iVuplm
PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVI NO. 37 USPS 162-860 - KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 SEPTEMBER 16. 1982 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Duplin Landfill Supervisor
#
David Underbill Resigns
Also Supervised The County Garage And Mosquito Control Program
David Underhill, Duplin
County landfill supervisor,
resigned last week "for per
sonal reasons effective
immediately."
The county Board of Com
missioners received his letter
of resignation Tuesday. In
the letter, he said he would
stay on for two weeks if the
board wished. The board
agreed to have him remain
on the job for two weeks.
In addition to his landfill
duties, he is supervisor of the
county garage and the mos
S^ito control program.
Underhill, of the Rone's
Chapel community, has been
employed by the county for
10 years. He was the
county's first and only land
fill supervisor.
He was an unsuccessful
candidate for sheriff in the
1982 primary election.
Commissioner Allen Neth
ercutt said, "I hate to see
him go. He has done an
outstanding job for Duplin
County."
In other action:
? The board decided the
county would not charge itS
municipalities for building
permits on public buildings.
The action followed the
request by building inspector
Brice Sanderson for direction
on handling such fees.
County Attorney Russell
Lanier told the board he
found no statutory authority
pn the matter. "It's really
just a matter of shifting tax
moneys," he said.
? Merle Creech, county
arts director, reported that
the videotaping of the story
behind each item in the
Cowan Museum is between
50 and 75 percent complete.
She said a short program on
the county and museum is
being taped for presentation
to students in the county
schools.
? Tax Supervisor Frank
Moore told the board that
about $2 million worth of
automobiles in the county are
not listed for taxes that
would amount to $18,020. He
said normally 35,000 vehicles
are registered in the county.
About 10 percent of the total
number in the county are not
listed each year.
Moore said the state in
creased public utilities val
uation in the county by $1
million, to a total of
$31,803,000. On the basis of
the county's 70 cents per
$100 tax rate, property taxes
of utilities total $222,000. He
said for the third year the
railroad valuation is not in
cluded as it is still under
litigation.
? The board decided to
readvertise for bids for a
front-end loader crawler
tractor.
? The board voted 4-1 to
ask the Institute of Govern
ment to make a county
employee classification
study. The study will de
termine if employees are
being paid according to their
job classifications.
"You can get ready to
spend more money if this
goes through because re
classification will cause
everyone to get more
money." Commissioner D.J.
Fussell said, as he voted
against the motion. Voting
for it were commissioners
Frank Williams, W.J.
Costin, Allen Nethercutt and
Calvin Turner.
? Wade Carlton of
Warsaw was appointed to the
Duplin General Hospital
board to replace Tom Hall of
Warsaw, who resigned.
? The board approved a
resolution supporting a $10
million industrial develop
ment loan for National
Spinning Co. of Warsaw.
School Officials Seek Ways To
Fix Kenansville Elementary Roof
? The similarity between the
^eaky roof of comic strip
character Snuffy .Smith's
mountain top home and the
multi-million dollar Kenans
ville Elementary School
building fails to amuse
Duplin school officials seek
ing an end to the problem.
The school's roof has
leaked since it was built two
and one-half years ago.
A Last week the Board of
Tiducation asked the archi
tect, Herb McKim of Wil
mington. to present three
proposals for solving the
problem at its next meeting,
at 8 p.m. Sept. 21 at the
school system headquarters
in Kenansville.
"We don't want to spend
all of our maintenance money
on this roof every year,"
Superintendent L.S. Guy
feaid.
McKim blamed "a combi
nation of factors" involving
installation and design for
the continuing trouble.
Wednesday of last week,
McKim estimated repair cost
at from $8,000 to $14,000,
depending upon which pro
posal the board accept*.
Work will be done ??: no
cost to the school system, he
said.
The three possibilities
McKim outlines to the board
were:
? Spraying the present
roof with an acrylic covering,
the lowest in cost at an
estimated $8,000. but with a
two-year guarantee.
? Covering the roof with
exterior grade plywood and
reshingling it with a cost
estimated at about $14,000.
? Removing the present
shingles and laying a roof
built up of several layers of
felt covered by asphalt and
some kind of gravel with cost
estimated at about $11,000.
"We've had two roofing
consultants look at it."
McKim said.
They blamed improper in
stallation by the roofing con
tractor, E.L. Scott Roofing
Co. of Kinston and incom
plete specifications for most
of the trouble, he added.
"vyc nave contended all
along that if the nailing had
been properly done much of
the trouble would not have
happened," McKim said.
Superintendent Guy said
the roofing company has
attempted to end the leakage
problem several times, but
the roof always started leak
ing again after a rain.
McKim said the D.C.
Virgo and College Park
schools in Wilmington and
New Hanover County have
similar roofs that have given
j reasonable service.
The architect blamed the
insulation now required
under roofs and uncertain
quality of the roofing felt and
asphalt for most of the
leakage troubles with many
modern roofs in comparison
with the lasting dualities of
roofs on older buildings such
as New Hanover High School
in Wilmington.
He said the insulation
creates a moisture or con
densation collection point
(dew point) inside the roofs
instead of on top of them.
Inconsistency in quality of
the asphalt now manufac
tured from petroleum in con
trast with the now-banned
coal source pitch or tar and
the roofing felts, he said,
leads to inconsistency in roof
quality.
The coal tar pitch used on
older roofs provided much
better protection, but its use
has been banned because the
material could cause flash
fires while being melted. It
also could explode if foreign
matter got into it, he added.
A problem also exists with
the floor surface in the school
gymtorium. The material
contains air bubbles and
sand. The air bubbles arc
bursting leaving the floor
surface rough. The contrac
tor, Surcflex of Virginia has
refused to do anything about
the problem. Guy reported.
McKim told the board he has
asked the state school build
ing plans section to declare
the material unacceptable for
school use in the state unless
the company does something
about the problem.
? Duplin County Agribusiness Fair
Dedicated To Our Children
By Ruth Wells,
Publicity Chairman
Duplin County Agri
business Fair managers have
designated opening day,
Monday, Oct. 4th to honor
our most valuable-commodity
- OUR CHILDREN.
Children will be an impor
tant part of the week-long
fair as they will be entering
much of the competition, like
^tractor-driving contests, and
*4-H'ers will demonstrate
their cooking skills as they
show us how chicken should
really be cooked.
Schools are getting to
gether teams for brick-laying
contests. Also school bands
will provide entertainment
throughout the week.
Each night the Duplin
County Drama Club will pre
sent a one-act play. We know
?from their past presenta
tions, this is a very talented
group of actors and act
resses.
Entertaining* Monday
nighi in inc Amphitheater
will be the Green Grass
Cloggers brought to us by
the Duplin County Arts
Council. This is a profes
sional group that has enter
tained audiences throughout
the United States and
Canada. They are the only
professional clogging group
in North Carolina and have
been touring full-time since
1977. They are jointly sup
ported by a grant from the
N.C. Arts Council and the
National Endowment for the
Arts, a federal agency. We
are very fortunate indeed to
have this group of eight
Southern Appalachian
dancers known as the Green
Grass Cloggers perform for
us on opening night.
Tuesday night will be a
very special night as the
stage of the Kenan Memorial
Amphitheater will be shared
by four black gospel singing
groups. Wf are very privi
leged to have: the choral
group from Friendship Bap
tist Church, Wallace; the
Kenansville Male Chorus. I
Kenansville; The Gospel- i
ettes, Rose Hill; and the
Friendship Community Male
Chorus. Route I, Kenans
ville.
Just as tobacco in one way
or another plays an impor
tant part in the lives of all
Duplinites, TOBACCO DAY
will be an important part of
the fair on Thursday, Oct.
7th. Slim Short, the well
known TV personality, will
be our guest and will emcee
tobacco-related contests and
games. The Duplin County
commissioners will enter the
corn-shucking contest, so be
sure you are present to
support your commissioner.
The Spiritual Singers of
Mount Olive will entertain on i
Friday night along with the
Marshburn Sisters of
Wallace.
The biggest and best day
of the fair will be on Saturday
when the gates open at 10
a.m. for a full day of acti
vities. This^will be POULTRY
DAY. Inducted in the agenda
I
For the day will be an antique
tuto show, miniature air
plane show, country and
western bands, and barbecue
:hicken cooking contest.
You've never really eaten
jntil you have had chicken
straight from the world's
argest frying pan from Rose
Hill. So plan this for your
unch.
And of course, one of the
nost meaningful of all events
will be the Cake Auction.
Dver the years this auction
tas produced thousands of
lollars to support the men
ally retarded programs in
tur area.
A complete schedule of
:vents will be published at a
ater date.
These and many more
special events await you at
he Duplin County Agribusi
tess Fair. Plan now to get
mur exhibits here on Mon
iay, Oct. 4 between 9 a.m.
tnd 1 p.m. Remind your
teighbor to bring theirs.
Meet me at the Fair!
?
Cane Syrup
Cooking Time
At the first hints of fall, even before the nights begin to
cool, the sweet aroma of sugar cane cooking in an open
copper vat (known as a kettle) tickles the senses of syrup
lovers at the Sam Miller farm near Warsaw. This old and
ancient art of syrup-cooking is almost a thing of the past,
as there are few people remaining who take the time or
have the knowledge to turn the watery cane juice into thick
and tasty syrup. Cleo Atkinson is one of those folks with
the know-how. even though it has been some time since he
used this knowledge. "I have been busy making a living ?
just haven't had the time it takes in the past ten years,"
says Cleo. This past week found him at Sam Miller's
cooking away. Miller owns the necessary equipment ? the
press for squeezing the juice from the cane and the copper
vat for the cooking, as well as the knowthow. The way it
works. . . The cane stalks are put into the press (two metal
cylinders turning with each other.) The cane juice runs into
cylinders turning with each other. The cane juice runs into
a cloth-covered bucket. Once the bucket is filled, it is
poured into a large barrel at the cooking vat. Here again it
is drained through a cloth and from the barrel it slowly
runs into the cooking vat. The juice runs in the high end of
the vat and slowly makes its way to the lower end where it
becomes syrup.
Wallace Rejects Fountain
A request to have a public
water fountain located in
front of Rockfish Glass &
Mirror Company was re
jected by the Town Board of
Commissioners last week.
Town administrator Steve
Routh received a petition
signed by 411 people from
John Brady, a Wallace busi
nessman. asking for the
water fountain. Routh turned
the petition over to Mayor
Melvin Cording. who
brought the matter before
the board.
Commissioner Charles
Blanchard. in making the
motion to reject the fountain,
said. "I'm concerned that
the sponsor didn't appear
before us to present the
names."
Other board members ex
pressed concern about the
town's liability for injuries in
connection with such a foun
tain<
The board approved sub
mitting a pre-application to
determine the town's eligi
bility for an urban develop
ment action grant from the
U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development.
Duplin Countv develop
ment director John Gurganus
saia such applications can
speed action if the town
finds it could encourage an
industry or large business to
Wallace with the help of the
grant. An eligible town can
apply for a grant if it has an
interested industrial client
that needs financial help.
If Wallace receives such a
grant, it would loan the
money to the company w hich
would repay the loan with
interest. The town can keep
the money the company re
pays and use it for almost
any public purpose except
government buildings. Gur
ganus said.
V
Gurganus said Warsaw is
seeking such a grant to loan '
to National Spinning Co.,
which has received approval
front the county for industrial
development bonds.
The board also accepted
the bid of Sanderson Tractor
& Equipment Co. of Wallace
for S6.876.42 for an Allis
Chalmers 21.7-horsepower
tractor with a 60-inch rotary
mower.
Because of incomplete in
formation. several agenda
items were held over to a
special meeting the mayor
plans to call in the next two
weeks.
Robbery At Faison Store
Two employees of the
Piggly Wiggly Store in
Faison were left with their
hands, feet and mouths
bound with tape after an
armed robbery at the store
Saturday night.
I lie (UVUV.I) look place
around 10 p.m. as the store
was closing. Deputy Glenn
Jcrnigan of the Duplin
Sheriff's Department re
ported.
The store manager told
deputies that when he
?<ua<.u mho a stock room, he 1
was surprised by a man <
holding a gun and wearing <
gloves and a ski mask.
After forcing a second <
employee ? the only other t
person in the store ? into a '
cooker, the robber bound the f
nan with duct tape before
forcing the manager to open
i safe.
The robber then took an
jndetermined amount of
noney and bound the
nanager with tape before
leeing the store on foot.
Poultry Barbecue Contest At Fair
One of the specidl activi
ties planned for the 1982
Duplin County Agribusiness
Fair will be a barbecue
chicken cooking contest
sponsored by Duplin County
4-H Clubs. The contest will
be part of Poultry Day,
scheduled for Saturday, Oct.
9 and will begin promptly at
3 p.m.
The contest is open to all
Duplin County youth ages
9-19. All contestants will be
responsible for providing
grills, cooking equipment
and chicken. Fair ribbons
will be awardcu to ihe top
three cooks. ?
So, if you feel you're a
good backyard cook, come to (
the Duplin County Agribusi- ,
ness Fair on Saturday, have ,
some fun, and show folks |
how to barbecue those j
thickens. Be sure to pull out
he old family recipe and
?nake up a batch of that good
aarbecue sauce before head
ng tor Kenansville.
Those wishing to enter or
who desire more information
should contact Ray Rhine
hart, associate extension
agent, 4-H. at 296-19%.
Warsaw Pire Destroys Store
The Friendly Mart, located
at the junctions of Highways
24 and 50 in Warsaw, was
destroyed by fire Sunday
night.
Fire Chief Frank Steed
stated, "It was a total loss.
Only the brick walls were left
standing." 0
The cause, according to
Steed, was electrical ? the
electrical panels were over
loaded. "One of the reasons
it was so bad was that the
back door was welded shut
and we couldn't get a water
hose to the fire," said Steed.
Warsaw firemen were on
the' scene for five and one
halt nours. Assisting
Warsaw were firemen from
Kenan^ville, Rose Hill and
Turkey. Three firemen wire
injured ? one with smoke
inhalation, one getting to
hot. and one with a minor
cut.
The building and contents
1 were estimated near S7A.000.