VOLUME XXI NO. 35
KILL DEVIL HILLS'
STATUS UPHELD IN
SUPREME COURT
Election Declared Invalid; Five
Miles of Drainage Ditches
Completed This Month.
Kill Devil Hills is still a muni
cipality, according to the Supreme
Court of North Carolina, which
ruled Wednesday, upholding a de
cision by Judge Chester Morris
last September. On May 3 last
year,' in the first election in the
history of the young town, two
years old, the vote was held on
the question of repealing the town
charter.
T()e vote favoring repeal of the
charter was 76 to 70. In the same
election, town officials were elect
ed for the first time. Since then
the officials haven’t been com
pletely certain they had a muni
cipality to govern.
James C. Tillett, a resident and
taxpayer of Kill Devil Hills,
brought action to have the town
declared non-existent and to pre
vent the mayor and other officials
from performing the duties of of
fices he contended didn’t exist.
The officials demurred. They
said a petition containing 37
names, which resulted in the refer
endum for repeal of the charter,
failed to comply with the statute
outlining the methods for abolish
ing a town.
Judge Morris agreed with the
town officials. So did the State
Supreme Court.
Officials of the town of Kill
Devil Hills were represented by
McCown & McCown of Manteo,
and complainants by Forrest Dun
stan of Elizabeth City.
During all the long delay in
waiting for court decisions, the
town kept on doing business. There
was no stoppage of work. The
town got many thousands of dol
lars in Powell Bill funds for street
work. It recently got some sll,-
000 in disaster relief funds to aid
in drainage.
This week, Commissioner Rob
ert Young reported that the great-
See KDH, Page Four
THOUSAND DOLLARS
SWIPED FROM WISE
MARKET IN MANTEO
Wise’s Market in Manteo was
robbed of cash and checks to the
tune of $1,097.51 Thursday last
week when a sneak-thief opened
the door of a safe in the back room
of the store, took out a deposit of
checks and cash that had been
made up to take to the bank dur
ing the day.
Willis Wise, manager of the
store, says he knew pretty well
who got the money; that to his
knowing, only one person had ac
cess to the safe. He says efforts
to get locaj peace officers to make
an investigation or to grill any
' person suspected have failed. He
says officers refused to make in
quiries, or to pick up the suspect.
Mrs. Wise, who made up the de
posit, says it contained $7lO in
cash and $387.52 in checks.
Some four years ago a series of
robberies at this store, culminated
in apprehension of several ne
groes, who hauled away the store’s
safe in an automobile, along with
much merchandise. The safe was
broken open and ruined beyond re
pair. Only a carton of cigarettes
was recovered. Several negroes
went to prison for the crime, but in
that instance, it was efforts of the
late Claude Wise, which played
the major part in apprehending
the criminals, and he contended
they would otherwise have escap
ed.
CASINO OPENING
SET FOR SECOND
SAT. IN MARCH
G. T. Westcott’s Nags Head
, Casino is slated to open next Sat
urday night, March 10, with an
all-colored band for the first dance
of the season.
Westcott and his crew have been
busy for several weeks getting the
amusement center ready for the
season. The entire place has been
cleaned and dance floor and bowl
ing alleys polished, plus much of
the area painted. When the Casino
opens, however, the bowling alleys
will not be open. They are to be
opened a few weeks later, prob
ably sometime in April.
Johnny Day and orchestra, an
all-eolored group from Norfolk,
will play for the opener. This out
fit has made several appearances
in past seasons at Nags Head and
is well-liked, according to an
nouncement from Westcott. “Ras”
promises much good entertain
ment this season, with big name
bands to be lined up for later
dates.
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INtEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
MANTEO GIRLS WIN SECOND PLACE IN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
+
'U ’
Photo by Sidney Shaw
THE MANTEO GIRLS’ team is made up of a group of hustling girls, who won second place in confer
ence standings, and defeated Kitty Hawk in their first tournament game Wednesday night. The team is
made up of the following: (left to right) front row, Jean Sears, Carol Walker, Helen .Baum, Mabel Jean
Basnight, Tessie Tillett, and Myrdith Midgett; second row, Joyce Field, Margaret Pearce, manager,
Janice Scarborough, Janet Wescott, Martha Rae Rogers, Sandra Dowdy, Betty Bruce Inge, Marjorie
White, Jean Toms, Dotty Crumpacker, and Coach Wayland Fry. Ann Dowdy nd Diane Tillet were absent
when the photo was made. ,
MANTEO BOYS HAD SOME GOOD MOMENTS SOME BAD
g|plf ' * y, i ‘
. H - ' ' If;
Photo by Sidney Shaw
THE MANTEO BOYS basketball team had some good moments this
year, but some bad also. The Red Skins lost their first tournament
game Wed. night to the Weeksville boys. The Manteo team is made up
of the boys pictured above: (left to right) front row, Davis Ballance,
Ken Leary, Gary Dowdy, Butch Kelford, and Carl Hayes; second row,
J. D. Simpson, Coy Tillett, Jr., Woody Woodward, David Simpson, and
Lawrence Swain, Jr. Absent were Jimmy McCleod and Raymond Wes
cott, Jr. Principal R. H. Stone is the boys’ coach.
ARC TOURNAMENT STARTS;
MANTEO SPLITS OPENER
Both Teams Lose Final Scheduled Game;
Girls Defeat Kitty Hawk in Tourn
ament, Play Again Friday
The Manteo girls lost their op
portunity to tie for first place in
the final Albemarle Rural Con
ference standings last Friday
night when they lost to the fiery
Griggs girls at Griggs. The Red
Skins were unable to keep up
with the fast-moving Griggs girls
and lost many opportunities. Final
score was Griggs 55, Manteo, 45.
Mabel Jean Basnight hit 23 points
for Manteo. The girls wound up
in second place with a 9-3 con
ference record.
For the first time this year both
Manteo teams lost their games.
The Manteo boys saw the Griggs
lead increase steadily in the second
half and were unable to catch up.
Griggs 59, Manteo, 44. J. D. Simp
son hit 16 points for the Red
Skins.
I Tournament Starts
I The Albemarle Rural Confer
ence tournament got off to a good
start Wednesday night at the Eliz
abeth City High Schol gymnasium.
There was strong rivalry between
the teams and th.ey played before
a packed hous£.
In the 7:00 o’clock game, the
first of the tournament, the Cam
den Rebels completely outclassed
Kitty Hawk in winning 74-40.
The second game was between
the Manteo girls and the Kitty
Hawk girls. Manteo had a nine
point lead at half time and played
as fine a ball game as they have
played this season. Jean Sears hit
19 points for the Red Skins, to en
able them to win 52-30. Coach Fry
emptied his bench in the final
minutes and gave all girls a little
playing time. Friday night the
girls will meet the winner of the
Weeksville-Moyock game at 6.00.
Elsie Hines hit 17 points for the
foul-beridden Kitty Hawk girls.
See TOURNEY, Page Four
SATURDAY WINDS
A SET-BACK TO
SHAD FISHERMEN
The hard winds that prevailed
on the North Carolina coast Sat
urday did considerable damage to
pound nets belonging to Manns
Harbor fishermen. Wanchese fish
ermen escaped with only slight
losses, caused by a few broken
stakes.
Biggest loss from the blow was
the set-back in the catch of shad
which fell considerably below nor
mal, and has remained so through
out the week. Largest catch of
shad reported at Wanchese Wed
nesday was 40. As high as 100
were reported Monday.
Crabbers have recently got busy,
and fairly good catches from bait
ed pots are being made in the
Wanchese area, according to Mack
Etheridge, operator of the fishing
center at Wanchese. As weather
rises in temperature, this industry
is expected to do well.
Some fishermen report a good
season in February. On the whole,
catches have been small but the
Lenten market is helping to keep
prices up. March is also expected
to be a good month, as Easter is
not until April 2.
BUXTON WOMAN IN FLORIDA
LANDS 60-POUND SAILFISH
A fisherman is a fisherman, at
home or abroad. Miss Amelia Bal
lance of Buxton, who has long
followed her champion fishing
father, Capt. B. R .Ballance is
now at it down at Hatteras. Last
week while fishing out of West
Palm Beach with Capt. Sonny Brfrr
or\ the cruiser Marcene, she land
ed a 60-lb. sailfish with a nine
thread line. Miss Ballance is doing
private nursing duty at West Palm
Beach, and when she is on night
duty, she gets in some daytime
fishing.
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 2,1956
NAGS HEAD GROUP
DEMAND REMOVAL
FROM KITTY HAWK
Citizens Want Their Township
Transferred Back Under
Manteo District
What appears to be a solid de
mand from citizens of Nags Head
Township, whose pupils had been
allotted to the Kitty Hawk High
School, to be permitted to be pu
back with the Manteo School Dis
trict, is to come before the Dare
County Board of Education next
week. A petition has been circulat
ed this week in all the atea south
of the new Atlantic Township line.
People of this area contend they
were discriminated against when
the Board of Education acceded to
the demands of the Kitty Hawk
school committee to put this area
out of Manteo district. They in
sisted on sending their children to
Manteo. In hope of stopping this,
the Kitty Hawk Committee de
manded the Board deny these chil
dren the right to ride on the Man
teo bound bus, which was never
otherwise loaded. Nor would the
board permit the children to ride
even if they furnished their own
transportation to the junction of
the Jigsaw Road.
Patrons were then put to the
trouble and expense of bringing
their children to Manteo, hence no
one could see reason or wisdom in
this action.
Patrons of this area also say
they want to get out of the Kitty
Hawk District for another reason.
They do not wish to always be
involved in squabbles and fights
which is what they expect so long
as the Kitty Hawk people allow
their affairs to be taken over and
run by some who are now in the
saddle. They say such conditions
are not good for the school, nor
the children, and they do not want
a part in any of it.
Hearing Continued
Since the Committee found
themselves ’up against opposition
in their own district, particularly
the action taken by Nags Head
people, they agreed to continue the
hearing against the Board of Edu
cation that was set for Tuesday,
Feb. 28th before Judge Burgwyn
in Elizabeth City and until Tues
day of next week, when the Dare
County Board meets in Manteo. It
may be safe observation to say the
action will be dropped at that time.
FREE CHEST X-RAY UNIT
COMES TO DARE THIS MONTH
Announcement of the coming of
the unit for making free chest X-
Rays is made by Dr. W. W. John
ston, District Health Officer. All
persons are urged to bring their
entire family of 15 years or older.
Persons must attend while the ma
chine is nearest their residence,
and the hours are to be from ten
ajn. to four p.m. qn the following
dates: Kill Devil Hills Postoffice,
Saturday, March 10; Atlantic
View Hotel, Hatteras,* Tuesday and
Wednesday, March 13 and 14:
Pentecostal Church, Buxton,
Thursday and Friday, March 16
and 16; Cape Hatteras Hotel,
Avon, Saturday, March 17; Kitty
Hawk Postoffice, Tuesday, March
20; Ralph Tillett's Store Wanchese,
Wednesday, March 21'; Opposite
Health Center, Manteo, Thursday
and Friday, March 22 and 23;
Methodist Church, Manns Harbor,
Saturday, March 24.
GRADING UNUSUAL
ROAD JOB BEGUN
AT CAPE HATTERAS
New By-Pass to Cut Over Hill and
Dale 1,500 Feet South
of Lighthouse
Buxton on Cape Hatteras, Mar.
I.—Grading began this week on
one of the most formidable high
way construction projects ever un
dertaken in North Carolina when
the Navy’s Seventh Battalion,
Mobile Construction command un
limbered its earth-movers on the
newly established right of way*
for Wirth Boulevard which leaves
the Outer Banks Highway in front
of the L. D. Midgett house in
Buxton and after crossing five
ridges and four sedges, debouches
into level country 1500 feet south
of the Lighthouse.
Conrad Wirth, director of the
National Park Service, envisioned
the road the first time he came to
Cape Hatteras after the area be
came a national recreation area
but its actual construction did not
appear as a possibility until after
the arrival of the Navy’s Seabees
on the Island last May when they
began work on the secret Navy
facility which lies on both sides
the existing road north of the
Lighthouse, and will eventually
block it.
First definite mention of the
possibility that the Seabees might
build the road as a replacement
for the existing highway was
heard last June when Paul Mellon,
U. S. Senator Kerr Scott and
Huntington Cairns, settled down
for a talk on the hill that looks
down on Cape Hatteras. The new
ly established Seabees camp was
spread out, as it still is in the
plain below the hill. The matter
was discussed in Washington at
various levels and the first intima
tion that the plan was taking
shape came early in the fall.
There are two problems—to
See UNUSUAL, Page Four
OUTER BANKS
AND BELHAVEN
IN PROGRAM
Governor Hodges Urges sl9 Mil
lion Federal Funds For
Hurricane Relief
North Carolina Governor Hod
ges Tuesday urged his State’s
congressional delegation to work
on obtaining sl9 million in Federal
funds for an emergency hurricane
relief program.
The Governor said the money
was needed to minimize future
hurricane damage to the Tar Heel
coast and repel beach erosion
which threatens the State’s 320
mile coastline.
Governor Hodges pointed out
that a far bigger sum had been
appropriated by Congress for the
New England area following the
hurricane-flood disasters of last
Fall. A similar request for aid by
the West Coast after the floods a
couple of months ago also was
granted, the Governor stated.
The Tar Heel delegation, which
included both Senators and all
Representatives but two, unani
mously agreed in principle with
the Governor and said it would
immediately begin investigating
the full extent of aid granted the
New England and West Coast
areas.
In addition to the hurricane
emergency aid, the Governor call
ed attention to a $9 million re
quest of North Carolina for im
proving navigation in the State’s
rivers and harbors.
Governor Hodges said the sl9
million request was not based on
the result of an engineering sur
ey, but was an estimate by re
sponsible parties.
Included in the sl9 million were
requests for:
$6,310,000 to construct groins
(asphalt jetties) to prevent beach
erosion.
$5,640,000 for groins to protect
the Outer Banks.
$1,579,560 to construct sand
dunes.
$5,386,000/for draining agricul
tural lands.
$333,000 for a breakwater at the
town of Belhaven.
RALPH SWAIN TO HEAD
MANTEO ROTARY CLUB
Ralph Swain, Manteo business
man, and long active in the Man
teo Rotary Club, was chosen for
ite president for the next Rotary
year, Monday night, and Thos.
Chears, attorney, was admitted as
a member of the club.
Ernest E. M,eekins will be the
new Vice-President, Robert Gunn,
Secretary and Aycock Brown,
treasurer. Directors elected were
Julian Oneto of Nags Head and
Dick Gray of Manteo.
Would You Expect This In America
Or Would It Come From Russia?
Here s the Prizewinning Crude and Stupid Attempt Reaching
Us in a Long Time to Throttle Free Speech.
One of the most stupid pieces
of propaganda, if not the worst,
has come to the editor of The
Coastland Times, and purports to
come from the Kitty Hawk School
Committee. It was sent by messen
ger to the editor, by Mr. Robert
A. Young, a member of the town
board of Kill Devil Hills, and also
purporting to be a member of the
Kitty Hawk school committee.
We talked to Mr. Young and
asked him who wrote his paper.
We asked him how many had
signed it, and their names. He
would give no definite answer to
either question. We told him we
would like to help him broadcast
it by printing the names of the
signers. We told him we hoped
there would be a number of them
and that they would sign in good
black ink, especially the solvent
ones. We figured that we would
turn it over to some smart lawyer,
and let him perhaps win some con
tingent fees in a civil action
against parties in such a conspir
acy. In event of finding ourselves
damaged by any result of such ill
advised conspiracy, we would do
just that. We would let them come
in court.
Mr. Young said there were not
maybe more than thre or four
signers. He didn’t know who fhey
were, or he just felt he couldn’t
tell. Maybe that is the kind of
tactics they use in Russia, but men
who are men come out in the open
in the United States and stand by
their actions. Mr. Young said he
didn’t write the paper.
But Mr. Young has been acting
as a member of the Kitty Hawk
school committee and among some
members of that committee has
been circulated misleading state
ments that this newspaper is op
posed to the school as proposed
at Kitty Hawk by this Committee.
All of this is untrue and mislead
ing. We have always been a good
booster of Kitty Hawk’s worthy
undertakings, as perusual of our
columns for 20 years will show.
We usually call things as we see
them and it makes no difference
which community it’s in, ours or
another, we print it just the same.
We are aware of the many fine
people in Kitty Hawk who are de
voted to plans for the future. Their
hearts and souls are in the proj
ect. They look beyond this day, and
wish to provide for the needs of
the future, and the children who
may come along to attend their
school ten, 20 and 30 years from
now. Their cause is especially
worthy: They deserve all support
and encouragement. Unfortunately
for these good people, the bark
loaded with their ambitions has
struck stormy seas and sometimes
runs aground because of the ac
tions of some of those who have
assumed leadership in their behalf.
The project is not being run en
tirely by Kitty Hawk people, and
in their zeal to win support and
supporters, they have picked up!
along the way some deadweight
which has done perhaps irrepar
able damage to their cause. The
good people of Atlantic Township
are having to carry along also a
heavy burden which includes some
congenital trouble-makers. It is
these who may run them on the
rocks. Some examples of advice
and strategy that have been fol
lowing may be enumerated:
1. The proposal advanced at the
outset that the school be taken
from Kitty Hawk and located out
on the beach got a reaction from
many people. They were convinced
there might be an ethiopian in the
wood-pile. One might never be sure
just where the school might wind
up.
2. They threw the fear of votes
in the Board of Education who
chicken-heartedly ordered that
buses passing that way, could not
bring Nags Head children to Man
teo school. This action forced upon
residents at Nags Head the trouble
and expense of transporting their
children from an area which had
been annexed to Kitty Hawk Dis
trict That piece of bread sown
upon the waters is coming back
to them today but stale, for the
patrons of upper Nags Head are
signing a petition eh masse to
have their territory put back into
Manteo District which long had
served it
3. Regardless of who was re
sponsible, a malicious and vicious
sounding piece of propaganda,
which was obviously intended as a
threat, was broadcast throughout
the state in several daily news
papers saying that Kitty Hawk
would move to Currituck County if
its wishes at home were denied.
Any well informed person could
have advised those people that un
der the State’s system of running
Single Copy 7£
the schools, they would have
nothing to gain by a move of this
kind, and certainly would gain no
good will at home. This propa
ganda cost them much support.
4. Instead of a reasonably court
eous business approach to their
problem, some of their spokesmen
were particularly offensive in their
dealings with the Board of Educa
tion, which has among its mem
bers some persons too, of small
ability, and incompetent to run
affairs even when sailing is
smooth. Bring two opposing ele
ments like this together, and the
result is fore-ordained. This final
ly wound up in the further ill ad
vised step of bringing a lawsuit
to force the Board of Education in
court. In our opinion of course, the
Board of Education is as much at
fault for this condition arising, as
it is the fault of the hot heads in
the Kitty Hawk group. But it hap
pened, and now it will take sitting
down, on the part of both sides,
with a willingness to listen to wise
and rational counsel, if any happy
results are to be accomplished.
' If Mr. Young sent us the paper
as a neighborly gesture, then we,
thank him most heartily indeed for
his forethought and consideration.
However if it comes as a warning,
that is just the wrong approach
for this newspaper. Nobody can
buy it off nor scare it off, by
threats or otherwise. We don’t
like to think that any responsible
group of people would compose
an article so poorly written, so
faulty is it in English, spelling
See ATTEMPT, Page Five
METHODISTS PLAN
A LARGE ADDITION
AT KITTY HAWK
An educational building and en
largement to the auditorium of the
Kitty Hawk Methodist Church is
expected to cost $35,000, and will
be completed, it is hoped, in time
to celebrate with the Centernial
next year, according to Capt. P.
A. Tillett who is the chairman of
the finance committee.
The present Kitty Hawk Metho
dist Church, which has approxi
mately 200 members was built in
1938. It is of brick, and the pro
posed addition, for which plans
have been drawn, will also be of
brick and masonry, housing class
rooms, dining and kitchen facili
ties, etc.
Associated with Mr. Tillett on
this finance committee are also
Avery Tillett, John Evans, Mrs.
W. H. Lewark, Mrs. Zora Tillett,
Mrs. E. M. Dean, Mrs. W. H.
Smith, Mrs. Orville Baum, Mrs.
E. W. Baum, and Mrs. Fannie
Perry is Treasurer.
Edgar Perry is Chairman of the
building committee, assisted by
Hallett Perry and others. Carlos
Dowdy is chairman of the plan
ning committee. Other members of
this committee include Mrs. John
Evans, E. W. Baum, Mrs. Lee
Perry and Jesse E. Baum.
PUBLIC URGED BY
LIONS TO ATTEND
MEET WED. NIGHT
W. K. Nevilles, past commodore
of Tidewater Power Boat and
Racing Association of Norfolk, will
be guest speaker and illuustrate
his remarks with a film next Wed
nesday night,, March 7. Under
sponsorship of the Manteo Lions
Club, Mr. Nevilles is making his
visit in the interest of establishing
a racing or boating club for the
Manteo area.
The Manteo club, through Lion
Ralph Davis, has arranged this
event so that Dare County resi
dents may become more acquainted
with rules and regulations and
benefits of organizing such a club.
By organizing a club to sponsor
and promote water sports, same
could qualify as a member of the
American Power Boat Association,
and under sanction of the APBA,
races in this area, would be better
advertised and attract more and
keener competition.
The public is invited and urged
to attend this film and hear Mr.
Nevilles’ remarks. He is chairman
of the racing committee in charge
of arrangements for the annual
races held in Elizabeth City in
October. Among films to be shown
are proving pictures of various
Gold Cup races. It is stressed
that when the local club is organ
ized, members don’t necessarily
have to own a yacht, or any
boat for that matter, but should
be anxiouß to help promote a club
in this area. Meeting time is 7:46.