Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 13

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2003 B3 ASIimi.l.EC:iI'IZE-TIMES vismjs www.citizen-times.com buncombenews.html BUNCOMBE COUNTY A daily look inside Buncombe County and North Henderson, with news, community briefs and calendars Contact Deborah Potter at 232-2935 or for questions, concerns and comments about content on the Buncombe County page. VMliUUI IJlli VIIHIAUMU 1 1 IK MlM M.UV Civic groups Players may register Aug. 12 or Aug. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the rink on Amboy Road, where all games are held.

The fall season begins Sept. 10 for adults and Sept. 20 for youth. The season is scheduled to end Nov. 22.

Registration forms and more information about the league are also available at www.ashevillehockey.org or by calling Jeff Joyce at 259-9069. you have news from West Asheville, Enka or Candler, contact Tony Kiss at 232-5855 or Community Briefs Old Haywood Road water outage and street closure set ASHEVILLE A water interruption is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 11 on Old Haywood Road and Eastview Circle and surrounding areas.

Crews will be working on a main water line. When the work is completed, customers in the affected areas may experience discolored water or air in the lines and should wait until the water clears up before using it. If you have news from Black Mountain, Broad River, Monteat, Swannanoa or Asheville city government, contact Melissa Williams at 236-8971 or TJ Skyland recreation offering swim lessons SKYLAND The Skyland Recreation Center will offer swim lessons beginning September 2. The class will meet one day a week after school. The cost is S28 per person for eight lessons.

Registration will begin August 25 at 9 a.m. For more information please call Skyland Recreation Center at 684-5072 or e-mail If you have news from Buncombe County or Fairview, contact Jennifer Brevorka at 232-2938 or Steve Dixon photosstAir photographer Gracelyn Road water outage ASHEVILLE A water interruption is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday in the areas of Gracelyn and Manetta roads, Melrose and Woodvale avenues and surrounding areas so crews can install a fire hydrant. When the work is completed, customers in the affected areas may experience discolored water or air in the lines and should wait until the water clears up before using it.

For more information, call 259-5955. If you have news from Black Mountain, Broad River, Montreal, Swannanoa or Asheville city government, contact Melissa Williams at 236-8971 or George-Bryan Houghton climbs out of the T-6 trainer that he flew into the Asheville Airport on Friday. Houghton is a graduate of Enka High School and the U.S. Air Force Academy. Enka native pursues his lifelong goal of becoming Air Force pilot Portions of this list will appear on Wednesdays in the Citizen-Times.

If you would like to add your group to our Nst, or we need to update the information for your group, call 21 1 the community services information line. If your group has a special event coming, let us know and we will run it with the group listing. Send information two weeks in advance to Community News; Asheville Citizen-rimes; P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802. E-mail information to or fax it to 251 -0585.

For the complete list, go to Unless otherwise noted, all area codes are 828. Equality Advocacy Civic Club American Association of University Women: Meeting time varies from month to month. The focus is on equity for girls and women. The organization funds a scholarship at UNC Asheville. Call 259-9461.

Ethridge Women's Club: Meets the third Tuesday of each month at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church. The group funds scholarships at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and UNC Asheville and does volunteer work at VA Hospital and Helpmate. Call 253-6231 Asheville Kiwanis Club: Meets at noon Fridays, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Mission Statement: To provide for the betterment of the community through collective involvement to altrustic service.

Call 628-4581. Asheville Sunrise Kiwanis Club: Meets 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays, Cornerstone Restaurant, 102 Tunnel Road. Call 251-9565. Black Mountain Kiwanis Club: Meets 1 1 :40 a.m.

Thursdays, Campfire Steak and Buffet, Route 9, Black Mountain. Call 686-8638. Golden Kiwanis: Meets at noon Mondays, Ryan's Steak House, 1053 Patton Asheville. North Buncombe Kiwanis Club: Meets at 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays at The Cabin Restaurant, 287 Weaverville Road, Weaverville.

Call 645-8670. West Asheville Kiwanis Club: Meets at 6:45 p.m. Thursdays, Shoney's, U.S. 19-23 West Call 253-6667. Asheville Breakfast Lions Club: Meets at 7 a.m.

the fourth Thursday of each month, Corner Stone Restaurant, 102 Tunnel Road, Asheville. Call 687-1702. Biltmore Lions Club: Meets at 6 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of each month, Corner Stone Restaurant, 102 Tunnel Road, Asheville. Call 274-2766.

Vance Birthplace to host book reading by Sharyn McCrumb WEAVERVILLE Appalachian writer Sharyn McCrumb will read from and sign her latest novel at Vance Birthplace State Historic Site from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The recently released novel, "Ghost Riders," chronicles the Civil War in Western North Carolina. The novel's primary narrator is Civil War Gov. Zebulon Baird Vance, born in 1830 on the family's farm in Reems Creek Valley.

Copies of the book will be available at the site, 12 miles northeast of Asheville on Reems Creek Road. For more information, contact the site at 645-6706. If you have news from north Asheville, Weaverville or Barnardsville, contact Lynde Hedgpeth at 232-5953 or MllfWaii YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly gets grant BLACK MOUNTAIN The YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain has received a $5,000 JC Penney Afterschool grant to provide heritage craft experiences to local children and youth. YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly was awarded one of the 450 grants out of more than 700 YMCAs nationwide that submitted grant proposals. With the grant, more than 1,000 young people are experiencing both the heritage and handwork of Western North Carolina.

YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly has been providing an inspirational setting, conference services and programs since 1906. If you have news from Black Mountain, Broad River, Montreat, Swannanoa or Asheville city government, contact Melissa Williams at 236-8971 or By Ripple Patel STAFF WRITER ASHEVILLE The sleek, narrow T-6 Texas II airplane swooped down the runway. The Houghton family waited excitedly for the plane to slow and its pilot, Qeorge-Bryan "GB" Houghton, to disembark. Instead, the plane increased in speed and ascended again; after promenading once more through the sky, it landed almost unwillingly. George Houghton, GB's father, said quietly, "Yep.

That's him. So stable. Can you imagine what he must be feeling now? The pride that must be coursing through him? It's like playing your first World Series in your home town." George Houghton's analogy is accurate. GB Houghton took his first steps toward becoming a pilot at the Asheville Jet Center, where his parents arranged a couple of flying lessons as a surprise 15th birthday present. After seven years of training through NJROTC, the U.S.

Air Force Academy and Moody Air Force Base, GB Houghton made his first long-distance flight from Valdosta, to Asheville last month. He described this flight as a test of his training. "Now that I've completed this flight, I know I can walk onto any air base and do what I need to do. I won't be entirely comfortable, but I can get the job done." After another year and a half of training, Houghton will have achieved his ultimate dream: He will be eligible to fly an F-15 fighter jet. The mission of F-15's attracts him: F-15's launch the first attacks in war, and they contain both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles.

When asked what he likes about flying in general, Houghton responded, "It's the freedom, the ability to go in any dimension at any speed." The perils of flying do not phase him: "I've come to terms with the danger involved. I understand the risks, and I still fly anyway in fact, I'm not scared of crashing the plane as much as I am of George-Bryan Houghton, right, is greeted by his father, George Houghton, after landing his T-6 at the Asheville Airport on Friday. Houghton, an Enka High and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, is realizing his dream of becoming a pilot. upsetting the instructor pilot." Houghton's patriotism shines through his words.

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, "have given my training a purpose." When questioned about a possible deployment to Iraq, he replied, "I would do the best job I could and hope I return home safely." Houghton is not the only member of his family to pursue a career in the military. His 18-year-old btother, Mark-Daniel, is training at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to become a para-rescuer. Both men are examples of the power of ambition and determination. "If you do your best.with whatever life offers you," GB Houghton said, "you will have found the key to achieving your dreams." Ripple Patel is an Intern for the Citizen-Times.

Jubliee players to perform ASHEVILLE The one-act play "Graceland" and its companion piece, "Asleep at the Wheel," will be performed by the Jubilee Players at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7 and 8 at Jubilee! church, 46 Wall St. In "Graceland," two loyal Elvis fans are camped outside his Memphis home, determined to be the first to enter the estate when it is opened to the public. "Asleep at the Wheel" is a pre-quel set 10 years earlier.

Tickets are $5 at the door. If you have news from West Asheville, Enka or Candler, contact Tony Kiss at 232-5855 or Registration coming up for hockey league ASHEVILLE The Asheville InLine Hockey League is accepting youth and adult Police blotter FsijTyjf a any 'car1 HOUSE: The value of the building is $1.5 million ASHEVILLE POLICE Troy Foster 20, was arrested on a felony charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was accused of having a handgun, according to arrest warrants. Foster was arrested Saturday after leading police on a chase that ended in Klondyke Bynum House and the inn's country club, were at the center of a 2001 conflict between north Asheville neighbors and the inn. At the time, inn owners said the buildings might be torn down to make way for expansion of the resort and spa's facilities.

Inn officials later agreed to seek local historic landmark status for all three properties, meaning any outside renovations would have to be approved by the HRC. The buildings could still be torn down, but the HRC could delay that demolition for up to one year. In November, he council approved landmark status for the country club and the Bynum House. Continued from Bl only as an adviser on local designations and that officials didn't say the house should never be labeled historic. "Is the building historic and with the removal of an addition, could it be a contributing historic structure?" Wescott said.

"Yes." Madison said the inn will wait on council's Aug. 26 vote before making any plans about the house's future. It could still be designated a landmark, even without the inn's approval, City Attorney Bob Oast said. The Battle House is appraised at $1.5 million, Merten said. If the council approves the landmark designation, the city would allow a $4,300 property tax reduction on the site.

The Battle House, with the ed guilty Monday to the March assault of a Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center staff member. Nyrobe Justin Davis, 16, was sentenced to a minimum of three years, four months to a maximum of four years, nine months in prison. He was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure and conspiracy. Another teen, Donald Morris of Raleigh, distracted a male staff member, asking him to bring an electric razor. After that staffer left, Davis choked the female staff member, said Ron Moore, Buncombe County district attorney.

Morris, 18, was sentenced to one year one month in June on a conspiracy charge for his role in the attack. A 39-year old man will serve a minimum five year, 10 month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty Monday to a habitual felon charge in Buncombe County Superior Court. David Grant also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to sell and deliver drugs. He was found with what appeared to be 15 rocks of crack cocaine, said Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore. Grant had previous convictions for breaking and entering, cocaine possession and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure.

His sentence carries a maximum of seven years, 9 months in prison. Apartments, according to warrants. An officer assisting in the chase was injured when his car hit several trees. After the chase, Foster was charged with felonies for eluding arrest and having cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver it. He was also charged with misdemeanors for driving with a revoked license and resisting arrest.

Charles Philip Sorrells, 45, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a female. He was accused of slapping a woman in the face, according to arrest warrants. Ttinity Sylvania Whiteside, 21, was Arrested on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a female. He was accused of hitting a woman in the face and pushing her to the ground, breaking her glasses, according to arrest warrants. BUNCOMBE COUNTY SHERIFF Michael Eugene Linville, 32, was arrested on a felony charge of breaking and entering and theft.

He was accused of stealing $6,000 worth of personal household items, according. to arrest warrants. COURT BRIEFS A Charlotte teenager plead Contact Williams at 236-8971 or When you need real answers to health care questions, click here: www.parkridgehospitaI.org Virtual Pharmacy Health Resource Library Free Health Screenings Seminars Job Opportunities Park Ridge Physician Information Drug Interaction Information and more. ADULT DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAMS: HILL I A Business Management Cf4.i,",tinn CnaniQl CHui-alinn FROM STAFF REPORTS I I lih Social Work I jU.r.i. Afcra.A,ii, .,8 CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: Park I Ilium I I "ucanon special toucanon HEE5Fmi.TWMiH 1 1 1 Engiish as a Second Language Ridge "We'U Help You ACCESS The Future" State appeals court rejects move to block school merger the associated press move forward.

RALEIGH The state Court of Superior Court Judge J.B. Appeals refused Tuesday to grant Allen Jr. upheld the State Board of an appeal blocking the merger of Education's approval of the the Cleveland County, Shelby and merger plan in 2001. The merger Kings Mountain school systems, has been put on hold because of Attorneys for the Kings the court challenges and the U.S. Mountain school board filed the Justice Department's refusal to appeal, challenging a lower court approve the plan until the courts ruling that allowed the merger to finished ruling on the case.

i Hospital FLETCHER, NC Where trust and technology join hands. 800-582-3047 E-mail: ACCESSmhc.edu CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: ASHEVILLE HENDERSONVILLE BURNSVILLE MARION MARS HILL WAYNESVILLE.