Newspapers / The Duplin Times (Warsaw, … / June 21, 1984, edition 1 / Page 1
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' x PROGRESS SENTINEL f VOL. XXXXVII NO. 25 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLA NC 28349 JUNE 21.1984 14 PAGES THIS WEEK F 10 CENTS PLUS TAX Weed Killer Found In I Fertilizer Sold To Farmers Friday four Duplin County tobacco farms had been identified as suf fering from herbicide contaminated fertilizer. Tobacco specialist with the Duplin County Agricultural Extension Service, J. Michael Moore, said a total of about 10-12 farms are expected to be damaged. The herbicide, dicamba, a week killer, was found in W.R. Grace & Co.'s Gold Dollar 4-8-12 tobacco fertilizer. Duplin has five farm supply dealerships which carried the contaminated fertilizer and Moore said all agents had reported damage. "At this point, the damage is limited to about 100 acres of Duplin tobacco," Moore said. "The damage is not as severe as the 1979 contamination and the dicamba is not expected to cause great economic injury to the farmers. "With the proper rain and the continued cultivation of the damaged crop, the leaf is expected to be marketable," Moore explained. "The herbicide itself cannot be found in the soil or leaf samples of damaged crops. The only way of detecting dicamba in the product is testing the fertilizer left over from planting time on farms suspecting crop damage." The chemical does cause a defor mation of the tobacco leaves which Moore said is very distinctive and easy to recognize. The deformation of the tobacco plant due to fertilizer contaminated with dicamba causes leaves to come to a narrow point like a bird's beek and then hook down ward. The use of dicamba has been discouraged by Moore at the Duplin AES. Safer chemicals are available to be used in killing weeds and bermuda grass on the farm, Moore pointed out. The danger, he ex plained, is with the chemical drifting to other crops and causing damage similar to what Duplin and other county tobacco farmers are ex periencing with the contaminated fertilizer. The dicamba contaminated ferti lizer is estimated to be only 20 parts per billion, which is far less than the 1979 herbicide contamination found at two parts per million. Farmers suspecting or proven to have damage should contact their fertilizer com pany and then continue to grow the leaf as a normal crop, Moore said. Throughout the state more than 2,000 acrespf tobacco in at least nine counties have been damaged by the contaminated fertilizer. Grace has removed the suspect fertilizer and two other formulas, 3-9-9 and 6-6-18, from the stores in North Carolina. Damaged tobacco crops were also found last week in South Carolina. ?w ^ ' V wmu - ^;v v 'WW' inJohncco Odwog'M1 By 9icernba Contaminated Fertilzer Technical College Dean's Contract Not Renewed The James Sprunt Technical College Board of Trustees Wednes day night unanimously upheld the decision of President Carl Price not to renew the contract of the school's dean of instruction, Dr. Gene Ballard. ; Ballard's contract will expire June 30. As dean of instruction, Ballard las been the No. Two person on the mculty. ? Ballard early this month appealed Price's decision to the board. He was represented at the meeting by lawyer George T. Rogester Jr. of Tharrington, Smith and Hargrove of Raleigh. In an opening statement, board Chairman James F. Strickland said ^the board granted Ballard the hear ing, "out of a sense of fair play" and it "was not the board's purpose to go into reasons for non-renewal" of the contract. Immediately afterward, the board went into secret session. Emmett Wickline made the motion to go into secret session and Helen Boyette seconded it. After the meeting Wickline ex plained his move: "I've been on the board about a year. I don't know a lot of things that went on before and I wanted to ask questions about them." Strickland said he would have preferred the meeting to be open but board members wanted it closed. Rogister said his client wanted the meeting to be open. Commenting on the board decision to support the non-renewal decision. Strickland said, "Two people can't run a ship." Reading from a written statement. Price said: "Over the last two years there has been a deterioration in the relation ship between the dean of instruction. Dr. Ballard, and the president, Dr. Price. The level of HtPfr and confi. dence in each has reached the point that in my opinion it is adversely affecting the communication and decision-making processes of the institution. "Therefore, and in accordance with the authority and duty of the president, it is my decision not to recommend Dr. Ballard for a con tract upon expiration of his current contract on June 30, 1984. Dr. Ballard was notified of this decision some 38 days prior to the expiration of his current contract." Price said the state community college board bars its member schools from granting tenure status to employees, the employer assumes no obligation to continue employ ment beyond the expiration of a contract. Following Price's statement Strickland called for the vote. After the vote Ballard said. "1 am deeply disappointed" in the trus tees' action. He thanked his "many friends and colleagues at JSTC and across Duplin County for the support they have given me during the last tnorttj." Ballard said he will consult his attorneys to consider an appeal. "1 have at all times acted in what I believed to be the best interests of James Sprunt Technical College and this community. I will make every effort to continue to do so," he said. Ballard joined the JSTC faculty in 1969. Price was hired in 1988. Development Chief Hired Woody Brin son W.W. "Woody" Brinson Jr., 36, has accepted the position of Duplin County development director. Brinson is community develop ment planner with McDavid Asso ciates in Kenansville, a position he has held for three and one-half years. Before joining the consulting en gineering firm, Brinson was a "tri-town" administrator for Kenansville, Rose Hill and Mag nolia. He has served as mayor of Kenansville. Brinson said he expects to assume the position about August 1st. The job pays $26,600 a year. Woody is a Kenansville native and graduate of James Kenan High School. He attended Wake Forest University and received a degree in business administration from Camp bell College. Wilbur Hussey of Beulaville, vice chairman of the development com mission, said "I think he's ready to roll up his sleeves and go to work. If there's something out there, he'll go after it. "Saying 'industrial' sometimes gets people off on the wrong track because this is more than just seeking new industry," Hussey said. "We want Woody to help existing industry as well as seeking new industry. Anything we can do to help our e, '.sting industry is part of it. Roads, 1-40 are part of it. The commission wants him to try to bring industry that helps existing in dustry." Brinson agreed with Hussey's view of the job and added, "I want to launch a strong public relations and advertising campaign." Duplin Property Value Up ? Duplin County's assessed valua tion increased $27,026,909 in the past year. Tax Supervisor Frank Moore reported recently. He said the assessed valuation is $700,910,7%, an increase of 4.01 percent in a year. I Each cent of tax levy would bring the county $70,091,08 if the collec tion rate were 100 percent. The county's 70 cents per $100 assessed valuation would bring $4,906,375.57 to the county treasury at a 100 percent collection rate. While increases varied, every township showed some valuation increase. Rockftsh had the highest percentage of increase with 9.09 percent. Island Creek, in which Wallace is located, had the greatest actual increase, $6,839,716 or 5.41 percent. , Phenius Arrives For 1984 Season At The Liberty Cart Phenius Pickett, played this season by William Hollingswor.h of Virginia, has arrived at THE LIBERTY CART outdoor drama in Kenansville and rehearsals are underway. After spending the past few years with theatre companies in Washing ton. D.C. and Atlanta. Ga.. Hol lingsworth takes on the lead role of Phenius, his first in an outdoor drama. "It's nice to be back in a small town where everyone still waves to their neighbors," Hollingsworth said. "You can see the pride of the town of Kenansville everywhere. The outdoor drama THE LIBERTY CART is a good example of the pride Duplin has in its heritage and the hope it has for its future. "The lead character, Phenius, in the drama seems to be typical of the people I have met in this area ? he's just a likeable and friendly human being who cares about the rest of his neighbors," Hollingsworth said. "The magic Phenius has goes beyond his ability to tell the story of Duplin's history. His magic creates a friendship between the audience and the characters in the play. Every member of the audience leaves the amphitheatre with new friends from Duplin's past." The ninth season of the hisotrical outdoor drama opens July 13 in the William R. Kenan Amphitheatre in Kenansville. The season continues each Thursday, Friday and Saturday through August 25. Shows begin nightly at 8:15. "THE LIBERTY CART will be my first experience with outdoor theatre," Hollingsworth said. "Just in the few rehearsals we have had since I arrived, some very big differences from indoor theatre have become challenges for me in adapting to outdoor theatre. The chance to work with THE LIBERTY CART in outdoor drama is going to be a valuable learning experience for me." Hollingsworth is a native of Lynchburg, Va. After three years in the United States Army, Hollings worth beean his act ins career. His first acting experience was in role? at Sweet Briar College in WOMEN OF TROY and THE RESURRECTION, t and at Randolph Macon College he performed in TARTUFFE. In Wash ington, D.C. Hollingsworth performed with the Source Theatre Company, Spheres Theatre Company and The Arlington Players. During the past year in Atlanta, Hollingsworth worked as a member of the First State Company at The Academy Theatre. Hollingsworth performed in THREE BRASS MON KEYS, EQUUS, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUKOO'S NEST, THE HOME COMING, THE PERFECT DEFENSE, PERSEPHONE and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. y ( m\ ? "Mar jc. ? . ^ ?- .?> jUuplin County assessed valuation H Townships Warsaw Faison Wolfscrape Glisson Albertson Smith Limestone $ Cypress Creek Island Creek Rockfish Rose Hill Magnolia Kenansville Subtotal Public utility* ? TOTAL Assessed valuation 1984 1983 $78,625,405 $73,021,060 $58,939,277 $59,965,793 $27,816,172 $28,621,875 $16,759,495 $17,141,955 $20,725,699 $20,852,697 $24,828,665 $25,571,964 $74,286,414 $77,419,136 $32,531,876 $35,166,344 $126,368,841 $133,208,557 $23,677,235 $25,829,690 $37,734,204 $38,994,880 $32,185,195 $32,377,805 $86,921,005 $89,609,160 $641,399,483 $666,492,016 $32,484,404 $34,418,780 $673,883,887 $700,910,796 Increase Percent 1984 $3,106,755 3.95 $1,026,516 1.74 $805,703 2.90 $382,460 2.28 $126,998 0.61 $743,299 2.99 $3,132,722 4.22 $2,634,468 8.10 $6,839,716 5.41 $2,152,455 9.09 $1,206,676 3.34 $192,610 0.60 $2,688,155 3.09 $25,092,533 3.91 $1,934,376 5.95 $27.026 909 4.01 1984 Phenius Of THE LIBERTY CART I *|*Estimate. Final figure will not be known until November.
The Duplin Times (Warsaw, N.C.)
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June 21, 1984, edition 1
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