North Carolina Newspapers

Page Sixteen THE PILOT, Southern Pines, North Carolina Friday, April 29, 1949. Two-Year Term Just Ending Has Seen March Of Progress In Town Affairs (Continued from Page 1) jectives he had in mind the pur chase of the town’s own equip ment for street building and re pair, ' and the building of a mun icipal auditorium. The first has been accomplished with the ac quisition of the essential ma chinery needed in a town of this size. The second has been left to the schools, where perhaps it be longs. , , Mayor Page in his acceptance speech also invited the public to attend the board meetings, and to feel free to speak to him on any subject of municipal interest, at any time. The public has shown the usual apathy in regard to the adminis tration of its affairs as during the entire two years there have been riot more than a half dozen visit ors who did not come before the board for a specific purpose, leav ing' the meeting as soon as their mission was done. 1948 Meetings Irregular During 1948 any members of the public wishing to attend the meetings might easily have be come discouraged. Only two meetings were held on the regu lar meeting dates, starting in Jan uary. At the November meeting, held on an off date. Mayor Page said he thought it was time the board got back on schedule, which it did in December and has stayed on it since. Other meetings in 1948 were canceled because of bad weeather (in winter), because a quorum could not be gotten together (in summer) and during the rest of the time business was transacted on off dates or at special meet ings. Press Coverage The Pilot during the two years has personally covered all regu lar meetings except that of De cember, 1947, and some of the special meetings. The irregulari ties of meetings have made it a little difficult to keep the public informed as to what its adminis trative body was doing. At two meetings of recent months The Pilot was asked out of the room while special busi ness was attended to, and could not help wondering what would have happened if some of the public had chosen to attend, at these times. The Pilot knows what went on at these closed sessions, regards the matters as not of sufficient moment to make a fuss about and feels sorry not to have been trust ed to handle them fairly. Special Meetings Many of the special meetings came at budget-making time in the summer of 1947 and 1948, when the members came together briefly from time to time to con sider financial mattersi. Others were to consider special difficul ties in the police department, concerning _which statements were never issued and the mat ters resolved themselves without action from the, board. One regular meeting was call ed at 7:30 p. m. instead of 8 to provide a closed session, during which a petition from residents of West Southern Pines was receiv ed, asking for a change in the personnel of the police depart ment. Traffic Problems Despite headaches arising from police matters during the past year, the police department has had the support and the commen dation of the town board, also its assistance in trying to work out plans for the curbing of speed and other traffic law violations. These have come in for consider able discussion at the meetings. An innovation of the present board has been the $1 ticket for minor traffic law violations, ob viating the necessity for a magis trate’s trial, and payment of costs they considered rather steep. The board has studied, and tak en action toward solution of, a number of municipal needs and problems which have through va rious circumstances come to noth ing. No Bond Election Authorization in November, 1948, of a $30,000 bond issue for installation of floodlights and construction of a grandstand on the town athletic field, with addi tional facilities also for improved recreation in West Southern Pines, went no further, as it was found that town tax funds may not legally be spent on property not belonging to the town. This advice came from the N. C. League of Municipalities and also from the bond attorneys to whom application was made for the holding of the bond issue. A similar case in another part of the state, carried to the State Su preme court, was carefully watch ed but with disappointing result. The action originated in a re quest of the Chamber of Com merce that the board use part of funds earmarked “for necessary improvemetns’’ to aid in installa tion of the floodlights. An opinion of the town attorney was to the effect that these funds could not be s.o used, and the planning of the bond election then took place. Millen Park A request received from Mrs. E. P. Millen, that the Millen Park property be returned to her if the quired 51 per cent town would not keep it up, was, owners could not acted on last May, by th6 board |however, and the project had to in making an immediate decision be dropped. been heard of by The Pilot. At j the same time, the board author ized construction of hard dirt walks on Bennett street and around the ball park. In answer to requests from sev eral property owners the board circulated petitions for the paving of a section of West Illinois ave nue, also a block on West Indiana avenue. Signatures of the re- of property be obtained. to give it back. This was met by considerable public objection as one organization after another, and many individuals, expressed themselves in The Pilot and through other channels as oppos ed to giving up the park. Their wish to hav,e the property re tained and improved had the re sult last December of getting the park cleaned up by the town crew in four days’ work. No fur ther action has been taken. Billboards A request from the Chamber of Commerce read at a meeting March 3, 1948, that the unsightly town billboards be . removed in favor of smaller, better looking ones, was tabled for later discus sion. This did not come up again until the following November, when members of the Southern Pines Garden club appeared be fore the board making the same request and offering to do the work, if the board would attend to the financing. A committee was appointed representing va rious interests of the town, which were asked to meet and make a recommendation. The recommen dation, received by the board at its January meeting, was to the effect that the Garden club’s pro posal be followed. The matter was tabled, however, and has been heard from no more. ' Railroad Crossings The Maine avenue railroad crossing was closed, pursuant to an agreement with the Seaboard Air Line railway, following com pletion of the installation last September of three new auto matic signals at other crossings. The intersection at New York avenue, which was inclu ded in the agreement, was kept open, however, following receipt of a petition to this ef fect from property owners and businessmen of that vicinity and other parts of the town, setting forth the fact that a new business block had been built up there after the agreement was made. Howard Burns, town clerk, was instructed to write to the proper railroad authorities to get their ideas on the subject and no more has been recorded on this matter. Water Survey Following the discovery made in Marph, 1948, that the water plant was at peak times pumping water at very nearly its full ca pacity, it was decided by the board to have a . survey made of the water plant, by a specisdist, to ascertain possibilities and costs of needed expansion. This was done by L. E. Wootten, water en gineer from Raleigh and a report made in July, with the estimated cost of expansion set at $218,000. The plans include considerable enlargement of the plant with the addition of new water lines from the Knollwood intersection through a portion of West South ern Pines not now being served; also a new storage tank, higher than the present one, to give im proved service to homes in the Weymouth Heights section. It would take a bond issue to achieve the expansion. Whether or not this will be done has been left to the next board. At the October, 1948, meeting, possible extension of the city lim its was discussed, with emphasis on Pinedene and the Weymouth Heights section. The, discussion was brought on by several appli cations for water service from outside of town, which the town could not fill, because of the state regula1;ions governing services which may be rendered by municipalities. A survey by a qualified planning engineer was suggested, to ascertain which out lying sections should logically be brought within town limits but the matter never came up for dis cussion again. Bus Slalion The bUs station situation came in for considerable discussion, and at one time the board was considering construction of a building behind the fire station, to house the jail, police station and a bus station. Various ob stacles presented themselves 2md this did not get far past the dis cussion stage. A request by Mrs. Adele Moffitt that a price be set on the present jail, for possible purchase by her and conversion to a bus station, was tabled by the board, as it seemed unlikely a new jail could be built in the near future. Finally, last fall, the board endorsed the application of Talmadge Short to the Queen City Coach company, for the building of a bus station at Penn sylvania avenue at Bennett street. No more has been heard of this project to date. In March, 1948, it was decided to ask Paul Van Camp, city engi neer, for an estimate on building sidewalks on May street where Parking Meters? Two meetings in 1947 were half taken up by representatives of parking meter companies, who had asked permission to demon strate their wares, and made strong selling talks in their behalf. Despite these gentlemen’s promise of a golden torrent of new revenue coming in through the meters, the board’s interest was not stirred to any appreciable extent and it seemed to be the consensus that this is one modern improvement of which the town does not yet stand in need. On request of the town, the ABC board last fall abandoned a plan to mo-Ve the ABC store from the police station building to a new store building to be built by Frank Welch,'on New York avenue. Rea son given by the ABC board for desiring to move was the steep ness of insurance in the present building “cn account of break age.” This did not come up at a regular meeting and no reason was assigned by the town board for protesting the change. A move last fall by the board to provide representation at the State Utilities Commission hear ing at Raleigh, in an effort to get better telephone service from the Central Carolina Telephone com pany, was stayed by advice from George ,M. Thompson, assistant manager, that a new dial system was on order for this community. It All Takes Time A number of the board’s actions took more time than their listing aboye would indicate. There was, for instance, considerable discus sion of the ban on Sunday beer and wine, with time taken to sound out beer sellers and get a majority reaction. The purchase of the new garbage disposal equip ment was preceded by conferences with representatives of the North Carolina Equipment company at Raleigh and also by trips to other towns taken by the mayor and other board members to see the method in operatipn. Among other actions: The board established a permit system for fly-by-night photo graphers and book and magazine salesmen with standards which must be met before permits cap be issued. A request by W. W. Sherman, proprietor of the Southern Pines Country club, that the nine-hole course be abandoned and the 18- hole course be closed for the sum mer of 1949, was denied. Endorsement of Resort Airlines was sent to the CAB at Washing ton, D. C., in the move toward community support of the airline in its application for a certificate for vacation cruises. The alley back of R. L. Chand ler’s lot next to the CP&L build ing was filled in with clay, in an effort to prevent flooding of the lot during rainstorms from high ground beyond the alley. A com plaint by Dr. J. M:. Milliken, made in March, 1948, that rain' floods the basement of his office build ing at Pennsylvania and broad, was investigated, and a mound erected. Some sycamores on town land at Pennsylvania and Ashe were cut, on request of J. S. Reynolds, owner of the abutting property, who said he was tired of raking the leaves off. Fishing in the city lake was ex tended to six days a week instead of three. It was decided that single grave- sites would be made available without charge for burial of the bodies of local men killed over seas, and repatriated to home soil; Enforcement was made of a reg ulation that planting on cemetery lots by their owners should not be done except under town super vision, in accord with the prear ranged landscaping plan of the cemetery. Pigpens A pigpen on property adjoining the West Southern Pines school, reported by the January Grand Jury, was cleared away that same week. A discussion followed in the town board meeting as to whether the ordinance forbidding pigpens in the city limits should not be more rigidly enforced. The decision was that the custom of years should be adhered to, order ing the pigpens removed where any complaint is made but leaving them otherwise (in West Southern Pines) as their loss would in many cases work a hardship on needy families. Recommendation of J. D. Arey to serve on the county tax revalu ation board, as representative of this community, was made to the county commissioners, and ac cepted by them. The board is now at work. Routine matters included the is suance of beer licenses (or their denial where the applicant had a Making Democracy Work De Witt Wallace, left, editor of The Reader’s Digest, hears George I. Hall, Grand Exalted Ruler ei the Benevolent and Protective Order w Elks, outline the Order’s campaign to help the nation’s schools teach democracy. Elks lodges are equipping their local schools with sets of “Our American Heritage”, filmstrips that dramatize the birth and develop ment of our democratic freedoms from Magna Charta to the_ present, bring the Freedom Train right into school rooms. The campaign is part of Elks’ program to “make democracy work.” The Digest produced “Out American Heritage" at request of the National Education Association and The American Heritage Foundation, sponsor of Freedom Train. FIVE POLIO PRECAUTIONS ARE LISTED FOR PARENTS Warning that the 1949 polio sea son is “just around the corner,” the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis today issued a list of pre cautionary measures to be observed by those in charge of children during the epidemic dangen period which usually runs from May through October, reaching its peak during the hot, mid-summer months. The five easy-to-fol low health rules for children are: 1. Avoid crowds and places where close contact with other persons is likely^ 2. Avoid over-fatigue caused by too active play or exercise, or ir regular hours. 3. .Avoid swimming in polluted water. JLJse only beaches or public pools declared safe by local health authorities. 4. Avoid sudden chilling. Remove wet shoes and clothing at once and keep extra blankets and heavier clothing handy for sudden weather changes. 5. Observe the golden rule of personal cleanliness. Keep food tightly covered and safe from flies or other insects. Garbage should be tightly covered and, if other dis posal facilities are lacking, it should be buried or burned. The National Foundation also listed the following symptoms of infantile paralysis; headache, nau-. sea or upset stomach, muscle sore ness or stiffness, and unexplained fever. Should .polio strike in your family, call a doctor immediately. Early diagnosis and prompt treat ment by qualified medical personnel often prevent serious crippling, the National Foundation pointed out. The organization emphasized that fear and anxiety should be held to a minimum. A calm, confi dent attitude is conducive to health and recovery. Parents, it said, should remember that of all those stricken, 50 per cent or more re cover completely, while another 25 per cent are left with only slight after effects. If polio is actually diagnosed, contact the chapter of the Nation al Foundation for Infantile Paraly sis serving your community. The chapter will pay that part of the cost of care and treatment which patient or family cannot meet. CUT OUT AND KEEP FOR REFERE'^NCE Welcome Banners To Greet Shriners For* Meeting Here “Welcome” banners, to decorate the town for the visit of 1,500 Shriners here May 13 and 14 are being secured through the Cham ber of Commerce for local mer chants, hotels and restaurants. Tom White, manager, told the Chamber directors in regular ses sion at the Belvedere hotel Tues day night that he had found the banners could be secured reason ably through a Charlotte concern. Since the concern had to start work immediately on the banners, he had had time to contact only a few places, and had placed 10 or ders for banners. Six will go to Aberdeen. The board authorized him to or der a fuU two dozen, for which a small discount in price is allowed, as they said they felt at least that many will be needed. Street banners will also be hung in greeting to the Shriners, who will be here for the Spring Cere monial of Oasis Temple, with headquarters at Charlotte. All local hotels will be filled by the Shriners, who will hold their ceremonial at the Planters Ware house in Aberdeen. Many will bring their wives, and rooms in private homes are being sought by Manager White in cooperation with the convention’s housing committee. Local householders with one or more rooms to rent for the convention week end are being asked to let Mr. White know at the Chamber of Commerce of fice in the Belvedere. The Shriners will put on a pa rade, and will hold a band concert at the Highland Pines Inn and a ball at the Country club. John E. Cline, of Southern Pines; is chair man of the convention committee. Operetta Given At Notre Dame An operetta, “The Outlaw King,” was presented Sunday afternoon by students of Notre Dame academy on the school campus, in a woodland setting ap propriate to the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. “Sher wood Forest” reechoed with laughter and song as the operetta progressed through comic and dramatic scenes, interspersed with dances. Paula Grasser, of Southern Pines, played Robin Hood, with Elizabeth Maguire, of Greensboro, as his Lady Marion. Others in the principal roles included Pearl Winner, of Carolina Beach, as La dy Dorothy; Peggy Wheeler, Ak ron, Ohio, as the Pilgrim; Hannah Joan Walsh, Southern iPnes, as King Richard; Helen Feeney, of Greensboro, as the Sheriff of Not tingham; and Helen Joyce Thom as, Cherry Point, as King John. Danielle Adams, Suzanne De- Lone, Sandra Fitzgibbon, Judy Owens and Susan Smith, all of Pinehurst, were a charming group •of dancers, as ■were boys and girls of the grammar grades as peas ants on the way to the fair. La dies-in-waiting were played by Catharine Gallagher, Salisbury; Rita Mae Blasko, Pennsylvania, Jo Anne Harriss of Southern Pines and Valerie Yow of Greensboro. Costumes were colorful and pic- The Public Speaking UNAUTHORIZED To the Editor: You carried an advertisement in your issue of April 22 with whose sentiments I was wholly in accord, but on which my name was used in an unauthorized fashion, as rep resenting Alcoholics Anonymous.' Everyone who knows about AA knows that no one speaks for it; that it is, in fact, not an organiza tion in any formal sense of the word. It is fellowship of n^en and women with only one strong tie in common. Though this holds them closely, they do not necessarily feel alike about anything else and anyone offering to speak for them on any matter would be presump- tious indeed. In signing the statenient sup porting alcoholic beverage con trol, as opposed to prohibition and lack of control, I did so only as an individual, believing this the right thing and speaking for no one else. I regret the use of the name of AA in this connection. Most sincerely, LLOYD T. CLARK. turMque.. “Tne Outlaw King” was direct ed by Paula Grasser of Southern Pines. During the last war, the Navy procured over 11% million dollars worth of clothing per week each year. It will pay you to shop with us for these and many other items — HOG WIRE POULTRY NETTING SCREEN WIRE REX and COLE GUANO DISRIBUTORS BRICK and TILE MEYERS WATER SYSTEMS HENRY VAN PRE-HEAT TOBACCO CURERS PFLEUGER and SOUTH BEND FISHING REELS KEITH HARDWARE CO. Vass,N.C. there are none, as a matter of pe-lbad record); issuance of licenses destrian safety. No report has for operation of taxis; clearing off the tax books of old and hopeless non-payment cases (only small sums involved); approval of the payment of bills. Tax Rate Maintained Achievement of any town board’s dearest wish—the reduc tion of taxes—was not effected. However, t'hey did manage to keep the tax rate the same, $2.60 per $100 valuation, resisting the temp tation to follow along with many other communities in raising taxes to meet increased expenses. Budget making was not simpli fied by the fact that, for the first time, the budget passed $100,000. In 1947 estimated revenue was $100,434.54. The following year it went up by approximately $5,- 000 on account of new construction in the interval. Bonded indebtedness stood at $397,000 July 1, 1948, and the bud get called for a $32,000 reduction in the ensuing year. No new bonds have been issdfed during this time. New sewer mains have been paid for from the general fund, and new water lines from the surplus of the water department. T* - SISEICKER' 8 BIG DAYS STARTING fRIDAY! iteds..... (SHiY'Hhbs Big Special Offer! BIKE TIRE &. 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