Newspapers / The Duplin Times (Warsaw, … / June 3, 1982, edition 1 / Page 1
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PROGRESS SENTINEL , i * VOL XXXXVINO. 22 USPS 182 880 I KENANSVILLE. NC 28348 JUNE 3, 1882 18 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX # - ^ DALLAS HERRING - working in his home office. - -.&mw '? (Photo by Joe Lanier) Dallas Herring: Opening The Doors To Public Education A B\ Sharon Overton W SUff Writer Dallas Herring opened the door leading to his personal library. The dark paneled room was dimly lit and the walls were lined with books ? county histories, biog rapines, memoirs, ne o read < all of tbe.n and written several Dallas Herring talks a lot a bout opening doors. In his 31 years in public education, he has championed the cause of extending educational op portunities to all people. It was in recognition of his service, and particularly of his dedication to the de velopment of the University of North Carolina at Wil mington. that the University administration and the Board ^^of Trustees awarded him the Doctor of Laws degree at their graduation exercises last month. Herring spoke casually of his work in making UNC-W a four-year college and later a part of the University of North Carolina. "1 happened to be stand ing by the door at the right time to open it." said Her ring. "1 was in a position to ^influence the decision at the time." At the time of the union in 19t>9. Herring held the posi tion of Chairman of the State Board of Education, an office he was appointed to in 1957 and would hold for the next eight years. However. Herring didn't begin his history of public service as an a educator. w in ivjv. at tne age ot zj, the Davidson graduate was elected mayor of his home town. Rose Hill. He held that post for 12 years until his appointment to the Duplin County Board of Education in January of 1951. He was later named chairman of the Duplin Board. At that time, the Duplin School system consisted of a fifteen small high schools. ? The idea of consolidation was first being introduced in the state and it was met in Duplin County with fear and hostility. When the state board ordered the merger of the Magnolia and Rose Hill schools, the people rebelled and Herring stepped in to mediate. Persuaded by the arguments of Herring and C other opponents of state con solidation, the Legislature amended its law in 1953, taking the power to consoli date away from the state and giving it to the county. Backed by this new legis lation, Herring organized a Citizen's Committee for Better Schools in Duplin County. Ironically, the study done by the group resulted in a the ultimate consolidation of ? the Duplin County school } V system, the same goal the state was unsuccessful in accomplishing. Calypso and Faison joined in North Duplin High School, followed by the formation of Wallace Rose Hill and finally, James Kenan, a combination of Warsaw, Magnolia and ICpnonctiillo "The stet< % 'objective was good, but its method was wrong." said Herring. "In this county, we accomplished consolidation as a result of citizen support. It taught me a lesson that 1 carried with me to Raleigh." Herring did take what he had learned to Raleigh and eventually headed a curri culum study task force con sisting of over 38,000 parents and teachers conducting sur veys statewide. The survey asked three questions: What kind of schools do we have, what kind do we need, and how can we get them? "We emphasized qual ity," said Herring. "I think it was the most positive thing to happen in public school education at that time." Herring's evidence of suc cess came in the $106 million budget increase for educa tion in 1%), i'ie largest up to that time. At the same time that Herring was working for better high schools, he was also pushing for the exten nun ui mgner education. in 1957, he proposed to Gover nor Hodges a statewide system of institutions for adults "who do not or cannot afford the luxury of tradi tional higher education." The program was approved and budgeted $500,000 to begin the North Carolina Community College System. The network began with seven Industrial Education Centers and authorization to construct up to 19 more. "We wanted to bring edu cation to the people," said Herring. But while the community college system aroused local. interest and ambitions, it also stirred heated debate. Many universities feared that the community colleges would draw away funds from their institutions, and others, including two of the state's leading newspapers, were fundamentally against the idea of higher education for the working citizen. "Working people are also human beings and it's not enough to be trained to be emctent in your job. said Herring. Everyone needs a broad understanding of our culture and history. To say, we will train you to be efficient, but not recognize that you are a citizen, is to deny that these are human beings with potential. . . "If people are taxed when they buy groceries without so much as a by-your-leave, I contend that they have every right to an education de signed to meet their needs." Since Governor Hunt failed to re-appoint Herring in 1978. he says he has tried not to speak out as much publicly on emotional issues. Now he devotes much of his time to his woodworking shop in Rose Hill and his library. He has just pub lished the tenth volume of his Duplin County Abstricts. This latest book is a col lection of Duplin wills. "It's a fascinating hobby," Herring said as he loaded his pipe from a blue tobacco pouch) "And it keeps my mind off of schools." Largely due to Herring's efforts, today 500.000 people are enrolled in North Caro lina's community colleges and the system is able to reach over 05% of the popu lation. Despite his successes, however. Herring said he is still fighting the same battle. "Because a man works with his hands, some say he has no right to appreciate what is beautiful. That burns me up.. .In education, we've traditionally closed the door to the working man. We've said, if you can't cut it. you can't get in. There are more people banging doors shut than helping to open them. Bill Friday (President, Uni versity of North Carolina) was one who helped open doors. I hope I did too." Governor Hunt Visits Medical Park By Sharon Overton Staff W riter Gov. Jim Hunt said that the state's repsonsibility in taking care of its elderly population will increase sig nificantly within the next 20 years. Hunt was in Mount Olive last Thursday to tour the facilities of Mount Olive Retirement Village. Medical Park Nursing Center and Family Medicine Center. Hunt said that by the year 2000. the percentage of our population over the age of SS will have increased from 20 percent to 35 percent. In order to handle the growing numbers of senior citizens, the state and federal govern ments must be willing to retain their social programs. When asked if the Social Security Program would still be a viable source of income for the elderly in the future. Hunt said, "It's inevitable that the government will have to do things to make the Social Security Program more sound; however, it's essehtial that we not cut &ck funds. This may require lew methods of financing." Hunt's stop in Mount Olive was pert of "an entire day. . .dealing with social service type engagements," according to a government spokesman. While touring the nursing and rest home (?tiiities^the governor stop p? frequently to shake hand# and talk with resi dents. He was accompanied by several state officials, in cluding Glenn Jernigan, chairman of the Employment Security Commission; Heman Clark, secretary for the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety; former Senator John Henley, executive director of N.C. Association of Private Colleges and Universities; and Ernest Messer. assistant secretary for the Division of the Aging. N.C. Department of Human Resources. After leaving Mount Olive, the gutcuior ?u scheduled to speak at a dedication service for a new ambulatory center in Fayetteville. Charles Harrell. adminis trator of the Medical Park, said Governor Hunt's visit was not solicited, but pointed out that "these are the types of issues that will be coming up soon." Harrell is one of the five Mount Olive men who fi nanced the nursing center and retirement village. The uiher owners arc George M?i? i Kornegay, Robert H. Shackleford. W.F. Harper and Hervy Kornegay. The Medical Park Nursing Center, which has a total of 150 beds, opened its doors in September. 1974. A total care facility, it was designed to meet the "medical, social, physical and emotional needs" of the patient. The home serves Medicaid. Medicare, private insurance and private patients. The Retirement Village is a 60-bed rest home that provides "support, security. nursing care, medical care, physical therapy and sociali zation" for the resident. Harrell said that the pri vately-owned facilities, in cluding the Mount Olive Home Health Care Service, have this year saved tax pavers approximately' $100,000 ill Medicaid by avoiding costly nursing home cate. HUNT VISITS HOME - Gov. Jim Hunt (topped to talk with one of the patients in the Medical Park Nursing Center in Mount Olive. Hunt toured the entire pa*k, including the ? k * nursing home. Retirement Village and Family Medicine Center during a recent trip to Mount Olive. i Library Worker Retires After 19 Years Bv Sharon Overton Staff Writer When four of Ethel Kelly's five daughters were married in just two years, Mrs. Kellv found herself with a lot of spare time. Her husband, Emmett, owned a car dealer ship in Kenansville and she felt it was time to do some thing with herself other than work as his occasional sec retary. With no previous experi ence or formal training. Mrs. Kelly applied for a part-time' job at the library in Kenans ville. Dorothy Wightman, who was the librarian at the time, looked on the new applicant with a little skepti cism since she'd had two workers come and go within the last few months. But she hired Mrs. Kelly, who was fifty at the time, on a trial basis. She would work for the first month without pay to insure that she was in terested in the job. This June 25th, the Board of Trustees at the Dorothy Wightman Library will honor Ethel Kelly with a retirement dinner for her nineteen years of service to the library. Mrs. Kelly said that her 1 work has been very impor tant to her for the almost two decades that she has been | employed at the library. If she had to name a part of her i job that she enjoyed the | most, it would be filing. She nrniiHtv rtAi is * <- tl?o ?>??? j u; ult IIV fll MIC cabinets as evidence of her accomplishment. However, she remember ed when she first started work that her tasks were not always neat and ordered. Her first duty was to travel with the bookmobile around the county. She and one other worker rode in a '48 Chevrolet that was even more crowded than the in adequate library facilities. Returning at the end of the day with a carload of books, they had to first dump them out on the front porch, then sort them again and replace them on the shelves. Mrs. Kelly learned quickly how to operate the entire library when she was hired full-time as acting librarian after the death of Dorothy Wightnmn in 1966. She said she learned a lot under the leadership and guidance of Miss Wightman, enough to keep the library running smoothly for six years until the county could hire a certified librarian. Mrs. Kelly said she's seen many changes take place in the library over the past 19 years. The most significant was the move to the present facilities on the corner of Bowden Rd. and Seminary St. in Kenansvillc. The ex panded space has given the library room to grow, and jnder the directio- of the present librarian. Roberta Villiams, ii has done so Despite the changing face of the Duplin County Library, Mrs. Kelly likes to remember some of the faces that she has worked with there in the past: Sylvia Mclver. Ruby Brmson. Hilda Kelly, Doras Burnette, Evelyn Brown. Marie Todd. Eva Miller. Mrs. Walter Foster, John Ireland and John Archibald. Most of these people and ? M a ? omers will De present to honor her at her retirement dinner. Just beeause she won't be going to work at 9a.m. every morning doesn't mean that Ethel Kelly won't stay busy. She plans to spend her new free time going to meetings for the elderly in her com munity of Red Hill outside of Mount Olive, fishing and traveling. She and her hus band hope to make a trip to Florida soon to visit Mrs. Kelly's sister. "I've heard of people who retire say they're going to do this and that and keep putting it off." said Mrs. Kelly "I hope I'm not like that. I'd ?air*' miss a I.-j Mrs Jielly also expects to return to the library oc cassionallv to do some volun teer work. "I've enjoyed all the time I've been working here," she said. "Of course every place has its ups and downs, but this has been a very con genial group to work with. I'll miss each and every one ofthcm when I retire." II mm Ethel Kelly itenansviile Mayor Dies At 55 Kenansville Mayor Caro lyn Hall died Saturday night while visiting relatives in Georgia. Mrs. Hall. 55. was elected mayor in November and was the town's first woman mayor. Mrs. Hall is survived by her husband. John B. Hall. The Halls operate Whaley Rest Home, Inc. Also surviving her are a son. John Carroll Hall of Brentwood. Tenn.; and three daughters. Sharon Wright of Camp Lejeune, Randy Kight of Kenansville and Pam Parnell of Greenville. Funeral services were held Tuesday at the Community Funeral Home chapel in Warsaw. Burial was in Devotional Gardens. The family received friends at the funeral home Monday night. CAROLYN HALL Mrs. Hall was elected mayor in November. 1981, defeating Donald Suttles to succeed former mayor Douglas Judge, who did not seek re-election. Library Summer Films To Beain The Duplin County Library has scheduled three family films to be shown at its regular Wednesday Night at the Movies programs this summer. All films will be shown on the second Wednesday of each month, with showtime at 7 p.m. There is no admission charge. Films are shown in the children's area of the new county library in Kenansville. Everyone is in vited to attend. To be shown June 9th, is "Son of Flubber", Walt Dis ney's zany professor, who is on the loose again. His newest discovery involves "Flubbergas." It puts a football team in orbit and eventually creates a rain storm that results in a torrent of laughs. A delightful, zany comedy starring Fred Mac Murray, Nancy Olson and Paul Lynde. The movie is in black and white and enter tains for 100 minutes! On July 14, the movie is "Rascal." This Walt Disney film is the rollicking warm hearted tale about a young boy who finds a baby racoon in the Wisconsin woods and keeps him as a pet. The capers of the mischievious racoon gets his master into / series of hilarious situations which upset half the towns people. When Rascal hears the call of the wild, the boy must make ? choice of whether or not to return his pet to the woods. I
The Duplin Times (Warsaw, N.C.)
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June 3, 1982, edition 1
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