At Harkers Island
Gat Vour News-Times
At Parlor’s Station
CARTERET
NEWS-TIMES
lOjz'
52nd Year — No. 17
Eight Pages
MOREHEAD CITY and BEAUFORT, N. C.
Tuesday, February 26, 1963
Published Tuesdays and Fridays
Officials Announce School Program
Senator Hamilton to Introduce Bill to Get
West Carteret School Building Started
State Sen. Luther Hamil-i
ton announced yesterday
that he will introduce in the
senate early this week a bill
to enable start of construc
tion of the West Carteret
high school.
Construction of the school has
been delayed because of legal tech
nicalities and questions raised by
the present county administration.
The bill is entitled, “An act to
authorize and direct the board of
education of Carteret County to re
negotiate with the lowest bidder a
contract for the construction and
completion of the Western Carteret
County school project and to re
quire the county commissioners
... to levy a sufficient tax and
make available to the board of
education of Carteret . . . the ne
cessary funds for the completion
of the building contract.”
Failure to do this, or refusal to
vote for such a levy, according to
the proposed bill, would subject
each commissioner voting against
it to a fine of $1,000.
The bill points out that on Feb.
28, 1959, Carteret county commis
sioners adopted a “pay as you go”
plan for building schools. Under
authority of bills passed by the
1959 general assembly, the county
has accumulated approximately
$800,000.
Based on a planning survey of
the state department of public-in
struction, showing “a greater prior
need” in the Morehead City school
area, county officials gave assur
ance that the first of these accu
mulated funds would be used to
build the West Carteret school,
which would combine Morehead
City and Newport high schools.
Another survey in 1961 emphasiz
ed the emergency heeds in the
western Carteret area, the bill
notes.
The bill which senator Hamilton
has drawn points out that in Nov
ember 1962, the lowest bid for the
school, $1,196,970.17 was approxi
mately $300,000 in excess of the
$800,000 on reserve. It notes that
in the opinion of the county board
of education a renegotiated con
tract with the low bidder (whose
bid was $98,900 less than the next
lowest bid) would “result in very
appreciable savings . . . and at the
same time expedite construction of
the plant.”
The bill continues: “Although the
county is nbw debt free, the re
cently elected board of commis
sioners . . . has refused to give as
surance that the 1963-64 budget le
vy will be made to provide the
(See BILL, Pg. 7)
Dance Will
Up Heart Fund
To climax the heart fond cam
paign, a benefit dance will be held
Saturday night at the Elks club.
Tickets are $3 a couple and may
be purchased at Leary’s, Hill’s,
IGA Foodliner, Providence Loan,
from Mrs. Gerald Mitchell or Mrs.
Garland Scruggs. Tickets will also
be available at the door.
Heart Sunday, which was to be
held in Morehead City and Beau
fort this past weekend, was post
poned because of the rain. It has
been re-scheduled for this coming
Sunday.
The skating rink was open Satur
day and proceeds amounting to
$21.89 were donated to the heart
fund. Maola gave ice cream for
refreshments and balloons were
distributed. Radios were won by
Durwood R. Vinston, Clara Sander
son, Jackie Cordova and Judy Nel
son.
The rink will be open again this
Saturday -to raise money for the
heart fund. There will be refresh
ments and prizes.
Most restaurants in town are
Cooperating in Coffee Day, which
will be held Thursday. On that day
all proceeds from coffee sales will
be donated to the heart fund.
Fort Macon Refloats
26-Foot Boat Saturday
The Coast Guard 40-footer gave
assistance Saturday afternoon to a
26-foot craft of Charles E. Spencer
of Camp Lejeune.
Spencer’s boat ran aground one
mile west of the Atlantic Beach
bridge. The Coast Guard refloated
Spencer’s boat and towed him to
Morehead City.
Aiding in the assist were Charles
Conway BM1, Billy Smith ENl,
and Glen Burbage SNCS.
I
Telephone Cable Re-Laid
-♦
Woodman Thank Persons,
Firms Who Lighted Town
Woodmen of the World, who su
pervised the Christmas street light
ing in Morehead City, express their
appreciation to the following who
helped finance the project:
Acme Movers and Storage,
Adams Furniture Co., Sam Adler,
Lf. C. Cottle
Killed in Plane
Crash at Sea
Lt. (jg) Clarence Cottle, USNR,
25, a native of Morehead City, was
killed at sea Wednesday in an air
craft accident during night carrier
landings. He was a crew member
aboard a plane on night bombing
mission operating from the USS
Enterprise.
In a telegram to Cottle’s father,
Lummie C. Cottle, Vice-Admiral W.
R. Smedberg III, chief of Naval
personnel, said that lieutenant Cot
tle and another Navy officer were
killed in the AFA Vigilante two
seated attack bomber. Neither of
the bodies was recovered. The
plane was attempting a landing
when it crashed into a ramp at the
end of the aircraft carrier.
The plane disintegrated, leaving
scattered wreckage.
A 1955 graduate of Morehead City
Li. Clarence Cottle
. . . lost in crash
high school, lieutenant Cottle serv
ed in the Naval ROTC while a stu
dent at East Carolina college,
Greenville. He took his flight train
ing at Pensacola, Fla. He was na
vigator aboard the plane.
Lieutenant Cottle is survived by
his wife, Mrs. Ann Satterthwaite
Cottle of Kinston; a year-old daugh
ter, Kimberly Ann; his father,
Lummie C. Cottle; his mother,
Mrs. Sybil Cottle; a brother, Ken
neth Lee; a sister, Debra Kay; a
half-sister, Johnise Mae, and his
maternal grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. N. S. Ebron, all of Morebead
City.
A memorial service was conduct
ed is Queen Street Methodist
church, Kinston, at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Chaplain Norman Flowers and Dr.
Stanley Potter, pastor at the
church, officiated. * , .
The lieutenant's wife was living]
at 301 E. Highland Ave., Kinston,
while her husband was on a sev
en-month cruise. They had been
living in Sanford, Fla.
Auto Supply Co., George Ball, 18th
St. Barber Shop.
Beasley’s TV, Bulk’s, W. M. Bra
dy, Md., Ethan Brinson, Busy Bee
Cafe, Carolina Water Co.
Carteret-Craven Electric, Cart
eret Supply Co., Carteret Towing
Co., Chalk and Gibbs, S- A. Chalk,
Colonial Stores.
Cooperative Savings and Loan,
John L. Crump, Dill’s Funeral
Home, Dixie Barber Shop, Dorn’s
Lunch, Dora’s Dinette, Downtown
Esso.
Dress Shop, Early Jewelers,
Eastman’s, H. M. Eure, First Citiz
ens Bank and Trust Co., C. H.
Freeman, Dr. Dave Freshwater,
Garner’s Gulf, Hall’s Dry Clean
ers, Harvey Hamilton Jr.
J. C. Harvell, Dr. Sam Hatcher,
Hill’s, Kelly’s Sinclair, Ladies
Shop, Leary’s, Morehead Builders
Supply.
Morehead City Drug Co., More
head City Floral Co., Morehead
City Garment Co., Morehead City
JC’s, Walter S. Morris, Ottis Fish
Market, Parker Motors, Phillips
Hardware.
Piggly Wiggly, R and N Furni
ture, Rigg’s Electric Motor Co.,
Robinson Prescription Shop, R. E.
Willis Hardware, Rose’s 5 and 10.
Sanitary Barber Shop, Sanitary
Restaurant, Sears, Roebuck and
Co., Security Loan, Service Shoe
Shop, Shafer Sign Co., Sherwin
Williams.
Sound Chevrolet Co., Spinning
Wheel, Station WMBL, Styron’s,
Patsy Thorne, Veta’s, Vic’s Shell
Station.
Wachovia Bank, Webb’s, Western
Auto, Willis Auto Supply, Jerry J.
Willis, Woodie’s Grocery, Yellow
Cab.
Bennett to Put
Bill in Hopper
Thomas Bennett, county legisla
tor, said he plans to introduce this
week a bill that would permit peo
ple to take seafood for their per
sonal use without having to buy a
license.
Mr. Bennett said there is also a
possibility that he may introduce
another bill raising the tax on
beer, wine and whiskey. The in
creased revenue, he said, would
be diverted to counties to meet
obligations in connection with hos
pital operation.
Asked his opinion on Republican
moves to repeal the sales tax on
food, Mr. Bennett said, “I didn’t
campaign on the food tax issue, but
£ don’t think it’s a fair tax. If we’re
going to have such % tax, we ought
to be sure that the money is spent
on public education.”
Mr. Bennett said that he plans
to introduce later a bill that would
kick back to the counties one-third
of all revenue from the food tax
that came into being in 1961. The
rebate would be for use in the
school program.
Henae committees to which Mr.
Bennett has been assigned:
Finance, elections and election
laws, commercial fisheries, educa
tion, penal institutions, judiciary II,
irrigation and drainage, institutes
for the deaf, libraries and engross
ing. '
Judiciary committees I and II
are composed of lawyers who study
bills that would amend general
Statutes.
The engrossing committee, which
is supposed to be in charge ol
printing bills, “never meets*” Mr.
Divers from Norfolk, Va., last
week braved the chilly waters of
Newport river to move the tele
phone cable of Carolina Tele
phone Co.
The cable has to be moved to
make way for the new bridge.
Drums full of water were sunk,
attached to the cable, then the
water pumped out. The drums
floated, lifting the cable, then the
cable, about 4 inches in diame
ter, was lowered again.
In some places the cable was
buried as deep as 5 feet and in
other spots it was lying free on
the bottom, divers said.
Actual construction of the
bridge is scheduled to start Fri
day.
JC's Ask Town
To Help Clean
Up Waterfront
A delegation of Jaycees appear
ed before the Morehead City town
board Thursday night to request
the town’s cooperation in keeping
the waterfront clean. The spokes
man was P. H. Geer Jr.
Mr. Geer reported that all wa
terfront property owners from 10th
to 4th streets have been contacted
by Jaycees who requested that
they make a special effort to keep
the waterfront clear of dead fish,
trash and other debris.
The Jaycees asked if the town
would continue, this summer, to
haul away game fish carcasses
brought in by partyboats.
Town officials assured their
cooperation but commissioner Rus
sell Outlaw said he would like a
list from the Jaycees stating spe
cifically what they wanted the twn
to do.
The mayor said that waterfgpnt
property owners have a cerfcin
obligation to “help themselves]? in
keeping the waterfront attractive.
The fish hauling cost the l|wn
$2,000 last summer.
Jaycee president Joe Beam ijjen
tioned that cars throw trash at
the southern end of 4th stree'tv He
said policemen might try to keep
cars from parking there gnd throw
ing out litter.
It was also stated^that some
times there are engines left on the
sidewalks. Attention was called to
standing water between 6th and
7th streets. Ray Hall, town super
visor, said paving would be done
there when weather permits.
Jaycees present, besides those
mentioned were Keith Optegf Ed
Hudson and Barden Carawatr Mr.
Geer thanked the town for we ef
forts' they have made to k$ep it
clean, especially the picking up of
trash on the parkway used by the
railroad on Arendell street.
The board ordered a review of
the loading zone situation*’ after
Mr. Carawan said that Adams Fur
niture Co., Morehead City .Floral
Co. and Seamon Nursery had ac
cess to alleys, but also had free
(See BOARD, Pg. 7)
Tide Table
Tides at Beaufort Bar
HIGH
• Tuesday, Feb.
10:04 a.m,
10:47 p.m.
10:58 a.m.
11:27 p.m.
Thursday, Feb.
11:9
Friday,
12:22 a*n.» r 1
12:50 p.m.
LOW
26
3:56 a.m.
4:23 p.m.
27
4:44 a.m.
5:06 p.m.
28
5:36 a.m.
5:58 p.m.
*6:38 a.m.
•:5§ p.m.
I
How It Will be Spent
County officiate last night at the courthouse an
nounced how $‘2,800,000 will be spent on schools, if
voters approve the borrowing of $2 million May 11.
The balance, $800,000, will have accumulated in a
school building fund by June 30, 1963.
W. S. King additions
White Oak School
East Carteret High School
West Carteret High School
Queen Street additions
WHERE
HOW MUCH
$1,000,000
1,100,000
180,000
82.000
186,000
Atlantic school renovation
Smyrna school renovation
Harkens Island renovation
Beaufort school renovation
Newport school renovation
Camp Glenn renovation
Morehead City renovations
Miscellaneous
20,000
25.000
1,000
50.000
65.000
2,500
65,000
23,500
TOTAL
$2,800,000
Committee Suggests Ways
To Lure Tourist Traffic
The newly-appointed chamber of
commerce Outer Banks Traffic
committee recently reported its
findings to the chamber of com
merce president, Ben Alford, on
how south-bound tourist traffic
could be diverted to this county.
Members of the committee, W.
T. Davies, chairman, Mrs. Clay
ton Fulcher Jr., Dr. S. W. Hatcher,
aad* W. -L. Derrickson said with
the completion of the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge tunnel at Norfolk, Va.,
an immediate and substantial in
crease in south-bound traffic is as
sured.
In North Carolina, highway 17
and highway 301 supporters are
preparing their appeals to divert
traffic to their areas.
In South Carolina the state gov
ernment has completed plans for
making highway 17 a four-lane ex
pressway from border to border in
order to bring tourists to their
ocean beaches.
The Carteret chamber of com
merce committee is pnoceeding
with the following actions to pro
mote tourist traffic over the Outer
Banks route to this area:
The All Seashore Highway asso
ciation will be requested to hold
a meeting to revive their interest
and to consider the committee sug
gestion that their organization be
renamed to include the term “Out
er Banks.”
The committee said the assis
tance of Joe DuBois of the Sea
shore Highway association has
been requested and generously
giveii. _
Cold Discourages Hikers, But They
Went 30 Miles in 12 Hours Friday
By ELLEN MASON
“Wait until warmer weather.”
That’s the advice of five hikers
who gave up Friday afternoon af
ter completing 30 miles of a plan
ned 50-mile hike in 12 hours. The
five, who began their trek at Broad
Creek in sub-freezing temperatures,
were Mr. and Mrs. Eric Midgett
and son, Bobby; Mrs. Patrick
Bruno and Roy Cannon, all of the
Ocean community.
The group started out from the
intersection of the Nine-Foot road
and highway 24 at 3 a.m. Friday.
They walked up the Nine-Foot and
Lake roads and by 8:30 a.m. had
gotten a short distance beyond
Havelock.
Roy carried a knapsack on bis
back. In it were sandwiches and
sweets the hikers ate along the
way. They stopped for coffee once.
Their 30-mile walk carried them
into New Bern and, because it
wasn't getting any warmer and the
afternoon was waning, they deci
ded to call it a day. High tempera
ture recorded in Morehead City
was about 38 degrees.
Mr. Bruno, who works in Have
lock, took the afternoon off and
went to get them in his car. Mr.
Midgett, who is employed at Trum
bull Asphalt Co. in Morehead City,
said they weren’t “too Bad oft”
except for the cold. Mrs. Bruno
commented at 8:30 a.m. that she
had no idea the weather would turn
so cold.
Mrs. Bruno and Mrs. Midgett
t
It is planned to request that the
state of North Carolina designate
the highway from Currituck south
through the outer banks as the
“Outer Banks Route” and assign
a state highway number to this
route.
The number 17-A tp indicate an
alternate all seasHore route from
US route 17 was suggested.
Mr. Derrickson was named to
represent the committee in future
contacts with Ocean Highway of
ficials.
The committee also undertook to
collect and study information re
lating to the cost of establishing
signs to direct traffic to the outer
banks route.
Emeritus Club
Honors Doctor
The Emeritus club Certificate of
Merit award for 1962 was presented
to Dr. S. W. Hatcher when the club
entertained their ladies at a Valen
tine party recently. Forty mem
bers and guests attended the meet
ing at Fleming’s restaurant.
J. W. Kellogg outlined some of
the civic projects which Dr. Hat
ctfer has pushed through to com
pletion and traced Dr. Hatcher’s
connection with the Emeritus club
since its organization Feb. 28, 1952.
Another feature of the evening
was a talk by Charles Schick on
his experiences as manager of the
American Exposition in Moscow in
1959.
wmi A :
Bandied up against the near-freezing temperature, these five
Uteri act oat at 3 a.m. Friday to walk 50 miles. They started from
Bread Creek and planned to walk to New Bern and back, bet gave
op after M miles because of the cold. The hikers, left to right,
are Mrs. Patrick Bruno, Boy Canaan, Mrs. Erie Midgctt, Mr. Mid
get! and Bobby Midgett. AO live near Bread Creek.
f.
, ;■*
are members of the Broad Creek
Home Demonstration club. They
•aid they walk a lot as a usual
Tax Rate Expected
To Stay at $1.75
The program for building two consolidated schools and
updating present schools in the county was revealed last
night at the courthouse, Beaufort. The plan, presented
by H. L. Joslyn, county superintendent of schools, is the
outgrowth of a joint meeting of the county commission
ers and county board of education Feb. 11.
Total cost and how the money would be used is shown
at the left. +
According to Ronald Earl Mason.
county auditor, the $2 million school
bond debt and interest could Ik*
paid off (along with a $700,000
hospital debt if it is incurred) some
time in 1975 at the tax rate which
prevails today, $1.75 per hundred
dollars valuation. This is basing
the tax income on $50 million as
sessed Valuation.
Mr. Mason said the rate of in
terest is not known, but it's hoped
that interest will be about 3'u per
cent, or a total of $385,000. He not
ed that W. E. Easterltng. secre
tary of the Local Government com
mission. which supervises the bor
rowing programs of towns and
counties, said that the entire $2
million need not be borrowed at
one time.
Because of money now on hand,
it is assumed that the first funds
to be borrowed will not he needed
until 1964.
Mr. Easterling, the auditor add
ed, is of the opinion that an over
all lower interest rate may be ob
tained if the mom*' is not borrow
ed all at once.
According to present plans, 62
cents of the $1.75 tax rate would
go toward retiring the debt incur
red *o update schools and finance
the county’s share of a hospital.
Fifty cents would be levied for
school maintenance and current op
erations.
Whether any of that 50 cents
could be set aside for further school
construction would be up to the
board of education, Mr. Mason re
marked. If all of it were not need
ed for current operating costs, he
said that it is possible that some
could be set aside for "capital
outlay” (permanent improve
ments).
The remainder of the $1.79 tax
rate would be divided as follows: 33
cents to the general fund, 20 cents
to welfare, and 10 cents for the
health department.
This would yield, annually, $165,
000 for the general fund, $100,000
for welfare, $250,000 for schools
(current operation), $50,000 for
health needs, and $310,000 for re
tiring school and hospital bonds
and meeting interest payments.
The auditor stated that the fig
ures are based on 100 per cent col
lection. While collections usually
run about 92 per cent, he said the
figures give an idea of what can
be anticipated.
Assessed valuation now is about
$48 million and is expected to in
crease over the next decade.
Mr. Mason points out that the
school bond program would cost
only $120 for each youngster who
will be in high school over the
next 10 years. He based his calcu
lation on the assumption that there
(See SCHOOLS, Pg. 7)
Four Charged
With Thefts
At Cedar Point
t Two Couples to Get
Hearing March 5
• Most Stolen Items
Are Recovered
Four persons, two men and two
women, have been charged with
breaking and entering nine cot
tages in the Cedar Point area and
stealing household furnishings from
them.
Sheriff Itobert (Bobby) Bell said
Mr. and Mrs. William Steele,
Emerald A. Burkette, and Mary
Cage have been arrested for the
thefts. They will be given a preli
minary hearing in county record
er’s court Tuesday. March 5.
The break-ins have been occur
ing at Cedar Point over the past
several months.
Steele, a painter working at
Jacksonville, who lived with his
wife at Cedar Point, was in the
county jail yesterday. The Gage
woman, employed at Jacksonville,
was out on bond. Mrs. Steele re
mained at home became she has
a young child and is expecting a
second, the sheriff said.
Burkette, who Is In the Marine
Corps is on leave in Alabama.
That's why the preliminary hear
ing has been set for next week,
when he is expected to be back.
Deputies Carl Bonch and Bill
Smith, armed with a search war
rant, went to the Steele home
Thursday night and discovered
most of the items that have been
taken from the houses.
Sheriff Bell said the Steeles ad
mitted that they, Burkette and Miss
Gage took it, but the women were
with the men on only one occasion
when theft was committed.
The I. L. Pittman bonse was
entered twice; the following once:
Mrs. Elizabeth Sanders, Watson A.
Fornes, Dr. Grover Smith, Milton
Lovick, Dr. Brunch Moore and two
cottages whose owners’ names
were not known, the sheriff said.
Most of the houses were summer
cottages.
Taken were five tv sets (six were
reported missing by owners), bed
linens, pots, pans, gas lanterns,
frozen and canned food, silverware,
towels and a tank of bottled gas.
The sheriff said the case broke
when he received information re
garding unusual things going on at
the Steele house.
Burkette was rooming with the
Steeles, and the Gage woman at
one time lived at the home but is
now living in Jacksonville, sheriff
Bell said.
Deputies returned to the Steele
house Friday morning and picked
up the stolen items. They are now
at the sheriffs department, Beau
fort. Cottage owners have been no
tified to come and identify their be
longings.
Town Elections
Set for May 7
Town voters will go to the polls
Tuesday, May 7, to elect a mayor,
commissioners and other town of
ficials for two-year terms.
Mayor George W. Dill, Morehead
City, said yesterday that whether
he runs again will depend on how
the town’s application for sewage
system funds turns out. Until this
is known, he said he doubted if he
could make a decision on naming
again.
Mayor Leon Mann, Newport,
whose town is also seeking funds
for installation of a sewage plant,
said that his “mind is not made
up” on seeking re-election.
Mayor W. H. Potter. Beaufort,
has already announced that he will
not be a candidate for mayor in