| THE CHOWAN HERALD
■Volume XXXV—No. 37.
James Gets Term
In Assault O Girl
Tl 00
rt o
William Thomas James of Sneads Fer
ry was sentenced to from five to seven
years in prison Tuesday after entering
a plea of guilty to assault with intent
to commit rape. The victim was a six
year-old Negro girl.
James, 16-year-old Negro, was sen
tenced by Judge George M. Fountain of
Tarboro, presiding in Chowan County
Superior Court. The incident occurred
on June 26.
Sheriff Earl Goodwin said James was
CL In' ulilie 'JJunirie
More Progress
The majority of merchants in Eden
ton have rallied behind efforts of Eden
ton Town Council to streamline trash
collection as well as make the town
cleaner.
Elsewhere in The Chowan Herald is
a list of those who have agreed to par
ticipate in the town’s new containerized
trash collection plan. Some of the busi
nesses who have not yet agreed to pur
chase the necessary container, we feel
sure, will fall in line when they see the
real benefits of the system.
This is a joint undertaking between
businesses and the town. It is another
progressive step in the community.
Traffic Problems
Town councilmen Tuesday night
quickly passed over a proposal by a
traffic engineer to conduct an extensive
survey in downtown Edenton. Why?
They considered the fee of $1,300 too
high.
It prompted one councilman, who is
a downtown businessman, to remark:
‘“He can’t tell us anything we don’t al
ready know.”
We agree. 'He would, as a disinterest
ed outsider say, for example, that the
“U” turn at Broad and Water streets
is as outdated as the horse and buggy.
But he wouldn’t stop there. He would
recommend a cure for our downtown
traffic ills.
If councilmen know the required treat
ment then they should not wait until
people quit coming to town to do busi
ness to take action. The absence of
cars on our streets will automatically
solve the problem.
It Could. Be Worse
This note from Virginia H. Wood of
Wood Hall Farm deserves more than the
usual Letter to the Editor treatment. It
shows in fact that things could be worse
along The Public Parade and else
where.
Here it is:
Last week I received a letter from a
friend in West Germany. It reminded
me of the saying, “I cursed because I
had no shoes, until I met a man who had
no feet”.
Our problems with schools and the
federal government seem very minor to
the one mentioned in this part of her
letter:
“Our paprs are kind of holding back,
Continued on Poe* 4
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free on bond P « Pender County in a
case charging t»c same crime at the time
he was arrested here.
Kelly Springfield White, charged in
six counts of forgery, also entered a
plea of guilty and was given five to seven
years in prison. A companion case
against Fred Allen Bunch was continued
for the term.
Judge Fountain sentenced James Man
ley White to three years in prison for hit
and run driving where personal injuries
were involved. This sentence is to begin
at the expiration of a term given in Cho
wan District Court last month for driv
ing drunk.
Early Wednesday a jury had not re
turned a verdict in the case where Dewey
Williams was charged with a perverted
crime.
Other cases called by Solicitor Her
bert Small included:
Edward Wilton Cox, drunk driving,
SIOO fine and costs.
William Bond, speeding, bond mads
absolute.
Clarence Walker, two counts of worth
less check, bond made absolute.
Gene Murray Williams, violation of
probation, called and failed as was Her
man Lassiter and Casper Overton charg
ed with drunk driving.
Juries convicted William Frederick
Farmer and Curtis Devon Mercer of
driving drunk and they received identi-
Continued on Pago 4
Play Is Selected
By Little Theater
Alton Elmore, president, announces
that the Edenton Little Theater has
chosen for its fall production the play
entitled, “The Crucible”, by Arthur
Miller. This is an American play set in
the Salem of 1692.
The new play brings to powerful life
the problem of guilt by association. In
this instance, the association is, according
to the accusers, with the devil. Based
on the actual witch trials that became
hysterically epidemic in Salem of that
time, the drama revolves around Eliza
beth Proctor and her husband, John, who
rather than support the vicious fiction of
some exhibitionistic girls and thus save
their necks, stand fast with the truth
and send John Proctor to the gallows.
Here, from the first improvised fabri
cations of adolescents, through the in
creasing violence of their accusations, to
the climatic scene of the trial itself and
its grim aftermath, is drama that recalls
the great Aristotelian formula for tra
gedy—catharsis through pity and terror.
The play will be directed by Ross
Inglis and produced by Joe Conger, Jr.
There are parts for 10 men of all ages,
six women from ages 20 to 65, and three
young women from ages 16 to 20.
Readings for parts will be held this
coming week at the Parish House on
Gale Street on Tuesday and Thursday
at 7:30 P. M. The interested public is
cordially invited to try-out for these
parts.
The play will be performed two nights
in mid-November.
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina 27932 Thursday, September 12, 1968.
L. ft i. ft
PROMOTE ADULT EDUCATION lndustries in Chownn County are cooperating with
Edenton Chamber of Commerce and the Continuing Education Division of the College of
the Albemarle in promotion of adult education classes in the county. At a planning
session are, left to right, Ed Puryear, Ted Rollins, A1 Phillips and Robert Moore. Rollins
is dean of the COA division. An office is being opened this week in downtown Edenton
to aid those interested in the many courses offered through the COA.
Adult Classes Being Pushed Here
An accelerated effort to enroll Chowan
County citizens in adult education pro
grams and courses is now underway
here.
Chowan Manufacturers Association
and the Continuing Division of College
of the Albemarle are cooperating in this
effort. They will have an office open
in downtown Edenton during the week
of September 16-21 for people to regis
ter.
The office will be located in the space
formerly occupied by R. Elton Forehand
Agency, South Broad Street. Office
hours will be Monday through Thurs
day from 10 A. M., to 9 P. M., Friday
and Saturday from 10 A. M., to 6 P. M.
Ted Rollins, dean of the COA division,
said this office will be staffed by people
who can inform the public about avail
able programs and courses. The general
public will have the opportunity to regi
ster for classes during these office hours.
A minimum of 15 people is required
for a class to be presented. Classes will
be held beginning the week of Septem
ber 23, Monday and Thursday nights
from 7 to 9:30 o’clock. The classes will
be held at John A. Holmes High School
and Chowan High School.
Programs will be offered at various
levels, including academic, vocational av
ocational programs and classes. “There
will be a program available to each and
every citizen in Chowan County,” Rollins
said.
Among other things, the programs are
designed to provide more trainable and
employable people to the industries of
the area, both presnt and future. “It
is important at this time to provide all
the trainable people possible for exist
Morgan Park Expanding; Council Adopts Trash Policy
The second phase of development of
Morgan Park, a residential sub-division,
was presented to Edenton Town Council
Monday night.
Merrill Evans, Jr., attorney for Hay
wood Jones, developer, presented the
plat and explained the location of the
property and other details. He said
the lots average 100 by 200 feet and
some are in the wooded area south of
the existing sub-division.
Jones was at the meeting and explain
ed that the new development contains 48
lots. They are located south of those
sold along U. S. 17 north.
The plat was accepted for study. It
will be viewed by the Board of Public
Works and Planning Board. Both
groups wil make recommendations to the
council prior to final approval.
After a lengthy discussion of the
rights-of-way situation on Virginia Road,
council voted to have W. J. P. Earn
hardt, Jr., town attorney, and Mayor
John A. Mitchener, Jr. negotiate a settle
Workable Program Gets Approval
Edenton’s Workable Program for
Community Improvement has been ap
proved by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development. The certifica
tion is for a two-year period.
Mayor John A. Mitchener, Jr., has
been notified by Edward H. Baxter of
Atlanta, regional administrator, that cer
tification was approved by Don M. Hum
mel, HUD assistant secretary.
The certification points out that Eden
tan has presented an acceptable Work
able Program for the prevention and
elimination of slums and blight under
terms of the Housing Act. It enables
ing job openings.
The manufacturers association is in
terested in developing manpower poten
tial to increase the value of the people
to their organizations and to them
selves.
Last year, COA registered 260 adults
in courses in Chowan County. This
number is expected to be exceeded dur
ing the coming year.
ft ft W M IpyH a i
NEW TEACHERS Some of the new teachers in Edenton-Chowan Schools are shown
above prior to a meeting with Supt. Bill Britt last Thursday. They are, first row, left
to right, Mrs. Martha Ruth Sawyer, Miss Mary 1. White, Mrs. Julia Small, Mrs. Lou
Jernigan, Mrs. Eugenia Tomlinson and Mrs. Sharon Twiddy. Second row: Jerry Long,
Edward Burroughs, Mrs. Harriett Small, Mrs. Delores Stone and Mrs. Evelyn Collins.
Third row: Mrs. Debra Cameron, Mrs. Ethelene Rascoe, Mrs. Virginia O’Bryant, and
Mrs. Margret Griffin.
ment with Evans and Milton Flynn.
The council expressed the opinion that
West Leary and Mrs. Bertha B. Bunch
didn’t have a claim.
Earnhardt told the council the existing
records were unclear. He said he sees
no legal basis to claims of property own
ers, other than Flynn. There has been
some dispute over the amount of right
of-way owned by the town in this area.
By unanimous vote, council approved
a motion to discontinue collection of
garbage outside the town limits. It was
noted that for many years the town has
served Chowan Medical Center although
the center is not within the town limits.
Also, council voted to purchase a con
tainer to be placed by the gate at the
sanitary land fill for use by people tak
ing garbage to the fill. The problem
of county residents bringing garbage into
town when coming to work was also
discussed.
No action was taken on a proposal
by Paul E. Moore, traffic engineer, to
Edenton to apply for special federal as
sistance and support in achieving its
community improvement objective.
Baxter said Edenton is to be com
mended for initiating a positive program
to eliminate and prevent blight and to
assure the orderly growth and develop
ment of the community.
Approval of the Workable Program
was necessary before Edenton Housing
Authority could obtain an allocation for
low-rent public housing. Other federal
assistance Programs are also being con
sider*? ’ \ hi town.
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Single Copy 10 Cents
Britt Report
Notes Gain
In Students
Edenton-Chowan Schools opened Mon
day in what Supt. Bill Britt called a
“§mooth” operation with 3,117 students
enrolled. This is four more than regis
tered on opening day last year.
Supt. Britt said school officials were
somewhat surprised at the number of
students since a private school has been
organized and 28 students are attending
a private school outside the county.
There is still one staff vacancy in the
system. Supt. Britt is still looking for a
math and science teacher on the junior
high level for D. F. Walker School.
The schools opened one week late this
year to enable administrators to pre
pare so compliance with a federal court
order which paired the elementary
grades in four schools.
Enrollment by school on opening day
was:
D. F. Walker: Grades One through
Three and Seven through 12: 1,310.
Chowan High School: Grades Five
through 12: 503.
John A. Holmes High School: Grades
Seven through 12: 519.
White Oak School: Grades One
through Four: 194.
Ernest A. Swain School: Grades Four
through Six: 591.
make a survey of traffic in Edenton.
His proposal called for a detailed survey
at a cost of $1,300.
The council set for September 17 a
joint meeting with the Board of Public
Works to discuss water shortage and
other matters of joint interest.
County Building
Again Under Fire
A Chowan County Grand Jury has
again labeled the general condition of
the county office building as “poor” and
recommended that the recently renovated
third floor be used as an example for
future work on the building.
(Work is nearing completion on the
third floor, occupied by Edenton-Cho
wan School superintendent and his staff.
The county has spent $4,395 on this
floor and several thousands of dollars
more was spent from school funds).
In a report handed by Judge George
M. Fountain, the 18-member panel cited
specific items which need attention on
the first and second floors of the build
ing, ranging from washing the windows
to plastering and painting.
It was also recommended that per
manent janitorial service be employed.
The jail was found to be in a good
state of repair, clean and well kept. It
was recommended that the dumb-waiter
in the clerk of court’s office be motor
ized and an additional air conditioner
unit be installed in the second floor of
fice.
Again the grand jury cited the need
for additional room for the register of
"ds.