Bunn Holds
Elections
Today
Citizens of Bunn go to the polls
today to elect a new Mayor and four .
members of the Town Council. Some
familiar faces are in the race and some
new candidates are making their first
appearances. Interest is perhaps higher
than in any election since the town
was officially formed in 1963.
Former Mayor Wayne Winstead,
who won in Bunn's first elections in
1963, is seeking to replace Mayor W.
A. (Bill) Andrews who is not seeking
reelection. Councilman Macon Z. Mor
ris is also seeking the post. Morris was
elected to the Council in 1963, 1965
and 1967.
Former Mayor Joe Edwards, who
lost out in a on-again-off-again tie in
1967, is seeking a term on the Council.
He was named Mayor by the General
Assembly in May, 1963, and served in
the post until Winstead was elected in
July of that year. In 1967 Edwards
and Winstead tied for fourth spot on
the ticket in the initial count but after
clarification of some writein votes by
the State Attorney General's office, a
recount showed Winstead the winner
44 to 41.
Also seeking to return to the Coun
cil is Louis Deb nam who was orginally
named by the General Assembly in
1963. In 1965, he was elected even
though his name did not appear on the
ballot. He won again in 1967 as an
announced candidate.
Thurston Bailey, seeking his second
term, is the only other incumbent on
today's ballot. Political newcomers in
clude the first woman to ever seek
political office in Bunn, Mrs. Helen P.
Jones, an employee of First-Citizens
Bank and Trust Co. Kenneth L. (Pap)
Brantley and Robert Lee Jones are the
other new candidates.
In 1963, 106 of the town's 117
registered voters participated in the
election. In 1965 the number dropped
to 85 and in 1967 only 59 votes were
cast for Mayor Andrews, running un
opposed^ Today's turnout is expected
to be la^er than 1967 and may reach
the 1965 level.
Harris Home Near Franklinton
Woman Shoots Son, Kills Husband, Self
Tragedy Hits Franklinton Home
Funeral services for a Franklinton
man and his wife, victims of an early
Saturday morning homicide-suicide
tragedy, were held Monday afternoon
at 3 P.M. from Sandling Funeral
Chapel, franklin Sheriff William T.
Dement reported that Mrs. Margaret
Bragg Harris, 36, shot and killed her
husband, Hector Franklin (P. G.) Har
ris, 50, while he slept around 3:15
A.M. Saturday, seriously wounded
their 16-year-old son and then fatally
wounded herself.
The son, Pkul G. Harris, a student
at Franklinton High School, was able
to reach the telephone and call the
Franklinton Police Department, ac
cording to Dement. The Franklinton
Rescue Service was summoned but the
youth would not allow Rescuers to
enter the house upon arrival. Dement
was called and later hoisted through a
window where he found the tragic
scene. He talked with Mrs. Harris,
whom Dement said admitted the
shootings but gave no reason for the
act.
Harris, according to Dement, died
instantly. Mrs. Harris and her son were
rushed to Franklin Memorial Hospital
and later transferred to Duke 'Hospital
in Durham, where Mrs. Harris died
shortly before 10 A.M. Saturday. Re
ports say that young Harris is now in
critical condition from a .32 caliber
pistol wound of the left chest. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Harris were shot in the
heart, according to reports. ?
Harris was found in a front bed
room, the boy was shot in his back
bedroom and Mrs. Harris was found in
the living room of the neat frame
dwelling about a mile and half east of
Franklinton.
Services for the couple were con
ducted by Rev. Glenn Short and Rev.
Don Lee Harris. Burial followed in the
Kairview Cemetery at Franklinton.
Surviving are the son, Paul G. Harris of
the home; his mother, Mrs. Lena
Etheridge Harris of Durham; Mrs. Har
ris is survived by her son, her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Bragg of Franklin
ton; two brothers, Willie H. Bragg. Jr.
and Raymond Bragg of Franklinton;
two sisters, Mrs. Ruby Bragg Moroney
of Pearl River. N. Y., and Mrs. Doro
thy Callery of Franklinton.
Twenty-Two May Die On Highways This Weekend
Although the State Legislature has
changed Memorial Day to a permanent
Monday holiday starting in 1971, the
N. C. State Motor Club warn* that it
will take more than legislative action
to keep as many as 22 persons from
being killed in over a thousand traffic
C. GLENN TODD
New Trooper
Assigned
To County
Still on* short in number, the
Franklin contingent of State Troopers
gained a new member laat week. The
new Trooper la C. Glenn Todd, a
native of Windsor In Bertie County.
Todd joined the Highway Patrol In
January after graduating from Bertie
High School and attending Chowan
College. He waa assigned to the Center
rille-Bunn area of Franklin County on
May 19
Todd, 23, Urea on Fox Park Road
here.
Accidents on North Carolina's streets
and highways during the extended
weekend this year. ?>
The state will officially count its
highway toll from 6 p.m. Thursday,
May 29, through midnight Sunday,
June 1, a 78-hour period. The grim
count for the 102-hour Memorial Day
period last year: 33 killed in 26 fatal
accidents, 745 injured, and 1,330 acci
dents. Tfc*-.
Leading driver violations vfete:
speeding. 282; failure to yield right of
way, 174; driving left of center. 142;
failure to see movement safe. 123; and
following too closely, 120.
"Let's make an all-out effort to
keep this holiday toll at a minimum,"
Thomas B. Watkins, motor club presi
dent. urged. "Our highway fatalities
are currently running around eighty
behind last year in a downward trend
that hopefully can be maintained."
He reminded drivers that Memorial
Day traditionally marks the opening of
the summer vacation season, and said:
"If the weather is good, roads leading
to seashore and mountains will be
clogged with motor vehicles. Please use
extra caution and alertness to prevent
any additional traffic hazards."
Public Welfare Name Changed
North Carolinians looking for a
department of public welfare anv
where in the state after July 1 will find
this an impossible search.
As of that date, there will be no
such department to be found. The
reason is that this session of the
General Assembly has changed the
name Public Welfare to Social Services
Therefore, at the state level there will
be the North Carolina Department and
Board of Social Services and in each of
the 100 counties there will be the
county department and board of social
services.
All local welfare departments are
being asked by the State Welfare De
partment to begin making preparations
for the change. This will involve
changes In signs identifying the build
ings. telephone listing, notification to
the recipients and public, printed
materials and many other changes that
will be necessary.
This Is the fourth name change for
the agency since Its beginning in 1868
by the General Assembly . In Its be
ginning It was called the Board of
Public Charities. Its duties were limit
ed to the supervision of all charitable
and penal institutions and reporting
annually to the Governor upon their
condition, with suggestions for their
improvement.
The General Assemblies of 1917
and 1919 rewrote the public welfare
laws, essentially establishing the state
supervised, county -ad ministered public
wet fare program that now serves the
State. The name was changed to the
State Board of Charities and Public
Welfare
In 1937, in conformity with the
requirements of the Social Security
Act, North Carolina adopted legisla
tion making the State eligible for
Federal financial participation in pub
lic welfare programs. Again the name
was changed, this time to the 9tate
Board of Public Welfare. This has been
the name of the agency until legislative
action this month made the latest
change.
One might ask why the latest name
change. There are several valid reasons
for this action by the General Assemb
ly. Many states and the Federal gov
ernment have changed the name of
their public welfare agencies. Several
years ago the Welfare branch of the
Federal Department of Health, Educa
tion, and Welfare was changed to
Social and Rehabilitation Service.
Many legislators were of the
opinion that the term public welfare
had become synonymous with public
assistance for the needy, a monthly
financial aid program to help certain
categories of the poor to meet their
basic necessities of life. The recipients
of this aid are referred to almost
always as welfare recipients, but the
parents who adopt a child through the
local welfare department are not con;
sidered such recipients. The financial
aid program, however, la only One of
many programs offered by public wel
fare and many of Its services are for all
residents and not just for the poor.
Apparently the General Asaembly was
of the opinion that the name Social
Services more 'adequately represents
the wide gamut of services offered by
the Agency.
Board Approves New
Cafeteria At Edward Best
The Board of Education, meeting in
.special session here last Thursday
night, approved bids for a new cafe
BRENOA SANDERS
Youngsville Junior
Is Pagette
Youngsville - Mia Brenda Sanders, >
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Sanders
of Youngsville, is serving this week as a
Pagette in the N. C. House of Repre
sentative*. Recommended by Rep.
James Speed, she was appointed by
Speaker of the House. Earl Vaughan.
A Junior at the Youngsville High
School. Misa Sanders this year hu
been business editor of the school
paper. "The Hallmark," assistant Edi
tor of the annual; a member of the
Glee Club: High School Library Club;
and chairman of the Junior-Senior
Banquet Committee. On the Student ^
Council for 2 years, she has also served
as a clan officer, member of the Home
Ec. Club, and was a YHS nominee for
the Governor's School last year. As a
Senior, the will be editor of the school
annual.
A member of the Baptiat Church,
she sings in the Adult Choir and Girl's
Chorus.
teria it Edward Best High School and
reviewed teacher positions for the
coming school year
Bids totaling $123,977 were award
ed for construction of a 5,325 sq. ft
cafeteria at Edward Best. Bids for the
project were opened here Wednesday
afternoon. Low bidders were: Inland
Construction Co. of Raleigh. General
Contractors, $87,248; Wilson Electric
Co. of Henderson. Plumbing. $14,956;
Newcomb & Co. of Raleigh, Heating.
$9,785 and Whitley's Electric Service
of Wilson, Electrical. $11,988.
The Board accepted the resigna
tions of 17, teachers to become effec
tive at the end of the school year and
reviewed the overall teacher allotment
for all schools. It was also noted that
14 teachers are due to retire at the
close of the current year.
Payday for teachers and other
school personnel was approved by the
Board wjthout any changes being
made to past procedures an'd upon
recommendation of the principals the
school Insurance program was continu
ed as in the past.
The deed and agreement pertaining
to the purchase of 20 acres of land at
the Bunn High School was studied and
approved by the Board in other ac
tions. and the Superintendent was
authorized to purchase a dish washer
for Loulsburg High School and an
oven for Epsom High School cafe
terias.
Stone Gets
Doctoral Degree
Dean Walter J. Peterson of North
Carolina State University at Raleigh
announces that ftul S. Stone of Loiiis
burg la among the 143 students who
will receive doctoral degrees at the
commencement exercises. May 31.
Paul la the son of Mr. and Mri.
Fisher Stone of Louisburg and his
degree la In economics.
Rites Held Monday
Gold Sand Senior
Is Fourth Road Victim
A 17-year-old Alert Community
youth who was to have graduated next
week from Gold Sand High School
became Franklin County's fourth high
way fatality of the year early Saturday
morning. Roy Wallace Edwards, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Edwards of Route 3.
Louisburg. was the third road victim in
the county in the past 21 days.
According to reports young Ed
wards. who was co-captain of the Gold
Sand Blue Devil basketball team this
year, was killed instantly when thrown
from his convertible automobile as it
left State Rural Road 1436 about a
mile from the school which he had
attended for the past twelve years.
Lights from the wrecked vehicle
attracted attention of passers-by who
alerted the Centerville Rescue Service
around 1:30 A.M. Saturday. When
Rescuers arrived and recognized the
car, the youth's father was summoned
to the scene and a search was begun
for Edwards One Rescuer reported
that they assumed that the youth
might have been injured and someone
had taken him from the scene. Some
time later, when attempts were being
made to remove the car, the youth's
body was discovered underneath. State
Trooper C. Glenn Todd said the car
was resting gainst a small tree and did
not crush the youth. It is believed that
-< the impact of being thrown through
the windshield produced the fatal in
jury.
Edwards was active in school and
one of the most popular students. He
had been a member of the Glee Club
and Piano group for three years. He
was a Homecoming escort as a fresh
man and was a member of the Future
Farmers of America. Last year he was
on the Prom Committee and for the
past two years served as a bus driver.
He was a member of the Gold Sand
basketball squad for four years. As a
junior he played in 17 regular season
games and averaged 9even points per
game. As a senior, he played in 17
games and averaged six points per
game. He was elected co-captain of the
squad this year. He was a member of
the Monogram Club for four years, the
golf team as a freshman and a member
of the Spanish Club in his freshman
year.
Gold .Sand High School closed at
1:30 P.M. Monday afternoon in me
mory of the student and Principal
James Marshall reported only one
white member of the Senior Clan
attended school Monday.
Funeral services were held Monday
afternoon at 3:30 P.M. from Mount
Zion Baptist Church conducted by
Rev. Tommy Lolly and Rev. Kenneth
Honeycutt. Burial followed in High
land Memory Gardens.
Surviving are his parents and hit
maternal grandmother. Mrs. Elsie
Glover Raybon of Raleigh. Edwards
was an only child.
ROY WALLACE EDWARDS, .
Social Security Here
Reaches
$195,000
Monthly
A record $195,000 in monthly
social security benefits was being paid
to 3,239 residents of Franklin County
at the end of December 1968, an
increase of 2.7 percent above the
amount payable at the end of Feb
ruary 1968, according to Mr. Flynn,
district manager for social security.
"Throughout the country, monthly
benefits payable at the end of 1968
amounted to nearly $2.1 billion, some
$350 million higher than at the end of
1967," Mr. Flynn continued. '^Appro
ximately three-quarters of the in
creased monthly amount resul tedXfrom
higher benefit rates authorized byvthe
1967 Amendments to the Social W
curity Act. The remainder of the
increase was simply due to a greater
number of beneficiaries."
By the end of May 1969, social
security will be paying monthly bene
fits to more than 25 million people - 1
out of every 8 Americans. Although
retired workers comprise the largest
group of beneficiaries, almost one
fourth of all people receiving benefits
are under 60. There are currently more
than 3.8 million children and .5 mil
lion young widowed mothers receiving
payments. Yet the public continue! to
think of social security as a program
for old people.
In Franklin County, 959 people
under 60 are receiving benefits. That
figure breaks down into 556 under age
18, 80 between 18-21, and 323 be
tween 22-59.
Many students would have been
unable to continue their education
were it not for the 1965 Amendment*
to the Social Security Act which ex
tended survivors and dependents in
surance benefits to students until their
22nd birthdays. In 1968. that pro
vision resulted in continuing beneQts
for 470,000 students.
Mr. Flynn also pointed out that by
the end of 1968. approximately 90
percent of Americans 65 and over
were either receiving cash benefits or
would have been eligible for such
benefits if they or their ipouna had
not been working.
In terms of Medicare, almost all
people in the country 65 or over are
eligible for hospital insurance benefits.
Likewise, 95 percent of all older per
sons in the country have elected cov
erage under the voluntary supplemen
tary medical insurance plan which
pays physicians' feea.