1069
1970
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
VOL. LXXXII—NO. 40
An Independent WeeUy Netcspaper... Eighty-Second Tear of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY APRIL 9, 1970
BOONE WKATHEB
vm HI LoPne. howl
Mar. >1 58 33 m
Apr. 1 92 40
Apr. 2 59 33 .84
Apr. 3 33 28 M
Apr. 4 81 30
Apr. 5 96 80
Apr. 6 51 34 .06
10 CENTS
24 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
88 3832b
Dr. Wey To Be Inaugurated ASTJ President April 24
aiaie university
"111 Inaugurate Dr. Herbert
Walter Wey, the iretitution’s
fourth president, on April 24
with a day-long program of
activities including an address
by Gov. Bob Scott.
Representatives of colleges
and universities from through
out the Southeast, state officials
and other frienls of the tati
tution will begin the ceremonies
at 9 a. m» with a registra
hod ok delegates in toe var
sity Gymnasium,
Open house for the delegates
will be held at the W. H. Plem
mons Student Center into ii:30.'
After the open house, the
(adversity's students will lust
a Delegates' Inaugural Lunch
eon In the west wing of the
ASU Cafeteria, Attending
event with the delegates will be
state officials and invited rep
resentatives from the faculty.
non-academic staff and student
body.
Appalachian students win
serve the luncheon and provide
the program.
The public Is Invited to the
Inauguration ceremony at 2 ft m.
In Varsity Gymnasium with a
formal academic procession. It
will Include student marshals,
delegates from other Institu
tions, the university trustees
and the platform party.
The program itself will in
clude Dr. Paul Sanders speak
ing for the faculty, Ava Creech
lbr the students, Mark Davis
of Hickory for the alumni, Dr,
Hugh Daniel of Waynesville for
the trustees and James Marsh
speaking for the local com
munity.
The Rev. Edwin F. Troutman,
who formerly served as Dr,
Wey*s pastor at Grace Lutheran
Church in Boone, will deliver
the invocation*
John P, Frank, chairman at
the Board at Trustees, will
preside over the event and will
introduce Gov* Scott who will
deliver tlie main address and
assist in the investiture* Presi
dent Wey’s response will fol
low*
Special music for the occasion
will be provided by the Uni
versity Singers under the di
rection of Dr* Joseph Logan,
They will be accompanied by
Or. Max Smith at the organ.
The adversity faculty then
will host a reception for every
one in the Flemmons Center.
Bob Allen, director of public
affairs at the university, is
chairman of the Central Inaugu
ral Committee, Other members
include Earleen G. Pritchett,
Paul Sanders, Bob Snead, Ned
Trivette, Kenneth Webb and
Cratis Williams and Mrs, R. C.
Rivers represents the Board of
Trustees on the committee.
John Welborn heads the food
services committee for the
luncheon and reception, and
Gary Morgan Is heading the traf
fic committee for the Inaugura
tion,
Dean Kenneth Webb haa charge
of arrangements for the
luncheon and professor Rogers
WUtener has responsibility for
the reception.
Collectors To Take Bigger Bite
W atauga F ederal T axes
Will Reach $4,545,000
■.vtr
Studying upcoming construction projects are John H. Hollar, chairman of the Watauga Board of
Education; members S. C. Eggers Sr* and James Marsh; Swanson Richards, Superintendent of
Schools; Fred Butner Jr., architect; and member Hugh Hagaman. The men are listed left to right.
The board’s fifth member, Eds el Cook, was not present for the picture. ($taff photo)
School Board To Let
Building Contracts
Contracts are expected to be
awarded Monday night, April 13,
tor three county school addi
tions totaling more than $200,
000,
The Watauga County Board of
Education will make its decis
ion known then on who will build
multi-purpose rooms at Bethel
and Mabel schools and a new
library and toilet facilities at
Parkway School,
Low bids, with alternates,
JOHN A. MAST
Mast May Win
Teacher Award
Jonn A. Mast, assistant pro
fessor of English at Middle
Tennessee State University in
Murfreesboro, has been select
ed as one of the finalists for
the Outstanding Teacher Award
fcr 1969-70.
The 17flnallsts for this award
were chosen hy votes of the stu
dents, the faculty and the alumni
of MTSU.
Three winners will be an
nounced in May and each will
be presented $1,000 honor
ariums and recognition as dis
tinguished teachers by the
MTSU Fo'inriaHnn.
Mast, whose parents Mr. and
Mrs. V. B, Mast live at Sugar
Grove, is a graduate of Cove
Creek High School and Appa
lachian State university.
A graduate of North Caro
lina State University, Gene was
selected as wimer of the IRC/
TRW Science Scholarship Award
at Appalachian High School nine
years ago.
For three summers, he work
ed as an engineering traineetor
IRC/TRW and was hired in
1966 as associate product
engineer. His preset* title is
product engineer*
With his wife Beulah and three
children. Gene resides at Route
3, Boone,
are expected to come within
the $210,000 the board has al
located for the project. Prior
to the school bond election last
November, the board had al
located $60,000 each for the
multi-purpose buildings a nd
$90,000 for the Parkway pro
ject.
Low bids submitted last week
to the board totalled $206,739,
with alternates of $24,087,
The electrical contract is
being rebidded by the board
since only two bids were re
ceived as its meeting on Tues
day, March 31, State law re
quires that at least three bids
be received for the Initial ad
vertising.
The combined low bid for the
general contract for all three
projects totalled $168,925, The
low bidder, Wilkie Construc
tion Company, included alter
nates totalling $22,307,
Winkler Plumbing and Heat
ing Company of Boone was low
bidder for the plumbing project
at Parkway with a bid of $10,
220, with an alternate of $680,
Winkler also was low bidder
for heating at Mabel and Park
way with bids of $8,620 and
$9,980, respectively, for each
school. The low heating bidder
for Bethel was Tomlinson
Plumbing and Heating, Incor
porated, with a bid of $8,994
and an alternate of $894. Wink
ler’s alternate at Mabel was
$620.
In each case the base bid in
cluded the alternate bids which
would be eliminated at the
board's choosing.
The $680 alternate on the
Parkway plumbing bid called for
internal roof drains.
Alternates on the general con
tracts are for stone trims on
the roofs of the new structures,
and equipment.
In re-advertising the elec
trical contract, the board call
ed for bids to be submitted at
7 p, m^ Monday, April 13, at
the school board office. This
will be 30 minutes prior to its
meeting at which contracts will
be awarded,
(Continued on page two)
DR. KEENER SMATHERS
Dr. Smathers
Will Address
Women Voters
Dr. Keener Smathers, assist
ant professor of education at
Appalachian State University,
will address the League of Wo
men Voters of Watauga
County and their guests atl2;30
B. m„ April 15, at Holiday
Inn.
A long time conservationist,
Dr. Smathers is founder of
People for the Land and serves
as National Executive Secre
tary. Headquarters for the or
ganization is in Boone and
several projects are now in the
jd aiming stage.
The public is cordially in
vited to attend and hear Dr.
Smathers speak on over-popu
lation and the “New Land Ethic.’*
Advance reservations for the
Wednesday meeting may be
made by calling 264-8930.
Bloodmobile To Be
Here On Wednesday
The Red Croes Blood mobile
will be In Boone next Wednes
day, April 15, at the Boooe
Udted Methodist Church.
Hours will be 11 a, m. un
til 4*30 p, m.
“It takes only a little of
your time to give that pint,”
says Mrs. Goldie Fletcher,
executive secretary of the Wa
tauga chapter, American Red
Cross.
“Because the citizens of Wa
tauga County donate blood
throughout the entire year at
frequent intervals at the Red
Cross goodmoMles, tbs bos
totals have the blood available
for emergencies. Are you one
of these donors?
"If not, there la a chanceyou
or a member of your family
can be. The benefits are great.
The treatment that demands
blood transfusions seems to be
frequet* in our hospitals," she
says.
She encourages everyone to
keep this In mind and mark
April 15 on their calendars as
the date of the Bloodmohile
visit, the time to "give the
gift at life for someone who
■sedstt."
Woman Is Held
After Shooting
Last Saturday
A woman is being held with
out bond In Caldwell County
Jail following a shooting at
her summer cabin in the Meat
Camp section of Watauga
County.
Sheriff Ward G. Carroll says
Robert Bill Ellison of Route
2, Boone, was shot about mid
night Saturday, April 4, at the
cabin home of Mrs, Ruby Crump
of Lenoir. Ellison, who is 23,
was reported in critical con
dition in a Winston-Salem hos
pital Monday.
After an initial investigation
conducted by Carroll, Deputies
Hicks and Winkler and Charlie
Whitman of the SHI, the Sheriff
said he arrested Mrs, Crump
on a charge of assault with a
deadly weapon with intent to
kill.
The warrant was sworn out
fay Deputy Johnny Hicks,
Pendir^ an improvement in
Ellison's condition, she is being
held without bond.
The Sheriff said Benny Nel
son of Lenoir and Harold Prof
fitt, who lives near the cabin
on Long Hope Road, reported
they were present when Elli
son was shot. They brought the
man to the Watauga County
Hospital in Boone, he added,
A ,22-calibre revolver was
believed used, but the gun has
not been found.
The suspect is being held
in Caldwell County since the
Watauga Jail does not have a
women’s division.
From Boone, Ellison was
transported to Winston-Salem,
This is a scene on the road which the Rev. Larry Campbell and the Townsend Gap Improvement
Group seek to upgrade.
The Clark’s Creek Road winds around a curve in front of the stone church. (Arinfield Coffey
photos)
Says Disputed Road To Church
Meets No State Requirement
BY ARMFIELD COFFEY
The Clark’s Creek Road links
the communities of Valle C rue is
and Foscoe,
The Holy Communion Luthe
ran Church which Is located on
the ridge between the two com
munities is accessible from
Valle C rue is on the section of
Clark's Creek Road that is
maintained by the state.
But the nine-tenths of a mile
of road from Foscoe on the top
of the ridge, which is three
tenths of a mile from the church,
is the road at issue. It is not
maintained by the state.
For the time being it looks
as if it won't be.
According to G, F. Mast, Dis
trict Highway Engineer, the dis
puted road does not meet any
of the state requirements for
improvement. It has no houses
and does not serve as a bus or
mail route.
Furthermore he pointed out
that the estimated cost of bring
ing the road uptoths state's two
lane requirements would be from
$50,000 to $75,000.
The total maintenance and
improvement budget for Watau
ga this year is $230,000.
The pastor of the Holy Com
munion Lutheran Church, the
Rev. Larry Campbell says that
for several years he has been
trying to get the route from
Helicopter Service
Proposal Continuing
Of a proposed helicopter ser
vice for Watauga and Avery
counties, Robert Bingham says
“We're going ahead and in
corporate a non-profit corpo
ration."
In session last week, the
original committee of Gwyn
Hayes, Stan Harris Jr. and Sam
Mortimer converted Bingham's
title from acting chairman to
president.
The corporation will be known
as Helicopter Service, Inc., ac
cording to Bingham, who added
that pledges totaling $LU,0ou
have been made already.
“We have decided to Investi
gate means of financing the
project,” Bingham said. The
service would operate between
the two counties; as a shuttle
to and from area airports. And
he added that It would be a
valuable transportation link tor
Appalachian students and of
ficials.
Hayes, Harris and Mortimer
are vice-presidents of the or
ganisation and Dr. Herbert Wey,
president of ASU, was elected
chairman of the board, Bingham
added.
Foscoe to the church improved.
Last month the Towns end Gap
Development Group was or
ganized to raise up to $15,000
to finance the improvement of
this road on their own; State
YDC President Robert Bingham
pledged $100 in cash and his
support of the group’s aim.
Mast said last week that he
and State Highway Commission
Robert Barr had paid a visit to
Mr. Campbell but no arrange
ments were made at that time
for another meeting.
Also last week the contro
versy arose at Gov. Bob Scott’s
news conference in Raleigh.
When the Governor was asked if
the road was to be paved, he
answered ,4As far as I know,
yes • • • •
It is not clear whether the
Governor was referring to the
disputed portion of the road or
to the section of Clark’s Creek
Road from the Taylor farm at
Valle C rue is to the intersection
at the Seventh Day Adveotist
^Continued on page two)
High Level Of
Employment Is
One Cause Rise
Watauga County taxpayers who
are getting ready for the April
15* with Uncle
Sam are becoming sharply
aware of the size of the Federal
tax bite.
Several factors have com
bined to make it bigger than
ever. They are the high level of
employment that existed in the
past year, the increase in aver
age earnings per family and the
10 per cert surtax, which was
In effect during all of 1969,
As a result, the returns are
expected to be quite a bit larg
er than those turned in last
April 15th, when personal In
come taxes from the local area
were close to $4,545,000,
That was the approximate to
tal, according to a breakdown
of payments from the State of
North Carolina as a whole. The
statewide collection amounted
to $1,466,000,000, the Treasury
Department reports.
Thus, tax payments by Wa
tauga County residents consti
tuted 0.31 per cent of the per
sonal income tax receipts
throughout the state.
Just how much of an increase
is being counted on this year is
indicated in the new budget. Na
tionally, it calls for $92.2 bil
lion in personal taxes, or nearly
$5 billion more than last year.
Because of the economic gains
chalked up in the area during the
past year, notwithstanding the
general slowdown in the rate of
growth, local residents will be
bearing their full shareof this
increase.
Their payments to Washing
ton are expected to total ap
proximately $4,818,000, or
about $273,000 more than they
were last year.
Although the war in Vietnam
and the needs on the home front
present the country with stag,
gering bills, many of which will
have to go unmet or drastically
reduced, the Administration
lists as its probable revenue
from personal income taxes in
the next fiscal year only $91
billion.
This represents a cut of $U2
(Continued on page two)
Driver Training
Class Starts Monday
The final adult driver train,
ing class will start at 7 Monday
Digit, April 13, at Watauga Iflgh
School.
Classes will be held tw> nights
weekly intll 30 hours have been
taught. Six hours under the wheel
will be required for all studeita,
A fee of $16 per person la
charged and the course is open
to anyone 18 years of age or
older.
For further htormatioo call
264-2407 day* or 264^047
nights.