THE County TIMES-NEWS
hjorthamp'tbh County's Only Advertising and News Medium
'Vol. 82 No. 35
THE ROANOKE-CHOWAN TIMES — Established 1892
THURSDAY, Aug. 30, 1973
★ ★ -A ★
☆ THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY NEWS — Established 1926
10c Per Copy Rich Square, N. C.
14 Pages
Gaston May Annex
By Ordinance
GASTON — The Town of
Gaston may seek an alternate
route to accomplish an
annexation it had originally
planned to complete with a
special local bill in the Gen
eral Assembly.
Mayor Firman Myrick
stated Wednesday that the
North Carolina League of
Municipalities has offered
legal assistance to the town in
the annexation attempt.
Mayor Myrick stated that
the annexation, since it does
not involve a large number of
property owners, may be
realized through a petitioning
effort. He cited the
tremendous amount of legal
work involved in a special act
of the legislature as a sore
spot in the town board’s
original plans.
Myrick stated that the board
would discuss annexation
with the parties involved and
County Sales And
Use Taxes Tops
Half-Million Mark
RALEIGH — Northampton
County sales and use tax
collections for the 1972-73
fiscal year amounted to
$505,878, the state Department
of Revenue reports.
The collections are based on
total retail sales of $20,171,371
for the period.
Tax on food brought the
greatest revenue return in
Northampton at $210,070 with
sales totaling $8.9 million.
Revenue from the sale of
automobiles netted $77,767
based on total sales of over
$4.9 million.
A total of $65,944 was
collected on general
Bloodmobile To Visit
Woodland Sept. 5
WOODLAND — The
bloodmobile will make one
visit to Woodland this year. It
will be at the National Guard
Armory Wednesday,
September 5, from 12-5 p.m.
In order to help meet the
needs of the hospitals, the
sponsoring club will conduct a
“Balanced Recrui-ting
Program” for donors, which
means having a desired
percentage of different blood
types.
The goal for Woodland is 100
pints.
Conway Industrial
Group Selling Stock
CONWAY — Stock in the
Conway Industrial
Corporation are being sold in
an effort to attract more
business and industry to the
towh.
Thirty-six shares at $25 per
share have been sold to 21
individuals, Johnny Martin,
secretary-treasurer of the
corporation, reported at the
regular monthly meeting of
board of directors Tuesday
night.
The profit making
corporation’s goal is 1,000
shares or $25,000.
The purpose of the
corporation is to attempt to
attract new business and
determine if there is enough
interest on behalf of the
property owners to petition
the town for inclusion in the
corporate limits.
Myrick stated that the
annexation idea originated
with property owners along N.
C. 48 North. The annexation
would merely “straighten
out” municipal boundaries in
that area, the mayor said.
Myrick said water and
sewer lines would have to be
extended, but, he added, at no
great expense to the town.
Engineering drawings for the
extension are already
complete.
Mayor Myrick noted that 100
per cent of the property
owners in the petitioning area
would have to sign a petition
seeking annexation before the
town could annex by
ordinance.
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merchandise taken from a
gross sales figure in excess of
$3.5 million.
The two per cent tax on
autos, planes and boats
generated $61,067 in taxes,
based on sales of $3.1 million,
and a category of goods
labeled unclassified netted
$42,190, based on sales of $4.6
million.
Other taxes collected were
as follows: one^ier cent retail
sales tax, $19,820; apparel,
$3,209; furniture, $10,938;
building materials, $4,615; one
and three per cent use taxes,
$9,944; and licenses revenue,
$310.
WORKMEN FROM Connell Construction Co, in Warrenton are busy
planting water mains along U. S. 301 in Garysburg. The project is being
undertaken by the Progressive Garysburg Water Association at a cost of
$129,000.
Wofer Proj&cf To
Be Complete Oct. 1
GARYSBURG — Oct. 1 is
the deadline for completion of
a water extension project now
underway in Garysburg.
Workmen from Connell
Construction Company of
Warrenton are in the process
of installing three miles of
water main along U. S. 301
from N. C. 46 to the Roanoke
River bridge at Weldon.
A Farmer’s Home
Administration grant-loan
totaling $129,000 made the
expansion possible. The loan
portion is $99,000 and the grant
is for $30,000.
The extension of water
service to 125 additional
customers is being carried out
by the Progressive Garysburg
Water Association, an
organization separate from
the municipality.
The association created a
water district outside the
Garysburg corporate limits
and got into the water
business three years ago. The
current expansion project
industry by offering
assistance in financing and in
acquiring land and other
facilities if necessary.
The corporation was formed
in April and meets every third
Tuesday in the month.
According to President
Lynmore Gay of Georgia-
Pacific, the goal of the
corporation is to sell all the
$25,000 in stock by Jan. 1.
The first annual stock
holders meeting is set for
January.
George Harris, county
economic developer and
planner, is assisting the
corporation in its infant
stages.
New County Health
Administrator Named
JACKSON — A fulltime
administrator for the
Northampton County Health
Department reported to work
this week.
John Ahearn, who comes
here from Fayetteville,
assumes the post of health
boss, a position that has not
been filled since 1969 when Dr.
Raleigh Parker of Woodland
retired.
Dr. John Stanley, a
Woodland physician and
mayor of that town, has
served as acting health
director in the absence of a
fulltime director.
Ahearn, 30, served four
years in preventive medicine
attached to Wommack Army
Hospital at Ft. Bragg. He
received direct commission as
a captain and spent a year in
Southeast Asia.
The young administrator is
a native of Union, N. J. He
earned his undergraduate
degree in bioligy at Upsala
College in E. Orange, N. J.,
and completed his masters in
public health at the University
of Kentucky.
Ahearn, who was hired by
the Northampton County
Board of Health, was on the
job Monday for the first day.
He will be responsible for
administering the health
1,000 Attend 34th
Annual REA Meet
RICH SQUARE — One
thousand persons attended the
34th annual meeting of the
Roanoke Electric
Membership Cooperative in
Rich Square Saturday.
Re-elected to the board of
directors of REA were H. C.
Martin of Creeksville, E. W.
Evans of Como and A. S.
White of Windsor.
They will continue to serve
with existing board members
C. V. Cobb of Windsor,
Thurman Morris of Gates, E.
L. Trottman of Gates, Roscoe
Gillman of Bertie, H. A.
Bennett of Rich Square,
Matthew Grant of Tillery,
Grover Burgess of Conway
and Frank Warren of
Littleton.
Music in the form of banjo
plucking and singing was
provided by “The
Executives,” a quartet
composed of Raleigh
businessmen.
Following the
entertainment and luncheon
on the grounds, of the REA
headquarters, A. S. White
reported on the financial
condition of the REA.
“I am proud to say that we
are meeting our payment to
the Rural Electrification
Administration each quarter
and all othe obligations made
by the Cooperative. To me,
this speaks well for the
administration of your
Cooperative.
The question has been asked
several times that since the
Cooperative has a margin
each year where is it located
and what is done with it.
The answer to this question
is that some years ago when
funds were difficult to receive
from the Rural Electrification
Administration they informed
the Cooperative not to make
any cash refunds until they
had acquired 40 per cent
equity or ownership in the
Cooperative, but to use these
margins to help rebuild the
Cooperative’s electrical
system, that is building new
lines, rebuilding those in
existence, payment to
contractors for trimming
trees and for new
construction. White stated.
“However, each year you
receive a capital credit card
informing you of the amount
of your capital credit. This
amount is credited to your
ledger each year and
whenever the Cooperative
reaches the 40 per cent equity
required by REA, cash
refunds will be made. As of
the close of business for the
year 1972, equity per member
m:
or ownership was 25.3, that is
each member owns 25 per cent
of the Cooperative which
todays value is over six
million dollars. Some of these
margins are set up as a
renewal and replacement
account. This will give us
money to replace rotten poles,
broken wires, to repair
hurricane and sleet damages
and for additional equipment
needed in the years to come.
I would like to point out that
effective just a few months
ago the Cooperative money
that we will borrow will not
come from the United States
Government, but from the
open market as any other
private organization or any
individual that would borrow
money,” stated White.
“The interest rate is no
longer 2 per cent but 5 per
cent. Therefore, the operation,
of your Cooperative is
becoming more difficult each
year in its operation, difficult
in that money is hard to
borrow and money borrowed
cost more interest, but I am
confident with the well trained
staff that we have and the
directions of the directors, we
will continue to serve you with
the very best in electrical
service and at the very
cheapest rate possible.
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represents the association’s
first efforts to provide water
to the Town of Garysburg.
The project will be self-
liquidating in that the loan will
be paid back through water
receipts obtained from the
sale of water.
No sewage service is
provided by the water
association.
Residents of Garysburg-
proper petitioned the
independent association for
the extended water service.
ROANOKE ELECTRIC Membership Co-op officials attorney Tom Bolch of
Raleigh, REA President E. W. Evans of Como and REA Manager V. E.
Taylor of Rich Square look over the annual report of the rural electric
cooperative.
Minimum Wage
Coes Up Sun.
program in the county as well
as formulating new programs.
The administrator will also be
in charge of the department’s
budget in addition to
supervising the 16 employes of
the health division.
Programs under Ahearn’s
direct supervision are the
family planning clinic,
immunization clinics, the child
health program, TB program
and the county sanitation
program.
The administrator is
answerable directly to the
health board.
In addition to his work as a
medical entimologist in the
Army, Ahearn’s work
experience includes one year
as a program representative
with the U. S. Public Health
Service in Newark, N. J.
He resides with his wife and
child in Severn.
Attorney Opens Law
Office In Woodland
CONWAY INDUSTRIAL Corporation heads are (from left, seated) Lyn
more Gay, president; Aubrey Whitley, vice president; and Johnny Martin,
secretary-treasurer. Standing are Billy Joyner, director; George Harris,
county economic developer; and Conway Mayor Grady Martin, director.
WOODLAND — Attorney
Charlie Vaughan this week
opened a law office in
Woodland.
Vaughan, who immediately
prior to now was a law partner
with state Rep. C. Kitchin Josey
in Scotland Neck, is in the
process of remodeling a
building in Woodland that will
house his office.
Vaughan is a native of
Woodland. He graduated from
the then Woodland Olney High
School in 1958.
Four years later he earned a
batchelor’s degree in business
administration at the
University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill. He completed the
requirements for a law
degree in 1965 at UNC.
Vaughan served three years
asa lieutenant in the U. S. Naval
Reserve’s Judge Advocate
Corps.
He was an assistant solicitor
of Mecklenburg County
District Court in Charlotte for
two years prior to joining the
Scotland Neck law firm in July
1970.
RALEIGH — The North
Carolina minimum wage will
advance to $1.80 per hour for
all covered employees Sunday.
The increase from the
previous $1.60 hourly state
minimum comes as the result
of action completed by the N.
C. General Assembly in May.
Some 50,000 of the State’s
lowest paid citizens will
benefit from the 12.5 per cent
hike in the Tar Heel wage
floor.
Who Is Covered
The North Carolina
minimum applies to most
nonfarm and
nongovernmental full-time
employees in establishments
employing four or more
employees.
Virtually all of the State’s
775,000 factory workers will be
covered by the $1.80 State
minimum.
Normally, the chief wage
protection of workers in
manufacturing is the Federal
Wage and Hour Law; but until
final action is taken in
Washington to raise the
present $1.60 federal
minimum to higher levels,
most Tar Heel factory
workers in establishments
employing four or more
employees will be covered by
the $1.80 state minimum.
The higher state minimum
also will apply to most of the
900,000 North Carolina
workers employed in mining,
construction, transportation,
communications, public
utilities, finance, insurance,
real estate and services.
However, most of the 50,000
Tar Heels who will benefit
directly from the new $1.80
minimum are employed in
relatively small retail and
wholesale trade establish
ments, service-industry
businesses, food service
establishments and lower-
wage type manufacturing
plants.
They work as retail sales
clerks, wholesale trade sales
people, stock and material
handlers, cleaning service
workers, food service
employees and in a variety of
unskilled service industry
occupations. Others are
operatives in lower-wage
manufacturing plants and
cleaning service workers in
manufacturing.
Federal, state and local
government employees are
not covered by the state
minimum wage, according to
a ruling issued by the attorney
general in 1959, because these
governmental units do not
meet the law’s definition of an
“employer.”
Calendar
Deadline
Sept. 10
RICH SQUARE — The Rich
Square Lions Club is
sponsoring a community
birthday calendar sale for
1974. The deadline for
inclusion on the calendar is
Sept. 10.
The listings will include
birthdays, anniversaries and
community events.
Three hundred families
were represented on last
year’s calendar.
George Davis and Linwood
C. Bryant are co-chairmen of
the calendar project.
Proceeds from calendar
sales will go to meet the quota
for the Boys Home at Lake
Wacamaw, Camp Dogwood
for the blind, CARE, Youth
Exchange and community
projects for Rich Square.
Over 6,00
In County
Schools
JACKSON — Enrollment in
county schools is consistant
with last year’s figures,
according to a report issued
by public and private school
administrators in the county.
A total of 5,791 students
reported to county schools
Tuesday for the first full day
of classes. Of that total 4,023
are elementary age and 1,768
are in high school.
Northeast Academy at
Lasker, a private Christian
school, has an enrollment of
375 in grades one through 12.
That is five or six less than
last year, the school’s
headmaster reports.
Northampton County’s
public school enrollment is
basically unchanged with no
great losses or gains noted.
Northampton High at
Creeksville boasts the largest
enrollment of the four public
high schools. It has 791
students, compared to 462 at'
Gumberry, 298 at Gaston and
217 at Creecy.
Garysburg Elementary
School is the largest
elementary unit in the county
system with 666 pupils. Squire
School in Gaston is second in
size with 544 pupils registered.
Other elementary
enrollments are Coates, 187;
Conway, 436; Eastside, 204;
Gaston Elementary, 292;
Jackson, 200; Rich Square,
277; Seaboard, 178; Willis
Hare, 391; Creecy
Elementary, 256; and
Woodland Olney, 392.
No School
JACKSON — Students will
have a holiday from school
Monday in county public and
private schools.
Schools will be closed in
observance of Labor Day.
Classes resume on a normal
schedule Tuesday.