I'illlftgton ‘
NC 27g46
News & Advertising
Deadline: Monday Noon
Harnett County News
Published Continuously Since 1919
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1979
TWENTY CENTS
Around Town
-by STEVE PLUMMER.
REVAMPING J AYCEES
Lillington Jaycees President
Sam Hatley announced this
week that there will a
special breakfast meeting of the
Lillington Jaycees and alt men
in the area interested in joining
the organization.
The meeting will be held at
Speedy’s Restaurant on Tues
day, July 31 at 7 a.m.
The Jaycees are mounting an
effort to reorganize the group
and solicit new members.
Hatley smd they have already
gotten some form of commit
ment from about 25 men in the
area to attend the meeting.
This worthwhile organization
has had its ups and downs in
regards to its membership rolls
in the last five years, but they
have been consistently import
ant to the community in service
and in the high regard in which
they are held.
A strong and vital Jaycee
organization is just as import
ant to lillington as a similar
type of Chamber of Commerce
or dvic club. A strong nucleus
is already available in the dub,
with members like Hatley,
Ricky Byrd, Victor Quick,
Horace Bethune and a few
others.
However, these men cannot
carry the responsibilities alone,
even though they have tried,
through most of this year. If
you are interested in joining
and you are under 35 years old,
then make plans to attend the
meeting next week.
The Jaycees, and Lillington,
need you.
AMERICANtEerttNTfffeEt'
Russell Thomas, commander
of American Legion Post 28,
urges all members to attend the
group’s regular meeting to
night (Thursday) at 8 p.m.
POETRY CONTEST
A news release from Califor
nia that came across my desk
this week announces a poetry
competition sponsored by the
World of Poetry, a quarterly
newsletter for poets.
Poems of all styles and
subjects will be accepted for
competition for the grand prize
of $1,000 or for 49 other cash
and merchandise awards.
Rules and entry forms are
available from World of Poetry,
2431 Stockton Blvd., Dept. A,
Sacramento, California, ^17.
I know from experience that
there are a lot of talented poets
in the News’ circulation area, so
get those odes written and sent
off.
NEW FRIENDS
I made some new friends last
week the hard way. I don’t
want to say I just “bumped”
into them because it was sheer
luck that I didn't.
Last Tuesday night I was
returning from the press in
Benson and had just passed the
entrance to Keith Hills on
highway 421.
Just before I got to that tong
curve before College Mart I
attempted to pass a slower car.
As I pulled even with them, my
right front tire on my Mercedes
(oops, I mean Granada - I'm
always getting those cars
confused) blew out, promptly
sending me into a series of
spins in the middle of the
highway.
How I managed to avoid
hitting the other car is beyond
me — I was too busy just trying
to hang on. I kept spinning until
I went off the road, ending up
on a grassy hill just beyond the
picnic spot on the right hand
side of the road.
As I sat in the car wondering
if I was still alive, the two men
in the car I attempted to pass,
Don Strother and Randy
Cowan, came running up to
check on the same thing.
As we inspected our cars and
ourselves and determined there
was no damage to either (other
than my flat tire), the two
Campbell students began to
chwge my tire for me in the
drizzling rain.
They changed the tire
because I suddenly fell victim
to the shakes, or post-accident
blues.
I want to take the importuni
ty to thank the two men now
for their concern and their aid
because without them, I would
have been thumbing into town.
I apparently bent a control
rod on my tire as a result of the
spinning so I didn’t want to
drive it into town. The men
gave me a ride to my office
'where* I called’ Bfll Gfeen”'bf
Green’s Garage for a tow. Bill
was just sitting down to supper
when I called, so 1 want to say
thanks to him for his help too.
By the way, Randy, who is a
religious education major, is
looking for a furnished apart
ment in or around Buies Creek.
He comes highly recommended
by me, so if anyone in that area
is looking for a responsible
tenant, get in touch with him
through the school.
NEW STEWART
Received word at the last
possible minute before closing
this column Tuesday morning
that there is a legitimate reason
for that big smile on Speedy
Stewart’s face this week.
He is a grandfather once
again. Not only that, but his
daughter. Marion Britt, the one
who called us Tuesday, announ
ced that she is an aunt once
again (makes sense, wouldn’t
you say?).
The cause of all the
excitement is Matthew Bryan
Stewart, an eight-pound, 15-
ounce package that arrived
Monday at Wake Medical
Center.
His parents are Neil A.
(Nicky) Stewart Jr. and his
wife. Prances of Raleigh.
Continued on Page 10
Deputies Crack South
Harnett Vandalism Ring
HARN’ETT COUNTY d-ITERS going to
Raleigh for the week are, from br, front row:
Jeanie Hampton, Windy Hills 4-H Club;
Derrick Johnson, Shawtown 4-H Club;
Steven Howell, Busy Bee 4-H Club; Cliff
Spaulding, Windy HOls 4-H Club. Back row,
from l-n Cindy Dewar, Busy Bees 4-H Club;
Suzanne Farrar, Windy Hills 4-H Club;
Reisha Lasater, Helping Hands 4-H Club;
Cindy Hampton, Windy Hilla 4-H Club. Cindy
Dewar, Suza^e Farrar and Cindy Hampton
were winners in the district competition and
wiU be competing in the state competition in
the Fruit and Vegetable Division, Dairy
Foods Dividon and Home' Environment
Division. [Photo by Lorraine Mize}
ByNANCYBOUNDS
Detectives with the Harnett
County Sheriffs Department
have cracked a large ring of
vandalists believed to have
been responsible for over
$3,(X)0 worth of damage to
property in the southern part of
the county.
Chief Detective Bill Strick
land said today that eleven
people, including four juveniles,
have been charged with
vandalism in the case.
From June 16 until July 2
water towers, streets, mailbox
es, street signs, and windows to
restaurants and laundromats
were repeatedly destroyed and
defaced by the vandalists.
Strickland said that all the
damaged property belonged to
William S. Wellons of Rt. 1,
Spring Lake, and all were in the
Old Farm area in the southern
part of Harnett County.
Detectives have been work
ing since the destructive
outbreak began to round up the
people involved.
Five military men from Ft.
Bragg were arrested and
pleaded guilty to charges of
vandalism in court last week.
They are: Michael Hurasbur-
ger, 19; Michael Mansell, 19;
Charles Montileone, 19; James
L. Berube, 22; and S.L. Ray
Claud, 21. All five live on Rt. 1.
Spring Lake.
Also arrested in the case
were Robin Stutts, 16, and four
juveniles whose names were
not released. Two of the
juveniles were male and two
were female. One of the girls
has been charged with breaking
and entering as well as
vandalism.
An eleventh person sought
in the case is Richard V. Clark,
17, who has been charged with
one count of vandalism and two
counts of breaking, entering
and larceny.
Strickland said a warrant is
out on Clark, but the man has
not been apprehended yet.
Miss Sutts’ case is expected
to go to court around July 31
and the juveniles will be
handled in juvenile court.
Danes Enjoy Area Visit
by STEVE PLUMMER
Two attractive Danish
teenagers who have been
visiting Harnett County for the
past three weeks have decided
that Americans are nice but
working in tobacco is no fun.
Not only that, they have
developed a real taste for the
bluegrass music but cannot
enjoy the tast of American hot
dogs without a few slices of
cucmbers on them. ^
Lene"?5ielseny 18 an3*^o?e^
Neeseen, 17, are part of a group
of about 15 Danes who have
been visiting in eight or ten
North Carolina counties in the
past month.
The Scandinavians, called
Caravaners because they are
traveling en masse, are indivi
dual representatives of their
home counties. They are
members of the international
4-H organization, but they are
not part of the international 4-H
exchange program.
They’re here because a group
of them wanted to come and the
Danish 4-H program agreed to
help sponsor them.
The girls have been living with
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kinton in
Duncan for the time they have
been in Harnett. The Kintons
are experienced in foreigh
visitors, having hosted repre
sentatives of several countries.
The Kintons have also
participated in foreign ex
change programs when two of
their daughters, Robin and
Kathy, virited several coun
tries through 4-H exchangs.
The Kintons have had enough
experience with foreign visitors
not to get overly excited about
them. The two girls from
Denmark seemed to appreciate
that attitude as much as
anything else they experienced
here.
“They did not make a fuss over
use when we got here,” said
Tove. “They accepted us like
members of the family and did
not treat us any different than
they would one of their own
daughters.”
Lene said the Kintons’
willingness to carry on with
their regular routines despite
,their visitors gave them an
opportunity ' to see rural ■
American life as it really is. ^
“We have enjoyed ourselves
here,” Tove said. “We have
visited some chicken and hog
farms. Blue Bell Manufacturing
and a few other industries. We
also worked on a tobacco farm
for a few hours, but we didn’t
like that too much. It’s hot,
hard work.”
The girls rode a two-seater
bicycle around the Duncan
community and became a
common sight to the residents
oLthe-asea.
of the area.
“People would ride by us and
honk their horns and wave,”
Lene said. “I think they
thought we were strange.”
Not true, said Mrs. Kinton,
who claims that the residents
of the area accepted the girls
just like the Kintons have.
“We took them to some
softball games and to church, so
they got to meet .right many
people,” Mrs. Kinton said.
“Everyone enjoyed having
them here.”
The girls also heard a local
bluegrass band one Sunday
afternoon at the Duncan
Junction, a former train-depot-
turned-country-store-and-grill.
Did they enjoy bluegrass?
“Oh yes," said Tove. “We are
going to the bluegrass festival
in Angier too.”
The girls also enjoyed their
first fishing trip in a pond near
the Kinton home. They caught
22 bream but their enthusiasm
waned when Mrs. Kinton told
them they had to clean the Csh
themselves before they could
cat them.
“If we had known that, we
-jvould ■ have only caught one
each,” Lene said, laughing.
The Danes were impressed
- with the friendliness of Ameri
can people in general and the
residents of Harnett County in
particular.
MR. AND MRS. ROBERT KINTON. LENT: AND TOVE
Chief Deputy Resigns
“The people here are friend
lier than the people at home,”
said Tove. “We’ve never been
anywhere where people that
don’t know you will say hello to
you on the street.”
“If someone were to do that
at home,” Lene added, “the
people would think you were
crazy.”
The girls, who spent one
week in a Maryland home
before arriving in Harnett, left
this week for 4-H Club
Congress in Raleigh, where
they will be reunited with their
other countrymen.
From there the Danes will go
to Ashe County before return
ing home. Although the girls
were told that they would
probably like the scenery in the
Blue Ridge mountains, they
weren’t too sure they wanted to
go-
“We like it here," Tove said.
“We would rather come back
here than go anywhere else.”
Harnett Sheriff Lewis Rosser
said today that he plans to
appoint an administrative assis
tant instead of a chief deputy to
replace Chief Deputy Bill
Carson, who has resigned to
take a post at Campbell
University.
Sheriff Rosser said he would
probably promote one of the
girls in his ofHce to administra
tive assistant. Her job would be
primarily to handle the multi
tude of paper work in the offlee.
He said at a later date he
plans to appoint one of the
uniformed ofHcers to head up
the staff of uniformed ofHcers.
Sheriff Rosser said he would
probably be designated as
Captain of the Uniformed
Division.
Sheriff Rosser said these
moves not only will save the
county money but will also put
the chain of command in the
right perspective.
“My goal,” he said, “is to give
the people of Harnett County
possible at the lowest cost." He
said he is constantly seeking
ways of improving service.
Sheriff Rosser said it may
even be a few months before he
names the Captain.
He also announced that he
has been assigned two new
narcotics agents to serve under
Bill Strickland, Chief Detective
and head of the sheriffs
narcotics division.
Carson said in an interview
Thursday afternoon that the
university had made him an
offer he couldn’t refuse.
Beginning August 15 he will be
the school’s director of person
nel and purchasing agent.
“I hate to say my reasons for
leaving the department were
money, but that did play an
important part in it,” Carson
explained. “I just felt it was
good opportunity and a chance
for advancement.”
Carson, 30, joined the
the very finest law enforcement
Sheriffs Department in the fall
of 1975 as a dispatcher. Since
then he’s climbed his way to the
top of the department.
“I thoroughly enjoy law
enforcement work," said the
young deputy. “I’m going to
miss it, but I feel this is a good
opportunity, one that I need to
take.”
Carson is a 1973 graduate of
Campbell. He majored in
business administration. To put
himself through school, he
worked part-time and at nights
with the Department of
Corrections and at Dorothea
Dix Hospital.
Sheriff Lewis Rosser praised
Carson as being a fine officer,
one that will be missed. Rosser
promoted Carson to Chief
Deputy in December of 78.
“He’s a good administrative
assistant,” Rosser said. “He
knows his beans in administra
tion! We hate to lose him, but I
can understand the grounds
we’re losing him on. I can't
blame him a bit.
Carson and his wife, Janet,
have one son, Dwight, who is 8
years old. The family lives on
Route 1, Lillington.
Harnett County Shrine Club Chartered Friday
OFFICERS of the newly-chartered Harnett
Connty Shrine CInb In Lillington were
Initalled Friday night at the Maeonk Lodge
here. On hand for the ceremony wu
Potentate John Godwin of WDmlngton,
The officer* are, I-r, Rkhard Byrd, treasarer;
James Brown, secretaiyi Godwlnt Frank
Long, president) Lamar Simmons, second vice
president) Ray Fanley, vice president. [Photo
by Steve Plummer]
The charter night banquet of the newly-organized Harnett County
Shrine Club was held Friday at the Masonic Lodge in Lillington,
with about 125 members, guests and wives on hand for the event.
Potentate John Godwin of Wilmington presided over the event.
Installed as the charter officers of the new club were Frank Long,
president, Ray Pauley, vice president, Lamar Simmons, second vice
president, James Brown, secretary and Richard Byrd, treasurer.
The charter board of directors was also installed Friday. They
included, along with the officers, H. M. Cagle, Stacy Starling, Lloyd
Wclbom, Gilbert McPhail, Lewis Rosser and Mel Bethune.
Potentate Godwin commended the members and organizers of the
new dub for such a large initial membership. He encouraged the
members to become active in the community, active in Shrinedom
and active in service to the Shriners Crippled Children hospitals,
the pet project of the fraternal organization.
Potentate Godwin also told the members of the upcoming Fall
Ceremonial on Nov. 17 in Dunn and the Shriners parade in
Lillington on Oct. 6.
"We are going to have a sea of red fezes here as we put on the
biggest parade Lillington has ever seen,” promised Godwin.
The Shriners, or Knights of the Sudan Temple, are well known
to the general public because of their colorful costumes and parades
and events they sponsor to support the organization’s hospitals for
the care of crippled children of all races and creeds.
DIRECTORS of the new Harnett Connty
Shrine Gnb, Installed at the charter night
Friday In Lillington, are, I-r, James Brown,
Lamar Simmons, H. M. Cagle, Stacy Stariing,
Ray Pauley, Lloyd Welbom, Potentate John
Godwin, GObert McPhall, Frank Long, Lewte
Rosser, Mel Bethune and Rkhard Byrd.
Committee chairman Chalmers Stewart Is on
the end. [Photo by Steve Plummer]