Newspapers / The Warren Record (Warrenton, … / April 3, 1985, edition 1 / Page 2
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3t)£ Sarrtn Stcorii Published Every Wednesday By Record Printing Company P O Box 70, Warrenton, N C 27589 BIGNALL JONES HOWARD F JONES KAY HORNER Editor Business Manager News Editor GRACE W JONES. President ENTERED AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER AT THE POST OFFICE IN WARRENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, UNDER THE LAWS OF CONGRESS Second Class Postage Paid At Warrenton, N C. In Warren and SUBSCRIPTION RATES: !??£?««« $5 00 Six Months $6 00 Six Month# Save For Emergencies Warren County, it would ap pear, has few problems that money wouldn't cure. One of the problems now fac ing commissioners was back in the news this week as a state of ficial appeared before the regular meeting of the commis sioners to report that Warren's jail is not meeting the state's minimum standards for a lockup. This is the third such notice that has been served in less than six months, and the problem surely is one that will not go away. The prospects of having to build a new jail are not pleasant. The county's treasury is almost depleted from months of helping bail out financially troubled Warren General Hospital, and the outlook for continued federal revenue sharing funding— where capital outlay assistance has been coming from in recent years—is bleak indeed. By failing to provide a jail which meets state standards, Warren County puts itself in an unenviable position. It would mean, for one thing, that prison ers now incarcerated here would have to be taken to neighboring counties, or a neighboring coun ty, for holding prior to trial. The transport of prisoners to and from the out-of-county quarters would place a strain on an al ready overtaxed sheriff's department, and there would surely be hidden costs which are not readily apparent. Talk of a new jail, particular ly at tax rate setting time, is un settling. Unfortunately, Warren County has seldom begun a new fiscal year with enough money in its contingency fund, and there is no easy source of funding. Commissioners have been wise to appoint a committee to study the matter of an adequate jail and to report back to the full board. Wiser still would be a determination on the part of the board to set aside funds on a yearly basis in order to see that unforseen needs which arise all too often in a poor county do not go unmet. Jumping Like Jackrabbits In The Charlotte Observer One of the more ludicrous twists of state law — a loophole that the Gen eral Assembly ought to fix right now — became apparent after a recent bizarre incident in Granville County. About 3 a. m., State Trooper J. D. Temple noticed an automobile speeding down the middle of the northbound lanes of 1-85. Trooper Temple stopped the car and charged Charles Martin Foster, 27, with speeding 80 mph in a 55 mph zone and with driving while impaired. But when the trooper radioed for another officer to come to the scene to ad minister a Breathalyzer test, Foster jumped out of the patrol car and ran into the nearby woods. When Foster was finally arrested, many hours later, he pleaded innocent to both charges. When the case came to trial, Gran ville County District Court Judge Charles Wilkinson found Foster not guilty of driving while impaired. That ruling apparently will stand because the officer didn't perform the Breathalyzer test, even though the DWI law states that if a driver refuses to take the test, he must surrender his license. Apparently, running away doesn't constitute refusal. The district attorney in the case said N. C. law requires that a person suspected of driving while impaired be read his rights and then asked if he is willing to take the test; only if a driver then refuses can his license be taken. Unless Judge Wilkinson in this case was guilty of judging while im paired, legislators ought to plug this loophole in the driving while impair ed law. Otherwise, at the sight of a blue light, drunken motorists may be abandoning their cars all over N. C. highways and running like jackrab bits from justice. Why Restrict Billboards? In The Smithfield Herald Thank goodness the Smithfield Town Board has ordered an end to billboard building in Smithfield until town commissioners have a chance to adopt some reasonable rules governing large outdoor signs. The towering billboards that have sprung up like weeds about town in recent weeks are so unsightly that many citizens have complained to towr officials. Folks are also won dering about the safety of the tall signs: will they come crashing down with the first good windstorm that hits us this spring? An ordinance proposed by Town Manager Tony Robertson appears to be a solution to the dilemma of con flicting rights — the sign builders on one hand, the public at large on the other. The ordinance would not prohibit billboards in Smithfield; but it would require some construction standards to make them safer and more aesthetically acceptable than what's been going up lately. Opponents of billboard controls may argue that the proposed town ordinance is Joat another case of government restriction of free enter prise. But the principle at work here is the same principle behind other government rules like land-use zoning and anti-pollution laws: we are free to do whatever we please with our private properties—so long as our actions neither harm nor threaten our neighbors. Unregulated billboard building In Smithfield is one of several develop ments that are undermining this community's potential for economic growth. If you don't believe that, ask the recruiters of new industry and business and residents what they face when they bring serious prospects to town. There's reason enough for the Town Board to address the problem with a reasonable yet restrictive bill board ordinance. [ The Warren County Scene With spring in the air, the thoughts of Warren County farmers turn to fields to be plowed and crops to be planted. William Hargrove of Route 3, Warrenton, shown above with his homemade wagon and plow, appeared ready for the task last Saturday as he made his way down a road in the Liberia community. (Staff Photo) Mostly Personal Starting The Model T Ford The following column appeared in a 1969 issue of The Warren Record. By BIGNALLJONES Last Wednesday morning, when the tem perature was below freezing, I turned the starting key on our five year-old Volkswagen and the car started as if it were summer. There is nothing particularly noteworthy about this as practically all cars in good mechanical condi tion will start in cold weather without "diffi culty, but it did tend to recall the day before high compression engines and high octane gasoline. When the Model T Ford was the chief mode of transportation most persons would have walked instead of trying to crank the car. Those who had to travel a long distance would spend considerable time and effort and expend as much energy as many now spend in a day to get the car running. The standard proce dure for starting a Model T in bitter cold weather was first to Jack up one wheel so that it would serve as a kind of balance wheel when the crank was turned. The second step was to get a kettle of boiling water and pour it on the car's manifold. The third step was to spin the engine with a hand crank from a few seconds to many minutes. If this did not work, the spark and gasoline were adjusted and the cranking pro cess started off again — sometimes after another trip for more hot water. The nearest modern thing to this or deal is cranking a balky lawnmower or outboard motor. When finally the engine was started the motorist was far from being ready to travel. Since anti-freeze had not yet been developed, water had been emptied from the radiator the previous night and had to be refilled, usually from a bucket, with sometimes spills down a trousers' leg. This ex plained why many car owners walked to work when the weather was cold. Wednesday afternoon I pulled into a service station to have my gas tank refilled. A late modal Volkswagfti was being filled at the other alde of the pump and I noticed that it was being refilled from a spout on the outside of the hood. In our model the hood has to be raised to fill the gas tank, but I reflected that raising the hood was an im provement over the old Model T whose tank was under the front seat. In order to fill the gas tank the seat cushion first had to be removed. When my three brothers and my sistei* were born we were living in Wilson where we remained until I was four or five years old and my elder brother, Brodie, was six or seven. During that period when Brodie was six years old my grand mother sent him down town to the bank with a five dollar bill for change. He performed his mission without mis hap. There was nothing remarkable then nor now in a six-year-old child being able to go a few blocks to a bank and obtain change for a five dollar bill. The remark able thing is that in those long by-gone days it was safe to let a small child walk down the street with what was then a relatively large bill. That is certainly a far cry from things as they are now. However, I guess we lose something and gain something with the passing years. Many persons how wake up in a warm home with no indication of cold weather such as we had last week until they step out of doors in. warm clothing into a car. Such was not the case when we lived in Wilson. My grandmother lived in comfortable circum stances, but her home, where we often stayed, was heated with coal stoves, and in spite of those stoves often being red hot, the rooms were not too comfortable af ter one's clothes were removed. One bitter cold night when I was three or four years old, my aunt Fanny was put ting me to bed in an up stairs room. The stove showed red and, having removed everything but my shirt, I backed up as close to the stove as I dared before removing this garmet. But I was too close and as I pulled the shirt over my head I bent downward and my backside went into con tact with the hot stove. It left with me a lasting impression. Notes From The Senate Limiting The Term By SEN. JAMES E. EZZELL, JR North Carolina General Assembly In several previous articles I have referred to ef forts to pass a bill in the Legislature authorizing a vote by the people whether to amend the Constitu tion prohibiting future governors and lieutenant governors from succeeding themselves. This legis lation has now passed both Houses and the issue will be on the ballot in the 1966 general election. The present governor and lieutenant governor are ex cluded from this. Another issue often discussed in this area is the issue of gubernatorial veto. This was considered by a Judiciary Committee in the Senate and was given an uiiavorable report, which means that the suggestion was voted down by the commit tee. A bill was introduced recently to repeal the gift tax in the state of North Carolina. The state does not collect a lot of money as a result of this tax and the Legislature would do the people of North Carolina a favor by getting rid of it You may be interested to know that a bill has been introduced to allow for the renewal of driver's license by mail in the event the licensee has ac cumulated no points since the previous renewal and provided that a medical certificate would be In cluded with the application certifying that there is no vision or physical problem with the applicant Recently, the House Higher Education Com mittee approved a bill to deny scholarship to students who would be entitled to them as the children of certain veterans but who do not register for the draft North Carolina assists children of veterans killed, captured, or disabled during war. Last year, the state gave 477 such scholarships. The bill has already been approved by the Senate and by the time you read this, will probably have been ap Mary Catharine Harris Change In Appearance Saturday as we planted a recent gift — new rose bushes — in our yard, I was reminded of a friend's observation a couple of Septembers ago as she planted new peonies, an idea which applies as well to roses, and to life in general. As my friend looked at the hideous artichoke-like tubers which promised to produce peonies, she said, "Isn't it wonderful that a beautiful flower can grow from something as ugly as this?" So with roses, I thought, as we stationed the gangling, thorny canes which bore no resemblance to the colorful, shapely and fragrant blossoms I hoped to cut in a few weeks. The ordinary if not ugly seeds of all life appear far removed from the mature fruit, and the fruit comes always full of wonder if not beauty. That marvelous creative Power which directs life can unlock the towering oak tree from a brownish nut, the delicate butterfly from a wormlike creature, the lovely songbird from a pale blue oval, and, wonder of won ders, the human being from a pair of single cells! What power man himself possesses to channel his own wonder to create masterpieces from humble beginnings — magnificent sculptures from gray and sticky clay, classic literature from the alphabet's pimple lines and curves, life-saving drugs from lowly bacteria, a child's from-the-heart valentine from red and white paper and glue! Saturday as we put the crowning heap of dirt around the last rose bush, I looked at my husband and three daughters — bedraggled and weary from , an afternoon of gardening — and realized how dif ferent they would look on Sunday morning — and in a deeper sense, how the approaching Holy Day which is the ultimate celebration of beautiful life re sulting from ugly death would find all nature wear ing new clothing evolved from the drab winter. News Of Yesteryear Looking Back Into The Warren Record April 6, 1945 MANTEO-Hugh A. Holt of Warrenton Wednesday held amateur honors for catching the first channel bass of the season off Oregon Inlet. A fellow townsman, Van D. Alston, Jr. came up with a strike a few seconds later. Beginning this week, the offices in the county court house adopted the Wednesday afternoon closing hours in effect in the town. These offices will close at 1 o'clock each Wednesday and reopen on Thurs day morning. Children of Emmanuel Episcopal Sunday School were feted at an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday after noon, following their annual Easter children's ser vice at 5 o'clock. Each member invited a guest. Lemonade and cookies were served by Mesdames W. R. Baskervill and A. P. Davis and E. J. Davis. April 1, I960 Dr. Sam H. Massey, Jr., Warrenton dentist, is a candidate for a position on the Warren County Board of Education. Miss Linda Stegall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Stegall and a junior at Norlina High School, was recently elected Norlina FFA Chapter Sweetheart in a runoff election with Ann Edwards, it was learned here this week. Miss Scott Rodwell of Stratford College, Danville, Va. spent the spring holidays here. April 3,1975 Business activity in Warren County was among the most sluggish in the state last year, figures contain ed in a report by the N.C. Department of Revenue have shown. The achievements of Nathaniel Macon and his belief in state's rights and the free enterprise system were stressed by U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms here on Thursday. Senator Helms and Mrs. Helms were here to participate in ceremonies connected with the presentation of a National Bicentennial Flag and Cer tificate to the county. Mr. and Mrs. A1 Fleming have moved to their new home near Oakville. proved by the House. A bill has been introduced in the House that would limit governmental access to a person's financial records, such as bank accounts, except when there are search warrants, administrative inspections, warrants, subpoenas, or customer authorization. Under the bill cutomers would have to be notified that their records are to be inspected. However, if there is a court ruling that a delay would hamper law enforcement inquiries, notification could be delayed. The supporters of the seat belt bill didn't buckle up tight enough when it was considered in the Senate the other day. There were a number of amendments attempted, several successfully. It became apparent that support was not as strong as proponents had thought, so the bUl was sent back to committee. At this time I don't know what will hap pen to it Finally, for you boating enthusiasts, a bill ha* been introduced to provide that no person «h*» operate a boat or manipulate water skis or rimllr devices while under the Influence of an impaired substance.
The Warren Record (Warrenton, N.C.)
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April 3, 1985, edition 1
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