1871 Swain County Centennia! Year 1971
The Smoky Mountain Times
Votume 87 - Number 30 * Bryson City, North Carotina — Thursday, Aprit 22,1971
Around
Town
^ We just get beck fate town
^ Monday and the schools worked
ns overtime all day Tuesday
making pictures Plans were for
the TfMES to carry photo of the
Foik Festive! and the Schoo!
Library.
The photo taking worked
***put O.K. but the film processing
was a flop. The dark room man
put fixer in the devceioper and
the pictures came out blank. No
excuse is good enough but this is
ours.
The past weekend's fire
should open some eyes and
serve as a strong reminder that
a small balxe can erupt into a
massive fumo. The rains have
helped the dry weather con
ditions, but still only a couple of
days of high temperatures are
needed to dry out the forest.
^Forest Ranger, Oris Hughes,
urges everyone to be careful
with fire and should you spot
even a small fire, call the Fry
Mountain Tower at 48S-MSZ.
The sooner rangers are notified,
the less damage.
Ralph Andrews speaking to the second genera! session
^ We've heard since we've
been in North Carolina that the
reason tor so tew passing zones
is that the State had an ex
cessive amount ot paint. Wait,
this year their cup mast runneth
even the white
yellow &nd
<as made tor much comment.
We want to take this op
portunity to extend a persona!
thanhs to the many pepie who
operated with oar "Uttie girls"
iast week in helping to get the
Smoky Mountain Times ont. Oar
^giris worked reai hard and done
a reai tine job, bat it would have
been impossibie without the tine
cooperation theyreeeived from
our reading public.
^ Centennial Headquarters is
now open in the Community
Building from 1:00 pm. to 4:00
pm. daily. Centennial hats,
ties, bonnets, vests, badges and
L other centennial paraphernalia
may be purchased at the
\ headquarters. Ladies may
i order their centennial dresses
[ there also. Buy your articles tor
jp-the celebration June wili be
here before you know it.
Conference On Agmg
Dr. Eilen Winston,
Chairman of the State White
House Conference Advisory
Committee, spoke^to ap^
prosimateiy HO peopie here for
the Region A White House
Conference on Aging at the
Mariann Marianna Biack
Library on Saturday, April 17.
The Conference was called
& order by Mrs. John L.
Crawford of Franklin,Chairman
of the Regional Conference
Advisory Committee. Dr. Kelly
Bennett of Brsyon City gave the
welcome address and
Reverend Wiliiam
Bell, minister of
thePresbyterian Church in
Bryson City, gave the In
vocation.
Dr. Winston spoke of "The
Task Ahead" as preparations
continue for the White House
Conference on Aging scheduled
for November 1971 in
Washington,DC. Dr. Winston
told the group that Conferences
suchasthis occur only once in a
decade and we must insure that
the national policies that will be
developed are based on the
needs and desires expressed
Mayor EMen Hyams presenting Dr. Winston with
a Bonnet and a Centennial BeHe button.
from the local communities.
The local forums and regional
conferences are the means by
wMeh^vn nan insure that OS
voice of the people is beard.
Dr. Winston went on to
briefly cover the 14 needs and
needs meeting areas that were
to be discussed in the group
sessions following Ms first
general sessions.
Following the keynote
address the Conference ad
journed to eight group sessions
where issues related to Income,
Health, Nutrition, Em
ployment, and Retirement,
Retirement Roles and Ac
Capacity Crowd
Attends Festiva!
The annual P.T.A. Folk
Festival was held Tuesday
night in the High School Gym as
a capacity crowd of over 1400
watched as elementary
students (grades 1-8) put on a
dazzling show to climax the
PTA school year.
The annual event presented
during the final PTA meeting of
the year continued to grow as
all seats in the 1200 capacity
gymnasium was Oiled by 8:45.
The show didn't start until 7:30
and by showtime there was
barley standing room as both
doors bulged with spectators.
PTA president, Rev. Oeo
Whmingham, opened the show
and presented Miss LoRoyne
tXnguess, field representative
for the North Carolina Congress
)f Parents and Teachers
^association, who spoke briefly
to the group and congratulated
the Swain County PTA
Association for the fine job they
are doing.
Centennia)
Schedute
The following schedule of
events has been released by the
Centennia! Committee. This is a
genera! list and each co
ordinator will announce in
dividual activities at a later
date.
June 3 and 4 - Merchant's
Day. Stanley Livingston and
Carroll Wright - Coordinators.
June 4 - evening - Queen's
Cotillion Ball, Mrs. W.E. Mit
chell. organizer.
June 5 - Opening Day
Ceremonies, Robert Varner -
coordinator.
June 6 - religious Heritage
ay. Rev. Ernest Lindsay -
?rdinator.
June 7 - Pioneer and Early
lerican Day - Jake Hyatt -
)rdinator
June S - Brotherhood Day -
James Gribble - coordinator.
June 9 - Youth Day
June 10 - Ladies Day -
Francis Bates - coordinator.
June 11 - Wild West Day -
Maxine Huddleston - coor
dinator.
Elmemntary School
principal, R.C. Taylor, served
as Master of Ceremonies and
high school principal, Clifford
Frizzell assisted with the tape
recorded music.
The first event of the
evening was a performance by
elementary band, which played
"New World Symphony", "The
Lost Chord", "Roses From the
South", and "The Merry
Widow". The band made up of
students in the elementary
grades was directed by high
Continued Page 2
Weekly Devotional
My Guide
I know not what tomorrow
ho!ds
Nor the perils I may face,
But if I know He's on side,
i can handle It with grace.
1 may go on despite my
fears
And fight til all is o'er.
Instead of giving up on life
And the problems held in
store.
I may go on life's weary
road
Without a doubt or fear.
Because I know my
Master's there
Whene'er 1 want Him near.
So 1 could really quit today,
If I didn't have a guide
To lead me on this journey
here.
On to the other side.
Weather
Tuesday. April 13-Sunny. Low 29degrees. High 68 degrees.
Wednesday. April 14-Sunny and warm. Low 31 degrees. High
73 degrees.
Thursday. April 15-Sunny and warm. Low 32 degrees. High 72
degrees.
Friday, April 16-Sunny and warm. Low 34 degree High 71
degrees.
Saturday, April 176-Sunny and warm. Low 30 degrees. High 75
degrees.
Sunday. April 18-Sunny and warm. Low 36 degrees. High 79
degrees.
Monday, April 19-TSunny and warm. Low 37 degrees. High 83
degrees.
tivities, Services, Program
s,and Facilities, Government
and Non-Government
Organizations, Planning,
Research and Demonstration,
Education, training, Housing,
Transportation, and Spiritual
Well-Being were discussed.
Each group developed position
statements on the various
issues under discussion. The
position statements were
"horded and will be sent to the
Governor's Council on Aging in
Raleigh. They will again be
discussed at the Governor's
Conference on Aging in Raleigh
on May 21 and 22.
At the second general
session, following the group
sessions, the group chairmer
reported to the generai sesswn
on the position statements
developed in eachgroup. The
final item of business was to
adopt a a platform which
hopefully will become the North
Carolina State Policy on Aging.
The Platform is as follows:
"To protect and enhance
the dignity, the image, the in
dependence, the continued
productivity, and the happiness
of its older citizens, the State of
North Carolina commits itself
to take the necessary steps
through State policies,
legislation, and services, and to
actively promote Federal
policies and legislation
essential to the furtherance of
these objectives. Basic to their
attainment by each individual is
an adequate income, readily
available health resources,
suitable housing, meaningful
activities, whether on an em
ployed or volunatry basis, and a
range of coordinated com
munity, leisure, and social
services. Each individual will
be guaranteed freedom of
chooce in managing his own
life, in using the resources
available to him, in living the
full life, and in the successful
pursuit of happiness.
The highlight of the Con
ference occurred when Mayor
Ellen Hyams presented Dr.
Winston, a native of Bryson
City, with a Centennial bonnet.
Swain County isnow celebrating
it's 100th. Year and the ladies of
Swain Count, led by Margaret
Roper, turned out for the
Conference in full Centennial
dress.
"Right to Read" is the
theme of National Library
Week, April 1S-24, headed In
North Carolina by Former
Governor Terry Sanford,
Chairman of the observance.
The event and the theme will be
observed with various activities
and ceremonies in public and
school libraries throughout the
State. They are being planned
by some 100 County Chairmen
for National Library Week. The
committee for activities in
Swain County is Mrs. Anna Lou
Cassada, Miss Gertrude
Ferguson, Mrs. Helen
Lovingood, Mrs. Shirley Napier
and Mrs. Carrie Abbott.
Mrs., Vera B. Melton,
Executive Director of N.C.
National Library Week and
Director of Libraries for the
State's Community College
System, noted that the theme of
the week, "A Right to Read,"
points out the changing role of
libraries and librarians.
FORMER Governor Sanford
Wrote:
Our democratic heritage
has made us aware that we
must have knowledge to be free
-and the road to knowledge is
good books. Through reading
good books, and reading them
with comprehension, comes
wisdom and understanding,
goodness and beauty, aD of
which are essentia! to the
survival and growth of a free
civilization. As a matter of fact,
the future of our State, and of
any state, is dependent upon the
education of its people.
Therefore, the value of this one
week, set aside to unite all in
terested elements of the
community in stressing the
importance of libraries to the
educational process, must not
be underestimated. And, the
library is important not to
students alone, but to every
man, woman and child who
seeks enlightment and who at
times wants to escape from the
everydayness of their lives to
the excitement to be found in
the pages of books.
With best wishes always,
Sincerely
Terry Sanford
With this in mind the
following information about the
Marianna Black and Swain
County School Libraries has
T)een compiled for your in
formation.(The Editor)
MAMANNA BLACK
This week the spotlight is on
our libraries as we observe
National Library Week. The
image of the pubiic library haa
vastly changed in the last few
years. It is no longer the ex
clusive domain of bookworms.
The pubiic libraries of today
offer a variety of services to the
total community, beginning
with smaii children and going
on through senior citizens.
Our own library , the
Marianna Black Library, is an
excellent example of this wide
range of activities occurring in
libraries.
Mrs. C.A. Casada,
librarian, reports that one
week she had a group of kin
dergarten children from the
Presbyterian Church in to learn
about the library, the Bryson
City Woman's Ciub used the
library facilities for a meeting
with Madeline Tripp, N.C.
Consultant for the Southern
Association of Colleges and
Schoois, as guest speaker, and a
Regional Whitehouse Con
ference on Aging, with Dr. Elien
Man Charged
With Robbery
Here Thursday
A Swain County man has
been arrested and charged with
the armed robbery of $200 in
cash from an eideriy Bryson
City woman last Thursday
afternoon, according to the
Sheriffs Department of Swain
County.
According to Sheriff Bill
Lewis, Johnny Franklin was
arrested in Knoxville, Tenn.,
around 11 p.m. the night of the
robbery and charged with
breaking and entering, armed
robbery, and assault. The
charges came as a result of the
robbery of Mrs. Betty Sue
DeHart of Spring Street around
3 pm. Thursday afternoon.
As a result of these charges
a probationary sentence given
Franklin in the last term of
Superior Court was revoked
Monday afternoon by Superior
Court Judge Thad Bryson and
Franklin was turned over to the
State Department of Correction
to begin serving a 8 to 10 year
sentence.
Bryson City police officials,
SB1 agent, James Maxey and
the State Highway Patrol joined
the Sheriff's Department in the
investigation.
Winston as guest speaker to a
crowd of 110, were held in the
library.
Mrs. Casada points out that
in addition to helping with
these activities she assisted
people in checking books in and
out of the library, she assisted
students and other individuals
in looking up materials for
research papers and group
talks, and many people took
advantage of the reading room
to enjoy the many current
magazines and newspapers
available in the library. Also
available are records for
listening enjoyment.
So, take your cue from
National Library Week; use
your library for reading en
joyment, listening enjoyment,
gathering information and facts
for a place to meet and learn.
ALMOND, ALARKA
AND WH!TT!ER
The libraries of the Almond,
Alarha and Whittier Schools
meet the standards set up by the
Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools.
Many new boohs and other
materials have been added to
these libraries from local and
state funds apd money from
Title n which is a Federal
project. The following in
formation was taken from the
1969-70 library report: the
Almond School had a total of
3,345 boohs with a circulation of
6,345; Alarha School had 2,671
boohs with a circulation of
1,772; and Whittier School had
3,315 boohs with a circulation of
6,356 boohs.
Each class in these schools
has a forty minute library
period each week. However, the
libraries remain open during
each school day for group work
and special assignments.
BRYSON (XTY
ELEMENTARY
The library quarters of the
Bryson City Elementary School
were enlarged during the 1961
62 school term. At that time the
booh collection numbered about
three boohs per child. There
were a few recordings and
perhaps two hundred filmstrips.
Today we have a com
fortable and attractive library
that meets both state and
Southern Association stan
dards. Each classroom group
comes to read and exchange
boohs once a weeh. The time
before 9 00 and after 3:00
o'clock each day is set aside for
those who wish to exchange
their books, read the newspaper
or do reference work. Also at
other times during the day
students who have work to do
are welcome.
Due to the limited space,
the library houses only records,
filmstrips, transparencies and
tapes in addition to the books.
Equipment is circulated bet
ween classrooms where it is
used.
All the children enjoy the
magazines and the primary
grades have a story when time
is available. Most of the
children in the upper grades
make use of the card catalog
and other reference sources.
The most recent addition to
our audiovisual materials has
been the purchase of several
beautiful art prints. These are
framed and will lx in the
library and the hall nearby.
SW!N COUNTY
HIGH SCHOOL
To observe National
Library Week, two events have
been planned by the Swain
County High School. One %
these will be a visit to the newly
built Marianna Black Library in
Bryson City. The members of
the Library Club will have an
opportunity at this time to
establish good relationships
between the two libraries.
Another activity that the
High School plans is to tape a
radio program explaining the
importance of National Library
Week. It is the aim of this
program to show the value of
reading and what it can mean in
your life's work. This program
will be on the air during one of
the five o'clock daily programs
sponsoged by the Swain County
High School.
Mt. Zion Set
Homecoming
The Mt. Zion Baptist
Church of Grassy Branch will
hoiid a homecoming Sunday,
Aprii 25, beginning at 10:00 a m.
There will be singing in the
afternoon and everyone is in
vited to attend. Any special
singing groups will be greatly
appreciated.
Forest Fires May
Be Work Of Arsonists
One of the worst forest fires
to hit Swain County in some
time burned nearly 400 acres
here Saturday, Sunday and
Monday morning. The fire
originated in the Lands Creek
section of Swain County but
quickiy spread in the National
Park.
According to Park Ranger, Coy
Hanson and State Forest
Ranger, Oris Hughes, the
combined bumage covered 390
acres and the Rangers say it
would probably be close to 000
acres if the sides of the
mountain and gorges were
included.
The fire broke out or was
originally set in the Lands
Creek area around 12 noon
Saturday and at least 4 fires
were set in the National Park
and one additional fire set in the
Peachtree section, according to
the rangers.
The Rangers are highly
suspicious of arson and are
working closely with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
in trying to apprehend the in
dividual or individuals
responsible. Anyone having any
information as to who might
have set any of these fires is
ashed to call the FBI, State of
National Park Service.
At least 225 peopie were called
on to fight the blaze with 120
North Carolina citizens heading
the volunteer, line. In addition
to the manpower, two tanker
planes from Knoxville were
called in to assist and a State
observation plane from
Asheville was also called.
Both park and state rangers
asked that we pass along their
appreciation to all the people of
Bryson City and Swain County
for their assistance. Women
prepared food while men helped
control the fire and a special
thanks is sent out to Swain
County Rescue Squad and to
Mr. Ferguson for using his
plane after the spotter plane
from Asheville was called to
Cherokee County.
With weather conditions
dry, forest fires are always a
threat at this time of year hut to
set a forest fire is an un
forgivable crime and we urge
everyone's cooperation in
apprehending people respon
sible for this or any other fire.
The Swain County Centennial Committee has
announced that the Centennia! Medallion will go on
sale Friday, April 23. The sterling silver medallion,
priced at $25 00 plus tax will be on sale at the Nor
thwestern Bank. The silver edition is considered a
collector's item and is in very limited supply. These
wiii be sold on a first come - first serve basis.
The medallion is also available in bronze at $2.09
plus tax These may be purchased at the Centennial
Headquarters which is open daily from 1:00 to 4:00
p m The bronze medallion would be a wonderful
souvenir of the Centennial Ct Mbration.