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NET PRESS RUN t
An independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eighty-Second Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,1968 Jo CENTS PER COPY
7,775
• ' SOPHOMORES: They’re been through this before, but it's still hard work. M»naytng to ■"»<"«»«»
big smiles while getting ready to use a lot of elbow greaae on loaded suitcases and boxes are
Trudy Pitta of Statesville and UdonGrare (N.CJ residents Glenda Resh anl Eulalia Brown. (Staff
;,s photo)
Gather In Boone 30th
A meeting of county commis
sioners from northwestern
North Carolina counties will be
held Tuesday, Sept. 30, in Boone
to study the proposed one-ceot
additional sales tax.
The question of adding the
extra penny to the present three
per cent sales tax will be put
to voters in North Carolina ata
Bloodmobile
Coming 2nd
The Red Cross BloodmoUle
will come to Boone Thursday.
Oct. 2.
The unit will be here from 11
, a. m. to 4:30 p in. At leaat 200
pints are needed. The location
special election on Nov. 4. Pro
ceeds from the tax would go to
the counties where voters ap
prove the Issue.
The Watauga County Board of
Commissioners will be hosts
for the meeting. It will be held
in die commissioners’ room of
the courthouse. >
On hand to lead the discus
sion will be John Morrlsey of
Raleigh, executive secretary of
the North Carolina Association
of County Commissioners.
The association has endorsed
the proposal as a means for
helping out where counties have
found it difficult to meet ex
panding services without ad
ditional sources of revenue. Ad
v^loijuh taxaa have al ways been.
Cuts WortV Stop
Parkway Work
RALEIGH—Portions of ft*
Hue Ridge Parkway and lev
eral other projects now under
construction apparently will mt
be affected by federal highway
fund cutbacks. But future liidts
& of these projects may be.
Spokesmen for the U. S. Bu
reau at Public Roads said they
. will not advertise for any more
bids on the direct federal pro
jects until further notice, but
that coidracts already let will
be completed.
Only direct federal projects,
which include forest highways,
defense facilities access and
public lands, are involved. State
money is not required for these
projects. Cither federal aid pro
jects, such as the Interstate
highways, which require «««
datory state matching funds are
.not affected by the order.
President Nixon’s decision
to cut federal highway funds by
78 per cent has caused the eco
nomy move.
Elmer Hale, at tbs Arlington,
Vs., regional office of the Bu
reau of Public Roads, said there
are two Blue Ridge Parkway
U projects now under way which
will move ahead as planned.
The 2,8 mile, gl million liidt
which starts near HbUoway
Mountain Bridge and leads to
near Dixon Creek on the face
at Grandfather Mountain was
begun June 20 and will be con
tinued. It Is not due for com
pletion until next Bummer,
Two bridges, one over Hollo
way Mountain Road and one over
l). S. 221 at Beacon Helgbta,
are also being built and are
about 50 per cent complete.
Hale Bald that there are about
four or five miles left to com
plete the Parkway. This will
take another 55 million and can
not be started under the new
order.
the main source of county reve
nues.
In counties where the sales
tax la approved, one-half of the
tax collected by the state In
those counties wtu be returned
to the respective counties In
which It Is collected. The other
half-cent, less costs of admini
stering the levy, would be pooled
and returned to counties partici
pating on a per capita basis.
(410 Register
At University
Fall Quarter
”"'A total hT8,116 on-campds
students have registered for fail
quarter classes at Appalach
ian State University, hut regi
stration totals will remain un
official for several more days
until enrollment is complete in
the university’s Saturday ses
sions and extension classes.
Registrations thus far repre
sent a 10 per cent Increase
over last year’s resident en
rollment of 5,580, and the of
ficial total Is expected to climb
near 7,000 after 28 off-campus
extension classes are filled.
When registration is complet
ed, Appalachian’s 1889 student
body will have tripled the
school’! enrollment of 2,277 a
decade ago In September of
1059.
Watermelon Feast |§
Set For Students
A giant watermelon cutting,
expected to be the largest ever
staged In the Appalachians, will
be held at 5:30 p. m. Friday
on the baseball field of Appa
lachian State Udrersity.
Sponsored by the Communi
ty-Campus Relations Commit
tee, the entire ASU student
body of 6,000 has been invited.
Cabbage Harvester
To Be Shown Today
Demonstration of a mechani
cal cabbage harvester will be
held at 10 a, m. today (Thurs
day) on the farm of Marvin
Storie on Route 4, Boone. The
machine will be demonstrated
by it* manufacturer, the King
Cole Company.
Jack Stone, president of the
ASU student body, will be mas
ter of ceremonies.
A truckload of watermelons
will be brought Infrom Maryland
aa a contribution of Goodnight
Brothers Produce Company,
Highlights of the event will
be the appearance of Doc Wat
son and Frank Proffitt Jr„ the
ASU band and cheerleaders. The
event will develop Into a pep
rally for the Appalachlan
Emory and Henry football game
Saturday in Emory, Va,
James Marsh, chairman of
the Community-Student Rela
tions Committee, said the rally
will be moved Into the Varsity
Gymnasium, less the water
melons. in event of inclement
weather.
County, Two
Towns Would J
Get Benefit
The proposed extra peony
ealee tax could pump ax much
as 1228,000into the hard-presa
ed treasuries of Watauga Coun
ty and Its two municipalities,
Boone and Blowing Rock.
The rerent legislature can
ed for a vote on the Issue on.
Nov. 4 In each of the state’s
100 counties.
The counties and towns would
be tree to use the additional
revenue as they see fit. No
strings would -e attached.
The proposal marks the first
time in recent state history
that a substantial newtax source
- has been offered to help finance
the growing demands for ser
vices of local governments.
The main sourceof local gov
ernment revenue historically
has been limited to property tax
es, plus an assortment of utility
rents and other local license
fees.
As counties and towns have
scxagbt to meet the demand for
additional services, they have
had to squeeze tighter primarily
on property taxes, a source that
many believe has reached its
economic limits.
Under the plan proposed* a
.'.penny on the ifoUnr.woafii he
added to the present states sals*
tax of area cents on the dollar.
One-half of the extra penny
would be sent back to the county
in which It was collected to be
distributed to the county audits'
municipalities on toe basis of
their respective ad valorem
levies (property lax),
In counties where voters dis
approve the plan on Nov, 4
the additional penny sales tax
would hot be collected.
The remaining one-half cent
collected In fob taxing counties
would be “pooled" and distri
buted to all the participating
counties and to its municipali
ties on a per capita basis, as
determined from the total pop
ulation of all taxing counties
plus the population of their
municipalities.
The state would retain Its
present three per cent atlas
tax, plus only the cost of ad
ministering the collection for
the counties.
According to State Depart
ment of Tax Research figures
compiled last spring, if all
the state’s counties approve the
plan, Watauga County and its
municipalities would receives
total of 8228,000 In additional
revenue.
The funds could be used for
any purpose the governing bod
ies choose, Including streets,
garbage, retirement of bonds,
general expense and school and
recreation needs.
The legislature further pro
vided that in event a county de
feats the plan, a new election
may be celled for one year la
ter by the county commission
ers or upon presentation of a
petition signed by at least IS
par cent of the voters who voted
(Continued on page two)
THE BOONE ROTAHY CLUB offand A pane) of goods for sols
In their benefit suction Saturday night, WbUe the auctioneer was
calling for bids, the spotters kept an eye out for new bidders to
keep the action rolling. A big crowd turned out to Watauga High
School where the display was set up in the gymnasium, got lm
Pres*lve bargain* at their own prlee and boosted Rotary*! ben*,
fit programs In the community. Two at the club’s top priority
projects are the Dr, J. B, Hagaman Cardiac Care Center at Wa
tauga County Hospital and their continuing work with local crip,
pled children. (Staff photo)
Burley Tobacco Is Important
Tp„Welfare Watauea Farmers
"Warn drive stakes at cut
*baccer offl"
That's likely to be the greet
ing from George Byrd when you
walk Into hie tobacco patch oh
Route 1, Vll&e.
The sharp edge at hie tobec
oo tomahawk (lashes In the
morning aun aa he wacka off a
henry atalk of hurley tobacco
where It meeta the aoll.
He turna to spear the thick
■talk on a stick he haa driven
into the ground. He puta live or
alx atalka on each stick, depend
ing on the weight of the stalka.
From a distance the atalka ap
pear to be tiny inverted tepees.
Mohammed Ali To Speak
At rVarsity Gym Tonight
The world'* heavy weight
champion will lecture at 8
Thuraday night (Sent. 18) in
Vanity Gymnasium on the Ap.
palachlan State UMveralty Cam.
pus.
.Mohammed All, who started
his boxing career as Cassius
Clay, will bare the Black Mus
lim move meat as Ms topic and
la being sponsored here by the
Student Government Associa
tion.
All li now under Indictment
for refusal to terra in the
armed forces.
ASU faculty and students will
be admitted by ID cards. Other
tickets are being sold at the
SGA office In the Student Cen
ter Monday through Thursday
of this week.
The pattern is being repeated
on some 1,400farm* in Watauga
County thli month. Production
of burley tobacco provides a
healthy chunk of Watai^a farm
income.
Last year a total of 1,617
acres of burley were grown. It
produced an estimated return
of $1,990,953 to 1,415 farms
that held allotments.
Burley tobacco growing came
to Watauga County in the late
1920s. The first records were
kept in 1929, when f**e acres
were listed. The crop averaged
800 pounds an acre and brought
21.2 cents a pound or a total of
$850 to the growers.
Production methods and tech,
no logy have changed all that,
though. Last year's yield aver
aged 2,626 pounds an acre. On
the floor of burley warehouses,
Watauga tobacco sold for an
average of 73.5 cents a pound.
George Byrd grew Ms first
crop of tobacco some 35 years
Boone And Blowing Rock
Get State Street Funds
Boom and Blowing Rock will
gat State Street allocation* from
the $11 million Powell BUI fund
distribution announced laat
Boone will receive $28,177.73
baaed on it* 1960 population of
3,686 and 30.61 milee of non
atate ayatem street*.
Blowing Rock waa allotted
$12,720.47, baaed on a 1960
population of 711 and 18,71
mUea of non-atate atreeta.
Neighboring Benner Elk U
to-get $4,081.57, baaed on a
population of 564 and 4J28 miles
of non-system streets.
Newlaod la allotted $3,728.41,
based on a population at 564
and 3.66 miles of streets.
D. M. Faircloth said that 427
cities and toms will receive
proportional cash allotments
amounting to Rll,224,494.
Checks will be mailed from
Raleigh this month so they can
OPCtiQOCOOOOOOOOOOBOOOO
reach the muriclpalttlee by Oc
tober 1,
The Rowell BUT (unde, pro
vided by one-half cent of the
regular gasoline tax, are re
turned annually to cltiee anl
towns, based on both popula
tion and non-state street mile
age.
This year’s total Is almost
tl-milllon more than last year,
when $10.4 million was returned
to the municipalities.
ago. Ha heed* the advice at eot
tension apeclalista when it
comes to selecting a disease
resistant variety and carryiia
out chemical treatment.
Like any other lntensivesaye
Crop, tobacco lays demand for
Individual attenttonofeachstaik
on the grower. The suckers that
appear at the base at each stem
must be pinched off to allowfull
leaf development.
Traditionally, suckerlng has
(Continued on page tan)
Parkway Travel
On Down Side
Travel on the Blue Ridge '
Parkway In August was down
3.4% from August of 1968, a*
cording to National Park Ser
vice statistics. , »
During August 1968 there
were 1,844,840 visitors as
against 1,782,772 in August
1969.
The calendar year 1969, how- :
ever, reflects a travel Increase
on the scenic road of 3,4%,
In the first eight months of
1968 7,885,181 persons toured
the parkway. In 1969 the nuns,
ber was 8,032,446.
Bootle Town Taxes
Earn Sept, Diacount
A one per cent discount will
apply to all Boone Town taxes
paid during the month of Sept
ember. A one-half per coot dis
count will apply tor taxes paid
during October.
The discounts apply although
notices have not been mailed
out. Taxea may be peid at city
hall.
$1,090 Per Fami
How much of • load an reel- :
dent* at Watop Corner carry- .
Inf theee daja In the formatln
ataUment debt?
What part at their inoome
goee each madh toward repay
ment at thLa debt?
Conaumera in the local area,
aa well aa thoae In moat other
parta of the country, hare baai
>i: ■ ■' ■ K t?- j*
aooeaoooaeeaac aeeeoeeeeeet
adding to their debt la meat
year*.
One factor that has brought
this about la the increased anil,
ability of consumer credit,
which baa taken suehnewfbrna
aa ell.purpose credit plans,
bank check credit and rnoMa '■
credit
Credit la ao freely obtainable &
O- ; L;
now that nearly one out a? arary
two families use* It In IU pur
chasing. It hu enabled many
people, who could not otter,
wine tarn obtained then, to
buy earn, home*, air condittou
lng, traral and otter big-ticket
Kama.
As at the middle at tMn year,
the Fudsrai Reserve Board re
port*, the amouat at Install.
'j.i ■ !
t '; ■ i'
mei* credit outstanding in the
■ ' United Slates me $83.09 bU
lkm. e sharp rise over the
$83,43 bUlion listed a year
earlier.
\ j ' ! I V !■ L'
In Watauga County, on the
basis at this and other studies,
the amount at Installment debt
outstanding is estimated at $V
080 per family.
That Is nhst tt amounts to on r
average. It varies widely from'
from family to family. Soroeowe
natch more than this and others
owe little or nothing.
For the Watauga County popu
lation aa a whole, the total law
stallment debt comes to appro
ximately *5,689,000.
The largest part of it, over SS
percent, represents payments
i, due on car purchase*. The rest
la for other consumer goods,
for home repairs and moderni
sation loans and for personal
loans. Home mortgages and
charge accounts in stores do not
foil within this category.
To pay off their Installment
debt on a regular basis requires
nearly It percent of the net
disposable Income of local real
dents, or shot* $U par mtsgfc
par family, . 4 ' ^
Is this more than they esc
handle comforts My? Not ac
cording to the figures. Only
a small proportion of the peo- * (■
pie here gone too deeply lego
debt end bad difficult!os. For
the great majority, rising In
comes and steady employment
hare enabled them to carry their
debt burden quite well. M