Index
Books, 2-B; Church Calendar, 3-B;
Classified Ads, 10-15^!); Editorials, 1-B;
Entertainment, 4-7-C; Obituaries, 10-A;
Pinehurst News, 1-3-C; Social News, 2-
9-A; Sports, 12-14-A; Spotlight, 6-A.
ILOT
Weather
Vol. 57, Number
48 Pages
Southern Pines, North Caroiina Wednesday, May 1977
48 Pages
Rain is expected to continue today with
a 70 percent chance of showers today,
40 percent tomorrow. Daytime tem
peratures in the 70s, at night, 60s.
Possible thundershowers.
Price 15 Cents
Town Grows
In Acreage,
Population
Southern Pines woke up
Tuesday morning about 29
percent larger than it had been
the night before, and with al^ut
16 percent more population.
The overnight growth resulted
from the annexation of four
areas, which occurred officially
at 12:01 a.m., adding 1,016 acres
to the previous 3,354, and 1,026
estimated population to the
previous estimate of 6,924.
The result is a municipality of
some 4,370 acres, with population
of 7,950-or, since the population
figures are over two years old,
they could be rounded off at
8,000, considering development
during those two years.
Word received Monday from
the attorney for a group of
citizens who had staved off an
nexation, and town taxes, for
nearly a year, was that his
clients had decided to take no
further action in the matter.
They had carried their com
plaint of irregular procedure on
the part of the Town into the
superior court, then the N.C.
Court of Appeals, both of which
recognized certain irregularities
existing in the annexation
procedure, but decided that they
were of no substantive effect.
The May 24 date was set by the
Court of Appeals as that on which
the annexation-which had been
(Continued on Page 15A)
State’s Economy Bright
Sales Figures Indicate
BYBILLNOBLITT
If, as the salesman insists,
nothing happens till somebody
sells something...things are
happening again in North
Carolina.
Comparison of sales figures
across the state for the year
ending in January, 1977, with the
previous year paints a bright
picture of the state’s economy.
For without sales, there’d be
less need for manufacturing,
transporting, displaying, ad-
Sanford Here
President Terry Sanford of
Duke University will deliver the
Commencement address at
Pinecrest High School on June
10.
This is the only high school
finals appearance for the former
Governor of North Carolina this
spring.
BIRD CITY — There are more than 50 bird houses,
most of them gourds, in this bird city on a farm near
Jugtown in northern Moore County. There are few
vacancies. —(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).
528 Slated
For Elks
Tourney
A total of 528 golfers are
arriving here this week for the
Elks National Invitational
Amateur Golf Tournament,
which begins tomorrow and
continues through Saturday at
the Southern Pines Elks Club.
Tournament Director Pete
Piestrak expects another suc
cessful tournament, largest of its
kind in the country. It is teing
held for the 16th annual time.
Piestrak has announced that
the chief starter at the Hyland
Hills course will be Jack Ken
drick. Other Chief Starters are
Whispering Pines, Dr. Gene
Scott; Southern Pines Elks Club,
Mrs. Charlie Ruptic.
Other officials include
Pairings Chairman, Bobby
Brooks; Scoring Chairman,
Wiley Barnett; Awards, Mr. and
Mrs. Bobby Brooks; Rules,
Marty Foster and the resident
pro at each golf course and
Publicity, Carlos Frye.
Armen Fletcher, winner for
the past two years and six times
(Continued on Page 16A)
Water Curbs
Are Lifted
After Rains
COURT FACILITY SITE — Work got under way this
past week on clearing the site in preparation for the_
beginning of construction on the new Moore County
court facility. The present courthouse is in the
background. Completion date for the new court
building is after 510 work days. — (Photo by Glenn M.
Sides).
Town Bonds Sold At Low Interest
For New Fire Station, Work Center
Sandhills
Delaying
Payment
The Sandhills Community
College Board of Trustees voted
at a meeting Monday night to ask
the state Attorney General to
reconsider a ruling last week
that it should repay $9,000 to the
state Board of Education and to
withhold repayment until that
and another issue is determined.
The other issue refers to action
by the state Board of Education
last June in which the board
chairman was empowered to
appoint a special committee to
look into the Sandhills matter
and report back to the board.
President Raymond Stone of
the college said that as far as he
knew the chairman never acted
on the motion, made by then
State Treasurer Eldwin Gill. The
Sandhills trustees felt that some
determination of the motion
should be made before
repayment is made.
In a recent ruling the Attorney
Town Manager Lew Bronm
today announced that the Town is
lifting its ban on non-essential
water use which was imposed
last Tuesday.
The response to the resolution
adopted by the Town Council
placing the restrictions has been
excellent, according to Brown.
Water consumption was
significantly reduc^ beginning
last Tuesday, and as a result the
Town was able to maintain
adequate supplies of treated
water in its elevated storage
tanks.
Brown said that the rains
experienced since last Thursday
had eased the drought con
ditions, and the Town felt that
water consumption would now
return to more normal levels.
For these reasons. Brown is
lifting the restrictions in the
resolution as he had been
authorized by the Council to do
when water consumption
returned to more normal levels.
Mayor E. J. Austin expressed
the Town (^uncil’s appreciation
to all of the citizens who had
cooperated by refraining from
watering their lawns, washing
cars and other non-essential
watering. “I feel the kind of
cooperation we received from
vertising, and retailing.
The past year boomed to 13.32
percent increase over the
previous year, according to sales
and use tax collections compiled
by the State Department of
Revenue.
Total retail sales, wholesale
licenses and use tax collections
reached $512.9 million; com
pared to $452.6 million the
previous year-a jump of $60.3
million.
Where does the big money
come in state sales and use tax
collections? You could guess by
recalling the strenuous ob
jections of governmental leaders
to any fiddling with the sales tax
on food.
Food Tax
That category produced $142.3
million in 1976; compared to
$130.1 million the previous year-
up 9.36 percent.
Second to food and beverages
(Continued on Page 16A)
The North Carolina Local
Government Commission in
formed the Town of Southern
Pines on Tuesday that the
Town’s $750,000 general
obligation bond issue had been
sold to the low bidder, Wachovia
Bank and J. Lee Peeler Company
for a net interest cost of 5.0417
percent.
The $750,000 in bonds had been
sold by the Town to finance a new
Fire Station, a Public Works
Center, and recreation facilities
which had been approved by the
voters on May 22, 1976.
Memorial Day
Some offices will be closed on
Memorial Day-Monday, May 30-
-while most will remain open.
The Post Office and all banks
will be closed for the national
holiday.
Southern Pines town govern
ment and Moore County
government will stay open.
All businesses and stores will
remain open in the Sandhills
area.
Memorial Day services will be
conducted Sunday, May 29, at 1
p.m. at the Mount Hope
Cemetery.
Services will be conducted by
the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Post 7318, and Auxiliary, and the
American Legion with their
Auxiliary on the Avenue of the
Flags.
Everyone is invited to attend
the services.
17 Deaths
Predicted
On Holiday
Seventeen persons could lose
their lives in traffic accidents in
North Carolina over the long
Memorial Day Weekend, the
N.C. State Motor Club has
estimated.
The state will count its toll over
a 78-hour period from 6 p.m.
Friday, May 27, until midnight
Monday, May 30. Last year 19
persons were killed in mishaps
on Tar Heel highways, while 13
died in 1975 and 1974, motor
vehicle records indicate.
“We want to remind all drivers
that the speed limit is 55 miles
per hour,’’ Watkins said. Persons
who exceed that limit are asking
for trouble.’’ Watkins pointed out
that many accidents are caused
by speeding, reckless driving
and driving under the influence.
“If a person realizes this,
perhaps he will slow down and
obey safe driving practices.”
“The purpose of predicting the
number of fatalities that will
occur is to make the traveling
public more alert and more
safety conscious.” Watkins said.
(Continued on Page 15A)
Town Manager Lew Brown
said that the Town is very
pleased with the low interest rate
bid by Wachovia.
“When we initially presented
the bond proposal to the voters,
we were using an estimated
interested rate of 6.25 percent for
the bonds. We had recently
revised that estimated interest
rate to 5.5 percent. The low bid
represents almost a half of a
percentage point less than our
most recent estimates. The
College To Give Degrees
At Friday’s Exercises
A highlight of the com
mencement ceremony at San
dhills Conununity (Allege at 8 on
the evening of May 27 will be the
presentation of honorary
associate degrees to eight
members of the Board of
Trustees who have served since
the Board was first organized,
and Mrs. C. Louis Meyer of
Pinehurst, donor of the land for
%
COMING HERE — Noted
actor Dana Andrews will
star in the Pinehurst
Dinner Theater
production, “The
Marriage Go Round” July
1-12 at the Pinehurst Hotel.
(See story entertainment
page).
the college site and long sup
porter of the college.
The presentation of honorary
degrees recognizes their service
to the development of Sandhills
Community College. It is a fitting
tribute, according to Dr.
Raymond A. Stone, president of
Sandhills.
H. Clifton Blue, chairman of
the Board of Trustees, will be the
commencement speaker. Blue
was Speaker of the House in the
1963 General Assembly which
established the state-wide
system of community colleges
and technical institutes, and led
the campaign for a community
college in Moore County. He was
appointed to the Board of
li^tees by then-governor Terry
(Continued on Page 16A)
Open House
An Open House will be held
Friday, May 27, between 4 and 6
p.m. at the Sandhills Mental
Health Center as part of the
observance of Mental Health
Month.
V. Paul McDonald, director of
the Moore - Hoke - Montgomery
unit, said visitors will have the
opportunity to meet the staff, to
learn about the [x-ogram and tour
the facility at Moore Memorial
Hospital.
Light refreshments will be
served.
result of this will be substantial
interest savings to the Town over
the life of the bonds.
“For example, the difference
in the bid and the 5.5 percent
interest rate we had been
estimating would save the Town
approximately $3,500 during the
first year.
“I understand from the Local
Government Commission that
the bond buyer index for the
previous week was 5.7 percent.
This indicates that the Town’s
bonds sold significantly below
the current index. We feel that
this is an indication that m-
vestors feel that the Town is in
sound financial condition and is
managing its affairs properly.”
BCown said that work has
already begun on the faculties to
be financed with the bonds with
the expectation that the project
wUl be completed in about ten
months.
The Southern Pines Town
CouncU, in a special meeting at 8
(Continued on Page 16A)
(Continued on Page 15A) (Continued on Page 15A)
Didn’t Want A Lawyer;
Draws Long Prison Term
A brief jury trial Tuesday
afternoon in Moore Superior
Churt ended in a prison sentence
for an elderly, white-haired
Budget Meet
The Moore County com
missioners are meeting in an all
day session today in an attempt
to finish up work on the 1977-78
budget.
Budget requests have been
presented by all departments
and agencies, and today’s
session is designed to trim the
requests to meet anticipated
revenue.
No tax increase is planned, and
CTiairman W. S. Taylor said
there were far more requests for
funds than revenue estimates.
defendant. ^
Robert McIntosh, 72, who had
said he would act as his own
attorney, but who actually put iq)
no defense, drew three to five
years for assault with a firearm
on a public officer.
He came into court without
counsel, and when Judge
Thomas H. Lee of Durham,
presiding, inquired about this,
McIntosh responded tartly, “I
don’t want no damn lawyer.”
When the judge advised him of
his rights to court-appointed
counsel, he quickly waived them,
stating belligerently that he
would defend himself.
He accepted the jurors that
were in the box, then sat silent as
the State put on its onlv witness,
(Continued on Page 15A)
Julia Metcalfe Awarded Title
Of Moore County Junior Miss
BY VALERIE NICHOLSON
Julia Metcalfe, pert and
jMretty, a tiny dynamo of per
sonality and talent, “washed that
man” out of her short brown
curls Saturday night, and came
ujT with the title and crown of
Moore County’s second “Junior
Miss.”
Julia, the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas J. Metcalfe of
Southern Pines, well known for
her excellent performances in
several recent local plays,
played Nellie Forbush in “South
Pacific” with verve and sparkle
as she sang Nellie’s song, “I’m
(]k)nna Wash That Man Ri^t Out
of My Hair,” in the talent part of
the program.
Wearing a Ix-ief white playsuit,
she acted as well as sang the part
in a gay spontaneous manner.
The pageant, sponsored by the
Pinehurst Lions Club, was
brimming over with talent,
exemplified in all 13 young
candidates, but talent actually
counted only 20 percent in the
(Continued on Page 16A)
THE
PILOT LIGHT
LEGISLATURE-June 17 is the
target date set by the 1977
General Assembly for adjourn
ment.
Legislative leaders have not
publicized the date and they are
not sure they can make it but
that’s when they would like to see
all votes taken on the
appropriations bills and other
measures still pending.
It was obvious this week that
the Legislature was moving
toward adjournment as the
meetings of appropriations
committees became more
frequent and longer.
Within the coming week the
legislators will get a new revenue
estimate for the coming
biennium, and in all likelihood it
will be some larger than earlier
forecasts.
TRUCKERS-The powerful
truckers lobby has been at work
for months to line up support for
their revival of the twin trailers
bill which was recently
introduced, and several
legislators say they may have
such strong backing ^at it
cannot be defeated this time.
While only Secretary Tom
Bradshaw of the Department of
Transportation has given
tentative endorsement to the
twin trailers proposal, the report
in Raleigh is that it also has the
support of Governor Jim Hunt,
Lt. Grov. Jinuny Green and
Speaker of the House Carl J.
Stewart Jr.
(Continued on Page 15A)
(.V
JUNIOR MISS — Julia Metcalfe, (seated) daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J.
Metcalfe of Southern Pines, is crowned Moore County’s Junior Miss at Pinef^r'^
Saturday night. From left to right are Tami Hussey, selected J.
Congeniality;” Evelyn Bruton, first runner-up; Miss Metcalfe, Joy jmhnson,
outgoing title-holder; and Laurie Heath, second runnertup.—(Photo by Emerso
Humphrey).
I
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