SON OF A GUN
by Joe Lanier
Inere are tew places that have obtained the level of desirability, after
being declared unsafe and abandoned, as has the old Kenansville school. It
was not too long ago parents met and talked in fear of the old building falling
down while their children were attending classes. . ."There is a very obvious
crack along the back wall. . .or is that the end?. . .Anyway this crack could
widen and children running up and down the steps or halls could cause the
whole building to come crumbling down on them. . .It is unsafe.".. .This was
the outcry. . .So, Duplin County's Board of Commissioners came up with the
money to build a new elementary school in Kenansville ? a one-story unit
and it took several years to fix the roof on this brand new building. Once the
kids moved to the new building ? a Christmas present ? the old building
grew , > be a very desirable piece of real-estate. . .First off, the school board
wanted to put the brightest youngsters in Duplin County into the condemned
building in a special high school ? a gallant but expensive venture. . .The
instructional staff alone would have cost Duplin County tax payers. It would
not have been a state venture, but just a county venture, and the teachers'
salaries would have been over $400,000 a year for starters. . .All in all, this
good idea could have cost around $1 million a year. . .As money was not
floating around just for the grabbing for good ideas, the venture has been put
on a back burner. . .Then came the county commissioners who wanted the
land. They felt they had bought the land when they put up the million to build
the new school. . .As the Town of Kenansville has only so much land in the
center of town ? and the old school is in the center of town ? the countv
government said that if it is to grow, it needed the land. . .After a lot of hard
feelings and bad words between the county commissioners and the school
board, the school board gave up its hold on the old school to the county
commissioners. . .Let me say here, the county commissioners and the board
of education are all elected by the people of Duplin County to represent
Duplin County's best interests, and the disagreement they had over the
school property will cause problems for many years to come ? which is not in
the best interest of any one. . .As the arguments were an on-going thing, the
Duplin Agribusiness Committee came along and asked to use the property for
a county fair., .Everyone looking for some relief from the argument said OK.
The fair was a success and the next one was even better with the people doing
the planning seeming to be getting the right stuff and people together. It
appears the fair, if allowed to do so, will continue to grow, to the pleasure of
Duplin folks.. .However, the commissioners are looking with a gleam in their
eyes at the building as a place for new offices of the ever-expanding county
government. . .The possibility of turning the building into an agriculture
complex has been discussed, with the extension office, soil and water office,
and the ASCS office moved into the building ? of course, after it has been
remodeled. . .The fair people also have a plan for the building to be used for
trade shows, conventions, the fair and so on ? all to complement the existing
facilities there including the gym and amphitheatre. The second floor of the
old building would be partially cut away into a rotunda-type area with a
balcony so folks could look over the downstairs displays, etc., from above. .
.The fair people have $120,000. This is not enough to do the job, but they are
not saying do it all at once; do it in bits and pieces as the money becomes
available. . .And, they are wanting some county money in the project as well.
. .The use fees would keep the building up, so say the Agribusiness folks. ...
.The county just bought the PCA/FLB building ? the new one behind the
Farm Bureau building at a cost of $500,000. $435,00 of that was a state grant.
The building is to be used for Mental Health administration offices. . .There
is a lot of space in that building. . .But, back to the old school. . .1 think the
Agribusiness people have a good idea. . .In fact, the facilities already there
are not properly promoted, as far as I am concerned. Perhaps this
convention, trade show type of place would round out the area. A full-time
promotion person could be hired, and many of the things making do some
other place could come to Duplin's planned promotion park. . .The million
dollars the county commissioners were going to spend to remodel the old
building could be used to build a proper office building. . .A million dollars
will build quite a building.. . .Son-of-a-Gun.
Goldsboro District UMW
Over 200 Goldsboro District
United Methodist Women met for
their 11th annual meeting at the host
church, Salem United Methodist
near Goldsboro on Sunday, Oct. 21.
Betty Hardt, vice president of
Goldsboro District United Methodist
Women, opened the meeting by
inviting Mrs. Elizabeth Best, presi
dent of Salem UMW, to give
greetings. Rev. Chester Brown,
pastor of Salem, had the opening
prayer.
Highlights of the program were:
reading of names by Glenda Norton
of Selma. and a song "In His Time"
by Mrs. Anna Belle Bonham of
Wallace, were memorials to
deceased members.
Dolores Holt of Princeton an
nounced the pledge to missions. She
reported that the district was low in
their pledge and encouraged each
unit to increase their pledge by five
percent.
While a love offering was being
taken, the group sang "Whole
Persons in Christ," written by Rev.
Nancy Best of Four Oaks, which
stressed the purpose of UMW.
Sue Teachey and Ellis Henry
Townsend, both of Wallace,
presented a centennial vignette.
Goldsboro District won the
leadidng Program banner at Annual
Conference in Fayetteville by having
the highest number of people parti
cipating in the UMW reading pro
d ram.
Ellis Henry Townsend, president
of the District, gave words of
appreciation to all members. She
said they were like music boxes ?
each one plays a different tune but
each tune is essential and important.
The report from the committee on
nominations, given by Mrs. Leora
from Rosewood, was: Secretary -
Mrs. Juanita Whitfield of Mount
Olive; Coordinator of Global Con
cerns - Mrs. Barbara Bolding of
Fremont; Chairperson of committee
on nominations - Mrs. Leora Hall
from Rosewood; Members, com
mittee on Nomination - Mrs. Tiny
Rains from Princeton, Mrs. Jean
Barefoot from Four Oaks. Mrs. Hall
announced that Mrs. Ann Suilivan of
Brogden is filling an unexpired term
as coordinator of Christian Social
Involvement.
Special Mission Recognition pins
were given to Sandra Worsley of
Wallace and Hazel Sorrell of Benson.
St. Luke United Methodist Church
extended an invitation to the women
to meet with them in 1985.
Refreshments were served by the
host church.
During the program, the Sarecta
United Methodist Women had
contributed to missions by having
the candle burned 30 seconds for
Arlene Davenport, one of their
members, in honor of her recent 50th
wedding anniversarv.
Count
Gift Barn ^8?
,^> In Deep Dun Uural Dd. 1141
% Invites You To Their 11
1| Christmas Open House * il
h& Sunday, November 11
2 pm - 6 pm |p
(Specials Will Be: ^
Wrought ^ron Floor Lamps *23.00 |j|
Wash (Stands *23.99
16 Inch (Shelves *6.99
Miniature Looping Horses & ^
Tobacco Trucks *1.75 ea.
Wooden Apples *1.95 ea. ;4<$
Many Other Items Will Be Deduced! ijgl
m
You will also be able to register for a patchwork quilt
AV- to be given away Christmas Eve.
Everybody is invited to come by.
~Refreshment s?
? INSPECTED
STORE HOURsI
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CHEESE 2,01 n* SPSTI SNACK
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