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