BOONE Home of Auoalachian State Uni versity, in Boone, Blowing Rock and LinviUe Scenic Triangle. VOL. LXXXI—NO. 15 WATAUGA DEMOCRAT _An independent Weekly Newspaper . . , Eighty-First Year of Continuous Publication _B00NE> WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1968 i0 CENTS PER COP\ Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. BOONE WEATHER 1968 HI Lo Snow Prec. *57 HI 1 73 46 2 68 46 3 66 45 4 61 36 5 57 26 6 51 33 7 66 48 .05 .22 24 PAGES—2 SECTIONS 2S2252S252S225H52E5252WWWWq?l^q?‘^^TOt^CTOCTc ASUPresident Plemmons To Retire Next Year DR. PLEMMOfS [bESSSSS Dr. William Howard Plem mons, who recently completed his 13th year as president of Appalachian State University, informed the institution’s Board of Trustees Wednesday that he will retire next summer. Board members expressed shock at Dr. Plemmons* an nouncement that “it is my in tention to retire prior to the beginning of the next academic year/’ John P. Frank of Mt. Airy, chairman of the trustees, stated that he has been aware of Dr. Plemmons ’ retirement plans for the past four months. “I have begged him to re-consider . . . but he has made a very strong plea to be relieved. Personally, I don’t think he can be re placed. I hate the thought of him leaving.” Dr. Plemmons, an Asheville native who has diligently push ed Appalachian’s mammoth growtn in academic stature, physical size and service to the region during his leadership tenure on the mountain cam pus, will reach his 63th birth day next June 11. “I don’t choose to violate the retirement age of 65,” he told the board members. "I will, if asked, aid the new president in any way possible, whether on any payroll or not,” Dr. Plemmons stated. “I love Appalachian, and my wife and I will be making our home here in Boone after my retirement. We are to build a house here within the coming year.” William B. Rankin of Lincoln ton, a member of the board, told the ASU president that **you have certainly earned the right to make this decision. But this university is in a tremendous transition period. Please re-consider to go with us a few more miles.” Dr. Plemmons replied that “I have given much soul searching to this master, and have analyzed it from every point of view. The long-range pattern has been set for this institution. Its future cannot be determined by any one man alone. Then; won't be a better time than next summer. It is my desire to retire ... 1 am look ing forward to it. Mr. Frank stated that' he would, within the next few days, appoint a committee to launch the search for a successor to Dr. Plemmons. "If we can’t find someone else, he will be drafted . . . the captain can’t leave his ship.” Dr. Plemmons, a past presi dent of the Association of State Colleges and Universities, has used the phrase that‘‘Education is the mother of all profes sions* ’ as his motto through out his 39-year career as an educator. Recently, he stated that “Ap palachian, compared with her potential and her possibilities, is still in swaddling clothes. Let us hope that at no point will the word ‘finished’ be ap plicable to Appalachian.” When Dr. Plemmons became president of the university, then known as Appalachian State Teachers College, it was lo cated on a 35-acre cammjs witli a physical plant valued at less than $10 million. It housed only 2,200 students and employed a faculty of 114. Appalachian today is spread over 90 acres, with some 40 major buildings and grounds valued in excess of $30 million. There are over 6,000 students attending classes being taught by a faculty of 300. Dr. Plemmons is only the second president in the 65-year history of the institution. Dr. B. B. Dougherty, co-founder of Appalachian in 1903, served (Continued on page two) THE FIRST KILLING-FROST of the year swept Watauga County Friday night—some say as early as 11 p.m. This scene was photographed about mid-morning Saturday, when frost remained in the foreground but had been melted off distant fields. Location is a farm on Pbplar grove Road near the western boundary of Boone. (Staff photo) Gardner Says He Will Win; Cites Favorable Surveys Campaigning through mountainous North Carolina last week, Congressman Jim Gardner introduced his newly released book, A Time To Speak. (Staff photo) $390,266 Contract Is Signed For Parkway Bridges On New Link Award at a *390,226 contract to Troitino and Brown, Inc., Asheville, North Carolina, (or bridge construction on the North Carolina portion ol the Blue Ridge Parkway was announced Friday by the National Park Service at the Department at the Interior. The Company's bid was the lowest of five sub mitted. The contract calls for the construction of two bridges on the Grandfather Mountain sec tion of the Parkway. One bridge will be over Holloway Mountain iRoad, the other over UJS. 221 at Beacon Heights. The work is to be completed by the contractor in 350 days. When his campaign road turn ed into Watauga County last week, Republican Jim Gardner said he is confident he will win the governorship by a large majority. “According to the State sur veys we’re running, we’re well ahead in the State. And polls in Charlotte, High Point and Winston-Salem show us in the lead.” Followed to Republican Head quarters in Boone by WSOC TV of Charlotte, Gardner spent the early part of his Wednesday morning (Oct. 2) visit tele phoning across the state. Sev eral local party officials and voters were there. A break fast had been held that morn ing and a speaking was set for that night. In interview, Gardner said he expects his win to be ac companied by a Republican land slide in North Carolina and throughout America. WHY? The candidate said the major reason he is running for the highest State office is that Dem ocrats have been in charge erf the State and nation too long. Terming their administration “the biggest mess yet,” Gard ner said “Democrats as well as Republicans are troubled and concerned . . . They are turn ing to Republican leadership for the answers.” His plan will be to remove politics from State government, concentrate on education and see that classroom teachers receive more pay. Other high-priority consid erations would be vocational ed ucation and formation of a pub lic kindergarden. Concerned about roads, Gardner said he would handle this program dif ferently from Moore and San ford by using a merit-and-need (continued on page two) ROBERT G. SHIPLEY, JR. Shipley Gets Managership Umstead Farm Robert G. Shipley, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Shipley of Vilas, has been appointed Assistant Farm Manager of John Umstead Hospital, it was an nounced by James I. Smith, Farm Manager. The appoint ment will be effective immedi ately. In his new position Shipley will be responsible for managing the livestock enterprises as well as the crop farm. The John Umstead Farm is composed of 10,360 acres of land. Over 2,000 acres aie in grain, pastures for cattle, feed cropa and vegetables. Over 8,000 acres are used as wood land. Shipley graduated from Cove Creek High School in 1964 and received his B.S. degree in ani mal science from N.C. State University in 1968. At the uni versity he was a member of the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, a leadership and scholastic fraternity. He was also Vice-President of the stu dent government during his sen ior year. Should Still Be Boiled Conservation Of Water Resources Continuing 12 Million Gallons Now In Reservoir The term “emergency” has been lifted from the local wa ter situation but citizens on the Boone water system are still advised to boil all water before consumption. Neal Blair, Jr., town mana ger, said Monday that citizens also are asked to conserve water as much as possible. He said that the 39-mil lion-gal Ion lake which supplies the town now holds about 12-million gal lons. He added that the recent showers did little to affect the water level. Blair made a distinction be tween the water level at the lake and the amount of useable water. He said that with the existing algae problem, only the top few reel oi tne lane water can be called “useable”. He said that the algae are going to the bot tom and gradually the amount of useable water is increasing. He added that he could not say when the algae problem will be relieved. The town of Boone is now us ing water pumped from three wells which can furnish 180gal lons per minute. On weekends, water is also tapped from the Appalachian State University supply. Blair said that water al so is being used from an old town dam located above the new dam. City Hall said that there is no truth to a rumor that Boone has changed over com pletely to the Appalachian State University water system. Blair said also that he knows nothing about fertilizer being spread on land above the re servoir before a shower a few weeks ago. He said that grass has been planted, but as far as he knows no fertilizer was used. The lake is supplying three water tanks including the one at Junaluska Heights. Blair said that these tanks filled automa tically and simultanously. Blair commented that people are asked to boil water not to remove anything in it, but to lessen the chlorine effect. He said that the water is de (continued on page twoj Whitener lo speak At Democrat Rally The Watauga County Demo cratic dinner and rally is to be held Friday October 18 at the Watauga High School, according to an announcement by James Dugger, County Democratic Chairman. Special guests will include Hon. Basil Whitener, Democra tic candidate for re-election tc Congress in this district; Pat Taylor who is on the ticket for the Lieutenant-Governor ship and Mrs. Bob Scott, wifeo the Lieutenant-Governor whoii candidate for Governor. The rally was formerly sche duled for Holiday Inn but wa re-scheduled for the Hig School, which facility was use for the last pre-election rallj Additional details on the fund i rising rally will be announce in the next edition of the Dem ocrat. Tallying the pre-goal total collected by United Fund workers in Watauga County are Mrs. Sarah Harris, secretary of the organization, and Wade Wilmoth, who is co-chairman of the c'urreit campaign. (Staff photo) $4,650 IRC Contribution Raises Fund To $13,783 A $4,650 contribution by the IRC Corporation and its em ployees last week vaulted the Watauga County United Fund campaign toward its record goaj of $20,541. Pledges so far total $13,783. At a regular Fund meeting Thursday, Fred Gragg of IRC presented his company’s total contribution to co-campaign chairman Wade Wilmoth. Wil moth was noticably elated at the figure and a round of ap plause followed his announce ment of the largest contribution Several solicitors reported their total solicitations for the recent days including Hound Ears, $743; Vermont Ameri can, $865; and, Appalachian State University, $815. Other smaller figures were reported and most solicitors noted that they still had more of their area to cover and that their figures were not complete. Wilmoth and Mark Hodges, co-chairmen for the 1968drive, have had 40 workers in the county soliciting funds since Sept. 23. All areas of the coun ty have been covered in an effort to give everyone the op portunity to contribute to the Fund which supports many local projects and organizations. Hodges and Wilmoth said they hope that the goal can be reach ed by this Thursday but also added that the drive will not be concluded then if the goal has not been reached. They con tinued to urge everyone to give ■ the Fair Share Way. 1 UF chairman Jerry Moretz 1 closed the dinner meeting by l thanking all workers for their • efforts. He meptioned after • wards that he hoped the 1 paign thermometer (located on • the Poet Ofticemwrvwill “spun out the top.'* * vie wry dinner nas oeen tenatively planned for this Thursday in hopes the goal will be reached by then. Visitors To Parkway Gain Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway in the first nine months of 1968 had registered* 35% increase over the same period in 1967, while Septem ber of this year was 3.4% be low the figures for September of 1967. During the 1968 calendar year through September there were 8,980,691 visitors as against 6,652,940 in 1967. In September there were 1, 095,510; in 1967 6,652,940. By districts, the September visitation record is as fol lows, the first figure in each case being 1968, the second *67. James River, Vi., (Mile # to 05) 141, 471, 181,026; Rocky Knob, Va. (Mile 105 D 217) 241,248, 254.149. Bluffs, N. C. (MUe 217 to 205) 176,082,161,443. Asheville (MUe 305 to 465) 536,769, 537,994.

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