Population
Watauga County 22,660
10 Year Gain 29 27%
Boone 8,566
10 Year Gain 132.39%
1970 Preliminary Census Report
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Newspaper Serving The Northwest Carolina Mountain Area
Boone Weather
1970 Hi Lo Prec. Snow 69 Hi Lo
Dec 21 56 38 .27
Dec 22 56 42 Tr.
Dec 23 59 46 . 36
Dec 24 55 23 .35
Dec. 25 40 20
Dec 26 31 6 08 15
D*c. 27 30 10 me
83rd YEAR—NO. 26
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, N. C. THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 1970
10 CENTS
16 PAGES — 1 SECTION
BSBKSKS
Watauga County: Christmas Week. 1970
Watauga Winners Listed
In Christmas Lighting
Christmas was extra bright
this year for four residents of
Watauga County, and
Christmas lights helped to
make it so. The four are win
ners of Blue Ridge Electric's
outdoor Christmas lighting
contest. They were selected by
a panel of member judges on
Tuesday evening, December 15
following two nights of viewing
and scoring the exhibits.
There were four categories
in the contest; the best overall
lighted lawn; storybook
creations, religious scenes, and
Christmas trees. In each of the
first three classifications, the
theme of the display, artistic
merit and lighting techniques
are points which carry con
siderable weight in the point
judging for the winner.
Mrs. Nora Wilson won the
best overall lighted lawn
award in Watauga County with
her decorations of miniature
blue lights outlining the fron of
!. r house and garage In the
center of the display was an
archway with a madonna.
Each front window held
electric Christmas candles
which Mrs Wilson had made.
A Christmas star, outlined with
miniature lights was displayed
on the carport, and in the
background a large Christmas
tree was lighted with pretty
miniature lights.
The prize for the storybook
creation was awarded
Everette Cole of Route 2,
Boone, for his “Night Before
Christmas” display of Santa,
on the chimney, the reindeer
and sleigh and Santa’s pack, all
on the roof of the house. The
scene was lighted by flood
lights.
Mrs. Jesse Bums of
Blowing Rock received the
award for the best religious
scene. Her display of the
Nativity was tastefully done
with large internal illuminated
figures of the baby Jesus,
Mary, Joseph, the wise men
and the shepherds The display
was set against a background
of natural shrubbery and was
lighted with white and colored
flood lights.
Mr. Lee Anderson of Route 3,
Boone was the winner in the
“Christmas Tree” division of
the contest, with his colorfully
decorated "twin trees” which
were lighted with multicolored
(Continued on page two)
Win Christmas Decorations Contest
Receiving the first place check from Neil Faries, local manager of BREMCO,
which sponsored the Christmas Decorations Contest here, is Mrs. Odes Wilson
of Zionville. Other winners are Mrs. Everette Cole, Mrs. Lee Anderson and
Mrs. Jessie Burns.
Mrs. Wilson’s home at Zionville is seen in this late evening picture.
(Photos—George Flowers)
Impact Of Inflation
Noted In Watauga
A Watauga County family must have con
siderably more income to be able to buy as much in
the market place as it did four years ago.
The local impact of continuing inflation is
contained in data obtained from the Department of
Labor, the National Industrial Conference Board
and others. In the four-year period, they show, the
cost of the standard market basket of goods and
services has gone up nearly 22 percent.
The rise this year was a record-breaker, about
7.1 percent, according to preliminary figures. It
topped the 1969 increase of 6.5 percent, the 1968 hike
of 4.9 percent and the 3.2 percent rise recorded in
1967.
Because of the erosion in the value of the dollar,
the average Watauga County family finds that it
takes nearly $5 now to buy the same amount of
goods and services that could have been obtained
for $4 in 1966.
Specifically, for the family that had an income
of $5,000 four years ago, approximately $6,080 would
be required today. Those that had $6,500 available to
them at that time need $7,900 now.
Families that were in the $7,500 bracket have to
have $9,100 currently and those at the $10,000 level,
nearly $12,200.
As a result, for the unemployed and for those
who are living on fixed incomes, the going is
increased amount of money that has to be spent in
$6,013 per local family. This was considerably more
Although many people feel that the higher price
of food is causing them the most trouble, that is not
borne out by the facts, according to the Department
of Labor. Its studies show that taxes have been
rising faster than any other item in the average
budget. Medical care and other services are not far
behind.
The upward thrust in the cost of living has af
fected consumer prices across the board in every
area of the country.
An indication of it, in Watauga County, is the
■ ncreased amount of money that has to be spent in
retail stores in relation to previous outlays.
In the past year these expenditures amounted to
46,013 per local family. This was considerably more
than the same amount of goods would have cost four
years earlier, $5,170.
Cold Brings Skiers
By Hundreds
To the delight of ski resort operators, clothing and equipment
shops, and their patrons, cold weather arrived Christmas week.
During the weekend, thousands of skiers were back at their
favorite sport, and more hundreds of beginners were taking
lessons and about half-consumed with the snow-going fever.
Snow machines were going full blast at Appalachian Ski
Mtn., Beech Mountain, Seven Devils and Sugar Mountain and
members and guests of Hound Ears Lodge and Club were
navigating the down hill white.
Along about the middle of the month, it was cold enough to
get snow-making machinery in operation at some of the resorts,
but the mercury kept rearing its ugly head and foiling most plans
for an early opening
Scattered through this issue are a few photographs of some
weekend events in the "Ski Capital of the South"—some notes in
black and white on the colorful sports clientele.
Loses Life In
Crash Thursday
Mrs Winnie Nelson Howell,
52, of 334 Blowing Rock Road,
died Thursday morning at
Blowing Rock Hospital from
injuries received in an
automobile accident Wed
nesday afternoon, Dec. 23, on
Garbage
Collection
Schedule
The garbage for all town
residences on a once-a-week
schedule will be picked up,
weather permitting, the usual
way on New Year’s Day and
Saturday, the day after.
Where necessary, the large
containers scheduled for
Friday and Saturday pick up
will be picked up on.Saturday,
Jan 2.
The Town Hall will be closed
on New Year’s Day but will be
open until noon on Saturday.
U. S. 421 in Boone
She was a passenger in a 1963
Oldsmobile driven by her
husband. Mr Vance Cyrus
Howell, 77. In his report, Boone
policeman Billy Rush noted
that Mr. Howell said he was
attempting to turn right from
U. S. 421 at Perkinsville onto N.
C. Highway 194 when the ac
celerator pedal lodged and
sped the car out of control.
The vehicle hit the traffic
island, knocked down two high
way signs and veered over a
low bridge enbankment,
coming to rest in Buckeye
Creek. The accident happened
shortly after 2 in the afternoon
and damages to the automobile
were $500.
Mr Howell was hospitalized
for treatment of iniuries and
released the following day.
The late Mrs. Howell, a
registered nurse who was
employed at the Blowing Rock
Hospital, was born in
Mecklenburg County.
She is survived by her
widower and by her mother,
(Continued on page two
Photo—Rachel R. Coffey
Down The Snow