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PROGRESS SENTINEL
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VOL. XXXXV NO. 35 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 AUGUST>t 1980 1 8 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Magnolia Awaits
OK On Projects
^ Contracts totaling $1,409,
WOO for a proposed water and
sewer project for Magnolia
now must be approved by
state and federal agencies
before work can be autho
rized, Mayor Pro Tem
Melvin Pope said last week.
The low bids exceeded the
original funds available for
the project by nearly
$700,000, he said.
A The town sought addi
tional grants and loans from
the Environmental Protec
tion Agency for the sewer
project and from Farmers
Home Administration for
both projects.
Pope said he received
word from 3rd District Rep.
Charles O. Whitley, D-Mt.
Olive, Thursday that a sup
plemental grant of $249,
974.70 will be received by the
town from the EPA. Earlier
in August, FmHA authorized
a supplemental grant of
$338,400 and loan of $47,000
to meet the added costs.
The original cost esti
mates, made in 1976 and
1977, were too low for the
inflated costs of late 1979
when the first bid call was
issued. The first bids were
received in December 1979.
The low bids were double the
original cost estimates of
$710,300 and were rejected.
The original Farmers
Home Administration grants
totaled $197,400 and were
made in 1978. The city also
received a clean water bond,
grant of $121,600 from the
state in 1978. EPA allocated
the town $262,500 at that
time.
FraHA also loaned the
town $192,900 in 1978 for the
project.
Magnolia residents autho
rized issuance of $75,000 in
sewer bonds and $165,000 in
water bonds through a refer
endum in 1977.
The water system bids
total $336,181.10. Bids for
the sewer system and treat
ment plant total $1,073,
554.14."
Pope said he hopes final
approval of the bids can be
obtained by the end of the
year. The system will have
245 customers.
When the new system
becomes a reality, the rate
for customers will be a
minimum of $6.25 per month
for the first 3,000 gallons and
$1.10 per 1,000 gallons and
any amounts over 10,000
gallons will be 50 cents per
1,000. The water fees are
expected to bring in $25,
669.80 a year.
Plans call for 183 cus
tomers for the sewer system
initially. A minimum charge
of $6.50 per month will be
made. An additional charge
of $2 per month will be added
for each 1,000 gallons of
water used by the customer
over 3,000. Sewer fees are
expected to bring in $26,
180.40.
Engineers estimated 109
custodiers will be i? the t
m'inirfmm water rate group,
and 89 in the sewer minimum
rate group.
Pope is acting as mayor in
the absence of the elected
mayor, Marjorie Pickett, Who
refused to be sworn into
office after winning the
election last year. Pope, the
former mayor, was elected
mayor pro tern by the
council.
During the filing period for
town offices. Pope had de
clared he did not want to
continue as mayor and filed
for a board seat. He said the
office was forcing him to take
too much time from his fui
niture and appliance
business.
He as agreed to act as
mayor, he said, because no
one else would take over the
position and "someone has
to do it."
?Faison Purchases
%4!&h Truck
By Emily Kulette
Faison commissioners met
a special session August
?18 to open bids for the
purchase of a new trash
truck.
One bid was submitted
and Truxmore of Richmond,
Va. was awarded the contract
to furnish the town with a
17-cubic-yard trash truck.
Truxmore submitted a bid of
$32,000. quoting the town
two lease-purchase agree
ments, 36- or 48-months and
^3,320 down. Financed
through Truxmore, the town
would pay monthly install
ments of $948 under the
four-year plan and $1,184
under the three-year plan.
Either plan with Truxmore
would be financed with a
16% interest rate.
A second financing option
was reported to the board by
Mayor Bill Carter. Financing
through one of the two banks
located in Faison was sug
gested by Carter. Prior to the
meeting, he said, both banks
had been contacted and one
bank had quoted a 10%
interest rate.
According to Carter, the
town had requested a single
annual payment on the trash
truck. Truxmore quoted only
monthly installments. And.
the town had not included
^nonthly trash truck pay
IM V*.. A /-?a? A !,?a?i
mucins III lilt uuugti. n iv/an
through the local banks
would provide both a lowet
rate of interest and annual
payments. Carter explained.
The first annual payment on
the truck would not be due
until the next budget year.
A motion to purchase the
t-uck was made by Com
^missioner William Igoe, and
V'arter was authorized to
obtain the lowest interest
rate possible to finance the
truck. The motion was
seconded by Commissioner
Fred Wheless and passed
unanimously.
The new trash truck ar
rived in Faison August 20.
Mayor Carter reported
financing the truck with
Southern Bank and Trust Co.
^at a 10% interest rate.
? Police Officer Ray King
requested the board's
approval of additional space
for the police department.
He explained the police de
partment needed additional
interrogation rooms. King
offered the use of two rooms
in a dowbtown building he
owns. The downstairs
portion of the building is
?used as a game room; the
upstairs is vacant. King
offered the space rent-free,
and the town would pay the
cost of utilities for the space
occupied by the police de
partment. Repairs would also
be financed by the town;
$500 in repairs would be
needed. Mayor Carter said.
Carpet on the floor and paint
for the walls would be the
extent of the repairs, and an
^additional $500 would be
^needed to pay the utilities,
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Carter said.
Commissioner Rachel
Clifton made a motion to
approve the use of $1,000 to
provide the additional space
for the police department.
But, in the next year's bud
get, Clifton said, rent for the
space used by the police
department will be set and
paid to King. The motion was-'
seconded by Commissioner
Helen Britt and passed
unanimouslv. Town Admin
istrator Neil Mallory was
instructed to draw up a town
use agreement for King's
property.
Commissioner Billie Hol
lingsworth stated a recom
mendation had been made by
the recreation commission
to raise the salary of Recrea
tion Director Charles King.
The salary increase of $10
per week would be in ac
cordance with other town
employees, Hollingsworth
said. The board approved the
request.
The board also approved
the issuance of $261,700 in
bonds to finance the town
water system. The bonds will
be available to private in
vestors at a 5% interest on
each $100 bond. The remain
ing bonds will be purchased
by Farme.s Home Adminis
tration.
Rose Hill Could Lose
HUD Grant For
Sewer System
Rose Hill faces possible
loss of a $813,000 rehabili
tation grant from the federal
Department of Housing and
Urban Development unless it
can obtain a waiver of a state
building moratorium due to
its overloaded sewer treat
ment plant, according to Tom
Ramsey of the district HUD
office in Greensboro.
The town board received
this information last Thurs
day at a special meeting that
! had been called to make
adjustments in a new sewer
rate.
The grant would rehabili
tate 45 dwellings in the town.
The homes involved are in an
area that does not have
sewer lines. The project
would include laying sewer
lines and connecting them
with the city's system.
The state Environmental
Management Commission
has ruled that the town can
connect only homes built on
an existing sewer line until it
increases the capacity of its
treatment plant. No new
service lines may be added
now, according to the ruling.
Town officials will meet
with Environmental Manage
ment Commission officials
September 11 to ask for a
waiver of the ruling. If the
town obtains such a waiver,
it must notify HUD officials
immediately to save the
grant. The final decision on
the grant is expected to be
made September 12.
Residents of Rose Hill are
scheduled to vote a second
time on a proposed bond
authorization to finance sew
age treatment plant improve
ments. Mayor Ben Harrell
called the proposed $375,000
bond issue a "barebones
proposal."
If the town loses the HUD
grant, it will need a bond
issue of about $600,000 to
fund the scwef system and
treatment plant it will be
required to build by environ
mental protection rules, ac
cording to Town Planner
Woody Binson.
A public hearing bond
referendum has been
scheduled for 8 p.m. Septem
ber 2 in the town hall.
The board also adjusted its
new sewer rates. The sewer
rate established in July was
tied to tne amount of water
used and called for a $3
minimum plus $1.50 for each
thousand gallons of water
used over the first 1,000
gallons. The board Thursday
night ruled that a new sewer
rate will be the same as the
water charge.
f
COMMUNITY OF EXCELLENCE JUDGES
Four Duplin County towns were visited by
members of the N.C. Department of Commerce
last week. The Department of Commerce
representatives were inspecting Beulaville.
Magnolia. Rose Hill and Kenansville for nomina
tions to receive the Governor's Community of
Excellence Award. All the above towns were
winners in 1979. and reapplied in the 1980
Community of Excellence program. Pictured
Photo by fcniily Killette
above, left to right. Gray Shope. John Radford,
Lew Dunn, Edward M. Stanfield, a field services
representative, and Bruce Andrews, all of the
N.C. Department of Commerce.
Community Of Excellence Inspection
Officials Visit Duplin Towns
By family KUIette
Four Duplin County towns
were visited by the Gover
nor's Community of Excel
lence inspection team last
week. The team is visiting as
a possible industrial client.
Beulaville, Magnolia. Rose
Hill and Kenansville were
visited by the inspection
team this week. The team
was headed by John Radford
of the North Carolina
Department of Commerce.
Other members included
Gary Shope and Bruce
Andrews, also with the
Department of Commerce,
and Lew Dunn of the Pender
County Economic Develop
ment Commission, and Ed
ward M. Stanfield, field
representative with the state
Industrial Development
Division.
According to Radford, 69
of the 77 communities that
received the award in 1979
reapplied for the Governor's
Community of Excellence
award this year. And. 46 new
communities applied for the
first time, he said. In the
state, there are 432 com
munities which qualify to
enter the Community of Ex
cellence program; these
communities have a popu
lation of less than 15.000
people.
"Of the communities re
ceiving the award last year,
50 have received a new
industry or an expansion of
an existing industry in the
past year," Radford said.
Last year Duplin had six
communities entered in the
CEA program, all of which
received the Governor's
Award. This year, Duplin's
same six communities have
reapplied for the award,
Warsaw, Wallace, Rose Hill,
Kenansville. Magnolia and
Beulaville. The town of War
saw was the first community
visited in the county, and
was approved at that time.
The towns of Beulaville,
Magnolia. Rose Hill and
Kenansville were visited last
week, and Wallace will be
inspected in September.
"This year the team is
acting as a board of directors
looking for a site to locate
their plant," Radford said.
"If you can sell your town to
us. then we will recommend
the town to the Governor."
Acting as the chairman ot
the board was Andrews.
Dunn participated as vice
president of site and build
ing, and Shope acted as
vice-president of personnel.
The company represented
was an electronic component
industry.
Each town visited by the
inspection team prepared a
slide presentation of their
community and distributed
community information
packets to the members. A
scrapbook of the town was
also on hand for the team. A
tour of the communities in
volved visits to designated
and possible industrial sites.
The presentation made by
the communities addressed
these topics: transportation,
utilities, finances, labor, site
and buildings, education
and training, taxes and
government, and livability.
In Kenansville, the team
was greeted Thursday morn
ing by Mayor Douglas
Judge. President of the
Kenansville Development
Commission Amos Brinson,
Director of the Duplin In
dustrial Development
Commission John Gurganus.
Town Administrator Woody
Brinson. President of the
Kenansville Chamber of
Commerce Rich Bovd, ami
United Carolina Bank repre
sentative Carev Wrenn.
Auxiliary To Man Information
Desk At Duplin General Hospital
I
By Emily Killette
The Auxiliary of Duplin
General Hospital is a volun
teer organization which
began in July. The first
group project was to provide
mail delivery for the hospital
patients.
The second project the
group will undertake is to
man an information desk in
the hospital lobby. The desk
will be located across from
the insurance department.
Hospital Administrator
Richard Harrell said. And,
volunteers will be at the desk
during visiting hours. 2-4
p.m.. and from 6:30-8 p.m.
The information will provide
visitors with room numbers
and the location of various
hospital departments.
Harrell said.
The auxiliary renders a
valuable service, one the
hospital cannot afford other
wise." Harrell said. "And
studies show patients do not
hesitate to ask a volunteer for
help, but often will not ask
someone on the hospital staff
to do something for them."
Volunteers in the auxiliary
will be wearing yellow
smocks during their duty at
the hospital. There are 37
members in the organization,
who come from all parts of
a
the county. Harrell said.
Volunteers are also being
recruited from the south
Lenoir area. Harrell said, as
Duplin General serves citi
zens in Lenoir County.
"Basically, the auxiliary
started with members close
to the hospital in the
Kenansville. Beulaville and
Warsaw areas." Harrell
said. "The goal is to en
courage members from all
parts of the county. And. as
we start having more
patients from other parts of
the county, there will be a
greater participation in the
auxiliary."
Two years ago. Harrell
said, the hospital tried to
organize both a chaplain
program and an auxiliary.
The chaplain program was/
organized, and, he said, it
has been an asset for the
hospital. And now the
auxiliary has been organized
and operating since Julv.
According to Harrell. the
group includes a mixture of
ages, with a group of junior
volunteers who are super
vised by the adult members.
"The auxiliary offers 1
teenagers sc/me valuable ex
periences on which to make
career decisions." Harrell
said. "The teenager can get
to know and see how a
hospital works, teaching
?
I
them the different' jobs of
hospital employees."
Future projects the auxi
lary plans include a library
service and a gift cart. In the
future. Harrell hopes to see
the auxiliary begin to assist
with the transporting of
patients to and from their
rooms. And. the auxiliary
will be assisting with projects
to raise money for equip
ment.
"Any person who is here
to serve, as a rule, will make
a good volunteer." Harrell
said. "Most people who have
an interest in mankind and
come to serve will make a
useful contribution."
The ' auxiliary meets
monthly, each third Monday
I
ol the month at 9 a.m. in the
hospital cafeteria. Interested
persons are encouraged to
attend the meetings. Infor
mation can also be obtained
by contacting Mrs. Stuart
Hall at 296-1827 or Sandy
Williams at 293-3193. The
organization has an annual
membership fee of S3 per
individual.
Duplin Board Insists On
Title To Old School
A request by the county
Board of Education to trans
fer $42,000 in its budget
without any property condi
tions died for lack of a motion
at the Duplin Board of Com
missioners meeting in
Kenansville last week.
The school board's request
said the transfer, from its
capital outlay fund to its
current expense budget, was
needed "to avoid charging
(students) an instt uctional
supply fee."
Last month the commis
sioners had approved a
$100,000 transfer from
Y
i
capital outlay to current ex
penses on condition that the
school board give the county
title to the old Kcnansville
Elementary School property.
The school board has not
transferred the title, so no
fund transfer has been made.
The board also instructed
Tax Supervisor Frank Moore
to follow the letter of the law
in getting all property in the
county listed for taxes. This
means that 50 persons Moore
reported as having failed to
list are subject to arrest.
Moore will issue a sum
mons to be delivered by the
sheriff, directing these per
sons to come and list their
taxes. If they fail to heed the
summons, an arrest warrant
will be drawn. Moore said.
Named to three-year terms
on the Airport Commission
were Clarence Lingle of
Faison, Charles Hughes of
Kenansville. S.E. Godwin,
Jr. of Warsaw, Annie
Catherine Bland of Rose Hill
and Bennie Wilson of Wat
saw.
Lingle, Hughes and God
win had been nominated by
the towns. Ms. Bland and
Wilson were named to rep
resent the county as a whole.
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