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PROGRESS SENTINEL
^ VOL. XXXXVII NO. 15 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE. N.C. 28349 APRIL 14, 1983 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Department Requests Exceed
This Year's Budget
If all Duplin County
government departments get
' the money they have re
quested for 1983-84, the
county budget will total
$11,811,178, almost $4 mil
lion more than this year's
budget of $8,542,259.
The departmental requests
were submitted to the county
commissioners last week by
budget officer Ralph Cottle.
After much discussion, the
* board appointed Chairman
' W.J. Costin, Commissioner
Calvin Coolidge Turner and
Randolph Maddox of Rose
Hill to a committee to recom
ment a consulting firm to
study the financial situation
of Duplin General Hospital.
The hospital board is to name
two members to the com
mittee.
One of the major increases
requested in the proposed
budget is SI million for the
hospital, hwich has been
facing financial difficulties.
The requested budget, if it
were to be fully approved,
would require a tax rate of
$1.32 per $100 valuation,
almost double the current
70-cent rate, Cottle said.
Cottle estimated the
county's assessed valuation
at $660,310,903. The county
property tax would have to
fund $8,150,314 of the re
quested total, which would
require a $1.32 tax rate ?
assuming the county can
collect 93.6 percent of what
taxpayers owe.
Board members have re
peatedly stated they will not
increase the tax rate. To
retain the current 70-cent
rate, the board will have to
slash $4,325,224 from budget
requests.
Among major increases
requested were $1 million for
the hospital. $1 million for
schools, $80,000 for James
Sprunt Technical College,
$136,000 for the Department
of Social Services for its
Medicaid program and
$93,000 for law enforcement.
Cottle said unless Con
gress approves continuation
of revenue sharing, the
county will lose $657,000 in
anticipated income next
year. That would be the
equivalent of slightly more
than 10 cents of the tax levy.
In other business, the
board approved the sale of
the former poultry diagnostic
laboratory building in Rose
Hill to Church of God of
Prophecy for $6,000.
Also approved was a 2
percent discount for early
payment of property taxes in
July and August. The county
made a profit of about
$15,000 last year by invest
ing the money paid in and
receiving $34,978 in interest.
The discounts totaled
$19,983.
The board approved a
$9,300 request from Carl
Price, James Sprunt preis
dent, to transfer unbudgeted
college fund reserves to the
current expense fund.
? Beuiaville Board Meeting
Settles Recreation Question
Town Mayor Wilbur
Hussey was authorized by
the Beulaville commissioners
to consign recreation depart
a ment checks during the
? regular meeting of the town
board Aipil'6.
Alfred Basden reported
from the Beulaville Recrea
tion Committee requestine a
co-signer be appointed
from the town officials for
checks to be issued from the
recreation department ip the
future A savings account of
S/,800 wcu be converted into
checking,-Jasden explained.
? "The recreation commit
tee does not want to incor
porate," Basden explained.
"We will go any way the
town board wants us to
(concerning the expenditure
of the $7,800). And, we have
no problem with a member of
the town board or mayor co
signing checks with the
recreation officials." Funds
in the savings account were
raised in past years by
members of the recreation
committee and local citizens.
Basden explained. Commis
sioner S.A. Blizzard made a
motion to appoint Mayor
Wilbur Hussey as co-signer
for recreation department
chikks ?Wg with Recreation
Committee Chairman Alfred
Basden and treasurer Ada
Brown. The motion was
seconded by Franklin
Boyette and unanimously
approved.
The citizens committee for
renovation of the old Beula
ville town hall, appointed by
the town board, reported a
$12,500 estimate to restore
the structure. Commission
ers Blizzard and Elvis
Sumner had reported a
$23,640 estimate to restore
the old town hall and recom
mended the construction of a
new building to replace the
old structure if need existed
for additonal space, during
the February meeting of the
town board.
Sarah|polin and Anna Guy
present?*. the estimate to the
board. The estimate included
costs of removing the top and
replacing with a shingled
A-roof, rewiring, drop in
ceiling and instulation. bath
rooms with handicap facili
ties, leveling the floor, re
finishing the walls, and in
sulation.
"I think the price came
about by the fact the people
who bid on the project gave
us low bids because they
would be doing something
for the town, Mrs. Bolin said.
"We received two bids on
most of the work and most
were local people bidding."
Bolin, Carl Pate and Anna
Guy were appointed to the
citizens renovation commit
tee during the March
meeting. Beulaville compijs
?*Nioners tabled the renovation
question until board mem
bers could study the report
from the citizens' committee.
The board granted Uni
vision Cable TV a 60-day
extension to complete instal
lation. John Fecteau, Uni
vision installation manager,
pointed out problems with
right-of-ways for aereal lines
on Carolina Telephone and
Telegraph and on Carolina
Power and Light poles and
the weather causing delays
for the company. The board
unanimously approved the
60-day extension.
Date for a HUD grant
public hearing was
announced for April 18 at 7
p.m. at the Beulaville town
hall. Following at 7:30 p.nr.
will be a rezoning hearing to
consider recommendations
from the North Carolina De
partment of Transportation.
The DOT suggestions are for
sections of Highway 24 in
Beulaville including the re
moval of parking on the
south side of Highway 24
from Smith St. westward 100
feet. Parking is also sug
gested to be removed on the
north and south sides of
Highway 24 from a point 25
feet west of Railroad St. to a
point 25 feet east of Railroad
Street. Parking is recom
mended to be removed on
the north and south sides of
Highway 24 from a point 25
feet west of Lee Street to a
point 25 feet east of Lee
Street.
The board received esti
mates of surveying the town .
to establish boundaries and'
mark lines. William Blanch
ard of Wallace submitted a
$4,800 estimate and Joey
Brochure of Kinston, $2,940.
No action was taken on a
town survey.
A resolution from the
League of Municipalities was
approved by the Beulaville
commissioners. The resolu
tion called for the re
enactment of general
revenue sharing.
The board approved a
motion not to participate in
the employee retirement tax
shelter program due to the
lack of interest expressed by
the town employees.
A budget amendment was
made from general revenue
sharing to pay for a used
trash truck to be purchased
from the town of Pink Hill.
The truck will cost $5,000.
Blizzard made the motion to
amend the budget for the
purchase of the trash truck.
The motion was approved.
The March police report
was submitted to the board.
The report included 14 traffic
and 13 criminal violations
and 25 general calls.
Kenansville
Jaycettes Sponsor
^ Benefit For
Lori Mitchell
The Kenansville Jaycettes
are sponsoring a benefit for
Lori Mitchell, a thrid grade
student at Kenansville Ele
mentary. and a member of
Pearsall's Chapel Church.
Lori has been hospitalized at
Pitt Memorial Hospital in
| Greenville since March 11
" due to an injury sustained in
an accident.
The Jaycettes will sponsor
a hot dog and bake sale on
Friday, April 22 from 3:30
p.m. until 7:30 p.m. and on
Saturday, April 23. from 10
a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Baked
goods will be available on
Saturday. These sales will be
located at Jackson's IGA
^ parking lot in Kenansville.
" Anyone wishing to make a
contribution may contact
co-chairpersons Chris Bass
at 296-1867 or Phyllis
Worsley at 296-0329. All
support will be greatly ap
preciated.
Cancer
1 Benefit
The American Cancer
Society campaign this year in
Duplin County is April 16-24.
The Beulaville American
Cancer Society committee
consists of Alice Anne Page,
chairperson, and assisting
chairpersons Jackie Crute,
| Cathy Blizzard and Marcie
Lanier.
These ladies are involved
in raising money for this non
profit organization. To help
obtain money, a bridge
benefit has been planned for
April 22 from 7:30 to 11 p.m.
The benefit will be held in
the educational building at
the Beulaville Presbyterian
Church located on Hwy. 24.
I The entrance fee is S5 per
" person or $20 per table. The
deadline for entry is April 20.
Wallace Man Found
Guilty Of Tax Fraud
A federal judge last week
(Tuesday) sentenced John L.
Sorrell Jr. of Wallace to five
years in prison and fined him
$10,000 ? the maximum
penalty ? after a jury found
Sorrell guilty of income tax
evasion.
After a three-day trial, the
jury took 40 minutes to find
Sorrell guilty of willful failure
to report $295,000 in income
in 1976. Prosecutors say he
acquired the money by using
a "devious scheme" to de
fraud his mother and four
cousins.
The defendant should have
paid $148,000 in income
taxes on the money, said an
Internal Revenue Serivce
agent who testified as an
expert witness.
Before sentencing, U.S.
District Judge James C. Fox
said he would not offer an
opinion on Sorrell's dealings
with his family because he
was charged only with in
come tax evasion. But Fox
said Sorrell had "devised a
complex and ingenious
t ?
scheme" to commit his
crime.
According to federal
prosecutors. Sorrell had a
money-making plan that in
volved separate sales of land
and timber that belonged to
his relatives.
The land in question was S
and J Farms inc., including
635 acres in Pender and
Duplin counties. Sorrell's
mother. Mae Johnson
Sorrell, held a half interest in
the farm. Four of his cousins
shared ownership of the
other half. The cousins. Cora
Jane Johnson Bostic,
Dorothy Johnson Lane, Car
son Johnson and Fletcher
Johnson, all testified against
the defendant.
Witnesses from Georgia
Pacific Corp. testified that in
1976, Sorrel' rranged the
sale of timber from S and J
Farms to Georgia Pacific for
$475,000. beginning nego
tiations in the summer or
earlier. The cousins testified
that they knew nothing about
the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Sorrell also
arranged the sale of S and J
Farms to a man identified as
Ronald H. Braswell. Under
the terms of the sale agree
ment. Braswell was to ex
change unspecified land
known as Dixie Farms Inc.
with Mae Johnson Sorrell for
her half interest in S and J
Farms. Braswell was to pay
$45,000 to each of Sorrell's
four cousins for their shares.
Prosecutors said nobody
named Braswell ever bought
S and J Farms and that the
man who posed as Braswell
during transactions was an
imposter.
They said Sorrell deeded
documents related to owner
ship of Dixie Farms to his
mother, had $45,000 paid to
each of his four cousins from
the Georgia Pacific timber
payment and pocketed
$295,000 in cash, which he
failed to report as income.
Prosecutors said he ac
quired the cash, a briefcase
foil of $100 bills, in a meeting
with a Georgia-Pacific repre
sentative in the vault of a
Whiteville bank.
When the person identi
fied as Braswell failed to
purchase land for Dixie
Farms, all the land that had
composed S and J Farms
reverted to Sorrell's mother.
After Sorrell was sen
tenced, his wife. Mary, and
cousin Cora Jane Johnson
Bostic argued outside the
courtroom.
Mrs. Bostic told prosecut
ing lawyer Justin Thornton
that Mrs. Sorrell had told
her, "God will make you
pay."
Mrs. Sorrell told rhornton
she had not threatened Mrs.
Bostic. Mrs. Sorrell and her
two daughters left the build
ing in tears, saying Sorrell is
not guilty.
Thornton and lawyer Mark
Friend, both with the tax
division of the U.S. Depart
ment of Justice, argued the
government's case.
Sorrell was defended by
Wilmington lawyers William
Shell and Alex Fonvielle Jr.
Kenansville Property Owner
Threatened With Jail Sentence
? A District Court judge last
week threatened to jail a
Kenansville property owner
who has defied previous
court orders to stop con
struction of an office without
a building permit.
The order is effective until
settlement of civil action
brought by the town.
Rick Summerlin, whcr-lives
on Limestone Road, owns the
lot on which his house
stands. ?
Because of a town ordi
nance banning two ntdin
'? :ildings.on one lot. 3ul)d
^g Inspector Tyson Bosffc,
who is also police chief, '
refused to issue Summerlin a
permit for the steel-framed,
residential-type structure
Summerlin planned to build
for an office and model
home.
Summerlin contended the
town was wrong in rejecting
his request and went ahead
with construction.
The town obtained an
order from Judge Walter
Henderson telling Summer
lin to halt construction, but
Summerlin ignored the
ruling.
District Judge Kenneth
Turner issued - continuation
of Henderson * 'raining
order, which Sunm. lin also
ignored.
On Wednesday, the town
asked District Judge Alex
Erwin 111 to order the work
halted. Erwin ruled the tem
porary restraining order will
stay in place until the town's
suit can be heard in District
Court. No date has been set
for the hearing.
Erwin ordered Summerlin
to put up a $2,000 good faith
cash bond and agree to go to
jail for 15 days if he does any
more work on the nearly <
completed structure before i
the trial. i
Meanwhile, Summerlin is
seeking a writ of mandamus i
demanding the town issue
ihe permit and pay him
damages for delays.
Summerlin contends he is
not in violation of the town
ordinance. He says many
other people have built two
main structures on single lots
and everyone should be
treated alike.
Request Uncorks Several
Surprises For Duplin Winery
Duplin Wine Cellars offi
cials were unsure what ? if
anything ? would turn up
when they asked North
Carolina residents to search
their attics, basements and
packhouses for discarded
wine bottles and other wine
making artifacts.
"Initially, it was a shot in
the dark," said Pam Pope,
public affairs officer for the
winery. "We didn't know if
anything existed at all."
But just over a month after
the first notice went out,
about 60 items have been
received, including wine
bottles from the 1830s.
"We have been quite sur
prised with the response,"
she said.
The search is part of
Duplin Wine Cellar's at
tempt to revive the wine
industry in North Carolina,
which was once the top wine
making state.
Duplin Wine Cellars, lar
gest of the state's four
wineries, will hold a rare
wine and artifacts auction
April 30 in Rose Hill, where
the winery is located.
Mrs. Pope said one of the
finds is a Medoc Vineyard
bottle from the 1830s. The
Medoc Vineyard, in Halifax
County, was the nation's first
commercial winery.
Mrs. Pope said she has
also received a call from a
man who said he has 20
shares ? at $100 a share ?
from the Modoc Vineyard.
A number of bottles are
those used by the Paul
Garrett winery, whose Vir
ginia Dare wine was the best
selling wine in the nation
before Prohibition. Those
bottles are also from the
1830s.
The age of the bottles is
only part of the attraction for
collectors.
"Many of the bottles are
heavily embossed on the
glass itself," Mrs. Pope said.
Others have less costly paper
labels.
Bottles are not all that will
be auctioned. Mrs. Pope said
she has received an antique
grape crusher and a bone
cutter, which was used to cut
holes in wine barrels.
Mrs. Pope said the idea for
the auction "really began
because we became aware
most people were not aware
of the history of wine making
in the state."
Mrs. Pope said b revival of
wine making would benefit
not just the industry but also
the state through increased
tax revenues.
She said for every 1,000
gallons of brandy ? which
takes five times as many
grapes as wine ? the state
and federal government
would receive S10.000 each
in excise taxes.
Duplin Wine Cellars pro
duced 3,000 gallons jof
brandy last year ? the first
year a winery in North Caro
lina could produce brandy
legally Since 1909, she said.
^ / i