School Board Sets Priorities Chowan County citizens at a date yet to be determined, will vote on a 13.5-million bond referendum for construction of a new central high echoed, but Edenton-Chowan Board of Education is committed to a reorganization program which could coat in excess of $1.5-million. Mrs. Emily G. Am bum said the alternative to a new facility would be expensive while “giving us less than a satisfactory solution” to providing the best educational program for all the children in the county. Ernest A. Swain Elementary School in Edenton is not considered in either proposal. At the beginning of a called meeting Monday night, Eugene Jordan, chairman, stated the Local Government Commission has determined a special election cannot be held August 15, as previously anticipated. Chowan County commprioners will be asked to amend the resolution rTJv : CHOWAN HERALD lor u ' y A ** 1&K Al j 1,1 - Volume XLIV. —No. 22. Ede/\%Vorth Carolina, Thursday, June 1, 1978. Single Copies 15 Cents. Rezoning Bid Defeated, 4-3 Edenton Town Council, for the second consecutive time, voted 4-3 Tuesday night against rezoning property adjacent to U.S. 17 by pass for development of a shop ping center. Mayor Roy L. Harrell, without comment, broke a 3-3 tie. At issue was application from W.J.P. Earnhardt, Jr., and Bernard Burroughs to rezone 10 acres on the south side of Virginia Road. Councilman Gil Burroughs, a teacher and coach at John A. Holmes High School and no Public Parade Class Os 1978 This is commencement time along the Public Parade and throughout much of the country. Thousands of high school seniors will respond to the call of “turn your tassle” which officially marks their entry in a new worh Today this newspaper devotes considerable space in an nouncements about plans far three classes in thuTcounfy ChUWiTT ~ Academy, John A. Holmes and Chowan High. Also, individual recognition is given the seniors as some 50 local business establishments and in dustries sponsor the annual graduate pages. This is in the form of a public service for us, as more than normal time is spent on page composition because of the photographs. However, it happens but once in the life of a young person and it deserves a little special treatment. As we said it’s a new world for these graduates and as we have noted so often in the past, the real challenge is for them to play a role in the solution rather than become a part of the problem. Annual Meetings One can’t expect much out of Raleigh in the next couple or three weeks. Why? The General Assembly is back in session. Bureaucrats have a tendency to “walk on eggs” while the lawmakers are in town. This will be especially true during the 1978 mini-session where liquor and budget are the primary topics, not necessarily in that order. The session comes less than a months after the May 2 Democratic primary and the floor will have a generous number of “lame duck” legislators. What effect this will have on legislation remains to be seen, but it could produce more evils than the last minute surge of adjournment of Continued On Page 4 m Bk*. 1 ■ relation to a principal in the proposed development, spoke in opposition to the request. He voted accordingly, but Councilmen W.H. Hollowell and Jesse L. Harrell, both downtown businessmen, remained silent while voting with Burroughs. A business partner of Hollowell, James Blount, was involved in a lengthy law suit against the town over earder action to rezone the property. Councilman J.P. Ricks, Jr., read a lengthy statement outlining Edenton “old past” prior to 1952, raw M ft jjOm Johnny Chappell Exercises Set Graduation exercises will be held tonight (Tliursday) at 8 P.M. at Chowan Academy with the commencement address being delivered by Dr. S. Bruce Petteway. He is president of N.C. Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount. The Class of 1978 consists of 12 members. f The valedictory address will be delivered by Amanda Bunch while the salutatory address will be by Raymond Chappell. Diplomas will be awarded by Joseph H. Towe, Jr., chairman of the academy’s board of directors. Continued on Page 4 '■;* *7>'i Dr. S. Bruce Petteway I * -. *v •' 'lifcasl m Dim r> K /unamu duuci calling for the referendum once the date is determined. At another point in the meeting, Mrs. Ambum, chairman of the Site Selection Committee, said four sites are being investigated with the overwhelming choice at this time being property Jt > ,J «^ Nv 1 It Kenneth Pierce U S Postage Copy of new 15-cent stamp. Water Study ‘Not Complete’ MANTEO Studies of the Albemarle Sound Basin haven’t gone far enough, a member of the Coastal Resources Commission charged here last week and a state water quality official agreed. The exchange between Frank Furlough of Columbia, a com mercial fisherman and CRC member, and Col. DanMcDonald of Raleigh came during a discussion of the plan to take water from North Carolina to supply Southeastern Hampton Roads, Va. Furlough said all the studies had been made of tributaries while none had been made in the Albemarle Sound. He charged that the study would not be complete until all the waters are evaluated to a point where they empty into the Atlantic Ocean. He further said moving from the Chowan River to Roanoke River would not benefit the water quality in the sound, into which both rivers dump. Col. McDonald, a former Corps of Engineer official now with the state Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, agreed with Furlough and admitted that such a study had not been made. Representatives of the Norfolk District, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Commencement The Class of 1978 at John A. Holmes High School will receive diplomas Monday night in graduation exercises at Hicks Field. The program starts at 7 o’clock. Dr. James L. Fenner, Sr., pastor, Providence Baptist Church, and Dr. Robert E. Gray, pastor, Edenton Baptist Church, will speak at the baccalaureate service at 7:30 P.M. Sunday. It will be held at Edenton Baptist Church. Dr. Fenner’s topic will be “Stop And Think” while Dr. Gray will speak on the subject: “Keep On Keeping On.” Special music will be presented by Anna Kay Manning and the John A. Holmes Concert Choir, directed by Mrs. Shelby Strother. “If You Believe” is the subject for three student commencement addresses. Speakers will be Kenneth Pierce, valedictorian; Elizabeth Stevens, salutatorian; and Far ah Bembury. Dr. Bruce R. McGraw, prin cipal, and his assistant, C. Louis Belfield, will present the seniors and Dr. J.H. Horton of Edenton- Chowan Board of Education, will award the diplomas. Hph"®- ■ Elizabeth Stevens did not respond positively to a CRC request to have representatives here to discuss the alternatives. Dr. Gene Huntsman of Havelock, CRC committee chairman, expressed disap pointment. While Col. McDonald said the state ‘‘cannot tolerate any Continued on Page 4 Col. Paul E. Lasker New Headmaster Col. Paul Edwin Lasker will become headmaster at Chowan Academy, effective June 15, ac cording to Joe Towe, Jr., of Hertford, chairman of the board Bom at Tigard, Ore. in 1929, Col Lasker attended elementary school, high school, and college in the state of Oregon. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1954. Upon retiring from the Army after 22 years of active service, he became the Senior Army Instructor for Junior R.O.T.C. a: D.H. Conley High School in Greenville. He simultaneously served as the Director of Army Instruction for all Army J.R.O.T.C. instruction in Pitt County. Dr. Robert E. Gray ' “ ■■§ Farah Bembnry