James W. Gardner
The death of James W. Gardner
on Thursday of last week leaves a
void along the Public Parade and
other communities in this country
as well as in Europe. He died, at
the age of 75, as he livedr-quietly;
working right to the final breath;
and where he would have chosen
at an airport.
Mr. Gardner was a private man.
He did great deeds but chose to
stay out of the limelight. He was
friendly and possessed with a
warm personality. He was a strict
disciplinarian and a tough task
master who gave 100 per cent and
expected the same in return.
His Seabrook Blanching Cor
poration and Pert Labs are models
in the peanut industry. The
businesses bore Mr. Gardner’s
seal of approval but as any per
fectionist, he wait to his greater
reward not completely satisfied
with their performance. »
Mr. Gardner made his work his
hobby. About the only thing to
rival his vocation was flying. He
loved flying and put himself into it
the same way he did everything
else. He was heartbroken whoi his
health failed to the point that he
couldn’t handle the controls of his
airplane.
He would return to Edenton
from a business trip into a busy
airport. As he got into his
awaiting car he would say: “Now
the dangerous part begins.”
While being a mechanical
genius, this man possessed a
tenderness which best showed
when he talked of his family-his
devoted wife, children and
grandchildren.
While he didn’t spend a great
deal of time at his residence on
West Gale Street, he was never so
busy during the prime of his life to
stop and speak with neighbors,
especially children. And he en
t deared himself to a lot of
youngsters by giving them their
first, and unforgetable, airplane
ride.
That’s the Jim Gardner all who
knew him want to remember.
. Room For Locals
“Southern Folk and Decorative
! Arts Before the Civil War” is the
theme for the sixth biennial
Edenton Symposium. Presented
by Edenton Historical Com
mission and the Division of
Continuing Education at East
Carolina University, the sym
posium will be held April 29-30.
Every year with an odd number
brings throngs to meander along
the Public Parade during the
Edenton Woman’s Club home and
garden tour. Twelve years ago it
was decided to have a symposium
to deal in more depth with this
laboratory where we live.
Tours turn people on, as is
evidenced by the thousands who
come every other year. Sym
posium’s appear to be a couple of
cuts above the most of us and
lacks enthusiasm among locals.
But it doesn’t have to be that way
at all.
We don’t know Carolyn Weekly,
John Bivins or Dr. Charles G. Zug,
three of the four distinguished
speakers obtained for this year’s
Edenton Symposium. They must
| be cracker jacks to rivil Dr. Tom
Parramore, the Meredith College
professor who continues to amaze
audiences with his Edenton lore.
What we are saying is there is
plenty of room for locals at the
symposium later in the month.
The $55 fee would be a bargain at
twice the {vice.
> Big Jim
By the time this is distributed
along thfj Public Parade we hope
N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture
James A. Graham is out of the
hospital and well on his way to
complete recovery.
For those who might have
missed the news, Big Jim was
taken ill after a luncheon meeting
) in Raleigh on March 24. He was
taken to Rex Hospital.
Information distributed by his
department noted that it is
possible that Big Jim had suffered
a light heart attack with some
slight heart damage. The last
report was that he is in stable
condition and resting comfortably
without pain.
Coatiaued On Page 4
* .iaM
CANNONS OVERLOOK EMPTY HARBOR The recent strong winds have caused the water in
the harbor behind the Barker House to recede way out. You can see the debris scattered along the
bottom of the harbor. (Staff photo by Jeffrey W. Winslow)
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Volume XLVII - No. 13
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James W. Gardner
Held For Gardner
James W. Gardner of Edenton
and Tyrone, Pa., died Thursday in
Chowan Hospital. Mr. Gardner,
75, was founder and chairman of
the board of directors of Seabrook
Blanching Corp.
In addition to the Seabrook plant
in Edenton, the company operated
facilities throughout the Eastern
United States and Europe. Mr.
Gardner also established Pert
Labs in Edenton.
The Gardners maintained a
home at 107 West Gale Street.
He was born Dec. 12, 1906, in
Tyrone, the son of James A. and
Theresa Campbell Gardner. He
was married to Carmen Myers. He
was a lifelong Tyrone resident.
He is survived by his wife, two
daughters, Mrs. Keith (Carmen)
Reeves, of Raleigh, and Mrs. Alan
(Natalie) Rutherford, of Panama
City, Fla., 10 grandchildren, seven
great grandchildren and one
sister, Mrs. David (Nancy) Black,
of Tyrone. He was preceded in
death by a son, James A. Gardner
n.
He was a member of the Trinity
Episcopal Church, where he had
served on the vestry for a number
of years. He attended Staunton
Military Academy, Staunton, Va.,
and was a graduate of the Tome
School, Havre de Grace, Md.
He was extremely active in the
peanut industry, his contributions
ranging from new process in
ventions to new applications for
peanut products. His influence is
felt world • wide in the fields of
manufacturing and food
processing.
He was a member of 8.P.0.E.
212, Moose Lodge 25, F. and A.M.
494, Williamsport Consistory,
Jaffa Shrine Temple, Spruce
Creek Rod and Gun Club, Tyrone
Chamber of Commerce.
He was a trustee of Camp An
derson, a member of the Air Force
Association, and a member of the
board of directors of Grier School.
In 1»46 he was one of the original
incorporators of the Tyrone
Hospital and a member of its first
Continued On Page 4
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, April 8, 1982
Algal Bloom On Chowan River Likely
Scientist at the N.C. Department
of Natural Resources and Com
munity Development report that
early conditions are right for an
algal bloom on the Chowan River
this summer.
A wet winter and early spring
caused runoff to flush additional
nutrients into the river. If these
early conditions are followed by a
hot, calm summer with some
moderate rain, a large algal
bloom could occur during the
summer.
“It’s one of those good news -
bad news situations,” said Joseph
W. Grimsley, secretary of the
department. “Our people in the
Division of Environmental
Management inform me that
frequent rains during the past few
months have had a cleansing
effect on the river, keeping the
water moving and dispersing the
pollutants that harm the water
quality of the river.”
He pointed out, however, that
the flushing of the nutrients from
the land surface and small
tributaries has put more nutrients
into the river, one of the conditions
necessary for a large algal bloom
in the lower river later this year.
“The present condition of the
water, although temporary,
makes us optimistic that the
herring run will be better this year
than last year,” Grimsley said.
“We are certainly hoping for a
good herring run so the fishing
industry in the area can have a
12.6 Percent Rate
Increase Approved
RALEIGH-Carolina Telephone
& Telegraph Company has been
granted its second rate increase
this year. The 12.6 per cent in
crease approved Tuesday by the
N.C. Utilities Commission will
generate $15.9-million in ad
ditional revenue.
In January the telephone
company was granted a 97.1-
million long distance rate in
crease.
In the latest awarding, the
company had asked for a 54 per
cent boost. Tuesday’s action
disappointed CT&T officials.
The Utilities Commission
gave the telephone company until
April 16 to file a proposed rate
schedule for the additional 915.9-
milHoa. N
The commission’s public staff
was pleased that the f45-million
request was cut "by nearly two
thirds. The staff also won two
other victories. One was that the
utility was ordered to include 98.5-
million in Yellow Pages income as
operating revenue to offset higher
local rates.
Also, the commlssioo changed
the capital structure of the
company to favor long term debt
over stacks.
good year.”
The Chowan River has been the
subject of an intensive clean - up
effort by the Division of En
vironmental Management.
Grirtisley said the Chowan River
clean - up is a top environmental
priority of Gov. Jim Hunt.
At Hunt’s request, the federal
Environmental Protection Agency
sent in some of its top scientists in
a number of fields of knowledge to
look at the river, assess the state’s
clean - up effort and make
recommendations. The team’s
report indicated the Division of
Environmental Management was
on the right track, according to
Grimsley.
“The Chowan River didn’t get in
this shape overnight,” Grimsley
said, “and the clean - up won’t be
accomplished overnight. We are
making the kind of steady
progress that we feel will lead
inevitably to success. However, it
will take cooperation from local
governments, industry, farmers
and private citizens to accomplish
our goal.”
Grimsley said his department
has been receiving good
cooperation from citizens, com
munities and industries in the
area. He pointed out many of the
towns along the river are
upgrading their wastewater
treatment facilities, and United
Piece and Dye Company has
Landfill To Close
The Perquimans - Chowan
Sanitary Landfill will be closed
Easter Monday (April 12). They
will he open Tuesday at the
regular time.
,^g^f|PP | 9 r '
v^;?.pr.'•— -^/ -
RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS Tony Creecy, middle left, and Eddie Morris, middle right,
recently-received football scholarships to Elizabeth City State University. Seated beside Creecy,
who played linebacker and running back for the Edenton Aces, is his grandmother Esther Creecy.
Besides Morris, who v is the Aces quarterback, is his mother Dorothy Washington. Behind them is
Aces coach Jimmy Addison, right, end assistant Louis Belfield.
Vepco Puts In Request For
$ 18.3 - Million Rate Increase
Virginia Electric & Power
Company asked the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
on March 30 for an $18.3-million
wholesale rate increase. The next
day, the N.C. Local Government
Commission sold a S4OO-million
issue of electric revenue bonds on
behalf of N.C. Eastern Municipal
Power Agency, at an extremely
favorable rate.
Siihultaneously, Vepco asked
the Virginia State Corporation
Commission for a retail rate in
crease of $96-million, or 8.94 per
cent.
The Town of Edenton is one of 32
municipalities under the umbrella
of the power agency, after
defecting from Vepco a few
months ago. Albemarle Electric
Membership Corporation,
headquartered in Hertford, is
affected by Vepco’s request which
amounts to a 10.1 per cent in
crease. Vepco asked that the rate
become effective May 30.
Single Copies 25 Cents
voluntarily reduced its
phosphorus input.
“These are just a few examples
of the kind of cooperation we are
getting,” he said, “but it may take
an even greater effort on the part
of the people in the area to restore
this great river.”
Grimsley pointed out that ap
proximately 75 per cent of the
river’s watershed lies in Virginia
and that the Division of En
vironmental Management and the
North Carolina Virginia Water
Management Committee will
continue to work with the State of
Virginia to limit nutrient inputs
into the river from Virginia.
Sentence And Fine
COLUMBIA - Dr. C. Clement
Lucas, Jr., of Edenton, who
operated a clinic here for two
years, Tuesday was given a
suspended jail sentence and fined
$90,000 on charges of Medicaid
fraud and soliciting employees to
defraud Medicaid.
Judge Herbert Small, presiding
in Tyrrell County Superior Court,
entered the judgment he approved
after plea bargaining between
attorneys for Dr. Lucas and Dist.
Atty. William C. Griffin.
Dr. Lucas has until January 1,
1987, to comply with the money
portion of the judgment. It was
stated during the trial Monday
that the 39-year-old physician has
established himself in a New York
medical practice.
At Monday’s four-hour
Continued On Page 4
Vepco already has a $20.5-
million retail rate increase
request pending before the N.C.
Utilities Commission that would
increase bills by 8.9 per cent in the
firm's 22-county service area in
this state.
C. M. Jarvis, Vepco’s vice
president for regulation, said the
wholesale rate increase would
give the company an overall rate
of return of 11.78 percent. The rate
increase would raise the return on
stockholders’ equity to 16 per cent.
Electricities, a group that
represents the wholesale
customers in many rate matters,
is seeking a five-month suspension
of the rate increase.
At the same time, Jack Aulis,
Electricities spokesman, said the
power agency sold bonds at a net
interest rate of 12.28 per cent,
about two points below the price j.
expected last month.
Aulis said the low financing cost
means that consumers in cities
that are members of the power
agency will not have to pay as
much for electricity. The driving
force behind formation of the
agency almost three years ago
was to find a cheaper electric
supplier than Vepco.
An engineering report prepared
for the agency estimates that over
the next 20 years, the agency’s
power costs will be 5.5 to 6 per cent
lower than the cost of the same
amount of power bought at
wholesale from the private
utilities.
Principal and interest on the
bonds will be paid from the
revenues of the electric utilities
operated by the municipalities
participating in the agency
project. No pledge of the
municipalities’ taxing power is
involved.
Recent Changes
By N.C. Board
Os Agriculture
RALEIGH The N.C. Board of
Agriculture met here last week
and modified regulations per
taining to boll weevil and the
eradication - suppression program
conducted in the state.
Changes included the date all
cotton farm operators and
growers of noncommercial cotton
in boll weevil suppressive areas
must submit the Cotton Acreage
Reporting Form to their county
ASCS office. The regulation now
requires filing of the form by April
15, two months sooner than the
previous June 14 deadline.
Also adopted were restrictions
on growing noncommercial cotton
in a suppressive area without a
written waiver obtained from the
plant pest administrator for ejeh
growing season.
If the farmer fails to comply
with the new regulations, the
commissioner of agriculture,
through his appointed agents, will
preceed to destroy such cotton,
and will bill the grower for the cost
involved. The grower will have no
claim for damages when the
commissioner orders such action.