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/In Independent Weekly Newspaper , . . Seventy-Sixth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE WEATHER
1984 Hi Lo prec. ’83
Feb. 4 49 IS
Feb. 5 55 27
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VOLUME LXXVI—NO. 33
> i~.r>
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1964
10 CENTS PER COPY
18 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
Schools
Closed
BySnow
Between four and five inches
of snow fell on Watauga County
from Sunday afternoon to Tues
day morning, forcing the clos
ing of public schools and cre
ating hazardous driving condi
tions that resulted in at least
nine minor auto accidents.
The snow began about 1:30
Sunday afternoon. By 8 p. m.
Sunday, over two inches bad
fallen, and flurries continued
throughout the night. Monday’s
sunshine melted some of this
first deposit, but it began snow
ing again about 1:30 Monday
afternoon.
Weather forecasters predict
ed from two to four more inches
of snow Tuesday and Wednes
day.
Schools in the county were
closed Monday and Tuesday,
making 15 days in all that Wa
tauga youngsters have been
forced to stay at home because
of bad weather. Plans were to
make up one of the missed days
Saturday if the weather im
proved sufficiently by then.
State Highway Patrolmen
could not be reached Tuesday
for reports of the various acci
dents caused by slick highway
conditions, but an unofficial
count tallied nine known mis
haps, none of them causing ser
ious injury.
Most of the wrecks occurred
in the Blowing Rock area, which
apparently was hardest hit by
the snow.
The Highway Patrol office in
Boone was urging motorists to
travel with extreme caution
Tuesday. Chains were a neces
sity on most roads.
According to weather bureau
reports, over three feet of srtbw
has fallen In the county air^ady
this winter, the highest total
since 1960’s 109-inch accumula
tion.
Thomas Attends
YDC Executive
Comm. Meeting
George C. Thomas, vice-pres
ident of the Watauga County
YDC, attended the State YDC
Executive Committee meeting
in Raleigh Saturday.
There was a good attendance
and the state president, Tom
Gilmore, made an important ap
pointment a t this meeting.
James L. Burney was appointed
executive secretary and will
have his offices in the State
Democratic Headquarters i n
Raleigh. This is the first time
the YDC has ever had a paid
officer. His salary was not im
mediately known.
Thomas stated that a change
has been made in the by-laws
and that will be discussed at the
next county meeting.
The next meeting will be held
in the Courthouse in Boone Feb
ruray 24, at 8 p. m. A mem
bership drive will begin at that
time and the club expects to
double the membership this
year. The State YDC had about
30,000 members in 1963, and it
is hoped this can be doubled
meeting.
All interested Democrats are
urged to attend the February
also, Thomas said.
Visit In Charlotte
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Crawford
spent the week end with Mr.
and Mrs. Bill Crawford and
family in Charlotte. While
there they attended the Ice
Capades at the Charlotte Coli
seum Saturday night.
The front of the Highland Hills Motel on
Highway 105 looked like this Saturday morn
ing, two days after a fire raged through
several motel units and the living quarters.
Midnight Blase Destroys Center
Portion Of Highland Hills Motel
Given Scout Award
Representative James T. Broyhill receives a special Scout
emblem from Cub Scout William L. Martin of Great Falls,
Virginia, in ceremonies at the Capitol in Washington during
Boy Scout Week, February 7-13. Martin is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Robert L. Martin who attended Appalachian State
Teachers College at Boone.
Polio Immunization Will
Be Offered To All Citizens
Watauga County will soon
offer polio immunization to
everyone in two doses eight
weeks apart.
There will be no needles; a
lump of sugar moistened by
two drops of Sabin vaccine will
be given.
The Sabin vaccine is neces
sary no matter what other polio
vaccine doses have been given.
This is because the immunity
produced by the oral vaccine
will reduce the chance of de
velopment of a carrier state.
The Salk vaccine, which pre
vents paralytic polio, does not
serve this purpose.
It is estimated that more than
two-thirds of the people in Wa
tauga County are inadequately
protected against polio and
would run a special risk should
there be ah upswing in polio
this year.
The Watauga Medical Society
and Auxiliary, the Health De
partment and the March of
Dimes are the local sponsors.
The Medical Society has under
written the $7,000 cost of the
vaccine. A donation of 50 cents
for each dose will be accepted,
but no one will be turned away.
The dates are Sunday, March
8, from 12 noon until 6 p.m.;
and Sunday, May 10, at the same
times.
There will be four distribu
tion stations: Cove Creek
School, Parkway School, Blow
ing Rock School and Appala
chian Elementary School.
The dates above will be the
only times that county doctors
will be able to offer the vaccine
in this manner and at this price.
Advice Given
To New Drivers
All persons ages 16 and 18,
applying for learners’ permits
must have their birth certifi
cates with them, according to
W. R. Stanberry, Driver Lic
ense Examiner.
If they are applying for or
iginal drivers’ licenses they
must also have their drivers’
education certificates, Mr.
Stansberry adds.
Low Bid Of $82,500 Is Accepted
For Grading High School Site
The clearing and grading
contracts for the new Watauga
High School were awarded to
Sherman-Simpson Construction
Company of Mount Airy after
sealed bids were opened last
Friday, W. Guy Angell, Wa
tauga County superintendent of
public schools, said Saturday.
Angell saM that Sherman
Simpson submitted the low bid
of $82,500 for the job. Six bids
were submitted, ranging up to
$189,791.75, he said.
He said,1 “It is my under
standing that rock deposits
have been struck on the school
site—we don’t yet know how
much rock there is, but-it is
there in some amount. We feel
that the Sherman-Simpson bid
was very fair considering this
fact..”
Angell said that clearing and
grading of the school site would
begin as soon as contracts
Could be drawn up—possibly as
early as next week.
A fire of unknown origin de
stroyed four units and the living
quarters of Highland Hills Mo
tel on N. C. 105, one and one
half miles southwest of Boone,
about 11 p.m. last Wednesday.
The motel’s owners, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Cody, had taken a
vacation to Florida, leaving it
in the care of Mr. and Mrs. L. C.
Harmon.
The Harmons and their three
children were staying in the
living quarters. They were
awakened by the noise of a
window breaking and escaped
uninjured from the building.
Members of the Boone Volun
teer Fire Department sped to
the scene and fought the blare
ia~a driving rain, using water
from a nearby pond to extin
guish the flames.
Gordon Pitts Dies
Last Wednesday
Gordon Lee Pitts, 72, of Le
noir, Route 8, died Wednesday
at a Blowing Rock Hospital af
ter an illness of three months.
He was born in Caldwell
County to Roland and Sarah
Greene Pitts and was a retired
carpenter.
Mr. Pitts is survived by his
widow, Mrs. Irene Shoemake
Pitts; eight daughters, Miss Rita
Faye Pitts of the home, Mrs.
Nellie Goulds and Mrs. Gladys
White, both of Blowing Rock,
Mrs. Jennie Oxentine of North
Wilkesboro, Mrs. Frances Denny
of Elizabethton, Tenn., Mrs. Ma
bel McMahon of Ft. Lauderdale,
Fla., Mrs. Margaret Messer and
Mrs. Katherine Viands, both of
Asheville; four sons, Arnold
Pitts of Lenoir, Donald Pitts of
California and Harold and Hom
er Pitts, both of Asheville; 28
grandchildren; 35 great grand
children; a sister, Mrs. Mabel
Clark of Elkin; a brother, Mon
roe Pitts of Lenoir, Route 8, and
a host of nieces and nephews.
The funeral was conducted
February 7 at 10 a. m. at the
Church Of God in Blowing
Rock. The Rev. Herbert Pritch
ard and the Rev. Alfred Pitts
officiated.
Burial was in the Blowing
Rock Cemetery.
J. J. Wellborn
Has Fatal Attack
North Wilkesboro.—Joe John
son Wellborn, 67, of Deep Gap,
Route 1, died Thursday at his
home after suffering a heart
attack. ■
He was born in Watauga
County to Daniel and Martha
Greene Wellborn. He was a
member of Stony Fork Baptist
Church, a veteran of World War
II and a retired farmer.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Bessie Carlton Wellborn; a son,
Glenn W. Wellborn of Asheville;
three daughters, Mrs. Mar ie
Blevins of North Wilkesboro,
Mrs. Joan Norris of West Jeff
erson and Mrs. Peggy Moretz
of Charlotte; seven grandchil
dren; two brothers, John Well
(Continued op page rix)
OFFICIALS ARE INTRODUCED
Watauga Republicans
Set Up Organization
Clyde Greene
Is Reelected
Co. Chairman
By CLARK COX
Watauga County Republicans
met in convention at the Court
house in Boone Saturday after
noon and set up a county organ
ization for the next two years.
S. C. Eggers presided at the
meeting as temporary chairman;
O. J. Coffey served as temporary
secretary.
All of the present county
executive committee officers
were re - elected: Clyde R.
Greene, county chairman; Mrs.
Lura Greene, vice-chairman; O.
J. Coffey, secretary; J. E. Hol
shouser, Sr., finance chairman;
and Phil Vance, treasurer.
Watauga’s State Representa
tive J. E. Holshouser, Jr., urged
party harmony as a means to
sure victory in the coming elec
tions.
Holshouser’s stand was back
ed up by the re-elected officers
in brief acceptance speeches.
Clyde R. Greene listed some of
the duties and responsibilities
of a county chairman, then ex
plained that the major credit
!->
CLYDE R. GREENE
for the Republican sweep in the
1962 county elections must go
to rank-and-file members of the
party rather than to the officers.
He urged continued efforts in
the same direction for the 1964
campaign.
Republican county elected of
ficials were introduced and
made brief statements of ap
preciation to their supporters.
A resolution in appreciation
of the services of the late Earl
D. Cook, a former Watauga
sheriff and chairman of the par
ty’s executive committee, was
adopted.
Copies of the party organiza
tions in the 12 townships rep
resented at the meeting were
presented and approved. One
man and one woman from each
of these townships was named
(Continued on page six)
Clenard Greene
Rites Are Held
North Wilkesboro. — Clenard
M. Greene, 91, of Deep Gap,
Route 1, the Stony Fork com
munity, died at 10:30 a. m.
Thursday, at the home of a son,
Arnold Greene, of Deep Gap,
Route 1.
He was a retired farmer and
a member of Stony Fork Baptist
Church. His wife, Mrs. Nannie
Simmons Greene, died January
24.
Surviving are three sons, Arn
old/ Ernest and Chilo Greene,
all of Deep Gap; two daughters,
Mrs. Flora Greene of Deep Gap,
and Mrs. Cora Smith of Lenoir;
31 grandchildren; and 52 great
grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted at
2 p. m. Sunday at Stony Fork
Baptist Church by the Rev. Ves
tal Moore, the Rev. Roscoe
Greene, and the Rev. John A.
Greene. Burial was in the
cbttch cemetery.
Photo Flowers’ Photo Shop
Firemen Douse Auto Blaze
Boone volunteer firemen left their churches
early Sunday to fight this blaze which broke
out around noon in a car belonging to Clark
Rominger of State Farm Road. The interior
of the car, a 1958 Chevrolet, was completely
burned out, Fire Chief R. D. Hodges, Jr.,
said Monday. Firemen arrived quickly at the
scene of the fire on a side road near State
Farm Road, and prevented the damage from
spreading to other portions of the vehicle.
—Flowers photo.
Man Suffers Broken Neck,
Frost Bite From Car Crash
A Watauga County man who
suffered a broken neck and
partial freezing of his body
when his car plunged 1,000
feet down an embankment 10
miles west of Boone was in
critical condition Sunday at
Watauga Hospital.
Cletes Potter, 23, of Zionville
was alone when his car plung
ed over the embankment about
2 a. m. Sunday, State Highway
Patrolman Gary Morgan said
Sunday afternoon. He said he
had been unable to question
Potter because of his condition.
In addition to the broken neck,
his arms, feet and legs are
partially frozen, a surgeon at
Watauga Hospital reported.
It was also said Potter re
ceived a damaged kidney and
other internal injuries.
The accident occurred near
Ed Robbins
Funeral Held
Walter Edward Robbins, 48,
of Blowing Rock died Thursday
at his home. Death was attri
buted to a heart attack.
He was born in Watauga
County to Lee and Carrie Aus
tin Robbins, and was a World
War II veteran and retired
stone mason.
Surviving are a brother,
Charles Robbins of Boone; and
three sisters, Mrs. Paul Klutz
and Mrs. Randall Foster, both
of Blowing Rock, and Mrs. Tom
Beach of Boone.
The funeral was conducted
at 2 p. m.,Saturday'at Blowing
Rock Baptist Church by the
Rev. George Hyler and the Rev.
Alfred Pitts. Burial was in the
Blowing Rock Cemetery.
Potter’s home on U. S. 421
about 10 miles west of Boone.
Mrs. Roy Martin and her sis
ter saw the wrecked car about
7:30 a. m. on the side of a hill
near their home, Morgan re
ported. He said they saw some
one crawling away from the
car. She notified her husband
and Martin found Potter.
He had been in the 15 de
gree weather since the accident
occurred which Morgan said
was between 1 and 2 a. m.
As of Wednesday morning,
the condition of Cletes Potter
remained critical. Doctors said
that it appeared as though he
would survive, but that gang
rene had set in over part of the
frostbitten areas of his body, a
condition which may force amp
utation of some of his fingers
and toes.
Meteorologist, Climatologist
Complete Weather Study
Charles B. Carney, meteor
ologist, and Albert V. Hardy,
state climatologist, have recent
ly completed a study of weather
and climate conditions in Wa
tauga County in cooperation
with the U. S. Department of
Commerce, Weather Bureau
(with offices at the Raleigh
Durham, N. C. Airport) and the
Chambers of Commerce of
Boone and Blowing Rock.
Herman W. Wilcox, president
of the Boone Chamber, said last
week that the reports had been
prepared in order to ascertain
the possibilities and usefulness
of establishing a full-time wea
ther bureau for this county. He
said that he had recently re
ceived a letter from Under Sec
retary of Commerce Franklin
D. Roosevelt, Jr., who is in
charge of the Appalachians De
velopment Program, which
seated that a weather bureau
was needed in Watauga County
and could prove useful to the
U. S. Weather Bureau.
Roosevelt said, however, that
this project may have to be post
poned for a time due to the
Watauga Industries
Meeting Wednesday
The annual meeting of Wa
tauga Industries, Inc., has been
set for noon today (Wednesday)
at the Daniel Boone Inn in
Boone, Glenn R. Andrews, presi
dent of the citizens’ group, said
last week.
“We are going to make an at
tempt at this meeting to decide
whether we definitely want to
sell the bowling alley property
on Blowing Rock Road,” An*
drews said. “There has been
quite a bit of discussion on
this matter. We will also take
up a number of other important
items.
“We have already received a
great number of proxy notices,
but we feel that as large a por
tion of our membership as pos
sible should attend this import
ant meeting.”
effects of President Johnsons
economy drive.
The preliminary report con
tains a short statement of the
climatological conditions affect
ing weather in the county, to
gether with tables of tempera
ture and precipitation figures
gleaned from weather observa
tions in Boone since 1929 and
in Blowing Rock since 1944.
Copies, for study and eventual
distribution, have been sent to
the Chambers of Commerce of
the two towns.
Weather observations are now
being made at Blowing Rock by
Mrs. Velma Hayes and at Boone
by Joe C. Minor.
Mrs. Brown
Dies In Iowa
Mrs. Robert L. Brown of
Keota, Iowa died February 4
in a Burlington, Iowa Hospital
where she had been a patient '
since November 25, 1963.
She was the former Marie
Dietz, of Burlington, Iowa, a
graduate of the University of
Chicago and was a teacher and
supervisor in the Burlington
High School before her marri
age to Rev. Robert L. Brown of
Watauga county.
Funeral services were con
ducted February 6 at Keota,
Iowa.
Surviving in addition to the
husband are two sons, Dr. Ed- 7
ward Brown of the University
of Arizona and Robert L.
Brown Jr., of Houston, Texas.
The Browns have visited fre
quently in Boone with Rev.
Brown’s brother, Mr. Homer
Brown and his sister, Mrs. A.
L. Cook. __