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PROGRESS SENTINEL
iJ^OL. XXXXVNO 82 USPS 162 860 ' KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 DECEMBER 26. 1980 12 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
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Duplin County Board
Of Health Meets
a In recent action, the
^Juplin County board of
Health reviewed several
important health related
services and responded sub
ject to approval of the Board
of Commissioners.
The Board of Health
adopted new policies, by
laws, and a sliding scale fee
A>r the Home Health Pro
Aram as recommended by
?he Home Health Advisory
Council. Members of the
Advisory Council included:
Dr. W. W. Sutton, Chair
man, Wallace; Dr. James
Fisher. Greenevers; Mrs.
Betsy Lanier, housewife,
Beutaville; Norman Sandlin,
interested citizen. Beulaville;
Judy Wallace, Home Exten
sion Agent; Betty Rose,
R.N., Health Department;
J.G. Henry, School Principal;
?,fr aye Johnson, Department
of Social Services; William
Richards, Board of Health
Member; Richard Harrell,
Hospital Administrator; Dr.
Corazon Ngo, Physician
Member; Nancy Williamson,
Speech Therapist; Becky
Brown, Accounting Clerk,
Health Department; and J.S.
Associated, Inc., Physical
^Therapy.
" Recognizing the need for
adequate nutrition, the
Board supported the efforts
to establish a WIC Program
in the Health Department,
should the space be made
available by the County
Commissioners. Other action
by the Health Board was to
adopt by reference the 1978
Grade A Pasturized Milk
Ordinance and Code, requir
ing sampling of all milk
coming into the county.
Other reports presented to
the board members included
the feasibility of a Rabies
Control Ordinance, the
immunization compliance
law, a foodhandler's certifi
cate requirement, and local
health standards as required
in the Health Department
according to G.S. 130-9.
Members of the Board of
Health are Russell Bostic,
Beulaville; Dr. J.M.' Korne
gay, Warsaw; William
Richards, Wallace; Harry
Carlton, Wallace; Hubert
Bowden, Warsaw; Sue
Saunders, Rose Hill;
Margarette Kenan, Teachey;
Dr. Gary Broadrick, Kenans
ville; and Allen Nethercutt,
Chinquapin.
Happy Holiday
McGowen Contributes
To James Sprunt
Foundation
Mrs. Faison W. McGowen
has awarded the James
Sprunt Foundation SI,000 to
endow the Faison W.
McGowen Outstanding
Student Award. The award is
given annually at James
Sprunt commencement to a
graduating student, selected
by the faculty, who best
exemplifies excellence in
scholarship, leadership, and
citizenship.
Mrs. McGowen and her
husband, the late Faison W.
McGowen, were instru
mental supporters in seeking
the establishment of the
college in Duplin County.
Mr. McGowen was a Duplin
County accountant and a
highly honored county and
state civic leader. The first
permanent building at James
Sprunt was dedicated in his
honor in 1970.
PRESENTS CHECK FOR OUTSTANDING
STUDENT AWARD - Mrs. Faisor V.
McGowen presents Dr. Price a Sl.Oiy eck
to continue as an endowment the Faison W.
>
McGowen Outstanding Student Award. The
award is given annually at the James Sprunt
Technical College commencement exercises.
EIGHTH DAY OF CHHtSIMAS IN HISTORIC KENANSVILLE ? The
combined church community youth performed a nativity pageant at the
William Rand Kenan Jr. Memorial Amphitheatre. The pageant was
directed by Phil Hardy and was a repeat of the performance given in the
first annual Twelve Days of Christmas in rtistoric Kenansville last year.
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Pictured above are the shepherds as they are visited by an angel and told
of the birth of the Christ Child. Following the evening performance, warm
refreshments were served by the Kenansville United Methodist Church.
Prior to the nativity pageant. Christmas tree services were held in the
local churches.
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QUINN COMPANY ANNOUNCES EXPANSION The expansion into
supplying produce to its customers was announced last week by the Quinn
Company of Warsaw. The addition of the produce line to the wholesale
business will make the company a full-service supplier of grocery items,
said Milford Quinn. president of the company. According to Quinn, five
cents from each grocery dollar spent in North Carolina is spent on items
supplied by the Quinn Company. Pictured above, left to right. Duplin
Industrial Development Officer John Gurganus. Gerald Quinn of the
Quinn Company, Duplin Development Commission Chairman Wilbur
Hussey, Milford Quinn and I.J. Quinn of the Quinn Company.
Joan Of Arc
Contracts Asparagus Crops
Contracting cucumber
crops with local pickle com
panies is not a new idea to
area farmers, but growing
asparagus under contract is
something new.
Asparagus is a perennial
crop harvested during a
10-12-weed period beginning
in late March, said Joan of
Arc Field Respresentative
Roger Lane. The Joan of Arc
produce processing and
packing plant in Turkey has
begun contracting asparagus
crops with local farmers.
Presently. Carroll's of War
saw has 58 acres of aspara
gus under contract with the
Turkey plant. And, Lane
added, farmers within a
50-mile radius are the grow
ers Joan of Arc will be
recruiting to plant asparagus
crops.
A net profit of $400-$650
an acre has been estimated
for asparagus. Lane said.
However, he added, farmers
will not receive a return on
their investment until three
years after planting. Some
asparagus can be harvested
the second year, but not
much for commercial use at
Joan of Arc, Lane said. The
asparagus plant will continue
to produce in the early spring
each year for approximately
15 years, with a peak harvest
the seventh through tenth
years, he said. As the aspar
agus grows it puts out new
sprouts each year making the
single crown into a bed of
sprouts. A net profit of
$I0.I23-$15.037 over the 15
year period has been esti
mated by North Carolina
State University researchers.
Planting an asparagus
crop requires an investment
of SSbO an acre. Lane said.
The major cost involved is
the purchasing of asparagus
crowns or the transplant, at
planting time, he said.
Equipment used in trans
planting the crowns is fur
nished bv Joan of Arc and an
ordinary tractor is used in
crop care after planting.
Lane said. A pepper or
cucumber harvester which is
manually operated can be
used to gather asparagus
spears. In order to maximize
profits hand harvesting is
required, he said. But. a crop
can be mechanically har
vested.
Work by NCSU and Joan
of Arc has yielded a new
process by which growers of
asparagus are expected to
minimize plant loss. Lane
said. Research on the sandy
soil in the local counties has
led NCSU and Joan of Arc to
recommend a no-till method
of growing asparagus. Cer
tified crowns are trans
planted. the field -is culti
vated two or three times soon
after planting to level the row
ridges and a herbicide pro
gram follows through the
second year. Lane said. After
the field is level, no culti
vating is done the following
years.
"As the asparagus grows
and adds sprouts tilling the
crop tends to aggravate the
plant." Lane said. , "And.
cutting the spears with scis
sors below the ground hurts
the crown, that is why we
recommend hand harvest
ing."
The company hopes to see
as many as 6000 acres of
asparagus grown in North
Carolina, and acreage con
tracted with Joan of Arc will
be processed in the Turkey
plant. Lane added. The
Turkey plant was originally
located in Sampson County
to take advantage of the
sweet potato market, he said,
said. But. asparagus is not a
new line to the Joan of Art
company based in Illinois.
According to Lane the Joan
of Arc company contracts
asparagus at two Illinois
plants.
The addition of asparagus
processing will extend plant
operations. Sweet potatoes
arc processed at the plant in
the fall of the year and beans
during the winter. Lane said.
Asparagus would extend the
plant's work year until the
spring and in the future a
green and red pepper can
ning process is planned for
the summer. Lane said.
"We're trying to run the
year round by opening up in
the spring with asparagus
and possibly pepper in the
summer," Lane said. "And.
our first asparagus will be
canned in 1982 from the crop
grown on the Carroll's
fields."
Contracts to grow aspar
agus for the packing com
pany are presently being
signed and farmers can
obtain information at the
Joan of Arc plant.
"The biggest problem we
arc running into." Lane said,
"is people who rent their
farm land. We cannot
commend a farmer plant
asparagus on land he does
not own and people who do
own their land don't want to
plant asparagus because
they do not know about
renting their land in the
future."
Lane added, the potential
for asparagus in this area can
be good because market
prices continue to rise year
after year. Farmers contract
ing with Joan of Arc will be
paid the average market
price at harvest time, he
said. The projected growth
over a fifteen year period is
expected to increase as much
as twenty-two cents a
pound.
The President's House
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