PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVII1 NO. 3 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE, NC 28349 JANUARY 17. 1985 12 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Kenansville Amphitheatre To Install Stadium-Style Seating By Summer
Grant Seats Amphitheatre
Lean back and enjoy the 10th
anniversary of THE LIBERTY CART
outdoor drama in Kenansville.
A $50,000 grant from the William
R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust of
New York has been awarded the
Kenansville amphitheatre for the
purpose of installing stadium-style
seating. In announcing the grant
monies, THE LIBERTY CART
General Manager Jim Johnson said
the new seating would be installed
before the summer and this year's
10th anniversary production of the
outdoor drama.
The William Rand Kenan Jr.
? Amphftheatre in Kenansville was
constructed in 1976 as the home of
THE LIBERTY CABT. At its.com
pletion, the amphitheatre provided
seating for 1,100 people.
Funds.for the seating project were
received earlier this month after
official notification of the grant came
by letter last October, Johnson said.
As completed in 1976, the amphi
theatre is valued at more than
one-half million dollars, excluding
the cost of lighting and sound equip
ment.
"The addition of the new seats is
expected to increase the total value
of the amphitheatre as well as
provide a more comfortable viewing
area," Johnson said. "It is a great
pleasure to be able to announce vthe
seating pct^ec*. especially as we go
into our 10th season.
"The iddiiion of the seals makes
i easy to say the William R. Kenan
Jr. Amphiiheaire is one of the finest
amphiiheaires in ihe siaie," he said.
Duplin ciiizens should lake greai
pride in ihe facility as well as the
his'orical outdoor drama performed
t here each su mmer.''
The William R. Kenan Jr. Me
m rial Amphitheatre was designed
by Wilmington architects Ballard.
McKim and Sawyer. Engineer for
the project in 1976 was Henry Von
Ossen and Associates. Funds to
c ns ruct the amphitheatre were
pr vided by the Sarah Graham
Kenan Foundation, the WUiian) R. j*
Kenan Foundation, and the Flagler
F undation.
State School Officials Brief
Public On Proposed Educational Plans
The slate Department of Public
Instruction told regional legislators
politely but clearly last week in
Beulaville to put their money where
their mouths are.
At one of eight "briefings"
around the state, DPI staff members
gave presentations at East Duplin
High School on several proposed
education programs that the General
Assembly will consider this year.
They include a teachers' career
development plan, a basic education
program that would provide more
equal education opportunities in
public schools around the state, a
plan to incc. irate computer train
ing into public school curricula and
programs for exceptional children.
Throughout the meeting, state
school Superintendent Craig Phillips
reminded the legislators that the
state Board of Education and his
department prepared the proposals
at the specific request of the General
Assembly.
Following a presentation on career
development for teachers, for
example, Phillips said the state
board made tiie assumption that
?'the Genera! Assembly wants de
velopment; the General Assembly
intends to fund."
Some 65 people attended the
meeting, including several county
school superintendents, local school
board members and close to 20
legislators. The department was glad
to see everyone, "But we're talking
to the legislators this afternoon,"
Phillips said.
Among those who attended were
slate Rep. Harry E. t'ayne Jr., D
New Hanover; stale Rep. E. David
Redwine, D-Brunswick; state Rep.
Murray Poole, D-Sampson; Demo
crat Alex Hall of New Hanover,
recently elected to the House of
Representatives, and Democrat Edd
Nye of Sampson County, who re
cently was re-elected to the House
after a two-year 9osence.
Others who ^ttended included
New Hanover v_ounty school Super
intendent Richard Flynn, New
Hanwer County school board chair
man L- cille Shaffer, Pender County
school Superintendent Haywood
Davis and Pender school board
chairman Twila Jones.
Payne said that he had observed
"a split" or "smoldering diffe
rence" between the Department of
Public Instruction and some legis
lators on how much money is needed
and how it should be spent in educa
tion programs.
Phillips said that he knows of no
split. He said some of the proposed
programs, such as the 'career de
velopment plan, had sparked contro
versy among some groups, including
the North Carolina Association of
Educators.
As details of various proposals
have been discussed and modified,
differences have become minimal,
Phillips said.
Those who attended the meeting
were greeted with light hors
d'oeuvres and punch. After hearing
four presentations, they ate a
candlelight buffet dinner.
A Nonconventionai ABC Store In Poison
Pictured above is Faison ABC Store manager Billy Wood and along the walls
are some of the antiques on display in (he building. Some of the artifacts
drawing knives and the small-brimmed hat worn by the Wild West outlaw,
Jesse James. Wood said the store reflects a country-type atmosphere instead
of the conventional mood set by the operating procedure of other
establishments of its kind. ^
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Duplin Ta* Officer Fights
Inventory Tax Repeal
Repeal of the state inventory tax
would slash the tax base of Duplin
County by 9.6 percent and the tax
bases of its towns by as much as 20
percent, Frank Moore, county tax
supervisor, said last week.
Gov. Jim Martin said during his
campaign tnat he would repeal the
inventory/and intangibles taxes and
the stilus tax on food and non
prescription medicines.
Moore said county officials' or
ganizations are opposing the pro
posed repeals because they fear they
would seriously erode local tax
bases.
Repeal of the inventory tax, for
example, would remove 20 percent
of Faison's tax base, Moore said.
-rO the current tax rate of 70 cents
per $100 assessed valuation, Wallace
would lose $38,884 in tax income.
Ri*e Hill, with the same tax rate,
would lose $23,980 and Kenansville,
with a 69-cent rate, would lose
$6,471 each year.
Towns that have large industries
within their Hmits, such as Faison,
would be particularly hard hit,
Moore said, unless the legislature
provided other income.
Faison's assessed valuation for
1984 was S36 million and its tax rate
57 cents per $100. The town's
business inventory valuation was
$7.5 million, Moore said. The town
received $43,076 from the inventory
tax.
The county received $490,000 from
the inventory tax last year. Business
inventory valuation last year was
$65,385,000. The county's assessed
valuation last year was just over $700
million. The county tax rate is 75
cents per $100 assessed valuation.
Several of Duplin County's largest
industries, including Quinn Co., Car
roll's Foods, Nash Johnson & Sons
farms, Guilford Co., National
Spinning Co. near Beulaville and
sMurphy Farms, are in unincor
porated areas. *
Moore said officials fear that if the
General Assembly repeals the un
popular business taxes, it will not
fully replace the income towns and
counties would lose. He said that in
some instances, for example, the
legislature has mandated local
action, but has provided only part of
the money to pay for that action.
Without income replacement,
local governments would be forced to
raise property taxes or eliminate
services, Moore said.
While the Seaboard System Rail
road property value in Duplin County
is relatively low at SI million, the
company would have paid $7,500 in
property taxes last year, Moore
added.
Moore said the railroad is paying
S3,500 a year in taxes and with
holding the remainder, pending a
decision about valuation of its
property. The railroads have con
tended they have been unfairly
appraised because they are revalued
each year while other real property is
revalued every eight years.
The ciHinty is now undergoing
revaluation, which must be done
every eight years. New values will
become effective Jan. 1, 1^86.
Voters May Use
Machines In Duplin
Duplin Counly residents may face
voting machines instead of paper
ballots in the next election.
The Board of Commissioners re
ceived an offer for voting machines
from one company last week. It has
called for other companies to submit
offers by Jan. 21.
The board expects to make a
decision at that lime on whether to
buy machines or continue with hand
marked ballots in its elections.
At the board's meeting last week.
Counly Election Supervisor Doug
Judge introduced Russell M. Sloss.
sales representative for Computer
Election Systems of Lewisville. The
company has offered to apply
voting equipment for the county's 20
precincts for $77,446 ? 20 percent
off its list price. The county would
need 125 machines and 20 tabu
lators.
Judge said the county paid ballot
counters $1 U00 for?tin fembui ,
election. Results from most elections
are not complete before the early
morning hours after election day,
Judge said.
Commissioner Allen Nethcrcutt
said, "We sure need something. It
didn't look very official where 1
voted." He said ballot boxes "were
everywhere. Someone cut a hole in
the tops with a pocket-knife."
After discussing the possibility of
installing voting machines in a few
precincts, board members agreed
that they should install machines in
every precinct or remain with paper
ballots.
In other business, the board
approved the request of Social
Services Director Millie Brown for
J 1.300-51,500 to pas for a sterili
zation operation for a severely
mentally retarded 15-year-old girl.
The girl's mother has approved the
operation, she said.
The board also;
? Appointed Dwight Smith of
Warsaw to the county Industrial
Bond Authority to succeed Johnny
Hotlingsworth of W*rsa.v, Holiings
vv >rth was appointed to the county
industrial dcvcl- pment board last
month.
? Approved redrawing fire dis
trict lines mi that fire departments
can extend coverage to five miles
from their fire houses
? Heard Hiram Brinson, emer
gency services coordinator, say
rescue squad members from the
Warsaw and Faison units will begin
? -co..no hepatitis B inoculations
33it. s u- 'I,. vuison hi. de
partment. Brinson expects about 160
out of 180 eligible rescue squad
members in the county to receive the
shots.
? Announced that the annual
appreciation banquet for the
county's 4-H memnbers will be held
Feb. 4.
? Decided to re-advertise for a
Duplin C >unty librarian. None of the
initial applicants met state quali
fications.
? Promoted C athy Williams from
clerk to office deputy in the Sheriff's
Department at a salary of S10.900 a
year.
Rose Hill Treatment
Plant Will Cost Less
A change order reducing the cost
<?f ihe new sewage treatment plant
by $1,000 was approved by the Rose
Hill town board last week.
Plans called for a metal building.
The engineering firm of L.E. Woolen
C". of Raleigh recommended chang
ing it to a masonry structure at a cost
reduce n <>f SI ,000
In >iher action ihc board ap
p in id Janet Blanchard, Fu/zy
Buckncr and Pete Murphy -to ihe
rccrea ion commission to replace
Alexander Loath, Marsha Whaley
and Ben Mathews.
Faison Not Just
Another ABC Store
The Faison ABC siore is not just
any liquor store and people who visit
are not always there to buy.
Through the front window, an old
plow and corn shelter arc easily
visable and often they are enough to
bring in people for a closer look at
the old farm implements displayed in
the Faison ABC Store.
"Wilson King started the tradi
tion," Billy Wood, Faison ABC Store
manager, said. "And we have
carried it on." Today the Faison
ABC Store carries a variety of
liquors, brandy and wine, but it also
carries on the tradition of preserving
the community's heritage. The store
has on dispiay approximately 35
farm implements and household
items used in the early 1900s.
"I might have thought of it, but I
don't think it would have been done
if Mr. King had not started the
collection," Wtxtd said. "But it's a
good idea and I think all good ideas
should be preserved.
"It makes this store different than
mi*t and generates a lot of conver
sation," he laughed. "It's kind of
fur.ny because the younger people
come in and comment that we have a
lot of nice antiques. But, the older
folks come and say they can remem
ber using some of the items, like the
cross saw, and want nothing to do
with (he collection!
"I think Mr. King wanted to
change the atmosphere of the store
by putting things in here that would
reflect the kind of area wy live in and
a> ihe same time preserve history.
You sec. he was kind of a history
buff." said Wood.
Unique the si<tc is because there
are no' maris ABC establishments
which have the hat worn by Jesse
James among a collection of histori
cal artifacts. And. among wanted
posters, a bunermond. ox harness
equipmen'. a cowbell, cotton scales
and a o>bacco plug cutter is a copy of
the 1985 Farmer's Almanac.
The Store opened in May of 1%6
and six years later King and the
establishment were featured in
Carolina Crossroads, a column by
Jack Aulis in the Raleigh News and
Observer newspaper. King, who
died more than eight years ago, was
quoted in that column as saying,
"My idea was this. I asked a man for
that turning plow over there (one of
two on the walls) just to put in the
window. But when people saw it they
said. 'I've got something you ought
to have in here.' And, now it just
keeps coming in."
"From lime to time some things
still come in," Wi>od said. "But we
have about all the store can handle,
now.
"You know, if liquor sales ever
drop," Wood laughed, "we can
aliways start to sell antiques." Wood,
like many others, has ctmtributed to
the collection and said he often finds
himself stopping at antique shops
just to look for something that might
go with the other artifacts of the
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