FREE Every Thursday Volume 13, Number 33 Real-Time News, Weather & WebCams: HighlandsInfo.com Thurs.,Aug. 18, 2016 • Inside • Mayor on Duty ..................... 2 Highlands School ‘Great Beginnings’ era ends Obituaries ............................. 3 By Lane Giddings With the start of any new school a choice, now there is a separate and was a combination of kinder- The Fredster ......................... 7 It’s August and time to think year comes changes. One big kindergarten and a separate first garten and the first grade. By com- Shopping Pullout .............. 12-13 about the upcoming 2016-’17 change this year is the elimination grade class. bining two grade levels in one class- Investing at 4118 ft .............. 14 school year! of the combined kindergarten and The Great Beginnings class room, it helped the school utilize its Events .................................... 8 Highlands School opens its first grade class called Great Begin- was an unique concept at High- teacher resources more effectively, Spiritually Speaking ............ 16 doors to students August 29th. nings. Though, before, parents had lands School for about 15 years •See ERA page 6 Police .................................... 17 Look who came for dinner! HEC is about ‘People Helping People’ Since 1985, the Highlands First Presbyterian Church of High- and fuel, HEC also has other im- Emergency Council’s mission has lands is hosting the sixth annual portant community-oriented of- been about people in this commu- community-wide Food for Fuel ferings. nity helping those in need. luncheon on September 4th. This They include a Christmas Manned with only volunteers, luncheon gives the community the Program for children 12 years and and with its donations, HEC is opportunity to meet HEC’s board younger, a Utilities Help Fund able to provide help to low income of directors and learn more about which was started in 2013 at the residents of Highlands and to HEC and its services. request of local area churches those who have suffered a disaster, The free lunch is provided by to help those with past due elec- lost their jobs or are unable to find the church, but donations are en- tric balances during the winter, a work. couraged. Any proceeds collected Clothes Closet, Dish and Linen How does HEC help? Help at this event will go to the HEC’s Room, Small Appliance Room comes from HEC to its clients in fuel fund. and Warehouse which holds all many forms – food, fuel, clothing, Last year over $10,000 was types of household items: beds, household goods, appliances and collected at the luncheon and was tables, chairs, pictures, sofas, large utilities. HEC provides assistance used to help provide heating as- appliances. to all who apply and meet its quali- sistance to 58 families in the High- The HEC is open 10 a.m. to In Highlands bears wander through yards like stray dogs and cats in fications. No one should go cold lands community. The luncheon is 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at other towns. This youngster rooted at the base of trees, considered or hungry. from 11:45 to 1:45 pm. Reserva- 71 Poplar Street next to Wilson climbing a few and lapped up everything else of value despite dogs How can you help? Since tions are not needed. Gas. For more information, call barking, people talking and cameras snapping. Photo by Kim Lewicki food and fuel are basic needs, the In addition to providing food 828-526-4357. Suspect in 1977 Florida murder arrested at his Highlands home Found at 42 Pheasant Run By David Ovalle murder. once filed an insurance claim on County Sheriff Robert Holland. dited to Florida to face charges of Miami Herald On Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, the slain woman’s life. “Our deputies arrested Alan Breg- First Degree Murder. Thirty-nine years to the day investigators arrested retired real “The Macon County Sheriff ’s man at his Highlands home with- New to Highlands, Bregman that Coral Gables nurse Debbie estate agent Allen Bregman, 75, Office was contacted by the Miami out incident and he is currently and his wife closed on their High- Clark was viciously beaten and of 19209 Black Mangrove Court, Dade Police who asked us to as- incarcerated at the Macon County lands home at 42 Pheasant Run on shot to death, her former lover Boca Raton, FL and Highlands, sist in locating a suspect in a 1977 Detention Center with no bond.” July 1, 2016. They paid $470,000. is under arrest and charged with NC – the longtime suspect who murder investigation,” said Macon Bregman will soon be extra- •See MURDER page 6 TheThe Architectural Stunners! Fun for the whole family! SUMMER HOUSE MLS# 82758 • $748,000 AND MLS# 83602 • $579,900 ‘Home Furnishing Center’ Open Mon. through Sat. 9a-5p Sun., noon -5p HKL Code: Promo 2089 Highway 106 66 Highlands Plaza, Highlands 828-526-8773 828-526-5577 www.twigsrealtygroup.com Contact Mal at 828-200-2642 Contact Steve at 828-342-2641 highlandscanopytour.com Page 2 - Highlands Newspaper - Thurs., Aug. 18, 2016 – 828-200-1371 •THE PLATEAU’S POSITION• •OBITUARIES• •MAYOR ON DUTY• The town vs. NC DOT and more was at my house building like, “if you don’t pay, you don’t cabinets for our new kitchen get to play.” I on Monday. I heard trucks Now some folks may say, and heavy equipment operating “Listen to that mayor giving in a nearby area. I thought to yet another alibi. He now can’t myself we had another home or control NC DOT in its pav- building going up in the vicinity. ing of roads in Highlands. Last I continued all afternoon year he was whining about why cutting and fitting critical pieces he couldn’t control the NC State for the new cabinets and contin- Patrol from setting up road ued to hear the heavy equipment checks in Highlands. And the Mayor operate. year before he was making ex- On Tuesday afternoon Bob Pat Taylor cuses why he couldn’t control Frye, the Town Manager, told me some res- the military from its helicopters flying at idents were not happy with the resurfacing low levels over Highlands. Furthermore, it of Forman Road. I immediately realized took a year for the mayor, working with the equipment I heard on Monday was pav- residents, to get the speed limit lowered ing equipment on nearby Foreman Road. on Webbmont, another state-owned road. The NC DOT made the decision to The mayor is so weak he couldn’t call the resurface Forman with a chip and seal sur- DOT and tell them to lower that speed face instead of traditional asphalt. A num- limit. Their traffic experts had to study ber of roads in the area have chip and seal. and analyze the request.” OK, I guess I’m On Foreman, the chip and seal was applied guilty as charged. But, in North Carolina over the existing paving. Time will tell if it mayors are not community sovereigns, but is a stable and long lasting surface. advocates. There is a big difference. Some may wonder why the town al- It’s not that NC DOT doesn’t listen, lowed DOT to do this paving job. Simply but it does have a big program through- put, Forman is State Road 1553. DOT out the state for resurfacing state roads. Its owns the road and its right-of-way and is engineers and planners follow a schedule responsible for maintaining the road in- and automatically resurface roads at given cluding periodic resurfacing. The state pays intervals. They view this kind of resurfac- for repaving the road, not Highlands. ing as a minor, routine project that requires To be blunt, the Town of Highlands no consultation with other agencies. has no control over what DOT does on Now the town could request to take state roads. We were not informed, nor over control of all state roads within the consulted about the Forman Road project. town limits. The state would seriously con- That is the way the road system is set up sider the request, and certainly it would be in North Carolina. On the other hand, the advantageous for the town. Or would it? town does not have to get permission from With ownership comes stewardship, so the the state to repave town roads. It is kinda •See MAYOR page 17 •WEEKEND WEATHER• For real-time weather and the extended forecast go to www.highlandsinfo.com and click on Weather Highlands Newspaper - Thurs., Aug. 18, 2016 - 828-200-1371 - Page 3 •OBITUARIES• Sonya Felecia Day Sonya Felecia Day, 35, day, August 12, 2016 at Ham- of Glenville, NC passed burg Baptist Church with away on Sunday, August Rev. Nathan Johnson and 7, 2016. She was born in Rev. Johnny Norris officiat- Jackson County to Kathy ing. Ellison Day and the late Memorial donations Rickie Day. She loved ani- may be made to Duke Chil- mals; loved the outdoors dren’s Hospital at the follow- and hunting with her dad. ing address: Duke Children’s She was a member of Office of Development, 710 Hamburg Baptist Church W. Main St., Durham, NC in Glenville. 27701. https://www.gifts. In addition to her duke.edu mother, Sonya is survived by her brother, Bryant-Grant Funeral Home and Joey Day of Glenville and her niece, Ella Crematory served the Day family. Online Day. condolences are available at bryantgrantfu- A memorial service was held on Fri- neralhome.com. Katherine Dayton Davis Katherine Dayton Da- addition to her parents and vis, age 86, of Franklin, NC, husband, she was preceded passed away Saturday, Au- in death by a sister, Ethelene gust 13, 2016.