iVupImiAla.^ i
PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVINO 31 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 AUGUST 5. 1982 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Warsaw National Spinning Plant
Grant Means New Permanent
Jobs For Warsaw Area
i
Approval of a $1,040,000
federal grant to Warsaw for
industrial development will
mean an additional 118 per
manent jobs at the Warsaw
National Spinning plant.
Representative Charlie
Whitley last r Friday
announced the Department
of Housing and Urban De
velopment has approved
^Warsaw's application for the
Urban Development Action
(UDAG) grant.
The money will be loaned
to National Spinning Co.
which is converting its War
saw plant from manufacture
of textured yarn for banlon
clothing items to open-end
spinning for manufacture of
yarn for sweat suits, some
sweater n a erial and men's
^hosiery.
The conversion will enable
he plant to add 118 per
nanent jobs which will mean
in estimated $1 million a
ear payroll increase in the
rea.
Cost of the entire project is
stimated at $11.9 million
dth $10 million being pro
ided by industrial develop
nent bonds to be issued by
_ )uplin County Bonding
W Authority; the remaining
unds will be company funds.
Whitley's office stated the
JDAG program is designed
:o help communities with
ligh unemployment. Eligi
Jility for the grant is limited
:o towns. To be eligible a
:own must have an agree
ment with an industry to
increase or save employment
through expansion or equip
ment modernization or con
version. The industry must
agree to be .annexed by the
town. Warsaw will annex the
plant site after receipt of the
National Spinning is three
miles from Warsaw's town
limits. Warsaw will not be
required to supply water and
sewer facilities to the plant,
which already has such faci
lities.
John Gurganus, Duplin
County's development direc
tor, said North Carolina Sec
retary of Commerce Lauch
Faircloth has approved the
industrial bond issue. The
proposed issue must be ad
vertised, which will be done
next week. If no objections
are received wijhii) if) djvs.
the county can self the bonds
which are tax-free. The tax
feature allows them to be
sold at lower than market
interest rates which means
lower cost to the industry
which repays the bonds.
Gurganus noted such bond
issues are repaid by the
companies involved, not the
counties.
Annexation of the plant
will increase the Warsaw tax
base and the capital outlay
will increase the assessed
valuation of the plant. Gur
ganus noted. "It's difficult to
get an industry- outside 9
toxvn to sf&rctf to annexation,
but in this case, annexation
means availability of money
to make the necessary con
version to meet market de
mands."
The UDAG grant was suc
cessfully submitted by Mc
David Associates of Kenans
ville and Farmville.
Ocracoke Quilters To
Demonstrate At Fair
By Ruth Wells
Publicity Chairman
Duplin County Agribusi
ness Fair viewers have a real
treat in store when they view
the exhibit and demonstra
tion of the Ocracoke Quilters,
whose motto is "Blessed Are
The Quilters For They Shall
Be Called The Piece Mak
ers."
This group will bring an
ancient art that continually
grows in popularity. Handed
down from generation to
generation, they have also
attended national workshops
and conventions. Their skills
are also perfected as the
ladies use quilting as a
pastime, awaiting the return
from the sea of their fisher
men husbands.
Viewers iVill observe this
tedious labor of love which
averages 20 to 12 stitches per
inch in the quilting. They will
display and demonstrate lap
type as well as Indian quilt
ing and other types.
If quilting is your thing,
watch for the date the Ocra
coke Quiltcrs will be at the
Duplin County Agribusiness
Fair in Kenansville Oct. 4
through Oct. 9.
Meet me at the Fair!
GOLLIWHOPPERS - a play for children of all ages, will be
presented on Sunday afternoons, August 8 and IS, at the
Courthouse Spring in Kenansville. The play is an
i tdaptation of four plays from throughout the country.
' ising song, dance and mime. Ten members of THE
LIBERTY CART's professional company will perform
inder the director of Kerry Maher, with musical direction
i .
by Brian Hoxie and Tom Newman. Beth McGee is stage
manager for the show and costumes are designed by Jeff
Fender and Janice Adams. Pictured above, from left to
right, back row. Karen Griffin, Lamar Frasier. Paul Baker,
Duayne Maynard. Monica Wood and Tonv Yarborough
Front row. Dwight Eastwood. Jack Ireland. Joey Chavez
and Robin Stanley. (Liberty Cart photo by Kerry Maher)
* t
YOUNG CAST MEMBERS of THE LIBERTY CART
perforin as Colonial children during Act One of Randolph
Umberger's THE LIBERTY CART in historic Kenansville.
Pictured above, back row, from left to right. Beverly -
Brock, Greta Batts and Zana Stepp. Front tow, Portia
English and Brittainy Edwards. Photo by KerrV Maher
Few Vote In
Duplin County Runoff Races
An absence of any local
races accounted for a dismal
voter turnout in Duplin
County last week that may
cost the county more than $6
per vote.
The 588-ballot total cast in
the county's Democratic pri
mary runoff cost the county
an estimated $6.12 per vote,
compared with 54 cents in
the first primary. The only
items on the ballot dealt with
the state appeals court judge
runoff.
It was the lowest total on
record for a Democratic
second primary, according to
election officials.
The vote represented 3.83 .
percent of the 15,347 regis
tered Democrats. There were
no county or district runoff
races.
The election was estimated
to have' cost the county
53,600, although.officials
said the exact total cant be
determined until all the
records come into the elec
tion board office: Because of
the expected light turnout,
the election board reduced
the number of election
workers to cut cost as much
as possible. The board was to
certify the vote yet on Thurs
uay.
In the first prim&ry. with
county sheriff and . several
commissioner faces in
volved. 8.5) I votes were
cast. The cost of that election
was determined .to be
$4,561.49.
The dismal showing in the
state judges' races was ex
pected. Less than one vote an
hour was cast in three pre
cincts on that question. Pre
cincts were open for a total of
13 hours.
Election Board Chairman
Susie Smith called the runoff
primary "ridiculous."
"Some people took naps
*
between voters," sfte said.
"Can you imagine how bored
these people must have been
just waiting for someone to
come in."
The Kenansville precinct
recorded the highest tally, 78
votes. The precinct includes
the county seat with a large
number bf attorneys and
other officials in residence.
Seven votes were cast in
Locklin and eight in Chin
quapin precints.
The tally was 299 for
Eugene H. Phillips. 246 for
Horton Rountree. 194 for
Sidney S. Eagles Jr. aftd 378
for Paul Wright.
1982 Fair Parking
Presents No Problems To Officials
By Roth Wells
Publicity Chairman
People have long since
accepted the fact that there is
ample parking at the Kenan
Memorial Auditorium in
Kenansville ? paved park
ing, that isl
When all this space is used
for the midway at the Duplin
County Agribusiness Fair,
WHERE do you park?
Carey Wrenn, president of
the Kenansville Chamber of
Commerce, said his group
has volunteered to direct
parking each night of the
1982 FAIR Oct.4-9.
Present plans are for
Turkey Field, the ballpark
just north of the Auditorium,
to be used for parking. Also,
just across Highway 11 from
Turkey Field is an area that
will accommodate approxi
mately 100 cars.
The parking lot at the new
Coastal Production Credit -
Federal Land Bank building
is available for FAIR park
ing. as is the lot between
Production and Guardian
Care. Also, the space be
tween Duplin General
Hospital and the old Kenans
ville Elementary School can
be used.
Wrenn also pointed out
that there are a number of
parking spaces in the paved
lot in front of Western Auto.
These spaces may be in use
by county employees until 5
p.m.
Anyone who has ever at
tended a wrestling match in
Kenansville, and those, who
passed thru town at that
time, knows that there is
parking on each side of
Highway 11 from the Board
of Education building to
Jernigan Tractor Company. ?
"We are expecting record
crowds each night," states
Wrenn. "but we feel ample
parking is available and
really should present no
problems." I