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PROGRESS SENTINEL
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VOL. XXXXVI NO. S USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 JANUARY 29. 1981 14 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLU8 TAX
Board Buys Land
At James Kenan
Steps to purchase 15.4
acres of land adjacent to
James Kenan High School in
Warsaw were completed last
week by the Duplin County
Board of Education at their
meeting. The school board
formally approved the sale
for $85,000. The board plans
to use the land for recreation
and parking. Eventually, the
? land beside James Kenan
will be used for an extension
of the school building to
house ninth graders who
currently are sent to Warsaw
Junior High School and E.E.
Smith Junior High School.
Additions are also planned to
the vocational program and
library.
The site extends for 300
feet on N.C. 14 east of the
high school, south to an
unpaved road and west
behind the present school
property.
In other business, Super
intendent C. H. Yelverton
presented the board with a
schedule for preparing the
budget for the 1981-82 fiscal
year. The schedule calls for
assistant superintendents to
develop budgets with their
staffs and place items in
priority order. The proposals
will be reviewed by the
school principals in the dis
tricts Jan. 25-30. The school
system's finance officer will
review the proposals Feb.
2-6.
The superintendent and
administrative staff will re
view the proposals Feb. 9-20
and final preparation of the
system's proposed budget
will be accomplished Feb.
23-27. A final budget review
is scheduled March 2-6 by
the administrative staff and
principals. The budget pro
posal will be presented to the
board of education March
9-20. A public hearing will be
scheduled in late March.
The week of March 30
April 3 has been set aside for
alterations and preparation
of the budget proposal for
the county commissioners. It
will be presented to the
county manager. Ralph
Cottle, and the finance
officer, Russell Tucker, on
April 4.
Duplin Board Searches
#For New Magistrate's Office
Duplin County Manager
Ralph Cottle was directed to
seek the most economical
office space for the magis
trate in Wallace by the board
of commissioners at their
? meeting last week.
Clerk of Court John A.
Johnson urged the board to
take action after saying the
present 8-foot-by-8-foot
office adjacent to the Wallace
police department is "totally
inadequate."
He told the board Wallace
officials informed him there
is no additional space avail
able in the Wallace city hall.
^ Johnson said Buck Wells,
W who has retired, has offered
to rent part of his former
dentist's office for $150 per
month plus utilities.
Johnson said the magis
trate's office should be in a
dignified setting. He noted
the magistrate's office is one
of the most important in the
judicial system. "He deals
with the people first, and
the office should look like a
courtroom and not the back
room in some service sta
tion," Johnson said.
Commissioner S. Franklin
Williams said the office con
ditions described by Johnson
are accurate.
Commissioner D. J.
Fussell added, "I feel it
should be in the town hall.
That's where you need a
magistrate."
Johnson disagreed. He
said he -believes the magis
trate's office should be as far
from the police offices as
- n- ii- ?i i.1
possioic. ne saiu wncn uic
police, sherifTs people and
maybe the highway patrol
are all in the roon together,
talking and moving about, it
can give a person brought
before the magistrate "the
impression they are all in
cahoots."
Johnson, told the board
there are five magistrates in
the county. In Faison, C.A.
Precythe received $25 a
month for Use of a portion of
his office. The office in Rose
Hill costs $33 a month. The
Warsaw, Kenansville and
Wallace offices cost $50 a
month. The rental fees are
paid from court facility fees.
The county has budgeted
$32,000 in court facilities
fees for this fiscal year,
Russell Tucker, finance
officer, said. He said income
from the fees for the first six
months of the fiscal year
totalled $16,000. He noted
$150 a month rent could
gradually exceed the income
from the fees and that paying
that amount in one town
could bring reaction in the
other towns that would in
crease all rents for magis
trates' offices.
tr ? U n..t 1
ivennein ruucai, tuuui y
soil conservationist, said
state conservation officials
would join him Thursday to
attempt to plan construction
schedules for the Limestone
Muddy Creek watershed
projects. He said construc
tion may begin in September
or October.
The board agreed to meet
the board of education for an
informal supper this past
Monday in the Rose Hill
Restaurant in Rose Hill to
discuss the old Kenansville
school.
Approval of a $50,000
grant for a senior citizens
meal center at Kenansville
has been received from the
Neuse River Council of
Governments.
Larry Cooper of Warsaw
was appointed to the com
munity development citizens
advisory committee.
Appointed to the commu
nity-based alternatives com
mittee were W. T. Stokes,
Randy Hammond, Leatrict
Hammond and Shirley
Benson of Kenansville,
Eleanor Alexander of
Calypso and Bryan Mclver of
Warsaw.
Eva Bland was hired as an
accounting clerk at $8,295
per year; Karen Rhodes Tyn
dall as a receptionist at
$8,295; and Robert J.
Hatcher as energy specialist
at $12,263 per year.
Warsaw- Faison Towns And
Officers Found Not
Liable In Civil Action
A U.S. Federal court jury
found Wednesday that all
actions taken by Faison and
Warsaw police officers in a
civil suit alleging discrimina
tion filed by three Wayne
County men. "were con
sistent with due process and
that the officers were not in
violation of any constitutional
rights," according to Jene
f Thompson, town attorney for
Warsaw and Faison.
Earlier Thompson stated.
"Upon my motion to dismiss,
the action against both towns
and WarsawPoliceChief R.P.
Wood was dismissed Tues
day after which the case
against the remaining
officers went to the jury. The
officers were cleared of all
liability, including Faison
police officers Alton Ray
King and Randy Brock, and
Warsaw police officers. J.W.
Vinson and Anthony Bras
well.
The civil suit was filed by
William L. Smith, Marshall
K. Thompson and James
McCoy, who are represented
by Durham attorney Thomas
Loflin. a former law partner
of Jerry Paul, the attorney
who represented Joan Little.
The suit asked for $340,000
in damages and charged that
the three had been discrimi
nated against because of
race.
The three Wayne county
men were charged by Faison
police with conspiracy to
commit a bank robbery and
going about armed to the
terror of the people Dec. 15.
1978. The arrest was made
by Faison officer King when
the three were allegedly seen
in front of the Branch Bank in
Faison. Faison residents re
ported seeing one of the men
with a gun. police said.
Warsaw police officers
J.W. Vinson and Anthony
Braswell and Chief R.P.
Wood, as well as the Towns
of Faison and Warsaw, were
also named in the civil action
filed by the three men. The
Warsaw officers appre
hended the three men in
their vehicle as they entered
Warsaw and held them until
Faison police officers arrived
on the scene. On the advice
of Magistrate Dot Sheffield
and District Attorney Dewey
Hudson Jr., Officer King
charged the three. The three
. men were later found not
I guilty in Duplin District
Court in Kenansville of the
t charge of going about armed
to the terror of the people.
: No probable cause was found
for the felonious conspiracy
t9 commit a bank robbery
charge.
Jene Thompson said that
the state "failed to subpoena
the proper witnesses in the
case." which resulted in the
verdicts given the three men.
As a result of the arrests
and the verdicts in the
charges filed by Officer
King, the civil rights suit was
filed alleging that the three
men's constitutional rights
were violated and that they
were deprived of their rights,
liberties and immunities
provided by the 14th amend
ment.
Thompson said, ine sun
also alleged that police
officers and the towns dis
criminated against them be
cause they were blacks and
that the towns of Warsaw
and Faison have established
policies concerning arrest
procedures against blacks.
They also maintained that
their constitutional rights
were violated in that they
were not afforded the due
process of law during the
arrest procedures and that
their fourth amendment
rights were violated through
unlawful search and seiz
ure."
"We contended that
without the prompt and re
sponsible action of police
officers, a crime could have
been committed."
Thompson said. "And we
further argued that the two
Warsaw police officers and
the Faison officers acted very
responsibly and diligently
and were very courteous to
the three men," he said.
The jury found the officers
not liable. Thompson said
the men can appeal the
decision by filing motions
with the court of appeals in
Richmond, Va.
Hunt To Dedicate
Imperial Spinning
f Wallace's newest industrial
plant. Imperial Spinning Co.,
will be dedicated at 10:45
a.m., Jan. 30 by Gov. Jim
Hunt.
The appearance will be the
governor's first in Duplin
county since being elected to
his second term.
Public tours of the plant
will be conducted all day.
Operations have begun at
the plant where spinning
A equipment is still being In
stalled and tested. When it
achieves full production
the firm will employ about
125 workers with an annual
payroll estimated at $1.5
million.
It spins synthetic fiber into
yarn for manufacturing
hosiery and sweaters.
Building, land and mach
inery represents an invest
ment of about $4 million.
' according to company offi
cials.
Jerry Hamtn, now of Wal
lace. oneof the three owners.
is manager. The other
owner:, are George Perkins,
president, and George
Paker, vice president, both of
Sanford. The uhj organized
the company last year after
having been employed by
other textile firms for many
years.
Last year the firm pur
chased an industrial shell
building erected in Wallace
in 1978 by Davidson & Jones
Construction Co. of Raleigh
under an arrangement
whereby the Wallace Indus
trial Commission, the Duplin
County Industrial Develop
ment Commission and the
state would seek a pur
chaser.
The 40,000-square-fool
structure was built in 1971
just south of Wallace on U.S
U7_at a cost of about
$18 per square foot.
Imperial added 10,000
square feet after purchasing
the structure.
Two Die
In
Wreck
Duplin County's traffic
fatalities for 1981 rose to four
Thursday night following a
wreck that killed two persons
and the death of a Burgaw
man from injuries sustained
in an accident earlier this
month.
Linda Susan Batts. 17, of
Beulaville and George
Washington Price Jr., 20, of
Route 1, Albertson. died
when the car they were in
crossed the centerline and
struck a pick-up truck driven
by Samuel David Grady, 22.
who was injured in the
accident, the N.C. Highway
Patrol reported.
The accident happened
around 6:35 p.m. on rural
road 1521 about l5'/i miles
north of Kenansville. Inves
tigating Highway Patrol
Trooper Eddie Wanick said
the car. driven by Price,
skidded sideways as it
rounded a curve, crossed the
centerline and hit the pick
up truck broadside.
Also Thursday. Dewey Lee
Padgett of Route 1, Burgaw.
died of injuries received in an
accident near Beulaville Jan.
9.
RECEIVES HAM - Newly-installed President Earl Stroud
is shown presenting guest speaker. Ira Beeson, a
Westwater Country Ham as a token of appreciation during
the Kenansville Area Chamber of Commerce meeting held
last week. Pictured (L to R), Mrs. Beeson, Beeson. Stroud.
Robert Worthington. MC; and Mrs Robert Worthington.
Stroud To Lead Kenansville
Area Chamber For 1981
Earl Stroud was installed
as president of the Historic
Kenansville Area Chamber
Ot Commerce for the year
1981 during their annual
meeting Thursday night in
Kenansville.
Other 1981 officers in
clude: Vice-President. Mrs.
Wiley Booth; Treasurer,
Carey Wrenn; Executive
Secretary, Carolyn Hall;
Directors - Richard Harrell,
Earl Stroud, Ray Bell, Carey
Wrenn, Mrs. Wiley Booth,
Carey Williams Jr., Mrs.
Craig Rich and Bill McKay.
Dinner was served by the
Kenansville United Metho
dist Women, after which a
medley of songs from The
Sound of Music was
presented by Mrs. Jimmy
Summerlin, pianist, and
Mrs. Bert Alabaster, soloist.
Robert Worthington,
master of ceremonies, intro
duced Ira Beeson as the
evening's speaker by saying.
"We are fortunate to have a
man here to speak to us who
has been in one line of work
for 30 years."
Beeson, a special agent
with Jefferson Standard Life
Insurance, said he was very
impressed with the people in
Kenansville.
After several humorous
stories. Beeson gave a talk
entitled, "As a Man or
Woman Thinks." "You are a
Chamber of Commerce, and
in each of your businesses,
there is not anything as
important in your staff or
employees as a thinker. Wo
need big thinkers," con
iV no ' Beeson. "because^
shallow thinkers nusr the
goals and blessings of life."
Outgoing president. Rich
Bovd, gave a report on the
Chamber's accomplishments
for 1980 and reviewed his 13
point program initiated last
__ ?
year.
After the istallation of
1981 officers r.y Beeson,
ireotni ig Presidv"/ Stroud
ii aclc a few remarks con
cerning the Chamber and
leadership for the upcoming
year.
The meeting ended with
the benediction by the Rev.
Ann Dickey.
Dinner Theatre
Production Set
James Sprunt Foundation Raising Funds
The James Sprunt Foun- i
dation will present a fund- <
raising dinner theatre at The
Country Squire Restaurant i
on Feb. 14 featuring the
College of the Albemarle 1
Satyr's production of the
musical 1 DO! I DO!
The valentine musical
about marriage is based on
Jan de Hartog's book. The
Fourposter. I DO! I DO! was
originally produced on
Broadway by David Merrick
and written bv Tom Jones.
Starring in the Satyr's pro
duction are Alice Sue
Rousseau and Jim Bridges.
The production will be di
rected by Lucy Vaughan with
musical accompaniment by
Russell Rumpf and Louise
Hubbard.
Proceeds from the dinner
theatre will be used to sup
plement public funds re
ceived by JSTC. "Public
funds received through the
state are often limited or not
applicable in the areas of
scholarships, programs ana
facilities development." said
Foundation Chairman
Willard Hoffler. "The
irftreased private support of
JSTC will extend the range of
opportunities and services
the institute can offer," he
added, "and the benefits to
graduates and their com
munities are directly related
to funds available to provide
support to these educational
services."
Working with Hoffler to
plan the fund-raising dinner
theatre are board members
Tom Yates, Charles Albert
son and Mrs. Winifred T.
Wells. The activities are
scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
with the show beginning at 9.
Tickets are available through
any member of the JSTC
Foundation Board or Donna
Thigpen, Foundation execu
tive secretary at JSTC.
The College of the Albe
marle in Elizabeth City ^ a
member of the N.C.
Community College System.
The Satyr's is a campus
organization featuring stu
dents. instructors and local
citizens. Alice Sue Rousseau
holds an associate degree in
music from the College, and
a bachelor's from Atlantic
Christian. She has performed
for the Satyr's and the Albe
marle Players. Jim Bridges is
chairman of the CTA English
department. He is well
known in the area for his
Mark Twain lectures. Lucy
Vaughan has appeared in or
directed over 100 plays. She
holds a bachelor's degree in
theatre from the University
of Houston and a master's in
speech and theatre from
Kent State University with
additional graduate studies
in theatre at Ohio State. Lucy
is an associate professor of
speech and theatre at the
College of The Albemarle.
Russell Rumpf plays the
drums in several area bands
and has won playwriting
awards from the Carolina
Dramatic Association. Louise
Hubbard plays the piano
professionally in the Outer
Banks and Virginia Beach
aica, and she has worked as
a program director for a
Virginia radio station.
Further information can be
obtained through Donna
Thigpcn at JSTC or Foun
dation boardmembers, Edd
Dudley Monk, Dr. Corbett L.
Ouinn. Robert Lee, Mrs.
Winifred T. Wells, Tom
Yates, Mis. Ellen Brewer,
Allen Nethercutt. J. Willard
Hoffler, William S. Buckley,
Charles W. Albertson. Mrs.
Pearl McGowen, Wilbur
Carr, Harold Precythe,
Riddick Wilkins and Prentice
W. Smith. A limited number
of tickets arc available.
Jaycees Sponsor
Shopping Spree
The Kenansville Jaycees 1
are sponsoring a three
minute shopping spree to be
held at Jackson's IGA on
Saturday, February 14 at 10
a.m. Tickets are SI each.
What better Valentine's Day
present than to win^a three
minute shopping spree?
Rules for the spree are as
follows:
You may take all the
groceries you can out in your
arms.
No limit on the amount you
may take out
No cigarettes, beer or wine
will be taken.
No substitutions may be
made for the winner.
The .'rawing will be held
on Thursday, Feb. 12 at
Jackson's 1GA. Deadline to
purchase tickets will be
Thursday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.
Tickets will be on sale by
any Kenansville Jaycee,
Dean's Barber Shop,
Kenansville Drug Store, and
Jackson's 1GA.
KENANSVILLE TOWN
TAGS
As a reminder to residents
of Kenansville, your 1981
Town Tags should be pur
chased and displayed on your
vehicles by Feb. IS. The tags
are SI again this year, and
may be purchased at the
clerk's office in the tow? hall.