Commissioners Authorize Vote On Bond Issue
To Construct slVfe Million Hospital In County
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A HOSPITAL AND ITS NEEDS Pictured above is the
main entrance to Chowan Hospital with a copy of a Long
Range Planning Report which points out the need for ad
ditional facilities in this county. Above right are four of
the representatives of various groups interested in a SIV2
million hospital bond referendum which will be held No
vember 8. Left to right, are: W. P. (Spec) Jones, hospital
administrator; Jesse L. Harrell, chairman, board of trus
tees; W. E. Bond, chairman of the county commissioners;
and Dr. Richard Hardin, chief of the medical staff. A
favorable vote of the people would assure a new, 70-bed
hospital on a site yet to be selected.
®ltc public Parade
FAVOR NEW HOSPITAL—
An announcement this week
that Chowan County voters
will be asked this fall to ex
press themselves on a sl'/fe
million hospital bond issue
has already caused some rais
ed eyebrows.
There are those who are
satisfied with the status quo,
regardless of its inadequacy.
\ There are those who aren’t
willing to face up to the
challenge of the time.
There are those who have
a chip on their shoulder over
some past experience with
the hospital administration.
There are those, then there
are those, and those . . .
SIV2 million is no drop in
the bucket. It is difficult for
many to comprehend why a
county with only $27 million
assessed valuation should
even consider stich a hospital.
Up until now, Chowan
County taxpayers have not
been called upon to give sup
port to Chowan Hospital.
County commissioners have
taken some of the load off
the hospital by paying for
welfare patients who jire
treated. Yet the amount
paid does not anywhere near
reach the per-patient cost at
the institution. Therefore,
the county really hasn’t been
too generous.
So long as Chowan Hospi
tal could fill the needs of
lathis community while operat
ing in the black, there was
no real need ior the county
to get into the hospital busi
ness. Hospital officials have
managed to pull enough in
grants and foundation gifts
to keep the wolf from their
door.
However, the tide is now
turning. Maybe it has al
ready turned. While the
community got a $465,000
hospital several years ago for
a meager $150,000 local in
vestment, this cannot be dup
licated.
There is now some grant
and foundation money avail
able. The exact amount is
not known, t It is estimated
that while the bond issue is
for sl% million there will
not be any necessity to sell
more than $1 Aillion. None
theless, in order to get as,
sistance of anygcgat amount,
the voters must approve the
entire amount to show their
} to have a new hos
pital.
The completion of a new,
70-bed institution in Chowan
Courty and the conversion of
the existing .hospital to a
professional nursing home
would give the area 135 hos
pital teds. It i* anticipated
the needs would be met for
many years.
The hospital bond referen
dum will be one of the big
gest and most far-reaching
questions ever put to the vot
ers of Chowan County. Be
tween now and November 8
when they go to the polls to
vote on this issue, every vot
er has an obligation to be
come completely familiar
with the question. The vot
ers must cast an Intelligent
ballot.
At the same time, those
interested in seeing this issue
approved have an awesome
duty to give the taxpayers
something more than an edu
cated guess to questions ask
ed. It will be necessary to
come forth with the facts
on all fronts and not become
offended when well-meaning
questions are asked.
We still have enough faith
in humanity to believe they
will respond in the positive
once a worthwhile program is
launched and they are given
ALL the facts upon which to
base their decision.
We agree with Dr. Richard
Hardin, chief of th,e medical
staff at the hospital, when
he says the citizens of this
county are fortunate in that
they have not had to be tax
ed for a hospital all these
years.
The initial cost of getting
into any business is not cheap
and certainly when one con
siders the ' hospital issue.
Therefore, we believe the re
quest for slVfe million is jus
tified.
While we support the re
quest there are many ques
tions concerning the future
of a county hospital and its
operation which must be an
swered.
Between now and Novem
ber 8 we intend to ask these
questions and obtain accept
able answers. This is our
duty as a taxpayer and voter.
Yours is no less.
PERSONAL SURVIVAL—
“The better educated can
take care of themselves; the
need is for a program in per
sonal survival for the low
income group. Every price
or tax rise means that these
people have less to live on
than they had before.”
This card comes from Wil
liam R. Sullivan of Los An
geles, Calif.
There is considerable food
for thought in these two
sentences.
Sure, the better educated
stand a greater chance for
survival. Hbwever, a price
Continued on Page Five
% the ghowan herald
Volume XXXIII. —No. 31. Edenton. Chowan County, North Carolina 27932 Thursday, August 4. 1966.
Jurors To Serve
In September
The names of 50 Chowan 1
County taxpayers to serve as
prospective jurors were
drawn Monday by county
commissioners.
The men will report on ;
September 12 when, a mixed
term of Chowan County Su- j
perior Court will open.
Judge William J. Bundy of i
Greenville will preside.
Solicitor Herbert Small of '
Elizzabeth City will prose- :
cute the docket, aided by So- ,
licitor Thomas Chears, Jr.,
of Chowan County Recorder’s
Court.
Nine new members will be I
drawn for a 12-month tour
of duty on the county’s con
tinuing Grand Jury. T. E.
Parker, Sr., is foreman of
the panel.
Those who will be instruct
ed to serve are:
First Township
Fred Keeter, Willis H.
Bond, Charles H. Small, Jr.,
Harry Davenport, James H.
Goodwin, Jr., Samuel L. Col
lins, Jr., Otis McCurtis, Jer
ry Miles Jernigan, Charlie P.
Hughes, Irvin S. Lassister
and Leo Katkaveck.
Also, Johnnie L. Owens,
Murray Rudolph Dale, Wil
liam V. Clark, George Wal
ton, William P. Jones, Milton
Sills Martin, Jack Barrow,
Horace R. Jordan, Hender
son Goodwin, Heywood Zieg
ler, Jr., and Burley Winfield.
Also, J. C. Cobb, John G.
Jethro, J. C. Forehand, James
A. Quain, Julius L. Hardison,
Lee Sadler, M. E. Parker,
Frank H. Habit and C. W.
Overman.
Second Township
Charlie E. Peele, William
Carl Bunch, Marvin Smith,
Roy E. Lane, Jr., F. A.
White, Sr., Wilford N. Tbp
pin, William Edward White
man, Willie Lee Morris, and
J. N. Jordan.
Third Township
T. D. Berryman, Nurney D.
Chappell, Charles F. Noble,
Jesse L. Byrum, Lycurgus
Perry, J. S. Hendrix, James
L. Byrum, and R. D. Chap
pell.
Fourth Township
J. " Thomas Brabble and
Lloyd Overton, Jr.
Escaped Convict
Taken In Ya.
George Thomas Young is
reported to have been appre
hended in Hopewell, Va., fol
lowing his successful escape
from a road gang in Chowan
County last Wednesday.
Authorities said Young es
caped from a road gang in
the Greenfield section of the
county where work is being
done on a highway.
The . prisoner reportedly en
tered a home in Yeopiih on
Thursday and stole several
items of clothing.
MEETING CHANGED
Ed&n ton’s Town Council
will meet at 8 P. M., Thurs
day. August 11, instead of
; August 9, according to Town
Administrtor W. B. Gardner.
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PRINCIPALS IN MOVE FOR sl% MILLION HOSPITAL REFERENDUM
New Board Established
An ordinance creating the
Chkwan County Planning
Board was approved by
Chowan County Commis
sHwL',- . S
GEORGE A. LAPIENE
Award Presented
To G. A. Lapiene
George A. Lapiene, 55, of
Largo, Fla., has been award
ed a bronze medal, it was
announced today by the U.
S. Commerce Department's
Environmental Science Ser
vices Administration (ESSA).
The award sos superior ser
vice is the highest honor a
commerce bureau can con
fer upon an employee.
Lapiene, who retired in
December, 1965, after almost
35 years’ service aboard
Coast and Geodetic Survey
ships, was commended for
“many years of exemplary
service exhibiting diligence,
mechanical skill and techni
cal proficiency throughout
his career.”
The Survey is a major
Continued on Page 4
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HOLLOWELL INSTALLED - W- SJJdS. T.
the picture at right behind a banner which will be displayed by Edenton Lions C i d. J Director; Hollofeell, and Daniel Reaves, pree*-
sioners Monday and a reso
lution was passed entering
into a contract with the
board to have a county
wide survey of seWer and
water needs.
A grant will be received
from the Farmers Home
Administration to finance
this comprehensive study.
Chairman W. E. Bond said
West Byrum, Jr., had re
signed as chairman of the
Overall Economic Develop
ment Program Committee
which will constitute the
new board. Byrum is chair
man of the board of elections
and this would constitute
double office holding.
Chairman Bond said a
meeting of the board would
Pavlich’s Lawn
Earns $5 Award
Edenton Jaycees have se
lected John Pavlich as win
ner of the Lawn-of-the-
Mor.th contest in Edenton
for July. The Pavlich home
is located at 12 Hawthorne
Road.
Aubrey Davis, chairman of
the Jaycee community de
velopment committee, said
Pavlich will receive a $5
cash award.
Honorable mention during
July went to. the following:
Bruce F. Jones, 201 Blount
Street,; Mrs, Wood Privott.
125 Blount Street; J. Edwin
Bufflap, 104 East Church
Street, and Kenneth Worrell,
4 Stratford Road. '
The Jaycees will pick an
other lawn for recognition
in August.
MEETING CHANGED
Chowan County Board of
Commissioners will meet on
September 6 instead of Mon
day, September 5, which is
Labor Day.
be held as soon as possible
so work could proceed on at
tempting to get a federal
grant for extension of sewer
and water lines to the new
Carter's Ink Company prop
erty. east of Edenton.
Bruce F. Jones was vice
chairman of the committee
and members included: T. A.
Berryman, L. C. Bunch, J.
H. Conger, Jr., W. J. P.
Earnhardt, Sr., W. B. Gard
ner, Scott Harrell, W. P.
(Spec) Jones, West Leary,
George Lewis, Woodrow
Lowe, C. W. Overman,
Thomas Shepard, J. M. Rob
inson. W. J. Taylor and J.
A. Webb, Jr.
Melvin Howell, FHA sup
ervisor, told county qom
missionefs a comprehensive
county-wide plan of water
and sewer needs would be
necessary before any further
progress could be made on
applying for a grant. He al
so said a planning board
must be in existence.
Howell said grants such as
the county is seeking cannot
exceed 50 per cent of' the
project costs.
W. P. (Spec) Jones, tax
supervisor, told the com
missioners Chowan County’s
assessed valuation for 1966 is
$27,300,000. This is an in
crease from $25,713,000 last
year.
At the same time Jones
advised the board the coun
ty suffered a $495,000 reduc
tion in auto valuations due
to a new system used
throughout North Carolina.
The jail report showed 23
inmates confined for from
one to 31 days at a cost of
$304.47.
Mrs. J. D. Elliott, county
auditor, explained a state
local government retire
ment plan which is in force
in 62 North Carolina coun
ties. It would cost the eoun
(Continued on Page Six)
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Spring, Summer
Weather Harmful
The weather, generally a
good topic for conversation,
has caused action on at
least two fronts.
First, the spring was so
cool and wet farmers had
trouble getting their 1966
crop underway.
Second, the summer has
been so hot and dry what
did finally come up was
damaged.
Rep. Walter Jones of the
First District announced last
week that Chowan County
farmers were among those in
area counties who were eli
gible for government loans.
This is on the basis of in_
formation concerning the
spring weather conditions.
Farmers can apply to the
Farmers Home Administration
for the crop loans. Details
were not available at press
time.
H. O. West, local AS.CS
manager, said the county di
saster committee is at pres
ent gathering information to
get Chowan declared a disas
ter area.
West said it is estimated
that two-thirds of the coun
ty’s corn crop has been
damaged by the hot, dry
summer weather.
If the State ASCS com
mittee, Gov. Dan Moore and
Secretary of Agriculture Or
ville Freeman agree, Chowan
farmers will be able to graze
diverted acreage by paying
a small fee.
Gathering data to support
local claims of crop disaster
is A. C. Griffin, ASCS coun
ty committee chairman. Ray
Byrum and E. E. Boyce. Jr.
members; C. W. Overman,
county agent; and Melvin
Howell, FHA supervisor.
Needs Are Cited;
Referendum Set
On November 8
A sl,'4 million hospital
bond referendum has been
called in Chowan County
for November 8. If voters
approve, a new, 70-bed
hospital will be constructed.
Chowan County commis
sioners Monday called for the
referendum after being told
of the urgent need for more
and better medical facilities
in the county.
The request for this vote
of the people came from the
board of trustees of ChowVi
A complete text of the
statement by Jesse L. Har
rell of the Chowan Hospital
Trustees is on page 5.
Hospital, Inc., a non-profit
corporation which has operat
ed the local hospital since it
was constructed. The trus
tees acted on recommenda
tions made in a Long Range
Planning Report completed
by- experts in the hospital
field.
It is anticipated that a 70-
bed hospital would fulfill
area needs to 1975, the pe
riod covered in Stage One
of the recommendations.
While the referendum is
for authorization to issue
sl',2 million in bonds, au
thorities estimate that only
about $1 million would ac
tually be required. They
anticipate at least $500,000 in
federal grants and founda
tion gifts once the voters
have expressed themelves as
favoring the construction of a
new hospital.
If the vote is favorable,
the present hospital property
would be deeded to the coun
ty and in turn leased back to
a hospital board to operate
the facilities.
Too, it was pointed out.
that the 15-bed professional
nursing care unit needs ex
panding and the existing hos
pital would be used for this
purpose.
Jesse L. Harrell, hospital
chairman, read -a lengthy
statement for the board
pointing out the needs which
exist and are now consid
ered critical.
He states that the hospital
census is currently running
more than 20 per cent above
what is considered normal
for a hospital. More space,
as well as additional equip
ment is needed in practically
every department.
Harrell stated that the
survey team recommended a
new hospital site when the
cost of expanding the exist
ing 35-bed unit ran close to
the estimated cost of a com
pletely new facility.
Stating it would take two
to three years to complete a
new hospital, Harrell said:
‘•We are crowded now; just
think what it will be like
in three years."
He added that Medicare
will increase the hospital
census, but how much is not
known.
Harrell also told the com-
Continued on Page Six