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Index
Books, 2-B; Church News, 3-B;
Classified Ads, 8-15-D; Editorials, 1-
B; Entertainment, 1-4-D; Obituaries,
13-A; Pinehurst News, 1-4-C; Sandhills
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Vol. 59, Number !
Pages
Southern Pines, North Carolina 28387
Wednesday, May 9,1979
86 Pages
PRICE 15 CENTS
V
, 7^
STILL THERE—The dark line along the side of King Road on the Fort
Bragg reservation, within two miles of Southern Pines, shows that the
PCBs, illegally dumped in 1978, are still there. The state is still
negotiating environmental authorities about what to do with
them.—(Photo by Glenn M. Sides).
Longer Terms, Extra Tax
On Council’s Next Agenda
The Southern Pines Town
Council took little action at its
monthly meeting Tuesday night,
where citizen input was minimal.
Instead, the. Council spent much
of the meeting planning public
hearings for future sessions, both
in the form of June’s Council
meeting and other, called
sessions.
Public hearings on staggered
terms for the Town Council’s
members, as well as the 1979-1980
budget and a new proposed tax
district headline the itenis for
discussion at the next regular
session.
As the hearing for staggered
terms was proposed. Council
member Hope Brogden said “I
think we ou^t to point out if we
elect to have staggered terms it
would be for four-year terms or
else we’d have elections every
New Ag
Talked By County
Is a new agriculture building in
the future for Moore County?
The Moore County Board of
Commissioners gave ample hint
of this Monday when they put an
Extension request for new
draperies “on the back burner”
until a building decision is made.
Commissioners gave no details
r other than to hint that a new
structure in the Hillcrest area is
being considered. The county
already owns property there.
If the proposal is carried out,
plans apparently call for moving
the crowded health department
next door into the building
presently occupied by the
Agriculture Extension Ifervice
and related agriculture agencies.
Extension Chairman
Talmadge S. Baker, who is
leaving later this month to
accept a similar position in
Randolph County, said the idea
“sounds great.” He noted that
there is a need to place all
agriculture agencies in the same
facility and to have a larger
(Continued on Page 13-A)
County Faces No Costs
J'or Industrial Bonds
BY FLORENCE GILKESON
The $7.5 million in revenue
bonds authorized for ARO
Corporation, Moore County’s
newest indusfry, will not cost the
county anything at all, according
to the people responsible for
carrying out varying phases of
the project.
Even if the corporation were to
go bankrupt-which isn’t likely
because of safeguards built into
state law-the loss would be that
of the corporation, the financial
institutions and the investors and
not Moore County.
What it will do, however, will
be to add $7.5 million to the
county’s tax base as soon as the
project is complete. Taxes will
be payable to the comity as soon
as ARO becomes operative here
as a producer of pneumatic tools.
“Nothing from the county is
pledged as security,” explains
John M. May, county attorney.
May assisted the Moore County
Industrial Facilities and
Pollution Control Financing
Authority with legal work in
volved in securing approval for
the industrial revenue bonds
from the North Carolina
Department of Commerce.
Approval was announced AprU
(Continued on Page 10-A)
THE
PILOT LIGHT
year.”
John May, chairman of the
Downtown Revitalization
Committee, presented the
Council with formal
recommendation of a
commercial tax district, the
product of an outline he drew for
them at a called meeting in
April.
At the earlier date, May said
“This is the most equitable way
of having the district that is
getting the most advantage (of
revitalization) to provide a
portion of the funds.”
He elaborated to the Mayor
and Council that “...the tax
district may be established for
the purpose of implementing
downtown revitalization
projects. The tax district is
allowed through the statutes of
North Carolina.
“Obviously, one of the key
(Continued on Page 12-A)-
Liquor
Sales Over
$3 Million
Sales at Moore County
Alcoholic Beverage Control
stores exceeded $3 million over
the past 12 months, the County
Board of Commissioners was
advised at its May meeting
Monday.
L.J. Hinson, manager of the
Moore County ABC Board,
reported that the 12-month sales
totalled $3,070,408.47, of which
$113,478.47 represents “liquor by
the drink” sales. Hinson said
that from the total $533,589.10 in
22% percent and four percent
sales taxes was paid to the State
Department of Revenue and
approximately $1,320,275.64 in
taxes was paid to the federal
government.
Hinson added that the five cent
per bottle tax was remitted to
the Moore County Board of
Commissioners; this amounted
to $28,097.10. The commissioners
likewise received a check for
$14,496.25 as their portion of the
$10 a gallon mixed beverage tax.
The State Department of Human
(Continued on Page 14-A)
Tax Rate Hinted Here
As County Plans Budget
BY FLORENCE GILKESON
When the Moore County
conunissioners “back into” the
new tax rate for 1979-80, it may
be 48 cents on the $100 property
valuation. .
This figure was casually
dropped during an informal
discussion of the county’s tax
base Monday near the close of a
six and a half hour long board
meeting.
The board had spent much of
the day listening to budget
requests from county agencies
and institutions.
Sandwiched into the long day
were such budget related mat
ters as a separation of the
positions of tax supervisor and
finance officer and a renewal of
the board’s support of a $10
million bond issue as the method
to pay for needed school building
improvements.
If a tax rate in the neigh
borhood of 48 cents is adopted,
Moore County property owners
will be paying more taxes. The
present 75-cent rate, in effect for
the past eight years, is based on
ix'operty valued at about $580
million, but a county-wide
property reassessment program
is expected to bring about a
substantial increase in property
valuation. It had been prechcted
that when the revaluation is
complete, the county’s total
valuation will almost double to
more than $1 billion.
More recently, however,
county officials have not ex
pressed much optimism that the
h billion figure will be reached.
Commissioner James Craven
clung to the belief that it will top
$1 billion and said: “If we don’t
have $1 billion, something’s
wrong.”
He was advised that some
property did not climb in value
as much as expected and that the
county’s large retirement age
population is causing a sizeable
reduction in the tax base by
requesting a legal discount on
their property.
From Finance Officer Estelle
Wicker the board learned that
$381,000 is the “uncollected”
figure for the current tax year.
Mrs. Wicker also estimated that
for the new year Moore County
should receive about $598,042 in
federal Revenue Sharing funds.
The commissioners argued
briefly about the county’s
tradition of “backing into” a tax
Firemen’s Day
Final arrangements are now
under way for a Firemen’s
parade to be held Saturday, May
19, beginning at 11 a.m. in
Southern Pines. The parade is
sponsored by the Sandhills
Firefighters Association.
“We would like to extend a
personal invitation to all to see
the parade,” a spokesman said..
Fire apparatus from across the
eastern part of the state will be
included in the parade. “Old
Betsy,” Southern Pines’ oldest
fire truck, circa 1925, will be
shown in tlie parade.
Following the parade,
competition and events will be
held at the Fire Department off
Morganton Road. One of the
highlights will be a foam
demonstration.
rate-a procedure whereby they
set a tax rate, then reduce the
budget requests until the budget
equals the tax money expected in
order to carry that tax rate. It
seems likely this procedure will
be followed again this year.
Liquor Bill
A bill introduced by Rep. T.
Clyde Auman to allow a local
option mixed drink referendum
in Mineral Springs Township
(which includes Pinehurst)
passed the State House of
Representatives Tuesday
afternoon by a vote of 84-20.
The bill now goes to the Senate
for action.
Auman’s bill applies to two
townships, the other being
McNeill because it specifies that
local option would be permitted
where ABC stores were
established by petition and the
two Moore townships are the
only two in the state which meet
that specification.
Foxfire and Country Club of
North Carolina are also included
in the provisions for liquor-by-
the-driidc.
Dr. Owens
To Speak
At Finals
Dr. FranjCls L. Owens,
prominent Moore County
physician, will be the
commencement speaker for the
spring graduation exercises at
Sandhills Community Colleee.
The ceremony will be held at 8
o’clock in the evening of Friday,
May 25, in the Fountain
Coi^yard on the campus.
Some 200 students will be
awarded Associate Degrees and
diplomas at the ceremony.
Dr. Owens has served as a
member of the Board of Trustees
of the college for many years,
and has been a strong supporter
of the nursing and allied health
programs. He was instrumental
in securing a grant from the
Frederick Kennedy Foundation
in Boston which made possible
the Audrey Kennedy Memorial
Building at Sandhills College.
The wing of the building that
contains the nursing and allied
health programs was named for
him at the formal dedication
program a year ago in April.
The spring conunencement at
(Continued on Page 14-A)
Murder Trial
Trial of the Shelley Martin
murder case is underway in a
special mixed criminal and civil
session of Moore County Superior
Court. Judge Thomas W. Seay
Jr. of Spencer is presiding.
The ^year-old defendant is
charged in the Jan. 15 stabbing
death of her husband, Lance
Martin, at their condominium
home in Pinehurst.
A jury was seated on Monday,
and most of the Tuesday session
was spent hearing evidence by
the State. Testimony by the first
witness for the defense began
yesterday afternoon and
continued this morning.
School Bond Issue
A free-wheeling discussion of
the school bond question was
brief, but most board members
expressed favor for a bond issue,
rather than the “pay as you go”
method preferred by the school
board.
Board Chairman Lee Williams
quoted State Rep. Clyde Auman
and State Sen. Russell Walker as
expressing fear a state bond
issue will not pass if and when it
is brought to a vote in the next
two years. They based their
opinion on a predicted recession.
A state referendum cannot be
held this year because of the time
element; it is too late for the
legislature to take action this
session.
The commissioners informally
agreed that the school board
should be advised the county “is
not in a position to ‘pay as you
go’ and that it’s up to them (the
school board) to ask for the
referendum.”
Craven recommended that
“we take whatever action is
needed to set the wheels in
motion” for a bond referendum.
“Some of these people don’t
want to wait 10 years for school
improvements,” said Com-
(Continued on Page 13-A)
Legislators Give Answers
On Tax Issue, Pay Raises
In a wide ranging question-
and-answer session members of
the Sandhills Area Chamber of
Commerce got an up-to-the
minute report on Saturday
morning on what the North
Carolina Legislature is doing.
Giving their own positions as
well as their opinions on
legislative issues were Rep. T.
Clyde Auman and Senator
Charles Vickery.
Senator Russell Walker, the
other senator from the 16th
District which includes Moore
County, was unable to be present
because of a prior conunitment
to the Ramp Festival in
Waynesville.
The breakfast meeting at the
Sheraton Inn was sponsored by
the Chamber of Commerce and
was attended by more than 75
persons. Chamber President
Harris Blake opened the meeting
and W. Lament Brown presided.
Auman and Vickery spoke
briefly on the legislative outlook
and then Brown opened the
session to questions.
Auman said that a study
commission whose creation he
sponsored last year had
recommended repeal of the
intangibles tax but that local
government lobbying groups are
fighting a repeal measure. He
said “we may get the tax off
bank deposits.”
He pointed out that Moore
County gets $600,000 a year from
the intangibles tax, but he thinks
that would more than be made up
with people moving here if the
intangibles tax is repealed and
with a consequent increase in the
ad valorem tax base. “The in
tangibles tax is counter-
Iffoductive and I think North
Carolina is very short-sighted in
keeping it,” he said.
Senator Vickery agreed with
Writers Coming
The first writers-in-residence
will arrive at Weymouth Center
on Sunday afternoon in the
beginning of a new program in
the arts and humanities at the
center.
Guy Owen, the noted novelist
and poet, will be the first writer-
in-residence.
Other writers who will be here
at the same time are Poets Betty
Adcock and Agnes McDonald.
On Saturday, May 19, they will
join with the Friday Noon Poetry
Club of Chapel Hill for a series of
readings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
to which the public is invited.
DEMCICRATS-Moore County
Democrats will meet in
convention at the courthouse in
Carthage on Saturday, May 19,
at 2 p.m.
y Chairman J. Ed Causey said
new officers will be elected, and
he urged all Democrats in the
county to attend.
ELECTIONS—It appears that
the Moore County Board of
Elections will have to divide
Pinehurst precinct into two now
that the county commissioners
have changed the township
boundary lines to place residents
of the Country Club of North
Carolina in the Pinehurst area.
Pinehurst already is the
largest precinct in the county,
with 2,182 registered voters, and
there has been talk for some
time that it is too big.
Moore County’s total
registration as of April 30 is
20,399, of which 12,601 are
Democrats and 6,932 are
Republicans. There is one
member of the Libertarian party
and 865 listed as unaffiliated.
HIGHWAYS—A public
meeting where citizens can
present their highway needs and
priorities will be held for
Division Eight of the State Board
of Transportation at Southern
Pines Town Hall on Wednesday,
June 6, at 2 p.m.
Counties in Division Eight are
Moore, Chatham, Hoke, Lee,
Montgomery, Randolph,
Richmond and Scotland.
The first of the public
(Continued on Page 12-A)
Students: ^There’s Nothing To Do’
BY PATSY TUCKER
AND JENNIFER CALDWELL
May is here and in full force.
Afterward comes the steaming
hot weather which is perfect for
a few select things: swimming
or sitting in the air-conditioning.
No one can do either aU day, and
the ones who have the most time
on their hands are pre-teens and
early teen-agers, who have more
cause than ever in summer to
make the age-old complaint:
“There’s nothing to do.”
That was the stock answer
when two Pilot reporters spent
some time at Pinecrest High
School last week and asked
students what they planned to doi
this summer and what they do in
their spare time now (the school
Hess
King
Creed
LeGrande
Miley
McMillan
year) for fun. Following are
some of their responses.
Bill Hess: “I’ll either help my
dad, he builds houses, or go over
to my girlfriend’s.”
Robert King: “Work at the
Elks Qub.”
Tommy Smith: “Nothing.”
Cheri Creed: “It’s either
working or working in the
garden or raising puppies.” She
said at night she goes to the
Crash Landing or Crackers in
Rockingham.
Becky Barner: “I play
basketball, tennis. I like to ride
bikes, I read occasionally, go to
the movies, McDonalds or Pizza
Hut.” Miss Barner, a
sophomore, said she would
probably work in the Pinecrest
office during the summer.
Susan Richardson: “There’s a
big shortage of things to do in
Southern Pines. There ought to
be some place where we could go
dancing. There’s really no place
to hang around. They run you
away from the park.” She
mentioned she meets her friends
at McDonalds, and plans to go to
Camp Monroe and , wprk at
(Continued on Page 14^A1
Rep. T. Clyde Auman
Rep. Auman and declared, “In
the long fun'^all local govern
ments would benefit from
repeal.” He said he and Senator
Walker have sponsored a bill to
Sen. Charles Vickery
repeal the tax for persons over 65
years of age, and he still has
hopes for passage of that bill.
Both Auman and Vickery said
(Continued on Page 14-A)
Repeal Of Survivor Tax
Seen As Helping State
BYBILLNOBLITT
Legislative leaders are intent
on getting North Carolina off a
military retirement blacklist
which may be hurting the state.
This is one of four states which
collects an inheritance tax on
benetits paid to the survivors of a
retired military person who dies.
And while the tax produces less
than a quarter of a million each
year, it could easily be keeping
many times that much money
from being generated through
other tax channels such as sales
taxes, income taxes, etc.
Actually, military retirees are
“big business” in North Carolina
because of the major in
stallations (Ft. Bragg, Camp
Lejeune, Elizabeth City, Gold-
(Continued on Page 14-A)
Post Office Not Taking
Small Sized Envelopes
llie U.S. Post Office has set
July 15 as a target date for
enforcing a new regulation on the
size envelopes that may be sent
through the nation’s mail.
Robert E. Peele, Southern
Pines Postmaster, said “After
July 15, envelopes and cards
measuring less than 3% inches
high or 5 inches long will be
returned to the sender if
mailed.”
The regulations also prohibit
flimsy cards. In the future they
must be at least seven-thousands
of an inch think. An official
postal card, for instance, has a
thickness of nine-thousands of an
inch.
Undersized pieces and flimsy
cards are being banned because
(Continued on Page 12-A)-
m
SPEARHEAD FOUND—This Indian artifact
was found about 18 inches beneath the surface
when workers from Gulley’s Garden Center
were planting trees in the Country Club of
North Carolina area. It was found and claimed
by gardener Henry Wicker. Pete Gulley called
it “the prettiest I ever saw" and Mark Liddell,
collector, said it was the largest he had ever
seen. Liddell identified it as a Savannah River
type, dating around 1500 B.C. The picture shows
its size as compared with a pack of matches.