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Advertising Medium Oil}? Harmt IRrrnrii
Volume 80 Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina ... : Thursday, January 13, 1977 - Number 2
Jury List
Drawn For
Court Term
Jurors for the criminal term
of Warren County Superior
Court, be (finning Monday, Jan.
31, were drawn this week as
follows:
Mrs. Ethel R. Alexander,
Bettie Williams Alston, Van
Dawson Alston, Mrs. Gertrude
G. Alston, Betty B. Benton,
Edward Bolton, Marrion
Thomas Bolton, Mildred B.
Brown, John M. Burton, Mary
Callahah, Leon Cheek, Betty
Carroll Coleman, Effie Dew
Collins, Linda Delois Cooper,
Sidney Ray Cooper, Jesse L.
Currin, Merritt Davis, Willmon
B. Davis, Robert D. Edmonds,
Nannie Lena Epps.
Also, John Plummer Fitts,
Roy Lee Foster, Sr., Iris
Meadow Frazier, James D.
Green, Marion Wesley Hamm,
William L. Harrell, Sr., Thomas
Jennings Harrington, C. E.
Harris, Hazel Davis Harris,
Bertie Dill Hecht, A. B. Hight,
Wallace Phillip Holtzman,
Barbara Williams Holtzman,
Calvin Howerton, Francis F.
Ingle, Lugenia Kearney. Rita
Edwards Loyd. Albert Lee
Lynch, James H. Mayes, Jr.
Also, Margarette Mills Mayfield,
Candis D. Miller. Edger
Gardner Neal, Roy G. Neal,
Lucy Williams Perry, Helen D.
Pickney, Lucille Williams
Randall. Gladys R. Richardson.
Harvey Lee Richardson, Willie
Joe Robertson, Naomie Clem
entine Robinson; Junius Byre
Russell, Pauline Edwards
Shaw. Grover L. Shearin, Miss
Laura Short. Shirley Lois
Townes, Sid Towns, Myrtle
Williams. Robert R. Williams,
Gertha B. Woodard.
Jurors held over from former
• sessions are as follows: Armelia
Belle Harris. Vernon Nash
Whitmore.
Comprehensive
Personnel Book
Wins Adoption
A comprehensive personnel
policy covering all permanent
municipal employees was passed
by the Warrenton Board of
Commissioners Monday night
without a dissenting voice. The
new guidelines were ordered
into effect immediately, and
provisions made retroactive to
January 1 of this year.
Following a half-hour discussion
by Ms. Marv Ann Current,
a federally funded representative
of the State Personnel
Department, commissioners
gave their approval to the new
guidelines which contain provisions
for hiring and firing,
fringe benefits and grievance
appeals.
Commissioners were told
that a growing number of
North Carolina governmental
units are adopting personnel
policies, stemming largely from
recent federal anti-discriminatory
legislation. In the words of
its author, Mrs. Current, the
policy "reflects every legal
guideline" and is being used as
a working manual designed to
protect local government from
any legal action.
Included in the policy are
provisions for holiday, vacation
and sick time, a dismissal
grievance procedure and a
stipulation that employees be
retired at age 65, with one-year
extensions permitted to employees
until age 70.
Ms. Current said public
personnel had come under
review in 16 cases handed down
by the Supreme Court last
year, and that Warrenton
would get the advantage of
policy revision at no cost as her
department kept abreast of
changing guidelines and would
be in a position to pass them
along to town officials at no
charge.
Under terms of the new
policy, all employees will be
expected to go through a
six-month probationary period,
and a graduated vacation
schedule was designed to
reward employees for length of
*rvice. A 180-day ceiling was
placed on sick leave.
Warren County was on parade in Raleigh Saturday as this
float, containing students from Warren Academy, rolled along
in the inaugural parade honoring Governor James B. Hunt, Jr.
The float featured three stallions and carried the county slogan,
"A Proud Past, An Exciting Future." Other Inauguration Day
pictures can be found on Page 10. (Staff Photo by Don Stithl
Dunn To Address Chamber
Charles Dunn, television
news director and former head
of the State Rureau of Investi
nation, will he the featured
speaker when the Warren
County Chamber of Commerce
holds its annual business
session and installation of
officers here later this month.
Dunn, whose editorials now
appear on television and radio
stations in North Carolina, will
speak at the Mariam Bovd
Cafeteria on Monday, January
24. Tickets for his address and
the installation banquet will he
put ffh"53Tl< later this week at $5
each.
Chamber directors will be in
charge of ticket sales. The
annual event will begin at 6:30
p. m. when hors d'ouerves will
be served quests.
Randy Garrett, chamber
president, said ticket requests
can he handled hv any chamber
director, or by calling I,eggett.
First-Citizens Rank. VVarrenton
Furniture Exchange or Carolina
Power & Light Company.
Refore joining Capitol Broadcasting
Company last Septem
her. Dunn had been manager
for F.d O'Herron's campaign for
the Democratic nomination for
governor. Earlier, in addition to
beinix RBI director for six
years. Dunn was administra
tive assistant to Governor Dan
Moore and administrative aide
to Congressman Horace
Kornei*av.
He is a former North
Carolina newspaperman, having
worked for the Purham
Morning Herald, the Chapel
Hill Weekly and the Hertford
County Herald.
Mobile Homes Topic
Of Talk At Board Meet
Mobile homes provided the
subject mutter last Thursday
flight as i he Warrenton Board
of Adjustments met to hear
requests for zoning variances
here.
Two of three requests to
allow trailers in areas where
they would not he in compliance
with the town's zoning
ordinance were approved by
the board, with T. E. Watson
sitting as chairman.
\ request bv Comer that he
he allowed to place trailer on
two lots of a residential area on
Dnwtin Street was not allowed
bv the ' >ard.
Marv Jones Privette. who
sought to put a trailer on Haley
Street won approval after
several neighboring property
owners appeared in support of
her position.
Milliard New-some was given
permission to install a double
wide trailer on a North Main
Street lot in an industrial area.
Roard members expressed the
opinion that granting the
variance would improve the
appearance of the lot.
Tonight (Thursday! the
Roard of Adjustment is
scheduled to reconvene to hear
a request for a variance hv
Mamie Soloman who wishes to
install a trailer behind her
home on her lot on Rute Street.
•Although the area is zone R-8.
residential property where
trailers are allowed, the size of
her lot is too small to comply
with zoning restrictions if the
trailer is installed.
New Pastors Begin Work
Two new pastors have been appointed to
United Methodist Churches in the
Warrenton area according to Bishop Robert
M. Blackburn, Episcopal leader for the
Raleigh area of the United Methodist
Church.
The Warren Circuit, including Prospect,
Providence, and Shocco United Methodist
church, is served by Dennis P. I^evin. Mr.
I,evin is former executive director of the
National Guard's Continuing Education
Program in Raleigh. He resides in
Henderson with his wife, Peggy, and four
children.
John M. Bowman is serving Bethlehem
United Methodist Church, Areola, and
Shady Grove United Methodist Church,
south of Creek.
Oil Purchases
Total 57,000
Gallons Here
Fifty-seven thousand gallons
of fuel oil has been purchased
this year by the Warren County
school system, Supt. J. R.
Peeler told the members of the
Board of Education at their
regular meeting Monday night.
He said that the Board of
Education placed in the school
budget this year for water,
lights and power, $55,631.
Unusually cold weather this
winter and the increased prices
of fuel oil and electricity have
put a strain on the school
resources. Peeler said. He
listed December electric bills
for Warren Schools as follows:
John Graham, $2265.70;
Mariam Boyd, $1941.54 (Mar
iam Boyd is an all-electric
school); Norlina, $1301.77;
Hawkins, $1205.44; North
Warren, $922.00; Vaughan,
$567.96; South Warren,
$451.84; Northside, $355.71.
Total for the-month, $9,397.96.
Snow, Icy Roads Draw
Blame in Wreck Rash
Snow and icy roads caused
many minor accidents during
last week as motorists slid into
ditches, ran off roads and
plowed into fields.
A slippery curve on the Oine
Road caused Ahmadreza
Abbasi Boroujeni of Chowan
College to run head-on into a
vehicle driven by Wallace
Edward Bowers of Norlina on
Jan. 6 during the heavy
snowstorm. The accident occurred
around 9:05 p. m.
Patrolman Michael Miller
reported that while he was en
route to the scene, a car driven
by Herbert Lee Burton of
Route 1. Manson. ran into the
back of the Bowers vehicle.
Miller said no charges were
filed against the drivers in the
accident; however, Bowers w^s
charged with an expired
operator's license. There were
no injuries.
- Miller estimated damages to
the Bowers' auto in the first
sequence as $300 and after
Burton hit the auto another
$500 in damages resulted.
Damages to the other vehicles
were estimated at $250 each.
Allen Harris of Brooklyn. N.
Y., hit a patch of ice just beyond
the prison camp road on
Sunday at 12:25 a. m. as he was
travelling toward Warrenton.
He lost control of his vehicle
and ran off the left side of the
road, hitting about 75 feet of
fence on the property of Frank
Newell.
Passengers in the auto,
William Perry, 15, and Willie
Williams, also 15 of Warrenton
and the driver received minor
cuts and bruises in the accident.
Miller stated that no charges
were filed due to the weather
conditions. Harris' auto was
deemed a total loss. Estimates
of the damage to the Newell
property were not immediately
known. Miller stated.
Commissioners
Rise To Defense
Of Park Benches
Warrenton commissioners
Monday night stood up in
defense of a place for
townspeople to sit down.
Discounting comments that
the purchase of park benches to
be tis.'d in front of the Warren
( ount v Court House would
increase litter and add to
congestion, board members
to<>k no action which would
rescind their decision to
purchase the benches.
Mayor W. A. Miles and
Councilman Gordon Haithcock
told board members that they
had received several unfavorable
reactions to the proposal.
Town Manager Bill Davis said
he understood the Board of
County Commissioners, which
controls the court house
square, had objections based on
the prospect of increased
littering.
Councilman Sb H. Massey.
who serves on the local beautification
committee, said the use
of benches would fit into the
scheme of beautifying Warrenton
and represented part of the
town's culture. He said he did
not believe litter would be
increased, due largely to the
nearness of the benches to the
town police station.
Councilman Bill Leary
agreed, adding that the
benches could always be
removed if they proved
undesirable.
Councilmen agreed that the
matter was one for resolution
by town officials, since the
benches will be placed on the
sidewalk and not on county
property.
In a related action, board
members gave approval to Dr.
Massey to purchase 100
Foster's American Hollv trees
to he placed on Franklin and
Front Streets. Massey said the
trees do well in areas which are
unsuitable for larger trees, and
that he could purchase the
trees at a cost of $3.25 each. He
said he had earlier feared that
the trees night cost "nine or ten
dollars each."
Bench Saw Taken
From Hayes Home
A bench saw, the property of
Kenneth Copley, Warren County
building contractor, was
stolen from the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Hayes on the Golf
Course Road Sunday night.
Deputy Sheriff Dorsey Capps
said Monday that Copley is
building a home for Mr. and
Mrs. Hayes and that it is
nearing completion. Doors and
windows have been installed
but window latches have not
been put in place. He said entry
was made by raising a window
to the house and the saw was
passed out of the home through
the window.
New Lawyer Is Sought
School Sale Funds
Held For New Unit
The Warren County Board of
Education at its regular
meeting Monday night confirmed
the sale of the Littleton
High School to Dick Harris for
the sum of $38,324.
Concensus of the board was
that the money be used
towards, the purchase of a site
for a consolidated high school.
The funds should be available
as soon as the deed can be
drawn.
W. L. Rose, principal of the
North Warren Middle School
appeared before the board to
discuss progress of the school
toward accreditation. The
board asked that efforts be
continued to have the school
accredited and agreed to have
the school band room torn down
and replaced by a mobile
building if it is possible to
obtain an excess building from
the federal government or a
surplus building from another
school in the county.
The board also agreed to
appropriate $25,000 for adding
plumbing and dressing rooms
to the North Warren gym as
soon as this money becomes
available.
Supt. J. Roger Peeler told
the board members that two
consultants had been obtained
and that further work on
having the school accredited
would be carried on as quickly
as possible.
All the schools in the county
are accredited with the
exception of North Warren and
Hawkins. Both have been
handicapped due to the physical
conditions of their buildings.
Supt. Peeler briefly discussed
factors which led the
county to fail in its efforts to
obtain a Public Works Grant of
around $1,000,000 to be used to
build a consolidated high school
in the county.
- Selection of an attorney to
replace Frank B. Banzet as
attorney for the Board of
Education was tabled until the
next meeting of the board. Mr.
Banzet, who has been attorney
for the board for many years,
had previously informed the
board that he would like to
retire as soon as his
replacement can be found.
Supt. Peeler told the board
members that Mr. Banzet is
presently engaging in winding
up a number of items for the
board, and the board agreed to
bring the matter up for
consideration at its February
meeting.
The board accepted the
resignation of Theressa L.
Harris, math and science
teacher at North Warren, and
named Joyce Hargrove Brothers
as her replacement.
Pickup To Stop
The responsibility for leaf
disposal will shift from
municipal employees to individual
property owners in
Warrenton next week. Town
Manager Bill Davis said this
week.
Davis said that effective at 5
p. m. on January 21. the leaf
pickup operation will be
discontinued by town workers.
After this time, Davis said,
leaves will not be picked up at
curbside, and the responsibil
ity will shift to the homeowner
for disposal.
Kelly Resigns
Robert Kelly, director of
HealthCo at Soul City since
May. 1975. resigned last Friday
"for personal reasons."
Mrs. Eva Clayton has been
appointed interim director
until a successor to Mr. Kelly
can be found.
Group Plans Meeting
The Warren County Association
for Retarded Citisens will
meet Thursday. Jan. 13. in the
Parish Hall of AU Saints
Episcopal Church.
The board elected Princine
Owens as teacher of the
trainable class at North Warren
replacing Cynthia Alston who
resigned effective Dec. 21.
Supt. Peeler explained to the
board the superintendent's accumulative
vacation leave. He
also discussed for the benefit of
the three new board members
his philosophy of administration.
Supt. Peeler said that a
rather extensive study is being
made of evaluations—teachers,
principals and all other
personnel covered by the
Tenure Act. He said that Mr.
Robert Boyd was to meet with
the principals Tuesday, Jan. 11,
to review the board's present
policy, the evaluation sheets
being used as well as other
factors related to the Tenure
Act.
Supt. Peeler also discussed
briefly some changes in the
procedure used in informing
the public when the schools will
be closed due to inclement
weather. He said he believes
the new plan will improve the
procedure by making a wider
distribution of persons notifying
radio stations, plus several
checks.
'Most Dangerous' In Town
Speed Will Drop
At Fatality Scene
The Warrenton Board of
Commissioners moved Monday
night to reduce speed on
Highway 401 as it approaches
an intersection where Mrs. F.
P. Hunter lost her life in a
traffic mishap last week.
At the urging of Commissioner
Anna Butler, board members
unanimously instructed police
to post signs indicating that the
speed limit between Marshall
and Plummer Streets along
South Main Street (Highway
401) is 20 miles per hour.
Previously the speed ttrnit was
35 miles an hour.
Commissioners also voted to
have the state, which erects
signalling devices on the street,
give immediate consideration
to installation^ a blinker light
at the intersection of Main and
Plummer streets, which Police
Chief Freddie Robinson called
the most dangerous in town."
The board learned that a
federal grant in the amount of
$2650 has been approved which
will allow for replacement of a
stoplight at the corner of
Fairview and Front streets.
Town Manager Bill Davis said
the town will be expected to
bear 30 percent of the cost of
the light replacement, and that
federal financing could not
exceed the approved amount.
Davis also reported that the
town had received a $1500
revenue sharing grant as part
of an anti-recessional payment
beyond that which the town is
normally entitled.
In other action, commissioners
voted to replace Mrs. Ruth
Rugg, a member of the Board of
Adjustments who resigned
because of moving oat of the
corporate limits, with Mrs.
Richard Hunter.
Arts Commission Sets
Artists' Reception
This Sunday. Jan. 16, the
Warrenton Arts Commission
will sponsor a reception for
artists Joe Wohlmuth and
Maggie Hayes from 3 to 5 p. m.
at Warrenton's Town Hall. The
public is invited. Mrs. Hayes is
a resident of Warren County
and Joe Wohlmuth is of Raleigh
and has done projects on Warrenton.
Board Asks Clarification Of
School Closing Procedures
At the Board of Education
meeting Monday night, members
suggested that the
Superintendent outline for the
newspaper the system being
used in informing the public
when there is a question about
the opening or closing of
schools due to inclement
weather. It is as follows:
Mr. Tharrington, Transportation
Supervisor, contacts the
Highway Dept., State highway
patrol (if possible) and the
Police Dept. at an early hour
and gets information concerning
the condition of the roads.
He then calls the Superintendent
soon after 6:00 o'clock and
the two of them make a
decision, considering all of the
information available, on
whether or not schools should
operate or be closed.
Mr. Peeler then contacts all
of the principals, who, in turn,
call as many of their bus drivers
as can be reached. Each school
has its own system of notifying
teachers and all other school
personnel.
Mr. Peeler also notifies local
radio station WSVP of the
decision and they are prompt to
make the announcement. He
then calls Mrs. Frances Davis
whose duty it is to call
WRALrTV Channel 5, Radio
Stations 101-Raleigh, WIZ8Henderson
and WARR-Warrenton.
The Superintendent
then calls Mrs. Angie Edwards,
who calls WXNC and WHNCHenderson.
Even though the Superintendent
feels that the system
being used is as efficient as it
can possibly be. he realises ttfat
some parents will miss the
announcement:Also, some of
the announcements are not
made by the stations when they
are requested to be made. In
such cases, the parents should
call the principal, bus driver,
Mr. Tharrington at the school
garage, or the Superintendent's
office.
The school patrons of Warren
County may be assured that
every effort possible is made to
let them know as early as
possible in the day when there
is a change in the school
schedule due to snow or ice.
Home Loss Is
Put At $5,000
Household goods estimated
to have been worth $5,000,
were stolen from the home of
Mrs. Hilda Mae Alston, abound
70, in the Parktown section of
Warren County on Tuesday
night of last week.
Deputy Sheriff Dorsey Capps
said Monday that Mrs. Alston
had been spending the winter
with her niece near Warren
Plains, returning to her home
occasionally. When she returned
last week she found out that
some person or persons had
been to the rather isolated
home and had removed most of
her household goods. Included
was an antique organ, a stove,
and a number of other antique
articles.
Sheriff Cappa said no arrests
have been made bat the
investigation is being continued.