Image 1 of Mountain eagle (Whitesburg, Ky.), April 29, 1971

University of ' Serial, Elizabeth Ha llf I w 1 It uoniry "-TEARI- 4050 OF 20J2uTTNO NEWSPAPERS BELONGING TO BOOKS UERlODlCAl3 LIBRARIES e MOUNTAIN EAGLE IT SCREAMS! Whitesburg, Letcher County, Kentucky, Thursday, April 29, 1971 Protest annexation Evicted Letcher Fiical Court voted this week to require the LKLP Community Action Council to vacate office space it has been using on the third floor of the courthouse. The court acted after it received a petition signed by all members of the Letcher County Bar Association, saying the space is needed for regular functions of the Letcher Cir-cou- Some SO residents of the Pine Mountain Junction - Solomon Road area turned out Tuesday night to tell members of the city council they don't want to be annexed by Whitesburg. Generally, they took the position they don't need or want anything Whitesburg has to offer. They argued they don't need police or fire protect ion -the things the city could offer immediately. They argued they could "throw a pumper in the river" and be fighting a fire before a city fire truck could reach the scene. Leonard Nease, a spokesman for Electric & Machine Co. , said his mine supply firm was opposed to and would fight any effort at annexation. He said the firm has installed. water sprinkler system throughout Its plant, and would not benefit from fire protection. Dozens of questions were thrown at Mayor Ferdinand Moore, and city attorney Wiley C. Craft. Moore said the city would not tax any of the residents of the area proposed for annexation unless city services were provided. He said Whitesburg is in good financial condition, with no debts except for the bonded debt on the water and sewer system, and that revenues are sufficient to meet annual pay- rt. BOY SCOUTS AND KITES County Judge Robert Collins said attorneys complained that they have no place, except the hallways, to talk with witnesses during trial proceedings. County Commissioner Jimmy Tucker, Neon, opposed the motion to force LKLP to move. Tucker said he saw no reason why space in the building could not be shared, with the LKLP making the room available when it is needed for court purposes. Tucker Mid he considered the building a public building which should be available for use by all the public. Affected will be the offices of the Mainstream program, an employment program, and possibly space for the Letcher County Head Start program. In other actions, fiscal court listened to a variety of road and bridge problems, but said it is not in a position to do much about the road situation at present. The county road fund is $35, 000 in debt, and will have no money until July 1, when the new fiscal year starts, Judge Collins said. About half of next year's anticipated road fund revenues will be required to pay off this year's debts, which means road and bridge building activities next year will be sharply curtailed. Commissioners I. D. Back and Eddie Howard supported the motion. Back commented the LKLP workers "get all those big salaries and run around all the time." Athletes to speak Al Godwin and Jack Matthews, members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the University of Kentucky, will be in Whitesbvg Friday, April 30, at 8 p. m. , speaking at the Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church. Bom of these young men are senior members of the football team and have lettered three years. Al Godwin has served as president of the University's chapter of FCA, is presently the president of the "K" Club, and was named to the Churchmen's All American Team. Jack te Matthews was an quarterback in Alabama and was used primarily as a defensive back at UK. The public is invited to bear the athletes and to take part in a question and answer period after their remarks. all-sta- Vol. 63, No. 51 SCOUTS ENJOY KITE DERBY boys and their leaders took part in the annual Kite Derby of Cub Pack 73 at the Whitesburg athletic field Sunday. Mitch Whitaker, of Den 2, took the grand prize when the kite he had made with the help of his father was judged to be the prettiest and then outflew all others in both den and pack competition. Other winners were Charles Hall, Den 1; Bert Bradshaw, Den 3; Patrick Wright, Den 4, and Wendell Brown, Webelos den. Those enjoying the derby. Twenty-eig- ht directed by Cubmaster John Ramsey, were: Den 1, Den Mother Fern Brown, Roy Brown, Charles Hall, Steve Jones and Gary Collier. Den 2, James Adams, Gene Yinger and Mitch Whitaker. Den 3, Den Mother Josie Smallwood, Billy Smallwood, Bert Bradshaw and Donnie Fields. Den 4, Den Mother Ann Erwin, Jimmy Erwin, Jimmy Tolliver, Patrick Wright. Jodie Stal-lar- d and Bobby Roe. Webelos Den, Leon Brown, leader; Dale Brown, Wendell Brown, Roger Niece and J. Roy Hammock. Board may change The makeup of the board of directors of the Kentucky River Area Development District apparently will undergo some changes this year. Executive Director Malcolm Holliday told board members at their meeting in Hazard Thursday that the federal Economic Development Administration had informed him that the board must Include minority representation in proportion to the percentage of minority residents in the area served by the district. The KRADD board does not now have any black or other minority group representatives. The eight counties served by the district have about three per cent black population, which would mean 'hat at least one of the 31 members of the board would have to be black. Holliday said EDA has indicated it will not continue to finance economic development districts which do not have proper minority representation. He said the district has a year to bring its board into compliance and suggested that the change be made this year. The board holds its elections in June and new members are seated in July. Holliday also indicated the board also probably will have to change Its poverty-grou- p representation. He uld the question of proper representation of residents of the KRADD has been raised unofficially several timet. The representatives of low- - income groups low-inco- on the KRADD board now Includes Robert Morgan, former chairman of the LKLP Community Action Council, the Rev. Herman Sledschlag of Dry Fork and Charles Beech, chairman of the Middle Ken- tucky River Community Action Council. Morgan is an attorney, Sledschlag a United Methodist Church minister and Beech a banker. None e. of them qualifies as " Another member representing low- - income residents is a man elected by the Middle Kentucky group who has been ill and unable to attend meetings. Holliday said he had no doubt that Beech, Morgan and Sledschlag were adequately representing the area's population, but added that "we have to be certain that representatives of these groups are acceptable to federal agencies. He suggested that the poverty-group representation also be considered by the board before June. There was n o mention of proportionate representation of the group. More than half the residents of the KRADD area ha v. incomes below what the federal government considers ments. Moore said the city was not considering annexation because it wanted additional revenue. "low-Incom- "poverty-leve- l. " Holliday resigns Malcolm Holliday, executive director of the Kentucky River Area Development District, has resigned effective Sept. 30. Holliday has headed the district staff since the agency began formal operations In September of 1968. He told members of the district's board of directors that he was resigning because of 111 health and that he would continue his inmost in district affair. The board accepted his ati on. Craft told residents that, if city council goes ahead with a formal annexation ordinance, they would have 30 days in which to prepare petitions against annexation. If 75 per cent or more residents of the proposed area protests, then the burden would be on the city to justify annexation through proceedings in Letcher Circuit Court. Another meeting is set next Tuesday night for residents of the area west of Whitesburg. Hendrix employed Dwight Hendrix of Hyden, director of the Leslie County Health Program, will become Special Impact projects supervisor for the Kentucky Ri- ver Area Development District beginning next week. Hendrix was hired by the KRADD board after some spirited discussion concerning earlier hiring actions. He had applied originally for the job of human resources co-- ord- inate. Also applying for the human resources job was Shelby Kin-caJr. of Beattyville, now assistant director of the Middle Kentucky River Community Action Council. Kincaid had been .hired by the KRADD executive committee in March, but the full board overrode the (Continued on Page 24) id Inspectors added Frankfort - The Kentucky Division of Strip Mining and Reclamation has announced plans to add 12 new inspectors low-Inco- low-inco- me but because it felt city growth cannot continue without ' where the coal is located In critical areas, where the coal is difficult to mine safely. Grim said, noting that "in many cases these are breakthe field. even propositions. " Elmo Grim, division director, He said the department resaid 10 of the new inspectors cently has been turning down will work in eastern Kentucky, permits at a rate which extwo in western Kentucky. ceeds anything previously exThe state currently has 40 perienced by the department. inspectors, with 32 in the "In the past It was rate to mountains ano 8 in western find a permit application which Kentucky. we could not honor at least Grim said the new Inspectors In part. . . even if we had to are needed to keep up with delete some unstable areas, the rapidly increasing growth or if we had to reduce it from of the strip mine industry. He classic strip mining to auger commented that 23, 000 acres mining. " of land were disturbed by strip Grim said the division as one mining in 1970, compared to method of control now it 13, 000 acres In 1969. double -- bonding all new oper"What do you do when you ators, until they establish a are faced with a 100 percent record of lawful operation. Increase in operators, and alThe division's normal minimost a 100 percent Increase In mum bond is 1200. New operdisturbed, "Grim said. land ators now are required to Grim said many new operapost $400 an acre bonds. tors have entered the business, "The history of the industry some driven out of deep by is boom or bust. . They're federal mine safety legislation, either making a .heck of a lot and some highway construction of money or they're going firms who have turned to strap " Grim broke. said. "And the mining because of a lag in victims, if we experience a highway contracts. bust period, are going to be "The new people coming in these marginal people opcrat- are asking for permits in areas (Contlnued on Page 24J . where the coal is not very good. in