The FraiBin Times
Published Every Tuesday A Thursday Serving All Of Franklin County
Tel. GY6-3283 Ten Cents . Louisburg, N. C., Thursday, June 12, 1969 (Ten Pages Today) 100th Year-Number 34
Well. What
Do You Know?
Have there ever been reports of
fightings of flying saucers in f rank
lin County? " %
Yes. There is no record of how
many such reports but on August
12, 1952, three Centerville families
reported substantially the same
story regarding what they called a
"flying saucer". Mr. and Mrs. G. M.
Raynor, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. H. L.
Gupton and Mr. and Mrs. J. W.
Pleasants reported sighting what
they described as "a round ball of
light about the size of a man's hat
circling about 100 feet (one couple
said 1500 ft.) overhead over an area
about half mile radius." They re
ported that the light "grew very
bright, then dimmed and brighten
ed again". The object, -which hover
ed over the area for an hour, went
completely dark when an airplane
passed overhead they said. No ex
planation of the object wa$ ever
reported.
Summer
School Starts
The remedial Summer School Pro
gram has opened at Louisburg High
School for the second year sponsored
by the ESEA-Title I program. The
six-weeks session is under the super
vision of Mr. Thomas A. Riggan, Prin
cipal of Louisburg High School. The
registration is much higher than last
year-approximately 250 students are
enrolled.
The subjects offered are essentially
the same as those of last year and
include the following: English 1, 2, 3,
4; Algebra 1, 2; Geometry, Fundamen
tals of 7th and 8th grade Math, Bio
logy, Chemistry, American History,
World History, Typing (non-credit),
Clinical Reading, and Reading for
speed and comprehension.
A participating student must come
from a school district of one of the
Title I qualifying schools in the Frank
lin County Public School System and
can only participate if he meets one or
more the following qualifications:
1. A student must have failed the
subject for which he is enrolled.
2. A student was unable to take a
subject because it was not offered in
his own school, and it is needed for
college entrance.
3. A student was unable to take a
needed course in his own school be
cause of scheduling difficulties.
4. A student reading below his ac-?
tual grade level may register for the
speed and comprehension reading
course.
Participation by non-public school
students is not permissable unless
specified criteria has been met by
private school authorities. Students
from adjoining counties and/or city
school systems are not eligible to
enroll. These restrictions are not local
decisions, but are regulations set forth
by both the Federal and State authori
ties.
The school day will begin at 8:00
a.m. nd run through 1:00 p.m. This
schedule will be maintained five days a
week (except for the one day vacation
on July 4) and will end on July 25th.
Louisburg Town Council's Annexation Motion Stirs Controversy
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor
A couple of Friday nights ago. the
Louisburg Town Council passed a mo
tion to request the county's delegation
in the General Assembly to introduce
* bill to kill the exclusion-of Franklin
County in a 1959 law authorizing
municipalities to annex outlying areas.
The action passed without any undue
attention being paid it at the time.
However, when such a bill was intro
duced in the State Senate by Senator
E. F. Griffin, tKe fur began to fly.
Opponents of annexation came
alive and although somewhat abated at
this time, the thought of taking certain
areas into the corporate limits of
Louisburg, brought forth some heated
exchanges, according to reliable re
ports.
An informed source said the Coun
cil did not intend that the town limits
would be extended "the next day" but
rather that the council be given the
authority. The source expressed the
opinion that the Town could not at
this time, furnish the required utilities
and services for an annexed area.
Mayor V. A. Peoples, when inter
viewed on the matter said, "We are
one of only seven counties excluded
from the act. We just wanted the
town's governing body to have the
authority to do what other Boards can
do. I don't necessarily mean this parti
cular council -we'll probably be gone
before anything takes place but 1 think
the town's governing body ought to
have the authority".
Mayor Peoples explained that in
order to extend the limits, the town
would have to show that it could
supply the same services to the newly
acquired areas as those being given to
the present town residents and that
this could not be done at the present
time.
Councilman Grover Harris, Jr. said
he favored annexation and, like the
Mayor, explained the difficulties
which would have to be overcome
before any extension of town limits
could be accomplished. "We need the
authority in order to plan for the
future. I want to see the town grow
and I'd like to see more industry
locate here. We need to expand."
Town officials interviewed on the
subject all pointed to the low 80-cent
Louisburg tax rate. One official said
that a house valued for taxation at
$4,000 would mean an annual tax bite
of only $32. He said fire insurance
Driver Ed Progfemi To Begin
The class room phase of Driver
Education will be offered at Louisburg
High School beginning Wednesday.
June 18, 1969 for youths living within
the Franklin County Administrative
Unit. The class will meet from 8-10
a.m. dally for a period of 15 days
Students regularly enrolled in
public and non-public schools who are
14' : years of age and older (hall be
eligible to enroll in the courxe; and
out-of-school youths not younger than
14' j years and not older than 18 years
shall be eligible to enroll.
Thoae who desire to take this
course should report to Louisburg
High School Wednesday, June 18. at
10 a.m.
ESEA Building In Progress
Scene above shows progress on the contraction of the federally financed Methods apd Material Center building behind the
Board of Education office here. Earl Martin, Director of ESEA for the county, said the (tincture, expected to coct around
9135,000. U to be completed by the middle of November. Stiff photo by Clint Fuller.
rates would be reduced, the $10 an
nual, fire protection most outside resi
dents carry with the town would be
eliminated and he added, one should
consider the value of police protec
tion. garbage collection and water and
sewer services.
Town officials feel that there is a
sizable opposition to the move, but
investigation shows that some consid
ered by the officials as "strong op
ponents" are in reality privately saying
they favor annexation.
Some reported opponents are said
to object to the tax since they have
gone to the expense of having wells
dug and septic tanks installed and
some just feel that they do not want
to be taken into town, according to
reports. Many have reportedly express
ed the desire to have a vote on the
matter.
However, the law when and if
Franklin County Is Included, does not
provide for such an election. It calls
for certain procedures to be taken by
the town board but does not require a
vote of the people. But, then it does
not provide for such in the 93 counties
where it now applies.
The law doe*, however, require that
a "map showing the present boun
daries" and a "map showing the pro
posed areas of annexation" be made
public along with a hearing and a
"statement setting forth the plans of
the municipality for areas to be an
nexed and each major municipal ser
vice performed by the municipality at
the time of annexation."
It also says that "specifically, such
plan shall: Provide for extending po
lice protection, fire protection, gar
bage collection and street maintenance
services to the area to be annexed on
the date of annexation on substantial
ly the same basis and in the same
manner as such services are provided
within the rest of the municipality
prior to annexation."
This provision that services must be
supplied to any newly annexed are* is
a safeguard against an overnight ex
tension of town boundaries. One town
official explained that given the au
thority, plans could be made based on
incoming revenue as to what areas
might be annexed and the cost of
additional services. He said he did not
believe this present town board or any
future board would move to annex
any area where the people of the area
were opposed to such a move regard
less of a vote. One observer said the
council might hold a straw vote to get
the feeling of residents in certain areas
before annexation.
The bill to have Franklin County
and thereby Louisburg-included in the
1959 law was introduced last week in
the Senate by Senator Griffin. Present
ly the measure Is in the Local Govern
ment Committee. Some political ob
servers feel this is where it will die.
Reports say that Senator Griffin has
been contacted by opponents of the
bill and the time for local bills having
passed, that the measure will never
come out of the Committee.
Even should the Senate give favor
able action to the measure, there is
little chance it will ever reach the
House Representative James Speed
failed to comply with a request by the
Louisburg Council in 1967 to intro
duce the same measure handled last
week by Griffin. Unless Speed has
changed his thinking, it is unlikely he
will support the measure this trip.
Representative John Church report
edly has said he will support the
measure if it comes to the House, lias
also said he would not get involved in
a local matter. This leaves the future
of the bill squarely up to Rep. Speed,
if. that is. it gets through the House.
Town officials believe that misun
derstandings have contributed to the
recent heated stir over the action.
They say privately that perhaps it
would have been better to have in
formed the public of their reasons
before requesting the measure
At any rate, it now appears that the
matter has run its course. There is still
some ehance that the General Assemb
ly could act before adjournment and
make Franklin one of 94 counties
covered by the law. This is unlikely
and so, too. is the chance that Louis
burg is going to grow.
INDUSTRY WELCOME
SITES BUILDINGS UTILITIES
AVAILABLE
| it ' PHONE 496-4447
FRANKLIN COUNTY
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
LOUISBURG NORTH CAROLINA j
Getting The Word Out
i
Kenneth S. Schubart, Director of Industrial Development, is shown above showing one of four new signs the Industrial
Commivion has had erected in the county publicizing its efforts to obtain new industry. The large reflittorized signs,
manufactured by the state prison department, are placed at strategic locations on US 1 north of Kranklinton and US-1 south of
Frankllnton, both near the county lines and US-401 south of Louisburg. The one pictured above is located at Ingleside. five
mile* north of Louisburg, for travelers along US-401 and NC-39. suff phHlo by gy duller
Speed, Church Didn't Vote
House Narrowly Approves Violence Bill
The North Caroling House of Re
presentatives narrowly approved a bill
requiring the expulsion of students
involved in camput.disorders Wednes
day. The vote was originally 53-52 but
one inaudible vote was missed and the
final tally was 54-52. Reports of the
vote show that Rep. James D. Speed
and Rep. John Church, representing
Franklin, Vance and Warren Counties,
did not vote for or against the mea
sure.
An amendment to the bill, alio
approved Wednesday, will require local
Boards of Education to pass a resolu
tion before local public schools are
included in the law. The bill now goes
to the Senate for final action.
The bill would make expulsion
mandatory for students involved in
disruptions at state-supported institu
tions of higher learning. Expulsion
would come when ? student "hind
ered, delayed, obstructed, disturbed or
prevented any lawful activity" at an
Institution. "Hie same would apply to
local schools if the Board of Education
adopted the policy.
It is known that the Franklin Board
of Education Is conscious of the possi
bility of campus disorders and school
personnel were cautioned this past
year to be on the lookout for any signs
of disruption. The year passed without
disruption but school principals exer
cised full authority to expell students
violating any school board policies or
causing any disruption on the school
grounds.
It is not known whether the Frank
Jackie's Mother Accuses
Duplin Clerk Of Inefficiency
Mrs. Reba Wood lief Stone, mother
of 13-year-old Jickie Stone who was
kidnapped and murdered at Wallace
last March 2$. has accused the Ouplin
County Clerk of Court with Inefficien
cy. Mrs. Stone, whose husband, Leon
Stone, Is a former resident of Franklin
County, picketed the Clerk's office
recently carrying a sign saying: "Ineffi
ciency and Incompetence In the Clerk
of Court's office may be partly respon
sible for the death of my daughter.
Jackie Stone . . . Wells must go!" Wells
Is R. V. Wells. Duplin Clerk
Mrs. Stone's reference Is to the fact
that Roger Vernon Miller, accused of
the murder of the child, was convicted
of a second reckless driving offense
which would have revoked his license
to drive. She says that the Clerk's
office failed to notify the State De
partment of Motor Vehlclea untU a
month after the child's death.
The second violation conviction
took place in December, 1968 and was
not reported until April 29, 1969. Mrs.
Stone aays had the Clerk acted sooner,
MlUer 'might not have been driving on
the day her daughter was killed.
Mrs. Stone is the niece of the late
Al Woodlief who died In 1963 of
injuries received In an automobile accl
dent. Woodlief wis in automobile
dealer in Louisburg at the time. Mr.
Stone's mother, Mrs. Irene Nelms
Stone, lived for many years on high
way 561 eist of Louisburg ind now
resides on Route 1, Henderson.
The iccused min has a long list of
'"traffic violations, according to Motor
Vehicles Department records and Wells
explains the delay by saying that it
was probably overlooked for awhile
and then processed.
lin Hoard or the Franklinton Board
will adopt, as policy, provisions con
tained in the bill passed by the House
Wednesday, if and when it gets
through the Senate and becomes law
Wednesday's action brought sharp
debate from proponents and oppon
ents of the bill. The bill is only one of
several get tough measures now pend
ing in the legislature. Others pertain to
street violence and riqts and reflects a
trend toward a tighter law and order
attitude in the state.
The Senate passed a bill authorizing
presidents or chancellors of state
supported universities to restrict the
presence of disruptive elements on
their campuses. An amendment offer
ed by Sen. Russell Kirby, D-Wilson,
denied such restrictive power to the
chief of the campus security officers,
as the bill proposed. The bill, already
approved by the House, was returned
there for concurrence in the amend
ment.
A measure giving local governments
broad new powers for not control also
was passed by the Senate. It spells out
the powers of local governments to
declare curfews and has other pro
visions strengthening local powers to
deal with rioters.
The student expulsion measure was
given tentative House approval by a
63-45 vote on May 26.
After the May vote, the measure
was sent to the House Judiciary Q
committee where several technical
changes were made in an effort to
clear up a question of its comtitutlon
ality.
No Word On Missing Boys
Sheriff WiUlam T. Dement reported this morning there are no new developments
In the cue of two county youths missing since June 3. His department Is still
investigating, the Sheriff said.
Wesley Earl Smith, w/m/17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Smith, Rt. 1, Kittrell, and
Charles Wayne Piper, w/m/14, son of Mr. and Mrs. Freddie B. Piper, Pocomoke
Road. Frankllnton, were last seen at a baseball game at Frankllnton Tuesday night,
June 3. Neither have been heard from since leaving the game, according to reports.
A description of the boys has been broadcast and a statewide, alert la posted for
them. Smith is reportedly 5'U", weighs 130 pounds and has reddish brown hair
and brown eyes. Piper is said to be 5 '6", weighs 130 pounds and has brown hair anf
brown eyes. Anyone having any Information as to the whereabouts of the youth*
are asked to contact the Franklin County Sheriffs Department.
Also missing is a 1961 white over blue Chevrolet Beialr with a dented right
fender. The vehicle, belonging to Smith's father, was being driven at the time of the
disappearance by the Smith youth, according to reports.