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f Vol. XLVI-No. 36
i Good Judgement
H. W. (Pete) Whitley of Mur
freesboro, chairman of the State
| Environmental Management
Commission, has removed himself
as hearing officer of the proposed
administrative hearing on the
.problems with the Chowan River
in general and CF Industries in
particular. In doing so, Mr.
Whitley showed good judgment
something he has lacked in the
past.
•f When the EMC staff requested
the hearing on August 14, Mr.
Whitley started running his mouth
before he engaged his brain. He
berated Dr. Neil Grigg, division
director and assistant secretary of
~ the N. C. Department of Natural
Resources and Community
Development. And while he
called such a hearing a
“nuisance” he vowed not only to
chair the panel but to personally
name two other members to serve
with him.
Mr. Whitley’s actions are
reprehensible. However, his
recent blow could almost be
predicted because of his past
record of a sometime lone ally of
CF Industries. In fact, at a
meeting along the Public Parade
last Wednesday the suggestion of
possible conflict of interest was
raised. Mr. Whitley denied it in a
later interview.
There is now a faint hope that
Mr. Whitley can be rehabilitated.
In the decision to not chair the
administartive hearing, he
showed good judgment. This was
repeated when he named Dr.
James Wallace of Chapel Hill,
EMC vice chairman, to the
position. The other panel mem
bers are P. Greer Johnson and
Rep. Roger Bone.
At the insistance of Gov. James
B. Hunt, Jr., the Chowan
Restoration Task Force was
formed as a grass roots link to
DNRCM. Capt. A1 Howard of
Arrowhead Beach is task force
chairman and is doing an out
standing job in this position.
Without close monitoring, not only
of the conditions of the Chowan
River but what the politicians are
doing, there can be no hope for
restoring the river to the pre-1972
condition. The Task Force is doing
this.
Continued on Page 4
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OPEN HOUSE IS HELD Members and guests of the old
Company D, 105th Medical Regiment and Company G, Ist BN,
119th Infantry gathered at the National Guard Armory for a
banquet last Saturday night, prior to an open house Sunday af
ternoon. Fire demonstrations were held throughout the day to the
delight of a laroo number of youngsters who visited the armory to
Statements Draw Fire From Task Force
The Chowan Regional Task
Force has taken issue over
statements by Environmental
Management Commission
chairman H. W. “Pete” Whitley of
Murfreesboro concerning CF
Industries role in pollution of the
Chowan River and has called for
Whitley not to preside over a
formal hearing on the matter. The
Task Force met last Wednesday at
the Municipal Building in Eden
ton.
Permit Variance Is
Two members of the Chowan
Regional Task Force believe their
presence and comments during a
meeting of the Environmental
Management Commission last
Thursday in Raleigh may have
been the only thing to save the
pollution plagued Chowan River
from further harm by an
aluminum processing firm from
Massachusetts seeking to locate in
Murfreesboro on the Meherrin
River. That body of water feeds
directly into the Chowan.
Stalls Elams Army Promotion
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Lt. Col. Kenneth L. Stalls
Kenneth L. Stalls, 21 Queen
Anne Place, has been promoted to
the rank of lieutenant colonel in
the N. C. Army National Guard
and has been assigned as assistant
commendant of the North
Carolina Military Academy at
Fort Bragg. The announcement
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, September 18, 1980
Members of the Task Force
reviewed minutes of the August 14
meeting of the Environmental
Management Commission during
which Wl.itley stated the river is in
better shape than it has been in
five or six years. Whitley is
credited to have said “I can’t see
where kicking a dead horse is
going to do any good.”
Task Force members instructed
their chairman, A. M. Howard of
Arrowhead Beach, to inform
A. M. Howard, chairman of the
Task Force, and another member
W. E. Smith, attended the day
long session. Howard spoke
against a request for a special
order that would have allowed
Murfreesboro’s waste treatment
plant to exceed its capacity in
order to receive effluent from the
proposed aluminum processing
plant.
The Task Force chairman said
in an interview this week, the
Division of Environmental
was made this week.
Prior to his new assignment,
Col. Stalls served as executive
officer of the First Battalion, 119th
Infantry in Ahoskie with the rank
of major. Before that he served as
commanding officer of Company
C, First Battalion, 119th Infantry
in Elizabeth City after having
served as intelligence officer of
the 30th Infantry Brigade in Clin
ton.
Col. Stalls military career began
in 1953 where he was on active
duty in the U. S. Army until
honorably discharged in 1956.
Col. Stalls authored a military
staff study titled “The Threat
Force-Potential Adversary
Concept.”
He is director of vocational
education in Chowan, Gates and
Perquimans counties, a post he
returned to after a leave of ab
sence during which he served as
director of the Tri-County Career
Center feasibility study.
Stalls is a former principal of
John A. Holmes High School and
Chowan High School.
see real Army weapons on display. In addition, the First North
Carolina Volunteers provided demonstrations and a showing of
civil war era uniforms and weaponry. The National Guard Ladies
Auxiliary provided refreshments for the reunited soldiers and the
many visitors.
Whitley of their “deep concern”
over his statements about the
Division of Environmental
Management’s staff efforts to
clean up and reduce the con
taminated runoff from the CF
plant property.
He was also instructed to inform
Whitley that since he has reached
a determination relative to the
need for a special order to clean up
the CF property, the Task Force
questions that validity of such a
Denied
Management told the EMC that
the present waste treatment plant
would allow the discharge of 2,000
parts per million of phosphorus
into the Meherrin River. When a
new waste treatment facility for
Murfreesboro is completed and in
operation, the proposed industry
would still discharge 417 parts per
million as compared to one per
million recommended for nutrient
sensitive waters.
Jim Mulligan, director of the
DEM Washington office,
recommended the variance be
denied based on facts concerning
the proposed industry and its
impact on the waste treatment
plant and the receiving waters.
But in three prior instances
during the day, variances in
discharge permits were allowed
over the opposing opinions of the
Division of Environmental
Management.
“If the Task Force hadn’t been
there, based on EMC’s previous
actions, the permit variance
would, have been, allowed”,
Howard stated. “In each case, the
commission overrode the staff
recommendations and in each
case, it amounted to the granting
Continued on Page 4
Historical Commission Sets Funds Drive
A month-long fund raising
campaign by the Edenton
Historical Commission will begin
Monday and will continue through
October 23, reported J. Gilliam
W&od, EHC chairman, and Bill
Norvell, operations chairman.
They explained the campaign is
being held in an effort to defray
increased costs, raise the level of
hearing being chaired by an in
dividual who has publicly stated
his position.
“If he is unable to rise above
selfish and local interestes in
matters concerning a larger area,
he should resign as chairman of
the Environmental Management
Commission” said J. Gilliam
Wood, a Task Force member.
Whitley, a Hertford County
resident and owner of Tuscarora
Beach, located upstream of the CF
Industries site, was cited as
having defeated the plants clean
up. It was noted that CF Indus
tries provides about 12 per cent
of Hertford County’s tax base.
Discussion was also heard over
Whitley’s expressed concern that
discharge standards established
by the Nutrient Sensitive Waters
classification for the Meherrin
River, which feeds into the
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FUND RAISING DRIVE SET J. Gilliam Wood, left, chair
man of the Edenton Historical Commission is shown with Bill
Norvell, the commission’s operations chairman as they prepare
for all out promotional efforts aimed at raising funds for Eden
ton’s historic sites. The drive is scheduled to begin Monday and
continue until October 23, two days before the celebration of the
206th anniversary of the Edenton Tea Party.
promotional efforts and increase
the visitation rate.
Norvell reported that business
solicitations, which were not
conducted last year, will be
headed up by Mrs. Cathy Busby,
drive chairman for Friends of
Historic Edenton. Mrs. Maxine
Bullard will chair individual
solicitations. The Historical
Commission campaign is held in
conjunction with the Cupola House
and Iredell House associations.
While tourism increased this
year, additional funds are still
needed for distributing
promotional materials in new
areas and to cover the cost of
50,000 brochures as well as
another brochure for the Biennial
Pilgrimage, next year. In ad
dition, there has been a marked
1980 Chowan County Fair
Will Open Next Monday
One of the most exciting fairs
ever opens September 22 at the
American Legion fairgrounds on
U.S. 17 South business. A variety
of entertainment, exhibits and
arts and crafts displays will mark
the 1980 edition of the Edward G.
Bond Post 40 sponsored affair,
scheduled to run for six days.
Country singer Melissa Lewis
will headline the week’s en
tertainment with two shows
nightly, Thursday and Friday at 8
P.M. and 9:30 P.M. Those at
tending will also be able to enjoy
music of the Rocky Hock Rebels,
Second Chance, The Good Old
Boys and the Singing Laymen. A
square dancing exhibition by the
Colonial Squares is planned for
Wednesday.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be
“kiddie days” with children under
12 receiving free admission.
Thursday will be Senior Citizens
Day. TTiere will be music and a fun
program starting a* e PM Ml
Single Copies 20 Cents.
Chowan River, would prevent
locating an aluminum plant in
Murfreesboro. According to the
EMC minutes, he questioned why
Murfreesboro and North Carolina
should be denied the revenue from
operation of the plant when it
could locate over the state line in
Virginia and obtain a site with no
problem, thereby discharging
more into the river.
The Task Force expressed its
dismay that Whitley’s concern for
water quality is preceeded by his
concern for possible loss of
revenue for Hertford County and
the state.
The group went on record as
giving its complete support to
work by the DEM to restore water
quality in the Chowan River and
Albemarle Sound.
A tentative date of October 10 is
Continued on Page 4
increase in the inventory of the
gift shop operated by Historic
Edenton.
“We don’t have the support of
various foundations to fund
historic interests,” Wood com
mented. “It is up to the business
community.”
“Our historic sites bring more
visitors than any other single thing
in Edenton,” he continued.
Part of the extended effort at
promoting tourism here is the Tea
Party Celebration slated for
October 25. Businesses con
tributing to the commission effort
will be listed in the Tea Party
booklet as supporters of Historic
Edenton.
There will be increased em
phasis on seeking bus touring
groups. Norvell stated.
citizens age 65 and over will be
admitted free.
Eighteen thrill rides, con
cessions and shows will be
provided by Fun Fair
Amusements of Myrtle Beach,
S.C.
Highlighting Tuesday and
Wednesday nights activities will
be a fireworks display, scheduled
for around 8:15.
Continued on Page 4
Error Is Noted
Mrs. Lena M. Leary, clerk of
superior court, said an earlier
announcement that the grand jury
members only would report for
duty in Chowan County Superior
Court on Monday at 10 A.M. was in
error.
All citizens notified to report for
duty are to appear Monday, net
Tuesday as previously reported.
Judge Richard D. Allsbrook of
Roanoke Rapids will preside over
the court session next week.