THE YANCEY JOURNAL, MITCHELL OBSERVER
PAGE 14
Louise Watson Retires, Former Yancey Countian
The day came far her to
lay down the yoke of a job,
and all h»t friends took her
ty the arm and led her to a
little party on the third flocr
of the Buncombe Gbunty Cburt
house.
Mias Louise Watson is a
quiet, thoughtful woman, and
she is as most of the women
raised in the back country of
the mountains" a bit retiring.
She shies away from any fuss
made in her honor.
But they brought her into
the party and she smiled and
blushed and stood up as well
as she could under the terrible
pressure olfteing a gueSt of
honor. ■
She went to work far Dick
Hulme of the N«C O Depart -
ment of Veterans Affair - in
1947 and she had been with
him since.
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Before that, She had work
ed for 7 1/2 years with the
North Carolina ProbatiogXiaim
mission.
An" five of Yancey Comi
ty, she now lives at 88 Mui“'
dock Ave, Asheville. In her
neighborhood she is the same
quiet force as she was in the
Courthouse. Helpful, obser- *
vant, considerate, and very
sensitive to the people arcund
her. You do "not truly
how valuable she is in the day
to day life of the Courthouse
until suddenly she is not there
anymore. She left a great
vacancy when she retired.
2he has worked with thou
sands of veterans in a .five
county district. "They are
going to miss her, " Hulme
said. "She was intimately
acquainted with many of
their problems. She knew
right where their files were,
APRIL 13, 1971
vhat troubles many of them
had been through in trying to
get pensions or hospitalizeoni'
A party for Miss Louise
Watson--with punch and cook
ies and her fellow Courthouse
employees gathering around.
They were so nice to her.
How else to be? She bid spent
many years being nice to them. ”
She retired at 62 on a disa
bility—last year she had a
severe heart attack^
Yes, they fussed over her
and some of the older ones at
the party had fleeting envy
on their faces. Over, it was
now over far her. She could .
now go out of the work rou
tines and begin to live a life
—if she could hteak free of the
conditioning of the routines.
"No, " she said to a repor
ter, "I don't have an; defin
ite plans. I'm going to keep
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my home and live in Ashe
ville".
Mountain stock to the very
core, she said very little. But
Hulme came to the reporter
in one of those lulls at such
>
a party. - _
"Loyal and dedicated,tlatb
what, "he said. "She's the
old-time worker. The job
was important to her. She put
everything she had into it.
We'll never get another like
her. "
Then they gave her a gift,
and with that, Miss Louise
Watson got up—flattered and
flustered and smiling and
walked slowly down the hall
way to the office-ahere she
had put in her years.
' One last time, and then
home.
(Reprinted from The Na
tive Stone, Thurs. March 9)
Accent on AGRICULTURE
BY B. C. MANGUM
fc=== N. C. Farm Bureau Federation =====
It's no news to fanners that
their farm real estate taxes
keep going higher and higher,
and recent government figures
tell a discouraging story.
A rise of nine percent is re
corded from 1969 to 1970 --
marking the 28th straight year
'of increase.
The Federal Reserve Bank
of Chicago points out that farm
real estate tax levies more
than doubled between 1960
and 1970.
,In contrast, the BankreporQ
net farm income changed at a
much slower rate resulting in
taxes accounting for a larger
percentage of net farm income
in 1970 than in 1960,
The imbalance in the
growth in farm real estate tax
relative to farmers' incomes
has led to special differential
Yancey Tomatoes Are Good
By Allen McMurray
The exceptional quality of
trellised tomatoes produced in
Yancey County has become
well known, and the "Smokey
Mountain" Brand, from the Yan
cey County Producere Associa -
lion, is appreciated by consu
mers and produce buyets over
the eastern half of the United
States.
The production of trellised
tomatoes offers a good oppor-
All Recreation
Areas To Open
All fifty - eight Natioml
Forest Recreation Areas in
North Carolina will be open by
May 26 according to EfelThor
sen, Forest Supervisor. Some
areas such as the Neuse River
Area on the coast and th; Pink
Beds Area near the Cradle of
Forestry will open sooner de
pending on climate, use and
other variables, Thorsen said,
and anyone desiring informa -
tion about a special area should
contact the local District Ran
ger's Office.
Supervisor Thorsen urges
all persons using National For
est Developments to comply
with the fee requirements &
where applicable and observe
the posted occupancy regula
tions on all areas for the bene
fit and safety oi all concerned.
HOLISE OF CARPET
assessment laws in about half
of the SO states.
Basically the law in these
states allows farmland to be
appraised and taxed solely on
the basis of its value for agri -
cultural purposes. It helps
farmers near expanding urban
areas to keep their land in ag
ricultural use, or for recreation
al purposes, rather than having
to sell out because of soaring
taxes based on value of the land
for development.
Although there is currently
no special classification for
farmland in North Carolina, it
would seem to be in the public
interest to encourage the pre -
servation of bona fide farm
land and forest land in order
to maintain a readily avail -
able source of food and farm
products close to the people
of North Carolina.
lunity, for more farmers in the
Yancey County area to increase
the income by SISOO or $y 000
dollars for 1/2 acre of this crop.
Thirteen farmers who partici ~
paled in the Tomato Demon -
stratxon program in 1971 kept
records to show an average of
$3,-147 per acre return fix them
to put in their pockets after all
expenses were paid.
Only the hardest work ing
and best planning fanners
should grow tomatoes. This
crop requires careful planning
for top yields of 60 tons of
marketable fruit per acre. A
laborrequirement of 1,000 or
more ho Ms. per acre means lire
growers must plarr-their time
wisely and use their lime lo
the best advantage.
Tomatoes can mean doiijv
for Yancey County farmers and
a better way of life for thejn
and their families.
Birth
defects
r are
forever
...unless
help.
Working With The Blind
By Steve Stewart
Social Worker for the Blind • J
When a person becomes blind, whether through accident
or disease, he must reorganize his life. Fortunately, he does
not have to do this along. In beginning this reorganization,
the blind person can And help, ndt from a single person, but
from a team of people with special skills. While no tw o
persons have the same needs each newly blinded person
should begin his reorganization by contacting the local De
partment of Social Services where a Social Worker from the
State Blind Commission will be assigned to work with him.
The Social Worker or adviser, as he might be called,will
help determine his immediate needs since losing his sight.
There might be—financial aid, housing, counseling, em
ployment, personal adjustment and etc. The Social Work
er uses his own experience and resources as tools to meet
these needs as quickly as passible.
Once the basic needs are met, the client is usually re
ferred to a Rehabilitation Counselor. This Counselor arran
ges for educational and vocational evaluation, medical and
psychological diagnosis and treatment where necessary.
The Social Worker, Rehabilitation Counselor and medi
cal worker are prepared to make suggestions to the blind
person for treatment and/or training, depending on his abi -
litics, emotional and plvysical needs, background and most
important--by what he liimself wants to do.
Thr Social Worker and Rehabilitation Counselor work
Closely with the blind person at this point. He needs help
in discovering just what his desires are and in determining
Ms goals. A definite plan is formulated with the blind pier
son and he is given encouragement and counseling in carry -
ing out tills plan and reacMng Ms goal. TMs takes not only
professional skill but patience, tact and warmth on the part
of the persons working with the blind client,
For some clients training must be postponed until addi
tional medical treatment is given. ”
Once die blind person is ready for..training he usually gees
to die rehabilitation center. The one in North Carolina is
at Butncr. If a cMld, he wouM probably go to die State
School for the Blind at Raleigli.„
Once at the traimng center-he is given instruction in man
ual dexterity, courses in braille, in typing and in .personal
grooming. They are also given training in homcniaking
skills such as cooking, housekeeping, etc.
At tfic same time die person is given training in mobility
through aids, methods, services and skills that will enable
him to move about in a sight oriented world -with confidcirc
safety and purpose. „
The acqMsition of die basic skills varies with die indivi -
dual as does his capabilities fop a job or career. He may
now begin further vocational, tccMiical or professional train
ing at a rehabilitation center, technical school or at a col
lege or university.
TMs process of movement from a newly blinded person to
a trained, capable person may not have taken mondis, but
ye «irbo
The final step is finding a job and becoming independent.
Help in getting a job comes from Rehabilitation Counselors,
Social Workers, Employemcnt bureau workers and any and
all members of the State Commission's "team". Howevcq
in many cases it is die blind person Mmsclf who finds his
own job dirough the confidence and traimng he lias acquired.
For some of the blind, especially die elderly, Vocational
Rehabilitation and going to work is not possible. However,
rehabilitative services arc helpful to a limited degree
in personal reorganization and learmng daily living skills^
Even diose who arc multifile-handicapped can become at
least semi-independent.
Fortunately our state has the N.C. Stats Commission for
die Blind which stresses a team effort on behalf of all its em
ployees to assure the best possible life far all our state's blin
ded citizens.
For further information about apy or all of these cervices
contact your local Department of Social Services
Bedspread
Made From
Leftover?
Mrs. Betty Howell, Ox
ford, has found a unique way
to use small leftover pieces
of polyester knits.
Working in her spare
time, she designed and con
structed a colorful and at
tractive bedspread. “The
spread,” says Extension
Home Economics Agent
Linda Bright, “is made up
of 950 individual pieces
stitched together.”
Each piece was made
from a large circle that
was gathered at the edge
and pulled into a powder *
puff effect. The raw edges
were covered with a small
circle cut from a contrast
ing color and stitched in
place. 5 ...
Alter ell the ciroles
were completed, they were
arranged in a colorful
array and stitched at the
edges to form an attractive
open work design, Miss
Bright adds.
GIVE...
so more
will live
HEART
FUND