?arrentonaea . Library X
: : : Uarren Hecorii
Volume 94 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, May 24, 1989 Number 21
Workers May Transfer
To Warren As Franklin
Plant Stops Operations
A number of Louisburg-area
residents may begin a daily com
mute to two Warren County ap
parel plants, if they take advan
tage of the opportunity for
transfer offered by their current
employer.
Louisburg Sportswear Com
pany, Franklin County's second
largest manufacturer of apparel,
will close on June 30. The 79
employees there have been given
the option of transferring to
larger plants, two of which are
located in Warren County.
According to Melvin Reekes,
plant manager for Soul City's
Central Sportswear, seven of the
displaced employees have begun
work already at the Warren
County plant. Those persons
transferred about three weeks
ago, when the Louisburg plant
closed its cutting facility.
Central Sportswear employs
about 115 persons. Since its open
ing in 1961, the plant has operated
as a cutting facility. About 12,000
dozen collars in various styles are
produced weekly. Those collars
are "ready to sew and put
together," Reekes said. The col
lars are sent to other facilities for
finishing, among them LaCrosse
(Va.) Sportswear, Creedmoor
Sportswear Company and War
renton's Carolina Sportswear.
According to Ernie Harrison,
Carolina Sportswear plant man
ager, the 200-215 employees at the
Warrenton plant produce about
4,500 dozen finished boys' and
mens' knit shirts each week. The
finished shirts are shipped either
to customers or to large distribu
tion centers.
Both Warren County plants run
one shift, with employees there
Zoning Change
Plea Is Heard
A decision on whether to
amend the county's official zon
ing map was postponed until the
Warren County Commissioners'
regular monthly meeting follow
ing a public hearing last Wednes
day night.
A public hearing was held
Wednesday, May 17, at 6:45 p.m.
to receive public input on a re
quest to change the zoning of a
five-acre tract of land located off
SR 1356 in River Township from
residential to light industrial.
The request was submitted by
William T. Leavitt and his wife
Mrs. Rosalie Leavitt.
Leavitt restores 1964-1972
Chevrolet Chevelles and El
Caminos. He takes the wrecked
or inoperable automobiles,
restores them and then sells them
in national automobile markets.
Currently, Leavitt has an
estimated 50 cars stored near his
residence. At the public hear
ing, several lake residents were
present to find out more informa
tion about Leavitt's business and
his request. Several residents ex
pressed their concern that if his
zoning request is approved, the
commissioners would be setting
a precedent for spot zoning
throughout the Lake Gaston area.
In addition, many environ
ment-related questions were
asked concerning Leavitt's
disposal methods of oils and
fluids from the cars.
Although the commissioners
have not voted on the matter, the
Planning Board sent a letter to
the commissioners stating their
favorable recommendation of
Leavitt's request. This recom
mendation was made contingent
upon the construction of a fence
around the entire perimeter of
the five-acre tract which would
stand at least five feet tall. Also,
Leavitt would have to relocate
the cars from their existing loca
tion at Leavitt's residence to the
five-acre tract.
working from 7 :30 a.m. until 4: 15
p.m.
As is the case with the Louis
burg company, both Carolina
Sportswear and Central Sports
wear are owned by the New
Jersey-based Megastar Apparel
Group. Megastar was known
formerly as Campus Sportswear
Company.
According to Richard L. Hunt,
industrial relations director
based in South Carolina, Mega
star has announced a reorganiza
tion of its structure and legal
notices have appeared in area
newspapers. "This change in cor
porate structure will have no ef
fect upon the operations and
management of these facilities,"
he said.
Hunt said that Megastar's
North Carolina manufacturing
plants, Carolina Sportswear
Company, Central Sportswear
and Creedmoor Sportswear Com
pany?which were wholly owned
subsidiaries of Interco, Inc., have
been merged into Interco.
"Such internal restructuring is
required by law to be listed in
local newspaper's legal sections
(and) these notices have already
appeared in the Raleigh News
and Observer. Hunt said the
notices will appear on two addi
tional occasions to satisfy Inter
co's legal obligations.
With that corporate restructur
ing has come the transfer of
operations done for 25 years at
(Continued on page 7B)
MISS LIGHT
MISS BALLANCE
Top 2 Gra< jates Named
At Warren County High
Angela Denise Ballance and Terry Ann Light have been
named valedictorian and salutatorian of the class of 1989, ac
cording to Principal James T. Wilkerson.
Miss Balance, the daughter of Senator Frank W. Ballance and
attorney Bernadine S. Ballance of Warrenton, plans to attend
Hampton University in Hampton, Va. She will work toward a
degree in math and science in the pre-med curriculum, as she
plans to pursue a career in medicine.
While at WCHS, Miss Ballance has served as captain of the
varsity basketball team, president of the French Club and vice
president of the senior class. She is also a member of the stu
dent council, the Debate Club, FBLA and the National Honor
Society. She is a National Scholarship Program finalist and the
recipient of the National Honor Society Scholarship.
Outside of school, Angela serves as Sunday School secretary
at Greenwood Baptist Church and is also a member of the
NAACP.
Miss Light, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert J. Light, Jr. of
Littleton, plans to attend East Carolina University in Greenville
to pursue a degree in media/journalism or political science.
Presently, Miss Light serves as reporter for the National
Honor Society and co-editor of the yearbook. She is also a
member of the chorus and the choral ensemble. She was voted
best all around by fellow seniors.
Flying Object Mystifies Residents
Strange Device Seen Hovering Above Warrenton
By DIANE DAVIS
Staff Writer
"I got out of my truck and heard this funny
fuss. I looked up and saw this diamond shaped
object. It had lights on each point .... I knew
it wasn't an airplane or a helicopter. I didn't
know what it could be."
That was a portion of the description given by
Warrenton resident Paul Myrick who, before
telling his story, claimed "I'm not crazy."
And he isn't. What he saw was real, but what
he saw was not a UFO, or at least it can't be con
sidered one anymore. What was unidentifiable
yesterday is identifiable today.
Several reports by Warren County citizens
throughout the latter part of last week sent many
searching for some answers? and logical ones
at that. Understandably, many refused to let
their names be used.
"Don't get me wrong," said Mrs. Billie Vern
Proctor, who lives on Eaton Avenue next to
Myrick. "I don't believe in little green men."
Even so, she continued to explain her version of
what had happened.
"There was a gosh awful sound like you
wouldn't believe," she said. "It was so loud you
could hear it in the house over the television."
Mrs. Proctor said her son had been visiting
and was leaving. She explained that it is difficult
to back a vehicle out of her driveway, and many
of the drivers who try usually end up steering
their vehicles in the ditch.
"I thought maybe my son had backed into the
ditch, but when I asked him, he said it wasn't
him."
Along with Myrick,. Mrs. Proctor went outside
and saw the object, but said it was too dark to
tell what it was. The noise it made, she said,
"was comparable to what a plane in distress
sounds like."
Myrick said what got his attention was that the
object was moving so close to the ground at a
slow speed. It was moving so slowly, Myrick
said, that "it amazed me."
Myrick said when he went inside to tell his wife
and daughter, "they fell out on the floor
laughing."
But an hour or so later, Myrick's story was
confirmed when he called his other daughter. He
said his grandchildren had reported seeing a
similar object behind their home near the War
renton Golf Club.
However, Jay Barber, a public affairs oflicer
at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in
Goldsboro, cleared up all the controversy con
cerning the Warren County sightings after hear
ing about the incident.
Barber indicated that several Solid Shield Ex
ercises had taken place last week, sane of which
were planned in "areas planes don't normally
go." Some of the aircraft had planned exercises
in and around Warren County, he said.
"What they saw was a C-130 or a C-141, which
are cargo airplanes. They typically do travel
very slowly and have lights on each wing and in
the rear. Generally, though, they are not loud,
unless they get close to the ground. But no,
you're not seeing UFOs."
New School
Chief Chosen
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
Dr. John William Thompson
assistant superintendendent for
secondary education in the Guil
ford County School System since
1986? has been named Warren
County superintendent of schools.
Late Tuesday night, on motion
of Dr. Doris Terry-Williams,
seconded by Henry Pitchford, the
Warren County Board of Educa
tion voied unanimously to award
the four-year contract. Dr.
Thompson is expected to assume
his duties here on July 1.
"We went after proven suc
cess," Chairman Yarborough
Williams said, adding that the
board had been particularly im
pressed by programs already im
plemented by Thompson during
his career.
From 1981 until 1986, Dr.
Thompson was principal of Dur
ham High School. During that
tenure, several problems were
identified, among them poor
teacher morale, a high drop-out
rate, low test scores. Under his
leadership, the Durham High
School drop-out rate decreased
by three percent, attendance in
creased by five percent, state
competency test scores improved
by 16 points and SAT scores in
creased by 50 points.
During his current assistant
superintendency. Dr. Thomp
son's accomplishments include
the establishment of a teacher
recruitment program and a drug
prevention program for students
in grades grades K-12.
Dr. Thompson holds a Ph.D. in
educational administration in
organizational development and
institutional studies received
from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has
also earned an Ed.S. in adminis
tration from Appalachian State
University and holds a master of
DR. THOMPSON
science degree in educational ad
ministration from at A&T State
University. A recipient of a bach
elor of science degree in mathe
matics from Livingstone College,
he has also completed an IBM
Executive Training Program.
Warren County's new superin
tendent of schools holds member
ships in national and state profes
sional organizations. He has been
a presenter at numerous state
and national conferences and has
served on a visiting committee of
the Southern Association of Col
leges and Schools, an accrediting
body.
Dr. Thompson is married to the
former Yvonne Spikes, assist
ant principal at Jamestown Mid
dle School.
"We're very lucky to have been
able to get him," Chairman Wil
liams said. "This is the biggest
and best decision this board has
ever made."
Honor Student Wins
'Miss Teen' Contest
Miss Kennedine Bishop, a
senior honor student at Warren
County High School, won the title
"Miss Teen 1989" at the Fourth
Miss Teen Pageant sponsored on
May 20 in the WCHS theatre by
the Warrenton Chapter of Les
Gemmes, Inc.
Along with her title, Miss
Bishop received a $500 shopping
spree, 10 percent of her earnings
from the pageant, as well as
other gifts and prizes.
Following graduation, Miss
Bishop plans to attend N. C. A&T
State University in Greensboro
and major in accounting. She is
the daughter of Ms. Bessie W.
Bishop of Warrenton and Andrew
Bishop of Rich Square.
Clara Powell and Dana Ed
wards were first- and second
place runners-up, respectively, in
the pageant.
Other pageant contestants
were: Trina Alston, Pamela
Edgerton, Kendra Henderson,
Tonya Prince and LaTosha
County Funds Will Complete Quick City Work
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
The county may spend up to
$25,000 to complete work left un
done by ARC Construction and to
take care of other unfinished
work on other Quick City houses,
following action taken last week
by the Warren County Board of
Commissioners.
The $25,000 allocation in coun
ty funds was made in open ses
sion last Wednesday evening,
after the board had discussed, in
closed executive session, the
problems caused by ARC Con
struction and the remaining work
on homes in the Quick City Re vi
talize ti on Project target area.
AKC is located at iw sunny
brook Road in Raleigh. Its presi
dent, Leon Allgood, is a Warren
County native. The firm had been
contracted for work on nine of the
Quick City homes slated for
rehabilitation.
According to County Manager
Charles Worth, ARC has been
paid about $95,000 for work
much of which remains undone.
Neither the state Plumbing,
Heating, Air Conditioning and
Mechanical Board; the State
Department of Insurance, nor the
state Licensing Board for Gen
eral and Residential Contractors
has records of license numbers
for ARC. The two license num
bers submitted to tne county in
corrrespondence from ARC in
March of 1987 cannot be verified.
Following site visits performed
on Jan. 19 and Feb. 3 by NRCD
staff, serious problems were
found in two of the homes. Since
that time, many change orders
have been approved by the board
of commissioners to correct
problems at those, as well as
other Quick City homes.
But prior to those site visits,
county officials had attempted
unsuccessfully to get ARC to
return to complete their work.
The entire project had been
funded with a |600,000 Communi
ty Development Block Grant re
ceived from the Department of
Natural Resources and Com
munity Development. Federal
funds of $100,000 were also
allocated, as well as county funds
of $10,000.
Worth said the initial budget
for rehabilitations was estimated
at $216,000. "But it's going to cost
considerably more than that," he
added.
Although over half of last
Wednesday's $25,000 allocation
will be used to correct deficien
cies in the two most seriously af
fected Quick City homes, the
money has not been earmarked
strictly to solve ARC-caused
(Continued on page 7b)
MISS BISHOP
Terry. Each contestant received
10 percent of her earnings from
the pageant, as well as other gifts
and prizes. The contestants also
participated in workshops in
poise/appropriate dress, make
up and aerobics.
This year's pageant theme, "A
Crown Of Jewels," focused on
local amateur and professional
talent. Samuel Irving and Juone
Brown, master and mistress of
ceremonies, held the audience
captive, as they presented a
dramatic duo of vignettes, sere
nades and flourishes. Both Irving
and Brown are graduates of the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, where they majored
in speech communication.
Miss Sharon Boyd, a WCHS
Junior, provided the musical
background for the program.
Other participants included
Totya Crump, Fritxie Cathcart,
Kara Henderson, Valerie Bal
lance and the "Miss Teen"
contestants.