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PRESENTS PROPERTY—TiIman Keel, left, vice president of
Jnnbo’s Jumbos here, is shown presenting the deed to a former
manufacturing site to Mayor Roy L. Harrell for use by the Town
of Edenton. The donation was in memory of the late Harry Lit
chfield of Peoples Bank.
Town Presented Property
At a special meeting of the Edenton Town Council last Thursday night,
*4 Jim bo’s Jumbos presented two parcels of land at Badham Road and
'l* Second Street to the town.
A letter to the council, presented by Tilman Keel, company vice
president explained that the property was being given in memory of the
late Harry Litchfield of Peoples Bank.
A large number of spectators were on hand and applauded the gift
which will, accoring to W. B. Gardner, town administrator, be leased to a
“small, clean industry” or used as a recreation facility, or for some
other town use.
Non-Voters -
Off Books,
The Chowan County Election
Board is in the process of purging
the election books of persons who
have not voted for a period of four
years. The law requires that this
be done. The board has mailed out
377 notices to persons who may or
'I _ may not still be living in Chowan
* County. Seventy-two of these
/liters were not delivered due to
Jhe fact that the person registered
rib longer lives at that address.
The post office has helped us in
everyway to deliver these let
ters,” it was stated. “But, there
are 300 people who did receive a
notice that their names would be
purged from the Election Books if
they did not answer the notice. The
board had only 50 people return
their letter so that a correction
could be made in the election
office.”
This notice is given for the last
time. If you received one of these
letters and have not answered it
please do so at once. The original
notice gave 30 days to respond and
they were mailed on April 5. The
board is extending the time until
' , May 23.
A .\ After that date your name will
'be removed from the election
books and you will have to re
register if you wish to vote in any
upcoming elections.
'■'Mr,•
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Randy Copeland
Gets Scholarship
Randy Copeland, Route 1,
Tyner, has been named winner of
a SSOO educational scholarship
front the N.C. 4-H Development
Fund.
A senior at Chowan High School,
Copeland is one of 12 4-H members
from across North Carolina
selected to share in $6,000 of
scholarship money being
distributed this year by the Fund.
During eight years in 4-H work,
Copeland has held offices in hit
load 4-H club and die County 4-H
Council. He was a member of'a
team that was first rumerup in
■■
Missing Out
Edenton and Chowan County
have again missed out on some of
the 50-cent dollars being cast
about Tar Heelia. This time it was
the N.C. Arts Council that
awarded $101,070 to non-profit
organizations in Eastern North
Carolina to support community
arts programming.
These awards were among 156
grants totalling $303,162 awarded
to organizations in 61 counties
throughout the state.
In Eastern North Carolina the
grants ranged from S2OO to $5,000
and were awarded for projects
ranging from arts festivals to
puffing a steel sculpture in a
waterfront park (Elizabeth City).
The recent successful
production of “Oliver”, through
the joint efforts of Edenton Little
Theater and the Cultural Arts
Department at John A. Holmes
High School, hopefully will
rekindle interest among the
citizenry along the Public Parade
which will result in matching
money the next time the semi
annual grants are distributed.
This community’s lack of
aggressiveness in this direction is
not in keeping with bold, in
novative projects of the past.
Many of the things we enjoy have
come in spite of the lack of com
munity interest and concern.
In the past our community has
lost out on state grants which
require a match of local funds for
travel and tourism. While the
chamber of commerce does have
increasing difficulty in reaching
its annual budget, some of the
burden could be aleviated through
participation in programs which
provide 50 cents for every 50 cents
earmarked for a particular
project.
Someone, somewhere is asleep
at the switch. If they are not given
a jolt then we will continue to be
missing out on the goodies, and
lockl citizens and businesses will
continue to pay 100 per cent of the
freight for what we do have the
opportunity to enjoy.
She's Back I
Well, we went up to Capital City
last Saturday to bring back our
prise possession to meander along
the Public Parade for the sum
mer. We had the aid of her sister
rather than her Mother, yet the
experience was no less havoc.
Maru is back in town!
It .was graduation day and a lot
of familiar names, faces, etc. Our
car loading episode was in
terrupted by former U.S. Rep.
Horace Kornegay of Greensboro
who still remains a very visible
part of the Washington, D.C.,
scene while viewing it from a
toe
Mayor Postpones Vote
The Edenton Town Council split
3-3 on the issue of rezoning 10
7 acres of land on the southside of
U.S. 17 by-pass at Highway 32, last
Thursday night at a public hearing
and Mayor Roy Harrell, left with
casting the tie-breaker, stated that
he would withhold his vote until
the N.C.*Supreme Court ruled on a
similar tract on the northside.
“After the Supreme Court has
rendered a decision on the north
tract and after the legal time has
passed, I will vote”, stated Mayor
Harrell in concluding the hearing
that was attended by some 75
citizens, and lasted almost two
hours.
The issue is over whether or not
to rezone the parcel of land from
R2O (residential) to shopping
center. The matter has been
before either the council or the
courts since the original petition
was submitted in 1974 by W.J.P.
Earnhardt, Jr., and Bernard P.
Burroughs, developers of the
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Volume XLIII.—No. 20 Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, May 19, 1977 Single Copies 15 Cents.
Atlantic Forest
Products Starts
Expansion Work
.Ground clearing and site
preparation for the expansion of
Atlantic Forest Products’
operation on the Base Road ad
jacent to Edenton Municipal
Airport is now underway, reported
Neil Dirom, operations manager.
Added to the local industry will
be a 120 by 200-foot building to
house facilities for converting
rough green lumber to lumber
specialities. The addition will
handle resawing, molding,
trimming and sorting in producing
various types of interior and ex
terior paneling.
At a meeting of the Edenton
Chamber of Commerce Industrial
Committee Tuesday morning,
chairman George Alma Bynun
termed the expansion “good news
for Edenton” in commending the
plan and pledging the continuing
support of the chamber.
The facility which represents a
capital investment of $500,000, is
expected to be completed by
November.
Continued On Page 4
, t, 1
OPERATION EXPANDS—Shown above is the site of an ex
pansion of Atlantic Forest Products’ operation at the Edenton
Municipal Airport. The local industry will be adding facilities for
converting rough, green wood to wood specialities including types
of interior and exterior cedar paneling. The new facility is ex
pected to be in operation by November.
Aces’ Football Coach Resigns
Edenton Aces head football
coach Dave Holton has resigned
his position at John A. Holmes
High School to take a head
coaching ’ job at Pinecrest High
School in Southern Pines, it was
learned Tuesday.
Holton, who is a native of
Edenton and a Holmes High
graduate, coached the Aces to a 9-
1 overall record and a 5-1 con
ference record in his first year of
coaching here.
“While this is a great challenge
for me, it is one I must admit I
accept reluctantly. I will truly
miss the people of Edenton and in
particular the Edenton Aces,” he
said.
Pinecrest is currently
rebuilding an ailing football
program, having produced a 2-8
record last year and a 3-7 record
- nosed shopping center.
* S October, 1974, a petition to
\e both tracts of land to
i ing center was denied by the
% Council. Resubmitted in
< %% 1975, the petition was ap
l) in but several property
o\ lear the site, along with
oti teemed citizens, filed a
suii <n riowan County Superior
Court which enjoined the
developers from obtaining any
building permits. More than a
year later, the suit was heard and
the court ruled in favor of the
council’s action.
After a series of appeals,
plaintiffs in the suit managed to
get the issue before # the N.C.
Supreme Court. The Town
Council’s decision on the southside
tract was overturned on a
technicality related to the ad
vertising of the public hearing, but
the suit on the northside tract went
before the high court last Wednes
day morning.
1 ~
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DEMOLITION—The first visible signs of the Chowan County
Courthouse-Jail complex having begun came Monday when a
demolition crew began clearing the property at the corner of
Proad and Queen streets. Demolition started with the BP station
parking lot and by Tuesday the structure was nothing more than
a heep of rubble being trucked away. Some portions of the block
will not be subject ot the bulldozers blade until archaeological
studies of some historically significant areas have been com
pleted.
CO A Seeks Building Grant
GREENVILLE - College of
The Albemarle in Elizabeth City is
being asked to make application
for a $1.3-million federal grant a
new technical and vocational
building.
the year before.
“Their program is down and
they have made a very attractive
offer”, Holton commented.
He will be departing from a
homeroom and six classes
situation to one in which more of
his time will be available for the
job of building a solid football
program.
Holton commented, “I have
found the administration there to
be very cooperative, un
derstanding and enthusiastic
about waking to build a good
football program.”
Coach Holton will be leaving
Edenton in mid-June.
Prior to coming to Holmes High
School, Holton coached at Duke
University, Rose High School in
Greenville and Noth Hampton
County High School.
Earnhardt, spokesman for the
developers, reviewed the history
of the issue, stating the decision on
the southside was overturned
solely on the technicality, em
phasizing that the technicality was
a fact not known until just before
“two of three days before the
trial”. He cited the town planning
board’s approval of the petitions
and said “the by-pass is going to
change the entire character of the
land its best use will be com
mercial not residential.”
The local attorney also said, “It
is not a dense residential area.
This is the opportunity for you (the
Town Council) to do what the
planning board and other people
have said would be the best use of
the land. If you don’t do this now,
after the proper planning has been
done, you may aid up with the
type of helter-skelter development
that is to be avoided.”
Earnhardt cited various por-
Continued On Page 4
At a pre-application conference
here Thursday, Dr. Parker
Chesson of COA and a delegation
from the Albemarle Area were
told by representatives of the
Economic Development Ad
ministration that the project is the
first priority in this state for EDA
funding in the next federal fiscal
year, which begins October 1.
Thomas Willis told Dale Jones,
state EDA coordinator, and Butch
Blanchard of the Atlanta office,
that this is the fifth year of work on
this proposal. He emphasized the
fact that all seven counties in the
COA service area have adopted
resolutions to provide financial
support for the project.
The pledge of funds from the
counties is contingent on the EDA
grant.
“It looks like it (the project) can
be done,” Jones stated. “Word has
gotten to us that it needs to be
done.”
“This is not something nice to be
done but something that has to be
done,” he said.
The project has been assured
$300,000 in Coastal Plains Regional
Commission funds by Gov. Jim
Hunt; $144,856 in a separate EDA
grant approved by the governor;
$182,340 from the State Board of
Education and $493,050 in local
funds.
Continued On Page 4
Meeting Set
A meeting of the Highway
Committee of Albemarle Area
Development Association has
been called for Tuesday night at 7
o'clock by Mayor Bill Cox of
Hertford, temporary chairman.
The meeting will be held at
Angler’s Cove Restaurant.
Mayor Cox said the purpose of
the meeting is to elect officers and
establish priorities for the 10
Northeastern North Carolina
counties.
J. Gilliam Wood is Chowan
County’s representative on the
committee. He is a former State
Highway Commissioner.
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William A. Burns
Resignation
Announced
William A. Bums, president of
Chowan Hospital, Inc., has
resigned his position here to ac
cept the post of administrator of a
new hospital in Omaha, Neb.,
reported J. Gilliam Wood,
chairman of the Board of Trustees
here.
Burns announced his
resignation May 10 at a called
meeting of the board’s Executive
Committee. He emphasized that
his resignation was for “personal
reasons” only.
Prior to coming to Edenton
recently he resided in Newport
News, Va., where he was ad
ministrator of Riverside Hospital
and Patrick Henry Hospital,
geriatric facilities.
He began full time duties at
Chowan Hospital on April 18, but
had been working with the hospital
on an interim basis since
February, succeeding Thomas M.
Surratt as president.
Until a replacement is found,
Mrs. Barbara Cale, vice president
of professional services, will
handle administrative duties.
Biggs Jailed
For Shooting
Robert Lee Biggs, 29-year-old
Negro, Route 1, Edenton, is being
held in Tri-County Jail in lieu of
SIO,OOO in connection with* a
shooting incident here Thursday
morning.
Biggs is charged with wounding
Thurman Harris in the right arm
and side following words in front
of Blue Bird Case on North Oakum
Street. Police Sgt. W.E. Spruill set
the time of the incident at 11:11
A.M.
Sgt. Spruill said Harris is being
treated at Chowan Hospital.
Biggs made a first appearance
Monday morning before Judge
Grafton Beaman in Camden
County District Court. The judge
said he saw no justification for a
reduction in bond and set a
probable cause hearing in the case
for Tuesday in Chowan County
District Court.
Sgt. Spruill said the men argued
over a debt prior to the shooting.
Aces’ Banquet
The Aces Athletic Association
will sponsor the Spring Sports
Award Banquet on Monday at 7
P.M. at the Edenton Jaycee
Building.
Athletes will be recognized and
honored who participated in boys
and girls basketball, wrestling,
track, baseball, softball and tennis
at John A. Holmes High School.
Tickets are now on sale at $4
each for a steak dinner from John
A. Holmes High School, both drug
stores and from members of the
Booster Club.
A special feature of the banquet
will be guest speaker, Albert Long
of Happenings, Inc., in Durham, a
dynamic speaker among youth
and adults.
Not Too Late
It is stilf not too late to register a
child in the 1977-78 Edenton-
Chowan kindergarten program.
However, the child must be five
years old on or before October 16.
Interested parents may register
their children at the offices of D.F.
Walker School or White Oak
School at any time. Parents should
bring a copy of toe child’s birth
certificate and immunisation
record.
Information or assistance can
be obtained from Mrs. Gerri Pry,
before Jane IS.