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PROJECT CONTRACTS SIGNED Contracts ' long
awaited construction of a new Chowan County cout and
detention facility were officially signed Tuesday night!’ 1 at
right is N.J. George, chairman of the county commi %% rs.
Walter G. Baker, seated left, represented Barnhill Competing
Company, the general contractor. Standing are Everette Fauber,
Jr., architect, and James Burgess, project superintendent.
Hats Off!
The skill of area firemen has
been given the acid test in the last
couple of weeks. In each instance,
they came out with exceptionally
high marks.
First, Edenton Fire Department
masterfully contained an early
evening fire which destroyed the
millwork building of M.G. Brown
Company adjacent to Filberts
Creek.
Secondly, the Hertford Fire
Department scored high Tuesday
in containing a fire which
destroyed Winslow Oil Company
and other properties.
In each instance, mutual aid
played a major role in the suc
cesses and to minimize loss. This
is commendable and shows that
need is not limited nor hampered
by county lines.
If the same spirit of cooperation
and concern can become the creed
of other professionals, then the
■gOod liffi.along tha Public Parade
and throughout Northeastern
North Carolina can be made
better. The good is never so that it
cannot become the best!
Our hats are off to the firemen
and support personnel who make
such a tremendous contribution to
the area.
Looking Ahead
Farmers along the Public
Parade and throughout Tar Heelia
will be looking ahead for
something better in 1978. The last
crop year left a lot to be desired in
most quarters.
But in looking ahead they can
draw on the experience of the past.
Here is a summary of the 1977 crop
highlights which may open some
old wounds but, nevertheless, can
act as a starting point for the
future:
- -Flue-cured tobacco produc
tion down 19 per cent from 1976.
—Burley tobacco up 15 per cent.
—Corn down 44 per cent.
—Peanuts down 4 per cent.
—Cotton down 17 per cent.
—Soybeans up to 26 per cent.
The largest single factor af
fecting last year’s crops, ac
cording to N.C. State University
extension experts, was the
summer drought. Corn was hit a
double blow—dry weather and
aflatoxin.
There are some sharp contrasts
between state and national
figures. The U.S. cotton crop, for
example, was 31 per cent larger
than in the previous year. Na
tional com production was up 2
per cent compared to North
Carolina’s big decline. Soybeans
were up 33 per cent in the U.S.
From The State
’ Expenditures from the State
Public School Fund totaled over
$Bl6-million during the 1976-77
school year, according to figures
compiled for the annual audit
report of the State Public School
Fund. The total represented a 10.9
per cent increase in spending over
the 1975-76 school year.
The audit report of the State
Public School Rind included only
state contributions to the
operation of North Carolina’s
public schools. It does not indude
Continued on Pago 4
School Gets
$4,164 Grant
“The upgrading of services to
that segment of the school
population who are currently or
might eventually be failing, not
only in school, but possibly in
society as well, will now be
possible,” according to Clara
Boswell, director of the Alter
native School recently established
in the basement of Ernest A.
Swain Elementary School.
Mrs. Boswell’s statement was
made in reference to a $4,165 grant
received this week by Chowan
fieunty commissioners from the
tfiapmunity-Based Alternative
Division of the N.C. Department of
Human Resources for use in the
Edenton-Chowan Alternative
School program.
“This money, along with the 20
p»r cent matching local funds
Continued on Page 4
BIS' J
GRANT RECEIVED Chowan County this week received an
additional grant for a newly organized Alternative School
program in Edenton-Chowan Schools. Left to right are: Mrs.
Clara Boswell, Mack Livesay, N.J. George and Dr. John Dunn.
Symposium To
Feature Experts
The Edenton Symposium will
feature nine lectures by experts in
their fields on architecture, fur
nishings, history and restoration.
There will be tours, wine
tasting, 18th Century music, a play
about piracy in North Carolina
during the early 1700’s, two lun
cheons and a barbecued pig on the
shores of the Albemarle Sound.
The dates for this event are
April 6 and April 7.
Tickets for this special two-day
event are SSO. For reservations
and-or additional information
please write: Symposium In
formation Historic Edenton, Inc.
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THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XLIV.—No. 2 Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, January 12, 1978 Single Copies 15 Cents.
Board To
Hand Down
Decision
Eastern Carolina Health
Systems Agency’s board was
expected to make a decision
Wednesday night on whether or
not to sanction the application of
Northeastern Rural Health
Development Association to ob
tain federal funds for establish
ment of satellite health clinics in
the Albemarle Area.
The board’s action will follow a
recommendation by the Project
Review Committee which held a
public hearing in Hertford last
Thursday night. Mrs. Ruth
Cherry, committee chairman,
said the committee received
“abundant” information to make
a recommendation.
NRHDA seeks to establish
satellite health clinics in Bertie,
Tyrrell and southern Gates
northern Perquimans counties.
Some 300 people attended the
hearing which saw scores of
people in the area walk to the mike
and support the application,
primarily on the basis of the need.
Only a few, primarily providers an
Ahoskie hospital administrators,
an Ahoskie physician, two
Edenton pharmacists, two county
commissioners and a hopeful, and
the head of an existing Gates
County project—spoke in op
position.
John Blanton, administrator of
Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in
Ahoskie, said the plan would
Continued on Page 4
School Board Race Develops
The Chowan County Board of
Elections was busy this week as
candidates filed for re-election
and a race developed for the
Fourth Township seat on Edenton-
Chowan Board of Education.
Mrs. Gwen VanDuyn, Route 2,
Windsor Woods, filed for the board
of education seat being vacated by
Morris Small. Before the day was
out, Cecil W. Fry, Route 2,
Country Club Drive, filed for the
same position.
This is the only race to develop
during the first days of filing,
according to Mrs. Corrine F.
ThonxJ, supervisor of elections.
Dr. J.H. Horton, Paradise Road
in the First Township, filed
Cecil W. Fry
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HERTFORD FIRE Fire from fuel tanks of Winslow Oil Company threatened the T. Erie Haste
Jr., residence most of the day Tuesday, destroying the garage and two vehicles. About 125 firemen
from throughout the area fought the blaze in frigid weather, as evidenced by the insert. These
pictures were taken at 9:30 A.M., an hour and a half after explosion rocked the area. (Staff Photos
by Amburn).
Disaster Strikes Hertford Firm
By L.F. Amburn, Jr.
HERTFORD lt was 12-noon
Wednesday, some 28 hours after
an explosion set off a fire here
which probably will be labeled one
of the worst in the history of
Northeastern North Carolina. But
there were many counting their
Help Available
Mr. A.R. Bass, local revenue
officer for the N.C. Department of
Revenue, advises that personnel
to assist in filing state income and
intangibles tax returns will be
available on Wednesday of each
week through April 15.
The office is located at 102 West
Eden Street and assistance is
available on this day between the
hours of 8:30 A.M. and 5 P.M. Bass
request that taxpayers bring the
pre-addressed forms which were
mailed them from Raleigh.
Taxpayers filing their own
returns should mail those which
indicate a refund to the N.C.
Department of Revenue, Post
Office Box R, Raleigh, N.C. 27634;
other completed returns should be
mailed to the North Carolina
Department of Revenue, Post
Office Box 25000, Raleigh, N.C.
27640.
Tuesday for re-election to a six
year term on the school board.
This will be the last term he will
be able to serve.
C.A. Phillips, former chairman,
filed for re-election to Chowan
County Board of Commissioners
from Fourth Township. Also
seeking a second four-year term
on the board is J.D. Peele of the
Second Township.
Also, Rep. Vernon G. James of
Pasquotank County told The
Chowan Herald Tuesday he would
be a candidate for re-election to
the N.C. General Assembly.
Fry, until his recent resignation
for health reasons, had been
Continued on Page 4
Rep. Vernon G. James
blessings and praising fire
fighters who “put their attack
together like a well designed
machine” to keep damage from
being many times greater.
Mr. and Mrs. T. Erie Haste, Jr.,
who lived in a handsome Colonial
home at the intersection of Grubb
Street and Covenant Garden, were
securing the remains of their
dwelling. Fire which completely
destroyed Winslow Oil Company,
just 15 or so feet from their house,
and Hertford Feed & Seed Com
pany, ate up their garage, two
vehicles and did lesser damage to
the back of the house.
Fire Chief Charlie Skinner was
surveying the site which was not
fully contained well into the night
where temperatures were near 15
degrees. He talked freely with
newsmen on the scene and
recounted how his crew of
volunteers were joined by some
125 others from numerous
departments who contained the
blaze by pouring millions of
gallons of water on superheated
fuel.
He expressed concern over a
half a dozen people who were
injured, none seriously, as
gasoline tanks exploded hurling
debris high into the air and falling
like rain in the general neigh
borhood. Chief Frank White of the
Crossroads Volunteer Fire
Department was among those
injured by a blast about 2:40 P.M.
Tuesday.
Chief White was standing across
the street from the fire when the
top of a steel tank blew into the air,
hit in the Haste yard, struck a
truck and then fell across him. The
steel, doubled by the blast, barely
missed Jim (Catfish) Hunter, one
of the best known names in
professional baseball who resides
near here in Perquimans County.
Fire Chief Luther C. Parks and
10 men, armed with a local
pumper, responded to a call of
mutual aid just minutes after the
alarm was sounded. They stayed
on the site well into the night and
returned Wednesday morning to
£ ' ■ m
Mrs. Gwen VanDuyn
assist.
Louis Craddock of Edenton, an
employee of Winslow Oil Com
pany, was one of three people who
were caught in a warehouse when
the explosion occurred. They
jumped into the frigid Perquimans
River to get to safety.
At one time there was a report
that the fire had spread across the
street to Reid Oil Company, but
this was not the case. It was
masterfully contained within the
block.
' The fire started as tw'o tankers
were being unloaded at Winslow
Oil Company and employees were
reporting for work. Some $600,000
in records of accounts receivables
were destroyed along with
“thousands of gallons of product”,
trucks, tanks and other equip
ment.
One person on the scene Wed
nesday morning described it as
“instant urban renewal.”
The community responded
quickly to provide food, hot
beverage, and warm “break"
sites for firemen.
Except for the curious who
visited the scene, which looked
like it had been struck by a
tremendous ice storm, activity in
downtown appeared to have
returned to normal.
Fees Raised
Chowan County commissioners
Monday agreed to double the
retainer paid the county attorney.
Merrill Evans, Jr., was appointed
to the post during a reorganization
of the board in December.
Commissioner J.D. Peele said
Evans had agreed to serve with a
retainer of SIOO per month. John
W. Graham, who had served in the
capacity for a number of years,
was paid SSO per month.
Peele and Chairman N.J.
George had “a lengthy” con
versation with Evans and
recommended the increased
retainer to the board. It is ex
pected that Evans will take on
some of the work now done for
departments by fee attorneys.
In a departure from past
procedures, Rev. George Cooke of
Ballard’s Bridge Baptist Church
had been asked by Chairman
George to have a brief devotional
prior' to the calling of the meeting
to order. Mr. Cooke said the
citizens of the county owe a debt of
gratitude to commissioners and
others who give their time for
public service.
There were 45 agenda items,
many of them for the information
of board members, yet the
meeting lasted less than an hour
and a half. During the period,
Bryon Kehayes was recom
mended for appointment to the
board of Chowan Hospital and
Continued on Page 4