PROGRESS SENTINEL b VOL. XXXXVI NO. 16 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE. N.C. 28349 APRIL 21. 1983 lb PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX Contracts Granted For HUD Work In Kenansville ? Six Kenansville homes will be rehabilitated this spring and summer with $54,714 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop ment. Contracts were awarded by the Board of Commis sioners last week. During the same session the board voted to tape record future board meetings ?to avoid confusion over board actions. Mary Ann Jenkins, town clerk, was instructed to purchase a tape recorder for the purpose. The action stemmed from the board's uncertainty over the status of a pickup truck that was sold as surplus. Some members believed they had declared a garbage truck and a pickup truck as surplus property last month so the vehicles could be sold. Others were not sure if the pickup had been declared surplus. Both vehicles have been sold. Scheduled for rehabilita tion are the homes of Gloria Johnson on Southerland Street, on a bid of $6,256 from James Frederick of Warsaw, and Vera Faison on Church Street, on a bid of $8,880 from John Singletary of Kenansville. Council Dixon Jr. of War saw was low bidder for repair of the homes of ^vi Faison on South Main Street at $9,028, Robert Grant Mid dleton on Church Street at $10,919, Ernest Frederick on Seminary Street at $10,690 and Retha Dunk on Fennell Street at $8,941. Univision Cable Television Co. of Richlands received a 90-day extension from April 7 to complete installation of cable television service in Kenansville. The extension was granted because unusu ally wet winter weather de layed construction. The ooard agreed to fill potholes on Lodge Street beside Jimmy Jackson's IGA Store. It re-appointed Jim Blanchard to the plan ning board and agreed to sell tax liens June 13. Liens will be advertised four times starting May 19. A public hearing on use of revenue sharing will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 2. Warsaw Stray Dogs ?Now Risk Trip To Pound Stray dogs may claim "en trapment" in Warsaw in the future. Dog traps will be set in areas where complaints about stray dogs originate. Town officials will call the county dog warden to pick up trapped animals. Owners will ^be able to claim mission Vdogs. The town board last week heard several complaints about stray dogs and found the town dog ordinance did not cover strays. The ordi nance covers only "fero cious" dogs and requires complaints about ferocious. dogs to be signed by three residents. The board voted 3-1 to reduce to $84,000 the amount it will retain from the con tractor pending completion and approval of the sewage treatment plant; the original figure was $168,000. Bill Prossner of Miller Building . Corp. of Wilmington said the $2 million project is about 95 i percent complete. Voting against the reduc- i tion was Commissioner | Walter P. West. Voting for it were Commissioners John Weatherly, Frank Steed and ! ?- - _?? - - Walter Foster. The system has been in use since February. The board received a bid ol SI,300 from Ro-.e Parker oi Warsaw for the former Joe Smith property on the south west side of town. If no upset bids are received after re quired legal advertisements, she will be named purchaser of the 40- by 200-foot tract. The town condemned a dilapidated building and purchased the property for S2.000 under a U.S. Housing and Urban Development re habilitation program. The purchase price included costs . of relocating Smith. Demoli i tion of the building cost S372. The lot's assessed valuation ; is SI.460. f The board denied the re quest of Beasley Cablevision Co. to delay its franchise tax payment from April 30 to June. The franchise calls for payments of -i percent of the company's gross revenue from its service to the town. The public works depart ment was directed to correct a drainage problem in the yard at the home of Mat Vann Jr. at 202 Jordan Street. I Duplin 4-H Leaders Thanked The 4-H volunteer team responds, said Duplin Agri cultural Extension 4-H agent Ray Rhinehart. The 4-H leaders in Duplin County were honored with a recogni tion banquet at the Country Squire in Kenansville, April 14, featuring guest speaker Norfleet Sugg, executive secretary of the North Caro lina Peanut Grower's Asso ciation. "The philosophy, the goals and principles taught in 4-H today are as good in 1983 as they were when the organization was founded," Suggs said. "And, 1 try to live by the 4-H motto, dedi cated to a better living for my community and the world, today and tomorrow. ? "The purpose behind 4-H ^leaders is producing happy and productive citizens." Sugg said. "When I look at the 4-H flag, I see the green (clover) as a symbol of growth and the white as purity, just as 4-H leaders help young people build character and integrity." TUa A U a i iic tii |jrugraiii, unucr the guidance of local volun ?teers, helps prepare young people to be useful and build toward a meaningful life, Sugg pointed out. Members of 4-H are invididuals, and the program helps the person build an identity. Work with 4-H members and clubs helps the individual develop social responsibilities and relations through the guidance of dedicated leaders. In addition, Sugg Qadded, 4-H leaders help club members develop an insight into the personal values of life and build an appreciation for our culture. "In order to be a 4-H leader," Sugg said, "you have to know what 4-H is all about and be able to keep on learning. The leader must get an insight Into the young person's world and teach for 1983 and the future." A Qleader has to believe in what they are doing and the young people in the 4-H program, Sugg continued. And, young people must be the leader's priority in order to succeed as a 4-H volunteer. Duplin 4-H involves many people. Director of the Duplin Agricultural Exten sion Service Lois Britt ^pointed out the program ^receives government and private support. Each dollar donated to 4-H in Duplin by federal, state and local government agencies is matched by four dollars from the private sector, Britt ex plained. Sponsoring the annual leadership recognition banquet was the Duplin County Farm Bureau. Leaders from each Duplin 4-H club were invited. The Deca 4-H Club was repre sented by Laura Williams, Hattie Wallace, Fran Kohne, Lorraine Hankins, Marian Kelly, Lucy Pearsall and Carrie Carr, Oak ridge 4-H Club, Thurman and Mary Lou Alphin; Teachey 4-H Club, Doris Murphy; War saw-Shamrock 4-H Club, William and Edith Costin and Bill and Kath" Costin; FYC 4-H Club, Viola Moore, Carolyn Moore, Willie Mae Farrior, Sarah F. Jones, Margaretta Moore and Linda Farrior; New Horizons 4-H Gub, Carol Moore and Rose Swain; Stanford 4-H Club, Geraldine Bryant and Mrs. Iva Brinson; Wallace 4-H Gub, Walter and Thelma James, Mrs. Charlie Robin son. Lisa James and Charlie and Shirley Barnes. Recognized with the club leaders this year were volun teers from many Duplin fire departments which assisted with the 4-H fire safety program. This program was a special training session taught by Duplin firemen. More than 300 people attended the full program of six hours of instruction. Rhinehart. 4-H agent, said. And, he added. 400-500 people attended two to four hours of the fire safety training sessions. Concluding the training ses sions. Duplin held a compe tition for the clubs. Teachey 4-H Club was the champion of the Fire Safety Bowl, Rhinehart announced. Fire department volunteers from the Teachey area were R.C. Jenkins. Mrs. R.C. Jenkins, Danny Jenkins and Donald Jenkins. Fire departments assisting with the program in Duplin were Community, Wallace, Warsaw. Pleasant Grove, Oak Wolfe, Teachey, Chinquapin, Magnolia, Faison, Beulaville, Kenansville and Rose Hill. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT The Town of Magnolia will hold a public hearing on Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the Magnolia Depot. The meeting will be held in the Town Hall. All townspeople and concerned citizens are cordially invited to ask questions and voice their opinions at this meet ing. Man Found Dead Near Duplin Line The body of a 34-year-old Selma man was found lying in a ditch off N.C. 24 in Duplin County near the Duplin-Onslow county line, according to Chief Deputy Glenn Jernigan of the Duplin County Sheriff's Depart ment. James Daniel Turner was found dead near his truck in about one foot of water around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jernigan said. The truck had been parked on the north side of the road since Thurs day when he was reported missing at the Selma Police Department. Jernigan said an autopsy was to be performed in Jacksonville Monday. Wallace To Resume Meeting Next Week The Wallace town board was to continue its April meeting Tuesday in the town hall to consider means of buying a truck. The board opened bids for the basic truck Thursday. Low bidder at $64,910 was Atlantic Mack Sales of Wil mington. The hydraulic lift mecha nism and container will be transferred from the old truck. The equipment is used for emptying trash contain ers at industrial and com merical establishments. Repair costs on the old truck had become prohibitive and it was removed from service after a breakdown in late winter. Waste Industries of Wilmington picks up in dustrial and commercial gar bage for $5,000 per month. The board planned to ar range with the company to make two ec il payments, spread across two fiscal years. While money for the 1983-84 fiscal year payment can be appropriated in the new budget, money must be transferred fronj unexpend ed funds to cover the 1982-83 fiscal payment. Duplin Poultry Firm To Close Operations Losses in jobs and potential income for chicken growers may exceed $3 million a year because of the failure of Watson Seafood and Poultry Co. in Rose Hill. ,A plan for voluntary liquidation of the company went into effect Friday fol lowing a creditors' con ference in Rose Hill Thurs day. Watson has debts total ing SS.6 million, including $2.5 million owed to Coastal Production Credit Associa tion of Kenansville, PCA lawyer Richard Burrows said Friday. Dissolution of the company eventually could mean the loss of 125 to 300 jobs in the Rose Hill area, depending on the production plans of other area firms. At worst, that could mean a loss of more than S2.5 million a year in wages. Burrows said few of the 125 company employees will be affected for the next six or seven weeks as feed and transportation operations continue. Without the company's production of 285,000 broilers a week, 200 workers ? one shift ? could be out of jobs at the Rose Hill Poultry Corp. processing plant, which has been buying the broilers. Burrows said. The company's 125 con tract broiler growers face a potential income loss of nearly $1 million a year through lost broiler flock production unless they can obtain contracts from other broiler program operators. Growers contract with program operators such as Watson to raise the chickens. The growers provide the poultry houses, utilities and labor; the companies supply the birds, feed and medi cines. A flock matures in about seven weeks. Growers who have raised flocks for the company in the past three weeks face a possible immediate loss of $135,000. "My feeling right now is the growers will be paid, but there's no guarantee at this point," said Roy Houston, president of Coastal PC A, Plans for paying the ^mwe * were being cwvicwed.i i>* said. "We're guaranteeing payment to growers who now are growing-out flocks in their houses." Houston said. Growers normally are paid within 10 days of sale of the flocks, Burrows said, but the company has owed payment to some growers for three weeks. Modern poultry production methods emphasize the use of wood and plastic houses for feeding chickens. Many growers finance their $40,000 to $65,000 poultry houses with the PCA, which is a major agricultural credit source. PCAs are farmer-owned cooperatives. Through the Federal Intermediate Credit nanus, inev sen oonas on ine open market, lending the proceeds to farmers for operating and some capital expenses. Houston said the PC A will do what it can to help growers who have worked for W?;son makii conracts with other poultry program opera tors. The broiler market, however, is depressed, which brought about the company's difficulties. He said some broiler houses can be used for turkey produc tion, which is increasing in the area. The value of the com pany's assets can't be de termined until hatching eggs and broilers on hand have matured and have been sold. Burrows said. The plan calls for a gradual "winding down" of opera tions over several months, Houston said. He estimated the process would be com pleted in July. Houston said eggs and chicks in the company hatch ery will either be sold to other producers or grown out by contract growers under PCA's gua.antee of pay ment "We won't have any chick drowning here," 'he said, referring to sell-publicized chick drownings in Maryland several years ago to reduce surplus broiler production. Hnli cfnn /^alloH fKo Krrtilor i >v'u.iivrn v u 11 vu IIIV l/IVIIVl outlook "bleak" for the near future, with supplies large and the price of corn, the principal feed ingredient for the birds, increasing because of the federal payment-in kind grain reserve program. Houston blamed the three year broiler price depression for the Watson company troubles. Southern Duplin County is the center of a huge turkey and broiler chicken industry, with two of the largest turkey producers in the country ? Nash Johnson & Sons of Rose Hill and Swift & Co. of Wallace. Watson Seafood and Poultry, a Raleigh-based firm, bought the former Ramsey Feed Co of Rose Hill in 1973. It later closed its Raleigh operation but main tained a headquarters there. Hebron Watson Jr. of Rose Hill is company president. Houston said Dennis Ramsey of Rose Hill, founder of the Ramsey company in 1954, has been hired by PCA to manage the dissolution process. Ramsey is credited with pioneering commercial broiler chicken production in eastern North Carolina with establishment of his feed mill in Rose Hill. The mill w^s damaged by fire in the late 1960s but remained in pro duction until Ramsey built the present mill beside the railroad south of Rose Hill in 1970 and 1971. k The former railroad depot was built about 120 years ago. Magnolia Citizens To Discuss Depot The fete of the former Seaboard Coast Line Rail road depot will go before the public again at a hearing at 7:30 p.m. April 28 at the town hall. The building has been the subject of repeated discus sions since the" town of Magnolia acquired it about three years ago. The original intent was to use it as a library or community build- | ing. The hearing was set by i the town board last week. The railroad wants the structure off its property. If no practical plan for moving the depot can be developed, the town board plans to have it demolished. Several public meetings have been held on the subject. Removal of the building to a town-owned lot near its current location would cost about S20.000. Extensive re pairs would be needed to make the brick building ser viceable. Some residents want to save the building for its historic value. Standing mid way between Wilmington and Goldsboro, it was built about 120 years ago at a time when Magnolia was the trading hub for much of Duplin and Sampson counties. In other action last 1'ues day. the board granted Uni vision Cable Television Co. of Richlands a $0-day ex tension ? to early Julv ? complete cable service in stallation. Cable hookups have been delayed by weather and by a problem in making arrangements with Carolina Power & Light Co. to hang cables from its poles, John Fecteau of Univision told the board. The town received $988.67 from the Eastern Carolina Regional Housing Authority as payment in lieu of taxes for its 26-unit, low-rent housing oroiect in

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