THE TRANSYLVAM
A State And National Prize-Winning Home To
★ M - 4CCOND CLASS POSTAGI
Vol. 84-No. 1 »AID AT SftCVARD H. C.
ZIP CODE 28712
BREVARD, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 197
An Extra Sharp Lookout For Predator Hawks And Owls
. . . White Squirrel’s Unnatural Hue Contrasts With Surroundings
Brevard’s Puzzlement
White Squirrel Colony Has This Town Wondering
(Editor’s note: The following story is
reprinted from the Charlotte Observer, and
it has appeared in many other leading daily
newspapers across the country. It was writ
ten by Clyde K. Osborne, the rural life editor
of the Observer, who is a native of Transyl
vania county. He used telescopic lens to get
the outstanding photo above.)
BREVARD — The man eases his auto
out of this town’s business district, and
speeds up to 35 miles an hour heading
through a residential area.
Suddenly he slams on his brakes, staring
in disbelief, and watches a white squirrel
leap over a sidewalk and bound up the side
of a tree.
As he stares, another snow white squir
rel comes into view, then another.
This scene is repeated several times
every day as strangers drive through this
town in the rugged mountains bordering
the Pisgah National Forest. But visitors
aren’t the only ones who wonder where
the. white squirrels come from.
Retired Chief Ranger Ted Seely of the
Pisgah National Forest says that he’s 9een
the white squihels around for at least eight
years now.
These are not albinos. They do not
have the pink eyes of albinos. They are
pure white squirrels.
And the number seems to be constantly
growing. Estimates of the number vary from
50 to 200, all concentrated in the south
western section of the town.
No one knows for certain when or how
they first appeared in the area.
There is no species of white squirrels
known in the world.
Dr. Herbert Heckenbleikner of the bi
ology department of the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte explains the phenome
non this way:
Squirrels are normally brown or grey
or some color in between. However, once
in a while one is born which is lighter nr
darker than others.
Under normal circumstances these off.
color animals would be easy prey for hawks,
owls, hunters, and other predators because
they do not have the proper camouflage hues.
But in a town like Brevard, says Dr.
Heckenbleikner, a white squirrel - might
thrive in the almence of predators.
Seely had a pair of squirrels — a white
one and a grey one — nesting in a box in a
tree in his back yard. One of their litters
contained two white and two grey offspring.
“This indicates that if,'the white isn’t
dominant in mating, it’s at least 50-50,” he
said.
The white squirrels chase each other and
grey squirrels, play in the grass, hunt nuts,
and act exactly like any other squirrels. They
seem to notice no difference in their color.
But every person who sees them does.
If a white squirrel can survive in this
town, then it’s feasible that he can repro
duce in other municipalities of the na
tion. But no other colony of white squir
rels is known in North Carolina, nor has
any other been reported in the south
eastern United States.
Best Drive Ever
United Fund “VictoryDinner”
To Be Held Next Monday Night
Workers woo participated
in the 1971 United Fund
drive in Transylvania will
have a “Victory” dinner next
Monday night. January 11th,
at 6:30 in the Brevard Col
lege cafeteria.
According to Dr. Robert A.
Davis, the president, it will be a
dutch treat affair, and a large
crowd is expected.
The dinner will honor the
workers who made the cur
rent campaign the best year
ever for the Transylvania
totted Fund.
The goal of $50,778 has been
exceeded, and Dr. Davis says
that officials of the United
“Values For Living", featur
ing Dr. Tom Haggai, begins
another year on WPNF. The
program is heard Monday
through Saturday at 5:80 p. m.
Dr. Haggai presents daily
an Inspirational five • minute
i program, and it remains one
■ of the moat popular features
heard each day on the local
.station. ;r ^ j
' n The program is presented
through sponsorship of Olin
Corporation of Pisgah Forest
Other Programs
„ an the WPNF
Ama IlMir mill Kgs
ome nvur wtu oo
as follows: inursaay, ouu con
servation Service; Friday sta
tion program; Monday, Jerry
Purser, County Extension
chairman; Tuesday,, station pro
gram; —Wednesday, Jean ChiL
ders, Home Extension Agent
Speaking this week on Morn
ing Devotions is Rev, Donald
Hicks, pastor of Faith Assemb
ly of God. Next week’s sche
duled speaker is Rev. Albert
worship
Sunday morning
Hif* bcin“
the month of January
Baptist
Ronald Lash
Fund are delighted to have a
surplus so that any emergency
that may arise can be met.
Next Monday night will also
he for the annual meeting of
the United Fund which will
follow the dinner. During
the meeting, the officers for
the Executive Board will be
elected, as well as 13 mem
bers for the Class of 1972 and
two members to fill out the
unexpired terms in the Class
of 1971.
Several awards will be pre
sented at the dinner meeting
to special persons who work
ed faithfully to enable Die
Fund to raise more money
than in any campaign to date.
Look Inside
SOI
Sports, page two section two,
and page six, first section
News of and for the women,
page six, section two. ahd page
six, section three
Former edit® of
sylvania TimOs visits
for first time in 93 years.
Editor's Corner, page five,
first section
In Transylvania
2573 Students Ride
School Buses Daily
Data recently released by
the Transportation Division
of the Department of Public
Instruction reveals th.it dur
ing the 1969-70 school year
some 629.953 North Carolina
school children were trans
ported daily to school on
buses. This figure means, ac
cording to A. C. Davis, Con
troller for the State Board of
Education, that the State pro
vides transportation for 57.4
per cent of the average daily
attendance in North Carolina
public schools. The transpor
tation data, added Davis, is
compiled on a yearly basis.
Of the students transported
daily, 71.9 per cent were en
rolled in elementary school and
28.1 per cent were in high
school. The average school bus
in the State transported 67 stu
dents and made 1.59 trips per
day each 11.9 miles in length
one way. The total cost of North
Carolina’s school transportation
for 1969 70 was $19,141,379.21,
including replacement buses.
In Transylvania county the
number of regular school
buses operated during the
1909-70 school year was 33.
An average of 2573 students
were transported dailv, with
an average of 73.5 students
per bus each day. Each bus
traveled an average of 37.7
milts a day at an operating
cost of approximately $.0459
per mile. Guilford county
ranked highest in number of
buses operating daily and
average number of pupils
transported daily.
The average cost Statewide
for the 1969-70 school, year was
$1,541.05 per bus; $23.40 per
pupil: and $.2243 per bus mile
of operation.
Advice Is Given
Sale Of New License plates
Said "Going Good" In Brevard
The sale of 1971 auto and
truck tags in Brevard is re
ported to be “going good” by
Mrs. Jeanne Hunter, the of
fice manager.
The new tags, which are
green on white and are reflec
torized, went on sale Monday
morning in Brevard and across
the State of North Carolina.
The 1969 plates expired
December 31st and their use
beyond that date is permiss
ible only If they are duly
registered by the Department
to the vehicle on which dis.
play is made. Owners who
have their vehicles properly
registered by the Department
have until February 16th to
obtain new plates.
Surrounding area residents
may obtain plates at 26 West
Jordan Street, Brevard.
Office hours are from 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday
through Friday.
Mrs. Hunter points out that
“to renew a plate you must
have a renewal card” and cau
tions against the misplacing of
it when it is received. She also
asks you to open the envelope,
read the instructions and com
plete the application according
to instructions before present
ing it for a new plate. This will
expedite issuance and keep
lines from forming.
QllUIMtMIMIIIIMSMtMItMIMMMI. 'I... Q
I 8
:
By FRED REITER
Temperature averages in Bre
vard for the last week were 47
and 26 degrees, with a high of
54 and low of 13 during the
week. Last Thursday's .50 inch
precipitation was in the form of
three inches of snow.
Extended outlook for Brevard
and vicinity through Saturday:
Cloudy and cold with periods of
rain or snow through Friday
night, becoming partly cloudy
on Saturday. High tempera
tures mostly in the 30s, with
low readings in the 20s.
Total rainfall for the year
1970 was 57.66 inches measured
at Brevard. This is approximate
ly seven inches short of a nor
mal amount of rainfall for the
area.
1^
* I'*
Weather
Weekly weather data was as
follows:
High Low Pree.
Wednesday _ 41 24 0.00
Thursday_ 36 26 0.58
Friday __ 43 24 0.C0
Saturday ,_ 54 13 0.00
Sunday _ 51 20 0.00
Monday _ 51 37 0 87
Tuesday „_=. 50 35 1.02
In National Elections
Rules Given For Registering
18,19, 20-Year Olds To Vote
By - Staff Writer
Alex K. Brock, executive sec
retary of the North Carolina
State Board of Elections has
issued to the Local Board of
Elections instructions on the
registration of 18, 19, and 20
year olds. The rules are to take
place immediately.
The United States Supreme
Court has ruled that all states
must allow persons 18-20 years
of age, who are other wise
qualified, to register and vote
in National elections only. This
means that North Carolina will
commence registration of those
persons 18 20 years of age who
are olherwise qualified under
our state requirements to regis
ter. All other prerequisites
must still be met—the only
change is the minimum ace.
And it is important to under
stand that these newly enfran
chised voters will not be quali
fied to vote in State or local
elections, but will be able to
vote in National elections. In
other words, the first election
in which the 18-20 year olds will
be eligible to vote will be the
1972 election for President-Vice
President, U.S. Senate and Con
gress only.
Since this ruling must go into
Change It Noted
Commissioners To Meet Each
First Monday Morning At 9:00
In the future, the Transyl
vania County Board of Corn
will have morning
on the first Monday
9:00 a.m.
Previously, they had been
meeting at 7:30 p.m. on each
first Monday night.
Donald Lee Moore, chair
man, urges all cltiaens to
make a note of this change in
meeting time of the Commis
sioners.
TRANSYLVANIA’S FIRST BABY
of 1971 arrived at Transylvania
Community Hospital at 11:46 a.m.
on New Year’s Day, and the little
one and her proud parents will be
the recipients of many nice gifts
presented by the merchants of Bre
vard. Donna Renae Morgan, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Morgan of
Rosman, weighing 6 pounds, 12
ounces, arrived right on schedule
New Year’s Day, with Dr. J. D.
Scroggin in attendance. Donna
Renae, pictured above with her
mother, was the third consecutive
first baby of the year in Transyl
vania to be delivered by Dr. Scrog
gin, who was almost as proud of her
timely arrival as the parents were.
(Times Staff Photo)
Many Course* Offered
Brevard College
Spring Semester
Begins
Tuesday
Some Flooding Tuesday
More Snow Is The Prediction
ForTown And County Thursday
Mr. Weatherman says that more snow is
on the way.
And last Tuesday’s first snowstorm of the
season is still lingering, epecially at the higher
elevations.
Heavy rains over the weekend and on
Monday caused the French Broad river to over
flow in the lowlands of Transylvania Tuesday,
but the river receded Wednesday with clearing
skies.
The forecast for Brevard and vicinicy is
for mostly sunny and continued cold weather
Wednesday with increasing cloudiness and
continued cold Wednesday night and a chance
of rain or snow by Thursday.
The high expected Wednesday is in the
upper 30s with a near zero chance of precipita
tion, according to the National Weather Service
office at Asheville Airport.
The low Wednesday night should be in
the upper-teens with a 20 per cent chance of
precipitation; and, Thursday's high is ex
pected to be in the 30s.
Brevard College will regis
ter students for the spring
semester on Tuesday, January
12th, with classes scheduled
to begin the following day.
The announcement, released
by Mrs. Brona N. Roy, associate
registrar, stated that registra
tion procedures would be car
ried out in Boshamer Gym
nasium beginning at - 8:30 a.m.
airs. Ro" indicated that the col
lege would offer 84 courses for
the ■ ecotld seme ter.
New students will arrive on
(he campus on Sunday, Janu
ary 1C, with others returning
on January 11. Approximately
5"0 full time students are ex
pected to register for the
spring term.
Courses offered by Brevard
College for the - pring semester
include the following:
ACf Ol'NTING: Accounting
10, Accounting for Secretaries;
Accounting 12, Principles of
Accounting
ART: Art 12, Art History;
Ait 14, Intermediate Sculpture;
Art 16. Benign: Art 18s Paint
ing: Art 20, Painting: Art 22,
Art .Methods for Children
BIOLOGY: Biology 15, Gen
cral Principles; Biology 16,
—Turn to Page Four
?ffect on Jan. 1, 1971, we have
mtlined below the strict pro
xdure which all county boards
nu;t follow until further
:hange is a^noun^ed bv the
—Turn to Page Five
Town Tags Are
Now On Sale
All residents of the Town of
Brevard are urged to buy
heir City license plates at an
tarly date.
They are now on sale at the
?ity Hall for $1.00 each.
The code of the Town of
Brevard requires that all resi
lent automobiles display a
rown license tag on and after
February 16th.
The tags are green on white
:o match the 1971 state licenses.
Asks For Guidance
Dr. Killian Prepares For
Session In State Senate
Dr. Carl D. Killian, preparing
to leave for Raleigh and his
first. session as a State Senator,
♦b*- week issued a statement
asking citizens of the 17 county
33rd Senatorial District then
views on issues.
“Your suggestion as to need
ed lpgi lation w;ll be studied
carefully, researched if needed
and aeted£on appropriately.”
Dr. Killiro* said. “I will look
to institutions and agencies to
give me guidance as to goalsv
directions, priorities. I thor
oughly appreciate sessions that
are intended to inform.”
The Democratic State Sena,
tor repeated his promises to
the citiaens: “To represent you
to the very best of my ability;
—Turn To Fake Four