WATAUGA COUNTY
fa the Heart of the Northwest
«rn North Carolina winter and
•onuner tourist resort area.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An impendent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eighty-First Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 23,1969
BOONE WEATHER
Jan. 14 SB 15
Jan. 15 48 13
Jan. 16 47 18
Jan. 17 52 26
Jan. 18 48 36
Jan. 19 50 42
Jan. 20 43 29
10 CENTS PER COPY
22 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
NEW PRESIDENT—-Richard M. Nixon, the 37th President of
the United States who took office Monday with the traditional
pomp and ceremony, pledging “to consecrate my office, my
^energies and all the wisdom I can summon, to the cause of peace
among nations” and the “healing of strident divisions among the
American people.**
Gov. Bob Scott Thursday mads presentations to win
ners in the North Carolina Press Association's con
test. Mrs. Bob Rivers here accepts the first place
. plaque in the general excellence division as the N. C.
i- Press Institute met in Chapel Hill.
Watauga Democrat Tops
In “General Excellence*
. The Watauga Democrat again was a major winner In
the 1968 contests of the North Carolina Press Associa
tion, at the Association’s mid-winter Institute last week.
The Democrat took two first {dace awards and one
second in the weekly division at a banquet held at UNC
in Chapel Hill Thursday night. Governor Scott spoke at
the banquet and presented the awards to members of the
Democrat staff.
The Boone newspaper again won the coveted first
place award in the General Excellence category, having
placed in this category for four years—three firsts and
a third.
Ralph Tugman, head of the Democrat’s advertising
department took first place in advertising, a repeat of ids
1967 performance andhis third time infour years to place
in this category.
^ Rachel Rivers, Managing Editor of the Democrat
took a second in the best spot news category.
In the General Excellence category, in which the
judges try to assess the over all quality of a newspaper,
the judges said:
“The Democrat has a consistent dean, attractive
and newsy page 1, well illustrated with local pictures and
we find the same attractive balanced layout inside as well.
We like the detail of coverage which provides the reader
with full information without obvious excess verbiage.”
. Of Mr. Tugman’s prize-winning advertisement the
Judges said:
“Timeliness, initiative and originality coupled with
pleasing layout and a hard sell message make the Wa
tauga Savings It Loan Assn, ad submitted by the Wa
tauga Democrat particularly outatandir^ and In the opin
ion of the judges outdistanced the other erdrlea.”
Of Hachel Rivers* spot news story, the Judges had
this comment:
“In a quiet neighborhood in Doone, evidence accumul
ated that thirty pet dags had been poisoned with stryc
■ bnlne. That was tragedy enough, but Rachel Rivers felt
ia It imperative In her news story in the Watauga Democrat
to point out that the lives of children were In danger also.
Her low key reporting of the terror potential provides
total awareness, and with well selected quotes suggests
solutions. Hers Is a calm report which resists hysteria."
Publisher Rob Rivers, Editors Jean L. Rivers and
Rachel Rivers and Advertising Manager, Ralph Tugman
attended the Institute.
Publisher Rivers had this to say;
“We are of course grateful for our continued good
showings in the Stats contests and the fact that mem
bers of the working press from other States view the
Democrat favorably. The credit for the accomplish
ments of the newspaper is not due solely to the own
ership, bid rather to the dedicated efforts of every per
son employed at the Democrat. A harder working, more
loyal and more conadentioua group couldn’t be found. To
them goes the credit and to the business people and all
the dtlxens of the county and arts whose splendid co
operation has enabled tbs Democrat to expand Its pro
cesses and services."
0 V'V-' ■>& 14 - ■ % ■ %
Ji " . ' ‘ , f i " ■
•?? ' x ■:
.,;i::xxy[ v A.V
3,000 Lots Sold, ISO Homes Built
■yiy
is:,, sSftfr?
Mountain
Resort Is Viewed By Press
At Least 4,000
Houses Will Be
Built In Area
BY RACHEL RIVERS
When members of the press
. were welcomed to Beech Moun
tain 24 months ago, access was
by four-wheel, drive vehicles
climbing an old sawmill road—
. or hy sturdy horse, if one were
the wayfaring sort.
Saturday, newsmen and wom
en were motor coached to the
summit over a paved road that
la wearing out under the strain
of multi-thousands of cars and
dozens of trucks bearing steel
and other building supplies.
In six months, ISO of a pro
jected 4,000 homes, have been
built on Beech Mountain. No
one knows exactly how many
homes eventually will rest on
the peak shared by Watauga
and Avery counties.
Summertime traffic will be
provided when nine holes of the
18-bole Grassy GapGdf Course
open this season. GG is the first
of four golf courses that Caro
lina Caribbean Corporation will
provide. Also, riding stables
are ready far warm weather
use..u.
»ne resort is growing so
fhst that a news release pres
pared for distribution Saturday
ran slightly behind an announce
ment that day that 3,000 Beech
Mountain lots bad been sold
and the $7,500,000 mark inland
sales had just been passed.
Other astounding facts are
that:
The rapid growth of the com
plex is expected to result In an
inter-resort roads and utilities
commission, according to Bill
Arnett, rice president and head
of operations. Beech Mountain
has its own snow remoral op
eration, has provided a supply
of Ora wood, plans cable tv
for residents, will bus children
to school.
Twenty-four months ago,
Carolina Caribbean had threeon
the payroll. Now they have 228
employees and the 10 construct
tion companies workii* for
Beech Mountain land owners
(Continued on page two)
in* rive coaches of the 93.5 million silentmonorail at Beech will serve
the resort's residential, golf, sld end expended village trees. Arrow Develoomei*
Company of California says they will require 18 montl* to two years to deslcn
and build the sptem. This artist's sketch at the typical monorail .nd
condominium m done under ouporvislon at CeroUne Caribbean personnel As
the nation’! first community monorail system. It will serve the highest ski
complex in the eastern United States.
First Of Kind In United States
Monorail To Ease Beech Travel
Carolina Caribbean Corpor
ation again has turned the na
tional lime light on ita Beech
Mountain development.
At a Beech Tree Itm preee
conference held Saturday, the
Bobbins Brothers announced the
nation's first community mono
nil system, a $3.5 million
segment of the 36 million build
ing and planning program.
“We have decided to stop
proliferating the land with
home-building, “ Grove Bobbins
Jr. said, “and to draw the
homing eloner into an expend
ing village complex in order to
preserve the character of Bench
Mountain, ite wild arena and
the kind of atmosphere our pro
perty owners deserve."
Arrow Development Companor
at Motmtelnvlew, Cel it., expects
to be two years In the design
ing and building ct the monorail,
part of the overall expansion
devdopment of cluster houses
around the ski and golf areas.
The two-route monorail sys
tem will provide five coaches
each with a capacity at 30 per
sona. The first route will con
“act the village to the cluster
and condominium areas of the
ski ways, sweep near residen
tial Charter Hills and pass
through other stations near a
service center and parldi* lots
on its way back to the village.
The other route will reach into
the Grassy Gapgolf course sec
tor close to another residential
area and serve exclusive con
dominiums.
The rotrtes will cover some
Snow Carnival Has Good Ski
Conditions, Despite Rain ?
SNOW-GOING TEIO—On thn flrat day of tha North Carolina Snow
Cunlval, perhapa no ooa waa morn anxious to polish akl aldlla
than theaa attractive children of Mr. and Mrs. ban Gottlieb at
Saves Davila Resort. Dark-halrad Kristy sill be live this ssafci
perky Carol trill have bar sixth birthday In Just a fen daya; and
Jon la an aicfaUyear-old who already baa plenty at akl-ahillty.
Staff photo)
The first NartbCarolina Snow
Carnival mot with dismal
weather, but according to Car*
nival Director Robert Bingham,
the poor weather served to play
qp the Importance of the snow*
making machine.
In terms of a mid-winter aid
celebration, it should have bean
clear and crispy cold and a mild
touch of snow wouldn't have hurt.
But It was overcast and unseas
onably warm with a threat of
rain that came true.
Bingham said slope conditions
were fine Friday and Saturday at
all four lodges. OnSunday, how
ever, only Seven Devils where
former U, S. Olympic star Rip
McManus tried out N.C.SUb*)
and Appalachian Ski Mowtaln
In Blowing Rock remained open
ed.
At a meeting Tuesday night,
resort representatives and
Boone Chamber of Commerce
committeemen were to tabulate
the overall cost of the Carni
val. An imotriclal estimate Fri
day was $5,500,
Bingham said SO to IS mem
bers of the press, radio and tv
stations came to Watauga and
Avery counties for the Friday
through Sunday festivities. Be
also said coverage was given In
Tennessee and Virginia as well
aa the Carolines. United Press
Wanatioaal was repreaasdsd
ban and releases were seat
A A "
directly to the Urge newspa
pers throughoid the Sotdheast.
Ag to Inc reamed trade inBoone
Btnghem said businessmen re
ported a marked increase Fri
day. Next year, the Carnival
will be a Monday through Sun
day affair and Bingham (eels
the extra days will add much
volume to business In town.
The second edition afthe pro
mt tion may be called the Snow
Carnival o( the Soidh, he added.
three and a half miles in about
15 minutes.
Grover Robbins explained
“This concept, together with
the quick and quiet suspended
monorail, will bring more peo
ple nearer the places they want
to be, reduce the problem of
traffic and cli&tering the pri
mary areas with cars and make
more attractive the incor
poration of private homes into
our hotel system when owners
are not occupying them.’*
The expansion of Beech Tree
Village includes five buildings
of Alpine architecture which
will lodge 200 to 300 hotel
guests, house a theater, health
salon and 30 or more shops
and include restaurants offer
ing different cuisines. Harry
Robbins said that overnight
accommodations could be ready
on the Beech by next ski seas
on.'*
Also proposed are a plaza
for ice-skating and a year-round
swimming pool. An area remov
(Continued on page two)
HARRY ROBBINS, executive
vice president, secretory and
assistant trees urerot the main
land-Island complex..,
GROVES ROBBINS JR., presi
dent of Caro Una Caribbean Cor
poration ...
No New Telephone Number
Available Here; 25 Wait '■ V
Wtat, no Qumb«n?
That's the word (ran the
local telephone office and area
manacar Ban Lea ear. Thera
simply aren't any available
telephone mashers in Boone.
“Numbers” radar to the equip
ment hookup la the central of
fice.
*Vs the first time la my
career I've worked in an area
where this has happened,” said
Leaser. He said that Boons la
just growing (aster thanlfcxdb
are Bell has expected.
According to Leaner, work
er! »re now trying to get 100
new numbera open es soon as
possible. This is pert at e 500
msnber expansion planned tor
Boone and scheduled for eom
pltolon in March. This would
give Boone 4,200 main station.
Leaser cited the 20-year
growth In the Boon area saying
that there were 501 phone In
Boone In 1047 compared to 5,507
this past December. **TMs
represents better than 10-fold
growth,” he said.
At Christmas time the local
office began a waiting Hat which
now has grown to 25. The Boone
office said that It might be at
least three weeks before phone
service could be installed.
Leaser said be was glad to
work In “such a growing area.
You can't knock tt."
Addition
The name ot Stacy C. EJggera
m at Boone was inadvertently
lift off tbs list at students who
achieved Dean's Ust honors tor
tall tpertar academic work n i
Appalachian State UdveraSy.