Volume XXXVII—No. 3.
Unusual Procedure I
Is Charged On Bids I
Edenton’s Board of Public Works was
accused of making “an error in judg
ment” by Mayor George Alma Byrum
Tuesday night as the manner in which
bids were taken for a new truck.
A Hertford motor company was invit
ed on December 29 to submit a bid.
When the utilities board met January 6
public |Jaradt v
On The Move
A new hospital, additions to a school
and construction of units in a shopping
center sent building permits soaring
along the Public Parade during the last
three quarters of 1969.
The total from April 1, 1969, through
December 31, 1969, is $1,811,997.
This is an indication that we are liv
ing where at least some of the action is.
W. S. Long, building inspector, re
ports only four new single family resi
dences built during the period at a cost
of $105,000. The two new institutional
buildings were $1,371,897 and the five
new commercial buildings, $269,700.
This is an impressive report. But the
thing which shows Sam Long is doing
his job is that 11 houses were upgraded;
three moved to the county and 21 build
ings demolished.
His substandard housing report for the
same period showed 121 dwellings in
spected; 48 complied with; and 18 ac
tions pending.
While some might question the direc
tion we are taking, at least we are going
somewhere.
More Than Money
On November 4, 1969, the votes cast
by taxpayers in the Town of Edenton
were the deciding factor in favorable
passage of a 1 per cent local option sales
tax.
The sales tax issue, as unpopular as
is any tax measure, was sold here on
the basis : t would tend to broaden the
tax base and hopefully reduce property
taxes.
This newspaper supported the tax for
this reason. Also, we supported the sales
tax not only because we consider it a
fair tax, but because we felt our elected
officials were making an honest effort
to operate a tight ship. In other words,
we had sufficient confidence in their
ability to think the revenue already being
received was being spent wisely.
Now this confidence has been shaken.
If the manner in <vhich the Board of
Public Works went about obtaining bids
on a new truck —for which they didn’t
have sufficient budgeted funds in the
first place—is an example of what these
members consider good business, then
there is room for readjustment of our
thinking.
We adhere strongly to the theory of
shopping at home. That is, so long as
you feel you are getting a good deal. In
order to keep things in line, sometimes
it is necessary to shop around. By so
doing, the Town Council saved the tax
payers more than SI,OOO in the purchase
of but two police cars. It doesn’t take
a sharp pencil to figure this is nearly
one cent on the town tax rate.
With this in mind, Towe Motor Com
pany of Hertford was invited on De-
Coatiaued on Pace 4
93 Units Os Blood Donated Monday
The American Red Cross Bloodmobile
collected 93 units of blood here Monday
from 104 people who showed up at Na
tional Guard Armory to donate.
Pete Ward, chairman of the Jaycee
sponsored visit, said the March 17 visit
will require 125 pints in order to meet
the quota for the year.
Local officials expressed their appre
ciation to those who offered to donate
blood and said the fact that so many
showed up indicates the interest here in
the program.
At one time it was feared the local
hospital would be unable to draw blood
from the Tidewater Blood Center be
cause local donations were so low.
The 104 who offered to donate Mon
day included:
Sheriff Troy Toppin, Garland Asbell,
, Bill Boyce, Scott Harrell, Joe Swanner,
Virginia O. Oliver, John H. Oliver, Jr.,
Thomas M. Surratt, George Nixon, Da
THE CHOWAN HERALD
a motion was made and carried that only
bids from local dealers be considered.
George Chevrolet Company was the
apparent low bidder. However, the
Tow° Motor Company bid was later
opened and was “somewhat lower” than
the George bid, a spokesman said.
James Dail, Towe sales manager, ap
peared Tuesday night to protest the
manner in which the bidding was
handled. He contended that if the Towe
bid was not to be considered it should
have been returned unopened.
Councilman W. H. Hollowell said if a
letter was sent to Towe requesting a bid
then the bid should have been consider
ed. Councilman J. D. Elliott agreed.
It was then that Mayor Byrum said:
“I think they (the E&W Board) have
made an error in judgment. It is not
the first time we have gone out of town
to buy merchandise and will probably
not be the last if we spend the taxpayers’
money wisely.”
Towe was low on two new police cars
by about SI,OOO it was noted during the
discussion and that prompted Supt. R. N.
Hines, Sr., of the utilities board to in
vite them to bid.
The council agreed to amend the
board’s budget to purchase the new
truck and equipment.
Town Attorney W. J. P. Earnhardt,
Jr., advised the council he saw no legal
Continued on Page 4
Overman Tribute
Draws Big Crowd
By BILL COZ/RT
A grateful Chowan Corn ,v opened its
- ueart to one of its Thursday
night veteran County farm agent
Charlie Overman.
In sub-freezing weather, more than
250 persons gathered at the armory to
say simple or eloquent thanks and offer
some small token of the affection and
esteem in which they hold him.
The tangible gifts ran the range from
silver to a live turkey. The Chowan
County commissioners presented an en
graved silver tray, the Town of Eden
ton’s business heads a watch.
One of the more significant tangible
gifts was a $750 contribution to the stu
dent loan fund at N. C. State University,
Charlie’s alma mater. Bob Wood of
NCSU told the gathering the contribu
tion will be known as the Charlie Over
man Student Loan Fund and will be
loaned to students to aid in getting a de
gree at the University.
To Charlie, however, perhaps the
greatest of gifts was the warmth and
sincere affection of “his people” with
Continued on Page 4
Benefit March Set
Bert Hughes has been named chair
man of the 1970 March of Dimes drive
here and said the first activity will be
the Mother’s March by Edenton Jay
cettes.
Edenton Jaycees sponsor the March
of Dimes campaign in Chowan County.
Hughes said the Mother’s March will
be conducted between January 18 and 28.
Other activities to raise the local quo
ta are being planned and will be an
nounced later.
vid Harrell, Frank White, Jr., Carlton
Asbell, Carroll Byrum and Forest Jerni
gan.
Also, Henry Allen Bunch, Lloyd W.
Evans, Faye O. Harrell, Rudolph Dale,
Barbara Stilley, Jean Ashley, Wayland
Byrum, Pete Ward, Trudy Parker, Mary
Elizabeth Dail, J. Paul Bunch, Roland
Evans, Gloria Ward, Thomas Robey, and
Beulah Privott.
And, Clyde Williams, Ruth Lane,
Cherie Davenport, Betty Perry, Mrs.
Thomas Ward, J. C. Forehand, E. P.
Robey, Sarah Margaret Harrell, Georgia
Bazemore, E. C. Toppin, Bob Wein
traub, James Byrum, Mickey Spruill,
James E. White, and William N. Her
man.
Also, Carlton Nixon, Lester Lewis,
Lynn Perry, Andrea Miller, Mary S. Wil
liams, Thomas Hoskins, Bertram By
rum, Jimmie Ricks, James C. Hughes,
OMtl»iu>a on Pag* 4
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 15, 1970.
Mayor Byrum answers ...
Cancer Meeting
Mrs. R. E. Forehand, Jr., president
of the Chowan County Cancer Society,
announces a meeting on Tuesday at the
Edenton Municipal Building.
The meeting time is 7:30 P. M.
A film, “The Million Club” will be
presented. All committee chairmen are
asked to have reports ready. Mrs.
Forehand urges all members to plan to
attend.
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thu BLOODMOBILE COMES TO TOWN—It takes a number of volunteers as well as
donors to make a visit of the American Red Cross Blood mobile a success. The pic
tures here show some of the activity Monday at National Guard Armory when 93
units were collected from 194 possible donors. At top, Dr. Roland Vaughan takes a
break and a snack with Mrs. H. C. Jackson and Mrs. Brace F. Jones. Joe Swanner,
center left, is shown in a familiar pose on Bloodmobile Day. He has riven 11 units to
top all local donors. The other picture shows Mrs. Warren Nance as she takes the
blood pressure of Mrs. Faye Harrell. Mrs. J. W. Davis, left, and Mrs. Warren Twiddy
are pictured registering Fete Ward, left, and E. C. Topphi, two Eden ton Jaycees in
charge of the blood program here.
, . . then ponders question
Mayor Is Looking Ahead
The ability to maintain top personnel
in all departments and more citizen in
volvement in municipal activities are ne
cessary to keep the Town of Edenton
moving ahead in the 70’s. So ..ays
Mayor George Alma Byrum as he looks
at the accomplishments of 1969 and
looks ahead to the future.
Mayor Byrum was high in his praise
of all town personnel, saying they are
both qualified and dedicated. “They
have done a good job,” he states.
The mayor is also thankful for com
munity relations between the races where
progress is made through mutual under
standing and communication.
In the coming year he looks for added
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. . . and stops to light up.
emphasis on neighborhood recreation
and steps toward creation of a city-wide
park.
He adds that a strong effort will be
made to keep Edenton clean, keep vacant
lots in a more sightly manner, and con
demn and remove delapidated houses.
Open ditches are still a thorn which
cause the mayor to be somewhat un
comfortable. “With the leadership of
the council and neighborhood commit
tees a major effort will be made to get
open ditches closed,” he stated.
During the coming year the mayor
hopes to see the water and sewer pro
ject completed with the assistance of a
federal grant. He also wants to see
street improvements in all areas and
some headway on downtown sidewalk
improvement.
He looks forward to actual construc
tion of the 100 units of low-rent public
housing and start of work on the l . S.
17 by-pass.
Mayor Byrum said a major effort
would also be placed on bringing gov
ernment closer to the people and the up
grading of services by the town.
He said he foresees continued eco
• .<mic growth for the area.
There are many items which he recall
ed that had a great bearing on the com
munity during the past year. They in
clude:
1 — Continued growth of Edenton Mu
nicipal Airport.
2 Expansion of the town limits to
more than double the land area inside
the corporate limits.
Continued on Page 4
School Bus Cost
Figures Released
It cost more to operate school buses in
Chowan County during 1965-69 than
the state average, according to data re
cently released by the Transportation
Division of the State Department of
Public Instruction.
A. C. Davis, controller for the State
Board of Education, said the operating
cost per mile in Chowan County was
.2412 cents per bus mile. The state
average is .2243 per bus mile of opera
tion.
At the same time it was revealed that
the number of regular school buses op
erated during last year nere were 35.
An average of 1,818 students were trans
ported daily with an average of 51.9
students per bus per day.
Each bus traveled an average of 35.1
miles per day getting 6.722 miles to the
gallon of gasoline.
The report also showed that during
the past school year 54.9 per cent of
the total public school population were
transported to and from school daily.
The average school bus in the state
transported 66 students per day, made
1.57 trips per day an average of 12
miles in length one way— and trans
ported an average of 48.5 students per
bus trip. The total cost of North Caro
lina’s school transportation was $14,-
293,272.80, including replacement of
buses.
GOP Events Set
Chowan County Republicans are plan
ning two executive sessions this month,
according to H. E. Bass, county party
chairman.
Bass said county precinct chairmen
will meet at 7:30 P. M., January 23, at
his home on West Queen Street.
The county GOP convention will be
held at Edenton Restaurant at 8 P. M. f
on January 30. Members of the county
executive committee attend the conven
tion.
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