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iwi $
VOLUME LXXII. ? NO. 51
fRICE: FIVE CENTS
An Independent Weekly Net tmpaper . . , Seventy-Second Year of Continuoua Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, JUNE II, I960
SIXTEEN PAGES? TWO SECTIONS
'
RHODODENDRON IN BLOOM ATOP ROAN MOUNTAIN.? The
peaks of Roan Mountain in Mitchell county were captured in their
glory by Photographer Hugh Morton. The Rhododendron Festival Is
scheduled to be held at Bakersville this week end.
FEATURES PRETTY FLOWERS , GIRLS
Rhododendron Fete Starts Friday
Price Memorial Park Is Being
Developed Into Resort Area
When barricades on the Blue
Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock
and at Montvale Road (formerly
Holloway Road) were removed this
morning (Wed.) leading into the
Priee Memorial Park, an area that
may well become the most popular
on the Parkway was opened to the
public.
This new stretch of the Parkway,
still under construction at places,
leads into a camping area where
space for 35 tents or trailers are
available near the Price Memorial
Lake site. Fifty more units are
in the process of being built and
when completed will make a total
of 83 camping spaces.
Water sports, such as fishing,
will be available as soon as the
dam is allowed to fill and the lake
is stocked with fish. The dam has
been completed, but filling will not
take place until more work is dnn<?
on the 42-acre basin. No date
has been set for this phase of the
Parkway project, but indications
are that it will be soon.
Hiking trails have already been
laid out and they go through
picturesque settings. For those
wanting to get ii) "the outdoors"
this area is expected to furnish
a more diversified program than
any other area on the Parkway.
According to Ernest Hayes, sub
district ranger in this area, many
inquiries have already come to
Parkway officials about the -camp
ing grounds. Ranger Hayes said
that no reservations will be taken
Instead campers will use the area
on a "first come, first served"
basis. Length of stay will be lim
ited to two weeks so that as many
as possible may use the area.
The units furnish facilities for
both tent campers and trailers. No
picnicking in the area will be al
lowed, thus providing the campers
with a certain amount of privacy.
Built-up tent platforms, filled
with crushed stone, have been pro
vided for those who expect to
pitch a tent. This eliminates the
necessity of ditching- around the
tents and will help keep the area
looking neat and clean.
Space is available for parking
trailers also.
Each unit has parking spcae, a
cooking place and a table. Water
fountains are provided, and a. com
fort station is in the area. A huge
underground water tank, holding
30,000 gallons and fed by mountain
springs will supply the water for
(he campers. The wator is tested
for safety reasons dach week.
Work is progressing rapidly on
the other units, but no time has
been set for putting them to use.
Space for future expansion is al
most unlimited, Ranger Hayes said,
(Continued on page eight)
L
SOUTH ENTRANCE SIGN OF JULIAN PRICE MEMORIAL PARK
First Annual Berry
Sale Rotary Event
The Boone Rotary Club is spon
soring a strawberry show and
sale June 16, to lend encourage
ment to young strawberry growers
in the county, it is announced by
Hugh Hagaman, Rotary member
in charge of the event
The sale had formerly been
scheduled for June 23.
According to Mr. Hagaman, the
show will be held at 3 p. m. and
the public sale at S p. m. The
location \ill be on Hardin Street,
near Kirk's Restaurant and Winn
Dixie Store. Choice berries arc
expected to be on display and then
ottered to the public at auction,
and householders are urged to at
tend the event and stock up for
their freezing and other needs. In
dications point to a good crop
with plenty of berries for sale.
Xi Hagcman explained how the
siiuw and sale, the first of which
wUl probably be an annual event,
is being arranged.
The Rotary club has bought
plants and distributed them to
several young grower!, In order
to start a strawberry chain.
Kach growers haa agreed to coo
tribute two prize crates each, the
proceeds from which will be used
to buy additional plants which will
itart other young growera in the
strawberry chain next year.
The proceeds from the remaind
er of each grower's crop belongs
to Uye grower.
Laurel Bloom
Nears Height
The purple rhododendron bloom
in this district has past its peak,
however, a few late blooming
bushes are now at their best The
most attractive floral displays for
the coming weekend will be the
mountain laurel which should be
reaching their height of bloom.
There was a decrease in travel
of 2.8% on the Bluff District for
the past month of May as compar
ed to the same period last year.
The decrease ia travel is attribut
ed to the cool rainy weather.
Dr. and Mrs. G. T. Buckland,
Tad, Janie and Mrs. Emma Buck
land visited last weak with Dr.
and Mrs. Roecae Buck! and and
family in Beraa, Ky.
The 14th Annual North Caro
lina Rhododendron Festival will
be held this week end, beginning
Friday. The town of Bakersville
in Mitchell county will be the site
of the festival, as pretty flowers
and pretty girls take the high spots
of the celebration.
The festival will have a "fresh
new look" this year, according to
its sponsor, the Bakersville Linns
Club. The Rhododendron Pageant
will start the festivities as the
new queen contestants arrive at
Bowman High School and register
for the event. Each contestant will
Join with the judges at the Queens
Banquet to be held in the dining
room of the Bakersville Motel at
5:30 p. m.
Then the visiting public will see
these lovely young ladies, twenty
five in all, as they participate In
the talent and swim suit compe
tion in the school auditorium Fri
day night at 8 o'clock. A talent
winner and swim suit winner will
be chosen, each receiving a beauti
ful trophy from Blanton's Business
College in Asheville.
The festivities will continue in
the gardens on the Roan Mountain
Saturday, and will open at 10:00
a. m., with the Harris High School
Band from Spruce Pine playing.
The many entertainers and
speakers will share the new obser
vation platform Just completed by
the U. S. Forest Service with the
niany visiting queens from other
festivals. Some of those expected
are the Dogwood Festival queen,
the Apple Festival queen, the
South Carolina Peach Festival
queen, and Miss Erwin.
The annual search for a new
Rhododendron queen will get un
der way promptly at 2:30 when
Master of Ceremonies Cal Calhoun
will call the young ladies to meet
the public .and the critical eyes of
the Judges. Miss Norma Ann Bu
chanan, reigning queen, will be
present to present the crown.
The festival will end after the
Queens Square Dancing Party Sat
urday night, in the high school gyia
at Bakersville. Lewis Calhoun,
professional square dance caller
from Winston-Salem, will conduct
the square dance party.
The new queen will receive val
uable prizes and travel through the
entire year. She will have a first
and second runner-up.
Mr. Hughes Is
Returned Here
R^r. Preston Hughes was re
turned to the Methodist pastorate
in Boone by the Western North
Carolina Conference in Asheville
Sunday.
Rev. A. A. Wilson remains on
the Watauga Circuit and Dr. H. El
Spence at Blowing Rock.
The Boone charge will ttt served
by Rev. Ralph H. Ballard.
Africa receives >490,000 educa
tional gnat
TOTAL REVENUES $589,558
Watauga Co. Tax Rate
Will Remain At 95 Cents!
Proposed
Budget Is
Given Out
> Watauga county's tax rate will
remain at 95 centi on the one
hundred dollars valuation for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1961,
estimated budget estimates being
published today reveal.
This levy, based on a property
valuation of $29,000,000, is cal
culated to raise $237,900.00. Hie
anticipated revenue from poll
taxes, and dog taxes will bring
local receipts to $246,300.00. Five
per cent is being deducted for in
solvents which would leave a net
tax levy of $233,969.00, or about
half of the total revenues of $589,
998.00.
Other receipts include from
State Intangibles tax $8,000; Tax
penalties $2,900; cost on tax sales
$990; court costs $7,000; marriage
license $1,000; interest $1,900;
miscellaneous $1,000; state aid
veterans' service officer $1,000;
State aid, welfare administration
$1,000; fines and forfeitures $19,
000; State and Federal grants, old
age assistance $123,343; State and
Federal grants ,?id to dependent
children $117,904; State and Fed
eral grants, aid to permanently
and totally disabled $42,0X5, suu
and Federal grants, equtliiation
$7,900; unencumbered balance $13,
891.
Expenses for the fiscal year are
set up as follows:
Tax releases and tax collector's
commissions $12,000; general fund
expense $88,446; health and wel
fare expenses $90,369; bond re
tirements $13,090; interest and
exchange $679; school expenses
$99,918; old age assistance $141,
600; aid to dependent children
$132,200; aid to permanently and
totally disabled $49,900.
Mrs. Wagner
Rites Held
Mri. Myra A. Wagner of Foi
coe, aged 84, died June 12.
Funeral services were held on
June 14 at 2:00 p. m. in Foscoe
CbrLtian Church, conducted by
R?v. Joel Wilson and Rev. Char
les Collins. Burial was in the Fos
coe cemetery.
She is survived by a daughter,
Mrs. Charlie Cole, Banner Elk;
two sisters, Mrs. Snow Gragg and
lira. Ethel Wyke of Boone; two
brothers, John Aldridge of Boone
and Linville Aldridge of Banner
Elk. There are nine grandchildren
and ten great grandchildren.
NEW BOILER. ? Voyne Edmisten (left) and Fred Ward (right), power plant employees, watch as one of
the men testing boiler checks on outfit's efficiency at the control panel.
Big Boiler Is Given Tests
For College Heating Plants
\? ? ?
Potentate Visits City
Mr. Lynn Harkey, Potentate of
Oasis Temple, Order of the Mystic
Shrine, Charlotte, paid an offici
al viait to Boone last Thursday
and met with local Shriners at the
Daniel Boone Inn.
The official party included Mr.
Earl Tate, Mayor of Lenoir, who
is expected to be Potentate next
year; Joe Bass, Potentate's aide,
Charlotte; Fred Bunn, Ambassa
dor, Morganton; Neil Huggins,
Ambassador, Monroe.
Hr. A. E. South was chairman
of the arrangements committee
for the first official visit of a
Shrine potentate to Boone, and
Bob Allen presided.
Mayor Tate stated that next
year a visit of the Shrine patrol to
Boone is planned.
Local Shriners meeting with
the Potentate and his party were
T. H. Greer, C. H. Hendrix, John
Wellborn, J. E. Clay, and J. W.
Kelsey.
1,396 Registered
As College Opens
The first summer term at Appalachian State Teach
ers College started Monday with 1,3M passing through
the registration lines, according to H. R. Eggers, college
registrar.
Mr. Eggers states that this represents an increase of
81 over the opening day a year ago, and that with the
workshops included, more than 1,800 will have been
enrolled by the end of the first six weeks term.
Regular classes began at the college Tuesday
morning.
? wwMMiMMwwBMrBWBfciaaiiwii I ii i n m m ??!?? b>nww
PARALLEL PABKI?K}.-Paipiig on the aoutb ride ol King Street la downtown Boom *u changed teat
week to parallel parkins, to allow ? better flow of traffic. Carl Gretoe tuperviaaa two town employees
in tha taak of printing the puking apacM^Pfaota F lower. 1 Photo Shop. 'I"
The college campus around New
River Light and Power plant was
filled with steam and noise last
week, as the first of two tests
were made on the new and most
modern heating plant of Appalach
ian State Teachers College.
The boiler was installed Ust
December, afcd this test and one
which will be staged this fall are
necessary before the State accepts
the project from the contractors,
Bernard Dougherty, vice president
and comptroller of the college said.
The test last week, run by E.
V. Puryear for the Dillon Supply
Co., of Raleigh, were satisfactory,
and if the final testing is success
ful, Appalachian should have all
the heat from the new boiler it
needs for years to come, according
to the college official.
The new boiler and automatic
equipment which goes with it, com
prised the bulk of expenditure in
the $360,000 improvement project
for the power plant, soon to be
completed. All coal and ash hand
ling are automatic, and no manual
labor is used In firing the boiler
furnace from the time the coal is
taken from the truck until the cin
ders are loaded, onto a truck from
a huge ash silo. Cost of thia
equipment was set at, close to
$300,000 by Mr. Dougherty.
The boiler ii expected to be put
into use thii winter and will tup
ply the campus with most of the
heat, hot water, and cooking (team
for the cafeteria. It provides for
expansion of the college and may
eventually supply the needs of
the men's dormitory which now are
heated independently of the other
buildings.
Mr. Dougherty said the college
will continue to make use of ita
old boiler, which is being repaired
and put into good condition, when
the demands for steam are not so
great, as in the summer months.
It is in use now.
The huge boiler is capable of
producing 60,000 pounds of steam
an hour, Mr. Puryear said. This
is beyond the needs of the college
now, but as the college grows it ?
will supply steam without addition
to the plant.
The test last week did not reach
capacity, according to the testers,
bccause thero were not enough
outlets for the steam to
from. The fall test is
to reach capacity as
will bo provided.
SO 000 Bounds of
poured over the
the extensive test