More Than Just Another Week : Jaycees along the Public Parade and throughout Tar Heelia have taken on and completed many worthwhile projects. They have earned the reputation in these quarters as unselfish young leaders in the community who put the best interests of their community first. Jaycees are not a group to shy away from a challenge. While in some instances they have been criticized as being too fun loving they have not in an equal number of instances been given proper credit for their labors in the area of community betterment and human services. One of the latest kicks of these young men is designed to develop a burn center in North Carolina. . So what are they doing about it? They are selling jelly. Next week, January 19-25, has been designated as N. C. Jaycees’ Jelly Week. Throughout the state they will knock on doors in hundreds of communities for this cause. Shriners have done a tremendous job nationally for children and have developed in South Carolina one of the finest burn centers in the country. Now the. Jaycees want to do the same for North Carolina. It will take a lot of jelly but we will wager that they are successful. On Moving Ahead Realistically Tuesday night was a most frustrating experience for members of Edenton Town Council. They were faced with a question of rezoning property between the corporate limits and the US 17 bypass for the purpose of development of a shopping center. After considerable discussion, the majority of which was in opposition to the request, the council’s decision was to buy 30 days of time. This won’t change many things. It will cause some conversation and comment, such as this column. But it won’t change reality. We have steadfastly maintained that downtown Edenton is in itself a shopping center. The town fathers over the years have purchased property right and left in order to provide free off-street parking for shoppers. Tlie town is now engaged in a downtown development project which before its conclusion could cost as much as $500,000'. Every effort on the part of elected officials has been aimed toward maintaining a viable downtown shopping district. Yet, their responsibility goes beyond the historic district. They, in good conscience, cannot stimy growth in the area. If, through proper planning, etc., they keep some handle on the situation, benefits wpll accrue even to those who are not aware of them. There is, as a matter of fact, only a certain amount of protection and accommodations elected bodies can give preferred areas. New business enterprises must make their own assessments, based on required investment, and plunge into the mainstream of a Continued on Page 4 fcß*- h-,iAa. | . ■ ■ r : %fr !- sgjjtuflfft raHPn^lv : >. ■ I « / 9 PREPARE FOR MOVING DAY—It it not just an ordinary moving day awaiting out on North Broad Streafclt it preparations to move the historic Coke House to the Greenfield section of Chowan County. Worth Hare, moving contractor, has the job of moving the house and surrounding buildings. It is apparent from the site of the house that it isn’t a smell t»«k. . /? 'if ■h W ° .jp v ■ II i m y-zSnr ■ o -rW fir W tr ; 11911991! h| £ £ l M ■&§ -c ■J'- -hh -• ■k ' M t « , 4 'iiß ) b . v / n. 1 1 fIB Bl *■ ASSOCIATION LEADERS—Wade Hubers of Hyde County, center, was elected president of the Albemarle Area Beef Cattle Association at a meeting here Tuesday night. Pictured with him are, from left, Jack Parker, area livestock specialist; Mrs. Bobby Lee of Polkton, Mrs. Kathy Harvey of Hyde County and Yates Parrish of Edenton, outgoing president. Hubers Takes Association Post Wade Hubers of Hyde County was elected president of the Albemarle Beef Cattle Association Tuesday night at a Ladies Night banquet held at the American Legion Building. He succeeds Yates Parrish of Chowan County in the post. Mrs. Bobby Lee of Polkton was principal speaker at the banquet. She was introduced by Mrs. Kathy Harvey of Hyde County. Mrs. Lee is vice president of the state Bowles Criticizes Holshouser Administration Hargrove Bowles, Jr. DSA Event Edenton Jaycees will hold their 21st Distinguished Service Award banquet January 23 at the Jaycee Community Building on Base Road. The banquet will begin at 7:30 o’clock. Walter G. Oxendine of Pembroke, past administrative national director for N. C. Jaycees, will be the keynote speaker. Oxendine, who has been active in community and state circles, is a teacher and coach at Pembroke Senior High School. He is one of North Carolina’s most active Jaycees and last year was unsuccessful in his bid for the v state presidency. Oxendine will be introduced by Woody Copeland. _ Oscar White, local Jaycee president, will preside and the invocation will be given by Alton Clark. Carroll Forehand will introduce special guests and Ray Midgett will recognize past DSA winners. Wallace Evans, chairman of the Jaycee board, will present the DSA award. association auxiliary. Parrish presided at the meeting and entertainment was provided by Elizabeth Stevens, Jackie Parker and Joe Kinney, all of Edenton. Special guests were recognized by Ike Jackson of Pasquotank County, secretary of the association. Door prizes were awarded by Walden Hearn, Pasquotank County Agricultural Extension Agent. (Editor’s Note: The General Assembly of North Carolina convened at noon Wednesday. Two days prior to this event, Hargrove (Skipper) Bowles, Jr., of Greensboro, went before the Lions Club of his hometown to deliver a challenging speech. Normally such a speech would not get front page play in this newspaper, but we believe what he has to say is something that needs to be said, deeply pondered and reacted to by all Tar Heels. This newspaper did not support Mr. Bowles in the Democratic Primary but we consider him a North Carolinian with the best interests of the state at heart. For that reason we reprint here the full text of his timely speech. LFA) Two years ago someone else was elected Governor of North Carolina. What I said that night as I conceded to my opponent, I meant and I mean today. “Let’s wake up tomorrow morning determined that Jim Holshouser is going to be the best governor we have ever had. We are Democrats - yes - but first we are North Carolinians and he is our new governor, so let’s do all we can to help him in his job.” I confess that those words ring a little uncertainly today. I have come down somewhat in my ambitions for governor Holshouser. I still hope, however, that he can be a good governor and a successful governor - because if he is, the people of North Carolina will benefit. While that statement may be greeted with some skepticism, I mean it very honestly. We have a tradition in our state of working harder for North Carolina than we do for party or self. It is a tradition we ought to maintain. THE CHOWAN HERALD Volume XLI. —No. 3. Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, January 16,1975 Single Copies 10 Cents. Town Council Delays Decision On Zoning Edenton Town Council Tuesday night delayed for 30 days action on a request to rezone 10 acres on the south side of the US 17 by-pass to allow for the development of a shopping center. Councilman Errol Flynn, following more than an hour of discussion, said be had only recently become aware of the opposition to the rezoning and suggested that further study was necessary. Councilman Jesse L. Harrell agreed and made a motion that the decision be delayed for 30 days and that the council as a whole be a committee to seek additional information. Flynn seconded the’” motion and although the vote was quite inaudible, Mayor Roy L. Harrell announced that it had passed. It was obvious to observers in A part of this tradition has been an unwritten rule that there are lines we draw in our political affairs in North Carolina; there are boundaries beyond which we do not step. One is that while we may be Democrats or Republicans when it comes to deciding who will lead us, we are only North Carolinians when it comes to getting where we want to go. The great movements in our history- good roads, good schools, good health care and industrial development - have all been efforts for all our people in which all our people took part. I want to give a personal message to my fellow Democrats because how well we as a state do in the coming two years is going to depend to a large extent on what kind of leadership Democrats provide. I think we Democrats have two great responsibilities. One certainly is to see that our party is vigorous in presenting its views, offering alternatives where it believes they are needed and voicing responsible criticism of the other party and its leaders. The other responsibility - which Continued on Page 4 New Procedures Approved A substantial increase in water rates and the establishment of a separate sewer rate has been approved by the Town of Edentor and will become effective February 1, according to an announcement made, Tuesday night. W. B. Gardner, town administrator, said the average customer will experience about a 39 per cent increase in their water rate. The minimum sewer rate will be $2 with all waste treatment being 79 cents per 1,000 gallons of water consumption. In a letter which Mayor Hoy L. Harrell win send to users next week, it was noted that this is the first water and sewer rate adjustment since January, 1970. Councilman James Darnell explained that the town was being required by state and federal agencies to upgrade the sewerage disposal system and the Local Government Commission requires that any such expansion be financed by the utility. Gardner pointed out that while the rate increase is substantial it is still lower than most rates charged by municipalities in the region. The administrator reported that the town is going ahead with certain work on the downtown beautification project in order to be out of the way when the contractor is ready to go to work, which is sometime after March 1. He also reported that the Pembroke Creek project again experienced excessive bids, but the Corps of Engineers has been authorised*) negotiate with the low bidder? 1. the audience that more than one councilman did not vote on the motion to table, but the vote was not challenged. Most of those speaking in opposition took the stand that the property’s best use is for medical arts and residential. A portion of the site between Chowan Hospital and the bypass has been given to Edenton United Methodist Church as the site for a new church. The church board voted last week to remain neutral on the question of rezoning. The most vocal opposition came from those with downtown business interests, those who expressed concern about the existing traffic flow in the area and one developer of a proposed shopping center in a different area of Edenton. Alton G. Elmore, a member of Fair Association Elects Perry W. A. (Bill) Perry of Edenton was elected vice president of the N. C. Association of Agricultural Fairs at their annual convention held January 9-10 at the Royal Villa Motor Inn in Raleigh. Perry has a long history of service, having served as president of the Chowan County Fair Association for the past 22 years and as a director of the N. C. Association for the past two years. All county fairs are evaluated by the Department of Agriculture. Perry, president of Chowan County Fair Association was presented a Meritorious Award for the 1974 Chowan County Fair by James A. Graham. Commissioner of Agriculture. The convention featured outstanding speakers and panels on various phases of fair planning, execution and management. Dr. J. E. Legates, Dean of the School of Agriculture, N. C. State University, stressed the importance of county fairs throughout history in agriculture education for farmers, promoting healthy competion among citizens Continued on Page 4 Council adopted the 1973 Fire Code and denied a request from Emmett Wiggins for compensation for delay he alleged the town caused in him completing a bulk-head project in Filberts Creek. Region “R” Draws Allocation Region “R” has been allocated $158,532 out of $12.2-million coming into North Carolina in the form of Title VI Public Service Employment funds.- Os this amount $70,995 has been directly earmarked for nine departmehts of social services in the 10-county region and none for mimicipalities. Chowan County has been Assistance Offered R. M. Midgett, local revenue officer for the N. C. Department of Revenue, advises that personnel to assist in filing state income and intangibles tax returns will be available locally on Wednesdays of each week through April 15. The local office is located in the Earnhardt Building at 102 West Eden Street and assistance will be available on Wednesdays from 8:30 AM. until 5:30 P.M. Midgett requests tluft taxpayers bring the pre-addressed forms which were mailed to them from Raleigh. Completed returns showing refimds due should be mailed to the N. C. Department of Revenue, Box R, Raleigh, 27634; other completed returns should be mailed to the N. C. Department of Revenue, Box 25000, Raleigh, 27640. Chowan County commissioners and chairman of that group’s site committee, injected some humor into the discussion when he noted that only a few months ago some opposition was expressed to development of a governmental complex in the same vicinity . “Where are those voices tonight; who felt it was the best interest of the downtown area to have the courthouse -jail complex remain in the central business district?” he asked. He said some of the same people now support establishing new businesses outside the downtown area. W. B. Gardner, town administrator, noted that a 1969 plan adopted by the town suggested that two areas south ot any proposed bypass be developed for commercial purposes. Linwood Ward, son of the owner of the property, pointed out that while the rezoning request was for 10 acres, there remains some 60 acres in the same tract for residential or other development. The plan calls for a 61-foot “buffer zone’’, considered adequate for a street and plantings, to be between the proposed shopping center and property on the south side. Bill Wilson, speaking for the developers, said the owners have agreed to dedicate property for the street. The proposal had earlier been studied by the planning board and recommended to the council for approval. N. J. George, who announced publicly that he has requested that his property in the same vicinity be rezoned to commercial, said it doesn’t “speak well of the planning process to route people through a business area into town. ’ ’ When questioned about the present zoning, Gardner replied that at the time of annexation it was so zoned in order that it could continue to be farmed. Warren Twiddy said a study made showed that 85 per cent of the people contacted favored commercial trade traffic coming from the east. He argued also that to put a shopping center on highway 32 would further bottleneck downtown, Granville Street and Chowan Hospital. James Bond, who was chairman of the site committee when the new hospital was built, said he felt it was the intent of the owner of the property to have the surrounding area residential. “I would like to see it. remain residential.” he added. allocated $16,708. The county will get $3,535; Employment Security Commission, $3,707; and the department of social services, $9,466. David Mack, representing the N. C. Manpower Services Council, said Wednesday this is for full time employees and the funding is for only six months. W. B. Gardner, Edenton town administrator and chairman of Albemarle Regional Planning & Development Commission, objected strongly not only to the small amount allocated to the region but the manner in which it was handled. “Just last May we were told by Gov. Holshouser that the Lead Regional Organization would be the manpower representative,” he said. “It appears that when we get any means to help our region we get the short shift.” Gardner and other county representatives said it appears that those in Raleigh know better about the priorities down in the counties than those in the counties. Dallas Jethro, Jr., Chowan County coordinator, added that the county should have the right to establish priorities. Gardner vowed that ARPDC would exert every effort to get more fundi for the region.