Teacher of the Year

Mrs. Lucille Bright Simmons has been named the Pocahontas County “Teacher of the Year” for 1961. Mrs. Simmons in her 33^rd year of teaching, and is now teaching the primary grades at the Seneca Trail School at Slaty Fork. Her patrons think her interest in and control of her students rank her among the best.

The 1961 honoree is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey K. Bright, of Marlinton, and is one of a family of 10 children, three boys and seven girls. She attended school in Marlinton, where she was valedictorian of the graduating class of 1928 at Marlinton High School.

In high school she took Normal Training Courses and completed the Standard Normal Course of Study at Concord College in August of 1934.

She says she grew up with the idea of teaching school. Her father taught school when she was very small. That was in the days of the old Institutes, and some of his teacher friends from a distance would stay with the Brights and attend Institute; she was much interested in these visitors.

All of her teaching has been in Pocahontas County: two years at the Dry Branch School; six years teaching the primary grades at Campbelltown; and teaching the primary grades at Seneca Trail School at Slaty Fork for 25 years.

“As to my teaching,” said Mrs. Simmons, “I have tried to give my best. All the teachers I have been privileged to teach with have been most understanding and helpful. The wholehearted cooperation of the community, both parents and friends of the school, has enabled us to have a very active PTA group and through this group our school has benefitted in many ways. There are improvements to the lunch room, such as curtains and a deep freezer. A movie projector and record player are other recent additions. These were financed by carnivals, cake walks, bake sales, ramp suppers and the like.”

More Monsters

The same monster seen at Cold Run Hill was recently seen by two boys coming back from Cass, crossing the railroad track at Stony Bottom. The next morning they went back where they saw it and its tracks looked bigger than bear tracks; then the tracks suddenly disappeared under the snow that had drifted over them.

ALPINE THEATRE

“3:10 to Yuma”

Glenn Ford ~ Van Heflin

“Wild River”

Lee Remick ~ Jo VanFleet

“Home From the Hill”

Robert Mitchum ~ Eleanor Parker

DEATHS

Clellan Mullenax, age 77, of Bartow

BIRTHS

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Willie Ryder, of Huntersville, a son named Steven Craig