VOLUME XXIV NO. 6
BOARD TO BORROW
SIO,OOO TO START
DARE’S SCHOOLS
Bills For Getting Property in
Shape and Other Expenses
to Be Settled
A motion to borrow SIO,OOO on
which to start the schools of Dare
County during the coming season
beginning Sept. 2 was carried by
the Board of Commissioners at
their regular monthly meeting
this week.
The Board approved a plan for
erecting a street light in front of
the liquor store at Nags Head.
It also approved a request to be
sent to the State Highway Com
mission that the Scarboroughtown
road, a heavily populated road in
the colored section of Roanoke Is
land, and which is used by school
.buses, be hard surfaced.
On advice from Attorney Martin
Kellogg, the Board ordered that
notices be sent that two new ABC
Board members were not legally
appointed last month, these being
Ralph Davis of Manteo and C. S.
Culpepper of Nags Head. It is
now held that the Health Board,
ahd County Board must jointly
approve the selections.
A spokesman for the ABC
Board says on the basis of an
Amendment to the law in 1939,
only the Board of Commissioners
is required to make the appoint
ments, and that these two men
* were named in order.
The loan for beginning operation
of the schools is the result of the
county having no money on hand,
because of the wild and extrava
gant spending that has been going
on in county affairs for a long
time.
FREE DELIVERY
OF MAIL SOUGHT
ON ROANOKE ISLE
Patron* of Manteo Postoffice
Favor Establishing Rural
Mail Route
A movement is on foot to ask
the postoffice department to estab
lish rural free delivery of mail
on Rcanoke Island, and patrons of
the Manteo postoffice living' north
of Manteo are preparing to circu
late petitions asking for this serv
ice.
When, the petitions have been
completed, Congressman Herbert
C.' Bonner will be asked to use
his efforts to get the postoffice
department to establish this serv
ice.
Rural delivery service is now
operated out of the Kitty Hawk
postoffice to Duck and Colington
neighborhoods, those offices hav
ing been long discontinued because
•no one could be found to take the
place of the retiring postmasters.
MANTEO LODGE TO BE
HOST TO DIST. MASONS
District Deputy G. M. Lloyd Davenport
of Columbia to Preside Aug. 11
Manteo Lodge No. 682, A. F. &
A.M., will be host to the Masonic
lodges of the Third Masonic Dis
trict, Monday, August 11.
There will be a late afternoon
session beginning at 5:00 p.m., at
which all officers and others who
can, are urged to attend. Dinner
will be served at 6:30 p.m., in the
educational building of the Method
ist Church. The lodge will open
at 8:00 p.m., the new District
Deputy Grand Master, Lloyd B.
Davenport of Columbia, will be
present. Speakers of the evening
will be J. A. Morris and R. H.
LjUpas both well known in Masonic
circles.
This district was reorganized in
May of this year and is now made
up of the following lodges: Cape
Hattera3 698, Buxton; Wanchese
521, Wanchese; Mattamuskeet 328,
Engelhard;
bia, and Manteo 682. Edward M.
Wescott is Master of the host
lodge. All Master Masons are
cordially invited and urged to at
tend this meeting.
AR4 E. MEEKINS 76, DIES
WEDNESDAY AT RODANTHE
After several years of declining
health, Ara Edison Meekins, 76,
died Wednesday morning at 1:10
i.m. at the family home in Rod
mthe. He wfis born in this comrau
lity Dec. 19, 1881 and had lived
:here all his life. He never mar
led. He was a brother of the late
Theo. S. Meekins who was promi
lent in Dare County affairs for
nany years.
Surviving relatives are a broth
!r, J. Frank Meekins and two sis
ers. Mrs. Zenith Midgett and
Lewis Midgett all of Rodan
be, and many nephews and nieces,
Funer&l services will be conduct.
:d by Rev. P. M. Porter of Tyner
;t the family home, and interment
rill be in the family plot nearby
t 2 p.m. Friday.
e
THE COASTLAND TIMES
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA
TEACHERS NAMED
IN DARE SCHOOLS
FOR COMING TERM
The full list of teachers for the
schools of Dare County for the
coming school term which opens
Tuesday, , September 2, 1958 is
made public this week by Mrs.
Mary L. Evans, Superintendent of
Public Instruction for Dare Coun
ty.
For Manteo High School, W. H.
Bunch, Principal, Adrian O. Ayers,
Katherine E. Bowman, Maggie D.
Cannady, Jerry B. Hendrick, Ma
tilda E. Inge, P. D. Mavrommat
tis, Wm. W. Tarkington.
Manteo Elementary School: C.
H. Butler, Principal, Mrs. Hilda
W. Ballance, Wayland H. Fry,
Ruby M. Gray, Grace W. Hooper,
Frances A. Leggett, Ruby H. Lep
pard, Etta B. Midgett, Mary D.
Meekins, Essie N. Westcott, Lucy
T. Willis, and Bertie S. Ward.
Wanchese School: C. D. Wag
staff, principal; Cleopatra Daniel?,
Milah P. Meekins, Louise H. Til
lett.
Kitty Hawk School: Mrs. Leona
P. Rogers, Principal, Elizabeth
Atkins, Hazel S. McLean, Irene
B. Midgett.
Cape Hatteras School: John W.
Hamilton, principal, Violet G. Aus
tin, Inez D. Austin, Hilda B.
Brown, Lawrence W. Clark,
Charles P. Gray, Kathryn Midgett,
C. Russell Reynolds, Bryan Jerome
Salter, Enna M. Scarborough, En
nis Littlewood and Nita B. Bal
lance.
Roanoke School: J. A. Dempsey,
principal, Eva A. Bethea, and Lil
lian T. Boone.
$85,000 SPENT BY
PARK SERVICE ON
BUILDING DUNES
Fight Against Erosion on Outer
Banks, Last Year, a Con
siderable Sum
During the recently ended fiscal
year, a total of $85,000 was spent
in Dare County, principally on
i Hatteras Island, to combat the
[forces of erosion. This work con
sisted in the building of sand
fences, moving sand by bulldozer,
brush laying, grassing and build
ing of ramps.
Supt. R. F. Gibbs of the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore has
issued a report on the second year
of the project. He says:
“The object this year was to
rehabilitate and stabilize the dune
system in areas adjacent to Na
tional Park Service developments
and to carry out improvements to
the most critical portion of the
work completed last year.
“To this end, the work on Bodie-
Pea Island took place in areas
around Coquina Beach, Oregon In
let Camp and Picnic Grounds, Pea
Islapd Campground and the Pea
Island Parking-Overlook Area. The
following was accomplished: ap
proximately 24,000 lin. ft. of snow
fence installed, 9,000 lin. ft. of
snow fence replaced, 8,000 lin. ft.
of brush fence installed, 12,000
cu. yds. sand moved for dune
build-up, and 9 acres of grass
planted.
At Hatteras Island, dune proj
ect work centered about the Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse Area, the
dune area between Frisco and
Hatteras and a critical area adja
cent to the old Phipps Gun Club.
A TD-18 dozer was kept at work
throughout the year in pushing
up a dune to protect the newly
constructed campground and to co
operate with the N. C. State High
way Commission (who provided
similar equipment) in raising a
dune between Frisco and Hatteras
villages. Northeast storms pound
ed the Phipps area again this year
and tore out the base section of
the new main barrier dune. Ap
proximately 32,000 cu ft. of brush
was in stabilization. Grassing, ap
proximately 7 acres, was planted
in the campground and Frisco
areas, and approximately 2,000 ft.
of brush and 16,000 lin. ft. of
snow fence erected in these same
areas.
On Ocracoke Island, work was
largely a continuation of the 1957
fiscal year. Approximately- 80,000
lin. ft. of snow fencing was used
to complete the basic two line sand
fence from Ocracoke village to
the ferry landing, a distance of
approximately 13 miles. About
25,000 lin. ft. of the above was
salvage and replacement of fenc
ing due to storm damage and to
better sand collecting barriers. The
build-up of dunes and fences along
the northern third of the island
was excellent, overflowing the 4
foot fencing in a broad base. How
ever, it was along this section of
complete build-up of the initial
fencing that storm damage was
the worst Several storms battered
this section and caused a receding
coast line. Large portions of the
fencing at the northern extremity
of the island had to be relocated
See NPS, Page Six
METHODISTS PLAN
100th ANNIVERSARY
AT KITTY HAWK
Big Celebration Planned As Cam
paign on $50,000 Project
Progresses
What is expected to be the big
gest church celebration ever held
in the Dare County coastland area
is shaping up for October in Kitty
Hawk, when the 100th anniversary
of the founding of the Methodist
church is to be observed.
The celebration and homecoming
will be held at a time while the
community is in the midst of the
last stages of a campaign to fi
nance a $50,000 church educational
building.
The community, some 20 years
ago, completed and paid for a
handsome brick church, the first
one built in Dare County by a
white congregation. The building
project now undertaken i 3 also a
stupendous one, considering the
size of the project.
Tlie homecoming planned in
October is expected to bring to
gether for the first time, several
thousand former residents of the
area. Ample time is allowed to
plan for the event. The Kitty
Hawk area has been the birth
place or residence of many people
who have distinguished themselves
away from home. In fact, many
citizens believe Kitty Hawk has
turned out more of such persons
per capita, than any other coast
land community.
The fund for the new church an
nex has grown to $21,000 in cash
and pledges. Capt. P. A. Tillett,
chairman of the building fund, and
his workers have put in a lot of
hard work in this cause. Hallett F.
Perry is chairman of the Board of
Trustees. Others active in official
capacities are Capt. T. E. Midgett,
Carlos Dowdy and Jesse E. Baum.
On June 9th, ground was broken
for this building with impressive
ceremonies, attended by District
Sunt. C. Freeman Heath.
The building will contain seven
Sunday school rooms, bath rooms,
fellowship hall. etc. It will be an
See CHURCH, Page Six
HYDE NEGRO MAN
DROWNED MONDAY
AT STUMPY POINT
The body of J. P. Mackey, 32, an
Engelhard negro employed for a
long time at Stumpy Point was
found Monday when it came to
surface, following the activity of
motor boats in the vicinity of the
fish house of Alton Best, the dead
man’s employer.
Mackey worked for Mr. Best. He
had been to Roanoke Island on the
week end, and when he was not
noticed at work on Monday morn
ing, this was not considered un
usual. However his pants and
shoes were found in the fish house
where he slept. When boats came
in from fishing, the body came to
surface.
.The man is reported as unmar
ried.
Coroner Jim Vannote of Manteo
said it appeared that the negro
had come in during Sunday night,
and after taking off his pants and
shoes had stepped out to the edge
of the wharf and there had fallen
overboard.
* l ■- ' ' »
UNCLE DOCK FROM DUCK WRITES:
Wants to Know How Folks Lived Before
Finding So Much to Spend Money For
My memory takes me back this
month to how we used to live in
August when I was a boy. I re
member at this time, when every
body had laid by their crops, we
used to have the big week-long
revivals -winding up in a big pic
nic on the grounds, with the bap
tizing of all the converts the week
of preaching had rounded up.
The revival never lasted longer
than a week, for by that time the
last chicken in the neighborhood
had been slain and fed to the vis
iting preachers. It used to be quite
a contest to see whose homes the i
preacher would go to. He was ex
pected to eat his noon meal at a
different home everyday, and sleep
on a new bed every night.
When I had grown older, I gave
more thought to the possibility
that a preacher had to be a mighty <
patient man. I don’t see how he
didn’t get foundered on chicken
meat, nor how he ever got enough
rest, what with changing beds so
often. In those days many people '
put their worst mattress’ in the :
room they kept for visitors, being
that these rooms weren't used <
much, while the man of the house i
kept the best bed for himself. ]
Most everybody had feather beds i
in those days, and I don't see why <
somebody didn’t smother under the i
heat of those hot August nights. 1
Sometimes we’d have a glut of
MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1958
SENATOR JORDAN AND JAYCEE PRESIDENT
• j'''-: ' ... : ,'■
Bob Cox, left of Chapel Hill, President of the (National Jaycees, is
shown calling on Senator B. Everett Jordan in his office in Washing
ton, D. C. Cox, a former U. N. C. football star, is the first North
Carolinian to become president of the National Jaycees. .
KILL DEVIL HILLS
TOWN SETS UP A
MODESf BUDGET
Recent Trend In Municipal Affairs
Indicates Improved interest
By Officials
There is a wholesome effect in
the i-ecent action of the town of
Kill Devil Hills in holding down
expenses, so that the tax rate is
not increased. This has been done
despite the cost of an election
which was not needed, and the
addition of street lights to im
prove the community.
Some wide praise has been given
the Mayor and town board for
giving attention to the business of
the town. The difficulties that
have hampered the progress of the
new town might never have occur
red had there been more lively
interest in the beginning in the
welfare of the town. There was a
failure at the outset of sufficient
people of the right temperament
and ability to assume the respon
sibilities of public office. The bur
den fell on the shoulders of too
few of them.
Some people who once fought
the municipality, now think con
tinued improvement is going to
make a far better situation. Sev
eral now say the only way for
progress is through municipal
management. The general appear
ance of the town, its police and fire
service, and zoning to protect prop
erty owners against unfair en-
See BUDGET, Page Six
MANTEO TOWN TEAM PLAYS
SHAWBORO THIS SUNDAY
The Manteo Town Team will
play the Shawboro team this com
ing Sunday, August 10. Game tinje
will be at 2 o’clock at the Manteo
diamond. Everyone is urged to
come out and watch the game.
Last Sunday the Manteo team
scored its second victory in as
many starts against the Manns
Harbor team, winning 6-3.
mosquitos,, and folks would nigh
frap their hides off beating away
the mosquitos. We’d sit through a
two-hour church service, while the
preacher would tell us of the aw
ful fate that awaited the unrepent
ant. The sweat rolled down, off us
and off the preacher while all of
us wore ourselves out wielding
palm leaf fans.
Many a one of us walked a mile
or two to church down a dusty or
sandy road. We didn’t seem to
mind it, and we don’t have any
dreadful recollections of the hard
ships of those days. In fact to many
of us, it was fun courting the girls
and it seemed that the road wasn’t
near so long as we wanted it to be,
for when one is courting, the girl
always got home too soon.
It was lots of fun, those good
old revival-meeting times, and
there would always be lots of peo
ple we hadn’t seen in a long time
who came from neighborhoods
across the water, to take in the re
vivals while visiting old friends
and relatives.
I was down to the courthouse
one day not long ago, and I was
somewhat amused by the com
plaints of some of our county of
ficials that they didn’t have air
conditioning. In fact they seemed
a little bit peeved because it hadn’t
been provided for their comfort
See DOCK, P*ge Six
CITIZENS SEEKING
INFORMATION ON
WATER SYSTEM
; Public Relations Job Needed For
Dare Beaches Sanitary
District
i Many requests have come to this
■ newspaper for information con
i cerning the proposal for bonds to
i construct a water system, and a
. fire fighting system on the Dare
i Beaches. There are many citizens
. who consider these projects of
, vital importance to the welfare
and development of the beaches,
i and strongly support the projects.
There are also others who are
f interested, but believe they have
t not been given sufficient informa
i tion on which to base a conviction
■ which way to vote on September
' 6, when the election is held.
i There will be two separate pro
i posals. 1 to vote on bonds in the
I amount of $1,140,000 to construct
: a water system. 2 to vote on bonds
* in the amount of $40,000 for fire
■ fighting equipment for the district.
> Proponents consider passage of
both proposals of vital importance.
- There is of course a group op
' posed to any sort of bond or tax
* being voted'on the district for any
purpose.
j But by and large, the doubtful
* ones are those who believe a proj
' ect this big calls for some public
; relations work, and that its merit
' would be revealed by full infor
" mation being put in the hands of
every voter. Here ai-e some of the
questions they want answered:
5 How much is the tax rate going
r to be?
What are the plans? Why not
I explain them to the people?
How much is the water rate go
; ing to be, and what will water cost
> the average person in addition to
> the tax to be paid?
Where has an adequate supply
i of water been found?
s How many people will it take
i to run the system, and how much
will they be paid?
Valuation $11,698,370
It appears that the Commission
ers of the District may do their
capse a great deal of good by
giving all available information to
every voter. Many a good cause
has been lost for lack of informa
l tion, and with this information
. lacking, voters became doubtful.
t There is less than a month before
, the election, and it will take con
siderable stepping to do this job
well.
’ A few facts concerning this
■ project may be stated here. It was
. recently determined from the ap
praisals of the Dare County
Board of Commissioners that the
property valuation in the Dare
Beaches Sanitary District is sll,-
698,370. To make this simple, a
tax rate of $1 would yield $116,-
983 per year.
For the first year or two, if
the bonds are issued for 20 years,
it will take about $116,000 for in
terest and payments on principal.
As payments are made, interest
will decrease annually. At the
same time, there is prospect that
valuation of property will grow
whereby the rate, barring compli
cations and emergencies, should
be greatly reduced.
Next comes the question of the
cost of operating the system. It
will require several people for en
gineers, maintenance men, admin
istration, etc., and it is estimated
that revenue from water will more
than take care of operating costs
from the start, leaving something
over to apply on principal.
Advantage* Cited
Many important advantages are
ice WATER, Plage Kx
MOSQUITO CONTROL
DISCUSSION BY
MANTEO ROTARY
Equipment and Spray on Hand,
And Some Money, But
Usage Questionable
The problem of mosquito con
trol was brought before the Man
teo Rotary Club Monday night by
Ralph Swain, who suggested that
it might be a good project for the
Ciub to consider working on. Coun
ty Commissioner Lawrence Swain
made a talk to the club, stating
that mosquito control in Dare
County offered several problems
in that the two types of mosquitos
called for separate methods of
combat.
He mentioned that the county
had some $14,000 worth of equip
ment, 30 barrels of spray, and
about $3,000 on hand from money
granted the county. He said he
didn’t know what is the best thing
to do about it.
Supt. Bob Gibbs of the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, said
his staff had been doing some work
on mosquito control, but had not
yet gotten the desired results. He
was hoping that the U. S. Public
Health Service would soon do some
research on the subject so that
any work undertaken would not be
shooting in the dark.
As usual, during the summer
season, the Club had many beach
visitors present who were making
up attendance. Visitors Monday
night included several from Penn
sylvania and Virginia. John A.
Holmes of Edenton, who was dis
trict governor in 1944-45-46 was
one of the visitors, as well as a
former member of the Club, Rev.
Madison W. Maness, Methodist
minister of Fairmont.
Last week the club heard one of
its most interesting programs of
the season, when Clifton Britton,
Director of the Lost Colony drama
told entertainingly of what goes on
behind the scenes in producing the
show each night.
ANDY GRIFFITH'S
FILM IS TO HELP
MANTEO SCHOOL
Actor and Movie Operator to
Donate from "No Time
For Sergeants"
Herbert A. Crees, proprietor of
the Pioneer Theatre in Manteo,
and actor Andy Griffith have
opened their hearts, and will set
aside the net receipts of Griffith’s
hit movie, “No Time For Ser
geants,” when it comes to Manteo
sometime shortly, for the benefit
of the new Manteo High School
which is without sufficient funds
for equipment.
Andy Griffith, who lives two
miles north of Manteo, agreed
with Mr. Crees this week, al
though it is not necessary in order
to assure attendance at the show.
The movie is a smash hit across
the nation, and has many long
runs, and local people have been
clamoring for weeks that it be
shown in Manteo.
Ordinarily towns of the size of
Manteo do not get new films as
early as this one is coming, but it
has been made possible by reason
of Actor Griffith’s interest in the
community and his residence here.
RALEIGH RECTOR TO BE
GUEST MINISTER
Rev. James McDowell Dick, rec
tor of The Church of the Good
Shepherd, Raleigh, N. C., will be
guest minister at Waterside Thea
ter Sunday, August, 10, seventh in
a series of Sabbath morning Lost
Colony worship services.
A feature of the services to
which the public is invited will be
choral music by the Lost Colony
Chorus under the direction of Gil
bert Pirovano with George Perry
at the organ. The Chorus this year
is made up mostly of Westminster
Choir College graduates.
The Rev. Mr. Dick, one of the
best known Episcopal rectors in
N. C. has been at The Church of
the Good Shepherd since 1935. He
received his theological education
at'Sewanee and served churches in
South Carolina and Virginia before
going to Raleigh 23 years ago.
Currently he is president of the
Standing Committee of the Dio
cese of North Carolina, a member
of the Diocesan Executive Com
mittee and is a member of the
Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s
Junior College and Saint Augus
tine’s College in Raleigh. In Ra
leigh he is active in all civic move
ments and has served as president
of the Rotary Club there.
He will be accompanied by Mrs.
Dick and their daughter when he
comes to the Dare Coast this week
end and they are planning to tour
the Outer Banks to Hatteras on
Saturday and attend a perform
ance of The Lost Colony on Satur
day evening.
Single Copy 70
TAXPAYER'S GROUP
WORKING UP TAX *
CLAIMS ON APPEAL
New Jersey Firm Sends "Expert"
Back to Dare County to
See Board
% ,
Steps are being taken this week
by the Dare County Taxpayers
Association to carry appeals to
Raleigh, for its members who
charge they have been unfairly
and unreasonably treated during
the New Jersey Tax abomination
for which the commissioners
agreed to pay $22,000 this year.
Also this week, one of the men
who came to do the work for the
New Jersey Appraisal firm which
found such easy pickings in Dare
County, is back in Manteo, to see
about getting the remaining
$11,500 the Commissioners agreed
to pay.
The Taxpayers Association had
planned to ask the court to re
strain wasting this money by pay
ing it over to the firm which it
alleges has not earned it. In fact,
it is the position of the Associa
tion that something is due the
county in view of the great trouble
and expense the appraisal has
brought on the people and the
county.
The resentment over this job
caused the people to throw out the
entire Board of Commissioners in
the election in May. Complaint was
widespread about the incompetency
of the appraisal and of the type
of personnel turned loose in Dare
County to do the job. Ignorance,
insolence and stupidity, as well as
carelessness about personal obliga
tions were charges that followed
in the wake of some of these
“experts.”
The Association this week is
sending letters to several of its
members concerning its plans in
their behalf. Attorney W. H. Mc-
Cown of Manteo represents the
Association.
The Association’s position is
that it offers the only practical
avenue toward relief for the per
son who has been victimized by a
stupid and unfair means of hi
jacking and making him pay more
than he ought to pay. For a lone
individual to take his case on ap
appeal to the State Board in Ra
leigh would cost several hundred
dollars.
There never has been an in
stance of a more raw deal in Dare
County than has been undertaken
this year, whereby taxpayers are
forced into unreasonable, and un
called for expense, if he hopes to
find justice; and that will come at
a high price beyond the monetary
value of any relie/ to be gained.
Walter D. Perry, Chairman of
the Dare County Taxpayers of Kill
Devil Hills said liberal contribu
tions had been made by some mem
bers of the Association. New mem
bers are being sought this week so
that there will not be lack of
means to carry on the fight.
HAMILTON PASTOR FILLS
MANTEO PULPIT SUNDAY
Guests at Baptist Church Include Ben
efactor of Proposed Baptist Home
Project in Martin Co.
Among guests at the Manteo
Baptist Church Sunday were Mr.
and Mrs. Don Matthew's of Hamil
ton, Martin County. Mr. Matthews,
a well-to-do farmer and business
man has a splendid beach home in
Kill Devil Hills, which he and his
wife greatly enjoy.
His pastor, Rev. J. C. Brooks
filled the Manteo pulpit at both
services Sunday in the absence of
Rev. W. E. Cholerton, the pastor.
The Manteo congregation heard of
the plans to build a $150,000 home
for aged people at Hamilton, and
to which fund, Mr. Matthews has
subscribed $50,000.
The home would be principally
for aged people of the Baptist
faith, but’ would permit as many
as 25 per cent of its admissions
to come from other faiths. Mr.
Brooks, the pastor is conducting a
campaign for the project.
BLUEFISH HITTING IN
DARE SURF AND INLETS
Hatteras Bluefishing in the
surf was the best here at Hatteras
during the past week than it has
been at any time this season. Blues
weighing up to two and half
pounds have been taken in great
numbers by anglers using shrimp
dr artificial lures. Blues were also
being caught in the surf north of
Hatteras to Nags Head and Kitty
Hawk, following a long siege of
southwest winds which had kept
the water of the ocean along the
beaches too cold for good fishing.
Water conditions were perfect
during the past week and should be
better as August advances.
Bluefishing in the Inlet while
not as good as earlier in the sea
son was still productive here and
at Oregon Inlet. Here too, Span
ish mackerel are still taking
trolled lures in the inlet.