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Harnett County News
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Published Continuously Since 1919
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6,1979
TWENTY CENTS
Around
Town
—By STEVE PLUMMER -
RIP MEETING .
The Harnett County Retired
Teaching Personnel Association
will meet S^t. 11 at 10 a.m. at
the Llllington Community
Building on W. Front Street.
This reminder comes from G.
Thus Rogers, president of the
association, who urges all
member to attend.
LABOR DAY
The thought that comes to me
as I sh here Monday staring at
my nemesis, the typewriter, is
"Why do they cali it Labor Day
if no one goes to work?"
I drove through town several
times during the course of the
day Monday and I believe that if
MGM or 20th Century Fox
wanted a ghost town for a
movie, they could have shot it
here vhh no problems.
I’mtalking deserted, folks. No
people, no animals, no trafSc,
nothing.
' Do you know what a lonely
feeling that is, to be drinng to
work and pass through a ghost
town that seems to pound home
the fact that you are one of only
handful of people in the entire
country working that day?
Of course, along 3 or 4 p.m.,
anyone who happened to be on
the streets in LBlington began to
get a lot of company. Everyone
who had gone anywhere had to
pass through Lillington to get
back to where they had started.
Or so it seemed.
1 tell you, h did nothing to
improve my already-frnil mood
to stare out of my o^ce ^dow
that afternoon and see carload
after carload of sunburnt people
riding by.
If the curse I mumbled under
my breath came true, there is
not a single, workable bottle of
Coppertone lotion in the country
right now.
Yes H’strue, folks. I’m nothing
if not vindictive.
Anyway, that’s in the past and
I’m feeling better now. In fact, I
am eagerly looking forward to
the next holiday, when even
newspaper people get the day
off (will Saturday ever get
here?).
SINGING SERVICE
The Rangers, a gospel group
from Cbats, wiD be the spedal
guests of Woodside Methodist
Church in Mamers for their
regular singing service Sunday
at 7:30 p.m. The public is
invited.
BLOODMOBILE DRIVE
The bloodmobile was here
Aug. 23 on a vidt sponsored by
the Lillington- Lions Club.
Lillington had 72 people to show
op, of which 11 were deferred
for one reason of another, for 61
productive donors.
That’s about a 30 percent drop
from the previous visit. Five
first'time donors were
registered. Teresa Collins of Rt.
2, Lillington received her
one-gallon pin.
One reason for the decline in
donors, says a Red Cross
spokesperson, was (he Fact that
the industry workers did not
turn out this time like they did
before. An extra nurse was
available on this recent visit so
the bloodmobile could handle a
crcwd from the inducst in order
to better handle the type of
crowd that the industries sent
last time, but the extra donors
never showed up.
Blue Bell had the most donors
with 12, but Baker NaD, MB
Associates, Southern National
Bank and Bank of North
Carolina, all big donors on the
previous visit, only contributed
three each this time.
The bloodmobile will visit'
liOington again in December,
but if you feel bad about missing
this last visit, they will be in
Angler Sept. 12 at the Rescue
Squad Building. You can soothe
those guilty feelings there.
Petition Filed For Special Rescue District
County commissioners Tues
day approved a petition for the
formation of a special rescue
district for Buckhorn and
Hector’s Creek Twonships.
A contingent of Buckhorn
and Hector’s (Ireek citizens
have been pushing since April
1978 to establish a special tax
district in order to collect
money to pay foi* rescue service
from Fuquay Varina.
The two townships have been
serviced by the Fuquay squad
since it was Erst est^lished
across country lines, but closer
to the two Harnett County
townships than either the
Lillington or Buies Creek
rescue teams.
"They (the petitioners) feel
like we’ve had a free ride long
enough," said spokesman John
McLean of Buckhorn. They
want to pay for it."
The commissioners appro-
veal of the petition will enable
the petition to go for possible
certification by Virginia War
ren, Supervisor of the Board of
Ejections.
If there are enough signa
tures to warrent it, people from
Buckhorn and Hector’s Creek
vote on the issue at the
November elections.
County Manager Commis-'
sioner Jack Brock estimated
that an 8 cent tax rate on the
area’s $16 million worth of
property would net about
$12,000 for the Wake Ck>unty
rescue team.
Wayne Johnson of the
Fuquay Varina Rescue Squad
told commissioners that the
squad receives $300 per month
from the Town of EVquay, and
$1350 from Wake County.
Out of 654 calls made by the
squad since January, 1^ or
22.56 percent have been in
Harnett County.
Signatures on the petition
numbered 71 in Hector’s Creek
an .166 frt>m Buckhorn.
In other business, the board:
• Appointed Vanessa Young
of the 'Tax Auditor’s office as
Assistant Clerk to the Board of
■ commissioners.
Mrs. Young is filling the
position vacated by Mrs. Rachel
Blanchard, who retired July 30.
• Approved formation of a
WIC program for the supple
menting the diet of preganant
mothers, infants and unborn
children who are considered
nutritional risks.
■ Committee members Brock
-and Bill Shaw reported after
;,study that there were overlap-
- ping programs in Harnett and
Sampson Counties, where the
new program will operate.
However, they reported that
^ support for WIC was strong
among department heads in
; social services and public
health.
The program will require no
county money and will be
supervised by the Dept, of
Health.
• Tabled a decision on
whether a appoint a Harnett
County engineer as Resident
Inspector airport construction,
or to accept the inspector
available through the engine
ering company, Talbert and
Cox Associates.
Brock, Jesse Alphin, and BQl
Shaw were appointed to a
committee to study the matter.
They are expected to reach a
derision this week.
The board also heard a
request from consulting engi
neer EVed Hobbs of Talbert and
Cox that Solar Material Engi
neering of Raleigh provide the
Quality Control test lab for the
project.
The expense of $25^,0(X)
has been included in federal
funding.
• Designated the Harnett
County Council of Senior
(Jtizens the focal point for
programs on aging in the
county.
Ms. May Marshbanks, coordi
nator of the Harnett County.
Council for Senior Citizens,
made the request.
• Awarded certificates to
deputies and detectives of the
H«roett County Sheriffs Dept.
The men had completed 24
hours of firearms training
through Central Carolina Tech
nical Institute.
They were commended by
Commissioner Rudy Collins and
Chariman Jesse Alphin for the
efforts to improve their service.
• Heard reports from Earl
Jones, Tax Collector Thomas
Allen, Tax Supervisor, John
Gardner, Captain of the
Harnett County Ambulance
Service, and_ Sheriff Lewis
Rosser.
After adjourning, commis
sioners went to the Annual
library Picnic at the Harnett
County library.
Town Board Discusses
Rescue Squad Problem
A RETIREMENT PARTY was held at tte JUDlngton Post Office last
week for Heniy Powell [seated], who Is leaving the organization
after 31 years as a man carrier. Seen here 1-r are Tom Glashy, W.T.
Simmons, BOfy Holder, postmas^ Lon Bottigller, Joan Joyner,
Carl Byrd, Faye Wester, BIDy Wilder and Joe T. Long. [Photo by
Steve Plummer)
i
Potvell^Resigns as~Mail G^^er
Henry A. Powell, and
employee with the Lillington
Postal Service since 1948,
retired last week after 31 years
as a rural mail carrier.
'Powell, who served five years
in the armed forces during
World War H, started in July of
1948 with a route of approri-
mately 50 miles and 300 boxes.
During the years, his route
changed to 68 miles mth 575
boxes. Powell never had a
single traffic accident in the 31
years on his route.
Being a rural mall carrier, like
everything else, has changed
considerably over the years.
“Since I started carrying the
mail the people have changed,’’
Powell said. "In the beginning,
some of my customers were
without transportation, so
besides mail in the boxes, 1
would find medicine bottles that
needed refilling and lists of
things they needed from town. !
always tried to help them out as
much as I could.’’
Recently, he srid, patrons have
oomt to expect more, but the
post office,won’t allow carriers
to do favors for them. There
just isn’t time anymore.
Powell’s retirement plans
include working on his farm and
doing many things he has had to
put offover the years. .
He is married to the former
Fatmie'Mae Clark^ rowager of
the Lillington Middle School
cafeteria, and they have four
daughters- Genny, Becky, Alice
and Janice.
“I’ve enjoyed serving the'
customers on my route and want
to wish them the best of luck,’’
he said. "I’m going to miss
them.”
by STEVE PLUMMER
The Lillington board of
comiiussioners Wednesday in a
special meeting discussed the
proposed rescue squad with a
regional coordinator for the
state.
Ken Porter, regional
coordinator of emergency
medical services for regions *M’
and ‘N’, discussed with the
board some of the priorities and
expenses of running a success
ful rescue squad.
“Your critical area is man
power,’’ Porter told the board.
“Right now' your proposed area
.pf. service/is Lillington .and
perhaps a n^e beyond th^chy
limits. The Harnett County
Ambulance Service (at Buies
Creek) estimates that h answers
about five call per month in that
area."
Porter told the board that with
only five calls a month, the
“excitement factor’’ will quickly
die down and the volunteers will
soon lose interest and quh.
“There is nothing longer than
sitting before a quiet monitor,
waiting for an alarm,” Porter
said.
Porter told the board that there
are about 40 items on an
emergency vehicle that are
checked by state EMS
inspectors for certification of the
vehicle. Lillington police chief
Lincoln Neal said about
S8(X)-9(X) more are needed to get
the Lillington vehicle up to
certifi^on standards.
The ambulance, formeriy used
by O’Quinn’s Funeral Home,
was presented to the town by
the county in March after
O’Quinn’s discontinued its
rescue service. The county gave
the vehide to the town vrith the
understanding.-that .lillington
' wouiif'soon begin providing'
rescue service.
Some of the Lillington council.
members expressed concern
over the expenses of operating a
reseqe unit. Commissioner
Fred Darroch, who invited
Porter to the meeting, summed
up their concern.
"The reason I wanted to caU
yon in on this meeting,” he srid
to Porter, “was because the
agreed several months ago,
probably a little too fast, to
accept the vehide from the
Knight is Memorialized
Kenneth Johnson Knight, a
Lillington resident who died
from muscular dystrophy in
1977, has been memorialized by
a ^ from his former class
mates in Benson.
The last and largest dass of
Benson lOgh School,' the 86
graduates of Benson High
School, have given a selection of
art books to the Mary Duncan
Public library in Benson in
memory of their former class
mate.
Knight, the son of Mr. and
Mm. Robert G. Kni^t of Rt. 2,
Lillington, graduated from
Benson in 1969 and went on to
study art at Campbell College
and East Carolina University,
where he received a degree in
art in 1975.
He was an employee of the
Harnett County library in 1977.
He died while attending a
muscular dystrophy camp near
Chapel Hill that same year.
His interest in art was the
consuming concern of his life.
He painted in acrylics and
watercolor.
His favorite artist was the
American painter Georgia
O’Keefe, whose paintings of the
Southwest ate considered
among greatest produced by
this nation. Knight’s works
showed O’Keefe’s concepts of
personal realism and
abstraction.
Although he was only 26 when
he died, Knight’s works had
been exhibited widely in North
Carolina and his style and
coloring showed great promise.
Oneofhisworkswona national
contest as a poster for the
Muscular Dystrophy
Foundation.
“His valiant battle vrith the
crippling disease hampered his
mobility, but never his
personality and his devotion to
art,” said Jimmy Peacock, a
librarian.
His classmates have
Continued on Page 9
Williford to Hear Case
The Harnett County Board of
Education has appointed Bene
Williford of Lillington to hear
the case of a 5-year-oId Erwin
boy dismissed tom a Harnett
County schod this year because
of mescal problems.
September 11 has been
selected as the date to hear the
case of Agrippa Hymes, son of
U.S. Army Sgt. and Mrs.
Alvin Hymes, who was
dismissed from the Gentry
School kindergarten program in
Mardi when the school officials
refused to provide his daily
medical services.
Mrs. Williford, a school
advisory committee member,
will hear arguments from the
Hymeses and their Charlotte
attorney Louis L. Lesesne and
Gentry school officials.
At the request of the Hymeses
the hearing, set f« 10 a.m. at
the sriiool board’s offices in
Lillington, wrill be open to the
public.
The Hymeses have filed a
federal lawsuit against the
AGRIPPA HYMES
school board to require that
their son be reinstated in a
regular classroom program and
that a nurse or trrined aide
provide for his care. An
administrative hearing is stan
dard legal procedure for getting
a case to trial.
Hymes was born with vocal
cord paralysis and has worn a
tracheostomy tube since birth
according to the suit. The tube
which enables him to breathe,
must be routinely suctioned and
occasionally cleaned. Saline
drops must be placed in the tube
to help relieve blockage.
A kindergarten pupil last year,
the child was removed tom the
school at the request of school
officials who said they were not
medically qualified to perform
the procures. Hymes was
placed on a homebound tutorial
program.
Continued on Page 9
THE FUTURE HOMEMAKERS OF
AMERICA dob at Western Harnett Higfr
School hdd its first meeting of the year last
week, prior to the opening of school The
group is malting plana for a busy year and will
kkk off its activities soon with the second
annual Miss Western Harnett contest. Seen
here are, 1-r, sitting: Gayle Denning,
president; Pam ABen, pianist; Alda Johnson,
advisor; 'Tammy ^nitt, committee chairman;
G.W. Seymore, advisor; Dot Hales, advisor;
Ruth Dodson, secretary. Standing; Linda
Sox, parliamentarian; Jennifer Thomas,
treasurer; Melissa Buchanan, vice president;
Jane Johnson, historian; BQlie Jean Hnmke,
reporter. [Photo by Steve Phnnmer]
Labor Day Accidents
Several accidents were
reported over the Labor Day
weekend by the Lillington Police
Department.
According to police chief
Lincoln Neal there was much
more traffic than normal, but
accident-wise, the weekend was
extremely quiet.
The first fcddent occured
Saturday, Sept. 1 In the parking
lot of IGA and was investigated
oy Officer Qyde Pate.
A 1978 Buick driven by Bobby
R. Stephenson of Willow
Springs, backed from one
parking space into another,
striking another vehicle, a 1970
Mercury owned by Veola
McKoy of Lillington.
Damages to the Buick were
estimated at $100 while
damages to the Mercury were
estimated at $200. No one was
charged in the incident.
The second accident occured at
the intersection of Main and
Duncan streets and resulted in
one passenger being taken to
Betsy Johnson Hospital.
According to the report by
Officer W.E. Graves, a 1970
Ford driven by Doris Massie of
Bunnievel pulled out of the
parking lot of Howard’s
Barbecue and across the lane of
traffic into the path of the
second car.
The second car, a 1979
Mercury driven by William M.
Graham of Durham, sustained
damages estimated at $1200.
An eight-year-old boy in the
Massie vehicle was taken to the
hospital for observation.
Damages to the Ford were
estimated at $500. Miss Massie
was charged with a safe
movement violation.
The accident occuring Sunday,
Sept. 2 was investigated by
Officer Clyde Pate.
According to his report, a 1979
Lincoln driven by Jake Lamm of
Lillington was traveling south
on main Street. Lamm had
given a signal for a lefr (urn Pate
said, when a 1975 Chevrolet
driven by Qeo MePhatter of
Continued on Page 9
county. I don’t think any of us
realiz^ what it would take to
operate a squad.”
Commissioner Marcelle Brown
said that “nobody seems to
know what it costs to run a
squad.” He asked Porter if he
knew of any volunteer units, as
opposed to tax-supported units,
that has folded tom'luk of
funds.
“In my experience, only one
volunteer unit has folded that I
know of,” Porter said in
reponse. “However, there is no
law that says a volunteer unit
cannot charge for its service.”
Porter said the national
average for rescue'' squad
service charges was $160.
Porter also told the board that
in addition to the expense of
maintaining a vehicle for certifi
cation, state law requires that a
vehicle used in an emergency
situation must have at least one
emergency medical technician
in the patient area and one
certified ambulance attendant
as driver.
Brown said, “I think we’re
fixing to spend a lot of Lillington
tax money for something we
really can’t afibrd. Tm in favor
of Lillington having a rescue
squad available but I’m also in
favor of the county being more
responsible for financial
support.”
"I’m not mlting right now to
vote for Lillington to take on this
responsibility,” Brown said.
Continued on Page 9
Youth
KiUed
A young Lfilington student
died Tuesday morning from
injuries he received after being
struck by a car while he was
waiting for his school bus.
Robert Kenneth Slade, eight,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Wchael
Schlagenhauser of Rt. 2,
Lillington, died about 11:15
ajn. whQe being transferred by
helicopter frem the emergency
room at Good Hope Hospital in
Elrwin to N.3. Memorial
Hospital in Chapel Hill.
Slade was struck by a car as he
was walking to his bus stop
along state road 2034,' about
three mQes south of Lillington.
According to N.C. Highway
patrolman Johnny Morgan,
who investigated the incident,
Linda EUiott of Rt. 1, Spring
Lake was traveling west on the
rural paved road when she
suddei^ veered right onto the
shoulder where the boy was
walking.
He was struck by the right
front bumper of the vehicle.
A scho^ bus was traveling
east at the time of the accident,
but Morgan said there was no
evidence to indicate that the
bus was involved.
An investigation of the death
is underway.