?BMW
' PROGRESS SENTINEL
^VOL XXXXV NO. 8 USPS 162 860 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 FEBRUARY 19. 1981 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Duplin Gross Agricultural
, Income $238,773, 220
By Lois Britt, Snodie
Wilson, Robert Swain and
J. Michael Moore
Duplin County's estimated
gross agricultural income for
1980 totals $238,773,220,
which is an increase of
$37,408,907 from 1979. This
increase came about because
M)f combination of higher
"prices and greater produc
tion. Agricultural Extension
officials are quick to point out
that coupled with this, the
farmers experienced greater
expenses in order to produce
last year's crop. Labor, fuel,
feed, seed, fertilizer and all
raw products were higher
than ever known. So even
though total agricultural
^income was up. net income
Pbiay, in fact, be down for
individual farmers.
However, the total amount of
$238,773,200 was put into
circulation many times in the
economy.
Income figures were: (1980
first figure, and 1979 second)
Tobacco - $39,558,043.
$28,114,507; Corn - $20,160,
000, $17,400,000; Soybean ?
$9,280,000, $5,969,000;
Other Field Cron<? . $1,827.
790, $431,240; Swine -
$27,806,600. $30,342,000;
Poultry - $120,219,974,
$100,009,500; Horticulture -
$12,344,091, $13,699,970;
Beef & Dairy - $1,5^4,322,
$2,014,000; Forestry
$5,896,200. $3,267,970;
Honey - $5,235, (1979 not
reported); Total Sales -
$238,692,255, $201,248,523;
Government Payments -
$80,965;. $115,790; Total
Sales and Payments
$238,773,220, $201,364,313.
Duplin tobacco growers
harvested 12,689 acres in
1980 with an average yield of
2,150 pounds per acre. The
value of tobacco was $39,
558,043. In 1979 growers
harvested 11.032 with an
average yield of 1,746
pounds per acre which sold
for $28,114,507. In 1980,
tobacco income was slightly
over $11 million higher.
Duplin County farmers
produced approximately
70,000 acres of corn in 1980
with an average yield esti
mated at 90 bushels per acre.
This gave a total production
of 6,300,000 bushels. It is es
timated that 5,600,000
bushels of corn was sold for
520,160,000. This was an
increase in income from corn
of $2,760,000 over 1979 in
come from corn.
The Duplin County
soybean crop of 58,000 acres
produced an estimated yield
of 20 bushels per acre for a
total production of 1,160,000
bushels. The average price of
soybeans was $8 per bushel
for a total value of $9,280.
000. This was an increase in
income from soybeans of
$3,311,000 over 1979 soy
bean income.
The total value of horti
cultural crops sold in Duplin
County in 1980 was $12,344.
091 which was a decrease of
$1,355,879 from 1979. No
one horticultural crop ac
counted for all the loss, but
each experienced some de
crease because of price and
weather.
The income from pulp
wood and saw timber sold by
Duplin County farmers was
estimated at $5,896,200
which was an increase of
$2,628,230.
Duplin County hog
growers sold 328.200 head of
slaughter hogs for $30,522.
600 which was a decrease of
$3,147,400 from 1979 hog
sales. This decrease was
because of lower production
and lower prices in 1980.
After deducting the cost of
feeder pigs which were pur
chased from other counties,
the adjusted Duplin swine
income was $27,806,600.
Cattle sold for salughter
amounted to 2.500 head
which sold for $1,125,000.
Total income from slaughter
cattle and feeder cattle was
$1,251,250. Income from
dairy cattle sales and milk
sales was $313,072.
Poultry was the leading
agricultural commodity in
Duplin County in 1980. The
total income from poultry in
1980 was $120,219,974. g
Broiler production in 1980 *
was 33.620.000 head which
had a live value of $34,772,
920. This was an increase of
about one-half million \
broilers and $800,000.
Turkey production in 1980
amounted to 10,709,018 head
compared to 7,726,500 head
in 1979. Turkey production in
1980 was valued at approxi
mately $70,000,000 which
was $13,500,000 more than
the 1979 sales. Commercial
eggs sold for $3,155,838.
Broiler hatching eggs and
turkey hatching eggs were
valued at $11,147,805 in
1980.
Gross agricultural income
in Duplin County has con
tinued to increase as pro
ducers have utilized tech
nology to produce and as
prices have continued to rise
due to inflation. The impact
of $200, plus millions in the
economy cannot be dis
counted even though many
farmers are experiencing
less and less net income.
* County Purges List Of Voters
The Liuplin County voter
registration books are being
purged .a' required by law.
according . ^eJtd Jtlefiler. ,
county election board super
visor. who believes about
4.500 names will be re
| moved.
The books now contain
names of 21.000 registered
voters. In the November
general election. 13.216
ballots were east.
The law requires election
officials to purge the books
cynry tour, years. The , law v
w ent" into effect in 1%8.
it also requires removal of
a person's name if that
person has not voted for four
years, unless a good reason
for not voting can be shown.
The election board is sending
letters to people who haven't
voted for four years to give
ihem opportunity to object to
having their names removed
from the voting lists.
Hepfer said 2,S8f??mamcs
have been purged from the
books of eight precincts so
far. The county is divided
into 10 precincts. The work
will require another month.
Previously, county election
officials had met with pre
cinct officials after each
general election to remove
names of persons known to
have moved from the pre
cinct or who had died.
Precincts in whi&puvging
has been completed include:
Albertson. 54 names re
moved. 5% now registered:
Smith, 24 removed, 256
registered; Rockfish. 82 re
moved. 586 registered:
Calvpso. 64 removed, 438
registered; Faison. 407 re
moved. 753 registered: War
saw. 1.040 removed. 2.135
registered; Wallace, 1.104
removed. 2.080 registered;
and Charity, 112 removed.
723 registered.
In the November election,
the vote totals in each of
these precincts were: Al
bcrtson. 459; Smith. 208;
Rockfish, 382; Calypso. 324;
Faison. 555; Warsaw, 1,623;
Wallace, 1.735: and Charity.
568.
Hcpler said only six per
sons had come by the office
to ask for their names to be
left on the books.
Some of the loss in voter
registration will be made up
this spring when the election
omciais go to tnc ntgn
schools to register 18-vear
olds. Carolyn Murphy,
secretary to the supervisor,
said about 800rl,000 young
people usually register in the
spring. However, only about
25 percent actually vote, she
added.
HANGING NEW PAINTING David
Curtis Smith, visiting artist at James
Sprunt Technical College, is pictured hang
ing his most recently completed oil painting.
The panning entitled "Hickory Winds" is
available for public viewing during school
hours in the student lounge if the McGowen
Building on the technical college campus
Along with "Hickory Wind . ' at JSTC,
Smith has paintings and lithographs dis
played throughout Duplin County.
Wallace Board Names
Acting Finance Officer
The Wallace Board of
Commissioners appointed
Faye Peterson acting town
finance officer and clerk,
effective immediately,
during its February meeting
last Thursday.
Ton) Phi'lips. town ad
ministrator for the past four
years, will leave his position
Feb. 28 to take a position as
Cary town manager.
Mrs. Peterson's salary will
be increased $1.200 a year to
bring her annual pay to
$11,000. She has been em
ployed by the town for five
years as posting and
accounting clerk.
Her appointment was ap
proved by a vote of 3 to 0
with two members absent.
The absentees were Com
missioners Arnold Duncan
and Harrv Carter. Carter left
the meeting before the vote
was taken. Commissioners
Willie Biggs. Lloyd Boone
and O. C. Blanchard Jr.
voted for the nomination.
About 75 residents
attended a memorial at the
opening of the meeting to the
late T. J. "Tommy" Baker,
who was Wallace mayor for
five years, a town board
member for 13 years and
Duplin County representa
tive in the General Assembly
for eight. Memorial remarks
were made by Mayor Melvin
Cording and the Rev. Aubrey
Jones.
Michael Fox of Wallace
and Johnny Dixon of Rose
Hill asked the board for a
cable television franchise for
Wallace. They said they
would provide 11 channels
for $9 per month and pay the
town three percent of their
gross return. They said they
could connect most of those
desiring service within six
months of receipt of a fran
chise and would install the
service in all public buildings
free of charge.
The board turned over the
offer to the town attorney,
Richard Burrows, for review
and comparison with the
proposal of Clear-Tel of New
Hope. Clear-Tel offered to
provide 14 channels for $9 a
month and to pay the town
five percent of its gross, "As
long as the two offers are
about the same, I- would
favor the hometown folks,"
Biggs said.
fox is associated with
Duplin Broadcasting Co.,
which operates WLSE of
Wallace. Dixon is associated
with Super Cycle Engineer
ing Co. of Rose Hill. Fox
estimated the cost of the
project at $300,000.
Bids will be opened March
10 on a contract to paint the
1 - m i 11 io in-gallon i water
reservoir. The town has ap
propriated $13,500 for the
project.
Phillips reported electric
power costs for the first
seven months of the fiscal
year totaled $77,713. The
budget for electric power
for the fiscal year is
$129,000 Phillips estimated
the budgeted sum will fall
$15,000 to $20,000 short of
the actual cost by June 30
because of the increase in
power rates. He suggested
the board increase its elec
trical power budget to
$150,000 for the next fiscal
year.
The largest consumer of
power is the water pumping
system, up from $6,800 in
July to $7,600 in January.
Cost of electricity for street
lights increased from $2,300
in July to $2,700 in January.
Warsaw Board Rejects
Rezoning Request
At a meeting last week,
the Warsaw town board re
jected a rezoning request,
gave a cable television fran
chise ordinance its first
^reading and delayed action
"on the town hall's structural
problems.
Nine persons appeared at
the meeting to protest the
proposed rezoning of two lots
on Wards Bridge Road on the
east side of the city from
residential to restricted busi
ness classification. The lots
include what is known as the
Charlie Miller property.
Rick Summerlin requested
Pthe rezoning and noted a
nearby lot had been rezoned
to the desired classification.
Property owners Joe Costin.
George Clark and Virginia
Strickland all asserted that
business establishments
located in residential areas
lower the value of the ad
jacent residential property.
Following the ooard's
unanimous rejection of the
request, other residents
asked how they could have
the lot previously changed
from residential to business
classification reclassified as
residential. The lot is vacant.
Mayor Sam Godwin sug
gested they take the matter
up with Zoning Board Chair
man Johnny Hollingsworth.
In addition to giving the
cable television ordinance its
first reading, the board
ordered a public hearing on
the franchise ordinance for
its March 9 meeting. *
Clear-Tel of Hope Mills
has proposed cable television
service for $1.50 per month
for 14 channels. It would
provide a total of 18 chan
nels, four of those to require
additional monthly fees from
subscribers who could order
any or all of them. The cable
company would pay the town
five percent of its gross
income from the service in
the city. If plans develop as
expected, construction of the
system could begin in June
with service available 90
days later.
The board took no action
on the leaking roof and other
problems of its three-year
old town hall, pending an
attempt to have the con
tractor. M.E. Perry of Golds
boro. do something about the
matter.
In addition to the roof
problem, some cracks have
developed in the walls and
one of the I-beams support
ing the roof has sagged.
according to Alfred Herring,
town clerk. The board has
received an estimate of
$8,000 to replace the roof.
Herring also reported re
ceiving an upset bid of
S3,575.38 from Tom Rabon of
Warsaw for the former town
hall, a building which once
housed the Branch Bank A:
Trust Co.. Warsaw branch.
He reported it is the second
upset bid received since bid- I
ding was opened on the
structure. To qualify as an I
upset bid. an offer must be at i
least five percent plus $50 <
higher than the previous bid.
he added.
Herring told the board
electricity and gasoline were 1
becoming the town's major
expenses. He noted the town
is paying about $10,000 a 1
month for fuel and electri- t
city. '
Rose Hill Accepts Bids
On Rehabilitation Work
The Rose Hill town board
awarded three contracts last
| week to begin an $813,000
Housing and Urban Develop
ment grant rehabilitation
project on the north side of
the city.
Three engineering firms
bid on the engineering con
tract for laying out streets,
water and sewer, with L.E.
Wooten of Raleigh receiving
the award on a bid of $48,675
although McDavid Assoc
| iates of Goldsboro offered a
F lower bid of $36,600. Odell
Associates of Greensboro bid
$65,000 on the engineering
worn.
A contract for supervising
the planned rehabilitation of
47 houses was let to McDavid
Arsociates on a bid of
537,600.
A contract for administra
tion of the entire project went
to McDavid Associates on a
bid of $10,000. The engin
eering firm was the only
bidder on the rehabilitation
and administration contracts.
Since h is a federal project,
the single bids could be
accepted, attorneys informed
the town board State con
tracts require z minimum of
three bidders on a contract
?
before an award can be
made.
Commissioner Keith
Hinson made the motion to
split the contracts among two
firms, basing his reasoning
on the fact L.E. Wooten has
been the engineering firm for
the town's sewage treatment
plant and he believed the
engineering work on the
rehabilitation area utilities
should be coordinated with
the treatment plant project.
Commissioner Jerry Cottle
voted against the motion.
Voting for it were Com
missioners Hinson, Gayton
'
Herring Jr.. Clarence Brown
" and Jimmy Robinson.
Sewer and street work in
the affected area is expected
to begin in July.
David Hoxie, Rose Hill
Jaycee president, presented
SI,000 to the Rose Hill
recreation department to
help pay for the lighting in 1
Jimmy Jerome Park.
A 'able television proposal ,
was jresented to the bQard
by Gerald Michaux, repre
senting Clear-Tel Cable
Television Co. of New Hope.
The board took no action on
the proposal.
*>
Inmate
Hangs Himself
A 20-year-old inmate at
the correctional facility near
Kenansville hanged himself
to death using a bed sheet for
a noose early Saturday, a
:orrections department
spokesman said.
Guards found Gerald E.
Davis, serving two years for
larceny and 30 days for a
worthless check, dead in his
single cell at 9:45 a.m. He
had served less than a month
of his sentence, having been
convicted Jan. 26 in Wayne
County Superior Cpurt.
Davis had escaped Feb. 11
after being trasnferred to
Duplin from a prison unit at
Goldsboro. He was recap
tured last Thursday and put
in a single cell at the mini
mum custody facility, Stuart
Shadbolt of the Department
of Corrections said.
Another man was being
held in the same cell block,
Shadbolt said, and Davis was
alive when guards removed
the other man at 8:45 a.m.
Saturday. They found Davis
hanging by the bed sheet
when thcv returned the
second man to his cell an
hour later.
Prison official Capt. L.W.
Parker said Davis tied the top
of the sheet to a bar on the
door of his cell. Parker said
Davis may have aone absent
without leave from the
Marines in December.
Davis was a Duplin County
native, Parker said. His
mother, who now lives in
Dudley, has been notified of
his death, he said. An
autopsy was scheduled to be
performed this week. Parker
said.
Barbecue
Supper
The E. E. Smith P.T.O.
?vill sponsor a barbecue
supper on Frida\. Feb. 27,
from 5-8 p.m. jn the school
:afeteria. Tickets are $2.50
tnd may be purchased from
students at the school. The
menu will include barbecue,
potato salad, slaw, hush
puppies and tea or coffee.
Man Killed In
Warsaw Fire
Deams Wiggs, 64, appa
rently died of smoke inhala
tion when his apartment at
207 South Brighton Ave. in
Warsaw caught fire early
Tuesday last week according
to Fire Chief Frank Steed.
The fire started in the
kitchen from unknown
causes, the chief said.
Wiggs, fully clothed, was
found in the living room.
The depanment was called
at 4:IS a.m. When firemen
arrived, mey found the heat
from the flames had melted a
television set in the living
room and the clock was
stopped at 3:05. No flames
had broken through the wall
to the livirlg room, however.
Steed said the fire was extin
guished within a few
minutes. He said nearby
residents told him they heard
the smoke alarm sound.
Wiggs was a retired pro
fessor trom Atlantic Chris
tian College at Wilson.