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•:~- "Stye Harrett iRecorft
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Volume 87 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, October 10, 1984 'Number 41
Roof Repair
At Schools
Authorized
Roof and gutter re
pairs totaling $29,555 at
John Graham and Nor
lina middle schools were
authorized by the
Warren County Board of
Education at its regular
meeting Monday night.
The project will in
clude roof repairs and
gutter replacement on
the main building at
John Graham for a total
cost of $9,864; replace
ment of the roof and gut
ters at Norlina's
vocational building at a
cost of $13,101; and gut
ter replacement at
Norlina's gym at a cost
of $6,590.
The work will be done
by Owen Gupton Roof
ing Co. of Henderson,
the only firm to submit
bids on two occasions.
Funds for the repair
work were included in
the 1984-85 budget, ac
cording to Assistant
Superintendent James
Jordan.
rvepairs ana recoaung
on the roof of the main
building at Norlina were
included in Gupton s
estimate for $4,172.
However, at Jordan s
suggestion, the board
agreed to delete that
item from the bid to
allow him to investigate
the possibility of coating
the tin roof with a
material with thermal
and sealing qualities.
The board also heard,
but took no action, on a
report from Jordan
about deterioration of
the roof and windows of
the old high school
building on the North
Warren campus.
Jordan acknowledged
that the building is of
"minimal value" to the
school system, with only
the auditorium being
utilized. But he in
dicated that it did repre
sent a capital invest
ment and probably
would not survive
another winter without
damage. He estimated
cost of repairs at $7,460.
"There are two sides
to the coin," County
Schools Superintendent
Michael F. Williams
told the board. "That's a
lot of money to put into
that building. But the
building represents a
considerable invest
ment and we have an
obligation to protect
that investment."
Williams indicated
(Continued on page 3)
Ill a Columbus Day ceremony on Monday, a U. S.
Flag presented to the Norllna Christian School by
Sen. Jesse Helms Is hoisted at the school as students
and teachers observe. Participating in the raising of
the flag are Norllna Mayor Bill Perry, flag bearer;
the Rev. Gary Roy, pastor of the Gospel Baptist
Church and principal of the school; and Ray Eller,
church leader. The flag was flown over the nation's
Capitol on August 6 at the request of Sen. Helms.
The Norlina Christian School was established by the
Gospel Baptist Church in Norlina and has an
enrollment of 20 students in grades 4-year-old kin
dergarten through second grade. (Staff Photo)
Mugging Suspects Apprehended
The Warrenton Police
Department was expe'
ed to draw warrants tl.
morning (Wednesday)
against five suspects ar
rested late Tuesday
in connection with
muggings in
wt *n.
A ling to Police
Warren Municipalities
Are Granted Road Funds
Warren County's
three municipalities
have received more
than $41,384 in state
street aid allocations
under the Powell Bill,
according to the N. C.
Transportation Secre
tary William R. Rober
son.
The allocations, based
on the community's
population and the
number of miles in its
local streets, are
distributed annually and
are derived from the
revenue produced by 1
3/8 cents per gallon of
the state's motor fuel
taxes for the preceding
year.
Last year, Powell Bill
provisions added $42.3
million to the coffers of
local communities
throughout the state.
Funds are distributed
according to a
legislative formula
based 75 percent on
population and 25 per
cent on local street
mileage which is not
state maintained.
Norlina received the
largest allocation of the
county's three
municipalities at
$19,460. With a
population of 894,
Norlina has 9.14 miles of
non-state maintained
road.
Warrenton, with a
population of 1,027 and
6.62 miles of non-state
maintained road,
qualified for $18,960.
Macon received $2,965
based on its population
of 148 and non-state
maintained road
mileage of 1.22 miles.
From this year's
Powell Bill funds, the
largest single check
went to the City of
Charlotte for $5,427,356.
The smallest check
disbursed under the act
went to the municipality
of Falkland in Pitt Coun
ty, which received
$1,657.
Chief Freddie Robinson,
the suspects were
arrested while attempt
ing a mugging in front of
the Warren County Me
morial Library.
As The Warren
Record went to press,
details of the arrests
were sketchy and names
of the suspects could not
be released pending
issuance of warrants.
However, Chief
Robinson said two of the
suspects were ap^
prehended in the
vicinity of the library,
two were arrested in the
woods behind Hardees
where they fled on foot
and a fifth was appre
hended as he drove
down Main Street.
All five were released
into the custody of their
parents pending the
drawing of warrants this
morning.
Two muggings were
reported in Warrenton
last week.
G. H. Macon, Jr. of 304
N. Main Street was rob
bed last Tuesday around
8:10 p. m. while unlock
ing the back door of his
home.
According to police
reports, someone grab
bed Macon from behind
and held him while
taking his wallet from
his trousers pocket.
The only description
Macon was able to give
was that the assailant
was wearing tennis
shoes and either a red
shirt or red trousers.
The wallet contained
about $50 in cash, credit
cards, and other iden
tification.
In an incident around
(Continued on page 3)
Accused Killer To Return
A man charged in New York last
May with the 1979 murder of William
Kearney Thompson, an Inez mer
chant, will be extradited to North
Carolina within the next two weeks,
according to Chief Deputy B. D.
Bolton with the Warren County
Sheriff's Department.
A warrant for the arrest of Jeffery
Perry was issued on Sept. 26, 1979,
two days after Thompson's badly
beaten body was found in the storage
room of his store. Until last May,
Perry had eluded arrest.
Assisting with the investigation
that led to the arrest were the FBI,
North Carolina SBI and the Sheriffs
Department.
Delegation Is Impressed With Historic Tarboro Efforts
By KAY HORNER
News Editor
A group of Warren County citizens and officials
terested in historical preservation visited Tarboro
last Wednesday to see firsthand what the Eastern
North Carolina community has done to revitalize its
downtown.
The visit by the group, which included Warren
County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Eva
M. Clayton and Industrial Developer Jim Whitley,
was prompted after a meeting last summer be
tween state and county officials in which Tarboro
was cited as an example of a local community that
had been successful in using historical preser
vation as a tool for economic growth.
The group met with Watson Brown, director of
planning and community development for Tarboro,
who explained how the Edgecombe County town
had gone about its revitalixation effort , *
"They started off on a small scale 20 yean ago,"
Whitley said this week, "and things have just
mushroomed since that time."
Through revolving loans, various grants, and the
involvement of private developers, the town has
financed new construction and restoration projects
that have increased the tax base while improving
the quality of life for local citizens, Whitley said.
One of the most impressive projects is a multi
million dollar retirement home, Whitley commen
ted. It stands on a piece of property that at one time
produced only $5,000 in ad valorem tax revenue.
Now it produces $100,000 for the tax coffers.
Tarboro businessmen attest to the success of the
revltalization effort and estimate that business is up
as much as 25 percent as a result of improvement to
properties, Whitley indicated.
"We need to get a handle on a similar effort," he
said. "We don't have the same tax base or
population base, but could do something on a
smaller scale."
J. Myrick Howard, executive director of the
Historical Preservation Foundation of North
Carolina, Inc., in speaking at the meeting with
eotlnty officials last July said that Warren County
had one of the most "remarkable" set of buildings
remaining from its history of any county in the
state.
"When you bring people in to restore homes, you
put money back into the tax base," Howard said,
"and looting at it over the long term, you can use it
to attract industry."
Richard Hunter, Warren County clerk of court
and member of the county Historical Association,
said yesterday that he would like to see a new at
titude toward historical societies and their work.
"An historical society doesn't have to be little old
ladies in tennis shoes," Hunter said. "Historical
preservation and economic development can be
partners and people throughout the community can
participate in the society's efforts."
The Historical Association has a current mem
bership of about 100, Hunter said, but the majority
are people from outside the county who have an
cestral ties here.
"State officials realize the potential Warren
County has to use its architecture as an economic
resource," Hunter commented. "I think the county
commissioners ought to look into hiring someone to
do full-time economic development with an eye
toward utilizing the architectural and historical
resources here."
Others in the group traveling to Tarboro were
Monroe Gardner, chairman of the County Industrial
Commission, L C. Cooper and Brad Can-oil, mem
ben of the Citizens United for Progress Task Force,
andWarrenton Mayor B. G. White.
Registration Is
Reported Heavy
The midnight Monday
deadline for voter
registration for the
November elections
brought a flurry of ac
tivity for the county's
registrars and added 208
names to the voter
registration lists.
According to Ruby
Jones, county elections
supervisor, the elections
office on Front Street in
Warrenton was packed
with would-be voters
late Monday afternoon.
All those in line were
registered before that
office closed around
5:50, Mrs. Jones said.
However, some
registrars throughout
the county continued to
register people later
that evening before the
deadline.
A total of 10,660 voters
are registered in
Warren County for the
upcoming election, ac
cording to figures tabu
lated by Mrs. Jones
Tuesday morning.
Of this number, 10,211
are Democrats, 390 are
Republicans, two are
Libertarians, and 57 are
unaffiliated.
The racial com
position of the voters is
5,949 black, 4,369 white,
341 Indian and one of an
unspecified race.
An April 9 tally of
voter lists before the
first primary indicated
that 10,408 voters were
registered. Of that
number, 10,000 were
Democrats, 357 were
Republicans, two were
Libertarian, and 49 were
unaffiliated.
In racial composition,
5,838 were black, 4,227
were white, 341 were In
dian and two were of
other races.
Since the April 9 tally,
77 voters have cancelled
their registration in
Warren County due to
relocation to other areas
and the names of 68
deceased voters have
been removed from the
voter rolls.
The names of
deceased voters are
removed quarterly after
notification of death is
received from the N. C.
Department of Human
Resources, Mrs. Jones
said.
Visit By Bishop
Scheduled Here
Warren County
Methodists will be
joined by Bishop Carlton
P. Minnick, Jr. of the
Raleigh District Sunday
night in their
celebration of the Bicen
tennial of Methodism.
Bishop Minnick will
bring the evening
message and serve
communion at the 7 p.
m. service at Norlina
Methodist Church.
All Methodist church
es in the county and
their pastors will par
ticipate in the service.
The service will
feature the hymns of
John and Charles
Wesley, the forefathers
of Methodism, and a
choir composed of
members of area
churches will perform
two Wesley anthems
under the direction of
Mrs. Janet Coleman.
Following the service,
a reception will be held
in the fellowship hall of
the church where ban
ners from the Methodist
Churches in the county
will be on display.
A newcomer to his
Raleigh post, Bishop
Minnick's visit will be
his first to Warren Coun
ty. He was assigned to
the Raleigh District this
past July after serving
as bishop in the Jackson
BISHOP MINNICK
area.
He has pastored
churches in Richmond,
Williamsburg, and
Arlington, Va. and ser
ved as district superin
tendent of the Alexan
dria, Va. District from
1978-1980.
A graduate of Lynch
burg College in Virginia,
Bishop Minnick
received a bachelor of
divinity degree and a
master of theology
degree from Union
Theological Seminary in
Richmond, Va.
He is married to the
former Mary Ann
Adams of Lynchburg ,
and they have four
children.
New Postal Officer
Arrives For Duty
The new face at the
Warrenton Post Office is
that of John E. Price,
who is serving as of
ficer-in-charge during
the search for a person
to fill the vacancy left by
the retirement of Bruce
Bell as postmaster.
Bell's retirement was
effective October 3, and
Price indicated that he
would be the acting post
master during the 60 to
90 days normally
required to seek a
replacement. During
this period, the screen
ing committees will be
PRICE
accepting applications
and making the
decisions necessary
toward naming a new
postmaster.
Price, whose home is
in Selma, is staying in
Henderson during his
term here. He has been
with the postal service
for 17 years, the last 10
of which he has spent as
the superintendent of
postal operations in the
Smithfield Post Office.
Prior to that he served
as a postal cleric, and his
first job with the system
was as a part-time
carrier.
He complimented the
"exceptional employ
ees" of the Warrenton
Post Office and express
ed appreciation for their
helpfulness during his
orientation to the office
here and to the area in
general. Adding to the
adjustment which
inevitably comes with
change has been the
redecorating currently
being done at the post
office.
Price's wife and two
sons live in Selma. On '
his hours away from the
postal service, he enjoys