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Liberty Festival July 3 & 4
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PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXV NO. 27 USPS 162-880 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 JULY 2. 1981 20 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
BEEKEEPER JULIAN ARMSTRONG, dressed in
protective gear, persuades a swarm of bees to make their
new home in his hive. In the upper photo, he is exhibiting
a frame of beeswax and honey.
Beekeeper Armstrong Stays
Busy As A Bee
During Swarming Season
Julian Armstrong of War
|l. saw "captures" bees.
Armstrong says many
people, knowing of his in
terest in bees, now call him
during bee-swarming season
to remove an unwanted
swarm from their property.
Recently, he gently dis
engaged a swarm of bees
hanging on a neighbor's
tree, to add one more hive to
his apiary near Warsaw.
Bees seek to establish new
hives by swarming, usually
in the spring, Armstrong
said. The swarm may include
a new queen bee. If arm
stong gets a queen bee into
one of his white, wooden
hives, the swarm will make
that hive its home, he said.
: ? Retired as manager of the
Warsaw AdfcP store in 1972,
after 32 years with the com
pany, Armstrong said he
needed something to do.
He saw a swarm of bees
settle on a neighbor's dog
J *
wood tree and captured some
of the swarm. Since then, he
has obtained other swarms
from neighbors who didn't
want them around. He
learned beekeeping from his
father, J.B. Armstrong, who
raised bees in Pender County
many years ago.
When Armstrong finds a
swarm on a low tree branch,
he captures the bees by
enticing them into a hive.
Armstrong's bees are in
demand from cucumber and
blueberry growers who need
them to pollenate their crops.
Without bees to carry the
pollen, the plants' flowers
would fail to produce berries
and cucumbers.
Wallace Approves
Budget. 2-Cent Tax Hike
The Wallace board of
commissioners approved a
1981-82 budget of $1,326,900
Thursday night, an increase
of about $130,000 over the
1980-82 figure.
The largest percentage in
crease, 31 percent, is for cost
of electricity. The budget
provides $171,600 for electric
light and power. A year ago
the board approved $130,992
for this utility.
The new budget requires
an increase of two cents per
$100 assessed valuation in
the ad valorem tax. The new
rate will be 67 cents. It is
expected to bring in $295,973
trom a property assessment
of about $45 million.
The new budget provides
for salary increases ranging
from 7 percent for employees
paid between $6,500 and
$7,500 per year to 3 percent
for those paid $12,000 or
more per year.
Commissioner Arnold
Duncan voted against the
67-cent tax rate. Commis
sioners L.J. Boone, Charles
Blanchard, N.H. Carter and
W.M. Biggs voted for it.
The proposed increase in
salary of the mayor and com
missioners was voted down
by a 3-2 margin. The mayor,
Melvin Cording, receives
S100 a month and the com
missioners, S50 per month.
The proposed increase would
have added S25 a month to
the mayvi's nlary and $15 to
the commissioners' pay.
Biggs and Duncan favored
the increase and Blanchard,
Carter and Boone opposed it.
The board approved capi
tal outlay funds totaling.
$214,419 after deleting^
proposal to convert twp?city
vehicles from gasoline to
propane fuel at a epet of $900
each. Maintenance Super
visor Tom Davidson said
such a conversion would pay
for itselfrwithin 15 months.
Conversion of police cars to
propane for fuel would repay
tha cost in eight months,
according to Davidson.
Steve Routh, consulting
town administrator, reported
to the board the Duplin
County election department
could manage the town elec
tions at lower cost than the
town could handle them as
the county department is
maintained year around. He
said the county would handle
a city election for $300 to
$350 while one costs the town
$840.
Duplin 4-H'er$ Participate >
In District Activity Day
Duplin County 4-H mem
bers were among hundreds
of 4-H'ers from 17 counties
in the southeastern district
who participated in the
annual District 4-H Activity
Day competition on June 23
at Jacksonville.
The day was held to select
winners to vie for top honors
during North Carolina 4-H
Congress July 20-23 at North
Carolina State University,
according to Ray Rhinehart,
county 4-H agent. Similar
events were held at five other
locations in tne state.
The 4-H'ers competed in
some 30 events, ranging
from archery, cooking and
sewing to landscaping, auto
motive skill driving, crop
production and wildlife con
servation.
Duplin County 4-H'ers
who participated and their
programs were: Jeff
Houston, safety; Julie Carl
ton, senior public speaking;
Kelly Eves Jr., breads;
David Jones, junior open
class; Brenda Rochelle,
crafts; Craig Tucker, junior
American business system;
Kenneth Cline, junior Ameri
can business system; Kim
Howard, pork cookery; Cece
Williams, beef char grill;
Nancy Williamson, horse;
Ralph Britt, Jr., wildlife;
Mark Craft, junior dairy
foods; Laurie Swain, junior
egg cookery; Charles
Denning, electric; Roxane
Pearsall, junior public
speaking; Mark Williams,
junior archery; Denise
Sutton, photography; Ber
nard Hall, home environ
ment; Pam Kelly, artistic
arrangement; Cicero Hall,
landscaping; William Monk,
forestry; Valorie Robinson,
senior fruit and vegetable
use; Deborah Mathis, junior
peanut foods; Renee Lever
ett, senior dairy foods;
Veronica Williams, senior
breads; Arthur Hall, electric;
Leon Robinson, automotive
skill driving; Glenn Brinson,
automotive skill driving;
Marcia Boone, talent; Lita
Fennell, talent; Roxane Pear
sail. talent; Veronica Wil
liams. talent; and Pam Kelly,
talent.
Kenansville Tax Rate
To Rise 4 Cents
The Kenansville town
board adopted an interim
budget for 1981-82 totaling
$171,452 and calling for an
ad valorem tax increase of
four cents per $100 assessed
valuation last week.
The new tax rate will be 69
cents per $100 assessed
valuation.
The final budget will be
adopted July 13. Town Clerk
Mary Ann Jenkins said the
board believed townspeople
needed more time to study
the budget. State law re
quires adoption of a budget
before July 1. She said she
expects the board to readopt
the interim budget next
month.
An earlier budget proposal
called for a tax increase of 10
cents per $100 assessed
valuation. The increase was
reduced to four cents by
cutting $4,200 from proposed
sanitation department
salaries, $2,400 from pro
posed vehicle expense, and a
reduction in garbage pick-up
services.
Last year's budget totaled
$189,011. The increased tax
rate, despite the lower
1981-82 budget, is due to a
lower than expected tax col
lection rate last year and
?eduction of the zxpected
collection rate from aoout 95
percent to 90 percent. To
make up for the reduced
collection the town used up
its reserve funds in the
current fiscal year.
Each cent of ad valorem
tax brings in $1,200. The
city's assessed valuation is
approximately 412 million,
according to Mayor Doug
Judge.
The ad valor r:. tax is
expected to bring in $74,921,
based on a 90 percent collec
tion rate.
Residential garbage col
lection will be reduced from
twice a week to once a week.
The weekly pick-up of tree
limbs, debris, furniture and
other items not in a garbage
bag or can will be eliminated
Wednesday.
The minimum sewerage
rate will rise to $6 per month
from $3. The sewerage
charge will be the same
amount as the water charge.
The minimum rate covers up
to 5,000 gallons of water per
month. The charge for more
than minimum water use
increases on a graduated
rate. A charge of 90 cents per
1,000 gallons is applied be
tween 5,000 ' and 10,000
gallons. The sewerage
charge will increase at the
same rate as the water
charge. The largest user is
Guardian Care Nursing
Home. It uses an average of
205,000 gallons of water a
month and pays.S175.50 for
water alone. The combined
utility rate will average S351
per month under the new fee
schedule.
The city expects to obtain
an additional $18,539.70
from the increased sewerage
fee. With the increase, the
anticipated revenue from
water and sewerage fees will
be $66,742. In addition, the
utility department expects to
take in $700 for water sold to
farmers and $2,825 from new
connections. Operating costs
of the department will be
$93,909. The difference
between anticipated revenue
and operating costs will be
made up by transfer of
$23,642 from the general -
fund to the utility depart
ment. Last year the utilities
department's operating cost
was $101,570.
Duplin County Red Cross Chapter Meets
The annbal meeting of the
Duplin County Chapter of the
American Red Cross was
held in the fellowship hall of
Grove Presbyterian Church
in Kenansville June 25. The
Rev. Troy D. Mullis, retiring
chairman, welcomed those
present and presided over
the meeting. The opening
prayer was made by the Rev.
Worth Pearce, pastor of the
Kenansville United
Methodist Parish. B
Mrs. N.B. Boney, secre
tary, read the minutes of the
semi-annual meeting held in
January, which were duly
approved. She also gave the
report of the vactioning trea
surer, G. Harold Rose. He
was presented a pin in
absentia for his five years of
service.
The youth activities report
was given by Mrs. W.M.
Ingram, due to the absence
of that chairperson. Mrs.
Viola W. Quinn reported on
the work of community ser
vices for camps and hospi
tals. She gave a detailed
report of articles sent to
Camp Lejeune for Christmas
A # 3ar.'"
at tne U.S.N. hospital there
and thanked the participat
ing organizations.
Under safety services,
Mrs. Mattie W. Barbee re
ported 19 classes taught
during the past 12 months
and 153 certificates issued.
Mrs. Boney reported that
she had handled 104 cases
duriug the past year with
only two requiring financial
assistance. She then intro
duced. Chris Rowe of Green
ville, who is the blood re
cruitment representative for
the Tar River Blood Sub
' .' V
center there. He discussed
the Blocdmobile program
and thanked the chapter for
the 1,009 units that had been
donated during the 13 visits
made to Duplin County this
year with the Tidewater
Bloodmobile.
The closing prayer was
made by the Rev. Eugene B.
Hales, pastor of the West
Duplin Free Will Baptist
Church.
Mr. Mullis was presented
a parting gift. Charles
Ingram will be next year's
chapter chairman.
I
Road Closed
N.C. 50 over Persimmon
Branch near Kenansville will
be closed June 29 for three
weeks. The closing will allow
N.C. Department of Trans
portation maintenance work
ers to replace a drainage pipe
under the road.
Traffic will be detoured
onto N.C. 11, Browntown
Koad (Secondary Road 1957)
and Ridge Street & Register
(Secondary Road 1141) also
called Cross Roads.
W.C. Casteen, bridge
supervisor, said that every
effort will be made to com
plete road repairs as sooh as
possible to minimize any in
convenience to the traveling
public.1
WHITLEY'S MOBILE
OFFICE
Congresrmai Charlie
Whitley's mobile office will
be in Duplin Tuesday, July
7th with Rodney Knowles
He will be' avail
able to anyone paving -
matters they wish brought to
the attending of the Con