ffeyiy NEWSPAPER
Published in
CHOWAN COUNTY
\ Volume XXIII. —Number 6.
frg. ■ ■ ■ ■ -
Wholesale At
Edenton School Causing
r
Concern Among Teachers\
Too Many Outside Ac
tivities Given as One
Os the Reasons
Edenton school officials and
teachers are no little concerned
about the grades made in the Jun
ior-Senior High School during the
first semester.
Principal Gerald James early
this week released the information '
that during the semester only 72.7
per cent of the students in grades
9 through 12 passed all courses,
while only 65.2 per cent enrolled
in the seventh and eighth grades
passed all their work. This may
not be a record low, but it is the
lowest average noted in many years
at the Edenton school.
This situation, to say the least, is
very discouraging to teachers, so
that in the future a letter will be
sent to parents when a boy or girl
fails in one or more subjects. The
parents will be requested to contact
the principal’s office for the pur
pose of arranging a conference
with teachers concerned in an ef
fort to reach a solution for the fail
ures. It is also requested that if
a child comes home continuously
with no home work, the parents
contact Principal James, who will
arrange a conference with teachers.
Some of the failures are attribut
ed to too many other activities
which conflict with school work.
It is pointed out that church
groups, clubs and even parents
plan parties and other affairs
which often causp children to ne
glect their school studies.
Recent surveys indicate that only
31 per cent of high school gradu
ates enter college. It is the pur
pose of school trustees and school
officials to raise the standard of
the school but due to lack of study
and cooperation, in gearing for* col
lege preparatory students, many
drop by the wayside. The opinion
is advanced that if two foreign lan
guages are maintained, a teacher
above the state allotment should
be added to enrich the program for
the 69 per cent of students who
terminate their education at the
end of their high school career.
This is no indictment against the
school or teacher, but anly to point
up the fact that the citizens of
Edenton should determine just
what is to be expected of the high
school graduate.
Teachers feel that they are not
responsible for the large number of
failures and it is pointed out that,
parents and the average citizen in
Edenton should be more interested
in the activities and welfare of the
school. Lack of interest and co
operation is all too often reflected
by the lack of attendance at PTA
meetings and attendance of various
kinds of school activities.
Heart Association
Topic At Meeting
Os Woman’s Club
«> —.
Dr. Walter Spaeth and
Gene Harris Speak
At Meeting
Activities of the American Heart
Association' was a feature of the
program at the Eden ton Woman’s
Club meeting held Wednesday of
last week in the Parish House.
Speakers for the occasion were
Dr. Walter Spaeth of Elisabeth
City, a member of the advisory
committee of the Albemarle Sound
tiimn ii ftommittee. and Gene Harris
of Tarboro, eastern field director
for the North Carolina Heart As
gfociawgv - . 4 - , '
l*» dj»b to look at the peJttmJm
. either side and then stated: ‘*Ohe
of the three at you is due to die
. 1 Killer toußp* i
THE CHOWAN HERALD
~■ -
Speaks In Edenton "]
*
Wm fHH
HP&jjgF flj R
’■ jp
i
DR. ROBERT B. LAWSON, noted
pediatrician from the University of
Miami, will be guest lecturer for a
postgraduate medical course in
Edenton Wednesday, February 15.
The meeting will be held in the
Chowan Hospital nurses’ home with
lectures to be given at 4 and 7:30
P. M.
Adult Program Is
Scheduled Be Held
At School Feb. 15
Mrs. Elizabeth Flynn
Will Demonstrate
Flowers
Mra. Elizabeth Flynn of The
Bouquet Shop will be the guest
demonstrator for the second meet
ing of adults in Edenton and Cho
wan County. She will demonstrate
how to arrange home grown flow
ers simply and attractively, at the
Edenton Junior-Senior High School
Wednesday night, February 15 at
8 o’clock and at Chowan High I
School Thursday afternoon, Febru
ary 10, at 3 o’clock.
The attendance was good at the
first of this series of meetings
last week when Mrs. Sylvia Mat
thews demonstrated party refresh
' ments. The attending group enjoy
ed eating those refreshments. It
is hoped that an even larger num
ber of women will come to see and
hear Mrs. Flynn. FHA girls are
taking care of all the children as a
service project.
The box of Whitman’s candy giv
en by Leggett & Davis as a door
prize was a surprise enjoyed by all. '
[ Almost 100% ]
A. B. Harless, £howan County
volunteer chairman for the sale of
U. S. Savings Bonds, reporta that
sales in Chowan County during
1955 reached 1167.957.50, approxi
mately 96% of the county’s quota
which was 0175,000.
Soho in the county during De
cember were: 52.006J5 for E
BONDS ORDERED PAID
West Byrum, chairman of the
County Commissioners, on Monday
was authorised to pay $2,112.Z» on
I tka «Bintvk indebtcdxieflfi. ■ The >
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, February 9,1956.
USS Edenton
OneOf Navy’s
Patrol Vessels
Names of Cities Will
Take Place of Hull
Numbers
The Navy’s patrol vessels which
have been known only by hvrll num
bers will soon be distinguished by
the names of cities of the United
States.
PC-1077 will become the USS
EDENTON, after Edenton, N. C.,
( which is located in the Sixth Naval
District.
| The names are to be assigned to
141 submarine chasers, escorts, and
I rescue escorts, and were chosen
from cities with a population be
tween 2,500 and 10,000.
The change, which will become
effective February 15, is in line
with the Navy’s policy of assign-
I ing names instead of numbers to as
many ships as possible.
Os the 141 patrol vessels to be
named, 32 are in commission and
the remainder are in the Inactive
fleet.
Officials Os town
Urge Revaluation
Os County Property
' .«+. »| I ■»■- •*•*>■* ~ • ■*'
Two Representatives
At Commissioners’
Meeting Monday
Mayor Ernest Kehayes and
George Alma Byrum appeared at
Monday’s meeting of the Chowan
County Commissioners represent
ing the Town of Edenton. The
purpose of the visit was to secure
information relative to revaluation
lof property in Chowan County.
Mayor Kehayes informed the Com
missioners that the town is very
anxious for a revaluation in order
to more fairly equ.dize property
values and, of course, to bring in
more revenue to meet the ever
growing expenses of operating the
town.
The town officials were inform
ed that the Commissioners for a
long time have been considering
revaluation of property, and were
only waiting to start the project
until funds were in sight to pay
I for having the work done. Chair
| man West Byrum stated that a bid
• had been received several months
ago, which was $25,000, plus $5,-
000 for a map to be furnished. Mr.
Byrum also stated that efforts are
now being made to secure a lower
bid for the revaluation project.
Both the town and county boards
are in accord that a revaluation
should be made, both groups ex
pressing the opinion that quite a
lot of property on the tax books
is much lower than it should be.
j Masons Will Hold
Poor Richard Dinner
At Temple Tonight
Ernest P. Kehayes, master of
Unanimity Lodge No. 7, A. F. &
A. M., has announced that the Ma
sons will stage a “Poor Richard”
dinner at the Masonic Temple to
night (Thursday) at 6:30 o’clock.
Following the dinner ,at 7:30
o’clock, an emergent communica
j tion of the lodge will be held for
the purpose of conferring the third
degree upon a candidate.
All Masons are urged to attend
and a special invitation is extend
ed visiting Masons to attend the
dinner and initiation.
STEAK DINNER
The Fidelis NOO wives and their
husbands will have a steak dinner
• In the game room of the Staff NCO
1 Club Saturday, February 11, be
-1 tweeo tbs hours of 7 aad 8 o’clock.
Town Leases Lower Broad Street Site
To Barker House Association For Period
Os 20 Years With Option To Renew Lease
I Following a joint meeting
Town Council and the Board of
I Public Works held last week, Town
Councilmen agreed to lease the
property on which the Penelope,
Barker house now stands at the
foot of Broad Street for a period
of 20 years with an option to ex
tend the lease for an additional 20
years.
At the previous meeting of Town l
Council a request was made by the
Barker House Association for a 99-
year lease, but at that time the
Councilmen were reluctant to exe
cute a lease for so long a period
and after further consideration
agreed upon the 20-year lease. The,
Marines Training Hard For
Benefit Boxing Show Feb. 25
®
-
New Fighters Expect
ed to Add Strength
To Edenton Squad
The Edenton Marine boxing
team, preparing for its coming
match with Cherry Point on Feb
ruary 25 at the Edenton armory,
has greatly been strengthened by
the addition of several new out
standing prospects. W. Smith, for
mer Golden Gloves and contender in
the All-Navy Championship, has
also been added to the coaching
staff to assist Coaches Bob Randall
and John Wiren.
Smith, a resident of Minnesota,
was one of the outstanding pros
pects on the team before injuries
sustained in over 40 previous bouts
forced his withdrawal from compe
tition.
Tommy Parks, a middleweight
.prospect from' Philadelphia and a
veteran of over 45 fights, is work
ing out and shaping up well.
Parks, one of the outstanding
fighters- on the squad, has been
working diligently and is expected
to be in top form for the rematch.
A stablemate of his, Mel Skin
ner, a lightweight, also from Phil-;
adelphia, is shaping up welL also.. .
The hardest worker and the most
improved fighter on the squad is
Middleweight R. H. Stephans.
Though short on experience, Step
hans has been working industrious
ly to be in the best of shape for the
match.
Johnny Gilpin, a welterweight,
has also been working out hard and
is one of the most aggressive mem
bers of the squad. Ronnie Mead,
from Norfolk, another battler long
on aggressiveness, is shaping up
well also and promises to put up
one of the best fights of the even
ing.
This stable of newcomers is
rounded nut by Lenn Rolfson, light
heavyweight from Bakersfield, Cal
ifornia, who also is showing much
improvement.
These aggressive new prospects,
along with the regular members of
the squad, promise to show crowd
pleasing action in the rematch with
Cherry Point slated to start at 8:30
o’clock Saturday night, February
25th.
(civic calendar]
Red Cross bloodmobile will be at
the Edenton armory Wednesday,
February 15. Chowan County’s
quota is 100 pints of blood.
Edenton Marines will sponsor a
benefit boxing show with Cherry
Point in the Edenton armory Sat
urday night, February 25, begin
ning at 8:30 o’clock.
St. Ann’s Altar Society will '
sponsor a bake sale at the P & Q i
Super Market Friday, February 10.
Postgraduate medical course for
physicians in the Ahoskie-Edenton
area will be held in the Chowan
Hospital nurses’s home Wednesday,
February 15, at 4 and 7:30 P. M.
The Fidelia NCO wives and
their husbands will stage a steak
dinner in the game room of the
Staff NCO Club Saturday, Febru
ary 11, from 7 to 0 o’clock.
“The Tribes Go Up” will he
taught at the Baptist Church Mon
day night, February 13, at 7:30
o’clock by Mrs. R. Ts. Carroll and
Mrs. W. J. Berryman.
Adult program on Par
ty ttefredhments” at Chowan High
Ctmtisued aa ?s£s S—s.ectioc 1
! lease, of course, contains a pro
vision that if and when the Barker
House Association is dissolved or
if the building for any reason is
\ destroyed to such an extent that it
iis not replaced, the property will
revert to the town.
At the last session of the Gen
eral Assembly an appropriation of
$2,500 was authorized toward the
■ expense of restoring the building,
but more complete ownership of the
entire property is among the re
quirements in order to secure the
appropriation, so that a longer
lease than the present 10-year lease
was necessary before the money is
, released.
( Must Be Done
d
At the County Commissioners’
meeting Monday it was reported
that there has been very good re
sponse to listing property for (ax
es during Janaary, but that some
few have failed to list.
Complying with orders, the tax
listers will be required to add a
penalty of lO'/f on delinquent list
ers, and the names of those who
fail to list by March 1 will be
turned over to the Grand Jury for
court action at. the April term of
Superior Court.
Marine Officers
Praise USO Club
Express a Desire For
Continued Coopera
tion In Edenton
Col. Hamilton Lawrence and Lt.
Col. R. R. Baker of the Naval Au
xiliary Air Station praised the
I Edenton USO Club in a joint state
ment here Monday. They also ex
pressed confidence that full coop
eration will be given to needs of
the club.
, Colonel Lawrence is station com
mander. Colonel Baker, executive
officer of Marine Aircraft Group
14, spoke in the absence of Col. L.
K. Davis, Group 14 Commander.
Tuesday marked the fifteenth an
niversary of the civilian organiza
tion for service men. Open house
was held at the club room in Hotel
Joseph Hewes Tuesday evening
from 8 to 9 o’clock with dancing
from 9 until 11 o’clock.
“The Edenton USO helps to pro
vide the type of off-duty activity
which Marines desire and need,”
the statement said. “The officials
and members of the Edenton USO
•Club, as well as others who help,
are to be complimented for the
work which they do.”
“On behalf of the personnel of
this station,” the statement con
tinued," we wish to express ap
preciation and congratulations upon
the occasion of the fifteenth anni
versary of the USO. We are con
fident that all concerned will give
full cooperation to the continued
expansion and service of the club.”
2d Lt. John Harney
Graduates Jan. 28th
At Fort Rucker, Ala.
Second Lieutenant John M. Har
ney, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
B. Wood of Mulberry Hill, Edenton,
! graduated on January 28 from the
I Army Aviation Tactics Course, the
Army Aviation School, Fort Ruck
er, Alabama.
More than 2,000 members of the
Army ground forces each year
graduate from 15 courses of in
struction at the school as aviation
pilots and maintenance personnel.
Following his graduation, Lieut.
Harney will be assigned to one of
the seven branches of the United
States Army now using organic
aviation.
BAKE SALE FRIDAY
Sponsored by St. Ann’s Altar
Society, a bake sale will be held
Friday, February 10, at the L’ A <3
Easter Seal Sale I
Is Scheduled For
March 10 - April 10
Ernest J. Ward, Jr.,
Chairman, Notes
Time Change
New timing for the 1956 Easter
Seal campaign sponsored in Cho
wan County by the Edenton Lions
Club in behalf of crippled children
is announced by Ernest J. Ward,
Jr., chairman of the Chowan Coun
ty Easter Seal Society.
Ward said that the annual ap
peal, which marks 35 years of ser
vice, will be conducted March 10 j
to April 10—extending nine days'
after Easter to avoid conflict with ,
other fund-arising campaigns also j
scheduled at that time. ,
Previous Easter Seal appeals
closed on Easter Monday, opening
. a month before that date.
The year’s colorful messenger for
crippled children will reach more
than 2,000 residents in Chowan
County area when mailing begins
March 10, Ward said.
’ Designed jointly by Otis Shep
ard, art director and Hubert Nel-'
son, assistant art director of Chi-j
■ cago’s Win. Wrigley, Jr. Company,
• the 1956 Easter Seal is bright blue
> and red. A white lily, symbol of
the Easter Seal Society, and a crip
pled child, make up the highly
stylized modern design for the seal
with the words “Easter Seals Help
i Crippled Children.”
1 Contributions to the campaign
will be used in Chowan County to
assist all crippled children and
adults. Over 90 per cent of the
funds remain in the state for di
rect service, the remainder sup
porting a nationwide program of
education and direct services and a
. research program conducted hy the
I Easter Seal Research Foundation-
Request Made To
Widen Center Hill-
Cross Roads Road
Commissioners Send a
Petition to Highway
Department
— l
1 At the request of a delegation
i from the Cross. Roads section, the
. Chowan County Commissioners on
Monday agreed to request the
■ State Highway and Public Works
• Commission to resurface and widen
> the road from Cross Roads to Cen
ter Hill,
; This road, 2.7 miles long, is one
; of the oldest hard surfaced roads
in the county and is now in very
. had shape. Unless it is resurfaced,
r it was pointed out, it will not be
’ long before it will he unfit for use.
i It was reported that Emmett
) Winslow, is in favor of the resur-
J facing and widening, so that the
. Commissioners promptly made the
request.
Boy Scouts In Edenton Fill
Various Offices Tuesday In
Celebrating Boy Scout Week
Featuring Boy Scout Week which |
* is being observed from February 6
- to 12 was the taking over of the
3 city government and the Edenton
, Naval Auxiliary Air Station.
? On Tuesday Boy Scouts filled all
j town offices as well as schools and
-a Boy Scout served as command
ing officer of the fidenton base.
» Scouts in official positions were:
r Mayor—Billy Keeter.
Judge of Recorder’s Court—Alex
i Kehayes.
Prosecuting Attorney—Bill Good
. win.
’ Chief of Police—Joe Campen.
1 Police Captain—Frank Williams.
: Police Sergeant—Leroy Spivey.
Four Policemen—Fred Britton,
Bill Cates, Billy Dail and Brad
Williford.
Principal of high school —Arthur
[ White.
Principal of grade:? sihu:l—Jim-
T_rr ri^_
$2.00 Per Year In North Carolina
~ • - -•» - .
(Stray County Dogs
Cause Big Problem
For Commissioners
~ __■ ■■■*
MPenalty Starts ]|
1 d »
Sheriff J. A. Bunch calls atten
tion to the fact that during Febru
ary a one per cent penalty will be
added to unpaid 1955 taxes. Dur
ing March the penalty will be 2 %
and on and after April 1, in addi
tion to the 2 r A, one-half of one per
cent per month will be added until
the taxes are paid,
f Sheriff Bunch reported to the
j County Commissioners on Monday
| that. 1955 taxes collected during
January amounted to $40,763.99.
This brings total 1955 taxes col
lected to date to $133,953.44.
Spires Will Take
Applications For
Disaster Relief
Very Few In Chowan
Apply For Federal
Surplus
J. H. Robertson, field represen
tative for Civil Defense was in
Edenton Friday, it being his final
visit to the county for taking ap
plications for purchase of govern
ment surplus property as the result
of damage done by last year’s hur
ricanes, Mr. Robertson stated that
very few applications have been
made in Chowan County and that
if any more are desired, they can
be handled by Clerk of Superior
Court E. W. Spires,
Mr. Robertson pointed out that
under the program a farmer can
buy any available federal surplus
at 10 per cent of what the govern
ment paid. He also says this sur-
I plus can include items for repair
ing or replacing outbuildings and
I other equipment essential to opera
tion of a farm. It even- includes
such items as tin and nails so long
1 as the repairs and replacements are
the direct result of hurricane dam
age.
[Special FBI Agent
Speaker Tonight At
Meeting Os Legion
Thurman Harrell, Commander of
Ed Bond I’ost No. 40 of the Amer
ican Legion, calls attention to an
important meeting of the post to be
held tonight (Thursday) at 7:30
o’clock in the Legion hut.
A feature of this meeting will be
' an address by William C. Gibson, a
, | special agent for the Federal Bu-
I reau of Investigation. All Legion
| naires are especially urged to at
• j tend the meeting and a special in
■ vitation is extended non-members
' to hear the speaker.
| Superintendent of City Schools—|
It. B. Keeter.
Fire Chief—Billy Harry.
Assistant Fire Chief—D alias
Stallings.
Four Firemen—Paul Twid d y, |
Randy Baker, Phillip Camp and j
Curtis Twiddy.
Street Commissioner— R onn i e
Turner.
Street Superintendent Dickie
Hobowsky.
Sheriff—Dick Goodwin.
Council men— Jack Overman, Ce
cil Fry, Donald Welch, Joel Rey
nolds, Roland Vaughan and Clay
ton Letcher.
Superintendent of Public Works
—Bobby HaH.
Town Clerk —Richard Pate.
Jailer—Douglas Ward.
Explorer Scout Tommy Kehayes
will be ‘‘acting commander” of the
Naval Auxiliary Air Cot.
iL-rr-ikcn Lr" rsncs Tort.-
HAVE YOU
JOINED THE jj
MARCH OF DIMESf J
V -
I Complaint Registered
j By Farmers at Meet
\ ing Held Monday
Chowan County Commissioners
were faced with a delegation of
Chowan County farmers Monday
morning, who registered a com*'
plaint about stray dogs. Elton Jor
dan, spokesman for the group, ask
ed the Commissioners if it was
within their power to do something
to get rid of the increasing nuis
ance.
It was stated that on numerous
occasions dogs hnve killed hogs as
well as other livestock and that it
cannot he determined who the own
ers of the dogs are. The dogs, it
was pointed out, apparently have
no owners, they are not listed for
taxes nor have they been vaccinat
ed against rabies.
The latter aspect of the nuis
ance also was reason for quite a
discussion. It was pointed out that
in some counties livestock has been
bitten by mad dogs, as well as hu
man beings, so that the dog nuis
ance is not only costly due to loss
of livestock, but an even greater
hazard is caused by the danger of
an outbreak of rabies.
Some of the farmers reported I
having killed a number of stray
dogs on their farms, but it was
pointed out that in most cases it is
impossible to get close enough to
the dogs to shoot them. One farm
er reported having carried a rifle
with him since Thanksgiving, but
that he has not been very success
ful in getting rid of the dogs.
During the discussion it was re
ported that some counties have tak
en, steps to cope with the stray
dog nuisanee. It, was suggested
that a dog warden could be appoint
ed Sind that this expense would
probably he offset by the ntimber
of additional dogs placed on the
tax books. The opinion Was ad-;
vanced that less than 10 per cent
of the dogs in the county are list*
ed on the tax books. Another sug
gestion was that possibly game
wardens could be employed to help
solve the stray dog nuisance, along
with their other duties.
The Commissioners agreed that
the situation is a nuisanee and a
hazard, but finally admitted that
they did not know what the solu
tion was. At any rate they re
quested the county attorney to
make an investigation of the stat
utes to see if and what power the
Commissioners have to effect a
remedy.
JOHN F. WHITE IN HOSPITAL
John F. White, Chowan County's
representative in the General As
. sembly, was suddenly stricken with
!a heart ailment Tuesday while he
I was down town. He was rushed
j to Chowan Hospital and placed un
j der an oxygen tent and reports
| Wednesday were to the effect that
• he was resting comfortably.
|my with his decisions. Tommy, 15,
a sophomore, is the son of Mayor
and Mrs. Ernest P. Kehayes. A
Marine escort called for Tommy at
the high school Tuesday morning
and drove him to the office of Col.
: Lawrence. Young Kehayes took hia
! place behind the commander’s desk
and signed his “order of the day.*
He then “inspected” the station,
had lunch at the Officers’ Club, via.
ited the flight line and learned ofl
the authority and responsibility
held by a Marine Corps Commands]
Tommy is vice-president of ftp
Hi-Y, a reporter for the newspaf <4y
and a member of the Science cJaW
at school. He is also president ogj
the Young People’s Service Lea got]
at Si. Paxil’s Episcopal Church fcn
Ldenton.
Likewise ail of the other Bm
Scout “officials” took their
Continued oa Pare 6— Section | I