Weather
The forecast calls for mostly cloudy
skies, with a 30 percent chance of rain
and a high of 94, low tonight 65.
Yesterday was a real scorcher, with a
high of 98. Sunday was the coolest day
of the week, with a high of 85 and a low
of 58.
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Vol. 55-No. 34
40 Pages
Southern Pines, North Carolina Wednesday, June 25, 1975
40 Pages
Price 10 Cents
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SAILING IN SANDHILLS — More and more sailboats are seen these days on the
Southern Pines reservoir lake where instructions in sailing are given each
morning during the week by David Drexel under the auspices of the town’s
Department of Recreation.—(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).
Vass Chief Says No Speed Trap
But There Is ‘Tightening Down’
There’s no “speed trap” at
Vass but Police Chief James R.
Grissom says there is definitely a
“tightening down” on speed
ers.
That tightening down resulted
in 30 cases of speeding at last
week’s term of District Court in
Southern Pines.
Chief Grissom said the crack
down has had the desired effect.
“We didn’t have a single arrest
for speeding this past weekend,”
he said. “People have slowed
down.”
The police chief admitted that
30 cases in one week is an
“unusual number,” but he
defended it as necessary to
emphasize that speed laws will
be enjorced in Vass.
“I want the public to know
there is no speed trap here,” he
said. “There is no sitting behind
Despite Confession
He’s Free in Murder
A.verdict of acquittal reached
late Friday afternoon by a Moore
County jury, after one hour’s
deliberation, ended the first-
degree murder trial of Floyd
Sheffield, 39, of the Robbins
community, which had con
sumed the entire week in Moore
Superior Court.
The case had been based
almost entirely on statements
made by the defendant, with
little or no corroborative
evidence, even of the cir
cumstantial variety-except in
one glaring instance: that
Sheffield had told three people he
had strangled his neighbor
Gleason Harding Kennedy, 55,
when no one else knew this or had
any suspicion of him, and an
autopsy-^he second to be per
formed on Kennedy’s body-had
shown this to be true.
In the process of District At
torney Carroll M. Lowder’s
making this point, and getting
Sheffield’s self-incriminating
statements into the record, there
were numerous sensitive areas
in which the admissibility of
evidence was in dispute, which
resulted in almost two days of
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Youth Killed When Car
Overturned In Robbins
Ronnie Wallace, 16, of Car
thage, Rt. 1, was instantly killed
Thursday afternoon when the car
in which he was riding went out
of control as it entered Robbins
on the Talc Mine Road.
Investigating officers said the
car, apparently traveling at a
high rate of speed, crossed the
yards of several homes, was
airborne part of the time, and
g overturned. Young Wallace was
thrown from the car, his body
landing 120 feet away.
Seriously injured in the wreck
was Michael Freeman, 17, of
Eagle Springs, Rt. 1, who
suffered fractures of the neck,
spine and pelvis but was
described a day or two later at
Moore Memorial Hospital as in
“satisfactory” condition.
Moore Coroner A.B. Parker,
who is assisting Patrolman I.D.
Marley of the Robbins police in
the investigation, said Freeman
had been determined to be the
driver of the car, which was
owned by his brother.
It was learned that he had
picked up Wallace earlier that
day at North Moore High School,
after the younger boy had
completed his driver education
class. They rode around a while
and were coming into Robbins
when the accident occurred, the
first traffic fatality in over 15
years to occur within the Robbins
city limits.
Investigation is continuing and
no charges have yet been filed,
the coroner said.
(Continued on Page 10-A)
a bush. All cars are visible.”
Chief Grissom said that speed
limits signs are further out on US
Highway 1 and that signs are
posted at every intersection and
there is a notice that radar is
used.
While the Vass police force was
below normal in manpower the
chief said it was impossible to
adequately patrol the highways.
Now, however, the Vass police
force is at full authorized
strength of four men.
At first Chief Grissom said the
police tried stopping a lot of
people and giving them a war-
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Budget
Approved
By Town
The Southern Pines Town
Council formally adopted a
budget of $1,806,454 Tuesday
night despite a plea for more
funds from the Sandhills Arts
Council.
Julian Long, director of the
Arts Council, was the only citizen
to appear before the town
governing body to question the
budget allotments. After con
sultation with Mayor Earl
Hubbard and several board
members. Long said he under
stood the plight of board
members.
Long came to protest the cut of
$2,500 in the Art Council’s
appropriation from $5,000 last
year. “Our efforts will be
hampered if we have to raise an
extra $2,500 from other sources,”
Long said.
Mayor Hubbard, emphasizing
that he is a strong supporter of
the Arts Council, said the town is
still under too much of a financial
strain to be the sole county
supporter of the Arts Council. He
suggested that the Arts Council
make a greater effort to inform
the public in other municipalities
(Continued on Page 7-A)
HAWAII — In several North
Carolina counties there has been
criticism of county com
missioners attending a con
vention at public expense in
Hawaii, especially in view of
commissioners doing a lot of
budget cutting and not granting
any pay raises to employes.
Tliere has been some grum
bling here.
At any rate, three Moore
County commissioners-John
Womack, Chairman W.S. Taylor
and Lee Williams-along with the
wives, left last Friday for the
convention in Hawaii of the
National Association of County
Government officials. Also at
tending are County Ad
ministrator Bob Helms and Mrs.
Estelle Wicker, county finance
officers. The commissioners are
paying the expenses of their
wives. Also attending the con
vention and paying her own way
is Mrs. Grier Gilmore, register of
deeds.
FOOD TAX VOTE — A
proposal to allow North
Carolinians to vote on repeal of
the sales tax on food next March
when the presidential preference
primary will be held was
defeated in the State Senate last
week by a vote of 32 to 14.
The proposal had been spon
sored by Senator McNeill Smith
of Greensboro and among the 14
voting for it were the two
senators from this district-
Senator Charles Vickery of
Chapel Hill and Senator Russell
Walker of Asheboro.
LEE — Howard Lee, the black
(Continued on Page 10-A)
The chances for a new $2
million building at Sandhills
Community College were further
enhanced this week with a letter
of assurance from Chairman W.
Sidney Taylor of the Moore
County commissioners that
maintenance funds will be
provided although they are not
included in the official 1975-76
budget.
In a letter to H. Clifton Blue,
chairman of the Sandhills Com
munity College Board of Trust
ees, Taylor said:
“The Moore County Commis
sioners are excited and delighted
over your prospects of obtaining
funds from the Frederick I^en-
nedy Foundation for your pro
posed new building. You may be
sure that this board will
adequately fund the annual
maintenance cost of this new
facility as it is now doing for your
present buildings.”
Taylor did ask that the college
go on “an austerity basis” until
the present financial crisis is
over. Taylor also said that
arrangements have been made
for “more public service em
ployes” paid for from federal
emergency employment funds
will be assigned to the college
maintenance department.
The new buil^ng referred to
will house nursing and health
career education training facil
ities, as well as some other
classes, and will also include a
small auditorium.
Chairman Blue of the trustees
said that the college is optimistic
about receiving a $1 million
grant from the Kennedy Founda
tion, which would be matched
with a State grant of $600,000 and
a federal grant of $400,000, for
which application has been
made. Assurances had been
sought from the Kennedy Foun
dation, however, that adequate
maintenance funds would be
made available by the county.
This had prompted a meeting
between college officials and the
(Continued on Page 7-A)
S13 Million Grant
Awarded to Moore
Moore County has been
awarded nearly $13 million by
the Environmental Protection
Agency for the construction of a
wastewater treatment {M'oject.
Congressman Bill Hefner was
notified by the EPA on Wed
nesday, June 18, of the grant.
A total of $12,986,250 was
awarded to the county for the
project.
TTie money will be used to
construct the wastewater
treatment plant, a pump station,
interceptors, monitoring stations
County Budget Adopted;
75‘ Tax Rate Retained
The Moore County com
missioners in special meeting
last Wednesday afternoon
adopted their proposed $9,279,575
bucket without change, despite a
request of the Sandhills Com
munity College for additional
funding in the sum of $84,000.
Sales Tax
Sales tax collections, highly
regarded as an economic baro
meter, continued to run at a high
level in Moore County during
May.
Secretary J. Howard Coble of
the State Department of Revenue
reported this week that the one
percent local option sales tax
collections in Moore for the
month totaled $88,839.52.
Collections of the one percent
tax in neighboring counties
were: Hoke, $17,110.11; Lee,
$66,660.78; Montgomery,
$33,432.21; Richmond, $78,286.24.
*
TRASH PROBLEM— This picture by W.F. Ritter made at Robbins Cross-Roads
shows part of the problem the county has been having with its trash disposal
problem. New (nethods of collection and new containers are planned.
i
and for an infiltration-inflow
survey.
W.S. Taylor, Chairman of the
Moore County Board of Com
missioners, said that the
'engineering for the preject was
nearly completed and that he
hoped construction could begin
before too long.
Taylor, who was notified by
Congressman Hefner’s office of
the grant, announced the ap
proval to the Board of Com
missioners during their meeting
on June 18.
No action was taken on the
request, despite what was
described in the public hearing
preceding the special meeting as
a crisis situation at the college.
A delegation from the college
was present.
The budget had been prepared
for adoption based on retention of
the 75-cent tax rate, based on an
estimated total valuation of
property at $410 million.
It involved adoption of the
tentative budget, presented in
single-spaced, 12 page summary
as the budget ordinance for 197^
76 following its being read aloud
by Mrs. Wicker, an hour-long
process.
The adoption wound up a full
afternoon’s work by the com
missioners in which they also
approved the franchising of the
county’s garbage collection and
landfill operation to the Mon
tgomery Garbage Collection
(Continued on Page 10-A)
VOTING MACHINES — Interest in a voting machine was stirred in the
courthouse corridor, as county commissioners come out of their meeting room,
along with board of election members and other interested people, to witness the
salesman’s demonstration. From left are seen Commissioners W.S. Taylor and
Floyd Cole; Angus M. Brewer, of the elections board; H.A. Brogden, county
auditor; James Thomas, Moore County Republican chairman, and Henry Bost,
the salesman; and at right. Commissioner Arthur Purvis.—(Photo by V.
Nicholson).
Hearing Thursday Could Wind Up
Controversy On Duncraig Manor
A hearing which could quickly
wind up the Duncraig Manor
controversy, or turn it around to
seek a new direction, has been
set by Superior Court Judge
James M. Long for 2 p.m.
Thursday, either at Monroe or at
Carthage.
The hearing will be on a
defense motion in the Town of
Southern Pines’ suit against
directors and officers of the
Southeastern Regional Mental
Health Center at Lumberton,
asking a summary judgment on
the basis that an agency of the
State cannot be sued.
If the judge allows the motion,
the case Vfill become “not
triable”“though it could
probably go on into an appeal.
Judge Long said he would
notify lawyers on both sides as
soon as possible after noon on
Wednesday, whether he would
conduct the hearing at Monroe,
where he is presiding over a
court term this week, or whether
he will be able to complete his
work there in time to move it to
Carthage, as he would prefer.
because of the local interest.
W. Lament Brown, town at
torney of Southern Pines, and W.
D. Sabiston, Jr., of Carthage,
who is associated with him in this
case, will conduct the arguments
for the plaintiff, while W.
Osborne Lee, Jr., of Lumberton
and James Van Camp of
Southern Pines and Carthage
will act for the defense.
If the defense motion is
allowed, it u. anticipated that a
companion suit, Mrs. Constance
M. Baker vs. the Town of
Southern Pines, will possibly be
withdrawn.
Both suits are listed, in first
and second place, to be tried
together, on the preliminary
calendar completed Monday
afternoon for a special civil term
of Moore Superior Court set for
the week of July 21.
A court order confirming the
date of the special term, with
assignment of Superior Court
(Continued on Page 7-A)
Tobacco Sales To Start
On Moore Marts July 15
Weymouth
Museum
To Open
The Weymouth Woods
museum which interprets the
story of the Sandhills region will
be open to the public in just two
weeks.
That’s the word from Scott
Bowling, museum curator for all
North Carolina State Parks.
Bowling was in town last week to
survey museum progress so far
and to make plans for the future.
Bowling said the museum will
tell the story of how the Sandhills
were formed, how the longleaf
pine forest came into being, and
why the forest is unique to the
region.
“The museum is not a self-
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Tobacco auction markets in
Moore County will open on July
15-the earliest opening in the
county’s history.
Markets in Moore are at
Carthage and Aberdeen.
The date was set by the federal
Flue-Cured Tobacco Advisory
Committee. The committee
establishes market areas and
opening dates for the Florida to
Virginia flue-cured tobacco
growing region. Their recom
mendation is routinely approved
by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Talmadge Baker, Moore
County Agriculture Agent, ob
served this week that “there is a
real good tobacco crop on the
way. The early opening of the
market is indicative of that.”
Baker expects the first curing
by the end of next week, which
means growers will have to
hurry to prepare for auction
openings just three weeks away.
The committee also announced
that 24 sets of buyers have been
asssigned to this region, desig
nated as Area C, and including 21
markets. Area C includes Eller-
be, Carthage, Sanford, Fuquay-
(Continued on Page 10-A)
Legislature Nears Closing
And Anything Ccin Happen
BYBILLNOBLITT
The final hectic days before
adjournment of the General
Assembly are especially im
portant for conscientious citizens
and lawmakers.
The chances for error are
plenty; it will be weeks, even
months, before people figure out
what has happened in some
cases.
During that rush to ad
journment is brought even more
strongly home the truth of that
old political saw: there are two
things in life a sensitive fellow
ought not watch-lawmaking and
sausage making.
“We ought to quit and go home,
leaving things undone instead of
rushing along headstrong into
trouble,” opined State Rep. W.S.
Harris Jr., D-Alamance, as he
watched the hatchet committee
wade in often total confusion
through nearly 60 legislative
proposals in less than four hours.
Echoing the general mood.
State Rep. Craig Lawing, D-
(Continued on Page 10-A)
‘Dr. Vida’ Keeps On the Go;
79 Years Do Not Slow Her
BYJBVIBUIE
The summer of 1970, “just for
fun,” she walked part of an
Australian desert until the soles
of her shoes melted off. The next
summer, she sojourned to India
where she was hoisted up
mountains by hospitable natives.
The summer after that, she spent
four days shooting the rapids of
the Colorodo River.
She is Dr. Vida McLeod, 79, a
general practictioner in Southern
Pines since 1926.
Her patients hail her as a
vanishing breed of doctor, one
who cannot look upon them in an
impersonal way.
“She’s like a second mother to
me,” one middle-aged lady ob
served. “When I go in for a
check-up, she wants to know how
every member of the family is
doing. She never hesitates to give
advice about things that are
bothering me either.”
The slim, vibrant “Dr. Vida,”
as even the children patients call
her, finds nothing unusual about
herself. “What possibly could be
interesting about me?” she
greeted this reporter.
A graduate of Baylor Medical
College of Texas in 1919, Dr. Vida
was originally interested in
pathology and radiology. She
swore never to practice med
icine, but when her husband,
Walter, a Southern Pines physic
ian, became fatally ill, she
stepped in and took over his
practice.
Patients often send her gifts in
appreciation for her service,
everything from pistols to bowls
of tomatoes.
Her working day varies in
length, but she often does not
return home until after 7 p.m. “I
don’t have the same responsibil
ities as a lot of doctors,” she said.
“I live alone. There’s nobody to
wait .for me at home except two
hungry dogs.”
The dogs-Chief, a mischievous
Skye Terrier, and Kiwi, a
nine-year old dachsund, are the
latest in a long line of canine
companions. Until the mid-l%0’s
she had two Great Danes, one of
whom would accompany her to
the office each morning.
(Continued on Page 10-A)