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1 PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVII NO. 47 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 NOVEMBER 22, 1984 14 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Award Recipient
Piclured (left to right) Mrs. Gay Sullivan, Women in
Agriculture Award recipient; Mrs. Winnie Wood. State
m
Farm City Chairman; and Wayne Mabry, chairman of
ihe N.C. Agricultural Extension Service advisory
leadership system.
Sullivan Outstanding
Woman In Agriculture
Gay Sullivan, Mount Olive, Route
2. was honored as an Outstanding
Woman in Agriculture. She was
flamed Southeastern District runner
^jp at a luncheon at North Carolina
State University at an event kicking
off Farm-City Week activities.
Winnie Wood, Camden, state
chairperson, said the recognition
helps to "highlight the contributions
women are making to farming."
Mrs. Sullivan and her husband
William, own 780 acres and have a
1,000-hog operation to tend. They
also own a fertilizer business.
Mrs. Sullivan is an active farmer
and business partner who willingly
makes decisions. She is a member of
the N.C. Soil and Water Conser
vation Auxiliary, serving as the first
president. She is a member of the
Bethel United Methodist Church.
Gay Sullivan represented Women
in Agriculture onthe state program
and a video tape of her activities was
used at a statewide luncheon on Nov.
8. She and William have two
daughters, Mrs. Beneshia Price of
Seven Springs and Mrs. Brenda
Cherry of Goldsboro.
Farm-City Week is an annual
observance that immediately pre
cedes Thanksgiving. It is supported
by 32 statewide organizations and is
coordinated each year by the N.C.
Agricultural Extension Service.
?Dupiin Morehead Finalists
/
Patrick Simpson of North Duplin
High School and Robert Jessup of
Wallace-Rose Hill High School have
been named Duplin finalists and will
advance in district competition for
Morehead Scholarships November
29.
"Being a Morehead Scholar would
be an anormous asset in achieving
yfeny educational and career goals,"
Patrick Simpson said. "The scholars
get to meet many intelligent and
congenial people through the
program and there is also the
opportunity to travel. And, I think
the opportunity to meet and learn
from a variety of different people is
the greatest education experience
there is available."
Patrick Simpson
"The county committee and
especially Mr. Irwin Graham have
been most helpful in familiarizing
me with the different aspects of the
selection and interview processes of
the Morehead competition," Robert
Jessup said. "And, I feel I have
received the best possible high
school education'. I feel encouraged
^,by my teachers, which have helped
' fine obtain a well-rounded education,
and my participation in varied extra
curricular activities has helped
prepare me even further for the
Morehead competition."
"The programs of Morehead
Scholars, especially the summer
internships, would be a great sup
plement to college experience,"
Robert said. Robert plans to attend
the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill after graduation next
spring and major in business
administration or marine biology.
"North Duplin has been very
helpful in preparing me for More
head competition," Patrick said. "If
a student works with the school
system, he or she can do almost
anything and really expect to get
ahead." Patrick plans to attend the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill after graduation next
spring and major in mathematical
sciences.
Patrick is the son of Roy L.
Simpson and Corazon Ngo Simpson,
M.D. of rural Mount Olive. In
addition to recognition as a
Morehead nominee. Patrick is
among the five percent of over one
million seniors commended in the
1985 Merit Scholarship program.
Patrick is a member of the Beta
Club, band, FBLA and the varsity
baseball team. As a senior, Patrick
holds the office of vice-president of
the Spanish Club, president of the
student council, co-editor of the
annual staff, and chief marshal. In
the past years he attended Gover
nor's School East, the Hugh O'Brian
Youth Leadership Conference, and
was a member of the 1983-84 North
Duplin Quiz Bowl team. Patrick has
received awards in advanced biology
and algebra II. He was named as an
Academic AU-American and
received national awards in Spanish
and history.
Robert Jessup is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ben F. Jessup Jr. of
Wallace. He is a member of the
varsity football team, tennis team,
yearbook staff where he serves as
sports editor, monogram club.
National Honor Society, Spanish club
and math club. Robert serves his
senior class as student council co
president and in the past years he
has attended Governor's School, the
N.C. Youth Leadership Institute and
the UNC-CH Press Institute.
Robert Jesanp
Morehead awards are made
annually to approximately 70 high
school seniors. The students are
awarded $7,000 each for their four
years as an undergraduate of the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. The funds are intended
to pay tuition, room, board, books
and laundry during the school year
and cover the cost of the student's
participation in the summer enrich
ment program providing off-campus
internships for Morehead Scholars.
Nominees for the Morehead
Scholarship must have evidence of
moral force of character and the
capacity to lead and take an interest
in their classmates. Nominees must
have a proven scholastic ability and
extra-curricular attainments, as well
as a physical vigor shown by
participate - <n competitive sports.
Mental Health Center
Moves From Hospital
o After 11 years at Duplin General
Hospital in Kenansville, the Duplin
Sampson mental health department
has moved.
Beginning Thursday, the Duplin
Sampson Mental Health, Mental
Retardation and Substance Abuse
Department will be in the former
Production Credit Association -
Federal Land Bank building in
Kenansville.
Dr. E.J. Raman, director of the
^department, said services were to be
available through last Thursday. The
department has been on the third
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floor of the hospital since 197j.
On Nov. 5, Duplin County bought
the department's new home for
$500,000 from the reorganized Farm
Credit Services.
The credit service will lease 3,500
square feet of office space in the
building for $5 a square foot for up to
a year while it seeks a new location.
The two-county mental health
department serves about 1,000 out
patients, Raman said. Duplin County
has a population of about 40,000 and
Sampson about 50,000.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Special
arrangements can be made for con
sultations and treatment.
The department offers treatment
and rehabilitation services for
mentally ill, retarded and alcoholic
patients.
The department has a $2.5 million
budget this year.
Its 14-bed psychiatric unit will be
moved from the third floor of the new
wing of the hospital to the second
floor of the old wing.
The move will release 25 private
patient rooms when the hospital
completes its renovation.
i ,
Board Still Undecided About
i
Administrative Position
Unresolved, the Goshen Board of
Directors adjourned the regular
meeting tabling the issue of how to
fill the position of Medical Center
administrator until November 27.
A plan to hire a part-time ad
ministrator for one year to work with
and train Goshen staff member
Elinor Ezzell was turned down by
Tom Lucas of the Greene' County
Health Care organization.
"Long term ? that is not the
answer," Lucas, administrator for
Greene County Health Care, Inc.,
said. "My interest is helping this
project and not ripping it off for
$18,000 to 520,000.
"There is not enough direction
from this Board for me to come in for
one year and leave with the center
any better off," Lucas said.
"I don't want to take over, but I
will be available if there is anything I
can do to assist," Lucas stated at the
November 13 meeting of the Board.
He suggested the Board begin to put
together a long-term plan and realize
less federal funds will be available
in the future. Lucas added the Board
could consider options of taking the
center into private operation or
continue under federal funding.
According to Bell, the option of
becoming a private practice will not
be considered by the Board due to
the large number of sliding scale fee
patients and migrants the Center
services.
Lucas warned the Board to expect
one- and two-physician centers not to
be funded within the next 18 months.
Resulting from cutbacks in federal
funding, Lucas explained, rural
health centers (such as Goshen
Medical Center, Duplin Medical
Association and Plain View Health
Services in Duplin County) would be
consolidated and receive less money.
During the October meeting,
Directors agreed to recruit a physi
cian in cooperation with Duplin
Medical Association. Physicians
from Duplin Medical Association
worked with Goshen during October
when no doctor was employed at the
Center. Dr. Ken Lee is currently
under a nine-month contract with
Goshen. He began the contract Nov.
2.
"The Board is aware that federal
funds in the future will be more
competitive and that we need a long
term plan," Gerald Bell, chairman of
the Goshen Medical Center Board of
Directors, said. "But this Board has
not had the luxury of sitting down to
look long-term. All of our time has
been used to put out existing fires."
Within the past 12 months, Goshen
Medical Center directors have dealt
with the loss of two physicians and a
dentist, two administrates, a law
suit stemmi.-T from unpaid overtime
wages, and c ts in federal funding.
The position of administrator is
not the only current vacancy. The
center's bookkeeping position is
vacant. Goshen has been functioning
with Health Educator Elinor Ezzell
as acting administrator and book
keeping responsibilities distributed
among office staff. The two positions
combined were salaried at $45,000
annually. Bell said.
"If we do what I've been sug
gesting," Bell told Board members,
"there will not be anyone to hire."
Bell proposed the current operation
become permanent with Ezzell
working part-time as administrator
and health educator, and the elimi
nation of the bookkeeping position.
Bell did point out the possibility of
hiring part-time help, if needed by
office staff. In the past, Goshen's
administrator has functioned as a
part-time employee. The position
has been vacant two months in which
time Ezzell has served as acting
administrator and health education.
"The Board wants you to tell us
what you need," Goshen Director
Glen Brewer told staff members
present at the meeting. "Stability is
wh$( Goshen needs, not more prob
lems."
Directors adjourned giving them
selves two weeks before facing the
issue again. The November 27
special meeting is called for the
specific reason of settling the ques
tion of the position of administrator.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m.
at Goshen Medical Center in Faison.
Rose Hill Refuses To Lift
Construction Project Ban
The Rose Hill Town Board has
refused to lift a moratorium barring
construction on multifamily units.
* "The* action, taken at the board's
meeting last week, will delay a
proposed 14-unit low-rent housing
development in the north part of
town.
Commissioner Keith Hinson made
the motion to make no exceptions to
the moratorium pending completion
of a land-use survey and zoning
ordinance.
The board established the mora
torium because the town's sewage
treatment plant is considered inade
quate. A new plant is being built.
Most of the 26 people who
crowded into the board's meeting
room opposed the project.
The project is proposed by Tyndal t
Lewis of Farmville, who wants to put
seven buildings along North First
Street. He has an option to buy the
land from Atlantic Casket Co. The
land is described as sa .ndustriu!
site.
Ray Sanderson, a resident, said
this is the only industrial site in the
city limits. "Industry and jobs are
what we need here," he said. "The
moratorium on multifamily dwellings
should not be lifted for an outsider."
Another resident, H.M. Price,
said: "Maybe we see things a little
different. To us it's public rental vs.
private ownership. You want some
thing to be a profit to the town and
this thing definitely will not profit
the town. There are a number of
empty houses already in Rose Hill
and if this is built, we'll have to
import people to fill it. What we need
is jobs for people, not houses for
people we don't have."
In other business, the board
approved allowing the Rose Hll
Magnolia Elementary School north
of the (own to be connected to the
sewer system when the new treat
ment plant is finished.
It appointed Gregory Miller to the
planning and zoning committee.
The board will meet at 7 p.m. Nov.
27 to discuss personnel. C.T.
Fussell, town clerk, is retiring soon.
The board must soon hire an
operator for the sewage treatment
plant.
The board unanimously passed an
ordinance barring use of town recre
ational property after 10 p.m. with
out the approval of the board or the
recreation director. The ban was
proposed because of misuse of the
property late at night, board
members said.
Turkey Farms Serve
Year-Round Market
Thanksgiving still ushers in the
nation's major turkey-consuming
season, but turkey has become a
year-round food.
In 1960 more than half of the
nation's turkey consumption occur
red during the October-December
quarter. That has dropped to less
than one-third, Floyd Lasley of the
Economic Research Service of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
reported recently.
Per capita consumption has in
creased, also. In 1955, average
consumption of turkey meat per
person in the United States was
-? ? - * - 1 I < Afl-> . 1
estimated at <?. i pounds, in itoz mat
had risen to 10.8 pounds. Per capita
turkey consumption for this year is
estimated at about 12 pounds.
During the past quarter of a
century, North Carolina came out of
nowhere as a turkey producer ? 9.4
million birds ? to become the
nation's leader. Last year the state's
producers grew out 28 million
turkeys. This year they are expected
to grow out 29.65 million.
Duplin, Sampson, Union, Cleve
land and Pender counties have
become major turkey-producing
areas.
The Swift & Co. turkey processing
plant near Wallace employs an
average of 400 people, according to
Manager Sam Finch. Retired
Manager Dave Bray said last year
that the payroll totaled about $2.75
million. He estimated the plant's
impact in the region at $5 million to
$6 million a year.
A major turkey processing plant is
being planned as a joint venture by
Carroll's Foods Inc. of Warsaw and
Goldsboro Milling Co. of Goldsboro.
Bray will become the general
manager of the plant.
Finch said that the Swift plant will
process about five million turkeys
this vear.
I
"We're shipping 20 to 25 truck
loads a day, six days a week," he
added. Each truckload averages
40,000 pounds, Finch said.
Another major area processor,
House of Raeford at Raeford, is
expected to process about six million
birds this year, according to Brenda
Branch, director of the food services
division. Nash Johnson & Sons Farm
of Rose Hill, owner of the Raeford
processing plant, produces more
than 80 percent of the birds
processed there, she added.
"We have a new ground turkey
product coming on the market next
year," she added. "It's the newest
of a long line of processed turkey
products that are coming on strong."
The National Turkey Federation in
Washington said the outlook for
continued imcrease in turkey
demand is good. This year the
wholesale price at about 90 cents a
pound is the best for the industry in
several years, NTF reports.
Warsaw Senior
Citizens Center
Seeks New Site
The senior citizens of Warsaw
meals program needs a new site.
Between 50 and 60 senior citizens
meet at Warsaw Baptist Church on
College Street, where their meals are
served Monday through Friday by
the Duplin" County Services to the
Aged.
The church needs the space, how
ever, for a youth program and has
asked the meals program to move by
June 30.
Walter Brown, director of Duplin
County Services to the Aged, told the
Warsaw Town Board last week that
another site must be found. The
program supplies food and labor, he
said, but the area served must
supply a site.
i Brown asked whether the group
could use the fire department Build
ing. The Lyman and Calypso fire
departments, he said, permit their
buildings to be used for the meals
program.
The board told Brown that it had
no objection if the Warsaw fire
department agreed to use its facility
for the purpose.
In other business, the board hired
Leary Construction Co. of Green
field, Ind. to scrape and paint the
inside and outside of the water tank
on Gum Street for $11,885. The tank
was painted eight years ago.
The board also agreed to keep
Helen Benton as town tax lister at
$4.17 an hour for 1985.
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