■ 3 V
WATAUGA COUNTY
In the Heart of the Northwest
ern North Carolina winter and
summer tourist resort area.
An Independent Weekly Newspaper
DEMOCRAT
Eighty-First Year of Continuous Pubhcadon
BOONE WEATHER
1968 HILo SnowPrae. W HI !♦
Dec. 3 4# 35 I 40 29
Dec. 4 40 24 tr. S3 56 23
Dec. 5 36 24 LS .12 ! 49 24
Dec. 6 42 23 II M 26
Dec. 7 36 23 II 61 33
Dec. 8 34 14 2 .05
Dec. 9 27 12 1 .02
60 43
49 33
VOL. LXXXI—NO. 24
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROUNA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1968
10 CENTS PER COPY
82 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
JOEY (THE C LOWN) is flanked by trombonist Lee Fox of the Watauga High School Band
cheerleaders (from left) Katherine Miller, Sandy Kirk, Kathy Aldridge, Nancy Grew* and Sarah
Hayes as they pose for Joey's “family portrait". The television announcer-enterttJner busUy
spread cheer at Horn in the West grounds where the parade was organising then took his stand
to a convertible tor the chilly ride through town. (Staff photo) .
One Dead, Four Injured
In Two-Car Crash On 321
A two-car collision on 321
south, just north of the 105*
intersection claimed the life,
of an Ohio man and sent four
other persons to the hospital
late Saturday afternoon.
Yule Edition
To Be Early
The Democrat’s Christ- ■
mas week edition is to come
from the presses Saturday
December 21, rather thah
~ at the usuar toW** fol
lowing Tuesday night.
This is being done not
Silly t# provide the service
to our advertisers that la
required due to the fact that
Christmas comes this year
at mid week, but to make
a brief- vacation period for
those who produce the news
paper.!'
This early edition will fea
ture Christmas greeting ad
vertising which la already
being sold. Copy and art is
provided and those who are
not seen by salesmen are
asked to call early next week.
Further details of the
Christmas week schedule at
the Democrat and other bus t
ness places will be published
in the next edition.
Harry Flack Vannoy, 24, of
Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was kill
ed when the vehicle he was
driving crashed head-on with
a car driven by J. B. South,
20, of Vilas. Investigating po
£4 Harmon Is
Boone’s New
Police Chief
Ed, H> Harmon of VUa* Frl
• day warn sworn in as Chief of
the Boone Police Department.
The brief ceremony was con
ducted at City Hall by Mayor
Clyde B. Greene.
Chief Harmon fills the vacan
cy left by Carlton (Hed) Lyons,
who was appointed Tax Super
visor for Watauga County and
who Joined county officials In
taklig office the first Monday
of the month.
The new town official served
Hour years with the Watauga
Sheriff’s Department and was
employed from .May, 1967, un
til last week on the BlowingBock
police force.
, Mrs. Harmon is the former
, Ida Presnell and the couple have
a daughter, Mrs. Evelyn Law
rence, and a granddaughter.
Chief Harmon is the son of
Mrs. Ida Harmon of Banner
Elk and the late Lee Harmon.
Edwin Duncan Is Given Top
Award By Development Assn.
Elkin—The Northwest N. C.
Development Association pre
sorted its Distinguished service
Award to Edwin Duncan Sr. of
'Sparta, president of the North
western Bank, at the assoc
iation’s annual meeting here
Thursday night. _
Duncan, afprmer president of
the development association, la
now chairman of its Industry
Final Exams Are
Being Held At
ASU This Week -
Flttl examinations are being
bald through Friday of this
week at Appalachian State Uoi
^Pre^holiday activities listed
hy the W.H. Plemmona Student
Canter are: > „
Wednesday, Dec. U, world
history film series, 4 PJn.,
i Edwin Duncan Hall, room JM;
iVand "Yosef,” 7 pjn. Stutont
Center room 211.
i< Thursday, Dec. 12, the *
* Cli* meets at 7 pjm. in the Stu
dent Center, room lit.
?: Friday the tall quarter closes.
The Student Carter will re
open Wednesday, Jan. let two
In the afternoon. Claases for the
a winter quarter will begin Thurs
(jfey, Jan. 2, with registratioo
for new students being conducts*
fnm a to S in tbs assembly
am of the Canter.
Division. He was cited for Ms
efforts in attracting industry to
the Northwest
A 1925 graduate of the Uni
versity of North Carolina, Dun
can served several terms in the
state Senate and is a former
member of the state Banking
Commission.
Dr. William H. Plemmons,
president of Appalachian State
University and a former assoc
iation president was master ol
ceremonies.
ice said they could not tell
vhich car was at fault and said
hat occupants of the cars could
remember nothing. No charges
were made and their study is
complete.
Riding in the Vannoy car was
Jerry Houck who received seri
ous injury and was transferred
to a Johnson City, Tenn., hos
pital from the Watauga County
Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. lovill
South were traveling in the South
car and were reported in satis
factory condition in the local
hospital Sunday night. Miss Lou
ella Pruitt was also in the car
but was not injured.
Mr, Vannoy, a native of Wa
tauga County, *** visiting rela
tives in the area during the
season... , ?».
Surviving are four brothers,
Charles of Boone, Tommy at
Chardon, Ohio, and Wayne and
Bex of Chargrin Falls; three
sisters, Mrs. Barbara Wyatt
of Newark, Del., Mrs. Jane
Kell son of Cleveland, Ohio, and
Mrs. Alice Winkler of Boone.
Services were held Tuesday
at the Deerfield Methodist
Church and burial was In the
Varntoy family cemetery. Relns
Sturdlvant Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
Magistrates* ,
Office Hours
Are Established
Office hours for Watauga
County Magistrates have been
released.
Monday through Thursday the
office at the courthouse will be
open from 9 s.m. until 5 p.m.
On weekends it will open at
9 a.m. and remain open to
•2 a.m..
Magistrate Ralph Greene ex
plained that someone would be
on call during the weekend
stretches when no one Is in
the office.
Ralph Greene and Hade Smith
are the two fulltime magistrates
and their office is located on the
top floor of the County Court
house. Fred McNeal is a part
time magistrate and when the
office is closed may be reached
at his home at 1714 East King
St., Boone.
Horses, Clowns, Floats^ Marchers
I Bright, Gay Christmas P arade
Given Happy Respite By Snow
; ■''
Bands, Queens ; |
Brave Cold To jj
Please Crowds j
(Parade pictures inside J |
Television forebodings that |
mow would mantel the moun
tains for the weekend may have |
caused a few units to drop out j
of the Boone Christmas Parade
Saturday.
But the majority showed up
and the snow held off until Sat
urday night so the only ill
effect of the procession be- |
tween 4 and 4:30 was the cold.
Woolly horses and their coat
ed, hatted and gloved riders
looked most comfortable in the
late afternoon shadows of King
Street. G. D. Barnett, famed
as Wagon Master of the annual
Daniel Boone Wagon Train, was
parade director, taking the
westward route horseback, per
custom.
Second most serene looking
were the Beech Mountain skiers
riding their pine-bedecked
mountain of white. The float
was a colossus as it crossed
the knoll of King Street in front
at the Gateway Restaurant.
Awards for the most deter
mined crowd pleasers should
go to those who braved the day
(Continued on page two)
Physicians Move
To New Building
‘ Dr. J. B. Hagaman Jr., M.D.
of Boon*, Saturday will move
his offices from the Hageman
Clinic on East King Street to
the Doctor’s Building adjacent
to Watauga County Hospital.
Dr. Hagaman says he has
sold his buildiqg to William,
Baker & Koontz, a local group.
He built the structure in 1953
and has since occupied it, leas
ing part of the facilities to vari
ous professional people.
Dr. Hagaman said Dr. Len
Hagaman has already made the
move as has Dr. Hadley Wil
son. Dr. William M, Derrick,
a medical practitioner who once
worked here briefly, has re
turned to Boone and is ex
pected to fill the fourth avail
able office.
A drug store will open about
Jan. 1 In the Doctor’s Building.
County Schools To
Begin Holidays 20th
Christmas hoUdays for Wa
tauga County students wlU be
gin Friday, Dec. 20. School
will reopen Thursday, Jan. 2,
according to school superinten
dent Guy Angell.
In speaking of the eight-day
break, Angell noted that the
school schedule dropped four
days because of snow this year.
Twelve days are added to the
school calendar each year to
allow for snow and the system
now can miss only eight more
days and finish the first week at
June as planned.
riders.
THE BEECH MOUNTAIN FLOAT was a snowy peak featuring
, In this westward shot, portions of the streetside crowds are seen.
Guy Angell Resigns Position
As Snperindentent Of Schools
After fourteenyearsas county
school superintendent, W. Guy
Angell has resigned from that
position effective Jan. IS,
In a letter of resignation dated
Dec. 5, Angell said he wishes
to be released from his current
contract which is eHective till
1971.
Angell’s reason for leaving
the school post is to accept the
administratorship of the Blow
ing Rock Hospital and Extended
Care Center, he said.
“This position affords many 1
new opportimities in adminis- i
trative services, a challenge 1
to help develop a comprehensive
medical service for this area,
and an increased salary com
mensurate with the duties and
Two Are Jailed In Wake
Of Series Of Car Thefts
The car theft dilemma that
hit the downtown area last week
apparently came to an end Wed
nesday night when the County
Sheriff’s Department received
information and eye witness ac
counts that resulted in the jall
ir* of two suspects.
After investigating an acci
dent in Blowing Rock Wednes
day, officer David Hatten of that
town’s force charged the driver
of the car with reckless driving
and took him to the sheriff’s
office. The driver was not iden
tified nor were two passengers
in the car.
Under questioning by law of
ficers two of the youths said
they had witnessed a minor and
Robert Smathers, 19, of Boone
driving two of the vehicles re
ported stolen two weekends ago.
The minor, who gave his age
as 16 but is believed to be only
15, was reported to have been
driving a 1951 Plymouth stolen
from Jim Jones of Daniel Boone
Drive. The boys alledged that
Smathers was driving a utility
truck of the type also stolen over
the previous weekend.
On information and belief of
the testimony, Sheriff Ward
Carroll signed two warrants for
the arrest of the boy and Smath
ers for larceny in excess of
$200.
G
B.E. Cloer, an Investigator
with the State Moter Vehicles
Weight and Theft Division was
in Boone Thursday and ap
peared on the warrant along with
Carroll as state witness.
The accused denied any in
volvement in the car thefts.
Smathers told officers he was
home at the time he was re
portedly seen in the utility truck.
A preliminary hearing will be
held during the District Court
session Dec. 19-20,
Sheriff Carroll said that much
credit is due the Boone Police
Department and especially of
ficer Hobert Watson for assis
tance in the case.
Watauga Accidents Cost $3,800,000
\ *A« • ■ • -- ' • .
Do resident* of Watauga County lead **f«r or
more haiardous llvu then people In other toeelMee? ■
Are they more Ueble or leu Ueble to meet with ee v
Occident of eome eort—eutomobUe or otherwiee—to e
given yeer? ■ _ J. ?.• , ' _ > ' • 'j
According to e government survey, Aist released,
local people teem to be somewhat more accident
prone than the average. r* '
The general accident record locally le viewed along
side tint of other communitiu. It is bued upon data
complied by the UA Public Health Service, In connection
with its annual vital statistics i array, and by the National
Safety Cornell.' ■ . ~? -.7 s
"... - '« ' •'
Tbs flndii** are of special literut at tbls time
boceuae of mounting coocem over the higb accident
rata in the United Statu. The figure* show that nearly
11 million people «uttered injuries during the pest year
' that disabled them lor more than one day. Some 39
million others received minor injuries.
According to the survey, there were 20 fatal acd
dents among Watai«a County residents during the year
endir* January 1, 1907, with motor vehicles respon
sible for 8 of them.
Aid, for each fatal one, there were nearly 100
othars tint did not result In loss of life.
Taken into account were all types of accidents in
which local people were involved, wherever they occurred.
' Not Included, however, ware local accidents affecting
non-residents.
Related to the local population, the toll in the
,-V" area was at the rate of 114 totalities per 100,009
people.
Tbi» wa» higher than we avenge rare
for the United Stetee ee a whole. 57 per 100,000. ]
It was higher, also, than the State of North Carolina
rate of 66 per 100,000.
Accident* took the Uvea of 112,000Americana during
the year. Motor vehicle* accounted for 67 percent of
them, foUowed hy fall*. 16 percent. ,
The National Safety Council estimates the ooat at
accidents at $21.3 billloa in the year. This include*
loss of wages, medical expenses, property damage and
the like.
Watauga County’* aha re of this cost, a«»imlng that
the average coat per accident applies locally, comes to
approximately $3,800,000. J
esponsibilities of the new po
ition,” Angell said in his resig
ation.
Serving as interim super in
intendent after Angell *s resig
nation becomes effective will
be Willis Moretz who is now
Director of Federal Programs
for Watauga County. Moretz
will perform necessary ad
ministrative duties such as
handling payroll and signing
checks.
He will serve till the first
Monday in April. At that time
the new County School Board
officially takes office and will
have the job of naming a new
superintendent.
Chairman of the Board of
Education, Mack Brown said
that the newly elected board is ,
currently meeting with the old
board to become adjested to the
functions and problems of the
system. He added that he did
not know if the position will
be discussed.
Brown said he had no com
ments on Angell’s resignation.
Angell said, “U has been a
real pleasure for me to serve
the people of Watauga County in
the capacity of superintendent
of schools, and 1 shall always
have an active interest in the
continued progress of the
schools in the future.
He added that he would assist
the school board during the
transition period if necessary,
sary.
Burley Sales
Reach 2,566,030
Pounds Locally
From beginning of the burley
tobacco market in Boone through
Friday’s sales, 2,5*6,030
pounds have gone under the
gravel.
According to Stanley Harris
Sr., sales smerviaor of the
local tobacco board, the poun
dage brought *1.8*0,750 or an
average at *73.78 per bond rad
pounds.
Harris said 250,000 potauls
at burley was to be an the