VOLUME XXIV NO. 49 DELINQUENT TAX CAMPAIGN BEGUN IN DARE COUNTY Payments Are Coming to Court house on Items Dating Back to 1942 The effort promised by the Coun ty Commissioners to see that all citizens pay their taxes alike is beginning to bear fruit. The cam paign has started and money has begun coming in. A deplorable state of neglect is apparent in the tax collecting system of the coun ty for many years, according to the list of accounts owing, and which has been compiled during the past several weeks by the County Board. It was found that one citizen owed $4,000 in taxes over a period of eight years. He said he had never been asked to pay his taxes. Numerous people receiving county pay checks monthly, owed taxes, some dating back to 1942. All four deputies sheriff owed delinquent taxes, one owed $229 during a ten year period. Another recently paid UP- , . It has been a slow process to compile the full list of the whole county in order to weed out the errors, and uncollectible» items, which include amounts owing in poll and personal taxes by persons who are moved away, or are dead, but which might have been collect ed long ago had attention been paid the subject. For some obscure reason, someone had a Dare Coun ty law passed forgiving all taxes prior to the year 1942. It is estimated that the county should be able to collect as much as $50,000 of these old taxes dur ing the remainder of the calendar year. The need for this money is urgent to help cover a much larger deficit in the general fund. The Commissioners recently delegated Pennell A. Tillett to collect these taxes and in the letter which goes out with the notices, it is stated by the Board, that while there is no desire to impose hardship on anyone, “it is the Board’s duty to see that tax collections are con ducted on a basis that is fair to all . . . but if request for payment is disregarded, then legal steps will be taken to enforce collection through methods prescribed by statute, which includes gai-nishee ment of wages or salaries, attach ment of personal property, or fore closure of real estate.” Continu ing, the letter says: “The county officials desire to be helpful and cooperative, yet the law requires positive effort to the end that the county’s bills may be paid, the tax rate be kept in reasonable bounds, and that everybody be treated fair ly and squarely alike.” ' Due to the interest that has ac cumulated, many taxpayers will now have to pay twice the original sums. In cases where legal action will have to be taken, the costs will sometimes run much higher. First notices in order have gone out in Nags Head and Atlantic townships where the greatest sums of taxes are owing. Notices to all other areas of the county are to be mailed as soon as the complete lists are compiled. DREDGING JOB INTO WANCHESE 30 DAYS LATE The Starting of the Manteo- Wanchese-Oregon Inlet dredging project will be delayed about 30 days as a result of the protest of the low bid of $468,420 submited by the J. A. LaPorte Co. of Ar lington, Va. Col. H. C. Rowland Jr. District Engineer advises that instead of the work getting underway about July 1, it is estimated now, as a consequence of the protest, that the dredging will begin about the mid dle of July with March 31 as the completioon date. The protest was filed by the At kinson Dredging Co. of Norfolk, Va., immediately after the bids were opened in Wilmington on May 20. The Atkinson firm main tained that LaPorte’S dredges were already committed elsewhere and would not be able to meet the requirements of the contract specifications. Therefore, the La porte Bid and all of the»others had to be rejected. The Work is re-advertised and the second round of bids will be opened on June 17. Atkinson’s bid was $587,410; Merritt Co. of Charleston, $615.- 000; Nello L. Teer, $933, 100; Hill Corp. Atlantic City, $676,200 and Western Coontracting Corp of lowa, $607,040. GOING TO HONOLULU Mr. and Mrs. Gene Kennedy of Manteo with their two sons, will leave Saturday for a two year’s | stay, where Mr. Kennedy will be I with the Coast Guard base. He is . Ist class commissaryman. The i boy* Joseph 16 and Gene nine, < are looking forward to this trip, i THE COASTLAND TIMES PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE WALTER RALEIGH COASTLAND OF NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY BEING MADE IN THE MOVEMENT FOR BRIDGES V ’ll \IF T . *vW ■ ; j L— nJ* fl k # < yyJHHMHNHBr NEAR WHERE THE GROUP in this picture stands, the late Governor J. Melville Broughton stood the day he officially made the ferries toll-free in North Carolina some 16 years ago. In this group, at Oregon Inlet Friday is J. M. Broughton, Jr., now chairman of the State Highway Com mission. The entire commissiori came to Oregon Inlet on an observation trip, and they drove down to New Inlet to get a glimpse of the highway which needs repairs The purpose of this trip was to consider the bridging of Alligator River and Oregon Inlet. It is widely belived serious consideration will be given to the building of one of these bridges soon. In this Aycock Brown photo are W. F. Babcock, director of highways; Harold Makepeace, Seconary Roads officer; James Nason of Lauringburg, E. L. White of Wilmington, J. Lee White of Concord; Ralph Howland of Elkin; Robert Bunnell of Asheville; and Fletcher Gregory of Weldon, all commissioners. Also Bill Spruill and George Mack, engieers; and Victor Meekins, Chairman of the Dare County Commissioners. After visiting the Alligator River ferries Friday morning, the entire party crossed Oregon In let and observed the road as far south as New Inlet. Several said they were coming back later in the summer to go all the way to Ocracoke. On their return they went to the Carolinian for lunch before continuing home. MANTEO AIRPORT GROWS IN VALUE TO AIR TRAVELERS Some 150 people made use of to the Dare Beaches, and there air travel on the weekend to come were over 30 planes in on Sunday, of which about half belonged to ’ members of the Pittsburgh Aero ' Club who made their usual annual ' pilgrimage to the Carolian. Man ager Bill Henderson of the Manteo Aii-port reports a gradual increase in business, as airplane owners be come aware of the facilities offer ed here near the Dare beaches, with opportunity for air tax ser ' vice to Cape Hatteras, Ocracoke, and other places on the N. C. coast. Air travel for corporation execu tives, who are privileged to main tain large planes, can mean a lot to this coast, with the large air port facilities available at the Manteo airport. DARE COAST TRAVEL TO NAT'L SEASHORE UP 52 PER CENT IN '59 Vacation travel to the Dare Coast-Outer Banks is showing a substantial increase this year over the first five months of 1958. The travel figures are reflected in the official tabulation of visitors en tering Cape Hatteras Naional Sea shore Recreational Area, released this week by Superintendent Rob ert Gibbs. With a total of 66,613 persons counted in 1959 as compared to 43,700 for the period January through May, 1958, the increase is approximately 52 percent, it was shown in the report of the Nation al Seashore. The official count of National Seashore is considered as one of the best vacation visitation bar ometers for the Dare Coast-Outer Banks. The current report of National Seashore shows that 26,133 persons visited the area in May this year, a 48 percent increase over April and a 19 percent increase over May 1958. Wright Monument While the National Seashore count reflects an increase in visita tion, a decrease was reported by Wright Brothers National Monu ment. Only 15,868 persons viisted the monument commemorating first flight in May 1959 as com pared to 22,755 in May 1958. Visitation figures to date in 1959 at the Wright Monument has been 44,928 as compared to 61,348 one year ago. LIGHT COURT TUESDAY Memorial day week end turned up few cases in Dare Recorders court to be heard Tuesday. Edward W. Wise, improper license plates, $5 and costa. Branton Downs, Shallottee, following to close, $5 and costa. Donna J. Beasley, Kitty Hawk, no operator’s license. E. M. Davis, Wanchese, allowing un licensed operator to drive his car, $25 and costa. Horace W. Hooper, ; Avon, public drunkenness, $25 and costa. R. W. Nicodemus, Buxton, operating with improper equip ment, $5 and costa. [EISENHOWER'S FRIEND IN COUNTY OF DARE . jp4(Rßß||^^. '■" ' ■ SHr ... ♦, | g 'a, 6' L. VERNON GASKILL When Democrats of Dare awoke from their lethargy after the election in November 1956 and found that this overwhelmingly Democratic County had gone for ■ Eisenhower for President, few of them gave a thought to one who was a large factor in this defeat. Os course the Democrats were pri marily responsible because of their neglect, and total failure to do any pre-election work, al though having enjoyed vast bene fits under their party so ’ long. In 1954 Lloyd Vernon Gaskill, retired lighthouse keeper, and Eisenhower supporter had been made county chairman. With only three others on his executive committee, the homes of several of the larger voting/ precincts had been flooded with elaborate Eisenhower litera ture quietly and in the night tiime. Many women read, and they be lieved their boys would never have to go to war. Capt. Gaskill now enjoys the dis tinction of being Republican Coun ty Chairman, and he gets a great kick out of attending the State par ty meetings. He is a member ofi the District Executive Committed. In 1956 he held the first County convention of the Republicans in Manteo in some 25 years, and got out 50 delegates. Capt Gaskill lives at Wanchese ; in quiet retirement, having left the lighthouse service at Coinjock in 1948 where he was officer in charge of the Coast Guard Buoy Depot, which looked after numer ius aids to navigation on the In land Waterway. Prior to that time he had served 22 years at Bodie Island light, where he relieved the late Capt. Eph Meekins on his retirement. He entered the service , in April 1912 at Hilton Head, S. C. and has served in other sta tions at Cape Romaine, S. C., Pam lico Point and Long Shoal River, N. C. and Craig Hill Channel, Md. He was born at Wanchese, son of the late Joseph Lee and Sarah Daniels Gaskill in October 1889 and his wife is the former Bertha Davis and the couple has reared four children. Capt Gaskill has been active in i See GASKILL, Page Five i MANTEO, N. C., FRIDAY, JUNE 5. 1959 "NO MAN’S LAND" ELECTION THIS WEEK, SATURDAY There is an election in Dare County this week. The people liv ing in the Nags Head area be tween the Kill Devil Hills muni cipality and the jigsaw road at Nags Head, will have the oppor tunity of doing away with the title: “No- Man’s La 3d.” Over this area, battles have been fought by school enthusiasts of Kitty Hawk and Manteo. For years there has been contention among those citi zens who wished to send their children to Manteo school, and ' those who wished to take them to i Kitty Hawk, regardless. Two years ago, they wished to partici pate in the school elections held to build new structures for their children. Through blundering and trepidity of the School Board, the area was left out of both bond is sues. Recently they petitioned for an election, which will be held Saturday of this week, at Nags . Head, whereby the patrons of the • area may express their will at [ becoming paying participants in • the support of the Manteo schools, • which most of them wish their • children to attend. RAYMOND E. WHITE 66 MASONIC LEADER DIES Raymond E. White came to Manteo 31 years ago in the em ploy of Roanoke Utilities, and won , for himself the universal friend ' ship of the people. He died Friday in the Albemarle Hosspital at the age of 66 after a long illneess. After giving up his electrical work some years ago, he has served as niight clerk at Hotel Fort Raleigh. Mr. White had long been active in Masonic circles, and served as, master of both the Wanchese and Manteo lodges, being a member of the Manteo lodge at the time of his death. He was also a Shriner, and a member of the Oddfellows and Rebekah lodges. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Grace Lane White; a daughter, Mrs. Jack Adams of Norfolk; a son, R. E. White Jr., of Manteo; three sisters, Mrs. E. N. Simpson, Mrs. Edith Oliver and Mrs. George Koch all of Elizabeth City; a brother, K. V. White of Richmond and seven grandchildren. Mr. White had lived at Hert- 1 ford, Edenton, Plymouth, and Elizabeth City while employed in the electrical trade. He was the son of Charles. Daughtry, and Mrs. Mary Elli ott White, and was born in Nor folk of Perquimans County par- 1 entage. Funeral services were conduct ed in Elizabeth City at the Twi ford Funeral Home at 3 p. m. Sun- See MR. WHITE, Page Five GARDENS OPEN The Elizabethan Garden on Roa anoke Island, under the supervis ion of Mrs. Leo Midgette of Man- teo, will be open to the public beginning June 9. The Garden is sponsored by the N. C. Garden Club, and is one of the outdoor showplaces of North Carolina. OCRACOKE WOULD GET A CHANNEL FOR $4,623,000 engineers Have Recommended 18-Ft. Project Which Yet Lacks Appropriation WASHINGTON— A $4,623,000 improvement project for the chan nel at Ocracoke Inlet has been ap nroved by the Division Army En gineers’ office at Atlanta, Sena tor B. Everett Jordan was inform ed Wednesday of last week. As approved by the Engineers on a preliiminary basis, the pro ject will provide for an 18 foot channel, 400 feet wide, through *-he sound to serve a number of fishing communities, including Ori ental, Belhaven and others. The recommendation, signed by Major General F. M. Albrecht, Division Engineer foor the South Atlantic Region, is being forward ed to the Board of Army Engi neers for Rivers and Harbors in Washington for review. If approved by the Board, it will then be submitted to Con gress, which must first authorize it and then later appropriate funds for the actual construction. It is doubtful that the report of the Board could reach Congress before next year. The recommendations have been prepared following an extensive survey of the proposed improve ments ordered by Congress two years ago. As in all projects of this kind Congressman Herbert Bonner has kept the request of the proponents before the Engineers. However, the recommendation of a project does not always mean it will be consummated. Several times the Oregon Inlet project seemed doom ed, when Congress failed to ap propriate funds. The Ocracoke > project is in the stage where con tinued vigilance and work is neces sary, perhaps for some years to ! come. OPENING REFRIGERATION SERVICE IN MANTEO FRI. Sb Br ■ ** W. M. (JIMMIE) UMPHLETT, a Perquimans County boy, born near Elizabeth City, has brought his experience and training in re frigeration to Manteo, and tomor row will open his new show-room officially, giving free prizes and refreshments. Mr. Umphlett’s Coastal Refrigeration Service is located down-town, next to Dare Hardware Co., on Water Street, Manteo. Mr. Upiphlett makes his home at Manns Harbor where he married Miss Virginia Hooper, who is associated with her sister in Alda’s Beauty parlor in Manteo. He got his first training in refrig eration in Kingman, Ariz., put in 12 years managing air condition ing for Carolina Dairies, and 11 ; years with York and Carrier of Norfolk in the installation of air conditioning systems in Tidewater Va. and eastern N. C. In Manteo he is featuring Kelvinator sales and service. ] GRADUATE FORESTER CAME 1 ON JOB IN DARE JUNE I , ■■ I Dane Roten, 27, a native of West , Jefferson has been assigned to ( Dare County as County forester , for the area, and with his wife of a week is established in the Brink- ( ley apartments in Manteo. Mr. ] Roten, after doing four years in ( the Navy, took up the study of j Forestry for three and a half years, in State College where he recently graduated. , The transfer of Mr. Roten to < Dare County is in line with De- 1 partment of Forestry policy to ] used college trained men iin its < program. He has been going over the territory this week in com- ! pany with ’ Archie Berry of Fair- j field, District Ranger, and E. W. < Looney of Elizabeth City, District J Forester. ECONOMY RESISTERS STILL HOPE TO DEFEAT PROGRESS BY STIRRING DISSENSION Effort Always To Divide Board Among Them selves, Whereby Some Members Get Inno cently Taken In Before Thinking; Two Members Chastise Dare Chairman Tuesday; Division Hoped For While Budget Is Being Made. A BELOVED FIGURE IN MANTEO DIES MONDAY I ■ |||| LINDSAY D. TARKINGTON 84, one of the most popular citizens of Manteo for the past 65 years died Monday morning at his home in Manteo after a long period of fail ing health. He was born near Creswell, son of the late Alethia Davenport and Joseph Tarkington and the hus ’ band of Mrs. Clara White Tark ington, formerly of Belhaven. A son, W. W. Tarkington of Manteo and a sister, Mrs. Nat McCabe of Norfolk also survive. Mr. Tarkington came to Manteo as a young man, as a salesman in a local store, and save for a short , residence in Belhaven, had made I his home in Manteo ever since. He had constantly been associated with the mercantile business, and retired from the well-known Tark iington’s grocery a few years ago. At one time he was in partnership with Judge W. F. Baum, and they built the first brick store in Man teoo. Mr. Tarkingtoon had been ac | tive in civic and church affairs. I He has served or many years as I Mayor of Manteo, had served on j the county board of education, : Justice of the Peace, director of | the Bank of Manteo, Deacon in the Baptist Church, and he had | been active in fraternal circles. As a salesman and merhant, few have ever equalled him in popu larity. He was a man of agreeable personality and neighborliness and charity. Many remember his rea dy aid in time of difficulty. He had retained his faculties to the last, and had tender care and a maximum of comfort, being spared a painful passing. See CITIZEN, Page Five REHEARSALS TO BEGIN MONDAY. JUNE BTH FOR SEASON'S LOST COLONY By AYCOCK BROWN Rehearsals for Paul Green’s symphonic drama The Lost Colony which will begin its 19th season in Waterside Theatre, Roanpke Is land, June 27, are scheduled to start on Monday under the direc tion of Clifton Britton. The production schedule this year calls for 62 performances, one each night of the week except Mondays, through September 6. Final selection of local actors will be made Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock. There are several roles to be filled. Staff Arrives Technical Director William I. Long and his staff arrived this week and have been busy break ing out the stage properties in preparation for making repairs and replacements. i Mrs. Irene Rains, the drama’s costumer and her staff have arriv ed to set up for the making and altering of costumes and getting the wardrobe of the show in shape. Directors of the show will arrive this week end. Director Clifton Britton returns to the show from Goldsboro to supervise all acting in the drama. Music Director George Traut wein, former basso of the West minster Choir-voiced Lost Colony Chorus, will reach Manteo about the same time as Britton. He too, like Britton, is a member of the Goldsboro High School faculty. Choreographer Walter Stroud of Fredericksburg, Va., will be here for the final casting for island act ors to select the Indian dancers. His job again this year will 1* t»| See DRAMA, Page Five | Single Copy 70 “I do not purpose to waste the county’s money at the rate of SIOO and more a day to hold unneces sary meetings of the Board of Commissioners,” said the Chair man, Victor Meekins, this week. “When I consider it important enough, I will call special meet ings, provided as many as three other members have indicated to me in writing they wish to have such meeting, except in emergen cies.” Meekins’ remarks were made aft er Commissioner David Stick had read off to the Board a diatribe severely critical of the chairman for refusing to hold extra meet ings in June, and after Stick had held an assembly some weeks ago of other Board members, to tell them Meekins was taking too much on himself in certain mat ters recently acted on in the dis cretion of the chairman. Meekins said that he considered the county too far in debt to af ford a series of expensive meet ings merely for the purpose of one or more members wasting the time of the Board to sound off, but ac complishing no work. Actually there had been no busi ness which was out of order trans acted, Meekins claimed, when all his actions were boiled down. He did, he said, ask a couple of large taxpayers who always pay in June, to pay a few weeks ahead of time, whereby the county was able to meet its debt service obligations in New York on time. The Chairman said be thought this action was something he and other- good citiezns should be tickled about, end that he was happy in having render ed the peo ple this service, one which no one ' else had thought of. ’ There have been a number of . actions taken by the Chairman, which were not specifically author ized by the Board, but which have resulted to the profit of Dare County. Meekins discovered that various county departments have been paying Federal phone tax for which the county is not liable, and after putting in a claim, re- I covered more than $450 for the past three years. He warned against excessive long distance calls for private business charged to public phones, and phone bills have been dropping. He took the j initiative in order to meet a crit ical deadline set by the Board of Engineers, and to save the harbor ' project for Wanchese, set un the means wherebv a public landing place was paid for by donations, and deeded to the county. Meekins* knowledge of the court house has made it easy for the Board to learn of several things that h”d escaned its attention. One was the discovery of $2,000 in one department improperly spent. An ntho- was the discovery of over $2,700 in tax refunds unpaid since Sentember of 1958, and never brought to the attention of the Board. Meekins said this week that he had spent over SSOO out of his nl