Index
Books, 2-B; Carthage News, 1-4-D;
Church News, 3-B; Classified Ads, 7-
15-D; Editorials, 1-B; Entertainment,
6-10-C; Obituaries, 12*A; Pinehurst
News, 1-5-C; Sandhills Scene, 2-11-A;
Sports, 11-15^.
Uiqh falls
M'
Glandon
fia takas T Carrraron ,
SR? ,'>(?'5p""5vassW
' SpS*TinS^t>%uihern
Foxfire
^ ^^Abaraean
PinSblLjfP^
s
LOT
Support
for schools at public hearing on
Monday nrged by grass roots group.
See Page 10-A.
Loud Crowd OnHand
In Schools Showdown
■/ * ^
, i
r
-t
rt
BY FLORENCE GILKESON
What was billed as a joint
meeting of the Moore County
boards of commissioners and
educaticm turned into a noisy con
frontation in the old courtroom in
Carthage Monday night.
An estimated 400 persons jam
med into the room to hear
members of the two boards argue
over the 1981-82 budget proposal,
which represents a 17.6 percent
decrease over the county's cur
rent expense appropriation to the
schools for 1980-81.
The room was crowded,
temperatures and tempers were
high, the public speaking system
was inadequate, and the result
often was a shouting match bet
ween members of the two boards.
Most seats in the courtroom were
taken, and people stood at the
rear, along the sides and crowded
along the front entrance and into
the hallway.
“Do you intend to appropriate
the budget by line item? If so, you
could save time by telling us
where to cut. We’re audited by
the John C. Muse Co. every year.
I’m getting embarrassed and
humiliated that someone would
imply we’re misappropriating
funds. Let’s get on with the
business at hand,’’ said School
Board Member John Sledge.
Sledge’s assertions followed a
series of questions aimed at the
education board by the commis
sioners, most voiced by Chair
man Charles Phillips and Vice-
chairman Tony Parker.
Early in the meeting Dr.
Phillips discouraged School
Board Chairman Lou Frye from
allowing School Finance Officer
Joe Vaughn to answer some of
the questions posed by the com
missioners. Phillips declared
that the discussions were to be
confined to members of the two
boards, not their staff members.
Vaughn finally read a
paragraph from the commis
sioners’ letter to the school board
in which both Vaughn and Supt.
Robert E. Lee were asked to par
ticipate. From this point on,
Vaughn was permitted to help the
school board with the answers to
some of the highly technical
financial questions.
The school people clearly
regarded the interrogation as an
effort to discredit them in the
eyes of the public.
When one board member was
unable to give an immediate
answer to a question, Parker re
quested that the information be
secured from the professionals
and passed on to the commis
sioners for more careful scrutiny.
To this, Vaughn responded that
the school board employs a
superintendent and other ad
ministrators to carry out assign
ed duties while the board decides
on policy.
“You want to carry out policy
and administration and
everything,” Vaughn said. “Then
you hold joint meetings like this
and embarrass everyone.”
In answer to another question,
Mrs. Frye estinnated that about
three percent of the school budget
is spent on administration.
Phillips was surprised and
(Continued on Page 14-A)
gt:;'
r:
V
Purvis Asks 5^^ Tax Hike
To Help Schools; Tabled
V
w
County (Commissioner Arthur
L. Pur^ on Monday nights
proposed a five-cent tax rate
increase “to provide the services
the county deserves and wants.”
His recommendation, which
was tabled on a 3-2 vote, called
for turning the major portion of
the additional ad valorem tax
money over to to the public
schools’ current expense budget.
Purvis said the additional five
cents on the $100 property
valuation would produce
$546,000.
He proposed that $400,000 of
this go into the school’s current
expense budget, $100,000 be
placed in the county’s contingen
cy fund, $25,000 for recreation
and $16,000 for Sandhills (Com
munity (College.
The budget discussion came
during a special meeting of the
Moore County Board of
Commissioners, which preceded
a joint meeting with the schools
board.
Purvis opened the meeting by
saying the board made a mistake
at a special June 5 meeting when
it tentatively approved the
$11,198,580 budget for 1981-82. He
made a motion to rescind the
June 5 action, and his motion was
seconded by (Commissioner Lee
WUliams.
Chairman Charles Phillips
pointed out that the board’s
action was tentative and the
1981-82 budget would not be
formally adopted until after the
public hearing scheduled
Monday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m. in
the courtroom of the old
courthouse in Carthage.
“I feel we’ll find ourselves in
Phew!
It Hit
103!
THE
PILOT LIGHT
REDISTRICTING~It now
ai^ars that Moore (County will
remain a single-county district in
the State House of Represen
tatives.
A legislative committee last
week made this recom
mendation, and it is likely that
the proposal will get the en
dorsement of the full legislature.
Early this year there had been
some talk about putting Moore
into a district with Scotland
(County, but Scotland and Hoke
have now worked out an
arrangement for a district, and
the truth is there never was
much enthusiasm in Scotland for
joining up with Moore.
As for the State Senate it also
an>ears that the 16th district,
which is made up of Moore,
Randolirii, Chatham ard Orange,
will remain as it is now con
stituted.
LEGISLATURE-While the
si^tc are still set on ad-
tournament, or rather a recess,
of the legislature by the end of
this month, it is beginning to look
like a longer session.
Many legislators are deter
mined to recess by July 4, but
others are now saying that the
session can run until July 15.
There is a large backlog of bills
to be acted iqran, including
several troublesome issues, such
as congressional redistricting.
Plans already have been
((Continued on Page 15-A)
With the first day of summer
still five days away, Moore (Coun
ty can claim three successive
days of temperatures above the
100 degree mark.
Warren Baecht, volunteer
weather observer for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, told
The Pilot that his thermometer
registered 103 degrees on Mon
day and Tuesday. It was 102
degrees Sunday.
Baecht’s weather-measuring
instruments, standard equipment
issued by USDA, are located in
the backyard at his home on
Lakeview-Airport Road near
Whispering Pines.
The last rainfall, 1.31 inches,
was measured Friday.
Low temperatures were 72
degrees Monday and 71 Tuesday.
The exceptionally early severe
heat may have an adverse effect
on gardening and livestock.
Paul Seabolt, a farm agent with
the Moore County Agricultural
Extension Service, said Tuesday
that poultry growers should begin
using fans to prevent mass
deaths by suffocation, typical of
chickens and turkeys when the
weather becomes severe.
Weather forecasters were
predicting that the heat wave
may break today.
Sunday will be the first day of
summer.
Judge Gavin, GOP Leader
Dies At 65 At Home Here
Former Superior (Court Judge
Robert Lee (javin, one of North
Carolina’s best known
Republican leaders, died Thurs
day morning at his home in
m j
Robert L. Gavin
Pinehurst.
Gavin, 65, who died of cancer,
had been in failing health for the
past six months. ^ '
A former state Republican
chairman, Gavin twice ran for
Governor. In his first try for the
state’s top office, in 1960, he
garnered 46 percent of the vote,
making him one of the first GOP
candidates in modem history to
show such a substantial gain in
the North Carolina gubernatorial
race.
Funeral services were con
ducted Saturday at 4 p.m. at the
Village (Chapel in Pinehurst by
Chaplain Henry C. Duncan.
Burial followed in Buffalo
(Cemetery, Sanford.
Bom May 22, 1916 in Sampson
(County, Gavin grew up in San
ford. He graduated in 1936 from
the University of North Carolina
at (Chapel Hill, where he returned
later to earn his law degree. He
served with the U.S. Army during
World War II.
After his ^aduation from law
school, Gavin joined the family
law firm, Gavin, Jackson and
Gavin, in Sanford.
In 1953 he was appointed assis
tant U.S. district attorney for the
U.S. Middle District of North
(Carolina. Four years later he was
appointed U.S. district attorney.
Gavin served as state chair
man of the North Carolina
Republican Party in 1963.
He was defeated by Terry San
ford, now president of Duke
University, in the i960 campaign.
Gavin was a candidate again in
1964, when he was defeated by
Dan K. Moore, now a retired
justice of the North (Carolina
Supreme (Court.
The long-time Republican
leader served as city attorney for
Sanford from 1965 until 1971,
when he moved his residence
from Sanford to Pinehurst. In
(Continued on Page 16-A)
worse condition than we are this
year, and I admit that I
contributed to that error. I’m the
first to admit that, but we should
try to reach a compromise,” said
Williams.
“Frankly, I don’t believe we
can operate on those funds, and I
don’t believe the Local
Government (Commission will let
us,” he continued.
Purvis argued that the
contingency fund is too low in ttie
budget adopted June 5, that
revenues were inflated, and
“we’ll have to turn to tax
anticipation notes.”
“That budget was tentative,”
said Commissioner Coolidge
Thompson. “It’s not set in
concrete yet. It’s still subject to
^udy and further revision. Until
it’s adopted, it would be
premature to rescind it.”
(Commissioner Tony Parker
agreed that the budget needs
(Continued on Page 16-A)
PEACH SEASON — The peach season is under
way in the Sandhills and the fruit is ripening
fast. In the above picture Clyde Auman of West
End, one of the state’s leading peach growers,
is showing a customer, Willard Smith of
Whispering Pines, some of this week’s
offerings.-(Photo by Glenn M. Sides)
Hearing On County Budget Monday
School, college and recreation
leaders are not the only ones hurt
by budget cuts proposed by the
Moore County Board of (Commis
sioners.
Economic development, plann
ing, mental health and register of
deeds are just a few of the depart
ments and agencies which also
are targeted for budget
decreases in the 1981-82 budget.
For several other county of
fices the increase is little more
than nominal and will not be suf-
Mary Jo Haywood Goes
To Pageant Next Week
Mary Jo Haywood of (Carthage,
“Miss Aberdeen 1981,” will
travel to Raleigh the week of
June 22-27 to participate in the
Miss North (Carolina Pageant,
which is hosted by the Raleigh
Jaycees.
I%e will stay at Peace (College
along with other contestants
from across the state. The
pageant will be held at Memorial
Auditorium.
Miss Haywood will participate
in swimsuit competition on
Wednesday evening, talent
competition on Thursday
evening, and evening gown
competition on Friday evening.
She will also be intei^ewed on
Friday. For her talent entry, she
will play the piano.
The finals of the pageant will
be televised Saturday, June 27 at
9 p.m.
As “Miss Aberdeoi 1981,” Miss
Haywood has bera required to
represent her town in several
events across the state. She rode
in four (Christmas parades during
one week last year. She has also
participated in the Peach
Festival, the Wake Forest
Pageant, and the Junior Miss
Pageant.
Miss Haywood is the dau^ter
of Ernest and Ann Haywood of
Carthage. She is a rising
sophomore at Meredith (College
in Raleigh, majoring in music
education with &e organ as her
principal instrument. During
July and part of August, she will
serve as organist for Ae First
Baptist (Church in (Carthage.
“I have really enjoyed being
Miss Aberdeen, mainly because I
have met so many interesting
people,” she says.
Roy and Karen Hickman will
accompany Mary Jo to Raleigh
as her chaperones and business
manage.
ficient to offset the inflation fac
tor.
A proportion of the decrease
has been distributed through
several agency budgets by
elimination of positions and the
merging of agencies.
One assistant administrator
position has been eliminated, for
example, and these duties, pur
chasing and emergency manage
ment, have been turned over to
existing personnel. The position
of planner has been eliminated,
and these duties have been
assigned to the personnel officer.
Youth services and com
munications departments were
abolished altogether, but one new
office, data processing, was
formed.
Although the commissioners
tentatively approved the
$11,198,580 budget at a special
June 5 meeting, the budget can
not be officially adopted until
after a public hearing is held on
Monday, June 22. The hearing
wUl begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be
held in the courtroom of the old
courthouse in Carthage.
Since the budget was tentative
ly approved, the most attention
has been paid to the public school
budget, which sustained a
$600,000 cut in the crucial current
expense budget.
Nevertheless, the budget cuts
made on the departmental level
are causing concern, almost
panic in some offices, where ex
penses are up because of inflation
and growth factors. In some
departments there is an increase,
but not large enough to be
measurable.
County Administrator Larry
Moubry said last week that he
was spending much of his time
dealing with the budget problems
faced by department heads.
Moubry will be leaving his posi
tion at the end of the month, and
the department leaders are ap
proaching him while there is so-
the commissioners fill the posi
tion of county manager.
Changes in the design of the
budget proposal can provide a
nriisleading picture, if 1980-81
figures are compared in-
meone left to approach. As of Ju- discriminately with those propos-
ly 1, there will be no one left in a ed for the new year
top administrative position until (eontinned on Page 16-A)
Federal Cuts Hang Heavy
Over Train Service Here
Amtrak passenger service
through Southern Pines remains
uncertain in spite of more
positive action recently taken by
the Commerce (Committees of
both houses of Congress.
Jung Lee, media relations
representative with Amtrak in
Washington, D.C., said the deci
sion about continuation of routes
will not be noade qntil July or
August.
“We have not made any deci
sions about the routes, which to
preserve and which to discon
tinue. We are waiting for the con
clusion of (Congressional budget
action,” Lee told The Pilot.
The future does appear more
((Continued on Page 16-A)
Moore Loses Cathy Bryan
To High Post In Iredell
Moore (County is losing its
veteran industry hunter to the
Mooresville (Ch^ber of (Com
merce.
Cathy Walker Bryan, whose
employment with the Moore
(County Economic Development
Program has not been continued
by the county commissioners,
has accepted a position as ex
ecutive vice-j)resident of the
Mooresville chamber, effective
June 29.
Mrs. Bryan has been serving as
interim executive director for the
Moore County Economic
Development (Committee since
January. Prior to that she was
administrative assistant to the
economic development director,
Homer Faulk, who resigned in
December to accept a similar
position in Halifax (County.
She had been associated with
the Moore County industry
search program since 1978.
Earlier she held an executive
position with the Sandhills Area
Chamber of Conomerce.
(Continued on Page 16-A)
Ewing Given Another Job
As Acting County Manager
*^0 Haywood as “Miss
participate in the Miss
North Carolina Pageant in Raleigh next week.
Robert S. Ewing was given a
second job with Moore (County
Monday night.
Ewing, who will become
economic development director
on July 1, was tapped by the
county commissioners to serve
US acting county manager until a
fulltime manager can be ap
pointed.
ffis new duties carry no ad
ditional salary.
The prominent Republican was
once rumored to be in line for the
job of county manager, but the
GOP-dominated board of
commission0‘s selected him for
tile economic development post
instead. In the meantime, the
board has advertised the position
in three daily newspapers and
two publications with statewide
circulations.
Chairman Charles Phillips
recommended this action at a
special board meeting Monday
night. He pointed out that (County
Administrator Larry Moubry’s
resignation becomes effective
June 30 and that the county will
be without a top administrator
from that date until the new
person is employed.
The motion by (Commissioner
Coolidge Thompson and
seconded by Commissioner Tony
Parker was approved
unanimously and with a
niinimum of discussion.
GCommissioner Lee Williams,
who has served on the Economic
Development Committee, did
ask if the action would ^ect
Ewing’s ability to carry out the
industry hunting duties. Phillips
expressed the opinion that it
would have no adverse affect.
Ewing, who is chairman of the
American Hospital Association’s
National (Council for Hospital
Governing Board, is a former
mayor of Southern Pines and a
former county commissioner. He
is also a former editor publisher
of the Moore County News. He
presently serves as vice-
-diairman of Pioneer Service
Corporation, the non-profit
(Continued on Page 16-A)
1
/
Robert S. Ewing