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Volume 87 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, January 18, 1984 Number 3
$15 Million Plant Expansion Plans Revealed
Revenue Bonds Are Asked
For Norlina Facility Work
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
A Henderson textile
company is planning a
$15 million expansion to
a facility it owns south
of Norlina, and is
seeking Industrial
Revenue Bonds to
finance a portion of the
project.
Marshall Cooper, Jr.,
president of Harriet &
Henderson Yarns, Inc.
yesterday declined to
comment on the project,
saying that he preferred
to wait until a Feb. 6
public hearing before
Warren County com
missioners before un
veiling the company's
proposal.
According to a public
notice of the hearing in
this week's issue of The
Warren Record, the
project will include the
acquisition and installa
tion of new machinery
and equipment for the
manufacture of cotton
and blended yarns and
will employ about 100
people.
The issuance of the
revenue bonds, to finan
ce not more than $10
million of the project,
must be approved by the
county commissioners.
The proposed site, on
U. S. 1 is currently un
der lease to Norlina
Mills.
Harriet & Henderson
was established in 1895
and employs ap
proximately 1,600
people, Cooper said.
The application for
Industrial Revenue
Bonds is the second one
received by the county
in the past month.
in uecemDer, county
commissioners gave
their seal of approval to
plans by Cochrane Fur
niture Company, head
quartered in Lincolnton,
to finance a $2 million
expansion to its facility
in Warrenton.
That expansions is ex
pected eventually to
bring about 85 new jobs
to the county.
County commission
ers are also hoping to
entice a Fortune 500
company to Warren
County with a $750,000
Community Develop
ment Block Grant that
would be used for low in
terest loans to the com
pany. The identity of the
company has not yet
been revealed. County
officials are currently in
the process of complet
ing the grant ap
plication, which has a
February 1 deadline.
Warren County In
dustrial Developer Jim
Whitley has said that
word on the disposition
of the grant could be
received as early as
June.
Ready
And Waiting
Kara, a Siberian husky owned by Dawson
Alston of Brehon Street, Warrenton,
assumed his master's seat at the wheel
recently while Alston was tending to shop
ping business at a local grocery store. The
resulting picture of Kara, taken by local
photographer Mary Hunter, shows the dog
ready to drive away, with or without
master or food.
Structure Built In 1941
North Warren Gymnasium
Said Not Worth Repairing
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
The gymnasium at
North Warren Elemen
tary School, built in
1941, has not been used
for more than two
months, and Warren
County School Board
members received a
report Monday night in
dicating that the struc
ture is unsafe and that
repair would not be
economically feasible.
Assistant Superinten
dent of Schools James
Jordan presented the
findings of Ralph Self, a
consulting engineer with
the N. C. Department of
Public Instruction.
The report stated that
the building was of
"minimal construc
tion," that the wood roof
was "deflecting exces
sively," that the ex
terior walls had been
pulled out of plumb by
the roof, and that the
wood trusses were not
"triangulated in accord
ance with basic struc
tural principals."
Board members
agreed that the building
could not be occupied,
and that the deteriora
tion was too extensive to
justify repairs. However
no action was taken on a
question of whether to
tear the building down.
Board member Henry
Bobbitt noted that the
building was a liability,
and suggested that the
board take bids on the
cost of razing it.
Superintendent Mike
Williams concurred,
recommending that the
board advertise the
building for sale on the
condition that it be
removed from the cam
pus.
Williams said he
would like to salvage a
boiler and heating
system for possible use
elsewhere in the system
from the building before
it was sold.
After discussion, the
board agreed to table
the matter for the time
being.
Jordan also presented
results of an inspection
for friable asbestos in
school facilities.
The state and federal
government required
the inspection for friable
asbestos—asbestos that
is "crumbly" or disinte
grates upon touch.
Asbestos, used for fire
proofing, has been
linked to lung disorders.
The report of 16 sam
plings tested by North
rop Laboratories in the
Research Triangle
Park indicated that
friable asbestos was
found only on worn
areas of boiler wrap
pings in the boiler rooms
at Norlina, South
Warren, Northside,
John Graham, North
Warren and Hawkins
schools.
No friable asbestos
was found in classroom
walls or ceilings,
cafeterias, or other
places inhabited by
students and staff.
Jordan said the areas
containing friable
asbestos have now been
coated with latex emul
sion, eliminating any
danger.
Sizeable Increase
Asked For Facilities
Members of the
Warren County Board of
Education voted Mon
day night to increase the
fees for use of school
facilities, such as
cafeterias and gym
nasiums, by 50 percent
on the recommendation
of the Facilities Com
mittee.
According to Assist
ant School Superinten
dent James Jordan, the
rates have not been in
creased since early 1981.
Since that time, the
committee reported, the
average increases for
electrical energy from
area power companies
has increased 33 percent
and across-the-board
operating costs of school
buildings has increased
an average of 17 per
cent.
Chairman Henry
Pitchford voted against
the increase and ex
pressed concern that the
increase might make
the facilities unavail
able for community
recreation activities.
But Superintendent
Mike Williams caution
ed the board members
against setting a
precedent of providing
recreational facilities
for county citizens.
He noted that the
county is in "dire need"
of recreational
(Continued on page ft)
•!; % 5?
| Civil War Photographs §
| Are Sought For Edition f
!;!; W. T. Jordan, editor of "North Carolina j|
jjjj Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster," is seeking photo
ijij graphs of Warren County Civil War soldiers in jjjj
g military uniform. One such photograph will be jjji
;jji selected for use as an illustration in Volume X ijij
iji; of "North CaroUna Troops."
jiji Photographs will be copied at the state ar- ijij
chives photography lab and then safely and ijjj
jijj quickly returned to their owners. The owner of |
the photograph that is selected for use in
ijij Volume X will also receive a free copy of that g
jiji volume. iji
Jordan is particularly interested in photo- jij
g graphs of soldiers who served in the Thirty
g eighth, Thirty-ninth, Forty-second, Forty
ijij third, and Forty-fourth Regiments N. C. |
i: Troops. :j:
| Owners of photographs are asked to write to
W. T. Jordan, Historical Publications Section, £
•jij Division of Archives and History, Department iji
i;ii of Cultural Resources, 109 E. Jones Street, %
ijjj Raleigh 27611. |
Reaction Expressed
After Porn Is Shown
Three Warrenton
stores were named in a
Warrenton Town Board
meeting last week as
sellers of pornographic
material, but one store
owner, Willoughby
Harris, said this week
that his contract with
the news dealer hand
ling the magazines had
expired in December
and that he had not re
newed it.
Warren County Health
Director Joe Lennon
appeared before the
commissioners with
pornography he said
was purchased at
Willoughby's Con
venience Store and at
Rite Aid Discount
Pharmacy on Jan. 9,
and urged the com
missioners to adopt an
ordinance forbidding
the display of porno
graphic material.
The commissioners
agreed to send a mem
ber of their body to take
the matter up with
owners or managers of
the two stores, but stop
ped short of official ac
tion.
Boyce's Drug Store
was also named in the
meeting as selling the
magazines in question,
but it was noted that
there the magazines
were not on display and
not visible to children.
Lennon said this week
that he wanted to
"commend Harris for
not renewing his con
tract and for his concern
for trying to maintain
good standards of
morality among our
citizens."
Gary Stainback,
district supervisor for
Rite Aid, said yesterday
that he had not yet been
contacted by anyone
representing the town.
He said It was Rite
(Continued on page 5)
Girlfriend Said Abducted
Man Charged
In Kidnapping
A Warrenton man was
arrested Monday and
charged with kidnap
ping in the abduction of
a 21-year-old woman
early Friday morning at
Carolina Sportswear Co.
on Ridgeway Street in
Warrenton.
According to police re
ports, Thomas Allen
Harrington, 25, of Rt. 1,
was apprehended by
Warrenton Police Chief
Freddie Robinson and
Warren County Sheriff's
Deputy B. D. Bolton
around 1 p. m.
As of yesterday after
noon, he was being held
in Warren County jail on
a $2,000 bond pending a
hearing scheduled for
this morning (Wed
nesday).
Lucy Mae Burchette,
a resident of the Warren
Plains community, told
police she was punching
in for work about 7:20 a.
m. when Harrington
grabbed her arm, forced
her outside the building
and into a car, Chief
Robinson said.
He indicated that Ms.
Burchette and other
witnesses identified
Harrington as her ex
boyfriend.
Ms. Burchette was
later able to get away
from Harrington, and
was not injured during
the incident, police said.
Ms. Burchette told
police that Harrington
drove her to an unpaved
road in Warren Plains,
told her he had a gun
and was going to "beat
her up," Robinson said.
She said Harrington
hit her in the face.
Carolina Sportswear
officials notified the
Burchette family of the
abduction, and they in
turn notified police.
Chief Robinson was
joined by two police of
ficers and Sheriff's
Deputy Harold Seaman
in a search for the
vehicle, according to
reports.
Harrington's car was
spotted by police
minutes later on State
Road 1314 near the U. S.
158 Bypass.
A high-speed chase
followed, but during the
pursuit, Harrington lost
control of the car and
crashed into an embank
ment. The time of the
accident is given as 8:41
a.m.
Reports indicate
Harrington ran into
nearby woods and police
were unable to ap
prehend him.
Court records show
that the victim's
mother. Dorothy Bur
chette, last weekend
took out several war
rants against Harring
ton after he reportedly
caused a disturbance at
the Burchette home.
Warren General
Hospital Patients
• • • \- . tl
Patients In Warren
General Hospital on
Tuesday afternoon were
listed as follows:
Fannie W. Pierce,
Rebecca D. Jones, Earl
Garner, Pry or Rodwall,
Claytons. Elliott, Sallie
R. Clark, Maggie 0.
Aycock, Geneva Rich
ardson, Henry E.
Robertson, Alice H.
Vanskiver, Johnnie J.
Williams, Betty G.
Jlggetts, Herbert M.
Garrett, Annie M.
Rooker, Lela K.
rVn.lKTl-rl.lf ■ _
UvlDnCiKf.
Firm Reports
Theft Of Wire
S. T. Wooten Company
Monday reported the
theft of approximately
18 rolls of silk fence wire
from a tool trailer
located in the Manson
area, according to the
Warren County Sheriff's
Department.
According to reports,
the wire, valued at $75 a
roll, was taken from a
trailer located on a lot
adjacent to The Country
Kitchen in Manson near
Interstate 85 after a lock
was pryed open.
Redmond Amos Park
(Continued on page 12)
Rep. Ballance Files
To Keep House Seat
State Rep. Frank W.
Ballance, Jr. announced
last week that he will
seek re-election to the
Seventh District House
seat in the North
Carolina General
Assembly.
"My first term in of
fice has been education
al, exciting and reward
ing," Ballance said. "I
have made a conscious
and deliberate effort to
represent my constitu
ents on all issues that
have come before the
General Assembly, and
to keep them advised of
the several issues af
fecting them. I trust that
my constituents will
have the confidence to
re-elect me to this
position of great trust
and responsibility, and I
assure them that their
trust will not be
violated."
A Warrenton attor
ney, Ballance was elect
ed to the Seventh
District seat in Novem
ber 1982.
A native of Bertie
County, he has lived in
Warrenton since 1966.
Rep. Ballance is
married to Bernadine S.
Ballance, also an attor
ney, and they have three
children: Garey, Angela
and Valerie.
I