Population
Watauga County 22,660
10 Year Gain 29.27%
Boone 8,566
10 Year Gain 132.39%
1,70 Prelim'nary census Report
Watauga Democrat=
Dec.
An Independent Newspaper Serving The Northwest Carolina Mountain Area B
Boone Weather
1970 Hi Lo Prec. Snow '69
8 50 16
9 51 22
10 58 45
11 58 33
12 55 41
13 45 30 .07
14 39 22
83rd YEAR—NO. 24
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, N. C. THURSDAY DECEMBER 17, 1970
10 CENTS
32 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
3 sssasss
Over 100 Students Respond
To Need Of Coeds For Blood
n f101^ th;!r'0m' hundred Lees-McRae students responded to a
call tor blood donors following the tragedy that befell seven ASU
students in an automobile accident Sunday night.
Lees-McRae administrators remained at Cannon Memorial
Hospital until the early morning hours assisting ASU students
and parents of those involved in the accident.
The wreck occurred at the Lees-McRae football field.
Sixty Lees-McRae students were ready to donate blood and
all present in the hospital corridors showed orderly concern.
Three had given blood when notice came that no more donors
were needed.
At a time in our society when there is a lack of concern for
our fellowman and when people have become calloused and lack
“involvement,” it was gratifying to see the response of the Lees
McRae College students, says Don Baker of the College’s News
Service.
I Perry Named To Postl
I With State Group 1
RALEIGH—Jerry Max
Perry, Controller at Ap
palachian State University
from September, 1965 to
August, 1969, is the new
business manager at the North
Carolina State Commission for
the Blind.
Perry’s appointment was
Tom Triplett
Wins Seat In
Georgia House
Port Wentworth, Ga. Mayor
Tom Triplett scored an 864
vote upset in the November
election over veteran GOP
legislator George Whaley who
was seeking his third term in
the Georgia House of
Representatives according to a
report in the Savannah Mor
ning News.
Triplett was born in Watauga
County, son of Rev. and Mrs.
Carl Triplett, presently of
Morristown, Tenn. A grand
father, T. H. Triplett lives in
Blowing Rock.
Triplett’s upset, plus a
victory by Sam Allen in
Chatham’s 92nd House
District, capped a Democratic
sweep in contested legislative
races in Savannah.
Triplett’s win over Whaley
was without question the upset
of the day. Whaley, a staunch
conservative, was expected to
take the 93rd House District by
a sizeable margin.
Triplett, however, carried
eight of the 10 precincts on
Chatham’s west side. Whaley s
two lone box victories were in
the fifth and 10th precincts.
The Port Wentworth mayor
also apparently benefited by
support from Democratic
County Commissioner P. E.
“Pete” Clifton, a long-time
westside booster
Clifton, who joined with his
wife in publicly supporting
Triplett, had supported Whaley
in previous elections but the
two men apparently had parted
ways.
Triplett, a C&S Bank
executive, said his victory was
the result of "just hard work,”
He added that he appreciated
“the confidence the voters had
placed in me.”
announced this week by
Commission executive director
W. E. (Sam) Early. Perry
assumed his duties with the
Commission effective Dec. 1.
Early said Perry has had 12
years of experience in the field
of business administration,
working with local, state and
federal programs. “We are
delighted and fortunate to
welcome to our staff in this key
administrative position a man
who has had experience in
programs similar to the multi
phased finance system of the
Commission for the Blind.’’
Perry has been State Funds
Accountant at UNC-CH since
October, 1969. His duties there
included direction of the
central accounting office;
(Continued on page two)
Co. Board
Organizes
The newly-elected Board of
County Commissioners
organized last week by re
electing Perry Greene
Chairman.
The Board, all members of
which were incumbents, re
-elected James C. Lyons, Clerk
to Board and Tax Supervisor
and Ralph Hayes was re
elected Tax Collector.
J. Wilson Norris was re
named Veterans’ Service,
Officer and John Trivette, Civil
Defense Director.
Robert Ward continues as
Electrical Inspector as does
Janitor Argus Wallace. Bill
Byers, the only new appointee,
will serve as Janitor.
Information is that the tax
revaluation forms have been
mailed out to all townships
except Boone, Blowing Rock
and New River. Taxpayers in
these townships will be notified
of the new tax base during the
first part of January.
Watauga YDC
Meets Tonight
The Watauga YDC will meet
at 8 p. m. Thursday at the
Democrat Headquarters.
The purpose of the meeting is
to elect officers for the coming
year and everyone is urged to
attend.
Early Holiday Dates
For Democrat Are Set
In order better to serve Its
advertisers, the Watauga
Democrat will publish earlier
than usual Christmas week and
New Year's week.
The issue published under
the Christmas Eve dateline
will be printed next Monday
night, thereby setting back the
normal deadline schedule.
As usual, wedding In
formation should be in Friday
for the Issue of the following
week; advertising and sub
mitted photo and story
material should be Saturday
before noon, the usual closing
time for that day of the week.
Monday morning will be
reserved for late breaking
news stories and brief an
nouncements, with the
deadline for classified ad
vertising being 11 a. m.
The office will close Wed
nesday, Dec. 23, for Christmas
vacation.
The New Year’s Eve edition
of the newspaper will be put out
on the same schedule as for
Christmas week and normal
operations will resume the
week of the Thursday, Jan. 7,
issue.
We will appreciate
everyone’s co-operation with
this stepped-up holiday
schedule. Thank you.—Editor.
Near Grandfather Home
Two ASU Coeds Killed
In Crash; Five Injured
Had Aided In Orphans’
Yule Party
Two Appalachian State
University coeds died and five
others were hospitalized
Sunday night as a result of a
wreck in which they were in
volved only two-tenths of a
mile from Grandfather Home.
As members of the univer
sity’s Vernician Society, they
were headed back to Boone
after helping host a Christmas
party for children at the or
phanage in Banner Elk.
Dead are Barbara Ann
Wallace, a sophomore from
Rockingham who was driving
the car, and Cheryl Lane
Davis, a junior from Winston
Chief varsity cheerleader
Karen Aderholdt, a junior from
Kingsport, Tenn., was reported
in critical condition Monday
morning.
Ana listed in satistactory
condition were the other four
passengers in the car: Linda
Joy Poston, a junior from
Shelby ; Carolyn Gayle Cobb, a
junior from Doranville, Ga.;
June Elise Moulton, a
sophomore from Georgetown,
S. C.; and Jane G. Wroton, a
Hamlet junior.
All are patients at the
Cannon Memorial Hospital in
Banner Elk.
The girls were part of a
delegation from the Vernician
Society, which sponsors a
party at Grandfather Home in
Avery County every year.
Since many of the members
of the Society were key figures
in the countywide Christmas
tree lighting and party planned
for Monday evening on the ASU
athletic field, the event was
called off.
According to Bob Snead, the
candy and fruits which
students had bought to give out
to children are to be delivered
to the county elementary
schools today (Thursday).
At 6 Tuesday evening, a
memorial service was held for
Miss Wallace and Miss Davis.
It was scheduled for Broome
Kirk Gymnasium Delegations
of students were planning to
attend the funerals which were
set for 2:30 Wednesday af
ternoon in Winston-Salem and
in Rockingham
The one-car accident took
place shortly after 9 Sunday
night.
Gary Morgan, director of
campus security at Ap
palacnian, reported Monday
that the students’ automobile
went out of control on a curve
in rural paved road 1342.
He said the car struck a tree,
tumbled down an embankment
and clipped several other trees
before stopping. And, said
Morgan, the car evidently was
not traveling at a high rate of
speed. An investigation by the
N. C. Highway Patrol is con
tinuing,
UPI Correspondent George
Flowers added yet another
morose note to the story. He
said N. C. Highway Patrolman
S. A. Isenhour was driving to
Marion to get blood for the
(Continued on page two)
Weather
Too Warm
On Slopes
With all the warm weather
late this year, things were
beginning to look bad for ski
slopes.
But temperatures have been
dropping and snow machines
have been running and some
plans are beginning to
materialize.
The Boone Area Chamber of
Commerce says none of the
five slopes around this “Ski
Capital of the South” was able
to open on the traditional uate,
Dec 15.
But Appalachian Ski Mtn. is
making snow (no definite
opening date set); Beech
Mountain is aiming for a
Christmas Eve opening; Seven
Devils plans to have skiiers
schussing down the snow this
weekend; and Hound Ears
Lodge & Club expects to
provide smooth sailing for
members and guests by
The Chamber was unable to
reach Sugar Mountain.
But all that earlier openings
are hinging on, explains Kays
Gary of Beech Mountain, is
what happens with the huge
cold front hanging north of
All the slopes could be open
this weekend, with a little co
operation from Old Man
Winter
Wade E. Brown and Alfred Adams are seen holding
the Governor’s Award. Others attending the
ceremony are, left to right: Harold Rice, Jack
Williams, John Blanton, Mrs. Alfred Adams, A. E.
McCreary, Gwyn Hayes, Les Campbell, Fred
McNeal, Neil Faries and Clyde R. Greene. Others
who were at the presentation were George Flowers
and Jim Council!.—George Flowers photo.
Governor’s Award Given
Boone In Raleigh Event
Boone, along with 19 other
North Carolina communities,
was honored in Raleigh last
Wednesday by receiving the
Governor’s Award in
ceremonies at the State Ar
chives and History building.
Accepting the award from
Governor Robert W Scott was
Alfred Adams, Northwestern
Bank official of Boone and
leader in the industrial
development of the com
munity. He is Chairman of
Blue Ridge Electric’s In
This is the 1965 Chevrolet Impala which wrecked Sunday, killing two coeds and
injuring five others from Appalachian State University. The car went out of
control, dived off the right side of the road and clipped off six or eight pine
trees before stopping. (Photo—Don Baker, Lees-McRae News Bureau)
dustrial Advisory Committee.
The Governor’s Award
program has two main ob
jectives: to help the com
munity become better
prepared for industrial
development; and to give the
Commerce and Industry
Division of the Department of
Conservation and Develop
ment a better inventory of
communities to bring to the
attention of industrial firms
seeking new plant locations.
The awards program was
limited to communities of
15.000 population or less.
In addition to Boone, seven
other communities from the
state’s Northwestern area
qualified to receive the
awards. They were Sparta,
West Jefferson. North
Wilkesboro. Wilkesboro,
Lenoir, Hudson and Granite
Falls.
The preparation of the eight
Northwest North Carolina
Communities for this award
was coordinated by Herman
Anderson, Director of Area
Development with Blue Ridge
Electric Membership Cor
poration, with assistance from
Funds Sought For
Children’s Home
Hunt's Department Store,
The Northwestern Bank of
Boone and the Watauga
Democrat again will be
collection points for Christmas
donations to Grandfather
Home in Banner Elk.
Any contributions will be
most welcome and will be
mailed to the home for orphans
immediately upon receipt.
Jim Epting, regional
representative, Division of
Commerce and Industry,
Salisbury Office. Much of the
work involved in the
preparation for this award was
done by members of Blue
Ridge Electric’s Industrial
Advisory Committees, local
Chambers of Commerce and
individuals from local
governments
To qualify for the Governor’s
(Continued on page two)
Alfred Adams, Chairman of Boone Chamber of
Commerce Industry Committee, left is, shown
receiving award from Governor Robert W. Scott.