VOLUME XXIII NO. 48
CITIZENS[CALL FOR CLEAN SWEEP IN COURTHOUSE
COURT ACTION THREATENED
AGAINST COMMISSIONERS TO
PROTECT TAXPAYERS RIGHTS
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Citizens Promised Support and Financial Backing
in Meeting at Kill Devil Hills Monday; Pledged
to Fight Unjust Discrimination In Taxing of
Property; Plans Dscussed For Saving County's
Money.
A meeting of some 50 citizens
and taxpayers of Dare County held
at Kill Devil Hills Monday night
in a two hour session, closed with
an organization having been form
ed, an executive committee named,
and a plan for a conference with
attorneys, hopeful of straightening
out the tangle that has resulted
from what was called “an outrage
ous and unjust attempt to impose
burdensome taxes on Dare Coun
ty’s citizens and other property
owners.”
The meeting opened and Walter
D. Perry was unanimously elected
chairman and Miss Sarah Halli
burton, Secretary. Messages were
delivered from numerous taxpayers
who, unable to be present, prom
ised financial support. Some of
these messages came from various
points in Dare County, including
the farthest point—Hatteras. Oth
ers came from Raleigh, Suffolk,
Washington, Elizabeth City, Nor
folk and elsewhere.
The invitation had been extended
to any and all property owners in
every part of Dare County, and
the attendance might have been
much larger but for rain and the
short notice that had been given
to the public. However letters and
messages continued to come in
next day, the Chairman reports.
Among the property owners at
tending this meeting were W. H.
McCown of Manteo, and F. V. Dun
stan of Elizabeth City, both prop
erty owners and attorneys. In at
tendance was County Tax Super
visor Pennel A. Tillett who was
welcomed for his courtesy and
knowledge and fine recollection of
figures in connection with the tax
appraisal.
Many property owners spoke of
the appraisal now being conducted,
all expressing the belief that it
was an incompetent job. Some said
they believed it unfair; others said
discriminatory.
Comment was made on the fact
that Commissioner Hallett Perry
had been able to get the entire
Board to visit Atlantic Township
for a two day inspection, follow
ing his complaint that his commu
nity had been discriminated
against in relation to values set
in other communities.
Citizens of Kitty Hawk queried
Capt. Tillett, the tax supervisor,
if he knew the Reason why values
in Wanchese had been on a parity
with those at Kitty Hawk, and in
their discussion, Capt. Tillett ex
pressed the opinion that Wanchese
with about twice as many homes
as are in Kitty Hawk, had been
valued much below the value set
on the Kitty Hawk community.
From several persons came re
ports of appraisals on adjacent
property being out of line, in that
one piece of property was valued
at, say, SBOO, another piece of
equal size at $2,400 and a third
piece adjacent at $3,000.
Homes too, it was reported, were
valued in some cases at twice their
original cost with no allowance for
depreciation. Business property in
some cases, was reported as hav
ing been valued at double the value
of residential property, the same
being adjoining. Asked for an opin
ion on this, Attorney Dunstan said
he believed this would not be sus
tained by law.
The general opinion of the meet
ing was that a strong organization
should be formed to aid in fighting
the battle of any/ citizen in any
part of Dare County who consider
ed himself the victim of discrimi
nation.
At an early date, it is planned
to go before the County Board to
request a review and a reduction ,
in connection with the situation.
Last wec»:, the entire five Com
missioners were in session all week
as week before, and spent upwards
of three days travelling in Atlan
tic township, doing their politick
ing for re-election at a cost of
sl2 each and mileage per day.
Many promises were resulted, and
reductions made on thousands of
parcels of land, whereby instead of
being raised four times from the
prior assessment, it is now only
three times as much. Taxpayers
however protest that jumping the
property 300 per cent is just too
much at one time.
To achieve relief, several plans i
See ACTION, Page Twelve
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBUSHEP WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
NAMED CHAIRMAN OF NEW
DARE TAXPAYERS COMMITTEE
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WALTER D. PERRY of Kill Devil
Hills was drafted unanimously
Monday night at a meeting of
citizens of Dare County at the
town hall in Kill Devil Hills when
they organized for the purpose of
opposing unfair taxation of the
people of Dare County. Some 50
people, first and last, attended the
meeting or wrote in pledging the
support, and later in the week, the
number of commitments from
prospective members were reported
at 150. Mr. Perry is a former
Chairman of the Dare County
Board of Education.
SAA DRIVE REVIVED
FOR BRIDGE OVER
ALLIGATOR RIVER
Manteo Group Attend Committee
Meeting at Engelhard With
Other Members
A new drive was begun last
week for a bridge over Alligator
River, a free bridge if possible,
but a toll bridge if necessary,
among other business of the South
ern Albemarle Committee meeting!
at Engelhard, according to M. L. |
Daniels Jr. of Manteo, Association!
Vice-president for Dare County.
Mr. .Daniels went to the meet
ing with Melvin R. Daniels, a for
mer president, and also from Dare
was Mrs. Leland Wise of Stumpy
Point.
The local man considers the
bridge the most important project
for Dare County, and it is the
See BRIDGE, Page Twelve
UNCLE DOCK FROM DUCK WRITES—
Jack and the Beanstalk Just a Piker
Alongside Our County Commissioners
Dear Mister Editor:
You know something has come
to my head abput that old story
of Jack and the beanstalk. He re
minds me of our county commis
sioners. Jack got to climbing up
out of his latitude, like they did
when they listed the taxes, and he
found a giant that darn near ate
him up. They’ve surely woke up a
giant too.
Jack’s beanstalk was just a
piker compared with the beanstalk
the commissioners have been grow
ing in Dare County. Jack’s bean
stalk which growed so fast and so
high must have been in some
mighty rich soil, but our commis
sioners hitve sprouted a tax value
in our old poor sandy land, watered
it down with sea water and with
sharp lead pencils jumped it the
first time overnight to about S2O
million more than they said it was
worth last year. And believe me,
that’s going some!
Well, they say it’s all in the
figuring, and some of the boys
say the chairman has always been
a good man at figuring. He’s fig
ured pretty good for himself in
the past five op 50, with his
“second the motion men” backing
him up.
As for me, I have been figuring
for three week,s and wore out six
pencils and the old woman’s lip
stick trying to figure out how I
could pay my taxes this year, and
I ain’t found the answer yet
GUY H. LENNON, MANTEO
CITIZEN DIES THURSDAY
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GUY HARTWELL LENNON, 62,
one of the leading business men
of Dare County died Thursday
morning in a hospital in Easton,
Md. after an illness of several
months. He was a native of Roa
noke Island, son of Mrs. Garnet
Lennon and the late W. P. Lennon
of Manteo and was the husband
of the late Mrs Gladys W. Lennon,
who died two months ago. He is
survived by two brothers, Dr. W.
E. Lennon of Federalsburg, Md.;
and R. B. Lennon, a sister, Mrs.
Isabel Warren, and his mother, all
of Manteo; also by an uncle, Rep
resentative R. Bruce Etheridge.
Mr. Lennon was a veteran of
World War I, having left the
Navy with rank of Lieutenant fol
lowing the war, and established
himself in business soon after. He
was one of the owners and develop
ers of the Virginia Dare Transpor
tation Co. which brought motor
freight and bus service to Roanoke
Island for the first time nearly 30
years ago. He was one of the
promoters and owners of the Caro
linian Hotel at Nags Head, having
sold his interest a year ago, and
he was interested in other real
estate ventures.
At the time of his death he was
a member of the Dare County ABC
board, a post he had held since its
establishment. He had been presi
■ dent of the Chamber of Commerce,
and had held many other civic
posts. He was a Mason and
See LENNON, Page Twelve
TOWN BASEBALL TEAM TO
HAVE FIRST GAME SUNDAY
The Manteo town team, which
has been playing sumftier baseball
for the past several years, will
play their first game of the season
next Sunday, June 1. Opponents
of the local players will be a
team from the Portsmouth area.
Game time will be 2:00, at the
Manteo diamond. A high quality
of baseball has been played by
the Manteo teams in the past, and
it is expected to continue again
this year. Everyone is urged to
come out to see an interesting
game.
Now Mr. Editor, after you
turned the sunlight on our Board’s
beanstalk, it’s sure been wilting
fast since they come out with the
first figures, and it’s a good thing
pencils have rubbers on them for
they tell me they have rubbed out
and cut down, and rubbed out and
cut down, until they wore a hole
in the abstracts we signed, and
they they had to copy off some
new sheets. But you can bet they
won’t get me to put my name un
der these new figures, even if
they charge me a dollar for not
listing.
Since I first wrote you about
that dream I had, I have had some
candidates come to see me for the
first time in 20 years. It had been
so long since they’d been around
to see how I was getting on and
what I might be needing, that I’d
forgot their favor, and they had
to introduce themselves.
Mr. Editor, I am a religious man
and I feel like I am truly living in
“the promised land” for the first
time in my life. My old woman
dpn’t order me around like she!
used to, and these candidates have]
promised me everything under the
sun. They even say in a year, or
two, they are going to cut down
taxes until I won’t pay practically
anything.
That, I can believe too, for if
.they stay in office any longer, in
a year or two I won’t have any-
See UNCLE DOCK, Page Twelve
MANTEO. N. C.. FRIDAY, MAY 30. 1950
SATURDAY, MAY 31 IS THE DAY
FOR VOTERS TO SHAKE OFF
THEIR SHACKLES
If there ever was a time when the citizens of Dare
County were determined to go in force to the polls and
shake themselves loose from the shackles that have
been slowly forged upon them by a reckless and waste
ful set of officials it appears that time is now.
A determined people, judging from all expressions
of people attending court in Manteo this week, from
all parts of Dare County, indicate they will make a clean
sweep, straight down the line and vote out officials
down at the courthouste, who are now opposed on the
ticket.
Rolling like a snowball is the growing number of
voters who demand a change in the way Dare County
is run. They say the only way to get it is to take no
chances and vote out the lot. They want improvement,
and they don't see how any two or three new men can
do any good, if part of the Board is left there to obstruct
and oppose and undermine all efforts for better govern
ment for Dare County. They feel a new board can ac
complish little with stumbling blocks left in the way.
. There are a number of things well-known to all.
which have brought Dare County people to their pres
ent frame of mind.
They are tired of inefficiency, waste and misman
agement in county Government.
They are tired of unreasonably high taxes, and still
higher taxes in sight, which they cannot afford to pay.
They resent the waste of their money for useless
things, and to pay useless people while the schools of
the county are on starvation basis and the children are
being denied what is due them.
They resent the reckless use,of the power to tax
and destroy the values of Dare County by driving out
investors, and whereby sales of real estate have reached
a stand-still.
They resent the loss of income to business, and the
lack of employement for our local workmen that has
come about as building ceases. People with money to in
vest refuse to spend any more because they are uncer
tain and confused by the foolish policies of the county
board, and those who assist the Board in their policies.
The people don’t like to work hard to earn and to
turn their money over to a board which pays little or
nothing as individuals, while recklessly spending, even
against the expressed wish of the people.
The people don’t like the refusal’ of the Commis
sioners 1 to have the county books audited during the past
two years. They want to know why.
They don’t like the continued eight years breaking
of the law by the commissioners in refusing to make
public audits of the county books, whereby the people
might know what the money is being spent for.
They don't like County Commissioners travelling in
a body, as they did last week for several days, cam
paigning for re-election while drawing sl2 a day to do
it; cutting taxes' only in hope of baiting for votes.
The people consider that their children and the
schools are being robbed when the Commissioners agree
to send $22,000 out of the county to get the property
valued, while equally competent men could have been
employed at home for less money!
The people say they are going to the polls Saturday
and take steps to correct these conditions by voting out
the whole Board and their assistant. They are not going
to be pulled and hauled about, followed to the ballot box
and told under threat or pressure who to vote for!
The people of Dare County say that men and wom
en of Dare County will exercise the one complete and '
inalienable right left for free people in a free world.
They are going to exercise that right Saturday between
six a.m. and six-thirty p.m. and elect new officials, and
thereby protect other rights of theirs which have been
sneered at, spit on, and disregarded too long!
(GUARD'S WILD SHOT
STRIKES CAR IN
CONVICT CHASE
. A Currituck County prison camp
convict, Thomas C. Callahan, of
1 Atlanta, Georgia, fled from a work
’ squad near Manteo on Monday and
' escaped in a stolen car. He and
' another prison, Ray Baker, of
' Covington, Kentucky, jumped from
' a work truck early Monday morn
' ing, but Baker was downed by a
1 shot in the shoulder. Guards be
-1 lieve that Callahan was also
I wounded.
Callahan stole a nearby car
from Ray Jones, Manteo insurance
. man. The vehicle was later found
abandoned near Manns 'Harbor.
Search for the escapee centered
around that section of Dare
County.
Callahan entered prison last
March from Mecklenburg County
after being sentenced to 20 years
i for kidnaping and 15 to 20 years
for armed robbery.
Baker, who taken to Central
Prison for medical attention was
not believed seriously injured. He
vras sentenced to seven years last
May in Cumberland County for
breaking and entering. Escape was
'made near the school now being
I constructed near Manteo.
The escape was witnessed by Mr.
andi Mrs. Leo Midgette of Manteo.
A rear glass in their automobile
was broken by buckshot from the
guards’ guns, but neither was hit.
Mr. and Mrs. Midgett were driving
up the road toward home. It was
later found when Mr. Midgett took
See CONVICT, Page Twelve
Hold Still a Minute—
This Is Going to Hurt A Little
Taxpayers to Get Another Needle Soon
There is something else folks,
that has been overlooked about
this tax deal in Dare County. The
notices you have received is not
all of it; they only cover values
set on your real estate, meaning
land and buildings.
Drs. Duvall, Swain, Daniels and
company have got another little
needle to stick in soon. It’s the !
personal property you own, and.ifj
you think you have already had it
all, you’ve got another think com
ing. Don’t be contented in the be
lief you’ve had the whole dose.
Your personal property, which
includes your household and kitch
en furniture, nets, boats, cars,
trucks, are going to be taxed and
these will be in addition to that
of which you have been notified.
Many people have yet to learn
what this is going to be.
And let us remind you of some
thing also. The contract made with
the Appraisal Associates of Pas
saic, N. J., includes something else.
This has been overlooked. In refer
ence to rural land values, it pro
vides that on this property, “the
schedule of values shall be sub
mitted to an advisory committee
of. local authorities' on land, who
•hall be required to approve such
schedules.”
Have you heard of any local
committee of your neighbors in
your township who have been con
sulted, and who have made recom
mendations, or who passed on the
value of your property? If you
JUDGE STEVENS EMPHASIZES
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN CHARGE
TO DARE COUNTY GRAND JURY
Expresses Pleasure on Returning to the Delightful
Scenes of Dare County, Recognizes Several
Old Friends, and Comments on Larger Jail
and Courthouse Offices.
PRESENTING THE STORY
OF CANDIDATE STICK
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DAVID STICK, who now seeks the
office of Commissioner from At
lantic Township, has led a busy
life. He is 38 years old, and has
been a resident of Dare County
since 1929, at which time he was
9 years old.
He is married to the former
Phyllis Stapells, and they have
three son, Mike, aped 4, Grey, aged
2, and Timothy Bryan, born May
26.
He has lived at Skyco, Nags
Head and Kill Devil Hills in the
past, but has taken up permanent
residence on Colington Island,
where he is building a new home.
He attended the University of
North Carolina for one year. Prior
to World War Two he worked as
a reporter for several newspapers
in eastern North Carolina and for
the Mutual Broadcasting System in
Washington. He served in the U.S.
Marine Corps for three and a half
years during the war, and then
worked in New York for two
years, where he held the position
of Associate Editor of the Ameri
can Legion Magazine.
He left New York in 1947 to
return to Dare County in order to
write books about this area, and
his books include “Fabulous Dare,
The Story of Dare County,” pub
lished in 1949; “Graveyard of the
Atlantic,” published in 1952; and
“The Outer Banks of North Caro
lina,” which will be published this
fall by the University of North
Carolina Press.
See STICK, Page Twelve
have, please furnish us with the
names of this committee, we would
like to publish them, so the citi
zens who think they have be°n
treated unfairly might consult with
them and reason with them.
Watch for new list of taxes com
ing out soon—on your personal
property—after the election is over.
SEVERAL INJURED;
TOTAL WRECK OF
CAR AT EAST LAKE
Several people were injured, in
cluding small children, when a
1954 Mercury coupe was totally
wrecked at 8 a.m. Sunday at East
Lake, not far from the old school
building.
Patrolman Arthur Fields, of
Mantoo. who investvrated tt>e
case has brought a charge of reck
less driving against Ervin Pledger,
41, of 2206 Abbey Road, Norfolk,
Va. Pledger had been spending
the week end at East Lake and
had started up the road from a
fishing lodge, bound on buying
some cigarettes at an East Lake
store.
In the car were Faye Hudson,
15, of Coinjock; Larry Pledger 12,
James Pledger, 45, and Michael
Pledger, 11. Painful cuts and
bruises were sustained, some re
quiring numerous stitches. All
were treated by Dr. W. W. Harvey
Jr. in Manteo and released.
Single Copy 70
Judge Henry L. Stevens Jr. of
Warsaw returned to Dare County
Monday after an absence of five
years, and in his charge to the
Grand Jury, dwelt long on his
love of the beauty and interest in
the coastland, dating from his first
visit some 20 years ago, when he
became a judge. He recognized
several of his long time friends,
and gave a charge one hour long
on the responsibilities of the
Grand Jury.
Judge Stevens, a former Nation
al Commander of the American
Legion is an orator of wide re
nown, and toward the end of his
charge, he dwelt at length on the
importance of highway safety, and
the effort that should come from
all good citizens to end the
slaughter and damage on our
roads. He gave strong warning to
persons who perjure themselves on
the witness stand, saying they
would find no mercy in his court.
Before the opening of court at
10 a.m. Judge Stevens had been
shown by county officers through--,
the new jail, and recently repainted
county offices, and he compliment -
ed those responsible for providing
and keeping these facilities in good
shape. He mentioned also that the
next improvement for this new
property would be installation of
a modern air-conditioning system
for the comfort of people who
work in the courthouse, and as
being as important in summer to
keep the place cool as is fuel and
heat in winter to keep it warm.
Judge Stevens mentioned that
several complaints had come to
him about how the county was be
ing run, but since this is an elec
tion time, he had no desire to em
barass anyone, and he thought
such complaints would better be
brought. up at the next term of
court, so therefore, he would tear
up such complaints at this time,
and leave the subject off for the
next term.
See COURT, Page Twelve
DARE GRAND JURY
HOODWINKED AGAIN
ABOUT THE AUDIT
Courthouse Officials Steer Them
Into Making Misleading
Report This Week
The Dare Commissioners, in
breaking the law for the past eight
years, with violation of Chapter
252 Public Laws of the 1947 ses
sion of the Legislature, may have
been guilty of malfeasance "in of
fice. At any rate, the determined
course they have taken, has denied
the people of their lawful right to
have complete public audits for
two years, and to be informed
about their public affairs for eight
years.
Perhaps some of the Commis
sioners are not even aware they
have continually violated the law
and acted in bad faith as well.
But some of them know better:
their Chairman, their clerk, and
their attorney know better .
Year after year they have gotten
by with it because some officials
in the courthouse have repeatedly
told the Grand Jury that audits
have been made and the law car
ried out. The Register of Deeds
has most accommodatingly. fur
nished reports, all written out, as
again came out of his office this
week, copying also as is done year
after year, the same old trite
words and a paragraph of fulsome
flattery hopeful of tickling the ear
of the judge and the solicitor.
This week there were some de
termined members of the Grand
Jury who were bent on putting in
their report a demand for an up
to-date audit. They had been read
ing the charges made against the
'Board in this newspaper, and our
repeated challenge to the board to
come forward and tell the people
“why and how much and where it
went?”
We repeat, the last CPA audit
was made for the year ending
June 30, 1966, showing the county
general fund then in the red to
the tune of $54,000, a statement
confirmed this week by the auditor.
That’s the last audit that has
been furnished the board, and still
Yet the Grand Jury was tricked
JURY, Rage Twelve