VOLUME XVI NO. 49
AIRPORT MANAGERS OF SIX
STATES TO HOLD MEETING
IN DARE CO. IN OCTOBER
Pilgrimage of Men Interested in Aviation to
Come from Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Tennessee and the Two Carolinas; Promi
nent Aviation Figures to Attend Spectacu
lar Two-Day Convention.
A two-day convention of the
Southeastern Airport Managers
Association is to be held in Dare
County early in October when avi
ation executives from six states
will visit Manteo and Nags Head,
and pay a pilgrimage to the shrine
of aviation at Kill Devil Hills.
Aycock Brown, secretary of the
Dare County Chamber of Com
merce, states that the President,
A. H. Ward, returned Saturday
night from Goldsboro, with the
news. Ward, with Victor Meekins
attended a meeting of the Associ
ation executives in Goldsboro and
presented an invitation that they
visit this region. The invitation
was unanimously accepted.
The meeting is expected to bring
about 100 people from the states
of Georgia, Florida, Alabama and
Tennessee and the two Carolinas,
and many guests from Virginia
and other states, most of whom
will fly to the Manteo airport.
Many people prominent in aviation
circles as well as high Government
officials are expected to be on the
porgram.
The forthcoming meeting will be
a good piece of advertising for
. Dare County, and an opportunity
for building good will among peo
ple well able to help its tourist
business. Plans for the meeting
will be made during July by a pro
gram committee consisting of Mr.
Brown, Victor Meekins, Truman
Miller of Raleigh, Earl Jourdain
of Goldsboro, and C. A. Anthony
of Myrtle Beach, S. C.
GRAND JURY IN
DARE COMPLAINS
0 F BUILDINGS
In theii- report to the court
Wednesday, the Dare County
Grand Jury offered no praise of
anything except the old stereo
typed paragraph copied year after
year from former reports praising
the Judge for his “able and in
structive charge” and the Solici
tor, feeling that the “district is
fortunate in having such able,
etc . . . ”
The Grand Jury made much com
plaint about the condition of the
Manteo High School, the gymnas-
Si, the Kitty Hawk and Coling-
School, the jail and the com
nity building, and recommended
that a brand new school be built
for the Negroes, because the pres
ent building is “not practicable to
repair.”
Improvements were recommend
ed in several courthouse offices.
NEW WELFARE WORKER |
BEGINS WORK JUNE 1
Miss Elizabeth Sawyer of Eliza
beth City Signs to Fill Vacan
cy in Dare Welfare Dept.
Miss Elizabeth Sawyer of Eliza
beth City has been employed by
the Dare County Welfare Board
as a welfare department case
worker. Miss Sawyer begins her
new duties today, June 1.
The new case worker comes to
Dare County highly recommended.
She has resigned a similar posi
tion in Tyrrell County, held since
August, 1960. Prior to that time,
Miss Sawyer was a teacher in
North Carolina public schools tor
several years, teaching, among
other places, at Elizabeth City and
Southern Pines. She graduated
from Meredith College in 1946
with a degree in sociology. The po
sition ahe will fill in the Dare
Welfare Department has- been va
cant since February 16 of this year,
when Mrs. T. S. Meekins, Jr., left
the position to accept the post of
Welfare Superintendent.
Miss Sawyer and her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Hersey Sawyer of
Elizabeth City, are well known to
many residents of Dare County,
particularly in the Nags Head
area, where they own a summer
home.
NET 11,200 IN A DAY
Is fishing good? Ask the Cul
peppers at Nags Head. Wednes
day they pulled in their net three
times and had 6.000 pounds of fish.
They were sold at Engelhard for
about $1,200. The question is an
swered.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
published Weekly in the interests of the Walter raleigh ooastland of north Carolina
CHOSEN SUP’TENDENT.
OF DARE CO. SCHOOLS
j F Vg
BF
MRS. MARY LANGSTON EV
ANS, County School Supervisor,
was elected Superintendent of Dare
County Schools at a called meet
ing of the Board of Education Sat
urday. The Board had agreed pre
viously to select a man for the job,
but a majority considered Mrs.
Evans the most qualified of the ap
plicants, and on motion of Ellis
Gray, seconded by Roy Gray, she
was elected. Mrs. Evans, a native
of Goldsboro, is the wife of Den
nis E. Evans of Manteo, and has
been in the teaching profession for
several years, and holds numerous
degrees and college credits. Prior
to becoming school supervisor, she
taught several years in the schools
of Dare, at Manteo, Kitty Hawk
and Manns Harbor. She is the
daughter of Col. and Mrs. John D.
Langston of Goldsboro.
LOST COLONY *
CAST MEETING
HERE JUNE 8
Local and island actors selected
for parts in The Lost Colony at
auditions held here several weeks
ago by Director Samuel Selden are
scheduled to meet again on Friday
night, June 8, in the High School
Auditorium for final casting.
In a letter to the local Lost Col
ony office, Director Selden request
ed that every person who had been
listed as a potential member of the
cast be present when he has the
meeting on June 8. It is very im
portant that persons who may have
decided not to apply for roles ad
vise the local Lost Colony office in
advance of June 8 in order that
replacements may be present.
It was indicated in the drama
director’s letter that there would
| probably be a need for more large
boys, or men, especially those who
would double as actors and stage
hands. Persons wishing to apply
for these roles, and those who have
applied previously who may be
planning to drop out, are request
ed to notify Miss Maggie Daniels
at the News,.Directors’ office of
The Lost Colony or Aycock Brown.
LILA PEELE RUNNERUP
TO FESTIVAL QUEEN
Lila Peele of Hatteras, who has
been chosen “Miss Dare County”
for two years in a row, was one
of three lovely girls chosen from
the beauty contest winners of eight
Albemarle Counties to take part
in the festivities and ceremonies of
the Albemarle Potato Festival in
Elizabeth City last Saturday.
Miss Peele was runnerup to
Kitty Campen of Chowan County,
named Queen of the festival by a
board of moving picture men act
ing as judges for the contest held
the preceding Thursday night at
an Elizabeth City theatre. With
Anne Burgess of Camden County,
Lila was chosen an attendant to
the Festival Queen.
LAST WEEK’S WEATHER
Figures provided by U. S. Govt
Meteorologist A. W. Drinkwater
High Low Rain
May 24 81 68 .62
May 25 80 60
May 26 84 62'
May 27 83 64
May 28 79 64 .60
May 29 72 56
May 30 78 81
A HATTERAS GIRL CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS IN BEAUTY CONTESTS
B 1
|mk Hu
He Ik
I ■
'jS£ IT
Sfc Isß r jAHE*
will jiHEIH
‘ IF
Bhte ' SEj ;■ X|H . ' ■
■ Whh. 'a. "W?- to A w
t v 1 b.
I #TA ' JB jr
I iA
V KL
«*St '.i .A- . . "**• "*»■■'
•'iaMbgjjßaJlßF . ,
BL-'- <
MISS LILA PEELE of Hatteras continues to make history as a beauty queen. Twice in succession she has
won first place in the Dare County contest for the county’s entry in the contest for Queen of the Albe
marle. Last week she again won second place for the second time in a contest with girls from ten other
counties at the Elizabeth City Potato Festival. Miss Peele is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Woodard Peele.
In this interesting photo by Aycock Brown, Miss Peele is shown aboard one of Mac Etheridge’s sailboats
at Wanchese. A most attractive girl has been selected to popularize sailing craft again in Dare County
waters. When it comes to Dare County, it is hard for other counties to get out a beauty candidate to keep
up the pace.
KITTY HAWK MAN FALLS
DEAD WHILE SHAVING
Stephen Beasley Meekins, 77,
who had been in poor health for a
long time, fell dead Saturday
morning while shaving. He made
his home with his sister, Mrs. Mary
Best. He was the son of the late
John W. and Mary‘Perry Meekins,
and is survived by one brother and
three sisters: Morris M. Meekins,
Mrs. Best Mrs. Bettie Pugh of
Kitty Hawk, and Mrs. Mattie Mil
ler of Poplar Branch. He had never
married. He had spent his lifetime
fishing and boating, and for a time
was one of the light keepers at
Cape Henry, Va., about 35 years
ago. He was born at Colington
where he resided most of his life,
but for the past several years he
had lived with his sister. He was
life member and a faithful one of
Colington Methodist Church.
Funeral services were conducted
at the grave in Austin cemetery
Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. by
Rev. W. J. Freeman of. the Kitty
Hawk Methodist Charge. Hymns
were sung by the choir. There were
nfcny people attending and many
beautiful floral offerings. Pall
bearers were: Marvin Midgett,
Carlos Dowdy, Will Tillett, John L.
Beacham, Carson Meekins and Col
on Perry. Twiford’s Funeral Home,
of Manteo directed the funeral.
Steven Meekins was universally
known and loved as a high class
citizen, neighbor and gentleman.
He was generous, courteous and
helpful among his people, and high
tribute to his faithfulness to the
church and his earnestness was
paid by the pastor.
FESTIVAL JUDGE
Wallace H. McCown of Manteo,
Senator Emmett Winslow of Hert
ford and A. L. Stout of Charlotte
were judges of the floats in the
Albemarle Potato Festival parade
in Elisabeth City last Saturday
morning.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1951
Dare Library, One of the Best In State,
Being Pinched by Space, Help Problems
Books Loaned from July 1, 1950, to May 22 Reach
32,665. 40-50,000 Circulation Expected Next Year.
It is generally agreed among li
brarians that the Dare County Li
brary is the best county library
in the state of North Carolina. And
it seems clear from the whopping
circulation figures that are report
ed for the past 10 months by Mrs.
Van Ness Harwood and Mrs. Ells
worth Midgett, Jr., of the library
staff that Dare County appreciates
the literary wealth that it has at
its disposal. The use made of the
library by the people of Dare,
what’s more, is on the increase—
a healthy situation, if ever a li
brarian saw one. Examine these
figures on the library’s circulation:
In the period between July 1,
1950 and May 22 of this year,
the library loaned 32,665 books—
-20,822 in the county, 11,843 in
Manteo, not including circula
tion figures for the Negro li
brary. The remaining six weeks
of the year and the Bookmobile
trips to Manns Harbor and Hat
teras will make the figures still
higher.
One of the many possible sta
tistics will suffice to illustrate the
tremendous growth in circulation
within the period cited above.
In July of 1950, the Bookmo
bile distributed 930 books. In
March and April of 1951, Book
mobile circulation was just 13
short of 2,500 each month.
Now, that situation may look
extremely rosy, and library users
might consider there is sufficient
evidence for thinking that every
thing must be going very well at
the Dare County Library. Every
thing IS going very well—but it
is entirely due to Mrs. Harwood
and Mrs. Midgett, the entire li
brary staff. It would be interesting
to have another statistic to put in
this story, the number of Dare
Countians who know that their
highly efficient library is operat
ed by just two persons.
The Library’s Problems
The Dare County Library is fac
ing two serious problems, which,
properly understood, will reverse
any idea that everything must al
ways go well there just because
Mrs. Harwood and Mrs. Midgett
have succeeded in making every-
See LIBRARY, Page Five
MRS. ERNEST HAYWOOD
NAMED FOREMAN OF
GRAND JURY MONDAY
Judge Henry L. Stevens of War
saw, holding court in Dare Coun
ty for the first time in ten years,
lost little time in signalizing his
return in an unusual way Monday
morning. After the panel of 18
grand jurors had been drawn and
was seated in the jury box, he
said, “We may as well make a lit
tie history here. So far as I know,
there has never been a woman fore
man of a jury in North Carolina.
Therefore, Mrs. Haywood, I’m go
ing to appoint you foreman of this
grand jury.” When Mrs. Ernest
Haywood had been sworn as fore
man and the rest of the panel had
taken its oath, the judge delivered
his charge to the jury.
Charge to the Jury
After speaking briefly of his
pleasure in returning to the coun
ty after so long an absence, Judge
Stevens discussed the prevalence
of crimes of violence in this cha
otic age. He said that he did not
rightly know how to account for
great number of crimes of the
kind he placed in* the “assault
class;” whether they were due to
the fast pace at which we are liv
ing, to our greed and avarice cr
“to our worship of material rather
See JURY, Page Eight
SUPERIOR COURT RECESSED AS
CRIMINAL DOCKET COMPLETED
AND CIVIL SUITS CONTINUED
State Takes Nol-Pros in Vagrancy Case
Against DeFebio. Juvenile Court Judgment
Sustained.
COMMENCEMENT WEEK
SCHEDULE AT MHS
Baccalaureate service: school
auditorium, 8 p.m., June 3.
Speaker, the Rev. J. H. Over
ton. Special music by Manteo
High School glee club.
Class night: Monday, June 4,
8 p.m. at school auditorium.
Commencement: Wednesday,
June 6,. 8 p.m. at school auditor
ium. Speaker, E. J. Ruton, East
Carolina College.
The presentation of eighth
grade certificates, will take place
in the school auditorium at 11
а. Wednesday morning, June
б.
MARY L. EVANS
NAMED SUPT. OF
DARE SCHOOLS
Begins Two-Year Term July
1. No Other Candidates
Voted Upon
Mrs. Mary Langston Evans of
Manteo was elected Superintendent
of Schools for Dare County, sub
ject to the approval of the State
Board of Education, at a meeting
of the County Board of Education
in Manteo last Saturday. Mrs. Ev
ans will serve a term of two years,
beginning July 1. She succeeds R.
I. Leake, county superintendent for
the past ten years. Mrs. Evans
was previously employed by the
Board of Education as school su
pervisor, and was reelected to that
position at a board meeting earlier
in the month.
Board Member Ellis Gray nom
inated Mrs. Evans for the position.
The nomination was seconded by
Roy Gray. When the matter was
put to a vote, Mrs. Evans secured
the vote of Mrs. Mabel Evans
Jones as well as those of the two
Mr. Grays, which gave her the ma
jority necessary for election.
No other candidate proposed re
ceived the second necessary for
voting upon his candidacy.
J. L. Cameron of the state Di
vision of Surveys and B. H. Ste
phens, architect, are tb* be
to meet with the board at its
meeting July 2.
The only other business accom
plished by the board Saturday was
the approval of several school fac
ulties presented by school
tees. * v
DARE COUNTY
YOUTH COUNCIL
HOLDS MEETINGS
Women Discuss Need for
Happy Homes and Better
Rearing of Children
With a discussion on Family
Life Essentials as the main fea
ture, at both, two regional meet
ings of the Dare County Council
for Services to Children and Youth
were held last week. Competing
with the inclement weather of
Wednesday night, May 23, the
meeting in Manns Harbor attract
ed a small crowd, only, and the
next night in Wanchese, the meet
ing for the Roanoke Island-Beach
es area conflicted with several oth
er functions on the Island and at
tendance for it, too, was disap
pointing.
In Manns Harbor, the meeting
was chaired by Mrs. David Stick,
President of the Council who led
the discussion on what things were
lacking in wholesome family life
and what were essential to well
rounded devolpment of children in
their home life. Reports on the
Recreation Center at Manns Har
bor, a Council project, and the
Stumpy Point community’s part in
the recent School Spring Festival
were given as definite steps taken
by the two communities in serving
children and youth. Mrs. D. L.
Meekins was re-elected for a per
iod of two years as the Council
member for Stumpy Point. Mrs.
Ruby Gray of Stumpy Point led
the devotional.
As a follow up, the Woman’s
Club of Manns Harbor and the
W.S.C.S. of Stumpy .Point will in
clude more discussion and study
on family life in their forthcom
ing programs, using the discus
sion material that was presented
at these Council meetings.
In Wanchese, the regioraff Coun
cil meeting was chaired by Mrs.
Dennis Evans, Board Member of
See COUNCIL, Page Five
Single Copy 70
Judge Henry L. Stevens wound
■ up the spring term of Superior
Court in Dare County in a hurry
Wednesday by determining, at the
end of trial of cases in the crim
inal docket, to continue the entire
civil docket to the next term.
Decision on DeFebios
Wednesday afternoon Judge Ste
vens acted upon the three cases
appealed from lower court by
Frank and Theo DeFebio. Only one
of the cases was tried, however,
that charging Frank J. DeFebio
with failure to send his children
to school as required by the state
compulsory school attendance law.
Mr. and Mrs. DeFebio both pre
sented statements of their case to
the court and jury after the pros
ecution had offered much the same
testimony it had presented in re
corder’s ccurt a week before.
The jury found Frank DeFebio
guilty as charged. Judge Stevens
sentenced the defendant to serve
30 days in the county jail or pay
a $25 fine. Mr. DeFebio rejected
payment of the fine and is now
serving his term in the Dare jail.
The state took a nol-pros-with
leave in the case in which DeFeb
io had been convicted of vagrancy
in lower court.
Appeal-No Appeal
The only fireworks in the three
DeFebio cases came when the time
arrived for consideration of the
appeal from juvenile court of the
decision making the children
wards of the state. Considerable
confusion then occurred, for, it de
veloped, the DeFebios’ appeal
could not be heard for the reason
that a technicality covering ap
peals in such cases—that the ap
peal must be in writing within five
dayskafter the judgment was pass
ed—had not been complied with.
The court, therefore, sustained the
judgment of~the juvenile court.
Wednesday morning two drun
ken driving cases were concluded.
The case of the State vs Velma
Lehue, begun the day before, was
sent to the jury—which returned a
verdict of guilty. Mrs. Lehue was
sentenced to pay SIOO fine and the
costs of the court and had her
driver’s permit suspended for a
year.
Mistrial
Judge Stevens dismissed the
jury which had deliberated for a
bout 4’/ 2 hours, Tuesday and Wed
nesday, without being able to reach
a decision about the guilt or in
nocence of David Worsley. The
Case will be re-tried at the next
term of superior court.
One Acquitted
Wyke Dillon was found not guil-
See COURT, Page Eight
RITES HELD WEDNESDAY
FOR OCTAVIUS FULCHER
Funeral services were held at
the church in Buxton Wednesday
afternoon at 2 o’clock for Octav
ious Coke Fulcher, 69, retired
merchant, who died at his home
in Buxton on Monday, May 28.
Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Le
ia Burrus Fulcher; four children,
O. C. Fulcher, Jr., of Elizabeth
City, Mrs. Agnes Barnett, Mrs.
Florence Barnett, Mrs. Rachel Mer
riman; two brothers, A. d. Fulcher
and Junius Fulcher of Norfolk;
two sisters, Mrs. Anges Styron of
Hatteras and Mrs. Betty Rollinson
of Florida. There are nine grand
children.
Mr. Fulcher was born at Frisco.
He had reached his 69th birthday
a few days before his death. For
many years before being overtak
en by failing health, Mr. Fulcher
was an outstanding citizen and
leading merchant of Hatteras Is
land. At one time he was a mem
ber of the County Board of Educa
tion, and was long active in poli
tics as well as religious activity.
He was a member of Masonic
Lodge No. 521 A.F. & A.M. of
Wanchese.'
The body lay in state for some
time prior to the funeral at the
Buxton Methodist Church. The
funeral was conducted by Rev. W.
B. Gregory and Rev. P. M. Porter
of the Hatteras and Kennekeet
charges respectively. Pall bearers
were W. A. Gray, Ike Jennette, C.
P. Brady, U. B. Jennett, Fatio
Gray, Raymond Basnett. Thirty
members of the Masonic fraternity,
led by Leo Midgett of Manteo,
gathered to give final honors,
which were conducted at the grave.
The church was filled with mourn
ing friends. There were many
Funer Home
led the funeral.