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BOONS WEATHER
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An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Eighth Year of Continuous Publication
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VOLUME LXXVIII— NO. 29
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 1966
10 CENTS PER COPY
20 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
Whole Lot More Room
As Deep Gap Postmaster W. Frank Beshears
says, the new Post Office building at Deep
Gap allows a whole lot more room in which
to work. Put under construction last sum
mer, the building was occupied the first week
in December, but the task of reorganizing
and setting up new equipment is still under
way. Beshears was Postmaster at Stony
Fork Post Office until it was discontinued
in 1953. Two years ago he became Post
master at Deep Gap. The brick building,
30 feet by 34 feet, is leased by the govern
ment from Robert Meyers of Deep Gap. Dur
ing the Christmas rush, Beshears said he
counted 1,400 pieces of first class mail pro
cessed in one day. A daily average would
be somewhere around 900 pieces. The
Deep Gap station handles mail coming from
North Wilkesboro to Boone twice a day. A
star route from Fleetwood stops there. Ru
ral Route 1 originates at Deep Gap, Beshears
said. About 250 families are served locally
by station 28618 and 35 persons have post
office boxes in the new building.
193 Cases To Be Tried At
Watauga Court Next Week
One hundred and ninety
three cases are to be tried at
the January criminal term of
Watauga Superior Court, which
convenes Monday January 17,
with Hon. Francis O. Clarkson,
the presiding Judge.
Traffic violations constitute
most of the docket, with speed
ing accounting for 126 indict-1
ments.
Following is a list of the
AL HARRISON
Harrison Will
Speak At Jaycee
Award Banquet
A1 Harrison of Winston
Salem will be the guest speaker
at the annual Distinguished
Service Award Banquet of the
Boone Jaycees on Monday even
ing at the Daniel Boone Inn.
Harrison served as state
president of the North Caro
lina Jaycees in 1939.
Local president Jim Sawyer
stated: “We are certainly for
tunate to have one of our
state’s most outstanding young
men with us for this occasion.”
number of violations in each
category to come up for trial:
Speeding 126, Reckless driv
ing 4, Manslaughter 2, Driv
ing drunk 26, Driving while
license revoked or suspended
4, V.P.L. 7, Larceny 3, Break
ing, entering and larceny 1,
Breaking and entering 3, Re
ceiving' stolen property 2, Aid
and abet to transporting stolen
property 1, Larceny of auto 1,
Illegal possession and sale of
drugs 1, Assault on a female 2,
Assault with deadly weapon 1,
Carrying concealed weapon 1,
Escape from county jail 2,
Destroying state property 2,
racing 2, 'Hit and run 1, Failure
to report accident 1, No opera
tor’s license 8, Lending opera
tor’s license 1, Permit minor
to operate vehicle 1, No liabi
lity insurance 2, Failure to stop
for blue light and siren 1, Re
fuse to surrender title to auto
1, Possession of fireworks 3,
Worthless check 8, School law
violation 1.
The Jury List
Following are the names of
those who have been summon
ed do jury duty during the
court session:
Claude Byrd, Lawrence
Isaacs, Gordon H. Winkler,
Claude Garland, Leonard Pres
nell, Raymond Donnelly, Pres
top P. Miller, Burl A. Greene,
Lloyd H. Johnson, Austin
Northern, Frank Taylor, John
D, Clawson, C. D. Payne, Fred
Hagaman, Horace Dowling,
Henry Perry Greene, Buster
Henson, Darius Hampton, Clar
ence B, Main, George L. Saw
yer, Linsy Hicks, Ralph B. Nor
ris, Crater Marsh, Jewel Fox,
Rodger Colvard, Rom Gragg,
Shelton B. Wilson, Max V.
Hagaman, Lowe Ford, Archie
Boyd Wilson, Roscoe C. Pitts,
Lonnie Isaacs, Millard Dean
Norris, Col. Clyde C. Miller,
Jesse L. Moore, Russell Cornett,
Elmer Wendel Fox, John Ro
bert McNeely, Gillis B. Mit
chell.
County Tax Listing
Is Progressing Well
Ralph G. Greene, Watauga
County Tax Supervisor, said to
day that listing of property for
1966 taxation is progressing
well, and that township list tak
ers, except Boone, New River
and Brushy Fork, will continue
to take listings at their homes
(nights only) through Friday
night, January 14.
All township books will be at
the courthouse beginning Mon
day, January 17th.
The books for Boone and New
River townships are now at the
courthouse and listings will con
tinue through February 4th.
Mr. Greene says that as a
special convenience for taxpay
ers in Boone and New River, the
office at the courthouse will also
accept listings the nights of
Wednesday (tonight), Thursday
and Friday of this week from
7 to 9 p. m.
Attention is also called to
the late listing penalty of 10
per cent which will be in effect
after February 4th.
Mr. Greene expressed appre
ciation for the cooperation of
the public so far and urged that
those who haven’t yet listed,
do so within the time specified
by law.
Visit In Lenoir
Mr. and Mrs. Troy Norris
spent the weekend in Lenoir
with their son, Mr. Barnard L.
Norris, Mrs. Norris and child
ren.
Offer To Sell Ham Lands
Two In Hands U. S. Officers
A canned ham and some
cigarettes started a chase last
week that resulted in the ap
prehension of two Pennsylvania
youths now in the cuafrdy of
the FBI.
Mrs. Roy Furr, owner of the
Overlook Motel at Deep Gap,
alerted Sheriff Dallas Cheek on
Wednesday, Jan. 5, after two
teenage boys, age IS and 17,
checked in and subsequently
offered to sell her the ham and
cigarettes.
The call dti aMut 11:30 a,
m„ Cheek said, and he proceed
ed to Deep Gap, talking with
Mrs. Furr briefly before look
ing over a car stuck in the mud
near the motel.
While be was investigating
the automobile, Cheek said, the
boys jumped over a banister
and disappeared into a thicket
of trees before he could stop
them.
An hour and a half later, a
1964 Buick Riviera was stolen
from in front of Sears-Roehuck
In Boone. The Buick was
abandoned on Highway 421
West of Boone at Vanderpool
Road, and a 1959 Chevrolet
stolen from that point. That
oar was abandoned in Bristol,
Va., where the thieves then
stole a Renault.
In Gate City, Va., officials
apprehended the boys, who bad
in their possession a .22-caliber
pistol and camera which was
missing from the Buidc stolen
in Boone.
Sheriff Cheek said the FBI
has assumed full responsibility
faff thfi prosecution in the cam.
Dr. Carroll To Speak
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New Watauga High
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To Be Dedicated
Description
Of Big Plant,
History Given
The dedication of the new
Watauga High School plant has
been scheduled for next Sun
day, January 16.
The program will start at
2:30 in the school gymnasium
and will be concluded at 4 o’
clock, following which refresh
ments will be served and mem
bers of the student council will
conduct tours of the sprawling
facility.
Dr. Charles F. Carroll, State
Superintendent of Public In
struction, will deliver the dedi
catory address. The Watauga
High School Band will present
a concert from 2 until 2:30 un
der the direction of Otis Stro
ther, band director. The high
school chorus, under the direc
tion of Eugene Wilson, will pre
sent a program of choral music
preceding the dedicatory add
ress. Mike Wilson, president of
the student body, will preside.
The dedication of this new
school culminates over seven
years of planning and work by
school officials and the citizens
of this county. Final phases of
the construction of the school
facility were completed in early
December, and all furniture and
equipment planned for the in
itial opening of this school has
been installed.
The consolidation of high
schools in Watauga County was
first discussed in a regular
Board of Education meeting
held Dec. 1, 1958. During the
ensuing year, surveys of our
school system were completed
and comprehensive statistical
information compiled on the
merits of a consolidated second
ary school in relation to equal
educational opportunities for all
children in this county.
During the early part of 1961,
the decision was reached to
consolidate the Appalachian,
Blowing Rock, Cove Creek, Be
thel and the Watauga Consoli
dated high schools as soon as a
satisfactory site could be located
and when necessary tunds could
be made available.
On Feb. 9, 1962, local govern
ing authorities established defi
nite plans and procedures for a
bond referendum. Approximate
CContinued on page two)
The modern lobby of Watauga High School mirrors the bold
ness of the new educational plant opened in the fall of 1965.
The library of the school offers the widest selection of ma
terials ever available to high school students in Watauga
County. Science instruction is given in fully equipped labora
tories and a “bowl-type” lecture auditorium complements
classroom facilities.
Watauga’s Population Shows
5.88% Gain In Five Years
Bank Makes Gift
Of Securities
To Appalachian
A gift to Appalachian State
Teachers College from the
Northwestern Bank was an
nounced to the Board of Trus
tees at a recent meeting by Dr.
W. H. Plemmons, college presi
dent.
The gift was a certificate of
600 shares of capital stock of
the Northwestern Capital Cor
poration. It is estimated that
this gift is worth between
$3,000 and $4,000. It will go to
the college’s permanent endow
ment fund.
Watauga County’s economic
advance has been reflected in
figures showing a population
gain of 5.88 per cent during the
1960-65 period, giving the coun
ty 18,560 people in July 1965,
as against 17,529 at the time of
the U. S. Census in 1960.
This gain of 1,031 souls is
contained in a study released at
the beginning of the New Year
by a North Carolina State Uni
versity professor, who estimates
the current population of the
State is now more than 4.9
million.
If these estimates are cor
rect, Watauga will reverse the
figures made in 1960 which in
dicated the loss of 813 in Wa
tauga, in spite of the phenome
nal growth of Boone during the
1950-60 decade. Under the cur
rent estimates, Watauga County
has already gained 1,031 over
Minneapolis Symphony Will
Appear At Appalachian College
The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, under
the direction of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, will
appear at Appalachian State Teachers College
on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 8 p. m., according to
announcement by Prof. Rogers V. Whitener of
the sponsoring Artists and Lecture Committee.
Regarded as one of the finest major symphony
orchestra in the world, the Minneapolis Sym
phony Orchestra now is in its 62nd season, the
fourth with Skrowaczewski at the helm. Skrow
aczewski inherits a great tradition of Minneapo
lis Symphony conductors established by Eugene
Ormandy, Dmitri Mitropoulos and Antal Dorati.
In its rise to prominence, the orchestra has
made extensive tours of the United States and
has toured throughout the Middle East and
India. It will spend four weeks in the Eastern
part of the United States this season, including
an eight-day stay in New York City.
The concert will be presented in the Health
and Physical Education Building on the Appa
lachian campus.
Tickets ($1 adult, 50 cents for children, stu
dents by I. D. cards) are available from the
committee.
the 1960 count, which local ob
servers would feel is conserva
tive in view of the booming
local economy.
It is interesting to note that j
Dr. C. Horace Hamilton, Pro-!
fessor of Sociology at State has
used a statistical method for |
computing population used by j
the U. S. Bureau of the Census
and research sociologists in j
making the current estimates. |
He lists 76 counties as increas I
ing their population in the last
five years and 24 losing.
Further details of Dr. Hamil
ton’s study follow:
The relationship of economic
growth to population growth
underscored by a year-end busi
ness report which ranked North
Carolina second in the nation in
business incorporations in 1965.
Blowing Rocket
Date Of Issue
To Be Advanced
Beginning next week The
Blowing Rocket will be pub
lished on Thursday. For the
past two years, the Rocket has
been published on Friday. The
new publication date will give
our readers the benefit of tak
ing advantage of our advertis
ers products a day earlier.
Those making weekly contri
butions to The Rocket should
have same in The Rocket Of
fice by 4 p. m. Tuesday after
noon. Ads should be in the of
fice by 9 a. m. on Wednesday.
the raise the tax had been
$1.50 per month up to 2,500
gallons of water, and dropped
to 25 cents for each additional
1,000 gallons of water used.
Now the water tax is $2.25
per month up to the 2,500 gal
Ion mark, and 40 cents per
1,000 gallons after that. The
sewer tax, before and after
July 1, is 20 per cent of the
water bill.
Mayor Wade E. Brown said
the tax raise was the result of
additional expense within the
Water and Sewer Department,
as well as the recommendation
of the Local Government Com
mission in Raleigh that Boone’s
tax rate was too low—out of
line with towns the sire of
Boone in North Carolina.
The State ranked first in the
South Atlantic region in indus
trial growth over the past 10
years.
Dr. Hamilton said the State
gained population primarily be
cause people decided to stay in
(Continued on page two)
Water
Bills Up
Although the water rate has
gone up, the fact that bills are
sent out every two months,
rather than by the month,
makes it seem all the higher.
Mrs. Pauline Higgins, book
keeper for the Town of Boone,
said the additional water cost
went into effect July 1. Before
Leaders Mother’s March
Asking For Volunteers
Leaders of die Mothers March
volunteer appeal in Boone and
Blowing Rock were selected this
week to organize their work for
the Watauga march to be held
this month.
Mrs. John B. Rohinaoo, 260
Westbrook Drive, Boone, and
Mrs. Howard P. HoUhouser,
Main Street, Blowing Bock, are
currently appealing to tdw
teers in the annul campaign
against birth defects.
“Our goal.” they said, “is to
call at every home and apart
ment in Boone and Blowing
Rock with a message about the.
campaign and a plea lor sup
pot*.”
The women surmised that
birth defects are the nation's
second greataat destroyer of life,