AWARD WINNER
In 1968 and 1967 the Democrat won
10 State Press Assn, awards for
General Excellence, Excellence in
Typography, Local News, Adver
tising, Columns and Photographs.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ... Seventy-Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
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22 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
VOLUME LXXIX—NO. 46
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1967
It’s Jaycees’ Junior Champ Time
otuuciiLa ironi waiaugas eignt elementary schools
will flood Conrad Stadium on the College campus Saturday for
the third annual Junior Champ Day sponsored by the Boone
Jaycees. Seven running, throwing and jumping events wjll
conducted in the one-day “Junior Olympics”. There will
trophies for first and second place school teams plus 120
**a
dividual medals and ribbons for participants. Above, children
from Appalachian Elementary line up for final eliminations to
see who will represent their school in Saturday’s competition.
Starting time for the event is 9:30 and the Jaycees invite everyone
to come watch the fun.
Dedication Set For May 28
Student Center At Appalachian
To Be Named For Dr. Plemmons
ihe new student center at
Appalachian State Teachers
College will be dedicated in
honor of the institution’s pre
sident, Dr. W. H. Plemmons,
in ceremonies May 28 in the
recently completed structure.
An open invitation is ex
tended to the general public.
E» L. Rankin Jr., Director
qf the Department of Admini
stration of North Carolina, will
deliver the dedication address.
The modem, $1,275,000 build
DR. W. H. PLEMMONS
ing, a two-story facility lo
cated in the center of the
campus, will be named The
W. H. Plemmons College Cen
ter in tribute to the respected
president who has headed the
college* s mammoth develop
ment programs for the past
12 years.
The dedication ceremonies
will begin at 2 pjn., with Dr.
Kenneth Webb Jr., Dean of Stu
dent Affairs, presiding. The
invocation will be given by Dr.
William C. Strickland, chair
man of the Philosophy and Re
ligion Department.
Rankin will be introduced by
John T. Frank erf Mt. Airy,
vice-chairman of Appalachian’s
Board of Trustees which last
October voted unanimously to
name the new student center
in honor of Dr. Plemmons.
David Shellman of C ramerton,
ASTC student body president,
and Michael Morgan of Salis
bury, president of the senior
class, will follow the princi
pal address with expressions
of students* appreciation.
Dr. Plemmons, 63-year-old
native of Buncombe County, then
will present his response.
A graduate of Wake Forest
College, Dr. Plemmons ob
tained the A. M. degree from
Duke University and the Ph. D.
degree from the University at
North Carolina. The LL.D. de
gree was conferred upon him
by Wake Forest College in 1958.
He spent some time in busi
ness and was a teacher in the
Asheville city schools for five
years prior to being named
principal of Ue Edwards High
School in 1936. He was a teach
ing fellow at UNC, 1941-1943,
and for the next three yeas
served as admissions officer
Congress Reacts To
Newspaper Proposal
The Democrat received al
most instant response from the
members of the North Carolina
delegation in Congress, to whom
it had sent telegrams about
the proposed Federally-financed
newspaper. Our Representative
James E. Broyhill opposed the
move as did the others. Some
of the messages received by
the Democrat from our men
in Washington are reprinted,
to show how quickly arxi firm
ly our Representatives and Sen
ators act on issues of vital
concern in the State:
Dear Mr. Rivers—Your re
cent communication, express
ing opposition to WAMY’s appli
cation to the OEO for funds to
print a weekly newspaper in the
area, has been received ... I
agree with your position con
cerning this matter. Freedom
ct the press is one of our
fundamental freedoms aixi I see
grave danger connected with
the government getting into the
newspaper business . . . En
closed is a copy of a telegram
which 1 have sent to Sargent
Shriver, Director of the OEO,
expressing my concern and op! i
position to the proposal. I am
hopeful that the application will
soon be withdrawn or disap
proved . . . I appreciate your
writing and giving me the bene
fit of your judgment in this
matter . . . Sincerely, ROY A.
TAYLOR, Member of Congress.
Dear Mr. Rivers—This is to
acknowledge and thank you for
your telegram regarding the
application by WAMY Com
munity Action for Federal funds
for the establishment of a news
paper ... in response to your
telegram, I have written to
Sargent Shriver, Director of the
Office of Economic Opportunity
to express my deep concern
over the application. A copy
of my letter to Mr. Shriver
is attached for your informa
(Continued on page two)
and registrar at the Chapel
Hill institution. He was pro
fessor of education at the Uni
versity when he became pre
sident of Appalachian in 1955.
Dr. Plemmons, white Serv
ing as executive secretary of
the state's Education Cominis
sion played a major role in
preparing the blueprint for the
educational system which is in
use in North Carolina today.
The Appalachian president is
immediate past jpresldent of the
Association of State Colleges
(Continued on page two)
®R5^N ®W'ER ^ MENDED-A temporary sewer line (right)
tad been broken by the rising waters of Winkler’s Creek, but
Saturday became a support for a second line, which is success
ully carrying sewage from a new motel on Blowing Rock Road
8 Resent sewer system. The waste had been pouring
Wo the New River tributary. David Austin, assistant supervisor
jf the ^ty s Water Department, told the Democrat that when
:onstruction of the water-sewer system is completed, the motel's
0n the ?mthsiderf the Creek.He urges citizens
o report to him any instances of raw sewage escaping from
toes. Here, city employee Robert Townsend finishes binding
be lines together. (Staff photo) *
$179,000 Was Sought
WAMY Board Kills
Newspaper Project
Objection Of
Congress Is
Called Cause
The application to the office
of Economic Opportunity for
funds with which to establish
a WAMY newspaper in this area
was withdrawn by the Board
of Directors at a meeting held
in Spruce Pine Thursday night.
The action was taken after a
discussion of more than two
hours.
Reasons cited for the Board's
action included the one that the
project is unfeasable in the
present situation “where North
Carolina Congressman and
other legislators have attacked
the idea.*’
Dean Chrisawn erf Micaville,
a county commissioner in Yan
cey, offered the motion to kill
the newspaper project at least
for the time being. The motion
was seconded by Robert Helmle,
Mayor of Burnsville. Twenty
one voted for the motion and
six against. It is understood
that the board consists of some
sixty members.
WAMY serves the counties
of Watauga, Avery, Mitchell and
Yancey counties. It is the agen
cy of the North Carolina fund
and also applies for Federal
funds under the national pov
verty program.
The organization submitted an
application in April to the Fe
deral Office of Economic Op
portunity seeking a $179,000
budget to establish a weekly
newspaper.
The publication, which would
have been commercially print
ed, was to be mailed free to
some 8,000 low income families
in the four-county area.
Last week newspapers in the
WAMY area and in other sec
tions of the State and even other
states described the details of
the proposal, and carried ad
verse editorials.
Locally the Watauga Demo
crat appealed to the North Caro
lina delegation in Congress and
other political leaders. They
promptly responded. Other or
ganizations and individuals join
ed in the effort, including the
State Press Association and the
National Newspaper Associa
tion, which were in constant
touch with the Watauga Demo
crat.
WHS Band To
Give Concert
The Watauga High School
Band, under the direction of
Otis Strother III, will give its
spring concert Thursday, May
18, at 8 p. m. in the high school
auditorium.
At this time, the Arion Award
will be given to the most out
standing music student.
Ricky Ray stands before one of his paintings as he accepts a $100 check from Mrs. Betty Lou
Wells, Watauga High School art teacher. One of the youngster’s paintings was purchased in
New York City for a country-wide tour. (Staff photo)
OU Painting By WHS Student
Wai Be Shown By Hallmark
An oil painting by a Watauga
High School student will be in a
Hallmark (cards) exhibit to be
on tour in the United States.
The autumn scene, showing a
boy in front of a tree, was
painted by Ricky Ray, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ronda D. Ray of Deep
Gap.
Ricky’s painting won a Gold
Key award in the National Schol
astics Art Awards contest in
Asheville in February and was
sent to New York where it was
included in the famed collection.
Hallmark awarded Ricky $100
for the painting.
EXPRESSION
A senior this year, Ricky
says he has been interested in
Blowing Rock
Theatre Needs
Male Actors
Male Actors are needed for
parts in James Thurber’s com
edy show, “Carnival”.
Michael Vetrie, director of
the forthcoming Blowing Rock
Community Theater production,
says casting will continue at
8 p. m. Thursday in Blowing
Rock’s municipal auditorium.
“Carnival’’ will have a five
day run, June 30-July 4.
Former productions of the
Theater have enjoyed big suc
cesses in the mountain area.
Membership and participation
in the Theater are not re
stricted.
V'etrie, who is a professor
in ASTC’s speech department,
recently directed “No Exit”
at Wesleyan Foundation.
painting since he was eight years
old. He has two brothers and a
sister who also paint.
His mother had noticed signs
of art talent in an older brother
and took him to see retired
Marine Major William E. Lee,
an artist who makes his home
in the County. Ricky tagged along
for the trip and ended up as a
student of Lee.
He has studed part-time und
er Lee for eight years now,
and also is in an art class taught
by Mrs. Betty Lou Wells at
Watauga High.
Ricky, who uses the mediums
of oil, charcoal, water colors
and pen and ink, has won other
honors for his work. This is
the second year he has been a
Gold Key winner at Asheville
and last year he was a first
place winner in a district Fine
Arts Festival at Greensboro.
He has three of his works
on display atthe Lenoir Country
Club and three works have been
hung at WHS where he is presi
dent of the Art Club.
Ricky says he uses the im
pressionistic style—color har
mony that is placed on the canvas
individually, with the eye form
ing the tone. Most of his pic
tures are portraits with land
scape backgrounds. He uses
some live models, but paints
Garden Gate House
Dedication May 24
The Gate House at the Daniel
Boone Native Garden will be
formally dedicated at 2:30p.m.
Wednesday, May 24.
The service is open to the
public.
many of his pictures from
photographs.
In his quest for subjects, he
has been to Cape Hatteras,
Jekell Island, Ga„ Charleston,
S.C., Washington, D. C., the
Great Smoky Mountains and
Biltmore House in Asheville.
Of his studies under Lee,
Ricky says his instructor
teaches that colors usually al
ternate from “cool to warm,
warm to cool” and insists that
(Continued on page two)
GOV. ROBERT McNAIR
Gov. McNair To
Speak At Singing
On Mountain
Grandfather Mountain_The
largest yearly event in the
mountains of the South, the 43rd
annual Singing on the Mountain,
will be held June 25. anH
Jaycees Indicate A Study To
Be Made Of WAMY Effort
The Boone Jaycees issued a
statement here Thursday night
in direct opposition to feder
ally financed communication
media.
The Jaycees’ opposition
stemmed from a proposal by the
Directors of WAMY Community
Action, Inc., to provide a cost
free news service to the four
county mountain area.
The organization stated that
the issue was a symptom of
a more serious problem, that
of whole-scale federal inter
vention in private enterprise.
The proposed $179,000 pack
age would provide a newspaper
with a circulation of 8,000 and
one hour per day of federally
sponsored programming to be
aired over area radio stations.
The club passed the reso
lution unanimously in a special
called meeting at the Watauga
County Courthouse.
Reports indicate the Jaycees
will conduct a study of the local
poverty effort.
The resolution read as
follows:
“BE IT RESOLVED thatcon
sistent with the principles of
the United States Junior Cham
ber of Commerce, as stated
in the Jaycee creed, the Boone
Jaycees do express their op
position to government inter
vention in the free enterprise
system, and believingthatafree
press is essential in preserving
a free nation, the Boone Jay
cees specifically oppose
governmental sponsorship in
any form of public news media,
“Consistent with the Jaycees’
belief in positive action for com
munity development, be it fur
ther resolved that a program of
study and inquiry be initiated
by the Boone Jaycees to de
termine the advisability of con
tinuing, expanding, or elimina
ting these programs of govern
mental assistance as opposed to
programs of private initiative,
and to report our findings to
the proper governmental au
thorities at the county, state
and federal levels.”
expected to attract over 25,000
visitors and participants.
This year’s principal speak
er will be Gov. Robert E. Mc
Nair of South Carolina, who Is
waiving his rule against Sureiay
public appearances in this in
stance because of his “deep
interest in the program and its
religious nature.”
The famed, all-day religious
singing convention also will fea
ture gospel singing quartets a«J
groups from all parts of the
South, and it will be held on
the ancient slopes of Grant
father Mountain, tallest peak
of the Blue Ridge Mountain
Range.
Gov. McNair’s inviataion was
extended by Arthur Smith of
WBTV In Charlotte, who also
serves as music master for
Singing on the Mountain. Smith,
himself a musician ani na
tionally-known television per
sonality, will head his own
Crossroads Quartet as one of
(Continued on page two)