■•rr«ntonM«a.Library X
117 S.lftla St.
f»rr«ntoa, N.C. 27589
Styt Harott IRetord
VcHume 87 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, September 12, 1984 Number 37
Vacancies
In Schools
Are Filled
By approving the em
ployment of eight per
sons the Warren County
Board of Education
Monday night moved to
within one position of
filling all the vacancies
m the public school
system in the county.
Only a custodial posi
tion at the school's cen
tral office on Cousin
Lucy's Lane remains to
be filled as operation of
tw schools moved into
its second week.
Three resignations
were accepted Monday
"jght by board mem
bers, meeting with all
members present ex
cept Mrs. Kathy Wilson.
Resignations accepted
were those of Diane B.
Davis, Mariam Boyd
School librarian; Jackie
Cameron, Mariam Boyd
aide; and Carolyn
Lockley, aide at
Hawkins School.
Supt. Mike Williams
told board members
that Mrs. Davis had
resigned to accept a
position with Vance
County schools, Mrs.
Cameron is retiring on
medical disability and
Mrs. Lockley has ac
cepted a position with
the Department of
Social Services.
Approved for em
ployment were Cindy R.
Pharo, classroom teach
er at Norlina Middle
School; Donna fl. Gard
ner, speech and
language clinician unit
wide; Elvelon Williams,
secretary at Warren
County High School;
Gwendolyn C. White,
librarian at John
Graham and Norlina
middle school; Arden D.
Knight, librarian at
Mariam Boyd School;
Jeffrey H. Evans, handi
capped and disadvant
aged teacher at Warren
County High School;
Catherine Bray, hearing
impaired teacher unit
wide; and Irene Moss,
Mariam Boyd School
aide.
Williams reported
that since April school
administrators had
hired 17 persons in cer
tified positions and six
persons in non-certified
positions, a total of six
certified persons were
transferred from one
position to another
within the system, he
said.
Williams told board
members that the
system now employes
213 certified personnel,
a gain of two from last
year, and 226 non
certified personnel, a
loss of one position from
last year.
A late-summer sun dips behind a Lak*- Gaston
treeline Saturday night, signalling an end to the
summer boating and skiing season which begins to
wane after the Labor Day holiday. For many in
Warren County, the dove hunting and football
season has replaced days spent at lakeside as
autumn rapidly approaches. i Staff Photo)
Need For Firemen's Training Site
Explained At Town Board Meeting
Allan Adcock, presi
dent of the Warren
County Firemen's Asso
ciation, and 0. L.
"Butch" Meek, vice
chairman of the Warren
County Fire Commis
sion, appeared before
the Norlina town com
missioners at their
regular meeting Mon
day night. The purpose
of their attendance was
to discuss the possible
lease or purchase of the
discarded pond and
pumping station of the
Seaboard Airline
Railroad now owned by
Norlina.
Meek said that Ernest
Boyd Harris had agreed
to let the association use
two acres of land which
he had bought from the
town, and that other ad
joining land might
possibly be obtained for
additional expansion.
Adcock agreed that
what the association
wanted from the town
was around six acres
containing the old
Seaboard Airline
Railroad's former pond
and pumping station. If
obtainable, they said
this would be the site of
a training center for the
more than 300 volun
teer firemen of Warren
County.
They explained that if
the site is obtained, the
firemen will have to
build a road from High
way 401 to the site, to
have the pond cleaned of
debris fallen and wash
ed in since its abandon
ment many years ago,
to grade and landscape
the plot, and to build a
multiple-room building
of one story possibly
with a tin roof to be used
in training firemen to
enter a smoke-filled
room, search individual
rooms and closets for
bodies and to remove
the same from a burning
house. The cost of this
building and work would
be borne by the firemen
in addition to the cost of
land and building a pic
nic area.
The center, they said,
would have to be ap
proved by the EPA, and
that retaining ditches, in
which deadly chemicals
could be held, would
have to be built. Fire
pits would also be built
where firemen could
learn to deal with the
high heat of gasolines
and other chemicals.
The commissioners
discussed various
aspects presented by
Meek and Adcock and
several expressed a
desire to visit the scene.
Meek also agreed to
provide a written
proposal in order that
the commissioners
might study their
proposals. Adcock
agreed to contact Calvin
Beck, state fire instruc
tor, through N. C.
Department of Com
munity Colleges, and
when it is determined
when he can come to the
county, that he, Adcock
and as many others as
care to do so might visit
the site.
Adcock explained that
all Warren County
Volunteer Firemen are
required to undergo 36
hours of extensive train
ing each year under the
supervision of Vance
Granville Community
College. He also said
that meetings of the fire
association, as well as
(Continued on page 11)
Macon Street Parking Restricted
By MARY C. HARRIS
Staff Writer
Warrenton's Town
Board voted at its Sep
tember meeting on
Monday evening to
prohibit parking on both
sides of East Macon
Street in the block be
tween Bragg and Hall
streets during the hours
from 8 a. m. until 6 p.
m., except on Sundays
and holidays. Discus
sion revealed that a
recent study had
suggested no need for a
traffic light at the inter
section of Hall and
Macon, but the commis
sioners expressed con
cern that visibility is
poor when vehicles are
parked in that block.
Board members also
voiced their wishes not
to interfere with the
parking needs of people
attending services at the
Oak Chapel A.M.E.
Church located at the in
tersection.
All commissioners
with the exception of
Eddie Clayton were
present for the 8 p. m.
meeting in the Town
Hall. Mayor B. G. White
presided.
Other points of
discussion and action
during the meeting were
as follows:
—Water Department
—Mayor White remind
ed board members that
40 percent of the reve
nues collected from the
recent sales tax in
crease were designated
for n^w water and sewer
construction. He urged
them to Keep that in
mind in their planning
future water and sewer
improvements.
—Police Department
—Commissioner Wood
reported that an ad
ditional police car, a
1982 Chevrolet in good
condition, had been pur
chased and painted the
familiar "Warrenton
blue" color and that it
was now in use by the
department.
It was also reported
that Rufus Alston has
joined the Police
Department on a trial
basis.
—Finance Depart
ment—Town Admin
istrator V. R. (Pete)
(Continued on page 11)
Find Worth $1 Million
Marijuana Found,
Warrant Issued
By KAY HORNER
News Editor
Law enforcement of
ficials continued their
search this week for a
Manson man charged in
connection with the
discovery in Warren
County last Thursday of
marijuana crops having
a street value of $1
million.
A warrant was issued
late Thursday charg
ing Dennis Johnson of
Rt. 1 with manufacture
of marijuana with intent
to sell.
Chief Deputy B. D.
Bolton with the Warren
County Sheriff's Depart
ment said yesterday
that the warrant for
Johnson, who is in his
late twenties and unem
ployed, was sought after
officers found a
marijuana plant in the
yard of his residence in
the Drewry community
on S.R. 1221 near one of
three fields where the
illegal weed was found.
The other two fields
were located on S.R.
1620 near the Lickskillet
community in southern
Warren County and on
N. C. 58 about five miles
east of Warrenton.
The fields, containing
a total of 1,100 mari
juana plants, were spot
ted by specially trained
drug agents with the
State Bureau of Investi
gation during a day-long
air search using an SBI
plane.
According to officials,
the plants were a type of
marijuana known as
sinsemilla which results
from the cultivation of
female plants only and
produces a more potent
drug. Some of the stalks
were worth as much as
$1,600, Bolton esti
mated.
The plants, measuring
14 feet in height, had
grown to maturity, he
said.
Most of the plants
were burned Friday
morning at the Warren
County Landfill, and
others were saved as
evidence.
According to Bolton,
the Sheriff's Depart
ment believes the three
fields were planted in
dependently. He
declined to say who
owned the parcels of
property pending confir
mation but did say there
was no reason to believe
the owners were con
nected with the
cultivation of the plants.
The air search was the
first of its kind in
Warren County, Bolton
indicated.
Similar searches in
Vance and Granville
counties last week led to
the seizure of $104,000
worth of marijuana in
Vance and $40,000 worth
in Granville.
Assisting the Sheriff's
Department in the
Warren County search
were two SBI agents
who Bolton said asked
not to be identified and
Vance County Chief
ABC Officer Bill Aiken
and his Granville Coun
ty counterpart, Howard
Riggan.
Warren Co. Fair
To Begin Monday
Final preparation is
underway this week for
the opening of the
Warren County
Agricultural Fair, sche
duled for September 17
22, according to J. B.
Thompson, general
manager. The annual
event, sponsored by the
Warrenton Lions Club,
will again feature "fair
fun for everyone" by In
ners Amusement Com
pany and exhibits of in
terest to all ages.
Miss Emily Ballinger,
home economics exten
sion agent, has reported
that Fair Premium
books are just off the
press and are available
at the extension agent's
office in the Agricultur
al Building in Warren
ton. Contained therein is
information for
exhibiting a number of
products in clothing,
needlework, arts and
crafts, canning, pantry,
flowers, field crops and
horticulture.
Individual exhibits
will be accepted in the
exhibit hall on the
fairgrounds from 8:30 a.
m. until 5 p. m. on Mon
day, Sept. 17.' Judging
will be done on Tuesday
and exhibits may be
removed on Saturday,
Sept. 22, between 8 a. m.
and noon. Persona
wishing additional in
formation on exhibiting
may contact Miss
Ballinger.
Each day of the fair
(Continued on page 11)
Collections For
Warren Listed
Mark G. Lynch, secre
tary of the N. C. Depart
ment of Revenue, has
released the report of
local one percent and
one and one-half percent
sales and use tax collec
tions for the month of
July.
Net collections state
wide totalled $36,849,681,
of which Warren County
showed a sum of $47,196.
Reports of collections
from neighboring coun
ties were: Franklin
$83,875; Granville,
$133,892; Halifax,
$304,620; and Vance,
$216,536.
Warren and the near
by counties listed collect
the tax at the rate of one
and one-half percent
The combined effort of state and local law en
forcement officials resulted In the aebare la
Warren Coaaty last Thursday of martyaaaa with aa
estimated street value of $1 million. The crop was
found In three locations during aa air search. Shown
above with a truckload of the marijuana are (left to
right) BID Aiken, chief ABC (MHcer, VwiOm^i
Warn* County Sheriffs Deputy Uwnacc Harrt
m; Chief Deputy B. D. BaHaa; Sheriff Hm
WBUama; ud Howard Rlggan, chief ABC aMeer
for Granville County. (Steff Phato)