Warrentoniea.Library X
117 S .Main St.
larranton, N.C. 27589
Uarmt Hecorii
Volume 94 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, November 15, 1989 Number 46
Rumors That Warren Plant To Be Sold Said To Be Unfounded
By THURLETT A M. BROWN
News Editor
Rumors that Nekoosa Packaging is "up for sale" are un
founded, an official at the Manson plant's parent company,
said Monday.
And on Tuesday, Tom Weiss, public information officer for
Great Northern Nekoosa, confirmed that his board of directors
had rejected Georgia-Pacific's "uninvited $58-per-share ten
der offer for our outstanding shares." Weiss said the number of
shares being sought by Georgia-Pacific was about 50 million.
The board rejected the offer, calling it a "junk deal for
shareholders, employees and communities."
"The $4.5 billion of debt that would be imposed upon Great
Northern Nekoosa would turn our fine company and Georgia
Pacific into one highly leveraged junk company," board chair
man William R. Laidig said. "It would force curtailment of our
critical environmental, public land, employee and community
programs," he said.
In addition to rejecting the offer, legal counsel for Great
Northern has advised the company that the offer violates an
titrust laws. The company has filed suit in Bridgeport, Conn.
U. S. District Court. It seeks to enjoin the offer, which expires
on Nov. 29.
Laidig called the willingness of banks to make buy-out loans
to Georgia-Pacific "completely irresponsible." In a letter to
shareholders, he wrote: "....(the) offer represents no more
than an attempt to take advantage of the industry's current
short-term, down cycle and to seize for its own benefit the long
term values that should belong to all our shareholders."
The attempted buy-out is expected to have no effect on
operations at the Manson plant.
Great Northern Nekoosa, located in Toledo, Oh., is the
parent company for Warren's Nekoosa Packaging.
Originally known as Owens-Illinois, Nekoosa Packaging
began production in Warren County in 1984, changing its name
in the fall of 1987. The Warren County plant has 115 employees.
Police Chief
Changes Mind
On Resigning
Norlina Police Chief Charles
Galantis said Monday that he has
retracted his letter of resignation
submitted last week.
The retraction was made Mon
day morning in a letter given
to Norlina Town Clerk Jean
Frazier.
Galantis had indicated his in
tention to resign, effective Nov.
15, on Wednesday of last week.
That resignation letter had been
given to Norlina Police Com
missioner Dwight Pearce. It was
submitted the day after Norlina's
municipal election which saw the
re-election of Mayor Bill Del
bridge over the challenging
Pearce.
In the original letter, Galantis
had said the remainder of his
two-week's notice will be used as
time off for compensatory and
accumulated vacation leave. On
Monday of this week, the police
chief was back at work.
Before coming to Norlina in
1987, Galantis had worked in the
Henderson Police Department as
a detective.
"Chief Galantis has done an ex
emplary job since he's been here
and has improved the quality of
police protection in Norlina,"
Pearce said.
Neither Galantis nor Pearce
would comment on the reasons
for the retraction. Because the
Norlina Board of Commissioners
does not meet until next month,
no action had been taken on the
intended resignation.
The loss of Galantis would have
left the Norlina Police Depart
ment with only one full-time of
ficer, Lt. James Champion, and
one part-time officer, Willie
James Alexander. In addition,
the department also employs
several off-duty or auxiliary of
ficers from the county and War
ren ton Police Departments.
Had the resignation taken ef
fect, Lt. Champion would have
been officer-in-charge, responsi
ble for scheduling the shifts of the
remaining police force.
Mayor Delbridge was unavail
able for comment.
3 Employees
Win Approval
Contracts were approved Mon
day night for three new school
system employees by the Warren
County Board of Education:
? Mrs. Margarita A. Haitema,
an alumna of the National Uni
versity of Mexico, as a unit-wide
Spanish teacher, effective Oct.
SO.
? Mrs. Helen Williams, as cen
tral office receptionist, effective
Oct. SO.
? Ms. Dorothy King, as a
pre-kindergarten teacher assist
ant at Northside, effective Oct
If.
Leaves of absence were given
to Mrs. Judy Carroll (Marlam
Boyd kindergarten teacher) and
Mrs. Zandra Harris (Marlam
Boyd teacher assistant).
Personnel Director Mrs. Prin
dne 0. Jeffries reported to the
board that two vacancies?ele
mentary media coordinator and
maintenance director?remain.
Yarborough Williams, chairman of the Warren
County Board of Education, presents Ms. Faye
Spence with an engraved plaque and a check for
|500 after she was named Warren County Teacher
of the Year for 1989-90 during a meeting of the
board Monday night. Ms. Spence is a kindergarten
and first grade teacher at South Warren Elemen
tary School. Also honored were, from left, Mrs.
Eddy Fleming, second runner-up; Aden Reynolds,
nominee; Mrs. Roberta Scott, first runner-up.
Not present was nominee James Howell. Mrs.
Scott received a plaque and $200, and Mrs.
Fleming was given a plaque and $100.
(Staff Photo By Howard Jones)
Five Items Deleted
Board Action Taken
To Cut School Costs
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
A net savings of over $141,611 in
construction costs has been real
ized, thanks to action taken Mon
day night by the Warren County
Board of Education.
By unanimous vote, the board
declined an alternate task in the
contract for the paving of existing
WCHS automobile parking areas.
Inclusion of that alternate would
have increased the $1,356,146 gen
eral contract price by $54,487.
The board also gave unani
mous approval to a change order
deleting five items from the con
struction contract for a savings of
$87,124. Deleted were: (a) bus
parking grading for the WCHS
addition; (b) 30 feet of reinforced
concrete pipe, headwalls and
curb inlets at the northeast cor
ner of the bus parking area; (c)
the stone base, asphalt paving at
the front driveway, and striping
of bus parking; and a portion of
the curbing/guttering work.
Those actions had been recom
mended by James Jordan, assist
ant superintendent, and the ar
chitects. According to Jordan, all
paving (except that for the stadi
um track) and guttering should
be bid as a single contract. "By
the time the work is to be done,
the exact square-footage needed
for bus parking and the length of
the perimeter road at the site
would be known," Jordan sakl.
"If done as a package, the state's
contribution toward bus parking
areas could be maximised." He
also assured the board that no
operational problems would be
created by the delay and the con
tinued use of present temporary
parking areas for buses.
Jordan also gave an update on
construction at WCHS. "Every
thing is an 'go' and on schedule
for the high school addition and
stadium," he said. Pre-site
preparations for the high school
addition have been completed.
Three trailers have been moved
and restored and are in use by
students. A construction fence
has been installed and existing
school exits are secured.
Rough grading for the class
room area of the addition is 50
percent complete. "The rest
should be done by the end of the
week?if the weather holds out,"
Jordan said. Rough grading has
also begun in the stadium area
and a large section of drainage
pipe is to be installed on Monday.
Jordan said progress meetings
have been scheduled at WCHS
every two weeks throughout con
struction. A meeting was to be
held today (Wednesday).
Warren County's new middle
school is also progressing. Con
struction is slated to begin next
March, with completion by the
end of the 1991 school year.
Designs for kitchen and media
areas were to be presented by the
architect this week. "The fire
proofing design has received
good reviews from the Depart
ment of Insurance," Jordan said.
Final drafts for the new middle
school are expected to be com
pleted by late December.
Another construction matter
discussed was the involvement of
minority contractors in single
prime and separate-prime state
construction contracts. "Legisla
tion ratified in June requires an
ascertainable and verifiable goal
for minority participation in all
construction contracts," A1
Thompson, board attorney, said.
The state statute defines "minor
ities" as blades, Hispanles, Asian
Americans, American Indian or
Alaskan Native, and women. The
participation goal adopted by the
state is 10 percent
"We're an the edge of all school
systems in North Carolina be
cause of our anxiousness to get
the middle school built. We need
a policy with verifiable goals to
ensure there are no hold-ups in
soliciting bids," he said.
A public healing on the matter
had been advertised in the paper
(Continued on page?)
Top Teacher
Is Recognized
Accolades and awards were
given to two teachers and two
schools Monday night by the
Warren County Board of Edu
cation.
Topping the list was the
presentation of Warren County's
coveted "Teacher of the Year"
award to Ms. Faye Spence. Ms.
Spence, a kindergarten teacher
at South Warren Elementary
School, was featured recently on
WTVD's "Salute To Teachers."
Mrs. Roberta Smithwick
Scott, a Hawkins ECIA reading
teacher, and Mrs. Lois Eddy
Fleming, a Mariam Boyd
teacher of third-graders, were
first- and second-runners-up,
respectively.
The screening committee was
comprised of Mrs. Constance H.
Davis, Mrs. B.J. Gill and Mrs.
LillieG. Hawkins.
Other nominees were James
Howell (WCHS) and Allen Rey
nolds (John Graham).
The "Teacher of the Year"
recognition was preceded by a
coffee and dessert gala held
before the meeting to honor the
winner and nominees.
The "North Carolina Awards
Program for Outstanding
Mathematics Teachers" award
was presented to Ms. Barbara
Rowlette. Recipients are chosen
by the N. C. Council of Teachers
of Mathematics and the N.C.
Business Committee for
Education. Ms. Rowlette, a
teacher at Vaughan Elementary
School, won the local award and
is now a regional nominee.
The county's "Clean School
Award" for the month of Oc
tober was presented to Vaughan
Elementary School, which met
98 percent of the performance
requirements. South Warren
Elementary School is the run
ner-up, with 97.5 percent of the
requirements met. Warren
County's schools are recognized
each month, with a yearly award
to be given to the overall winner.
Hie "Academic Excellence
Award" noting the highest aca
demic records in the first nine
weeks graaing period was pre
sented to Hawkins Elementary
School.
25 Jobs Open
New Firm Seeking
Local Employees
Some 25 computer operators
may find jobs in Warren County
by the first of next month if plans
of a Richmond, Va. couple
materialize.
Mrs. Jean Hofheimer of Rich
mond announced Monday that
applications of persons inter
ested in working in data entry
and claims processing at a
Warren County location will be
accepted starting today at the
Warren County Economic De
velopment office in the Taylor
Building in Warrenton.
The proposed company would
be a new one for Mrs. Hofheim
er and her husband, who have a
background in claims work in
volving computers. The site of
operations, which could even
tually grow to 100 persons, has
not been determined, although
Mrs. Cathy Wilson, Warren EDC
director, said two potential loca
tions are being studied.
Mrs. Hofheimer has a contract
with an unidentified corporation,
and must start up her new busi
ness quickly, she said in a tele
phone interview.
"The work will be basically
medical claims work and will in
volve data entry and claims pro
cessing," she said.
The new company?to be
known as Data Service America
?is expected to attract a female
work force primarily, Mrs.
Hofheimer said. She indicated
that some men have held the
computer operator positions in
similar operations, but that it is
generally attractive to women
rather than men. Employees,
who will be trained by the com
pany, must be high school gradu
ates.
Persons interested in applying
for work are asked to contact the
Warren EDC office in the Taylor
Building on North Main Street.
The telephone number is 257
3114.
Proposed Annexation
Linked To More Funds
By DIANE DAVIS
Staff Writer
The town of Warrenton could
realize an increase in monies to
help maintain its streets if a
proposed annexation project
comes to fruition.
Town officials have discussed
the annexation of land off the
Baltimore Road, through Coun
try Meadows (Ridgecrest
Drive), through the lower por
tion of Mrs. Hal ConneU's pond
near the Armory on East Macon
Street and to part of the Warren
Street extension.
White told the town board of
commissioners Monday night
during the board's monthly
meeting that an initial count
of Warrenton's population
before the Census Report was to
be filed "did not look good."
Earlier, board officials had
learned that the town had ex
perienced a loss of 100 or more
residents during the past 10
years.
White said the annexation
could make the town's popula
tion increase by 200-250, which
(Continued on page 7)
Oath Of Office Ceremony
Set For Watkins Successor
Henderson physician James
P. Green, Jr. is slated to take the
oath of office as a member of the
General Assembly from the 22nd
House District Thursday morn
ing in Henderson.
Green recently was appointed
by Gov. James G. Martin to fill
the remainder of the unexpired
term of the late William T.
(Billy) WatUns of Oxford, who
died following a heart attack in
August Green was recommend
ed for the position by the 22nd
District Democratic Executive
Committee at the conclusion of a
marathon session in Henderson
last month.
Green will take the oath of of
fice Thursday at 10:20 a.m. at
the Vance County Courthouse.
He will become the first black
to represent the 22nd House
District since Reconstruction.
He will Join incumbent Rape.
John Church of Vance and
James W. Crawford of Granville
in representing the counties of
Person, Caswell, Granville,
DR. GREEN
Vance and parte of Warren and
Halifax.'
Secretary of State Rofoa Ed
miaten reportedly will partfcl-,
pate In the swearing-in cere
mony.