Hazards In Schools Discussed
The Chowan County Grand Jury, ex
pressing “deep concern” for students in
Edenton-Chowan Schools in case of fire,
last week huddled with county and
school officials to discuss means to
“eliminate (fire) hazards” in school
buildings.
Elsewhere in a strongly worded re
Public Parade
Report On Homing
Well, we went around to First Pres
byterian Church Sunday night to dis
cuss low-rent public housing along the
Public Parade with a group of interest
ed. citizens. We are sorry that about
the only thing new we had to report
was another in an almost unending list
of delays which have hampered con
struction of 100 units of housing for
our people.
Edenton Housing Authority has been
in existence since October, 1967, as
received advances for property pur
chases, plannng, etc., amounting to
more than $200,000 and the time for
advertising for bids is still a cloudy
issue.
The local authority has had to un
tangle one hitch after the other since
going into the public housing business.
The last was temporary relocation of
families who resided on sites where
houses are to be built. This required
a landmark decision by HUD in Wash
ington, D. C.
A mobile home park has been de
veloped on Ryders Lane and the fam
ilies are now relocated in standard
units. This was completed March 15.
The following day Merrill Evans, Jr.,
authority attorney, certified to HUD
regional office in Atlanta, Ga., that the
authority had possession of all sites.
This was believed to be the last hurdle
prior to advertising for bids. It took
the letter eight days to reach the prop
er person.
President Nixon suspended the Davis-
Bacon Requirement on Federal Pro
jects. Before the ink got dry on that
document he reinstated the require
ment and the right hand hasn’t vet dis
covered what the left liana Is doing.
Edenton Housing Authority has an
Annual Contributions Contract with the
U. S. Government for nearly $2-million.
Therefore, the local low-rent public
housing project will be built. We know
where; it’s the “when” that continues
to cause so much uncertainty.
Chase Smokeless Dollars
Travelers spent a record SBO2-million
in North Carolina during 1970 accord
ing to the annual travel survey, pub
lished by the Travel and Promotion
Division of the Department of Conser
vation and Development.
This represents an increase of SSO
- over the 1969 travel spending
level.
Chowan County, in the hub of
Historyland U.S.A., has yet but scratch
ed the surface in getting a fair share
of these smokeless dollars. In 1970
expenditures by the traveling public
here amounted to $1,290,000. While
this represents a 50 per cent increase
since 1958, it is little more than SIOO,-
000 above the 1969 figure.
Many of those who meander along
the Public Parade don’t work up much
enthusiasm for sharing heritage with
those interested in the likes abounding
here. We have often said this does not
mean selling out td the tourists; it
means relieving them of a buck or two
for enjoying on a temporary basis, that
which we take for granted]
A majority of the visitors to Edenton
and Chowan County manage to find
their way back time and time again.
Continued on Page 4
Fisherman Missing
Carroll Copeland, a 19-year-old com
mercial fisherman, is still missing, pre
sumably in the Chowan River, where he
was lak seen on Monday around 4
P. M. near White’s Landing, according
to Sheriff Troy E. Toppin.
He is the son of Mrs. Sallie Marie
Harrell Copeland and the late Mr. Cope
land.
The boat Copeland was fishing from
was found Monday evening around 8
o’clock on the Bertie shoreline of the
Chowan River, with no damages, ac
cording to Sheriff Toppin. t .V
A search is continuing for Copeland
with the sheriffs department, U. S.
Coast Guard, Chowan and Bertie Res
cue Squads, N. C. Wildlife Commission
and Carlton Ngon jind Lester Lewis of
o
6't
port presented Tuesday oon in
Superior Court, the panel .s'S called
attention to lack of action £ £ county
officials to other bad conditi<& rating
in county property. The lac's o previ
ously recommended I im
provements to the health <35 tment
offices were again reported. ‘
iLB&ill
Susan Jordan Gary Lowe
Governor’s School
Students Chosen
Two juniors in Edenton-Chowan
Schools have been selected to attend the
N. C. Governor’s School for the Gifted
in Winston-Salem for the summer of
1971. They are Susan Jordan of Cho
wan High School and Gary Lowe of
John A. Holmes High School.
They are among 400 students from
state secondary schools who will partici
pate. Students are selected for the
program on the basis of high intelli
gence rating and superior ability in an
academic field or a high degree of talent
in one of the arts.
Susan applied for admission under
the social science field.
She has been an outstanding student
throughout her high school career. In
the ninth grade, she was awarded the
home economics and English medals
and the Freshman Cup for being the
most outstanding student in the Fresh
man Class. She won the World History
medal at the end of her sophomore
year. Currently she is a member of
the drama club, basketball team, Beta
Club, and Future Teachers of America
Club.'--
This fall, in the absence of a music
teacher, Susan, organized the school
chorus and directed the group in a
Christmas concert. She has been se
lected to serve as editor of the school
newspaper during her senior year.
Susan plans to further her education
Continued on Page 4
Monday Holiday
Easter Monday will be observed as a
general holiday in Edenton and Chowan
County. Local and state offices will be
closed and the Merchants Committee of
Edenton Chamber of Commerce recom
mend it as a holiday.
The Chowan County Courthouse will
be closed as will the Municipal Building.
Town Administrator W. B. Gardner
said there would be no trash collection
Monday but the sanitary department
will pick up all over town on Saturday,
as usual and again Tuesday.
All financial institutions in the com
munity will be closed. They include the
three offices of Peoples Bank & Trust
Company, Bank of North Carolina,
N. A.,. Edenton Savings & Loan Associa
tion, and Bank of Hobbsville.
Students in the Edenton-Chowan
School System began their Spring holi
day on Wednesday afternoon and are
scheduled to return on Tuesday, accord
ing to Supt.. Bill Britt.
The students at Chowan Academy
also left for their holiday on Wednesday
afternoon but are not scheduled to re
turn until the following Wednesday, ac
cording to an academy spokesman.
’ PHOfIOCE |XGHMHrE
JHHA AUCTION DAILY
New Look Chowan Cooperative Produce Exchange’s auction
building at Valhalla has taken on a new look, thanks to the dona
tion of materials by interested businesses and labor from coopera
tive stockholders. The cooperative, recently funded by a federal
loan-grant, will go to the two-aisle sale system this season which
will make it more attractive for buyers. Roy Harrell, temporary
manager pn loan from N.C.R.F.D., said a membership drive is under
way to seek additional stockholders.
Grand Jury Hears Officials
The jury called in J. Clarence Leary,
chairman, county commissioners; Eu
gene Jordan, chairman and Supt. Bill
Britt of Edenton-Chowan Schools for "a
general discussion of measures to elimi
nate hazards in case of fire with regards
to the present conditions of the
schools.”
The report, as submitted to Judge
Elbert S. Peele, Jr., stated the jury “was
assured that an engineering study would
be made at Chowan High School aS
soon at possible, to determine the best
way to install outside fire escapes.”
Also, “fire alarm systems, independent
of the electric bell system, will be in
stalled in all schools. Periodic inspec
tions, during the school year, by the
local fire marshal, will be made and
all recommendations for fire prevention
will be followed.”
Edenton Fire Chief Luther C. Parks,
who is also county fire marshal, several
months ago discussed with the board
of education his findings on an inspec
tion of the schools. Chief Parks’ report
has caused considerable discussion
among board members, as well as per
sonal inspection of the facilities, but
Supt. Britt has said money is not avail
able to comply with the recommenda
tions of the fire marshal.
The report, signed by R. Graham
White, foreman, showed the following:
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Since the last report of the Grand
Jury no effort has been made to im
prove conditions other than minor re
pairs to the plumbing. Walls and ceil
ings are still in bad repair. There
exists a leak over the X-ray machine
that is immediately in need of repair.
Also one more electrical outlet is badly
needed to prevent a fire hazard. The
facility is badly crowded and, for proper
working conditions, needs adequate
space.
Continued on Page 4
Dr. Thornhill Joins Hospital Staff
Dr. William R. Thornhill of Frank
lin, Va., has been admitted to the staff
of Chowan Hospital. A certified radiol
ogist, Dr. Thornhill has become asso
ciated* with Dr. Joe Lee Frank of
Ahoskie.
Thomas M. Surratt, hospital admini
strator, said with the addition of Dr.
Thornhill to the staff, patients at the
hospital will have a radiologist avail
able four mornings each week. At the
present time Dr. Frank is at the hospi
tal two afternoons each week.
Dr. Frank has been serving the local
hospital for many years but only in the
past three years has there been a suffi
cient demand for his services to require
his presence- here more than one-half
day each week. Surratt said since Dr.
Frank has been coming to Chowan Hos
pital more often the average number
of procedures done at the hospital have
increased at a rapid pace.
“The addition of a second radiologist
Continued on Page 4
Chowan Commissioners Mum On Town Money Request
A majority of Chowan County com
missioners Tuesday night agreed the
Town of Edenton is due some considera
tion on a request to recoup the antici
pated loss in sales tax revenue. How
ever, no agreement could be reached as
to how or when compensation could be
made.
Town Council had requested commis
sioners to sanction a measure in the
General Assembly which would give
the town 50 per cent of the ABC pro
fits. Mayor George Alma Byrum said
at the joint meeting the council would
consider accepting a lesser amount.
Commissioners last week approved
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XXXVII—No. 12. Single Copy 10 Cent*
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina, Thursday, April 8, 1971
MB ' \
View Proposed Restoration Plan T. B. H. Wood, left, president
of the Cupola House Association and W. J. P. Earnhardt, Jr., presi
dent of Historic Edenton, Inc., are shown with a model of the Cupola
House with the gardens restored. The General Assembly has been
asked to appropriate $20,600 for the restoration work at the South
Broad Street site. A total of $65,600 is sought by Historic Edenton
for this project and others at Barker and Iredell House.
Project Funds Are Sought
Rep. W. T. Culpepper, Jr., of Eliza
beth City, has introduced a measure in
the General Assembly to appropriate
funds for Historic Edenton, Inc. The
measure calls for $65,600 over the next
biennium for the Barker House Visitor
Center-Museum, Cupola House and
James Iredell House.
The measure points out that “state
funds should be appropriated for the
restoration, repair and preservation of
the Barker House wherein is located a
visitor’s center and museum, the Cupola
Dr. William Thornhill
reinstatement of the local option sales
tax and placed sharing on an ad va
lorem tax basis. This cut the town’s
share to approximately $24,000 while
about $33,000 was budgeted for this
fiscal year.
Mayor Byrum said the only way com
missioners could guarantee council con
tinued funds equal to what would have
been received through the sales tax
was by writing it into the ABC law.
“Maybe the ABC funds are sacred, I
don’t know,” the mayor stated. “I
don’t know how you can do it any other
way.”
Commissioners N. J. George, C. M.
Evans and C. A. Phillips expressed the
opinion that the town is due some re
lief. However, board members could
not agree where the money would come
Local Bill Passes
Chowan County’s first “local bill” to
be ratified by the 1971 General Assem
bly allows an ABC officer to also serve
as a deputy sheriff. The bill was intro
duced by Rep. W. T. Culpepper, Jr.,
of Elizabeth City at the request of
Chowan County commissioners.
The bill was ratified April 2.
Sheriff Troy Toppin sought and re
ceived the support of commissioners on
the measure which will give additional
man power to the sheriffs department
through sharing the two positions.
Joe Byrum serves as ABC officer in
Chowan County.
House, a National Historic Landmark,
and the James Iredell House, a state
owned historic site.”
Also, it is noted that “for many years
the state, together with the county and
town governments, as well as many
individuals, local and state-wide organi
zations have contributed heavily “to
wards historic sites in Edenton which
now comprise Historic Edenton, Inc.,
along with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
and Chowan County Courthouse.
An estimated $20,600 needed for res
toration of the formal garden and
fences at the Cupola House was request
ed for this site.
The $17,000 requested for Barker
House includes a wooden shingle roof,
mechanical systems for second and third
floors and insulation under the house.
A fire and burglary security system
was also included.
At the Iredell House, it is estimated
that $28,000 is needed for three phased
projects on the main house, restoration
of fences and archaeological excavation
of main house and outbuildings.
Problem Is Aired
Several landowners at Cape Colony
appeared before the Chowan County
commissioners recently and complained
about sanitary conditions at Cape
Colony.
At a meeting Monday the Cape Col
ony Association was represented by Al
ton Clark, president, Mr. Bowles, de
veloper and W. J. P. Earnhardt, Jr., the
association lawyer, to meet with repre
sentatives of the district health depart-
Continued on Page 4
from nor how much is due.
Phillips argued the town’s request
along with other areas of mutual con
cern should be settled at the same time
and when “the air has cleared” from
recent actions by both boards.
George said he has said privately
and publicly that the split is not now
equitable. “We have other problems
to be solved and I think they should
all be handled at one time,” he said.
Phillips praised the degree of past
cooperation between the boards. He
said, however, he would be “reluctant
to disturb, willingly, ABC funds,” at this
time. He called for further discussion
before any firm decisions are made. “I
am hesitant to get into a real crash
program about where we go from here,”
he added.
Evans again stated he would like to
see the sales tax money split on a
76-24 basis as was the case originally.
He said he has been told this cannot be
done legally. He, though, agreed with
Phillips not to disturb the ABC funds
but attempt to find some way to make
up the difference from sales tax money.
David T. Bateman said on a per
capita basis the townspeople are get
ting out ahead on the method of distri
bution.
Chairman J. Clarence Leary said the
county had always tried to handle town
requests for funds in a fair manner and
assured councilmen this policy would
continue in the future.
Commissioners agreed to meet at $ :
P. M., Tuesday to further discuss the
issue.