1970
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
_ -*n Independent Weekly Newspaper ... Eighty-Second Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE WEATHER
lt» Hi Lo Pne. Snowl
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XI
m
VOL. LXXXII—NO. 34
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26. 1976
10 CENTS
26 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
tUKBHasP
Losses In Excess Of $100,000
J ohn W.HodgesBuilding
Gutted By Raging Flames
|Photo hr Rachal Blw»)
In The Heat Of Battle, Firemen Flood The Fire-Tortured Building In The Central Business District
Dr. Wey Says Higher Education
Processes Need Personalizing
Appalachian State University
president Dr. Herbert Wey told
an audience of junior college
presidents Monday night that in
the decade of the seventies,
higher education must indi
Broyhill Will
Speak At KHh
District Meet
Cor^ressman James T. Broy
hUl, 10th District of North
Carolina, will be the featured
speaker at the 10th Congres
sional District Convention Sat
urday, February 28, 2 p, m,, at
the Gaston County Court House
in Gastonia, amounced Dan R.
Simpson, Chairman of the 10th
District Executive Committee.
Chairman Simpson stated that
the 10th District Executive
Committee is pleased to have
Coi«ressman BroyhiU give the
main address at this year’s Con
vention, which will bethe “kick
off” to campaign activities in the
19th District for this election
year.
Chairman Simpson strongly
urges all registered Republi
cans and other iiterested per
sons the 10th District to be
present at this Convention,
vidualize and personalize its
programs for the student,
despite mushrooming enroll
ments.
“If we don’t do this,” he said,
“the students are going to run
us off of the campus.”
the keynote speaker for a
two-day conference here for
two-year college and technical
institute administrators, Wey
outlined the problems and the
challenges which he believes
will determine the survival of
higher education in the
seventies.
“We are going to have to
place our general education re
Democrat Rate
To Include Tax
Subscription rates, effective
March 1, will Include state tax
of three cents on the dollar,
plus the penny on the dollar ap
proved In the local option one
cent sales tax election here In
November.
One yearfs subscription then
will be $4.16 In the state with
six months and four months
subscriptions at $3.12 and $2.08
respectively.
Out-of-state subscriptions
will remain as usual; $5 for one
year; $3.50 tor six months; and
$3 for four months.
quirements in our colleges on
an individually prescribed
basis,” Dr. Wey explained. “We
cannot keep requiring the same
general courses for everyone.
For example, our students take
American history and world
history in the elementary school
and again in the high schools.
“Then,” he continued, “when
we get them on the campus,
we say ‘That is a general edu
cation requirement and you must
take it over.* I know that some
of these students still don’t
know any history, but a lot of
them do. We must begin dif
ferentiating between them.”
Other changes called for by
Wey included the earning of
university degrees completely
through independent study.
“Much of this work,” he
said, could be done not on the
campus but through correspon
dence courses. For years, col
lege credit by correspondence
has been held in disrepute, but
now we are waking up and
realizing that this is one way
to initiate independent study on
the part of our young people.”
He maintained, “A student
learns just as much through this
type of program as he does sit
ting and listening in a class
room; we have know for years
that students learn best from
their own experiences and from
their own activities.”
Calling for additional Innova
tions In higher education, Wey
recommended that the tra
ditional four-year degree pro
gram be modified to allo'v a stu
dent to graduate In “two years
(Continued on page two)
Gty Receives
Final Sum On
Water Project
Boone last week received its
final federal payment for the
towns $3 million water-sewer
project which was completed
last summer.
The check from the EDA (Eco
nomic Development Administra
tion) came to $4,146,54, The
check made the total federal help
in the project come to $962,
862.97.
The comprehensive project
included extensions and moder
nization programs throughout
the town. They included a new
sewage disposal plant, a new
dam and reservoir on Winkler's
Creek, a new water tank erf Jef
ferson Drive and a number of
major water and sewer lines.
Local monies included reve
nue from a $1.8 million bond is
sue and appropriations from the
town's general fund.
3 Businesses
In Two Story
Structure
A fire of unknown origin all
but gutted the two-story Hodges
Building in downtown Boone
Wednesday night, Feb. 18, and
put three East King Street busi
nesses out of operation.
Fire department officials said
this week there is no basis to
indicate the fire was the work
of an arsonist.
The stock and equipment of
the A and R Food Store in the
basement of the building was a
total loss, along with the Gate
way Restaurant and the Sani
tary Barber Shop.
Fire Chief R. D. Hodges esti
mated that the damage to the
building and businesses would
exceed $100,000,
me second noor oi uie Diaia
ing was used only for storage.
The roof of the building and
much of the inside walls on the
second floor were destroyed.
Guy Hunt, who owned the build
ing with Mrs, Johnny Hodges,
said the building was partially
insured. He said no estimate of
damage to the building would
be known until after insurance
adjusters had completed their
appraisal this week.
Ilodges said the fire started
in the bas ement under the barber
shop. The area adjoined a rug
room of the A and R Store
and the furnace room. He said
there was no fire in the furnace
room area.
The alarm was sounded at
8;55 p, m. when an unidentified
passerby went to the Boone
police station to report smoke
coming from thebasementof the
building.
Boone firemen were unable to
get at the source of the flames
due to intense smoke and gases
from burning objects.
Fire departments from Blow
ing Rock, Cove C reek and Deep
Gap were summoned and assist
ed in the effort to halt the blaze.
Hodges said that J. M. Nance
of Hickory, an agent of the State
Fire Marshall’s office, had made
a preliminary investigation of
the fire and would return this
week for further investigation.
Hodges said the room where
the fire apparently originated
was still buried under debris.
Hodges said a trash fire was
discovered in a box in the same
area a week earlier but that it
was carried out before it spread.
The fire department was not
summoned.
Roy Kepler, owner of the A
and I? Food Store, said his
entire stock was ruined in the
fire. He normally stocks an
inventory valued at some $15,
000.
Kepler said he has no plans
yet for re-opening the business
at another location. He had been
at the Fast King Street loca
tion for four years, he said.
Gray Jones, who recently
purchased the Gateway Restau
rant, said his loss was in cx
(Continued on page two)
Heart Days For
Business Drive
Nearly Done
According to James Hastings,
Hea rt-Days-for Business
Chairman, the Heart Fund Can
vass of the Boone business dis
trict is almost completed.
He expects that the $1,000 goal
of the business district will be
reached no later than Feb, 28,
Hastings s a i d the heart and
blood vessel diseases represent
the greatest single source of lost
time to business and industry.
District Captains assisting
Hastings include; Hoyt Id mis
ten, Jerry Childers, John Robin
son, Doug Moore, Hugh Haga
man, Mark Setzer, Ranny Phil
lips, Bob and Georgia Jones,
Frosty Norris and Bill Smith,
THR0U3H ROOF—Flames roared like a tiger out the top of the Hodges Building in downtown Boone
Wednesday night, Feb, 18, as a large section of the roof caved in. Old furniture stored on the
second floor fed the flames after the fire burned its way upward from the basement, (Staff photo)
Wagon Trains No Longer
To Use Park In Wilkes Co.
NORTH WILKES BORO —
The heads of the two wagon
trains which assemble each
summer at North Wilkes boro
S.S
criticized the town's action
refusing to allow the trains
assemble at Memorial Park.
John Dawson of Darby, presi
Hardware Burns
A t Blowing Rock
(From The Blowing Rocket)
Arson is suspected in a fire that gutted the Hardin Hardware
Company on Blowing Rock's Main Street last Tuesday night.
The first alarm sounded around 8;15 when Mr.Omer Coffey,
owner of the Blowing Rock TouristCourt, noticed smoke pouring
from the roof of the two story brick structure.
On arrival at the scene firemen found the front door to the
building open. (The hardware was the scene of a break-in just
last week) On Wednesday morning Fire Chief Sidney Greene re
ported finding two empty paint thinner cans thrown in the floor
in the vicinity of the cash register, which is just about in the
center of the store.
Firemen contained the blaze with most of the damage caused
by the smoke.
A second alarm was sounded at midnight when firemen left
at the scene reported a re-ignition of the smouldering roof.
Other firemen arrived to find flames leaping some thirty
to forty feet from the roof of the building. At one poirt the entire
building seemed to be a mass of flames and several firemen
found themselves trapped on the roof of an adjoining building.
Other firemen concentrated their efforts on that side of the
biilding and the men escaped without injury.
A second fire truck was put into action and the flames were
brought under control.
The contents of the building were considered a total loss and
the building was damaged extensively. Owner of the hardware,
Mayor R. B. Hardin, gave no estimate of the damage cost.
Blowing Rock Police Chief Emmitt Oliver said that “wc
are looking into several phone calls made toother business own
ers threat^ their establishments with fire”. According to Oli
ver one lady received a call telling her “your place is next”.
Chief Oliver related that the state Fire Marshall had oeen
notified and an investigation would began immediately. Accord
ing to Oliver several suspects were sought for questioning.
Thanks to the quick and professional action of the local fire
department damages were confined to the hardware building. The
Yonahlossee Theatre, totheleftof the hardware was not damag
ed while the Blue Ridge Gift Shop on the right sustained only
minor roof damage. Owner of the shop, Mr. Glenn Coffey remov
ed part of the stock to a lot across the street until the blaze was
under control.
At one point during the height of the blaze it was feared that
the adjoining buildings would be lost but due to the alertness of
the fire department this was averted.
“We hope to begin rebuilding the store immediately”, Har
din related, **but this is really quite a loss”.
He went on to say the building and its contents “were only
partially insured.”
This was the second fire within a year that arson was sus
pected as the cause. The main stable at the Blowing Rock Horse
Show grounds was completely destroyed by fire in early May of
1969. According to Chief Oliver the horseshow fire is still un
der investigation by his department and the State Fire Marshalls
office.
dent of the Daniel Boone Wagon
Train, and Reeves Parsons of
Purlear, Wilkes president of the
Blue Ridge train, said the action
Monday of commissioners will
not affect operation of the trains
and that assembly places will
be found.
Dawson said, "There have
been few events which have
drawn larger crowds to North
W ilkes boro than the wagon
trains. The wagon trains have
had national TV coverage,
national magazine coverage and
wide coverage in area news
papers. We feel this type of
publicity has been very good for
the area and has offset some of
the publicity about North
Wilkesboro being the ‘moon
shine capital of the world.’ ”
The town board had said
wagon trains have had little
affect on business ana that it
has cost the town $3,000 for
clean-up operations after camps
and the parade through town’s
streets.
Dawson said the clean-up
work he saw being done was by
neighborhood youth employes
paid by the U. S. Department of
Labor.
He said that communities had
bought a lot of food to serve
the crowds at overnight stops,
and all purchases were made
(Continued on page two)
136 Pints Blood
Is Given Here
A total of 136 pints of blood
were donated when the Red
Cross Blood mo bile visited Wa
tauga County Thursday, Feb.
19.
Mrs, Goldie Fletcher, ex
ecutive secretary of the Wa
tauga County Red Cross chap
ter, said the 114 pints of blood
used by Watauga hospital
patients prior to December 4
were more than replaced.
The bloodmohile set up its
receiving station at First Bapt
ist Church.
Mrs. Fletcher said, “We ex
tend our appreciation to the ASU
studerts and faculty who held
the highest score on donations,
also, to Blue Ridge Shoe
Company who had a rather large
turnout, and to all the others
who gave blood.’’