Town Officials Seek Tax
The Town of Edenton’s case for the
local option sales tax to be split on the
basis of population was presented Mon
day to more than 30 people at a meet
ing in Municipal Building. Chowan
County commissioners met privately at
5 P. M. Monday to discuss this and
other matters.
A public hearing will be held in the
Municipal Building at 10 A. M. Mon
EH THE CHOWAN HERALD H 3
Volume XXXVH—No. 11
public |Jararie
Something New, Something Old
Yes, those are new street signs going
up throughout Edenton all 144 of
them. They cost $3,500 and are being
installed by the Street Department.
The new blue and white signs help
the appearance of the town as prepara
tions are made for the biennial Pilgrim
age of Colonial Edenton and Country
side.
Even at such a cost of money and
effort, the new signs can’t blot out the
unsightly trash cans which line our
streets six days each and every week.
It is only human to tidy things up when
company is coming. It is therefore
something which Edenton must £o con
tinuously since we are becoming more
and more a mecca for touj£sts<
But so long as town ofjEf&ajt# ignore
the trash cans we can only hipe that
during the tour days the wind won’t
blow, tops will be securely pljpced on
the cans used, boxes, paper bags, etc.,
won’t be used and all dogs along the
Public Parade will be locked up.
What To Feed A Nag!
Those meandering along the Public
Parade interested in more efficient and
effective gove«uiiSJ»t must
be disappointed at the attitude of the
Board of Public Works members in a
recent joint meeting with Town Council.
Mayor George Alma Byrum, a strong
advocate of a single elected board to
carry on the affairs of Edenton, called
the meeting to discuss the matter of
abolishing the E&W Board. Except for
a few needles applied to this writer by
J. H. Conger, Jr-, the story of the Joint
"discussion” could have been written
before the meeting was called to order.
It was a rehash of the same pros and
cons with the cons who won a 33-vote
victory four years ago hanging on.
Chairman Jesse L. Harrell set the
tone when he advised councilmen he is
no more in favor of the one-board con
cept now than four years ago. He
ran through the council members once
again his opinion that the job was too
big for one board to handle adequately
Maybe Mr. Harrell isn’t aware that
Commodity Credit Corporation, the
world’s largest with sl4-billion, has but
five members on its board. Edenton
has two elected boards with a total of
12 members. Are things that difficult
along the Public Parade?
Os all the people one would expect
to favor parking the horse and buggy
of the past age and filling up an engine
tuned for high test gasoline is Mr. Cong
er. His interests lie in the gas busi
ness. He has found it necessary to
program his own business for the com
puter age but hasn’t used the same
yardstick in the operations of the town.
Continued on Pago 7
Fire Service Radio Network Sought
Albemarle Area Development Asso
ciation has adopted a resolution seek
ing assistance in planning and
menting emergency fir* service com
munications in this area. The request
came from Albemarle Firemen’s Asso
ciation, J&’ ;
At a recent meeting of.,the AXBJfc
board of directors in Elizabeth City, C.
T. Skinner, Jr., secretary ofAADA and
liaison for AFA, presented a resolution
signed by Frank V. White, Ji'-gJMfe*
dent "
i AADA acted on the resolution
sistance which is aimed ana receiving
some help from the forthcoming Eco
nomic Development Administration staff
in the area.
Skinner said it is hoped that EDA
staff members will make a survey of
the tire departments in this region as to
existing radio communications now be
day on the sales tax quesg . Com
missioners are expected to imme
diately following this heano V, nd de
cide on one of two methods flitting
the money—population or \ lorem
levy.
A tax split based on populate -ould
give Edenton an estimated % ',351
while the county would receive | % 149.
If the ad valorem basis is c4 _ by
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, March 25, 1971
Hr m
Thomas M. Surratt
Harrell Files, Withdraws
By Patricia M. Arnold
Roy L. Harrell filed Friday as a can
didate for councilman-at-large and with
drew Wednesday morning. He made
this statement: “I will not be a candi
date for the office of councilman-at
large in this election.”
When asked about future political
plans, he stated: “No comment at this
time.”
Harrell ran unsuccessfully for mayor
three times.
Two more hats were thrown in the
ring for councilman-at-large. On Tues
day morning Hospital Administrator
Thomas M- Surratt and D. F; Walker
Chowan Schools
Contest Winners
Chowan High School and Chowan
Academy won a majority of the prizes
in the annual seventh grade history
contest conducted by the Museum of
the Albemarle. The contest ended
March 12 with the following winners:
Community, Social and Industrial
Life: First Place Ballard’s Bridge
Church by Chief Rockahock Junior His
torical Society, Chowan Academy. Sec
ond Place Hog Killing by Chief Rock
ahock Junior Historical Society, Chowan
Academy.
Lost Colony: First Place Baptism
of Virginia Dare by Becky Harrell, Cho
wan High School. Second Place Clue
to Lost Colony by Poanne Hall, Chowan
High School.
First Flight: First Place Model
of Wright Brothers’ plane by Herman
Jones, Hertford Grammar School, Per
quimans County.
Civil War Battles: Battle of Sandy
Point Chief Rockahock Junior His
torical Society, Chowan Academy.; Sec
ond Place Battles of Sound Region
by Cindy Miller, Hertford Grammar
School, Perquimans County.
Dismal Swamp: First Place Survey
ing the Dismal Swamp by Clay Madry,
Chowan High School.
ing used and then come up with some
type of plan for every fire department
to monitor one single emergency fre
quency.
He noted that at the recent Butler
Lumber Company fire in Tyrrell Coun
ty, only assistance was rendered by
Creswell since there was not rapid way
to get help from other areas. He said
an emergency frequency would have
solved this problem.
■_The AFA resolution noted there, are
SO volunteer fire departments, of which
#aty two have paid personnel, in the
region. These departments render
emergency fire service to some 80,000
citizens in Northeastern North Carolina.
Also, there are four U. S. government
facilities and one state agency avail
able to render fire fighting assistance
on a mutual aid basis. There also is an
active organized Civil Defense program
in the area.
commissioners the town’s share would
be $24,679 and the county’s share
$113,321. "*
Mayor George Alma Byrum explain
ed the split at Monday’s meeting, at
tended by businessmen in Edenton.
N. J. George, a county commissioner,
and Don Tabeau of The Carter’s Ink
Company, was among those attending.
Mayor Byrum said on the basis of
wXI *jk jm
Roy L. Harrell
filed. Walker was the principal of D.
F. Walker High School for 36 years.
The deadline to file as a candidate in
the May 4 municipal election is 12 noon
Friday. Those who desire to run can
file with Mrs. George Hoskins, chair
man, Chowan County Board of Elections
or her assistant, Mrs. Joseph M. Thorud.
Gilbert Johnson filed last week for
the Council seat.
Surratt, a native of Salisbury, has
been the hospital administrator here for
over three years. He lives in Morgan
Park.
He and his wife, the former Mary
HSiToeker, have three children, one at
East Carolina University," fine a junior
at John A. Holmes High School and the
other is one year old.
He has been active in church and civic
affairs and has served in various posts
on three official boards including the
Edenton Methodist Church, where he
serves as chairman- He has participat
ed in Jaycee groups in three towns and
now is an active member of the Eden
ton Rotary Club and currently serves
as president.
Surratt has been active in profes
sional associations, having served as
president of the Hospital Financial
Management Association and for the
Continued on Pago 4
Sandy Rose Dies
Isaac (Sandy) Rose died suddenly
March 17, at Chowan Hospital. He
was 45.
He was a co-owner of Rose Bros. Con
struction Co., Inc., since 1951, a veteran
of the U. S. Army and World War 11,
and a member of Edenton Baptist
Church.
Mr. Rose was the son of Mollie Sturdi
vant and Gene Rose of Jonesville, and
the husband of Ruth Caudle Rose.
In addition to his parents and wife,
survivors include three sons: Larry Rose
of Edenton, and Mark S., and Eric Rose
of the home; a daughter, Beverly Ann
Rose, a student at Western Carolina
University, Cullowhee; a brother, Walt
er F. Rose of Ahoskie, and a sister,
Mrs. W. L. Martin of Winston-Salem.
A funeral service was conducted at
Colonial Community Chapel on Friday
at 3 P. M., with Rev. Robert Gray of
ficiating. Burial followed in Beaver
Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Caswell Edmundson,
Bernice Penny, J. T. Hall, Reggie Bon
ner, Clarence Rose, Jack Rose, Corbel
Morris and Willie Fanner.
Colonial Funeral Home was in charge
of the arrangements.
Benefit Event Set
The Edenton Ja/cees are sponsoring
a fish fry, beginning at 11 A. M. Sat
urday at the Boy Scout Hut on North
Broad Street
Hie proceeds will go to the recon
struction of their building which was
destroyed by fire.
Robert Dail, president of the Jaycees,
urges anyone interested in helping the
Jaycees to please do so by purchasing a
fish plate.
D. F. Walker
Public Hearing Monday
Split On Population
existing assessed valuation ($15.3-million
in Edenton against $36.2-million in the
county) a tax increase necessary to re
place the SIB,OOO difference in the way
the tax is split would require a 12-cent
tax increase in town and a five-cent tax
increase county-wide. "The council
feels very strongly the five-cent county
wide tax increase would be fairer rather
than putting an increase strictly on the
Court Term
Slated Here
Nineteen persons are scheduled to
be tried for drunk driving during the
March term of Chowan County Superior
Court which convenes Monday with
Judge Elbert S. Peele, Jr., of William
ston, presiding.
Also on the calendar is the case of
Ralph Fay Nixon, charged with two
counts of manslaughter.
Others scheduled to be heard include
Thomas Lloyd Forehand, breaking, en
tering, larceny and receiving; and Nay
lor McCall, receiving stolen goods.
Other offenses include speeding, tres
passing, non-support, post conviction
hearings, failure to move mobile home,
and no operator’s license.
Solicitor Herbert Small of Elizabeth
City will prosecute the docket.
Jurors drawn to serve during the
session include;
Hattie Jones Norman, Ella Twiddy
Mitchell, Nolan Bunch Toppin, James
Continued on Pago 4
Clinic Explained
An oral cancer detection clinic, staff
ed by Edenton dentists on a voluntary
basies, will be conducted April 3 at the
Municipal Building. The clinic will
be operated from 10 A. M., to 4 P. M.,
and there will be no charge for the
service.
Dr. Allen Hornthal, president, Cho
wan Unit, American Cancer Society, re
lated that Drs. J. H. Horton and R. N.
Hines, Jr., have agreed to assist him in
the clinic —a first in this area.
“The clinic will represent a concen
trated, one-day effort at detecting oral
cancer,” Dr. Hornthal said. “Oral can
cer is one of the most easily detectable
cancers, but it is also one of the most
dangerous.”
This clinic is primarily aimed at the
80 per cent of the people who don’t
visit a dentist regularly but regular
dental patients are also urged to visit
the clinic.
Each patient will receive a visual
examination at the clinic. If a sus
picious case arises, that patient will be
given an appointment for a more de
tailed examination later. '
Cr© ft
B
Supporting Red Cross Women’s organizations throughout the
area are joining hands in an effort to meet the goal of the Chowan
County Chapter, American Red Cross in a funds campaign now
underway. Shown with Carlton Jackson, chairman, are, from left,
Miss Mary Lee Copeland, BPW; Mrs. Hattie Byrum, Chowan Hos
pital Auxiliary; and Mrs. Dianne Dail, Jaycettes. This is the first
organized funds solicitation to be conducted by the Red Cross in
Chowan County in the past several years.
Single Copy 10 Cents
town people,” he noted.
He added that an estimated 85 per
cent of sales taxes are collected in
Edenton.
“I can’t see any reason, except need
for money, how the commissioners can
split it on the ad valorem basis,” he
continued. “I see no valid reason,” he
added in asking interested citizens to
express themselves.
It was pointed out that on the ad va
lorem split, should taxes be increased
to make up the difference, taxpayers
in Edenton could see tax bills increase
as much as SBOO.
Mayor Byrum said the water and
sewer bond issue was sold to the peo
ple on the promise of no increase in
property tax due to the sales tax and
increased water rates. “We will have
to increases taxes about SIO,OOO if we
can’t cut expenses,” he explained if the
sales tax is not split on the basis of
population. “We will be forced to do
something we have promised the peo
ple we wouldn’t do ”
Alton G. Elmore said the sales tax
involves people and he sees no other
way it can logically be done (divided)
except by population.
James Blount asked what effect a
town tax increase would have on in
dustrial expansion. Mayor Byrum re
sponded that anytime taxes go up it is
a hindrance.
George pointed out since this is in
volved with next year’s budget the dif
ference is $9,000 to SIO,OOO rather than
SIB,OOO. “I believe we can work this
thing out,” he stated but added: “I
must be candid with you. The county
has no other way but to split the tax
on the basis of ad valorem levy. The
money can be worked out.”
When questioned later by John A.
Mitchener, Jr., on restricted use of the
money if such an approach is taken,
George said money from other than
sales tax funds could be used.
George stated efforts have been in
the mill for years to remove the barrier
between the town and county. “I cer
tainly hope this doesn’t stall this pro
gress,” he stated.
In a prepared “fact sheet” distributed
at the meeting the town put forth the
following points:
Town receives NO ABC funds. Re
ported to be the only Town with a
liquor store within the corporate
limits not receiving funds.
2. Without Town’s initiative sales tax
would have never passed.
3. Most of the sales tax revenue is
generated within the Town of
Edenton.
4. The Town has and will continue
Continued on Page 4
Library Meeting
A reorganizational meeting, including
election of new officers, will be held to
day (Thursday) by Friends of the Li
brary. The meeting begins at 4P. M.,
at Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library.
Friends of the Library will sponsor
National Library Week, April 18-24, and
plans for this observance will be made
at the meeting.
“Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library
has served the community well and all
people interested in supporting the li
brary are requested to come to the
meeting,” a spokesman stated.