AWARD WINNER
In 1966 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
BOONE WEATHER
,I9671 Si Snow HI
An Independent Weekly Newspaper
Eightieth Year of Continuous Publication
Aug. 1 78 61
Aug. 2 79 57
Aug. 3 80 81
Aug. 4 75 62
Aug. 5 77 60
Aug. 6 76 55
Aug. 7 73 57
I 76 !
28 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
More than an hour after the water had begun receding, a scene of the Mabel
Baptist Church still illustrates the spread of the normally passive Cove Creek
(flowing from left). A band of onlookers at right watch as the muddy torrent
moves by. (Staff photo)
Annual Grandfather Home Day
To Be Observed August 13
Banner Elk, N. C.—The hills
will be alive with the sound of
music—the sound of 25 children
from “The Home” as the 49th
consecutive Grandfather Home
Day is held at Rumple Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Blow
ing Rock, North Carolina.
August 13th will mark the
49th consecutive year that
Grandfather Home Day has been
held at Blowing Rock to benefit
Grandfather Home for Children
in Banner Elk. The 8:45 and
11:00 services featuring the
voices of 25 boys and girls
will bring in gifts to one of
the most unique and worthy
institutions of the Edgar Tufts
Memorial Association. “The
Home*’ largely depends on the
gifts and contributions from
the Grandfather Home Day to
help in the clothing, sheltering,
and educating of the 96 child
ren that live at Grandfather
Home. The gifts from Grand
father Home Day have made up
in the past one of the largest
contributions from any source
toward providing for the care
and welfare of these children
in a Christian environment.
“We are grateful for the
blessings of friends and for what
they have meant to Grandfather
Home throughout the year,”
stated Rev. D. Edward Renegar,
Executive Director of the Home.
Each year friends of Grand
father Home donate generously
to the “The Home’* through
the service held in Blowing
Rock, a tradition established
nearly a half century ago. This
year, as in the past, the institu
tion seeks new friends and fin
ancial help in “The Home’s*’
labor of love in the mountains
of Western North Carolina.
Dr. Anne Bryan, who retired
after 36 years as Superintend
ent of Grandfather Home, stated
“Over 96 children are cared
for by Grandfather Home. They
are children that range in ages
from pre-schoolers to high
school graduates. Through the
years I have watched The Home
grow by the love and devotion
of its many friends. We hope to
show our sincere appreciation
for this dedication and support
through the children as they
present sacred music after
the service. What better way
can we show our thanks but
through the boys and girls them
selves.*’
Presently, as in the past, new
cottages and facilities have been
completed in order to accomm
odate the many children that
need the sheltering, educational
and humanitarian services of
“The Home.*’ Grandfather
Home, another of the insti
tutions founded by Edgar Tufts
has for its motto, “Suffer the
little children to come unto
Bookmobile Operation
Expenses Are Tabulated
The Director of the Appa
lachian Regional Library has
released the cost for the main
tenance and operation, repairs
and costs for the Bookmobile
in the Tri-County Region for the
1967-68 fiscal year.
The Wilkes County Public Lib
rary*s Bookmobile cost was
the highest for the three counties
because it operated four days
per week and covers more ter
ritory than those of the Book
mobiles in Ashe and Watauga
County. The Bookmobile in
Wilkes County serves a county
population of 45,255 while Ashe
serves 18,259 and Watauga
serves a population of 17,559.
The costs for maintenance and
operation of the Wilkes County
Bookmobile was $277.97 for
gas and oil, and $397.55 for
repairs. The cost for Ashe
County was $130.21 for gas
and oil and $90.08 for repairs,
while Watauga’s Bookmobile ex
pense was $104.17 for gas and
oil and $67.43 for repairs, with
a total cost of $1,067.41 for the
three counties. The cost of
maintenance and operation of
the Bookmobiles are paid by
State and Federal funds. The
three counties operate 1962
Boyertown mobile units with a
capacity of about 3,000 books.
The purchase of new and larger
bookmobiles particularly for
Watauga County has also been
recommended. The cost would
be paid from State and Federal
Funds.
Civitan Meeting
To Be Held Here
The first Cabinet-Council
meeting of the N. C. District
West erf Civitan International
will meet in Boone, at the
Holiday Inn August 12.
The meeting will open with
a Cabinet meeting at 10 A. M.
followed by a 12 luncheon. The
featured speaker for the day
will be Dr. Ross Dampler of
Bristol, Tenn.
The activities for the day
will conclude with the Council
Meeting at 2:15.
me”, and “The Home** strives
to accomplish that purpose.
The service will be led by
the Rev. Mr. Richard Hols
houser, Pastor, Rumple Mem
orial Presbyterian Church; Mr.
Robert G. Hayes, President
Grandfather Home, who will
offer comments on the story
of Grandfather Home; and the
Rev. Mr. D. Edward Renegar,
Executive Director of Grand
father Home, will offer a brief
address on “The Present and
F uture of Grandfather Home.**
An ensemble of 25 children
will present a choral arrange
ment of “Strength Through
Worship**.
The Trustees of Grandfather
Home are: Mrs. Samuel Mc
Dowell Tate, Morganton, N. C.;
Mrs. W. O. Hollingsworth,
Statesville, N. C.; Rev. John
A. Wilkerson, Jr., Hickory, N.
C.; Mr. George L. Bernhardt,
Lenoir, N. C.; Mr. Robert Hart,
Kingsport, Tennessee; Mrs.
W. P. Johnson, Kingsport,
Tennessee; Dr. H. C. Evans,
Jr., Jefferson City, Tennessee;
Rev. Richard P. Keeton, Kings
port, Tennessee; Mr. T. Henry
Wilson, Jr. Lenoir, N. C.; Mr.
E. E. Stauber, Bristol, Tenn.;
Mr. Robert G. Hayes, Concord,
N. C.; Mr. L. Young White,
Mooresville, N. C.
Inside...
A look at Watauga
County’s public school
system. News, reviews,
back-to-school advertise
ments. . . . Who’s Who
and What’s What in local
education.
Important Meet
United Fund Set
An important meeting of the
Watauga County United Fund
Board is set for noon, Thurs
day, Aug0 17, at the Cardinal
Restaurant*
The budget must be approved
for 1968 and plans developed
for the October campaign.
All members of the board are
urged to be present.
STATE BRIDGE OUT—District Highway Engineer Tom Winkler estimates the loss of the state
bridge from old Highway 421 to Mabel School between $6,000 and $7,000. The bridge must be
replaced, he said, because of the severe damage done to it in Thursday’s flash flood.
A crop of young tobacco lies broken and mud-caked after the flash-flooding in Mabel and
Zionville communities. (3taff photos)
1
Cove Creek Rages
Flash Flood Does
Damage To Crops
Burley Weed
Losses Seen
In Lowlands
BY RACHEL RIVERS
The gathering head waters of
Cove Creek reaped extensive
damage in a Watauga farm
valley Thursday.
A downpour on Rich Moun
tain started the water rolling
into the Zionville-Mabel com
munities about 3:30 according
to County Extension Agent L. E.
Tuckwiller. As the flash flood
funneled into the valley from the
vicinity of Highway 421 at the
Tennessee line, it began to pick
up momentum.
And by 4 p. m. the situation
was said to be serious. The
Creek, flooding onto old Highway
421 at several points, continued
to rise until around 5 p. m„ then,
in Tuckwiller's words, “re
ceded rather rapidly.”
DAMAGES
All or part of 20 crops of
tobacco were battered in the
current.
The Agent estimates the loss
at $13,000.
Some home gardens were
ruined, some hay, some corn,
other field crops. The waters
gullied and eroded several acres
of pasture and cropland, took
out sections of fenceline, dis
placed farm bridges and in at
least two places, farm roads
were washed away.
The state bridge from old
421 to Mabel school dropped
off its foundations. Having talked
with residents, Tuckwiller de
scribed their reaction to the
freshet as “great walls of
water”, which washed trash into
culverts and under bridges,
forcing the water to widen its
course through the narrow
valley.
There were a few landslides,
one of which slid into the home
of Herbert Greer and did minor
damage. No livestock were
killed, he said, although a man
had reported that his milk
cow was washed downstream
under two bridges before she
was pulled to safety. The cow
was said to be uninjured.
Some residents reported that
personal possessions stored in
riverside sheds were swept off
by the rampaging waters.
Down valley, in Cove Creek
community, bottles and cans
were among the debris deposited
on river bottoms.
Tuckwiller described the
the greatest amount of damage
to a farm community since he
became County Agent in 1943.
He noted, however, that other
floods in Watauga have been
more widespread.
Visiting Professor Lectures—Mary Hoffman, a public school
music supervising teacher from Milwaukee, Wis„ is one erf
the visiting professors who staff the music workshop faculty.
Music Workshop Personnel
To Appear In “Patio Sing”
Watauga Horse
Show Sept. 9th
Members of the Cove Creek
Riding Club Friday night voted
to give away a pony
at the Sept. 9 Watauga Horse
Show.
A black, yearling filly has
been purchased and is being
groomed for the event. If the
winner of the pony wishes, it
will be auctioned off and the
money given him.
Final plans were made for the
show and a delegation instructed
to select trophies for the 31
classes. Six championships will
be awarded in the evening. To be
eligible, entries must have been
entered, shown and judged in the
afternoon performance of the
championship division.
Entry fee per class is $1,
while championship classes will
be $2. The Club earlier had voted
to allow exhibitors a free pass
per each horse entered in the
Show.
Persons attending the 16th
annual Music Education Work
shop will appear in a “Patio
sing” outside the W, H. Plem
mons College C enter on the ASU
campus at 6:30 p. m.Thursday.
A total of 106 music teach
ers, representing 14 states, will
present a variety program of
choral music under the direction
of Mrs. Mary Hoffman, super
vising teacher in the school
system of Milwaukee, Wis.
Miss Judy Pickens, music
teacher of Chamblee, Ga., will
be the piano accompanist. She
is an assistant in the Music
Education Workshop this sum
mer.
The public is cordially invited
to attend the event.
VISIT WITH BROWNS
Sunday visitors with Mr. and
Mrs. C. G. Brown were Mr.
Bruce Osborne, Mr. and Mrs.
•Joseph Osborne and children
and Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Roark, all of Lenoir.
Appalachia’s Unemployed
Said To Be Decreasing
The ranks of the unemployed
in Appalachia are gradually
thinning, the Appalachian Re
gional Commission was told
Friday, and the major reason
is the generally thriving eco
nomy of the nation.
Between 1962 and 1965, the
commission staff reported, the
number of unemployed was re
duced by 42 per cent (from 555,
000 to 320,000) and the percent
age of the wofk force unem
ployed dropped from 9.2 to 5.2.
During the same years, un
employment in North Carolina’s
Appalachia counties declined
less markedly, from about 23,
000 to slightly more than 20,
000. The unemployment rate
dropped from 6.2 to 5.2
The work of the Appalachian
Broyrhill To Speak At
County G. O.P. Rally
Congressman James T. Broy
hill will be the featured speaker
at a Watauga County Republican
picnic and rally to be held Fri
day night, Aug. 11.
Republicans from across the
county will gather at Valle
Crucis School at 6 p. m. for pre
liminary festivities, followed by
dinner and speaking at 7 p. m.
The dinner will be a covered
dish supper, with all those at
tending expected to bring food.
The County GOP will furnish
soft drinks for the evening.
The event marks the first
time in years that County Re
publicans have had a major
rally in a non-election year.
Mrs. Ralph Greene, who is
program chairman, indicates
that a large crowd is expected.
Regional Commission and other
federal agencies was not cred
ited with the over all improve
ment in the region. The report
said federal programs have un
doubtedly helped , but said no
conclusions about their effect
can yet be drawn.
A more important factor, it
said, has been national prosper
ity. The booming economy dur
ing the four-year period created
jobs that induced people to meve
out of the region and at the
same time generated new in
dustrial and commercial in
vestment in Appalachia.
But the commission staff said
the unemployment figures do
not tell the whole story. In
some areas, it said, hard-cOre
poverty and high inemploymeot
continue. And in still other
areas, the unemployment count
has been reduced chiefly by
migration, not by the creation
of new jobs in the mountains.
Nevertheless, the decline in
Appalachia’s unemployment was
far greater than the nation as
a whole.