Chowan Is Area Leader In New Jobs, Payrolls
-n ' 1
Chowan County set the pace
for industrial development in the
Albemarle Area during the past
tour • years and was second in
/ Northeastern North Carolina in
payroll and employees added.
The Commerce and Industrial
Division of the N. C. Department
;*• ;v. '--
The Carter's Ink Co.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XXXVI—No. 5
CL hr public
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The Last Round
Edenton-Chowan Board of Education
finds itself squarely between good edu
cational principles and the federal courts
over the question of total integration of
local schools. Only the compassion of
Judge John D. Larkins can keep edu
cation from being further retarded here.
Judge Larkins caused the board to
rush into total elementary mixing last
fall. Every sign points to results just
short of disaster. At the same time he
gave the board until this month to pro
ducer a high school plan for 1969-70.
Everything hinged on construction. If
additional classrooms, vocational shops
and a library could be added to John A.
Holmes High School it was believed by
the majority that the high schools could
be integrated without educationally de
priving the student. At the time of the
judge’s order this addition, as well- as
plans for a new cafeteria at D. E. Walk
er High School, was on the drawing
board.
When the bids came in, however, they
exceeded by nearly $55,000 the amount
of money available for construction.
The board showed further good faith
when priority was given the Holmes
portion of the project although students
start eating lunch at Walker at 10:35
A. M., because of existing conditions.
New bids are being sought for the
Holmes project and it will be impossi
ble to have the worl* finished by Sep
tember, maybe not even by January,
1970.
Administratively it would be possible
to accomplish the intent of the court
order. Educationally it would be tragic.
Judge Larkins has granted the board
30 more days in which to present its
case. At the forthcoming hearing more
concern needs to be given what is best
educationally for the students of Chowan
County, not just what is administratively
possible. This may be the last round.
Helping The Hurt
Annexation and taxes are two sub
jects sure to send most elected officials
running for cover. Edenton is no ex
ception to this general rule..
Both topics have been evaded for such
an extended period of time that the very
ones who have ducked the issues for so
long now find themselves backed inters,
corner. A graceful recovery will be
difficult, at the very best.
Annexation of large parcels is costly
to a municipality. One requirement un
der North Carolina law is for utilities
and other services to be provided within
12 months.
Municipals have had little other ave
nue to travel for the capital outlay other
than an increase in property tax. This
hasn’t been too painful in some areas
because of big increases in assessed valu
ation.
However, while Chowan County has
enjoyed increases of as much as $2-mil
lion per year, the Town of Edenton has
barely moved. With a valuation of $lO
- it takes a healthy boost in prop
, erty tax to fatten the kitty.
There is much discussion nowadays
about how best to aid local government.
We support a statewide sales tax in
crease of 1 per cent with all of it com
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in uic
such a tax would bring in $152,000 an
nually, A local option tax, if it could be
of Conservation and Develop
ment, said 528 employees were
added to the industrial payrolls
and the new and expanded pay
roll amounted to $2^328,000.
This increase was topped only
by Hertford County where 811
new jobs were created and pay
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 30, 1969.
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Dr. Craig Phillips
Dr. Craig Phillips
To Speak In Area
Dr. Craig Phillips, state superintend
ent of public instruction, on February 12
will make his first official appearance
in Northeastern North Carolina since
taking office.
Dr. Phillips will be principal speaker
at the annual meeting of District One
School Boards Association set for Eliza
beth City High School. Theme for the
meeting will be “Next Steps Forward
for Education”.
The meeting begins at 6 P. M., and
representatives of Edenton - Chowan
Board of Education will be in attend
ance.
Dr. Bond To Post
Dr. Edward G. Bond has been ap
pointed to the Medical Advisory Com
mittee of the District Health Depart
ment. There are three members on the
committee.
Dr. Bond, local internist, was chosen
by the Chowan-Perquimans Medical So
ciety. Serving with him on the advisory
committee are W. Fletcher 'Harrell of
Elizabeth City and Dr. William K. Was
sink of Camden.
DrS. Harrell and Wassink represent
the Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck,
Dare Medical Society.
The primary duties of this committee
will be to serve as medical advisors to
William D. Nash, district health direc
tor. Nash, who is not a physician, said
in addition to serving as consultants in
the event of medical emergencies, they
will be asked to evaluate all existing
standing orders and medical policies of
the district health department.
Peanut Event Set
The top SO peanut producers in
Chowan County will be honored at a
banquet February 10. The annual fete
is sponsored by Edenton Chamber of
Commerce.
During the meeting a plaque will be
presented to the farmer with the high
est yield while certificates will be given
all who qualify for the top 50 group.
Astor Perry, extension peanut spe
cialist at N. C. State University, will
be the speaker.
The banquet will be held at Oak
Grove Community Building. T
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Chris-Craft Corporation
rolls jumped s3£B9ftOO.
Two new industries located in
Chowan County between the pe
riod of January, 1965, and De
cember, 1968. The Carter's Ink
Company built a new plant on
Highway 32, just east of Eden
ton, and Chris-Craft Corporation
Bids Sought For Hospital
Bids on the new 61-bed Chowan Hos
pital will be opened here March 6 at
2 P. M., according to Thomas M. Sur
ratt, hospital administrator.
Surratt said official word has been
received from Medical Care Commission
that the Department of Health, Educa
tion and Welfare has released the pro
ject for bidding. Federal approval came
Plans For ‘69 Fair
Well Underway
Planning for the 1969 Chowan Coun
ty Fair has been in progress since before
the curtain rang down on the 1968 edi
tion. This planning reached a high
point last weekend in Durham at the
N. C. Association of Agricultural Fairs’
annual meeting.
W. A. Perry, head of the Chowan
County Fair Association, a branch of
Edward G. Bond Post No. 40, American
Legion, said 10 members of the local
fair committee attended the meeting.
While in Durham, local officials book
ed the same midway as last year—the
Dave Endy Shows. This midway was
well received in 1968 and the two free
acts added to the fair.
Perry said also that plans were made
to increase the fireworks display for
the fair which runs the week of Sep
tember 15.
While fair officials were being told
“old style” fairs are a thing of the past,
they could rest a bit easier since the
Chowan County group has already tak
en steps to modernize. Each year
changes in exhibit area, etc., have been
made to keep pace with changes in the
community. Among these changes was
an expanded crafts and art area which
Perry says will be even larger this year.
Neil Bolton, manager of the Dixie
Classic Fair in Winston-Salem and one
of the country’s biggest names in fair
management, said the county fair of to
day must offer something for every
body. It must include not only exhibits
of mom’s homebaked cherry pie but ex
hibits of industry and the arts.
This was echoed by James Graham,
state agriculture committee.
Gardner Named Oustanding Young
W. B. Gardner, Edenton’s youthful
civic dynamo, Thursday had another
feather added to his headdress when he
was named recipient of the 1968 Dis
tinguished Service Award. The DSA
was presented by Edenton Jaycees dur
ing their annual Bosses’ and Ladies’
Night banquet.
Mayor John A. Mitchener, Jr., made
the presentation.
Gardner, appearing somewhat em
barrassed by the eloquent presentation,
said: “What we do for Edenton and
Chowan County is only half enough for
we live in the finest place on earth.”
The DSA winner is town administra
tor in Edenton. He is president of His
toric Edenton, Inc., a group presenting
a united front for promoting Edenton’s
historic attractions to tourists. He is
past president of Edenton Chamber of
Commerce and now serves as chairman
of that group’s prestigeous Industrial
Single Copy 10 Cents
erected a modern boat building
facility. Other industries in
Edenton and Chowan County ex
panded.
Chowan led Halifax, North
ampton, Martin, Bertie, Wash
ington, Tyrrell, Hyde, Dare, Cur
rituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Per
quimans and Gates counties in
new jobs and expanded payrolls
during the period.
A breakdown of activity in the
counties showed totals for new
and expanded payroll and new
and expanded employees as fol
lows:
Halifax: $1,876,000; 494.
Northampton: s3softoo; 110.
Martin: $1,498,000; 400.
Bertie: $1 £50,000; 400.
Washington: $953,000; 150.
Tyrrell: None.
Hyde: $78,000; 25.
Dare: $245,000; 85.
Currituck: $25,000; eight.
Camden: None.
Pasquotank: $1,274,000; 380.
Perquimans: None.
Gates: $65,000; 17.
On a state-wide basis, indus
trial development has again sur
about a week ahead of an earlier esti
mate and Suratt said the project is mov
ing about on a long-range schedule.
Also, Chowan County commissioners
have been given approval by Local Gov
ernment Commission to sell SIOO,OOO in
bond anticipation notes. These notes
will be sold to pay expenses of the pro
ject up to the time the county sells hos
pital bonds..
Chowan voters approved a sl-million
hospital bond issue and the Local Gov
ernment Commission has advised local
authorities the bonds could not be sold
until bids had been received on the pro
ject.
The federal government has approved
a $600,000 grant and the state is adding
SIOB,OOO.
A spokesman for Atwood Skinner &
Associates of Wilson, architect or the
hospital, have expressed the belief that
the new hospital can be built with money
available. If the bids on March 6 prove
satisfactory actual construction is expect
ed to begin sometime in April with com
pletion some 18 months in the future..
W. B. Gardner Mayor John Mitchener
Committee.
Gardner, a Jaycee, is chairman of the
March of Dimes campaign this month
and works on many other committees
within the community. He also is a
director of Peoples Bank & Trust Com
pany and is an Episcopalian.
He is active in Chowan Golf & Coun
try Club and serves on the board of
Chowan Academy, Inc. He is married
and the father of three children.
Irvin Aldridge, assistant administra
tor of the Department of Administration
in Raleigh and past state Jaycee presi
dent, delivered an inspirational keynote
address. He cited work the local Jay
cees are doing in Edenton and the con
tribution they have made on the state
level.
Speaking to the bosses present, Al
dridge said he hopes Jaycees return a
better man.
He said the organization gives young
passed the half billion dollar
mark for capital investments in
491 new and expanded manufac
turing facilities during 1968.
W. B. Gardner, chairman of
the industrial committee of
Edenton Chamber of Commerce,
said this area can be proud of
success in industrial develop
ment.
“Because of the dedicated and
unselfish work of numerous citi
zens, we have been successfid in
getting some of the finest names
in industry to build plants here,**
he said. “At the same time, we
are just as proud of the fact that
existing industries have express
ed confidence in the area by ex
panding.”
Industrial payrolls in Chowan
County have begun to rival the
farm income for the first time
in history. Gardner said this
area is rapidly gaining a healthy
balance between industry and
farming. “Our economy is be
coming more stable,” he pointed
out.
He also hailed the fine spirit
of cooperation between the
Chamber of Commerce, Edenton
Town Council and Chowan Coun
ty Board of Commissioners. The
three groups have worked out
many problems in past years to
allow industry to locate and ex
pand here.
It is said that industry in Cho
wan County is drawing employ
ees from a 30-mile radius.
Employment Security Commis
sion of North Carolina reports
there is still an adequate labor
force for new industry here, es
pecially those who employ pri
marily women.
‘Fish’ To Organize
An organizational meeting to intro
duce “Fish” to our town and county is
called for, Tuesday, February 4 at 8
P. M., in the Parish House, Gale Street.
Anyone from any organization, civic
club, church, hospital auxiliary, rescue
squad, civil defense, or similar group is
especially urged to represent his group.
The meeting will begin promptly at
8 and adjourn promptly at 8:45 P. M.
Man In Chowan
men a chance to have a voice in the
community. “Develop better young men
and you develop a better community,”
he asserted.
Aldridge said one of the foremost con
tributions Jayceeism offers young men
is an opportunity to exchange ideas.
Also, the movement develops leaders
who have vision, faith, courage and ac
tion, he added.
The speaker was critical of in-action
by people in the community. “Every
one needs to find his place arid play that
role to the best of his ability,” Aldridge
said.
He said while those who reside in
Edenton live in a community that is
alive, “don’t stop now”.
The speaker was introduced bjH|f||ij
C. Dail. Si
Wallace Evans, Jaycee preside*#'*'
past DSA winner, presided at thfinlk
Continued on Pag* 4 ■BPI