1 PROGRESS SENTINEL
J
^ VOL. XXXXVNO 7 USPS 162-860 KCNANSVILLE, NC 28349 FEBRUARY 12. 1981 16 PAGES THI{> WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Long Sought Water Contracts
9 To Be Let In July
The first construction con
tracts for the long-planned
Limestone and Muddy Creek
Small Watershed Projects of
eastern Duplin County will
be let in July if surveys and
detailed work plans can be
carried out on schedule.
The projects, sought by
land owners of the area for
nearly 20 years, will improve
1 drainage and enable owners
to put a large acreage of land
back in crops and timer,
Kenneth Futreal, Duplin Soil
Conservation District con
servationist, said last week.
Natural drainage channels
have become silted and
debris-strewn from more
than 200 years of timber and
farm operations, which in the
past were conducted with
k little thought of conserva
* tion. The resulting water
logging of the soil has ruined
crops and reduced timber
production in the region.
"I remember when it
started in the late 1950s,"
said George Cowan of Cedar
Fork, one of the original
promoters of the projects.
"We had just built our
community building in 1958
and our first meeting tn it
| had to be cancelled because
it (the building) was
flooded." The building is
located on land where excess
water stagnates for lack of
uncluttered channels to re
move it.
The two watersheds in
clude about 72,000 acres of
level, potentially productive
land, drained by the two
streams which flow into the
Northeast River near Halls
ville and Chinquapin.
Total cash outlay for the
projects is estimated at just
under S2 million. The value
of easements and rights-of
way is estimated at another
$2 million, Futreal reported.
The local sponsors' share
of the total cash outlay wifl
be about $700,000, he added.
Local sponsors are the
Watershed Conservation
District, the Duplin County
Soil and Water Conservation
District and the county com
missioners. Prior to the
letting of work contracts, the
local sponsors must sign
financial agreements with
the Soil Conservation Ser
vice, Futreal observed.
The work will be divided
into phases, Futreal said,
with the contracts for the
first phase scheduled to be
let about July. This phase
will include six or seven
miles of channel work from
the outlet of Muddy Creek
back to N.C. 41 and from the
outlet of Limestone Creek
back to N.C. 111. Cost is
estimated at $90,000 to
$100,000 of which the local
sponsors' shaie will be 19
percent or about $27,000.
Also planned for this year
is the purchase of about 130
acres of land for the planned
recreation project, although
actual work on that phase
will not begin until 1983,
Futreaj said. Cost of the land
is estimated at $101,000. The
local share of the recreational
project cost is 50 percent ?
$50,500 in this instance, he
added.
Contracts on the second
phase of the projects will be
let in April 1982, according to
present plans. This phase
will include the remainder of
the channel restoration and
lateral drainage ditch work in
both watersheds at an esti
mated cost of $1.5 million of
which the local share will be
about $300,000.
The nrejects include 45.4
miles of channel restoration
(clearing and snagging, re
moval of debris and sand
bars) and 56 miles of exca
vation of laterals to provide
outlets for farm drainage
systems. Also included is
establishment of a 50-acre
lake and recreation facilities
on about another 60 acres.
Final phase of the projects
will be construction of the
dam to create the lake and
development of the recrea
tion facilities. Cost is esti
mated at about $300,000 to
be divided equally between
the local sponsors and the
Soil Conservation Service.
Letting of contracts for this
phase is now scheduled for
September 1983. Completion
of all the projects is sche
duled for the spring of 1984.
? ?r\? "
\jiie reason ior tne seem
ingly slow progress of the
work is the fact that we can
only work on these projects
from July to December each
year because of environ
mental considerations,"
Futreal said.
In preparation for the
work, 800 easements for use
of land along the streams and
channels had to be obtained
from landowners. "About 95
percent have signdd agree
ments," Futreal said, "and
several others will when
titles to some estate lands
have been settled."
1 AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING
How To Put On A County Fair
... - -
I By Jonl Nethercutt
? "Acquire land that is well
drained ? the sandiest piece
of land you can find," sug
gested Olen Peele, general
manager of the Wayne
, County Fair at the annual
Agribusiness Council meet
ing on Jan. 21 in Kenans
ville. Peele spoke to the
council on "How to Put on a
i County Fair."
Lois Britt, advisor to the
? council, explained that the
5 response of the community
i with the many displays and
' I cooperation during Farm
City week last year has
brought scattered discussion
on the possibility of Duplin
County again having a
county fair. There was a
Duplin County fair in the 60s.
i
? ~ w V <
and community participation
between the elements is a
main purpose of the agri
business extension," Britt
said. "We (the council)
thought it would be a good
time to acquire information
on how to put on our own
countyTair."
Peele, she noted, has
served as general manager in
Goldsboro for 30 years. He
volunteered to share infor
mation through his experi
ence in all aspects of working
with a county fair.
Land being number one on
Peele's fust four sugges
tions. the next three included
having a fence, putting up
buildings (if not possible at
first, tents would be fine) and
having water and electricity
with bathroom facilities.
"The biggest drawing card
Piu.
at a fair is a carnival," said
Peele. "If you're going to
have a fair, you've got to
have a carnival."
"Have a purpose for be
ginning a fair," Peele ad
vised. He pointed out that
the Wayne County fair began
to promote and increase the
livestock industry in Wayne
County.
"Try to involve group con
tests and livestock competi
tion to involve young
people," Peele said.
Involving local talent,
women's exhibits, FHA,
FFA, etc., was a main focus
of Peele. "Let people know
that the fair is for the benefit
of Duplin County," he said.
County fairs are tax-free,
non-profit organizations free,
sf county funds and most'
people involved with a fair ,
ire volunteers, he noted.
??" i r JC
"The best time to hold a
county fair is between that
last week in August through
the second week in Octo
ber," he said. Ore good
reason for this time ,,eriod,
Peele explained, is that
school has begun and it
would give school organiza
tions time to prepare dis
plays and projects.
Peele advised the group to
go ahead with plans now in
order to have a county fair in
Duplin County by 1982.
He suggested the Duplin :
County Agribusiness Council t
talk with Columbus County i
who had their first county i
fair in several years this past
year and were very success- i
ful. 1
Mrs. Britt told the Duplin 1
Times that this would be the I
Muncil's next move. I
Duplin Raises County Mileage Rate
iIThe rising price of gasoline
prompted the county com
missioners to increase the
mileage rate paid for use of
personal vehicles on county
business to 22 cents a mile at
their meeting last week.
The rate had been 19 cents
since February 1980. During
this period. County Manager
Ralph Cottle said gasoline
prices had increased 12 per
cent. If the mileage rate had
been figured at 12 percent,
be said it would come out at
:nts a mile. He said the
ounty budget will not
Teased, however, and
tsized that the number
es driven will have to
luced accordingly. He
it have any mileage
for county business at
seting.
tie said Wayne County
ing 23 cents a mile and
robably increase this to
nts. He said Onslow
:y is paying 19 cents a
Mid considering an in
5. Lenoir pays 23 cents,
son is paying 20 cents
! and Pender County 21
a mile, he added,
rial Services Director
i Brown told the board
she has 16 employees
rive out into the county
day and 18 others who i
at. Because they carry i
ngers, she said, they 1
pay extra insurance
lums and need relief. <
ergency Services Coor- <
or Hiram Brinson
reported 2,577 rescue squad
calls during 1980. He said
$72,836.70 was billed users
of the rescue services. Col
lections amounted to $41.
103.35. Brinson said the
collection rate is about the
same as in past years.
The board agreed to pro
vide meals for the aged in
Jones County at a price of
$1.46 per meal with the
Jones program scheduled to
pick up the food at the
kitchen in the old jail build
ing in Kenansville.
By a 4-1 vote, the board
agreed that county em
ployees will be paid for time
lost when Cottle and Com
mission Chairman Allen
Nethercutt determine
weather conditions are such
that county offices should be
closed. Commissioner D.J.
Fussell
Fussell voted against the
move. Commissioner W.J.
Costin made the motion,
which was seconded by S.
Franklin Williams. Also
voting for it were Commis
sioners Calvin Turner and
Nethercutt.
The board turned over to
County Attorney Russell
Lanier Jr. the request of
Gerald Michaux. represent
ing Gear-Tell of Hope Mills,
for a county cable television
franchise. Lanier was di
rected to review the proposal
and report to the board at a
future meeting. Michaux
said the system would have a
35-channel capability but
would provide 18 channels
when it went on the air.
Thirteen channels would be
provided for the base price of
$9.50 per month. Five other
channels would require
additional fees.
Il
Delinquent Tax Collection
Nets Beulaville *9,100
' I
An effort to collect t -"Jl I
property taxes has resulted
in collection of $9,100 since
July, Police Chief Audrey
Murphy reported to the town
board in Beulaville last week.
The board had directed the
chief to follow up its letters
warning recipients to pay
back taxes by serving tax
warrants authorizing seizure
of personal property in lieu of
tax payments. The project
began in July.
Murphy said he served 31
;ax warrants in January and
ollected $3,000.
The town's tax rate is 60
cents per $100 assessed
valuation and has remained
constant since 1974.
In other action, Gerald
Batts and Vernon Hall com
plained Avon Sharpe had
accumulated debris on his
property that created a
health hazard and public
nuisance. The board turned
the complaint over to the
town attorney. Russell Lanier
Jr.
The board agreed to hire
Paul Lanier, currently a
Comprehensive Employment
and Training worker in the
maintenance department,
*
upon completion of his CETA
eligibility Feb. 13 at a pay
rate of S3.51 per hour.
The board planned an
executive session with the
three maintenance depart
ment employees last week.
Reasons for the session were
not announced.
Dan Whaley, who built a
house one-eighth of a mile
out of town, received per
mission to hook on to the city
water and sewer lines which
run on the opposide side of
the road from his houses. He
will be charged double the
normal rate for the service
and will have to lay his own
lines from the house to the
city pipes. He said he had
state permission to lay the
pipe under the road.
The board banned parking
beside Duffs Restaurant on
Wilson Street at the junction
of N.C. Highway 24.
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. 15.
FIVE SEVENTH GRADERS TAKE SAT Five 7th grade
students from E.E. Smith Jr. High qualified to participate
in the Duke University Talent Identification program. The
students took the College Boards Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SAT) on Jan. 24 at James Sprunt Technical Institute along
with 11th and 12th graders. Their scores will be evaluated
and interpreted by Duke University and students will
receive information on their academic strengths and
weaknesses and suggestionsyor making educational plans
during high school and college. To qualify, students had to
score at the 97th percentile or above on the California
Achievement Test (CAT) in either the math or v'erbal
section of the test. Approximately 50 seventh graders from
Duplin County schools will be participating in the program
this year. Students from E.E. Smith were, left to right,
Joseph Brown, Michael Brinson, Dilaine Hall. Darla Brock
and Doris Williams.
Teachers Ask Reading Criteria
A group of teachers wants
the Duplin County Board of
Education to expand guide
lines to help teachers de
'?rmine the-reading abilities
of students.
The school system already
uses a set of guidelines for
advanced students that
teachers said has been
successful in classrooms.
Now teachers from the four
county high schools say
they would like similar
guidelines for students with
average or below-average
reading skills.
They compared the guide
lines to road maps, allowing
teachers to quickly deter
mine a student's reading
skills and making it easier for
teachers to determine what
reading subjects need to be
iddressed in class.
The teachers at the meet
ng last week were Mary
Dixon Brown of James
Cenan High School,
.eWanda Brown of East
Duplin. Margaret Glasgow of
Wallace-Rose Hill and Mrs.
Eddie Williams of North
Duplin.
Board members received
an explanation of the existing
guidelines from Iris Hun
singer of Wilson, a retired
Guilford County teacher who
put together the first ad
vanced placement English
and honors English courses
for Duplin County high
schools two years ago.
The advanced placement
English courses are for 12th
grade stuBents with above
average reading skills. The
honors English classes are
for above-average students
in all high school grades.
The board also agreed to
consider giving the advanced
English placement tests a
week or two earlier than in
the past, when the*ests have
been given during the last
weeks of school. The
teachers said the stpdents'
concentration will be greater
if the tests are given earlier.
County Finds Home
For New Cowan
Tool Museum
The Cowan Museum will
be located on the ground
tloor of the county agricul
tural building in Kenansville
when the area is vacated by
the Duplin County-Dorothy
Wightman Library,
The current schedule calls
for the library to move into
its new quarters in Kenans
ville early in April.
Mr. and Mrs. George
Cowan of the Cedar Fork
community have assembled a
collection of 2,200 work-a
day tools and appliances
used by rural people during
the 18th, 19th and early 20th
centuries. They recently do
nated the collection to the
county on condition it be
suitably displayed in a satis
factory site.
A committee composed of
the Cowans, Extension
Chairman Lois Britt and
Liberty Hall manager Rich
Boyd worked with county
officials to obtain a suitable
location.
The committee received
permission to use the present
library as a working and
display headquarters tempo
rarily until a permanent site
can be found.
The board of commis
sioners appropriated $7,500
for costs of moving the
collection, for temporary
help and utilities for the
museum. The county insured
the collection for $75,000.
The committee reported
Cowan has recorded descrip
tions for each item and where
it came from. Plans are to set
up these recordings for the
public. The Cowans would
like to have the collection set
up as a demonstration-type
display.
Wells Named To Kinston Post
P. Everett Wells
P. Everett Wells has been
named home office manager
of East Federal Savings,
headquartered in Kinston,
effective Feb. 9.
Wells, a Kinston native,
served most recently as vice
president and city executive
of United Carolina Bank in
Wallace. He had been with
the bank since 1973 and is a
graduate of ECU and the
*
N.C. School of Banking at
Chapel Hill.
Wells is past president of
the Wallace Chamber of
Commerce, Wallace Lions
Club, Wallace town board of
adjustments. NC Bankers
Association, and the Wallace
Presbyterian Church. He and
his wife, Dianne, also a
Kinstonian, will reside in
Kinston. He is the son of
Mrs. Mary Wells of Kinston.
Whitley's Mobile Office I
To Visit County I
Congressman Charlie
Whitley's Third District
mobile office will be in
Duplin County Thursday,
Feb. 19 and will make stops
at the following times and
locations:
Wallace - 9:30-10:30 a.m.,
parking lot at Rockftsh Plaza.
Kenansville - 11-12 noofi,
parking area at the old
Kenansville Elementary
School.
Rodney Knowles will be
manning the office and will
be available to anyone
having matters they wish
brought to the attention of
the Congressman.
AH schedules are subject
to prevailing weather condi
tions affecting travel.
Shopping Spree Jubilee |
This Saturday, Valentine's
Day, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. at
Jackson's IGA in Kenansville
some lucky winner will get
the opportunity to spend
three minutes on a shopping
spree at Jackson's IGA and
carry out all the groceries
that he or she can. The event
is sponsored by the Kenans
ville Javcees and tickets are
on sale now for $1.
The rules are as follows:
1.) No substitutions allowed.
2) No beer, wine or cigarettes
can be taken. 3.) All you can
carry out in your arms in
three minutes. The dra>Wng
will be held on Friday, Feb.
13. Purchase a ticket and
help support the Kenansville
Jaycees.