green Mountain. We’ll bring the paper to you, too!

Just call 678-3900 to find out how to start your subscription!

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 15

What’stoeatattheelementaryschools?

Friday, Sept 23

Monday, Sept 26

Tuesday, Sept 27

Wed., Sept 28

Thurs., Sept 29

Friday, Sept 30

Breakfast Breakfast pizza, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk Lunch Turkey pie, barbecue rib s’wich, sundowner with jelly sandwich, quickbaked potatoes, green beans, Mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, milk

Breakfast Pancakes, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Sausage biscuit, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Breakfast pizza, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Scrambled eggs, toast, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Lunch Chicken taco salad, corndog, sunbutter w/ jelly s’wich, tossed salad, peas, peaches, pears, milk

Lunch Pork roast barbecue sandwich, fish sandwich, sundowner with jelly sandwich, cole slaw, baked beans, apple sauce, Mandarin oranges, milk

Breakfast Pancake and sausage stick, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk Lunch Lasagna, wheat roll, grilled chicken sandwich, sundowner with jelly sandwich, tossed salad, corn, fresh fruit, fruit cocktail, milk

Lunch Chicken filet sandwich, meatball sub, sunbutter w/ jelly s’wich, mixed vegetables, potato rounds, spiced baked apples, pineapple tidbits, milk

Lunch Sloppy joe sandwich, cheese quesadillas, sundowner with jelly sandwich, California blend vegetables, spicy pinto beans, peaches, pears, milk

Food for thought for middle school Friday, Sept 23

Monday, Sept 26

Tuesday, Sept 27

Wed., Sept 28

Thurs., Sept 29

Friday, Sept 30

Breakfast Sausage biscuit, breakfast pizza, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk Lunch Turkey pie, barbecue rib s’wich, mega chicken tenders, biscuit quick-baked potatoes, green beans, Mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, 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

Lunch Chicken filet sandwich, meatball sub, meta chicken fingers, biscuit, mixed vegetables, potato rounds, spiced baked apples, pineapple tidbits, milk

Lunch

Lunch Pork roast barbecue sandwich, fish sandwich, mega stuffed crust pizza, cole slaw, baked beans, apple sauce, Mandarin oranges, milk

Breakfast Pancakes and sausage stick, breakfast pizza, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Chicken biscuit, biscuit with jelly, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk Lunch

Chicken taco salad, corndog, mega chicken quesadillas, tossed salad, peas, peaches, pears, milk

Lunch Grilled chicken sandwich, lasagna, wheat roll, mega chicken tenders, tossed salad, corn, fresh fruit, fruit cocktail, milk

Sloppy joe sandwich, cheese quesadillas, mega stuffed crust pizza, California blend vegetables, spicy pinto beans, peaches, pears, milk

Chowing down at Mountain Heritage Friday, Sept 23

Monday, Sept 26

Tuesday, Sept 27

Wed., Sept 28

Thurs., Sept 29

Friday, Sept 30

Breakfast Sausage biscuit, breakfast pizza, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Breakfast pizza, pancakes, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Sausage biscuit, waffle sunwich, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Sausage biscuit, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Breakfast Pancakes, chicken biscuit, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Lunch

Lunch

Breakfast Sausage biscuit, breakfast pizza, cereal, animal crackers, juice, fruit, milk

Pork roast barbecue sandwich, fish sandwich, mega stuffed crust pizza, cole slaw, baked beans, apple sauce, Mandarin oranges, milk

Grilled chicken sandwich, lasagna, wheat roll, mega chicken tenders, tossed salad, corn, fresh fruit, fruit cocktail, milk

Lunch Turkey pie, barbecue rib s’wich, mega chicken tenders, biscuit quick-baked potatoes, green beans, Mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, milk

Lunch Chicken filet sandwich, meatball sub, meta chicken fingers, biscuit, mixed vegetables, potato rounds, spiced baked apples, pineapple tidbits, milk

Yard sale to benefit Micaville school

A Community Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 beginning at 7 a.m. at Micaville Elementary School. The sale will be held rain or shine at the school, located on N.C. 80 South.

Lunch Chicken taco salad, corndog, mega chicken quesadillas, tossed salad, peas, peaches, pears, milk

Items include: baby clothes, toys, teen clothes, adult clothes, household items, and many other items will be available for sale at discount prices. A variety of refreshments and homemade foods to include: breakfast items, biscuits w/gravy, cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies, water and soft drinks, nachos, hotdogs, coffee, desserts, etc. will be sold.

Family-friendly activities include train rides, clowns, etc. for the kids.

Humane Society plans flea market

The Yancey County Humane Society will hold a giant flea market Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at the Taylor Togs building in Micaville.

Donation drop-off is Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., through Sept.

24.

Lunch Sloppy joe sandwich, cheese quesadillas, mega stuffed crust pizza, California blend vegetables, spicy pinto beans, peaches, pears, milk

The market will be open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, and 1 p.m.-4 p.m Oct 2.

For more information, call 682-9510.

Yancey Aero Modelers meeting

AMA meeting and workshop be held Monday, Oct. 3, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Yancey Senior Center. Ages 10 – 15 are encouraged to attend but must be accompanied by an adult, and any adult who wishes to participate must be accompanied by a child ages 10-15. We wish to encourage the Big Brother/Big Sister or family atmosphere. Cost is free. Supply catalogs will be available at first couple of meetings. Supplies can be purchased on own or through the Yancey Aero Modelers Group. For information call Doyle Blevins at 682-9620.

16

Sept. 22, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

MLS #24230 $99,000 Enjoy the privacy, peace and quiet with only the sounds of the rumbling Cane River at your door step. You can enjoy a very well maintained camper with paved driveway, chain link fenced in yard, permanent shed with a cover which also makes an enormous front porch while you build your dream home on a flat knoll with gravel road already in place overlooking the Cane River valley.

MLS #24172 $69,000 Remote getaway with small unique cabin, abundant wildlife, great hunting area, rumbling creek with speckled trout.

Lower portion lays very gentle, upper portion is steep with magnificent views. Timber was selectively cut approximately 5 years ago. Water rights available from spring on the adjoining parcel.

MLS #24167 $39,500 This is one of few lots with river frontage and mountain views. Has lots of level river frontage for entertaining, fishing, water sports, etc. House site overlooking river has large mature hardwoods and great mountain views. Easy access to Asheville. $400/year road maintenance and bridge fee, see Book 473 page 173 to 175.

MLS #24155 $79,000 Remote get-away. Back country hideout built in 1999. Open living/ dining/kitchen, 2BR/1BA and laundry, woodstove, gas appliances, wired for generator but has no electricity, has septic, but no permit, bold creek flows on one boundary, heavily wooded and steep, needs lots of TLC. MOTIVATED SELLER.

MLS #24180 $599,000 Creek front villa bordered

by Prices Creek trout stream. 4BR/3/5BA has it all, vaulted ceilings, stone fireplace, custom kitchen, silestone counter tops, breakfast nook, stainless appliances, distressed hickory hardwood and ceramic tile floors, brick veneer and hardi-plank siding, 3-stall barn, fenced pasture, heat pump, private well, wrap around porch w/ banana leaf fans

MLS #24183 $2,500,000 One of the nicest large parcel in Yancey County. Approx. 70 acres of gentle rolling meadows and farmland, upper portion of mature hardwoods, several springs create stream. Also, has house and several barns that need TLC. Ideal for private estate, farming, sub-division or commercial site. Deed reflects 90.83 acres, new recorded survey indicates 85

MLS #24144 $179,000 Cabin in the mountains with great views from rocking chair front porch.

This log cabin sided home has all that you could ever want. Attached garage with 3 BR/2BA, hardwood and ceramic floors, fireplace, open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, lots of wood.

MLS #24166 $75,000 Very clean gentle laying property, easily accessible with great views, creek and several storage sheds.

MLS #24264 $199,000 Great mountain retreat!

2BR/2BA, one and a half story log sided home with great wrap around deck and single drive-in garage basement located on 3.47 acres. Hard wood and vinyl floors, fireplace, and laundry on main.

More great building sites on the property. Can be sub-divided.

MLS #24151 $275,000 43 acre private mountain farm, mature timber, fronts on Lower Metcalf Creek Road and also has road ROW to upper portion. Lower Metcalf Creek runs through property and additional small brook runs down 1 side. Approximately 2 acres of level crop land and 10 acres of clean pasture land. Ideal for livestock.

Several home sites. A Small hunting cabin on property. Adjoining 70 acres also for sale.

MLS #24237 $285,000 Old mountain farm that has it all. Large creek runs through property, several springs on property, flat bottom land for agriculture, barn, new well, well maintained camper already set up, house sites and drive overlooking valley already in place, septic permit, large timber, pasture land, fantastic views from top.

Abundant wildlife with great hunting or viewing.

MLS #24215 $79,500 Well kept home with open kitchen/living, close to town, easy access, city water and sewer. Master bedroom and bath with spacious walk-in closet. Very private covered back porch with patio. Nice front covered porch, carport and storage shed. Within walking distance to town.

MLS #24165 $125,000 All the work is already done. Just come and enjoy the cool mountain air, peace and quiet, wildlife and rumbling creek.

Nice covered camper and porch overlooking a roaring creek, new well, new septic, new bridge, new road, new house seat. Enjoy it seasonally or its ready to build on. 16 acres of prime mature hardwoods. Top or the world views from the top of the mountain

MLS #24191 $269,000 OUTDOORSMEN/ HUNTERS PARADISE! Wildlife galore, very unique self sustaining hunting cabin, no electricity, totally gas (lights, range, water heater, refrigerator, etc). Abundance of fruit trees, grape vines, meadows and wildlife habitat. Exceptional long range views with old logging roads throughout the entire property. Cabin water supplied by gravity storage tank. Septic was installed by land owner, no permit. Cabin being sold as is. Two adjoining parcels make up this acreage. Book 263/ page 580 for 28.39 acres and book 31 page 24 for 10.08 acres.

MLS #24273 $899,000 Remote wilderness area, extremely private but easily accessible with good gravel surface road leading deep into this 373 acre parcel. All deep forest with ,mostly hardwood timber. Abudant wildlife, bear, turkey, deer and small game too. Several springs and creeks. Just 15 min. to I26 and only 30 min. from downtown Ashevile or 45 min to airport. Electricity has been run to center of the property where there is an old house of no value and septic system is in place.

Willing to sub-divide.

Stop by and see Dale or Jonathan England for all your real estate needs. Located in the old tag office at 728 W. Main St. Office - 828-682-9994 Dale’s cell - 828-208-1881. Jonathan’s cell - 828-779-1980 - Also Leadbitter Land Surveying!