Newspapers / The Highlander (Highlands, N.C.) / May 24, 1973, edition 1 / Page 1
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I H L R May 16 64 29 .00 May 17 56 42 .00 May 18 62 26 .00 May 19 62 40 .00 May 20 65 44 .82 May 21 70 39 .00 May 22 74 42 .00 The ONLY Newspaper in This Wide World Devoted Exclusively to Promoting The Highlands Area Published in the Highest Elevated and Most Hospitable Town in Eastern America Thursday, May 24,1973 0. Air Conditioned by Nature Highlands, N. C. 28741 10* A Copy Spring Tour interesting By Phyllis Joy Have you ever fallen in love with a goat -- named Delilah? That’s exactly what a good number of the Highlands* Cashiers Garden Club mem bers and guests did on Thurs day, May 17th, during the tour of the Carl Sandburg Estate at Flat Rock, N.C. This estate, with it’s 3 story, 20 room home, 27 other buildings, and compris ing 246.7 acres, was the lo cale of this year’s Spring Tour of the Highlands-Cash iers Garden Club. Approximately 70 mem bers and guests enjoyed the beautiful day, tour, and de licious luncheon served by the "Village Inn”, located on highway 25, near Flat Rock. The Sandburg estate, pur chased in 1969 by the Dept, of Interior, National Park Ser vice, as a National Monument, was made available to the Highlands - Cashiers Garden Club by special arrangement. Until the United States Con gress appropriates the money to structurally re-enforce the 135 year old home, and pro vide ample parking facilities, the estate cannot be opened to the general public. Three young men, all pre sently with the National Park Service, conducted various groups about the estate. Mr. James Haynes, in charge, took one group; Mr. Gordon Gay, a newly arrived Curator took another, while Mr. David , Sheppard, a student major ing In History at Beloit Col lege, Beloit, Wisconsin, and involved with the tremendous job of cataloguing the con tents of the home, took a third group. All young men were enthusiastic and very well in formed about the many facets of life at the Sandburg home and farm. The home, built as a sum mer. residence in 1838 by a Christopher Menninger of Charleston, S.C., was named ‘•Connemara" after a county in Ireland. The name means "Country Estate". TheSand burgs were the third owners of the estate, purchasing the place In 1945 from a Mr. Smythe. Throughout the tour one fact became clear; that although the name "Carl Sandburg" is the one the world accalims, his wife was the mainstay of the family. It was she, who, in the first place, selected their North Carolina home, who managed the family fin ances, and who was the actual manager of this working farm. Besides these various chores she cheerfully “put-up" with eccentric husband who never threw anything away. Cau you visualize the moving from Michigan to North Caro lina a library of 13,000books, letters and cards dating back 40 odd years, periodicals of similar vintage, household goods, three daughters, and 300 goats? The interest in goats began when one of the daughters could not tolerate cow's milk. From this beginning the Sand burgs developed pedigreed, prize goats’ one of thier "Tog genburg" variety, a Swiss ori ginated goat, in 1960, set a world record of milk produc tion which is still unchal lenged. Ultimately, the Sand burgs specialized in three breeds of goats; the Swiss Toggenburgs, and Saanens, and the Nubian breed. It is this last group, the Nu bian goat, to which little De lilah belongs. When the estate becomes opened to the general public, do go visit Delilah; you'll love her tool Library meeting The Board of Trustees of die Hudson Library will hold its annual spring meeting at the Library on Tuesday, May 29, at 2 p.m. All Board members are urged to attend as plans for die summer are to be formu lated and matters of lmpor | tance to the Library are to be considered. ■ ( / THIS OLD PHOTO SHOWS A BIT of “downtown” Highlands around 1917. Part of the Holt Building housed the post office at that particular time. Postmaster in 1917 was the late Rev. W. T. (Uncle Billy) Potts, grandfather of the present postmaster. Casting plays isn't easy By Michael Hall Last summer after a per formance of "CharlieBrown" at the Highlands Playhouse a woman came up to me and said, “Where did you find those actors? They were per fect for their partsi*' I thanked her and said I was "just lucky," but that was really a lie. Casting is just about the most difficult part of play production. It can drive a director mad. It’s true that when the right actors are available for the right parts the results are glorious. I’ll never forget my first opening night in High lands five summers ago when veteran character actress Marye Brent stomped onstage as die pistol-packin’ Widow Appleby in an old-fashioned "meller-drammer." She was Marjorie Main to the core. And the next summer former Ziegfeld Girl and one-time Broadway star Claire Luce accepted an invitation to ap pear with us as the regal but aging actress in "The Cave Dwellers.” To say that she was perfect for the role is no insult — or undue com pliment. It could have been written for her. But ideal casting doesn’t always happen. Actors can play havoc with directors’ lives. They have a habit of walking out on them, forcing last-minute replacements. Or they may be marvelous in their parts, but they can’t learn the lines. Then there are actors who want to work, but require too much money, or too much attention, or too much say so in areas that are. none of their business. In our case, there are lots of good actors who want to work in Highlands but they’re afraid of a paint brush, or they don't like morning rehea rsals, or they're allergic to dust. Those actors we can do without. This season we've sched uled "I Am A Camera," John van Druten's beautiful play verson of Christopher) Isherwood*s "Berlin Stor ies” and the basis for the popular current film success, ' 'Cabaret." I found a wonder ful cast for it in New York, returned home with full con fidence, and immediately re ceived a telegram from my young character man who said he “regretted that he had to back out." I was beside my self. How do you replace a tall, good-looking actor who has the necessary German accent for the role and blends per fectly with the rest of the cast--who is available to come to Highlands at the precise time you need him for little more than pin money, is suf ficiently versatile to play a British butler and a far-out movie director in two other plays, and who doesn’t balk when you tell him you don’t have a backstage bathroom. What do you do? What I did was to send an S.O.S. to all drama schools in the Southeast, post ads in "Backstage” and other trade papers in New York, and write everyone 1 knew who in turn might know someone. Now I have twenty - odd photos, resumes and audition tapes from potential replacements, but it’s difficult to make de cisions when you can’t inter view the candidates in per son. In days gone by when we were die Highlands Com munity Theatre there were many people who volunteered their acting talents in their spare time. Rehearsals per iods were longer. Fewer performances were sched uled. But now the town and our theatre membership have grown so much that we must keep one show in performance while another Is in rehear sal. Actors are needed on a full-time basis. Busy resi dents and summer vacationers are understandably reluctant to commit themselves to re hearsals that begin at 10 a.m. and end at 11 p.m. Don’t misunderstand — we need all the volunteers we can find! But we must also stick to a rigid rehearsal schedule in order to get the curtain open for thirty-two performances during a seven ty-day period. As a result, casting four plays (including two musicals) has demanded many hours and many miles. This year I saw 512 actors deliver one-minute monologues during a two-day period at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Pen sacola. Unimpressed by what I saw, (or merely mind boggled, I’m not sure which,) I flew to New York, rented a rehearsal hall near Times Square, and auditioned fifty New York actors. Yes, 1 found some exciting talent. To complete the company I interviewed more actors in Orlando, Atlanta, Fort Laud erdale and Tampa. As a result I’ve gotten most of the people we need, but there are still one or two ‘‘holes.’’ The pro blem is that all of us want David Merrick productions on bread and shoestring budgets. Good news, however, is that singer-dancer Randy Hugill has postponed his New York pavement-pounding to spend a second summer as actor choreographer in Highlands, THE ABOVE PICTURE SHOWS STUDENTS (left to right) Allan James, David Keener, Occupational Education Project at Highlands School. and Woody Woodall is avail able to do our musicals with us in between appearances at the Theatre Festival in Win ston-Salem and a national tour as a member of Agnes De MiUe's dance troupe. Brenau College drama pressor Jim Propes 'Jurald.' >wn levins roles ir.several aflmmer stock companies to play supporting roles in Highlands because he said he liked us better. And actress Barbara Bradshaw chose Highlands over a four month dinner theatre tour be cause, as she says, "I prefer mountains to money." Lots of other good actors are scheduled to come to High lands, too. Fortunately there is something about our town that appeals to them and they overlook our crowded dress ing room and our lack of back stage bathrooms. Hopefully we will solve some of these needs in the near future. A bigger mem bership and more contribu tions is the answer to our building problems. Money keeps living theatre alive. But casting will always be difficult. Its headaches are forgotten, however, when an actor fulfills his promise and delivers a believable char acter. When a Randy Hugill turns his baseball cap side ways and becomes Charlie Brown, or a Woody Woodall flops his hair and arfs like Snoopy, it’s worth the sleep less nights, the interminable phone calls and sitting through all 512 of those awful mono logues. Pembroke graduate Mary Penelope Garner graduated suinma cum laude with a B.S. in Music Education Sunday, May 13, from Pem broke State University. Mrs. Garner is married to Clarence Rodney Garner of Red Springs, N.C. She is the daughter of Isabelle McDonald Rogers (wife of Ed Rogers of Highlands) and the late Mar shall Bryan McDonald of Red Springs. Mrs. Garner is also the re cipient of one of two outstand ing music student awards pre sented at Pembroke. The music student awards are based on (1) outstanding musi cianship, (2) contribution to the Music Department, and (3) academic scholarship. While at Pembroke Mrs. Garner was a member of the P.S.U. concert band and con cert choir, and a member of the University Singers. She is a member of the Music Educator’s National Confer ence. During her junior year she was awarded the Fred Bohrer Music Award, an honor schol arship for students excelling in music achievements. She plans to teach public school music next year. Graduation exercises May 30; Baccalaureate Sermon Sunday Graduation exercises Wed nesday night. May 30, pre ceded by the Baccalaureate Sermon Sunday night, May 27, mark the final high school activities for 24 seniors and 6 juniors who are graduating this year in Highlands. The 6 junior graduates have taken extra subjects and maintained an 85 averageto meet require ments for graduation. In the senior class. Miss Sandra Vinson is valedictor ian; Frank Watts issalutator ian. Sandra is the daughter of Katherine Vinson and the late Hoyt Vinson; Frank is the son of Frank and Ruby Watts. The Baccalaureate Sermon will be held in the school gym-auditorium at8p.m.Sun day. The Rev. Conrad Wash am, pastor of the Highlands United Methodist Church will have the sermon, assisted in the service by the Revs. Fred Hovey, Ray Barfield and Har vey Stewart. The high school chorus, under the direction of Mrs. Stoney Hinkle will sing “America Our Heritage.” Mrs. Robert DuPree will be pianist. Marshals who will serve at both events are Don Keener, chief, James Cleaveland, Mark McDowell, Brenda Houston and Lisa Hunter. Marshals are chosen from the junior class for outstanding scholastic achievement over two and one-half years. Mas cots for the graduating class are Susie deVille and Jeff Are outstanding students Stoney G. Hinkle principal of Highlands High School an-' nounced today the selection of the school’s students who have been chosen as members of The Society of Outstand ing American High School Stu dents, one of the nation’s lead ing high school honoraries The students are: Sandra Kay Vinson, Deborah Joan Dry man, Dianne Alison Taylor, Don Allen Keener, and Brenda Alice Houston. With the assistance of high school principals and coun selors from across the na tion, The Society of Outstand ing American High School Students strives to further the pursuance of academic achievement and civic re sponsibility on the part of American youth. The Society accepts for Tip Toe tonight! from au accounts, a top feature of entertainment is scheduled tonight (Thursday) at Highlands School when some 88 youngsters take part in a performance that savors of old fashioned vaudeville. ‘Tip Tde Through -The Tu lips," a dance number with five boys and five girls is just one of the presentations to be seen. Hours and hours have gone into the making of costumes, carrying out a red, white and blue theme. There will be slapstick comedy, other dance numbers, and plenty of popu lar songs from bygone days. There will even be trumpet New shop opening The Ice Cream Shop, op erated by David and Lou Anne Bleakley and daughters, Pam Pat and Karen, will open Fri day, May 25, In Highlands. The shop, offering complete fountain service, is located next to Phelps House in what was formerly the L. W. Rice residence. The Bleakleys are adopted Highlanders from St. Peters burg, Fla., and own ahomeoff H ickory Gap Road in the Turtle Pond area. They plan a "gay 90's" or perhaps a "roaring 20’s” ice cream parlor atmosphere, with musical background matching the period. In addition to regular ice cream, sodas, and shakes, such specials as "The Cliff side," “The Highlander" and "Scotch - on - the - Rocks" (butterscotch, that is) offer mouthwatering possibilities to the customer. Post office to be closed The Highlands Post Office will be closed in observance of Memorial Day,1 Monday, May 28th. There will be no window service or delivery of mail by rural and star route car riers. Special Delivery Ser vice will be provided within the one-mile delivery area. There will be one receipt of mail scheduled to arrive from the Asheville Sectional Center at 8:20 a.m. Mail will be dispatched to Ashe ville at 3:45 p.m. Mail for this dispatch should be de posited in the letter drop or collection box at least one half hour prior to the time of departure. Incoming mail will be dis tributed to the box sections by approximately 11:00 a.m. players to aaa a special dii of jazzy rhythm to the scene. The piano has been deliv ered to the school, and will be dedicated. Money raised previously has gone toward payment, and tile proceeds from tonight’s entertainment will be used for the same pur pose. Admission Is $1 for adults, 750 for children. Everyone is urged to come out for this entertainment for the pure enjoyment it will af ford, and also to help a good cause and lend encourage ment to the young perform ers. "Curtain time" is 8 o'clock. Wins award A special award was pre sented Monday, May 21, to Tommy James.Jr., who works at Highlands Shell Service in Highlands, N.C. The award, a plaque bear ing two rare silver dollars (one Eisenhower Dollar and one Liberty Head Dollar), two Kennedy Half-Dollars and a specially minted commemo rative coin set in an auto motive engine design, was presented for exceptional cus tomer service by a represen tative of The Gates Rubber Company. The Denver-based rubber company sponsors this na tion-wide contest (now in its 41st year) to reward service station personnel who provide exceptional customer ser vice. A fleet of "Gates Mys tery Cars” regularly travels across the country stopping at service stations. Each "Mystery Car” has a pur posely installed, worn fan belt. Award Plaques are presented to station personnel who notice the defective belt and offer to replace it. membership only young men and women who have distin guished themselves as their school's highest achievers. Members of The Society are now competing for over $640,000.00 in renewable col lege scholarships. These scholarships consist of unrestricted cash awards to colleges of the students’ choice and renewable annual scholarships to selected col leges and universities across the nation. The Society of Outstanding American High School Students Awards Pro gram is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Society members are also recognized in an annually pub lished volume entitled THE SOCIETY OF OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, which is dis tributed nationally to colleges, universities, corporations anc libraries. Because of their accom plishments, these students are most deserving of recognition by the school, the community, and the nation. As leaders of Amferican youth they re present the most important segment of our society. Talley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph dcVille and son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Talley. Other senior graduates, in addition to the valedictorian and salutatorian are Neil Am mons, Sandra Crane, Deborah Dryman, Jerry Green, Robert Houston, Ervin Keener, Mar tha Lewis, Leroy McCall, Roberta McCall, Jane McKin ney, Linda McKinney, Charles Nasser, Wayne Potts, James Potts, Richard Rhodes, Frankie Speed, Dianne Tay lor, Michael Thompson, Jerry Tilson, Cecil Vinson, Ronnie Waller, and Gay Wilson. The six junior graduates are Elaine Burrell, Robert Crowe, Janice Wilson DeRose, Patsy Talley Moss, Rose Moss and Terry Tritt. Graduation exercises will be held at 8 p.m. Wednesday the 30th at the school. Pre sentation of honor and aca demic awards will also be made at this time to high school students. Appears in play Tyson David Stephenson, sohpomore speech and thea ter arts major, appeared as T.V, in Rosalyn Drexler’s SOFTLY, AND CONSIDER THE NEARNESS, one of three one-act plays presented May 16-17 at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N.C. Mr. Stephenson is a mem* ber of the University Players and has played one year of football for Western. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul V. Stephenson, Rt. 2, Highlands. Ham TOMMY JAMES displays his plaque of rare coins awarded for “exceptional customer service" by Gates Rubber Company. See story. t KH JAMES OWENS, student at Highlands School, works on the figure of an old man In the woodcarving class of the Occupational Educational Project. 4 )
The Highlander (Highlands, N.C.)
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May 24, 1973, edition 1
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