PROGRESS SENTINEL
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VOL. XXXXV NO. 43 USPS 162 860 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 OCTOBER 23. 1980 *0 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
ABC And Town Boards Meet
c-.
County and town revenues
.an be paid withing six
months, said Chairman of
:he Kenansville Alcohol and
Beverage Control Board
John Hall during the board's
meeting with town commis
sioners October 13.
A special meeting of the
(enansville ABC Board and
own commissioners was
ailed during the regular
own board meeting October
>. Town commissioners
:alled the meeting after local
citizens appeared before the
joard to question the policies
>f the ABC Store's operation.
During the meeting of both
boards, Hall explained ef
forts of the ABC Board to pay
the $31,000 debt to distillers
which the store faced approx
imately a year ago. Hall,
Rich Boyd and Benny Price
were appointed to the ABC
Board in September of 1979,
replacing Elmore Bell, Phil
Kretsch and Harold Jones
who resigned.
Among the first actions
taken by the new ABC board
were to freeze wages and
eliminate travel, convention
and the annual party ex
penses. The board also cut
store business hours from 9
a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a
week, to noon until 8 p.m.,
Monday through Thursday
and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on
Friday and Saturday. Along
with the cut in store hours
came an employee cut; the
part-time person was no
longer needed.
However, Hall explained,
the board felt cutting the
business hours had hurt the
store's sales. The ABC Store
hours were expanded by the
board to the original busi
ness hours, and a part-time
employee was hired. Hall
added, the amount of sales
during the morning hours
justified the store being open
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The ABC Store had a
balance of S2.258 in the bank
at the end of last month, Hall
said. And, the debt to the
distillers is $10,500, he said.
According to Hall, the local
store receives two beverage
deliveries each month, and
the $10,500 debt represents
approximately three
deliveries. Distillers will not
continue to supply an ABC
Store after it falls,six months
behind in payments. Hall
explained the $31,000 debt
represented back payments
of four to five months.
"If the Store continues to
operate as it is, the proceeds
of the next two quarters will
allow the store to have some
working capital," Hall said.
"The working capital will
allow the store to operate
without borrowing money
and then it will be able to pay
the town and county."
The town of Kenansville
receives 55 percent and the
county 45 percent of the net
profit from the ABC Store.
During the past fiscal year,
no income was paid to either
the town or county. And both
Kenansville and the county
have no funds budgeted to be
expected from the store
during the current fiscal
year.
Plans to improve the sales
volume at the ABC Store in
the future include a private
entrance to the store and
changing the store into a
self-service operation. Hall
said the State ABC Board
recommended the
self-service system, stating
the U'/i percent increase in
sales would more than pay
for the changeover.
Hall had refused to answer
questions from the public
during the meeting, but con
cluded by inviting the citi
zens to attend the ABC
Board meeting each first
Wednesday night of the
month at which time he
would address any questions
asked him.
Meeting with the Kenans
ville Commissioners to dis
cuss the expansion of the fire
department/town hall build
ing was the fire department
board. Lauren Sharpe.
spokesman for the board. 4
recommended the plans for
the building expansion be
dropped. And, he asked the
town commissioners to
suggest a fair rent for the
town hall use of the fire
department building. Rent
will not be due until the
beginning of the next fiscal
year, July, 1981.
"The board based its de
I
cision to drop the expansion
plans on the cost of the
construction and the town's
financial ability to repay the
loan which the fire depart- i
ment would have signed," '
Sharpe said. "And, the
signing of a loan with Far
mers' Home Administration
for expansion would require
the department to use all its
equipment as collateral. If
we were to need new equip
ment. there would be
nothing left for us to use as
collateral in borrowing
money."
Plans drawn by Architect
Don Yelverton for the expan
sion of the building and
shown to the town com
missioners October 6. carried
an estimated cost of $84,000.
An estimate of $30 a square
foot would be needed to
construct the expansion.
Based on the recommen
dation by the Kenansville
Fire Department Board.
Commissioner Earl Hatcher
made a motion to drop the
plans to expand the building.
Commissioner Betty Long
seconded the motion, and it
was approved unanimously
by the members of the board.
Man Convicted Of Assault
Johnny Lee Dunn, alias
Clifford Rotenberry, 21, was
sentenced to 30 years in
prison in Superior Court
Friday in Kenansville after
being found guilty of five
founts of assault with a
deadly weapon and one count
of assault with a deadly
weapon and inflicting serious
injury and one of discharging
firearms in an occupied
building.
The charges stemmed
from a shooting incident in
Wallace in early August.
Dunn was working with a
carnival in Wallace at the
time. Testimony revealed
that following an argument
the defendant shot the wind
shield out of a car and shot
through the plate glass win
dow of Dot's Grill and hit six
persons with shotgun pellets.
Officers were called to the
scene and he fled. He was
discovered hiding under a
carnival ride and taken to
the county jail in Kenans
ville.
Testifying that they had
been injured in the shooting
incident were William E.
Rivenbark, who said he had
42 pellets lodged in his body.
Boyce Ken Whalev. Vernon
Mitchell Whitley, Prentice
Colon Driggers, Steve Ira
Norman and Henrietta Bliz
zard, all of Wallace. Also
testifying that she had been
injured by a blow in the face
from the stock of the shotgun
was Eurekia McMahan.
Dunn was sentenced by
Judge Arthur Lee Lane of
Fayetteville.
Students
Celebrate
1 National
Poetry Day
National Poetry Day at
E.E. Smith Jr. High was
sponsored by the school's
honor English class students.
The class, under the instruc
tion of Mrs. Z. Williams,
neld a quiz program involv
ing the entire school.
Students participating in the
quiz program were asked
questions about poets and
their works. The purpose'for
the celebration was to pay
tribute to poets for their
works and to remind
students and parents of the
importance of poetry. Pic
tured in the right'photo are
the students who won the
poetry quiz. Left to right are
pictured Arthur Hall, eighth
grade; Joesph Brown,
seventh grade; Mildred
Miller, ninth grade; David
Price, seventh grade; and
Tim Potter, eighth grade.
Pictured below is the honor
English class, left to right,
Jeanine Cavenaugh,
^manda Rich. Bobby
llenson, Emily Farrior, Cyn
thia Moore, Justina Co'lins,
Janet Brock and Cyn'Jia
Middleton.
I
Magnolia Ok's Sale
Of Water Bond Notes
A resolution to sell
$240,000 in bond anticipation
notes to finance Magnolia's
water and sewer project was
approved by the town board
of commissioners last week
on Tuesday night.
The board plans to sell
$75,000 in notes for the
sewer project and $165,000
for the water project. Voters
approved the bond issue last
August.
Estimated cost of the
entire project is $1.4 million,
with the Environmental Pro
tection Agency, Farmers'
Home Administration and
the state clean water bond
fund paying for the rest.
Town officials are awaiting
notice from the FmHA to
proceed.
The town also owes
$31,500 on its present water
system. Bonds totaling
$%.000 were issued for it in
1951. With annual town pay
ments of $3,500 a year, this
debt will be paid off in 1989.
Sealed bids on the
$240,000 bond issue for the
new project were to be
opened at 11 a.m. Oct. 21 at
the Local Government Com
mission office in Raleigh.
Graham House
Inn Opening
The one-time family home,
boarding house and eating
establishment of Miss Mary
Cooper has led the way; now
the Graham House will open
November in Kenansville
as a restaurant and winery.
The Graham House Inn,
located on Cooper and Main
Streets in Keiiansville, will
yiold open house November 9
ind begin serving ,food
November 15, said President
of the Graham House Inn
_ Corporation. Rich Boyd. The
Inn will operate Monday
through Fridays, serving
lunch from 11 a.m. until 2
p.m. and Sunday noon until 2
p.m. Dinner will be served
Thrusday through Saturday
from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Private parties are welcomed
at the Inn nightly.
Three dining rooms will be
opened in the downstairs,
the Brass, Pewter and
Copper rooms. The Copper
loom, Boyd said, will be the
dining area for private
parties. Meals in each room
will be served on pewter
dishes in a colonial
Williamsburg atmosphere.
The cellar is a winery;
visitors to the Inn will be able
to taste wines made by the
Duplin Winery from Rose
Hill. However, the wine
served at the Graham House
Inn will have been made at
the Inn.
"We have recreated the
wine cellar as it had been
originally built in the
? house." Boyd said, pointing
out the structure of the house
cellar and motioning toward
a wine rack which will be
filled with bottles of Duplin
Wine. "The wine we serve
will be made especially for
the Graham House Inn by the
Duplin Winery. And, the
cellar will be used as any
wine cellar, for aging wine."
According to Boyd, visitors
to the Graham House Inn will
begin their meal in the cellar
where a variety of wines
made for the Inn can be
tasted. Persons wishing to
have wine with their meal
will purchase their choice
from the cellars before being
seated in the dining area.
"There are ten working
fireplaces in the house,"
Boyd said. "And, we plan to
have them all in use on
opening day." Boyd pointed
out the structure of the
original house has not been
altered; even fireplaces in
the kitchen area have been
worked around when install
ing cooking equipment.
."The house has blended
itself very well to-our work,"
Boyd explained. "It is almost
as if they (builder) knew
what we were going to do."
The only alteration. Bovd
said, has been the addition of
a room for dry storage on the
back of the house. In con
structing the room, builders
worked around the house,
tearing off none of the
original trim or siding.
"If this restaurant stops
operation, then all this addi
tion can be removed without
damaging the original struc
ture of the house," Boyd
said. "It is a very solidly
constructed house; none of
the foundation is nailed ? it
is pegged together."
Peggs in the foundation
can be seen from the wine
cellar, along with other
painstaking construction
features, Boyd pointed out.
The Graham House was ori
ginally built as a family home
and later used by Miss Mary
Cooper as a boarding house
and eating establishment in
the 1920-30's, and then once
again used as a family home.
"Our first meal for the
public will be served on
November 15 and all of our
energies are directed toward
that date." Boyd said. "And,
we are already taking reser
vations for opening night."
Prices for lunch at the
salad and soup bar will range
around $2; from the lunch
menu, $2.50 to $4. Boyd
said. Dinner will carrv a orice
range from $5 to $14.
"We are delighted with
the progress of the project to
date, and we are most ap
preciative of the enthusiasm
the Inn has generated,"
Boyd said. "It is a beautiful
old home, and we are eager
to let everyone enjoy its
beauty and good food."
Bridge To
Be Repaired
The Division of Highways
of the N.C. Department of
Transportation has closed
Nine Mile Creek bridge on
Maple Hill Road (Secondary
Ko&d 1828 in Duplin County
fc approximately two
months, according to Divi
sion Engineer Ted Funder
burk. The bridge is located
just north of Cypress Creek
and is scheduled to reopen in
December. The closing will
allow maintenance crews to
replace the bridge floor,
beams and railings. Traffic
will be detoured over local
roads.
Warsaw Board
Turns Down Grant
Warsaw commissioners
turned down a matching
grant for placing flashing
lights at the downtown rail
road crossing on Plank Street
during the7 meeting October
13.
The Department of Trans
portation advised the town of
federal funds to pay 90
percent of the railroad light
ing if the town matched the
grant to complete the cost.
The cost stated by DOT was
$55,000. with the town main
taining the system after its
installation. The cost to the
town of Warsaw is $5,500.
and if the board did not
? apprOTi Lgh' at the'
railroai crossing. DOT
recommended the intersec
tion be closed. Both recom
mendations from DOT for the
railroad crossing at Plank
Street were not approved by
the Warsaw commissioners.
Town Engineer Tyndall
Lewis explained at. ministra
tion procedures for a Hous
ing and Urban Development
grant awarded Warsaw. The
$415,000 grant is for the
rehabilitation of housing and
drainage within the town.
According to Tyndall. ap
proximately 34 homes will
use grant funds for rehabili
tation. 13 houses will be
demolished, and seven
houses will be vacated using
HUD money.
Commissioners agreed to
send detailed HUD project
plans to area firms for esti
mates on the complete job.
And, a decision on a con
tractor for the HUD grant
will be based on the esti
mates turned in to the
commissioners.
The gas-saving device
XPCL presented by Donnie
Er.zell to the town board
during the September meet
ing was brought back to the
commissioners' attention.
__ ?
The commissioners advised
Town Clerk Alfred Herring to
check with persons usine
Ezzell's XPCL and report to
the board on its efficiency.
And. a decision on installing
the device in town vehicles
would be made after the
board reviews the clerk's
report.
Herring advised the com
missioners of the reply from
Carolina Telephone and
Telegraph after the board
requested the amount of the
rate increase for county-wide
toll-free dialing. The idea of
toll-free dialing was
presented to the Warsaw
' Co-'mission" rs during their
September bv Ruby Alls
brook. a CT&T employee.
The board had refused to
approve the idea without
knowing the rate increase for
each customer. The reply
from CT&T stated a flat rate
increase had been estab
lished for countv-wide
toll-free dialing; however,
that rate would not be dis
tributed until after the Utili
ties Commission acted upon
the present rate increase
requested by CT&T.
James Casteen, a West
Hill Street resident, ap
peared before the board re
questing the repair of his
driveway. Casteen requested
the driveway be fixed exactly
like it had'been prior to the
town contractor digging the
drive up for the laying of
waterlines. Town Engineer
Tyndall and Charles Joyner
assured Casteen of their
willingness to replace the
part of the cement drive
which had been cut. Casteen
w as reminded that the part of
his drive which had been
removed to install the water
line was on state property.
The board unanimously
appointed Helen Benton as
tax-lister for the town of
Warsaw for the 1981 year.
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Federal Tax
Checks Waiting
To Be Claimed
Undelivered Federal tax
refund checks for 1980 and
prior years are waiting to be
claimed by 1.101 North
Carolina individuals, the In
ternal Revenue Service says.
Most of these checks remain
undeliverable because tax
payers moved and left no
forwarding address with the
Postal Service, the IRS says.
Undelivered refund checks
can be reclaimed by filing
Form 3911 with the internal
Revenue Service, 3131
Democrat Road, Memphis,
TN 37501. IRS officials say
that a refund check can Is >
reissued to the new address '
w ithin four to six weeks.
When filing the form, the
taxpayer should provide the
name and address as it
appears o.: the return, any
changes to the name and
address since fifing the
return, the social security
number, the type ot return
filed, and the amount of
refund claimed.
The IRS also has a list of
127 businesses who have un
delivered tax refunds. The
process for claiming business
refund checks is the same as
for individuals.
Taxpayers who know that
they have a refund check due
are encouraged to call the
IRS toll-free number
800-822-8800 Occasionally
this number is monitored to
ensure courteous and ac
curate response.
The individuals and/of
businesses from this area
w ho h?ve undelivered refund
checks arc: Garv L.vnn Sand
lin of Kenansville: Hiram
(Deed.) and Mary Brinson of
Magnolia; Joey C. & Debbie
L. King of Pink Hill; and
John & Virginia S. Miller of
Pink Hill.
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Don't Forget Tho Tim* Chonges Sunday. . . j
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