Ahead In Carolina
The Democrat led all N. C. weeklies
in 1965 Press Assn, contests. It
won first place in General Ex
cellence, Excellence in Typography,
Local News Coverage, Want Ads,
and Second in Display Advertising.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
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28 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
VOLUME LXXIX—NO. 22
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER X, 1966
10 CENTS PER COPY
*8368*68 -i
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It took a lot of hard work. Neighborhood
Youth Corps workers are shown putting the
finishing touches on a string of greenery and
lights on West King Street. (Staff photo)
Davis To Speak At
AreaAwardsBanquet
Retired Railway Engineman
Rides Sky On 80th Birthday
James A. Miller, who used to manipulate the throttle
on narrow guage engines between here and Johnson City,
had been satisfied to do his traveling on the ground until
Thanksgiving day, when he enjoyed his first airplane
trip, flying from the Boone air strip to Knoxville mu
nicipal airport and back.
The trip was taken in a private plane piloted by Jack
Norris, Boone builder and airplane enthusiast. They
were back in Boone in 3 hours.
Incidentally the trip was made on Mr. Miller’s 80th
birthday.
‘Horn’ Directors,
Officers Named
“Horn in the West’’ outdoor
drama opens its 16th consecu
tive season, June 23, 1967,
playing nightly except Sunday
through August 26. Iji past
seasons the drama has played
on Sunday night and not on
Monday, but for the 1967 sea
son, the drama will not be
staged on Sunday evening.
Gene A. Wilson, professor
of speech and drama at Wis
consin State University at
Whitewater, Wis., has been
named production director
for the 1967 season. This will
be Wilson’s fifth year as di
rector and his 16th season
with the outdoor historical
drama.
Returning for his third
year as general manager of
"Horn in the West” is Boone
businessman, Herman W. Wil
cox. Wilcox has served on the
board of directors and as ex
ecutive vice-president in years
past He is one of the origina
tors of the drama, making the
motion to produce the show,
in 1951.
Dr. I. G. Greer of Chapel
Hill, well-known educator and
promoter of North Carolina,
has once again been elected
to the position of president of
the Southern Appalachian
Historical Association, spon
sors of the drama. Dr. C. Ray
Lawrence, Boone optometrist
moves from vice-president to
executive vice-president for
1967. Dr. Lawrence has sup
ported the drama since its
beginning in 1952. Alfred T
Adams, vice - president of
Boone’s Northwestern Bank,
serves in the position of vice
president. Mr. Adams has al
ways held a high interest in
promoting Boone and the
surrounding area. Mrs. Ear
leen Pritchett has been re
elected for another year as
secretary for the association.
The position of treasurer is
filled for 1967 by Boone at
torney John H. Bingham.
Bingham replaces Lynn Hola
day who served as treasurer
for 1965 and 1966.
The following people have
been appointed chairmen of
the various committees needed
to produce such a show: H. R.
Eggers, production commit
tee; G. R. Andrews, finance
committee; H. Grady Farthing,
public relations committee;
ship committee; Mrs. Rachel
R. Coffey, publicity; and Bob
Allen, curator.
The board of directors for
1967 are: Bob Allen, Clyde
R. Greene, Stanley A. Harris,
Sr., Lynn Holaday, Dr. C. Ray
Lawrence, Dr. W. H. Plem
mons, Dr. O. K. Richardson,
Grover C. Robbins, Jr., Mrs.
B. W. Stallings, H. W. Wil
cox, Dr. R. H. Harmon, J. E.
Holshouser, Jr., James Marsh,
Frank Auten, Mrs. Lee Rey
nolds, Mrs. Leo Pritchett,
(Continued on page two)
An address by Arc me K.
Davis in Elkin Dec. 8 is ex
peeled to review developments
to date in the 11-county North
west area and forecast future
trends in the light of state and
national conditions.
Davis will be the principal
speaker at the annual awards
banquet meeting of the North
west N. C. Development As
sociation. The program Is
scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
at the Gilvin Roth YMCA.
Davis is chairman of the
board of directors of Wa
chovia Bank and Trust Co. He
helped organize the Northwest
association in 1954 and served
as its first president. As presi
dent of the American Bankers
Association, he has spent the
past year filling speaking en
gagements in many cities of
the nation.
“We have brought to our an
nual meetings many notable
speakers in the past dozen
years," said present associa
tion president James Boyles
last week. “But I do not be
lieve we could select a more
gifted speaker or one with
more knowledge of our area
and sympathy for our people’s
aspirations than Mr. Davis.”
He pointed out that Davis’
recent contacts with business
leaders throughout the coun
try “have undoubtedly pro
vided him with new informa
tion and new insight into
what lies ahead for Americans
—both here in our Northwest
home country and elsewhere
in the nation.”
Despite his own busy sched
ule as a bank official and as a
director in several industries
—Hanes Corp., Chatham Manu
facturing Co., Western Elec
tric and others—Davis has re
mained active in community
development programs and has
aided other areas of the state
in launching programs similar
to those operating here in the
Northwest.
He is .president of the Re
search Triangle Foundation
and chairman of the N. C.
Foundation of Church-Related
Colleges. He served as state
senator from Forsyth County
1959-62, and has headed ad
visory committees for several
rural and agricultural services.
Another big feature of the
(Continued on page two)
Bright Lights To Blaze
Parade Of Pulchritude
To Mark Yule Opening
Santa Claus,
Beauty Queens
To Be Guests
The cadence will start pre
cisely at 3 Saturday after
noon.
Santa Claus probably will
fluff his beard and blond
Nanette Minor, Miss North
Carolina 1967, will be ready
ing to greet parade-goers in
downtown Boone.
Christmas lights will blaze
along King Street as the
Christmas season in Boone of
ficially opens. The Christmas
Beauty Pageant Parade will
be on its way and Parade
Marshall (Jaycee) Larry
Klutz says he is planning on
three bands for the festive
procession.
In addition to Santa Claus,
who is to be the honored
guest of the afternoon, Smoky
the Bear may be able to make
an appearance, and merch
ants wishing to enter floats
can do so by contacting Jay
cee Klutz or Optimist Jack
Williams by Saturday morn
ing at the latest.
This will be a pretty par
ade. The 15 contestants in the
Miss Watauga Pageant, to be
held Saturday evening, will
ride through town in conver
tibles, weather fitting. Pag
eant judges will ride in 1967
automobiles supplied by local
dealers, and Watauga Queen
Patti Jones, on the last day of
her reign, will be, as usual,
a regal representative of the
area.
The newly crowned queen
of Ashe County will be a
guest of the Jaycees and Op
timists, and Klutz says the
parade will comprise 30 units
or more.
Hundreds will turn out for
the spectacle which will dis
perse at Conrad Stadium af
ter its trip through Boone.
MISS NANETTE MINOR
Miss North Carolina
Nannette Jackson Minor, Miss
North Carolina 1967, is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.
J. Minor of Charlotte, a gradu
ate of Myers Park High School
and the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro. Prior
to the Miss N. C. Pageant, she
was full lime organist for
Pritchard Memorial Baptist
Church, taught piano, gave vol
unteer services to Mecklen
burg Juvenile Diagnostic Cen
ter and concert ized in the
Southeast. Whi’e in college
she did the operatic lead in
the comic opera “Telephone”
for USO tour in the Carribean.
She plans to study for her
Masters Degree.
Proud Octet—left to right. Barney Hodgson, president of the
Choral Ensemble; Jimmy Deal, Student Council president; R.
D. Hodges, president. Concert Choir.; Jane Dougherty, treasurer,
Student Council; and JcnclJe Payne, president. Girls’ Chorus.
(Staff photo)
WHS Student Fund To Procure Piano
Students at Watauga High
School voted to spend $714 of
their 1966 magazine sale pro
fits to complete a piano fund
begun several years ago at
Appalachian High School, and
carried over to W H S. when
the schools were consolidated.
A Knabe Grand Piano has
been purchaser for use in
musical concerts and choral
programs—total cost. $1,880.
Local high school students
had been setting aside two to
three hundred dollars per
year and last year the Distri
butive Education class donat
ed $200 to the fund.
From the $3,000 profit
earned in this year’s sale, the
students voted to complete
their piano fund, to spend
$1,000 for library books and
materials, to contribute $200
to the high school band for
their Marching Pioneers ban
ner and uniforms, and to add
$300 to the school newspaper
fund.
The remainder will be used
for student council expenses,
the junior-senior prom, and
the trip to Raleigh for the
winning homeroom and high
salesmen.
The top salesmen in the
1966 sale were Jimmy Marsh,
first; Jimmy Deal, second;
and Susan Miller and Connie
Edmisten tied for third place.
Miss Watauga Will Be
Chosen Next Saturday
The annual Boone Jaycees
beauty pageant will be held
Saturday, Dec. 3, at Appalach
ian Elementary School Audi
torium at 7:30 p. m.
Making her first official
appearance in Boone will be
Miss Nanette Jackson Minor,
Miss North Carolina 1967.
Nanette is a native of Char
lotte and a graduate of the
University of North Carolina
at Greensboro. Appearing on
the stage also will be Miss
Linda Jeanne BLair, 1967
queen of the North Carolina
Rhododendron Festival. Lin
da comes from Greensboro
and is the granddaughter of
Mr. and Mrs. H. Neal Blair of
Boone. This lovely duo will
be joined by several special
guests of the Boone Jaycees,
representing other towns and
counties throughout north
west North Carolina.
The theme for this year’s
pageant is ‘‘Winter Wonder
land’’ and according to chair
man Buck Robbins, the sets
devised by the Jaycees and
their wives are fantastic
“We’ve had a problem,’’ says
Buck, “but it was a happy
one. We have more contest
ants than ever before in the
history of the Miss Watauga
Pageant.”
Fifteen lovely young ladies
will compete for the title,
Miss Watauga, 1967. "Due to
the large number of contest
ants and the wide range of
fine talent, we have to make
sure the pageant moves
quickly. We are expecting
our finest production,” says
Robbins.
Snow Falls In Watauga
It snowed most all day Monday in the season’s most
extended foretaste of winter.
The snow was accompanied most of the time by a
high wind, and above freezing temperatures. About four
thirty in the afternoon the snow began to accumulate
and reached a depth of perhaps 3 inches. Salt treatment
kept the main highways clear, but some skidding and
slipping was evident on side streets and secondary high
ways. Mercury dropped to the low twenties Tuesday
night.
The snow was continuing intermittently Tuesday but
schools were open and traffic was moving normally.
Presstime reports were that Watauga County schools
would be closed Wednesday.
The Boone club has a re
putation of producing one of
the finest beauty pageants in
the state, as local audiences
can testify. For several years,
the pageant has been present
ed to a sell-out crowd. "This
can be explained,” says Jay
cee President Bob Snead, "by
the hundreds of hours the
Jaycees and their wives put
into this production.”
The present Miss Watauga,
Patti Jones, won the title last
year with a fine talent pro
duction of dancing. In win
ning, Patti was awarded more
than $500 in prizes, ward
robes and scholarships. Re
presenting Watauga County,
she placed first runner-up in
the North Carolina Rhodo
dendron Festival, and won
the “Miss Apple Queen” at
Hendersonville last summer.
Ford King V, pageant di
rector, expects competition to
be keen among the fifteen
contestants. “We not only
have the largest number of
girls this year," says King,
“but we have the most talent
ed. I think everyone can ap
preciate the difficult task of
the judges more if you will
judge for yourself. We’re us
ing the official Miss America
(Continued on page two)
Service Officer Is
Lauded By Veterans
J. Wilson Norris, Veterans’
Service Officer for Watauga
County, was commended by
Watauga Post 130 American
Legion for “the wonderful
work he has done for the
servicemen, their widows and
orphans.”
Commander Walter H.
Davis presided at the called
session of the Legion Post
which was held last Saturday
night.
A resolution which was
passed by the post, said, in
part:
"We hope we will have the
continued service of Mr. Nor
ris. one of our comrades, who
has the experience and the
ability to carry on this work
as he has been doing, and
who has done such an out
standing job.”
The Legion voted unanim
ously to tender to Mr. Norris
a life-time paid-up member
ship ckrd, “to show in an
humble way our appreciation
for his splendid service."
Mr. Norris is a charter
member of Watauga Peat,
which was established mere
than forty-five yean ago.