Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Primary election in Asheville
WLOSers had Kassandra Pride and Pat Simon on the election story for the 5 and 5:30. Kassandra said few people showed up to vote and noted that most non-partisan elections have sparse voter turnout. She quoted elections director Trena Parker as saying results will probably start coming in early, like around 8:15 p.m. That contradicted WLOSers report from Monday, when the WLOSer angle on the story was that election returns would be later than usual because the new voting machines have only one electronic cartridge, instead of two like the old machines.
Pat hit the streets to talk to non-voters about why they don’t vote. Somebody said their vote doesn’t count. Somebody else said the media doesn’t cover elections like they used to. Somebody else said politicians are so distant. Then Pat talked to Dolly Mullen at UNCA, a political science prof who said elections are driven by media. Then Pat went back to one girl on the street who said the solution is for politicians not to be so distant.
At 6, Carolyn Ryan said the polls were still quiet. As of 2 p.m., only 3,400 of 57,000 registered voters had cast ballots, Ryan said election officials said. She quoted Charlie Hume as saying people need to get out to vote. Ryan didn’t metion that Hume was the force behind the effort this summer to get a referendum on the ballot regarding whether city elections should be partisan or non-partisan.
It’s still hot outside
In Asheville, it got up to 83, one degree above the record of 82 set in 1993, according to weather-guesser Mike Cuevas.
Fire follow-up
Fire investigators returned to the remains of a home that went up in a burst of flames Tuesday to search through “the rubble,” WLOSers said. They’re looking for clues that left one man severely burned.
In other news..
Henderson County officials have seen a surge in complaints about barking dogs and are looking to tighten up its noise ordinance… Construction on the new Mount Mitchell observation tower is going slower than expected, so the summit area of the tallest peak east of the Mississippi will remain closed until next year. Here’s what the press release said:
The project includes replacement of an aging concrete tower with a circular observation deck as well as extensive renovation of an 850-foot walking trail to the summit from the park’s main parking area. The deck is 10 feet tall and 36.5 feet in diameter with a curved and gently sloping ramp for access as well as benches and interpretive displays. “The construction season here can often end very abruptly because of the weather,” said Park Superintendent Jack Bradley. It’s a bit disappointing the new observation deck couldn’t be completed before the fall tourist season, but the views from Mount Mitchell are never disappointing. ” The observation deck will become the sixth structure to crown the 6,684-foot summit, the highest in eastern America. The $1.2 million project is funded by the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the primary funding source for state park capital improvements and land acquisition.
… The drought is getting worse and Gov. Mike Easley wants businesses to conserve water… And Jay Siltzer says laser technology can take care of those nasty vericose veins.
In still other news…
Murphy will hold a referendum on liquor-by-the-drink sales. No date set, but probably January…*Eblen Charities broke ground* on a new $11 million Eblen Center for Social Enterprise in Avery’s Creek… And John Le talked to Asheville High School students about all the tarnished athletes. One kid said yeah, money and fame can go to your head. Another kid said athletes’ personal lives shouldn’t really matter much. And the last kid said she found inspiration in Cameron Underwood, the former Roberson High School quarterback who died recently from a brain tumor.
