PROGRESS SENTINEL
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VOL. XXXXVI NO 12 USPS 182-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 MARCH 25, 1982 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
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Duplin's Industrial Wasta Trucks Ara 10 Years Old
Industrial Waste Service
.To Seek New Trucks
w
The Duplin County indus
trial waste pick-up service
, needs to replace its 10-year
old trucks, David Underbill,
county sanitation director,
told the board of commis
sioners last week when they
met.
The service, which may be
unique in the state, is
? handled by the county sani
? tation department and land
fill. Its industrial customers
paid for the equipment. They
also pay for the scheduled
pick-up service.
Underhill asked the board
to set up a meeting of
officials and customers to
discuss equipment needs.
County Manager Ralph
Cottle, industrial develop
ment director John Gurganus
P and Underhill were directed
to organize such a meeting.
Underhill reported some
trucks have traveled 240,000
miles and arc in questionable
condition. He said, "! don't
know how much longer these
can go. There's a lot of strain
in twisting and turning into
the compactors."
When the program began
10 years ago. each partici
pating business bought a 42
cubic-yard container and
compactor. The businesses
bought two Ford tractor
trucks and two extra con
tainers so the trucks could
replace a full container with
an empty one at each stop.
Each stop or "pull" as the
pick-ups are called, cost $32
when the service started,
cropped to $27 later, but by
last December rose to $40.21
for each of 177 pulls.
In 1972, when the program
began, fuel cost 24 cents a
gollon; during the last quar
ter it cost $1.09275 a gallon.
Labor for the opening
quarter cost $1,242; labor
last quarter cost $3,824. In
cluded in the last quarter
cost was $1,845 in repairs.
Both trucks, together, cost
$50,500. Replacement ve
hicles are expected to cost
about $50,000 apiece.
Among users of the service
are J.P. Stevens Co., Im
perial Spinning Co. and Wil
son's of Wallace; National
Spinning Co. of Warsaw and
Beulaville; Guilford Mills
and Reeves Bros, of Kenans
ville; Quinn Wholesale Co.
and Warsaw Sewing Co. of
Warsaw; and Cates Pickle
Co. of Faison.
The board approved for
mation of the Albertson
Township Water and Sewer
District on the motion of
Allen Nethercutt, seconded
by D.J. Fussell. County At
torney R.J. Lanier said the
board would have to publish
notice of the district three
times. The fledgeling district
would have to obtain per
mission of the board to hold a
bond referendum.
No one appeared at the
required revenue sharing
hearing. The county expects
to receive $853,056 in reve
nue sharing this fiscal year.
It received $930,000 last
year.
The board agreed to lease
offiee space to the state
highway patrol for $9,600 a
year. The three-year lease
covers space in a building
adjacent to E.E. Smith school
on the edge of Kcnansville.
The county furnished heat,
electricity, water and jani
torial services, which cost
about $3,630 a year.
The board authorized
county extension Chairman
Lois Britt to hire a temporary
secretary on part-time basis
to replace an employee
taking maternity leave.
Fussell and Commissioner
Calvin Coolidge Turner voted
against the motion after
learning the state would re
fuse to pay the temporary
worker. The county pays 69
percent and the state 31
percent of the position's
salary.
Duplin expected another
10.000 pounds of cheese to
give away Friday. It offered
11.800 pounds in the first
giveaway and has about
1.500 pounds on hand.
? School System Requests
More Funds From County
A budget request of
$3,143,297 from county
funds was approved by the
? Duplin County Board of
VEducation last week.
The request amounts to
$672,013 more than the
school system received from
the county last year when
$2,471,194 was appropriated
as the local share of the
budget.
The proposed budget will
. be presented to the county
commissioners at their April
^5 meeting. The school board
0oill appear before the com
missioners to explain and
defend their budget on April
21.
On change, an increase in
the proposed vocational edu
cation teacher fund, was
made by the board. Board
member R.E. Wilkins pro
posed continuing the 12
month pay schedule for
vocational agriculture
teachers. The school admini
stration had proposed reduc
ing it to 10 months because
of federal fund reductions.
Wilkins' proposal added
$28,591 to the $3,114,706
proposed by the administra
tion.
The school budget request
calls for $2,783,022 for cur
rent expense and $360,275
for capital outlay.
Faced with federal fund
reductions of $100,000 in
vocational programs for the
1982-83 fiscal year, the board
could have eliminated the
extended day program and
two positions in agricultural
education. It refused the
school administration's pro
posal to cut two months from
the pay schedule of the six
agricultural teachers but did
approve cutting the pay
schedule of the five extended
day teachers from 12 months
to 10 months.
The proposal allots
$639,000 for plant operation
including fuel and utilities
costs, an increase of
$149,000 from the current
budget. Maintenance of
plant equipment is budgeted
at $251,175. an increase of
$50,000 from the current
year.
Calling for a $60,000 in
crease for utilities, the pro
posed budget would provide
$325,000 for fuel oil and
electricity. The 1981-82 bud
get provided $265,000.
The board also will appeal
to the county commissioners
next month for a supplement
to the figure for utilities
because of increased elec
tricity rates in the past year.
Cost of employee benefits
is projected at $123,402 for
the next fiscal year compared
with $98,881 at present.
Some other proposed in
m
Ureases included: $54.000-^>r
2.5 assistant principal posi
tions: $59,000 for taking over
eight clerical and media
center positions now paid bv
the Comprehensive Employ
ment and Training Act; and
$20,500 for one new guid
ance counselor for junior
high school.
A new item is the $100,000
set aside for a capital outlay
fund for major renovation or
construction.
The proposal also provides
5 percent salary increases
plus step increases for
county-paid school employ
ees unless the legislature
reduces the anticipated in
creases for state-paid school
employees.
The system received about
$11 million from state and
federal sources during the
current fiscal year, princi
pally for salaries. The state
pays salaries of most of the
teachcrs in the system.
Liberty Cart Season To
Include Rock Musical
Sounds of rock music will
join those of musketry and
A the peddler's cart among the
"trees of William Rand Kenan
Jr. Memorial Amphitheater
when THE LIBERTY CART
opens its seventh season in
July.
The historical outdoor
drama will open July 9, a
week earlier than last year
and continue through Aug.
22.
Two additional produc
tions are scheduled for this
^season. The religious rock
musical, "Godspell." based
on the Gospel according to
St. Matthew, will be pre
sented on five Wednesday
nights starting July 21.
A production for children.
"Goliiwhoppers" by Flora
Atkin, vill be presented on
three Sundays at the park
beside Kenansville's historic
Cool Spring.
Several professional cast
members have been signed
up. according to Jim John
son. general manager. The
two additional productions
improve chances of retaining
former cast members, he
added.
"The young actors need
variety to build their reper
toires. and the three produc
tions will give them more
opportunity." he said.
The professional cast
members, 20 actors and ac
tresses. will perform in all
three productions.
THE LIBERTY CART S
leading role of Phenius
Pickett will be played for the
second year by Kerry Maher.
who has been associated with
the production for three sea
sons.
The production requires a
i.dsi oi oo-/. people, of which
all but the 20 professional
cast members will be local
residents. Some of them
have appeared in all six of
the preceding productions.
Johnson said.
THE LIBERTY CART, by
Randolph Umberger. por
trays the story of Colonial
and pre-Civil War eastern
North Carolina through the
ageless observer, peddler
Pickett, who pulls his cart
full of back-country needs
through a century of history.
While there will be some
changes in the drama's lines
to improve continuity, the
major change this year will
be the director. Rich Boyd,
who had directed the pre
vious productions, went to
Nashville. Tenn., to become
associated with Grand Old
Opry productions. David
Thomas, who worked with
the production last year, will
be the new director.
The local members of the
cast who make up the chorus
and the "townspeople"
begin rehearsals June 10.
The professional cast begins
rehearsing June 21. Non
residents of the area will be
housed in the old Kenans
villc Elementary School near
the theater.
"We're operating on a
$105,000 budget." Johnson
said. The production receives
some state aid as well as
contributions from area resi
dents and the Kenan family
foundations.
"We need $30,000 to
$40,000 from ticket sales."
Johnson said. Ticket prices
will be the same as last year:
$5 for adults and $2.50 for
children through 12 years of
age.
? Weather Damaged School Roofs
The estremes of dry heat
and cold last summer and
this winter caused most of
the recent problems with
roofs on Duplin County
schools, J.L. Rhodes, school
system maintenance super
visor said last week.
The heat caused the roof
ing material to expand, he
Kaid, and the cold caused it to
contract. That caused cracks
to appear in some of the
.1 V
saphalt.
The roofing paper under
the asphalt couldn't take the
strain and tore. Rhodes
added. This allowed the roofs
to leak. He said he had
checked with state school
officials who agreed with his
idea of the cause.
"We are proposing in the
next budget to re roof parts of
four buildings," Rhodes
said. He said crews are
patching roofs on numerous
school buildings.
The roofs of the newer
school buildings don't last as
long as roofs of older build
ings. "Builders tell me the
material they get now is not
as good as it used to be."
Rhodes said.
"We used to get 20 to 25
years out of the roofs on our
older buildings. Now we are
lucky to get 7-15 years."
Rhodes faid the roofs on
the Wallace-Rose Hill High
School and Chinquapin No. 2
school failed after about 20
months. The contractor tried
something new, Rhodes said.
"He guaranteed replace
ment if it didn't work, and
he's making good on that."
he said. "It won't cost the
county anything extra."
Rhodes said installation of
a new roof costs from $150 to
$200 per 100 square feet.
RALEIGH Governor Hunt receives a personal copy of "
'C'.S.S Souse' \ Ouestion of Iron and Time." a book
describing tin salvage of the Confederate ram now
displaced in kinstoti. from Rep. Daniel Lilley (D-Lcnon
County/ and >? n. Harold W. Hardison (D-Lenoir County).
Looking'on arc Richard Sawyer (far left), administrator of
the Historic Sites Section of the N.C. Deparmcnt of
Cultural Resources, and Eugene Brown fcentcv). site
manager of the Caswell-Neuse State Historic Site in
Kinslon.
Senses Tell You
That Spring Is On The Way
Along a two-lane road in
the countryside, you can
taste, feci. see. smell and
hear spring coming.
Heralds of the
awaited season arc sprinkled
? it>jde U.S. 1 17 winds
. through small towns and
farmland: teenagers romping
with a pony on a grassy field,
construction crews working
into the afternoon on the
Interstate-40 connector, the
almost sweet stench of fer
tilizer and visions of bright
yellow daffodils or paler for
svthia.
Although Wallace. Rose
Hill. Magnolia. Warsaw and
Faison were not burdened
with fierce winters, the
people who live and work
there nonetheless welcome
freshly tilled soil and new
buds on trees.
"Good gracious alive, it's
time to plant." says Johnny
? Monk, who has spent all of
hirTh years learning and
farming in Duplin County
With a friend's help. Monk
was checking beds of pepper
plants last week next to his
house near Warsaw . In some
spots, rows of tiny plants are
peeping up from the moist
soil under a plastic canopy
supported by tree limbs.
In other places, the earth
is barren ? some of the
seeds planted in January did
not sprout.
The successful inch-high
plants will be transplanted in
a few weeks to a larger field,
where they should grow to
4-> inches, says Monk,
dressed in a denim jacket
and faded farmer's cap to
guard against the morning's
drizzle.
Monk knows spring will be
along soon when tree buds
seem to be reaching for every
raindrop and ray of sunshine.
The next sure-fire sign is
green grass, he says. "Then
we know nature's ripe to get
stuff in the ground."
For veteran travelers of
the two-lane highway,
another harbinger of the
season is a flourescent
orange triangle tacked to the
back of a !5-mph tractor. But
the slow-moving machine is
likely to turn off at a nearby
farm, allowing the impatient
driver to pass on.
All along the highway,
farmers are preparing soil for
tobacco, corn, grain or soy
beans. Some fields arc dark,
with soil overturned and
ready for planting.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
FOR SHERIFF
On Thursday. March 25. at
7:30 p.m. in the Duplin
County Superior Courtroom
in the courthouse, the
Kenansville Jaycees will
present a "Meet the Can
didates evening with the
candidates for Sheriff of
Duplin County.
On the porch oj' a home
near Faison. a man holds a
samll achild on his lap while
boys in T-shirts toss softbaPs
011 the front lawn. Spring
onions push up through tf> ?
dry winter^rj^. Their scent
comes through the ear win
dow- on a zephyr of cool air.
On a farm just south of
Rose Hill, black smoke twirls
like a tornado from a red
orange fire burning off last
> ear's crop flic smoke and
floating ash sting the eyes
and tickle the noses 01
passing drivers. A woman
. nds the flames, wiping her
es i s w iiij a iti*T>i>iiJC*l*'V "SlV
To Jud> Bryan, who works
at the Duplin winery in Rose
Hill, the warm air means
beach weather is near. She
points to tiny blossoms on a
aa*. ? . ismtaamau
grape vine as evidence of
spring's approach Bui it
reminds her also of fall,
when the cine will (urn
brown again.
l.ike freight ears on the
c: ;>s hugg'ne
m.u h ot the higl.w, s route,
the seasons too rumble un
ceasingly through this land
scape.
Welcome, spring.
FOUR GALLONS OF BLOOD have been
donated to the American Red Cross bv
Martha Williams, left, of Bculasillc. Mrs.
Williams is shown receiving a four-gallon
pin on Thursday. March 4. when the
Bloodmonilc was in Kenansville. Presenting
the pin is Mrs. Victoria Stephens of
Kenansville. Both ladies were volunteers of
the Bloodmobile while it was in Kenansville.
NEW LIBRARY CARD SYSTEM Mrs. N.B.
Boney of Kcnansville was issued number
one. the first of the new plastic identification
cards for book borrowers at the Duplin
County-Dorothy Wightman Library. Mrs.
Ethel Kelly, library employee, is pictured
with Mrs. Boney and explained the system
and its merits. Each library patron wishing
to check out a book will be issued a card with
their :>ame and a number. To check out a
book, the book dard and th^borrowtpr's card
will be placed in the stamping machine. The
borrower's number and the due date wiil be
stamped on the card. This new system,
according to Librarian Robert Williams, was
purchased through a state grant. The librae
has two of the date-marking machines ? one
for the main library and one for the
bookmobile. Checking out a book with this
new card system will be much faster. It will
also make record-keeping on loaned books
easier, says Miss Williams. %