1970 WATAUGA DEMOCRAT _ -*n Independent Weekly Newspaper ... Eighty-Second Year of Continuous Publication BOONE WEATHER lt» Hi Lo Pne. Snowl Feb. 17 Feb. 18 Feb. 10 Feb. 20 Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Feb. 23 49 32 62 27 53 28 38 16 36 13 51 28 45 33 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.’’

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