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PROGRESS SENTINEL
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^ VOL. XXXXV1I NO. 42 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 OCTOBER 20, 1983 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
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WELCOME HOME - Along with hundreds
if Duplin County residents who turned out to
greet Astronaut William Thornton when he
returned home to Faison was North Carolina
Governor Jim Hunt. Thornton returned to
Faison last Saturday for the first time since
the shuttle Challenger landed from its
mission in space more than a month ago.
The Duplin astronaut is the oldest man ever
to go into space and is scheduled to lift-off
again next year in another shuttle mission.
The Duplin County Commissioners were
present to welcome Thornton home and
presented him with a portrait pained by
Duplin artist Mark Patrus. Thornton is
pictured above with the portrait of himself.
? Kornegay Gets 30
Months For
Embezzlement
_ The former president-elect
? of the N.C. State Bar was
sentenced to 30 months in
? prison last week for his
convictions on embezzlement
and false pretense charges.
Wayne Superior Court
Judge John C. Martin sen
tenced Mount Olive attorney
George R. Kornegay to 18
months for the embezzle
ment charge and 30 months
for the false pretence charge,
? to run concurrently.
Korengay, who also was
given a 30-month suspended
sentence for embezzling cor
porate funds, wept during
the sentencing hearing.
Martin disbarred Korne
gay^,,but that action auto
matically was waived pend
ing the outcome of his ap
peal- Kornegay was released
under $10,000 bond pending
_ the appeal.
? The judgment recom
mended work release for
Kornegay on the condition he
pay $21,000 restitution to a
client.
Martin said Kornegay
committed serious offenses
that were made more serious
by the stature and reputation
he had enjoyed. He also said
Kornegay's actions dis
_ graced the profession.
9 "This is one of the most
important trials over which
I've presided," Martin said.
A jury of 11 men and one
man found Kornegay guilty
of embezzlement, false pre
tense and embezzlement of
corporate funds Tuesday of
last week after deliberating
only 30 minutes.
Kornegay was tried on the
three charges after Martin
0 dismissed two charges of
corporate malfeasance. His
sentencing came after 12
character witnesses testified
Kornegay had always acted
with the highest degree of
integrity,
But the prosecutors said
Kornegay had violated the
public trust ana had caused
"irreparable" damage to the
legal profession.
'It's not like a store clerk
^ who has embezzled," said
one. "He's a man who took
an oath, to take on the
responsibility of a profession
that is grounded in trust."
the state charged that
Kornegay wrote a $14,500
check on an invalid client's
trust fund to'make a payment
on personal property he was
buying. It also accused him
of telling a client he had ,
? settled a damage suit for her
for $125,000 when he had
settled it for $104,000.
He also was accused of
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putting legal fees he received
into his personal account in
stead of the_ firm's account.
District "Attorney Donald
M. Jacobs said he had no
comment on 26 embezzle
ment charges still pending
against Kdtnegay.
Faison Flies High As
Astronaut Returns Home
To some he will always be
a student. To others, the boy
next door. At least one
woman claims him as a
distant cousin.
But to afl people of Faison,
Dr. William E. Thornton Jr.
is their pride, their friend,
their home-grown astro
naut.
Saturday was Thornton's
homecoming in Faison, with
a _pig _pickin', speeches' by
politicians, and plenty of
pomp and circumstance to
honor his successful flight on
the space shuttle Challenger.
West Center Street was
packed with more than 3,000
people who listened as
Thornton recalled his days
growing up in Duplin County
and his space, voyage, which
took"him around the worfd 98
times in less than a week.
In' his lengthy speech,
Thornton's voice cracked at
times as he spoke of his
mother, his paper route, the
local church and "the brick
school that no longer
stands."
He called Faison's resi
dents "a rich people" who
should cherish their thqving
traditions and fertile farm
land.
"I can tell you by flving
over the earth, you just Son't
know how lucky you are,"
said Thornton, who is 54. "I
locked down on tiffs worldk
and saw the massive deserts
and realized many of the
people are just striving to
keep body and soul to
gether."
In closing, the nation's
oldest astronaut offered a bit
of wisdom: "I have learned
that this is one world, a small
world. It is in your hands and
in towns like Faison that the
future of the world rests."
Gov. Jim Hunt proclaimed
Thornton "North Carolina's
one and only astronaut" and
announced Thornton's next
mission, on the Spacelab 111
in 1984. U.S. Rep. Charles O.
Whitley shared the stage
with the governor, along with
state Sen. Harold W. Har
(Itivon.
After the ceremony, the
real fun began. Townspeople
put on a barbeque boasting
15 hogs, 200 pounds of hush
pvppies and mounds of cole
slaw, all served in the garage
of the Faison Fire Station.
Thornton hardly had time
to indulge, however, as well
wishers streamed steadily
past bis table. Nearby tables
were filled with former
classmates and teachers who
felt a special pride in Thorn
ton's accomplishments.
'Back in those days, we
couldn't comprehend going
into space," said Elizabeth
Matthews, Thornton's
seventh grade teacher. "But
with all his ideas and initia
tive, I knew he would get
sor.iewhere.
"1 am very proud that 1 can
boast having a little part in
jtis education," Ms.
Matthews added.
As Thornton moved
through the makeshift dining
hall, children tugged at his
coat and grownups flagged
him down, calling out
"William, remember me?"
Mildred Kornegay re
membered Thornton as her
back-door neighbor. Maurice
Watts of Tabor City called
him "my distant cousin."
Posters on-the walls of the
firehouse displayed verses of
Dixie Shuttle, a song com
posed by North Duplin
Junior High students to be
seng to the tune of Yankee
Doodle. Chip Stall wrote: Dr.
Thornton keep it up. you're
our pride and joy. Dr. Thorn
ton we all know that you're
our hometown boy." Other
homemade verses referred to
Thornton's experiments with
weightlessness and one said
he had to eat the mice he w as
testing in space.
Jim Long of Burlington
appeared to be the only
candidate campaigning.
Saturday as he shook hands
and sought support for his
effort to become state in
surance commissioner.
Jane Hollingsworth, an
organizer of the event, said it
was a success. "The feeling
of pride that has come from
William has just been tre
mendous." Mrs. Hollings
worth said. "We look for
ward to him going up and
coming back home again.
Thornton now Lives with
his wife and sons in Friends
wood. Texas, near NASA
headquarters but maintains a
family home in Faison.
Apparel Industry
On Rise In Duplin
Duplin's apparel workers
were considered the third
largest category of unem
ployed during January. Last
week the opening of a chil- ,
dren's wear manufacturing
company was announce^! in
Warsaw.
The apparel industry, like
textiles in Duplin, has suf
fered from plant closings and
heavy lay-offs during the
past three years, which the
Kenan^ville Employment
Security Commission Super
visor Dennis Kirby said
pushed the two occupations
into the first and third cate
gories of unemployed. Con
struction workers filled the
second highest category of
unemployed in Duplin. Since
early this year, both garment
and textile companies h?ve
been hiring and Rirby said
the apparel industry is cur
rent ly in full operation
throughout the county.
Duplin Manufacturing
Company. Inc., makers of
children's sportswear, open
ed last Saturday taking appli
cations at the plant in War
saw with expectations of im
mediately employing SO
people. And, while the new
job opportunities are avail
able with f)uplin Manufac
turing. Kirby said, the
apparel industry is predomi
nately operated by women,
with few employment pros
pects for men.
The Kenan^ville Employ
ment Security Comi*tisai>.,
has approximately 100 active
applicants filed as apparel
workers. And, an estimated
third of the applicants are
currently receiving unem
ployment benefits. Kirby
said. Apparel workers are
estimated to make up about
four percent of all the appli
cants on file at the Kenans
ville Employment Security
Commission.
"State and federal unem
ployment benefits and ex
tensions have been exhaust
ed by many apparel work
ers," Kirby said "And, if
they have not been in the
Employment Security office
within the last 60 days, their
files would not appear with
the active applicants." Tht^
active and inactive occupa
tions files total about 4,000 at
the Kenan^ville Employment
Security Commission.
Duplin's total unemploy
ment has dropped two per
cent since January, from 14.7
to 12.5 percent in August. A
total of 2.455 people were
unemployed in January and
August figures at the
Kenansville Employment
Security Commission sftpw
2.131 unemployed in the
county.
Duplin Manufacturing
Company is owned and
operated by Nick Gambella
of Goldsboro. The Gambella
family operates similar
manufacturing operations in
Wayne. Lenoir, Edgecomb
and Johnston coum.ies. The
Warsaw plant will sew under
its own label for distribution
to major department stofes
throcghoy the c entry.
Applrr: iris for sewing
hi a chi.i? ipcrjH rs.
trimmers/inspectors, service
personnel and mechanics
were taken at the plant last
Saturday. Additional appli
cations will be taken until the
plant is in full operation.
Employees are scheduled n
begin work at Duplin Manu
facturing Monday. Gambella
said. When in full operation,
the manufacturing company 1
expects to employ 175-200
people,
"Business has been pick
ing up for our operations," 1
Nick Gambella. operator of I
Duplin Manufacturing, said.
"We are very optimistic
about the coming year and
feel like the recession is on
the way cut. And. even
more, 1 think the public feels
the recession is ending be
cause they have begun to buy
garments again." According
to Gambella. the major rea
son for locating a manufac
turing operation in Duplin is
the central location to other
family-owned plants and the
availability of experienced
apparel workers in the area.
Watson Poultry Firm Chief Says Efforts Futile
Final efforts to salvage the
bankrupt Watson Seafood
and Poultry Co. in Rose Hill
are useless because the
company hasn't gotten loans
to match federal grant
money. Ebern Watson Jr.,
company president, said.
Watson addressed about
150 workers, poultry growers
and ^politicians Friday night
at Chinquapin Primary
Schoof.
Ebern Watson said he
couldn't get enough In loans
to match grant money.
Workers and growers con
evinced town board members
in Rose Hill to apply for a
$795,00(5 Urban Develop
ment Association Grant in
September" Watson said Fri
day he asked 12 'lending
organizations for help," but
was' unable to make the
2-to-l fund match required to
get the grant.
Watson also said he of
fered controlling interest^ in
the company to one lender,
but was turned down.
When presented with
statements showing debts
totaling $5.5 million, lending
institutions want to know
what "the company can do to
show t profit, Watson said.
No plan presented satisfied
them, he added.
Falling broiler prices
spurred by an oversupply of
chickens have soured the
industry outlook for the near
future. Watson said.
"We're our own worst
enemies. Through genetic
research we can double our
output most any time,"
Watson said. "Too much
supply means low prices, but
that's the way it's supposed
to be. That's the American
way."
A plan for voluntary liqui
dation went into effect at the
company April 15. Watson
has debts totaling $5.6 mil
lion. including $2.5 million
owed to Coastal Production
Credit Association of
Kenan^ville.
Poultry operations at the
company slowed to a halt this
summer. Only the feed mill
is still in use. grinding feed
for a local hog producer. Bids
for the mill will be opened
Friday, Watson said.
Company assets will be
turned over to a bankruptcy
trustee Nov. 21 unless the
company can show the court
that reorganization plans will
make the company show a
profit.
Dissolving the company
will cost the Rose Hill area
about 300 jobs. At worst, that
translates to a loss of more
than $2.5 million annually in
wages.
Workers who spoke Friday
said they needed money to
last the winter. Some said
they would h?ve to take their
children out of college be
cause of the plant's closing.
Grower Geraldine Thigpen
of Chinquapin said she could
tend her chickens and care
for her blind husband at
home. "I'm a grower.
Growers get no unemploy
ment. Something has to be
done to help us." Ms. Thig
pen said.
Southern Duplin County is
the center of a huge turkey
and broiler chicken industry.
A local natural gas sup
plier said (he shutdown has
cut sales at his business 10 to
15 percent.
"It's like a merry-go
round," said Duplin County
Commissioners Chairman
Bill Costin. "It touches one
and another and another and
another." Unemployment in
Duplin County is 12.6 per
cent, Costin said.
Workers and growers were
silent as Watson, the last
speaker 10? the evening
delivered his grim message.
Watson referred to the
successful reorganization of
the Chrysler Corp. under its
chief executive, Lee Iacocca.
"Sometimes a fellow bites
off more than he can chew."
Watson said. "It pleased
me to see him (Iacocca) bite
off more than he can chew
and chew it.
"Chrysler had a plan.
They reorganized. They
showed someone that they
could pay the money back."
"Under the present situa
tion we cannot survive."
Watson said. "You really
.can't ask the government to
give money without a plan."
paison Bar
Fight Leaves One Dead
Jimmy Lee Harper, of
Route 3 in Dudley, was shot
to death Saturday night at
Frank's Disco in Faison.
Harper was shot in the
' chest and stomach with a
small-caliber weapon at
10:15 p.m. The Faison rescue
squad took him to Duplin
General Hospital where he
died at 11:41 p.m.
Larry Lee Fryar of 595
Elmore St. in Mount Olive
was charged in the killing
after surrendering to law
enforcement officers Sunday
marring, according to De
tective E.G. Baker of the
Duplin County Sheriffs De
partment.
GUEST PANEL AT WATSON POULTRY HEARING IN CHINQUAPIN
Lewis Wrenn. aide to Congressman Charlie Whitley. Bruce Strickland of
the N.C. Department of Agriculture, Kathrine W. Davis, staff director.
Senator East, Ray Forrest of the N.C. Department of Commerce, State
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Senator Harold Hardison. State Rep. Wendell Murphy were on the panel
which addressed the issue of reorganization of Watson's and heard and
listened to grower and worker problems. The correct steps for reorganiza
tion were explained.
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