? j^uplht
PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXV111 NO. 50 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE, NC 28349 DECFMBER 12. 1985 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Building Gats A Facelift In Faison
The building constructed in the early 1900s and used many years as the
offices of the Faison town postal system and telephone company is getting a
? facelift. The building is being renovated to house a cenvenience store which
specializes in hot dogs and a real estate office on the first floor and two
apartments upstairs. Renovations began about a month ago and are expected
to be completed by the spring of 1986, said Domenick Sanducci, project
developer and owner of Faison Manufacturing Company. The building is
located onthe corner of Center and Main streets.
Downtown Building
Gets New Life In Faison
L; if "" '
A building most commonly known
-|f- for its past role as the town post
office and telephone company is
'getting a new life in Faison
The two-story building standing
on the corner of Main and Center
streets is being renovated to house
Prize Package Convenience Store,
Award Real Estate, Inc., and two
luxury apartments. The building has
most recently housed a florist shop.
"The area is going to need apart
ments," Domenick Sanducci, owner
4% and develooer. said. "I'm an
" optimist and things are going to get
better in this area." As an example
of the need for housing and creation
of new local jobs, Sanducci pointed
out the growth of Mount Olive
College into a four-year institution
and the employment possibilities
with the construction of the $18
million turkey processing plant near
Scott's store.
"This is a start," Sanducci said as
he superviseu the construction last
week. "The building is smiling now.
It had been crying for such a long
time.
"1 have lived in this area 15 years
and 1 like the people and 1 like it
here," Sanducci said. While he has
no immediate plans to purchase
additional downtown buildings for
renovation. Sanducci pointed out the
acceptance of the current project
may lead to another. Sanducci is the
owner and operator of Faison Manu
facturing, a garment company
located just across the railroad from
the renovation project.
The two-story building under
renovation by Sanducci was built in
the early 1900s and has served as a
department store, grocery. Women's
Club meeting hall, auto parts shop,
television repair business, pool hall,
exercise classroom, florist and as
distribution center for clothing and
furniture after the March 1984
tornadoes. The building, however, is
remembered most for the many
years it served the town as head
quarters for the post office,
telephone company and a beauty
shop. According to town residents,
the upstairs served as the switch
board office and living quarters for
the telephone company employee.
When renovations are completed,
the turn-of-the-century building will
once again provide living quarters in
the upstairs and business offices
below. The convenience store will
operate in the front section facing
Main Street and entrance to Award
Real Estate is planned on Center
Street.
James Kenan High School
Project May Be Finished By Early '87
New classrooms and a new library
at James Kenan High School could
be ready for students, teachers and
ff\ 1
books by January 1987, if the state t
approves plans adopted last week by
the Duplin County Board of Educa- 1
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ion.
Herb McKim, a member of the
Wilmington architectural firm
_ ? _ I
Ballard, McKim and Sawyer, out
lined plans for the board. McKim
will send the construction plans to
Raleigh for approval by the state
Department of Public Education.
According to the schedule approv
ed by the school board, construction
documents will be submitted to the
state Jan. 23. Specifications would
go to potential bidders Feb. 7 and
the school board would get bids
March 6. Contracts would be
awarded March 11.
If all steps go according to plan,
construction should be completed
Dec. 10, 1986, and the new portion
would be ready for occupancy when
school resumes in January 1987.
The project, which is estimated at
SI .5 million, includes new class
rooms, a library and renovations to
existing classrooms.
Ninth-graders in the James Kenan
district will be quartered in the new
addition. They now attend junior
high schools in Kenansville and
Warsaw. When the ninth-graders
leave, the junior highs will be
converted to middle schools.
Energy conservation improve
ments totaling $37,562 are planned
for James Kenan and North Duplin
high schools. "The time to do this
work at James Kenan is now as it
goes right along with the planned
construction," Superintendent L.S.
Guy said.
Plans call for spending $2o,j-to ?o
block windows partially at James
Kenan to reduce energy loss. Com
puterized temperature controls de
signed to cut heating and cooling
costs would be installed at a cost of
$8,762 at James Kenan and $8,460 at
North Duplin
Allowing James Sprunt Technical
College to use Wallace-Roae Iftl
High School for night and Saturday
classes is working out well, said
Harold Brewer, principal of the high
school. "We have realized much
benefit and have established that a
significant need exists."
%
uecemoer 10 is opeciai
Day For Cowan Museum
\w
December 15 will be a special and
busy day in Historic Kenansville. It
begins the official holiday season
with a series of special activities
planned by the Kenansville Area
Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. and Mrs. George Cowan will
celeb; ?te their first Christmas in the
Kelly t arrior House by hosting open
house from 1-5 p.m. Liberty Hall
Restoration will also welcome
visitors at the same time to view the
annual decorations.
The 3rd North Carolina Battalion
(Battery B) will be camped on the
village green in front of Liberty Hall
for the weekend activities and will be
holding informal lectures about
military life in the 1800s.
A special Christmas exhibit is
planned as part of Christmas at the
Cowan Museum. Rich Boyd, special
consultant to Liberty Hall and project
manager for the Kelly-Farrior House
Restoration, will decorate the parlor
in the oeriod of the 1870s. Boyd, who
also acts as consultant to the Kelly
Farrior House Commission, has re
searched the period and will recreate
a Christmas that was celebrated by
North Carolina families after the
War Between the States. The room
will remain decorated throughout the
season and special material has been
prepared for guests explaining the
style and method of decorating.
For more information contact the
Curators, Cowan Museum at
296-0762.
Kenansville Mayor
Sworn Into Office
Donald Suttles was sworn into his
first full term as Kenansville's mayor
? ^ at the opening of the town's board's
(W December meeting last week.
Suttles previously was appointed
to complete an unexpired term as
mayor.
Also sworn into four-year terms
were two re-elected town commis
sioners, Ronnie Bostic and Earl
Hatcher.
The board appointed Willie Steel
to the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Hoard to complete the term of the
late Bennie Prince. The term expires
Dec. 31, 1987.
The police budget was adjusted to
increase the amount appropriated for
part-time police. During much of the
past year, a full-time position was
vacant and part-time policemen were
hired. The board had budgeted
$3,120 for 832 hours for part-time
police service. The time and money
limites were approached with more
than half the fiscal year remaining.
I he town now has its full comple
ment of a police chief, assistant chief
and one part-time officer. They
provide 24-hour coverage except for
an eight-hour period on Sundays.
Hatcher voted against the adjust
ment. Commissioners Bostic, Betty
Long. Jimmie Newkirk and Mark
Vinson voted for it.
In other business, the bqard
agreed to buy an aluminum flagpole
for the new town hall. The price,
including installation, was $350.
| The Twelve Days Of Christmas In Kenansville
w December 14-25
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Rep. Charles
Whitley Announces
Retirement After
Five Terms
Charles Whitley announced his
retirement with the following:
The Book of Ecclesiastes in the
Old Testament tells us that for
everything under heaven, there is a
time and a season: "A time to be
born and a time to die; a time to
plant and a time to harvest..
"My wife Audrey and 1 have
concluded that for us, it is a time to
change to another phase of our lives.
A time to step back from the public
spotlight to a more private life to
which we very much look forward. I
shall not be a candidate for re
election at the end of my current
term in Congress.
"I have delayed making this
announcement until now in order to
maintain as long as possible a
maximum level of influence in the
House, which is considering legis
lation of the utmost importance to
North Carolina and my district, but
in fairness to potential candidates
who must file by February 3, 1 feel
that I must act now to give them an
opportunity to make the necessary
contacts and have the necessary
consultations to decide whether to
enter the race.
"Let me answer in advance two
questions which might naturally
arise. First, my health is fine, and 1
hope for quite a few more happy
birthdays. Also, 1 believe my politi
cal health is sound. While one
always assumes he will be opposed, 1
have received what 1 consider to be
reliable information and assurances
that should I seek another term, my
chances for success would be favo
rable.
"I feel, also, that as a strong and
early supporter of the man most
likely to be elevated to the position of
Speaker of the House in the next
Congress; as a senior member and
subcommittee chairman of the Agri
culture Committee; and with the
associations I have built up in the
House over the years, 1 would be in a
position to represent the third dis
trict effectively.
"But at the end of my current
term, I will have served as a member
of the House for 10 years, following
16 years as administrative assistant
to my predecessor - a total of 26
years in Washington. 1 hope that my
service has been beneficial and
acceptable to the many thousands of
third district people who chose me as
their representative and placed their
trust and confidence in me. 1 have
done my utmost to justify their faith.
"It has been a tremendous ex
perience. There are, of course, some
officials in Washington, as there are
people in all walks of life, who leave
something to be desired, but on the
whole, the men and womer who
serve in the Congress are * jple
with high integrity, intelligence and
dedication. It has been a source of
strength and inspiration to know and
work with them.
I want to express my appreciation
to my staff, both in Washington and
in North Carolina, for their service.
No congressman is ever better than
his staff, and to the extent that my
service has been acceptable, the
members of my staff deserve at least
as much credit as 1 do. Thev have
been not only employees, but
friends. I shall miss them.
"I cannot express in words how
much the aid and encouragement of
loyal friends and supporters' in all of
the now ten and one-half counties of
the third district have meant to my
family and me over the years. To be
elected and re-elected by half a
million people to represent them
in the world's greatest legislative
body is a heartening and humbling
experience. We shall be forever
grateful.
Charles Whitley
"What does the future hold? No
one can give a complete answer to
that question, but it is certainly my
intention to return to my home in
Mount Olive j>id liv ? ?-tth
family, friends and neighbors ? to
have always been the bedrock of my
moral and political support. Hope
fully, my life will proceed at a more
leisurely and less hectic pace.
"Let me reiterate m> faith in our
country and our constitutional
government. I am not bitter or
disillusioned. It has been accurately
said that democracy is the worst
form of government except for all the
other forms, and I am reminded of
the conclusion reached by the French
journalist. Alexis DeToqueville, after
an exhaustive study of the American
system of government. 'America's
greatness,' he wrote, 'lies in the
goodness of her people, and when
America ceases to be good, America
will cease to be great." I still believe
in the basic desire of most Ameri
cans to do what is right and just, and
as long as that is true, our system
will endure.
"Finally. 1 want to thank our party
for what it has done for me. for our
counties, our state and the nation. 1
am and will remain an unapologetic
Democrat.
"I will not become involved in the
selection by my party of its nominee
to succeed me. That candidate will
have mv full support in the fall
campaign, but assuming we follow
tradition, there will be a contested
primary election in the spring, and 1
will not endorse or favor any
candidate in that primary.
"My family and 1 thank all of those
who have supported us through the
years. Good fortune to you all. and
may God bless you and our nation."
Holiday Season
<
Begins
In Kenansville
The holiday season officially
begins in Historic Kenansville when
Liberty Hall Restoration welcomes
guests to its annual open house on
Sunday, Dec. 15 from 1-5 p.m. for
"A Plantation Christmas." It is just
one of many activities that have been
scheduled during the holiday season
by the Kenansville Area Chamber of
Commerce.
"A Plantation Christmas" has
become an annual tradition in East
ern North Carolina. Last year over
800 people attended the Christmas
open house at Liberty Hall Resto
ration to view the decorations and
enjoy the refreshments provided by
the kenansville Beautification Com
mittee. The house and all the
support buildings will be decorated
to reflect how Christmas was cele
brated in the mid-nineteenth cen
tury.
Tradition will also be repeated
f
when Rich Boyd returns to direct the
decorating of the Restoration. Boyd,
now assistant director of the
Tennessee Arts Commission in
Nashville, serves as special consul
tant to Liberty Hall. This will be the
seventh year Boyd has designed and
implemented the decorating of the
Kenan ancestral family home. In
planning "A Plantation Christmas^"
Boyd said, "The decorations do not
remain the same each year. We may
repeat some things from previous
years, but we are always looking for
new ways to do it and for new
materials to use. There is continuous
research about the family and their
holiday habits, but it is always
faithful to the spirit of the home as
well as the season."
Liberty Hall Restoration will
remain decorated throughout the
fyiday season. For information,
cbntact: Liberty Hall Restoration at
296-0522.
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