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Ahead fn Carolina
Hie Democrat led all N. C. weeklies
in 1985 Press Assn, contests. Four
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lor General Rwiiwye
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An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Eighth Year of Continuous Publication
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April 10 46 26
April U 55 28
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VOLUME LXXVIII—NO. 48,
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, APRIL 14,1966
Snow Given To Newest Hell
10 CENTS PER COPY
24 PAGES-3 SECTIONS
End Of An Era
Having reached the 64-ydar mark, the old Watauga County
Court House soon will be- replaced by a new structure, which.
County Commissioners last week reported, will cost from
$300,000 to $500,000. At the Chamber of Commerce directors’
meeting last month, Chairman of Commissioners Bynum Greene
introduced the idea of the new facility, and stated that the,
Commissioners preferred to learn the wishes of the people
without entering into a bond election, which costs $4,000 to con
duct. Several Boone businessmen heard as reports were made
of increasingly crowded conditions and the Commissioners’
concern for adequate space for storing records. Coffey &
Annas, Lenoir architects, have been employed to make plans
and provide specifications. (Staff photo)
•NGRESSMAN BROYHILL
to
Congressman
To Visit City
Next Friday
Following his long - standing
practice of visiting each of the
counties in the 9th District as
often as possible, Congressman
James T. Broyhill announced in
Washington today that he will
bold office hours in Watauga
Friday, April 15. The Congress
man will be available to Wa
tauga County residents at the
Boone Post Office from 8 a.m.
to 11 a.m.
“It is my intention,” Congress
man Broyhill said, “to spend
the Easter recess of the Con
gress in the district in as many
of the counties as time permits.
I will visit those counties not
included in the schedule during
weekends in April and May as
the work in Washington per
mits.”
These visits are intended to
afford residents an opportunity
to discuss legislation and per
sonal problems they may be
having In their dealings with
the Federal government with
tfeir Congressman in Washing
ton. ,i
“Discussions of this kind with
(Continued on page eight)
, Judges Are
Named For May Primary
John Bingham, Chairman of
the Watauga County Board of
Elections, announces the ap
pointment of the following of
ficials to hold the May primary
Jt$Lth* .county's IS precincts. ^
I'he first named in each case
is the Registrar, a Democrat,
the second the Democrat Judge
of Elections, and the third the
Republican Judge.
Bald Mountain: John Ragan,
John Trivette, Lesley E. Norris.
Beaver Dam: Tracy Bentley,
Harve Smitherman, Ray Stout.
Blue Ridge: Rodney Greene,
Marion Coffey, George Keller,
Sr.
Blowing Rock: Daniel Klutz,
Hayden Pitts, Roy Holder.
Boone: Mrs. Jewel H. Mast,
Charles Taylor, Ralph Greene.
Brushy Fork: Clyde Tester,
Eddie P. Norris, Ralph Wilson.
Cove Creek: John Perry, Blan
Norris, Mont Thomas.
Elk: Mrs. Glenn Triplett, Mrs.
Bessie Triplett, V. C. Cox.
Laurel Creek: Doughton
Tester, Olus Mast, Sidney Har
mon.
Meat Camp No. 1: Harry Sud
dreth, Willard Norris, W. C.
Byers. \
Meat Camp No. 2: Luther
Moretz, Odell Culler, Wade
Moretz.
New River: Max Norris, Ray
Minton, Perry Greene.
North Fork: W. C. South, J.
M. South, Ralph May.
Shawnee haw: Ed Chappell,
Willie Ruppard, Henry Michael.
Stony Fork: Bill Greene, Bill
Moretz, Joe Coffey, Sr.
Watauga: Arlie Hodges,
Frank Mast, Stanford Coffey.
JERRY BURNS
Jerry Burns Assumes
Editorship Of Rocket
Jerry Burns, a native of Blow
ing Rock, assumed his duties
last week as new editor of the
Blowing Rocket.
Mr. Burns replaces Mrs. Nell
Greene, whose resignation be
comes effective May 1. Mrs.
Greene has been with the paper
since January, 1964.
Prior to assuming his new
duties, Mr. Burns served four
years in the U. S. Navy as a
hospital corpsman, where he
served on the staff of a weekly
hospital newspaper.
After service in Chicago, 111.;
Pensacola, Fla., and Camp Le
Watauga Jail Rates Good;
Improvements Being Made
While Watauga Count; is
getting ready to build a new
courthouse, seven Northwest
ern Carolina counties (ace the
erection of new jails if the re
commendations of the State
jail inspector are carried out
Among the other 74 county
operated jails, the Inspector
rated 20 as poor, 39 as good,
and 19 as excellent : .
Watauga county's b as f ile
falls into the “good” category.
However the report states that
painting is needed, “bedding
poor and of insufficient sup-_
ply. Kitchen' below standard,
.. _ ', . ■ ■ •iW'- '' $: .
plumbing needed. Should not
be need to coniine juvenile of
fenders.”
Word front the County
Beard of Commissioners
Tuesday was that painting
and plumbing at the county
jail have already largely been
taken care of, and that the
structure will be brought ful
ly la liae with the recommen
' dattons as qaickly as possible.
Among those counties where
new jails were recommended,
Yadkin is now building, new
jails axe planned in Wlta and
Alexander, Stokes and Davie
are talking about building,
while Ashe and Alleghany don’t
plan to do anything.
“There’s nothing wrong with
our jail. The only think we
plan to do with our jail is use
it. We don’t need a new one,”
said Floyd Crouse, attorney tor
Alleghany county. •
In Ashe county officials are
quoted as saying they don't in
tend to build a new jail..
Leslie D. Smith of Raleigh
said the seven jails in this area
should be condemned. In ad
(Continued os page eight)
jeune, N. C., Mr. Burns joined
the staff of Blowing Rock Hos
pital as an assistant in the ope
rating room, laboratory, and x
ray department, where he has
worked for the past two and
one-half years.
When he is not working, Mr.
Burns enjoys playing golf and
collecting rare and unusual ob
jects, especially old stamps.
A 1958 graduate of Blowing
Rock High School, he is mar
ried to the former Pat Maddux
of Boone. The Burnses are
members of First Presbyterian
Church in Boone, and reside on
Maple Street, Blowing Rock.
Isaacs Seeks
District Seat
In Legislature
Newland—Rep. Mack S. Isaacs
of Newland will seek reelectlon
to the General Assembly from
the new 44th House District of
Mitchell, Avery and Watauga
counties.
Isaacs, a Republican, is the
senior GOP member of the Leg
islature from Western North
Carolina.
A candidate for a fifth term,
Isaacs has served four consecu
tive terms and is one of the
ranking Republican members
of the General Assembly.
A farmer, he has served on
(CaoUmwd oa pace sight)
' ' .. \ Y. • ..
Blossoms On Schedule
V ' . r, ■
■- .: ?. 'VyfIV
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■; 'i
To Open End Of Month
Only Two Gaps
Are Unfinished
On Scenic Road
Superintendent Sam P. Weems
today announced plans to have
all Blue Ridge Parkway picnic
and camp grounds opened by
April 30.
Beginning June 10 this year
through September 5, a fee will
be charged for entrance to
Parkway campgrounds by per
sons 16 years of age and over,
but no fee will be charged to
travel on the Parkway motor
road or to use picnic grounds
or other Parkway facilities. The
campground entrance fees are
authorized under the Land and
Water Conservation Fund Act
of 1965.
Weather permitting, the
Cherry Hill Restaurant at
Mile 257 will open for the
season on April 10; North
west Trading Post at Mile
258.6, on April 15. Hie Peaks
of Otter Lodge and restaurant
at Mile 85.6 and the Otter
Creek and Whetstone Ridge
restaurants at Miles 60.8 and
29 all open for visitors April
29. On May 1, Rocky Knob
housekeeping cabins at Mile
175 and the Mabry Mill restau
rant at Mile 170 open; also
Bluffs Lodge and coffee shop
at Doughton Park, Brinegar
Cabin, the Parkway Craft
Center in Moses H. Cone Me
morial Park, Crabtree Mea
dows restaurant at Mile 339.5,
and Pisgah Inn and restaurant
at Mile 408.6.
No new Parkway road mile
age is expected to be opened
for travel this year, Weems
said. In Virginia the Parkway
is complete—217 miles from
Rockfish Gap where the Park
way joins the Skyline Drive of
Shenandoah National Park to
the Va.-N.C. line. Two gaps
remain in North Carolina’s 252
Parkway miles: one, a 5%
mile section around Grand
father Mountain; the other, an
11-anile section from US 70 at
Asheville to NC 191 which is
under construction.
The Roanoke Mountain camp
ground on the outskirts of the
City of Roanoke will be opened
on May 28. It brings to 9 the
total number of Parkway camp
grounds, 4 in Virginia and 5
in North Carolina; and to 959
the total number of camp and
trailer sites. This newest
campground is located 1.3 miles
on a spur road from the Park
way at Mile 120.4. The spur
continues to a connection with
a road which leads to Mill
Mountain, a Roanoke City park.
Another feature of the new
Roanoke Mountain recreation
area is the one-way road around
Roanoke Mountain from Mile
120.3. Views of the city from
the summit are spectacular.
A full program of natural
ists services will be in opera
tion by the third week in
June. Visitor centers will be
gin opening the first of May,
but on a weekend or 5-day
week schedule. In North Car
olina, guided walks and ev
ening walk^i will begin June
18; in Virginia, three or four
days later.
Restoration of a lock on the
old James River and Kenawha
Canal at Mile 63.6 is com
plete. Exhibits to explain its
operation will be added this
summer; also walks will be
scheduled with a summer na
turalist acting as guide from
the visitor center on the north
bank of the river to the lock on
the south bank.
There la no indication that
spring bloom Is off Its usual
schedule. Dogwood, shad
blow, and redbud appear on
(Qffitinuad on pact alght)
MISS WATAUGA COUNTY, Miss Patti
Jones, passes a boxed orchid to her man
ager, Jaycee Bill Fowler, as the Boone Opt
imist Club’s Orchids for Easter sale gets
underway at the Northwestern Bank Satur
day. Miss Jones took a break from her
Easter vacation to assist in the civic venture.
She is a resident of West Jefferson. (Staff
photo)
175 Will Face Trial At
Watauga Court Next Week
The April term of Watauga
Superior Court will convene
Monday April 18, with Hon.
Francis O. Clarkson, of Char
lotte, presiding.
Clerk of Court Orville Fost
er states that 175 cases are to
be tried, nearly all of them be
ing in the nature of traffic of
fenses.
The Jurors
Following are the names of
those who have been summon
ed for jury service during the
term:
Joe L. Coffey, Sr., Harve
Brown, E. F. Norris, Willard
Eggers, Everette B. Fox, Jr.,
Tracy L. Norris, Billy Main,
Walter Lee Brewer, Fred R.
Critcher, Kenneth Ragan, Carl
ton C. Critcher, Lynn Matheson,
Vaughn A. Brown, Dexter
Yates, J. R. Gentry, Oney R.
Johnson, Herman Coffey.
Roy L. Townsend, Collis Aus
tin, E. S. Norris, Johnny Barn
ett, Fred Hart, Mace Fletcher
William Howard Love, Martin
M. Gragg, Edwin Brookshire,
Arvil L. Perry, James Arden
Wilcox, Arthur Townsend,
Wade E. Hampton, Hoyle H.
Shook, Clay Tester, Hoyle
Hayes, Roy Lentz, Jake C. Mast,
Ronda Horton, John Whitting
ton, Rash Aldridge, A. C. Callo
way, Roy Miller.
Ed Tester, Harold Jones,
Frank Austin, Worth Combs,
William E. Greene, John B.
Williams, Wendell D. Norris,
Everette Lee May, Hal John
son, Thomas Wade Tugman,
Howard James Younce, Dock
Cox, Bob Hardin, Thomas H.
Coffey, Jr., Troy Cannon, Earl
Ellison, Clyde Robinson, Elmer
G. Miller, Orrin Sherill, Clar
ence Swift.
Zip Code Number
28607 Is Explained
Postmaster Ralph Beshcars
explains Boone's zip code num
ber. 28607.
The digit 2 signifies the re
gion; 8, the fact that Charlotte
is the eighth station in the re
gion; 8, that Hickory is tiie
sixth post office from Charlotte;
and 07, designating Boone as
the seventh poet office from
Hickory. -
Several New Candidates
File For May Primary
A number of new candidates have filed for county
office since the last edition of the Democrat.
We had intended to give each candidate a front page
spot, with a few lines and picture. This week, however,
there were too many and reluctantly we had to do the
next best thing. That is, to run the office-seekers
their pictures on the front of section B today.
Realizing the great Interest in these announcements
the Democrat is happy to carry all of them, and attempts to
give each man about the same amount of “copy” with his
announcement.
Again we are sorry the front of the first section
wouldn’t contain them this time.
Tester Hearing
Set For Saturday
A hearing for Floyd Tester,
about age 52, of Sugar Grove,
was postponed a second time
shortly after 4 p. m. Friday
when an Avery County man,
Harold Dean Harmon, did not
appear to testify before Justice
of the Peace Dave Hodges.
Sheriff Dallas Cheek said that
Harmon, who is in his 20s and
a resident of Beech Mountain,
was expected to appear for Test
er who was arrested March
5 in connection with the fatal
shooting of William McKinley
Presnell, 41, of Sugar Grove. .
Attorneys Stacey Eggers Jr.
of Boone and Bill McElwee of
North Wllkesboro were present
to represent Tester.
When Hannon did not show,
McElwee called for another
postponement until Harmon
could be there. Hodgea said
that a subpeona had been mailed
to the office of Sheriff Jack
Vance in Avery County, but
that It had not been determined
whether he had received it sad
served it on HaMwo."' "^''
H. P. Holshopser, Sr., attor
ney for the prosecution, repre
senting Hr. PresneU's father,
urged that the hearing be held
in Hannon’s absence. He stat
ed that he believed he had
enough witnesses present to
bind Tester over to Superior
Court, which begins here on
April 18, and said be felt the
matter should be determined
prior to Court
The defense argued that Har
mon, who was driving Tester,
and Presnell around the morn
ing of the shooting, was the
only one who knew anything
definite about the Incident and
asked that the hearing be put
off two weeks.
Hodges ruled that a hearing
shall be held at 10 a. m, Sat
urday, April 18, in the Sheriff's,
office. . ' ; - ---i . •,
Sheriff Cheek reported Mon
day that ’Harmon was subpoened
Saturday, brought to Boone
and plaead nmMc hand.