’ FOR BEST RESULTS „„
advertiser* invariably use the col
tunns of the Democrat. With it* futti ^ v_;
paid circulation, intensely covering
the local shopping area, it i* the
best advertising medium available, - 1 *
._ ■ ■
BOONE _
1964 Hi Lo prec. ’68 Hi he)
Feb. 18 37 28 .23 " "
Feb. 19 35 27 1.01
Feb. 20 27 21 .25
,r\?
An Independent Weekly Newspaper• • • Seventy-Sixth Year of Continuous Publication
Feb. 21 26 19 .13
Feb. 22 22 12 .02
Feb. 2a 31 3 tr.
Feb. 24 40 17
46—7
37 37
45 28
40 18
22 >3
39 9
33 25
VOLUME LXXVI—NO. 35
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROUNA, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 27, 1964
10 CENTS PER COPY
16 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
Jaycees To
Conduct
Tissue Sale
Members of the Boone Junior
Chamber of Commerce will con
duct their annual cleansing tia- j
sue sale Tuesday night, March !
3. This event is one of the ways
the Boone Jaycees raise money
to support their many projects
during the year.
The price will be the same as
in last year’s sale, it was an
nounced.
During the past year, with
money gleaned from such pro
jects as this sale, the Jay
cees have supported the bond
issues, the Boone Community
Playground, the Little League,
and sponsored the Christmas
shopping tour and party for
underprivileged children and
the Miss Watauga County
Beauty Pageant.
Anyone not contacted by the
Jaycees Tuesday may call the
chairman of the sales com
mittee, Larry Klutz, or any
other member of the Boone
Jaycees for delivery of their
tissue.
Wagon Train
Croup Meets
Friday, March 6
A special meeting of the
“Daniel Boone Wagon Train
Crosses the Blue Ridge” com
mittees of Wilkes and Watauga
Counties is set for March 6 at
7:30 p. m., in the auditorium of
the Appalachian Elementary
School in Boone.
This is a most important meet
ing since there will be discussed
some very vital matters of the
Wagon Train that is scheduled
for this summer, leaving North
( Continued page ^jta) «*..
JOHN D. MARSH
Marsh Elected
Rotary Prexy
John D. Marsh, principal of
Green Valley School, was re
cently elected president of the
Boone Rotary Club.
Mr. Marsh, long-time resident
of Watauga County, is a gradu
ate of Appalachian State Teach
ers College, a member of the
Official Board of The Boone
Methodist Church and is active
in the educational and religious
fields. He resides on Hillcrest
Circle in Boone with his wife,
Mary Nell Houck Marsh, and
their three children, Mary Bar
win, Ellen and Barclay.
The installation of officers
and the new board will be held
in June at which time, along
with Mr. Marsh as President,
Floyd Ayers, Vice-President;
Eric DeGroat, Secretary; and
L. E. Tuckwiller, Rev. Boyce
Brooks, Dennis, Greene and Al
fred Adams, members of the
board, will be installed.
Beauty Contest Winner
Winner of the 1964 “Queen of Clubs” beauty
contest held in the Appalachian Elementary
School auditorium Monday night and spon
sored by the Appalachian State Teachers
College Student Council, was Miss Judith
Ann Bower, 19-year-old sophomore at ASTC
__ and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. Paul
Bower of Jefferson, N. C. Miss Bower, who
was first runner-up at the recent “Miss
Southern Ski Queen” contest, won from
among nine contestants, doing a dramatic
reading as her talent contribution. She is
now eligible to compete in the 1965 “Miss
Rhododendron” Beauty Pageant. — Flowers
photo.
Airport Site At Valle Crucis
Belmont Winters,
Avery Leader,
Dies Wednesday
Belmont Harold Winters, 66,
former mayor and postmaster
of Elk Park and once a state
senator from the old 30th dis
trict, died Wednesday afternoon
in a Banner Elk Hospital after
a long illness.
Mr. Winters, a Democrat, won
a term in the State Senate in
1954, posting a narrow victory
over Republican J. Ray Bras
well. The 30th District, which
was composed of Madison, Mit
chell, Yancey and Avery coun
ties, was normally Republican.
Winters was born in Elk Park
and served as mayor for sev
eral years. He was postmaster
for 18 years, retiring in 1952.
He was a former chairman of
the Avery County Democratic
Executive Committee.
In addition to his public ca
reer, he was active in numerous
civic endeavors, including Cran
berry Masonic Lodge 598, of
which he was past master, and
the American Legion. He was
a past commander of Avery Post
109 and of the 30th Legion Dis
trict of North Carolina. He
served three years in World
War I.
(Continued on page six)
Blowing Rock Ski Lodge
Planning ‘Mr. Ski’ Contest
The Blowing Rock Ski Lodge
plans to celebrate Leap Year
February 29 (Saturday) with
a “Mr. Ski” contest.
M. E. (Bill) Thalheimer,
president of Blowing Rock Ski
Lodge, said, “This will be dif
ferent from other contests we
have had here, in that employ
ees of the Lodge are eligible
to enter. Gene Ohlson, one of
our weekend instructors, who
is the father of three children,
has been telling me for two
years that if we had a contest
for men he would win. I want,
everyone to be happy here and
have a good time, so we will
have a ‘Mr. Ski.’ ”
The contest will take place
at 4 p. m. Saturday. Following
the contest the pros will give
an exhibition. At 7:30 there
will be a torchlight parade by
the staff of instructors and ski
patrol. There will be a dinner
for the contestants.
Any man 35 years or over
who cares to enter this con
test may do so. Neither ski
clothing or skiing ability is
(continued on page six)
Officials of the Watauga Air
port Authority reported early
this week that a second possible
site for the proposed new Wa
tauga Airport was being con
sidered, and an option had been
taken on the site property.
The new site under considera
tion is located in Valle Crucis,
and a Federal Aviation Agency
representative was in the coun
ty last week to look at the site
and make recommendations.
Engineers will be sent as
soon as possible to survey the
site for airport suitability, of
ficials said. Plans for the new
airport must be submitted by
March 2, they added, or the
federal funds available for the
massive project may be with
drawn.
Inquiries and interest from
various state industries and oth
er concerns have indicated that
an airport would be instru
mental in procuring new indus
try and tourist trade for the
county. The present project is
in line with the federal policy
of blanketing all areas as fully
as possible with airstrips in or
W. J. Alexander
Funeral Held
Willis James Alexander, 65,
of Boone died en route to Wa
tauga Hospital Friday night He
had been ill about one week.
Death was attributed to a heart
attack.
He was born in Mecklenburg
County to Harrison C. and Min
erva Black Alexander. He lived
in Watauga County 19 years.
Alexander was an inter
denominational lay preacher and
missionary worker and a car
penter and cabinet-maker.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Swannie M. Alexander; a son,
William H. Alexander of New
land; two brothers, J. D. Alex
ander of Winston-Salem and L.
G. Alexander of Gastonia; two
sisters, Mrs. Alice A. Morris of
Charlotte and Mrs. Elizabeth A.
Mahoney of Daytona Beach,
Fla.; and two grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted at
2 p.m. Sunday at Greenway Bap
tist Church by the Rev. C. O.
Vance. Burial was is Mount
lawn Memorial Park.
der to facilitate industrial and
tourist development.
Landowners and citizens of
Valle Crucis are quite inter
ested in the possibility of pro
curing an airport for the com
munity, it was said, and have
expressed a desire to help in
any way possible.
The other site presently un
der consideration is located be
tween Boone and Blowing Rock.
No option has as yet been taken
on this property, however.
LOW BID $17,207
':; • ■' ' • r, *V' ' ' • ; •v .
‘ ' <
Daniel Boone Theatre
if
State Funds
To Be Used On
Horn Facility
Herman W. Wilcox, executive
vice-president of the Southern
Appalachian Historical Associa
tion, sponsors of the outdoor
drama “Horn in the West,” an
nounced this week that the con
tract for the rebuilding of the
Daniel Boone Theatre, site of
the drama, has been awarded
to the G. Perry Greene Con
struction Company.
The successful bid was for
$17,207. This bid covers the
rebuilding of the walks, steps,
curbing and aprons for the
seats, and all electrical work in
connection with aisle lights, in
cluding a complete aisle light
ing system placed in conduit
underground.
A new scene dock was prev
iously constructed, not included
in this bid, in the amount of
$1,259.98.
Additional work to be done
is the repainting of all build
ings up front, including the in
formation office, ticket office,
concession stand and rest rooms,
as well as the rain shelters and
equipment buildings and walls
around the theatre.
New chairs for the reserved
section will be purchased. The
rest of the chairs are scheduled
t<nfe repainted. -
In the plans to rebuild the
theatre, in the back of the the
atre on the right and left hand
corners several seats were elim
inated to streamline the theatre.
This space will be filled in with
flowering shrubbery and per
haps a border of flowers.
W. R. Winkler, the mainten
ance chairman, says he hopes
there will be sufficient funds
left from the state’s appropri
ation of $22,500 to take care of
these other items.
Wilcox said that the work is
scheduled to be completed by
May 15 and that all work, paint
ing, etc., should be completed
before opening of the season
June 27.
Polio Vaccine
Dates Given
The District Health Depart
ment, March of Dimes, Watauga
Medical Society and Medical
Auxiliary have joined hands in
the campaign being waged to
end the threat of infantile pa
ralysis through the use of the
new oral polio vaccine.
The campaign which is to be
conducted in Watauga County
will bring local doctors to the
following stations Sunday after
noon, March 8, and Sunday af
ternoon, May 10, from 12 noon
to 6 p. m., to give the vac
cine which is taken by the sim
ple expedient of placing two
drops of the serum on a lump
of sugar:
Cove Creek School, Parkway
School, Blowing Rock School,
Boone Elementary School, as
sisted by a team who will
quickly serve you so there will
be no waiting. The line will
move rapidly at about 25 per
sons per minute. There will be
no repeat clinics, so come out
on each of these dates, March
8 and May 10, for your polio
vaccine.
A donation of 50 cents will
be accepted, but it is explicitly
stated that everyone who comes
will be given the vaccine. This,
however, will be the only chance
to get this service on these
terms.
Each dose contains protection
(Continued on page six)
Talented Wataugans combine their efforts in
creating an oil painting backdrop for the
Daniel Boone Native Garden display in Char
lotte. In the picture, left to right, are Mrs.
Pearl Bingham and Mrs. Mabel Bingham
Brown, both members of the Mountain Gar
den Club; and Mrs. Ralph Buchanan, a mem
ber of the Rhododendron Garden Club.
Oil Painting Of Daniel Boone
More Snow
I Falls After
Brief Letup
Snow, as usual, was coming
down as the Democrat went to
press Tuesday, after a relative
ly clear day Monday which
raised the hopes of local citi
zenry that the worst of the win
ter precipitation might be over.
Monday had been the least
snowy day in the period of over
a week, dating back to Friday
before last. In that period, at
least some snow fell every day,
adding up to an accumulation
of over a foot in Boone.
This winter, about 54 inches
of snow (or four and one-half
feet) has fallen in Boone and
the surrounding area, with only
slightly less having fallen in the
Blowing Rock vicinity.
Snow plows were forced to
work through the night in sev
eral instances in the battle to
keep roads clear. A huge pile
of snow accumulated in the
middle of King Street in Boone,
but most of this was hauled
away Monday by trucks.
Driving conditions remained
slightly hazardous, though an
other tribute to the general
good safety habits of Watauga
County drivers was recognized
in that no serious accidents were
reported.
(There have been three traf
fic fatalities in the county so
far ih 1964, two of these hav
ing been related to weather con
ditions.)
Ski Slopes Report Capacity
Business For Past Weekend
Skiing conditions at both Wa
tauga County ski lodges were
said to be the best since the
opening of the ski season as the
Democrat went to press. Grover
Robbins, co-owner of Hound
Ears Club ski area, and M. E.
(Bill) Thalheimer, president of
the Blowing Rock Ski Lodge,
reported capacity business this
past weekend and also reported
that another weekend fully as
big was expected.
Both lodges were making art
ificial snow Tuesday morning,
and later in the morning the
real stuff began to fall., Slopes
at Hound Ears were covered
with a four-foot carpet of the
white deposit, with the snow at
Blowing Rock Ski Lodge almost
as deep.
Thalheimer said that business
this year, bolstered by the heavy
snows and the tremendous
weekend business, remains well
in front of last year, his lodge’s
first of operations.
Grover Robbins said, “Skiing
conditions here are just great.
Last weekend we had to take
some rooms in Boone for people
who wanted to stay here. They
stayed in Boone, but came out
here to ski and eat with us.”
Robbins added that Hound
Ears / was filled almost to ca
pacity for the coming weekend
as well, and urged prospective
weekend skiers to get their res
ervations in before it is too
late.
A huge oil fainting of th<
Daniel Boone Garden gate wil
serve as a backdrop for the dis
play of Daniel Boone Native
Gardens at the Southeastern
Flower and Garden Show March
7-15 at the Merchandise Market
in Charlotte.
This backdrop was construct
ed, designed and hand painted
at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Ralph Buchanan. Work on the
project was started in January.
Ralph Buchanan constructed
the board, which can be folded
for carrying and storage.
T. K. Pease, landscape artist
for the Parkway Service, assist
ed Mrs. Buchanan with the per
spective in the actual sketching
of the picture. Most of the
drawing was done from a small
photograph of the gate.
Mrs. Buchanan received able
assistance from Mrs. Pearl L.
Bingham, a senior citizen of Wa
tauga County. Mrs. Bingham,
who has been interested in
painting for a number of years,
painted the rail fence in the
picture.
Mrs. Mabel Bingham Brown,
a relative of Mrs. Bingham, did
the rock work in the picture.
She has also painted for a num
ber of years and tries to paint
at least one picture a year to
keep in practice.
Mrs Buchanan did most of
the sketching and landscape
painting on the picture. The
gate was her big project. It is
a reproduction of the gate at the
Daniel Boone Garden. The gar
den gate was constructed by
Daniel Boone VII of Burnsville.
Farmer Of
Year Chosen
Ray Ward has been selected
Outstanding Young Farmer of
the year by the Boone Junior
Chamber of Commerce. Mr.
Ward was presented a plaque at
the last regular meeting of the
Boone Jaycees at the Daniel
Boone Inn.
The Outstanding Young Farm
er is selected with the help of
the County Agent’s and the ASC
offices and honors a young man
who has shown exceptional agri
cultural ability and community
interest.
Mr. Ward is married to the
former Virginia Cook. They
have four children and reside
in the Laurel Creek community
of Watauga County.
! Mrs. fiuchanan is librarian at
Green Valley and Parkway
schools. Art is one of her fav
orite hobbies.
This is one of the few paint
ings in Watauga County that
was created by three artists
working together and each tak
ing a particular aspect of the
painting.
JAMES ALLISON DUGGER
James Dugger
Is Licensed
As Surveyor
Raleigh.—James Allison Dug
ger of Boone was one of 11
persons who passed the recent
land surveyors’ examination, it
was announced by the N. C.
Board of Registration for Pro
fessional Engineers and Land
Surveyors.
Others passing were Jerry
Cagle Callicutt of Asheboro;
Ibarra G. Del Corro of Fayette
ville; Benjamin Limer Elling
ton of New Bern; Harold Men
tor Harris of Chapel Hill; Tho
mas Roland Kovel of Leonard
town, Md.; Th o m a s Monroe
Moore of Smithfield. Harold
Benton Mullen of Spring Hope;
Asier Simmons of Lumberton;
Robert Lee Spense of Cary, and
Leo Johannes Zoutewelle of
Charlotte.
Mr. Dugger is a State high
way engineer and has his office
with E. Ford King Jr. in the
Construction Office of the N.
C. Highway Department. He is
married, has two daughters,
and resides in the PerkincviUo
community.