The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Monday, July 4, 2016 75 CENTS TABOR CITY Fireworks are blast for area friends, families By Grant Merritt [email protected] The 29th annual Tabor City Fourth of July Fireworks celebration drew a large crowd to South Columbus High School on July 2 for a night of fun, food and fireworks. Families and friends showed their patriotism by shoot- ing fireworks and coming together as a community. “I love the event,” SCHS Stallionettes co-sponsor and science teacher Baleigh Fisher said. “I think it’s a good, safe place for families to bring their little ones because this is probably the only time they see fireworks.” Jennifer Taylor said she remembers the fireworks show taking place at Tabor City’s old football field before South Columbus was built. “After they moved it to South Columbus, I remember it being so crowded that we would just sit on the side of the road and watch the fireworks,” Taylor said. “This event builds a sense of community, and it was a chance to see your friends during the summer when school was out.” Taylor said that attendance has dwindled in the past few years, and she remembers when the bleachers were packed. She wanted people to know that this is a free event and wanted to clear up the misconception of an entrance fee to the show. Audience members salute the flag or cover their hearts during the Pledge ofAllegiance before the fireworks show. uuSEE FIREWORKS 3A BARNES WAS MECHANIC, WILLIAMSON DROVE HEAVY TRUCK STATE HEALTH PLAN Barnes, Williamson helped maintain County could USA’s freedom in World War II save $750,000 By Allen Turner By Bob High the captain came down to the [email protected] [email protected] engine room. The 3rd Class ma- chinist who was supposed to be A bill introduced by Columbus County native Sen. It’s been 240 years since men with me when we were moving Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico, that would make it easier from 13 colonies in the New wasn’t there. He was goofing off for local governmental units to enroll their employees World signed a piece of parch- in the chow area. in the state employee health plan passed the House of ment in Philadelphia on July Dodged draft Representatives Thursday after having gained Senate 4, 1776 that declared the states “The captain realized that approval a week earlier. would divest themselves from I was the only one responsible The bill’s passage comes as good news to members of British rule and be free inde- for operating the engines. He the Columbus County Board of Commissioners, which pendent. busted the other guy and gave had passed a resolution seeking to join the state health It took more than five years me his rating,” Barnes recalled. plan to save on insurance premiums. of fighting the British, but The veteran who has oper- Previous law limited to 10,000 the number of local American troops, bolstered by ated a full-service station along governmental unit employees who could be covered French soldiers and ships, took Jefferson Street here for almost under the state plan. Sanderson’s legislation increased the surrender of Yorktown, Va., 50 years smiled broadly when that number to 16,000 and greatly improves the county’s on Oct. 19, 1781. The capitulation he told how he joined the Navy. chances of having its employees admitted to the state by Cornwallis’ troops led to the “It was a few days after my 18th plan. Treaty of Paris almost two years birthday. I was living in Chad- Columbus County commissioners on June 6 adopted later, and the United States was Curtis Barnes Ray Williamson bourn, and Mrs. McCleney was formed. in charge of the draft board uuSEE INSURANCE 3A There were some challenges there. to America’s freedom during “She had three sons in the the years leading to the 20th Army, and she wanted to get PUBLIC FORUM POLICY century, but nothing compared everybody else in the Army. to German, Japanese and Ital- She came in the A&P store ian intentions in the 1940s. The where I was working and told USA had to defend its Pacific me, ‘You’ve committed a felony! Whiteville council interests after the Pearl Harbor You didn’t register on your 18th attack by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941, birthday!’ and Germany declared war on “I told her, ‘Ma’am, I’m in approves changes this nation that same week. the Navy!’ Thousands served Snow, ice By Jefferson Weaver Thousands of Columbus “She was mad as fire. I fooled [email protected] County men volunteered and her. I had gone to Wilmington a were drafted to serve in the couple of days before my 18th The second time was the charm for a new public forum Army, Navy, Marines, Coast birthday and joined the Navy. policy at Whiteville City Council meetings. Guard and Merchant Marine Jesse Spivey went with me. I City Clerk Bonnie Williams suggested the policy after Service, while others became was promised a position as a attending a program with other clerks from across the radio technician and operator,” state. She explained to the council at their June 14 meet- members of the Army Air Corps Barnes during WWII Williamson during WWII (today’s Air Force). Barnes related. ing that public comment guidelines are common across Two of those World War II foot wooden vessel known as “I was a motor machinist, “I went to Bainbridge, Md., the state and are used by a number of governing bodies veterans were William Curtis YMS-307. His minesweeper was one of the two guys who oper- for training. There was snow in Columbus County. Barnes of Whiteville, a master one of three which survived ated the two diesel engines. The and ice on the ground when I Several city council members and Mayor Terry Mann, mechanic on a minesweeper naval action and typhoons dur- captain said to leave the dock in got there, and when I left. They however, were uncomfortable with some of the rules who is approaching his 90th ing World War II, and the small a thick fog. He said, ‘One-third issued us one blanket and kept in the original draft, including a prohibition of proxy birthday, and Ray Williamson craft became part of the Turkish forward.’ I pulled on the gears a window open at night. They speakers for those who cannot attend meetings due to of Whiteville, a member of an navy in the late 1940s and was of both engines by myself, and were training us for an expe- unforeseen circumstances. Army artillery unit who died renamed “Kirte.” then I got an order for more dition to the North Pole,” he At the request of the council, Williams and city staff on June 22, 2016, one day before Instant promotion speed. added. revised three sections of the policy, changing rules re- his 93rd birthday. “We had 29 sailors and four “All of a sudden, I got an Barnes, however, was as- garding documents to be distributed to the council, and Barnes still clearly remem- officers on board. I remember order yelled by the captain for, signed to a minesweeper in Nor- the verbatim reading of prepared statements and docu- bers narrow escapes in the clearly how I got an instant ‘FULL REVERSE.’ We were folk, Va., and was a part of the ments by speakers. The policy also includes a modified Pacific Theater of Operations promotion when we were on approaching a steel barge, and crew until the end of the war. provision requiring speakers to be invited into the coun- during World War II on his 129- the West Coast in 1942,” Barnes missed it by a few feet in the fog. states. I got the engines in reverse, and uuSEE WWII VETS 2A uuSEE PUBLIC 9A Ron Guyton adding “gardener” to his job description at the Whiteville Police Department Friday? ... Edwin Russ dashing off Volume 127, Number 1 from the Tip-Top florist ribbon cutting Thursday to “put on my working clothes?” ... The Columbus County youngsters on the Whiteville, North Carolina DIDYOB Teens Westward Bound trip invading an Apple Store Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah so they could use the Apple Computer dis- DID YOU OBSERVE? plays to “facetime” with family and friends? ... The man-made fireworks show at South Columbus High School competing with nature’s fireworks Saturday night? ... 2A • The News Reporter • Monday, July 4, 2016 DONAYRE CANCER CARE CENTER DMV HAS SENT TWO NOTICES Moped drivers need insurance By Allen Turner jury per accident and $25,000 [email protected] in property damage per ac- cident. A new law that went into As of Friday, moped own- effect July 1 requires opera- ers need to give state license tors of mopeds to have liabil- plate agency offices with such ity insurance. proof in the form of an FS-1 The law passed the N.C. form from an insurer or the General Assembly last year name of company and policy but did not go into effect until number in order to register Friday. their mopeds. Failure to comply could Failure to meet the insur- result in license revocation. ance requirements can cause Owners of the low-pow- the revocation of moped li- ered vehicles should have cense plates already issued. received two notices from For owners who already the Department of Motor Ve- have insurance, their insur- hicles but, as of June 21, only ance company probably al- about a fifth of people who ready has transferred their have registered mopeds in the insurance to the DMV.