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PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVII NO. 26 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE, NC 28349 JUNE 28.1984 12 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Blanton Retires From Animal Control Department
Forest Blanton of Rose Hill retired after 11 years of
service in the Duplin County Animal Control De
partment. Blanton was recognized during the June 18
LJuplin County Commissioners' meeting with a certifi
cate of appreciation for his service as a county
employee. Pictured above, left to right, Duplin. County
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Allen
Nethercutt presents Blanton with the certificate of
appreciation.
Rain Relieves Stress On
Tobacco And Produce Crops
0 Last week's rain fall was the first
significant moisture Duplin's crops
received this month. And, Duplin
Agricultural Extension Services ag
ents predict a delayed but normal
crop yield.
"The late spring delayed crops
about 19 days and the dry spell we
have just gone through may have
ad d<ad another week's delay to
harvest," Duplin Agriculture Exten
sia*_ tojjpeco specialist J. Michael
^jjMoore said. "I feel like it will tie
mid-July before farmers really get
cranked-up with tobacco harvesting.
"But, farmers should be very busy
now because of the rain last week
crops will really begin to grow,"
Moore said. Along with the expect
ed rapid growth of crops will be the
sprouting of new weeds and a
pesticide problem mainly with to
bacco horn worms and some bud
worms.
"The drought and heat wave we"1
0have just experienced caused some
scouring in a few lower and top
leaves of the tobacco crops," Moore
said. "The lower leaves damaged
due to heat and lack of water are
mostly among the lugs and would be
discarded anyway. Only a few top
leaves have been damaged. >
"The biggest problem farmers
have to face now in their tobacco,
corn, and soybean crops is keeping
up with the growth," Moore said.
"The tops and suckers, ? will grow
rapidly in the tobacco crof> and will
need to be removed at the same time
corn and soybean crops are needing
weed control treatments."
Among the Duplin produce crops,
County Extension Service Assistant
Agent Phil Denlinger said, cucum
bers were the worst hit by the heat
and dry weather. Produce in Duplin
County is a S10 million business for
local farmers. Area produce crops
^^re concentrated in the Warsaw
Faison-Mt. Olive section of Duplin
?
> County and Denlinger said a variety
of squash, irish and sweet potatoes,
greens, cabbage, tomato, cucumber,
pepper and watermelon are grown.
"The cucumbers have been the
worst hit by the dry weather," Phil
Denlinger said. "The cucumber
plant is shallow rooted and cannot
put on fruit without water. Blooms
on the cucuiqber plant had been
drying up and ifalling of^f bet ore the
"win.'
"Pepper suffered also," Den
linger said. "Some of the pepper was
sunburned and the lack of water had
caused deformed and small pods."
The cucumber crop was ending its
spring production period when the
dry weather hit and the pepper crops
are just getting to the point of yield,
Denlinger pointed out. While the
drought stress affected both crops,
the yield is not expected to be greatly
reduced with the continued adequate
rainfall.
Board Approves Mobile
i
Home Park Ordinance
The Duplin County Board of
Commissioners last week awarded
the county insurance contract to
Carlton Insurance Co. of Warsaw.
It also approved a county mobile
home park ordinance to become
effective Sept. 1.
Commissioners W.J. Costin, Allen
Nethercutt, Calvin Coolidge Turner
and Dovie Penney voted for the
ordinance and Commissioner D.J.
Fussell abstained. An abstention is
recorded as a "yes" vote. The
ordinance, which will not affect
existing mobile home parks, defines
a mobile home park as a location that
has two mobile homes on the site.
The board received seven bids for
the county insurance contract. The
Carlton bid of $62,353 was the low
bid. Nethercutt, Turner, Penney and
Fussell voted for the Carlton firm.
Costin abstained.
Costin had made a motion to
award the contract to the Aubrey
Cavenaugh Insurance firm of
Warsaw on a bid of $63,010. The
motion died for lack of a second.
Costin said he believed the Cave
naugh firm would save the county
money over the term of the contract
because it had received the contract
three years earlier.
The Associated Insurance Co. of
Wallace, which now has the contract,
bid $71,071.
In other business, the board
approved paying half the salary of a
bookkeeper-secretary of the county
home health care organization for
2'/i months, until a person can be
hired full-time by the organization.
For the next 2l/t months, the worker
will work in the county Health
Department. The county will pay
$1,250 toward the salary during that
period.
On the request of Lois Britt,
county extension chairman, the
board appropriated $10,000 for the
Kelly-Farrior house fund. The
taaae. under direction of the county
Board of Education, will house the'
Cowan Museum of rural home and
farm artifacts when the interior work
has been completed. The historic
house was moved from its original
site to a location adjacent to Liberty
Hall in Kenansville.
Peggy Jones of Seven Springs was
hired as computer programmer at a
salary of $11,698 a year.
The N.C. Department of Trans
portation reported an allocation of
$540,385 is expected to be approved
by the state Board of Transportation
next month for Duplin County
secondary roads. These are the
priorities for road work:
? Secondary Road 1926 west of
Magnolia, preparation and paving
1.3 miles to dead end of the road.
$117,000.
? S.R. 1927 northwest of Mag
nolia near Johnson's Church, prepa
ration and paving 1.6 miles from SR
1900 to SR 1909. $144,000.
? S.R. 1938 northwest of Wal
lace. preparation and paving of 0.8 of
a mile from SR 1163 to dead end,
$72,000.
? S.R. 1153 east of Wallace,
preparation and paving from N.C. 41
to dead end 0.5 of a mile, $45,000.
? Stabilization of S.R. 1111 and
1123 on east side of railroad tracks
between Warsaw and Magnolia,
$81.058.
? Widen S.R. 1002 from 18 to 22
feet wide, beginning at Lenoir
County line and extending four miles
to N.C. 111. $108,077.
Duplin Schools
Seek More Funds
From County
Duplin. County school officials plan
to request an additional $176,322
from the county Board of Commis
sioners for the 1984-85 fiscal year.
During the budget-making pro
cess, the commissioners cut the
schools' current expense budget
request by $609,400. The commis
sioners appropriated $2,100,00 for
current expenses while the Board of
Education had requested $2,709,000.
The school system's 1983-84 cur
rent expense budget was $1,890,586.
The county appropriated $209,414
more for the coming year.
During the Board of Education
meeting Tuesday night. Superin
tendent L.S. Guy said the increased
appropriation would not equal the
amount required to provide county
paid school employees the same pay
increases the General Assembly is
now proposing for state-paid vctfMl
employees. Guy said the increase in
county appropriation would leve the
school system $6,009.48 short of the
$216,360 it would need to match the
state increases.
The legislature is now considering
a 15 percent increase to profes
sionals and 10 percent to other
state-paid employees in the school
system. The county pays the salaries
of some teachers and numerous
other school employees.
The school board approved trans
fering the $6,009.48 from unappro
priated fund balances if the state
raise becomes effective.
Guy said the school administration
wants an additional $110,000 to meet
requirements of maintaining accred
itation of the schools, 510,250 to
supplement the pay of teachers also
coaching in junior high school and
556,172 for utilities.
Guy told the board, "We went
back last year and asked commis
sioners for more money. Thev said.
'We love you, but we don't have any
more money." "
He believes the commissioners
might have money this year.'
Tl.e commissioners also cut the
school system's capital outlay re
quest from 5600,000 to 5365,000.
The school board reworked its plans
to reduce outlay to 5382,000. It
approved transferring 517,000 from
unappropriated fund balances ro
make up the difference between
planned outlay and the appropria
tion.
Guy also said the capital reserve
fund mivht he a source of additional
money. He said that at an appropria
tion rate of about 5450,000 to
5500,000 a year it would take 20 to 25
years to meet the system's capital
needs, even if costs remain constant.
He said some other means will have
to be found to provide the new
facilities, at a cost of 512 million to
515 million, the schools need.
Summer School Enrolls
223 Local Students
Vaca ion for most students in
Duplin began June 8, but for 223
enrolled in summer school vacations
plans will not begin until July 13.
Registration for summer school in
Duplin County was held June 18, at
James Kenan and East Duplin High
Schools. Twice the usual number of
students were expected to attend
summer school as the result of
stiffened requirements for high
school graduation. Twice the usual
enrollment would have been 300 to
400 students.
A fee was imposed this year to
cover the county's cost of paying
teachers during summer school.
Students were charged $40 tuition, a
first in Duplin County.
After registration day the two
schools were combined at James
Kenan with an enrollment of 223.
"Summer school is a very good
thing for those serious students,"
the director. Freeman Pearsall, said.
"And. charging a fee has made a
difference in the students. Students
seem to be more serious since they
are paying to attend and parents are
more serious about their child's
education when paying a tuition.
"But, even charging $40 the
County does not meet their expenses
of summer school," Pearsall ?aiu.
"In other areas of the state summer
school tuition is $150 to $175."
Enrollment figures indicated stu
dents from the Wallace-Rose Hill
area comprised the largest segment
of the enrollment with approximately
79. James Kenan students com
prised the second largest segment of
the enrollment with 62. East Duplin
has approximately 51 of its students
attending summer school and 11
students are enrolled from North
Duplin High School. Approximately
20 students are attending summer
school from Duplin area junior high
schools.
Summer school courses offered
include English I, II, III and IV,
algebra, general math, geometry,
physical science, biology, and chem
istry. Classes begin each day at
8 p.m. and continue until 1 p.m.
According to school officals the
summer sessions are designed for
students needing remedial or make
up work. Except for seniors needing
to completer requirements for grad
uation, the session is not designed
for students wanting to take new
courses.
Along with students paying a
tuition, they are also required to
furnish their own transportation to
summer school.
Miss Duplin County Ally son Stroud
Competes For State Title
As a Miss Duplin contestant,
AUyson performed a ballet number
in talent competition. In the state
A pageant she will perform a similar
routine to the love theme of the
movie. Flash Dance. AUyson has had
10 years of training in dance.
During the June 25-30 Miss North
Carolina pageant, AUyson is sche
duled to compete in evening gowns
on Wednesday evening; swim suits.
Thursday evening, ana iau.ui inday
evening. The final competition of the
10 finalists and the crowning of the
new Miss North Carolina are sche
duled for June 30.
Allyson is a 1984 graduate of
James Kenan High School and she
plans to attend Oral Roberts Uni
versity in the fall. She plans to study
business management. Allyson is
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy
Stroud of Kenansville.
Board In Warsaw To Consider Budget
The Warsaw town board held a
special meeting Monday to adopt its
1984-85 budget.
The Board agreed last week to
provide most of the town's 39
employees a 10percent pay increase.
It also agreed to raise the minimum
Wage from $3.54 to $4 an hour after
an employee completes a trial
I period. A few employees receiving
J the old minimum will receive in
creases of more than 10 percent.
The proposed 1984-85 budget
totals sliglffly more than $670,000.
UAVtpi ivi 11 it yray nivi vbsv auu ? ??
percent increase in maintenance
items, the board agreed to hold
expenses at the 1983-84 level. It
eliminated all capital outlay expenr
diturcs for the coming fiscal year.
The tax rate will remain at /J cents
per SI00 assessed valuation. The
owner of property valued at $50,000
will be billed for $365 in city property
taxes late this year, the same as last
ye.T.
The town's assessed valuation is
$36,115,779. The property tax is
expected to bring in $245*|W0, based
The board voted to increase lia
bility insurance coverage of fire and
rescue squad members to SI million
from SI50,000. The premium, paid
by the town, will increase by $848, to
$6,258.
The budget for the utilities depart
ment was set at $253,000, about
$8,000 less than for the current year.
Principal expenditures are expected
to be about $65,000 for salaries.
$67,000 for bond interest, $31,000
for power, heat and light and $23,000
for supplies and materials.
on a VU percent collection rate.
Delinquent tax payments are expect
ed to add $8,000 to the tax revenue.
Other major incc nc sources are
the local option sales tax. $90,000;
federal revenue sharing, $82,586;
state Powell Bill allocation for streets
$53,000; refuse1 collection fees,
$50,000; utility franchise tax,
$49,000; sales tax refunds, $15,000;
beer and wine tax, $11,525; and
intangible properly tax, $7,200. The
town also gets $24,000 from use of
the. neighborhood facility and
$l4p00from recreation facilities.
I
i 1
Cartoon Characters Bring Life
Next fall students at Kenansville Elementary School will be greeted by
Disney and Warner Brothers cartoon characters painted in the library.
Malcolm Williams of Warsaw has been working in the library since school
dismissed for summer vacation. Williams, who is becoming well-known
locally for his artistic ability, has painted cartoon and super heroes on
all Duplin elementary schools but North Duplin. After completing the
paintings at Kenansville, Williams will begin work at North Duplin
Elementary School. Along with work in the Duplin schools, Williams has
done painted characters in the maternity ward at Duplin General and the
Arts Council tair exhibit at the 1983 County Fair. Williams is a graduate of
the James Sprunt Technical College commercial art program. In his present
job, pictured above, Williams is painting cartoon characters above the
bookshelves along the four walls of the Kenansville Elementary School
librarv >