Unfavorable Report Given Creek Request A denial of a request for re-classification of Sandy Creek is among items on an agenda for the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) meeting scheduled for Thursday (today) at 9 a. m. in the Department Hearing Room in the Archdale Building at 512 N. Salisbury Street in Raleigh. The EMC explains the agenda item: "By a letter dated April 20, 1977, Ms. Jean Duke of Rt. 2, Henderson, requested the reclassification of a segment of Sandy Creek, in Warren and Franklin counties, Tar-Pamlico River Basin, from Southerland's Mill Dam to Alert Road (Franklin County SR 1412) What Can Grow Tobacco Can Grow Grapes, Too By JIM LAUGHTER In The Smithfield Herald It's not widely known, but the soil that produces Johnston County's $40-million tobaco crop is ideal for growing another commodity. "Any land good for tobacco is good for grapes," Said Glenn Creech, manager of a 21-acre vineyard at Hinnant Farms just north of Pine Level "Eastern North Carolina's soil is well suited for the scuppernong and muscadine type grapes," said Bruce Woodard, county extension chairman. "Grapes are a good way to diversify under certain conditions." A large part of the profit from grapes comes from "pick your own" customers, so access is one prime condition, "The vines should be planted near a highway or hard-surface road," Mr. Woodard said. He estimated that eight to 10 vineyards are operating in the county. The Hinnant Farms vineyard is the biggest and Mr. Creech explained that "there's no way to dispose of 21 acres of grapes with pick-your-own customers alone." Consequently, Mr. Creech also sells wholesale to Winn-Dixie, Colonial, and other grocery outlets. Adjacent to the vineyard is a packaging house where five employees prepare the grapes for wholesale distribution. "We'll ship out 500 to 1,000 cases a week," Mr. Creech said. Each case includes 12 pints of grapes. Late summer means ripened grapes and long hours for the vineyard operator "Labor Day is always our busiest day," Mr. Creech said. "That's because of all the traffic coming by." The manager works 12 to 14 hours during an average in-season day. Mr. Woodard said the growers try to stay close together on pick-your-own rates. Hinnant Farms gets 35 cents a pound for grapes, just over one-half what the supermarket customer pays. In a good year, Mr. Creech said, his vineyard will produce 10 tons an acre. "It's close to five tons an acre this year," he added. "Like most crops, the dry weather hurt grapes I think we have almost as many Turn Off Bulbs Turn off all lights when not needed. One 100-watt bulb burning for 10 hours uses 11.600 Btu's, or the equivalent of a pound of coal or one-half pint of oil. ii ^ INFORMATION WANTED Do you have grave markers on -your farm for Thomas Blanchard or Blanchet and Judah? It is possible that they lived in Smith Creek Township or near-by in the 1700s. Thomas died in 1806. A daughter Nancy Blanchard lived on the family plantation after her father's death. Any information about these people would be appreciated by a genealogist in California seeking roots in North Carolina Write to Barbara Duskin, 15915 Braepark Street, Whittier, California 90603 grapes, but they aren't as large as last year's." "We'd like to see the planting of more grapes and strawberries and blueberries and other types of pickyour-own crops," Mr. Woodard said. "This type of harvesting (pick-your-own) is not the most efficient. For one thing, you're bound to eat while you're picking. Too, people will pick over the fruit, and it'll get overripe. But it can be profitable." The Extension office has employed a specialist in horticulture (the science of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers). "We'll be glad to work with anyone wishing to begin an operation," Mr. Woodard said. from its present 'C' classification to an 'A' classification." Hie General Statutes of North Carolina State that the best suitable usage of water will be applicable to classification. The EMC explanation states that "the best usage of Class A-n waters is source of water supply for drinking, culinary, or food-processing purposes and any other best usage requiring waters of lower quality." The explanation also states "the staff is unaware of any existing use or planned future use of the waters of Sandy Creek from Southerland's Dam to Alert Road as a source of water supply for drinking, culinary or food-processing purposes." The staff also decided that any "use of this segment of Sandy Creek as a water supply source would require the construction of a reservoir in order to ensure a sufficient water yield" and that any additional use of Sandy Creek as a water supply source would be at Southerland's Mill "which is currently used as a water supply source for Henderson and is currently classified AH." The EMC plans to deny the request with a resolution including: "Whereas, the commission finds that the waters of Sandy Creek, from Southerland Mill Dam to Alert Road, are properly classified as Class "C" waters and that there is no justification for further consideration of the request for reclassification of said waters. Now Therefore Be It Resolved That the request for reclassification of Sandy Creek . . . .is hereby denied." Earlier in the year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosed that waste water might be discharged into Nutbush and Sandy Creek-being eyed as sites for Henderson's sewage treatment facility. The EPA officials in Atlanta had a supplement calling for construction of a new plant with capacity of 212 million gallons daily on Sandy Creek in Warren County. The cheapest plan at that time was the installation of pumping stations at the Red Bud site and at a point where Martin Creek and Sandy Creek converge west of Weldon's Pond and the upgrading of the Nutbush Creek plant. A Sandy Creek plant was not envisioned in the alternate. PORPOISES RLSfcMBlI [XX BUT T>4 SMCXn OF A OOLPMilsJ IS LIKt A BELAK I i AN EARTHQUAKE IN 1959 CAUSED SOME GlYSERS IN YELLOWSTONE PARK THAT MAD BEEN I DORMANT TO BECOME x REACTIVATED. 7W£ FLORIDA EVERGLADES occupv 2,7