Km* a.
PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVI NO. 50 USPS 162 860 KENANSV1LLE. NC 28349 DECEMBER 16.1962 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10CENTSPLUSTAX
First Woman Takes Seat On Duplin Board
Dovie Penney of Wallace
\yjs sworn in last week as
<^ilin County's first woman
county commissioner by '
Superior Court Judge Henry
L. Steveps III of Warsaw.
She succeeds S. Franklin
Williams of Wallace, who did
not seek re-election. Sworn
in to their second terms on
the board were Allen Nether
cutt of Beulaville and Calvin
T urner of Albertson.
The board elected D.J.
t^sell of Rose Hill as chair
man and Wtyliam J. Costin as
vice chairman.
A ik. a.! ak
nuti me meeting, uic
commissioners inspected a
booster station being built
near Chinquapin by Univi
sion Cable Television of
Richlands, which is estab
lishing cable television for
most of Duplin County.
Nancy Boyle and Fred
?ren of Univision said they
ei". service to begin by
the end of this year.
Sebren estimated the cost
of the station, including the
site, at nearly $1 million.
Technical equipment, valued
at S7S0.000, is now being
installed. Work will begin on
the 400-foot antenna tower
soon, he said.
In other business last
week, the board approved
the 1981-82 audit report.
Randy Albertson. repre
senting William B. Boyette &
Co., certified public account
ants of Warsaw, said the
board now spends 70 percent
of its revenue-sharing money
on current expense. To main
tain the same level of ser
vices without that $610,914
in federal money, the county
would have to increase its 70
cents per $100 assessed valu
ation tax rate by 9.4 cents. To
replace the entire $872,734 it
received from revenue
sharing, it would have to
increase the tax rate 13.5
cents to 83.5 cents.
Asked after the meeting
about loss of revenue shar
ing, Fussell replied: "It'd be
terrible. We kept it for
capital outlay for a long time
but last year we went hog
wild. It's something these
commissioners are going to
have to be thinking about."
The county received
$885,660 in revenue sharing
money for the 1981 fiscal
year and $872,734 for the
1982 fiscal year. The
county's assessed valuation
for 1982 was $646,212,301
and the tax levy 70 cents pei
$100. Each penny of the lev)
theoretically brings ir
$64,621.23. On June 30 the
county had collected 93.66
percent of the property taxes
due Dec. 31,1981.
During the fiscal year
ending June 30, the county
received $8,536,851 in local,
state and federal revenue.
Expenditures totaled
$8,370,490, leaving a balance
of $166,360. Operating fund
transfers reduced the
balance to $99,610. Carry
over fund balances at the end
of the fiscal year totaled
$1,856,929.
Albert son noted in 1980
the county used 25 percent of
its revenue sharing money
for current expense but in
creased that to 70 percent in
the last fiscal year.
The auditor's management
review gave the county good
marks, overall, but noted
partial tax payments made
during the year were not
entered in the computer
system and that bank de
posits were not always being
made daily. It noted the tax
record problem was being
corrected.
* Duplin Officials Hope
To Finance Warehouse
? ? ? ??
Duplin County officials
hope to have financing ar*
ranged for a freezer ware
Ause near Wallace by early
January.
The county has established
a non-profit corporation that
could authorize the sale of
tax-free bonds to finance the
freezer plant. On Monday of
last week, Williams Refrig
eration Express Co. put up a
$5,000 "upset" bid to buy
the county's title to the
corporation.
?
,1 Gurganus. county*
economic development di
rector, said the county has
the authority to issue up to
S4.5 million in tax-exempt
bonds. An application for a
state-federal block grant of
$750,000 for the plant was
rejected earlier this year
because the operation would
not provide enough direct
employment. About 30
people would be employed
by the freezer firm.
However, the plant would
provide freezer storage for
area poultry processors to
move into export trade. Gur
ganus indicated it would
increase area employment
indirectly by encouraging
expansion of poultry produc
tion, the major industry of
DuplinJPounty.
A 6,400-square-foot freez
er warehouse is planned, at
an estimated cost of $3.6
million, next to the Swift &
Co. turkey processing plant
west of Wallace.
Duplin Math Scores Top
State Average; Reading Off
Duplin County juniors ex
?eded regional and state
averages in the mathematics
portion of the state compe
tency tests this fall but
scored below average on the
reading tests.
Assistant Superintendent
Gary Sanderson reported the
results of the recent tests to
the county Board of Educa
tion at their meeting last
g|eek.
? Sanderson said the 546
juniors taking the mathe
matics test scored an average
of 91.6 percent, compared
with the state average of 90.
The 549 juniors who took
the reading test averaged
89.8 percent, compared with
92.8 for the state.
rhe Duplin juniors aver
aged 6.1 percent better in the
math test this year than last
fear's class did and 2.5
.?rcent better in reading.
"The overall ability levels
of the 1982 juniors are higher
than for the 1981 group,"
Sanderson said. "Remedial
math and reading teachers
who were new in the pro
gram last year have had a full
year to work in the pro
gram."
A comparison with county
^nd state averages in the
Weading test since 1978
showed the county averaging
1 percent to 4.5 percent
below the state average each
year.
But Duplin students im
proved from 1978, when they
scored 87 percent to 1980,
when the average had risen
to 91.5. The scoring average
dropped in 1981.
Duplin juniors scored be
qIow the 85 percent state
Average hi math in 1978 with
82 percent. They equalled
the state average of 89
percent in 1979 and topped
the state average of 89.4 with
a 92 percent average in 1980.
They fell below the state's
89.4 average in 1981 with
85.5, Sanderson said.
In other business, the
board chose Joe Swinson of
Albertson as chairman for
the coming year and Riddick
Wilkins of Warsaw as vice
chairman.
Swinson and Wilkins as
sumed their posts on Tues
day following the swearing in
of newly elected members
Carl Pate Sr. of Beulaville,
representing District 3, the
soumeastern area of the
county, and Bill Richards of
Wallace, representing Dis
trict 4, the southwestern
area.
Richards replaces Graham
Phillips of Wallace, a board
member for 13 years, and
Pate replaces Dr. E.L.
Boyette of Chinquapin, a
15-year board veteran.
Neither Phillips nor Boyette
sought re-election.
Tlie chairmanship and vice
chairmanship are rotated so
all members will serve in
each position at least one
year during their terms.
Phillips was chairman for
1982.
Kenansville
Request
A move to bring mixed
drinks to one of Duplin
County's largest restaurants
has been turned back be
cause of concern that new
annexatioiMcould stretch the
town's budget.
By a vote of 4-1, the
Krnansvillc Town Board re
jected satellite annexation of
The Country Squire restau
rant and Vintage Inn
property.
TTie request for annexa
tion, which was defeated
Monday night, came after
Kenansville voters approved
the sale of liquor-by-the
drink in November.
Because Duplin is a dry
county, only establishements
within incorporated towns
that have approved mixed
drink sales are eligible to sell
mixed beverages. In Kenans
ville, only the Graham House
Inn has sought and received
a liquor-by-the-drink permit.
Commissioner Jimmy
Johnson cast the only vote
for the annexation. Voting
against it were Commission
ers Earl Hatcher, William P.
Fennell. Betty Long and
Ronnie Bostic, who made the
motion to reject the proposed
annexation.
Last month, board
members indicated they
favored the annexation. But
fears that the town could b<e
saddled with heavy expenses
t
DUPLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SWORN IN - Superior Court Judge<
Henry L. Stevens III gives oath of office to Duplin's first female county
commissioner, Dovie L. Penney of Wallace, Allen Nethercutt of Lyman.'
and Calvin Turner of Albertson. Nethercutt and Turner are being sworn in
to their second term.
NEW CHAIRMAN D. J. FUSSELL, county
commissioner from the Rose Hill District, is
given the gavel by former chairman Calvin
Turner. Chairmanship is passed to a
different member each year, on a rotating
basis. Fussell is slated to serve until
December 1983, when he will pass the gavel
to Bill Costin. Following Costin. it will go to
Dovie Penney if the rotating plan continues.
Kenansville Holiday Schedule Notice
It was announced at the
December regular
Kenansville town board
meeting that the town hall
and public works department
would be closed Friday, Dec.
24 and Monday, Dec. 27.
However, since Thursday is
not a normal garbage pick
up day, it was decided to
close the town hall and public
works departments on Dec.
23 and Friday, Dec. 24. The
garbage truck will be back on
regular schedule on Monday,
Dec. 27.
Monday, Jan. 3, will be a
holiday for the two depart
ments. The clerk's office will
also be closed Tuesday and
Wednesday, Dec. 21 and 22
for vacation.
Christmas Express
Thaddeus of Warsaw's
Christmas Express will be
stationed at Branch Bank &
Trust on December 18 from
10 a.m. until 3 p.m. ?anta
Gaus will be present. There
will be free train rides,
music, strolling carollers and
gifts, with free tickets avail
able from Chamber of Com
merce members
Board Rejects Annexation
Of The Country Squire
to provide municipal services
in the aiea apparently
prompted the change of the
mind.
"There are just too many
'ifs' in this thing," Hatcher
said.
The proposal involved the
7.5-acre site of the restaurant
and inn, about two miles
west of Kenansville on N.C.
24.
Doris Eakes, co-owner of
the property, said at the time
the satellite annexation was
requested that town sewer
and water services would not
be required. She said the
owners would sign a formal
agreement to that effect.
But town attorney William
<1
E. Cratt said the town could
become obligated to extend
water and sewer service if
the business were sold to
new owners.
Board members estimated
the cost of a sewer line to the
property at about $200,000.
Melba Laney of the N.C.
Department of Natural Re
sources and Community De
velopment said the Institute
of Government believes
water and sewer facilities
must be made available to
any annexed satellite area. (
"We jumped into this
thing without knowing what
we were doing and we prob
ably still don't know,"
Hatcher said, "but I can't
see getting into this thing
when we may have to run a
sewer line to The Country
Squire."
Mayor Donald Suttles
agreed: "What we need is an
ironclad ruling."
But Craft said the issue
would probably have to be
tested in court before the
state could offer firm guide
lines.
Mrs. Eakes told the board
The Country Squire-had
gross sales of $726,000 last
year and paid sales taxes of
$29,042 and county property
taxes of $2,718.85. The town
would receive an equal
amount in taxes if it annexed
the property and its 70-cent
i
I
tax rate were continued
another year.
She also said that if the
property were annexed and a
mixed-beverage permit
granted, the city and county
would divide the special tax
on liquor sold by ABC stores
for mixed-beverage use. The
city would receiver 55 per
cent and the county, 45
percent of that tax.
After the decision, Mrs.
Gakes said: "I'm disap
pointed. The Country Squire
is a high-class restaurant and
would never become a bar.
But I don't want the town
mad at me and I'm not going
to pursue it any further. I just r
don't know what to do right 1
now."
JSTC Foundation
Reaches Mid-Point
In Fund Drive
The James Sprunt Founda
tion board of directors met
Tuesday, Dec. 7, to review
the progress they have made
toward reaching their goal of
raising $10,000 for James
Sprunt Technical College.
At the mid-poim in the
fund drive, the Foundation is
on schedule having raised
$5,000 to date. These funds
will be used to provide
scholarships to students and
to enhance the instructional
programs of the College.
Tom Yates, chairman of
the board of directors, stated
that he was very pleased with
the progress and was con
fident that the Foundation
would reach its goal bv Dec.
16.
r? ? ' -?- ?? ?
rci Mini wismng 10 con
tribute should contact any of
the Board of Directors or
Donna Thienen. executive
director of the Foundation, at
296-1341, ext. 265. The
directors are Tom Yates,
chairman; Charles Albert
son. Robert A. Lee. Vivian
Boney. Doris Bostic, Ellen
BreWer, J.W. Hoffler,
George F. Landen. John L.
Grady, Pearl McGowen, Edd
D. Monk, Allen Nethercutt,
Harold Precythe, Dovelle
Outlaw Sr., Prentice W.
Smith. Emmett Wickline,
Riddick Wilkins and Carl D.
Price.
JK Student
Awarded
Scholarship
Tina Jones, daughter of
Mrs. Sarah Jones of
Kenansville, has been
awarded a $1.000 scholarship
to the University of North
Carolina at Wilmington.
Presently a senior at
James Kenan High School,
she is an honor student. Tina
is active in the National
Honor Society, marching
band, chorus, F.H.A. and
Drama Club. She plans to
pursue a degree in computer
science.
James Kenan
OAR Good
Citizen
Marcie Boone, daughter of
dr. and Mrs. James E.
Joone, has recently been
;elected as D.A.R. Good
Citizen for James Kenan
iigh School by the faculty
here. She is vary active in all
>hases of student nfe and it
>resently competing for
lumerous scholarships
hroughout the state.
* I