6A ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES SATURDAY, JAN. 14, 1995 OPPORTUNITY CORP. FINANCES, EXPENSES Agency Continued from page 1A cerns before the board, Edington the agency's books. "From what I've been reading in (the) paper and seeing on TV, there are obviously a lot of questions about how the money has been spent (and) whether it's been spent properly and legally," said Ives, who represents part of Buncombe County. "This is exactly what the auditor would tell us." On Tuesday Asheville City Council froze $7,835 it allotted the organization and asked the Btate Attorney General's office to investigate.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Andrew A. Vanore Jr. said he wrote City Attorney Bill Slawter Thursday regarding what the state office will do. Slawter said Vanore told him the Attorney General's office is not an investigatory agency and won't be able to do what City Council asked. "We discussed some other possibilities, but at this point I'm not comfortable discussing what other possibilities there are," Slawter Raid.
Williams said an FBI agent requested all agency documents she had. FBI Special Agent Barry Dembo, working out of the Asheville FBI office, said he could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigatioa Buncombe County Assistant County Manager Wanda Greene said Dembo contacted her office Friday. When she returned his be made available to anyone who requests it Edington denied Williams' claim that there was a missing $15,000 from the general fund. The $15,000 had to do with depreciation on equipment and no general funds were missing, he said. Edington said Williams was informed about the depreciation.
Williams said she was led to believe by an Opportunity Corp. financial statement that the general fund had $64,000 in deposits when in fact it was $49,000. The $15,000 in depreciation came up only when Williams pressed the issue of how much was in deposits, she said. Meanwhile, investigations into the Opportunity Corp. are being launched.
State House Rep. Bill Ives asked the state auditor's office to conduct a review. Officials with the state auditor and N.C. Department of Human Resources said earlier this week they had no reports of improper spending by Opportunity Corp. Also, a spokesman for the U.S.
Department of Housing Urban Development said HUD has no record of improper spending by the agency. Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chairman Gene Rainey said he has asked the City of Asheville to join the county's internal auditor and an auditor from the Opportunity Corp. to go over had depreciated in value to less than $2,500. But Edington said Burton, in retiring last September, didn't accept $18,000 from a retirement escrow account that had been set aside for him starting when he was hired 25 years ago. Edington said he didn't know how much of the retirement fund Burton did accept Burton came back this week to serve as acting executive director.
Board members came to Burton's support "My experience is that Mr. Burton has done a wonderful job and is beyond reproach in every respect" board member Grant Osborne said. Board member Minnie Jones said Friday she didn't believe any of the allegations made by Williams. "There is nothing to be worried about" Jones said. "Let them bring the FBI, the SBI, or any other kind of they want" The agency began advertising for a new director Thursday.
The salary is negotiable, according to its advertisem*nt Burton made $50,099 in the 1992-93 fiscal year, according to a form the Opportunity Corp. filed with the Internal Revenue Service. The '92-'93 form was the most current available. The IRS 990 form, which the agency hadn't supplied was given to the Citizen-Times Friday. The IRS requires the form DIGEST Muslims reportedly plotting against pope MANILA, Philippines Pope John Paul II on Saturday celebrated 400 years of Christianity in Asia's Catholic bastion as police searched for about 20 Muslims who they say were plotting to disrupt his visit.
Vatican sources said the 74-year-old pontiff also would broadcast a message to the 12 billion people of China, whose government has refused to allow Catholics to pledge loyalty to the pope for four decades. In a sign that the church was mending a 44-year-old rift with Bey'ing, the Vatican has welcomed to the pope's Asian tour the first Catholic delegates from Communist China to attend a papal event On Friday, U.S. and Philippine officials said two people had been arrested and about 20 others were being sought in what was believed to be a plot by Muslim, extremists to carry out terrorist attacks during the papal visit Croatia's ultimatum ZAGREB, Croatia An order for 15,000 U.N. troops to leave at the end of winter appears to be a bid by Croatia to spur a political deal with its rebel Serbs and archrival Serbia. But President Franjo Tudjman's move carries a serious risk of miscalculation and renewed heavy fighting in Croatia, and possibly re-igniting neighboring Bos-niaaswell.
The presence of peacekeepers has largely halted a war that began in 1991 and that left a third of Croatia in Serb hands. But it also froze front lines, and Croatia has grown impatient with the United Nations' inability to ensure the terms of the peace deal, which include reintegration of Serb-held territory and return of refugees. U.N. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.N. had begun making contingency plans to pull out of Croatia.
Korean air rules tightened SEOUL South Korea The U.S. military said Friday it has tightened flying regulations along Demilitarized Zone as a result of the downing of a U.S. Army helicopter in North Korean airspace. The new regulations include pilot retraining, improved navigational systems and a higher level of approval needed for flights along the DMZ, the most heavily armed border in the world. Espy pressure denied SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -Puerto Rico's top agriculture official said Friday he allowed improperly labeled chicken into this U.S.
commonwealth, but he denied doing so under pressure from then-US. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. The chicken was from various companies, including Tyson Foods Inc. of Arkansas, the largest UJ3. poultry producer.
Espy was forced to resign last month after tions that he accepted gifts from Tyson Foods and other companies regulated by his THE ASSOCIATED PRESS said. Williams said she did ask questions about finances and was told "to leave it alone." The former interim director of the agency's weauienzauon EdIngtoil division, Chris Wren, said the division's money handling procedures were lax. "I could build a house with Opportunity Corp. money and hide it before (agency) finance is even aware of it," he said. Wren, a carpenter who said he worked from Oct 17 to Nov.
11, said the weatherization department often bought materials and installed them before submitting requisitions to the agency's finance department "I issued a memo when I was there that all requests had to be submitted and approved by the finance department before (they were) purchased," he said. The board gave former executive director Lonnie Burton an eight-year-old Mercury Sable that Chechnya Continued from page 1A the Chechens doesn't affect the daily lives of Americans, just as the fate of Bosnia never really affected Americans, Uldricks said. "This is much more important than Bosnia," Uldricks said. "The prosecution of the war is working to undermine democracy in Russia, but on the other hand it may prevent the fragmentation of the country. We should care a lot if democracy disintegrates and we should care a lot if Russia disintegrates." Many believe the invasion was caused by a rightward tilt of the Russian leadership, which many Bay may or may not include President Boris Yeltsin.
There is widespread speculation in Moscow that a silent coup has taken place, and that Yeltsin governs only as a figurehead. The reason Yeltsin and other feaders have taken such a hard line, Uldricks said, is the potential for revolt by the many minorities within the Russian Republics. Uldricks believes in the domino theory: that if one of these regions gets away with thumbing their nose at the Kremlin, many Physician WEIGHT LOSS Canters. One-On-One Support Programs to fit your lifestyle Flexible Meal Plans Drop 2 Dress Sizes in 8 tolOwks. 15oo a week lor 10 weeks i Call Right Now 254-1195 WMtatar.
QMLY 1 Ml' I Buncombe United of the Buncombe County Drug Commission will accept proposals to fund projects addressing substance abuse prevention within Buncombe County. Seed money will be available to stimulate grassroots, innovative, education, prevention and early intervention projects focusing on alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse related issues. Development workshops are scheduled to assist applicants in preparing proposals. For more information, or an application packet, contact the Drug Commission at 252-3240. 7" THE ASSOCIATED PRESS GROZNY, Chechnya A group of civilians scans the sky for Russian attack aircraft from the basem*nt of an apartment building Friday.
Federal grants $1 ,540,577 Federal grants passed through state agency State government grants $27,286 Local government grants- $14,808 In-kind contributions $389,952 Interest income $1 ,637 Total Expense Salaries and wages $1,115,997 Salaries and wages In-kind Employer's share of fringe benefits Travel and transportation $68,113 Supplies, copy work and postage Space costs Telephone Contractual Direct assistance $88,607 Depreciation Weatherization materials $91 ,822 Child Care Food Program food and supplies ,329 Equipment Other In-kind Total direct program expenses Indirect costs Total expenses $2,641 ,1 57 Source: Opportunity Corp. budget for call, however, he was too busy to1 tell her then what he wanted, she! said. Staff Writer Dan Voorhis con-l tributed to this report yfc) OitrMMtropuUr l2m" Wild lijht WEEK'S I others will try it There are 89 ethnic republics and regions within Russia and several have already made noises about greater autonomy. Added to the confusing mix, Uldricks said, is the worry that nuclear weapons will fall into the hands of groups who will use them or sell them to terrorist organizations. "What if the people planting Feb.
2-5 Is your bathroom uncivilized? rV 7 I II 1 fr the bomb at the World Trade Center had a small nuclear bomb?" Uldricks said. A return to the Cold War? An endless series of Bosnian-style ethnic wars in a superpower? Nuclear weapons on the loose? "There are a whole bagful of reasons to be worried about Chechnya," Uldricks said. Knight-Ridder contributed to this report Civic Center TIMES of News Saturday, January 14th's Citizen-Times' "Circus Night" answer: Red Blue For a fraction of the cost of traditional replacement BATH FITTER4 will install a beautiful anew acrylic tub or balhwall right over your old worn or damaged unit. BATH FITTER mPy mtl nA to use the same diy. acrylic bathtub todeinhty tfMxrflicsurfice.
iiners and bath Completely instilled and rearfy to use ffce same day. lj WAUS Easy fo dean surf act. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A FREE IN HOME ESTIMATE CALL 665-9255 NOW See Sunday's Citizen-Times to Enter! PMCK BUSTBBS! LOSE WEIGHT WITH HYPNOSIS THE CITIZEN Celebrating 125 Years COMPLETE Greenville Tuesday, January 17 7:00 pm 10:00 pm Greenville Hilton Towers 45 West Orchard Park Drive (Jet I-385 Haywood Rd) (I-385 exit 39) Spartanburg Mi I QUICKLY SAFELY WITHOUT HUNGER WRITTEN GUARANTEE That's right. You can LOSE THE WEIGHT YOU'VE BEEN WANTING TO and keep it Asheville Monday, January 16 Radisson Hotel Asheville 1 Thomas Wolfe Plaza (1-26 or 1-40 to Rt 240 with iihi I exits 5 A or B) THIS SPECIALS! on wnnoui nunger, wnnout dieting, without willpower. Wednesday, January 18 7:00 pm 10:00 pm Ramada Inn 1000 Hearon Circle (I-8SN exit exit 73C) $59 Register at door 6:00 pm 7:00 pm Cash, AmEx Ronald B.
Gorayeb Certified Hypnotherapist The Gorayeb Method of Hypnosis has worked for thousands. It will work for you too! Try it! STOP HAVING WEIGHT AS AN ISSUE IN YOUR LIFE Join us and become the winner you've always wanted to be. Prnnt) by Gorayab Swnlnar Inc. 48 Haywood SI. AstMvlM.NC 704 252-1921 Of 1SOO-7897123 Using the power of hypnosis, you will lose unwanted cravings, eliminate the addiction to sweets and break the impulsive' compulsive eating habit once and lor all.
With the Gorayeb Method of Clinical Hypnosla, there is NO SLEEP or LOSS OF CONTROL You are awake and aware. Everyone who attends will be hypnotized. You'll leave refreshed feeling good. But will It work for ma You can expect results ranging from 30-60 lbs. in 3 months to 120 bs.
in one year. No willpower, no hunger, no dieting JUST SUCCESS. Thousands have succeeded before you and you will too! Remember, diets don't work. You diet, Ipse weight and 6 months later it's all back. The only real answer tor true behavior modification is the utilization ol the subconscious mind.
Our WRITTEN GUARANTEE: You will lose aft the weight you've been wanting to. If you don't, or if you ever want a reinforcement, you'll be admitted to any Gorayeb Weight Loss Seminar I I YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT GUARANTEED BILLY GRAHAM, JOYCE JILLSON, ADDY A fu lineup of features daily in the Citizen-Times. ireo 01 cnarga. ZZj i I I rwn Z3 Ul.
