The Carlbrook School, a private, coeducational boarding school located in the Vernon Hill community, opened its doors to the inaugural class in February.
In an elegant, rural setting, approximately 20 young men and women from a dozen states are pursuing challenging academic schedules.
Grant Price, one of the school's founders, is pleased with the quality of students who have chosen Carlbrook.
"IQs on this campus are exceptional," he said. "We have a diverse group, and we are able to be selective."
The school's mission is to integrate academic excellence and character development while challenging bright students to reach their potential.
Carlbrook's first class is also creating the school's traditions.
"They are the pioneers as we set up the school's clubs, its newspaper," said Price.
"They are every bit as instrumental as the faculty. They are a remarkable group of young people," he added.
Within a year of finding the 220-acre Carlbrook site, school founders Price and Justin Merritt have transformed the historic Carlbrook mansion from home to boarding school.
The transition includes classroom space, a new library with over 3,000 volumes, hand picked by Merritt, dormitories and faculty and staff offices in the three-story mansion.
A charming carriage house near the main home has also been transformed, into a dining and classroom facility.
Under construction with an anticipated fall opening, an impressive two-story building that will overlook Carlbrook's picturesque pond.
Arched windows and French doors will offer a scenic view of the pond and rolling countryside, Price said.
Initially, the new building will house classrooms, a student commons area, a media room, dining and kitchen facilities and faculty offices.
In the future, the dining facilities will be housed in an additional structure to be located across from the athletic fields, to be built to the right of the mansion's entrance.
"It will take five to seven years to build out," said Price, anticipating construction of a gym, a pool, a kitchen and dining facilities.
"We are moving faster than we thought, particularly with the economic environment and September 11," Price observed.
Price credits the school's accelerated academic program, its pupil to teacher ratio - 30 faculty and support staff - as well as the staff's extensive educational contacts, with Carlbrook's success.
"Everything is on schedule," said Merritt, the school's Dean of Faculty and Administration. "We have a talented team. We are extremely pleased."
In the future, the school's founders anticipate an enrollment of 140-150 students.
"We want to keep the census low," said Price of the year-round, co-educational boarding school for grades nine through 12.

By KEITH STRANGE
The group of warehousemen led by Mac Bailey who are suing Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corp. could get their answer today after both sides present their case before a judge in Greensboro.
"We are hoping that the judge will do the right thing, not only for the warehousemen, but for the farmers," Bailey said yesterday.
The Keysville businessman, who manufactures Bailey's cigarettes said that he is cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the trial.
Andrew Shepherd, vice-president for District 10 of Stabilization, which includes Halifax County, is equally optimistic.
"I think that everything is going about how we thought it would originally," Shepherd said yesterday.
"To tell you the truth, I don't think that they have a case at all," he added.
At issue is the plan by Stabilization to operate a series of 14 leaf auction warehouses this year.
A temporary restraining order had been issued by a judge in North Carolina, barring Stabilization from proceeding with plans to establish the purchasing centers, but was lifted after a hearing on March 25.
"What we were initially going to do was have the judge turn the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction which would stay in place until the final resolution of the case," Edward Gee, general counsel for S&M Brands said recently.
Gee said that both the warehousemen and Stabilization realized that each has the desire to see the case settled before April 15, because that date is the deadline for tobacco growers to designate where they plan to sell their leaf this year.
Both parties are anticipating tomorrow's judgement in the North Carolina court to determine if Stabilization can legally establish the marketing centers.
"Based on how the co-op is set up, we don't feel that we've done anything wrong," Shepherd said.
He added that most of the co-ops that market other products require producers to market within the co-op.
"We don't tell the growers that they have to market with us, but to say that you can't market your tobacco with us is totally ridiculous," Shepherd claims. "The law allows you to do that."
Bailey and the warehousemen contend that the marketing centers planned by Stabilization will effectively put other warehousemen out of business.
"They aren't charging a fee to the growers that sell their tobacco there," Bailey contended during a March interview.
"You can't compete against a man who's not charging for a service when you have to charge a fee to stay in business," Gee said.
"Given the contract centers weren't charging any fees, the only way to be competitive was to not charge any fees," Shepherd countered. "And the private warehouses couldn't do it and make any money."
Lionel Edwards, Stabilization's general manager said that the group offered to change any practices that the warehousemen could prove to be illegal.
"We continue to believe that the plaintiff's complaints are without merit," Edwards said after the preliminary hearing.
The co-op contends that it isn't the 14 marketing centers that are putting warehousemen out of business, rather the rise in contract sales.
Last year, an estimated 80 percent of Halifax County leaf was marketed by direct contract with cigarette manufacturers.
"If it continued like it did last year, all of the warehouses were going to be out of business," the general manager said, adding that just because a warehouse planned to open didn't mean that it would have the sales to remain in business.
Edwards contends that contracting would have closed the doors to the warehousemen regardless of the actions of the co-op.
"We're doing what we think is the right thing to do to keep the auction system alive," he said.
Stabilization feels that without the 14 centers, it wouldn't be long before the cigarette companies have a monopoly on the leaf-purchasing process.
"At contract centers, farmers don't have to pay fees," Edwards said. "That has already put a lot of warehousemen out of business."
He added that Stabilization's concern is that there would be so few warehouses left that the leaf buyers wouldn't bother coming to the auction sales.
"In that case it would be the end of the auction system," Edwards said.
Bailey said yesterday that regardless of the outcome of today's trial, much of the damage has already been done.
"The farmers are in limbo, with the deadline approaching, a lot of them have already designated their leaf, and others are asking me what to do, and I don't know what to tell them," he said.

South Boston Town Council will get its first look at the proposed 2002-2003 budget during a workshop at tonight's meeting.
The session will start at 7 p.m. at council chambers on Yancey Street.
Councilmen will discuss the first draft of the proposed 2002-2003 budget following a brief agenda that includes only one item, a recreational access road funding request resolution.
Halifax County's Board of Supervisors had requested Council adopt a resolution in support of the town's funding for construction of an access road through the proposed Paul C. Edmunds Jr. Memorial Park.
The site proposed for the park is a 100-acre tract of land bordered by U.S. 360 and Dan River Church Road.
The town would seek financing of the project through a state grant process, and would ultimately bring the road up to VDOT standards in order to pass on maintenance responsibility to that agency.
A citizen comment period follows the agenda, with Council adjourning before the commencement of the budget workshop.

Halifax Town Council is expected to have the first reading of its proposed 2002-2003 budget during its regular session Tuesday night.
A $1,249,115 budget proposal, reflecting a 1 percent increase over last year's $1,236,504 budget, is expected for consideration, town officials said.
The meeting begins tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the Town of Halifax Administration Building on Main Street.
Council is expected to explore a $5 increase on vehicle decals to support repair and maintenance of the town parking lot, according to Bob Greene, town manager.
Town decals are $20, while county and South Boston residents pay $25.
Council is also expected to discuss the process of moving the town decal deadline. Town decals are due in June, but county, as well as the other towns, have an April 15 deadline.
Council is expected to discuss moving its deadline to April 15 by next year.
County and town officials agreed this year to countywide decal enforcement by police officers.
Other items on Council's agenda include a request from Dixie Youth to use the PA system at Halifax Elementary School the beginning and conclusion of the baseball season ; the removal of the dumpster at Halifax Elementary School and a discussion of recycling.
Council is also expected to hear an update on sewer and water extensions regarding Banister Road sewer and the Crawford Road water/sewer project.
Enough signatures were gathered on petitions to allow a referendum on liquor by the drink on the May ballot, town manager Bob Greene said.

Harvey Dillard, a three-sport participant who went on to become a head football coach at Mary M. Bethune High School, noted baseball player and coach Will Hill, and former Halifax County High School basketball standout and coach Bill Morningstar, were inducted into the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night.
The induction of the trio of sports standouts brought the number of inductees into Hall of Fame to 46.
Approximately 175 persons attended the 14th annual event which was held for the third consecutive year at C.H. Friend Elementary School.
In addition to inducting Dillard, Hill and Morningstar into the Hall of Fame, three scholarships were presented to outstanding Halifax County High School student-athletes.
The Buck Williams Scholarship was presented to Chris Emory, a Halifax County High School football player and wrestler.
Williams presented the scholarship to Emory who plans to attend Virginia Tech.
Track star Ashley Epperson, who plans to attend Hampton University, was named as the recipient of the Matze Family Scholarship which was presented by Bill Matze.
Halifax County High School football and baseball player West McDowell was named as the recipient of the Hall of Fame Scholarship which was presented by former Hall of Fame inductee Bob Cage.
McDowell plans to attend Virginia Tech.
Harvey Dillard
Dillard, a native of Logan County, West Virginia, came to Halifax County in the fall of 1959 to work as a social studies teacher at Mary M. Bethune High School.
He became a member of the coaching staff of the Mary M. Bethune High School football team in 1960 as an assistant coach in charge of the backs.
A year later, Dillard was appointed head coach and he remained in that position until 1968, a span of eight years, giving him the longest tenure of any head football coach at the former Halifax school.
In 1968, Dillard was appointed as a full-time administrator at Mary M. Bethune High School.
When the school later became Halifax County Junior High School, Dillard remained as an administrator in the same building.
He was appointed athletic director at Halifax County Junior High School in 1974 and remained in that position until his retirement.
Dillard was also active in youth sports. He was the first African-America to become a head coach in the South Boston youth basketball league and in the South Boston Dixie Youth Baseball league.
He got his start in sports at Aracoma High School in Logan, West. Va. where he was on the football team for three years, played basketball and played on the school's first ever baseball team.
Since his retirement in 1991, Dillard has been active in many community activities.
Dillard is a charter member of the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame and is a cofounder of the Mentor-Role Model Program.
His son, Jerry Dillard, served as the presenter for Dillard at the ceremony.
"I consider this as something of a miracle," Dillard said.
"When I first came to Halifax County, I swore I was only going to be here two weeks. Those two weeks quickly turned into 32 years."
Dillard noted that one of his most rewarding years as football coach at Mary M. Bethune was the 1965 season when the team went 6-3-1.
"That was the year we beat arch-rival Langston," Dillard recalled.
"Langston was to us what GW is to Halifax County High School. We were the only team to beat them (Langston) that year. It was Homecoming of 1965. That was the highlight of my coaching career.
"We may have been without a lot of things," Dillard said of his Mary M. Bethune High School teams.
"But two of the things we were not short on were determination and hard work. I tried to instill in them (the players) to never give up.
"This is an honor I'll never forget," added Dillard.
Bill Morningstar
Morningstar started on the Halifax County High basketball team for three years, and was a co-captain his senior year in 1960.
He earned all-district and all-state honors that season, leading the Comets to a third-place finish in the state tournament.
In addition, Morningstar was a class officer three years in high school, participating in track and football as well as basketball.
Morningstar became a four-year starter in basketball at Elon, serving as co-captain his junior and senior years.
After one year as head basketball coach at Union High School in Union, SC, Morningstar returned to his alma mater to coach Comet basketball until 1972.
He chaired the physical education department and also coached tennis, golf and cross country during his tenure at Halifax County before returning to Elon in 1972 as assistant basketball coach and head golf coach.
During Morningstar's tenure as head golf coach, Elon has advanced to the nationals 16 times and finished in the top ten in the country on each of those occasions.
Morningstar has been named Carolinas Conference Coach of the Year 15 times, District 26 Coach of the Year eight times and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1982.
This is the fourth Hall of Fame that Morningstar has been inducted into.
He was inducted into the Elon College Hall of Fame in 1988 and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1989. He was inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Chip Conner, one of Morningstar's teammates on the 1960 Halifax County High School basketball team which finished third in the state tournament and a longtime friend, called Morningstar's induction into four Halls of Fame "astonishing."
Noting Morningstar's character and the type of person Morningstar is, Conner told the gathering that one of his friend's best sayings is "every day is a good day."
"He believes is," Conner said.
"He lives it."
Morningstar, in his speech, pointed to a number of people who have touched his life in a special way.
One of them was his high school, Hank Hamrick.
"He was the one who made me want to be a coach," Morningstar said.
"He was the reason I was able to go to Elon. He has been the person I've been trying to form my life after."
Pointing to his school teammates of Conner, Wayne Lloyd, and Bobby Wilborn, Morningstar said "they taught me what teamwork was and what it was to win, not just to play for fun."
Morningstar told the audience that it has been a privilege to work with and coach so many fine individuals.
"There are so many special people out here, particularly from Halifax County and South Boston who have made my life what it is," Morningstar said.
"Growing up in South Boston and Halifax County made me who I am and I am very proud to be here tonight and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with all of these special people."
Will Hill
Hill began playing organized baseball at age 13 for Republican Grove in the Halifax County League, and played two years there before starting high school at Volens.
It was at Volens High School, while playing under the coaching of the venerable Ed Kell, that Hill caught the eye of pro scouts.
In 1954, Hill came to Halifax County High School after the county high schools were consolidated, leading the Comets to a 14-3 record that year and the state championship in Group II.
He played for the Comets for two years under Charlie Suttenfield, his greatest moment coming when he hurled a no hitter against arch rival GW Danville in 1955.
Hill played for many years with Bunk Guthrie, himself a member of the Sports Hall of Fame.
Guthrie helped Hill in attending several Major League tryout camps before Hill signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958, beginning a six-year minor league baseball career.
He was assigned to Dothan, Alabama, a Class D team and went 18-10 his first year, with two wins in the playoffs, as Dothan won the pennant.
Hill made the All-Star team that year, playing outfield and second base as well as pitching.
In 1959, Hill was promoted to Winnipeg, Canada AA team and once again made the All-Stars, while Winnipeg won the pennant by a 21- game margin.
Hill signed with Detroit in 1961, making the All-Star team again while playing in Duluth. In 1962, he played with Pocatello, Idaho, his last year of professional baseball.
Hill returned to Halifax County in 1963 and coached and played at Clay's Mill in the Halifax County League.
From 1964 to 1987, Hill coached in the Dixie Youth, Babe Ruth and Connie Mack baseball leagues.
During the 1968-1969 seasons, Will coached and played in the Stan Musial League and South Boston won the State Championship both years.
Hill coached the Post 8 American Legion team from 1988 through 1993, and returned in 1999 to coach both the Legion and Halifax County Middle School teams.
Halifax County Middle School baseball coach Barry Powell, a longtime friend of Hill's presented Hill for induction.
Powell called Hill a "kind, helpful and giving human being.
"Will is an outstanding baseball player but I feel like he's a better person than he is a baseball player," Powell added."
In his speech, Hill called his induction into the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame "the highlight of my life.
"When I started playing baseball, this wasn't on my mind at all," said Hill who has played baseball in 38 states and Canada.
Hill has been involved in coaching in several local youth leagues. He has also been serving at Powell's side as a volunteer assistant coach for the Halifax County Middle School baseball team.
He has also been a part of the coaching staff of the South Boston American Legion Post 8 baseball team.
Those are the types of things Hill has dedicated much of his time to over the past several years.
Hill said that has stemmed from what his former coaches Bunk Guthrie and Ed Kell advised him to do.
"They said when I got through to pass it (his baseball knowledge) on," Hill told the audience.
Referring to Powell, Hill said, "He's going to take it on when I'm gone. He's going to carry the stick. I'm having the ball of my life."
Lou Saban
Former NFL star and former Buffalo Bills coach Lou Saban, was the guest speaker for the event.
Saban, the current head football coach at Chowan College, brought a strong message to the gathering, particularly to the older members of the audience.
"Time is the most important thing we've got," said the 80-year-old football coach who characterized himself as "one of those renegade kids who didn't believe in education."
"None of us know how much of it we have. While we've got it, use it.
"Stay busy," Saban said.
"Don't sit. You can hit only so many golf balls. Walk. Take good care of that body that you've got."
Saban said one of the things that he attributes his success to is the fact that he is up front with the young people he coaches.
"If you're a phony, the players will know," Saban said.
"If you're a phony individual, people will know. So, one thing you don't want to try to do is fool young people."
Saban said it is important to uphold basic values in life.
I've had the pleasure of coaching some of the best who have ever played," he said.
"I was not much for shying away from basic principles. I always felt that principles were far more important than winning.
"We talk about integrity, we talk about honesty, all of those nice things in the field of sports," he added.
" But every morning we pick up the morning paper, somebody has broken the rules. How can you expect our young people to believe us if we don't abide by our own set of rules?"
He said his stance with his players was simple.
"I told them I don't care if we lose every game if you can walk away and say you've done the best job you can do," he pointed out.
"Be honest with yourself. Who do have to please? I tell my players you have to please yourself. If you're happy with your performance and you think you've given it all you have, that's all you can do."
Saban said two things that concern him are a waste of money and waste of time.
"I tell my young people in my own family you have just so much time and you're not the judge of that. The guy upstairs determines that. So, while you're walking, you utilize that time to the best of your ability.
"I never worry about the next step," added Saban.
" That will take care of itself. But I hope I deserve to be able to walk the next step. If that's the case, I'll keep marching on."

Charlie Graham Gentry

Charlie Graham Gentry, 82, of Roxboro, NC, died April 4 at Duke University Medical Center.
Born in Person County, NC, he was the son of the late John Roberson and Margaret Carver Gentry and was the husband of the late Anne Howerton Gentry.
Mr. Gentry retired from Collins & Aikman Corp., served with the Person County Sheriff's Department as a sergeant where he oversaw the Deputy Reservists. He was a WWII Navy Veteran having served on the USS Randolph where he witnessed the unconditional surrender of the Japanese. Mr. Gentry was a member of the VFW and a member of North Roxboro Baptist Church.
Survivors include three daughters, Wilda Reaves, Carol A. Gentry and Charlene Gentry, all of Roxboro; four sisters, Lottie Melton, Margaret Painter, Geraldine Holder and Peggy Clayton, all of Roxboro; six grandchildren, Amanda Clayton, Steve Gentry, Michelle R. Young, Lesley Ladd, Dustin Carver and Codey Ladd; two great-grandchildren, Brooke and Drew Clayton.
Funeral services for Mr. Gentry were held at 3 p.m. on April 7 in North Roxboro Baptist Church by the Revs. Mark Sterling and Herbert Brown. Burial was in Person Memorial Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to American Kidney Fund, 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 1010, Rockville, MD, 20852-9813.

Sylvia Sarah Sneed Jones

Mrs. Sylvia Sarah Sneed Jones, 87, of 1244 Jones Trail, Vernon Hill died Saturday at her home.
Mrs. Jones was born in Halifax County on January 5, 1915, to Arthur Manley Sneed and Mattie Belle Culley Sneed.
She was married to the late James Howard Jones Sr.
Mrs. Jones was a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church, where she was a member of the WMU.
Survivors include: one daughter, Linda Jones Whitlow of Danville; four sons, Robert Richard (Bob) Jones of Alton, Giles Edwin Jones of Vernon Hill, Jerry Matthew Jones of Arrons Creek, and Robert Richard (Bobby) Jones of Vernon Hill; one sister, Ruby S. Watts of South Boston; and five brothers, Arthur Sneed of South Boston, John Sneed of South Boston, Walter D. (Giles) Sneed of South Boston, Chester Sneed of Rodden, and Richard Sneed of Fayetteville, N.C. Also surviving are 20 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Jones was preceeded in death by one son James Howard (Jim) Jones Jr.
A funeral service will be held Monday, April 8, at 11 a.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Luther Ramsey conducting the service.
Burial will take place in the Halifax Memorial Gardens.

Everlean Barbour Tucker

Everlean Barbour Tucker, 72, of Wilmington, DE, died March 30 at Lynchburg General Hospital in Lynchburg.
Mrs. Tucker was born in Halifax County on June 18, 1929, the daughter of the late Lizzie Barbour and the late Bossie Barbour.
Survivors include two daughters, Ernell Hudson and Darlene Taylor of Wilmington; one son, Timothy Miller of Wilmington; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one sister, Violet Layne of Wilmington; and one brother, B.C. Barbour of Hyattsville, MD.
Funeral services for Mrs. Tucker were held April 6 at 1 p.m. at Cluster Pine Holiness Church in Gretna with Bishop Anthony Miller officiating. Burial followed in the Barbour Family Cemetery in Nathalie.