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Volume 94 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, May 10, 1989 ( Number 19
Volunteer Firemen Prepare To Erect New Road Signs In Warren
By DIANE DAVIS
Staff Writer
Emergency service organizations throughout Warren Coun
ty may find it much easier to locate homes when area firemen
install road signs throughout the county.
According to Walter Gardner, president of the Warren Coun
ty Fireman's Association, the idea to place signs bearing the
road name and number at every intersection in the county was
brought up nearly five years ago, but funds for the project were
not available until 1987.
The total cost of the project was $34,100. The county commis
sioners received a grant from the Governor's Highway Safety
Commission in the amount of $23,870, which covered 70 percent
of the total cost of the project. The remaining $10,230 was paid
for by county funds.
Ms. Linda T. Jones, clerk to the Warren County Board of Com
missioners, said the approximate cost of each of the 550 signs
ordered was $62, which includes the cost of the sign, the hard
ware and the post.
Last spring, public hearings were held to recommend county
road names. Public input was heard concerning many of the
names, and commissioners had the final vote.
Ms. Jones said none of the road names could be changed
because public hearings have already been held on '.!ie matter,
and the signs have been made.
According to Gardner, the signs will be sorted out at Gilbert
Manufacturing's warehouse and then distributed to all of the
county's volunteer fire departments for installation.
No target date has been set for the completion of the project.
"This is a good forward step, and it certainly will help all
emergency services," Gardner said.
Previously, a resident who couldn't identify the road on which
he or she lived had to give firemen or rescue workers landmarks
to locate the home, Gardner said. He also said the road signs
may decrease response time for an emergency call.
In addition to helping emergency workers, the road signs may
be utilized by the U. S. Postal Service, Gardner said.
Sherwood Knight, postmaster of the Warrenton Post Office,
said last Thursday morning he thinks the county firemen's idea
of changing the rural route addresses to a road name and
number is "really a good idea." Knight said in order to begin
that process, a new county map needs to be devised with the
road numbers and names on them.
From that map, Knight said he could develop new addresses
for rural route boxholders, a project that would require a lot
of time and paperwork.
"We haven't really sat down and discussed it," he said, but
added, "we are willing to work with them (firemen) on that."
Knight said the trend within the system is to change the rural
address to road names and numbers, like those within corporate
limits of a town. He cited Vance and Wake counties as two local
areas which have incorporated the new address system.
Warren County Fireman's Association member Kenny Clayton looks at
the new road signs which will be placed at every intersection throughout
the county. The road signs bear the road's name and number and will aid
emergency organizations by decreasing response time for emergency calls.
(Staff Photo by Diane Davis)
Restraining
Order Upheld
In Lake Case
By DIANE DAVIS
Staff Writer
A Wake County Superior Court
judge ruled last week that a tem
porary restraining order remain
in effect against two Virginia
based development companies
and their owners who were sued
by the state.
According to Barbara Shaw, an
attorney with the state Attorney
General's Office, at the May 4
hearing, Judge Donald Stephens
upheld an injunction which was
placed against Kerr Lake
Development Corporation, Tri
City Corporation, Paul Carrithers
and Jarrell Brock.
Shaw said all of the defendants
except for Jarrell Brock con
sented to the order, and only
Brock had a judgment entered
against him. Brock was not in
court to enter a plea.
All of the defendants are pro
hibited from selling undeveloped
land.
Shaw said the Attorney
General's Office received 12 com
plaints about the defendants, 10 of
which involved land transactions.
The other two concerned alleged
ly misleading advertising, she
said.
Shaw said the complainants,
some of whom had made down
payments and monthly in
stallments, said they had never
received deeds to lots which they
purchased in Section 2-A of
Eaton's Ferry Estates. Also, they
were told that there was a com
munity water system available to
them. No such system exists,
Shaw said.
Warren County Subdivision
Kegulations require that permits
to build cannot be issued for the
lots until the community water
system is installed.
To appeal Stephens' decision,
the defendants would have to go
before the court, Shaw said.
Woman Killed
In Accident
A Warren County woman was
killed instantly last Friday after
noon, when the car she was driv
ing collided with a truck being
driven by a Warren County man.
Ms. Stephanie Renee Alston,
22, of Rt. 4, Warrenton died in a
head-on collision on the Warren
ton Road (SR 1001), about 3.7
miles east of the Henderson city
limits.
According to the report filed by
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper
N. C. Foster, a rain-slickened
' highway was a contributing fac
tor in the fatality.
Ms. Alston had been traveling
east, when her 1977 Oldsmobile
( Continued on page 8B )
Stantina Evans Solomon, 22, of Rt. 3, Box 222,
Warrenton, was charged with a safe movement
violation after she drove her 1971 Pontiac, right, in
to the path of a 1978 Mercury being driven by
Harvey Debnam, 77, of Rt. 2, Box 84, Warrenton.
Sgt. George Alston of the Warrenton Police Depart
ment said Mrs. Solomon had been heading north on
Hall Street and Debnam west on East Macon Street
when the accident occurred. Mrs. Solomon was
transported to Maria Parham Hospital in Hender
son by Warren County EMS for injuries to her
mouth and forehead, while Debnam was not in
jured. Both cars were declared total losses.
(Photo by Brenda Clarke)
Vehicles Are Stolen
As Thieves Enter Firm
Vehicles valued at in excess of
$17,000 and other items of per
sonal property have been re
ported stolen from an area busi
ness, Sheriff Theodore Williams
said Monday.
According to the repert taken
on Sunday, May 7, by Deputy
B. R. Rollins, Jr., the vehicles
were removed unlawfully from
Maple Crescent Rental, which is
located at 77 River Road, near
the Eaton's Ferry Bridge.
Reported missing were a 1967
Pontiac Firebird convertible,
belonging to James William
Dawson, Jr., of Rt. 4, Littleton,
and a 1980 Cadillac diesel sedan,
belonging to Mildred John Dot
son, also of Rt. 4, Littleton.
The Pontiac is ruby red in
color and has a white top. The
vehicle's license plate was num
bered BTN 1616.
The Cadillac is copper-orange
in color and has a steering wheel
on which "Birtha Caddi" has
been engraved. The vehicle's
license plate was numbered
BSR 1317.
According to the report, both
vehicles have a combined value
of $17,500.
Aftering entering through the
front security gate of the rental
business, the unauthorized per
sons also entered the rental of
fice. Reported missing were one
Kohler generator valued at
$475.65, one Poulan chain saw
valued at $380, and one portable
hand Sander valued at $270. Also
reported missing from a pick-up
truck, left parked at the rear of
the office, was a Panasonic car
radio/cassette valued at $279.
Prior to the discovery of the
theft, a witness saw the Cadillac
leaving the establishment, but
thought that employees were
working late, Rollins said in his
report.
Sgt. I,awrence Harrison re
covered the Pontiac Monday
night. The vehicle had been aban
doned at Happy Valley Subdivi
sion on I??ke Gaston. Except for
the removal of the vehicle's igni
tion switch, the Pontiac was un
damaged and has been returned
to its owner.
Teachers Granted
Leaves Of Absence
Two Warren County teachers
were granted leaves of absence
by the Warren County Board of
Education meeting here on Mon
day night.
Leaves for the rest of the
school year were approved for
Bonnie Marable, a John
Graham reading teacher; and
for Laura Kearney, a Vaughan
reading teacher.
Calendar Approved,
See Page 2B
Boards To Confer
On Fund Request
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
The Warren County boards of
education and county commis
sioners will meet Thursday at
7 : 30 p.m. for a working session on
the school board's request for
local funds for the next fiscal
year.
The budget request submitted
to the county commissioners
totals $2,142,719 and is comprised
of three major elements: con
tinuation expenses? $ 1,637 ,657;
expansion items? $323,562; and
capital outlay items? $181,500.
Prior to submission of that re
quest, the board of education had
made some adjustments in its
original draft request, which had
'otaled $1,953,720.
The majority of that increase
appears in the expansion item
portion of the budget request,
which has grown from $155,424 to
$323,562. Not included in the draft
version was $139,544 for remedial
programs for third-graders at
four elementary schools.
Another portion of the increase
appears in the continuation por
tion of the request for local funds.
Salaries for some employees had
been eliminated from the draft,
on the assumption that funding
would come from the Basic Edu
cation Plan. Because the BEP
funding remains undertain,
however, those salaries were
added back, resulting in an in
crease in continuation expense
from $1,610,796 to $1,637,657.
The capital outlay portion of
the budget request has been
reduced by about $6,000. That
reduction occurred following
revision of the estimate for
repairs to the heating system at
Vaughan Elementary School.
Monday night in their regular
meeting, the board of education
requested that estimates of funds
available for summer janitorial
service at several of the county's
schools be tabulated in time for
Thursday's work session. The re
quest was made after the board
had received, as information, a
report that the cost of summer
custodians at eight schools would
be $21,607.
After Thursday's meeting, the
request for local funding from the
Warren County Board of Educa
tion, along with those received
from the county's department
heads, will be compiled by the
county manager into a budget
memorandum to the board of
county commissioners.
That memorandum will be pre
sented to the commissioners in
June and will be available for
public inspection. A public hear
ing will also be held before the
final county budget for the next
fiscal year is adopted by the com
missioners in time for implemen
tation on July 1.
Town Annexation Comes Under Discussion
By DIANE DAVIS
Staff Writer
Warrenton commissioners
Monday night agreed to begin a
study of proposed areas outside
the Warrenton city limits which
are under consideration for
annexation.
Mayor B. G. White told the
board of commissioners he and
Town Administrator V. R.
"Pete" Vaughan had discussed
the annexation of land off the
Baltimore Road, through Coun
try Meadows (Ridgecrest Drive
area), through the lower portion
of Mrs. Hal Connell's pond near
the Armory on East Macon Street
and to part of the Warren Street
extension. (See map.)
White said the reason the town
is considering the annexation is
because a population count had
been performed recently, and it
was discovered that the town had
experienced a loss of 100 or more
residents during the past 10
years. The town receives sales
tax refunds and Powell Bill
monies based on population
figures.
"We cannot afford to lose the
revenue," Mayor White told the
board. "It would be detrimental
to the town. We need the head
count to keep the money coming
in."
Although White could not say
exactly how many more resi
dents the annexation would
bring, he estimated at least 200 or
more people would be gained by
the town.
According to Vaughan, a study
of the proposed area will be per
formed at no cost to the town by
the N. C. Department of Human
Resources and the Region K
Council of Governments. If the
study shows the proposal would
benefit the town, residents could
petition the commissioners to be
annexed into the city limits or the
town would have to write each
resident to tell them about the ad
vantages of living in Warrenton.
Two or three public hearings
would be held and a final vote will
be made by the commissioners.
A second phase of the annexa
tion has been discussed, but com
missioners have only agreed to a
study on the first phase. (See
map for Phase II.)
(Continued on page SB)