Newspapers / The pilot. / Oct. 1, 1964, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page TWO THE PILOT—Southern Pines, North Carolina THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1964 Southern Pines X ILOT North Carolina Polls Apart “In taking over The Pilot no changes Eire contemplated. We will try to keep this a good paper. We will try to make a little money for all concerned. Wherever there seems to be an occasion to use our influence for the piblic good we will try to do it. And we will treat everybody alike.” — James Boyd, May ^3, 1941. A Matter For State-Wide Support The school systems of Moore County have made such valiant efforts to keep up with their building needs—through a long, post-war “pay as you go” program and, more recently the approval of $3 mil lion in county bonds for school construc tion—that we in this area may not be fully aware of the vast needs that exist around the state. An article on this page gives some idea of those needs, incidentally mentioning the Southern Pines school unit as one of those with exceptionally fast growth and burgeoning requirements — an in crease of more than 50 per cent in num ber of pupils during the past 15 years. Educators and county and state govern ment officials are meeting in Raleigh to day to hear details of the statewide school construction needs and to make plans for boosting the $100 million state school bond issue on which the people of the state will vote on November 3. A steering committee was to be named to provide full information to be distributed over the state prior to the bond election. The people of this area have been so concerned with local efforts to meet school needs that they may have lost perspective on the state-wide crisis — a crisis that, it appears, most county and city units will never be able to cope with Pointing The Way For Democrats It bodes well for the future that North Carolina’s Young Democrats, meeting in Raleigh last weekend, gave their endorse ment to the Johnson-Humphrey ticket and otherwise indicated they are in tune with the progressive elements of the De mocratic Party, both on the national and state levels. Through former Governor Hodges, now a member of the Cabinet in Washington, and through Gov. Terry Sanford who had the forsight and the courage to back John F. Kennedy for President in 1960, North Carolina has had a close and cordial re lationship with the national administra tion for the past four years—a relation ship that should not be allowed to lapse or be distorted because of factional dif ferences within the party in the state. Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Dan Moore’s reluctance to speak out on behalf of Johnson and Humphrey (he says, as this is written, that he is too busy with his campaign to make more than a' cursory visit to Mrs. Johnson’s campaign train through the state next week) is a case in point. It is intimated that Mr. Moore’s attitude is a tactical maneuver, designed to prevent alienation of Tar Heel Democrats who don’t like the national ticket and who might vote for Republican Bob Gavin, if Moore becomes identified with Washington. Maybe so . . . but at best this is a tactic of timidity. Sooner or later, the North Carolina De mocratic Party must decide what it stands for. And we don’t see how it can stand for attitudes widely divergent from those of the national party. The thinking of I. Beverly Lake, for instance, to whom Mr. Moore virtually capitulated in order to win his second primary campaign, is not only at odds with the national party, it is more in tune with Goldwater extrem ism than even moderate Republicanism— let alone what the Democratic Party is supposed to be. Let’s hope that the spirit of the YDC in Raleigh is an indication of the direc tion in which North Carolina Democrats will be moving in the future. Valuable, Flexible County Zoning We trust that the county commissioners are moving along with their investigation of county zoning procedures—a project they discussed a couple of months ago. Counties have had zoning power since 1959—a power that the muncipalities of the state have enjoyed since 1923 and have used to make the development of the state’s towns and cities much more orderly and attractive than if there had been no zoning. Many towns did not in stitute zoning until it was too late to prevent impractical or unsightly use of various types of property. But zoning is like repenting sins—it’s never too late to get some benefit from the procedure, even though misfortunes have already Best Foot Forward As the Fall and Winter resort season approaches, this community will do well to spruce up its appearance—an annual procedure in which residents cooperate well but which still calls for a reminder. Now is the time to mow and clean up vacant lots, to trim unruly shrubs and vines, to brighten up store fronts and generally help the town to put its best foot forward for visitors. Of all the measures property owners can take to spruce up the town’s ap pearance, planting rye grass on parkways is the most effective. The touch of green this gives the town through the Winter and spring never fails to attract the at tention of visitors from the brown and frozen North. Even if the thermometer slips down lower here than we like to admit it sometimes goes, those green park ways defy Winter and mitigate its dis comforts, as nothing else will. Our comipliments, at this cleaning-up season, to the Southern Pines Garden Club which is landscaping the courtyard- patio area at the remodeled town library and has also assumed the expense of having all the planted windowboxes in the business section looked after by a professional nursery firm, assuring their constant care and good looks. This is a welcome and most generous service to the town. taken place. Numerous counties are now taking a lesson from the towns and are getting into zoning before problems in this field become acute. In Moore, the impetus came primarily from the need to protect the area around the new Sandhills Com munity College, and likewise around the three big consolidated high schools the county school system is building. Com plaints about suburban trailer parks, junk yards and other controversial land uses also had an influence on their planning. County zoning is a flexible matter— something that should be understood by persons who might deplore the extension of such regulations into out-of-town areas. Zoning does not have to apply to the entire county, but can be limited to any area that is at least 640 acres in size. In addition to a County Planning Board, which prepares the zoning ordinance, the law provides for a Zoning Advisory Com mission, composed of residents of the area to be zoned, to advise both the Planning Board and the county commissioners— giving such residents a voice in their fate. In addition, zoning can’t affect farms, although the use of property for non farm purposes can be regulated. Neighboring Montgomery County has already taken zoning action to protect the areas around its two big new con solidated high schools. Columbus County has zoned to protect the community col lege to be built near Whiteville. In Car- teret County, a congested area of sub divisions on a main highway outside Morehead City is subject to a county zoning ordinance listing standards for setback, off-street parking and the like. Other uses for county zoning include reservoir watershed protection, protection of prinxe agricultural land and historic sites and, bless us, if there isn’t a possible power of controlling signs and billboards on rural roads, if the commissioners want to stir up a real hornet’s nest. Planning for the wise use of land—not only for today but for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations—is, to our mind, one of man’s noblest activities. It takes imagination, vision and common sense. We hope the commissioners will push their zoning project as rapidly and as carefully as possible. out of their own financial resources alone. Just as one school unit within the county cannot ignore the needs of anoth er adjoining unit, so no area within the state should shut its eyes and heart to the requirements of other areas. The pro posed state bonds for school building are a matter for state-wide action and state wide pride. Money to be derived from the bond issue will be divided according to number of pupils in the various county and city school units, regardless of the present condition of schools in those units. Each unit will have its fair share. Those citizens who believe in localizing school control and financing as much as possible should be pleased that North Carolina is taking the initiative, with the proposed bond issue, and is meeting its tremendous school construction problem head-on, without waiting for federal help which may or may not be forthcoming. The citizens of Moore County, taking pride in all that they have done at the county level for their schools, should wel come opportunity on November 3 to help authorize state aid that will make it possible to meet continuing school con struction needs without putting further burden on the county’s tax structure or on its bonded indebtedness. '^sci^iEscVier WHY A $100 MILLION BOND ISSUE? Vast School Needs Of State Told Leaders in governmeni. education and civic affairs from over the state—inclu ding numerous persons from Moore Couniy—^were to meet in Raleigh this (Thursday) morning at the call of Gover nor Terry Sanford, to make plans for letting all the citi zens of North Carolina know the state's pressing need, for classrooms and other school facilities—and to launch a campaign for approval at the polls, on November 3, of a $100 million stale bond issue that would make possible a great deal of the necessary school construction. The fol lowing article, which comes from Dr. Charles E. Carroll, state superintendent of pub lic instruction, gives a general idea of how vast is the need that lies behind the bond is sue proposal. Each of North Carolina’s 171 county and city school systems needs new buildings or major renovations of existing school facilities. Altogether, 11,187 additional or renovated school rooms of va rious types, including 7,516 reg ular classrooms, are needed now to provide adequately for the State’s increasing pupil enroll ment and for its strengthened and expanded program of instruction, says Dr. Charles F. Carroll, State superintendent of public instruc tion. In addition to the 7,516 regular classrooms, county and cit.v boards of education report that they need 536 libraries, 484 shops, 575 laboratories, 294 home econ omics rooms, 482 music rooms, 385 multi-purpose rooms, 388 lunchrooms, 236 auditoriums, and 291 gymnasiums, for a total of 11,187 rooms. In releasing the Statewide school building needs, Dr. Car- roll expressed the opinion that the information confirms the judgment of the 1963 General Assembly that there is an acute and continuing need for new and renovated schoolhouse construc tion, and that the State should aid the counties and cities in this emergency. Report to the People Local school building needs, enrollment statistics, and other information explaining why the building needs exist, are inclu ded in a special report entitled, “North Carolina’s Need for One Hundred Million Dollars for School Buildings,” just issued by Dr. Carroll. Also contained in the report is the amount of funds allocated to each school unit under provi sions of legislation enacted by the 1963 General Assembly call ing for the referendum on the proposed $100 million School Construction Bond Issue which has been set for November 3. (For amounts allocated to this area, see news story in today’s Pilot). ’The legislation provides that the money shall be distribu ted to the county and city school administrative units on the basis of the per capita average daily membership for the 1961-62 school year, and upon approval by the State Board of Education of plans of expenditure and school organization submitted by county and city boards of educa tion. Explanation of Needs Principal reasons for the build ing needs. Dr. Carroll stated, are increasing school enrollment; in creases in the number of teach ers and services to improve in structional programs; consider able shifting of population from rural to urban areas; and the fact that large numbers of class rooms built before 1930 have been judged obsolete. The Statewide bond issue is urgently needed also. Dr. Carroll stated, because many cities and counties have now reached or are approaching the statutory limit for school bond indebtedness, or are burdened with large finan cial obligations for other essen tial services. In further explanation of the reasons for the school building needs. Dr. Carroll’s report in cludes the following informa tion: Not So Scarce These Days “You have to hand it to that Johnson.” “Yes, any man who comes out in favor of the redwoods can’t be all bad.” “Oh, I don’t mean President Johnson, much as I admire his project for planning a national redwood park in California.” “I see. Well, you do have to hand it to a man who decides to stay in Mississippi at a time like this.” “Oh, I don’t mean Governor Johnson, much as I hope his peo ple will support his efforts to bring peace to his state.” “Of course. Anyone would have to have a soft spot for a man whom the President, accord ing to the headlines, ‘leapfrogs’ from the three-star ranks into the office of Army Chief of Staff.” “Oh, I don’t mean General Johnson, much as I’m in favor of picking a three-star man when you can’t find a four-star man to fill the bill.” “Now I get you. It’s hard not to applaud a man who opens up a new post in the diplomatic serv ice.” “Oh. I don’t mean Ural Alexis Johnson, much as I like the idea of having a civilian of his wide Far Eastern experience as deputy ambassador to South Vietnam.” “I give up.” “I’m talking about Doctor Johnson. You know. He has pro vided the text for the new Age of Johnsons. The United States is proving him wrong when he almost said that a Johnson ‘like gold and diamonds owes its value only to its scarcity.’ ” “Listen, you—” “Now, now. He also said: ‘A jest breaks no bones.’ ” Increasing Enrollment Public school enrollment for the 1963-64 school year was 1,- 186,658. The enrollment is in creasing at the rate of approxi mately 21,000 students per year, with heavy increases at the high school level. During the past 15 years, the enrollment has increas ed from 893,745 to 1,186,658— an increase of 292,913 students. Enrollment in 11 school units has more than doubled in the past 15 years. In addition to these, 23 units, including the Southern Pines dis trict, recorded more than 50 per cent enrollment increase during the same period. Other Reasons Additional teachers and serv ices—Because of the desire and demand of the people for better education for their children, ad ditional teachers and services have been provided to accommo date the increased enrollment, to make it possible to reduce the number of pupils per teacher, and to enable the schools to ex pand and improve instructional programs and services. Last year. North Carolina employed 45,452 teachers, an increase of 15,627 over the number employed in 1949-50. Shifting Population — Census reports show a considerable shifting of population from rural to urban and suburban areas over several years, and indications are that this population shift will continue to increase. As a result, urban area school s.ystems must construct new school rooms to ac commodate large numbers of ad ditional students, and rural area school systems are forced to build new schools to consolidate the small schools resulting from the decreasing population. Obsolete classrooms A sur vey in the Spring of 1962 rec ommended that to meet present day standards of safety and edu cational adequacy, buildings con structed prior to 1930 should re ceive major renovation or should be replaced. People Can Choose In releasing his report to the people. Dr. Carroll declared, “If more of the 1,200,000 pupils and the 46,000 teachers and principals in the public schools of North Carolina are to be housed in com fortable and decent buildings, a major construction program with State aid must be undertaken now. If the people in the 100 counties do not choose on No vember 3 to use the State build ing aid potentially available, the total burden of the cost must necessarily be borne by the counties themselves.” BETTER TO DARE Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by fail ure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor de feat. —THEODORE ROOSEVELT Advice? “Noted Psychologist Advises Against Nudity in the Home,” reads the heading on one of the “news” releases-* that cross our desk ad infinitem. Wasted advice, we’d say, sus pecting that most people wear Inore clothes in the home than out of the home, especially beau teous gals who want to be ad mired. To a generation brought up on “Playboy,” nudity is becoming boring. Like the gal who, with some trepidation, tried out her topless bathing suit on the beach—and came home crying. Turned out she hadn’t been ac costed, arrested or insulted. To the question, “What happened?” she replied, between sobs, “Noth ing. . . absolutely nothing. No body said anything except one boy who came up and cisked, “Hey, buddy, you got a match?” That’s nudity for you—in 1964. Snakes-Alive Wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t some snake fans among GRAINS readers—^to whom we pass on the information that a new pamphlet, “The Snakes of North Carolina,” has been issued by the N. C. Department of Agri culture’s Museum of Natural History in Raleigh. It’s identified by the number “64-3” and can be obtained for 10 cents. The museum, incidentally, has plenty of both live and mounted snakes on hand (there are 47 spe cies and subspecies in North Car olina, only four of them poison ous) and announces, somewhat ghoulishly, that there are “live snakes waiting for museum vis itors at the entrance.” Could a herpetologist ask for more? Long Gone We were fascinated to read, in Rassie Wicker’s recent Pilot ar ticle about the history of the Thagard’s Lake area at Whisper ing Pines (he calls it Thagard’s Pond which is what everybody used to call it, always), that “there were a goodly number of families in the region years be fore the Revolution. . .” attract ed by the “peculiarly fertile” soil along Little River. Strange how areas change: the prospering Whispering Pines de velopment, with its paved roads and modern homes, replaced woods which had, in turn, grown up in fields that were well-tilled 200 .years ago. A reader tells how, playing as a child among large trees in woods in the Little River area, 50 years or so ago, faint traces of furrow-humps could still be seen: evidence that the forest was once a field. As anybody who has any wis teria or honeysuckle in his yard knows, it doesn’t take Nature very long to reclaim her own. New Cars The whole nation has just gone through the peculiarly American annual mystery and revelation of new car models. Somehow the procedure never seems to lose its excitement and interest. What other annual event—barring Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July—has so held the public’s attention each year for nearly half a century— maybe more? One local dealer said he hid several 1965 models around his yard at home, to keep people from trying to peek at them at his agenc.y. “They even tracked them down there,” he reported, “trying to get a ‘sneak pre-view’.” It’s a world of wonder for a few days, till everybdidy sees the new models—and then, sud denly, it’s all over. After a few weeks on the roads, they’re only used cars.” And speculation al ready begins to build up on what changes will be made next year. the pilot Published Every Thursday by THE PILOT, Incorporated Southern Pines, North Carolina 1941-JAMES BOYD—1944" Editor Associate Editor Gen. Mgr. Advertising Advertising Business Business Katharine Boyd C. Benedict Ban S. Ray C. G. Council Bessie C. Smith Mary Scott Newton Gloria Fisher Mary Evelyn de Nissoff Society Composing Room Dixie B. Ray, Michael Valen, Thomas Mattocks, J. E. Pate, Sr.. Ch^Les^ Weatherspoon. ' Subscription Rates Moore County One Year $4.00 Outside Moore County One Year $5.00 Second-class Postage paid at Southern Pines, N. C. 'nt Member National Editorial Assn, and N. C. Press Assn.
Oct. 1, 1964, edition 1
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