Volume XXXVI—No. 32.
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Aerial Photo of Albemarle Peanut Company’s Mill Purchased by Fisher Nut Company
public flaradt'
Help From Churches
Well, we are happy to report all the
' Amburns are back under one roof after
a hectic first half of the summer.
The Presbyterians took care of Me
lissa for six weeks at the Blue Ridge
Reading Clinic at Glade Valley.
And the Episcopalians took care of
Maru for two weeks of roughing it at
Camp Chanco in Surry, Va.
’ And the Methodists took care of the
others by air conditioning the church.
As of this writing we haven’t had a
chance to call on the Baptists for any
thing other than Pete Manning.
Rough All Over
i Robert Hendrix, director, Chowan
County Department of Social Services,
hai a classic example of the need for
additional privacy in his office.
“Why one day last week I had to take
a man around to the drug store to talk
with him,” the director told county com
missioners.
When a situation like this develops, it
is evident that Hendrix needs some
privacy in his own office.
Fruits of Labor
We want to be among the first to wel
come Fisher Nut Company to the Public
Parade.
We also want to be among the first
to publicly commend the Industrial Com
mittee of Edenton Chamber of Com
merce for successful efforts to secure a
buyer for Albemarle Peanut Company.
Some members of our industrial fami
ly in the past have been critical of the
committee’s activity. It was even advo
cated about two years ago that this im
portant—and most active committee in
the entire community—group disband,
i In interesting Fisher Nut Company in
' the Albemarle property the Industrial
Committee has proven it is just as in
terested in saving existing industrial jobs
k as it is in securing new ones. The dis
believers can now take note.
We number among those meandering
along the Public Parade who believe
good industry will draw its own labor.
Also, we labor under the belief that
good industry will attract other top in
dustry in the area. They complement
each other.
This is evident in the fact that in the
past few years new industry locating
here as a direct result of the Industrial
Committee’s efforts has put nearly $5-
million valuation on the tax books and
Chowan County alone will realize $78,-
928.47 in tax«s from these plants.
* With the extension, and equalizing, of
town limits, its 1970 the Town of Eden
ton will get more than $43,000 from
four of the six industries about which
we speak.
The town and county are not the
only ones to benefit from these indus
tries. The industrial payroll this year
will match the agricultural payroll in
Chowan County. This money is spent,
in the main, within the confines of the
with the benefits being wide
-spread.
The Industrial Committee of Edenton
Chamber of Commerce needs no defense.
'D|« tangible results of their efforts on
the part of this community prove their
value to the community.
There is a significant sentence in the
•anouncement for the Fisher Nut Com-
w | a!,,,, , g
THE SHOWAN HERALD
Fisher Nut Buys Albemarle Peanut
Fisher Nut Company has reached an
agreement to purchase the Albemarle
Peanut Company of Edenton from ITT
Continental Baking Company. The an
nouncement was made by Harold Feder,
executive vice president of Fisher from
his St. Paul, Minn., headquarters.
The Albemarle operation cleans, shells
and grades raw farmers’ stock peanuts.
According to Feder, “by having our own
shelling operations, which brings us one
step closer to the farmer, Fisher will be
in a position better to control the quali
ty of raw peanuts used in our pro
cessing.”
Feder said, “Operating personnel of
Albemarle will remain unchanged, but a
new name has been chosen for the shell
ing plant. It will be called ‘Fisher Nut
Company, Albemarle Mill’.”
Fisher Nut Company, a Division of
Beatrice Foods, is headquartered in the
jjp *
m I
PATROL CAR FOR SHERlFF—Sheriff Troy Toppin. behind door, and Deputy Glenn
Perry are shown here with the new patrol car furnished the sheriff by Chowan County.
Sheriff Toppin said he and Depuly Perry are on 24-hour call and are spending a consider
able amounl of time cruising throughout the county.
Two Local Teen-Agers Road Victims
Funeral services were held here this
week for two local teen-agers who were
killed early Saturday morning when they
were struck by a car while crossing a
highway at Nags Head.
Clay Thomas Freese, 14, of Cape
Colony, and Christopher Wood Pruden,
15, Route 2, Edenton, died almost in
stantly being struck by a car operated
by Donald Wayne Davis, 23, U. S.
A. R. Owens, 67
Alfred Rogerson Owens, 210 East
King Street, died suddenly at 9:30 P. M.
Saturday night after suffering a heart
attack earlier at his home. He was 67.
Mr. Owens was retired from Edenton
Fire Department. Since his retirement
he had served as a dispatcher for Eden
ton Police Department.
He was born'in Chowan County on
July 22, 1902, son of the late Willis
and Sadie Rogerson Owens. He was
married to Mrs. Verna R. Owens, who
survives.
Also surviving is a son, Alfred R.
Owens, Jr., of Elizabeth City; two
brothers: Willis Owens of Sanford; and
Gerald Owens of Daytona Beach, Fla.;
and one grandchild.
He was a member of Edenton Metho
dist Church.
Funeral services were held at 3 P. M.
Monday in Williford Memorial Chapel
with Rev. E. L. Earnhardt in charge.
Burial was in Beaver Hill Cemetery.
Williford Funeral Home had charge
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 7, 1969
Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis,
and is the second largest peanut pro
cessor in the country.
Louis Smerling is president of Fisher
Nut Company; and S. S. Fisher is chair
man of the board.
The reason Fisher purchased Albe
marle is because the plant is well locat
ed, well managed and well run, a spokes
man said.
Beatrice Foods had sales last year of
$1.3 billion.
The firm owns many other companies,
such as the D. L. Clark Candy Com
pany, makers of Clark bars and Zag
Nut bars; the Holloway Candy Com
pany; the Durham Milk Company of
Durham, and dozens of other major
companies.
W. B. Gardner, chairman, Industrial
Committee, Edenton Chamber of Com
merce, said the committee had been ac
tively-engaged in securing a new owner
Coast Guard stationed at Oregon Inlet.
Davis was automatically charged with
two counts of manslaughter and will be
given a hearing in Dare County District
Court on August 15. He was released
without bond.
The accident occurred at approximate
ly 1 A. M., Saturday as the youths
crossed the heavily traveled highway
near the summer home of Mr. and Mrs.
W. D. Pruden, Jr., parents of one of the
victims.
Trooper A. G. Wright, investigating
officer, said the two youths were in the
northbound lane attempting to cross the
west side when Davis pulled out to pass
another vehicle and struck them.
Both victims were students at John
A. Holipes High School in Edenton.
Young Pruden was born in Chowan
County on April 15, 1954, son of W. D.
and Cabel D. Pruden. In addition to
his parents are his paternal grandmother,
Mrs. Mary Tucker of Edenton; five
brothers: Mark and Dossey Pruden of
the home; Jim Fletcher of Nags Head,
David Fletcher of Ocracoke; and John
Fletcher of Ayden; and a sister, Mrs.
Carolista Baum of Chapel Hill.
Graveside services were held at Beav
er Hill Cemetery at 3 P. M., Sunday
with Rev. Charles Reber and Rev. Ed
win T. Williams in charge.
Young Freese was born in Bainbridge,
Md., on November 30, 1954, son of Carl
E. and Verna D. Freese. In addition
to his parents he is survived by a broth
er, Scott Michael Freese of the home.
He was a member of Cape Colony
Church of God. Funeral services were
Conttimort on Pm «
for Albemarle since ITT Continental
Baking Company made known their
plans to close down the local operation.
“We are extremely pleased to learn
of the purchase of Albemarle Peanut by
Fisher Nut Company,” Gardner said.
“Fisher Nut has a fine reputation in
the peanut industry and the addition of
this fine, progressive company to the
Edenton area industrial family is a
welcomed one.”
Gardner added that while the Indus
trial Committee has been most active in
securing new industrial jobs for the area,
efforts have been equally as strong in
assisting existing industries to expand
and prosper.
“Albemarle Peanut is one of the area’s
pioneer industries and we were shocked
to learn it was closing,” he continued.
“We are excited now over the future of
this mill under the banner of Fisher Nut
and the big umbrella of Beatrice Foods.”
Classes Scheduled
On Food Budgets
Ways to stretch a limited food budget
will be taught in a two-week consumer
education course which begins August
11 in Edenton.
Called “Project Moneywise Bread
basket,” the course is designed for com
munity leaders in low-income neighbor
hoods who are expected to teach others.
Thirty-five neighborhood workers and
leaders will be enrolled. They represent
the 10-county area served by the Eco
nomic Improvement Council, Inc., ac
cording to Roy L. Lowe, executive di
rector.
“Project Moneywise Breadbasket”
is sponsored by the Emergency Food
Program under the Office of Economic
Opportunity and conducted by the Bu
reau of Federal Credit Unions. Classes
will meet at the Economic Improvement
Council, Inc., Administrative Office, at
Edenton Municipal Airport.
Although inadequate income and low
educational level are readily recognized
causes of poverty, lack of knowledge
and information about various programs
to help disadvantaged citizens also con
tributes to the problem. Existing Fed
eral and State food programs will be dis
cussed as well as ways to overcome the
obstacles that prevent the participation
of needy families. The agenda for “Pro-
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Single Copy 10 Cents
Board Gives
New Breath
To Program
Chowan County commissioners Mon
day kept alive hopes for continued op
eration of the area Alcoholic Rehabili
tation Center and Mental Health Clinic
by approving a request for additional
funds.
The county had already earmarked 5
per cent of the profits from the local
ABC Store for ARC. They had been
asked to join the other five counties in
paying 20 cents per capita for the Mental
Health Clinic. This was not included in
the new budget.
After hearing pleas from local sup
porters of the program, including one of
the two commissioner-appointed board
members, it was decided to give an ad
ditional $750 to the program. This is
matched two for one by state and fed
eral funds.
During the discussion, led by Ernest
Kehayes, it was learned that SB,OOO is
needed for the program to exist during
the year. This is still some $40,000
short of the proposed ARC budget.
Kehayes assured the commissioners
ARC had spent its money wisely. He
said a need had been found for the pro
gram and the program is just now get-
ConMnuod m Pig* row
Joint Committee
Push Tax Issue
Edenton Town Council and Chowan
County commissioners are forming a
committee to work toward a favorable
vote on the one cent increase in the
state sales tax.
Chairman W. E. Bond said Monday
that Mayor George Alma Byrum had
asked him to appoint someone from his
board to work with representatives of
the council.
While commissioners agreed it is a
“fair tax” and one which could lower
the county tax rate, Bond said he would
wait until September to name the coun
ty’s representatives on the point com
mittee. :•
Chairman Bond said it has been esti
mated that the tax would provide be
tween $75,000 and SBO,OOO for Chowan
County alone. About half this much
would be realized by the Town of
Edenton.
“I am for it,” the chairman said.
Continued on Pea# 4
Nowell Gets Area
RALEIGH Geographic areas were
assigned to each one of the 23 new state
highway commissioners sworn in last
Wednesday morning.
Gov. Bob Scott announced the assign
ments at the ceremony which took place
in the auditorium of the State Highway
Building.
Joe Nowell, Jr., of Winfall, was as
signed Camden, Chowan, Currituck,
Dare, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquim
ans counties.
Carroll H. Gilliam of Windsor was
assigned: Bertie, Hertford, Martin,
Northampton, Tyrrell and Washington
counties.
Edenton Mayor George Alma Byrum,
Thomas Shepard and W. B. Gardner
attended the swearing-in ceremonies.