AWARD WINNER
In IBM and 1967 the Democrat won
10 State Press Assn, swards tor
General Excellence, Excellence in
Typography, Local News, Advertis
ing, Columns and Photographs.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper
Seventy-Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
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VOLUME I.XXIX— NO. 31
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1967_10 CENTS PER COPY 18 PAGES 8 SECTIONS
Hydrant’s On And Work Begins
On a metallic morning, men from the city’s street and water
departments went to work flooding away the dirt and trash
that had accumulated on King Street during the snows of
December and early January. The plug came out of a West
King hydrant about 7:30 Friday, and the men kept mopping
the streets down until traffic became a hindrance. The street
was flushed from the intersection of Water Street to Appalach
ian. Left to right are Jack Austin, David Austin, W. W.
Austin, Houston Shearer, Robert Townsend, Clyde Decker and,
looking on, Police Chief Hubert Thomas. (Staff photo)
All-State Band Clinic To
Be Weekend ASTC Feature
If What It Was Was
A Plane, It’s Lost
If it was a plane crash, it wasn’t found.
If it was an explosion, its origin is undetermined.
And if it was indeed a hoax, it was rather elab
orate.
Between 7 and 10 p. m. Friday night, five families
in the Perkinsville area call City Hall and the Sheriff’s
Department to report flashes of light, suspected
to be either a plane crash or an explosion.
Shortly after 10, Rescue Squad Chief Jerrell Little
arrived with some of his men to search the hills off
old 421 at Perkinsville “back toward New River”,
he described it.
Multi-colored flares shot up from the dark mountains
about every 15 minutes from 10 until 1 p. m., he reported.
He stationed men on four hilltops to try to get a bearing
cm the source, but the effort was unfruitful.
At 2:30 a. m„ the Squadsmen went home, without
a clue to the origin of the elusive lights.
Gov. Reagan? U. Thant?
Andy Griffith? Maybe
Official word still not in, the
chances are considered rather
good that Gov. Ronald Reagan
tR-Calif.) will visit “Horn in
the West” this summer. And/
or:
Andy Griffith of television
fame—
U Thant of United Nations
fame—
Possibly another screen star
from the studio which last year
sent Fess Parker.
Horn Manager Herman W.
Wilcox asked Gov. Dan K. Moore
to back up the drama’s recent
invitation to Reagan and the
Governor responded with a
warm letter to California’s top
official.
Now Wilcox is working close
ly with Dr. I. G. Greer, presi
dent cf the Southern Appalachian
Historical Association, a close
friend of Andy Griffith, as well
as Orville Campbell, Chapel
Hill newspaper editor who was
instrumental in launching Grif
fith’s career. Here, too, the
chances are good.
U Thant, Secretary General
of the United Nations, will be
in Greensboro this summer and
Wilcox is hoping to have him
here for a July or August play
date. He has asked Sen. Sam
Ervin, Gov. Moore and Con
gressman James Broyhill to
follow up his invitation to the
U. N. leader.
Then, recalling the success
of Fess Parker’s appearance
here as part of his Southeastern
tour, it just could be that
Twentieth Century Fox will dis
patch another of its celebrities
to the stage of the summerly
production.
The 17th annual North Caro
lina All-State Band clinic will
be held Friday to Sunday, Feb.
3-5 on the ASTC campus.Char
les L. Isley Jr., director of
bands at Appalachian, is chair
man of the clinic.
The college will host 180
of the best music students in
northwestern North Carolina.
These students were selected
early in January at auditions
in Statesville.
The students will be divided
into two bands according to
ability. The bands, 90 players
each, are the symphonic band
and the concert band. Rehear
sals will begin late Friday and
a concluding concert by both
bands will be given at 2:30
on Sunday, and the public is in
vited. The concert will be in
the I. G. Greer Auditorium,
and there is no charge for ad
mission.
The symphonic band will be
conducted by Maurice McAdow,
director of bands at North Texas
State University. McAdow has
built the North Texas band pro
gram into one of national repute.
A graduate of Illinois Wesle
yan Universtiy and the Ameri
can Conservatory of Music in
Chicago, he was associated
eight years with the Greenville,
111., public schools-joining the
NTSU faculty 21 years ago. In
Southwest and Midwest states,
(Continued on page 3)
MRS. JEAN L. RIVERS
Mrs. Jean Rivers
Named To State
Library Group
Mrs. Jean L. Rivers of Boone
has been appointed Watauga
County’s voting member in the
recently incorporated statewide
organization North Carolinians
for Better Libraries.
Mrs. Rivers will serve as
liaison between library-inter
ested citizens in the county and
Raleigh headquarters of NCBL
and will attend the organiza
tion’s first annual meeting in
Raleigh this spring, author
David Stick, president, an
nounced.
Plans for local action to im
prove libraries in each of the
State’s 100 counties will be
coordinated at the meeting.
(Continued on page 3)
To Go Through Channels
Appalachian Seeks
University Status
Southern Bell
Perhaps Biggest
Taxpayer In Co.
Southern Bell pays a lot In
taxes in Watauga County.
This was brought to light
last week when B. B. Leazer,
Southern Bell's manager, de
livered checks for $1,515.73 to
Mrs. Nettie Greene for the
town of Blowing Rock, $2,708.07
to Hubert Thomas for the city
of Boone and $5,958 to John
Vines for Watauga County.
The total was $10,181.80 and
Leazer said the checks covered
payments of ad valorem taxes
for 1966. Approximately 33 per
cent of each dollar received
is paid in some form of tax,
he said.
Leazer added he has been
told the Southern nell tax bill
is the largest in the County
and second largest in the Town
of Boone.
EILEEN FULTON
Eileen Fulton, Noted TV,
Stage Star Lived In Boone
Eileen Fulton, after a year’s
absence during which she tour
ed the country with her success
ful night club act, returned
to her role as Lisa Hughes
in “As the World Turns*’Mon.,
Jan. 16 on the CBS Television
Network. The Monday-through -
Friday program is broadcast
at 1:30-2 P. M., EST.
Miss Fulton will be remem
bered in Boone as Margaret
McLarty, daughter of Rev. and
Mrs. James B. McLarty. She
lived in Boone as a child while
her father was pastor erf the
Boone Methodist Church.
During her year’s sabbatical
from the series, thousands of
viewers have asked for Miss
Fulton’s return. In every city
of her tour, she received many
phone calls and letters asking
when she was returning to “As
the World Turns.’’
Miss Fulton’s night club act
consisted of singing and danc
ing. She refers to herself as
a song stylist who runs the
gamut from love songs to rock
‘n’ roll.
In addition to her television
and night club appearances,the
actress was seen on Broad
i
Turned-Over Trailer
You almost have to look twice to see that Friday night's high
velocity winds not only turned over a brand new trailer owned
by Chester Culler, but turned it over on its top. And, accord
ing to the position of the trailer’s foundations, flipped it over
in a little more space than its width. Culler said the wind
scooted the mobile home off its blocks about 5:30 p. m. and he
took his wife, Miriam, to the home of his mother, Mrs. Beulah
Culler. Later that evening. Culler struck off with the Rescue
Squad (page one box) and when he came home about 2 a. m.,
found the mobile on its top . . . a total loss. Fortunately,
Culler said he had insured the home, and Saturday afternoon,
was able to salvage some clothing and a few other odds and
ends. The trailer next door was not occupied when the Culler
trailer rolled over against it. Mr. and Mrs. Culler had been
living at the Clawson Trailer Park, Perkinsville, since October.
Some estimates have placed Friday's gale winds as high as 75
miles per hour. (Staff photo)
way In “Who’s Afraid of Vir
ginia Wolf” and "One for the
Dame." From 1962 to 1964 she
played a starring role in the
off-Broadway production of
"The Fantasticks” and also
appeared in “Abe Lincoln in
Illinois,” "The Summer of the
17th Doll” and "Many Loves.”
Before returning to New York
last week, Miss Fulton appear
ed at the Playboy Clubs in
Chicago and Cincinnati and the
King Edwarifflotel in Canada.
Before that she filled an en
gagement at New York’s Latin
Quarter.
In her last performance on
"As the World Turns" Miss
Fulton, as Lisa Hughes, boarded
a train with her son and was
on her way to be remarried
in Chicago.
"The returning Lisa," says
Miss Fulton, "will be a new
personality, one endowed with
glamour and sophistication, one
who shed her former dowdiness.
She will be seen returning to
New York with her son. I hope
the thousands of people who
have missed her will be on
hand to greet her."
Seek To Increase
Farmers’ Income
Agriculture leaders in Wa
tauga County have implemented
a program designed to boost
gross farm income 10 per cent
by 1971 for a total of $3,900,
000. The income-hike is to be
figured on the basis of agri
cultural production in 1965.
L. E. Tuckwiiler, Watauga
County extension chairman,
says the program is part of
a state-wide ag-development
plan expected to produce $2 bil
lion in the same five-year per
iod.
Gov. Dan Moore and officials
of N. C. State University launch
ed the “Target 2“ drive Mon
day in Raleigh. Scores of Wa
taugans helped plan their pro
gram and spokesmen for the
Agricultural Extension Service
say some 7,600 lay leaders
were involved in local level
planning throughout 1966.
Tuckwiller says priority
items for 1967 will include small
fruits, ornamental shrubbery,
beef cattle and tobacco. At
intervals, the extension ad
visory board will evaluate pro
gress.
Long range objectives, aside
from the total-production goal,
are family living, conservation
and use of natural resources,
4-H and youth and community
resources development.
Tuckwiller and his aides have
prepared a technical manu
script, outlining the Target 2
work and setting down inform
ation on existing resources.
However, Tuckwiller says the
County and State programs have
flexibility to allow for adjust
ments and shifts of emphasis
if they are required during
(Continued on page 3)
“No Demand For
Change” To Be
Made Presently
Acting for the Board of
Trustees, Appalachian State
Teachers College president
W. H. Plemmons last week
forwarded to the State Board of
Higher Education a request that
ASTC be granted university
status.
The resolution was made be
cause “All associated and con
nected with Appalachian are
anxious that the college continue
to be a strong, and become an
even stronger, current in the
mainstream of higher education
in North Carolina.,,
Plemmons said the Trustees
several times in recent years
have discussed the college's
educational role and the possi
bility of eventual university
status.
This bars speculation that
ambitions of the local campus
stem solely from recent action
on the part of other state in
stitutions.
Charlotte College has been
added as the fourth campus of
the consolidated University of
North Carolina and Western
Carolina and Asheville-Bilt
more colleges have requested
status changes. Trustees of
Wilmington College indicated,
at the time of Charlotte
College's elevation, that it be
so considered, as needs for a
branch in the Southeast become
apparent.
In the throes of bitter con
troversy, East Carolina Col
lege will appeal to the 1967
Legislature to allow it univer
sity status independent of the
Consolidated University.
Appalachian is not expected
to attempt getting the status
change during this General
Assembly.
IN OR OUT?
In any case, Plemmons says
the college’s goal will be based
on the advice of the State Board:
. .we will go through official
channels, the State Board of
Higher Education, he said. “We
won’t strike out on our own.”
The resolution requests the
Board to consider expanding
ASTC “into a university either
within (as a branch) or without
Gndependently) the present
Consolidated University of
North Carolina.”
A stipulation follows that
should it be advisable to add
Appalachian to the consolidated
system, “then by this same re
solution, request is made. . .to
consider expanding ASTC into
a campus” within that system.
10-YEAR PLAN
Appalachian is not demanding
change, but wants to be included
if the Board intends to create
other universities or expand its
consolidated University.
(Continued on page 3)
LBJ Asks $353,000 To Start
Grandfather Parktvay Link
The budget presented to Con
gress by President Johnson in
cludes a request for $350,000
to begin work on the long
disputed Grandfather Mountain
segment of the Blue Ridge Park
way.
The money would be used
for construction of bridges
across Holloway Mountain Road
and U. S. 221. Park officials
here said bridge construction
is a necessary first step in
building a new parkway seg
ment.
Clark Stratton, associate di
rector of the National Park
Service, said that preliminary
estimates show that the 5.&
mile Grandfather Moizitain sag
ment will cost about $4.4 mil
lion.
Present schedules indicate
that the segment could be com
pleted in four years if sufficient
money is made available.
The Grandfather Mountain
segment is the only uncomplet
ed segment on the parkway.
Work there was delayed for
several years because of a dis
pute over where the road would
be located.
A compromise agreement
was reached last year. Stratton
said the park service, the U. S.
Bureau of Public Roads and the
North Carolina Highway Com
mission are now cooperate in
planning the segment and that
It Is regarded in Washington
as a high-priority project.
The budget contains a $260,
000 requestfor renovation of the
Pine Spur campground and pic
nic area on the parkway be
tween Roanoke, Va„ and the
North Carolina line.
Stratton said the area, one
of the first campgrounds pro
vided on the parkway, will be
improved to meet a heavy de
mand for camping facilities.
He said 120 camping units are
to be provided at Pine Spur.