Leonard Williams (left] automotive instructor, observes as three of his students adjust the
carburetor on a car as part of automotive training at John Graham. (Staff Photo)
Students 'Plugging' Away
At Overhauling Car Motors
By DON STITH
Teaching high school stu
dents how to rebuild motors,
overhaul transmissions, set
timing and perform other major
and minor mechanic work may
seem like an impossible task for
ijiost, but for Leonard Thomas
Williams, a Warren County
native, it just goes along with
the job. Williams is the automo
tive instructor at John Graham
High School where he began
teaching in mid-January of last
year after the resignation of J.
Medlin, when the automotive
class appeared to have stalled.
Since then Williams has
placed a few of his students on
jobs and says that he has about
ten more ready to enter the
automotive field upon gradua
tion.
The students in his first-year
class are taught the proper
tools to use for different jobs
and as they progress they do
minor tune-ups for the teachers
and some of the students that
have cars.
His second year "students
"get down to the nitty-gritty"
as Williams puts it —ovei aul
ing transmissions, rebuiluing
motors and just doing all types
of automotive repair work.
Some of the county's staff cars
as well as teachers, and just
about anybody that doesn't
mind students working on their
cars brought vehicles to his
shop for servicing.
Williams said that he doesn't
get a lot of calls from
the general public because of
the time that it takes his classes
to finish a job. He added that
it's very important to his
students that they take time on
all repairs so that nothing is
missed, either by the students
working on the car or those
that may be observing.
So far his classes haven't
been idle for any long periods.
When they do run out of things
to do the teacher brings in his
old 1964 Chevrolet for experi
mental purposes.
Like all other classes at John
Graham, the automotive shop
has a few girls who "are doing
just fine." according to their
teacher. Williams said he felt
females would be able to make
their presence known in the
automotive field, but not to a
substantial degree. He said
there are a few of them but not
enough. "Women don't like to
ge^ greasy and there's no way
you can work on a motor and
not get dirty or greasy," he
said.
Sometime during this spring
the automotive classes at John
Graham will take a few trips.
They plan to visit an assembly
plant in Norfolk, Va., and
Wilson and Nash Technical
Institute to observe the
automotive classes there.
Williams is a graduate of
Votec Institute in Hampton,
Va., and has also attended
summer courses at North
Carolina State University. He
has been in the automotive field
for 18 years and says that he
"just loves working with
students" at John Graham.
Two From Here
Feted At UNC-G
Two Warren County stu
dents were among the 650
juniors honored at a special
reception recently at the
University of North Carolina at
Greensboro.
The junior scholars were
invited to the reception on the
basis of their academic
achievements at UNC-G.
The students were Miss
Pamela King, a medical
technology major, daughter of
Mrs. Elizabeth D. King,
Warrenton and Charles E.
Lyles, an art major, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles E. Lyles, Rt.
1. Macon.
The purpose of the reception
was to honor the students for
their academic achievements
and to inform them of the
opportunities for graduate
study.
At the reception, the
students had an opportunity to
talk with UNC-G Chancellor
James S. Ferguson and other
University officials, including
vice chancellors and heads of
departments.
The 650 juniors were
selected from a junior class
which has an enrollment of
1,762. Each of the 650 students
chosen has at least a "B"
average or better.
About two-thirds of Spain's
80,000 miles of highways are
paved.
There are more than 3,000
varieties of tea, most of them
named for the area where
grown.
Vaughan Library
Gets Steady Use
Am • result of the release of
federal funds, children at
Vaughan are enjoying selecting
and reading new books. Books
by Dr. Seuss and other
easy-to-read books are among
those selected for real young
readers.
"It is a pleasure to hear a
child say that he wants a book
because he can read it; the
school librarian reported.
March 22 was the birthday of
a pioneer in children s litera
ture. Randolph Caldecott, 1846
1886, was an English artist and
early illustrator of children s
books. The Caldecott medal,
named in his honor, is awarded
each year at the conference of
the American Library Associa
tion to the artist of the most
distinguished picture book for
children published in the
United States during the year.
The winner is selected by the
Association's Public Library
Section and School Libraries
Section of the Division of
Libraries for Children and
Young People.
The library at Vaughan
houses most of these books.
Older students also have new
books to read and enjoy. Most
of the books are reviewed and
recommended on the television
program "Cover to Cover" on
Channel Four at 12:45 on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Bumgarners To Be
At Depot Event
Stan and Sylvia Bumgarner
will present a program of music
and pottery on Friday, April 15.
at the Warrenton Depot under
the auspices of the Warrenton
Arts Commission. This pro
gram was rescheduled from
March 10 as part of "Friday
Nights at the Depot" which was
cancelled due to snow The
program will begin at 8 p. m.
and is free to the public.
Sylvia is a Warrenton native,
the daughter of Robert and
Frances Davis of Afton-El
beron. She will demonstrate
making pots on an electric
wheel.
Mr. Bumgarner, visiting
artist at Edgecombe Technical
Institute, is a guitarist. He will
play both popular and classical
pieces and also entertain
playing the mountain dulcimer
and lute.
The. Bungacners haw made
frequent television appear
ances on programs in their
area. They reside in Tarboro.
r
THOMAS STEVENSON
ADMIRES FIRST PLACE MEDAL
John Graham Student
Wins Drafting Award
Thomas Stevenson,a second year drafting student at John
Graham High School, won first place in a 12-county drafting
contest held at N. C. State University on Friday.
Stevenson, son of Mrs. Mildred Stevenson of Rt. 2,
Warrenton, won a gold medal in the District III Vocational
Industrial Clubs of America Skill Olympics Machine Drafting
Contest held in Poe Hall.
Students from Warren, Granville, Vance, Wake, Johnson,
Wilson, Franklin, Nash, Edgecombe, Halifax, Durham and
Northampton counties participated in the event, judged by a
team from the N. C. State School of Industrial Education and
School of Engineering.
Stevenson, a student of Gilbert Blaylock, will compete
against winners from seven other VICA districts in Greensboro
on April 29.
Application Deadlines Set
Governor Jim Hunt announc
ed yesterday that farmers in 30
counties may be eligible to
apply for emergency loans to
cover losses incurred by
drought and freezing weather.
The announcement comes as a
result of President Carter's
declaration of emergency for
that area.
The thirty counties are: Ala
-Cabarrus, Caswell,
Catawba, Cleveland, Davis,
Davidson, Durham, Forsyth,
Franklin, Gaston, Granville,
Guilford, Iredell, Johnson,
Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Mont
gomery, Moore, Orange, Per
son, Rockingham, Rowan,
Stokes, Surry, Vance, Wake,
Warren, Wilson and Yadkin.
Farmers may apply through
May 9 for loans to cover
physical losses and through
Deeemher 9 for loans to cover
production losses. Information
on emergency loans and other
types of aid is available through
local county supervisors of the
Farmers Home Administration.
Norlina High Activities
By DANYLU PALMER
The Easter vacation is just
around the corner and all
students and teachers are
Joyfully awaiting its arrival.
With the flowers in full bloom
and the birds singing, the
nine-day break will be enjoyed
and will also give everyone a
fresh start for the fourth
nine weeks of school.
Miss Barbara Martin visited
N.H.S on Monday and
presented an extremely useful
£Vn/T"ive pro*ram ^
r n t Anemia and Sickle
Cell Trait. She explained the
basics, showed a film and left
about ten minutes for questions
and discussion. We thank the
Mate Board of Health for
giving all Norlina students the
opportunity to hear and view
such informative material and
everyone looks forward to
seeing Miss Martin on Friday
Derrick Cheston and Robert
Palmer attended the North
Carolina Association of Student
Councils Central District
Convention April 2-3 at Enloe
High School in Raleigh. They
participated in workshops on
communication, pressures on
the high school student, special
projects and leadership. They
a so took part in the district
election activities with Robert
Palmer assuming a leading role
in Division III affairs. They
heard several interesting
speakers, viewed educational
movies, and made many new
friends.
Members of the Food Service
class, along with their teacher
Mrs. Sue Skinner, and
chaperones. Mrs. Mamie Ker
sey and Mrs. Magnolia Terry
traveled to Charlotte last
Wednesday to attend the Food
Exposition. This was quite an
educational experience for the
group. They also visited the
( ulinary Arts Show which was
held in conjunction with the
exposition. Members of the
food service who attended
were; joyce Af)n Bu||ock
A'freda Griggs. Peggy Har
grove, Pam Kersey, Cheryl
Mason. Deloris May field, Mary
Mayfield, Brenda McAffee
Connie Montague. Vivian
Palmer, Emma Seward, Brenda
Spruill, Ida Terry, Mary Talley,
and Sandra Terry.
Report cards are scheduled
to be given out on Thursday.
Some students look forward to
Thursday and some don't, but
all agree they are glad that the
third nine-weeks is behind
them.
April 4-8 will celebrate Beta
week. All prospective members
are challenged to meet the '
following requirements: Moo
day:wear gold and black (Beta"
colors); Tuesday:talent show
Wednesday; talent show con
tinued; Thursday: dress in
1950's; Friday: Beta /
initiation; no jeans or chewing
gum all week; write compo
sition on "Why I want to be a
Beta;"
New Beta Club officers were
elected Thursday. They are as
follows:, President, Maxine
Campbell; vice-president, Alton
Fleming; secretary, Patricia
Hicks; parliamentarian. Shawn
Cheston; and reporter, Rosa
Durham.
Thirteen N.H.S. students
accompanied by Miss Meredith,
participated in the Special
Olympics at North Warren
Middle School.
The Norlina Prom committee
was extremely successful with
the sale of doughnuts in
Warrenton and Norlina on
f riday afternoon. The commit
tee wishes to thank everyone
for their help in raising funds
for the 1976-77 N.H.S. Prom.
Algebra II and advanced
math students received their
results on the annual High
School Mathematics Examina
tion. To be congratulated it
high scorer Tracy Epps, whose
percentile was 87.86 of al
students taking the exam ir
North Carolina. He will receivt
an award pin.
Students ranking in thi
upper 25 percentile of al
students taking the exam ii
North Carolina were:Oit
Cheston, Tommie Craft, Davi
Crowe, Rosa Durham, Fred
Hight and Donna Paynter.
Norlina High School is prou
of the fine representation b
these and other students takir
the exam, and would like
extend an invitation f<
neighboring schools to parti
pate in this exam next year
Ends Training
Army Private Claude
Griggs. 21, son of Mr. and M
Hansel Griggs of Wise, recen
completed training as
cannoneer under the C
Station Unit Training (OST
Program at Ft. Sill. Okla.
OSUT is a 13-week pei
which combines basic coir,
training with advanced i
vidual training.
Pvt. Griggs entered )
Army last December. He a
1974 graduate of Norlina In
School.
I