• ' Ahead In
The Democrat led all N. C. weeklies
In 1865 Press Ami. contests.:
first place awards included the
for General Excellence.
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Eighth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE WEATHER V
iS»S HI to Sanrme.’NHiU
March 29 50 21 61 50
March 30 53 30 tr. tr. 55 47
March 31 4? 26 1 UO 49 30
April 1 59 34 51 31
April 2 45 30 tr. .01 53 35
April 3 63 28 tr. tr. 50 20
April 4 57 35 tr. tr. 53 37
VOLUME LXXVm— NO. 41
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1966
10 CENTS PER COPY
*a Pir.cc_s semONA
FISHERMEN PRACTICALLY HAD TO STAND in line when
fishing season opened at Tater Hill Lake Saturday morning.
Lloyd Ragan of Route 2 went early and came home early with
a line loaded with brook trout. All of the fish were in the
10-inch category and Ragan said he caught them with red
worms. More pictures on page 3, section B. (Staff photo)
Wagon Train
Officers Named
Action was taken at the sec
ond annual meeting of the
Daniel Boone Wagon Train, Inc.,
which convened in Darby March
26, to- make a token payment
to Ivey Moore, Chief Scout of
the Train, and DeWitt Barnett,
Wagon Master, for their services
in 1965.
Boone Director Clyde Greene
also moved that a committee be
appointed ttf -work "but WM'
rangement for this summer, add
Stewart Simmons, Clyde Eggers
and Joe Edmisten were dele
gated.
James Richardson of North
Wilkesboro spoke in behalf of
Moore at the outset. He stated
that Moore has incurred con
siderable expense in behalf of
the Wagon Train.
Questioned, Moore revealed
that he has had to pay $100
for each suit of buckskin, has
bought hats and moccasins and
paid for trips to Spartanburg,
Greensboro, High Point and Co
lumbus, as well as other cities,
for television appearances for
the Wagon Train. For two
years, he has rented a horse for
the trip.
Greene told the group that
he has been associated with the
Wagon Train since it started
and said that without Ivey
Moore, it couldn't have lasted.
The Train was originated by
Greene in connection with Horn
in the West, in 1963 as part of
County Offices
To Close Monday
All county offices will be
closed Easter Monday, April 11.
This includes Clerk of Court,
Register of Deeds, Tax Offices,
Welfare Department, Agricul
tural Extension, and Veterans’
office.
The Health Department offic
es west of Boone will also ob
serve this holiday.
the N. C. Tercentennary celebra
tion. Demand brought on a re
peat performance the following
summer, and June will mark
the fourth annual trek.
Upon passage of his motion
to pay Moore a stipend of $150,
Greene moved that DeWitt
Barnett, Wagon Master from
Boone, has also spent money
for promotion of the event and
hisffaBrea equipment and teams
free of charge. The directors
turned over $75 to Barnett.
John Dawson of Darby suc
ceeded Clyde Greene as presi
dent of the Daniel Boone Wa
gon Train. Directors chose
Stewart Simmons of Triplett for
vice-president; Clyde Greene as
secretary; and Fred McNeal of
Boone, treasurer.
Watauga County
Hospital Gets
Duke Funds
Trustees of The Duke Endow
ment have announced an appro
priation of $664,266 to assist 59
North Carolina and South Caro
lina hospitals in financing char
ity services.
The Watauga County Hospital
in Boone received $2,157.
Thomas L. Perkins, Chairman
of the Trustees, explained that
the fund is in addition to $1,
404,392 distributed in February
to 130 other hospitals and 43
child care institutions and
brings to $2,068,658 the amount
appropriated this year to help
such institutions finance their
charity programs.
Of the total, the contribution
to 189 hospitals for this purpose
is $1,550,199, to 43 child care
institutions, $518,459. The
amount for hospitals is $91,139
greater than last year’s $1,459,
060 appropriation to 192 hos
(Continued on page three)
First Step Taken Monday
Modern Structure
J.G. Wilson
Promoted By
Motor Vehicles
J. G. Wilson, Jr., formerly
of Boone, has been promoted
from inspector to Assistant
Safety Administrator with the
License and Safety Inspection
Division of the Department of
Motor Vehicles.
Mr. Wilson was formerly em
ployed by Reins-Sturdivant of
Boone as an embalmer. He
went with the Department of
Motor Vehicles in June, 1951,
with the Highway Patrol. In
June, 1954 he was transferred
to the Department of Motor Ve
hicle Weighing Station at Salis
bury as Assistant Supervisor.
June, 1955, he was promoted to
inspector and transferred to
Edenton, to Rockingham, and
then to Lexington where he and
his family are now residing
They will be moving to Raleigh
soon.
Mr. Wilson’s • wife is the
former Irene Weaver of West
Jefferson and Boone. They have
two children, a boy- and girl—
thirteen and six.
The duties of this position will
consist of assisting the, admin
istrator in the-License and Safe
ty. .Inspection Program. His
office will be in Raleigh, ^ ,
W. C. RICHARDSON
Richardson
Given Award
As Co. Agent
W. C. Richardson, Agricul
tural Extension Agent in Wa
tauga County, was awarded a
certificate for 20 years merit
orious service in Agricultural
Extension work.
This award was presented at
the Annual Extension Confer
ence in Winston-Salem last
week, by Epsilon Sigma Phi
the fraternity of Extension Ser
vice Workers.
Richardson began working
(Continued on page three)
Banner Employment Month
In Area; Jobs Are Available
March was one of the banner
months for employment in the
Northwest area, Troy Perry,
manager of the North WUkes
boro Office of the Employment
Security Commission, stated
fliday.
The North Wilkesboro office
serves Wilkes, Alleghany, Ashe,
Watauga and Alexander coun
ties.
| Placements were up in sub
stantial numbers over Febru
ary and March a year ago and
Claims for unemployment
a new law, Perry (aid la Me
aleeth-end report.
In March, 190 were placed on
Jobe aa compared to 92 in Feb'
ruary and 74 in March last year.
Farther activity was reflected
in the number of job openings
received, which reached 209,
and 273 referred to jobs. Many
at the referrals were not pro
cessed in time to be included
in placements in the March re
port
New applications received to
taled 610 as compared to 377
toJttnaiZ. and 423 in llaicb
last year. However, Ferry point
ed out that most of the 610
were high school seniors regis
tering for work but who will not
be available until the end of the
school term in June.
“The employment. outlook
f*r April is good,” Ferry said,
“and there are Jobs available
now for male labor in both
outside and Inside occupa
tions, and male workers can
be put to work immediately.’’
Placements in March, Perry
said, were in many types of in
_ (CottUnied on page tbrnej
Part of the W. H. S. Band under the direction of Otis Strother at Sunday afternoon’s dedication concert. (Staff photo)
Watauga High School Band Gets
Top Honors In State Contest
Sunrise Service Event Of Sunday
The Boone churches will Join in an Easter sunrise
service Sunday at 6 a. m. at the Greenway Baptist Church,
the event to take the place of the service which had previ
ously been held at the Horn in the West grounds.
Rev. Gordon Noble of the Advent Christian Church
will present the meditation and other local ministers will
take part in the service.
Vocal renditions will be provided by the combined
choirs of the Perkinsviile and Greenway Baptist Churches.
A statement by the sponsors of the service says: “It
is hoped that this year’s observance of the dawning of
Easter, which is planned for both indoors and outdoors,
will be attended by all those aware of the significance of
the day.”
The annual Good Friday service of the Watauga Min
isterial Association will be held Friday at 7:30 at the
Boone Presbyterian Church. Rev. Richard Crowder, Pres
ident of the Association, will be in charge of the services.
Vermont-American Corp.
Recipient Of Sears Award
The employees and manage
ment of Vermont American
Corporation were honored on
March 15 by Sears, Roebuck
and Company for “Outstanding
Performance in Manufacturing
Superior Quality Products for
Sears during the past year.”
Manager Jack Cronland and
Superintendent Paul Edmisten,
Boone division, attended the
meeting in Kentucky.
A. E. Satkamp, Chicago, na
tional hardware department
buyer for Sears, presented a
Sears “Symbol of Excellence”
award plaque during a brief
dinner ceremony held in the Ex
ecutive Inn, Louisville, Ky. The
plaque was accepted by L. B.
Thomas Sr., chairman of the
board for Vermont American,
on behalf of the corporation
staff.
Representatives of t|f\_„
Vermont American Cofp, plants
were present for the ceremony
and also representatives from
Sears Louisville Group and
stores. (
Sears is presenting this year to
top suppliers.
“This award is based primar
ily on the excellence of mer
chandise produced by Vermont
American Corporation for Sears
during the last 12 months,” Sat
(Continued on page three)
Many Stores
To Be Closed
Next Monday
Most of the business places
along the Street are expected
to be closed Monday In an
added Easter observance.
Among those who have indi
cated they will be closed are
the following:
Belk's, Hunt’s, Varsity
Men's Wear, Newton’s, Mix
Mates, Stallings, Catos, New
ton’s Fashion Shop, The
Stone, Walker's Jewelry Store,
Church’s, Northwestern Bank,
First National Bank, Watauga
Savings * Loan Association.
BY RACHEL RIVERS
State Band contest judges
weren’t giving away any free
prizes last week, and the num
ber 1, or superior rating, that
Watauga High School’s Band
came home with Thursday
night, was the result of a con
scientious musical program.
And as band director Otis
Strother put it, there was some
question for awhile as to wheth
er W. H. S. would enter the
state competition at all. Stroth
er said he and his students
were wondering whether the
entire band could muster up to
class five competition, which is
second to the most difficult
music played in contest.
Finally, the Band decided to
try class five music and see
what they could work out. The
students and their director
came to the general conclusion
that they could make at least a
3 rating (good, or average), al
though Strother encouraged
them to think in terms of rat
ing a 2 (excellent classifica
tion) at the very most.
Fifty-Two
For a high school population
of 1,190, Strother thinks the
band should be larger. But the
52 students who boarded a
chartered bus for Greensboro
about 10:30 Thursday morning
were ready for the challenge of
the contest.
Icy road conditions routed
them to Greensboro through
Lenoir, Hickory, Statesville and
Mocksville. They stopped in
Winston-Salem for lunch, got
back onto the bus, and arrived
at Aycock Auditorium in
Greensboro about 2:15 p. m.
Myers Park High School from
Charlotte was playing. It
sounded like stiff competition.
After hearing two more
bands, W. H. S. students retir
ed to the warm up room and
went on stage about 4:50 p. m..
The auditorium became quiet,
the curtains opened, and Stro
ther and his students struck off
with the Brighton Beach March.
They picked "Overture for
Winds” for their second num
ber and the judges rattled
through three other numbers
and came up with “The 1m
(Continued on pege throe)
BYNUM GREENE
Bynum Greene
Files For Board
Bynum Greene, who is serv
ing his fourth term as County
Commissioner, has filed to suc
ceed himself to that post, on
the Republican ticket. Greene
has served as chairman of the
Commissioners three of his
four terms.
He married the former Lot
tie Edmisten, and they have two
sons and two daughters. The
Greenes reside on Grove Street
in Boone and attend Perkins
ville Baptist Church. Now re
tired, Greene was employed by
Coca-Cola Bottling Company 23
years.
New Building
Costs May Reach
Half Million
The Watauga Board of
County Commissioners Mon
day took the first step
toward replacing the coun
ty’s 64-year-old courthouse,
by arranging for plans and
specifications for a new
courthouse, to occupy _the,
same premises and to cost
from $300,000 to $500,000.
Coffey & Annas, Lenoir archi
tects, have been employed to
make the plans and provide the
specifications for the court
house and the letting of con
struction contract will depend
on the time when the plans and
specifications are made avail
able.
Survey Is Made
A topographical survey has
been made of the courthouse
land where the present facili
ties are located ' in order that
the architects may have the
basic information from which
to initiate their work.
Tentative plans call for the
new structure to be built on
the site of the old building. A
preliminary sketch indicates
that the new building will be
closer to West King Street
than the old one, and will be
approximately 83 feet wide and
100 feet long. It is indicated
that the present jail and tly
stone office building will con
tinue in use.
The architects expect to have
their preliminary plans and
drawings available in a short
time so that those concerned
may review them and offer sug
gestions, if desired.
No estimates of the cost of
the new building have been
made, but it will likely be in
the $300,000 to $500,000 range,
depending on the completion of
the plans.
Cattlemen To
Elect Slate Of
New Officers
The annual meeting of the
Watauga Hereford Breeders As
sociation has been called by the
president, B. W. Stallings, for
Friday night at 7:30 in the
County Agents office.
The purpose of the meeting
is to elect officers for 1966 and
attending any other business of
interest.
A special entertainment fea
ture will be a short movie of
the recent Great Southern Reg
ister of Merit show and sale
held in Athens, Ga, and filmed
by Lonnie Isaacs of Vilas.
All breeders of registered
Herefords are urged to attend
and Hereford breeders in gen
eral. Refreshments will be
served at the close of the meet
ing.
Christmas Seals
Produce $2,544
The 1965 Christmas Seal Cam
paign ended March 31, and
amounted to $2,544.50 in Wa
tauga County according to Mr.
Charles H. Blackburn, Jr., Seal
Campaign Chairman and Mrs.
Ruth T. Draughon, executive
secretary.
Mr. Biackburn praised the
individuals and business firms
for their wholehearted support
of the campaign, which exceed
ed the previous year’s total by
' ywt n__ ___
Mrs. Herman WUcox, presi
dent of the local Board of Di
rectors of the Tuberculosis As
sociation, expressed apprecia
tion to everyone for their help
in the campaign.
Mrs. Wilcox added that the
Tuberculosis Association will
continue their year around pro
gram in more extensive health
education, research, patient ser
vice, an all out fight against
tuberculosis, emphysama and ; i■
other respiratory dlsssssa.
.vv