Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 7

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES SECTION State2B Business4-bts Local news headlines Call 257-2900, Ext. 2020 Weather update, Ext. 3000 Thursday Jl March 24, 1994 1 LOCAL NEWS Skcli RJiiriointoiiini mm toss Mimapaiainig Mo TUT A TMC JLJL JULJL Nk DIGEST ty criminal records department Several of Jones' neighbors and acquaintances were surprised at the charge because Jones is so quiet they said. Jones lived with his parents and kept to himself, said Gary Bartlett, chief of the Black Mountain Fire Department The family has lived in their home for about 10 years, said one neighbor. See Charge on page 4B phone numbers and called them later.

So far, Holt said, none of the parents have said the man actually molested anyone. Mostly, the parents are worried about what they see as improper approaches by the man, said Holt But Holt believes several of the contacts went far enough to file criminal charges. Jones has no criminal record, according to the Buncombe Coun cently gone through a Cub Scouts and Sheriffs Department program on personal safety, wrote down the license number of the truck. The boys told their parents, who became alarmed and complained to the sheriffs department. Sheriffs Detective Mike Holt said he has talked to parents from as far away as Haywood County who said a man approached their children, started a conversation and in some cases got their tele Jones remained in the Buncombe County Jail Wednesday night in lieu of $100,000 secured bond, a jail spokesman said.

Jones was arrested Monday after three young Swannanoa children said a man drove back and forth in front of their house and then stopped and began talking to them. The man said he was a fireman and had a badge, say detectives. One of the boys, who had re-' By Dan Voorhls STAFF WRITER The Buncombe County Sheriffs Department is investigating whether a Black Mountain man, charged with trying to kidnap a youth, is connected with other improper contacts with children. On Monday, deputies charged Charles Robert Jones, 22, of Black Mountain, with first-degree com-, mon law kidnapping to facilitate an indecent liberty. SPRING OUTING -State ponders moving offices (Srove cade Engineering firm hired to study options By Paul Clark STAFF WRITER North Carolina spends $776,000 a year leasing office space in Asheville and is thinking about, among other things, the Grove Arcade.

The state recently awarded a contract to an Asheville engineering firm to see what's the best and least ex more efficiently. And, based on what it's paying in rent, the state could make up in six years the $5 million it would take to buy and renovate the three floors, Zaretsky said. The foundation hopes to turn the ground level into a series of shops and the third floor into a day care center. That leaves 80,521 1 square feet open to the state, Zaretsky said. Currently it leases 94,938 square feet in Asheville, Cline said.

It has offices in 29 locations. The state spent $23.7 million leasing office space around North Carolina last year, Metcalf said. That's an average of $7.49 per square foot, which is 69 cents less than what it pays on average in Asheville. pensive thing it can do about the offices it rents. That may mean buying a building, erecting one, continuing as is or moving into the Grove Arcade, said former Buncombe County Manager Steve Met-calf, now with the state Department of Administration.

The state is wide open to suggestions, he said. The Grove Arcade looks as good as any right now, said state The Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation, spearheading a $10.2 million effort to develop the arcade, has its fingers crossed. Real Property Agent Tommy Cline. The Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation, spearheading a $10.2 million effort to develop the arcade, has its fingers crossed. Executive Director Aaron Zaretsky said the mezzanine, second and fourth floors would be excellent for the state.

When the National Climatic Data Center vacates the building in June, it will be leaving wiring the state could use for its If the state does not want the three floors, the foundation has "several backup options that we're not ready to talk about," Zaretsky said. MartinMcGill an engineering firm, in Asheville, is negotiating an contract to look at the state's office use in the city, Metcalf said. -r MartinMcGill will make its recommen-. dation in four months, and if it involves the arcade or any other change, the General As- sembly will make the decision, probably in. JOHN COUTLAKISCmZEN-TlMES Tana Dement, 2, spends Wednesday afternoon playing In the creek at UNCA's Botanical Gardens with her aunt Sherrl McClain of Marshall.

computer systems, he said. Bringing its of- Housing code copies available Landlords, real estate agents and property owners may want a copy of the City of Asheville's new minimum housing code, adopted by City Council in November, Copies are $2 and available in the Division of Building Safety offices in the Public Works Building on South Charlotte Street 1 The mailing address is Housing Code, Building Safety Division, City of Asheville, P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, N.C. 28802. For more information call 259-5656.

Rate increase hearing A public hearing to discuss a proposed Carolina Water Service Inc. rate increase is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Erwin Hills fire training center. The hearing is open to Carolina Water customers who live in the Lee's Ridge, Mount Car- mel Acres and Bent Creek communities of Buncombe County. Carolina Water, which serves 5,300 customers in Western North Carolina, has asked the state Utilities Commission to allow its rates to increase by $2.79 a month for water and $3.10 a month for sewer.

If the commission approves, it would be the third rate in-1; crease since 1990. Lauterer fund-raiser set A reception for Maggie Lauterer, candidate for Western North Carolina's 11th Congres-. sional District House of Repre- sentatives seat, will raise money for her campaign at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the clubhouse on Lake Louise in Weaverville. Lauterer is running against Lake Junaluska businessman John Tripp for the Democratic slot to face U.S.

Rep. Charles Taylor, a Republican from Bre-, vard. Taylor is seeking a third term. Crime alerts sent via fax I The Buncombe County's Sheriffs Department will begin sending a newsletter via facsimile machine in April to area businesses to give businesses crime alerts and prevention tips. "The FAX About Crime" will also contain information about business fraud and security tips.

To receive the fax, call Don Banks at the Buncombe County Sheriffs Department, 277-8080, ext. 328. Police seek information Asheville Police and Crime Stoppers are asking for help from the public to solve a break-in at the Asheville Mall two months ago. Sometime during the night, the metal gate at Friedman's jewelers was cut open, display cases pried open and a large amount of jewelry was taken. Detectives believe the thieves may have also hit jewelry stores in South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee days after the Asheville break-in.

If anyone has information, call Crime Stoppers at 277-1000 or 1-800-442-CRIME. Kudzu, woods catch fire About two acres of kudzu and woods burned in Swannanoa Wednesday evening. The smoke closed one lane of Interstate 40 for a some time, but no houses or people were threatened. It took firefighters about three hours put out the flaming vines because of the density of the growth, said Swannanoa Fire Department Chief Jerry Leatherwood. The fire was in the woods between the railroad tracks and 1-40, about a half mile west of the Swannanoa 1-40 exit at U.S.

70, Leatherwood said. FROM STAFF REPORTS switches from Top-40 fices under one has long had a country music sound. The WWNC announcers, including veteran morning man Scotty Rhodarmer, will remain at their microphones, Osborn stressed. But WWNC's music format will be fine-tuned, to appeal to a slightly older country audience, while the FM station seeks a younger country listener, he said. "You don't fix it if it's not broke," said Osborn Communications vice president Larry Anderson of WWNC.

"The likes of Scotty are irreplaceable. They (the WWNC crew) are gems in this business." In December, Osborn Communications (based in New York) announced plans to buy WWNC Kiss-FM Radio station making staff, name changes By Tony Kiss ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Rock music is out, and hot country is in, at Asheville radio station WKSF-FM 99.9. In the biggest local radio shake-up in years, Kiss-FM dropped its longtime "contemporary hit" format and switched to a hot country sound at lunchtime Wednesday. The station will also change call letters and nicknames, although the new handle had not been picked Wednesday, said Frank Osborn, who is buying the station from its former owners, Heritage Broadcast Group. Four Kiss-FM announcers were "laid off Wednesday: program director J.J.

Cook, and DJs Bill Catcher, Scott McKay and Toddzilla, Osborn said. Only one announcer will remain: Nikki Thomas, who launched the country format with a day-and-night marathon broadcast, which continues until 7 p.m. Thursday. After Thomas signs off, the station will be "music intensive," meaning that there won't be any DJs until a new staff is hired in a few weeks, Osborn said. Meanwhile, it's business as usual at Kiss-FM's sister station, WWNC-AM 670 the city's most listened-to radio station which roof will allow them to work January, to country and WKSF from Heritage for an undisclosed price.

While that sale has not yet been approved by the Federal Communications Commission, Osborn is now managing the station for Heritage, he said Wednesday. After agreeing to buy the stations, the company began exploring changes for the FM station, Osborn said. Research showed an overwhelming desire for a Western North Carolina FM country station, Osborn said. "Everybody's response is that's what is needed," he said. The rock sound attracted a very young audience, he said.

"It doesn't make much sense to have that narrow a target (audience)," See Radio on page 4B COVER GIRL pur I Metcalf said. hiMMJiliVMiMih I While Asheville's Kiss-FM has dropped its contemporary hits format in favor of country music, there are other regional AM and FM stations offering rock and pop music. They include: WBBO-FM 93.3, Greenville, S.C., contemporary hit radio (Top-40). WQUT-FM 101.5, Johnson City, contemporary hit radio. WFBC-ffl 93.7, Greenville, S.C., oldies.

WMY1-FM 102.5, Greenville, S.C., adult contemporary WHOQ-FM 101 (Rock 101), Greenville, S.C., classic rock. WXRWM 95.7, Hickory-Charlotte, rock and rod. WJM2FM 107.3, Greenville, S.C., urban contempora7 WSKY-AM 1230, Asheville, adult contemporary, sports. WWIT-AM 970, Canton, oldies. -1 A TCI Cablevision to grant amnesty before beginning crackdown on cable thieves After April 15, TCI will aggressively track down anyone connected to a cable line who's not paying.

By Paul Johnson 8TAFF WRITER TCI Cablevision of Asheville is taking a carrot-and-8tick approach to people who illegally tap lines to get cable free. Through April 15, TCI will grant an amnesty to anyone who is getting cable without paying, a practice known as pirating or video shoplifting. "During the amnesty period, anyone can hook up legally with no questions asked," said Dan Martin, general manager for TCI, which has 28,000 customers in the Asheville area and is the largest system in Western North Carolina. After April 15, however, TCI will aggressively track down anyone connected to a cable line who's not paying. TCI will do a thorough inspection of its 700 miles of lines around Asheville.

The cable company has in the past done crackdowns to cut down on pirating. The penalty for an individual convicted of illegally taking cable service is up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail or both, Martin said. For a commercial violator, such as a business or apartment complex, the penalty is up to a $50,000 fine, two years in jail or both. People who hook up to cable illegally disrupt the line, which degrades the picture quality for paying customers and causes higher than necessary maintenance costs, Martin said. TCI estimates that it loses $350,000 a year from video shoplifting.

Martin estimates that 850 television viewers steal TCI signal's in the Asheville area. Nationally, the cable industry estimates that 6 percent to 7 percent of non-cable households may be pirating. A study in 1990 says the industry lost $3 billion in unrealized revenue because of pirating, the National Cable Television Association says. More than 8 million TV viewers are estimated to have illegally tapped into basic cable service, the trade association reports. SPECIAL TOTIIE Cm ZEN-TIMES People In Henderson County will bo seeing this drawing a lot Tho work of Mills River Elementary School fifth-grader Sarah Desforge will grace tho cover of tho Hendersonvfllo telephone book.

She won over 3,000 other students ki a contest sponsored by Southern Beit. In addition to the year-long fame, she won a $500 savings bond and her school got $1,000 In cash..