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Volume 87 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, March 7, 1984 Number 10
Half-Cent Sales Tax Received
The additional one-half percent sales tax
levied by Warren County commissioners
beginning last October produced $48,006 for
local governments for the quarter ending
December 31.
According to a N. C. Department of Revenue
report, Warren County received $42,649 of the
revenues.
Warrenton received $2,645 and Norlina and
Macon received $2,322 and $391, respectively.
Actually, revenue from the new one-half
percent sales tax during October, November
and December will turn out to be more than
the $48,006 because December's collections
will be counted in January collections and included
in the current quarter's distribution
three months from now.
Proceeds from the one-percent sales tax
already in effect for the quarter ending
December 31 were: $71,666 for the county;
$4,445 for Warrenton; $3,901 for Norlina; and
$657 for Macon.
Sales tax funds are distributed in Warren
County according to the population served by
each governing unit.
Members of the Warren County Board of Health
whose terms expire this month were honored Monday
night at the regular meeting of the board.
Shown above with County Health Director Joe Lennon
(left) are outgoing members (left to right)
Alpheus Jones, Warrenton pharmacist who has served
the board for 18 years but was ineligible by state
statute for another term and Dr. Kirit D. Trivedi,
Warrenton physician who served seven years but
now resides in Henderson and is ineligible for
another term. Also shown is Warreu County Com-,
missioner and Chairman of the Health Board
George Shearln (right). Jones and Dr. Trivedi were
presented with plaques in recognition of their service.
(Photo by Mary Hunter)
Organist William Hflderbraodt and Trumpeter
Ned Gardner will present a recital on March 19 at
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in
Warrenton. The public is invited.
Two Area Musicians
, I
Will Appear Locally
Trumpeter Ned Gardner,
visiting artist at
Vance-Granville Community
College and
William Hllderbrandt,
organist at the First
United Methodist
Church in Henderson,
will present a Joint
trumpet/organ recital
on Sunday, March 18at3
p.m. in the sanctuary of
the Wesley Memorial
United Methodist
Church in Warrenton.
The program is free and
open to the public.
A native of Eden,
Gardner is a graduate of
the N. C. School of the
Arts and Catholic
University. Before
being named visiting
artist at Vance-Granville
Community
College, he was visiting
artist at both Martin and
Wayne Community Colleges.
A native of Miami,
Fla., Hilderbrandt is a
graduate of Barry
College, where he
studied organ with
Robert Fulton. For the
past seven years, he has
been organist and choir
director at First United
Methodist Church of
Ilandnrann *
nenciei^on..
Unemployment Rate Soars
Among Warren Workers
The January unemployment
rate in
Warren County soared
into double digits in
January, according to
statistics released this
week by the N. C. Employment
Security
Commission.
Warren's jobless rate,
which stood at 9.4 percent
in December, rose
to 13.1 percent in
January, when unemployment
rates increased
in 97 North
Man Is Charged
Following Stabbing
A Manson man was
released on a $1,000
bond Tuesday morning
after being charged with
assault with a deadly
weapon in the stabbing
of John Sumler of
Castalia Saturday night.
According to Chief
Deputy B. D. Bolton
with the Warren County
Sheriff's Department,
Sumler and Charles
Lewis Seward were passengers
in a car being
driven on Oine Road
near Norlina when the
incident occurred.
Reports indicate that
Seward allegedly jumped
from the front seat
of the car into the back
seat and stabbed the
victim in the abdomen
with a small knife.
Deputy Bolton also said
Sumler received minor
cuts on the arm.
Deputy Bolton
declined to identify the
driver of the vehicle or
other witnesses. .
Sumler was listed in
stable condition Monday
at Duke University in
Durham.
Carolina counties.
Glenn Jernigan,
chairman of the ESC,
said the increased
unemployment reflected
a statewide rise to
8.1 percent, generally
due to seasonal influences
and adverse
weather conditions. He
said most affected were
the retail trade and construction
sectors.
Double digit unemployment
rates were
posted in 43 counties
with Swain the highest
at 28 percent. Orange
County had the state's
lowest unemployment
rate, 2.8 percent.
Area unemployment
rates for January stood
at 11.9 percent in Vance,
12.8 percent in Halifax,
11.1 percent in Northampton
and 10.2 percent
in Franklin.
Frozen Food Facility
Forecast For Warren
Board Seeks
Block Grant
ByKAY HORNER
Staff Writer
Warren County commissioners
Monday
voted to apply for a
federal Discretionary
Block Grant of between
$750,000 and $1 million
that would be used to
establish a frozen food
facility in the Soul City
area.
After a presentation
by Franklin D. Williams,
president and
general manager of Institutional
Foodservices
Group, Inc. of Greenville,
the commissioners
allocated a maximum of
$5,000 from the county's
$100,000 Economic
Development Fund for
assistance with the
grant application process.
The venture was
described by Williams
as a partnership between
public and
private interests which
would eventually get into
the production of prepackaged
frozen meals,
vegetable processing,
storage and distribution
of frozen meals, and
agricultural product
cooperatives with local
farmers.
One of the requirements
of the grant is
that private investors
contribute matching
funds for the project.
Williams said five investors
are lined up, but
declined to identify
them.
The site of the project,
an 85-acre industrial
tract in part of the
Warren Industrial Park,
is being purchased by
private investors, Williams
said. The group
also plans to acquire an
adjacent 44 residential
acres.
Dr. John Thomas with
the Agricultural Investment
Fund of Washington,
D. C. is involved in
the land purchase and
yesterday told commissioners
that any
"rumors" that he
"could not come up with
the money" should be
discounted.
Williams said he expected
the real estate
(Continued on page 4B)
Monte Stevenson of Warren County High School goes high into the air to slam
dunk the basketball during the semi-final game of the district tournament held
Saturday night at Weldon. In the background the Eagle bench explodes with
approval. The basket was not quite enough as the highly favored Eagles dropped
67-65 contest in overtime. Warren County's hopes for further competition
were ended when Northampton East scored two foul shots in the final five
seconds. Warren County, which had beaten the Rams three times this season,
ended play for the year with a 20-4 record. The Eagles were champions of the
conference and won the league tournament (Staff Photo)
The old Norlina Depot la the heart of towa is beiag
dismantled and town dvic groups sad ciabo are
pianniag to landscape the area with trees aad
shrubs. The depot, which was constructed la the
early 1Mb, was ia existence when Noriiaa was in
corpora ted ta 1111 TV tawn m ertgtoally kxwi
aa Maoat Refia, but tbe aame waa cbaaged after a
pact office was eatabliabed there ia liM.
(Staff Phata)
Commissioners Adopt
New Appraisal Schedules
New appraisal schedules
for property in
Warren County were
adopted Monday by
county commissioners,
and the revaluation of
property and buildings
in the county is expected
to significantly increase
the county's current
tax base of $223
million.
Mrs. Janice Haynes,
Warren County tax
supervisor, this week
declined to comment on
what the new tax rate
might be, but tax rates
traditionally decrease
as the tax base is broadened.
The current tax
rate in Warren is $1 per
$100 of value.
Mrs. Haynes said that
she anticipated that
property would be listed
at between 80 and 85
percent of true market
value.
According to infor
mation presented to
commissioners by
Carroll Phelps Company
of Winston-Salem,
which recently conducted
a field survey of
property in the county
and proposed the new
appraisal schedule,
some parcels of property
have more than
quadrupled in value
since the last appraisal
eight years ago.
The new schedules reflect
a significant increase
in the value of
lakefront real estate and
property used for recreational
purposes.
The new tax values
become effective
January 1 of next year.
However, Mrs. Haynes
said her office expects
to have the revaluation
completed and notices
of the new appraisal
values in the hands of
county property-owners
by May or June of this
year.
Property must be reappraised
every eight
years by state statute.
The new schedule of
values will be posted in
the tax supervisor's office
next week, and
property owners are
welcomed to tnsroct it
Mrs. Haynes satJ.