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PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVNO 13 USPS 182 860 KENANSVILLE NC 28349 MARCH 19. 1981 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
1
Magnolia Still May
Lack An Elected Mayor
Magnolia with their 593
population may still be with
out an elected mayor.
Marjorie Pickett, 77, was
sworn in last week after
refusing to take the-oath of
office at the first town board
meeting following her elec
tion in 1979.
The legality of the delayed
swearing-in was questioned
Thursday.
P Melvin Pope, former
mayor, who did not run for
re-election to that position,
but ran for and won a seat on
the town board in the 1979
election, was named mayor
pro-tem by the board in
December 1979. He has
served as acting mayor since.
Last week Mrs. Pickett
took the mayor's seat after
asking Clerk of Court John
Anderson to swear her into
office earlier in the day.
"If any person dies or for
any reason refuses to qualify
for the office which he or she
is elected, that office should
become vacant," said Senior
Deputy Assistant Attorney
General James F. Bullock.
"It appears that whoever has
the- appointive power (the
town board in this instance)
would have to appoint some
one as mayor after the per
son elected refused to
qualify." Bullock added.
"The wise course might be
tor the board to appoint her
as mayor and have her sworn
in again." the official ob
served.
Concerning the board's
action after Mrs. Pickett's
refusal to take the oath in
December 1979, Bullock said
that under the state consti
tution. a person in an elective
office holds that office until a
successor is qualified. The
law also specifies a person
cannot hold two elective of
fices simultaneously, he
noted.
While Pope would have
remained mayor until a new
mayor was qualified if he had
not been elected to another
office, he automatically re
moved himself from the
mayor's post when he was
sworn in as a town board
commissioner. Bullock said.
The board should have
declared the mayor's office
vacant, he said.
Town Attorney E.C.
Thompson III, after talking
with Bullock Thursday, wrote
the board that in his opinion
Mrs. Pickett cannot hold the
office under these circum
stances. To legally occupy
the office, she must be
appointed by the board and
sworn in again, he added.
Pope said he had asked
Mrs. Pickett not to sign any
legal papers as mayor until
the situation is cleared up.
^Warsaw Cable TV Franchise Awarded
The Warsaw Town Board
awarded Clear-Tel of Hope
Mhls the franchise for cable
television service at their
meeting last week.
The town will receive five
percent of the gross revenue
from the service, which
Gerald Michaux of Clear-Tel
ft estimated would amount to
about $6,000 a year.
Service should be available
by Aug. 1, Michaux said.
Warsaw has 1,200 houses,
and the cable company ex
pects to sign up 55 percent of
thenj.
The company plans a
$500,000 investment in War
saw. It will string 19.75 miles
of wires in the city, using
ft
existing utility poles under
an agreement now being
worked out.
The firm will make 18
channels available, four of
them pay channels. It will be
able to provide 35 channels,
including two-way communi
cation possibilities, on some.
The basic fee of S9.50 per
month will provide service
from 14 channels, Michaux
said. Fees on the pay chan
nels will vary, with HBO and
Showtime channels costing
$8 each. Fees for the two 24
hour movie channels, Cine
max and The Movie Channel.
willbe-SfO.95 each.
The company has also
applied for franchises in
Wallace, Rose Hill, Teachey,
Magnolia and Faison. It has
also applied for a county
franchise to serve rural areas
near these towns.
In other action, the board
decided that:
? The minimum water
rate will be increased from $5
a month for 4,000 gallons to
$8 per month for 3,000
gallons on July 1.
A sewage rate increase is
aLso expected, but the
amount has not been de
termined. At present, the
sewer rate is half the water
rate.
*' ? A public hearing' on
rezontng a lot on Wards
Bridge Road, known as the
Tommy Phillips lot, will be
held at 7:30 p.m. on April 13
at the town hall. The lot is
now zoned for restricted
business. Some area resi
dents have asked that it be
rezoned to residential. The
lot had been zoned resi
dential prior to last year. The
board recently refused to
rezone an adjacent lot from
residential to restricted
business.
? Change orders on five
houses, amounting to $9,000
in the South Pine Street
rehabilitation project was
be discussed at a speciar
meeting of the board thij
week at the town hall.
Wallace To Seek Advice For Cable TV
With three organizations
offering Wallace cable tele
vision service, the town
board directed fhe town at
torney to obtain a consultant
& to guide it in awarding a
P franchise.
When asked to give his
opinion on the three. Town
Attorney Richard Burrows
said he would contact the
League of Municipalities for
guidance.
The firms offering to serve
the city are Clear-Tel of Hope
Mills. Satellite Entertain
ment of Rose Hill and Com
pons Cable TV of Erie, .Pa.
"If all the knowledge
about cable television wak
water in a quart jar, my
knowledge of the subject
would just be one drop,"
Burrows told the board in
advising it to secure outside
help on the questions.
The board also directed
Burrows to start legal action
against B.C. Norris Jr. of
Wallace to clear tree tops on
the flight path of Henderson
Field, the Wallace airport.
The town has an easement in
the area involved to permit it
to trim the tree tops.
Norris contends that be
cause/he easement was sig
ned by the previous property
owner, it does not affect him.
The board had to reject all
bids for painting the mil
lion-gallon water reservoir
because one of the three bids
received was improperly
made out, lacking a bid
bond. State law requires a
minimum of three bids on a
project before a contract can
be awarded in a first round of
bidding. The board will ad
vertise for bidders again. On
a second round a contract can
be let even if only one bid is
received.
The board budgeted
$13,500 for the project
The well site committee
recommended the city
purchase a site in the Planta
tion Acres subdivision near
the new Wallace Elementary
School for a new well. Bur
rows was instructed to in
vestigate the legality of es
tablishing a well in the sub
division and report at the
board's April meeting.
Firefighters Injured In Faison Mansion Blaze
w
From the News & Obset ver
Several firefighters were
injured Sunday battling a
blaze that gutted an ante
bellum mansion.
Hampton Hobbs of the
Faison Fire Department was
admittctd to the intensive
care unit at Duplin General
Hospital in Kenansville after
being overcome by smoke
and was reported in stable
condition Sunday night.
Faison firefighter Velburn
Brewer was treated at the
hospital for injuries suffered
when he fell from a ladder,
and Jimmy Wolfe of the
Calypso Fire Department
was treated at a clinic after
being overcome by smoke.
The 167-year-old frame
house known as the Virginius
Faison Williams homeplace
is owned by a Florida resi
dent and was unoccupied.
Authorities said many an
tiques and works of art were
destroyed.
Clement Shine, assistant
chief of the Faison Fire
Department, said the fire
started about 3:30 p.m. and
was burning primarily un
derneath the house and on
one side when firefighters
arrived.
The Mount Olive Fire De
partment also responded to
the call.
, Rose Hill Board
Hears Complaints
Rosewood Street residents
complaining about a drain
age problem were directed to
work out arrangements to
end the trouble with Rose
Hill Maintenance Supervisor
} Eugene Fussell by Mayor
Ben Harrell during the town
board meeting last week.
Appearing before the
board were Donald Buckner,
Dewitt Miller, Donald Baker
and J.C. Johnson.
Johnson, acting as
spokesman, said the catch
basins on the north side of
town and west of U.S. 11-7
^vere higher than the sur
rounding area and water
could not get into them. He
said a large canal extends
throueh the area, and drains
should be extended into it
from the street area. The
canal needs cleaning, John
son said.
Harrell said he is attempt
ing to get the towns en
gineering firm, Wooten &
Co. of Raleigh, to exercise its
option to purchase IS acres
fc of land near the city for a
sewage treatment plant. The
1
town must obtain leases to
run lines from the city to the
proposed plant, and the side
must be secured before leas
ing can begin.
Woody Brinson of Mc
David Associates, the en
gineering firm, presented
Department of Housing and
Urban Development guide
lines for a $275,000 housing
project.
Brinson said the project
includes repairs to 37
houses, removal of seven
dilapidated houses, and
repair of 14 mobile homes.
Guidelines limite the cost of
repairs to the houses at
i 10.000 each and to mobile
homes, $1,500.
The project in the Yellow
Cut section of town is
scheduled to begin May 1.
The project will also include
installation of indoor plumb
ing in several houses.
Magnolia Municipal
Auditorium Dedicated
The Magnolia Municipal
auditorium with a seating
capacity of 500 people was
dedicated last week with
State Senator Harold Hardi
son as principal speaker.
The building is Jhy
former Magnolia school audi
torium which was donated to
the city by the Duplin County
Board of Education after
being abandoned as a school.
The remainder of the school
building Aits demolished.
"I don't believe you even
imagine the potential you
have in this auditorium, and
the athletic field you have
built on the grounds. I* will
benefit all the people of
Duplin County not just Mag
nolia." Hardison said.
The building was reno
vated with Comprehensive
Employment and Training
Act ft".as and worker*.
? i
Area Briefs
SALAD BAR AND FASHION
SHOW
There will be a salad bar
and fashion show for the
American Cancer Society on
April 1st from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
at the Duplin Country Club,
with entertainment by "The
Sounds of Music."
Tickets are available at the
Kenansville Drug Store.
Emma's of Wallace.
Theresa's of Beulaville and
Kenansville. Roseay of
Beulaville, Wilson's Clo
thiers of Clinton. The Village
Shop of Beulaville. and at
Phelp's Ford of Warsaw.
CLUSTER MEETINGS
The United Methodist
Women of the Goldsboro
District are holding cluster
group meetings which are
learning experiences for the
local units. All ladies are
urged to attend at least one
of the meeting's. If you have
not attended to date, the
following is a list of churches
and dates of upcoming
?s
cluster group meetings:
March 19. St. Luke. 7:30
p.m.; March 24. Whitley.
7:30 p.m.: March 30, Brow
nings. 7:30 p.m.; March 31,
Eureke, 7:30 p.m.; April 5.
Buckhorn, 3 p.m.; April 7,
Benson. 7:30 p.m.; April 7
Smith's Chapel. 7:30 p.m.
and April 9. Trinity at 7 p.m.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
AWARDS
The Kenansville Jaycees
wish to invite the public to
attend the annual Distin
guished Service Awards
banquet on Monday, March
23 at 7 p.m. in the Graham
House Inn. The cost of the
meal will be S6. Anyone
wishing to attend is asked to
contact Doc Brinson or
Charles Sharpe bv Friday,
March 20. for reservations.
ALBERTSON SOFTBALL
The Albertson Recreation
Center is beginning the
spring softball leagues for
women and men. If inter
ested, call Tom Turner at
568-3982 or 568-7787 (day
time) before April 25th.
HORSEPOWER: AN ELECTRIC FABLE Tupper Cullum.
Dennis Frederick and Christine Murdock are featured in
?the Road Company's presentation of "Horsepower: An
Electric Fable." Their performance is set for Monday,
March 23 at 8 p.m at Fast Duplin Fine Arts Building in
Beulaville. The event is sponsored bv the Duplin County
Arts Council. Tickets will be available at the door.
Arts Council Sponsors "Horsepower"
An exciting young theater
company from the hills of
East Tennessee, praised for
their original plays from
Cape Cod to Chicago, is
being brought to the East
Duplin Fine Arts Building in
Beulaville by the Duplin
County Arts Council on
Monday. March 23 at 8p.m.
The {load Company, a
?^en-mefflBe*. touring
ensemble from Johnson City,
Tennessee will perform their
tenth original production
"Horsepower: An Electric
Fable," a lively, humorous
look at the present day global
energy dilemma.
Produced in 1979 and per
formed throughout the East
ern United States in five
tours since its creation.
"Horsepower" is based
upon a modern interpretation
of classical Greek Mythptogy
w?tten by native Tennespe/ir
Jo Carson. Directed by
company founder Bob Leo
nard, the script was
developed jointly by Ms.
Carson and The Road
Company acting ensemble.
Since 1974, the troupe has
developed a total of 11
original productions spring
ing from the heritage of their
home community by com
bining elements of improvi
sations! acting, extensive re
searching and traditional
plavwrighting.
The plot emphasizes the
multi level concerns of our
present energy situation.
Haro '.;td Betty Everybody,
modci ? Evyrvman and
Every,4iomar. charhtiCfs
played by Tupper Cullum
and Christine Murdock,
slowly convert their self-suf
ficient farming life to one
which relies more and more
upon energy consuming con
veniences. The initial joys of
their new lifestyle disappear
as the demand and cost for
energy rises and the Every
body's are compelled to for
sake the farm for outside jobs
in order to keep their heads
above water.
Tickets for the March 23
performance will be available
at the door.
The Road Company will
u!*o ?-esen? "Flvtnu lemon
C o . - >01 the st ? ots of
-?it < t Eiemer.tavy School
Tuesday. March 24 at 10
a.m. and I: IS p.m.
"The Road Company
directs its plays to rural
audiences." says DCAC
Executive Director Mary
Gardner, "and I think the
entire family will enjoy their
performance in Beulaville."
Local School
Budget For 81-82
Up By 23%
The Duplin County Board
of Education got its first
reported look at the 1981-82
school budget request last
week in a special meeting.
The administration pre
senter! the $2,338,522 pro
posal Tuesday afternoon to
board members Dr. F. L.
Bovctte. Pat Broadrick.
Jimmv Strickland and Joe
Swinson. The proposal shows
a $838,522 increase over the
1980-81 budget, according to
the school administration
figures.
Some of the major in
creases this year include a
5?ii salary increase, adding
the salaries of six full-time
aides. These aides have been
previously paid by CETA and
are in the system to meet
minimum standards of the
Southern Association accred
itation; provide additional
instruction supplies (this
ft mi re in 1480 was $24,000
and the request in 1981 is
$52,070. with this only part
of the supplies); bttnd direc
tor salaries are increased by
Sb(K) to compensate for work
done after school hours; add
one guidance counselor with
salary and fringes $19,4.15;
also funds for work after
school for all counselors,
$4,578 (this is a 28% match
with the state); additional
vocational supplies budget in
1980. $14,241 and the re
quest for 1981-2. $27,558:
add a new telephone system
in the school administration
building and one additional
worker in the maintenance
department.
The 1981-82 request for,
according to figures pre
sented by the administration,
current expenses amounts to
$2,072,761. The capital out
lav is 5265,761, making a
total of $2,338,522. The
school budget for 1980-81,
according to the administra
tion figures, was $1,700.000.
[he major items in the
capital outlaw proposal are
two new trucks, two new
tractors, a special education
bus with a lift, a computer,
ceiling repair, and new
equipment and furniture.
Although the administra
tion stated there are no frills
in their proposal, the board
of education and the County
commissioners usually cut
the figures to what they
consider more reasonable or
affordable.
Superintendent Guest
Speaker At Woodland Revival
Woodland United Metho
dist Church of Albertson will
hold, its annual revival
beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sun
day, March 22 through
Wednesday, March 25.
Guest speaker will be the
Rev. Ernest R. Porter, sup
erintendent of the Goldsboro
District of the United Metho
dist Church.
Rev. Porter is a native of
Mississippi, a graduate of
Millsaps College of Jackson,
Miss and of the Divinity
School of Duke University.
He is married to Sara Ann
Jones of Florence, S Q and
they have two sons, Wesley.
21, and Joel. 17.
Before coming to Golds
boro 1980 Rev. Porter
I
served seven years as pastor
of Centenary United Metho
dist Church of New Bern, two
years as associate director of
the, N.C. Conference pro-,
gram council of the United
Methodist Church, three
years as pastor of West
minister United Methodist
Church of Kinston, and four
years as pastor of Edgcrton
Memorial United Methodist
Church of Selma.
He has been a member of
numerous boards and com
mittees of his denomination
including: the Board of
Evangelism; Board of Mis
sions: Board of Trustees of
Methodist Home for Child
dren, Wesleyan College, and
the Methodist Retirement
Homes. Inc. withing the N.C.
United Methodist
Conference.
Among numerous civic
and community activities, he
has served as president of
both the Johnston and
Craven County mental health
associations, and as a
member of the executive
committee of the Tuscarora
Council for the Boy Scouts of
America. As a mason, 3?nd
Degree. Scottish Rite, he
served as Assistant Grand
Chaplain of Grand Lodge of
North Carolina in 1977.
The public is cordially
invited to attend each ser
vice. H. Worth Pearce is the
minister of the Kenansville *
United Methodist Parish.
4