The FranklinEstablished 1886 Pre## Volume 132, Number 16 Wednesday, February 24, 2016 www.thefranklinpress.com Franklin, North Carolina 28734 $1.00 Candidates tackle issues at forum Ryan Hanchett cent, which is the lowest it has been [email protected] in many years. Our tax rate is the fourth-lowest in the state of North The Macon County League of Carolina and we have state-of-the- Women Voters hosted seven can- art schools. Franklin was just voted didates running for public office the best small town in the Blue on Thursday in a primary election Ridge, and the future is bright for candidate forum. the town and the county. I stood Kevin Corbin and Elliott From left: Kevin Corbin and Elliott Southworth, the two Republican candidates for N.C. House District with my fellow commissioners and Southworth, the two Republican 120; Karl Gillespie and Ron Haven, primary candidates for the District 2 seat on the Macon County helped build the Parker Meadows candidates for N.C. House District Board of Commissioners; and Paul Higdon, Manny Carrion and Greg Boyer, candidates for the District Recreation Complex, that is going 120, were on hand as were five 3 seat on the board of commissioners. to bring $8-$10 million in annual Republican candidates for coun- economic impact. We had one tour- ty commissioner. Karl Gillespie Each candidate was given two candidates received the questions in education, economic development nament in 2015, in September, and and Ron Haven will face off in minutes to introduce himself to the advance of the forum. and job creation will impact your for that month the county sales tax a District 2 primary. Incumbent crowd at Tartan Hall and then field- Question: On economic devel- decision-making? was 16 percent higher than any year Paul Higdon will face challengers ed two questions from the League opment, we need to be engaged in Corbin: I think Macon County in the past. As a state, we need to Manny Carrion and Greg Boyer in before taking two minutes to speak processes now that will affect our is a great place to do business. Our District 3. on any topic of his choosing. The future. Can you talk about how unemployment rate is below 6 per- See Forum on page 3A Cullasaja Exxon owners say fire won’t stop them Ryan Hanchett would lead to bigger and [email protected] better things in the future. “Obviously, we want to The story of Thursday’s be open and get back to fire at Cullasaja Exxon is serving the people who rely not a story of destruction, on this store as soon as pos- but rather a testament to the sible,” Patel said. “That will perseverance of three new depend on the insurance business owners in Macon company, fire inspector and County. several other factors, but we At approximately 2:05 do plan to make the repairs p.m. a call came in to Macon and we hope the store and County 911 from the Exxon. restaurant will be better than The caller reported smoke ever before.” coming from the attic area The store remained indicating a possible fire closed on Tuesday and there near the back of the build- is no timetable for when it ing. may reopen. “It appeared to start Patel and his business in the area of the building partners have owned the near the kitchen and spread Cullasaja Exxon since Dec. through the attic before 21, 2015. Having to close the catching the roof on fire,” doors less than two months Cullasaja Gorge Fire Chief after taking over the facil- Paul Corbin said. “Our guys ity is a hit to the bottom and the crews from the other line, but the financial loss departments did an excellent is manageable and the more job of assessing the situation pressing issue, according and knocking the fire down to Patel, was that everyone quickly.” at the Exxon when the fire The cause of the fire is began escaped unharmed. still under investigation. “The most important Justin Patel, one of the thing is that no one got owners of Cullasaja Exxon, hurt,” Patel said. “I talked to was concerned about the one of my business partners Press photos/Ryan Hanchett damage to the business but A fire on Thursday that began near the kitchen at Cullasaja Exxon and spread through the attic to the roof has was optimistic that the fire See Fire on page 2A closed the business temporarily. Sizing up growth, Robotics team gearing up for action Tim Reaves parcel by parcel [email protected] Mountain View Intermediate School’s gymna- Ryan Hanchett [email protected] sium reverberated with mingled shouts of glee and frustration The most basic element of development that will Thursday, as kids from MVI, shape the future of Macon County was the topic of Macon Middle School and planning board discussion on Thursday as the board Trimont Christian Academy took a closer look at land use. ran their robots through obsta- County planner Matt Mason presented a draft of cle courses in the center of the the land use section of the county’s comprehensive basketball court. plan that was put together by the land use and envi- Just a few weeks ago, most ronment subcommittee. of the kids were beginners “The growth of Macon County is evident, not to robotics, but on Thursday only from the past recorded census data but also they strategized in groups on Press photos/Tim Reaves through the increased parcelization occurring with- the bleachers and stage and At left, TekTone vice president Johnny Mira-Knippel helps Mountain View Intermediate in the county,” Mason said. “Over the years, divid- watched their robots score School students Ilah Williams and Brandon Bell operate their robot during a workshop for ing large tracts of land into smaller parcels has points during test runs on the S.M.A.R.T. WNC at MVI on Thursday. At right, a student positions a robot. created a significant number of jobs in construction, two tournament tables. and collaborating as part of the Area Robotics Teams) WNC. her team’s robot through the land development and real estate.” “It’s fun and it’s a good First Lego League, an initiative Local businesses are funding obstacle course on Thursday. According to statistics provided by the Macon learning experience on how “But we’ve been programming County Tax Office, there were 30,000 parcels of to work together as a team to promote STEM (Science, the project. it, and we hope that when we land in Macon County in 1993. By 2009, that num- and build awesome stuff,” said Technology, Engineering “The experience has been go next we’ll be able to do what ber had ballooned to 44,000 parcels. MMS seventh-grader Sebastian and Math) education in local amazing, how everybody has we programmed and we’ll get Mason reviewed several of the ordinances deal- Phillips. “Some people are schools. been working together and how more points.” ing with land development, including those regard- good at one thing, and some School districts in Macon, we’ve been learning from some The three schools have ing subdivisions, erosion control, building height, people are good at something Jackson and Swain counties, mistakes,” said MMS seventh- come a long way since the high-impact uses, sexually oriented businesses and else. You can use those abilities as well as the Eastern Band of grader Paige Byrd. December organizational meet- signage. Bringing those ordinances into compliance and put them together, and they Cherokee Indians, are partici- “It was kind of nerve-wrack- can work together as a team.” pating in the program, called ing at first,” said MVI sixth- See Parcel on page 2A The schools are competing S.M.A.R.T. (Smoky Mountain grader Ilah Williams, who ran See Robotics on page 8A Rants & Raves (Call 369-0568 after 5 p.m.) Index Subscribe Today! North Carolina is one on a four-lane highway are The backpack program Classifi ed....................3B of just five states that still supposed to have their at Macon New Beginnings Deaths.........................7A elect its Council of State. flashers on to let other is a great thing, but I was Legals..........................4B This is an important vote motorists know that they wondering what happened Opinion......................4B because the council over- are traveling below the to their thrift store? sees the implementation posted speed limit. ••• Sports..........................1B and enforcement of bills ••• Adding 20 minutes to that are passed by the It’s sad that President the school day is a good legislature. Obama skipped Antonin idea. It allows for more ••• Scalia’s funeral. instructional time and By law school buses ••• See Rants on page 5A © 2016 The Franklin Press/Community Newspapers Inc. Page 2 Section A — Wednesday, February 24, 2016— THE FRANKLIN PRESS Parcels: County losing farms continued from 1A “In 2008, Macon County ranked 95 out of 100 coun- DIRECTORY with each other is one of ties in farming production the tasks of the land use and in 2014 we actually and environment subcom- HOURS & LOCATION improved to 90 out of 100. mittee. 40 Depot Street in Franklin I don’t know if that was “The committee rec- due to more people starting Open Monday through Friday ommended that the county 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. farms or if the traditional incorporate construction farms are simply producing CONTACTING US standards into all existing more.” and future ordinances deal- By telephone: The committee recom- ing with land disturbance,” mended several policies be 828.524.2010 Mason said.