BOONE
Home of Anoalachian State Uni
versity, in Boone, Blowing Rock
and Linville Scenic Triable,
VOL. LXXXI—NO. 20
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
_An IndePe”dent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eighty-First Year of Continuous Publication
_B00NE’ WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1968 10 CENTS PER COP\
Nov. 6
Nov. 8
Nov. 9
Nov. 10
Nov. 11
1968 HI Lo Snow Free. '67 HI Lo
62 44
55 49
54 41
43 32
33 29
32 28
32 22
26 PAOF.S
.12
tr.
.50
tr.
.44
39 20
37 18
44 18
49 23
63 29
62 41
For 1,200 Students
New Elementary
School Is Sought
NEXT PRESIDENT—With about 99 per cent of the precincts
tabulated Richard Nixon was elected President with 43.48% of
the popular vote and an indicated electoral vote of 302. Vice
President Humphrey got 42.97% of the popular vote for 191
electoral votes. Wallace received over 9,672,877 votes, Nixon
31,064,858 and Humphrey 30,703,563. - - -—•—-—~-—
Seal Campaign
ChairmenNamed
Tom Doughton, who is a
businessman and civic leader
of Sparta, Dr. C. E. Miller,
who is a West Jefferson phy
sician and artist, and Charles
H. Blackburn Jr., Boone busi
nessman and local leader, have
been named co-chairman of the
1968 Christmas Seal Campaign,
according to an announcement
made by Frank James of Jeffer
son, president of the Alleghany,
Ashe, Watauga Tb-RD Associa
tion.
The co-chairmen realize the
importance of the Christmas
Seal Campaign to the residents
of their three county area and
say they are convinced the com
bined goal of $7,000 will be
reached. The campaign supports
a number of programs and ac
tivities aimed against tubercu
losis and other respiratory
diseases.
Christmas Seals and letters
have been mailed to many firms
and people in Alleghany, Ashe
and Watauga. The Seal letters
were prepared for mailing by
the members of the Worthwhile
Woman’s Club of Boone and by
members of the Ashe County
Woman’s Club in West Jeffer
son.
All campaign funds this year
will be sent to the West Jeffer
son office of the Alleghany,
Ashe, Watauga TB-RD Assoc
iation. This will simplify the
work and will comply with a
North Carolina IB Association
directive, according to Ruth
Draughon, Association secre
tary.
Scott To Take
Over January 3
Lt. Gov. Bob Scott Thursday
set his inauguration as North
Carolina's next governor for
Jan. 3.
Scott who kept the mansion
in Democratic hands with a
victory in Tuesday’s election,
announced the inauguration date
after conferring with the man
he will succeed, Gov. Dan
Moore.
Returns showed Scott the vic
tor by about 75,000 votes.
Boone Plant
Plan Given To
Budget Group
A many-faceted situation is
developing in Boone which could
provide the Watauga County Seat
with a new elementary education
facility.
Depending on the advice of the
Advisory Budget Commission,
the consent of the General As
sembly and the appropriation of
local monies, the Appalachian
Elementary School could be re
placed by a new plant capable
of handling as many as 1,200
students.
The city school, which now
sits on two acres, might be
transferred to a site of about
40 acres.
HOW? 7
Appalachian State University
has submitted a request to the
Advisory Budget Commission
for $1,250,000 to be used to
develop a new school. Should
the Commission recommend
this for inclusion in the 1969
budget, the N.C. General As
sembly would then vote for or
against the request.
Appalachian has asked for the
money because of an arrange
ment here which is unique in
the State. Local law requires
the university to provide a
demonstration school to be at
~ tended by the children of Boone
and to be operated as a labora
tory school of the university.
Therefore, ASU owns and
maintains Appalachian Elemen
tary School which is located on
College Street and on the peri
meter of the university campus.
As to the educational process
within the building, however, the
Watauga County School Board
is in charge.
The rapidly growing ASU is
in need of still another class
room building. With space on
campus not being overabundant,
school leaders spied with in
terest the situation at the Appa
lachian Elementary School.
The elementary school has
been operating in overcrowded
conditions for several years.
This fall the school is about
one-third over capacity with
915 students. The building ade
quately handles 650 to 700.
Seeing these problems, the
university felt it might provide
money for a new elementary
school so that the building now
used by the public school sys
tem could be put to university
use and preclude the necessity
for ASU to build another struc
ture right away.
At this point many ifs, ands
and buts enter into the matter.
Dr. William Plemmons, ASU
president, emphasized that the
request is just that—a request.
It may or may not be approved
in its entirety. Until it is ap
proved things are going to con
(Continued on page two)
Boone Chamber Working
On Winter Carnival Project
The Boone Chamber of Com
merce will have a committee
working for the next few weeks
as a catalyst between the town
and area ski reaorta to promote
a North Carolina WinterCarni
val here.
Addressing the Thursday
meeting of Chamber directors,
Pete Rtnecke of Seven Devils
asked for “more effort towards
promoting skiing . . . Five
knew about skiing.* Now it is
a 1500,000 a week business in
the State.
He asked the chamber to
help ski lodges promote a Carni
val beginning with a parade that
could feature movie stars and
local beauty queens while the
lodges offer contests on the
slopes. He felt the Carnival
would “stimulate skiing and
the winter resort business and
business in the Town of Boone.”
He assured the Chamber of
the co-operation of all resorts
concerned in the project and
suggested the winter promotion
could be annual.
Also of Seven Devils, Ivan
Gottlieb suggested “The first
guy who does it is going to be
the winner.” He addedthatSev
en Devils is bringing in exper
ienced public relations man who
could assist with the project.
Since National Ski Week is
Jan. 17-26, the men suggested
that Carnival date be during that
time starting with a Friday to
Sunday affair to be expanded
in later years to nine days, in
cluding two ski weekends.
Stanley Harris Sr. told the
directors “This project was
approved (by the Chamber) way
tack. The committee should
have been on the ball for two
or three weeks/’
Chamber president Gwyn
Hayes appointed Fred McNeal
as chairman of the co-ordinat
ing committee with Nick Stakias
and Jim Hastings as members.
Affirming his belief in the pro
gram, Hayes pointed out that
motels are receiving a record
number of inquiries and many
already have booked several
weekends.
Seven Devils reported Tues
day morning that its ski oper
ations may start when the wind
subsides.
THE SEASON’S FIRST respectable snow was piled high on this rail fence when
Sunday morning succeeded a slippery Saturday night in Watauga County. A little
snowfall came to the mountains a couple of weeks ago, but by the time the sun
was up, it was all melted off except at the higher elevations. The rail fence,
incidentally, is a trademark of the Blue Ridge Parkway which ironically must
close in wintertime. The National Park Service says that the lack of commer
cial facilities on the scenic route would mean that the hapless motorist would
be stranded for a long time in icy conditions and points out the impracticality
of trying to remove snow from the Parkway’s hundreds of miles. Also, highway
maintenance is not as great since the Parkway is not traveled during the win
ter’s freezing and thawing cycles.
Eight Inches Monday Evening
Snow Closes Watauga Schools
Eight inches of snow fell in
Watauga County between early
Monday afternoon and 7 Tues
day morning.
It brought the total accumu
lation since Saturday to 13 and
a half inches and called the
schools to a halt along with
most traffic which tried to
navigate quickly-drifting county
byroads. Saturday’s all-day
snow, which ended sometime
that night, accounted for 5.50
inches of the total.
Highway Department employ
This unusual, once-in-a-lifetime photo was made by Jaycee Tom Slade Saturday night as Sharon
Janice Lienau became the new Miss Watauga. The crown is being placed by Miss Myra Davis, out
going Miss Watauga, who was just out of sight when the flashbulb went off. Pretty Ollie Jackson,
,who was judged first runner-up to the title, watches at right.
Sharon Janice Lienau Named “Miss Watauga”
Sharon Janice Lienau, blue
eyed Appalachian State fresh
man from Raleigh, was crown
ed Miss Watauga for 1969 Sat
urday night from a small field
of nine contestants.
A veteran beauty contest par
ticipant, Miss UeiW followed
a brier monologue imitating a
tongue tied country girl by say
ing, “I’ve changed.’*
Then discarding her country
frock, she took guitar in hand
and sang a folk song of her
composition.
Local beauty OUie Jackson
was tne crowa iavonie unu uwa
first runner-up honors with her
folk song, “Less of Me”. Miss
Jackson, a senior at Watauga
High and youngest contestant,
received the hometown support
as she drew better than triple
(Continued on page two)
ees again were put on round
the-clock duty to start moving
tons of downy white and all
available snow-moving mach
inery was on duty Tuesday
morning.
U. S. Meterorologist Joe
Minor of Boone says “Although
snow usually falls by this time
of November, it is unusual to
have this much this early.
“Last year it was Nov. 23
before we had even a half inch;
in 1966 a half inch fell on Nov.
2 but did not stick; the first
snow that stuck that year was
an inch recorded on Nov. 22.”
Minor recalled that the first
big snow of 1965 was recorded
on Dec. 25 and 26 when 2.50
inches was measured.
The year before that, one and
a half inches was recorded Dec.
1 to add to a half inch that fell
the last day of November.
Tuesday morning visibility
was near zero as high winds
added to the troubles of motor
ists trying to flag down passers
by to help them. And while the
weather generally was consid
ered too severe for sleigh rid
ers, drivers nontheless are
cautioned to watch oui for them
and travel at slow speeds
through residential neighbor
Board Of Education
Takes Over In April
The Board of Education elect
ed Tuesday of last week will
take office the first Monday in
April of 1969.
The only incumbent member
of the former three-man board
to be carried over to the new
five-man board is Hugh B. Haga
man of Boone. Hagaman said
the next board to be elected will
take office in December of
1970, dropping about four
months service in order to com
ply with a new law regulating
boards of education going into
office on a specific date.
Asked about the duty of the
board to select a superintend
ent of schools, Hagaman said
the new board will not hire or
rehire. The former board gave
W. Guy Angel, current super
intendent of schools, a four
year contract in July of 1967.
Therefore said Hagaman, An
gell will still be serving out
his contract at the next elec
tion.
Hagaman recorded the only
dissenting vote in the matter
of the contract.
He says he hopes to propose
that the new board go on rec
ord encouraging news media to
attend the board’s regular meet
ings, which are open to the pub
lic. Meetings are at 7:30 p. m.
the first Monday of each month
at the Board of Education build
ing on Highway 421 west
Hagaman said the reason he
voted against awarding Angel
a four-year contract was that
a school supperintendent is
hired to carry out the poli
cies of the present board and
he felt the new board should
have the right of choices dur
ing its term.
Selected with Hagaman in
the nonpartisan balloting were
James P. Marsh, John Hollar,
Edsel Cook and S. C. Eggers,
Sr.
Serving with Hagaman until
April will be Mack Brown, who
was not a candidate for re
election, and H. W. Mast Jr.
Phone Co-Op
Gets Loan
The National Rural Elec- 3
► trie Authority has approved |
!a loan of $1,425,000 to the?
[Skyline Membership Co-}
operative.
Money from this loan is to j
be used for improved tele- }
phone service “in Watauga*
Avery and adjacent coun- ]
ties,”
The information came to <5
the Democrat in a telegram |
from Congressman Basil L. j