(DI|e barren Stecorii
Published Every Wednesday By
Record Printing Company
P 0 Box 70 Warrenton. N C 27589
BIGNALL JONES. Editor
HOWARD F JONES. Business Manager
Member No'th Carolina Press Association
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Commendable Objective
Representatives of the Warren
County Firemen's Association
appeared before the Norlina
Town Commissioners Monday
night in search of a site for a
training center for Warren Coun
ty firemen, each of whom must
have 36 hours of intensive train
ing each year. They told the
commissioners that they are in
terested in obtaining around six
acres of the old Seaboard Airline
Railroad pond and its pumping
station for this purpose.
During the discussion, the
representatives listed the im
portance of such a site where
training for firemen would be
carried on under the direction of
Vance-Granville Community
College, which also serves War
ren County. They said that all
the volunteer firemen of the
county are required to have such
training.
Should the firemen obtain the
site, they would have to build a
road from Highway 401 to the
site, clean out the pond which
has filled with debris since it was
abandoned, and build a training
house, probably of concrete
blocks, where firemen could be
trained in rescue work from
smoke-filled rooms. In addition
they would have the cost of land
scaping and grassing the sight to
where it could be used as a picnic
area. This is in addition to the
cost of buying or leasing the
property.
It is our understanding that the
site which the firemen are inter
ested in purchasing has little
real value as it is swampy and
overgrown with brush, vines,
briars and trees of little value.
The saw trees would be retained
by the town.
Of course the property belongs
to Norlina, and the decision is
that of the commissioners who
are sworn to protect the interest
of the town. And yet the true
value of the property is so little,
and the opportunity for service
so great, we hope the commis
sioners will go the second mile in
helping Warren County firemen
realize a dream of years — not
for self but for better service to
all the citizens of Warren Coun
ty.
Plan Is Inadequate
In The Charlotte-Observer 1
Perhaps if President Reagan and
William Ruckelshaus, administrator
of the Environmental Protection
Agewcy, got their drinking water
froir. a well — as more than half of
North Carolinians do — they would
have devised a tougher plan than the
one announced last week for protect
ing underground water supplies.
EPA Deputy Administrator Alvin
Aim maintained that his agency's
"No. 1 priority" is preventing
groundwater contamination. But to
do that, the federal government
must either mandate minimum
nationwide standards for ground
water or provide enough federal
money to help states handle the
responsibility — or both. The plan
r. Aim described as a "major step
rward" does neither. *
It sets aside only $7 million — an
average of $140,000 for each state—
for helping states prepare detailed
groundwater plans. In contrast,
federal, state and local govern
ments, and private industries, are
already spending millions trying to
undo past damage to underground
water supplies. Drilling, geological
studies and water sampling to
measure the extent of one site's con
tamination can cost $250 million.
About half of the nation's water for
drinking, washing and cooking
comes from underground permeable
rock formations known as aquifers.
States are understandably nervous
about federal regulation of these
groundwater supplies because the
geology tinder each state is different
and the uses made of the aquifers
vary from state to state. Establish
ing a national policy that allows
states the freedom to devise the most
practical methods of protecting their
underground water is difficult.
But in the absence of new federal
rules or substantial federal money,
states have no financial or legal in
centives to do the job.
North Carolinians are fortunate to
live in one of onlv 12 states that have
adopted strategies to manage
groundwater. But this state's
groundwater experts lack money for
implementation. And while some
states may act responsibly on their
own, others may not, and residents
of one state are affected if neighbor
ing states don't protect shared water
resources.
Under the "guidelines" the admin
istration presented last week, states
that have not aggressively pursued
groundwater problems — and that's
most of them — are free to muddle
along as in the past. That means in
dustries and farmers — two major
users of underground water re
sources—will continue to withdraw
so much water so fast that the land
about the underground reservoirs
sinks.
The administration also has failed
to convey to states the urgency of
cleaning up existing chemical
lagoons and landfills, whose contents
otherwise will leach into acquifers
far underground and contaminate
the nation's purest drinking water.
Coffee Fights Crime
By Walter Spearman
In The Smithfield Herald
Latest news from the International
Coffee Organization is that
Americans are drinking more coffee
this year. They are also finding more
uses for their coffee.
In the winter of 1984, 57.3 percent
of all Americans drank at least some
coffee, compared to 56.2 percent a
year earlier—but still a drop from
the 74.7 percent in 1982. Word seems
to be getting around that coffee, like
so many of our other favorite foods,
is really not good for us.
The UJS. is still the world's largest
market for coffee, consuming about
one-fourth of the world's coffee ex
ports. And we Americans are
drinking more of our coffee at work
and at restaurants rather than at
home. This year three out of every 10
cups of coffee were consumed away
from home, compared with two out
of every 10 back in 1H2.
If you are wondering why we are
drinking more coffee on the Job in
stead of in our homes, you might
conclude that it's harder to stay
awake on the Job!
Or you might recall a recent news
story from Glastonbury, Conn, about
the volunteer firefighter who thwar
ted a would-be firebomber in a
doughnut shop by throwing his cup of
hot coffee at the bomber and dousing
the lighted wick of the Molotov
cocktail he was holding.
We addicted coffee drinkers
welcome any suggestions of new
uses for the coffee we like so well.
Mostly Personal
Seympur Speaks Out
By BIGNALL JONES
From 1950 to 1953
Robert Seymour served
as pastor of Warren ton
Baptist Church and
during that time I
learned to admire him
for his tolerance, com
passion and devotion to
his faith. At this time, I,
like many others, was
disturbed over the
question of integrating
our schools, which was
legally required, and the
admission of Negroes
into white churches,
which the school ques
tion raised. Bob was
very liberal on both
issues as was Bill Wells,
young Methodist minis
ter. He, Bob and I spent
many hours in The
Warren Record office
discussing moral ideas
in general and integra
tion in particular.
One thing about Bob
Seymour I have always
remembered. Naturally
1 grew very fond of him
during the months he
was in Warrenton, and
while my own faith does
not tend towards
revivals my friendship
for Bob caused me to at
tend a particular revival
in the Warrenton Bap
tist Church. Although
that was 30 years ago, I
have a vivid recollec
tion of Bob leading the
singing with a hymn
book in his hand and his
face literally shining
with happiness.
I recalled this Monday
as I read a letter written
by Bob Seymour to the
editor of The News and
Observer. The letter
was headed, "Pastor
Discussed Christianity
and Helms."
My own dislike of
Jesse Helms is no secret
to readers of The
Warren Record,
although not expressed
too often in this personal
column. It started in the
1950's when he was
editorial columnist for
Radio Station WPTF of
Raleigh with his bitter
attack on Senator Frank
Graham, a personal
friend, and on the
University of North
Carolina with his unsub
stantiated charges that
Graham was affiliated
with communists and
that the university was a
hotbed of communism.
Willis Smith defeated
Senator Frank Graham
for the position of United
States Senator and
Jesse Helms went to
Washington as execu
tive secretary of Sena
tor Smith, following an
unusually bitter and dir
ty campaign. Willis
Smith died in office, and
Jesse Helms resumed
his position as editorial
columnist, where he
built up quite a follow
ing. My objection to
Jesse Helms then was
his easy solutions to
deep problems and his
failure to realize the
ramifications of his
remarks.
The Seymour letter
follows:
The letter urging sup
port of Sen. Jesse
Helms, "the outstanding
Christian," which used
the state Baptists' ad
dress labels reflects a
serious misunderstand
ing of the historic Bap
tist principle of
separation of church
and state. The letter
also revealed a narrow
understanding of what
members of The
Christian Action League
consider "Christian ac
tion."
The issues addressed
were all matters of per
sonal morality; prayer,
pornography and abor
tion. What about the
weightier matters of the
law; economic justice,
reversing the arms race
and an inclusive demo
cracy that is sensitive to
the needs of the poor,
blacks, women and the
elderly?
Our "senior senator's
record shows a con
sistent opposition to
nearly every piece of
legislation aimed at im
proving the health,
education and welfare of
North Carolina's people.
How can we ever forget
the Helms who for years
fought integration and,
until politically exped
ient, refused to employ a
black on his staff?
It is a questionable
brand of Christianity
that can support and en
dorse Helms. Indeed, I
maintain that his defeat
may be the most impor
tant thing Christians can
do in our lifetime, not
only for this country but
for the world. We need a
senator who represents
all the people, who is
committed to peace and
who understands the
social dimensions of
Christian morality.
ROBERT SEYMOUR
Pastor
TheOlinT. Binkley
Memorial Baptist
Church, Chapel Hill
Today's N. C. Poem
HAY FEVER TIME
Some ten or fifteen mil
lion Americans know
What it means to sniff
and sneeze and to
blow and blow—
From the middle of
August to the end
every year;
So now is the time when
hay fever is here;
And these millions have
joined me, I suppose,
For the annual battle
with ragweed and
nose.
We sneeze through the
night and all through
the day,
Regardless of whether
we work or we play;
We sneeze until noses
are red as a beet,
And we get aggravated
from our heads to our
feet;
In fact, we're disgusted
as the hay fever
grows,
And at times we just
wish that we didn't
have a nose.
ERNEST C.DURHAM
Raleigh
—The late Mr. Dur
ham was pastor of
Wesley Memorial
United Methodist
Church in Warrenton
many years ago.
"Today's N. C. Poem"
was a feature of the
editorial page of The
News and Observer.
News Of Yesteryear
Looking Back Into
The Warren Record
September 15,1944
Sgt. Howard Riggan, Jr., bombardier with the U.
S. Army Airforce, who is at home with his parents
at Vaughan after completing around 80 missions
over Europe, will talk on his experiences at a
meeting of Limer Post of the American Legion to be
held at Panacea Springs near Littleton on Tuesday
evening, according to Alston Twitty, post comman
der.
The outstanding social event of the summer
season was the lovely garden party given by
Mesdames F. M. Drake, T. H. Rowan and E. H.
Russell at the home of the latter in Macon.
The carload of registered Guernsey cattle bought
in Wisconsin last week by County Agent Bob Bright
are expected to arrive at Warrenton next week and
will be delivered from the car to the farmers
without charge by the Pine State Dairy.
September 11,1959
Warren County is a storehouse rich in early
American history and tradition...All of this history
of Warren County — its settlers, its geography, its
contributions—is included in a new book, "The
County of Warren" by Manly Wade Wellman, noted
author and historian and published by the Univer
sity of North Carolina Press. It will be released Sep
tember 26.
V.
Miss Edwina Rooker has recently resumed her
English classes in Southern Pines High School.
Former Sheriff Roy V. Shearin yesterday began
the operation of his own business in Warren ton. He
has purchased the Warren Seafood Market on
Market Street from J. Morris Grissom of Hender
son, who has been operating the market here each
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for several mon
months.
September 12,1974
Opposition to proposed annexation of six areas
lying on the outskirts of Warrenton surfaced Mon
day night at a meeting of the town board when two
spokesmen of the area's oldest industry argued
against inclusion of industrial property.
The Warren County Farm Bureau has moved its
offices from Bragg Street in Warrenton to a new
facility recently completed on U. S. 401, a half-mile
north of Warrenton.
Members of the Warrenton Woman's Club moved
a step closer to their plan to refurbish the Warren
ton Depot Monday night when the Town of Warren
ton agreed to a 10-year lease of the property on the
northern edge of town.
X 1J . meKncJ u»ne S
Letter To The Editor ««• a v
f f ? TS—. 3. W , ho 1 r; s'w .
Glaring Difference
To The Editor:
Having just listened to the latest "debate" be
tween Governor Hunt and Senator Helms, I am coo
strained to point out a glaring difference between
the two men. Senator Helms consistently referred
to his opponent as "Governor" thereby according to
him the respect due his office. On the other hand.
Governor Hunt did not once refer to Senator Helms
as "Senator" but consistently called him "Jesse."
Admittedly, this has nothing to do with any issues,
but it certainly is striking testimony as to the
character of the individuals seeking the office of
senator. My vote will go with Senator Jesse Helms
who has the dignity to be respectful.
GEORGE A. BURWELL
Warrenton
Future Pioneers May
Settle Among The Stars
By DONALD J. FREDERICK
National Geographic Newt Service
Tomorrow's space pioneers will display the same
gumption common to yesterday's settlers of the
Polynesian islands and the American West.
But instead of traveling in outrigger canoes or
covered wagons, they may someday ride into the
unknown on microwave-powered rockets and hitch
their fortunes to passing comets.
"It won't just be the restless, explorer-adventur
er types such as the Magellans and Amundsens who
will break the human bond with Earth, but self
reliant, imaginative people who are willing to take
their chances raising families among the stars,"
predicts Eric M. Jones, an astrophysicist at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory.
Extraterrestrial Babies
One of the few scientists in the country studying
the implications of future space migration, Jones
thinks that the first human children could be born in
space "within the first few decades of the next cen
tury."
Jones refuses to predict where this happy event
might take place, but he concedes that a permanent
base either on the moon or on a nearby asteroid
could be a likely site for the first extraterrestrial
nursery.
After that, the galaxy's the limit. History has
proven that frontier folk multiply much faster than
stay-at-homes. And there's no reason to believe that
the space frontier will be any different, the experts
say.
"Population-doubling once a generation—every
25 years—is not uncommon in frontier circum
stances, so we can imagine a total solar system
population approaching a trillion in 500 years," says
Jones.
But where would they all live? Many might end up
in the vast region of widely separated comets in the
farthest reaches of the system. In a scenario advan
ced by Gerard O'Neill, a Princeton University
physicist, they would not live on the comets, but in
habitats built from materials from the comets such
as silircri, aluminum and carbon.
A budding comet colony's energy needs would be
provided by solar power and by deuterium extract
ed from the comet's frozen nucleus. The comet
would also be a source of water.
There is some evidence that some comets aren't
confined to a particular region, but wander through
interstellar space.
Small groups of colonists might decide to tie their
fortunes to these interstellar wanderers by accom
panying them in large, microwave-powered space
ships. A group tagging along with such a comet
could then tap the comet's many resources to help
sustain itself almost indefinitely.
"They, like the Polynesians who learned the sea
farers' trade among the islands north of New
Guinea, would have learned the nomad life in the
comet cloud and then could move outward," Jones
says.
Drifting With Comets
"Drifting through interstellar space, the nomad
groups would 'fission' from time to time and
gradually spread toward the distant stars. Even if
there were no fast ships, by drifting with the comet,
our descendants could reach the nearest stars in
100,000 years and fill the galaxy in a billion, a time
still short compared with the galactic age."
As Jones points out, interstellar migration would
be a process of diffusion, the spread of a growing
population that would touch virtually every speck of
use ful territory before it was over.
Ben Finney, a University of Hawaii anthropolo
gist, is convinced that "once people have settled
other places in the solar system and beyond,
humanity will never be the same again. It will
change utterly and unalterably."
Finney foresees different cultures, governments,
and economic systems once the settlement of the
galaxy begins. Different species will evolve, he
says, "there will not be one humanity in space, but
many different intelligent life forms descended
from homo sapiens," he predicts.
And what will become of Earth? Biochemist and
author Isaac Asimov offers a possibility: "Properly
handled, the Earth may become a rather parklike
world, a rather low-density world, with most of
humanity living in space communities."
Vaudeville Revue To Be Presented
Lakeland Cultural
Arts Center in Littleton
will again present its
"Roaring 20's/Vaude
ville Revue" on Sept 14,
21, and 22 due to popular
demand, according to
Mark Taylor, executive
director of Lakeland.
The show features
vaudeville skits and
rousing renditions of
many favorite songs
from that era, and the
cast includes Star Ab
bott, Marvin Bobbitt,
Jamie Carter, Rose
Marie Heustess, Melin
da Hux, Janice Ingle
due, Raquel Lowe, Ellen
Newman, Ray Newlin,
Wrenn Phillips, Jennifer
Pittman, Cheryl Sebrell,
Michael Smith, Dwight
Berry and Taylor.
The evening will begin
with cocktails at 6 p.m.,
dinner at 7 p. m. and
curtain at 8:15 p.m.
For reaervattena, call
586-5577 or 58M124.