North Carolina Newspapers

Imm Commissioners Ask For Pay Hike, Staggered Terms JACKSON -NorthamptonCoun- ty’s Board of Commissioners Monday approved resolutions re questing legislation to establish a staggered term system of elec tion for commissioners and pro viding for “set salaries” for members of the board. The measures, which must be enacted by approval of the State Legislature, have been under consideration for some time. Under the new system of elect ing commissioners, which would become effective in the 1968 elec tions, commissioners in two of the county’s five districts would seek election for four year terms and commissioners in the other districts will be elected for two years. In 1970, the commissioners elected to two year terms will run for four year terms and thereafter, all commissioners would be elected for four years. The system, already in effect in many other counties across the state, allows retention of at least two “experienced” commission ers on the board at all times. Salary changes proposed by the resolutions will increase to $900 annually the salary paid commission members and the chairman will receive $1,200. At present, commissioners are paid $22 per meeting, with the exception of the chairman, who.is paid $25 per meeting. The measures were proposed by Chairman Guy Revelle at the first meeting of the new fiscal year. They were proposed along with other measures to “streamline” the operation of the Board of Commissioners and to regulate the number of meetings per month. In other action, commission-, ers authorized ABC Board Chair man Bart Burgwyn to expend a maximum of 15 per cent or$12,- 500 in ABC profits, which ever is greater, for law enforcement purposes. Burgwyn, when first making the request, told commissioners that the county ABC imit was obligat ed by law to provide a percentage sales would not provide enough of its funds for law enforcement funds to employ a competent law purposes. enforcement officer. He stated that the State of North Carolina had placed a maximum of 10 per cent, the amount of net profits which could be used for the purpose. Burgwyn said the law was writ ten without consideration of smaller counties where annual Commissioners also request ed that the Legislature act to in clude Northampton County un der the provisions of Article 24A, Chapter 153 of the General Statutes of North Carolina. would permit commissioners to assist towns within the county in running water and sewer lines to new industrial locations out side town limits. The inclusion of the county Commissioners felt that many of the smaller towns would not bear the expense of running wa ter lines outside their limits and were handicapped in efforts to at tract industry. Do you have a job opening? Are you looking for a job? If you’re house cleaning, there may be something you have to sell, or something you need to buy. Home News paper Classified ads are result ads. Try one today. THE County TIMES-NEWS ★ ★ ★ ★ THE ROANOKE-CHOWAN TIMES A Combination of Established 1892 ^ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY NEWS — Established 1926 Volume LXXVI, No. 17 Rich Square LE 9-2859 Jackson LE 4-2656 Rich Square and Jackson, N. C., Thursday, April 20, 1967 Covers AM of Northampton’s Towns and Communities 10 PAGES ^Worldwide Political Implications^ General Briefs Northampton, Residents On Exercise 'Kitty Hertford Hawk' Pian ton and Hertford Counties here Wednesday, General Lawrie asked for co operation of local people in se curing maneuver rights in the two counties as part of the prepara tion for the Armed Forces major summer exercise — Operation A Hawk-whichwillbestag- A\wL~06CI DOCI iQ eastern North Carolina in August. By JOE M. PARKER AHOSKIE - “We need your help,” Maj. Gen. Joe S. Lawrie, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, told a group of public officials and news media representatives from Northamp- R R Merger Due July 1 KITTY HAWK EXERCISE—Major Gen eral Joe S. Lawrie, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, addressed a group of Roonoke-Chowon citizens Wednesday in Ahoskie to acquaint them with objectives of exercise "Kitty Hawk." The military moneuver is to be staged in Eastern North Carolina with a good bit of the ground action in the Roanoke-Chowan area. Col. W. H. Burr briefed the meeting on plan tor the exercise, using illustrated charts. R-C Mental Health Clinic’s Budget Is Set At $37,500 WOODLAND — The Roanoke- Chowan Mental Health Advisory Committee tentatively set up a 1967-68 fiscal budget of $37,500 at a dinner meeting Monday eve ning at the Quaker House Res taurant in Woodland. The money would come from Hertford, Gates andNorthampton Counties with state money avail able on a two-to-one basis with that money already allocated and available upon approval of the program and budget and county share of the money becoming available. The budget calls for alloca tions of $5,000 from Hertford and Gaslon Mayor Has Opposition GASTON - Thomas R. Cope land, a 24-year-old Gaston school teacher, recently filed as a can didate for mayor in that town, opposing incumbent Firman C. Myrick. Copeland is a lifelong resident of Gaston and a graduate of East Carolina College. He teaches and coaches at Weldon High School. Also filing was M. C. Dunlow, who is unopposed for a council seat. Incumbents seeking re-elec tion will fill other Gaston council seats. They are Jack A. Rook, Edward Stratton, Charlie Bryant and Elbert Norris. Northampton Counties and$2,500 from Gates County. The remainder of the $37,500 would come from the state. Under the program approved by the Advisory Committee head ed by Ray McClees of Ahoskie, some $20,000 of the budget would go for personnel with the remain der going for an office, equip ment, telephone, travel expense, supplies and etc. The personnel called for in cludes a psychologist, a secre tary, a psychiatric nurse and the acting director. There was some discussion ov er the importance of locating the headquarters so that it would be central both population - wise and geographical to the areas and people which it is to serve. The budget will be submitted to commissioners of the three counties involved, and to the state for approval, according to Dr. J. H, Stanley of Woodland, direc tor. Clinic plans call for psychol ogist and psychiatric nurse to be available at the permanent head quarters where a secretary would maintain the office. Patients would be referred by physicians and ministers and oth ers interested. Details will be worked out as speedily as the budget approval makes this possible, it was said. RICHMOND — Merging of the Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line Railroads is planned to be effective July 1, In a statement Saturday, John W. Smith, Seaboard president, and W, Thomas Rice, Coast Line president, said the new Seaboard Coast Line Company is expected to begin consolidated operations on that date. They said any petitions which may be filed seeking reconsider ation of the Supreme Court’s de cision of last Monday (April 10) are expected to be finally dispos ed of in ample time to permit the merger to become effective July Smith and Rice said merging of the operations and physical properties of the two roads will be progressed as rapidly as pos sible, although it is anticipated that five years will be required (See ACL, Page 5) On Wednesday night at a simi lar briefing in Williamston, the same message was carried to representatives from Bertie and Martin Counties, The Airborne general said the maneuver had worldwide politi cal implications, as well as being a valuable training tool. He stressed that because of its im portance in world affairs it was vital that cooperation of local landowners be secured. “There are those in Europe and elsewhere who think that the United States is so committed in Viet Nam that it is incapable of doing anything else,” accord-,, ing to General Lawrie. “These people think our country is com mitted up to the hilt in Viet Nam. “Exercise Kitty Hawk is de signed. . .to get across the idea to these other people that we are net a ^japer tiger,” the general said. Approximately 70,000 mem bers of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will be a part of the maneuver which will take place in an area from the coast near Jacksonville and Morehead Medical Center Plans Progress In Woodland WOODLAND - Outline plans and specifications for the pro posed Northampton County Medi cal Service Center have been ap proved by the building committee and the architectural firm of Woodward, Akel and Associates of Norfolk has been author ized to secure professional esti mates on the cost of the project, according to Dr. John Stanley of Woodland, chairman. The estimates are being se cured in order to have a reason ably accurate project budget for submission to the Medical Serv ice Facility Committee and later to Northampton County’s Board of Commissioners for considera tion. The facility as presently plan ned is designed to serve three distinct purposes: one for long term care patients, a wing of the building is designed for obstetri cal patients and another wing contains three doctor’s offices and examination rooms and a suture room for minor acci dents. Also contained in the third wing are an X-ray room, diagnos tic laboratory and physical ther apy facilities. The long term care wing con tains 30 beds, 18 of which are private with toilets. Upon completion of the esti mate and presentation to the full commmittee and commissioners, the building committee will then confer with the staff of the Medi cal Care Commission in Raleigh for advice in further planning and funding of the project. The committee also expects to confer with representatives of (See MEDICAL, Page 5) County 'Beholden' To Uncle Sam For Services Deeper River Channel Hearing Set HOUSE PAGE—Tapp Vau ghan, daughter of Mrs. Cecil Vaughan of Lasker, will serve as a page in the N. C. House of Representa tives from Mondoy, April '24, to Sunday, April 30. She is sponsored by Rep. Guy Elliott of Lenoir Coun ty. Tapp, a student at Northampton County High School, is a member of the student council, president of the FHA Club, a mem ber of the library club and a staff member on the Ram Page. Your Home Newspaper’ Washington Bureau WASHINGTON, D. C. -Figures show that Northampton County is beholden to the federal govern ment, directly or indirectly, for much of the local services that it provides. The reason, in part, is that Washington has greater revenue raising capabilities than the lo cal authorities have. Because of the government’s “outsider” position, it is able to levy large taxes throughout the country for national, state and local needs without encoun tering theobjections that would be raised in most communities if the fund raising depended upon local referendum. Much of this federally - col lected money is then returned to the various states and localities to provide them with some of the funds needed for schools, public assistance, highways and other functions. The role that Washington plays in the fiscal operations of state and local governments is reveal ed in studies made by the Tax Foundation, the National Indus trial Conference Board and the Commerce Department. In the case of Northampton County, an estimated total of $1,- 179,000, equal to 15.9 per cent of every dollar of revenue that is available for local operations, comes from the federal govern ment. Elsewhere in the nation, the average is 14.8 per cent. Assumed is that each locality receives its proportionate share of the funds turned back to the states for such purposes. The Commerce Department’s figures show, for the State of North Carolina and its counties, cities and other subdivisions, that total revenue from all sourc- Some $44 of it reo resented “ '=>'arge of the meeting, some »44 01 It represented Colonel Snow has invited inter- money that came back from Wash- ington in the form of grants. Of ‘ L. the remainder, $50 tos from .Tit ®f property taxes, $138 from other IL taxes and$45 from miscellaneous , > ■'®^®6tion- fees, charges and assessments. ^ 1 T The part that federal funds L f play in the over-all revenue pic- T ° ture is quite different in some areas than in others. a On the average throughout the country, state aid local Revenues ^eard. How- amount to $384 per capita an- ever, Colonel Snow says that nually, of which $57 comes from Tr tho emvornmonf ijr*PArrt7ncr tr, fho » accuracy of the record all important facts and Th'rTax Foundatiornotes that '’® ®“bmltted the government, according to the Commerce Department. the Americanpublicfearsthatthe in writing in six copies and growing acceptance of federal TTTTr _ iv 1 i.* handed to Colonel Snow at the grants carries with it a threat to the fiscal independence of local governments. hearing or mailed to him at the (See RIVER. Page 8) City, north to the Roanoke-Cho wan. There are around 5,800,000 acres of land and 40,000 land- owners in the maneuver area. A release to allow the military to cross property must be signed by each property owner. Col. William (Bill) Barnes, native of Ahoskie, chief U.S. Army engineer for the Savannah (Ga.) district, which includes NorUi Carolina, is in charge of the land acquisition and damage claims settlement phase of the maneuver. Colonel Barnes said his depart ment has established a full time, office at the Army Reserve Ar mory in Greenville to work from now until August on land acquisi tion. On August 15 a claims office will be established in Greenville with branch offices in Ahoskie and Jacksonville to make settle ments for any damages done dur ing the actual maneuver. Col. W. H. Burr, chief infor mation officer for U.S. 3rd Army, Atlanta, told the group about the over-all plan for the exercise. The elements taking part will be divided into red and blue forc es. It is expected that the blue force will ultimately win. The red force at the beginning of the script for the exercise will have occupied a mythical friendly foreign country alongthe coast near Jacksonville. The actual maneuver will begin with an amphibious assault, aid ed by airborne and helicopter borne support, by the blue forces. The exercise will then con tinue with the blue force pushing the red force north. At the end of the exercise the blue force will have successfully staged a river crossing over the Roanoke River somewhere between Wel don and Plymouth. The plan means that, except along the Roanoke, little of the actual fighting in the maneuver (See BRIEFS, Page 5) 1% Sales Tax Revenue $415,000R-C Potential By JIM WALLACE RALEIGH - The report of the Tax Study Commission of the State of North Carolina as pre sented by Governor Moore to the 1967 ^.egislature is a 180-page book, full of recommendations but only a few small paragraphs have come to be of major local interest and that interest is main ly with knowledgeable county commissioners who have good cause to worry about these key paragraphs. Shown in a chart on this page is the potential revenue that would come to towns and coun ties if an additional one per cent were added to the current three per cent state sales tax and if it was distributed by the state gov ernment to the counties and towns. The North Carolina Associa tion of County Commissioners has approved this change on the basis that the counties lack tax sources to meet the demands of their citizens and that the prop erty tax has been increased to the breaking point where it will bear no more load. The Tax Study Commission has recommended to the 1967 Legis lature that the one per cent sales tax be enacted so as to require a county-by-county local option vote beofore it is levied in any county. An alternative suggested by the Commission to allow a county board to enact the tax with out a local referendum is thought to have little support in the Leg islature. Most of the county commis sioners in the Roanoke-Chowan area have endorsed the one per cent sales tax idea. Whether or not the taxpayers would pass this vote in a local election is un known at this time, especially in counties like Hertford where a school bond, hospital bond and teacher supplement vote are all being discussed. Commissioner j. Guy Revelle of Northampton County has sug gested that “if a sales tax elec tion were held, it be held all at once in the four counties” so that the idea of one retaining a retail sales advantage over the others would be minimized. The total potential of the levy wouid come to$414,991anciwoLW~' be distributed to the various jurisdictions according to the (See SALES'tax, Page 8) /. H. Hilliard Gets CADA Education Job MURFREESBORO - Choanoke Area Development Association president, Virgil L. McBride, today announced the appointment of Isaiah H. Hilliard of Weldon as CADA coordinator of educa tion. Hilliard, on leave from the Farmers Home Administration with duties as assistant county supervisor, will have the respon sibility of developing educational programs throughout the four- county area which will benefit adults seeking to increase aca demic levels in order for gain ful employment. Types of pro grams to be developed include consumer education, citizenship development, adult education and others relating to public schools where feasible. Hilliard, 54, is a graduate of North Carolina A & T College with a B.S. degree in agricultural education. Further studies at Fisk University, Tuskegee Insti tute and Penn State College led to the Master of Science degree. He has contributed much to east ern North Carolina andsouthside Virginia through his work with community development, Chris tian education and numerous civic activities, according toMcBride. His wife is the former Rugh Alexander of Southside, Va., a teacher at Hollister Elementary School. There is one son, 15. Initially Hilliard will concen trate on developing programs which the four counties have ex pressed a need for, through the Multi - Services Center, and “will welcome suggestions.” These should either be made at the Multi-Services Center or to Hilliard at the Choanoke head quarters in Murfreesboro. Hilliard plans to give techni cal assistance to communities which have formed neighborhood organizations toward developing program proposals of their choice. He will be urging com munities and agencies to aid in the planning of a comprehensive program for education on an areawide basis, according to Mc Bride. ROANOKE RAPIDS - A public hearing will be conducted here on Friday, April 28, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the courtroom ofthe Municipal Building by the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army on the subject of providing a deeper river channel for the Roanoke River between Williamston and Weldon. Col. Beverly C. Snow es amounted to $277 per capita f •>.Corps of in fiscal 1965. Engineers of Wilmington, will be "NEW CAR"—Northampfon County Sheriff £. Fronk Outland is seen along side one of the six automobiles which his Department has purchased with the six formerly operated by the N.C. Highway Patrol (which has gotten new cars). Out- lond"s department is getting rid of six old cars.