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PROGRESS SENTINEL
JvOL XXXXIV NO.37 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE. NC 28349 SEPTEMBER 20. 14~9 14 PAGES I H1S WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
.Warsaw Mayor
Indicted For Fraud
A Dunn nursing home
owner and a Warsaw con
tractor are scheduled to go
on trial in Raleigh on Mon
day, November 5, on six
counts of fraud and con
spiracy to defraud the
'Federal government.
The defendants are Gilmer
Parrish, one of Dunn's lead
ing business men, a civic,
social and religious leader,
and Sam E. Godwin, Sr. of
Warsaw, a former Dunn
Kmilding contractor. Godwin
is the mayor of Warsaw and
ran for the office in No
vember of 1977, in an un
opposed election. Godwin's
four-year term will end in
1981.
k. I-L a. r 11
f junn^iun vuumy iviciuu
rial Nursing Center, Inc. at
Smithfield and the Charles
Parrish Memorial Nursing
Center in Dunn are also
named in the indictment.
Parrish is president and
principal stockholder in both
Ktursing homes and Godwin
was the general contractor
for both institutions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Jack Crowley of Raleigh, who
is handling investigation of
the case, informed Chief
iU.S. District Judge Franklin
TJupree in Federal Court in
Raleigh that the government
would be ready for the trial of
Parrish and Godwin on No
vember 6th.
The case is. a complicated
and complex one involving
(/hundreds of thousands of
dollars and is expected to
require a week or longer for
trial, possibly several weeks.
Parrish is being defended
by former Superior Court
Judge William A. Johnson of
Lillington. and Godwin is
'being defended by Rivers
Johnson of Warsaw.
Both Godwin and his at
torney did not wish to com
ment. They refused to an
swer questions concerning
the charges and the up
coming trial, or Godwin's
plans for his job as mayor.
Both men are charged with
six different counts. If con
victed, they could each re
ceive prison terms totaling 30
years and $60,000 fine or
both. Each count carries a'
penalty of five years im
prisonment and/or $10,000
fine.
Both Parrish and Godwin
have already entered pleas of
"not guilty" to the charges.
Johnston County
Memorial Nursing Center is
a 120-bed skilled nursing
care facility located on Berk
shire Drive in Smithfield. It
opened on December 30,
1974.
The indictment charges
that "from at least as early
as July 10, 1973 until at least
December 20, 1978" the
defendants "did knowingly
and willfully combine, con
federate and agree with each
other, and with others to
defraud the United States
and HEW (Department of
Health Education and Wel
fare) and to commit certain
offenses against the United
States," including falsifica
tion of building cost reports
submitted to Blue Cross Blue
Shield, the agency which
distributes federal Medicare
and Medicaid payments to
North Carolina's nursing
homes.
The defendants are
charged with reporting total
allowable building costs of
$887,211 for fiscal year 1975,
$889,846 for 1976, and
$887,211 for 1977 "with full
knowledge" that the figures
were false and that the sums
included purchases paid for
but not received by Johnston
County Memorial Nursing
Center, Inc. and also in
cluded expenses of the de
fendants which were not a
part of the construction or
building costs of Johnston
County Memorial Nursing
Center, Inc.
Wallace Police To
Answer Rose Hill Calls
If you call the Rose Hill
Police Department on nights
or weekends next month, the
Wallace police will answer.
The Wallace town board
approved an agreement last
week to answer calls and
dispatch Rose Hill police cars
after Sept. 30.
On that date, the federally
paid aaiaries of Rose Hill's
police dispatchers expire.
The dispatchers are now paid
under the Comprehensive
Employment and Training
Act, but changes in the law
after Sept. 30 will make them
ineligible for the program.
And Rose Hill officials say
they cannot afford to hire all
the dispatchers they need
with town funds. The Rose
Hill dog catcher will serve as
a dispatcher during the day
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when
Wallace police dispatcher
will take over. Wallace will
also answer weekend calls
from S p.m. Friday until 8
a.m. Monday. The agree
ment releases Wallace from
any liability in connection
with the service, which it is
providing free of charge. But
it also gives Wallace calls
first priority. The Wallace
town board approved the
agreement 4-1 Thursday
Voting against the plan was
Commissioner Harry
Carlton. In favor were Willie
Biggs, Lloyd Boone, Arnold
Duncan and Thomas Town
send.
Also at the Thursday meet
ing, John R. Zibelin was
appointed to the ABC board
to replace board chairman
Gay Wells, who resigned
because of health. Bill Pope
was named chairman of the
ABC board, to serve until his
term expires in two years.
Zibelin's term expires next
'A GOOSE BLADE AX - George Cowan holds
the newest addition to his museum as he
stands amon^other antiques, some of which
he will be displaying at the Cedsr Forks Arts
and Craft Show. The show will be October
21, Sunday, from 2-S p.m. at the Cedar Fork i
Community and the public is invited to
attend. I here will be no admission charge.
Other features will be ceramics, oil and
water painting, crocheting, dried flowers,
sewing, photography, and cake decorating.
The event is sponsored by the Ruritan and
the Homemakers Clubs.
Photo bv Emily Killotta
I
year.
Filing fees of $10 for
mayor and $5 for board
members were set for town
elections. Salaries of town
election officials were also
set. Election board members
will be paid $20 per meeting.
The registrar will be paid $30
per day. Two judges and one
assistantjtidge will eaxh be
paid $24 per day of durC^
Tom Davidson,' public
works director, reported that
111 compacted cubic yards of
trash were picked up during
the clean-up drive. He said
that was the equivalent of sis
full trucks. Davidson said 175
compacted cubic yards of
trash were picked up from
Saturday through Tuesday
morning, with total weight,
he said, of 35 tons. Mayor
Charles Farrior said, "This
was a total community effort
and it was successful."
Chief Roscoe Rich re
ported tires on 17 town
vehicles went flat from tacks
placed on the streets. A rash
of flat tires resulted from
tacks being scattered on
some streets earlier in the
year. The "tacks" involved
are roofing tacks used for
commercial roofs and for
applying tarpaper to tobacco
barns. Rich reported the
town dog catcher had picked
up 59 dogs and seven pos
sums during August, and
that nine dogs were
reclaimed by owners.
The board approved a
franchise ordinance for 60
years with Carolina Power &
Light Co. Biggs, local
manager of CP&L. told the
board the town gets about
$74,000 a year in franchise
tax from the power company.
The town pays about
$125,000 per year for elec
tricity.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES for James Sprunt
Institute were held at the William Rand Kenan. Jr.
Amphitheatre in Kcnansville Sunday. There were 206
graduates receiving associate degrees, diplomas, and
certificates. ?
Photo bv Emilv Killetta
Jen. Harold Hardison Denies ABC Legislation
Duplin Financial
Troubles Not Unique
V By Emily KIDette
During a meeting of the
Faison commissioners two
weeks ago, Mayor Bill Carter
said Senator Harold
Hardison would introduce
legislation to reduce ABC
revenues received by Duplin
County.
However, Senator
Hardison said he had talked
briefly with Carter and only
promised to meet with the
Duplin mayors and listen to
their problems.
Carter began seeking the
senator's help after the
Faison town commissioners
raised the rent on the town
ABC store, which is located
in the 'rnnex to the Town
Hall. By raising the rent, the
profits of the county were
cut. and the State ABC Board
ordered the rent to be
lowered so it would be in line
with rent charged other pri
vate businesses in Faison.
r i. i ? l r? > i i
runas wmcn raison nopea 10
receive from the increase
were allocated for the town
recreation program and the
hiring of a recreation
director.
Duplin County receives
45% of the total profit made
by ABC stores, while the
town receives the remaining
55% from which all operat
ing costs are taken. In most
cases, the ABC building is
owned by the State ABC
Board, but stores which rent
a building pay the rent
before the profit is divided
between the county and
town.
According to Hardison.
Duplin County towns arc not
the only towns with financial
problems; towns in all the
counties in the state need
more money.
"The problem is not
unique to Duplin. Towns are
providing more and more
services which require more
money, and mayors are re
questing more of the ABC
revenue." Hardison said.
Hardison added that he
would never introduce local
legislation without the
approval of the town board of
commissioners or a resolu
tion from the county com
missioners. And in this case.
Hardison said, (he iJuphi;
County commissioners had
not favored a .-eduction in
county profit from ABC
revenues.
At a meeting of Warsaw
town commissioners last
week, Mayor Godwin said
that Faison Mayor Carter
had informed him that a
meeting of Duplin town
mayors, county commis
sioners and Senator Hardi
son would take place in
October. Senator Hardison
said he did no' know any
thing about the meeting, but
would be glad to attend and
try to Find some way to help
the towns solve their prob
lems.
"I never said I would
introduce legislation, and I
vould not r?<e .. r- SV
i-ounly commissioner-. hid I
did say I would be glao to
incei with the mayors to trv
to heip them solve their
problems." Hardison said.
Representative Doug Clark
of Kcnansville has stated he
would oppose any bill intro
duced to cut county profits
from ABC funds.
"If it is not good enough
for the commissioners, it is
not good enough for me,"
Clark said, as he talked about
bringing a resolution before
the House in order to reduce
county profits from ABC
revenue
However. Clark said he
has not been contacted by
Faison Mayor Carter
concerning ABC funds.
State Delays Action On
Limestone-Muddy Creek Project
The state Environmental
Management Commission
has delayed preliminary ac
tion on the proposed $4.?
miilion stream channeliza
tion project in Duplin
County.
The project, the first of its
kind in recent years, was
delayed until the EMC can
get more photographs of the
streams, details of economic
benefits and other technical
information. The commission
must approve any such
project.
The U.S. Soil Conservation
Service has proposed chan
nelizing 51.2 miles of Lime
stone and Muddy creeks and
snagging and clearing
another 45.4 miles. The
riroiect also would include
recreational improvements
such as fishing access.
Channelization, which re
duces the chances of flood
ing. is a process where
waterways are straightened
and obstacles, such as rocks
and trees, arc removed from
ihe stream bed.
Environmentalists have
opposed similar projects in
the past, saying rapid runoff
increases flooding down
cf rpa m ar?H rnmnual tsf
natural obstacles harms
wildlife.
Duplin Kindergarten
Students Tested This Week
All 611 Duplin County
kindergarten students will be
tested for learning capabili
ties in an assessment pro
gram established for the first
time by the county school
system.
The program began Sept.
17 and will continue through
Sept. 25. Kindergarten stu
dents from one school will be
tested each day, eicept the
final day.
Testing will be done in
Kenan Memorial Auditorium
in Kenansville by Dr. Arthur
Chesson, a pediatrician-con
sultant at the Development
Evaluation Clinic (in
Wilmington.
The purpose is to deter
mine if the children are
4
achieving at their normal age
levels in both physical and
mental development.
Children found lacking in
certain development areas
will receive special attention
to improve in their areas of
weakness, according to
school officials.
Problems of children will
be explained to the parents
so they can take appropriate
steps at home to help the
children.
The program will evaluate
the children's physical abi
lities. such as use of arms,
legs and fingers, their rea
soning abilities, speech
abilities, hearing, sight and
memory.
Each evaluation session
starts at 9 a.m. and about 25
children will be evaluated in
each session. The schedule
includes: Kenansville
kindergarten Monday,
Beulavillc Tuesday. Wallace
Wednesday, Warsaw Sept.
20, Rose Hill Magnolia Sept.
21. North Duplin Sept. 24,
B.F. Grady, Sept. 25, and
Chinquapin. 1 p.m., Sept.
25.
Filing Period Began
Friday Sept. 14
The filing period for May
ors and Board Members
began Friday at 12 noon. The
final date to file for office is
October 5, 1979 at 12 noon,
according to Caludc L. Hep
ler. chairman of the Duplin
County Board of Elections.
Persons desiring to run
and are otherwise qualified,
mav file at the county Elec
tions Office in Kenansville.
Wallace and Warsaw may
file at their respective board
of elections office or in
Kenansville.
The following offices are
subject to election: BEULA
VILLE: 3 board members -
4vear term; CALYPSO:
Mayor & S board members -
2-year term; FAISON: Mayor
- 2-ycar term and 2 board
members - 4-year term;
GREENEVERS: Mayor -
2-year term & 2 board
members - 4 year term;
KENANSVILLE: 3 board
members - 4-year term;
MAGNOLIA: Mayor - 4-year
term & 2 board members -
4-year term; ftOSt" HILL: 3
board members - 4-year
term; TEACHEYt Mayor -
4-year term & 3 board
members ? (highest number
of votes - 4-year term;
WALLACE: Mayor - 2-year
term & 3 board members -
4 year term; WARSAW: 3
board members - 4-year
term.
? E i .
DUPI IN TIMES/
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