Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 15, 1986, edition 1 / Page 2
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2 The Daily Tar Heel Monday, September 15, 1986 araner By JOHN BARE Staff Writer Margie Brauer of Norlina misses the chickens that used to wake her up every morning. Because of bankruptcy, she and her husband, Ernie, may soon miss their cattle, home and 228 acres of Warren County farmland that was their livelihood for over 40 years. Family farms are failing across the country, some in obscurity, others in the national spotlight. Mrs. Brauer won the hearts of sympa thetic readers around the world last week w hen Time magazine reprinted a letter she wrote in May to her state court-appointed trustee. "The whole thing has been a little unbelievable," Mrs. Brauer said. She wrote the letter to Durham attorney William Yeager to give him some background on her family and to clear up some confusion about bankruptcy. She said she still does not know how Time got a copy of the letter and there's a lot more she's unsure about. "We're still in limbo," Mrs. Brauer said. "We're just taking it one day at a time . . . we Ye really done all we can do." The Brauers still take care of their cattle and keep the lawn mowed. Their chickens were raised for eggs. moke simals strong foir tobacco By SABRINA BOSWELL DARLEY Staff Writer Despite stringent regulations, the declining number of smokers and poor weather conditions, the tobacco industry will survive for a long time, according to a N.C. Department of Agriculture specialist. Weldon Denny, tobacco program administrator with the N.C. Depart ment of Agriculture, said that last year the state's tobacco industry had no losses. However, a reduction in quotas is expected to reduce sales by 20 percent this year. These reductions result from a number of factors: fewer smokers, anti-tob;u . campaigns and govern ment regu'.T-on. Anotlu? thorn in the side of tobacco producers is posed by the overseas market. According to an article in Fortune magazine, there may be over 250 variations on a package of Winston cigarettes. Requirements of package labeling range from pictures, of the countries' . presidents to warnings much like -Jhose required, in this country, ,.s. The recent drought created major problems for farmers, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, Denny said. Production will only be off by an estimated 9 million pounds. 469 million pounds were projected; 460 million pounds are expected. Farmers were affected most by the quota reductions and the drought, but according to Denny the raw tobacco price per pound is up 0.06 cents this year. Denny said sales would stabilize SPECIAL me CHOOSE YOUR ON ANY PIZZA FREE EXTRA CHEESE! Just Ask! Joe Kauder Michelle Amos Genie Conley Jennifer Ingram letter draws sympathy which they produce on a cycle. After their cycle ended, the family didn't have the money to purchase any more, she said. Aside from the livestock, 228 acres of land is in jeopardy. Including the land they rented, the Brauers farmed about 400 acres. Part of the land included in the bankruptcy has been in Mrs. Brauer's family over 100 years. When a piece of land has been farmed by the same family from generation to generation, it's natural to wonder who is at fault when the tradition fails. The Brauers became exasperated trying to figure out the cause. "Ernie and I would talk about it evey night, and every night we would come up with a different' way t& make it work," Mrs. Brauer said. That was before the bankruptcy hearing in May. "Something is not working," she said. "You always hear, 'they ought to do something about the farm situation. But, who are 'they? " The Brauers could not find a specific agency to blame, nor could they put together any combination of things to create a scapegoat, she said. Although the letter said they had lost honor and pride, it was not over the next two years, then rise as foreign demand increases. He said cigarette consumption in the United States has dropped only 1.5 percent in the last year, and export consump tion is up. Japan recently purchased 100 million pounds of tobacco from the United States and their orders are expected to rise even more. On the local scene, sales of cigarettes are relatively unchanged. Sue Burnette with the Pit Stop said that she sells about two to five cartons a week of most brands. Marlboro Lights top the list, accounting for about 15 cartons a week. Times were toughest for tobacco growers and manufacturers in 1983. Cigarette consumption declined drastically in 1982 and the previous 25 years had seen an overall loss of 15 percent in the U.S. domestic markets. A government price sup port system drove prices way above those of the competition, and to make things ven worse, tobacco companies were strapped with a 100 percent increase in federal excise 'taxes'-' -n - These and the other afore mentioned factors effected a major revamp in the modern tobacco industry. Diversification saved many com panies from taking severe losses. The mega-merger of The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company with Nabisco Foods Corporation, now RJR Nabisco, helped the company spread out their income sources. But still, other tobacco manufac LIMITED ENGAGEMENT CONTINUING THROUGH SEPTEMBER FAVORITE FREEBIE - ONE WITH ANY ORDER. ON ANY LARGE PIZZA WITH EVERY COKE" FREE FREI EXTRA TOPPING! Just Ask! PLASTIC CUP! Just Ask! AND FEATURING "FREEFRIGERATOR" WINNERS! Serving UNC Campus, W. Chapel Hill Carrboro: 929-0246 412 East Main St. . Carrboro Serving North and East Chapel Hill: 967-0006 209 15-501 By-Pass Please call the store nearest you for hours of operation Limited delivery area Our drivers carry less than $20 00 1986 due to poor farming decisions, she added. "When we first made the decision to . . . (file for bankruptcy), we went through a period of self recrimination, of feeling bad about ourselves, of being embarrassed," Mrs. Brauer said. "We sort of withdrew." Once their troubles became public, they could not hide from friends or the media. "Bankruptcy is not something you sit down and talk about over coffee and cake," she said. "But now the whole country knows the Brauers are bankrupt." . And the Brauers now know other families see bankruptcy as an option in the future. Mrs. Brauer said that after friends found out about their decision, many came to her and confided that they, too, were at a loss for answers. She said the problem must be pretty widespread if an area as small as Norlina was full of troubled families. "I'm not quite sure there are a great number of farmers making it good." Other families will probably fol low their decision, she said. "We felt foreclosure drags out so long . . . bankruptcy has the same effect, and you go ahead and get it over with." It's not over yet. In Mrs. Brauer's turers had to cut back. The American Tobacco Co. closing in Durham hit the city hard; the company was forced to lay off hundreds of employees earlier this month. In these companies, as in many others, cuts in materials and labor Food stamp violations end in few prosecutions By PAUL CORY Staff Writer Although an estimated $25 million in food stamps were used fraudu lently in North Carolina last year, the federal government apprehended very few of the violators. The government arrested 458 people between October and December 1985 for filing intention ally false claims amounting to $286,956, said Raymond Riddle, coordinator pf fraud detection and prevention for the N.C. Department, of Agriculture. In the state last year, $231 million in food stamps were distributed to . 171,618 households, he said. , Despite the large figures, most of the participants in the food stamp program do not use food stamps fraudulently, said Anne Sims of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On the grocery store level, Sims said that less than 1 percent of store owners involved in the program illegally accept food stamps for items other than food. The U.S. Agricul ture Department keeps a close eye MIDNIGHT SNACK FREE OFFERS! Listen to WRDU 10$m PIZZA DELIVERS Domino's Piza. Inc " A0322 letter, she asked Yeager if there was any way she could purchase a new pair of bifocals and get some urgent dental work done. Such innocent questions were what made her letter so captivating. Once the letter reached Time, the letters and offerings began to arrive. Mrs. Brauer got money for her glasses and dental work, and the attention may yet bring out a buyer for the land. Obviously, the family members are not ecstatic about staying on the land as caretakers, but they want to do it. It seems the best of a number of bad choices. They tried to do everything right, Mrs. Brauer said. "I can't think of anything on earth we would have done differently." They waited seven years to have their first child and did not rush into building a home. "We did nothing wild and crazy," she said. But farming went "wild and crazy." With trade embargoes, protectionism, price plunges and adverse weather, agriculture is not the traditionally stable American industry that it once was. "We're just moving away from the era when the family farm was important," Mrs. Brauer said. were made. New product lines have been developed and new partnership supports formed. Advertising has become more intense and sophisti cated in an attempt to win back former smokers and to drum up new customers. on retailers authorized to accept food stamps. "We follow up on complaints from the public, as well as sending in agents to spot-check store owners by offering to pay for items other than food with food stamps," Sims said. . "We also track the amount of food a retailer sells and match that against the amount of food stamps he redeems by computer. " In North Carolina, food stamp fraud, is treated as Jarceny. Felony . larceny, possessing more than $400 worth of food stamps, -is a Class H felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine or both, he said. People who participate in food stamp fraud can also suffer admi nistrative penalties imposed by the state or federal government. A recipient convicted of intentionally falsifying his food stamp application can be disqualified from the program for six months on the first offense, one year on the second offense, and permanently on the third offense, Sims said. Individuals can also be disquali fied, so if the father of a family lies on his application, the rest of the family may continue to receive food stamps while the father is disqual ified, he added. A retailer participating in food stamp fraud can be disqualified for a year on the first offense, five years for the second offense, and perman ently on the third offense. According to Sims, this can be just as damaging to the retailer as being tried and convicted in a criminal court. "Most retailers who accept food stamps are located in poor areas where most of the population is on . food stamps," Sims said. "If they cannot redeem food stamps, then those people will shop somewhere else. The loss of revenue could quite possibly drive the retailer out of business." With all the penalties associated with it, food stamp fraud is a lucrative business for the few who attempt it. Some dealers accept food stamps at half their face value for videotapes, cash and other non-food items. The retailer then cashes in the food stamps for their full value with the U.S. government, earning an extra 50 cents or more profit on every dollar. Oaiaili uGDfiirfi msm STUDENT STORES Thurs., Sept. 3 10 am-3 pm $20 Education Department pens pamphlet for war on drugs From Associated Prts reports WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Education joined President Reagan's war on drugs Sunday, distributing a handbook on how to drive the drug problem out of the nation's schools. It has printed 1 million copies of "Schools Without Drugs," and the handbook already is in the mail to every public and private school and every school superin tendent in the country. The department is also setting up 20 toll-free phone lines that people can call starting Monday for free copies of the guide. "We have to get tough, and we have to do it now," said Educa tion Secretary William Bennett. He called use of drugs, including alcohol, "the most serious threat to the health and well-being of our children." Third bomb explodes in Paris PARIS A bomb exploded Sunday in the underground park ing lot of a tavern on the Champs Elysees Avenue, injuring three people, authorities said. French news reports quoted conflicting accounts as to whether the injured were tavern employees or police officers. The reports said a suspicious package found in the Pub Renault premises had been Earthquake in Greece levels villages; kills 17 From Associated Press reports KALAMATA, Greece Res cuers pulled seven bodies Sunday from the rubble of an apartment building toppled by a powerful earthquake in this southern port city, raising the toll to at least 17 people killed and more than 300 injured. A Defense Ministry spokesman said more than 100 people were hospitalized after Saturday's quake, and 200 more were treated for cuts and puncture wounds. Rescue crews pulled 3 1 people alive from damaged buildings, but more bodies were believed buried under rubble, said the spokesman, who demanded anonymity. The quake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, rolled through the mountainous Messenia region, 180 miles southwest of Athens, at 8:24 p.m. Saturday. The tremor destroyed all but three of 120 homes in the village of Elaiochori, 12 miles east of Kala mata. The bodies of three villagers were found beneath the rubble, the ministry said. Register to By SHEILA SIMMONS Staff Writer The Orange County Board of Elections will hold voter registration at University Mall, the Student Union and other sites as the Mon day, Oct. 6 deadline for registration approaches. Those unregistered voters plan ning to vote in this year's congres sional, senatorial and judicial elec tions have about eight sites to choose from. Registration at the Student Union will be on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday x Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration at University Mall will be on Saturdays, Sept. 20 and 27 and Oct. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. Students who are registered out side of the Orange County district can vote by absentee ballot begin ning today and ending Oct. 28. Regular ongoing registration sites include the Chapel Hill municipal building, Carrboro fire station, Chapel Hill Public Library, Orange County Public Library, and the Board of Elections office. Registra tion will take place during regular office hours. One-stop absentee voting also will Deposit StOiO Ci National taken downstairs to the basement parking area when it exploded. Police blocked off the area in one of the capital's most famous tourist districts, but provided no immediate details about the blast, the third in Paris in a week. David Lee Roth gets corny IOWA CITY, Iowa The Corn Belt got a touch of southern California from rock star David Lee Roth, dressed in multicolored stretch pants and his trademark white hat, in the halftime show at the Iowa-Iowa State football game. Roth showed off his high kicking dance style while the Iowa State marching band played its version of his song "Yankee Rose." The Cyclone band also played Genesis' "Invisible Touch" during Saturday's halftime salute to the Music Video Television network. Roth, who had a concert that night in Ames, was the lead singer with the group Van Halen before taking off on a solo career feat uring video versions of songs such as "California Girls" and "Just A Gigolo." Seven bodies were found else where, including two men crushed in a car when a building toppled over. Neither police nor hospitals have issued an official list of those killed. A senior police officer at the site of the collapsed building said police, firefighters and soldiers found 13 people alive. Senior police officials said they had no idea how many people were still unaccounted for in this city of 42,000. They said the casualty toll would have been higher, but hundreds of residents were attending an open-air ceremony inaugurating a new ferry line from the port when the tremor struck. The quake, with its epicenter nine miles off Kalamata, in the seabed of the Gulf of Messenia, was followed by IS aftershocks, seismological experts in Athens said Sunday. One measured 5.2 on the Richter scale, they said. They warned that the unusual pattern of the aftershocks could bring on another stong tremor. cast ballot be available at the Board of Elections office Oct. 7 through Oct. 31, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at the Carrboro Town Hall Oct. 20 through Oct. 31, Monday through Friday, during those same hours. Citizens who have moved into or within one of Chapel Hill's or Carrboro's 24 voting districts will have to fill out change-of-address information on the back of a voter registration card, which is filled out at the registration site. The cards should be mailed to the supervisor of elections in Hillsborough. Voters must vote at locations in the district in which they are reg istered, unless voting by absentee ballot. Questions concerning voter regis tration, location of polling places, absentee ballots and other election matters may be answered by tele phoning the Board of Elections office in Hillsborough at 732-8181 or 967-9251. Among the positions voted on will be state and U.S. House and Senate seats and N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice. In the Sept. 1 1 edition of Omni bus, a supplement to The Daily Tar Heel, a review of The Last Resort stated that the restaurant is located beside Jordan's Le Charolais on East Rosemary Street. The Last Resort is above Jordan's on the second floor of the same building. The review said that all entrees start at $12 and increase in price. Those are only the restaurant's ; dinner prices. Lunch prices range ! from $2.75 to $5.95. The article also erroneously stated that the restau rant has a salad bar. The Daily Tar Heel regrets the errors. ; In the Sept. 9 edition of The Daily Tar Heel, an editorial cartoon by Bill Cokas featured a bar named "He's Not Old Enough" with a "For Sale" sign in front of the building. The bar resembled Chapel Hill's He's Not Here. Mark Burnett, manager of He's Not Here, said the bar is not for sale and is not preparing to close. Editorial cartoons reflect only the opinion of the cartoonist, not the. opinion of The Daily Tar Heel editorial board.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 15, 1986, edition 1
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