Weather
Partly cloudy, hot and hu
mid today with chance of late
afternoon thundershowers.
Partly cloudy not quite so
hot Wednesday. Low today,
72; high, mid-90's.
T*l. 0Y 0-3283
The FrahkMn Times
I \ C*^J3 I /Oil
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday ^ Serving All Of Franklin County
Your Award Winning County Newspaper
Ten Cents
Louisburg. N. C., Tueaday, July 2, 1968
fT en Pages T oday)
Giggle
The speed and power of
modern cars help bring things
closer together ? like this
world and the next.
99th Year-Number 38
Commissioners Amend
Budget, Rate Set At $1.71
The Board of County Commission
/ ers ordered the tentative budget
amended and the tax rate set at $1.71
per $100 valuation in the regular
monthly meeting held here Monday.
The amendment was made to take care
of a 2 cent additional levy to be used
in the purchase of land for a Methods
and Material Center to be erected by
the Board of Education.
The land consists of seven-tenths of
an acre and is situated to the northeast
of the present education office build
ing on the county hill complex. The
Commissioners have agreed to pur
chase the land from Bland B. Pruitt for
$12,500. The two-cent increase is be
ing placed in the school's capital out
lay budget and is to be refunded to the
county upon receipt by the Board of
Education. This is expected to bring in
$7,044.58 and Monday the Commis
sioners ordered the transfer of
$5,455.42 from the General Fund to
complete the purchase.
The Board also passed a resolution
to the Congress of the United States
asking the Congress to "vote against
any and all gun registration and con
trol bills presented to it in order that
the constitutional right to keep and
bear arms may be preserved." The
resolution is to be mailed to the North
Carolina delegation in Congress.
Linwood Leary of Pitt County was
hired to replace S. D. Little as assistant
farm agent and immediately took over
his duties by accompanying some
forty children to summer camp.
Kenneth Fuller from District 3 and
W. R. Richards, Jr. from District 1
were reappointed to the Franklin
County Planning Board. And the Com
missioners signed a nondiscrimatory
agreement with the federal govern
ment and an Equal Opportunity
Agreement in connection with a water
and sewer study project. The govern
ment is to contribute $12,000 to the
project and the county is to supply
$1,000. *
J. Harold Talton, Chairman of the
Industrial Development Commission,
Jimmy Joyner, Kranklinton Town
Councilman and W. P. Pearce, Jr.,
Franklinton Town attorney, appeared
before the Board to request financial
assistance in the payment of a pro
posed water line at Franklinton.
The final agreement calls for the
Town of Franklinton to pay $9,000
on the project and the county of
Franklin to pay $83,000 over a ten
year period. The county's share is not
to exceed $9,200 annually and if the
cost of the line should be less than
anticipated, each body will received a
pro rata cut in its share.
The entire project is subject to
flnalization of plans of a large industry
to locate just outside of Franklinton.
A lengthy and heated discussion
accompanied the disclosure by Mrs.
Jane York of the receipt of a check
from the State Welfare Board for
$3,887. The funds, earmarked for "ad
ministrative" purposes was approved
and the use of the funds was left to
the local Welfare Board. However, this
was done with Commissioner Nor
wood Faulkner voting a resounding
"No". He said each year these funds
have been used to increase salaries of
personnel in the Welfare office and he
urged that the money be placed in the
regular budget. The motion, however,
remained and the funds will be used at
the discretion of the Welfare Board.
Thirty May Die On
Highways Over Fourth
If your temper pops like a fire
cracker this Fourth of July, take care
that it doesn't steer you into one of
the 1,300 traffic accidents which the
N. C. State Motor Club warns may
take at least 30 lives and injure 900
others on North Carolina's streets and
highways during the long holiday.
The state will take a long count on
its Independance Day toll from 6 p.m.
Wednesday, July 3, through midnight
Sunday, July 7, a period of 102 hours.
Last year a similar July Fourth period
resulted in 28 killed and 813 injured in
1,274 accidents. The most recent holi
day - Memorial Day this year - cost 32
lives in a 102-hour period.
Leading driver violations reported
last July Fourth were: Speeding, 295;
driving left of center. 191: failure to
yield right of way. 161; and following
too closely, 127. Thirteen of the 28
fatalities occurred on Tuesday, July 4.
Thomas B. Watkins, motor club
president, reminded motorists that
traffic congestion is heavier on July
Fourth weekends than on any other
holiday period. He urged motorists to
keep their cool and not let impatience
make them take chances which they
would normally avoid.
The State Highway Patrol will con
tinue its running battle against death
and destruction on our highways over
the long July 4th holiday.
"This is one of the longest holiday
periods we experience in North Carol
ina. said Major John Laws, Patrol
Enforcement Division chief. "It is 102
hours long, extending from 6 p.m.,
Wednesday, July 3rd. through mid
night. Sunday. July 7. There will be a
tremendous number of vehicles and
See FOURTH Page 6
Staff photo by CHnt Fuller.
Rotary Officials
Pictured above at left is BUI Beckham who was installed as President of the
Louisburg Rotary Club in ceremonies held here last Thursday. At right is outgoing
President Ed Pittman. Jimmy Weather, center, past president of the club joins the
twosome. Pittman and Weathers were honored by the club with each receiving a
silver tray. m ^ ?
Staff photo by Clint Fuller.
Police Officer Ned Lloyd Checks Record Temperature
Louisburg Police Officer Ned Lloyd is shown above doing what came naturally
here Monday as the temperature soared to 103 degrees. The mark matched that
recorded here on June 20, 1964 and was the hottest day since that time. The
thermometer registered 72 this morning at 7 a.m. and the mercury is still rising,
although the weatherman says it is not likely to get as hot as Monday.
The Bear(?) Fads Revealed
By Clint Fuller
To every good story, there is a
sequel. The "bear" story on page one
of last Thursday's Franklin Times has
brought forth a number of theories
and several reported sightings of what
was believed to be the "big black
bear".
The truth of the matter is it wasn't
a bear at all. It was a small boy and
two dogs.
The story was that Louisburg Street
Superintendent Roy Holmes discover
ed some strange things at the town
street office. Among these were a
skinned frong, a blood-stained piece of
cardboard, a piece of old iron dug out
of the ground, dog track and a four
toed footprint. He theorized that a
bear had visited the area last Tuesday
night.
A tongue-in-cheek report that a
bear had been seen at Seven Paths,
pulling com like a man, was readily
believed by a number of persons call
ing about it.
It's all cleared up now. Young Joe
Beckham
Takes Over As
Rotary Head
Bill Beckham, director of food ser
vices at Louisburg College, assumed
the presidency of the Louisburg Ro
tary Club in ceremonies held here last
Thursday night. Dr. Cecil W. Robbins,
president of Louisburg College and a
past president of Rotary, performed
the installation services.
Wayne Benton, College faculty
member, was installed as Vice Presi
dent and John Davis was reelected as
secretary-treasurer. Named to impor
tant committee posts as club directors
were Dennis R. (Rocky) Saunders.
James Brown, Mack Joyner and Bill
Lancaster.
The club presented outgoing presi
dent Edgar Pittman a silver tray. Beck
ham pointed to Plttman's record and
said his most notable contribution
during the year had been the club's
Junior Rota ri an of the Month program
and the Rotary Little League baseball
project.
Beckham promised emphasis on
"Growth-Quality and Quantity" dur
ing his year and named a number of
committee* to help get the year start
ed.
Past President Jimmy Weathers,
who is resigning from the club, was
also presented a silver tray.
Daniel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Forrest
Daniel of Sunset Avenue has come
clean. The 13-year-old was roaming
near his home a short distance from
the street department office on the
night in question. With him were a
neighbor's dog, a huge German shep
herd, named "Prince" and a smaller
dog of his own, answering to the name
of "Footsie":
The threesome spotted a toad frog
in the weeds near the office. It being
summertime, it being dark and Joe
being a boy, the logical next step was
to bi-sect the frog. '
To do this, the youngster moved
into the light shining at the building,
used the bench and cardboard as his
operating table and for no reason at all
decided to uproot the piece of iron
sticking out of the ground.
How did he make his getaway on
only four toes? "I run that way," he
says. "My little toe never touches the
ground when I run."
The dog tracks speak for them
selves. Wherever Joe is, his two canine
friends are right there.
In a manner of speaking, the
youngster has performed a public ser
vice. This is "bear story" time North
Carolina. It seems tales of bears spring
up every year just about now. For
many years, Louisburg and Franklin
County had none to tell. Matter it not
real or fancied. This year, at least for &
time, there has been one.
It may not match last week's report
that a bear damaged a window fan at a
home in Henderson in an attempt to
get in. Officers theorized the bear was
small and hungry. This occurred in a
heavily populated residential section.
in Johnston County, a resident of
the Swift Creek area insists that he saw
a big, black "bar" and discounts the
theory that farmers tell these stories to
keep blueberry, pickers away.
In Monroe, in Union County a
housewife had her sun-bathing inter
rupted. While basking in the sun in her
yard she looked up to find a peeping
tom bear. She scared the bear and
needless, to say, the bear treated her in
a like manner. According to wire
service reports, both ran away ? in
opposite directions, of course.
The moral of the story here is that
if you see any unusual tracks or other
signs of a visiting bear, check first with
"Smokey" Joe Daniel. The name has
been given the youngster by his friends
(?) and for a time anyway, this like
able lad might just have to live with it.
School Plan Action
May Be Announced
Later This Week
The regular monthly session of the
Franklin County Board of Education
lasted until nearly midnight here Mon
day night. The main item on a long
agenda was the further discussion of
an order by the U. S. Eastern District
Court which calls for the Board to
present a plan for a unitary desegregat
ed school system this fall. The plan
must be presented not later than July
Although no announcements
were made of the results of the
discussions, there are indications
? that some announcement will be
forthcoming later this week.
Board attorney E. F. Yar
borough said the Board is doing
all it can. As in the case of a
lengthy session last week, details
of Monday's discussions were
not made public. Although the
meeting was open, only Board
members, Superintendent War
ren Smith, Associate Superinten
dent Mrs. Margaret Holmes and
attorneys Yarborough and
Charles Davis were present Mon
day night.
Smith presented the Board with
certain information requested last
week pertaining to student population,
present building capacities and new
building costs.
A representative of a Roanoke, Va.
portable classroom construction com
pany met with the Board and discuss
ed sizes and costs of classrooms. No
actions were taken on this matter. It
was learned, however, that under al
most any plan ultimately put into
effect by the Court, additional class
room spaces will be needed. These
additional spaces are expected to be
expensive, according to a reliable re
port.
In other actions, the Board accept
ed one teacher resignation and approv
ed the employment of four new teach
ers in the system. Several requests for
transfer of students were tabled await
ing clarification of the Court plan and
the bid of $3100 for the old Mapleville
Times Office
Closed Friday
The Franklin Times office will be
closed all day Friday, July 5, in
observance of the Fourth of July
holiday. The office will be open all
day Thursday, July 4. and the regular
Thursday issue of The Times will be
published.
School building was approved.
Youngsville High School,
Gold Sand High School, Edward
Best High School and Epsom
High School have been given
provisional accreditation by the
State Department. "This is a big
step forward," said Mrs. Holmes.
Previously these schools had
been accredited probationally.
Smith said that all high schools
in the system are now accredited
with the State Department.
The Board tabled for the time being
action on the price ( f lunches for the
coming school year. A study has been
made and the Board received recom
mendations from the individual
schools on lunch room sales and the
ultimate price of school lunches. It
was noted that all schools "desired to
keep the price at 30 cents."
The school lunch programs have
been in financial difficulty for the past
few years and the Board launched an
intensive study of the situation last
year. Monthly reports from all lunch
rooms were ordered by the Board and
each month a careful check of finances
was made. Some increase in the price
of lunches is expected for the coming
school year.
County Has
New Service
The people of Franklin County are
invited to visit or call the Franklifl
County Family Counseling and Educa
tion Center at 110 Clifton Avenue in
Louisburg to inquire about the services
that this agency plans to offer.
Mr. Talmadge Edwards. Jr., Coordi
nator, Mr. Edward Boone, Service
Guide or Mrs. Irene Scott, the Agency
Secretary will be available to answer
any questions you may have.
The Family Counseling and Educa
the Center is a county sponsored
agency which proposes to assume
some responsibility for meeting Frank
lin County's mental health needs by
undertaking a community approach
and by utilizing community personnel
and resources to meet local mental
health needs.
The agency will be able to afford
limited clinical services for emergency
cases only due to a lack of professional
personnel and because of limited
See SERVICE Page 6
Staff photo by Clint Fuller.
"Bear" And Accomplices
The trio shown above, left to right, "Footsie", "Prince" and Joe Daniel, age 13,
have come clean on the latest Louisburg "bear" story. Young Joe was reaming in
his neighborhood last week, caught a toad frog with the aid of his companions,
dissected the frog and left some strange evidence near the town street department
office. The evidence led to the theory that a bear had visited the area last week. The
lad. when he learned of the "bear" story, told his story.