Weather
Partly 1 cloudy with little
change In temperature today
and Wednesday. Scattered af
ternoon thundershowers. Low
today, 65; high, 85
The Frajipin Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday ^ ^ Serving All Of Franklin County
Industry.
Education
Agriculture
Tel. GY 6-3283 Ten Cents ~ Louisburg, N. C., Tuesday, June 20. 1967 4 . (Six Pages Today) 98th Year-Number 36
Accepting Top Position
George M. West Gets Top
Eastern Stat State Post
George M. West, Louisburg
real estate executive, was
elected Worthy Grand Patron
of the Grand Chapter of North
Carolina, Order of the Eastern
Star at the organization's
annual convention held In
Ashevllle last week.
The 1544 voting delegates
to the .convention cast a
unanimous ballot In the
election of the Franklin County
native to the highest state
office within the Order, to be
held by a man.
Participating In the colorful
Installation ceremonies were
members of West's family,
Including his wife Kathryn and
daughters Kim and Kathy.
West's young son, Buddy, also
slated to have taken part in
the Installation was unable to
do so due to an untimely case
of mumps.
The Order of the Eastern
Star, consisting of approx
imately 26,000 members in
North Carolina and approx
imately 3.5 million members
throughout the free world, has
a total of 273 chapters located
throughout the state of North
Carolina. Mr. West, together
with Mrs. Gertrude Gates
Moore of Hendersonville,
Worthy Grand Matron of North
Carolina, will be visiting these
chapters during the coming
year, In their responsibilities
of supervision and Instruction
within the Order.
Mr. West Is a member of
the local Eastern Star
Chapter, William B. Barrow
No. '39, and has served as
Worthy Patron o f the Chapter,
District Deputy Grand Patron
of the Sixth Eastern Star Dis
trict, Member of the Board
of Directors of Camp
Ralmbow, a camp operated by
the Order for young girls,
and as Associate Grand
Patron, prior to his being
elected as Worthy Grand
Patron. A York Rite Mason,
he has also served as Master
of Loulsburg Lodge No. 413,
A.F.&A.M. Active In activities
of the Loulsburg Baptist
Church, he has served as
Advisory Board Chairman,
Deacon, Sunday School Super
intendent, Sunday School
Teacher, and In the Church
Choir. He Is currently Chair
man of the Zoning Board of
Adjustment for the Town of
Loulsburg.
Mr". West is a graduate of
Gold Sand High School, Mars
Hill College, and the Univer
sity of North Carolina, with
a Bachelor of Science Degree
In Business Administration.
He is a Real Estate Appraiser
and Valuation Consultant and
President of Triangle Realty
Corporation of Loulsburg.
West and his family reside
at 304 Lumpkin Boulevard
here In Louisburg.
Other members of his family
who were recognized were
his mother, Mrs. LUlle G.
West; his sisters, Mrs. H.M.
Dickens and Mrs. Fred Hlght;
and Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Joyner,
Mrs. Annie Mae Griffin, and
Mrs. Florence J. Wells. Mr.
and Mrs. W.O. Fuller, Jr.
were also present and were
recognized. The members of
William B. Barrow Chapter,
as well as the members of
the Sixth District of which
the local Chapter Is a part,
were also recognized.
Speed Supports
Anti-Secrecy Bill
An act to require the meet
ings of public board, com
missions, councils and other
public bodies to be open to the
public has passed the N, C.
H o u s e of Representatives al
ter having received favorable
committee support last week.
The act, called the "Anti
secrecy" bill, has had the
active support of the North
Carolina Press Association.
Sixteenth District James D.
Speed of Franklin county voted
in favor of the bill. The mea
sure now goes before the Se
nate for action.
The bill calls (or all meet
ings to be open with some ex
ceptions. Executive meetings
may be called to discuss such
things as dismissal, promo
tion, demotion, suspension and
compensation of public em
ployees. Also excluded from
the bill would be such meet
ings is those being held by
bodies charged with licensing
professionals in the state.
The Council of State and the
General Assembly plus grand
and petit Juries, judicial and
quasi-Judicial bodies when In
session solely for the purpose
of making a decision in an ad
judicatory action or pro
ceeding.
Stricken from) the original
version of the bill were sec
tions providing for criminal
penalties for violations and
also provisions that would void
all actions taken In a closed
meeting.
Citizens, under the act, may
take civil action to enforce the
provisions of the bill, If and
when the Senate concurs in the
action taken by the House last
week.
4-H'ers Off To Camp
Fifty-two 4-H Club members left Monday morning, June 19, for a week of camp at the
Roanoke Island 4-H Camp at Manteo, N. C. The Franklin County group will be camping
with a similar group from Nash, Wake, and Vance counties.
4-H Camp provides an opportunity whereby club members may become better acquainted
with each other and the 4-H program In general. The camp program Is a cooperative pro
ject with members sharing together work, recreation, athletic events, classwork, tour*,
nature study, evening programs and vespers - all planned to provide opportunities for
the social development of the Individual member.
Mrs. Elaine Stalllngs, Adult Leader; Mrs. Bernlce S. Harris, Asst. Home Economics
Extension Agent; and Jimmy Stephenson, Asst. Agricultural Extension Agent, accompanied
the groups to camp. The club members will return to Franklin County Saturday, June 24.
Off To Camp
Staff Photo by Clint Pullor
Weekend Rains Aid Crops, ,
Louisburg Water Supply
The Franklin Couniv area
received the first ri In of
consequence In a month during
the past weekend. Rainfall In
the Loulsburg area measured
.86 inches for the Saturday
night-Sunday readings. How
ever, reports coming In from
throughout the county Indicate
that most of the county re
ceived considerably more than
fell In the Loulsburg area.
C. T. Dean, Jr., Extension
Service Chairman, reported
Monday that rainfall through
out the county ranged from
one to two Inches. Dean de
clined to put a price tag on the
rain saying, "I know most
people like to refer to it as a
million dollar rain. It could
be worth much more than
this. It depends on how much
more rain we have."
Dean said it was a "Gen
eral rain, not too much and
an Ideal type." "It couldn't
have been better", he added,
"The timing was really bene
ficial to the tobacco crop."
G. O. Kennedy, Loulsburg
LATE NOTE
River Measured
17.65 Ft. At 11 A. M. Today
weatherman reported this
morning that the Tar River
has made an unusual rise
since Saturday. The Sunday
morning reading, taken at the
Main Street bridge was 1.70
ft. By Monday morning the
river had risen to 8.00 ft.
and Tuesday morning came the
unusual reading of 16.3 ft.
This, Kennedy said, was re
ported to Raleigh-Durham
weather headquarters where
It was termed most unusual.
The normal river level Is 3 ft.
Kennedy reported that Sat
urday night's rainfall mea
sured .21 Inches and rainfall
on Sunday measured .65 In the
Loulsburg area. The last rain
fall here was on June 2 and3
when the area received .11
inches In the two-day period.
The last rainfall of any con
sequence fell on May 22 (1.08
Inches) and on May 23 (.52
Inches). There had been no
measurable rainfall In the
area (or the past two weeks.
Sunday's rain storm brought
a power blackout (or about
45 minutes when, according to
reports lightning struck the
Carolina Power and Light Co.
lines near Sterling Mills In
Frankllnton. The blackout was
widespread.
Dean said that the tobacco
crop had not su((ered from the
lack of rain. "It has caused
deeper rooting" Dean said,
"and this Is good."
In commenting on overall
crop conditions, the Extension
Chairman stated, "Prospects
are for good crops of tobacco,
corn and soy beans this time.
The cotton crop Is poor due
to cold conditions earlier and
a poor stand. Many have de
clared cotton failure and
plowed up the crop to plant
soy beans. There has been
quite an Increase in the soy
bean acreage this year. This
Is the one crop we have
stressed as an additional
money crop."
Seventeenth In Twelve Weeks
Commissioners Set Still
Another Budget Meeting
The Board of County Com
missioners met here last Fri
day In another of a growing
number of budget meetings and
the end Is not yet. Another
session Is on tap for Wednes
day. t'|
The latest will be the seven
teenth meeting In the past
twelve weeks, the seventh for
the sole purpose of "studying
the budget" for the coming fis
cal year.
There have been sixteen
meetings of the Board since
April 3. Many of these were for
reasons other than budgetary
matters, although some dis
cussion of budget requests
were held. Several meetings
were called as the board sat
as the Board of Equallratlon
and Review. One meeting was
called to approve a Mental
Health program.
The multiplicity of meetings
Is beginning to become ex
pansive to the county.
Each session of the board
costs the county taxpayer
$141.58, plus the cost of five
meals for the board members
when they meet through the
noon period; plus the pro
rated share of the county at
torney's annual salary; plus
the pro- rated monthly extra
pay of $40 for the Board Chair
man.
The recent sixteen meetings
are estimated to have cost
the county $2,265.28 In board
?alary, travel and cost of
secretary. This figure does
not Include the attorney's sa
lary, the chairman's addi
tional pay, or the cost of
meals.
The stated purpose of six
of the sixteen meetings was
"to study the budget." This
would Indicate that budget
atudy alone has already cost
the county $849.48 plus the
extras. These figures vary, of
course, when one or more
Commissioners are absent
from a meeting.
By way of contrast, the board
met only twice in March.
Budget matters traditionally
take a great deal more time
than dm< rarnlar monthly re
Maybe Now He'll Buy A Key
Register of Deeds Alex Wood showed up at the local flrehouse
last Friday night looking for the Sheriff. He had loaned his
courthouse key to Veteran's Officer George Champion, who had
gone out of town, Wood explained. He wanted to borrow the
Sheriffs key.
While Sheriff William T. Dement was not around at the time,
Wood did later locate him and get the key.
The popular county official said be wanted to get Inside his
office to clean a machine. According to reliable sources, he got
Inside alright. Even with the trouble finding a key, Wood had
far less trouble getting in than he experienced getting out.
For some reason, best known to him, Wood left his office.
The key was lying on his desk. The door slammed shut. Wood
was locked in the hall. There are no telephones in the hall.
Wood took to the upstairs windows and yelled.
There Is no record of how long this noise went on, but finally
a passer-by sighted the man hanging out the window and yelling
lor help. Still, according to reliable sources, which have been
known to stretch the truth a little at times, the passer-by
reported to Raymond Burnette, local businessman whose office
Is nearby, that "There's a crasy man hanging out the court
house window." (This remark has not been verified). Burnette
reported the matter to Carl Pernell at the fire station, who
called his father, custodian of the courthouse and after some
time, Wood was once again a free man.
He was out o< town Monday. Some said he was attending a
convention. Some say he was getting some keys made.
ports. Unofficial reports In
dicate that this year's budget
ran around (75,000 In excess
of last year's. This has led to
See COMMISSIONERS Page 6
Rescuers
Have Two
Monday Calls
The Loulsburg Rescue Ser
vice, following a weekend of
Inactivity, were called twice
Monday to aid an accident
victim and a lady suffering
what was believed to be some
type of stroke.
Around 9:30 A.M. the Ser
vice rushed to the home of
Mrs. Jessie Collins onSmlth
wlck Place, Loulsburg. Mrs.
Collins was taken to Frank
lin Memorial Hospital where
she was treated and later
transferred to a Raleigh Hos
pital. Reports say her con
dition Is listed as serious.
A second call came around
12:30 P.M. when the Service
was sent to Burnette's Ser
vice Station on Blckett Blvd.
Herman Foster, n/m/45 of
Rt. 1 Loulsburg, was suffering
undisclosed Injuries from a
farm accident and was being
taken to-* the local hospital
by a daughter when the car
ran out of gas.
The man was treated and
taken on to the hospital. His
Injuries were not believed to
be serious.
Mrs Barbaia Alston pho,c by cli"' Full,r
For Service To The Woman's Club
Mother Of Two Is
Woman Of The Year
Mrs. Barbara Alston, mother of two and a member of the
Louisburg Woman's Club for the past four years, has been
named the club's Woman of the Year. Mrs. Alston, a native of
Rocky Mount, was cited for her "outstanding club work" and
her "many services to the club," according to Mrs. Nancy
Beasley, club president.
The silver bowl presentation was made by Mrs. Beasley at a
recent club picnic gathering of around sixty members and their
families at the Lions Club Park here.
Mrs. Alston lives with her husband Wayne, a telephone com
pany PBX installer-repairman, and her two children, Wayne, Jr.
age 6 and Kim, age 4 on the Henderson Road here. The Alstons
have lived In Louisburg for the past five years.
Franklinton Man Freed
On Bond, Hearing Today
Leonard Lee Steed, 39-year
old Frankllnton textile work
er, was freed on $2,500 bond
here Friday, after spending
the past week In Jail charged
Allen Elected
To CPA Group
New York - Felix Hill Allen,
III, CPA of Loulsburg, has
been elected a member of the
American Institute of Certi
fied Public Accountants.
Mr. Allen Is associated with
Richard E. Byrd, Jr., certified
public accountant, In Raleigh.
In the slaying of his wife.
Mavis Markham Steed.
Steed was successful In his
habeas corpus hearing before
Superior Court Judge
Hamilton H, Hobgood in the
courthouse here Friday
afternoon.
The Frankllnton man la to
face a hearing today before
Recorder's Court Judge E.C.
Bulluck.
Mrs. Steed was dead on
a'rlval at Franklin Memorial
Hospital around 10:30 P.M.
Saturday, June 10 after suffer
ing a bullet woiud In her
head. The shooting reportedly
occurred at the Steed borne
on Macon Street in Frank
llnton.
Louisburg Street Work Starts *?" """ 1 * ai" '"""
Stat* Highway craws began work on tlw Main Street rlrer bridge hare Monday In pr?p>miiw
lor the coming resurfacing projects here in Louisburg. By late Monday moat of the aurtaoe of
the bridge had been remored and limited traffic was allowed. Paring la "?rf'r1 to batfa
Immediately along Main and Naah streets bare.
" j