Warren tonMeTi. Library X
!17 S.Mair. St.
Warrenton, N.C. 27589
Harren Eecorb
Volume 89 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, December 3, 1986 Number 49
Yuletide Season
Is Begun Locally
The advent of Santa in Karl
Hehl's "one-horse buggy" in Sun
day afternoon's Christmas
Parade heralded the arrival of
the holiday season in Warrenton.
Sponsored by the Warren Coun
ty Jaycees, the parade was well
attended by children of all ages.
Among the 40 entries were the
Warren County Steppers,
"Smokey The Bear"?courtesy of
the Fire Service, the Warren
County High School Band, and
two striking antique cars.
Winners of the cash awards for
floats were: first place-the War
ren County Jaycees ($75); second
place-American Legion, Post 308
of Littleton ($40) and the Shocco
Sunday School ($35).
The challenge for next year
from Jaycee Walter Gardner:
more floats, bands and entries.
"We want to make each year's
parade even better."
SBI Assists Probe
Of Warren Break-In
The State Bureau of Investiga
tion is assisting the local police
department in the investigation
of a weekend break-in at Warren
ton Supply Company on North
Main Street.
Police Chief Freddie Robinson
said Monday there were no
suspects in the incident which is
believed to have occurred during
the night Sunday. Owner of the
business, Vernon Whitmore of
Manson, discovered the break-in
when he arrived about 7 a.m.
Monday to open for the day.
Entry was made through a side
window on the north side of the
building, Robinson said, and tools
andmoney Were taken. The value
of the missing items had not been
determined Tuesday afternoon,
he reported.
Procedures Aided
By Modernization
Modernization of procedures
used in the Office of the Tax Col
lector have had a positive impact
on the operations of the office.
In a report submitted to War
ren County commissioners by
Susan W. Brown, county finance
officer/tax collector, the effects
of computerization were outlined.
"Conversion of tax collection pro
cedures from manual to com
puterized have freed staff
members of long hours of manual
calculations, typing and handling
of statements that the computer
can generate in a matter of
minutes," she reported.
County Attorney Charles
Johnson agreed. "Before com
puterization, reviews were done
slip by slip, but when all delin
quent accounts are on-line, there
will be one tax Mil instead of in
dividual ledger sheets," he said.
According to Mrs. Brown, revi
sions have made it possible to in
stigate aggressive collection of
current and delinquent taxes. "A
program of attachment and gar
nishment measures has brought
in an estimated $75,000 in the last
six months," she reported.
Virtually 100 percent of taxes
are collected after a period of
time, but the percentage of col
lections as of June 30 of a par
ticular fiscal year may vary. For
the 1964 levy, 91.40 percent of
taxes were collected by June 30.
"The tax collection rate for the
1965 levy as of June 30 was 93.34
percent, an increase of 1.94 per
cent in one year," Brown noted.
According to Chairman Eva
Clayton, evidence is such that the
collection rate will be better, but
urged consideration. "We should
move aggressively and fairly,"
she said. Commissioner George
Shearin agreed that fair treat
ment was important and hoped
that everyone would realize the
importance to the county of tax
dollars in light of tax cuts and the
loss of revenue sharing. "We
need to talk about bow to meet
the needs of the county and we
must work together to make it
work," he said.
Karl Hehl and Jamie bring in guest of honor, Santa, in their "surrey without the fringe on top.
Precision-stepping members of the Warren Coiin- the Parade festivities,
ty High School Band brought musical splendor to
The patriotic float entered by the Littleton ner in the Christmas Parade.
American Legion, Post 308 was second-place win
TV energetic Warren County Steppers displayed Parade,
their synchronized movements la the Christmas
(Staff Photos by Howard Jones)
Cable Concerns
Are Expressed At
Board Meeting
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
Staff Writer
Warren County commissioners
in their monthly meeting Monday
heard more concerns about the
requested franchise sought by the
Henderson-based cable television
firm. On the agenda for a second
reading after receiving a first
reading at the last meeting, the
item was tabled for further study
and for more aggressive negotia
tions with Warren CATV, Inc.
Prior to final vote, concerns ex
pressed by Frank Ballance ana
others in attendance resulted in
delay. Citing dissatisfaction with
present service and with plans by
the company for expansion into
outlying areas of the county,
Ballance called for more negotia
tions. "We are not well served at
the present time and I wonder
how they make their decisions for
expansion. Density of homes can
not be the only criterion," he
said. "Scrambling of cable
signals and the cost of satellite
dishes make that alternative im
practical," he added. "We are in
a better position now to put con
ditions on the franchise."
County Attorney Charles T.
Johnson, Jr. agreed that the
needs of the people should be con
sidered. "I fail to see how com
munities can be ignored," he
said.
Commissioner Francis Alston
echoed the concerns. "The ser
vice is needed, but the firm
should be stimulated to expand
and should be given some
guidelines on what they should be
doing," he said.
Chairman Clayton indicated
that the firm should be urged to
meet its public service commit
ment by providing service to
Northside School. Other area
schools receive service as pro
mised; Northside does not. "The
idea would be not that we turn
them down, but that we make
certain conditions," she said. "If
they do not meet them, then they
deny themselves," she added.
A meeting will be arranged
between Warren CATV and two
representatives of the board of
commissioners to negotiate ex
pansion into the Greenwood
Village, Soul City, Macon and
Lake Gaston areas and the ex
(Continued on page 10)
VGCC Satellite
Moving Closer
The mood is positive and the
dream of a satellite facility in
Warren County for Vance
Granville Community College is
closer to reality. In a report
presented Monday morning to
Warren County Commissioners,
Dr. Ben Currin, president of
VGCC, outlined the status of the
project.
A $400,000 allocation by the
General Assembly to the Division
of Community Colleges was
made in 1985. The allocation, to
be used for acquisition, renova
tion or site improvement of ex
isting facilities, came with the
stipulation that the funds be
matched uy the county. Because
Warren County lacked the
resources necessary to meet the
matching requirement, it was ex
pedient to involve the Board of
Education with a proposal of joint
use of the John Graham site un
til students could be moved to a
more permanent facility. "I
detect a real spirit of coopera
tion," Currin said.
According to Chairman Eva M.
Clayton, the progress is the result
(Continued on page 10)
Local Preacher Assigned
To Church In High Point
The Rev. Cameron West,
pastor of Wesley Memorial
United Methodist Church, has
been appointed pastor of Welch
Memorial United Methodist
Church in High Point. West's ap
pointment was announced this
week by Bishop L. Bevel Jones,
resident bishop of the Western
North Carolina Conference of the
United Methodist Church.
West, who has served Wesley
Memorial since June 1984, will
assume his ministry in High
Point on Jan. 29, 1987. His last
Sunday at Wesley Memorial will
be Dec. 28.
"I leave Wesley Memorial with
gratitude for the ministry of its
members and with appreciation
for their commitment to the
church's role in the community,"
West commented this week.
"Christ's Spirit lives each day
through the United Methodists of
Warrenton, in quiet deeds of
charity and in organized pro
grams of the church," he
continued.
West expressed gratitude for
many accomplishments by his
church members during the last
three years. "An expanded Sun
day School, a new family Vaca
tion Bible School, a new tape
ministry for the homebound, a
new service of volunteer meal
deliveries to the homebound, a
recently organized weekly Bible
study and prayer group, estab
lishment of an Acolytes' Guild,
participation by the Chancel
Choir in North Carolina Con
ference worship services, new
cooperative youth and children's
programs with Emmanuel Epis
copal Church, cooperative wor
ship with Emmanuel Episcopal
Church and re establishment of
August services with the Warren
ton Baptist Church, a new
cooperative summer Children's
Day Camp and new cooperative
Holy Week services with the
other Warren County United
Methodist churches, major
renovations of the church and
parsonage and increased leader
ship from younger adult mem
bers all point to a vital United
Methodist presence in Warren
ton," West commented.
"I have been blessed by the
friendship and support of people
throughout Warren County. In
particular, I will cherish the
memories of shared ministry
with my dear and longtime friend
Ed Beddingfield of the Warrenton
Baptist Church, my United
Methodist colleague in Norlina,
Gene Cobb, and my Episcopal
brothers Henry Presler and Ray
Selby," West concluded.
Raleigh Pastor
Is Assigned Here
The Rev. James Columbus Loy
of Pleasant Grove United
Methodist Church in Raleigh will
assume the pastorate at Wesley
Memorial United Methodist
Church at the beginning of the
new year, District Superinten
dent Dr. Joseph Bethea has
announced.
The Rev. Mr. Loy will begin his
duties here on Jan. 1, according
to Dr. Bethea, of the Raleigh
District which includes, in addi
tion to Warren County, Wake and
Franklin and parts of Vance and
Johnston counties.
A native of Alamance Coun*
Loy is a graduate of Elon Col'
and Duke Divinity School, v
married and the fMther j