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PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVI1I NO. M USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE, NC 28349 MARCH 21.1985 lb PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
A New Miss Duplin Begins Reign
Angela Joy Norman, a native of Wallace, was crowned the 1985 Miss Duplin
County last Saturday night at the East Duplin Fine Arts Building in
Beulaville. Angela was among five contestants vying for the title and six
contestants competing for the 1985 Little Miss Duplin crown at the March 16
pageant. Crowned Little Miss Duplin was Sara Leane Jones, also of Wallace,
g Little Miss Duplin Runner-up was Sara Joelee Snyder of Chinquapin, and
Congeniality Awards were presented to Melanie Lane Miller and Melissa
Ann Miller of Clinton. The Congeniality Award was presented to Miss
Duplin contestants Amy Lynn Bland and Tonya Lynn Shepard. Miss Duplin
County Runner-up was Tonya Shepard of rural Richlands. Pictured above,
left to right, pageant Mistress of Ceremonies 1984 Miss North Carolina
Francesca Adler, 1984 Miss Duplin County Allyson Stroud, 1985 Miss Duplin
County Angela Joy Norman, Congeniality Winner and Miss Duplin County
Runner-up Tonya Shepard and Congeniality Winner Amy Lynn Bland.
Will Improve Five Block Area
Warsaw Approves Downtown Development
By a 2 vote the Town Board of
Warsaw appropriated $10,000 t6 the
P Chamber of Commerce last week to
help finance a downtown develop
ment project.
Ben Eason of the Chamber asked
for the appropriation to go with
S50.000 the Chamber is putting into
the project.
He said the Chamber is con
tracting with Owen Cugel of Lan
caster, Pa., owner of OK Associates
and OK Properties, to promote
development of a five-block area of
P down I own Warsaw.
The company will charge $5,000
per month for 12 months. Eason said
that by the end of that period the
company has promised "to have bids
let" for $1 million worth of con
struction in the area.
He said if the company fails to
meet the contract terms, the money
put up by the Chamber will revert to
it. Eason said Cugel was introduced
by the N.C. Department of Com
merce and has similar contracts with
Greenville and Tarboro. Eason said
Cugel promoted a $100 million
development for Lancaster, Pa. He
said Cugel's net worth is $50 million.
Commissioners John Weatherly,
Billy Kennedy and Graham Hood
voted for the appropriation. Com
missioners Walter Foster and James
Herring voted against it.
By. 4-1 vote, the board agreed to
franchise terms with Beasley Cable
vision of Eastern N.C., Inc.
The company will provide 22
channels of basic service for $11.95
per month, a 40 percent increase
in the monthly rate. It has provided
17 channels for $8.50 per month. The
company agreed to freeze the new
rate until Dec. 30,1986.
The board agreed to have the
police force buy a bicycle for a silent
night patrol. The police want the
bike to nab a car thief.
Police Chief R.P. Wood reported
one or more people have been
entenng, not necessarily breaking
into, parked cars late at night.
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He said people frequently leave
their parked cars unlocked. Wood
said change, radios, pistols, clothing
and tools have been stolen.
A patrolman on a bicycle might be
able to approach and surprise a thief
in the act of entering a vehicle. The
culprits can hear the police patrol
cars.
The board agreed to endorse the
application of Duplin Retirement
Village for some of the 70 nursing
home beds the state said arc needed
in Duplin County. The endorsement
was requested by Charles Harrell of
Mount Olive, owner of the Retire
ment Village at the edge of Warsaw.
Wallace Votes
To Raise Pay
Some Wallace town employees
will see changes in their pay checks
as the result of a pay and job
classification plan adopted by the
Town Board.
Adoption of the plan Thursday
night increased the town's salary
schedule by $29,000 a year.
In other business, the board
denited a rezoning request that
would have changed the classifica
tion of a lot at East Boney and
Norwood streets from central busi
ness to R-8, a restricted residential
classification. Jessie Carter asked for
the rezoning. Many businesses
already are located on Norwood
Street, which is part of U.S. 117.
A hearing on applying for a
community development block grant
to make improvements in the north
west area of town will be held at 7
p.m. April 11 in Town Hall.
Bids will be opened at 2 p.m. April
1 on a 1976 Ford truck the town plans
to sell.
Final inspection of the new sewage
treatment facilities will be held at 9
a.m. March 26 and 27. ,
Brenda Strickland was appointed
to the Recreation Commission to
succeed Anna Lee Wells. The term
expires in 1987.
Man Charged
With WarsawMurder
A 31-year-old Warsaw man has
been arrested and charged with
murder in connection with the Satur
day killing of a Warsaw woman.
Russell Holden Jr. of 101 Lizzie St.
was arrested about midnight Satur
day by the Duplin County Sheriff's
Department, Chief Deputy Glenn
Jernigan said. Holden was picked up
at his house for questioning and later
arrested at the Warsaw Police De
partment, Jernigan said.
Vanessa Jones, 17, of 501 W.
College St., Warsaw, was found with
her throat slashed in a field about
one mile southwest of Warsaw.
Ms?. 'ones had recently rcuirite-i
to Warsaw after serving time in
Women's Prison in Raleigh. Jer
nigan said.
A Warsaw city employee, riding
his moped, discovered the body
between 1:30 and 2 p.m., Jernigan
said, and reported it to the Warsaw
Police. Ms. Jones was killed early
Saturday, although the exact time is
still unknown, he said.
No witnesses have come forward.
The closest house to the field is
between one-quarter to one-half mile
away, Jernigan said.
What weapon was used is also
unknown, Jernigan said. He said he
knew but could not reveal where Ms.
Jones had been before she was
killed. The murder, however, ap
parently took place in the field, he
said.
Ms. Jones' clothes were partially
torn off, but it is not known if she had
been sexually molested, Jernigan
said. An autopsy at Onslow Me
morial Hospital should determine
that, he said.
Holden was being held without
bond in Duplin County Jail. His first
appearance was set for Monday in
District Court.
First-degree murder carries a
maxim.r/iv -.enience of eath, he
said. Jhe Stale Buret* of Investi
gation, Duplin County Sheriff's De
partment and Warsasy Police are
handling the case. Jernigan said.
Rose Hill
To Build
Water Tank
An elevated water tank and a new
well are one step closer to smoothing
out the ups and downs of the Rose
Hill water service.
The Town Board will open bids for
a water tank, well, well house and
equipment at 2 p.m. April 4 in the
Town Hall.
The board agreed last week to buy
a 3.5-acre site west of town for the
well from E.D. Monk and E.M.
Mainor. The price is SI 1,000. A
community development block grant
provides the funds.
A public hearing will be held later
on abandoning the right of way on an
unopened street. D.J. Fussell re
quested the closing to provide room
for expansion of a building he owns.
The building is occupied by
Whispersoft Mills, which plans to
expand by 15,000 square feet.
Faison Stops
Water Leaks
Faison Commissioners discussed
continuing efforts to organize mer
chant interest in the revitalization of
the town's main street, replacing
leaky water lines and a new business
at the March 6 meeting of the board.
Commissioners voted to replace
the water line running underneath
Church St. The line is one of the
oldest in town and has been being
patched for a long period of time,
said Faison Clerk Hazel Kelly.
The Board also agreed to install a
post to prevent parking on NC 117
across from the Friendly Mart and
erect signs to create a loading zone
on the west side of West Center St.
at the back of the new florist shop in
the town. The shop, Pat's Florist,
opened March 3 on the corner of
West Center St. and Main St. The
shop is operated by Pat Edge.
Jane Hollingsworth reported on
the continuing project to organize
and promote support of downtown
revitalization. Hollingsworth, along
with Nan Fesperman, is working
with Melba Laney of the North
Carolina Department of Cultural Re
sources to assist town merchants in
organizing efforts for a revitalization
project.
10 th Season Of Outdoor Drama
Liberty Cart Announces New Directors For 1985
THE LIBERTY CART announces
the 1985 season directors. Joan Ryan
of New York and Gail Evans of
Virginia will co-direct the 10th
season of the outdoor drama in
Kenansville, Jim Johnson, general
manager of THE LIBERTY CART
announced.
The two young women became
acquainted with THE LIBERTY
& CART last season as actresses. Joan
w was featured in the role of Abigail
Love Grady and Gail as Sarah Kenan
and Sally Dortch. According to
Johnson, Joan will direct the 1985
production and Gail the season
alternate show, which is expected to
be A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S
DREAM by William Shakespeare.
The 10th anniversary of THE
LIBERTY CART in the William R.
Kenan Jr. Memorial Amphitheatre is
expected to be viewed from new
) seating. Opening night is July 12 and
THE LIBERTY CART will be per
formed Thursday, Friday and Satur
day evenings at 8:15. The season
alternate show will be performed
Wednesday evenings beginning
July 24 and the season concludes
August 24.
"The Duplin Outdoor Drama
Society is looking forward to our first
Shakespearean play to be performed
I
ai the amphitheatre," Johnson said.
"The future looks bright for THE
LIBERTY CART and we're proud to
be able to maintain a large local
support which has been the very
foundation of the drama these past I
nine years. The Duplin Outdoor '
Drama Society is very excited about
the upcoming season. THE
LIBERTY CART will be directed by
two very talented young ladies and
viewed from the comfort of stadium
style seating."
In New York, Joan has performed
numerous roles Off-Off Broadway
including Carrie in "The Great
Nebula in Orion," Stella in
"Christmas Spirit," and Andrea in
"Twinkle Twinkle." Most recently
Joan has completed a full season
with the Kentucky Cooperative
Theatre in Louisville, Ky. She has
co-produced shows Off-Off Broad
way and in Louisville. She received
her training at "The Neighborhood
Playhouse School of Theatre" in
New York City under the direction of
Edward Moor.
Gail is a graduate of Virginia Tech
with a bachelor's degree in theatre
arts. She lists her most rewarding
roles as Anna in "Old Times," Steffy
in "1 Ought to Be in Pictures,"
Maude in "A Coupla White Chicks
Sitting Around Talking," and Isa
belle in "My Sister in This House."
Gail's main interest in theatre is in
the area of improvisation which was
inspired by her studies with Robert
Leonard, producing director of the
Road Company in Johnson City,
Tenn. Before appearing with THE
LIBERTY CART. Gail performed the
role of Mary Engles in the outdoor
drama, "The Long Way Home."
^m
Gall Evans
Joan Ryan
JSTC Open House And Registration At W-RH
The puolic is inivited to Wallace
Rose Hill High School Wednesday,
March 27 for the official opening of
JSTC's newest extension center.
James Sprunt began evening
^ operations at the Wallace-Rose Hill
Center last November, offering con
tinuing education courses and three
courses for curriculum credit.
For spring quarter the college will
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be offering over 15 curriculum
classes during evening hours. These
include UNC-W transfer courses in
history, music appreciation and so
ciology; technical courses in busi
ness education including accounting,
word processing and computer pro
gramming; and a vocational course
in woodworking. These offer the
same curriculum credit as those
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courses offered at the KenansviUe
campus.
The purpose of the open house is
to give the W-RH community the
opportunity to become better ac
quainted with the Aew center and ine
course offerings available. Visitors
are invited to attend between 5 and 8
p.m. Administrators from JSTC will
be present to answet questions.
Those wishing to enroll may register
for the spring quarter. Registration
fees are $4.25 per credit hour.
Classes will begin March 28.
Dr. Carl Price, president, en
courages residents of the Wallace
area to attend open house. "We are
very pleased with the initial response
to our course offerings," he said.
"Tfce number of courses available
and the convenience of the new
location are qualities we hope people
will take advantage of."
Price added that much of the
credit for the early success of the
center goes to the advisory com
mittee, a group of community
leaders who have helped promote
the center and its offerings.
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