Newspapers / The Smoky Mountain Times … / April 10, 1969, edition 1 / Page 1
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7% The Smoky Mountain Times Votume 86— Number 28-Bryson City, North Caroiina — Thursday, Apri) 10, 1969 Around Town We would Hke to remind all food handlers of the April 15th food handling school to be held here at the Swain High School cafeteria. *** If you have a pooch or cat that has not been innoculated in the last three years, you have two chances to get this - done during the month of April. For the Bryson City area residents, April 19th is the date. For those of you in Cherokee, Saturday the 26th the animal doc will be in your area. Additional information can be found in todays TIMES. * * * All you basketball fans that thought basketball season was over will be surprised to find out you have got one more chance to see the sport the way it should be played. The seniors are putting on a special show Friday night at the Swain High gym. Donations of 50 and 75 cents will be accepted at the gate. Proceeds will go towards the annual Washington trip for the Swain High Seniors. * * * The State Highway Patrol reports five accidents in the county this week. While making 10 contacts, one was charged with drunk driving and two with speeding. There were also five other hazardous moving violations and two non-hazardous violations. No pedestrian violations were reported. The Department patrolled 3,630 miles in Swain County from March 31 through April 6. Murse: Ho!d Meeting District 23 of the North Carolina State Nurses Association was presented with a program on "Nursing EducatiMt^Wastam Carolia* University" by the director, Mrs. Mary K. Kneedler at a dinner meeting at Coylis Resturant in Franklin, N. C. April7. The establishment of this program will offer a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing and will also provide courses for Registered Nurses to obtain a Baccalaurate degree. It is planned that Freshman will be admitted to the program for 1969-70. SheriM's Department Presents Check . ! The Swain County Sheriff's Department presented a check for $60 to the Swain High Athletic Association to help buy basketball uniforms for next year's high school team. Sheriff Vincent Gassaway, third from the left, is shown presenting the check to Swain High Principal Clifford Frizzel. Present at the time were, left to right, Deputies Otis Sitton, and Sam Bowers, Gassaway, Erizzel, and Coaches Milt Barden and Dickie Ensley. Thomas Smith's Ciaim To Fame is Questionabie By EMILY KINGSBERY Feature Editor, Community Newspapers Inc. Name dropper Tom (Thomas C./J.) Smith's ciaims to fame in Hoiiywood and eisewhere have proved to be as unfounded as his aiieged connections with Anheuser-Busch. The faisity of his "Busch Gardens" claims was reveaied tast week in our Community Newspaper Western N. C. Since then, we have continued our research on other assertions Smith made during our iengthy teiephone interview with him on March 27 - i.e., that he was a friend of the iate Wait Disney and suppiied animais for his pictures; that he suppiied animais for the Daktari TV series; that "we" (presumabiy Smith and his "partner" Litkenhaus) "own the Thousand Oaks Movieiand Animals, and will move it to the Indian Hiii iocation," where he wouid buiid a motion picture studio. -- with the resuit that aii Hoiiywood studios wouid come to The Animal Kingdom of America to fiim their animai pictures. We wish that we couid report that these statements were true, because a tourist attraction such as Smith .desHtbea^wouid 4*,, .ansMs supporters say, "out of this worid". Literaiiy, that is the oniy piace it couid be. Our sympathy goes to those wishfui thinkers who piaced their faith in this promoter, and we oniy hope that aii they invested in him was their dream of weaith and giory. None of these ciaims proved valid. For some reason best known to Thomas Smith we were given the middie initiai "C." in reference to his supposed connections with Anheuser-Busch, and the middie initial "J." in reference to his aiieged Caiifornia activities. On aii counts we checked him out under both initials - and found him wanting. Here is our Hollywood report: SMITH'S CLAIM That he was "a good friend of Walt Disney pnd furnished animals -for Disany pietarest" THE FACTS - Not only from persona! know!edge but a!so after a check throughout the studio, a top executive of Disney Studios who has been cioseiy associated with Wait Disney for the past 25 years stated that Thomas C./J./" or whatever" Smith "has never been heard of" in connection with Disney, either personally or professionally. The studio See THOMAS SMITH ... on page 6 School Board members are shown above taking the oath of office. Clerk of Superior Court, Harold Sandlin, is administering tne oath to (Left to right), Paul Marr, appointed, two year term, Marshall Smith, James Coggins, and Sam Colville, all elected to four year terms. Four School Board /Members Sworn In Four members, three etected and one appointed by the Swain County Democratic Executive Committee, have been sworn in to fiii vacancies in the Swain County Schooi Board. The four men, Marshaii Smith, James Coggins, Sam Coiviiie, and Pau! Marr, were sworn in by Swain County Cierk of Superior Court, Haroid Sandiin, Monday morning at 10:00. Smith, Coggins and CoiviMe were etected to four year terms in the November genera! eiection. The remaining two of the five vacancies were, according to iegisiative action, to be fiiied by appointments. , According to ioca! interpretation of the statutes pertaining to the ioca! schooi board, the Swain County Democratic Executive Committee woutd be responsible for making one appointment whiie the Republican Executive Committee would be responsible for the other appointee. The Democratic Committee selected and nominated Mr. Paul Marr of the Brush Creek Community as their appointee. The Republican appointee to fill the one remaining vacancy is still to be made. We discussed this matter with Superintendent of Swain County Schools, Mr. Tom Woodard, and Mr. Woodard states that, "the Democratic Executive Committee has recommended Mr. Paui Marr's name for appointment. As of this time we have not heard from the Repubiican Committee." We questioned Mr. Woodard about the iegaiity of a four man schooi board. He expiained that "the four men, or as far as that goes the three eiected members, make up a quorum and any action they take or recommendations they make wouid be perfectiy iegai." According to our information, the reason for eiecting three and appointing two is that the three eiected members wouid serve four year terms and the two appointees wouid serve oniy two year terms after their first appointment. They wouid be ejected in genera! eiections after their two year appointment in conciuded. Therefore, schooi board members wouid be eiected every two years, three during one eiection and 2 during the next eiection two years iater, thus staggering the terms of each member The apparent reason for this wouid be in case an aii new schooi baord is eiected there wouid be experienced members to guide newiy eiected members. Neighboring Restwe Units CnMed For Assistnnte in Drowning inrident The Swain County Rescue Squad and Sheriff's Department caMed for assistance from all neighboring rescue units Wednesday morning after an all day search Tuesday faiied in an attempt to iocate the bodies of 22 year o!d Doug Watkins and 14 year oid Reba Dupette. The two young Bryson City residents have been missing since eariy Monday evening when they, along with four Mends, went for a boat ride in the Tuckesegee River. According to eye-witness reports, these two young peopie, aiong with Ann Stanberry, age 24, Peggy Jones, age 23, Shiriey Fisher, age 16, and Mike Davis, age 19, left the Tuckesegee Boat Dock around 8 p.m. Monday evening. They used a 12 foot boat belonging to one of the youths father and rented a 4 or 5 hp motor and a lantern attendant, Marshall Jenkins. The Sheriff's department reported that the body of Doug Watkins was recovered about noon today. According to rescuers the body was recovered in about 30 foot of water some 25 feet from the bank near point 17. According to our reports point 17 is about a quarter miie from the Tuckesegee Boat Dock, and about 200 yards betow the point where the boat capsized Monday night. According to reports, the six puiied away from the dock about 8:00 p.m. and traveiied some miie and a half to two miies down the iake. They discovered approximate^ two to three inches of water in the .boat and decided to tum around and start back. Watkins was in the front of the boat hoiding the tan tern whiie Mike Davis was operting the motor. A witness said, 'Doug toid Mike to tum the boat. When Mike turned, the front of the boat just fiiied with water and capsized." The witness went on to say, "We ai! fought to get hoid of the boat. We asked if everybody was there and everybody answered. The boat kept trying to sink. So, after about 20 to 30 minutes of trying to paddie towards the bank, we decided somebody had better start to swim for shore." ' Reba said she couid swim 20 Cases Heard in District Court Here Swain County District Court heid a oneway session iast week in a attempt to retieve some of the ioad for the 3M*td*d 29 and 30 District Court docket. Judge Robert Leatherwood presided over the one-day session and made tuiings in the following cases: F. L. Day, charged with fraud. Prayer for judgment was heard. Case continued on payment of cost. Vemon Rylas, charged with assault. The State took a nol pros. Frederick Maxwell Hicks, charged with drunk driving. Appealed to Superior Court. Fred L. Day, charged with embezzlement. Waived preliminary examination to Superior Court. Dee Wayne Cochran, charged with reckless driving. Found not guilty. Buford Carroll Messer, charged with reckless driving, personal injury and property damage and improper passing. Case continued. Ray H. Morris, charged with speeding 75 mph in 55 mph zone. The State took a nol pros with leave. Forfeiture of bond. Paul Walkingstick, charged with public drunkeness, 2nd offense. Case continued until April 29 term. Virginia Davis, charged with public drunkeness, second offense. Case continued until Arpil 29 term. Dave Lee Bridges, charged with breaking and entering. Probable cause found. Bound over to Superior Court. Bond set at $500.00. James D. Lackey, charged with breaking and entering. Probable cause found. Bound over to Superior Court. Bond set at $500.00. John Baxter Woodard, charged with breaking and entering. Probable cause found. Bound over to Superior Court. Bond set at $500. Charles Stephenson, Jr., charged with non-support. Case continued until April 19 term. food Handier: Course Scheduie The Food Handlers Course, jointly sponsored by Southwestern Technical Institute and the District Health Department of Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties, required of all food handlers, will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the following places on the indicated dates: Swain High School Cafeteria April 15, May 20 Cherokee Elementary School - April 29 (2:00 - 5:00 p.m.) John Henry Herron, charged with drunk driving. Guiity. Fined $100.00 and cost. Forfeiture of drivers iicense. R Mincy^ with assauit. The State took a noi pros on payment of cost. Joe Hobert McCracken, charged with drunk driving. Continued untii Aprii 29 term. Troy Shook, charged with pubiic drunkeness, 4th. offense. Prayer for judgment heard. Case continued. untii Aprii 29 term on payment of $25.00 fine and cost. John Steve Cochran, charged with improper registration and no iiabiiity insurance. Fined $25.00 and cost. Stephen Moon, charged with improper registration. Fined cost. Robert M. Crisp, charged with speeding 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. Fined $15.00 and cost. good and she wouid try to make it to the bank' continued the witness. "We were oniy about 50 to 75 feet from shore, but a few minutes after Reba ieft she hoiiered back and said she couidn't make it. Doug (Doug Watkins) ieft the boat to try and assist her on to shore. That is the iast we saw of either one of them. " Marshai! Jenkins, the dock attendant, stated that the group toid him they would oniy be gone 30 minutes to ah hour. After 2 hours had passed (10:00 p.m.) Mr. Jenkins stated that he became concerned and decided to go out and see if anything was wrong. He found the four remaining members of the party dinging to the capsized boat. He picked them up and took them back to the dock. Then he and Mike Davis went back down the river to see if they couid iocate Watkins and Dupette. When they faded to find any sign of them, they returned to the dock and Jenkins went to summons heip. The Swain County Sheriffs Department and Rescue Squad received the aiarm at approximate^ 11:15. An immediate search was made of both the iake area and surrounding banks for any sign of the missing coupie. When no signs couid be found, the Swain County squad organized a search and begandragging the take. The Jackson County Rescue Squad was summonsed for assistance about 8:00 am. Tuesday morning. They arrived at the take site at approximate^ 9:10 and the two rescue units and iocai voiunteers manned five seperate dragging boats. But, as darkness approached with no sign of the victims, additionai rescue units from neighboring counties were caiied renewed their dragging operations at dawn Wednesday morning. Swain and Jackson County Rescue Squads worked from dawn until after dark Tuesday in search of the missing bodies of 22 year oid Doug Watkins and 14 year oid Reba Dupette. Additional units were summoned Wednesday. The couple apparently drowned Monday night while boating in the Tuckesegee River „ Rabies Ciinic ScheduieFor Bryson City, Cherokee Three year rabies vaccine wiii be administered to dogs and cats at ciinics scheduied at four iocations in Swain County on Saturday Aprii 19, 1969 and four iocations on Saturday Aprii 26, 1969. The rabies ciinics are sponsored by the District Heaith Department. The three year vaccine wiii be administered by a iicensed veterinarian from Waynesville. Rabies is a preventabie disease. !t can attack man, dog, fox, raccoon, skunk, bat or other warm blooded animals. It is caused by a virus present in the saliva of the rabid animal. Always fata! to man and animals, rabies virus reaches the brain by way of the nerves. However, if started soon enought, antirabies treatment in humans wiii prevent the disease from deveioping in most cases. Rabid animais show different symptoms, in the dog, one of the first symptons is a changed disposition, if your animai is sick, seek the advice of your vetinarian and foMow his recommendations. In every case of animai bite or scratch, see your physician at once, and foiiow his advice regarding treatment. As a first aid precaution, wash aii animai bites immediateiy and throughiy for 15 to 20 minutes with a warm soap soiution. See RABiES CL)N)C ... on page 4 Severa! Hospitatized As Resuit Of Accidents A Marytand man was admitted to he Swain County Hospitai with undertermined injuries this week as a resuit of one of five automobite accidents investigated by the State Highway Patroi in Sain County this week. Officer Z. V. Hawes, assisted by severai highway patroi officers, investigated the car-truck accident at the Fontana intersection of US 19 and 28. Lawrence Aiian Morris, age 22, of Marytand was admitted to the Swain County Hospitai when the 1964 Ford he was driving was hit on the ieft side by a tractor and traiier druck driven by O. V. Sawyer, age 40, of Robbinsviiie. The '64 Ford was estimated to be a totai ioss. According to investigating officers, the Morris vehicie was traveiiing south on N. C. 28 and faiied to stop for a stop sign when the tractor and traiier truck, traveiiing west on US 19, struck the vehicie on he See ACCtDENTS .. onpage%6 The crumpled up remains of a 1964 Ford are shown above after it coUided with a low boy' tractor and trailer truck. The driver of the Ford, Lawrence Allan Morris, was admitted to Swain County Hospital with undetermined injuries. The accident occurred some 10 miles west of Bryson City at the Fontana intersection of 19 and 28 about 4 p.m. Thursday.
The Smoky Mountain Times (Bryson City, N.C.)
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April 10, 1969, edition 1
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