10 years ago
* A crowd enjoyed the floats in the annual Christmas parade. Sponsored by the Graham County Chamber of Commerce, the parade had 15 floats and plenty of entertainment, highlighted with visits from Santa. Taking first place and the $300 prize was Graham County Schools’ “Charlie Brown” float. Hosanna Baptist Church won second place with a $200 prize and Mt. Nebo Baptist Church won third place with a $100 prize. “We thought it was a great success and now have a good foundation in which to build next year’s Winterfest,” said Glen Muehlhausen, Winterfest Chairman.
* Robbinsville was fined $2,536 by the state for a fish kill, after “improperly” dumping 4,000 gallons of alum sludge into Long Creek from the town’s water treatment plant. Town attorney Mack Tallant said that it appeared that the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources was lenient on the town – which could have been fined $75,000, but the town took immediate action on the violation. “I think we came out very well,” said Tallant. The town was originally cited for three violations, but was reduced to one for $2,000, with enforcement costs of $536.
25 years ago
* Emergency management officials took part in a winter awareness drill. It’s the state’s continuing effort to ensure that they are ready to deal with a variety of possible disasters. “The March 1993 Blizzard and two crippling ice/winter storms in 1996 were still fresh on minds. So, families were urged to prepare sooner than later.
* A rash of unsolved break-ins in Robbinsville, including those at the clerk of court and tax offices, had residents in doubt about the sheriff’s department. In 1991, Robbinsville town police entered into a police contract, in which the county agreed to pay $50,000 to the sheriff’s department, in return for a dispatcher and on-duty officer 24/7 – within city limits – due to the number of complaints made regarding crime inside city limits. Town alderman Teresa Lewis made a motion to void the police contract, after making arrests in connection with Tallulah Health Clinic, the Home Health Office, the Courthouse and Snider’s Store. Whether to keep the police contract active or void would be between the commissioners and the town.
50 years ago
* A first payment of $62,879 was mailed to Graham County under the General Revenue Sharing Program. U.S. Republican Roy A. Taylor said the payments include $52,933 to county government and $9,946 to Robbinsville. A total of $43,850,499 was mailed to 17 counties in the 11th Congressional District. Estimated figures were based on revenue data from local governments for 1965-66, and actual amounts were based on U.S. Revenue Census figures for 1971. The payments already sent were for a 6-month period, from Jan. 1 through June 30, 1972.
* J. Smith Howell of Robbinsville appeared in the December monthly issue of Wachovia News, Western Region, for Wachovia Bank and Trust, in which each month an officer is recognized. Howell was a native of Ashe County and began his banking career with Percy Ferebee at Citizens Bank in Andrews in 1941. Ferebee established an office in Graham County and asked Howell to go. The office opened in 1943. Howell went on to hold just about every important position in the community, including Mayor of the Town of Robbinsville for several years, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club.
-Compiled by Diane West