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VOLUME XXII NO. 37 TAR HEEL CONGRESSMEN INSIST ON HUNDRED MILLION IN DISASTER INSURANCE Bonner, Barden and Lennon Emphasize Difficul ties Delaying Construction and Development in Coastal Areas, Pending Establishment of Policy on Government Agency Created Last Year. _ ... Washington, D. C.—Much of the maze of uncertainty shrouding the new federal flood disaster insur ance program was cleared away at a recent meeting between North Carolina members of Con gress and Frank J. Meistrell, who will administer the program under the Housing and Home Finance Agency. Interest of the Tar Heel legisla tors in the program was evidenced by the fact that 11 of the 12 House members attended the meeting, at which North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Charles Gold was also present. Senators Sam J. Er vin and W. Ken- Scott and Repre sentative Carl T. Durham were tied up in committee hearings, but were represented at the flood in surance meeting by their adminis trative aides. Most of the questions propound ed by the Congressmen came from Reps. Herbert C. Bonner, Graham A. Barden and Alton A. Lennon, whose districts along the eastern shore have suffered repeated, se vere hurricane onslaughts in re cent years, causing widespread property damage as a result of ac companying high tides and torren tial wind-driven rains. In response to a question from Bonner, Meistrell assured the group that the new program will be ready to go into operation “by late spring or early summer.” He said he expects to have policies ready for signature within-30 days after Congress approves funds to cover administrative costs. The agency is asking for $100,000,- 000 for this purpose, Meistrell stated. The director said the rate struc ture for policies has not yet been perfected, but that his office, in consultation with private insurance companies, has attempted to eval uate exposure with respect to the types of buildings as well as loca tion. “Piers, wharves and amuse ment places right on the beach would carry a higher rate,” he said. Barden and Lennon urged that a “uniform rate” be adopted initially in order to get the program under way as soon as possible. “1 don’t think we should wait for a perfect set-up,” insisted Bar den. “The insurance program should be put into operation as soon as possible.” Lennon maintained that to work out a rate pattern all over the country would “delay the program about a year.” He expressed disap pointment that the insurance is not available this spring. As a result of severe hurricane damage in re cent years, he said, people in his district who would like to build along the coast are finding it dif ficult to obtain conventional insur ance from private companies and "can’t borrow a cent from lending agencies." Barden expressed grave concern about the zoning provision of the Congressional act authorizing the insurance program. In order for its citizens to participate in the pro gram, all states are required to adopt zoning regulations. Barden said the zoning responsibility should be left entirely in the hands of the state and local communities. “The Federal government should not project itself into the zoning business,” the Congressman assert ed. "Zoning is a problem peculiar to local communities and states and I think they should be given au thority to develop their own zoning regulations.” Meistrell. agreed that the entire zoning problem is one “within the knowledge of the states and their political subdivisions." “They know the problems at the state and local level,” he emphasized. He proposed to “let the states See INSURANCE, Page Five MRS. GAIL ROBINSON DIES IN NORFOLK; HATTERAS NATIVE Mrs. Gail Robinsob, 63, wife of J. M. Robinson, and daughter of the late Andrew P. and Sabra Styron Oden of Hatteras died Fri day at her home in Norfolk. She had lived at Hatteras until 20 years ago. She is survived by her husband; four sons, Stacey, An drew, Bertrand and Erskine; two sisters, Mrs. John O’Neal of Hat teras and Miss Ruby Oden of Nor folk and seven grandchildren. She was a member of the Hatteras Methodist Church. ' THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA GAY NINETIES REVUE TO BE PRESENTED ON SATURDAY NIGHT By AYCOCK BROWN Nags Head.—Music, singing and dancing, all by local but highly trained talent, will feature the Gay Nineties Revue in the beautiful | Pine Room of The Carolinian here at 8 o’clock on Saturday night, March 16, as the first in a series of money raising ideas for the Dare Coast Pirates Jamboree scheduled for April 26-28 is presented. “Everything from bar ber shop quartets and mono logues to Floradora “Can-Can ners” and late 19th Century t soft-shoe clog dancing is on | the program,” said Julian One-- to, director of the show. Advance reservations have been heavy. Highlighting the schedule of events will be the Floradora Sex-' tette with their can-can dance specialty. Authentically costumed for the roles, the sextette will in clude Virginia Swain, Ina Long, Lima Oneto, Dotty Fry, Betty Fearing and Margie Purser. Walter Gaskill of Manteo will star in a soft shoe clog dance as another interesting feature of the gay life of the Gay Nineties. Bob Gunn of Manteo will be the em cee. One of the sensational acts will be Mrs. Jessie Mann of Elizabeth City at the piano, playing the same tunes and accompaniments, that once made her an outstanding mu sician in eastern theatres during the days of silent movies. A barbershop quartet act, realis tic, even to the barber chair as See REVUE, Page Five BROAD STREET GROUP ASKS TOWN BOARD FOR SURFACE Delegation Finds Little Encouragemeht to Hope For Improvement Soon A delegation of residents of Broad Street in Manteo, headed by Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon O’Neal ap peared Monday before the town Board in regular session, asking that the town use some of the Powell Bill money now in hand, and which was sent to the town by the State Highway Commission for improvement of city streets. This delegation wanted Broad Street hardsurfaced. The Board could not give them any satisfac tion. It has- been town policy to allow such funds to accumulate for a longer period so as to get a better price by doing more work at the same time. It has also been town policy to require the prop erty owners abutting the street to pay one third of the cost of the required street improvement, but heretofore, there have been no guarantees to protect the town, and on some other streets the town has put up all the money, and has been waiting for as much as 13 years from some property owners to repay in their part. While this money has been tied up without interest for the bene fit of these few dilatory property owners, and they have enjoyed their better streets paid for by their neighbors, people on other streets are having to vrait for their improvements, and put up with the dust and noise etc. The improvement of Broad Street will present quite a prob lem and prove expensive all around because no curb and gutter has been installed on either side of the street, which is also usual ly paid for in like fashion. It is the widest street in town, which also adds to this also doubly ex pansive project. Some of the resi dents of Broad Street point out that they would be satisfied with a simple black top down the middle of the street such as exists on Little Street. It is pointed out that Little Street was paved at no cost to the town, it having been done by the highway people in or der to provide access to their depot on the north side of the cemetery. The town Board in January be gan charging the dilatory proper ty owners who haven’t come across on other projects, six per cent in terest on balance due. While this may not hasten collections, it will reimburse the town for interest it has had to pay on money thus “loaned” such property owners. In event of the sale of this property, the town must be repaid in order to clear the title. MRS. VAN NESS HARWOOD AT PARTY IN HER HONOR I * sfllßll 1 BK' /■MI ■r-i k 81 I |kW,! I W BIJLB' ■ f va ru |r ( Kl [ 11 (Aycock Brown Photo) MRS. VAN NESS HARWOOD of Manteo, shown seated in the Dare County Library in Manteo, on the evening of March 4 when she was honored with Open House, in recognition of her 22 years of service to the library. JUMPING FROG JUBILEE MAY BE FEATURE OF PIRATES JAMBOREE ON DARE COAST Nags Head.—A “Jumping Frog Jubilee” preliminary to a national event under the same name pre sented each year in May at Angels Camp in Calaveras County, Cali fornia, is now scheduled to be an afternoon feature of the Dare Beaches phase of the third annual Dare Coast Pirates Jamboree here on Saturday, April 27, it was stat ed today by W. H. McCown, chair man of the spring vacation launch er’s steering committee. The “Jumping Frog Jubilee” will replace beach buggy races original ly planned for the Dare Beaches on the second day of the Jamboree. The races were scratched from the program when arrangements could not be made for a race course on the open beaches near Oregon In let. Due to erosion problems along the beaches in recent years, driving autos through the roadless areas near the surf has been discouraged and even forbidden except in some instances and the possibility of in jury to some racer or spectator on government lands was also said to be a factor in cancellation of the races. In the Jubilee preliminaries, bull frogs will be the contestants. Two of the winning frogs would be air expressed to Angels Camp via Washington, with the blessings of California and North Carolina con gressmen, if plans are carried out. One of’the problems in presenting a Jumping Frog Jubilee at Nags Head in late April is the fact that See FROG JUMP, Page Five CIVIL DEFENSE MEETING IN MANNS HBR. MARCH 19 4 A civil defense meeting will be held in Manns Harbor at the school building Tuesday night, March 19, according to R. K. Gunn, Civil Defense Director. This meet ing will be for the benefit of residents of Manns Harbor, Stumpy Point, East Lake, and Mashoes. Alton Best of Stumpy Point has been named co-ordinator of the Stumpy Point area. As yet, no person has been named for this post in Manns Harbor, Mr. Gunn says. • The following information will be revealed. 1. Capabilities and technique of enemy attack. 2. County wide defense program and organization status. 3. School eva cuation program and the utiliza tion of the fishing fleet in Dare County. One of the biggest and most successful defense meetings so far was held Monday night of last week at Wanchese, under the di rection of Mack Etheridge. A matching attendance is expected at the Manns Harbor meeting, which will be open to all residents of the Dare mainland, and any visitors who wish to attend. MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1957 GEORGE HALE QUIDLEY BACK TO HIS OLD STAND The highway came along and put him out of business but George Hale Quidley has bounced up like a rubber ball this week, and is reopening the old'Roanoke Service Station in downtown Manteo, where he began his career as a filling station operator. He went down to Bridge Turn, away from everyone, and developed Midway Station, a splendid business’ and a reputation for giving folks a good job on their washing and greas ing, and for many years had every thing going his way. When they built the Croatan Sound bridge, it called for a vast improvement pro gram on U. S. 158, U. S. 64 and U. S. 264 all of which passed by Mr. Quidley’s door. But the high way improvement didn’t merely pass his door, it simply squatted out, and wiped his filling station right off the road. Although sev eral careless motorists during the years have repeatedly tried to bat ter down the place, George Hale always bounced up again with a rebuilt house. But this is one time it won’t come back. The highway folks are going to wipe it com pletely off the map. It’s going to be good for George Hale’s old customers to know he hasn’t gone far, and only a short distance away he can be found in downtown Manteo with the same old smile, the same good work, and be dismissed at the end of service with his usual gusty old farewell “Happy Motoring.” So what ? Next thing we know, George will bounce up somewhere else in a big new place, for like a rubber ball, he won’t stay down long. NAGS HEAD CASINO SCHEDULES OPENING FOR SATURDAY NIGHT One of the most popular amuse ment places on the Dare Beaches begins its 1957 season this week end, with the opening scheduled for Saturday night, March 16. Nags Head Casino operator G. T. Westcott announces that Bill El liott and his orchestra will play for the season opener, beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday night dances will continue with an orchestra for each week end, Westcott an nounces. The building has been renovated during the winter, completely painted inside and out. A new in sulated roof has been built, mak ing the dance hajl cooler during extremely hot weather. TURKEY DINNER SATURDAY FOR CHURCH AT HATTERAS There will be a turkey dinner at the Community Building Saturday night. March 23 from 5 to 7:30. Everyone is urged to come and buy a dinner. Proceeds will go on the church building fund. MANTEO TRYOUTS FOR LOST COLONY ON MARCH 2I Roles To- Be Filled Include All Ages and Sizes, Rom Flower Girls to Husky English Soldiers Preliminary tryouts or auditions for roles in The Lost Colony which opens on Saturday June 29 this year, will be held at Waterside Theatre next Thursday afternoon, March 21, beginning promptly at 3:15 o’clock, it was stated today by General Manager R. E. Jordan. Burnet Hobgood, the Catawba College drama director, formerly with Paul Green’s “Wilderness Road,” in Berea, Ky., will be di rector of The Lost Colony this year. He will be here on Thursday Jo conduct the auditioning of Dare County residents and persons from Elizabeth City, Norfolk, Hertford or anywhere in the surrounding area for various roles in the show. “This year we will need a new Agona, the role which the late Grace Davis has played for many seasons. We will also need two big husky actors to take the part of the principal Elizabethan sold iers. Other parts to be filled in clude roles requiring persons of i all ages from the flower girls and Wano, (Chief Manteo’s son) ages and sizes to colonist men and wom en, Indian braves, maidens and others,” said Jordan. The tryouts on Thursday will be of much importance to local persons who wish to be actors in The Lost Colony this year. These will be premliminary tryouts with the finals scheduled for Sunday, June 9. Manager Jordan left Thursday for Louisville, Ky., where audi tions for The Lost Colony will be held March 16. On March 23. there will be more tryouts in Chapel Hill and on the same date, dancer tryouts in Raleigh. CAMPAIGN TO AID CRIPPLED CHILDREN BEGINS IN DARE The hopeless cripple who once depended upon the charity of others is rapidly disappearing from the American scene. Modern medi cine with all its seeming miracles has not yet erased illness and crippling, but modern science is becoming more and more capable of making useful, happy citizens of those who are crippled. Today, there are schools for crippled children, workshops, re habilitation centers, and many other specialized programs to cope with the problems of the physically handicapped. Responsible in great part for the ranid advances in aid and understanding is the Dare County Society for Crippled Chil dren and Adults, which is now conducting its annual Easter Seal campaign. The dates for the 1957 Easter Seal Campaign are March 15 through April 21. A time for our hearts to go to our heads. By giv ing to Easter Seals, we can’t go wrong,” says the Dare Committee. Dedicated to serving children and adults regardless of race, creed or cause of crippling, serving this board are as follows: Mrs. W. B. Fearing, Chm., Mrs. Ephey B. Priest. Treasurer, Dr. W. W. Johnston and Miss Bessie Draper. In spite of the outstanding job, the society’s officers do not feel it is enough. Every dollar spent is worth many times its value to the handicapped and to the com munity. The crippled child who was a charity case in years past now is able to become a self-sufficient adult who shares the tax load with his fellows. ST. CLAIR GAIMEL, NATIVE OF COLINGTON BURIED TUES. > St. Clair Gaimel, 51, a native of : Colington Island, Dare County, and I a resident there until 15 years ago, ■ died in a Norfolk hospital Sunday . afternoon. He resided at 2722 • Argonne Ave., Norfolk and was ' the husband of Mrs. Lina Capps ; Gaimel whom he met while she i taught at Colington. He was the • son of the late Decatur and Zeno ra Green Gaimel, and a member of the Fairmont Methodist Church. I He is survived by a stepson Den ' nis Capps of Norfolk; three sis- • ters, Mrs. James Beasley, Mrs. Roy Beacham and Mrs. Paul Morris of ; Kitty Hawk; a brother, Jasper Gaimel of Colington; two half brothers, Orlando Meekins and Carson Meekins of Kitty Hawk, and one step grand-daughter. He ’ had been employed as a pumpman by the Craney Island Government - project, Norfolk. ’ The funeral services were con- • ducted Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the I Derry-Twiford Funerql home in i Norfolk, and burial followed in the family plot at Colington at 2 p.m. ACTION DEFERRED BY TOWN BOARD TOWARD GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO VEPCO Two of Three Members of Board, Backed by Prominent Merchants Want Full Information; Looking Toward Operating Town's Own Elec tric Light System for 225 Customers; Vepco Es timates Their Activities would Bring $60,000 Annual Payroll to Manteo. Some 875 power consumers on Roanoke Island are going to have to wait awhile before they begin receiving savings, if then, on a new rate offered by VEPCO which would save them a large sum each year, estimated at $17,000 to $24,- 000 annually. They will have to wait for the decision until the Manteo Town Board can satisfy itself whether it is profitable for the town to take over the electric light business to serve some 225 customers who live within the town limits. The town board Monday after noon, after a long session, decided to defer action on a request from Virginia Electric and Power Co. for a 30-year franchise, under which it would take over the Ro anoke Utilities Company's system, and at once put in the rates now in effect at Nags Head, and else where on the company’s system. The only member of the Board in favor of passing favorably on the VEPCO request on the first reading was G. T. Westcott Jr. The other two members, M. L. Daniels Jr. and Sam Midgett Jr. expressed a desire not to grant the request at this time. In this, they were backed by several re sponsible business men of the town who sent letters urging that the request of the power company not be granted. Letters were read from Carson W. Davis, Ralph Davis, M. L. Daniels Sr. and Archie Bur rus. In addition, Vernon Davis at tended and expressed vigorous ob jection to let VEPCO come in now, and objection was expressed by Frank White, local post office em ploye, Wilton Jolliff, former man ager of the town water and sewer system, Burwell Evans, hardware merchant, and Herbert Crees, thea tre operator, all not being present. Ray Goodmon of Williamston, a Vepco vice-president was present and told the Board it would be an advantage to pass the motion on the first reading in the in terest of time, although this did not obligate the Board to pass it on the second reading, which must be at least 30 days later. He said in order to take over the sys tem, he must also have the ap proval of the State Utilities Com missions of North Carolina, Vir ginia and West Virginia, in which the company operates. He said when the Company took over, the present company rates would go into effect. Some of the local busi ness men made comparisons, find ing they would save from 25 to 30 per cent monthly. Residential rates were found to be about the same, except for the smallest consumers who’d saved more. Some estimates are that savings to Roanoke Is land and Manteo consumers would average $2,000 a month. Mr. Goodmon told the Board, if his company takes over the Ro anoke Utilities, it was the purpose to make Manteo the depot to serve its customers and service its lines between Corolla and Oregon Inlet, in lower Currituck, Kitty Hawk and Colington. He said, beside taking over three people now em ployed by the local utilities, seven others would be employed locally, making ten in all, some of whom would be expert technicians, etc., who would be sent here to make their home. He also said his com pany’s payroll to these employes engaged here in looking after the Dare-Currituck section of VEP CO’s system would total an an nual payroll of $60,000, which might prove an important item in the economy of the community from the standpoint of owning or renting homes, trading with local stores, paying taxes and partici pating in various community, civic, and church activities. He also said, in order to assure full voltage to all consumers, his company proposed to immediately correct any deficiencies in the present system by adequate tem porary installations while a more complete system is being rebuilt to take care of the possibility of the growth of Roanoke Island. It ap peared from estimates, the total cost of improving the system up to VEPCO standards during the next two years, would cost up wards of $200,000, which was con sidered an important item, taking into account the amount of labor to be employed in this undertaking, and what they might do toward boosting business in local stores. See FRANCHISE, Page Five Single Copy MANTEO ROTARY IS ASKED TO AID THE BRIDGE CELEBRATION President of SAA Seeks Support in Fund Raising Campaign Big Big Event on April 25. A rousing appeal for the sup port and backing of the Manteo Rotary Club for the forthcoming celebration dedicating the Croatan Sound bridge was made Monday night before the Manteo Rotary Club by guest speaker, Melvin R. Daniels, President of the Southern Albemarle Association which is spearheading the campaign for the big event on April 25th at Manns Harbor. Mr. Daniels recounted some of the history of the movement for the new $3,000,000 bridge in which the Association played an active part during the 21 years of its history. The Association now com prises Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Mar tin, Tyrrell and Washington Coun ties. He paid tribute to the late Governor William Umstead. who made the bridge possible by spe cial appropriations. The need for an adequate fund to properly conduct this celebra tion, which will entertain some 1.500 specially invited guests, in cluding all Highway Officials, was pointed out by Mr. Daniels, as offering a challenge and oppor tunity to the people of the area to do a lot of good will work get fine advertising for our coastland. Appeals have gone forth to the businessmen of this area for con tributions to the cause. Mr. Daniels asked the coopera tion of the Rotary in connection with Dare County’s nominees for the beauty contest on April 25th, when from the six entrants from the counties, the “Queen of the Southern Albemarle” will be chosen. The club promised to aid. and to continue with this plan met Monday night with a special committee headed by Bob Smith. Each- of the counties will select an entrant for this contest. INCOME COMPARISON OUT OF ELECTRIC PROFITS MADE BY INAPPROPRIATE YARDSTICK In relying upon figures from other 1 towns, as a basis for esti mating probable profits from a proposed electric light system to serve the town of Manteo, the larger town of Belhaven, which buys current from VEPCO and dis tributes it to consumers, has been used as a yardstick. Until three years ago, Belhaven generated current with a costly diesel motor plant, with four motors which cost several hundred thousand dollars. The town found it profitable to sell the motors at junk prices, bringing less than ten per cent of original cost. By buying current from VEPCO, it was able to re duce its rather high rate consi derably. But the people are now clamoring for lower rates, after learning of the rates paid by cus tomers of VEPCO. While it may be difficult to determine the actual profits that come to the town for electricity, Belhaven did get one benefit out of selling its motors, some of which have not yet been removed. The money received for motors, and not profits, enabled the town to rebuild and improve its lines. Previously, improvements had been effected in its street lighting which comes from the current bought of Vepco at wholesale. Here is a comparison of com-* mercial rates of Vepco, Belhaven, and those now in effect on Ro anoke Island, based on a consump tion of 400 kw hours. Roanoke Belhaven Vepco Island 22.60 18.50 16.40 Residential, 100 kfr Hours 5.50 6.30 4.10 By this table, it is seen, that if profits would be made, the rate must go up to the Belhaven rate, which is now a subject of com plaint, and is higher than either Roanoke or Vepco. But it must be remembered that Belhaven is no yardstick at al! by which Manteo’s prospects can be measured. Bel haven is a town of 2.500 people while Manteo has less than 500 in its corporate limits. Belhaven has See ELECTRICITY, Page Five
The Coastland Times (Manteo, N.C.)
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March 15, 1957, edition 1
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