Schools Have 7 Vacancies In Teacher Ranks
Edenton-Chowan Schools, just three
weeks away from opening for the 1967-
68 term, have seven teacher vacancies.
At this late date, Supt. Bill Britt admits
he will be unable to fill some of the slots.
Schools open August 30.
Supt. Britt told the board of educa
tion Tuesday night vacancies exist at
John A. Holmes High School, Chowan
High School and in both the high school
and primary grades at D. F. Walker.
Also, a supervisor’s position, open for
the past two years, is still not filled.
At Holmes High, a mechanical draw
ing instructor and English teacher is
needed.
Out at Chowan High, an English
% THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XXXIV.—No. 32. Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina 27932 Thursday, August 10, 1967. Single Copy 10 Cents
(The public parade
Dusting The Skeleton
For a number of years local school of
ficials have vowed that the athletic pro
gram here is “self-sustaining”. An in
vestigation of student insurance rates
discloses it has been subsidized not only
by tax money but by individual students.
Edenton-Chowan Board of Education
Tuesday night moved to correct a por
tion of this inequity.
There appears to be two companies
interested in the student insurance in
this area. Pilot Insurance Company has
a $1.75 per student premium and adds
$22.50 for each football player covered.
At the same time, the Walker Agency
charges $2.50 per student and this in
cludes the athletes.
Prior to the merger of the Edenton
and Chowan administrative units, Eden
ton had the Walker policy and Chowan
took the Pilot. The reasons are obvious.
Chowan had no football program. Eden
ton had two —John A. Holmes and D. F.
Walker.
But it was here that the logic ended.
Without the knowledge of behind the
scene manipulating, students attending
Edenton schools and signing up Jor the
Walker policy paid $2 premium, or 25
cents more than those living in the coun
ty. The other 50 cents per student was
paid from tax funds in order to get the
football players covered at no additional
charge.
This has been happening, with the city
school budget including money to Subsi
dize the football program and coming
from Chowan County taxpayers, although
school officials have declared the pro
gram has been “self-sustaining”.
Chowan County Commissioner Dallas
Jethro, Jr., attended Tuesday’s meeting
and objected to students being charged
a premium higher than necessary in order
to get the players covered at no addi
tional cost. He also said commissioners
had been misled about the program.
Supt. Bill Britt, when asked about
Continued on Page 4
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HARVEST TIME IN CHOWAN—A recent afternoon drive
through rural Chowan County found traffic at the popular Earl
Smith's Store in Rocky Hock restricted to his delivery truck.
Why? The pictures below tell the story as local farmers are busy
harvesting and marketing their crops. At left ifs a family affair
in the field as ripe cantaloupes are sought from a big field. Lines
formed at Chowan Cooperative Exchange at Valluilla as thousands
of cantaloupes and watermelons are marketed. Meanwhile, a to
bacco sled waited in the field for use the next morning. All hands
are busy as harvest time in Chowan is in full swing.
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teacher is needed.
The four vacancies at the V S
School include a vocational teach ■§
high school, and teachers for the se %
fifth and eighth grades. £ o
During the discussion about the t e «
ing vacancies, N. J. George, board n |
ber, asked why so many Edenton te
ers are teaching out of town.
Supt. Britt, who assumed his duties
here July 1, said he had not had an op
portunity to study this. However, he
said in some areas principals are reluc
tant to hire teachers from right at home.
The superintendent' said he would defi
nitely study this for next year.
It was noted that several of the open
Commissioners Act
Registration Plan Passed
Chowan County commissioners Mon
day approved a three-point proposal of
the Board of Elections to modernize and
up-date voter registration.
The plan included a new county-wide
registration, a switch to loose-leaf reg
istration books, and the combining of
voter books in the Town of Edenton
and Chowan County.
Damage By Fire
Low During Year
Damage due to fire in Edenton and
the portion of Chowan County covered
by the local fire department was $37,425
during fiscal 1966-67. Involved was
property valued at nearly $2-million.
Based on these figures, Fire Chief W.
J. Yates reports per capita loss in Eden
ton, based on 5,000 population, as being
$5.07. In the county, based on 2,500
population, the per capita loss was $5.22.
Damage to building and contents in
Edentpn, where 65 alarms were answered,
was estimated at $25,375. The depart
ment answered 50 alarms in the county
and damage was estimated at $12,050.
Town Administrator W. B. Gardner
was high in his praise of the work done
by the Edenton Fire Department. Point
ing to the per capita loss figures, he call
ed them an excellent record.
“This shows that we have a well train
ed department, staffed by men of the
highest caliber,” the administrator said.
Chief Yates, in his annual report to
Town Council and Chowan Commission
ers, said men in the department were
out 13QJ4 hours answering the 115
alarms in Edenton and Chowan County.
Vehicles traveled 124 miles in Edenton
and out-of-town trips amounted to 386
miles.
The department conducted 26 fire
Continued on Page 4
positions were believed filled but pros
pective teachers returned their contracts
unsigned. They had accepted positions
in other states at a greater salary.
Relocation of the superintendent’s of
fice was again discussed at length. Supt.
Britt said he had been unable to get
satisfactory information on a temporary
structure. The bid he received was for
a three-year lease-purchase which would
cost a total of $16,500.
Mrs. J. Clarence Leary, asked what
was objectionable about the Hotel Jo
seph Hewes.
Dr. Edward G. Bond, chairman, said
he personally felt it would take a lot of
money to fix it up to make it suitable.
E. L. Hollowell, chairman of the elec
tions board, said the new registration,
the first here in more than 20 years,
could take place prior to the May, 1969,
Primary election. This would save the
county the cost of having a special reg
istration.
Because of the timing of the new
election machinery change, Hollowell said
the cost would not be nearly as great
as it was first anticipated. He said the
loose-leaf binders would cost the county
less than $750 and the only additional
cost would be one day of pay for regi
strars in the six precincts. The registra
tion forms will be furnished by the state,
he added.
Commissioner Chairman W. E. Bond
said he could see no better time than
now to begin planning for the switch
to the new system. The state requires
the loose-leaf system by January, 1970.
Hollowell told the board members
space in existing books would not be
sufficient to wait beyond the May elec
tion to change.
Also, he said the State Board of Elec
tions has requested each county to pro
vide office space for the county elections
board. “I ask you to keep this in mind
as space becomes available,” he said.
Murray Ashley, Civil Defense director,
told the board unless a secretary spends
at least four hours a day in his office
the state will not provide matching funds.
Without a secretary, no state funds will
be available.
Mrs. Pansy Elliott, county account
ant who doubles as CD secretary, asked
that she be relieved of the CD duties.
She said it would be impossible to main-
Continued on Page 4
Evans Car Stolen
Police Monday afternoon sounded a
state-wide alarm for a car which was
reported missing from the Municipal
Parking Lot back of Hotel Joseph
Hewes.
Wallace B. Evans reported that his
1966 Ford 4-door Custom 500 was miss
ing. The vehicle, bearing NC license
FY 228, was stolen sometime between
1 P. M., and 5:30 P. M.
Town Council Junks Project On East Church Street
The controversial widening of East
Church Street has been deleted from a
State Highway Department project by
Edenton Town Council.
At the same time, the council, meet
ing Tuesday night, voted to continue
with the Tria/igle project.
State Highway Commission engineers
said for the sake of getting an attractive
bid, both jobs, estimated at $150,000,
were tied together for letting. There
fore, if one or the other was deleted
they would have to be readvertised.
Council in the past three weeks has
First floor space is also highly desired,
he said.
Mrs. Leary reminded board members
that county commissioners had asked to
be consulted before any money was spent
on an office.
Supt. Britt said the cost of renova
tions would be great to make space in
the building. Even then, he said, it
would still not be a desirable location
for the schools office.
Mrs. Leary added that the school
board should make it the responsibility
of the commissioners to find suitable
space. “We have to go to them for
the money,” she concluded.
In other matters, the board voted to
B I V HHf
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Dr. William W. Bindeman, left, and Dr. Roland Vaughan
New Surgeon To Locate Here Soon
Dr. William W. Bindeman this week
announced that he will establish a prac
tice of general surgery in Edenton.
Dr. Bindeman, who is currently a staff
surgeon at U. S. Soldier’s Hospital in
Washington, has made application to re
tire from the Armed Forces. He holds
the rank of lieutenant colonel and has
completed more than 20 years of ser
vice.
The surgeon will be associated with
Chowan Medical Center.
Dr. Bindeman’s announcement ends a
search for a replacement for Dr. L. P.
Williams, Jr., on Chowan Hospital staff.
Dr. Williams moved to Elizabeth City
Band Project Set
John A. Holmes High School Band
will conduct its Annual Magazine Cam
paign from August 11 until August 25.
This campaign presents Edentonians a
selection of over a hundred currently
popular magazines for subscriptions.
Many of the magazines are offered at
reduced rates. Profits from the cam
paign are used to purchase new music,
instruments, and uniforms for the band.
All band members including 7th grad
ers are requested to attend the first band
meeting of the 1967-68 school year.
This meeting will be held in the John A.
Holmes High School Bandroom on Fri
day, August 11 at 9:30 A. M. Instru
ments will not be required.
The Magazine Campaign has received
much favorable support in past years,
been bombarded with criticism of the
project on East Church Street, both from
the property owners and others who do
not want the historic James Iredell
House defaced.
Highway officials have repeatedly
stated the Iredell House would not be
harmed by the project to widen the
street.
Councilmen Thomas Shepard, Leo
Katkaveck and Henry Quinn were most
vocal in their objections to the project.
They asked for evidence of the need,
called the project “foolish”, and said the
put out workmen’s compensation insur
ance on bids; move to a fleet policy on
all moving vehicles and put this out on
bids; voted to establish the position of
maintenance super visor; approved the
transfer of Prdmise Elliott, Route 1,
Edenton, from D. F. Walker to Chowan
High School; and voted to work with
Pilot Insurance Company on student in
surance for the year.
Also, Supt. Britt said the new ESEA
proposal called for a $185,828 program,
including a secretary to take some of the
load off the director and bookkeeper.
He also reported the unit has received
a $20,000 grant from ESEA for a pro
gram in art and the humanities.
July 1. Since that time surgeons in the
area have been providing the hospital
with their services.
A native of Clover, S. C., Dr. Binde
man graduated from Gastonia (N. C.)
High School and w-ent on to do his un
dergraduate work at Wheaton College in
Illinois. He graduated there in 1944.
In 1947 he received his MD degree
from the University of Maryland School
of Medicine in Baltimore. Later he in
terned and received his surgery residency
at the Lutheran Hospital of Maryland,
also in Baltimore.
He was commissioned in the U. S.
Army in 1949.
Dr. Bindeman is certified by the Am
erican Board of Surgery and is a fellow
of the American College of Surgery. He
is a member of various medical societies.
He is married to the former Fay
Kempton of Pensacola, Fla., and they
have two sons, William W., Jr., 14, and
Bruce, 11. The Bindemans are Pres
byterians.
Lawns Are Judged
The R. B. Hollow-ell home, Albania
Acres, has won Edenton’s Jaycees second
1967 Lawn-of-the-Month contest.
Jerry Holmes, chairman of the pro
ject, said Hollowell will receive a garden
hose from Byrum Hardware, a plant
from Leary Plant Farm and $5 in cash
from the Jaycees.
Honorable mention went to: W. J. P.
Earnhardt, Sr., North Granville Street,
and Kenneth Worrell, 4 Stratford Road.
property owners don’t want the street
widened.
However, Councilman Luther Parks
reminded the members that property
owners on West Queen Street objected
to the project to widen that section of
U. S. 17 at the time, but now are proud
of the street.
It was estimated that the cost of re
locating utilities along East Church
Street would exceed $7,000. This ex
pense would fall to the town.
Council voted to join with Chowan
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