AWARD WINNER
In last 3 years Democrat has won
14 State Press Assn, awards. Eight
of them are first place awards.
VOL. LXXX—NO. 34
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
BOONE WEATHER
1968 HI Lo Snow Prec. '67 Hi Lo
An Independent Weekly Newspaper
Eightieth Year of Continuous Publication
Feb. 13 26 10
Feb. 14 38 IS
Feb. 15 32 20
Feb. 16 42 19
Feb. 17 32 23
Feb. 18 26 10
Feb. 19 39 12
tr.
tr.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY
Snow given to nearest hall-inch.
44 16
57 27
60 41
56 36
39 29
40 29
45 26
22, 1968
10 CENTS PER COPY
20 PAGES—9 SRPTinNc
QUEEN MYRA DAVIS, Miss Watauga, livened the festivities
when she joined Gov, Dan K. Moore for the official opening of
Beech Mountain near Banner Elk. Queen Myra welcomed the
State's top official to a gala program which attracted more than
2,000 spectators and Ty Boyd, among celebrities who joined the
Robbins brothers in the important mid-winter celebration. Miss
Johnson City, Judy Bible is seen at right; next are Miss Wa
tauga and Gov. Moore just prior to the ribbon cutting. Other
queens who joined in the ceremony (from left) were Ann Bailey
Rhododendron Queen; Becky Lail, Miss Hickory; Vicki Von
Cannon, Miss Greensboro; and Dana Scotten, Miss High Point.
(Flowers photo)
DR. B. F. STRICKLAND
ASU Addition To Science
Building Costs $2,640,000
A federal grant of $880,000
has been awarded to Appalach
ian State University under the
Higher Education Facilities Act
for use in the construction of an
addition to the institution’s
Rankin Science Building.
The project, which is expected
to begin this summer, will cost
approximately $2,640,000. The
remaining $1,760,000 was pro
vUJ—d -by • 1067 Appropriation
of the General Assembly.
The science building addition
will contain some 87,000 square
feet of floor space. Bids on the
construction project will be re
ceived within the next three
months.
The $880,000 grant makes a
total of $2,532 that Appa
lachian has received under the
Higher Education Facilities Act
for current campus construe
tion. Other recent grants have
been used to assist in the build
ing of a five-story classroom
building, a new library, and
an 8,000 seat physical edu
cation building.
In addition to the four sepa
rate grants, ASU has also re
ceived a federal loan in the
amount of $626,000 which is
being used in the construction
of the athletic arena.
Dr. Strickland
Given New Post
At University
The creation of a new admin
istrative position was announced
F riday at Appalachian State Uni
versity.
Dr. Benjamin F. Strickland
professor of education and a for
mer registrar at ASU, was
named to occupy the post of
Assistant Dean of the Grad
uate School.
The new position is an out
growth of Appalachian’s rapidly
expanding graduate program
which has seen a 63.6 per cent
increase in total enrollment
since 1964. With a current en
rollment of 1,041, the univer
sity’s graduate school has pro
jected another 74 per cent in
crease in enrollment by 1972.
Dean of the Graduate School,
Dr. Cratis D. Williams, added
that Dr. Strickland’s new duties
will center on admissions and
academic counseling.
A native of Bell Arthur, N. C.,
Dr. Strickland came to Appa
lachian in 1962 from Wades
(continued on page two)
Registration
Pre-Schoolers
Set On Tuesday
Preschool registration for
children who will enter the
first grade at Appalachian Ele
mentary School in September
will be held Tuesday, Feb. 27
from 8:30 a. m. until 3:30
p. m. and from 7 until 9 p.
m. at the Appalachian Ele
mentary School.
Children entering the first
grade must be six years old
on or before Oct. lS^lOCS,
In order to be eligible for en
rollment.
The child's birth certificate
must be presented at the time
of registration, however, it Is
not necessary to bring the child
for registration. Children will
have an opportunity to attend
an orientation program later
in the spring.
It is most Important for your
child to be registered at this
time. "
BASIL L. WHITENER
Whitener Is
Running Again
For House Seat
Congressman Basil L. White
ner, who is serving his sixth
term in the house of Repre
sentatives, Monday sent his fil
ing fee to the North Carolina
State Board of Elections in Ral
eigh.
Congressman Whitener will
be a Democratic candidate for
reelection in the newly-formed
10th Congressional District.
Counties comprising the 10th
District are Caldwell, Burke,
Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston,
Watauga, Alexander and Avery
counties.
The Congressman was reared
at Ranlo in Gaston County and
graduated from Lowell High
School. He attended Ruther
ford College and the University
of South Carolina.
He is a Duke University Law
School graduate in the class of
1937. In 1960, he received the
Honorary Doctor of Laws De
gree from Belmont Abbey Col
lege and in 1965 a similar award
from Pfeiffer College.
Bloodmobile
Coming Tuesday
The Red Cross Bloodmobile
will be stationed at the Fel
lowship Hall of the First Bap
tist Church between 11 a. m.
and 4:30 p. m. Tuesday.
Donations at at least 200
pints are needed Id keep the
Watauga Counv chapter up with
Its quota for the year, says
Mrs. Goldie Fletcher, execu
tive secretary at the chapter.
Two More File For
Co. School Board
Filing for candidacy for the
Watayga County Board of Edu
cation, the Rev. Larry D. Camp
bell has entered his name for
the non-partisan primary.
Pastor of the Holy Com
munion Lutheran Church near
Valle Crucis, Mr. Campbell is
a native of Hickory. He was
educated in Hickory city
schools, graduating from Le
noir-Rhyne College in 1960. In
1963 he was graduated from the
Lutheran Theological Southern
Seminary in Columbia, S. C.
That year he was ordained and
came to Watauga as Pastor of
Holy Communion Church.
Pastor Campbell is this year
finishing a three year seminar
in the area of family and adoles
cent counseling and town and
country development.
Regarding his candidacy for
the County Board of Education,
he said, “Of all the resources
in Watauga County, the most
important one is surely our
young people and children. I
believe I have something to of
fer them, and at this time I
can best do this by holding a
position on the Board. Our chil
dren and their schools are im
portant to all of us. I look for
ward to the privilege of serv
ing them, and to meeting the
growing problems and develop
ing the great potential of their
educational system.M
Pastor Campbell is married
to the former Gaynell Me Entire
of Wilkesboro. They have two
children, Lisa and Eddie.
Dr. Lawrence A. Heavrin al
so has filed for the Watauga
County Board of Education. He
states, “The schools of Wa
tauga County need to have a
progressive governing board,
made up of people who are in
(Continued on page two)
IRC Merger With
TRW Announced
IRC has announced Jts mer
ger with TRW effective Feb.
14 at a meeting of the board
of directors in the corpora
tion^ Philadelphia offices.
As the largest independent
supplier of automotive engine
valves, TRW has advertised:
“Some people think we’re an
airline. If we wanted an air
line, we’d buy one.’’
This was to distinguish it
from Trans World Airline, with
which it often is confused. Its
automotive products appear in
most American cars, trucks,
buses and other vehicles.
TRW was the nation’s first
industrial organization to put
a satellite, Pioneer 1, in space.
Since then, TRW has been a
prime contractor or major stp
plier of hardware and services
for nearly 90 per cent of all
manned arid unmanned space
projects.
The largest Independent sup
plier of jet engine components
In the world is TRW, with
various types of parts in vir
tually every jet aircraft fly
ing today.
This is only a sampling of
the broad range of corporate
accomplishments which have
taken TRW into systems studies
involving such varied projects
as a medical center, long term
water supplies and high speed
ground transportation.
As of last year, TRW had 20
electronics manufacturing faci
lities producing film and tanta
lum capacitors, yokes, coils,
transformers, insulating ma
terials, crystals, tuners and
transistors and micro diodes.
TRW’s position in the elec
tronics of spaces and its inter-1
related R & D programs result
in a cross-polinization of tech
nology within its operating units
and a preview of future markets.
It is in a position to respond
quickly to the challenge of ob
solescence in both commercial
and government markets.
Controversity Continues
Deerfield Citizens Meet
Co.AirportCommission
Legal Action
Airstrip Issue
Is Indicated
BY RACHEL RIVERS
Stiff pleasantries and charges
erf conflict-of-interests turned
to partial agreement and talk
of court action when the Deer
field-Bamboo Steering Com
mittee confronted the Watauga
Airport Commission Thursday
night.
As chairman of the Commis
sion, Robert Bingham was under
the impression that the Steer
ing Committee was to attend
their regular meeting. The
Steering Committee said it was
to meet with the Commission
and with Watauga’s Board of
County Commissioners. While
none of the Commissioners was
present, County Attorney John
Bingham came as their repre
sentative.
After lengthy disagreement
on who was supposed to be
there, the two groups decided
to go ahead and Armfield Cof
fey of Boone was asked to be
chairman.
The grievances of the Steer
ing Committee were to be
several-fold, starting with an
old wound, the authority of the
Airport Commission to condemn
property for an airport, and
ending with a community com
plaint against a landing strip,
known as the Boone-Blowing
Rock Airport.
On behalf of thebteering Com
mittee, Jim Cole announced
their intent to go to court June
5, 1968, to see whether the
non-profit airport on Deerfield
Road can be declared a public
nuisance. They had appealed to
the County Commissioners Feb.
5 to make this declaration and
close down the airstrip.
Cole added that the Committee
feels any court action would
greatly affect the chances for
locating an airport in the county
and said this is not intended.
Court action will not be taken,
he said, if certain controls
can be enacted and or enforced
at the airport by a deadline this
spring. Another meeting is to be
held prior to the deadline.
(Continued on page two)
WINS MINK STOLE—Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Richardson of Boone enjoyed a dance at the Watauga
Heart Ball after Mrs. R. C. Rivers drew her ticket in a drawing for the mink stole she is seen
wearing. (Staff photo)
WHS Girls Ensemble Is
Given High State Rating
The Watauga High School
Girls’ Ensemble was rated
“superior” at the State Vocal
Ensemble Contest held Satur
day, Feb. 17, at Davidson Col
lege. The mixed Choral Ensem
ble earned a rating of “excel
lent . Both ensembles sang se
lections fron grade IV, the most
difficult choral music classi
fication.
Judges for the contest, spon
sored by the N. C. Music Edu
cators Association, were Dr.
Richard Cox of UNC—Greens
boro and Donald Plott of David
son College.
The singers from Watauga
High participating in the con
test were Chris Blackburn, Deb
bie Bryant, Sandra Cook, Brett
Day, Ann Gilstrap, Virgil Greer,
Morris Hatton, Sarah Bayes,
Ollie Jackson, Susan Lawren
ce, Randy Marsh, Daphne Mart
Outstanding Young
Educator Is Sought
Plans to select the Outstand
ing Young Educator of Watauga
County were announced by John
Austin, president of the Boone
Jaycees.
Austin told the group at the
last Jaycee meeting that the
search was part of one now
being conducted on a national
level “to spotlight the achieve
ments and dedication of profes
sional educators.*’
The principals in all Watauga
County Schools have been asked
to name candidates for this
award, either male or female,
between the ages of 21 and 35.
The winner of the Outstanding
Young Educator Award will be
presented a scholarship and
other awards at a banquet Feb.
26, 1968.
Or. W. H. Plemmons, presi
dent of Appalachian State Uni
versity, will speak to the Jay
cees and nominees at the banquet
to be held at the Daniel Boone
inn at 7 p. m.
The entries will be judged by
a groupof local businessmen and
educators. Past recipients of
this award are Mrs. Margaret '
Hagaman, Robert E. Snead and \
Len G. Evans.
The local winner will be en- !
tered in the state competition
and will attend a banquet at f
Hickory March 9. *
Chairman of the Jayceecom- (
mittee in charge of the search 1
for the outstanding young educa- (
tor is Bill Stallard. *
in, Richard Mast, Robert Mel
ton, Mark Richardson, Teresa
Robinson, Johnny Simmons,
Nancy Stacy, Max Vannoy and
Bill Winkler.
Other schools participating in
the event were McClintock,
Myers Park, East Lincoln, East
Forsyth, Curry, Franklin, East
Henderson, Rutherfordton—
Spindale, Rowland, Millers
Creek, Mt. Pleasant, North
Wilkesboro and West Wilkes.
Union Voted In By
Shoe Co. Employees
Monday morning the employ
ees of the Blue Ridge Shoe Com
pany voted to have the Team
sters Union Local 61 represent
them in negotiations with Blue
Ridge Shoe Company.
The employees voted 154 to
188 in favor of the union. The
ballot s were counted by a rep
resentative of the National
Labor Relations Board, and the
counting and voting were over
seen by the representatives of
both the Blue Ridge Shoe Com
pany and the Teamsters Union.
The Blue Ridge Shoe Company
employees have been the first
in Boone who have felt it nec
essary to be represented by a
union.
As of presstime, the officials
of the Blue Ridge Shoe Company
have no idea how this will ef
fect the rest of the plants in
Boone. They have said that when
the vote becomes official, one
week from the day the voting
took place, it will be about one
month before the officials of
Blue Ridge Shoe Company and
the union begin negotiations.
GUEST CONDUCTOR—Harold
B. Bachman, who established
the national pattern of music
clinics and contests, will be the
guest conductor at the 18th An
nual Northwest N.C. Band Clinic
at Appalachian State University
this weekend. Now Director Em
eritus of the University of Flor
ida Bands, he is the sole mem
ber of Florida’s Music Hall of
Fame. After World War I, he
traveled throughout the nation
as leader of Bachman’s Million
Dollar Band. A former direc
tor of the University of Chicago
Band, he is widely known as
?uest conductor and lecturer and
has made valuable contributions
to manuals establishing guide
lines for students of band, or
chestra and chorus. He is a 1916
jraduate of North Dakota Col
ege.
5 New \Faculty Members Are Named
rive new faculty members,
including four who own doctor
ate degrees, will join the teach
ing staff at Appalachian State
University next September.
Each of the new professors
will fill newly-created positions
in the University’s growing fac
ulty ranks. Accepting employ
ment at ASU effective at the
start of the fall quarter have
been Dr. John Daniel Duke, Dr.
Frank Alfred Helseth, Dr. Wil
fred Gerald Mears, Dr. Carl
Augustus Ross Jr. and Mrs.
Frances V. Irons.
Dr. Duke, 36-year-old native
of St. Louis, will be an asso
elate professor of psychology.
He has taught at Montana State
University in Bozeman for the
past six years. Previously, he
had been chairman of the Psy
chology Department at Wof
ford College.
He obtained his A. B., M. A.
and Ph. D. degrees at the Uni
versity of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. His doctorate was
awarded in 1962.
Married and the father of two
children, Dr. Duke served in
the U. S. Army from 1954-56.
Dr. Helseth of Lake City,
Fla., earned his Ph. D. degree
at the University of Georgia
this year after receiving his
m. a. degree there in 1965. He
received the B. S. degree at
Appalachian in 1962.
Married and the father of one,
Dr. Helseth will be an assis
tant professor of biology. Now
30 years of age, he has worked
as plant physiologist, ISDA
Forest Service Laboratory,
Olustee, Fla.
Dr. Mears, 44, of Tunnelton,
Pa., will come to AS U as Pro
fessor of music. For the past
year he has taught at Florida
State University. He previously
was a public school music
sispervisor in Salisbury ami
Stoneboro, Pa., and in Kent.
Ohio.
He earned his B. S. degree in
1948 at Pennsylvania Univer
sity at Indiana, and obtained
his M. Ed. degree at PennState
University four years later. In
1965, he received his D. Ed.
degree at Florida State.
Dr. Mears, who served in
the U. S. Army during World
war D, is married and has two
children.
Dr. Ross, who has taught at
Georgia Southern College for
the past two years, served aa
Director of Placement at the
(Continued on page two)