1969
1970
VOL. LXXXII—NO. 28
Watauga democrat
An IndePendmt Weekly Netc* paper ... Eighty-Second Tear of Continuous Publication
BOONE WEATHER
1970 Hi Lo Prec. Snow '69 Hi Lo
Jan. 6 35 28 .04 1-in. 31 9
Jan. 7 30 - 34 2>4-in. 28 12
Jan. 8 — A .02 14-in. 42 12
Jan. 9 8 -9 .03 14-in. 45 30
Jan. 10 25 -4 .03 14-in. 30 11
Jan. 11 38 10 30 12
Jan. 12 32 25 .19 14-in. 31 11
BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1970
10 CENTS
20 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
Varying Temperature Reports
Snow Piles Up In County
AsMercuryHits Bottom
HOCKEY, ANYONE?—It was the middle of Thursday afternoon and the section erf tennis court left
when the Highway Department shifted Faculty Street last year was Iced over. Enter Clay Smith
Geft) and Johnny Hoggard, skating over the surface that feels tennis shoes in mild weather. Both
are freshman students who hail from Greensboro and they attracted much attention as they fought
the puck back and forth. It wasn't the best surface, as Hoggard conceded the second time he got up.
The wind had whipped up irregular ridges of ice as the freeze set in, but then what else was there?
Johnny said he tried the court after midnight that day, but it wasn’t ready then, Citaff photo)
In
The snow that fell last week
in Watauga County was stiff
and crunchy beneath the sub
zero wind that raced In durii®
the night of Jan. 7 and 8.
The two-day siege of bitter
weather featured a minus-18
degree temperature and de
veloped lots of problems as
hundreds of Wataugansawoketo
find their cars immovable and
themselves temporarily or
wholely marooned for the day.
And some who made it to
town found their cars could not
make the trip back home without
the aid of a tow truck. Many
who caught rides to work were
caught in the same predicament.
DR. LEN D„ HAG A MAN
Takes Post On
Area Heart Unit
Dr. Len D„ Hagaman has been
named medical representative
for the Watauga County Heart
Fund unit.
Dr. Hagaman’s appointment
was announced by Mrs. Wade
Wilmouth, educational chairman
of the unit.
A native of Boone, Dr. Haga
man opened his practice here
(Continued on page two)
in a second-hand way*
So harsh was the weather near
Blowing Rock that the slopes at
Appalachian Ski Mountain closed
last Thursday, but the next day
they opened again, according to
the Boone Chamber of Com
merce,
Unaccustomed to such severe
weather, householders did what
they could to keep the indoors
livable, but in some cases this
was impossible. Householdcir
cuits blew out regularly and as
the overload on electricity began
to grow, New River Light and
Power Company in Boone issued
a bulletin.
MISCONSTRUED
With school children at home,
the electricity overload in Boone
was particularly acute last
Thursday and Friday.
But there was never a short
age of power, says Grant Ayers
of New River Light and Power.
That misinterpretation occur
red, even though the intent of the
company was to warn people
against overloading their own
household systems.
The power popped off and on
in Boone a few times those two
days but Ayers explained the
company was ‘‘switching,” or
hooking feed lines to auxiliary
sources. In this way, they were
able to better distribute the
drain of power in town.
Ayers pointed out that many
used stove eyes to generate ad
ditional heat. Another condition
reported during the storm was
the use of floor heaters to
supplement overworked fur
naces.
“By doing that,” Ayers ex
plained, ‘ 'They were overload
ing the circuits in their houses
burning their own equipment
out,”
Added to this was the prob
lem that most houses wired
earlier than 10 years ago have
to strain to supply the power
required for modern appliances
even under normal conditions,
Ayers said it was with this in
Church’s Store Is
Sold To Robinson
The ownership of Church’s
Store Monday was transferred
to John Robinson, long-time
businessman in Boone.
Former manager of Crest
Store in Boone and part-owner of
Hunt’s Department Store since
June 1, 1969, Robinson said he
bought out the interest erf Fred
Church and traded his irierest
in the department store for
Guy Hunt’s interest in Church’s.
The price of purchasing part
interest was not disclosed.
Church will remain with
Robinson as manager of the West
King Street business ona semi
retired basis. “Our desire is to
keep all our pres ent customers
and make many new friends,’*
Robinson said. “We are going
to try to give them the best
values that we possibly can and
the best service.” He added he
was glad to be associated with
Mr. Church.
A long-time horseman.
Church enjoys trading horses
and having them shown in local
shows, A native of the Brown
wood community, he is married
to the former Lois Dunn of
Chicago and has been in
business “on the street’* for
20 years.
Speaking of Robinson,Church
said he was happy to have the
business “in such good hands,’*
For the present, the new
owner contemplates no change of
name for tiie business, Robinson
was associated with Crest
Stores for 17 years, 15 of those
years in Boone,
“We are glad to be back
among the friendly people of
Watauga County,” Robinson
said. He and his family live on
Bamboo Road at Holiday Hills,
Two of their daughters are mar
ried and four children remain
at home,
Robinson is vice-president of
the Boone Chamber of Com
merce and a member of the
Boone Lions Club, The family
attends Greenway Bajrtist
Church,
mind that TVA, Duke Power
Company and Carolina Light
and Power called on users of
electricity to conserve power
during the abnormal cold. But
that meant “Be conservative
as far as the wiring in their
own houses goes’* Ayers said.
IQs company was kept busy
checking out reports of power
failure. The lines remained in
tact though, and failures were
traced to overloads within
(Continued on page two)
ROBERT BINGHAM
Governor To
Install Boone
Man Head YDC
Gov. Robert Scott will install
new officers of the North Caro
lina Young Democrats in Win
ston-Salem, Saturday, Jan. 17,
Five officers will be install
ed; Robert Bingham of Boone,
president; Charles WinCberry
of Wilson, vice president; Jud
son Davis of Winston-Salem;
secretary; Miss Peggy Wall of
Raleigh, treasurer, and Floyd
Ammons of Fayetteville, na
tional committeeman.
The activities for the instal
lation will be at the convention
center, in Winston-Salem with
registration in the Hotel Robert
E. Lee. Activities will include
a hospitality hour from 1 to
4;30 p, m. at the hotel. All
other events will be at the
Convention Center,
There will be a reception
from 5 p, m. to 6 p. m. and
Scott will invest the new of
ficers during an installation
program from 6 p, m, to 7 p,
m. The dinner will begin at
7 p. m.
Auto Tag Sales
Slowed By Snow
Sales of 1,194 auto license
plates through Saturday, Jan, 10,
were reported by the Boone
Chamber of Commerce,
Chamber Manager Fred Mc
Neal reported that other plate
sales included 298 for private
trucks, two for motorcycles, 21
for farm trucks, and 49 for
trailers.
Me Neal said the sales were
low due to the recent bad
weather.
Official Nine
Below Reported
In Boone Friday
Somebody said it was 20 de
grees below zero on Howard's
Knob last week and everyone
was quick to compare the
plunges of the murcury at their
own homes and businesses.
The official low reading given
by U.S. Meteorologist Joe Minor
erf Boone, were minus 4 degrees
last Thursday, minus 9 on Fri
day and minus 4 againon Satur
day.
But at the county’s higher
elevations, rock bottom tem
peratures were recorded. The
word came through Mrs. Patsy
Brown, Snow Carnival secretary
who rdeases ski and weather in
formation through the Boone
Chamber of Commerce.
Friday’s report was; Appa
lachian Ski Mountain, winds of
30 mph and minus 14 degrees;
Beech Mountain, minus 17 de
grees; Hound Ears, minus 11;
Seven Devils, minus 18; and
Sugar Mountain, minus 8.
Wrecker services, heating
and plumbing companies and
Samaritans with jumper cables
were the heroes of the two
days. While ASU coeds battled
the severity of life in the dorms
by running hair dryers, one male
student forlornly reported
having turned on a popcorn
popper to generate heat in his
room.
mere was me man wim me
new double-insulated house.
With his new furnace going full
blast, a blazing fire on the
hearth and two electric heaters
he still was unable to get the
house above 45 degrees.
The wind swirled about so
sharply that it was assumed the
snow was blowing rather than
falling. But Minor’s report list
ed one inch of snowfall Tues
day, two and a half inches last
Wednesday, and a half inch on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
Minus 18 degrees last was
recorded in Watauga on Sun
day, Jan, 30, 1966, However,
the cold snap was short lived
with temperatures in the teens
recorded for the day before and
the day after.
But last Friday, as one
merchant aptly said, “The only
thing going on here is the rent,
heat and lights,“
Schools Closed
Six Days Due To
Raging Storms
Watauga County school chil
dren had missed a total of
nine regular schooldays through
Tuesday, School Supt, Dr,Swan
son Richards reported.
And predicted warming sun
rays were expected to help clear
up icy problems on side roads
Tuesday, thus allowing schools
to re-open Wednesday,
The latest school closings
still would set the last day of
classes on May 27, Richards
said.
FODDER STACKS CAST GHOSTLY SHADOWS ON THE SLOPES OF RICH MOUNTAIN, fctaff photo)
»•»■» »» » » » » » »■» ■» <»»»»»■»■»
Third Of Tax Listing Forms
In Watauga County Returned
MAIL BAGS FULL— Watauga County Auditor J.C. Lyons empties
another incoming mail bag full of tax listing forms for Mrs. Jef
fery E. Felshaw in the courthouse. (Staff photo)
e
Ski Conditions Good In Area
All five Watauga area ski cen
ters reported good skiing con
ditions Tuesday with prospects
tor lively action all this week.
This is the first full week of
activity at Sugar Mountain since
the area’s newest resort opened
last Friday. Officials were hop
ing to have the mile-long lift
for the events slope opened by
today.
The following reports are
based on the ski reporting ser
vice from the Boone Chamber of
Commerce for Tuesday, Jan, 13,
At Appalachian Ski Mountain,
the beginner and intermediate
slopes were open with a 40
inch base for good skiing con
ditions, Temperature was 15
degrees. Man-made snow was
beir*’ laid on the events slope.
All slopes at Beech Mountain
were open with excellent con
ditions, Temperature was 20 de
grees.
Seven Devils reported all
slopes open with good skiing
conditions. The base was 15
18 inches with little powder.
Temperature was 16 degrees.
Hound Ears, open only to
members and guests, reported
slopes open and a temperature
of 16 degrees.
At Sugar Mountain the begin
ners and intermediate slopes
were open with excellent con
ditions, The base was 24
inches at 12 degrees.
Nearly one-third of the new
tax listing forms for personal
property have been returned to
the Watauga County tax super
visor's office, according to R„
C. Lyons.
Lyons estimated Friday that
the stiff has received and pro
cessed some 5,000 of the forms.
"Mail bags have been cram
med full nearly every day
week,” the tax supervisor said.
Lyons noted that "99 per cent
of the forms returned” indi
cated that taxpayers are choos
ing the new percentage method
for listing personal property for
taxes.
Under the new plan, taxpay
ers have a choice of listing
their property fully or taking a
figure of ten percent of the as
sessed value of the house they
own and occupy. If they rent
they may check a block that
figures on an amount equal to
ten times their monthly rent,
Lyons said that among those
who have sought assistance from
his office in listing their
personal property individually,
"the majority found that their
personal property amounted to
more than ten per cent of the
value of their house."
The new plan, or percentage
method, already is in use in a
majority of North Carolina
counties, Lyons has said. Its
purpose is to put everyone on
Frozen Sprinkler
Brings Fire Alarm
Sub-freezing temperature
was blamed for a fire alarm
Sunday from a Howard Street
warehouse,
A nozzle of a sprinkler
system in the warehouse owned
by Farmer’s Hardware ap
parently had frozen and burst
during last week’s cold spell.
When temperature’s rose Sun
day afternoon, the broken noz
zle caused the fire alarm to
Cecil Greene of the hardware
firm said the first alarm went
off about 4 p, m. No damage
was caused by the sprinkler
system, he said. The ware
house is rented to IRC,
on equal footing in listing
personal property for taxes.
Lyons said his office mailed
out nearly 17,000 tax abstracts
at the end of December. They
arc due to be returned with a
postmark no later than Satur
day, Jan. 31, in the pre
addressed stamped envelopes
enclosed with the forms.
The new system lias elimi
nated the need for the usual
procedure for appearing before
a tax lister to give in taxes.
Helpers to assist taxpayers
in each township will be
available for consultation begin
ning Monday, Jan. 19, Lyons
said.
Zero Weather
Chills Temple
Of Justice
Boone’s zero weather was too
much for a pipe in the boiler
room of the new courthouse;
it froze Thursday night and
turned the building into a near
refrigerator.
It was well into the afternoon
before heat began to return to
normal.
As Tax Supervisor J.C. Lyons
explained it to a fellow em
ployee, “Just one little line
burst during the night.”
Lyons said the boiler room,
located in the basement on the
east side, has a louvered open
ing to allow plenty of fresh air
for combusion inside the fur
race. Insulation on the boiler
and heat pipes is designed to
hold all the heat in the heat
ing system, leaving none to
escape to the boiler room.
“There was just too much air
in the boiler room at minus 15
degrees,” Lyons said. Ap
proximately one-half the venti
lation opening was closed off
until warmer weather, he said.