• : vlTl sum <2c ’ft jCv Sr & * T® Sr « S' . fern. £• I w tern -om jmmam c . Volume No. 1. Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, January 3, 1974. I's, Single Copies 10 Cents : .’. - < Architect’s Sketch of Proposed New Albemarle Chowan Convalescent Facility |luWir parade .Ranking High The Local Government Commission last month ranked counties and municipalities of similar population groupings according to percentages of collected taxes on June 30, 1973. Edenton and Chowan County both were in the No. l group. Chowan and five other Albemarle Area counties were above 93 per cent in tax collections. Chowan’s figure was 97.01 per cent, while Gates led the pack with 99.30 per cent. In the area of percentage of available cash invested, only Hyde and Dare ranked higher than Chowan’s 84.52 per cent. Camden’s 28.24 per cent of investments ranked among the lowest in the state. The rankings showed the Town of Edenton collected 95.28 per cent 4jf the 1972 levy and had 87.33 per cent of available funds invested. Those on the county and municipal level responsible for such performance are to be commended. The New Lieutenant It’s a far distance from Manteo to Murphy. From Elizabeth City to Asheville is darned near as bad. _Hut we predict that J. G. Thomas will make the nip almost' painlessly. On January 1, First Sgt. Thomas became F 'ord Lt. Thomas. The dreadful thing is that his duty station was moved from along the Public Parade to the mountains of Tar Heelia. Asheviil ’s j ? s a loss for the Albemarle. Lt. Thomas, a State Highway Patrol veteran of sterling I* character, devotion and armed with an almost uncanny ability to predict what’s ahead, is the “victim” of the establishment of a new troop in this state. He is among 33 troopers promoted or moved to other jobs with the setting up of Troop H. Which will be headquarters in Monroe. inose who were associated with Lt. Thomas along the Public ! Parade will not be surprised with the patrol administration’s recognition of his talents which resulted in this promotion. He was more of a general here last summer than Hrst sergeant When times were the roughest, he was in the thickets. When tempers flared, ne was the coolest. When there appeared to be some disrespect for authority or total / Continued on Page 4 it—y. , jup. J .^.. ( ~, ■lBMk«-*j "~ ■■'■-■**■* . .-«..! " m.j. mjm iaM. 1 .' ~ n■ ■ ife* L - ..._• ; s ;; £?$&••■*••. IS fce retfatat of a painting by JoetochTpart time resent of Ocmcokahknd. Koch, wbo signs bis paintings a* Jo Ko " is well known far bu renderings of Outer Banks Sfanaa The art work ch*inna Kwh. li^snsn, Health Care Facility Slated Plans for development of a 64- bed intermediate care facility in Chowan 1 County were disclosed today. The application is currently being reviewed by the Comprehensive Health Planning Council in Region “R”. The Albemarle - Chowan Manpower Changes Seen New federal manpower legislation signed into law last week by President Nixon is designed to give more local control over programs in various areas, stated Floyd Spellman of Albemarle Regional Planning & Development Commission. Spellman said he talked with state officials in Raleigh on Wednesday and they were busy developing guidelines for regional use. Under the new law, funds will come through the state and down to the region. The Ancillary Manpower Planning Board, which is now required, would no longer be necessary. The law also includes $250- million for continuation of the emergency employment program. One change allows for participants to be in training. Currently there are 30 slots in the *~fsg!ofrWTtfTh payroll in excess of $200,000. These people work in public employment and were either unemployed or underemployed at the time they were put to work. Reports are that Community Action Program agencies would be hardest hit by the new law. Continuation of the Neighborhood Youth Corps and Mainstream would have to be funded locally and if so desired could continue under contract to Economic Improvement Council, Inc. This would be done in an effort to do away with categorized programs as they are now known. Funding is expected to be at about the same level as this fiscal y4ar. There would be a 12V 2 per cent poverty factor, 37' ; per cent unemployment factor and 50 per cent\ factor on current expenditure. Tax Collections Net collections from the local 1 per cent sales tax in Chowan County in November amounted to $16,903.20, according to J. Howard Coble, secretary, Department of Revenue. convalescent facility would be located on a 10-acre tract on Base Road, about five miles east of Edenton. Jack Habit, local insurance and real estate executive, is the developer. Design Associates, Inc,, of Statesville, has been chosen as • ’Z jEMB Kim- EDWARD E. BROWN, JR. REA Position Edward E. Brown, Jr., has been named general manager of Albemarle Electric Membership Corporation headquartered in Hertford effective January 1. The announcement was made by James A. Whitehurst of South Mills, president of the electric cooperative. Brown will assume the position held by John D. Coston for the past 23 years. Coston retired as manager effective the end of December, 1973. Brown comes to Albemarle EMC from N. C. Electric Membership Corporation in Raleigh, the statewide, trade service association of North Carolina’s 28 electric membership corporations. He joined N. C. EMC in February, 1968, and has served as Director of Advertising and Associate Editor of “Carolina Country,” the publication of electric cooperatives, since that time. A native of Martin County and graduate of Jamesville High School, Brown holds a B.A. Degree from N. C. State University and a M.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is married to the former Jean Andrews of Plymouth and is the father of two children: Denise, six, and Tripp, three. The family will live in Hertford on Whedbee Drive. Brown’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward E. Brown, live in Plymouth. Albemarle EMC serves over 5,000 consumer-members in Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden and Currituck counties. Chowan Social Security Roll Increases; So Do Checks (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK The number of Chowan County residents who are getting Social Security checks each month from Washington continues to rise. N And the amounts that are going to them are increasing as well. The latest upward revision, just acted upon by Congress, will boost their payments by 11 per cent during 1974. A' total of 1,199 persons in the local area, more than ever before, architect for the health care facility which will have core area facilities suitable to ultimately handle more than 100 people. These include administrative, staff, dinning, therapy, crafts, laundry and mechanical facilities. Preliminary plans call for 16 two-bed rooms on each wing with a solarium at the end of each hallway. There will be two wings off the core area with a third easily adaptable to the original plan for future expansion. Habit said every effort is being made to avoid an institutional atmosphere which is found in many similar facilities. He said a corporation will soon be formed and stockholders would be local people. Habit noted that there has been a great need demonstrated for an intermediate care facility in this area. There are reports that local citizens needing this type medical care are now being sent out of the area, as much as 150 miles away, because of the absence of sufficient space in existing facilities. The facility would be licensed by the N. C. Department of Social Services and meet all requirements to accept people on Medicaid. Cullipher Is Back Wesley B. Cullipher of Elizabeth City, executive director of Albemarle Regional Planning & Development Commission, Wednesday returned to work in the Edenton headquarters following confinement to a hospital in Richmond, Va. James Lewis, executive director of Albemarle Human Resources Development System, had been named acting director of ARPDC in Cullipher’s absence. m 1 a / > LICENSE TAGS ON SALE-The new 1974 license tags went on sale Tuesday. Mrs. David Nixon, notary, stated that the deadline for displaying the green on white plates is February 15. The price for automobile tags is sl4. contributions they made to the Social Security Trust Fund over the years via money deducted from their pay envelopes. The majority of the recipients are retired workers. The other include disabled workers, widows, children and other dependents. The facts and figures are contained in the latest annual report of Social Security Administration. They show that the increase in the number of beneficiaries has been due, chiefly, to periodic revisions of the law. The changes have had the effect of bringing ’74: Farming Outlook Good The new farm year probably will be a good one for the farmer compared to any year except 1973. The record shattering net income of the season just completed isn’t likely to be repeated in 1974. This seems to be the consensus of the experts at a time when the difficult task of predicting agriculture is even more difficult than usual. In many ways it’s a new ball game. There is a new government program with its “target” prices and strong appeal for expanded production; there is a delicate balance of commodities worldwide; there is a serious shortage of such basics as fuel and fertilizer, and there are increased costs almost at every turn. These are just some of the factors that promise to make 1974 an “interesting” year for agriculture and the farmer. Whatever happens in ’74, Grace Given Edward G. McCoy, commissioner of Commercial and Sports Fisheries, Morehead City, announced there would be a 31-day grace period in the enforcement of commercial fishing licensing requirements next year. The commissioner said, “We feel this is necessary that commercial fishermen who have made application for license might not be inconvenienced, since many have made application and we have been unable to complete the paper work and get the licenses back to the applicants.” McCoy pointed out that this year all license sales are being made at the Morehead City office to comply with recommendations of the Governor’s Efficiency Study team and recommendations of their auditors. McCoy stated, “Since our office closed for the Christmas holidays December'2l, many people have applied for licenses and there will be no possi ble way to return their licenses to them prior to January 1. So. in an effort to be fair, we are extending the time for 1974 licensing requirements to January 31.” Those commercial fishermen who do not have the application forms may obtain them by writing to the Division of Commercial and Sports Fisheries, Post Office Box 769, Morehead City, N. C. more and more people under coverage. Nationally, as a result; more than nine out of every 10 working people now have Social Security protection. Along with the increase in the number of persons enrolled has been the lug increase in the size of pension checks. In Chowan County, the average annual payment per recipient was $1,290 in the past year, considerably more than the $796 paid three years ago. The combination of more beneficiaries and bigger checks farmers will be hard pressed to match the income they received last year. Realized net farm income probably reached $25- billion, up over $5-billion from the previous record set only the year before. N. C. State University economists point out that this “phenomenal” increase in farm income was a result of the continuing strong domestic demand for livestock production and an exceptionally strong foreign demand for crops Higher prices for all commodities and increased production of most major crops contributed to the strong agricultural picture in North Carolina. Production of flue-cured tobacco was up 18 per cent, corn 5 per cent, soybeans 27 per cent, cotton 30 per cent and peanuts 22 per cent. Looking into the new year, the NCSU economists point out that markets for important commodities are in a delicate balance. Prices are likely to move up and down during the first half of the year, but they should remain strong for commodities produced in 73 and carried over for sale. Farmers' response to the new farm program will be a critical factor influencing prices in the second half of the year. If they respond as anticipated and weather conditions are favorable, grain and soybean prices next fall will be lower than last fall but well above the average of thelate 1960’5. Increased feed supplies at lower prices will encourage expansion of livestock in the second half of ’74, the NCSU economists suggest. The story on costs is the same as it has been for years they’ll be higher Taxes and farm wages rates will continue to rise, also. New Scheduie Due to the fact that reinstatement of Daylight Savings Time would result in many students having to wait on school busses in the dark, the following daily schedule will be followed for January and February by pupils enrolled in the Edenton-Chowan Schools. Revised school hours will be from 9 A M. to 3 P.M. daily. This schedule goes into effect on January 7. School ousses will operate approximately one hour later than norma 1 during this period. This schedule will be in effect only for the months of January and February. Further announcements will be made relative to the exact date of return to the normal schedule. Aid Is Available Albemarle Regional Speech and Hearing Center is making plans to provide hearing conservation for industry to aid in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Hazards Act (OSHA). “The new OSHA guidelines are being released and are much more strict than ever before,” stated David D. McGraw, director of the center. “Every industry must now provide hearing protection for its employees “We at the Albemarle Regional Speech and Hearing Center would like to discuss a hearing conservation program for ConlmoW o?f*age 4 has boosted considerably the inflow of cash to the local area The government's figures show that overall payments to local residents, as of the beginning of this year, were at the annual rate of $2,580,000. Three years before, byway of contrast, the total was only $1,416,000. The rise, 82.2 per cent, tops the United States rise of 81.3 per cent. To help pay for the 11 per cert hike in benefits that will be going into effect, the amount of a worker’s income that wBI become subject to Social Security tax will be $13,200 in 1974.