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PROGRESS SENTINEL
froL. XXXXVIt NO. 28 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE. N.C.^8349 JULY 14. 1983 16 PAGES THIS WEEK IQCfcNTS PLUSTAX
SWEE^ORNjj
COUNTRY FRESH - Local gardens are
beginning to yield and many-Duplin farmers
are offering vegetables and produce for sale.
Roadside produce and vegetable siands dot
the county offering a variety of foods
including fresh canteloupes, watermelon,
tomatoes, peaches and corn. Pictured above
is a small roadside garden stand just outside
Faisnn.
James F. Strickland
Liberty Cart Dedicates
1983 Season To
James F. Strickland
A member of the original
cast of the 1949-50 produc
tions of THE DUPLIN
STORY and current presi
dent of the Duplin Outdoor
Drama Society, James F.
Strickland is honored this
season by the Kenansville
based outdoor drama THE
LIBERTY CART, General
Manager Jim Johnson an
nounced opening night, July
8 at the William R. Kenan
Memorial Amphitheatre.
Strickland has served on
the Board of the DODS since
its creation to organize out
door drama in Duplin County
during the bi-centennial
celebration in 1976. The
Warsaw businessman is a
life-long native of Duplin
County and better known to
most citizens as "Jimmy."
?Since THE LIBERTY
CART opened in 1976,
Jimmy has probably missed
no more than two or three of
^he approximately 175 per
formances," Johnson said.
"He and his wife Margaret
are always on hand to pitch
in where they are needed,
handing out cushions, greet
ing people, selling conces
sions, solving problems,
giving encouragement,
acting in any capacity needed
just to make things go
smoothly." Johnson pointed
out Strickland's many acti
vities, including a career in
the N.C. National Guard,
where he rose to the rank of
Colonel. Strickland has been
a member of the Duplin
County Board of Education ,
for more than 20 years and
served as its chairmah and
vice-chairman. Dedicated to i
improved education, Strick
land is a member of the
James Sprunt Technical i
College Board of Trustees
where he recently served as
chairman. He is also a mem- i
ber of the Liberty Hall 1
Restoration Commission* the i
Warsaw Baptist church and
the Kenansville-Warsaw Ro
tary Club.
"You might sum up
Jimmy's life very simply by
saying that he has spent a
greater part of it doing his
very best to make Duplin i
County a better place for all <
of us," Johnson said. "THE (
LIBERTY CART is pleased to i
dedicate the 1983 production I
season to Jimmy Strickland, 1
whose devotion and support
has helped make it possible
for use to bring our area
something very special in
entertainment, and at the
&tne time allow us to assist
in- the preservation of our
heritage for generations yet
to come."
THE LIBERTY CART,
Randolph Umberger's out
door drama about the de
velopment of eastern North
Carolina during colonial and
civil war times, opened its
season July 8 at the William
R. Kenan Memorial Amphi
theatre in Kenansville. In
addition to weekly perfor
mances of THE LIBERTY
CART this summer, the pro
fessional cast of the outdoor
drama will perform GOD
SRELL, which opens its
second season July 20, play
ing each Wednesday and
Friday night until Aug. 19.
North Carolina Theatre
Arts and the N.C. Depart
ment of Cultural Resources
recognize THE LIBERTY
CART as a professional
theatre and provide grant
assistance to this theatre
from funds appropriated by
the N.C. General Assembly.
Duplin Commissioners Approve
9-Member Hospital Board Nominees
The Duplin County Board
of Commissioners last Tues- '
day approved the 9-member
hospital board nominated by '
the former hospital board of
trustees.
Last week, the hospital '
board, following wishes of 1
the county board and recom- '
mendations of a study of the |
hospital's financial situation 1
appointed a new hospital '
board consisting of eight
votinp members and one *
non-voting member. The
board previously numbered
28 members.
The old board dissolved
itself at midnight June 30.
The new board took office
July 1, subject to confir
mation by the county com
missioners. The county owns
the hospital which was fi
nanced by county bond
issues. It leases the facility to
the hospital board.
The commissioners reject
ed a Board of Education
request for an additional
$87,750 to pay the salaries of
2Vi principals and eight
teachers aides to help the
system retain accreditation
by the Southern Association
. of Schools and Colleges. The
commissioners last month
budgeted $1,890,586 from
county funds for the school
system. The appropriation
was the same as that for the
1982-83 school year.
Commissioners Chairman
W.J. Costin responded to the
plea of School supporters for
the additional money with,
"The county is poor. We
have a lot of people out of
work. The state has not
added funds to reduce class
size. We're obligated to keep
up the school buildings and
we receive no money front
[he state for that."
In other action, the board
approved a resolution asking
he Farmers Home Adminis
ration to obligate funds for
he proposed Albertson com
nunity water system project
n northeastern Duplin
bounty.
During a hearing on the
vater system proposal, Bob
Pittman of Rivers and Asso
ciates of Raleigh, a consult
ing engineering firm, esti
mated the project cost at
$1,325,000. He said an
FmHA grant of $697,900
and a state grant of $313,100
may be available if local resi
dents would approve a bond
issue of $313,100 in a re
ferendum. FmHA would buy
or guarantee the bonds, he
added.
Pittman said the first two
paytffents of such a bond
issue would consist only of
the interest. He estimated
the interest would be $30,000
each of the first two years.
The proposed system would
take in $58,000 a year in fees,
a study by FmHA indicated.
The estimated water rate
would be $12 per month for a
minimum of 2.000 gallons.
Pittman estimated the
average fee would be $16 a
month for 5,000 gallons.
The board also voted to
combine the positions of
landfill secretary and gate
attendant in an effort to save
$7,000 a year. The latter
position had been vacant for
some time due to the re
tirement of the previous
attendant. The current
secretary will handle the
combined position. The
secretary's salary will be
increased from $8,745 to
$9,90b a year.
Federal, StateCutbacks
Trim School Outlay
The new budget of
$16,938,611 was approved by
the Duplin County Board of
Education last week. The
1982-83 budget totaled
$17,845,405.
The system had an
average daily attendance of
7,904 students during the
1982-83 school year.
Of the total budget,
$2,321,775 is expected to
come from county sources,
including taxes, fines, for
feitures and miscellaneous
items for current expeises
and $225,000 for capital out
lay. The county appropria
tion from the general fund
(primarily from property tax
revenue) is $1,890,586 for
current expenses, the same
as last year. The capital
outlay fund was cut about
$35,000.
The state will contribute
$10,392,706 plus about
$900,000 in matching funds.
Federal funds are expected
to total $1,209,271.
The lunchroom gross in
come is projected at
$1,758,930.
The board decided to keep
the prices of school lunches
at 75 cents for high school
students, 70 cents for other
students and $1.25 for adults
for lunch. Breakfast prices
will be 45 cents for students
and 65 cents for adults.
Students whose families
meet certain income require
ments can qualify for a
reduced lunch price of 40
cents or for a free lunch.
The federal government
paid the school lunch pro
gram its full cost of $1.17 per
meal for free lunches during
the past year for the first
time, according to the annual
report of Shelby Kilpatrick,
food services supervisor. In
the past, she said, the
government paid a flat fee
that was less than the free
meal cost.
The schooLj*y??<N>i opet
i a'ts one 4VF '&i^4s
"restaurant" businesses in
Duplin County. The break
fast and lunch program took
in $1,715,942.19 in student
fees and federal contribu
tions. The cost of the pro
gram was $1,572,878.27.
Mrs. Kilpatrick reported
food for the 1982-83 program
cost $741,828.82 and labor,
$612,404.01. Student and
adult payments for lunches
totaled $354,221.38.
The program has
$472,413.72 in cash and in
ventory to start the food
program this fall. Mrs. Kil
patrick said this is enough to
operate for 2.66 months
without any income. Federal
payments begin arriving one
to 'wo months after the start
of school.
The federal payment to the
lunch program during the
past year totaled more than
$1.1 billion.
East Coast Headwear Cap Factory
Taking Applications In Chinquapin
Billboards across the fore
head ? caps today serve as
one of the nation's most
popular forms of advertise
ment. And, Duplin County
will join the trend and manu
facture caps at Chinquapin.
East Coast Headwear will
open July 18 employing ap
proximately 30 people in the
production of caps. Plant
manager Hilda Houston of
Potters Hill expected more
than 100 applications last
week at the hat company.
The factory will operate one
shift of workers. The cap
company is located in Chin
quapin on Highway 41.
"There are 15 operations
?a c com kin a Kof '' Cocf
Coast Headwear Plant
Manager Hilda Houston
said. "1 know it doesn't look
like there is that much to do
in making caps, but some
have even more ? up to 21.
The type we will mostly make
only have about 15 steps."
Houston explained many of
the caps made in Chin
quapin will be used in sports
and promotions. The caps at
the Chinquapin plant will be
made under contract. "Over
the past several years the
demand for caps has gone up
more than the price which
makes them good for adver
tisement."
Houston received training
in cap manufacturing at a
Virginia-based plant which
specialized in the production
nf militarv hpaHupar AnH
Houston pointed out, the
success of the cap industry
depends on the speed of
production and the quality of
the product.
"One of the reasons Chin
quapin was selected as the
site of the cap factory is to
draw from the applicants that
are experienced sewers,"
Houston said. "The outlook
is good for the future and if
business goes as well as
expected during the next
couple of months, East Coast
Headwear will open another
plant or build onto the
present building. I believe
this plant will be just the
beginning of a successful
operation." Cap factory em
ployees will operate chain
stitch sewing machines
which are similar to the
straight stitch machines used
by local manufacturing
plants, Houston said.
"Of course, there is a
feeling of fright," Houston
said. "I guess when you start
anything new and give up
what you have been doing,
you feel a little scared. I am
excited about the prospects
of the cap factory and feel
like it will be good for Duplin g
? not only providing jobs. ni
but promoting Duplin County fj
everywhere the caps are ta
sold."
East Coast Headwear is
vned by Sammy Miller of
ichmond. Va. Miller is a
itive of Duplin. The manu
icturing company began
iking applications July 5.
Beulaville Town Employees
Receive 10 Percent Pay Raise
Beulaville Town Commis
sioners approved a 10 per
cent pay raise for town
employees after local citizens
appeared before the Board in
favor of the salary increase,
July 5 at the town hall.
A 10 percent salary in
crease had been included
with the 1983-84 budget at
the June 27 special Board
meeting. A group of
Beulaville citizens appeared
at the public hearing on the
proposed budget June 27,
and opposed the salary raise
for town employees due to
the increased trash collection
fees.
Commissioner S.A. Bliz
zard made the motion to
raise town employees salary
10 percent. The motion
carried with Commissioner
R3bon Maready voting no.
oaran noun appeareo
before the town board
requesting the town repair or
replace the septic tank at her
rental home on Stanford
Street. A letter to the Board
from Bolin's attorney David
Phillips was presented to the
Commissioners. The home is
serviced by a septic tank
which was covered when an
. addition was constructed to
the house. Bolin explained
the property would be con
demned by the Duplin
County Health Department if
sewer problems were not
alleviated.
Town attornev Rustv
Lanier advised Commission
ers that Beulaville was not
the only municipality which
maintained septic tanks, t
Maintenance and repair to r
septic tanks at homes beyond t
sewer lines within city limits j
and not tank replacement <
was the extent of the town's [
responsibility, Lanier <
explained. i
Commissioner Rabon (
Maready stated his residence
has not connected to the i
town water system and re- t
quested town clerk Carol (
Miller average his sewer fees j
for the past 12 months and ]
bill him. Town attorney i
Lanier advised Maready that ?
a home can unhook from the |
Beulaville water system, but
own ordinances require pav
nent of the minimum bill at
hat residence. Discon
tected from the town water
system. Commissioner
llizzard stated, the fees for
sewer services would be
mpossible to calculate with
>ut a meter.
Several bids for the treat
nent plant operator position
vere presented to the Beula
dlle Commissioners and re
ected. Commissioner
Vlarcady opposed action on
he bids, staling a specific
set of specifications should
je written for the oosition.
The Board requested Stanley
Miller, currently serving as
Beulaville treatment plant
operator, to write a job
description on which bids
would be taken.
Kenneth Smith and
Charlie Chasten were re
appointed to the Beulaville
Recreation Board. Both
men were serving terms
expiring July 31. Cecil
Lanier and Quincv Greene
were reappointed to the
Beulaville Zoning Board,
each were serving terms
expiring July 17.
Wind, Hail Damage Tobacco In Duplin
Duplin County agricultural ,r
officials last week were C
checking reports of hail and T
wind damage to tobacco ?'
fields. s<
Hail and wind damage was
reported on Monday in P'
several sections of the county 31
icluding the eastern area,
ounty Commissioner Calvin <
urner said he had 29 acres i
f tobacco damaged by a \
orm.
Other damage was re- i
orted in the Brices Store
rea northwest of Rose Hill.
Turner said he had a crew
working to straighten
lobacco stalks blown over by
the wind. He said the rain
had made the ground so soft
that most of the plants could
be salvaged. Leaf damage
was extensive, however.
Inmates Recaatured In Kenansville
Two inmates who escaped
from the state prison facility
in Kenansville Friday were
found about three hours
later, said Sgt. Jack Grady of
the N.C. Prison Unit 4125.
Mark Steven Taylor, 27,
and Robert Brown. 22,
jumped the fence at (he
minimum-security prison
about a mile south of
Kenansville around 8 p.m.,
Sgt. William Hendrix said.
B _
Prison otticiats began
searching for the inmates
with bloodhounds at 9 p.m., I
Grady -aid. One of the dogs
followed their scent into
woods about a mile north of
the prison where they were
found. Grady said.
Taylor was serving a nine
year sentence for breaking
and entering. Brown was
serving a two-year sentence
for possession of stolen
goods. Both will be charged
with prison escape.
:ir? Kills Chick?ns
About 20,000 chickens
were destroyed last week in a
fire that consumed two
chicken houses near Seven
Springs,'the Wayne County
Sheriff"s Department said.
Losses of the building and
chickens owned by Durwood
Grady, were estimated at
$82,500. /