PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVU NO. 37 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE. NC 28349 SEPTEMBER 15. 19&3 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Duplin Schools' Future Outlined
In $10 Million Extensive Plan
Duplin County school offi
cials have been ^gjven an
outline of a S10 million plan
to replace school facilities
and expand school services
in the county.
The extensive plan was
presented at the Board of
Education's meeting last
week by representatives
from the Division of School
Planning of the state De
partment of Education.
Board members listened to
the plan but did not make
any decisions about the pro
posals.
The presentation was
made by Dr. Lacy Presnell,
director of the division, and
Karen Gulledge, a consultant
with the division.
The recommendations call
for:
? Determining the num
ber of schools to be used and
developing long range plans
for each campus.
? Constructing a new
high school for about 650
students in the James Kenan
High School area between
Warsaw and Kenansville to
serve grades 10 to 12 from
the North Duplin and James
Kenan attendance areas.
? Using the present
James Kenan High School
for grades seven to nine in
the James Kenan attendance
area, expanding the school's
library and air conditioning
and refurbishing tlie entire
facility.
? Phasing out the
present Warsaw and North
Dunlin junior high schools as
traditional scliools.
? Using the present
North Duplin High School for
grades seven to nine from
the North Duplin attendance
area.
? Using the E.E. Smith
Junior High School in
Kenan|ville for extended (lay
and special education pro
grams.
? Continuing the
Kenan^ville, Warsaw, North
Duplin and Rose Hill-Mag
nolia elementary schools for
kindergarten through sixth
grade.
? Continuing the Wal
lace-Rose Kill attendance
area as it is now constituted.
? Expanding the library
ana cafeteria of East' Duplin
High School at Beul^ville.
? Using the East Duplin
facility for grades s?ven to 12
and air conditioning the
entire school.'
? Constructing a new
elementary school for kin
dergarten through ^sixth
grade at the present' B.F.
Grady school site in north
eastern Duplin County.
? Constructing a new
elementary school at the
present Beulqville elemen
tary site for kindergarten
through sixth grade.
? Constructing a new
library, indoor physical edu
cation area, five classrooms,
converting the present
library into a classroom, and
air conditioning the entire
Chinquapin II school for kin
dergarten through sixth
grades. Phasing out of'Chin
quapin I school is recom
mended.
? Making all programs
and activities accessible to
the handicapped.
? Having the county
fund stan prositions to im
prove art, music, physical
education and guidance in
the elementary grades.
? Eliminating student
fees.
The board will hold_ its
second September meeting
at 8 p.m. Sept. 27. which is a
Tuesday. Usually the board
meets on the third Monday of
each monday.
Several appointments and
transfers were approved by
the board. Jane Rich was
appointed finance officer to
succeed Victor Tucker who
will become finance officer of
Duplin General Hospital. She
has been assistant finance
officer.
Other appointments in
clude: Linda Day, named
director of the exceptional
children's programs; Thelma
Allen, general supervisor of
schools: Emma Farrior, co
ordinator of exceptional chil
dren's programs; Larry
Cooper, assistant principal at
Warsaw Elementary; Alex
ander Leach, assistant prin
cipal at Rose Hill-Magnolia
Elementary; Mickey Benton,
assistant principal and coach
at Charity Middle School;
Charles Blanchard, assistant
principal of Warsaw Elemen
tary; and Melba Bowles and
Judy Carr, coordinators for
academically talented stu
dents.
Thornton Expected
To Return To Foison Soon
By Emily Killette
About 74 people from the
town of Faison attended the
lift-off of the space shuttle
Challenger at Kennedy
Space Center in Florida and
now they are back in Duplin
making plans to welcome
native son astronaut William
Thornton home.
"I have talked with NASA
by phone," Ann Taylor, life
long friend of shuttle astro
naut William Thornton said.
"And. NASA said they will
begin scheduling William's
apprearances in about two
weeks and their first priority
is a visit to his home town.
So, i guess we can expect to
sec him about the last week
of September or the first of
October." Taylor addressed
the Faison town board
September 7 and together
the group selected 14 indi
viduals to serve on a com
mittee, planning the activi
ties when Thornton arrives in
Faison. The original com
mittee of Jane Hollings
worth, Melba Brewer,
Rachel Clifton, Helen Britt
and Ann Taylor drew up
resolutions and promoted the
idea of saluting Faison native
William Thornton with' the
declaration of Thornton Day
by Governor Jim Hunt, and
William Thornton Week in
Duplin County and the town
of Faison during the flight of
space shuttle Challenger.
"We need to enlarge the
committee now," Taylor
said. "The town will not h^ve
much time, so we need to be
ready to swings into action
when NASA tells us William
is coming." Suggested acti
vities include a barbeque and
parade on the day Governor
Jim Hunt visits with Thorn
ton in Faison. Taylor added
she hoped time would be
available for Thornton t<\visit
the three North Duplin area
schools. The parade is sug
gested to include an Air
Force Band and Color Guard
along with the North Duplin
band.
Thornton was educated as
a physician at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and then joined the
United States Air Force. He
54 years of age, and the
oldest astronaut to go into
space and the first from
North Carolina. Thornton is
only the second physician to
fly on a shuttle mission and
he conducted special space
sickness tests during the
Challenger's flight.
As a young teen in Faison,
Thornton helped support his
mother by opening a radio
and television repair shop
where folks still remember
teasing him with the nick
name "Genius." In addition
to the original committee
suggested, new members in
clude Sprunt Hall, Glenn
Jernigan, Austin Carter,
Glenn Brewer, Gary
Hollingsworth, Mayor
Francis McColman, Luther
Taylor, Chester Aycock and
Jane Faison. The first meet
ing of the expanded com
mittee was scheduled for
September 9 at the Faison
Town Hall.
Tax Shirkers Will Hear
From Duplin Tax Officials
Duplin County tax officials
will strjve to collect more
than $16,000 in taxes due on
vehicles owned by county
residents who filed to list
them during the regular
listing period in January.
Tax Supervisor Frank
Moore reported to the county
Board of Commissioners last
week that he fiad received a
list of "vehicles which people
forgot to list" from the N.C.
Dfvision of Motor Vehicles.
Vehicles on the list are
valued at $2 million,' he said.
Bills are being sent to the
vehicles' owners and follow
up action will be taken if
necessary, Moore told the
board.
Duplin County residents
listed $58 million worth of
vehicles during the listing
period last January, he said.
The board approved the
county's $66,509 share of the
$350,050 estimated cost of
the Muddy Creek Small
Watershed Project in eastern
Duplin County.
Kenneth Futreal, county
soil conservationist, expects
work on the project to be
completed by Jan. 1. Pri
marily, the work consists of
cleaning drainage channels,
including portions of the
creek in the Muddy Creek
area near Beul^ville.
The board , voted to accept
$5,000 from Williams Re
frigeration Express Inc. to
buy out Duplin County's
interest in the freezer plant
being constructed adjacent to
the Swift & Co. turkey pro
cessing plant near Wallace.
John Cochran of Uqivision
Cable Television Co. of Rich
lands reported that serycie
problems with some portions
of the system in the rural
area of the county had been
worked out. He said the
company has extended about
40 miles of cable in the rural
areas. It is supposed to have
80 percent of the area that
has been specified for service
wired by April 30, 1984.
Russell Tucker, county fi
nance officer, reported what
amounted to a business up
turn in the county, saying the
county's share of the second
quarter local sales tax, in
creased 12.2 percent qver the
same quarter last year. The
county received $212,165
from the local sales tax for
the quarter this year.
County Manager Ralph
Cottle reported $1,295 in
contributions for the reno
vation of a portion of the
former C.W. Dobbins School
in Wallace for use as a meal
site for the elderly.
Hiram Brinson. emergen
cy services director, an
nounced newly purchased
rescue squad equipment for
counties of the Region P
Council of Governments will
be displayed at S:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 at Beulaville.
The board agreed to ask
the state to urge the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to
permit cattle owners in
Rockfish Township in south
western Duplin County to
graze their animals on land
idled under the government
crop reduction programs.
The county's request to_ in
clude the entire county in
this step was rejected last
month.
Magnolia Woman Killed In Fire
A 65-year-old Magnolia
woman died early Sunday
moniing in a fire that de
stroyed her home on rural
toad 1103, two and one-half
miles south of Magnolia.
Trudy Phillips, whot lived
m Magnolia for more then 30
years, and Freddit Furlow,
1 who escaped through a win
dow, were the only people in
the onc-story house at "(he
time of the fire.
When the Magnolia Fire
Department ar jve<f at 5:05
a.m., the house had been
burning for 30 to 35 minutes,
said Fire Chief Robert WU
? ? a a
son.
It took 30 minutes to put
out the fire,' said Wilson.
"There was just* rubbish and
tin from the house. It was
totally burned," he said.
v Wilson did not know how
the fire started but said it did
not look suspicious.' "It's
hard to determine what the
cause might have been when
y <u get there and it's com
pletely gone," he said.
The Duplin Caunty She
riffs Depaitment is investi
gating, he said.
Mrs Phillips' body was
not found until 4:30 a.m.
because the fire department
was originally told by Furlow
that he tought she had gotten
out. said the fire chief.
After talking to neighbors
and searching through sur
rounding fields, firemen
searched through the ashes
and found Mrs. Phillips^ in
the bedroom, said Wilson.
CHAMPION MELONS - For about 12 years, Walter
Herring Jr. of Route 2, Warsaw, has been cross
pollenating watermelon varieties to grow larger melons.
But in the last five years. Herring said he has been
seriously mixing local, varieties of watermelons to grow
champions. And, despite the hot, dry weather this season,
Herring has produced a watermelon weighing uver 150
pounds, which breaks his champion record of 133 pounds
set in 1981. In fact, Herring has produced three record
breaking champions this year with w rme' weighing
151. 142 and 136 pounds.
Beulaville Purchases Computer System
The Beulaville Town Board
of Commissioners unani
mously approved the pur
chase of a TeleVideo com
puter system at a cost of
$9,994 during the regular
monthly meeting September
6.
The computer system will
include capabilities for bud
getary accounting, accounts
payable, water billing and
collection records and tax
billing and collections. The
system will be purchased
from Specialized Data
Sys. ems of Greeqville.
Town Accountant Doug
Gark informed the Board
that 5>DS was the only com
pany bidding on the project
which offered computer soft
ware meeting the standards
of the League of Minici
palities. The original bid
submitted by SDS was
$16,885 and the town of
Beulaville had $10,000 bud
geted to purchase the com
puter system.
"SDS came back to Beula
ville and discussed a lower
bid on a computer system the
town needed," Randy Zigler
of SDS said. "What we came
up with was a system with
software that we install and
train the town employees to
use, at just under $10,000."
According to Zigler, SDS
works strictly with munici
palities customizing software
to fit the needs of the town.
Computer operations are in
the BASIC language, Zigler
said. The motion to purchase
the computer was made by
Commissioner Franklin
Boyette and was unani
mously approved by the
Board. The system is sche
duled to be installed and
ready for use in the October
water billing.
Mayor Wilbur Hussey in
formed the Board that the
Department of Transporta
tion had returned to Beula
ville and reevaluated traffic
problems on Highway 24 as
requested b'y the town com
missioners. Recommenda
tions from the Department of
Transportation were to adopt
the original DOT
suggestion to restrict parking
on Highway 24; or one-way
Smith and Lee Streets; or
leave the traffic flow as it
currently operates.
"I would like to urge the
Board to follow she DOT
recommendations and take
some action on the traffic
problem," Cecil Lanier, a
Beulaville Auto business
man, said.
"It seems to me that the
sentiment of most people is
to leave it (traffic) as it is,"
Commissioner Elvis Sumner
said.
"Leaving it as it is would
be a turn-around from the
last meeting when most of
the people before the board
agreed there needed to be
something done about the
(traffic) problem," Lanier
said.
"1 can't see that makin?
Smith Street one-way will
help," Monk Whaley, owner
of Whaley's Supermarket
said. "Instead it will bring all
the traffic to the front door of
my store when they cut
across the parking lot." No
action was taken by the
Board concerning the traffic
problem.
The Board passed addi
tions to the town sewer and
water ordinances. The addi
tions stated a non-water
system user must install a
meter to measure the inflow
our outflow of waste for
billing sewer costs, and town
residents using septic tanks
in areas not serviced by the
Beulaville sewer system
must provide access to the
tank for town maintenance
The additon to the water
ordinances stated each reis
dent within the town must
pay water system fees even if
the person is not connected
to the system. Fees to resi
dents who have the town
system available but choose
not to use the water system
are based on the indebted
ness of the system, according
to town attorney Rusty La
nier. The Beulaville Board
approved the additions with
Commissioner Rabun
Maready not voting.
County Building Inspector
Brice Sanderson met with the
Beulaville Commissioners
requesting clarification of
zoning regulations. The
Board unanimously voted to
continue to allow 120 days to
replace a riiobile home in a
non-conforming zone.
Sanderson informed the
Board of the past unofficial
creation of a new zone which
restricted the type of opera
tes which could be ipened
in a general business zone in
one area of Beulaville. San
derson suggested the Com
missioners change the zone
to general business or legally
create a new zone. The Board
referred the matter to Cecil
Lanier of the Beulaville
Planning Board.
The Beulaville Commis
sioners unanimously
approved the property of
Earl Gresham be rezoned
from R85 to Rb after no
opposition was presented f
during the public hearing
prior to the Board meeting.
Mayor Hussev informed
the Commissioners that
Beulaville had been awarded
the 1983 Governor's Com
munity of Excellence Award
and presentations would be
made at a dinner in Raleigh,
October 19.
Faison Citizens Request Water Service
By Emily KUIette
A group of Faison citizens
appreared before the Faison
Town Board during the regu
lar monthly meeting Sep
tember 7 requesting water
service outside the city
limits. The group complained
of dry wells due to the
drought.
"We would like water
semce," Ashley Summerlin,
spokesman for the group,
said. "We live in the area
near the town lift station and
all our wells have gone dry.
My neighbor has just spent
S800 on a new well and still
has not been able to get
water." According to Sum
merlin, only two or three of
the area residents did not
wish to connect to the town
water system, while five
were requesting service and
willing to share the expense
of extending city water lines.
According to Commis
sioner William Igoe, 557 feet
of six-inch pipe would be
needed to extend service to
the area. Water lines ex
tended beyond town limits
are to be financed by the user
and upon installation become
property of the town for
maintenance.
"The thing that deters me
from wanting to grant service
is in reality you people will
be paying for something
others will later be able to
use without sharing the
burden of the installation
cost," Commissioner Wil
liam Igoe said. Town Ad
ministrative Advisor Neil
Mallory informed the Board
any extension of water lines
would require elngineer-pre
pared plans which would
have to be approved by the
state.1 Mayor Francis McCol
man appointed Commis
sioners Igoe, Ronald Oates
and Mejvin Rogers to study
the possible extension of
water lines to the residents
near the lift station and make
a recommendation to the
Board at the October meet
ing.
Steve Weil of Weil's En
terprises appeard before the
Board stating the water and
sewer system at the new
apartments built by the
Weil's had been completed.
He advised the Board that
Weil's was ready to deed the
lift station at the apartments
to the town as agreed prior to
construction. Faison Attor
ney Garett Ludlum advised
Weil to have easement
agreements prepared by
Weil's Enterprise's lawyers
for the lift station and sur
rounding property.
The Board unanimously
agreed to no longer supply
uniforms for the town public
works employees effective
Oct. I. According to Mayor
McColman. four employees
are supplied uniforms and
laundry service at an
approximate cost of $125 per
month to the town of Faison.
In addition. McColman said.
$4.1.68 had been billed the
town bv the uniform service
when an employee recently
ended his employment with
Faison and failed to return
the work clothes.
A discussion of vacation
for hourly employees in the
Faison public works depart
ment ended with the Board
requesting Mayor McColman
establish a policy basing
vacation hours on the
number of hours worked.
The vacation policy will be
discussed at the October
meeting of the town board.
Lawyers Ask Stiff Sentence For Wallace Man
Using evidence of nar
cotics import conspiracies,
federal lawyers argued last
week at a Wallace man
should serve the maximum
prison sentence for income
tax evasion, while a defense
lawyer asked the judge to
consider the man's age and
the nonviolent nature of his
crime, said Special Attorney
Justin Thornton, with the
U.S. Department of Justice.
The arguments were made
in Raleigh during a sentence
reduction hearing for John
Lloyd Sorreil Jr., who was
sentenced in April to five
years in prison and fined
$10,000 for income tax ?va
sion following a three-day
trial in Wilmington.
U.S. District Judge James
C. Fox, who sentenced Sor
rell, also conducted this
hearing.
Sorrell was convicted of
failure to pay approximately
$148,000 in taxes on 1976
earnings totaling $295,000
He earned the money, prose
cutors said, by defrauding
his mother and four cousins
in a farm land sale.
Defense lawyer William
Shell argued that Qv'e years
is too long a sentence for a
non^violent crime, Thornton
said. Shell also presented
more than 50 character refer -
r
ences and asked the judge to <
consider Sorrell's age, which
is 62. Thornton said.
Citing records from the
Dade County, fla., district
attorney's office, Thornton
argues that Sorrell was ac
tively involved in drug traf
ficking discussions in 1979
and that he discussed using a
North Carolina landing strip
to bring in planeloads of
illegal drugs.
Other evidence shows that
Sorrell said he was going to
look for a partner with whom
to purchase an airplane and
begin drug smuggling opera
tions. Thornton said. Sorrell
said he wanted tu go to Lima,
Peru, on his first flight.
Thornton contends.
"This kind of information
is proper for the court to
consider at the time of sen
tencing or at a sentence
reduction hearing," Thorn
ton said. "It was not intro
duced at trial because there
is no record of conviction."
Vic McGellan of* the Ala
bama Bureau of Investiga
tion, testified that his office
has ?(vidence that Sorrell
cons_pired to4 import mari
juana> into the country,
Thornton said.
Fox did'not make a deci
sion Thursday.
*1