TOTE FOR '
better schools
1W '
VOLUME TWENTY
Convict Breaks Out Os
Yancey Prison Camp
An old hand at breaking ou t
of prison, Rocky David Jordon,
32, broke out of the Yancey
County Prison Camp last Tues
day to make his seventh prison
escape, according to Ralph
Fellowship Mission
Holds Special Service
Evang. H. M. Alley, Director
of Faith Fellowship invites the
general public to attend special
services at Faith Fellowship
Mission in East Burnsville this
weekend, —Friday and Satur
day nights and morning and
evening of Sunday, October 21,
22, *ns| 2§. *
■Guest speaker sod raysiri&na
fOP thege four services will be
Evang. Dick Knox and wife of
New York state and Tennessee.
These fine young people are
back in the south for a few
meetings after a heavy sched
ule of conference and evangelis
tic warjc in the north and mid
west, Both are accomplished
musicians, and it will be a real
treat to hear their full pro
gram of vocal and instrumen
tal music- Many will remem
ber that Evang. Knox, who was
o-ice principal speaker during
the Faith Fellowship Mission
ary and Evangelistic Confer
ence last June, is quite an
artist with the Trombone, as
■well as being an able preacher
MUfa* Gospel. »
4-H Calve* Entered
In State Fair
Ronnie and Loretta RQhjn
son pf Newdale,
the Micfyiija 4**H piqh,
twq calyea entered the State
f#ir «t Raleigh this w•
County Agaut 8, L- Dillingham
fays that as far as he
ttiese calves are the first live- ,
stock from Yancey County Ito
enter the State Fair, this year ;
or in previous years. '
The calve# entered by gw 1
Robinsons are Jersey hellers ■
Whidh placed first in s|«
County ptid District 4-H Calf i
Shows this fall One was w
junior champion heifer in the
District Show at
Ronnie and Loretta are the
fchUdreo of Mr. and Mrs. B|ryl 1
Robinson of Newdale. 1
jOnly 56 Shopping
Days To Buy Your (
Christmas Trees
Sale of Roan Mountaip
Christmas trees will again .be ■
undertaken by the m en Pf
Burnsville Presbyterian
«h this year, as a projwt to
raise funds for the church. Rp- l
?»resentatives of the Pxestxyter* ;
an men's group attended the I
auction at Roan Mountain
yesterday to procure the Christ- !
mas trees. I
»
FUNERAL .SERVICES f
THOMAS J. GEOUGE
Funeral services will be held
at the Browns Creek Baptist
Church, (Today) Thursday at
2:00 p. m. for Thomas J-
Geouge, 48, Who passed away
in a veterans hospital Tuesdfjy
afternoon after a long illneqjp.
Rev. Arthur Pate, Rev. Jge
Petree, and Rev.
Ltngenecker will official.
Burial will be in the Carroway
cemetery. He is survived by the
widow, one daughter, and three
step sons of the home. Hj#
mother, Mrs. Martha Geouge 0
Celo, six sisters and three bo
thers also survive.
The Yancey Record
SUB. RATES $2.00 YEAR.
✓ „
England, superintendent of the
; f am P- Serving sentences total
ing almost up to 50 years for
crimes ranging from larceny
to highway robbery, Jordon
made his escape from the soli
tary confinement cell block
early Tuesday morning. The
escape was accomplished by
( sawing 11 bolts that held the
bars of the prison window. It
is not known how Jordon
, managed to get the hacksaw
blades, but it is suspected that
the blades were secreted in the
cell block for that purpose by
one of the prison Trusties. He
was confined to solitary, last
Thursday Wnen he refused to
continue wqrk- At the regular
round of inspection at 12:10
Tuesday morning he was still
in his cell, but was missing at
the next round 30 minutes
later.
There is evidence that Jor
don ransacked a car owned by
I. D. Bailey and stole various
items of clothing, It ig gjs 0
suspected that he made his
getaway from this area in a
car stolen from Jimmy Peteqpon
Although Jordon had been
confined to this camp only since i
last July, he had served time
here previously and was involv
ed in another prison break, at i
which time he assaulted Edd 1
Proffitt of Bakersville. He i
was sentenced from 3 to 4 ]
years additional time for this \
assault. | <
Yancey Schools Found
A committee of five men
studying Yancey County scho
ols on behalf of the State
Board of Education two years
ago described tine local school
situation as “grave." They re
ported “conditions sq congested
and building needs so great
that it is extremely difficult
to make feasible recommenda
tions whidh will provide an
educational program and faci
lities to which t*ho children of
Yancey County are entitled.
The committee consisted of
Dr. E. C. Bolmeier from Du’/j
University, D. 7. Dark from
ttae Division of Transportation
of the State Board of Educa
tion, T. C. Roberson, Superin
tendent of Buncombe County
Schools, Royce M. Morrison
and W. L. Latham from tine
(Division of School Planning.
They visited Yancey County
schools from August 31 to
September 2, 1953. They in
spected every school in she
county except Lost Cove, Dou
ble Island, and Prices Creek.
FINDING^
•Here are excerpts from ttieir
descriptions of some of the
most crowded and inadequate
school buildings:
MICAV'I'LLE SCHOOL was
found to be crowded beyond all
possibilities of conducting nor
mal classroom situations. A
small room on one side of the
stage wifih less than 100 square
feet was used for a classroom,
With practically no light or
ventilation. A large per cent
of classrooms designed for 80-
86 children bad been partition
ed, with this number or more
crowded into each side. Science
and home-making were attempt
ed in room* which had no more
than one-fourth the needed
space. The lunch room seated
90; over 600 were fed here.
CLEARMONT SCHOOL had
several average-size classrooms
divided with partitions to pro
vide for additional sections of
classes. A very inadequate room
was provided for home econom
ics. The cafeteria was. small
and inadequate.
“DEDICATED TO THE PIQGRESS OF YANCEY COUNTY”
BURNSVILLE, N. C., THURi3 D*, OCTOBER 20, 1955
REV. JOHN G. SPURRIER
CONDUCTS PRESBYTERIAN
REVIVAL SERVICES
Revivals Services began last
night at the Micaville Presby
terian Church, in Micaville,
with the Rev. John Graham
Spurrier, of Newport, Tennes
see, the guest minister. The
I dates of the services are from
Wednesday, October 19, throu
gh Wednesday, October 2d. The
services begin at 7:30 each
evening, preceded by a time for
prayer at the church at 7:00.
Rev. Spurrier is pastor of the
Newport Pensbyterian Church,
where a week of revival ser
vices have been completed in
the last few days. He is a mem
ber of Holston Presbytery.
“Everyone is most cordially I •
invited to come and attend the
services each evening, and this 1
means all ages, too,” announced <
Rev. Hershey J. Longenecker, j
pastor, Micaville Presbyterian 1
Church- .. r ..m-r#- »j
_ I
BALD CREEK, in order to
house all pupils, supplemented
its main building* by two
frame buildings in i bad
state of repair. In one of 1
these (formerly a residence) a '
peculiar L-ahaped room was
crowded with children. Another -
classroom was approximately '
8 by 40 feet.
THE BURNSVILLE ELE- i
MENTARY SCHOOL building 1
was found woefully inadequate, j
housing twice as wany children 1
as it was designed to accomo- j
(date. All rooms were over
crowded; most, very substand- ,
ard. The building was reported ,
to be of -poor' design and gener-- <
ally in a bad state'‘of repair.
BURNSVILLE NEG R O ,
SCHOOL was reported to have
deplorable conditions. The lfr _
Negro children enrolled were
housed in a most dilapidated
frame building. The outdoor
toilet, remotely located frqm
the school, served both bqys
and girls. There was no rq*c|
t 0 the school. It was necessary :
to walk about one-eighth of a .
mile down a steep, crooked j
path to get to the school.
recommendations ■
The committee stated, “The
present organization of Yancey
County sdhools is neither eco- 1
nomical nor effective. If high ;
school instruction in the coun- :
ty is ever to meet the needs for
a well-balanced and
there will have to be :
some consolidation for facili
ties.
“At the present time only
children attending the Burns- '
ville School have available to 1
them vocational agriculture and
.general shop work. Business
Education or commercial work :
is very limited. These should
be mpde available to all child- 1
ren in the county. Facilities
for home economics, music,
science, health and physical
leducaltion and the like shobld
be brought up. to date. —oriiy
through consolidation of faci
lities can a well-rounded
program of education be pro
vided at reasonable cost for all
the children of the county.
Member FFA
Attend tate Fair
——
The follow.g members of
I the Burnsvie Chapter of
Future Farn*e of America
are on a tob* o judging team
and are attefing the State
Jair in Ralefc, October 20-
22: Stanley (inter, Dan Lew
,!!’ ? U- Hensley, Edgar
Wheeler, Wa* Adkins, and
| ip hilip Bailey They .will be
| accompanied A> Max Proffitt
Tnis contesv i s state wide
, and is open tr/FFA and 4-H
I Club members
No Huntng Allowed
; On Parkfay Lands
Now that th big game hunt
: ing season is >j>en in North
Carolina the Superintendent'
of the Blue Rige Parkway re
minds hunters that since this /
area, like ill wits in the Na
tional Park Seyice, is a .wild
life sanctuary no hunting
whatsoever ia | permitted on
Parkway lands.
The regulates have been
amended, howe’er, to provide
that “During tie hunting sea
sons prescribed fby the States
of North Carolina and Virgin
ia, between the.dates of Octo
ber 16 and Janiiry 31, hunters
may, under permits, park vehi
cles in designated aJeas and <
cross Parkway finds from and
to their vehicles with dogs on
leash, firearms wit)* breach or ,
chamber open, and wildlife law'- ■
fully killed on lands adjacent
OTTYfi? Glilesfne *
Singecat, located at milepost 1
345.5. Permits for it’s use may
be obtained from District Ran
ger James W, Godbolt who liv
es at Llnville Falls or Park
Ranger Myrl G. Brooks who
lives at Blowing Rock.
Each hunter, whether driver
of the car which i s parked in a
designated parking area or a
member of. the party, is re
quired to have a permit.
Game taking refuge on
Parkway land maty not be
disturbed.
Hunters may cross the Park
way boundary from ohe side to
■the other by the most direct
route, except through a recrea
tional area, with unloaded guns
and dogs on leash.
Hunters may travel the Park
way motor road in their cars
with guns unloaded ,afod, eased
<jri"broken‘ down and concealed
so as to prevent their use and
with game lawfully killed.
462 Persons X-rayed
On First Day
462 persons were X—rayed
in and near Burnsville last
Friday, the largest number to
be X—rayed in a single day
in this county. This included
113 at the prison camp, all
high school and lunch room
workers and many of the teach
ers at Burnsville High School,
and persons who visited the
mobile unit after it reached its
location in the Ernest Briggs
parking lot on East Main St.
1 It will be open from 11a. m. to
5 p. m. daily except Sundays
and Mondays until October 26,
when it will close about 3 p. m.
and be moved out of the
district.
Carl Rovell, technician with
the mobile X—ray unit, was a.
guest of the Burnsville Lions
Club the night before the start
of the survey in Burnsville. Dr.
Cameron F. Mcßae, program
chairman for the club, spoke on
“Chest X—ray Surveys”, with
especial reference tto the one
now in progress. \
Totals for the survey at Bald
Creek and for the first three
days in Burnsville are as fol
lows: Bald Greek, 397; Burns
ville, 65^.
Mercury Rises f
temperature Fails
column of mercury
is steadily rising on the over
size thermometer on tde Bur
nsville square,. recording from
day to day the progress being
made in- -tde Yancey' 5 County
Fund campaign. It stands now
.at close to $5,000 on its way up
to the $11,300 goal.
The Campaign Committee
members report they are find
ing it difficult to keep track,
day by day, of the actual
amount subscribed, and it is
believed that more than the
amount shown on the thermo
hieter has been raised but not
yet reported. There are many
volunteer workers who have
been soliciting contributions,
have not yet sent in their
reports.
In order to assist in keeping
track of progress made, the
Campaign Covsrmittee is urging
workers throughout the county
to send in partial reports on
their collections to date, and
■not wait until their canvassing
is completed. Reports should be
sent to Harlon Holcombe,
Treasurer of the United Fund.
Encouraging reports are
being received from a number
of areas in the County. An ex
ample is tde cooperation in
Bald Creek between the Wom-
Home Demonstration Club
and the Lions Club to organize
a house to house canvass in the
area. Another example has been
the better than 99 percent par
ticipation by employees of the
Glgn Raven Mill in contributing
full work.
jfc-
Clubs To Observe
a
Achievement Night
„ The county Home Demonstra
tion* Clubs and the 4-H Clubs
will join forces this year in the
observation of achievement '
night. Tne two groups of or
ganizations will meet at the
Duplan cafeteria October 29,
at 6:30, according to Miss Sue
Nottingham, county home ag
ent. This is planned to be a
fkmily affair, with each family
asked to bring a covered dish
for the supper meeting.
The various clubs or indi
vidual members will put on
exhibits demonstrating accom
plishments of the year. 4-H
Club members will be in charge
of recreation. There will also
be a fashion show at which
clothing made by members of
the clubs Will be modeled by
women and children,
■ " ' "
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-THREE-YEAR CKLD BOY MISSING Part of more
than 1,000 volunteers, including' U. S. Marines stationed near
Crane, Indiana, wove shoulder to shoulder through the woods
and thickets searching fpr 3-year old Ronnie Wietkamp who
vanished without a trace. Police have expressed a fear of
kidnapping rumors,
- '
+*‘- '■ '*'* ' ■* - - -■— - •■- -■•-*fr-
Bond,'.School Issues To
». Be Voted On Oct 29
Regular polling places in all
the townships of Yancey Coun
ty will be open from 7:30 a.
m. until 6 p. m. on Saturday,
October 29, for the School
Bond Election, to decide wheth
er the county shall issue school
bonds in the amount of $300,000
Voters will also be given an
opportunity to choose whether
they wish to have one or two
new high schools to replace the
present five high schools in
the county.
The Yancey County Board
of Education, of which Roy
Yancey Hospital
Reports Seven Births
The population of Yancey
County was increased by seven.
Seven births were announced
by the hospital this week. They
include a daughter, sßita Fay,
bora October 12 to Mr. and
Mrs. Estel Higgins, Cane Riv
er; a son, Brack Rex, born Oct.
14 to Mr. and Mrs. Brack Dav
is, Pensacola; a daughter,
Sheila Diana, born Oct. 15 to
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Thomas, ,
Cane River; a daughter, Fran
ces, born Oct. 15 to Mr. and
Mrs. Dave Brandenburg, Pen
sacola; a daughter, Vickie
Diana, born Oct. 16, to Mr. and
Mrs. Roy Bennett, Star Rt.;
a son, Stewart Douglas, born
Oct. 16 to Mr, and Mrs. Lester
"■ ■ ■ ■ - «.l
Oct. 18 to Mr. and Mrs. Woney
Robinson, Green Mtn.
Other admissions include
Paul McCurry, Diana Robin
son, Judy Peterson, Margaret
Allen, and Phyllis Conley, Rt.
1, Burnsville; Lucy Peterson,
and Rose Roland, Burnsville; 1
Edna Hylemon, Bald Creek;
Gladys Wilson, and Dewey Sil
vers, Rt. 2, Burnsville; Fired
Harrell, Rt. 2, Bakersville; and
> Doris Ledford, Pensacola.
One Or Two Schools?
Here Are Some Facts
A round-up of facts and
opinions regarding the ques
tion of whether Yancey County
should have one or two new
high schools (in place of One
present five) brings out 'One
following points:
The relative costs, as figured
by the State Division of School
Planning, are an estimated
$650,00U to $700,000 for one
900-pupil high school, or a cost
VOTE FOR
BETTER SCHOOLS
NUMBER EIGHT
- ' ta»
Ray is chairman, states that
the bond issue will not increase
ithe county tax rate. At the
present time Yancey County
has an indebtedness of $603,-
000, which it ia paying off-jk
$63,000 per year. This would
pay the entire debt by 1965.
If the bond issue is passed,
total indebtedness would be
increased to $903,000. *But the
rate for payment would be
lowered, and the county would
continue to pay $63,000 per
year. Instead of paying out in
1965, it would pay out in 1975.
If the county bond issue is
passed by the voters, State aid
is assured to supplement the
$300,000, for the building and
remodeltng needed to relieve the
present critical situation in
Yancey County schools. The
sum of $238,000 from the first
distribution of the $50,000,000
state school bond issue has
been set aside by the State
Department of Education to be
used for Yancey County accord
ing to the discretion of the
Department. It is expected that
this sum, plus a probable
$250,000 or $300,000 from the
second $25,000,000 of the state
bond issue not yet distributed,
will be made available for
State-approval school construc
tion and improvement once
the county bond issue is passed.
WTOE Postponed
The opening date of Radio
Station WTOE has been post
poned until November 1, or
shortly thereafter, according t» s
Tom Cooper, president of the
corporation. The postponement
became necessary when several
pieces of e|ectronic equipment
were held up in transit. The
equipment has now arrived and
work on the station is progress
ing rapidly.
I per pupil of $720 to $780; for
each of two 450-pupil - high
schools, an estimated $450,000
to $500,000, or a cost per Rupil
of SIOOO to $llOO. These costs
are based on an estimated area
of 80,000 square feet for the
one high school or 54,000
square feet for each of two
higfii school buildings. This
would mean 89 square feet per
pupil with one school, or 120
square feet per pupil with two
schools.
Maintenance costs, as well as
original cost, would be greater
for two high schools than for
one. It is reasonably certain
that one 900-pupil school would
have more facilities and offer
a greater variety of subjects
and services than would each
of the two smaller high schools.
It is also likely that tine- State
would provide more than twice
as many teachers for the- one
school then for each of the two,
because of the eligibility of
the larger school for additional
subjects. There seems little
doubt that the one larger high
School eould provide Yancey
County students with more
opportunities at a lower cost
than could the two smaller
high schools. » • :
On the other hand, those
who favor the high schools feel
that the greater distance
Which some students migfct
need to travel to one central
high school blight discourage
some from finishing high
school; and that in extra
curricular activities those stud
ents Who need to travel a long ~
distance would be at a disad-
I vantage compared with those
I living near vne ecnooi* •
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