FOR BEST RESULTS
advertisers invariably use the col
umns of the Democrat. With its full
pafd circulation, intensely covering
the local shopping area, it is the
best advertising medium available.
,X;
Seventy-Eighth Year of Continuous Publication
An Independent Weekly Newspaper
yii;.
y
f: 1965
Dec. 1*
Dec. 15
Dec. 16
Dec. 17
Dec. 18
Dec. 19
Dec 20
BOONE WEATHER
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48 36
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tr.
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32. 22 .
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VOLUME LXXV1II— NO. 26
'Umm III!. I ,i ■ ■ I ■■p.'.w. ■■•MU ■«■«■■■■—* ■■«■»
BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1965
10 CENTS PER COPY
32 FAUEij—4
Mr, Harrison Church of Banner Elk may
, well be one of the oldest great grandfathers
; In North Carolina. Thus far, he is the oldest
great-grandfather to make himself known
at the Democrat office, since inquiries
started coming in last week. Mr. Church
is a retired farmer and a resident of Watauga
County (although he receives his mail from
Banner Elk). He is the father of two
daughters, Mias Beatrix Church and Mrs.
Lilian Ansley and has a son, Ray, still living ;
in Watauga. Other sons are Perry, Hudson, v;
N. C.; Archie, California; and Shelby, an
Army officer now stationed in Korea. Mrs.
Church died six years ago—three years af4;
ter celebrating their fiftieth wedding anni
versary. Mr. Church has six great-grandchil*
8 dren. A contest is also being conducted to
v find the youngest grandfather in the State. :
(Staff photo)
5
Shot Heard
To Be Fired
Democrat To
Close Doors
For Christmas
Today (Wednesday) after
the Democrat goes oat to
its readers the newspaper
office will be closed so that
the staff may have Thurs- !
day, Friday and Saturday for
Christmas.
The publishers are always
anxious that all who work j
so loyally at the production
of your newspaper, have all
the Christmas time off pos
sible, as a short, well-deserv
ed year-end vacation. We
hope that no serious incon
venience to our patrons will
result.
: 52, of Boone, wife of Jerri/ H.
Wilson, died Thursday at Wa
tauga Hospital after a long ili
ness.
:■She was bom in Mitchell
County to Milton L. and Myra
Young Sparks.
Surviving besides her hus
band are a eon, Danny Wilson
of the home; a daughter. Miss
Judi Wilson of the home; and
* brother, Lewis Sparks of
* » lipruce Pine.*
The funeral was held at 2 P
m. Friday' at First' .Baptist':
Church chapel. Burial was in
Mouatlawn fUemoml Pari.
“A shot heard round the
State” will be fired New Year’#
Day when Grandfather 'Moun
tain, near Linville, will be “re
named” Great - Grandfather
Mountain, and grandfathers
and greet -g rand fathers from
all over the State are being
especially invited for the cere
monies which will Mart at 10
a. m.
The “renaming” of Hugh
Morton’s massive mountain has
been arranged by the North
Carolina Heart Association to
call attention to the many
grandfathers and great-grand
fathers whose longevity has :
been aided by the tremendous j
advances recently made in
medicine and public health,
A national Guard unit fromj
Lenoir will fire a salvo at 10
o’clock, from the top of the
soaring stone-faced peak to kick
off the ceremony and the 1066
Hope for Hearts education pro
gram. National Guard units at
High Point and Leafcsville will
fire salutes at the same .hour,
simultaneously with the firing
of a 25-round salute from the
40mm batteries on the battle
ship North Carolina at Wilm
ington. Incidentally on New
Year’s Day 1065 the battiest#
fired her guns for the first time
since World War II in hontr
Court House Offices
To Close For Holidays
AH offices in the court, house,
including those in the annex,
will be closed Friday, Saturday
and Monday, December 24-27,
for the Christmas holidays. v
The offices will also be e losr
ed Monday, Jan. 3.
The Board oT Commissioners
will meet Tuesday, Jan. 4, in
stead of th* usual first Monday.
of the Heart Association’s con
tinuing educational crusade
There will be speaking, of
course, and Hugh Morton has
i promised a brunch of black
eyed peas and bog Jowls for
those attending the ceremony
on his mountain.
In addition coses of Grand
(Continued ohpage six} ,
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K«fes.
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Tuesday Brings
First Taste Of
Days To Come
With the ground covered
with snow to a depth of a
couple of inches Tuesday
morning, hopes for a white
Christmas were heightened,
schools were closed a day
early on account of the slip
pery country roads, and Bill
Thalheimer, manager of the
Blowing Rock Ski Lodge,
Inc., announced the official
opening of the winter sports
area. .
Warm weather had delayed
the ski season in this area,
but recent low temperatures al
lowed the manufacture of snow,
and the machines had been at
! work on the beginner’s slope at
Blowing Rock for 38 hours, Mr.
ThaUheimer said, and there was
TT4 inch base.
The machines were to have
been moves! to the professional
slope Tuesday and this area
was to be open Wednesday.
Santa Claus will stretch his
legs on the slopes at Blowing
Rock Saturday afternoon, will
have some treats for the youngs
ters and there will be no charge
for spectators at the afternoon
event.
With continuing snowfall,
Thalheimer says he will offer
skiers a “first” for the southern
ski circuit. A trail will be cut
down through timbered areas,
but this slope will be entirely
dependent on natural snowfall.
Live entertainment will be
featured at the Lodge the week
prior to New Year’s, as in the
past, and a torch light night
parade down the slope by the
professionals at the Lodge will
feature the New Year's eve pro
gram.
At 10 a; an Wednesday,
Hound Ears Lodge & Club op
(Continued on page six)
V-VCitJXW&ii* **
A LITTLE HOPING HASN’T HURT—for iitigh riders and
skiiers and riders of garbage can lids received Monday night
the season’s first spread of snow. Here, the “Littlest Christmas
Tree” is dwarfed by a snow forest. The added moisture will
no doubt be ol benefit to tobacco growers, and the Blowing
Rock Ski Lodge is now making snow to wekoma the throngs
of skiiers which will be here tbie weekend. (SSeff ?bdto) ; •*
iOt&I
V i||$ ft' f: ,
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' Santa lit His Workshop
In a spedalinterview this week.lhe Watauga Democrat cap
tured this exclusive shot of a Very famous man who vlaita Kin#
Street every year. He will be leaving the North Pole on time,
he says, and whether there is snow or not will come South with
his reindeer to refurbish all his believers with Christmas spirit.
Santa is pictured in his workshop. A tiny doll, just finished
by Mrs. Claus and Santa’s helpers, is seen on the shelf behind
him. (Staff photo)
BlowingRock
Man Gives
The University of North
Carolina has been given a new
magnet for attracting talented
music students.
A scholarship fund, valued
at $2,000 per academic year, hat
been established within the
music department by an
alumnus, Sidney M. Dowd of
Blowing Rock.
The scholarships are design
ed for music majors whose
principal interests and abilities
lie in performance.
They will be awarded an
nually for a maximum tenure
of four years, with a chance Of
extension for student* of un
usual promise.
(Continued on page six)
The Watauga County Agricul
tural Development Group met
Dec, 8 at the Watauga ASCS
office and developed the 1986
; Agricultural Conservation. Pro
gram. The development group
consists of the ASC county
committee, the county extension
chairman, the SCS technician,
and a representative of the
North Carolina Department of
Conservation and Development
(forestry division).
Those present at the pre
liminary planning meeting to
discuss needs for the county
included Alfred Adams, North
western Bank; L. &. Tuckwiller,
County Extension Chairman;
Edgar Greene, Soil Conserva
tion Service technician; J. B.
Robinson, FHA representative;
Joe Clayton, North Carolina De
partment of Conservation and
Development; Arvil Slemp, May
mcad lime Co.; Edgar Hardin,
Farm Bureau representative;
and the following community
committeemen:
Howard Cable and Linville
Norris, Beaver Dam community;
Coy Billings and A. Y. Howell,
Brushy Folk community; Jack
Henson and J. C. Winebarger,
Cove Creek community; Ned
Glenn and Frank Cable, Laurel
Creek community; Ernest Mor
etz, Meat Camp community;
John F. Cook ami Howard
Brookshire, New River com
munity; Claude May, Loyd Mil
ler, and Mack Thomas, North
Fork community; Russell Farth
ing and Willie Rupard, Shaw
. The Watauga Garden Coun
cil, following up on their theme
of outdoor decorations, viewed
and judged the many attractive
outdoor decorations displayed
hy people throughout the ansa
Sunday evening.
Tlie council judged many
decorations and noted that an
Unusually large number of out
door trees were decorated.
After thefar difficult task, the
judges gave the following deci
sions: ..
Garage doom: Most outstand
ing—Mr. and Mrs. (McDonald
Greene and Mr. and Mrs. Har
lanri Ledford.
Outdoor trees: Most out
•htodog—ddias Cynthia Stales,
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Winkler,
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Phillips,
Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Plemmons,
and Mr- and Mrs. Jim Jones.
Doors: Most outstanding—IX*.
and Mrs. Julian Yoder, Mr. and
'Mis. Hoyle Davie and Mr, and
Mrs. Bill Bingham.
Entrances: Most outstanding
—Mr. and Mrs. Paul Branch
and Mr, and Mrs. Johnny Barn*
jMt. ' - ■ . .
Windows: Most outstanding
— Mr. and Mr®. (McDonald
Greene, Dr. and Mrs. H. H.
Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Willard
Trivette and Mr. and Mrs. G.
C. Greene, Jr.
Outdoor displays: Most out
sundins;—Mr, and Mrs. Jerry
\ ' *
Coe, Mr. and Mrs. J. ». itcum
son, Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Stal
lings, Dr. and Mrs. Ben Bos*
worth.
Indoor trees as seen through
windows: Most outstanding—
'Mr. and Mrs. Grady Merest, Jr.,
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Cash, Mr.
and Mrs. C. C. Coffey, Mr. and
Mrs. George Flowers, Mr. and
Mrs. B. W. Stallings, and Mr.
and Mrs. Harvey Ayer*.
Unusual attiaclions: Mr. and
Mrs., Jim Pease, lighted wreath;
Mrs. Nell Linney, lighted porch
tree. V . X ’ ' , ...
lighted eaves: Swag a* Mr.
and Mrs. Joe Mast.
Special recognition was given
to Vermont American for an
industrial display.
\ ~ ' ' '*•' - " 4^
■ ■ . -V.'V.'1:. . ■ ;y :v " 'X.: :.
., , , ?. '
‘ # ^ IrT i 1 | , f , } ‘ v
neehaw community; Joe Coffey,
Sr., W. B. Day, and Thos. Fair
child, Stony Fork community;
Jeff Shook and Artie B. Hodges,
Watauga community.
The development group se
lected practices designed to fit
J (Continued on page six)
Wonders never cease, In
the opinion of Ralph G.
Greene, County Tax Super
visor, who relates a com
plaint of a taxpayer who re
cently came to hit offSpft.
Not that complaints are
too much of a rarity, hut j
this fellow was upset he- j
cause he wasn't paying
enough taxes to the county.
When Mr, Greene recov
ered from the initial shock
he looked up the records
and found the man had »» f
real estate at all, that his ,
milk cow was exempt, and ;
that he was being taxed 68
cents for a dog and two ihot
guns.
“Do yon how any other
property,” Mr. Greene ask
ed. , ri. . ^
“Nope, not a.
I’m supposed to pay « poll
tax."
So the complaining tax
payer handed-'over $1.68 to- j s
the astonished tax collector 1
and went on his happy way. I
Taxpayer Says
County Don’t
Charge Enough