AWARD WINNER
In last 3 years Democrat has won
14 State Press Assn, awards. Eight
of them are first place awards.
VOL. LXXX— NO. 47
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eightieth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1968
10 CENTS PER COPY
BOONE WEATHER
1968 Hi Lo Snow Free. '81
May 14 77 52 .29
" ' 77 50 26
73 53
66 55 tr.
64 52 tr.
66 51 .05
59 42 tr.
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 20
22 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
TO GRADUATE WITH HONORS—These Watauga High Schoolers
will receive special recognition when graduation exercises are
held at the school. Comprising the top 10 per cent of the senior
class of 260, this selectgroup(from left)is: (front row) Patricia
Shope, Cathy Isley and Patricia Welch; (second row) Ronnie
Reese and Margaret Blanton; (third row) Martha Young, Sandra
Cook and Clara Logan; (fourth row) Roger Greene, Cathy Wood
ring and Donna Trivette; (fifth row) Patricia Roten, Gilbert Good
man and Shanon Hall; (sixth row) Beth Lawrence and Steve Mast
en; (back row) Charles Martin, Terry Hollar, Gerald Winebarger,
Nancy Stacy, Danny Watkins, Katie Reed, Ray Moretz, Donna
Teague and Elma Wood. Margaret Williams, the 26thmember ot
the select group, was absent when the picture was made. (Staff
photo)
Watauga High School To Graduate
251 In Exercises In Gymnasium
GRADUATION SPEAKERS—Selected from the top five per cent
of their class, these Watauga High School seniors will be speak
era at graduation next week. From the left (front row) are Cathy
Isley, Danny Watkins and Katie Reed; (second row) Patricia Shope
and Sandra Cook. (Staff photo)
Programs Of Music
By School Children
A series of six programs of
music will be given by pupils
of Appalachian Elementary
School during the next two
Democratic
Convention
Saturday
Democrats are asked to gath
er In convention at the tempor
ary courthouse building In Boone
next Saturday, May 25 at2 p.m.
The meeting, called by Coun
ty Chairman James Dugger, will
name delegates to theStateCon
ventlon which will be held In
Raleigh Thursday, June 5 and
transact such oiher business at
may appear pertinent.
During the convention, the
Executive Committee will name
• Chairman and other party ar
ticle la for a two-year term.
weeks. All programs will be
In the school auditorium and
parents of participating chil
dren are especially invited to
attend.
Wednesday, May 22, at 10
a. m.—Making Music Third
Grade Style.
Friday, May 24, at 10a.m.—
Making Music First Grade Style.
Monday, May 27,atl0a.m,—
Making Music Second Grade
Style.
Tuesday, May 28, at 1:45
p. m.—Have songs. Will Sing
by Chorus II; pupils from grades
5 and 6.
Wednesday, May 29, at 10
a. m.—Chorus n program re
peated.
Thursday, May 30 at 1:45
p. m.—Have Songs, Will Sing
by Chorus I; pupils from grades
7 and 8.
The programs are directed
by Mrs. Gaynelle Wilson, music
teacher.
Watauga High School will
graduate 251 seniors Friday
night, May 31, in the high school
gymnasium.
Leading up to this event, the
Baccalaureate Service will be
at 8 p, m. Sunday, May 26,
also in the gymnasium. The
sermon for this impressive
service will be given by the
Rev. A. C. Moody with the Rev.
Gilbert B. Goodman and the
Rev. S. Richard Holshouser giv
ing the invocation and benedict
ion respectively.
The Watauga High School
Band, directed by Otis F.
Strother m, and the Chorus
under the baton of James E.
Wilson Jr. will provide spec
ial music.
The 8 p. m. graduation next
week will have the theme, A
World of Our Own. Master of
Ceremonies will be Danny Wat
kins and Sandra Cook, outgoing
student body president, will lead
the devotional and pledge to the
flag.
Other graduation speakers
and their topics will be: Cathy
Isley, The Journey of a Thou
sand Miles Begins with the First
Step; Patricia Shope, There is
no East or West . . . There
Are People; and Katie Reed,
When We Live in A World of
Our Own.
Dr. in. a. Miner, watauga
High School principal, will pre
sent diplomas and W. Guy
Angell, S>iperintendent of Wa
tauga Schools, will recognize
the senior class. Official de
claration of graduation will be
made by School Board mem
ber Mack D. Brown.
Chiefs of the 16-member jun
ior marshals are Susan Raye
Lawrence and Grover Gray Wil
son. Twenty-six of the gradu
ates are honor students who
ranked in the upper 10 per
cent of the graduating class.
Senior sponsors this year
were Mrs. Mary McConnell,
Miss Elizabeth Qliott, William
Ross, Mrs. Julia Vetrie, Mrs.
Janet Auten, Joel Tester, Fred
Poplin, Darryll Ward and Mrs.
Nancy Penick.
Public Offices To
Observe Holiday
All Watauga County Offices
and Boone’s Post Office and
city Hall will be closed Thurs
day, May 30, in observance of
Memorial Day.
A random samating of down
town businesses shows that fin
ancial Institutions also will
dose, while several merchan
disers and two food stores say
they will be open.
GAYLE HAYES
Miss Hayes Is
In Who’s Who
Miss Gayle Hayes, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hayes
of Triplett is one at four stu
dents at Wilkes Community Col
lege to be selected for honors
in the publication “Who’s Who
Among Students in American
Junior Colleges.’’
Nominations for this honor
are based on the student’s schol
arship, her leadership and co
operation in educational and
extracurricular activities,gen
eral citizenship and promise of
future usefulness.
Miss Hayes is a Secretarial
Science major in the field at
Medicine. She was awarded the
Lowe’s Food Store scholarship
for two years of college work.
She has also been active in the
various students activities,
being chief cheer leader for the
(continued on page two)
mrmnnnnnnnnrinrinnnnnnnrir
Where Are They Going To Stay?
ASU Official Points
Out Housing Shortages
Listing Rental
Space In Area
Is Being Urged
“We have people coming here
all the way from Oregon, Ari
zona, Texas on the Rio Grande
and Minnesota on the north.’*
And where are they goir« to
stay?
Jim Cole, assistant dean of
academic affairs at Appalach
ian State University, is seeking
a solution to the critical short
age of rental space for families
coming to Boone this summer
and in the fall.
“We believe that many apart
ments, furnished and unfurnish
ed, are vacant in the city and
county. We also believe there
are a number of houses for sale
or for rent, but possibly the
landholder has some reluctance
to advertise.”
However, were property own
ers to be more outgoing to pro
spective clients, “It would be to
the advantage of all concerned:—
the property owners, the uni
versity and the community as
a whole for us to be able to
make some kind of an organi
zed listing of these openings.”
Cole suggests that owners
advertise in the newspaper,
contact realtors or call his of
fice and leave a description of
the property. “People would not
only be adding income for them
selves, but would be assisting
the university in handling its
rapidly growing population.”
Summer accommodations are
needed for individuals, couples
and families coming heretoper
sue graduate courses and under
take other specialized study.
There also will be between 20
and 30 visiting faculty this sum
mer.
ine prospectus lor the fail:
“We have been averaging a turn
over of 15 or 20 professors and
increasing the total about 25 to
30 every year so that there are
50 to 60 new families annually,”
Cole noted.
He said in many cases buying
is an obvious consideration to
a professor who finds land pri
ces and rents on the rise in Wa
tauga County. As to its proxi
mity to the city, Cole feels
“Property accessible to a good
road almost anywhere in the
county” would bear listing.
He said one means the uni
versity has had of supplying new
families with leads on local liv
ing quarters is to clip and mail
the classified listing and real
tors’ columns in the Watai^a
Democrat.
Executive Group
Horn Assn. To Meet
The executive Committee of
the Southern Appalachian His
torical Association will meet
Monday, May 2 Oat 12 noon at the
Holiday Inn.
One of the most important
items of business will be a dis
cussion of the general member
ship meeting scheduled for late
June.
A WATAUGA COUNTY FIRST—The first Job Corps enrollee from the county, Mary Grimes,
signs the Job Corps oath in a brief ceremony held Tuesday, May 14, in City Hall. From left
are her mother, Mrs. Magnolia Grimes of Junaluska Heights; Mayor Clyde R. Greene who ad
ministered the oath; H. C. Moretz, executive director of WAMY Community Action, Inc.; and
Mrs. Nancy Kelley, volunteer Job Corps recruiter in this area. The 19-year-old girl departed
that afternoon for St. Louis, Mo., where she will undertake nurses training. She has had prior
experience in this field, working as a nurses aide at Watauga County Hospital. Miss Grimes, in
taking the national oath, pledged to “participate to the best of my ability in all phases” of the Job
Corps training. (Staff photo)
Local Welfare Budget Is
Down First Time 27 Years
ERIC DeGROAT, JR.
Eric DeGroat
Graduates Cum
Laude From WC
Western Carolina University
conferred the designation, Cum
Laude, on Eric Brooks DeGroat
Jr. when he was awarded the
bachelor of science degree in
commencement exercises Sun
day.
Cum Laude is given only to
those students who maintain at
least a B average through all
four years of college. DeGroat’s
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eric B.
DeGroat Sr., of Poplar Hill
(continued on page two)
For the first time in 27
years, the estimated total wel
fare budget sent to the state
department for the fiscal year
1968-69 was less than that of
the previous year.
Dave Mast, director of public
welfare in Watauga County,
makes the announcement coin
cident with his report of
expenditures for the month of
April.
Total amount of obligations
incurred for Old Age Assist
ance were $13,499; for Aid to
Dependent Children$14,347.60;
and for Aid to the Permanently
and Totally Disabled $8,164.
Forty dollars was spent for
general assistance for County
funds altogether.
Total expenditures for vendor
medical payments were $549.19
for Medical Aid for the Aged;
$1,379.47 for Aid to Families
with Dependent Children; and
$2,234.34 for Aid to the Per
manently and Totally Disabled.
One hundred, seventy-two
special services were rendered
to the 346 children in AFDC
cases.
There were 223 service cases
carried during the month, that is
cases receiving services only.
Three hundred sixty one
households received surplus
commodities.
City Tags Must Be
On Cars By June 1
On the first day in June,
Boone’s Police Department will
set out to enforce a city tag or
dinance drawn ud and oassed
by the Town Board of Aider
men in 1963.
Police Chief Red Lyons says
he hopes offenders will not plead
ignorance, as the deadline was
liberally extended to give all
residents an opportunity to pur
chase and display their city
license tag.
The tags are $1 each and are
to bought at City Hall until clos
ing time Friday, May 31. After
that time owners of vehicles not
bearing the required tags, will
be penalized by a fine of $5
and the cost of the city tag, which
then must be put on their cars.
Exempt from the ordinance
are “motor vehicles tempor
arily operated for a period or
periods of time not exceeding
a total of 14 days during any
one year,*’ also motor vehic
les operated for car display or
car exhibition purposes by car
and truck dealers.
inaaannsinnannnnannn!as
Mayor Proclaims Poppy Day
To Decorate Graves Of Veterans
Watauga Post 130 of the
American Legion and Auxiliary
will put flags on veterans'
graves and sell poppies to com
memorate Memorial Day, which
Is May 30.
The Mayor of Boone, Clyde
R. Greene, has proclaimed
Saturday, May 25, to be Poppy
Day. Mrs. Ethel Gross, secre
tary for the Post, says several
young women, who mostly are
daughters of veterans, will vol
unteer to sell popples downtown.
Proceeds will be used for
child welfare and to as si st needy
veterans. The Legionnaires
meanwhile will place a flag on
the graves at all veterans In the
county. They and the poppy
workers will be honored at a
covered dish lunch at Mrs.
Gross's home at noon Satur
day. Last year there were 35
honorees.
The Poppy committee com.
prises Mrs. Ralph Greer, Mrs.
Troy Norris, Mrs. Hettie
Hodges and Mrs. Lionel Ward
who planned special events for
this week.
In pointing out the importance
at the Saturday event, the
Mayor wrote:
•‘Whereas the observation of
Poppy Day, sponsored by the
American Legion Auxiliary,
gives citizens of Boone and Wa
tauga County an opportunity to
salute those defenders of our
way of life, who gave their lives
that we might live free and to aid
those who gave their health and
strength in their country's de
fense—
“Whereas each of us owes an
Individual debt to those brave
and courageous men and women.
who through their sacrifices,
have made the continuation of
our liberties possible—
;‘Therefore I, Clyde R.
Greene, do declare May 25,
1968, to be Poppy Day in the city
of Boone and I do urge all our
citizens to participate in this
tribute by wearing a memorial
poppy on this occasion.**