Murp hy Carnegie Library 4.73
Peachtree Street
Murphy, N.C., 28906
INCORRECT DAT?
Correct date: 7 /T/Itnci
The Cherokee Scout
12 Pages
and Clay County Progress 15< Per Copy
Volume 80 ?Number 50 ? Murphy, North Carolina, 28906 - Second Class Postage Paid At Murphy, North Carolina ? July 16, 1970
Bus Blasted
Clay County Sheriff Hartsell Moore "definitely not dynamite." The sheriff
points to the heavy steel chassis rail of and SBI agents sure investigating the
a schoolbus shattered early Friday explosion. (Staff Photo)
morning by a charge of high explosive,
Rogers Retires Explosion
From Clay Post Rips Bus
Neal Rogers, Clay County
Tax Supervisor and County
Accountant was honored with
a party and presented with a
new suit of clothes in
Hayesville by county employes
when he retired on June 30.
Rogers had served for the
past 13 years, having been
appointed to his office in 1957
on the death of the Rev. F.B.
Garrett. Rogers had served
under three different Clay
County Boards of
Commissioners.
The Clay County
commissioners have named
Robert C. Sams, 22, to succeed
Rogers. Sams, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Earl Sams of Hayesville, is
a graduate of Hayesville High
School and received his B.A.
degree in B usi ness
Administration this year from
Western Carolina University.
Sams trained under Rogers
for 10 weeks before taking
over the office on the first of
July. Sams is a member of
Myers Chapel United
Methodist Church, where he is
superintendent of the Sunday
School.
Rogers, 67, was postmaster
at Shooting Creek for 20 years.
He is an active member of the
Marshalls Chapel United
Methodist Church. He is
married to the former Nettie
Ledford and they have eight
children.
In Clay
A charge of high explosive
shredded the front of a
schoolbus at Hayesville early
Friday morning and damaged
several others.
Clay County Sheriff Hartsell
Moore is investigating the
explosion, assisted by State
Bureau of Investigation agents.
Physical evidence collected at
the scene is now at the central
SBI laboratory in Raleigh for
analysis.
Sheriff Moore said the
explosive was "definitely not
dynamite." He added that the
investigation is now pending
results of the SBI analysis of
the evidence.
The explosion happened at
4:45 Friday morning, Sheriff
Moore said, demolishing the
front of a 1960 Chevrolet and
damaging several other buses
parked near it at the Hayesville
High School gym.
SBI agents brought a mobile
laboratory to the scene on
Friday and demoliton expert
with the Special Forces,
presently on maneuvers and
camping at Hayesville, was also
brought in to examine the bus.
The damages were estimated
at about $6,000, the blast
blowing out about 30 windows
in the gym in addition to
wrecking the buses.
Neal Rogers
Robert Sams
County Tax Rate
Trimmed 3 Cents
By Wally Avett
Staff Writer
The Cherokee County
Board of Commissioners cut
the tax rate for the coming
year by three cents Monday,
from the $1.58 per hundred of
valuation last year to $1.55 per
hundred.
The county budget, as
adjusted Monday, will come to
a total of $1,499,309.46,
according to County
Accountant Barbara Stalcup.
Mrs. Stalcup said the tax cut
was made possible by an
increase of taxable property
which was more than the
commissioners had anticipated.
The property which can be
taxed, she said, vas expected
to increase about a million
dollarsworth over what it was
last year. This comes in the
form of new plants and houses,
new cars, etc. in the county.
When all tax listings were
accounted for, the increase was
found to be more than $1.5
million, shtfaid, making the cut
in taxes possible. She noted
that the two biggest items in
the increase were the new
Levi's plant near Murphy and
equipment at the American
Hi read plant at Marble.
In its final form, the budget
shows some adjusting the
commissioners accomplished
Monday. The commissioners
cut back on the amount
earmarked for a countywide
appraisal of taxable property
to be done in he next year and
also cut back about $8,000 on
the school budget.
The cut on the school
budget was for a guidance
counselor at Andrews,
requested in the school budget.
The item had been cut out in
budget discussions by the
commissioners at their meeting
last month and despite an
appearance Monday by School
Superintendent John Jordan
and the Andrews High
principal, it stayed cut.
Commissioners were of the
opinion that if the county paid
out the $8,000 for a
counselor's salary at Andrews,
they wouldsoon be approached
with special requests from
Murphy and Hiwassee Dam.
Both Murphy and Hiwassee
Dam have counselors, it was
explained, paid for out of the
federal money they receive for
having numbers of children
from low-income families.
Andrews, it was noted, does
not have as many children
from low-income families as
the other two schools and
therefore does not receive as
much federal money and
cannot afford to hire a
counselor.
The appraisal of property in
thecounty for tax purposes is
required by state law once
every eight years. The
commissioners have several
bids but are still dickering on a
price for the job and cut back
the amount they had alloted
for it.
Mrs. Stalcup explained that
the county has collected on
back taxes in the past few
years, money that was not
expected andshe has purchased
savings certificates which now
make up a surplus of more
than $25,000. This money will
be available to bail out the
budget if commissioners find
themselves short of funds
The commissioners Monday
also approved spending $3,000
for a community cannery at
Brasstown to serve both Clay
and Cherokee counties. It is
now being built on the John C.
Campbell Folk School
property and the total cost is
about $21,000.
Mayes Behranan and Bergan
Moore appeared before the
board Monday and said much
of the materials and labor
required for the cannery
project are being donated.
They said they still need about
$9,000 to finish the job and
could raise at least half through
their own efforts. They asked
that $4,500 be provided by the
counties.
After some discussion.
Commissioner Ray Sims made
the motion that Cherokee,
more than twice as large in
population as Clay, provide
$3,000 of the amount needed
and the motion carried
unanimously. (Later in the day
the Clay commissioners turned
down the request from the
cannery for $1,500.)
The commissioners Monday
also agreed to up Cherokee's
share of financial support for
the three-county Nantahala
Regional Library system by
about $4,000. This amounts to
raising the county's share from
50 cents per capita to 75 cents
and will place thelibrary in a
higher grant "bracket,"
enabling it to get more federal
money.
The Cherokee
commissioners had agreed to
tne increase two months ago,
providing Clay and Graham
would go along with it. Then it
seemed Clay would not
increase its part but Mrs.
Martha Palmer, regional
librarian, showed Cherokee
commissioners a signed
statement Monday by Andy
Padgett, chairman of the Clay
commissioners, indicating that
Clay would indeed raise its
support for the system.
In other business, the
commissioners;
?Heard Mrs. Margaret
Schroeder, president of the
local humane society, on the
need for an animal shelter and
dog control program. They
suggested that she come back
when plans forsuch a program
have been drawn and land has
been acquired for it.
?Accepted the low bid of
Humble Oil for fuel oil for
county use.
?Reappointed H.W. (Bud)
Alexander to serve another
term on the county Social
Services board.
Town Taxes, Water Rates Up
The Murphy Town Council
Monday voted to raise town
property taxes from $1.60 to
$1.85 per hundred of valuation
and also to increase water and
sewer rates.
It is the first time taxes have
increased "to amount to
anything" in six or seven
years", according to Town
Clerk Charlie Johnson. He said
the tax raise and rate hike were
necessary because of rising
costs and the need to pay town
employes better.
Johnson said the tentative
budget of $280,892 for the
1970-71 fiscal year contains a
raise for practically every town
employe. The raised in pay are
needed, he said, to keep the
town in competition on the
labor market.
'The pay for our policemen
is still low," Johnson said, in
comparison to other towns and
wages paid by industry. The
town water and sewer workers,
he noted, are sometimes hired
away by private industry at
$20-$30 a week what the town
is paying them.
The raises will increase
payroll expense by about 7 per
cent, Johnson said, and the
budget also contains $11,600
for new lines and other
alterations done on the water
and sewer system, $5,000 for a
drying bed at the sewage plant
and another $5,000 for
increased cost of operating the
old town dump as a sanitary
landfill in cooperation with
Cherokee County.
The tentative budget
(printed in detail on an inside
page of this issue) will be ready
for adoption by the Town
Council on July 28.
The budget called for
spending $280,892 during the
next year but commissioners
saw a $31,785 gap between
what was to be spent and the
money which would be coming
in from property taxes, water
and sewer service, parking
meters, etc.
The raise in taxes is
expected to bring in an
additional $14,437 and will
also increase the payments in
lieu of taxes by the Power
Board by $3,251. The
remainder need to balance the
budget, $14,097, will come
from the increased water and
sewer rates.
The Town Council approved
a new schedule of rates for
water and sewer service. The
water rate for a home inside
the town limits in the past was
a minimum of $3.50 for the
first 3,000 gallons or less. It is
now 9et at a $4.50 minimum
for the first 4,000 gallons or
any lesser amount used in a
month.
The commercial rates inside
the town limits also went up,
from a minimum of $4 per
month for 3,000 gallons or less
to $5 for 4,000 gallons or less.
Water usuage above the
minimum also reflects the
increase in rates.
Sewer charges will also
increase, set at a f it 70 per
cent of the water bill.
Medals Presented To Soldiers' Families
The families of two Cherokee County soldiers killed in Vietnam in March were
presented medals on Tuesday by Col. Dan Prewitt, U.S. Army representative. Mr.
and Mrs. Ralph Graves were presented the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal and
Purple Heart, awarded posthumously to their son, 1st Lt. Bill Graves. He also won a
number of other medals before his death. Mrs. Richard Wilson and son Dewaine
were presented medals Tuesday for Sgt. Richard Wilson, including the Bronze Star,
Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service and Campaign medals,
National Defense Service Medals and the Combat Infantryman's Badge
Fairest In Cherokee
Miss Linda McRae was crowned Miss on at right is Sharon Floyd, the first
Cherokee County of 1970 at the runner-up. Miss Oliver this week is in
pageant Friday night by Charlotte the state beauty pageant in Raleigh.
Oliver, the 1969 title winner. Looking (Staff Photo)
Linda McRae Wins Title
Linda McRae Friday night
became the second in her
family to wear the beauty
crown of Cherokee County in
the annual pageant.
Linda, 18, was crowned
Miss Cherokee County for
1970 in competion with nine
other girls for the title. Her
older sister, Carol McRae, won
the title in 1966.
An honor student at
Murphy High School, she was
Homecoming Queen last year
and named to Who's Who in
American High Schools. She
graduated this Spring and will
go to Western Carolina
University at Cullowhee in the
Fall. She is the daughter ofMr.
and Mis. Robert H. McRae of
Route 3, Murphy.
The first runner-up was
Sharon Floyd, 17, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Floyd of
the Hiwassee Dam Section. She
graduated this year at Hiwassee
Dam High School, where she
was active in writing programs
and won several awards.
The second runner-up was
Vivian Adams, 17, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Venson Adams of
Andrews. She is a rising Senior
at Andrews High School.
The annual event, part of
the Jaycees Water Festival, was
held inside the hot, stuffy
Murphy High School gym, with
high temperatures holding the
crowd down to about 400.
Jaycees said many people told
them if the heat wave last week
didn't break with a rain Friday
night they wouldn't come to
the pageant. It didn't rain and
they didn't come.
It was a scene reminiscent
of a camp meeting as hundreds
fanned themselves with the
pageant programs, the papers
continually fluttering in the
backglow from the floodlights
as the 10 girls paraded onto the
stage and down the runway.
The judges were Mr. and
Mrs. Harold Moore of Franklin
and Ted Holt of Asheville.
They watched the girls in
evening gowns and swimsuits
and in their talent
presentations.
Miss McRae sang "My
Favorite Things.'from the
Sound of Music; Miss Floyd
sang a popular ballad "Let It
Be Me" with guitar
accompaniment.
Miss McRae was sponsored
by Easley Manufacturing Co.;
Miss Floyd was sponsored by
Clifton Precision; Miss Adams
was sponsored by Gibson's
IGA.
Other contestants and their
sponsors were: Joan Swint,
Town son Funeral Home;
Sherry Beaves, Wachovia Bank
of Murphy; Shirley Derrebery,
Wachovia Bank of Andrews;
Marie Anderson, Rimco
Manufacturing; Dyan Kaylor,
First Union Bank; Wanda
Baker, Tri-County Tech; Becky
Hooper, Levi Straus & Co.
Mis Jerri Ruth Smith waa
the pianist for the pageant and
Earnest McDonald played the
drums.
Charlotte Oliver, Miss Cherokee County of
1969, made her farewell appearance last Friday
night before crowning the new queen.
On Sunday she went to Raleigh for the
weekiong Miss North Carolina pageant. With the
other contestants she will enjoy a number of
interviews, rehearsals, press parties and parades
before the competition begins.
The finals of the state beauty pageant will be
seen on the Asheville television channel, received
here as Channel 5, on Saturday night at 8
o'clock.
4th OF JULY PHOTOS INSIDE.
Wachovia Names Isaacs
To Head Murphy Office
Percy Ferebee, chairman,
and Hugh E. Gentry, senior
vice president of Wachovia's
Western Region offices have
announced organizational
changes in the Murphy office
of Wachovia Bank and Truat
Company, N.A.
"Because of the continued
growth of this most important
office and our expectation of
future advances in the
economic progress and well
being of the area, it ia
imperative that we build our
organization to reflect these
important trends."
Accordingly, Jack B. Isaacs,
vice president, will assume
responsibilities as head of the
Murphy Region office. Rex
Kephart, Wachovia vica
president, will become senior
lending and administrative
officer.
"These two men make an
excellent management team,"
Gentry said, "both horn the
standpoint of internal
operations and their taking a
more active role in economic
development, civic affairs and
overall capacity to serve our
large number of Murphy
customers with great
efficiency."
Isaacs la a native of Elk Park
in Avery County and a
graduate of Appalachian State
Univerity, and haa carried
heavy lending and management
dutiea in Charlotte aid
Valdeae, where he served as
office manager.
Active in the Bapttat
Church, Isaacs ha
School I
the church In
Valdeae. He hm
various dsie
Rotary,
Hi