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
Not. 29 20 IB 2
Nov. 30 20 19 2 .11
Dec. 1 41 29
Dec. 2 41 29 v
Dec. 3 39 20
Seventy-Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
Dec.
Dec.
4 34 9
9 47 16
VOLUME LXXIX—NO. 23
Snow given to nearest half-inch.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1966 10 CENTS PER COPY 26 PAGES_3 SECTIONS
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After taking office Monday morning, County officials gathered
in the Clerk’s office. Seate, 1-r, are James Vines, tax collector;
Orville Foster, Clerk of Court; G. Claude Danner, tax sup
ervisor and auditor. Standing, from left, John H. Bingham,
county attorney; Don H. Perry, jailer; Deputy W. Shuford Ed
misten; Sheriff Ward Carroll; Deputy Clyde Tester; (front)
Tom Jackson, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners;
(rear) Commissioners Glenn Hodges and Dr. Len D. Hagaman;
and Deputy Charles Hubert Welborn. (Staff photo)
New County Officials
Assume Duties Monday
As a slate of Democratic of
ficials and appointees was
sworn into office Monday
morning, the new Board of
County Commissioners (Glenn
Hodges, Dr. Len D. Hagaman
and Tom R. Jackson) named
Jackson^fcheir -chairman.
Well-wishers gathered in
|he office of Clerk of Court
Orville Foster and in the
courthouse hall as public ser
vants took the oath of office.
Miss Helen Underdown (D),
Register of Deeds since 1928,
wasn't voted on in the Nov. 8
balloting. She was joined in
the proceedings by a comple
ment of Democrats, and Re
publican Clerk of Court Or
ville Foster.
Sworn in as tax collector
was James Vines of Oak
Grove Road, a former em
ployee of Coca-Cola Bottling
Company. A retired Army
man, G. Claude Danner, was
appointed County tax super
visor and auditor. Danner
lives on Junaluska Road with
his wife and four children.
Ed Cullers has been ap
pointed maintenance supervi
sor. Temporarily, Forace Mor
etz, Route 2, Boone, is work
ing in Culler's place.
Sheriff Ward G. Carroll,
Resurfacing
Contracts Let
On Local Roads
The bituminous surfacing
of 16.607 miles of roads in
Watauga, Caldwell and Avery
was let at last Thursday’s
meeting of the State Highway
Commission.
Brown Brothers, of Zion
ville won the contracts with a
bid of $110,132.50.
In Watauga County the let
ting calls for the resurfacing
of U. S. 221-321 in Blowing
Rock from South Main Street
northeast to junction of U.
S. 321 bypass at the Snyder
Lake. .65 mile. The project
will cost $8,050.
Also to be resurfaced will
be the following secondary
roads in Watauga County.
1522-1523 from 1523 east
to 1510, Deerfield Road.
1202 from U. S. 321 to 1201,
1.8 miles, Windy Gap.
1552 form 1551 southwest
to end of pavement, 1.2 miles.
Poplar Grove.
1514 from US 421 to 1523,
1 mile, Bamboo.
Cost of these projects is
$32,850.00. Due to winter
weather the paving cannot be
done until spring.
former lumber man and vet
eran of World War II, named
as deputies W. Shuford Ed
misten, Charles Hubert Wel
born and Clyde Tester.
Named jailer was Don H.
Perry of Silverstone, father
of *ix. A former employee ol
Maymead Block Company
here, Perry also was substi
tute mail-carrier seven years.
Edmisten, farmer and resi
dent of Blowing Rock, will be
stationed there as part of the
County law enforcement
team. Deputy Welborn, resi
dent of Stony Fork and fath
er of three, operated a service
station in Boone eight years.
The third deputy, Tester, has
been employed by the County
Board of Education six years.
He has three children and re
sides in Vilas.
Commissioners
Chairman Jackson, farmer
and attendance counselor for
Watauga County schools,
taught 10 years in local
schools, was a case worker for
the Welfare Department three
years and taught a veteran
farmers class five years.
Jackson was on the Board
Santa Claus Tops
Gay Yule Parade
When the Beauty Pageant
Christmas Parade coursed
through Boone Saturday, just
about everybody played sec
ond fiddle to the last unit in
the procession.
Children jumped and romp
ed and dashed away from par
ents‘ sides to follow the sea
son's Pied Piper. Santa Claus.
The Old Elf ho ho d. and
danced and tossed great arm
loads of candy to his youthful
followers. His bright suit of
red contrasted against his
snowy beard and he followed
the Christmas parade through
late afternoon under bright
skies.
The Mayor, Wade E. Brown,
was in the lead car, and he
was followed by Guy Wilson s
antique fire truck and the daz
zling Watauga High School
Band, whose director, Otis
Strother, that night sang a
duo with his wife for pageant
spectators.
Tweetsie Railroad entered
an elaborate choo-choo train
float with a caboose chuck
full of happy youngsters. The
Rescue Squad ambulance
trailed the train, and behind
it, a miniature milk truck
circled and turned to the de
light of on-lokers. Antique
cars spliced the units, as did
1967 autos from local show
rooms. and pretty converti
bles, carrying pageant contest
ants through the chilly shad
ows of King Street.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
were in the long, long line,
separated by guest queens
(continued on page ten)
of Education five years and
served one term in the State
Legislature. He served on the
Tax Appeal Board two years
and was supervisor for the
Watauga Soil and Water Con
servation agency 12 years
Commissioner Glenn Hod
ges, production foreman at
IRC, has served as Ninth Dis
trict YDC chairman, Watauga
YDC president for two terms,
and two terms as a member
of the Watauga Democratic
Executive Committee He has
been a local elementary
school committeeman and
United Fund worker, and has
experience in farm, industry
and school activities.
Dr. Len D. Hagaman has
been a general medical practi
tioner in Boone 22 years.
He was engaged in public
health work in Caldwell and
Burke counties four years,
and in the Navy became a
member of the Okinawa Mili
tary Government team which
drafted civilian laws and re
gulation for transition from
military to civilian govern
ment at the end of World
War IT.
Orville H. Foster, re-elect
ed Clerk of Court (R). is a
resident of Vilas.
Foster stated Nov. 3 that he
felt the establishment of the
District Court System (the
Judicial Department Act of
1965) would be the most im
portant problem of his office.
The system will begin opera
tion in Watauga County the
first Monday in December,
1968.
Prior to the election,
Sheriff Carroll pledged to pro
vide 24 hour law enforcement
(Continued on page three)
TWEET8IB, big as life, makes colorful float.
Staff photo.
Wreck At Davidson
Boone Man, Wife,
Grandchild Killed
J. W. Norris Is
Given Honor By
Head Of Legion
Mr. J. W. Norris, Watauga
County Veterans’ Service Of
ficer, has received National
American Legion honors, as
this letter from John E. Davis,
National Commander, Ind
ianapolis, indicates:
‘The National Executive
Committee of The American
Legion, at it’s recent meeting
in Indianapolis, Ind., con
firmed your appointment as
general member of the Na
tional Membership and Post
Activities Committee. This ap
pointment is made with the
recommendation of the De
partment of North Carolina,
in recognition of service rend
ered that department.
“The American Legion is
creating a solid front to back
our fighting men. You have
an important job. I know I
can count on your full assist
Gifts Sought
For Orphans
As has been the custom for
a great many years a Christ
mas fund for the Grandfather
Home for Children is being
made up by Boone citizens.
Since the Banner Elk insti
tution cares primarily for our
local children, a number of
people have contributed to this
fine effort throughout the
years.
The money is needed right
away so those interested are
asked to leave their contribu
tions with Guy Hunt. W W
Chester. James Marsh or Rob
Rivers.
MISS FAT MOZINGO
Pat Mozingo Is Given
“Miss Watauga” Title
While the judges east their
votes, Watauga's Queen Patti
Jones reviewed her year and
five finalists in the Jaycees
Jaycettes Winter Wonderland
pageant waited anxiously to
hear the decision.
Fifteen lovely young ladies
had competed in three phases
of competition—evening gown,
talent and swimsuit — trying
for the county title, which
leads to the Miss North Caro
lina pageant, and for the win
ner there, to Atlantic City
and the Miss America Pag
eant.
MC Bob Barnes announced
the second runner-up. Miss
Emily Von Cannon, the first
runner-up, Miss Barbara
Clough—who in the absence
of the new queen would re
present Watauga County—
and they stepped forward for
their trophies.
Then the applauding audi
ence stood to greet the new
queen. Miss Hat Mozingo, who,
cradling her large trophy
and the traditional roses, step
ped form the stage onto the
ramp, flashing pretty smiles
to the darkened auditorium
of Appalachian Elementary
School.
The 19 year old beaty, a
resident of Charlotte, is a
junior at ASTC.
The Best
There was an overflow
crowd, and the pageant which
has loosely been termed “one
of the best" Saturday night
As Many Workers As
Students Necessary
By springtime there may
be as many construction
workers involved in build
ing projects at ASTC—as
there are students attending
classes. Currently, 4,417
students are enrolled here.
Already under construc
ion are an 8,000-seat gym
nasium which will cost
more than $2 million, a $1,
275,000 student center and a
$423,000 addition to the
school's industrial arts
building. Construction on a
new S600.000 administra
tion building will commence
within a few days.
And if these were not
enough to keep area con
tractors jumping, the erec
tion of a SI,800,000 library,
and four more high - rise
dormitories at a total cost of
$3,600,000, are scheduled to
begin in the not too-distant
future.
pulled itself into a category
all its own.
Jaycees President Bob
Snead began the evening,
terming the pageant ‘‘the
completion of a project begun
several months ago."
The work showed in the
quality of the production.
Jaycees and Jaycettes, under
the direction of George Ra
gan, presented a staged snow
scene, complete with ice-hung
chalet, snow capped moun
tains and chair lift. Mr and
Mrs. Otis Strother introduced
the pageant theme, singing
"Winter Wonderland”
Barnes called out the jud
ges Mrs Kenneth M Barlow
oi Lenoir; J 1 Greene, of
Winston-Salem, judging his
18th pageant, Blake Wallace;
Cecil E Porter of North Wil
kesboro (judge, MC and di
rector of 80 pageants); and
Mrs. Wayne Burgess of West
Jefferson. ASTC graduate and
director of the recent Ashe
County pageant.
Guest Queens
Glenn Hodges and Bob Mc
Farland. t h r e w the spot
light across the audience as
guest queens were recognized.
North Carolina Rhododen
dron Queen Linda Blair,
granddaughter of Mr. and
Mrs. H. Neal Blair of Boone,
announced she will appear in
the Tournament of Roses
Parade, Jan. 2, in Pasadena,
Calif. While there, she also
will be guest star on the tele
vision program, Dating Game.
(continued on page ten)
Richard Hodges
Family Victims
Tragic Crash
Richard Ira Hodges, 58,
Boone businessman; his wife,
Mrs. Frankie Johnson Hod
ges, 45, and their five-year-old
granddaughter, Susan Carroll,
also of Boone, were killed
Sunday afternoon in a two
car accident near Davidson, on
US 21, 14 miles north of
Charlotte.
Also killed in the crash
was Hugh Clayton Sherrill,
32, of Route 1, Troutman, a
passenger in the car driven
by Louis Richard Cowan, 33,
of Route 1. Troutman.
Cowan was admitted to a
Charlotte Hospital with severe
facial cuts.
State Patrolman T. L.
Hooks was quoted as saying
that Mr and Mrs. Hodges and
their grandchild were travel
ing west on Sam Furr Road,
when their car. apparently
driven by Mrs. Hodges, ran
into the path of the car being
driven by Cowan, who was
traveling toward Charlotte on
U. S 21. It was indicated that
all four were killed almost in
stantly.
Mr and Mrs. Hodges and
Susan had started to Boone,
after having visited relatives
in the vicinity of Charlotte
Mr. Hodges was born in
Watauga County to William
Martin Hodges and Mrs. Can
dace B Hodges, and was own
er and manager of the Boone
Body Shop for many years.
He was a member of Perkins
ville Baptist Church.
Mrs Hodges was born in
Watauga County to Rufus and
Bessie Ward and was a mem
ber of the Perkinsville Bapt
ist Church.
Funeral services for the
three will be held at 2 o’clock
today (Wednesday) at the
Perkinsville Baptist Church
with Rev Maurice Cooper of
ficiating Burial will be in
Mountlawn Memorial Park.
Mr Hodges is survived by
three sons, Jesse Hodges,
Hollywood, Calif.; Arlus and
Joseph Hodge s, Tacoma,
Wash ; two brothers, Dave
Hodges of Boone and Dallas
Hodges of Vilas, and a sister,
Mrs Bessie Hodges of Lenoir;
12 grandchildren.
Surviving Mrs. Hodges are
her mother, Mrs. Bessie Ward
of Sugar Grove; a daughter,
Mrs. Geraldine Carroll of
Boone; two sisters. Mrs. Nell
W Matheson of Vilas and
Mrs. Marion W. Simpson,
Sugar Grove, and a brother,
Thomas Ward of Huntersville.
Susan Carroll was a daugh
ter of John and Geraldine
Johnson Carroll of Boone.
Mrs. Carroll is a case worker
with the county welfare de
partment. Susan is survived
by her parents and a brother,
Richard Carroll of the home.
Yule Contest
Judging 18th
The Christmas contest be
ing sponsored by the We
tauga Council of Garden
Clubs includes any outdoor
decorations that can be seen
while driving by your home.
This includes doors, garages,
displays, indoor trees seen
from the outside, and special
emphasis is being placed on
live lighted outdoor trees.
The judging will begin at
6 p. m. Sunday, Dec. It.