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PROGRESS SENTINEL
^ VOL. XXXXVIN0.52 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 DECEMBER 30. 1982 lb PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
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Duplin Bpard Clears
Way For Freezer Plant
Another major step toward
development of a large
freezer warehouse at
Wallace came last week
when the Duplin County
Board of Commissioners re
linquished its interest in a
non-profit financing corpora
tion.
The commissioners trans
ferred the county's,control to
^ the company planning to
build the freezer facility.
The board also set a
special meeting for Thursday
Dec. 29 at 11:30 a.m. to
complete paper work in
preparation for offering up to
$4.5 million in tax-exempt
bonds to .finance the faciljty.
To obtain, tbq uj-e*empt
status, the county had to set "S
up the non-profit corpora-'
tion.
y Williams Refrigeration Ex
press Inc. plans to build the
freezer warehouse on prop
erty adjacent to the Swift &
Co. turkey processing plant
west of Wallace. The turkey
plant is expected to be the
major customer of the freezer
warehouse. Officials have
indicated access to such a
facility may increase the
turkey production potential
of the region and the turkey
export potential through the
port of Wilmington.
In other commission busi
ness, Nathan Whaley was
appointed county landfill di
rector at a salary of $16,498 a
year. He had been acting
director since the resignation
of David Underhill three
months ago at a salary of
$14,463 plus $1,400 in over
time pay.
D J. Fussell of Rose Hill, a
long-time member of the
board, resigned as chairman,
taying he could express him
self better and serve more
effectively as a regular
member of the board than as
chairman.
W.J. Costin, vice chair
man, was elected chairman
and Allen Nethercutt was
chosen vice chairman.
The board approved in
clusion of Warsaw in the
county building inspection
program at the request of the
city.
The board decided to con
sider the possibility of asking
the General Assembly for
authority to garnishee the
wages of people who fail to
pay ambulance fees in the
county.
The county only collects
about 60 percent of its
ambulance charges each
year, emergency services co
ordinator Hiram Brinson
said. From January through
September, Brinson said,
county rescue squads billed
1.894 ambulance users a
total of $69,163.71. He esti
mated about $42,000 of that
has been collected'. ""
Brinson said the percen
tage was about the same last
year. While rescue squad
members are volunteers, the
county furnishes ambulances
and most other equipment to
all but the Faison squad. A
fee of $25 per call is charged
for service within the county.
The county charges $50 plus
$1.50 per mile driven outside
Duplin County for ambulance
runs that cross county lines.
Action on a request for use
of the county senior citizens
building on Thursday nights
by the Duplin chapter of the
Duplicate Bridge Club was
delayed pending further
study. Walter Brown, direc
tor of aging and nutrition,
said some of the senior
citizens feel it is morally
wrong to play cards of any
kind.
Couirty Manager Ralph
Cottle expressed concern
about allowing a private club
to use a public building free
of charge.
Following a request by Joe
Costin of Warsaw to have a
memorial statue honoring
nation's war dead built on
the courthouse grounds, the
board appointed a study
committee of Costin. Cottle,
Frank Moore and Sonny
Sykes of Kenansville to
report on the matter next
year.
. Duplin Tax Office
Ready For Listings
Duplin County's tax list
takers will make extra efforts
to see that all senior citizens
. or disabled people eligible
'<V for property tax exemption
take advantage of it next
month, said tax supervisor
Frank B. Moore.
Listing of property for
taxes will begin Jan. 3 and
continue through Jan. 21.
"We've instructed tax list
takers to walk the extra mile
to make sure our people 65
years of age and our totally
A and permanently disabled
? people get the advantage of
the $8,500 property exemp
tion if their income is less
than $9,000," Moore said.
"We find a lot of times
people who should get these
benefits fail to request them.
These are the people who
deserve help and we really
want to help them," he said.
Property owners are being
asked to bring deeds or at
to least the numbers of the
^ recording book and pages
where they are filed, Moot?
said, "so list takers can get a
record of them to update our ?
records."
The county's assessed
valuation for 1982 was $645
million of which 65 percent
was in real property. 33 per
cent in personal property,
and two percent in utilities.
County residents can list
household goods at 10 per
cent of the assessed value of
their homes or, if renting, 10
times the amount of the
monthly rental for resi
dences.
Mobile homes will be de
preciated at a rate of 10
percent per year up to five
t years and five percent per
year after five years.
Farm equipment will be
listed at the loan value of
each item in an official guide.
Cars and light trucks will be
listed at the average whole
sale value and heavy duty
trucks at their average loan
value.
List takers will work from
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays
through Fridays and 8:30
a.m. to noon Saturdays. List
takers and locations for list
ing will be:
Albertson Township - Vera
Turner, home of Calvin C.
and Vera Turner.
Cypress Creek - Betty
Lanier and Marilyn McKay
at Hilton Maready office on
State Road 1555.
Faison - Julia Harris and
Virginia Hines, Calypso
Town Hall, Jan. 10-15 and
Jan. 2b-27, and Faison Town
Hall on other working days.
Glisson - Carl Kornegay at
D.D. Herring store Jan. 3:
Bvard Kornegay store, Jan.
10; Joe Westbrook. Jan. 17;
Carrie Grady store, Jan. 25;
Ernestine Hudson store, Jan.
28; and Kornegay home on
State Road t501 on other
working days.
Island Creek - J. Luther
Powell, Verda Wells and
Franklin S. Williams at
Greenpvers Town Hall, Jan.
20-22; and Wallace Town
Hall on other working days.
Kenansville - Hughlene
Smith and Rose Swain, tax
supervisor's office in the
county courthouse in
Kenansville.
Limestone - Bernice L.
Bryan and Grace Whaley,
Beulaville Town Hall on East
Quinn Street.
Magnolia - Edna Smith.
Magnolia Town Hall.
Rockfish - Annie Ruth
Hall, Rockfish Community
Building on N.C. 41 west of
Wallace.
Rose Hill - Wilma Fussell
and Norman Teachey, Rose
Hill Town Hall.
Smith's - Ruby G. Smith,
home of Ruby and Dennis
Smith on N.C. 111.
Warsaw - Claro Best, Q.J.
Sutton and Sara Mitchner.
new Warsaw Town Hll.
Wolfscrape - Dorothy Al
phin and Christine Davis,
Oak Wolf fire department,
Jan. 10-15, and Rones
Chapel Community Building
on other working days.
Tobacco Lease Rates Discussed
What can you afford to pay
to lease in tobacco? This is an
important question which
needs to be considered if you
^ plan to lease in tobacco
# poundage for 1983.
Recently the Duplin
.County Extension tobacco
advisory committee met to
discuss costs of production
for the 1982 tobacco season
and to get some idea of what
to expect for 1983. The
committee arrived at the fol
lowing actual per acre costs
for producing a 25-acre crop
which averaged 2.000
pounds per acre and sold for
fi an average price of $1.78 per
pound.
Per Acre
[2,100 Pound*)
Plantbed $34.30
Field (Fertilizer,
Chemical*, Cover 1
Crop) $284.21
Curing Fuel
& Electricity $300.00
Warehouse Charges,
Tobacco Associates 99.60
Grading, Stabilization 76.65
Fuel, Lube, Repairs
(Mechanical
Harvester) $233.56
Crop and
Building Insurance $182.62
Labor $547.00
Ownership
(Depreciation) $350.00
Capital (Interest) $350.95
Lease yius 5 cents
per pound interest
Total (without
lease) $2,439.50
If we divide total cost of
$2,439.50 (excluding lease)
by 2.100 pounds, we arrive at
a per pound production price
of $1.16 per pound. Assum
ing the crop averaged $1.78
per pound, we can subtract
the production costs and
arrive at a figure of $.62,
which will have to cover our
lease, plus interest on any
money borrowed for lease,
and any profit. Keep in mind
that these are 1982 iigures
and 1983 costs may differ. In
fact, each individual farmer's
costs my differ. It is best to
figure ybur own costs and
returns.
The price paid for lease is
a personal decision of the
producer who chooses to pay
that price. However, this
decision can be a much more
informed one if each indi
vidual will first figure esti
mated production costs and
an estimated income and
work with the difference as
the amount to be used for
lease and profits. Don't for
get to figure all costs, in
cluding your labor, depre
ciation of equipment and
barn;, interest, tractor fuel.
FOUNDATION BOARD REPORTS PROGRESS IN FUND
DRIVE - Artist Malcolm Williams, left, paints in goal lines
as Rob Lee and Tom Yates direct.
Foundation Board Reports
Progress In Fund Drive
The James Sprunt
Foundation Board of Direc
tors met Dec. 16 to wind up
James Sprunt Technical Col
lege's first fund drive. The
board, chaired by Tom
Yates, had set a goal of
$10,000. The goal has been
met and funds are still
coming in.
Yates stated that the
Board had done an out
standing job in this first fund
raising effort and were to be
commended. He also ex
pressed appreciation to the
citizens and businesses in
the county who contributed.
Rob Lee, treasurer, stated
that a final accounting of all
donations would be done in
January when all pledges
and contributions were in
and that it appeared that the
Foundation had not only met
but were probably going to
exceed their goal. These
funds will be used for
scholarships and to improve
the instructional programs of
the college.
Dr. Carl Price, president,
expressed his appreciation to
the people of Duplin County
for their support and stated
that is anyone still wishes to
make a contribution, they
should contact him or Donna
Thigpen. executive director
of the Foundation at JSTC.
296-1341.
Murphy Has Ideas
But Won't Create 'Big Waves'
Duplin's newly-elected
state Rep. Wendell Murphy
says he doesn't expect to
"make big waves" during
his first legislative session
next year.
Murphy said he is parti
cularly interested in seeing
shorter legislative sessions.
He also said he wants to look
into the state's drunken
driving problem, into lobby
ing practices and into pos
sible measures to reduce the
danger of high-powered
rifles in the hands of careless
hunters.
"I need to get my feet wet
before I can make definite
statements on what should
be done," Murphy said.
"However, I think the
legislature stays in session
too long. I think the state's
business can be done in a
shorter time." he added.
One possibility he sug
gested looking into is delay
ing the opening of the ses
sion to the spring when more
information on the state's
income outlook is available.
The Duplin County agri
businessman will represent
Duplin and Jones counties.
He defeated two-term Rep.
Douglas Clark in the Demo
cratic primary and was un
1
opposed in the general elec
tion.
Wendell and his father.
Holmes Murphy, developed
Murphy Farms from a
$13,000 investment 20 years
ago into one of the largest
market hog enterprises in the
country. The firm markets
about 5,000 top hogs a week
and has feed and grain
storage capacity of 2.5 mil
lion bushels. It buys corn at
seven buying stations it ope
rates in southeastern North
Carolina and contracts with
numerous farmers to pro
duce feeder pigs from breed
ing stock supplied by the
firm.
A I960 graduate of North
Carolina State University,
Murphy taught vocational
agriculture for five years, the
last three of which (were in
East Duplin High'School
near Beulaville. From 1962 to
1965 he worked part-time
with the family firm, which
he started with $3,000 he had
saved and $10,000 from a
note signed by his father.
Murphy said he is receiv
ing more calls about drunken
driving and use of high
powered rifles in hunting. He
noted a man wis shot by a
rifle near Register's Cross
roads east of Rose Hill.
"Some sort of effort
should be made to bring this
problem under control, but I
want to be careful. . .1 don't
have a point blank answer. 1
need more information from
hunters and the wildlife
people."
He said he is optimistic
about the possibility of a
freezer warehouse being
built at Wallace and about its
potential for boosting the
area's poultry and possibly
hog industries.
Murphy feels more effort
should be made to export
U.S. grain in the form" of
meat and meat products.
He is adamant about two
things. "I won't ever vote for
a tobacco tax and I won't go
up there and vote for a
legislative pay raise," Mur
phy said.
"I intend to apply the
same principles to state
government that 1 apply to
this business." he added.