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PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVIII NO. 8 USPS 162-860 KEN AN SVILLE. NC 28349 FEBRUARY 23. 1984 16 PAGES THIS WEEK lOCEflTS PLUS TAX
Kick-Off For Kelly-Farrior House Restoration Fund Drive
? The United Carolina Banks of Duplin County were the
first contributors to kick off a fund drive to complete the
restoration of the historic Kelly-Farrior house in
Kenansville. The contribution of SI,000 will be used
along with other funds from the drive to complete the
interior of the house, which is to beome the home of the
Cowan Museum and Duplin County Arts Council. The
Kelly-Farrior House was donated to the town by the
banking firm United Carolina. The house was moved
from its original location beside UCB in Kenansville to
its present home beside Liberty Hall on the grounds ot
the town's municipal park. Pictured above, Duplin
United Carolina Bank branch representatives pre
senting donation to the Kelly-Farrior restoration
project. Left to right above, Wallace UCB Advisory
Board member Bill Rand, Beulaville UCB executive
Aubrey Johnson, Kenansville UCB executive Carey
Wrenn, accepting donation Lois Britt, with the Kelly
Farrior restoration fund drive and Yvonne Patterson
from the Rose Hill UCB.
Murder & Drug Cases
Heard In Duplin Court
One man pleaded guilty to second
degree murder and was sentenced to
10 years in prison last week in Duplin
County Superior Court.
In other court action Tit^sday, two
men pleaded guilty to rfyrijuana
trafficking and possession charges.
Larry Lee Fryar pleaded guilty to
second-degree murder. He was
charged with shooting and killing
Jimmy Lee Harper last Thanksgiving
Day at Frank's Disco near Faison.
Judge George M. Fountain of
Tarboro presided over all three
cases.
? In the drug case, George Mc
Donald Johnson Jr. Tuesday pleaded
g ilty to a reduced charge of
t, tfficking by possession of more
th*n 50 pounds of marijuana. He was
originally charged with two counts of
trafficking and possession of more
than 100 pounds of marijuana.
He was given a three-year prison
sentence suspended on three years
of probation and payment of a $2,500
fine and costs of court.
In sentencing Johnson, Judge
Fountain said, "You can count on
one hand the number of people 1
have not given an active sentence in
ttjfse cases. You can also count on
one hand the number of people who
have appeared and who sincerely
feel sorry for what they have done."
Fountain said he believed Johnson
?
to be ot^ of those who is sincerely
sorry. "
JohnsorAturned in to tl^p sheriff's
departmenA$15,000 of theknore than
$45,000 he*received in ionnection
with the marijuana grown on his
Duplin Courily farm three miles
northwest of Warsaw. Judge Foun
tain ordered the money turned over
to the Dupiin County school system.
Duplin Sheriff's Deputy Glenn
Jernigan testified that in 1980
Pridgen asked Johnson for permis
sion to trap foxes on his land, saying
the pelts brought $40 each. After
Johnson agreed, Pridgen asked
Johnson as he plowed to plow near
the woods and leave a furrow so
foxes would run down the furrows
into the traps.
Jernigan testified Johnson later
saw Pridgen coming out of the woods
in a truck with a canvas-covered box.
When Johnson asked what was in
the truck, Jernigan said, Pridgen
gave Johnson $800 to $1,800 and told
him to "keep his mouth shut."
Jernigan said that in 1981 Pridgen
offered Johnson a fourth of the
money from the crop and paid him
$15,000. In 1982, he testified, John
son received $30,000.
Last Aug. 29 sheriffs officers
raided the farm and found 70 stalks
of marijuana had been harvested.
The maximum penalty for traf
_ _ ? _ ?
licking in and possession of more
than 100 pounds of marijuana is IS
years.
The maximum for 50 pounds is five
years except in case of extenuating
circumstances.
John Campbell Pridgen III of
Route 2. Warsaw, was sentenced to
five years in prison and fined $5,000
after pleading guilty Thursday in
Duolin County Superior Court to
trafficking in more than 100 pounds
of marijuana.
The presumptive sentence of
seven years was reduced to give
years because Pridgen supplied in
formation that substantially assisted
officers in five other cases, Judge
George M. Fountain of Tarboro said.
A presumptive sentence is a penalty
set by law that the judge may modify
by considering the mitigating and
aggravating factors in a particular
case.
Pridgen was arrested Aug. 18 at
his residence after officers
discovered 175 six-foot tall mari
juana plants growing in a former hog
pen 125 feet behind his house.
Officers testified they found five
pounds of marijuana in a plastic
garbage bag in a boat and a small
quantity of marijuana and several
jars of marijuana seed in Pridgen's
house. Pridgen had $5,500 and a
.22-caliber pistol on his person at the
time of his arrest.
? Warsaw Board Tries To End
Mobile Home Conflict
'fhe Town Board of Warsaw will
attempt at its March 12 meeting to
eliminate a conflict between two
ordinances governing where mobile
Homes can be placed.
9 Last month the board discovered
that one zoning ordinance permitted
mobile homes on lots zoned R-6, that
is, residential lots with a minimum of
6,000 square feet and SO feet of
street frontage. It also found another
ordinance stated mobile homes can
be located only in mobile home
parks.
The board had been allowing
mobile homes to be located on
1 individual lots. After discovering the
? conflict, the board ruled mobile
homes could be located only in
mobile home parks. The board also
called a public hearing on the
question for its meeting Monday
night last week.
About SO people attended the
meeting.
During the meeting, the board
directed town attorney Garrett
Ludlum to prepare a new ordinance
to be presented to the board March
12. The proposed ordinance will
? permit mobile homes on lots zoned
R-6 if adjoining property owners do
not object. It will bar mobile homes
from lots in business and commercial
areas.
Mayor Sam Godwin said the board
had intended all along to allow
mobile homes on lots in R-6 areas.
v Someone goofed when the ordi
nances were written, (in 1972) and
we want the matter straightened out
now."
In other action the board:
? Called for a public hearing
March 12 on a petition asking that an
area now zoned R-6 be rezoned to
bar the presence of mobile homes.
The petition, signed by 38 people,
stated that 45 mobile homes now are
located in the area.
? Heard a request from a group
interested in enlarging the town
library to buy the former Litch
Hughie house on Hill Street near its
intersection with U.S. 117. The home
will be sold at auction. The library
group has $6,000 and can obtain
another $3,000 from Duplin County,
said Jo Jones, a group spokes
woman. The library now is located in
a small room on the second floor of
the town hall. She was asked to have
a proposed library budget prepared '
for the board's March 12 meeting.
? Directed town clerk Alfred
Herring to have town workers do
what they can to improve conditions
at the gymnasium. Thompson's"'
Gvmnasium is a former school
gymnasium, now owned by the town.
? Heard a complaint about a
possible zoning violation from Joe
Lee Costin. Cost in claimed Lib Grant
is using the former Charlie Miller
house, in a residential area, as a
show place for her dolls. He said this
increases traffic in the area. The
dolls are made in Newton Grove. The
board decided to advise Mrs. Grant
of the zoning regulations
? Allowed Turner Construction
Co. of Pink Hill 10 working days to
complete renovation work on five
houses under a Housing and Urban
Development project contract.
Woody Brinson of McDavid Asso
ciates, the engineering firm for the
work, said the job should have been
completed Nov. 23 and still is not
completed. If the work is not
completed in 10 days, the town will
retain S4.100 of the contract award.
Brinson indicated the town probably
would lose SI,500 even with the
retainer if it had to have the work
completed by another contractor.
? Took no action on a request to
improve the football field at the town
park so midget football league
game could be played there instead
of at the James Kenan High School
field. Cost of proposed improve
ments would be S6.000, according to
recreation officials who want to
borrow S3,000 from the town for the
work. The officials said a recreation
group has $3,000 on hand.
vyosnen Medical Center
Continues Efforts To Settle Suit
K second letter tc the Atlanta
office of Rural Health Initiative is
needed to help settle a suit brought
against Goshen Medical Center in
Faison by the U.S. Department of
Labor, Jane Silver told members of
the Board of Directors in the regular
monthly meeting, Feb. 14.
According tc Silver, Atlanta has
denied Goshen the use of excess
program income to help settle the
$19,773 overtime suit. In addition,
the office informed the Directors
only overtime documented by time
sheets would be allowable. In an
appeal to the Washington head
quarters of Rural Health Initiative.
Silver said, she was directed to
advise the Goshen Medical Center
Board of Directors to resubmit their
'requests to the Atlanta office. Silver
said Atlanta tailed to address all the
requests concerning the settlement
of the overtime suit and the Directors
should submit a second letter ad
dressing the unanswered issues. She
also advised the Board of the
availability of on-going program
income to help settle the overtime
suit.
The $19,773 suit resulted from a
federal audit and report at the Faison
medical center during October 1983.
The suit was brought on behalf of
nine Goshen Medical Center em
ployees for payment of overtime.
The settlement is estimated to be 61
percent of the total overtime due the
employees named in the suit.
Two recommendations from the
Goshen Medical Center accountants,
Pittard and Perry, were brought
before the Board. Money used to pay
for a going-away dinner for Dr. Bob
Carman, D.D.S., is not allowable
expense and vul! have to be repaid
Goshen Medical Center. And, ac
countants recommended Goshen
Medical Center Directors and staff
members set an example for the
community and carry no bills from
the clinic longer than 90 days before
making full payment. Board
members took no action on either
suggestion.
As suggested by the audit and
report conducted bv the U.S. Public
Heiiih Service, Goshen ."sedical ,
Center Directors adopted a policy
exempting professional staff
members at the clinic from accumu
lating overtime. Among the positions
affected by the policy are doctors,
dentists, physician assistants, family
counselors and the administrator.
The Board announced plans to
submit three top candidates to the
Atlanta office of Rural Health Ini
tiative when the interviewing
process for Goshen Medical Center
administrator is complete. According
to Director Frances P?: kes, approxi
mately 30 applications for the
position of administrator were re
ceived. The resignation of current
administrator Jane Silver will
become effective March 18.
In addition to interviews for the
position of administrator, the
Directors are currently in the process
of selecting' a new dentist for the
medical facility.
Play Area For Children Provldod In Emily Hill Library
V The Emily Hill Library in Faison opened in late January with Carol Steinfurth
employed as librarian and pictured above. Among the features of the library,
located in the restored depot building at the Faison Recreation park, is a play
area for^oung children. The play area is especially helpful foj moth'-rs.of
small children who need time to select books at the Emily Hill Library,
Steinfurth said. The library held open house last Sunday, and is open each
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. \
I
Faison's Emily Hill
Library Opens
Years ago young people left for
military service from the Faison
depot; today the restored building
contains the Emily Hill Library
wherp citizens can read about the
wars in which local boys served.
Open house for the Emily Hill
Public Library located at the Faison
Recreation Park was held Sunday.
The library opened January 20th
after being closed for many years.
The original Emily Hill Public
Library was located in the Faison
Community Building. The new lib
rary is open Monday, Wednesday
and Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., with
Librarian Carol Steinfurth on duty.
The library contains many of the
old volumes from the Community
Building along with new books
purchased and placed by the Duplin
County-Dorothy Wightman Library
in Kenansville. Also, from the old
library is a reading table, librarian's
desk and bulletin board.
"The Emily Hill Library is a plug
into the Duplin County Library,"
Johr.Michaud director of the Dorothy
Dorothy Wightman Library in
Kenansville. said. "They plug into
us and we connect in the same way to
the state library in Raleigh." The
close connection of the libraries
allows citizens of Faison the availa
bility of any volume on hand in the
town, county, or state libraries, he
said.
According to librarian Carol Stein
furth, a variety of books for research
and reading are on hand in Faison.
Added to the old editions is a new set
of encyclopedias and a current
collection of children's easy readers.
Along with the hard-cover books are
a number of paper-backs and maga
zines which can be checked out.
"We have just about something of
interest to everyone," Carol Stein
furth said. "The local chldren have
been coming in since they knew it
was open. And. they are really
pleasantly surprised and enthusi
astic once they find out there is
something that interests them, avail
able to be checked out. A lot of the
children that come in are glad the
library is here because it gives
something to do at the park besides
play ball."
Since the library has opened in
Faison, many of the local classes
have toured the two-room facility
and area principals and teachers
stopped to visit. Due to the size of
the building, the library will be
limited in its ability to expand, but
Steinfurth said teachers are begin
ning to encourage students to use
the Emily Hill Library for some of
their assignments. The connection
with Duolin. Countv-Dorothv Wight
man Library will make the Faison
library a good source for research
rcgardiess^of its limiting structural
size. Steinfurth said.
The Emily Hill Library is located in
two of the three rooms of the Faison
depot. The two rooms served as
waiting rooms for rail passengers;
one room was designated for black
and the other for white customers at
the depot. The third room of the
three-room depot building is the
ticket office and it is designated to
become a museum. Lighting fixtures
and show cases have not been
installed and a few items have been
collected for the museum.
The depot was donated to the town
in the fall of 1979 and moved from its
original site by the railroad tracks to
the Faison Recreation Park. The
renovation of the structure has been
underway since 1980. being financed
by donations from local businesses,
civic organizations and a grant from
the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.