An Independent Weekly Neicapaper
TWELVE PAGES-TWO SECTIONS
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY IS, IMS
"Boone's Ambassadors " To Appear In Concert Saturday
The Appalachian High School
Band, "Boone's Ambassadors",
will be presented in .a "Concert in
Three Deminsions" in the Elemen
tary Auditorium Saturday night,
February 22 at 8:00. The program
is free of charge and the public
is invited.
Taking in the three deminsions
of sights, sounds and fragrance,
the concert will be one which will
be enjoyed by all. Also included
in the programming will be a
number featuring a dance by Hiss
Mollie Agle.
Selection* to be heird include,
"The Showman" march, "Elsa's
Procession to the Cathedral",
"Carnival Day in New Orleani",
"Russian Salior's Dance", "Na
tional Emblem March", "Ameri
can Patrol", "March of the Little
Leaden Soldier s", "Autumn
Leaves", "Marching The Blues"
and others.
Thii type of performance will
use many new techniques for the
firit time in Boone and will pre
sent the band in a most unusual
manner. (Photo by V«rlln CoM«y)
FRIGID BOONE.—Jerry Coe and boy* play Eskimo as they stand in
front of an igloo they constructed at their home from last week's heavy
snowfall. Left to right are Mr. Coe, Scott and Johnny Coe. The ice house
measured fifteen feet around.—Photo by Palmer's Photo Shop.
Northern Lights
Are Seen Locally
By JOE C. MINOR
Person* who had occasion to be
out of the house Monday night
were treated to a rare light when
the Aurora Borealls displayed her
brilliant lighting over this area.
The Aurora Borealis, or more
commonly referred to around here
as the Northern Lights, was visible
for some time in Boone, and reach
ed its seinth sometime between
8:30 and 9:30 o'clock. Persons
coming from Blowing Rock and
other areas south, reported they
thought all of Boone "must be on
fire."
The "lights" ranged in color var
ious shades of red or purple, to
some, green and white, which Is
said to be unusual.
One person described the glow
as a "beautiful sunset 'too late in
the evening."
Persons seeing the lights called
friends and told them of die spec
tacle, and no two persdns describ
ed what they saw in exactly the
same words. However, it was
worth the price of going out Into
to cold to see, and a return per
formance was promised for Tues
day night, although maybe not la
such a brilliant display.
' Astronomers and those who
study such things, are not all quite
agreed M what causes this phe
nomena, but general information
says it is caused by world-wide
magnetic-electric storms. Accord
ing to "The World Almanac and
Book of racta," 1096 edition, "ana
lysis of the light of the aurora has
shown that it is produced by elec
trical discharges in oxygen and nit
rogen."
Pome a*)- atmospheric distarb
ances, such an "annspots" which
have been aoUd recently, are signs
ESflK3S2 3Z3E
that the lights may soon be wen.
Anyway, these that were out look
ing (or the lights and those that
"just happened" to see them, all
seemed glad they did, and those
who learned about the auroral dis
play (oo late seemed disappointed.
Indianapolis, ,Ind—A passer-by
stopped 74-year-old Dominicfc Tur
chl to "brash that speck of dirt
off your coet." After the man left,
Turehl discovered $300 was missing
from his ptdML
Many Motorists Face
Deadline Sans Tags
By JOE C. MINOR
If a count along King street,
from Hardin to Water streets is
any indication of how many mot
orists have yet to display their
1998 state license tags, there are
still about 3,000 Watauga cars
which lack the license to be on
North Carolina highways after Feb
ruary IS.
These figures are based on a
count made Tuesday at noon, when
121 cars were counted between the
mentioned two points, which show
ed that 46 cars carried the black
on gold 1998 plates, 69 still had
the old gold on black plates of
1997. Nine out-of-state cars were
noted and one police car, whicll
is tagged with a "permanent" silver
and black tag.
According to the Highway Pa
trol office, located in Boone, ap
proximately 6,000 cars were reg
istered from Watauga county last
year. This leaves just a little less
than 2.000 cars that have been
decorated with the new tags.
If above figures are representa
tive, and if most persons that have
bought their new plates have al
ready put them on, it is believed
that several cars w^il not be on
the highways after Saturday, is
the local patrol states that those
caught without the new tags after
that day will be lubject to being
cited (or driving without propeV
registration.
Buying tags thi* year hai not
been as easy as in other yean.
This is mostly due to the fact that
North Carolina's new automobile
liability law goes into effect on
February 15, making it manda
tory to show that the vehicle own
er is able to pay for any damage
done by his vehicle if an acci
dent occurs, before he can buy his
license. Host persons are ex
pected to carry insurance to cover
any damage they are proven liable
for.
Insurance writers have been re
quired to furnish their policy-hold*
ers with proof of ownership
of such a policy. This proof is in
the form of a certificate with pert
inent facts on it. This supposedly
will slow late tag buyers down
some because all figures on the
certificate must be checked to see
if they are correct Many car
owners have delayed buying In
surance but must do so before
getting a license plate.
There Is no branch office' in
Boone or Watauga county which
sells tags, so buyers must either
go out of town to secure the plates,
or send to Raleigh by mail.
Results of all this may be: More
pedestrians.
Greenwood
To Address
Loeal Group
Thompson Greenwood, execu
tive vice-president of the North
Carolina Merchants Association,
will be the speaker for the regu
lar monthly meeting of the Boone
Chamber of Commerce and Mer
chants Association on Tuesday.
The announcement was made
today by.Leo Derrick, manager of
the local organization, who said
Greenwood had recently confirm
ed an earlier acceptance of the
invitation to attend.
The meeting will be held up
stairs in the banquet room of the
Boone Trail Restaurant at noon
Tuesday.
The executive vice president,
under whose leadership the State
organization has undergone mark
ed growth ia recent years, is ex
pected to talk on the tangible
benefits derived from membership
ia the merchants association and
chamber of commerce. /
Non-members, as well as mem
bers, and all interested parties are
invited to attend the meeting.
Member* of the board of directors,
at their scheduled session Feb. 4,
stated they would Invite special
guests and urged all business peo
ple to make an effort to be pre
sent.
Plemmons Pleads For
i Academic Freedoms
Winston-Salem, N. C„ Feb. 7—
A strong plea for academic free
I dom was nude on the campus of
Wake Forest College yesterday by
| Dr. William H. Plemmons, presi
| dent of Appalachian Stale Teach
ers College.
| Speaking at exercises observing
the college's 124th birthday, the j
Wake Forest alumnu* said that I
academic freedom is of "even j
greater importance" to a college
faculty than an adequate salary
schedule
"Frei-Jom- be said, "Is not the
absence of responsibility nor it It
the right to do as one pleases. It
is the presence of responsible
choict- Its source of power is aelf
•MptW ' *> '
"The teacher's right and free
dom to engage In research and
disseminate the result*, while not
circumscribed hf boundaries ia
which thf: search of truth may "be
Pursued, may be limited hj his
other assigned duties, and will be
limited always by the require
ments of objectivity and integrity.
The search for truth, wherever it
leads, la not out of harmony with
God."
Dr. Plemmons also quoted from
a statement on academic freedom
adopted unanimously by the As
sociation of American Universities
in 1053. It said, in part: . . To
enjoin uniformity of outlook upon
a university faculty would put a
stop to learning at its source."
About 1.B00 students and faculty
members heard the address In
Wait Chapel Dr. Plemmons was
Introduced by Wake Forest Presi
flent Harold W Tribble
The Rev L. H. Hollingsworth,
pastor of the First Baptist Church
at Boone and president 4 the
General Board of the convention,
read the scripture and gave the
Drama Veteran
Will Succeed
£. R. Loessin
By VIRGIL ROLLINS
William C. (Bill) Rom. who has
distinguished himself as a mem
ber of the Horn in the West cast
each year since the play opened
in 1952, has been appointed direc
tor of the 1998 production of the
drama.
He succeeds Edward R. Loessin,
who this year will direct "Chucky
—Photo By Paul Wnton studio
BILL ROSS
Jack," another Kermit Hunter out
door drama produced at Gatlin
burg, Tenn.
Charles ElMfe af Marlon, as
other charter member of the
Horn cant, waa appointed at the
came time to fill the aewly
created pout of asalatant direc
tor.
The board of directors of the
Southern Appalachian Historical
Association voted unanimously to
accept the recommendations of a
committee headed by pr. Law
rence H. Owsley at a meeting held
Wednesday, February S.
Mr. Rosa, whose new duties
will Include the final selection
of the east, a former function
of the production department,
will not take part In the play
this season.
Mr. Elledge, however, in addi
tion to his duties as assistant dir
ector, will also be a member of the
cast as in former years, it was an
nounced.
Varied Background
A native of Morganton, Mr.
Ross received his BS degree from
Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege in 1BS0 and his Master's de
gree in 1M1. He has been a mem
ber of the Appalachian High
School faculty for the past seven
years, and is currently teaching
dramatics and English.
The foundation of his thea
trical career was laid In high
school where he participated to
dramatics and debating, and
waa a member of the hand. Be
also played varsity football,
basketball, baseball, and tenia
to high school at Morganton.
A World War II veteran of the
i Air Force and the Infantry, he al
(Continued on page two)
College Drama Groups
To Stage Gay Review
Alpha Pii Omega and Appal*
chlan Piaycrafters, the drama
(roup* on campus, have released
their tentative plans for' the re
mainder of the year. A "Roaring
"20's Review" will be staged, un
der the sponsorship of Alpha Psi
Omega, March 1.
Auditions for Ike parts In the
review, which centers around a
small-town Southern girl who
makes good and goes to Holly
wood, leaving ker beau behind,
will be held Friday afternoon
at 4:M o'clock In the Admini
stration Building Auditorium.
Miss Nary Ruth Johnston, the
writer and over-all director of
the production, has announced
that tryonts are open only to
Piaycrafters and Alpha Pal
Omega members.
The. technical directors for the
production have been appointed
by the over-all director. The musi
cal' director Is Dale Freeman;
choreographer, Willie Frye and
Mickey Hagler; and costumes,
Penny Kirk and Beth Davis.
* College students, faculty mem
bers, and townspeople will be ad
mitted to this March 1 program
free of charge. ,
The Appalachian Drama Festi
val, sponsored annually by Play
crafters, will be held March 21
22. Letters have been sent to
fourteen high schools ia the sur
rounding area inviting them to
participate in the festival. Plays
entered in the festival must be of
one get, with a 20-30 minute time
limit. « • ' "
Selected judges will rate the
plays and award the meritorious
productions a rating of either
"superior" or "honorable men
tion." Five individual awards,
Best Production, Best Actor, Best
Actress, Best Supporting Actor,
and Best Supporting Actress, will
be presented at the conclusion of
the festival.
Jar Of Pennies
Is Polio Gift
A Maion Jar, containing five
hundred pennies, wat given to
the March of Dime* in Blowing
Rock by Mlckie Willi ami,
eleven, fifth grade student at
Blowing Rock School.
In announcing Mickle's gen
erosity, Mr*. Arnold Bollck,
March of Dime* chairman for
Blowing Rock, remark! that
her receipt* for the polio fund
in Blowing Rock have amounted
to tlZl.M, which of course, la
In addition to the amounts
which have been mailed in.
Listing Time
Is Extended .
The time for lilting taxei for
the year IBM hat been extended
through the month of February
by the board of county commis
sioners, according to an announce
ment by Ivy B. Wilton, county
tax supervisor u
"We urge all those who have
not listed to be ture and do so be
fore the end of February and
avoid the penalty of the law, at
the time will not be extended fur
ther," Mr. Wilton Mid.
Church's Goes
To New Location
Church'*, Inc., dealing In men's
ind boys' clothing and shoes on
West King Street, has moved to
the building recently vacated by
Bare's Department Store, Fred
Church, proprietor, announced
this week.
"We needed more room," Mr.
Church said, "and we feel that we
can serve the public better with
a wider variety of merchandise in
our new location. We will con
tinue to deal exclusively in men's
and boys' wear (or the present."
Two Are Caught
On Scenic Road
Two Yancey county men, caught
for violations on Blue Ridge Park
way, were tried before U. S. Com
missioner Fred H. Hoover of Le
noir January SI, and were given
prison terms «f six months and
sixty days, respectively.
The six months sentence was
given for driving under the influ
ence of alcohol and without a
valid N. C.\ driver's license. The
sixty day sentence was given for
disorderly conduct and public
drunkenness.
i THE CHIMNKT STANDS after Watauna Inn it Blowing Rork WM destroyed by fli* eifly thU month
W A. Omiu, of AshevilJx, owner of the popular retort hotel, Hated thu week that the Ian will be
rebuilt, but It is doubtful that It vrtll be i*e<tr for uae thl» nimmcr It probably will b* opened next
|>car. The Ore cauaed a total leea, aocordin# to fire men.—Photo by Paiaaar'a Phots Shop.
W: :;SK?3»."I'SH ili . SkiMiyfc vRW.ai' i
Walton Goes
To Insurance
Stanley A. Harris, Onersl Ag
ent of Sturdivant Life Insurance
Company, announces the addition
of Daniel J. Walton to their staff
of agents. Mr. Walton will special
ize in Estate Planning and Educa
tional and Endowment programs
for children. He is a member of
the Jayeees and will be happy to
serve his friends and the clients
of Sturdivant Life Insurance Com
pany.
Mr. Walton's office is in con
nection with Sturdivant Life In
surance Company office in the
Watauga Savings and Loan Build
ing.
Mrs. Reddick
Rites Are Held
Mr*., Lena Msit Reddick. 74,
resident of Valle CnicU. died Mon
day at Blowing Rock Hospital.
Ftineral services were held
Tuesday at 11 o'clock at the Vail*
Cruel* Methodist Church. Minist
er* were Miss Geraldinc Surratt
and Rev. R. Y. Winters Burial
waa In the Mast cemetery.
A daughter of the late William
and Mrs. Mast, Mrs. Reddick la
survived by two sons and two
daughters: Glenn Reddick, Flor
ida; James Reddick. Winston
Salem, Mrs. Mary Dawsey. Mc
Clellansville, 8. C„ Mrs. Blanche
Young, Derlta, N. C. There are
ten grandchildren and three great
grandchildren. Two slaters sur
vive: Mrs, Eftie Clark, Valle Cru
el!; Mrs. Stella Dunn, of the Sut#
of Washington.
Miss Calloway
Ends Duke Work
Hiss Betty Jane Calloway,
daughter c* Mr and Mr*. Vance
Calloway of Boone graduated from
the Duke University School tf
Medicine January SI. having ma
jored in x-ray technology.
After having visited with b«r
parents fur • week Miss Calloway
went to Raleigh Monday where she
|M employed at Re* Hospital She
Among the four hunt
tag degree* M Florida
Mrs. Prestaell
I Dies Saturday
I Mr* Ida Camaline Presnell, 93,
of Beech Creak, died Saturday at
Watauga Hoapltal. A cerebral
! hemorrhage was given aa the im
' mediate ratine of death. Q
Funeral services were conduct
ed from the home Monday by He*.
Benny Ward aad burial waa In the
neighborhood cemetery.
The husband, Sherman Preanell
survives. Oth«. survivors are a
brother and (iiter, Knnlev Prea
nell, Rominger; Mrs. Vina Har
| mon, Sugar Grove, aad the par
ent*. Mr. and Mrs. N. M.
j Rominger.
Gels Degree
At Florida U.