Detention Facility Opens July 1
Housing of male prisoners at the
Chowan County Detention Facility
will begin July 1 and applications
for three jailers and a jail
supervisor will be accepted
beginning in about two weeks.
Chowan County Commissioners,
at thejr meeting on Monday,
agreed with Cliff Copeland, county
manager, and Sheriff Troy Toppin
that it is economically feasible to
use the new facility.
In a report, Copeland told the
board, “A comparison of the
operating costs of the new Chowan
County Detention Facility versus
the Tri-County Jail leads to the
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Vol. XLVI-No. 15
County Aid Sought For Program
Final approval to lease a 10-acre
tract for a softball field was given
by the Town Council, Tuesday
night, at the same time it directed
its representative on the
Recreation Board to discuss
possible formation of a coun
tywide recreation commission as
an initial step in getting Chowan
County financially involved.
Discussion of the lease, in
volving use of a site on U. S. 17
Business formerly a drive-in
movie theater, hit a sore spot
when councilman Gil Burroughs
cited his opposition to the town
taxpayers bearing the full cost of
the recreation program when
county residents are enjoying it
for free.
Dear Governor
Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr., was
scheduled to meander along the
Public Parade for a short time
Wednesday afternoon while on a
whistle stop tour of Northeastern
North Carolina. The advance
notices said the Chowan River
would be the focal point. In fact, he
scheduled a brief cruise to inspect
the river which has been about
rendered useless.
Due to this newspaper’s printing
schedule it was not possible to
cover the events in this week’s
edition. We are, however, writing
this open letter.
Dear Governor:
Welcome back to the Cradle of
the Colony, home of the Chowan
River and populated by some of
the finest people on the face of this
earth. Their rallying point is
preservation not restoration.
The natives have become
restless. Their river has not been
preserved; neglect by those who
had the charge to protect it fell
asleep at the switch. The great,
great damage done has brought
about an urgent need for
restoration.
Those in the Tar Heel portion of
the Chowan River Basin even
into the reaches of Albemarle
Sound are confident today that
your administration has a sincere
commitment to restore water
quality in the Chowan. It has
resulted, many believe, via a
painful civics lesson. Some have
even hinted that politics are in
volved.
Governor, those close to the
heartbeat are breathing much
easier than 18 months ago when
Continued on Page 4
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ESCAPE SERIOUS INJURIES —A Virginia Beach resident and an Edenton man escaped serious
injury in an accident at the intersection of U. S. 17 Bypass and business. Mrs. Elaine Jones of
Virginia Beach, Va., was charged with a violation after colliding with a vehicle driven by James Ed
Overton of Route 3. Hie Jones vehicle is shown at left and State Trooper P. J. Mitchell is shown with
the Overton vehicle at right.
conclusion that it is economically
feasible to operate the facility and
that the community will benefit
from its operation in terms of
increased provision of deputy
patrolling, investigation and
such.”
The commissioners approved a
$78,919 first year budget for the
jail. The projected expenditures
were based on an average daily
prisoner population of 11 persons,
or 85 per cent occupancy rate. The
two greatest cost factors will be
salaries totaling $35,389, and food
service, totaling $24,090.
Copeland said original
Edenton, North Carolina Thursday, April 10, 1980
Terming it a “gross im
balance”, Burroughs said he
objected to further expenditures
“without exhausting every
possible means of getting county
funds.”
“As it presently stands, every
county resident living in town
contributes $6.50 to every resident
outside of town” for participation
in the recreation program. Citing
the popularity of local softball, he
said it would be a good opportunity
to get the county involved.
Councilman J. P. Ricks com
mented, “Either the town
produces the program or it isn’t
produced at all seems to be the
situation.”
Councilman Allen Homthal, the
representative on the Recreation
Board, suggested turning
recreation administration over to
a commission rather than have it
continue solely as a department of
the Town of Edenton.
“We need the facilities,” he
said, “but the funds are just not
there.” He went on to say it has
been proven that at least half of
the participants are from outside
of the city limits.
Burroughs pointed out, “We are
looking at significant, future
expenditures in which town tax
payers will be bearing the burden
of the entire county.”
Mayor Roy L. Harrell said the
town’s alternatives are to continue
in the present form, approach the
Two Escape
Serious Injury
Two motorists were treated at
Chowan Hospital and released
Friday following an accident at
the intersection of US 17-Business
and bypass. They were identified
as Mrs. Elaine Jones of Virginia
Beach, Va., and James Ed
Overton, Route 3, Edenton.
State Trooper Pat Mitchell
issued a citation to Mrs. Jones for
driving on the wrong side of the
road.
The trooper said the 4:45 ac
cident occurred when Mrs. Jones’
1979 Buick slowed behind vehicles
which had decreased speed in
front of her to allow a car to make
a turn. The Jones vehicle slid into
the path of the oncoming Overton
car.
Mrs. Jones, according to
Trooper Mitchell, escaped serious
injury when the door of her car
flew open at impact causing her to
be dragged a distance of 80 feet.
The motorists were transported
to Chowan Hospital by Edenton-
Chowan Rescue Squad.
estimates of the operating costs
were placed at $138,000, but
through careful analysis, cuts of
almost $59,000 were made
possible.
Revenues generated from jailer
fees and state reimbursements
will total $14,040. In addition,
possible acquisition of a Law
Enforcement Assistance Ad
ministration grant could cut
county costs by $9500.
By comparison, over the year it
would cost the county $45,200 to
continue to use Tri-County Jail.
Copeland pointed, too, that since
the daily prisoner population from
Single Copies 20 Cents
county commissioners, cut ser
vices or restrict participation to
Edenton residents only. The latter
alternative was viewed as
unacceptable.
'“Until the county com
missioners get some feeling for
our young people,” the mayor
said, “we will have to continue to
bear the burden.”
Homthal said the situation was
discussed by the Recreation Board
about two months ago and the
general feeling was that whatever
actions are taken must be taken
from a positive, productive
standpoint rather than a negative
one. He said formation of a
commission would give the county
its share of control over the
program.
Tar River Communications, a
Tarboro-based cable television
firm, has verbally approved
several changes in a proposed
agreement with the Town of
Edenton. Council agreed to hold
an additional meeting to do a line-
Continued on Page 4
Jury Determines
T-1 -• T
Lrvm Innocent
A Washington County jury
cleared Michael L. Ervin of all
remaining charges in his CETA
funds embezzlement trial, last
Friday. The jury deliberated
about two hours before returning
the verdicts to Judge John Russell
Jolly, Jr.
Ervin was originally charged
with 11 counts including forgery
and uttering, embezzlement and
obtaining property by false
pretense. The charges grew out of
a state investigation into
mishandling of Comprehensive
Education and Training Act funds
by the Eastern N. C. Opportunities
Industrialization Center.
Four charges of forgery and
uttering were dismissed for lack of
sufficient evidence and not guilty
verdicts were returned in the
remaining charges including four
counts of embezzlement, two
counts of false pretense and one
county of forgery.
Fishermen Rescued By Family
A Catawba County family
rescued two local men from the
frigid waters of the Chowan River
last Sunday.
Clyde Marshall Cline of Newton
is credited with saving Norman
Nixon, 60, and his cousin, Archie
Nixon from drowning on Easter
Sunday. Earlier the Cline family
had been fishing near Mur
freesboro but because of the lack
Chowan County has increased
from two to eleven persons and
because the county did not par
ticipate in funding of Tri-County
Jail, problems could arise in
continuing to use the Pasquotank
facility.
Continued use of Tri-County Jail
for housing female prisoners was
included in the projected ex
penditures. Because the county
seldom has a single female
prisoner, much less two, it was
deemed undesireable to hire a
matron and sacrifice two cells.
The additional space for male
prisoners may mean the county is
able to accept prisoners from
other counties, thereby producing
more revenue for operation of the
jail.
WINNERS IN LIVESTOCK EVENT Randy Lowe, third from the right in bottom photo,
exhibited the champion individual hog in Tuesday’s Junior Livestock Show and Sale at the
American Legion Fairgrounds. Other place winners in individual hog competition from the left are:
Donna Pippins, sixth place; Crystal Stallings, seventh place; William Nixon, fourth place; Walter
Byrum, third place; Richard Cox, second place; Lowe; Andy Hare, eighth place; and Darryl
Stallings, fifth place. Krista Hare, in top photo, exhibited the champion steer while David Hare, not
pictured, exhibited the reserve champion.
-Ward, Lowe-And Hare Take Top Awards
Ivey Ward won both the Fitting
and Showmanship contest for hogs
and the Fitting and Showmanship
contest for steers in the 1980
Chowan County Junior Livestock
Show held Tuesday.
The total sale price of the seven
steers and 45 hogs came to $14,570.
Last year the total sale value was
$14,835. The hogs this year sold for
an average of $86.33 above market
price. In 1979 the average above
market price per head for hogs
was $83.38. The steers sold for
$3348 above market price, while
the same number of steers sold for
$3234 above market price in 1979.
“Our business men paid more
above market price for both steers
and hogs than in 1979. We think
that this is mightly fine and sur
prising support,” commented
Murray Goodwin, Agricultural
Extension Agent and Mike Hare,
Teacher of Vocational
Agriculture, directors of the show
of bites came over to the Chowan
River.
Cline and his wife, Faye, and son
Billy were fishing from the same
boat. Cline’s half brother, David
Shook, was in a second boat. Shook
saw someone in the river and
called out to the Clines.
Norman Nixon, who couldn’t
swim, was holding on to his cousin
when the men were rescued by
Cline. Billy Cline held the first
man to the side of the boat while
his father went back for the second
man.
After the Nixons were brought to
shore the younger Cline went to
find a rescue squad. He headed
toward Edenton and came upon
the unit at Earl Smith’s Store.
Norman Nixon was treated for
shock at Chowan Hospital, Archie
Nixon did not require treatment.
“I just figured it was my time,”
Norman Nixon is quoted as
saying. “I can’t swim and the
water was cold and my boots were
filled with water.”
Mrs. Cline said: “That’s one
Easter Sunday we’ll neve- forget.
In my mind, God sent us to
Edenton to save two lives!”
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and sale.
Randy Lowe exhibited the
Champion individual hog which
sold for $1.45 per pound and was
purchased by S&R Super Market.
S & R also purchased the Cham
pion Steer for $1.40 per pound. This
champion was exhibited by Krista
Hare.
The Champion pen of three hogs
was proudly owned by Walter
Byrum and was bought by C. A.
Perry and Son and Central Fer
tilizer for 65 cents per pound.
The Reserve Champion In
dividual hog was shown by 10 year
old Richard Cox and this Hamp
shire market pig was bought by
Hobbs Implement at sl.lO. The
Reserve Champion Pen of Three
was exhibited by William Nixon
and was bid off by Valhalla
Produce at 80 cents.
David Hare, brother of Krista,
had the Reserve Champion Steer
and this fine animal sold for $1.20
and was bought by C. A. Perry and
Son and Central Fertilizer.
Other winners in Fitting and
Showmanship Contest for hogs
were Walter Byrum, 2nd place;
Darrell Stallings, 3rd place and
Anna Goodwin, 4th place.
In the Fitting and Showmanship
Contest for steers, 2nd place was
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NEW POLICE STATION Chief J. D. Parrish is shown in the
new headquarters of the Edenton Police Department on West
Water Street. The building, which was owned by J. H. Conger and
Son before purchase by the Town of Edenton, underwent ex
tensive renovation before the move was made. The former police
headquarters at the Municipal Building will become the billing
payment office for the town.
won by Krista Hare; 3rd place,
David Jordan; 4th place, Debbie
Ward and sth place, Harriett
Winslow.
The third Individual Hog was
shown by Walter Byrum and was
bought by Baker Hog Market. The
third place steer was paraded by
Harriett Winslow and was bought
by Central Fertilizer and C. A.
Perry and Son. The third place pen
of three was shown by 11 year old
David Hare and this lot was
bought by Chowan Storage.
There will be more about the
show and sale in next week’s
paper.
Registration Set
For Kindergarten
Children who will be five years
old on or before October 16 are
eligible to enroll in a kindergarten
program for the 1980-81 school
year. Kindergarten registration
for Edenton-Chowan Schools will
be held next week in two locations.
White Oak School registration
will be held from 8:30 to 1:00 on
April 15. D. F. Walker School will
hold its registration on April 16th
from 8:30 to 1:00 in the school’s
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